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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2013
2/16/12
Mayhem At The Mansion
Kauai Cage Match 14
(MMA)
(Kilohana Carriage House, Lihue, Kauai)
2/2/12
World
Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship: Hawaii Trials
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(McKinley H.S. Gym)
1/12/12
Reuben "Cobrinha" Charles Seminar
4-7PM
(Ku Lokahi Wrestling Club)
2012
12/8-9/12
8th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial Amateur Boxing Event
(Palolo District Park Gym)
(Amateur Boxing)
11/24/12
Aloha
State BJJ Championship
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(McKimley H.S. Gym)
11/10-11/12
Eternal Submission Tournament
(Sub Grappling)
(Kauai)
11/10/12
Toughman Xtreme Fighting Championships
(Boxing, Kickboxing, XMA, MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
10/20-21/12
NAGA
Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Radford H. S. Gym)
10/20/12
King of the Cage: Mana
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
10/7/12
Worlds
Master Senior Championship
(BJJ)
(The Pyramid, Long Beach, CA)
9/8/12
Destiny: Na Koa
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
9/1/12
Toughman Hawaii
(Boxing)
(Hilo Civic Ctr)
8/18/12
Warpath to Mayhem:
Rumble at the Resort
(MMA)
(Kauai Beach Resort, Lihue, Kauai)
August
King of the Mat
(Submission Grappling)
8/4/12
Maui Open
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina)
7/21/12
Sera's Kajukenbo Martial Arts Tournament
(Continuous Sparring, MMA (Controlled), and Sub. Grappling)
(War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
**CANCELLED**
7/14/12
King of the Cage
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
6/29/12
Vendetta 5
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
6/16-17/12
State
of Hawaii BJJ Championship
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
6/16/12
Destiny
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
6/15/12
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
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)
(Island School, Lihue, 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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January
2013 News Part 1
|
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After
losing to Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos says his face hurts,
but his hands don’t
Junior
dos Santos lost the UFC heavyweight belt on Saturday night to
Cain Velasquez. In the fight, Velasquez brutalized JDS with striking
and wrestling for which dos Santos had no answer. Dos Santos
recorded a video thank you to fans, and you have to give the
guy credit. He does have a sense of humor about the loss.
"All
the time, I got my hands hurt. All the time. But this time, I
got my face hurt! My hands are feeling 100 percent. But my face
got a little swollen," dos Santos said.
He
also was sure to compliment Velasquez.
"I
think Cain Velasquez did an excellent job, so congratulations
to him. He followed a good strategy. I'm going to go home, and
I'm going to fix everything, and put everything in the right
place, and come back stronger than ever."
Before
Saturday, dos Santos had lost just once in his career. He was
submitted via armbar in 2007. It's pretty impressive that he's
taking this loss so well, and adds some credibility behind his
promise to come back stronger than ever.
Source: Yahoo Sports |
UFC on Fuel TV 8 Fight Card Rumors
UFC
on Fuel TV 8
Date: March 2, 2013
Venue: Saitama Super Arena
Location: Tokyo, Japan
-Wanderlei
Silva (34-12-1) vs. Brian Stann (12-5)
-Mark Hunt (8-7) vs. Stefan Struve (25-5)
-Takanori Gomi (34-8) vs. Diego Sanchez (23-5)
-Dong Hyun Kim (16-2-1) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (24-4-1)
-Mizuto Hirota (14-5-1) vs. Rani Yahya (17-7)
-Riki Fukuda (19-6) vs. Brad Tavares (9-1)
-Takeya Mizugaki (16-7-2) vs. Bryan Caraway (17-5)
-Cristiano Marcello (13-4) vs. Kazuki Tokudome (11-3-1)
-Alex Caceres (8-5) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (11-6)
-Marcelo Guimaraes (18-0-1) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (10-3-1)
UFC
on Fuel TV 8 Start Times:
Preliminary Bouts: TBD
Main Card on Fuel TV: 10 pm ET / 7 pm PT
Source: MMA Weekly |
All 24 Fighters Drug Tested at UFC 155
The
drug test results for UFC 155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez II are
in with all fighters returning negative results.
Nevada
Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer informed MMAWeekly.com
that all 24 combatants were drug tested, and that all 24 returned
negative results. The test checks for performance enhancing substances,
as well as recreational drugs.
The
heavyweight championship rematch between Junior dos Santos and
Cain Velasquez headlined the Dec. 29 UFC 155 fight card at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Velasquez
dominated the fight, brutalizing dos Santos for all five rounds,
but couldn’t put the stubborn Brazilian away.
Lightweights
Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon, however, stole the show with their
bloody, three-round Fight of the Night performance.
UFC
155 marked the promotion’s second event held in Las Vegas
in December. All 22 fighters on the TUF 16 Finale on Dec. 15
were also drug tested, with all 22 returning negative results.
The
Octagon returns to Las Vegas for UFC 156 on Feb. 2 for the promotion’s
Super Bowl Weekend event featuring Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar
and Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Erick
Silva Injured, Strikeforce’s Tyron Woodley Fights Jay Hieron
at UFC 156
Erick
Silva has sustained an injury, forcing him out of his UFC 156
fight with Jay Heiron. Strikeforce’s Tyron Woodley will
make his official move to the UFC and fight Hieron in Silva’s
place.
Silva
spent two weeks suffering from arm pain and a boil on his left
leg, which through training became infected.
“I
tried my best not to exit the card. I trained injured, tried
to recover, but my elbow still bothers me,” Silva posted
in Portuguese on his Twitter account. “I took antibiotics
and my immune system dropped. I feel pain in my elbow, but the
infection in my leg is a lot better. It’s less swollen and
I’m still taking medication. I’ll continue my training
and soon I’ll be stronger than ever. ”
UFC
156 takes place in Las Vegas on Feb. 2 at the Mandalay Bay.
UFC 156
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Saturday, February 2, 2013
José Aldo vs Frankie Edgar
Alistair Overeem vs Antônio Pezão
Rashad Evans vs Rogério Minotouro
Demian Maia vs Jon Fitch
Joseph Benavidez vs Ian McCall
Tyron Wooldey vs Jay Hieron
Gleison Tibau vs Evan Dunham
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Mike Goldberg says health issue caused him to miss UFC 155, denies
Internet rumors
Contrary to recent online reports, long-time UFC play-by-play
man Mike Goldberg says a freak recent health scare was the only
reason why he missed UFC 155.
Goldberg
didn't call last weekend's show in Las Vegas, marking the first
time since he debuted with the promotion in 1997 that he missed
a UFC assignment for a reason other than a schedule conflict.
In his place last Saturday night, announcer Jon Anik called the
show alongside color analyst Joe Rogan.
After
the event, UFC president Dana White said he was unsure when the
veteran broadcaster would return Octagon-side.
"Goldie's
out for a while," White said, "and I don't know when
he'll be back."
White
then refused to field any more questions about Goldberg.
Later
in the week, rumors began to surface online that the 48-year-old
Goldberg was battling drug addiction, however, when contacted
by MMAFighting.com via text message on Friday, Goldberg denied
those claims.
"I'm
doing well," he said.
"Those
rumors out there are not true. I'm dealing with a complicated
health issue but feeling better and hoping to be back to 100
percent by Jan. 26 (UFC on FOX 6 in Chicago). See you soon."
Goldberg
declined to discuss his health issue in detail.
However,
according to multiple sources close to Goldberg, who all asked
to remain anonymous, the broadcaster suffered from a severe upper
respiratory infection in October. The already-asthmatic Goldberg
was then treated with large doses of medication to open the airway
and treat the infection. Goldberg's doctor later confirmed that
the medication taken to treat the infection in combination with
his normal asthma medication caused severe side effects that
affected his ability to work, which according to the same sources,
was the reason he missed UFC 155.
Goldberg
is currently being treated to get his health back on track and
is approaching a full recovery.
Source: MMA Fighting |
Jake
Ellenberger Asked for Fight Against Johny Hendricks at UFC 158
Jake
Ellenberger wanted to fight Johny Hendricks, and he’ll get
the opportunity March 16 at UFC 158.
In
an interview Wednesday with the Sherdog Radio Network’s
“Beatdown” show, Ellenberger discussed the matchup,
title contention and more.
On
Hendricks: “I’m not disagreeing with anybody who thinks
Johny is the No. 1 contender. I’m not disagreeing with that
because he’s put together the wins. At the same time, he
did accept a fight with me, which is respectable on his part.
I’m sure he doesn’t want to sit out for a long period
of time. That’s definitely a fight that I wanted. That’s
the fight that I asked for, but I’m not Joe Silva or Dana
[White]. It’s up to them. At the end of the day, they make
the decisions. I’m just really stoked I got the matchup.”
On
title contention and getting a title fight: “There’s
nothing that’s ever for sure. Until you sign a contract,
you don’t know for sure who you’re fighting. And there’s
always injuries, but that’s just kind of the way this sport
is. That’s the way it works. You’ve got to be open
to new ideas. It’s constantly changing.”
On
his loss to Martin Kampmann and how far it dropped him down the
welterweight ladder: “It’s hard to say. Six wins in
a row was on top of the world. You’re really only as good
as your last fight. It was very disappointing. Kampmann, he just
comes back. He’s a super tough cat. It was tough to deal
with. For me, it was kind of a test. How bad do you really want
to be the best? How bad do you want to be up there? For me, I
kind of had to take a look at myself ... and figure out what
I can do to get better. Everything’s constantly changing.
You can put together two or three wins and get a shot against
the champ.”
On
Hendricks calling him more dangerous than Georges St. Pierre:
“I appreciate that. I’ve had nothing but good things
to say about Johny as well. The guy’s dangerous. ... At
the end of the day, when you’re in the cage and you’re
fighting another guy who has the power to put you out in one
punch -- granted you can get caught in submissions and transitions
-- but if somebody can [land one punch] and you lose consciousness,
that’s something to say.”
On
who has the best shot to beat St. Pierre: “If you’re
in Georges St. Pierre’s shoes, who is the biggest threat
to his title? That would be Johny and myself.”
On
why Hendricks has been successful: “The thing that Johny
has that a lot of guys don’t is that he’s competed
in wrestling at the highest level. He knows how to compete. He
kind of fights with no fear. … I think the fact that he’s
fearless in there makes him dangerous.”
Source: Sherdog |
Jon Fitch
Sees Georges St-Pierre Defeating Nick Diaz, but His Focus is
on Demian Maia Fight
Jon
Fitch has re-invented himself, or more accurately perhaps, re-invented
how he trains and where he directs his focus when it comes fight
time.
Those
are things that come with time and experience, and Fitch definitely
has plenty of experience. He’s been to the top of the heap,
challenging Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight championship.
He failed to wrest the belt from GSP, but Fitch got right back
on the horse, winning five consecutive bouts.
He
has slipped since then, going 1-1-1 in his last three fights.
He fought BJ Penn to a draw, lost to Johnny Hendricks, but then
rebounded with an impressive victory over Erik Silva at UFC 153.
Still
trying to get back into title contention, Fitch knows he’s
not in the immediate mix for another shot at GSP, whom he feels
is firmly entrenched at the top for the time being, especially
since St-Pierre has Nick Diaz up next.
“I
think a shake-up could’ve happened if Johny Hendricks got
the title shot,” Fitch said in a media scrum at UFC 155
recently. “GSP will probably defeat Diaz. I think there
is a strong possibility the fight after that would be Marquardt,
just because it’s champion vs. champion.
“So
I’m not even gonna consider thinking about any top seed
type stuff for the whole 2013. That’s already booked, honestly.”
That’s
okay. Fitch is not focused solely on the belt. He’s highly
motivated by the love of what he does, which is to fight. And
the fight in front of him is Demian Maia at UFC 156 on Super
Bowl weekend.
Should
he add a victory over Maia to his recent success against Silva,
Fitch would be creeping into the discussion about fighting one
of the guys that could put him back in line for another title
shot.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Miller-Mein,
Cruickshank-Makdessi, Camozzi-Ring Added to UFC 158 Bill in Montreal
The
UFC 158 lineup continues to grow, as promotion officials recently
announced three new additions to the March 16 card.
Dan
Miller welcomes Strikeforce import Jordan Mein to the Octagon
in a welterweight bout, Daron Cruickshank and John Makdessi square
off at lightweight and Chris Camozzi locks horns with Nick Ring
at 185 pounds at the Bell Centre in Montreal. UFC 158 is headlined
by a welterweight title clash between reigning champion Georges
St. Pierre and former Strikeforce king Nick Diaz. The event also
features two more pivotal 170-pound bouts, as Carlos Condit battles
Rory MacDonald, and Johny Hendricks tussles with Jake Ellenberger.
A
31-year-old representative of the AMA Fight Club, Miller appeared
just once in 2012, choking out Ricardo Funch at UFC on FX 4 in
June. The New Jersey native is 6-5 in a UFC career that began
in September 2008. Miller owns nine of his 14 professional victories
by way of submission.
Though
only 23 years old, Mein already has 34 professional bouts on
his resume. The Canadian Martial Arts Centre representative fought
three times last year, dropping a unanimous verdict to Tyron
Woodley at Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Jardine” before
besting Tyler Stinson and Forrest Petz in his next two outings.
Mein also owns notable victories over Joe Riggs, Josh Burkman,
Marius Zaromskis and Evangelista Santos.
Cruickshank
earned his second Octagon win in emphatic fashion, knocking out
Henry Martinez with a head kick at UFC on Fox 5 on Dec. 8. “The
Ultimate Fighter 15” alumnus debuted in the promotion with
a unanimous decision victory over Chris Tickle in June.
Makdessi
ended a two-fight skid at UFC 154 with a unanimous verdict over
fellow Canadian Sam Stout. The Tristar Gym export began his UFC
tenure with wins over Pat Audinwood and Kyle Watson before falling
to Dennis Hallman and Kyle Watson in his next two promotional
appearances.
Camozzi
recently completed a productive year in Octagon, as the 26-year-old
Coloradoan defeated Dustin Jacoby, Nick Catone and Luiz Cane
in succession in 2012. The “TUF 11” cast veteran is
5-2 in the UFC overall.
Ring
was expected to face Constantinos Philippou at UFC 154 but was
forced to withdraw from the bout when he became ill after weigh-ins.
Ring was victorious in his most recent appearance on Canadian
soil, taking a unanimous decision from Court McGee at UFC 149
in Calgary.
Source: Sherdog |
Chris
Camozzi Prepared for UFC 158 – “Nick Ring Better Be
Ready for a War”
A
middleweight bout pitting Chris Camozzi against Nick Ring has
been added to UFC 158 in Montreal, and both fighters are out
to prove something in this fight.
For
Nick Ring, it’s a return to action after a disappointing
close to 2012 when he fell ill just hours before his scheduled
bout against Costa Philippou at UFC 154, thus cancelling the
fight.
Now
Ring will look to start 2013 off right and prove he belongs among
the best at 185 pounds in the UFC.
Chris
Camozzi has no intention of letting him prove anything, however,
because he believes this is his shot to prove to the fans and
the UFC that he’s ready to be showcased on pay-per-view
main cards and face the top talent in the world.
“This
is exactly what I have been asking the UFC for. Give me someone
that has been on the main cards contending for a shot. Put the
fight on a big PPV and let me prove that I can show up under
pressure and preform,” Camozzi told MMAWeekly.com on Saturday.
“I
predict that I will be riding a four-fight win streak after this
fight and position myself as a contender in the division.”
Camozzi
has won three fights in a row in the UFC recently with victories
over Dustin Jacoby, Nick Catone and Luiz Cane, and now looks
to make an even bigger splash in his next fight.
Facing
Ring in his home country of Canada will be no easy test, but
that’s exactly what Camozzi has been asking the UFC for:
a chance to prove he’s a legit contender.
“I
do not feel as anyone owes me anything at this point, I owe the
UFC and the fans a show. I need to showcase what got me to the
big stage in every fight,” said Camozzi. “Nick better
be ready for a war.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
158 Fight Card Rumors
UFC
158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz
Date: March 16, 2013
Venue: Bell Centre
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
-Georges
St-Pierre (23-2) vs. Nick Diaz (26-8)
-Carlos Condit (28-6) vs. Rory MacDonald (14-1)
-Johny Hendricks (14-1) vs. Jake Ellenberger (28-6)
-Dan Miller (14-6) vs. Jordan Mein (26-8)
-John Makdessi (10-2) vs. Daron Cruickshank (12-2)
-Patrick Cote (18-8) vs. Bobby Voelker (24-8)
-Chris Camozzi (18-5) vs. Nick Ring (13-1)
UFC
158 Start Times:
Preliminary Bouts: TBD
Main Card on Pay-Per-View: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Source: MMA Weekly |
Antonio
Bigfoot: “I Hope the Commission Doesn’t Bar Overeem”
Bigfoot’s
thoughts are all on Overeem, not Velasquez.
Antônio
“Bigfoot” Silva has been training away in the lead-up
to his scheduled Feb. 2 fight with Alistair Overeem at UFC 156
in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Brazilian, who is coming off a win
over Travis Browne at UFC on FX 5, will be looking to shore up
his standing in the promotion by beating the Dutch knockout artist—and
to set himself up for a shot at the heavyweight belt sometime
down the road.
In
a recent press release issued by his publicist, the giant from
Team Nogueira addressed his friend Junior Cigano’s loss
to Cain Velasquez. While he didn’t hide his surprise at
the result, he did make a point of praising the newly crowned
American champion’s qualities.
“I
was kind of surprised by the result, if just because of the way
the fight played out. A lot of folks have criticized Cigano for
it, but personally I don’t feel he did a bad job in the
fight. It was Velasquez who put on an outstanding performance,
closing the distance and stifling Cigano’s game. Though
it wasn’t a favorable result, I feel Cigano’s going
to look at where he went wrong and come back stronger than ever,”
said Silva in the statement.
As
a side note, it was to Velasquez that Bigfoot lost his UFC debut
last May 2012, a gory, one-sided affair.
The
result of last Saturday’s showdown again shuffled up the
pecking order in the UFC heavyweight division, which the Brazilian
is none too pleased about, as he would rather Cigano have remained
number one in the weight class. Though Cain’s victory has
opened up new possibilities, the Brazilian made it clear that
right now his mind isn’t on the belt but on winning his
next outing.
“I
really like Cigano. He’s a humble, hard-working guy, and
I wish he’d have won so the belt would still be in Brazil.
I’m not thinking about a future title fight; my focus is
on winning my next fight. I want to take it one step at a time,”
he remarked.
Bigfoot,
who holds a record of 17 wins and four losses, didn’t shy
away from speaking about Alistair Overeem, who has a Jan. 8 hearing
with the Nevada State Athletic Commission coming up so he can
explain himself and try and get himself reinstated following
his suspension for doping, and he may still be barred from fighting
at UFC 156.
“I
feel it’s normal [that he report to the commission], if
just because his is a recent case and the changes to his body
were really visible. I’ve got my training camp set up so
I can fight him. I hope the Commission releases him to fight,
if just so my training process can go through. I brought in two
Dutch sparring partners and Vitor Miranda to help me out. I really
want this fight to go through,” he said in finishing.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Joe
Lauzon: ‘I don’t want to have wars if that means I’m
going to forget my own name’
(Instagram)Joe
Lauzon's followers on Twitter and Instagram have been treated
to the after pictures from Lauzon's bloody, three-round battle
with Jim Miller at UFC 155. Lauzon has shared a picture every
day of the swelling, cuts and bruises that came from the bout,
which Lauzon lost by decision. The picture above is from Wednesday
night, when Lauzon said he was "starting to look better."
The
pictures are a poignant and even painful reminder of the kind
of damage fighters take in the fights we love the most. Lauzon
has only had two fights go to decision in his career. He is aware
of the kind of damage fighters can take in bouts like his on
Saturday.
"I don't feel I've taken any real abuse or punishment,"
Lauzon said. "But the thing is I don't want to. I don't
want to have wars if that means I'm going to forget my own name.
If it got to that point, I would reassess everything and take
a step back.
Most
of the time, Lauzon wins his fights by submission. Eighteen of
his 22 wins have ended with a submission, which usually means
less damage than in a knockout.
Lauzon
worked in information technology and went to school for computer
science. He has plenty of opportunities outside of fighting.
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Francis Carmont is Looking to Pick a Fight… with Either
Mark Munoz or Yushin Okami
Francis
Carmont has been on a tear since he emerged in the Octagon.
The
Georges St-Pierre teammate debuted at UFC 137 in late 2011, winning
a unanimous decision over Chris Camozzi, currently one of the
UFC’s top middleweight prospects.
He
hasn’t slowed down.
Carmont
followed up the Camozzi victory by reeling off back-to-back submission
victories over Magnus Cedenblad and Karlos Vemola, and winning
a spit decision victory over Tom Lawlor at UFC 154 in Montreal
in November.
The
French-born fighter, who now fights out of the Tristar Gym alongside
GSP and Rory MacDonald, is now calling for a fight on his home
turf in Montreal at UFC 158. He’s not asking for an easy
road to title contention despite the home field advantage.
Carmont
on Saturday made a plea to get a bout with one of the tougher
fighters in the division.
“To
start 2013, I’ll wish to make a good fight,” wrote
Carmont on Facebook. “Give me the opportunity to fight Munoz
or Okami at UFC 158 in Montreal.”
Neither
is an easy fight.
Munoz
is coming off of a loss to Chris Weidman last summer, but had
been on a four-fight winning streak – including wins over
Chris Leben and Demian Maia – prior to the loss. Had he
won that fight, Munoz was rocketing into the picture to challenge
UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva.
Okami
has his shot at Silva, but got TKO’d in the second round
then followed that up with a loss to Tim Boetsch. He has since
put together consecutive victories over Buddy Roberts and, most
recently, Alan Belcher at UFC 155.
Munoz
and Okami both present stifling, wrestling based styles that
could present a lot of difficulties for Carmont, but he seems
ready to take that next step in the 185-pound division and start
fighting Top 10 caliber competition.
And
if he gets his way, it will be against either Munoz or Okami
at UFC 158 in Montreal, in support of the headline bout between
Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Invicta FC 4 Results: Carla Esparza Takes Strawweight Tile with
Tough Win Over Bec Hyatt
Carla
Esparza vs Bec HyattMany questioned Bec Hyatt’s place in
Saturday night’s strawweight title fight opposite Carla
Esparza at Invicta FC 4 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan.,
but after the way the fight went down, she’s likely earned
a lot of respect from the doubters.
Esparza
was initially supposed to have faced Claudia Gadelha, but she
fell out of the fight a week ago with a broken nose. Hyatt had
been training for a three-round bout with Joanne Calderwood,
but when nobody would step up to face Esparza, Hyatt jumped at
the chance when Invicta got around to her.
Make
no bones about it, Esparza clearly dominated the fight.
She
took Hyatt down almost at will, grounding and pounding her round
after round, but Hyatt refused to go away.
Although
Esparza controlled the fight with her takedowns, any time Hyatt
regained her feet or there was a stand-up due to inactivity,
she unloaded with all she had. On the mat, Hyatt tried as hard
as she could to fight off her back, countering Esparza’s
ground and pound with short elbows, but it just wasn’t enough
to overtake Esparza’s swarming style.
Carla
Esparza vs Bec HyattEsparza became the first Invicta FC strawweight
champion winning a unanimous 50-45 decision from all three judges.
“It
feels amazing. That was such a hard-fought victory. That was
so tough,” said Esparza after the fight, giving a boatload
of credit to her last-minute opponent from Australia. “With
her experience level, honestly, I though it was gonna be a lot
easier than it was, but she came out and made me work for everything.”
Hyatt
was a little disappointed after the fight, but the pride of having
stepped up to go five rounds with one of the top 115-pound female
fighters in the world showed on her face as she declared, “I’ll
be back and I’ll be coming to get that belt.”
Shayna
Baszler vs Alexis DavisShayna Baszler really wanted to put a
stamp on her earlier defeat of Alexis Davis by finishing her
in their rematch, but it wasn’t to be.
Davis
took control of the fight early on, hitting the mat in the first
and second rounds, dominating off of her back, attacking for
submission after submission after submission.
With
Baszler looking a little tired in the final round, Davis took
advantage, dominating her on the feet. The fight hit the mat
once again, but this time, Davis quickly took Baszler’s
back, locking in a rear naked choke. Baszler wouldn’t tap
out, so she passed out, Davis becoming the one to put a stamp
on the rematch.
The
victory puts Davis on a two-fight streak after losing a close
decision to Sarah Kaufman under the Strikeforce banner last year.
She is now 5-1 in her last six fights and one of Invicta’s
top 135-pound contenders.
Things
got heated for former teammates Raquel Pennington and Leslie
Smith leading up to their fight, but that was nothing compared
to the action in the cage.
Pennington
came on strong in the opening round, muscling Smith to the mat,
and then controlling her in the clinch when they worked back
to their feet. But it was Smith that turned up the heat on the
feet in rounds two and three, swarming Pennington with punch
combinations, and earning a unanimous nod from the judges.
After
stumbling against Shayna Baszler at the last Invicta event, Sarah
D’Alelio got back on course Saturday night, dominating tough
Brazilian Amanda Nunes.
D’Alelio
avoided any danger Nunes threw her way on the feet, constantly
taking her to the mat throughout the fight, and smothering her
with ground and pound. Nunes had a point deducted in round two
for an illegal upkick, leading to a final tally of 30-26 from
all three judges in D’Alelio’s favor.
Invicta FC 4 Full Results:
-Carla
Esparza def. Bec Hyatt by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45),
R5
-Alexis Davis def. Shayna Baszler by Technical Submission (Rear
Naked Choke) at 0:58, R3
-Leslie Smith def. Raquel Pennington by Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28), R3
-Sarah D’Alelio def. Amanda Nunes by Unanimous Decision
(30-26, 30-26, 30-26), R3
-Ediane Gomes def. Hiroko Yamanaka by Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 30-27), R3
-Joanne Calderwood def. Livia von Plettenberg by Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 30-27, 30-26), R3
-Cassie Rodish def. Stephanie Frausto by TKO (Strikes) at 1:04,
R3
-Tamikka Brents def. Amanda Bell by Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28), R3
-Jodie Esquibel def. Liz McCarthy by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
30-27), R3
-Rose Namajunas def. Emily Kagan by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 3:44, R3
-Tecia Torres def. Paige VanZant by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27), R3
-Veronica Rothenhausler def. Katalina Malungahu by KO (Punch)
at 1:12, R1
-Laura Sanko def. Cassie Robb by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 1:07, R2
Source: MMA Weekly |
Eying
“MMA Oscar”, Pederneiras Awarded Osvaldo Paquetá
Prize
To
kick off 2013 by getting rewarded for the work you’ve done
is anybody’s dream. And in Nova União head coach
André Pederneiras’s case it’s no different.
“Dedé”, as he is known to his understudies,
is currently awaiting the results of Fighters Only magazine’s
MMA Awards, and this week he was decorated with another honor,
in Rio de Janeiro: the inaugural Osvaldo Paquetá award.
Dedé’s
Osvaldo Paquetá Award accolades pertain to the year 2012
and come in the form of the prize for best team, Nova União,
as well as for best promoter, for his Shooto Brazil production.
The prizes were handed out at Upper Sports Club in Rio de Janeiro,
Nova União team headquarters.
Now,
the black belt at the helm of team Kimura/Nova União,
Professor Jair Lourenço, was given the title for best
coach.
Pederneiras
is now in the running for the MMA Awards prize for best coach
of 2012, online voting for which wrapped up on Dec. 31. The results
of the polls will be announced Jan. 11. In a conversation with
GRACIEMAG.com, Dedé spoke about his nomination and said
he is excited about the possibility of winning.
“I
feel there were a lot of great coaches who weren’t nominated.
There’s a lot of luck involved in having an athlete who’s
champion on the year, which helps in getting nominated. But we’re
working hard to make sure it pans out, and receiving the title
would be great for us,” said Pederneiras, who counts UFC
champions José Aldo and Renan Barão among his students.
“Bad Wolf” awarded
Among
the winners of the Osvaldo Paquetá Awards, Jair Lourenço,
who has produced such stalwart fighters as Renan Barão,
Ronny Markes and Jussier Formiga, was one of the most pleased.
“First
of all I’m happy to have won. I want to thank everyone who
voted for me; and Dedé himself, who requested people vote
for me; and the crew from Natal,” said the coach, to shouts
of “Bad Wolf”, a moniker left over from his days in
competition Jiu-Jitsu.
Now,
Dedé, upon receiving his two awards, commented on the
hard work he and his athletes have been doing.
“I’m
really pleased with the awards. It caps off work that began six
years ago. Now Shooto is right up there with all the other domestic
MMA event. As for the team trophy, I’m happy we have continued
to achieve,” said the trainer, who told GRACIEMAG.com he
intends to hold 12 Shooto events in 2013.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Dos
Santos Vows to Avenge His UFC 155 Loss to Velasquez
COMMENTARY
| Many MMA fans expected Junior dos Santos to win his UFC 155
rematch against Cain Velasquez, but the latter had plans of his
own.
Velasquez
(11-1-0, 9 KOs) put on one of the most dominant performances
of his MMA career at UFC 155, bullying dos Santos (15-2-0, 11
KOs) with his wrestling from start to finish. Surprisingly, Cain
also dominated the striking exchanges during their five-round
title battle, hurting the Brazilian early and often.
The
Octagon-side judges scored every single round in Velasquez' favor,
making him the new UFC heavyweight champion.
Dos
Santos -- who's still recovering from the beating he took at
UFC 155 -- has been graceful in defeat, but he doesn't think
he fought anywhere close to his true ability. "Cigano"
looks forward to the opportunity to fight Velasquez again, and
he wouldn't mind an automatic rematch.
"I
think the fans would love to see this rematch right now,"
dos Santos said during a conversation with MMAjunkie.com Radio,
per USA Today. "I would love to have this rematch right
now. I don't know if it's possible or if Cain Velasquez is going
to accept it, but I would love it. … I can't wait. I was
ready for this fight, but something was wrong with my mentality.
It was very hard for me, so I can't wait. … I know this
rematch is going to happen. But if it happens as soon as possible,
that's better."
Given
the fact dos Santos only needed 64 seconds to dethrone Velazquez
during their first fight at "UFC on Fox," and how dominant
Cain looked during the rematch, a third bout certainly makes
a lot of sense. Especially considering the fact dos Santos didn't
look like his normal self at UFC 155.
Velasquez
landed a vicious overhand right during the first round of their
UFC 155 encounter, and it seemed to suck the fight right out
of dos Santos. The Brazilian never really recovered from the
brutal shot, making things a lot easier for Cain.
At
times during their fight, it seemed like Junior didn't even want
to be inside the Octagon, barely offering any resistance on many
of Cain's takedowns. It was as if dos Santos was expecting to
face the guy he knocked out at "UFC on Fox," and he
clearly wasn't prepared for the Velasquez that showed up at UFC
155.
"I
didn't fight. I don't know why," dos Santos added. "If
you watch the fight - I've watched the fight three times already
- I didn't fight. I just defended myself. I don't know why. I
don't know what happened to me. For sure, it was a learning experience.
… I can't wait to fight him [again]. I know I have a lot
more to show for the fans, and I think the fans know that."
Former
Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem, will get
the next shot at the heavyweight title if he gets past Antonio
"Bigfoot" Silva on Feb. 2, at UFC 156, so dos Santos
will probably have to fight at least once before he gets a shot
at the belt.
However,
that might change if Silva upsets Overeem at UFC 156.
Given
how dominant Velasquez was against dos Santos at UFC 155, some
MMA fans aren't interested in a rubber match. However, many would
still love to watch a third fight between the two, considering
how good both men looked in victory. At this point, it's already
been established that either man is more that capable of securing
the "W" whenever the two square up inside the Octagon.
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Jamie
Varner Wants Rematch with Joe Lauzon
Jamie
Varner’s first bout against Joe Lauzon was the UFC on Fox
4 “Fight of the Night,” and Varner would like to do
it again in 2013.
“I
want to start my retribution tour,” Varner told the Sherdog
Radio Network’s “Cheap Seats” show. “I want
to start fighting the guys that I’ve lost to. First would
definitely be Joe Lauzon. I’d really like to fight Joe again.”
Varner
was not Lauzon’s originally scheduled opponent when they
met last August. He was a late replacement for Terry Etim, and
even though he didn’t get a full training camp for the fight,
he did well. In the first round, he staggered Lauzon with a right
hand and tried to force a stoppage on the ground. Lauzon survived,
though, and outgrappled a tiring Varner in the second and finally
finished him with a triangle choke in the third.
“I’m
not going to take anything away from Joe,” Varner said.
“Joe’s awesome and he had an amazing game plan for
me. The fact that he broke me down so technically, to the littlest
move, like my head position on my double leg, and was able to
capitalize on it, that’s incredible. It speaks volumes about
him as a fighter and as a technician. I definitely feel that
if we were to fight again and I had a full training camp, I would
win that fight. I think it would be different.”
Varner
is 2-1 since returning to the UFC in May. Most recently he defeated
Melvin Guillard via split decision on Dec. 29 at UFC 155. The
fight had been scheduled for “The Ultimate Fighter”
Season 15 finale two weeks earlier, but it was canceled after
Varner fell violently ill in the locker room. Guillard attributed
the cancellation to Varner being afraid.
“Melvin
knew it wasn’t my decision not to fight. It wasn’t,”
Varner said. “Joe Silva came into the bathroom when I was
puking my brains out and told me that the fight was not going
to happen. … It was Keith Kizer and Joe Silva that came
into the bathroom and were like, ‘No, you’re done.’
That wasn’t my decision. The fact that [Guillard] turned
it into a whole circus and got all emotional and got in my face,
I don’t play that game no more. I got involved in that drama
with Donald Cerrone, and that second fight with Donald, I fought
out of pure emotion. I didn’t fight with any sort of tactical
skill or anything. I just went out there and I fought him and
he got the best of me.”
Varner
didn’t make that mistake against Guillard. He learned from
his feud with Cerrone, whom, it turns out, he would also like
to fight again. At the moment, however, Lauzon tops his list.
“I
have to earn that fight with Donald, but I think with Lauzon,
that would be a fight that I could arguably fight right away,”
Varner said. “It could be my next fight.”
Source: Sherdog |
Liz Carmouche Asked for Ronda Rousey and She Gets Ronda Rousey
Ask and ye shall receive.
Ask
is what Liz Carmouche did, and she received the first shot at
the UFC’s inaugural women’s bantamweight champion Ronda
Rousey. The two will square off in the UFC 157 main event on
Feb. 23 in Anaheim, Calif.
Carmouche
wasn’t at the top of the UFC’s list when it came to
Rousey’s first title defense. Others were contacted for
the fight, but turned it down, according to UFC president Dana
White.
Carmouche,
on the other hand, was actively lobbying for the bout, and when
the call came, she didn’t hesitate.
It’s
been quite a process assimilating to all the attention.
“This
is a part of history… it’s a little overwhelming,”
Carmouche said in a media scrum with reporters at UFC 155 last
month.
She’s
had to adjust to the media demands, switching up her schedule
to make sure she still gets the appropriate training in, while
taking part in press junkets and the like.
Carmouche
has also had the added nuance of being one of the first openly
gay fighters in the sport; so much of the media attention has
strayed in that direction. It’s not something that she asked
for, but it’s also not something that she shies away from.
“I
didn’t expect the role that I was going to take with the
homosexual community and leading it forward, but I’m certainly
accepting it and hoping I can be an advocate.”
All
the attention, whether focused on her fighting or her sexuality,
has been quite an adjustment for her, but Carmouche isn’t
overly concerned. She’s been preparing for this fight since
long before it was ever offered.
“Unlike
some people, who when they get the phone call they start preparing
for the fight,” Carmouche explained, “I’ve been
doing this since she won the title.”
Does
she have the answers to the Ronda Rousey puzzle? That remains
to be seen, but from Carmouche’s demeanor and already having
experience in big fights – she challenged for the Strikeforce
belt, coming up short against Marloes Coenen – she is as
prepared as anyone that has yet to step in the cage with Rousey.
All
the questions will be answered at UFC 157 in February.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Edson Barboza Found a Team in New Jersey and a Mentor in Frankie
Edgar
Prior
to Frankie Edgar‘s last fight against Benson Henderson,
he brought in some new training partners to help him prepare
for the title rematch.
One
of those fighters that came in specifically to help Edgar prepare
was Brazilian knockout artist Edson Barboza, who worked with
the former champion on his Muay Thai and kickboxing ahead of
his bout with Henderson.
Unfortunately
for Edgar, he wasn’t able to wrestle the championship away
from Henderson after a close, split decision loss, but he did
manage to gain a friend and teammate in Barboza along the way.
As
a matter of fact, Barboza enjoyed his time so much working alongside
Edgar and his team, that he picked up and moved to New Jersey
as he prepared for his own fight coming up at UFC on FX 7 in
his home country of Brazil.
Not
only has Barboza found a new training camp, he’s also found
a great friend in Edgar who has become a big brother of sorts
to the UFC lightweight.
“For
me, it’s Frankie Edgar,” Barboza told MMAWeekly.com
what the biggest difference is working with his new team. “He’s
the champ, he’s been the champ for a long time, that’s
a big difference. Now I know I have good training partners and
good coaches. Frankie he won the last fight with Ben Henderson,
he’s the best.”
Edgar
has taken Barboza under his wing as he’s been getting ready
for another title fight, this time against Jose Aldo, as he makes
his move down to the featherweight division. Both fighters have
helped each other tremendously because Barboza is a world class
Muay Thai fighter, and there may not be a person better suited
to get Edgar ready for a bout against Aldo.
On
the flip side, Edgar and his team of coaches that includes boxing
guru Mark Henry, former UFC fighter Ricardo Almeida, and legendary
teacher Renzo Gracie, have helped Barboza develop into what he
believes is truly the most complete fighter he’s ever been.
“I
need to prove everything. I’ve been working for this fight,
I’m working with really professional guys. I’ve trained
in Florida, I’ve trained in Brazil before, but here in Jersey
the coaches are a big difference. I’m learning everything.
I think the big difference from my last fight is I’m learning
everything, every day. I’m training in everything –
jiu-jitsu, wrestling, boxing – I think I’ve improved
everything,” said Barboza.
And
of course at every step along the way, Edgar has been there to
show his support and help Barboza as he gets ready for his next
test inside the Octagon.
“I
train with him every day. Every day he picks me up at my house
for training. Training in the morning, training in the afternoon,
training at night, helping me with everything. He’s helped
me; I’ve helped him. We’ve stuck together,” Barboza
said about Edgar.
“That’s
a big difference from my last camp. I’m very happy here
because I train with the best guys, and I train with good friends.
I think that makes a big difference training with good friends.”
The
friends Barboza has made in America will continue to help him
add more and more tools to his arsenal as he gets ready to head
back into the cage, and back home to Brazil for UFC on FX 7 on
Jan. 19.
Source: MMA Weekly |
The UFC’s Call was a Saving Grace for Todd Duffee…
and He Made the Most of It
Todd
Duffee parted ways with the UFC in late 2010, amidst confounding
circumstances. There were rumors of a dispute between Duffee
and the promotion about medical coverage, but UFC president Dana
White at the time said that Duffee had an attitude problem and
didn’t seem to want to be in the Octagon.
But
time, and circumstances, heals all wounds.
Two
and a half years later and Duffee stepped up when the UFC needed
someone to fill a heavyweight hole against Phil DeFries at UFC
155.
Not
only did he step into the fight, so that DeFries could remain
on the card, but Duffee went right back to his old ways and knocked
him out just two minutes into the fight.
It
was an important win for Duffee, who hinted that it was maybe
his one shot at a return to the Octagon, but he stepped up and
did the job.
“I
think I had to win,” Duffee said after the fight. “I
wasn’t really too worried about how it happened, at the
end of the day wins matter.”
Regardless
of the how or why things ended during his first tenure in the
Octagon, Duffee is thankful for finally getting the opportunity
to get back in there and compete with some of the top big men
in the world.
He
spent the last couple years trying to find a home for himself,
both in training and promotionally.
Duffee
landed at AKA, where he says he couldn’t be happier with
the training and teammates. He spent much of those two years
on the phone with promoters, trying to find a place where he
fit, before the UFC came calling, once again granting him the
opportunity to do what he loves to do.
“I
was getting ready to sign a kickboxing contract the next day
(when the UFC called) and start traveling to Thailand and Holland,”
Duffee recounted. “So it gave me a chance to do what I love.
I love MMA; I like kickboxing. It was a huge saving grace for
me.”
And
with the victory at UFC 155, Duffee will be able to continue
doing what he loves, and doing it on the biggest stage in the
world.
Source: MMA Weekly |
IBJJF
Opens Registration for 2013 Pan Kids
The
registration period for the 2013 Pan Kids is open.
The
IBJJF event exclusively for kids and teens will take place at
California State University, Dominguez Hills in the city of Carson
next February 10.
Sign-up
costs US$ 75 and the enrollment window will stay open until February
2.
So
do it now and don’t miss the opportunity to compete in the
best kids and teens event there is.
For
more info and to register, go to ibjjf.org.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Josh
Barnett Just Wants to Fight; If the UFC Is Where He Ends Up,
So Be It
As
Strikeforce's final show approaches on Jan. 12, the list of fighters
that will eventually transition to the UFC is still not set in
stone.
One
fighter in particular that is on everyone's radar is former UFC
heavyweight champion Josh Barnett, who fights Nandor Guelmino
at the final Strikeforce show. No one knows, however, if he will
make the move back to the Octagon, even with a victory.
Over
the years, UFC president Dana White‘s relationship with
Barnett hasn't been the best, and as of last weekend he still
wasn't positive what the future held for the former champion
once Strikeforce closed its doors on Jan. 13.
“I
don't know, we'll find out soon though,” White answered
when asked about Barnett.
For
his part, Barnett isn't stressing about a possible future in
the UFC because he still has a test in front of him on Jan. 12.
When it's over, if the UFC is the best place for him to land
then he'll land there, and if not then there are plenty of places
for him to go and crack a few heads.
“I'm
here to fight, that's what I do. The rest of it, I'm sure there's
always a spot for me around the world to go beat people up,”
Barnett told MMAWeekly Radio.
“I
think it's great that they're asking about it, all the folks
that are buzzing around the internet and otherwise putting that
out in the air, that's fantastic. I am not thinking at all about
the UFC or anything other than fighting right now. That is stuff
that doesn't matter until you've gone out there and won your
fight.”
Barnett
says after Jan. 12 is done and gone he'll leave negotiations
up to his management team, and if the UFC is the best place for
him to go, then that's where he will sign.
“At
that point, I'm sure my management will do the best to put me
in the place where I belong, if that is the best fit for me at
the time,” Barnett said about the UFC.
Admittedly,
Barnett knows there are a lot of challenges for him in the heavyweight
division in the UFC, and he's a guy who loves a good fight.
“I
know there is a lot of good competition in the UFC, and I'd like
to take them out and not to dinner,” said Barnett.
While
Barnett's focus remains on his upcoming fight, he does notice
the amount of fans championing his cause to get back in the UFC.
It doesn't go unnoticed, but Barnett can only concern himself
with what he can control and that's being in the best shape possible
and ready to fight at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine in
Oklahoma City.
“When
I get in the ring, I do it for me and me alone. I know the business
aspect and what it means for the fan participation part of it,
and I'm very appreciative of it, but I think the best way I can
serve this entire system is to be the best possible me I can
be, and to focus on being as sincere and brutal as possible,”
said Barnett.
“Everything
else will fall in line.”
Source: Yahoo Sports |
UFC
pioneer Dan Severn talks about 43 years of sports competition
Dan
'The Beast' Severn is the only man to win a tournament, The Ultimate
Ultimate and a world title in MMA. He also has more than 100
career wins. In part one of this two-part interview, Severn looks
back at being one of UFC's first stars, the old days of the sport
and what fueled him to continue competing until the age of 54.
One
of the early memorable moments in UFC history was in the first
round of the UFC 4 tournament in Tulsa, Okla., on Dec. 16, 1994,
when 36-year-old Dan Severn got behind the much smaller Anthony
Macias.
Severn,
dressed in black trunks and boots like the pro wrestler that
he was, sent Macias flying with three straight belly-to-back
suplexes, before choking him out in 1:45.
Severn,
who at the time was a part-time pro wrestler, was working as
a caterer. But he was the first true world-class wrestler to
compete in the UFC.
He
went on that night to quickly submit Kung Fu master Marcus Bossett.
This put him in the tournament finals against Royce Gracie, who
by that time, after already winning two of the first three UFC
tournaments, was the undisputed king of the sport.
That
was also a classic match for its time as Severn immediately took
down Gracie, who was nearly 60 pounds lighter, and pinned him
to the ground for nearly 16 minutes. In his sport, wrestling,
he won decisively, but this was a different game. Unlike his
previous opponents, who put up little resistance to whatever
rudimentary submissions Severn had, Gracie’s defensive guard
was a different animal.
In
those days, the show was billed as style vs. style. Severn’s
mentality was he was coming in to use his style, wrestling, a
rougher version and taking liberties with tactics he knew, such
as a choke or arm triangles. He saw that as part of his game
even if they weren’t legal in a wrestling match. Mentally,
he found it difficult to start throwing punches, something he
had little training in, and something he didn’t think represented
his sport.
There
was no such word as mixed martial arts, unless you were talking
about Japanese pro wrestling. It was just Ultimate Fighting,
an almost underground pay–per-view cult phenomenon that
was starting to gain traction in the deepest corners of the sports
shelves at Blockbuster Video stores.
That
UFC was a melting pot where guys from different sports backgrounds
would test their styles in almost-anything-goes combat. Matches
were fast, basically kill or be killed. Aside from Gracie, who
was way ahead of the curve since he was taught from birth by
his father, nobody knew any defense.
There
were no rounds, because there didn’t need to be when matches
usually ended in two or three minutes. There were no gloves with
the mentality being that it was supposed to replicate a real
street fight. There were no time limits in matches, but there
was no concern about the pay-per-view going long.
When
Severn was still pinning Gracie, the show moved past the three-hour
mark. For most of the 120,000 or so homes that purchased the
event on pay-per-view, the screen suddenly went blank with the
last vision being Severn still on top of Gracie.
Unless
you knew a friend in one of the few cable companies where someone
working for the company was actually watching the show, and made
the adjustments to allow the show to continue until it was actually
over, you likely would have assumed Severn ended up winning.
Gracie
locked a triangle on Severn, who tapped out at 15:49. Without
question, by surviving against a much bigger and stronger man,
while on his back, it was the match that, more than any other,
made Gracie’s legacy. After it was over, Gracie walked over
to Severn, went to hug him, and whispered in his ear, "You’re
the toughest man I’ve ever gone against."
"Through
all the stuff I was doing with the Ultimate Fighting Championships,
when I started it, I never knew how long it would last,"
said Severn. "I never looked at this like a career. I took
one match at a time. If you told me then that I’d be doing
this at 54, I’d say, 'You’re freaking nuts.’ But
it worked out that way. The key is, I haven’t been seriously
injured, and I haven’t been seriously damaged. I’ve
got good health and been smart in my matches, and it let me go
out on my own terms."
While
Severn did lose to a smaller man, it was a lesson he learned
from. At the next UFC show, on April 7, 1995, in Charlotte, Severn,
now called "The Beast," tore his way through three
competitors in nine minutes total time to win the next tournament
on what was, at the time, the most successful non-boxing sports
pay-per-view event of all-time.
That
night solidified Severn was one of the sport’s big four
early superstars. The other three were Gracie, Severn’s
biggest rival Ken Shamrock, and the popular David "Tank"
Abbott, who fans loved, but whose bark was far more dangerous
than his bite.
But
age was working against him. Severn was competing without an
ACL in either knee, both done in by his amateur wrestling career
that left him with bone chips, bone spurs, five knee surgeries
and advanced arthritis in the joints. Given those issues, after
that fight, he was only able to fight another, well, 17 years.
"My
surgeon has photos of both of my knees on his wall, autographed,"
Severn joked. "He said that I shouldn’t even be walking,
let alone competing."
He
went on to have more success in UFC after winning the UFC 5 tournament.
Relying on his wrestling base, as a superbly conditioned heavyweight,
he fought 52 minutes in one night without tiring in winning three
fights over Paul Varelans, Abbott and Oleg Taktarov to capture
the 1995 Ultimate Ultimate tournament. At the time, it was the
biggest tournament in the sport’s history.
He
followed that by beating Shamrock in a fight that became legendary
for how it was possible to have only two minutes of action in
a 30-minute borefest. He became UFC’s second singles champion,
the title that morphed into the current UFC heavyweight championship.
Eventually, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, joining
numerous other Halls of Fame he’s been inducted into between
MMA, pro wrestling and for his exploits in amateur wrestling.
Severn
publicly announced his retirement from MMA in an e-mail correspondence
sent out as the clock struck midnight to end 2012. A year earlier,
he had sent out a similar e-mail announcing that this was going
to be his last year competing in the sport.
Severn
hadn’t fought since April 28, when he defeated Alex Roxman
by decision in Davenport, Iowa. He had no clue at the time it
would be his last fight, but by October he had told those close
to him that he realized it was.
It
was listed as his 101st professional victory, although record
keeping in the early days of the sport is hit-and-miss. His listed
final career record is 101-19-7. Some of his listed wins may
have been pro wrestling matches, and there are likely a dozen
or two dozen wins, and possibly a loss or two, in fights that
fell below the radar. He is believed to be in second place on
the all-time wins list behind Travis Fulton, who is listed as
having 247 wins in 307 fights.
"A
conservative estimate is there are 15 to 20 wins that may not
have been recorded," said Severn. "I was doing fights
long before there was a Sherdog or Full Contact Fighter data
base. One day, when I have nothing better to do, which I’m
hoping doesn’t come until I’m 90 or 100, I may look
back at my planner to see how many fights I really had and what
my record really was. There were times when they had recorded
losses in fights I didn’t lose. Maybe, because of my age,
I’m not as in tuned to looking at web sites.
"Companies
were contacting me from all over the place. I had a pager. I’d
get calls and have to be ready with 24 hours notice to get to
the airport, to a destination I’d just find out about, transported
to a location to be determined, against an opponent I just found
out, with a purse I just found out. They were almost all an underground
type of thing.
"Once,
I had an opportunity to fight in Mexico. It was in a cockfighting
pit. The idea of the show was to start with rooster fights, then
do dog fights, and finish as the main event with human beings.
This organization wanted no rules at all, and you could wear
jeans and cowboy boots. I turned that one down. I thought, 'I
may win, but I may not get out alive.’"
Severn,
who turns 55 on June 2nd, still hasn’t retired from competing
and performing. He said he will do one more year of pro wrestling,
and retire from that genre. Like what he just did, he’ll
be likely sending out an e-mail at the close of this next year
announcing his retirement to people in that world.
He
has a son, now in seventh grade, competing in wrestling, so has
considered the idea of training with him, and perhaps entering
age group wrestling competition, given that competing in sports
is something that he’s done since 1969 when he followed
his older brother into wrestling.
But
his immediate goals are to work both in the industry, whether
it’s television commentary or as a commissioner. He’s
putting together a reality show with young fighters in late February,
and is looking to up his business training law enforcement personnel
in ground fighting techniques.
"I’m
taking the skills I acquired over all these years and using them
in a different principle," he said, noting people can contact
him at DanSevern.com for seminars and other work of this type.
"All kinds of things are somehow related, motivational speaking,
anti-bullying campaigns, different aspects of my career will
come into play with stories I can tell and experiences I’ve
had."
Severn
has strong beliefs regarding how he was able to still compete.
While a decade removed from facing "A" level competition,
the ability to go on an 11-fight winning streak between the ages
of 51 and 53, against competitors who weren’t even born
when Severn targeted his first sports retirement date in 1984,
is nothing to sneeze at.
If
there is a secret, Severn noted that his mentality would be the
opposite of that of Chuck Liddell, who he noted was a guy who
had a lot of spectacular knockouts, and also got knocked out
spectacularly on several occasions.
"To
utilize an old saying, you live by the sword, you die by the
sword," he said. "Liddell at one point was close to
two records in UFC, knocking out the most people, and being knocked
out the most. That’s not a dual record you want to have.
Every time you get hit in the head, you will suffer some type
of damage, even if it’s superficial. You can take blows
to the body, but the head, no. The little piece of Jell-O called
the brain isn’t meant too be jostled around like that."
Severn
advocates doing something that many top fighters ike Liddell
sneer at: when in trouble and getting punched in the head on
the ground, instead of taking the extra blows and having the
referee stop it, to tap first.
"There
are guys 15 or 20 years my junior, and you try to have a conversation
with them, and it’s almost inaudible. Some can’t even
complete a sentence and make a point. It’s a tough conversation.
In today’s mixed marital arts matches, you don’t see
actual tap outs from punches. You see one athlete will turtle
up, and the other guy on top is picking angles and choosing his
shots until the referee stops it. The mentality is that it’s
more honorable to have a referee stop the fight than tap out
to strikes. I think if you take a half-dozen or a dozen unnecessary
shots, the problems may not show up right way, but they will
show up over time. Even the damage I’ve received, maybe
five to 20 years down the line, it may come to the surface.
"The
key to my success is the theory of 'duck,’" he said.
"I haven’t really been hit that often in the course
of my career. I did have a crazy number of matches but I wasn’t
getting damaged."
In
part two, we look back at Severn's amateur wrestling career,
his foray into professional wrestling, getting into mixed martial
arts and more.
Source: MMA Fighting |
Working
Class Fitness: Why You Screw Up Your New Year’s Resolutions…
Rip Off the Band-Aid!
Working
Class Fitness LogoIf I had to guess, I’d bet that you’re
getting blasted from all angles on the whole “New Year’s
Resolutions” thing right now, huh?
I
know I am. My email in-box is full and my Facebook news feed
looks like one giant boot camp ad campaign.
And
I totally get it. I mean, I’m in the fitness industry myself
(though I like to think I’m pretty different than most of
the fitness guru wannabes on the intrawebz).
Problem
is that most of these people aren’t going to really be able
to help you with *any* of your “resolutions”…
because they’re totally trying to “help” you in
all the wrong ways.
So
how are these self-professed gurus goofing up? Because they’re
helping you in totally the wrong way.
See,
they’re all trying help you by getting you on a program.
Or a workout. In a class.
That
sort of thing.
But
this is all wrong.
Let’s
be honest, a ton of people every year set “resolutions”
that are physical goals, weight loss, burn body fat, or something
else along those lines.
And
if we’re still honest, the vast majority of them totally
screw them up and never achieve anything.
Why
not?
Because
their focus is totally wrong.
They
can’t achieve their physical goals, because their mindset
is jacked all to hell. And that’s a fact.
Look,
resolutions are nice, but damn near nobody approaches them the
right way.
First
of all, they attack them like band-aids.
By
that, I mean they don’t look to fix the real problems they’re
dealing with. And they’re not looking to make lifelong changes.
They’re looking for a quick fix.
That’s
not solving a problem, that’s putting a band-aid on it until
it gets better.
Problem
is that as soon as it gets better (if it even does in the first
place), they take the band-aid off.
In
other words, they attend their boot camp or go to their class
or start that hardcore workout or do that insane diet. They make
a little bit of progress, maybe even achieving whatever their
goal really is.
Then
they proceed to quit doing everything that got them there and
go back to the way they always did things… which is what
got them in lousy shape in the first place.
This
leads to the second major reason people screw up their “resolutions.”
They pretty much never consider them what they really should
be…
A
lifestyle change.
Listen,
if you’re weak and frail, do you really think hitting the
weights hard for three months is gonna change that forever if
you quit lifting after that three months?
Of
if you’re 80 pounds overweight, do you think a 60-day crash
diet is gonna help you lose that weight when you go back to stuffing
your pie hole afterward?
The
answer is no and no.
People
don’t consider the long game here.
It’s
not a matter of where you’ll be in six months or a year
or three years. It’s a matter of “I wanna lose 30 pounds
by March” and that’s it. No thought of what happens
after that.
So
they don’t plan for it.
Instead
of putting changes to how they approach life in general that
will make sure they don’t only achieve their goals, but
keep them achieved forever, they haul ass on some cock-and-bull
idea that nobody could ever maintain for any length of time.
They
wonder why they either crash and burn halfway through or if they
do make any headway, end up right back where they were (or worse)
in six months.
TIP
– if you’ve had the same New Year’s resolutions
every single year for more than a few years in a row, chances
are you’re not approaching it right.
Change
how you look at things, get in it for the long haul, realize
this isn’t a contest to see who can do the craziest thing
to make progress, and remember that real achievement comes from
real change… not band-aids.
Source: MMA Weekly |
 |
Paulo
Filho Signs with World Series of Fighting
by Damon
Martin
Former
WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho will return to the United
States in 2013 after signing a multi-fight deal with World Series
of Fighting.
World
Series of Fighting Executive Vice President and matchmaker Ali
Abdel-Aziz confirmed the signing to MMAWeekly.com on Thursday.
Ranked
atop the middleweight division for years, Paulo Filho fell from
grace after a loss to Chael Sonnen in his final fight in the
WEC in 2008.
Since
that time Filho has battled with his own personal demons that
put him through more trials and tribulations than any MMA fight.
At one point he even considered retirement, but ultimately put
that on the back burner and got back in the cage to compete.
After
a year away from competition, Filho returned in September and
defeated former Pride fighter Murilo “Ninja” Rua, and
now signs on with World Series of Fighting and is expected to
debut in early 2013.
No
opponent has been named for Filho’s debut, but he is expected
to fight at the next World Series of Fighting card currently
rumored for February.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
T.J.
Waldburger: There’s Not Enough Jiu-Jitsu in MMA
T.J.
Waldburger has already used his jiu-jitsu to finish three fights
in the UFC, but he has bigger hopes for the martial art.
“The
UFC was founded on jiu-jitsu,” he told the Sherdog Radio
Network’s “Beatdown” show. “That’s what
made it what it is today. I think there’s a lot more wrestling
going on, a lot more striking going on. We don’t really
see as much jiu-jitsu as you did in the beginning, and I want
to bring that back.”
Waldburger
put Nick Catone to sleep with a triangle choke 1:04 into the
second round of their matchup at “The Ultimate Fighter 16”
finale. The finish marked his fourth win in six UFC fights and
also earned him a $40,000 “Submission of the Night”
bonus.
“I
want [fans] to have that knowledge of jiu-jitsu and be excited
to see the fight on the ground the whole time if it ends up being
that way,” Waldburger said. “A lot of fans diss on
the jiu-jitsu, but they really don’t know all the technique
that’s with it, all the movements and everything. Everyone
wants to see an awesome knockout, which is totally cool, but
there’s not enough credit with the jiu-jitsu and I want
to bring that back.”
The
24-year-old Waldburger has been training jiu-jitsu for nearly
eight years.
“I
kind of just stumbled into a gym,” he said. “My dad
wanted to take me there to get my butt whooped because I thought
I knew something. He told me about this place, and I just fell
in love with it.”
Four
or five months later, he was fighting and now several years later
he’s in the UFC, where it’s anything but easy to win
by submission. Fighters are much better and have broader skill
sets than the days when jiu-jitsu dominated, and of course most
bouts also have 15-minute time limits. For Waldburger, though,
that’s enough time to get the finish.
“I
think you have enough time to submit the person in 15 minutes,”
he said. “Especially with there being strikes and stuff,
it’s different because there doesn’t have to be a slower
setup or more of a bait where there would be in just jiu-jitsu.
Because there’s punches, it opens up more opportunities.
It can be done faster. The only thing I would say with the 15
minutes of time is you’ve only got five minutes at a time.
It’s not like a real fight. Sometimes it might take time.
Every situation’s different. In a real fight, it wouldn’t
just end in five minutes and they give you a minute rest. A real
fight’s going to go until someone taps or someone is knocked
out. But that’s part of the sport. … The five minutes
is also going to have guys hustle and go after it. You get more
exciting fights that way too. I can see good and bad. I think,
though, overall you do have enough time to submit the person.”
Source:
Sherdog
|
Marcus
Davis says pay behind Paul Daley scratch, promotion says Brit
acted alone
by Steven
Marrocco
UFC
vet Marcus Davis said Paul Daley's revelation that he turned
down a proposed fight is an attempt to bully him into a booking
for which he'd be underpaid.
Davis
today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the Ireland-based
Cage Contender promotion offered him $8,000 to fight Daley on
just over one month's notice.
When
he refused, stating Daley's A-level ability justified a higher
purse and that he wouldn't accept the fight on short notice,
he said the promotion "probably got into Daley's head"
to publicly shame him.
"I
thought I graduated high school over 21 years ago," Davis
said. "I'm not going to get roped into fighting a fight."
On
his official Facebook page, Daley today revealed his fight at
the Cage Contender event, which takes place Feb. 23 in Dublin.
He also revealed that Davis had turned down an opportunity to
meet him.
Davis
said negotiations never passed beyond the promotion's initial
offer, yet he later received a message that Daley's camp had
accepted the fight and was waiting for permission from Bellator,
whom he was scheduled to fight for later this month before visa
issues scratched his participation.
Davis
informed Cage Contender promoter John Ferguson that another possible
booking would pay him six times that amount in his home state
and had a contract offer from another promotion that began in
June.
Ferguson
agreed that negotiations never passed the initial offer, and
that Daley outed Davis of his own accord.
"It
wasn't enough money for Marcus, which we understand," he
told MMAjunkie.com. "Getting more money elsewhere, of course
he's going to take it. We decided to do the right thing throughout,
and that's why we stayed out of any conversations in the media."
Davis,
however, said the problem didn't cease with the first offer.
He said he chastised Ferguson when he received a call from ex-UFC
fighter Frank Trigg, who informed him that the promoter had offered
him $5,000 to fight Daley and said he'd agreed to the figure
before pulling out of the booking.
"I
had offered the fight to Frank by email also and had told him
we were also talking to Marcus amongst others," Ferguson
responded via email. "There was never any mention of a fee
for Marcus or any other fighter. "All conversations with
all parties were in writing (Facebook with Marcus and email with
Trigg and his agent) and never verbally, thus meaning I have
evidence of all communication."
Then,
Daley put his name in the press.
Daley
could not be reached via phone or email at the time of this writing,
and Trigg said he was declining comment on the fight.
Until
late this past year, Davis' MMA career was at a halt. The former
pro boxer, 14-time UFC vet and competitor on "The Ultimate
Fighter 2" grappled with serious back injuries that put
his career on hold.
After
receiving a 2012 offer to fight UFC vet David Bielkheden on short
notice, Davis began training again, and plans to fight as long
as his health holds up. But today, he stressed that he isn't
going to compete at any price.
"This
very specific thing like this is why I left boxing," he
said. "I said to myself, 'I've got to get into MMA before
all the scumbags get over there."
Source:
MMA Junkie
|
MMA
Roundtable: 2013 predictions, Invicta's future, UFC in Mexico
and more
By Luke
Thomas
It's
the first edition of the MMA Roundtable for 2013, so that means
we're naturally making predictions about the new year. So why
waste any time getting into it? My MMAFighting.com colleague
Dave Doyle joins me to discuss 2013 predictions, Invicta, Bellator,
and more.
1.
It's a new year. Make a prediction on anything MMA-related for
2013.
Doyle:
By the time Jan. 1, 2014 rolls around, Daniel Cormier will either
a. have a UFC championship belt around his waist or b. depending
on how the timing of everything plays out, at worst, will be
lined up to fight for a championship by Super Bowl weekend of
next year. And that's regardless of whether Cormier decides to
fight at heavyweight or light heavyweight. The general assumption
is that Cormier will go down to light heavyweight because he
doesn't want to cross paths with teammate Cain Velasquez. But
a year is an eternity in MMA. If Velasquez loses his title, gets
hurt, or if anything unforeseen comes up, Cormier would still
be on the short list of top 265 contenders. And if he drops to
205, as expected? Dana White has already indicated he's high
on the idea of Cormier vs. Jon Jones. For good reason. Cormier
provides Jones the type of stylistic puzzle he's yet to face.
Jones has never faced a wrestler as strong Cormier and Cormier's
striking improves by leaps and bounds every time he gets into
the cage. So yes, regardless of the division, Daniel Cormier
is either going to be a champion or in position to get a title
by year's end.
Thomas:
I like Dave's Cormier prediction. I share his enthusiasm for
the former Olympian's MMA future, but if I had to guess his future
in terms of title shots will be at light heavyweight.
But
that's not my prediction. Instead, I'm betting that if Chris
Weidman gets a title shot in 2013, he's your new middleweight
champion. Note what I am not saying: I am not suggesting it's
a foregone conclusion he will get it. But I am predicting that
should the opportunity come his way, he'll come out on top. I
think his highly proactive offense that specializes in takedowns
with aggressive jiu-jitsu can cause problems for any middleweight.
Add in his rare gift for being able to learn techniques quickly
and improvise on the fly, and you've got all the makings of someone
who is going to be very, very special in the sport.
2.
Invicta returns to action Saturday. A lot has changed in the
women's MMA world since the company's last show. How do you see
Zuffa's foray into WMMA affecting Invicta?
Doyle:
Invicta's relationship with Zuffa was win-win when Invicta fighters
competed in Strikeforce. It gave Strikeforce a steady pipeline
of women's fighters while also allowing Invicta to retain top-notch
fighters for their own shows. All you have to do is look at Liz
Carmouche, who fought and won a couple fights in Invicta coming
off Strikeforce losses, and is now in a position to headline
against Ronda Rousey.
Zuffa
would be smart to keep the same open-door policy now that the
UFC is presenting women's fighting. The UFC's relationship with
Invicta is a different situation than the UFC has with competing
men's promotions. There is no other full-time women's group to
support the sport, and only so many slots open in the UFC. Unlike
Strikeforce, which didn't have enough quality fighters of either
gender to fill out a full fight schedule toward the end, the
UFC already has to keep eight divisions full of men's fighters
busy before they add women to the mix. While there's no doubt
the Rouseys and Cyborg Santoses will fight with the big group,
they still need a solid core of opponents to make it work. So
keeping Invicta healthy and occasionally sending them, say, a
Sarah Kaufmann-level fighter, is in Zuffa's best interests in
the long run.
Thomas:
I don't see much affect at all. I can't think of a single regional
promoter of predominately male fight cards that's sent fighters
to the UFC and seen major boosts of popularity as a consequence.
It's true a number of promotions have good regional footholds,
particularly in the Midwest or southern California. And it's
also true Invicta's model of all-women fight cards creates a
certain kind of novelty that I acknowledge could create special
developments. Generally speaking, however, Invicta will serve
as a feeder organization. Maybe that status as the only feeder
that specializes in women's fighting will help boost its popularity,
but either you're a fan of women fighting or you're not. And
even if you are, are you really that interested in seeing them
compete at the regional level? I have my doubts.
3.
We're now in 2013 and there's more talk of the UFC getting into
Mexico now more than ever. At this time next year, what will
say about what the UFC was able to accomplish in that country?
Thomas:
I suspect if they're as serious as they say they are, you'll
see a show on FUEL or FX by the end of the year. I'm hesitant
to say much more given the television partner ambiguity and sketchy
details on a future season of 'The Ultimate Fighter' there. I'm
also hesitant to say they'll have a season of TUF. It's not simply
that fighters in Mexico are, generally speaking, not as good
as the rest of their North American counterparts. It's that they
are profoundly behind the curve. Let's see what their scouting
trip turns up and as I've said before, Mexico is going to be
a huge player in MMA in another generation. But right now? It's
probably best to think of it more as a staging ground than territory
ripe for conquest.
Doyle:
I can't claim to be hip to the intricacies of American companies
doing business in Mexico. What I do know is that the UFC has
long wanted to put on shows there, and for whatever reason hasn't
been able to. In the time since they've first expressed interest
in going to Mexico, they've gotten into Canada, the United Kingdom,
Australia, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Sweden, Abu Dhabi, the People's
Republic of China, and I'm sure there are one or two more I'm
forgetting. If they've been able to crack all those markets,
some of which aren't necessarily the easiest places to do business,
and still haven't been able to put on a show in a country a just
a few hours' drive from Las Vegas, that would seem to indicate
that this is a pretty tough nut to crack.
But
that said, with Cain Velasquez's second title reign underway,
the impetus for the company to finally make it happen south of
the border has never been stronger. Velasquez is already a superstar
among Latino fight fans in the Southwest U.S. I don't know whether
the UFC will be able to get it done in Mexico, but this represents
their best chance to make serious inroads.
4.
Now that Bellator is finally on Spike, what about their move
to the channel and upcoming shows excites you most? Conversely,
what concerns or bothers you most?
Thomas:
Here's a news flash about Bellator if you aren't watching: their
product is very, very good. Sometimes its downright excellent.
What I am curious to see is how much the leap to Spike makes
them a bigger MMA organization that can recruit better talent,
pay fighters more and while being a distant number two to the
UFC's one, nevertheless provide a very real measure of competition.
That's good for the UFC as much as it is Bellator, but the biggest
winner would be the sport and its fans. Hard to hate any development
on that front.
If
I have concern, however, it's going to be their ability to juggle
employing the tournament format with what appears to be a growing
realization that the model has some restrictions. In a case like
this year where the consensus favorites advanced to the finals
in Lyman Good and Andrey Koreshkov, the tournament model worked
perfectly. But as Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has noted, there's
room for rematches in title fights if the conditions are right.
That's truthfully only a minor change, but it is a departure
from tournament parameters. Some of the best fights the organization
can make may or may not happen in a tournament. It'd be unfortunate
to see those lost unnecessarily.
Doyle:
I have to agree with Luke's take on the positives of Bellator's
moves. The bigger the sport can become, the better for all concerned.
Even though the UFC has a habit of buying off most of their big
competitors, there's no doubt the company simply puts out a better
product when motivated by real competition. It can't be entirely
a coincidence that Zuffa started to stagnate around the time
it bought Strikeforce. And likewise, with Showtime's MMA future
uncertain, Bellator's step up into the limelight is coming at
the right time.
As
for my main concern: What happens in week three of Bellator on
Spike? Week one is loaded up with two title shots. Week two features
"King Mo" Lawal. Then what? Are fans enough fans going
to stick around once the marquee value -- though not the level
of action -- falls in ensuing weeks? Will TV ratings hold up
and new stars be created, or will there be a sharp drop? I think
we're going to find out quick whether Bellator has the legs to
make it as a major-league group with a major-league TV slot.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
UFC
Hall of Famer Dan Severn Retires from MMA at 54-Years of Age
by Damon
Martin
UFC
Hall of Famer and veteran of more than 120 pro fights, Dan Severn
has decided to retire from the sport of mixed martial arts.
The
veteran announced his retirement via his website.
First
appearing in the UFC all the way back at UFC 4 in 1994, Severn
was the tournament champion at UFC 5 as well as the Ultimate
Ultimate Tournament in 1995.
Severn
made his final appearance in the Octagon in 2000 losing by TKO
to Pedro Rizzo at UFC 27.
While
his UFC career came to an end, Severn continued as an active
fighter in many different organizations where he faced a huge
list of opponents including Forrest Griffin, who he fought in
his first professional MMA bout.
At
54-years of age, Severn says he was hoping to do a “retirement
tour” of sorts in 2012 setting up super fights against Mark
Coleman, Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie, but none of the match-ups
ever came together and now he’s opted for retirement following
a long career in MMA.
“I
was attempting to do my own self-directed retirement tour in
the last couple of years reaching out only to three people –
Mark Coleman, Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie. It seems as though
these matches will not take place for whatever reasons and my
life now goes on to the next chapter,” wrote Severn.
Severn
was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at UFC 52 in 2005 as the
third inductee following Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock respectively.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Daniel
Cormier Possibly Next in Line for UFC Champ Jon Jones
Erik Fontanez
Daniel
Cormier stands in the cage before his bout with Antonio Silva
during the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Semifinals event at US
Bank Arena on September 10, 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo
by Josh Hedges/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images)
Strikeforce
Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier will potentially
be next to fight Jon Jones, UFC president Dana White said over
the weekend.
White
said that he’s open to the heavyweight fighting at light
heavyweight or heavyweight, but a possible showdown between Cormier
and the UFC light heavyweight champion could be next up once
Jones and Chael Sonnen battle in April.
“He
could be next in line to fight Jones,” Whtie said following
the UFC 155 post-fight press conference on Saturday. “It’s
awesome. He’s going to bring a lot of excitement to the
heavyweight or light heavyweight division.”
Cormier
is currently scheduled to face Dion Staring at the final Strikeforce
event on Jan. 12. Following that match-up, Strikeforce will shut
down as a promotion, and Cormier will officially make his transition
to the UFC.
Cormier’s
teammate, Cain Velasquez, won the UFC heavyweight title from
Junior dos Santos on Saturday night. Before the fight, the champ
said that a win for him would have his American Kickboxing Academy
cohort think about dropping to 205 pounds to avoid fighting each
other.
Now
that Velasquez holds the title, the door to light heavyweight
seems wide open for Cormier, but when asked he wouldn’t
confirm if he would walk through it.
“It’s
always good to leave … a cliffhanger,” Cormier said
following the press conference, urging the UFC president not
to tell the media anything else.
Cormier
made his name known by entering Strikeforce’s heavyweight
tournament as an alternate, earning a first-round knockout of
Antonio Silva. He went on to face former UFC heavyweight champion
Josh Barnett in finals of the tournament and won a unanimous
decision.
Cormier
was supposed to face Frank Mir in Strikeforce at a November event,
but Mir sustained an injury and the event was ultimately canceled.
Reports have indicated that Cormier would like to face Mir once
he arrives in the UFC.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
155 prelims are best number on FX since July
By Dave
Meltzer
The
UFC 155 prelim fights on Dec. 29, headlined by a bantamweight
clash between Eddie Wineland and Brad Pickett, scored solid ratings
on Saturday night with 1.4 million viewers on FX.
That
number beat live main cards on both Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 on the
network that had far more publicity. Of the 14 prelim shows that
appeared on FX this year, before UFC pay-per-view events and
prior to the last FOX show, it was the fourth-highest. It was
the best for any UFC-related show on the network since the July
7th prelims for the Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen fight on
what turned out to be UFC's biggest show of 2012.
The
show also featured bantamweight Erik Perez, who the promotion
is strongly pushing to the Latino market, scoring a quick win
over Byron Bloodworth, Melvin Guillard vs. Jamie Varner and Myles
Jury vs. Michael Johnson.
That
number would appear to be a good sign for the more important
number which are pay-per-view buys. Those figures are not yet
available, but the three shows that beat the number this year
were prelims for UFC 148 (Silva vs. Sonnen, which did 925,000
buys), UFC 145 (Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans, which did 700,000
buys and was UFC's second most successful event of the year)
and UFC 144 (Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson I), which was
the show from Saitama, Japan that finished back in the normal
pack.
The
main card was headlined by Cain Velasquez's UFC heavyweight championship
win over Junior Dos Santos, and would figure to be a well above
average performer on pay-per-view.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
With
St-Pierre facing Diaz instead of Hendricks, Fitch believes UFC
belt secure
by John
Morgan
Jon
Fitch (24-4-1 MMA, 14-2-1 UFC) still dreams of being a UFC champion,
but he doesn't think he'll have a shot this year.
The
34-year-old American Kickboxing Academy product believes Georges
St-Pierre will down Nick Diaz in their UFC 158 meeting and that
Strikeforce title holder Nate Marquardt will likely earn the
next shot at "GSP."
In
other words, if Fitch needs a shake-up at the top to earn a second
crack at the welterweight title, he doesn't think it's going
to happen in 2013.
"I
think a shake-up could have happened if Johny Hendricks would
have gotten the title shot," Fitch told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
"I think right now it looks like 'GSP' will probably defeat
Diaz. The way it looks, I think there's a strong possibility
the fight after that will probably be Marquardt just because
it's champion vs. champion."
Fitch,
of course, has long been considered one of the top welterweights
in the world. In 2008, an eight-fight octagon win streak earned
him a shot at St-Pierre's belt, but Fitch wound up losing the
UFC 87 headliner by unanimous-decision.
Fitch
rebounded with a five-fight win streak but has hit a few roadblocks
in recent times with a 1-1-1 mark over his most recent three
fights. Those results have forced Fitch down a few notches in
the 170-pound rankings, but his impressive UFC 153 win over Brazilian
Erick Silva have left some wondering if perhaps the 17-time UFC
veteran should again be considered as one of the division's elite
fighters.
The
first few months of 2013 present an interesting time for the
UFC's welterweights, as no less than six of the division's best
fighters, including St-Pierre and Diaz, square off at March's
UFC 158 event. Fitch also has his next assignment: Demian Maia
(17-4 MMA, 11-4 UFC) at February's UFC 156 event. Depending on
how things shake out, a victory could prove very meaningful for
Fitch. However, he insists he's not allowing himself to consider
the possibilities.
"I
think one of the mistakes I made in the past was thinking about
what this next fight is going to bring me rather than just focusing
on the fight, itself," Fitch admitted. "Throw all of
my attention, all my energy, into one fight at a time and make
sure I get the most out of that one fight. I think that showed.
When I do that, that's what happened in the last fight. If I
continue that process, it's going to be a lot more great fights
like that."
And
since he's convinced the UFC's welterweight title is all but
locked up through the end of the year, it's what happened in
his last fight that provides his current motivation. Fitch turned
in a gutsy, impressive effort against the flashy Silva, and he
said the potential for more crowd-pleasing efforts is providing
all the motivation he needs to grind away at the gym.
"Fight
by fight," Fitch said. "Each fight is it's own fight.
"This
is a big thing. I need the money. I need the fight. I need to
perform, and I love what I do. The motivation is that in itself."
UFC
officials have yet to announce what comes next for St-Pierre
should he get past Diaz, which isn't a given. Marquardt is a
possibility, but he currently has a fight with Tarec Saffiedine
schedule for Jan. 12 at Strikeforce's final event. With all of
the moving parts, there is a slight chance that Fitch could find
himself in a favorable position come year's end, but he accepts
that now is not his time. in fact, as far as he's concerned,
the welterweight titile schedule has already been written.
"I'm
not even going to think about taking any kind of top-seed-type
stuff for the whole 2013," Fitch said. "I think that's
already booked, honestly."
For
more on the UFC's upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors
section of the site.
Source:
MMA Junkie
|
UFC
Not Sure When Mike Goldberg Will Return to Broadcast Team
by Damon
Martin
It
appears Jon Anik will be on call for the foreseeable future as
the play-by-play man for the UFC with regular broadcaster Mike
Goldberg taking a break.
UFC
155 ended up with a late change in the broadcast booth instead
of the Octagon with Goldberg out of action, and fellow play-by-play
man Jon Anik stepping in to fill the role alongside color commentator
Joe Rogan.
UFC
president Dana White didn’t embellish much when asked about
when Goldberg could return to the broadcast booth, but it looks
like he’s going to be off for a little while dealing with
personal issues.
“Goldie’s
out for a while and I don’t know when he’ll be back,”
White said on Saturday.
Mike
Goldberg has been the regular play-by-play announcer for the
UFC for many years, and has also called college football and
hockey for much of his broadcast life.
It
was only in 2011 that the UFC hired Anik after a stint at ESPN
to work play-by-play for the promotion in their ever expanding
show schedule. Anik typically works alongside former UFC contender
Kenny Florian covering the UFC broadcasts on FX and Fuel TV.
Anik
stepped in and covered UFC 155 with Rogan, and the next major
UFC card goes down on Jan 19 in Brazil, which is UFC on FX 7
that Anik will work with Florian.
It’s
unknown at this time if Goldberg could potentially return for
the UFC on Fox 6 show in Chicago in late January or if Anik will
continue to fill his role while he’s out.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Vitor
Belfort Can Only Play Spoiler at UFC on FX 7, Won’t Earn
Title Shot with Win Over Bisping
by Damon
Martin
If
Michael Bisping can beat Vitor Belfort in the main event at UFC
on FX 7, then he has done more than enough to earn a shot at
Anderson Silva and the UFC middleweight title.
That’s
according to UFC president Dana White, who confirmed that Bisping
is next in line for the long reigning champion should he win
in Brazil in January.
Bisping
has long lingered near the top of the 185-pound division, but
not quite attained his goal of getting a crack at the title.
That
long sought after moment could just be 25 minutes away if he
can beat Belfort at UFC on FX 7 in Brazil, but White knows that’s
no easy task. Beating Belfort is easier said than done, but if
Bisping does it then the title shot should absolutely go to him.
“If
Bisping can beat Belfort, that’s a tough fight for Mike.
He deserves a shot at Anderson,” White confirmed on Saturday
night.
The
same can’t be said for Vitor Belfort unfortunately.
White
says that with Anderson Silva signing on for a new 10-fight deal
with the UFC, he’s closing out his career with legacy type
fights, and doesn’t have much interest in rematches of bouts
he already won decisively.
Silva
knocked out Belfort at UFC 126 with a devastating front kick
just past the midway point of the first round.
“Anderson’s
at this point where that fight was so one-sided and so fast and
so decisive, it’s tough to throw Vitor right back in there.
Especially when you’re dealing with Anderson, Anderson’s
gonna want to fight new guys and new challenges,” White
confirmed.
It’s
a tough spot for Belfort, who, at 35 years of age, has to know
the clock is ticking on him ever getting another shot at the
middleweight belt, much less while Anderson Silva still sits
atop the division.
If
there’s a consolation prize, it’s the fact that Belfort
can play spoiler in a big way should he defeat Bisping at UFC
on FX 7. It would send the promotion on the hunt for the next
potential contender to face Silva in 2013.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Sherdog.com’s
2012 Fighter of the Year
By Brian
Knapp
Benson
Henderson holds grand aspirations, and, in the weeks leading
up to his Ultimate Fighting Championship title bout against Frankie
Edgar at UFC 144 in February, he let the world in on one of them:
to be considered the best of the best.
“I
definitely have long-term goals [and] short-term goals, but that
has been my goal since I first got into fighting: to be the best
fighter on the planet, no ifs, ands or buts about it; not one
of the best, not Top 5, not Top 3. I want to be the best pound-for-pound
fighter -- period,” Henderson said. “That goal is still
in my sights. I still always wake up thinking about that.”
While
doubters scoffed, Henderson shrugged.
“I
don’t begrudge anybody their opinions,” he said. “I
heard a few people [say], ‘Who is this Ben Henderson guy?
Who does he think he is? He’s not Top 10 in the world.’
Well, that was your opinion a year and a half ago, even less
than that. I’m not mad at you for your opinion, but I think
your opinion might be a little off.”
Henderson
-- the Sherdog.com “Fighter of the Year” for 2012 --
made tremendous strides in his pound-for-pound quest over the
last 12 months, as he defeated Edgar by unanimous decision to
become UFC lightweight champion and then successfully defended
the belt twice, first in his August rematch with “The Answer”
and again against the surging Nate Diaz at UFC on Fox 5 in December.
By the time his work was complete, the 29-year-old had gone 75
minutes over 15 rounds and ascended to the 155-pound penthouse.
It
all started on Feb. 26 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama,
Japan. In a riveting five-round battle that showcased the best
and most endearing qualities of both men, Henderson dethroned
Edgar and captured the lightweight championship in the UFC 144
headliner. All three cageside judges saw it in favor of Henderson:
49-46, 48-47 and 49-46.
Based
out of the MMA Lab in Glendale, Ariz., Henderson leaned heavily
on powerful kicks to the legs and body of the champion. To his
credit, Edgar pinned many of them between his arm and body, but
they served their purpose nonetheless.
Late
in the second round, Henderson permanently altered the complexion
of the 25-minute fight, as he delivered a searing upkick from
his back to Edgar’s exposed face. The New Jersey native
crumpled where he stood and Henderson leaped into action, seeking
his trademark guillotine choke.
Edgar
avoided further danger, but the damage was done and it was considerable.
Rounds
three, four and five unfolded into a beautiful tapestry of skill
and will between two of the 155-pound division’s premier
fighters. His left eye nearly swollen shut and his nose badly
damaged by the upkick, Edgar never went away. However, Henderson
landed more strikes of consequence -- according to FightMetric
figures, he out-landed Edgar 87-68 in terms of total significant
strikes and 100-81 in terms of total overall strikes -- and unleashed
his guillotine once more in round four. Again, Edgar freed himself.
Neither
champion nor challenger held back in the fifth, as the indomitable
Edgar cracked Henderson repeatedly with short, straight punches.
Henderson provided his retort late in the frame with a jumping
knee and followed Edgar to the ground in the closing seconds,
working for a guillotine one last time. Alas, a finish was not
in the cards.
Henderson
saw his size and strength as keys to the life-altering victory.
“I
wanted to use my size to my advantage,” he said. “Making
weight kind of sucks for me. I have to do like eight hard weeks
and then two hard days of cutting down the weight. I pay a big
price for that, and I want to make sure my opponents feel that
pain when we have our 25 minutes inside the Octagon.”
Six
months later, they met again at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The
result was far more contentious, as Henderson escaped with a
split decision in the UFC 150 headliner on Aug. 11.
“Frankie
is tough as heck, man. All his fights seem to be controversial,”
he said. “I think Frankie is just so good and so tough that
if he loses or wins, everything is going to be controversial.
Thankfully, [two of the three] guys who were judging the fight
ringside had it in my favor.”
Henderson’s
game plan centered on kicks to the challenger’s lower leg.
The tactic was effective early, but Edgar grew wise to it as
the fight deepened. He countered beautifully with right hands,
one of which planted Henderson on the seat of his shorts in the
second round. Rounds one, two and five were relatively clear,
with the first going to Henderson and the second and fifth to
Edgar. Rounds three and four appeared far more competitive and
difficult to call.
“He
was doing a good job of backing away and staying out of range,”
Henderson said. “Those leg kicks, we game planned to use
those, to get him off-balance and then to capitalize right away.
I wanted to pounce. I think I got him off-balance three times
in the first round, and I hesitated. I squandered my chance to
jump on him.”
According
to FightMetric figures, Edgar bested Henderson 70-65 in total
strikes and 66-62 in terms of significant strikes. He also delivered
four takedowns in the five-round affair and threatened Henderson
more than once with the guillotine choke. Afterward, the champion
admitted he left the cage with some regret.
“I
should have pushed [the pace] a lot more. I didn’t push
it enough,” Henderson said. “I thought I was doing
enough to win the fight going into the fifth, but I knew the
fifth was a crucial round. I should have pushed it a lot more,
and I’m very disappointed in myself that I didn’t.”
Diaz
served as the next hurdle for “Smooth,” and Henderson
was in prime form at the Key Arena in Seattle. There, he cruised
to a one-sided unanimous verdict over “The Ultimate Fighter”
Season 5 winner in the UFC on Fox 5 main event on Dec. 8. All
three cageside judges scored it for the champion: 50-43, 50-45
and 50-45.
Searing
leg kicks, energy-sapping clinches, takedowns and heavy ground-and-pound
were all part of the Henderson scheme, and he executed it with
remarkable precision.
Henderson
secured takedowns in all five rounds, totaling eight of them
by the time the 25-minute fight was over. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu
brown belt neutralized Diaz’s boxing skills by attacking
his legs, smothering him with clinches and grounding him repeatedly.
Moreover, Henderson twice sent the Cesar Gracie protégé
reeling with punches -- an overhand left in the second round
and a right hook in the third.
Perhaps
sensing his situation was dire, Diaz turned to leg locks midway
through the fight. None of them were successful. Henderson simply
scrambled out of danger, assumed top position and cut loose with
punches, elbows and hammerfists. According to FightMetric.com
figures, the MMA Lab representative out-landed Diaz by a staggering
124-30 margin in terms of significant strikes.
Henderson
has won 16 of his past 17 bouts, including six in a row since
joining the UFC as part of the World Extreme Cagefighting merger.
He has clearly established himself as the alpha male at 155 pounds.
“It’s
just a matter of being well-prepared,” he said, “and
being in the gym as much as possible.”
Trained
by Royce Gracie protégé John Crouch, Henderson
has yet to reap the mainstream rewards of gold-bearing counterparts
like Junior dos Santos, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva and Georges
St. Pierre, all of whom have struck major endorsement deals.
However, with continued success inside the Octagon, he believes
his time will come.
“I
just need to continue doing what I’m doing,” he said.
“It doesn’t happen overnight. If you want to be the
best MMA promoter and build your company up, it takes time. You
have to lay the ground work, stay on that grind, stay at it and,
eventually, you get those big, huge national deals. If you put
the work in, it will fall into place.”
Source:
Sherdog
|
Dan
Hornbuckle replaces injured Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos at Legacy
FC 17
A
training injury has forced Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos
(18-15) to withdraw from the headliner of February's Legacy Fighting
Championship 17 event, and Dan Hornbuckle (22-5) now steps in
to meet Pete Spratt (25-21).
Promotion
officials today alerted MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of
the change.
Legacy
FC 17 takes place Feb. 1 at Cowboys Dancehall in San Antonio.
The night's main card airs on AXS TV.
Hornbuckle
is a six-time Bellator MMA veteran who made it to the finals
of the company's Season 2 welterweight tournament before losing
to tourney winner and eventual champion Ben Askren. Hornbuckle
also competed in the promotion's Season 4 and Season 5 tournaments
but was eliminated in the quarterfinal round each time.
"The
Handler" opened his career at an impressive 21-2 but is
currently looking to snap out of a 1-3 slide.
Spratt,
a 14-year vet who's competed with organizations such as the UFC
and Strikeforce, is on a 3-1 run, which included a March decision
victory over Daniel Acacio (19-13) at Amazon Forest Combat. In
his Legacy FC debut in July 2011, he scored a vicious 25-second
knockout of Antonio Flores.
A
timetable for Santos' run wasn't immediately established.
With
the change, the official Legacy FC 17 lineup now includes: MAIN
CARD (AXS TV, 10 p.m. ET)
Dan
Hornbuckle vs. Pete Spratt
Richard Odoms vs. Jared Rosholt
Kevin Aguilar vs. Nick Gonzalez
Johnny Ray Rodriguez vs. Johnny Rodriguez
Billy Buch vs. Patrick Ybarra
Gilbert Jimenez vs. James King
PRELIMINARY
CARD (Untelevised)
Daniel
Jolly vs. Alex Madrid
Melvin Jordan vs. Chris Lopez
Ernest De La Cruz vs. Jamal Emmers
William Medrano vs. Brandon Ruiz
Marco Hernandez vs. Cameron Martin
For
the latest on Legacy FC 17, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section
of the site.
Source:
MMA Junkie
|
UFC
155 medical suspensions: Boetsch, Belcher could face six months
on sidelines
By Mike
Chiappetta
USA TODAY Sports
Four
UFC 155 fighters are facing medical suspensions of up to six
months following possible injuries stemming from their Saturday
night bouts.
The
most notable of those names are middleweights Alan Blecher and
Tim Boetsch, both of whom suffered high-profile defeats in bouts
they were hoping to use to further establish themselves as contenders.
Belcher lost to Yushin Okami by unanimous decision while Boetsch
was TKO'd by Constantinos Philippou.
Belcher
has multiple issues he will need to have cleared, or otherwise
will face a suspension until June 28. The Nevada state athletic
commission, which released the information to MMA Fighting, said
Belcher must have his mandible X-rayed, and also must have an
MRI or X-rays of his right knee. At minimum, Belcher is shelved
until Feb. 28.
Boetsch
apparently suffered a nasal fracture during his loss, and must
be cleared by an ear, nose and throat doctor or sit on the sidelines
until June 28.
The
other two fighters looking at lengthy layoffs are Todd Duffee
and Michael Johnson. Duffee, who defeated Phil De Fries in a
first-round TKO, will have to have his left knee examined and
cleared, otherwise face the same suspension until June 28.
Johnson
will have to have his left hand checked out, and faces a suspension
of the same length.
The
entire list of UFC 155 medical suspensions is below.
Cain
Velasquez: suspended until 2/13; no contact until 1/29
Junior dos Santos: suspended until 2/13; no contact until 1/29
Joe Lauzon: suspended until 2/28; no contact until 2/13
Tim Boetsch: suspended until 6/28 unless cleared; no contact
until 1/29
Alan Belcher: suspended until 6/28 unless cleared; no contact
until 2/28
Yushin Okami: suspended until 1/13; no contact until 1/9
Eddie Wineland: suspended until 1/29; no contact until 1/20
Brad Pickett: suspended until 1/20; no contact until 1/13
Byron Bloodworth: suspended until 2/28; no contact until 2/13
Jamie Varner: suspended until 2/28; no contact until 2/13
Melvin Guillard: suspended until 2/13; no contact until 1/29
Michael Johnson: suspended until 6/28 unless cleared; no contact
until 1/13
Todd Duffee: suspended until 6/28 unless cleared; no contact
2/13
Philip De Fries: suspended until 1/20; no contact until 1/13
Leonard Garcia: suspended until 1/20; no contact until 1/13
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Dana
White Apologizes to Strikeforce Fighters; “I’m Really
Disgusted By (What Happened)”
To
say Zuffa’s post-acquisition ownership of Strikeforce hasn’t
gone according to plan would be a major understatement.
UFC
president Dana White was extremely enthusiastic when talking
about his role with Strikeforce, promising that he had big plans
for the promotion to help lift it up to be seen in a light similar
to the UFC.
Unfortunately,
things didn’t go as planned.
White
is used to being able to call the shots, or at least have a television
partner that is on the same wavelength as he is. That didn’t
happen with Strikeforce.
Strikeforce
was already locked into a television deal with Showtime, and
that deal didn’t allow for White to operate the way he wanted
to.
He’s
been mum on much of the details of his relationship with Showtime,
but suffice it say, it wasn’t good and when that went south,
so did the prospects for Strikeforce as a competitive promotion.
The
bottom fell out and Strikeforce started tumbling and bumbling
towards extinction, which comes on Jan. 12, when the promotion
is slated to operate its final event and shut its doors.
As
much as we always focus on the promotion itself closing down,
like what happened with Pride, the WEC, and others, there are
real people behind those promotions, in particular, the fighters
that are the core of the product.
As
disappointed as White has been about Strikeforce’s downfall
and the missed opportunities as a business, where the situation
really hits home for him is with the fighters that had to suffer
through month after tumultuous month of wondering what was happening
with their employer.
“What’s
happened to those guys over in Strikeforce, it’s terrible.
It’s really bad what happened to them over there and it
makes me sick,” said White recently.
When
he fell out with Showtime officials, White removed himself from
the situation almost entirely, but he still feels a strong sense
of responsibility towards the fighters that suffered through
the situation.
“I
should probably sit down with all of them,” he said. “I
apologize for everything that’s gone on for the last eight
months. I’m really disgusted by it.”
The
UFC has scooped up several other fight promotions over the years,
each with its own baggage and complications. Some have been more
successful than others.
Pride
never ran another event after the UFC’s purchase, the company
running into numerous stumbling blocks with the way fight promotion’s
operate in Japan and with the people that entangled the Pride
operations.
On
the opposite end of the spectrum was World Extreme Cagefighting,
which continued to operate as a separate entity with a degree
of success. The WEC’s crowning achievement, however, was
expanding the prominence of the lower weight classes in mixed
martial arts and eventually folding into the UFC, expanding its
roster.
What
happened with Strikeforce was an entirely different level of
frustration for White, who still won’t reveal the details
of his frustration, other than to acknowledge it had to do with
the Showtime relationship.
It’s
been a long, torturous lesson, but White takes it for what it’s
worth, lesson learned.
“It
won’t happen again; (expletive) is over now.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
155: Junior dos Santos’ Coach Says It All Went Wrong
Marcelo
Dunlop
Luiz
Carlos Dórea, 47, returned to the city of Salvador in
the Brazilian state of Bahia with an upset look on his face,
but he also had some pretty clear ideas in his head. The ex-boxer
and current coach to Junior dos Santos spoke with GRACIEMAG.com
about the defeat suffered by the “mainstay” of his
academy, as Dórea himself calls his student.
“Cain
never stopped shooting in for the takedown,” said Dórea
about the UFC 155 main event last Dec. 29, when Cain Velasquez
outgunned “Cigano” for five rounds to win by unanimous
decision. “We needed to work him over more on the feet.
That’s the way to keep him from shooting in for those takedowns.”
What
follows is the interview with the coach and a video posted by
Cigano for his fans.
GRACIEMAG:
So what went wrong, coach?
It
was Cain’s day. Cain could really be happy with his game
plan. We knew his game plan was going to be to try for the takedown
the whole time. Cigano was doing alright early on. He managed
to defend eight, nine shots from his opponent, but we know how
the only way to stop Cain is by using the fists. So that’s
what was missing, counter-punching better and connecting with
more strikes. But Cain didn’t let up, and things went his
way. We needed to work Cain over more so as to keep him from
shooting in.
And
then that right-hand bomb of Cain’s landed…
That
right landed in full with just a minute left in the first round,
and that changed the course of the fight. It was a solid blow.
Cigano felt it, and Cain took his back and kept banging away.
You’ve got to hand it to Cigano; he never wilted, and fought
with his heart to the very end. If it were the other way around,
if Cigano would have landed a third of those strikes, Cain would
have been knocked out cold. He showed Brazilian grit, and I’m
certain he’s going to get that belt back soon.
Do
you think Cigano should have kept the fight on the ground more,
used his Jiu-Jitsu until he was better recovered from that punch?
He
surely could have, but that punch really rocked him. Cigano’s
been working on his ground game a lot, got his black belt at
the end of the year and is solid on his feet and the ground.
But the way I see it, it wouldn’t have been good for him
to stay there, at least not right after taking that right. So
he got his wind back and got to his feet, but still wasn’t
recovered from that blow, and he kept taking a lot of pressure.
Standing or on the ground, the pressure coming in was the same.
How
serious are Junior’s injuries?
Cigano
doesn’t have anything serious. The cuts on his face are
getting better. What’s really hurting is his heart. He trained
so hard and really wanted to come home with the belt. But he’s
already undergone all the necessary examinations and is really
close to getting back to training. This loss will just make Cigano
stronger, you can count on it. That belt will come back to Brazil.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Ronda
Rousey isn't a box office knockout for UFC 157 tickets
By Dave
Meltzer
With
tickets to UFC 157 having gone on sale two weeks ago, they are
moving at a similar pace to the company's last show in the Southern
California market.
While
Ronda Rousey was the most talked about new star in mixed martial
arts in 2012, it was considered a major risk when it was announced
she would have her first match in the UFC as a pay-per-view headliner.
While
major women's matches have done well as far as television ratings
are concerned, only one MMA fight, the 2009 battle with Gina
Carano vs. Cris "Cyborg" Santos, was a big ticket seller
in a major arena as the main event. And no women's fight had
been on, let alone headlined, a successful MMA pay-per-view show.
Furthering
the risk is that Rousey's first opponent in defense of her UFC
women's bantamweight title, essentially the former Strikeforce
title belt being brought over, Liz Carmouche (7-2), was a name
only known to hardcore MMA fans.
The
location, the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., was also a risk.
While Rousey is from Southern California, the Los Angeles/Anaheim
market has never been an easy one after the immediate sellout
of the company's debut show there in 2006. Generally speaking,
the more a city is run, outside of Las Vegas which is a strong
casino market, the harder it is to sell tickets.
While
the 2010 Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez heavyweight title fight
at the Honda Center got off to a strong start even that wasn't
an instant sellout. But most shows at the Honda Center or Staples
Center in Los Angeles have in recent years done more in the range
of 6,000 to 7,000 tickets over he first week of sales.
With
tickets having gone on sale the week before Christmas, less than
5,000 tickets have been sold for the Feb. 23 date and the ticket
gross is in the $600,000 range. That's slightly less tickets,
and slightly more dollars, than the company's previous major
event in the market, the Aug. 4 FOX show, headlined by Mauricio
"Shogun" Rua vs. Brandon Vera, at the same point in
time.
It's
slower early sales than most major UFC pay-per-view shows. There
have been several Las Vegas shows that sold at a similar rate
early, but that's a unique market because it's run so frequently,
and casinos will buy tickets. Every UFC pay-per-view show, no
matter what the first week advance is, will do in the $2 million
range minimum, and the arena will be nearly full the night of
the show.
The
Southern California market has done strong walk-up business in
the past. The Aug. 4 show ended up selling 10,151 tickets to
the Staples Center and had 16,080 in the arena.
It's
also ahead of the pace for UFC 150 in Denver on Aug. 11, headlined
by Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar for the lightweight title.
It's also selling tickets ahead of the early pace of UFC 133,
a show on Aug. 6, 2011, the company's second trip to Philadelphia,
which was originally headlined by Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis.
When Davis was injured, Tito Ortiz took his place and sales turned
around with the bigger name added to the main event.
For
UFC pay-per-view main events, come the day of the show, there
is always going to be a big crowd, whether sales start moving
as the show gets closer, they discount tickets late, or, at times
they give tickets away late.
But
it is a sign that Rousey's media fame hasn't yet translated into
people beating down the doors to buy tickets.
Rousey
headlined two shows last year for Strikeforce, drawing 5,500
in Columbus, Ohio for her fight with Miesha Tate where she first
won the title on a show that really catapulted her stardom. She
drew 3,502 in San Diego for her fight with Sarah Kaufman on a
show with a weak undercard, but one that did Strikeforce's best
ratings of the year. Those were the first- and third-largest
crowds of the five events Strikeforce produced in 2012.
The
feeling is also that this show will generate more mainstream
media interest the week of the show than all but the biggest
events of the year. Rousey is expected to be everywhere, including
places that usually don't promoter or cover UFC events. There
is also the belief Carmouche will get far more media coverage
and attention than most unknown fighters, because she is a former
Marine who served in the Persian Gulf war and is the first openly
gay fighter in UFC history.
The
hope is that would translate into ticket sales, and more importantly,
pay-per-view buys. Pay-per-view is usually a late impulse buy
and late hype is very important. Attending live shows more often
is something people plan out farther in advance. But media hype
for an event doesn't guarantee success.
Women
fights have garnered generally better crowd reactions at live
shows than male fights, usually because they are different. Big
fights have proven success at drawing television viewers. But
as the main attraction, they are unproven, with one very successful
live event and no real track record on pay-per-view.
Even
during the period when boxers Christy Martin, Laila Ali and Mia
St. John were well-known stars, they were undercard attractions
and never really made a difference in pay-per-view numbers. The
attempt to use Martin as a headliner, in a proposed fight with
Lucia Rijker, considered by insiders as the best female fighter
in the world at the time, ended up with poor ticket sales. When
an injury caused the fight to be postponed, promoters decided
against trying it again.
The
lone boxing success was a gimmick fight when Ali faced Jaqui
Frazier-Lyde in 2001. It was promoted as the daughters of the
greatest boxing feud of the last 50 years, Muhammad Ali and Joe
Frazier, going at it. The curiosity led to 125,000 buys on pay-per-view,
which was a number shockingly high for a show of that magnitude.
But Frazier-Lyde was not even that serious of a boxer and whatever
success that had was far more attributable to who their fathers
were as opposed to the potential of women fighters headlining
on pay-per-view.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Invicta
FC 4's Bec Hyatt refuses to wake up in a puddle of pee
by Steven
Marrocco
It's
a chip on the shoulder that keeps Bec Hyatt fighting after getting
knocked unconscious in her first pro fight.
It's
her fear of having an in-cage accident that keeps her training
hard, you could say.
Hyatt
(4-1), who meets Carla Esparza (8-2) in the headliner of InvictaFC
4, said she was having the time of her life and didn't feel a
thing when Rhiannon Thompson kicked her in the head in the first
round of their fight 15 months ago.
"I
went to sleep, and I woke up, and I lost," she told MMAjunkie.com
Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).
But
she's seen others who haven't been as lucky.
"I've
seen some people in Australia that have been knocked out and
woken up in a puddle," she said.
Hyatt,
who resides in Brisbane, Australia, wanted to prove she wasn't
just a sad story on the mixed martial arts scene. She picked
herself up and went back to the gym. Four months later, she was
back in the cage.
Now
4-1 as a professional, "Rowdy" Hyatt shares not only
the nickname of the most famous female mixed martial artist in
the business today, but the accomplishment of winning four fights
in a year. Ronda Rousey did it in 2011, and she in 2012.
Although
her fear of embarrassment isn't, Hyatt's fear of damage is a
thing of the past. She comes into fights with the excitement
of a kid on Christmas.
"I've
got to prove everyone wrong," she said. "That's probably
what drove me to success more than anything."
The
23-year-old Aussie hopes to elevate her stock further when she
vies for Invicta FC's vacant strawweight (106-to-115 pounds)
title against Esparza, who was originally set to meet Claudia
Gadelha before a broken nose nixed the fight.
Hyatt
accepted the fight on short notice after first agreeing to fight
Joanne Calderwood earlier on the preliminary portion of Saturday's
fight card, which is held at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan.,
and streams via online pay-per-view at InvictaFC.com.
It's
the first time Hyatt has fought professionally on U.S. soil.
She spent 26 mostly sleepless hours in transit and celebrated
two New Year's Eves – one in the air and one in Kansas City.
Even
after countless interviews, Hyatt still sounds as bright as a
kid about to open presents and gets a kick out of hearing American
accents as she's questioned about the fight.
But
she's very clear about what she sees ahead on Saturday.
"I
see her coming out quite wild, trying to prove that she can stand
with me," Hyatt said. "She's made a few comments that
I'm a brawler and that my standup is impressive, and I think
she might want to prove that she can hang with me, so I'm hoping
she just comes out and we just get it on and put on a good fight
for the crowd."
That
kind of fight undoubtedly puts her in danger of having that accident,
but her laugh indicates how far away she thinks that possibility
is.
"I
just can't wait to get out there," Hyatt said.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Volleyball
to Fighting, Veronica Rothenhausler Intends to Make Big Impact
at Invicta FC 4
by Mick
Hammond
For
Veronica Rothenhausler being a fighter is just a natural progression
of her love of sports.
Having
previously starred in team sports such as volleyball and basketball,
the six-foot-tall, 145-pound Rothenhausler has been able to take
her athletic skills from group games to the individual world
of fighting with great success, going 3-0 in her amateur career.
“I’ve
been on a team, and this is kind of my first opportunity to experience
an individual sport, and once I started doing it, I love it,”
said Rothenhausler. “My first night I knocked some guy’s
mouthpiece out of his mouth and thought how awesome that it is
that people got to do this for a living, and I just kept going.
“Now
I can finally use my size and height for a huge advantage. Most
girls are five-foot-seven or five-foot-eight so (my height advantage)
has played a big part, especially in my last couple fights. They
both went the same: I came out with my jab then threw an overhand
right and knocked them both out in five seconds.”
Having
fought a total of 2:10 in her three amateur fights, it became
clear that Rothenhausler would be ready to step up to the pros
when she got the call to fight at the upcoming Invicta 4 event
in Kansas City, Kan., on Jan. 5.
“My
first fight sealed the deal for me, and I just knew that I wanted
competition, I wanted more,” she said. “I feel like
I’m a warrior and I’m meant to be in battle. I want
to face better competition and since I’m going to dedicate
my whole life towards fighting, it was only logical to take that
next step.”
A
move to Team Alpha Male several months ago has paid off for Rothenhausler
as she feels she’s twice the fighter she was before joining
the team.
It’s
that additional growth that could come in handy as Rothenhausler
faces the toughest competition of her career so far in fellow
knockout artist Katalina Malungahu on Jan. 5.
“I
feel very confident and pumped to face her. I was reading an
interview where she was predicting a first-round knockout, and
I think she’s absolutely right; she didn’t specify
who that’d be, but I promise you that I’ll be walking
out of the cage with my hand up,” said Rothenhausler.
“My
striking is better than hers, and I feel I’m the strongest,
fastest and most powerful that I’ve ever been. I’m
feeling dangerous and I’m out to hurt somebody, and if she’s
the one to step in the cage with me, she’s the one who is
going to end up getting hurt.”
With
so much buzz surrounding her, it would be easy for Rothenhausler
to overlook her first pro fight, but she told MMAWeekly.com that
won’t happen.
“I’m
not looking past Invicta. Right now, this is where women are
at; this is center stage for us,” she said. “My goal
would be just to give it my all, and as long as I give it my
best, that’s all I really care about.
“I’m
very excited to see where it’s going to take me. I’ve
been working very hard and my passion for this sport along with
my talent is going to take me places. It’s going to be awesome.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Junior
Dos Santos Leads UFC 155 Fighter Salaries
Junior
Dos Santos didn’t walk out of UFC 155 with the heavyweight
title, but he did leave with the biggest payday of anybody on
the year end card that took place in Las Vegas.
The
figures were released on Monday by the Nevada State Athletic
Commission.
Dos
Santos would likely trade that money for another crack at Cain
Velasquez, but either way he walked out of UFC 155 with a hefty
$400,000 paycheck for his effort in the fight.
For
his part, Velasquez earned $200,000 in a winning effort with
$100,000 of that coming from his contracted win bonus.
Check
out the list below for the full salaries from UFC 155: Dos Santos
vs. Velasquez:
Cain
Velasquez: $200,000 – $100,000 to win, $100,000 to show
Junior Dos Santos: $400,000 no bonus
Jim
Miller – $82,000 – $41,000 to win, $41,000 to show
(Miller also picked up $65,000 for his Fight of the Night bonus,
total disclosed earnings – $147,000)
Joe Lauzon – $27,000 (Same Fight of the Night bonus for
Lauzon, total disclosed earnings – $92,000)
Costa
Philippou – $36,000 – $18,000 to win, $18,000 to show
Tim Boetsch – $37,000 no bonus
Yushin
Okami – $84,000 – $42,000 to win, $42,000 to show
Alan Belcher – $37,000 no bonus
Derek
Brunson – $30,000 – $13,000 to show, $17,000 to win
Chris Leben – $51,000 no bonus
Eddie
Wineland – $30,000 – $15,000 to win, $15,000 to show
Brad Pickett – $17,000 no bonus
Erik
Perez – $20,000 – $10,000 to win, $10,000 to show
Byron Bloodworth – $6,000 no bonus
Jamie
Varner – $24,000 – $12,000 to win, $12,000 to show
Melvin Guillard – $42,000
Myles
Jury – $16,000 – $8,000 to win, $8,000 to show
Michael Johnson – $14,000
Todd
Duffee – $16,000 – $8,000 to win, $8,000 to show (Duffee
also received $65,000 for Knockout of the Night, total disclosed
earnings – $81,000)
Phil DeFries – $14,000 no bonus
Max
Holloway – $24,000 – $12,000 to win, $12,000 to show
Leonard Garcia – $20,000 no bonus
John
Moraga – $22,000 – $11,000 to win, $11,000 to show
(Moraga also received $65,000 for Submission of the night, total
disclosed earnings – $87,000)
Chris Cariaso – $12,000 no bonus
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Sherdog.com’s
Pound-for-Pound Top 10
There’s
avenging a loss, and then there’s what Cain Velasquez did
against Junior dos Santos at UFC 155.
With
relentless wrestling and a fearless game plan, the 30-year-old
Velasquez spent the better part of five rounds abusing the man
who knocked him out 13 months prior. The Brazilian never really
looked to be in the fight, as Velasquez attacked from the opening
bell and rarely eased up on the gas, eventually taking back the
UFC heavyweight crown via lopsided unanimous decision.
The
American Kickboxing Academy stud also takes dos Santos’
place on this iteration of our rankings, albeit further down
the list than most of his fellow UFC champs for the time being.
Velasquez will have a chance to further climb the ladder with
his next defense, which could come in a long-awaited matchup
against muscle-bound Dutch striker Alistair Overeem. That’s
no guarantee, however: Overeem must first overcome recent Velasquez
victim Antonio Silva at UFC 156 in February.
1. Anderson Silva (33-4)
Just
when it looked like we might not see “The Spider” for
a while, Silva made a surprise appearance at October’s UFC
153. The UFC’s middleweight ace once again moved up to 205
pounds, this time to salvage the injury-ravaged Rio de Janeiro
card with a makeshift main event against Stephan Bonnar. To the
surprise of no one, Silva made quick work of the normally durable
veteran and quickly returned to the sideline, where he figures
to stay until mid-2013. While it’s long been figured that
Silva is approaching the end of his career, UFC President Dana
White stated in December that he recently turned down an eight-fight
contract with the company -- and instead asked for a 10-fight
deal.
2. Georges St. Pierre (23-2)
The
welterweight division’s French Canadian king finally came
off the shelf in November after a frustrating 18-month layoff.
Showing no signs of the knee injury that had kept him from the
cage, GSP got right back to his old ways, sweeping interim champ
Carlos Condit in a five-round affair to unify the UFC’s
170-pound belts. For a moment, Zuffa seemed dead-set on getting
St. Pierre and fellow pound-for-pound luminary Silva together
for a mega-fight; instead, GSP’s next bout will be a long-anticipated
fight against former Strikeforce titlist Nick Diaz at UFC 158.
3. Jon Jones (17-1)
It
was a turbulent year for Jones, who weathered opponent changes,
angry bosses and a drunk driving arrest but came out the other
side with his UFC light heavyweight title intact. The latest
test for “Bones” was a September encounter with Vitor
Belfort, who nearly pulled off a miracle armbar early at UFC
152 but eventually succumbed to a Jones keylock in round four.
Jones will have a little time off before his next defense, but
it will not be all rest: the 25-year-old is set to coach opposite
Chael Sonnen on the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter”
before the two meet at UFC 159 in April.
4. Jose Aldo (21-1)
Aldo
managed only one fight in 2012, as injuries twice nixed bouts
with Roufusport prospect Erik Koch. The Brazilian was also forced
to withdraw from a UFC featherweight title defense against Frankie
Edgar in September. In what will be his highest-profile bout
to date, Aldo will now take on former lightweight top dog Edgar
on Feb. 2 in the main event of UFC 156 -- the company’s
annual Super Bowl weekend card in Las Vegas. It is the kind of
victory that could go a long way to making people forget about
his recent inactivity and injury issues.
5. Benson Henderson (18-2)
After
claiming and defending the UFC lightweight title in a pair of
hotly contested wins over Edgar, Henderson left little doubt
in his latest defense. Before an audience of millions on network
TV, Henderson grounded, pounded and ultimately took a unanimous
decision over top contender Nate Diaz. Henderson’s recent
run at 155 pounds has given him one of the strongest records
in all of MMA. Things will not get any easier in 2013 for the
man who presides over arguably the most talent-rich division
in the UFC, with the presence contenders like Anthony Pettis
and Gray Maynard lining up for a shot at the belt, not to mention
incoming Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez.
6. Dan Henderson (29-8)
Henderson’s
unceremonious knee injury at least temporarily put the brakes
on his improbable three-division run past the age of 40. Despite
White’s recent statements about a slow recovery, the former
Pride Fighting Championships and Strikeforce titleholder insists
he’s healthy and on schedule for a February return. Henderson
may have lost his crack at Jones to occasional training partner
Sonnen, but the Olympian still believes he’s on target for
a high-stakes Feb. 23 date against former UFC light heavyweight
champion Lyoto Machida.
7. Frankie Edgar (14-3-1)
Two
close losses to fellow pound-for-pound entrant Benson Henderson
are nothing to hang one’s head about. Edgar still boasts
a strong recent resume against the lightweight division’s
aces and is now bound for 145 pounds. “The Answer”
will have a chance to put another Zuffa title on his mantle in
February, along with arguably the biggest win of his career,
as he takes on featherweight ruler Aldo in a pound-for-pound
clash that onlookers have been calling for consistently over
the last two years.
8. Gilbert Melendez (21-2)
Melendez’s
on-again, off-again Strikeforce lightweight title defense against
Pat Healy was rescheduled for the company’s final show on
Jan. 12. One problem: Melendez’s knee injury still was not
healed, forcing him off the show. However, we now get what the
world really craves: Melendez against Top 10, elite lightweights
on a fight-in, fight-out basis. The Cesar Gracie product figures
to make his Octagon debut in early 2013 and should factor in
against the major players at 155 pounds almost immediately. It
has been a long time coming.
9. Cain Velasquez (11-1)
In
a division historically thin on high-level talent, it’s
easier to earn consideration as an all-time great. That’s
not to say Velasquez has had a easy run in his nearly five-year
UFC stint, which has seen him dispose of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira,
Brock Lesnar and Antonio Silva. What’s more, on Dec. 29,
the wrestler from Arizona State University avenged the only blemish
on his record by laying waste to dos Santos in a 25-minute rout.
Now once more with gold and a legacy to defend, Velasquez will
next likely face former Strikeforce champ Overeem, provided the
“Demolition Man” can get past Silva at UFC 156.
10. Demetrious Johnson (16-2-1)
As
we begin to wonder what various pound-for-pound greats might
look like fighting a weight class above the one they dominate,
Johnson is becoming one of the few truly successful fighters
to actually fulfill the “drop a weight class and dominate”
expectation. The first UFC 125-pound champ has picked up major
wins over Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez in 2012 and has the
chance to up his unbeaten mark as a flyweight on network television
in the New Year. “Mighty Mouse” makes the first defense
of his flyweight title at the UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago against
“Ultimate Fighter” winner John Dodson.
With
the entry of Velasquez, previously ninth-ranked dos Santos falls
outside the pound-for-pound Top 10.
Source:
Sherdog
|
UFC
155 ratings: FX prelims broadcast ranks fourth out of 14
by Dann
Stupp
Ratings
for this past weekend's UFC 155 preliminary card ranked among
the best in UFC-FX history.
To
date, the UFC's cable partner has hosted 14 preliminary-card
broadcasts for pay-per-view and UFC on FOX cards.
The
Dec. 29 broadcast for UFC 155 averaged 1.4 million viewers, MMAjunkie.com
(www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed with industry sources. That
ties it for fourth all-time.
UFC
155 took place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and Cain
Velasquez recaptured the heavyweight title with a dominant victory
over then-champ Junior Dos Santos. The FX prelims, which followed
three Facebook bouts, saw Eddie Wineland take a split decision
from fellow bantamweight contender Brad Pickett in the featured
bout of the two-hour broadcast.
The
previous 13 UFC-FX preliminary-card broadcasts averaged 1.2 million
viewers. The next is scheduled for Jan. 26 with UFC on FOX 6,
which features a six-bout FX card at Chicago's United Center.
The
all-time UFC-FX preliminary-card ratings include:
1.
UFC 148 ratings: 1.8 million viewers
2. UFC 145 ratings: 1.6 million
3. UFC 144 ratings: 1.5 million
T-4. UFC 155 ratings: 1.4 million
T-4. UFC 143 ratings: 1.4 million
6. UFC 146 ratings: 1.3 million
7. UFC on FOX 5 ratings: 1.2 million
8. UFC 153 ratings: 1.0 million
9. UFC 149 ratings: 1.0 million
10. UFC 154 ratings: 980,000
11. UFC 150 ratings: 974,000
12. UFC 147 ratings: 969,000
13. UFC 152 ratings: 955,000
14. UFC 142 ratings: 880,000
For
complete coverage on UFC 155, stay tuned to the UFC Events section
of the site.
Source:
MMA Junkie
|
Anderson
Silva Looking at Three More Title Defenses Then GSP & Jon
Jones Superfights
by Damon
Martin
Anderson
Silva will sign a new 10-fight deal with the UFC that will likely
carry him through the end of his fighting career, and he’s
got big things in store before he retires.
Already
standing as the longest reigning champion in UFC history with
more title defenses than any titleholder, Silva signs this new
deal with a few objectives in mind.
Of
course, he will defend his middleweight title a few more times
as contenders continue to present themselves atop the division.
The
name currently most likely to land a shot at Silva next is Michael
Bisping, if he can defeat Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 7. Then
there’s Chris Weidman, who is currently sidelined after
having shoulder surgery, but if he returns to form and picks
up a win, he’d likely get a shot at Silva as well.
Then
of course there are the superfights that have always loomed overhead
for Silva.
UFC
president Dana White says they have some ideas in mind and of
course so does Anderson Silva in terms of what fights make the
most sense for him as he tries to solidify his legacy as the
greatest fighter to ever step foot inside an MMA cage or ring.
One
of those fights could finally be the match-up with UFC welterweight
champion Georges St-Pierre.
“There’s
probably three fights out there for him at 85, then Georges (St-Pierre)
will have a few more fights under his belt cause the guy’s
been out such a long time. Cause before he blew his knee out,
he was ready to roll,” White revealed when speaking about
the potential Silva vs. GSP superfight.
An
Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre superfight would likely
be the biggest fight in UFC history both in terms of live attendance
and pay-per-view revenue. If there was a fight that could top
even that, it also involves Anderson Silva in a superfight, this
time against current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Silva
and Jones have danced around with the idea of fighting each other
at some point, and White says that bout is potentially about
three fights away from happening.
“It
makes sense if you think about it. It would be almost a year
and a half,” White said on Saturday about the superfight.
Whatever
happens in the next two years will be very interesting as Anderson
Silva looks to put on the final touches of his MMA masterpiece.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
5
Lessons to Get You Started in Jiu-Jitsu in 2013
If
you’ve got it in your head that next year’s going to
be totally different from the outgoing one, don’t fool yourself:
you’re going to have to put in an effort for that to happen.
So
how about getting engaged in a fun and stimulating way, as thousands,
millions of practitioners around the world currently do?
The
first step is to find a good Jiu-Jitsu school not too far from
where you live.
Next
you have to get engrossed in basic training, learning the moves
that will be the foundation for the years of Jiu-Jitsu that await
you. In other words, start at the very beginning, like the year
about to ensue.
This
Year’s End, your favorite Jiu-Jitsu website has five basic,
stimulating lessons for those of you whom are about to start
from scratch.
1. Respect your dojo and teacher
Respecting
academy norms is the first lesson in Jiu-Jitsu. Follow your teacher’s
rules on class times, hygiene and habits. Understand that at
school there’s a time for everything: to speak, to ask,
to answer the cell phone, to drink water. Once you’ve stepped
onto the mat, your life boils down to that mat until class is
over. Recognize that your teacher is someone who wants the best
for you. If you don’t feel convinced, look for another academy.
2. Remember: black belts were once white belts too
Don’t
see your being a white belt as a bother. Remember that everyone
has been there. Even Roger Gracie was once a white belt like
you.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Lose
your shame of asking. Be sure to ask questions whenever there’s
something you’d like to know. The teacher is there for precisely
that—to leave no question unanswered. The exception being
when he’s demonstrating a position. Don’t interrupt
him; you’ll get your question answered later.
4. Understand the chess of Jiu-Jitsu
The
objective in Jiu-Jitsu is to get the tapout. But to get there,
you have to understand the moves and how to maneuver and position
yourself first, in order for the move to work. Become aware of
what you’re trying to do.
5: Class number one: getting a mounted opponent off you
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Spike
TV debuts 'Bellator 360' original series on Thursday at 10 p.m.
ET
Bellator
MMA and Spike TV on Thursday debut a new original series entitled
"Bellator 360."
Hosted
by Bellator broadcaster Jimmy Smith, the series highlights past
fights in the promotion's history while also previewing upcoming
matchups.
The
first episode airs Thursday on Spike TV at 10 p.m. ET and features
current lightweight champion Michel Chandler (10-0 MMA, 7-0 BFC),
as the undefeated fighter relives his November 2011 championship
win over Eddie Alvarez and looks ahead to his Bellator 85 title
defense against former Olympic judoka Rick Hawn (14-1 MMA, 6-1
BFC).
Additionally,
a second episode of the series also debuts immediately after
the first edition and features a look at Russian striker Alexander
Shlemenko (46-7 MMA, 7-1 BFC) and explosive Brazilian Maiquel
Falcao (31-4 MMA, 3-0 BFC) as they prepare to contest Bellator's
vacant middleweight title on Feb. 7 at Bellator 88.
"Bellator
36" returns on Jan. 10 with another pair of back-to-back
episodes as Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren (10-0 MMA,
7-0 BFC) recalls his run to the belt and Bellator featherweight
champion Pat Curran (17-4 MMA, 7-1 BFC) previews his Bellator
85 championship fight with Patricio "Pitbull" Freire
(17-1 MMA, 5-1 BFC).
Bellator
85 takes place Jan. 17 at Bren Center in Irvine, Calif. The event
is the company's first fight card to air on Spike TV, the former
home of the UFC.
Source:
MMA Junkie
|
Cain
Velasquez faces long odds, and possibly unexpected challenges,
in solidifying title reign
By Mike
Chiappetta
As
the final moments ticked down on Cain Velasquez's reascendance
to the heavyweight throne, I found myself thinking about not
him or his opponent Junior dos Santos, but instead, about Jon
Jones. UFC 155, after all, was the last major event of the year
and served to propel the calendar to 2013, a time when Jones
said he would consider a move to heavyweight. It's a shift that
some observers have been anticipating and others demanding for
some time.
The
thinking goes that Jones has been so dominant at light-heavyweight
that the only real tests for him lie in the division above the
one where he currently resides. Physically, he's not too far
off from the land of the giants. He's 6-foot-4 and between fights,
usually tips the scales between 225 and 230 pounds. That means
he's naturally taller than current champion Velasquez, though
about 10 pounds lighter.
There
was a time recently when we wondered whether the sport was about
to usher in the age of super-heavyweights. At that moment, Brock
Lesnar, Shane Carwin and Frank Mir were the weight class' power
trio, and all cutting down to make the 265-pound limit. But in
short order, the division's dynamic has rapidly shifted to speed
ahead of power and conditioning over bulk. And that means that
the situation is better suited for Jones and his two-division
dreams.
The
fact that things changed so quickly should be of no surprise.
Historically, the UFC's heavyweight division has been its most
unstable. Champions have fallen at a rate that rivals the change
of leaders during the recent Arab Spring. Just look at its list
of titleholders. In the 15+ years that the championship has existed,
there have been 20 title reigns, including interim belt. Eleven
times, the champion wasn't able to successfully defend the belt
even once. Only four men have defended the belt more than once,
and the record for successful consecutive title defenses stands
at a paltry two. The baddest man on the planet doesn't stay the
baddest for very long.
Whether
it's parity or the absence of a single standout stud at the top,
the heavyweight division has never seen any kind of iron-fisted
reign.
After
Velasquez decimated dos Santos for five rounds, many observers
are wondering if he's the one to do it, ready to offer him a
pass on his Nov. 2011 loss. At the time, he was hiding the fact
that he had torn an ACL. After years of dominant wins, the 64-second
loss looked something like a fluke, a characterization that gains
some after-the-fact bolstering based upon what he did on Saturday
night.
In
Las Vegas, one year later and at optimal health, Velasquez looked
like he'd looked every other time we'd seen him. He wasn't just
good; he was a world-beater, in a performance so lopsided that
it made us wonder if we could ever really believe dos Santos
had a chance against him in a fair fight. In that way, some view
it as a continuation of where he was when he first took the title
from Brock Lesnar.
And
then, the next logical step is wondering who exactly would be
the best candidate to unseat Velasquez? Alistair Overeem will
almost certainly get the opportunity to fight him next as long
as he beats Antonio Silva in February. But beyond that, it's
a slim field. dos Santos will no doubt need a win or two to find
his way back to a title match, and Daniel Cormier seems on his
way down to 205, refusing to fight his friend and training partner.
That
leaves Jones as an eventual focus of speculation. It's a spot
he eased himself into after his comments in October, when he
said he figured the right timing for a move to heavyweight could
come "maybe at the end of 2013."
Just
two weeks ago, he got even more specific, saying he would "love"
to fight Velasquez in the future, seeing the fight as a competitive
challenge. Who knows if this will happen, of course. Jones may
decide the light-heavyweight class has enough serious challengers
to stay, he could lose before he ever gets to move up, or he
could simply determine that heavyweight does not best suit his
body type.
But
if he does come? He'd be facing the same long odds of history
currently staring down Velasquez. Jones has been mostly untouchable
at 205, but at heavyweight, no one stays on top for long. These
are the biggest men with the biggest punches, and as Velasquez
learned a year ago, a single one can change everything.
There
is little doubt that if Jones moves to the division, he would
be moved right into a championship match, where he'd be attempting
to join Randy Couture and B.J. Penn as the only two-division
champions in UFC history. That alone would buck some long odds.
But the more long-range mission would be something that has so
far proved impossible: bringing stability to a land where gold
is a commodity so precious, no one can hold on to it very long
before it's stolen away.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Ronda
Rousey's rise not yet felt at Invicta FC 4 fighter Carla Esparza's
gym
by Steven
Marrocco
The
rising notoriety of women's MMA hasn't changed the complexion
of Invicta FC 4 headliner Carla Esparza's gym – at least
not yet.
Esparza
(8-2), who meets short-notice replacement Bec Hyatt (4-1) at
this weekend's event, still doesn't have a full-time female fighter
to call a training partner, much less a part-time one when she
works out at Team Oyama in Redondo Beach, Calif. There are women
who train and compete in muay Thai and jiu-jitsu, but when it
comes to MMA, she's mostly working with the men.
"In
high school (wrestling), I was on the boys team, and then I went
to college, and I was on the all-girls team," Esparza told
MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "So I've
definitely seen the benefits of having both, having women training
partners as well as men."
Ronda
Rousey's emergence as a star certainly has brought more attention
to the sport. But it's anyone's guess whether that will translate
to an influx of new talent in gyms around the country. A headlining
bout between Rousey, now the first UFC women's bantamweight champion,
and Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 could reveal the staying power of
women's MMA.
Esparza
plans to attend the Feb. 23 UFC event in Anaheim, Calif., and
she said several colleagues plan to do the same. She once trained
with Carmouche and hopes to see an upset.
Meanwhile,
Esparza and dozens of other female fighters are doing their best
to elevate the sport's profile in the all-women Invicta FC promotion,
which holds its fourth event on Saturday at Memorial Hall in
Kansas City, Kan. The event, including the headlining Esparza
vs. Hyatt title fight, streams live via online pay-per-view ($7.95).
Each
of Invicta FC's first three events reportedly drew in excess
of 200,000 online viewers, which prompted immediate speculation
despite the promotion's insistence that the figures were accurate.
The all-female promotion has yet to strike a TV deal that might
further elevate its profile. Invicta FC CEO Shannon Knapp repeatedly
has said she'll hold out for the right deal that ensures longevity.
Meanwhile,
the fights keep rolling. Esparza is unfazed that two proposed
opponents have been forced to withdraw from Saturday's event.
"My
game plan might switch up a little bit, but in reality, it's
all pretty much the same thing," she said. "I'm going
to go out there, I'm going to bring the pressure, and I'm going
to beat down my opponent."
And
despite the attention heaped on one future fight, Esparza thinks
things will largely stay the same at the gym.
"I
think the sport is growing and there are going to be more girls,"
she said. "I think it's going to be a good mix. I don't
think it will ever be all women."
For
more on Invicta FC 4, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of
the site.
Source:
MMA Junkie
|
Dana
White Remains Undecided if Josh Barnett Will Come to the UFC
or Not
by Damon
Martin
It’s
been more than 10 years since Josh Barnett last stepped foot
in the UFC Octagon, but following his last fight in Strikeforce
in January, he could potentially have the chance to return.
The
key word is “potentially” because nothing is signed,
sealed or delivered at this point in terms of Barnett’s
future with Zuffa.
Barnett
faces relative unknown Nandor Guelmino at the final Strikeforce
show on Jan 12, but then his contractual future remains a mystery.
It’s
no secret that Barnett and UFC President Dana White have had
a tumultuous relationship in the past, and as of right now there’s
no word on if the former UFC heavyweight champion will get a
second shot at fighting in the promotion or not.
“I
don’t know, we’ll find out soon though. We’ll
see,” White said about Barnett’s future.
While
they don’t necessarily have to be best friends to work together,
White is still unsure that he’s willing to bring Barnett
into the organization after January.
Friends
or not, White does respect Barnett’s fighting skills, and
says that when Daniel Cormier beat him earlier in 2012, that
was a big win for the former Olympian.
”
What I said was true, the fact that (Daniel Cormier) beat Josh
Barnett, that really means something, that’s a big deal,”
White said.
It
remains to be seen however if Barnett’s future lies in the
UFC Octagon or elsewhere after Jan 12 passes.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
155 Fighter Bonuses: Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon Capture Fight
of the Night $65,000 Award
Saturday
night’s UFC 155 main event didn’t necessarily go as
planned with Cain Velasquez dominating champion Junior dos Santos
over the five full rounds their fight was allotted, but there
was another fight that delivered, as expected.
That
fight would be the co-main event between Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon,
which delivered the Fight of the Night as part of the UFC 155
post-fight awards that earned the bonus winners $65,000 each.
Anyone
that watched the full event would have a difficult time arguing
that Miller’s relentless pace, and Lauzon’s stunning
resolve, provided anything less than the UFC 155 Fight of the
Night.
Miller
opened a massive cut on Lauzon’s face, but couldn’t
do anything to his heart. It made for an amazing back-and-forth
battle, Miller largely dominating, but Lauzon never giving in.
Todd
Duffee had been out of the UFC for the past couple of years after
having a falling out with the company brass, but finally earned
a shot back in the Octagon at UFC 155 and took full advantage.
Duffee
originally made his way to the UFC by knocking people out, and
picked it right back up in his return, knocking Phil De Fries
out little more than two minutes into the opening round of their
fight, securing the Knockout of the Night honors.
Duffee
did his damage as part of the early preliminary bouts that streamed
on Facebook, and John Moraga followed suit, opening the show
with the Submission of the Night.
It
took Moraga into the third and final round, but once he found
the modified standing guillotine choke, he locked it in and didn’t
let go until Chris Cariaso gave up. Moraga secured the $65,000
bonus check and also his place in the UFC’s flyweight division
with back-to-back wins over other impressive 125-pounders.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
155 Announced Gate and Attendance
UFC
155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez II drew an attendance of 12,423,
which accounted for a live gate of $3.286 million, according
to UFC president Dana White.
The
numbers were announced at the post-fight press conference following
the event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Despite
being a 2-to-1 underdog according to most of the oddsmakers,
Cain Velasquez stormed into the UFC 155 main event, reclaiming
his belt from Junior dos Santos in dominating fashion.
As
hard as he tried, Velasquez couldn’t quite put dos Santos
away, but he battered the now-former champion for the duration
of their five-round bout.
The
show stopper, however, was the co-main event battle between Jim
Miller and Joe Lauzon, who put on a stunning battle, also for
the duration, with Miller coming out on top in the UFC 155 Fight
of the Night.
The
promotion returns to Las Vegas for UFC 156 on Super Bowl weekend.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
155 Results: Cain Velasquez Mauls Junior Dos Santos to Reclaim
Heavyweight Title
Cain
Velasquez vs Junior dos Santos UFC 155It’s been 13 long
months since Cain Velasquez lost the UFC heavyweight title to
Junior Dos Santos, and it’s been eating at him every waking
moment until he stepped into the cage on Saturday night at UFC
155.
The
last fight lasted all of 64 seconds with Dos Santos landing a
thunderous punch early, and finishing Velasquez with strikes.
This
time around, Velasquez had no plans of letting the match end
that quickly, much less let Dos Santos control any aspect of
the fight or even catch his breath.
One
of the criticisms that Velasquez had coming out of the last fight
with Dos Santos was his own shortcomings when it came to following
the game plan set forth by his coaches. This time around there
was no problem of that because Velasquez came out and put constant
pressure on Dos Santos, and never let him get the distance needed
to land a big punch.
Dos
Santos looked confident early however shrugging off a few of
Velasquez’s takedown attempts, but it was almost like a
cat playing with a mouse already in a trap because in a matter
of moments the entire fight changed for good.
Velasquez
landed a sizzling overhand right that rattled Dos Santos on the
jaw and sent him crashing to the mat. From that moment on, Velasquez
never relinquished control and for the first time in his UFC
career Dos Santos looked human.
The
remaining 4 rounds were all similar in nature as Velasquez continued
to pressure and hurt Dos Santos with his wrestling and relentless
attack. The former champion assaulted Dos Santos in every facet
of the game, battering him on the feet and then mauling him with
wrestling and grappling on the mat.
“A
lot of it in my head was just keep the pace, keep a strong pace,”
Velasquez said after the fight. “Pressure up top, look for
stuff on the legs, and if the legs didn’t open up the stuff
up top would be back there, so just always up and down, never
really slowing down.”
Credit
has to be paid to an exhausted Junior Dos Santos who stuck around
for all 25-minutes despite appearing winded after a very tough
and arduous first round.
When
it was over, Cain Velasquez stood proud knowing that he had re-captured
the gold belt he had lost a year earlier, and he did it by absolutely
dominating the man who took it from him.
“The
whole year, this fight is the hardest fight I’ve ever been
through, I was so tired but I kept thinking in my head just do
it, do it, do it,” said Velasquez while he admired the heavyweight
title belt back around his waist.
“It
feels very good. I just know he’s going to be back stronger
so I have to get better, that’s the name of the game. Always
getting better.”
Never
one to make excuses, it’s hard to ignore that Velasquez
came into his last fight with Dos Santos well under 100-percent
health, but there was no clearer vision of that than with what
he was able to accomplish on Saturday night.
Velasquez
put on a blistering performance over 25-minutes that clearly
showcased the kind of dominant and staggering style that led
him to the championship in the first place.
Following
a tough loss, Dos Santos promised to return to top form and greet
Velasquez for a trilogy fight at some point down the road.
Cain Velasquez UFC 155
“His game is very effective, and tonight he was better than
me,” said Dos Santos. “I’m gonna come back and
I’m gonna take my belt again.”
Velasquez
explained after the victory, that it was a total mindset of domination
from before the fight even began. From the first time he stared
down his opponent this week, Velasquez showed a killer instinct
and then on Saturday he unleashed hell on Junior Dos Santos.
“At
the weigh-in, him putting the fist in my face, I needed to show
him this is a fight, I’m going to come at you,” said
Velasquez. “Same thing with him going up to the middle of
the ring and saying he’s going to put you down. No, you’re
not. I’m going to go up to the middle of the ring, and I’m
going to show you.”
Show
him he did and now Cain Velasquez stands back atop the UFC heavyweight
division as champion.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
155 Results: Jim Miller Leaves Joe Lauzon a Bloody Mess, but
Can’t Stop Him
Everyone
expected fireworks out of Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon at UFC 155
on Saturday night in Las Vegas, but no one could have expected
the fight they got out of these two perennial lightweight contenders.
It
looked like it might be an early night for Miller, who came out
as aggressive as we’ve ever seen him, immediately unleashing
with a flurry of punches, knees, and low kicks that quickly put
Lauzon on the defensive.
Just
two minutes into the fight and Lauzon’s face was a bloody
mess, courtesy of Miller’s relentless punch combinations
opening a deep cut to the inside edge of Lauzon’s right
eyebrow.
The
blood only served to further fuel Miller’s pace.
“I
knew I was gonna have to give him everything I have if I was
gonna put him away,” said Miller after the fight, but try
as he might, he couldn’t put Lauzon away.
In
fact, even though Miller kept up his assault into round two,
Lauzon eventually turned the tables, reversing out of bottom
position on the mat and nearly secured a leg lock. Missing the
leg lock, Lauzon then went for a choke, but couldn’t secure
that either.
Round
three proceeded much the same, that is to say relentless, with
Miller constantly plowing forward, throwing anything and everything
he had at Lauzon, trying to put him away, but Lauzon taking it
and firing back.
Lauzon
jumped for a leg lock in the waning moments of the fight. Miller
escaped, so again, Lauzon went for another choke.
Miller
hung on for the final few seconds, lasting to the final horn,
winning the fight on all the judges’ scorecards.
It
was an amazing fight, mostly dominated by Miller, although Lauzon
would never give in. Even when the blood poured from his face,
which was most of the fight, Lauzon wouldn’t quit, and luckily,
the doctor didn’t feel the need to stop it.
“I
was hoping they wouldn’t,” when Miller was asked if
he thought they were going to stop the fight due to the cut.
“I step in here so the three people inside that Octagon
decide who stops the fight, not the judges or the doctors.”
In
the end, there wasn’t a stoppage, but you’d be hard
pressed to find anyone in the MGM Grand Garden Arena or watching
at home, that would complain.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
155 Results: Costa Philippou Finishes an Injured and Bloodied
Tim Boetsch
The
middleweight division has a new contender as Costa Philippou
made his presence known with a TKO finish over Tim Boetsch at
UFC 155.
Philippou
took the fight with Boetsch after his teammate Chris Weidmanw
as forced out of the fight due to a shoulder injury. The Team
Serra-Longo fighter was originally scheduled to fight at UFC
154, but his opponent Nick Ring got sick just 24 hours out from
their bout, and their showdown ended up getting scrapped.
As
it turns out however, Philippou got an even bigger fight when
he stepped up to face top ten middleweight Tim Boetsch at UFC
155.
Already
considered a top contender at 185lbs, Boetsch showed why in the
first round with good takedowns, and a quick, heavy front kick
that put Philippou on the mat as the round came to a close.
Unfortunately
for Boetsch his dominant first round also cost him his right
hand, because his coach Matt Hume could be heard in the corner
telling him to ignore the pain and just go out and fight to win.
It
was easier said than done as Boetsch couldn’t throw one
of his most effective weapons, and soon suffered an accidental
headbutt that opened a cut on his forehead, and then an accidental
eyepoke seemingly further impaired his vision.
By
the start of the third round, Boetsch was down to one hand and
barely any eyesight, but he kept trying his best, but Costa Philippou
was simply too much.
Philippou
attacked and blitzed Boetsch at every turn, and further bloodied
up his opponent with strikes in the final five minutes. All Boetsch
could do was to try and pull guard to get the fight on the ground,
but that backfired as well with Philippou landing crushing punches
over and over again until referee Kim Winslow finally stopped
the fight.
Costa
Philippou picks up by far his biggest win in the UFC and now
announces himself as a contender at 185lbs. It’s also unfortunate
that after a strong first round, Tim Boetsch was likely fighting
at somewhere near 50-percent for the rest of the fight, and couldn’t
give his best performance.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
155 Results: Yushin Okami Wins Rematch in a Repeat Six Years
in the Making
Alan
Belcher was originally slated to square off with Chris Weidman
at UFC 155 on Saturday night, in what many considered a battle
of two of the top contender’s for the UFC middleweight title.
When
he hit the Octagon at the MGM Grand, however, Belcher instead
faced the stifling grappling of Yushin Okami, who stepped in
for Weidman when he went down to injury.
The
fight marked a rematch some six years in the making.
Belcher
has become a much different fighter during that time. Okami has
not. But that’s because what Okami does works for him.
He’s
a large, smothering middleweight, and he used his size and style
to full effect on Saturday night in the rematch with Belcher.
Try
as Belcher might, he could do little to keep Okami off of him.
At
every turn, Okami took Belcher to the mat and smothered him.
Even
when Belcher was able to gain top position on the way down, Okami
quickly reversed him and continued his smothering, ground and
pound attack.
The
fight played out that way for all three rounds, the judges handing
Okami a unanimous decision.
After
losing back-to-back bouts to middleweight champ Anderson Silva
and Tim Boetsch, Okami now has two consecutive victories in his
pocket on the road back to title contention.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Cain
Velasquez Won’t Fight Daniel Cormier; Showdown with Overeem
Likely Next
It
didn’t take long for Cain Velasquez to win the UFC heavyweight
title before talk of his next challenger came up just moments
after his victory at UFC 155.
Velasquez
dominated Junior Dos Santos en route to a one-sided unanimous
decision victory to reclaim the title he lost just over a year
ago.
Now
with the gold back around his waist, Velasquez will look to make
a successful title defense in his next trip to the Octagon, but
there’s one name that won’t be waiting to greet him.
Velasquez’s
teammate and wrestling coach Daniel Cormier, who will soon transition
to the UFC following his final fight with Strikeforce on Jan
12, could be viewed very easily as the No. 1 contender in the
heavyweight division.
Win
wins over Josh Barnett and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva
on his record, Cormier is already ranked as a top 3 heavyweight,
but when he debuts in the UFC in 2013, it definitely won’t
be against his friend and teammate Cain Velasquez.
“I
wouldn’t,” Velasquez told Fuel TV when asked if there’s
any chance he’d face Cormier. “This is my friend, this
is my teammate, this is my coach. You want to see us fight, go
to AKA three days a week, we’re going to fight for free.”
Cormier
echoed those sentiments and added that while there’s still
plenty of competition for him to face at heavyweight without
fighting Velasquez, he may ultimately make the move down to 205lbs
to make it easier on everyone.
“We
spar three days a week, we work hard. Cain Velasquez is going
to force me to do something I never wanted to do for a while
and that’s maybe cut some weight. They’ve got a lot
guys for me to fight. I’m happy my man is the champion,”
Cormier stated.
For
his part, UFC President Dana White is okay if Velasquez and Cormier
don’t fight because he knows they are already discussing
it as a team, and they will figure it out before it ever becomes
an actual issue.
“Cormier’s
a guy who can come in and do anything. A win over Josh Barnett
means something, so we’ll see,” White said about Cormier
at the UFC 155 post fight press conference.
So
with Cormier out of the potential heavyweight title picture in
the UFC at least while Velasquez is champion, that leaves the
top contender spot most likely landing in the lap of Alistair
Overeem should he win in his next fight against Antonio “Bigfoot”
Silva at UFC 156.
Following
that fight then White could see Junior Dos Santos earn a trilogy
fight with Velasquez to settle the score once and for all.
“Probably
the winner of that fight (between Alistair Overeem and Antonio
Silva) will fight Cain next,” said White. “After that
fight happens, the fight that probably makes the most sense would
be the rematch with Junior Dos Santos. We’ll see how long
it takes him to heal.”
While
Overeem would be a likely candidate with a win, it would be hard
to believe Silva would get the same chance considering he just
lost to Velasquez in March. Either way, the heavyweight division
is still looking for the top contender as Cain Velasquez relishes
his victory at UFC 155.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Michael
Bisping Gets Anderson Silva and Title Shot with Win at UFC on
FX 7
The
day Michael Bisping has been waiting for is now only one fight
away.
Following
an eventful UFC 155 that saw two other middleweight contenders
go down to defeat, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Bisping
will get the next shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva
with a win at UFC on FX 7.
“If
Bisping wins, he’ll get the shot,” said White on Saturday
night.
Both
Tim Boetsch and Alan Belcher lost at UFC 155, which locked down
the top contender spot for Bisping.
First
things first, Bisping has to get through former UFC champion
Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 7 in Brazil, but now he knows with
a win, a title shot will be awaiting him in his next trip to
the Octagon.
Ever
since he dropped to 185 pounds, Bisping has been gunning for
a middleweight title shot, but on a couple of past occasions
that a top contender spot loomed overhead, he wasn’t able
to pull the trigger and reach the peak of the division.
Now
with a title shot guaranteed with a win in Brazil, Bisping is
back in the same situation and he’s promised a great performance
against Belfort. If he delivers, his shot at Anderson Silva and
the UFC middleweight title awaits.
Bisping
faces Belfort in the main event at UFC on FX 7 on Jan. 19 in
Brazil.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Dana
White on Varner-Guillard scoring: 'It kills my business'
LAS
VEGAS -- If there's a UFC event in Nevada, chances are the night
is going to end with Dana White unhappy with either the judging
or officiating.
Saturday
night, judge Adalaide Byrd provided White with his ammunition
for the evening with her scoring of Jamie Varner vs. Melvin Guillard
fight. While judges Mark Smith and Cecil Peoples scored the bout
30-27 in favor of Varner, Byrd saw the fight 30-27 the other
way.
"The
fight capital of the world," White practically spit. "30-27
Guillard. It's unacceptable. It's a joke. It's literally a joke.
Seriously, the athletic commission must want to dig a f---in'
hole and bury themselves when someone says 30-27 Guillard. They
should want to dig a hole and bury themselves."
From
where White sits, his biggest concern is the fact that casual
fans don't understand that fight promoters -- whether it be himself
or boxing promoters like Bob Arum -- aren't responsible for the
assignment of judges and officials in commission states. So when
a decision like the odd Varner-Guillard score comes down, the
promoter ends up taking the heat.
White
used Tim Bradley's bizarre split-decision win over Manny Pacquiao
in Las Vegas as evidence.
"It
kills my business," White said. "Manny Pacquiao lost
a fucking decision in that fight, and what happens is, the first
thing you think is, and I hate Bob Arum, I can't stand that f---ing
guy. He didn't fix that fight. He had nothing to do with it.
I'd love to sit here and b---- and say ‘Bob Arum rigged
it and he did this'. He didn't.
"It's
decisions like this and the 30-27 Guillard tonight that just,
it does kill you. People think that it's us. A lot of people
aren't educated on the fact that the Nevada state athletic commission
actually picks these people and allows them to keep judging fights."
White
still wasn't done venting his spleen about the Varner-Guillard
score.
"It's
unbelievable," he said. "30-27 for Guillard? Crazy,
right? You could never watch a fight in your f---in' life and
not score that 30-27. That was scary, I mean, Cain Velasquez
had to sweat it at the end when they called that decision. You
never know with those guys. It happens. These guys are crazy."
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Dana
White expects Nick Diaz to show up for UFC 158 press conferences
LAS
VEGAS -- The UFC will soon hold a press conference to help kick
off ticket sales for the big Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz
welterweight title fight at UFC 158 in March.
But
while the mercurial Diaz has been known to flake on these sort
of events, Dana White says he'd be astounded if the challenger
didn't show up for the presser.
"I
would find it very hard to believe that he wouldn't," White
said. "You know, after what happened last time, he's been
sitting out for so long. This is a fight that he wanted, he really
wanted this fight bad, and Georges St-Pierre called him out.
He's getting it, so yes, I expected Diaz to do it."
White
yanked Diaz out of a planned title match against St-Pierre in
Oct. 2011 when Diaz blew off a pair of press conferences. But
White says that while Diaz isn't a fan of making media rounds,
it's a part of a UFC fighter's job.
"Listen,
the thing about Nick Diaz, Nick Diaz shows up for fights,"
White said. "Nick Diaz shows up and fights his ass off.
He's not a big fan of the pre-fight promotion, but you have to
do it. You have to do it. Whether you're Nick Diaz or Anderson
Silva, Whoever you are, it's in your contract. You actually can
be cut. We can cut you for that."
Of
course, White hasn't yet had the chance to send Diaz this message
personally.
"Nick
Diaz hasn't returned my calls, my texts, nothing," White
said. "It's Nick Diaz. You don't have to call me, you don't
have to text me, but you do have to show up for the press conferences.
I'd be blown away if he didn't do it."
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Dana
White Admits It Was a Mistake to Put Chris Leben On Pay-Per-View
Main Card
It
had been more than a year since Chris Leben had last fought in
the UFC after dealing with a one-year suspension following a
positive drug test in his last fight.
He
returned at UFC 155 and faced late replacement Derek Brunson
in the kick off fight for the pay-per-view, but unfortunately
for him the 13 month absence from action showed in the fight.
Leben
struggled early dealing with Brunson’s takedowns and even
when his opponent slowed when the cardio of accepting a fight
on a week’s notice started to show, he couldn’t take
advantage in any way.
Looking
back on the decision to put him on the pay-per-view main card,
UFC President Dana White says it was a mistake and they should
have given Leben a slot on the preliminary card so he could get
his feet wet again before jumping back in the deep end.
“I
love Chris Leben personally and professionally, he’s a great
kid. I think we tonight for the pay-per-view, I made a mistake
putting him on the pay-per-view. I should have had him on the
undercard,” said White at the UFC 155 post fight press conference.
“He’s
been off for personal problems for a while, has had a lot of
time off, and he looked slow tonight. I wasn’t crazy about
that fight, that was not my favorite fight of the night that’s
for damn sure.”
White
had his criticisms of Brunson as well, but the Strikeforce transfer
accepted the bout only last week when Leben’s original opponent
Karlos Vemola dropped out due to injury.
The
UFC’s head honcho ultimately takes full responsibility for
picking Leben’s fight to be on the main card, and he knows
matchmaker Joe Silva will let him hear about it the next time
they speak.
“Believe
me Joe Silva will blame that one 100-percent on me,” said
White.
As
far as Leben’s future goes, White has no doubts that he’ll
be back in the Octagon again in 2013, he just hopes he can show
up more the next time than he did on Saturday night.
“Chris
Leben loves to fight, there’s no doubt about that,”
said White. “The biggest challenge in Chris Leben’s
life is battling his own demons and we try to help him as much
as we can, and like I said I love the kid, and I’m sure
he’ll be back.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Dana
White: “There’s No Way in Hell We’re Cutting Leonard
Garcia!”
There
aren’t many fighters that can lose four consecutive bouts
in the Octagon and remain on the roster come sun-up the day after
number four. Dan Hardy is one of the only other fighters that
come to mind.
When
the sun rises Sunday morning, however, Leonard Garcia will join
him on the short list, despite losing a three-round split decision
to Max Holloway at UFC 155 in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Garcia,
in typical fashion, left everything he had in the Octagon, throwing
caution to the wind to slug it out with Holloway throughout the
fight. Garcia has lost a lot of fights due to his ultra-aggressive
style, taking much more punishment than he should if he would
stick to a more technically sound game plan, but what fun would
that be?
In
Garcia’s book, it wouldn’t be fun at all. He loves
to fight, and he loves to fight in his trademark reckless style,
wins and losses be damned.
That
attitude led to Garcia’s fourth consecutive defeat, it has
also endeared him to his not only fans, but his employers as
well.
“Sean
Shelby, one of our matchmakers, came to me during the fight sometime
and, I guess Leonard Garcia was in a situation to be cut if he
lost tonight, and (Shelby) came to me and said, ‘Dana, I
don’t wanna cut this guy,’” UFC president Dana
White recounted at the UFC 155 post-fight press conference, before
adding emphatically, “I said there’s no way in Hell
we’re cutting Leonard Garcia!”
There
will be doubters out there that believe Garcia should be released,
if only to remain true to the sporting aspect of the fight game,
but the UFC followed the same approach with Dan Hardy.
He
lost four consecutive fights, but was granted a stay of execution,
and has since won back-to-back bouts.
When
fighters are often decried for being boring and not taking enough
risks in the Octagon, Leonard Garcia is one of the few that puts
it all on the line every time out, and on this day, he’s
being rewarded for his never say die approach.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Alistair
Overeem pokes fun at Junior dos Santos during UFC 155
Before
Junior Dos Santos' bout with Cain Velasquez was over, another
opponent was poking fun of the former champ. Alistair Overeem
was scheduled to fight dos Santos in May, but was suspended by
the Nevada Athletic Commission because of high testosterone levels
before the fight.
Overeem
tweeted:
Ouch!
Though Overeem has a beef with dos Santos, he has to get through
Antonio Silva on Feb. 2 first. Overeem applied for a license
this week. He will have to appear before a hearing on Jan. 8
before he is approved.
If
dos Santos and Overeem do end up fighting, it won't be for the
title. Velasquez beat dos Santos in a one-sided, five-round decision
on Saturday night at UFC 155.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Cain
Velasquez gets revenge, looks near-invincible in thorough beatdown
of Junior dos Santos
LAS
VEGAS – Cain Velasquez is not a perfect fighter; Junior
dos Santos proved that fairly conclusively in 64 seconds last
year.
But
when Velasquez is on top of his game, as he was on Saturday in
the heavyweight title match with dos Santos at UFC 155, there
aren't many heavyweights who could compete with him.
Velasquez
conclusively proved he's the best heavyweight in the world by
putting a frightful five-round beating on dos Santos in front
of 12,423 people at MGM Grand Garden to regain the belt he lost
on Nov. 12, 2011.
Cain
Velasquez celebrates after beating Junior dos Santos. (USA Today
Sports)Cain Velasquez celebrates after beating Junior dos Santos.
(USA Today Sports) He fought with a fury, relentlessly attacking
the power-punching Brazilian, taking out 13 months of frustration
with one epic performance. It was by far the best performance
of a great career, and it was fueled in large part by a desire
to prove a point to those who mocked him after his only loss.
Velasquez
was taunted by fans after losing to dos Santos at UFC on Fox
1 in Anaheim, Calif. last year. He remained stoic and tight-lipped
in the interim, but it was clear he had heard those words. He
responded to them Saturday by taking an elite opponent and sending
him to the hospital a bloodied, swollen, beaten mess.
Judges
scored it 50-45, 50-44 and 50-43 for Velasquez. In a sport where
it seems there is always a reason to worry about the judging,
this was as one-sided as it gets.
Velasquez
regained the heavyweight throne and sent a message to the front-runners
and know-it-alls in the fan base who mocked him.
"People
out there were saying this and that for a whole year, and I just
had to go out there and prove [I am the best]," he said.
Prior
to Saturday's bout, dos Santos had spent a total of 13 seconds
on his back in nine UFC fights. But Velasquez took him down repeatedly,
and once on the ground, he wore the champion out with his grappling.
During
the fight's build-up, dos Santos said, "If he takes me down
10 times, I'll get up 10 times."
He
deserves plenty of credit for repeatedly getting up Saturday
and coming back for more, though by the middle of the second
round, he was clearly a beaten man.
"It
got easier a bit as the fight went on because the pace of the
fight tired him out," Velasquez said. "It was the pace
[that took its toll on dos Santos]. That wrestling pace, carrying
someone's body around for that long, it's tough, man. I've been
doing this my whole life, and it's a thing you have to do for
so long. Mentally, it gets you so strong."
[Related:
Suspended Alistair Overeem mocks Junior dos Santos during loss]
A
big difference this time was Velasquez's ability to out-strike
dos Santos. He landed a massive right hand early in the first
round that sent dos Santos staggering back in retreat. Junior
dos Santos and Cain Velasquez grapple during their fight.
Dos
Santos never got back into the fight offensively, though he continued
to try. His face was badly swollen, and he was barely recognizable
when the fight ended. He was taken to the hospital for x-rays,
but his manager, Ana Claudia Guedes, said he had been given a
clean bill of health.
She
said he suffered no injuries and was speaking hopefully of a
third fight with Velasquez in the future.
That,
though, won't be any time soon. He'll need plenty of time to
heal from his injuries, and the bout was so wide that UFC president
Dana White said he'll go in another direction before considering
a rubber match.
The
most likely challengers are Alistair Overeem, Daniel Cormier
or Fabricio Werdum, though nothing is set.
No
one could be too eager after seeing what Velasquez did to dos
Santos. Dos Santos vowed to regain the belt, but a healthy Velasquez
is a bad match for him.
"As
tough as Junior dos Santos is, and was in this fight, that was
a very one-sided fight," White said, suggesting dos Santos
would take a lengthy break.
"This
isn't one of those fights you come back from quickly," White
added.
Before the fight, Velasquez did his best to quell talk about
the impact his injured knee had on the first fight with dos Santos,
but on Saturday, he conceded it was a major factor.
He
was healthy this time and it showed. He's 30 and right in the
middle of his prime and has the added bonus of having had a title
reign to learn what it is like as a champion. Cain Velasquez
kicks Junior dos Santos in the face.
There
are far more demands on one's time and expectations soar, but
the biggest problem many first-time champions face is how hard
their opponents compete against them. Every fight becomes a Super
Bowl for a title challenger and sometimes, Velasquez conceded,
it takes a while to adjust to that.
"You've
always got to be evolving [as a fighter] because this sport is
evolving so fast," he said. "I have to go back and
get better in everything. And when it comes down to it in the
fight, I have to show up that night and do what I trained to
do."
He
did that on Saturday and established himself without a doubt
as the finest heavyweight in the world.
Unlike
his first reign atop the division, this one could last a while.
Source:
Yahoo Sports |
UFC
155 Aftermath: Why swapping titles back-and-forth can be a good
thing
LAS
VEGAS -- Magic Johnson and Larry Bird lifted the NBA to new heights
in the 1980s. Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns
and Roberto Duran created a new generation of boxing fans around
the same time through their interlocking battles. And, as much
as fans of small-market teams like to grouse about it, baseball
television ratings are never higher than when the Red Sox and
Yankees are going toe-to-toe.
Nothing
quite lifts a sport like a dynamic rivalry. We've already seen
this in the UFC, as Chuck Liddell's battles with Randy Couture
and Tito Ortiz played a key role in resurrecting MMA in North
America.
The
UFC is filled with dominant champions. Anderson Silva has been
middleweight kingpin six years, Georges St-Pierre more than four,
and Jose Aldo Jr. for three. Not counting interim belts and a
flyweight title created from scratch, there have been four title
changes over the past two years. Two of them have been Cain Velasquez
and Junior dos Santos trading the heavyweight title back and
forth.
Velasquez
and dos Santos are the clear-cut numbers one and two in their
division. If you matched them 10 times, you very well could get
five quick dos Santos knockouts and five fights in which Velasquez
mauls dos Santos.
Granted,
this might not seem the best time to make such an argument, given
the way Velasquez manhandled dos Santos Saturday night at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena. But on Nov. 13, 2011, which was the day
after dos Santos won the title, who would have thought that Velasquez
would come back and run over dos Santos? Both Velasquez-dos Santos
bouts serve as a reminder never to judge a fighter off their
worst career moments.
It's
going to take some time for dos Santos to heal from Saturday
night's beating, which means Velasquez will likely take another
title defense in the interim.
But
make no mistake, when the time's right, the UFC has its biggest
trilogy fight in a long time on its hands. Velasquez-dos Santos
III would be a big fight here and would be a stadium show in
Mexico or Brazil. And in the long run, having one bona fide,
belt-trading rivalry might be a healthier thing for the sport
from a competitive aspect than having yet another champion who
mows down one opponent after another.
UFC
155 quotes
"It
got easier a bit as the fight went on because the pace of the
fight tired him out. It was the pace. That wrestling pace, carrying
someone's body around for that long. I t's tough, man. I've been
doing this my whole life, and it's a thing you have to do for
so long. Mentally, it gets you so strong." -- Velasquez,
on wrestling's benefits.
"I
knew he was setting it up. He was starting to set it up on the
opposite side of the cage. I was exhausted. It was a beautiful
setup. It was a beautiful move. I admired it while it was happening,
but he was going to have to break it. I know there was under
a minute." -- Jim Miller, who admitted Joe Lauzon's late
heel hook was tight.
"I
think I made a mistake putting [Chris Leben] on the pay-per-view.
He's had problems for awhile and he's had a lot of time off.
He looked slow tonight. I wasn't crazy about that fight. That
wasn't my favorite fight of the night, that's for damn sure.
The other kid [Derek Brunson] was looking at the clock like a
14-year-old waiting for school to get out the entire fight. Looking
at the clock. You're in the UFC your first time. I wasn't very
impressed. Chris Leben loves to fight. No doubt about that. The
biggest challenge with Chris Leben is battling his demons. We
tried to help him as much as we can. I love the kid. I'm sure
he'll be back." -- White on Leben-Brunson.
"Goldie's
out for awhile, and I don't know when he'll be back. Next question.
That's it." -- White on play-by-play announcer Mike Goldberg.
Jon Anik handled announcing duties in his place Saturday night.
Good
call
To
main event referee Herb Dean. Dean let Junior dos Santos continue
in the first round while Cain Velasquez poured it on. Others
might have pulled the trigger in that situation, but Dean understood
what the fighter in front of him could endure and let it go.
It might seem a bit much to award Dean the "good call"
award for a simple act of competence, but on a night when so
much else went wrong on the judging and officiating end, it served
as a reminder a good referee can make all the difference.
Bad
call
It
was another one of those "Nevada nights," where Nevada
Athletic Commission officials take center stage for the wrong
reasons. Kim Winslow watched an overmatched Byron Bloodworth
take far too much of a beating at the hands of Erik Perez before
stopping their fight. Judge Mark Smith presumably took a 10-minute
power nap during the two rounds he scored for Brad Pickett in
his loss to Eddie Wineland.
But
nothing was more mystifying than Adalaide Byrd's 30-27 score
for Melvin Guillard in a fight the other two judges had 30-27
for Jamie Varner. It sent White off on one of his epic officiating
rants afterwards. "You could never watch a fight in your
f--- life and not score that 30-27," White said. "I
mean, Cain Velasquez had to sweat it at the end when they called
that decision."
Stock
up: Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon
I
know I'm not exactly going out a limb here, but sometimes obvious
choices are obvious for a reason. Miller and Lauzon quite simply
saved the show, which was heading the way of UFC 149 before they
stepped into the Octagon. Fifteen minutes of blood, guts, and
heart will make anyone forget whatever came beforehand. Miller
fought like someone who knew he needed a victory to stay relevant.
He achieved his goal with his gritty victory. For Lauzon, the
bout was considered a referendum on whether he was going to become
a title contender. But as it turns out, it doesn't matter. Lauzon
finishes 2012 as part of two of the year's three best fights,
adding the Miller bout to his win over Jamie Varner (Chan Sung
Jung's win over Dustin Poirier the other). As long as Joe Lauzon
keeps fighting like Joe Lauzon, there's no way his stock can
go down, win or lose.
Stock
down: Middleweight contenders
It
was just last summer the middleweight division was considered
the UFC's hottest for up-and-coming contenders. But last night
set the division back, well, if not to the days of Thales Leites
and Patrick Cote, then certainly several steps. The two guys
on UFC 155 considered closest to a shot at Silva's title, Alan
Belcher and Tim Boetsch, both suffered terrible losses. And neither
of the respective victors, Yushin Okami and Costa Philippou,
did much to state their own case. Philippou at least finished
his fight, but the tide didn't turn until a nasty, accidental
eye poke. White summed up his feeling at this point of the PPV
by saying "I wanted to throw a chair into the Octagon."
So this leaves Michael Bisping in the catbird seat, earning a
title shot with a win over Vitor Belfort next month. And it puts
Chris Weidman in a pretty good spot whenever he's able to return,
too. But as for middleweight being the new lightweight in terms
of depth, yeah, not so much.
Point
to ponder
After
a tumultuous year, the UFC finally seems to have gotten its groove
back. Starting with St-Pierre's return last month, the UFC finished
2012 with a string of memorable moments, from GSP's win over
Carlos Condit, to Johny Hendricks' knockout of Martin Kampmann,
to the loaded UFC on FOX 5, to back-to-back nights of memorable
finishes in the TUF Finales, to last night's co-main event. The
shows delivered even with the usual string of fallouts occurring
along the way. That bodes well for an early 2013 schedule which
already includes Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar, Ronda Rousey's
debut, Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida, the welterweight tripleheader
topped by GSP vs. Nick Diaz, the return of Alistair Overeem,
Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen, and more. It's entirely possible
December will go down as the point the UFC once again turned
a corner.
Fight
I Want to See Next: Velasquez vs. Daniel Cormier
Sure,
I'll go ahead and stir this pot. All indications are Cormier
will go down to 205 and avoid the collision course with his teammate.
But wouldn't this fight be fun? Stylistically, they're near mirror
images. Unfortunately, it looks like the only people who will
ever get to see this one are those privileged enough to watch
them spar at the American Kickboxing Academy gym. But one can
always dream.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Matches
to Make After UFC 155
The
30-year-old American Kickboxing Academy ace blitzed, battered
and bludgeoned a bewildered Junior dos Santos for five rounds
in the UFC 155 main event on Saturday, as he recaptured the Ultimate
Fighting Championship heavyweight crown with a one-sided unanimous
decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. So thorough
was the beating that Velasquez elicited three 10-8 rounds from
the judges: 50-45, 50-43 and 50-44.
The
victory came a little less than 14 months after Velasquez surrendered
the championship to dos Santos in a 64-second knockout loss at
UFC on Fox 1. He cited a knee injury as a potential source for
his poor performance, even as doubters scoffed. Perhaps he had
a point.
Heavy
on aggression and light on caution, Velasquez answered the bell
with conviction and beat the champion at his own game. A crushing
overhand right drove dos Santos to the mat in the first round
and left him damaged for the remainder of the 25-minute battle.
He weathered a subsequent onslaught from Velasquez but only delayed
the inevitable: his first defeat since November 2007. Rounds
two through five -- which featured soul-sapping clinches, dirty
boxing and a steady diet of takedowns from the challenger --
just prolonged the Brazilian’s plight.
According
to FightMetric data, Velasquez was successful on 11 of his 33
takedown attempts, all while outlanding dos Santos 210-66 in
total strikes and 111-57 in significant strikes. Moreover, he
became the first man in UFC history to deliver at least 100 significant
strikes and secure at least 10 takedowns in the same fight.
Entrenched
atop the heavyweight division for a second time, Velasquez will
likely defend his championship against Alistair Overeem, should
the hulking Dutchman deny Antonio Silva at UFC 156 on Feb. 2.
One of MMA’s most controversial figures, the “Demolition
Man” has finished seven of his last eight foes inside one
round.
In
the wake of UFC 155 “Dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2,” here
are seven other matchups that need to be made:
Junior
dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem-Antonio Silva loser: Dos Santos
will not fall far from the tree of contenders in what remains
a shallow heavyweight division. Just 28 and in the heart of his
competitive prime, his run through the UFC, which started with
nine consecutive victories, will not be overshadowed by one defeat.
Overeem and Silva will toe the line against one another at UFC
156 on Feb. 2 in Las Vegas. “Bigfoot” Silva righted
his ship and recorded his first win inside the Octagon in October,
when he stopped Travis Browne on first-round punches at UFC on
FX 5.
Miller
has never looked better.
Jim Miller vs. Rafael dos Anjos: It could be argued that Miller
has never looked better. The 29-year-old AMA Fight Club export
ripped Joe Lauzon open with a series of standing elbows, resulting
in one of the bloodiest battles in recent memory. The unanimous
decision gives Miller nine wins in his last 11 appearances, though
losses to Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz loom large in such a
rich weight class. Dos Anjos has quietly pieced together a three-fight
winning streak and now clamors to play with some of the big dogs
at 155 pounds.
Joe
Lauzon vs. Nate Diaz: Lauzon received 40 stitches and $65,000
in “Fight of the Night” bonus money for his troubles
in dropping a unanimous verdict to Miller. In the process, the
28-year-old Brockton, Mass., native only enhanced his reputation
as one of MMA’s most exciting fighters. Diaz, who was one
of Lauzon’s castmates on Season 5 of “The Ultimate
Fighter,” finds himself back at the drawing board after
his failed lightweight title bid against Henderson on Dec. 8
in Seattle.
Yushin
Okami vs. Hector Lombard: Despite a few notable hiccups, Okami
remains a fixture at 185 pounds and does not appear willing to
cede his position anytime soon. The 31-year-old Japanese judoka
ran circles around Alan Belcher in the clinch and on the ground,
cruising to a unanimous decision in their rematch. Lombard, a
one-time Olympian, put his considerable capabilities on full
display at UFC on FX 6, as he wiped out Brazilian leg lock guru
Rousimar Palhares in 3:38 on Dec. 15 in Australia. He has won
21 of his last 22 fights.
Constantinos
Philippou vs. Cung Le: Philippou is no longer on the fringe.
The Serra-Longo Fight Team representative stopped the world-ranked
Tim Boetsch on third-round punches in what was easily the most
significant victory of his career. The 33-year-old former Ring
of Combat champion has now won five fights in a row, forcing
himself into the conversation at 185 pounds. Le dazzled in his
last outing, as the onetime Strikeforce titleholder knocked out
Rich Franklin with one punch at UFC on Fuel TV 6 in November.
Alan
Belcher vs. Tim Boetsch: Belcher and Boetsch stubbed their respective
toes minutes apart in high-exposure defeats to Okami and Philippou.
The 28-year-old Belcher entered the cage on a four-fight tear
but had no answer for Okami in the clinch or on the ground. The
31-year-old Boetsch also waltzed into the Octagon on the strength
of four consecutive wins, only to leave it injured and bloodied
at Philippou’s hands.
Eddie
Wineland vs. Raphael Assuncao: Wineland has a case as the No.
1 contender at 135 pounds following his win over American Top
Team’s Brad Pickett and would seem a prime candidate to
meet the winner of the forthcoming matchup between interim champion
Renan “Barao” Pegado and Michael McDonald at UFC on
Fuel TV 7 in February. Should that opportunity not materialize,
plenty of other options exist. Assuncao staked his Top 10 claim
at 135 pounds with a unanimous decision over Mike Easton at UFC
on Fox 5 on Dec. 8
Source:
Sherdog |
By
the Numbers: UFC 155
Cain
Velasquez came to UFC 155 with something to prove. After succumbing
to Junior dos Santos in just 64 seconds at UFC on Fox 1, Velasquez
silenced those who questioned whether he had the ability to handle
the Brazilian’s heavy-handed boxing on Saturday night at
the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas. For 25 minutes, the American
Kickboxing Academy product had his way with dos Santos to reclaim
the UFC heavyweight crown he had lost more than a year prior.
Velasquez
started quickly and kept the pressure on his opponent for five
full rounds, leaving dos Santos a battered mess at the end of
the night. Although their head-to-head matchup is officially
tied at one apiece, Velasquez left little room for debate regarding
the world’s best heavyweight. While dos Santos’ face
tells a great deal about how the main event unfolded, the statistics
complete the picture. Here is a by the numbers look at UFC 155,
with stats courtesy of FightMetric.com.
2,128:
Days since a UFC heavyweight title fight went the distance. Prior
to the five-round encounter between Velasquez and dos Santos,
Randy Couture and Tim Sylvia went 25 minutes at UFC 68.
23:56:
Difference in cage time between Velasquez’s win over dos
Santos at UFC 155 (25 minutes) and their first meeting at UFC
on Fox 1, which dos Santos won in just 64 seconds.
33:
Takedowns attempted by Velasquez against dos Santos, nine more
than the American Kickboxing Academy product had tried in his
previous nine UFC appearances combined. Velasquez successfully
landed 11 takedowns in the fight – seven in the bout’s
first two rounds.
.520:
Career takedown accuracy for Velasquez. Before his rematch with
dos Santos, his rate of 67 percent ranked No. 4 among all fighters
in the UFC.
2:
Takedowns landed by dos Santos’ opponents in his previous
nine UFC bouts prior to facing Velasquez on Saturday night.
111:
Significant strikes landed by Velasquez. By comparison, dos Santos
previous nine UFC foes landed a combined 124 significant strikes
against the Brazilian.
6.21:
Significant strikes landed per minute by Velasquez, the highest
rate in UFC history. Coming into his rematch with dos Santos,
his rate was an even more impressive 7.47 significant strikes
landed per minute. In defeat, dos Santos’ rate fell from
6.87 to 5.51, still the fifth-best figure among UFC fighters.
Miller
vs. Lauzon was a masterpiece of a fight.
1: Fighter in MMA history with triple digits in significant strikes
landed and double digits in takedowns landed, after Velasquez
accomplished the feat against dos Santos. Jimy Hettes previously
came the closest to recording an MMA triple-double with 81 strikes
and 11 takedowns against Nam Phan at UFC 141.
5:
Combined submissions attempted by Jim Miller (2) and Joe Lauzon
(3) in their scintillating lightweight tilt. Miller has attempted
29 submissions in his UFC career, good for No.2 all-time in the
promotion, while Lauzon has 24, attempts tying him for second
best in UFC history.
56:
Significant strike advantage for Miller against, who outlanded
his foe 46 to 16 in round one and 37 to 16 in a unanimous decision
triumph.
11:
UFC wins for Miller, the most of any lightweight in the promotion’s
history. Miller debuted in the Octagon at UFC 89 in 2008, choking
out David Baron in the third round.
14:
Total significant strikes landed by Alan Belcher in 30 minutes
of Octagon time against Yushin Okami. “The Talent”
was outlanded 20 to 6 by Okami at UFC 155; in their first meeting
at UFC 62, the Japanese fighter held a 12-to-8 advantage in significant
strikes.
1,653:
Total strikes landed in the career of Chris Leben, who dropped
a unanimous decision to short-notice opponent Derek Brunson in
a middleweight clash. Leben landed 103 strikes in defeat, his
first bout since a loss to Mark Munoz at UFC 138.
90:
Significant strikes landed by Eddie Wineland, the most of his
Zuffa tenure, in a win over Brad Pickett. Wineland and Pickett
combined to throw 506 significant strikes in their bantamweight
bout.
4:
Average significant strikes landed by Erik Perez’s first
three UFC opponents, all of whom have been dispatched by “El
Goyito” in the first round.
7:
Takedowns landed, in 10 attempts, by Jamie Varner against Melvin
Guillard. The Arizonan took Guillard down at least one time in
each frame – including four times in round three –
en route to capturing a split decision triumph. Guillard had
not been taken down more than once in his last eight UFC bouts.
1-3:
Record for Guillard since officially leaving Jackson’s Mixed
Martial Arts to train with the Blackzilians after a loss to Joe
Lauzon at UFC 136.
115:
Total strikes by which Myles Jury outlanded Michael Johnson in
earning a unanimous decision victory in a lightweight clash.
“Fury” was especially dominant in round one (42 to
3) and round three (56 to 1).
1:57:
Difference in time between Todd Duffee’s first UFC victory,
a 7-second knockout of Tim Hague on Aug. 29, 2009, and his return
to the Octagon, a TKO of Philip De Fries that ended 2:04 into
the opening frame.
6:
Decisions that have resulted in some type of split verdict involving
Leonard Garcia. “Bad Boy” dropped a split decision
to Max Holloway on Saturday night, giving Garcia a 3-2-1 overall
record in those contests.
Source:
Sherdog |
The
Scoop on the Injury that Pulled Caio Magalhães from UFC
on FX 7
Jiu-Jitsu
black belt Caio Magalhães is off the card for UFC on FX
7, coming up January 19 in São Paulo, Brazil. Magalhães
suffered a groin injury and will no longer be facing Michael
Kuiper. “I’m really bummed that I had to pull out of
the card for the UFC in São Paulo. Unfortunately, I got
hurt when defending a single-leg. I suffered a groin injury,”
the Nova União representative said via his Twitter account.
Gilherme
Santos, Caio’s coach in his home state of Ceará,
explained to GRACIEMAG.com what happened: “He was training
and felt great pain in his abdomen and pelvis, so André
Pederneiras took him to the doctor for an MRI. The result will
be available in five days, but he was forbidden from fighting
at the UFC in São Paulo. It’s the kind of injury
soccer players get, a sort of distension.”
Caio
had stepped in to replace Thiago Bodão, who himself was
rendered not cageworthy due to injury. With the misfortune of
a second Brazilian opponent, Kuiper has been moved to the January
26 UFC on Fox 6 card in Chicago, USA, where he will take on Buddy
Roberts, who outfought Caio Magalhães at UFC on FX 3 last
June.
Check
out the card for UFC on FX 7 as it stands now:
UFC on FX 7
Ginásio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil
January 19, 2013
Vitor
Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Daniel Sarafian vs. CB Dollaway
Gabriel Napão vs. Ben Rothwell
Thiago Tavares vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Godofredo Pepey vs. Milton Vieira
Ronny Markes vs. Andrew Craig
Diego Nunes vs. Nik Lentz
Edson Barboza vs. Justin Salas
Iuri Marajó vs. George Roop
Wagner Caldeirão vs. Roger Hollett
Source:
MMA Weekly
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