I am stoked to say the least about the card this Saturday. Anyone else going try and get the Afflction card? My fucking brother-in-law is a cop and gets in for free. :-\
I hope Sylvia gets destroyed.
Anyone THAT big should NOT be spending the majority of a fight running away.
Wow, people are really considering watching this?
You ARE aware of Anderson Silva making his debut at 205, right? For free. On Spike. Same night as the Banned PPV.
You're REALLY considering spending money to watch Afflication live, when you can get more entertainment from the UFC for free, adn then watch videos of all the Affliction fights the next day anyway?
However...thats just my opinion on it.
We have two HDTV's in our living room, John. Believe me, I love Silva -- but Arlovsky and Fedor are too good to pass up. Besides, we WOULD watch it on video the next day -- but that's not fun. Are you against FUN?!
Personally, I wouild rather be watching the Affliction card if I wasn't working.
It has Fedor and Sylvia fighting each other whom both are two top 5 heavyweights in the world.
It has two top 10 heavyweights in Andrei Arlovski and Ben Rothwell fighting each other.
It also has Josh Barnett who is arguably a top 5 HW facing off against veteran Predro Rizzo.
Man, I am salivating over this card. Also, I personally consider Fedor the top p4p fighter in the world and I want to see him decimate Big Tim.
Quote from: TaNK on July 14, 2008, 06:55:54 PM
Personally, I wouild rather be watching the Affliction card if I wasn't working.
It has Fedor and Sylvia fighting each other whom both are two top 5 heavyweights in the world.
It has two top 10 heavyweights in Andrei Arlovski and Ben Rothwell fighting each other.
It also has Josh Barnett who is arguably a top 5 HW facing off against veteran Predro Rizzo.
Man, I am salivating over this card. Also, I personally consider Fedor the top p4p fighter in the world and I want to see him decimate Big Tim.
That's where we disagree. I personally consider Silva the best p4p fighter in the world. I respect Fedor for what he has done in the past...But he hasn't fought anybody but cans recently. Anderson Silva, on the other hand...This man has completely destroyed the entire UFC MW division...and is looking to expand and dominate 205...not to mention the fact that he prefers to fight every 3 months in 2 different weight classes...I just find Silva far more entertaining. The only thing I'd say Afflication has going for it is Arlovski. UFC made a mistake losing him.
Thats why I said personally. It's all really debatable.
I just can't count out a person that has beaten CroCop, Big Nog, Hunt, Herring, Semmy Schilt (K-1 Grand Prix Winner), Coleman, Randleman, Lindland, and Ricardo Arona.
Yes, I know alot of these fighters seemed washed up now but they were beasts back then and I personally don't think that Fedor has lost a step. What will happen to the P4P rankings if he beats Tim Sylvia? because boring or not.. Tim is a world class fighter. Fedor has only one loss but that loss was because of a cut.. not because TK beat Fedor. I just hope he beats Sylvia because that will cement his place back in the top spot hopefully.
I'm not going to lie though, I love Anderson Silva and think he is a phenomonal athlete but I think Fedor is the best hands down.
To be fair, though -- Silva's really the only person I wanna see on the UFC card. So during Affliction, we'll probably have the Silva fight playing on the other television.
Main Card
Light Heavyweight bout: Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin
Lightweight bout: Hermes Franca vs. Frank Edgar
Light Heavyweight bout: Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy
Welterweight bout: Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns
Middleweight bout: Jesse Taylor vs. C.B. Dollaway
Heavyweight bout: Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O'Brien
Preliminary Card
Welterweight bout: Brad Blackburn vs. James Giboo
Welterweight bout: Rory Markham vs. Brodie Farber
Lightweight bout: Dale Hart vs. Shannon Gugerty
Middleweight bout: Nate Loughran vs. Johnny Rees
middleweight bout: Tim Credeur vs. Cale Yarborough
Here's the card for the UFC event opposite The Affliction:Banned card.
I personally can't wait to see how Anderson Silva does in the 205 division. I don't think he could dominate as well as he did in the MW division but he sure could make a good run in it.
I personally will watch the Hermes Franca and Brandon Vera fights as well.
This is going to be my first Fedor fight. I am going to DVR the UFC and than watch Affliction at a neighbors splitting the cost
I am curouis to see the franca one too, other than that ehh. I will die laughing if Silva gets beat
Silva fight, Franca fight, and the Vera fights will be sweet.
Jesse Taylor and CB Dollaway should be a good fight.
Oh shit, Vera's on the card?!
FILIPINOS UNITE!!!
Brandon Vera's fight won't be close. He should DESTROY Reese Andy. I'm interested in seeing how Silva can take a punch from a headhunter in 205.
I like Brandon Vera alot. He has always thought about dropping to LHW to compete, I actually think that he would be a good addition as he does have some excellent talent. Give him a year or two and he will mold into a fantastic competitor.
Hermes Franca vs Frankie Edgar should be the fight of the night, I have a good feeling about that one. I see Franca probably submitting Edgar somewhere in either round 2 or 3 probably. Frankie Edgar is the only member of "Team Rhino" (LOL) that fights in the UFC, Edgar is one hell of a fighter with a recent loss to one of my favorite up and comers (Gray Maynard), this should be a war!
As for Silva vs Irvin, should be a good fight. Silva is Silva, the guy is pretty much unstoppable at 185 so let's see how he does at 205, I don't see him pounding Irvin with knees in the clinch as much as he did against Franklin for some reason so I can see Anderson taking it to the ground and submitting "The Sandman", Irvin has those heavy hands and with a HUGE oppurtunity like this against a guy that many consider to be P4P best in the world, Irvin is going to jump all over it, a win here could make him a star overnight just like that.
Speaking of Anderson Silva, you guys remember when he fought Ryo Chonan in PRIDE? That was crazy, he was dominating Ryo and then out of nowhere Chonan pulls off a flying sciccors heel hook (which rarely ever works) and submits Anderson Silva lol.
Damn I forgot that. You know if Silva knocks this guy out the GSP vs Silva will be on like donkey kong
I'd love to see GSP vs Anderson Silva, I mean that would be a very interesting fight between the best WW and the best MW. Thing is though, I have never seen GSP fight at 185 before so Anderson definetely gets the advantage there since he is more comfortable fighting at that weight but it would be a great fight.
There have even been talks about a BJ Penn-GSP 2 fight which would be awesome but shouldn't happen until BJ cleans out 155 pounds first, BJ jumps weight divisions way too often but the guy is an MMA God lol. He fought Lyoto Machida once at 185 (I think it was 185) and he looked way different like he wasn't comfortable in that weight but he took Lyoto the distance and lost a descision. BJ Penn is the man but I want to see him beat everyone from Kenny Florian to Tyson Griffin in his weight class first before going back to 170 lol. Honestly I think he could beat GSP though, their last fight was really close and I think BJ can win this time no doubt.
Fedor, is he the pound for pound greatest? You can say that, most people will say that he is. I can't argue with it , like TaNK said before the guy has beaten some top quality heavyweights such as Cro-Cop, Hunt, Big Nog, etc. HOWEVER he has not been tested in awhile, his last real test was in 2006 against Mark Hunt so this is going to be the first time in awhile that Fedor is REALLY going to be tested, I like Tim's chances but I'm picking Fedor, Sylvia has good takedown defense and good striking.... trust me Fedor is not going to be able to run through a guy like Sylvia. I can see Fedor having some problems with Big Tim, but Fedor will be able to handle it and finish the fight with a KO or a submission. I wish I had some money so that I could order Affliction, but I am a cheap bastard so I'm watching UFN 14, which should be an awesome card too, but I mean they could have headlined the card with just about anyone and I would still watch it cause it's free MMA lol.
Arlovski vs Rothwell, should be AMAZING, words cannot describe how much I love this match-up. Rothwell is a big dude with a lot of talent but I see The Pitbull taking this, All hail King Pitbull!! ;D
As for Barnett vs Rizzo, this is a re-match from a fight they had years ago I believe. Barnett won (i'm pretty sure) the last time and I think he will win this time as well, I don't think Pedro Rizzo has improved a lot since then, but I still respect him cause of his veteran status but Barnett is the man!
This will be for upcoming events only. If you want to discuss a match or even a event itself. Please make a thread. I will only be adding major events at first. UFC, WEC, DREAM, World Victory Road, and Elite XC.
More will be added as time progresses.
July 19, 2008
Affliction : Banned
WAMMA Heavyweight Championship bout: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
Heavyweight bout: Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
Heavyweight bout: Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Middleweight bout: Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
Light heavyweight bout: Renato Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
Preliminary card
Heavyweight bout: Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Paul Buentello
Light heavyweight bout: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Edwin Dewees
Middleweight bout: Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin
Featherweight bout: Savant Young vs. Mark Hominick
Welterweight bout: Mike Pyle vs. JJ Ambrose
Middleweight bout: Justin Levens vs. Ray Lizama
Notes: Vernon White, who was originally scheduled to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, was removed from the card after testing positive for a banned substance following a May bout. Edwin Dewees has been announced as a replacement.
Bravo will be showing Affliction Banned on tape delay on 20 July in the UK.
UFC: Silva vs. Irvin
Main card
Light Heavyweight bout: Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin
Lightweight bout: Hermes Franca vs. Frank Edgar
Light Heavyweight bout: Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy
Welterweight bout: Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns
Middleweight bout: Jesse Taylor vs. C.B. Dollaway
Heavyweight bout: Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O'Brien
Preliminary card
Welterweight bout: Brad Blackburn vs. James Giboo
Welterweight bout: Rory Markham vs. Brodie Farber
Lightweight bout: Dale Hart vs. Shannon Gugerty
Middleweight bout: Nate Loughran vs. Johnny Rees
Middleweight bout: Tim Credeur vs. Cale Yarborough
Notes: Anderson Silva (UFC MW Champion and arguably #1 P4P fighter) will be making his transition to Light Heavyweight.
7-20-2008
DREAM.5 - Light Weight Grandprix 2008 Final Round
Featherweight Bout: Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto vs. Joseph Benavidez
Featherweight Bout: Hideo Tokoro vs. Takeshi Yamazaki
Middleweight Bout: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Welterweight Bout: Motoki Miyazawa vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
Lightweight Grand Prix Bout: Shinya Aoki vs. Caol Uno
Lightweight Grand Prix Bout: Eddie Alvarez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
Lightweight Grand Prix Reserve Bout: Joachim Hansen vs. Kultar Gill
Lightweight Championship bout: Shinya Aoki/Caol Uno vs. Eddie Alvarez/Tatsuya Kawajiri
Notes: Nick Diaz was originally scheduled to fight Hayato Sakurai to determine the DREAM Welterweight Champion, but Diaz had to pull out due to contractual obligations to EliteXC.
Mirko "Crocop" Filipovic had been a long rumored participant. Originally scheduled to face Jerome LeBanner, and later Mighty Mo Siligia, Mirko had to pull out due to a recovering shoulder injury and minor impending knee surgery. Mirko expressed interest in fighting at DREAM.6 in September.
7-26-2008
Elite XC presents : Saturday Night Fights
Robbie Lawler VS Scott Smith
Jake Shields VS Nick Thompson
Antonio Silva VS Justin Eilers
Nick Diaz VS Thomas Denny
Wilson Reis VS Brian Caraway
Shayna Baszler VS Cristiane Santos
Rafael Cavalcante VS Travis Galbraith
Notes: None that I know of.
8-3-2008
WEC 35:
Lightweight Championship bout: Jamie Varner vs. Marcus Hicks
Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Brian Stann vs. Steve Cantwell
Welterweight Championship bout: Carlos Condit vs. Hiromitsu Miura
Brian Bowles vs. Damacio Page
Micah Miller Vs. Josh Grispi
Undercard
Brock Larson vs. Carlo Prater
Blas Avena vs. Dave Terrel
Cub Swanson vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
Alex Karalexis vs. Todd Moore
Mike Budnik vs. Greg McIntyre
Scott Jorgensen vs. Kenji Osawa
Notes: None that I know of at this point.
8-9-2008
UFC 87 : Seek And Destroy
Main card
Welterweight championship bout: Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch
Lightweight bout: Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta
Heavyweight bout: Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring
Lightweight bout: Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson
Middleweight bout: Jason MacDonald vs. Demian Maia
Preliminary card
Heavyweight bout: Cheick Kongo vs. Dan Evensen
Welterweight Bout: Chris Wilson vs. Steve Bruno
Welterweight Bout: Ben Saunders vs. Jared Rollins
Welterweight Bout: Luke Cummo vs. Tamdan McCrory
Light Heavyweight bout: Andre Gusmao vs. Razak Al-Hussan
Notes: Brock Lesnar was originally planned to fight Mark Coleman but due to an injury Coleman stepped out. Heath Herring opted to replace Coleman.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, former light heavyweight champion of the Ultimate Fighter Championships, was arrested on suspicion of felony evading, hit-and-run and reckless driving Tuesday after he allegedly led police on a pursuit from Costa Mesa to Newport Beach, police said.
Jackson, the driver of a lifted, gray pick-up truck left crashed cars, shredded tires and sparks in his wake this afternoon when he led police on a short pursuit from the southbound 55 freeway exit onto Newport Boulevard where he hit at least three cars, police said.
The driver hit two cars at 19th Street and Newport Boulevard, then drove away at about 1:13 p.m., Lt. Paul Dondero said. A Costa Mesa police officer saw the driver southbound approaching 17th Street and tried to pull him over, police said. There, he hit at least one more car before continuing to run, now heading south toward the Balboa Peninsula, Dondero said. Some time after that, the truck blew a tire but continued to drive on its rims, Dondero said.
Jackson eventually gave up, pulled over and was arrested, police said. The whole chase lasted about five minutes, Dondero said.
Source: http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2008/07/15/publicsafety/dpt-pursuit071608.txt
wow, thats messed up. What was he thinking?
Source: Yahoo Sports!
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage†Jackson was arrested and held on $25,000 bail following a traffic accident Tuesday afternoon in Costa Mesa, Calif.
According to Costa Mesa police Lt. Paul Dondero, an officer observed the 30-year old Jackson driving with a flat tire on his 2008 Ford F-350 pickup truck and talking on his cell phone (which recently became illegal while driving in Calif.) and attempted to pull him over.
Dondero said Jackson, a resident of Irvine, Calif., ignored the officer and continued driving with the officer in pursuit.
Police had received a report of a vehicle involved in a collision on the 55 Freeway in Costa Mesa, which struck other vehicles and fled the scene, Dondero said.
The chase continued with the vehicle weaving in and out of traffic, including at one point driving on the wrong side of the road and even on a sidewalk, scaring pedestrians.
Dondero said Jackson hit two cars at 19th Street and Newport Boulevard at 1:13 p.m., but failed to stop. He said a Costa Mesa police officer saw the truck near 17th Street and attempted to pull it over.
Jackson fled and hit at least one more car before the five-minute chase ended with his arrest, the lieutenant said.
The officer saw the vehicle in a second collision. It is believed nobody was injured.
The car continued to Newport Beach, where the tire blew out and came off the rim and he was taken into the Orange County Central jail, where he is being held on $25,000 bail. The fighter was charged with hit-and-run driving, felony evading and reckless driving.
UFC president Dana White flew to Orange County upon learning of the arrest and said he was driving to the county jail to post bail for Jackson.
The story was initially reported by the website TMZ.com, which has photos of Jackson lying face down on the street behind his truck, a 2008 Ford F-350 turbo diesel, as a police officer has his gun drawn and is pointing it at him.
Jackson won the UFC light heavyweight title by knocking out Chuck Liddell at UFC 71 on May 26, 2007. After a successful defense against Dan Henderson on Sept. 5, Jackson lost the belt to Forrest Griffin on a controversial decision at UFC 86 on July 5 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Jackson’s manager/trainer, Juanito Ibarra, did not immediately return phone calls.
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This has more information than the other link I supplied earlier. Also, I think it wasvery cool of Dana WHite to do that. I would really like to know what was going on through his mind as well.
Did you guys see the pictures?
http://www.wwtdd.com/post.phtml?pk=9351 (http://www.wwtdd.com/post.phtml?pk=9351)
The earlier post on WWTDD was funny..."well Madam, can you describe the vehicle that hit you?" "Yeah, imagine Rampage Jackson as a truck"
Crazy shit.
Peace
Duckman
LMAO, shit.
Quote from: Duckman on July 16, 2008, 02:09:22 PM
The earlier post on WWTDD was funny..."well Madam, can you describe the vehicle that hit you?" "Yeah, imagine Rampage Jackson as a truck"
LOL, quality.
Quote from: MitchMMA on July 15, 2008, 09:30:23 AM
Speaking of Anderson Silva, you guys remember when he fought Ryo Chonan in PRIDE? That was crazy, he was dominating Ryo and then out of nowhere Chonan pulls off a flying sciccors heel hook (which rarely ever works) and submits Anderson Silva lol.
You mean this one? ;D
http://youtube.com/watch?v=267i7rKeECA (http://youtube.com/watch?v=267i7rKeECA)
UFC.com has confirmed this.
While I think that this will be a good fight but I just hope that Machida gets a title shot after this. He really has deserved one.
Most people think that he needs to beat a top 10 fighter to get one but he has beaten quality competition to recieve one. I just hope Dana doesn't use him to beat contenders so that he keeps Forrest safe like he did with Chuck while Tito was the champ.
The whole thing's just bizarre.
This fight is huge. Machida has been solid over his last few fights. I actually enjoy watching him. He's not a traditional banger, but the guy can finish a fight if he's given something to work with (see the fight with Sokoudjou).
Silva is a wrecking machine. He's got some of the best KO power in the 205-pound division and after the winner of Liddell/Evans at UFC 88, I think the Machida/Silva winner could put themselves in line for a title shot.
This should be a great fight, I am a fan of both but I'm picking Machida! Machida is a technical striker that frustrates his opponents, he isn't one of those guys that stands there and bangs, he plays it smart and it works. Some people may say "he's just running", but it's not running it's a smart strategy that works lol. Thiago Silva is a wrecking machine, but I can see Machida taking this. I mean your talking about a guy thats undefeated with wins over BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, Sokoudjou, Tito Ortiz, etc.
QuoteQuinton "Rampage" Jackson has been picked up by police again.
Sources say around 4:30 PM yesterday, friends who were hanging out with Rampage, waved down an Irvine police car after they were worried about his behavior. This, of course, following the insane chase the day before in which the UFC fighter hit several cars in his monster truck and was arrested at gunpoint.
We're told Irvine cops saw Rampage, deemed him a danger to himself and others, and took him to a hospital for observation. Rampage was very coopertive with police.
Cops won't officially confirm if it's a psychiatric hold.
http://www.tmz.com/2008/07/17/round-2-cops-nab-rampage-again/ (http://www.tmz.com/2008/07/17/round-2-cops-nab-rampage-again/)
Wow, Rampage must be taking his loss pretty freakin bad lol...Hope he can bounce back from all of this, though if doesn't look good thus far.
Guess all those leg kicks jarred his brain.
Thats crazy. I hope he's alright.
What the hell is wrong with him? This is crazy. Has he lost his mind?
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson (Pictures) was hospitalized Wednesday for mental evaluation less than 24 hours following his arrest on hit-and-run, reckless driving, and felony evading charges after a high-speed pursuit with officers through the California suburbs from Costa Mesa to Newport Beach.
Jackson had been released Tuesday evening from the Costa Mesa jail after posting the 25,000 dollar bail. He was detained by Irvine authorities at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and was directly transported to an undisclosed area hospital for observation.
“A couple of friends flagged down officers in front of the Jackson home,†said Lt. Rick Handfield, of the Irvine police dept. “An acquaintance asked the officer to help because they felt Mr. Jackson might be a threat to himself or others.â€
Handfield said the 30-year old fighter spoke with an officer outside his Irvine residence and was cooperative with their requests. Handfield would not disclose any further description of Jackson’s state.
A friend close to Jackson said the fighter had slept and ate little in the last few days.
It is believed that Jackson is being held for 72-hour observation under standard protocol for “5150†detainees, which is law enforcement vernacular for a “mentally unstable†individual. During the three-day period, the patient is not able to check himself out of medical custody while an evaluation is made. Medical officials could extend that period if they deem the patient is mentally unfit.
The light heavyweight kingpin known for his dynamic slams and power punches relinquished his crown over a week ago at UFC 86 “Jackson vs. Griffin†on July 5 in Las Vegas. A heavy favorite in the championship bout, Jackson (27-8) sustained a leg injury in an earlier round, but continued to stand and trade with challenger Forrest Griffin (Pictures). Griffin, a rival coach to Jackson on Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 7†this past spring, was awarded the unanimous decision and the title after five rounds.
One of the UFC’s most colorful personalities, Jackson had been tapped in March for a Nike commercial that also included NBA standout LeBron James, as well as other standout athletes.
According to a Costa Mesa police dept. press release Tuesday, Jackson was observed weaving his Ford pick-up truck in and out of traffic on a flat front tire while talking on his cell phone. When an officer on motorcycle attempted to pull Jackson over, the fighter continued driving, barreling through red lights and onto sidewalks on multiple occasions, “causing pedestrians to flee in terror.†Jackson collided with one vehicle during the pursuit and was later linked to two more collisions on the southbound 55 Freeway prior to the chase.
Jackson eventually gave himself up to police, who had their weapons drawn, outside a friend's home in Newport Beach.
Though authorities had originally stated that no one had been injured, the OC Register reported that a pregnant Huntington Beach woman was hospitalized after her car was sideswiped on the freeway.
Multiple attempts to reach Jackson’s manager, Juanito Ibarra, have been unsuccessful.
Per Sherdog.com
Holy shit I love Silva! What a KO!
Jesus, that Silva KO was N-A-S-T-Y.
Precision, precision, precision.
Gary Goodridge (Pictures) vs. Paul Buentello (Pictures)
Round 1
Goodridge lands a good low kick. Buentello lands another combination. Goodridge still moving forward, still throwing leg kicks. Buentello unloads another series of punches that again sends Goodridge into a shell against the ropes. Goodridge looks no worse for the wear, he even throws a head kick after Buentello backed away. Sherdog.com scores the opening frame 10-9 for Paul Buentello.
Round 2
About 40 seconds into the round Buentello begins to open up again, landing another round of elbows and punchs from in close. Goodridge has stood up to the offensive so far and he continues to move forward. Buentello lands a crisp one-two. Goodridge is throwing haymakers but Buentello is using good footwork to stay away. Buentello unleashes another torrent of punches along the ropes and looks to have Goodridge hurt but he backs away just before the second round comes to a close. Another 10-9 round for Buentello.
Round 3
Buentello is finding the mark even more in the opening exchange of the final stanza. Uppercuts, crosses and straight punches land with Goodridge's only answer an overhand haymaker. Buentello stands Goodridge straight up with a jab. A right cross snaps Goodridge head to the side, he looks like he wants to call a timeout. Buentello bullies him into the corner but can not land the lethal blow. Goodridge, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth inches forward only to find himself on the recieving end of more damage. Buentello lands another slew of knees from the clinch in the corner as Goodridge survives the 15-minute affair. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 (30-27) for Paul Buentello. Judges Nelson Hamilton, Lester Griffin and Marcos Rosales all scored the bout 30-27.
Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin
Round 1
Martin gets right up in Belfort's face as the fighters listen to Referee Josh Rosenthal's instructions. Belfort is unfazed and calmly returns to his corner to await the opening bell. Belfort scores first with a thudding kick to Martin's midsection. Martin is charging forward but Belfort cooly evades and counters. Martin lands his first convincing shot of the night with a straight right. Martin continues to stalk Belfort but neither fighter is landing anything of consequence. The first round closes with neither fighter grabing control. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-10.
Round 2
More standup dueling to open the second period. Martin moving forward once again with Martin digging to the body in his first flurry. Belfort finds the mark with a glancing left that briefly wobbles Martin. He follows up with a punishing body kick. Martin immediatly shoots and scores the takedown but he can't keep Belfort down for long and it costs him. Belfort lands a knee that may have stunned Martin before finishing him with an uppercut-straight left combination that sat a dazed Martin down for good. The end came at 3:12 of the second round.
Mike Pyle vs. JJ Ambrose
Round 1
Ambrose opens with a right hand and backs Pyle into the corner. A minute into the fight, Pyle uses a body-lock takedown to side control. Pyle quickly moves into the mount and then takes Ambrose's back. Ambrose keeps moving on the ground, getting his back to the mat, but then giving up his back again. Pyle in total control, peppering Ambrose with punches before securing the rear-naked choke at 2:51 of the first round.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Edwin Dewees
Round 1
Joe Riggs and Ken Shamrock are in Dewees' corner. UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is in his brother's corner. Dewees comes out kicking but not landing much. He's more aggressive while Nogueira is trying to pick his shots, throwing a left hand out of his southpaw stance. Dewees uses a body lock to back Nogueira into the corner. Nothing happens there. Back in the center, Dewees kicks again. Nogueira retaliates with punches, and Dewees covers up before going to his back. The Brazilian is content to take the top position on the ground and punch Dewees. Despite some success, Nogueira backs out to resume the stand-up game. Nogueira starts landing the best shots of the fight by grabbing Dewees in the Thai clinch and battering him with knees. Dewees is hurt, and Nogueira follows up with punches and more knees. A big left hook drops Dewees, and Herb Dean stops the fight after some additional strikes on the ground at 4:06.
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
Round 1
Lindland cornered by Chael Sonnen, Ryan Schultz and Robert Follis. A left hand drops Negao early. Lindland grabs a guillotine and goes to his back, where he reverses Negao while holding onto the choke. Negao rolls him, but Lindland keeps the choke and gets back to the top position. A minute later, Negao escapes. Lindland begins working in Negao's closed guard. Lindland misses with a Mongolian chop, but the effort shows that he's able to posture up and strike. Negao trying to control Lindland's wrists. Lindland stands, throws Negao's legs to the side and lands a right hand that helps him move into half guard. With a minute left, Negao gets back to his feet. Both fighters look a little slow with their punches. Negao lands a left without any power. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Lindland.
Round 2
Lindland moving forward, lands a nice left hand. In the clinch, Negao hurts Lindland with a short strike and follows up with more punches. A toe-to-toe exchange ensues, with Negao getting the better of it. In the corner, though, Lindland completes a takedown. Three minutes to go in the round. Lindland pins Negao in the corner. Short elbows score from Lindland. More strikes land from Lindland, as Negao is stuck on his back. Lindland throws his opponent's legs to the side and connects with another right hand. Despite a strong start early in the round for Negao, Lindland's steady offense gets him the round 10-9.
Round 3
Negao looks tired to start the third, though Lindland doesn't look terribly fresh either. Lindland is the aggressor, but his punches don't have much sting. Negao drops his hands to his waist. Lindland peppers him but doesn't do any damage. Negao looks exhausted. Not an entertaining round. Negao lands a good body shot with his left hand, but Lindland is the more offensive fighter. Lindland gets a takedown, but Negao goes through the ropes without falling out of the ring. After a restart in the center, Lindland lands a solid knee to the face. Fight ends to a smattering of boos. Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 Lindland, and 30-27 Lindland overall. Lindland wins a unanimous decision: 30-26, 30-27 twice.
Renato Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
Round 1
The fighters open by trading. A kick from Sobral to Whitehead's lead leg is the first strike to land. Whitehead clinches and backs Sobral into the corner. Whitehead trying to grab a single-leg takedown, but Sobral defends with underhooks. Back to the center, Sobral ducks under a punch and tries a double-leg takedown that fails. Sobral pumps his jab, but no power shot follows. Another good kick to Whitehead's leg. The fight slows in the clinch, where neither man can gain an advantage. When they resume trading, Whitehead connects with an uppercut. Sobral retaliates with another kick, which prompts Whitehead to clinch. Seconds later Sobral ducks under another punch to get a takedown, but Whitehead gets up quickly. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Sobral.
Round 2
Sobral works his jab to begin the second. Whiteheads shoots for a double-leg, but Sobral fights off what was a good effort. They begin to trade, and Sobral lands a good right hand to the body. Whitehead shoots for another double-leg, which Sobral stops momentarily before ending up on his back. Three minutes to go in the round. From his back, Sobral working on Whitehead's shoulder, perhaps for an omoplata. Whitehead frees himself but doesn't do any damage before the fighters are stood. Close round. 10-9 Sobral.
Round 3
This round could decide the fight after a close second. Sobral lands a leg kick to begin the third. He misses a second kick, and Whitehead gets a takedown as they fall through the ropes. After a restart, Sobral is the aggressor, moving forward, working his jab. Whitehead dives in for another double. Sobral grabs a guillotine, but again he falls through the ropes, resulting in a restart. After another exchange, Whitehead shoots again. Sobral responds with yet another guillotine. Whitehead escapes and begins to work in Sobral's guard. Sobral quickly locks on an omoplata, but Whitehead gets out. The fighters are stood. One minute to go. Sobral lands a straight kick to Whitehead's face. Sobral going forward, Whitehead not. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Sobral and the fight 30-27 for Sobral. "Babalu" wins a unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three cards.
Mark Hominick vs. Trenell "Savant" Young
Round 1
Hominick cornered by Shawn Tompkins and Jay Heiron. Antonio McKee is in Young's corner. Hominick takes the center of the ring, with Young circling. Hominick throwing his hands, staying away from kicking at the moment. Young not afraid to punch, then get out. He tries for a takedown, but Hominick stops it. Nothing major landing from either man. Two minutes to go in the round. Hominick has Young backed into the corner, but he's trying to pick his shots. Young misses a wild right. Hominick gets through with a glancing right hand, but Young lands a body shot. Hominick fires back with a straight right. Close round, but Hominick gets it based on his aggression, 10-9.
Round 2
Hominick continues to force a stand-up fight in the second. Young gets the first shot of the round, though, with a right hand. After an exchange, Young finally finishes a takedown into Hominick's closed guard. Before Young gets rolling, Hominick nearly executes a sweep. Young defends, but Hominick switches to a triangle choke. The submission could end the fight, but Young slams him to escape. Seconds later Hominick tries for another triangle and lands two short right hands from his back. Young gets free, but nearly gets armbarred. Hominick is relentless from his back. When the armbar doesn't work, he goes back to a triangle, then back to the armbar. Young taps at 4:25 into the round.
Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Round 1
A minute in, and nothing big has landed. Rizzo and Barnett are picking their shots. Barnett throws two front kicks and shoots in, but he isn't close to the takedown. Rizzo lets Barnett be the aggressor, and Barnett gets in a left hand. A good kick to Rizzo's lead leg. Rizzo waiting back. The Brazilian is moving well, moving laterally when Barnett tries to close the distance, but he's not punching much. Barnett returns to his push kick. Rizzo easily avoids Barnett's efforts to clinch. Barnett jabs twice and lands a leg kick. 10-9 Barnett.
Round 2
Barnett uses the push kick again in the second round. Rizzo still waiting back, then goes forward but doesn't land. Barnett tries to close the distance, but Rizzo easily moves away. Then suddenly Barnett misses a right hand but connects with a huge left hook that knocks Rizzo out. Commentator Big John McCarthy calls it a "replay of their first fight, in reverse." Official time is 1:44.
Andrei Arlovski (Pictures) vs. Ben Rothwell (Pictures)
Round 1
Arlovski kicks to Rothwell's leg, throws a punch combination that doesn't land. Arlovski lands another kick to the leg, and Rothwell ties him up. Rothwell tries to Thai clinch, but Arlovski shoves him into the corner and throws a right out of the break. Arlovski is aggressive, not waiting back. Rothwell clinches again, but Arlovski trips the bigger man to the canvas. Rothwell tries to get up, and Arlovski attacks his ankle for a submission. Rothwell gets free and back to his feet. Again Rothwell initiates the clinch behind some punches. After separating, Arlovski lights up Rothwell with rights and lefts. Rothwell looks stunned, but he stays on his feet and recovers. Late in the round, Rothwell puts a right hand on Arlovski, but Arlovski clearly takes the round, 10-9.
Round 2
Inside leg kick from Arlovski to start the second. Rothwell lands a right, but Arlovski begins to score with right and left hands, pummeling a retreating Rothwell. Arlvoski get a takedown to mount, but Rothwell gets his guard. Three minutes to go in the round. Rothwell's nose is bleeding. Arlovski surprisingly falls back for an ankle lock that isn't close, and Rothwell takes the top position in the guard. He lands an elbow on the former UFC champion. Two minutes to go in the round. Rothwell drops some big elbow smashes that don't quite land cleanly. The fighters are stood with 30 seconds left, and Arlovski attacks with a brutal assault of left hooks and uppercuts, a head kick, a jump knee. He can't put away Rothwell, but he wins an exciting round, 10-9.
Round 3
Rothwell clinches to begin the third. Arlovski gets free a minute into the round and tees off. An overhand right crumbles Rothwell, and the fight is stopped. An excellent, aggressive performance by Arlovski. The official time is 1:13 of the third.
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
Round 1
Sylvia makes his way to the ring with an American flag wrapped over his shoulders. He has an American flag mouthpiece. Fedor's entrance is slow, stoic, calm. Sylvia gets some applause, some boos during his introduction. Fedor is cheered. The fighters touch gloves. Fedor lands a left hook, and Sylvia clinches. Fedor hammers him with another left hook and an uppercut and more rights and lefts. Sylvia goes down, and Fedor takes his back. In 36 seconds, Fedor Emelianenko submits Tim Sylvia with a rear-naked choke.
Irvin got rocked hard with that first one, than Silva just made him his bitch.
Oh well at least he wasn't choked out like Cartman, er I mean Silvia
Dale Hartt vs. Shannon Gugerty
Round 1
Gugerty starts the contest by attacking Hartt’s legs with low kicks. Hartt rushes in and got a takedown from the clinch. Hartt gives up position to try a guillotine choke but it is defended well. Gugerty escapes and passes to mount. Hartt rolls over and gives up his back. Gugerty works for a rear naked choke that is defended well at first, but on the third attempt, he forces Hartt to submit at 3:33 of the opening frame.
Brad Blackburn vs. James Giboo
Round 1
Blackburn repeatedly tagged Giboo with punches through out the first stanza. Giboo was able to score a couple takedowns in the round but he was unable to hold his opponent down. By the end of the frame, Giboo, who had taken lots of punishment, was completely out of gas. Sherdog.com scored the round 10-8 for Blackburn.
Round 2
More of the same in the second. Blackburn roughed Giboo up on the feet with with punches. Giboo, completely fatuigued, ate a flying knee that dropped him to the canvas. The end came shortly after as Blackburn swooped in for the finish via strikes. The official time was 2:29 of the second.
Nate Loughran vs. Johnny Rees
Round 1
Rees scores an early takedown from the clinch and Loughran tries for a triangle but Rees defends. The two remain on the ground for a few minutes with Loughran cut over the left eye. Rees gets stuck in a triangle again. He's out but still in Loughran's guard. Rees gets caught in another triangle and this one looks deep. Rees finally taps out after Loughran torques his hips. Loughran's face is swollen from the strikes he absorbed just before the triangle. Official time of the tapout is 4:21.
Brodie Farber vs. Rory Markham
Round 1
The crowd is heavily behind Markham and Mazzagatti is the referee for this one. Both fighters look pumped and come out swinging. Hard straight right by Rory starts off a fast paced bout with both men throwing bombs. Rory gets tagged by a right hand and he's hurt. Farber closes in and lands two more right hands which sends Rory backpedaling to regroup. A huge right head kick follows by Markham and Farber is out! He falls flat on his back and stiff as a board. Easily one of the best head kick KOs in UFC history. After about a minute, Farber is up and on his stool. Official time is 1:37.
Timothy Credeur vs. Cale Yarbrough
Round 1
Cale making his debut but doesn't look nervous. Mario Yamasaki is the referee and Cale starts with a stiff right and leg kick. Both guys are punching freely. Hard right hand by Cale but Tim fires a right/left in return. Cale more aggressive but Tim is okay with banging with him. Right hand stings Cale and he backs into the cage. Tim closes in and lands a hard right uppercut. Cale drops and Tim swarms. Cale looks out and Yamasaki stops it. Good TKO for Tim. Official time is 1:54 of the first.
Jesse Taylor vs. CB Dollaway
Round 1
Taylor and Dollaway open the main card action this evening with Yves Lavigne refereeing. Taylor takes the center of the octagon early and goes for a takedown but Dollaway shucks him off. Taylor opts to clinch against the cage while Dollaway goes for a whizzer that ends with Taylor on top. A scramble on the mat ends with Dollaway landing an illegal knee which leads to a stiff warning from Lavigne. Taylor declares himself fit to fight after a brief rest and shoots in for a takedown that Dollaway reverses. Now in mount, Dollaway moves to Taylor's back looking for a rear naked choke. Taylor turns out of back mount, gets back to the feet and scores a trip takedown. The action slows with Taylor on top landing the occasional elbow and punch. Taylor suddenly gets over aggressive with looping shots which leads to Dollaway taking his back yet again. Dollaway quickly transitions to a Peruvian necktie submission and scores a beautiful tap out win in the first round. The official time is 3:58 of the opening frame.
Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson
Round 1
With Steve Mazzagatti presiding over the action, Johnson and Burns touch gloves to start the action. Johnson lands an inside leg kick but Burns comes out throwing leather before clinching up Johnson. An extended battle in the clinch ensues with a few knees by Burns landing before the two men disengage. Burns starts landing solid punches on Johnson who appears disconcerted by an opponent who can press him. The pace slows a bit and Johnson lands a kick to the groin that prompts a brief stoppage. Burns again takes the center of the octagon but Johnson responds with a huge double leg takedown. Not much action as Burns ties up Johnson creating a stalemate on the ground. The stalemate continues as Johnson lands small punches while Burns occasionally looks for a submission. Mazzagatti restarts the bout on the feet and Johnson lands a front push kick to Burns' midsection. Johnson is looking to unload late but Burns clinches him up and waits out the last moments of the first round. 10-9 for Johnson.
Round 2
The second round starts with a leg kick by Johnson and an exchange where neither man lands. Johnson then stuns Burns with a flying knee and punches. With Burns backed up against the cage, Johnson rushes in for another flying knee but Burns recovers quickly and ties up Johnson. Just as quickly, Johnson escapes the clinch and grazes Burns with a pair of huge punches. The two start exchanging leg kicks with Johnson getting the better of it by mixing in punches. Burns appears to be slowing down while Johnson looks to land another haymaker. Johnson is taking the center of the octagon now but Burns lands a nice head kick. Johnson appears unfazed and both men look tired as Johnson scores a body lock takedown. Burns immediately transitions to a kimura but Johnson has none of it. The action slows and Mazzagatti restarts the bout on the feet with about 15 seconds to go. Johnson scores another double leg takedown to close out the round. 10-9 for Johnson.
Round 3
Burns opens the third round by landing several leg kicks while Johnson sticks to the occasional straight punch. A solid uppercut lands for Burns and is followed by another leg kick. Johnson times a leg kick and lands a single leg takeown counter. They eventually end up back on the feet but Johnson scores another double leg takedown with Burns offering little resistance. Not much action on the mat and Mazzagatti restarts the bout yet again. Back on the feet, Burns lands an uppercut that appears to drop Johnson but it turns out to be an accidental eye poke for which Burns had been repeatedly warned earlier in the bout. After some confusion, Burns is declared the winner by TKO at 3:35 of the third round. Bizzare decision considering the earlier warnings.
Jake O'Brien vs. Cain Velasquez
Round 1
Next up is Velasquez taking on O'Brien with Mario Yamasaki serving as referee. The two men exchange punches early as O'Brien goes for a takedown but exposes his back and Velasquez promptly takes advantage. O'Brien rolls to his back and gives up side control to Velasquez who secures the crucifix position and lands a string of unprotected punches. Yamasaki is allowing the action to go on but Velasquez is absolutely relentless with strikes while maintaining the crucifix which forces Yamasaki to step in and halt the bout. Impressive showing by Velasquez who wins via TKO at the 2:02 mark of the first round.
Frank Edgar vs. Hermes Franca
Round 1
Edgar and Franca square off in the lone lightweight tilt on the main card with Yves Lavigne handling the action. Edgar comes out looking to throw punches but Franca immediately flops to guard and Edgar follows him down. Edgar staying composed on top landing short strikes while stifling Franca's submission game. Edgar continues to land short, powerful strikes while Franca can't seem to find an opening. Franca secures an armbar out of nowhere and has it deep while Edgar frantically defends the tecnique. After some tense moments, Edgar manages to pull his arm out and ends up going back to the feet. Edgar engages on the feet but Franca lands some big punches that force Edgar to take him back to the ground. Edgar lands a few short punches while Franca remains composed operating from the guard. The round closes with not much action as Edgar remains disciplined on top. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 2
The second round opens with a strong leg kick by Franca but Edgar looks better on the feet this time around using his superior hand speed to catch Franca with combinations before landing a takedown. Edgar continues with his ground and pound strategy and continues to find success with it. Edgar tries to pass guard but Franca keeps this bout right where it is. Edgar continues to land compact strikes while Franca offers little offense of his own. Edgar collapses Franca's guard and takes his back with no hooks in which allows Franca to roll back to guard but not before absorbing a few punches from Edgar. They scramble back to the feet but after a brief exchange, Edgar takes it back to the ground to close out the round. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 3
The action in the third starts quickly with Franca landing a big uppercut off an attempted takedown by Edgar. Franca then dazes Edgar with a knee off another attempted takedown which prompts Edgar to take the bout down. After landing a few blows inside Franca's guard, the bout goes back to the feet and Edgar sneaks in a nice high kick but Franca barely flinches. Another takedown by Edgar and Franca looks for an omoplata but Edgar avoids it easily and ends up taking Franca's back with no hooks in. Franca gets himself back on his feet but Edgar throws him down yet again. Franca is desperate for a submission at this point but Edgar's top control is solid. Nice attempt at an elevator to armbar transition by Franca but Edgar evades it with surprising ease. They go back to the feet and Franca lands a couple of punches followed by a massive knee that wobbles Edgar badly but Edgar immediately secures a takedown and ends the round in top control. 10-9 Franca. Edgar wins 30-27 on all three scorecards.
Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy
Round 1
Vera and Andy start up the co-main event with Seve Mazzagatti serving as the third man in the octagon. Vera starts off with a high kick that Andy blocks. Andy responds with a takedown but Vera is quickly back on his feet against the cage. Vera setting up a thai clinch and lands a knee before Andy backs out. Vera switches to a southpaw stance and whiffs on a huge head kick. Andy goes for a leg kick that misses and Vera responds with a leg kick of his own that sends Andy to the canvas. Vera signals for Andy to get back on his feet and the action resumes with Andy clinching Vera against the cage. Not much action as neither man does much inside the clinch. Vera suddenly scores a takedown and lands in side control. Vera is trying to secure mount but Andy is defending quite well so Vera backs off and they go back to the feet. The round ends with Vera stuffing a takedown by Andy. 10-9 Vera.
Round 2
Second round opens with both men cautious but Andy tries his luck at a takedown and ends up with Vera back control with one hook in. Andy turns into it, gets back to half guard and eventually back to the feet. Vera secures a thai clunch but can't land that big knee. Vera switches his stance to southpaw again as the pace slows considerably. Vera appears to daze Andy with a high kick from close range but Andy recovers quickly and the pace slows to a crawl again. Vera lands a leg kick that spins Andy around but the round ends before he can follow it up. 10-9 Vera.
Round 3
The third and final round starts slow as Vera appears to be looking for one fight ending strike. Andy responds by landing a stiff jab and pushing Vera against the cage. Not much action in the clinch as both men jockey for position. Mazzagatti breaks up the stalemate in the clinch but they end up going back to it anyway. Again the pace slows as neither man lands much offense. Vera attempts a trip takeown but Andy defends it well. Vera looking for thai clinch now and lands a couple of knees but Andy takes them with ease. Andy is desperate to score any offense he can but Vera stifles his every attempt and rides out the final bell. 10-9 for Vera. The official judges see the contest 30-27 (twice) and 29-28.
Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin
Round 1
Silva and Irvin kick off the main event with Mario Yamasaki serving as referee. They meet in the center of the octagon with Silva scoring an inside leg kick. Silva is staying back mostly, looking for an opening while Irvin tries to stalk him around the cage. Irvin throws a leg kick but Silva catches it and lays Irvin out with a straight right. A quick blitz of punches on a prone Irvin forces Yamasaki to halt the contest at 1:01 of the first round.
Machida is a stud
Lyoto fucking sucks.
Watching him fight is like watching the grass on my front lawn grow.
If I want to pay to watch someone Tim Sylvia every fight, ....well I wouldn't be watching that at all.
Thiago Silva on the other hand, has finished all of his fights in the UFC, and none has gone longer than the second round.......exactly like Anderson Silva. Not only do they share a common last name, but same style and excitment.
Thiago hasn't reached the levels of the referred counter-part, because his fights haven't been against HUGE names, but you have to be somewhat good to be in the UFC, and I think that when these two fight, Machida will do his faggy ass Karate thing for a round, then Silva will fucking jack him up, and end the dream of being a light heavyweight champion to the most BORING FIGHTER IN THE UFC CURRENTLY, in Lyoto Machida.
WAR SILVA
(http://i31.tinypic.com/15ecro.gif)
Downloading the final three fights, and well the only ones that were exciting (so I've been told) in Rothwell/Arlovski, Barnett/Rizzo, and I've seen a clip of Fedor/Syliva, but I want to see all the post match shit.
Fedor is fucking incredible. Best fighter in the world.
Well, after being told im a 'troublemaker' and will be banned, I guess you can reply back on Audibly Offensive.
Is a 205 dream match between Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko possible?
Silva showed last night that he can fight at 205, but a credible opponent will truely see if he fits in or not.
Fedor could make 205, he has fought at 220 before, and a 15 pound weight cut for a fighter, if given time, is really nothing.
Could this happen? Probably not, but something we MMA can dream of.
Anything is possible, I don't see it happen anytime soon. Dane White and Zuffa will never in their lifetime allow one of their contracted fighters to fight in another org. I don't see Fedor coming to UFC anytime soon, so as long as Silva is in the UFC then that fight won't happen.
Personally here is what I think should happen next for both guys.
Affliction Main event: Andrei Arlovski vs Fedor for the WAMMA title
UFC Main event: Anderson Silva vs Patrick Cote for the MW title
Kinda cool how both Anderson and Fedor destroyed their opponents in a couple of seconds lol.
I agree, Fedor is the P4P best, I had my doubts but not anymore, he is the best.
Wow, I COMPLETELLY disagree with you Corey.
Lyoto, is boring? How can you not appreciate a technical striker. Just because the guy doesn't fight like a caveman doesn't mean he is boring, I mean he is undefeated with wins over guys like BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, Tito, Sokoudjou, etc. I think he is VERY exciting to watch, I love his style.
Not flaming you or anything, I'm just stating my opinion is all. He is one of the most talented fighters in the 205 pound division, he is a smart technical fighter. It works for him, he is UNDEFEATED, he isn't going to start brawling like a caveman and get knocked out, if it aint broke don't fix it. ;D
Quote from: MitchMMA on July 20, 2008, 10:10:04 PM
Anything is possible, I don't see it happen anytime soon. Dane White and Zuffa will never in their lifetime allow one of their contracted fighters to fight in another org. I don't see Fedor coming to UFC anytime soon, so as long as Silva is in the UFC then that fight won't happen.
Personally here is what I think should happen next for both guys.
Affliction Main event: Andrei Arlovski vs Fedor for the WAMMA title
UFC Main event: Anderson Silva vs Patrick Cote for the MW title
Agree on both fights, except I'd be happy with Fedor/Arlovski just as much as Fedor/Barnett. Hell, I'd like to see both before Fedor/Randy.
That is why UFC is going stale, they want knockouts and more knockouts (so do I) and people forget that MMA has many facets
Machida doesn't suck. He just doesn't have a exciting fighting style. I just wish he would finish fights though.
Honestly, I would absolutley love to see it. I read somewhere that Silva walks around about 10lbs lighter than Fedor. So it wouldn't be that far fetched. I still think Fedor would dominate Silva.. Fedor has seen everything that Silva has in his game.
Quote from: Cory on July 20, 2008, 08:12:03 PM
Fedor is fucking incredible. Best fighter in the world.
Agreed. His win over Sylvia was more impressive than Silvas win simply because Sylvia is a top 5 HW.. well he was.
Arlovski/Fedor would be badass but Arlovski would have to get back to regularly fighting like he used to.. I would love to see Barnett/Fedor for such a long time now, I hope it happens.
Quote from: TaNK on July 21, 2008, 05:53:22 AM
Machida doesn't suck. He just doesn't have a exciting fighting style. I just wish he would finish fights though.
THERE YOU GO
Dana has said time and time again, if you're not exciting, you won't get ahead in the business. I dont know how Tim Sylvia got his second title shot, but Ill say that Machida COULD have lost all his fights, be he didn't. So some credit goes there, but Silva is 1,000,000,000...,000x more exciting, and I think when these two fights, It's nighty night for Lyoto
I don't think so, just because a guy is exciting doesn't he mean he will win. I seriously doubt he will beat Lyoto but that's just my opinion.
Lyoto can finish fights, he has done it before.
I don't think Tim Sylvia is all that bad actually, he has good takedown defense and some solid striking. I know he got owned by Fedor but Fedor is the best fighter in the world. A lot of people underestimate Tim's boxing.
Hopefully once Couture gets out of his UFC contract, we will see a fight with Fedor.
Yeah I'd love to see either Fedor/ Arlovski, Fedor/ Barnett, or Fedor/Couture next. I think this Affliction promotion could be HUGE, I'm looking forward to their next show because unfortunetely I missed Banned because I'm cheap lol. I think Tito Ortiz's next fight will be with them, I have a feeling.
I will agree that Fedor would smash Anderson Silva, Fedor is a freak of nature and I can't believe I underestimated him.
I really dont see why Dana wouldn't go balls out for Fedor.
If UFC could hold the biggest fight since....well never. This exceeds Silva/Liddell.
Fedor/Couture will be the best fight in mixed martial arts history. Period. A true Rocky/Drago fight.
QuoteFedor/Couture will be the best fight in mixed martial arts history. Period. A true Rocky/Drago fight.
Not if it doesn't take place in the UFC. That fight could generate millions upon millions in revenue if promoted and marketed correctly. Honestly, the UFC are the only ones who could do it right. But it will never happen in the UFC, too many politics. it's ashame this fight (if it ever happens) won't recieve the proper spotlight.
Affliction had a good turnout, and if Donald Trump puts some money into it, and can get it some television time, they'll do fine.
Really, if Donald Trump wants, he can by a snap of the fingers make Affliction HUGE.
Quote from: MitchMMA on July 20, 2008, 10:10:04 PM
Personally here is what I think should happen next for both guys.
Affliction Main event: Andrei Arlovski vs Fedor for the WAMMA title
UFC Main event: Anderson Silva vs Patrick Cote for the MW title
Silva will crush Cote. Cote is the #1 contender to the title and I do not see him having a chance. The only guy (right now) at 185 I see with a shot is Michael Bisping. There's been rumors of Wanderlei Silva dropping down to 185. That would be a great fight to see Anderson / Wanderlei.
As far as Silva/Fedor... I honestly don't view this as a fair fight. Fedor would have an extreme power advantage from his time against guys like Herring, Noigueria, Cro Cop, etc.
Quote from: AudiblyOffensive on July 21, 2008, 08:16:16 PM
Silva will crush Cote. Cote is the #1 contender to the title and I do not see him having a chance. The only guy (right now) at 185 I see with a shot is Michael Bisping. There's been rumors of Wanderlei Silva dropping down to 185. That would be a great fight to see Anderson / Wanderlei.
Silva will probably beat Cote. Cote has a similar style to James Irvin, excpet with a better wrestling background. I think if Silva wanted to stand with Cote, I'd push the fight into Cote's favour, but we all know Silva would eventually take Cote down and win. Cote is a very good fighter, but Silva's the best in the UFC.
I've been saying since the start of the year that I want to see Silva/Bisping. Bisping is in the top 10 fighters in the UFC in any weight class, and could beat Silva, and is the only guy who Silva wouldn't walk right over.
Wanderlei going to 185 would be sick. I'd love to see that fight almost as much as I want to see Fedor/Barnett, or Fedor/Arlovski.......orrrr Fedor/Couture.
Quote from: AudiblyOffensive on July 21, 2008, 08:16:16 PM
As far as Silva/Fedor... I honestly don't view this as a fair fight. Fedor would have an extreme power advantage from his time against guys like Herring, Noigueria, Cro Cop, etc.
I wouldn't say that. From a guy who's had to cut 15 pounds in a month for Football, you'll lose mostly fat, but some muscle too. It all depends on how you go about it. For a 'large' drop in Fedor, using his current weight for instance, being 230, he'd cut 25 pounds. He's not THAT strong of a man (He was able to get Hong Man Choi off him, but he's not a Randleman) I'd bet he'd lose some muscle.
And for Silva to move up to 205, he'd have to cut much less than he would to have to fight at 185, so that'd give him time to build some more muscle and get some strength to him.
That being said, I wont say that Fedor wont have a power advantage. Any heavyweight moving down to LHW will have that, but I dont think It'd play as huge of a factor as you'd think.
Still if this fight were to happen somehow, Fedor would dominate. Silva will strike, Fedor would take him down, and nighty night Silva.
CARD
Elite XC Middleweight Title: Robbie Lawler VS Scott Smith
Elite XC Welterweight Title: Jake Shields VS Nick Thompson
Elite XC Heavyweight Title: Antonio Silva VS Justin Eilers
Nick Diaz VS Thomas Denny
Wilson Reis VS Brian Caraway
Shayna Baszler VS Cristiane Santos
Rafael Cavalcante VS Travis Galbraith
This looks really fucking good. Three title bouts, a rematch from a sweet match in Lawler/Smith, mixed with A Goat, Big Foot, Nick Diaz, and the chick version of Cyborg and we got ourselves a night of fights.
Yeah Cory is right, Trump could do great things for Affliction.
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=175 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=175)
My review.
Also, check for Pat's UFC FIGHT NIGHT review soon.
My thoughts:
-Silva dominated as expected, but was outshun by Fedor on this night.
-I was pissed that JT Money lost, but glad he'll have a shot in the UFC.
-Cain Velasques was a beast, as I said in the AO Fight Night Predictions. I see huge things for this big man in the UFC Heavyweight division.
-Johnson's lost was brutal. The guy gets poked in the eye and loses by KO? Bullshit. He was going to win the fight, was a tough loss.
This one should be a million times better than the first Saturday night fights event.
Lawler vs Smith 2, can't wait!
That Burns call really pissed me off, and I too was bored to death with the Vera/Andy match. Not being a huge MMA fan, I have to say that Cain Velasquez looked real impressive. And not just cuz he's from San Jose.
Quote from: Jesse Gunn on July 21, 2008, 10:58:36 PM
That Burns call really pissed me off, and I too was bored to death with the Vera/Andy match. Not being a huge MMA fan, I have to say that Cain Velasquez looked real impressive. And not just cuz he's from San Jose.
It was funny how he had a 'Brown Power' tattoo across his chest, yet when he was scrambling on the mat with the Irishman Jack O'Brien, they looked the same.
Just sayin......
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=178 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=178)
Audibly Offensive Wrap-up by Mr. Pat Swafford.
We should do a predictions league for MMA events, anyone interested?
Speaking of which here are my predictions for the upcoming Elite XC card:
Elite XC Middleweight Title: Robbie Lawler VS Scott Smith- Lawler
Elite XC Welterweight Title: Jake Shields VS Nick Thompson- Shields
Elite XC Heavyweight Title: Antonio Silva VS Justin Eilers- Big Foot Silva
Nick Diaz VS Thomas Denny- Diaz
Wilson Reis VS Brian Caraway- Caraway
Shayna Baszler VS Cristiane Santos- Cyborg Santos
Rafael Cavalcante VS Travis Galbraith- Cavalcante
Me and Pat do one on Audibly Offensive, but I'm down.
Elite XC Middleweight Title: Robbie Lawler VS Scott Smith
Elite XC Welterweight Title: Jake Shields VS Nick Thompson-
Elite XC Heavyweight Title: Antonio Silva VS Justin Eilers-
Nick Diaz VS Thomas Denny-
Wilson Reis VS Brian Caraway-
Shayna Baszler VS Cristiane Santos-
Rafael Cavalcante VS Travis Galbraith-
Sweet, we'll count em up after the show and see who got the most right. Anyone else interested in joining in on the fun?
source: MMAweekly.com
Despite much speculation about a possible Nov. 8 date for the next event from fledgling MMA promotion Affliction, MMAWeekly.com has learned from multiple sources close to the negotiations that the promotion is instead nearing finalization of an Oct. 11 date for its next event.
Perhaps more surprising is the location. If the Oct. 11 date is finalized, the second edition of Affliction will take place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, smack in the backyard of industry juggernaut the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Affliction’s clothing brand was once prominently displayed on fighters entering the UFC Octagon, but once the company ramped up plans for its own mixed martial arts promotion, the relationship between it and the UFC quickly fractured. Fighters in the UFC are no longer allowed to wear the competing brand’s clothing at UFC events.
One source indicated that the move to Oct. 11 was primarily to try and facilitate the participation of the promotion’s cornerstone, Fedor Emelianenko. His manager, Vadim Finkelstein, stated prior to the first Affliction event on the M-1 Mix Fight official website that “Two more fights are planned for Fedor in 2008. The first one in October in the context of the next Affliction show in conjunction with M-1 Global, and the second one at New Year’s Eve in Japan.â€
When contacted by MMAWeekly.com for comment, Affliction vice president Tom Atencio said that while he could not confirm an Oct. 11 date in Las Vegas, that he would not rule it out either.
“Obviously the UFC is going to counter-program whatever we do,†said Atencio. Asked if he thinks that the UFC would continue to counter-program Affliction, he continued, “I would think that’s what they would do. They tried to crush us with the first show.â€
To counter Affliction’s first event, the UFC, in five weeks, put together a UFC Fight Night event that aired live on basic cable network Spike TV. The main event featured UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s light heavyweight debut against James Irvin.
-Hoping to see either Fedor/Arlovski or Fedor/Barnett
Ill watch it, hopefully live this time.
Affliction > UFC.
Ill post some match-ups.
BTW, Affliction > UFC is my opinion. Just like more free agent fighters than those in UFC.
MAIN EVENT: WAMMA World Heavyweight Title- Fedor Emelianenko v/s Josh Barnett
-Always wanted to see this fight. Barnett has enough wrestling to stop Fedor from taking him to the mat.......for a while, and deserves to fight this man.
Tim Syliva v/s Andrei Arlovski
-Winner gets a shot at Fedor. Arlovski needs 1 more fight to prove he should fight Fedor, and give Tim another chance to make up for that slaugher we saw, but hopefully another Tim Syliva slaughtering. Big Tim's was past his prime.
Tito Ortiz v/s Renato Sobral
- Nice match-up.
Mirko Cro-Cop v/s Ben Rothwell
-Affliction, (so far) is known for Heavyweight fights. Cro Cop might have been right, saying he's still a top fighter, but could never adjust to the cage. If so, we may have a legit contender for the WAMMA Title. Rothwell had a decent showing against Arlovski, and should be given another chance.
Other Fighters that should be put on the card:
-Little Nog
-David Loiseau
-Sam Stout
There are a lot more fights that I could come up with, but does anyone know if say, Dream or Elite XC fighters could fight in Adrenaline MMA (Affliction) ?
I been hoping for a Fedor/Barnett matchup for a long time. My only worries is that Fedor is too quick for Barnett. Barnett couldn't handle Mirko's quickness and Fedor is about the same level or quicker than Mirko.
Probably gonna be a Fedor/Arlovski fight.
Should be a good card.
Affliction has my attention for the moment. I won't go out and say Affliction > UFC, because IMO that's just foolish. But it depends on what fighters you root for I suppose. All of my favs currently reside in the UFC ;)
What they need to do is set up a tv deal, and get on during a UFC PPV, or until then, start scheduling their events on the same nights as UFC events. I mean, even though both matches were squashes, Tim Sylvia vs Fedor was a much better fight than Silva vs Irvin. I think they had the better card too. I think if they offered a PVP cheaper than UFC's, and on the same nights as UFC, then they'd eventually over take them due to the cards being better. I'm sorry, Joe Silva is a joke of a match maker.
Actually, UFC put a show on the same night as the Affliction card, so what you're saying it happening, except the dirty work was done on part of the UFC. They're doing it again tonight, putting up a 'free' recent PPV reply against Elite XC on CBS.
Yeah, UFC did it just to cut out PPV show profits. I think someone wrote it in here already, but UFC threw up that last free card in five weeks. If Affliction would wise up, they'd start doing their PPV's same night. The UFC's biggest enemy right now is the internet. It usually takes them with in 24 hours to remove video's off youtube and such. I know Affliction would leave them in. Eventually, people will notice the Affliction cards and be all about them over UFC. Both have awesome fighters. But I do think UFC seriously lacks in making fights. My greatest example is end of TUF season 3 finale. Rory Singer vs Ross Pointon, Kalib Starnes Vs Danny Abadi. I think it was Danny anyway. These are obviously to get people into the UFC with a win. I think Starnes vs Singer would have been better. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Joe Silva is an asshole who doesn't know what he's doing. Not Silva directly, but that's also a reason John McCarthy left, he was seeing too many people who didn't know what the hell they were doing getting jobs because they were friends of the owners.
Ross Pointon was the fucking man......just saying. Him and Bisping made the show, damn brits.
Joe Silva is a fucking idiot. I think he did a good job putting Alves/Sanchez for UFC 89 (I think, 89 or 88) and thats a dream match for me, but Affliction is the kind of place that will search the internet, find fights that people will want to see, and make it happen, regardless of budget (look at the first show, Fedor made like 3million). UFC just does shit sometimes that seems incredibly stupid, but then again, UFC is still really good to watch, but if Trump sinks some money in Affliction, in a few year time, they WILL be going down.
Same thing with the TUF 7 finale, why the fuck was Cale Yarbrough fighting Tim Credeur? How come guys like Gerald Harris, Mike Dolce, Brandon Sene, etc were left off of the card but an in-experienced guy like Cale is matched up with Tim (yes I know that fight was postponed but it was originally set up to happen at the finale).
Personally I would have wanted to see maybe Gerald Harris vs Tim Credeur instead, or even Dolce. Why Cale? Cale is not very good compared to the other TUF 7 guys that were left off the card.
At least my favourite was one the card (Matt Riddle).
Correct Picks:
Mitch: 6 (Cyborg, Silva, Diaz, Shields, Cavalcante, and Lawler)
Cory: 4 (Reis, Silva, Cavalcante, and Diaz)
So far I am ahead :airhumpingbraggingsmiley: lol
Would you want to continue the predictions league with me for future MMA events, come on it will be fun! :P
fucking missed every fight cept Diaz...damn work and girls.
Have to DL tommorow.
Had to work :(
I say the points thing, I wanna be included in the next.
I love Big Foot Silva btw, although I was hoping Scott SMith would win.
CORY EDIT:
Discuss all UFC events in this topic, to keep the boards free from clutter. Also try your hand in our Predictions game, ran by Mitch. See if you can out predict The www.audiblyoffensive.com MMA writers!!!
Anyone can join if they want, just post your predictions and after the show we will add up the score. I'll start with my predictions.
GSP vs Jon Fitch- GSP
Brock Lesnar vs Heath Herring- Lesnar
Kenny Florian vs Roger Huerta- Florian
Manny Gamburyan vs Rob Emerson- Manny
Jason MacDonald vs Demian Maia- MacDonald
Luke Cummo vs Tamdan McCrory- Cummo
Cheick Kongo vs Dan Evenson- Kongo
Chris Wilson vs Steve Bruno- Bruno
I want to see Herring go over Lesnar and I honestly think Huerta will go over Florian but I agree with the rest
yeh i definitely supprt the points idea.
GSP vs Jon Fitch- I'm actually siding with Fitch. Nobody pushes GSP, they all backtrack. I think Fitch, if he takes it to GSP, will win.
Brock Lesnar vs Heath Herring- Lesnar is green, but I don't think Herring will be able to do much on the ground
Kenny Florian vs Roger Huerta- Huerta. Jujitsu against wrestling, I pick the wrestler 9/10. Wrestling is the superior grappling style, and I go by this.
Manny Gamburyan vs Rob Emerson-Why are they wasting Manny's time with this UFC jobber?
Jason MacDonald vs Demian Maia- MacDonalds time is over I think. I think their throwing people at him cause he's beat a few people and it makes the people who beat him look better
Luke Cummo vs Tamdan McCrory- Cummo
Cheick Kongo vs Dan Evenson- I like Kongo, wish he'd work on ground work though
Chris Wilson vs Steve Bruno- BAH
His myspace bulletins are fucking classic, check this one out.
QuoteSo last night we go to this lil spot by my pad and my boy tries talking to this chick. RIGHT AWAY her FAT and JEALOUS friend tells him to beat it and was being rude as fuck. My boy is super chill and tries to talk to her and mellow her out but she just loves being a cunt.
As you probably know War Machine is about to take action...
=)
So I walk up and poor my entire drink on the fat cunt's head!!
HAHA!
I disappear into the crowd because I know if she does something in retaliation to me I'll prolly knock the bitch out.
*sigh*
Nothing feels better than being a dick to people who are SO deserving..
Made my night.
Hope you guys had a good one too.
WM
I loled
I have no desire to support Elite XC. Their love of Kimbo making sure he wins is exactly the kind of thing that will kill MMA.
Elite XC isn't so bad, their show last night was actually pretty good. The Diaz fight was crazy and Lawler vs Smith was a war! lol
I want to see Carano fight Cyborg so badly now lol.
I agree the card looked great. But I'm also saying if this is the year MMA has a fall out, it will be because of Elite XC. That Kimbo Stoppage was sooooo fake. What really pissed me off was the same ref tried to make it look like that is how he always calls fights when he clipped Branden Vera out not much afterward.
Yeah I didn't like the Kimbo stoppage either, if Kimbo is such a superstar stud like all the casual fans are saying then why is he fighting guys like Ray Mercer, Tank Abbott, James Thompson, etc? Yes he is beating them, he is an exciting fighter and he does hit hard BUT all of the hardcore fans KNOW that if Kimbo stepped up against a guy like Jeff Monson or Jake O'Brian he would lose quickly, and those two guys aren't even top 10 heavyweights. Kimbo is a nice guy, he knows he isn't the best, he is humble but the casual fans that have followed him on youtube watching him fight guys on the street think he is some kind of God of fighting, it's ridiculous.
Why do people like Kimbo Slice so much? Just because he is big, black and hits hard? Hey I like the guy too but some people need to get off his nuts. It pisses me off that when you ask a random guy if they know who BJ Penn is 9 times out of 10 they will say "who's that?" but if you ask them who Kimbo Slice is they will all say "oh chyeah dat da big ass dude who been busting motha fuckaz up on youtube, he fighting in dat UFC now", and my response "No actually he is fighting in Elite XC not UFC" and they say "No he be doing dat UFC stuff" and I just kinda roll my eyes and try to explain to them "Kimbo is fighting in MMA but not for the UFC, he fights for a different promotion" and they say "what's MMA?", lol and I just roll my eyes at their stupidity.
It's the same fucking thing with the guys that wear TAPOUT and have NO IDEA what MMA even is. I one time asked a guy wearing TAPOUT "Hey do you train?" and he said "huh", I say "MMA, do you train in MMA" and they say "What's MMA?".... WHY ARE YOU WEARING A TAPOUT SHIRT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT MMA IS? lol I hate that because it makes the sport look bad, thats why I try not to wear TAPOUT anymore.
Put him against Big Foot Silva for the heavyweight championship. SHouldn't the cornerstone of their company be holding the title? lol
I'm a known Kimbo fan.
Now read my AO article on my top favourite FAVOURITE fighters. He was my speel about Kimbo:
'Many would say that my list here loses all credibility for putting this man on my list. By that, you’d be 80% of the Sherdog members, and by that, you’re automaticly a douche.
I find the guy entertaining, what more can I say. He had a weak fight against James Thompson, but while on the ground, Thompson has a joke of a ground game, so the fight shouldn’t have been stopped. As for the actual stoppage, you cant deny that two more left hooks, and Thompson would be out. There has been worse calls than this, but just because it’s cool to hate on Kimbo, he gets trashed the way he did. I hope Kimbo knocks Brett Rogers the fuck out come October.
When standing, he’s very entertaining. Some of the most heavy hands in the business today, and I’ll pop for anytime I see Kimbo on a card.'
Kimbo isn't a top fighter, but he's a fighter. I enjoy watching him knockout cans, and he knows that's what he is being paid to do. I wouldn't go as far to say he's garbage, but a bit for training, and Kimbo could be a 'good' heavyweight someday.
I'm not trashing Kimbo. I'm trashing Elite XC. I hear tale and rumor, could be rumor but I like to believe it to be tale... That during the ground round (2) one of the top dogs of ELITE XC was yelling at the ref to stand them up, even though they were busy. Through using Kimbo's youtube sex appeal, Elite XC will tarnish the reputation of MMA as a pure and uncorrupted sport.
GSP vs Jon Fitch
Brock Lesnar vs Heath Herring
Kenny Florian vs Roger Huerta
Manny Gamburyan vs Rob Emerson
Jason MacDonald vs Demian Maia
Luke Cummo vs Tamdan McCrory
Cheick Kongo vs Dan Evenson
Chris Wilson vs Steve Bruno
Yeah, fuck EXC lol. We don't need WWE tactics in MMA. Say whatever you want about Lesnar being an ex-WWE wrestler, because the man is a true athlete...and would fuckin pwn Kimbo in seconds.
haha...seems like he would be a cool dude to chill with lol
QuoteAccording to a source over at Cage Potatoe, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson may have a few more problems than just getting arrested:
Rampage thinks he’s God…He had a falling out with his trainer a couple of days before the first arrest. Basically he has lost his mind and is talking very religious and is saying that he is God. This is the main thing I wanted to keep hidden, but with the second arrest and Dana talking it will come out regardless. He needs some serious help. I don’t know if you would call it schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or what have you, but whatever it is, basically it’s become impossible to have a conversation with him. He is delusional.
Credit: MMANews.com
I really hope he gets his shit together, I don't want to see an MMA version of the Benoit fiasco. Rampage is a good guy, hopefully he gets help.
Rampage is a very good guy, someone who i'd hang out with any day.....before.
Hope he gets his shit together ASAP
Damn, he probably took something. This is crazy.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
by Sherdog.com Staff
13798
Anderson Silva (Pictures) will defend his UFC middleweight title against Patrick Cote (Pictures) at UFC 90 on Oct. 25, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday.
Cote, 13-4, won a split decision over Ricardo Almeida (Pictures) on July 5. He has won five straight, including victories over Drew McFedries, Kendall Grove (Pictures), Jason Day (Pictures) and Scott Smith (Pictures).
No one in the UFC has made it past the second round with Silva. The Brazilian is 7-0 in the Octagon, 22-4 overall and regarded by many as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Yushin Okami (Pictures), who holds a disqualification win over Silva, was expected to get the next middleweight title shot, but he broke his hand.
UFC 90 will take place near Chicago in Rosemont, Ill., at the Allstate Arena.
Will Cote be able to take down the champ?
Sweet, love Cote, my favorite Canadian fighter.
I hope to god he knocks that motherfucker out....but it's unlikely.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
by Brian Knapp (bknapp@sherdog.com)
13820
Jared Rollins (Pictures) has withdrawn from his scheduled bout against Ben Saunders at UFC 87: Seek and Destroy on Aug. 9 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, according to American Top Team representatives. Ryan Thomas will replace Rollins on the card.
Based out of the ATT branch in Orlando, Fla., Saunders (5-0-2) has not competed since he earned a unanimous decision against Dan Barrera at “The Ultimate Fighter 6†Live Finale in December. The 6-foot-3 welterweight has reeled off five consecutive victories, four of them by KO, TKO or submission.
Thomas (9-1), meanwhile, will enter his UFC debut on a two-fight winning streak. He last appeared in April when he stopped Jason Bowling on strikes at an Extreme Challenge event in Danville, Ill. A former Division I wrestler at Eastern Illinois University, Thomas suffered his only career defeat in January, as he tapped out to a third-round armbar from International Fight League veteran Jesse Lennox. None of his 10 fights have gone the distance.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
by Loretta Hunt (lhunt@sherdog.com)
13821
Getting the opportunity to face the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter might not have been worth it to James Irvin (Pictures) in the end.
After getting squashed by Anderson Silva (Pictures) in a minute and one second during their July 19 UFC light heavyweight tilt on Spike TV, the Sacramento native has allegedly tested positive for the non-approved analgesic painkillers Methadone and Oxymorphone according to a post-fight urinalysis conducted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Irvin (14-5) has been temporarily suspended pending a disciplinary hearing with the NSAC. The regulatory body could vote to revoke his licensure for a yet-to-be determined length of time and/or fine Irvin for the alleged infractions. A date for the hearing has not been set.
Irvin’s manager, Mike Roberts, told Sherdog.com Tuesday afternoon that he had not been aware of the allegations and had not been in contact with his client about them yet. Irvin could not be immediately reached for comment.
Irvin, 29, took the Silva bout on the heels of recovery from a broken foot, after the UFC had swiftly organized the July 19 event to counter-program a pay-per-view hosted by the rival Affliction promotion on the same night.
Irvin had sustained the injury last May in preparation for a proposed co-event matchup against “The Ultimate Fighter 2†winner Rashad Evens at UFC 85 “Bedlam,†which was held on June 7 in London.
A former star on the central California’s WEC circuit prior to the promotion’s purchase by Zuffa LLC. in 2006, the heavy-handed Irvin had posted back-to-back wins over Luis Cane and Houston Alexander (Pictures) before his one-sided loss to UFC middleweight champion Silva.
You think he took the fight too fast? He coming off a broken foot , I understand why he took those painkillers. They still wore likely in his system when the fight happen...if he was trying to get edge it do not work lol
Whats with J-Roc, why did he back out?
I like Cote but he will suffer the same fate as Irvin, maybe not as quickly but still. Cote is a good striker, but Anderson Silva is much better with his striking, more technical than Cote. Anderson Silva is a BJJ Blackbelt, Cote is not, Cote is ok on the ground but Silva would submit him with ease.
I like Cote though, would be cool if he managed to win but it is not likely.
I think Silva is far too technical for Cote. Anderson Silva is at the top of his game right now and I don't really see him losing for awhile. He's a machine.
more they likely a injury ... I try to find out some more
Shitty, I loved his fight against the War Machine.
Well, he can go right back on them after Silva broke his face in half.
QuoteThe following is from an article on SI.com in which Josh Gross talks about Quinton "Rampage" Jackson firing his manager and trainer Juanito Ibarra and how Jackson could return in November for a third fight with Wanderlei Silva, pending mental state
Everything, save the pact between Jackson and Ibarra. With defeat as the impetus, Jackson responded to rough terrain by relieving the trainer of his duties, though "bottom line, somehow, someway it all involves money," said the fighter's friend.
As an Aug. 15 court date approaches for the 30-year-old father of four, a search for a new representation is underway. And, though he is only two weeks removed from an incident that allegedly sent pedestrians scurrying for their lives, the UFC is said to be interested in a November return for Rampage with a third fight against Silva.
His appearance in the cage will depend primarily on his mental state. But, as Jackson says himself, everything happens for a reason.
Credit: MMAnews.com
This would be awesome...Talk about a great draw too. If the Rampage that won the UFC LHW belt shows up, Wandy is in big trouble. If the Rampage that LOST the UFC LHW title shows up...Wandy will make him look like Jardine.
I can't wait. Joe Silva gains some credibility with this one.
I kinda lost respect for Rampage, why fire a guy that has helped you out soo much?
So did I but I don't think Rollins is all that good, Ben would have beat him.
I would like him to find some help for his mental state ...that should be his top goal at the moment ...fighting is going to be there , but he should be looking for the future of his health beyond the cage
Agreed
Yeah, Ben was good, and his reach would make it impossible for J-Roc to take him down, as he would keep him at bay. Still, would have been a great fight.
Ill agree, but say this. I think a out of control, insane Rampage would fuck everyone up in the ring.....but when it starts to affect his health (which it hasn't, or that I'm aware of), then he should make it a priority.
I'm rooting for Cote on this one. It will be cool having two Canadians wearing UFC belts. Unfortunately, I don't think Cote's going to win it, though.
Rampage firing Juanito is like Mike Tyson firing Cus D'Amato and Teddy Atlas.
Jackson better get a great trainer for a fight against Silva... Greg Jackson or the guys from Team Quest... if not... he might be roadkill. Silva was explosive in the Jardine massacre.
.....look for the 2nd ever MMAO Cast soon. We'll preview UFC 87 and talk about Affliction and UFC Fight Night and shit. It'll be better than sex with your hand.
I use both hands
The www.audiblyoffensive.com BreakdowN is done by head writer Patrick Swafford & Cory The Axe Murderer.
Each month, we'll preview the upcoming UFC card, as well as anything upcoming in the MMA word, such as Elite XC and Affliction updates. We'll go back and review the month that was in the world of MMA, give you our opinions on the fights, with no holds barred fighter bashing if you fucking sucked 'last month'. We have a question segment, where you, the listeners, can send questions or views that you want answered or discussed about on the show to pat@audiblyoffensive.com and we'll pick the best one or two to answer. We then finish off with our top 5 p4p rankings, which came sometimes turn into a war, depending on the outcome of the list.
BreakdowN #1 - "Affliction : Banned, UFC Fight Night 14, Elite XC, & p4p Rankings" (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/podpress_trac/web/167/0/mmao080908.mp3)
BreakdowN #2 - "UFC 87, Fedor/Spyder Debate, GSP Talk, & p4p Rankings" (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/player/mmao080608.mp3)
BreakdowN #3 - "Lesnar, TUF, UFC 92, & Year End Awards" (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=510)
BreakdowN #4- "UFC 98" (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=658)
BreakdowN #5- "Review of Sorts + UFC 99 Preview (http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/www.audiblyoffensive.com/player/mmao061209.mp3)
I've heard nothing but good things about this show, so I wanted to pin it in hopes that people will see it.
GSP ;D vs Jon Fitch
Brock Lesnar ;D vs Heath Herring
Kenny Florian vs Roger Huerta ;D
Manny Gamburyan ;D vs Rob Emerson
Jason MacDonald ;D vs Demian Maia
Luke Cummo ;D vs Tamdan McCrory
Cheick Kongo ;D vs Dan Evenson- I fucking hate Kongo
Chris Wilson vs Steve Bruno ;D
Looking forward to listening to it. 8)
From Sherdog:
The UFC’s parent company, Zuffa LLC, emerged with another victory Friday, as a Dallas appeals court granted the promotion a stay against a motion for summary judgment submitted by Mark Cuban’s HDNet Fights.
The Mavericks NBA team owner had filed the motion on Feb. 13, requesting that a Texas court decide when five-time UFC champion Randy Couture (Pictures) would be eligible to sign into a contract with his own rival organization.
Citing discontent with his pay and treatment, Couture had resigned from the UFC on Oct. 11, 2007, leaving his heavyweight crown and two contracted fights on the table. Zuffa contends the 45-year-old fighter still owes the promotion the two remaining fights per his promotional (or fight) agreement. Couture believes his fight contract expired on July 19.
The Dallas County Fifth Court of Appeals originally granted Zuffa an emergency stay only four days after a separate Texas court had agreed to hear Cuban’s motion at a June 2 hearing.
Friday’s judgment, which entertained only written arguments from both sides, will effectively halt Couture’s case from unfolding in the Lonestar State for now.
Cuban is expected to appeal Friday’s decision to the Texas Supreme Court.
Attention now turns back to Las Vegas, where the popular fighter and Zuffa have begun arbitration hearings to try and hash out a resolution to a nine-month saga that has drawn considerable media attention. Couture and UFC President Dana White were deposed for the case three weeks ago, and more individuals are expected to join the process in the coming weeks. The arbitration proceedings will take place behind closed doors.
In a separate suit in Nevada, Zuffa filed for breach of contract against Couture on Jan. 14, claiming the four-time Olympic alternate had violated a one-year non-complete clause within an employment agreement he’d signed in December 2006 by promoting non-UFC fights. Arguments for that lawsuit have not been scheduled yet.
Couture’s employment contract, which hired the then-retired fighter for commentary and promotional appearances, expires Oct. 11.
Couture was not immediately available for comment Friday.
~~
Fuck, if you already know he's not going to fight in your company, because Dana's head is too far up his own ass to sign Fedor, just let him go.
Dana White is a dickhead.
I also heard some rumors that GSP might be leaving the UFC (he wants more money like everyone else and I think he rightfully deserves it like everyone else).
Plus I keep hearing fighters like Roger Huerta talking about possibilties of leaving when their contract expires.
Dana needs to stop being a dick and pay his fucking fighters. Keith Jardine is a top 10 LHW, he barely gets paid shit lol.
That's why Affliction has a chance. With Donald Trump backing them (If he does) all fighters will make at least $75,000 a fight, and thats what some main eventers get paid at fucking Fight Nights.
War Donald Trump! lol
I have to agree with what Tito Ortiz was saying about Dana, Tito made a lot of good points especially about how Dana likes to control all of the other fighters. Ever notice that when a fighter is asked "who would you like to fight next", they almost always say "it's up to them". Tito was right when he said that these guys should be thinking outside of the box.
Anybody watching? They have three titles on the line, Condit, Varner and Stann are all defending their belts. Should be an interesting night of fights, I'll definetely be watching.
Though I really cannot wait to see the next WEC event which has Urijah Faber defending against Mike Brown, that should be a great fight and I honestly think Mike Brown has a good chance of beating Faber (but I'm still picking Faber to win).
Faber is sweet ...I saw that fight against jens ... man I really a fan of that guy . Mike has a chance but I think Faber is just to good
Yeah I loved the Faber-Pulver fight and I'd love to see a re-match. Hopefully Jens can get a few more wins under his belt and they can fight again someday.
I better get this on TSN here (broad casted Faber/Pulver)
I wish i knew/watched more WEC....sadly I only know a handfull of fighters........ :(
Thank you for the pin. Get us some stuff to use.
Much love,
AO
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com)
pat@audiblyoffensive.com
GSP vs Jon Fitch
Brock Lesnar vs Heath Herring
Kenny Florian vs Roger Huerta
Manny Gamburyan vs Rob Emerson
Jason MacDonald vs Demian Maia
Luke Cummo vs Tamdan McCrory
Cheick Kongo vs Dan Evenson
Chris Wilson vs Steve Bruno
also, check http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=193
For myself and Pat Swaffords in depth Predictions.
Audibly Offensive, your home for MMA
It is being reported by FiveOuncesofPain.com that a hand injury may put a chink in the finalization of a proposed WAMMA heavyweight bout between champion Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski.
The report said Emelianenko has been dealing with the lingering injury and it's severity makes it very unlikely that the Russian will be ready to compete by the October 11 fight date. It's not stated as to whether Emelianenko competed with the injury in his 36-second dismantling of Tim Sylvia in July, or whether the injury was reaggravated afterwards. For the time being, it appears that Affliction is working on a replacement headline bout that will likely see Arlovski square off with fellow ranked heavyweight Josh Barnett.
Both fighters are coming off impressive victories at Affliction's debut event, entitled "Banned," last month. Barnett scored a measure of revenge over old foe Pedro Rizzo with a second-round knockout of the veteran, while Arlovski broke down Ben Rothwell with a punishing series of strikes en route to a third-round TKO victory.
Recently, Emelianenko had expressed a desire to compete two more times during 2008. With these new injury concerns coming to light, coupled with Emelianenko's plans to compete in Japan on a New Year's Eve fight card, there is a strong possibility that the next time the PRIDE standout competes of American soil will be in early 2009.
Other bouts currently in the works for Affliction's second event include a middleweight scrap between Matt Lindland and Vitor Belfort, as well as a clash between UFC standouts Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Tito Ortiz.
(Credit goes to FiveOuncesofPain.com for the original story, with credit for the photo going to MMAWeekly.com)
Fuck sakes. I mean, Arlovski v/s Barnett would be fucking amazing.....but Fedor makes a card.
This can also be viewed at http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=193
It’s been a lazy few weeks for MMA, and me. Not much to talk about and I’ve been working A LOT of fucking hours, so it’s been hard to come up with a good article, but I’ll have a new one up soon, probably right after UFC 87.
UFC 87 “Seek and Destroy†is right around the corner, and we will see if arguably the best fighter in the UFC in Georges St. Pierre will ‘seek’ and ‘destroy’ challenger Jon Fitch for his UFC Welterweight Championship.
I don’t want to get into it, as Audibly Offensive will be bringing you our second MMAO Cast, now labelled the AO Fight Cast, which sounds a hell of a lot better, with the host with the most Patrick Swafford and Canada’s finest Cory The Axe Murderer Silva, where we’ll cover UFC 87, and touch on a few other subjects, such as Affliction: Banned and UFC Fight Night 14. But we want to know what you the listener, wants us to talk about. If you have any questions, comments, rants, anything. Send them to pat@aubilyoffensive.com and well be happy to answer them.
So like with every major card, we have our predictions to do, so let’s jump right into that.
Current Standings:
Through seven events,
Swafford: 24/30
The Axe Murderer Silva: 21/30
UFC 87 “Seek and Destroyâ€
Main Event, UFC Welterweight Title: Georges St. Pierre (C) v/s Jon Fitch
Swafford: I love Jon Fitch. I think he’s one of the best guys at 170lbs. His list of wins in the UFC read like a damn who’s who. Sanchez, Wilson, Alves, Burkman… but he’s facing a wrecking machine in St. Pierre. GSP is one of the best pound-for-pound in the world. He’s the best welterweight in the world, without argument (the argument comes when/if BJ Penn decides to move up). I’d love to see Fitch pull this off because of the way he got passed over for the first Ultimate Fighter, but I don’t see it happening.
GSP with the win by decision.
The Axe Murderer Silva: Georges St. Pierre is living proof that Canadian’s can fuck people up. Sure, we might not go to war, but when we legalize Marijuana, you’ll be kissing our asses. Anyways, GSP is a fucking machine, and along side with Fedor, is the most well rounded fighter in the world, and for him, in the UFC. He’s been on a role after suffering the huge lose against Matt Serra. Fitch is a well rounded guy, who’s good on the ground, and hell, knocked out one of my favourites in Thiago Alves a while back, but GSP will make this fool his bitch.
GSP via TKO
Brock Lesnar v/s Heath Herring
Swafford: You’ve gotta feel a little sorry for Lesnar. He gets Frank Mir, one of the best submission guys in the world, for his first UFC fight. Now, he gets Heath Herring, one of the toughest bastards to ever step into the cage. Herring replaces Mark Coleman, who pulled out with an injury. I think the replacement works out bad for Lesnar. He’s never faced a guy with as good a striking game as Herring. Herring was a second-tier guy in PRIDE, but did knock guys like Nogueira and Fedor on their asses a time or two. He has trouble finishing fights, but I think “The Texas Crazy Horse†will finish this one and knock Lesnar out.
Herring with the win by KO.
The Axe Murderer Silva: The most overhyped fighter in the world v/s the most hot and cold fighter in the world. First, you have Brock Lesnar. He gets more hype than fucking Griffin/Bonnar II and gets schooled by Frank Mir. Sure, he was an incredible wrestler in collage, and, to be honest my last ‘favourite’ pro wrestling wrestler, but back to the collegiate wrestling, there are a bunch of them in the UFC, and they don’t get anywhere near the hype. Look at guys like Josh Koscheck who are amazing wrestlers and barely get any air time. He does have crazy ground and pound. Then you have Heath Herring. When this guy is hot, he could easily be the World Heavyweight Champion, but when cold, Kimbo Slice would school him. Yeah, I said it. If the real Heath Herring shows up, he will win, but if the weak Herring shows up, Lesnar will win. I like Herring, crazy hairstyles, but he’ll be colder than the North Pole.
Lesnar via KO
Kenny Florian v/s Roger Huerta
Swafford: This will be the fight of the night. Obviously, the winner of this one probably gets a shot at BJ Penn and the Lightweight Title. I love both of these guys. They’re two of the most well-rounded fighters in the game. In the end, I see “El Matador†putting Florian away.
Roger Huerta with the win by decision.
The Axe Murderer Silva: I agree. Fight of the night, unless Herring/Lesnar can go the three rounds. Even if Kenny Florian has the worst nick name in the game by far, he has brilliant Ju Jistu, and is a submission machine. Huerta is a well rounded fighter, has some heavy hands, but I still think he should have never got out from the fight with Clay Guida last year, but that shows the kid has a chin of steel. I’m draw. I could see Florian submitting Huerta just as easy as I could see Huerta knocking him out. So Ill say……
Kenny Florian via Submission
Manny Gamburyan vs Rob Emerson
Swafford: Manny Gamburyan is a wrecking machine. His Judo is only surpassed by his cousin, Karo Parisyan, but Gamburyan has unreal strength. He’s a powerhouse that can beat you with his Judo or just blast you in the face with a right hand and seal the deal. Rob Emerson is in for a long night. Besides, anyone that loses a decision to Melvin Guillard needs to leave MMA altogether.
Gamburyan by KO.
The Axe Murderer Silva: Really? Manny will take this sucka down and ground and pound for the win in the first.
Gamburyan via KO
Jason MacDonald vs Demian Maia
Swafford: Jason MacDonald is a little overrated if you ask me. I’m sure my boy Cory’s gonna be all over “The Athlete†because he’s a homer for his fellow Canadians, but Meia’s a submission machine. Five of his seven wins have ended by submission, including the greatest piece of irony in MMA history when he submitted Ed Herman by triangle at UFC 83. You remember Herman, right? He’s the idiot that lost to MacDonald by Triangle, whinned in the ring because he “tapped out like a bitchâ€, won his next three fights then got caught by triangle again by Maia. Wait, both of these guys beat Herman by Triangle? OK…
Demian Maia with the win by… yep…. Triangle Choke. (I just got a feeling.)
The Axe Murderer Silva: I do have a soft spot for Canadians, but Patrick, you must have the same towards them southern boys? Jason MacDonald grew up like 30 minutes away from my house, so that’s cool, even if he resides in a different place now. Maia is a very talented submission artist, and this fight, like Florian/Huerta could go either way just as easy. Ill give MacDonald for the win, just because I’m bias.
Jason MacDonald via Decision.
Damn how about that Steve Cantwell, he beat Brian Stann's ass.... I was not expecting that lol. I figured Stann would smash him, that was a good fight!
Ill check it out now, see if I get it.....
Well it just ended, it was an awesome night of fights.... almost all of the fights were finished with a KO or a submission.
The main event was a war, N..B.K Carlos Condit is awesome!
fucking TSN, it said it was on the alternate feed, but both feeds were the HoF NFL Game.....lame.
lol bummer, hopefully you can catch their next show. Faber vs Brown and Filho vs Sonnen.
So as most of you know, Cory and I will be writing a joint column once a month about MMA for these forums. We will be discussing this on MSN later this week but I was wondering if you guys had any ideas for us? Is there anything that you would like to see? Feel free to give us some ideas and other fun stuff that you would like to see in this column. 8)
Also, I have yet to ask Pat, but I hope to publish this monthly article on Audibly Offensive, to get it to a broader audience.
That would be bad ass! 8)
I'll hit you up on MSN on Weds Cory so we can talk more about this.
you want to do it know? Ill be on for another 45 minutes er so, as I prep with Patrick for the FightCast
just add:
coryforgeron@hotmail.com
Sure, I'll get on right now. Just give me a few minutes.
That's rumored to happen at UFC 90, that's an interesting fight. A win for Tyson Griffin would catapult him right into title contention, but a win for Sherk would also bring Sherk back into title contention. I don't know who I'd be rooting for but I think Sherk will probably win, this would likely go the distance I think.
I'd root for that UFC 90 to be free on Spike TV :)
....sounds like a sick fight. I'd see it go to Sherk, as he's has better wrestling than Griffin. He'd take Griffin down and submit him, I think.
I don't believe Sherk knows how to submit anymore. I think he will get him down and occasionally rabbit punch him for 3 rounds.
you do know he's won about a dozen fights with some sort of Submission right?
GSP vs Jon Fitch - GSP by 2nd round TKO
Brock Lesnar vs Heath Herring - Herring by 1st round TKO
Kenny Florian vs Roger Huerta - Florian by Decision
Manny Gamburyan vs Rob Emerson - Manny by 1st round Sub
Jason MacDonald vs Demian Maia - MacDonald by 2nd round TKO
Luke Cummo vs Tamdan McCrory - Cummo by Decision
Cheick Kongo vs Dan Evenson - Kongo by 1st round KO
Chris Wilson vs Steve Bruno - Wilson by Decision
Andre Gusmao vs Jon Jones - Gusmao by 1st round TKO
Ben Saunders vs Ryan Thomas - Saunders by 2nd round Sub
Lol yes I am aware, I was making a 'funny' in reference to the way he's been finishing his fights against tougher opponents.
Oh, yeah. True, lol.
TONIGHT!!!
.....send in your questions people!
I will send you some questions and some vaginas, if thats cool with you? 8)
Can these questions be about anything MMA related or just the topic for the show?
I don't see Sherk being able to submit Tyson Griffin, he will outwrestle him but I don't see him catching Griffin in any subs, but I could be wrong. Sherk does have some good submissions but Griffin is a tough dude to submit.
Anything bro....tor both of those things, :)
I just send them to pat@audiblyoffensive.com, right?
Yes
(http://tyr.icebase.net/users/Affliction/12000_26feb2007_xArea_1_Image.jpg)
Just found this in my e-mail box from Affliction. Fuck, I can't wait.
Oh yeah I saw that on MMAweekly.com a few days ago, I was gonna post it here but I forgot lol.
Can't wait, I'm defintely ordering this one.
I think Barnett and Arlovski will be a huge fight, I think Barnett will take it, but either way i'm rooting for both of them.
I hope Tito fights Babalu, plus I heard a rumor for Vitor Belfort vs Matt Lindland!
eh, Lindland's a boring fighter.
I'd love to see Tito/Sobral, that'd be sick.
Arlovski/Barnett is obviously, winner faces Fedor for the WAMMA Heavyweight Belt, so that'll be good.
I'd like to see Cro Cop brought in from Japan, or bring some featherweights in from Japan.
GOMI too, he'd be a nice touch.
Would love to see Gomi come in.
Also Lindland might be boring, but still he is the man lol. I think a fight with Belfort would be somewhat interesting to see.
I'd like to see my boy Jeff Monson get some more wins and make his way to Affliction :o
Monso will probably be on the card, good heavyweight not signed anywhere.
Maybe Jeff Monson v/s Ben Rothwell or something.
of if they bring in Cro Cop, Monson/Cro Cop. I'd pay to see that.
It's hard to grab someone's neck when they practically don't have one. Just ask Clay Guida.
Now hopefully everyone will realize the toughness that is Hiromitsu Miura. Everyone I talk to about the guy look and see a UD loss to Jason Miller. If they actually watched that match, they would realize that it could have gone either way.
I'd still rather watch Thiago Alves v/s Diego Sanchez than this......just saying. Or was that UFC 89???
Agreed, he was very impressive against Condit, hell he almost had him a few times.
Me too, both of those would be great fights.
I remember watching Monson fight Sylvia, he couldn't take him down, he was too freaking short for him haha.
I think that was 89, and I agree that a fight between Alves and Sanchez would be awesome.
Though I'd LOVE to see Alves-Koscheck too.
Speaking of Thiago's, I would have much rather seen Thiago Silva v Wanderlei Silva than Machida...if only for the staredown.
I would too, but if that happened, Thiago Silva wouldn't get a title match if he'd win. That's why the Machida fight is so awesome. Once Thiago knocks him out (1st round) hell fight Forrest Griffin, and then if he wins, Wanderlei/Thiago fight, which'd be probably my 3rd dream fight at the moment.
... If Thiago knocks out Machida in the first round.... I will eat my own shit :D.
I think Thiago could win, but it wouldn't be easy. Machida is a hell of a striker, one of the most technical strikers in the game. I think Thiago could beat him if he doesn't go too crazy, if he goes crazy with Machida, Machida will beat him.
Thiago Silva is very impressive in his own right, he finishes more fights than Machida does. This is an interesting fight, it's the aggresive striker with incredible KO power vs the technical striker that has frustrated every opponent he has ever faced.
To knock out Machida, you have to catch him first. Thiago has shown that he has had some trouble with good technical strikers, like in his last fight. Right now I don't see anybody in the division beating Machida.
Yeah I can definetely see Machida working his way into a title fight with Forrest, and I'd love to see it.
Main card as of now for 88:
Chuck Liddell vs Rashad Evans
Rich Franklin vs. Matt Hamill
Dan Henderson vs. Rousimar Palhares
Nate Marquardt vs. Martin Kampmann
Karo Parisyan vs. Zenko Yoshida
The reason I'm holding off buying this Saturday's card, 88 looks phenomenal right now.
Agreed! looking awesome.
Unfortunately for Rashad, he's going to find out what happens when grapplers go up against Chuck Liddell.
Yeah Chuck's knocking him out, they will probably have him fight Forrest next.
Here are my picks to win:
Chuck
Hammil
Hendo
Kampmann
Karo
I see a few squashes in this one.
Franklin shouldnt have a problem with Hamill, as long as he can stop Matt from taking him down.
Like Kristian, Rashad's gonna get caught while trying to take Liddell down. Lights out.
I dont even know who the guy Hendo's facing. Squash.
Mardquardt/Kampmann will be a good fight.
Karo should squash that Asian, though if he came out like he did against Thiago Alves, he could be in trouble.
I guess this is just one of those things that we'll just have to see what happens. I still can put the image in my head, of the fans booing because Lyoto won't engage, then Silva steps up and delivers a right cross to the chin, KO.
Can't wait.
This is the final notification. We'll be recording in about an hours time, so if you have any last minute questions, get them in now!
-Cory
I think while Franklin is a beast standing up, Hammil's striking has come along way since TUF season 3. I don't think he will get completelly mauled by Franklin if they stand, though I do think Hammil should look to take it to the ground, if he can do that then he'll beat Rich.
I don't know man, I have a gut feeling that Hammil's taking this, though it could be just because I love to root for the underdog lol.
I like Hamill alot, but he's stubborn. He likes to stand with people. Franklin's not Bisping and Hamill's not Anderson Silva. Hamill has a good chin though, which is probably what saved him in his last fight with Tim Boetsch. But Franklin's just on a different level then anyone Hamill's fought, and he has a very good ground game when he has to utilize it.
Palhares is a BJJ phenom. Picture Paulo Filho except quicker on the ground. Still, Hendo should TKO him.
Karo/Yoshida fight is going to be closer than you might think Cory. How's Karo going to handle someone who has slightly better judo than him? On the feet it should be Karo's fight, but Yoshida's ground game is A LOT like Diego's. It will be Yoshida's toughest test...I have Karo squeaking out a decision. He's not going to run through Yoshida though, I'll be very surprised if he does.
yeah Yoshida is tough, no doubt about that, I wouldn't be surprised if he beat Karo tbh, though I still think Karo will get the UD.
And I'll agree with Hammil being stubborn, but even he has to realize that Franklin would knock him the fuck out, I think Matt can stand with Rich for awhile but eventually he needs to use that wrestling.
Quick picks, even if this isnt the predictions thread.
Chuck Liddell vs Rashad Evans
Rich Franklin vs. Matt Hamill
Dan Henderson vs. Rousimar Palhares
Nate Marquardt vs. Martin Kampmann
Karo Parisyan vs. Zenko Yoshida
Recorded.
Thanks to Mitch for sending in questions, we picked the best one, but you'll have to listen once it's up to find out which one :)
I think it will outshine the first by a lot.
You better have given a shoutout to my wife, Arianny Celeste >:(
I can't wait to listen to this show, I'm pumped for it haha.
It should be up before the weekend (I think)
as it takes a while to edit it and splice in the music and shit
oh ok, well in the meantime I will be at home in my hottub making love to my new wife, Arianny ;D
I'll pull a Shayne Stylez and say she is sitting right next to me with a plate of pancakes!
I still call bullshit
My prediction for UFC 88....
I'll be there and you won't. :)
Remember what I said, go in with a laptop (be careful, you're in Atlanta, remember) and be like
"Uhhh, Patrick Swafford, AudiblyOffensive.com"
It'll work. Trust me.
I too.....cept to be an individual, Ill call shenanigans.
Fine.... I lied, the truth is.... I impregnated Gina Carano, so yeah we're having a baby boy! :P
Though Arianny IS really sitting next to me with a plate of pancakes, she says hi. :jointpasssmiley:
I'll be in Atlanta.... watching on TV LOL, I wish I could have gotten tickets though.
Your f'n lucky Pat lol
Quote from: MitchMMA on August 06, 2008, 08:50:21 PM
Fine.... I lied, the truth is.... I impregnated Gina Carano, so yeah we're having a baby boy! :P
You better Run, Pat's now going to find where you live, lock you inside of you house, and set it on fire.
He loves him some Gina Carano, tho I dont blame him. Watching her in HD on the Elite XC: Primetime, made me want her.
also, listen to FightCast #2 a we brush on this topic.
Plug.
She's a nice gal.
We weren't even looking to have sex with each other, we were just rolling, she was teaching me some slick submissions and then the next thing you know we are doing the nasty! :P
lol.
"One day she was teaching me how to do a proper mount, and it was like, boom. Pregnant."
LMAO!
Credit: MMAFrenzie.com
“I’m devastated by what he’s been through and some of the things I’ve heard. I’ve not sat down with Quinton to this day to discuss things. I pray for his well-being, and if I helped Quinton out a little bit with his growth in the sport, then I’ve been very blessed and honored to do that. I love this kid with all my heart, and I wish him nothing but the best.
I’m not going to get in to storytelling. … It’s not what I’m about.I haven’t sat down with Quinton Jackson, and I’m not going to hear things through sources and through people. This is a kid I’ve been with for almost four years. I have nothing but love and support for him. All I want for Quinton right now is what’s best for him. Whatever he needs from me in any way, I’m here for him and always have been.â€
Credit: MMAJunkie.com
UFC light heavyweight contender Wanderlei Silva stated during a recent appearance on TAGG Radio that he will likely return to the octagon in December at what is usually the biggest UFC pay-per-view event of the year. “The Axe Murderer†added that while he would (surprise) enjoy a third meeting with Quinton Jackson, he really has no idea who his opponent could be at this time:
“They’re talking about December because it is the best event of the year. (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira is going to fight (Frank) Mir for the belt for the heavyweights. This is the best event. It’s much more promotion. They told me to be ready to fight in December.
They gave me 10 (possible) names,†Silva said. “My division is the best division in the world. They have so many names. I think they’re going to give a good opponent to me…I wanted to fight [Jackson] again. I think it’s a very good match.â€
Silva (32-8-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) most recently dispatched of Keith Jardine in the opening minute of their bout at UFC 84, and prior to that dropped a hard fought decision to former champion Chuck Liddell at UFC 79.
Didn't page fire him?
that's kinda of how I got Pat to let me do an article on AudiblyOffensive.....but he wont admit that. :p
that he did.
I'm curious what the 10 names were.
I'd actually rather want to see Thiago Silva v/s Wanderlei than 'Page, but eh.
It's like ants at a picnic.
I still don't get that, Jaunito was like a brother to him.
yeah Thiago vs Wandy would be awesome!
Let's face it. Rampage is fucked in the head right now, you wont be able to justify anything he does until he see a 'crazy doctor'
Right now, actually, I'd probably wanna see Thiago/Wanderlei more than Couture/Fedor.....call me crazy.
yeah very true.
I think so too, though both of those fights are huge dream fights.
How can you get Gina pregnant when she's already pregnant by me... liar.
... and people always wonder whatever happened to Ali Sonoma.... :P
Kinda hard to be an Octagon Girl in a bikini with a baby belly.
Just say it's Chuck Liddell's and market it.
lol whatever happened to that Jenny Lee girl? Wasn't she on that show "Beauty and the Geek", she was a ring girl for UFC I believe.
She's living in my basement, and she used at my own personal convenience.
You lucky devil ;D
What can I say, Im certified P.I.M.P, like Tank
I going to give evans a puncher chance ... I think he could shocked the world
I think he could to, he does have a good chance but I think in the end Chuck will be too much for him.
This has potential to being Liddell/Jardine all over again.
Let's just hope Chuck can finish this one early.....
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/player/mmao080608.mp3 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/player/mmao080608.mp3)
It's Up!
YAY!
lol if you are Eddie Bravo, I am Joe Rogan!
Awesome show so far, I'm digging it, though I do have two complaints.
1.) Everyone says my last name wrong :P, it's actually pronounced Sick-Arelli
2.) Chris Leben does not suck >:(
Other than that, I agreed with everything else you guys were saying. Hopefully I can get a microphone soon and join you guys for the next one haha.
I personally cant wait for the Barnett/Arlovski fight.
The Heavyweight division is my fave division and I am glad they have alot of the top 10 contenders.
I hope Fedors hand heals soon/
Quote from: Cory on August 06, 2008, 10:18:09 PM
Let's face it. Rampage is fucked in the head right now, you wont be able to justify anything he does until he see a 'crazy doctor'
QFT
Quote from: MitchMMA on August 07, 2008, 12:22:04 PM
lol if you are Eddie Bravo, I am Joe Rogan!
So you're dumb enough to call a cut a "goat's vagina", too?
Joe Rogan is as good a Color guy as Bruce Buffer is a ring announcer....
lol idk I don't think Rogan is that bad, he might say something dumb occasionally but he is better than most. Though I think Frank Mir is one of the best commentators in MMA right now. I also love to hear guys like Bas Rutten, Randy Couture, and Kenny Florian doing commentary.
Actually scratch that, I'll be Frank Mir instead. :P
I only said Rogan cause he is a brown belt under Eddie Bravo lol.
I like Bruce Buffer too lol, he might not be as good as his brother but he is still able to pump me up whenever he yells "IT'SSSS TIMEEEEE"
I'd rather listen to the guy that does WEC or Elite's Jimmy Lennon, Jr.
Those guys are great ring announcers. I'd do better than Michael Buffer's idiot brother.
Mike Goldberg sucks, can we agree on that? lol
He's like the Michael Cole of MMA, pointing out the obvious and saying things that have nothing to do with the fight.
At least Goldberg voice isn't annoying, or talks like he knows everything that Joe Rogan.
Frank Mir(WEC) and Mauro Renelo(PRIDE & Elite XC) are the best.
You guys dont like Mauro?
"Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post. "
damnit Cory beat me.
He's the best, and Canadian!
I think Goldie is kinda annoying lol, but thats just me. Rogan can be kinda annoying I guess, his voice never really bothered me much though.
I'll agree, Frank and Mauro are the best.
lol imagine Ed O'Neil (Al Bundy), calling an MMA fight, lol didn't he recently get his BJJ blackbelt? It took him 16 years.
I'm telling you guys, if Fitch pushes GSP, GSP will crumble. Most fighters hang back against him, and he uses this to his advantage. If Fitch Pushes, he'll win.
honk... fitch comes at him and gives him a challenge I agree , but GSP will previl in the end
But I will be the frist to say HONKER was right if Fitch wins
Archie Bunker would be the best of all time.
I haven't watched the fight yet, but I've looked up results... How Does Rob Emerson beat Manny?????????????? MMALINKER.COM I go!!!
wow, awesome show! Best PPV of the year so far.
MacDonald vs Maia was a Jiu-Jitsu clinic, it was like a chess match, counter after counter, submission atempt followed by submission attempt.
I was surprised how MacDonald was able to hang with Demian on the ground for awhile, though not for long as Maia sinked in the rear naked choke for the tap, Demian has a sick ground game!
Huerta vs Florian was a sick fight, Florian basically picked Roger apart. Huerta was way too over confident and he came out to aggresive, he didn't connect a whole lot while Florians technique was crisp and he landed a lot more than Roger.
Florian got the descision in the end, KenFlo looks better with every fight!
Rob Emerson freaking knocked Manny Gamburyan the fuck out! I thought Manvil would smash him but Emerson comes in and knocks him out in round 1, that was pretty freaking incredible. I think Mavil came out to aggresive and left openings and Emerson made him pay for it.
Brock freaking Lesnar DOMINATED Heath Herring, jeez Lesnar is a freaking animal! He almost took Heaths head off in the first round, then after that he just dominated him with his wrestling and ground and pound. Brock's a freak, he is a monster! He will be champ someday, I gurantee.
GSP dominated Fitch for five rounds, Fitch was able to hang in there but GSP clearly dominated him. It's almost as if GSP is super human or something, he's the only guy in that division that could pass Jon Fitch's gaurd. Plus Fitch is a great wrestler and he got outwrestled by GSP just like GSP did to Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck (two awesome wrestlers that GSP outwrestled).
I can't wait to see GSP fight BJ Penn, hopefully in december!
I will count up the scores later today to see who got the most points for the predictions.
The Rankings:
Cory: 5-3 (GSP, Florian, Lesnar, Kongo and Wilson- MacDonald, Cummo and Manny)
Khristian Call: 5-4 (GSP, Florian, Kongo, Ben Saunders, and Wilson- Herring, Gusmao, Cummo and MacDonald)
MitchMMA: 4-4 (GSP, Lesnar, Florian and Kongo- Manny, Cummo, Bruno, and MacDonald)
Honker: 3-4 (Lesnar, Kongo, Maia- Fitch, Manny, Huerta, Cummo) {I wasn't sure who you were predicting for some of them lol}
John S: 3-5 (Lesnar, Florian and Kongo- Fitch, MacDonald, Manny, Cummo and Bruno)
TaNK: 3-5 (GSP, Lesnar, and Kongo- Huerta, Manny, MacDonald, Cummo and Bruno)
Cory is the reigning predictions champ! Let's see who can beat him with the UFC 88 picks!
edit: . Most of us forgot to pick the Saunders fight and the Jones fight, next time we need to make sure we predict all of the fights for this point system to work lol.
Yeeee, thats right.
BTW, AO Review on UFC 87 will be up tonight!
sweet, looking forward to reading that Cory.
I'm going to start up the UFC 88 predictions, but this time there are a few rules.
1.) You need to make sure you predict all of the fights on the card, if a fight is added last minute then you need to go back and edit your pick.
2.) You CAN change your picks up until 24 hours before the event, once we are 24 hours away from the event then your picks are final and you cannot change them.
3.) You MUST pick a winner for each fight but you also need to pick the round and the finish as well. We are going to do things differently this time around.
Ok so let's get started, here are mt UFC 88 picks:
MitchMMA UFC 88 predictions
Jason Lambert vs Jason MacDonald:winner: MacDonald, round 2, submission
Roan Carneiro Vs. Ryo Chonan: winner- Carneiro, round- 2, submission
Dong Hyung Kim Vs. Matt Brown: winner- Dong Hyung Kim, round 3, (T) KO
Tim Boetsch Vs. Mike Patt: winner- Boetsch, round 1, (T)KO
Thiago Tavares Vs. Kurt Pellegrino: winner: Tavares. round 2, submission
Martin Kampmann Vs. Nate Marquart: winner: Kampmann, round 3, Decision
Dan Henderson Vs. Rousimar Palhares: winner: Henderson, round 2, (T)KO
Karo Parisyan Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida: winner: Yoshida, round 2, submission
Rich Franklin Vs. Matt Hammil: winner: Hammil, round 3, Decision
Chuck Liddell Vs. Rashad Evans: winner: Liddell, round 2. (T) KO
Side notes:
-Tavares vs Pellegrino is going to be a chess match, I hope it makes the air. They are both great on the ground but I think Tavares is slightly better and will end up submitting Batman.
- Matt Brown is the man but I can see Dong Hyung Kim taking him out in the third round with brutal strikes.
- I was originally going to pick Karo but after thinking about it, Yoshida will probably submit him. I think Karo is just a gatekeeper for that division right now, I like him but I don't think he's a contender anymore, but then again it's hard to bet against a guy like Karo so he could prove me wrong.
- I still see Matt Hammil taking it to Rich, I don't know man it's just a gut feeling, call me crazy but I think The Hammer will work for a UD.
- Hendo will knock out Palhares, either that or Palhares will submit him.
- I like Rashad's chances but I think Chuck's taking this one, he will work his way back into title contention.
lol no extra points for me for picking the exact outcomes for Florian, Kongo, Saunders and Wilson fights? BAH
Jason Lambert vs Jason MacDonald: winner- MacDonald, round- 2, submission
Roan Carneiro Vs. Ryo Chonan: winner- Chonan, round- 2, Submission
Dong Hyung Kim Vs. Matt Brown: winner- Brown, round 1, TKO
Tim Boetsch Vs. James Lee: winner- Boetsch, round 2, TKO
Thiago Tavares Vs. Kurt Pellegrino: winner: Tavares. round 1, submission
Martin Kampmann Vs. Nate Marquart: winner: Kampmann, round 3, Decision
Dan Henderson Vs. Rousimar Palhares: winner: Henderson, round 2, Submission
Karo Parisyan Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida: winner: Parisyan, round 3, Decision
Rich Franklin Vs. Matt Hammil: winner: Franklin, round 1, TKO
Chuck Liddell Vs. Rashad Evans: winner: Liddell, round 2. TKO
Quote from: Khristian Call on August 10, 2008, 05:38:11 PM
lol no extra points for me for picking the exact outcomes for Florian, Kongo, Saunders and Wilson fights? BAH
You win a goats vagina! :P
lol jk, good work with getting the outcomes right for those fights. Let's see if you can get the most right for UFC 88.
We should offer prizes for the winner but what the hell kind of prize could we offer people?
Also right now, Jason Day vs Jason Lambert is rumored to round out the undercard. Going to wait a couple of weeks to make my predictions.
that should be a good fight, I'll most likely edit my picks in a few weeks.
Lambert will kill!!!!
I agree, I remember when he knocked out Babalu.
As long as he doesn't show up for his fight like he did against Cane. Cane's a good fighter but Lambert looked like a bum.
Also, Joe Silva book Cain Velasques.(SP?) Dudes a fucking animal, I see HUGE things for him, and really want to see him fight soon.
To read it in it's entirety, and supporting www.audiblyoffensive.com check it out.....
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=249 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=249)
Thanks,
Cory
Yeah against Antoni Hardonk. Looks like they're trying to build up Cain, Hardonk does not stand a chance if that fight even so much as touches the floor.
^^
Whens this?!
Set for 90 I believe.
Personally, would love to see a fight between Cain V and Brock Lesnar. Two awesome wrestlers that are slated to be the future of the HW division, would be a great fight.
Both have crazy ground n pound too, wouldn't mind seeing that myself.
Definetely! That would be a hell of a fight.
Wouldn't mind seeing Brock vs Gonzaga either
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBxHIOH-Lzg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBxHIOH-Lzg)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1fG6hIGKmo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1fG6hIGKmo)
-This chick rocks! :P
Cute....is it just me or does she have about 4 different accents going at different times? It's strange...or it could be those green things I was eating before.
lol I noticed that too haha, she's from south africa or something.
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6892&zoneid=13 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6892&zoneid=13)
Pete Sell dropping to 170 to face Josh Burkman, that's an interesting fight. Who do you guys think will take it? Personally I think Drago's got it, not just because of his size but I think he will be able to knock Burkman out. Then again Burkman is a bad ass, so he can potentially do the same to Drago.
I think this will be one of those situations where the loser leaves town, Sell hasn't won a fight since april 2006 and since then has three losses on his record (Scott Smith, Thales Leites, Nate Quarry). Burkman has two losses recently to Dustin Hazelett and Mike Swick. I can see the UFC releasing the loser of this fight, i;m actually surprised Sell is still with the UFC with that losing record as they usually release guys who have lost 3 in a row.
Pete Sell is the man, I hope he can get on some sort of streak with a win over Burkeman. Very exciting fighter.
Agreed, it sucks that he has lost three in a row. Hopefully he will do better in the 170 pound division.
Updates:
Along with the Arlovski/Barnett fight, the following have been added:
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Vitor Belfort vs. Matt Lindland
Jason High vs. Mike Pyle
Paul Buentello vs. Roy Nelson
Ben Rothwell vs. Mighty Mo
Renato Sobral vs. TBA (Wont be Ortiz)
Also there could be a possibility of Ben Rothwell vs. Pedro Rizzo
I hear Babalu is fighting Bobby Southworth at the next Strikeforce at the playboy mansion, he will smash Southworth up! lol
I've met the guy (Serra JJ is only 10 mins away from where I grew up) and he' s a really nice guy. But it's his own fault. He's like Jorge Gurgel except he's faced decent competition everytime. He has very solid jiu-jitsu, and should have taken Smith and Quarry to the ground. Leites there wasn't much he could do about, but Smith's ground game is horrible, and I don't believe I've ever seen Quarry work on the ground yet.
they need to get some good fighters with low appeal, so they don't lose 4 million dollars on this card too.
dude where are you from? I grew up in Long Island, my old karate instructor trains at Serra Jiu-Jitsu now lol.
I used to live in Port Jeff station.
New Hyde Park
That was close to Hungtington right? My grandparents live there, in Hungtington Station.
I miss Long Island lol
yeah its about 15-20 away from Huntington, it's near the border of Nassau/Queens. There's actually a MFS place in New Hyde Park now, has a cage and everything, but my friend said it's run by douchebags. Which considering it's MFS, isn't really a surprise.
lol true about MFS
I wrote this a few days ago but I forgot to post it on these forums lol, I'd love to hear some feedback.
That’s right the reality television series that took MMA to a whole new level is back for another great season of fights! “The Ultimate Fight season 8†will debut on Spike TV next month and I think I speak for every MMA fan when I say that I am absolutely pumped for this season.
Why? Well for starters look who is coaching, two of the best heavyweights in the world in Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Not only are those two guys extremely talented fighters but they are some of the most knowledgeable guys in the sport, the fighters on this season are going to learn a whole lot from Mir and Nog and it’s going to take their game to a whole new level.
This isn’t the only reason why I am excited for TUF 8, I took a look at the fighters that have been announced for this show and I saw a whole lot of talent. I am going to talk about some of the fighters that I have my eye on and think could go really far in this competition, but first I would like to talk about the coaches and their coaching staff so let’s get to it!
Let’s start with Frank Mir and his assistant coaches, Rafael Allejarra and Robert Drysdale. Anyone who has followed the sport knows that Frank Mir is extremely talented and has a vast knowledge of all aspects of the sport. Mir’s main strength lies in his Jiu-Jitsu but in no way shape or form is he a “one dimensional fighterâ€. Lots of people seem to underestimate Mir’s stand up, you have to remember that Mir came from a striking background as he started out training in Kenpo karate at a young age, not to mention he also won the state national wrestling title back in 1998 so yeah I don’t consider Mir one dimensional at all.
Nogueira has phenomenal Jiu-Jitsu just like Mir, Nog also has the best boxing technique in the heavyweight division (in my opinion that is). When I tell you two of the assistant coaches that he brought in, your going to really feel bad for Frank’s team because Nog is bringing in two of the best fighters in the UFC today in Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva. Granted, all three of them don’t speak English very well but damn, what a team right? I know my good buddy Cory Forgeron hates Machida with a burning passion but I love the guy.
This season is also going to feature two weight classes, Light Heavyweights (205 lbs.) and Lightweights (155 pounds). I obviously am not going to talk about all 32 fighters because that would take a long freaking time, instead I am going to take 3 fighters from each weight class and explain to you why I think these guys have a chance at winning the whole show.
TUF Season 8 Lightweights:
1.) Joe “Hybrid†Duarte:
This kid is a bad ass, trust me when I say that because he really is a freaking animal! I have been keeping an eye on him, he’s 24 and he is a San Diego based fighter with a 3-0 MMA record, 9-0 pro boxing record and 19-1 Muay Thai record. He walks around at 185-190 lbs and he is a freaking lightweight, that is a big 155 pounder and he is freakishly strong! I really think this guy is going all the way, he has to be the guy Dana White is talking about, has to be. Check out his fight videos on you tube and you will see what I mean.
2.) “Junie†Allen Browning:
Another bad ass fighter with loads of potential to win the whole competition. He has an amateur record of 16-1 and a pro record of 1-0 with a submission victory over Dustin Walden in the AFL. Browning is a very well rounded fighter, with solid striking and great wrestling. I have been checking him out on you tube and I have been very impressed with what I have seen, I wouldn’t be surprised if he made it to the finals. He is explosive and a huge threat to anyone in this competition.
3.) “Sugar†Shane Nelson
One hell of a fighter, he’s Hawaiian and trains in Hilo with BJ Penn, Joe Lauzon and Tony DeSouza. He is the current X-1 Lightweight champion and another fighter that I think has all the tools to win TUF 8. His current MMA record is 8-3, his biggest strength lies in his grappling and “never say die†attitude, he will look to take you down and put pressure on you the whole fight. Everyone knows that Hawaiian’s are natural born fighters, they have that fighting spirit and Shane Nelson definitely has the heart of a Hawaiian fighter just like his mentor, BJ Penn!
TUF Season 8 Light Heavyweights:
1.) Ryan “Darth†Bader:
Awesome nickname, right? Well that’s not the only thing awesome about this guy, he is a freaking bad ass at 205 pounds! He is my pick to win the whole competition and I am confident that he will have a huge future with the UFC. He is a former ASU All American wrestler, he will slam you on your freaking head in that cage! I know some of you probably think I have some kind of weird man crush on wrestlers but truth be told if you’re a great wrestler and you mix that with some solid striking and Jiu-Jitsu then you are a bad ass, plain and simple. His record is 6-0 in MMA, his main strength is obviously in his wrestling and ground and pound. He is very good at taking his opponent down and pounding the hell out of them, he also is able to control his opponents very well. Your going to hear about “Darth†Bader a lot in a few months, trust me!
2.) Krzysztof “The Experiment†Soszynski
This former body builder/ one time Japanese pro wrestler is a freaking machine! He has fought in the IFL before, his MMA record is 15-8-1. His most recent win is a submission victory over Marcus Hicks (the 205 pounder not the 155’er from the WEC), he won via kimura in round 1. He has fought Ben Rothwell before, he got knocked out in the first round but he rocked Big Ben early in round 1, it should also be noted that he gives up over 30 lbs to Ben Rothwell. Soszynski is a great wrestler who can also strike with the best of them, he stood with Ben Rothwell and was beating on him for awhile until Ben caught him and got the TKO. I can definitely see “The Experiment†fighting in the finals against Ryan Bader, I’d almost be willing to bet money on it.
3.) Vinicius Magalhaes
He is a phenomenal Jiu-Jitsu ace with a win over ADCC champ, Robert Drysdale (Team Mir assistant coach). He may have a record of 2-2 but the record is not important, I see a lot of potential in this guy and can definitely see him making it to the semi finals. He can submit pretty much anyone on the show, he is a huge threat. He isn’t completely one dimensional, he has some good wrestling and good standup but his main strength is his Jiu-Jitsu.
There are plenty more talented up and coming light heavyweights that will be on the show, both weight classes will be filled with amazing up and coming fighters and its going to make for a great season. It is always interesting to see how these guys act, 16 fighters in one house is crazy and it’s a whole bunch of personalities under one roof and it will allow us to see how these guys act under rough situations. You learn more about the fighter and you care more about the fighter when you watch this show and that’s the beauty of it. You are in store for a crazy season of TUF this fall, I personally can’t wait.
-Mitch Ciccarelli
Here are some great articles on training/dieting/etc. It should be noted that I didn't find these myself, some guy named "eyeofthetiger' on rosstraining.com found these so kudos to him.
http://www.rosstraining.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=229840#229840 (http://www.rosstraining.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=229840#229840)
Just go there, the links don't seem to work when I pasted them on there but all of the links I was going to post are on that one link.
Great article Mitch, can’t wait. I dont know any of the guys, but you gave lots of insight, and now the anticipation has grown, and that means it was an effective article.
…..even if you mentioned Lyoto Machida.
Quote from: Khristian Call on August 14, 2008, 01:22:12 PM
they need to get some good fighters with low appeal, so they don't lose 4 million dollars on this card too.
QFT
Just get guys that Hardcore fans will pay to see, and will have amazing fights (ala Mark Hominik (SP?) and Lil Nog) and when it comes out, people will be like 'fuck, it wasn't Fedor, but what an amazing match'. The again, with Donald Trump backing you, losing money in the start isn't really 'that' bad of a thing, tho losing money shouldn't be a goal, obviously.
Thanks Cory, I can't wait for TUF 8 haha.
so far Joe "Hybrid" Duarte and Ryan "Darth" Bader are my favorites lol
I like the sound of Duarte from your description of him. Any dude that's a 'beast' I'll be a fan of.
Then again,
Kalib Starnes > Lyoto Machida.
MMAJUNKIE-
"That overhand right -- that shocked the hell out of me," Herring admitted. "I didn't see it coming and I got caught with it. That definitely had an effect on the outcome of the fight."
Lesnar's heavy right hand dropped Herring and impaired the Texan's vision throughout the remainder of the contest.
"It hurt me pretty good," Herring said of the punch. "I wasn't able to see. Right at the beginning of the fight you're blind. How much does that affect you? I don't know. It's not good."
The extent of Herring's eye injury is still not clear. The 30-year-old said he is waiting on more information from his doctors before a course of action for recovery is determined.
"There's definitely some damage to the eye," Herring said. "But I think we're going to be OK. We're still seeing with the doctors what the final result's going to be on that."
The loss was especially disappointing for Herring due to the successful training camp he completed heading into the bout. The "Texas Crazy Horse" was in noticeably better condition than he has arrived in for previous fights.
"That's the worst part about the fight; I felt in great shape," Herring said. "I felt my training camp went well.
"You get caught early on and there's nothing you can do about it. You make do with the cards you're dealt sometimes. We got dealt some pretty bad ones early on. We tried to stay in the fight and do what we could do."
Lesnar's near-taunting celebration has been discussed frequently since Saturday night. Herring said he wasn't offended by the laughs and gestures.
"[Lesnar] is a pro wrestler," Herring said. "What do you expect? That's kind of his shtick. It's what he does. I figure that's what everybody expected from him."
Additionally -- despite rumors to the contrary -- Herring said there was no pre-fight clash between the two fighters.
"I don't know if [Lesnar] said something," Herring said. "I didn't really have any words with him before the bout. I've never even really met the guy.
"I've been around this sport for years. I've never really done any trash-talking or anything like that before a match. I don't know where that came from."
Herring also denied reports that he requested he not be forced to walk to the cage ahead of the hometown-hero Lesnar.
"I never even had a discussion with [the UFC] about anything," Herring insisted. "I'll be honest. You bringing that up is the first I've heard of it."
Herring said after the disappointment of the loss that he plans on taking a bit of time off to prepare himself mentally and physically for his next chance in the octagon.
"I've got to step back a little bit," Herring said. "I've got some other stuff kind of working on the backburner right now. We're going to go do some of that stuff and just see how everything pans out.
"I've got some acting possibilities. I'm going to try to do some acting a little bit.
"I'm trying to get back to training and do some other things with training.
"It's just disappointing when you kind of feel like you've done everything right and you get some bad luck early on. I've got to clean that out a little bit and get refocused. We'll be back to business before too long I imagine."
And once Herring does return, Lesnar will be on a list of targets for future opponents.
"We took the best [Lesnar] could give us for 15 minutes, and he couldn't finish it," Herring said. "I don't know what else he's going to bring to the table to finish me off.
"We took his best shot and went on from there. I'd love for him to take one of mine, and we'll see how it goes."
One of the most hotly debated topics in mixed martial arts these days is the identity of the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.
UFC president Dana White insists it's middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Others consider either UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn or UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre to be No. 1.
There's even a small, but growing, faction that favors WEC bantamweight kingpin Miguel Torres.
Then there are the thousands of posters to forums across the Internet, who worship heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko and consider it blasphemy to suggest another fighter is remotely approaching him.
Emelianenko, who won the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight title after choking out ex-UFC champion Tim Sylvia in just 36 seconds last month on an Affliction card at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., isn't sure of the answer.
He's only certain of one thing: It's not him.
"I don't consider myself on top of the pedestal," said Emelianenko (28-1, 1 no contest), who has largely been unchallenged since his only loss, which came because of a cut caused by an illegal elbow in a 2000 fight with Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.
"I have certain weaknesses and I make certain mistakes. Of course, that is frustrating, because like any athlete, I strive to get better each day. I know a lot of the media and the fans want to say I'm the best. I appreciate that, but that's not how I consider myself."
Emelianenko declined to make a selection of the pound-for-pound king. He said he hasn't seen much of Silva, St. Pierre or Penn. He's picked out holes in their games, but he concedes he's impressed by their technical proficiency.
Since 2000, his job has essentially been that of a one-man gang, destroying a roster of the world's great heavyweights. He's come under fire, principally from White, for a lackluster list of opponents after beating Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in 2005 until he fought Sylvia.
White said last week he gained new respect for Emelianenko after his win over Sylvia.
"He's not the best pound-for-pound fighter, not even close, but he's one of the four or five best heavyweights," said White, who undoubtedly would be singing Emelianenko's praises to the heavens the moment he got the stoic Russian's name on a UFC contract.
"But we all have to thank him for getting rid of Tim Sylvia. He'd been stinking out the joint the last couple of years and Fedor did everyone a favor by beating him so easily and getting rid of him."
Emelianenko is going to spend more time in the U.S. in the coming months in an attempt to build familiarity with the fans. He was scheduled met Andrei Arlovski on Oct. 11 in Las Vegas, but a chipped bone at the base of his right thumb he got by clubbing Sylvia on the side of the head forced him to pull out of that fight.
Arlovski will fight Josh Barnett instead, with Emelianenko expected to fight the winner in early 2009.
Emelianenko will be ringside at the Thomas & Mack Center to observe, but conceded he's hardly a rabid fan of the sport. It's a job, albeit a lucrative one, and he treats it as such. There isn't a fight that gets his blood pumping enough to make him want to buy a ticket to see it. He's interested in Arlovski-Barnett simply because it impacts his future.
"This is my job, and to be honest with you, if I didn't have to work this job, I probably wouldn't," he said, chuckling. "It's how I make my living. It's even tough to accept this is what I do for the living."
Emelianenko, though, was stumped when asked what he'd do if he weren't a fighter. After a lengthy pause, he suggested he'd have become a fight instructor.
It's good for the world, though, that he has opted to hold off on teaching and still is fighting for a living. He continues to hold hope a bout with Randy Couture, the erstwhile UFC heavyweight champion, can be arranged.
That bout has the potential to be the richest MMA fight ever staged, though Couture's legal situation with the UFC has it on hold.
Emelianenko said he had both breakfast and dinner with Couture on Monday and is open to a fight whenever and wherever it can be made.
"Randy is a living legend in this sport and it's an honor that people say they want to see me fight him," Emelianenko said. "It's our desire to fight as soon as possible. I don't like the politics and I hope politics don't prevent this fight.
"I'm not out to prove anything. I just want to challenge myself against the men people believe is the best in the world. This bout with Randy is one step on that road. It would be my honor and my dream to fight him and we both will do what we can to get into the ring to fight."
Fedors a class act.
He might be, but Dana White sure isn't...
"But we all have to thank him for getting rid of Tim Sylvia. He'd been stinking out the joint the last couple of years and Fedor did everyone a favor by beating him so easily and getting rid of him."
Really? So basically Dana, you're saying your heavyweight division for the last couple of years has been a joke, since Tim Sylvia's been stinking up the joint? This coming from the guy who said that he believed Tim could take out Fedor, when he was in the UFC of course. I have respect for Dana as a business man, but none whatsoever as a person.
Glover Teixeira is also rumored to be on the show. I would think he'd be the front runner for the light heavyweights, with victories over Sokodjou and Jorge "Van Damme" Oliveira.
Yeah I read all that by Dana White.
He just can't admit he was wrong in his negotiations with Fedor. I wish they would have signed him.
Fedor is a class act, I love people who are talented but don't brag about it, Fedor is the man and he is the best fighter in the world.
Dana is a dickhead as a person, seriously he is a douche.
If Glover is on the show, he would probably make it to the finals. I remember, he was also on an episode of TAPOUT with Scott Lighty.
Mark Hughes is also rumored but I doubt it lol
Rashas Evans brother Grizz will be on the show, Lance "Grizz" Evans, I think thats his name.
Fedor v/s Dana. My backyard.
lol Fedor by MURDER! haha
Dana is seriously an idiot to say Fedor isn't even close to being one of the P4P best fighters in the world, I would understand if he said "He isn't the best but he is one of the best" but to say he isn't even close just proves his ignorance.
As much as I love the UFC, I think Dana White is a douche, great business man but he is a douchebag of a person.
They fought before and GSP won a very close descision victory, personally I felt BJ won that fight but that's just me. They are set to fight again very soon, Penn who is the 155 pound king will be going up in weight to fight the 170 king GSP for a second time, my question to you is who is winning this fight? BJ Penn or GSP, who is your pick?
I'm too lazy to go in depth and analyze, but I think BJ Penn is slightly better and will finish GSP this time. I mean, I know I am going to have a lot of people jump on me and say "GSP would smash Penn", but I see things differently. I feel that Penn and GSP are probably the most well rounded fighters in the game today, but I also feel that BJ Penn wins this fight and I felt that he probably should have won the last one too.
So what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Discuss.
Update: Jason Lambert vs Jason Day has been added to the card, you need to add that fight into your predictions as I already have ;D
GSP would win, via decesion.
Updated too.
While it's still 3 weeks away until the next UFC pay per view, the next semi-big event in MMA takes place in just six days (or seven...can never grasp the Japanese time zone). It may not boast the star power that UFC 88 possesses, but since I have sleep issues and tend to follow foreign or smaller circuit MMA as much or even more than UFC sometimes, I thought I would do a break down of the event. Like the title says. It is an obvious title, after all. I'll start with the matches in the Lightweight tournament, then make my way up the card to the main event.
LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNEY MATCH #1:
Clay French v. Satoru Kitaoka
Clay is the current KOTC lightweight champ, wrestling the title (literally) away from Mac Danzig in a split decision a couple of years back. Unfortunately for him, he's probably most noted as being the recipient of a Shinya Aoki flying triangle choke. He trains under the likes of Matt Hughes and Marc "Just This" Fiore at HIT Squad, and it shows as his wrestling is his strongest point. Good jiujitsu, decent stand up, he's a tough guy. Satoru is the Japanese version of Joe Stevenson, in talent, record and just the way he looks. He's got good wrestling, great judo and submissions to go with it. They're both very good fighters that could be fighting in the semis if they weren't facing each other, but since they are, I see it like this. Clay will more than likely want to keep it standing, where he has reach and slightly better game. He MIGHT be able to outwrestle Satoru, but if it goes to the ground, which I think it will, I see Satoru taking it. He has submitted the likes of Carlos Condit and Kurt Pellegrino from his guard, and most recently polished off his last opponent in 50 seconds with a guillotine. I think this one lasts slightly longer, but the result will be similar. KITAOKA BY 2ND ROUND SUB.
LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNEY MATCH #2:
Bojan Kosednar v. Kazunori Yokota
The two most unknown fighters in the tournament probably, and tough to find info on both of them. They both have something in common, that they both lost their first MMA fights in their last outings. Not only did they both lose, but they both got KTFO. Bojan is dropping down to lightweight where he'll have a pretty big size advantage. Despite this, I give the advantage to Yokota, having seen tougher competition than Bojan over the course of his career, holding a win over former UFC import Michihiro Omigawa and fighting to a draw with the grossly underrated Keita Nakamura. Also, Yokota is a part of Team Grabaka, and if there's one thing I've learned from watching PRIDE, is that they are all extremely tough guys who tend to block punches with their heads on way to victory. Yokota will eat some shots for sure, but should control the majority of the fight with elusive striking and hard nosed aggression. YOKOTA BY UNANIMOUS DECISION
LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNEY MATCH #3:
Ryan 'The Lion' Schultz v. Mizuto Hirota
Schultz is seemingly the last IFL lightweight champion after not only killing the hype of Chris Horodecki, but raping and urinating on it while snatching the title. Hirota is a good fighter in his own right, a wrestler by nature, like Schultz. I've managed to watch 2 of Hirota's fights, and he likes to bully people on the ground. He's got average striking, but it'll be cancelled out by Schultz, and he will not be able to bully Schultz. Schultz is bigger, better at Mizuto's strengths and has absolutely been on a roll as of late. It'll continue, as Schultz will be the first person to finish off Hirota, most likely late in the first frame. SCHULTZ BY 1ST ROUND TKO
LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNEY MATCH #4:
Eiji Mitsuoka v. Rodrigo Damm
The winner of this match could very well win the whole thing. Damm is fresh off a surprising TKO finish of Jorge Masvidal, and Mitsuoka recently defeated Joachim Hansen by decision, debatable as it might have been. This is the only match I'm really not sure of, as Mitsuoka is either hot or cold. Damm has better striking, but Mitsuoka can take a shot. Both have pretty good subs, and both of them have pretty good sub defense. Mitsuoka's wrestling is better, but Damm has a decent sprawl and takedown defense. I don't really see one finishing the other, barring somebody making a huge mistake. Damm is being hailed as a big favorite, but I'm guessing it's due to his latest victory and his undeniably cool name. Still, I'm gonna go out on a limb. MITSUOKA BY SPLIT DECISION
Now, onto the rest of the card:
Valentjin Overeem v. Kazuo Takahashi
Ahh a foray into mediocrity. Overeem hasn't had a quality win since Rings was a relevant company, and Takahashi has lost 8 out of his last 11 fights. The only advantage I suppose that someone has is that Overeem is still only 31, while Takahashi says he's 39, but could be closer to 49. Plus, Overeem is the last person to submit Randy Couture, so that's good enough for me. OVEREEM BY 1ST ROUND (T)KO
Pawel Nastula v. Yang Dong Yi
This should be simple enough. Nastula's 1-3 and Dong Yi is 2-0. Dong hasn't beaten anyone of note though, and Nastula's 3 losses are to Josh Barnett, Aleks Emelianenko and current UFC heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He took a round from Barnett before getting submitted in the next round. He's a Judo legend that can take anyone to the ground. If he can get in Nogueira's side control, he shouldn't have much of a problem here. The match MIGHT last more than 3 minutes...maybe. NASTULA BY 1ST ROUND SUBMISSIONN
Moise Rimbon v. Peter Graham
Graham's a bad ass in the world of kickboxing. Like most badasses from the world of kickboxing though, he has no ground game. Seriously. From his first and only fight with Kaz Fujita, it looked as if Mirko Cro Cop could take him down and move from guard to mount in about 3 seconds. Rimbon's a Thai fighter, and he has a better name. Moise. Kind of like Mose, Dwight's cousin on The Office. Good news though for Graham, is that Rimbon likes to strike. Seeing as though Rimbon gives up about 6 inches of height and reach most likely (unless he's from the same primate family as Jorge Gurgel), he will want to close distance and take this fight to the ground. The quicker the better. RIMBON BY 1ST ROUND SUBMISSION
Frank Trigg v. Makoto Takimoto
I made a vow, after last Takimoto fight to never make a prediction on any of his fights. Seriously, he beats Bustamante, but gets submitted by Cyborg Santos? Channeling the spirit of Kurt Angle for a second...he won a FREAKING gold medal in the 2000 Olympics for Judo, and he gets caught in an Achilles lock from someone whose BJJ consists of stomping and kicking people on the ground. One thing's for sure, Takimoto can take a punch, which is good, because his striking consists of getting hit in the face a lot and landing a power shot here and there. Trigg is just the kind of guy to hit him in the face as much as he pleases, and he's quick enough to where he should be able to avoid Takimoto's takedowns. Unless he goes for a flying scissors heel hook though, I don't think he'll finish. TRIGG BY UNANIMOUS DECISION (yep, I'm breaking my vow)
Takanori Gomi v. Sung Hwan Pang
Gomi's back. After dismantling and making a Monet masterpiece out of Duane Ludwig's face, he's in for another fight against people who are dangerously not close to his level. Pang's good, but everything he's good at, well, Gomi's better. Much, much better. Oh those Japanese and their squash match booking. Gomi is slated to face the winner of the Lightweight Grand Prix, so I guess they need to keep him a little busy until that time comes. The only thing in question is which Gomi will show up. He's either at full tilt aggression, or cautious enough to where he can win without having to exert much energy. I'll choose the first option, since he's most likely still thinking of the Diaz fight. It's not his fault Diaz was so high he wouldn't have even felt a punch from The Thing. GOMI BY 1ST ROUND TKO
There you have it. Since it's most likely on live at 4 am my time, I won't get to watch it then, but I'm sure most of the fights will be up within a day. The Lightweight Grand Prix, while lacking star power, should have some good exciting fights and I'm sure there will be an upset or two (Takimoto...I'm watching you.) All in all, should be a decent card.
Sounds like an awesome card, would love to stream this online.
Gomi's gonna wreck all.
As is Ryan Schultz
As is Pawel Nastula.
What a rough way to start off your career huh?
I Penn fan ...i like him alot , both are evenly match , I say Penn by the slim margin , be on hell of a match
I give it to GSP, they both are doing great but GSP has improved more since their fight IMO. Penn wouldn't dominate WW like he does LW.
Now Jason Day is gone, but they needed another Jason, so in steps Jason MacDonald to take his place.
updated once more. damnit.
As have I.
Another update: James Lee is out, Mike Patt steps in to fight Tim Boesch.
do I have to update it if I still picked the schedualed fighter?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTFvtnw1idI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTFvtnw1idI)
Fedor- Overrated?
Ha!
Plus, love the Canadian comment.
Cung Le too would be nice in the UFC, but he's Elite XC's only real 'super fighter'. Be hard to get him to sign I think.
Not really lol
QuoteThe company’s current assets are around $15 million USD and it’s total accumuluated deficit is $55.7 million USD. On 12/31/07, the assets were $26.2 million USD and the deficit number was $31.4 million USD. This means that the company has admittedly lost nearly $25 million USD in a 6-7 month time frame.
How much money went out to try to create their own farm system? $5 million USD for King of the Cage, $8.2 million USD for Cage Rage, $2.35 million USD for the assets from ICON Sport, and a $2 million USD investment in Spirit MC.
Then, there’s this line about the Pro Elite web site:
QuoteWebsite operations expenses were $1,390,464 for the six months ended June 30, 2008 compared to $1,187,167 for the six months ended June 30, 2007.
Credit: http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/08/19/pro-elite-10q-81908/ (http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/08/19/pro-elite-10q-81908/)
I can't really say that I'm shocked. This could be a good chance to get some fresh talent within the ranks of the UFC.
Cung Le in the UFC would be amazing, but isn't he focusing on his acting career now or something?
Also I don't think Fedor is overrated at all, I think Dana is just being bitter. How is he overrated if Dana's very own HW champ couldn't even beat him? Dana is a weird dude, he needs to stop saying "fuck" after every sentence, he is representing the UFC and he is talking like a dirtbag. I curse a lot too but I am not the president of the UFC lol.
lol damn, could bring in some great fighters to the UFC.
Yeah I read that, didn't know how legit the source was.
Its hard for an MMA organization to make it nowadays, unless you got Donald Trump backing you.
Yeah having The Don backing you can't hurt any. But this could set up some awesome fights if it did happen.
People are already talking about Kimbo going to UFC to fight Lesnar.
Bad idea. Kimbo's only positive is that he is a big draw. Lesnar would smash him and make a complete mockery out of him, and he wouldn't be worth jack shit anymore. If Dana was to sign Kimbo, he would have to sign 4-5 cans to feed to him.
Brock would smash Kimbo.
I don't think Kimbo Slice would do well in the UFC at all to be honest. Dana wouldn't spoon feed him opponents like Shaw did, Dana would give Kimbo the brock lesnar treatment and Kimbo would have to face tough opponents, I don't see him beating anyone of worth in the UFC anytime soon.
Now I would love to see Robbie Lawler return home to the UFC, he is one of the best middleweights out there. He could be a potential opponent to Anderson Silva in the future.
Also would love to see Antonio Silva come in to the HW division.
I dont think Dana would sign Kimbo. He might, but he's said numerous times that he thinks Kimbo is garbage. I'd love to see him there though.
Is Antonio Silva still over 265?
I dont see Dana signing Kimbo BUT he is a draw, I think Trump would be more inclined to sign Kimbo though.. Trump breathes money but Kimbo would get annihilated.
Yeah I'd just like to see Kimbo get destroyed though, no more than that.
Lawler and Antonio Silva would be great additions to each respective division. Honestly, both divisions need fresh talent right now. The heavyweight division has been stale for quite some time now, and Anderson Silva has ran through the middleweight division like a MAC truck.
Quote from: TaNK on August 20, 2008, 02:35:38 PM
Is Antonio Silva still over 265?
I dont see Dana signing Kimbo BUT he is a draw, I think Trump would be more inclined to sign Kimbo though.. Trump breathes money but Kimbo would get annihilated.
Ouch...I would feel very sorry for Kimbo if he went to Affliction. Unlike the UFC, Affliction doesn't have any 'nobodies' to feed Kimbo. He would be up against real MMA fighters...And they would destroy him to the point where Kimbo would never be in a backyard fight again, let alone an MMA fight.
Kimbo will always backyard fight, ALWAYS!!!!!
The final cast:
http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=14108 (http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=14108)
I didn't know Jason Guida would be on the show lol, didn't he just recently beat Mike Musso at Adrenaline?
Quote from: MitchMMA on August 20, 2008, 03:43:53 PM
The final cast:
http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=14108 (http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=14108)
I didn't know Jason Guida would be on the show lol, didn't he just recently beat Mike Musso at Adrenaline?
I think Musso defeated him, not 100% sure though.
But Guida is my number one pick. As is Ryan Jimmo, repping my hometown gym in Titan MMA. I've trained with the guy once, and he's a pretty talented guy. The second best around here, but really REALLY surprised Roger Hollett didn't go try-out. He was like 8-0, winning all of his fights in under 30 seconds each.
yeah Russow beat him, i just checked lol my bad.
http://mmarated.com/blogs/blog/20080821/brock_lesnar_vs__cheick_kongo_in_november_-409.html (http://mmarated.com/blogs/blog/20080821/brock_lesnar_vs__cheick_kongo_in_november_-409.html)
It seems to be just talk at the moment but Kongo is the rumor for Brocks latest opponent. I would love to see this as I hate Kongo. lol
;D
KILL KONGO! lol
Ever since Kongo was disrespectful to CroCop after his win, I've hated him.
Yeah, its easy to win when you repeatedly punch your opponent in the balls. A determined CroCop would rape him in the ring. I hope Mirko comes back and avenges his losses like he said he will.
I would like to see Brock crush Kongo. And apparently, Brock only needs to win his next 2, MAYBE 3 fights to be in line for a title shot. :o
I think everyone hates Kongo....almost as boring as Machida.
lol I really hope Brock smashes Kongo up badly.
I too hate the Cheick Kongo! :grouphug:
QuoteFrom California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) Acting Assistant Executive Officer Bill Douglas:
“Reigning Elite XC World Heavyweight Champion Antonio Silva Jr., who last competed on July 26 in Stockton, has tested positive for Boldenone. Independent tests were conducted by Quest Diagnostics for the ‘A’ Sample and Laboratoire De Controle Du Dopage for the ‘B’ Sample. He has been suspended for one year retroactive to the conclusion of the bout and fined $2,500.â€
More on this breaking news shortly.
From California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) Acting Assistant Executive Officer Bill Douglas:
“Edwin Dewees, who last competed on the Roy Englebrecht Promotions event sponsored by Affliction on July 19 in Anaheim, has tested positive for Nandrolone. His test level was finalized at 499 ng/mL. Independent tests were conducted by Quest Diagnostics for the “A†Sample and Laboratoire De Controle Du Dopage for the “B†Sample. He has been suspended for one year retroactive to the conclusion of the bout and fined $2,500.â€
Dewees â€" a UFC veteran and participant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 4 â€" was stopped by Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via first round technical knockout at Affliction: “Banned†last month. It marked the fifth loss in the last six fights for “Babyface.†Nandrolone is the same banned substance that was detected in the system of Sean Sherk after his win in California over Hermes Franca at UFC 73: “Stacked†last year â€" a finding he continues to dispute to this very day.
UFC blog for UFC news, results, videos, rumors, fights, pics and tickets â€" MMAmania.com
Well, with the rumored trouble that ProElite is in already, this definitely doesn't help matters any.
Dang, that sucks. I rather like Big Foot.
Shittt, so. Give the CBS spot to Affliction? Anyone else think so.......
Sucks, I liked Big Foot too. Bam Bam Dewees is a good guy too lol.
Brock should win if he keeps his head. He should probably finish by ground and pound, again, if he keeps his head. He has massive punching power, but if he let's that go to his head, he might be sleeping by the end of the fight. Only thing I agree with that Kongo said is that he deserved a title shot before Mir. Wins over Cro Cop and Assuerio Silva are far more impressive than wins over Antoni Hardonk and then overzealous Brock Lesnar.
Quote from: TaNK is SeXY on August 20, 2008, 01:47:02 PM
Yeah I read that, didn't know how legit the source was.
Its hard for an MMA organization to make it nowadays, unless you got Donald Trump backing you.
I still don't see Affliction lasting past 4 shows at the rate they're going. Don's got money, I'm not too sure how keen he would be to continually lose millions. The only new semi-major organization I could see making it halfway into 2009 at this point is probably WVR. DREAM doesn't have the bankroll supporting it that PRIDE did, Affliction's payroll is ridiculous (Ben Rothwell made 200K for his fight against Arlovski), EliteXC is run by morons, WVR over pays their top guys too but they're at least being smart and only bringing in 2 or 3 per show. They're bringing in names, but not names that will cost more than they're worth.
I dont think Affliction will go as 'all out' on Day of Reckoning, but than again, if they sign Tito, they might, but he could add some face value.
They just need to get a bunch of guys who will fight for $20,000 and put on all out wars, which can be done. Have 3-4 of them, Tito Fight, and then the main event.
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=273 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=273)
Check It.
Yeah I'll agree with that but the loss to Heath Herring and the win over Dan Evenson doesn't put Kongo in line for a title shot anytime soon, maybe if he beats Brock he will get a title oppurtunity.
I think Lesnar will just ground and pound the fuck out of Kongo, Kongo is a good striker but so was Heath Herring and look what Big Brock did to him lol.
Any idea when this fight is rumored to take place at? Maybe UFC 91?
Well Kongo did break Crocops ribs. BUT, I think a title shot with Lesner is closer than we think. Kongo was looked at for a title shot till Heath Herring beat him. Lesnar will prolly get a shot at the title next. If Kongo is next, then he'll have one more fight till the title, and I think that one more fight will be against Mark Coleman. If not, Coleman is next for Lesner, then he gets to fight Nog. I seriously don't see how Mir will beat Big Nog.
Brock hit kongo...kongo fall down...brock win
I'd laugh like a school girl if Lesnar punched Kongo and make him roll backwards
lmao
Great writeup man! I want stuff like this on AO!
Quote from: AudiblyOffensive on August 25, 2008, 07:56:15 PM
Great writeup man! I want stuff like this on AO!
Ill actually do one on this....start it tommorow or something.
I'd love it. Check your PMs before you post.
The following was written by me on AO, I'd like to hear what you think if you agree with me prediction wise or not:
If you thought that the August 3 WEC event was good then just wait until September 10. It’s going to be another amazing night of mixed martial arts action between several talented fighters of the WEC. The best part though is that it’s all free which means I don’t have to spend fifty bucks to see it!
First up we have former WEC lightweight champ, “Razor“ Rob McCullough up against the undefeated submission wizard “The Cowboy“ Donald Cerrone. Lately it seems like Razor Rob has lost his killer instinct and his confidence that he once had as champion. On the other hand, Cerrone is looking phenomenal lately with an 8-0 record with all wins coming by submission. I can definitely see Cerrone getting this fight to the ground and working for a submission, eventually forcing the former champion to tap out like a little school girl!
(Prediction: Cerrone, arm-bar submission, round 2)
Jens “Lil Evil†Pulver returns to the WEC cage to face off with fellow featherweight contender Leonard Garcia in what should be a very exciting fight. Both guys love to stand up and bang so obviously that’s what they are going to do. I’m thinking Pulver will be able to knock Garcia out somewhere in this fight, not sure what round but I definitely see a knock out by “Lil Evil.†I’m really looking forward to this fight. Hopefully Jens can work his way up to a re-match with Faber. I’m sure everyone would love to see it. I’m not going to count Garcia out. He’s a tough dude, but Pulver has looked incredible since dropping down to 145.
(Prediction: Pulver, knock out, not sure what round)
The co-main event features a re-match from December 2007 between WEC middleweight champion; Paulo Filho and top contender Chael Sonnen from Team Quest. Their last fight ended with controversy, Sonnen was actually doing a good job of controlling Filho during the first round, but he got caught in an armbar in second.
Once Filho locked locked it in, Sonnen yelled something and the ref stepped in and stopped the fight. Sonnen claimed that he never verbally tapped and now he is getting a second chance.
Both guys hate each other. Sonnen claims that Filho is a dirt bag and Filho also had some strong words for Sonnen so they will look to settle the score once and for all in the cage. As good a wrestler as Chael Sonnen is, I can see Paulo Filho getting another submission victory only this time without the controversy.
(Prediction: Filho, triangle choke, round 2)
The main event of this card will feature a featherweight title bout between the champion Urijah Faber and top ranked challenger Mike Brown.
When you ask most MMA fans for a list of who they think are the best pound for pound fighters in the world today, Urijah Faber is usually a candidate. Faber has only lost once in his career and it was an early loss to UFC lightweight prospect Tyson Griffin back in 2005. The well-rounded Faber has proven that he can out-wrestle pretty much anyone in his weight class. The guy also has world class hands. He can do it all. I think if anyone can beat Faber right now, it’s going to be a guy like Mike Brown. Brown is probably the best wrestler that Faber will face since the Griffin fight. He’s definitely a worthy opponent and could pose some serious problems to Faber. Brown has very good submission defense, so I don’t look for him to get caught.
(Prediction: Faber by Unanimous decision)
Sengoku 4 has come and gone.
Lightweight Tourney:
-Mizuto Hirota beat Ryan Schultz by KO (superman punch!!!!) in 4:25 of 2nd round.
-Satoru Kitaoka beat Clay French by Sub (achilles lock) in 0:31 of 1st round.
-Kazunori Yokota beat Bojan Kosedner by Dec (unanimous) in 5:00 of 3rd round.
-Eiji Mitsuoka beat Rodrigo Damm by Sub (rear naked choke) in 3:15 of 1st round.
Rest of Card:
-Valentjin Overeem beat Kazuo Takahashi by KO (flying knee) in 2:42 of 1st round.
-Moise Rimbon beat Peter Graham by Sub (rear naked choke) in 0:40 of 2nd round.
-Dong Yi Yang beat Pawel Nastula by TKO (strikes) in 2:15 of 2nd round.
-Frank Trigg beat Makoto Takimoto by Dec (unanimous) in 5:00 of 3rd round.
-Takanori Gomi beat Seung Hwan Bang by Dec (unanimous) in 5:00 of 3rd round.
My ability to pick non-UFC fights better than UFC ones continues, as I went 7-2 overall in my predictions, with 3 being exactly right. Only two I got wrong were the biggest upsets of the night, as Nastula looked horrible for the most part, maybe due to not fighting in 2 years. And then Ryan Schultz absolutely got flattened by a lunging right hand. I have yet to see the Rimbon match or Trigg/Takimoto, but so far, all of them were decent. Gomi's opponent was tough, although he looked like he was being cautious Gomi throughout. All Asian tournament from here on out, and the three winners that I saw from that pool all looked impressive.
Rob McCullough over Donald Cerrone via 2nd round TKO
-McCullough looked like crap his last fight. The only reason I'm picking him in this fight is his good ability to sprawl and the fact that the only Cerrone fight I've seen go past 3 minutes, the guy looked exhausted. Rob's always had good conditioning, I think being cautious against a guy like Cerrone is a good thing because that's how he catches his opponents. Pretty much all of his subs come from his guard. I think Rob can outlast him and punish him until the ref stops it late in the 2nd round.
Jens Pulver over Leonard Garcia via Dec (unanimous)
-Jens looked good in defeat to Faber, and helped Faber prove some level of legitimacy. Garcia outstruck a guy in his last fight that is known for his stand up. Unlike Garcia's last opponent, Jens won't be outweighed by like 15 pounds come fight time. Jens has better technical striking for sure, and a little more power. His ground defense is good enough to where he shouldn't get subbed, and Garcia never had the best wrestling to begin with. Still Garcia's tough, and at featherweight, he's one of the bigger guys now. I wouldn't be surprised if Garcia beat Pulver, but I see Pulver out pointing Garcia in an entertaining fight.
Paulo Filho over Chael Sonnen via 2nd round Sub
-I might be a little biased, because I do not like Sonnen. At all. He's a typical Team Quest dirty-fighting dickhead jock. Filho's in a better state now physically and mentally than he was during the past fight. And he's not going to be surprised by anything that Sonnen has to throw out there. There won't be anything for Sonnen to bitch about after he loses again, most likely due to another arm bar.
Urijah Faber over Mike Brown via 3rd round Sub
-Brown has very good, explosive wrestling, as does Urijah Faber. Faber has better hands, but Brown has good power with his punches despite lackluster technique. I haven't seen Faber make many, if any, mistakes in his last few fights, while Brown is prone to making mistakes against his best competition. Granted two of those losses were against submission magicians Genki Sudo and Masakazu Imanari, I think he'll eventually get overwhelmed by Faber and forget to protect something. Should be a very good fight up until that point.
credit: MMA weekly.com
With less than six weeks to go before EliteXC’s next CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights event, speculation has been ongoing as to who Kevin “Kimbo Slice†Ferguson will face on Oct. 4. That speculation can now be put to rest as MMAWeekly.com has confirmed with EliteXC vice president Jared Shaw that Kimbo will face UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock.
Much attention was drawn recently to EliteXC’s cancelling of its Sept. 20 event in New Mexico, the company stating that it was necessary to do so to focus its promotional efforts on the pivotal Oct. 4 event on CBS.
Shaw supported that statement in confirming Ken Shamrock, saying, “We were clearing the runway for Oct. 4 and we’re landing with some heavy artillery. Kimbo emerged as king of backyard brawls and is a YouTube sensation, now he wants to lay claim to the title of ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man.’â€
Though Shamrock is well past the peak of his career â€" he’s currently on a five-fight losing streak â€" the facts are that he has a record of 26-13-2, he has been in this sport since before Kimbo left his teenage years, and the strongest part of his game, submissions, is one of the weakest areas for his opponent.
“Shamrock is by far the toughest test of Kimbo’s young career,†added Shaw. “He is no stranger to big, tough fights. Ken realizes this is his opportunity to add a storybook finish to an illustrious career. He says he’s seen holes like Swiss cheese in Kimbo’s game.â€
Indeed, Shamrock has been fighting since before the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event, emerging first for Pancrase in Japan before being called upon to fight in a one-night, eight-man tournament at UFC 1 that also included that night’s eventual champion, Royce Gracie… in 1993.
EliteXC is looking to capitalize not only on Kimbo’s unique appeal as a “YouTube sensation,†but also on Shamrock’s background as one of the forefather’s of the sport.
“We see a tremendous fight for the casual MMA fan that has caught on to guys like Kimbo, while at the same time appealing to the hardcore fans who have grown up with Ken Shamrock,†said Shaw.
“We feel this will test Kimbo and the maturation of his MMA game. Ken being a veteran of the game is going to look to expose Kimbo’s weaknesses. It’s time for Kimbo to show his continued growth and the knowledge that he now has, and put himself in a situation for the biggest victory of is career.â€
It is no secret that EliteXC has attached itself to the popularity of the Kimbo train and wants to use that popularity to make sure that the pivotal Oct. 4 event on CBS is a ratings success. A win for Kimbo would be a tremendous boost for the promotion in the casual fan’s eyes due to Shamrock’s name recognition.
“It’s pretty simple. For Kimbo Slice, he wants to become the world’s most dangerous man and he wants to become the future EliteXC heavyweight champ. The only way for him to achieve those two things is going through Ken Shamrock,†Shaw stated.
But what happens if Shamrock derails Kimbo? What does Shaw see for the future if Shamrock’s experience prevails?
“If Ken Shamrock wins this fight, he’s on top of the world again. He’s once again proven that he is the most dangerous man in the world. He beat the guy that many consider one of the most unpredictable and dangerous striker’s in the heavyweight division.â€
In addition to Shamrock and Kimbo, Shaw also confirmed to MMAWeekly.com the rest of the main card, set to air live on CBS. Jake Shields will make the first defense of his EliteXC welterweight title when he faces British fighter Paul Daley, Gina Carano returns to face Kelly Kobald, and Benji Radach makes his promotional debut fighting former EliteXC middleweight champion Murilo “Ninja†Rua.
If time permits Shaw added that a second female bout, between Cristiane “Cyborg†Santos and Yoko Takahashi, would also air on CBS.
Wow, talk about a desperate attempt at a draw :-\
This...this is why ProElite will go under. This isn't sports entertainment, its fucking FIGHTING. Stop with the storylines. Should we just call this guy Goldberg already?
I dont care, I'll watch. Another Kimbo Knockout baby!
Did Gomi fuck him up?
....whoops. I logged out and started to write. I only had one cuss....which Ill go and edit now.
Yeah, and soon we can all sit back and watch as Kimbo KO's ProElite... :grouphug:
lol John S is right, I think this whole thing is retarded.
They always give Kimbo opponents that have been on losing streaks. Ken Shamrock is way past his prime, plus he is a fucking arrogant prick too lol.
Not really. He almost finished him once late in the 2nd round, but other than that it was a straight kickboxing match. Gomi landed some cleaner shots, but took some hard shots as well. Neither guy really looked too hurt at the end of the fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qoDIOfnh74 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qoDIOfnh74)
Unless they're paying Kenny to do a WWF sized job, I wouldn't be surprised to see Shamrock take him down. Kimbo's never been tested by a submission guy and Shamrock is an expert at it.
Sure, his skills are that of a 90-year old and his ego is bigger than Cory's, but the guy knows how to prepare for a one dimensional fighter.
... and you KNOW that Dana White is secretly cheering for the former Intercontential Champ on this one...
My guess Kimbo ko's him before he even gets taken down. Has White every said he wouldn't pick up Kimbo after his deal with them is done because Kimbo could probably draw as a semi main for UFC on a show now and then.
Heath Herring out wrestled Kongo...
Lesnar EMBARASSED Herring on the ground.
This is going to be the biggest ass whooping since Randy literally spanked Tito's ass in the middle of the cage.
^^
I dont have an ego..........just. Wait.
Nevermind.
I don't like Ken Shamrock at all but I think you're right that he knows how to prepare for a one dimensional brawler like Kimbo.
I want to see Kimbo lose, I like the guy but I am so tired of this Kimbo hype bullshit. "most feared striker in the division" shut the fuck up Gary Shaw, why don't you just jack him off already, Shaw?
I like how Shaw refused a Kimbo fight against Jeff Monson because Monson apparently "needs more wins" but Ken Shamrock hasn't won since 2005 and he books that fight instantly, fuck Shaw!
I laugh out loud when I heard this . You know Ken is not just going to stand there and punch with slice... this is going to suck big time... because I see Ken trying to submit him and Kimbo either one not going down and to just laying there trying to keep from getting submitted
kimbo needs to start fighting top tier fighters and if he lose ...so what ..you get better as you figh the best. not everyone has a perfect record ...hell many great fighters have lose early in there careers and come back to be better. ... it like they booking to not lose... how can you become the best if you do not fight the best. it bullshit and kimbo if he was smart should call him on it ...
World's most Dangerous man...I think he lost that title like ..what 7 years ago. lol after like five loes you can not call yourself that ;D
Apparently, after pissing hot for steroids, Antonio had this to say:
QuoteAntonio Silva speaks out about steroids suspension; Benkei’s departure from ATT; and more in new interview
Posted by Felipe Maurer de Barros
Suspended EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio “Pezao†Silva recently spoke to us in an exclusive interview at Planet Tatami. For the first-time ever, we have translated the interview from Portuguese to English for exclusive publication here on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.
In this interview, which is translated by Planet Tatami’s André Filipe Cassimiro de Sousa, Silva discusses his recent suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for alleged steroid use, the decision by long-time American Top Team trainer Benkei to leave the fight camp, his thoughts on his most recent win over Justin Eilers, and more.
Planet Tatami: Sherdog.com has stated that you tested positive for steroids, do you have anything to declare about it? Will you try to appeal this situation? Please comment, if you can.
Antonio Silva: Yeah, that’s true. I was really surprised with this shocking news. But (those) who know me and stayed with me in these last three years know that I don’t use any kind of steroid and I’m totally against the use of them. A lot of fighters that use steroids are truly beasts inside of the ring but without it they became little kitties. I love fighting but at first place is my life and after my surgery I realized I couldn’t take anything like that. For now I’ll re-take all the exams that I need and surely it’s going to be a matter of time to show the fans and MMA supporters that it was just a misunderstanding.
Planet Tatami: How many fights do you still have in your contract with Elite?
Antonio Silva: I still have three fights under my contract with EliteXC.
Planet Tatami: Give your comments about the fight against Justin Eilers. How do you feel being the champion of EliteXC?
Antonio Silva: The fight went as me and my team had planned. I (put my all into my training) and did what my trainers asked me to do. I’m feeling very happy (and) feeling like my mission was acomplished.
Planet Tatami: In your opinion, who will be the winner between Frank Mir and Minotauro (Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira)? And what about Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett?
Antonio Silva: In my opinion Minotauro will be the winner. At this current point in time there is no fighter at the same level of Minotauro. And regarding Andrei vs. Barnett, it’s going to be a though fight for both fighters because they are world class athletes, but I’ll support Andrei.
Planet Tatami: When is your next fight for Elite? Is there any possibility for you to fight outside Elite?
Antonio Silva: It was scheduled to September 20th but the event was cancelled. Yes, I’m free to fight outside EliteXC; my contract gives me this right.
Planet Tatami: What was your reaction when Benkei left ATT?
Antonio Silva: Well, I’m sad because Benkei is an awesome physical trainer and he was like a father for all athletes but I have to respect the opinion of ATT headmasters. I’m quite sure we lost a great professional who would kill or die if it was necessary just to see an ATT fighter win. He carried the flag and logo of the gym with (great passion).
Planet Tatami: What would you like to say to your fans reading this?
Antonio Silva: Thanks for the opportunity and I ask all Brazilians to trust me, because I don’t need to use any prohibited substance in my body. Naturally I produce what I need. I’m a real champion (and) the belt is mine and it will be for a long time. If somebody wanna take it from me, he won’t do it by cheating me, making me look bad but he will have to put fighters to face me, to take it in the right way.
Brazil has the best MMA fighters around the world and it’s annoying a lot of people, but they will have to see for a long time names like Minotauro, Anderson Silva, Paulão Filho, Jorge Santiago, Pedro Rizzo and me, Antonio Silva. True champions.
Planet Tatami is the exclusive Brazilian MMA correspondent site for FiveOuncesOfPain.com and its translated English content appears on this site exclusively with Planet Tatami’s permission. For additional MMA content from Planet Tatami, please visit the site at: Planet Tatami
Hmm, it says he can fight outside of Elite XC eh?
Affliction should get on this, while he's 'suspended'
In your opinion who are the top 20 guys to come off of TUF (not counting TUF 4), here is my list:
1. Forrest Griffin
2. Josh Koscheck
3. Rashad Evans
4. Michael Bisping
5. Kenny Florian
6. Keith Jardine
7. Joe Stevenson
8. Matt Hammil
9. Stephen Bonnar
10. Mike Swick
11. Marcus Davis
12. Mac Danzig
13. Nate Diaz
14. Kendall Grove
15. Nate Quarry
16. Joe Lauzon
17. Gray Maynard
18. Chris Leben
19. Matt Wiman
20. Ed Herman
I probably missed some people but I think my list is pretty accurate in my opinion. What's your list?
Bisping ad Ross Pointon. (SP?)
I like Ross but I wouldn't consider him one of the best to come off the show, he is definetely exciting but I think he was way too stubborn on the show, he has a good heart though.
1. Forrest Griffin
2. Diego Sanchez
3. Josh Koscheck
4. Rashad Evans
5. Kenny Florian
6. Michael Bisping
7. Keith Jardine
8. Joe Stevenson
9. Chris Leben
10. Matt Hamill
11. Stephan Bonnar
12. Mike Swick
13. Marcus Davis
14. Nate Diaz
15. Gray Maynard
16. Nate Quarry
17. Kendall Grove
18. Matt Wiman
19. Joe Lauzon
20. Mac Danzig
I put Mac at the bottom because he had an easy road through his TUF win, and I think based on his last performance he would lose to the two above him. I also put Diego ahead of Josh because while Josh beat him (when he had staph), Diego is still a more well-rounded fighter and I think would take him in a rematch.
Shit. Did I forget to put Diego on my list? What the fuck is wrong with me lol
Check this out, if I was KJ Noons I would be pissed too:
The problems between EliteXC and its lightweight champion, K.J. Noons, continue to escalate as the Hawaiian has finally broken his silence regarding numerous statements from company vice president Jared Shaw.
Noons released a statement regarding the situation between himself and Nick Diaz, as well as other problems that have risen between the fighter and the promotion that currently employs him. The statement is published below in its entirety and unedited:
“It is not about being scared to fight Diaz, who I previously defeated, it is about the fight I am currently in with Elite XC regarding my career.
I would first like to address all the false allegations and insults from Jared Shaw, aka $kala, VP of Elite XC. You will see why I am so disgusted of how Elite XC treated me and how it applies to this proposed fight and my career.
$kala says:
Honor my contract. Elite XC wants to talk about honoring the contract. How about when Elite XC honored the contract and my pay to fight Edson Berto went down after I lost my first fight. That was not part of my contract. Or how about the contract Gary Shaw breached by not promoting my boxing career? Gary Shaw only gave me one out of four of the agreed upon fights. I have not boxed for over a year. When I signed with Elite XC, I was promised they would promote both my boxing and MMA careers. I could have signed with another MMA only company, but I wanted to box too.
Elite XC does me a favor after I lose, by putting me on the first ShoXC against Edson Berto? Berto’s father is good friends with Jared’s father, Gary Shaw who wants Berto’s brother on a boxing contract. Berto was the next guy Elite XC wanted to build. But I win that fight and now I am 1-1. Elite XC gives me an opportunity to fight Diaz. Elite XC puts me against Diaz because Elite XC’s roster was so light and there was nobody else to fight him.
Elite XC creates a new weight class for Diaz because he beat Gomi. Giving Diaz a belt and creating a weight division (160) he can make, will make your belt legit. Sorry to ruin Elite XC’s plans and beat him.
Elite XC never promoted or took care of me as their champion.
Examples:
In the Elite XC’s DVD where Diaz and I fought there are two (2) baseball cards of Diaz and Kimbo. Hello! I won the fight and Elite XC’s promoting Diaz after I beat him? Or how about the day Elite XC flew Diaz in to do a signing on the DVD where he lost. Wow, that must have been uncomfortable Nick? Signing a DVD, and it is a fight that you lost. Why wasn’t I flown in for the signing?
Elite XC has never promoted me on either of their websites, EliteXC or Pro-Elite.
Elite XC offered me a fight on the first CBS show, but only if I signed a new long-term contract. Instead of promoting their best fighters on CBS, you have to be on a long term contract for them to promote you. That was not our deal.
Consider when Elite XC gives a couple thousand tickets away at their CBS show in Stockton.
Elite XC gives me a hard time about comping me one extra ticket for my cousin that helped me train for my fight. I only get four tickets per show. I am the main event in Honolulu, my home town! I did not ask for any tickets for my family and friends and they gave me a hard time about one extra ticket!
Or how about when Elite XC brought Diaz into the ring after my last victory in Hawaii to disrespect me and my family.
Chuck Champion (President Elite XC) threatens me, my family and my manager with lawsuits and how he’s going to sue me. HAHA. Pretty hard to sue a guy who does not make jack with your company. I’m glad $kala disclosed how much I make, which breached the confidentiality clause of the contract. I will break down the real numbers for you. I am the defending world champ, I have been the main event for Elite XC three out of four times on Showtime. In almost two years I have made approximately $83,000?
After paying my trainers and managers fee, I have $50,000 thousand. After taxes, probably 30 grand. Divide that by two years for $15,000 thousand a year. Divide by 52 weeks that amounts to approximately $300 a week. I do not know anybody that can survive on that amount of money. My buddies make more money than that in a couple days being a bus boy or bar back. And yes you can argue I should fight more. Elite XC doesn’t give me fights or promote me, they ice me. Gary Shaw Productions only gave me one of the agreed upon four fights per the boxing contract.
And I do not want to ramble on about all the little small stuff that I can keep going on about. But the straw that broke the camel’s back is they want me to fight Diaz for the second time. Diaz is not the number one contender and they are paying Diaz three times more money than me. Diaz complained after the Stockton fight, he was not paid enough. How do you think that made me feel? Yes you can argue that Diaz gets more for the draw, therefore I do not deserve as much compensation. If that is the case, it is a result of Elite XC terrible job promoting me. Instead of promoting me as their champ and upcoming athlete, Elite XC has resented me for ruining their plans to make Diaz their champ. That is just total disrespect. So it comes down to money and what is fair. I am tired of being bent over by Elite XC with no Vaseline.
I am right when I say Diaz is not the number one contender. Elite XC is trying to force this fight for their ratings. Eddie Alaverez is the number one contender and anybody with half a brain knows that a fight with Eddie is a way harder fight for me than Diaz. I will fight Diaz, but Elite has to be fair. I’m not ducking Diaz, why the hell would I be scared of someone I already beat.
With that being said, I am going to focus on my boxing career. I can make more money doing 6 and 8 rounders every other month and make more than I did being the Elite XC defending world champ. At least I will be able to sleep at night and be able to look myself in the mirror everyday. That right there is worth more than $300 bucks a week or fighting a guy I cannot stand for less money than him the second time around.
Will the Diaz fight happen? Yes. Will the fight happen on Elite XC on October 4, 2008, probably not. The way things are being run by Chuck Champion, a guy whose history is newspapers, not fighting, and $kala, someone who talks a lot of game, but has never put on a pair of gloves, never stepped in a ring or cage. $kala has had everything handed to him with a silver spoon from daddy. Does anyone else but me think $kala just wants to be famous and stir up all this dirty laundry? I guess any publicity is good publicity. When I think about it, it has been good promotion for their October card since nobody is talking about it until you bring up the Noons vs. Diaz match up.
Before I end, I would like to thank my team, my trainers and workout partners for helping me prepare for my fights hours every day. I would like to also thank my manager Mark Dion for standing behind my decision making. I want to be a fighter who is not doing whatever I am being told like some kind of mindless puppet.
Thanks for hearing my side.â€
I don't like EliteXC really, and while I respect KJ as a fighter, he's always come off as a little bitch. He shouldn't be complaining about his contract, considering he's the idiot that signed an exclusive deal with a then struggling (and still struggling) company. I am surprised that he managed to go a few sentences at a time without mentioning that he beat Nick Diaz once before (which he did, in case nobody knew), but he should be careful what he wishes for. Eddie Alvarez would destroy him. Going back to boxing might be a smart move for him.
MMAJUNKIE
Reigning UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture could return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship by year's end as part of an out-of-court settlement with the organization.
Multiple sources close to the fighter, speaking exclusively to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)), today said that Couture is willing to fight once more for the UFC, possibly before the end of the year, as a potential resolution to his ongoing legal battles with the fight promotion.
However, Couture himself could not be reached for comment, and it's unknown if the UFC is even considering the offer at this point.
According to one source, as part of Couture's concession to return the octagon, the 45-year-old UFC hall-of-famer would want to walk away "clear and free" from the organization after the bout.
Couture (16-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC), who hasn't fought since a third-round TKO victory over fellow UFC heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga in August 2007, resigned from the organization two months later over what he perceived to be a lack of respect from UFC officials, issues over his pay, and the UFC's inability to sign then-top free agent Fedor Emelianenko.
However, Zuffa LLC officials believe, per his fight contract, that Couture's next two bouts must be in the UFC. Couture had said that he wanted his resignation upheld so he could move on with his career, including a potential bout with Emelianenko outside the UFC.
Back in February, Couture signed a deal with Mark Cuban's Dallas-based HDNet Fights promotion. The organization then filed suit against the UFC in Dallas district court to get a declaratory judgment concerning the contractual status of Couture. However, earlier this month, a Texas appeals court ruled in favor of Zuffa and granted the organization's request for a stay against the motion.
In conditionally granting the stay, the court effectively deferred the case between Zuffa and Couture to arbitration to determine the fighter's contractual obligations to the UFC.
The ruling all but ensures that this case will be decided by a Nevada arbitrator and not by a Texas court, though it's likely that HDNet will appeal to the Texas Supreme Court. Arbitration between Zuffa and Couture reportedly has been under way in Las Vegas since early July.
Despite Couture's resignation, during a UFC 82 press conference in March, UFC President Dana White said that he had offered Couture a fight with now-interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on two different occasions. Although the fight never came to fruition, White has never ruled out the possibility of Couture returning to the organization.
In the other squabble between the UFC and Couture, the five-time champion's employment contract, which is separate from his fight contract, is the focus of a breach of contract lawsuit filed by Zuffa on Jan. 14 in Las Vegas. Zuffa contends that Couture violated the one-year non-compete clause in his contract by having his name and likeness used to promote fights outside of the UFC.
Couture's UFC employment contract expires on Oct. 11 of this year.
They should just give him Lesnar.
That would be a big money maker.
Quote from: Brandon on August 29, 2008, 06:29:24 PM
They should just give him Lesnar.
That would be a big money maker.
it would... but Lesnar get beat. Randy has to much experence for Brock ...but hell I watch that.
I like to see Randy one more time
Sounds to me , that they fed him bullshit to get him to sign and then turn there back on him and screwing with him.
I disagree BD, I think Lesnar would make quick work of Couture. Lesnar is a new breed of monster, just sit back and watch.
That's what I think too BD.
Gary Shaw is a piece of shit, instead of actually promoting his own champion he is going to do everything he can to make sure that Nick Diaz gets the belt just because he is more popular.
Lesnar would get schooled against Randy. Lesnar's game is a huge part of wrestling. Randy is probably the best wrestler in the Heavyweight division. Randy via 3rd round submission if it went down.
I agree with Cory on this, Couture by submission.
I think that would be a good fight if it happened, but I don't think Brock would be able to beat Randy.
Brock has a huge future but I don't think he can beat guys like Randy or Nog yet. I think Brock should take the fight against Cheick Kongo next, then when he beats him move up to a fight with a guy like Gabe Gonzaga.
I may have to give you bad karma if you really think that Couture's wrestling is superior to Brock's. I hope this actually happens, just so I can sit back with a smile and say I told you so :P
I wouldn't say Randy is the better wrestler, but I think he will overcome the beast that is Big Brock :P
He'll beat him, Brock still leaves many openings and Randy will exploit them. I don't see Big Brock stopping Randy this early in Brock's career.
You can compare Lesnar to Couture. I like to watch Lesnar fight, but Im sorry. He's still not in Randy's league.
John... Brock may be the best in the upcoming years . he is scary powerful and his wrestling skills are really good and getting better. But right now he is in the early part of his career and still prone to make some mental errors that a vet like Randy can use to his advantage. I did not want Brock to take on a vet like Randy right now because I see Randy trying to exploit the ground game weakness of Brock and more then likely doing it . Toe to toe Brock knocks him the hell out. but it going to the ground and Randy is much better at that. oh it be big money , no doubt but brock is the future and you do not derail it by putting him in a match with a guy like Randy who not going to be around the company later. in a few years Brock going to hit a point were he is the man to beat. Right now I say if he face Randy . Randy beats him not by power , but by experience.
Well fellas, it seems we might be seeing it unfold in the near future, so lets cross our fingers. From some of the things I'm seeing on MMA forums elsewhere, the UFC is going to pursue more than one fight out of Couture...more like 3. And his first fight wouldn't be with Nog, which doesn't make sense to me because you gotta have the champ and the interim champ fight. It will all be interesting to say the least. With all the talk going on about the fight, you now one of them will at least have something to say about it.
QuoteAccording to a report in the Friday edition of New York Post, CBS was not too pleased with the second EliteXC broadcast on their channel and now rumors are starting to fly that CBS and the UFC are talking again about a deal.
But reportedly, the network was shocked by how badly the last fight, called "Unfinished Business," did in the ratings.
Despite a poor showing, CBS apparently does not want to give up on the idea of turning the sometime savage mixed martial arts into primetime fare.
Rumors have also resurfaced that CBS is once again in talks with UFC - the first and better-known of the competing fight leagues - to take over the timeslot.
Calls to UFC and CBS were not returned.
Interesting stuff here. CBS sees the potential in having MMA on their network, but they do not seem pleased with the EliteXC product and could be gunning for the top dogs in the buisness.
Credit MMANews.com
That would be fucking awesome! I'd love for that to happen!
CBS get UFC it a ratings boost like a mother fucker. bcause we all know that UFC has better product when it comes to the boardcasting of fights on TV
If I were KJ, I'd be focusing more on why my trainers and managers get 40% of my salary. That is not standard by any means necessary.
If that meant one more live event a month, Im all for it.
more fights the merry I say
but, ill admit. If its to re-run old shows and shit, Ill pass. Id rather watch new Elite XC than old UFC, but thats just me.
it be new shows ..remember UFC has a better roster of fighters ...deeper then any other company out there right now
BD said exactly what will happen. Shamrock is a submission expert. But he forgets this, and thinks he is a striker most of the time. He should have never met Guy Mezger...
I hope this happens. I don't support UFC, but Elite WILL destroy MMA for the fans sooner than later. Sooner it's out the better.
QuoteThe Randy Couture rumor mill continues to turn and while most expect him to return to the UFC for at least one fight, MMARated is reporting that Couture is contemplating a three-fight contract. Here’s the blurb:
Randy Couture is on the verge of agreeing to this new contract with the UFC that will see him make his return to the Octagon at UFC 91 on November 15th against Brock Lesnar. As part of this new agreement, Couture has been offered a new three-fight deal with the UFC, thus terminating his old contract that had two fights remaining on it.
If all goes well over the weekend, multiple sources have informed us that the UFC is hoping to make this announcement on Tuesday
This could be big news as Couture would more than likely fight Brock Lesnar, then perhaps(don’t hold your breath)Fedor Emelianenko and finally Big Nog. In any case any return to the octagon by Couture would be viewed as a distinct victory for the UFC and Dana White.
Credit: MMANews.com
Brock > Couture :P
I'd love to see that fight happen, I still say Captain America takes it but with Big Brock you never know. I mean look what he did to Heath Herring, I don't think anyone expected him to dominate like that. Can he do that to Randy? I don't think so, he won't be able to dominate Randy like that. Couture will most likely submit Brock, in my opinion that's how I see this fight ending.
I'm not completely counting Brock out though, I'm just saying if I had to bet I'd bet on Randy Couture. Either way it's gonna be a good fight and I seriously hope the rumor is true.
Though I'd much rather see Randy fight Fedor but at this point I don't care who he fights I just want to see him return lol.
credit: MMAjunkie.com
Amir Sadollah (1-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a little-known fighter who navigated a surprising run to become the winner of "The Ultimate Fighter 7," expects to make his official post-"TUF" return at UFC 91.
Sadollah mentioned the return, but no possible opponent, during a guest visit at this past Saturday's Combat Sports Challenge 26 event, according to fiveouncesofpain.com.
UFC 91 takes place Nov. 15 at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore.
Sadollah, who earned a place on the "TUF 7" cast through an open tryout, entered the reality show with just a 4-0 amateur record and no professional fights of which to speak.
However, the 28-year-old defeated former UFC fighter Steve Byrnes (6-1) in a newly created elimination round, Gerald Harris (8-2) in the opening round, Matt Brown (8-6) in the quarterfinals, C.B. Dollaway (7-1) in the semifinals, and after fellow finalist Jesse Taylor was kicked off the show, Sadollah again defeated Dollaway at the show's live finale back in June. All five victories came via knockout or submission.
Although a smaller middleweight, Sadollah, a former surgical technician, has mentioned no intentions of moving to the welterweight division.
For the latest on UFC 91, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)).
- So who do you guys think they will give him for his first post-TUF opponent?
Thats the only way I can see Randy winning. He's not going to out-wrestle or overpower Brock. His only chance is to submit him. So really, all Brock has to do is just stay on his feet. Randy won't be able to take him down, so Brock needs to just stand with Randy and not take it to the ground.
Yeah I'll agree with that, if Brock can keep it standing with Couture then he'll take it. Couture will definetely have a hard time taking Brock down, and I don't see Randy out-wrestling Brock either. Brock needs to keep it standing if he wants to win this fight because if he goes to the ground with Couture, Captain America will find a way to get the submission as Brock will leave openings.
I still stand by the fact that Randy will win this by submission because I do see this going to the ground. I see Brock taking Randy down and looking to ground and pound and then eventually Brock will expose himself and Randy will take it. That's how I see it ending, but either way I'd be happy with either outcome because I am fans of both.
A win for Brock Lesnar would be HUGE for his career, I mean beating a guy like Couture would be huge for him.
A win for Randy Couture will also be huge, it would set up a fight between Couture and Nog and then hopefully that fight with Fedor will happen.
shouldnt Randy have to fight Big Nog first, as Nogs on interim to Randys belt? Meaning that they need to fight to see who the 'champion' is?.....just saying.
That's what I thought lol.
They usually give the winners of the show someone who either hasn't had a UFC win yet or has a 1-1 or 1-2 type record. If that trend continues, perhaps the recently debuted Johnny Rees. Or since it's in Oregon, maybe they'll bring out a Team Quest product, like Justin Levens. Everyone goes on and on about how the middleweight division is weak compared to the others, but I actually think it's the toughest. It just looks weak because Anderson Silva makes everyone else look like amateurs.
Its expected that UFC will announce Randy Coture vs Brock Lesnar for the November UFC PPV tommorow. I know shit about MMA but I know this is big.
Big Cory Edit: Spelled Coutures name right. Was bugging the hell out of me.
If this match gets made... Lesnar is a DEAD MAN
Isent Randy in court against Zuffa cause he is refusing to even come to the shows? Unless this is there way of letting Brock get a quick win over him.
I thought the same as well. I've been hearing rumors of the UFC stripping Randy of the belt though, so...who knows.
Randy wouldn't have any interest in letting Brock get a 'quick win.' That wouldn't help his situation any. If Couture returns to the UFC it will be under a 3-fight deal. Lesnar, Big Nog, and hopefully the Fedor fight. But after Randy loses to Lesnar and Nog I don't see them giving him a Fedor fight, so we'll see...
From Prowrestling.net:
UFC is holding a press press conference later today and is expected to announce that Brock Lesnar will face the returning Randy Couture in a November pay-per-view in Portland, Ore. The company has scheduled the press conference for 2:00 p.m.
That has major money written all over it! Brock will no doubt get owned, if Couture has kept himself sharp and in shape during his time off. But damn it, I'd pay money to see that fight.
Peace
Duckman
Ill sopcast it.
bigt ime news if true... big money and maybe the biggest fight of 08 future vs past .. Brock vs Randy... smart money is the Randy takes him in the end...too much damn experince
Would be an awesome fight!
UFC 91 sounds like it will be an awesome card, KenFlo is supposed to fight Joe Stevenson on this card as well.
I'm curious to see how Lesnar's gas tank is. I know wrestlers usually have good ones, and even though he went to a decision with Herring, he didn't work that hard. He stayed active but at the same time he wasn't exerted. Randy will make him work. In my opinion Randy will win, but I don't think he's just going to roll over Lesnar. I think Lesnar will do better against Couture than he would against a Werdum or Nogueira at this stage.
I really do think you guys are giving Lesnar too much credit. He's still new and he will make mistakes. I mean freaking Jake O' Brien beat Herring and Herring has always struggled with wrestlers. If Lesnar tries to fight Noguiera, Gonzaga, Werdum, and even Mir again.. he will lose. He still needs to work on his sub defense and he will be a monster.
I think Couture will beat Lesnar, his wrestling as far as applying it to MMA is still better and if you know Randy, you should know to NEVER count him out. It will be a good fight.
Agreed with Honk.
I disagree. The Lesnar that defeated Herring would have destroyed Mir. He got way too overanxious in that fight and got caught. And there's a big difference with what Jake O'Brien did to Herring than Lesnar. End of O'Brien fight, Herring just looked annoyed and didn't appear to be hurt in any way. End of Lesnar fight, Herring's face was messed up, he could barely stand and had to go to the hospital due to internal bleeding.
Fine, but I still think people are giving way too much credit to Lesnar. I will admit that he was impressive but from what I have seen in several forums.. people think he's the messiah of the MMA world right now, and I completely disagree. He still needs time to improve and if he did actually KNOW what he was doing.. he would ended the fight quickly with Herring but he looked lost at times especially when he had Herrings back. If he fights Couture, I think he will lose. I am also willing to eat my words but I'm just trying to say.. don't put everything into Lesnar yet.
Well I will agree with that point, which is why I said I have Couture beating him, but not running through him. I don't see him beating Couture, Nog, Werdum or Gonzaga right now, Gonzaga maybe because he gasses after 6 or 7 minutes, but not the rest of those guys.
Brock is not ready yet...that my gut feeling. If he can beat Randy then give him the title shot. I say brock needs another year and then he becomes the man to beat.
If he beats Randy he'll probably get the title shot, no matter if Werdum's deserves it more than him or the person that's currently the #1 contender. I just view this season's TUF as being closely related to the 3rd season with Tito and Ken, minus the bad blood. All the build up and waiting for a fight that's most likely going to be one-sided and end within 3 minutes.
I'm not giving Brock too much credit, I am just recognizing his actual skills. Most people just want to look at him as an ex-WWE guy who. Most people want him to fail. It is hard for the MMA world to realize that yes, a new star is here! And no, he is a legend of the sport! You didn't grow up watching and hearing about him, so what? he is a new breed of fighter, and as stated previously...the Lesnar that fought Herring would have manhandled Mir. Mir is trash, Lesnar just got excited and got caught. Who says he needs to work on sub defense? Because he got caught...once?? Who else have you seen submit Brock? Brock is a f'n monster, honestly. Look at this mans speed, strength and agility compared to any other heavyweight fighter in MMA. POSSIBLY...1 comes to mind...Fedor.
I do agree that Brock needs time to mature and 'become' the greatest fighter in the HW division, but the fact of the matter still remains that it is his time to shine, and he will. Randy is old...and probably hasn't been training much since his departure, especially with him filming movies and such. I guaruntee we don't see the Randy of old in the octagon against Brock, and that is why Brock wins.
All opinion of course, you know I love you guys :grouphug:
Seriously though, all of you have great opinions, and everyone here seems pretty well educated in MMA. I can't wait for this fight to happen!!
Based off of the last fight, Brock did show he is learning. He was even going for a few submissions, my thing is that he needs someone to help him with his stand up game. If Lesner can stand up, knock someone down with those big fucking hands of his and then get on top of them, BUT be like he did with Herring, then I think he'll be golden, but right now putting him against someone of the caliber of Randy this quick, it may just be a bad move, but only time can tell and win or lose Lesner will learn a shit load from this fight.
Quote from: JohnS. on September 02, 2008, 02:42:06 PM
I'm not giving Brock too much credit, I am just recognizing his actual skills. Most people just want to look at him as an ex-WWE guy who. Most people want him to fail. It is hard for the MMA world to realize that yes, a new star is here! And no, he is a legend of the sport! You didn't grow up watching and hearing about him, so what? he is a new breed of fighter, and as stated previously...the Lesnar that fought Herring would have manhandled Mir. Mir is trash, Lesnar just got excited and got caught. Who says he needs to work on sub defense? Because he got caught...once?? Who else have you seen submit Brock? Brock is a f'n monster, honestly. Look at this mans speed, strength and agility compared to any other heavyweight fighter in MMA. POSSIBLY...1 comes to mind...Fedor.
I do agree that Brock needs time to mature and 'become' the greatest fighter in the HW division, but the fact of the matter still remains that it is his time to shine, and he will. Randy is old...and probably hasn't been training much since his departure, especially with him filming movies and such. I guaruntee we don't see the Randy of old in the octagon against Brock, and that is why Brock wins.
All opinion of course, you know I love you guys :grouphug:
Seriously though, all of you have great opinions, and everyone here seems pretty well educated in MMA. I can't wait for this fight to happen!!
I agree with most of everything you said except for one thing.
Frank Mir is not trash, at least I don't think he is. He is one of the most knowledgable fighters in the game, he might not be a top 10 Heavyweight but he isn't a shit fighter at all. Even though Nog will kill him in December haha.
It's official but it's for the title?
Amidst a groundswell of rumor and speculation concerning former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture’s future, the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Tuesday announced that “The Natural†is indeed returning to the Octagon.
Couture will face rising star Brock Lesnar in the main event of UFC 91 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 15. The fight will be a five-round, title bout, Couture’s first since resigning from the organization in October of 2007.
There was strong speculation the Nov. 15 event would take place in Portland, Ore., but UFC president Dana White said that despite ongoing negotiations to do an event in Portland, and future plans to do so, this fight would take place in Las Vegas.
In announcing the fight, White steered away from saying that Lesnar, with a 1-1 record in the UFC and 2-1, was the No. 1 contender for the heavyweight title. He offered no defense of the bout being for the title saying, “We can basically put on fights that fans want to see… Mark my words, Couture vs. Lesnar will be the biggest fight in UFC history.â€
The announcement appears to have ended a legal battle between Couture and the owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Zuffa, LLC, over the terms of his fight contract. Up until the announcement was made, the two parties were in arbitration proceedings to determine if and when Couture would be able to fight outside of the UFC.
Due to Couture’s absence, the UFC had crowned Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira its interim heavyweight champion. He is scheduled to defend his interim title against Frank Mir in December. White said that fight would still take place with the winner facing the winner of Couture and Lesnar sometime in 2009 to unify the heavyweight title.
Couture has reportedly begun training full time for the bout at his Las Vegas Xtreme Couture gym.
Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com as we will have further in-depth coverage as the story develops…
it a win -win for UFC. Brock Wins gets a title and UFC get a unify title match.
Randy wins...get title and UFC get a unify title match
shit load of money to be made by all
At the end of all of this the undisputed UFC Heavyweight champion will be..... ANTONIO RODRIGO "MINOTAURO" NOGUEIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
:P
<----- ain't he one getting slam by Big Bob ;D
Quote from: MitchMMA on September 02, 2008, 05:22:07 PM
At the end of all of this the undisputed UFC Heavyweight champion will be..... ANTONIO RODRIGO "MINOTAURO" NOGUEIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
:P
lol and he still came back to get that submission win.
;D
lol I know.
That was a brutal slam though lol
....yeah.
MMAJunkie-
The long-rumored heavyweight superfight between UFC champion Randy Couture (16-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and WAMMA champion Fedor Emelianenko (28-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is currently being discussed for an as-yet-unspecified date in January or February of 2009.
Sources inside Couture's Xtreme Couture camp today informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) of the ongoing negotiations between the UFC and both fighters.
The fight is far from a done deal. Many of the same issues that prevented Emelianenko from signing with the UFC during previous negotiations must still be ironed out. But it appears that the UFC and representatives for both Couture and Emelianenko are working toward bringing the two legends together for a long-awaited bout.
Additionally, the same sources are reporting that Couture is currently "actively training for a fight."
Couture has remained in shape throughout his self-imposed 12-month layoff, but his workouts are now reportedly being geared toward an apparent upcoming bout.
Adding to previous speculation that Couture's return may be on Nov. 15 at UFC 91 against Brock Lesnar, Xtreme Couture is also reportedly making travel arrangements to bring in several "larger heavyweights" as sparring partners for Couture.
Sources indicate the Emelianenko bout is contingent upon Couture defeating Lesnar in November.
MMAJunkie-
(http://mmajunkie.com/dyn/images/other/the-ultimate-fighter-1.jpg)
There was frequently three, four and five men speaking at once, which shouldn't be all that surprising if you knew anything about this gang.
Eight members of the cast of the inaugural season of "The Ultimate Fighter" gathered Friday at the UFC training center to reminisce about their experiences on the show and the impact it had on their lives.
There were poignant moments, such as when Nate Quarry talked about finally having money to allow his 8-year-old daughter, Ciera, to buy what she wanted in a store, or when Chris Leben told the group he is sober and no longer drinking alcohol.
Leben's admission prompted applause from his cast mates.
But when Joe Rogan, who was serving as the master of ceremonies, asked the kind of question that only he would ask, there was silence in the room. Heads turned left and right looking to see if anyone was brave enough to tackle this one.
"If you're in a relationship you want out of, now is the time to speak up," Stephan Bonnar shouted, laughing.
When no one was willing to talk, Rogan called them "a bunch of (expletives)."
Rogan had asked how much better they did with the women after being part of the show.
Forrest Griffin, now the UFC's light heavyweight champion, broke the tension by shouting, "Hey, I don't know about you guys, but I was doing pretty good with the women before."
After three hours of taping by Spike TV on Friday, it was clear that the show impacted the men who were on it as much, if not more, than it did the UFC.
The UFC would likely no longer exist were it not for the show in general and the light heavyweight finale between Griffin and Bonnar in particular. UFC president Dana White, who calls the Griffin-Bonnar fight the most important in the company's history, signed a deal to renew the series in an alley behind the Las Vegas arena where the fight was held on April 9, 2005.
"Without that night, everything this thing has become would not have been possible," Rogan said.
The first season will be replayed in the fall, and short clips from Friday's reunion will be inserted into the shows.
As Rogan was making the point how the show had changed so much for so many in the room, he acknowledged Griffin, who won the light heavyweight title on July 5 with a victory over Quinton Jackson.
Griffin isn't much for ceremony and was clearly uncomfortable when others talked about his championship. When Rogan said, "You're the champ, Dude," Griffin shrugged, made a crooked face and said, "Well, at least until my next fight."
Mike Swick said he had been involved in martial arts most of his life, but was not able to make a living at it prior to being on TUF. He said he had a pressure-washing company, but was always frustrated because his clients would never be satisfied.
He would arrive and point out he'd be able to clean the driveway, but the oil stains wouldn't come up.
"After I would finish, they'd come out and the oil stains were still there and they'd be all angry about it and I'd have to talk to them and then lower the bill," he said.
He focuses full time on his fighting career now as a result of the notoriety he gained from being in the cast. Still, though, he receives an occasional call from someone who wants to hire him to clean their driveway.
One of the day's funniest moments came when Swick and Chris Leben argued about whether Leben had ducked Swick. The two had fought prior to being on The Ultimate Fighter in a memorable WEC bout that Leben won.
During filming of the show Swick managed to get Leben to sign a piece of paper agreeing to a rematch. Later, Swick's management team reminded UFC matchmaker Joe Silva of Leben's promise.
Swick seemed irritated Friday when he recalled the incident and asked Leben why he agreed to fight Terry Martin instead of giving him the promised rematch. Swick was he was told by his management that a deal was being discussed with Silva and Leben's managers.
Leben, though, seemed perplexed to hear about it and said he never turned down a fight. Finally, to settle the dispute, White turned on his cellular telephone and called Silva. White told him Silva was taping a TV show and would put the phone on speaker so everyone could hear his answer.
Silva confirmed that the bout was discussed with Leben's management, but the managers wanted to go for a fight with Martin.
The tension was settled, though, when it was obvious that Leben had no idea about the fight.
"Man, I don't get into any of that and that's why I'm not on the computer or anything," Leben said. "All I do is get into the gym and work and when they have a fight, they tell me. I fight anyone."
The group teased Bobby Southworth about how much he weighed when he arrived for taping. Southworth conceded he weighed 237 and had to get to 205, but he joined the cast on just 12 days' notice.
Bonnar pointed out that Southworth, whom the fighters were jokingly referring to as "Dad" on Friday, made a big impact in the house. When he was gone, there was trash everywhere. Southworth had picked up after everyone.
"After Bobby left the house, the place was disgusting," Bonnar said. "Nobody picked up anything."
Leben told a story of how he'd been suckered by Florian. He showed Florian one of his best moves, then found out the two were fighting the next day.
Sure enough, early in the second round, Florian tried the move.
"Guy used my own move on me," Leben said, as Florian bent over laughing.
They shared stories of Bonnar's battle with staph infection and his escape through a tiny bathroom window to go out to buy alcohol.
They teased Diego Sanchez, who won the middleweight division and now fights at lightweight, about his duffel bag he carried that was filled with supplements and how wacky he acted during the show.
"I am wacky," Sanchez said, drawing more laughs.
Nobody seemed to enjoy the gathering more than White, who came up with the idea for the reality series in a last-ditch attempt to save the UFC. The company had lost $44 million in a little more than three years since White and partners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta purchased it from original owners Semaphore Entertainment for $2 million in 2001.
The Fertittas picked up the entire cost of the production, including buying the air time. Even as the show was being filmed, no one, including White, was quite sure whether it would air.
The show succeeded beyond anyone's wildest expectations.
During a break in taping, White looked around the room, where the fights during the show are filmed, and shook his head.
"It's amazing to think," he said, softly, "how close we came to not being here today. If it weren't for what these guys did, I don't know if there would even be a UFC. I'll never forget these guys.
"Ever."
They should let the Fertitti bros negotiate the contract rather than Dana. I wonder if they will be willing to let Fedor compete in Sambo tournaments as well? Because that was a dealbreaker in the last of the negotiations. I hope they would find a way to bring in Aleks but he can never attain a visa or get clearance to fight in USA.
I agree with BDs post about the money making and all that.
This is so fucking awesome.
I'm not the biggest follower of MMA but I did see that crazy ass fight between Couture and Sylvia, and this is a far bigger match and I would say actually a far bigger test for Captain America. Sure, Brock's still new and he's got a long way to go, but he's always been a fast learner. Hell, I think Brock gets far too little credit actually. In his first fight he beat Mir to shit but made a rookie mistake and got caught.
Obviously he's been training to avoid that kinda situation since.
He fucking HUMBLED Herring in his second fight 'cause Herring didn't take him seriously, thinking he was just 'some fake wrestler'. He's got serious power in his stand-up, and guarantee if Randy gets hit with one of those bombs solid, he ain't getting up. And let's not forget, the ground work isn't exactly Randy's strong suit either.
That being said though, if Randy can hang on through the rounds, we'll be seeing just how much gas Brock's got in the tank too and how it compares to Couture, and if Randy can just wait out Lesnar until he makes a mistake, I have every faith he can take the big man out. That said, everybody knows deep down that Brock's not a great fighter yet and that's what's going to play most in Randy's favour, but I think it's safe to say he has all the makings of a great fighter and when he gets more experienced, he's going to be the scariest fuckin' dude there is, not to mention probably the best heel UFC could ever have.
Either way, this match is going to be fucking EPIC and a must-see for everyone, MMA and wrestling fans alike.
Hell, there's a poll up on Wrestling Observer at the moment about who people think can win the fight, yesterday it was dead even, 50/50 between Lesnar and Couture. Literally the exact same in it. As of this writing, Lesnar's now taken the lead with 680 votes to 654, making the poll results 51% to 49%, and just yesterday I believe on WO Radio, Meltzer was predicting this to be the most bet-upon fight in UFC history.
Goddamn, I cannot wait to see this. ;D
Quote from: Jonny B on September 02, 2008, 06:35:12 PM
This is so fucking awesome.
I'm not the biggest follower of MMA but I did see that crazy ass fight between Couture and Sylvia, and this is a far bigger match and I would say actually a far bigger test for Captain America. Sure, Brock's still new and he's got a long way to go, but he's always been a fast learner. Hell, I think Brock gets far too little credit actually. In his first fight he beat Mir to shit but made a rookie mistake and got caught.
Obviously he's been training to avoid that kinda situation since.
He fucking HUMBLED Herring in his second fight 'cause Herring didn't take him seriously, thinking he was just 'some fake wrestler'. He's got serious power in his stand-up, and guarantee if Randy gets hit with one of those bombs solid, he ain't getting up. And let's not forget either, the ground work isn't exactly Randy's strong suit either.
That being said though, if Randy can hang on through the rounds, we'll be seeing just how much gas Brock's got in the tank too and how it compares to Couture, and if Randy can just wait out Lesnar until he makes a mistake, I have every faith he can take the big man out.
Either way, this match is going to be fucking EPIC and a must-see for everyone, MMA and wrestling fans alike.
Hell, there's a poll up on Wrestling Observer at the moment about who people think can win the fight, yesterday it was dead even, 50/50 between Lesnar and Couture. Literally the exact same in it. As of this writing, Lesnar's now taken the lead with 680 votes to 654, making the poll results 51% to 49%, and just yesterday I believe on WO Radio, Meltzer was predicting this to be the most bet-upon fight in UFC history.
Goddamn, I cannot wait to see this. ;D
Agreed.
Can't count Lesnar out at all guys. Couture has troubles at times when he fights stronger people. It's why he dropped to light heavy. I think Randy knows wrestling better, but Lesnar knows plenty himself, and is way stronger. I actually wanna see lesnars chin tested.
I forget where I wrote this, but Lesnar was getting a title shot very soon, But in all honesty I figured he had one more fight. DAMN.
Actually Honk, as per the press conference...this match will be for the title. Brock Lesnar has a chance to become the champ if he can beat Randy. The winner will go on to face the winner of Mir/Nog to unify the titles in 09.
I agree, I want to see Lesnar's chin tested. I'm guessing the guy can take a fairly solid punch, but I've seen stranger things happen.
MMAJunkie-
For UFC newcomer Brock Lesnar (2-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), the frustration was evident.
UFC President Dana White yesterday announced Lesnar would face a returning Randy Couture at UFC 91 for Couture's heavyweight title. And despite being part of what White referred to as "the biggest fight in UFC history," Lesnar was largely ignored for most of the hour-long media conference call.
The majority of questions focused on Couture's return and how it would impact a possible bout between Couture and current WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. Lesnar quickly grew tired of the hypothetical discussion.
"I'm hearing all this talk about Fedor Emelianenko," Lesnar said. "Who gives a [expletive] about Fedor? I don't care. I'm fighting Randy Couture. That's what this press conference is about."
Lesnar said he was not alone in his disdain for the discussions of Emelianenko.
"I don't give a damn about Fedor," Lesnar said. "I'm tired of hearing about [expletive] Fedor. Randy Couture is fighting Brock Lesnar Nov. 15. His No. 1 concern should be Brock Lesnar. And Dana White could care less about Fedor.
"Everyone's beating around the bush. Yeah, you want that fight? I don't give a damn. I'm sick and tired of sitting on the phone listening about Fedor. He's not with the company, and he might not ever be with the company. So who gives a [expletive]?"
While Couture has continually expressed interest in arranging a fight with Emelianenko -- including undertaking a 12-month layoff in hopes of securing the bout -- there are still no guarantees that the UFC will be able to bring the Russian into the organization.
That fact was not lost on Lesnar.
"Let's get to the facts here," Lesnar implored. "The facts are that it's me and Randy Couture, and Fedor isn't with the company. So why are we wasting our breath on talking about a guy or a match that might not ever happen?
"This is what's happening. I don't know how many times you have to say it. This is for real. This fight's going to happen. Randy Couture and Fedor that might not ever happen. But this fight is going to happen. I'm on the telephone talking about this fight."
With his position on Emelianenko clearly established, Lesnar turned to his chances against the legendary Couture.
"Randy's a smart guy," Lesnar admitted. "He knows how to fight heavyweights. But trying to compare me to Gabriel Gonzaga is like apples and oranges. Randy understands that he's up against a different beast in this fight.
"Randy said that earlier today he's going to come in at 225 pounds (for the fight). I'm coming in at 265 pounds, so there's a huge weight difference."
Besides the obvious size difference, Lesnar also felt his camp at Minnesota Martial Arts would be able to devise a victorious plan of attack.
"We're not dummies here," Lesnar said. "We're going to figure out how to beat Randy Couture, just like we figured out how to beat Heath Herring. I will come into this fight well-prepared and with a game plan to win the title that night."
......because his first 'welcome back to Asia' fight was a joke. Though I;d post this for Tank.
MMAJunkie-
ormer PRIDE and UFC fighter Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (23-6-2) will meet Alistair Overeem (28-11), and Siala "Mighty Mo" Siliga (3-0) takes on Sergei Kharitonov (15-3), at DREAM.6 later this month.
The Japanese-based organization added the bouts to its official website earlier today.
DREAM.6 takes Sept. 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event airs live on HDNet, and an official preview show debuts on the high-definition station on Sept. 12 at 11:30 p.m. ET.
Filipovic, who left the UFC after back-to-back losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo, will fight for just the second time in the past 12 months. His only fight in the past year was a first-round TKO of a heavily outmatched Tatsuya Mizuno at DREAM.1 back in March.
He'll now meet Overeem, a former PRIDE fighter who defeated Paul Buentello for the Strikeforce world heavyweight title in November 2007. He's picked up two stoppage victories in DREAM -- over Lee Tae-Hyun and Mark Hunt -- since then.
Meanwhile, "Mighty Mo" is a K-1 veteran whose most recent MMA fight produced a technical knockout of journeyman Ruben Villareal at the K-1 HERO'S Dynamite!! event in Los Angeles in June of 2007. He'll now take on Kharitonov, a longtime PRIDE fighter who hasn't competed since September 2007, when he a scored a first-round TKO of Overeem.
DREAM also today announced the organization's middleweight grand prix reserve bout: Dong Sik Yoon (4-5) vs. Andrews Nakahara (0-1).
The latest card now includes: Nick Diaz vs. Hayato Sakurai (for DREAM welterweight title)
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Alistair Overeem
* Sergei Kharitonov vs. Siala "Mighty Mo" Siliga
* Grand Prix finalist #1 vs. finalist #2
* Zelg Galesic vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza*
* Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi*
* Andrews Nakahara vs. Dong Sik Yoon+
* Hideo Tokoro vs. Atsushi Yamamoto
* - middleweight grand prix semifinal fight
+ - middleweight grand prix reserve bout
Yeah I read, I seriously can't wait.
For awhile I thought it was gonna be Jerome Le Banner but this is good. Decent enough talent to put CroCop back on track.
Ill probably check this one out. Cro Cop and Might Mo.
I dont think Overeem should trouble Cro Cop too much, but you never no. You'd never think Gonzaga or Kongo would either.
No Brock, don't go there...not yet big guy :-\
I was going to write an AO article about this, but the title buries Mr. Lesnar enough.
Brock has a bright future, loads of potential, but no. Never will beat Fedor, never will have the right to talk about Fedor, shouldn't even be allowed to speak of one Fedor.
Agreed.
I'm happy to see Sergei back too.
well it's the contested title they're fighting for. What I said earlier on, in another thread, was I knew Lesnar was going to be lined up for a title shot. But I figured he'd have to fight Mark Coleman first. If they fought like they were supposed to, Heath Herring and Coleman would fight next, and then the winner would get a shot at the title. But Coleman got hurt, so they bumped Herring in there. After beating Herring, again I figured that he'd either fight Coleman as planned, or fight Kongo next, and then Coleman. Now they're skipping the middle man and putting Lesnar straight to the title scene. After this fight, I'm sure they'll pit Coleman against whoever wins between Lesnar and Couture.
Yeah I also agree.
Fedor would kill him.
Fabricio Werdum should get the next title shot. After they unify the belts, Werdum should get the next shot. Unless he losses in his next fight that is lol.
Depends which Cro Cop shows up. Overeem has looked much better since he's at heavyweight and doesn't have to cut like 25-30 pounds, and he will as well-rounded a fighter there is in the division. Only question has been his heart and cardio in the past, other than that he's a future champ. Even Cro Cop at the top of his game should have a few problems even if he would wind up with the TKO.
I don't think the article buries Lesnar. He has a point. I'm still pretty new to MMA and don't know who Fedor is (although I've heard of him), but Couture/Fedore is not the match they should be talking about. It's not even signed. Couture/Lesnar is signed and it's why Lesnar was at the Conference. He probably could have been more respectful, but I understand his frustration at the fact that they're looking passed him and onto a match that's not in the immediate future.
Hey...I with Brock on this one... He not allowed to say the man name. this is his match against Randy and maybe his chance to shine. He wins he take a big step toward the future . he loses he still great exp. but Fedor is not with the company. I am fighting Randy and in it to beat him. I be pissed too. if you keep hearing the guys name over and over and he not even in the company. look at it him his eyes. You all know he got a short fuse anyway. I see no problem with him talking like take ....
Leben told a story of how he'd been suckered by Florian. He showed Florian one of his best moves, then found out the two were fighting the next day.
Sure enough, early in the second round, Florian tried the move.
"Guy used my own move on me," Leben said, as Florian bent over laughing.
Funny as hell right there
Cro Cop never same to be the same after that Gonzaga kick to the head...
lol agreed BD :D
Now, is the Swick that is requesting to fight Leben again the same Swick that ran his ass to the welterweight division as soon as he got beat?
Jason Lambert vs Jason MacDonald:
-Jason MacDonald by 2nd round Sub
Roan Carneiro Vs. Ryo Chonan:
-Ryo Chonan by Decision
Dong Hyung Kim Vs. Matt Brown:
-Kim by 2nd round TKO
Tim Boetsch Vs. Mike Patt:
-Boetsch by 1st round TKO
Thiago Tavares Vs. Kurt Pellegrino:
-Tavares by Decision
Martin Kampmann Vs. Nate Marquart:
-Marquardt by Decision
Dan Henderson Vs. Rousimar Palhares:
-Henderson by Decision
Karo Parisyan Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida:
-Parisyan by Decision
Rich Franklin Vs. Matt Hammil:
-Franklin by 3rd round TKO
Chuck Liddell Vs. Rashad Evans:
-Liddell by 1st round TKO
I've got to agree with Kaiser. If I was Lesner, getting ready for the biggest fight of my life and the press were talking about some other possible future fight, I'd be pretty pissed off too!
Peace
Duckman
Oh I agree, I'd be pretty pissed too.
But still.... Fedor SMASH! :D
Yeah, would definitely be pissed off. Just wouldn't talk trash on Fedor.
However...speaking of trash talking. Brock didn't say anything about Fedor skill-wise. He didn't say he would smash him or anything. He was just stating that he would like to see more concentration on the fight at hand rather than a fight that could very well never happen. So in that case, I can side with Brock.
He could have been a bit more respectable, he didn't have to say "who gives a shit about Fedor".
If I were Brock (which I wish I was because damn Sable is fine :p) I would have said "you know with all due respect to Fedor, he isn't involved in any of this. This is a fight between Randy and myself and I don't appeciate being ignored with all this Fedor talk".
But hey who am I to judge lol.
I don't think Big Brock was being dis-respectful, he was just pissed. But still, the way he said it it sounded kind of arrogant but I know that's not what he meant.
Lesnar has been been one to take the high road on anything. It shows his immaturity as a person, not a wrestler/football player/fighter.
He's going to take that attitude and chip on his shoulder and get his ass beaten.
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com)
There's my predictions. Yeeeeeah!
You only predicted the main card fights :p
Jason Lambert vs Jason MacDonald
1st Round Submission
Roan Carneiro Vs. Ryo Chonan
Decision
Dong Hyung Kim Vs. Matt Brown
2nd Round (T)KO
Tim Boetsch Vs. Mike Patt
1st Round (T)KO
Thiago Tavares Vs. Kurt Pellegrino
3rd Round Submission
Martin Kampmann Vs. Nate Marquart
2nd Round (T)KO
Dan Henderson Vs. Rousimar Palhares
1st Round (T)KO
Karo Parisyan Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
1st Round Submission
Rich Franklin Vs. Matt Hammil
Decision
Chuck Liddell Vs. Rashad Evans
Decision
I would like to add that I hope I'm wrong on the Karo/Yoshida fight and the Marquardt/Kampmann fight, since I can't really stand either of the winners I picked. And I'm still puzzled over people picking Evans over Liddell. Unless I've missed something in the 7 UFC fights I've seen him in, I don't think he stands a chance.
Both Karo and Thiago Silva suffered back injuries yesterday, and are out of their respective fights. Since Karo's fight is tomorrow, the match has been scrapped and Kim vs Brown will now substitute it as the last televised fight.
fucking sucks was looking forward to both of those fights.
Yeah. Right now preliminary reports are saying that Thiago had someone from ATT hit him with a piece of wood so he didn't have to fight Machida in a month.....
Just kidding Cory. ;D
WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!
The most epic live rant on the UFC 90 Fight Cast was in set. I hope he can recover in time, It's only a matter of time before Silva knocks that faggot out.
Jason Lambert vs Jason MacDonald:
-MacDonald by decision
Roan Carneiro Vs. Ryo Chonan:
-Chonan by 2nd rd tko
Dong Hyung Kim Vs. Matt Brown:
-Brown via 1st round sub
Tim Boetsch Vs. Mike Patt:
-Boetsch by 2nd round tko
Thiago Tavares Vs. Kurt Pellegrino:
-Pellegrino by Decision
Martin Kampmann Vs. Nate Marquart:
-Marquardt by 3rd round sub
Dan Henderson Vs. Rousimar Palhares:
-Henderson by 1st rd ko
Karo Parisyan Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida:
-Parisyan by 2nd round tko
Rich Franklin Vs. Matt Hammil:
-Hammil by decision
Chuck Liddell Vs. Rashad Evans:
-Evans by 1st round tko
If Matt Brown, whom I've never seen go for any sort of submission, ever, submits a 3rd degree black belt in judo....I will type "I'm Matt Brown's bitch" ala Al Snow and leave it in my signature for the rest of the year.
I hope coture kicks the living shit out of Lesnar for being a fucking crybaby for losing to Eddie Guerrero back in WWE
lol, we'll make this tpoic the official discussion threads for the events too......might as well keep them in once place.
It's tonight! yay.
Matt Brown is a good striker, pretty nuts, but I hope he wins solely on that statement above Call. Lol.
Thats actually pretty funny I think.
WWE, lol. Wrestling.
Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans - Liddell
Rich Franklin vs. Matt Hamill - Hamill
Dan Henderson vs. Rousimar Palhares - Henderson
Nate Marquardt vs. Martin Kampmann - Marquardt
Matt Brown vs. Dong Hyun Kim - Kim
Thiago Tavares vs. Kurt Pellegrino - Pellegrino .
Jason MacDonald vs. Jason Lambert - Jason MacDonald
Tim Boetsch vs. Mike Patt - Boetsch
Roan Carneiro vs. Ryo Chonan - Chonan
My predictions just before the fight
Looks like so far I have predicted two fights perfectly. With the round 1 Boetcsh knock-out and round 2 MacDonald sub.
Chonan and Carneiro went the distance with Chonan gaining the split decision. First fight I predicted in-correctly so far lol
Imagine Couture spanking Brock like he did with Tito and as he is doing that he yells out "that's for bitching about jobbing to Eddie, asshole!". LOL
Also to go off topic for a sec, I never heard about Brock complaining about losing to Eddie G. What did he say?
I'm one step ahead, HA HA!! 3 for 3, 3 picks correctly. It will fall apart once the main card hits tho :(
CUNT!
lol jk.
Hoping for that round 3 submission for Thiago Tavares! (I think that's what i predicted, i'm too lazy to check haha)
3-3, with one picked perfectly (MacDonald fight) Yay.
....so do we all get a bonus point for the Karo/Yoshida fight?
No. Stopping there. No pro wrestling is to be discussed in this forum...go to the other.
None of that fake shit in my....our prized MMA section of the Knights.
Not to hold a 3 in a row post, but I need Tavares to knock Pellegreno out....it aint looking good for him, got dropped twice in the first round.
Pellegreno wins, via Decesion. 3-4. Lame.
That Asian guy won, to as much of my surprise. I'd give him round 1, 10-9, but Matt Brown easily won the final two rounds, without a doubt. Shitty decision, fucking cecil peoples.
Peoples was the only 1 who gave Brown the decision lol. And Marquardt shocked the hell out of me. He looked like an absolute different fighter, good thing I went with my gut and picked him. That puts me at 5-1.
Henderson fucked that Plameraz or however the fuck you spell his name.
Very exciting fight.
Im uhhh.....
4-3 right now......fuck sakes.
Palhares still impressed me, I knew Hendo wouldn't completely destroy him. Some more experience, easily the guy is going to be Top 5 MW in the UFC. Unlike some BJJ experts he has a very solid chin and keeps composure well when being hit.
Hamill comes out to Simple Man. I now, outside of my predictions, want him to win.
Franklin wins with a sick fucking body kick.
5-3....yay.
Fuck, tank, 7-1....jesus. I need to wait till the last minute next time.
MAIN event time now.....lets go Chuck!
....so. Chucks dead?
Apparently the key to beat Chuck Liddell is a two step process.
1. Seek out Greg Jackson immediately.
2. Let Chuck chase you.
Oh well. He'll probably get the title shot now because TUF Season 1 winner vs. TUF Season 2 winner is more marketable than having either one of them get beaten by Machida.
Oh, and 7-2, with 5 exact predictions. Woooot
5-4, not the best, but I was going for a few more upsets that I should have. I knew Marquardt would have won, and the Matt Brown loss was bullshit, there was no way he lost. Eh, I cant win em all.
A very debateable topic. Who will Joe Silva book next against Forrest Griffin for his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship?
Everyone had Chuck Liddell if he beat Rashad Evans, but Chuck got murdered, but Rashad (aside from Chuck) hasn't defeated any real quality in a long time.
Then you got the Wandy/Rampage III & Silva/Machida
I can honestly say, I think they'll give the title fight to the winner of Wandy/Page, especially with Silva pushing the fight off due to injury.
Either the winner of Wandy/Page or Rashad.
Personally I'd like for it to be Rashad. 17-0-1, just took the UFC posterboy and put him on his ass!
Rashad vs Griffin would be a great fight.
In PRIDE, he wouldn't have lost, which is why I've always favored PRIDE's judging more than UFC. PRIDE bases judging on the entire fight, UFC breaks it down round by round. Brown clearly, clearly won round 2, but Kim edged out rounds 1 and 3 from him. Overall, Brown did more damage, but breaking it down round by round, Kim won. The last takedown and elbows pretty much solidified that win.
Wandy and Forrest at this moment, won't fight each other, seeing as they train together. So what happens if Wandy beats Rampage? Rashad, from a marketing standpoint, pretty much sealed his title shot in my opinion. Not only did he knock out Chuck, but he is another TUF product, and what happens when TUF products finish off former #1 fighters? Forrest v Rashad will most likely happen next, with the winner taking on and getting frustrated by eventual Light Heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida. :D
Who wants to bet Silva will fight Macheda and winner gets Forrest?
Actually, I meant Anderson Silva btw.
Hey, I said it before the fights even started! lol
well Lesnar is an MMA fighter now, and this is a Lesnar thread so Ill talk about it since it isnt worthy of making a seprate thread just to say it.
Rumor has it one of the reasons Brock left WWE back in 04 was because after he was risen to the top like a superstar it was his turn to give back, his first loss was to Eddie which he wasnt happy about since he lost the WWE title to him, and then he was gonna beat Goldberg and then start putting people over. He said fuck this and took his ball and went home.
From the post fight interview, it looks like Evans is getting the title shot.
Oh I see, I never knew that lol.
No harm in talking about it on here, but I get what Cory is saying :P
So anyway to get back on topic here. Even if Brock gets past Randy.... no way in hell he is beating Nog.
He'd probably beat Nog around for a bit, but then a replica of Lesnar/Mir I think.
Agreed. Nog always does best when he is getting pounded on, he always comes back and wins usually. He was tailor made to beat Brock Lesnar.
Nobody can finish Nog, not even Fedor could finish him.
If Fedor couldn't finish him in like 3 fights, now way in hell Lesnar could.
Mitch, update the standings hombre!!!!!!
I am happy
7-2 with the winners
1-8 with how though
Standings will be updated shortly lol sorry for the delay
Evans VS Griffin ... Two fomer TUF winner going at it... Money baby
Anderson Silva need to jump up to 205 because right now there is noone close to be able to beat him in the 185 weightclass plus i think Griffin vs Silva would be a great match
MitchMMA:
Correct picks- 3/9
Correct pick and round- 2/9
Correct pick, round, and finish- 2/9
Cory:
Correct picks: 5/9
Correct pick and round: 1/9
Correct pick, round and finish: 1/9
Khristian Call:
Correct picks: 7/9
Correct pick and round: 5/9
Correct pick, round and finish: 5/9
John S:
Correct picks: 6/9
Correct pick and round: 2/9
Correct pick, round and finish: 2/9
M.D.K:
Correct picks: 7/9
Correct pick and round: 1/9
Correct pick, round and finish: 1/9
TaNK:
Correct picks: 7/9
Correct pick and round: n/a
Correct pick, round and finish: n/a
So here are the standings for the UFC 88 predictions:
1.) Khristian Call
2.) M.D.K
3.) TaNK
4.) John S.
5.) Cory
6.) MitchMMA
I come in last place :( hhaha
Stay tuned for the UFC Fight Night predictions that I will post later in the day.
Maybe we should add our scores onto the previous ones, like we and Pat do for AO, so we can eventually have a 'grand' champion.
We could do that. Though not everyone participated in the previous one so their scores would be lower because of it wouldn't they?
Who called Evans by KO? That's right.... me. :)
Stupid AO lol
Hey, don't diss the skills, baby.
That's why I make the big bucks. :)
UFN 15: Diaz vs Neer predictions- I'm too lazy to go in depth, so I just picked a winner lol.
Dan Miller vs Rob Kimmons:
Prediction- Kimmons
Drew McFedries Vs.Mike Massenzio
Prediction: McFedries
Jason Brilz Vs. Brad Morris
Prediction- Morris
Joe Lauzon vs Kyle Bradley:
Prediction- Lauzon
Wilson Gouveia Vs. Ryan Jenson
Prediction- Gouveia
Alessio Sakara Vs. Joe Vedepo
Prediction- Sakara
Houston Alexander Vs. Eric Schafer
Prediction: Alexander
Ed Herman vs Alan Belcher
Prediction- Herman
Clay Guida vs Mac Danzig
Prediction- Guida
Nate Diaz vs Josh Neer
Prediction- Diaz
Dan Miller vs Rob Kimmons:
Drew McFedries Vs.Mike Massenzio
Jason Brilz Vs. Brad Morris
Joe Lauzon vs Kyle Bradley:
Wilson Gouveia Vs. Ryan Jenson
Alessio Sakara Vs. Joe Vedepo
Houston Alexander Vs. Eric Schafer
Ed Herman vs Alan Belcher
Clay Guida vs Mac Danzig
Nate Diaz vs Josh Neer
Dan Miller vs Rob Kimmons
Drew McFedries Vs.Mike Massenzio
Jason Brilz Vs. Brad Morris
Joe Lauzon vs Kyle Bradley:
Wilson Gouveia Vs. Ryan Jenson
Alessio Sakara Vs. Joe Vedepo
Houston Alexander Vs. Eric Schafer
Ed Herman vs Alan Belcher
Clay Guida vs Mac Danzig
Nate Diaz vs Josh Neer
UFC and TUF veteran Jon Koppenhaver (aka War Machine) has been released from his extensive contract for making some extremely untimely and ignorant comments about Evan Tanner’s death and for his refusal to fight an opponent offered to him by UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. War Machine is no stranger to controversy. As many of you will remember he was in a near brawl with Jared Rollins during his stay at the Ultimate Fighter house and more recently when he was arrested for choking the crap out of some guy outside of his fight school. These most recent incidents seem to have been the last straw for the UFC.
In a reent blog on Koppenhaver’s Myspace account, he speculated that Evan Tanner had commited suicide before it was reported that Tanner had in fact succumbed to heat exhaustion. Talk about terrible timing, it seems as if Koppenhaver doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. Here is an excerpt from the blog in question that was later deleted from his Myspace account-
“No one is sure yet but it sounds like it was a suicide. Sad thing is that it makes sense. What else is an UNDERPAID fighter supposed to do at the end of his career? Cash in his 401K? Collect social security? Start to work some shitty job for 10 bucks an hour? Shit ain’t boxing and if you’re not Chuck Liddell or Tito Ortiz you don’t get paid dick. Wasn’t like he made MILLIONS and blew it all like Mike Tyson, this guy fought his entire life and didn’t have shit. No wonder why he took off to the woods. Prolly reminisced on the days when he was champ, the days when growing old didn’t matter and took his life. Severe depression plagues MANY fighters at the end of their careers. Mark my words when I say that “HE MAY BE THE FIRST, BUT HE ISN’T THE LAST.â€
If that wasn’t enough, when offered a fight with relative unknown newcomer Brandon Wolff, Koppenhaver flat out turned down the fight and demanded a more recognizable opponent. For some bizarre reason Koppenhaver feels as if he has earned the right to choose who he fights in the UFC, unsurprisingly Joe Silva disagreed and instead of finding a different opponent for Koppenhaver, Silva decided to show him the door. Here are some recent comments that Koppenhaver has made about the incident to MMAJunkie.com-
“I said, ‘Who in the hell is [Brandon] Wolff?’ So, I looked him up and made some phone calls. I’ve got a lot of friends in Hawaii â€" ‘Rude Boy’ (Troy Mandaloniz), Kendall Grove, my trainer. I got the same thing from everybody. They all said the guy is savage, sick, tough as hell, a really tough fighter and a really tough fight. Basically we all came to the conclusion that I have nothing to gain from the fight. He has no name, no fans other than the guys in Hawaii, and I thought that if I beat him, then no one is really going to care because I beat someone with no name. And if I lose, everyone is going to say I lost to a guy with no name, so I said [expletive] that.â€
“I want to fight someone with a name. I said, ‘Give me Josh Burkman. Give me Dustin Hazelett. Give me someone with a name.’
“They went back to the UFC, and Joe Silva said, ‘No. That’s the best fight I’ve got for him; take it or leave it. It was kind of threatening â€" like if I didn’t take it, they’d kick me out of the UFC. So, I was kind of pissed off and decided to play hard ball too. I said I’d wait for another opponent.
“Joe Silva â€" he was pretty much on a power trip. He was like, ‘I already told you that I already have Wolff for War Machine. I don’t know who he is thinking he’s negotiating with me. You know what? I’m sick of this guy.’ Then he brought up the Evan Tanner thing. ‘He made a dumbass comment on Evan Tanner. He’s not supporting the UFC. You know what? War Machine is cut.’ And they cut me.â€
The future doesn’t seem very bright for War Machine after being cut from the worlds biggest MMA organization and disrespecting one of MMA’s fallen heros. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to feel sorry for him.
I actually have War on my myspace and when I saw him post that bulletin I knew something would happen. He is an idiot. I hope he knows that Josh Burkman or Dustin Hazelett would kill him.
not an Idoit ...he speaks what he thinks and does not hold back . it rare thing and can get you into trouble alot. He posted that statement because that what he thought and it was not the right thing to do at the time. Some people just say what on ther mind and do not stop and think about it. He should have waited before He address that topic and he could have done it in a different way.
The fight thing , I see were he is coming from , if he wins it nothing and if he loses he lose ground , there was no upside to the fight for him. Wolf has the upside , he wins and get a win over the war machine and his stock goes up. He loses and put on a good show his stocks goes up and he get a pass because he is new. hey the new guy gave to the War machine. Again he could have handle it differently with Sliva. instead of going forward with the hard stance , he could have look for a compormise ,
True, but still as a fighter he should take on all comers. Whether it be someone as popular as GSP or someone reletively unknown like Wolff, he should never turn down a fight especially one with the UFC. It's good that he speaks his mind and isn't one of Dana's robots but still, he should have accepted the fight IMO. He just came off a loss to Yoshida so he needed a win.
War's a decent fighter, he's definetely exciting but sometimes he puts his foot in his mouth with the things he says.
I take back what I said though, you're right he isn't an idiot. He is just a nut case sometimes lol.
true
Here is a bulletin he just posted a few mins ago:
I posted a bulletin after Evan Tanner's body was first found in the desert. For SOME reason I am getting a lot of flack because of it. I don't know how anyone got the idea that I was being disrespectful to him in any way. If anything I was talking shit on the UFC. Mostly I think a bunch of FAGGOTS are just looking for ANOTHER reason to hate on me.
Anyway, I am going to go over what I said and why I said it.
Evan Tanner was a former UFC champion, one of the pioneers of the sport. He fought his ass off, losing to only a select few in his career. He was never well paid for his efforts. Only a select few in the UFC are; so basically if you're not Chuck Liddel or Tito Ortiz chances are you won't make enough money to retire on. And if you don't own your own gym you will pretty much find yourself lost and wondering "what next?" Before his death his career was coming to an end. He was past his prime and had no real chance of making a come back. He was also battling his troubles with alcohol. I was there at his last fight when my good friend and brother Kendall Grove won a decision victory over him. I was watching and obviously rooting for Kendall but I remember while in the midst of it all ,that I couldn't help but feel sad for Evan. I watched him when I was a kid...watched him beat many great fighters, I looked up to him. Seeing him get dismantled by Kendall and then seeing him backstage...it made a lasting impression on me to say the least.
So, with all of this being said, when they first reported that he had gone missing and that they found his body in the middle of the desert, I automatically assumed that he had killed himself. It didn't sound unreasonable to me and to be honest I still think that trip he made to the desert was, in his mind, perhaps a one way trip. I think that he didn't want to add extra hardship on his loved ones by making it an obvious suicide. I think maybe he couldn't have brought himself to do it anyway. I honestly think he was just super depressed and confused on his future and went out there to the desert...truly not caring if he came back or not...and he didn't.
I also KNOW that MANY fighters in the future will come to the same crossroads as him. Fighting their whole life, no insurance from the UFC, no retirement plan, never being paid what they deserved. And as a result they too are going to find themselves in Evan's shoes. It's a sad ending for the life of a warrior. But it is one that is coming for most of us. It won't suprise me if several fighters kill themselves in the future. I know that when my career is up and if I haven't made the money I need or if I don't have the gym that I am planning on owning I very well may do it. And that's the truth.
So after reading all of this, if you still have a problem with me and what I said about Evan Tanner, I don't give a fuck. That's your problem. This is my opinion, deal with it.
Thanks to all my LOYAL fans.
WM
what a bitch
Dan Miller vs Rob Kimmons:
Drew McFedries Vs.Mike Massenzio
Jason Brilz Vs. Brad Morris
Joe Lauzon vs Kyle Bradley:
Wilson Gouveia Vs. Ryan Jenson
Alessio Sakara Vs. Joe Vedepo
Houston Alexander Vs. Eric Schafer
Ed Herman vs Alan Belcher
Clay Guida vs Mac Danzig
Nate Diaz vs Josh Neer
lol he actually replied to my bulletin comment, check this shit out.
Mitch: I'll agree that the UFC barely pay their fighters but still you're going to turn down a fight with Brandon Wolff because he is a "no name". Bro you just came off a loss who were you expecting to fight? Koscheck? lol. In all honesty I don't see why you turned down that fight. Now you're outta the UFC. That sucks bro. I guess you'll be looking to go elsewhere but seriously man you had it pretty good with the UFC. I still have respect for you and look forward to watching you're future fights.
WM: Faggot ass Brock Lesnar is getting a shot at the UFC title and he's 1-1 in the UFC. He only has 3 pro fights period. Do I think I deserve to fight Koscheck? A LOT MORE THAN LESNAR DESERVES TO FIGHT FOR THE UFC HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE. And to everyone else that wants to tell me what I should or shouldn't speculate on.. Umm..it is MY life right? This is MYspace right? I do what I want, speculate about what I want, when I want. WM
I wasn't trying to insult the guy and he is gonna reply with that rude ass comment? wtf
This dudes a faggot.
He complains way too much lol. I wasn't even trying to disrespect him and he goes and replies with some rude ass comment.
.....we'll be hopefully doing one again soon.....
Dan Miller vs Rob Kimmons
-Kimmons by Decision
Fight could go either way really. Miller's last two fights in the IFL he managed to catch his opponent after almost losing, I think Kimmons has better sub defense though and don't think he'll get caught so easilly. Kimmons has better stand-up, slightly better wrestling, I give the edge to him.
Drew McFedries Vs.Mike Massenzio
-McFedries by (T)KO round 1
Dangerous striker vs. great wrestler. Question is can wrestler get past the strikes to take him down. Consider he tends to shoot in with his head up, I don't see it happening. McFedries should be able to drop him around the 2 min mark.
Jason Brilz Vs. Brad Morris
-Morris by (T)KO round 2
Morris has better stand up, good takedown defense. Brilz is dangerous on the ground with positioning, I'm not sure if he could get Morris to the ground though. I think Morris can keep him at distance, and finish him sometime in the second once Brilz is more tired.
Joe Lauzon vs Kyle Bradley
-Lauzon by Sub round 1
Bradley should look much better back at 155 than he did against Lytle. Both guys fight like animals, but don't be shocked if Bradley over powers Lauzon at first. Still, Joe's too well rounded, has great gameplans and should secure a sub sometime late in the first.
Wilson Gouveia Vs. Ryan Jenson
-Gouveia by Sub round 1
Both are aggressive fighters, like the previous fight though, one of them is too well rounded. Jensen's shown trouble with good jiu-jitsu guys in the past, and while Gouveia's no Demian Maia, he still should be able to lock something on in the middle of the 1st round.
Alessio Sakara Vs. Joe Vedepo
-Sakara by (T)KO round 1
Sakara only seems to lose to extremely powerful strikers, even though he has better boxing than all of them. Vedepo has good striking, Sakara's on another level.
Houston Alexander Vs. Eric Schafer
-Alexander by (T)KO round 1
If Schafer can get it to the ground, it's over as Alexander's ground game is about as effective as mine. However, he has to clinch with Alexander first, which is not a good situation for anyone. Alexander can't lose this one, not if he wants to stick around, and I don't think he will lose.
Ed Herman vs Alan Belcher
-Herman by Sub round 3
Striker v. wrestler again, Belcher at least has some semblance of a ground game. His striking is his best area though, but Herman's got a good chin. I see it kind of playing out like Herman v Smith, same result, may take a bit longer though.
Clay Guida vs Mac Danzig
-Guida by Decision
Guida's a machine, but Mac's got excellent cardio too without Guida's overzealous aggressiveness. The one thing that Mac needs to utilize is his better jiu-jitsu game, but he struggled last time against a good wrestler. Guida's just as good and won't tire out after 5 minutes. I think right now he's just too much for Danzig and will be able to grind out a decision.
Nate Diaz vs Josh Neer
-Diaz by Sub round 2
Neer likes to beat up on TUF graduates (not named Josh Burkman that is), but Diaz's guard is too good. Neer needs to use his bulk advantage, and keep the fight standing. If he can do that, he can win, but people seem to just gravitate towards Nate's guard. He subbed Pellegrino last time out, I think he can do it to Neer.
Well I'm watching the marathon right now and since it's been about 3 years since this show aired I figured I'd share my opinion on all of these fighters that were on the first TUF and how far they have come since then. (Not in any order btw_
1.) Forrest Griffin: He is the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion and one of my favorite fighters in MMA right now. The guy is awesome, nuff said.
2.) Josh Koscheck: Here is a guy who I think has improved the most since TUF. Back then he was really just a good wrestler but now he has become a lot more well rounded especially with his striking. I think he has all the potential to be a champion someday, though I don't see him beating GSP anytime soon lol.
3.) Chris Leben: Has grown up the most since the show. On the show he was a dick head and drank all the time, now he is a mature MMA fighter. I am a fan of the 'Crippler' and would love to see him knock out Michael Bisping at UFC 89.... though I doubt he will. He is not a top 10 middleweight but he is still one of my favorite middleweights and he is tough as hell.
4.) Kenny Florian: Another guy who I think could be a champion someday. He is making a helluva lot of noise in the 155 pound division. Hiring Kevin Kearns was the best thing for Kenny Florian, he is on fire right now and I could see a fight with BJ in his future. If he gets past Joe Stevenson that is.
5.) Diego Sanchez: Awesome WW fighter. Had a few bad fights with Koscheck and Fitch but now it looks like he is back on track and ready to fight Thiago Alves at UFC 90. I like Diego, he has a weird personality but nonetheless I like the guy and like watching him fight. There was a time when people thought Diego was unbeatable. Everyone thought Diego would be the future of the 170 pound division, he fell short against Kos and Fitch and now he is ready to climb back up the ladder.
6.) Stephan Bonnar: Hasn't fought in a long time, he has an injury I believe. Hopefully he can come back soon cause I love watching this guy fight. Everyone remembers that sick fight with Forrest at the first TUF finale.
7.) Nate Quarry: He was the role model on TUF, I really wanted this guy to win the show. Sucks he got injured. He had some good fights with Pete Sell and Shonie Carter, he got knocked the fuck out by Franklin. He fought Kalib Starnes in what turned out to be Starnes last UFC fight (i'm sure everyone remembers that one lol). I like Quarry and look forward to seeing his future fights.
8.) Bobby Southworth: I thought he was a dick head on TUF. He is the current Strikeforce LHW champ, he's a pretty good fighter.
9.) Mike "Quick" Swick: I liked him on TUF, he was really exciting at MW. Since dropping to WW he has beaten Josh Burkman and Marcus Davis. Not sure when his next fight is though. Swick seems like a pretty cool dude.
10.) Alex Karalexis: Heavy handed mother fucker from Boston lol. Very athletic, dude is in great shape. He trains with Kenny Florian and Kevin Kearns and Mark Dellagrotte. He doesn't fight in the UFC anymore though, I do remember seeing him fight in the WEC though.
11.) Josh Rafferty: meh.
12.) Jason Thacker: Strange brew with his piss pillow lol. Dude doesn't fight anymore.
13.) Lodune Sincaid: Fucking weirdo, nuff said lol. Tough guy though.
14.) Sam Hoger: Sausage titties, nuff' said. Pretty good fighter though.
15.) Alex Shannouer (probably spelt it wrong lol): Has improved a lot since TUF. Recently signed with the WEC, but since WEC has merged their MW and LHW divisions he will probably fight in the UFC again soon.
16.) Chris Samford: Haven't heard anything about him in a long time. Not sure if he still fights or not. He got cut from TUF in one of the earlier eps like Thacker did.
we should jump him
lol...Mitch do not take it personal man... He same more mad about were he is at the what he can do in the future. He has some legit beef about brock , He fought some wars and feels that Brock is there on name alone. plus now he has to go looking for a job and truth UFC pays better then anyone out there. He going to realize that or already has. but on the Evan Tanner thing. He voice what he thought at the time , and he may be right to some degree...but we will never truly know why Tanner went up there either to find himself or to let himself go. . I can not say because I did not know the man.
True BD, true.
all I can say his name is fucking War Machine.....what a douchebag. I bet that hes not in the UFC anymore, that name change plan porbably backfired.
More like Whine Machine
Quote
By cancelling their October 11th card that was set to feature Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski in the main event of their second foray into MMA promotion, Affliction Entertainment raised many eyebrows in the industry and had may people wondering if this was a sign that the company should have stuck to t-shirts and were just another one and done MMA promotion.
Well, lower the eye brows folks because Affliction has made the announcement that they have teamed up with Golden Boy Promotions to bring fans of the fight game, four MMA and Boxing Pay Per View co-events in 2009.
In what could be a massive money making venture for the two companies, Mixed Martial Arts and the "Sweet Science" of Boxing will be feature on the same cards on the same night.
"Golden Boy Promotions is the top boxing promoter in the world, and we look forward to working with them on future projects," Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio said in a press release. "With our companies working together, it gives Affliction another vehicle to deliver our products to our core customers, as well as utilizing Golden Boy's promotional expertise to further our efforts in Mixed Martial Arts."
The first of four scheduled cards is set to take place in January, although a date is up in the air, Affliction COO Michael D. Cohen has stated that WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko will be appearing on the card. He is the only mixed martial artist or boxer that has been mentioned to appear on the first card.
Planning is still in the early stages for the event so not much is really known on who could possibly appear but the potential possibility for these combo cards is endless considering the talent now under the Affliction/Golden Boy Banner.
Fedor, Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Bernard Hopkins, Ricky Hatton, Manny Pacquiao are just a few of the names that you could potentially see fight on the same night in the same venue.
Golden Boy Promotions also has a television broadcast deal with HBO that sees many of their cards air on the channel. It is unknown if HBO will be open to airing MMA but Atencio was hopeful that they would, leaving that up to Golden Boy and HBO to work out.
Another part of the deal will see Affliction make event specific t-shirts for the cards as well as retro shirts that will feature classic covers of Ring Magazine, which Golden Boy Promotions owns. The high quality clothing company will also be making boxing specific shirts that will be sold on site at events as well as on the Affliction website and at some retail outlets across the United States.
Credit: MMANews.com
Man, if they start having boxing matches and MMA matches on the same card....well...it will be yet another reason I won't watch them..lol
I actually think this is pretty cool. I have always liked boxing, just preferred MMA. I guess we will just have to see how this all un-folds.
If anything, it will deliver the final blow to boxing. Maybe we can get rid of it all together lol
...wait, Affliction cancelled their card? FUCK!
In all honesty, I don't see how he disrespected Evan Tanner. What he said is kind of reasonable when you think about it. Chuck and Tito are about the only guys making money in the UFC. Tanner was prolly making 15000 a fight when he loses. That sounds like a huge chunk of change, until you realize fighters have to pay for training, room and board if they travel to train, travel, and their own brain scans, among other things. You have to have a ton of sponsors or you'll be in serious debt every time you fight.
Tanner could well have commited suicide. If you were an outdoors man like Tanner, isn't that how you'd like to go?
I'm also happy to notice more and more fighters speaking against the UFC on wages. They pay more than most people. But they don't pay near enough.
Yeah but Honk, where else are they gonna go? Affliction? Where they payed huge for 1 card and now they're asking everyone to take a paycut because they can already see that they're gonna fold?
A wise man once said, 'Never bite the hand that feeds you.'
I know and I agree that the UFC, Dana White in particular, can be dicks. But seriously, no one else is going to pay any of them what they make now...maybe some of the real low ranked guys, but nobody who is a household name.
I just feel like this is the line of work they chose, so they should shut the fuck up and fight. Sorry for being extremely blunt...but come on? Between the NFL and MMA these recent few months, it's starting to feel like a soap opera. Man up and fight. Fight through your contract, and when it comes time to negotiate, ask for more money or leave...bottom line. I wish they would stop whining, seriously. For 'big tough fighters' they make themselves look like little bitches.
John S hit the nail on the head lol
I was thinking the same thing.
OK... Koppenhaver was a turd on TUF... he's a turd in the ring.
If you ask me, the fights I've seen of his sucked. The Rollins fight was the ONLY decent ring time I've seen from him. He's nothing more than a loud mouth punk that lets his mouth write checks his scrawny ass can't cash.
To see the way that jerkoff blasted Mitch was the icing on the cake. Mark MY words... within the week, Dana White will post something and expose him for the shitbird he is.
Quote from: JohnS. on September 15, 2008, 09:29:25 AM
Yeah but Honk, where else are they gonna go? Affliction? Where they payed huge for 1 card and now they're asking everyone to take a paycut because they can already see that they're gonna fold?
A wise man once said, 'Never bite the hand that feeds you.'
I know and I agree that the UFC, Dana White in particular, can be dicks. But seriously, no one else is going to pay any of them what they make now...maybe some of the real low ranked guys, but nobody who is a household name.
I just feel like this is the line of work they chose, so they should shut the fuck up and fight. Sorry for being extremely blunt...but come on? Between the NFL and MMA these recent few months, it's starting to feel like a soap opera. Man up and fight. Fight through your contract, and when it comes time to negotiate, ask for more money or leave...bottom line. I wish they would stop whining, seriously. For 'big tough fighters' they make themselves look like little bitches.
Actually, most of the guys in Affliction aren't in UFC contracts. Arlovski fought through his contract and asked to be paid better, and he was told to take a hike. Most of the guys in Affliction were told by the UFC to take a hike for one reason or other.
MAIN EVENT FIGHTERS
â€" Fedor Emelianenko ($300,000/no win bonus) def. Tim Sylvia ($800,000)
MAIN CARD FIGHTERS
â€" Andre Arlovski ($750,000/$250,000 win bonus) def. Ben Rothwell ($250,000)
â€" Josh Barnett ($300,000/no win bonus) def. Pedro Rizzo ($70,000)
â€" Mark Hominick ($10,000/win bonus was $5,000) def. Savant Young ($7,000)
â€" Renato “Babalu†Sobral ($90,000/win bonus was $30,000) def. Mike Whitehead ($50,000)
â€" Matt Lindland ($300,000/win bonus was $75,000) def. Fabio “Negao†Nascimiento ($20,000)
â€" Antonio Rogerio Nogueira ($50,000/no win bonus) def. Edwin Dewees ($15,000)
â€" Mike Pyle ($20,000/win bonus was $5,000) def. J.J. Ambrose ($5,000)
PRELIMINARY CARD FIGHTERS
â€" Vitor Belfort ($140,000/win bonus was $70,000) def. Terry Martin ($30,000)
â€" Paul Buentello ($80,000/win bonus was $20,000) def. Gary Goodridge ($25,000)
â€" Justin Levens ($6,000) vs. Ray Lizama ($3,000)*
Tim Sylvia (Who is a poor excuse for an mma fighter) made 800000 for his lose. In UFC 77, He beat Brandon Vera and made 200000. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a bit messed up. If you have the choice to make 1/4 the money to win, or a chance to make 4 times that amount to win or lose, you'd be a damn idiot to take the 200000. It's not about being a fighter. A professional fighter does what's best for his career. A low street thug, will take whatever fight comes his way.
Sobral, who made 25000 to beat in his last UFC appearance (This is the one where babalu caught the boot for not releasing the choke Heath tapped to) Affliction he made 90000.
The list goes on and on. What a lot of you people forget about, these "Fighters" are people too. They have their own expenses to pay, they have families, homes, lifestyles, the whole nine yards. It's not a 9-5 job. It's not a job where you know the money WILL be there. You could get injured, and not fight for years. What do you do? You can sit back and heal while you live off your Affliction paycheck, or you can be broke cause your UFC paycheck was gone before you spent it. You guys are also missing the point of Affliction. It's not about people being bitches. It's not about not being a fighter. It's about making sure these guys can do what they love to do, do what we love them to do, and live making money. I love affliction because it can force UFC to eventually pay the fighters better. When UFC runs out of premium fighters, they'll have to pay better.
Anyone who questions these guys and bring up the whole "Are you really a fighter" are fanboys who bought into the Dana White speeches, and/or want to fight in the UFC and have developed this mentality to get themselves ready to get their foot in the door. I train in MMA, and IF I could make a career out of it, I'd go where the money is best. If someone asks me if I'm a fighter or what, I'm a fighter for what I believe in, not your own check book.
"Warmachine" is a dipshit, and he doesn't entertain me in the slightest. He's from the lions den what do you expect right? As far as him exploding on Mitch, BAH. That was prolly a copy and paste pasted for the 1000th time that day. He's a chunk of crap, but he's a person under pressure.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I also don't blame Kalib Starnes for his little stint. He was going into debt every fight in the UFC in the thousands. That is a real fighter. He believed that his contract was unreasonable. He stood up for his checkbook. He defied the boss. No fan will ever respect him for the fight, but in a way, he did the right thing.
This seems like a deal that does a shit lot more for Affliction than the boxing.
Peace
Duckman
Fight Night is just about to start! can't wait lol
Eric Schafer with the arm triangle submission over Houston Alexander. Eric's got a helluva chin, he took some brutal shots early on from Alexander. Tough dude, has a sick ground game. Look forward to seeing his next fight.
Looks like Ed Herman vs Alan Belcher will be up next. Look for Herman to outwrestle Belcher and work his ground and pound, probably win a decision or a TKO.
2-2 for the main card, pending Nate Diaz wins, which he should.
Great night of fights. I'll update the standings sometime tommorow.
Quote from: Black Death on September 14, 2008, 12:51:10 PM
He fought some wars and feels that Brock is there on name alone.
That's actually exactly why Brock's getting the title shot so early...because of his name. It's quite possible that if Brock Lesnar wasn't the famous guy from WWE that eventually he'd earn a title shot anyways, but I really doubt he would have gotten a shot so early. That being said, it's smart business, and that's what UFC is. No offence to War Machine (well, maybe a little offence) but I don't know how many people would tune into a PPV solely because his name's on the card. I wouldn't really care. On the other hand, I'd tune in solely to see Brock Lesnar fight as would a lot more people.
I don't fault him for not taking the fight (if it's a possible bad career move), and I don't fault him talking about Evan Tanner like that (it didn't seem disrespectful to me). If he can find good (or maybe better) work somewhere else good for him. If not, then he really screwed himself over. Either way, he's not Brock Lesnar...I think that was my point.
Apparently War is fighting Mike Dolce next, not sure where though. I'd say Dolce by knock out.
are we still picking methods of win? otherwise you might as well toss a coin when picking.
We will for the next one. I got lazy with fight night haha.
I'll update the standings in a few. Just gonna go shower, eat breakfast, etc.
I have an idea, since were not keeping right/wrong scores, how about we keep event scores?
So like, so far it'd be:
Cory- 1 (1st Game)
Call- 1 (2nd Game)
So that way, it'll even it out for people who just want to 'jump in'
i dig it lol.
Fight Night standings:
1.) M.D.K- 8-2
2.) John S and Cory- 6-4
3.) Mitch and Khristian- 5-5
Congrats to M.D.K for predicting the most fights.
Overall rankings:
1. Cory (UFC 87)
2. Khristian Call (UFC 88)
3. M.D.K (UFN: Diaz vs Neer)
is that what you mean Cory? Or did I do it wrong lol.
Also stay tuned for UFC 89 predictions. This time we will go back to picking the round, winner and finish.
Check it out, it's a pretty good read.
Soszynski's TUF 8 Blog--Week 1
by Krzysztof Soszynski
TUF: The Beginning
I got the call. I flew to Vegas. I looked for a man holding the number 8. I was told three important rules: (1) don't bring anything with logos; (2) everything will be taken away (i.e. phone, wallet, passport, iPod); and (3) be within 5 lbs of your fight weight. Simple enough. The driver, who was a System of a Down fan, took me to the hotel where I would be held hostage until further notice. I could not leave my room under any circumstances-if I did, I would be off the show. This was not your typical Sunday.
I prepared for a long wait and got ready to relax and watch some TV. Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door and it was time to go. I was taken to the UFC training center to weigh in and came in 10 pounds over (see important rule #3). I tried to explain that being 10 pounds over is normal for me and it's a very easy cut. However, the producers would not have it. They must not have heard about my Freedom Fight experience (that's another story!) and so I had to cut the five pounds.
I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea but I went back to the hotel, slapped on my sauna suit and hit the treadmill for an hour. I dropped the five pounds and went back to the training centre to weigh in. I hit the magic number (210 lbs.) and was brought back to the hotel to have some food. There was water, Gatorade, fruit and protein bars as well as a food menu. I did not want to eat too much as I was pretty sure I would have to fight my way into the house and I would have to make weight very soon.
The next day, around 2:00 PM, I was escorted to a van (they removed the blindfold and shackles) and I noticed the van was full of fighters. This was the first time I had a chance to scope out the competition. This was also the first time the cameras started to roll and I was happy that I had combed my hair that morning. As of that moment, we had to let go of our privacy and get used to cameras following us everywhere.
The 16 of us arrived at the training center and were told to proceed to the gym. Dana White appears out of nowhere (must be the TV magic I've heard about) and tells us to line up. A few minutes later another 16 fighters arrive and it's show time. Within thirty seconds, Phillipe Nover faints. I didn't notice it happen because I was on the other side, but in his defense Vegas is bloody hot and I'm pretty sure he was not the only one who was nervous. I know I was.
As Dana started to announce the match ups, Vinicius Magalhaes (my former teammate from Team Quest in Temecula, CA) and I were getting a little anxious. We did not want to fight each other (at least not yet). Vinny was picked in the first three match-ups and I noticed that Jason Guida was still standing there. We looked at one another and knew that we would be fighting each other.
Weigh-ins were the next day (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM.
I am certain that I was not the only one who arrived Sunday more than five pounds over. I think Guida had to do the same thing I did and that's why he had a problem cutting weight. Having to cut weight for Sunday and again for Tuesday is not my idea of a good time. I had 11 pounds to cut in 24 hours. I was not worried about making the cut but I still felt depleted from the practice run on Sunday. It took a toll on my body.
I arrived at the training center five pounds over and had 3 hours until weigh-ins. It was like an oven at the gym and I could have lost the weight just sitting around looking pretty. Fortunately, I'm not one for just sitting around, so I put on my plastics and did a light jog and bike ride. I made weight with an hour and a half to spare.
All of a sudden, I see Frank Mir walking out of the dressing room with the most disgusted look on his face. Either someone let go a wretched bomb or Guida didn't make weight. It was neither. Frank comes over, half-shaken, mumbling something about legs in the air and a furry coinpurse. After watching the episode, I am sure you know exactly which part I am referring to. Let's just say it wasn't a baby girl. Jason came in 11 pounds overweight that morning and spent the rest of the day in the sauna and in front of the toilet. He was in rough shape.
Frank Mir came out and told me Jason was still overweight and might not make it. I was very shocked at the news and I did not know what would happen if he did not make weight. Would I get a free pass to the house? Do they have a replacement? All I could do was wait and prepare for anything.
Jason finally came out of the back to weigh in. Silence. You could have heard a pin drop. He was 207lbs (one pound too much). We were all shocked. I could not believe someone would ruin their chance at such a big opportunity. Jason pleaded with the doctor and athletic commission, and several of the fighters even tried to appeal his case. Jason was escorted out and within a minute, Mike Stewart walked through the door. I had never heard of Mike and tried to find out more. Some of the East Coast fighters told me he was a wrestler. Game plan set-stand and bang.
Fight day was crazy! We arrived about 2 hours before the start of the fights and knew this would be a long day. There were 16 fights, six coaches to warm you up, two change rooms and a partridge in a pear tree. Honestly, I did not even warm up for the fight, just hit a bag for a bit and did some jumping jacks to get a light sweat. I was so nervous walking to the cage. You can't help but think that in the next 10-15 minutes my fate with the UFC will be decided. You train, sweat and bleed for this opportunity. It has been a long road of sacrifices.
Next thing I know the ref yells, "Bring it on!"
OK, let's fight. Inside leg kick to start, he does nothing. Right hook, left cross, ‘bang,' connects, ‘let's go for the kill!' I jumped right on him with straights and hooks, he dropped to his knees and I finished with uppercuts and hooks. Just like that. 20 seconds of work and I was in the house.
I could not control my emotions-what a great feeling! As soon as I walked out of the cage, I went to the back and walked outside. I yelled so loud I scared the neighbors.
The rest of the day was spent talking to people and watching fights. I was impressed lightweights Junie Allen Browning and Phillipe Nover. Vinny put on a sweet kick clinic and every kick he threw landed on his opponent's ribs. I was disappointed my fellow Canadian Ryan Jimmo didn't make it, as he was so close to pulling out a win. He had a great fight with Antwain Britt and I felt the fight could have gone either way.
Be sure to tune in to next Wednesday's episode of The Ultimate Fighter, where we'll find out who I'll have to room with for six long weeks.
Krzysztof
Jimmo's the hometown boy around here, sad he didn't make it.
But yeah, this dudes my first pick if I can get em. He looks like a stud.
Yeah man, thats what I meant. Makes a little more sence, no?
MMAJUNKIE-
The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Spike TV will add a twist to the ninth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" and will pit a team of U.S. fighters up against a team of British brawlers.
The show, which debuts in the spring of 2009, will feature middleweight and welterweight fighters.
The details of "TUF 9" were revealed during Wednesday's UFC Fight Night 15 broadcast.
"TUF," which debuted in early 2005, kicked off its eighth season on Wednesday. The groundbreaking reality series, which was the catalyst for MMA's recent popularity explosion, has launched the UFC careers of more than 100 fighters, and even resulted in the crowning of two UFC champions.
The talent search for "TUF 9" will kick off soon with the traditional application process at UFC.com and SpikeTV.com. Additionally, optional (but oftentimes helpful) open tryout dates are set for Oct. 20 in London, England, and Oct. 27 in Chicago, Ill.
No coaches were announced for the series, but considering the UFC's propensity for bringing in high-profile fighters to hype future bouts, the options are plentiful -- especially if a future title fight is on the line.
Season-three winner Michael Bisping would be a natural fit for the U.K. team considering the massive resources the UFC has invested in his image in Europe. As for the U.S. team, "TUF" alumni such as Kendall Grove, Chris Leben, Mike Swick and Nate Quarry are possible -- though maybe not probable -- options. Veteran such as Nate Marquardt, Thales Leites, Dan Henderson and Jason MacDonald are perhaps better options, especially if a middleweight title shot is on the line.
Damn...Season 8 just started and there already talking about nine ... this shows brings in the money ...money , money yeah yeah ;D
I like him ... funny guy He should do well
Quote from: Duckman on September 17, 2008, 08:31:52 AM
This seems like a deal that does a shit lot more for Affliction than the boxing.
Peace
Duckman
True and you know HBO would love to get some MMA on the channel. it keeps Affliction a float for a little while.
Would have rather seen something like US v The World, but I guess this will do. I hope they bring in some good fighters like Xavier Pokam in middleweight and Che Mills at welterweight, both those fighters are beasts. And Paul Daley would be nice but that's most likely a pipe dream.
Quote from: Black Death on September 18, 2008, 10:00:52 PM
Damn...Season 8 just started and there already talking about nine ... this shows brings in the money ...money , money yeah yeah ;D
It's what got me into MMA. ;D
But, come on. No love for the Canadians?
Just realized Pokam's French, so nevermind that part of my post. Hmm....I am trying to think of good British middleweights but nothing comes up. FREE LEE MURRAY! That'd be sweet.
If Bisping doesn't lose until then he will probably coach the UK team.
Agreed. I think it will be him and Bader in the finals for the Light Heavies.
Though Vinny Magalheas looks like a stud too.
Sooo many tough guys this season.
yeah it does, I like it. Good thinking lol.
I'll try to get my 89 picks up by tonight.
Ross Pointon baby, ahaha
haha "i'm gonna smash his fucking face in mate" lol
Krystove better not being make to the fifth pick...all im saying.
lol @ cory
lol
I could see someone like Ian Freeman being involved. He's like the Randy Couture to England.
KJ Noons of San Diego has been stripped of his EliteXC lightweight title. The announcement was made Friday by EliteXC Head of Fight Operations, Jeremy Lappen.
The foremost reason EliteXC is taking this action, Lappen said, was due to Noons’ reluctance to defend against leading 160-pound contender Nick Diaz of Stockton, Calif.
“We are stripping KJ of his championship belt for refusing to defend against Diaz,’’ Lappen said. “It’s a very unfortunate situation but we cannot have belt-holders who refuse to fight the top contenders. We want champions who will fight anyone, anytime, anyplace. That’s the mentality all champions should have.
“I feel very bad for KJ because I like him a lot on a personal level and have always thought he could be a big star. He’s charismatic, has a very exciting fighting style and is a top level fighter. So I’m obviously disappointed that he has chosen to take this stance.
“I don’t understand why he would turn down a chance to be a headliner on CBS on Oct. 4. KJ then turned down the fight again when we offered him a headlining spot on our next SHOWTIME date against Nick. From my view, it is a fight against a top-named opponent in Diaz (someone who beat the No. 1 fighter in the world in his weight class), a fighter KJ has bad blood with and a fight the fans really wanted to see. It seemed like a great opportunity for KJ to me.
“Personally, I do not think it was a smart career move, but I’m sure he sees it differently. KJ has two more fights remaining on his contract, so we are still looking forward to having him fight for us again soon, but not as our world champion.’’
EliteXC will announce a fight for the vacant lightweight title in the near future, Lappen said.
Ha.
That's what you get for bein a little bitch...
Even though I don't think Nick Diaz is the #1 contender, I think KJ should have accepted that fight. Especially since it would have been a headliner on CBS. He knocks out Diaz again in front of a huge audience and he would have gained more popularity with the casual fans.
As a champion, you should fight anyone they throw in front of you. Even though I think EliteXC were fucking KJ over with the whole boxing thing and what not, KJ was the champ so he should fight anyone.
He wants out of his contract ... he wants to leave ... it simply as that
more then likey Bispring ... top choice , fomer TUF
*I'd ask for this to be on AO but I think it's too long and I am too tired to back and shorten it lol.
Week One:
TUF 8 Journal week 1:
Ok well obviously I am not a fighter on TUF season 8, but I’d like to write a weekly journal every week just like the fighters are doing. I know I don’t get to see everything from what they show on television as most of it is edited but I’d still like to write something up every week reviewing the shows, gives me something to do other than looking at girl on girl porn! So without further ado let me begin sharing with you my thoughts on the premier episode of “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Mir vs. Team Noguieraâ€.
The first two episodes will feature nothing but fights as thirty two up and coming fighters are narrowed down into 16, eight 155 pounders and eight 205 pounders. I personally love this new concept because it eliminates the weaklings that don’t really want to be there. You won’t see guys like Noah Inhofer and Gabe Roudiger on the show anymore I guarantee you that. The show starts off with all thirty two fighters surrounding the training center. When you watch them all standing there you can’t help but think, “gee am I looking at the future of the UFC right now?â€. Well anyway, Dana White walks in appearing out of nowhere like always, dude is like Houdini. He gathers all of the fighters and suddenly out of the corner of your eye you can see Philippe Nover faint. Apparently the heat was too much for him. It’s understandable, dude comes from NY and is used to cold weather plus he had to cut a lot of weight and he didn’t realize just how hot Vegas could be at 105 degrees. You can’t help but feel bad for the guy. Poor Philippe right? Boy was he about to prove us all wrong later in the show. After Dana introduced everyone to the coaches we were about ready to see some fights.
Before seeing the fights we got to see the fighters cutting weight and preparing for battle. Everyone knows that cutting weight is a very hard thing to do but it’s part of being a fighter, you have to make your weight. Unfortunately for Jason Guida aka the brother of UFC fighter Clay Guida, he failed to make weight. I won’t criticize the guy but I will say this… HOW THE HELL CAN YOU BLOW AN OPPURTUNITY LIKE THAT? Sorry for the caps but seriously, I mean come on. Haven’t you cut a lot more weight than that in the past? You obviously did something wrong Mr. Jason â€I’ll fight Anderson Silva and give me 500 bucks and I’ll go fight Chuck Liddell†Guida. Sucks for you, well anyway they had a replacement ready named Mike Stewart. I never heard of him before, reminds me of Mike Stine from TUF 3. Let’s get ready to see some fights!
Krzysztof Soszynski Vs. Mike Stewart:
This was a quick one. Krzysztof comes in with an inside leg kick, Stewart does nothing. Krzysztof connects with right hook-left cross combo and then goes in for the kill getting an easy twenty second knockout. Very impressive. I’m looking at Krzysztof as one of the guys that could take this whole competition for the Light heavies. Solid knock out power and I know he has a solid ground game that we will be seeing in future fights.
Dave Kaplan Vs. Fernando Bernstein:
Another quickie. All I really remember about this fight is Kaplan jumping on Fernando aka “The Machete†and securing a quick rear naked choke submission. Pre-fight Kaplan said he only does this for the money and he isn’t like the rest of the “meat heads†in MMA. Let’s see what this guy can do during the rest of the competition. He was definitely impressive in this fight so I’m looking forward to seeing his next fight. Do I think he is one of the top guys? Hard to tell as this season is stacked with talent, we will just have to wait and see.
Joe “Hybrid†Duarte vs. Philippe Nover:
The “Hybrid†aka the kid with all the hype and the guy who I was thinking would win the whole show for the lightweights takes on the guy who fainted and everyone laughed at; Philippe Nover. Wow. This fight was an eye opener and Nover proved to everyone how tough he really is. To quote Big Nog, “this guy hits like a heavyweight, manâ€, aint that the truth. Very impressive fight with Nover pulling off a second round submission via rear naked choke. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it turns out that Nover is the guy that Dana White is referring to as the “next Anderson Silvaâ€.
Julez Branch Vs. Eric Magee:
Well I thought that Julez submitted Eric in the first round with a rear naked choke but according to UFC.com it shows Eric Magee as one of the eight guys who already qualified. Weird. Huh? Probably a mistake by UFC.com, well anyway Julez comes out and gets the quick submission looking pretty darn impressive. Afterwards this Southern boy was saying some weird things but it’s just adrenaline, sometimes you cannot control what you say after you win a fight because you are so excited. I don’t know much about Julez, seems like a nice enough guy with some strong wrestling. He is a farm boy so he must have that farmer strength, let’s see how he does through the rest of the competition.
Vinny Magalhaes Vs. Lance “Grizz†Evans:
The brother of Rashad Evans got his ass handed to him by one of my favorite Light Heavyweights for this season. I don’t remember much about the fight as it was just a highlight on TV so we didn’t get to see the whole thing but Vinny cracked Evans ribs with a roundhouse kick or something and it was so bad that Lance actually quit. I love it! Not only is this guy a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist but he has some solid stand up to boot. I’m looking at Vinny as one of the top 205 pounders this season.
Antwain Britt Vs. Ryan Jimmo:
We didn’t get to see much on TV as this was a highlight but after reading some of the fighter journals it sounded like this was a hell of a slugfest! I was impressed with Britt, he seems like a very powerful dude. I don’t know too much about him though so it’s a bit early to say if he is one of the top guys because we didn’t get to see much from him.
Brian McLaughlin Vs. Brandon Garner:
All I remember about this fight was the accidental illegal knee to a downed opponent by Garner which caused a no contest. Since it was Garner who threw the knee they ended up keeping McLaughlin on the show, I think that was fair. I don’t know much about Brian but I have heard good things. I hear people saying “oh this McLaughlin guy is a studâ€, so lets see what he can do.
Junie Allen Browning Vs. Jose “don’t I look pretty†Aguilar:
Wow. Jose thinks he belongs with Napoleon and Hitler? What an idiot. Guy put on a good fight but he sounded like a complete moron pre and post fight, glad he didn’t win. Junie is a guy who I heard about before TUF, when I saw he would be on this season I knew he would kick some ass and possibly make it to the finals. Junie sounds very cocky, I usually don’t like arrogant people but you can’t help but laugh when he says “Do I think Jose can beat me? He has a better chance of getting me pregnant.â€. Jose didn’t look too bad in this fight, his submission attempts were pretty impressive but Junie just embarrassed him. Jose didn’t want to go one more round because he still looks “pretty†and that’s all that matters “dawgâ€, yeah glad your not in the UFC buddy.
Alright well that’s a wrap. Stay tuned next week for the second episode and my second journal. The thirty two fighters will finally be narrowed down to sixteen. Who will join Krzysztof Soszynski, Dave Kaplan, Philippe Nover, Julez Branch, Antwain Britt, Vinny Magalhaes and Brian McLaughlin on the quest to become the next Ultimate Figher?!
That'd be real good for AO, I'm sure Pat wouldn't mind.Good job.
Thanks bro :)
I'll ask Pat if he'd like it to be on AO. I'll pm him after I finish my dinner lol.
Understand that, BD...but come on...why ruin your credability as a fighter, especially if you want out. Now he expects to go somewhere and make MORE money? After bitching out and having to be stripped of the title? he is a disgrace to the sport. True fighters aren't in it for the storylines, this isn't the WWE...true fighters are in it to fight...nothing more, nothing less.
not in his eyes. He feels that he being jerk around ( true or not ) that what he feels and that more then likely why he did that . plus he has the talent he get another company or he do boxing, or what every he wants to do.
True fighters still want to get paid what they feel that they are owed. lol
money what makes the world go around
He said no lol. He says he just wants the MMA events to be reviwed not the reality show. Understandable.
I'll still write this for the E-Knights every week though as I had fun doing it ha.
Hopefully I can get some more articles up on AO. Sucks the WEC show was post poned lol. I'd give a review of Strikeforce but the stream froze up so I closed it.
I feel bad for him on a very small level, but he failed to realize something and that is....
He's KJ Noons.
Big fucking deal. He messed up Diaz's face and surprisingly destroyed Yves, but he's still just KJ Noons. He's had 7 or 8 MMA fights, 6 boxing fights I believe. He's not Nick Diaz where he can command an audience, hell, he's not even Marcus Davis. I believe Davis had a boxing record of like 15-1 or something, and Noons is talking about his burgeoning boxing career when he's basically fought nobody. The biggest fuck up he did was signing an exclusive deal with an up and coming MMA company that has a terrible marketing plan and horrible representation. And he should also probably do something about his agent getting 35% of his contract. Basically, it's his fault.
Quote from: Cory on September 20, 2008, 10:25:39 AM
I could see someone like Ian Freeman being involved. He's like the Randy Couture to England.
that'd be cool, but let's be real, this is the US. Sadly enough a lot of people have no idea who Freeman is. It will most likely be Bisping and his trainers from Wolfslair
The rumor is Team Bisping for the UK vs. Team Henderson for the USA.
interesting.
I'd be rooting for Team Hendo all the way. USA baby! :p
but Bisping is cool, and I do like the UK fighters.
Well to be fair about Guida, cutting weight can be tricky at times. I read in your blog from that one dude that they had to cut weight 2 days before getting to the show and it was a hard recut. nick Diaz also had a hard one recently. It could have been anything. I also don't fault him seeing as how he was able to walk around, and was still willing to cut even though doc's said no.
In his eye's he already fought Diaz, give someone else a shot. I can understand this. You don't piss off the bosses, that's not a good career move. But then again, signing with EXC is also a bad move, those assholes will kill MMA.
The night belonged to the newest star in the MMA World, and rightfully deserved, Gegard Mousasi. Not only did he win the Middleweight Tournament, but he only needed a combined 3 minutes and 40 seconds to dispatch both Melvin Manhoef and Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza. He tapped Manhoef only 85 seconds into their fight when Mousasi caught him in a triangle. Despite trying to powerbomb him through the ring, Mousasi only tightened the hold and got the tap. In the other semi-final match up, as most people thought, Jacare subbed Galesic quickly and set up Jacare v Mousasi in the finals. Jacare slammed him down but couldn't do anything from his guard. So Jacare got up and threw a lunging punch...except he hit his face on Mousasi's foot instead. One upkick, Jacare was out cold and Gegard won the tournament. A lot of people thought that Jacare was going to win the tournament after beating Mayhem Miller, and on the same token, a lot of people thought Mousasi wouldn't even get past Denis Kang in the first round. But he did, subbing Kang, then outpointing Dong Yoon Sik, then subbing Manhoef and knocking out Jacare. Hell of a run.
Other matches saw Hayato Sakurai win a decision over former UFC fighter Kuniyoshi Hironaka that was pretty close back and forth until Sakurai knocked down Hironaka with a right hand with a minute left in the fight. Sergei Kharitonov absolutely destroyed last minute replacement Jimmy Ambriz to the surprise of nobody, and Aoki took about one minute to sub his opponent Todd Moore. The other big upset of the night was Karate black belt Andrews Nakamura pounding out Dong Yoon Sik about a half minute into the second round. Dong is a very, very tough guy to put away, as he endured a full 10 rounds of getting punched in the face by Manhoef before subbing him. A lot of people, including myself thought that Dong would put Andrews away with ease, but Andrews impressed with his ground defense and Dong was stupid enough to exchange punches at one point.
The semi-main event saw Mirko Cro Cop vs Alistair Overeem end in a no contest due to repeated low blows by Overeem when he clinched and delivered knee shots. The way the fight was going, Cro Cop was very fortunate, because Overeem was taking him down at will almost and cut him BADLY just above Cro Cop's left eye. Overeem was blocking almost all of his strikes, including a high kick that Cro Cop threw that Overeem stuffed and wound up slamming Cro Cop down. But Overeem apparently had a Gilbert Yvel moment and couldn't help but deliver illegal blow after blow, to the point where if Joe Son was watching he probably would have felt sorry for Cro Cop. Other than that, Overeem was absolutely dominating Cro Cop with takedowns and clinch work, Cro Cop couldn't do a damn thing and most likely would have lost barring a flash KO.
QUICK RESULTS:
1 Andrews Nakahara beat Dong Sik Yoon by TKO in round 2 (0:30).
2 Gegard Mousasi beat Melvin Manhoef by Submission (Triangle Choke) in round 1 (1:25).
3 Ronaldo Souza beat Zelg Galesic by Submission (Armbar) in round 1 (1:27).
4 Keita Nakamura beat Adriano Martins by Decision (Split).
5 Sergei Kharitonov beat Jimmy Ambriz by Submission (Punches) round 1 (2:15).
6 Atsushi Yamamoto beat Hideo Tokoro by Decision (Unanimous)
7 Masakatsu Funaki beat Ikuhisa Minowa by Submission (Heel Hook) round 1 (0:52).
8 Hayato Sakurai beat Kuniyoshi Hironaka by Decision (Unanimous)
9 Yoshihiro Akiyama beat Masanori Tonooka by Submission (Armbar) round 1 (6:26).
10 Shinya Aoki beat Todd Moore by Submission (Neck Crank) round 1 (1:10).
11 Alistair Overeem fought Mirko Filipovic to a No Contest (Knees to the Groin)
12 Gegard Mousasi beat Ronaldo Souza by KO (Upkick) round 1 (2:15)
Gegard Mousasi is a BAMF! I wish I had HD Net lol
Sucks Cro Cop and Overeem went to a no contest though.
MMA will kill them way before they can kill MMA...don't worry lol
I dont honestly see a whole lot more EXC shows in all honesty.
I fucking hate that cock sucker Garry Shaw!
seriously I wanna kick the crap out of that guy. "Kimbo is one of the best strikers in the division", what a load a shit the guy has no snap in his punches. He hits hard, yes but he doesn't have very good technique. I hate Shaw lol.
I think the UFC should buy EXC and book Kimbo vs. Gary Shaw!! lol...then again, I wouldn't be able to see it, because I won't pay money to watch Kimbo...sometimes I think I can smell him through the screen... *shudders*
Following the disappointment of many of the fighters on the now rescheduled Oct. 11 Affliction show, two top heavyweights have landed on the Oct. 4 CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights show as former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski takes on the only ever International Fight League heavyweight champion in Roy Nelson.
The news was confirmed by EliteXC in a joint venture by the promotion, CBS and Donald Trump’s Affliction Entertainment.
"This is yet another testament to EliteXC’s willingness to work with other MMA promotions to bring the best possible fights to the broadest possible audience," said Jeremy Lappen, head of the Live Fight Division of EliteXC. "Special thanks to the hard working-team at Affliction and of course our partners at CBS and Showtime."
Arlovski is coming off of an impressive win over Ben Rothwell at the debut Affliction show in which he handed the fighter his first loss in 13 fights. The Belarus native was originally supposed to face Josh Barnett in the main event for the Affliction show that was postponed.
Roy Nelson, who was tapped originally to face Paul Buentello, steps up to the main card for the CBS-EliteXC show with the biggest test of his career taking on the former UFC champion.
Nelson has long been considered one of the top heavyweights in the world and a win over Arlovski would certainly be a huge boost for his career.
The fight between Arlovski and Nelson rounds out the five-fight event set for the CBS broadcast on Oct. 4.
The televised fight card for CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights is:
-Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock
-Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley (for EliteXC welterweight title)
-Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy "Big Country" Nelson
-Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold
-Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Benji Radach
TUF 8 Journal: Week 2
Welcome to another edition of my TUF 8 Journal, after watching the second episode I am once again completely blown away. I mean there are so many talented up and coming fighters on this season and it gives me goose bumps thinking about the potential these guys have. The original thirty two fighters have finally been narrowed down to sixteen. Here is what I thought about the fights this week.
Wesley Murch vs. John Polakowski: Tough little scrapper from the United Kingdom vs. ADHD guy who likes to give hugs? I was very impressed with Polakowski in this fight, he did a good job picking Wesley apart. I do think the biggest mistake Wesley made was when he gave up the top position to go for a heel hook, he should never have gave up his position. When you are on top you should not give up position unless you are forced to give it up, why go for a heel hook? Wesley ended up getting some sort of an ankle injury and he tried to continue fighting but it was just too much for him. He fell to the ground and Polakowski got the second round TKO and afterwards he started running around the cage like a mad man and hugging everyone. I like this guy, he seems like a nice dude with a goofy personality though the hugging might be a bit much. I think Nogueira will pick him, doesn’t look like Mir is very interested in him and his hugging ways.
Shane Primm vs. Sean O’Connell: The juice is worth the squeeze and unfortunately for Sean he won’t be getting that juice. Shane Primm impressed the hell out of me in this fight, I had heard about him before and when I read that he would be on this season I expected good things from him. He definitely didn’t disappoint, solid jiu-jitsu securing that rear naked choke. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Shane make it to the finals, I can almost guarantee he will at least make it to the semi finals.
Efrain Escudero vs. Ido Pariente: Efrain has an awesome ground game, solid wrestling and jiu-jitsu. I was very impressed with Efrain and his ability to control the fight and secure the rear naked choke submission. There isn’t really much else to say about this fight. I’m looking at Efrain as the best light weight in the house, he’s the favorite to win this whole thing in my eyes. I wouldn’t be surprised if the finals for the lightweights turned out to be Junie Browning vs. Efrain Escudero.
Tom Lawlor vs. Ryan Lopez: This was short and sweet. Lopez comes in throws a kick, gets taken down and Lawlor locks in a rear naked choke for the submission. Tom looked very impressive making short work of his opponent. I think Lawlor has potential to take it for the Light Heavyweight’s, I’m not saying he is my pick to win the show because he is not but he does have potential to be.
George Roop vs. Roli Delgado: George Roop looked really good in this fight. It was only a highlight as they didn’t show the whole fight but Roop controlled it standing. At one point it looked like Delgado was going to submit Roop to the guillotine but Roop listened to Frank Mir’s advice in his corner and was able to escape. Very impressive. Roop moves into the house with a decision victory, he’s got a whole lot of potential I think.
Shane Nelson vs. Charles Diaz: This was a highlighted fight so they didn’t show the whole thing. “Sugar†Shane Nelson, I knew he would make an impact. Dude is a stud and he trains in Hilo with BJ Penn so you know he’s bad ass. With Duarte out of the competition, maybe Shane Nelson was the guy Dana White was referring to as “the nest Anderson Silvaâ€. It’s either him or Nover.
Ryan ’Darth’ Bader vs. Kyle Kingsbury: I wish they showed the whole thing instead of just a highlight. Both fighters looked very impressive and I wish they both ended up making it to the house. Ryan Bader is a freaking wrestling machine, go back and read my article on AudiblyOffensive.com and you will see that I am a huge Darth Bader fan. Bader locked in the arm triangle submission for the win, but I don’t think we have seen the last of Kingsbury I have a feeling he will be back as a replacement.
Elliot Marshall vs. Karn Grigoryan: This was a crock of shit and proves how stupid the judges in the UFC can be. Elliot Marshall basically won every single round, it shouldn’t have event went to a third round. How the hell do the judges have Karn winning that fight? Seriously what the fuck were they watching, just because he was on top doesn’t mean he was winning. Like Frank Mir said, “just because you get out of a triangle doesn’t mean you’re winning, you’re losingâ€. Also did you see Karn after that fight? He looked like he got the shit beat out of him, all bloodied up and Elliot looked fine. When they announced that Karn had won, I was seriously pissed off because I knew Elliot won and deserved to be in the house. Luckily Antwain Britt broke his hand and could not continue so they brought Elliot back.
In closing I’d just like to say that this might be one of the craziest seasons in TUF history. Did you see the preview? It looks like everyone gets into it at the house, pure craziness. It looks like Brian McLaughlin and Karn are not going to be able to continue, I’m guessing just by watching the preview for the next episode. I think they will bring back Brandon Garner aka accidental knee dude and Kyle Kingsbury. Well anyway, I’m in a rush so keep watching TUF.
The final card:
PRELIMINARY CARD
Jorge Bouchat vs. Nicolae Cury
David Gomez vs. Brett Jackowski
Lorenzo Borgomeo vs. Mikey Gomez
Seth Petruzelli vs. Aaron Rosa
Edson Berto vs. Conor Heun
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Yoko Takahashi
MAIN CARD (CBS)
Benji Radach vs. Murilo "Ninja" Rua
Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold-Gavin
Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson
Champ Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley (for EliteXC welterweight title)
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Ken Shamrock
thoughts? predictions? let's hear em folks lol.
There will be at least one rigged fight in Kimbo's favor.
I cant wait ahaha. Getting loaded, orderin up some Ribs. Should be good times.
I like the look of the card. Even the Kimbo fight has me interested, I just wanna see what goes down lol.
Arlovski- Nelson should be a very good fight. I honestly like Big Roy's chances, seeing how Arlovski does not have a very good chin... but i'm still going with Arlovski lol.
WAR JAKE SHIELDS!
I think I'll go with Ninja Rua for the win.
Gina Carano :-*
I think the Kimbo-Shamrock fight will be pretty interesting. Will Ken get his first win since 04? His best chance obviously is to get this bad boy to the ground. I don't like Ken Shamrock but I kinda want to see him make Kimbo tap the fuck out lol. Though I'm leaning towards Slice to win by KO. Hopefully Big Dan won't ref this fight hahaha I hate that fucking ref, he is the anti-christ of MMA next to Gary Shaw.
No way is Shamrock gonna tap Kimbo. You forget one thing. Shamrock is confused, Evver since he ran into Guy Mezger, he thinks he is a stand up fighter, and doesn't go to the ground often anymore. I look at a first round knock out in Kimbo's favor.
Yeah Ken seems to think he is a knock out artist. His stand up is decent but he's a very good submission guy, hopefully he will realize that in this fight.
Did anyone else read the interview where Kimbo said, "Ken Ima' give you a free shot" and then Ken was like "You guys hear that? See that's why you're the rookie and I'm the veteran, because you're an idiot!" LOL
what would be hilarious is if Kimbo says take it, Ken takes it and either have Kimbo slip it and knock him out, or have Ken knock him out. We win either way.
LMAO true haha
I saw JT post it on myspace. That's a pretty big fight for JT, Fickett is a very game opponent. What do you guys think? I'm bored so I'm posting random topics :P
The following is from MMAweekly.
Sycuan Ringside Promotions (SRP) is diversifying its business portfolio by jumping into the hot-as-ever world of mixed martial arts.
Sycuan Ringside Promotions in association with Total Combat Entertainment will present Total Combat “Notorious†on Thursday, Oct. 2 live from the Sycuan Resort & Casino, located just fifteen miles east of downtown San Diego.
SRP, more commonly known for its boxing promotional business than its recent foray into MMA, is looking to bring quality MMA fights to the sports savvy community of San Diego.
“Everyone in the boxing business has seen the growth and potential of mixed martial arts,†said Scott Woodworth, president of SRP. “It only makes sense for us to get involved in the sport. The San Diego community is very big on MMA and we’re aiming to bring competitive and exciting fights to the fans starting on Oct. 2.
“Total Combat Entertainment is well known in Southern California and we’re extremely happy to be partnering with them for this event at Sycuan Resort & Casino.â€
In the main event, experienced wrestler and Temecula, Calif. native Jesse Taylor will mix it up with the veteran and dangerous Drew “The Master†Fickett of Phoenix, Ariz. in a three-round welterweight fight.
In the co-main event, San Diego-native Kevin Dunsmoor will take on Total Combat veteran Ian McCall of Laguna Nigel, Calif. in a three-round bantamweight bout.
The card also features two aggressive females. Kim Rose, who is coming off a win over MMA legend Randy Couture’s wife Kim Couture, will face Megan Gangitano. Both Rose and Gangitano are from the San Diego area and will compete in the 135-pound division.
Another bout to keep an eye will be the 140-pound match up between Nick Alvarado of San Pasqual, Calif. against San Diego local Rolando Perez.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has officially announced a return to Ireland on Jan 17, but this time they will be traveling to Dublin for the first time. Former middleweight champion, Rich “Ace†Franklin stays put at 205lbs to face Dan Henderson in a tough light heavyweight showdown as the main event.
Also on the card will be former top light heavyweight stand-out, Mauricio “Shogun†Rua moving up to heavyweight for the night to get a rematch with Mark “The Hammer†Coleman, who defeated Rua while the two were in Pride a few years ago.
The fight between Franklin and Henderson is the culmination of a tremendous body of work for both competitors as they finally get the chance to square off in the Octagon.
“Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson is a battle between two great former champions who are both looking to get another chance to wear a world title around their waist,†said Dana White in a press release on Wednesday. “Franklin is the former UFC Middleweight champion, and he’s a dangerous striker with solid submission skills â€" he also showed great takedown defense in his September destruction of powerful wrestler Matt Hamill.â€
“Dan Henderson is the former Pride welterweight and middleweight champion. He’s a world class wrestler, known for his great chin and his one punch knockout power. He defeated formidable Brazilian submission specialist Rousimar Palhares in September. These are two fan favorites with a lot of pride on the line as they want to show that they are still among the very best fighters in the world.â€
Because the bout between Franklin and Henderson takes place at 205lbs, this could officially eliminate Henderson from the recent rumors that he may coach alongside Michael Bisping, who seems like a logical choice for the United Kingdom squad, in the latest installment of the “Ultimate Fighter†reality series.
The UFC has made no official announcement regarding any coaching possibilities for the show so anything could still happen.
The Jan 17 event will re-introduce fans to Mauricio “Shogun†Rua, who had one of the most hyped arrivals ever in the UFC, but did not live up to expectations when he lost to now light heavyweight champion, Forrest Griffin, in Sept 2007.
Rua has since disappeared off the radar due to several knee surgeries that have kept the former Pride champion sidelined for more than a year.
The rematch between Shogun and Coleman should be interesting to say the least as the two fighters have a history that at one time included a feud between to the camps of the two former champions. Coleman defeated Shogun while in Pride after a takedown from the former Ohio State wrestler caused an awkward landing for Rua and his arm broke thus stopping the fight.
Soon after it was almost bedlam as members of Rua’s former team, Chute Boxe, rushed the ring as Coleman celebrated with his Hammer House squad. The grudge between to the two fighters will finally be settled in Ireland in January.
More fights are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
We're watching for a Kimbo KO and Gina Carano.
I love me some Gina Carano.
Will this be free?
Also, 2 awesome fights.
I'm not sure, I hope it is lol.
Isn't BJ Penn supposed to be fighting GSP in Jan also?
Credit: MMAweekly.com
The Ultimate Fighting Championship expects to close out 2008 with a bang as the promotion has decided on three key match-ups for their year end show on Dec 27.
Interim heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will face Frank Mir, while light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin returns to action defending his belt against Rashad Evans and Wanderlei Silva goes for three in a row against former 205lb champion, Quinton “Rampage†Jackson.
The news was confirmed by UFC President Dana White to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.
The fights will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and with those three match-ups along with a solid undercard including Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister, which was first reported on MMAWeekly.com earlier this week, the UFC is looking at one of their most stacked cards this year.
White told Iole that he wanted to “stack†the end year show and with three huge match-ups, including two title fights, the UFC has done exactly that.
Nogueira and Mir were already expected to meet after their stint as coaches on this season’s version of the “Ultimate Fighterâ€, but the new bouts announced bring a powerful punch to the card.
Forrest Griffin’s meteoric rise up the light heavyweight division began with his run to win the “Ultimate Fighter†season 1 and culminated with his 5 round win over former champion, Quinton Jackson, in July.
As for Rashad Evans, the “Ultimate Fighter†season 2 winner, he cemented himself in the top contender spot after a devastating knockout of Chuck Liddell in early September.
Quinton “Rampage†Jackson will also return for the first time since losing his title and going through a very tumultuous summer which included him leaving former trainer, Juanito Ibarra, and his arrest in California after a hit and run chase with local police.
This will be the third time for Jackson to take a shot at former Pride champion, Wanderlei Silva, who defeated Rampage both previous times in dominant fashion while the two fighters were mainstays in the now defunct Pride Fighting Championships.
The event will take place on Dec 27 in Las Vegas, NV.
Definitely, definitely stacked. This has potential for being one of the best cards to date. Well worth the money.
Quote from: Cory on October 01, 2008, 09:49:51 PM
We're watching for a Kimbo KO and Gina Carano.
I love me some Gina Carano.
Gina Carano KOs me in my dreams...
Hell yeah man!
I can't for December lol. This is the UFC's Christmas present to the fans lol.
Ha I'll probably watch this with my family who will be visiting for the holidays, definitely a good way to introduce them to the sport with a stacked card like this.
Let's pray that nobody gets pulled out because of an injury though.
TUF 8 Blog: Week 3
Welcome to another edition of my TUF 8 blog. We are heading into our third week and what an exciting episode it was indeed. On this week we saw two fighters getting sent home due to an injury, we saw Team selections, a playful prank, the lunatic named Junie Browning and oh yeah… a fight! Let’s get to it.
The team selections went almost exactly how I planned them to go. I was actually bored enough to write my picks down on a piece of paper before the teams were actually picked and most of the guys ended up on the team that I figured they would end up on. I kind of feel bad for Brian McLaughlin and Karn Grigoryan for having to leave the show because of a nose fracture. If I were them I would have reacted the same way, hell I would have reacted even worse than they did because I probably would have cried like a God damn girl! They announced that Kyle Kingsbury would replace and Karn and they wouldn’t tell us who would replace Brian at first because he wasn’t in Las Vegas yet since they already sent him home. I was happy to see Kyle back in the house since he fought a very good fight against the best Light Heavyweight in the house (in my opinion) in Ryan Bader. Frank Mir got the first pick which meant that Nog was allowed to choose the first fight. Here is how the selecting process went down:
Team Mir (Light Heavyweights):
1. Krzysztof Soszynski
2. Vinny Magalhaes
3. Eliot Marshall
4. Tom Lawlor
Team Nog (Light Heavyweights):
1. Ryan Bader
2. Shane Primm
3. Kyle Kingsbury
4. Jules Bruchez
Team Mir (Lightweights)
1. Junie Browning
2. Shane Nelson
3. Dave Kaplan
4. George Roop
Team Nog (Lightweights)
1. Philipe Nover
2. Efrain Escudero
3. John Polakowski
4. Whoever they picked to replace Brian. This was revealed later on to be Rolando Delgado.
Right now I humbly believe that while Frank Mir might be a better corner man and very good technical coach, Team Nogueira is definitely the stronger team. You can tell just by the way they act around each other and show respect for each other; it really is like a family. If I was on this show I would want to be on Nog’s team because that is the team that is going to pump me up the most in preparing for battle. Junie Browning made some bullshit comment about how ‘The red team all act gay like it’s a family or something. Calling everyone coach and shit, man none of these guys are my coaches. My coaches are back home, these guys are just temporary’. I disagree with that comment, in a way I can somewhat understand what he meant. He was trying to say that by calling people who will only be coaching you for six weeks, coach it might discredit the guys who have been teaching you for years before. I get what he meant but he was wrong, in my opinion. It’s not discrediting anyone, you are on that Team for six weeks and those coaches are doing everything they can do to help you get a contract with the UFC so you better damn well show them the respect and refer to them as coach!
Speaking of Junie Browning, I can tell he is going to cause a ton of problems this season. If you thought Chris Leben was bad wait until you see what Browning does this season, I bet he will be ten times crazier. He comes across as a really cocky guy that drinks way too much and gets out of control. They have a ‘leak’ video up for the next episode and it shows Junie Browning, just going completely crazy trying to fight everyone. It shows him and Bader in a confrontation and Bader actually tosses Browning into the pool for his troubles. Then in the preview video for the next episode it shows Browning hopping over the cage either during or after a fight and then narrator says “get ready for the shock of the season on the next Ultimate Fighter!†Will he be bad enough for Dana to kick him off the show? We will just have to wait and see. He might be one of the best fighters in the house but it doesn’t give him the right to destroy the house and start fights with people.
Also on this episode we saw a prank on Team Nogueira by Team Mir which was led by Krzysztof. It wasn’t your typical assholish TUF prank where the guy pisses on someone else’s pillow or takes a shit in the upper part of their toilet. This was just a harmless prank done out of sheer boredom, I can understand that. Basically Krzysztof and Team Mir decided to take all of Team Nog’s underwear and saran wrap it all on Ryan Bader’s bed. Harmless prank. I laughed but I hope it doesn’t escalate into anything worse but I have a feeling it will just by watching the previews. In the preview for the next episode it shows Shane Nelson trying to fight Efrain Escudero at the house and I have a feeling it might have something to do with a prank that got out of hand. Well anyway let’s move on from house drama and go into the first fight selection. Team Nog got the first pick and they chose their top Light Heavyweight Ryan Bader to go up against Tom Lawlor. This was a very smart move by Nog because Lawlor is a wrestling stud so he wanted his best wrestler in Bader to take out Lawlor early this way Lawlor won’t take off other Light Heavyweights on Nog’s team. For the Efed Knights TUF 8 fantasy game, this meant that it was my pick (Bader) up against Ash Bombay’s pick (Lawlor). Let’s see how this all played out.
Ryan “Darth†Bader vs. Tom Lawlor
This was an interesting fight, any time you have two really good wrestlers up against each other it will make for an interesting fight. Right off the bat Bader goes in looking for the takedown but Lawlor does a good job of defending at first. Both guys were landing solid punches and then Tom threw a hook which left an opening for Bader to get the takedown. I love the way this guy takes people down, phenomenal wrestler and that double leg takedown was excellent! Tom scrambled back to his feet, smart move but Bader once again takes him down. This by the way is not an easy thing to do because Tom Lawlor has very good takedown defense. From here we can see Bader showing that he has some good ground and pound skills. Tom tried to get back to his feet and made a huge mistake. He posted his feet on Bader’s hips and instead of exploding out like he should have which would have allowed him to scramble back up; he pushed off with little force allowing Bader to drop him with a huge right hand to the chin knocking Tom out. This was a very impressive performance by Ryan Bader and he is my pick to win this whole thing for the Light Heavyweights. Tom Lawlor did good too but it only takes one little mistake to have you staring up at the lights wondering what just happened. Hopefully he will work on that and come back stronger in the future.
Next week it is the Light weights turn and Team Nog is still in control. I heard him say on a spike exclusive that since he took out their best wrestler he is now going to attack the Jiu-Jitsu guys. This makes me believe that it will be Efrain Escudero, one of his top ground guys against Dave Kaplan. I don’t see Nog going after Junie or Nelson yet and I think he will probably try to match up John Polakowski with George Roop. Let’s see if I am right. Also on the next episode there is supposed to be a whole lot of shit going down at the house and most of it is caused by Junie Browning. Will he be sent home? Find out on the next episode of… The Ultimate Fighter!
Also check out the current TUF 8 fantasy game standings:
1. Ash Bombay (Junie Browning, Tom Lawlor)
2. Jack Kaiser (Efrain Escudero, Shane Primm)
3. TaNK{Ghost} (Roli Delgado, Jules Bruchez)
4. John S. (Shane Nelson, Eliot Marshall)
5. Cory{Ghost}(John Polakowski, Kyle Kingsbury)
6. MitchMMA (Philipe Nover, Ryan Bader)
7. Black Death{sorta Ghost}(George Roop, Vinny Magalhaes)
8. Khristian Call (Dave Kaplan, Krzysztof Soszynski)
Ill check this out.
UFC 89 Predictions:
Per Eklund Vs. Samy Schiavo
David Baron Vs. Jim Miller
Sam Stout Vs. Terry Etim
Jess Liaudin Vs. David Bielkheden
Shane Carwin Vs. Neil Wain
Dan Hardy Vs. Akihiro Gono
Paul Kelly Vs. Marcus Davis
Paul Taylor Vs. Chris Lytle
Rameau Sokoudjou Vs. Luiz Cane
Keith Jardine Vs. Brandon Vera
Michael Bisping Vs. Chris Leben
Per Eklund Vs. Samy Schiavo
David Baron Vs. Jim Miller
Sam Stout Vs. Terry Etim
Jess Liaudin Vs. David Bielkheden
Shane Carwin Vs. Neil Wain
Dan Hardy Vs. Akihiro Gono
Paul Kelly Vs. Marcus Davis
Paul Taylor Vs. Chris Lytle
Rameau Sokoudjou Vs. Luiz Cane
Keith Jardine Vs. Brandon Vera
Michael Bisping Vs. Chris Leben
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7251&zoneid=3 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7251&zoneid=3)
I say Alvarez takes it. What do you think?
I say Alvarez as well...but I'm from NJ, so that's like asking me if I think the Eagles will win lol.
Yay Eagles.
That knock out punch fell like the hammer of God. It was sexy.
Oh shit!!!!!
I wanna hear what the Kimbo nuthuggers are gonna say.
WAR SILVERBACK!
One of the MOST Under-rated fighters of our generation, I am very happy for Seth. Great knock out, I am so fucking happy lol.
I agree, tis why I put it in my avatar :P
Night night Canbo :D
BTW, Dana White is pissing himself over this. One of this TUFers slayed Kimbo...I can just see his head getting bigger
Yeah he probably shit his pants when he saw it.
Dana was right. In one of his interviews he said "if I ever had a heavyweight ultimate fighter, Kimbo Slice wouldn't win it."
but I like Seth. I have always felt that Seth was always very underrated. He was a favorite to win TUF 2 but he got beat by Brad Imes which was a huge upset in that season.
They should of let Ken fight, he would of lost one way or another, but atleast this way he don't look like a pussy lol
Cuts are a tricky thing though.
I blame Ken for doing shit like that right before the fight. It wasn't smart on his part.
But at the end of the day, it all worked out for the best. Seth exposed Kimbo for what he really is to the casual fans. Kimbo is NOT a unstoppable monster, he gets destroyed by anyone who has some experience. Kimbo is a good guy, I hope he learns from this but at the end of the day I am really happy that this Kimbo hype is over. I was tired of hearing a bunch of street punks talking about how Kimbo is the best lol.
(http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2008/10/seth_petruzelli6.jpg)
(http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2008/10/seth_petruzelli2.jpg)
(http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2008/10/seth_petruzelli4.jpg)
(http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2008/10/seth_petruzelli3_01.jpg)
(http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2008/10/seth_petruzelli5.jpg)
Good luck salvaging the rest of your career Kimbo.
LMFAO!!!!
Yeah, Seth is a wacky dude lol. I remember his goofball antics from TUF season 2.
I have never seen those pics though, funny as hell hahha. Nice on Chris.
:D
Now...Should we start a poll on Petruzelli's new nickname, or how he'll be marketed?
I'm frustrated though that a Kimbo loss is over-shadowing Arlovski.
I can't wait to see Hendo back in action personally.
<3 Roy Nelson
I love fat fighters.
Yeah true. Arlovski did very well in that fight.
I'd like to see him get a shot against Fedor soon.
Me too I have always wanted to see this fight between him and Franklin. Though I always pictured it would be at Middleweight.
lol my family (that don't follow the sport that much) kept calling him a fat whale. I kept telling them that he might be fat but he is one hell of a fighter, they kept making fat jokes lol.
credit: mmaweekly.com
Big John McCarthy on Tuesday announced that he is leaving The Fight Network, and could possibly make a return to refereeing.
McCarthy is one of the most highly regarded referees in the sport of mixed martial arts, making his debut as an official at UFC 2. He retired late last year from refereeing to take a position as an analyst and production member for The Fight Network.
It seems that he hasn’t left his new employer on the best of terms. In his final blog entry on The Fight Network website, he said, “Well this is my farewell from the Fight Network. While I will not miss what has happened or transpired at the company, I am really going to miss some very special people that I have come to know and respect in my short time with them.†Later adding, “To all of the higher ups that have taken over the Fight Network over the last year I only have this to say... Shame on you.â€
Perhaps more interesting to MMA fans is McCarthy leaving the door open for a possible return to refereeing. “A few people have said that I have attacked the UFC. That is simply not true. I have never said anything bad about the UFC. I spent 14 years of my life trying to build up the UFC and make people understand how incredible the fighters of MMA were. I considered myself very lucky in the fact that I was able to be around the UFC for as long as I was and you never know maybe I will go back to refereeing and someday work another UFC.â€
A return to refereeing could only serve to bolster the ranks of officiating in the sport, often considered by many to be one of MMA’s weaker links. McCarthy was one of the first referees to really push for some of the rules and guidelines that helped to shape MMA as we know it today, and helped introduce a standard for professionalism for officials.
McCarthy was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
from mmaweekly.com
Just a day removed from his 14-second knockout of Internet legend Kimbo Slice, last minute replacement Seth Petruzelli stirred up controversy surrounding his addition to the main event after an appearance on a local Orlando radio show on Monday.
In the interview, Petruzelli hinted at the fact that he may have been given a bonus or incentive to only stand and trade with Kimbo in the fight, and to not take the fight to the ground.
“The promoters kind of hinted to me, and they gave me the money to stand and trade with him. They didn’t want me to take him down, let’s just put it that way,†said Petruzelli while appearing on 104.1 FM.
MMAWeekly.com spoke to EliteXC vice president Jared Shaw on Monday night. He categorically denied the report that they paid him to keep the fight standing.
“Absolutely not,†Shaw answered to questions if the allegations were true. “Whether that was something Seth was taken out of context or Seth was trying to say something different, I don’t know. What I can tell you, I was in the locker room with Seth with the contract; that did not happen.
“Why in a million years would we ask Seth to not take Kimbo down? That’s crazy. That’s all Kimbo’s been working on is the ground game. Ken Shamrock, 84 percent of his wins are submission and through the ground, so Kimbo was ready for the ground. If anybody knows Seth Petruzelli, he’s a K-1 fighter, I wouldn’t want him standing. So to say ‘don’t take him down,’ that’s ridiculous.â€
Since the initial interview on the radio, Petruzelli retracted the statement when speaking to Sam Caplan at FiveOuncesofPain.com. The 14-second phenom will also join MMAWeekly Radio on Tuesday night to address the win and the entire situation surrounding the fight with Kimbo Slice.
When speaking with MMAWeekly.com, Shaw also addressed the scene during the final seconds of the Petruzelli vs. Kimbo fight that saw the EliteXC executive yelling towards the referee about an illegal blow to the back of the head, that seemed to show bias in his interest in the fight.
“I may have reacted that way, and I still believe there was a hit to the back of the head, but I’m not in control of the situation,†Shaw commented. “I don’t file the protests and anything I say doesn’t really matter at that time. I’m essentially a fan like everyone else.
“But as the promoter of both sides, I have no business reacting at all. That’s why I apologized to Seth Petruzelli first and foremost. I’m excited to work with Seth; I’m excited to promote Seth.â€
Shaw says his passion is always for the fighters and the heat of the moment got the best of him in the situation.
“It’s not the first time you’ve seen me go crazy about a ref’s decision and it has nothing to do with Kimbo,†Shaw commented. “Look at Jared Hamman and Poai Suganuma the first time around. It was a very quick stoppage; I was very upset. I always side with the ref at the end of the day, no matter what I think in the heat of the moment. The ref has the hardest job in the cage.â€
Doesn't surprise me that they said that....but fuck. Kimbo lost to a guy with clumps of Pink in his hair...fuck sakes. At least Kimbos gonna be pissed next fight.
Kimbo better get a re-match. Bas's training aint doing shit. Ill train him myself.
lol true, that was a really bizarre hairstyle, though there has been worse in MMA haha.
I bet they are still gonna set up Kimbo-Shamrock, though it shouldn't be a main event. Kimbo should re-bound from that loss before jumping back to the main event so quickly.
Also did you guys hear that before they set up Seth-Kimbo, they first tried to get Frank Shamrock to replace Ken LOL. The commission wouldn't clear him or something. Frank would have tapped Kimbo out.
I wanna see Tito come to Elite to fight Frank again.
I wonder if Shaw got mad when Kimbo punched Tank in the back of the head?
Probably not.
Shaw is full of shit. I seriously want to kick that guys head off lol
Quote from: Cory on October 07, 2008, 06:05:48 PM
Kimbo better get a re-match. Bas's training aint doing shit. Ill train him myself.
your gonna train him to be an efedder?
Train the fucking hobo out of him first before training him to be an efedder.
He fights like he's scrapping over a can of dog food with some other homeless dude.
Peace
Duckman
Mad truth son.
TUF 8 Blog: Week 4
Welcome to another edition of my blog for the eighth season of the Ultimate Fighter. We kick off episode four with all the guys watching UFC 84 at the house. They are all having a good time enjoying the fights and then we see Junie Browning and Shane Nelson start hitting the wine bottle. They start to antagonize the red team by throwing peanuts at them and just being disrespectful and rude in general. Finally Kyle Kingsbury stands up to Junie and throws peanuts back at him and Junie fires back by throwing wine in his face and tossing a glass at him which breaks and cuts his arm open. That’s messed up because if that glass had seriously injured Kyle then Kyle would be too injured to fight but Junie didn’t seem to care. I gained a lot of respect for Kyle Kingsbury, he kept his composure and wasn’t going to let a little douche like Junie ruin his opportunity.
At this point I pretty much felt like they were going to kick Junie off because of that. Junie also felt the same way and decided that he was going to go out with a bang. Him and Nelson went upstairs and started bullying the red team around. I lost a ton of respect for both guys when they started bullying Roli Delgado. Junie was standing over him trying to act tough saying how Roli shouldn’t even be here right now because he lost in the prelims and then Nelson goes and shoves Roli, what a bunch of pricks. Nelson also tried to bate Efrain into a fight and shoved him, mad respect for Efrain for keeping his composure and not taking a swing. Then we see Browning and Nelson head outside and start tossing all of the chairs and benches and stuff into the pool which pissed everyone off because that was all stuff that they used and now it’s all ruined. All of the guys come outside to see what is going on and Junie starts picking fights with all the Light Heavyweights. Junie basically was shoving everyone and threatening them and at one point he had a beer bottle at hand and started saying how he was going to crack someone over the skull with it. Krzysztof was shoved by Browning and Krzysztof wasn’t going to let Junie put his hands on him. The two started arguing and Krzysztof basically called Junie out on his shit, Junie calls him a bitch and then Krzysztof replies with one of the funniest lines of the night, “you are the biggest bitch of them all†and I couldn’t agree more.
Junie then takes his clothes off and jumps into the pool in his boxer shorts. To give Junie a taste of his own medicine, Krzysztof kicks Junie’s clothes into the pool. Once Junie finds out he starts flipping out trying to act like he was innocent in all of this and claming that all of the 205’ers were out to get him. Then a few moments later Ryan Bader kicks Junie’s clothes back in the pool and Junie went nuts. Junie tried to shove Bader into the pool but Bader reversed it and tosses Junie in and the two started pulling on each other as everyone tried to break it up. As everyone is trying to calm Junie down, Junie push kicks Tom Lawlor on his ass, kicks Bader in the nuts three times (which wasn’t show on TV but go read a blog), and punches Jules Bruches and Shane Primm. He is swinging at everyone and then afterwards he starts crying, at this point I am hoping Dana does the right thing and sends this punk home where he belongs.
We come back from a commercial and Junie is playing basketball by himself. They show him in his confessional and he says that he was destined for failure anyway so this just sped the process up. What an idiot, the guy had all the talent in the world so why would he think he was destined for failure? They show Dana entering the house and Dana calls Junie and Nelson a bunch of drunken retards. He then says that he is not going to kick Junie off and he is going to give him a chance and also that Shane Nelson would be the first lightweight to fight. What a bullshit call, Dana has kicked people off in the past for a lot less. If I was Jesse Taylor I would seriously be pissed off right now. I seriously cannot believe they kept this guy on. We cut to the training center and Nogueira announces the fight will be Efrain Escudero vs. Shane Nelson. Nelson already tried fighting Efrain at the house so now we are going to see if Nelson can back it up. Now you would think that after all that happened that Junie would start mellowing out and keeping a low profile, nope. Instead he starts talking shit to Efrain calling him a boring fighter and how the only way he will beat Shane is if he lays on top of him for three rounds. Junie says Efrain could never beat him but then admits that Efrain had submitted him like ten times while they were preparing for the pre lims rolling around.
It’s fight time and at this point I am rooting for Efrain Escudero to get the submission. It was a pretty good fight, both looked pretty good. Shane came out strong at first but you can tell he didn’t look so good, the alcohol from a few days ago really screwed him up. Efrain controlled him most of the fight and ended up securing a triangle submission at round two. Afterwards Junie starts talking shit about how “That’s just what the UFC needs another boring ass wrestler that lays and preysâ€, which didn’t make any sense because Efrain FINISHED the fight. Efrain smiled at Junie and said something to him, Junie flipped out and hopped over the cage and everyone tries to calm him down. I can’t believe they ended the episode like this, I can’t wait to see what happens on the next one. Hopefully they will send Junie’s punk ass home!
-Mitch
On a side note, Dana White must be working out these days. Good episode. I'm surprised they didn't boot Junie. I'm also surprised they didn't remove all the booze from the house.
It's all entertainment and ratings, I can understand it but still it really isn't fair that Junie stays on. I mean one can argue that it's because Junie is one of the top fighters on the show but Dana kicked JT Money off last season and JT made it to the finals lol.
lol Honker have you seen the video of Dana working out? He actually works out pretty hard, I was laughing haha. I'll see if I can find the vid... hold on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF_ascb0LBc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF_ascb0LBc)
credit: MMAjunkie.com
Andrei Arlovski will return to Affliction to battle current WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko at the organization's second event, "Day of Reckoning," according to Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio.
MMARated.com was the first to report the news.
According to the report, the official announcement -- as well as exact details of the date, location and main card fights -- will be released sometime next week.
"Day of Reckoning" was originally scheduled to be held Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. That event was rescheduled in light of a new partnership with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions -- although reports of slow ticket sales may also have factored into the decision.
Despite Golden Boy's new involvement with "Day of Reckoning," Atencio also confirmed that the event would feature MMA bouts only -- conflicting with Affliction's previous announcement that the event would involve both boxing and MMA.
"We sat down with them and couldn't come up with a main event boxing match that everyone wanted," Atenco told MMARated.com.
Previous reports have pointed to a Jan. 24 2009 date in Anaheim, Calif., as Affliction's likely target for a new date.
Arlovski was last seen successfully defeating IFL champion Roy Nelson at "EliteXC: Heat" on week ago. The bout was a co-promoted affair between Affliction and EliteXC.
Emelianenko last fought in July, making quick work of former UFC champion Tim Sylvia at Affliction's debut event, "Banned."
Immediate attempts to reach Atencio by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) were unsuccessful.
For the latest on "Affliction: Day of Reckoning," stay tuned to the MMA Rumors page here at MMAjunkie.com.
Well, after Petruzell making Kimbo his bitch, this is all Dana White needs to die a happy man, lol. That is IF Arlovski wins...which I doubt. He's a great fighter, but I don't think he'll last very long with Fedor.
With Arlovski weak chin.... Fedor for the kill lol.
Arlovski is a very good fighter, very good on his feet, great head movement, good footwork and he is usually very aggressive but Fedor will find a way to beat him. I'm thinking either a knock out or a submission with an arm-bar. Arlovski does not have a good chin so obviously if Fedor is able to connect, down goes Arlovski lol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkYC8TBzmmQ&eurl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkYC8TBzmmQ&eurl)
Damn I was going to post the vid as well. Anyways, I often don't like Dana White but he does makes some seriously valid points on this.
I think that Fedor will win by gNp, bt it will *hopefully* be a good fight regardless.
Yeah I agree. Usually Dana comes across as a prick... though I think he can be a pretty cool guy at times. I just never agreed with what he said about Fedor and I also don't like how he thinks anything that isn't UFC sucks lol. But he is completely right about Elite XC and Kimbo and that fucking twat Gary Shaw.
Wow I don't agree with Dana, I said this long ago so he actually agree's with me.
Meh.
Kimbo FTW
:P
Yet another AWESOME Dana White video. Dana's my boy, a lot fo people don't like him and think he's a dick, but his personality and mine can be very similar when it comes to MMA. War Dana White!
I personally laughed my ass off at last weeks TUF episode.
Dana: Where's Shane?
Shane: I'm over here?
Dana: You're a fucking drunken retard too!
LMAO.
lol, Dana's pretty cool, and I'd love the man if he hadn't talked shit about Fedor.
He talks shit about Fedor to protect his company's reputation. If Fedor was under a UFC contract he wouldn't have anything bad to say about him, but from a business standpoint, he is trying to make his opposition look weird.
I understand that, and its, well. Understandable from his part, but still. Dude. Not cool talking shit about the greatest MMA fighter of our time, and maybe of ever.
Yeah true.
Though Dana has said some great things about Cung Le in the past I believe so he does say good things about fighters from different orgs sometimes lol.
Speaking of Cung Le, when is this guy gonna get back in the fooking cage? lol I wanna see a Cung Le fight!!!
In your opinion, list your top 5 fav fights of the year. They could be from any promotion so long as they were PRO MMA FIGHTS lol.
Here are mine, I probably am missing some as I am just thinking off the top of my head.
1. GSP vs. Jon Fitch- UFC 87
2. Forrest Griffin vs. Rampage Jackson- UFC 86
3. Miguel Torres vs. Yoshiro Maeda- WEC 34
4. Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver- WEC 34
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia- UFC 81
1. GSP vs. Jon Fitch- UFC 87
2. Miguel Torres vs. Yoshiro Maeda- WEC 34
3. Forrest Griffin vs. Rampage Jackson- UFC 86
4. Thiago Alves vs. Matth Hughes - UFC 85
5. Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring - UFC 87
MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday learned that Affliction Entertainment has entered into a formal partnership with M-1 Global to promote mixed martial arts events around the globe.
The two entities had already been working together, but had no formal arrangement.
The official partnership includes co-promotion of the M-1 challenge series, an international mixed martial arts tournament that pits fighters from different parts of the globe against each other. The M-1 Challenge’s next stop is scheduled for Oct. 29 in Kansas City, Mo., where Xtreme Couture light heavyweight Mike Whitehead will headline the card.
Financial details of the partnership are not known, but presumably, the companies would share production costs and split revenue from events. The union’s effect on Affliction’s recent partnership with Golden Boy Promotions is unknown.
“We're basically just solidifying our relationship,†Affliction vice president Tom Atencio told MMAWeekly.com of the Russian promotion. “We work well with them. They're one of the few companies we've worked with that if they say they're going to do something, they do it. They've stood behind us, especially with negotiations with the UFC.â€
A press conference announcing the partnership will take place Thursday at Trump Towers in New York City.
A likely date of Jan. 24 in Anaheim, Calif. will be the first “joint venture†featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski.
M-1 Global Chief Operating Officer Joost Raimond says a second U.S. Affliction/M-1 Global pay per view would likely take place in April or May of 2009 and would feature Josh Barnett vs. Aleksander Emelianenko.
Raimond feels confident that the junior Emelianenko would be “re-certified†by the California State Athletic Commission.
“There have been medical issues, but the nice thing about medical issues is that they can be resolved,†he said.
According to Raimond, the elder Emelianenko is fully healed from his medical issue, a chip fracture to his right thumb sustained against Tim Sylvia at Affliction’s “Banned†in July.
Finkelstein and Raimond confirmed that Emelianenko would definitely not be fighting on a Japanese New Year’s Eve card. As recently as September, the top-ranked heavyweight told reporters he would honor his informal holiday tradition of fighting in Japan.
"A fight on New Year's Eve in Japan only makes sense if there is a suitable opponent and an organization to put up the event the way it should be,†Raimond said. “And in this case, the various components didn't come together.â€
M-1 fighter Gerard Mousasi is currently under consideration for an unnamed New Year’s Eve card in Japan, and is “a very feasible option†to participate on the Anaheim card.
The partnership is bad news for fans that hope to see “The Last Emperor†tussle with Randy Couture in the UFC. The new agreement makes Emelianenko an exclusive client of Affliction and M-1 Global worldwide for the foreseeable future. Previously, Affliction’s deal with M-1 Global was exclusive only to the U.S.
Raimond says his company’s contact with the UFC remains cordial, but the possibility of either organization lending their stars to a neutral platform is bleak.
“The fact of the matter is that a loan-out is something that the UFC would not desire, they would never go for such a deal,†he said. “And secondly, the way we have our program set up for the next years, and our event schedules set up, it's just not feasible to have a Fedor fight within the UFC.â€
Strong speculation has indicated that Couture has a clause in his contract to face Emelianenko on the second fight of his three-fight UFC deal, but Raimond and Finkelstein maintain it will not take place in the Octagon.
“We are aware of what the rumors are on how that contract looks,†Raimond said. “If that is true, we will have to work with the UFC to find out how that can take place. But what we can say is that bringing Fedor under contract with the UFC for such a bout, that's something that's not going to happen.â€
I kinda just started watching. I watched the UFC show on Spike last weekend with the Brock Lesnar fight and Jesus H. Christ the dude is a beast. The Arlovski fight on the EliteXC show was pretty badass too.
Agreed. I am pumped to see Brock fight Randy in November.
Cory Forgeron’s taking a leave of absense right now, but we’ve got a suitable replacement, Mitch Ciccarelli
This coming Saturday night will feature a stacked MMA card which will be free on Spike TV. UFC 89 will take place in the United Kingdom and will feature a huge main event fight between England’s own, Michael Bisping squaring off against a very game opponent in Chris “The Crippler†Leben. I will be filling in for Cory Forgeron this week as Swafford and I will preview this stacked fight card.
Main event: Chris Leben vs. Michael Bisping
Ciccarelli: I’m a huge Chris Leben fan and I think a lot of people are underestimating him and classifying him as just a “brawlerâ€. Leben is much different now and he is much more than just a brawler. He has developed himself into a more well rounded and much more dangerous version of Chris Leben and I think he is going to pose some serious problems for Michael Bisping. On the other hand if you have seen Michael Bisping recently since dropping down to Middleweight, the guy has seriously looked like a cyborg. I can see Leben really putting Bisping to the test in this fight but I predict that Bisping will most likely end this with a second round stoppage due to strikes.
Bisping via second round (T)KO
Swafford: Why this is a main event, I’ll never know. Bisping is so much better than this, but the UFC feels like he has to main event a card in England. I understand that, but give the man a decent opponent. Leben is a one-trick pony that has no ground game. Won’t matter, though. Bisping will keep this standing and flatten him early.
Bisping via KO in the first. I’ll do you one better… UNDER THREE MINUTES!
Keith Jardine vs. Brandon Vera
Ciccarelli: This is another interesting fight both guys are legit contenders at 205 pounds but they both desperately need a win. Jardine was on a roll for awhile but every time he gets a big win he usually follows up with a devastating loss (see Houston Alexander and Wanderlei Silva). I still consider Jardine a top contender but he cannot afford another loss. Vera on the other hand just recently dropped down to 205 and to be honest I wasn’t really impressed with his performance against Reese Andy. Don’t get me wrong I think Vera is definitely a top contender like Jardine but if he couldn’t finish Reese Andy then there is no way he will finish Keith Jardine. I predict either Vera by decision or Jardine by knock out, I’m hoping for that Jardine knock out though!
Keith Jardine via first round knock out.
Swafford: Another desperate attempt at a fight. I’ve never been a Vera fan. He’s too arrogant for his lack of ability. Jardine’s showed that he can beat the best (and get KO’d by the not-best) but I think he’ll pull this one off in impressive fashion.
Jardine by KO in the second.
Rameau Sokoudjou vs. Luiz Cane
Ciccarelli: Not too many people know about Cane but I assure you he is legit and I personally think he will knock Sokoudjou out. I know I sound crazy because Sokoudjou is very explosive and powerful but I think Cane is more technical and he will pick apart the “African Assassinâ€.
Luiz Cane by second round knock out
Swafford: I’ve never been a Sokoudjou fan. He’s built like a tank, but he’s too cautious in the cage. He’ll lose this one late.
Luiz Cane by decision.
Paul Taylor vs. Chris Lytle:
Ciccarelli: Both guys are tough as hell. Paul obviously has the hometown advantage here but I think Lytle will take him out early in either the first or second round. Lytle has only really ever been beat by top competition and he is extremely hard to finish having went the distance with the likes of Serra, Hughes and most recently Josh Koscheck in one of the bloodiest fights of all time. I’m not saying Taylor won’t finish him because he definitely has all the tools but just by past experiences I’m going to go with Lytle.
Chris Lytle by second round knock out.
Swafford: I freakin LOVE Paul Taylor. The Brit is a tough bastard that just loves to mix it up. This WILL be the fight of the night because neither of these guys will want to go down. It’s going to be a brawl from the word go.
Paul Taylor by KO in the third.
Paul Kelly vs. Marcus Davis:
Ciccarelli: Another hometown hero in Paul Kelly up against one of my favorite welterweights Marcus Davis. Kelly is undefeated and will definitely pose some problems for Davis but I think Davis will be able to take it and knock Paul Kelly the hell out. Yeah that’s right I just predicted a knock out for every single main fight on this card… trust me it’s worth watching!
Marcus Davis with a first round knock out. WAR IRISH HAND GRENADE!!!
Swafford: Marcus Davis has the best nickname in all of MMA (until someone calls themselves “The Revolutionâ€). I love his toughness and his ability to recover. He’ll fare well in this one, but late.
Davis by decision.
TUF 8 Blog: Week 5
By: MitchMMA
We kick things off with what happened at the end of last week’s episode where Junie hops the fence. Basically he was screaming and yelling at Efrain and calling him a “boring†fighter that just lays on people and this made him so mad that for some reason he feels the need to hop over the fence and run after him. While this is going on coach Nogueira is holding Junie back and then Mir and his coaches run over and take control of the situation. My thoughts on all of this is that Junie just proved that he is the biggest attention whore in the history of TUF. Dana goes on to say that if Keith Kizer; the head of the Nevada State Athletic Commission was there then he would have taken away Junie’s license and thus disqualifying him from the show. Dana then goes on to say “this kid has nine livesâ€, so Junie once again does not receive any punishment at all… what bullshit!
Later on in the show we see that K-Sos (I don’t feel like looking up his name again ha!) is up to no good again with the pranks. Once again he goes after the underwear, I am really starting to wonder what team this guy is really on and I am not talking about his team on the show (lol)! K-Sos and some other Team Mir members go and freeze all of Team Nogueira’s underwear- I personally thought this was a funny harmless prank. However once they went and poured itching powder all over Team Nog’s beds that’s where they crossed the line, it’s all in fun until you start messing with someone’s sleep especially a fighters sleep- the athlete needs to rest and I completely agree with Nogueira on that. Team Nogueira was not happy with this at all and they decided that it was time to retaliate. They decided to pour sardine juice or some type of fish juice all over the walls, beds, clothes, etc., of Team Mir. This was a pretty lame prank to be honest and I don’t think they should have put stuff on Vinny’s bed because Vinny didn’t do anything. Seriously all Vinny does is eat, sleep and train and he’s kind of well… boring as far as personality goes in my opinion but a good fighter none the less. Vinny was not happy with the prank so what does he do? The most mature thing someone in his situation would do… piss on Efrain Escudero’s pillow! (LMFAO) Seriously what is wrong with this guy?
Later on during a Team Nogueira training session we can see one of the greatest fighters in the world making his first appearance on the show. Anderson Silva comes on as a special guest assistant coach and at this point I am so jealous of all those guys that are getting the opportunity to train with him! Shane Primm gets the quote of the week when he said “training with Anderson Silva is phenomenal, that man is a ninja on his feet!â€. We also get to see a sparring session between Anderson Silva and Ryan Bader which I thought was really cool. Anderson Silva was just toying with him and Bader was landing some pretty hard shots but they didn’t seem to hurt Silva much at all and Bader is tough as hell so that says a lot about Anderson Silva. Later on we can see Efrain resting on a bench and his coach; Nogueira is concerned and asks him if he got any sleep last night. When Efrain tells him of the pranks that happened at the house, Nog is very concerned and wants to put a stop to it and I completely agree with him. Nog goes to try and talk to Frank Mir about the pranks and asks Frank if he could talk to his team and tell them to lighten up, Frank kind of blows him off which was pretty disrespectful in my opinion, that was a dick move on the part of Frank Mir. I mean I can understand it was probably frustrating for your opposing coach and future opponent to come up and ask you to do something but at least talk it out with the guy.
You can tell Nog wasn’t too happy about the response from Frank Mir and I wouldn’t be happy either. Al Stankie, the 67 year old assistant coach of Team Nog (who by the way is a freaking BAMF! Lol that dude is awesome!) tells Nog that they should go back to the house and talk to Mir’s team about it and nip it in the butt, put an end to the “college BSâ€. Nog agrees and so him and Al Stankie go back to the house to talk to Team Mir and Team Mir just like there coach Frank; kind of ignore Nogueira which I thought was extremely disrespectful and a childish way to act around a legend in this sport! I bet if Nog brought Anderson Silva with him back to the house to just stare at the guys while Nog talked then I bet you they would all shut up and listen (lol). K-Sos goes ahead and apologizes for his pranks and says it was all in fun but he refuses to stop doing them and promises his next prank will come on Monday… kind of a weird thing to say after Nog asked them nicely to lighten up on the pranks but after reading K-Sos’s blog I don’t think he meant any harm with his response. I don’t know man in a way I can understand it was probably frustrating to have the other coach tell them what to do but at the same time the other coach is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and when he talks you better damn well shut up and listen to what he has to say, show the man the respect he deserves!
Alright so enough with the drama let’s get to the match ups for this week. Team Nog has control and I kind of figured they would put Shane up against Eliot, it’s probably not the best idea but they probably figured Shane would keep the fight standing and possibly knock Eliot out. I was right and this was the match up that Nog has chosen. Another interesting thing we learned this week was that instead of telling his fighters the match ups, Nog and his coaches keep it to themselves and the fighters don’t know until the fight announcement. Shane was Nog’s number two pick for the Light Heavies and I figured he would be fighting next and I know they weren’t going to go after K-Sos or Vinny so the only other one left was Eliot Marshall. I predicted Eliot would win this fight by submission and I couldn’t have been more right as this fight was quick and Eliot definitely made an impact. Shane looked very nervous and he made a huge rookie mistake. What Shane should have been doing was keeping Eliot on the outside to avoid Eliot from taking him down because while Shane might have a good ground game… Eliot Marshall might have the best jits next to Vinny on this show and he’s deadly on the ground! Shane comes in on Eliot with a thai clinch attempt that looked pretty sloppy and now I am thinking he is way too close to Eliot and of course Eliot takes him down. Shane does a good job at defending the rear naked choke at first but eventually Eliot sinks it in deep and Shane has no choice but to tap. I was very impressed with Eliot but I thought Shane would have done better as I have heard great things about him, he just seemed way too nervous.
After the fight for some reason Eliot calls out Ryan Bader, “you and me next babyâ€. Why? I would think Bader is the worst possible match up for Eliot, I admire Eliot for wanting to fight the best but Bader would smash him I think. Bader says he “looks forward to it†and then shakes Eliot’s hand, I think it would be a good fight though. Back in the locker room Eliot is all excited and he tells K-Sos that it will be “me and you†in the finals… and he says this right in front of his teammate Vinny Magalhaes who is still in the competition so basically Eliot is implying that Vinny won’t make it… this pisses Vinny off and rightfully so, I’d be pretty pissed too if my teammate said that. We look into the preview for the next episode and apparently Junie Browning calls out the weakest guy on Team Nog; Roli Delgado to fight. Oh but wait Junie I thought you wanted to fight the best and that you were willing to fight anyone even the 205’ers? But you call out who you think is the weak link on the other team… that’s a bitch move, smart move but a bitch move for someone who talked as much as you. We also see that Frank Mir calls Roli out on his BJJ credentials… dick move by Mir, what is with this guy? Then again we don’t know the whole story yet but it seems to me like Mir and Junie are just being pricks. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens on the next episode… I am praying that Delgado submits Junie!
-MitchMMA
Yeah, when I saw The two fighters enter the ring, both well rounded, one more ground the other more stand up, I knew Elliot was going to win. Shane looks more like a Middle weight, Elliot looked real heavy.
I actually hope Junie loses, cause the next time he pulls something he really will catch a boot.
I hope Junies a fucking nut, and wrecks this guy. UFC needs more characters.
I don't like Junie's attitude, hopefully if he does somehow manage to win he will go down the path of Chris Leben and stay away from the boozing. It makes the sport look bad when you have a guy acting like that repping the sport.
Was it just me or when Nog was talking to Stankie, Stankie just started talking about I don't know what he was talking about, and ended up removing his shirt??? Stankie is the fucking man. That guy just rambles on and talks tons of gibberish about nothing, but by damn I love that man for it
I agree man, Stankie is the man lol.
Sometimes I don't know exactly what it is that he is saying but he definitely has some wisdom. Reminds me of the old dude from rocky except he isn't as mean lol.
If you replaced Micky's anger and meanness into crazy, you get Stanky.
Definitely. How come I never heard of Stankie before TUF? When Nog first announced him on TUF and said "he's a 67 year old man, he likes to work hard", I was like... "what?" lol. Then I heard him speak, he has a lot of wisdom plus he is a crazy mofo, he is the freaking man! lol
Wait a minute didn't he also train Vitor Belfort too?
After reading George Roop's blog I think Mir just got edited pretty badly in this episode. Mir is a nice dude, they made him look like a total cock in this episode lol.
....fuck the editors.
Yeah they always make one guy out to be the bad guy all the time in all of the seasons. The guy might do one bad thing and 50 good things and they will only show the bad most of the time. I mean usually you can tell who the real douchebags are like Junie is and how Jeremy May was, etc but sometimes the ones that look bad aren't as bad as they seem.
When I saw Frank acting like that (towards Nog), I was a bit surprised because Mir is usually a very nice and respectful guy. Roop said Mir looked like he just ignored Nog but he said that that wasn't the case at all.
And for the previews it shows Mir calling Delgado out on his BJJ credentials but I am sure there is more to the story than that. I really doubt Mir would call someone out like that.
UFC 90 predictions:
Josh Burkman Vs. Pete Sell
Hermes Franca Vs. Marcus Aurelio
Dan Miller Vs. Matt Horwich
Spencer Fisher Vs. Shannon Gugerty
Thales Leites Vs. Drew McFedries
Sean Sherk Vs. Tyson Griffin
Fabricio Werdum Vs. Junior Dos Santos
Thiago Alves Vs. Josh Koscheck
Anderson Silva Vs. Patrick Cote
are u gonna add up the other ones? I knew it was a rough go by me. Maybe 3 correct, lol.
Josh Burkman Vs. Pete Sell
Hermes Franca Vs. Marcus Aurelio
Dan Miller Vs. Matt Horwich
Spencer Fisher Vs. Shannon Gugerty
Thales Leites Vs. Drew McFedries
Sean Sherk Vs. Tyson Griffin- Cant wait.
Fabricio Werdum Vs. Junior Dos Santos
Thiago Alves Vs. Josh Koscheck- Alves with a highlight KO
Anderson Silva Vs. Patrick Cote- Ill be cheering for Cote, but I dont think he has enough to top Silva. Bisping on the other hand.......
lol well you and I were the only ones who predicted, but I will add them up anyway, I was just being lazy before haha.
UFC 89 rankings:
MitchMMA (8-3)
Cory (4-7)
Overall rankings:
1. Cory (UFC 87)
2. Khristian Call (UFC 88)
4. M.D.K (UFN Diaz vs. Neer)
5. MitchMMA (UFC 89)
I'll try to go back and count each event so the rankings above will be more accurate lol.
ProElite, Inc., parent company of Elite Xtreme Combat, is throwing in the towel on mixed martial arts.
Several sources MMAWeekly.com spoke to said notifications had been sent out on Monday informing managers that the company was ceasing its fight promotion operations by the end of this week and it had begun the process of letting its employees go. One source even said that ProElite had already begun clearing out its corporate offices.
EliteXC’s remaining show scheduled for Nov. 8 in Reno, Nevada has been canceled. The card was due to be broadcast on Showtime networks, EliteXC’s original broadcast partner since the company’s formation in November of 2006.
Industry sources on Saturday informed MMAWeekly.com that ProElite made a last ditch effort to salvage its assets by selling off portions of the company, including fighter contracts and the satellite promotions it acquired in 2007.
The company had accrued over $55 million in debt in its twenty-four months of operations. Though its third CBS-televised offering, Oct. 4’s “Heat,†was looked at as a ratings success by EliteXC and CBS executives, the company's financial position had become untenable in recent months.
In an August SEC filing, EliteXC disclosed they were seeking 3.5 million dollars to fund operations through the end of the year. Only a month later, another SEC filing said they had received only $1 million in funding, provided by Showtime networks.
Elite CEO Chuck Champion last month told MMAWeekly.com that the Showtime loan came after two principal investors in the company had elected not to provide the $3.5 million "bridge financing."
An SEC filling dated Oct. 9 revealed that CBS had funded "Heat" due to ProElite's inability to pay for the show.
Multiple calls to EliteXC and Showtime representatives on Monday went unreturned, although EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw told MMAWeekly.com on Saturday he had no comment on the matter.
Although EliteXC now is out of the picture, that doesn't necessarily mean that CBS and Showtime are out of the MMA business. Sources have indicated that, having worked with Affliction Entertainment to add Andrei Arlovski and Roy Nelson to the "Heat" event (both are Affliction fighters), there is now the distinct possibility that CBS may look towards a relationship with Affliction to fill the void left by EliteXC's exodus.
wow, who knew EliteXC would die in 14 seconds lol
LOL!
I wish I could run up to Gary Shaw and Jeremy Lappen and point and laugh at them hahaha.
This is awesome!
Hopefully there good fighters like Lawler, Shields, etc will end up in the UFC or Affliction.
Seems like Affliction will probably take over the slot on CBS which would be pretty wicked! lol
I was reading that the women are the ones most affected cause UFC doesnt have a female fighters division which kinda sucks for them.
Josh Burkman Vs. Pete Sell
Hermes Franca Vs. Marcus Aurelio
Dan Miller Vs. Matt Horwich
Spencer Fisher Vs. Shannon Gugerty
Thales Leites Vs. Drew McFedries
Sean Sherk Vs. Tyson Griffin
Fabricio Werdum Vs. Junior Dos Santos
Thiago Alves Vs. Josh Koscheck
Anderson Silva Vs. Patrick Cote
Yeah that sucks, I loved to see the ladies fighting. Hopefully Affliction will host female fights.
I want to see Gina Carano fight Cyborg still.
Also Elena Reid has called out "The Karate Hottie" Michelle Waterson and I would love to see that fight..... WAR KARATE HOTTIE! lol
I wish the UFC somewhere down the line would start to host female fights, I'd love to see more of them.
I would hire Gina Carano to GnP me every day and night ;D
I'll get to see her train at XC when I move to Vegas :P
Though it's pretty expensive, not 100% sure if I'll be able to afford it, plus there are so many great gyms in Vegas and even though XC is packed with soooo many great fighters, I'm not sure if that's the best option.
Give her my number...tell her I want to marry her :-*
I kinda figured once the legend of Kimbo Slice was killed it would be the end. They practically built the place around him. They had some good fights set up. That female one especially. Let some of the other promotions pick these guys up. I'll probably start following semi-heavy now. LoL
Let's get them some money with this 700 billion bail out... Thank God this rubbish is out.
I saw this last night and thought I'd share it with you guys here.
It's a good insight into Brock's mindset and thinking about his whole career so far, no just MMA.
It's edited to hell though when he walks out during the questions about 'roids. He's obviously worried Mitch will kick his ass for telling ESPN he supplies Brock, :D
Anyway, enjoy:
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3655523 (http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3655523)
Peace
Duckman
Damn you Sam... that was supposed to be a secret! :P
lol good interview. I lolled when the interviewer was like "What is it like to maul another human being?" and Brock is like "ah it feels great you know", lol WAR BROCK!
Brock should have slammed the interviewer on his head when he asked him about roids. Brock doesn't take the juice, he just works hard.
TUF 8 Blog week 6:
Can the trash talking punk kid Junie Browning back up his claims? Or will the underrated Rolando Delgado rise to the occasion? We kick off the episode with Team Mir celebrating in the locker room after Eliot’s win. Eliot says “Junie you’re up next, I know you wanted it and I gave it to youâ€, then Mir says “Why don’t you pick Delgado, you can destroy that guyâ€, Junie agrees. We go to the house and Frank and one of his assistant coaches came over to celebrate with the team.
Now last week when they showed the preview for this episode, they made it look like Mir called Delgado out on his BJJ credentials and after watching the episode, that wasn’t the case at all. Mir just asked Delgado where he got his black belt from and Delgado obviously has a very crazy story about it and I could understand why some people would be confused. What I don’t understand is how anyone can doubt him, I mean he is a legit black belt and for anyone to doubt him is just completely disrespectful. I thought the comments made by Tom Lawlor and Junie especially were uncalled for and disrespectful to a guy who worked his ass off to achieve black belt status.
Later on we can see Junie doing his usual trash talking to Delgado, bragging about how he will destroy him in the first round. Junie says he doesn’t have anything against Rolando; he’s just a “nerdâ€, how mature of him. He even went as far as saying “I’ll talk to Dana and we will set something up where if you make it past the first round, you will win.†At this point I am praying that Delgado rises to the occasion and whoops Junie’s ass come fight time, his mouth is out of control. I mean don’t get me wrong you have to have confidence as a fighter and you should be a little bit cocky, but Junie is on a whole other level.
It’s time for the fight announcement and obviously Mir picks Junie to fight Delgado. Then we see Junie do the most disrespectful thing I have ever seen on TUF, he threw a black belt which had “McDojo BJJ†written on it at Delgado and then he SPIT on it…. Pardon my language but are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?! Does this guy have any idea what it takes to become a BJJ blackbelt? Years of hard work and dedication and by spitting on the belt he basically spit on all BJJ blackbelts. Nogueira was pissed, Anderson Silva was so pissed that they said he had to leave the building for a few minutes, hell even his own coach Frank Mir was pretty pissed. It’s one thing to talk smack and shove people but dude stepped WAY over the line with the belt spitting, I don’t care if he apologized afterwards.
At the weigh ins, Junie wasn’t making any eye contact with his coaches so we knew something was up. Turns out he was two pounds over. Do you know why? He didn’t do the right things and he didn’t eat the right things. I was watching the exclusive video on Spike afterwards and K-Sos was telling Frank “you know I told him what to eat. Then I see him eating yogurt and granola, dude those are carbs.†Now Junie has an hour to cut two pounds off and you can tell that Mir is pretty frustrated. Junie almost broke during this time but Dave Kaplan his teammate pushed him hard and didn’t let him quit, that’s a good teammate right there. Junie ended up making weight at the end and this is definitely going to affect his performance in the fight.
It’s fight time!
Junie Browning vs. Rolando Delgado.
A lot of people expected Junie to destroy Rolando… it didn’t happen. All the keyboard warrior douche bags on sherdog after the fight were saying “that fight sucked. Roli is the worst fighter ever, blah blah blahâ€. I don’t agree with them at all, sure it was kind of sloppy but Rolando showed a ton of heart in this fight and went to a SPLIT DECISION with one of the top lightweights in the house. Round 1, Rolando clearly won this round, using his reach advantage landing some jabs and also getting some knees in. Junie was acting like an idiot, he was giving Rolando a bunch of free shots and even though they weren’t doing much damage… those free shots count on the judges’ score cards so it was a dumb move. Round 2, Junie snapped into it and was landing some brutal body shots on Delgado. Mid way through the round he dropped Delgado and everyone thought the fight was over but Delgado did a good job of defending and made it back to his feet. Junie clearly dominated this round so I knew it would go to a third. Third round was pretty close; both were tired as hell and neither one looked dominant in this round. I really didn’t know who won this fight; I was hoping they would give it to Roli though. Well turns out they gave Junie the split decision, it was such a close fight though, it really could have gone either way but I agree that Junie won… but he just barely won.
After the fight Junie went over and apologized to Nogueira for spitting on the black belt, which was a classy move but regardless I still don’t like him. His personality is just, his whole attitude is just… I can’t stand guys like him basically. He talked this entire time about how Roli wouldn’t even make it past round 1 and then he goes to a split decision with him. This fight proved that Junie is NOT the best lightweight in the house and I personally think Efrain or Nover would smash him! Next week we will see a Light Heavyweight fight, some intense snorkel training from Team Mir courtesy of Rafael Allejara, another prank, and an injury. Apparently K-Sos hurt his hand in the pre lim fight against Mike Stewart and it was bothering him throughout the whole competition so he wanted to fight last to give it time to heal, well he aggravates the injury further next week, hopefully it’s not a serious injury and he can still fight.
If Junie is supposed to be a badass I didn't see it. Weight cut have done it I dunno, But I think his sr=tand up was shit, at times being outstruck by a Jujitsu guy. Roli needs to go up a weight class and work on punching power. Junie was shit,
Agreed. The weight cut did take a lot out of him though but still, I just don't see him beating Efrain or Philipe anytime soon.
My opinion, the lightweight final will be Efrain Escudero vs. Philipe Nover.
Junies awesome, I love the kid.
U dont have to know, he was giving up almost 7" of reach, which for being a small guy, is a huge obstacle.
I know a lot of you hate him, but hes the fucking man in my opinion.
What people often forget about reach: Reach advantage really isn't that much of an advantage if you're against a poor striker (Roli, Jits guys who is VERY poor striker) because you have more time to react, slip, and move out of way of harm. Longer distance equals longer time for you to move. Junie was garbage this fight. Again could have been weight, I'll give him that. BUT he was getting out struck at times by a guy with God awful stand up.
WAR DRAGO!
Pete Sell is the shit! Unanimous decision over Josh Burkman in what sounded like a pretty exciting fight.
Good for Drago, he was on a big losing streak before this, glad he got that win.
Sherk/Griffin amazing fight, one of the best in 08.
I didnt predict, but I called Santos knocking out Werdum in my basement.
Maynard/Clementi killed the momentum of the show.
Alves is a beast.
Horrible event for Cote, I though he was doing well, and he always looked like he could catch Silva.
I hope Cote gets a re-match, I really feel bad for him. He was doing well, I mean he wasn't winning the first two rounds but he was looking good. It's unfortunate what happened, I seriously feel for him.
Alves is a beast I agree! brutal leg kicks! I underestimated him a bit, even after he knocked out Hughes I didn't think much of him but he is definitely a force! Kos is tough as hell though, mad respect for Koscheck, he did pretty good but Alves was just a bit more aggressive and did more damage. I really want to see Thiago fight GSP soon, but first we get to see the superfight between BJ Penn and GSP.
Gray Maynard is a stud! This guy could be a champ someday at 155. I don't care if this fight was a bit slower than the others, Maynard always impresses me. Great takedowns, great control. Rich is a seasoned vet and Gray did great against him. Hopefully Gray's next fight will be a bit more fast paced though, I'd like to see him showcase more of his improved stand up skills next time.
Junior Dos Santos! WOW! I'm happy, UFC seem to be improving their HW division with new guns like Cain, Carwin and now this Dos Santos guy who knocked out a top 5 HW in Werdum. The HW division is coming along nicely in the UFC, still not the most talent packed division but it's getting better. Dos Santos really impressed the hell outta me tonight!
Sherk vs Griffin was fight of the night! Sick fight. I was surprised at Sherk's stand up, I didn't think his stand up was much at all and I expected him to just outwrestle Griffin but wow, he shocked me. This was a great fight!
Also the refs tonight were fucking retarded. Everytime the fight went to the ground, "come on guys let's work". THEY WERE WORKING! LOL! It wasn't like they were stalling, at one point Rich was elbowing Gray from the ground and the ref is like "come on guys let's do something"... wtf? lol.
UFC 90 Rankings:
1. Cory (8-1)
2. MitchMMA (6-3)
3. M.D.K (4-5)
overall rankings:
1. Cory (UFC 87 + 90)
2. Khristian Call (UFC 88)
4. M.D.K (UFN Diaz vs. Neer)
5. MitchMMA (UFC 89)
UFC 91 Predictionossss:
Randy Couture Vs. Brock Lesnar
Kenny Florian Vs. Joe Stevenson
Amir Saddollah Vs. Nick Catone
Gabe Gonzaga Vs. Josh Hendricks
Nate Quarry Vs. Demian Maia
Dustin Hazelett Vs. Tamdan McCrory
Jorge Gurgel Vs. Aaron Riley
Jeremy Stephens Vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Alvin Robinson Vs. Mark Bocek
Ryan Thomas Vs. Matt Brown
Randy Couture Vs. Brock Lesnar
Kenny Florian Vs. Joe Stevenson
Amir Saddollah Vs. Nick Catone
Gabe Gonzaga Vs. Josh Hendricks
Nate Quarry Vs. Demian Maia
Dustin Hazelett Vs. Tamdan McCrory
Jorge Gurgel Vs. Aaron Riley
Jeremy Stephens Vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Alvin Robinson Vs. Mark Bocek
Ryan Thomas Vs. Matt Brown
Edited the brown / riddle issue
I think I'll start playing this. Don't know tons about UFC but hopefully enough! Don't laugh if I suck! lol.
Randy Couture Vs. Brock Lesnar
Kenny Florian Vs. Joe Stevenson
Amir Saddollah Vs. Nick Catone
Gabe Gonzaga Vs. Josh Hendricks
Nate Quarry Vs. Demian Maia
Dustin Hazelett Vs. Tamdan McCrory
Jorge Gurgel Vs. Aaron Riley
Jeremy Stephens Vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Alvin Robinson Vs. Mark Bocek
Ryan Thomas Vs. Matt Riddle
Peace
Duckman
man, UFC 90...and I fucking called Werdum losing, then when i checked the predictions, i was like, fuck, why'd i put that?
Randy Couture Vs. Brock Lesnar
Kenny Florian Vs. Joe Stevenson
Amir Saddollah Vs. Nick Catone
Gabe Gonzaga Vs. Josh Hendricks
Nate Quarry Vs. Demian Maia
Dustin Hazelett Vs. Tamdan McCrory
Jorge Gurgel Vs. Aaron Riley
Jeremy Stephens Vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Alvin Robinson Vs. Mark Bocek
Ryan Thomas Vs. Matt Brown
I have been saying since the very beginning, that Lesnar has what it takes to make it HUGE in MMA. Not because of his name, though it will help, but because he's dedicated and willing to roll with the business.
To everyone that thinks because he was a wrestler he won't make it, he's not trained enough, he's just a phase, go fuck yourself. He'll make it. Maybe not now, but eventually he will.
Lol @ his car.
I hope he loses to Randy honestly because I want to see the Fedor-Randy fight and a loss would hinder the notoriety of the fight.
TUF 8 Blog: Week 7
We kick this episode off with footage from both locker rooms after the fight between Roli Delgado and Junie Browning. Nogueira is telling Rolando that he fought hard and he should learn from this. Kyle Kingsbury tells us “you know everyone and their grandmother probably thought Rolando was a bit of a puss but he surprised the hell out of us and fought his heart outâ€, I agree with that and I also agree with what K-Sos said about Junie not backing up his smack talking. Frank Mir also agrees with this and he tells Junie “let’s be real you just went three rounds with Rolando, that’s not good enough, you’re better than that.†Junie is in agreement with Frank about his performance and blames it on his conditioning. Mir then tells Junie that if Junie gets drunk tonight the guys will call him and he will show up at the house.
Team Mir is in control again with the better Light Heavyweight team with K-Sos and Vinny Magalhaes left. The always confident Brazilian Magalhaes said it himself, “We have the best team. I won’t lose my fight and Krzysztof won’t lose his fightâ€. Later on during a training session we could see K-Sos injuring his thumb while rolling with one of his teammates. He tells us “if it’s not broken it’s fractured but as long as I can make a fist then I’ll be good to goâ€. I know from reading his blogs on sherdog that he injured his hand in his first fight with Mike Stewart on the show and then he hurts his thumb on this episode, hopefully they will still clear him to fight. K-Sos tells us he will just ice it and carry on.
We got to see some unique training routines from both teams this episode. Team Nogueira was having some fun on this day with some non-traditional techniques like leap frog and some sort of a grappling battle royal. Nogueira tells us that it’s important to allow the guys to have some fun with their training once in awhile. Mir on the other hand decided to put the guys through one of the hardest workouts of their careers. He brought in one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the world in Rafeal Allejara aka the personal trainer of Wanderlei Silva. Allejara put them through a series of explosive workouts and also utilized his snorkel training methods that he uses on Wanderlei Silva. Basically putting them through a hard workout with a snorkel on their nose and mouth to restrict the breathing and force them to work at their maximum capacity with limited oxygen. I can only imagine what that feels like; I don’t think anyone would be able to do that without someone their pushing them through it. Then if that wasn’t hard enough they had to sit in an ice bath for three minutes, I have done this before (ice bath) and it’s not comfortable at all but once you get out you feel great. This really did look like the workout from hell though.
We can see some clips of Vinny rolling with some guys on his team and Mir telling us how good Vinny is on the ground. Vinny is definitely one of the best on the ground as far as pure Brazilian jiu-jitsu goes; he is one of the best in the world. Mir tells Vinny “If I can be comfortable with you on the ground then I can get through Nogueira no problemâ€. Mir basically is saying Vinny has better Jiu-Jitsu than Nog and I think as far as pure BJJ goes he probably is better but MMA is a lot different. I didn’t like how Mir was kind of pushing Vinny into admitting his jiu-jitsu was better than Nog’s. Vinny agrees but then he says “well not better but just, his is so basic. I rolled with him when I first got here and I could tellâ€. Apparently according to the blogs I have been reading, Vinny has also been gloating around the house about his jits skills and he even goes as far as to say that Nog doesn’t have high level jiu-jitsu. If Vinny really did say that then I don’t know what he was thinking at the time when he said that because it simply isn’t true.
Back at the house we can see Jules Bruchez and Phillipe Nover baking a cake for their coach Nogueira for his birthday. Jules tells us it is a “dream come true to bake a cake for Nogueiraâ€, yeah Jules that’s something you say on national television ya pansy (lol jk). Later on Nogueira shows up with his assistant coaches (I could have sworn I saw Lyoto Machida sitting next to them at the dinner table) for a birthday celebration. Team Mir are still acting like jealous little cry babies, Shane Nelson tells us “Team Nogueira sucks. They act like they have known each other for twenty years. They suck each other’s *BEEP* too much!†Vinny says “Team Nog act fake around each otherâ€, no I think the blue team are just jealous of the unity and tightness of the red team. Nog heads outside to the patio to talk to Jules and Jules says he thinks they will have him fight Vinny and he says that is the fight he wants anyway. He thinks he will be able to avoid Vinny’s jiu-jitsu and keep the fight standing and eventually knock him out. This is the fight that Team Mir picks at the fight selection.
Back at the gym, members of Team Nog tell their coach about what Vinny was saying about him and how he doesn’t think Nog has “high level jiu-jitsuâ€. Nog tells his team that he had planned on picking Vinny as his second pick but now he is glad he didn’t. Later on we can see Nog confront Vinny in Portuguese about this and I have never seen Big Nog this angry before. He was telling Vinny “you blew it with me man. We’re enemies now†and Vinny is trying to tell him “I always admired you, I would never bad mouth you. Those guys on your team are a bunch of fucking liars, blah blah blah†and they just went back and forth. To me this was the highlight of the episode; if I could I would re-watch the episode just to see this conversation again. I’m not in a position where I can say “Vinny was wrong†or “Nog was in the wrong†so I won’t get into that. However I will say that from what they are showing of Vinny, he seems like an arrogant douche bag and to be honest I really don’t think he is that way, editing is making him look worse than he is. Though if he really was gloating around the house and disrespecting Nog than he really is an arrogant cunt but I doubt he was actually going around saying that.
You can always count on Team Nog assistant coach Stankie for a humorous quote each episode. This week during Jules training for Vinny, Stankie tells him “"You're so good on top, you don't have to go down and get dirty and smell all those farts. Bap, bap, bap, bap. Wouldn't that be nice?" (LMAO) Stankie is the man. The rest of Team Nog admit that Jules is the underdog but they think if he pushes the pace and gets after it, he can win. They say Vinny doesn’t like getting hit and Kingsbury says he wants to see that “pretty little Brazilian face smashed upâ€, Kingsbury is slowly becoming one of my favorite cast members this season. Vinny is walking around the house talking himself up and says to his teammates “do you guys want to like put money on the finish? Like if you want I’ll try and finish with a certain submissionâ€, Shane Nelson and Junie tell him they want to see him finish with a flying armbar.
Can we get through an episode without a prank? Of course not as K-Sos and Team Mir now target Jules Bruchez for their next prank. I don’t know how they are getting these things for these pranks. I guess the TUF producers will give these guys anything so long as it’s not a gun or something (LOL). They somehow got a plastic tombstone, a body bag, some candles and flowers and they set up a fake memorial for Jules before his fight. They also wrote on the tombstone “Jules Bruchez, he lived, he did, who cared?†I personally thought this was the most creative and funniest prank so far this season, Jules agreed with me and showed he has a good sense of humor and didn’t get pissed about it.
I’ll say this; even though I think Jules is the weakest guy on the show and has the least experience, he has a good attitude and that goes a long way in this sport. He seemed calm heading into the fight and he said it was a “win, win†situation for him. If he lost then he lost to a really good fighter, if he won then he won the biggest fight of his life against a tough opponent and that is a good way to look at it. Before the fight, Vinny tells Mir that he had a dream that Jules actually submitted him with an omoplata which I thought was pretty funny. Mir tells us that if that were to happen (Vinny getting submitted), he would quit his job as a coach on the show.
LETS FIGHT!
Vinny Magalhaes Vs. Jules Bruchez
Vinny comes out as the aggressive striker hitting Jules with some kicks and Jules tries to keep his distance. Vinny continues to attack with kicks to the legs and body, not much is happening. Vinny eventually grabs Jules in a thai clinch and Jules pushes him to the cage. Vinny jumps to guard, and as the two fighters hit the ground Vinny easily sweeps to mount. Never looking for the easy win, Vinny looks to sink in a mounted gogoplata, but quickly transitions to an arm bar when it is unsuccessful. Jules lasts exactly 20 seconds on the ground. I knew this would be an easy fight for Vinny, no disrespect to Jules but he didn’t know what he was doing in there. I mean the guy has heart so he should learn from this experience, I kind of felt bad for Jules because compared to everyone else he was like the Wayne Weems of this season. Vinny had so much more experience and his ground game is one of the best in the world, that being said I want to see how Vinny does against one of the tougher guys like Bader or K-Sos in the semis. After this fight during an exclusive video on spike you can see Vinny hitting on ring girl Arianny Celse… DAMN YOU VINNY THAT’S MY WIFE YOU BASTARD! Vinny just crossed the line (HAHA)! In the locker room we can see (in the exclusive vid) that Jules is very upset at his performance and I feel bad for the guy. I think Jules is a lot better than what he showed but every other fighter on the show is so much more advanced than him and therefore he just got outclassed, he’ll learn from this.
Next week there is going to be another prank involving fruit and piss. Apparently Tom Lawlor of Team Mir always orders a fruit platter and every time he comes home from practice, Team Nog purposely eats all of his fruit. Tom gets pissed and decided to take a dive so to speak by pissing on his own fruit platter and putting it back in the fridge to see if Team Nog will eat it. Also on next week’s episode Junie Browning flips out again, this time during practice. Apparently someone on the team pisses him off so he goes and gives the other team advice on how to beat the guy. This is also the episode where Dana White finds the “next Anderson Silvaâ€, I think it’s Phillipe Nover. I think the guy that pisses Junie off is George Roop because I doubt after how Kaplan helped Junie cut weight for his fight he would turn around and betray him like that. I think it’s going to be George Roop vs. Phillipe Nover, let’s see if I am right. One thing is for sure, you do not want to miss the next episode of “The Ultimate Fighterâ€!
-MitchMMA
In all honesty, Jules got spooked. He read too far into Vinny's hype, and was too scared to commit. I wouldn't do that against a grappler, but hey, Jules isn't me. Think about going into a fight, and someone walks up to you "Man the guy you're fighting hits soooooo hard. I he loves to pummel before going for the KO. Last guy he fought had a real messed up face afterwards.". But again, I think he just got spooked. He keeps fighting he'll learn from it.
Actually now that I think about it, Jules could have also had what's known as an Adrenaline Dump. He's all excited for the fight all day, worried about it, thinking about where it'll go, muscles tensing and untensing... He could have been exhausted before even stepping into the cage.
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on October 30, 2008, 07:53:43 PM
Actually now that I think about it, Jules could have also had what's known as an Adrenaline Dump. He's all excited for the fight all day, worried about it, thinking about where it'll go, muscles tensing and untensing... He could have been exhausted before even stepping into the cage.
That's definitely a possibility.
Vinny's blog:
Vinicius “Pezao†Magalhaes took center stage on this week’s episode of “The Ultimate Fighter 8.â€
Not only was he mixing it up verbally with interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro†Nogueira, but he also had to fight for his survival in the house.
Vinny has been blogging for the OC Register all season. TUF 8 airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on Spike TV.
Here’s what Vinny had to say about the latest TUF 8 episode:
EPISODE 7
Finally, I am writing a blog where I can speak a little more about myself. After all, this past episode was mainly about events I was mixed up in, including my argument with (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira and my fight against Jules Bruchez.
First of all, I would like to make it clear the producers of the show edited certain events shown on this episode so it would be more interesting.
My argument with Nogueira did not take place before my fight against Jules but a couple days before my fight in the semifinals. This past episode showed it happening before the flight selections. Well …
HELPING FRANK FOR HIS FIGHT
Frank was happy to have me as a training partner for his fight against Nogueira, because Nogueira and I have similar fighting styles. We both are black belts in Jiu-Jitsu and both of us can fight as good on top as on bottom.
With that said, Frank made a comment that if he trained with me, he probably wouldn’t have much of a problem against Nogueria.
To be honest, I did train with Nogueira on my first day on the show. It happened before the weigh-in for my fight against Lance Evans. I was cutting weight and neither Nogueira or I were training to kill each other. We were just rolling around. I’m a black belt, Nogueira is a black belt and we can see when people have a fancy game or a basic game or if they are good or not at Jiu-Jitsu. And both of us are good at it. We just have different styles.
When I was talking to Frank (Mir), he said that my Jiu-Jitsu is better than Nogueira’s, which I disagreed with. It’s not that I think I’m better or worse than him in Jiu-Jitsu. I just think that we have different styles as I told Frank. I really said that his Jiu-Jitsu is so basic, and it is. Is that a bad thing? No, not at all! Roger and Rickson Gracie have basic Jiu-Jitsu and both are maybe the best grapplers of all time. Having basic Jiu Jitsu and being a black belt means having not very fancy, but simple and efficient Jiu-Jitsu.
NOGUEIRA GETTING MAD AT ME
By the time Nogueira came to talk to me he was already mad at me because he thought that I was talking trash about him. I didn’t really understand what was going on.
I didn’t know what he was saying until he told me that I was saying he wasn’t high level in Jiu-Jitsu and stuff like that. But when he made that comment about me comparing myself to him, I thought that it was something made up by Shane Primm or Kyle Kingsbury. After all they were the two biggest (expletives) on their team. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were gossiping about me.
First off, the topic of comparing my credentials as a grappler to Nogueira’s was brought up because Shane asked me what Nogueira’s credentials were. I said that he has some important titles as a brown belt but not as a black belt. He only placed third at the ‘99 World Championship and since then he hasn’t competed in Jiu-Jitsu.
Then Shane Primm asked me who had the best credentials as a Jiu-Jitsu competitor and I said that maybe I had better credentials because I won more important championships as a brown belt and was World Champion (No Gi) as a black belt.
I didn’t make up that the fact that I was World Champion in Jiu Jitsu. I have the medals and the certificates from the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation. You will find my name on the list of every tournament that I said I won on their website.
In my opinion, Kyle and Shane were doing what they did because of some type of jealousy. Shane was already eliminated from the competition and maybe the fact that I was already in the semifinals and he wasn’t was bugging him.
Wasn’t he the most well-rounded fighter in the house? Yes, he was (at least, that’s what he thought!) and he got man-handled like an 8-year-old kid by Elliot Marshall.
It isn’t even worth commenting about Kyle. He was the only 205er that didn’t win his fight to get into the house (Elliot lost, but only because he got robbed). So, is it worth talking about the worst of the 205er on the show? No, I think that the result of his first fight says enough. He was just a loser trying to get some attention.
So just to clear things up, I entered the show as a fan of Nogueira, and I continue being a fan of him even after that bad blood. Perhaps, I would act the same way he did if someone that I liked was talking bad about me (as he thought I was). So I understand what he was feeling at the moment, after all, until then we were getting along well on the show. So he probably got more disappointed than (ticked) off.
At the end of our conversation, I told Nogueira he would find out that I didn’t say anything bad about him when he watched the show. And we all know if I had said something bad about him it would have been shown on the show. We are surrounded 24/7 by cameras and microphones.
As I said, I understand that he got mad. In his position, I would have reacted the same way. But now he knows that didn’t happen. Will he say sorry to me like he said he would?
PREPARING FOR THE FIGHT
I am thankful that I had Tom Lawlor as my training partner on the show. He was the only 205er that was helping me train for my fights. Kryzsztof (Soszynski) and Elliot were kind of doing their own thing and didn’t help much in the training sessions.
I was lucky to have a good group of coaches and assistant coaches. Guys like Robert Drysdale, Demian Maia, Rafael Alejarra and James Horne were super important for me to enter the fight well prepared.
VINICIUS “PEZAO†MAGALHAES vs JULES “COTTON MOUTH FROM THE
SOUTH†BRUCEZ
Once again, I was fighting someone that I knew nothing about. So, I ended up getting into this fight without a game plan. My only thought was to be prepared for any situation.
If I had to trade punches, I would trade punches.
If I had to take Jules down, I would try to take him down.
If I had to pull guard, I would pull guard.
Anything can happen in a fight, but because I am an expert on the ground I ruled out the possibility of Jules submitting me.
I imagine his strategy was to not be taken down by me, because Jules knew I was a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. I am not a stiker, but I didn’t worry about bringing the fight to the ground.
I didn’t have any trouble at any moment that we were standing up. I wasn’t uncomfortable at all fighting on my feet, but I have to admit when I was able to bring the fight to the ground, I knew I could finish the fight at any second … and that’s what happened. Now, it’s 3-2 for Team Mir!
Next week is going to be interesting, and it looks like Tom Lawlor is a little (ticked) off.
- Vinicius “Pezao†Magalhaes
http://www.matt-hughes.com/blog/2008/10/31/mccain-vs-obama/
I agree with everything he says in this article. I always used to think Hughes was a bit of a prick but lately I'm starting to like the guy. He shares a lot of the same opinions on things as I do, plus the man is very passionate about his family and sticking up for what he believes is right. I have a lot of respect for him because of that and I'd like to take back any bad thing I ever said about him, he just has a dry sense of humor and I think some people including myself could mistake that for him being a prick which isn't the case at all.
However I still want Matt Serra to knock his ass out! ;)
As good as GSP is.... Serra is still my favorite Welterweight lol.
*This should probably be in a different forum because it is about politics, however an MMA fighter wrote the article so I decided to post it on this forum if that's ok.
source: mmajunkie.com
Takanori Gomi, one of the world's top lightweight fighters, suffered an upset split-decision loss to little-known Sergey Golyaev.
Additionally, middleweight Jorge Santiago and lightweight Satoru Kitaoka each won his respective division's grand prix titles.
It all happened at World Victory Road's Sengoku 6 event, which took place Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Gomi (29-4), a former PRIDE lightweight champion and one of WVR's top stars, could never put away his Red Devil opponent. In fact, Golyaev (11-6) capitalized on Gomi's slip and stumble in the second round and battered him with a series of blows. The third round was likely the deciding factor, and though Gomi finished strong, Golyaev got the decision.
Gomi, who this week was named the sport's top non-UFC lightweight by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) readers and "Inside MMA" viewers, also threw a wrench into WVR's plans for a lightweight title fight. The organization's lightweight grand prix also concluded at Sengoku 6, and the winner was expected to meet Gomi for the first-ever WVR lightweight title in early 2009.
Instead, tournament champion Kitaoka will have to celebrate his victory and wonder what WVR executives will do about the disaster scenario that unfolded.
Kitaoka (23-8-9) first defeated and upset tournament favorite Eiji Mitsuoka (14-6-2) via first-round heel hook in the semifinals, and later in the night, he defeated Kazunori Yokota (8-2-3) via a dominating unanimous decision in the show's co-main event tournament finale.
Santiago (20-7), a former UFC and Strikeforce fighter, picked up his second major tournament win in a year with the WVR grand prix title. Almost a year ago, he defeated Trevor Prangley and Sean Salmon to win Strikeforce's first-ever four-man middleweight tournament, and Santiago again posted dominating performances to win the WVR crowd.
The first victory came via 70-second heel hook over Siyar Bahadurzada (14-4-1), and in the night's main event, he dropped Kazuhiro Nakamura (13-9) and followed with fight-ending ground and pound in the third round.
It was Santiago's eighth consecutive win and his 12th victory his past 14 fights. None have gone to decision.
In non-tournament bouts, former Olympic wrestling hopeful Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (2-0) sustained the momentum of his rookie campaign with a third-round TKO of Fabio Silva (11-5). Additionally, PRIDE and Affliction veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (15-3) picked up his third consecutive win with a unanimous decision victory over Moise Rimbon (13-8-3).
The full results included:
* Jorge Santiago def. Kazuhiro Nakamura via TKO (strikes) -- Round 3, 0:49
* Satoru Kitaoka def. Kazunori Yokota via unanimous decision
* Sergey Golyaev def. Takanori Gomi via split decision
* Muhammed Lawal def. Fabio Silva via TKO (strikes) -- Round 3, 0:41
* Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Moise Rimbon via unanimous decision
* Jorge Masvidal def. Seung Hwan Bang via unanimous decision*
* Joe Doerksen def. Izuru Takeuchi via TKO (punches) -- Round 3, 4:13~
* Satoru Kitaoka def. Eiji Mitsuoka via submission (heel hook) -- Round 1, 1:16+
* Kazunori Yokota def. Mizuto Hirota via unanimous decision+
* Kazuhiro Nakamura def. Yuki Sasaki via unanimous decision^
* Jorge Santiago def. Siyar Bahadurzada via submission (heel hook) -- Round 1, 1:10^
+ - Lightweight GP semifinals
^ - Middleweight GP semifinals
* - Lightweight GP reserve bout
~ - Middleweight GP reserve bout
The best lose sometimes. Im not worried. We'll see Gomi in the UFC soon enough.
I agree, plus it was a split decision so it must have been a close fight.
Gomi is still #2 best LW.... well maybe now they will put Hansen or Alvarez ahead of him but I still think Gomi is better,
UPDATE.... Matt Riddle is out, Matt Brown is stepping up to take his place. Riddle got injured so now it's Brown vs Thomas instead, so go ahead update your pics.
I don't know man. I get worried that Gomi is going the way of Mirko ever since his lost to Aurelio he hasnt been the same.
source: mmaweekly.com
Veteran middleweight and long time top ten fighter, Denis Kang, has signed a new 4 fight deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as announced by American Top Team officials on Monday.
Kang has been a highly sought after free agent twice in the last 2 years. Once after Pride was bought out by Zuffa and the Canadian fighter opted to land with new Japanese promotion, Dream, while still fighting in his native land of Korea for the Spirit MC organization.
Just 2 weeks ago, Kang announced via MMAWeekly Radio that his contract with Dream was up and he was hoping to sign with a new promotion fairly quickly.
"If it's going to be an exclusive contract then pay me something that's going to make it worth my while to be exclusive and not fight anywhere else and not work anywhere else,†Kang said about whatever new promotion he signed with.
Unless something drastic changed, Kang will be with the UFC exclusively as the promotion is not usually in the business of signing open ended contracts.
In his last fight out, Kang knocked out former UFC middleweight, Marvin Eastman, while fighting under the flag of the RAW Combat promotion in Canada.
No word on when Kang may debut with the UFC, but stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com for more information on this story when it becomes available.
source: mmaweekly.com
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has suspended fighter Chris Leben for nine months and fined him one-third of his fight purse following a positive drug test for the steroid Stanazolol after his loss to Michael Bisping at UFC 89 in England in October. The news was reported by Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports.
The UFC has long stood by drug testing of the athletes competing for the promotion, even overseas in England where they have no formal athletic commission to handle the process.
At these events, the UFC leans on former head of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and now UFC vice president, Marc Ratner, to handle the duties normally handled by an overseeing committee like the athletic commissions in the United States.
Leben has never tested positive before, but this is still a major setback in his career.
“I am obviously disappointed with Chris, who has made great strides getting his life back on track,†UFC president Dana White told Meltzer. “To his credit, he has taken responsibility for his actions and is accepting the punishment that has been handed down. But as always, the UFC puts the safety of its athletes first and foremost, and we won’t tolerate anyone using performance enhancing drugs in our organization.â€
According to the report, the UFC tested all 22 athletes on the card before and after the fights, and Leben to date is the only fighter who has tested positive for illegal substances.
I was only able to read "Leben tests positive for" and I was thinking AIDS AIDS AIDS so I never have to see that cry baby again. Roids is a close second.
Yeah I lost respect for Leben when I read this. I don't understand why he would take steroids in the first place either.
I can understand if he were a rookie, but he's fought several times, and even a few over seas for UFC. He knew he'd be tested. What's real funny, is a guy who juiced still couldn't get the job done.
well more then likely it was a substance that help with injure recoverly . more then muscle or weight gain .
true BD.
Anyone using that excuse, should have learned from Stephan Bonnar.
Are steroids a problem in UFC and other MMA organisations or do they test pretty harshly?
Peace
Duckman
that my opinion Honker , I have no idea why he was using it and Duckman Leben is the first postive for the UFC , they test before and after the fight , they are pretty strict
Quote
The UFC has long stood by drug testing of the athletes competing for the promotion, even overseas in England where they have no formal athletic commission to handle the process.
Michael Bisping, quoted in Setanta Sports:
Quote“I have to admit I was disappointed when I heard. You know, when all’s said and done, I like Chris Leben. He conducted himself well before and after the fight and, as I say, I like the guy. I’m a little disappointed that he’s done what he’s done, bringing the sport into disrepute, but it’s not really my place to have an opinion on it.
The UFC, as they always do, have set the example with the punishment â€" and they’re right to do that. Should he banned for life? I don’t think so, people make mistakes, people learn from mistakes. Plenty of fighters have recovered after testing positive, the standard is set at nine months and it would be unfair to go any harsher on Chris…
I don’t know if it makes my win any better, you can make a case for it because â€" without wanting to start slinging mud â€" he did cheat and I didn’t. I don’t know why he did it or if he knew he was doing it, but I know my performance was purely down to blood, sweat and tears â€" and that’s all the satisfaction I need.â€
If nothing else, this has to be good for Bisping’s confidence; even a juiced Chris Leben could barely put a mark on the Count’s face. If his next opponent does turn out to be Dan Henderson, he’ll need that confidence and then some. Meanwhile, Leben will have to find an even higher power to trust in if he plans on rescuing his career after his nine-month time-out comes to an end.
Mike Brown upsets Urijah Faber!
Garcia upsets Pulver! (note to self, the nipple tweak DOES work)
Paulo Filho looks horrible and loses a decision to Chael Sonnen...
Aaron Simpson is a beast!
Jake Rosholt has the potential to be a huge star at 185!
Donald Cerrone vs Razor Rob from the pre lims could potentially be a candidate for fight of the year, I wish they televised that fight!
Great night of fights at WEC 36!
Quote from: Duckman on November 05, 2008, 03:56:12 AM
Are steroids a problem in UFC and other MMA organisations or do they test pretty harshly?
Peace
Duckman
-I think they are a problem. A big problem, I know several people people that I have trained with who have fought professionally use them and they were a huge problem in PRIDE before that organization crumbled. At least there seems to be a bit of a crackdown on steroids in UFC and some other American organizations.
Filho has been doing horribly ever since his bout with depression but damn, Faber lost?!
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic recently confirmed his oft-rumored rematch against Alistair Overeem will take place on Dec. 31 in Saitama, Japan.
The two dynamic heavyweight strikers recently fought to a no contest at DREAM.6 back in September; a fight which many observers believe Overeem dominated before scoring two illegal knee's to the groin leading to a no contest.
Cro Cop revealed the news to the Croatian site dnevnik.hr. He also revealed that he fought Overeem at DREAM.6 against his doctors wishes.
"The advice I got from my doctors was that fighting Overeem only two months after my knee operation was a suicide mission," said Filipovic. "But, I already had missed the July bout and postponing my September bout was not an option for me. I have only myself to blame."
The knee is apparently in bad enough shape that it will require another surgery to be held directly after his rematch with Overeem.
Source: Fightline.com
I feel bad for CroCop, he's out of his prime. I can only hope that he has one last big fight and goes out on a good note. He's my fave fighter and will always will be. War Mirko!
Yeah I was shocked, first round too! Though it was more so a mistake on Faber's part and Mike Brown was able to capitalize then it was Mike Brown imposing his will. I think a rematch would be different but I gotta give props to Mike Brown, he did what many others have failed at and that's ending Faber's reign.
I think they will set up a Brown- Garcia fight for his first defense after Garcia's win over Pulver. Faber will bounce back, he will come back better in his next fight, I still think Faber is one of the best in the world and he's still young as hell too so he's gonna be here for awhile.
EliteXC still in business?
November 3, 2008 By MatRatz.com Staff
Filed Under EliteXC, MMA, News
EliteXC went out of business last month after there star Kimbo Slice was TKOd in just 14 seconds by Seth Petruzelli. But graciefighter.com is reporting that EliteXC representatives are planning to put on a show in 2009.
EliteXC representatives have vowed that they will continue operations and will be planning a show in early 2009. Most of the major EliteXC fighters under contract have been notified.
Lead counsel for the organization has informed us that contrary to popular beleif, EliteXC has not filed for bankruptcy and has merely scaled down their staff.
This will be a setback for all EliteXC fighters currently under contract as they will be unable to fight in other organizations without the express written permission of EliteXC. Barring a judicial ruling, EliteXC fighters could be hampered from signing with another organization.
However, Nick Diaz will be able to fight in Japan if terms are agreed upon with a Japanese organization due to a previous agreement with EliteXC. It is assumed that Eddie Alvarez will also be able to fight in the Far East without any EliteXC restrictions due to his previous contract with Dream.
EliteXC is finished there is no reason for them to keep fighters hostage.
http://mmalinker.com/xArticle.php?a=17173 (http://mmalinker.com/xArticle.php?a=17173)
but then I found this.
http://mmajunkie.com/news/12915/inside-mma-video-overeem-says-cro-cop-was-looking-for-a-way-out.mma (http://mmajunkie.com/news/12915/inside-mma-video-overeem-says-cro-cop-was-looking-for-a-way-out.mma)
Of course they are ging to continue the investigation because they don't see how much of a joke kimbo really is. He has a few street fighting brawls and then gets a mma contract and gets beat up by some random guy. Kimbo was a joke now and will be a joke if he gets the belt again. Look at brock lesnar bigger then kimbo and he lost but he didnt pull half the bull shit either. You can also look at it like this in there perspective. If fedor lost to silvia the first fight for the belt. People would have been like WTF? It all comes down to kimbo really sucking that much ass and elite xc wanting some kind of answers other then the fact there big namer (kimbo slice) isn't a giant joke to elite xc and mma. As far as them staying in business they had to make some kind of money off youtube as kimbos 14 seconds of fame. I doubt they will last with a roster with hardly any talent and investigations like this. Not to mention kimbo as there heavyweight champ. Elite xc will go under give it time.
Its about damn time leben shows some kind of initiative. Using steroids wasn't one of them but its a start on showing he wants to win. Leben sense his time on the ultimate fighter has shwn some glimpses of being good but then just blows for months. I think this is some sort of push in the right direction and still shows the leben fans he has the urge to win, even if he wants to use roids as an option.
Cro Cop just isn't the same. I too hope he can get one last win via spectacular head kick KO fashion before he retires.
I'll always be a Cro Cop fan but ever since the Gonzaga loss he just hasn't been the same.
Taking steroids is not a push in the right direction. Now he has to wait nine whole months for his next fight, that's a long time to sit on the sidelines.
errr Antonio Silva is Elite XC HW champ not Kimbo lol.
Ya it slipped out. Doesn't change the fat kimbo was suppose to be there face of XC and it failed.
True but I'd rather have him trying to do something then just sitting there and getting beaten up and looking like a fucking bum. I hope he comes back from his suspension wanting to fight because as of late the leben who I saw in the beginning is not the same guy.
I thought Silva was stripped with the whole steroids thing?
I thought the kimbo vs petruzzi fight was for the belt after silva was caught with roids?
Leben Sucks.
True.
nah they didn't strip him, i thought they would though but they didn't.
Quote from: andrewclash on November 06, 2008, 03:36:33 PM
True but I'd rather have him trying to do something then just sitting there and getting beaten up and looking like a fucking bum. I hope he comes back from his suspension wanting to fight because as of late the leben who I saw in the beginning is not the same guy.
that doesn't make any sense.
I guess i didn't care that much about elite XC then and don't care for it now. I must have missed the fine print. But I heard Petruzzi and kimbo are going to face each other again after this elite xc bull shit clears up. I'm guessing it will happen again petruzzi will win but by 15 seconds.
I just checked all the MMA sites I frequent... none of them mention anything about a Kimbo-Seth re-match
Link?
It makes perfect sense. leben isn't cutting it in ufc anymore in my opinion. Him taking roids proves just that. He wants to get bigger and have more of a fighting chance. Leben was good comming out of the ultimaate fighter but then started to fight some of the best fighters in the world. And leben is good but he's not that good to get over his slump. Hes an average fighter and nothing more. Don't be surprised to see leben leave ufc.
I don't think he's ever been a good fighter. He's beat a few people, but all he is is a left punch with knock out power and a granite chin. That's all.
I don't think he sucks, but he definitely isn't a top contender. He will pose problems for anyone in the division who isn't top 10.
I have always been a Leben fan but I have to admit I am very disappointed with him for taking roids.
Here's what a Leben fight consists of.
Walks in, gets punched, throws left, repeat until he knocks the other guy out. He's able to take a pounding, and can throw hard left punches. That's all he has going for him. He BARLEY beat terry Martin. TERRY MARTIN! The guy who got beat by the judges score cards against MARVIN EASTMAN!
Chris Leben is nothing more than a more mma known Kimbo Slice.
Leben sucks bad.
I disagree, I think he is making solid improvements and becoming a more well rounded fighter.
If he truly sucked as bad as you say, wouldn't Mike Bisping have destroyed him?
His main problem though, as Honker pointed out is that he gets too wild. He has the power and his technique is actually pretty good but his aggressive brawling style causes him to forgot about technique and leave himself open and also cause him to fatigue quickly. Chris knows this, he didn't look half bad against Bisping but Bisping was able to beat him with a classic defensive gameplan. Chris even said it himself in an interview (I can't remember where it was) that he has been working on straying away from his brawling style because he knows he won't be able to beat the best guys in the world that way.
This whole steroid thing has made me lose a lot of respect for him though, but we still haven't heard his side of the story.
Chris is a good guy, might act a little cocky at times but he seems like a good guy and he's overcome a lot in his life. I'm still a fan of his, just not as big of a fan as I used to be :P
WRONG!
Bisping is a striker, but the only person to knock Leben out is Silva. I knew Bisping couldn't finish lLeben unless he either submitted him or cut him. Bisping is a hard striker, but his power is more from speed than strength. I don't think Bisping was in trouble once that whole fight.
Leben Blows. He's not a fighter, he's a punching bag that can punch back on it's left side.
I'll be a Leben mark til the day I die! :P
Nobody that fights in the UFC "sucks" or "isn't a fighter", they wouldn't be there if that were the case. Leben doesn't suck, he's just not as good as the rest of the guys in his division, doesn't mean he sucks because if he sucked he would not be fighting in the biggest MMA org in the world he would be fighting at small local shows getting his ass beat.
I can't believe I am actually defending him after this whole roid' issue but I have always felt like Leben was a tough opponent for anyone in the MW division and I still think he is a lot more well rounded than he is showing.
It's hard to beat a guy like him, doesn't mean he's a good fighter. I also don't see matt hughes as a good fighter. I'd say he's a good wrestler. Only time he showed as a fighter was first fight with GSP. I also don't think Liddell is that good either. He's like Leban only with a softer chin. One punch knock out power and an excellent sprawl. How many ground fighters has Leben fought? Not many, he usually gets tossed strikers. Like Chuck, they were throwing Grapplers at him and he had a hay day. Put him against other strikers and he didn't do so well.
What bothers me about Leben is he doesn't have much in ring skill. He eats more shots than he should, and just throws left hands. You'll see the other guy letting loose, and Leben will throw lefts over and over again. Leben is nothing more than a fighting dumptruck.
Just saw highlights of the Faber/Brown fight.
Great fight, what an upset!
I dont think theres anything about a re-match, though I think second time around Kimbo would knock that queer piece of shit out ( just playin) but you know, I gotta show love for my boi Kimbo Slice......bahaha
I really wish he would go back to fighting on the streets. Thats where I grew to love him, and I couldnt turn my back on himk when he ventured into MMA. Go back to knocking people out on the streets, its much more entertaining.
You kidding me? Gary Shaw is gonna do everything in his power to keep Seth and Kimbo from fighting one another ever again.
well to his defence, both shots to mee look to be ones to the groin.
I remember when Jeff Monson was calling Kimbo out and Shaw was like "he needs some more wins before fighting Kimbo" lol I found that hillarious considering how they gave Kimbo guys who were on LOSING streaks LOL!
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight competitor, Hermes Franca, was arrested last night by the Jupiter Police Department in Jupiter, Fla for a DUI offense as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by members of the police force on Thursday morning.
Authorities could not release much more information than what was listed on their official police blotter confirming Franca’s arrest.
According to the report, Franca was arrested at 2:38am by an officer who suspected the fighter was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
It was also listed that this was Franca’s first offense.
While officials of the Jupiter Police Department could confirm the arrest, they had no information about his detainment or release from being held from the arrest.
Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com for more information on this story as it develops.
source: mmaweekly.com
wasn't it just a few weeks ago that Luke Cummo was arrested for DUI?
Yeah, the way to beat Mirko lately is shots to the ballsack. :(
Well if Shaw ever wanted to give Kimbo the championship, I doubt he would beat Silva
Also if anyone is interested, I wrote an article up today to preview UFC 91 with my predictions at AO.
You can read the article here:
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=439 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=439)
Kimbo won't beat Silva, or anyone else with even the slightest of real MMA experience. There is no future in MMA for him, he's done. If he does get another MMA match, I would like to see Dana White whoop his ass. ;D
From one of Ryan Bader's blogs
QuoteI have a funny story about Al Stankie, who is our older boxing coach. After practice the coaches would go grab something to eat â€" most of the time without showering and in full Team Nogueira garb, which (I’m pretty sure) they were not supposed to be doing. Stankie had on a rashguard, full TapouT velour red warm-up, a TapouT beanie and a couple long gold chains. They went to The Palms to watch the Lakers vs. Celtics game. Stankie is a big Lakers fan, and when a Celtics fan expressed some joy about his team scoring, Stankie walked over and slapped the guy â€" with all of our Brazilian coaches looking on in horror. Before the other coaches could grab him, he yelled out, “I am with the heavyweight champion of the world! You want some?†Those of us that saw this understood that this could be Junie’s relative, and maybe that is why he wasn’t kicked off the show yet. Stankie is a great man, and Spike TV should give him his own show.
There are many stories that involve Stankie that I will try to give to you each week. We would all gather around Dan Valverde, one of the assistant coaches, and he would tell us the stories of what Stankie did over the weekend.
LOL! But on a serious note, slapping some random person is completelly uncalled for even for an old man. Stankie is crazy as hell haha.
here the thing nobody goes undefeated in MMA. Faber lose now let see how good he really is , because that test of true champion is how they come back from a lost and I think he will come back stronger then ever ... take a page from GSP's book and he be fine
I couldn't have said it any better myself BD. :)
Faber is a monster, no doubt he will rebound strong. He is young and extremely talented, and definitely the future of the FW division. I just hope the WEC and the lighter weight classes start to gain more recognition. I mean, I know they are recognized by true MMA fans, but to the casual audience they are virtually non-existent.
QuoteFollowing a rocky time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, capped by a surprising knockout loss to Octagon newcomer Junior dos Santos at UFC 90, Chute Boxe fighter Fabricio Werdum has left the promotion.
Sources tell MMAWeekly.com that Werdum's exit comes on the heels of a failed contract renegotiation following the loss to dos Santos. The Brazilian came into the fight with the expectation that he would soon be contending for a heavyweight title shot.
The knockout at UFC 90 derailed anything of the like in the near future, and spurred a renegotiation of his contract. Werdum and the UFC were apparently unable to come to an agreement. He has already opened talks with other promotions in the U.S. and Japan.
Credit: MMANews.com
yet another blow to the UFC HW division :-[
Never liked Werdum, found him boring to watch, but he was skilled. So meh....
He will probably end up fighting for Affliction or one of Japans promotion. Werdum is still a top 10 HW, sucks that he's leaving the UFC :(
He might not be the most exciting but like Cory said he has some serious skills and came very close to getting a HW title shot. He deserved it more than Brock (until Dos Santos knocked him out recently) and I would understand why he would be pissed off about that.
http://fightersonlymagazine.co.uk/news/viewarticle.php?id=1362 (http://fightersonlymagazine.co.uk/news/viewarticle.php?id=1362)
I love Josh but seriously?
I predict ownage by Barnett with a sub.
Barnett will own the Monster! :D
I love watching Randleman fight, but I think Barnett is fresher, and on a role.
Randy Couture Vs. Brock Lesnar- Brock I don't think anyone can match his size and strength. Also looking at it at all angles Couture has a great chance. I'm picking Brock on raw strength thats about all he really has. That and hes just brock lesnar.
Kenny Florian Vs. Joe Stevenson -Kenny watched his in the ultimate fighter and no idea who joe stevenson is so i'll go with the florian.
Amir Saddollah Vs. Nick Catone - hard fight to tell heard good things about both guys. Gotta go with Amir.
Gabe Gonzaga Vs. Josh Hendricks- Gabe
Nate Quarry Vs. Demian Maia -nate
Dustin Hazelett Vs. Tamdan McCrory -hazelett
Jorge Gurgel Vs. Aaron Riley -Gurgel
Jeremy Stephens Vs. Rafael dos Anjos -Jeremy stephens even if i don't care much for the guy.
Alvin Robinson Vs. Mark Bocek- going out on a limb and picking Mark
Ryan Thomas Vs. Matt Brown- Matt brown he shows good ability and can get it done.
Randy Couture Vs. Brock Lesnar
Kenny Florian Vs. Joe Stevenson
Gabe Gonzaga Vs. Josh Hendricks
Nate Quarry Vs. Demian Maia
Dustin Hazelett Vs. Tamdan McCrory
Jorge Gurgel Vs. Aaron Riley
Jeremy Stephens Vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Alvin Robinson Vs. Mark Bocek
Ryan Thomas Vs. Matt Brown
Amir vs Catone is off, Amir has a leg infection :(
That sucks balls, I was really looking forward to seeing Amir fight again, hopefully he recovers quickly and we can see him fight soon.
GRRR!!! I wanted to see that fight too >:(
The good news is that they bumped Hazelett-McGrory to the main card, that should be a pretty entertaining fight I think, though I still wish the Amir fight was still on :(
from: mmajunkie.com
Former collegiate wrestling standout and WWE superstar Bobby Lashley (0-0) will make his professional MMA debut for the Mixed Fighting Alliance on Dec. 13 in Miami.
Officials from the Florida-based organization recently confirmed Lashley's bout with fellow first-time fighter Joshua Franklin (0-0) with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)).
Lashley will make the appearance while on loan from the American Fight League, who have elected to suspend operations until 2009.
Lashley, a two-time NAIA national wrestling champion while at Missouri Valley College, also won two armed-forces titles while serving in the U.S. Army. The 32-year-old signed with the WWE in 2003 and debuted with the organization in 2005. His character won titles in both the WWE and Extreme Championship Wrestling organizations.
Lashley signed with the American Fight League in May. The former WWE superstar told MMAjunkie.com then that he was taking his time in preparation for his MMA debut.
"I'm putting it all together," Lashley said. "I'm going into this thing not with just overpowering my own style with [wrestling]. I'm actually learning everything else. I'm learning the jiu-jitsu; I'm taking it from the basics. I'm learning my kickboxing, my boxing. I'm getting the whole game tied together. So when I debut, it's not going to be a wrestler trying to do MMA. It's going to be a fighter."
In addition to Lashley vs. Franklin, "Mixed Fighting Alliance: There Will Be Blood" will be headlined by Jeff Monson (26-8) vs Ricco Rodriguez (34-9). That bout will represent a rematch from "UFC 35: Throwdown." That 2002 fight saw Rodriguez, who was on a nine-fight win streak at the time, victorious with a third-round TKO.
Tickets for "Mixed Fighting Alliance: There Will Be Blood," which will be held at The American Airlines Arena in Miami, are currently on sale and range from $30 to $200.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
sweet! It's going to be interesting to see how Lashley transitions into MMA, I think he will do well considering his amateur wrestling credentials plus he is extremelly athletic and powerful, call him Black Lesnar if you will lol.
Let's hope Jeff Monson gets the win over Ricco too! WAR SNOWMAN! :P
well he shoud do well he has a great base in wrestling , like he said if he puts it together he can be a great fighter
I've actually waited a long time for this.
http://www.spike.com/episode/29671/st/3061112 (http://www.spike.com/episode/29671/st/3061112)
Yeah Dave Kaplan is such a smart guy right? lol
Dave Kaplan is actually making me to start to like Junie, he's making Junie look cool as hell lol,
Kaplan comes across like such an idiot on this show.
A bulletin I wrote on myspace out of sheer boredom:
I wrote this bulletin up yesterday but because myspace was being gay it didn't let me post it for some reason so I have to write the whole thing all over again :(
Who has the edge at UFC 91?
Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture
Striking: Brock has a ton of power in his punches but Randy is the more technical striker. We don't know how well Brock can take a punch yet, we haven't seen his chin tested yet so look for Randy to test it out and maybe get a TKO. Though Brock Lesnar hits extremely hard and fast, maybe not as technical as Couture but it's no secret that Lesnar could knock Couture's head off if he landed a clean shot. However Couture has the edge in this field in my opinion.
Wrestling: They are both phenomenal wrestlers, they have some of the best amateur wrestling credentials in MMA. They are pretty much equal in this field and usually when two guys are equally good at wrestling it will come down to the stronger guy. Brock is much stronger than Randy and Randy has had problems in the past with bigger stronger guys so I think Brock is going to give him some problems. Brock has the edge in this field.
Jiu-Jitsu: Randy has the better submissions but Brock is a quick learner and according to his trainers they say his Jiu Jitsu is coming along nicely and he is almost to purple belt level already, which is pretty impressive. However Brock will probably still leave some openings and I expect to see Randy exploit them and latch on some sort of submission, let's see how well Brock can defend. I give Randy the edge in this field.
Cardio: They are both in great shape, I don't see either one of them gassing out in this fight. However I'll give Randy the slight edge mainly because Brock has never fought a five round fight before and Randy has been in several of them, though Couture hasn't fought in over a year so some might question if ring rust will come into play... but with a guy like Randy I doubt he will have any ring rust. So yeah Randy has the slight edge in this field.
Experience: Randy is much much much more experienced then Brock. This is only Brock's fourth MMA fight, Randy has been in this game much longer than he has. Randy has seen it all and his experience will definitely give him a slight advantage going into this fight.
Youth: Randy is 45 years old, Brock is going on 31 years old. Brock is much younger but age has never been a factor for Randy Couture. I don't think age is a problem for anyone in this sport. It's a young mans sport but it's an old mans game.
Takedown defense: Nobody has ever attempted to take Brock down yet but I bet Randy is going to look to put him on his back, it will be interesting to see how Brock defends it. Randy has good takedown defense but I don't think Brock will have a problem getting Randy down. You don't want a guy like Brock in full mount on top of you, he has vicious ground and pound.
Mental toughness: Both guys are very mentally tough and they both want to win this fight badly. Personally I think Randy has more to lose. If Brock loses, he's still young and new to the sport and can learn from the loss and come back even stronger. I'm not saying Randy can't do the same but he's a lot older and I think he only has a few more fights left in him. I think it's more pressure on Randy than it is on Brock, but I don't think it will play a factor in this fight, both of them are 100% focused on the fight and nothing else.
Final prediction: This is a hard one to pick a winner for. When you break it down like this you will see that both guys have edges in different areas of the game so it's going to be an interesting fight. If I had to bet on it, I would probably bet on Randy getting the submission victory in either round 2 or round 3. However don't be surprised if Brock knocks Randy out either.
Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson
Striking: Florian is the better striker, he's so crisp and fluid with his Muay Thai however I don't think he has a ton of power behind them. He'll cut you up but he won't knock a guy like Joe Stevenson out, Joe has a very durable chin. KenFlo will pick Joe apart on the feet and most likely win a unanimous decision I think.
Wrestling: Stevenson is the better wrestler but Kenny has good takedown defense.
Jiu-Jitsu: They are both BJJ blackbelts (Joe just recently received his BB), they both have great ground games. I think Joe is slightly better but they are bot solid in jiu jitsu. If it goes to the ground it will be like a chess match, I'd probably give Joe Daddy the slight edge.
Cardio: Both of them have good conditioning, I'm not really sure who's in better shape but Joe is probably the better all around athlete. Florian though has improved a lot since working with his Strength and Conditioning coach, Kevin Kearns. I don't expect either of them to gas out, 3 rounds is nothing to them.
Final prediction: Kenny Florian is my pick to win but he won't finish Joe Stevenson, Joe's too tough a fighter. Look for Kenny to pick Joe apart on the feet and win the decision. Either that or Joe Stevenson will submit him.
I'm so stoked for this card! UFC 91 this saturday!!
Never gets old....someone should make a Avatar of that......
I think someone made a GIF of it on sherdog, I'll see if I can find it lol!
Who do you guys think they should give Anderson at his next fight at LHW?
Personally I'd like to see a fight with Liddell or Jardine next. What do you think?
btw I put "the losr of..." because the winner of those fights are moving on to other things I.E the winner of Page/Wandy will most likely get the next title shot, the winner of Forrest/Rashad will be the champ and the winner of Hendo/Rich moves on to coach TUF 9 and eventually fight Michael Bisping at MW.
I'm gonna say Chuck cuz I been a lot of rumors about that, and personally wouldn't mind seeing it.
I seriously doubt they'll put him against Chuck. If Chuck loses again without any kind of winning streak, he'll be pretty close to fired. I actually wouldn't mind seeing him against Luiz Cane. I think that fight would not only be the most likely, but quite potentially the best fight in that mix. After that fight. he should go against number one light heavy contender, then for the title. Of course, Joe Silva doesn't know what he's doing so we'll never see somethong this good.
yeah I too think Anderson Silva vs. Luiz Cane would be a great fight. Cane is grossly underrated.
I still want to see Chuck vs. Anderson but Chuck can't afford another loss.
I just heard on MMAlive that we might see a fight between Chuck and Stephan Bonnar, wouldn't mind seeing that to be honest.
Ill say loser of 'Page/Silva.
Yeah I've been waiting on this for awhile too...He's a big dude, powerful and a great wrestler. Usually great wrestlers make good MMA fighters. I look forward to seeing how his stand up looks though.
im intrigued with what he is going to bring to teh table as well.
I haven't updated this in awhile, I have been pretty busy so instead of writing a whole blog I am just going to share some thoughts.
I.) Dave Kaplan is a douchebag: I didn't want to believe it, but this guy comes across as the biggest douche ever. First he gets destroyed by Nover because Kap's gameplan was "gee my chin is good so I am going to let him hit me so I can look like a tough guy" and when you come up with such a RETARDED gameplan you are obviously going to get your ass beat. I don't care who you are, if you let someone hit you three times, your chances of winning are not very high (unless the guy you are fighting has no power but Philipe hits extremely hard). Kap didn't get knocked out, Philipe choked him out. Instead of acting humble in defeat he says "I'm still wayyy wayy better than him."... how can you say that after getting dominated like that?
Then afterward he and Lawlor get boozed up and start drinking each others piss? That's fucking disgusting! At least in the sushi and fruit pranks they didn't know they were eating someone elses bodily fluids but to voluntarily drink someone elses urine is fucked up, so fucked up that spike didn't even include the scene on the show it had to be cut out. Then Kap starts walking around "oh I can never be knocked out" and he baits a 205 pound guy to hit his 155 pound ass and the 205'er KNOCKS HIM OUT! Then Kap says "he didn't knock me out" and it was all on camera! LOL!
I'm starting to like Junie Browning, he actually seems cooler now and compared to Kaplan I wouldn't mind chilling with Junie. I'm not trying to bash Kaplan, for all I know he could be a great guy but on this show he looks like a total ass and it's embarrassing to watch.
A lot of the stuff these guys are doing this season, while funny as hell and entertaining, is making me sick! It's giving non MMA fans more reason to criticize the sport we all love!
But enough about the drama let's talk about my predictions for the rest of the show.
The final quarterfinal fight is a LW bout between two of the nicest guys in the house, George Ropp and John Polakowski. If Roop didn't get injured, I'd say Roop for the submission win in a very close back and forth fight... however it has been revealed that Roop gets some sort of injury (he still fights though). John is a very tough opponent, very underrated too. I think John wins by either TKO stoppage or Unanimous decision.
Semi Finals: Here's how I think they will set it up
LW:
Junie Browning vs. Efrain Escudero: Efrain will most likely win by submission or UD. Junie is tough and if he keeps it standing he has better stand up but on the ground Efrain's got it, he's the much better wrestler. Junie is good on the ground, has good jiu-jitsu but he isn't on Efrain's level I think.
Philipe Nover vs. John Polakowski (or Roop if Roop wins): Nover, Dana wouldn't have made a big fuss about him if he didn't make it to the finals. This should be a good fight though.
Lightweight Final- Efrain Escudero vs. Philipe Nover: This is my prediction for the final and I personally think Nover takes it.
LHW semi finals:
Ryan Bader vs. Eliot Marshall: Bader is my favorite TUF 8 fighter, this guy is going to the finals. Eliot has amazing Jiu-Jitsu but Bader's wrestling should cancel it out. Bader for the win.
K-Sos vs. Vinny Magalhaes: Interesting fight, both train under Dan Henderson, both don't seem to like each other though LOL! Vinny is one of the best Jiu Jitsu guys in the world but K-Sos is the better all around fighter. Sos wins this one by knock out.
LHW Final: Ryan Bader vs. Krzsytoff Sosynksi (see I can't spell his full name lol): You know I hope Bader wins, I think he can but Sos has much more experience and is probably a little bit better.
what do you think?
According to http://91.ufc.com it has Ryan Thomas facing Matt Riddle, not Matt Brown.
meh.
I hope LHW semis are different than you predict.
Vinny Vs Bader
Elliot Vs K-Sos
Vinny Vs K-Sos in finale. Vinny will win it all.
UFC needs a world class BJJ guy in there that can win fights in LHW, which is being dominated by strikers atm. This should be their line up to do it. I like Bader, But in the long run I see him as more of a gatekeeper.
Wouldn't be surprised if UFC try to get a hold of him real quick (say, after his first fight, much like Lesnar). With the hype they're giving Brock, Lesnar vs Lashley could equal a lot of money.
They probably haven't updated it, Riddle injured his leg I think.
Lesnar > Lashley x ubermillions
Just wait and see, after the Couture fight ;)
I voted Chuck, but honestly I'd like to see him fight the loser of Forrest/Rashaad...
I kinda want to see The Spider capture the LHW belt before he retires...
I voted for Chuck too, simply because it'd be the biggest money fight and that's what they're all in it for, to make shit loads of money.
The fight with Silva would probably be the best in terms of excitment and quality.
Still, it's great they've got the calibre of fighter like these guys and there's dream match ups all over the cards.
Peace
Duckman
UFC already have Bobby Lashley in Cheick Kongo. We dont need 2 boring heavyweights.
Lashey be a better personally then Kongo...
(http://www.combatlifestyle.com/pics/albums/111408ufc/1061.jpg)
I was picking Randy to win by TKO in the 2nd or 3rd round but shit.. Lesnar looks like too much of a beast and I keep hearing Honkers words echoing through my brain that he struggles with bigger wrestlers, which is the truth. But damn! The fight is gonna be fun.
Dah well...
If weight were that big a deal Fedor would not be so dominant
gameplan, knowledge, skill > size
I saw this too though
http://www.fightline.com/news/2008/1027/chuck_the_iceman_liddell_359979.shtml (http://www.fightline.com/news/2008/1027/chuck_the_iceman_liddell_359979.shtml)
I still can't see Lesnar winning, but if he does, I wont be surprised.
True, we can laugh at his manly voice.
I'm like 50-50 now with my prediction, still leaning towards Couture to win this thing but I wouldn't be too surprised if Brock won.
Size isn't that much of an issue but when the guy is as athletic as Brock Lesnar it's pretty scary lol.
I'm really excited for this fight! I'm still siding by Randy to win though.
lol... like I said before ... exp goes with randy , but youth and size goes with Brock. If Brock can keep it more of a stand up fight and not let randy get any of his ground game going Brock will win . Brock has to fight from the ground and use the knowledge of ground fighting to try win . it will randy fight because knowing what to do and actually doing it at two different things
but it should be a great fight that I am looking forward too.
I've read a couple of reports today talking about Brock looking nervous at the weigh in. Anyone see this?
Not surprised mind you, this is the biggest fight he could ever have and it's his 4th fucking fight!!
Plus he's probably watched that Countdown preview and seen what a bad ass Couture has been down the years!
Whatever happens, this is going to make a lot of money and a lot of headlines!
Can't wait!
Peace
Duckman
good he nervous... he human let the war begin
Randy Couture Vs. Brock Lesnar
Kenny Florian Vs. Joe Stevenson
Gabe Gonzaga Vs. Josh Hendricks
Nate Quarry Vs. Demian Maia
Dustin Hazelett Vs. Tamdan McCrory
Jorge Gurgel Vs. Aaron Riley
Jeremy Stephens Vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Alvin Robinson Vs. Mark Bocek
Ryan Thomas Vs. Matt Brown
I guarantee you that they both are nervous.
Something that I find funny about Randy Couture, is that he was probably the #2 heavy in the world about a year ago and he is consistently touted as the underdog.
I just wrote a full review of the event on AO.
www.audiblyoffensive.com (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com)
check it out!
I'll update the standings on here tomorrow.
UFC 91 Rankings:
1. John S. and Andrew Clash [tied] (7-2)
2. MitchMMA (6-3)
3. Cory and Black Death [tied] (5-4)
4. Duckman (4-5)
5. M.D.K (3-6)
It looks like we have two winners in Andrew Clash and John S.! Now it’s time for the tie breaker, you guys are gonna roll and whoever can finish their opponent in the reverse armbar from the omaplata like Hazelett did wins!…. Or you could just pay me 50 bucks and send a stripper my way :p
Joking aside, you are both the UFC 91 champeens!
Now if it's ok with everyone else, I'd like to start the overall rankings off to scratch. The score you have now will stick with you for the next event and your score for that event will be added on to this one and continue from there, cool?
Also let's start the predictions for the next event: UFC Fight for the troops!
Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet
Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hussan
Tim Credeur vs. Nate Loughran
Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Wiman
Luigi Fioravanti vs. Brodie Farber
Steve Bruno vs. Johnny Rees
Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff
Cory Hill vs. Dale Hartt
Eddie Sanchez vs. Justin McCully
PREDICT AWAY BITCHEZZZ! :)
Damn I got most of them right. I guess I did my homework for the week. I'm going to hold off on my predictions for a bit. Most of these fighters I have yet to see fight.
I think Lashley will do well but he isn't exactly a Brock Lesnar but Lashley does have an amazing amateur backround which is very impressive. I have to say he will be a good fighter just not as good as Brock this point in his young career.
I'd love to see liddell get a chance at Silva but I'm not exactly sure liddell would do well hes still coming back from an injury. He needs a few tune up matches before he regains his form. If not liddell I would love to see forest griffin or rashad evans vs Silva either of those 2 guys would be an amazing fight. Things should get better for silva.
Much agreed goat not dure why Randy is never favored to win. Maybe thats just the way they make him out to be. Either the case he is a great fighter and a good champion. Even if Brock Lesnar kicked his ass!!!!
Would love to see Couture fight Frank Mir next after Mir gets subbed by Nogueira! :P
Sorry Mir but Nog's coming to sub ya!
I think Mir vs. Couture would be an interesting fight, Couture would win IMO though.
Though if Randy decides to drop back to LHW, I think that would be cool. LHW is the most stacked division next to LW so there are several interesting match ups for Randy. Personally I think Randy vs. Rampage would be a big money fight!
Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet
Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hussan
Tim Credeur vs. Nate Loughran
Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Wiman
Luigi Fioravanti vs. Brodie Farber
Steve Bruno vs. Johnny Rees
Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff
Cory Hill vs. Dale Hartt
Eddie Sanchez vs. Justin McCully
Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet
Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hussan
Tim Credeur vs. Nate Loughran
Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Wiman
Luigi Fioravanti vs. Brodie Farber
Steve Bruno vs. Johnny Rees
Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff
Cory Hill vs. Dale Hartt
Eddie Sanchez vs. Justin McCully
This is getting some play on www.wwe.com now as well.
Am I the only one who thinks Lesnar look like shit last night?
He was sloppy, and was very gased about 3 minutes into the first. He was landing some nice punches, but due to what anyone says, Randy was showing some cage rust.
Oh well, Lesnar is champion for a few months.
Now I can't wait until Lesnar/Big Nog
that's if Nog can beat Mir.
WAR MIR!
I can't see Mir getting past Nog honestly.
WAR NOG! ;D
I just like Mir.
Nog is one of those boring fightesr, but that being said, He's still amazing, but I still dont really like him, but ill show respect where respect is due.
Thanks to Nick for the vid.......
http://www.rawvegas.tv/ext.php?uniqueVidID=773cbe30f7d6afc92d9aa7be64f677 (http://www.rawvegas.tv/ext.php?uniqueVidID=773cbe30f7d6afc92d9aa7be64f677)
bahaha, thats right. Fedor is the bestest....est.
I'll have to disagree with you on Nog being boring. :P
Sure he's no Wanderlei Silva in terms of excitement but I still enjoy watching him fight. I have never really been bored watching Nog fight, he's technically an amazing fighter and that excites me.
Plus he's one of those guys you can't help but to like. He's so nice and humble, he's a really good dude.
I like Mir but Mir's one of those guys that kinda rubs me the wrong way at times, I still like him but he can be a prick at times... that's not a bad thing but it can annoy me. Mir's a very smart guy too though, I mean he has a amazing BJJ but Nog's is better. Mir's stand up is underrated too but Nog's is much more technical. Also Mir never really had much cardio, he's been working on it though but Nog's used to fighting longer fights in PRIDE, plus Nog has an AMAZING chin, he's never been finished.
I just don't see how Mir wins, but he could pull it off.
dayum that girl interviewing him is damn fine! :P
Randy's a standup guy.
"Do you think Brock is more of a threat than Fedor"
*Pause*
....nooooo.
Lol, I found this funny.
Jesus Christ Brock blew up one of Randy's ears
Quote from: Cory on November 16, 2008, 06:46:35 PM
"Do you think Brock is more of a threat than Fedor"
*Pause*
....nooooo.
Lol, I found this funny.
LOL Me too. I would actually like to see that fight honestly.. but I think even Brock realizes how intimidating the name 'Fedor' is.
I do really hope Fedor eventually ends up in the UFC.
I was high on the Affliction war wagon when they announced their first event but if I had to pick sides, I'm always going to side with the UFC.
*This post has been edited in the name of brotherly love! ;D
So after his dominant performance against Joe Stevenson, Kenny will be next in line to challenge BJ Penn for the lightweight gold... after Penn fights GSP for the WW belt in January. Personally I think the Kenny-Penn fight has the potential to be an instant classic, it won't get nearly enough attention as it should and it's a shame because I think it will be a GREAT fight. I never thought much of Kenny... but he's been on a huge roll lately and every time he fights he looks better than the last time. A lot of people are going to count Kenny out and say "BJ will kill him" but I think Kenny will do a lot better than you will think.
I still think BJ will win, but I'm not completelly counting Kenny out either.
What do you guys think? How do you think this fight will go down?
I think BJ will win, but KenFlo has been on a tear, and I didnt think he'd go through Joe Stevenson like he did, so anythings possible.
Just read this today from mmaweekly.com:
Affliction Entertainment on Monday officially announced many of the fights that will appear between their return to pay-per-view on Jan. 24 and the undercard bouts that will air on HDNet the same night.
As previously announced, the main event will pit top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko against Belarus product Andrei Arlovski in a five-round title fight.
Also officially announced on Monday were the addition of both Josh Barnett and Vitor Belfort to the card, but neither fighter has an opponent named at this time.
The card will feature a light heavyweight showdown between Renato "Babalu" Sobral â€" who coincidentally will also compete on Nov. 21 for Strikeforce in a 205-pound title fight â€" against former Olympic silver medalist and top middleweight Matt Lindland.
Dan Lauzon, fresh off a win in World Championship Fighting over the weekend, faces former International Fight League standout, Chris Horodecki in a lightweight showcase.
For the fights to be broadcast on HDNet as part of the preliminary card, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will try to avenge a loss from early in his career as he faces the last ever IFL light heavyweight champion in Vladimir Matyushenko.
Also on the card will be Jay Hieron making his Affliction debut against Jason High, Mark Hominick taking on LC Davis, Albert Rios versus Antonio Duarte, and Paul Buentello against Kiril Sidellnikov in a heavyweight bout. Brett Cooper is also on the card, though no opponent has been named yet.
Affliction is expected to announce more fights in the coming weeks leading into the Jan. 24 card.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Seems like a pretty good card, but I'd personally much rather hold on to my money until the week after to watch UFC 94: Penn vs. GSP, but this next Affliction does seem interesting.
Fedor/Arlovski will be one hell of a fight. I think Arlovski can take Fedor for a few rounds, but I doubt he'll win. But if I had to guess of a heavyweight would could beat Fedor, I'd be Arlovski.
Arlovski will push the pace, he's been working a lot on his boxing so I could see him winning a few rounds, but the main factor here is his chin and Fedor's punching power. If Arlovski is able to move around and avoid getting hit, stick and move and push the pace I think he has a good chance.
On the ground though, Fedor would submit him, Arlovski has some good sub defense though.
I say Fedor will win by arm bar in the third or fourth round.
from: MMAweekly
World Extreme Cagefighting has finalized its final fight card of the year. WEC 37 is scheduled to take place on Dec. 3 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
The show is headlined by WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres defending his title against undefeated veteran Manny Tapia. It will be telecast live on Versus.
Joining the title fight on the televised main card will be undefeated top ranked bantamweight Brian Bowles taking on Brazilian Will Ribeiro. The winner of the fight will likely become the next challenger for the WEC bantamweight title.
The remaining fights on the televised main card include a battle of Top 10 featherweights, as IFL featherweight champion Wagnney Fabiano faces off with former Shooto lightweight champion Akitoshi Tamura, and DREAM veteran Joseph Benavidez faces off with Rage in the Cage veteran Danny Martinez.
Added to the undercard is a welterweight bout between popular local Las Vegas fighter Blas Avena taking on Illinois based fighter Kevin Knabjian.
Two bouts have changed since their initial announcement. NCAA wrestling champion Johnny Hendricks will now face East Coast fighter Justin Haskins. Hendricks was originally scheduled to face longtime WEC veteran Alex Serdyukov. The other change sees undefeated young featherweight Josh Grispi off the card due to injury. His planned opponent, Brazilian Diego Nunes, will now face undefeated Midwest fighter Cole Province.
WEC Bantamweight Championship Bout
-Miguel Torres vs. Manny Tapia
-Brian Bowles vs. Will Ribeiro
-Wagnney Fabiano vs. Akitoshi Tamura
-Joseph Benavidez vs. Danny Martinez
-Johnny Hendricks vs. Justin Haskins
-Mark Munoz vs. Ricardo Barros
-Blas Avena vs. Kevin Knabjian
-Diego Nunes vs. Cole Province
-Bart Palaszewski vs. Alex Karalexis
-Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Cub Swanson
-Shane Roller vs. Mike Budnik
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I think I might write up an article for AO breaking down the main event to see who has edges in certain areas. But yeah this looks like a solid card, not very star struck in terms of big names but I think we'll see some good technical fights as usual from the WEC.
Looking at the HW division, if Fedor were to lose, I think Arlovski would be the only person I'd be content with ending the machines streak, but I dont think it'll happen.
Torres is an exciting fighter, I hope I get this on TV
I actually think Barnett would have a higher chance of beating Fedor, but Arlovski does have a good chance too.
I'm looking forward to it.
Also I wonder who Barnett will fight on this card, maybe Big Ben Rothwell? Tim Sylvia?
I like Barnett, but I think Fedor would be more troubled but a larger (taller) opponent, who can use his reach to keep Fedor at bay, and unlike any other guy who had reach on Fedor (Hong Man Choi, Sylvia) Arlovski is quick and elusive.
I donno, well agree to disagree.
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=454 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=454)
Welcome to the first edition of the BreakdowN here on AudiblyOffensive.com, I’m Mitch Ciccarelli and you’re not! Now you’re probably wondering “what exactly is this BreakdowN you speak of?†Well it’s an idea I thought of a while ago where I will write an article every so often and stylistically break down big fights that are coming up. This is a more in depth way of predicting fights and it also allows us to see who has the edge going into the fight. Today I am going to breakdown the fight between WEC Bantamweight champion Miguel Torres and Manny Tapia for the upcoming WEC event scheduled for December third. Who has the edge going into this fight, the pound for pound bantamweight king or the unbeaten challenger? Let’s find out!
Striking: Manny Tapia is a very aggressive striker, he’s one of those guys that love to go toe to toe and knock guys out! However Miguel Torres is like the 135 pound version of Anderson Silva, he’s just so crisp and fluid with his Muay Thai it’s insane! Tapia is a hard hitter with an in your face aggressive style but Torres is much more technical and technique will overcome power in this fight in my opinion.
Torres has the edge- 10-9 in striking.
Jiu-Jitsu: Torres has a huge edge in this field; he has some sick Jiu-Jitsu. Tapia isn’t much of a ground guy but he does have some pretty good submission defense and good wrestling. He’ll have to stay away from Torres on the ground though because in my opinion once this hits the ground it’s all over for Manny Tapia.
Torres has the edge- 10-7 in Jiu-Jitsu.
Wrestling: Torres has the better submissions but Manny Tapia is a much better wrestler than him. I think he will use his wrestling to avoid getting taken to the ground by Torres and keep the fight standing. If he decides to take Torres to the ground though I think he will do a good job of controlling him, he has good ground and pound also but he will just have to very cautious and avoid those slick submissions from the bantamweight champ. Don’t get me wrong though Torres is a good wrestler too but I just feel like Tapia is slightly better.
Tapia has the edge- 10-9 in wrestling
Cardio: This is the bantamweight division we’re talking about here; trust me these guys are in phenomenal shape. They are so small, quick, agile and extremely fun to watch! I don’t really know who has the edge as far as cardio goes but I don’t expect either one to completely gas out.
It’s a draw in cardio.
Other noteworthy factors: Tapia has been out of action since February due to a knee injury, could this play a factor in the fight? It’s possible. I haven’t heard anything about how his knee is coming into this fight, I’m sure it’s healed but you never know. Other than that though, Tapia has managed to maintain a 10-0-1 record which is pretty impressive. However Miguel Torres is considered by many to be one of the pound for pound best fighters in the world with only one loss on his record. Who gets more pressure? The unbeaten guy that’s hungry for the title or the guy that everyone says is one of the best in the world? I’d say Torres has more pressure on him to defend his title and maintain his pound for pound status, Tapia is the hungry challenger with less to lose and more to gain. Could that play a factor? I doubt it, I don’t think Torres is feeling pressured at all.
Final prediction: I predict one hell of a fight on December third; these guys will go to war! Tapia is going to want to go toe to toe with Torres and knock him out, Torres is going to want to avoid Tapia’s power and pick his shots. Torres will be much more technical on the feet and pick Tapia apart with his crisp Muay Thai. If and when it’s goes to the ground, Tapia will have to use his wrestling to steer clear of Torre’s Jiu-Jitsu. Personally I think Miguel Torres can win this fight any way he wants, he’s much more well rounded and I think he will catch Tapia with a rear naked choke in the third round.
Torres by third round submission.
No I think you're right, Arlovski does have a good chance. However he does not have a very good chin and we all know Fedor hit's pretty damn hard lol. Though Arlovski has good footwork, good head movement and such so I think he will avoid getting knocked out and possibly even pick Fedor apart on the feet, but Fedor takes it to the ground and catches him with a sub I think.
Barnett IMO is a better well rounded fighter than Arlovski, and he has a more durable chin so that's why I sorta think he would be a better matchup but don't get me wrong they both have good chances of being the guys that beat Fedor.
Well, either way I hope Fedor fights both guys in Affliction.
Quote from: MitchMMA on November 16, 2008, 07:18:20 PM
"oh look i'm such a bad ass! I barely watch MMA but Affliction is soooo cool. I'm gonna go ahead and waist a shit load of money on a bunch of Affliction tees because I think I look cool".
I got my Affliction Tees at TJ Maxx for under $20 a pop. I love cheap retail :)
They sell Affliction tees under 20 bucks at TJ Max? Shit I didn't know that
What is this store? Do they have an online website?
This fight's gonna be sick. Like Cory said, Torres is exciting as hell.
Quote from: Cory on November 17, 2008, 03:08:52 PM
I think BJ will win, but KenFlo has been on a tear, and I didnt think he'd go through Joe Stevenson like he did, so anythings possible.
Exactly. KenFlo is a different, much better, fighter right now then he ever has been. If he has ever had a chance to beat BJ, it's right now. I can't wait to see this one.
I agree.
I would even go as far as to say that Kenny would beat Sean Sherk in a re-match, I think he has changed sooo much since that fight.
His strength and conditioning coach Kevin Kearns has really got him into amazing shape.
And Mark Dellagrotte is the fucking man! lol love that guy haha.
I am not betting against torres. The man is just unbeatable and impressive as hell. Not so sure about the other guys dont really watch much WEC but I will say if I was a betting man which I am i would not bet against torres.
Gotta go with Penn he is impressive but kenflo has been winning as of late hard choice but i have to go with Penn based off of consistancy.
From Prowrestling.net: The M-1 Global promotion issued a press release on Tuesday in which Fedor Emelianenko challenged new UFC Hvt. Champion Brock Lesnar to a co-promoted super fight. "Couture and WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko had publicly acknowledged a desire to fight each other multiple times over the course of the past year," reads the press release.
"While M-1 and Fedor remain interested in a match against Couture, we would also like to publicly state for the record that we would welcome a superfight between Fedor and Lesnar that would be held as a co-promoted event between the UFC, M-1, and Affliction Entertainment."
Peace
Duckman
I don't think Brock is ready for Fedor yet... but in a few years I'd love to see that fight.
But Dana would never go for a co-promotion thingy, he'd have to get Fedor under contract with the UFC.
Truth, but then again we said the same thing about Faber and he just got knocked out... so anything can happen lol.
Tapia is a hard hitter, but I'm still standing by my prediction for Torres to win by submission.
What did you guys think of my article?
From PWinsider.com
MMAJunkie.com reported today that UFC champion Brock Lesnar has been issued a medical suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Comission following his UFC 91 victory over Randy Couture.
Due to the cut he suffered against Couture, Lesnar is suspended through 12/16 and is not allowed any physical contact during training until 12/6.
Lesnar was busted open above the eye just prior to his TKO win over Couture.
The Commission regularly issues suspensions to fighters who are cut or injured to prevent them from training before they are 100% healthy as a safeguard against reoccurences of injury.
That's pretty common. I wonder what Couture's medical suspension was?
I'm guessing the super fight between Brock and Nog (or by some chance Mir if Mir wins) will take place sometime in March possibly.
Dana wouldnt do this. Fedor would be Brock quickly, be nothing more than what happened with Sylvia.
Yeah Dana has made it pretty apparent, that if Fedor is gonna fight anybody in the UFC, it's gonna be under the UFC banner only.
As far as Brock vs. Fedor...I don't see it ever happening. Fedor is making tons of money with Affliction, and he WON'T make that kind of money with the UFC, that's the reason he's not there in the first place.
Good article Mitch, gave me a good break down on Tapia, who I dont know.
Yeah, that happens all the time.
Quote from: MitchMMA on November 19, 2008, 02:34:45 PM
That's pretty common. I wonder what Couture's medical suspension was?
I'm guessing the super fight between Brock and Nog (or by some chance Mir if Mir wins) will take place sometime in March possibly.
So Brock v/s Mir
:p
Thanks dude :)
I'm looking to write more "BreakdowN's" in the future.
from: MMAweekly
WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko has a message for Randy Couture following his loss to Brock Lesnar at last Saturday’s UFC 91, keep your chin up.
MMAWeekly.com spoke with Emelianenko via telephone as he finished watching the first round of the fight on a nearby television. The top ranked heavyweight is currently in Thailand, filming an action movie starring Rutger Hauer and Michael Madsen.
“It’s a very interesting fight,†Emelianenko said of the bout’s first round through his interpreter. “So far, it looks like Randy â€" he’s more active in the ring.â€
Asked who the winner of the first round was, he paused.
“The first round, I thought Randy had the round,†he continued after a beat. “He certainly showed more skills. He was quite interesting in the first round.â€
If Emelianenko knew how the fight ended in advance, he didn’t make it known. But after witnessing Lesnar’s fight-ending hammerfists, he warmed to the former pro wrestler.
“He’s a very good fighter,†he remarked. “He’s a very strong fighter. I’m very impressed with his speed.â€
Emelianenko said it was too early to say how he would have approached the fight differently. Not what you’d expect, seeing as he knows a thing or two about facing monsters. In his last three years of MMA competition, Emelianenko has faced an equal amount of giants â€" Tim Sylvia, Hong Man Choi, and Wagner da Conceicao Martins. Lesnar’s speed clearly set him apart from those Emelianenko had laid waste to in the rings outside the UFC.
“I would certainly take a different tactic to the fight, although I do believe that Randy had a smart game plan, but it appears that he wasn’t able to control the top position, which is what I believe he was trying to do,†Emelianenko offered.
Jerry Millen, M-1 Global’s American Vice President, issued a statement following the interview that welcomed an Emelianenko vs. Lesnar fight, however grim the chances of its fruition are at the moment.
“We would welcome a Fedor vs. Lesnar matchup, but to act in a preemptive fashion to address the possibility that UFC officials will try and position Lesnar as the No. 1 heavyweight in the world, much like they have tried to use a marketing ploy to brand Anderson Silva as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world,†the statement read. “In a match between Fedor and Lesnar, we do not feel that at this stage Lesnar would be able to make it out of the first round.â€
Emelianenko has certainly resigned himself to the fact that a fight with Couture may never happen. Despite his affinity for the legend, he says it suits him fine if he never gets the chance to participate in the dream match-up.
“Nothing is ever certain,†Emelianenko said. “This is something that the managers and the organizers need to resolve. But I understand that in all likelihood if Randy stays with the UFC, that the chances of us fighting are much less, and hopefully our fans will be able to overcome that. We both have our history in the sport and if a fight between Randy and I was not to materialize in the future, there will still be other fights. I’m not going to be angry or upset about it in any way.â€
In his usual understated way, Emelianenko stopped short of calling Lesnar out in his critique. That’s for the managers.
As for a message to his friend and colleague, another pause.
“I would tell Randy that â€" I’m sure he already knows â€" he’s already in the history books, that he’s a legendary fighter, and regardless of the outcome of this fight, things just didn’t go his way,†Emelianenko said.
from: MMAweekly
Despite faltering in his performance against Mike Brown at WEC 36 in Hollywood, Fla., earlier this month, former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Urijah Faber is still in the promotion's plans when it comes to putting together a blockbuster fight card.
That is exactly what the UFC's sister promotion has on tap for January.
Reliable independent sources confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that the WEC is looking to kick 2009 off in style, going big right out of the gate. Current plans call for the promotion to make its first stop ever in San Diego on Jan. 25 with one of its most loaded cards to date.
As mentioned, Urijah Faber is set to be part of the fight card, although he won't get the immediate rematch with Mike Brown that he had hopes for. Brown suffered torn rib cartilage in winning the belt from Faber on Nov. 5 and is unlikely to return to action before March. It is currently unknown whom the WEC will match Faber up against, but the short list includes Leonard Garcia and Jose Aldo.
"Urijah wants to fight in January,†his manger, Mike Roberts, stated in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “We’re still trying to sort out who he’s going to fight."
Current WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner will make the second defense of his title when he faces Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in what is likely to land as the main event at WEC 38. Cerrone earned a shot at Varner with his "Fight of the Night" performance against "Razor" Rob McCullough at WEC 36. Cerrone overcame two knockdowns in the opening round to batter McCullough en route to a three-round unanimous decision.
Welterweight kingpin Carlos Condit will also don the card, looking to keep his eight-fight winning streak intact. No opponent has been locked down at the time of publication, but indications are that a rematch with Brock Larson could be in the works for Condit, who recently made the move to train at Arizona Combat Sports with Varner.
In a recent conference call, WEC vice president Peter Dropick stated that pay-per-view is in the works for the promotion, "Do I have anything scheduled (for PPV)? No. Do I have plans? Yes."
The plan isn't to put WEC 38 on pay-per-view event, however. Sources indicate that it will be carried live on Versus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddf5_dRw0tI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddf5_dRw0tI)&
Fedor would eat Randy.
Mitch, where do you put Brock in your top 10 now?
Let me see:
1. Fedor
2. Nog
3. Barnett
4. Arlovski
5. Couture (yes he lost, but he's still top 5. Lesnar will need at least one or two more big wins to go above Randy in the top 5)
6. Sylvia
7. Gonzaga
8. Overeem
9. Dos Santos
10. Lesnar (I do consider him top 10 now, however one big win is not enough to bump to the top 5 yet... but he will get there I think)
http://mmajunkie.com/news/13289/maybe-anderson-silva-wont-retire-at-35-after-all.mma (http://mmajunkie.com/news/13289/maybe-anderson-silva-wont-retire-at-35-after-all.mma)
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, currently the most popular pick for the world's top pound-for-pound fighter, may not retire when he turns 35 after all.
Silva gave the MMA world a jolt when, during a September interview with a Brazilian cable channel, he said was planning to retire after he turns 35 and fulfills the terms of his current UFC contract.
Silva, who's expected to headline UFC 95 on Feb. 21, turns 35 on April 14, 2010. He has five fights remaining on his current UFC deal.
And while Silva would like to conclude his stellar career while on top of his game, his manager, Ed Soares, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) the retirement at 35 is far from a guarantee.
"Here's the situation," Soares said. "His goal when we signed with the UFC was for him to retire at 35 years old. That was the goal, and I think we need to keep that goal in check. We work to follow through with that goal. Now, he's 35 in only 18 months, so ideally, my goal as his manager is to put him in a situational financially so that when he's 35, if he feels like retiring, he'll be able to retire.
"But that doesn't mean he will necessarily retire at 35. ... At the end of the day, man, when gets to 35, he could feel like he has a few more fights in him."
So the retirement talk is primarily a source of motivation not for Silva, but for Soares himself?
"Of course -- and for people to go buy those pay per views now," Soares joked.
Regardless of the end date, Silva has a minimum of five challenges ahead of him. He's recently begun training with famed boxing coach Freddie Roach and shows no signs of slowing down as his supposed retirement date beckons. Silva could could put those new striking skills to use for an overseas event.
Silva recently defended his title with a third-round TKO of Patrick Cote at UFC 90, and he's expected to return next at UFC 95 in London, England.
While there have been rumors of a fight with Chuck Liddell at the February event, Soares said nothing is definite and that they haven't even met with the UFC about the event.
"Next week I'm meeting with (UFC President) Dana (White), and hopefully we finalize who his opponent is and where it's going to be," Soares said.
But is Silva open to the Liddell fight?
"He wants to fight against the best," Soares said. "Whoever the best is, that's who we want to fight. If whoever the world, the fans, want to see, that's what we're here to do. Anderson never picks his opponents. He wants to fight against the best, and if it happens to be at 205 pounds, he'll fight at 205. If it happens to be at 185 pounds as a title defense, it'll be a 185-pound title defense. Anderson just wants to put on history-making fights."
One thing I did find very poor about this whole challenge was Fedor's management's comments. They should probably shut the fuck up, and stop being so disrespectful. Because Fedor just proved to all of us that he's not unbeatable, when he lost in a SAMBO competition. So yeah...stop acting like you manage God.
And before anyone asks, "What the hell is he talking about,"
this article will cover it
http://mmajunkie.com/news/13282/fedor-emelianenko-and-m-1-welcome-a-superfight-with-brock-lesnar.mma (http://mmajunkie.com/news/13282/fedor-emelianenko-and-m-1-welcome-a-superfight-with-brock-lesnar.mma)
QuoteBellator Fighting Championships releases details for ESPN Deportes show | MMAjunkie.com
Bellator Fighting Championships today officially announced its launch and television partnership with ESPN Deportes, but the organization is making it very clear that its competition will, in no way, resemble your typical reality show.
In today's press release, BFC executives promise "a business model unique in the fight industry, yet followed in every other major sport."
BFC, which has opened offices in Los Angeles and Chicago, will feature a format in which title shots are awarded base strictly on advancing through the tournament -- and no other factors.
"We are implementing a tournament structure to determine champions and No. 1 challengers so that world-class fighters can control their destiny based on their performance," stated Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney, a former "Friday Night Fights" executive. "Simply put, at Bellator, fighters fight their way to the title."
The show, which debuts in April 2009, will feature 12 two-hour episodes that air on Saturday nights. The nationally televised events will feature a combination of tournament and non-tournament feature bouts.
Eight competitors will comprise each of Belator's four divisional tournaments. The weight classes included featherweight (145 pounds), lightweight (155), welterweight (170) and middleweight (185).
As Bellator fighters progress through the tournament, they earn substantially larger fight purses. Opening-round winners receive $25,000, semifinal-round winners receive $50,000, and finals winners receive $100,000. Each champion also gets $175,000. That's $350,000 in total for a champion who wins each round of the tournament.
As MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) previously repored, established MMA fighters already rumored for the project include WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho (16-1), former Cuban Olympic Judo competitor and Cage Fighting Championship middleweight champion Hector Lombard (17-2-1), highly ranked lightweight Eddie Alvarez (15-1) and World Victory Road/Strikeforce veteran Jorge Masvidal (13-5).
"The fans' connection to Bellator will be created through our fighters," Rebney stated. "That understanding will drive the promotion, publicity, marketing and advertising of Bellator's fighters, making them the centerpiece of what we do. On each telecast, leading up to tournament bouts, Bellator Fighting Championships will air back-stories on each fighter. We will use the simple-yet-powerful sports programming philosophy of combining elite competition with compelling feature pieces that tell the story of who these fighters are, where they're from and why they compete. MMA fighters have incredibly rich stories to tell, and we will bring these to MMA fans, allowing our audience to identify with who these warriors really are."
Credit: MMANews.com
This could take off. They have speculated some pretty big names. I'm liking the tournament system they are going to use.
Heavyweight
WAMMA Undisputed Heavyweight Champion
Fedor Emelianenko
1 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2 Andrei Arlovski
3 Josh Barnett
4 Brock Lesnar
5 Tim Sylvia
6 Randy Couture
7 Gabriel Gonzaga
8 Fabricio Werdum
9 Frank Mir
10 Alistair Overeem
Also Receiving Votes
Ben Rothwell
Aleksander Emelianenko
Mirko Filipovic
Junior dos Santos
Sergei Kharitonov
Cheick Kongo
Credit: http://www.gowamma.com/rankings.asp
Brock at number 4? Even as a Brock fan, I question that a little bit.
Yeah I heard about this, has potential.
Actually the man formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver now known as "War Machine" posted a bulletin about it so I guess he will be a part of it. I hope he still gets to fight Mike Dolce so Dolce can smash him lol.
Yeah that's way too high for him right now. I ranked him as 10, he'll get higher up though but in order to be a top 5 HW you need to consistently get big wins over top fighters so a win over Herring and Couture is enough to be in the top 10 but not top 5 yet IMO.
QuoteIn a report that comes as no surprise, the Nov. 17 print edition of the Wrestling Observer gives strong indications that WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho has been released from his contract by Zuffa officials.
“Not only will Paulo Filho’s middleweight championship be forgotten, but Filho himself will be after his performance on the show, as it’s all but a lock that Filho won’t be moved to UFC,†one excerpt states.
However, later in the issue, while addressing Fabricio Werdum’s UFC departure, an even more definitive statement is made.
“There is zero criticism I’ve seen of (Zuffa) cutting Paulo Filho, who was 16-0 coming into his fight (vs. Chael Sonnen) but his cut wasn’t over money but that the person who was in that cage has no business fighting at this time,†writes Observer publisher Dave Meltzer.
Filho received $30,000 for his unanimous decision loss to Sonnen at WEC 36 earlier this month. He had been scheduled to earn $41,000 as his “show†guarantee but was forced to forfeit a portion of his purse to Sonnen after failing to make the contracted weight limit of 185 pounds. It is believed that had Filho made weight and won that he could have earned an additional $41,000 in the form of a win bonus.
Filho’s middleweight title had been scheduled to be at stake but the fight was changed to a non-title affair after the native Brazilian weighed in at 192.5 pounds during his initial weigh-in attempt. The former PRIDE Bushido standout was given two additional hours to make weight but he registered at 189.5 pounds during his second and final attempt.
Credit: MMANews.com
Fucking bummer. I hope he does well in this new MMA org and comes back to the UFC. I want to see Filho Vs. Silva badly.
If he does plan on retiring, I do hope we see some classic fights before he goes.
I see several people below Brock that would own him.
Something is wrong with Filho lately though, he looked HORRIBLE against Sonnen... he couldn't even make 185 pounds either... so idk what's up with him lately.
Maybe he should fight at LHW?
He's been depressed. Last year he had to check into psych treatment. I hope whatever is happening to him, he gets through it.
1. Chuck
2. Rampage
3. Wandy
4. Forrest
5. Hendo @ 205
Truth. He's a good fighter too, hope he rebounds.
I want to see him fight Wanderlei.
If it made by Wamma, I think they just ranked Brock that high to try and trick the UFC into a superfight....just saying.
Hmm, sounds neat. I'd watch it.
Fedor is a god, but his managers are all fucking stupid.
Fedor is far from a god, and some no name dude in a Sambo competition proved it. ;)
Only problem with that is...Dana is far smarter than anything WAMMA
Jon Fitch, who last competed at UFC 87 in August against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, has been released from his contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by members of Fitch's camp.
According to sources close to the situation, Fitch was in negotiations with the UFC about a lifetime contract for likeness rights for their upcoming video game release and future video games. An agreement could not be reached and the Indiana native was subsequently released from his fight contract.
During his time with the UFC, Fitch went 8-1 while in the promotion with his only loss coming at the hands of St. Pierre, as previously mentioned.
There were rumors that he was set to return in January to fight Japanese fighter Akihiro Gono, but all that came crashing down with the news of his release on Wednesday.
Other fighters including Christian Wellisch have also been released as a part of this contract negotiation of likeness rights, but at this time Jon Fitch is the biggest name that has been confirmed as being cut by the promotion. Speaking anonymously with MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday, a source said more names could follow in the coming days.
Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com for more news on this breaking situation as it happens.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Well this fucking sucks, Fitch is an amazing fighter. He's the second best WW in the world and now he;s out of the UFC? That blows!
What the fuck...that's extremely gay. Bad move by the UFC.
UFC is still in the mind frame of 5 years ago. I'm praying Affliction keeps growing. I for one, would NEVER fight in the UFC. Affliction will pic him up and pay him at least double what his UFC wage was.
FiveOuncesOfPain.com is reporting that the UFC has released lightweight Marcus Aurelio. The decision to release Aurelio came shortly after his unanimous-decision loss to Hermes Franca at UFC 90 last month. Aurelio signed with the UFC in 2007 and compiled a 2-3 record in the Octagon with wins over Luke Caudillo and Ryan Roberts.
Seems like the UFC are doing some cleaning. What can you expect with a 2-3 record though?
Quote"After a blow-up over the merchandise contract between UFC President Dana White and Duane Zinkin and Bob Cook of Zinkin Entertainment, which represents a slew of UFC fighters, mostly out of the American Kickboxing Association gym in San Jose, the UFC cut Jon Fitch and Christian Wellisch today.
Fitch, who headlined the 8/19 PPV show in Minneapolis against Georges St. Pierre in a welterweight title challenge, had been scheduled to face Akihiro Gono on the 1/31 show in Las Vegas. Fitch co-holds the UFC record for most consecutive wins, with eight, with Royce Gracie and Anderson Silva.
The argument stemmed from Zinkin and Cook advising their clients not to sign the UFC's merchandising agreement, which gives the company lifetime merchandising rights to the fighters.
While not cut yet, without a resolution, White will be cutting Cain Velasquez, the heavyweight who many considered the future of the division, as well as Josh Koscheck. Koscheck will not be cut right now because White felt that by Koscheck saving the company by taking the fight with Thiago Alves on 10/25 on less than two weeks notice, they owed him at least one more fight. Plus, it would be difficult to replace him since he is scheduled for the main event, against Yoshiyuki Yoshida, on 12/10 in Fort Bragg on the next Spike TV "Fight for the Troops" special.
The other major Zinkin Entertainment fighter, Mike Swick, signed the merchandise deal and is in no danger of being dropped"
Credit: MMANews.com
Those would be big blows to each respected division. I hope they can all come to some sort of agreement.
damnit. Cain was BIG...not this, this is just stupid.
Quote from: JohnS. on November 19, 2008, 10:00:13 PM
Fedor is far from a god, and some no name dude in a Sambo competition proved it. ;)
Sambo is a bit different than the region Fedor is a god, the MMA World.
John you're talking like Blagoi Ivanov is a pushover?
Quote from: G.O.A.T. on November 20, 2008, 07:16:55 AM
John you're talking like Blagoi Ivanov is a pushover?
I'd whoop him up ;)
And no TaNK he's not a push over, but Fedor has already beaten him before.
WTF are the UFC thinking when they want to get rid of Fitch, Koscheck and Cain? This just pisses me off. I have always supported the UFC over anything else but now I'm starting to get pissed.
Remember that time I told you all Brock was going to beat Randy?
your not hinting that you think Brock would be Fedor are you?
cuz that'd just be silly.
Nah.
Fedor has already taken on very large men. He's taken on very Strong men. He's taken on fast men. But Brock COULD pose a problem in that he's got all 3 in one package. Give him a few years, and he'll be the new Fedor ONLY because he has a combination of the three. It's easy to find a heavyweight with 2 of the three, but one who has all he has in one package, he's a monster. He wont be an easy knock out. Look at the size of his head, and his neck. It'll take some shots to put him away. If he learns to keep his legs from harm, and learn to defend armbars and Kimora's, He's going to be unstoppable. I really doubt anyone is going to outwrestle him. If Couture couldn't, not many could. Lesnar will be a force soon.
My thoughts exactly...With some time Brock will be sick...I want to see him learn not just sub-defense, but some subs as well...I'd love to see Brock hit a surprise triangle choke lol
Yeah I do agree, Brock will be one of the best in the world someday. Shit, in 5 years people might say he's one of the P4P best.
I'm glad I will never fight at heavyweight :D
I agree with you Honk.
It would be an excellent fight in a couple of years, Fedor has all three of those tools in his arsenal. It's scary the potential that Brock has. I hate him lol
At least, he'll still be able to say he Takanori Gomi
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! THANK GOD!
Jon Fitch's exile from the Ultimate Fighting Championship lasted less than 24 hours. Bob Cook, Fitch’s representative from Zinkin Entertainment, has informed Sherdog.com that the welterweight contender is back in the good graces of the world’s top MMA promoter.
“We just spent an hour on the phone with Lorenzo [Fertitta],†said Cook, “and cooler heads have prevailed.â€
When asked about the negotiations, Cook stated that Fertitta and UFC President Dana White were “on the same page†when it came to their goals but that their approaches were as different as night and day.
In the end, Fitch ended up signing a licensing agreement that will allow the UFC to feature him in their upcoming video game release. Throughout the media offensive he waged since being informed of his release, the former Purdue wrestling captain made it clear he had no problem signing the deal but did not appreciate what he viewed as White’s “strong-arm tactics.â€
White repeatedly said his decision to cut ties with Fitch were driven by an inability on Fitch’s management’s part to work with him and not because he didn’t sign the video game licensing agreement. In an expletive-laden interview with Yahoo.com, White called out nearly everyone at American Kickboxing Academy and Zinkin Entertainment, Fitch’s gym and management company.
Cook, who was singled out by White as part of the problem, stated Fertitta assured him the working relationship between their camp and White was salvageable.
As for the fates of welterweight contender Josh Koscheck and heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez -- both of whom were rumored to be next on the chopping block -- as well as heavyweight Christian Wellisch, who was cut along with Fitch on Wednesday, Cook stated that all of the fighters have worked out agreements to remain with the UFC.
Strikeforce results from mmajunkie.com (i'm glad Kim Couture won, she seems like a nice lady lol)
ZAKARY BUCIA VS. ADAM STEELE
Round 1 - Three, three-minute rounds for our lead-off bout. After a touch of the gloves, we're underway. Bucia with an early front kick before Steele fails on a takedown attempt. Bucia locks in a guillotine and takes top position as they tumble to the mat. Bucia clings to the hold and forces the early tap-out. Zakary Bucia def. Adam Steele via submission (guillotine choke) -- Round 1, 0:35.
ALVIN CACDAC VS. JOSE PALACIOS
Round 1 - The fighters trade leather early before Palacios fails on a takedown attempt. Palacios wobbles his opponent with a leg kick and scores a big hop toss and works from side control. After sticking a knee into the belly, he then gets careless, and Cacdac escapes. Back to the center of the cage, the fighters trade kicks before Palacios catches a straight kick and briefly shoves his opponent to the mat. After some sloppy punches from both competitors, Cacdac lands a stiff right and follows with another. Palacios answers with a leg kick and then goes high, but the kick is checked. After Palacios whiffs on a high kick, Cacdac ducks and shoots. Palacios gets back to his feet, but Cacdac pins him against the fence and secures the single-leg takedown. Once on the mat, though, Palacios sprawls free and takes the top position and works for a kimura while in full guard. He doesn't have the position, though, and instead looks for the arm-bar. Cacdac reverses the position and connects on a few short punches and hammerfists as the round comes to a close. MMAjunkie.com gives the really close round to Jose Palacios.
Round 2 - Cacdac strikes early with punches and low kicks but eats a kick to the body for the effort. He then shoots while Palacios tries to sprawl and absorbs sharp elbows to the sides when left in a vulnerable position. Cacdac tries to break free, but Palacios transitions nicely into a triangle choke. Cacdac tries to escape, but Palacios remains patient. Heeding the advice of cornermen Cung Le and Josh Thomson, Palacios looks frazzled when Cacdac escapes and takes the top position. Palacios tries to escape, but Cacdac quickly takes his opponent's back, locks in a rear-naked choke and forces the tap-out seconds later. Alvin Cacdac def. Jose Palacios via submission (rear-naked choke) -- Round 2, 3:10.
DARREN UYENOYAMA VS. BRAD ROYSTER
Round 1 - Royster throws an early combination, but Uyenoyama avoids the strikes. Uyenoyama shoots in and eats a right, and Royster tries to lock in a guillotine before he's taken to the mat. Uyenoyama works from inside guard, free one leg and then collapses on his opponent when he tries to escape. Royster gets to his feet, so Uyenoyama jumps on his back and forces the fight back to the mat. Uyenoyama first goes for the rear-naked choke, but the fight is halted for some reason, and Uyenoyama is issued a warning. (We're not sure for what, though.) Back to the center of the cage, the fighters trade shots. Uyenoyama continually ducks under the punches and shoots. His second try is successful and he takes top position working for a guillotine. He then moves it into a neck crank but is put on his back as Royster stands over him. Uyenoyama looks for upkicks and works the rubber guard, and he finally lands some kicks from his back before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com has it 10-9 for Uyenoyama.
Round 2 - Uyenoyama tries a head kick and then eats a counter-combination from Royster. Uyenoyama, though, scores the takedown and works from inside his opponent's guard. Uyenoyama lands a few short punches, but the action slows until he successfully works to side control and then into full mount. Royster rolls over to avoid punishment, and Uyenoyama looks for the rear-naked choke. A few punches distract Royster enough for Uyenoyama to lock in his hooks. Royster rolls over, and Uyenoyama again has the mount. Royster turtles close to his opponent's body and temporarily staves off Uyenoyama's offense. Uyenoyama works the ground and pound and then stands and delivers some lunging punches from the standing position. Royster tries to roll free, but Uyenoyama swarms back on top of him and again secures the mount position. After securing an arm-bar, Royster tapped, but the referee missed it. Uyenoyama is now on his back and Royster stands over him but does nothing as the round comes to a close. MMAjunkie.com gives the lopsided round to Uyenoyama, 10-8.
Round 3 - Little action early as neither fighter wants to engage. Uyenoyama goes high with a telegraphed kick and is backed up when Royster throws a looping right that misses. We're a minute into the round, and a once-exciting fight has crawled to a near-stop. Royster throws another looping right and follows with a leg kick that finally finds its mark. The crowd goes restless as we pass the halfway point of the fight with virtually no action. Roster again throws a looping right and then two short leg kicks that do nothing. Uyenoyama is apparently looking to counter and has showed nothing in this round as we enter the final two minutes. Royster misses with the Superman punch but connects on a leg kick. Uyenoyama shakes it off and again retreats. Royster may have clipped Uyenoyama with a right, and they hit the mat. Uyenoyama takes top position and secures guard and then rains down punches from above. A deep gash has opened above Uyenoyama's eye and drenches Royster with a steady stream of blood as the round ends. MMAjunkie.com gives the lackluster round to Royster, 10-9. Darren Uyenoyama def. Brad Royster via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
NIK THEOTIKOS VS. LUKE ROCKHOLD
Round 1 - Theotikos shoots to avoid a punch and then quickly locks in a guillotine choke as he falls to his back. It takes Rockhold a good 30 seconds to escape, but once he does, he works from inside guard and unleashed punches to the midsection. The punches continue in bunches, and Theotikos's left side is already red. Theotikos tries to stave off the assault and pulls his opponent close, but Rockhold continues with punches to the same area. With Theotikos now pinned against the fence, Theotikos is able to create some distance, but Rockhold takes his back from a sitting position. Rockhold secures both hooks and then secures the rear-naked choke and forces the tap-out just seconds later. Luke Rockhold def. Nik Theotikos via submission (rear-naked choke) -- Round 1, 3:06.
LUKE STEWART VS. JOE RIGGS
Round 1 - Stewart with an early leg kick, and after a clinch, he scores the trip takedown. Working from inside his opponent's guard, Stewart can do little with the dominant position, and Riggs returns to his feet. With Riggs pinned against the fence, Stewart tries a single-leg takedown, but Riggs fends off the attempts and then reverses the position. After creating some distance, Riggs connects ona s olid right, and the fighters return to the center of the cage. Stewart misses with a head kick but shoots and takes Riggs back to the mat. Riggs uses the cage and his back to shimmy back to his feet. Stewart clings to him, though, and then works from inside guard. He quickly frees one leg, but and then tries to transition into the mount. He settles for side control. Riggs reclaims one leg briefly, but Stewart returns to the mount. However, Riggs shuts down the offense to get to the end of the round. MMAjunkie.com has it 10-9 for Stewart.
Round 2 - After a touch of the gloves,Stewart throws kicks to set up the shoot. Riggs fends it off as Stewart clinches against the fence. Riggs easily secures the trip takedown and works from inside Stewart's guard for a change. A few wild shots clip Stewart but seem to do little damage. A right cross, though, finds its mark, and he follows with another and then a left cross. A few elbows and big punches from above follow, and a left-right combination daze Stewart event as he gets back to his feet. Riggs drops him with another punch, and after a few follow-up shots, referee "Big" John McCarthy -- in his first fight back since coming out of retirement -- halts the contest and awards Riggs the victory. Joe Riggs def. Luke Stewart via TKO (strikes) -- Round 2, 2:05.
KIM COUTURE VS. LINA KVOKOV
Round 1 - Couture opens up early with a combination of punches and follows with a solid knee and more damage from the Thai clinch. Couture continues the assault even as Kvokov retreats and turns her back. Couture follows with a knee to the midsection. Kvokov slows the action with a clinch, but after they break, Couture lands a series of big right hands before Kvokov finally has had enough. The referee jumps in to stop the bout, and Kvokov drops to the mat afterward. Couture dominated the fight from the opening bell. Kim Couture def. Lina Kvokov via TKO (strikes) -- Round 1, 1:44.
YVES EDWARDS VS. DUANE "BANG" LUDWIG
Round 1 - Edwards shoots early and puts Ludwig against the fence. Ludwig tries to sprawl free but is forced to the mat. Ludwig is already cut -- but it's coming from his back, of all places. Edwards frees one leg and works to free the second. The pace slows, though, and Edwards eventually opts for side control. Edwards continues trying to improve his position and uses a few hammerfists as a distraction tactic. Ludwig reclaims full guard, but Edwards again frees a leg. Yet again, though, Edwards is again working from inside full guard. Ludwig tries to kick himself free but eats a combination when he allows room from which Edwards can maneuver. Back inside guard, Edwards again looks to improve his position while offering no damage in the process. Edwards frees a leg and offers a few punches before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores a methodical and efficient round for Edwards, 10-9.
Round 2 - The fighters trade shots early, and Edwards partially connects on a flying knee to the belly. Ludwig easily shakes it off and connects on a body kick. Edwards shoots and trips Ludwig to the mat. Ludwig, though, quickly returns to his feet and tags his opponent with a knee on the way up. Ludwig lands some punches and knees once they're back to their feet, but after checking a kick, Edwards again forces the fight to the mat. He frees a leg on his way down but draws the ire of the crowd when he carefully looks to improve the position. Edwards move to side control, but Ludwig shuts down his opponent's efforts. Edwards nearly secures the mount, but Ludwig uses the opportunity to get back to his feet. He shoves Edwards into the fence and after an effort, takes the fight to the mat. Edwards quickly returns to his feet and returns the favor by putting Ludwig on his back. Edwards throws some elbows but can do little from inside the guard. The crowd begins booing with a minute left in the round. Edwards sneaks through some punches, but the distances allows Ludwig to get back to his feet. Edwards is pinned against the fence and delivers a knee to the body. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Edwards.
Round 3 - The fighters tentatively trade strikes before Ludwig takes the lead and glances Edwards with a head kick. Both fighters begin to miss with wild shots and negate each other's efforts in the clinch. After tumbling to the mat, Ludwig takes the top position and works from inside his opponent's guard. Edwards ties him up from below and initially avoids Ludwig's elbow strikes and attempted shots to the body. The crowd again becomes restless with the stalemate, and Ludwid throws -- but misses on -- some punches from above. A quickly flurry of rights get throuygh, but Edwards returns to his feet and delivers some knees to the midsection. The fighters clinch and take turns trading ineffective knees. Another lull in the action again forces the crowd to boo. After a separation, Ludwig starts to connect on some kicks, but Edwards shoots for the trip-takedown and takes the fight to the mat. Ludwig quickly returns to his feet and works for the guillotine, but has neither the angle nor the time to do anything with it, and the fight comes to a welcomed end. MMAjunkie.com scores the final round for Ludwig, 10-9. Duane Ludwig def. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
CHAMP BOBBY SOUTHWORTH VS. RENATO "BABALU" SOBRAL
Round 1 - Southworth gets a nice ovation for this five-round title fight and is the clear crowd favorite. After a touch of the gloves, we're underway. The fighters trade punches, and Sobral dips for a takedown. Southworth reverses the position and pins him against the cage. Southworth dips for a single-leg takedown and secures it, frees both legs and works from the dominant side control position. Sobral reclaims guard and looks for submissions from below, but Southworth escapes and again gets side control. Sobral tries to back out and to his feet, and does just that seconds later. Southworth is now pressed aginst the cage, and Sobral delivers knees to the body. The fighters jockey for position against the fence, Southworth complains of a low blow (but McCarthy gives him no reprieve). After trading some knees, the pace slows, and the fighters are restarted in the center of the cage. Sobral shoots, but Southworth sprawls to avoid the takedown and delivers a soft knee to the body. Sobral uncorks a nice elbow strike and cuts open a gash above Southworth's eye. This could be a fight-stopper as the cut is checked. The doctor takes a look, and Southworth is allowed to continue. With 10 seconds remaining, Southworth lands a right hand that forces Sobral to trip to the mat. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Southworth.
Much to the dismay of the crowd and Southworth, the fight is called between rounds. Renato "Babalu" Sobral def. Bobby Southworth via TKO (cut) to become the new Strikeforce world light heavyweight champion -- Round 1, 5:00.
TERRY MARTIN VS. SCOTT SMITH
Round 1 - We're underway in our main event, and the fighters test their jabs early. Smith immediately drops Martin with a quick right cross to the button, and Herb Dean jumps in to halt the bout. Scott Smith def. Terry Martin via TKO (strikes) -- Round 1, 0:24.
* * * *
(We return to post-main event preliminary fights after the Martin-Smith headline bout.)
LAMONT DAVIS VS. BRIAN SCHWARTZ
Round 1 - Davis charges in quickly to negate Schwartz's sizable reach advantage. With his back to the cage, Schwartz fires a few elbows and inside knees, but Davis maintains the pressure in the clinch. Schwartz works his right hand free and scores to Davis' body. Davis drops Schwartz, but backs away and allows him to stand and recover. A side kick to the body causes Schwartz to wince, and Davis again clinches. Schwartz scores a knee inside, but Davis backs away and peppers Schwartz with a four-punch combo. Back to the center of the cage, and Schwartz scores a kick to Davis' shoulder. The round closes, and MMAjunkie.com scores it for Davis, 10-9.
Round 2 - Schwartz opens with a jab, then a pair of low kicks. Davis clinches again to avoid the distance gap. Schwartz scores with an elbow to the back of Davis' head, and referee Herb Dean deducts a point. After a brief stoppage, Davis signals he can continue. Schwartz scores on the outside, but Davis moves forward, pushing Schwartz against the cage. Schwartz lands a knee, and Davis backs away. Davis scores a low kick, but Schwartz connects with a counter-right hand. Schwartz scores with a left hand, then a kick to the body. Davis is dropped, and Schwartz hits him with a kick on the ground. The blow is illegal, and Dean is forced to deduct a second point. Davis was wobbled in the exchange, and doctors want to clear him before the fight continues. All is fine, and Schwartz again pushes forward to end the frame. After the deductions, MMAjunkie.com scores the round for David, 9-8. Yep, 9-8.
Round 3 - Schwartz scores with a right hand, and the San Jose crowd is firmly on his side. Davis clinches, then backs away. A series of punches wobbles Davis. The woozy fighter moves inside, but Schwartz is beginning to muscle him in the clinch. Davis rests against the cage, and Schwartz looks as if it's target practice. Davis moves away, bobbing and weaving as best he can, but Schwartz is scoring. Davis moves to the center, and a big right hand drops him to the floor. Schwartz doesn't follow as Dean steps in to halt the contest. Brian Schwartz def. Lamont Davis via TKO (punch) -- Round 3, 2:22
JOSH NEAL VS. KURT OSIANDER
Round 1 - Osiander shoots in quickly, but Neal stuffs the attempt and scores with a flurry of punches. Osiander repeats the move, and it costs him a second time. Osiander persists into a clinch, and is able to finally work the fight to the mat. Osiander sets up in side control, but Neal stands. Osiander controls his opponent against the cage, but Neal works free when Osiander looks to strike. Neal lands a big right hand, but Osiander answers back with one of his own in the middle of a flurry. Neal is dropped, and Osiander pounces. Three crisp strikes to the head, and referee "Big" John McCarthy calls a halt to the bout. Kurt Osiander def. Josh Neal via TKO (punches) -- Round 1, 2:16.
TONY JOHNSON VS. ERIC LAWSON
Round 1 - Cautious start. Lawsen, who has a devout cheering section, looks to shoot. Johnson stuffs and backs away. Johnson connects with a right kick to the body. Lawsen catches it, but is unable to bring the fight down. Johnson scores with a stiff right hand, but Lawsen lands one of his own, flooring the taller striker. As Johnson scrambles back to his feet, Lawsen takes his back and sinks in a deep rear-naked choke. Johnson tries to resist, but is forced to tap. Eric Lawsen def. Tony Johnson via submission (rear-naked choke) -- Round 1, 1:28.
CYRILLO PADILHA VS. BOBBY STACK
Round 1 - A pro-Stack crows cheers as the fight opens. Stack moves forward behind a flurry of punches, and secures the clinch. A quick scramble sees Stack on top of Padilha, but Stack moves back to his feet. Stack scores with a big right hand, dropping Padilha violently against the cage. Stack follows with rapid ground and pound, but Padilha recovers quickly. Stack eventually returns to his feet. Stack scores with a front kick, then a roundhouse. Another flurry drops Padilha. Stack smothers his opponent on the ground, then stands as the bell rings. MMAjunkie.com scores the three-minute round for Stack, 10-9.
Round 2 - Padilha scores with an inside leg kick. Both fighters land punches in a furious exchange on the feet. Stack tosses Padilha to the floor, and sets up from inside Padilha's guard. Padilha hold his opponent tight, but Stack is able to pass to half-guard. From there, Stack breaks free of the grip and stands. Stack is breathing hard, but stands in the pocket with his smaller opponent. Padilha clinches and scores a trip. Stack now pulls guard, The round ends there. Closer than the first, but MMAjunkie.com still awards the frame to Stack, 10-9.
Round 3 - Padilha scores with a low kick but Stack answers back with a four-punch combo. Stack shoots in, but Padilha sprawls and looks to take Stack's back. Stack is able to escape and end up in Padilha's guard. The action stalls, and the referee stands the fighters. Padilha pushes forward and lands a right hand that hurts Stack. Padilha moves in to clinch, but Stack will not be taken down. Padilha lands a few knees inside. Padilha works to the end, and MMAjunkie.com awards him the final round. It won't be enough, however, as MMAjunkie.com sees the fight for Stack, 29-28. Bobby Stack def. Cyrillo Padilha via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
Maybe this is was Babalu needs to get his career back to near the top.
Quote from: Cory on November 22, 2008, 01:58:23 PM
Maybe this is was Babalu needs to get his career back to near the top.
True dat. We'll see what happens.
In all 8 seasons of TUF, list your top 3 favorite fighters from that show. Don't judge it based on how good a fighter they are, base it on who's personality you liked the most and who you would most like to hang out with or who you think is most similar to you. I'll start: (also you can list your least favorites too if you feel like typing more lol)
TUF 1:
(favorites)
1. Forrest Griffin: Helluva guy, goofy as hell but when it's time to train and fight, he's as intense and hard working as can be.
2. Nate Quarry: He really impressed me on this show as far as his attitude goes. He represents the sport very well, he's very mature and also can be pretty funny if he wants. He seems like a real cool dude.
3. Stephen Bonnar: Real cool dude, he's very intelligent too. He won me over as a fan on this show when I was watching it.
(Least-favorites)
1. Bobby Southworth: He just come across as a whiny little complainer. He doesn't seem like that bad a guy now, I mean I have nothing against him but when watching this show I just didn't like him.
2. Sam Hoger: dude stole everyone's shirts and hats and shit, that would piss anyone off lol.
3. Josh Rafferty: He wasn't seen much on the show so it might be unfair to base a decision off the guy from the bits and pieces I saw on a edited reality show... but from what I did see he just didn't seem like he had the right attitude, but I have nothing against him or anything.
TUF Season 2:
(favorites)
1. Marcus Davis: He just seems like a really nice guy, but when it comes to fighting he's a tough bad ass Irishman lol!
2. Jorge Gurgel: I liked him on this show, though I was shocked he didn't at least make it to the semi finals.
3. Joe Stevenson: Seemed real cool, kinda crazy at times and a bit annoying on the show but a real fun dude to chill with none the less.
(least favorites)
1. Kenny something another: I can't remember this guy's last name, but he was the pussy who quit on the first episode because he could cut weight or something, but yet before this he was bragging about how he would beat everyone up LOL!
2. Eli something: Another pussy who quit because the "cameras were bothering him"
3. Melvin Guillard: I like him now... but on the show I thought he was a cocky fuck. He still is, but I'm a fan of his now lol.
TUF Season 3:
(favorites)
1. Matt Hammil: The first deaf fighter I ever saw, he instantly won me over as a fan.
2. Michael Bisping: Kinda annoying on this show, but compared to everyone else he seemed pretty cool lol, and I like him a lot more now than I did while he was on the show.
3. Ross Pointon: Good ole' Ross, he's got the warrior spirit! Gotta love this kid, though he seemed kinda stubborn and over confident on the show.
(Least favorites)
Gee pretty much everyone else LOL! Everyone else on this show was either a douchebag or just an annoying little cunt haha. Worst season of TUF IMO. If it wasn't for coaches Tito and Shamrock and their rivalry I would not have even watched season 3.
TUF Season 4:
(favorites)
1. Matt Serra: My boy right here! lol. We're both from Long Island so I might be biased, and also my old martial arts instructor is a blue belt under Matt, but none the less I really liked Matt on this show. Very funny guy, down to earth and loyal to his teammates, he really helped those guys out a lot. Plus his stand off with Marc Laimon is one of my all time favorite TUF moments haha!
2. Patrick Cote: Funniest accent in MMA next to GSP! LOL! This guy is cool as hell, I liked him a lot on this show and I still like him now.
3. Chris Lytle: I'll quote Din Thomas here "if you don't like Chris Lytle then YOU have a problem, Chris is a great guy".
4. Pete Sell: Gotta love Drago! He's cool enough to get a mention here haha.
(Least favorites)
1. Charles McCarthy: Captain... MISERABLE! LOLOL! Nuff said!
2. Jeremy Jackson: Guy who hopped over the fence to get him some booty from some random chubby chick and got kicked off for it... nuff said!
3. Pete Spratt: It's not that I don't like him, he's a really nice guy... but he didn't seem all that confident on this show, he beat himself up mentally before both of his fights.
TUF season 5:
(favorites)
1. Gray Maynard: Just a real straight forward kinda guy, a hard worker in the gym too.
2. Joe Lauzon: No real reason, I just like him I guess. He seems kinda dorky but he's intense as hell when it's time to train and fight, and he was very eager to train and learn from BJ Penn.
3. Nate Diaz: He's just like his bro lol, he's kinda... annoying with the whole "ghetto boy gangsta" deal he's got going on for him, but I do like the guy and would love to meet him some day. Now I don't like how he and his bro flip people off and flash their gang symbols, that shit pisses me off but other than that I love the Diaz bros lol!
(least favorites)
1. Marlon Sims: bitch
2. Gabe Roudiger: bitch
3. Noah Thomas: bitch
nuff said! lol
TUF season 6:
(favorites)
1. Ben Saunders: seemed like the coolest of the bunch.
2. Matt Arroyo: same as Ben
3. John Kolosci: I liked his attitude.
(least favorites)
1. Richie Hightower: idk, I wanted Mac to smash him.
2. War Machine: Y'know I liked the guy on the show actually, but now I can tell he's not a very nice guy. He thinks he's like Chuck Liddell or something when he's not even close to being on that level yet, and he's always talking badly about the UFC ever since his release. He just thinks the whole world is out to get him or something, he should relax.
3. Joe Scarola: You know I like the guy and I think he's a really cool guy but he left the show because of his girlfriend.... that pissed me off because the guy could have went far in the tourney if he actually focused on it, he could have submitted Mac, Joey is VERY GOOD at Jiu-Jitsu and he didn't get to showcase his skills on this show at all.
TUF Season 7:
(favorites)
1. Tim Credeur
2. Amir
3. Dan Cramer
(least favorites)
Only one... Jeremy May. Everyone else seemed cool.
TUF Season 8:
(favorites)
1. Ryan Bader
2. Philipe Nover
3. Efrain Escudero
(least favorites)
1. Dave Kaplan
2. Junie Browning (though I'm starting to like him now)
3. Shane Nelson
Favourites: Ross Pointon, Michael Bisping, Junie Browning, Nate Diaz, Tommy Speer and Shonie Carter!
Fuck You: Anyone with no personality.
Fuck all your choices, Stanky FTW!
Is going to be HUGE! They have not mentioned any match ups yet or hinted at anything... but you know it's gotta be huge, I mean come on it's their 100th event.
What are some match ups you'd like to see or think we will see on UFC 100?
LOL WAR STANKIE!
Thiago Silva for the 205 belt.
That is all.
Dan Severn Vs a Sandwich.
Dana White Vs. Kimbo Slice
How bout Wanderlei Silva vs. Anderson Silva? That would be a huge fight for a huge event like this.
Yeh that would be sick...I want to see that fight bad.
Here are some other interesting fights I thought of: Tell me if you like any of em'
1. Nate Diaz vs. Tyson Griffin
2. Dan Severn vs. Royce Gracie II (just for the old school aspect)
3. Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin
4. Anderson Silva vs. Wanderlei Silva
5. BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch
6. Chuck Liddell vs. Thiago Silva
7. Frank Mir vs. Randy Couture
8. Shogun Rua vs. Lyoto Machida
9. Kenny Florian vs. Sean Sherk II
10. Rich Franklin vs. Quinton “Rampage†Jackson
http://www.tatame.com.br/2008/11/21/Werdum-comenta-saida-do-UFC (http://www.tatame.com.br/2008/11/21/Werdum-comenta-saida-do-UFC)
I wish he would have won his last fight. I love Werdum, very underrated and a really good fighter. I guess I had high expectations of him.
it's in Portuguese?
Gary, I need your cuban ass to translate this shit.
He said he only recently found out he was cut by the UFC. Said the reason was that after his fight against Dos Santos the UFC tried to renegotiate his contract and cut his pay to half of what he was making, his manager refused and then they cut him. He also says he would have liked to stay in the UFC and he would have no problem signing the video game thing. Finally he says he could fight the best fighter in the world (Fedor) in Affliction.
from:mmajunkie.com
After competing in three legendary light-heavyweight fights, former UFC champions Randy Couture (16-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC) and Chuck Liddell (21-6 MMA, 16-5 UFC) could now meet during a heavyweight encounter at a June 13 event in Cologne, Germany.
The report comes from the U.K.-based The Sun, which cites UFC officials as saying Liddell has been offered the heavyweight main event.
Couture recently lost his heavyweight belt to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91. Liddell, meanwhile, has dropped three of his four past fights at light heavyweight, but he's made no public statement regarding a potential move up to heavyweight.
A source told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that Couture is open to a fourth Liddell fight, but we've been unable to confirm is the fight has been offered to Liddell.
With the event apparently in the works for Germany, it should come as little surprise that the UFC invited a small contingent of German press to UFC 91 to see Couture's main event with Lesnar. The 45-year-old Couture speaks German and has long been considered a likely headliner once the UFC does head to Germany, a market UFC officials have continually mentioned as a site for future expansion.
Couture and Liddell took part in a popular trilogy of fights that played out between 2003 and 2006. Couture scored a third-round TKO at UFC 43 to win the first match-up for the interim light heavyweight title (former champ Tito Ortiz had been stripped of the title), but the 38-year-old Liddell won back the belt and made a successful title defense over Couture with knockout wins at UFC 52 and UFC 57.
* * * *
With Liddell potentially tied up with the Germany event, he is apparently no longer being considered as an opponent for Anderson Silva at UFC 95 in London, England.
The Sun reported the possibility of the bout, and though not opposed to the fight, Silva's manager, Ed Soares, last week told MMAjunkie.com that the UFC had not officially approached them about it.
The newspaper now reports that Silva, the UFC's current middleweight champion, could instead meet one of the losers from UFC 92's two marquee 205-pound fights: UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans or Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson.
The fight would take place at 205 pounds as a non-title affair.
I hope not.
I think if this fight goes down, the losers career would pretty much be over.
Truth, I really am not all that interested in seeing this fight again. It was a great trilogy... but there should not be a fourth fight IMO.
I'd much rather see Chuck fight someone else, maybe Stephen Bonnar? Or someone else. Hell, I still would really like to see him fight Anderson Silva eventually.
And I'd like to see Randy stay at HW.
MMAJUNKIE-
MMAjunkie.com: In light of the recent statement in which you mentioned you'd like to fight Brock Lesnar, I'm interested to know if you saw UFC 91 and the fight between Randy Couture and Lesnar, and what your thoughts were.
Fedor Emelianenko: I think it was a good fight. It was a very interesting fight. I was very impressed with how accurate Randy was, and like a lot of fights at this level, sometimes the fights come down to which opponent takes advantage of the other opponent's mistakes, and Brock got quite lucky.
MMAjunkie.com: Do you feel Lesnar's size advantage was the determining factor in this fight?
Fedor Emelianenko: I think to some extent size makes a difference. I don't think it's the ultimate deciding factor. I think it was probably, to some extent, a factor in the fight. But it all depends on the other opponent in the ring. Some people deal with size differently. In this particular fight, it certainly played a factor.
MMAjunkie.com: Going back to what you said, you felt Lesnar may have gotten "lucky." If Lesnar and Couture were to rematch, do you believe Couture would win?
Fedor Emelianenko: I don't know. It's hard to say. It's hard to predict, but I think in reality the result could be different.
MMAjunkie.com: In the statement released by M-1, it says you're interested in a fight with Lesnar. How would you expect the fight to play out if you were to fight him?
Fedor Emelianenko: It's a difficult thing to talk about. There very well could be a time in the future I might fight Lesnar, and I can't release or divulge any secrets with the way I feel the fight would play out.
MMAjunkie.com: Again, going back to the statement, do you feel that this attention on Lesnar and Couture may overshadow your upcoming fight with Andrei Arlovski? Do you feel he could take it as you being disrespectful?
Fedor Emelianenko: No, I don't think so. In the near future, I have a fight with Arlovski. All I'm concentrating on is that fight. I don't think Andrei would be angered by the fact -- the fact is that both of us and all three of us will have careers past our next fights. And if fate were to bring Lesnar and I together, then there's no use not talking about it right now.
MMAjunkie.com: You were originally scheduled to fight Arlovski in October, but the fight was scratched due to your hand injury. Now that the fight is back on for January, I think a lot of fans are interested in knowing how the hand is doing and whether it'll be a factor in the fight.
Fedor Emelianenko: No, thank God everything with the hand is fine. I don't think the previous hand injury is going to create any problems with my next fight.
MMAjunkie.com: Aside from the Arlovski fight, assuming contracts and politics weren't an issue, what would your ideal fight schedule be for 2009?
Fedor Emelianenko: The main qualification is that I want to fight guys I haven't fought before, and I want to fight guys who are the best and are rated top 10 in the world. As long as I am able to do that in the upcoming year, then I'll be happy with how my career is continuing.
MMAjunkie.com: You're 32. Have you given any thought to a potential retirement date, or is that still a ways off?
Fedor Emelianenko: I haven't given any retirement thoughts yet. All I think about is continuing to fight. As long as I have the strength and the will, I think the right thing is for me to continue fighting.
I guess I have to pray to the MMA Gods that this doesn't happen. No interest in seeing this fight again. He should fight the loser of Mir/Nog.
from: sherdog
Although persistent rumors have been flying around for the past month regarding Pride grand prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop†Filipovic looking to lock horns with Dutch knockout artist Alistair Overeem again following their ill-fated Sept. 23 clash, no official confirmation for their Dec. 31 rematch at K-1 “Dynamite 2008†has been issued so far by promoter Fighting & Entertainment Group.
The distinguished heavyweight pair’s first encounter ended in a no contest after Filipovic (23-6-1, 1 NC) complained of repeated knees to the groin and the referee concurred.
“I’m afraid Mirko is trying to run from me again,†Overeem recently told Sherdog.com. “FEG wants to make it happen, I would like nothing more than get my hands on him again and I know that the fans would like to see a definite ending as well, so the only obstacle here is Cro Cop. He’s the one who hasn’t signed the contract yet and he’s the one who is trying to avoid fighting me again because he knows that he will get his ass kicked again.â€
The 28-year-old “Demolition Man†did not want to talk tactics should his second meeting with the Croatian come to fruition, but did reveal one alteration he is planning.
“I won’t use any knee strikes to the body this time, so he won’t have any chance to wimp out of the fight again,†he said.
Strikeforce heavyweight champion Overeem (29-11, 1 NC), who still has three fights left on his current contact with the Dream promotion, will entertain offers from other promotions starting next summer. His management at Golden Glory has held loose talks with the UFC in the past, but those have been at a very early stage. Still, the 6-foot-5 kickboxer would not rule out a move to the Octagon should a good offer come along.
from: mmaweekly
Just after saying hello to his first child a week ago, "Ultimate Fighter" season 6 winner Mac Danzig is ready to get back to work. He will face Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 17 on Feb. 7 at the Palms in Las Vegas.
Danzig made the announcement via his MySpace page on Sunday.
In his last fight out, Danzig dropped a unanimous decision to Clay Guida in a tough fight between two very experienced ground fighters. Now, he looks to get back on track against a heavy-handed opponent in Josh Neer.
Neer recently lost a close decision to Nate Diaz at UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha, but he has been rapidly improving over the past few fights. He should prove to be a very tough test for Danzig.
The two lightweights are expected to be a featured bout on the card that will also feature "Ultimate Fighter" season 7 winner Amir Sadollah against Nick Catone.
The event is expected to originate from the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas on Feb. 7, although the UFC has still made no official announcement about the event, as of yet.
meh, dont particulary like both guys, but Danzig is quite good.
sometimes I like Danzig, and then sometimes I don't lol.
But I do hope he wins, I got nothing against Neer though.
I'm more excited about Amir's fight though lol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObzT1hRIMvU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObzT1hRIMvU)
Fuck me, that'd be awesome.
COming out with Thiago Silva against Lyoto Machida....shit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N68vThrjm48 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N68vThrjm48)
Man, that guy gets fucked up by the cops.
I'll come out with Machida! ;D
LMAO!
That's crazy as hell. Why were they fighting?
Pure chaos...I don't even know who is fighting. I watched it 3 times, and each time I see someone else in it lol.
Throw them all in the cage with eachother.
from: mmaweekly.com
Recently knocked off his featherweight perch by Mike Brown, Urijah Faber will make a quick turn and get right back in the cage on Jan. 25 at WEC 38. A little more surprising, however, may be whom he will be facing. Sources close to the bout tell MMAWeekly.com that Faber will rematch Jens Pulver at the San Diego event.
Although bout agreements have yet to be signed, sources indicate that both sides have verbally agreed to the rematch. Faber bested Pulver in a five-round war in their original outing on June 1 in Sacramento, Calif.
As mentioned, Faber is coming off of a knockout loss to current WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown. The defeat was his first as a featherweight and only the second of his career. Faber's first defeat was a lightweight bout against current UFC contender Tyson Griffin. He is still ranked No. 2 in the world as a featherweight.
Pulver is also coming off of a loss. At the same WEC 36 event in Hollywood, Fla., where Faber lost his title, Pulver lost his bid to return to contention. Greg Jackson-trained fighter Leonard Garcia â€" now the likely No. 1 contender to Mike Brown â€" TKO'd Pulver in the opening round.
Faber and Pulver's first bout was World Extreme Cagefighting's most successful event to date. WEC 34 drew 12,001 fans and recorded gate receipts of $738,855, according to the California State Athletic Commission.
That was in Faber's hometown of Sacramento, but moving south to San Diego likely won't have much of a negative effect, as Faber is an extremely popular fighter throughout California. The pair's first bout was also considered one of the WEC's â€" if not MMA's â€" most exciting of the year.
Early speculation had paired Faber with rising featherweight talent Jose Aldo at WEC 38, but negotiations for that fight apparently fell apart in recent days.
Although MMAWeekly.com sources say that the fight between Faber and Pulver is all but signed, management for neither fighter would confirm the bout when contacted for comment at the time of publication.
Badass!!
I would only do it if UFC signs Gina Carano though ;D
from:mmaweekly
The remaining representatives from near-defunct fight promotion ProElite are doing what they can to stop EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields from leaving the fold.
Shields’ manager and father, Jack Shields, on Monday told MMAWeekly.com that an unnamed lawyer representing ProElite informed him on Saturday that his son was not a free agent.
The elder Shields, along with several fight managers under the ProElite umbrella, in late October sent the company a “notice of breach†letter asking them to fulfill their promotional and payment obligations within 30 days or their contracts would be abandoned.
ProElite responded to the letters on or around Nov. 3, stating they were in the process of “downsizing†and said they planned to continue promoting in early 2009. They also stated that EliteXC fighters needed express written consent to fight for other promotions.
According to Shields, the same lawyer contacted him on Nov. 12 to discuss the company’s standing, and claimed it had righted problems with the California State Athletic Commission. On Nov. 6, former CSAC Executive Officer Armando Garcia suspended the promoter’s license of ProElite in one of his last actions at the agency.
“He said the athletic commission suspended the license when they heard the news reports of ProElite going out of business, but they were reinstated now,†said Shields.
MMAWeekly.com on Monday confirmed with new CSAC Assistant Executive Officer Bill Douglas that he had indeed reversed the suspension and that ProElite and King of the Cage both had their promotional licenses reinstated.
It is unclear whether the lawyer promised legal action if Shields continued to pursue opportunities for his son. He is currently consulting with a lawyer to verify the legality of the decision to field offers from other fight promotions. Until then, he remains where most ProElite fighters do â€" in a holding pattern.
Nevertheless, Shields sounded optimistic he could free the champ.
“I want to try and get him in a good situation,†Shields said.
still. That cop fucked that guy up, literally tossed him like 3 feet back...and the cop looked like a mall cop, lol.
Quote from: JohnS. on November 25, 2008, 06:49:54 PM
Badass!!
I would only do it if UFC signs Gina Carano though ;D
Good call on that one.
Then they'd have to ass "Take the Fighter Home" option too..... :D
meh.
yeah, Gina's mine. Sorry bro. She loves her some barely legal aged Canadians.....bahaha.
Sorry, Ginas around my age. ;)
Am I the only one noticing the chick ran to the guy, started shit with him, both took a tumble? THAT CHICK STARTED IT AND MAYBE WHY THEY FELL! LOL
just though I'd mention that this card blows ass.......
Fucking crazy bitches.
Her boob came out right after they fell down. Watch closely.
LMFAO oh shit!!
it's not that bad for a free show though, but I agree it's not a card to jump up for joy about lol, though it's free so I'll watch.
Kos vs. Yoshida should be a hell of a fight though.
As should Swick-Goulet and Edgar-Wiman (my prediction for fight of the night btw)
Shouldn't be too bad, but I'm more pumped up for the TUF Finale (which I won't even be able to watch cause I'll be moving that day) and UFC 92.
lol Judge is the man...Good spot.
Sorry, I'm sexier and more swaggerific than both of you. Stop jockin my fresh. ;)
http://sherdog.com/news/news/arona-plans-2009-return-15298 (http://sherdog.com/news/news/arona-plans-2009-return-15298)
This kind of makes me happy.. kinda real happy. He was a top 10 LHW.
http://sportal.vecernji.hr/vld/sportal/ostalo/borilacki/3198854/index.do (http://sportal.vecernji.hr/vld/sportal/ostalo/borilacki/3198854/index.do)
Its in Croatian but here's the translation.
Mirko Filipovic’s patience has run out. We can’t remember the last time Mirko called us to make a statement. Usually it takes big effort to get some information out of him. But apparently Overeem’s last comments were the final straw. After a salvo of trash talk from Overeem, Crocop decided to respond.
After the no contest because of low blows Overeem stated Mirko was afraid of him and that there will be no rematch.
I don’t like this war of words through the media but the man has called me out so many time, which by the way the internet media have gladly reported about, that I fell my silence would mean confirming what he is saying.
The strongest Croat decided to issue a challenge to Overeem. He’s challenging Overeen to a fight in his home basement in Zagreb.
“So people wouldn’t think I’m afraid of him, Overeem doesn’t have to wait for New year’s eve or some other date next year to fight me. If he doesn’t believe I don’t get to choose my opponent and that maybe Dream doesn’t want us to fight on New year then he can come to Zagreb next weekend and we can fight in my cage with neutral referees.
We’ll set up accomodation for him and his team and Nova TV can set up a live coverage of the fight which could be seen on the internet around the globe.â€
“ Should he not show up I urge him to stop calling me out until the rematch happens. He has an opportunity to prove what he’s been saying where he won’t be payed.We’ll fight for honour.
I hope so, the Brazilian Tiger kicks ass!
http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/11/26/josh-barnett-vs-brett-rogers-possible-for-afflictions-day-of-reckoning/ (http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/11/26/josh-barnett-vs-brett-rogers-possible-for-afflictions-day-of-reckoning/)
Multiple sources have informed FiveOuncesOfPain.com within the last 24 hours that Affliction Entertainment officials are currently attempting to secure EliteXC-contracted heavyweight Brett Rogers for a possible Jan. 24 clash with Josh Barnett.
Affliction’s Jan. 24 show, titled “Day of Reckoning,†will air on Showtime pay-per-view and will emanate from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The event will be headlined by Fedor Emelianenko defending the WAMMA heavyweight title vs. former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.
Barnett has been advertised for the event but no opponent has been announced. While a deal is not yet in place with Rogers, sources indicate that the promotion’s preferrence is to sign the 8-0 Minnesota native.
Barnett is a former UFC heavyweight champion and is ranked as a top ten heavyweight by MMA Weekly, Sherdog, and the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA).
Nicknamed the “Babyface Assassin,†Barnett has not competed since a second round knockout over former UFC heavyweight title contender Pedro Rizzo during Affliction’s debut event, “Banned,†on July 19.
The former PRIDE superstar is 23-5 during a professional fighting career that began in 1997. In that time, Barnett has recorded notable victories over Randy Couture, Dan Severn, Semmy Schilt, Hidehiko Yoshida, Aleksander Emelianenko, Mark Hunt, and current interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Rogers, a member of Team Bison MMA in St. Paul, is still under contract to EliteXC. Despite not being a free agent, he would be allowed to compete at the Jan. 24 event as ProElite, the parent company of EliteXC, is giving permission to many of its fighters to sign one-off deals with other promotions while it helps to reorganize.
The 6′5†bruiser is 3-0 while competing under the EliteXC banner. Rogers made his debut for the promotion during the undercard of its “Renegade†event last November, where he submitted Ralph Kelly via punches at 1:43 of round 1.
Following the Kelly victiory, he returned to the cage during EliteXC’s “Street Certified†event and he improved to 2-0 in EliteXC following a first round knockout over James Thompson in Showtime’s televised opener of the event.
From there, Rogers became one of two men to compete in the first-ever mixed martial arts bout to be televised live on primetime network television on May 31. Matched up against former Syracuse linebacker Jon Murphy during the opener of EliteXC and CBS’ first-ever telecast of “Saturday Night Fights,†the former tire technician improved to 8-0 overall with a first round knockout.
Rogers has not competed since the win over Murphy but had been scheduled to return to competition on Nov. 8. He was set to fight Paul Buentello during EliteXC’s ill-fated Reno event that was canceled after Showtime pulled a financial commitment. Incidentally, Buentello is also scheduled for the Jan. 24 show in a bout vs. Fedor Emelianenko-protege, Kiril “Baby Fedor†Sidelnikov.
I hope Cro Cop fucking wrecks him!
Barnett would smash him... but Rogers is pretty good, he's got potential to be something big in the HW division but Barnett is too good for him I think, but it could be a good fight.
from: sherdog
15297
While Michael Bisping has already been confirmed as one of the coaches for the ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter†reality series, who will be the other coach is still up in the air.
Several names have been tossed around, ranging from the winner of an upcoming fight between Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin to up-and-coming Brazilian prospect Demian Maia.
However, there’s at least one more top middleweight contender that wants to throw his name into the hat: Nate Marquardt.
“Being a coach on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ is something I’d love to do,†Marquardt (27-8-2) told Sherdog.com. “I asked the UFC if I could do it, but I’m not sure who they’re considering. I think it would be good to be a part of it.â€
Marquardt’s manager, Dean Albrecht, makes a case that Marquardt would be a perfect fit as a coach.
“Nate’s funny and has a good personality,†said Albrecht. “He’s got good wrestling skills, excellent standup and is a black belt (in jiu-jitsu and Brazilian jiu-jitsu).
“Without a doubt, he’s one of the nicest people you’ll meet outside the cage and one of the meanest you’ll see inside the cage. He’s sincere and polite when you meet him, but when he fights, he’s meaner than a junkyard dog. There’s just an incredible difference.â€
Albrecht also cited Marquardt’s association with Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting camp in Albuquerque, N.M. The team has a roster that features UFC stars George St. Pierre, Rashad Evans and Keith Jardine, along with fellow MMA veterans Leonard Garcia, Damacio Page and Joey Villasenor. Albrecht suggested there would be no shortage of talent Marquardt could bring with him to the show.
Photo by Sherdog.com
Marquardt's association with
Greg Jackson's camp could be
a useful asset on TUF.
If Marquardt is a candidate, it’s probably thanks in part to his UFC 88 win in September over Martin Kampmann. The former King of Pancrase, whom Sherdog.com ranks sixth at 185 pounds, knocked out Kampmann in 1:22 to reassert himself in the middleweight division following a disappointing split-decision loss to Thales Leites at UFC 85 in June.
“I didn’t really come out looking to knock out (Kampmann),†said Marquardt. “I felt like I was aggressive against (Leites), but I didn’t want anything to happen again to where I lost points (on the judges’ scorecards). It paid off, because it made me be more accurate and have better timing with my punches.
“When it comes to the Leites fight, everyone thought I won the fight, but it turned out that I lost. However, that loss isn’t as big a deal now that I’ve knocked out a guy who beat (Leites).â€
Albrecht said Marquardt’s win over Kampmann was crucial to him staying in the upper echelon of the middleweight division.
“No disrespect to Martin Kampmann, but Nate is a better fighter in all respects than Martin is,†Albrecht said. “However, every fight in the UFC is so important. It’s dangerous to lose two straight fights and you have to approach every fight like it’s the Super Bowl.â€
Marquardt has taken time off since the Kampmann fight, which has allowed him to heal some nagging injuries that have plagued him for most of 2008.
“I had turf toe for eight or nine months, and that’s finally gone away,†he said. “I also had a hand injury that happened during (the Leites fight) and carried over to the Kampmann fight. Right now, I’m just staying in shape, helping guys get ready for their fights and waiting to see who’s going to win some of these upcoming middleweight fights.â€
Two middleweights Marquardt would love to step into the cage with are Bisping and Maia.
“Both of them are good fighters,†Marquardt said. “Bisping can go and go, and Maia is good on the ground. But neither one of them has fought anyone who is as good as me or at the same level of fighter that I am. It would be a huge jump in class for them to fight me, and I think I could finish either one of them off in round one or two.â€
Marquardt would also like a rematch with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The Brazilian stopped him with strikes at 4:50 of the first round at UFC 73 in July 2007. The loss snapped a six-fight winning streak for Marquardt that had dated back to November 2004.
“The desire for a rematch with Anderson Silva is obvious, and it’s a great desire of mine,†said Marquardt. “I really feel like I didn’t fight the way I wanted to fight. I just didn’t show up that night. When I was sticking with my game plan, I was winning the fight. I went away from that, and he took advantage of it. The next time we fight, it will be a war and I can’t wait for the opportunity.â€
Albrecht said he thinks Marquardt should not have to wait long for a rematch with Silva.
“I’d think Nate is the top contender at 185,†said Albrecht. “He’s one of the most multitalented fighters at 185, period. He’s right there in the mix with the top guys and right now, we just want important fights that are going to advance his career.â€
One thing Marquardt has on his side is time. Even though he has been fighting professionally since 1999, he’s still just 29 years old. His success in Japan -- going 13-5-2 under the Pancrase banner from December 1999 to May 2005 -- came when he was still learning the ins-and-outs of MMA in his early 20s.
“Nate’s a young 29,†said Albrecht. “He’s in top physical shape all of the time and has never really had any major injuries. He’s been well known in the MMA community for a long time, but he’s just now starting to get noticed in the mainstream as well.â€
ugh.
Meh, never really found him that exciting in the few times I saw him in PRIDE, but he was talented
Honestly, Cro Cop will lose if he fights Overeem right now.
Now, Cro Cop may make my top 10 favourite fighters of all time, but right now, he's not mentally ready to fight. He needs to get some hunger back, before putting on shit fights. I saw, take a nice break, get focused, then come back like old Mirko, where this kickboxing asshole would never stand a chance. Yeah, I like that Mirko better, not this UFC/post-ufc shit he calls a career.
Agree.
Better choices than Mardquardt.
I'd like to see maybe Patrick Cote.
R.I.P Rogers.
Kos and Judo machine Yoshida will be good, but other than that, nothing appeals to me.
Swicks not as sharp as he was a few years ago, and I honestly don't see Matt Wiman being able to make it out of the first against Frankie Edgar.
It sounds to me like he is getting his hunger back. A pissed off CroCop is not someone to fuck with.
He will rise once again like a burning phoenix and take over the HW division
I like Marquardt but I'd much rather see someone like Dan Henderson coach on the show.
I thought the same when Wiman fought Tavares.... but I quickly learned not to underestimate this man :P.
Edgar is a beast but I think Wiman is going to show us his potential in this fight.
And I just found out I won't be able to watch this event either lol, the movers are taking away the TV's on the 7th :-[
Quote from: MitchMMA on November 26, 2008, 09:31:19 PM
And I just found out I won't be able to watch this event either lol, the movers are taking away the TV's on the 7th :-[
Stream it to your CPU if it's still hooked up.
Yeah, scratch Cote.
Hendo would be awesome.
Ah good idea, hopefully I'll still have internet lol.
I agree with Tank. He doesn't need time. By that logic, Overeem isn't ready for the fight either.
from:mmaweekly
Many of us spend Thanksgiving Day with family watching football and filling our stomachs with excessive amounts of well-prepared food, enjoying time with friends and loved ones. MMAInsiderBlog spoke with several fighters and broadcasters to find out how they'll be spending holiday. And we found out they're just like us.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder Chuck Liddell will be spending Thanksgiving at his California home with his family and his fiance's family. The former champ said, "It's usually a pretty good time."
UFC lightweight No. 1 contender Kenny Florian is excited to celebrate Thanksgiving in Boston with family. "The best part of the holiday is I get to eat. I don't have to worry about fights coming up," said Florian. "My family, we do it right. There's a lot of food that's not good for you. I like to get fat through the holidays. I put my winter coat on."
World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight titleholder Jamie Varner will spend the day of football and feast with his immediate family. "I'm going to spend time with my immediate family for Thanksgiving," said the Arizona Combat Sports trained champion. "But I have two workouts that morning and taking the rest of the day off for the family!"
No. 1 ranked bantamweight and WEC bantamweight titleholder Miguel Torres defends his belt against Manny Tapia on Dec. 3, but that isn't going to stop the 135-pound fighter from fully partaking in the assortment of holiday grub. "I'm going to enjoy my Thanksgiving dinner," stated Torres. "My weight is perfect right now...I'm going to eat my tamales, my turkey some rice and potatoes man."
Legendary mixed martial artist and broadcaster Frank Shamrock's holiday plans revolve around his wife and baby daughter (Nicolette). "I'll be staying at home with my wife and new baby," Shamrock told MMAInsiderBlog. "It's the first Thanksgiving for Nicolette. No work for three days and lots of turkey and dressing."
"I was going to spend it with Bill Goldberg," he added. "But too much travel."
Dean Lister faces Yushin Okami at UFC 92 on Dec. 27 in Las Vegas and due to his training schedule and diet, this Thanksgiving will be a little bitter sweet for the middleweight fighter. "I will be in Phoenix to meet up with my family. Going to be a little bit of torture since I will be limited to eating vegetables since my fight at UFC 92 will be only a month away. Gotta watch what I eat around the holidays. But I'm hungrier for Anderson's belt."
Asked what edibles he'll miss the most, Lister quickly responded, "ham and pies."
Broadcaster and fighter Frank Trigg will be spending the holiday at his Las Vegas home with friends, cooking for his wife, Nici, while she watches the Dallas Cowboys game and helps prepare the turkey and vegetables.
"I am cooking. I cook a lot, believe it or not," Trigg told MMAInsiderBlog. "We're all coming over here to the house to have a little home cooked turkey, potatoes and carrots, French green beans. Of course you've got to have gravy and cranberry sauce."
UFC welterweight Tamdan McCrory's Thanksgiving plans are simple. "I'm visiting family then possibly getting drunk on the town with some old homies."
The Ultimate Fighter 7 finalist CB Dollaway will spend Thanksgiving with his girlfriend. "I'm just going over to my girlfriend Gabs' house for the last feast before I have to start trying to get down to 185 . Hope everyone has a great holiday."
UFC welterweight fighter Matt Brown gets to actually enjoy this year's holiday, but plans to immediately get back to the gym on Friday. "I feel like I am extremely fortunate this year in that this is the first Thanksgiving in maybe 3 or 4 years that I am actually able to pig out," commented Brown. "I have been in training camp for fights the past few years so I wasn't able to really tear it up. I am planning on eating a decent amount of food, but I want to be careful not to overdo it as I want to train on Friday."
"I don't have a fight in the near future or anything, but I want to maintain a high level of cardio and stay light and improve as much as possible so that when my next fight comes around you guys see the best Matt Brown you have ever seen. I plan on being in the best shape of my life and being as strong as I have ever been and my skills being as sharp as anybody's in the world," added Brown. "I am now 2-1 in the UFC and the one fight that I lost I felt like I won. I have always been confident in my abilities and always believed that I belong in the UFC, but a lot of people are just simply unfortunate and things just seem to go wrong for them once they get in the octagon. I have been fortunate that this is not the case for me and I feel like in the next 2 years I will be prepared to start making a serious run for the title."
"The point is, this holiday I get to pig out, but it is just one day," continued Brown. "Friday I will be back in the gym and doing everything in my power to improve my skills, cardio, strength, and speed so that I can be the best fighter that I can possibly be. I'll let everyone else get fat. As for me, I will take one day, pig out, and be back at it within 24 hours."
Dale Hartt fights Corey Hill on Dec. 10 at UFC Fight for the Troops. He won't be spending the holiday with is family due to his dedication to fight preparation. "Honestly I thought about driving up to my sponsors guy's house for a real Thanksgiving as I'm 400 miles from home. Pretty much that would be me driving 5 hours to watch people eat, fun. But ultimately I'm pissed no gyms are open as that is my last week of work for Corey Hill. I will probably go for a run on Mt. Charleston and have a small meal."
Tim Boetsch emerged in the UFC light heavyweight division by dismantling David Heath at UFC 81. He has a 2-1 UFC record finishing in each of his wins. Boetsch will spend a portion of the day hunting followed by eating. "I am going to be hunting whitetails all day, then I am going to devour a turkey in the evening," said the 205-pound fighter.
"The Fight Professor," Stephen Quadros, will follow a long tradition he's established for celebrating Thanksgiving. "When I'm in town, I have a long standing tradition of going to my friend Rhonda's for Thanksgiving. She is a record/film company exec. who I have known since the 1970s, yes, before there was MMA on TV. During this time of year, I just resign myself to getting FAT...without guilt. "One more chocolate brownie please." SLuuuuuRP!"
"It's a great time to spend with loved ones and close friends, a time to NOT talk about business...too much, hahaha," added Quadros. "Her son is a pretty rockin' guitar player and wants me to play drums on his album. We'll see... The whole time I'm there, in between eating, drinking, hugging,
kissing, talking, I will have an internal narrative going constantly, planning 2009. I can't wait!"
from: mmajunkie.com
Less than two weeks after earning a $60,000 bonus check for his "Fight of the Night" performance at UFC 91 -- his second such award -- lightweight Jorge Gurgel (12-5) has also received his walking papers.
Released from the organization, Gurgel has already landed with the California-based Strikeforce promotion. And while excited about his new deal, Gurgel told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) he is still disappointed with being cut from the UFC.
"It's not a happy moment," Gurgel said. "It's very humiliating, and it's a crushing of my childhood dream."
"The Ultimate Fighter 2" veteran said fighting for the UFC has long been his sole focus.
"I never [fought] for the money," Gurgel said. "If you read any of my interviews, I only did it because my childhood dream -- when I was in Brazil and 15 years old -- was to come here to fight in the UFC. I wanted to have my own school and fight in the UFC. I got there, and now I'm out of the UFC.
"One day I'll be back again. I can not be happy -- truly, truly, thoroughly happy -- about what happened. But I am excited about new opportunities and new chances and new doors that are going to open, and for me to show my skills."
Gurgel has been criticized throughout his seven-fight run in the UFC for displaying the wrong set of skills. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, the 31-year-old has generally elected to slug it out on his feet.
Gurgel said he will adjust his strategy in future Strikeforce bouts.
"I'm so sick of people asking why I don't do jiu-jitsu," Gurgel said. "So I'm going to start doing it so people can shut up. 'Why don't you do jiu-jitsu?' Come on, man.
"(UFC announcer) Joe Rogan, everybody asks me. 'Why don't you do jiu-jitsu? You'd be in the top of the guys in the weight class if you would do jiu-jitsu.' But I always get caught up in not being boring."
While looking to change his style moving forward, Gurgel said he has no regrets regarding his past strategy.
"I live with no regrets," Gurgel said. "I fight the fight the way I want to fight because it's my job. And if you're not having any fun doing your job, you should do a different job so that you have fun.
"I have so much fun striking, and I love it so much. And the high that I get that I look for when I train is to be in the octagon in heated exchanges. And we're just going crazy punching each other, moving from a head kick or something. And the crowd goes from watching the fight to, 'Wow.' That's what I feed on."
Gurgel said it is his passion for toe-to-toe wars that has left him on the short end of three decisions during his UFC tenure.
"After the three rounds are over, I go, 'Oh, [expletive], maybe I was having too much fun and I didn't worry too much about winning decisively,'" Gurgel said. "Then I lose and I think, 'Oh my God. I can not believe this.'
"I don't even think about maybe losing until the end of it. That's something that I have to fix. I always think that I'm winning and not that I'm not doing good. Because I'm having so much fun, I don't think too much about it. I just get on auto-pilot, and I get out and go to war. And that's cost me in the past.
"But I have no regret not using the jiu-jitsu. I have the arsenal. I put 16 years of my life into jiu-jitsu. I know what I can do. And I'm going to use it now."
To those that have supported him through his roller-coaster ride in the UFC, a humble Gurgel promises to return to the UFC as a title contender.
"I don't know why I have such a humongous fan base," Gurgel said. "It's definitely not based on performance because my performances have been poor in my own standards. But I think they see how I fight with so much heart, and I fight for them. I fight for my fans and mostly my students, because I want to make them proud.
"Everybody that's believed in me and supported me for all these years, I want to say thank you. And I'm only getting started. I'm going to go to Strikeforce, and I'm going to win that belt. Then I'm going to come back to the UFC as a contender and not a gatekeeper."
______________________________________________________________________________________________
:(
I hope Gurgel does well in Strikeforce and hopefully someday makes it back to the UFC.
I've never liked watching him fight. Anyone who goes three rounds and barely win against Danny Abbadi sucks.
He always gets caught in striking mode when he's a legit BJJ blackbelt... but he thinks he's a kickboxer. He is exciting to watch and I do like the guy a lot but he tries to out strike strikers and he usually loses.
source- mmaweekly.com
Renato "Babalu" Sobral defeated Bobby Southworth recently to capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship. One unfortunate side effect for the new titleholder, however, is that he has been removed from a fight against No. 3 ranked middleweight Matt Lindland.
Affliction had planned to pair Babalu and Lindland against each other at the promotion's Jan. 24 event at The Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. It now appears that Babalu's recent effort at 205 pounds for Strikeforce may have necessitated the bout with Lindland to be at a catch weight in the 190 to 195-pound range.
Affliction vice president Tom Atencio told MMAWeekly.com on Monday that he made an "executive decision" not to do the catch weight fight. He instead decided to pit Lindland against Vitor Belfort in a true middleweight contest at 185 pounds.
Belfort has been on a three-fight winning streak, his most recent effort being at Affliction's debut outing in July. There he defeated fellow UFC veteran Terry Martin, knocking him out in the second round. It was an impressive debut for the Brazilian at 185 pounds.
His most recent effort also being on Affliction's debut card, Lindland saw his first action in more than a year, defeating Fabio Nascimento in a three-round unanimous decision. He recently made a run at politics in his home state of Oregon, but lost his bid. Lindland has now returned to training for his January fight with a new focus.
Belfort and Lindland were scheduled to fight each other on the "Day of Reckoning" card when it was originally planned for October in Las Vegas. The move to January saw their bout split apart before the recent decision to put it back together.
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7698&zoneid=13 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7698&zoneid=13)
More UFC 94 bouts added, including: Thiago Tavares vs. Manny Gamburyan, Matt Arroyo vs. Dan Cramer (I liked these dudes on TUF, glad to see they brought Cramer back), and Stephen Bonnar vs. Jon Jones.
from: mmaweekly
The upcoming UFC "Fight for the Troops" show has undergone a last minute change as lightweight competitor Frankie Edgar has been forced off the card with an undisclosed injury. Stepping in to replace him is up and coming 155-pound star Jim Miller, who takes the fight against Matt Wiman on just over one week's notice.
The new fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the situation.
Jim Miller walks into the UFC Fight for the Troops show with a 1-0 record in the Octagon after winning his debut fight for the promotion against David Baron at UFC 89 in England.
Working out of the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey, Miller trains alongside his brother and fellow UFC fighter, Dan Miller, along with lead trainers Mike Constantino and Jamie Cruz, a Renzo Gracie black belt.
Miller's competition will be former "Ultimate Fighter" cast member Matt Wiman, who is currently on a four-fight win streak in the UFC, including a knockout victory over Thiago Tavares in his last bout at UFC 85 in June.
The bout between Miller and Wiman is still likely to end up on the main televised portion of the card on Spike TV, which is planning a three-hour telecast for the event.
The special live UFC fight card will raise funds to build a hospital for traumatic brain injuries for the brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces. Thousands of soldiers from nearby Fort Bragg, the proud home of the U.S. Airborne and Special Operations Forces, will be in attendance. More information about the facility, including ways to donate, can be found online at www.fallenheroesfund.org or by calling 1-800-340-HERO.
------------------
Jim Miller is a good replacement, he's a very talented up and comer. I still think Wiman can get the KO though, and I still think it will be fight of the night.
I was hoping to find Mayhem Miller...oh well.
lol I love Mayhem!
Jim and his brother Dan are pretty cool too, I think they have loads of potential.
from: sherdog
After losing to Fedor Emelianenko last July, Tim Sylvia plans for a big return.
The former UFC heavyweight champion is prepared to fight in Japan in roughly 30 days. Sylvia’s manager, Monte Cox, is actively seeking a fight for “The Maine-iac†on K-1 and Dream’s co-promoted “Premium 2008 Dynamite†card on Dec. 31 or World Victory Road’s Sengoku event on Jan. 4. Cox said Sylvia has been granted a certificate of eligibility to participate in either promotion.
“I don’t think anyone ever knows until about a week before they fight,†said Sylvia of preparing for an opponent in one of the Japanese organizations.
Sylvia (24-5) hoped to return to Affliction in January, but Cox confirmed that the 6-foot-8 heavyweight will sit out the novice promotion’s second show set for Jan. 24 in Anaheim, Calif., which features an Emelianenko-Andrei Arlovski clash.
Sylvia, who also has a contract with Cox’s Adrenaline MMA promotion, has been eyeing a meeting with UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock (26-13-2).
“I was supposed to fight Ken Shamrock December 20, but it’s been postponed to February now,†said Sylvia. “He’s a free agent. I was supposed to fight him in a small show called XP3 Promotions. I believe in Texas, but it’s postponed to February now.â€
Cox echoed Sylvia’s position that a bout with the 44-year-old Shamrock was in the works.
However, Melissa Ingram, director of media relations for Ken Shamrock Entertainment Inc., was hesitant to describe the fight as being in “preliminary negotiations.â€
Shamrock’s manager Rod Donohoo told Sherdog.com on Monday that the bout was not under consideration.
“Our organization was approached some time ago about the prospect of Ken fighting Sylvia, but it was rejected,†Donohoo wrote in an email.
Donohoo did not disclose the reason the fight was declined. XP3 Promotions told Sherdog.com via email that it has written confirmation from both parties that they are currently in negotiations for the bout. XP3 plans to hold the event on Feb. 7 at the Reliant Arena in Houston.
Despite the opposing sides, Sylvia expects to see much action in the coming months, including a fight with Shamrock.
“I love to fight and a fight’s a fight,†said Sylvia. “He’s a Hall of Famer. He’s a legend. To progress your career you always have to fight somebody like that.
“I don’t know if he’s a stepping stone or anything, but he’s been on some of the same cards I’ve been on and he’s been highlighted over me, so I want to let people that I am better than this guy and there’s no reason he should have been highlighted over me.â€
---------------------
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!
I think in this one, Sylvia will kill Shamrock.
Yeah I agree.
Sylvia would smash him!
And I don't like either of them and I'm saying this lol.
Quote from: MitchMMALovesBlondes on December 02, 2008, 05:04:16 PM
Yeah I agree.
Sylvia would smash him!
And I don't like either of them and I'm saying this lol.
Does anyone like Shamcock or Sylvia?
lol probably not.
I think they are both kind of inside jokes to the MMA community.
Sylvia is still a pretty talented HW though.... but he's such a fucking dipshit it's hillarious.
and Ken is just a washed up arrogant cunt lol
Tim was a beast when he was younger, and Ill actaully admit when never watching the UFC, Tim was my favourite fighter, because at one time he was the 6'8" 16-0 heavyweight kill-dozer.
Now, fuck. Heavyweight Lyoto Machida(IMO...of coarse), and always comes off to trying to get a decision.
I still consider Tim a top 10 HW... however I do not see him ever beating anyone in the top 5 anytime soon.
I mean Tim isn't the same as the old Tim, and I agree he's looked pretty shitty lately but he's still a good HW, well good enough to be top 10 for now.
But I laughed my ass off while watching the TUF 4 bonus material and Matt Serra was doing an impersonation of him basically using a retard voice lol.
I liked Ken, but lately he seems to be a lot of talk and no action.
I was actually looking forward to him and Kimbo, but surprisingly he gets hurt...
Same here Jason, I used to be a huge Shamrock mark until I watched him on TUF 3 lol.
Shamrock got hurt because he decided he was so pumped up to fight Kimbo that he's gonna go out and do some pummeling and ground work 12 freaking hours before the fight... lol dude should have been relaxing, reading books, just in general not thinking about the fight 12 hours before it's time for it lol.
from: mmaweekly
M-1 Global is pleased to announce that Gilbert Yvel, one of its top heavyweight competitors, has agreed to terms on a three-fight contract with Affliction Entertainment.
Yvel will make his Affliction debut against former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett on January 24 in Anaheim, California at the Honda Center during "Day of Reckoning," to be presented by Affliction, M-1 Global, and Golden Boy Promotions.
Despite being veterans of the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan, Yvel and Barnett have never fought before with "Day of Reckoning" serving as the first-ever meeting between the two.
Yvel, 33-12-1, who is known for the strong Muay Thai skills he developed while training in his home country of Holland, has been competing in mixed martial arts since 1997. Over the years, the veteran fighter has recorded notable victories over K-1 standout Semmy Schilt, current UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo, and former PRIDE and UFC veteran Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.
Yvel's involvement serves to increase M-1's contributions to the event, as M-1 contracted fighters Fedor Emelianenko and Kirill Sidelnikov are already scheduled to compete.
Fedor will be featured during the show's main event when he defends his WAMMA heavyweight title against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.
Meanwhile, the 19-year old fighting prodigy Sidelnikov, nicknamed "Baby Fedor," will be making his United States debut against former UFC heavyweight title challenger Paul Buentello in an undercard bout to be televised on HDNet.
Additionally, the M-1 Challenge broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Sean Wheelock and color commentator Jimmy Smith will be calling the action during Affliction's pay-per-view telecast. Wheelock and Smith can be seen and heard in the U.S. every Friday at 8 p.m. ET during airings of the M-1 Challenge on HDNet.
I won't give away the spoilers, but according to some guys over at sherdog, Spike accidentally aired a commercial giving away the finale fights. Like it was a commercial for the finale and they basically said "and the finals, so and so vs. so and so and so and so vs. so and so.".
Dumbest mistake by Spike TV ever lol.
But it's all good, I still want to watch even though I know the winners of the semis.
Dont fucking mention a word.....I can't wait for tonight.
Never heard of this guy, going to go do some research.
Don't worry, I won't spoil it for ya! :P
Apparently the "spoiler commercial" wasn't 100% correct, they said Bader and K-Sos in the finale but as you just saw... my original prediction of Vinny vs. Bader came true! :)
from: mmajunkie
MAIN CARD
* Efrain Escudero vs. Phillipe Nover ("TUF" lightweight finals)
* Ryan Bader vs. Vinicius Magalhaes ("TUF" light heavyweights finals)
* Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason MacDonald
* Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson
* Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Shane Primm vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
* Jules Bruchez vs. Eliot Marshall
* Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor
* Shane Nelson vs. George Roop
* John Polakowski vs. Rolando Delgado
And unfortunately I will be moving while this event takes place :(
Quote from: MitchMMALovesBlondes on December 04, 2008, 12:14:16 PM
from: mmajunkie
MAIN CARD
* Efrain Escudero vs. Phillipe Nover ("TUF" lightweight finals) Phillipe wins
* Ryan Bader vs. Vinicius Magalhaes ("TUF" light heavyweights finals) Vinny wins
* Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason MacDonald Wilson wins
* Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson As long as Kevin doesn't poke him in the eye Anthony will win
* Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan I haven't seen much of Dave fighting, but I hope Junie is a Jujitsu fighter cause his standup sucks. I'm going with Dave
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Shane Primm vs. Krzysztof Soszynski Krzysztof
* Jules Bruchez vs. Eliot Marshall Eliot
* Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor Tom
* Shane Nelson vs. George Roop Shane
* John Polakowski vs. Rolando Delgado John
And unfortunately I will be moving while this event takes place :(
I agree with Honker's predictions.
Except I hope Bader wins, I think it's possible if he keeps it standing. He isn't a great striker but he has good hands and hits pretty hard, Vinny has decent stand up too though, he has some good kicks. Obviously on the ground Vinny is world class at BJJ, Bader is an all american wrestler but Vinny is just too good a jits guy for him I think. Vinny is probably one of the best jits guys in the world.
from: mmaweekly
The Ultimate Fighter season 1 winner, Diego Sanchez, is healthy again and looking for a fight, but despite previous reports, it has not been decided whether it will be at 170 or 155 pounds.
Sanchez posted recently on his MySpace page saying, " I'm training hard and will be dropping down to fight at 155."
When reached for comment by MMAWeekly.com, Sanchez' manager Jeff Clark from NCFC Fight Management, confirmed that his fighter is healthy and recovered from a rib injury that kept him out of his last fight. But while he has made it no secret he has a desire to move to 155 pounds, the UFC has not offered him a fight currently and he would be open to a match-up at either lightweight or welterweight.
The New Mexico native last competed in June when he defeated American Top Team fighter, Luigi Fioravanti, by TKO in the third round of their fight at The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale show.
Sanchez was slated to face top welterweight contender Thiago Alves at UFC 90 in October, but the aforementioned injury forced him off the card at the last minute.
Now healthy and training again, Sanchez is ready to get back in the Octagon and compete, but according to Clark there has been no set timeline from the UFC for his next bout.
from: mmajunkie
As expected, top UFC welterweight contender Jon Fitch (17-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) will meet Akihiro Gono (29-13-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at UFC 94, which takes place Jan. 31 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Fitch was dropped from the organization after a short-lived but well-publicized holdout from granting the UFC lifetime rights to his likeness for an upcoming video-game release. Fitch, though, eventually signed, and the Gono fight was expected to go on as planned.
During today's taping today for Friday's edition of "Inside MMA," Fitch confirmed the fight has been signed.
Joining Fitch on the panel was veteran middleweight Joey Villasenor and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) lead staff reporter John Morgan. The episode debuts Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET on HDNet.
UFC President Dana White had cut Fitch from the organization on Nov. 19, and he threatened to drop other members of the American Kickboxing Academy and clients of Zinkin Entertainment & Sports Management. White mentioned that the fighters didn't want to be "partners" with the UFC. Fitch said it was the result of his (and others') reluctance to sign lifetime deals for the videogame, which developer THQ plans to release in 2009.
After a call from UFC co-owner and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta the following day, Fitch ultimately relented and signed the deal. He and no other AKA fighters have been cut from the UFC during the fallout. In fact, the UFC recently added AKA heavyweight Christian Wellisch (whom White said he had originally cut alongside Fitch) to the UFC 94 preliminary card in a bout with Jake O'Brien.
Fitch, who shares the UFC's record for the most consecutive victories (eight) with Royce Gracie and Anderson Silva, returns to competition for the first time since his August title loss to Georges St. Pierre. Fitch suffered a tough-fought unanimous-decision defeat, which snapped a 15-fight win streak that went back to July 2003. Despite the loss, he's still considered one of the UFC's top 170-pound contenders.
Fitch had been scheduled to fight Gono once before -- earlier this year at UFC 82 in Columbus, Ohio. However, Gono had to pull out of the fight due to a hand injury. It would have been Gono's second UFC fight (he debuted with a submission victory over Tamdan McCrory in November 2007), but instead, his sophomore effort came at UFC 89, where he dropped a close split decision to Dan Hardy.
For the latest on UFC 94, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
* * * *
UFC 94 features a champion-vs.-champion main event between St. Pierre, the UFC's welterweight champ, and UFC lightweight title-holder B.J. Penn. Only St. Pierre's belt is on the line for the five-round fight, which is a rematch from their original meeting in March 2006 (St. Pierre won a close split decision.)
The UFC expects big pay-per-view numbers for the event, much like its other SuperBowl weekend events, and the organization recently concluded a three-stop tour (Las Vegas, Montreal and Honolulu) to promote the card. Additionally, Spike TV will roll out a three-part preview series entitled "UFC Primetime: St. Pierre vs. Penn" to hype the event beginning on Jan. 14.
Although the UFC hasn't officially announced the Fitch-Gono fight, one would reasonably expect it to be on the night's main card. The two other official and recently announced main-card bouts are Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva and Stephan Bonnar vs. Jon Jones. A rumored bout between Karo Parisyan and Dong Hyun Kim will likely take the fifth spot on the televised card.
Is that televised card enough for the UFC to register 600,000 to 700,000 -- or more -- PPV buys for UFC 94?
_____________________________________________________
That's gonna be a really good fight! I predict Fitch by second or third round sub!
Meh, I think he would fair well in 155. If his match with Alves went down, I think Alves would be just too strong for him, and would have made him look like a bitch.
MMAJUNKIE-
JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ VS. DANNY MARTINEZ
Round 1 - Referee Kim Winslow gets things started, and we're underway. Benavidez takes the center of the cage, and he delivers a few knees once he clinches with Martinez. Benavidez is then pinned against the cage as Martinez looks for a takedown, but he eventually scraps the idea. Benavidez pushes forward with body kicks and just misses a big right. Martinez shoots during his opponent's wild punches, but Benavidez sprawls and escapes. Benavidez stuns his opponent with a right and then tags Martinez flush on the face with a front kick. Martinez shakes it off but again eats a combination. Benavidez creates distance with front kicks, but once he closes the distance, Martinez gets the takedown after pulling his opponent's legs out from under him. Benavidez quickly gets back to his feet and whiffs on a spinning backfist. Back to the center of the cage, Benavidez works punches and kicks to the body. Martinez clinches and works for the takedown, but Benavidez reverses the position on the way down and lands in sideguard. Benavidez works for a choke but can't get the leverage before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Benavidez.
Round 2 - Benavidez works kicks early and forces Martinez to retreat with front kicks. Benavidez then scores a short right and follows with a combination. Martinez clinches to avoid the damage and then pushes his way free. Benavidez again connects with a kick to the body and grazes his opponent with a right. Benavidez just misses with a right, but he lands two in a row on the next exchange. Martinez looks frustrated as Benavidez throws some unorthodox strikes. Benavidez loads up with knees and kicks and successfully avoids a countering knee from Martinez. After timing the clinch well, Martinez then eats two quick knees to the grill, but he's finally able to stop Benavidez with a head lock and slow the action. Benavidez drops to his knees, breaks the choke and quickly gets to his feet before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Benavidez.
Round 3 - Benavidez throws leg kicks early and again shows effective front kicks that keep Martinez at bay. A combination low kick-right-left finds its mark, but Martinez counters with a combo of his own. Benavidez backs him up with some body punches and then works additional punches from a variety of angles. Martinez sticks with his single-punch plan and fails to connect. After a clinch against the fence, Benavidez sprawls free from Martinez's single-leg takedown attempt and then partially connects on a flying knee and subsequent high left kick. A body punch follows, and Martinez isn't sure what to do now. Benavidez takes the center of the cage and throws a variety of strikes with little landing. Benavidez lands a stiff left, but Martinez counters with a combination that briefly staggers his opponent. Martinez lands a left and finally has things working. Benavidez shakes it off, though, and the round comes to an end. MMAjunkie.com gives it to Benavidez, 10-9, for the clean sweep. Joseph Benavidez def. Danny Martinez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
BRIAN BOWLES VS. WILL RIBEIRO
Round 1 - After a long feeling-out process, Ribeiro tries to strike first but misses with a wild kick. Bowles immediately counters and connects with a combination that stuns his opponent. The fighters clinch, and Bowles breaks it with a nice uppercut. Ribeiro then trades punches and connects on a left and subsequent uppercut. After a brief lull, Ribeiro throws a low kick-punch combination that knocks Bowles off balance. Ribeiro follows with a straight right and then connects on spinning back kick. Bowles connects on a right, but Ribeiro counters. Ribeiro shoots and secures the double-leg takedown, but Bowles locks in the guillotine choke, rolls over his opponent, and works the choke from the top position. Ribeiro manages to escape, but he's now mounted. Bowles connects on a few punches from the dominant position, and Ribeiro is warned about head kicks from below. Ribeiro secures the guard, and he's able to catch his breath and wait out the round. MMAjunkie.com scores an entertaining round for Bowles, 10-9.
Round 2 - Ribeiro opens with a low kick, but Bowles pushes forward with a combination. Ribeiro sneaks in an uppercut and then wobbles his opponent with a leg kick. Ribeiro takes the center of the cage and then clinches with Bowles. Bowles tries to force the fight to the mat, but Ribeiro forces him to the mat and stands over him. Bowles lands a solid upkick and then gets back to his feet. Ribeiro tags him with a punch, and the fighters then trade shots at the center of the cage. Bowles shoots and scoops up Ribeiro and sends him to the mat. Bowles frees one leg from Ribeiro's guard and works for the mount. Ribeiro fends it off while trying to avoid punches to the midsection. Ribeiro ties up Bowles to avoid damage. Bowles again works for position, but Ribeiro denies him. The pace slows, and the referee warns the fighters to get busy. Bowles lands a few punches from above before the restart comes. With 20 seconds to go, the fighters trade punch for punches. Ribeiro gets the better of it but is then taken down by his opponent as the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Bowles.
Round 3 - Ribeiro tries a spinning backfist after a touch of the gloves, but Bowles avoids it. The fighters trade combinations, and after checking a kick, Bowles pops him with a right. Ribeiro ducks under a punch and then shoots in, but Bowles quickly secures a guillotine choke. Bowles rolls him over and forces the tap-out seconds later. Brian Bowles def. Will Ribeiro via submission (guillotine choke) -- Round 3, 1:11.
WAGNNEY FABIANO VS. AKITOSHI TAMURA
Round 1 - Fabiano strikes first, closes the distance and puts Tamura on his back. Fabiano immediately works for position and nearly secures the mount, but Tamura fends it off and tries to secure full guard. Fabiano drops a punch from above and again works to pass guard. Fabiano looks to have mount, but Tamura again secures one leg as the two fighters work masterfully on the ground. Fabiano rises up and drops an elbow, but Tamura shows no ill effects. A battle for leg position continues, and Tamura continues to avoid punishment from his back. Fabiano whiffs on an elbow, and Tamura maneveurs to avoid a second. Fabiano finally gets an elbow through Tamura's defense, but he's immediately tied up as the round comes to a close. MMAjunkie.com gives it to Fabiano, 10-9, in a highly technical first round.
Round 2 - Tamura lunges with a knee to the body, but Fabiano counters with a combination and again puts Tamura on his back. Tamura goes high with the guard and secures Fabiano so he can throws elbows to the head. Tamura reclaim full guard, but Fabiano again works to free a leg. He frees one, but Tamura wraps up the other. Fabiano distracts him with some hammerfists and then straightens his opponent's arm while considering a submission attempt. Fabiano backs off but nearly secures the mount in the process. Tamura secures one leg, and the fighters are warned to get busy by referee Steve Mazzagatti. Fabiano briefly breaks free and tries to secure the mount, but Tamura ties him back up. Mazzagatti has had enough and restarts them on the feet. Tamura delivers a kick to the body, but Fabiano shoots and sends him to the mat. Fabiano takes side control and tries to hop into mount and then postures up and delivers an elbow that Tamura deflects. Fabiano gets mount with 10 seconds remaining, rains down a few punches, but his arm-bar attempt is cut short by the end of the round. MMAjunkie.com gives it to Fabiano, 10-9.
Round 3 - Little action early, but Fabiano shoots. Tamura traps him in a guillotine as they hit the mount, but Fabiano "walks" up the cage to escape. Fabiano works from side control but has little room to work since the fighters are pinned up against the cage. With room to maneuver, Fabiano again tries to secure the mount position and finally secures it. He follows with some hammerfists and then takes side control as Tamura eats some short punches. Tamura tries to escape, but Fabiano uses a guillotine to secure position and again puts the Japanese fighters on his back. Tamura works to improve the position and then drops some elbows as he tries to reclaim the mount. Tamura is opened with an elbow and is bleeding from his forehead. Fabiano hits the mark with some punches, passes to side control and then tries for the mount. Fabiano locks in a head-arm choke with just seconds remaining in the round and forces the tap-out. Wagnney Fabiano def. Akitoshi Tamura via submission (head-arm choke) -- Round 3, 4:48.
CHAMP MIGUEL TORRES VS. MANNY TAPIA
Round 1 - Torres works the jab early and knocks Tapia off balance with the first that lands. Thank the nine-inch reach advantage for that. After trading kicks, Tapia misses on a right and then eats another jab. Torres fired off a series of jabs and just misses finishing it off with a kick. Torres takes the center of the cage and fires off more jabs. Tapia gets in a left, but he's again forced to avoid his opponent's jabs. After a clinch, Tapia works the body. Torres again pops him with left jab, so Tapia uses combinations to land shots to the midsection. A wild exchange slows both fighters, and Torres tries an unorthodox kick that misses badly. Torres lunges forward with a combination but absorbs Tapia's flurry of shots to the body. Torres strikes again with a jab, but Tapia closes out the round with a combination, though little lands. It's a close first round, but MMAjunkie.com gives it to Torres, 10-9.
Round 2 - Lots of jockeying early as both fighters look for an opening. Torres fires off more jabs, which become increasingly effective. Tapia follows with a solid right, but Torres shakes it off. Tapia sneaks through a shot to the body, but Torres counters with a spinning backfist. Tapia shows no ill effects and pushes forward with body punches, but he can't find the mark. Torres connects and drops Tapia with a straight right, but Tapia quickly recovers. Torres closes the distance and throws knees to the body and then pops Tapia agin with a jab. Another stiff right drops Tapia again. After following his opponent to the mat with a follow-up shots, the referee finally jumps in to halt the bout. Miguel Torres def. Manny Tapia via TKO (strikes) -- Round 2, 3:04. Torres retains WEC bantwamweight title.
MMAJUNKIE-
Last month Fitch was hesitant to sign over lifetime rights to his name and likeness for an upcoming UFC videogame release. Fitch said he was willing to do a five- or 10-year deal, but White soon cut off negotiations, booted Fitch and his American Kickboxing Academy teammate Christian Wellisch from the UFC, and then threatened to do the same to other AKA fighters and clients of Zinkin Entertainment & Sports Management.
After speaking with UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta the following day, though, a deal was reached, and Fitch agreed to sign the agreement and return to the UFC.
"It doesn't mean I'm completely happy with the contract stuff, but in order to continue to fight the best fighters in the world, you have to make sacrifices, and that's just what I did," Fitch said.
Fitch, who attributed the stand-off to "personality conflicts," said being self-employed forces him to be a fighter both in and out of the cage.
"You forget also this is a job," Fitch said. "They're your bosses. You feel so much in fighting like you're self-employed, and no one's telling you what to do ever except your trainer -- and that's because you tell him to tell you what to do -- so sometimes it's hard to do what you're told.
"That's life. It's business."
Fitch, who next fights Akihiro Gono at UFC 94, most recently suffered a title loss to UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre in August. It was his first loss in the octagon after beginning his UFC career with a record eight straight victories.
Fight between "The Ultimate Fighter 5" winner Nate Diaz (10-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Clay Guida (24-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has been booked for "UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn II" according to GracieFighter.com, the official web site for Cesar Gracie's training camp.
An official announcement of the bout has yet to come from the organization.
Guida was unwilling to confirm the matchup when contacted by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). "I haven't signed any contracts yet," Guida said. "But I am looking forward to fighting."
The bout was originally rumored for the Dec. 13 "The Ultimate Fighter 8" finale. A foot injury -- which "The Carpenter" refuses to acknowledge -- suffered by Guida put the matchup on hold until January.
"I don't really know anything about an injury," Guida said. "I've been training for quite some time now. Just getting ready for a fight."
When asked about a possible date for his return to the octagon, Guida was equally coy -- but noted a date that would seem consistent with the report from GracieFighter.com.
"We're shooting for some time in January," Guida said.
Diaz, still undefeated in the UFC, will be in action for the first time since a split-decision win over Josh Neer at September's UFC Fight Night 15. The 23-year-old also hold submission wins in the organization over Kurt Pellegrino, Alvin Robinson, Junior Assuncao and Manny Gamburyan.
Should be a really good fight! Glad to see Diaz finally getting a fight with a guy like Guida.
I honestly think Diaz can take this with a submission.. but Guida is a lil juggernaut so idk... either way, cool fight lol.
I like both fighters, so this is gonna be awesome. But I find myself rooting for Diaz in the end. He's got crazy talent, and I'd like to see his undefeated in the UFC streak stay alive.
Yeah Diaz has sick potential!
Guida on the other hand, a talented fighter in his own right... but I just don't see him breaking into the upper echelon of the lightweights anytime soon. He's always gonna be that guy that will be explosive and put on a really good fight, but I don't see him winning the gold in the future... but I could be wrong. Guida is probably the favorite going into this fight though b.c he just beat Mac Danzig, lots of people including myself though that Danzig was a bit better than Diaz.
If Guida can keep it standing I think he'll win, and if he doesn't, I dont see Diaz putting him away, but if Diaz can take him down, it'll be a decesion win for Diaz.
But all in all, tho I think Diaz is one of those 'next big thing' fighters, I think Guida will win.
QuotePopular lightweight Roger Huerta has apparently mended fences with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He signed a new five-fight contract on Monday with the industry leading promotion. Sources close to Huerta confirmed the deal to MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.
In August, Huerta drew headlines for a controversial interview he gave to FIGHT! magazine in which he criticized the UFC’s pay structure. He later amended his comments during the post-fight press conference for UFC 87, where he lost a unanimous decision to Kenny Florian in a contender bout for the lightweight title.
“All I was saying, is that as a business decision â€" and you can’t argue about this â€" it’s in all businesses,†Huerta said. "If another company offers you something better for you and your family, you would do that. It’s the logical thing to do, and that’s all I was saying.â€
Prior to the Florian loss, Huerta was undefeated in six appearances in the UFC since debuting at UFC 63 in September of 2006.
Huerta is expected to fight again in March, though no opponent has been named for his return. He is currently training in Minnesota with mentor Dave Menne and strength and conditioning coach Justin Heagan.
Huerta is also one of the dozen fighters that IGN.com has confirmed as being on the roster for the Spring 2009 release of the new UFC Undisputed 2009 video game being developed by THQ.
Source: MMANews.com
Sweet deal. I always liked Huerta, he's a good fit in the UFC.
QuoteThales Leites under consideration for title shot vs. Anderson Silva
December 9, 2008 by Sam Caplan
Thanks in large part to a five fight win streak in the UFC, Brazilian middleweight Thales Leites could be on the verge of being named the next man to challenge Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title.
UFC President Dana White revealed the news Tuesday afternoon during a public Q&A session at the Sports USA Bar located on the Fort Bragg military installation.
When asked by a fan in the audience what was next in store for Leites, White indicated that his next fight could come against Silva as early as February. UFC Vice President of Talent Relations Joe Silva was seated in the audience and conferred while adding that a Silva vs. Leites match has not been finalized and that Leites is instead at the top of a list that includes several candidates.
Leites has gone undefeated since losing his UFC debut to Martin Kampmann in November of 2006 during the live finale for the fourth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.†The Nova Uniao fighter is 14-1 overall in his pro MMA career with notable victories over Gustavo Machado, Jose “Pele†Landi-Jons, Pete Sell, and Nathan Marquardt.
The 27-year old’s most recent victory took place in October at UFC 90, where he submitted Drew McFedries with a rear naked choke at 1:18 of round 1.
Silva also competed on the same card, where he successfully defended his title against Patrick Cote after Cote’s knee buckled at 0:39 of round three, forcing referee Herb Dean to declare Silva winner via TKO due to injury. The win over Cote improved Silva’s lifetime record inside of the Octagon to 8-0 and his overall record to 23-4.
Source: MMANews.com
In my opinion Leites is definitely one of the 185ers that Silva needs to beat. Although I would like to see him KO another LHW, I wouldn't mind seeing this fight either.
Great fighter, but comes off like a rick prick, and has shown that he can't always back it up.
FYI, me and Pat are getting together after UFC 92 to bring you all the Year End Re-cap. It'll be tough.
MMAJUNKIE
The winner of a UFC 93 main event between Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin will coach on "The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K." after all.
Back in October, UFC President Dana White announced popular British fighter Michael Bisping would head the U.K. squad, and he said the Henderson-Franklin winner would likely head the U.S. team on the upcoming ninth season of the reality series.
Although neither fighter seemed especially interested in the coaching position -- and though White recently mentioned Demian Maia as a candidate, as well -- the UFC's head honcho recently confirmed he's sticking with the original plan.
He made the announcement during a question-and-answer session prior to Wednesday's "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops" weigh-ins in Fort Bragg, N.C.
The UFC 93 Henderson-Franklin fight takes place Jan. 17 at The 02 in Dublin, Ireland. Taping for the ninth season of "TUF," which features lightweight and welterweight fighters, commences soon after UFC 93 and will likely debut in April.
As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) previously reported, a source close to Franklin said the fighter wasn't especially interested in the coaching slot, especially since he had already coached on the second season of the show. Additionally, training for his fights and outside endeavors have already kept him away from home for an extended period of time. However, the source said Franklin and the UFC recently talked about the possibility again, and the former UFC middleweight champion agreed to take the coaching slot if he's victorious at UFC 93.
Bisping, who recently dropped to middleweight, and the rival coach are then expected to fight sometime after the show's conclusion, though both Franklin and Henderson have been competing as light heavyweights in recent events.
MMAJUNKIE
Soon after an April victory over Karo Parisyan, UFC welterweight Thiago Alves said he was next in line for the title shot right behind Jon Fitch.
Fitch got his shot in August and suffered a tough-fought unanimous-decision loss to champ Georges St. Pierre. And after decisively defeating late replacement Josh Koscheck in October, Alves figured he had moved to the front of the line.
He got assurance from Dana White on Wednesday during a fan question-and-answer session on the eve of today's "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops" event.
White confirmed Alves (16-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) will get the next crack at the title after St. Pierre and lightweight champion B.J. Penn fight at UFC 94 on Jan. 31. The two title-holders will fight for the welterweight belt, and White said the winner will next face Alves.
And if he has to wait a little while for that fight, Alves doesn't mind.
"I'll wait," Alves told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com (http://www.taggradio.com)) and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) after his October win over Koscheck. "I have no problem. Since [September 2007], I did [five] fights in 12 months, or 13 to 14 months. That's a lot of fights back to back.
"I'm 25 years old. I can take it and everything, but I've just been training, training, training, training really hard. I got better in some areas, but I know I can get better. If I have to wait a couple of months, six to seven months to get a title shot, I don't mind waiting. I'll wait. It's just going to get me better and stronger."
After a 2006 loss to Fitch, Alves has since climbed to the top of the division with consecutive wins over John Alessio, Tony DeSouza, Kuniyoshi Hironaka, Chris Lytle, Parisyan, Matt Hughes and Koscheck.
His current win streak stands at seven (five of which came via knockout) -- one short of a record held by Royce Gracie, Fitch and Anderson Silva -- and he doesn't expect it to end once he gets his title shot.
"I see myself beating the champion," Alves said. "It doesn't matter who it is. Georges St. Pierre or B.J. Penn. It doesn't really matter. I'm going to beat him. I'm going to knock him out."
God I love this guy.
Damn, not that bad of a show.
Ben Saunders slaughtered his opponent Wolff with the Muay Thai clinch, leaving this other dude with a huge bruise on his head near instantly. Maybe the biggest bruise/lump I;ve ever seen in MMA.
Some black guys arm got snapped in a armbar
Mike Swick KO'd Jonathan Goulet quickly
and Josh Koscheck got a brutal KO over Yoshida.
This was a well booked show. I think Joe Silva had outside hepp for it. Opening fight was great. Off the top of my head I can't think of a disappointing fight.
Quote from: Cory on December 11, 2008, 07:22:41 AM
Ben Saunders slaughtered his opponent Wolff with the Muay Thai clinch, leaving this other dude with a huge bruise on his head near instantly. Maybe the biggest bruise/lump I;ve ever seen in MMA.
Yeah that was a massive lump. Saunders impressed the hell out of me in that fight. I haven't seen someone get destroyed like that in a long time.
QuoteMike Swick KO'd Jonathan Goulet quickly
I expected that, though. Goulet has never once impressed me, I figured Swick would destroy him in a hurry.
QuoteJosh Koscheck got a brutal KO over Yoshida.
Yeah, that is one of the most devastating punch KO's I've ever seen. Yoshida was already out with the first one, the second one was just deadly. Kos didn't even think about dropping down to pound Yoshida out until the ref stepped in, he just stood there knowing that it was done.
I wasn't expecting much from the card when I saw it on paper, but it was a hell of a show.
Nice, considering that sets up either Biz/Hendo or Biz/Franklin...Both would be good fights.
WTF!! Anybody see Corey Hill's leg??? Go to UFC.com and watch the video on the main page!!! Fuckin SICK!
http://mmalinker.com/xExternal.php?vidid=10730 (http://mmalinker.com/xExternal.php?vidid=10730)
That ref I saw in two fights, both fights he did a shit job. I would never fight under his watch.
oh my god
That was one of the sickest things I've ever seen in my life, it looked like his lower leg and foot was going to fly off.
Koscheck and Swick were damned impressive. I'm glad Swick is finally getting settled in at 170.
Steve Cantwell is for real, he was so happy he snapped that guys arm.
Killa-B at 170 is SCARY. All night long they were talking about troops coming home with TBI, he gave his opponent TBI.
Saunders looked like a beast last night, VERY scary. I hope it wasn't just the quality of opponent.
One of the best line-ups in MMA history, needs its own discussion thread.
Ryo Chonan vs. Brad Blackburn
Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy
Antonio Hardonk vs. Mark Burch
Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister
Cheick Kongo vs. Mustapha Al-Turk
Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
CB Dollaway vs. Mike Massenzio
Antonio Rodrigro Nogueria vs. Frank Mir - Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship
Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans - UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
DISCUSS!
except for 3 fights it's a shit card
No way.
Griffin/Evans
Nog/Mir
Wandy/Page
Okami/Lister
are all really good, and the other fights have really good fighters in Hamill, Hardonk(crazy kicks), and Chonan.
I really think its the best UFC card of the year, better than UFC 87.
The only people more boring than Lister, Is Okami and Machida.
Quote from: Cory on December 11, 2008, 08:02:33 PM
Saunders looked like a beast last night, VERY scary. I hope it wasn't just the quality of opponent.
That's 3 in a row in UFC for him, I'd like to see them put him on the Main Card. The only reason his fight was shown last night is because some others ended quick too. He's huge for 170.
I actually TIVO'D it but I am watching it now.....Just got past the Creduer Match, fucking Sick leg break....anyone remember Sid Vicious off the top rope? First thing that came to my mind...Sick fuck break man
It looked like the leg completely detached, and the skin was containing it, fucking nasty ass shit.
I'm really pumped to see Hamill back in the Octagon.
I'm pretty sure that the Rashad Evans/Forest Griffin fight should be exciting.
:jointpasssmiley:
I'm pretty sure Rashad will maul Forrest
Quote from: Answer Driven;1435488Jerry Millen, the current Vice President of the M-1 promotion has released a statement on Brock Lesnar's victory over Randy Couture this past Saturday night for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. M-1 had been looking into the possibility of a bout between WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture before Couture's return to the UFC. With this statement released by Millen, it appears as if they have skipped past Couture and are eying a potential Lesnar/Fedor match-up for the future. How likely that is to ever happen remains to be seen, but I would file it somewhere between hell freezing over and pigs flying. Here's the full statement from Millen.
M-1 would like to congratulate Brock Lesnar on his UFC heavyweight title victory as well as acknowledge Randy Couture’s return to active competition after a layoff that lasted over a year.
Couture and WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko had publicly acknowledged a desire to fight each other multiple times over the course of the past year. While M-1 and Fedor remain interested in a match against Couture, we would also like to publicly state for the record that we would welcome a superfight between Fedor and Lesnar that would be held as a co-promoted event between the UFC, M-1, and Affliction Entertainment.
We’ve invited the media to speak with us today to not only make it clear we would welcome a Fedor vs. Lesnar matchup, but to act in a preemptive fashion to address the possibility that UFC officials will try and position Lesnar as the number one heavyweight in the world, much like they have tried to use a marketing ploy to brand Anderson Silfva as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
In the past, UFC president Dana White and Zuffa, LLC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta have tried to claim that Fedor was “overrated†and that his “record was irrelevant.†They make these claims in spite of the fact that Fedor holds career victories over UFC champions past and present. While we have tremendous respect for the contributions Mr. Fertitta and Dana have made to this sport, we do not believe they are sincere in their statements.
It is the position of M-1 that the UFC has adopted an anti-Fedor policy because multiple attempts to sign him have not been fruitful. For a company that has tried to market itself as the number one promotion in the world, they are unable to accept the fact that the number one fighter in the world does not reside on its roster of contracted fighters.
We believe that the UFC has determined that it’s much more inexpensive for them to use their marketing resources to use smoke and mirrors to brand a fighter as the pound-for-pound best as opposed to actually paying the pound-for-pound best what he is truly worth on the open market.
While Brock Lesnar is an accomplished athlete and a talented fighter, we do not consider him to be the number one heavyweight in the world. Until someone beats him, we strongly believe that Fedor should continue to be recognized as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. In a match between Fedor and Lesnar, we do not feel that at this stage Lesnar would be able to make it out of the first round.
For those who feel our statements in regards to Fedor are self-serving, we’d like to refer you to a video interview on the website RawVegas.tv in which at his UFC 91 after-party Couture himself acknowledges that “Fedor would probably tear Brock up at this point.â€
â€" Jerry Millen, M-1 Vice President
http://www.nokaut.com/?id=12&solo_news=2644& (http://www.nokaut.com/?id=12&solo_news=2644&)
"the UFC has adopted an anti-Fedor policy.
AHAHAHAAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHA
Ripped from Ironlife.com
Dana White make it happen!
:jointpasssmiley:
The only way I see Rashad winning is like how he did over Chuck. Other than that, Forrest should retain.
I hope Forrest and Rashad stay standing but I don't think it will, because if it does it won't go down like Rashad/Chuck did. The only reason Rashad stayed on his feet against Chuck was because a loss to Chuck wouldn't have hurt him at all, and Chuck was expecting the takedown. Rashad could knock Forrest out, Forrest has been knocked out and Rashad proved he has the power, but I don't think Rashad will be able to lay n' pray a decision against Forrest. Forrest has a good guard, and he's a lot bigger than Rashad. If Rashad tries to posture up for the Ground n' Pound he's gonna be hitting him in the chest. I see it either being Rashad by Knockout or Forrest by... Shogun... I mean Rear Naked Choke.
Rashad is just too fast for most light heavies. He stayed standing with Chuck cause he's MUCh faster than chuck. I think Rashad can lay on Forrest without being stuck in his guard. I think he's too fast for Forrest. I don't think Forrest can sprawl on him as much as he did to Tito. Forrest has reach, but speed kills.
Rashrd has some good ground skills too. even match with exp. going to forrest . but I think Evens can pull it off
He might not get the shot after all, cause if this happens he's losing.
http://mma.fanhouse.com/2008/12/12/thiago-alves-to-fight-mike-swick-before-georges-st-pierre-b-j/ (http://mma.fanhouse.com/2008/12/12/thiago-alves-to-fight-mike-swick-before-georges-st-pierre-b-j/)
Yeh there was a topic about this awhile back, Fedor's management is stupid, and talks shit. Fedor is a humble dude, but his management is mouthy.
Seriously? Swick is good, but Alves will fuck him up.
Ultimate Finale Tonight, who do you guys think will walk away with the contracts?
Vinny will beat Bader
I think Nover will beat Efrian, but just because I dont like Nover, I'm picking Efrian.
Though I like Vinny a lot, I really do think if Bader gets in a few hard shots, it'll throw Vinny off his game just enough for Bader to go in for the kill. Thing is, if he pulls the wrestling/take down attempt, Vinny will take it with great ease.
I like Nover, definitely think he'll take it...even if he does look hilarious when "in the zone."
I would like Evans, but he comes off as a arrogant bastard, and he doesn't even try to be one.
I like guys like Tito who were arrogant, but Evans just annoys the hell out of me, but he is a talented fighter.
Really, it doesn't matter who wins, they'll just end up losing to Thiago Silva next year....ha.
I think Thiago can beat Rashad, but I don't think he can take Forrest
Thiago can beat everyone....which is why im placing 95% of my MMA legitimacy that Silva beats Machida next year.
Back to the card, I personally think Rampage/Wandy will steal the show. Their two fights in PRIDE were fucking awesome.
Sounds like it was an awesome show!
Sucks I missed it :(
I'll be in Vegas in a few days hopefully, hopefully by monday.
Ben Saunders, I knew that guy would be good ever since I saw him compete on TUF 6. Only reason he lost the decision to Tommy Speer was b/c he was seriously sick during the fight... though not making an excuse for him, Speer won fairly. I just think if Killa B was at 100% he wouldda at least made it to the semis, or the finals against Mac. Though George Sotiropolous I think will be the most successful fighter from season 6 once he heals up from injury.
I heard Koscheck's KO was awesome!
Thiago Silva is good, and def has a ton of potential... but he still hasn't proven himself. Yes he's 13-0... but he has yet to face guys like Machida, Forrest, Rashad, Chuck, Rampage, etc. I think he would do well against them, not sure if he would win... but not sure he would lose either.
If he is able to land some good strikes on Machida, no doubt he would knock him out... but can he do that? I doubt it. He'll come forward with his crazy ass style and get countered all night by the Dragon.
Quote from: Cory on December 13, 2008, 08:36:38 PM
Thiago can beat everyone....which is why im placing 95% of my MMA legitimacy that Silva beats Machida next year.
Back to the card, I personally think Rampage/Wandy will steal the show. Their two fights in PRIDE were fucking awesome.
I think BJ would move up in weight just to knock Thiago's face in...which he can do. Go MMA Hawaii/GVP.
Randy/Wand gives me a BONER.
:jointpasssmiley:
You should see it!
:jointpasssmiley:
On second thought...
I agree with you there.
Swick is talented but Thiago...
:jointpasssmiley:
...I think most fight fans would agree that Alves is the better fighter.
pass.
but never my guard.
:jointpasssmiley:
Bader beat Vinny
Efrian beat Nover.
I was shocked at the Bader/Vinny match. I knew striking, if it stayed that way, Bader would win, but I really thought Bader would be a stupid wrestler, and take Vinny down, where Vinny would win. Also, the "power" shot, I dont think it rocked Vinny, as you could see when he fell, he was hoping Bader would fall into his guard, but that didnt work out so well.
I fell asleep from that boring ass Burns/Johnson fight, which I saw had a nasty head kick finish, but I called it. Nover was never tested on the show, and got 2 weak opponents. Congrats to Efrian.
Also, damn Junie looked really fucking good. If he would have fought like that on the show, he'd have a really good chance of winning. Hope to see more of him in the UFC.
I'm glad Darth Bader won.
Also props to Efrain for the win. Nover needs a ton of work on his wrestling... but they both have bright futures.
Maybe we will get to see the battle of the matadors someday... Efrain vs. Huerta?
Laughing...
My....
Fucking...
Ass...
Off...
The big question is my mind is how is Rampage's mind set after all that shit went down early in the year? Will he be able to hold it together and think like a fighter, or will he crack up again?
Anyone remember Oliver McCall vs Lennox Lewis about 12 years ago? For Mitch who is too young to remember, McCall had a breakdown before the fight similar to Rampage. He then said he was ok and took the fight with Lewis, only to start crying for his Mum (I shit you not) about 4 rounds into the fight.
Here's hoping Rampage really is mentally ready cause what I've seen of Silva, he'll kill him if he isn't.
This show should be the highlight of my Christmas! Can't wait.
Peace
Duckman
I'm wondering the same thing Sam. I'm hoping Quinton will be mentally ready, but I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Though if I was Hendo or Rich, I'd be pretty pissed. They asked these guys to fight at Light Heavy, now they are telling them to drop back to 185 to fight Bisping?
Maybe Henderson won't mind, but Rich wanted to fight specifically at LHW for awhile.
But Bis/Hendo or Franklin would be a great TUF and also a great fight so I can't complain.
I rather it be henderson , only because we seen rich as a coach . resaon I like Tuf is that we get different coaches , see different personally , we seen rich , I like him , but I want something different
Same the Spike Video Game Awards, and Page was looking cool, as was Wandy, dancing around to some LL Cool J (really)
I really do not know... I hope so too
Wand has MURDERED the "R" word TWICE in a row...I feel like he's the American version of Sakuraba.
:jointpasssmiley:
your are right rage , but I thought Rampage had improve to the point where he could that the sliva now...but his mental state after griffin ... if he not all there for this fight , Sliva rips him to sherds
Regardless, it should be a fucking amazing fight, I personally can't wait.
UFC 92
Ryo Chonan vs. Brad Blackburn
Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy
Antonio Hardonk vs. Mark Burch
Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister
Cheick Kongo vs. Mustapha Al-Turk
Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
CB Dollaway vs. Mike Massenzio
Antonio Rodrigro Nogueria vs. Frank Mir
Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans
Ok, remember I'm a noob so this could be really stupid!
Ryo Chonan vs. Brad Blackburn
Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy
Antonio Hardonk vs. Mark Burch
Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister
Cheick Kongo vs. Mustapha Al-Turk
Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
CB Dollaway vs. Mike Massenzio
Antonio Rodrigro Nogueria vs. Frank Mir
Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans
Peace
Duckman
Ryo Chonan vs. Brad Blackburn
Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy
Antonio Hardonk vs. Mark Burch
Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister
Cheick Kongo vs. Mustapha Al-Turk
Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
CB Dollaway vs. Mike Massenzio
Antonio Rodrigro Nogueria vs. Frank Mir
Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans
Fight For the Troops Results:
Mitch- 8-1
M.D.Right- 7-2
Cory- 5-4
Overall Rankings:
1. Cory (UFC 87 + 90)
2. MitchMMA (UFC 89 + Fight For Troops)
3. Khristian Call (UFC 88)
4. M.D.K (UFN Diaz vs. Neer)
5. JohnS (UFC 91)
Ryo Chonan vs. Brad Blackburn
Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy
Antonio Hardonk vs. Mark Burch
Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister
Cheick Kongo vs. Mustapha Al-Turk
Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
CB Dollaway vs. Mike Massenzio
Antonio Rodrigro Nogueria vs. Frank Mir
Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans
Quote from: Cory on December 17, 2008, 03:45:04 PM
Fight For the Troops Results:
Mitch- 8-1
M.D.Right- 7-2
Cory- 5-4
Overall Rankings:
1. Cory (UFC 87 + 90)
2. Khristian Call (UFC 88)
4. M.D.K (UFN Diaz vs. Neer + UFC 91)
5. MitchMMA (UFC 89 + Fight For Troops)
Actually...I won UFC 91 ;)
My bad, fixed. I knew you must have won one of them, so yeah.
I think Alves can whop GSP, and Im Canadian for fuck sakes.
*BUMP*
Lets get a few more in boys and lassies.
QuoteAccording to a report in Fighters Only Magazine, British Heavyweight and former Cage Rage competitor Neil Grove has been signed to the UFC's heavyweight division.
Grove has signed a four fight deal and could debut for the company on February 21st at UFC 95 in London England.
His most notable win comes over James Thompson who he defeated in ten seconds via knockout and he also holds wins over Robert Berry who may be best known who his sketchy win over Ken Shamrock earlier this year.
Credit: MMANews.com
At least they're TRYING to beef up the HW division lol.
MMAJUNKIE-
How would Shamrock prepare for the bout if he were in Arlovski's shoes and scheduled to fight Emelianenko at the Jan. 24 "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" main event?
"I'd lean to run backwards," he joked. "Fedor's a tough nut to crack."
Shamrock said the problem with the famed Russian fighter and longtime former PRIDE heavyweight title-holder is that he's so well-rounded. While the fight would take a certain amount of strategizing, Melendez said ultimately, "There's nothing to do but go in there and do it."
Rutten compares Emelianenko to superstars such as Mike Tyson, Kazushi Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva -- fighters who were so dominant their opponents oftentimes felt defeated before the fight had even taken place.
But don't put Arlovski in that category. He saw a chink in Emelianenko's armor during his recent loss at the 2008 World Sambo Championships. Emelianenko was undefeated in the Russian martial art, but he suffered a loss to Blagoy Ivanov at last month's championships. It was his first sambo loss in eight years and prompted Emelianenko to cancel a U.S. press tour so he could concentrate on the Arlovski fight.
"A couple weeks ago he lost his sambo match," a confident Arlovski said. "He's just a human. Yeah, he's probably a little bit better -- he's unbeatable for like seven years. But he's a human."
MAIN CARD (PPV)
* WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski
* Josh Barnett vs. Gilbert Yvel
* Vitor Belfort vs. Matt Lindland
* Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
* Chris Horodecki vs. Dan Lauzon
* Paul Buentello vs. Kiril Sidelnikov
PRELIMINARY CARD (HDNet)
* Vladamir Matyushenko vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
* Jay Hieron vs. Jason High
* L.C. Davis vs. Mark Hominick
* Antonio Duarte vs. Albert Rios
* Patrick Speight vs. Brett Cooper
DISCUSS!
Recording tomorrow.
In other news, grass is green, the moon is not made of cheese and Fedor is still my bet to win this.
Im still pretty sure Fedor isn't human.
lol...That's what he says now...what will he have to say AFTER the fight?
Recorded. Should be up hopefully early next week.
human ...yes beatable...yes losing this fight .... more then likely NO!!! but hey stranger things have happen
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=510 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=510)
ye ye.
Pretty good card. I'll SopCast if available.
Couple fights I'm looking forward to seeing. Arlovski and Fedor of course being the top...Don't know why though, lets just chalk up another win for Fedor lol. lets see if Arlolvski can last longer than Sylvia did.
Good card
I don't like Sokoudjou much, but him vs. Babalu should be good.
Page's boxing is much improved, if he's mentally ready I think he can finally beat Wand.
from: mmajunkie.com
While speculation has placed UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (23-4 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in a number of matchups in both the middleweight and light-heavyweight division, it appears likely that "The Spider" will be defending his title at an as-yet-unannounced date in April.
Sources close to the bout have indicated to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that Silva and fellow Brazilian Thales Leites (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) have verbally agreed to the contest. Bout agreements have yet to be signed.
While an official date and venue for the event have yet to be announced, the sources indicated that the UFC is eyeing a return to Montreal for the card.
Rumors had been widely circulating that Silva was a candidate for a main event bout at UFC 95 in London, or that the middleweight champion would be looking to have another go at a light-heavyweight contest. Both of those rumors now appear untrue.
Silva is currently riding a nine-fight winning streak that includes all eight of his trips to the octagon. The 33-year-old was last seen in a widely criticized third-round TKO win over Patrick Cote at UFC 90 in October.
Leites will bring a five-fight win streak of his own to the title fight.
The 27-year-old debuted in the UFC in 2006, losing a unanimous decision to Martin Kampmann. The loss was just the first of Leites' career, and the submission ace has since reeled off victories over Drew McFedries, Nate Marquardt, Ryan Jensen, Floyd Sword and Pete Sell.
The Nova Uniao fighter also owns submission wins over Jose Landi-Jons, Jason Guida and Gustavo Machado prior to his stint with the UFC.
If the currently targeted location of Montreal holds true, it will mark just the UFC's second trip to Canada.
The organization first visited Montreal in April 2008 for "UFC 83: Serra vs. St. Pierre 2." That event sold-out the 21,000-plus seat Bell Centre in record time, prompting UFC President Dana White to promise that the UFC would "definitely" return to Canada for a second event.
Listening now, great show!
I agree with Pat, Dollaway is the man!
AZ Combat Sports is one of the best camps out there, they have: Bader, CB, Varner, Condit,etc.
Honker might disagree with you about Joe Silva LOL!!! :P
Wow...so not fair for Leites...he's not ready for Silva in any way, shape or form. This is gonna be ugly.
I'm just happy because...either way...its gonna be a fuckin amazing fight...AMAZING!
Stranger things have happened though. I think it would be a pretty good fight, obviously Silva would win but Leites is pretty underrated.
Though, I'd much rather see Demian Maia fight Silva... but Maia needs a few more bigger wins I guess, but the dude has in my opinion the best jits in MMA... well the best jits FOR MMA, maybe not the best pure jits.
And if Bisping beats Franklin/Hendo... he'd be in line for a title shot too.
I just watched the countdown show a few hours ago, and I lolled pretty hard when Wand said "I do not like him" in his Portuguese accent in regards to Rampage.
... also, Frank Mir's wife is pretty hot, Mir has good taste lol.
I know I kinda seem like I bad mouth Mir when I talk about how he will lose to Nog, but in all honesty I like both guys a lot as fighters and as people, but I just think Nog is a little bit better but hey maybe Mir will prove me wrong.
Watched it this morning, fuck it.
Fuck the 24th, The 27th will be my Christmas Eve
Fuck the 25th, the 28th will be my Christmas, and Im getting 3 Fights of the Year.
Just saw this on MMA Live
Diego Sanchez dropping down to 155 to fight Joe "Daddy" Stevenson at UFC 96!
Should be a God damn War!!! lol.
Tough to predict, both are studs. Both are dangerous on the ground obviously, Diego definitely has the edge in the striking department and he always brings an intense pace so that probably gives him the edge... but Joe Daddy is a BAMF in his own right so this should be one hell of a fight to look forward to in 09.
If I have to predict... I'll go with Diego.
So Far:
Kongo over Al Turk, with some nice ground n pound in round one.
Dollaway over Massenzio, with nice ground n pound in round one
Rampage over Silva, via first round KO
Frank Mir KO Nogueria in the 2nd round!!!!
Evans over Griffin via TKO 3rd round
UFC 92 Results:
Cory: 7-2
Johns: 7-2
BlackDeath: 4-5
Duckman: 3-6
OFFICIAL TABLE:
1. Cory (UFC 87 + 90 + 92)
2. MitchMMA (UFC 89 + Fight For Troops)
3. Khristian Call (UFC 88)
4. M.D.K (UFN Diaz vs. Neer)
5. JohnS (UFC 91 + 92)
UFC 93
Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin
Mark Coleman vs.
Mauricio “Shogun†RuaAlan Belcher vs.
Denis KangMarcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle
Jeremy Horn vs.
Rousimar PalharesAndre Gusmao vs.
Antonio MendesThomasz Drwal vs.
Ivan SeratiTom Egan vs. John Hathaway
Nate Mohr vs. Denis Siver
Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin
Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio “Shogun†Rua
Alan Belcher vs. Denis Kang
Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle
Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares
Andre Gusmao vs. Antonio Mendes
Thomasz Drwal vs. Ivan Serati
Tom Egan vs. John Hathaway
Nate Mohr vs. Denis Siver
Mir really surprised me... he looked effin awesome!
Nog is my hero, I was upset to see him lose, but man at the same time gotta give Mir a ton of props for being the first guy to finish the legendary Minotauro!
Yeah, Mir looked dead on last night.
Just finished watching the show and man that was awesome!
That guy Kongo looks like he could be a real threat in the HW division, although I don't know if he's fought anyone of real quality yet.
Mir fought the perfect fight. He looked in complete control and instead of the big BJJ match up I thought would happen he kept the fight standing up and showed some fantastic boxing skills. If he comes into the fight against Brock like that, Lesner is a dead man.
The knock out by Rampage was the shot of the night for me. I loved the way he ducked out the way of the shots from Silva, blocking with both hands and then the power he got out of that hook was amazing. A text book punch with all his body weight behind it and Silva didn't stand a chance.
Griffin gave it his all but man Evans is good. He's got amazing power and seems to know just what kind of fight is needed and when to unleash the bombs. I thought Griffin had him with those leg kicks and working on some good stand up, but as soon as he was down Evans just looked in total control and finished the fight really well.
A great card with some amazing fights on it. Fighter of the night has to be Frank Mir who just looked as good as all the hype I've heard about him in the past.
Fight of the Night for me is Rampage vs Silva. Not as long but damn it was intense, the crowd were electric and that knock out shot was a thing of beauty.
Great show!
Peace
Duckman
Kongo sucks, just saying. He's a really awful fighter, but he did show some skill in this fight, maybe he has gotten better.
I don't know man, he took his opponent apart on this show. I don't know if that guy was any good, but Kongo did whip his ass.
What makes you think he's an awful fighter? Just trying to learn as much as I can about the sport.
Cheers.
Peace
Duckman
Kongo is pretty much just a strike. He had a couple of subs early in his career, but to guys who aren't even worth noting because you probably couldn't find them anywhere on MMA sites. Much like most of Kongo's opponents. A lot of which he's lost too. The two most notable fighter's Kongo has ever gone against were Heath Herring and CroCop. Don't let Joe Rogan fool you, he'll hype the shit outta Kongo...even to go as far as saying he has an amazing ground game. Joe Rogan also smokes more weed then me and you combined though. Kongo is ok. Before he is even considered for a title shot though, he needs to beat some bigger names. In my eyes, Kongo is kinda like a heavyweight Houston Alexander.
Ah right cause Joe was hyping him like fuck. Plus he looked bad ass in that fight so I was thinking he could take on Mir or Brock in the future. I take it he'd probably get his ass handed to him by most decent HW's then?
Also what did you think of the show over all John?
Peace
Duckman
I wanna see my boy, Cain Valasquez smash Kongo!
Kongo is good, don't get me wrong... but Cain Valasquez is the future! 8)
Either Cain or Shane Carwin would be a good fight against Kongo I think, if Kongo can get past those guys than he might be considered for a title shot in the future.
Shane Carwin's the man, really solid fighter.
I agree. Carwin, Cain, or maybe Gonzaga would be a good test.
Yeah truth, if Kongo could beat Cain, Carwin, and/or Gonzaga then I think he would deserve a title shot.
But he hasn't really beaten any top guys, his biggest win was against Cro-Cop, but the Cro Cop from PRIDE would have kicked Kongo's head right off IMO.
I think Kongo could be a champ someday, but he doesn't deserve a shot right now, until he proves himself.
Just watched Griffin Fight. After round one, I knew Forrests kicks would be his downfall. Damn I'm good.
Fucking a my boy Mir does it again!
http://www.rawvegas.tv/watch/mike-whitehead-rants-about-ufc-92/bc1f1a62d8ccc0a6b8fce4a07cb5d6 (http://www.rawvegas.tv/watch/mike-whitehead-rants-about-ufc-92/bc1f1a62d8ccc0a6b8fce4a07cb5d6)
I agree a little bit.... but I think Whitehead is just being bitter.
Rashad did beat him in TUF 2.... :P
But Whitehead does make some good points I guess.
It's pretty cool, it's like a myspace sorta thing for MMA. You can interact with fighters, fans, models, journalists, promoters, etc.
Hit me up:
www.mmajacked.com/italiantiger (http://www.mmajacked.com/italiantiger)
I made my account awhile ago, but only recently I have been starting to use it... there's some pretty hot chicks on there too :P
from:mmaweekly
Josh Neer â€" a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and International Fight League â€" was arrested early Thursday morning by Des Moines, Iowa, police, according to the Des Moines Register. Polk County (Iowa) records show he was charged with a second-offense operating while intoxicated charge and eluding while more than 25 miles-per-hour in excess of the speeding limit.
A Polk County officer later confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that Neer was released on bond sometime around 9 or 10 a.m. Thursday morning and would face a future court date. Records indicate that his bond was set at $2,000 for the operating while intoxicated charge and $5,000 for the charge of eluding.
The officer on duty did not have details of the incident immediately available, but a report by the Des Moines Register indicated that Neer was allegedly involved in a three-car collision at a stoplight before attempting to elude police and leading them on a high-speed chase.
Neer apparently hit a car from behind at a red stoplight. That car then rear-ended a police car that was stopped for the light. Reportedly driving a black Audi Quattro, Neer then allegedly pulled out, crossing oncoming traffic and leading police on a chase.
The report goes on to say that police attempted to stop the Audi by hitting the back quarter panel of the car with a squad car. The Audi spun around, but the driver regained control. The chase eventually wound up on Interstate 80, reportedly reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph in a 65 mph speed zone.
The chase finally ended at mile marker 137, where police arrested Neer.
Sporting a professional MMA record of 24-7-1, Neer last saw action at UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha, Neb., where he lost a split decision to Ultimate Fighter season five winner Nate Diaz. Neer and Diaz were awarded the UFC Fight Night 15 "Fight of the Night" award, which included a $30,000 bonus to each fighter.
Neer is scheduled to face Mac Danzig at UFC Fight Night 17 at the USF Sun Dome on Feb. 7 in Tampa, Fla.
No statement was forthcoming from UFC officials at the time of publication.
Quote from: Duckman on December 29, 2008, 02:11:26 PM
Ah right cause Joe was hyping him like fuck. Plus he looked bad ass in that fight so I was thinking he could take on Mir or Brock in the future. I take it he'd probably get his ass handed to him by most decent HW's then?
Also what did you think of the show over all John?
Peace
Duckman
I thought the show rocked. It lived up to the hype and set up some good fights for future cards.
3 Weeks away, Ill have my AO preview up soon, but jesus. Is everyone realizing how huge of a main event this is.......Arlovski will be Fedors biggest test in quite some time.
Good fight!
from: mmaweekly
“Ultimate Fighter†season eight winner Efrain Escudero is expected to return to action against lightweight prospect Jeremy Stephens at a yet to be announced Ultimate Fight Night 18 on April 1. The event’s location has not been determined.
Bout agreements have not yet been signed, but sources close to both fighters revealed to MMAWeekly.com that they are expected put pen to paper in the coming days.
Escudero made waves as the dark horse of the recent reality season, defeating Ido Pariente, Shane Nelson, and Junie Browning to meet Phillip Nover in the show’s finale on Dec. 13. The 22-year-old native Mexican used his wrestling base to dominate Nover en route to a unanimous decision victory, earning him The Ultimate Fighter title. Prior to the show, Escudero was 10-0 in professional competition, fighting mostly for the Arizona-based Rage in the Cage promotion.
Stephens, 22, last turned heads with a bonus-winning knockout of Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 91. The Des Moines native has gone 4-2 in UFC competition, with an overall record of 16-3.
This will be a good test for Efrian, and should be a good fight. Stephens does have some good knockout power.
Yeah it's a huge main event! I agree with you about it being Fedor's biggest test in awhile. I can see him finishing Andrei with a late submission.
I'll post my full predictions on here later though.
That he does, this is def a big test for Efrain. Though I think his wrestling base will be good enough to control Jeremy, plus he has good submissions too so I can see Efrain winning by either a submission or a decision. However Jeremy Stephens is also a good up and comer at 155, and he's got better striking than Efrain... but Efrain showed before that his stand up is pretty good so I'm gonna go with Efrain... but Stephens could knock him out.
Good first fight for Efrain though. Maybe eventually he'll be able to fight Roger Huerta, loser has to change their nickname lol!
Yeah this is one of those fights where we get to determine...ok, is he just a TUFer, or is he a UFC fighter. If he can get through Stephens, then he is legit. If he can't, it could be a little bit harder for him to gain attention. The LW division is no joke.
I break-down the main event, presented by Audibly Offensive. Check it outski.
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=532 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=532)
I think it's gonna end on the ground, but not by sub. If Fedor connects he's probably gonna drop Arlovski, and then barrage him with punches until the ref calls it. But...I would LOVE to see it go a full 5 rounds, because it wouldn't be boring I know that much.
Awesome article Cory!
Arlovski is a hot/cold fighter. He looked great in his last match, but will he be on top of his game when he has to stare across the ring to the machine that is Fedor
I think so, Arlovski seems really pumped up for this fight. He wants it badly, I think he'll give it his all.
Though we won't really know until the fight :P
I think secretly I'm rooting for Arlovski, but I don't expect him to win.
Though Cory made a really good point saying Arlovski is the first big man that has speed and knock out power that Fedor has ever faced. Not only that but Andrei has good footwork, he'll be able to get in and out and be allusive, but he's also very aggressive. I don't see Fedor catching Andrei on the feet, even though Andrei has a really weak chin, I can see Andrei actually outstriking Fedor until Fedor gets it to the ground. Once it hits the ground, I think that's where we will see Fedor finishing the fight.
Though I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Andrei took Fedor through all 5 rounds but lost the decision.
I'll post my picks later, but if you want the BreakdowN on Franklin vs. Henderson, you should check out my new article on audiblyoffensive.com.
QuoteAn interesting middleweight bout has been added to UFC 95 which is set to take place in London.
Undefeated Demian Maia will take on Chael Sonnen in a fight that could have a potential title shot on the line for the winner. A source close to Maia confirmed the bout with MMANews.com and MMAJunkie.com was also able to confirm the bout with someone within the Sonnen camp.
With Sonnen coming off a win against top ranked middleweight Paulo Filho and Maia riding an undefeated streak both fighters could be fighting for a title shot with Middleweight king Anderson Silva later this year.
Although not officially for a title shot, the lack of top middleweights in the UFC right now that have not been stone walled by the champion are few and far between. Both guys are top fighters and could contend for the throne.
Credit: MMAnews.com
This is gonna be a great fight. I'll be rooting for Maia, but honestly I just wanna see this one. Could lead to a good title fight in the near future.
Yeah good fight, I think Maia has it though. He'll finish with a sub, but Sonnen is tough.
I'm interested in this fight, should be a good one.
Yeah I agree with ya Mitch, Maia by sub. But it will definitely be a good fight.
Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin
Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio “Shogun†Rua
Alan Belcher vs. Denis Kang
Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle
Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares
Andre Gusmao vs. Antonio Mendes
Thomasz Drwal vs. Ivan Serati
Tom Egan vs. John Hathaway
Nate Mohr vs. Denis Siver
Hoping he signs a contract soon, really looking forward to seeing Ishii in the Octagon soon, dude's got some phenomenal judo!
from: mmaweekly. com
In Saitama, Japan, on Sunday, 2008 Olympic gold medalist judoka Satoshi Ishii took to the Sengoku ring with microphone in hand. It is well known that Ishii is ready to forgo his judo career and head into professional MMA competition. And on Sunday, clad in a UFC t-shirt, it wasn't too surprising that Ishii indicated that he is more than likely going to debut in the Octagon.
In his address to the crowd, Ishii apparently told Japanese fans that he is now a mixed marital artist.
Besides donning the UFC shirt, he also told the crowd that he plans to fight in the United States, hoping to bring back a "big souvenir" to the Japanese fans, according to a report on Sherdog. com.
That Ishii is likely headed to the UFC just goes to show the power of the MMA juggernaught. In years past, it would have been very difficult to for the promotion to land a Japanese athlete the caliber of Ishii. There is a tremendous amount of support for combat sports in Japan that makes competing for its national athletes a hard sell.
The UFC has become such a force in the sport though, that it appears they are able to sway some of the most prominent athletes from across globe.
Ishii was a special guest of the UFC at UFC 92 on Dec. 27 in Las Vegas. Following the event, Zuffa issued a statement that Ishii had entered into exclusive negotiations to fight under the UFC banner.
Yeah I heard about this, fuckin sweet. I'm lookin forward to see what he can do in MMA.
QuoteHe's lost four of his last five fights with three of those coming by brutal KO but "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva has no plans of hanging up the 4-ounce gloves anytime soon. Silva tells MMAWeekly.com that he is open to a move to the middleweight division but he would like to fight with Chuck Liddell before that happens:
"It’s my normal weight," he says of the light heavyweight class. "I never cut down too much weight for a fight. Maybe I go to fight one more time at light heavyweight, and after I go down."
To Silva, the fight that makes the most sense is a rematch with Chuck Liddell, who gave him a three-round slugfest at UFC 79. He lost the decision, but feels they put on another fight of the year.
"I am thinking I want to fight Chuck again," says Silva. "I want to fight with him again because I had a good match with him, and his style is a good style for me, and my style is good for him. It’s good for the show. Maybe it’s good for Dana."
Credit: MMANews.com
I don't want to see him fight again at 205, there is no room for him really. I think of Silva as a top competitor, and he's not going to cut it against top competition in the LHW division. I want to see his next fight at 185...and while I don't think there is any way in hell that he'll beat The Spider, he will still do much better in that division.
He definitely should move down to MW, he'd do soo much better.
But a re-match with Chuck would be fun too.
Another fight with Liddell would be cool, but both of those guys are in a 'lose and I'm fucked' kinda situation. I think he should just move down and start knokcing heads off in the MW division.
QuoteSources close to both fighters have confirmed to Cageplay.com that an April 18th UFC 97 match is in the works between David Loiseau and Ed Herman in Montreal when the UFC returns for their second Canadian date. The Crow has not been in the UFC since 2006 when he dropped consecutive fights to Rich Franklin in a title match and then Mike Swick. Loiseau then fought his way back to the UFC by besting Solomon Hutcherson with a fifth round TKO in XMMA action. Loiseau joins a strong group of Canadians currently in the UFC’s Middleweight division including Jason MacDonald, Jason Day, Denis Kang, and Patrick Cote. Loiseau fills a hole left by Joe Doerksen being released after 3 straight losses and Kalib Starnes ran out of the division.
Ed “Short Fuse†Herman is on a two fight losing streak - a split decision loss to Alan Belcher last September and to Middleweight contender Demian Maia at UFC 83 last year at Canada’s inaugural UFC. He looks to get back on track and spoil the Crow’s homecoming in April and show the Canadian fans what he is capable of.
Credit: CagePlay.com
Ah man this is sweet. I am a Loiseau mark. I don't think he really has what it takes to be a top dog in the MW division, but I've seen some exciting fights from him in the past. I also like Ed Herman, so this fight would be awesome for me.
True that. He's probably the second best Canadian fighter, and entertaining as hell to watch.
He'd do much better at 185, plus that sets up a fight with Anderson Silva, which would be fucking awesome.
Yeah this would be a good fight.
Also, Mir vs. Lesnar II and Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites are rumored for UFC 97 as well... if that is the case, 97 should be a pretty stacked fight card.
Paulo Thiago sounds like a beast... but Kos should smash him!
from: mmajunkie
UFC newcomer and undefeated Brazilian prospect Paulo Thiago (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has agreed to meet veteran welterweight Josh Koscheck (12-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) next month at UFC 95.
The bout was first reported by Tatame, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) has since confirmed with a source close to Thiago that both fighters have been approached about the bout.
The fight would be a much-needed addition to UFC 95, a Feb. 17 event headlined by Joe Stevenson and Diego Sanchez (who makes his debut as a lightweight).
UFC 95 takes place at the O2 Arena in London, England, and will likely air on Spike TV.
Thiago, a four-year fight veteran who's spent much of his career with the Jungle Fight promotion, went 4-0 in 2008. He most recently appeared at Jungle Fight 11 and defeated Luis Dutra Jr. (7-2-1) via first-round TKO in September 2008.
He'll likely now meet Koscheck, who rebounded from a lopsided unanimous-decision loss to Thiago Alves in October with a first-round TKO of Yoshiyuki Yoshida in December. The Thiago fight will be his first against an opponent with no UFC experience since Koscheck defeated Jeff Joslin via decision in December 2006.
For the latest on UFC 95, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
Paulo Thiago lol...Paulo Filho and Thiago Silva mixed?
Lets see what the new guy can do in the big leagues.
Fucking good fight right here! Two of my favorite up and coming 170'ers
source: sherdog
Barring any last-minute glitches, fast-rising welterweight prospect Dustin Hazelett will lock horns with unbeaten Ben Saunders at UFC 96 on March 7 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Bout agreements have been issued and are expected to be signed sometime this week, according to a source close to the negotiations.
Hazelett (12-4) dazzled in recent outings, as he has earned “Submission of the Night†bonuses in each of his last two appearances inside the Octagon. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Jorge Gurgel, the 22-year-old coaxed a tapout from Tamdan McCrory at UFC 91 in November, as he transitioned from an omaplata to a reverse armbar. Previous to that victory, he submitted Josh Burkman with a spectacular armbar at “The Ultimate Fighter 7†Finale in June. Hazelett has posted five wins in six bouts, losing only to Josh Koscheck in that stretch.
Based out of American Top Team, Saunders (7-0-2) raised some eyebrows last month when he battered Brandon Wolff with a series of knees from the Thai clinch at UFC Fight Night 17. The one-sided bout lasted only 1:49 and gave Saunders his seventh consecutive victory. A product of season six of “The Ultimate Fighter,†the 6-foot-2 former Combat Fighting Championships welterweight titleholder has finished six of his seven victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
Though no bouts have been made official, UFC 96 will likely feature a heavyweight showdown between the undefeated Shane Carwin and Gabriel Gonzaga, along with a light heavyweight battle pairing Brandon Vera with Michael Patt.
Cant fucking wait, Saunders looked fucking incredible in his last fight, and Hazlett has always been a legit contender.
Ill put my money on the brazillian.....
Was bored, wrote another fantasy card... this one more realistic.
The Undercard:
1. Dan Miller vs. Ricardo Almeida
2. Pat Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk
3. Frankie Edgar vs. Jim Miller
4. Phillipe Nover vs. Aaron Riley
The Main Card:
1. Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock III- Just thought it would be cool to have the two guys who fought at UFC 1, fight for a third time at UFC 100. Gracie could probably make 186, the minimum weight for LHW.
2. Gray Maynard vs. Sean Sherk
3. Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin
4. Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira- Been wanting to see this one for years!
5. B.J Penn vs. Kenny Florian
Gray Maynard vs. Jim Miller for UFC 96! Man, soooo many good fight announcements have been made recently lol.
from: mmaweekly.
A pivotal lightweight match-up has been added to the UFC 96 card in Columbus, Ohio, as Gray Maynard and Jim Miller will clash in a fight that could determine a top contender in the ever-growing 155-pound weight class. The fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Monday.
Making his promotional debut at UFC 89 in England, former International Fight League lightweight Jim Miller let his presence be known when he submitted David Baron in the third round of a hard fought contest.
His next fight came on just over a week's notice as Miller stepped in to face Matt Wiman at the UFC Fight for the Troops show in December. Despite virtually no training camp and just coming back from his honeymoon, Miller defeated Wiman with a unanimous decision win.
Gray Maynard steps into the fight against Miller riding a four-fight win streak and still undefeated in his career (the only blemish being a no contest against Rob Emerson in June 2007).
The "Bully" has improved his overall game while training with the team at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. After handing Frankie Edgar the first loss of his career, Maynard came back at UFC 90 in October and picked up a unanimous decision win over Rich Clementi.
The fight between Miller and Maynard will likely end up on the main card, but the UFC has made no official announcement about the bout or the headliner for the show which remains a matter of speculation at this point.
Yeah man I'm loving all these new fights they are announcing. Basically the past few events have set up some awesome fights, and I think these next few events are gonna set up even MORE awesome fights. A lot is happening in MMA right now, especially with it becoming more popular by the day.
I think this is the year where Dana White goes and destroys Pro Wrestling...whatever is left of it.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship recently revealed a four-fight televised main card for UFC Fight Night 17, which takes place Feb. 7 at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla.
The event, headlined by lightweights Joe Lauzon (17-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Hermes Franca (19-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC), airs live on Spike TV.
Also on the main card are top heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez and "The Ultimate Fighter" winners Mac Danzig (season six) and Amir Sadollah (season seven).
Velasquez (4-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), one of the UFC's top heavyweight prospects, meets UFC newcomer Denis Stojnic (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a Bosnia and Herzegovina-based fighter who has posted decision wins in four of his five career victories.
Danzig (18-5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who looks to rebound from a recent unanimous decision to Clay Guida, meets Josh Neer (24-7-1 MMA, 3-4 UFC), who will fight despite a recent New Year's Day arrest after leading police on a high-speed chase.
Sadollah (1-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), meanwhile, takes on Catone (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a UFC newcomer he was first scheduled to fight in November at UFC 91. However, Sadollah was forced off the card with a leg infection just four days prior to the bout, and the fight was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 17.
The official fight card includes:
MAIN CARD (Televised)
* Hermes Franca vs. Joe Lauzon
* Denis Stojnic vs. Cain Velasquez
* Mac Danzig vs. Josh Neer
* Nick Catone vs. Amir Sadollah
PRELIMINARY CARD (Un-televised)
* Rob Emerson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
* Jake Rosholt vs. Alessio Sakara
* Matt Grice vs. George Sotiropoulos
* Rich Clementi vs. Gleison Tibau
* Luigi Fioravanti vs. Anthony Johnson
* Steve Bruno vs. Matthew Riddle*
Ultimate Fighting Championship fans (and their wallets) will get a break next month for UFC 95.
As rumored and expected, the overseas event will, in fact, air on Spike TV rather than pay per view.
Sources close to some of the fighters on the Feb. 21 fight card today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that the event, which takes place at the O2 Arena in London, England, will air via tape delay on the basic-cable station.
An official announcement could come from the UFC and Spike TV as early as this week.
UFC 95 features a main event between "The Ultimate Fighter 1" winner and former top welterweight contender Diego Sanchez, who makes his lightweight debut, and perennial contender and "TUF2" winner Joe Stevenson.
A bout between popular British fighter Dan Hardy and rising prospect Rory Markham will likely take the night's co-main-event slot.
Also expected to be part of the televised main card are Wilson Gouveia vs. Nate Marquardt, Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen and Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago.
UFC 95 comes just three weeks after UFC 94 and two weeks before UFC 96. Both UFC 94 and UFC 96 come with pay-per-view price tags.
As MMAjunkie.com reported last month, recent postings on UFC.com led many fans to believe UFC 95 was a lock to air on Spike TV. However, at the time, a source close to the event said UFC officials and executives from the cable station had yet to reach an agreement on the licensing fee for the broadcast. Although the UFC and Spike TV team up for UFC Fight Night broadcasts as part of their current deal, other events are negotiated on a show-by-show basis.
With a deal now reached, an official announcement is by early next week.
Good card, but why is Emerson-Pellegrino stuck on the undercard? They have both been impressing lately, that should be a hell of a fight!
At least Cain Velasquez is back in the UFC, and I get to see my boy Matt Riddle back in the UFC
Tru that.
I like both Cain and Riddle a lot, I think they have real bright futures.
Just I hope they will still show that Pellegrino-Emerson fight.
Pellegrino kicks the shit out of Emerson, shoots, takes him down, submits him. The end.
I predict Pellegrino as well, but Rob's pretty tough. It should be a good fight, worthy enough to be on the main card. After Emerson knocked Manny out and Kurt put on fight of the night with Tavares, they both deserve a spot on the main card.
Though I can't really complain, the main card looks good without it.
Another interesting fight! Cole vs. Junie should be good. Also I'm too lazy to make another post, but I read Dan Miller is also stepping up to take on Jake Rosholt at fight night 17, Sakara got injured or something.
from: mmajunkie
Undefeated and controversial "The Ultimate Fighter 8" cast member Junie Browning (3-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) appears the likely opponent for American Top Team's Cole Miller (14-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 18.
Sources close to the bout confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) late Wednesday night that both fighters have verbally agreed to the contest. Bout agreements have not yet been signed.
Though not yet officially announced by the organization, UFC Fight Night 18 is expected to take place April 1, most likely in Nashville, Tenn.
MMAjunkie.com first reported the potential of Miller's involvement in the event on Wednesday. The 24-year-old, who last fought in July 2008, will be looking for his sixth victory in his past seven bouts.
Browning, the center of several controversial moments from the most recent season of "The Ultimate Fighter," will be making his second official appearance for the UFC.
The 24-year-old competed in three fights on "The Ultimate Fighter." Considered exhibition bouts by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Browning went 2-1 with wins over Jose Aguilar and Roli Delgado before falling to eventual season winner Efrain Escudero.
After his well-documented, trouble-filled stint on the UFC's Spike TV-broadcast reality series, Browning relocated to Las Vegas and began training with the famed Xtreme Couture camp. The results were impressive in the Kentucky-native's first outing, as Browning earned a second-round submission win -- and a $25,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus -- over David Kaplan at the "TUF 8" finale.
For the latest on UFC Fight Night 18, which will serve as a lead-in for "The Ultimate Fighter 9: U.S. vs. U.K.," check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
(Pictured: Junie Browning)
John Morgan is the lead staff reporter for MMAjunkie.com.
QuoteFrom The OC Register by way of MMAMania.com
A lawyer for Quinton "Rampage" Jackson gives the details of Jackson's guilty plea:
“Today, Quinton entered into a plea agreement that was fashioned to place more time between the instance and the resolution. The agreement is analogous to a deferred entry of judgment in that the plea to count two, evading a peace officer and driving against traffic, will be withdrawn and dismissed at the end of one year if Quinton’s doctors are assured that he has maintained good physical and mental health and he has complied with the other terms of the agreement. He will be seeing his doctor’s regularly with bimonthly reports provided to the district attorney. He will also perform 200 hours of community service, which will be designed to reach as many young people as possible.â€
Credit: MMANews.com
Great freakin news! Now he can keep fighting and not worry about having to get rusty while sitting in a jail cell lol.
QuoteFrom MMAJunkie.com:
Although initially rumored to appear at UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio, it now seems likely that light-heavyweight Keith Jardine will face Brazilian slugger Luis Cane at UFC 97.
MMABay first reported the possibility, and MMAjunkie.com has since confirmed that both fighters have verbally agreed to the contest. Bout agreements have not yet been signed.
While not yet officially announced by the organization, UFC 97 is expected to take place on April 18 in Montreal.
Credit: MMANews.com
Can you say...slugfest??? lol
Anyone else hear about this. In the telephone conference someone asked about it, and they could 'neither confirm or deny it' which usually would mean that it's true. That's why Fedor would've been better off in the UFC. He needs fights to make him a bigger draw. Right now, it looks like only about 1,500 people give a shit about him lol. Dana could be right, this could be Affliction's last show...sadly. They have a shitload of talent, but obviously no marketing talent at all.
Its because they're basically promoted via a street team and a website. You're going to need more than that to survive.....as sad as that is.
This will be a brawl. Jesus, these great fights are just piling up now.
Hell... of... a... fight!
I was hoping this would happen soon.
I've been waiting for this fight for a long long time. I don't have much against Hughes (I used to hate him, but now I sorta like him).... but I want Serra to knock his ass out! Matt Serra is one of my favorite fighters of all time, I was soooo fucking happy when he knocked GSP out the first time and I was also pretty upset to see him lose it to GSP the way he did. One of my old martial arts instructors from Long Island has been training with Matt for the past two years, he's a blue belt under him I think.
But from an unbiased stand point, Matt Hughes is a strong ass wrestler... that's Serra's weakness. I believe Serra has the better stand up and much much better jiu-jitsu obviously but Hughes's wrestling could be a problem. I hope Serra can pull it off, but part of me thinks that Matt Hughes's ground and pound will come into effect.
What do you guys think? Serra or Hughes?
I say Serra by second round knock out, but I'm biased lol.
from: mmaweekly blog insider
Matt Hughes and Matt Serra don't like each other. The two former UFC welterweight champions have been on a collision course for months and months. This much we all know.
The big question has been, when will they finally get to meet in the Octagon. Well, looks like we're getting pretty close to an answer. At least according to Hughes.
In a blog entry on his site on Friday night, Hughes said that it looks like a date has finally been hammered out to put the two in the cage:
Just got a call from Joe Silva and as of right now it looks like Iââ,¬â,,¢ll be fighting Matt Serra in Vegas on May 23rd. This is not 100% confirmed, but I believe it is going to be on this date.
As this obviously isn't a case of signed fight contracts, or anything like that, there's still a lot of time before May for plans to change... but it looks like fans can at least pencil in a target date for the "Battle fo the Matts."
Serra has a good chance to win. BUT
He needs to work on his sprawl instead of relying on his guard. I usually side with the wrestler everytime a wrestler fights a JJ guy. Serra must work on Sprawling and only go to the ground when he can't stuff the shoot.
Serra should try to take Matt's back at all cost if it goes to the ground.
These are Serra's Keys to winning.
Matt hughes needs to:
Shoot and shoot often. He will win this fight if he keeps it on the ground and on top of Serra.
Work his stand up. He is a pretty weak puncher. Off hand I can't think of a real Matt Hughes Knock out other than the Newton fight from a slam. Ok I looked up his record. ONE KO, to some nobody named Scott Johnson with a 5-21 record. Anyway, Hughes needs to work punching power in. Serra is decently heavyhanded. Matt will need to work his reach, and work punching and shooting in a combination. Usually Hughes waits for a punch or other opening. He needs to mix it all up.
This is what Hughes will need if he is to win, either one will work.
realistically, like the first GSP fight, I am gonna say this. Don't count Matt Serra out, he has a much better chance at winning than you'd think. If it's standing or Serra is on top, then I lean more to Serra. On the ground with Hughes on top, I lean to Hughes.
This will be a must-win for either guy I think, as the loser I can't see signing for another contract.
This might be Hughes last fight, win or loss.
I'm hoping Serra knocks him out and then fights more times in 09. The guy is a top 10 WW, he just needs to fight more regularly to prove it.
Am I saying Serra will be champ again? Probably not
Top 5? Not likely
but he is top 10 at least IMO.
Quote from: SpinningBackFist on January 10, 2009, 01:26:37 AM
I say Serra by second round knock out, but I'm biased lol.
Serra does NOT have good stand-up, at all. The reason he knocked GSP out is because standing is the last thing GSP expected from Serra. He's a JJ fighter, not a knockout artist. In the second GSP fight everyone kept talking about how Serra needed to keep it standing, just like he did in the first fight. The only problem with that is, you actually have to be able to fight on your feet for that technique to work. When it's not a surprise, it's an entirely different thing.
I have Hughes winning via mauling Serra.
I gotta go with Leech here. Hughes via vicious GnP.
Ill third that.
Matt Hughes's stand up is much worse than Serra's so yeah in THIS fight, Matt Serra has the advantage on the feet. Not trying to say the "Terra" is one of the top strikers in the division... he's not at all, he's a good jits guy with heavy hands.
Matt Hughes's stand up looks shitty as all hell, if he stands with Serra without ever attempting to shoot for a takedown... yeah chances are he will get knocked out. Therefore stand up advantage goes to Matt Serra.
Though Matt Hughes's wrestling and Ground N' Pound is going to be a problem for Serra. If Serra loses, that's where he will lose at. He will lose by having Hughes on top of him pounding the hell out of him.
Serra is not going to lose the stand up battle against Matt "cross fists" Hughes. Unless Hughes pulls a Frank Mir of course :P.
I guess we will just have to agree to disagree though. We'll see what happens on the 23'rd :)
I've called this fight on how either can win. If Serra listens to me, he can win. THAT'S RIGHT MATT SERRA I KNOW YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THESE FORUM'S!!!!
He is...
He's doing impressions of us all right now!
lol
I've seen him, and there is no way he can do an impression this sexy.
Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin
Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio “Shogun†Rua
Alan Belcher vs. Denis Kang
Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle
Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares
Andre Gusmao vs. Antonio Mendes
Thomasz Drwal vs. Ivan Serati
Tom Egan vs. John Hathaway
Nate Mohr vs. Denis Siver
Mitch won this one, with a score of 5. This league is now over. Check the UFC Fantasy Topic for more information!
You have to receive an invitation via e-mail to gain access to the league. Respond to this topic with your e-mail and I'll send you an invite ASAP.
Let's try and get this sucker going. I think a minimum of five isn't too much to ask, plus if you hit a good show and do well, there will always be an incentive, as UFC gives away prizes to the top predictors for each show.
Send me a message if you're having troubles, or just simply reply back to this thread if you need assistance, and I'll do my best to help you.
We have 4 ATM, I want a few more.
7 More Days until we get to watch Fedor fight. Awesome.
Technically I went 7-3 with my real predictions lol
But I didn't get very many points on UFC fantasy, I was able to pick 7 of the winners but the finishes and rounds were wrong for nearly every single one lol.
It's up. Feedback as always.
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=583 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=583)
Official Honker prediction for this fight:
Silva wins by TKO. I think he'll nab Machida during a high kick and pound him out till the ref stop the fight. The earlier you are into the fight, the worst time it is for a high kick. I'll give it end of the first-end of the second round for this fight to be over.
I say Thiago has a 55% chance to win, Machida has a 45%.
We shall see ;D
I will say this though, whoever wins this fight I want them to go on to fight Rashad for the title and win it.
I like both fighters, but obviously Lyoto Machida is who i'm rooting for :P
ENTER THE DRAGON!!!!
;D
...and leave the loser.
:D
>:(
lol.
:jointpasssmiley:
Silva's quote about the fight:
“He doesn’t fall for fighting and, if he does, I’ll thank God. I believe he’ll run away the entire fight and I’m prepared for this. My head is good and he won’t let me nervous. If he runs, I’ll run after him.â€
I'm telling you guys, third or fourth head kick is when Silva will pounce. I will say it will be a close fight until the end. I do think if it goes to the judges Machida will win.
It's possible, I mean I'm not doubting Thiago Silva at all but I just feel like it's Machida's time to shine.
Regardless though, both guys are future champs IMO and I'm really looking forward to seeing these two styles match up.
Whoever wins this fight, I'll be rooting for against Rashad. Though honestly I think Rashad would probably beat both of them.
I'm torn. In one hand, Machida is very skilled and "elusive" (he runs alot), but he's very accurate when actually does engage. Thiago is a strong striker, but he's been rocked on more than one occasion, while thus far, Machida's hardly been touched.
Sounds interesting
Count me in.
edmacf@hotmail.com
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Duckman on January 21, 2009, 03:51:37 AM
Count me in.
edmacf@hotmail.com
Peace
Duckman
Request sent.
jschlagle@gmail.com
This is a quote from one of his recent interviews
“I look at a guy like Rashad Evans,†he said. “Who I thought I beat, but we got a draw, I gave him his blemish on his record. I beat their former champ Forrest Griffin, and I was maybe 60 percent at the most? So me at 100 percent, I’d crush both those guys."
:D
Dunno what percent he was, but he's right about the other stuff except for crushing Rashad in a rematch.
I don't think he would crush Forrest either, I think Forrest is a much better fighter now than he was when he fought Tito.
Tito at 100% vs. Forrest at 100%: I say Forrest wins by unanimous decision.
Though most fighters are never at 100% when they fight anyway lol.
Actually, it's not hard to agree with Tito. It was only a year ago when he fought Rashad, and due to a point deduction, got a draw instead of a "W". Tito's standup isn't bad at all, and as he shown with a back injury, his wrestling was good enough to take Rashad down. On their feet, Rashad never really had Tito in trouble.
Rashad lost RD One to Liddell before landing the big shot, and he was losing the rounds to Forrest as well. I won't say Rashad is a flash in the pan, but I don't see dominance coming from him like with other guys, Silva, Penn, GSP.
Baby Fedor lost, he was giving up 9" of reach, and Buentello just jabbed the shit out of him, until the ref stopped the fight.
Dan Lauzon beat Bobby Green (Replacement for Chris Horodecki) too, rear naked choke.
Sobral v/s Sokoudju is next.
So far I have picked both main card fights correctly.
I didn't do so well with the undercard though lol.
If Babalu, Lindland, and Fedor win I will have picked all main fights correctly.
Sobral over Sokoudju via Anaconda Choke.
Very good fight.
Shit man hope Lindland is alright.
Damn... good win for Vitor though.
Back in the top 10 he goes.
And its proof. Fedor isn't human.
thebigone238@yahoo.com
Sounds Fun..I'm down
Quote from: Jason Silver on January 25, 2009, 07:53:53 AM
thebigone238@yahoo.com
Sounds Fun..I'm down
Invitation sent.
MMAJUNKIE
Just 12 days away from his UFC Fight Night 17 main event fight with Joe Lauzon (17-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC), former top UFC lightweight contender Hermes Franca (19-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has pulled out of the event with a torn anterior crucial ligament in his right knee.
Franca announced the injury on The Underground, a popular mixed-martial-arts forum.
As of this morning, no replacement had been named, and the UFC hadn't officially announced Franca's withdraw. However, a bout between "The Ultimate Fighter 6" winner Mac Danzig and Josh Neer also scheduled for the Feb. 7 event could be an alternative.
UFC Fight Night 17 takes place at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla., and airs on Spike TV. It's the UFC's first-ever trip to Tampa.
Franca was coming off of an emotionally charged decision win over Marcus Aurelio at UFC 90 in October. It was the Brazilian's first win in his past three bouts after suffering back-to-back losses to Frankie Edgar and Sean Sherk.
Still just 24 years old, Lauzon last saw action in a second-round-TKO win over Kyle Bradley at UFC Fight Night 15 in September. "The Ultimate Fighter 5" veteran was rebounding from an April defeat -- his first in the octagon -- to Kenny Florian.
MMAJUNKIE-
More than an hour after his third-round submission loss to Josh Barnett, Gilbert Yvel took his seat at the "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" post-event press conference.
Despite a swollen face, busted lip and trickles of blood coming from his mouth, the heavyweight fighter was neither dejected nor remorseful.
In fact, for a fighter heavily criticized for his past in-fight antics, the slight smile coming from Yvel's busted mug almost gave a sense of relief.
Affliction Entertainment received its fair share of criticism when it offered a slot on its Jan. 24 fight card to Yvel, a former PRIDE veteran with a checkered past. The list of offenses includes two disqualifications due to unsportsmanlike conduct as well as a 2004 assault on a referee. The Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to license Yvel for a proposed 2007 bout under the PRIDE banner based on the conduct.
While Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio was confident Yvel would be credentialed for the event, he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) he had another heavyweight on standby just in case.
The California State Athletic Commission, though, let the Dutch fighter compete.
In the post-event press conference, he expressed his appreciation.
"What can I say?" said Yvel (35-13-1), who took a steady stream of punishment before finally tapping out in the third round. "I hope that this punishment is enough for all of my bad things that I did in my past."
Yvel surely won over some fans with his effort. Although he never put his opponent in any real danger, Yvel's resiliency created problems for Barnett, who couldn't finish the fight in the first two rounds despite dominant ground positions.
"I tried to do my best," Yvel said. "I was ready to stand up with Josh, but he didn't want to do it, so I fought with him on the ground. I tried my very best. I tried with all my heart. Those elbows were hard. He punched me real hard."
The performance is likely to earn Yvel another shot with Affliction, though the organization has yet to make an official announcement of when it might take place. However, more than one source at the event said Affliction is considering a show on the East Coast, possibly at one of Affliction executive Donald Trump's Atlantic City properties, for its next show this summer.
Regardless, Yvel was just happy to get a second chance on American soil.
"I want to thank one more time the California (State) Athletic Commission and M-1 and Affliction for giving me the chance to get my ass beat here," he joked.
I really think Yvel has a lot of potential, he just got matched up against the perfect style to shut him down, and a #2 heavyweight fighter in the world in Josh Barnett. I can't wait to see him on the next Affliction card.
MMAJUNKIE
Veteran fighter Frank Trigg (18-6) will return to competition on Feb. 14 when he meets Danny Babcock (6-1) in the main event of Xtreme Cagefighting Federation's "Rumble in Race Town" event.
The show takes place Feb. 14 at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla., on the eve of NASCAR's Daytona 500.
Trigg, previously announced for the show, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) he signed a bout agreement over the weekend.
Trigg (18-6) last competed in October 2008 when he scored a unanimous-decision win over Hawaiian striker Falaniko Vitale. The former top UFC welterweight contender has now won three consecutive fights and five of his past six.
His first fight of 2009 comes against Babcock, a veteran of the Florida-based Real Fighting Championships organization who recently won the promotion's middleweight title. Babcock, who turned pro two years ago, has posted stoppages in four of his five career wins. Although Babcock's opponents have a respectable combined record of 22-12, Trigg will be his toughest test to date.
Also announced for the Feb. 14 XCF event are UFC veteran Terry Martin, "The Ultimate Fighter" alumni Jesse Taylor and Jeremy May, and NFL pro bowler turned MMA fighter Marcus Jones. A host of Florida prospects have also been booked for the event.
Spencer Fisher would be a good replacement.
Or maybe even Melvin Guillard?
Hell yeah, I'd like either. I think Gullard would be best, since he hasn't had a fight in a while, and he tends to get explosive knockouts.
Truth.
Either one would be good and I think Lauzon could probably beat both guys.... wouldn't be easy though as they are both tough but I think he could submit Melvin on the ground and against Fisher it would probably go the distance or Lauzon could knock him out.
You are right about Melvin, explosive KO power could be a problem for Lauzon... but Lauzon is pretty explosive himself, would be an exciting fight.
Anyone else catch this?
I just watched it today, and got damn that was one hell of a main event, really turning me into a WEC fan.
Also, Faber quick match over Pulver was a bit of a disappointment, as I was hoping for a war, but it is what it is.
Yeah as a Pulver fan it sucks to see him lose like that, hopefully he can get back to his winning ways.
I actually missed this show though :(
My grandparents came over and I didn't get a chance to run up to my room and put the fights on as the whole night they were hounding me about how I should join the Air Force and this and that... and then we ate lol.
I did watch some of the fights on video though.
I heard Varner/Cerrone was a freaking war.
I knew Varner would probably get the decision though, but Cerrone is a tough bastard too.
MMAJUNKIE-
World Victory Road has officially announced a light-heavyweight bout between rising prospect Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (3-0) and Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2) for its March 20 Sengoku Seventh Battle event.
The organization also announced a handful of competitors for the opening round of its featherweight grand prix, including Chris Manuel, Hatsu Hioki, Marlon Sandro, Nick Denis and Ronnie Ushiwaka.
The event takes place March 20 at the National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.
Lawal, a former NCAA Division II national wrestling champion and 2008 Olympic hopeful, has fought exclusively for WVR since his professional MMA debut in September 2008. He's since posted TKO victories over 66-fight veteran Travis Wiuff, Fabio Silva and Yukiya Naito.
Jeremy Stephens has replaced Franca.
Yeah I read that, good fight.
Though I think Lauzon will finish it with a second round sub.
King Mo FTW!!!
damnit, I thought this was about Mo of Men on a Mission fame.
Flagrant false advertisement.
lmao!
:D
Quote from: Ken Fuqua on January 28, 2009, 07:25:15 PM
damnit, I thought this was about Mo of Men on a Mission fame.
Flagrant false advertisement.
me too!
but he was sir mo, not king mo. mabel was the king!
either way! the mere mention of the name 'mo' sent a blur of baggy golden jumpsuits and blonde afro mohawks burning through my head. playing with my emotions.
lolling my ass off at the part in bold.
But on a serious note, Manny at 145 would be a wrecking machine!
from: mmaweekly
The Fertitta brothers had a simple plan for Manny Gamburyan: beat Rob Emerson and start fresh as a WEC featherweight.
It was a chance for the Armenian to be a big fish in a little pond. Gamburyan had been plying his trade as a lightweight for years â€" fighting for free, he says, for his first eight fights â€" but since his entrance into the UFC at the conclusion of “The Ultimate Fighter†season five, he had been acutely aware of his frame.
“I’m the smallest guy in the UFC, and Brock Lesnar’s the biggest guy in the world,†he told MMAWeekly.com.
And it never suited Gamburyan to admit he was undersized in a field of taller fighters who cut as much as 20 pounds to meet him.
“In myself, I can see myself being on top of him in a fight,†Gamburyan said of the current heavyweight champ.
Before he was ever nicknamed “The Anvil,†Gamburyan was “The Pitbull.†Not the biggest dog, but the one who wouldn’t let you go if he sunk his teeth in.
“Why am I saying that?†he continues. “I fought Sean Sherk three rounds when I was eighteen years old.â€
He’s also a black sheep among his friends. He lives the live of a professional fighter, with little time for distractions. Where he’s from, you’re a little off if you’re not on the LA club scene.
“C’mon, man, I’m Armenian, you know?†he said. “Our friends are all party freaks. I’m focusing myself to stay away from that stuff. There’s a lot of guys out there that smoke, that drink, that party hard. I did that before, but not right now, not anymore.â€
For all his dedication, he soon met a tough lesson in focus. At UFC 87, Gamburyan got caught in his first exchange with Emerson and was knocked out cold in 12 seconds.
Afterwards, he wanted to stay in the division more than ever to prove that size didn’t matter.
On Saturday, he faces Thiago Tavares, a Brazilian who’s built a reputation for going the distance. Save for a knockout at the hands of Matt Wiman â€" who Gamburyan handily defeated during the taping of TUF 5 â€" all of Tavares’ UFC fights have gone to decision.
The option to make the drop is still on the table. The new plan, at least in Gamburyan’s mind, is to defeat Tavares, finish some unfinished business, then cut the weight.
“For right now, I’ve got a couple of guys in my eye that I want to first fight, beat the (expletive) out of, then move down to 145.â€
Though he won’t name names, it’s clear that Sherk and Nate Diaz are the likely candidates for the beatings. By all accounts, Gamburyan was ahead of Diaz in the reality show finals before he dislocated his shoulder early in the second round.
“Not personal stuff,†he said of the fights. “I just want to prove to myself that I can do it again. I am capable of doing it. I fought Sean Sherk three rounds when I was eighteen years old. I would love to prove to myself. If I fight him again, will I be able to do good against him now? I’m a completely different fighter now.â€
Gamburyan says he’s happy to take on the featherweight division’s current stars â€" Urijah Faber, Mike Brown, and Leonard Garcia â€" but won’t face his former coach, Jens Pulver.
But first thing’s first: a win over Tavares. Against Emerson, Gamburyan let the lights of the big show get to him. It was his first main card fight on a big pay per view event â€" he wasn’t used to waiting that long.
This time, he says he’ll know exactly what to do.
“I’ve got a really good gameplan for this guy, first time in my life I’m going to stick with my game plan,†he said. I give it up; he’s a very tough warrior. He has a lot of heart. But whatever, he doesn’t like to get hit, so we’ll see.â€
OK< that was fucking bullshit, the ROUND WAS OVER...fucking Machida....cheap ass bitch.
hittin after the bell.
Its offiicial. I weight around 201 right now. Im going to fight my way up, and fucking kill Machida. Elusiveness can't save his ass.
Sore loser :P
jk
Silva was losing anyway...
Besides it wasn't after the bell, he hit him RIGHT when the bell sounded off.
It was a clean finish ;D
Though I am biased
Doesn't matter if it happened after the bell or not. The number one rule in the ring is protect yourself at ALL times. This includes when the bell rings.
It was obvious Silva faked getting rocked several times in this fight. It was an ok strategy, it brought machida close in and all, and Silva's Jits is much better than Machida's. I am noticing though Machida guards his head a lot while kicks are thrown. I think the body may be where people need to aim their kicks at him.
I think that Machida is care free on his kicking. That is where people need to exploit him. CUT KICKS when he kicks. If he's in range to kick in the head, kick his body or leg instead. He moves away a lot, and other fighters stalk him. How many times must this happen before people realize he's forcing them into his game? How about staying put, and move and counter like he does? I'd be willing to bet good money he doesn't drill that one. Dont run the full fight, but stay in an area and dance? If he's running away, stop, and back up and make him come to you... Damn I need to coach!
The 1st heavy shot that was landed came with 1 second left. That was the KO punch. The 2nd came right as the bell was sounding and if you look at it he just skimmed the side of his face. He just barely connected with it. Not enough to cause a KO. The fight was done and over with with the 1st big punch there at the end. Machida won clean.
UFC 94 Results!
1 Forgeron 134
2 MitchCiccarelli 101
3 caruso813 74
4 RealDuckman 71
2 in a row baby!
Get your votes in for the next fight card ASAP!
MMAJUNKIE
Despite his first-round knockout loss to Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski took home the largest disclosed payday -- $1.5 million in all -- from the Jan. 24 "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Josh Barnett earned the next-biggest payday with $500,000. Emelianenko earned a reported check worth $300,000.
The total disclosed payroll for the event was $3,318,660.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) requested the salary figures on Jan. 25 and today received them from the California State Athletic Commission. The CSAC oversaw the event, which aired on HDNet (preliminary card) and pay per view (main card).
According to the CSAC, the event, which was Affliction Entertainment's second to date, drew 13,318 attendees for a live gate of $1,429,557.
The full disclosed payroll figures included:
Fedor Emelianenko: $300,000 (includes $0 win bonus)
def. Andrei Arlovski: $1,500,000
Josh Barnett: $500,000 (includes $0 win bonus)
def. Gilbert Yvel: $30,000
Vitor Belfort: $200,000 (includes $80,000 win bonus)
def. Matt Lindland: $225,000
Renato "Babalu" Sobral: $90,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
def. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou: $50,000
Paul Buentello: $90,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. Kiril Sidelnikov: $10,000
Dan Lauzon: $23,160 (includes $11,160 win bonus)
def. Bobby Green: $4,000
Jay Hieron: $45,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
def. Jason High: $10,000
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: $150,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
def. Vladimir Matyushenko: $50,000
L.C. Davis: $13,500 (includes $6,500 win bonus)
def. Bao Quach: $7,000
Albert Rios: $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus)
def. Antonio Duarte: $3,000
Brett Cooper: $10,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus)
def. Patrick Speight: $2,000
Now, the usual disclaimer: The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a fighter's income. They also do not include any other special bonuses the organization may have paid its fighters.
In other words, these are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event. For example, despite Emelianenko's $300,000 reported payday, the fighter actually made an amount well into the seven figures.
MMAJUNKIE
During this past weekend's UFC 94 festivities, the organization officially announced a long-rumored UFC 97 event that takes place April 18 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
As previously reported, the night's co-main events features UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (23-4 MMA, 8-0 UFC) vs. challenger Thales Leites (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), and former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell (21-6 MMA, 17-5 UFC) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (17-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC).
Tickets for the event, which airs on pay per view, go on sale to the general public on Feb. 14.
UFC Fight Club members can purchase tickets on Feb. 11, and UFC.com newsletter subscribers buy tickets beginning Feb. 13.
The organization first visited Montreal in April 2008 for "UFC 83: Serra vs. St. Pierre II." That event sold out the 21,000-plus seat Bell Centre in record time. The event drew a North American record 21,390 attendees for a $5.1 million gate, the second largest in the organization's history
Silva, whom UFC President Dana White calls the sport's pound-for-pound king even after Georges St. Pierre's recent victory over B.J. Penn, is currently riding a nine-fight win streak that includes victories in all eight of his UFC appearances. The 33-year-old was last seen in a third-round TKO win over Patrick Cote at UFC 90 in October.
Leites will bring a five-fight win streak of his own to the title fight. The 27-year-old debuted in the UFC in 2006, and he lost a unanimous decision to Martin Kampmann. The defeat was just the first of Leites' career, and the submission ace has since reeled off victories over Drew McFedries, Nate Marquardt, Ryan Jensen, Floyd Sword and Pete Sell.
Meanwhile, Liddell and Rua both look to get back in the light-heavyweight title picture. They were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 85 in June 2008. However, Rua suffered a knee injury that forced him off of the card in March, and Liddell would follow suit in April by bowing out after injuring his hamstring during a training session.
The bout will be Liddell's first since a devastating knockout loss to Rashad Evans in September 2008. Liddell has gone just 1-3 in his past four bouts, which include losses to Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
Rua will look to build off a January victory over Mark Coleman. The 27-year-old had a disappointing octagon debut at UFC 76, where he suffered a third-round submission loss to Forrest Griffin. It would be another 16 months before the Brazilian would appear again because of injuries.
The latest rumored card now includes:
* Middleweight champ Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites
* Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
* Luis Cane vs. Steve Cantwell
* Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brian Stann
* Ed Herman vs. David Loiseau
* Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry
* Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Denis Kang
* Sam Stout vs. Matt Wiman
* David Bielkheden vs. Mark Bocek
* Ryo Chonan vs. T.J. Grant
TJ lives like, ten minutes away from me, and I've met him numerous times at the gym not too far away from here. I hope he beats the master of the flying heel hook.
That's one hell of a card!
Also, glad to see David Loiseau back in action. One of the greatest canadian MMA fighters of all time.
Truth the "Crow" is a bad ass.
I'm also real interested in Stann vs. K-Sos... that one should be a war!
I'll be rooting for "All American" Brian Stann!
MMAJUNKIE
With Strikeforce's acquisition of select ProElite assets complete, as well as the announcement of a new broadcast contract with Showtime, the California-based organization is now turning its attention to their April 11 event.
And with Benji Radach and Scott Smith's services already secured for the San Jose, Calif., event, and MMA legend Frank Shamrock and Strikeforce lightweight champ Josh Thomson seemingly not far behind, UFC, PRIDE and EliteXC veteran Nick Diaz (18-7) is the latest fighter rumored for the April 11 card.
The report comes courtesy of GracieFighter.com, the official website for Cesar Gracie's training camp.
The full report appears unedited below.
Nick Diaz will most likely be fighting in late March or early April for StrikeForce. His last bout was to have taken place in Dream against Sakurai, but Japanese television executives nixed the match and replaced Sakurai's opponent for a former pro wrestler they hoped would muster better ratings.
His opponent has yet to be named and final contracts have not been signed, however StrikeForce is committed to securing a marquee matchup for Diaz.
Diaz is currently on a three-fight win streak, including wins over Thomas Denny and Muhsin Corbbrey under the EliteXC banner.
Diaz had been competing at EliteXC's lightweight limit of 160 pounds. Strikeforce's lightweight division follows the more traditional 155-pound limit. It is currently unknown whether Diaz will attempt to make the 155-pound limit or compete in Strikeforce's 170-pound division.
I really hope this happens, Nick's my boy.
MMAJUNKIE
After filing a formal request with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to investigate the actions of UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre's corner in their UFC 94 main-event bout, UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn has posted an informal request to settle any remaining questions between the two fighters inside the cage.
The message accepting a potential third bout between the two was posted by Penn on BJPenn.com.
Penn's camp has contended adamantly since Saturday's result that St. Pierre's corner applied a greasing agent to the welterweight champion that gave the Canadian an unfair advantage on the ground.
The full message was posted late Thursday night and is posted unedited below.
For the past several days I have been reading statements made by St. Pierre and Greg Jackson about our fight on January 31. St. Pierre claims that he is "not a cheater" and that he and Greg Jackson will have "no problem with a rematch in the summer of 2009." To the untrained eye the grease might not look like much, but every grappler knows the effect that it has. Being able to apply your submissions and sweeps or just being able to hold on to your opponent to defend yourself from being hit is absolutely critical! There is a reason why you are not allowed to put grease anywhere on your body except for the area around your eyes. Because of the grease applied to St.Pierre's Body the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s executive director, Keith Kizer has stated that the Penn-St. Pierre fight "definitely wasn’t fair." I hereby accept George St. Pierre and Greg Jackson's challenge for a fight in the summer 2009. Lets call Dana now and set it up.
- BJ Penn
Kizer informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) on Monday that the NSAC was aware of the alleged "greasing" of St. Pierre even as the events in question were occurring. Kizer believed the situation was unfortunate in that it called the results of the bout into question in many fans' minds. Kizer insisted the NSAC would deal with the situation internally whether or not Penn and his camp filed a formal complaint.
The formal request of investigation, penned by Penn's lawyer, Raffi A. Nahabedian, came on Wednesday.
Penn's assessment is that his primary skill set, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, was unfairly affected by St. Pierre's corner when they applied Vaseline to his body and that he wants the matter investigated.
"In order for Mr. Penn (or any other licensed fighter of the Nevada Athletic Commission) to properly execute Brazilian jiu-jitsu or the many other grappling techniques which are an essential part of MMA, it is necessary that an environment exists without any illegally applied lubricants, oils or other substances that cause or result in slippery surfaces on the combatants," the letter read.
St. Pierre and his trainer, Greg Jackson, have vehemntly denied any wrongdoing in the bout, and have expressed in several media outlets their willingness to schedule a third bout between the two.
The two first met in March 2006, with St. Pierre earning a razor-thin, split-decision victory over Penn. St. Pierre was again the victor at UFC 94, earning a TKO-stoppage when Penn was declared unfit to answer the bell for the start of the fifth and final round.
Penn had been expected to defend his lightweight title against Kenny Florian later this summer, while St. Pierre was to face Thiago Alves in a welterweight title clash.
With UFC President Dana White's recent prediction that "UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn II" scored approximately 1.3 million pay-per-view buys, a third bout could be another financial success for the organization. However, it is unknown at this time of the UFC is comfortable continuing to keep two divisions on hold in order to arrange a summer meeting between the two UFC champions.
I dont know, I think this whole thing is just BJ trying to find a excuse because he got his ass handed to him. I'd much rather see GSP v/s Alves.
Get your predictions up for tonight's card!
UFN 17 Winner is Mitch, beating me by 2 point......I guess I had to be beaten sometime.
Beginners luck.
:P
I IZ CHAMP!!!!!
Good night of fights.
My review is up on TLOS:
http://www.thelightsoutshow.com/2009/02/ultimate-fight-night-17-review-by-guest.html (http://www.thelightsoutshow.com/2009/02/ultimate-fight-night-17-review-by-guest.html)
from: mmaweekly.com
Less than a week after closing the purchase of several fighter contracts from ProElite, Inc. and signing a separate broadcast agreement with Shotwime and CBS, Strikeforce is already hard at work putting together its first Showtime offering. A headline bout between Strikeforce mainstay Frank Shamrock and Cesar Gracie-trained Nick Diaz is set for the April 11 event. FiveOuncesOfPain.com broke the news early on Tuesday and MMAWeekly.com has been able to confirm the bout with sources close to the fight.
The event will take place in San Jose, Calif. â€" Strikeforce and Shamrock's home base â€" so it is no surprise that Shamrock will headline the card. He has been a consistent draw in San Jose, his bout against Cesar Gracie drawing a then-record crowd of 18,265 on March 10, 2006.
After a three-year layoff, including the bout with Gracie, Shamrock is 2-2 in his return to actively fighting. All four of those bouts have been under the Strikeforce banner or for EliteXC in association with Strikeforce. He briefly held the Strikeforce middleweight championship after defeating Phil Baroni in June 2007 before losing it to rising talent Cung Le early last year.
Following a rocky relationship with the UFC, Diaz has put together a 4-1 record â€" not including a "no contest" ruling in his bout with Takanori Gomi â€" but has been garnering as much attention for his life outside of the cage as in it.
A win over Shamrock would put Diaz back in the spotlight for his in-ring talents, possibly putting him in line for a Strikeforce title shot, although it is believed that Shamrock and Diaz are likely to meet at a catch weight of around 180 pounds instead of Shamrock's usual fighting weight of 185 and Diaz's usual 170 pounds.
The bout will mark Shamrock's first competition since breaking his arm while losing his title to Cung Le. Late last week, he confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that his arm has healed well and it's good to go.
R.I.P Frank.
idk man, I like Diaz and I do think he has a good chance of winning... but he's fighting at 180 against a larger opponent in Shamrock.
That doesn't mean he can't win, but size does make a bit of difference as GSP proved that against B.J.
I'll be rooting for Diaz though, I think he can pull it off. Should be a good fight.
Diaz can't win this.
MMAJUNKIE
Popular middleweight fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller (21-6) will return from a nine-month layoff (and alleged retirement) to fight Hawaiian slugger Kala "Kolohe" Hose (7-2) at KINGDOM MMA's debut show.
The event takes place the weekend of March 28 (exact date TBD) at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu.
KINGDOM MMA, which recently announced the main-event fight, is the newest venture for ICON Sport and Superbrawl founder T. Jay Thompson.
"I started MMA in Hawaii when nobody gave it a chance," Thompson stated in a press release. "I am more excited today about KINGDOM than I was in the early years about Superbrawl."
Miller, a former UFC and WEC fighter who has a long history fighting in Hawaii, hasn't competed since a June 2008 loss to Ronaldo Souza in last year's DREAM middleweight tournament. Prior to the loss, Miller, 28, has won nine of his previous 10 fights and had emerged as a top-10-ranked middleweight in many polls.
Following the loss, Miller said he was retiring from the sport, though few took the announcement seriously.
He'll look to continue his past dominance against Hawaiian fighters when he meets the hard-hitting Hose, an ICON Sport and EliteXC veteran who's won seven of his past eight fights -- all via knockout. The only loss came to Robert McDaniel at "EliteXC: Return of the King" in Honolulu in June 2008.
Miller and Hose are both former ICON Sport middleweight champions.
No other participants were announced for the upcoming event.
Damn Mitch, 2 in a row. Im starting to feel ashamed at my prediction skills.
The upsets hurt me in this one, but UFC 96 will be mine!
I'm on a hot streak! :P
(http://mmajunkie.com/dyn/images/events/ufc-98-poster.jpg)
The UFC today officially announced UFC 98 and a rematch between UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (3-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and interim heavyweight champion Frank Mir (12-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC).
The two champions will unify the titles at a pay-per-view event on May 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The event is also expected to feature the long-awaited match-up between Matt Hughes and Matt Serra, as well as lightweights Frank Edgar vs. Sean Sherk and welterweights Chris Wilson vs. Josh Koscheck.
Tickets for the event, which range from $75 to $800, go on sale to the general public beginning this Saturday, March 7 at 1 p.m. EST.
UFC Fight Club members can participate in a pre-sale beginning Thursday, March 5, at 1 p.m. EST, and UFC.com newsletter subscribers can buy tickets beginning Friday, March 6, at 1 p.m. EST.
Lesnar and Mir first met in early 2008 at UFC 81. In just his second professional fight, Lesnar faced the former UFC champion, who had been a shell of his former self since a serious motorcycle injury in 2004.
However, after being battered for a minute and a half with Lesnar's damaging ground and pound, Mir slapped on a kneebar and forced Lesnar to tap out in the first round. It remains the only loss of Lesnar's career.
Since that original meeting, Lesnar defeated Heath Herring to earn a title shot with Randy Couture, whom he TKOd at UFC 91. Mir, meanwhile, defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92 to win the interim title.
"Brock Lesnar has been calling for a rematch with me ever since I beat him the first time," Mir stated. "All I can say to Brock is be careful what you wish for because I'm a better, smarter, stronger and faster fighter than I was the last time. He won’t be able to push me around like he's done (to) smaller opponents, and I'm looking forward to becoming undisputed champion again."
The latest rumored card now includes:
* Champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim champ Frank Mir (heavyweight title unification)
* Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra
* Frank Edgar vs. Sean Sherk
* Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Wilson
* Kyle Bradley vs. Phillipe Nover
* James Irvin vs. Drew McFedries
* Brandon Wolff vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
* Houston Alexander vs. Andre Gusmao
* Pat Barry vs. Tim Hague
* David Kaplan vs. George Roop
Lesnar beats Mir, and actually I think steam rolls him. The fight doesn't make it out of round one.
GSP v Alves is going to be very similar to GSP v everyone else lately. GSP is dealing with the same thing Anderson Silva is dealing with and that is he is simply THAT much better than everyone else in his division. Alves will not be any more of a threat than Penn, Fitch, Hughes... and it won't even be close.
GSP.. TKO rd 2.
Ill disagree and same we see a similar result as we saw in the first one.
It's an awesome card!
I have Mir over Lesnar again, but I do think Brock has a better chance this go around than he did the first time... but so does Frank Mir. The Mir that fought Lesnar the first time would get killed, but the Mir that fought Nog would definitely beat Lesnar again IMO.
And my boy Matt Serra is going to knock Matt Hughes out! I don't care what anyone says, Matt Serra is a stud!
Also Sherk vs. Edgar should be a hell of a fight. I have Sherk winning via decision.
Dan Miller vs. Yushin Okami is an interesting one. Would be cool to see Miller get a win over a top guy like Okami... but I just think Okami is on a much higher level than Dan Miller is right now... but I'm rooting for Dan.
I'm hoping Koscheck smashes Chris Wilson, nothing against Wilson but I'm actually a pretty big fan of 'Kos' and I would hate to see him take another loss. Wilson is a tough guy though, but Kos should dominate him.
Philippe Nover should destroy Kyle Bradley.
idk I kinda disagree with that.
I actually think Alves is a HUGE threat to GSP.
I don't see GSP being AS dominant in this one than he has looked in the past, I actually see St. Pierre struggling a bit.
But he'll still win.
GSP is the face of Canadian MMA, but I'm going to pick Alves. Both are 2 of my favourites, so I'm sort of at a cross-roads, but I think if GSP loses anytime soon, It'll be to the weight cutting machine in Thiago Alves.
Pat Barry anyone? Most vicious leg kicks I've ever seen in my 4 years of watching MMA.
Quote from: Cory on March 05, 2009, 10:10:36 PM
Pat Barry anyone? Most vicious leg kicks I've ever seen in my 4 years of watching MMA.
Oh I agree, that guy is awesome!
I think a dream fight for me, would be him vs. Hardonk since they both seem to have awesome leg kicks.
I would like to see Lesnar win it but I think Mir will take him down. I am going to say by submission again.
Quote from: Mike Storm on March 06, 2009, 12:53:35 AM
I would like to see Lesnar win it but I think Mir will take him down. I am going to say by submission again.
Mir take Lesnar down?
Not likely. Brock is too big and strong a wrestler.
If it goes to the ground it will be because Brock took Mir down.
I do agree though that Mir will most likely catch him in a submission again though.
Sorry, by take down I mean win the fight
I'd just like to see Lesnar beat the fuck out of Mir, and I think there's a pretty good chance of that. Hell, he pummelled the shit out of Randy, I could easily see him landing a good bomb on Mir or taking him down and pounding him.
I think this fight's going to really be one to watch, maybe even more than Lesnar/Couture, just for the fact that it's the return match to see just how much these two have learned. Last time they fought, Mir got steamrolled by Lesnar, but Lesnar made a mistake and got caught, so in the rematch I'm thinking that 1. Mir's gotta take Lesnar much more seriously or he's going to get steamrolled again. And 2. Lesnar's gotta be thinking about submission avoidance and not leaving himself open to a mistake.
I think if Lesnar can avoid making the same kinda rookie mistakes he made in their first encounter, he'll run roughshod over Mir with his power, and if it goes to the ground I'd say he'll hang with Mir and maybe even outwrestle him too. In my mind, it's all just about Brock not letting himself get caught and whether or not he can hold up to Mir on the feet, which I think he will.
All in all, we'll see how far Brock's come in the past year, and I'm expecting it to be a hell of a fight one way or the other.
Mir was just a different kind of animal against Nog. That was the most polished, intense, well paced and perfectly executed fight I've seen from any heavyweight since I started watching MMA regularly.
Lesner has the power, that's going to be the key to this fight. He needs to land hard and early to win this fight. If it goes past round one, Mir will take it.
I personally can't wait for this fight and the card as whole looks incredible!
Peace
Duckman
One thing I will note is that I didn't see the Mir/Nog fight, so I don't have that much of an idea of how good a fighter Mir is as of late, but I think the thing a lot of people are underestimating about Lesnar is his cardio. Sure he's got the size and power and the wrestling skill there to match up against most guys going, but the idea that the longer the fight goes the more it favours Mir (at least in terms of staying power) doesn't really apply with Lesnar imo. Anybody who saw the All Access special on him from a while back should know this guy's not just a beast when it comes to power but endurance as well
For those who haven't seen it, check it out:
Now, as far as experience goes and making that big mistake, I would most definitely give the edge to Mir over Lesnar in that respect, and that's probably going to be the difference maker if this thing goes to a finish, but personally, I believe Lesnar's got it in him to finish Mir quickly, especially if he can take him down and stay on him, and I think he can take him to a decision pretty easily if he has to.
A few updates about the fight:
QuoteIn what would be a complete disaster, Sam Caplan is reporting that Frank Mir has had to pull out of his May bout with Brock Lesnar due to injury. Dave will be in Columbus later this evening and we'll update when we know more.
QuoteAs of about an hour ago the fight had not been officially canceled. Mir's injury requires arthroscopic surgery and it will be touch and go. He may be able to do the May show or it may be moved to UFC 99 or 100. More later tonight.
I'd rather see them put it off to UFC 100, rather than Mir go into the fight hurt, and make Lesnar look better than he is.
Dana White has said that the fight is still on, and HE hasn't learned of any cancellation. He would be the first to know.
Mir beat an injured, hlaf blind and staph infection-recovering Nogueria. Brock just dominted Randy F'N Couture and rolled Heath Herring without hardly breaking a sweat. Lesnar, wild and bug eyed in his UFC debut had Mir beat until the ref (questionably) halted the fight and prevented a win.
This time around, it looked eerie similar to Lesnar Mir I except the fight doesn't get stood up and BROCK SMASH!! on Mir via TKO.
Alves brings nothing to the table that GSP hasn't seen and beaten. Honestly. Alves = Fitch... as he'll make it look good, but he won't win. GSP dominates anyone from the 170 division, much like Silva does 185. Outside of a "Serra", GSP has no threats as far as talent and skill in the division. In MMA, all it takes is one punch which keeps it interesting, but GSP isn't going to give Alves that chance. This fight his the mat fast, with GSP on Alves and that's how the fight will stay.. GSP on top and in control until he wins via TKO or Sub in round 2 or 3.
Alves brings nothing knew? I think you're doubting how big this guy really is. Strenght wise, GSP has never fought anybody who has been stronger than him. Fitch might have been bigger, but not stronger. Alves can cut to 170, and come into the fight around 200lbs, its amazing really. I'm not doubting that GSP doesn't dominate that Division, hell I love GSP, but Alves is going to be something that he hasn't faced, size wise and someone with insane knockout power and muay thai.
Who do you guys think will win?
I'd could see it going either way, but I have a feeling Rampage will catch him.
Rampage has that KO factor in almost every punch he throws. He's not a guy that throws a ton of jabs, he's about hooks and uppercuts. Rashad is a bit more fluent in his strikes with jabs and movement, and also has killer KO power. Rashad has a strong wrestling background which gives him some advantage in the clinch/takedowns over Rampage as he has better knowledge of control in grappling.
Sadly, I'm going to call Rashad... but hope like hell Rampage wins.
QuoteMar-7-2009
Mir Sidelined by Knee Injury, Lesnar Bout PostponedBy Thomas Gerbasi
COLUMBUS, OH, March 7 - Following an injury to his right knee suffered during training recently and subsequent arthroscopic surgery this week, interim UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir has been forced to postpone his May 23rd rematch with Brock Lesnar until sometime later this year.
“It’s disappointing, but this is the nature of the fight game,†said UFC President Dana White of the postponement of the UFC 98 main event. “Guys work hard in the gym and sometimes they get hurt. I’m glad that Frank got his injury taken care of, that it wasn’t serious and that he’ll be able to get back to sparring within the next month and a half. I know he wants to be a hundred percent for this fight and I know Brock wants to fight the best Frank Mir possible. It’s a great fight and a great grudge match â€" we’ll just have to wait a little longer for it.â€
“I’m not happy about the postponement, but I’m taking this fight very seriously, and I want to be at my best when I step into the Octagon with Brock Lesnar again,†said Mir, who submitted Lesnar in the first round in their first meeting in February of 2008. “He’s not going to catch me off-guard like he did the first time we fought, and even with that I still beat him. But with my doctor ordering me not to spar, roll, or wrestle for four to six weeks, there would have been no way to prepare properly for a fight this important. I’m taking my belt back in 2009, and I’m going to be as close to 100 percent as possible when I do it.â€
The announcement of the postponement was made during Saturday night’s UFC 96 telecast at the Nationwide Arena. No rescheduled date has been announced. Lesnar will not appear on the UFC 98 card, which will have a new main event revealed shortly.
*pops Darla's bubble*
Just means there will be more hype for the fight. Can't wait.
Audibly Offensive MMA League
Rank Avatar Player Total Points Awarded
1 Forgeron 150
2 MitchCiccarelli 116
3 thebigone238 60
Now that was an asswhoppin :p
Rashad. Other than both containing tons of ko power, I feel Rashad is the quicker and more explosive of the two.
I favor an Alves win. If it goes to the ground I'm pretty sure he's got a ground game he doesn't show often. My advice to anyone fighting GSP, take the fight to him, work on your sprawl more than your guard. You do those two things, he's very beatable. Problem is nobody does this. I'm also finding myself curious on what a "Serra" is. Because I'm pretty sure Serra threw those punches to hurt/knock GSP out. So I am guessing Serra is SO lucky the punches he threw did the damage he meant for them to do?
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on March 08, 2009, 02:27:03 PM
Rashad. Other than both containing tons of ko power, I feel Rashad is the quicker and more explosive of the two.
Agreed!
.... But Machida will beat either one of them :P
http://www.thelightsoutshow.com/2009/03/ufc-96-review-by-mitch-magically.html (http://www.thelightsoutshow.com/2009/03/ufc-96-review-by-mitch-magically.html)
Feedback is always appreciatedddddddddddd :P
Sell = OWNED
I like Sell too, but he doesn't have a chin, and that's costing him a few matches.
Carwin looks like if he stays on his feet that he'll be unbeatable, but I do see weakness in his ground defense, that someone like Frank Mir would expose.
Jardine/Rampage was a great main event, going either way for most of the fight. Good night of fights overall.
Its been moved to UFC 100, and Rashad Evans v/s Rampage has taken its spot at UFC 98.
Great.. another Machida lover. Ok.. the guy has shown the ability to be very "elusive". But lets look at reality for just a second...
Machida beat a gatekeeper/basic can in Nakamura. He beat a completely overhyped and over rated Soku. He ran around for a DQ win against an over the hill Tito Ortiz, and he beat an over rated Thiago Silva.
Know what's missing in that list? A credible top ten LHW fighter. Machida has done well, and he has beat whoever he has been put in the octagon with, which is all HE can do. Until Joe Silva matches him up with someone of more credibility in the current MMA scene, Machida has not earned all the nuthugging that has occured as of late. He's good... but he has not beaten anyone that gives him a legit claim to being a top 3 LHW.
Oh, and yes, I know he has wins over Rich Franklin and BJ Penn, and I'm also aware they happened a long, long fucking time ago and hold NO relevance to today's world of MMA. Beating Penn/Franklin in 03, 04... doesn't mean as much as if they were in 07, 08. Lot of people lose very early in their career and it holds very little water once you get a couple years past. (see, Horn, Jeremy v Liddell, Chuck).
Machida is good... but he has not done anything to warrant the hype of being the "guy".. yet.
Quote from: Darla on March 09, 2009, 11:02:11 PM
Great.. another Machida lover. Ok.. the guy has shown the ability to be very "elusive". But lets look at reality for just a second...
Machida beat a gatekeeper/basic can in Nakamura. He beat a completely overhyped and over rated Soku. He ran around for a DQ win against an over the hill Tito Ortiz, and he beat an over rated Thiago Silva.
Know what's missing in that list? A credible top ten LHW fighter. Machida has done well, and he has beat whoever he has been put in the octagon with, which is all HE can do. Until Joe Silva matches him up with someone of more credibility in the current MMA scene, Machida has not earned all the nuthugging that has occured as of late. He's good... but he has not beaten anyone that gives him a legit claim to being a top 3 LHW.
Oh, and yes, I know he has wins over Rich Franklin and BJ Penn, and I'm also aware they happened a long, long fucking time ago and hold NO relevance to today's world of MMA. Beating Penn/Franklin in 03, 04... doesn't mean as much as if they were in 07, 08. Lot of people lose very early in their career and it holds very little water once you get a couple years past. (see, Horn, Jeremy v Liddell, Chuck).
Machida is good... but he has not done anything to warrant the hype of being the "guy".. yet.
He's beaten several top 10 LHW's recently, you kidding me?
Hey say what you want about Thierry Sokoudjou, Tito Ortiz and Thiago Silva but at the time they were considered TOP 10 OPPONENTS!
And what do you mean "ran around for a DQ win"? First of all it was a decision, second of all he wasn't running. Why does everyone say that? Kalib Starnes... THAT WAS FUCKING RUNNING! Lyoto Machida doesn't run, but he doesn't stand there in the pocket and brawl... he actually fights smart and it works for him, 14-0... nuff' said.
Thiago Silva.... overrated?
So everyone Lyoto beats instantly becomes "overrated". So I guess after he beats Rashad and/or Rampage, you are going to say the same thing about them? Sure let's discredit all of his wins... he's "boring" blah blah blah.
Now sure he has not fought one of the top 5 guys yet, but I'm pretty damn confident he would beat any of them.
And if I sound like a dick... I apologize. I'm not in the best of moods, so I'll snap at little things just to let off some steam :P
Anyway I'm pretty much the only Machida fan on here, everyone else hates on him so I can't win this argument.
Several Top ten LHW recently?? By what rankings?? Tito hasn't been a strong top ten candiate in any type of rankings since 06... Machida beat him in 08. And yes, Machida DID alot fo running/sidestepping around the cage with very little attacking. Did he Starnes it and run a marathon? No, but the fact he ran enough to even get Starnes related responses from the majority of fans pretty much backs up the claim that against Tito, Machida ran alot. Oh, the most exciting part of the fight was the end, where he hit a knee that dropped Tito and almost.. nearly.. got tapped by Tito. (Of course, Tito has shown zero submission skills btw..) And Soku... he had Inet hype and was 4-2 coming into the UFC... and he's also dropped 3 of his alst 4 and has been exposed as a top ten fraud. Thiago Silva.. the guy's biggest win to date was over James Irvin.. and that was from Irvin suffering a knee injury.
At this point, and being 100% honest, Machida shouldn't be much higher on the scale than Brandon Vera. Machida shows promise, he has alot of skill, but he has not been in the octagon with anyone that is a title contender. No Forrest, no Chuck, no Rashad, no Rampage, not even Vera or Jardine. Tito... a guy that couldn't hang with any of the aforementioned in 08 is his biggest win.
With one more win, Machida will get his shot. (If Page doesn't back out of the Evans fight), but Machida's next fight HAS to be against someone with credibility as a contender. Not Jon Jones or Houston Alexander, but a Forrest, or CHuck/Shogun winner, Jardine, Vera... someone.
Being 14-0 is good, but until that 14 is moving against top competition, he's still a Brazlian Bisping.
Quote from: Darla on March 10, 2009, 12:13:04 AM
Several Top ten LHW recently?? By what rankings?? Tito hasn't been a strong top ten candiate in any type of rankings since 06... Machida beat him in 08. And yes, Machida DID alot fo running/sidestepping around the cage with very little attacking. Did he Starnes it and run a marathon? No, but the fact he ran enough to even get Starnes related responses from the majority of fans pretty much backs up the claim that against Tito, Machida ran alot. Oh, the most exciting part of the fight was the end, where he hit a knee that dropped Tito and almost.. nearly.. got tapped by Tito. (Of course, Tito has shown zero submission skills btw..) And Soku... he had Inet hype and was 4-2 coming into the UFC... and he's also dropped 3 of his alst 4 and has been exposed as a top ten fraud. Thiago Silva.. the guy's biggest win to date was over James Irvin.. and that was from Irvin suffering a knee injury.
At this point, and being 100% honest, Machida shouldn't be much higher on the scale than Brandon Vera. Machida shows promise, he has alot of skill, but he has not been in the octagon with anyone that is a title contender. No Forrest, no Chuck, no Rashad, no Rampage, not even Vera or Jardine. Tito... a guy that couldn't hang with any of the aforementioned in 08 is his biggest win.
With one more win, Machida will get his shot. (If Page doesn't back out of the Evans fight), but Machida's next fight HAS to be against someone with credibility as a contender. Not Jon Jones or Houston Alexander, but a Forrest, or CHuck/Shogun winner, Jardine, Vera... someone.
Being 14-0 is good, but until that 14 is moving against top competition, he's still a Brazlian Bisping.
Pretty much every site I check (mmaweekly, mmajunkie, sherdog, etc.) had both Sokoudjou and Thiago Silva on their top 10 rankings at the time Machida fought them.
Yes, Machida hasn't fought a Rampage, or a Rashad or a Forrest YET.... ok fine I get that.
But to say he shouldn't be ranked higher than Brandon Vera? That's hilarious... seriously funny shit.
And this whole running BS is ridiculous. Not everyone is going to be a Muay Thai style brawler in MMA and be aggressive, Machida is a karate based striker who likes to be patient and use his unorthodox style to frustrate opponents , it obviously works well for him.
A Brazilian Bisping? Nah... I don't think so :P
To be honest, it comes down to opinion. Machida has been undefeated for years and he's not going to lose anytime soon.... that's just my opinion. You can say "I'm on the guys nuts", whatever I think he's the best Light Heavyweight in the world and I guess we will just have to wait and see if I'm right or not.
I will say I find machida to be very boring. If you like karate then I guess he'd be number 1. But I do think he can hang with most top 10's out there. But he's boring to most fans, so I guess that's why he hasn't fought many greats yet.
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on March 10, 2009, 02:00:31 PM
I will say I find machida to be very boring. If you like karate then I guess he'd be number 1. But I do think he can hang with most top 10's out there. But he's boring to most fans, so I guess that's why he hasn't fought many greats yet.
QFT.
I hate Machida more than anybody, but I can see past my large ego and admit that tho I hate how he fights, it does let him succeed. I honestly thing that he needs 1 more fight to get him a spot, but that being said he has fought top guys. Sokoudou was a top 10 when Machida fought him, as well as Thiago Silva....who by you saying he is overrated blows my mind, as IMO he was the most underrated fighter in the LHW, taking him 4 straight TKO wins to get a hyped fight, is quite obsered, since Shane Carwin who is the equivalent heavyweight did it in 2 fights with similar results.
I hate Machida more than anybody, but I can see past my large ego and admit that tho I hate how he fights, it does let him succeed. I honestly thing that he needs 1 more fight to get him a spot, but that being said he has fought top guys. Sokoudou was a top 10 when Machida fought him, as well as Thiago Silva....who by you saying he is overrated blows my mind, as IMO he was the most underrated fighter in the LHW, taking him 4 straight TKO wins to get a hyped fight, is quite obsered, since Shane Carwin who is the equivalent heavyweight did it in 2 fights with similar results.
[/quote]
Carwin is getting recognition because the HW division is not very deep. Most of the name HW are up in years or fighting for Affliction. Outside of Nog and Couture, Mir and lesnar, the HW needs to hype some guys.
Thiago Silva.. his biggest win was against James Irvin.. when Irvin hurt himself. Thiago had no high caliber wins heading into his match with Lyoto. I DO think that it was a good matchup at the time.. two guys building their way up... facing off. Neither of them has EARNED a top rank due to the people they fought.
But oh well.. Ramapge is out, Machida is getting Evans at 98. Win or loss, it's Machida's first shot against a top level guy that is worth being a top ranked fighter and isn't over the hill. Time to see how well Machida's "elusive running" can be. (yes, it IS running away)
Quote from: Darla on March 10, 2009, 10:42:21 PM
Time to see how well Machida's "elusive running" can be. (yes, it IS running away)
Oh I get it, so fighting is all about standing there and brawling?
So when you actually fight smart, pick your opponents apart and maintain an unbeaten record then you are nothing but a "runner" and it has absolutely nothing to do with technique.
Thank you for teaching me this.
Yes, Machida.... stop "running", you need to stand there and brawl with Rashad Evans and be "exciting" otherwise you are nothing but an "overrated" guy who "runs".
Forget about using your unorthodox style that nobody has managed to figure out yet, just go in there and get knocked out by Rashad Evans so people will be excited.
.................
God... what is so wrong with being a technical striker? You make it sound like all the guy does is run.... no that's not the case at all, he's an attacker.... a very good and a very technical attacker. It might not be pretty, fast paced and exciting, but it WORKS!
But sure it's just "running", anyone can do it right? Anyone can go out there and fight like Machida, after all it's just running around..... rightttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt.
Ok I can understand if people think he's boring, everyone has their own opinion. But to say all his stand up consists of is running.... I'm sorry but that's ridiculous.
But I'm being a dick, and I'm not a dick.... so I guess we will just have to agree to disagree for now? I don't like to argue :P
I had a post up here about the Evans and Rampage no longer being able to go at it, but it seems as if that was already mentioned.
>.<
Rampage somehow broke his jaw or something. I have a feeling this is bullshit and certain people just didn’t want two black fighters fighting each other for a championship.It would have been a great fight and perhaps a selling point for this event but it’s hard to tell if we’ll ever find out for sure.
Quote from: Big Daddy Tees on March 12, 2009, 08:03:18 AM
Rampage somehow broke his jaw or something. I have a feeling this is bullshit and certain people just didn’t want two black fighters fighting each other for a championship.It would have been a great fight and perhaps a selling point for this event but it’s hard to tell if we’ll ever find out for sure.
Ok dude, I'm sorry but I am going to have to be a dick here.
That was the most RETARDED thing I have ever fucking read.
Way to pull the race card.
Why are people so ignorant?
Rampage has fought twice in three months, fighting a third time two months after a three round fight with Keith Jardine is a hard thing to do. Obviously he has some injuries that he needs to take care of before fighting for the title. You're never at 100% in a fight, but in a title fight you want to be as close to 100% as you can be. He needs to be fully rested and get the shot in a few months rather than right away.
Has nothing to do with "zomg they don't want black guy vs. black guy for zeh title"
Fuck!
A light heavyweight contest between two fighters looking to rebound from high-profile losses has been added to the as-yet-unannounced UFC 101 card.
Former UFC champion Forrest Griffin (16-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will face Brazilian slugger Thiago Silva (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC).
MMAjunkie.com (www,mmajunkie.com) today learned from sources close to the bout that the two fighters have verbally agreed to the contest and that bout agreements are scheduled to be signed over the next several days.
Those sources also indicated that UFC 101 is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 8 in Portland, Ore.
Griffin is looking to bounce back from his TKO loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 92 in December 2008. The 29-year-old had wrestled away the title from Quinton Jackson with a July 2008 unanimous-decision win, but Griffin came up short in his first defense of the title with Evans.
A broken left hand suffered in that bout has kept Griffin out of action since December. The former "TUF" winner was medically suspended until June 27 due to the injury.
Silva is looking to rebound from the first loss of his three-and-a-half year career. The 26-year-old Brazilian slugger had reeled off 13 straight wins to open his career, which included four straight wins in the UFC, before Silva suffered a knockout loss to current No. 1 contender Lyoto Machida at UFC 94 in January.
Silva's night ended in poor fashion that night as the American Top Team product was caught with a heavy right hand from Machida a fraction of a second before the bell sounded to end the first round. While the round was over, Silva was unable to rise, and the bout was halted.
UFC 101 is scheduled to feature a matchup of heavyweight legends and former UFC champions Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Hopefully Thiago can shock the world, and get another shot at that douche bag Machida.
MMAJUNKIE
When Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1 UFC, 2-4 UFC) and Rich Franklin (24-4 MMA, 11-3 MMA) meet in the main event of UFC 99 in June, the 195-pound catchweight bout will feature two of the UFC's most exciting fighters.
But as Silva recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio)), he hopes the bout serves as more than just an interesting feature.
The Brazilian slugger hopes the bout will be the introduction of a new division to the UFC.
"I talked with (UFC President) Dana (White) three or four events ago, and I said, 'We need to create a new division at 195 (pounds),'" Silva said. "Because for me, my normal weight is 210 or 208 (pounds). For 205, it's not too much (weight to cut). For 185, it's a lot. For 195, it's perfect."
A feared striker, Silva has struggled in recent years. The 32-year-old has earned just one win in his past five fights, and has constantly been the smaller contestant in his matchups.
Silva knows White already has enough on his plate without the addition of a new division. But the former Chute Boxe fighter also believes a 195-pound class could benefit a range of contestants.
" has got a lot of work," Silva said. "There's a lot of divisions, a lot of fighters. But now, maybe this is the first fight and in the future we'll have a new division. (There's) a lot of fighters in my situation."
In recent interviews with MMAjunkie.com Radio, fighters such as Dan Henderson, Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Houston Alexander have all said they walk around just above 205 pounds, but that the cut to 185 pounds is simply too much.
Coupled with the number of massive fighters that currently drop to 205 pounds, Silva believes 195 pounds would be a positive for the sport.
"I think in the future we'll have this division," Silva said. "I think it's a very good division. Guys like Forrest (Griffin) are 230-240 (pounds). For him 205 pounds is good because he's so much stronger."
Promoters can make fights at any weight they choose, but the Association of Boxing Commissions did make allowances for a 195-pound super-middleweight division in their heavily criticized July 2008 revision to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.
Whether the UFC ever chooses to utilize any of the additional weight classes remain to be seen. Silva said he will look for opponents in both the 205-pound and 185-pound class in the interim.
"There's a lot of guys in both divisions," Silva said. "I'll go back and fight again maybe in December. There's a lot of time to have other opponents."
And while "The Axe Murderer" will continue to push for a 195-pound class, Silva has never been one to turn down a fight - at any weight.
This is sweet news for people like me. When I was fooling around with MMA, 170 was really hard to cut down to as well as 185, while I was trying to figure where my right weight class would be. 195 would be perfect.
Not feeling it. I don't see such a disparity of size at 205 or 185 to warrant this. Perhaps for a few people a 195 class would work, but it wouldn't be able to get any depth without taking away from 185/205. There just isn't enough top quality at that particular weight to create a new division.
If they are going to add another weight class, what they need to look at and plan for, is a split in HW. As more new people get into the HW division and start getting established a little more, splitting it this would be the place to start. There's currently a 60 pound discrepancy in this one division which isn't cool. The Gonzagas, Carwins, Cain, Brock... as these size guys keep coming in, the Vera/Couture size guys are going to see less sucess because of this gaping hole in weight. As talented as Brandon Vera is, a 215 pound Vera would get crushed by a 265+ pound Brock, or 260 pound Carwin, Gonzaga. THis is where they need to be taking TUF now.. to get more HW, so that they can build it up and split it later.
Thiago takes it. (hopefully) Forrest has shown in the past that if he has a weakness, it's defending off of his back. Silva is known for his vicious ground and pound, if he get's on top, it's over. Forrest doesn't have the power to put him down like Machida did, I just see Silva getting Forrest down with a trip, getting on top and pounding it out. If that doesn't happen, Forrest will take a decision win.
DREAM middleweight champion and 2008 middleweight grand prix winner Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1) will step up to 205 pounds in his next bout according to a report from FiveOuncesOfPain.com.
Mousasi will meet UFC, PRIDE and Affliction veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-4) at DREAM.9 according to the report.
While DREAM.9 has not yet been officially announced, a recent listing of the event on the Tokyo Broadcasting System's official website suggests the event will take place on May 26.
Mousasi hasn't competed since his September 2008 victories over Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Melvin Manhoef en route to winning the DREAM titles. In the weeks following the win, Mousasi announced his intentions to move to 205 pounds as well as his desire to pursue a professional boxing career.
The Armenian striker is currently riding an 11-fight win streak and has earned 14 of his 24 career wins by knockout or TKO.
Sokoudjou would be making his DREAM debut as well as his first appearance in Japan since back-to-back knockout wins over Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira first brought the 24-year-old to prominence. "The African Assassin" has since gone just 1-3, including a January submission loss to Renato "Babalu" Sobral.
U.S. broadcast plans for the event have not yet been announced, though DREAM.7 aired on HDNet via tape delay. The network plans on doing the same with April's DREAM.8.
~~~~
Mousasi is a beast, and I'm calling he'll be in the p4p top 5 this year.
The highly anticipated featherweight title rematch between current champion Mike Brown (17-4 MMA, 3-0 WEC) and challenger Urijah Faber (22-2 MMA, 7-1 WEC) has been officially announced by the network scheduled to broadcast the event.
Ariel Helwani of VERSUS.com today confirmed the bout first reported by FiveOuncesOfPain.com.
The bout will headline the June 7 event, set for the Arco Arena in Faber’s hometown of Sacramento, Calif.
The event has not yet been posted on the WEC's official website, and additional bouts and ticket information have not yet been released.
Brown defeated Faber in their first meeting, snapping a 13-fight win streak for "The California Kid" and earning the American Top Team fighter the WEC's featherweight crown. Brown has since defended the belt in first-round submission win over Leonard Garcia, running the new champion's own unbeaten streak to nine fights.
Faber bounced back from the loss with a first-round submission win of his own over MMA pioneer Jens Pulver.
While the WEC has several credible 145-pound challengers, Faber's dominance and marketability make him an obvious choice for a quick rematch.
While rumors had been swirling that the bout would mark the WEC's initial foray into the pay-per-view market, Helwani's report confirms the card will air on VERSUS.
Sokoudjou doesn't stand a chance. Expect that loss streak of his to continue as Mousasi is a future all star.
I have a feeling we won't be seeing any reckless spinning elbows out of Faber this time. This could be a hell of a fight, can't wait.
Very true....shame. I think Sokoudjou is one hell of a fighter with loads of talent, but every since fight one hes fought big name fighters.
I think he needs to start lower in the card, and build up a record and some credibility.
I think Brown will take this one. I like both guys, and Faber is just about as exciting as they come, but Brown has too much momentum, and his hands are like fucking cinder blocks.
I agree. If things stay standing, Forrest has one hell of a chin, but Thiago will win. If it goes down to the ground, I like Forrest will have a slight advantage and will squeeze out the win.
I like both guys, but I would like to see Thiago come back strong against Forrest and get a re-match against that piece of crap Machida.
First show aired tonight, it was eliminations to get the first round of UK fighters in.
I'm still in awe how UK top fighter Che Mills lost, as I picked him to win the entire thing, and he didn't even make it into the house. Jesus......
I'll still be rooting for UK. Bispings the man.
Regardless of being from the States I'll still be rooting for the UK for the plain and simple reason I like Bisping and I don't like Hendo nor Franklin. I'll say that I've got money on the little bald fella with tattoos that was in the clinch for a whole round and hit that nasty knee to the face of the other dude...I forget his name.
To me, Bisping has always come across as an over-inflated ego that doesn't have the skills to match. His "dickishness" was real bad for a while, especially after the Hammil fight. Losing to Rashad seems to have humbled him some.
Nonetheless, I still thank Henderson and Franklin are far and away better than he is, and I strongly doubt he'll have a career that even remotely resembles the ones they've had. In short, I don't think he'll ever wear gold, he'll never amount to an mma legend in the grand scheme. I think the Bisping train gets derailed this July at the hands of Henderson.
Bisping is one of the premier fighters in the 185 division. I still think he is the only guy left (maybe Maia) who can challenge Anderson Silva. I think a fight with him and Hendo would be a toss up, Hendo is a superior wrestler and Bisping is a better striker, but I think Bisping would smash Franklin, who is over the hill, even after moving down a weight class. Bisping would just be too quick for Rich.
Thats what I think anyways.
I'd have to agree Rich Franklin is over the top and is a moron with a stupid nickname. I've always found Franklin overrated and never liked him. I give Hendo respect though for what hes done but hes coming on the downside of his career. I thnk Bisping has a bright future in MMA, especially after losing to Evans.
Check out my blog for episode 1:
http://www.thelightsoutshow.com/2009/04/tuf-season-9-blog-week-1-by-mitch.html (http://www.thelightsoutshow.com/2009/04/tuf-season-9-blog-week-1-by-mitch.html)
Quote from: Darla on March 23, 2009, 05:01:58 AM
Not feeling it. I don't see such a disparity of size at 205 or 185 to warrant this. Perhaps for a few people a 195 class would work, but it wouldn't be able to get any depth without taking away from 185/205. There just isn't enough top quality at that particular weight to create a new division.
If they are going to add another weight class, what they need to look at and plan for, is a split in HW. As more new people get into the HW division and start getting established a little more, splitting it this would be the place to start. There's currently a 60 pound discrepancy in this one division which isn't cool. The Gonzagas, Carwins, Cain, Brock... as these size guys keep coming in, the Vera/Couture size guys are going to see less sucess because of this gaping hole in weight. As talented as Brandon Vera is, a 215 pound Vera would get crushed by a 265+ pound Brock, or 260 pound Carwin, Gonzaga. THis is where they need to be taking TUF now.. to get more HW, so that they can build it up and split it later.
Agreed very much so.
.,......still shocked about Che Mills. Such an exciting fighter, very similar to Wandy.......damn shame.
I really don't see where you guys see this great upside in Bisping. He didn't look well against Elvis Sinosic but he was young so I give him a freebie. He won a controversial decision to Hammil (I think he lost), he and Evans both looked like shit when they fought. He beat Captain Miserable (which isn't saying much) and Day (again.. who cares) and against Leben Bisping didn't look that great. He showed a little hand speed, but Bisping still doesn't have great knock out power, his wrestling hasn't be shown to be anything more than average.
Franklin has shown over the years that he is one of the best technical fighters in the world, and imo, he should have won the Henderson fight. (I don't like the standard judging system). Bisping hasn't shown where he is at, or near, the level of Franklin in any fights.
Hendo is on the down side of his career, but if Rampage can't knock him out, and Palhares can't submit him, exactly where does Bisping have any advantage other than youth?
I understand Bisping is the biggest U.K. star in MMA, but the guy just isn't that good. He's not anywhere near a premier fighter at 185, as I think Silva, Maia, Marquardt, Henderson, Palhares, Kang are all far ahead of him. IMO, Henderson will expose Bisping as not being as good as advertised. To me, Bisping is in that same area as Jason MacDonald, better than the scrubs, but not quite as good as the top level guys.
Actually, to make it clear, I'll even give my opinion of the MW rankings up to where I'd have Bisping at.
Anderson Silva
Dan Henderson
Marquardt
Maia
Kang
Palhares
Okami
Cote
Leites
Bisping
Quote from: Darla on April 04, 2009, 11:54:17 PM
I really don't see where you guys see this great upside in Bisping. He didn't look well against Elvis Sinosic but he was young so I give him a freebie. He won a controversial decision to Hammil (I think he lost), he and Evans both looked like shit when they fought. He beat Captain Miserable (which isn't saying much) and Day (again.. who cares) and against Leben Bisping didn't look that great. He showed a little hand speed, but Bisping still doesn't have great knock out power, his wrestling hasn't be shown to be anything more than average.
Franklin has shown over the years that he is one of the best technical fighters in the world, and imo, he should have won the Henderson fight. (I don't like the standard judging system). Bisping hasn't shown where he is at, or near, the level of Franklin in any fights.
Hendo is on the down side of his career, but if Rampage can't knock him out, and Palhares can't submit him, exactly where does Bisping have any advantage other than youth?
I understand Bisping is the biggest U.K. star in MMA, but the guy just isn't that good. He's not anywhere near a premier fighter at 185, as I think Silva, Maia, Marquardt, Henderson, Palhares, Kang are all far ahead of him. IMO, Henderson will expose Bisping as not being as good as advertised. To me, Bisping is in that same area as Jason MacDonald, better than the scrubs, but not quite as good as the top level guys.
Actually, to make it clear, I'll even give my opinion of the MW rankings up to where I'd have Bisping at.
Anderson Silva
Dan Henderson
Marquardt
Maia
Kang
Palhares
Okami
Cote
Leites
Bisping
I agree somewhat, I've always said Bisping is a bit overrated.
However he isn't THAT overrated. I think you are severely underrating him.
But I do agree that Hendo and Franklin would beat him.
I've got Hendo winning the fight via Unanimous decision.
I want to see how bad the Americans look on the next show. I'm starting to think the fainting is staged now. Someone fainted on the preview. They went 8 seasons and then they have fainting Phillipe and now this season? IT'S A WORK!!!
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on April 05, 2009, 08:51:52 AM
I want to see how bad the Americans look on the next show. I'm starting to think the fainting is staged now. Someone fainted on the preview. They went 8 seasons and then they have fainting Phillipe and now this season? IT'S A WORK!!!
lol I was thinking the very same thing when I saw that!
btw speaking of the Americans.... Mark Miller should DESTROY whoever he has to fight next week via first round KO, I'm calling it.
I tell you guys what's REALLY bad about the Che Mills fight. If he was one of the guys who was being looked at to make the finals, more than likely they paired him with an MMA jobber. Che Mills was legitly beat... BY A JOBBER!
Yes, thats why it hurts so much.....but he doesn't have really any ground skills. Like I said, hes Wandy, and probably the most popular MMA fighter in the UK NOT in the UFC, so this jobber probably knew his really weak skills and went after it.
Chances are they'll have him as an Alt. Now onto a more serious statement. Who loves the new pic in my sig???????
lol, its pretty funny. like, 7.5/10
.....well America is going to get killed.
Everyone who looked good just ended up getting caught....IMO most of the guys that made the cut got lucky....no one was really that dominant.
Quote from: Cory on April 09, 2009, 07:40:15 AM
.....well America is going to get killed.
Sad to say, but true. The brits are vicious this year.
We'll be getting together and doing a show for the epic UFC 100, so stay tuned.
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=622 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=622)
You gotta love marks and their love for their wrestlers. You also have to realize Cory that a lot of these morons judge talent on size, not on their technique, or watching of their fights, or their cardio/training for that matter. I hope those rumors of Dana negotiating with Crashley aren't true.
That said I'm interested to see how well Bryan Danielson fares if he enters MMA. Kurt Angle, don't even fucking think about it.
You also have to realise that the same kinda people who would say HHH could beat up Randy Couture are a bunch of fucking morons who know nothing about MMA.
Jeff Hardy would soo destroy Anderson Silva. You guys a t3H n00tz!
;)
As it stands right now, 1/3 through the year, this show is the show of the year. I know it will more than likely lose to UFC 100, but every fight was fucking amazing. Scott Smith/ Benji Radach was fucking amazing. Brett Rogers fought some guy with an Iron chin similar to Cabbage Correra, exciting. Cyborg, though 7 lbs overweight destroyed some small Asian, litterally throwing her around the ring at will. I miss the Melendez/Mann fight, but KO finish, so probably good, and my boy Nick Diaz fucked Frank Shamrock up.
I HIGHLY recommend this show to anyone and everyone.
5/5
Melendez/Mann fight was awesome. Melendez set him up perfectly, shooting for a takedown attempt twice, before knocking him the fuck out!
Quote from: Nick on April 09, 2009, 06:02:49 PM
Quote from: Cory on April 09, 2009, 07:40:15 AM
.....well America is going to get killed.
Sad to say, but true. The brits are vicious this year.
hell nah :p
Mark Miller and Demarques Johnson will prove that theory wrong.
Mark Miller is the only guy Im liking on USA....and the beard is a bonus too.
UK is going to smash. Ross Pearson FTW!
Quote from: Cory on April 16, 2009, 10:04:30 PM
Mark Miller is the only guy Im liking on USA....and the beard is a bonus too.
UK is going to smash. Ross Pearson FTW!
lol Ross Pearson is the man, I agree haha.
I think UK has the best lightweights, but the USA team have the stronger welterweights.
Hey dick heads (just kidding obviously :P).
Sorry I haven't been all that active over here guys, i've just been really busy with stuff. I don't even efed anymore so i only check this site and G-2 every so often but I don't hang around as much as I used to.
I have been writing articles for bleacherreport.com and thelightsouthow.com. I'm still with AO too, just not as active over there as well b/c the other two sites i write for are a bit more mainstream (no offense to the AO guys :P).
I'm going to be interviewing UFC fighter Gray Maynard via email (already sent him the questions, jus waiting on his answers), and would love it if you guys checked it out once it's posted, i'll post the link here when it's up.
Anyway, I'll try to pop in at least a few times every week and post some topics on here.
Enjoy the fights tomorrow guys!
btw you can check out my BreakdowN on Liddell/ Rua here: http://www.thelightsoutshow.com/2009/04/breakdown-liddell-vs-rua-by-phat-azz.html
Mitch, you bastard! If you don't get your ass back to EFK more often, I'm gonna do to you what Rashaad did to Liddell!!
howdy stranger
sucked ass.
yeah, i can agree with that statement
I'm pissed off I stayed up till' 10 to watch that shit. I'd be even more pissed off if I had to pay for it.
And fuck you Dana White for saying Anderson Silva is the best p4p fighter in the world, and Fedor is nothing but a "fat and out of shape" guy who doesn't fight "the best in the world". At least Fedor ain't afraid to pound the crap out of a guy when he's on the ground.
http://watch.tsn.ca/off-the-record/off-the-record---april-15/ (http://watch.tsn.ca/off-the-record/off-the-record---april-15/)
I have a feeling that this fight will not be taking place as advertised. It’ll be another case of something happening to one of the fighters (injured in training, not making weight, etc.) that will result in them being replaced by someone unworthy of being in the fight with the remaining fighter, this last minute replacement will be trounced and the fighter who does actually show up will win easily. You won’t know or hear about the replacement and the reason for it until after you’ve paid the $45 specifically to see this fight among others. It’s another classic example of the UFC’s “Bait and switch.†get you amped up and excited for a fight and then replace one of the fighters you paid to see with someone you didn’t at the last minute.
Ill say yes because both guys train smart so injury shouldn't be a problem, and both are serious enough to never ever not make weight.
Quote from: Big Daddy Tees on April 20, 2009, 10:59:57 AM
I have a feeling that this fight will not be taking place as advertised. It’ll be another case of something happening to one of the fighters (injured in training, not making weight, etc.) that will result in them being replaced by someone unworthy of being in the fight with the remaining fighter, this last minute replacement will be trounced and the fighter who does actually show up will win easily. You won’t know or hear about the replacement and the reason for it until after you’ve paid the $45 specifically to see this fight among others. It’s another classic example of the UFC’s “Bait and switch.†get you amped up and excited for a fight and then replace one of the fighters you paid to see with someone you didn’t at the last minute.
The fuck are you talking about dude?
Even if one of them gets injured, they WILL inform you of the replacement fighter.
What the fuck do you think they just keep it a secret until you order the PPV?
This ain't WWE brosef, there's no secret matchups here. All fights scheduled are announced long before the event airs.
And I doubt either of them will get injured.
My money is on Hendo in this one. Bisping is the more technical striker though, but it's nothing Hendo can't handle.
Quote from: KillingMachine on April 20, 2009, 03:25:03 PM
My money is on Hendo in this one. Bisping is the more technical striker though, but it's nothing Hendo can't handle.
Yup. Bisping dances a lot, doesn't have much power behind his punches, and is bound to get cracked by a good wrestler if anyone.
Although I must say I thought Franklin got fucked over by the judges in his last fight with Henderson.
Quote from: Nick on April 20, 2009, 08:51:43 PM
Quote from: KillingMachine on April 20, 2009, 03:25:03 PM
My money is on Hendo in this one. Bisping is the more technical striker though, but it's nothing Hendo can't handle.
Yup. Bisping dances a lot, doesn't have much power behind his punches, and is bound to get cracked by a good wrestler if anyone.
Although I must say I thought Franklin got fucked over by the judges in his last fight with Henderson.
I don't know about that. I mean yeah it was close but I still think Hendo won.
However if it was a five rounder, I think Franklin would have won it as he seemed to be getting stronger in the later rounds.
A jab happy, over the hill oaf versus a guy who got his ass kicked by Kimbo. And look at that blistering quick hand speed!!!
.....lame
Mercer has a potbelly.
Wow, this looks rivetting :P
Holy roundhouse
Taken from the m1-global website:
Quote
Complete rules of the Fedor vs. Aoki sparring exhibition are still being negotiated, but it will be presented as a special attraction during a 19-bout event scheduled to feature head-to-head M-1 Challenge matchups between host country Japan vs. England, Team USA West vs. South Korea, and Spain vs. France.
More than likely it's going to be a grappling/submission contest, but it's still worth watching when you got two of the best submission specialists in MMA clashing. More than likely though, Shinya is going to be sent home crying.
(http://[url=http://i40.tinypic.com/rqvp74.gif%5Dhttp://i40.tinypic.com/rqvp74.gif%5B/url%5D)
That sounds fucking awesome.
Fedor will kill.
Quote from: Cory on April 23, 2009, 03:38:46 PM
Holy roundhouse
That was insane!
I knew Ocipczak was a stud, but I didn't expect him to beat Mark Miller... but he went ahead and knocked him out. That was crazy lol.
Miller looked sloppy at the end though.
Good fight!
So yeah I have to change my WW finale prediction now.... it's gonna be Nick Ocipczak vs. DeMarques Johnson :p
Man, that Johnson guy looks like a bitch, always whining and his pranks are terrible.
I wanna fight that guy, lol.
So, amputee extraordinaire Kyle Maynard made his MMA debut this week. And I thought Zack Gowen was a freakshow, christ. I'm only posting one of the rounds as they're all pretty much the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkvwgL0GiWI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkvwgL0GiWI)
Smash says Fixed the link for ya
There are no words that can adequately describe this video.
I was becoming angry everytime the amputee had his back to the cage. I would have used one arm to pin him against it and the other to punch him in the face. I would have made it a cripple free cage...
I'm all for Amputees striving to live what could be considered a 'normal' life and compete in activities....
But this takes the piss BIG TIME.
MMA relies on strikes and grappling, both of which involve the extensive use of limbs. When you put a man with essentially no arms or legs into a cage with a perfectly normal person you may as well call it a 'beat the crap out the disabled' competition.
The guy may have been up for this and wanted to do it...but for christ sake someone should have stepped in and stopped this from happening.
Hey, at least he will never get submitted by a leg lock or an arm bar...
Yeah, I am pretty much going to hell for that one.
I want to know why he didn't have to pad up his arm stubs...
The amputee had no business in the ring. I'm actually amazed the states athletic commission allowed this fight to happen. It would be like putting me in the ring against a 100 pound big titty blond. I would end her.
When I read the first post I figured it must be a guy missing a forearm or something. But who in the hell thought putting a quadruple amputee in an MMA fight with an able-bodied man was a good idea?
If someone wants to come along and do MMA for the disabled, then cool. But this was a mismatch beyond comprehension and should never have happened. It turns mixed martial arts into a freak show and really doesn't paint the sport in a good light.
That guys is fucking awful. Im all for a good story, like Matt Hamill, but there has to be a limit.
Holy crip its a crapple.
First, and not so notable(unless you saw the last Strikeforce card, which was the fucking awesome times infinity), is Scott Smith vs. Nick Diaz. Both are coming off wins in some high profile matches, and the fight is set to be on the June 6th Lawler vs. Shields Strikeforce card. Here's what they had to say about the fight:
Diaz on the Fight
Quote
“I think this is a great fight for me, but I really hate that (Smith) brings his kids to every one of his fights because now I’m going to be made out to be the bad guy or some sort of villain after I beat him up. At the end of the day, I’m going to do what I have to do though and take him out.â€
Smith
Quote
“I usually take a few weeks off, get out of shape and go up to about 210 pounds and wind up spending a few weeks just getting back in shape, but I decided I wasn’t going to do that this time. I’m 195 pounds right now and I feel great. Diaz is a great fighter. He’s going to come in there and out grapple me and out strike me so what I have to do is go in there and beat him up. I actually think this is more of a dangerous fight for him than it is for me
And the big mother of a fight later this summer, is going to be Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 on August 2nd. Here's what Dana had to say about it:
Quote
“Forrest loved the idea and said he’d do it right away, and Anderson told me he would fight anyone I wanted him to fight, no matter who it is,†White said. “So we got the deal.â€
Full story on the fight below:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-silvagriffin042809&prov=yhoo&type=lgns (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-silvagriffin042809&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
I can't wait for both of em'. Especially that first one though, damn.
..........
I think there is something wrong saying that I'd rather see Smith/Diaz over Griffin/Silva, but both are fucking huge fights. Just heard about them both this afternoon, can't wait.
Quote from: Cory on April 24, 2009, 08:48:50 PM
Man, that Johnson guy looks like a bitch, always whining and his pranks are terrible.
I wanna fight that guy, lol.
lol yeah his pranks suck.
but he can fight though.
He's one of the best welterweights on the show I think.
I'd say top 4 right now being:
1. Nick Ocipzcak
2. DaMarques Johnson
3. David Faulkner
4. Jason Pierce
Well we get to fights tonight so Im a happy man.
Fedor met WAMMA lightweight champion Shinya Aoki during a five-minute "special exhibition" at an April 29 M-1 Challenge (presented by Affliction) event in Tokyo.[68] Emelianenko made Aoki tap out from a Achilles lock just before the bell sounded to end the exhibition
my favorite photo from the event:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8sapMW_W6ok/SfjGCshY9yI/AAAAAAAABIw/ETXF1V7LclQ/s400/fedoraoki2.jpeg)
Aoki looked like a 12 year old on a roller coaster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpr9lPqcMDM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpr9lPqcMDM)
Very nice triangle. I'd expect to see something like this in Japan, so good for Bellator.
What in the fook[?]
Looks like an inverted triangle choke mixed w/ an octopus stretch. Never seen it before, but looks great. Insane indeed.
wow, that was pretty cool. lol
That was a damn cool move - insane, but cool.
I still don't understand why that guy wouldnt just drop the other on his head...perfectly legal and you dont look like a fool getting submitted in a freak way.
Wasn't this a move in WWF No Mercy?
lol, the six second magic.....i remember.
Ross FTW, lol. Good fight this week.
Cro Cop is back in the UFC and will fight Mustafa Al Turk at UFC 99.....
...hope we see some of the old school Mirko.
From Cro Cops Official Website:
PRESS RELEASE: Cro Cop Back In UFC
These days the boys from Cro Cop team are training in full force. After a long break and highly demanding recovery process, Mirko Cro Cop is ready to fight in MMA again.
All problems with injuries are history and Cro Cop is very optimistic to start another chapter in his career: "I feel great, the recovery process is going well and we train at high intensity now. I never had such a strong desire to prove myself and I'll climb up again, or die trying."
Mirko's next fight is set for June 13th in Germany, which means that he's back in the UFC, a place that he didn't have his best moments: "I decided to fight in the UFC again, because of the stronger competition in the heavyweight division. My next opponent will be Mustapha Al-Turk. I didn't do well in my first three appearances - I wasn't myself. By returning to the cage I want to prove that I can still fight at highest level, no matter when or where," claims Cro Cop.
UFC 99 will be Cro Cop's first fight this year with the possibility of three fights coming by years end. "It's hard to talk about concrete plans, but I would really like to fight at least three times this year. I wish to fight against quality opponents and to fight my way up to a title shot but for now, I'll focus only on my next fight and after that we'll see what's going to be on the menu next," says Cro Cop. Although the UFC 99 card looks stacked, it seems that the UFC officials can see the benefits of hiring a top European fighter for their first ever UFC show in Germany.
"I want to say thank you Mr. Dana White for your interest and for an invitation back to the UFC. I owe you a lot from our first deal, and I'll make it up to you," promises Cro Cop.
All news related to Mirko Cro Cop's career are posted on Mirko's official MMA-ID profile on http://www.mma-id.com/CROCOP and Mirko's official homepage http://www.mirko-crocop.com.
Yours truly,
The CROCOP Team
Eh, I don't even know about this move. I think honestly...The UFC is only bringing him back because they need that draw in Germany. But seriously...I don't wanna see him get Liddell'd. And he probably won't against Al Turk, but...ughh...it's gonna get ugly if he fights anyone else.
Cro Cop MIGHT get his first UFC win since Eddie Sanchez!
I'm cautiously optimistic...that's there's no nut shots in this bout.
Go Flip.
I want to know what they're paying him to fight in this contract. I dunno how many fights the last one was, but he was making 300000 a fight with no win bonus to beat one nobody and lose to everyone else.
We've come to early.....
no serious. Me and Pat are recording one tonight for UFC 98...will have the link posted when finished.
This interview made me ;D
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9cl4m_mirkointervju_news (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9cl4m_mirkointervju_news)
I can honestly say a reinvented Cro Cop with the Pride skills and a Cage mentality is what the UFC HW division needs. Not a freak in Brock Lesnar, UFC needs a HW who 'marks' can compare to Fedor. If Cro Cop can start knocking fools out, we might just have that.
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=658 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=658)
UFC 98 Fight Cast is Up!!!
Listen before I snap your arm in an armbar.
....is going to fucking destroy Machida.
That is all.
(http://i40.tinypic.com/hu2jvp.jpg)
soon to be Rampage.
Impossible...Rampage will take Machida down...from his back lets see how fucking elusive that douche can be.
The finish had me LAWLing all over the place!
Yeah, you can really tell he wanted nothing to do with that fight at all. Especially when he's turning his back and such.
That was terrible. He was actually running away during most of that!
Also, when did the Great Khali get so pale?
Peace
Duckman
Now to be fair to Jose, when you fight a big guy like that you'd be amazed at the power they generate by how far their limbs have to travel to full extension. This is not a fight he had any business doing on his first fight.
TBH this fight looked fixed. Especially when Hong was dropping those weak fists and Jose tapped out immediately. Give roid boy his check and don't come back.
The tourney had to be the shortest one I'd ever seen. None of the matches went over 2 minutes, and none of them went past the first round. And it was extremely predictable. Sokodjou should get his ass kicked out of DREAM for wailing on Jan after the ref stoppage. Here's the rest.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9eeuf_sokoudjou-vs-jan-nortje-dream-9_sport (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9eeuf_sokoudjou-vs-jan-nortje-dream-9_sport)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9eew8_gegard-mousasi-vs-mark-hunt-dream-9_sport (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9eew8_gegard-mousasi-vs-mark-hunt-dream-9_sport)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9eeyz_bob-sapp-vs-ikuhisa-minowa-dream-9_sport (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9eeyz_bob-sapp-vs-ikuhisa-minowa-dream-9_sport)
More importantly JZ and Kid lost.....da fuck!?
2 of my favourite fighters lose to cans....fuck.
MMAJUNKIE
While details continue to slowly surface regarding Affliction's third event, the long-rumored headlining bout between WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and former UFC champion Josh Barnett is finally official.
Affliction Clothing recently added the Aug. event's fight poster to the home page of its official website.
As previously rumored, the event will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., the same site as Affliction's previous two efforts.
While no official announcements have been made regarding additional bouts for the card, the event's poster does advertise appearances by Gegard Mousasi, Ben Rothwell, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Tim Sylvia, Mark Hominick, Dan Lauzon, Chris Horodecki and Paul Buentello.
Earlier this month, Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio told MMAjunkie.com Radio that he was working on securing a Buentello vs. Sylvia matchup, as well as a rescheduled showdown between Horodecki and Lauzon.
Despite the informal announcement, ticket information for the event has not yet been listed on Ticketmaster.com, and the Honda Center's official website also does not yet list the event.
The rumored fight card for the event currently includes:
* Champ Fedor Emelianenko vs. Josh Barnett (for WAMMA heavyweight title)
* Vitor Belfort vs. Gegard Mousasi*
* Paul Buentello vs. Tim Sylvia*
* Paul Daley vs. Jay Hieron*
* Chris Horodecki vs. Dan Lauzon*
* Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. TBA
* Ben Rothwell vs. TBA
* Mark Hominick vs. TBA
MMAJUNKIE
With current No. 1 contender Quinton "Rampage" Jackson electing to face Rashad Evans rather than take an immediate shot at regaining the UFC's light-heavyweight title, Brazilian slugger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua has reportedly agreed to be new champ Lyoto Machida's first title challenger.
While speculation of the potential bout has been widely circulating since the announcement of Jackson and Evans as coaches on "TUF 10," Portuguese-language website SuperLutas reports Rua has signed on for the bout.
Attempts by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) to confirm the reports with Machida's camp were unsuccessful.
UFC President Dana White himself began the speculation when he posted the message "Look who's in the office today!!!" on his Twitter account Tuesday afternoon. The message included a photo of White with Rua.
The SuperLutas report claims Rua signed a contract extension and agreed to the Machida fight at that time.
Rua last fought in April, earning a first-round TKO victory over Chuck Liddell. Following the bout, White made it clear he was impressed with the performance.
"I think 'Shogun' proved tonight that all the people that were talking about him â€" I said this earlier â€" this kid had ring rust," White said at the UFC 97 post-event press conference. "He had been off for a while. He had two knee surgeries. You just can't sit out that long, I don't care who you are. Muhammad Ali, whoever.
"Anybody who's taken too much time off in the ring, it hurts you. You've got to get back on your horse, get in there and start fighting again. 'Shogun' proved tonight that he's back. He got hit with some big shots from a guy who knocks people out. He took them. He was throwing hard leg kicks form the beginning of the fight."
Machida's official website still lists Jackson as his next opponent, the same claim White made following the Brazilian's title win over Evans at Saturday night's UFC 98.
However, Jackson has since made it known he volunteered for "TUF" coaching duties for a chance to meet Evans and address the rivalry that began with an in-cage showdown following "Rampage's" win at UFC 96 in March.
Should the report hold true, the Machida vs. Rua bout could serve as a potential headliner for the UFC's recently announced Oct. 24 event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
~~~~~~
Lame....lame.
"He's gotta get away from that crazy stuff. That tae kwon do stuff isn't gonna work."
This match was a riot of fun.
This is a huge fight people...trust me. Sobral is a top 10 LHW, and Mousasi is my guy to be a top p4p guy in a few years. Sick fight.
MMAJUNKIE-
With Vitor Belfort reportedly unwilling to fight at a weight class other than middleweight, former DREAM middleweight title-holder Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1) will instead fight Renato "Babalu" Sobral (32-8) at "Affliction: Trilogy" on Aug. 1.
The news comes from www.M-1Global.com, which cited sources close to Mousasi.
"Affliction: Trilogy" takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The preliminary card airs on HDNet, and the main card is available on pay-per-view.
Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio is expected to make a formal announcement about the fight at press conferences scheduled for Wednesday in New York City and Thursday in Los Angeles.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) confirmed the booking with a source close to Sobral, who said "Babalu" will likely defend his Strikeforce title in September.
Soon after his victory over Mark Hunt last week in a DREAM.9 open-weight "Super Hulk" tournament bout, Mousasi told the website he was going to fight Belfort at upcoming the Affliction show. However, Belfort is reportedly set on fighting at middleweight, and Mousasi doesn't want to drop any lower than light heavyweight (though he said he would agree to a catch-weight bout). Mousasi is so serious about the move up in weight that he surrendered his DREAM middleweight belt prior to DREAM.9.
Sobral, meanwhile, enters the bout as one of the 205-pound division's hottest fighters. The 33-year-old has posted five consecutive wins, including a November TKO win over Bobby Southworth (for the Strikeforce title) and a January submission win over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at "Affliction: Day of Reckoning."
Mousasi, who's won 12 straight fights, will make his Affliction debut at the event.
For continued coverage of "Affliction: Trilogy", stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
we will be getting together again to preview UFC 99 and potentially talk about Dream and Strikeforce/WEC. Look for it next week yall.
FUCK YES.
You guys gotta set aside a chunk o' time for Strikeforce. That June show could be teh awesome.
You bet it boss.....when my favourite fighter is fighting, it's getting talked about.
Credit to Yahoo for this breaking story. Props to Kimbo for stepping up.
QuoteLAS VEGAS â€" Kimbo Slice, the controversial heavyweight who in 2008 headlined the most-viewed mixed martial arts card in history, will be one of 16 contestants on the forthcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter,†the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s reality TV series.
Dana White, the UFC’s outspoken president, has repeatedly mocked Slice for his lack of fighting ability. Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, became a cult figure by competing in street fights that were posted on YouTube. Slice’s “bouts†drew tens of millions of views and led him to turn professional.
Slice has called White’s bluff and will appear on Season 10 of the highly rated Spike TV series, White has confirmed. Fighters live in the same house and train together, and then fight during the show in a bid to earn a UFC contract.
His appearance, along with that of former UFC light heavyweight champions Quinton “Rampage†Jackson and Rashad Evans as coaches, should guarantee massive ratings.
“It should be interesting, given some of the things I’ve said about him,†White said.
full article here:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AtkpTOI4ONpMcNOP6ExBrk05nYcB?slug=ki-kimbo060109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AtkpTOI4ONpMcNOP6ExBrk05nYcB?slug=ki-kimbo060109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
He's either going to improve as a fighter through this show...or he's going to have further exposure to how crap he is.
Either way, this season could be interesting.
AWWW YEAH
hell probably lose, hear rumours that Roger Gracie is on the show, a 6'6" submission machine, if this is true wouldnt be surprised that Dana would match Kimbo up with him, but Ill be rooting the hell out for the guy...hopefully he can learn something and develop as a fighter...
honestly, Kimbo has loads of potential, he just need to be taught and not rushed.
Roger Gracie is a fn' stud. I think Kimbo can maybe get past a few of the ex-NFL players. But if that's true about Gracie, well then roadblock.
Should be an awesome fight! My money is on Mousasi, and I agree that in a few years he will probably be considered one of the top 5 best P4P fighters in the entire world.
Hell he may even surpass the likes of Fedor and Anderson Silva eventually.
I'd also be pretty shocked if he does not win that DREAM freakshow tourney... Super Hulk or whatever it's called lol.
The semi's have been announced, he's fighting Sokoudjou which should be interesting but I doubt he'll lose that one.
Then in the finals he will fight the winner of Hong Man Choi/Minowa... I personally think it will be Minowa vs. Mousasi in the finals.
Season 10 should be a very entertaining season! I've been wanting to see an all heavyweight TUF for awhile now, and having Rampage and Rashad as the coaches should make for some great TV.
I like Kimbo on a personal level, but I don't expect him to win, and I don't really want him to win to be honest. I mean if he ends up proving me wrong, cool but I honestly think it would look bad if he won the thing.
I mean obviously those of us who actually have a brain will have a new found respect for Kimbo if he did win TUF. But those retards in the media will eat this up and be like "oh Kimbo Slice who was recently exposed as a joke of a fighter has just won a UFC contract and won The Ultimate Fighter.", you know what I mean?
But I do like Kimbo and will definitely tune in to see what will happen.
On a side note, if I were a Heavyweight on this show, I'd be looking to be "the guy who took out Kimbo", to get my name out there. I expect every Heavyweight on the show to have the same mentality. They are all going to be looking to knock his head off.
Kimbo seems focused though, he's got the right attitude.
Quote from: Cory on June 02, 2009, 04:16:06 PM
hell probably lose, hear rumours that Roger Gracie is on the show, a 6'6" submission machine, if this is true wouldnt be surprised that Dana would match Kimbo up with him, but Ill be rooting the hell out for the guy...hopefully he can learn something and develop as a fighter...
honestly, Kimbo has loads of potential, he just need to be taught and not rushed.
Unfortunately Kimbo is about 7-8 months away from being 36 years old. Being a primary striker he has 3-5 years before he becomes Chuck Liddell or Tank Abbott. He has a lot to learn in little time.
Minowaman will beat Choi...leg lock and Mousasi will beat him, and I agree he'll pass Fedor and Silva.
Silva has a year or two left in him, Fedor I cant see him doing this much longer.....no one left to beat..unless he goes to the UFC..and Mousasi is like 24-25...got like 10 years plus.
Randy COuture started when he was 35.....if Kimbo could be half as good he could still be competitive in the UFC...especially in a considerably weak HW division. He just needs to stop smoking....lol.
Actually Couture started MMA in his late 20's. I think he was 29 when he fought Vitor in UFC 15.
And Couture is a primary grappler. They're good till near their 50's. Strikers around 40 start to not have the same reflexes and slow down. Power tends to be the last thing that goes, but that doesn't help when people unpop your cork first.
I dont think it didn't disappoint. Faber broke his hand in round one, so that hurt his chances, but Brown dominated and capitalized on Fabers injury, and he came out to "Simple Man" so Im now even more of a fan of the stud.
Another amazing event by Strikeforce, and booking in this company is so far ahead of UFC right now....Strikeforce 2 cards with the talent they have (basically the scrap UFC doesn't want) I've enjoyed more than anything the UFC has put out so far (I think UFC 100 will change this statement) but kudos to Strikeforce.
Oh yeah, Brett Rogers KO'd Arlovski in like 10 seconds & Diaz landed 400 punches on Scott Smith with time to spare in the 2nd round before he got smith in a RNC.
They'll probably be wanting Shields once his contract expires. I know Diaz should be there for awhile, they're looking to make him their prize horse.
I enjoyed every match with the exception of Whitehead/Randleman, I really enjoyed this card. And Arlovski needs to get his ass into boxing and not return to MMA, his chin just can't take the impact of 6 oz. gloves.
I think Brown would've led the way on takedown points anyways, but Urijah looked good until the broken hand.
Jose Aldo is coming up big time. I have not seen a knockout that fast since Gomi took out Ralph Gracie. Great stuff. Scott Jorgensen vs. Antonio Banuelos was a great fight, probably best one besides Faber-Brown 2.
If you have Versus, you should really check out the replay of this card. Great matches for free TV. Since I'm such a nice guy, check these fights.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9j0ob_fabbroa-w41_sport (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9j0ob_fabbroa-w41_sport)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9j0td_fabbrob-w41_sport (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9j0td_fabbrob-w41_sport)
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=ZO94P5L0 (http://www.megavideo.com/?v=ZO94P5L0)
and...
(http://i43.tinypic.com/15r00hw.gif%5Dhttp://i43.tinypic.com/15r00hw.gif)
True that
An awesome event from Strikeforce.
Check out my thoughts on the future of the fighters who competed on that card with my article on CNN Sports Illustrated.
Tell me what you think :)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/mma/06/08/bleacher.report/index.html (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/mma/06/08/bleacher.report/index.html)
Jose Aldo is the true definition of my user name (Killing Machine).
He's a dangerous striker with legit BJJ skills.
Honestly I think he will take out Mike Brown.
Brown is a beast but Aldo is a KILLER! lol
Well there were big things expected from him, until he lost and now he has to earn his contract. Which I think is a good thing, if he is good enough then he will have no problem getting the contract, but he needs to make his game more well rounded or he will not make it pass the first fight. BTW who is the captains for season 10?
And according to Wikipedia, Randy Couture's first MMA fight was in UFC 13 and he was 34. And that was a victory overTony Halme in 1997
Rampage and Rashad are the coaches for this one.
also Wes Sims and Roy Nelson will be contestants on the show as well.
I reported the news on mmamadness.com last week and pretty much every MMA forum out there has called it "bullshit" because I'm "just some 17 year old writer that shouldn't be taken seriously".
oh but the same news is posted on sherdog and mmajunkie now as well... :D
http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/3936 (http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/3936)
Roy Nelson lol. Heavy hands I guess
Just recorded our longest show to date, and ripped Mitch's BreakdoWn name off.....good show coming soon!!
Quote from: Cory on June 11, 2009, 05:55:13 PM
Just recorded our longest show to date, and ripped Mitch's BreakdoWn name off.....good show coming soon!!
lol nice! looking forward to hearing it.
just remember it's the n that's capatilized :P
The BreakdowN! lol
Show #5 is up!
COLOGNE, Germany â€" Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's return to the UFC was a short one.
Not long after stopping Mostapha Al-Turk in the first round of UFC 99 on Saturday at Lanxess Arena in his first fight in the UFC since back-to-back losses in 2007, Filipovic informed UFC president Dana White that he had signed a three-fight contract with the Japanese-based DREAM organization.
White had signed Filipovic less than a month ago to a one-fight deal, the first time in more than nine years that he'd done that. He had worked out terms on two additional fights, but said he'd only put pen to paper for Saturday's bout.
He brought Filipovic back because he knew the Croat is still very popular, and Filipovic insisted he wanted to make a run for the title.
That proved not to be the truth. After turning down much tougher opposition, including Cain Velasquez, who defeated Cheick Kongo later on the card, he wound up with the lightly regarded Al-Turk.
But instead of getting a shot at big names like Randy Couture or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and fighting his way into title contention, Filipovic opted to bolt for Japan.
"Isn't that a dirty [expletive] thing to do?" White asked rhetorically after being queried about Filipovic's deal with DREAM. "He [expletived] me. The first time in the history of the company I do one over the phone. He promised me a three-fight deal and he [expletived] me."
Filipovic looked unsteady and hardly impressive in defeating Al-Turk, who is winless in the UFC. He never landed one of his vaunted kicks and the fight ended not from a punch but when he poked Al-Turk in the eye with his finger.
Referee Dan Miragliotta didn't see the poke, so it was regarded as a clean blow and Filipovic won by stoppage.
Filipovic was fighting five months to the day after knee surgery, one of several injuries he said kept him from performing at his best in his first stint in the UFC. Before the fight, he called his 1-2 UFC record "the black spot" on his career.
While speaking with reporters on a prefight conference call, Filipovic seemed enthused about his return and said he was gunning for a title shot. All the while, he apparently knew he was in it for a one-fight deal.
He texted White on the UFC exec's cellular phone and told him he wanted to return. White said Filipovic declined numerous opponents.
Apparently, Filipovic, who is from Croatia, wanted to fight in Germany and use the UFC bout as a tuneup. He did and is now DREAM bound, but he'll almost certainly never fight in the UFC again.
"He didn't keep his word," White said, who said he'd had a two-hour talk with Filipovic on the day "Cro Cop" texted and asked to be able to return. "He talked about honor and all this other [expletive] and he [expletived] me.
"He fed me this bull [expletive] about wanting to take a run for the title, and what I think he did was, he went out and did this. He turned down every other [expletive] fighter I offered him, because I needed him to fight Cain. He didn't just poke Al-Turk; he poked me, too."
As is his custom, Filipovic skipped the postfight news conference and could not be reached to comment on the DREAM deal.
~~~~~
All I can is what goes around comes around Dana.
Any claim former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia may have retained as a top-10 fighter crashed to the ground along with "The Maine-iac's" 6-foot-8 frame on Saturday night in Birmingham, Ala.
In a contest that has was relocated and rescheduled due to sanctioning challenges, Sylvia was knocked out in just 10 seconds by 48-year-old former boxing heavyweight champion Ray Mercer (1-0).
The bout served as the main event of "Adrenaline MMA III: Bragging Rights" at Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham, Ala.
A report from NextMMAFighter.com stated that a missed kick by Sylvia led to a powerful right hand from Mercer that ended the fight.
Prior to the contest, Mercer told The Birmingham News exactly what he had planned for the contest.
"I'm not going to be kicking," Mercer said. "I'm going to wear shoes and all that. I want him to know straight up where I'm coming from. I am a boxer, I'm not a MMA fighter."
Mercer's only prior exposure to MMA was a 2007 submission loss in an exhibition contest with Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson. Sylvia has now dropped four of his past five contests.
While the bout was intended to a boxing match, regulation challenges from the Association of Boxing Commissions forced Adrenaline MMA III promoter Monte Cox on Thursday to change the contest to a mixed martial arts fight.
In other notable action, Jeremy Horn (81-19-5) earned a first round submission win over Chris Davis (5-1), while Rich Clementi (33-14-1) submitted Sasuke Zapata (17-2), also in the opening frame.
Bit of a bitch move but it does make a change to see a promotor getting fucked over instead of the other way round.
Cro Cop seems washed up to me compared to the stuff I've seen of him in the past. I get the feeling he's maybe gone too long in his career, knows it and just needs big money fights.
I can't imagine UFC were offering huge money for him compared to DREAM. Especially considering his poor record in UFC.
Peace
Duckman
Is there anyone that hasn't knocked out Tim Sylvia recently?
He's got a total glass jaw these days which is funny as in the UFC game all they talk about is how well he can take a punch!
Sounds like another fighter who doesn't know when to quit when his body is telling him.
Peace
Duckman
I've always said Sylvia sucked, even when he held the belt. If he wasn't so tall, his record would not be anywhere near where it is. He's just a big Oaf with great reach. That's all.
Wow, now this is great. Dana finally takes it in the butt while a fighter snubs him. Usually Dana or Joe Silva will cast any fighter aside at a whim. People have had their contracts dropped over the silliest of reasons. I need to wait another day or two for payout information to see how much Cro Cop made to beat a no name. If I were Dana I would have given him a selection of a few top guys and if he doesn't take it fuck him. BUT this fight being in Germany I dunno if the UFC is required to make public what the fighters were paid.
cro crop didn't just screw dana, but he screwed all of his fans as well.
promised a return and that he would take a run at the Heavyweight title, and then he does this?
Well I'm not to sure about that. Most die hard Cro Cop fans aren't fans of the UFC and will gladly cheer him on at Dream.
^
Exactly....im a fan, not a die-hard, but thats the truth.
http://www.mmascraps.net/2009/06/mirko-crocop-denies-signing-with-dream.html (http://www.mmascraps.net/2009/06/mirko-crocop-denies-signing-with-dream.html)
Check it. Apparently Dana was listening to rumors instead of checking with Mirko himself.
Yet again....Dana is the most genius fuck-up.
It was a bitch move though. Whether Dana deserved it or not, it's not up to Cro Cop to decide. He bitched out. He knows he can't make a legit run at the title in the UFC anyway. He already proved that. Bye CroCop! :jointpasssmiley:
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on June 14, 2009, 11:29:34 AM
I've always said Sylvia sucked, even when he held the belt. If he wasn't so tall, his record would not be anywhere near where it is. He's just a big Oaf with great reach. That's all.
QFT!
Just saying, it's free. Watch.
I am watching the UF marathon today. It is meh so far. Not that impressed.
Clay Guida v/s Diego Sanchez was the fucking shit.
Guida got whored, but fuck that was a fight.
Very, very, very good show--it seemed like almost everything went the distance. I'm not an avid UFC viewer, but this was really tight, and I loved the main-event. I thought Diego was going to put Guida out really early with the fury off the bat; Guida is a beast.
Spike has been showing them with a new one (#7) tonight at 9. I am loving it.
With UFC 100, arguably the biggest show on the horizon, Mr. Swafford and I will be meeting up and bringing you the only podcast that matters. Should be done within a week or two.
*BUMP*
Biggest card in UFC's 15 year history.....discuss. Who do you think will win?
Im going:
Mir, Alves, Bisping for the big 3.
i'm with you on that one. I'm a huge Mir mark and really want to see him outfox Lesnar again. Alves is fricken sweet and of course I'll back my boy Bisping!
http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=675 (http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=675)
Check the New Article. Post your own opinions on this topic too....I want to hear what yall think.
I'd like for Fedor to sign a small contract for big money. 3 fights. Title shot on the 3rd if he wins the first two. Give Couture the fight he's been wanting for all these years. Then the number 2 guy. Then the champ. Then have him say fuck you to Dana and go to another organization.
This would suck though because he's Affliction's biggest draw. Of all the promotions, that's the one I want to succeed the most.
Dana talks a lot of shit, that much is well-known. But he's a businessman, and he has to know Fedor Vs Couture would bring in a monster PPV buy rate. Add to that the other potential fights you mentioned in your article and we're talking about revenue that could be five, maybe ten, times whatever they would have to pay him.
The problem is stubbornness on both sides. White isn't going to let Fedor fight outside of the Octagon, even for small exhibition matches. I can kind of understand where he's coming from, because you don't want potentially one of your biggest draws hurting himself in some competition somewhere. But I get that Fedor wants to keep a certain amount of freedom. He's never been really tied down to one particular company, and I reckon he's the kind of guy who likes finding competition wherever he can. You don't get to be as good as he is unless you like to train and fight.
Still, if they could reach some kind of agreement, regardless of what happens everyone would win - especially the fans. You're right, there really isn't anyone left outside of the UFC for Fedor to fight. Now is the time, when the UFC has a number of high-profile heavyweights, for the contract to be signed.
To be honest, if it does happen I don't expect him to get a title shot. I know it would make sense and would do great numbers, but unless the UFC could guarantee Fedor's services for at least three more fights after a title win, they wouldn't risk giving him the title only for him to vacate it. It would tarnish the belt in the long run and be a blow to whoever won it afterwards. "Would he have beaten Emilianenko?" would be the question on everyone's lips, which could hurt a champion's drawing power. And after all the issues last year of champions and interim champions, I doubt the guys in charge would want a headache like that.
Clay Guida is out of his mind. What a main event, man! It didn't even matter who won or lost, both those guys have a job in the UFC for as long as they want it.
Overall it was a great show. Lytle Vs Burns was a great fight. Chris gets kicked in the balls three times and responds by busting Kevin's temple open - nice.
The Welterweight finale was a damn good fight. Wilks could have a great future ahead of him.
Who else was happy to see Joe Stevenson dominate Nate Diaz for three rounds? :)
I wasn't. I not much a fan of Nate, but Nick Diaz is my favourite fighter.....so sucks to see him lose, but it shows that he needs work on his standup.
If Fedor did join UFC he must get a title shot....he has nothing to prove to Dana White or the fans..he is the best PERIOD......
.......only thing is he'd pull a Cro-Cop and leave.
Kinda hard to go against GSP here...but I'll have to hold my own at the bar.
I have Lesner winning second round.
I think Lesner's learned alot and the mans a beast in case anyone has not seen the video of his training session. I do have to agree Lesner made one mistake the first fight, this time around I think he'll be more aware of the submission and he'll take it early.
And personally after seeing much of TUF session with Mir as trainer I've been waiting for someone to kick his ass for how he trained his guys, he showed what kind of man he was during that session. He was more focused on his match he knew he would be having against Nog at the end of the session then training his students.
And it's for that reason that Dana and the Fertittas would be so reluctant to give him a shot. They'd want to do it for the money it would make, but you know what they say - once bitten, twice shy. Cro Cop walking out on them will make them reluctant to take the chance, especially as it's a safe bet Fedor could overcome just about anyone in the heavyweight division.
Recording tommorow, will be up this weekend!
Just face it, we'll never see Fedor in UFC. The closest we'll get is seeing people leave their UFC contracts to go fight Fedor in Japan(I'm predicting DREAM by next year, as Affliction is prob on it's last show.) The fight I want to see the most when his contract expires is Anderson Silva and Fedor at 220. It's a possibility.
BOOM BOOM POW
[spoiler]Lashley TKOs sap in under 2 minutes. In other words, Black Death got whopped by the master of the "bath turd." http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Pro-wrestler-Lashley-TKOs-the-much-larger-Sapp-i?urn=mma,173261[/spoiler]
Thoughts, comments?
I compare Sapp to an Hummer 2. He looks impressive, like the kind of guy you would never want to mess with. But you take it off road, and then you see it's not as tough and rugged as you thought. He isn't exactly a tough guy. He's the only person I've ever seen cry from pain in any ring. Ever. Now if he hit's you, even gloves up I'm sure it jolts you. Smart game plan by Lashley. I think he really needs to consider fighting in Strikeforce. He's also fighting a lot of fight pretty close together. He must be in a hurry to be well known. Hope he doesn't break a hand doing this.
It was Bob Sapp.
Nuff said.
Beat someone legit.
His next fight will be Tank Abbott.
Lashley's taking his time. He said he in an interview recently he didn't want to jump into the big leagues right away based on his credentials. Strikeforce isn't a bad place for him, but honestly that guy can't hang with most of their heavyweights. Really doesn't surprise me he beat Sapp, as Sapp is as much of a joke as they come. He's just an oversized can with experience and charisma.
In other news Affliction VP Tom Attencio barely squeezed by with a W, Waachim Spiritwolf with a nice KO on Affliction's Brett Cooper, and absolutely poor referee stoppage on Pedro Rizzo getting his bell rung hard by Gilbert Yvel.
We are now in the week of the most historic fight card in MMA to date.......
thank god no one as of yet has pulled out due to injury.
(http://www.strikeforce.com/assets/caranocyborg_726x200.jpg)
Gina “Conviction†Carano (7-0) vs. Cris “Cyborg†(7-1) â€" 145lb Female Championship Bout
Gilbert “El Nino†Melendez (15-2) vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida (18-5-1) â€" Lightweight Interim Championship Bout
Renato "Babalu" Sobral (35-8) vs. Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1) - Light Heavyweight Championship Bout
Wow.....thats a fucking sick card. If you have never seen Alistair Overeem or Roger Gracie fight, you're in for a treat. Main event is sick, headliner is a heated rematch, and we get to see Nick Diaz & Billy Evangelista fight. Jesus, if these guys were running UFC there would be NO competetion anywhere else. Excellent EXCELLENT! bookers in Strikeforce.
I've always said UFC has shit booking. Joe Silva is just a friend of the owners, which is how he and many other people who work in the high profile non-fighting department get their jobs.
And to think UFC would charge 50 bucks for a card like this, while I get it for 10 bucks a month, along with Dexter, Weeds, and a couple good movies here and there!!!
Showtime is the shit.
I just love the fact that the main event of one of the biggest MMA cards in history is just a total pro wrestling match, and not just because of Lesnar.
Seriously, Frank Mir is such a pro wrestling heel. Talking unfathomable amounts of shit, pulling out of UFC 98 due to an 'injury' so he could headline the biggest show of the year, and get a load of this:
There was apparently a recent interview Mir did where he claimed that he could outsquat and out deadlift Brock Lesnar.
Brock Lesnar who, as has been famously told many times, once had a grappling match with Perry Saturn, got caught in a guillotine choke and simply deadlifted Saturn's entire 235 lb frame and threw him off with absolute fucking ease, and Mir is claiming he can outlift him.
Heel.
And the great thing about it is, the most shit he talks, the more heat he puts on the fight, the more people are going to want to see it.
Frank Mir: worker. Tremendous.
No way you can deadlift 235 from a downed guillotine. NEVER. Humanly possibly, even if Brock Lesnar is a freak. Ronnie Coleman couldnt do that shit.
I love the shit talking going on right now between Henderson and Bisping. I thought these two would play it safe, but after the heated words I'm looking for a knock out early on.
Quote
You know what, out of nowhere just recently it's got all personal. I'll be lying if I said it hasn't pissed me off. He's really, really annoyed me, he's really pissed me off. In a lot of interviews he's talked not about my fighting ability but about me as a person, and I think he's crossed a line and he's pissed me off.
I spoke to somebody from the UFC this morning and they told me they did an interview with him and in the space of two minutes he called me a moron and a douchebag twelve times, you know what I mean? I think he's made a big mistake because, believe me, I'm a different animal when I'm pissed off, when I'm in a bad mood, I'm unstoppable, I can do whatever I want, seriously. And fine, keep pushing my buttons Mr. Henderson because that's great.
He can say what he wants about me but the fact is he's getting his arse kicked on July 11th and then we'll see who the douchebag is. It makes me laugh, twelve episodes of The Ultimate Fighter the guy hardly opens his mouth, says nothing. He's the most boring bastard I've ever seen in my life. And when he does finally decide to say something the most original thing he can come up with is douchebag. Well thank God he's not a stand-up comedian, you know what I mean? Don't give up your day job, mate.
I think Dan Henderson is an [expletive], and I'm going to knock him out.. He's a two-faced [expletive]. He never said anything to my face... He disgusts me. I'm 18-1, and he said he doesn't need to train anything but cardio, and he would still beat me. He's taking me way too lightly. When people piss me off, I fight a lot better.
He's got God-awful stand-up. But he's got a very powerful right hand that everyone talks about that hasn't KO'd anyone for a long time, and you can see it coming because he's so slow with it.
Quote from: Cory on July 07, 2009, 11:44:15 PMNo way you can deadlift 235 from a downed guillotine. NEVER. Humanly possibly, even if Brock Lesnar is a fuck. Ronnie Coleman couldnt do that shit.
That's the story man. Brock is a scary, scary fuckin' mountain of a man.
All the guy does is Work out/Train, fucks Sable, watches Hunting shows, then goes out and hunts. I think if anyone can deadlift that much he might be able too.
Lesnar is a machine and although Mir got lucky last time, that won’t be the case when they fight again. Lesnar will pound Mir into the ground and make him a permanent part of the canvas. Lesnar in all likelihood is going to be unified UFC heavyweight champion for a long, long time as I really don’t see anyone who can match him in terms of size and power. All he really needs to do is land a few blockbuster shots and its all over, it doesn’t matter how good the opposing fighter is if they get hit they’re pretty much finished.
If in fact that story is true, no way he could do that to Mir. He did it on a guy who was 20lbs heavier, he probably was on steroids on the time, and Mir has technique. Usually I love the power guy who uses raw power to eliminate the technique factor, but Mir is a Master, and Lesnar is still a rookie.
Quote from: Big Daddy Tees on July 08, 2009, 09:09:18 AM
Lesnar is a machine and although Mir got lucky last time, that won’t be the case when they fight again. Lesnar will pound Mir into the ground and make him a permanent part of the canvas. Lesnar in all likelihood is going to be unified UFC heavyweight champion for a long, long time as I really don’t see anyone who can match him in terms of size and power. All he really needs to do is land a few blockbuster shots and its all over, it doesn’t matter how good the opposing fighter is if they get hit they’re pretty much finished.
Cough. Fedor. Cough.
That's IF he ever signs. Currently on the roster, I think Carwin has the ability to take him out.
Cain Velesquez and Carwin can beat Lesnar.
Fedor and Lesnar, yet again I need to mention, Fedor would eradicate him.
Absolutely. Lesnar is very much beatable, especially at such an early stage of his development as a fighter. There's not a lot that we've seen to his stand-up (basically just keep throwing 'til something rocks 'em and then just pummel them into the canvas with ground n pound), his grappling skills are probably pretty good (he is a former NCAA wrestling champ), his submission skills are nonexistent at this point, we don't know how good his takedown and submission avoidance is, and his ability to take a punch or a kick is still untested.
The guy can be beaten, especially by an experienced fighter, which is why even though the odds are stacked heavily in Brock's favor for this fight, you can't count Mir out.
However, Brock has an uncanny ability to pick things up fast and his strength and power is practically superhuman, and lets not forget that Brock is incredibly quick and agile for a man his size too, and anybody who tries to match him power for power or tries to take his punches or probably even tries to shoot in and take him down is more than likely just going to get murdered.
Going into this match, Mir's gotta be the quicker and more importantly smarter if he wants to have a chance to beat Brock this time around. If he legit thinks he's going to match Lesnar power-for-power and punch-for-punch he's going to get an incredibly thick skull caved in.
That's my 2 cents anyway.
I simply can't wait for this whole event. It's one of the most exciting cards UFC have put together with a true 'event' style main event. The future of the heavyweight division is at a cross roads with this fight and it's so intense!
Plus Bisping is going to do the UK proud when he knocks Henderson on his ass.
I just hope we get an announcement soon about which channel in the UK is going to show it!!
Peace
Duckman
I'm pretty sure Hendo will put a nice little lose on Bispings record.
I think Brock's gonna start off technical and cautious -- to show Mir he's not as wild, but in the second half of the first round, Brock's gonna land a punch that flips a switch in his head to go into "apeshit mode." Mir's gonna take advantage of this and dictate for a bit, but in the end of the second round, Brock takes Mir down and won't get off. GNP victory for Lesnar in a really close fight.
Thiago and GSP start with some good stand-up that has Alves getting a bit outclassed. His strikes are doing more damage, but GSP is landing more consistently. Fight ends in the middle of the second round with GSP getting a nice headkick on a gassed Alves that gets him the TKO.
Hendo and Bisping is gonna go to decision. Both men want this to be a slugfest, so I don't see this going to the ground 'ti lthe second, and if it DOES go down there, it won't be for long. Dan Henderson's never been knocked out and I don't think Bisping has the punch power to do it in one shot. Bisping wins by split decision, but has a busted-up nose from a nasty Hendo shot later on in the fight.
What I think is gonna be impressive aside from the three name fights? The Korean sex god, himself -- Yoshihiro Akiyama taking on Alan Belcher. "Sexyama" is a BEAST.
I agree on the Mir/Lesnar fight. Only factor I dunno if anyone has considered is Mir's not well known stand up. Another thing that is not well known is Lesnar's Chin. That is what I'm the most interested in, because this is the one fight it's in Mir's best interest to sprawl and brawl. Wrestlers are the best grapplers in the world. If you take out subs, wrestlers easily outgrapple Jit's guys. With the subs added to the game, as long as Lesnar stays outside of full guard he should have no problem winning. I'm also looking for Mir to attempt to take Lesnar down in all honesty. I give Lesnar an 80% chance of winning.
I'm not so inclined to agree on the other two fights. GSP and Bisping have both shown one big flaw in their fights recently. You hit them hard enough, they go into survival mode instead of trained mode. It's the real reason GSP lost to Serra. It's the reason Bisping looked like shit against Hammil. Both of them are fighting guys who can take them out of trained mode with a single strike. But I do think these fights will be close. I like Hendo and Alves. But I think they only have a 55% chance of winning. The longer the fights go on, I give more of a chance for Bisping and GSP to win. I do however think Hendo will take Bisping down at will, and I think that Alves' Jits may be underestimated by GSP.
I agree with the bit about "survival mode," but the real reason I think GSP got all whacked-out with Serra was because it was Matt Serra, to be honest. GSP's going into this one knowing how much of a monster Thiago can be (Alves made GSP's destruction of Hughes look child-like), so I think he's going to be a lot more techically-sound and Machida-like. Based on what I've seen from Thiago, this is his big fight, and from his interviews he wants this to end with a resounding bang. I can see his somewhat cocky attitude getting the better of him as the fight goes on, but this is definitely gonna be a close one, no matter when it ends.
As for Bisping and Hendo, I know Bisping's a trooper when it comes to his fights, but I'm not sure how strong his chin is, at least compared to Henderson's. I know Bisping's got a bit of an attitude himself, and I know Hendo's the silent-but-violent type, but Bisping fights better when he's angry. We'll see how this goes.
Quote from: Marq on July 09, 2009, 04:00:30 PMbut in the second half of the first round, Brock's gonna land a punch that flips a switch in his head to go into "apeshit mode." Mir's gonna take advantage of this and dictate for a bit
I very much disagree with this and here's why: Say a regular man gets into a hand-to-hand fight with a gorilla. That gorilla goes berserk, no chance in hell is the guy going to be able to 'take advantage'.
Everything else sounds good though man.
This really is going to be a show for the ages because realistically the big three matches, GSP/Alves, Bisping/Henderson and Mir/Lesnar could probably headline just about any MMA show in the world.
This may be the first well booked UFC in a while in all honesty. The main fights are hard to predict, they really can go either way. But I stand by my predictions. And I think at least one of GSP or Bisping will go into survival mode.
Lesnar is only good in the UFC Video Game.....not to diss the guy, but 98% of his fans are wrestling fans who view the rare event ala Johnny B.
I honestly dont think he stands a chance, I see a flrurry in the 1st, and he'll get caught in either a armbar or triangle, but I will say that with the power, he can catch Mir and make me eat my words, but I highly doubt that will happen.
So heres what Im calling, now, a few days away from the card, everyone repost your final predictions.....Ill do a tally after and we'll see who was right. Just copy/paste, bold the winners. Toss a method in for kicks, but Ill only count the right/wrong picks.
* Heavyweight Championship unification bout: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir -- Submission
* Welterweight Championship bout: Georges St-Pierre vs. Thiago Alves -- KO
* Welterweight bout: Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago -- KO
* Middleweight bout: Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping -- Decision
* Middleweight bout: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher -- Submission
MMAJUNKIE
After conflicting reports and questions about Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's standing with the Japanese-based DREAM organization and the UFC, the Croatian fighter is, in fact, returning to the octagon.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) first reported on Wednesday that Junior Dos Santos (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) had been pulled from a UFC 102 bout with Justin McCully, and sources close to the negotiations now tell us he is set to fight fellow heavyweight Filipovic (25-6-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at UFC 103.
The event takes place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and airs live on pay-per-view.
It's unknown if the heavyweight clash will serve as the night's main event.
After a nearly two-year-long split from the UFC, Filipovic returned to the organization last month and defeated Mustapha Al Turk at UFC 99 in Cologne, Germany. During a media conference call to announce his return and late addition to the UFC 99 card, Filipovic said he considered his first run in the UFC, which included a 1-2 record and losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo, a "black mark" on his career.
Filipovic also said he wanted to make a run at the UFC title with his return to the organization. On the same call, UFC President Dana White announced he had signed Filipovic to a rare one-fight deal â€" with a verbal agreement that a multi-fight contract would be signed after UFC 99. White said it was the first time in his history with the organization he agreed to such a deal.
However, just hours after the event, White told Yahoo! Sports that Filipovic "[expletived] me" and that the fighter informed him he had signed a three-fight deal with the Japanese-based DREAM organization.
"Isn't that a dirty [expletive] thing to do?" White asked rhetorically after being queried about Filipovic's deal with DREAM. "He [expletived] me. The first time in the history of the company I do one over the phone. He promised me a three-fight deal, and he [expletived] me."
Even as Filipovic told Croatian media outlets that it was a simple misunderstanding and that he hadn't signed with the Japanese promotion, a DREAM official told USA Today the organization had, in fact, secured a deal with Filipovic.
Last week, though, Croatian outlets reported that UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta had flown to the fighter's home and signed Filipovic to a deal that would keep him in the UFC. And on Wednesday, Dos Santos confirmed to GracieMag.com he had been pulled from the UFC 102 card and was slated to fight at UFC 103, possibly against Filipovic in the night's main event.
With his new UFC deal apparently done, Filipovic's current status with DREAM is unknown.
Regardless, Filipovic enters UFC 103 with three wins (and one no-contest) in his past four fights. All three victories came via first-round stoppage, though Filipovic was losing the September 2008 fight with Alistair Overeem before an illegal knee to Filipovic's groin forced a no-contest. There was also some controversy in the win over Al-Turk after the bout's referee didn't see an illegal (and inadvertent) eye poke from Filipovic that forced his opponent to cover up. Filipovic pounced on Al-Turk and forced a first-round TKO stoppage just seconds later.
Prior to the fight, Filipovic said a surgically repaired knee had felt its best in years and that he is again fighting at 100 percent.
He now faces a stern test in Dos Santos, a rising heavyweight contender who followed an upset TKO win over Fabricio Werdum in October with a dominating 54-second knockout of Stefan Struve in February at UFC 95. A win over Filipovic could thrust the Brazilian fighter into immediate title contention.
For the latest on UFC 103, including the latest rumored fight card, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
*bump*
* Heavyweight Championship unification bout: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir -- Decision (possibly split)
* Welterweight Championship bout: Georges St-Pierre vs. Thiago Alves -- KO
* Welterweight bout: Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago -- KO
* Middleweight bout: Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping -- Decision
* Middleweight bout: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher -- Submission
* Heavyweight Championship unification bout: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir -- KO
* Welterweight Championship bout: Georges St-Pierre vs. Thiago Alves -- Decision
* Welterweight bout: Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago -- KO
* Middleweight bout: Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping -- Decision
* Middleweight bout: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher -- Submission
* Heavyweight Championship unification bout: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir --TKO
* Welterweight Championship bout: Georges St-Pierre vs. Thiago Alves -- Submission
* Welterweight bout: Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago -- Decision
* Middleweight bout: Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping -- Decision
* Middleweight bout: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher -- Submission
Lesnar beats Mir
GSP beats Alves
Bisping beats Henderson
Fitch beats Thiago
Akiyama beats Belcher
Bonnar beats Coleman
Miller beats Danzig
Jones beats O'Brien
Dolloway beat Lawlor
Gugerty beats Grice
Assuming they all happen I'm winning money.
^^
Those look good, cept Miller over Danzig.
Mac Danzig should win easily.
Frank Mir put on some muscle....buddy's looking jacked.
Weight In Video below
http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/07/10/ufc-100-weigh-in-video/ (http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/07/10/ufc-100-weigh-in-video/)
Live coverage update so far *SPOILERS*:
Gugerty d. Grice via stoppage
Lawlor d. Dolloway via submission (guillotine)
Kim d. Grant via decision 30-26
Jones d. O'Brien via submission (guillotine)
Miller d. Danzig via decision 30-27
Bonnar/Coleman up next
More to follow.
Well, since the board has apparently just shat itself and I can no longer modify my update post, updates will continue here.
Coleman d. Bonnar vs. decision 29-28
Full show starting up. Akiyama/Belcher up first
Akiyama d. Belcher via split decision.
HENDERSON d. Bisping via KTFO
GSP d. Alves via decision 50-45, 50-44, 50-45
GSP fought to win the first round or two, then he pussed out and fought not to lose the last three. Pussy.
Wow...... Brock is a fuckin' dick, but I love it. He cut a promo at the end of that fight like he was still in WWE.
Sorry Cory.
Lesnar d. Mir via KO
Quote from: Jonny B: Big Fat Failure Turtle on July 12, 2009, 12:22:49 AM
Sorry Cory.
Lesnar d. Mir via KO
Well, TKO, technically. But still -- Mir didn't show much of anything tonight, really. Shame, too. And honestly? I don't really give a shit about a potential rubber match.
Well I predicted 2/3 on, not to bad.
Thoughts:
- Good night of fights....didnt live to the hype
- TJ Grant (lives 2 minutes from me) lost, pissed.
- Sexiyama wins, good fight, (best of the night IMO) but awful judging.
- I expected Hendo to win, called it as well. Picked Bisping because he has yet to face Silva...think he could present challenges.
- WTF with Fitch/Thiago after the main event?
- GSP/Alves...Alves is my boy, but GSP is a close second, so not 'upset' but really boring fight. GSP pussied out for the win, but Alves would have KO'd him if they just stood up and banged.
- Pretty sure Lesnar finished Mir with illegal shots to the head....but still not impressed with Lesnar. Good win, but he still shows no real skill....just uses his size.
- "Im going home to drink some coors light, because bud light doesn't pay me anything" - Best line of the night.
Overall, 3/5. Strikeforces first show was better.
Moment of the night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTawFhAw90Y (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTawFhAw90Y)
MMAJUNKIE
Prior to this past Saturday's UFC 100 event, an underground movement took root and called for mixed-martial-arts fan who would attend the show to begin "Fedor!" chants throughout the night.
The thought, of course, was to make UFC executives well aware of the fans' desire to have Fedor Emelianenko, the world's top-ranked heavyweight and arguably the greatest MMA fighter in the division's history, fighting in the octagon.
The chants were never heard, but after UFC 100, UFC President Dana White said he wants Emelianenko in the UFC, that it's eventually going to happen, and that a fight with Brock Lesnar is imminent.
Lesnar, the former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar and NCAA Division I national wrestling champion, picked up his third consecutive UFC victory and first-ever title defense with a dominant second-round TKO of interim title-holder Frank Mir in UFC 100's main event.
With Lesnar's current streak of wins over Heath Herring, then-champ Randy Couture and now Mir, many are looking to possible future opponents for the seemingly invincible ground-and-pound machine.
Emelianenko, the former longtime PRIDE heavyweight champion, is the man many see as most likely to topple Lesnar. At 30-1, with back-to-back Affliction wins over two former UFC champions (Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski) and a 26-0 record (with one no-contest) over the past nine years, many fans are clamoring for the Russian fighter to take on the top talent in the world's premier fight organization.
"This Fedor thing has gone on and on and on," White said in the post-UFC 100 press conference. "Eventually, Fedor's going to be here. I want Fedor. I want him to come to the UFC and everything else.
"This guy (Brock Lesnar) just won the heavyweight title, and we'll end up getting that deal done. And then we'll do Brock vs. Fedor, and it'll be a huge fight."
How soon could we such the fight?
"Who knows," White said. "He's obviously contractually obligated to fight (with Affliction). Once that's over, we'll figure it out."
UFC officials have met with Emelianenko and his representatives multiple times. However, the meetings proved far from productive and often left each side blaming the other for the inability to get a deal done. The UFC said Emelianenko's demands were too outrageous, not necessarily from a monetary standpoint (though Emelianenko is believed to make at least $2 million per fight) but because a deal would essentially require the organization to enter the Russian market as business partners with Emelianenko's manager, Vadim Finkelchtein. Emelianenko's people say the UFC's contract demands are too restrictive without any allowances, for example, for Sambo competitions and would dictate all aspects of the fighter's career.
Concessions will be need to be made, and that's often led White to predict a slim chance of a deal coming to fruition. In fact, White has often criticized the fighter, going so far as saying Emelianenko "sucks" while mocking past recent opponents such as kickboxer Hong Man Choi and Matt Lindland, who normally fights at middleweight.
However, White's tune has changed, and on Saturday, he spoke rather definitely about the fighter's future in the UFC.
Of course, that future could hinge on Emelianenko's upcoming Aug. 1 fight at "Affliction" Trilogy." There, Emelianenko meets another former UFC champ, Josh Barnett, who many rank among the division's top three or four.
However, don't expect Barnett to get the same invitation to the UFC is he knocks off Emelianenko.
Why?
"No one's beating down my door to get Barnett," White said
It was funny at the end.
Rogan: Did you think he was out after the first punch
*Shows the second punch on the ground*
Hendo: I usually know when they're out, but that extra one might shut him up a bit more.
Fuck, beat me to it. Can't wait for this to happen, and I love it how Dana's finally admitting it to the media that he wants Fedor. He ain't a fat slob at a Russian buffet anymore, is he Dana? ;D
Oh and if he signs, Dana will lick his holy asshole and retreat on everything he said, guaranteed.
If he signs, hes the greatest fighter ever.
If he doesn't sign, he's still the greatest fighter ever.
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on July 13, 2009, 01:03:25 AM
If he doesn't sign, he's still the greatest fighter ever.
^this.
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on July 13, 2009, 01:03:25 AM
If he doesn't sign, he's still the greatest fighter ever.
No, I meant those would be the words Dana would use to descibe him if he signs.
As of now (just read my AO articles) he is the greatest FIGHTER ever....IMO better than even Tyson and Ali.
I really enjoyed the show. I thought the opening contest was quite exciting although the judging was WAY off.
Bisping getting his head punched off was a serious disappointment, but I've got a lot of respect and time for Dan Henderson. He seems like a down to earth guy who has seen and done it all in MMA. Although I will say that Bisping constantly moving to his left and into Henderson's right hand was the DUMBEST move ever! He should have worked on that much more in training. The knock out and the big punch at the end were brutal and reminded me of Ricky Hatton getting brained by Manny a few months back.
GSP match was good until GSP hurt his groin in the 3rd round. He totally schooled Alves, especially with his take downs and his ground control. It was an extremely professional and well paced effort from GSP. I just didn't see what the big deal was about Alves, he really didn't turn up and perform like I expected him too.
I thought Brock fought his fight perfectly. He used his speed and power to take Mir down and keep him there. He totally smother any BJJ moves with his sheer size and wrestling skill and then finished him with some great punches. Mir looked beaten to crap at the end of the fight. I don't get the comment about Brock only using his size to win, because if I was his size, I wouldn't be using anything but that power and wrestling skill.
I think a lot of the anti-Brock stuff comes from him coming in from pro-wrestling, but I also think a lot of MMA fans will pay a lot of money to see someone beat him, so in a way he's heel persona works really well for UFC and Brock. He's now beaten Coture and Mir and while I don't think they're as good as they used to be, they're still highly skilled fighters.
His antics after the fight were funny and reminded me a lot of how Tito Ortiz used to act a few years back and how much heat he used to draw which in turn drew a lot of money. Still, here's a fun video of Brock's post match press conference and his apology about what he did:
http://rutube.ru/tracks/2127303.html?v=dc224b18b9f3aa3cbfce70f29f38dfe8 (http://rutube.ru/tracks/2127303.html?v=dc224b18b9f3aa3cbfce70f29f38dfe8)
All in all I think it was a good night for UFC and I can't wait to see who is next for Brock because I'm sure every fight he has is going to be big business and newsworthy.
Peace
Duckman
On a side note, Sable looked hot as fuck that night is a very non-WWE, non-whorey way. Go, Brock! Get on top of that bitch!
My recap of UFC 100:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216987-ufc-100-aftermath-is-brock-lesnar-the-best-heavyweight-in-the-ufc (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216987-ufc-100-aftermath-is-brock-lesnar-the-best-heavyweight-in-the-ufc)
I can agree. I was thinking just why do I hate Lesnar? He would fight the way I would, using power and athletic ability. Hes a wrestler/boxer. He has an attitude, and hes a scary dude. Hes like a HW Tito Ortiz in some aspects, so why don't I love this guy?
I dont care that he came from wrestling, hell when I watched wrestling he was my favourite wrestler. I figured out that his fans are what make me dislike him. I dont want to rant, but 97% of Brock Lesnar fans are fucking idiots when it comes to MMA. Im not expecting everyone to know what a side-mount is, but when you start making fantasy matches and think "Triple H would hold his own with Rampage Jackson" you need a shot in the balls.
Quote from: Marq on July 13, 2009, 04:44:50 PM
On a side note, Sable looked hot as fuck that night is a very non-WWE, non-whorey way. Go, Brock! Get on top of that bitch!
there's a mount we can all enjoy.
zing!
What makes me dislike Brock Lesnar is he's a complete ass of a person. Yes he may be one of the most athletically gifted heavyweights, but his disrespect of the sport and the people in it makes him the wrong person to have as the face of MMA. When you're 33 years old and you have to be reminded by your boss to stop acting like a child, that's when it's time to grow up and realize your age. When he said, "I don't respect anyone that I fight", that only solidified my contempt for him. He has youth, a collegiate background, size, and phenomenal ability, no one can take that away from him. But considering he has only 5 fights thus far on his record, he has not an ounce of humble in him. Most people think it's just an act, no, this guy is a legitimate meathead. At least with Nick Diaz, you know a little bit of what he says is cocky, but most of it is for show. He's one of the best at match build up. But even after destroying his opponent(Frank Shamrock), he's at least a good enough guy to help them up, give them a hug, and give them respect for showing up to brawl with him. Lesnar is a heat machine, but for all the wrong reasons. And I can't wait for the day for Carwin or Fedor to break his monkey jaw in half.
MMAJUNKIE-
Following a second victory over Urijah Faber in his most recent title defense, WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown (22-4 MMA, 4-0 WEC) will next meet challenger Jose Aldo (15-1 MMA, 5-0 WEC) at WEC 45.
On Tuesday InTheGuard.tv first reported that Aldo had signed on for the bout.
WEC officials declined to comment on the title fight when contacted by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)), but a source close to Brown and American Top Team confirmed the title fight with Aldo on Wednesday.
Although not officially announced, WEC 45 is expected to take place Nov. 11 at a location to be determined, though the show is unlikely to take place in the organization's Las Vegas home.
The 33-year-old Brown first joined the WEC last summer and defeated Jeff Curran to earn a title shot. After defeating longtime champ Faber via stunning first-round TKO, Brown nmade his first title defense with a submission victory over Leonard Garcia. The victory set up the biggest event in WEC history, Brown vs. Faber II last month, when Brown again defeated the former champ, this time via unanimous decision.
Brown will put his 10-fight win streak on the line when he meets Aldo.
The Nova Uniao fighter most recently defeated Cub Swanson to post his fifth consecutive WEC victory. The Brazilian has kept a busy scheduling, winning all five WEC bouts in just a 12-month span. His eight-fight win streak includes five consecutive victories, all of which have come via knockout under the WEC umbrella.
Going to be one hell of a fight....I think Brown wins, KO in the 1st in a war.
MMAJUNKIE-
A UFC 103 welterweight bout between veterans Martin Kampmann (15-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Mike Swick (14-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will, in fact, determine a No. 1 contender to challenge for UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre's championship belt.
During this past Saturday's, July 11, UFC 100 pay-per-view event, broadcaster Joe Rogan said he was informed by UFC Vice President of Fighter Relations Joe Silva that the Sept. 19 fight could be a No. 1 contender's bout.
Sources close to the fight have since confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) the winner will be assured a title shot.
The date for that title shot has not been determined, though. St-Pierre defeated clear No. 1 contender Thiago Alves via unanimous decision at UFC 100 and injured his groin during the matchup. Unless cleared by a doctor, he's medically suspended until January. And even if cleared, St-Pierre hinted during the UFC 100 post-fight presser that he might take some time off from competition to recover from the injury and a busy schedule.
The time off could also give the UFC some time to market a new contender. St-Pierre has recently defeated the three fighters â€" Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn and Alves â€" many considered the most likely to challenge for his title. He beat them all, and he beat them all in convincing fashion, which has left many wondering whether anyone could possibly topple a seemingly unbeatable fighter.
Kampmann and Swick will look to prove they deserve the opportunity.
Kampmann is 2-0 at 170 pounds after making the switch from middleweight following a September 2008 loss to Nate Marquardt. Kampmann was 4-0 in the UFC as a middleweight prior to the loss.
The Xtreme Couture fighter earned a split-decision victory over former WEC champion Carlos Condit earlier this year in the main event of UFC Fight Night 18. That win followed a January TKO victory over Alexandre Barros in Kampmann's welterweight debut.
Swick is currently riding a four-fight winning streak in the welterweight division after compiling a 5-1 mark at 185 pounds. In June the American Kickboxing Academy fighter earned a second-round TKO over Ben Saunders at UFC 99, after which he called out former champ Matt Hughes.
But prior to the fight, Swick told MMAjunkie.com he was simply looking for the biggest fights available.
"I'm going to go in there and try to show that I deserve a big fight in my next fight," said Swick, who found his way into the UFC via the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter." "I definitely think I deserve a big fight."
He has officially signed a 3-fight deal with the UFC....and is slated to Fight Junior Dos Santos at UFC 103
August 1st:
Main Card
* WAMMA Heavyweight Championship bout: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Josh Barnett
* Light Heavyweight bout: Renato Sobral vs. Gegard Mousasi
* Middleweight bout: Vitor Belfort vs. Jorge Santiago
* Heavyweight bout: Gilbert Yvel vs. Paul Buentello
* Lightweight bout: Takanori Gomi vs. Rafaello Oliveira
Amazing card. The 2 best HW's in the world fighting. My prodigy Mousasi fighting a tough Bablu, my original favourite fighter Vitor Belfort is fighting, as well we get to see Yvel and Gomi. Sick stuff.
Either one of them could take this, should be a great scrap.
Lame either way. Thiago was the best challenge he got out of that division. Might as well just vacate the belt and move up to Middleweight.
Exactly.....Lame.
No one is going to pay for GSP/Swick or GSP/Kampmann
Well Swick MIGHT stand a very slight chance. While he hasn't been too impressive at welter weight, there is a guy who can fight in there somewhere.
Its reported that Roger Gracie won't be fighting on this card, according to MMAJUNKIE
...shame.
Tito Ortiz is close to signing with Strikeforce as well.
Wow. I don't know what to make of this. The following was said by Tito on Tapout radio.
Quote
"UFC is not out of the picture.... There's a possibility - I don't know. I had a conversation with Dana last week, me and him spoke ... we were really, really good friends at a point, best friends at a point, and everything got mucked up because of the fight game.... I wanted to be a man and squash things between me and him and wish him luck in his journeys and he did the same to me. So we kind of amended and squashed things, which is great. Dana showed the kind of person he is by apologizing to me and vice versa.... I'm very thankful for Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta from the UFC and I'm glad that me and Dana (White) kind of got to brush each other off. We may not still like each other or whatever but we came to amends - which is awesome. I gotta thank Strikeforce for giving me an opportunity and I want to thank Affliction for giving me an opportunity."
This is another that he stated on MMA connected, pretty much saying he was made an offer.
Quote
“I’ve done alot for the company (UFC). I’ve done a whole bunch for the company and to get disrespected time and time again… to them it’s personal. To Dana it’s personal, I think… I dunno, to me it’s business and they’ve offered me a big contract, a huge, bigger than any contract i’ve ever seen. But my integritys too proud to be disrespected the way I did, I can’t respect myself if I do go back. And let me tell you it’s big money. I’m not selling out man, I can’t.â€
And the following was as much confirmation as Twitter can give between Dana and Tito today.
Quote
danawhiteufc: Yes tito and I made up
Titoortiz: yeah, me and @danawhiteufc made up. I'm expecting to be inside the Octagon again soon. thanks for the support guys - I appreciate it
danawhiteufc: Doesn't mean he's back it means we aren't smashing each other anymore and we don't hate each other.
With Franklin still without an official name to challenge him at 103, it seems like they could be trying to get a deal done and Tito's biting the bait. What do you guys think?
IF Tito comes back, Franklin would be an excellent fight to watch. The longer that fight goes the more it would favor Tito. With Franklin as a finisher this has great potential.
Tito has always been one of my favourite. Still think a fight with him and Babalu is the best out the for him ATM, but I just want to see him back in there again.
He's another guy who can talk people into the seats. I always liked the heelish tendancies Tito has about him, adds to the whole feel of the fights he's in.
Plus he's got big name value and tons of history to fall back on in the UFC.
Bringing him back in would seem to be a win/win situation for both sides!
So are you guys thinking he'll come in at a catch weight to take on Franklin?
Peace
Duckman
They'd fight 205. Franklin used to fight light heavyweight. He's big enough where he was almost too large for middleweight. I think he walks around at 220 or such.
Anyone know what weight Tito walks around at? Everyone is talking about Tito vs Rich, of course because it's more probable...But I'm wanting to see Tito Vs. Brock at a catchweight. Tito is a bad matchup for Brock, even with Brock's size advantages. Brock needs to be tested while he's on his back getting GnP'd heavily, and no one in the Heavyweight Division really has the opportunity to get that far with him. Tito is a great wrestler who has a chance of getting Brock on his back, and he can do crazy damage from guard, mount, side control..etc.
Tito Vs. Brock...Make it happen!
Brock would destroy Tito. Couture was the best wrestler to take Brock down. Frank Mir may have been able to win the fight if he tried to take Brock down.
Tito walks around at 230.
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on July 19, 2009, 04:40:44 PM
Brock would destroy Tito. Couture was the best wrestler to take Brock down. Frank Mir may have been able to win the fight if he tried to take Brock down.
Tito walks around at 230.
Yeah, but that Couture that fought Lesnar wasn't the 'real' Couture.
Ortiz wouldn't stand a chance, both are similar styles, but when Tito uses power as one of his strengths, he wont be able to use that against Lesnar.
Couture could have been in his prime and still would have been beat like a small dog by Lesnar. Randy's bane is wrestlers who are bigger than he is.
Who the fuck does Henderson have to kill to get a title shot? Joe Silva is an ass.
Quote
Their first bout split the mixed martial arts community, making it obvious that they needed more than 15 minutes to settle their score. On Saturday, September 19th, UFC superstars Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin will meet again in the main event of UFC 103 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, with Henderson looking to make it 2-0 over the former middleweight champ, and Franklin trying to even things up with the former two division PRIDE champion. -UFC.com
My thoughts on all of this:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/221036-rich-franklin-vs-dan-henderson-part-deux (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/221036-rich-franklin-vs-dan-henderson-part-deux)
I say Kampmann beats Swick but I think stylistically Swick has a better chance of defeating GSP than Kampmann does.
But either way GSP will destroy both of them pretty easily. Though Swick would have a decent chance of pulling a "Serra" against St. Pierre.
......weak sauce.
It saddens to me deliver both of these news tidbits.
First, Affliction:
Quote
18663 Affliction Entertainment and M-1 Global are looking for a new opponent to face Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction “Trilogy†on Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Multiple sources have told Sherdog.com that the California State Athletic Commission will not license Josh Barnett after a positive result on a pre-fight test. Calls to the California State Athletic Commission and Affliction Entertainment were not immediately returned.
Barnett said he had not been notified of any issues with his eligibility as of Tuesday evening.
“I took my test three weeks ago. I would have thought I would have heard something by now,†Barnett told Sherdog.com.
However, the former UFC heavyweight champion said he had not checked his phone messages recently and later added, “No matter what happens with this, I can assure you I will clear my name. This will not be something that I am defined by.â€
Both Bobby Lashley and Vitor Belfort have agreed in principle to face the world’s No. 1 heavyweight on 11 days’ notice, according to two separate sources close to the negotiations. One source told Sherdog.com that Emelianenko will have the opportunity to choose between the two replacements.
Belfort, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, is scheduled to face American Top Team standout Jorge Santiago in a middleweight bout on the Aug. 1 card. Lashley, a former World Wrestling Entertainment star, is 4-0 since his professional debut seven months ago.
http://sherdog.com/news/news/fedor-barnett-bout-in-jeopardy-18663 (http://sherdog.com/news/news/fedor-barnett-bout-in-jeopardy-18663)
-If Vitor steps up, this could potentially be good. That's a hell of a weight gain on such short notice though. And the other bit of disappointing news...
Quote
Alistair Overeem has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled August 15 Strikeforce heavyweight title fight against Fabricio Werdum. Strikeforce director of communications Mike Afromowitz confirmed the news with FanHouse on Tuesday.
http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/07/21/overeem-withdraws-from-strikeforce-title-fight/ (http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/07/21/overeem-withdraws-from-strikeforce-title-fight/)
-Damn, it's been close to two years since Overeem has defended the belt, and now he has to pull out because his hand is still bothering him from that bar fight earlier this year. Get a fucking interim belt already.
I thought Vitor is dead set on fighting in the middleweight division.
I thought this was part of MDK's kinky sex game.
as did i
or the story of what time didn't happen that caused brock and sable's baby
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on July 22, 2009, 02:14:53 AM
I thought Vitor is dead set on fighting in the middleweight division.
Yeah, but a chance at Fedor is a chance at Fedor. I'd take it in his position.
Word is, supposedly Lashley turned down the fight, and they had $500,000 on the table. Can't say I blame the guy; I guess the reasoning behind it was that Lashley will most likely make that kind of money in the future. Also, I guess Brett Rogers' name is being thrown around...Belfort's probably gonna be the most competitive fight they can get, though.
Quote from: Jesse Gunn on July 22, 2009, 02:31:57 AM
I thought this was part of MDK's kinky sex game.
I thought it was an extended scene on the Bruno DVD.
I really think the only match that could save this show, and maybe even Affliction is Gegard Mousasi stepping up. Mousasi is basically a top 5 p4p, walks around at 215, and is arguably the most talented fighter on the planet, and him/Fedor would be fucking nuts.
Vitor, perhaps one of my all time favourites could give a good shot if time, but to gain 30lbs in 10 days.....not going to happen.
...and reports say Brett Rogers & Fabrico Werdum are out.
Quote from: Cory on July 22, 2009, 06:55:29 PM
I really think the only match that could save this show, and maybe even Affliction is Gegard Mousasi stepping up. Mousasi is basically a top 5 p4p, walks around at 215, and is arguably the most talented fighter on the planet, and him/Fedor would be fucking nuts.
Agreed, it would be awesome but aren't they in same training camp?
Right now the best options are Vitor(who I've read walks around at 205 and can go up to 215-220 easily) and Jeff Monsoon. Both have verbally agreed to do the fight on short notice so it's up to Attencio to sign the deal.
QuoteMultiple sources have informed MMAWeekly.com that Affliction’s third show, “Triology,†has been cancelled. Fighters and managers were being notified of the situation early Friday morning.
The event was scheduled for Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Details on the cancellation are few, but the loss of Josh Barnett, one half of the evening’s main event, undoubtedly contributed to the decision.
A source close to the situation also informed MMAWeekly.com that Affliction’s pay-per-view provider, Showtime, played a major factor in the cancellation.
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=9216&zoneid=2 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=9216&zoneid=2)
-Right now Dana White is tapdancing on his gold bricks. This is NOT a good sign for this company, and I expect them either folding or merging with Strikeforce soon enough. Fuck you very much, Josh Barnett.
Fuck.
But if Fedor went to Strikeforce...oh boy. UFC would have some serious legitimate competition. That means Strikeforce would get Fedor, Barnett, Babalu(well already had), Gomi, Sylvia(still a draw I guess), Baby Nog, Belfort, Ortiz, Lindland on top of the Strikeforce talent of Jake Shields, Lawler, Diaz, Smith, Overeem(when he fights) Carano & Cyborg, Cung Le, Melendez, Brett Rogers, and Josh Thompson.
I hope this happens.
Riggs is out from his fight with Nick Diaz.
Strikeforce reports that they're looking for a replacement, but no decision has been made if this new fight would have title implications.
Something even better is on the horizon, or worse depending on what side of the coin your on. Check this.
Kevin Iole recently was on the Lights Out radio show(Mitch, where you at?) and had this to say:
Quote
Later on Friday, Affliction opted to get out of the promoting business and, in a joint statement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, announced it would become a sponsor of the UFC. The fate of the fighters under contract with Affliction is not known yet.
Here's what he posted only hours before:
Quote
Affliction itself is fighting simply for survival. Several sources have said that Affliction and Strikeforce will have some type of merger with Strikeforce retaining its name. Affliction’s Tom Atencio denied any merger is imminent, and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is in Italy on vacation and couldn’t be reached for comment.
However, two independent sources told Yahoo! Sports a deal is either completed or on the verge of completion.
White said an Affliction attorney flew to Las Vegas only days after UFC 100 and offered to fold and turn its contracts over to the UFC if the UFC would remove its ban on its fighters wearing Affliction T-shirts.
"I told him, ‘I hope you idiots stay in business,’ " White said. "We had a record year in 2007. We had a record year in 2008. And we’re going to have an even bigger record year in 2009. I said, ‘I hope you … stay around in 2010 and burn every dollar you have.’ What they do is of no concern to me.
Wow. Affliction is officially folding?! Shitballs. Dream match ups commence!!!
Hooray UFC gets to keep under paying their fighters!
Quote from: Cory on July 24, 2009, 04:54:41 PM
But if Fedor went to Strikeforce...oh boy. UFC would have some serious legitimate competition. That means Strikeforce would get Fedor, Barnett, Babalu(well already had), Gomi, Sylvia(still a draw I guess), Baby Nog, Belfort, Ortiz, Lindland on top of the Strikeforce talent of Jake Shields, Lawler, Diaz, Smith, Overeem(when he fights) Carano & Cyborg, Cung Le, Melendez, Brett Rogers, and Josh Thompson.
I hope this happens.
No way they get all that talent. From what I understand (and don't get me wrong--some of these fighters' contractual issues are a bit confusing), Babalu is still under contract with Strikeforce. Gomi could end up anywhere, but if I had to bet I'd say he ends up in DREAM or Sengoku (whatever it's called) before an American promotion. I suppose Sylvia's an option, and wouldn't be a bad pick-up considering Strikeforce has, what...four...five heavyweights? But after coming into that Mercer bout at 300 lbs. and looking as bad as he did, I'd have to seriously question how real of a possibility this is. Baby Nog could end up anywhere (my money's on Japan), while Ortiz and Belfort look to be heading back to UFC. Dana White's already made amends with Tito (ESPN Radio) and is talking about picking him back up. In fact, supposedly the UFC 103 main event of Franklin-Hendo has been pulled from the website, as an Ortiz-Franklin and Hendo-Belfort fight are HEAVILY rumored to be in the works. Franklin himself noted the pullage from the main UFC website on his twitter, saying something along the lines of, "as far as I know, the fight's still on, but I dunno what's going on".
At any rate, would Strikeforce even be able to afford Emelianenko?
I've seen Baroni and Jay Heiron (SP?) get thrown out there as possible replacements, but I'm not sure how serious they are about Phil. He'd get fucking mauled.
QuoteNEW YORK (July 27, 2009)--The highly-anticipated showdown between Renato "Babalu" Sobral (35-8) and Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1), which was suddenly cancelled by its original promoter last week, has been revitalized and will be contested with Sobral's STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Championship on the line at San Jose, California's HP Pavilion on Saturday, August 15.
The title bout will be featured during the SHOWTIME televised portion of the STRIKEFORCE: "Carano vs. Cyborg" mixed martial arts (MMA) mega-card.
"I am very happy that STRIKEFORCE has resurrected this fight and that I will have the opportunity to become STRIKEFORCE world champion," said Mousasi, who is in the midst of a monstrous, 12 fight win streak. The 23-year-old was crowned the first Dream Middleweight Champion and Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion last year in Japan.
"STRIKEFORCE is one of the world's top promotions and I am proud to be a part of their roster of world-class fighters," he said.
-Very nice addition to the card, solid move by Strikeforce to get this going.
Fuck Yeah, now just add a Interim HW Title Fight and find Diaz a replacement and yet again this show will be better than any of the UFC's this year.
I'd actually go so far as to say to make it a HW title fight, and take the title off of Overeem.
Man this card is getting shakier by the second, with now rumors of Josh Thompson pulling out due to an in jury on his old broken leg (recovery).
good news is they'll be replacing Diaz's opponent with Jay Heiron, and it'll be for the vacant Welterweight Title.
Quote
Jay Hieron, the former International Fight League welterweight champion has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce.
In his first fight, Hieron (17-4) is expected to step in for Joe Riggs to face Nick Diaz (20-7) at Strikeforce "Carano vs. Cyborg" in San Jose, Calif., on Aug. 15. The fight will likely be for the first ever Strikeforce welterweight title.
-MMAWeekly
-Heiron has looked great since leaving UFC, and I think this will be a hell of a test for Diaz. Get Rogers or Rothwell facing Werdum for an interim belt and have Chris Hordecki sub in for Thompson and you got a good to go card.
Heiron is good, but I dont think hes in Diaz's league. Will be good, but this is Diaz's match to lose.
Mousasi has said he wants to wait before stepping up to HW full time, and Sobral hasn't fought at HW in like 6-7 years since he was in RINGS I believe.
They should sign Yvel or some of Afflictions HW and make that a title bout.
Werdum v/s Yvel would be good.
Yvel vs. Werdum would be good, if Yvel's contract isn't part of the 20 contracts being turned over to Zuffa.
Yvel is a beast....very one dimensional but he'll be a contender anywhere.
MMAJUNKIE
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in UFC history, has returned to the organization.
During a media conference call today, UFC president Dana White confirmed Ortiz has re-signed with the organization. No debut date has been set, but Ortiz hopes to fight before year's end, and White said it could be against Mark Coleman.
While the news would have been shocking months ago, both White and Ortiz recently hinted that a new deal was in the works.
Last week White issued a message on Twitter stating, "Welcome back Tito." During a radio interview later that night, White simply said Ortiz returning to the UFC is "a possibility" but did confirm their long-brewing feud had been squelched and that they had "made up." On Thursday, Ortiz posted a MySpace bulletin saying a big announcement that would "be made today" that would clarify his future.
"Dana came to me ... and apologized to me," Ortiz said. "For me personally it was about competition. (The UFC) is the best show in the world. That's why I'm here."
White was happy to bury the hatchet.
"I think the fans are as over the Dana-Tito bull [expletive] as we are," he said.
Ortiz, who underwent back surgery earlier this year, hasn't competed since a decision loss to Lyoto Machida in May 2008. Vowing never to fight in the UFC if White were still in charge, Ortiz has claimed he was close to signing deals with EliteXC, Affliction, Strikeforce and a few other players over the past year.
Despite the layoff, Ortiz (15-6-1 MMA, 14-6-1 UFC) remains one of the sport's most recognizable stars and one of the top pay-per-view draws in MMA history. Although winless in his past three fights, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" faced three current and former champions (Machida, Rashad Evans and Chuck Liddell) during the stretch. The veteran fighter, who won the UFC light heavyweight title with a September 1999 victory over Wanderlei Silva, made a record five consecutive title defenses before a loss to Randy Couture in 2003.
Good call. With his back fixed.....he could be a threat even if his bests year are behind him. Always been an Ortiz fan, so hope this turns out positive for him....as he was close to defeating Machida in their fight last year with a near triangle choke (?)....even if he was being 'dominated'.
As is Vitor.
UFC 103
Belfort vs Franklin
fuckkk, didnt see that.
Oddly enough from UFC 13 that I rented from Blockbuster in 2000, Belfot was my first true favourite fighter, and once I watched more and more, Ortiz became my favourite (when Belfort left for Pride).
Trip down memory lane....
PS- Belfort over Frankline. If Belfort could litterally make Matt Lindland have to get stretchered out from the ring, Franklins going down.
Belfort over Franklin, and monster head over old man Coleman.
(http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3122/jenawqqiv9.jpg)
even if its like a old baseball glove....still worth it.
Alright, just came to my mind, and sounded somewhat fun for people to shed their opinions. Who do you think (any fighter in the world) would be the new UFC Champion in the desired weight class...and perhaps a reason why so we can make a discussion out of this.
For my sake, I'll try and give a fighter inside the UFC and one not in the promotion...but yall dont have to.
UFC Heavyweight Champion: Brock Lesnar
Person to Defeat Champ: Shane Carwin (UFC) I think Velasquez is the future of the divison without a doubt, but I think after the Congo fight he'll get caught with a punch from Carwin and it'll be over. Carwin is strong enough to (hopefully) fend of Lesnar's takedowns and he's a legit wrestler too, but that striking game. Even if not alot of technique....he probably hits the hardest in the game. Him or Brett Rogers. Fedor Emelianenko (???) Yeah, this would be a quick one.
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion: Lyoto Machida
Person to Defeat Champ: Vitor Belfort(UFC) After Franklin, I see him being the one to stop Machida. He'll straight up use his 'Im going to fuck you up and theres nothing you can do....try to block' style and whop that elusive asshole. Gegard Mousasi (Strikeforce) Mousasi is legit, and in maybe 2-3 years will be the p4p best fighter. He trains with Fedor, and is excellent and EVERYTHING. He's a Dutch Kickboxer so his striking is phenominal. He is starting to train with Freddy Roach to become an excellent boxer so his stirking will be bare none eventually. He is like GSP, no BJJ belt but he is a submission expert with 8 submission wins to his name already (age 23). Good chin, and all over bad assery. I think out of everyone he would take Machida's belt for sure.
UFC Middleweight Champion: Anderson Silva
Person to Defeat Champ: Damien Maia(UFC) I think Maia would make Silva go to the ground unlike Leites in AS's last fight, and Maia is the best on the ground at MW. Cung Le(Strikeforce) I think when Le starts to fight again, his strikes are just as dangerous as Silvas and Dana has said he wants to sign Le very badly so this could actually happen.
UFC Middleweight Champion: Georges St. Pierre
Person to Defeat Champ: No one. Nick Diaz could pose a threat, but as of right now, no one is going to beat GSP.
UFC Lightweight Champion: BJ Penn
Person to Defeat Champ: Kenny Florian(UFC) I don't think Florian will be able to beat BJ at UFC 101, but right now I think he is better than Sanchez and poses the best threat to Penn within the UFC. Eddie Alvarez(Dream) JZ & Aoki are out, and I'd give Alvarez the best chance against Penn to win, similar styles and it would be a close one.
UFC Heavyweight Champion: Brock Lesnar
Person to Defeat Champ: Shane Carwin (UFC) Agreed on both picks Cory. Carwin has monster power, and unlike dumb shits like Barnett he knows how to time his cycles. He has the takedown defense to keep it a standing strike fest, which is exactly what fighters should be testing Brock on being it's the most unrefined area of his game. Carwin proved he can take a rocking hit and keep going. A good chin, powerful standing and ground and pound, equal size, and a solid wrestling base is what it takes to beat Honky Kong. Fedor Emelianenko (???) C'mon. A flurry and an armbar, less than a minute.
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion: Lyoto Machida
Person to Defeat Champ: Dan Henderson(UFC) Known for his ability to skip between weights like nothing, I'd love to see this fight happen before Henderson retires. Machida's weakness is wrestling, and that's what needs to be used against him to keep him from distancing himself from the opponent. With Henderson's aggression and a top camp to train with, I really think he can do it. Gegard Mousasi (Strikeforce) Gotta agree with Mousasi as well. Perfect example of a well rounded fighter, which is why I'm excited as hell to see him fight Sobral. Two of the best LH's not under UFC contract. Anyways with a premier submission game, top notch striking game, and the Red Devil camp in his corner, this kid is destined to be a huge star. All he would have to do is get Machida to the ground, and then the ball is in his court.
UFC Middleweight Champion: Anderson Silva
Person to Defeat Champ: Nate Marquardt(UFC) He's been incredible lately, and I feel the next time we see him step up next against Anderson there could be a turning of the tide. Demian will be a hell of a test, but I think he can take him. Jorge Santiago(WVR) Le's been pissing me off lately with favoring a C level acting career over fighting, plus I think he'll be rusty as hell when he steps back in. Needs more power in his strikes as well. Santiago on the other hand has been doing awesome since leaving UFC(9 fight streak), and I was really looking forward to seeing him face Belfort. ATT has really brought out the beast in this guy and with a top notch striking and submission game, he has the skills to get lucky against Anderson.
UFC Welterweight Champion: Georges St. Pierre
Person to Defeat Champ: GSP is the division cleaner. No one across any fed can take him...although I wouldn't mind seeing him face Diaz, Shields, and Zaromskis.
UFC Lightweight Champion: BJ Penn
Person to Defeat Champ: Gray Maynard(UFC)After seeing how hard BJ is training for 101, and who he has as his partners, I changed my vote to Penn for that fight. Maynard is a dominant bastard for a lightweight though and has what it takes to combat against BJ's striking and BJJ. Joachim Hansen or Eddie Alvarez(Dream)Even though Alvarez beat Joachim via unanimous, I'd really like to see a well rounded fighter like Hansen match up against Penn. Alvarez facing Penn would be great as well. Either of these kings of the Orient could possibly take BJ.
Updated will all of the current fights (after injuries)
Gina “Conviction†Carano (7-0) vs. Cris “Cyborg†(7-1) â€" 145lb Female Championship Bout
Gilbert “El Nino†Melendez (15-2) vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida (18-5-1) â€" Lightweight Interim Championship Bout
Renato "Babalu" Sobral (35-8) vs. Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1) - Light Heavyweight Championship Bout
UFC HW Division: Champ is Lesnar and the winner of Nog/Randy gets a title shot. I think Nog is an awful match up for Randy really. He's a bigger grappler with decent boxing and Randy has traditionally struggled with people that have a weight advantage - Barnett, Brock etc. This will go down like how the Gonzaga Randy fight was supposed to go down, I think. Randy will get tooled on the fight for a while, take Nog down and Nog will end up on top somehow for a TKO/Sub. After that, Nog faces Lesnar. He looked awful against Mir, but there were rumours that he was real sick before that fight. It'll be tough for Nog to beat Brock; Sapp putt a beatdown on Nog before eventually getting subbed, but that's the thing... Nog pulled it out. I think the same would happen again.
UFC LHW: Champ is Machida. Well, I don't think there's a great deal between the guys at the top of this division despite Lyoto's 'domination' of it. I'm going to stick my neck out and say a well motivated Shogun beats him. I used to absolutely adore watching Pride back in the day and my enthusiasm for MMA has sorta dwindled ever since - just ask my coach - so I might have a bit of a fanboy inclination here, but if we see the Shogun of old, we're in for a great fight. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Shogun even looked good against Chuck: IMO Chuck is done and that fight isn't an indicator of where Shogun is at. I just have a sneaking suspicion we're in for an upset when these two fight.
UFC MW: Anderson's div. Surprised you went for Belfort winning the strap at 205, Corey, he's going to be coming back to 185 from what I'm led to believe. I think he'll be a monster at this weight too. Apart from Hendo/Silva, I don't really rate too many guys at this weight; the guys below them are a good tier beneath their skill set, imo. Belfort's motivated and I think he could be a force. I think he could be the man to eventually topple Anderson, but then I think Hendo would beat him. Undecided here, but I think Hendo will beat Anderson in a rematch.
UFC WW: Uhh GSP. I can't see anyone giving him any problems at the moment. Too strong for the division. My P4P King. The next time he loses it will be another flash KO like Serra. I thought Alves had a chance of doing that, but, yeah, he got tooled.
UFC LW: BJ. He's a bit like GSP for me: he is better than anyone at this weight. It's hard to see a test for him, imo. K-Flo is not in BJ Penn's class. BJ has been striking, jiu jitsu and takedown defence. I'd like to see how he fairs against a wrestler that will actually shoot on him (unlike Sherk). Tyson Griffin/Frankie Edgar vs BJ would be an interesting fight, I think. Still, I think BJ is too good.
This is a very good topic idea Cory.
I hope you don't mind, but instead of posting my picks here as normal, I think I am going to write an entire article based on who I think will be the next UFC champions.
I've been trying to think of a topic all day, because I'm in the mood to write something but couldn't think of what to write about. Too many UFC 101 previews and Fedor articles out there this week, so I think this would be an interesting read.
Or I'll write an article based on a similar topic. Maybe instead of picking the next champion I'll take a look at a couple of options instead of just naming one fighter.
idk I'll figure something out lol.
Yeah man go for it.
DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen (19-7-1) will make his long-awaited first title defense against the man he beat to claim the belt, Shinya Aoki (21-4), at DREAM.11.
The long-rumored bout was officially announced by the Japanese-based organization earlier today.
DREAM.11 takes place Oct. 6 at Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan. The card airs on HDNet in North America.
Hansen hasn't fought since the July 2008 win over Aoki, a night he also beat Kultar Gill to claim DREAM's lightweight grand prix title and inaugural lightweight championship.
Hansen had been expected to face Gesias "JZ" Calvancante in January, but a last-minute medical clearance issue on the Norwegian striker's part forced the cancellation of the contest at the last moment.
Aoki has put together a 4-1 record since the July meeting with Hansen, including wins over Eddie Alvarez and Vitor Ribeiro.
DREAM.11 will also feature the conclusion of the organization's 2009 featherweight grand prix and "Super Hulk" tournament.
The complete card for DREAM.11 currently includes:
* Featherweight grand prix finale
* "Super Hulk" grand prix finale
* Champ Joachim Hansen vs. Shinya Aoki (for DREAM lightweight title)
* Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (for vacant DREAM middleweight title)
* Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante vs. TBA*
* Bibiano Fernanders vs. Joe Warren+
* Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Hideo Tokoro+
* Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Daiki "DJ.taiki" Hatais^
* Hong Man Choi vs. Ikuhisa Minowa#
* Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou#
Card looks fucking stacked.
check it out guys! let me know what you think :)
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/231121-ufc-champions-and-their-biggest-threats/show_full (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/231121-ufc-champions-and-their-biggest-threats/show_full)
Saw it on Facebook....might not agree with all of the picks, but well written.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2051/2451421087_d081edebaf.jpg) vs (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg29/BGHonker/Noah.jpg)
The match we've all been waiting for!
Thanks bro :)
Good article. I can definitely see Johnson and Jones being top contenders by the end of 2010.
Taken from www.f4wonline.com
The Nick Diaz vs Jay Heiron fight scheduled for the Aug 15 Strikeforce show in San Jose may be off pending results of a drug test. Diaz is scheduled to take the test Monday.
Diaz was scheduled to take a pre-fight drug test tonight in order to get licensed and no showed. Caesar Gracie stated Wednesday that Diaz would appear for the test tonight in Sacramento. Neither Diaz nor Caesar showed up for the test and representatives for Diaz said Diaz was "busy training".
Because of the time required to get test results back, CSAC believes the test would have had to be taken tonight. Strikeforce was contacted and promised Diaz would appear for the test Monday. CSAC has agreed to this new date but has stated there is a good chance test results will not be back in time to license him for the show.
Peace
Duckman
ahahaha...Diaz is a pot head so this may be a problem.
Diaz is the shit tho....favourite fighter.
Kurt Pellegrino over Josh Neer is a bit of a snoozefest......disappointed as Neer is one of the guys I like, tough loss.
Kendall Grove v/s Ricardo Almeida is on ATM.....hoping for Almeida....liked him back in PRIDE
Almedia over Grove via Unam. Decision.......wasn't horrible....but wasn't amazing.
0-2 for exciting fights.....lets see what happens in Amir Sodallah's "debut"
Really hoping for something special in this one.
fucking Dan Mirgilotta or whatever the fuck it is......awful stoppage.
Hendricks over Sodallah via TKO @ .30 of the first.
Sodallh got WHORED!
....I want to see this fight that broke out in the crowd.....iut was going on for like 5 minutes and was getting more pops than the actual fight that was going on. (Nelson v/s Riley)
Griffin/Silva next
Anderson Silva just annihilated Griffin much like I said.
1st round KO.....
Sad tho, was pulling for Griffin
Main event is next
Cheering for Florian....but pretty sure Penn will much....much like the Griffin/Silva fight
Silva just embarrassed Forrest...I don't know how you even come back from that...just...ewww. Anderson wasn't even fighting.
Penn dominated Florian....like I SAID
4th round Rear Naked Choke for BJ.......pretty impressive for BJ...even tho it should have been expected, BJ is king at 155.....good heart shown by Florian tho.
show sounds really underwhelming
It was lackluster to say the least.
Watch Strikeforce.
You wont know anyone fighting yet you'll be excited the entire time....I bet my MMA 'prestige' on it 100%
I'm actually a fan of Strikeforce Cory, and with their deals with CBS and Showtime, plus Fedor signing there...they can definitely start to mold their guys into household names.
no strikeforce over here... :(
I don’t really see how Forrest Griffin can ever show his face again. Not only did he get his ass kicked in a fight he was supposed to win, but he literally ran away with his tail between his legs afterwards, electing to jog to the back with his camp and forgo the official announcement.
He wasn't suppose to win.....he was actually quite a big underdog.
haha it was a ridiculous fight. ridiculous = AWESOME. The crowd booed anderson silva and silva did what he does best. some may say silva is cocky but he's really just very confident and with good reason. he's on a 10 fight win streak. WHO can beat this man?
Quote"With his arm wrapped around White’s shoulder, Soares leaned in and delivered a proposition. "Spider" Silva would move permanently to light heavyweight, even if it meant the unorthodox move of giving up his middleweight belt."
"I can do that," White smiled, a bit stunned at the offer. "I like that. We can do that."
"Soares smiled and shook White’s hand."
"I’d let him," White said later, sitting in his quiet dressing room. "We’d put [the middleweight title] up for grabs."
-http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dw-silva080909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Lyoto, your clock is ticking. Great move for Anderson.
Wanderlei, Tito Ortiz, Rampage, and maybe Rashad/Lyoto
& 185........VITOR BELFORT!
No. He needs to fight Belfort before that move....maybe even Hendo. Then if he beats them move to 205. He's not finished yet.
I look at it like this. He has like what, two matches left on his contract? If Dana let's Anderson do what he wants, then Anderson is more than likely to resign after fighting Roy Jones Jr. They say he's gonna retire but I don't see that happening soon.
Brian Bowles (7-0) just defeated a near top 5 p4p fighter in Miguel Torres (37-1) in the first round.
VERY Impressive.
rampage wouldn't stand a chance in my opinion. He lost to forest and we saw what silva did to forest haha.
Belfort tested positive for steroids so i don't think he will be around much longer.
rashad evans/mochida are the only two i could see beating him and that's not even likely.
Wanderlei.... i can't stand him, and he is no match for silva.
and tito? hahaha right.
idk, Anderson Silva is a machine.
Yeah it wasn't the best of shows. Some of the earlier fights were pretty boring.
Forrest just got totally destroyed. Silva's striking and head movement was like that of a World Champion boxer. Forrest didn't stand a chance against that level of skill.
I loved the way Silva turned the crowd back to him with this display. It just shows you put decent guys in front of him or someone who on paper is a challenge and he'll bring the goods.
I don't know what the loss means for Forrest and his future. The way he ran out of the arena and didn't stay to shake hands with Silva was pretty poor. In a sport like MMA it seems like pride and sportsmanship and being humble in both winning and losing is a massive deal. I hope that isn't the end for Forrest.
BJ's fight was pretty boring until the 4th round. Florian had a game plan, it was boring and it didn't work. The finish with BJ jamming in those heel kicks to the ribs in order to hook on the choke was a thing of beauty.
All in all it wasn't a great event. Then again 100 was a hell of a show so they had a lot to follow up.
One thing that struck me after this show is how dominant all the Champions in UFC look right now. Lesner, Machida, Silva, GSP, Penn, they all appear to be at the very top of their games.
I'm wondering if Silva might move to 205 for good because he has some major money fights at that level. He's gone though pretty much everyone else in the middleweight division.
Anyway, roll on 102!
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: AWStaff on August 10, 2009, 08:13:20 AM
Belfort tested positive for steroids so i don't think he will be around much longer.
Wanderlei.... i can't stand him, and he is no match for silva.
and tito? hahaha right.
-Tito has been dealing with a fucked up back that wouldn't let him train his wrestling as much as he did in the old days. Im not saying he'd beat him, but after we get a glimpse of the new tito (amazing or not) well know if he will be 'back'.
-Belfort tested positive? I've haven't heard anything remotely about that.
-Wandy has the best punchers chance. Wandy is more of a machine than Silva, btw.
I feel bad for Griffin. He went in there with a game plan and got taken out within the first round - I can understand him being so disappointed and ashamed that he'd just want to leave. I hope he can regain his confidence and come back. It just seems like he takes a step forward and two steps back in his career, which is a shame for someone who can be as entertaining as Forrest.
All credit to Silva, though. After his last fight I, like many, was starting to doubt him a little. But he came back strong here. Where he goes after this is the big question. Will he fight more often at 205 and try to make a go for that title, too? Maybe he feels as if he's done everything he can as a Middleweight and might even vacate the belt to focus totally on the Light Heavyweight division, but I don't think that'll really happen if more good competition at 185 comes along to test him.
Diaz is out, Jesse Taylor is in.
QuoteBill Douglas, Assistant Executive Officer of CSAC, on Saturday informed MMAWeekly.com that Diaz had not been licensed and the situation would be "a challenging process."
On Monday, Diaz's manager, Cesar Gracie, said his fighter had an informal agreement with former CSAC executive officer Armando Garcia that precluded random drug testing. Diaz, a resident of Stockton, Calif., currently holds a medical marijuana license under the state's Compassionate Use Act of 1996 and Medical Marijuana Program Act. Garcia departed the agency last November.
"They changed it without any notification," said Gracie. "No one had any time. The old guys were doing things based off of California law, and I knew California law didn't change. He's licensed... it's legal. They're own legal team came out with a ruling that said (compassionate use was allowed). Then all of a sudden they're saying we're doing drug tests, and cannabis is included, it's not just performance enhancers. To flush it out of his system, it takes 10 days, and we don't have that."
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com that former "The Ultimate Fighter 7" contestant Jesse Taylor (13-3) will now face Diaz's original opponent, Jay Hieron.
Does this company actually ever run an event where they don't change at least four of the fights in the run up to it?
Everytime i read about these guys it's them cancelling a fight or subbing a new fighter in.
Comes across as very amateurish to me.
Peace
Duckman
Actually this is the only card that's been like this, but its very annoying.
The first card was going to be absolutely sick. And after injury after injury, and this blow, they're barely surviving. The event will still be very good, trust me on that, but still. Give them a fucking break god.
Quote from: Big Daddy Tees on August 09, 2009, 08:31:02 AM
I don’t really see how Forrest Griffin can ever show his face again. Not only did he get his ass kicked in a fight he was supposed to win, but he literally ran away with his tail between his legs afterwards, electing to jog to the back with his camp and forgo the official announcement.
Check my sig...I seen this on another MMA forum...and HAD to grab it lol
AAHAHAHAHAHA
The first thing that i thought and said after the fight was...
''RUN FORREST, RUN!''
That knock out punch, didn't even look like a knock out punch. Forrest flopped to the mat and had enough. I feel sorry for the dude though, I haven't been watching MMA for too long, but that had to be one of the more embarassing things I've ever seen occur, especially a match of this caliber.
Card is tommmorow.
Though they have been literally fucked by injuries, I'm still stoked for this card.
Carano/.Cybrog & Mousasi/Babalu will be sick.
Quote from: Nick on August 06, 2009, 12:12:11 AM
Good article. I can definitely see Johnson and Jones being top contenders by the end of 2010.
Thanks man and yeah definitely I see them climbing up the ranks quickly.
Especially Jon Jones. Would actually like to see him fight Tito Ortiz next to be honest.
Saw the prelims.....all were finished fights.
Main card started, Werdum over Kyle, via Guillotine in the 1st.
Melendez/Ishida is currently on.
Melendez over Ishida via TKO in the 3rd. Good fight for a 155 (Not a huge fan)
shit forgot that was on
break down cory you my man
carano in the first round i predict
Babalu/Mousasi next....been waiting for this for a long time. Going to be a SICK fight
Nah, I love Gina, shes my celebrity 'who I want to bang' but Cyborg is a ....cyborg. Im cheering for her, but Im pretty sure Cyborg will win.
Mousasi destroyed Babalu in like 12 seconds via TKO
Most talented fighter not named Fedor.
Mousasi (talent wise) is the best LHW in the world.
Carano/Cyborg is next
Cyborg defeats Carano via 1st round TKO.....like I called it.
If you have the chance to watch this event....do so. Very good.
4/5
Actually that was a KO Cory. Babalu's eyes rolled clear to the back of his head.
Awesome, awesome card. Strikeforce has yet to disappoint me. Find the vids online, watch, enjoy.
Doesn't seem like much actual fight action. They all went really quick!
Will be looking out the vids asap.
Peace
Duckman
Check Mousasi Sam.
Now just getting into MMA, you can jump on the bus of the future 'Fedor'
http://mmahits.com/fight-video/mma-video/strikeforce-gina-carano-vs-cristiane-santos/ (http://mmahits.com/fight-video/mma-video/strikeforce-gina-carano-vs-cristiane-santos/)
Video link there. On the right panel is all other televised fights.
Still waiting for official UFC.com confirmation, but all signs point to yes.
Quote
"Shane Carwin is fighting Brock Lesnar in a UFC heavyweight title battle at UFC 106, Fighters Only has been able to confirm."
"Fighters Only has since been able to contact a well-placed source who has confirmed that the bout is "definitely" on."
"The UFC scrapped the UFC 104 fight to retain both as viable contenders."
-http://www.fightersonlymagazine.co.uk/news/viewarticle.php?id=2949&offset=0
Can't wait for this one, Brock's gonna get tested well.
So they scrapped the Velasquez fight....lame.
I disagree. By doing Carwin v. Valasquez they kill off a potential contender to the title. I'd like to see Carwin, Velasquez, and Dos Santos each eventually get a shot at the title, and that kinda fucks over Velasquez if he was to lose to Carwin. The good news is Cain gets the winner, so you may eventually see Cain vs. Shane.
Well, at least Brock will have to use his talent against Carwin...which we have yet to see in the UFC.
Quote"The "UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort" pay-per-view card is going toe-to-toe with the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez HBO pay-per-view event on Sept. 19. "
"The UFC is known for its creative marketing and counter-programming tactics and it looks like the MMA giant has come up with a good plan to beef up awareness for UFC 103."
"The UFC will air a two-hour telecast of the UFC 103 undercard commercial free on Spike TV as a lead in for the UFC 103 main card on pay-per-view, according to a source at the UFC."
-http://punch.freedomblogging.com/2009/08/20/ufc-103-undercard-to-be-telvised-on-spike-tv/6361/
This is truly a treat as the undercard is looking good. Too bad every undercard can't be shown for free.
Main Card Bouts:
- Rich Franklin (25-4) -175 vs. Vitor Belfort (18-8) +145
- Junior dos Santos (8-1) -140 vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (25-6-2) +110
- Mike Swick (14-2) -185 vs. Martin Kampmann (15-2) +145
- Josh Koscheck (12-4) -500 vs. Frank Trigg (19-6) +305
- Tyson Griffin (13-2) -240 vs. Hermes Franca (19-7) +195
Preliminary Bouts:
- Efrain Escudero (11-0) -165 vs. Cole Miller (15-3) +135
- Jim Miller (14-2) vs. Thiago Tavares (14-3)
- Dan Lauzon (12-2) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (9-1)
- Paul Daley (21-8-2) vs. Brian Foster (10-3)
- Drew McFedries (8-5) vs. Tomasz Drwal (16-2-1)
- Jason Brilz (17-1) vs. Eliot Marshall (7-1)
- Vladimir Matyushenko (22-4) vs. Igor Pokrajac (21-5)
- Robert Emerson (9-7) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (11-4)
sweeeeet
UFC 101 sort of sucked. I’d even say it fell way below the expectations of alot of people. Many fights ended way too quickly, were one sided, or seemed to be fixed with how easily one of the combatants lost and how fast it happened. To me Forrest Griffin appeared to be laughing at the time when Anderson Silva knocked him down for the final time as was Silva for that matter as if they were saying “These suckers will believe anything.†and “Ha Ha!, we just robbed you of your hard earned money.†Alot of people paid just to see that fight and look how quickly it was over and how one sided it was. People paid to see a great fight and not one of the fighters getting his ass handed to him and then getting dropped in the first round.
If you are going to fix fights at least make them a little more entertaining with back and forth action, these one sided fights between two people who are both supposedly "great fighters" are getting old.
that was........a very idiotic paragraph. Im not even going to bother about the fixing fights.
Forrest laughs and smiles a lot when he gets hit, no matter how hard he is hit. Watch the fight with Bonnar, he was smiling the entire time.
he had a bad night...that shits happens...not like he the first fighter that happen too and he damn sure will not be the last
Location: Portland, Ore.
Venue: Rose Garden
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
MAIN CARD
* Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
* Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva
* Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt
* Demian Maia vs. Nate Marquardt
* Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brandon Vera
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Chris Tuchscherer
* Justin McCully vs. Mike Russow
* Todd Duffee vs. Tim Hague
* Nick Catone vs. Mark Munoz
* Marcus Aurelio vs. Evan Dunham
* Ed Herman vs. Aaron Simpson
Really, the could be put up there under UFC 100 for most stacked of the year. All of the Main card fights Im wanting to see, as well as the 3 heavyweight undercard fights.
I predict:
Couture
Silva
Leben
Maia
Vera
Quote from: Cory on August 23, 2009, 11:29:46 PM
Location: Portland, Ore.
Venue: Rose Garden
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
MAIN CARD
* Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
* Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva
* Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt
* Demian Maia vs. Nate Marquardt
* Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brandon Vera
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Chris Tuchscherer
* Justin McCully vs. Mike Russow
* Todd Duffee vs. Tim Hague
* Nick Catone vs. Mark Munoz
* Marcus Aurelio vs. Evan Dunham
* Ed Herman vs. Aaron Simpson
-Without question a stacked card for the year. After the snoozefest known as 101, we need something like this.
101 was bound to fail, 100 was just to good
Quote from: Cory on August 23, 2009, 11:29:46 PM
Location: Portland, Ore.
Venue: Rose Garden
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
MAIN CARD
* Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
* Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva
* Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt
* Demian Maia vs. Nate Marquardt
* Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brandon Vera
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Chris Tuchscherer
* Justin McCully vs. Mike Russow
* Todd Duffee vs. Tim Hague
* Nick Catone vs. Mark Munoz
* Marcus Aurelio vs. Evan Dunham
* Ed Herman vs. Aaron Simpson
i like randy alot, but i think Nog bounces back in this match
Jerdine still fighting? He like appears every two or three years like a horror movie monster that can't be killed. Silva puts him down again , only he will rise from the dead once more
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/160131/Fedor_medium.JPG)
I was kind of hoping they'd feed him Werdum first, but it's understandable they gave him Rogers as a 'warm up' of sorts. Look for this fight in October.
Quote from: Level-One on August 14, 2009, 10:17:32 AM
The first thing that i thought and said after the fight was...
''RUN FORREST, RUN!''
Wow.. lol, didn't think of that one.
Quote from: Cory on August 21, 2009, 07:39:08 PM
that was........a very idiotic paragraph. Im not even going to bother about the fixing fights.
I agree. As I said before, I haven't been into MMA for that long, so I'm not going to pretend like I am--but I have become a HUGE fan and have been trying to find as many fights as I can from even the most obscure organisations, including Amatuer fights in attempt to educate myself about the sport --but that's besides the point here.
The fact that anyone insists the fight was fake or thrown, obviously doesn't isn't either A) Thinking or B) Doesn't know much about the art itself. For one, it makes no sense on why any promotor would throw a fight of that caliber out the window in that fashion. How does that even benifit for them? How does that keep fans coming back? It doesnt. If anything, it hurts the UFC.
Not to mention, if you actually pay attention to the fight--it was more then just that punch that did it. Forrest was getting smacked around the cage, and that punch simply did him in--as I said before, it looked like he gave up once he hit the mat. Forrest was embrassed, and high tailed it out of the arena.
Quote from: Big Daddy Tees on August 21, 2009, 02:04:40 PM
UFC 101 sort of sucked. I’d even say it fell way below the expectations of alot of people. Many fights ended way too quickly, were one sided, or seemed to be fixed with how easily one of the combatants lost and how fast it happened. To me Forrest Griffin appeared to be laughing at the time when Anderson Silva knocked him down for the final time as was Silva for that matter as if they were saying “These suckers will believe anything.†and “Ha Ha!, we just robbed you of your hard earned money.†Alot of people paid just to see that fight and look how quickly it was over and how one sided it was. People paid to see a great fight and not one of the fighters getting his ass handed to him and then getting dropped in the first round.
If you are going to fix fights at least make them a little more entertaining with back and forth action, these one sided fights between two people who are both supposedly "great fighters" are getting old.
Dude shit happens and fights end quick, thats the nature of the sport. Look at Maia/Marquardt last night. If fights were being fixed and thrown, do you think Dana would have had his boy Liddell get savagely KO'd 3 out of his last 5 fights? Come on man, just because the outcome has you twisted a little bit doesn't mean you gotta start bashing the sport.
Wow, without my cpu I totally forgot about the ppv (couldnt stream it anyway) but Silva FTW.....sad for Randy tho, he should retire now.
easy win.
Rogers has been running his mouth; and the UFC fans are all over it because they're angry at Fedor not signing with the UFC :D
Rogers only chance is catching Fedor with a punch hard enough to knock him out or down for the TKO stoppage. I doubt this will happen; so I say, Fedor will tap Rogers ass out in the first round.
Looking forward to this fight, regardless.
Rogers is nothing Fedor hasnt seen.
Big strong quick black guy? Kevin Randleman, Check.
Heavy Hitter? Fujita, Check.
Different name same story.
Gegard Mousasi is out, Bob Sapp takes his place against Sokodjou.
me...lol
yeah good to hear
Super... Hulk? Wow, I was prophetic.
damn jesse is jesse the wise
Tonight, 11pm Spike.
Awesome.
UFC is really treating us well this week. Free fight night and a season of Ultimate Fighter I ACTUALLY want to watch, plus all the preliminary fights for UFC 103 on Spike followed by a hell of a PPV. I'm ;D
Ya know they made a big deal about Kimbo but from what I've seen he seems to be in good shape, and if Rampage can work on his ground defense then I think he'll do great.
So far the only problem with him is what the other guys have towards him.
Quote from: Allister Black on September 17, 2009, 02:29:11 AM
Ya know they made a big deal about Kimbo but from what I've seen he seems to be in good shape, and if Rampage can work on his ground defense then I think he'll do great.
So far the only problem with him is what the other guys have towards him.
And David Blaine didnt even flinch when Kimbo punched him!
In addition to the main event of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers, it's been announced Cung Le will relinquish his middleweight title and an interim title bout will be set between Jason 'Mayhem' Miller and Jake Shields. Along with that...
Quote
Can you tell me any of the undercard fights?
I can tell you some of the fighters. You'll see Gegard Mousasi, Jake Shields, Mayhem Miller and Cris Cyborg. It'll be a solid card, with the No. 1 heavyweight in the world and a great undercard.
http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/17/scott-coker-fedor-on-cbs-a-very-big-deal-for-mma (http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/17/scott-coker-fedor-on-cbs-a-very-big-deal-for-mma)
Here's hoping that as part of the deal with Dream we get to see the shit talking put to rest with a Paulo Filho vs. Mousasi fight.
*Jizz in my pants*
why cung le give up the title?
Injured/Doing movies.
Koshcheck over Trigg via TKO
Griffin over Franca via TKO
Daley over Kampmann via TKO
Won $110 betting on Daley....called the fight right from the beginning even if he was a huge underdog.
Good night of fights so far.
WAR BELFORT & CRO COP!!!
good fights so far
I wonder if Trigg is going to call it quits?
Im hoping Cro Cop head kick.
Fuck cro cop. hes just like Tyson in the 90's, no desire and wants a paycheck.
h got caught...busted eyesocket
time starting to catch up
Lets go BELFORT
Belfort is sick.....sick.
One of my heros.
nice punch....ace got
droped
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Former-NFLer-Herschel-Walker-signed-with-Strikef?urn=mma,190906 (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Former-NFLer-Herschel-Walker-signed-with-Strikef?urn=mma,190906)
ok ,i love walker hope he does well
badass.
very cool.
I thought I'd sticky this topic and change the title, hope that's ok Cory.
Seeing as I can now get this on TV over here I'm going to be following the show big time!
What did you guys make of the 1st episode? That cut on the Rampage guy was fucking brutal! Did the doctor really say he could see his skull? jesus!
I love the Rampage/Rashad combination. Those two are funny as hell - especially Rampage. It's just a total pisser their fight isn't going to be in December as they hyped.
As for Kimbo? I actually felt a bit sorry for the guy. He came in there looking like he was going to be fighting them all at the same time! He seems in decent shape and looked like he was working hard. Plus he seemed like a decent, down to earth guy, helping out that big black dude when he nearly passed out during the cardio work out.
I know everyone is gunning for him and he's supposed to be this non MMA guy, but if he stays with the same attitude throughout the show and maybe wins a couple of fights, I could see him becoming this massive babyface guy. Kind of like a reverse Brock Lesner!
What do you guys think?
Peace
Duckman
- Kimbo was looking fucking jacked boys, Ill say he goes deep in the show, but wont make it to the finals.
- The fight was awful, cut was pretty bad, but the other guy on Rashads team wasn't impressive. Good takedowns, but 0 finishing.
- Rashad/Rampage will be funny....can't wait till Weds to see the next one.
kimbo i like ...problem is kimbo got bad rep not his fault, fault the promoters that handle him,
no matter how far he goes, dana be fool not to get him in UFC and get a match or two on ppv , people tune in to see how he does because he has a name that many non-fans know
http://mmajunkie.com/news/16277/quinton-rampage-jackson-im-done-fighting.mma (http://mmajunkie.com/news/16277/quinton-rampage-jackson-im-done-fighting.mma)
I'm done fighting..
The UFC has done a lot for me but I think I have done more for them. The UFC bought WFA to get my contract & they saved my life, so I felt loyal to them. They pushed me into a fight with Chuck Liddel even when I clearly stated I wasn't ready to fight for the belt because the American fans didn't know me but I took the fight and didn't complain & after I won the American fans booed me for the first time which changed the way I saw them & it hurt me deeply.
Then before I can even get out of the cage they announced that I was fighting Dan Henderson without even asking me. After I beat Dan Henderson, I made history in becoming the first undisputed champion in MMA but was never even given the pride belt in the cage & I was never promoted as the undisputed champ. Later Anderson Silva was.
Then they had me coach TUF season 7 and fight Forrest and the fight was very controversial & normally when a fight is that close & controversial there is normally an instant replay. I can name a couple of instances. Instead they offered me the Vanderlei Silva fight which I gladly accepted even though I know it was a very risky fight for me to take because of all the drama that was happening to me at the time. I fought that fight with a jaw injury and then a couple weeks later Dana called me and asked me to fight Rashad. For the first time I said no, I didn't want to fight because it was such short notice & I wouldn't have had a long break between camp. Dana talked me into fighting Rashad anyway but Rashad refused the fight and so I had to fight Jardine as a favor to the UFC instead of getting my belt back (which wasn't even worth it to me financially).
Then I reinjured my jaw in the fight with Vanderlei & Jardine. Frank Mir gets hurt so they wanted to switch my fight from UFC 100 to the fight Frank couldn't make it to but I couldn't fight cause I needed jaw surgury. So they give Machida the fight against Rashad & they told me they want me to coach TUF season 10 against Rashad. That's why I wanted Rashad to win so bad but when Rashad got knocked out I told them I wanted to fight Machida for the belt but Dana told me if I coach TUF against Rashad that I could fight Machida afterwards cause this was a different type of ultimate fighter show they were doing. After I signed the contract Dana then changes his mind & says I have to fight Rashad & even told me what to say in the press & so my fans think I was scared to fight Machida. After all that I still never complained & I did it all.
Then this movie role came about that I have been trying to get for over a year & as soon as I found out I was close to getting it, I called Dana right away & asked to push the Memphis fight back just a month or so. I told him what this movie role meant to me. I told him that I used to bond with my father watching the tv show as a kid when my parents where still married & it represents the memories I had with my father when we lived together. My dad became an alcohalic & addicted to drugs & we grew apart. But after my dad got his life back together, I was so proud of my dad & I told him I would always take care of him in the future & make him proud of me. My dad & I are still very big fans of the show & I am basically doing this for the childhood memories I had spending time in front of the tv with my dad. Dana went on the internet & mocked me because of that & I still did nothing. Dana & I finally talked & we made up & then after that he went back on the internet & said some bullshit & he was talking bad about the movie when information is not even supposed to be released & talking about payments which is not even true could really hurt my future acting career, which could very well last longer than my fighting career. I'm not like Randy Couture. My body has been getting so many different injuries that I wont be able to fight until my forties & neither do I want to fight that long. So I feel like my second career could be in jeopardy.. so I'm done fighting. I've been getting negative reviews from the dumb ass fans that don't pay my bills or put my kids though college. So I'm hanging it up. I'm gonna miss all my loyal fans but hopefully they'll follow me to my new career & I will gain more loyal fans along the way. & all you hater fans out there can kiss my big black hairy ass! & anybody that don't like what I just said can come try to kick my ass!
I still feel the UFC is a great organization and I felt like I was very loyal to them but they didn't respect my loyalty but I wish the UFC the best. I did a lot of things for them. I wish no bad blood between us but I have kids & a family back in Memphis to provide for & thats all that matters to me!
he just said fuck you dana white
Personally I'm a bit skeptical about him retiring. This is a lot like BD said, a way to shut Dana the fuck up. Dana went and said 'you can't fix stupid' in a recent press conference about Quinton, a man who he has claimed in the past is a good friend of his. If he is truly a friend of Quinton's, he'll realize he fucked up and kiss his ass to get him back in the company.
Funny, one star retires and another who I thought is going to retire wants to keep on fighting...
Quote"I think it could have gone either way and it’s my fault I let it go to the judges and I can’t go out like that. I can’t go out with two losses in a row. I don’t think I’m going to call it quits anytime soon."
"I’m still open to acting. Hopefully we get something going with that, but I’m not going to prioritize (acting) now. I’ll still prioritize fighting. If the UFC wants me back, I’d be willing to go back."
I'd really like to seem them re-up Huerta's contract. Total badassery in that last match with Maynard.
And in related news, Mirko announced his retirement today. The Sun confirms...
Quote
MIRKO FILIPOVIC has decided to hang up his gloves following his UFC 103 defeat to Junior Dos Santos.
The mixed martial arts legend â€" once regarded as the most feared striker on the planet â€" called time on his career after admitting he no longer has the desire to continue fighting.
Smart move by Flip.
I'm really hoping this isn't true :'(
Class act. Look for him around December or January.
Quote from: Black Death on September 22, 2009, 06:03:40 PM
kimbo i like ...problem is kimbo got bad rep not his fault, fault the promoters that handle him,
no matter how far he goes, dana be fool not to get him in UFC and get a match or two on ppv , people tune in to see how he does because he has a name that many non-fans know
He did an interview recently where he stated he signed a 4 fight deal, so I think we'll be seeing a lot more of Kimbo in the future.
Wow what a terrible fight that was last night. How dare Mazzagatti say awesome job. Asshole. At least there's Slice-Nelson to look forward to.
be honest...i thought wes won both rounds, james did alot of running, james could not do shit with wes on the ground. hell he had the choke only because wes walk into it\...still could not put him away...james look like crap
you see roy body i do not see him lasting 10 min at all ... kimbo drops him in the fight...
truth after the film wraps i see he coming back...shit settles down
Exactly what I though, I thought Wes won.....I mean not alot of octagon control, but he got mount, and on top, near Kimuera, etc. I actually thoug it was going to be 20-18 Wes.
Kimbo/Nelson will be very good. Expect ratings through the roof.
well then, I'm a dumb-ass lol sorry Cory, I didn't put TUF and The Ultimate Fighter together til you said something .. guess cuz I don't usually associate THE with it .. just Ultimate Fighter
anyhoo, like i said, im a dumb-ass lol
I cant wait til next week though .. I think Kimbo is gonna surprise alot of people altho, im not impressed a whole lot with rampage's coaching skills But who knows, its only been 2 shows....cant wait.
The two guys I wanted to see fight the most were Kimbo and the fat guy that was a champ somewhere once. And now they are fighting each other!
YES!
I recently had the pleasure of talking to TUF 10's Roy Nelson over the phone and he gave some intriguing answers to my questions.
Check it out: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/260976-tuf-questions-with-roy-nelson-says-kimbo-at-205-would-be-a-huge-threat
Nice one Mitch.
good job bud.
Thanks guys :)
everyone on sherdog is going stir crazy about this, calling it a "spoiler" and that Nelson should be "sued". I think they are out of their minds and I don't understand how this can be called a spoiler as Nelson never flat out gave away the results.
He gave some hints, he may have hinted that he won but he also hinted that he lost too so it shouldn't be called a spoiler I don't think.
This puts him in a lose, lose situation. As Rashad Evans will run his big mouth and say that he chased Rampage out of the sport and that Rampage was afraid to fight Evans. Had Rampage fought Evans and lost and then retired Evans would be bragging endlessly about being the man who “retired Rampage.†his only chance to come out on top here, would have been to have defeated Evans in a crushing fashion and then announce his retirement in his post fight interview.
I see Rampage back a month after the movie...and the fight will be 6 months from them.
all he said that is kimbo went to 205 , he be really good and kimbo is better then people think.
i read it though and found no spoiler in it
Quote from: Black Death on September 26, 2009, 10:52:13 AM
all he said that is kimbo went to 205 , he be really good and kimbo is better then people think.
i read it though and found no spoiler in it
Good man BD :)
The sherdoggers are still acting like idiots and saying it's a spoiler.
But i'm glad there are intelligent people like yourself out there who realize that there are no spoilers at all in this interview.
Sherdog.
Nuff said....a bunch of idiots.
more then likely they are pissed off you got the interveiw lol
sourgrapes
It'd be great to see Kimbo knock Nelson out but I have a bad feeling that he'll get taken down & sat on for 10 minutes. Also, I do love Rampage but what a douchebag for backing out of the Rashad fight at the finale!
^^
Thats what will happen.
sat on? really? .... wow
The fight from episode 2 was terrible. I'm with Nick, I don't see how the referee can say it was an awesome fight. They both looked sloppy as hell with their striking, neither seemed to know what to do on the ground and the English guy spent most of the fight running away!
I reckon Wes had the better control, take downs and cleaner strikes so I was surprised he lost 2-1 like that. I thought maybe sudden victory round.
Also, how fucking badly did those 2 guys gas? Holy shit! At one point I thought they were just going to stand there panting and looking at each other because they didn't have the energy to thrown any more strikes.
It just goes to show how incredibly demanding the sport is and also the kind of shape guys like St Pierre and the other carido machines are in!
Next week is going to be insane. I'm pulling for Kimbo simply because he's admitted what he is, he knows his limitations and he's been working his ass off to learn new skills.
The fat guy has an ego on him that doesn't appear justified. I mean he was a champion somewhere and he needs to go on TUF to get into the UFC? They can't have much faith or belief in his abilities.
I get the feeling he's going to take it to the ground right away and but I hope Kimbo has a few tricks to get it back on the feet where he will have the advantage. Kimbo might be a brawler but you can tell the guy has great power and technique in his punches - anyone see him punch David Blaine in the gut on that TV show? Fuck me that was power!
On the coaches side of things Rashad is kicking Rampage's ass. He's a better motivator, better trainer and from his picks he's got much more knowledge of good fighters than Rampage.
Great series so far and next week should be a great watch!
Peace
Duckman
Just saying, let's go KIMBO
I'd love for Kimbo to go far, but I somehow think he might not.... :(
let go kimbo
seconded
Really pissed off with Herb Dean's officiating in that fight. Roy was landing numerous weak punches to the crown of Kimbo's head, all illegal shots and not once did he make that bastard stand up. Kimbo got a bad break on that one and Roy was using his desperation tactic to win. On the other hand, Kimbo should've been using his leg strength to try to escape. I didn't see his legs even move for an escape till' before the stoppage.
http://www.spike.com/video/sneak-peek-is-kimbo/3260073 (http://www.spike.com/video/sneak-peek-is-kimbo/3260073)
Sucks for Jones, but fuck yeah if this proves to be true!
true it saves the show and keeps people talking
Fat-Ass Big Country put his fat belly on Kimbo's face and smothered him! LAME ! But... it looks like Kimbo might get another chance! WOOHOO!
If he loses, they should have him fight EVERY week until he wins!
I called the fight, but it was bullshit.
At least Kimbo is getting fans respect and hopefully another chance....he rocked Roy a few times.
Yeah, a few more Kimbo punches and he'd be out cold! FAN RESPECT! WOOTWOO! I love how no one was impressed by the fat man Big Country. Dana wasn't impressed at all with his soft taps on the head.
Then it should of been Team Kimbo w/ Rampage vs Team Evans.
Dana was pissed off cause Herb called the match, I think Dana knew it should not of gone down like that, then when Roy walked up and asked for a cheeseburger all cocky like, yeh that sent Dana over the edge.
yeah that the way i saw it nick... Kimbo has shown that he got a great stand up game , his take down d is vastly improve , but little to no ground game. Roy who some have picked to win did not impress at all. If kimbo stick to what he doing i see him within maybe a year being a legit contender. but yeah he earned some respect
I agree with both of you totally. That and adding Big Country's fat stomach to the equation. Rampage was right, it was like the moon was hovering over Kimbo! Who can defend against that?!
Fight was total bullshit. Herb Dean needs kicked in the balls, and Roy should be starved for three weeks.
Damn i've been trying to watch this fight all week.
Every site i found was U.S only, subscription or kept freezing.
Finally got to see it on a site 06.30 on Saturday morning and meh.
Poor officiating and bad performances. I really wished Kimbo had at least nearly gotten up a few times showing improvement but i guess UFC don't do hope spots.
THe shows working people are rooting for Kimbo and they are going to have the 'will Kimbo get another chance' theme running to get the casual viewers coming back.
Even if Roy wins the finale, I wouldn't give him a long-term contract. He is far from entertaining and not an attraction for the company.
I would pay to see someone knock him out, but not to watch him topple his opponent with a gut + weak punch combo
Quote from: Kise on October 03, 2009, 04:44:09 PM
Even if Roy wins the finale, I wouldn't give him a long-term contract. He is far from entertaining and not an attraction for the company.
I would pay to see someone knock him out, but not to watch him topple his opponent with a gut + weak punch combo
That, my friend, is called the Brock Lesnar equation! Nelson has some ground skills but is totally content to lay his fat ass on you for 15 minutes!
There's no way he wins the finale unless he can do something other than the crap he did last week.
Well that just goes to show you that Lesnar & Nelson suck at math.
Personally, I am rooting for Darrill Schoonover. He is on Rashad's team, kinda quiet haven't heard alot from him. I trained with him in a school I went to for about a month while I was in the Army. Dude is a beast in the cage. 12-0 as a ametuer and was Texas state Light HVY champ in MMA, 8-0 as a pro in MMA, and 1-0 as a pro boxer. And, he currently holds three titles in MMA. I could easily see him as a dark horse to go pretty far.
he sounds very good , can't wait to see him fight
Quote from: Riley OConnor on October 06, 2009, 07:11:36 PM
Personally, I am rooting for Darrill Schoonover. He is on Rashad's team, kinda quiet haven't heard alot from him. I trained with him in a school I went to for about a month while I was in the Army. Dude is a beast in the cage. 12-0 as a ametuer and was Texas state Light HVY champ in MMA, 8-0 as a pro in MMA, and 1-0 as a pro boxer. And, he currently holds three titles in MMA. I could easily see him as a dark horse to go pretty far.
Yes. The man formerly known by Rampage as "titties" is a beast and I think him and Brendon Schaub will go far.
Well even if Kimbo comes back tonight...if he has signed a 4 fight contract, it means he loses again?
or is this all just a trick.
We'll find out tonight! I'm so excited!
Rodgers blew that fight. he had control , but he let himself get choke out with anacodna choke, come on. Rampage is right he may need to simply things for these guys
It seems to me from this season and the last time he coached on TUF, Rampage may be a good fighter, but it doesn't translate well into good coaching
he a better fighter then a coach hey not everyone can coach as not everyone can fight
That fight last night didn't impress me. I was just like "eh". I expected so much out of these BIG guys...
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AgA6FK8Bomhr9DyX9oABLbA5nYcB?slug=dw-lesnar100709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AgA6FK8Bomhr9DyX9oABLbA5nYcB?slug=dw-lesnar100709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
No matter what you think of him he going to get better and he going to around for awhile. Me i like him
I've always been a big fan of his. Thanks for posting this BD, really enjoyed reading it.
Tito Ortiz will be facing Forrest Griffin at the UFC 106 pay-per-view, according to Yahoo Sports. Griffin is replacing Mark Coleman, who backed out of the fight due to injury.
That is going to be an incredibly interesting fight. Big questions over how both guy will perform. Should make for a great undercard draw too.
Peace
Duckman
Tito is in trouble, Griffin is going to want to prove himself after his last fight. this going to be good fight and i am going to watch this and enjoy
I think Tito and capitalize on a struggling Griffin.
Will be a good fight tho.
Good testing ground for both of them. I'm undecided on this one.
(http://www.strikeforce.com/assets/homepage/369.jpg)
Location: Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Venue: Sears Centre
Broadcast: CBS
MAIN CARD
* Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers
* Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Jake Shields (for vacant Strikeforce middleweight title)
* Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (non-title match)
* Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum
It's free people. Going to be SICK
Same here, although it was a decent enough finish after he blocked the mount attempt and rolled him into the choke. Although it seemed to me like a very basic thing to get beaten by.
Rampage is a fuck awful coach, without a doubt one of the worst ones I've seen on the show. He and the rest of the coaches were late coming into wrap their fighters fist and get him ready for the fight. They all just strolled in like they didn't give a fuck.
Then when he loses none of them go into the cage to talk to him? WTF is that?! It's left to Rashad to speak to the guy and talk him down after the fight?
It's the arrogance and the way he talks about and treats his team that gets me. He picked all the big, slow strikers and then complains when they can't work the ground??
I used to really like Rampage but in this series he's just coming across as a total dick with little to no coaching skills.
Rashad is kicking his ass on that front and his team is really benefitting from his coaching skills.
The preparations between the two teams for this fight shows just what Rashad is doing right and Rampage is doing SO wrong!
What's the odds on an 8-0 clean sweep for Team Rashad?
Peace
Duckman
i do not see a clean sweep
ill say itll be 6-2 by the end.
Would anyone really be suprized if UFC paid someone to drop out of the show so Kimbo can come back?
I highly doubt that would happen. Dana is a fucking asshole, but not an idiot.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AqcdJDjYhLyWp2XO_20Bxmo9Eo14?slug=ki-henderson101609&prov=yhoo&type=lgns (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AqcdJDjYhLyWp2XO_20Bxmo9Eo14?slug=ki-henderson101609&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
There's been a big contract dispute between Hendo and UFC for quite some time now as Dan has been performing as a free agent. He was handsomely rewarded for his massive KO on Bisping, and because of such a performance he wants a title shot and big pay(or if the money is right, Marquardt for a #1 contender shot.) Since UFC is not willing to give him his asking price, he's been talking to Scott Coker over in Strikeforce. My first thought was if Dana doesn't want to fork out the cash for this legend, then how in the hell with Coker be able to afford him? Well I thought the same thing about Fedor and there he is. Also I think CBS and Showtime are throwing the cash at Coker to help him build Strikeforce into a rival for UFC. Look for him to sign damn soon.
I think this sucks personally as I feel that Hendo will always be one of the best in the game, and the competition in UFC is second to none. When he signs with Strikeforce I wouldn't mind seeing him prosper from the Dream/Strikeforce alliance and fighting some of the top stars from overseas. And of course, Mousasi.
whatever the price, strikeforce will be all over this.
The latest episode was hellish funny. Simply because of that dude who might have jacked off in the shower and then the other guy stood in it!!
The reaction of Rampage to that story just had me busting up laughing, "well they're his kids now, he better take care of them!!" God that cracked me up.
What's up with that guy and his shoulder 'injury'? He's been doing more bitching and crying than your average efedder!
In the first season Forrest Griffin turned up with a fucking bend in his forearm from where some guy broke it during a fight and Forrest hardly said a word about it.
This fat bitch has got an owwie and he's going on about it like his life is threatened! I hope he gets a fight and I hope someone knocks him on his ass.
The fight itself this week was another shit one with a quick finish. Wren was a surprise to me, he's a lot stronger than he looks.
Still enjoying the series but I'm actually hoping team Rampage get a win and get their shit together just from an entertainment point of view.
I feel a bit sorry for the dude everyone seems to be hassling but I get the feeling he's in for a ton more hazing before the series is over.
What's everyone elses thoughts and opinions?
Peace
Duckman
* Zelg Galesic vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
* Tokimitsu Ishizawa vs. Katsuyori Shibata
* Alistair Overeem vs. James Thompson*
* Champ Marius Zaromskis vs. Myeon Ho Bae (welterweight non-title fight)
* Keisuke Fujiwara vs. Tomoya Miyashita
* Paulo Filho vs. Yoon Dong Sik
* Chase Beebe vs. Yoshiro Maeda
* Eddie Alvarez vs. Katsunori Kikuno
* Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Won Sik Park
A few names stand out there. Sakuraba fresh off a win a few weeks ago. Zaromskis is a fucking animal, modern day Cro Cop, expect huge things from him. Overeem is back in a 'can' fight, but good to see him back in MMA. Filho is a little bitch but got a weak opponent. Maeda is back and we saw in his fight against Miguel Torres that he can go...and Eddie Alvarez is back, a legit contender who if he came to the UFC could test BJ Penn.
A lot of good fighters against a lot of mediocre talent on this card. Oh well, at least there's Maeda-Beebe to look forward to.
......worst decision of all time!
No way around it. It must have been rigged....man, Shogun won 4-1......absolute 3-2 worst.
Wow....im in shock.
don't know what the judges were looking at ... unbelieveable
Cain is the real deal , made Big Ben look like a nobody ,
Rumble got power
Like most of the terrible judges nowadays, they used boxing champion rules which usually go if the challenger hasn't clearly embarrassed the champion then the champion wins by default. It's instances like this and the recent Chase Beebe-Mike Easton match which only further point out that we NEED MMA judges, not a bunch of fucks who know absolutely nothing about the sport save for stand up striking. Watching Rua beat the living shit out of Lyoto's legs made me miss PRIDE in more than one way.
All I can hope for is that travesties like this bring up the necessary requirements needed to properly judge an MMA contest. Rematch as soon as possible.
I couldn't agree more. I watched the show with my Dad who has only seen this and Machida vs. Rashad from earlier in the year. Neither of us could believe they gave that decision to Machida. He was beaten black and blue and could hardly walk by the end of the fight. Plus as my Dad pointed out, you could tell by the look of shock on his face when they announced he'd won that Machida thought he'd lost that.
Joe Rogan said something during commentary about how they need to revamp the whole judging system in UFC and I think this match proved that point 100%.
I did enjoy the card though, thought Joe Stevenson looked really good, very good finish of the fight on the ground.
Cain also looked impressive and I don't buy that it was stopped to early. Ben got smashed with monster punches all through the fight and I think if he'd taken many more he could've had some serious damage done to him. As it was I think the fight was stopped at the right time because it was obvious he wasn't going to win it and taking more damage would have been bad for him and his future in the UFC.
Rumble needs to move up at least a couple of weight classes - the guy is fucking huge! Awesome power in his hands too.
It's a shame the big thing coming out of this event is the fucking terrible scoring by the judges. Hopefully they'll get a rematch arranged soon because Shogun was robbed here.
Peace
Duckman
QuoteBrock Lesnar, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s massive heavyweight titleholder, was forced to withdraw Monday from his highly anticipated Nov. 21 title defense in Las Vegas against Shane Carwin.
Carwin, via his Twitter feed, said the fight will be rescheduled for UFC 108 on Jan. 2.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the news to Yahoo! Sports. White said Lesnar has been ill for more than three-and-a-half weeks and unable to train. With the bout at UFC 106 less than a month away, Lesnar was forced to postpone the title defense.
“He said he’s never been this sick in his life,†White said. “He said it’s been going on for a long time and he just hasn’t been able to shake it.â€
Lesnar’s co-manager, Brian Stegeman, said he does not know whether Lesnar had H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, and that he is beyond the stage at which he could be tested for the virus. He said Lesnar had upper respiratory issues, fever and extreme fatigue.
“Honestly, he’s been sick since the beginning of this camp and he’s had to take days off throughout,†Stegeman said.
The fight matches two of the biggest and most powerful heavyweights in the UFC. Lesnar (4-1), a former World Wrestling Entertainment star, was a junior college and NCAA Division I wrestling champion. Carwin is a former Division II national wrestling champion.
Both men weigh around 295 pounds and cut weight to make the heavyweight division’s 265-pound limit.
Carwin (11-0), who made several appearances in Los Angeles on Saturday to promote the fight, was clearly disappointed at getting the news.
“My heart just sank, as you can imagine,†Carwin told Yahoo! Sports upon hearing the news about the fight postponement.
The UFC announced Monday afternoon it will move the previously scheduled Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin fight, a rematch of an epic 2006 contest won by Ortiz on a controversial split decision, into the Nov. 21 main event slot
Stegeman said Lesnar just took an entire week off from training with no appreciable improvement. He said Lesnar’s head mixed martial arts coach, Marty Morgan, didn’t think he’d have enough training time to properly prepare.
“We kept thinking that he’d get better and be back at it, but it finally got to a point here where we were looking at a situation where Brock would have just two weeks to train for this fight.
“That’s just not fair to him. There’s no way a two-week training camp is even close to being fair to him and we all realized that. We kept hoping Brock would respond and get better, but it just lingered.â€
pretty much sucks hope he gets better
Well at least Carwin is cool about it. Congrats Dana, you have a New Years Eve main event.
Hopefully he makes a full recovery. Some people will probably think that he’s stalling and trying to hang on to the belt longer as though he somehow knows he’s going to lose it. But this is doubtful. I expect him to not only retain the title when the fight takes place much to the chagrin of his critics but also hold it for a very long time. He’ll be the face of the UFC in the heavyweight division and its champion for many years to come.
I will be honest with ya, having gone through what he is for the last three weeks, I feel for the man. Really. I hope he gets better too. He is a good champion and does well here.
pussy
Its this Saturday, I beg everyone to watch it....it'll be amazing and will if not turn you into a fan, entertain you for 3 hours.
I miss the first hour cuz Im at work, but it'll be sick.
It's free. Hell you don't even have to have cable TV to get it. Rabbit ears on your 12 inch dusty RCA black and white will do just fine.
Starts at 9p E/P.
Im calling in sick to watch this....fyi
Marcus Jones is THAT big and has a ground game.....if not for the UFC, but for that show hell excell.
Im impressed.
Fedor is fedor.
As soon as that Ko is a GIF......avvy
(http://i35.tinypic.com/2ngh1zt.jpg)
boom. roasted.
Yeah man I think that was the biggest shock of the show so far. Even Rashad said he didn't see how he got the armbar or how he got it so quick. Fucked the dudes arm up too, it looked horrible after the submission.
The show is really kicking into gear with the quarter final fights coming up.
That Matt guy is the perfect heel for the show. Looks like more drama from him next week!
I hope Big Country gets knocked the fuck out because he is just a complete douchbag with none of the entertainment value of someone like Matt.
Great show - "what do we do when we see Rashad team? BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" - that was fucking funny.
Peace
Duckman
I've been watching since the first episode for this session and I can see where people don't like Rampage, but I don't have a problem with him, from what I seen he works with his guys, he gets so invested in there fights that yes he may not go in and check on them, but he is pissed off that his guy lost.
Evans on the other hand I think is a cocky little bastard, I hope they get to fight so Rampage can knock him the fuck out. Either Rampage vs him or Rampage vs James McSweeney, cause he likes to stir up shit.
Big Marcus surprised me with the submission attempts, I was like damn big guy got game.
Quote from: Jack Benevolence on November 09, 2009, 12:57:36 PM
marcus was a big surprise for me. I expected him to just try to bang with people.
Uhhhhmmm .... thats a whole nother show :-\
but yeah Marcus is a beast .. but hes nice, so he's like Lenny of.. of mice and men .. haha , doesnt know his own strength
God that was a perfect punch. Brock pooped himself a little seeing that.
The decision on the fight for the first simi pissed me off, Im gonna wait until someone else says who won but after watching the fight I dont think the winner should of won.
I think it should have gone a third round.
Wren won the first, Big Country won the second. But as Dana said, looking at Justin Wren at the end of the fight, he was gassed, he might have lost in the 3rd round anyway.
Yeh but I would of liked to see it go to the third just to make sure, If Roy wins TUF its gonna be a dark day lol
Dont be surprised. If he didn't do TUF, he would still be in the UFC.
Well, it's finally here -- it's my people vs. Gary's people, with Manny Pacquiao going up against Puerto Rican badass, Miguel Cotto tonight.
But fear not, crackers! YOU TOO, have the chance to embarrass me, as Randy "The Natural" Couture takes on Brandon "The Truth" Vera at UFC 105 tonight, LIVE and free on Spike TV.
No question, I'm picking both Pacman and Vera tonight to win -- but only because if I don't, I'll be ex-communicated from my race as quickly as Judge can say, "Ching chong Chinaman."
No doubt about it, a top night of fights ahead! Can't wait for the boxing - Manny vs Mayweather HAS to happen so here's hoping Manny wins!
The UFC just started and a great first fight with the Brit Ross Pearson who won TUF.
Couple of beers and a smoke or two and I'm a happy duck! Also good cure for my hangover - watching someone else get a headache!
Peace
Duckman
Nelson lost that goddamn fight, that was bullshit .. i hate his guts and thats alot of hate.
saying Wren looks up to him .. arrogant fucking prick .. i wanna see him get his teeth knocked down his throat.
....im just sayin
Courtesy of the Wrestling Observer
-------------------------------------------------
Brock Lesnar is in extremely bad shape and there are questions as to whether he will ever fight again.
Lesnar, 32, is in far worse shape than he has been letting on. He went to Canada last week to try to get some rest, collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital. He has mono and also something else that he doesn't want to get out, and all we now is that he does not have cancer and he does not have AIDS. It is, however, extremely serious and he will not be fighting again for a long, long time, if he is able to fight again.
Dana White is heading to Minnesota tonight and will be working to get Lesnar to the Mayo Clinic or equivalent medical facility for treatment.
Also, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has a staph infection and his fight with Cain Velasquez at UFC 108 is off. Nogueira will need an IV to hopefully get the infection out. He is also in bad shape.
With Lesnar out indefinitely, Shane Carwin will be undergoing knee surgery, so he will not be available to face Velasquez at UFC 108.
We can also report that Shane McMahon had a meeting at the UFC offices recently. Dana White, when asked for more information, responded, "No comment."
We will try to have more late tonight in an audio update, along with a play-by-play of tonight's show.
There have been rumors circulating it is as simple as H1N1 or as serious as hepatitis.
Yeah Couture......and Andre Winners knockout was sick.
Other than that, Bisping looked like trash, Ross Person was a stud, and Dan Hardy won me money, but hell get murdered by GSP.
....didn't even know the boxing this was on....gonna have to check to see who won, can only assume Manny.
Im calling Big Country v/s Big Baby TUF final.
It was a fun show with another shitty judging decision.
Seriously, between Shogun, Vera and this the UFC really need to work out just what the fuck these people are judging fights on because it doesn't seem to be anything close to what fans, commentators and fighters look at during fights.
Anyway, Rampage and the cocks in Rashad's car was pretty funny. Rashad's Dana White impression was also classic!
Matt is still a giant vag and while he's an entertaining heel for the show he's really beginning to piss me off. How can someone who is such a pussy think they can fight for a living?
Big Country is a cunt plain and simple. He has no redeeming features either in how he fights or he acts. As Dana said on this show, he made the fight exciting by getting his ass handed to him in the first round and then beat the guy in the 2nd because he gassed. If this guy gets to the final then the heavyweight scene is a complete joke - he should be working the door at a red neck bar on a Friday night and spinning bullshit stories about how great a fighter he was.
Peace
Duckman
Another good night of fights ruined by shitty judging in the main event. UFC need to sort the scoring of rounds out because at the moment it's just making them look as crooked and fixed as WWE!!!
I thought Bisping looked 100 times better than he did against Henderson - but that's not saying much. He doesn't have the best skills but you can't deny his heart for coming back and winning.
Pearson is going to go far I think. He's got skills and he looks like he's got a good killer instinct - something that's missing from Bisping.
The boxing was fantastic. A great fight and Manny was simply incredible. There is no doubt he is the best P4P fighter in the world today and I hope they can work out the money to get him in there with Mayweather!
Peace
Duckman
This is pretty shitty.
Get ready for more interim champs.
Dana White has told TMZ.com that Brock Lesnar is battling some type of intestinal disorder that will require "major surgery."
Doesn't sound great for Brock - he might not be medically cleared to fight again by the sound of how serious this condition is.
I really hope he makes a full recovery and gets back to the UFC soon.
Peace
Duckman
word is he had a small hole in his intestine. And Dana, being the promoter he is played it up to be life threatening. All so he could have in the Brock comeback trailer, "he came back from a life threatening illness...TO KICK SOME ASS!!!"
He'll be fine. Meathead is sitting at home on a low fiber diet and should be back in the octagon before the end of the summer.
lets not count chickens. A hole in the intestine can mean a colostomy bag either temporarily or permanently. If he doesn't heal well or has ulcer problems then he could be fucked.
Quote from: M.D.Khemist on November 20, 2009, 07:26:58 PM
lets not count chickens. A hole in the intestine can mean a colostomy bag either temporarily or permanently. If he doesn't heal well or has ulcer problems then he could be fucked.
I tend to side with the medically qualified dude on the forums in this one. Any surgery on your intestine is not a simple or straight forward matter.
Peace
Duckman
ose Aldo's thrashing of World Extreme Cagefighting's featherweight division continued on Wednesday and netted the Brazilian his first major title.
Aldo topped former champ Mike Brown with a dominant second-round TKO due to ground and pound to force a stoppage and the crowning of a new champ.
The fight capped off "WEC 44: Brown vs. Aldo," which took place at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The night's main card aired on Versus.
Aldo, picking up his ninth straight win and sixth consecutive WEC victory (all via knockout), tested his range in the first round and scored both from distance and in the clinch. Brown, though, hung tough and answered with blows to keep the first frame close.
Aldo, though, took control in the second and hurt Brown with an early exchange. When the champ then closed the distance, Aldo scrambled and took the dominant top position once on the mat. Brown gave up his back during the exchange, and Aldo rained down dozens of punches as Brown could nothing to defend. Unable to allow the fight to continue, referee Steve Mazzagatti was forced to intervene and call a halt to the fight 80 seconds into the round.
"He was a very tough fighter," Aldo said through a translator. "Mike is very strong. We respected him early in the fight and had to wait for the right moment."
Aldo moves to 16-1 overall and 6-0 in the WEC with his victory. After winning the title and making a pair of successful title defenses, Brown snaps a 10-fight win streak to drop to 22-5 (4-1 WEC).
Im calling Ortiz over Griffin & Johnson over Koscheck.
Aldo looked absolutely dominant in that fight. Fluid, calculated, and lightning quick. Showed some shades of Anderson Silva in that fight. I have a feeling he'll be holding the belt for a long time.
Sounds about right. Only matches I care about anyways.
Anyone got a stream?
Killa B murked Marcus Davis
Baby Nog is going to be dangerious....
Koscheck is a punk....a dive and a poke in the eye
Ortiz's fight is up next
2nd round....titos striking is AWFUL......I throw better punches
forrest won, even if I was backing my boy tito.....sick ground n pound....but horrendous striking......awufl. It looked like he had concrete blocks on his feet and a broken hip....no movement and he was like an old man.
best of 3
Not a bad show. Koscheck is a total pussy - although I knew that from TUF 1 when he was hiding behind Bobby Southworth to fuck with Leben. Still, he took a fucking dive with that knee to the head and then deliberately jammed both fingers in Johnsons' eyes...just a total punk bitch move.
Loved Kendell Grove's triangle submission, very nice.
Little Nog has got hands of stone. Should be interesting to see who he fights next. Couture maybe?
Really please Forrest won, he's my favourite UFC fighter - you should read his book 'Got Fight?' fucking awesome. He won the 2nd and 3rd rounds for me. Tito looked great in the first but then gassed badly and as Cory said looked terrible throwing punches, really static, no foot or head movement and by the middle of the 3rd Forrest was picking him off at will. A third fight would be great and a money spinner for the UFC - so it'll probably happen!
I can't wait until the 107 though, BJ vs. Sanchez should be great and Florian vs. Guida will be exciting as hell - every Guida fight I've seen has been anyway! Mir vs. Kongo will be interesting - hope the real Mir turns up for this one and wins!
Peace
Duckman
^^
Yeah, downloaded the PDF of Got Fight, but much like trying to efed, Im not going to have any time to do much of that till after 1st semester.
But yeah, Grove did have a stellar submission, but jesus, hes 6'6". UFC 107 is going to be sick, but I liked the previews last night. "Cheick Kongo has the heaviest hands in the division"......pfft, yeah, hes a better puncher than Carwin or Lesnar....even Kimbo have heavier hands then Kongo.
George Sotripolous and Kendall Grove were robbed for Submission of the night. Either one of those guys should've had that in the bag.
KO of the night should've gone to Ben Saunders. Sick Muay Thai knee KO.
Fight of the night should've gone to Volkmann-Thiago. Shit Dana fucked up big time on the bonuses. If he's going to criticize the judges he also needs to do a better job of giving bonuses to those who are truly impressive.
Overall not a bad pay per view considering the circumstances. Really disappointed in Johnson and Tito's performances though.
Coming off an 18 month layoff, I'm wiling to give Tito some leeway. He was originally training to face Coleman, and things got changed around. Preparing for Coleman and Griffin are two different fights all together.
Not to mention, Shogun was "written off" after his poor performance agaisnt Coleman, and he's a testament to the old addage of "ring/cage rust".
Tito's next fight will tell us more.
As for Johnson, imo, he got screwed. The replay showed his knee hit the arm of Koscheck, which is completely legal. Koscheck totally pulled a bitch move there with his 'acting'. Then he got the double eye pokes, so I actually give Johnson some leeway and wouldn't mind seeing a rematch down the road.
Everyone said the same thing about Faber and Torres, then Brown, and now they will do it for Aldo.
The guy is going to need some more fights and title defenses before he gets crowned "king", as anyone can beat anyone on any given night.
I want to see more from him before I declare him the "man", so to speak
Yeah, but I think with the way Brown has been dominate over the past year (Faber, Garcia, Faber II in particular) and for this 22 year old kid to come in an destroy him speaks volumes. It wasn't like it was a flash KO or Brown got caught in a submission or a decision win, but he made Mike Brown look like a amateur.
But I will agree, one more fight against Brown or Faber to prove that Brown just wasn't having an off night.
Light heavyweight Mark Coleman (16-9 MMA, 7-4 UFC) is now official for a UFC 109 matchup with fellow UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture (17-10 MMA, 14-7 UFC).
Mike DiSabato, vice president of Coleman sponsor MMA Authentics, today confirmed "The Hammer" had signed his bout agreement for the Feb. 6 contest.
DiSabato also shared a simple message from Coleman: "Better now than never!"
Couture wasn't immediately available for comment when contacted by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)), but "The Natural" confirmed he had verbally agreed to the contest with a post on his official Twitter account earlier this month.
The former champions were originally scheduled to meet nearly 11 years ago at "UFC 17: Redemption," but an injury forced Couture out of the contest. Coleman made his way to Japan shortly after to compete in PRIDE.
The contest is expected to take the co-feature slot on the as-yet-unannounced UFC 109 card, though it could certainly take top billing if Anderson Silva's rehabilitation process prevents a planned contest with Vitor Belfort from taking place.
I'd like to say it's 10 years too late, but in reality, it's not.
With a win over Vera already, beating Coleman gives Randy Couture two wins at LHW against name opponents. Being who Randy is, two wins could be enough to get him a LHW title shot at the winner of Shogun/Machida if the UFC goes that route.
Couture is a name, a draw and a contender. Coming off beating Bonnar at UFC 100, if Coleman were to upset Randy, he would actually make a wave at LHW and ruffle some of the rankings. It would easily set Coleman up for another big name match, Tito, Forrest, Evans.. and with some luck and another win, he could try to throw his name in title contetion. (doubtful, but you never know).
Still a fight worth watching, hopefully it'll bring out the best in both of them.
Couture definately needed to drop down to LHW, at least he can try and bully them around. I'm a big fan of Couture, but the guy's never been the best finisher and now more so than ever. Vera was very unlucky to lose the decision at 105, Randy essentially held him against the cage for three rounds. Vera's own fault, perhaps? Regardless, I don't fancy seeing Couture headline anymore events and just hold his opponent against the cage in what can only be described as a lackluster fight.
He's a legend, no doubt. But against Machida or Shogun? He'd be murdered (now).
(http://i47.tinypic.com/dzti4m.gif)
I was a big time Kimbo hater at first but his stint on the Ultimate Fighter really changed my opinion on him and after seeing him fight Alexander I know he still needs work but he is improving and that is all you can ask from him at this point.
I think he is a good fighter and with a more rounded game he can do some damage but I don't ever see him as the champ, just a big name who can sell PPV...
Ill doubt hell be a champ unless he goes to a smaller promotion like MFC (Canadian) or Bellator Fighting.
But he could...WILL eventually fight some legit 205'ers, just hopefully no submission guys.
My bet, next fight will be against James Irvin.
I can't see Kimbo dropping to LHW, at least not yet. He himself said he doesn't want that and the cut to the catchweight of 215 against Alexander was very difficult for him. Besides, the top end of the LHW division would no doubt pose more problems for him.
It would be a great turn of luck for Slice to even get considered for a championship bout. Realistically, you'd have to favour any top ten HW in the UFC against him right now.
Just wondering guys, any recent updates??
Regards,
JDM
Last I heard the surgery was success and Brock should be back by the summer of 2010.
sweet, I hope this is true!
Quote from: JDM on December 07, 2009, 09:49:06 AM
sweet, I hope this is true!
I am curious if they will strip him of the title if it won't be till summer?
On that same note I do not want Lesnar coming back and fighting someone like Carwin and losing them everyone in the UFC saying that Lesnar had ring rust or was not 100 percent.
According to Dana, due to Brock's illness he's actually been competing at 60% anyway, lol. As for stripping him, nothings been decided yet. The majority of contenders though have said they'd prefer him to rather than have an Interim Title (again).
Quote from: Josh on December 07, 2009, 05:31:26 PM
According to Dana, due to Brock's illness he's actually been competing at 60% anyway, lol. As for stripping him, nothings been decided yet. The majority of contenders though have said they'd prefer him to rather than have an Interim Title (again).
Yeah I have seen alot of quotes from guys saying they do not want him stripped of the title.
As far as him fighting at 60%, I have to say that I find this as bullshit! I mean I am not a fan of Brock but I am not a hater either as I know he is a beast and will be hard to beat for anyone. But I doubt he was fighting at 60% and it seems like dana likes to say shit like that because he is trying to sell shit...
As a matter of fact that is why I dislike Tito Ortiz so much. The guy goes into a fight saying he is healthy and great and when he wins or loses he has a injury that was bothering him. Like WTF guy he makes excuses as to why he loses and then when he wins he makes it look like he is he-man who fought injured...
all signs point to Brock defending the title in summer of 2010
Good news for White is he got big fights down the road an can sit on the heavyweight title for little bit and not lose steam
anything can happen in the UFC. I remember when a kickboxer knock the shit out of a grappler / wrestler hum... what was his name
lol
Kimbo is fun to watch.
I've always been a big fan of Kimbo. I'm glad that now, finally, the dark cloud that has loomed over him for so long is starting to fade away.
True. Dana is a promoter and hyping Brock is apart of his job. At the same time, I would imagine something as serious as this would've had an impact on Brock's body. Tito is an idiot, but you always hear it from the horses mouth. Lesnar on the other hand, no complaints.
http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Henderson-Reaches-Agreement-with-Strikeforce-21377 (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Henderson-Reaches-Agreement-with-Strikeforce-21377)
And here's what Dana White had to say:
“Here's the reality: If I wanted him, he'd be in the UFC,†White said. “It's not like, 'F---, Strikeforce beat me out.' He's been a free agent for a long time. If I wanted him, I would have signed him by now."
...oh yeah, just like Fedor, right? Lol. Great catch for SF though. Hendo would tool Shields for the MW title though.
The following fights are advertised for the UFC 109 pay-per-view event, which takes place on Feb. 6 in Las Vegas, Nev.
-Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman.
-Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago.
-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Brandon Vera.
-Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen.
-Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg.
I saw you guys talking about the Couture fight but what's the thoughts on the rest of the show?
Peace
Duckman
Excellent for Strikeforce. Hendo is a top 5 185 fighter and a draw.
Very marketable, and excellent pickup. Hell, a Hendo/Mousasi fight or even catchweight fight would be fucking epic.
Koscheck gets a gimme rematch fight. The first time was a freak loss because Thiago isn't as good as his ranking by far.
Vera/Nogueria will be pretty good, but I see Lil Nog murdering Vera. Vera is a very slow not exciting fighter, and Lil Nog will beat him with his elite boxing.
Marquardt deserves a title shot, so this is pretty pathetic from the UFC, but I see him beating Sonnen, even after Sonnens win over Okami.
Serra/Trigg is meh. Doesn't intrest me too much.
Needs more Big Country vs. Little Coat.
They have a few interesting match possibilities. And a Mousasi bout would be very fun to watch.
I hope Kos gets uppercutted into oblivion again, lol. Thiago is overrated because of his win over Koscheck, but at the same time Silva's got some power in those hands and Kos could get caught again if he's stupid and insists on standing. Lil Nog will walk over Vera. Serra/Trigg aren't exactly the most exciting fighters but the loser is likely to get cut so maybe they'll put on a show.
Quote from: Josh on December 08, 2009, 06:40:25 AM
True. Dana is a promoter and hyping Brock is apart of his job. At the same time, I would imagine something as serious as this would've had an impact on Brock's body. Tito is an idiot, but you always hear it from the horses mouth. Lesnar on the other hand, no complaints.
Yeah well I though the previous comment was Dana white basicallty implying that Brock has never fought at 100%... I mean coming back from something like this will be hard ...
yes it would, but when Brock does, he will put on a great show!
California-based Hoelzer Reich apparel company has been banned from sponsoring fighters at future UFC and WEC events.
WEC general manager Reed Harris expressed his personal concerns regarding the company's "German-themed" apparel on today's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio)), and the exec told Yahoo! Sports shortly after the interview that Zuffa, LLC, will no longer allow its athletes to wear Hoelzer Reich apparel into the cage at UFC or WEC events.
MMAjunkie.com has since confirmed the report with a representative from Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of both MMA promotions.
Hoelzer Reich has come under fire for its use of symbolism associated with Nazism, including the Iron Cross, logos closely resembling those such as the "SS" used by the Schutzstaffel, the Totenkopf skull, and other mottos and symbols commonly associated with Nazi Germany.
The controversy surrounding the brand grew over the weekend when UFC newcomer Joe Brammer wore a Hoelzer Reich shirt to the cage for his preliminary card bout with Mark Bocek at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale. Brammer's entrance was shown during the Spike TV-broadcast event, and concern from outraged and concerned observers spread throughout the mixed martial arts community.
Harris today admitted he wasn't 100 percent familiar with the brand, but he didn't envision the organization supporting a group that portrayed any sort of racist message.
"I'll tell you my personal opinion: I'm against any group that obviously portrays the white, Aryan stuff, or any of that stuff," Harris told MMAjunkie.com Radio. "I don't know if that necessarily involves [Hoelzer Reich]. I've been told that it may. If it does, I'm not going to support it. That's my own opinion.
"If you look at our fighters, we are a diverse group. If you go to our office and look at who works there â€" I've worked for a lot of companies â€" it's the most diverse group of people I've ever worked with, and it's wonderful. I'm not sure how [Hoelzer Reich sponsorships] are all going to play out, but I've started to kind of look into it myself. I'm not sure if it's something that's going to work in the WEC."
In a statement on the company's official website, Hoelzer Reich co-owners Jed Colvin and Jamie Vine emphatically deny that their designs are developed based on anything other than their "love for apparel and design and desire to create a bad ass line of apparel that represents our family heritage and interest in MMA."
"We do not have any political affiliations with any organizations, nor specific views of any controversial parties," the statement reads. "Our interest in the Iron Cross and German history comes strictly from a historical and ancestral standpoint.
"For many years, we have collected German memorabilia dating back to the early 1800's which has been passed through the family for generations.The Iron cross symbol and other German-inspired imagery used on our apparel dates back hundreds of years, and does not depict a certain time of German History."
Hoelzer Reich's official website currently advertises its associations with WEC fighters Donald Cerrone and James Krause, but Harris told Yahoo! Sports that "Cowboy" had severed ties with the company "months ago."
Harris said the decision to completely eliminate the brand from the WEC, UFC, or both would have to come from the highest reaches of the organization.
"At the end of the day, (UFC president) Dana White and (UFC co-owner) Lorenzo (Fertitta) make those decisions," Harris said. "But I certainly have input, and I think they would probably make that same decision."
For now, at least, it appears they have.
After checking the website, i can see why.
(http://www.hr4life.com/v/vspfiles/photos/HRROCKER-2T.jpg)
(http://www.hr4life.com/v/vspfiles/photos/HRIRONLEAF-2T.jpg)
be honest that little close for comfort in those symbols
Took their time about it!
Alright, most punchable UFC fighter of all time - Koscheck?
Peace
Duckman
QuoteAlright, most punchable UFC fighter of all time - Koscheck?
I think Junie Browning takes that one.
-Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman.-Shitty main event and a easy night for Couture.
-Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago.-Shitty rematch that will end with Koscheck taking it to decision.
-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Brandon Vera.-Easy one for Nogueria.
-Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen.-Marquardt. Agreed on him getting a shot.
-Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg.-Who cares.
Good for Hendo. I heard they got him up for a match against Shields, which is good in that Hendo would force him to stand, and he'd knock a talented yet dull fighter down the rankings.
There probably was an eye-poke somewhere in that scuffle between Kos and Johnson, but after the illegal knee (which didn't connect), it almost seemed like Kos was trying to get him DQ'ed. Which really pissed me off, personally. So yeah, Thiago for the win!
BJ is in a league of his own at 155. Just crazy talent. He didn't even look out of breath at the end of the fight. Incredible - made Diego look like a chump- which he's not.
The cut on Diego was fucking nasty - one of the worst I've ever seen in MMA or boxing.
Frank Mir is making some big moves. Losing to Brock looks to have woken him up and he looked in great shape.
Kongo has no jaw. It was a great punch but I've seen guys take bigger shots and survive - even the opening fight had some monster punches that were shrugged off but you know would have put Kongo down!
Florian looked good in round 2 and finished the fight well. Shame for Clay, he's a ton of fun to watch.
The massive Dutch kid looks like he could have a big future but needs to work on not getting punched out of mid air when going for a flying knee, lol! That was my highlight of the show, awesome visual.
The Fitch fight was boring but technically good - just didn't have the heat of some of the other fights on the card.
An enjoyable show with a GREAT performance from BJ and one of the best moments of "he's not worth the hype at all" with Kongo. I remember Cory telling me this last year when the UFC were hyping Kongo up. Cory, you were right on the money man!
I'm hoping for big things for Frank Mir in 2010 - love his promos and his attitude. Hopefully Brock can get healthy for a 3rd fight between them. The money that would draw is just scary!
So, thoughts on the show?
Peace
Duckman
Struve's flying knee into falling on his arse was a great shot. But he's got some talent and he's still a growing lad, he took the third due to the unanswered leg kicks.
Florian looked sharp. His boxing was more fluent. Guida's pretty average on his feet but the guy's got an iron jaw. To finish him in that fashion was impressive.
I passed out for the Fitch fight but apparently it was the usual affair. Fitch is a great wrestler just not the strongest finisher.
Mir/Kongo. I don't think it proves much. Kongo's jaw isn't the best, we know that. But he wasn't out after that punch. He got knocked down but he wasn't no where near finished. Alas, Kongo is like a turtle on the ground and Mir is much more capable. Frank was in good shape, but personally I'd like to see him face JDS, Big Nog, Carwin or Velasquez before a rematch with Lesnar.
Penn and Sanchez. He just completely outclassed him. Yeah the fight stopped due to the cut (and damn!), but Deigo didn't recover from the first punch properly. There's a few fighters in the mix for Penn but I just can't see any of them defeating BJ without amazing luck on their side. GSP needs to sod off to MW to fight Silva and then BJ can move up to WW.
Best PPV of the year so far IMO.
Local guy TJ grant got KO of the night, Ill be visiting him later in the week to congrats him.
BJ is fucking sick. He needs to fight Eddie Alvarez or Aoki or Gomi. Hopefully the Gomi to UFC rumors are true....but even then I think BJ is tops. Thank god, fucking hate that stupid mexican Sanchez.
Mir fucking destroyed Kongo like I expected. Hes looking jacked too.
Fitch's fight was boring, worst of the night.
Streuve/Buentello was my fight of the night. Skyscraper has a very bright future....amazing fight.
It's fucking creepy how accepted the iron cross is in our society. The swastika? no way! But the iron cross, a symbol that was used by the same people for the same purpose, yeah, that's a biker thing.
I mean, seriously, I've seen small children with giant iron crosses on their shirt. Furthermore, I mean you'll see it here and there in everything. HHH's entrance video I believe has an iron cross in it. It's really amazing and ridiculous at the same time.
I thought Triple H and HBK were Nazi's....
I tought "DX" was wrestling code for "SS"
Quote from: jagilki on December 17, 2009, 02:23:40 PM
I thought Triple H and HBK were Nazi's....
I tought "DX" was wrestling code for "SS"
Not saying that. Just find it really strange and ironic how casual it is.
I....
Was....
Making.....
A......
......Joke.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/WccLogo-lg.png (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/WccLogo-lg.png)
Also, just like a swastika it was aroung long before Hitler and was used for other things.
Quote from: jagilki on December 17, 2009, 07:07:13 PM
I....
Was....
Making.....
A......
......Joke.
Jag, you've never been a light-hearted man before. What started this?
Another AMAZING Strikeforce show. Strikeforce is starting to run away with the entertainment value from the UFC, and tonight helped their cause.
Potential fight of the year from Thomson/Melendez.....and perhaps the biggest comeback win in MMA history in Cung Le/Scott Smith. A MUST watch for any MMA fan.
Been meaning to watch some Strikeforce stuff, but I just don't have the money for it. It sucks too. Especially when hearing all these raved reviews about it.
Most of the time they're free bro....and its hella easy to watch the fights.
www.mma-core.com (http://www.mma-core.com)
all fights from the card are on there boss.
Oh saweet. Thanks, bro.
Damn, I just used up gigs on pwtorrents to download the show and Cory's handing it out for free!! lol.
Will be checking this out in the next couple of days, heard nothing but great things about the whole show.
Peace
Duckman
SAN JOSE, Calif. â€" A pair of title fights will headline "Strikeforce: Miami" next month when Nick Diaz (20-7 MMA, 2-0 SF) takes on DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis (13-3 MMA, 0-0 SF) for the first-ever Strikeforce welterweight title and Cris "Cyborg" Santos (8-1 MMA, 2-0 SF) puts her women's featherweight title on the line against Marloes Coenen (17-3 MMA, 1-0 SF).
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) was informed of both of the rumored matchups in the post-fight press conference for Saturday's "Strikeforce: Evolution" event.
The show takes place Jan. 30 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., and airs on Showtime.
Diaz enters the title fight, which serves as the night's main event, with a five-fight win streak and a 9-1 record since May 2006. (The lone loss came to recent Strikeforce signee K.J. Noons under the EliteXC banner in late 2007.)
Diaz was originally slated to fight Jay Hieron for the title in August but skipped a mandatory pre-fight drug test and wasn't licensed for the bout. Hieron, who instead defeated Jesse Taylor at the show, had hoped he'd get the January fight with Diaz, but it instead goes to Zaromskis, who announced a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce in October.
Zaromskis enters the bout with a five-win streak, which included a successful run to win the DREAM welterweight grand prix earlier this year. After defeating Seichi Ikemoto via decision, the Lithuanian fighter knocked out Hayato "Mach" Sakurai and Jason High to win the tournament and DREAM's welterweight title. Most recently he knocked out Ho Bae Myeon in an October non-title fight at DREAM.12.
Santos, meanwhile, picked up her title with a first-round knockout of then-undefeated Gina Carano in August; it was arguably the biggest fight in women's MMA history. It was also the eighth consecutive victory (and sixth via knockout) for the Brazilian fighter, who hasn't been defeated since her pro debut in May 2005, when Santos suffered a loss to Erica Paes.
Santos was expected to fight Coenen in November but had to bow out of the fight with a shoulder injury.
Coenen, a Dutch fighter who signed with Strikeforce in August, instead fought and avenged a previous loss to Roxanne Modafferi (a late replacement for Erin Toughill). It was her fourth win in five fights, and it was her 12th submission victory in 17 career wins.
The latest "Strikeforce: Miami" card now includes:
* Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis (for vacant welterweight title)
* Champ Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Marloes Coenen (for women's featherweight title)
* Robbie Lawler vs. TBA
* Bobby Lashley vs. TBA
* Herschel Walker vs. TBA
FUCKING SICK.
Oh sick. Get to see Cyborg wreck a bitch. xp Saw the first fight versus Carano, and that was just fucking bad ass.
Ok I go to bar down the road Called the Tilted Kilt to watch almost every UCF PPV but man I can't find any reason to go see this one. The amin event is so boring I can't even find anything fun about watching it. As for the under card I guess the best match is Vera vs Nogueira but it isn't even that good. As for the Most puchable UFC fighter I'm going with Ortiz my wife wants shot at him and she weighs in at 125 lbs.
I agree that Cung/Scott had a damn good finale. Crazy.
SF comes on Showtime, so, free as far as I know.
Hopefully Lawler and Lashley get worthy opponents. Card looks good.
I think the majority of the card is fucking awesome, especially Coenen-Cyborg. My problems with this card are Nick Diaz's opponent and who they possibly could match up for Hershel Walker. Mike Kyle is the only feasible option unless they can bring in a total can for him to beat up on. As for Marius I think he is a talented KO machine. I just think that most Americans aren't going to know who the hell this european bad ass is, therefore not give a shit besides Diaz beating up someone. Strikeforce has been exciting lately, but I feel that Scott Coker seems to be living in the moment.
Takanori Gomi, once considered to be one of the best lightweight fighters in the world, has signed a multi-fight contract
Quotewith the UFC. MMAFighting.com learned of the acquisition from sources on Friday.
No word on when and where Gomi will make his debut for the UFC. The organization has yet to officially announce the signing.
-http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/01/01/takanori-gomi-signs-with-ufc/
-Fuck Yeah. Book Nate vs. Gomi NOW
Saw that on the Dana White video blog...he was there with Gomi.
Sick acquisition.....heavy hands and finishes fights.
Exciting card excluding the main event.
Paul Daley remains my top prospect...had him since everyone went against him in his first fight with Kampmann.
Cole Millar with a sick inverted triangle submission on the Prelims
Dos Santos with the huge upset over Gilbert Yvel....another solid KO for Dos Santos.
Rashad over Silva......and here is why I hate judgeing.
Rounds 1-2: even on the feet...nothing major, but Evans "scores" 2-3 "gameplan" takedowns. Round 3 comes and Silva rocks Evans and lands a bunch of clean shots. I think with this new modern judgeing system everyone is begging for...DAMAGE will score much higher than these lazy 'gameplan' takedowns that lazy wrestlers need to win fights.
I understand that a wrestler will go for takedowns...but I believe a takedown should only be scored heavily if it proceeds to damage, and not rolling around until the fighters make their way back to their feet.
All said and done....Silva got more respect out of this fight then Rashad did.
The boos speak for theirselves.
Alright I didn' t really plan on going to see these fights at all but I did anyways. With that said unlike Corey I was not impressed by any of these fights at all. Although we had a two great knock out punches one giving the guy a win and the other just leaving one short of a win because he had no gas left in his tank. I also missed the first to prelim fights.
Mark Munoz vs Ryan Jensen - Jensen held his own for the first couple of minutes before Munoz just took over and punched him into submission.
Cole Miller vs Dan Lauzon - This was a sick submission by Cole the upside down body triangle and arm lock was just sick.
Martin Kampmann vs Jacob Volkmann - Volkmann did better in this match than Kampmann but Kampmann kept his head about him and when Volmann left his neck out he grabbed it and made him tap.
Junior Dos Santos vs Gilbert Yvel - With all the hype they did for Yvel before this match Santos just kicked his ass in this fight. Santos looks like the real deal in the fight and if Lesnor doesn't come back and has to give up the title he could be one of the top guys to get a shot at it.
Jim Miller vs Duane Ludwig - One of the better matches of the night for a minute. Miller like his brother did a nice job.
Sam Stout vs Joe Lauzon - I was hoping Joe was ready to come back in this match but from what I saw he could have used some more stamina. He owned the first round with all of the take downs but that was all he had for Stout. Once Joe was gassed Sam hand his way with getting up from any take down Joe had if he could take him down at all. Sam wasn't all that impressive though either. I think in a couple of fights this would go to Joe easy.
Paul Daley vs Dustin Hazelett - I was hoping to see some of Hazelett's wicked submission attempts but Daley got one punch in and ended it. Daley looked good but I still only see him as a boxer hybrid. Hope he can get some ground game before he face anyone who is good enough to have a title.
Rashad Evans vs Thiago Silva - I wanted Silva to do something in this match but he got one lucky punch and then couldn't do anything after he landed it. Evans proved he is one of the best in the game of knowing what he is doing. Evans hand a plan to get Silva to use up all of his energy in the first round or so and he did that will all of the take downs. Silva was stronger and looked better before the fight. Evans was smarter and in better shape then Silva. Oh and I don't think Silva got anything out of this match he showed what we all knew he could punch. But unlike any of his sparing partners he didn't finish.
And as for the boos the only thing I could hear was the crowd chanting USA!!!! As Evan's took him down time after time.
I enjoyed the show, although I think ESPN over here showed an edited version with the best fights because I didn't see a few of the ones you guys have mentioned.
Paul Daley is a much better representative for MMA in the UK than Bisping. Don't get me wrong, I think Bisping has better all round skills, but for excitement and someone who can finish a fight with one punch Daley get's my vote.
Cole Miller's submission was INSANE!! I've never seen anything like that before.
I was very impressed with Sam Stout and his striking ability. Lauzon did nothing impressive for me bar his first take down and submission attempt. After that he was so gassed he was out on his feet and pretty much useless. Stout put on a clinic of striking and combinations and if he'd got the knock out it would have crowned a great performance.
Dos Santos is a beast. I've seen his last three fights and he looks dangerous as hell. Big prospect for 2010 and beyond I reckon.
I didn't think the main event was that bad. For a fight with a lot of take downs it was still quite exciting. Certainly better than Couture vs Vera which was fought in a similar style. Evans gets a lot of shit from people but I thought he looked good here. He used striking to set up his take downs and he basically broke Silva to the point where when he did finally land a good shot he couldn't put Evans away due to being fucked by all the take downs. Frank Mir made some good points on MMA live after the show on ESPN where he was talking about how physically draining it is to get slammed and taken down as often as Silva did. I think a tactical fight - given the current scoring system- is the best way to go to get the win and Rashad REALLY needed that win.
Not a bad start to 2010 for UFC and I liked Jim Miller's post fight promo about people slagging off the card. What a babyface!!
Peace
Duckman
Considering the amount of card changes due to injuries I was pleased with the show overall. Evans had a gameplan, even though I'm not a fan he did enough. It's a pity Silva didn't have anything else left to finish.
Daley showed again how powerful he is. He was a little more sensible in his approach because of the TD. He does however, need to work on his ground game.
Not a bad show at all.
I finally got round to watching this show today and man am I glad I did!!! What a show!
That Thompson vs. Melendez fight is the best I think I've ever seen. Incredible performance from both guys.
The main event was just a total mark out moment for me and that finish was almost too perfect!
Great suggestion Cory, fucking awesome show.
Peace
Duckman
All im saying...every strikeforce card in the last year has been similar to this one.
Strikeforce doesn't have the names that the UFC has....but they put on better fights.
UFC = WWE
Strikeforce = ECW
Screw Nate vs. Gomi. I want Penn vs. Gomi 2!
Robbie Lawler v/s Melvin Manheof has been signed.
FUCKING SICK......Menheof is one of the hardest hitting strikers in the world today, and is a total fucking nutcase.
Going to be a huge fight.
There looks like there may be a chance that we may have a respected boxing champion entering the Octagon a little sooner than many had previously expected.
James “Lights Out†Toney is flat out one of the most gifted fighters ever to walk the planet earth, and even that may be an understatement.
Toney is among five men in the history of the world that can lay legit claim to being a sextuple champion. Sextuple, you ask? No, Toney has never been involved in the porn business, but to the contrary, the business of hurting feelings and smashing faces. A sextuple champion is someone that has somehow managed to earn a title in SIX separate weight classes. This is what James Toney has done in boxing. He has earned championships in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight, super cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.
The man sports a boxing record of seventy-two victories, only six defeats, three draws and two no contest rulings. Flat out the man can scrap, and scrap well. Tony possesses the type of raw, unteachable talent in boxing that Fedor Emelianenko does in MMA. If mixed martial arts had been around fifteen or twenty years ago, and flourishing like it is now, who knows what direction the path of a natural born fighter like “Lights Out†may have taken.
But there is no time machine, and the fact of the matter is that Toney is just as dangerous a fighter as he ever was at forty-one years of age. Something tells me that James will be able to kick about 99.9% of the populations ass until he dies. A seventy year old James Toney will still be a man not to be taken lightly. A seventy year old Toney would still require at least a four week training camp for most fighters.
The reason for the lengthy bio is due to the fact that this man that I remember as a child shocking the world by beating Michael Nunn to a pulp is one professional boxer with serious clout that has been more than gracious to this beautifully violent sport we have come to understand and love, mixed martial arts.
In a past conversation with with BallerStatus.com, Toney had this to say:
[Boxing's] gone downhill because look at the fighters we got…Everybody is scared to fight each other. That’s the main reason why people are going from boxing to MMA, because MMA is putting on the fights that everybody wanna see … My daddy was one of them MMA guys. I love it. I like watching it. They putting on the best shows. That’s why the boxing people get mad because they getting all the fans. They’re giving the fans all the good matches, which should be done in boxing. I watch it, but they can’t mess with me … I like [Quinton] Rampage [Jackson]. I like watching … not Brock Lesnar. He’s phony. Fedor Emelianenko, he aight. Georges St. Pierre.
“I watch it, but they can’t mess with meâ€, said Toney, and you better believe that Toney means what he says. He doesn’t feel like he can be touched, and unlike other boxers such as “Pretty Boy†Floyd Mayweather, something tells me Toney’s a fighter first, and a talker second; Although he does both much better than most
When asked his thoughts on UFC President Dana White’s comments to the affect of having an extreme desire to throw a high level boxer into the Octagon to essentially make a point out of them, never at a loss for words, Toney had this to say in a recent interview with FightHype:
Aw shit, tell Dana White he can suck my dick. That’s why he calls out them bum ass fighters. He called out Roy Jones and Floyd Mayweather, but they ain’t calling James Toney out because they don’t want to see me. They have the same excuse that I am old, fat and short. Well, come and see me then because it should be easy for them.
It don’t matter man. Everybody thinks that I couldn’t fight in a cage. I got one of the baddest motherfuckers in the world in my corner, man. “Pops†is one of the original cage fighting masters when he was fighting over there in Indonesia and won. I know all of the shit that they think I don’t know. Dana White is a frustrated fighter because he used to be a boxer back in Boston and was getting knocked out every week, so he had to quit.
Even more recently FightHype has reported that Toney is currently in Memphis, Tennessee on a hunt for none other than Dana White himself, perhaps in an effort to talk the UFC President into giving him a chance inside the cage. Or should I say hopefully.
Heightening the drama surrounding Toney and his public interest in giving mixed martial arts a shot if the dollars make sense was Dana White himself, who recently had this to say via his Twitter account:
I just heard james toney is in memphis looking for me. Where are you james!!!!????
Brock's a phony? I'd say he'd be intelligent enough not to stand with Toney, take him down and GnP, personally.
Nevertheless, if he were to come to UFC it would be HUGE. Sure, he's not in his "prime" but Toney's a monster. He's a well respected boxer and the media attention for the business would be substantial. A lot of fight fans have always questioned Boxer vs. MMA fighter since MMA's popularity has risen and this would give us an answer of sorts and may even attract more stars down the line.
There really is no question between boxer and mma fighter is there? I mean boxers are pretty limited compared to what an mma fighter can do. Toney's always been fucking awesome though and despite bein in his 40s i'd love to see him fight.
Well, every guy can sprawl and scramble. Take away the fact he's a pro boxer, underneath he's still a fighter. Obviously he isn't going to be a BJJ black-belt, but any one knows when they're in trouble and when to get the hell out. The general consensus is that a boxer would murder an MMA fighter in the stand up and vice-versa on the ground. The question is, how hard does "Lights Out" punch compared to the heavy-hitters in MMA? Probably a lot harder, lol.
Gomi is a great fighter...but he has nothing on BJ
I remember when Coleman vs Couture was a dream fight...over a decade ago. A testament to both men's staying power.
The right call IMO. No need for red flags that scare away sponsors and incite pressure groups.
I'd love to see Aldo move up and challenge Penn in UFC at 155.
Eh, I'd still wear it.
I always thought the Iron Cross was more a pre-Nazi thing, like as in the first World War. I could be grossly wrong and ignorant about it I admit. So yeah, I dont usually take offence at the Iron Cross, but the Swastika does offend me.
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Venue: Bell Centre
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
MAIN CARD
* Champ Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (for light heavyweight title)
* Paul Daley vs. Josh Koscheck
* Jeremy Stephens vs. Sam Stout
* Alan Belcher vs. Patrick Cote
* Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Matt Mitrione
PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)
* Tim Credeur vs. Tom Lawlor
* Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet
* Mike Guymon vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
* Joey Beltran vs. Chad Corvin
* T.J. Grant vs. Johny Hendricks
* Nick Catone vs. John Salter
I got my tickets!!!!!!
UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and UFC president Dana White appeared on ESPN SportsCenter to announce that he's made a full recovery from the stomach ailments that have sidelined him for several months. White announced that Lesnar will return to the octagon "this summer" to face the winner of next month's Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin fight.
Lesnar discussed his illness and said he was devastated to back out of his scheduled fight in November. He said he was diagnosed with mono, but never really believed that was the proper diagnosis. He said he took a trip to Canada and still didn't feel right. He woke up one night with a 104 degree temp and severe stomach pain.
Lesnar said he was diagnosed with diverticulitis. He said he essentially had a hole in his stomach. He said his career could have ended had the doctor not been patient. He was in the hospital for 11 days and said he couldn't consume food or water. He said he lost 40 lbs and all indications were that he was headed for career-ending surgery.
Brock said there was a miracle in early January when the problem cleared up. He said he had another scan on Tuesday just to make sure everything was okay before he spoke with the media. Lesnar said there are no associated health risks with him returning to the octagon. He said he's sought out several opinions and there are no simply signs of stomach ailments.
Here's hoping Mir beats Carwin and we get Lesner vs. Mir 3. The money that fight will draw is scary!
Peace
Duckman
Seems like Lesnar was quite smart in making 100% sure he would be ok to eventually return to MMA. My respect for him has gone up by like 200%. Good luck to him and I'll be looking forward to seeing him again someday, even if I'm not a huge MMA fan :)
The following are the highlights from the Brock Lesnar and Dana White conference call on Tuesday.
-White said Lesnar was only fighting at 60 percent of his potential for a year. Brock said his body couldn't get enough nutrients. "This stuff doesn't just come over night," he said. "I've had it for a while." Lesnar said his stomach essentially exploded and that's what put him in the hospital.
-Lesnar said doctors wanted to remove the bad part of his colon. He said he would have had a colostomy bag for six to eight weeks and then they would have had to put his colon back together in a second surgery. He said he probably would have retired if he had undergone that surgery.
-White said Shane Carwin and Frank Mir will fight for the UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship. He said that if something happens to the winner of that fight and he was unable to fight, Lesnar would face the winner of Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
-Lesnar praised the American doctors following his experience in Canada. "They couldn't do nothing for me," Lesnar said regarding the Canadian doctors. "It was like I was in a third world country." He added that he loves Canada and owns property there, but he would take medical treatment in the United States over Canada any day. He stressed again that he loves Canada and said he simply wasn't at the right medical facility.
-Brock credited his wife Rena Lesnar for saving his life by getting him out of the Canadian hospital. He said his wife drove 100 MPH to rush him to the hospital in North Dakota. He said he was in excruciating pain the entire drive. He said he called Dana and asked him to get a jet for him. He and White laughed.
-Lesnar said he laid in a hospital in Bismarck, N.D. for 11 days. He said he couldn't eat and had to be fed intravenously. He said he eventually went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He said he lost 40 pounds during the ordeal. He said the thing that put him in this position was an all protein diet and a lack of fiber.
-Lesnar said the doctors told him he had a "winning lottery ticket" when they examined him on January 5. They said he didn't need surgery. He said he had another scan on Monday just to be on the safe side.
-Brock said he's returning to the gym on Thursday to begin training. "They heavyweight division is on their toes again because Brock Lesnar is back," Lesnar said.
-A caller asked whether Brock was just eating meat. Brock said he's a carnivore. He said he doesn't like PETA and is a member of the NRA. "I eat what I kill," Lesnar said.
-A Canadian media member asked where Lesnar was in Canada when he encountered the medical problems. Lesnar declined to say. He said he didn't agree with Barack Obama's medical plan and described himself as a conservative Republican. He said he was speaking out on behalf of American doctors. Lesnar said he doesn't blame the Canadian facility because they didn't have the right machinery.
-Brock said he was down to 248 lbs. He said he currently weighs 273 lbs. He joked that the last time he weighed 248 was when he was in second grade.
-Lesnar said the experience has changed his outlook on life. "I believe things happen for a reason," Lesnar said. He added that he felt like he needed to reevaluate and make some changes.
-A caller asked if he would be motivated to fight Mir for a third time. "Absolutely," Lesnar said. "I don't think I beat him as bad as I could." He said Mir is a stalker and that he would take care of him if they meet again.
-Brock said he has been back in the gym helping some of his fellow fighters. "I came back and I was throwing them around like sacks of potatoes," Lesnar said. He said that when he got the green light, he stopped looking back.
-Lesnar declined to comment on who he expected his next opponent will be. He mentioned the four possible opponents and said: "I'll guarantee you one thing, those guys are all shitting their pants right now."
-Brock said it was tough to keep information quiet. He said it pissed him off that his own camp was saying things they weren't authorized to say. Lesnar said it made him want to get rid of those people. "We've got something to say today, which is Brock Lesnar is back, he'll be back in the octagon, and I'm feeling 100 percent."
-The final caller pointed out that Lesnar was originally misdiagnosed with mono in the United States. Brock blamed himself. He said they wanted to do a CT scan, but he didn't want them to do it. "That's my fault," Lesnar said. He added that he did test positive for mono, but he wasn't sure where he acquired it. "I'm not bashing the Canadian healthcare," Lesnar said. He said it doesn't matter where he was, he wanted to get back to his homeland for his healthcare. He stressed that he doesn't want healthcare reform. "I'm not a believer in socialism and I don't agree with what's going on," Lesnar said.
-The caller brought up that low-level fighters have a hard time getting insurance. He asked how Brock acquired insurance. "I'm an independent contractor," Brock said. He said there needs to be restructuring of the healthcare system, but not socialism.
-White wrapped up the conference call.
Yes Mier vs Lesner 3 would be great but I'd like to see what Carwin could do against him.
Here's the video of the announcement:
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4842056&categoryid=2378529 (http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4842056&categoryid=2378529)
Peace
Duckman
Jesus H Christ; 'stomach exploded'? Melodramatic much? He had horrid as hell stomach pain but his stomach wouldn't explode. He had inflammation of the lower bowel which is why they wanted to give him a temporary bag to rest it. Because of the low fibre diet his body was struggling to shit because it wasn't giving his poo enough water to make it easier. This agrivated his bowel giving him the inflammation. Had he been given a bag whether it was temporary or permanent (which tends to be the case with these bags even if it's intended to be temporary) he would have no doubt retired as it would have made his diet as an athlete of this calibre obsolete.
Also this slow burning thing. It has not crippled him in the past fights by anty stretch of the imagination. As with any gastro disorder, if you have an issue you sure as shit know about it when you see blood in your stools, you have intolerable pain and you are feeling like crap. Are you telling me that Brock Lesnar wassuffering during all of his other fights? Bullshit.
The thing that truly gets me is the 'winning lottery ticket' line. It's not a miricle that it cleared up, it's not some wondrous phenomenon. Diverticular disease does in most cases clear up of it's own accord much like a majority of inflammations do. He will regularly be on a bulking laxative which I doubt he will stick to taking as it draws so much water from your body and which would interfere with his training no doubt.
He is now classified as 'at risk' due to now having had it once. He is going to return to an intense low fibre diet and if he doesn't make the effort and look after his body as a whole then I don't doubt that in years to come he will suffer with this more and more. I am glad he is healthy again though as any Gastro-Intestinal disorder is not fun to deal with as I have a friend with a bag and it is a big part of his life.
Either way. I wanna see Mir Lesnar 3 and smile as Mir makes it 2-1...
Quote from: M.D.Khemist on January 20, 2010, 04:20:09 PM
Either way. I wanna see Mir Lesnar 3 and smile as Mir makes it 2-1...
That makes 2 of us!
Sorry as much as I like Meir I just don't think he can beat Lesner in a fight that goes more than a couple of minutes. I think Meir looks great and is on a roll since losing to Lesner last time. I know it motivated him to all hell but I think Lesner is just too much for him.
I think Mir should get one more shot the rubber match, and then just leave it be for awhile. Let other Heavy's get the opportunity. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Lesner could possibly be a really good match.
I also want to see someone who can stand toe to toe with Lesner and not try to take it to the ground, might be suicide but would make an interesting match up.
I almost hope Carwin beats Meir so that maybe we see some stand up between the two and yeah I'd lke to see Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira . and a match I'd lve to seet hat we wont anytime soon is Lesner vs Lashley
My prayers have been answered. I was pulling for Rua last time but now I wish both of them luck. I'm one of those who believe Rua deserved the title at 104. Either one will be a good champ in that division.
Good for him. Guess we can expect more post-match shoots.
Hey, I rather enjoyed the post match shoots.
* Welterweight Championship bout: Nick Diaz vs. Marius Žaromskis
* Women's Lightweight Championship bout: Cristiane Santos vs. Marloes Coenen
* Middleweight bout: Melvin Manhoef vs. Robbie Lawler
* Heavyweight bout: Herschel Walker vs. Greg Nagy
* Heavyweight bout: Bobby Lashley vs. Wes Sims
Lashley def Sims via 1st round TKO .......predictable fight, easy win for Lashley, but hes improving.
Walker def Nagy via 3rd round TKO.....kind of boring fight, but decent showing from the 47 yr. old Walker
Lawler def Manhoef via 1st round KO......Manhoef was dominating the fight, and Lawler caught him, huge comeback, lots of power, sick KO
Cyborg def Coenen via 3rd round TKO......Cyborg can't be defeated. Is she a man? Hmmmm
Diaz def Zaromskis via 1st round KO......exciting fight, but Diaz IS the best striker at 170, and showed it.
Overall, exciting show, but its what you come to expect with Strikeforce, with yet another well booked show.
I did not see the Lashley fight...
Walker really dominated this guy and personally I really was impressed with the way he was fighting, he had nice take down defense and had he had more experience could have ended the fight in the first round with the fact he mounted the guy many times and had his back many times also... Still nice for a old man, had he started when he was in his mid 20's he would have been GREAT...
I was watching this fight and thinking to myself... WTF Lawler put up a fight... The other dude was really going after him and then BAM!!!!! Caught him right in the chin and the guy fell like a tree trunk...
First time I have ever seen women fighting and personally I was very entertained... Cyborg is a beast with the stand up and this other chick was holding her own and proving she has a chin... The other chicks strat going in was to work on the ground and I beleive had she been more succesful with taking Cyborg down we would have seen a different fight but none the less... I think had the ref gave it a few more seconds the other chick would have bounced back but hell I am not hating on the ref for stopping the fight...
I HATE DIAZ! So do not expect me to say anything nice about him... This other guy caught Diaz a few times but I was like WTF guy don't let him hit you like that... DEFENSE!!! Diaz has a long reach and it works for him with the striking and I will give it to him that he layed into the guy but I cannot wait for somebody else to hold him to the ground and pound his ass...
Anyways good card...
Diaz is one of my favourites, if not my favourite. Hes a BJJ black belt.....so ground n pound won't be that easy at all.
Quote from: Cory on January 31, 2010, 12:07:51 PM
Diaz is one of my favourites, if not my favourite. Hes a BJJ black belt.....so ground n pound won't be that easy at all.
I am aware of his skill on the ground but I am referring to someone like St Pierre just smothering him with his wrestling...
That would be a good fight...
Diaz always seems a little sluggish, which is why I'm surprised when most of his punches land. It's almost as if he's throwing A-Silva strikes at times, but I still enjoy his fights. I'm watching to see this show. Looking forward to Cyborg's bout.
Oh yeah, Diaz might be my favourite, but GSP would sadly demolish him.
Now a fight against BJ Penn......that'd be very interesting.
Quote from: Cory on January 31, 2010, 05:14:46 PM
Oh yeah, Diaz might be my favourite, but GSP would sadly demolish him.
Now a fight against BJ Penn......that'd be very interesting.
I didn't even think of a fight with Penn... That would be nice...
Dana White rebuffs Tito Ortiz’s intervention claims about rival “TUF 11†coach Chuck Liddell
Steven Marrocco, MMAjunkie.com
Feb 6, 9:44 am EST
Buzz up! 1 PrintLAS VEGAS UFC president Dana White says Tito Ortiz's allegations against Chuck Liddell are another case of Ortiz's well-known hyperbole.
In an interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) during a media day for the upcoming 11th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," Ortiz said Liddell was an alcoholic that needed an intervention and rehab to return to the UFC fold.
White shot down those assertions during a small gathering of reporters following the UFC 109 pre-fight press conference.
"It's not true," White said. "I never stepped in and had an intervention with Chuck Liddell, and he never went to rehab or anything like that. Tito says some crazy stuff sometimes."
Ortiz paired his allegations with backhanded praise for Liddell's much-publicized effort to continue fighting after two consecutive knockout losses.
"Thank God that (UFC president) Dana (White) gave [Liddell] an intervention, and he's sober now," Ortiz said at the media day. "He's been sober since November, and he looks like a different person. It's awesome. I'm proud of him really proud of him. A lot of people can't do that. I kind of went through that myself, but I looked in the mirror and I realized that wasn't the life I wanted to lead.
"I'm proud he's found sobriety. A lot of fighters and a lot of people in general don't do that. They fall off the face of the earth, and sometimes they'll find them in a hotel, dead, or behind a wheel, dead. Thank God Chuck isn't one of those guys. Thank God he found sobriety, and I'm proud of him very proud of him."
White said he doesn't know if Liddell is an alcoholic but admitted the four-time UFC light heavyweight champion likes to party.
"I think Chuck Liddell is a rich guy with a lot of time on his hands," White said. "He likes to run around in bars. He's single. He likes to go out and meet girls and do what most guys do.
"He's a little old to be doing it, but that's what he likes to do. So (he's) no different than any other person that likes to go out on the weekends and parties. And (he's) no different than Tito when Tito's not fighting."
White, one of Liddell's first managers and a close friend, said the guidelines to Liddell's return did not hinge on sobriety.
"Me and Chuck have been battling over this fighting thing," White said. "That's it. All I've ever said to Chuck was, 'If you come back, you better take this seriously, and you better go after it.' Never did I say, 'You're going to stop drinking.'
"Everybody always talks to me like I'm like, 'You're never fighting again, and you're going to quit drinking, and you're going to clean your room and brush your teeth.' That's not the relationship I have. This guy's my friend. I care about him."
White said it was only his friendship with Liddell that prompted him to intervene when Liddell made a drunken, half-conscious appearance on a local Dallas talk show in March 2007.
"That was a whole other ball game," White said. "I wouldn't say that was intervention. I stepped in and said, 'What are you doing, and who let you go on TV that morning? They need to be hung from a streetlight and beat like a piñata for letting you go on that show.'"
White said Ortiz's allegations have heated "The Ultimate Fighter 11" set, though the tension has not yet built to the near-constant jibing between this past season's coaches, Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
Still, the UFC president made it clear that Liddell is really, really looking forward to the traditional post-show fight between coaches. White said the promotion is targeting UFC 115 on June 12 for the fight, but nothing is confirmed.
"The thing is, and it's never going to change no matter what happens Chuck hates Tito," White said. "He hates him. Can't stand him."
So far, Liddell has been silent about Ortiz's allegations.
"The Ultimate Fighter 11" debuts March 31 on Spike TV and features a cast of 14 middleweights fighters.
For more on "The Ultimate Fighter 11," including coaching staffs and the show's format, check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
Steven Marrocco is a staff reporter for MMAjunkie.com and an MMA contributor for The Vancouver Sun
Kind of a sleeper card.
Couture over Coleman 2nd round RNC.....the best part was Coleman during the post fight interview yelling at Tito Ortiz in the crowd. "......FUCK YOU TITO"....classic.
Sonnen over Marquardt in the upset of the year potentially, Sonnen dominated his way to a decision.
Paulo Thiago over Mike Swick with a sick D'Arce Choke. Really surprised me, maybe Thiago wasnt a one hit wonder.
Serra KO'd Trigg early in the 1st round, so I guess he stays around for a bit longer.
All in all though, weak PPV, and no one should have paid $50 for it....which is why I stole it...lol.
I agree with Cory, not the best card. At least 110 as the potential to be awesome anyway.
Couture vs. Coleman. You could tell from the moment the bell rang it was simply a matter of time. They praised Coleman's conditioning and yet he moved like a slug. He connected with one stiff shot and that was it. Mike Goldberg saying, "this is the right time for this fight"... no, Mike, no. The usual for a Couture fight, clinch up against the cage and dirty boxing. Annoying, but effective. Coleman basically fell down, turtled up and got RNC'ed.
Marquardt vs. Sonnen. Absolute wrestling domination. I was very disappointed with Nate, especially after previous impressive performances. The guillotine was close and almost saved his skin, but credit to Sonnen he dug deep. If he can keep the momentum going when he meets the winner of Silva/Belfort, he could upset the division big time.
Thiago vs. Swick. I like Swick about as much as I like Koscheck, so I was happy with the result. When Swick finally went for it, Thiago landed a one-two and dropped him. Great sub to finish it.
Maia vs. Miller. Maia looked much better standing up this time. He was never gonna KO him but he held his own. Now if he can just get the guys down, he'll be able to work his BJJ.
Serra vs. Trigg. Expected.
Stann vs. Davis. Man, Davis is a damn good wrestler. Needs to tighten up his technique but if he does this guy will be a real threat.
LAS VEGAS â€" In Urijah Faber's dominant days as WEC featherweight champion, he always had a blemish on his perfect record.
In September 2005, an unknown 21-year-old upstart named Tyson Griffin handed him his first loss in nine fights to take the Gladiator Challenge lightweight title. Shortly after, Faber realized he was too small for the division and dropped 10 pounds to fight at featherweight.
Fans and media often ask if he'd like a rematch with Griffin, and the answer always has been no; 145 pounds suits him just fine.
But during a Q&A session for UFC Fight Club members on Thursday, Faber said he recently had reconsidered that longstanding statement.
"I'll be around here for a while, and I'd love to get that fight again," Faber said at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
After the Griffin loss, Faber went on a tear in the featherweight division with 13 consecutive wins in three years. He became a breakout star in the Zuffa LLC-owned WEC.
At one time, in fact, the Griffin vs. Faber II rumors were so rampant that Griffin had to debunk them. He told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) in 2008 that it would be nearly impossible for him to make the drop to 145 pounds and that the UFC's lightweight division offered him plenty of challenges. Still, interest in the rematch remains.
Regardless, in his next fight, Faber headlines the WEC's first pay-per-view effort when he takes on current featherweight champion Jose Aldo at WEC 48 on April 24. The card takes place at ARCO Arena in Faber's hometown of Sacramento, Calif., where he most recently defeated Junior Assuncao in front of a partisan crowd. The promotion banked on Faber's wild popularity in choosing the California capital as the event's location.
Yet, Faber that said while he will likely stay at featherweight, a win over Aldo could be a gateway to moving down or up a class for superfights as other 145-pound challengers materialize.
Faber said a move down would probably precede a move up.
"I'll probably go down to 135 (pounds) [then] go up to 155," he said. "I don't want to fight any of my buddies at [135 pounds]. I'll just fight people I don't like, and fights the fans want to see.
"(It's the) same with going up in weight. I'm not trying to mow through the weight class; I'm trying to fight superfights that fans want to see. At this point for me, I've had 26 fights, and I just want to do big, exciting fights. Go up? Go down? It's all good."
As before, Faber admitted his frame is not ideal for fighting at lightweight.
"I wrestled in college at 113 pounds for five years," he said. "I know I could go to [135 pounds] if I wanted, but I've also been trying to put on weight for the last six years, so I feel most comfortable at [145].
"I would feel really comfortable at [155], but I would be at a disadvantage size-wise with my body structure and everything, and I'd be just about right at [135]."
Griffin a
Still, Faber said the quality of superfight would motivate him to pick up weight. Even a fight with B.J. Penn, whom he's trained with and considers a friend, would be of interest.
"I've thought about that," Faber said. "B.J. and I went on a USO tour together, and we're buddies, and we've trained together, but we're in the fight game to find out who's the man. I'm sure B.J. wouldn't have a problem fighting me, and I don't have a problem fighting him. We'll be buddies later."
But Faber must first solve the puzzle of Aldo, a 23-year-old fighter who's terrified the featherweight division since his WEC debut in June 2008. Along the way, he's happy-danced his way to the title while decimating Mike Brown, who took Faber's title five months after his promotional debut.
Faber moving up to 155 in the UFC is probably a bad idea, and I think he knows it. At this level of MMA, size does indeed make a difference. And when facing guys like Penn or Florian, you don't want to be at a disadvantage in anyway, which Faber obviously will do to his small physical stature.
Tito's a salesman, pure and simple. He's shown previously he's a good coach and knows MMA well. However, he's a douche, a dick and a self righteous prick that's not as good as he believes he is.
I got to a sports bar to watch the fights and we spent more time talking about 110 and fights we want to see in 2010 than we did watching any of these fights. This was just bad.
UFC 112's fight card isn't as "Invincible" as its event name may suggest.
Vitor Belfort (19-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has been forced to withdraw from a scheduled main-event title fight with middleweight champion Anderson Silva (25-4 MMA, 10-0 UFC) at the April 10 event, which takes place at Concert Arena at the Ferrari World theme park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The Brazil-based Web site Tatame first reported the news, which was subsequently confirmed by Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole.
The Tatame report stated Belfort hurt his shoulder in training and will not be able to recover in time for the fight. Jayme Sandall, Belfort's trainer, stated that Belfort had been unable to use his injured arm in practice.
Iole subsequently confirmed the injury with UFC president Dana White via his Twitter account.
Sources told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that Belfort was scheduled to train in the U.S. beginning next week as part of a video shoot for Spike TV's "Countdown to UFC 112" preview show.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion and UFC heavyweight tournament champion made a forceful announcement of his octagon return this past September when he stopped former middleweight champ Rich Franklin in the main event of UFC 103. Belfort served a four-year stint outside the promotion after back-to-back losses against Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz at UFC 49 and UFC 51, respectively.
While many in the MMA industry â€" including Silva, his former training partner â€" were up in arms about Belfort's quickstep to title contention, the Brazilian said he is just doing his job.
Meanwhile, sources from Silva's camp told MMAjunkie.com that as of Thursday afternoon they had heard no official word on Belfort's withdrawal and are waiting for confirmation from UFC officials.
Silva, a six-time UFC champion, told Tatame he isn't aware of any change in the card and is training as if the fight is still on.
I saw on Dana Whites twitter, he concurs that Belfort is out. Sonnen to step in?
It's two and out for UFC welterweight Frank Trigg after his Ultimate Fighting Championship return.
After posting a 6-1 record to earn his way back into the organization and signing a new deal with the UFC in 2009, Trigg was notified on Monday that he had been dropped from the UFC after a knockout loss to Matt Serra at this past weekend's UFC 109 event.
Trigg confirmed the news with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) on Wednesday.
Trigg said he held off on sharing the news until he could notify family members. He said he's undecided if he'll pursue opportunities outside the organization.
The former University of Oklahoma wrestler and PRIDE veteran suffered a TKO loss to Josh Koscheck in September; it was Trigg's first fight in the UFC since a submission loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 54 in 2005.
With that loss and the subsequent first-round stoppage defeat to Serra, UFC officials elected to cut Trigg from its welterweight roster.
Following that first UFC stint that ran from 2003 to 2005, which included a pair of title losses to then-champ Matt Hughes, Trigg (19-8 MMA, 2-5 UFC) fought for organizations such as Strikeforce, World Victory Road, HDNet Fights and ICON Sport, where he defeated Jason "Mayhem" Miller for the organization's middleweight title.
The 37-year-old fighter and broadcaster then found a new life when he returned to the 170-pound division and strung together wins over the likes of Edwin Dewees, Makoto Takimoto and Falaniko Vitale to earn the new UFC deal. However, as with most fighters, the back-to-back losses prompted the walking papers.
As MMAjunkie.com reported earlier today, the UFC also dropped UFC 109 headliner Mark Coleman and heavyweight Tim Hague following the Feb. 6 event. Phillipe Nover's termination has also since been confirmed.
huh... damn that sorry luck for belfort , but sonnen gets his shot now .
he not as good as he use to be , but yeah he trying to stir the pot little get some buzz going
The guesswork of the past 24 hours can finally cease.
Demian Maia (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has agreed to replace an ailing Vitor Belfort and will now face UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (25-4 MMA, 10-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.
The UFC officially announced the replacement on Friday, ending a day of speculation by MMA observers and fans alike.
UFC 112 takes place April 10 at Concert Arena at the Ferrari World theme park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is the first UFC event to be held in the Middle East, and the first event to take place outdoors.
Maia emerged from a crowded pool of UFC contenders on the strength of a UFC 109 win over Dan Miller this past Saturday. Despite a loss to Nate Marquardt at UFC 102, UFC brass deemed Maia the best available option.
Chael Sonnen had laid his claim to top-contender status with a dominating victory over Marquardt at UFC 109, but injuries suffered in the bout left him unavailable for a fight with Silva.
"It's always tough when a top fighter like Vitor Belfort has to pull out of a big title fight, but we have found a high quality replacement," UFC president Dana White stated in today's release. "Top contender Chael Sonnen was not available due to injuries sustained in his fight with Nate Marquardt, so top-six middleweight Demian Maia will step in to fight for the title.
"Maia is an Abu Dhabi grappling champion, a five-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, and he is 12-1 in MMA and coming off a win over Dan Miller at UFC 109. Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia will be a matchup between MMA's best striker and MMA's best grappler."
Maia is currently under medical suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission until Aug. 6 due to an left vertical upper eyelid laceration. However, Maia was not issued a minimum suspension, and he can be cleared early by an ophthalmologist or ocular-plastics doctor.
Maia wasn't immediately available for comment when contacted by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)), but the UFC obviously feels confident the wound will receive clearance.
While Abu Dhabi does not have an athletic commission in place to regulate the event, the UFC acts as its own governing body and does observe the rules and regulations set forth by most U.S.-based commissions, including the NSAC.
Silva and Maia will fight in UFC 112's main event in a bout the organization is billing as "MMA's best striker vs. MMA's best grappler."
Belfort's return to date from the shoulder surgery that forced him out of the contest has not yet been announced. Belfort's manager, Fabiano Farah, today told MMAjunkie.com he expected his client to miss at least four months of action.
i like maia , but i think he being served up to get eaten by the Spider.
it going to be a great match
First round KO, Silva. Easy.
I think it is a good replacement...
Thing is Midas, sure Maia's worked on his stand up but he is nowhere near the level of Silva. And while Maia's BJJ is superior Anderson isn't lacking on the ground and he'll likely stuff any attempt of a takedown anyway. Look how Silva embarrassed Griffin. I honestly can't see him winning.
I never said the guy was going to win I simply said good replacement...
Right now after seeing Silva destroy everyone I don't see anyone giving him a run for his money... Just saying that instead of giving us some crappy match replacement like I expected they actually put someone in there who has something to prove and will shock the world if he beats Silva which I find interting...
Sliva in the first round. Maia did not impress me at all in his last fight and this is MASSIVE step up in class.
Peace
Duckman
I agree Midas, lol. Sonnen would've been better though. The excitement around Belfort is when he's on his game, he's one of the best strikers around and he would've, in theory, posed a real threat.
1st round KO.
To those that say Fedor fights chumps.....Anderson Silva fights the UFC equivalent.
I don't think they could have done any better with such short notice. But yeah and early KO
I would have put off the fight until Sonnen was cleared.
Maia is one of 2 things. It'll either be like him v/s Marquardt again....12 second KO, or like Silva/Leites a 5 round "pull guard" and Silva will do nothing fight.
Really poor decision by the UFC....and in the freak event that Maia wins, hes not marketable and theres 10 other guys in the division that can beat him and his one dementional game. He is still arguabye the best submission fighter, but doesn't stand a hope in hell against a fighter with great striking and a good gameplan.
I like Maia but he isn't in the same league! Fair play to him for taking a fight on short notice that will most likely kill his UFC career though
I wouldn't say kill.
If he went down to Welterweight...he could cause a wrestler like GSP ALOT of problems working off his back, and I think Maia is one of the few out there that could legit challenge GSP @ welterweight, but Silva isn't a wrestler and won't be going to the ground.
I say take this loss, and cut down to 170.
Super amped for Bisping/Silva.....I think Wanderlei is going to fucking murder Bisping, even tho Im a fan of both.
Nog/Velasquez.....Intresting fight, I think Cain will be hesitant to use the wrestling as Nog is amazing off his back.
So I guess if anyone wants to give their picks or talk, go for it!
* Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
* Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva
* George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Stevenson
* Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Ben Rothwell
* Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
Look Nogueira is great but he's getting old and I want to see Velasquez get a shot at Lesner and Meir. So I'll Go with Velasquez
* Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva
Bisping in one of those guys if I still had a knee on the left side I'd like to get in the ring with just to punch him once. Just as I would to Ortiz. So I'm hoping Silva kills him in the first round.
* George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Stevenson
I like Joe Stevenson so that's why I'll vote for him. Always have since he was on the show.
* Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine
I love Keith Jardine in the ring he's a good fighter but isn't great I think he will end up being alot like Nogueira when it's all said and done. I say this in that he will be one of those guys you have to have a win over to be at the top of the weight division but I can't ever see him being the best in the weight class. He's going to get some great wins in his career but he's going to have some big loses as well. As for Bader I think he is a young guy on his way up to the top of this division. He will beat Jardine in this fight but not with out getting his head almost taken off.
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Ben Rothwell
I'll go with Cro Cop becuase the last couple of times I've seen Rothwell fight he's always looks slow and winded easy. Even though he has a 45 pound weight advatage.
BTW the under card for this fight isn't bad either.
Elvis Sinosic vs Chris Haseman
Stephan Bonnar vs Krzysztof Soszynski
CB Dollaway vs Goran Reljic
Just to name a few. This should be one hell of a card. Unlike the last two UCF cards that I really wasn't all that impressed with I'm hoping for a great night of fights.
* Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
* Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva
* George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Stevenson
* Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Ben Rothwell
never count Nog out , but cain takes it
The axe murderer claims another victim
joe daddy pulls it out
Jardine is like a movie monster that just will not die . Bader kills the beast again , but he will only rise up to haunt our deams again
I thought Cro Crop retire ...while he going to win one in the UFC . might as well be this one
CB Dollaway vs Goran Reljic
Reljic is a fucking beast....headkick for days. I see him fucking Dollaway up, gonna be doing big things.
grabbed my tickets today for $150, got my passes for the weigh ins and the Q & A, as well as Patrick Cote's after party, gonna be fucking sick, even with the Evans/Jackson fight being pulled.
evans vs jackson is main event ppv in it self you know it was not going to be on the undercard
Cro Cop's fight got changed from a decent punching bag to a total can fighter from Aussie.
Should be a KO
Cro Cop TKO win
Bader KO Win
Aussie guy decision win
Wandy decision win
Nog/Cain is up now
* Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
Well Velasquez owned Nogueira in this match from opening bell to knock out in the first round. Velasquez hand's where just so quick compared to Nogueira it wasn't even funny. I had high hopes for this fight going into the third round but Velasquez just knocked him out stiff.
* Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva
Silva looked unlike himself in control and waiting for the mistake to be made. But we saw the flashes of him when Bisping first kicked him in the groin and then when he thumbed him in the eye. Silva would have finished this match twice if either the second or the thrid round was about five seconds longer. He would have choked him out at the end of the second and knopcked him out at the end of the third. The whole bar I was at thought he had knocked him out at the end of the third.
* George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Stevenson
Joe had very few moments in this fight on the other hand George looked great and got the win like he should have. George seemed to counter everything Joe threw at him.
* Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine
Bader was a beast in this fight Jardine and him traded some blows at times but Bader beat him handly. Bader is a Beast and is on his way to fight some big time matches.
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Anthony Perosh
Cro Cop won in a bloody fashion. Anthony Perosh was cut open and Cro Cop beat his head in making him bleed like crazy stopping the fight.
Krzysztof Soszynski vs Stephan Bonnar
Talk about a slug fest. This was great to watch with all of the strikes throwen in this match too bad the head butt opened up Stephon like it did. I want to see this match fought again.
Chris Lytle vs Brian Foster
Foster was winning thi smatch by a long shot till Lytle snaged a leg and made him tap. Lytle has never quite lived up to things in my mind but he looked good with this win.
I didn't see the last two matches on this card. I also stayed after to see the Polish Exparement vs the American Psyco and am glad I did.
Frank Mir Wants Brock Lesnar to Die in the Octagon
2/22/2010 1:00 PM ET By Michael David Smith
Frank Mir's longstanding grudge with Brock Lesnar shows no signs of dissipating, and in a radio interview last week, Mir raised the stakes by saying that if he gets a third fight with Lesnar, he'll be motivated by a desire to break Lesnar's neck and see him die in the Octagon.
"A lot of individuals are so worried about being politically correct," Mir said in an interview with Mark Madden on WXDX radio. "I'd rather go ahead and say what's on my mind than to sit there and come up with some PC 'Oh, the guy is a great fighter and I have a lot of respect for him.' If I don't mean it, why is it even coming out of my mouth? ... I want to fight Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring. I want him to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries. That's what's going through my mind."
Those comments are unfortunate, and they don't reflect the good sportsmanship that Mir usually espouses. Perhaps Mir is just trying to play up his rivalry with Lesnar, but he says he truly hates Lesnar, whom he beat in 2008 and who beat him in 2009.
"He doesn't like me and I can guarantee, you talk to anybody in my family, it's a legitimate hate," Mir said of Lesnar. "His very being bugs me just because I've seen a lot of children out there who look to athletes and martial artists as role models, and it just makes me cringe. I sit there and go, 'Man, I lost to this guy the second time around and now people think that's the way to be -- be big, obnoxious and angry.' That's not right. We have anger toward each other. Everything I stand for he despises and dislikes, and I can tell you I truly do not like him as a person whatsoever."
That's the raw emotional side of Mir's rivalry with Lesnar, but Mir also knows he needs to work on the physical side. And he said that working on his conditioning with former World's Strongest Man competitor Mark Philippi has made him a much bigger, stronger athlete than he was when he lost to Lesnar in July.
"Forty pounds among skilled athletes matters," Mir said. "A big guy as skilled as Lesnar, especially with his wrestling, is a whole different scenario. I don't know if I'll ever be as strong as Brock Lesnar -- he seems to have pretty good genetics in that category -- but I think I can close the gap."
But as much as he's thinking about Lesnar, Mir was careful to make clear that he's not looking past his UFC 111 opponent, Shane Carwin. In fact, Mir called Carwin "a better version" of Lesnar.
"He poses the same threat as Brock does as far as his wrestling ability, but Carwin has knocked out several people now," Mir said. "No one has made it past the first round with this guy."
....good for him.
(http://mmajunkie.com/dyn/images/fighters/mariusz-pudzianowski.jpg)
Highly touted super heavyweight rookie Mariusz Pudzianowski (1-0), a five-time World's Strongest Man champion, looks to follow up his successful December 2009 mixed-martial-arts pro debut with a follow-up fight on May 7.
Officials from KSW, a promotion based in Pudzianowski's native Poland, today announced the 33-year-old returns at KSW XIII, though an opponent has not been revealed.
The booking means a potential April 23 matchup with ex-UFC champ Tim Sylvia (25-6) is now unlikely.
As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) reported over the weekend, the Pudzianowski fight was one of three Sylvia and agent Monte Cox had been considering. The Korean-based fight promotion Moosin reportedly hoped to host the Pudzianowski vs. Sylvia fight at the DCU center in Worcester, Mass.
When Cox spoke to MMAjunkie.com, the fight was in advanced negotiations but not signed. (Legislation sanctioning MMA in Massachusetts goes into effect today.)
The May 7 KWA card will be held in Katowice rather than Warsaw for a larger venue (the 11,000-seat Spodek arena) that can accommodate more fans. Pudzianowski first fight, which ended in a submission victory (due to strikes) over Marcin Najman, was watched by approximately 15 percent of Poland's 38 million residents. Polsat, the country's second largest television station, aired the show and will broadcast the next one, as well.
Mamed Khalidov, who recently defeated Sengoku champion Jorge Santiago in a non-title fight and gets a shot at the belt on March 7 Sengoku Raiden Championships 12, is also expected to compete on the card, though his opponent also was not named.
--MMAJUNKIE
After berating UFC president Dana White on several media outlets in recent months, 41-year-old boxing champion James Toney (72-6 Boxing, 0-0 MMA) has reportedly signed a multi-fight agreement with the Las Vegas-based promotion.
The report was issued Tuesday by FiveOuncesOfPain.com citing sources close to negotiations, and MMAFighting.com's Mike Chiappetta has since confirmed the deal after speaking to White.
Toney, the current NABO and IBA heavyweight champion, pitched himself to White before cameras following UFC 108 in January and afterward blasted the UFC president for what he considered a "laughable" offer to fight in the octagon.
Ever since, Toney has taken every opportunity to challenge White for a contract.
"Dana White is a straight up ho!" Toney told Fighthype.com this past week. "He makes me a five-fight offer for chump change and said I can't box anymore if I accept it. He must have lost his damn mind."
It appears talks have brightened considerably since then.
At least one UFC fighter will welcome Toney into the cage.
"I think a lot of people would pay to see that," UFC heavyweight contender and "The Ultimate Fighter 10" winner Roy Nelson recently told Steve Cofield of Yahoo! Sports.
A timetable for Toney's debut is unknown at the time of this writing. Requests to the UFC for comment by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) were not immediately answered.
The 41-year-old Toney's most recent fight was this past September when he defeated Matthew Greer by TKO in a boxing match. Prior to that, he defeated Fres Oquendo for the vacant NABO and IBA heavyweight belts.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski (15-7 MMA, 0-1 SF) has signed a multi-fight, 16-month deal with Strikeforce and is expected to fight former EliteXC title-holder Antonio Silva (13-2 MMA, 0-1 SF) at the organization's May 15 event in St Louis, Mo.
Arlovski announced the deal on his official Web site.
The Silva fight, first reported by Sherdog.com, was and later confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) by a source close to the Brazilian who said the fight will be part of the night's Showtime-televised main card.
Strikeforce, of course, hosts its next major show on April 17 when middleweight champ Jake Shields takes on recent signee Dan Henderson in a CBS-televised main event.
Arlovski fights for the first time since Strikeforce's initial St. Louis show, which took place in June 2009. There, he suffered a 22-second TKO loss to Brett Rogers, which followed a first-round knockout to Fedor Emelianenko at "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" six months prior.
Prior to the back-to-back losses, the former UFC superstar had posted five consecutive wins and reemerged as one of the world's top-five heavyweight fighters.
He can get his career back on track against Silva, whose six-fight win streak recently came to an end with a close but unanimous decision loss to Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce's November 2009 debut on CBS. Silva posted the win streak with now-defunct EliteXC promotion (where he defeated Justin Eilers for the title) and World Victory Road's Japanese-based Sengoku event series.
A source close to the fighter told MMAjunkie.com Silva was also under consideration for a fight with Rogers.
---------------------------
Alistair Overeem (32-11 MMA, 2-0 SF) wants American fans to get ready. There are no more obstacles in the way of his American MMA career; Strikeforce is the priority for 2010.
In an exclusive interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) today, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion said he is likely to meet Brett Rogers (10-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) in a non-title fight on an as-yet-unannounced card set for May 15 in St. Louis, Mo.
Although Strikeforce has not placed an event permit request to the Missouri State Athletic Commission, all signs point to a second trip to the 22,000-seat Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
The promotion made its first visit there this past June for "Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler."
Overeem announced the Rogers fight earlier today on his Twitter account but clarified that the matchup is not confirmed. He also added that a rumored appearance at DREAM.13 against Neil Grove or Josh Barnett is also unconfirmed.
"I'll know this week," he said.
Keeping up with the Dutch fighter's schedule has proven a difficult task for American fans. Overeem was slated to face Rogers at "Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler" in 2009 before he injured his hand in an Amsterdam nightclub brawl and suffered severe complications, which he said shelved him for a follow-up appearance two months later against Fabricio Werdum at "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg."
Just 11 days after the proposed Werdum fight, Overeem entered the 2009 K-1 Grand Prix and made two appearances for the kickboxing promotion before he lost to Badr Hari in the tournament's semifinals. Along the way, he picked up two MMA wins (via submission over Tony Sylvester and James Thompson) before he defeated Kazuyuki Fujita in his most recent appearance at the Dec. 31 "Dynamite!! 2009" event in Japan.
Overeem has not defended his title since November 2007, when he won the vacant belt by defeating Paul Buentello at "Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives."
Overeem's manager, Bas Boon, said his fighter made far more money competing for K-1 and assured American fans he will return in April or May. Boon, though, would not confirm the Rogers bout.
Meanwhile, Overeem said he hopes to fight in the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix but that Strikeforce obligations come first.
"If I can do K-1 after these fights or in between, that's OK, but if not, then I will go for Strikeforce," he said. "It's been too long. Last year was a good year in K-1, but this year, I want to fight in MMA."
The chance of a long-rumored fight with Fedor Emelianenko appears to be a longshot. Emelianenko will not appear on Strikeforce's second CBS-televised event, which is set for April 17 in Nashville, Tenn., and he is currently in a contract dispute with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion. He is rumored to be fighting on the May 15 card against an unnamed opponent.
While Overeem counts the top-ranked Russian among his targets stateside, there is too much red tape between them.
"Fedor doesn't want to fight," Overeem said. "His manager doesn't want to fight. That's basically the message I'm getting out of all of this. The management said, 'Yeah, we want to fight Alistair, but first, Alistair must fight somebody else.' Basically, you need two parties to agree on a fight. Otherwise it's not going to happen.
"And now, I don't know what is going to happen because I think [Fedor] might want to leave Strikeforce. I'm not really occupied with the situation; I'm just focused on myself and my training."
Overeem was more than happy, though, to take on Rogers, who has called him out on several occasions and demanded he defend his title or give up the belt.
"He's an excellent opponent," Overeem said. "I'm looking forward to [smacking] his face and his loud mouth. I'm really happy that Strikeforce came with this fight so now we can settle things once and for all."
Rogers manager, Mike Reilly, declined to comment on a potential fight between Rogers and Overeem.
"I don't think it's going to be for the title because [Brett] lost to Fedor," Overeem said. "He’s coming off a loss, so I don't think they're going to put it for the title, but it's up to the promotion."
Rogers fights for the first time since his November loss to Emelianenko at Strikeforce's first CBS-televised event. The TKO defeat snapped his 10-fight win streak (all of the wins came via stoppage due to strikes), which included Strikeforce victories over Abongo Humphrey and Andrei Arlovski.
After a long absence, Overeem intends to prove his critics wrong and make his mark once again in the U.S.
"If people take the time to look what the situation is, there's no secrets; there's no strange stuff going on," he said. "I can look you in the face and answer your questions. Then they'll see that things turn out the way they turn out.
"There are no obstacles for me."
He's kicking the sonova bitch with some Nikes on. I only imagine that had to hurt more than the punches.
Roger Gracie (2-0 MMA, 0-0 SF), a 2005 ADCC champion, finally is set to make his Strikeforce debut on May 15.
Sources close to the event told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman (17-14 MMA, 0-1 SF) is the leading candidate to face the grappling ace at the as-yet-unannounced show, which is likely to be hosted by the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., and air live on Showtime.
Randleman, however, is not confirmed as an opponent, and PRIDE and UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokodjou (7-6 MMA, 0-1 SF) is also under consideration should the original matchup fizzle.
Gracie, a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu under Carlos Gracie Jr., announced he had signed with Strikeforce this past December at "Strikeforce: Evolution," though his promotional debut was rumored and did not materialize on two fall 2009 cards.
Gracie, 32, is one of the most decorated grapplers to transition into MMA and made his fighting debut in December 2006 with a submission victory over Ron Waterman. He has appeared only once since then and posted a submission victory over Japanese veteran Yuki Kondo in May 2008 at World Victory Road's Sengoku Second Battle.
Randleman returned to active competition in May 2008 after a year-plus layoff due to injuries and personal problems. He fell short in his two most recent appearances: a unanimous-decision loss to Mike Whitehead this past June at "Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields" and a split0decision loss to Stanislav Nedkov at Sengoku 11th Battle this past November.
Sokodjou, meanwhile, is also on a two-fight slide with TKO losses to Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (in a non-title fight) at at "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers" and Ikuhisa Minowa at "K-1 Dynamite!! 2009."
The May 15 Strikeforce event is expected to feature the return of Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem as he takes on the hard-hitting Brett Rogers. Another heavyweight match-up pitting Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski is also expected for the card.
Gracie’s debut is slated for the televised portion of the May 15 event.
Watching Big Timmieh! fight this guy would be epic hysteria
who's Big Timmieh?
Tim Sylvia
GSP/Hardy
Mir/Carwin
Fitch/Alves
Nuff said, gonna be epic.
GSP wins via utter raping. 2nd round TKO stoppage
Mir wins 1st round submission
Alves wins split decision.
I think Fitch/Alves could be boring if Fitch just takes Alves down, but my hopes are high.
What do you guys think?
GSP rapes him ans skull fucks him 1st round stoppage , I don't like hardy that much
Carwin pulls off upset submmission 2nd round
Alves takes out fitch 2nd round tko
GSP via 4th round stoppage
Carwin via 2nd round TKO
Alves via 2nd round TKO
I like the debat about Mir/Carwin.
I can see either guy winning, but what do you guys think will be the edge for either?
I think Mir's disadvantage against guys like Brock/Carwin who are monsters was that he was always undersized. Now that Mir is fucking huge and being the best submission fighter along with Big Nog combined with his legit stand up I think gives him the edge.
That being said, tho Carwin isn't that skilled with submissions, hes just one of those guys. One punch and its over, doesn't matter if its Fedor or Mir. Game over.
Ill still see Carwin taking Mir down, and getting caught.
It's going to be a top night of action whatever way the fights go.
I can't see Hardy doing anything against GSP - they're not just in different ball parks when it comes to skill, they're in different fucking games. Punchers chance for Hardy? Got to get close enough to hit him first and I don't see that happening. Hardy is tough as hell but this one is going the way of Sanchez vs. Penn - one guy outclassing the other and picking him apart at will.
Mir/Carwin is a much tougher call. Carwin is a fucking beast. I mean seriously he looks almost as big and powerful as Brock. Mir obviously has the skills and from his past couple of fights he's got his head in the game and a point to prove - he wants to beat Lesner for the Title. I reckon Mir takes this one, but not without the fight of his life.
Fitch/Alves could be awesome, could be boring as hell. Obviously hoping for the former and I reckon Alves takes this one via TKO.
I'm going to my brothers to watch this on Sat, then WM on Sunday. Beers, weed, junk food plus these two awesome events!! Bring on the weekend!!!
Peace
Duckman
This is a solid card.
Dan Hardy certainly has a way with words. My favourite Hardy zing regarding GSP is this:
"He'll have to change his name to GPS after I hit him to find out where he is."
Clever lad.
It won't be enough, though. Heh. If he wasn't able to knock out Davis, Gono or Swick, then I highly doubt he'll be able to do the same to GSP. Especially with one punch. Anything is possible, but since GSP lost to Serra, he has significantly improved his game. He's not as careless as he once was.
I think Carwin has a better chance than most due to his ridiculous power. He also has a college wrestling background. Frank Mir is known to wilt once he gets hit with real power, so it's entirely possible that the same could happen in this fight. That's what makes it so compelling.
The Alves/Fitch fight is what I'll be most looking forward to... Fitch beat him a few years back, but I think Alves has improved much more than Fitch since then. He also has incredible takedown defense. This fight will be on its feet and Alves will surely pick Fitch apart.
Ben Saunders vs. Jake Ellenberger is another stellar fight. Both are young up-and-comers and this fight will prove who is more ready to take on tougher competition. A lot on the line here.
Can't wait!
It's certainly going to be a great event to watch. Plus with WM the following night this is a top weekend of TV viewing, beer drinking and weed smoking! So hyped for this!!
Peace
Duckman
http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Update-Alves-Out-Saunders-In-Against-Fitch-at-UFC-111-23445 (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Update-Alves-Out-Saunders-In-Against-Fitch-at-UFC-111-23445)
Alves is out of UFC 111 and Ben Saunders is stepping up to take on Fitch. Big fight for Saunders.
GSP's a helluva a fighter but I'm not too convinced. His last six fights, since losing to Serra go as follows:
Koscheck - Decision
Hughes - Armbar (Bearing in mind Hughes was past in prime by then anyway)
Serra - Knees (Serra isn't a top WW and never has been)
Fitch - Decision
Penn - Corner Stoppage (Penn's still a natural LW at the end of the day)
Alves - Decision
OK, GSP did dominate with his wrestling skills, but if Hardy's claims (and what people who train with him say) are true and he's got a solid ground game maybe this one isn't has straight forward as it looked. Repo, you might question Hardy's ability to "finish" but GSP isn't exactly doing any better. Personally I see this going to a decision for GSP because his wrestling skills are out of this world. But if Hardy can get this fight to the feet for some time, he might be able to do something.
Gono rocked him, but then it's good for a fighter to get hurt! Yet Hardy did mash him up well too. The last time anyone stopped Swick was in 04, and Davis has pro boxing experience.
alves out.......bruuuutal.
Quote from: Cory on March 25, 2010, 03:21:44 PM
alves out.......bruuuutal.
Yep. From what I've read, he failed a CAT scan or something of the sort. It's possible that he'll be put on the 112 card instead.
Ben Saunders is replacing him to take on Jon Fitch.
I wonder where that leaves Jake Ellenberger? I hope they can find an opponent for him. I enjoy his fights.
if Alves goes at 112....why doesn't Fitch wait a month?
It's been confirmed that if Ben Saunders can beat Jon Fitch (#2 Welterweight in the world), then he'll receive a title shot against the winner of GSP/Hardy.
Apparently the situation (<^lol) with Alves is pretty serious. Career threatening even. Some sort of imbalance in his brain was found via a CT scan. Who knows what would have happened if there wasn't a mandate to get those types of scans. Not every athletic commission requires it. Scary.
And Jake Ellenberger will not fight. He will be paid his show and win money, though.
A lightweight fight between Kurt Pellegrino vs. Fabricio Camoes will be added to the main card.
All this courtesy of the place where I get all my MMA news: www.bloodyelbow.com
So pumped for tonight, getting some donair, its going to be a fucking time.
Best ppv on paper for a while.
Carwin came up big tonight, huge hands.
Fitch is VERY BORING, but highly effective.
How about Palharas ripping buddies leg to shit? hell probably get a fine.
...........and thats why GSP is the p4p best fighter in the world.
This show went just as I was hoping...I just hope when it's all clear they'll give Cain the next title shot instead of making it another Mir number one contender bout.
it Brock vs Carwin next
number one shot will more then likely Del santos vs Cain winner gets the winner of Brock and carwin
Pellegrino looked great. Nice Rubix Cube to get out of the rear naked choke. X_X
Carwin dominated. Why do they bill him as 6'5? Mir was taller and Brock was a good two inches taller than him too.
Hardy showed some good heart and that's admirable, but the only "not knowing the meaning of tap" is going to suck when he gets in there with someone who doesn't give a fuck about snapping his limbs.
Quote from: Ragged on March 28, 2010, 06:04:00 PM
Pellegrino looked great. Nice Rubix Cube to get out of the rear naked choke. X_X
Carwin dominated. Why do they bill him as 6'5? Mir was taller and Brock was a good two inches taller than him too.
Hardy showed some good heart and that's admirable, but the only "not knowing the meaning of tap" is going to suck when he gets in there with someone who doesn't give a fuck about snapping his limbs.
agree. GSP one point in that kurma kind back off little . guy going to say fuck it and snap crackle and pop his arm and then said he should have tap
From what Dana White is saying Cain will get the winner of Lesnar/Carwin at the end of the year, which means he'll have a 10 month layoff until then. Dos Santos has beaten tougher competition, imo... But he'll get his shot eventually.
Yeah, I wasn't surprised with how Fitch dominated Saunders and GSP controlling Hardy. His shoot were incredible. So fast.
Overall, I'd say it was definitely the best card of the year so far... I'm sure they'll be better in the next ...week. Hah.
Don't forget Fight Night on Spike featuring Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi ... Plus a few other great fights. Should be awesome.
Yes, Florian/Gomi is going to be fucking sick!
I forgot to mention that It'll be live this Wednesday!! Either 9 or 10 PM/EST
*in UFC commercial dude's voice*
Check your local listings...
also
Roy "Big Country" Nelson and Stevan Strueve(SP?) whos 6'11" and can really fucking fight
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b278/augiemax/MMA%20Roundup/nashville_11x17_medium.jpg)
He fights like Lesnar does. Attack, get you down, MAUL.
Scary to think what a year or two of training can do for the five time worlds strongest man.
Quote from: Kise on March 07, 2010, 02:44:33 AM
He's kicking the sonova bitch with some Nikes on. I only imagine that had to hurt more than the punches.
He's fighting Marc!!!
So episode one is down, and all I can say arguably the best start to a season yet.
Alot of KO's/Finishes, and a fucking war between Chris Camozzi & Victor O'Donnell, and a disgusting nose break in the last fight.
I think this season will make up for the last few lackluster ones.
Sorry dude, but this has been long announced, maybe a few months now.
(http://i44.tinypic.com/nx6dza.jpg)
Heres the nose break
It was nasty , I like the guy with the green black hair , he is nasty
How bout that black dude that fought first, 0 punches thrown, just 4 straight head kicks for the KO like 12 seconds in.
I like his odds.
Yeah i want to see what else he can bring , his shown he can kick. if he has some ground game he going to hard to beat
yeah it looks like going to be a great season
Oh one more thing the French guy a pussy
lol
lol cory cut him some slack he just getting back on the fourm
* Champ Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia (for middleweight title)
* Champ B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar (for lightweight title)
* Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie
* Rafael dos Anjos vs. Terry Etim
* Kendall Grove vs. Mark Munoz
Im really wanting to see Renzo/Hughes more than any other fight, as Penn/Edger shouldn't be really close, and Silva is going to murder Maia.
Awesome start, probably the best opening to a TUF season yet!
Jamie Yager's head kick was insane. Brad Tavares also looked vicious, as did Clayton McKinney and pretty much everyone who won their fight.
If I were to make an early pick for the finals, I'll go with Kyle Noke vs. Nick Ring, they seem to be the top 2 this season, on paper at least.
Noke especially should make it to the finals. Not only is he a vet and holds a win over George Sotiropolous.... but he used to wrestle freakin' crocodiles with Steve Irwin haha.
Nick Ring is a very talented fighter, I believe he's 10-0 and he looked great in his first fight on the show, he really impressed Tito, wouldn't be surprised if Ring was Tito's first pick. Either him or Yager.
As for Chuck, not sure who he will pick first but apparently whoever that person is, will be the first to fight next week according to the commercials "chuck's first pick is the first to fight".
Tito want nick ring he already said it , more like put a neon sign saying i want this guy
Yeah, I've heard a lot of good things about Noke and Ring. They should both make it relatively far this season. Yager is a wildcard. He's flashy as hell and entertaining to watch, but what happens when someone takes him down? He's the most marketable by far though... he has the look and stand up skills... if he were to have good takedown defense and decent jiu-jitsu, then he'd be a stud. He's a work-in-progress at the moment... I don't really know what to expect of him, which is intriguing.
They should really just focus on the fights, IMO. The shit that goes down in the house is pointless... Unless we get some cool behind the scenes footage of their work outs, then that's fine, but I'm not interested in who jizzes in someone's fruit salad or any of that. lulz..
I think the Maia and Silva fight is a lot closer than people think. Maia is literally the best jiu-jitsu practitioner in MMA. In the world. Ever. Seriously. Silva is phenomenal on the feet and could easily take him out, but he could just as easily be pulled into Maia's guard, then things would get very interesting.
I still expect Silva to win but I wouldn't be surprised if he were submitted. He's been subbed a few times by far inferior talent.
The BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar fight is as one sided as it gets. Everything Edgar does good BJ does MUCH MUCH better. I think Frankie's resilience and speed will keep him in the fight longer than people expect, but BJ will finish him eventually later in the 3rd or 4th round.
The Hughes and Renzo fight is a bit of a joke. Since Matt can't beat any relevant fighters anymore the UFC is going to put him in with well known trainers who haven't shown they can compete in MMA as fighters. Renzo has OK jiu-jitsu for MMA. He's a great teacher... Hell, he teaches Maia, but he isn't strong enough to force Hughes into any submissions. Matt is also pretty good at them himself. I highly doubt he'll get caught in anything. I fully expect Matt to do here what he did to Royce a few yrs back. Not very interested in this fight at all.
Terry Etim has a ton of potential. A lot of people think he could be the Lightweight version of GSP. I don't think he can be that good, but I definitely think he has what it takes to be a contender as he progresses into a well-rounded fighter. Easy win for him here.
Munoz KO's Grove or gets submitted by him. Munoz looks far better at Middleweight than when he fought at Light Heavyweight. And he trains at Black House. I expect him to win here with a nice KO or TKO.
the show is the house , you get see the real them , fights are great what open the eyes of many of fans are the personally of the fighters you do not get from just the fights
It was a great first episode. I loved that we got to see them fight to get in the house and that broken nose was brutal! lol
Silva/Maia will either be Silva KO'ing him early, or EXACTLY what we saw in Silva/Leites. A boring fight, with random submission guy trying to pull guard.
Ring's Canadian, so I wish him the best, but Im going to have to cheer for Camozzi for that war he put on.
Quote from: Cory on April 04, 2010, 11:25:24 AM
Ring's Canadian, so I wish him the best, but Im going to have to cheer for Camozzi for that war he put on.
Yeah that was a great fight, I hope they bring Victor back in the wildcard, hopefully against Lynch.
I'd like to see Chris fight either Brad Tavares, Jamie Yager or Kris McCray because either of those fights would be back and forth wars.
I wonder if Yager has a ground game tho? Ring's a wrestler, and Yager looks like he's 100% striking
Quote from: Cory on April 04, 2010, 07:56:21 PM
I wonder if Yager has a ground game tho? Ring's a wrestler, and Yager looks like he's 100% striking
In the TUF Aftermath show on Spike.com, Dana mentioned Yager at the tryouts for the grappling portion. He said Yager was so cocky that he told Joe Silva to "find someone who can really put it to this kid", so they matched up him up with some grappler out of Karo Parisyan's camp. which obviously means he must have been a super strong Judo guy.
White said Yager didn't get submitted but pretty much got dominated for the whole duration of the roll. I think Yager will struggle against wrestlers like Ring and Blanchard but his striking is vicious so if he can keep it standing I think he has a good shot of at least making the final four.
BTW, Stephan Bonnar is hilarious as the aftermath host this season lol.
http://www.ultimatefighter.com/full-episodes/tuf-11/the-aftermath-smashed-upol (http://www.ultimatefighter.com/full-episodes/tuf-11/the-aftermath-smashed-upol).
from mmajunkie
--As expected former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (25-6) will take on five-time World's Strongest Man champion Mariusz Pudzianowski (1-0) on May 21 in what will be the first event in the newly sanctioned state of Massachusetts.
"Moosin: God of Martial Arts" is a pay-per-view event hosted by promoters Corey Fischer and (and event competitor) Eric "Butterbean" Esch set for the 15,000-seat DCU Center in Worcester.
Many notables from the card, which includes UFC veterans, will take part in press conferences Monday in Boston and Tuesday in New York City.
The media events are not open to the public.
Sylvia returns to competition for the first time since his first-round TKO of Jason Riley at Adrenaline MMA IV in September. Prior to the fight, which came at super heavyweight, Sylvia had posted three consecutive losses, which included a UFC defeat to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, an Affliction loss to Fedor Emelianenko, and a disappointing nine-second knockout defeat to 48-year-old boxer Ray Mercer at Adrenaline MMA III.
Pudzianowski, meanwhile, looks to make a successful follow-up to his December pro MMA debut in the KSW organization. The fight, which ended in a submission victory (due to strikes) over Marcin Najman, was watched by approximately 15 percent of his native Poland's 38 million residents.
Surprisingly, Pudzianowski is already booked to fight on another KSW show on May 7, just two weeks before the Sylvia fight. There, he meets Japanese fighter and longtime DEEP fighter Yusuke Kawaguchi (11-1).
He's a beast and look forward to seeing this
Leites is a carbon copy of Maia. Brilliant BJJ but nothing else. Maia isn't going to be able to take him down, so his BJJ is neutralized. Silva will murder him standing up. There's always a "Serra" possibility in MMA, but there's 98% chance this one's over in the first round by KO (especially since Maia's chin ain't great either).
In contrast, I think Edgar vs. Penn is more interesting. Frankie's boxing has been awesome lately and he's fought some tough dudes. He's a solid wrestler too. It's fair to say everything he can do, BJ does do better (but when is that never the case?) - but I think he stands a better chance. I can't see him knocking BJ out, or subbing him, but a decision might go his way if he can reproduce some of the boxing he's been showing as of late.
Hughes and Gracie is a joke.
Screw that, Hughes/Gracie is going to be the show stealer.
2 old farts with nothing to lose, I see it being Nog/Couture, and not Couture/Coleman.
Silva is going to destroy Maia. I REALLY want a close fight to come out of this, but the UFC titles are pretty much dead locked to their holders (minus Machida that is). I mean, even some like Griffin, who may be lack luster as a whole, but always makes a fight out of scraps, was totally embarassed my Silva. I don't see Maia being able to do much, especially since Anderson really needs to show that he can have an entertaining fight with a BJJ guy, especially after Leites.
I shouldn't even need to BJ vs Edgar, it's going to be an easy night for Penn.
I dislike Hughes, he bores the hell out of me, and I find myself biased towards Gracie (He's a founder/supporter of the Martial Arts gym I go to). But, I'm gonna say Hughes has this one no problem. I mean, even if Renzo can get him to the ground, Hughes will probably be able to sweep and control his ass the way a big wrestler like him should. Heres to hoping Renzo can catch a limb.
WOW... You guys.... lulz... (except E-1... he knows where it's at)
The Hughes and Gracie fight is a JOKE... Gracie has never been a good MMA fighter. He's a fantastic trainer but he hasn't been able to translate it to the cage/octagon. It's going to be a one-sided beatdown.
Same with BJ and Edgar. BJ is going to do the same thing he did to Sanchez. He'll completely outclass him until he decides to finish. Edgar brought Sean Sherk to a close decision, while BJ completely destroyed Sherk. Remember that.
Maia is WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better than Leites when it comes to jiu-jitsu. It isn't even close. If ANYONE could submit Silva today it's Maia. If he gets it to the ground, then it's over. Maia's black belt makes Silva's black belt look amateurish considering how much better he is than him on the ground.
Quote from: The Canadian Repo on April 05, 2010, 06:47:28 PM
Maia is WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better than Leites when it comes to jiu-jitsu. It isn't even close. If ANYONE could submit Silva today it's Maia. If he gets it to the ground, then it's over. Maia's black belt makes Silva's black belt look amateurish considering how much better he is than him on the ground.
That's the thing really, IF he can get him to the ground and keep him there; Maia has this. Sure, Silva is no BJ "Rubberband Man" Penn, but he still boasts a considerable ability to keep himself on his feet. And no doubt he's training to keep it there against Maia.
Renzo the fucking man.
He's had a few piss poor performances against Pat Milatech, but w/e.
Hes the man.
Quote from: Cory on April 05, 2010, 08:41:56 PM
Renzo the fucking man.
He's had a few piss poor performances against Pat Milatech, but w/e.
Hes the man.
Pat Milatech is world class , so having a bad fight vs him does not make you a bad fighter
I am gracie mark ...so I pretty much cheer for him the whole time
Wait Tim got knocked out by Ray mercer ? WTF
....yeah......it was hilarious
Don't get me wrong, I hope Renzo beats Hughes. I just think it's highly unlikely. Considering Hughes is a shadow of his former self, I guess anything is possible. But I really don't like Renzo's chances.
All those three fights should go to BJ, Silva and Hughes.
Maia definitely has the best chance to upset out of the three fights, which is why I was so adamant about his chances to win. I wouldn't be surprised if he won, but I don't necessarily think he will either.
Looking forward to this Saturday. Should be interesting.
Nate Lawson and I were joined with MMAMania's Derek Bolender to run down the UFC 112 card for this weekend. Would love to hear some feedback. We're not quite as entertaining as the efed knights though (:p). This is our fourth episode, we're still new at this lol.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/natelawson/2010/04/07/punchers-chance-radio-462010 (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/natelawson/2010/04/07/punchers-chance-radio-462010)
Wow, Tito actully got all of the guys I liked.
Yager, Camozzi, McKinney, and Ring.
So it looks like I have a clear cut team to root for.
Sucks that McKinney lost, was really cheering for the dude after that war, but I REALLY liked what Tito did after the fight, kinda making him learn from his mistake.
Quote from: Cory on April 01, 2010, 09:38:08 PM
How bout that black dude that fought first, 0 punches thrown, just 4 straight head kicks for the KO like 12 seconds in.
I like his odds.
I was not impressed with him after seeing that fight... Yeah he has awesome head kicks but it was more of a testament of his opponents lack of skills then about his skills... The opponent pretty much let the kicks happen and did nothing to make the guy think twice about it... His first kick was a tester and then the second was like of I see you are not going to block and then the rest was simply... OK IF YOU WONT BLOCK THEN LETS DO THIS...
I would like to see him against a wrestler and if he holds his own then I will be impressed... Not saying he sucks ofcourse because they were really nice kicks...
for those streaming, remmeber that the PPV is at 1pm est
fuck i forgot it in the middle east.
(http://cdn0.sbnation.com/fan_shot_images/108985/tuf-11-revealed1.jpg)
looks like liddell vs franklin on the poster
yeah, tito leaves the show, but for the sake of enjoying the season, I havent really looked into why he left.
should be another intresting twist, as Tito is actually a really good coach.
true tito is a good coach , it has to something really personal if he does leave the show, Franklin a good guy too so i have no problem with him as replacement .
Halfway through.
**SPOLIERS**
Mark Munoz def. Kendall Grove, 2nd round TKO in what I think will end up fight of the night, Grove fucked him up in the first round, but Munoz has SICK ground n pound.
Dos Anjos def. Etim 2nd round armbar. Not a high pace fight, but wasn't boring.
Hughes def. Gracie 3rd round TKO. Kinda disappointed in Gracie, as this fight didn't go to the ground once. Gracie won the 1st round, but after that Hughes dominated, and finished the fight late.
Edgar v/s Penn is up now.....
wow, first 2 rounds done and I have Edgar winning both.
.....could be a HUGE upset this evening.
going into the championship round.....and I cant say BJ Penn is winning.
wow.......Frankie Edgar wins.
......wow.
New UFC Lightweight Champion
I dont know about that one, but he fought his ass off.
Anderson Silva v/s Maia is up....can we get 2 upsets in one night?
1st round done, Silva is making a joke of this.
silva is making a joke of this......but its 3rd round, why hasn't he finished him? Silva I think lacks finishing ability....as amazing as that is.
Silva/Leites anyone?
anderson silva def. maia via boring decision. I liked how literally EVERYONE was pissed @ Silva.
I personally see both sides as he put on yet another shitty showing because the person who he was fighting was sub par in comparison to him... But on that same note if he forces it and goes balls out and gets caught everyone will be like "wtf did he do that for"
Silva is a great fighter and I am dying to see the fight with Pierre...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qb5xo5LKhU&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qb5xo5LKhU&feature=player_embedded)
from BloodyElbow.com
QuoteAnderson Silva seriously considering a drop to 170 pounds:
"I’d like to test myself and I always love to take on new challenges," Silva said. "It’s not that I want to go fight Georges St. Pierre for his title. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the reigning champion, the absolute champion, in that weight category. But I just want to test myself and see how I’d do at that weight."
Silva, who recently signed a new eight-fight contract with the UFC, said he hasn’t made 170 pounds in about five years.
Aside from Silva's embarrassing UFC 112 fight, and Dana white counting it out, its been the major priority out of Silva's camp on working his way down to 170 and fighting GSP, rather than GSP move up in weight class.
I think after Silva fights Vitor Belfort, then he can, and if successful (I dont know if he will after UFC 112 performance) he will move down, as he walks around at 192. Guys like Thiago Alves and Paul Daley walk around 200+ and cut to 170, so its logical.
If this fight happened, it would be the biggest fight in MMA history, topping Fedor Emelianenko v/s Mirko Cro Cop back in 2006.
This fight would be so fucking great I would stop calling Gary a spic for a month... :o
I'd say I'd put all my money on GSP.
Silva is all about striking and reach, keeping his distance. GSP will just shoot and take him down....it wont be easy, but GSP won't stand and trade and CAN take him down. In the event where an amazing striker faces a amazing grappler, the grappler always wins.
Examples:
Cro Cop/Fedor
Bisping/Henderson
Alves/GSP
Hardy/GSP
Anyone/Couture
Personally i dont even understand Silvas thinking...
I mean he has already fought in the LHW division so why not take on one more fight in that division and wait to see if Shogun takes out Machida and if so take on Shogun for the LHW title... If not then talk about moving to 170 for GSP...
I mean ofcourse he could simply fight LHW, then defend his MW against Vitor and then fight Shogun if champion...
BJ looked fucking horrible in there. Sluggish, chubby around the waist line and with absolutely no desire to win the fight. I don't know if he didn't see Edgar as a real challenge but that was night and day compared to his performance against Diego Sanchez. He deserved to lose that fight. I had it 4 rounds to 1 in favour of Edgar.
As for Silva? It was entertaining for the first two rounds to see him doing all that Ali type trash talking and gestures but by the end he was just showing up Maia and made the fight look like a total joke. I laughed when he hid behind the referee at one point. It was still a piss take though, not exactly sportsman like conduct and it didn't do Maia's future in UFC much good. He was completely terrified of Silva's striking and no fucking wonder!! The fact he let it go to five rounds was just pathetic. Put the guy and the crowd out of their misery and finish the damn fight! I actually changed the channel at round 4 because it was pointless to watch and Real vs. Barca was kicking off on the other channel!
Loved the opening fight with Grove and Mark Munoz - one of the best comebacks I've seen in a while.
Gracie was a disgrace tonight. He'd gassed after about 30 seconds of round one. Did fuck all to even get near Hughes and by the end needed Hughes to help him off the mat?? That was the MMA version of Hogan vs. Flair.
Still, entertaining show and Dana White being pissed as hell in that press conference is awesome!
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Donnovan Midas on April 11, 2010, 12:21:33 AM
Personally i dont even understand Silvas thinking...
I mean he has already fought in the LHW division so why not take on one more fight in that division and wait to see if Shogun takes out Machida and if so take on Shogun for the LHW title... If not then talk about moving to 170 for GSP...
I mean ofcourse he could simply fight LHW, then defend his MW against Vitor and then fight Shogun if champion...
Same here man.
Plus after the shit he pulled at UFC 112 can you really see Dana White getting behind this fight with GSP? I think Silva did more damage to getting a fight with GSP with that performance than anything else.
If I were GSP, I'd tell the guy to fuck off, prove himself, win a fight like the best pound 4 pound fighter in the world, then come back to me.
I was just thinking, you reckon Fedor would ever fight the way Silva did?
I don't see this fight happening unless Silva makes some kind of public apology to White and the UFC and like Cory says, beats Belfort and proves himself as a championship fighter and not just some weird 'special attraction' kind of fighter like he did last night.
Peace
Duckman
After watching the fight i can see one fighter completely above the level of another figther. sliva was level above and pretty much show it. Maia was completely psych out and it showed . Sliva I had no problem with because he did what a champion suppose to do. The challenger there to take the title from him. Maia did not do shit , eveything he try he was getting stop ... takedown could not even get to him. Yeah maybe he could gone for the finish he done that before , but sometimes why risk getting caught why you know you got the guy You may not like how it look but right now Sliva still on top , and nobody has even come close to beating him in the UFC
My point with the Maia fight was that we all knew that Maia was no where near the fighter that Silva was and that Silva would own him...
But it seems to me like sometimes Silva hears shit like this and walks into the ring with no respect for his opponent which is fine to a extent but hell we all already think Maia is outclassed you dont have to fucking show it with mocking jestures and bullshit like that...
They are all fighters who are trying to earn a living and his living is secure as he is the best but Maia still needs to make a name for himself as top notch and he has the shit luck of being in the MW division with Silva... So Silva should go into the fight and demolish him and get the shit over with without mocking him or making him seem like a tool...
He makes everyone who watches the show think of Maia from this point on as a guy who got owned by Silva...
Look at GSP who dominated his last two fights against names that escape me right now, we all saw the fights and knew the guys got owned but afterwards we moved on and did not think less of the guys because GSP did not make them look like clowns just fighters who were outclassed... TOTAL 180 from what Silva does now...
I mean hell I agree he shouldnt go balls out and risk getting caught but we all saw the fight and knew that Maia had little chance of hurting Silva...
Isnt Wanderli Silva in the MW now? I mean if so I want to see him take on Anderson...
GSP and Lesnar (if he made the move to WW and HW....like he's said) would rip him apart.
GSP's last fighters were Dan Hardy & Thiago Alves.
And Midas hit the nail on the head exactly.
Silva's 'disrespected' Forrest, Leites, and now Maia. I usually love the guy that cocky and arrogant, but Silva, aside from the Griffin fight, just toyed with his opponent for five rounds. Yes, he's untouchable and a far better striker than his opponents.....but look who he has fought. Leties and Maia, both are heavy submission guys with no striking. I say its not all Silva's fault, but more of the UFC for giving him these fights.
Giving Silva Leities/Maia would be like, giving Mike Tyson v/s Royce Gracie back in the day in a boxing match. Someone who you can't take down, and your forced to strike with.
All I know is that before Silva leaves 185, hes going to have to fight Vitor Belfort and probably Chael Sonnen and those fights will be done this year. I see Sonnon giving him a good stylistic matchup, but much like Henderson, Sonnen is a good stocky wrestler, but Silva limbs are too long and hell be able to stop the ground n pound, if Sonnen can even grab him. Belfort on the other hand, I think can beat Silva. I've been saying it since Belfort was signed to fight Rich Franklin that he'll be the last guy at 185 to challenge Silva. Belfort is a better boxer than Silva, and has far more power than Silva.....
which essentially means for the first time since Patrick Cote (well he did break his leg in the 3rd in a freak accident) Anderson Silva will be fighting a pure striker, which WILL cause him problems.
All that being said, GSP would be Silva in a fight. GSP has the best wrestling in MMA, and would make Silva fight off his back and win the decision.
Quote from: Black Death on April 11, 2010, 12:32:04 PM
After watching the fight i can see one fighter completely above the level of another figther. sliva was level above and pretty much show it. Maia was completely psych out and it showed . Sliva I had no problem with because he did what a champion suppose to do. The challenger there to take the title from him. Maia did not do shit , eveything he try he was getting stop ... takedown could not even get to him. Yeah maybe he could gone for the finish he done that before , but sometimes why risk getting caught why you know you got the guy You may not like how it look but right now Sliva still on top , and nobody has even come close to beating him in the UFC
Can't agree with that at all BD. Silva is a champion, he's supposed to be the top representative of the company and the sport. He went in there and acted like a complete tool. Disrespected his opponent far too much and showed no traits that a real champion should have.
If he's the best fighter in the world, he wins his fights by stopping his opponent. Especially in a situation like last night.
There's showboating and then there's being a disrespectful prick and last night Silva was a prick. Great fighter, but still a prick who makes the sport look bad.
Peace
Duckman
plus he did it at the worst time.
UFC went to Abu DIabi to impress investors and to tap into one of the richest markets in the world and the show finished with an embarrassments. THATS why Dana's pissed, he just wont say it.
lol Agree he took it too far last night . He had the fight in hand by the third round , he could have and should have ended it . but play around to damn much . but that does not change the fact that he was pretty much untouchable against a pretty damn good fighter . What I want is a fight against Victor , after that if he wins then he can discuss moving up or down .
Quote from: Cory on April 11, 2010, 01:54:50 PM
plus he did it at the worst time.
UFC went to Abu DIabi to impress investors and to tap into one of the richest markets in the world and the show finished with an embarrassments. THATS why Dana's pissed, he just wont say it.
It can be salvage , but Dana would be more pissed at Gracie ... it gracie reasonship with the royal family namely the prince one of the reasons they were there . and I was sad to say Gracie was outclass in his fight .
yes, hes untouchable.....against a guy with no striking. Might as well had him fighting a amputee with both arms missing.
Quote from: Black Death on April 11, 2010, 02:03:58 PM
It can be salvage , but Dana would be more pissed at Gracie ... it gracie reasonship with the royal family namely the prince one of the reasons they were there . and I was sad to say Gracie was outclass in his fight .
Thats true to some extent. Yes they were hoping for a good showing from Renzo, but I'd say percentage it was like, 20% Renzo/Hughes, 30% Edgar/Penn, and 50% Silva/Maia. Theres no way Dana was hoping for a fight of the year from a 43 year old Ju Jitsu master.
They brought their 'p4p best fighter' to impress investors, and it didn't get done.
PS. Gracie sponsored by Man City.....for footy fans. Sam would find this intresting.....
(http://www.combatlifestyle.com/pics/albums/040910ufc/1066.jpg)
Quote from: Cory on April 11, 2010, 02:04:46 PM
yes, hes untouchable.....against a guy with no striking. Might as well had him fighting a amputee with both arms missing.
lol did we not called that few months back when Victor got hurt and Maia was announced to replace him . I know I said that . Silva is his own worst enemy right now .
I noticed that on fight day. He must have some connections with the Saudi billionaire who bought Man City.
As a showcase for the UFC that main event couldn't have gone any worse. Plus BJ Penn being so sluggish and disappointing must be another big annoyance for Dana White and UFC.
When the guys you're building your company on don't deliver it's a real kick in the balls.
Maybe the should have got Rampage vs. Evans in there? At least those two will throw some fucking punches!! lol.
Peace
Duckman
well at the post fight presser, Dana said he'll make up for this PPV to the fans.....so maybe a free PPV is in the mix? I can see either UFC 114 "Rashad/Rampage" being free....but the fact that the draw for that would be huge, I can more realistically see UFC 115 in Vancouver Free, with Liddell/Ortiz, Fitch/Alves, COuture/Franklin, being free.
UFC 115 I see free because , Rashad/Rampage is a gold mine . that shit is already sold out , people are chomping at the bit to see that one , well i know I am
Quote from: Black Death on April 11, 2010, 02:27:38 PM
UFC 115 I see free because , Rashad/Rampage is a gold mine . that shit is already sold out , people are chomping at the bit to see that one , well i know I am
Damn true man! I've been wanting to see that fight since Ep 1 of the last season of TUF!!
I'm praying Rampage comes in to the theme tune to the A-Team!! That would be hilarious!
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Black Death on April 11, 2010, 02:03:58 PM
It can be salvage , but Dana would be more pissed at Gracie ... it gracie reasonship with the royal family namely the prince one of the reasons they were there . and I was sad to say Gracie was outclass in his fight .
No way. This wasnt the main-event nor was the PPV put behind it. Although, Gracie got his butt whooped--I don't quite see how anyone could be ''angry'' at the result. Unless, I missed something Gracie didn't throw the towel in half way through the fight nor run around the ring for five minutes. Unprepared? Yes, but he defiently tried to keep himself in it.
Disgusting display from Anderson Silvia. I don't know what this guys problem is. No excuse for running around the ring, for three rounds especially when he clearly could have finished the fight. He's developed quite the ego and I hope GSP humbles, him.
^^
I think hes trying to get back at Dana for not letting him fight Roy Jones Jr. when he was set on fighting him. Thats what rumours have been saying, tho I wouldn't think to much into it.
This weekend
MAIN CARD
* Champ Jake Shields vs. Dan Henderson (for middleweight title)
* Champ Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (for light heavyweight title)
* Champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki (for Strikeforce lightweight title)
Watch this.....its free, and excellent fights. Sheilds/Hendo will be a good fight, two wrestlers means standup fight, and Hendo has sick knockout power (see Bisping).
Mousasi/Mo Lawal is going to be amazing. Easily the best prospect fighter in the world Mousasi against a freakishly strong suplex machine (Lawal is what Rampage was in PRIDE). This could be a fight of the year match.
Melendez/Aoki. If you saw Melendez/Thompson you know hes a slugger, and Aoki is maybe the best submission fighter in the world (yes, maybe better than Maia) and breaks peoples arms for fun. His last fight....well....
(http://i50.tinypic.com/29aqhbk.jpg)
Sick fighting spandex pants too.....
Card updated, this is going to be one of the greatest nights of my life.... I'm going up a week before with TJ Grant (see undercard) as he trains at the local gym, and lives up the road from me. I'll be stopped at the Tri-Star Gym (GSP's gym) hopefully to get some pictures/autographs while they prepared Patrick Cote. At best, hopefully GSP, Marquardt, and Rashad are there.
Here are my picks:
Champ Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (for light heavyweight title) - Rua finishes him this time. I'm going to boo the fuck out of Machida at the weigh ins and during the fight. Rua stops him in the 3rd, TKO.
Paul Daley vs. Josh Koscheck - I hate Koscheck, and I've been a fan of Daley since when he was fighting just in England. He's one of the best strikers in MMA, and a scary dude.
Jeremy Stephens vs. Sam Stout- This is going to be a slugfest between two boxers, but im going to back the Canadian on this one. Not being bias, but Stout looked like a title contender in his last fight against Joe Lauzon, tearing apart one of the top lightweights in the UFC.
Alan Belcher vs. Patrick Cote-- I got money on Cote getting back to form, and he's going to be a huge favourite in Quebec, but he might be a little rusty after that horrific injury against Anderson Silva, but training with GSP, I don't think ring rust will be a problem. Plus, got my fake ID and tix's to his after party.
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Matt Mitrione-- By far my favourite fight on the card, I've been a HUGE Kimbo fan since grade 9 when I did a film project on him and how badass he was as a street fighter. I hope to see him do well against Meat-head, after he looked VERY impressive against Houston Alexander. I want a Knockout in the 1st. Also got tix's to his afterparty....because they were only $13, so if he wins I might go to his instead in the 'Amsterdam of Canada'.....Quebec City.
Dana has confirmed that even factoring that Ortiz had to leave the show, his fight against Chuck Liddell will happen @ UFC 115 in Vancouver.
REALLY pissed about Camozzi getting kicked off. He was the best puncher on the show, showed tonnes of heart and really sucks, he was my choice to win.
Dana better give him another chance
The fight this show was really boring too......
Not a good episode, but hopefully next weeks looks like it'll be sick.
That poor poor door, I hope they get hazard pay for being a door on that show jking
Anyway, I thought the fight could of gone either way.
Well, from the preview for next week, it looks like Team Liddell is going to go 3-1 or 4-0, hence why Ortiz gets pissed. Also, with how bad Tito's temper is and how much of a sore loser he is, especially when it comes to Chuck, I wouldn't be surprised if Tito loses it so bad that Dana White asks him to step aside from coaching save it for the match.
^^
I highly doubt that, because there goes ratings out the door. Tito = Ratings.
I think it has to be something about health or Tito quitting.
if your a door on the show ...your fucked
Well, here's the thing; if Tito quit, would they still have him be the person who is facing Liddell? The answer would be no, because Dana White wouldn't stand for the bullshit; and it can't be health because let's face it, if Tito were so sick that he couldn't help the guys train and be their coach, he wouldn't be able to compete at UFC 115. So yeah, you can throw health right out the window.
Now, I think it is more likely that Tito loses it so bad, that it was a smarter decision financially to ask him to step aside because it will be a great build up for the match between him and Liddell. I mean, they'll tell you how Ortiz's hatred of Chuck is so great that he had to be asked to leave TUF so that the two didn't cause the other bodily harm before the match was set to occur. Now, that sounds like it has gold mine written all over it.
Okay, so I just saw an interview and White said that it will be Liddel vs Franklin and UFC 115. Now, this could mean that Tito got severely sick, he quit, or something happened between Liddell and Tito. No clue, and I don't want to know until they tell us on the show. Either way, I have a feeling that something happened between Liddell and Tito because White was hinting at it a little in the interview; but then again, he could have just been trying to throw the fans off.
Quote from: RickRampage on April 15, 2010, 06:20:07 PM
Okay, so I just saw an interview and White said that it will be Liddel vs Franklin and UFC 115. Now, this could mean that Tito got severely sick, he quit, or something happened between Liddell and Tito. No clue, and I don't want to know until they tell us on the show. Either way, I have a feeling that something happened between Liddell and Tito because White was hinting at it a little in the interview; but then again, he could have just been trying to throw the fans off.
Yeah, I should have included this in my post.
Im almost certain he quit, because if he was ill, it would have been heard of by now.
there is a backlash toward Dana for not revealing and lying to the public
Its not really lying.
It has a 'kimbo effect' like last season. Make everyone tune in until the thing happens. Why spoil it for everyone and not get the extra viewers?
I honestly would do the same thing if I was Dana.
Hey I got no problem with it . it really haters looking for for materials to run the sport down. MMA is fast growing to be a powerhouse sport , and many people do not like it to grow bigger and find any negative they can. I agree i would done the same thing .
Do you think with the hype of next weeks episode (2 fights in one show, and Tito fucking up the door) that itll be the one where the "event" happens?
I think it might be , it has to be early in the season when it happen. either this coming show one after that , but something bad happen , I still think illness , because tito is a business man and He knows this show will bring hype and exposer to him and fight , more hype , more build , more money
Ok so basically here is how it went down...
* Champ Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (for light heavyweight title)
This fight went the distance with the announcers talking it up like Gegard had a master plan of wearing out King Mo but truth was that he got a second wind in teh third round and simply dominated as all Gegard did was try to kick Mos head off...
King Mo NEW Strikeforce LHW Champ
* Champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki (for Strikeforce lightweight title)
The ref pissed me off during this fight because like in the 4th round I believe Aoki refused to get up several times and instead chased Melendez by scooting on his but so one time Melendez dove in and had Aoki rocked and ready to finish his ass off and the ref jumps in and warns Melendez as if he did somethig wrong it was bullshit... Basically Melendez one this one hands down...
* Champ Jake Shields vs. Dan Henderson (for middleweight title)
First round Hendo rocked Shields like 2 times and was about to finish him but Shields survived and then he looked scared as al hell... But then Shields owned Hendo on the ground for the next 4 rounds and won the fight hands down..
After the fight Shields was doing a interview and Jason Miller came in to hype up a rematch with Shields bny interupting the post fight interview but Melendez who was in Shields corner along with Diaz got in the face of Miller who made some comment and then Shields shoved him and a all out brawl happened with like 5-7 guys jumping all over miller including the LW Champ Melendez & WW champ Diaz... It was funny and they had to tackle Diaz and hold him down because we all know he has like a crazy temper and goes buck wild like that... I remembr when he got into a brawl with Frank Trigg in the hospital post fight like 5 years back...
Anyways it was a nice card...
I dont agree at all.
I'd say one of the worst Shows I've ever seen, and easily Strikeforces worst.
All 3 fights were terribly boring.
Mousasi/King Mo- Basically Mousasi gave him the fight. Mousasi aside from Wrestling is far better than King Mo in every way, but he didn't look like he gave a shit, and let a gassed wrestler shoot and take him down the entire fight. Mo did nothing on the ground except get pummeled by Mousasi. King Mo won the decision, in a horrible fight. 1.5/5
Melendez/Aioki wasn't much better. For the first 4 rounds, it was what I expected. Melendez getting a few strikes in and Aioki trying to wait for Gilbert to fall into his guard. Yawn fest, very little activity until the end of the 5th round where Melendez had already won every round and went for the finish. 2.5/5
Shields/Henderson was horrible. Hendo looked great in the 1st (only round worth watching), and then turned into Mousasi and looked like he didn't give a fuck. Sheilds continues to be dominate, but easily the borinest fighter in MMA. Shields has 0 finish ability, and I turned the fight off in the 4th round, as I was about to fall asleep. 3/5 (First round) 2/5 for the rest of the fight.
The post fight brawl was the only remotely exciting thing about the show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vau4RSvV834 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vau4RSvV834)
....u dont fuck with Nick Diaz.
WAR DIAZ
Location: Sacramento, Calif.
Venue: ARCO Arena
Broadcast: Pay-per-view ($44.99) and Spike TV
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
* Champ Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber (for featherweight title)
* Champ Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone (for lightweight title)
* Mike Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan
* Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller
* Antonio Banuelos vs. Scott Jorgensen
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
* Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung
* Alex Karalexis vs. Anthony Pettis
PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)
* Demetrious Johnson vs. Brad Pickett
* Chad Mendes vs. Anthony Morrison
* Takeya Mizugaki vs. Rani Yahya
* Tyler Toner vs. Brandon Visher
Aldo/Faber IMO has everything to be fight of the year......but if Aldo can knock out Faber.....he's going to move up in my p4p without a doubt. Cerrone/Henderson was a Fight of the Year candid. last year, and it's going to be a sick rematch, and Mike Brown/Manny Gamb. should be a slug fest.
Gonna be a sick night of fights.
I don't see what you are not agreeing with... The card was perfect for a CBS card and had 3 highly atinicpated fightes which I myself looked forward to... Hence why i said "Anyways it was a nice card"
You are probably assuming I meant "It was a nice SHOW" which I didn't say as I agree with you that I fastforward through alot of the rounds as they really had nothing spectacular going on...
Yeah I musta mis read. On paper, should have been a sick night of fights.
....on the mat, it was awful.
heres for Aldo/Faber to be fucking sick.
I personally think Shields should sign with the UFC now that it appears Strikeforce tried their best to make him lose his title...
Doesn't matter, he's a poor mans GSP.
GSP takes you down and embarrass you for 5 rounds, Shields takes you down and holds you there.
He's a dominat fighter tho, It would be nice to see his match-up against GSP or Silva.
Quote from: Cory on April 18, 2010, 09:10:56 PM
Doesn't matter, he's a poor mans GSP.
GSP takes you down and embarrass you for 5 rounds, Shields takes you down and holds you there.
He's a dominat fighter tho, It would be nice to see his match-up against GSP or Silva.
Last night was the first fight by shields with the exception of bits and pieces of the Miller fight...
First fight? as In boring fight?
Shields is a dominating fighter and is good at 170 where hes ment to be. He can finish @ 170, and even tho you might have to wait a round or two of boring wrestling, he can finish guys at 170 like Paul Daley, but at 185, he doesn't have the power advantage that he has at 170, so he has to resort to wrestling his way to a decisions in 185.
Sheilds should stick to 170 and not taint himself for being a boring fighter, by fighting at 185 and making people fall asleep watching him.
"I would like to formally apologize to CBS, Strikeforce and all fans of mixed martial arts for my role in the events following the 'Strikeforce: Nashville' event. In retrospect, my timing could not have been worse to ask for my rematch with Jake [Shields], and I take full responsibility for entering the cage and setting off a chain of events that cast a dark shadow on the sport. I've been a fighter and a fan of MMA for over 12 years and would never do anything to intentionally tarnish the sport I've given my life to. In the excitement of the moment, I let my emotions run high and made a bad choice that resulted in a debacle. For that, I sincerely apologize."
Taken from mayhemmiller.com
Damn boring show all round really. Just a snooze fest when I expected it to be something really special.
The brawl at the end was exciting but made everyone involved look incredibly bush league and like a bunch of trailer trash brawling over the last six pack. I reckon that was as bad for MMA as Silva clowing around like a cock last weekend.
Plus the show fucking TANKED in the ratings - 1.0!
No wonder Dana White updated his twitter with a simple :)
Total let down all round really.
Peace
Duckman
Because everyone probably turned off half way through the Mousasi fight.
Aldo/Faber oh someones getting knocked the fuck out , I calling that right now . Truth I think faber takes in the second round
Im going to take Aldo, KO in the 3rd. Hes superhuman fast.
I'm gonna say from what Ive seen of Urijah Faber, the kids bad ass, the champ is too no disrespect, but I'm gonna go with Urijah with a early knock out.
That door took an ass kicking.
As for the fights, I really think that guy dove in the first one, the knee didn't even hit him in the head, so i hope that now he cant continue Uscola gets back in.
The second fight, Yager acts like a wannabe gangster, but damn hes a legit fighter, and Im sticking with my day 1 prediction that he wins. He has striking, takedown defence, cardio, and huge reach. All of the tools to be successful.
......but Tito is still on the show.
the first knee hit his head not the chest it was delay effect . but yeager legit
Maybe, but at least we got a tito-fit as a result.
Poor door
The force Tito hit that door, I now know I would never wanna take a hit from Tito when he is angry lol and the first fight did piss me off, the first knee did not look like it hit his head, the second clearly didn't, and the last one the guy got his head out of the way just in time before he was hit.
I think they should let him stay in especially with the fact that if the knees would of never of happened the guy would of never been able to finish the fight with his broken hand.
I did not want Yager to win, but he did so what ya gonna do lol
no future for doors on TUF , you a door you get fucked up . lol
sway doors for sure.
The need to only have doors on the ready room for each team from now on. Anyways, knowing a guy that does Mixed Martial Arts and having been to his fights, and having trained with him a little, I know for a fact that I don't want to get kneed in the face while I am down. So, when you start getting close, the fight should be stood up.
Now, the only reason the guy was DQed was because his opponent was too far gone from the knee to continue. If he had been able to continue, the match would have continued as well.
Also, a fighter should know that a knee got dangerously close to the head of his opponent, and he should switch to punches. He tossed three knees in close to the head when the ref's view was slightly obstructed; that's a recipe for a potential bad call. So, the fighter made the choice, and it was a mistake. If he were a smarter fighter, he would have know better.
Also, my first thought when I saw the knees was there is the match via DQ. He was on the ground still and it hit the head. So, I think the referee made the right call.
big night of fights tonight, anyone else watching?
what time again
Aldo/Faber was a good fight, but I thought in the 4th, and 5th Aldo kinda 'Anderson Silva'D Faber, but hes in an entirely different league, I just gotta find out now where to put him in my p4p.......
Henderson/Cerrone was a surprised, didn't think Henderson was going to win, and win by submission.
Manny Gamb/Mike Brown upset of the night, really thought this was going to be a tuner fight for MB....guess not.
Above all, Lenord Garcia/Korean Zombie stole the show on the prelims.....it was Stephan Bonnar/Forrest Griffin for the WEC, that might have been better than the TUF 1 fight, it might have been the greatest slug fest ive ever seen.....with a TERRIBLE DECISION! The decision was like Shogun/Machida.....I couldnt believe Korean Zombie didnt win.
I did not like aldo game plan , i thought it was effective , but it look like shit when broadcast , but i made it boring , I gave faber all types of props for staying in there . wish aldo would have press the issue gone for more of a knock out then what he did I wanted to see what he can really do . I effective but it not what i wanted to see .
Mike brown got knock the fuck out ... damn
Agree with you I thought the Korean Zombie won that last round , it was a bad decision , that I think the judge gave to Gracia because of his rep and name. but it was the fight of the night and fight of the year right now . Korean Zombie also one of the best names for a guy ever . I want to see more of him .
was it better than Griffin/Bonnar?
Me and my mates that watched it had views on both sides. IMO, i say they were both valued the same, as Griffin/Bonnar jumped started the UFC, and I think Garcia/Jung fight jumpstarted WEC.
Heres some explanation of Mike Browns performance from MMAJUNKIE
-----
SACRAMENTO, Calif. â€" Former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown is back to the drawing board after his second WEC loss, which came to Manny Gamburyan Saturday at WEC 48.
And though Brown asked to return to the cage as quickly as possible after losing his WEC belt to Jose Aldo this past November, UFC president Dana White learned the former champion is wrestling with personal demons that took a sizable chunk off his training time for this weekend's fight.
The people who tipped him off might surprise you.
"I was worried that this would come up," White said after WEC 48. "Before the fight started â€" and I don't want to take anything away from Manny Gamburyan and his win â€" before the fight started, Jake Shields said to me, 'He's going to lose tonight.'"
Shields, the Strikeforce middleweight champion, attended the Saturday event and shared a cozy moment with White on camera. In several interviews leading up to WEC 48, the UFC president has guaranteed he'll sign the almost-free agent Shields when a non-compete period expires on the fighter's Strikeforce contract.
"I said, 'Why do you think that?'" White recounted. "[Shields] goes, 'He had a horrible camp. His girlfriend broke up with him. He skipped camp for 14 days and all kinds of crazy [expletive].' Jake Shields said that to me before the fight, and so did (trainer) Mark DellaGrotte."
Brown works with American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. Shields primarily trains at his own gym in Berkeley, Calif., while DellaGrotte trains fighters in his Somerville, Mass.
But MMA is a small business, and everyone knows each other.
Brown, who juggled numerous jobs (including one as a gravedigger) before his WEC contract allowed him to fight fulltime, casually mentioned the breakup to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) during a WEC luncheon back in March. Like most fighters, he discussed how difficult it can be to balance professional and personal lives in such a demanding sport.
Prior to the Aldo loss, Brown (23-6 MMA, 5-2 WEC) went undefeated in nearly three years and won his title with a sensational knockout of once-dominant champion Urijah Faber in November 2008.
With the loss to Gamburyan (11-4 MMA, 3-0 WEC), Brown's rematch with current champion Jose Aldo will have to wait.
White said Brown needs to regroup before he's able to return to form.
"I think he'll be back," White said. "He's a great fighter â€" talented guy. I always say the thing that I respect most about fighters in any fight business is you don't go in as a team and play and say, 'Oh, we lost tonight. That's OK. We still have [expletive] 113 games this season. We'll make it up.'
"When you're a fighter, every time you play, it counts. You have to be mentally strong and prepared all the time. It's tough. He'll be back. I think he'll be back, and he'll still be a force.
"He just has to get his head together and get his personal life together."
MMAJUNKIE
SACRAMENTO, Calif. â€" UFC legend Randy Couture will apparently get his wish.
"The Natural" has been openly campaigning for a chance to welcome pro boxer James Toney to the world of MMA, and UFC president Dana White on Saturday night admitted he's willing to let Couture have his shot.
Following the evening's "WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber" post-event press conference, White told a small group of reporters that he was in the process of finalizing a bout between Couture and Toney for the organization's first-ever trip to Boston.
"It's not a done deal yet," White said. "But yeah, I'm working on that."
White confirmed he hopes to arrange the bout for the as-yet-unannounced UFC 118 event, which is expected to take place Aug. 28 at the TD Garden in Boston.
Toney, 41, won a UFC contract in early March after a protracted trash-talk campaign against UFC president Dana White and several mixed martial arts fighters. The former boxing champion sought the guidance of boxing and MMA coach Juanito Ibarra and at several points welcomed a fight with Couture (though he called out virtually every MMA star he could name).
Couture, 46, railroaded fellow UFC Hall of Fame member Mark Coleman in his most recent performance at UFC 109. The win shook off controversy that lingered after his prior appearance, a close decision victory over Brandon Vera at UFC 105 this past November.
For more on the as-yet-unannounced UFC 118 event, check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)).
MMAJUNKIE
Chael Sonnen (24-10-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) will get his shot at champion Anderson Silva (26-4 MMA, 11-0 UFC) on Aug. 7 at UFC 117 in Oakland, Calif.
The mercurial middleweight confirmed the upcoming bout at a UFC Fight Club Q&A session on Friday, though he did say one condition existed for the fight.
Sonnen is in for the contest, but he's giving the champion a chance to back out.
"That is true on one condition: if diplomacy fails," Sonnen said. "I am giving Anderson Silva the fair chance to back out. But as sure as night follows day, if he does not heed my warning, I will declare war, and on Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. his 15 minutes of fame will come to an abrupt halt."
Sonnen earned his shot at the middleweight title with a February win over fellow contender Nate Marquardt. Due to injuries suffered in the contest, Sonnen was unavailable to face Silva at UFC 112 earlier this month, so Demian Maia took the fight, instead.
Sonnen actually lost to Maia at UFC 95 in February 2009, but he has since rattled off three-straight wins over Marquardt, Yushin Okami and Dan Miller.
Meanwhile, Silva pushed his UFC record to 11-0 with a lackluster unanimous-decision win over Maia. While Silva has soured some fans with his inability to finish some of his recent opponents, he's still widely regarded as the best fighter in mixed martial arts.
While Sonnen has earned mixed results during his seven-year career, the Oregonian said pedigree has little to do with what will happen in the contest. Instead, he insists what is essentially a striker vs. grappler affair will come down to a test of will.
"He is a fantastic fighter," Sonnen said. "I am not delusional to his skill set. ... I don't care if he is better. He is better, but I'm tougher.
"For 25 minutes, we're going to find out who's tougher. Seven minutes in, we're both going to be tired. Ten minutes in, we're both going to be hurting. Fifteen minutes in, we're both going to want to be out of there, but one of us is going to stick around and grind it our for 25 minutes, and I propose it's me."
I saw Chael on MMA weekly this week with BJ Penn... Basically I have never seen him fight but after hearing him talk I think it wil be a good fight unless he totally does not do what he says he is going to do...
Basically he is saying that he is going after him and if he gets KO from it then so be it but he will not stand their like Maia...
Like I said I have never seen him fight so I do not know if he stands a chance against Silva but I will watch it personally...
Id rather see Belfort.
This is another case of wrestler v/s Silva. He might be able to take him down, but hes gonna get pummelled if he doesn't get the shoot.
Belfort would stand with Silva, and I think would knock him the fuck out, which is what Silva needs. He needs a reality check so we start seeing good fights again.
Yeah the Belfort fight is what I want to see... But hey this guy sounds good to me... We will see...
What did you guys think about last nights show?
I thought the fight was alright, defiantly nothing amazing, but it was back and forth, sad that Savage guy gassed in the first.
Im surprised Chucks guys are doing so well, I didn't like any of his picks except Kyle Noke.......maybe Tito IS training his guys too hard.
Compare to Griffin/Bonner , damn that tough about even in my eyes
Gracia /jung was awesome and I love to watch it again
Korean Zombie that name is earned
UFC 114
yeah i know we have not had UFC 113 yet , but tell me you don't want to see this fight . this is not going to a decsion , we all know that
I'm gonna say this now, I was a fan of Rampage during TUF, from my POV Evans started ALOT of the shit. Yeh Rampage did too, but I don't think he deserved to get the crap he did.
Now as far as the fight is concerned..Rampage is gonna knock Evan's ass out. Sorry my prediction.
I am going for Rampage...
But hell I have always doubted Evans and he is a great fighter so who knows but Rampage is my pick for the win...
I've been waiting for this fight for SO long!! Rampage all the way but not without Evans putting up a big time fight. Rampage has been out the cage for a while and while I'm sure he's trained for this fight - he's also had a lot of time in Hollywood which hopefully hasn't taken the edge off him.
I still predict a Rampage knock out but not until late in the 2nd round and after Evans has got a few take downs on him.
Peace
Duckman
I want rampage to win, but I think Rashads technical ability will give him the edge.
WAR Rampage none the less.
A post-fight melee that followed an April 17 Strikeforce event cost Jason "Mayhem" Miller a headlining spot next month at "Strikeforce: Los Angeles," and Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz appears to have suffered a similar fate.
A source close to Diaz told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that the fighter was told his request to compete on Strikeforce's June 26 fight card in San Jose, Calif., also was turned down because of his role in the televised brawl.
Diaz was one of multiple Cesar Gracie team members involved in a post-"Strikeforce: Nashville" scuffle that broke out when preliminary-card fighter Miller interrupted main-event winner Jake Shields during a post-fight speech.
Miller entered the cage to campaign for a rematch of their November meeting, when Shields won a lopsided unanimous decision to earn Strikeforce's then-vacated middleweight belt.
When Shields shoved Miller, teammates such as Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez continued the shoving. Some of the group members eventually wrestled Miller to the mat, and punches and kicks were thrown until security and commission officials broke up the brawl. The entire episode aired live on CBS as part of Strikeforce's second nationally televised event, and it's been widely condemned by the MMA industry.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker today told MMAjunkie.com neither Diaz nor anyone else involved in the brawl had been targeted for the organization's June shows.
"No one in that was involved with that situation (in Nashville) was scheduled to fight in June," he said. "But if they were ... until the Tennessee Athletic Commission has the hearing and [gives] out suspensions and fines, we're going to wait and support [the commission]."
Leaving tommorow morning, going to be unreal.
good luck man and have a great time
you know we want a full report when you get back
MAIN CARD
* Champ Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (for light heavyweight title)
Machida by Desicion
* Paul Daley vs. Josh Koscheck
Koscheck 2 round Submission
* Jeremy Stephens vs. Sam Stout
Stout 1 round TKO
* Alan Belcher vs. Patrick Cote
Cote by Desicion
* Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Matt Mitrione
Kimbo by Desicion
UFC president Dana White announced on Friday that Georges St. Pierre will be one of the two coaches for the next season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show on Spike TV. The other coach will be the winner of Saturday's Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley fight.
So they'll be building the show around the fight between GSP vs. Daley/Koscheck.
I really hope Daley wins that fight because they promos he cuts are hilarious and him jawing at GSP would be up there with Evans and Rampage! I don't know enough about him to know if he'd make a good coach right enough.
Koscheck just comes across like a total cock most of the time and not in the good/funny/entertaining way but more of a weasle kind of way. He looks and acts like the sidekick of the bully in school. So it would be nice to see GSP kick his ass after the show if he ends up as a coach!
Peace
Duckman
I really enjoyed the show last night. Shogun gets the rightful win he should have got last year and knocked Machida the fuck out! I've been watching a lot of old Pride DVDs recently and I'm a massive fan of Shogun and how he fights - great win last night!
Josh Koscheck is the Christiano Ronaldo of MMA (that's for faking injury not his skill). That's twice I've seen him take a dive and fake injury in a fight. Complete and utter cunt and one of the most boring performances I've seen in a long time. Daley did himself no favours and his performance wasn't good by any stretch of the imagination. Koscheck though is a complete dick. I hope GSP fucks him up.
Daley with the cheap shot at the end of the fight cost him his job with the UFC. Quite a fuck up by Daley to say the least. Koscheck was jawing at him at the end of the fight and doing his usual bitch behaviour which caused Daley to snap but still...you don't hit a guy after the fight is over like that. Dana White's confirmed Daley is banned for life from the UFC because of this. Shit night all round for Daley.
Stephens vs. Stout was my fight of the night. Two guys just going all guns blazing. Great win for Stephens and a real classic strikers match up.
Belcher impressed me a lot. Cote looked rusty - to be expected but Belcher has some serious power in his strikes. Good fight.
Kimbo gassed badly after those monster slams on Mitrione - no way he could have lasted 3 rounds. Very dissapointing given the start to the fight but Mitrione is miles ahead of Kimbo in terms of skills. A big win for the guy can't deny that.
All in all a really enjoyable night of fights - bar Koscheck diving like a cunt. I'm looking forward to Cory's report - I wonder if he's sober yet?? Doubtful! lol.
Peace
Duckman
Thanks to the punch he threw at Josh Koscheck after the end of their fight at UFC 113 last night Paul Daley has been banned for life from the UFC. Dana White had this to say on the situation:
"I’m probably the most lenient guy in sports and this is probably one of the most lenient organizations, and we’re all human, we all make mistakes, things happen, but there’s no excuse for that,†White said regarding the post-match punch that Daley threw at opponent Josh Koscheck..
"These guys are professional athletes, and you don’t ever hit a guy blatantly after the bell like that, whether you’re frustrated or not. It was probably one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen because he is a talented guy and he is one of the best 170-pounders in the world.
"He’s done. I don’t care if he fights in every show all over the world and becomes the best and everybody thinks he’s the pound for pound best in the world; he will never fight in the UFC ever again."
I wonder if White will stick with that opinion once all the hype has died down. It's good to see UFC reacting to a situation like this in a quick and professional manner. They handled this a shit lot better than Strikeforce did with the incident they had on their last show.
A real shame for Daley too because he was right on the verge of becoming a big deal in the UFC. Still, can't condone or excuse his actions, even if Twatcheck is a total cunt.
Peace
Duckman
Dana White stated after the loss to Matt Mitrione that Kimbo Slice has been cut from the UFC.
Thoughts, opinions etc?
Peace
Duckman
Thank god; dude was nothing more then a side show. While I did feel bad for him when fat ass laid on him and cost him a chance to be the Ultimate Fighter, he just doesn't have what it takes. He's strong, dumb, and slow. If he were to get in the Octagon with a real heavyweight like Mir, Lesnar, Carwin, or pretty much anyone who is a heavyweight threat, he would get murdered.
dana a fool , He could still make money off him , think it bad business decsion
it knee jerk reaction , understand about wanting set foot down , i cool with that . Paul fuck up no if and or but about it . but ban for life . come on lot you can do to punish him , but taking him from the big show and big money that is harsh . I don't condone what he did , but has he have history before that , far as i know no .
GSP vs Koscheck is going to be gold . those two as coaches , Josh going to talk shit the whole show . GSP going to fucking kill him when they fight . but there interaction , it might be one of the best seasons ever
After how Twatcheck behaved last night and the promo he cut on Canada I still the fight with GSP drawing HUGE money. Especially with all the TV show hype behind it.
I'm GSP's number one fan from now until he kicks the shit out of Twatcheck next year!
Peace
Duckman
Awful. Kimbo got the biggest pop last night, even bigger than Cotes.
TERRIBLE MOVE, maybe move him to undercard at worst, this is a poor decision from Dana.
This was was second loudest ovation next to Shogun.
After Kosh dived in the 1st, fuck you koscheck chants for the ENTIRE fight after....I damned lost my voice. I would have done the same thing. Koscheck said he was going to come and bang (not a smart move, he executed his GSP like gameplan) but he was in no position to talk shit. That was a awful fight, and I'd be embarassed to get my big title shot that way. I'd be lying if I said that, along with that dive that makes Christiano Ronaldo look more legit, I would have punched him too.
Lots of love for Daley, and IMO, gets more respect from me. Koscheck dove against Rumble Johnson too, hes a piece of shit in the sportsman ship department, and even since my boy Thiago Alves embarassed him, he's turned his prick level up.
Good on ya Daley.
What a fucking night, where to start.
Prelims-
Prelimes werent bad actually. Even if Canada went 1-4, the prelims werent shit. The heavyweight fight between Hague/Beltran was a slugfest, Hague got whored on the decision. Boo'd the shit out of this one.
Jason MacDonalds fucked his leg up like 1 minutes into his fight, so that one sucked...against uhhh, cant remmeber now. The dude looked like an alien tho.
There was one with Yoshida/Guymon, decent fight, met Guymon the day before, legit dude, glad he won. Emotional speech followed, good fight.
My boy TJ Grant from down the road (literally....took the same flight up) lsot to 7-0 Johnny Hendricks, after he won 1st 2 rounds (I had it, as did Sherdog) but got deducted a point in the 3rd for a ball shot, which is debatable...but tough loss for my bro, but he still got 2 fights left after his KO of the Night a few months back. He'll be a legit dude in a few years.
Tom Lawlor is a hilarious dude, reppin his Don Frye moustahce, met him outside of the Oakleys store, funny as hell, but he lost to Joe Doerkson who was the only Canadian to win, so I guess that was good. Fight was solid.
Marcus Davis fucked up Goulet, Goulet was a fan favourite, but I didn't really like him, and the lads next to me and my buddies were from Ireland, so we got chirped for cheering for Davis, Davis got the KO, good fight.
MAIN CARD
Cote losing was awful, really like this guy, and it was hard. DIdn't get to see him while down there, but the crowd was genuine feeling sorry for the dude, which is amazing as Bell Centre is easily one of the rowdiest places in the world. DIdn't go to his after party, because the Tapout one was better. Good win for Belcher though.
Kimbo came out, crowd went INSANE, and those first slams in the 1st he threw was unreal, but he gassed, and for the rest of the fight I shook my head. He looked like shit and it was hard to say I was a big fan of him tonight, but its insane for Dana to cut him. His after party was fucking brilliant, easilly pulled in $25,000......and thats his after party AFTER losing. Add his popularity in MMA, White would be a fool to cut him. Meathead did look good, but it was more Kimbo shitting the bed.
Stephens/Stout was good, I can't really remember the action but it was really face pace, met Stephens on my way to the weigh ins, real cool dude, and I liked both guys going in so I didn't really care for who both, both are legit dudes. I had too many Rockstar vodkas now, literally cant remember anything from this fight.
Koscheck/Daley was awesome for a few reasons. Fight was utterly boring. I might have picked Daley, but I knew this would happen and fucking called it at the weigh ins. Koscheck would say he would bang with Daley, and just hold him down. Koscheck got murdered by the fans. After that pussy ronaldo like dive, my whole section and the rest of the crowd chanted "FUCK YOU KOSCHECK" for the rest of the fight. Hes a piece of garbage, and shouldn't be rewarded a title fight. Awful performance, and like I said before, Daleys shot I totally give him props. He did what everyone in attendance wanted to do to that cunt. Much respect, crowd went nuts for the punch too ahahahaha.
Main event, lost my voice booing Machida. The day before, Rua's camp in a Tahoe pulled up to the weigh ins as I was walking back from Dominoes. I got to shake his hand and told him good luck, easily one of the craziest moments of my life, hes such a humble dude for the little I understood he said. When he dropped Machida, I went fucking insane. One of the best moments of my life, as many know, I hate Machida more than any other athlete in sports, and to have one of my more favourite fighters and a dude that I got to talk to for maybe five minutes the day before, what surreal.
Post game, got my fake ID and got into the Tapout after paarty. Didn't really see anyone there, didn't see Kimbo, but Shandella (black ring girl) and Frankie Edgar were there, and the women in montreal are unreal. Every other girl is at least an 7-8, and I really want to move there......ahaha. The show was sick aside from the poor performance from canada, but had some sick moments.
Best Pops(In order):
1. Shogun winning.
2. Daleys Sucked punch
3. Kimbo's walkout/Cotes walkout/GSP on camera. All were about equal.
Best Boos:
1. Koshcheck. I've never heard anything like that. 15,000 chanting fuck you koscheck for 20 minutes straight. Unreal.
2. Mitrione at the weigh ins. Buddy got assraped here.
3. Tim Hague decision loss to Beltran on prelims.
Kimbo is a good guy; but overrated since the begining of time. I cant say, I wasnt happy to see him lose and end the circus show. Buisness wise; I think it was a bad choice to cut Kimbo. Fighting wise, thank god before he gets himself hurt.
I don't follow MMA, the title of this thread made me curious to see what someone did to get themselves banned for life. And I'm not impressed with the decision.
If Eric Cantona was allowed to play football again after jumping over the barricade to kick a fricking spectator whilst wearing football boots...
and this guy gets banned for life just for one act of unprofessionalism that was carried out on an MMA fighter...
well if you look at things in that perspective it seems really harsh and it looks more like a political move than anything else... like Vince McMahon firing someone for weed because of the post-Benoit scrutiny.
Was there some sort of pressure about bad sportsmanship or role-models in UFC or something to warrant this reaction?
Quote from: Drama Queen on May 09, 2010, 11:40:26 PM
I don't follow MMA, the title of this thread made me curious to see what someone did to get themselves banned for life. And I'm not impressed with the decision.
If Eric Cantona was allowed to play football again after jumping over the barricade to kick a fricking spectator whilst wearing football boots...
and this guy gets banned for life just for one act of unprofessionalism that was carried out on an MMA fighter...
well if you look at things in that perspective it seems really harsh and it looks more like a political move than anything else... like Vince McMahon firing someone for weed because of the post-Benoit scrutiny.
Was there some sort of pressure about bad sportsmanship or role-models in UFC or something to warrant this reaction?
I think it had to do with Strikeforces mishap. Where a brawl broke out after the main-event fight at their last event. Dana White was pratically trying to send a message; which is why, I think hes been banned for life. Otherwise, it wouldnt have been so harsh.
Quote from: Drama Queen on May 09, 2010, 11:40:26 PM
I don't follow MMA, the title of this thread made me curious to see what someone did to get themselves banned for life. And I'm not impressed with the decision.
If Eric Cantona was allowed to play football again after jumping over the barricade to kick a fricking spectator whilst wearing football boots...
and this guy gets banned for life just for one act of unprofessionalism that was carried out on an MMA fighter...
well if you look at things in that perspective it seems really harsh and it looks more like a political move than anything else... like Vince McMahon firing someone for weed because of the post-Benoit scrutiny.
Was there some sort of pressure about bad sportsmanship or role-models in UFC or something to warrant this reaction?
No but few weeks before there was a brawl in other company show after the fight , it was big time public and kind of black eye . this was like a said a knee jerk reaction . Paul mess up , but ban for life is not what he should get , he had no history of trouble on any other fights. suspend him , dock him pay , lower his status , but he should not have been ban... Like you said a political move more then anything
It’s either a good or bad business move depending on how you look at it. If people favored the UFC being more like the WWE and having sort of a side show environment. Than it was a bad decision, if your view is the opposite and you don’t favor the UFC playing host to that kind of environment than its a good decision. He was too one dimensional getting him to the ground was like turning a turtle onto its shell. There wasn’t really much he could do about it afterwards.
Personally I agree with most of the guys here, yeah sure the guy isnt a great cage fighter yet but hes a marketing machine, the Ultimate Fighter ratings were its highest ever when Kimbo was on there, he draws definetely....they should have used him to Main Event those little fight night cards instead of having 2 losers do it. Mistake by Dana in my opinion. Also..
Were I Dana White I would've suspended him for 3-4 months and when he came back made him start from the bottom again. Sure he's hanging around the bottom of the barrel but at least he has the CHANCE to work back up...I think Dana felt he had to get rid of him or else he would catch heat from people, so rather then get shit for it, he cut him...at least that's what I think.
You know, I can see where this is coming from. Lets face it, you can't have after fight, fights, after what happened at the Strikeforce event, Dana had to put his foot down. Sadly for Paul, he was the one who screwed up first.
Quote from: jayallday83 on May 10, 2010, 10:21:32 AM
Were I Dana White I would've suspended him for 3-4 months and when he came back made him start from the bottom again. Sure he's hanging around the bottom of the barrel but at least he has the CHANCE to work back up...I think Dana felt he had to get rid of him or else he would catch heat from people, so rather then get shit for it, he cut him...at least that's what I think.
How would a suspension ban of that time period work out in MMA? They go that long without fights; and are training in between, anyways.
You'd have to do the equivalent of that much time in MMA terms. Meaning something like a year and a half or longer. I still think he did what was best for the company and to show he's not going to put up with peoples shit.
Yeah I believe that Dana basically was thinking about his self image more then anything...
He did not want people contending that he is keeping Kimbo around for the publicity and ratings, so he cut him...
Problem was that he had no reason to do so. Kimbo gave him the highest rated season of TUF and then WON his debut fight against Houston Alexander. Yeah he got his ass handed to him by Matt but hey since when did he start firing fighters with a 1-1 record...
Cough::: Brock Lesnar:::Cough
I mean Kimbo had atleast 2 more loses in a row before the fans and MMA crictics would begin to question Dana on why he is keeping him there... Kimbo needs alot of work on his overall game and clearly on his stamina and ground game but nothing that he cant learn from... With time he could be a good fighter who draws money and entertains the fans...
Basically now Strikeforce will grab him and use him for ratings and who knows maybe he will get alot better and Dana will look like the fool...
I reckon once the hype dies down Dana will let him back in. He's got to make a stand given the Strikforce situation and his comments on it.
Still I agree with Cory - Twatcheck is an absolute bitch of the highest order.
Daley was out of line and I don't agree with him but I can understand why he did it.
Peace
Duckman
I've seen nothing but good things since he began training with America Top Team, so yeh Dana made a huge mistake with Kimbo.
Dana White never really wanted Kimbo in the UFC to begin with. He trashed the guy numerous times before bringing him on the Ultimate Fighter and actually stated that Slice would only ever get into the UFC if he won the show. Seems like he was looking for any excuse to get rid of him.
QuoteIt’s either a good or bad business move
.... uhm.... duh.
End of the day, its bad.
UFC is a business. Businesses make money. Kimbo makes money. Your dropping a HUGE source of income because of your ego.
Maybe if he lost 2 fights in a rom as mentioned, I'd think about keeping his rights, but letting him fight for a smaller promotion to get experience, like they did with Houston Alexander last year(didnt work, but premise was good). That way there, you can see if Kimbo is really wanting to fight for the best promotion and really work his way up, or he will just go to Japan or Strikeforce for a quick buck.
I would have kept Kimbo even though he may be nearing the end of his career as a fighter. He’s nearly 40, and got a late start in the game. So his shelf life is limited at best. But Dana could have used him as someone’s “bodyguard.†or had him make appearances in the crowd at events/show up on the Ultimate Fighter. He has a unique and distinctive look about him, and he draws people to whatever events he appears on like a magnet.
He’ll be back. Remember when we thought we’d never see Tito Ortiz fight in the UFC ever again? And look at that situation now, it died down and he’s hosting this season of the Ultimate Fighter. Remember when Dana White pretty much said that Kimbo Slice would never fight in the UFC/Would fight in the UFC over his dead body/and would only fight in the UFC if he won the Ultimate Fighter? Well Dana went back on his word Slice fought in the UFC he didn’t last for more than a cup of coffee, but he was there. White says things in the heat of the moment and then takes them back later.
Koscheck.. Is one of those fighters you instantly associate with the UFC and some might even see him as the face of the UFC in his division which is why White probably took this course of action.
I think Dana missed a trick on the Kimbo vs. James Tony fight. That would have done HUGE numbers.
Dana's reason of it being a question of him not being up to the standard of the UFC is fair enough - but they guy has been in the 3 highest rated MMA fights of all time on US TV.
I think he's really left some BIG money on the table by cutting Kimbo now. He could have held off for a few months and really got the most out of Kimbo's name - once he'd lost a few more fights (which he would've done due to lack of skills) he could cut him.
Doing it now has handed Strikeforce a huge cash cow. Kimbo vs. Herschel Walker anyone?
Peace
Duckman
Daley's statement released earlier today:
"I’ve had a long flight home to consider my actions and regret the mistake I made on Saturday. I would like to apologise to the UFC and the Athletic Commission for what I’ve done as well as all the fans and sponsors that support me."
"I would also like to offer my sincerest apologies to Josh Koscheck who did not deserve the cheap shot I threw. He did what he needed to do in order to win the fight and get the job done, and I foolishly reacted to the situation. There is no excuse for my actions and I know what I did was very unprofessional. I was immensely frustrated by a collection of things that took place throughout the fight as well as leading up to it, but I’m certainly not trying to condone or excuse my actions."
"Josh implemented his game plan perfectly taking me down and staying on top of me for the majority of the fight. I was also frustrated about him claiming (and acting like) I knee’d him in the head on the ground when it was clear for all to see in the video replay that I didn’t connect at all with the knee I threw. Then finally, the verbal abuse Josh hit me with in the final 30 seconds of the fight simply pushed me over the edge and my frustrations came out as I knew I’d lost the fight, was unhappy with my own performance and had then been ridiculed by my opponent to top things off."
"This is certainly no excuse for my actions; I fully deserve to be punished for what I did and hope that everyone I have disappointed can forgive my rash decision. I feel very disappointed in myself for losing my cool and hope that I am able to address my temperament and bounce back from this low point in my career."
"I feel ashamed and embarrassed by what I did and hope that together my team and I can get through this issue. It will be a long road back from where I am now to earning the trust and respect of the UFC and the MMA fans that have supported me for so long, I know I’ve let you all down but I’m determined to make it up to you all."
Peace
Duckman
Kimbo/Lashley too
You know we are going into the quater finals with the wild card match about to take place then we have like maybe 3 or 4 episodes left...
I am really starting to get the impression that Tito Ortiz was simply scared to fight Chuck again and basically pulled out toward the end just because he didnt want to fight him...
We're probably going to see some double fight episodes...
Yeah, at this point I really dont know how Tito leaves the show.
As regards to last nights episode, solid fight.
more and more I think it happens in the next show or after that. It just happens sudden and quick . but going to happen .
Koscheck is not the face , oh god if he was the ufc be in big trouble . Koscheck taken the heel route or role if ou want to use wrestling terms when he goes into the fights. Truth Dana had to go the banned route beacuse of the problems in the last few weeks in strikeforce and factor in sliva luckluster preformance month or so back . It wold have hurt the sport in general . giving it critics more fuel to toss on the fire.
maybe in few years after this is forgotten , Daley fights in other place and bring up cred again , He can bring him back . but right now he is gone .
trust me Koscheck is not the face . if anything it either GSP or Brock more likely GSP would be the face of UFC right now .
Paul Daley ten years from now
(http://thesportsbean.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/nov113.jpg)
:D
Quote from: !His Dudeness! on May 13, 2010, 11:22:39 AM
Paul Daley ten years from now
(http://thesportsbean.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/nov113.jpg)
:D
Err...
Just less white?
Yeah basically what I am saying is that even if Tito leaves it is not the next episode as they would hint at it in the previews. That means it is in the quater finals and at that point we only have 6 fights left to the finale and as it has been pointed out I am sure we will have some double fight episodes so how does it make sense for them to bring in Franklin at this point...
I mean to me it feels like Tito got to the end and basically pussied out because a Tito Vs Chuck fight even with Tito leaving the show makes more sense then a Chuck Vs Franklin fight... Tito still has been the coach for more of the season then Franklin... And any bullshit about peronsl shit is just that BULLSHIT because we all see that he is out arguing and fighting with his porn star wife so what family emergency wouyld force him to pull out of the fight?
I am just waiting for the episode to come and he says some stupid shit like his wife is ill... I know this was taped a little bit ago but how ill could she have been if you could not fight Chuck at this point and time?
Yeah, for as much as I like Tito, he can be a whiny bitch sometimes, and now more and more I think less of it being a injury and more him pussying out.
Which is a shame,. because based on skills at this point, I think Tito would dominate Chuck finally.
MAIN CARD
* Champ Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers (for heavyweight title)
* Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva
* Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Joey Villasenor
* Roger Gracie vs. Kevin Randleman
* Antwain Britt vs. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante
Should be better than the last card.
I see Overeem, Silva, Souza, Gracie, and Britt winning.
Hopefully after this, we'll see Fedor/Overeem, as I think Overeem is Fedors last true test outside of the UFC.
I thought Fedor was the heavyweight champ in Strikeforce.
* Champ Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers (for heavyweight title)
* Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva
* Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Joey Villasenor
* Roger Gracie vs. Kevin Randleman
* Antwain Britt vs. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante
MAIN CARD
* Champ Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers (for heavyweight title)
* Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva
* Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Joey Villasenor
* Roger Gracie vs. Kevin Randleman
* Antwain Britt vs. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante
Quote from: Cory on May 14, 2010, 07:49:13 PM
Yeah, for as much as I like Tito, he can be a whiny bitch sometimes, and now more and more I think less of it being a injury and more him pussying out.
Which is a shame,. because based on skills at this point, I think Tito would dominate Chuck finally.
I agree with that to a extent as I think he is so mind fucked that Chuck will beat him that he will be to scared....
Quote from: Allister Black on May 14, 2010, 09:04:46 PM
I thought Fedor was the heavyweight champ in Strikeforce.
No...he's only had one fight, and beat the guy thats getting the shot.
This is the kind of booking you get when you deal with those idiotic russians.
Yeah and the guy who lost to Fedor gets the shot at the World Title - which, I believe, the guy hasn't defended in the 2 years since he ran it.
Strikeforce really is the TNA of MMA. All the talent in the world on the roster but the management haven't got a fucking clue!
Hopefully this is a better show than the last snoozefest and we don't get another hillybilly riot after the main event!
Peace
Duckman
Well I dont know about that.
I think Strikeforce (im just going to forget that Nashville even happened) has fantastic booking, best in MMA, but this all happened due to Fedors management, and Alistar management.
Fedors management didnt want him fighting til at least June, and Overeems management wanted this fight to happen NOW, and neither was willing to comprimise. So now you got 2 bs fights (overeem rogers, and fedor werdum) that should be squashes, and build up to the fight everyone wants to see.
But you can't tell me that Strikeforce doesnt have fantastic booking. Their last 10 shows, I bet you might have only heard of 1-2 fighters, but every fight was entertaining in some way. Scott Coker is brilliant, best booker by far, its a shame they're stuck with Showtime Boxing.
Chuck has only ever had the fearful striker, but now that for the first time hes suspect on the feet, Tito could eat this up take Chuck down and ground n pound.
Big Wins for Jacare and Roger Gracie, great performances from both.
So far it's been an awesome show.
Agreed, much better than the last
damn 1st round over, Arlovski got a decent chin, but aside from a roids bust, Big Foot Silva could be a top 5 heavyweight, so if Arlovski loses, it still wouldnt mean he is over the hill. Silva is very underrated atm
round 2 over.....2-0 for Big Foot.
arlovski is getting embarrased right now
Silva's doing better. The Russian needs to do SOMETHING to win the match in this round or he's done for sure.
win for big foot
Quote from: Fnord on May 15, 2010, 11:34:42 PM
Silva's doing better. The Russian needs to do SOMETHING to win the match in this round or he's done for sure.
Hes like Bulgarian or something.
lol, he sounded like the Russians I work with. ;D
wow they gave one round to Arlovski?
Judges are idiots.
main event time, Overeem is massive.
They both seems massive! Should be a good fight with someone getting a random KO. lol
Overeem is a machine.
Cant fucking wait for Overeem/Fedor.
Ill call Fedor via submission, but Ill take the money on Overeem. If I could have anyone beat Fedor, I'd rather have the man whose muscles have muscles Overeem.
Yeah ... If he had the balls to fight him LMAO...
Right now I am calling bullshit in advance for whatever lame excuse he gives for backing out of the fight...
I think he leaves the next show after this one upcoming
well 4-1 if I had gone with my head unstead of my heart I would gone perfect in this show
NEVER BET ON ARLOVSKI!
Im going to say 2 weeks, definatly not next, they would have hyped it to get more views if it happened next week.
(http://i44.tinypic.com/35hpdv6.gif)
This is how scary strong Overeem is. Rogers was at 280 last night, Overeem @ 250
Overeem looked well... interested in him vs Fedor. Dutch vs Russian
They only people who pose threats to EVER beating Fedor:
Brock Lesnar: Just freak ability, not skill. Lesnar is a average striker, average ground game, good wrestling, but freakish athletic. Fedor would still beat him, 1st round submission.
Cain Velasquez: Brilliant wrestler, but suspect striking. Fedor would win either 2nd round KO, or unam. decison.
Shane Carwin: Freakishly big like Lesnar, with an above average wrestling game and scary boxing, but Fedor has faced many with this combination. Fedor would take Carwin down and submit him before Carwin would land a strike, 1st round submission.
.....but
Alistair Overeem: Freakishly strong, phenominal striking, average wrestling, and good submissions. Overeem is the only HW as close to being a complete fighter as Fedor, and whatever he lacks in that skills edge you give to Fedor, you give Overeem the strength advantage. Im still convinced Fedor can't be beat, but if anyone could do it it'll be Overeem.
ps-
Im writing my return article to the MMA world out there about this matchup.
STAY TUNED MA FUCKAS
My little review of the show:
Nice opening fight, some serious shots landed by Britt - thought for sure he had that fight but that brutal right hand from Feijao would have knocked out most fighters. Hell of a punch - guess training with Anderson Silva on striking really does pay off! Short but entertaining opening fight.
Good video on Kevin Randleman and Roger Gracie. Very cool production. I've seen a lot of Randleman from Pride and he came across as all talk and no skills in the fights I saw him in - he got owned in all three fights I saw - especially one against Cro Cop where he was choked out from the first shoot he tried. Gracie is THE name in MMA/BJJ but from what I've seen it doesn't always equal a good fighter.
Not much of a 1st round with Gracie looking very uncomforable with his striking. Randleman didn't do much either in the 1st. The 2nd round was a different story and as soon as that big knee landed and it went to the ground Gracie's BJJ skills were obvious. Great work to get into the rear naked choke and Randleman fought it but it was all but done as soon as Gracie got the fight to the floor. A great showing of BJJ skill from Gracie. I'm guessing that's Randleman done in MMA after that loss. If Gracie works on his striking so he doesn't look like such a girl when throwing a punch he could do some real damage when combined with his awesome ground skills.
Damn Overeem is fucking HUGE compared to how he looked back in 2004 in Pride! I've heard a lot of rumours about him being on roids in the past and he does have the puffy roided up look about him but six years is a long time to put on muscle and weight so I'm not sure if I buy the roid rumours. Round 1 KO is my prediction too!
Another cool video to hype the Jacare vs. Villasenor fight. Love the production on these videos, they look fucking bad ass. The announcers are REALLY hyping Jacare and I saw his first fight in Strikeforce so I know why! I've not seen Villasenor before but from his record he sounds like a really dangerous striker. Looking forward to this one!
Nice takedown by Jacare early in round 1 and he got the mount position in the blink of an eye! Awesome stuff. Villasenor did really well to get out of that using the cage because that looked really bad for him. Jacare looks much more powerful than Villasenor. Jacare owned round 1. Villasenor did well to get off the ground again in round 2 but Jacare's takedowns are so good. Much more equal round but Jacare I reckon took it with his takedowns. He slowed up a lot at the end of round 2. Villasenor finally blocked a couple of takedowns but Jacare eventually got it but he looked really tired in round 3. A really good effort from Villasenor in round 3 but it's not going to be enough. Quite an even fight but Jacare gets it thanks to the takedowns.
Another good video but I just don't buy Arlovski as a threat. The last two times I saw Arlovski fight he got punched out of mid air by Fedor and knocked the fuck out by Rogers. I don't hold out much hope for him against Silva tonight. He's got that look in his eye that he knows he's well past his best. Silva looks like a damn beast!
These two had the best staredown of the show. Hella intense! Arlovski seemed like the first fighter that is actually over with the crowd. Quite even striking exchange in the early going, Arlovski took a big left hand shot from Silva and seemed ok so his 'weak' jaw can't be that bad. Some big shots from Silva and a takedown. Round 1 was all Silva. Round 2 was a lot slower but Silva still landed the best shots but seemed to be taking a slight breather. Arlovski just doesn't have the size or speed to match up with Silva. Round 2 was Silva's as well. Round 3 went the way of Round 2 with not much action but Silva using good position and taking the fight with all 3 judges declaring him the winner. Decent fight and Arlovski had his moments with some decent strikes but he never had Silva in trouble but Silva looked like he could have taken Arlovski out if he really pushed the action.
Again, quality video but Overeem really has bulked up even in since his last Strikeforce fight. I forgot how well Rogers did when he got Fedor down and was ground and pounding him - landed some big shots there! Rogers looked nervous during his intro. Overeem looked really relaxed and cocky during his intro.
Shit man! Overeem threw Rogers to the ground like he was a lightweight! That's crazy power. Took him apart on the ground and beat the fuck out of him - very impressive. That man is a damn beast! Bring on Overeem vs. Fedor asap!!
A very enjoyable show from Strikeforce. They need to get their Heavyweight division sorted out because as the UFC have proved that's where the money and the PPV buys are. Hopefully they can get Overeem vs. Fedor before the end of the year because I and a lot of people would pay to watch that!
Peace
Duckman
So saw the show and I have to say the way Hammortree got Subbed was kind of shocking and as I was watching it I was thinking "Man that seems like a rookie way to get submitted" just kind of like you rarely see people get subbed that way...
Anyways I am looking forward to next weeks episode...
My opinion right now is that Tito only has maybe 2 episodes left 4 at the most and he is pulling out... I am wondering what lame excuse he gives and seeing the melee that takes place with Tito stepping up to Chuck I can honestly say that I think Tito is a chump who takes advantage of a situation where he knows a dozen people will stand between him and Chuck...
But lets see what the episode shows now... Chuck looks pissed lol
Titos gone next episode.
The fight this week was weak. Really pissed Nick Ring had to pull out, I was cheering for him as the lone Canadian...but yeah. That submission was weak sauce, rookie mistake.
Can't wait to watch Yager fight, the guys a dick, but hes the best fighter in the house.
Anyways, if you pay attention to what is surrounding the whole Tito Ortiz/Jenna Jameson thing is that Tito has been upset with her because she relapsed and started doing drugs again. Now, this is by no means an excuse to beat her, but it is a decent reason for leaving the show if she ended up in the hospital or if a friend called and told him. Still, we will find out.
Quote from: RickRampage on May 20, 2010, 04:50:17 PM
Anyways, if you pay attention to what is surrounding the whole Tito Ortiz/Jenna Jameson thing is that Tito has been upset with her because she relapsed and started doing drugs again. Now, this is by no means an excuse to beat her, but it is a decent reason for leaving the show if she ended up in the hospital or if a friend called and told him. Still, we will find out.
Yeah but when they dropped the charges he went all bitch and claimed it was a mistake... If he uses personal shit and is all vague I am going to laugh my ass off...
"I am having personal issues"
Translation
"I got as much TV time as I can squeeze out of this without having to fight Chuck"
Not long to go now guys! Anyone else been watching the countdown shows for this fight? Some of the best stuff UFC has ever done. These two know how to sell a fight better than just about anyone else in the sport today.
Even without the Forrest vs. Nog match I still think this one is going to draw some HUGE numbers! Biggest PPV buys for UFC for the year - what'd you think?
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Duckman on May 23, 2010, 07:31:12 AM
Not long to go now guys! Anyone else been watching the countdown shows for this fight? Some of the best stuff UFC has ever done. These two know how to sell a fight better than just about anyone else in the sport today.
Even without the Forrest vs. Nog match I still think this one is going to draw some HUGE numbers! Biggest PPV buys for UFC for the year - what'd you think?
Peace
Duckman
I've been. I'm a fan of the countdown shows. Good to hear some backstories; as you can get behind a fighter as a real fan. Something, I can't do with wrestling anymore even when I try to watch it. I'm personally, picking Rashad on this one... but would like to see RAMPAGE win. Basically, echoing many of the same opinions here.
I think it could turn out to be the biggest PPV buy, though I don't know what event holds that record right now. Regardless, people who don't follow the sport too closely (me several months ago) know these faces well and will attract the casual viewers. Plus, I've been waiting for this one for a while.
Anyone see the 1st countdown, where it had Ranpage wrestling in highschool, and fucking powerbomb some kid? It was fucking sick/.
Quote from: Cory on May 23, 2010, 11:41:23 AM
Anyone see the 1st countdown, where it had Ranpage wrestling in highschool, and fucking powerbomb some kid? It was fucking sick/.
Yeah man, plus the slams he used to do in Pride were brutal. Saw one in his first fight with Sakuraba where he did two big slams then tried to throw Sakuraba out the ring! The guys is nuts.
UFC 100 holds the record right now for UFC PPV buys, around 1.4 million buys, while I don't see this event breaking that - mainly due to Forrest pulling out with the shoulder injury, I reckon it might break 1 million.
Peace
Duckman
^
100% agree If this card was stronger, it would be the biggest PPV buys, but other than the main event, its kinda weak.
I mean:
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller
Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow
Jason Brilz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
John Hathaway vs. Diego Sanchez
So we have 2 one sided fights, in Sanchez and Lil' Nog. Then you have Duffee(Fastest KO in UFC History) vs a grappler, either gonna be quick, or a long, drawed out wrestling match, and Bisping/Miller, well Miller is all submissions, and I think Bisping has been exposed, but well say that fight will be somewhat good, on paper at least.
why does Evans think Rampage is going to Quit , I never seen him quit in any match that he been in , even when he lost to Griffin he was still fighting at the end of the fight .
I still think Evans is not going to stand toe to toe with him , he feels Rampage power and tries to out wrestle him .
Miller makes Bisping submit
Duffee pulls out a win
Lil Nog get the win
Nightmare claims another victim
Rampage Jackson v/s Rashad Evans- Going to be pulling for Rampage 100%....but Rashad is a more complete fighter. WAR RAMPGE THO
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller - Bisping keeps this standing and wins, but I wont be surprised if Miller submits him.
Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow- Duffee wins, KO in the 1st. Hes Carwin 2.0
Jason Brilz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira- Easy win for Lil Nog.
John Hathaway vs. Diego Sanchez- Easy win for that stupid mexican.
Rampage vs. Evans - Rampage via 2nd round knockout.
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller - Bisping via 3rd round TKO.
Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow - no idea who either are so I'll toss a coin and say Duffee.
Jason Brilz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira - Lil Nog with 1st round knockout.
John Hathaway vs. Diego Sanchez - 2nd round TKO for Sanchez
so a neck injury/surgury huh?
And I just want to add, aside from Yagers fight, all of these house fights this year have sucked.
I started watching this show about half way through when the judges announced a third round and tito went crazy, I looked at teh time and realized that I prob didn't miss the tito incident...
Anyways I see Chucks getting all pissed in the house when Titos team says he is not fighting chuck then we go to the Tarvas fight...
I don't give a shit what Tito and his team says, that fucking dudes SHIN hit Tarvas square on the jaw and knocked his ass down cold... I mean they can't tell me that Tarvas fucking made his body and arms go limp and fall like that on purpose just to stand right up and act like nothing happened...
They bitched about it hitting him in the chest but I watches that shit over again... The SHIN hit him hard...
I loved when Chuck went after Tito, dude I was like scared for Tito. Could you imagine being on the street and Chuck Liddel comes running up to you like that!
Yeah basically he has to have surgery is such a pussy as shit, did anyone see any indication of him being bothered by anything on his body during the entire season... Yeah I am sure he does need surgery or some shit like that but to me he basically took teh show with no intention on fighting Chuck...
Sorry guys but Tito is a pussy! He will whip my ass but he is still a pussy for this shit...
Tito is one of my favourite fighters, but yeah.
That move was weak sauce.
Um, he DID have fusion curgery, C6-C7... can see it on Youtube. Kinda weak to call someone a pussy for having fusion surgery...
it did not stop him from his last fight , that why it is suspect
Oh , Rampage is beating his ass . hands down
May not have been as bad then
that the problem , it not bad for that fight but it gotten worse, the fuse is supposed to get rid of the problem, not saying nothing is not wrong , it just suspect it comes up at bad time . that all that been said
Quote from: Maddox Nosnam on May 28, 2010, 07:50:14 PM
Um, he DID have fusion curgery, C6-C7... can see it on Youtube. Kinda weak to call someone a pussy for having fusion surgery...
The point is that he accepted the coaching job this season with the agreement that he would fight Chuck and makes it through the entire season of TUF and toward the end says that he has to back out of the fight because of surgery... It is suspect and knowing Tito and his pussy ways of blaming every lose on a injury or some shit I have to call bullshit and say that he took the job with no intention on fighting Chuck...
Tito is all about excuses, he never says shit before a fight about a injury and says it is because he does not want his opponent to know but sure enough when he loses it is all "Oh I have a bum back" or "Yeah I came into this fight not 100%" some shit to try to make it seem like the victory of his opponent was due to something else besides their own merit...
Yeah. Ive hated Rashad because I rememeber how garbage he was back before the Solomon fight, where he was horribly boring.
WAR RAMPAGE!
^ Boom
He knew his neck was bothering him before he accepted. He even said its been bothering him and keeping him up at nights on the show. This just didn't fall on him. I wouldn't call Tito a pussy, because A) I honestly think he'd dominate Liddell at this point in their careers. Wrestlers prevail. B) You dont fuck around with your neck. If theres something wrong, fix it ASAP.
But, I think he knew all along he wouldn't fight, he even said he wouldn't fight chuck with this neck problem, which obviously didn't just 'happen'. Tito's a businessman. He took the show to get some TV Time, remind people that hes still there, plug Team Punishment, and make it so his eventual fight with Liddell (ala Evans/Rampage) will get more buys. This was all a business move on his part, and really smart. I dont agree with it, but Tito did this all thinking like a businessman, and not a fighter.
I guess maybe saying he is a PUSSY is to strong of a word... I think he did some pussy ass shit this season and it comes off more as he is scared of Chuck more then anything IMO...
I have never been a fan of Tito but I give him respect where it is due as he has the cardio and wrestling that makes him a badass fighter but his excuses and bullshit really piss me off...
If he comes back and fights anyone besides Chuck for his first two fights back then he is scared of Chuck plain and simple... Unless Chuck doesnt want to fight him which would be odd...
Are we really going to do this again. Fedor is good, but overrated. He finds a reason to bitch out of big fights with fighters that are in their prime. He has too much to lose and will never again face a world class fighter unless he is forced to do so. Overeem might beat him if they faced, but Brock Lesnar would destroy him. Brock doesn't care where you're good at, he'll beat you at it. He beat Heath Herring standing up, he beat Couture who is a veteran, via decision. He beat Frank Mir on the ground. If there is one MMA Fighter in the world who would destroy Fedor, it is Brock Lesnar. The guy gets better with each fight, and even as the champ and having beaten two former UFC Champs, he still has a lot to prove to the MMA World.
The guy is an excellent, world class wrestler, and to say he has an average ground game is just laughable. He has knockout power in both hands and wins matches because he just overpowers everyone he faces. Overeem would get over powered, and Overeem prides himself in overpowering his bigger opponents. Brock would take Overeem to the ground, pin him to the mat so he couldn't do anything, and beat the ever living shit out of him; and he would do the same to an aging, overrated Fedor.
I am going to go with Rampage on this one. Rashad might be quick, but the second Rampage gets a hold of him, this fight will be over.
Quote from: RickRampage on May 29, 2010, 11:17:56 AM
Are we really going to do this again. Fedor is good, but overrated. He finds a reason to bitch out of big fights with fighters that are in their prime. He has too much to lose and will never again face a world class fighter unless he is forced to do so. Overeem might beat him if they faced, but Brock Lesnar would destroy him. Brock doesn't care where you're good at, he'll beat you at it. He beat Heath Herring standing up, he beat Couture who is a veteran, via decision. He beat Frank Mir on the ground. If there is one MMA Fighter in the world who would destroy Fedor, it is Brock Lesnar. The guy gets better with each fight, and even as the champ and having beaten two former UFC Champs, he still has a lot to prove to the MMA World.
The guy is an excellent, world class wrestler, and to say he has an average ground game is just laughable. He has knockout power in both hands and wins matches because he just overpowers everyone he faces. Overeem would get over powered, and Overeem prides himself in overpowering his bigger opponents. Brock would take Overeem to the ground, pin him to the mat so he couldn't do anything, and beat the ever living shit out of him; and he would do the same to an aging, overrated Fedor.
True words spoken from a unintelligent, uninformed, MMA fan.
I actually just LOL'd. Firstly I will say I appreciate comments like this, they get discussion going, but im going to show just about how every point you made was completly wrong. Im sorry.
A) Fedor isn't overrated. That's either UFC bias-ness, or just plain stupidity. He's beaten everyone when everyone was in their prime in PRIDE. Hes never lost, and never backed out of a fight. Ill explain later.
B) World Class fighter unless he's forced to? So I mean, fighting Cro Cop, Nogueria THREE TIMES!, Heath HERRING (IN HIS PRIME), Kevin Randleman (IN HIS PRIME), Mark Coleman (IN HIS PRIME), and Tim Sylvia when everyone was still hyping him as the 3 time UFC Champion and a real test to Fedor, Fedor took all of those world class fighters, and destroyed them, because he wanted to be the best fighter on the planet, not because he was forced to.
C) So, your saying Lesnar would beat Overeem standing up? Do you even know who the fuck Overeem is? He beat the undefeated kickboxing world champion for the last 5 years Badr Hari....in a kickboxing match....with a 1st round knockout. Overeem has reach on Lesnar, and to even think if these fought Lesnar would have a chance standing? Ahahahahahahaha. Lets see, Overeem has knocked out kickboxing legends Badr Hari and Peter Aerts, and has 13 knockouts in his career. That's 9 more knockouts then Lesnar has fights. Oh yeah, Overeem has also SUBMITTED Vitor Belfort, Igor Vovchanchyn, and Mark Hunt.
D) So, Lesnar first went out and lost to Frank Mir, showing that he's weak on the ground, and probably won't be confortable on the ground for I'd say, 2 more years of solid Ju Jitsu training,a dn thats for guys like Mir....Fedor is unmatched on the ground. He beat Nogueria twice at his own game, and he has his own fucking style of ju jistu that half of the mma fighters in the game today use. So Lesnar wouldn't stand a chance if it hit the ground. Lesnar then beat Heath Herring, who is miles past his prime, and hasn't done anything relevant in the last 5 years. Lesnar THEN beat up a 45 year old man....OMG. Talk about fighting fighters in their prime right? He also didn't beat him by decision, he got the TKO on Couture.....just saying. Then came the rematch with Mir. Mir showed against Carwin recently, that he doesn't use a gameplan. Lesnar showed in the Mir fight than he is freakishly big and strong. He still hasn't shown the martial art skills to even compete with Fedor. Hes shown that hes as strong as a ox and can lay on you and beat your face in. Thats kinda like the 7'11 Asian fedor beat, or the 400 BJJ Black Belt Fedor beat. If you're only bringing size, you're not ready to fight Fedor. If you're only skill is wrestling, but you don't have an actual ground game.....Fedor will embarrass you.
E) Brock still has ALOT to prove, you're first good point. I Haven't seen shit of his MMA game. I've seen him beat past their prime fighters, and Mir using his freak size only. This is why I think Carwin is going to give Lesnar ALOT of problems. Carwin is as strong as Lesnar (so is Overeem BTW), Carwin is an accomplished wrestler like Lesnar, BUT Carwin has shown that he is a deadly striker, and we haven't see that from Lesnar yet. If I do recall, Lesnar was getting picked apart by Randy Couture (Yeah that 45 year old guy) for the first 2 rounds on the feet. Couture is never known as a striker, but showed that a gameplan against Lesnar is effective, and I think Carwin takes that fight.
F) World class wrestler? What have you seen in the UFC that shows this? I've seen some wrestling, not world class wrestling. Lesnar hasn't sprawled someone takedown, or he hasn't gotten someones back from a side throw, or even gotten to mount from a double leg takedown. I've seen alright wrestling, mixed with freak power.
G) Average ground game, yeah he does. His only time where we had to defend on the ground, he got submitted. Other than that, all I've seen personally, if you've seen different please show me, I've seen this 290lbs gorilla get guys against the cage, slowly take them down to the mat (not even suplex/takedowns) they graudlly fall to the mat, and he wails on them like a monkey until the ref pulls him off. Against the best ground fighter in MMA, not just the heavyweight division, that shit just aint gonna fly.
H) Knockout power? where are his knockouts?
I) Overeem getting overpowered? Maybe, but that's not a for sure thing. Thery're pretty deadon for strength. But say Lesnar can break the reach/striking of Overeem and get a takedown, Overeem has the deadliest guillotine choke in MMA, and has a pretty good ground game. I wouldn't want to see a deadly striker like Overeem on the mat, less odds of winning, but fair enough. I'd give Lesnar the edge on Overeem on the ground, if he could take him down, which is an ever bigger question mark.
J) He's do the same to Fedor? Really? Just like Mark Coleman, whose only good thing is what you claim Lesnar would do...what happened? Oh yeah, Fedor broke his arm quickly in the 1st round. Fedor is AMAZING fighting off his back, and I don't see an inexperienced fighter like Lesnar standing a chance anywhere with Fedor, on the feet or on the ground.
(http://palmgoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/the_more_you_know2.jpg)
cory explains it better then I could , I like Brock , but he is not in Fedor league , sorry but it the truth.
Fedor will lose one day , it going to happen , because it happen to every great fighter , age is the one thing that every fighter can not beat .
Quote from: Black Death on May 29, 2010, 02:02:16 PM
cory explains it better then I could , I like Brock , but he is not in Fedor league , sorry but it the truth.
Fedor will lose one day , it going to happen , because it happen to every great fighter , age is the one thing that every fighter can not beat .
I donno man, Fedor will know when to quit. I cant see him fighting for more than 2 more years. He's rich enough, and by that time will have had beaten everyone worthy. I really think theres 4 guys left to fight. Overeem, Carwin, Lesnar, and Velasquez, and I think after that Fedor will retire, the greatest fighter of all time.
Rampage Jackson v/s Rashad Evans- VIA: Third rd. ref stoppage.
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller - VIA: Decision.
Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow- VIA: KO 1st. Rd.
Jason Brilz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira- VIA: Second rd. ref stoppage
John Hathaway vs. Diego Sanchez- VIA: KO 1st. rd
See, I love how Fedor fans overlook the fact that he does have a loss on his record because Fedor got cut so badly that he wasn't allowed to continue. Also, if you want to say Fedor is great and almighty, why didn't he take the Overeem fight and show everyone that he is the greatest of all time? Why did Brett Roger have to step up and say, I lost to Fedor, but I'll face the champion. Seriously, Fedor got called out by the champion at Heavy Artillery, usually it's the challengers doing that to the champ; what gives?
Now, saying Brock isn't a World Class Wrestler is just idiotic. Last I checked, Wrestling is an amateur sport, and he's only ever lost five matches in his collegiate amateur career. Name one national champion that can say they same. Sure, his size has something to do with that, but wrestling is a mixture of power and technique. Also, I do believe Brock Lesnar passed the guard of Frank Mir to get into side control and pound the fight out of a former UFC Champion. You see, Brock does what he needs to do to get in a position to win and nothing more, that's called a game plan.
Heath Herring is still a decent fighter, and he got steam rolled by Brock Lesnar. I believe Dana White stated that he's never seen some one roll right through Heath Herring with no problems at all, like he saw Brock Lesnar do. Also, let's be honest, Heath Herring has a strong chin and he is a world class fighter, no doubt. I wouldn't want to fight him; but compared to champions he has always been a joke.
Now, here is the deal with Couture. He is over the limit age wise, but when Brock faced him, he was the fucking champion. So, is Brock supposed to say, no, I can't face a guy who needs a walker to get to the ring. Yeah, I don't think any other fighter would do that either. Brock beat Couture and then turned around and immediately faced the one man who beat him, and beat the living shit out of him for one and a half rounds.
Carwin vs Lesnar in July will be a good fight, but I think you will see what Lesnar has shown to Dana White. Lesnar is fearless and he will use what he knows to win a fight. He is just a tremendous athlete that has overcome all the obstacles put in front of him, unlike Kimbo Slice.
Now, I am not saying Fedor and Overeem are bad fighters, just slightly overrated because people want to believe Fedor chose Strikeforce so that he could face Overeem, the second greatest heavyweight in the world. Then what, let's say after he beats Overeem and people say, well, maybe Lesnar is the second greatest. Will Fedor suddenly stop caring that the UFC won't recognize Sambo as a fighting style. Will we ever get to truly find out and see Lesnar vs Fedor, even if it's just an exhibition match. I doubt it, because Fedor will back out to protect his precious legacy.
A) Fedor didn't get cut so badly he couldnt continue. He lost the fight because it was in RINGS, a one day tournament (like old school UFC). Rules were if you got cut (in any form) you weren't allowed to continue. Oh yeah, he also got cut by a glancing elbow by Kohsaka...elbows were illgeal in RINGS. So if Fedor wanted too he could have the fight switched to a No Contest, but if you've ever seen a Fedor interview, he doesn't care about that stuff.
B) Lesnar is in MMA now, not amateur wrestling. When he can GSP someone, then he earned the right to say he's a world class wrestler in MMA.
C) Heath Herring is garbage, 2-3 in the UFC, barely beat up Cheick Kongo whose the standard stepping stone in the UFC Heavyweight divison, and he beat the loser to the TUF. Herring was amazing back in the PRIDE days, but aside from the 1st round against Big Nog in 2007, Herrings been irrelevant since 2002.
D) Randy's one hell of a fighter, a legend of the sport, and I love the guy, but having an old, SIGNIFICANTLY weaker fighter who hadn't fought in over a year against a monkey like Lesnar, if Lesnar would have lost, there would have been a huge problem.
E) I kinda want to know what you know about the Fedor/UFC situation, or anything really. 1st of all, Fedor has very little say in where he fights, which limits WHO he fights. Its all about M-1 Global, a russian company that fedor owns a lot of, but anyone who knows MMA, known Fedor is ran by his management. Fedors brother Aleks even said Fedors management is fucking awful. UFC not recognizing Sambo? ahahahahahaha, thats what you think? Jesus, at least google something to sound like you know what you're talking about. the only reason Fedor didn't sign with the UFC is because m-1 global wanted to co-promote with the UFC, and that wasn't happening, (for good reason, I wouldnt if I was White either) Strikeforce offered to co-promote, so thats where Fedor went. If you wanted to make this point, you'd also know that Fedor has 1 fight left on his contract after the Werdum fight, which will be Overeem. Then, I'll say if he doesn't go to the UFC via dropping his management/m-1, THEN, JUST THEN will I question Fedors judgement.
damn, amir sodallah lost........
wow, really impressed with the 22 year old Hathaway.....really a dominat performance.
I love Lil Nog, but Brillz fucking deserved that
that was fucking insane, one of the biggest comebacks/upsets ever!!!!
Russow after getting ass raped for 2 and a half rounds KO's Todd Duffee is a huge fucking upset. I havent seen shit like that since Cung Le/Scott Smith....totally INSANE!!
This reminds me of when Holmes destroyed Ali. Kimbo was a side show, in essence. He could have had some good opponents in UFC, but.. perhaps his age is a factor.
Le/Smith was almost heartbreaking. Le was getting that movie money, lol. That may also have an effect on Rampage since he's been out of the loop for a while. His weight doesn't look anything near prime. I give it to Rashad. Speed will be on his side in the first round. If Rampage swings sluggishly as I predict, Rashad will have no problem evading and striking while Jackson is vulnerable.
miller/bisping
yawn
main event time lets do this
well i called it, but that was a HUGE dissappointment.
wrestlers suck.
What happened?
Evans ran like I knew he would
Someone want to post the winners and how? Thanks! :D
Well Kise called it. Rampage never showed up to fight. He was out of shape losing nearly 50 pounds just to make weight for this fight after being out of the cage for 14 months. Of course Rashad won this fight. He was too fast, he controlled the fight, he evaded like a smart fighter. People want to make excuses and blame rashad for whatever... blame Rampage for not showing up ready to fight. Rashad won plain and simple. Rampage deserved to lose.
1st RD: Rampage walked into a jab and ended up slipping halfway across the cage. Rashad chases him and somewhat capitalizes. I think that was the highlight of the round.
2nd RD: Nothing notable.
3rd RD: Rampage finally gets a good blow in, catching Rashad as he hopped to the side. Evans hunched down and Rampage almost instantly was on him like flies on shit. He pounded Rashad a few times and it looked like Evans wouldn't recover. Later on, Evans is able to control the bout but mostly keeps Rampage from hitting him rather than deal damage himself. Rashad got a takedown of sorts and that was it.
Evans wins by decision.
Rampage never stood a chance. This wasn't his fight to win. People are infatuated with the celebrity that is Rampage but don't realize dude is ridiculously dumb about training. This movie he's in destroyed any chance he had of ever beating Rashad.
no it evans big talk , I going to knock you out , I going to make you quit.
where was that, he was not going to stand toe to toe with him and I knew that
Very few stand toe to toe with Rampage and win. I notice that all rampage loses in UFC have been by decison . nobody knocked him out in the UFC
Here ya go Fnord:
(http://i49.tinypic.com/24mia37.jpg)
Rampage still lost. Rashad played it smart. He didnt knock out Rampage? oh well. Rampage didnt knock out Rashad. Rampage didnt even play his own game. Quinton got owned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thats what u get when u show up out of shape because you want to play Mr. T
Quote from: Black Death on May 30, 2010, 03:37:48 AM
no it evans big talk , I going to knock you out , I going to make you quit.
where was that, he was not going to stand toe to toe with him and I knew that
Doesnt that sound very familar to Paul Daley/Josh Koscheck? Actually its the exact same fucking thing!
Wrestling is the most effective style, I'd be a wrestler if I tried MMA, but I'll never pay 60 bucks for a show with a big wrestler in it (unles Heavyweight) because they're boring, and don't fight. They wrestle, which is what Rashad did, what I CALLED. Strong wrestlers always beat grapplers, because they convince evryone that they'll stand and trade (like a man) and then turn into a smart gameplan and hug (pussy/boring). Its a Greg Jackson fighter, they got GSP too, figured Rashad would hump him the whole time till a win. Smart, effective, but Rashad still remains my 2nd least favourite fighter next to Machida after this one.
Pussy.
The fight was never going to live up to expectations but I really enjoyed it. The tension was incredible even if the action wasn't.
You've got to give Evans his due for sticking to his game plan and winning the fight hands down.
Rampage just didn't seem to want to go in for the kill and that takedown I think in the second was like something out the Undisputed game! Rampage was still swinging at fresh air when Evans was driving his shoulder into the ribs and getting the take down.
Speed made all the difference in this fight. Well that and Evans managed to kill the 2nd round with a standing version of 'lay and pray.' Hate that shit.
In the end the guy who trained harder and fought smarter won the fight and you can't really complain about that.
On the rest of the card I think Lil Nog got the decision due to his name recognition. I think that decision was as bad as some of the bigger 'bad' calls there have been recently.
Bisping's striking looked good in the 2nd and 3rd but he still looks far too worried about getting hit. I think that knock out from Henderson has really broken him as a fighter.
Hathaway was the star of the night for me. Fantastic performance against Sanchez.
Also, how in the fuck did Duffee not win that fight? Crazy one punch KO!
Not a bad night of action just a shame Rampage didn't knock Evans into the 3rd row like most of hoped he would!
Peace
Duckman
Yeah, forgot to add on that.
Brilz, I really feel for the guy. Took the fight on 4 weeks notice, HUGE underdog regardless, and I thought took it 29-28. I really like Lil Nog, and being the guy he is in the post fight he admitted he lost. Brilz should get the win bonus, but I think he got a lot of exposure from this fight, and I for one went in not knowing who he was, and now I cant wait to see him fight again.
I also feel for Duffee. He dominated that fight, and showed that hes going to be a force in the HW division, if he was fighting a normal fighter with a normal chin, he would have won at like....8 different times in that fight. But damn, I said it in the shout box bvefore the fight started, I had a feeling Russow was gonna upset, but I didn`t see this coming at all. Really exciting finish, and really aside from the Hathaway performance and evans rampage staredown the only good thing in the PPV.
Hathaway is a stud, and at 22, hes the second best young fighter in the UFC. Check out the Canadian Rory McDonald ahaha bias, but hes 20, 10-0-0, and is a submission machine. But I was really impressed with Hathaway.
Bisping fight was yawn, I agree 100% with Sam. I used to love Bisping, but Hendo broke him. I will say tho I think Bisping in 2 more fights if he wins, hell get back to where he was, but Bisping really got exposed as a guy who beat up weak guys and when he fights legit dudes, he falls short. Miller looked pretty good, but for some reason I couldnt get into this fight.
Rashad's first take down on Rampage was POETRY IN MOTION! Swarms towards him throws a right hand then swiftly, ducks under him and takes him to the mat. I was like, HOLY SHIT! I marked out on the re-play. The match played out much like I expected it too. Rashad outworked rampage. Well, deserved victory.
I don't know why, but watching Russow get dominated and eat fists to the face actually raised the question on weather or not Russow would lay him out with one lucky punch. I wasn't bold enough to actually believe it; but it happened. Defiently, a WTF moment of the night. Duffee looked good though. He'll be back and string together a solid win.
I still don't know why anyone expected Rashad to stand and bang with Rampage, tbh. Sure, Rashad said he was going to knock out rampage... but that just for hype/mind games. I could tell a mile away, he wasn't going to stand and bang, but take down and work over rampage. Maybe if this was five rounds, we may have seen a different result, though.
Good to see Melvin back. I watched a few of his fights on SPIKE as they replay all the old events; he looked very good in his fight. I could see him making an impressive run.
^^
Yes on Guillard too, he's a real underrated guy, but is one of the few 155'ers that finish fights. Really hope he can work his way back up.
I was the only one in my group of friends/co-workers who pulled for Evans. Not 'cause I like him over Rampage, but I think he's a LOT smarter than people give him credit for. His gameplan was exactly what I'd thought, but it's a shame he didn't get to finish. As for Rampage? I love the guy, but he didn't show up to fight. I still have no idea what his gameplan was, or if he even had one. Looks to me like he was ready to counter-punch, but Rampage isn't a counter-puncher by trade.
So Titos, gone and they brought in Franklin.
Yager quit, really pissed because he was the most exicting fighter in the house, but meh. Im gonna call Tavares/Savage finale.
**SPOILER**
Franklins team of coaches include: Forrest Griffin, Grey Maynard, and Tyson Griffin.
I understand Tito has to look out for his health and all that but Dana was right when he said that if Tito knew he was not 100% he should never had signed up...
When Dana told the team Tito was fired the guy said that there was only 6 days left and could he ride it out. So using that math I figure they do it like this...
Fight...
Weight In...
Fight...
Weight In...
So if Day Six was a fight and that is when tito got canned then Day Seven was the weight in and Day Eight was the previous fight from the episode where Chuck got told and since Dana said he was waiting to tell Chuck we can assume Dana found out before that day so lets assume that Tito informed Dana within 10 -8 days before the show was going to end...
I mean he knew all along he was not fighting Chuck and did it for TV time and personally that is what irks me... I was even pissed when Rampage didnt fight Evans right away because of A-team but with this I feel cheated because you watch the show the entire season and see the hatred between the two coaches build up (Not always ofcourse) and then you see then whip on each other and I would be ok if it was something like Tito was sparring with his guys and pulled something and was out but assuming (Knowing) it was predetermined in Titos head is what irks me alot....
I wish him the best but bet your ass that if he comes back and does not fight Chuck I am goign to talk mad shit...
But Yeah the Yager fight to me was exciting... It seemed like everytime Yager got stunned he just basically tried some high kick KO move in hopes of nailing the guy. After the first round I thought Yager had some good stamina but then as Roudn two progressed I was stunned at how sluggish he got and not to answer the bell in round three was a shocker to me... I personally had Yager losing the first two rounds and did not see a need for a third but that is how I saw it...
Dana did the right thing. Tito should have never taken the fight if there was any question about his health. Still, the one Team Punishment fighter left has a good coach in just Rich Franklin alone, and the three assistant coaches are all notable in their own right. So, Tavares won't be able to claim his coaching was bad if he loses.
Now, as much as I like Tavares and I think he will get a fight at the finale either way, I just see Court taking it. He's worked hard and he just drives through. The guy gets better every single fight, and he's young. I think you'll see Court in the finale, but even if he doesn't, Dana seems to like the kid, so he might sign him anyways.
It's obviously not the same without Chuck vs. Tito. Still, what're your opinions on the card?
Here's the full card:
Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry
Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Ben Rothwell vs. Gibert Yvel (is he still as mental as he was in Pride??)
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox
Peace
Duckman
Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
Liddell - He has lost 4 out of his last five fights and is no where near as dominate as he was back in the day. His only notable win in 3 1/2 since his Dec 06 win against Tito is a Decision against Wanderli Silva.
Franklin - He has WON 3 out of his last five fights with a win over Wanderli Silva and the two loses are against Hendo & Vitor so that is no joke...
I am thinking...
Franklin via Decision...
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry
Cro Cop has lost 3 out of his total 5 fights in the UFC and has yet to be dominate against a big name unless you consider Al-turk a big name...
Barry sporting a record of 2 wins a 1 lose in the UFC I hear he has crazy kicks that can put a opponent down...
You know this one is hard as Barry has the kicks but Cro Cop has those thick ass legs and can kick himself... I am thinking that Barry will lay into Crop Cops leg pissing him off and making crop make some mistakes with his own high kicks....
Barry Second round TKO
Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Thiago is sporting a 13-1 MMA record with 8 submissions...
Kampmann has 12 wins with 3 loses and 6 submissions...
I really cant remember these two guys but it says Thiago is BJJ & Judo and Kampmann is Muay Thai and Submission wrestling so I and thinking that the wrestler will try to avoid the take down as Thiago is obviously good with the Submission and Thiago will try to take him down in order to avoid the heavy hands...
Thiago - via decision
Ben Rothwell vs. Gibert Yvel
Ben won 14 out of his last 16 and while he is not looking good in the UFC at this point I think he is good to go and to his defense it was against Cain...
Gilbert is another veteran...
Ben - Via Desicion
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
Condit has one lose in his last ten fights...
Rory is UNDEFEATED in his career...
Condit Via Decision
From this point on I am simply looking at the pics and records and taking a wild guess...
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Evan Dunham for the win
Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
Danzig for the win
David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda
Miranda for the win
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Sabotta for the win
Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
Funch because Patrick has no picture lol
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox
Pyle will go all GOMER on him...
Liddel v Ace
I think this is a MUCH more interesting fight than Liddell/Ortiz III. Ace is one of those guys that is just really, really good at everything and Chuck is a guy that is regarding as having excellent wrestling (especially his take down defense) and incredible striking power. If this was 2006 Chuck vs 2006 Ace, I'd bet Liddell in a heartbeat. But, it's 2010. Both guys have some recent losses, Chuck's last 3 of 4 were to guys that went on to become champ (Rampage, Evans, Shogun) and Franklin's losses were a close decision (debatable one) to former Pride 2x champion Henderson, and a kinda flukish loss to former UFC champ Belfort. In recent opponents both men beat Wanderlei Silva by decision. I think Chuck's wrestling keeps this fight on the feet, and his power keeps him a threat at any given moment. Ace is much more technical of a striker and will probably work to outpoint CHuck to a win as he's never shown the KO power (outside of Quarry).
Winner: Chuck, by (T)KO
Cro Cop v Barry
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is one of those guys that was a legend, to becoming a guy that just never really had the total package that people once thought. Pat barry is a top level kickboxer and striker. In the UFC, Cro Cop hasn't fared well when he's got a high amount of pressure being put on him by his opponent, and even had to call it a fight in the middle of the third against Junior Dos Santos and looked relatively gunshy in his most recent bout. Pat Barry is a guy that will push the action, has good striking and power.
Winner: Barry, by (T)KO
Paulo Thiago vs Martin Kampmann
Thiago is still riding high off a flash KO win over Josh Koschek in 2009 and just lost to Jon Fitch (by decision, of course). Kampmann is still reeling from getting his clock cleaned by Paul Daley. Kampmann at one time was considered a contender at MW until a knee injury set him back. He looked fantastic in a win over Carlos Condit that was a FOTY canidate in 08. Both men are hovering between contender and gatekeeper status and desparately need a win. Kampmann has been in more top level fights and I think will handle the pressure better.
Winner: Martin kampmann, Decision.
Ben Rothewell vs Gilbert Yvel
Big Ben is a pretty solid HW, with a notable win over Roy Nelson. Yvel is an excellent stiker that always has a hard time focusing and finds ways to lose fights. I don't see Rothwell allowing this to stay on the feet very much, and Yvel is serviceable at best off his back.
Winner: Rothwell, Decision
Carlos Condit vs Rory MacDonald
I admit, I'm not that familiar with Rory MacDonald. I keep thinking of Rory Marcum. I am familiar with Condit, who's a solid fighter and probably a really strong gatekeeper in his division. So I'm simply choosing out of having some knowledge of Condit.
Winner: Carlos Condit, Decision
Tyson Griffin vs Evan Dunham
This is your motha fuckin fight of the night right here! How this is on an undercard I'll never understand. Tyson Griffin is a fantastic fighter that just hasn't got his break yet. His wrestling is top notch, his boxing gets better and better, and his chin can take a heck of a punch. Dunham is an up and coming guy that many people are thinking is going to be a contender sooner rather than later. Both guys are fantstic at grappling and the submission game, and they can both throw hands.On paper I really want to say a draw because on paper they are so equal.
Winner: Griffin, Split Decision.
Danzig vs Wiman
Danzig never seemed to get it together after TUF, and Wiman is up and down.
Winner: Danzig, Submission
David "The Crow" Loiseu vs Mario Miranda
Winner: The Crow by (T)KO
Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin- Really dont know why Chuck wants a 'comeback'. I'd be a nice story, but if there is ANYONE over the hill, it's him. Franklin still looked like he had some in the tank when he last fought Wanderlei Silva, so I think hell take this one, either Unam. Decision or 2nd round TKO
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry- The new heavyweight kickboxer, v/s the old heavyweight kickboxer. I met Barry at UFC 113 and hes a HUGE dude, and very VERY funny, but I think when both guys have the same strenght, you give it to the guy with the longer reach (especially 2 strikers) and I was taller than Barry, so Cro Cop gets this one, either 1st round KO or this ones going the distance.
Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann- I hated Thiago when he first came to the UFC, I saw another Lyoto Machida, but after KO'ing that cunt Koscheck, and surviving a bear molesting against Jon Fitch, I'm starting to hate him less. Kampmann is good, but I think after Paul Daley fucked him up, his chins been exposed. Thiago with a 2nd round TKO
Ben Rothwell vs. Gibert Yvel - Easy. Rothwell is a human punching bag, and Yvel is a insane (literally) striker with a good gas tank. Im gonna say 1st round KO for Yvel.
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald- McDonalds is 20 years old, and 10-0 all stoppages, hes the Canadian phenom who I PRAY goes to Montreal and starts to train with GSP, but Condit is a legit guy who can beat anyone on any given day, but Im going with the hometown kid in this one (hes gonna get a HUGE pop) and the upset. McDonald 3rd round submission.
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham- Two well rounded, heavy handed strikers, but Griffin has more power. Griffin via Unam. Decision.
Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman - Both have had disappointing runs in the UFC, but Danzig (former TUF winner) is more well rounded. Danzig via 2nd round submission.
David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda- A canadian legend, v/s a no name. Loiseau via 1st round TKO or Unam. Decision.
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta- Ill go with the TUF winner from Britian. either a submission win or decision.
Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin: Third rd. TKO
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry: Second rd. TKO
Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann: Second rd. KO
Ben Rothwell vs. Gibert Yvel : First round. KO
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald: VIA decision
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham: VIA decision
GUESSING TIME.
Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman: Second rd. Submission
David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda: First rd. TKO
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta: First rd. Submission
Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick: VIA decision
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox: First rd. KO
Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin - 2nd Round TKO (I am in no doubt that Tito was being fed to Chuck because Dana wanted to give the guy a relatively easy win against a legit opponent but when Tito pulled out he had to find someone with a big enough name to justify a main event. I truly believe that if Kimbo hadn't been on UFC 114 he'd have got the call! Shame for Liddell that Rich Franklin is still good!)
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry - 2nd Round KO
Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann - 3rd Round Submission
Ben Rothwell vs. Gibert Yvel - 1st Round KO (I'll actually go further than this & say it ends before 1.30)
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald - Decision
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham - Decision (This one has Match of the Night written all over it)
Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman - 2nd Round Submission
David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda - 1st Round TKO (I'll be honest, I have no idea who Miranda is)
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta - Decision
I know nothing of the next 4 fighters but my magic 8ball tells me:
Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick - Decision
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox - 1st Round TKO
http://mmajunkie.com/news/19445/koscheck-suggests-olympic-style-drug-testing-needed-for-st-pierre-fight-champ-agrees.mma (http://mmajunkie.com/news/19445/koscheck-suggests-olympic-style-drug-testing-needed-for-st-pierre-fight-champ-agrees.mma)
LAS VEGAS â€" It seems boxing champ Floyd Mayweather isn't the only fighter who believes Olympic-style drug testing should be more prevalent in combat sports.
At Monday's "The Ultimate Fighter 12" media day at the UFC Training Center in Las Vegas, opposing coaches Georges St-Pierre (20-2 MMA, 14-2 UFC) and Josh Koscheck (15-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) both said they think a more stringent program should be in place for their December bout.
St-Pierre said he believes cheaters need to be caught now before performance-enhancing drugs ruin the sport, while Koscheck said from what he's heard, the champ might need to look in the mirror.
"From what I've heard from other fighters in other camps, yeah, [St-Pierre] has done steroids and HGH, possibly," Koscheck told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). "I don't know. This is just on hearsay information that I've gotten.
"B.J. Penn and his camp gave me a little phone call. They were saying, 'Yeah, he's on steroids. He's this; he's that.' I said, 'Yeah, there's a possibility.' The guy is pretty ripped all year round."
Koscheck made it clear that he was not making a direct accusation of impropriety from the UFC's welterweight champ but rather just passing on what he had heard from other sources. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old believes he and St-Pierre should both submit to blood testing throughout their camp.
"I would love to do it; why not?" Koscheck asked. "I think Olympic-style testing would be great for our sport. At least you do it a couple times out from the fight.
"I think it will be a great idea."
Olympic-style drug testing is considered superior to the typical urine-based tests used by athletic commissions around the country because by taking blood, the test is able to identify a greater range of performance-enhancing drugs, including Human Growth Hormone (HGH).
The process gained notoriety in combat sports circles in late 2009 when Mayweather and fellow superstar boxer Manny Pacquiao scrapped a potential contest after being unable to reach an agreement regarding drug testing procedures.
When asked his opinion on the matter, St-Pierre said not only would he be approve Olympic-style testing, he believes the entire sport should embrace the process.
"I have no problem; anytime he wants," St-Pierre said. "I stand for that more than anybody else. I stand for this, and I just hope it's going to happen soon. I know a lot of people cheat in this sport, and it's unacceptable.
"I'm for random drug testing. There's nobody in the UFC that agrees more with random testing then me. ... Anything they want, I don't care. I give my body to science."
St-Pierre said he wasn't necessarily surprised that he was the target of such discussion, but he adamantly denies that he's ever used performance-enhancing substances.
"I'm not a coward," St-Pierre said. "Anyone that uses steroids is a cheater. I don't need to cheat to win. I am like I am, and I'm somebody that is not a coward.
"I'm not afraid of Josh Koscheck, and I don't need to cheat to beat him. I'm going to beat him by the book and using the right way."
While St-Pierre said his muscle gain has come through hard work and an increased focus on a proper diet, he believes there are some fighters who aren't as committed to going by the book. The Canadian superstar said he believes that Olympic-style testing could help to reveal some of those athletes that have gained success with the help of chemicals.
"I just hope that it's going to happen and happen soon," St-Pierre said. "I want it to happen. I don't know who uses [performance-enhancing drugs]. I have no idea, and I'm not going to say any names, but I want it to happen soon. What's happening now, it's going to be bad. It's going to be like a certain other sport. I don't want to say the name of the sport, but it's not going to be the best fighter that wins the fight.
"Now, what makes a good fighter is a lot of genetics, the style, the skills, the heart. Now there is another factor that influences the fight: the team of doctors behind the fighter. This should not be an element that helps a fighter to win a fight. That's something I am against. It's not everybody that stands for that, and I don't. I think everybody should be testing like the Olympic Games."
While the UFC has yet to determine where the December matchup between St-Pierre and Koscheck will take place, it will ultimately be up to the governing commission to determine what steps are taken to ensure a level-playing field. Both fighters say they're willing to submit to increased regulations, though Koscheck believes he's destined to win regardless of St-Pierre's tactics.
"I plan on making Georges stand toe-to-toe with me," Koscheck said. "This isn't going to be a wrestling match. I'm going to force him to stand-up with me because I believe he doesn't have knockout power. We've just got to pray to God that he doesn't grease up, and he gets off that juice so that we can equal things about it.
"I just want to let him know that if he's going to do that, it doesn't matter. I'm still going to beat you because it can't make the chin that much stronger. His chin's still weak."
I swear BJ's got a bug up his ass... and it don't surprise me that Koscheck is willing to go at it this way.
He's a fucking cunt, trying to make excuses for the fact that he got dominated in his first fight, and NOTHING will be different in the second fight.
The flames are being stoked already! Can't deny Cuntcheck knows how to sell a fight/feud/TV show!
Peace
Duckman
Guy's a worker alright.
koscheck not saying it himself , but other people saying to him lol
he a bitch and cunt fuck him
nice BD....classy
lol
http://mmajunkie.com/news/19470/rosenthal-officiates-lesnar-vs-carwin-lesnar-ufc-speak-against-mazzagatti.mma (http://mmajunkie.com/news/19470/rosenthal-officiates-lesnar-vs-carwin-lesnar-ufc-speak-against-mazzagatti.mma)
LAS VEGAS â€" Veteran referee Josh Rosenthal today was selected by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to officiate July's UFC 116 main event between UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and interim belt holder Shane Carwin (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC).
Rosenthal was selected from a pool of available officials that also included Herb Dean, Steve Mazzagatti and Mario Yamasaki at today's NSAC meeting in Las Vegas based on the recommendation of NSAC executive director Keith Kizer.
Both Lesnar's camp and the UFC issued objections to Mazzagatti's potential selection, though NSAC chairman Pat Lundvall ultimately dismissed the claims and included the oft-criticized referee in the pool of potential officials.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) today attended the hearing, which took place at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas.
UFC 116 takes place July 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Lesnar's camp was represented by his attorney, David Olsen, who joined the meeting via conference call. Olsen pointed toward Mazzagatti's controversial decision to restart the UFC 81 fight between Lesnar and Frank Mir, as well as the magnitude of criticism the official has received throughout his tenure with the UFC and a "perception of bias" among the public, as reasons why Mazzagatti should not have been eligible for selection.
Zuffa, LLC Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs Michael Mersch, who was present at the meeting, echoed similar sentiments and also questioned the level of Mazzagatti's officiating abilities.
"We believe that some of the other options the commission has may be a better fit because they would provide a higher-caliber performance in terms of the high-profileness of this particular event," Mersch said. "Mr. Mazzagatti, as I think everyone is aware, has been publicly criticized by [UFC president Dana] White several times based on his concern for the health and safety of the fighters. Mr Mazzagatti might not be performing up to the level we would expect and we've come to appreciate."
Lundvall's response was clear.
"Those objections are not legitimate grounds by which to disqualify Mr. Mazzagatti from consideration," Lundvall said.
Nevertheless, Rosenthal was ultimately selected to work the fight.
The evening's judges were determined with far less fanfare.
Adelaide Byrd, Glenn Trowbridge and Tony Weeks will be responsible for determining the UFC's unified heavyweight champion if the UFC 116 bout somehow makes it 25 minutes.
Patricia Morse-Jarman, Nelson "Doc" Hamilton, Cecil Peoples and Roy Silbert were also considered for selection.
I found this kind of funny, but legit. Mazzagatti is an awful ref.
http://mmajunkie.com/news/19473/ufc-115s-cro-cop-says-retirement-possible-if-new-contract-doesnt-materialize.mma (http://mmajunkie.com/news/19473/ufc-115s-cro-cop-says-retirement-possible-if-new-contract-doesnt-materialize.mma)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia â€" Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is on the last fight of his UFC contract and wants to keep fighting. But if he doesn't ink a new UFC deal, he's not shopping himself to Japan.
Instead, he's done.
"I will extend the contract, or I will go retire," said Filipovic (26-7-2 MMA, 3-3 UFC), who on Saturday faces Pat Barry (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on the pay-per-view portion of UFC 115. "But I think I will keep fighting."
Filipovic inked a three-fight contract extension with the promotion this past July after a rocky patch in which it was speculated that he might defect from the UFC to the Japanese-based DREAM promotion.
The Croatian striker got back on the winning track in his most recent performance when he stopped last-minute replacement Anthony Perosh by cut at UFC 110. His original opponent, Ben Rothwell, became ill on the week of the event and was unable to compete.
In May 2009, nine months after a disastrous first run in the promotion, Filipovic returned to the UFC on a one-fight contract. He defeated Mostapha Al-Turk one month later at UFC 99, but shortly afterward, rumors flew that he had tabled a planned extension with the UFC and signed a three-fight contract with DREAM.
After some finger pointing and invective, Filipovic inked the three-fight contract extension with the UFC.
The high-kicking fighter's octagon win percentage stands at .500 through six fights.
Following this Saturday's event, Filipovic plans to sit down with UFC executives Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White and negotiate another contract extension.
Despite his previous struggles, the former Croatian parliament member said he still feels viable in the UFC.
"If I'm going to keep fighting, I will definitely keep fighting in the UFC," Filipovic said. "I will not change organizations at all.
"I still think that people want to see me fighting, and I will keep fighting."
Once a top-ranked heavyweight and one of the most feared fighters in the world, Filipovic made his octagon debut at UFC 67 and defeated Eddie Sanchez. After two consecutive losses to Gabriel Gonzaga â€" who viciously knocked him out with a head kick at UFC 70 â€" and Cheick Kongo, the promotion released him in late 2007. He signed with DREAM in early 2008 and fought four times for the promotion with three wins and a no-contest with current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.
Just a note before tonights episode.
-Is anyone else getting sick to TUF? I mean, I'm ALL FOR more new mma on television, but these fights this season.....and last season off the top of my head, have all been pretty poor. It's not nearly as exciting as it was at the beginning, and it seems like more and more the shit that goes on in the house is forced, like Junie Browning 2 seasons ago.
actual can not wait for the GSP," Cunt" check TUF that going to be good . this season been beh IMO
I missed the first fight last night, but Savage dominated Josh with his wrestling in the second match, wasn't an overal boring match, there were slams in the first round and both guys stayed pretty active.
And yeah BD, but Im not talking about the coaches. Im talking about the fights on the show (which is what the show is SUPPOSED to be about) find the next best fighter, but these fights have been shit in the last few seasons.
I'm just glad Cecil Peoples isn't going to be a judge...that guy is horrible. Although this one isn't going the distance - that's for damn sure!
Peace
Duckman
I've been watching a ton of PRIDE recently - massive thanks to Cory for pointing me in the direction of that promotion, I'm just going through their DVD's like wildfire!
Some of the fights Cro Cop had there in the past were incredible. The man was just a complete machine and had some of the best striking I've seen in any MMA fighter.
I just wonder if this really is a guy who is well past his best and getting by on name alone. None of his fights in the UFC have impressed. His performances and more importantly his body language and attitude has just been nothing like his PRIDE days. It's actually been quite sad to see.
What do you guys think of Cro Cop? Does he have anything left in him? Could he get back to his PRIDE glory days or is he a guy who has had too many fights and just doesn't have 'it' anymore?
Peace
Duckman
He showed glimpses of his old self in his last fight, he was agressive, but he was fighting a total can.
I think he still has something left, he just needed to get adjusted to the UFC/Cage. I think well find out this fight just what happens. In his last fight, he looked to take a step in the right direction to being his old self, but well see if hes gonna return or take another step back against Pat Barry.\
Gonna be a sick fight tho.
Liddell was looking ripped last night.
Im switching my pick. I think Liddell will get this one.
wow, Rory McDonald got fucking whored by the ref there, he would have won.
Yvel/Rothwell wasnt too good. Guys gassed.
Kampmann/Thiago was a dominate performance from Kampmann, nothing too too exciting.
Cro Cop/Barry, Cro Cop with submission, wtf?! Good fight!
main event up next
chucks dead.
McDonald was going to get hurt in his fight, I think the referee stepped in at the right time. The kid was gassed, getting his head punched to shit and had been for pretty much the whole of the 3rd round. It's better to get him out of there when they did than risk one of the most promising young fighters in the world getting knocked out needlessly. He had the fight won but it isn't over till it's over. He'll be back from that and he'll have learnt a lot.
Yvel vs. Rothwell was good for about 4 minutes and then they just gassed and lay on the mat doing nothing. Yvel should go back to the eye rakes he used in Pride against Don Frye and then scream about racism when he get's DQed. Much more entertaining!
Kampmann owned that fight. Very crisp and accurate striking. Solid ground work. A very professional and controlled performance. He never looked in danger in the whole fight. I don't know if Thiago was poor or Kampmann was really good but Thiago did nothing impressive for me in that fight, looked outclassed throughout.
Barry vs. Cro Cop was my fight of the night. A great striking match up and very exciting. I thought Cro Cop was dead after being knocked down twice in round 1. Excellent come back in round two and using his underrated ground game. The final round was Cro Cop of old, fantastic combo punches and some real venom in them. The choke out was very unexpected but also really well done. The best Cro Cop I've seen in UFC and he showed great heart in coming back to win the fight.
Liddell answered the question everyone already knew the answer to. Yes he should retire. He doesn't have the reaction time anymore to compete at the highest level. That knockout punch was sick and he was shut down completely. Fantastic performance from Franklin - especially considering he BROKE HIS FUCKING ARM thanks to a kick from Chuck early in the round!! That is one tough son of a bitch. Liddell needs to step away now for the good of his future health. He's made his money, got a great legacy and every fight from now on will just tarnish his great name. It's the end of an era but in a sport like MMA you just can't keep going when you're old and getting slow. He trained as hard as he could and still lost, that says it all to me. A true icon of the sport but father time has called it. It'll be really interesting to see who Franklin fights next.
I missed the prelim fights but the main card was decent. A great fight from Cro Cop and Barry and a sad end for Liddell.
Can't wait for Carlin vs. Lesner in a couple of weeks!!!
Peace
Duckman
Yeah. 116 is gonna be SICK
Wasent that fight like a number one contenders fight?
I highly doubt it, and can almost say 99% that it wasn't. These guys wouldnt get a shot over Rashad Evans.
Heres the card for the finale.
* Light Heavyweight bout: United States Matt Hamill vs. United States Keith Jardine[1]
* Middleweight bout: United States Court McGee vs. United States Kris McCray[1]
* Middleweight bout: United States Chris Leben vs. United States Aaron Simpson [1]
* Lightweight bout: United States Spencer Fisher vs. Germany Dennis Siver[1]
* Middleweight bout: United States Jamie Yager vs. United States Rich Attonito[1]
[edit] Preliminary Card
* Lightweight bout: United States John Gunderson vs. Canada Mark Holst[1]
* Middleweight bout: United States Brad Tavares vs. United States Seth Baczynski[1]
* Middleweight bout: Australia Kyle Noke vs. United States Josh Bryant[1]
* Middleweight bout: United States James Hammortree vs. United States Chris Camozzi[1]
* Heavyweight bout: England James McSweeney vs. United States Travis Browne[1]
Location: Las Vegas
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena
Broadcast: Pay-per-view and Spike TV
MAIN CARD
* Champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim champ Shane Carwin (heavyweight title-unification bout)
* Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Wanderlei Silva
* Matt Brown vs. Chris Lytle
* Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
* Kurt Pellegrino vs. George Sotiropoulos
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
* Brendan Schaub vs. Chris Tuchscherer
* Kendall Grove vs. Goran Reljic
PRELIMINARY CARD (Un-aired)
* Dave Branch vs. Gerald Harris
* Seth Petruzelli vs. Ricardo Romero*
* Julio Paulino vs. Daniel Roberts
* Jon Madsen vs. Karlos Vemola
Champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim champ Shane Carwin (heavyweight title-unification bout) - Even though I really like Brock and to be honest him going to UFC is what really got me committed to watching and becoming a big fan of MMA (although I've got a lot to learn, lol) I think Carwin is going to take this...as long as he doesn't freeze up in the big fight atmosphere. Lesner has been headlining PPVs and the main attraction on the cards since day 1. I don't think he'll be phased by this huge match but I do think he's going to be rusty and Carwin is going to be in the shape of his life and he's not long off his last fight which he looked absolutely awesome in. This one isn't getting past round 2. I'd be surprised if it got past round 1 to be honest! I think Carwin wins via strikes with a TKO. Although I'm going to be cheering for Brock - mainly to annoy the MMA fan boys who hate him!
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Wanderlei Silva - Wanderlei all the way for me. One of my favourite fighters now I've seen his incredible PRIDE fights. This is more of a fan pick than anything else. Akiyama is dangerous, but Wanderlei wins this by knockout for me early in round 2.
Matt Brown vs. Chris Lytle - the dude always does something explosive and his record of fight of the night wins recently says a lot to me. He'll go to war and win via TKO or knockout in round 3.
Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski - got all the respect in the world for Bonnar the deal in the first fight between these two was pretty shitty. Still, I think Soszynski wins this one, Bonnar is on the downward slope in his career whereas Soszynski is on the up and up.
Kurt Pellegrino vs. George Sotiropoulos - a really tough fight to call. I think George gets it via submission late on in the fight. I think this one could be fight of the night.
Looks like a solid show on paper with an absolute BEAST of a main event!
Peace
Duckman
On a funny side note, anyone else notice Ben Rothwell came in to the Raw theme song?
Peace
Duckman
Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin (heavyweight title-unification bout)- Lesnars a freak, and I hope he shows MMA skills, not just freak ability in this but Carwins the ideal heavyweight. Hes as strong as lesnar, and is just good at the 3 things to be a good heavyweight fighter. A) Granite Chin, B) Freakest striking C) Awesome takedown D. Carwin takes this, and I dont see anyone beating him.
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Wanderlei Silva - This is my fight of the night. Sexiyama is a fucking wicked fighter, but Wandy is Wandy. One of my all time favourites, and I think Wandy makes a final title run here.
Matt Brown vs. Chris Lytle - Similar style, but ill take the experience and granite chin in this one.
Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski - I agree 100% with what Sams says. Jesus, he becoming a know it all now a days.
Kurt Pellegrino vs. George Sotiropoulos - Real close call, but I mean you have to give the edge to the guy who just embarassed Joe Stevenson in his last fight.
* Champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim champ Shane Carwin (heavyweight title-unification bout)
Ok This is easy for me I want Lesnar to win this one but not tell the third round. Carwin is as good as Lesnar and all but I just love how all of these MMA guys can't stand Lesnar. They can face each other again and give Carwin the win then.
* Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Wanderlei Silva
I want Wanderlei to win this match so much and after his last fight he should. For once in his life he is putting all of it together from his fighting to his head game. Aftet his win I want Silva vs Silva lets settle this once and for all.and Yes when that fight happens I will be in Wanderlei corner then.
* Matt Brown vs. Chris Lytle
The only why Lytle should lose this match is if Brown manages to get himself back to two fights ago and I don't see that happening.
* Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
As much as I would like to see Bonnor win this I think Soszynski is going to kill him.
* Kurt Pellegrino vs. George Sotiropoulos
I'm going with Batman but I can see this going either way.
I can say this is one of the few cards i wish I could go and see.
Quote from: Duckman on June 14, 2010, 05:12:26 PM
is is more of a fan pick than anything else. Akiyama is dangerous, but Wanderlei wins this by knockout for me early in round 2.
Matt Brown vs. Chris Lytle - the dude always does something explosive and his record of fight of the night wins recently says a lot to me. He'll go to war and win via TKO or knockout in round 3.
This^
I'm a big fan of Lytle, so hoping Duckman is spot on.
Regards,
JDM
* Champ Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin; VIA. Second Rd. KO
* Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Wanderlei Silva: Huge Silva fan; but I think Aki wins this in a decision.
* Matt Brown vs. Chris Lytle; VIA first rd. TKO
* Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski; Via Second rd. Submission
* Kurt Pellegrino vs. George Sotiropoulos; VIA; First rd. Submission
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
* Brendan Schaub vs. Chris Tuchscherer; VIA first rd. TKO
* Kendall Grove vs. Goran Reljic; VIA second rd. Submission
Guessing time.
PRELIMINARY CARD (Un-aired)
* Dave Branch vs. Gerald Harris
* Seth Petruzelli vs. Ricardo Romero*
* Julio Paulino vs. Daniel Roberts
* Jon Madsen vs. Karlos Vemola
Babalu Sobral defeated Robbie Lawler via Decision
Male Cyborg def. Marious Zaromskis via 1st round TKO
Other than that, weak card, and I didn't forget about the show....just simply didn't care.
Finale tonight, free and live on spike tv
Court McGee wins.
That's all you have to say about it?
Next season in September is GSP VS Koscheck(forgot how to spell it)
i donno, kinda tired right now....cant really remember much of the fights, lots of drinkin.
Leben won, and Yager lost too.
Yeah looked like a bit of a waste of time to be honest. Especially given all the other monster sport that's going on right now. Weird timing on this one given how weak the card is and also given that Fedor is back soon!
Peace
Duckman
I agree that there were many sports going on but I disagree that this card was weak, well in writting yes but I watched this show and actually enjoyed the fights...
KJ Noon Vs Conor Huens
This fight was a 3 round slugfest IMO... I mean I put this fight up there with Bonnar Vs Griffith as these guys went at each other standing toe to toe and delivered one exciting fight... It could have went either way IMO and that is how I like to see it in the end...
Tim Kennedy Vs Trevor Prangley
This fight was quick with Kennedy submiting tought guy Prangley who has never been subbed... Thi was in the first round and personally to me put the name Kennedy in MMA in my brain...
Cyborg Santos Vs Marius Zaromskis
Cybrog whipped the Dream WW champ in the first round by simply picking him apart and displaying great hands and KO power, Marius tried a flying knee which these days equals instant KO for you lol
Babalu Vs Robbie Lawler
The first round blew chunks as Babalu simply placed Lawler against the cage and tried to take him down and when they werent against the cage Lawler picked Babalu apart... But then the last two rounds we saw a slugfest between the two with Babalus face getting destroyed and Lawlers ribcage looking like a slab of meat from teh Rocky moves...
Yeah it was not the best sounding card but usually when I watch Strikeforce cards on my DVR I give the first match a round and if it is bullshit I tend to fast forward over most of the card as it bores me but the Noon fight set a great tone and with two quick finishes that followed I was in teh mood for a slugfest which is what i saw during the main event.
* Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum
* Champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Jan Finney (for women's middleweight title)
* Cung Le vs. Scott Smith
* Pat Healy vs. Josh Thomson
Should be really good. 3 squash fights, then a rematch of the comeback of the year last year in Le/Smith, and
Quote from: Cory on June 20, 2010, 11:24:29 AM
* Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum
* Champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Jan Finney (for women's middleweight title)
* Cung Le vs. Scott Smith
* Pat Healy vs. Josh Thomson
Should be really good. 3 squash fights, then a rematch of the comeback of the year last year in Le/Smith, and
I am picking the exact same thing...
Looks about right to me too. Would be INSANE if Smith pulled off another win like the first match but I reckon that was a massive one off.
Looking forward to this show, if only for the main event and the hope that Fedor vs. Overeem is coming soon!
Peace
Duckman
For anyone who missed it at the Strikeforce event at the weekend Batista was filmed by a TMZ cameraman saying he was done with WWE and would be fighting for Strikeforce. He wouldn't say anything else other than he knew who he would be fighting.
Strikeforce have since denied the story and stated twice that Batista has not signed with the company.
This is either Batista fucking with TMZ or one of the weirdest signings in recent MMA history. Let's be honest here, Batista got out of breath during his entrance in WWE. The guy would probably never pass a drugs test and at 40 and considering how fucking stupid his worked punches looked, there is no way in hell this can be serious.
I mean, fuck, Strikeforce say they won't sign Kimbo but they'll sign this cunt?
Smells like bullshit to me. What'd you guys reckon, could this be true and if so (ratings aside) will Roidtista be a success in MMA?
Here's hoping they get Booker T in to whip his ass again, lol!
Peace
Duckman
I dunno. Dave would probably be fed slugggers to start and then get eaten alive but then again if he worked on cardio he could do alright
Im gonna say it could be legit.
He's bring a FUCKING HUGE draw, but he'll get beat in the 1st round, unless he fights maybe, bob sapp or kimbo.
Quote from: Cory on June 21, 2010, 02:12:21 PM
Im gonna say it could be legit.
He's bring a FUCKING HUGE draw, but he'll get beat in the 1st round, unless he fights maybe, bob sapp or kimbo.
he will fight me ... bring it on
QuoteSTRIKEFORCE SAYS NO BATISTA
By Mike Johnson on 2010-06-21 14:04:48 MMA Strikeforce’s Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz told MMA website 5thRound.com that Dave Batista's comments that he would be fighting for Strikeforce are not correct.
"The report is not correct. Batista is not signed," Afromowitz told 5thRound.com.
It may be that a contract was not signed or, as I noted earlier, that Batista may have just been screwing with the TMZ.com cameraman that captured the footage.
Time will tell.
That and I want to see Cyborg fight 20-0 Megumi Fuji.
I think Court showed why he deserved to win in that fight; and yes, I just got to watch it because I worked Saturday and Sunday night and today was my first chance to watch. Still, Court did an excellent job and Yager got his mouth shut again. Clean Sweep for Team Liddell.
Jeremy Borash is a funny fucker sometimes on Twitter:
"When Batista said on TMZ he was going to fight with Strikeforce, perhaps he was referring to Tito Santana and Rick Martel."
That's quality! lol!
Peace
Duckman
he'd probably get injured fighting them.
QuoteBROCK LESNAR ON BATISTA: MMA 'WANNABE'
By Mike Johnson on 2010-06-22 18:08:18 In an interview promoting his 7/3 return to the UFC Octagon against Shane Carwin for the UFC Heavyweight championship, Brock Lesnar was asked about Batista's claims to a TMZ.com cameraman he would be fighting for Strikeforce.
Lesnar responded, "Get in line, everybody and their dog wants to get into fighting. Next question. We're talking about a heavyweight championship fight, not some wannabe."
Wanderlei broke his ribs hes out, Chris Leben is in.
This = me not buying the PPV.
We get it for free over here so I'll still be watching. This is fucking shitty news. Plus, Leben, didn't he fight on the TUF final last weekend?
I was really looking forward to Wanderlei vs Akiyama too!
Still, the main event is going to be sick and a couple of the undercard fights could be sleeper hits, but losing Wanderlei is a big deal.
Peace
Duckman
TMZ is reporting that sources close to the situationsay teh deal is all but done with the sticking point being money...
SAD FUCKING SAD...
Look I am not a fan of wrestlers turn MMA fighters as I think they are all about hype... Look at all teh shit Kimbo got when he signed a MMA contract, people where saying he was all about hype and couldnt fight MMA and all that shit and it was true. But for some reason these promoters want to sign former pro wrestlers and then make fun of kimbo...
Lesnar when he came in pissed me off because they gave him Mir as a squash fight assuming he would dominate and be on the path yet Mir won and proved to everyone that Lesnar has no submission defense so then they give him Heath Herring someone who would stand toe to toe and boom what does he do... WINS...
1-1... Oh time for a title shot and gets the victory over Randy winning the HW title with a record of 2-1...
Lets see here...
Carwin - 4-0 in the UFC with 8 more victories in MMA before that...
Velasquez - 6 -0 in the UFC but no title shot yet right...
Dos Santos - 5 victories in a row and what does he get Roy Nelson...
I mean that really pisses me off knowing that Brock cut the line and went right to the top with a less then stellar record... You know who else had a 1-1 record... Kimbo Slice and he got cut while Brock got a title shot...
Dont get me wrong I like the fact that Brock is working on his game and improving but I think he is getting to much favortisim from the UFC...
Lashley can do some damage and I look forward to him fighting someone important...
But Batista has to be out of his fucking mind!
I mean his cardio is SHIT from what I have heard as I dont watch wrestling anymore and like had been said many times the MORE muscles you have teh more oxygen you need and he is ripped so good luck in the 2nd round Batista... Not to mention that he is trying to start a career in MMA at 40 years old.. Seriously I mean Walker is 48 and starting his MMA career and we all look at him as a joke because we know he wont be going anywhere and we are suppose to believe you are going to dominate... SERIOUSLY...
I mean personally all this does is hurt Strikeforce and personally makes me sick knowing that Kimbo Slice who personally changed my opinion on him during TUF is being looked upon by Strikeforce as a joke as they sit there and try to sign Batista...
Right now Strikeforce is picking up some steam with good fights and some legit players and they are really going to ruin it IMO if they go the routes of gimmicks...
Good points midas
on the Walker thing he been doing mma for a while and only got into after some pushing , not like he did for money . it was urging of many of his friends in the MMA sport.
Lesner had a few fights in japan before he got sign into the UFC. On Mir he actually was beating him down and made a dumb move that cost him that match.
It all about money , big David wants to get in to it fine... but he going to find out quick there is no hiding in the mma fight .
At least Lesner has a legitmate sports background. His amature wrestling background alone is enough to give him a legit basis in MMA. He's also one hell of a draw on PPV and knows how to heel it up to sell a fight. I'd argue all day that Lesner has more than enough of a legitmate background to be where he is on the UFC card.
Batista on the other hand is a roid head. With zero cardio. He reportedly smokes at least a pack a day. He got his ass handed to him by Booker T in their fight. He throws fake punches like a woman - so christ knows what his real punches look like. He collects lunch boxes as a hobby.
Strikeforce is pulling a TNA-like move here and it certainly hurts their credibility a shit lot more than Lesner has in the UFC.
Peace
Duckman
Some UFC PPV buys info from the latest wrestling observer newsletter:
Some updates on PPV numbers. UFC 114 (Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans) based on the latest cable estimates is at 1,050,000 buys putting it at No. 2 on the company’s all-time list (well, tied with the 2006 Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz match). That’s up from the first day estimates. As far as confirmation, trending patterns indicated a big number, but not quite that big (maybe 850,000) but the reports on bar traffic (through the roof, very close to that of UFC 100) would coincide with the larger number. UFC 115's very early numbers are looking about the same as we reported last week, at 520,000 buys, which was more than almost anyone expected coming two weeks after a big one. 5/29 through 7/3 will be a record setting stretch and if Chuck Liddell had fought Tito Ortiz the number probably would have been considerably higher. As much as people don’t really want to see Ortiz fight all that badly, after TUF, people would have paid to see Liddell knock him out again.
The approximate numbers of buys for Zuffa so far this year is 5,034,000 (I included the WEC show) buys grossing $226.3million. It is a lock they will break last year’s record of close to 8 million buys, since Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin is going to be around 1 million all by itself and with Oakland and Boston they should easily be at 7.3 million by the end of August, and that’s predicting conservatively. GSP vs. Josh Koscheck and Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir or Cain Velasquez will both be big ones toward the end of the year. Barring another rash of injuries like last year, a 10 million buy year is within reach. The two previous biggest years, in the 8 million range (worldwide), were last year’s UFC and WWF in 2001.
UFC making some big money and on course for a huge year again on PPV.
Thoughts, opinions?
Peace
Duckman
Wow, there's really no end in sight for UFC, they will continue to grow and take over from WWE. Good to see, hope they manage to secure a deal with a company in the UK, there's a big market for it here in the UK and it's really difficult to find it. I think they show it somewhere though.
It will continue to grow and I think this is the real alternative to sports entertainment.
yeah, not really surprised.
Dana is obsessed with getting the UFC to NFL levels. I personally don't think the niche is there in fans for it to be THAT big, but it's already outdoing wrestling and boxing on PPV.
The 1.5 avg. rating on Spike for TUF isnt bad.. and their live shows usually do around 2.3 which is good.
UFC is GREAT at converting PPV buys from the audience. Eventually they will get primetime and that's when we'll see how good they can really draw. Kimbo got a 6.0 rating, and Fedor got in the 4.s.... think about what UFC can bring if they had a solid lineup on primetime network.
Quote from: Kill Crazy on June 23, 2010, 04:28:02 PM
Wow, there's really no end in sight for UFC, they will continue to grow and take over from WWE. Good to see, hope they manage to secure a deal with a company in the UK, there's a big market for it here in the UK and it's really difficult to find it. I think they show it somewhere though.
It will continue to grow and I think this is the real alternative to sports entertainment.
ESPN dude. All the PPV's live. Five USA for The Ultimate Fighter show - shown a few days after it airs in the US.
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Cory on June 22, 2010, 11:30:36 PM
Wanderlei broke his ribs hes out, Chris Leben is in.
This = me not buying the PPV.
WTF? Leben just fought at the TUF finale last week. What a badass.
Quote from: Malic on June 15, 2010, 01:59:28 AM
* Champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim champ Shane Carwin (heavyweight title-unification bout)
Ok This is easy for me I want Lesnar to win this one but not tell the third round. Carwin is as good as Lesnar and all but I just love how all of these MMA guys can't stand Lesnar. They can face each other again and give Carwin the win then.
you do know this is not wrestling right?
In all seriousness, not a big MMA fan but the Lesnar vs Carwin fight has me interested.. UFC is gonna make a butt load of cash with this.
Regarding Brock...
Brock signed with the UFC and got Frank Mir, former HW champ, as his welcoming party. Dana White made it perfectly clear when he signed Brock that this wasn't pro-wrestling and he wasn't giving Brock an easy path. So, he got thrown right in with one of the higher guys and Brock lost.
Heath herring was a contender in PRIDE, and was expected to be one in UFC. He's a veteran, very tough and by no means a 'can". Brock rode him for three rounds and got the W.
Brock got Randy next... but that was because Randy ASKED for Brock. Randy, the champ, saw HUGE $$ signs and thought he'd be able to teach Brock a thing about MMA... he was wrong. Brock TKO'd the old man then went on to smash Mir in a rematch.
Brock does draw HUGE numbers, and UFC is a business first and foremost. Brock makes money. Second, it was the champ, Randy, that wanted Lesnar.. and because he is Randy Couture, he gets what he wants. he wanted Lesnar, he got Lesnar. If it weren't for that, Randy wanting Brock, Brock probably wouldn't have gotten such a fast title shot.
it wasn't favoritism for Brock.. it was giving respect to Randy by the UFC (and, to get Randy back IN the UFC as champ).
But to face Mir, Herring, Couture and Mir as your first 4 of 5 pro fights is a HELL of a welcome to MMA.
I've read that Strikeforce is denying rumors they're signing Batista. I wouldn't be so quick to rely on TMZ for news, ESPECIALLY when it comes to wrestlers. In fact, I'll sum up my feelings in two words:
F**k TMZ
/rant
Cung Le embarassed Smith in the rematch,
Cyborg fight had AWFUL reffing, Cyborg annihilated Finney and the fight should have been stopped like 12 times, but that stupid fucking girl ref is a fucking idioit. The crowd was actually booing because she wasn't stopping. Girl cant do anything right.
Thompson also got the RNC late in the 3rd, missing this fight tho.
Fedor is up next.
I have no faith in the world.
i actually feel kinda sick. Nothing crazy, but seeing my hero lose, its like equivalent of my hero 'dying'. the unstoppable human was stopped. Damn.
only way to make up for this, is to go to the UFC and whop Lesnar/Carwin/Mir
As you know Cory I found out the results of the Fedor fight before I watched it as I viewed the shoutie but as I sat down watching the fight I was thinking that either it would be a hard fought 2 or 3 round fight or maybe go the distance... Needless to say I was shocked when Fedor charged and basically went into Werdums guard and even then said "Hey he is Fedor he will get out of this"...
When I saw how Werdum had that Triangle and arm bar in I was like "No fucking way Fedor is going to tap"...
Then boom he taps and I am like "WOW"
I mean dont get me wrong I was confident that someone would eventually beat him as basically when fighters get older the chance of losing gets greater but to be honest I am shocked at how wreckless he was going into the guard of Werdum and basically to me it reminded me of the Lesnar/ Mir fight when Lesnar smelt blood and got caught in the submission...
I have to wonder if Fedor just had no respect for Werdums BJJ and figured he would KO him on the ground and not give Werdum a chance to submit him...
I think what makes it harder to swallow is how quickly it happened, when I imagined Fedor losing finally I thought the guy who beat him would walk away looking like Mir in his rematch with Lesnar but instead it was like Werdum could have fought another fight right after...
Sad day but now Werdum will lose to Allister and then Allister Vs Fedor will be after that...
Quote from: Cory on June 26, 2010, 11:27:43 PM
Cung Le embarassed Smith in the rematch,
Cyborg fight had AWFUL reffing, Cyborg annihilated Finney and the fight should have been stopped like 12 times, but that stupid fucking girl ref is a fucking idioit. The crowd was actually booing because she wasn't stopping. Girl cant do anything right.
I disagree.
Finney was defiently getting her ass kicked; but she was defending herself, up until the stoppage. Covering up, swinging back, throwing up kicks to create space. If her getting up for the second round ready to throw bombs wasn't an indication that she was still able to fight despite the ass kicking she took, then I don't know what is. I've been hearing about this female referee since UFC fight night. I actually took to the internet since she was the first UFC female ref because I knew a shitstorm was coming. She did nothing wrong.
Anyways, I'm a little glad Fedor lost. I'm a fan but this pseudo GOD STATUS he had that made him unbeatable, began to get annoying. Fedor will learn more from the loss then he would have if he won; and perhaps, even improve his game and get even better. He's great but he isn't perfect.
Does anyone think this Fedor loss will liken the chances he'll come to the UFC? For the Fedor haters; he was avoding UFC (Brock is the popular one) to keep his unbeaten record. Which I don't think was the case. And, for the Pro-Fedor fans he had not much more to prove.
I think because it was 30 seconds or so long that while it will not "hurt" him exactly, it will lesson his worth. It was not a hard fought battle type of thing with Werdum pulling out the win at the very last second. It was a calm Werdum submitting him in 30 seconds or so of the first round.
Strikeforce has officially denied it (I read it on Wrestling Classics who I think got it from Meltzer).
Its one of those things, if Fedor loses again, he's over. If he comes back and annihiliate Werdum, he just got caught, which is what I think will happen.
No one always win.. and tonight just wasn't Fedor's night. He's still the best HW in the world in my opinion.
However, this does give my fav. Anderson Silva the #1P4P title...
well... maybe GSP... but I still put Anderson higher up than GSP by a small margin.
Quote from: Cory on June 27, 2010, 03:27:16 PM
Its one of those things, if Fedor loses again, he's over. If he comes back and annihiliate Werdum, he just got caught, which is what I think will happen.
That is the truth right there.
Silva can't be p4p, he's been a train wreck for the latter part of a year.
GSP without a doubt.
a train wreck??
So he danced,and toyed with a supposed dangerous opponent. To me, that clearly shows more than anything exactly hiow much more superior Silva is.
He can do whatever he wants and get away with it. He danced against Franklin, he fucked Griffin up, subbed Hendo, toyed with "lethal striker" Patrick Cote (HA!) and let Leites flop on his butt all day because he's just that much better.
GSP is great as well... but thus far, no matter who he's faced, Silva's done what he wanted, how he wanted and no one has been able to stop him.
That's true domination. May not be the "best sportsman" or anything, but he hs PWNED everyone. :)
Cheers
Loved the opening fight. Josh Thompson always impresses me and his two fights with Melendez are two of my recent favourites in Strikeforce. A great finish to this one and some excellent ground work by both guys. Excellent opening fight.
The women's fight went a round too long. I can't agree with anyone who says Finney was still in that fight. Four knock downs in the first round is ridiculous and she was taking such unnecessary damage towards the end. Hell of a heart but she was getting killed and the crowd booing is enough to let any sane person know that fight should have been stopped. The safety of the fighters is paramount and that wasn't the case in this fight. Cyborg is scary and she dominated that fight - even taking some good shots from Finney early in round 1 and a real 'go down swinging' punch at the start of round 2. Still, there was needless damage done to her and it should have been stopped or her corner should have pulled her out of the fight after round 1. She wasn't defending herself, she was just curled up in a ball for most of the fight getting punched in the face.
Cung Le got the win he should have got last year. Smith still can't move his head for shit. Great finish to this one. I'm not too sure I want to see the rubber match to be honest because I reckon it'd go the way of this fight.
I love how people say Brock was a moron for getting caught in a submission by Mir in his first UFC fight, yet when Fedor dives in like a noob it's somehow unlucky. Sloppy as fuck by Fedor here. I've watched tons of his PRIDE fights now and I know how good he can be. That was not Fedor at his best. You know how good Werdum is on his back and you dive into his guard like that? Stupid, sloppy move. I can't believe Fedor got caught up in the hype because he doesn't seem like that kind of fighter. I just don't think he respected Werdum's skills enough. Hopefully he'll come back in a rematch and then get the fight with Overeem. I think the debate about Fedor going to UFC is dead in the water - if they couldn't get him to fight Couture there's no way he's going to sign now. Great work by Werdum though, can't take that away from the guy, he kept calm and hooked Fedor in a triangle and an armbar - great work. Fedor is still a legend in my eyes and one of the best heavyweights in the world, but not the best, not after a sloppy and pretty stupid performance like that.
I hope he'll be back though, I love watching him fight when he's at his best.
Good show although that woman's fight did leave a bit of a bad impression.
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Maddox Nosnam on June 27, 2010, 05:54:58 PM
a train wreck??
So he danced,and toyed with a supposed dangerous opponent. To me, that clearly shows more than anything exactly hiow much more superior Silva is.
He can do whatever he wants and get away with it. He danced against Franklin, he fucked Griffin up, subbed Hendo, toyed with "lethal striker" Patrick Cote (HA!) and let Leites flop on his butt all day because he's just that much better.
GSP is great as well... but thus far, no matter who he's faced, Silva's done what he wanted, how he wanted and no one has been able to stop him.
That's true domination. May not be the "best sportsman" or anything, but he hs PWNED everyone. :)
Cheers
I said year, so thats Leites, Griffin, and Maia.
His fight with Leites wasn't impressive/exciting/or dominat. There wasn't enough action for the fight to be controlled by Silva. It was a hugly poor performance, coming from a guy that just fucked up Franklin a few times. Leites didn't help by flopping on his ass, but Silva could have finished if he sucked Leites in. Oh yeah, also, give the 'big striker' a guy with no striking ability. This fight was made so Silva would have an easy 8th record win in the UFC, I DONT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS.
Griffin fight was impressive.
Maia fight is where he loses a notch with me. He fought a guy with no striking, and stood with Silva for 2/3s of the fight, and Silva did NOTHING. If you're the best in the world, you fucking finish a guy who shouldn't even be in there with you, not look like a monkey for 3 rounds, and then gas for the final 2.
Silva's a top 5 p4p, but GSP and Aldo are better.
MMAJUNKIE--
Fedor Emelianenko tapped out to Febricio Werdum's triangle choke/armbar at this past Saturday's Strikeforce event. This marked only his second loss in 30-plus professional fights. Many will trash Emelianenko as a "has-been" or "overrated," among other tags. And before UFC president Dana White can get to the nearest Webcam to get his say on the matter, I'd like to point out one thing that separates Emelianenko from the other top pound-for-pound candidates George St-Pierre and Anderson Silva. That is his willingness to engage his opponents where they are strongest. We've seen Emelianenko fight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in his guard. We've seen him back up Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic on his feet and stand and trade with Andrei Arlovski. And while he could have stepped back and forced Werdum back to his feet, where the odds would've stacked more in the "Emperor's" favor, Emelianenko just wasn't afraid of losing, which is more than I could say for some current champions.
Meh.. I disagree Cory,. The leites/Maia fights I put more blame on Leites and maia than I do Silva. They gave absolutely piss poor efforts.
Leities flopped on his ass and prayed Silva would jump in his guard every 10 seconds. Silva was smart enough not to, but when that's all leites did, it kinda made it difficult for anything to happen.
And Maia was just as bad. He stood there, hopping up and down and doing nothing. Anderson dropped his hands, told him he had no balls, even closed his eyes with his hands down and Maia wouldn't do anything.. he just didnt do a thing.
Both guys prayed the fight would go to the ground, when they couldnt get it there they didn't do anything. Anderson isn't a brawler, or a run in and exchange wildly for no reason kind of guy. When you fight for the title, at least bring the fight. If you lose.. you lose.. but actualyl try..they both went down like mega-pussies.
Griffin.. that was a showcase. It also puts every other fighter on the planet in fear of even trying to stand with him. Honestly, I don't expect the Chael Sonnen fight to be exciting either. I see it going the way of Leites and Maia as he's got no business being in there with Anderson.
BUTT>.. I got us of topic. Regarding Fedor.. I still think he's the best skilled HW in the world. I can't say i think he'd beat every HW in the world as we've got some really skilled monsters at HW these days (Brock, Carwin, Cain) and that wasn'
t the case during his run at the top. Sometimes, size matters.
I think the Werdum fight was kinda fluky.. and I'd take Fedor in a rematch.
Silva shoud audition for Dancing with the stars if he wants to dance in the ring, for three rounds like a douchebag. Anyone who blames Maia for not pushing the action, clearly is blinded by fandom for A. Silva. I agree with you, that Anderson shouldn't have jumped in the guard; but Mia wasn't on his ass for 25 minutes. Anderson could have outboxed Mia and finished the fight but he insisted on running around the ring, letting his hands drop, and sticking out his chin like a moron. If your going to act like a douchebag, at least put the guy away.
I'd say, GSP is Number one, P4P.
Although, unlikely, I hope Sonnen lays and prays his way to the UFC title.
I want Silva to beat Sonnen so that Belfort can knock his ass out.
and I think Belfort gets aggressive and tooled. However... Belfort is about the only threat the MW division has on the feet, althought I don't think he hangs with Silva.
The only guy out there I think may beat Silva is Shogun.. and I'm not really that sure Shogun could do it.
Then again, as we just saw with the GOAT, all it takes is one mistake and anyone is beat.
Quote from: Maddox Nosnam on June 28, 2010, 08:00:37 PM
and I think Belfort gets aggressive and tooled. However... Belfort is about the only threat the MW division has on the feet, althought I don't think he hangs with Silva.
The only guy out there I think may beat Silva is Shogun.. and I'm not really that sure Shogun could do it.
Then again, as we just saw with the GOAT, all it takes is one mistake and anyone is beat.
I think Pierre beats Silva
I dont think he beats Silva. Silva's size (he's a good 220lbs dude that cuts to 185). Silva's striking is on another planet and I dont think GSP could get him down like he has the 170 guys.
Silva KO's GSP.
Then again, outside of Shogun or the monster HW's, I dont think anyone hangs with Silva. He's just that good.
Quote from: Maddox Nosnam on June 28, 2010, 09:26:38 PM
I dont think he beats Silva. Silva's size (he's a good 220lbs dude that cuts to 185). Silva's striking is on another planet and I dont think GSP could get him down like he has the 170 guys.
Silva KO's GSP.
Then again, outside of Shogun or the monster HW's, I dont think anyone hangs with Silva. He's just that good.
I think Pierre beats Silva
^^
Yep. GSP would just lay and pray for the win.
Quote from: Cory on June 28, 2010, 09:46:32 PM
^^
Yep. GSP would just lay and pray for the win.
he is a wrestler that's what they do beats dancing around like a clown. Doesn't matter to me ofcourse because Titi Ortiz would destroy everyone if Jenna would let him out of the house.
ron jeremy is the only person than shoots better than GSP
ZING!
Quote from: Cory on June 28, 2010, 10:02:29 PM
ron jeremy is the only person than shoots better than GSP
ZING!
LMAO
Lol, nice. I have to say I'm in agreement with the GSP comments. He takes Silva down and Silva doesn't get back up.
Also, a fighter finishes fights and while he is without a doubt the most talented striker in MMA, Anderson Silva has fucked around far too much in the majority of his UFC fights. To say his opponents should go after him and play into his strengths is crazy. That'd be like diving into Werdum's guard and leaving your arm hanging...oh wait...well you know what I mean! ;)
Peace
Duckman
Wrestling Observer has posted the following re: the ratings for Saturday's MMA shows:
UFC 113 on tape 1.1
Strikeforce 1.4 - That would be a disappointing number but there is a caveat in that this rating is figured from 9:45 p.m. (when they showed a replay of Fedor vs. Rogers which nobody knew about ahead of time). The show was advertised for 10 p.m. so that likely takes down the average a little, but not enough to take it to levels that shows headlined by Gina Carano, Kimbo Slice or Frank Shamrock would have done on the station.
From what I read, they got about 550K viewers, which is the 2nd highest they've had for a Showtime event. Other sources say its around 420K.
But Showtime is only in approx. 18 millions homes, while Spike is in about 98 million homes, and CBS is well, network.
Im gonna steal it tommorow night, should be a good fight.
Lesnars came out and said hes gonna fight Southpaw, odd.
Not really Cory. Alot of wrestlers go Southpaw in grappling as it gives their strong arm (right) more ability to wrap around opponents. Kinda the same here. I dont see Brock standing much, and Carwin's a strong f'n dude so Brock's gonna need to get that arm wrapped around him quick and fast to keep this on the mat.
Lol, I fully understand that. Its odd that he would come out and give up his gameplan, lol.
"everyone has a game plan until they get hit in the face"- Mike Tyson
I can't wait for this event!!! I love ESPN in the UK. All the build up shows, all the prelims and the event itself - all live!
Peace
Duckman
Weigh-in info:
Karlos Vemola (222) vs Jon Madsen (254)
Forrest Petz (170) vs Daniel Roberts (169)
Dave Branch (185) vs Gerald Harris (185)
Goran Reljic (186) vs Kendall Grove (184)
Ricardo Romero (206) vs Seth Petruzelli (205). Rogan called him "the man who singlehandedly killed EliteXC"
Chris Tuchscherer (255) vs Brendan Schaub (238)
Chris Lytle (170) vs Matt Brown (171)
George Sotiropolous (156) vs Kurt Pelligrino (155)
Krzystof Soszynski (205) vs Stephan Bonnar (205). KS ripped to shreds
Yoshihiro Akiyama (185) vs Chris Leben (186) co-main event
Main event for the heavyweight title. Brock Lesnar (265) vs Shane Carwin (265)
I woke up today, like a little kid on Christmas.
Finally, the day has come! Get those links ready, folks. I'm ready to steal! ;D
I dont know what to say.
Thought the fight should have been stopped in the first, but Lesnar did it. Wasn't impressive, but did what he needed to do to win, and showed some real MMA skills in the second round. Props to him.
I was worried the fight was gonna be stopped in the first. Rosenthal was right on top of it though and while Brock was busted and bleeding, he wasn't ever out of it. Then Carwin punched himself out, which is what I think Brock was waiting for. The minute Carwin slowed, Brock got to his feet.
And to win by submission was just unreal. It really was. We saw against Herring Brock wouldn't take the mount... didn't have confidence in his game. THis time, not only does he get mount, but he recognizes the arm triangle and secures it! That was insane!
At mmaweekly, the Cain Velasquez love is off the charts, but I don't think Cain will beat Brock. He doesn't hit like Carwin and Brock doesn't have to worry about that kind of power. Whil Cain is a great wrestler, Brock's just as skilled, but bigger and stronger.
Carwin was the only real threat to Brock I felt due to his power, size and wrestling. As good as Cain and JDS are, I think Brock's just going to be too big, too good on the ground for them to beat him.
Brock has got to learn from GSP.... he's SLOW on the feet, has little boxing ability. Do what GSP does... fucking shoot ASAP. Brock will beat anyone with his top control and wrestling and he needs to not screw around with that slow ass pawing jab he has.
^
sad but true. I think a rematch with Carwin is the only thing, as Lesnar didn't decisivly win. He didn't dominate at all (like he said) and I believe Lesnar too would want to fight Carwin again.
Still taking nothing away from Lesnar, he got the shit kicked out of him in the 1st, but got a gassed Carwin in the second.
I am impressed with Brock as he withstood a ass whipping from Carwin and then took it to him in the second round and then subbed him which I was shocked and impressed with. He looked over at his corner and took their advice on how to help out the choke and did it...
I honestly can say that for the first time in Brocks career I think he deserves to be the champ...
Now however let me burst the bubbl of all the Brock fans boys...
Brock Vs Mir...
Brock Dominates Mir the entire fight...
Ref makes a controversial chocie with the back of the head punches...
Brock gets subbed...
Brock Vs Carwin
Carwin Dominates Brock the entire fight...
Ref makes a controversial chocie by not stopping the fight in the 1st round...
Carwin gets subbed...
Now I am sure alot of you will try to say that the two fights are not the same but lets be honest, whenever someone brought up the MIr fight to a Lesnar fanboy they always countered with "But Lesnar whipped his ass the entire fight and the stupid ref made a mistake and Brock got subbed"... So now the shoe is on the other foot and a Carwin fan/Brock hater can easily say "But Carwin whipped his ass the entire fight and the stupid ref should have stopped it in the first rounf but didn't and Carwin made a mistake and got subbed"
I am sure someone will say "But Carwin gassed himself out and Borkc didn't" yeah apples and oranges people...
I think Brock did a great job and got my respect with the submission... That impressed me the most because it showed me that Brock can think during a fight and not just lay on someone and pound their face in... He had a gassed Carwin there and could have laid on him and pounded his face in but instead made the choice to go for the sub since it was there and then looks over at his corner to get advice on how to tighten the sub up... That to me is a sign that he is elevating his MMA game and I like to see that, yeah he has more to learn but he deserves the title...
On that same note don't look for the rematch to have the same results as I think Carwin will win the rematch as he will not punch himself out in the first round next time, but also IMO the next fight wont be for the title as I think Brock loses that to Cain IMO...
BTW, anyone who actually doubts that Fedor cant beat Brock should look at this fight with Carwin as I think it proved that Lesnar is not a BEAST like everyone thinks and his chin is suspect when it comes to the heavy hitters like Carwin & Fedor...
I went back and rewatched it a few more times. During the GnP from Carwin, alot of those shots were hitting Brock's arms, not his face. And you can see/hear everyutime Rosenthal thoiught about stopping it, he did as all refs "Brock, you gotta work!" and every time Brock would.. he's start trying to work his hips, or he'd push Shane off a bit. Josh commented a few times while th GnP was ongoing and Brock responded each time. That's why it wasn't stopped and for once I actually cannot complain about a single ref job on a UFC card.
That said... I'd take Brock in a rematch. I think Shane has peaked, honestly. I also think Brock's just getting better and better. His learning curve is unreal. Good ole JR has said it all along, Brock's ability to learn is unmatched. JR may be right.
By time Carwin works his way up to a rematch, Brock will be even more improved and better. Brock's standup fundamentals are wrong. While he'll never be a Holyfield or Machida on the feet, he'll learn how to circle, how to step, and how to improve the standup.
But.. Brock's strength is on the ground, and he'll always be able to go to it cause his wrestling is top notch.
I'm sayin Brock retired at 10-1, UFC champion in late 2012. (ya know, before the world blows up or whatever....)
Brock will never please people, he won thats it.
A really enjoyable show for a lot of reasons. I didn't have high hopes when Wanderlei had to drop out but man, there were some excellent undercard fights as well as the incredibly hyped and anticipated main event.
George Sotiropoulos vs. Kurt Pellegrino was a great battle. Kurt was obviously rocked big in round 1 because his stand up just seemed to freeze up after that. Sotiropoulos's ground game is awesome and he controlled large portions of the fight - even when on his back. That huge knee and punch from Kurt at the end were great and I thought he might have knocked him out and stolen the fight. Still, the correct decision and Sotiropoulos must move into Title contention now. He gets better every time I see him fight.
Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski was another fucking war between these two. A very surprising win by Bonnar who I really thought would be knocked out here. Does Bonnar have any other fight than bloody stand up wars?? Great slug fest, not too technical, but Bonnar used his knee strikes well throughout and it was fitting that what's took the win. Bonnar was probably going to be cut if he lost this fight so major props to him for pulling out the win against a really strong and hard hitting opponent.
Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown wasn't as action packed at the fights before but the technical skills of Lytle are fantastic. Loved the way he fought this fight and the finish was great. When someone is tied up like a pretzel and pinned down like that with nowhere to go, you know he's done for. Awesome work by Lytle and another big win by submission.
Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama was my fight of the night. Great stand up exhanges with both men doing some big damage to the other. The ground work by Akiyama was solid but he gassed badly later in the fight. Leben is a fucking warrior man. Honestly, I didn't have a lot of love for him due to the roids deal in his fight with Bisping but he got a lot of respect last night. He looked like he was out on his feet at least three times but just kept coming and coming. The submission finish was about as unexpected as Cro Cop's last time out! Leban has improved as a fight ten fold since the last time I saw him fight. Great battle and a really deserving winner. Where does Akiyama go from here? Plus Leben calls out the Axe Murderer at the end?!? Book that fight now!!
Brock Lesner vs. Shane Carwin. I'm going to look at this without the anti-Brock bias of Midas or even the pro-Brock bias of a lot of wrestling fans. To me, the fight was pretty much done in round 1. I was sure Carwin had him with his usual tornado offense of just going full force right from the off. However hurt Brock was, he wasn't out at all. There were a ton of punches landing on his arms and shoulders when he covered up and when he was told to work by the ref he did. I was shocked he managed to stay calm and not leave himself open to the big knockout while trying to get off his back. You could see Carwin gassing badly towards the end of the round.
2nd round Brock just owned him. Simple as. He couldn't defend the take down, couldn't get Brock off him and just lay there until he was submitted. Carwin's lack of cardio or just burning up all his energy in the first 4 mins of the fight really cost him. He was still totally gasping for air during his post match interview and looked completely drained. Should he have finished it in round 1? Probably. Then again if your Aunt had bollocks she'd be your Uncle. At the end of the day Lesner won and impressively with a submission finish a lot of people didn't think he had. This fight lived up much more to the hype for me than Jackson vs. Evans. Hell of a main event and a hell of a comeback by Lesner who really is a freak of nature.
A great night of fights, some really exciting finishes, some great technical work and a headline grabbing result for the main event. Can't ask for more than that really!
Peace
Duckman
Anti-Brock Midas?
I thought I made myself clear that I was impressed with Brock and I simply wanted to explain to the fanboys about their bias... I think he did fantastic in this match and deserves the title how is that anti-Brock?
Just how I see all the comments you've made on him dude. The praise was pretty backhanded, listing all the reasons you think he's not good after saying he did well. Plus, there's no real Lesner fan boys on here but you felt the need to debase them anyway? Just seemed very anti-Brock in the way you commented on the show/fight.
If not your intention, apologies but that's how it read to me.
Peace
Duckman
Gotta love Brock.
He's still singlehandedly trolling everyone in MMA with his winning ways.
I hate the guys that love him because they're idiotic wrestling fan boys, and I hate the guy that bash him because they're the kind of people that give "intellegent" MMA fans like myself a bad rep any time we talk bad about the guy.
Hell, I like Lesnar, hes a freak athlete and is one of the scariest guys on the planet, but I still am not 100% sold on him being the best heavyweight fighter in the world. He got his ass handed to him in the 1st, and caught a gassed fighter in the second. Impressive obviously, but he still needs a lot of work to fight the 'dream match of every MMA fan' against Fedor. Lesnar needs to fight a guy like Carwin and NOT get rocked in the first, and THEN submit him.
Still, Lesnar is soaking up MMA like a sponge, he's a top 3 heavyweight without a doubt.
Quote from: Duckman on July 04, 2010, 09:51:08 AM
Just how I see all the comments you've made on him dude. The praise was pretty backhanded, listing all the reasons you think he's not good after saying he did well. Plus, there's no real Lesner fan boys on here but you felt the need to debase them anyway? Just seemed very anti-Brock in the way you commented on the show/fight.
If not your intention, apologies but that's how it read to me.
Peace
Duckman
That was not my intention and I thought that was made clear when I said :
QuoteI am impressed with Brock as he withstood a ass whipping from Carwin and then took it to him in the second round and then subbed him which I was shocked and impressed with. He looked over at his corner and took their advice on how to help out the choke and did it...
I honestly can say that for the first time in Brocks career I think he deserves to be the champ...
QuoteI think Brock did a great job and got my respect with the submission...
QuoteThat to me is a sign that he is elevating his MMA game and I like to see that, yeah he has more to learn but he deserves the title...
I simply pointed out the fanboy comments because I have heard from alot of people those comments about the Mir fight and wanted to point out the simliarties IMO...
Quote from: Cory on July 04, 2010, 09:03:08 PM
I hate the guys that love him because they're idiotic wrestling fan boys, and I hate the guy that bash him because they're the kind of people that give "intellegent" MMA fans like myself a bad rep any time we talk bad about the guy.
Hell, I like Lesnar, hes a freak athlete and is one of the scariest guys on the planet, but I still am not 100% sold on him being the best heavyweight fighter in the world. He got his ass handed to him in the 1st, and caught a gassed fighter in the second. Impressive obviously, but he still needs a lot of work to fight the 'dream match of every MMA fan' against Fedor. Lesnar needs to fight a guy like Carwin and NOT get rocked in the first, and THEN submit him.
Still, Lesnar is soaking up MMA like a sponge, he's a top 3 heavyweight without a doubt.
I have contended from Day One my reaons for disliking Brock...
--- He got a title fight with a record of 1-1...
--- He showed no real MMA skill besides using his huge body on smaller oppoents
--- He did not deserve to be champ IMO...
Brock took the fight with Carwin and took a ass whipping proving to me that he has fight in him when he is getting pounded and pulled off a Submission which proves to me he is working on every aspect of his game in order to be the best overall MMA fighter in the HW division...
I can't honestly say I don't respect and guy who is doing that which is why I like Brock now as he proved to me he is legit and not just some freak atheltic monster who uses his huge body to whip people... He saw the sub and took that shit and that impressed me along with his staying power...
Now like I have said before I still dont think he can beat Fedor, Cain or Carwin (Again) but that is my personal opinion and has nothing to do with disliking him... I think Cain will beat him with striking and will not gas himself out espically after seeing what happened with Carwin and Fedor well is just Fedor... Carwin will not let himself get gassed like that or subbed again much like how Brock took his sub from Mir and learned and did not allow it to happen for the second time...
This is my opinion and I am allowed it like everyone else it allowed theirs...
To be honest, I feel Carwin had a better shot then Cain.
A) Brock's striking will likely be improved when he steps back in again (though he'll still get beat on his feet, no doubt)
B) Brock takes Cain down and GNP's him out.
C) Cain probably doesn't have the punching power to finish, Lesnar.
So, I think Brock beats Cain.
He'll be a champion for a while, IMO. Though, if we were to have a direct rematch with Carwin, I think Carwin wins.
Yep. Lesnars too big for Cain.
I think Carwin takes the rematch, but Lesnar should have this division under wraps.
BUT its not because of his skills, rather size and athletic talent. I will say thats my only knock against Lesnar. He's still a rookie, and he's using what "god" (maybe some needles back in the day) gave him.
That being said, I'd like to see Overeem and Lesnar. Overeem is only like 250, but hes stronger than Carwin, and maybe even Lesnar? He might not have the thickness, but the explosiveness and power is there.
Quote from: Cory on July 04, 2010, 10:21:56 PM
That being said, I'd like to see Overeem and Lesnar. Overeem is only like 250, but hes stronger than Carwin, and maybe even Lesnar? He might not have the thickness, but the explosiveness and power is there.
I agree. I think the only one who could stop Lesnar as of now, on paper is Overeem. Call me crazy, but I think Lesnar beats Fedor. A match up, that isn't going to happen, though.
As we seen in clarity, who really knows. Anything can happen. And lately, this has become more apparent. That's why I tend to laugh at all the sherdoggers getting all emotional debating about this useless shit all day long.
For all anybody knows the mext one to beat him will be some complete unknown who nobody has heard of yet
IF Carwin and lesnar do have a rematch..i see Lesnar taking it also..one thing Lesnar proved with Mir, he learns from his opponents.
You also have to take into effect the psychology of a rematch. Carwin now knows that he just can't go full steam ahead against Brock. He's learned that Brock Lesnar probably has one of the best chins around and well, for a guy that wants to hit, that is a bad match up because like what happened in the fight, Carwin wore himself out and got gassed. He'll have to get better conditioned and learn to pace himself, and if you slow down your game against a quick heavyweight like Brock Lesnar, you're going to get taken down and pounded out.
In a rematch, I see both guys dancing around for a little while, neither one of them wanting to be that first to engage and make a mistake. Both will look to go the long haul and Brock will especially be looking to test Carwin's cardio once again. I see a potential rematch going to Lesnar simply because of his learning curve. Brock is smarter then what people give him credit for and he is just a natural athlete that can pick things up quickly. If he had started this as a career instead of Pro Wrestling first, I think everyone would be a believer and look at him like they look at Fedor. A true champion can do one of two things; he can control a fight and finish it, or he can be down and out and still find the win. Brock showed that's what he capable of.
Now, as far as Cain goes, he's no match for Brock. Cain isn't strong enough and he's not as dangerous of a striker as Carwin. I see Brock adding to his BJJ Defense and his striking defense and offense in preparation for the next fight. By the time the next fight comes around, I think you'll see Cain and Brock stand for a little while, and then you'll see Brock shoot for the take down, and pound out Cain in the first or second round. Only danger to Brock is that Cain has some decent BJJ skills that are undocumented by his decisions and there is a danger for tap-out. So, as long as Brock doesn't overlook it, he should have this match in the bag.
I only thing Cain is a better MMA wrestler, but that will be nullified with the 30lbs hell give up to Lesnar.
There's the 30 extra pounds and the raw power.
Former K-1 and PRIDE heavyweight Mark Hunt (5-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was about to hop on a plane when he spoke today to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). And when asked to explain his sudden move into the UFC's octagon, he had one thing to say.
"Why not?"
The 36-year-old fighter confirmed a four-fight deal with the UFC and a Sept. 25 UFC 119 meeting with Midwest standout Sean McCorkle (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
FiveOuncesofPain.com first reported the Hunt vs. McCorkle fight, which takes place in Indianapolis.
Hunt, who hails from South Auckland, New Zealand, has not fought since May 2009, when former Strikeforce and DREAM champion Gegard Mousasi submitted him in the first round of DREAM's open-weight "Super Hulk" tournament. It was his fifth consecutive loss in MMA.
Despite his recent rough road, Hunt's earlier performances bring nostalgia to hardcore fans who witnessed his tremendous upset victories over Wanderlei Silva and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in PRIDE's heyday.
The heavyweight also gave fans a jolt at PRIDE Shockwave 2006 when he threatened the once-invincible Fedor Emelianenko with an Americana arm lock before falling prey to the submission hold's cousin, a kimura.
As a kickboxer, Hunt has amassed a 30-13 record and holds notable K-1 victories over Stefan Leko and Jerome Le Banner.
McCorkle, an Indianapolis resident, also makes his UFC debut at UFC 119, which takes place at the 18,000-seat Conseco Fieldhouse. Thus far, he has fought as a super heavyweight with four of his seven victories coming by way of first-round stoppage.
Most recently, McCorkle stopped veteran journeyman Johnathan Ivey by second-round TKO for the Indianapolis-based Legends of Fighting promotion.
Hunt vs. McCorkle will be part of UFC 119's un-aired preliminary card.
Following one of the year's most impressive fights, Chan Sung Jung (10-2 MMA, 0-1 WEC) â€" better known as "The Korean Zombie" â€" next meets George Roop (10-6-1 MMA, 0-1-1 WEC) in September at WEC 51.
A source close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) the fight, first reported by MMAWeekly.com, isn't signed but could be part of the night's un-aired preliminary card.
Although not officially announced, WEC 51 takes place Sept. 30 at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo.
The night's main event, including a likely title fight between featherweight champ Jose Aldo and challenger Manny Gamburyan, airs on Versus.
Jung, a former World Victory Road/Sengoku fighter, made his highly anticipated WEC debut in April during WEC 48, which marked the organization's pay-per-view debut. The Jung vs. Leonard Garcia bout was part of the night's pre-PPV special on Spike TV. In a knockdown, drag-out affair, Garcia earned a close split-decision win, though both competitors were rewarded with "Fight of the Night" bonus checks.
Including a unanimous-decision loss to former Sengoku champ Masanori Kanehara in May 2009, Jung now has lost two of his past three fights.
He looks to rebound against Roop, who gets a third shot at a first WEC win. "The Ultimate Fighter 8" cast member and former UFC fighter dropped two weight classes and fought bantamweight Eddie Wineland at WEC 46, where he suffered a unanimous-decision loss. He then met Garcia in a rousing WEC 47 featherweight bout that ended in a split draw.
Roop is now 2-3-1 over his past six fights going back to the TUF 8 Finale.
O_o
Jung vs. Leonard Garcia was my fight of the year until Leben vs. Akiyama last weekend.
Looking forward to seeing Jung in action again!
Peace
Duckman
Just watched Hunt vs. Cro Cop from PRIDE last night!
Very unexpected news - will be quite interesting to see how he does in UFC, although I don't have high hopes to be honest.
Peace
Duckman
No wayyy Leben/Sexyama was better. Was a sick fight, but not better than Zombie/Garcia. That was the best fight since Bonnar/Griffin
Yeah same. His chin isn't an iron anymore, and his cardio is a HUGE question mark.
Leben/Akiyama had everything the Zombie fight had, plus a fantastic finish. Plus it was on the biggest card of the year and with very little expectation given Silva pulled out.
My fight of the year for certain.
Peace
Duckman
Brock Lesnar's next UFC Heavyweight Championship defense will take place at UFC 121 against top contender Cain Velasquez, according to Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com. The fight is scheduled for Oct. 23 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
That's a bit earlier than most people were expecting. I think November seemed to be when most thought this fight would take place.
Still, if this is confirmed, AWESOME! This is an even more interesting fight for me than Lesnar vs. Carwin because Cain has incredible cardio for a HW and isn't going to gas like Carwin did. Plus his boxing skills are fantastic and he has great takedown defence and wrestling.
Another very difficult fight for Lesnar and a massive opportunity for Cain.
Going to rock!
Peace
Duckman
I donno, I think Lesnar is gonna walk over him. Cain has good striking, but Lesnar showed he can take a punch, Cain also has a suspect chin (see against Kongo) that Brock can take advantage of. If Cain wansts to then take this to the ground, I dont think hes strong enough, unless he walks in at 265.
I am ofcourse going with Cain like I said before...
I think Cain will knock down Lesnar in simliar fashion to what Carwin did and we all saw that Lesnar just balls up and tries to weather the storm but like Duck said Cain has great cardio and will likely KO Lesnar in the first or second round...
Location: San Diego, Calif.
Venue: San Diego Sports Arena
Broadcast: Versus
MAIN CARD
* Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
* Mark Munoz vs. Yushin Okami
* Jake Ellenberger vs. John Howard
* Takanori Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin
PRELIMINARY CARD
* DaMarques Johnson vs. Matthew Riddle
* Paul Kelly vs. Jacob Volkmann
* James Irvin vs. Igor Pokrajac
* Mike Massenzio vs. Brian Stann
* Willamy Freire vs. Thiago Tavares
* Darren Elkins vs. Charles Oliveira
* Rob Kimmons vs. Steve Steinbeiss
Location: Oakland, Calif.
Venue: Oracle Arena
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
MAIN CARD
* Champ Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen (for middleweight title)
* Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch
* Rafael dos Anjos vs. Clay Guida
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Hughes
* Junior Dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Tim Boetsch vs. Thiago Silva
* Dustin Hazelett vs. Rick Story
* Christian Morecraft vs. Stefan Struve
* Charlie Brenneman vs. Johny Hendricks
* Dennis Hallman vs. Ben Saunders
* Stanislav Nedkov vs. Rodney Wallace
MAIN CARD
* Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko- Jones is a phenom, 2nd round stoppage
* Mark Munoz vs. Yushin Okami- Upset maybe....Munoz out wrestles him, decision.
* Jake Ellenberger vs. John Howard- same as the okami right, I see a decision after a grappling match.
* Takanori Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin- gotta back gomi, this will be fight of the night.
PRELIMINARY CARD
* DaMarques Johnson vs. Matthew Riddle
* Paul Kelly vs. Jacob Volkmann
* James Irvin vs. Igor Pokrajac
* Mike Massenzio vs. Brian Stann
* Willamy Freire vs. Thiago Tavares
* Darren Elkins vs. Charles Oliveira
* Rob Kimmons vs. Steve Steinbeiss
MAIN CARD
* Champ Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen- Be lying if I wasn't hoping for Sonnen to embarass Silva, but doesnt matter. This is Belforts belt when he wants it.
* Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch- Alves better show takedown defence en route to fight GSP again, and theres no better test than Fitch. If fitch wins, this fight is gonna be sooooooooooooooo boring.
* Rafael dos Anjos vs. Clay Guida- Guida wins an exciting decision.
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Hughes- Hughes tries to wrestle, but Almedia is amazing on the ground, and he'll avenge Renzo Gracie. Decision.
* Junior Dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson- toss up, JDS is a beast, but Big Country for the win. stoppage of somesort.
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Tim Boetsch vs. Thiago Silva- Thiago Silva is my boy, 1st round KO. getting whored on this undercard tho.
* Dustin Hazelett vs. Rick Story- Hazelett is a ju jistu ace, I dont see him getting anything, but either 1st round submission, or decision.
* Christian Morecraft vs. Stefan Struve- Struve earned all my respect in his win over Paul Beuntello. He wins this, 2nd round stoppage.
* Charlie Brenneman vs. Johny Hendricks- Hendricks is technically sound, jesus what a fucking undercard tho. Hendricks via decision.
* Dennis Hallman vs. Ben Saunders- mismatch, Saunders dominates, maybe 1st round stoppage.
* Stanislav Nedkov vs. Rodney Wallace- Wallace is a beast, KO
MAIN CARD
* Champ Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen (for middleweight title) - hopefully Silva get slapped around a bit to make sure we don't get a repeat of his last fight. I'd expect a dominant win by Silva in this one and I pray, no running and dicking around.
* Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch - haven't seen a good Jon Fitch fight...ever. Alves with a solid win to get him into Title contention.
* Rafael dos Anjos vs. Clay Guida - I love watching Guida fight, the fact he wasn't on the main card for his last fight was a total joke. Still, Anjos has great ground skills and see him taking this one late by submission.
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Hughes - Hughes vs. Gracie was a joke. I don't think Hughes has it anymore. Almeida takes this via decision
* Junior Dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson - the best technical striker in the HW division. A SERIOUS step up in class for Nelson. Dos Santos wins this via knock out.
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Tim Boetsch vs. Thiago Silva - knock out early. Silva should be on the main card.
* Dustin Hazelett vs. Rick Story - needs the win. I see him getting a submission here.
* Christian Morecraft vs. Stefan Struve - reminds me of Sammy Shultz from PRIDE only with better skills. Knock out win.
* Charlie Brenneman vs. Johny Hendricks - bit of a guess this one.
* Dennis Hallman vs. Ben Saunders - heard good things about Sanders
* Stanislav Nedkov vs. Rodney Wallace - don't know either, going with Cory on this one!
Man, good card eh? That undercard will be well worth watching!
Peace
Duckman
"Sammy Shultz"
Semmy Schilt?
ahahaha, I lol'd. Thanks sam.
Whatever, big lanky Dutch dude, same difference! lol.
Peace
Duckman
I decided after last time I was going to stick with the main card from now on...
MAIN CARD
Champ Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen (for middleweight title)
Odds are I am losing this one but I am going with my STUPID gut and something about a interview I saw with Chael makes me think he has this one...
Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch
I think he will come back from his long time away and take this one easily
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Clay Guida
You have to go for Guida he is like a energizer bunny...
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Hughes
I am sticking with Huges on this one...
Junior Dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson
This has to be the worse one to choose from because I have doubted Nelson for a long time and everytime he comes out with the win... Dos Santos is on his way to a title shot and I just can't see him losing this... THIS IS A HARD ONE... THATS WHAT SHE SAID...
Im worried about Alves/Fitch.
I can see it being the GSP fight all over again......
Looks like a sleeper match but in the worst possible sense! If Fitch gets his way that is.
Peace
Duckman
Well im as big of Alves fan as their is, and if this fight turns into a 'sleeper' its all on Alves, because he obviously didn't work on his takedown defence, and desveres to lose.
A 170 with as much muscle and power as him, if he can get proper takedown defence, it'll be impossible to take him down.
I like Fitch. He's a guy that's overcome ahving a severe lack of physical abiliies to be the #2 WW in the world. I have him at 2 and Alves at 3. Fitch does hold a win over Alves from before...
Still pulling for Fitch. He took an ass whipping like no man ever from GSP and he earned my respect for never giving up or faltering.
Hoenstly.. kinda hoping to see Jones take the loss. The online love for this guy is freakin insane. He's good no doubt, but people are getting on his nuts like GSP and BJ fans and it's annoying me.
Nothing against the guy, but I'd not mind seeing his fans take a bit of a ego check for the moment.
Yep, MMA fans have gotten to me the way any sports fan does... can actually turn me against fighters when the nuthugging is off the charts.
Jones is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC.
That's why people like him.
lay and pray for the wins tho.
I don't really get the term "lay and pray". I know it's become a common MMA term.. but what does "praying" have to do with it? LOL.
And I don't really see Fitch as a LnP guy though. He does try to work, he doesn't just lay there and do nothing. On the feet he tries to engage, and only GSP has passed his guard. On his back, his defense is very tight exactly how it should be. He's not a BJJ wiz, he's not a Nog, but his defense is superb.
His top control is great. He does win alot of decisions, but I don't think its from a lack of trying or effort. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that ever had much athletic ability, he doesn't seem like some high caliber athlete. He's just a gritty, tough as nails dude that works and works and works. He's not flashy, or fancy, but the dude is effective.
Then again, I used to wrestle and I'm a bit biased toward the wrestling base over all others. :)
He beats people up that's for sure, but he doesn't finish.
I like Fitch, but he's as exciting as watching grass grow.
If you don't think he's fucking boring, you must be watching a different fighter to me, that's for sure!
Coma inducing.
FIGHTERS, should finish fights. Or at least try to. Fitch, in my opinion, doesn't. At least not in the last few fights I've seen him in.
It's why I can't stand watching Anderson Silva dance around like a cock when he could so obviously finish the fight.
Peace
Duckman
Duck.. I disagree. I don';t think Fitch not finishing has anything to do with him not trying to finish. Outside of GSP, the 170 division has a lot of tough, gritty dudes that are hard to finish.
Actually, GSP hasn't finished anyone since Serra II. BJ quit and the rest of his wins have been decisions. Hardy, Fitch, Alves...
I dont think not finishing a fight has any bearing on how good a fighter is. As for excitement, I don't mind watching a wrestling clinic, which Fitch usually does deliver. he outwrestles pretty much everyone so far but GSP. But different strokes for different folks...
Some like wild brawls and Stephan Bonnar fights. Some like great BJJ/grappling contests. Some like watching wrestlers ...wrestle. I'm also biased toward the wrestling base and haven't been bored by a Fitch fight. Last fight I saw that I was like "ugh, this bores me" that I remember at the moment is Starnes/Quarry.
Even Anderson entertains me with his antics his last few fights.
I am a fan of all three major aspects of mma. I appreciate all three very much. If a fight isn't a slugfest or just transition after tranisition it doesn't bother me as much as others.
QuoteThere were some false starts last week, but it’s now official that Jake Shields has signed his new deal to become a UFC fighter. He will debut later this year in the welterweight division.
Shields confirmed the signing exclusively with MMAWeekly.com on Monday.
The deal to get Shields into the UFC has been expected for some time now, but it was just a matter of getting the right deal done, and it has now been signed, sealed and delivered.
Shields left his Strikeforce middleweight championship behind, riding a 14-fight winning streak into the Octagon.
Shields also confirmed previous reports that he will indeed drop back down to the welterweight division, after spending the last three fights at 185 pounds while in Strikeforce.
His first fight will be at UFC 121 in Anaheim, Calif., against Top 10 welterweight Martin Kampmann, who last fought in June, winning a unanimous decision over Paulo Thiago.
Shields vs. Kampmann could end up being a top contender’s fight with the winner getting a shot against the winner of the fight between UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck.
Well it would appear they are fast tracking him for a fight with GSP and Kampmann is standing in his way... How many of you think Shields will beat Kampmann and then stand a chance against GSP?
He could beat Kampmann, but will get dominated by GSP.
I only saw shields fight once and that was against Hendo and it seemed like he has a simliar fighting style of Grappling & Wrestling so yeah I will agree that if it comes to a match where he wants to try and out wrestle GSP then he is a goner...
At least at 170 hes strong enough to throw a punch, the 15lbs jump to middleweight hes just not strong enough to finish (see the full mount on Hendo, and being unable to KO him after 3 minutes)
Quote from: Cory on July 20, 2010, 11:39:25 AM
At least at 170 hes strong enough to throw a punch, the 15lbs jump to middleweight hes just not strong enough to finish (see the full mount on Hendo, and being unable to KO him after 3 minutes)
Yeah that did stick out to me ...
You guys really think he'll be fast tracked into a fight with GSP? You think the draw is enough to warrant him getting a bump up like that?
He seemed solid but quite boring when I saw him fight twice in Strikeforce. It was pretty telling he couldn't finish Henderson off.
I'd be surprised if he didn't have to go through at least 3 fights before he gets a shot at the Title. He just doesn't seem like a big enough draw (unlike Brock or Kimbo as a comparison) to warrant such a push.
Peace
Duckman
I dont think he would, but I can seee him getting it in his second fight if he finishes his first. GSP has cleaned out that division, and Shields at least stands out right away as a contender, and by the time GSP fights Cunt-Check, a fight with Shields next seems about right.
Shields can finish fights at 170, tho I'm not particulariy a fan after his boring performances, but what can I say. He dominated Dan Henderson when everyone said he was gonna get his assk kicked.
Jake is a FANTASTIC grappler. His BJJ is off the charts, damn near Penn level. His wrestling is amazing.
On the ground he's the only 170 in the world that can hang with GSP.
On the feet... YIKES... that's where Jakey isn't worth a Brock!
According to MMAJUNKIE
Todd Duffee v/s Jon Madsen (great return fight for Duffee)
Gabriel Gonzaga v/s Brenden Schaub (excellent HW fight)
and
Tito Ortiz v/s Matt Hamill
have all been announced to the 121 card.
This card is getting stacked, really pumped to see Tito get in the cage.
A long-anticipated battle between two former UFC champions is likely to take place this fall.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) has learned from sources close to the organization that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (30-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has verbally agreed to face Lyoto Machida (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC).
Jackson teased the contest on his official Twitter account, and MMAjunkie.com has learned that the bout is targeted for the main event of a yet-to-be-announced Nov. 20 date.
"Almost ready to sign the bout agreement," Jackson stated on his Twitter account. "I would tell ya'll who I'm gonna get down with, but I can't spell his name. Hahaha."
As Jackson alluded to in the post, bout agreements have yet to be finalized.
A location for the Nov. 20 card (which could potentially serve as UFC 123) has yet to be determined, and UFC officials are said to be considering a handful of potential venues.
Jackson looks to bounce back from a May loss to nemesis Rashad Evans at UFC 114. The contest was the culmination of 14 months worth of rivalry and a coaching gig on "The Ultimate Fighter" opposite Evans.
Prior to the loss, Jackson had earned back-to-back victories over Keith Jardine and Wanderlei Silva.
Meanwhile, Machida also looks to bounce back from a loss â€" the first defeat of his career. "The Dragon" was knocked out in the first round of his May rematch with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and relinquished his belt in the process.
Prior to the defeat, Machida had earned eight-straight UFC wins and both claimed and once defended the UFC's light heavyweight title.
Jackson was said to be interested in a rematch with Forrest Griffin â€" the man who took the title from "Rampage" in July 2008 â€" but the original winner of "The Ultimate Fighter" is currently sidelined following shoulder surgery.
The winner of the Jackson-Machida contest will undoubtedly return to top-contender status in a stacked 205-pound division.
Free fights tonight ladies and gents!
Got the recorder set - will be watching this on Monday.
Here's hoping Jones wins and dominates again. A real franchise player in the making for UFC and MMA in general I reckon.
Peace
Duckman
that was quick...
He's legit.
Nice win for Gomi too.
He's a legit talent for sure. The forums at MMAweekly are all over the place with the guy, some wanting him to face Lil Nog/Rampage and get a title shot, while others want to see him face Ortiz/Thiago, and some agree that at his young age, giving him fights like Krystoff, Luis Cane is better as he can develop more without being pushed to hard, to fast.
I'd LOVE to see him vs Ortiz. I really would.
I think Ortiz is the kinda guy he should fight.
Silva is 14-2.....thats a bit of a jump, as is Lil Nog/Rampage if Dana is truly "building" this guy up slowly which is exactly what he needs. Ortiz, is just about on the same skill level at this point in his career as a Matyushenko, but holds a far higher name value.
Going to this on Saturday. Can't wait to see Sonnen nut up or shut up, ESPECIALLY after this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFpePVQ68FM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFpePVQ68FM)
Lucky Mo-Fo.....make sure you get there for the undercard...it's stacked as well.
Also, yeah. I want Sonnen to win based on how much Silva has made me hate him after his last few fights, but if Sonnen wins, it's gonna be a long, boring, lay and prey win.
On the other side, if this makes Silva want blood, Silva could be the first guy to murder a guy in the cage. I hope Silva goes all out.
Silva
Alves
Almeida
Guida
Nelson.
Yes.. pulling for the fat boy cause he makes me laugh.
that was quite the main event, was it not?
Heck of a main event... either people loved the outcome or hated it. I loved it... but I hated watching the fight..
IMO in MMA all it takes is one moment of getting caught and that is what happened and it is all part of the game...
I was pushing for Chael as about a month ago I saw him on Inside MMA and he made his first comments on Silva and for some reason i believed he could beat him...
I watched last night and like everyone else in the back of my mind I thought Anderson would come out and do his normal fight minus the bullshit and beat Sonnen but ofcourse on the other hand I thought Sonnen might be able to toss him to the ground and beat Silva...
Well needless to say the first round should have been scored a 30 28 because Sonnen destroyed Anderson and I was like WTF shit this guy is no joke...
The next 3 rounds were exciting for me because Sonnen always stayed active and case and point was his rib shots and when he was punching the ears with both hands...
I think Anderson Silva got dominated the entire fight by a WRESTLER who he didn't know how to handle and took lightly...
But Chael like many times in his career got caught in a submission against a BJJ expert and thats why he is champion and all the other rounds didnt matter at that piont but clearly had it gone to the cards Silva would have lose but it didnt...
I was personally impressed with Sonnen and his fight because he stuck to his gameplan and destroyed the best in the world for 4 rounds and while some might contend it was LAY AND PRAY but I dont see that as he always was punching and always staying active...
We should see a rematch and as much as I like Sonnen I actually do not see Silva getting beat up like this time next go around...
it not how who you start it how you finish. . Sonnen put up a great fight , but Anderson Silva prove why he always dangerous and walked awya as the champion and in the end that is what matter
Rematch , yeah truth I don't see this type of match happeing again . Sonnen may have blown his chance at de-throning Silva . Rematch will be a different fight .
Gracia / Jung fight of the year hands down
sorry , but it was just non stop untill the final bell . I hand it to them
A really great main event. Just the drama and the feel of the match. As Sonnen dominated each round you could feel the crowd boiling up that they were about to witness something really big.
Silva got his ass handed to him and even got rocked twice, maybe three times in the stand up!! I did not see that coming.
I didn't see Sonnen doing any laying or praying. He got him down and tried to pound a hole in his face - just like he said he would!
I really wanted Sonnen to win by the end of the 4th because he had earned it. He's taken some strikes but he'd battled through.
Then when Silva got the triangle I leapt out my seat. Just unbelievable awareness and skill to get that on after such a beating.
Silva kind of did a Brock Lesner here. He proved he can take a beating, he proved he's got heart and he fought right to the end like a champion. THAT is the Anderson Silva I would pay to see. THAT is the kind of champion a company can be proud of.
Sonnen became a star in the build up and backed it up in the fight.
I'd love to see a rematch. My respect for both fighters after that went through the roof. Great spectacle and excitment - it's why UFC fucking kills pro wrestling these days.
The rest of the card was entertaining I thought.
Roy Nelson has a head like granite. Dos Santos is a striking machine but probably needs to add something else to his gameplan when fighting a guy who can take a serious punch.
Matt Hughes shocked the hell out of me. Unreal submission. I didn't think that was even possible from the position he was in - that dude is still strong as hell.
Shame that Alves nearly killed himself cutting weight and got owned because of it. Fitch did his job well but Alves looked like a shell of the fighter he's been in the past.
Also a shame for the Guida vs Dos Anjos fight that an injury ended it. I thought I heard the corner translator mentioning something about not being able to bite down after the end of the first round. If the dude fought with a broken jaw for that long he's a tough mother fucker!
Just a great main event fight that really matched up to the hype. Sonnen proved he's a threat to the Title and Silva proved he's a real champion. Awesome stuff.
Peace
Duckman
Some interesting notes on the show from Wrestling Observer:
--There was incredible post-show interest last night. Five hours after the card had ended, references to the UFC 117 show made up 11 of the 20 most searched items on Google. Even this afternoon, five of the top 20 searched for items were Silva vs. Sonnen (3), UFC 117 (6), Anderson Silva (7), Sonnen (9) and UFC post-fight press conference (11). That is far more reaction than even a major show that does 1 million buys will get. Dana White said the buy rate for the show based on early trending patterns indicates a number far beyond what they expected out of this show.
--Chael Sonnen's 289 total strikes was a CompuStrike UFC record. An interesting note is that Anderson Silva was hit more times last night than in his previous 11 UFC fights combined (208).
Peace
Duckman
Just got back from my trip and watched the show. Nelson/Dos Santos was a amazing way to kick off the show, Nelson showed tonnes of heart and I cheered for the Fat man. Dana came out and said after Velasquez, Dos Santos is next in line at Lesnar.
Guida/Dos Anjos was alright, shitty injury.
That submission Hughes locked in was pretty unreal, as much as I hate Hughes personality, I'd be nice to see him try one final run at GSP.
Alves fuck, he looked like a zombie out there. Fitch was boring at times like planned, but DOMINATED Alves. Alves looks to be forced to move up to 185 from Joe Silva and Dana White. My brother told me Alves didn't make weight and Fitch wrestled him, so I skipped this fight.
Main event, and holy crap Silva struggles against someone who stands a chance, unlike Maia/Leites, and got dominated, but pulled out the victory. I guess I was going for Sonnen, but damn that was clutch from Silva. Anyone else notice Silva didn't bleed once that entire fight, and got pummeled with hard shots? I think a rematch is deserved, as yet another not impressed (4 rounds atleast) from "The worlds best fighter". Silva can do much better, and he should want to prove it, and Sonnen can take the rematch.
I'm convinced Anderson Silva is on borrowed time. Vitor Belfort is going to beat a whole through his soul and I'll be the first one to dance in his honor. I'm absolutely, elated to see Anderson Silva get man handled for five rounds. Kudos, to Silva for pulling it out in the end... but Chael Sonnen really came out looking like a winner in this one.
I think I hate Silva less after this match. Instead of watching him run around the cage for five rounds, he was actually forced to do something.
Thats the first thing I said to my brother.
Above all, I want Belfort to be the one to defeat Silva, because if Sonnen will ever beat Silva, he'll have to beat him up for 5 rounds, as you saw when Sonnen would connect standing, he still couldn't take Silva clean out. I want Anderson to fight Belfort, who can knock his head into the 3rd row.
The Oracle was fucking electric that night, Jesus Christ. I've seen "Raw" there, Muse twice, and a few Warriors games, but I've NEVER heard the crowd as loud or as crazy as I did on Saturday. Our seats were almost literally in the last row, but my friends and I had a fuckin' great view for sixty bucks, all things considered.
You tell me:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/skitchtastic/39156_421380727425_545342425_4966889_6854669_n.jpg)
Some highlights:
- Prelims were good. Loved having to explain to my friends who "that big, goofy pale fuck" was. Haha -- oh, Struve.
- Junior Dos Santos is a fucking machine, but Roy Nelson with that iron chin of his was probably the best way to start the event (at least television-wise). Initially, I had my concerns about MMA in the Bay Area, but everyone seemed to know what was up and who was worth going crazy over. In our section, the crowd was pretty evenly split in their support, and as the match went on, people started to get even more feverish.
- Seeing Guida's hair was worth the price of admission for one of my female friends. I then had to tell her he looked like a slightly-shaven Geico caveman, up close. Fight was good, too.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/skitchtastic/39156_421380937425_545342425_4966928_5811864_n.jpg)
- Alves and Fitch, my attention was starting to wander. Purdue wrestlers are good, but not good to watch.
- Goddammit, Hughes -- just when I start to forget about you, you go and do some shit like that. Really unorthodox submission (least for me), but got the job done.
...Silva vs. Sonnen?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/skitchtastic/39156_421381057425_545342425_4966951_5851089_n.jpg)
Eh.
Bah, who am I kidding? That fight was fucking dramatic as all fuck. I told my friends that Sonnen was gonna be a guy with something to prove, and that his shit-talking was going to be backed up. Now, mind you, I don't hate Silva -- I like him a lot -- but Sonnen was a man possessed when that bell rang. Pressed Anderson a lot, which I don't think he's used to, and the crowd was eating all of it up. The chanting was off the chain, but when Silva slipped on that triangle -- EVERYONE in our section went, "WHOOOOOAAAAA." Lotta haters, though. Can't please everyone, I know, but he's the champ for reason. Was he exposed? Fuck yes. But submitting Sonnen after all the jabs at his Jiu-Jitsu training under the Nogueira brothers just made it poetic. Hopefully, Anderson learns from this, and I KNOW, by the end of the fight, Sonnen had become a bonafide superstar. The people who didn't like 'em 'cause of his mouth started to shut up through 99% of the fight. Major props.
Can't wait 'til the UFC is back in the Bay Area. Our biggest local paper, the SF Chronicle, pretended like they didn't even know what the UFC was, but based on the turnout and just the atmosphere, you KNOW that MMA is totally represented here in the Bay.
Gah. What a night.
Im glad to hear you had fun, I went to my first live event the @ 113 in Montreal, and it was incredible.
It's something every MMA fan should do if an event comes their way, its a unreal experience.
Man, I'm seriously considering going to the London show in October if it's not already sold out. The card isn't that impressive but just to go to an event would be wicked.
For $60 those seats are fucking sweet Marc!
Peace
Duckman
From Wrestling Observer:
Dana White has confirmed the story going around that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who was scheduled to face Frank Mir in the 9/25 UFC 119 main event in Indianapolis, has pulled out due to a hip injury.
No replacement has been finalized at this point.
I was actually quite looking forward to that fight. Damn it.
Peace
Duckman
Wow... that's interesting and makes me wonder who will get the replacement. Mir's lost to Carwin, beat Kongo, JDS and Nelson just fought, and Cain's tied up with Brock.
I would LOVE a Mir v Cro Cop fight tho. Not sure it's main event worthy.. but Id like it
Quote from: Maddox Nosnam on August 15, 2010, 11:14:44 PM
Wow... that's interesting and makes me wonder who will get the replacement. Mir's lost to Carwin, beat Kongo, JDS and Nelson just fought, and Cain's tied up with Brock.
I would LOVE a Mir v Cro Cop fight tho. Not sure it's main event worthy.. but Id like it
I could go for that aswell
I've never been sure what to think of Mir. He looked weak against Brock I, looked fantastic against Nog. Looked decent but just not strong enough vs Brock 2, looked weak against Carwin, but looked great against Kongo.
I really don't know if Mir is that good.
I know Cro Cop is over the hill, but if he can beat Mir... and be 3-0 in last three, including a win over Mir as a former contender, we'd at least be able to see Mirko try to make a title run.. lol
HELLL to the YES
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=12330&zoneid=13 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=12330&zoneid=13)
WAR MIRKO FUCKIN CRO COP!
I donno, I fear its a bad matchup for Mirko....as Mir has a huge advantage on the ground, but I'll agree with ya. I'd like to see him win and go on a title run for the end of his career.
Mirko has been known to have TDD the likes of Liddell... and IF he still has TDD as good, I'm not sure Mir will get him there.
On the feet, the leading uppercut by Mir won't have the success it had against Nog. Granted, Mir showed some good power against Kongo, but he also weighed 290 for that fight
see Mirko line up against Lesnar (poentially) would be unreal. MMA needs an old timer to make a "last ditch effort" in his career for a title (Couture doesnt count, cause hell always be around).
Mirko could fill that void/storyline.
I actually like this match up, more the Nog/Mir--especially, since we've seen it before. I'd probably put my money on Mir but I'd like to see Cro cop go out on a high note.
MMAJUNKIE
MAIN CARD
* Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante def. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 1:14
* Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza def. Tim Kennedy via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) - for vacant Strikeforce middleweight title
* K.J. Noons def. Jorge Gurgel via KO (punches) - Round 2, 0:19
* Chad Griggs def. Bobby Lashley via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 5:00
HOUSTON â€" For two rounds, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal looked like he could get away with his lackadaisical hand position.
For 10 minutes, Lawal appeared as if he could defend his title even while unable to work the fight to the ground.
Then Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante proved him wrong.
Down two rounds to none after Lawal was just a little faster, just a little crisper, Cavalcante appeared to be fading as time wore on. But the daringly low hands of Lawal finally provided the opening Cavalcante needed. Unable to pull his head back enough to avoid the blow, Lawal tasted a firm right hand on the chin.
Then it all fell apart.
Wobbled by the blow, Lawal returned to his roots and shot in from the outside. But as he had throughout the fight, Cavalcante shucked off the attempt and delivered a powerful knee in the clinch. Lawal staggered back, and Cavalcante refused to let him off the hook.
A wild right hand clipped Lawal's chin, and the belt holder was flat on his back.
Lawal showed heart in working back to his feet and instinctually looking for the takedown, but Cavalcante simply pinned himself against the cage and delivered a stunning array of elbows to the head. Lawal refused to drop, but his body swayed and rocked, and referee "Big" John McCarthy wisely called off the fight 74 seconds into the third round.
In the end, Lawal ended up with the striking advantage over his opponent with a tally of 139-93, but it was the ones that counted that fell to Cavalcante.
With the win, Cavalcante (10-2 MMA, 2-1 SF) claimed his first-ever world title. Meanwhile, Lawal (7-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) suffered his first-ever career defeat.
With Strikeforce's vacant middleweight championship on the line, Brazilian submission ace Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza did what he doesn't do best â€" strike his way to victory.
Fellow challenger Tim Kennedy provided a stern challenge, and according to CompuStrike, he actually won the striking battle 207-186 over the 25-minute affair. But Souza's striking total consisted of more clean punches, and he appeared just a step ahead of his opponent throughout the fight.
Kennedy was willing to stay tight in the pocket throughout, but a very tight fight in the opening two rounds started to separate a bit in the third. Kennedy suffered a cut that reddened his face, and with the action close, the damage undeniably colored the action.
Souza slowed as the fight wore on, though he did not appear nearly as fatigued as he did in a May win over Joey Villasenor. Instead, his offense simply slowed, and he allowed Kennedy to stake a claim for the fourth frame by ceasing his offensive moments. But while he was ahead on the cards heading into the final round, the result was anything but certain.
Until it was.
Souza and Kennedy were even again in the final round, but a brief moment of back control on the feet followed by a powerful flurry in the closing seconds left little doubt as to who would claim the belt.
In the end, Souza was awarded the unanimous-decision win with scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47.
Souza (13-2 MMA, 3-0 SF) has now won three-straight fights and is undefeated under the Strikeforce banner. Kennedy (12-3 MMA, 3-1) loses for the first time since 2007.
In lightweight action, former EliteXC champion K.J. Noons turned in one of his most impressive performances of his career, but it was marred by a pair of questionable attacks.
Opponent Jorge Gurgel once again refused to play to his grappling strengths and instead chose to stand and trade throughout the contest â€" a strategy that did not turn out well.
Noons earned the best of the striking in the opening frame, and Gurgel's face showed the wear. With blood trickling down Gurgel's face, Noons unleashed a powerful left hook right at â€" or perhaps shortly after â€" the closing bell of the opening round. Gurgel was dropped from the shot, but referee Kerry Hatley ruled that the punch was legal and a dazed Gurgel was fine to carry on.
Noons pounced in the second frame, and another pinpoint combination put Gurgel again on the canvas. But as Noons looked to Hatley to stop the fight (he declined), he unleashed a barrage of strikes destined to end the fight. Unfortunately, one of those appeared to be an illegal knee that grazed Gurgel's head.
Hatley had seen enough and waved off the fight, even as a protesting Gurgel stumbled to his feet.
Following the win, Noons said it was adrenaline that led him to the wild finish.
"I've got the killer instinct, and I wanted to just go in there and finish it," Noons said.
Following the win â€" his sixth straight â€" Noons (10-2 MMA, 2-0 SF) called out everyone from Floyd Mayweather to Nick Diaz. Meanwhile, Gurgel (13-7 MMA, 1-2 SF) once again delivered a crowd-pleasing fight, but he's won just one time in his past five trips to the cage.
If the comparisons between fellow WWE veterans Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar hadn't stopped before Saturday night, they will certainly cease following the evening's first televised contest.
The heavily favored Lashley took opponent Chad Griggs to the floor early and often, and he used his collegiate wrestling background to control the action on the floor. But Lashley looked uncomfortable and frantic on top, and he passed on submission attempts in favor of punching from the top. While it was effective in the opening round, it was obvious Lashley was tiring quickly.
As the round closed, Lashley's face showed the wear of Griggs' counterattacks as a wide cut just under the left eye bled freely.
In the second round, Lashley put the wound aside and returned to his wrestling base. But even as he advanced to a secure mount position, he showed little desire to finish with a submission â€" even as multiple opportunities stood in front of him. Lashley's attack was so anemic from the top that referee Jon Schorle stood the fighters with Lashley in the mount position.
On the restart, Lashley offered a lazy, fatigued shot, and Griggs pushed his head down and unloaded until the end of the frame. Lashley slowly rose to his feet, and as Schorle quizzed the massive American Top Team fighter if he wanted to continue, the former WWE star neglected to answer. It was all Schorle needed to wave off the fight between frames.
Lashley did not protest.
Following the surprise win, Griggs said he realized public opinion was definitely not in his favor.
"I think there was like 15 people here that thought I was going to win," Griggs said. "Bobby is such an athlete, such a monster."
With the upset win, Griggs (9-1 MMA, 1-0 SF) has now won four-straight fights overall. The loss for Lashley (5-1 MMA, 1-1 SF) is the first of his career.
* Champ Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn (for lightweight title)
* Randy Couture vs. James Toney
* Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda
* Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard
* Marcus Davis vs. Nate Diaz
* Champ Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn (for lightweight title)
* Randy Couture vs. James Toney
* Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda
* Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard
* Marcus Davis vs. Nate Diaz
Theres a weird side of me that wants to see Toney win, because if he does win, we might see the nastiest KO in UFC history, but I like Randy, how can you not like him? I think BJ dominates Edgar......when Penn is ON, Edgar isn't in his league. Maia v/s another "10-1" unknown brazillian, and I think Maia beats the rookie, takes him to the ground and makes him tap out. Florian is too dangerious off his back for Maynard to try and wrestle him...thankfully another boring wrestler will lose. And I'll take Diaz in the final.
Wait is that tonight
* Champ Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn (for lightweight title)
* Randy Couture vs. James Toney
* Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda
* Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard
* Marcus Davis vs. Nate Diaz
I think BJ takes his title back in a great fight , Randy turns the light on for Lights out , but Toney has a punchers chance . Maia brounces back , Flo streches Gray and The hand grande gets his pined pulled but Diaz
yep, tonight.
Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn - 3rd Round Submission (RNC)
Randy Couture vs. James Toney - 2nd Round TKO
Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda - 1st Round Submission (ARMBAR ala Chris Jericho)
Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard - Decision
Marcus Davis vs. Nate Diaz - 3rd Round Submission (possible stoppage due to a cut, Davis bleeds a lot!)
Couture and Edgar made me happy!
Edgar v/s Maynard is gonna be soooo boring. Both guys amazing talented, but ugh. 2 wrestlers. Hopefully it'll cancel and they're be forced to stand.
Not for me. I appreciate the wrestling aspect of MMA as much as BJJ defenders like BJJ, and drunks love watching brawls.
Anyone else think BJ Penn just doesn't give a shit anymore? Plus how useless were his corner. "you've got this little cock sucker," in round 4! When he'd clearly lost every round!?
Edgar owned him completely in that fight. Very poor performance from BJ.
Diaz was awesome, great striking and a good finish to the fight.
Tony was shown up as the dude looking for a fat pay cheque and nothing else. Shame THAT was the first boxing vs. MMA fight because he clearly didn't give a fuck.
Florian and Maynard was just boring as fuck. Florian looked terrified of getting taken down and Maynard is almost as boring to watch as Jon Fitch...almost. For a 'number one contenders' fight that was pretty damn slow.
Given the run of great shows UFC have put on recently this one was a bit of a disappointment.
Peace
Duckman
I dont find Fitch or Maynard "boring". I see their style as very effective.
It's like watching NFL and watching a team just run and run. They pound the line until it breaks. Sure, the arial game is prettier, but nothing beats a good old fashioned, in your face, running attack.
Wrestling is the most dominanat base in all of MMA. It may not be "pretty" like Anderson Silva's striking or.. well shit, most BJJ guys are worse than wrestlers at doing nothing. So, it may not be pretty, flashy or highlight reel stuff, but its a beautiful art to watch if you truly understand the wrestling base.
Its highly effecive YES, for the little I've buggered around with MMA (only train LIGHT on/off for 2 years) I've done Wrestling and Muay Thai. Wrestling wins titles, but it isn't marketable from a business essence. No one will pay for a Jon Fitch fight, no one will pay for a Maynard fight. Dana White had already came out and said before 118 that a Maynard/Edgar fight isn't marketable.
I think wrestling is the most effective style in MMA, its proven. Champions across the board. The top 3 heavyweights, Fedor (sambo), Lesnar and Cain are all wrestling. You got Rashad and King Mo in LHW, Sonnen and Shields in MW, GSP and Fitch in WW, Edgar and Maynard in LW.
But Maynard and Fitch dont finish. You need to finish fights. It's fine to impose your will, but if you're not finishing, your not making yourself marketable, which means you have to keep 'ground hugging' until the promoter is forced to give you a title shot, (see Fitch v/s GSP, or now Maynard v/s Edgar). We get it, you can take the guy down, now what can you do on the ground?
Interesting, as White is on record saying a Edgar/Maynard fight sells itself. The man that beat Penn, twice, against the man that beat him.
And the thought that wrestlers aren't marketable.... ahem: Matt Hughes. GSP. Brock Lesnar. Two are wrestlers that are currently two of the top draws in all of MMA, and the other his a legend of the sport that still has a heck of a fanbase. Oh, the #1 and #2 contenders to the WW title.. Koscheck and Fitch, are wrestlers, as well as the #3 guy, Jake Sheilds. To boot....GSP hasn't finished anyone since Matt Serra.
Then again, Randy Couture is predominately a wrestler, that isn't known for his fantastic finishes either. Nor was Tito Ortiz, arguably the single biggest draw of his time.
In contrast, since Royce Gracie became a household name in the US, when was the last time a BJJ guy was on top and setting the world on fire with his amazing submission skills and selling PPV by the records? (Before you say penn, note Penn became a 90% boxing style fighter since his return to the UFC years ago.)
Ahem.. the correct answer: Zero.
Outside of Brock, GSP, Hughes, Couture and Tito, the UFC has had only one other MAJOR draw.
Liddell.
Considering 5 of the top 6 biggest draws in UFC are wrestlers, I'd say wrestling draws just fine. (even add Evans, a wrestler, into the mix as his shows have done decent)
I think MMA fans are still heavily divided between the ones that really appreciate the art of all the styles vs the fans that deep down just wanna see someone get KTFO.
the big complaint on "wrestlers" is they don't finish enough, even though the boast the best win % and have prioven (previous post) to be the top draws the majority of the time.
For as dynamic as Anderson Silva is, do you know he's has NEVER had a PPV pass the 650,000K mark when he main evented until just recently.
Yes, White is now on record for saying that fight will "sell" but I belive he as no other obvious choice but Maynard, thus forced to give him the shot. Thats why Penn got the instant rematch, because White said Maynard wasnt a draw...or "ready".
I appreciate wrestlers. I appreciate wrestlers that finish. Lesnar finishes fights, 3/4 in the UFC. GSP dominates and always looks for the finish, 8 finishes to 7 decisions, but he was close to snapping Hardys arm in their match, as too in the Fitch fight. Matt Hughes was a force, finished ALL kinds of fights, 12 finishes, 4 decisions.
Now onto the "boring" wrestlers. Fitch has 4 finishes, to 9 decisions. Koscheck around GSP's number, just over .500 in the finish department, Shields is known to play it safe in big fights, aside from when he impressed the hell out of me finishing Robbie Lawler. Sheilds can finish when he fights in his TRUE weight class at 170, but when he fights at 185, hes proven to be unable to finish (see Mayhem Miller & that hilarious inability to finish Hendo). Then you have Grey Maynard, 1 finish, to 8 decisions. No one wants to see him fight, well unless you get off on the technical side.
Tito wasn't a draw because of his wrestling style, lol, Tito was a draw because of his PR, and shit talking. I think GSP and COuture are the only 2 wrestlers who don't always finish fights, but are huge draws. GSP because he dominates and tries to finish, and Couture because hes a living legend, and everytime he fights he defies the test of time.
Looking at my p4p, 4 are wrestlers (GSP, Fedor, Shields, and Evans) but you can also say if Penn is a boxer, then Evans could be classifed the same, as could potentially Fedor as Sambo is a mix, but well segregate them there. The final 6 (Aldo, Silva, Diaz, Penn, Machida, and Rua) all aren't wrestling guys, and are huge draws.
I think its a fair discussion, as I cant be bais and say one side is right, everyone has their own niche, but when your market is predominatly drunks who wanna see someone get knocked the fuck out, guys like Maynard and Fitch who have a shit finish % aren't going to get alot of buys, which in turn gives them a glass ceiling for as high as they can reach in the company. Fitch and Maynard are amazingly talented, at times I've admired Fitch's dominace, but he should stop resting on his lorals and finish fights. Ok, you have proven you can impose your will on a guy for 15 minutes, now start to show you're not a one trick pony and finish the guy.
I watched this the other night. Was a pretty entertaining show, and its the first time i have seen Strikeforce, will definatly be watching again.
Lashley, Noons, King 'Mo & Gurgel were the only guys i knew of (MMA n00b). Wasn't impressed with Lashley at all, was clearly stronger than Griggs but his striking was poor, when he was in full mount Griggs was getting the cleaner shots on the counter. He obviously has the strength to be a problem for anyone but its all he has.
Noons looked fantastic, it'd be interesting to see how well he does on the ground but when it comes to striking he looked a completly different level to Gurgel. The switch between different sports obviously affected his reaction at the end when he looked at the ref for the stoppage, the knee was clumsy but i don't think there was a lot of poor in it, the one, two combo to put Gurgel was a thing of beauty!
Main events were enjoyable, great TKO in the LHW title match, again i thought the ref should of stepped in earlier, Lawal took alot of clean elbows to the side/back of his skull. Are the rules slightly different with Strikeforce? I know they don't allow elbow strikes when grounded, but do they allow strikes to the back of the head? I noticed it in the Griggs was hammerfisting the crap outta the back of Lashleys head.
On top of the fights, i also kind of enjoyed the production aswell. Only downside for me was the commentary, Shamrock in braces has completly destroyed the MDK character for me, but he is decent at commentating, its the other fella with the wierd over-hyped, over the top Americaness...just not for me. And the guy in make up who interviews the fighters.... whats up with that.
Co-headliners James Toney ($500,000) and Randy Couture ($250,000) garnered the most attention heading into this past weekend's UFC 118 event, and they also walked home with the evening's largest disclosed checks.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) recently requested and today received the list of officially disclosed paydays from the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission.
The total disclosed payroll for the Aug. 28 event was $1.428 million.
Toney and Couture accounted for 52.52 percent of the disclosed figures.
UFC 118 was the first trip to Massachusetts for the world's biggest mixed martial arts promotion. The event took place at the TD Garden in Boston, and the main card aired live on pay-per-view. A pair of contests were also featured on Spike TV.
In a bout UFC president Dana White openly referred to as a "freak show," Couture took Toney down easily and submitted him in the first round. While the contest was only a co-feature, it netted the most attention in the days prior to the fight.
Meanwhile, in the main event, Frankie Edgar proved his April win over former champion B.J. Penn was no fluke. The new champion dominated "The Prodigy" for five rounds en route to a unanimous-decision win.
Edgar took home $96,000 for his effort, while Penn was issued a $150,000 check.
The total paydays included:
Frankie Edgar: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus)
def. B.J. Penn: $150,000
Randy Couture: $250,000 (no win bonus)
def. James Toney: $500,000
Demian Maia: $68,000 ($34,000 win bonus)
def. Mario Miranda: $8,000
Gray Maynard: $46,000 ($23,000 win bonus)
def. Kenny Florian: $65,000
Nate Diaz: $60,000 ($30,000 win bonus)
def. Marcus Davis: $31,000
Joe Lauzon: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
def. Gabe Ruediger: $8,000
Nik Lentz: $22,000 ($11,000 win bonus)
def. Andre Winner: $10,000
Dan Miller: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. John Salter: $8,000
Greg Soto: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
def. Nick Osipczak: $10,000
Mike Pierce: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
def. Amilcar Alves: $6,000
Now, the usual disclaimer: The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a fighter's income. They also do not include any other "locker room" or special bonuses the UFC oftentimes pays. They also do not include portions of the pay-per-view revenue that some top-level fighters receive.
For example, as previously reported, UFC officials handed out $60,000 UFC 118 bonuses to Lauzon (Submission of the Night), Diaz and Davis (Fight of the Night).
In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.
As it turns out, UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will rematch first-time contender Josh Koscheck in his backyard.
The marquee match-up will not take place in Las Vegas, as early reports suggested.
Instead, the promotion will return to Montreal's Bell Centre for the event, presumably titled UFC 124, on Dec. 11. It's the UFC's fourth trip to the Canadian city.
MMAFighting.com first confirmed the event's location earlier today with UFC president Dana White. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) also confirmed the news with multiple sources close to the event, who said the organization wanted to capitalize on St-Pierre's hometown crowd.
St-Pierre (20-2 MMA, 14-2 UFC) and Koscheck (15-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) recently wrapped a six-week shoot for "The Ultimate Fighter 12," on which they coached opposing teams of lightweights. The winner of the reality show earn a six-figure UFC contract.
The Dec. 11 bout serves as the traditional season-ending fight between the reality show's coaches.
The pair first met at UFC 74. St-Pierre, who had lost his belt at UFC 69 to Matt Serra, controlled Koscheck on the mat and earned a three-round unanimous-decision victory.
St-Pierre reclaimed the undisputed title a year later at UFC 83 when he re-matched Serra in the promotion's first trip to the Bell Centre. He since has defended his title four times against Koscheck's teammate Jon Fitch, as well as B.J. Penn, Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy.
Meanwhile, Koscheck has amassed a record of 6-2 since then with key wins over Dustin Hazelett, Chris Lytle and Anthony Johnson. He secured his title shot with a decision win over Paul Daley, which took place during the promotion's third trip to Montreal back at UFC 113.
That fight is etched into Montreal fans' minds for two reasons: Daley's post-fight suckerpunch â€" which got him fired from the promotion â€" and Koscheck's post-fight rant against their beloved hockey team, Montreal Canadiens, as well as St-Pierre himself.
No other matchups are currently rumored for the Dec. 11 card, which airs on pay-per-view.
IM GOING THERE LIVE BITCHES!
Todd Duffee (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) knew what might be coming, but when word finally reached him that the world's biggest mixed-martial-arts promotion no longer needs his services, the heavyweight didn't know exactly how to react.
After just two fights in the UFC, Duffee's time in the octagon is over.
"I've had every emotion there is to have," Duffee told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) in an exclusive interview. "Right now, I'm just kind of numb."
Duffee burst onto the UFC scene in August 2009 with a stunning seven-second knockout of Tim Hague. A star was born in the blink of an eye, and MMA fans were already declaring the chiseled monster The Next Big Thing.
But on Tuesday, he became just the next fighter released by the UFC. Official reason? Duffee said his walking papers cite a May loss to Mike Russow in which Duffee dominated for two-and-a-half rounds before being clipped by a right hand that ended his night in shocking and upset fashion.
"I don't know what happened," Duffee told MMAjunkie.com from the hotel room in Denver that he is currently calling home. "I first heard from my manager, Alex Davis, about a week ago that I might get cut. I have some friends that fight for other organizations, and they actually told me they had heard a rumor that I was about to be released, too.
"On Tuesday, I got the confirmation email saying I had been cut because I lost my last fight."
"As a man, you just want to hear why"
The UFC releasing fighters after a loss is nothing new. In an effort to bring the world's best fighters to the organization, UFC president Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva are forced constantly to reevaluate the bulging roster and hire and fire as they see fit.
But to cut Duffee after just one loss breaks completely from typical form. And to do so more than three months after the fight? Surely something more must be in play.
MMA pundits have speculated that a contract dispute may have played a role. After all, Duffee openly petitioned on The Underground, a popular MMA forum, for a weekend job to help supplement his income.
Not so, says Duffee. He had two fights remaining on his deal and was content with the contract he signed.
Then how about the remarks made on Twitter, when Duffee condemned the UFC for their choice to discuss his past as a Dairy Queen employee?
All forgiven, says Duffee. Besides, he was never all that upset anyway, and that situation played out prior to his contest with Russow.
No, Duffee says he's not sure what may have influenced the UFC's choice, and that may be part of the reason it stings so much.
"Emotionally, I'm hurt," Duffee said. "I'm hurt more than anything because I don't know why. As a man, you just want to hear why so you can understand."
Duffee was approached by the UFC about fighting Jon Madsen in October, but he asked the promotion to push back the contest so he could nurse a few lingering injuries. However, he doesn't believe the release is a direct result of his request.
"They had talked about me fighting Madsen," Duffee said. "I asked if I could get some time.
"I had a knee injury going into the Russow fight. I'm not making any excuses because I lost that fight, and all props to Mike, but I definitely feel like it affected my gameplan and my mentality going into the fight. I didn't want that to happen again with Madsen. I wanted to be able to go out there and fight to my full potential instead of just boxing, basically. I asked for more time, and as far as I knew, they had granted it to me."
Unfortunately for Duffee, that time off is now indefinite.
MMAjunkie.com's request for comment from UFC officials went unanswered.
"I think the best is yet to come"
The 24-year-old isn't quite sure what comes next. He's in Denver in order to train with the famed Grudge Training Center crew, and he hopes to remain a part of the team. But for now, there is much uncertainty. Duffee dropped out of school to pursue his dreams of fighting, so returning to the classroom may even be an option.
"I still want to finish my degree," Duffee said. "I'd like to do it when I'm 35 and I'm walking around with a cane, but I may go back to school and take student loans out and try to be a student and a part-time fighter. I'm not sure.
"The one thing I know is that I want to fight as much as possible. I've just got to get healthy in the next month or two, and hopefully I can get busy in November or December."
Duffee likely will be suited by a host of MMA promotions, and he's certainly willing to listen. But he does hold out hope that a few wins outside of the UFC could earn him a return trip to the octagon.
"If I get 12 fights next year, I'm happy," Duffee said. "I'll settle for six. That will almost double the amount of pro fights I have right now. That's my goal. Maybe I rattle off three more wins real quick, and the UFC changes their mind and decides to re-sign me.
"I've just got to worry about getting healthy. I want to get fully healed, and then I'd like to fight once a month next year. I look at guys like (Strikeforce heavyweight) Daniel Cormier, and I think it's awesome. He fought three times in three weeks, and he won all three of them. I would love to go on a tear."
To call a UFC release a major setback would be a gross understatement. But Duffee has learned to deal with adversity in recent times.
"I've lost a lot of things this year," Duffee said. "I went from losing the biggest fight of my life to losing my dad two weeks later to losing my best friend a week after that. I lost a coach, and now I've lost my job. At this point, it isn't the worst thing that could ever happen to me. There are people who would kill to be in my situation, and I just have to stay positive and keep moving forward â€" tuck your chin and keep moving forward.
"I think the best is yet to come. I think this is a part of it, and we'll just kind of see what happens. In five or six years we may just look back and laughing about this. That's my goal."
In the meantime, Duffee will just try to enjoy the ride.
"I guess I can say I shouldn't have dropped out of college â€" stay in school, kids," Dufee joked. "This is my dream. It's just a bump in the road. I got to where I was at a little sooner that a lot of people. Now I have to go enjoy the journey. I definitely would like to get back the opportunity that I had in front of me just a few days ago. We'll just see where the road takes me.
"I know the UFC is running a business, and they're going to do what's best for them at the end of the day. I'm not going to harbor any hard feelings or anything like that. I'm just going to roll with punches. It's been a year of a lot of tough losses, but I think you grow from that. It's been a good run of bad luck. I'm just trying to stay positive and learn from these life experiences."
Todd Dufee seem's to be a good guy. I haven't seen anything past the russow fight; but even then is preformance was an impressive one--despite him being knocked out VIA a punch from the depths of hell, lol. I can't speculate on why exactly he was released nor do I care to, but I think he'll be back sometime in the future.
In tonight's episode, 28 hopefuls vie for the 14 coveted cast-member slots. The only thing standing in their way is the decisive elimination round of fights.
As the episode begins, the group of fighters â€" which ranges from young to old, experienced to inexperienced, known to the totally obscure â€" files into the familiar UFC Training Center in Las Vegas.
UFC president Dana White, Georges and Josh then enter and address the group. And it just wouldn't be "TUF" without a version of Dana's all-too-familiar pep talk.
"You are not UFC fighters yet," Dana says. "You want to be UFC fighters. And what we like in the UFC are guys who like to [expletive] fight. ... We want to see guys go after it. I want to see guys with that animal instinct."
Dana then confirms a recently adopted format change that also is set for this season: wild-card picks. After the cast is whittled down to 14 through the elimination round, a preliminary round kicks off. However, two fighters eliminated from the preliminary round will be chosen as "wild cards," and they'll get a second chance to get the eighth and final spot in the quarterfinal round.
The bad? It's another fight in an already-grueling schedule. The good? It gives an otherwise-eliminated cast member a second life. Just ask Kris McCray, a "TUF 11" wild-card pick who ultimately posted a runnerup finish and earned a UFC contract.
But up first is the elimination round, and Dana encourages each fighter to give it everything he has.
The following day, the gym is humming with nervous energy as fighters stretch, hit pads and simply meditate. But with 14 fights and just 42 minutes of airtime, the fights roll out with a fast-and-furious pace.
Up first is Marc Stevens (12-5), who was a wrestler when Josh was an assistant coach at his college. Josh, though, only vaguely remembers the competitor and wonders aloud if his skills stretch beyond the wrestling mat. To let us know, he takes on T.J. O'Brien (14-3), whose stretched-out frame earned him the nickname "Spider."
Referee Steve Mazzagatti gets the action started, and Marc quickly drops his opponent with a lopping overhand right. The punch lands solid, as do the dozen follow-up shots that prompt a quick, 13-second knockout.
"You remember me now," Marc jokes as he addresses the coaches' table and Josh.
One down, 13 to go.
Up next is Spencer Paige (7-2), an admitted standup fighter who meets Steve Magdaleno (6-2), a well-rounded fighter with boxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu experience.
Referee Josh Rosenthal has the honors, and he's quickly on notice when Spencer unloads some solid shots. Steve answers, and both fighters show some remarkably quick and accurate strikes. Once his opponent is on his back, Marc unloads some heavy blows, but Steve closes out the round in top position and comes back with an onslaught of his own.
After the entertaining first round, the fighters return for a second, and Spencer continues the attack. The blows are mounting and have garnered Dana's interest, but Steve wisely shoots for a single-leg takedown and works on the mat. Spencer struggles initially but ultimately gets back to his feet before Steve inexplicably pulls guard and gives up the dominant top position. The mental lapse costs Steve the round and the fight, and Spencer earns the decision victory.
Up next is exciting Strikeforce vet Nam Phan (16-7), an experienced striker who usually fights at the lighter weights. He takes on former inline skater/X Games gold medalist and recent WEC fighter Mike Budnik (8-4) in a marquee matchup.
Mike comes out with a wild but effective style, but Nam remains patient, and the first round soon turns into an entertaining one. But Nam ultimately connects on a left punch to the liver, and Mike hits the mat in obvious pain. A few follow-up shots secure Nam the victory and a spot on the cast.
Due to time constraints, we then watch a few bouts in highlights form. We see Andy Main (4-1) submit Jason Brenton (6-0), Jonathan Brookins (11-2) score a decision win over fellow wrestler Ran Weather (13-7), and Sako Chivitchian (5-0) outlast fellow grappler Toby Grear (7-4-1) for a decision win. Additionally, despite Georges' prediction of a loss, Jeff Lentz (6-1) uses an absolute dominant ground-and-pound assault to set up a submission win over Dan Head (7-2).
We then return to some full-length features as Paul Barrow (3-0) meets Alex Caceres (4-2), whose yellow jumpsuit, Afro, hair pick and Bruce Lee admiration were featured prominently in the "TUF 12" promos.
"He came out looking like a banana," Josh jokes of Alex, who calls himself "Bruce Leroy."
Dana already "loves this kid."
After some gratuitous video shots of ring girl Arianny Celeste's curves, the fight is underway.
Paul comes out the aggressor, but a patient Alex weathers the storm and eventually takes his opponent's back and puts Paul to sleep with a rear-naked choke. A Bruce Lee-inspired celebration earns further adoration from a clearly enamored Dana. The coaches can't help but grin.
"He smiled the whole [expletive] time he was fighting," Dana gushes.
Back to fight highlights, we see Michael Johnson (8-4) post an impressive decision win over Pablo Garza (7-0), British fighter Aaron Wilkinson (6-3) dominate Michael Richman (8-0) for a decision victory, and MMAjunkie.com blogger and veteran fighter Kyle Watson (15-6-1) tap out undefeated Joseph Duffy (7-0) with a rear-naked choke.
"I couldn't be happier to move in and start some shenanigans," Kyle jokes of the "TUF" house.
In the next fight, J.J. Ambrose (12-2) can't close with an brutal kimura and ultimately falls short on the judges' scorecards to Sevak Magakian (8-3), who controls from the top.
We then get some build up as Alaskan fisherman Cody McKenzie (10-0) takes on Egyptian fighter Amir Khillah (6-4). Georges predicts a guillotine victory for Cody, and sure enough, the confident fighter secures the bout-ending submission from his back and puts his opponent to sleep for the win.
Dane Sayers (7-1) then takes on Ariel Sexton (6-2). Dane makes a show of not wanting to touch gloves, and once the fight starts, he immediately darts across the cage with a flying knee that's mostly deflected. Both fighters soon become punch drunk as the strikes come from all angles.
In the second round, Ariel gets the better of the standup exchanges and has his opponent on the ropes. Dane nearly pulls of a miracle guillotine choke but ultimately settles for the standing rear-naked choke to secure the shocking come-from-behind win.
"I feel like I just won the most important fight of my life," he says.
Dana and the coaches aren't sure how far he'll go in the competition, but they're clearly impressed with Dane.
The 14 qualifying fighters then assemble and get congratulations from Dana, who says teams will be picked in next week's episode.
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Frank Mir
* Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
* Chris Lytle vs. Matt Serra
* Evan Dunham vs. Sean Sherk
* Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
* C.B. Dollaway vs. Joe Doerksen
* Joey Beltran vs. Matt Mitrione
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Pat Audinwood vs. Thiago Tavares
* Steve Lopez vs. Waylon Lowe
* T.J. Grant vs. Julio Paulino
* Mark Hunt vs. Sean McCorkle
First of all before I pick the main card, like to shout out to TJ Grant, local fighter, nice guy. Hope he does well in his 4th UFC fight. (2-2)
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Frank Mir
* Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
* Chris Lytle vs. Matt Serra
* Evan Dunham vs. Sean Sherk
* Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Frank Mir
* Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
* Chris Lytle vs. Matt Serra
* Evan Dunham vs. Sean Sherk
* Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens
Only pick cro cop because I would like to see him get a title shot
I have to say we had some damn good fights last night. Good start to what I hope is a awesome season which leads to GSP beating the unholy hell out of Josh
I have to say I was entertained by Bruce Leroy. He took a beating and then got the advantage and ran with it. I cant wait to see more, people in the house dont seem to like him from what the previews would lead us to think.
lol
You know Dana would love for " Bruce Leroy " to go far , he can market him well
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Frank Mir
* Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
* Chris Lytle vs. Matt Serra
* Evan Dunham vs. Sean Sherk
* Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
* C.B. Dollaway vs. Joe Doerksen
* Joey Beltran vs. Matt Mitrione
I've only had two predictions wrong, one from each of the two last cards (UFN 22; UFC 118); so hopefully, I can keep the streak going.
Yeah, all of the fights seemed like all of the fighters were going hard for the impressive win. Lets home after this recent seasons of lack of finished fights changes with these Lightweights.
I like Cody McKenzie and Marc Stevens as my 2 picks to do well, as well as Nam Phan who probably has the most experience, fighting former strikeforce champ Josh Thompson and JZ Calvacante in his career.
I didn't even realise a new season had started; thanks for starting this thread.
Quote from: Black Death on September 16, 2010, 09:17:13 PM
lol
You know Dana would love for " Bruce Leroy " to go far , he can market him well
You know, it's interesting you mention that, but for some reason, I love watching this guy fight! Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of others that were way better, but something about him is just so entertaining! He's my favorite so far, out of the house, but to win it, still not sure on it to be honest. I think that Alaskan dude with the Guillotine choke was pretty interesting too.
Although UFC officials previously announced November's UFC 122 event during a recent "Ultimate Insider" episode, today's official press release adds a level of relevance to the night's headliner.
UFC 122, which takes place Nov. 13 at Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, features a middleweight headliner between Vitor Belfort (19-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Yushin Okami (25-5 MMA, 9-2 UFC).
And following top contender Chael Sonnen's failed UFC 117 drug test, the UFC 122 headliner becomes all the more meaningful now that the winner has been promised a middleweight title shot.
The No. 1 contender's bout headlines UFC 122's main card, which airs via same-day delay on Spike TV.
A UFC 122 ticket pre-sale begins today for UFC Fight Club members, and the general public can purchase tickets beginning Wednesday. The event is open only to fans 18 and older, and IDs will be checked at the door on the night of the event.
Belfort looks to reclaim an earlier promised title shot. However, when Belfort was sidelined by a shoulder injury, Demian Maia and then Sonnen got shots at middleweight champ Anderson Silva's belt. Nevertheless, Belfort is riding a five-fight win streak, and four of the wins came in Cage Rage and Affliction Entertainment. In September 2009 at UFC 103, he returned to the UFC for the first time in four years and scored a first-round knockout of Rich Franklin in a 195-pound catchweight bout.
Okami, who long has flirted with title contention, most recently earned a split-decision win over Mark Munoz at UFC on Versus 2. It was his his fifth win in his past six fights, which included additional victories over Lucio Linhares, Dean Lister, Evan Tanner and Jason MacDonald. The lone loss came to Sonnen.
It's not known if the Belfort-Okami winner will be the next title challenger for Silva's belt or if another contender will get the first shot. Sonnen, who nearly defeated the champ in August at UFC 117, was slated for an immediate rematch in early 2011. However, he now faces a one-year ban for a failed drug test (due to a performance-enhancing drug), and even if he appeals to the California State Athletic Commission, the process could be lengthy.
Germany hosted its first show â€" UFC 99 with a Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva headliner â€" in June 2009. Despite some resistance from the German media that resulted in a ban on minors from attending the show, UFC president Dana White vowed the organization would return to and continue its expansion in the European country.
The latest UFC 122 card includes:
* Vitor Belfort vs. Yushin Okami
* Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Goran Reljic*
* Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara*
* Amir Sadollah vs. Peter Sobotta*
* Jason Brilz vs. Vladimir Matyushenko*
* Rob Kimmons vs. Kyle Noke*
* Seth Petruzelli vs. Karlos Vemola*
* Dennis Siver vs. Andre Winner*
* Duane "Bang" Ludwig vs. Nick Osipczak*
* Kris McCray vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha*
* Pascal Krauss vs. Kenny Robertson*
..................................Belfort got hurt again, its said that Nate Marquardt is stepping in.
EDIT:
Belfort is now rumored to fight Anderson Silva for the belt @ UFC 125
California State Athletic Commission officials today stated UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen was likely on performance-enhancing drugs when he met Anderson Silva at UFC 117.
"A sample from Sonnen's Aug. 6 drug test came back with a high T/E (testosterone-to-estrogen) level, which is indicative of anabolic steroid use," the commission stated in a release.
CSAC officials also made formal Sonnen's one-year suspension and $2,500 fine and 30-day window to appeal the ruling.
The release confirms an earlier report from MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that Sonnen was first flagged for possible steroid use on Sept. 2, and a second test validated the result on Sept. 14. The fighter was suspended two days later.
Sonnen delivered a pitch-perfect performance at the Aug. 7 event and he was well on his way to a decision victory before Silva shockingly tapped him out with a triangle choke in the final moments of the five-round fight.
A report issued Monday by SI.com's Josh Gross stated Sonnen actually notified CSAC Executive Director George Dodd that he may test positive for an illegal substance on Aug. 6, though he did not disclose what he took.
Sonnen is scheduled to appear Thursday on ESPN's "MMA Live" to make his first public statement since news of the failed test broke. Meanwhile, the rematch he earned with Silva appears to be on indefinite hold as the UFC has targeted Vitor Belfort for a crack at Silva's belt, likely at UFC 125 on Jan. 1 in Las Vegas.
The full statement released today:
The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has suspended the license of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Chael Sonnen, after Sonnen tested positive for steroids, a banned substance.
A sample from Sonnen's August 6 drug test came back with a high T/E (testosterone-to-estrogen) level, which is indicative of anaboloic steroid use. CSAC learned of the results September 2 and ordered a second test, which also came back positive for steroid use. CSAC received test results from the second sample on September 14 and suspended Sonnen two days later. He is suspended for one year. Sonnen has 30 days to appeal the decision.
"The use of anabolic steroids and other banned substances are not tolerated by the commission," said CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd. "Anabolic agents put the health and safety of both the user and his opponents at risk."
Sonnen's test was observed in the presence of a CSAC representative and the sample was sent to the World Anti-doping Agency test facility at the University of California, Los Angeles on August 6, 2010 for processing.
Yeah, apparently Belfort isn't even hurt. I don't know if this is true or not but that's what I've heard.
I guess it's a good thing Anderson Silva won. It would have been a HUGE black eye on the UFC if Chael was the UFC middle weight champ and this came out. With that said, I was really looking forward to the rematch. Oh well.
Yeah heard that too. I saw he was hurt this morning on the sports ticker, but checked MMAJUNKIE and they said management pulled him out to give him the straight #1 contendership....I think it has to do with Sonnen and the roids (as Sonnen WAS gonna get an instant rematch)
GSP pulls a great move and get Micheal Johnson as first pick... Koscheck fell for it
Yeah, that part was funny. Bruce Leroy is AWESOME... as a character.
he fought a great fight . jeff won the first round , but over did it and got caught , Alex got long legs and jeff forgot about that and he paid for it .
The guy got lucky first round, he kept giving his head away. They underestimated him, thinking he was a joke. I hate fighters who press the cage the whole match and win for it.
Rampage vs Evans, I hated that match all Evan's did was keep Rampage pressed against the cage. When Rampage got a chance he almost knocked Evans out, there is no stratagy to it, just leverage and strength.
Same thing with the fight last night. Bruce Leroy has more talent then the Jersey no body(Who has some stand up) but no finishing power against someone who can defend themselves.
The Jersey guy fit perfect on Koscheck's team cause they are cut from the same cloth.
I also enjoyed the trap GSP set with the picks, not only did he get possibly the best fighter but he also got the number one pick of the show, Epic, epic stuff.
So much for Jeff not tapping out... "If I get put in a choke, I'm gonna go to sleep, cause I ain't tappin..."
am i the only person that loves the approach GSP has to his team?
Hes the best fighter on the planet, so have him as a sparring partner and let his phenominal coaches do all the of coaching.
Quote from: Cory on September 23, 2010, 10:05:30 PM
am i the only person that loves the approach GSP has to his team?
Hes the best fighter on the planet, so have him as a sparring partner and let his phenominal coaches do all the of coaching.
I like it too, He going to help all his fighters get better. also he a funny guy , I love the speech from full metal jacket when he was talking to them
Someone needs to get a GIF of GSP doing that weird celeberation dance after Koscheck fell for his pick trick. EPIC!
I'm sold on Bruce Leroy, already. I don't think he'll win; but he'll make it far enough to where he'll be on a UFC fight card in my opinion.
you telling me that Toney got half million for about 1 min and half of work ... lol and Randy got quarter of million
yeah those are the real winners right there
Quote from: Level-One on September 23, 2010, 11:55:51 PM
Someone needs to get a GIF of GSP doing that weird celeberation dance after Koscheck fell for his pick trick. EPIC!
I'm sold on Bruce Leroy, already. I don't think he'll win; but he'll make it far enough to where he'll be on a UFC fight card in my opinion.
I agree. I can see him maybe winning once more but he isn't as well rounded as some of the fighters, but hes already in Dana's good books, so hell at least have a spot on the Finale card.
Quote from: Black Death on September 24, 2010, 05:08:46 AM
you telling me that Toney got half million for about 1 min and half of work ... lol and Randy got quarter of million
yeah those are the real winners right there
It really is depressing to see James Toney make that much money to lay on his back like a fat fucking fish out of water. What a joke.
With that said, I'd take a beating from Randy for 500, 000. While I'd pay a portion of that money in medical bills; it's still enough to buy me a house and a nice car.
I'll fight him in the uk... god bless the nhs.
just noticed last night during the weigh ins
MARK FUCKING HUNT is fighting, sick.
Mainevent was horrible.
...but I went perfect on my predictions. I should start betting for money now. ;D
ugh, fell asleep during the serra/lytle fight.
Fights were bad, but booooooring
Quote from: Cory on September 26, 2010, 09:39:01 AM
ugh, fell asleep during the serra/lytle fight.
Fights were bad, but booooooring
Serra and Lytle was a good fight. What the hell were you drinking? :D
This is my breakdown of the card:
Amazing fight/FOTN: Sherk Vs. Dunham
Great fight: Mitrione vs. Belator
Good fight: Serra Vs. Chris Lytle
Boring fights/worst fight of the year: Bader Vs. Nog, Guillard Vs. Stephens/ Mirko Vs. Mir
Quick fights/fun: Tarves vs. audinwood, Mark Hunt Vs. McCorkle and CB Dollaway Vs. Doerkson
Not a great PPV, but not the worst either. I would feel sorry for anyone who bought this; but that's just how MMA/UFC works. Not every event is guaranteed to shine and this was one of them.
Here's the card for UFC 121 which looks like being a fucking great night of fights. Plus the main event has 'must see' written all over it!
-Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez for the UFC Hvt. Championship.
-Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann.
-Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago.
-Matt Hamill vs. Tito Ortiz.
-Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brandon Schaub.
Undercard
-Court McGee vs. Ryan Jensen.
-Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor.
-Mike Guymon vs. Daniel Roberts.
-Sam Stout vs. Paul Taylor.
-Chris Camozzi vs. Dongi Yang.
-Jon Madsen vs. Gilbert Yvel.
Jesus.......STACKED.
Nice win from Johnson, GSP 2-0
And Tyson FTW
The whole house fight thing was another over-hype, under-delivered reality tv arguement
yup, thats usually how it is. Almost seems set up.
Solid 3-0 for GSP over Cunt-Check tho btw
-Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez for the UFC Hvt. Championship.
Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann
Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago
Matt Hamill vs. Tito Ortiz.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brandon Schaub
This is one hell of a hard card to pick, but fuck it, here's to it.
Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez for the UFC Hvt. Championship.
Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann - Via super exciting hold-em-down techniques
Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago
Matt Hamill vs. Tito Ortiz - Via Chuck Liddell outside interference ;)
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brandon Schaub
-Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez for the UFC Hvt. Championship.
-Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann.
-Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago.
-Matt Hamill vs. Tito Ortiz.
-Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brandon Schaub.
Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez for the UFC Hvt. Championship. Lesnar in the first round.
-Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann. Shields shoudl win this but this should be a great fight.
-Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago. Thiago will realize why he is the Nightmare
-Matt Hamill vs. Tito Ortiz. Hamill should kill Ortiz who is long past his prime.
-Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brandon Schaub. Wow to close to call but I'll say Gonzaga
Undercard
-Court McGee vs. Ryan Jensen. Hoping for Jensen to win this one
-Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor.
-Mike Guymon vs. Daniel Roberts.
-Sam Stout vs. Paul Taylor.
-Chris Camozzi vs. Dongi Yang.
-Jon Madsen vs. Gilbert Yvel.
nam phan with the nice win....im surprised gsp didnt pick him......he had the most experience going in.
GSP "I am not impressed with your performance"
lol
Not impressed with the Nam. He's like a Vietnamese Chris Leben. Walk forward, throw a cross/overhand. Walk forward, cross/overhand. He did good in that he won, but a good striker would pick at him. They put him against a power striker and if they do it again I'm sure he'll win again.
The English crowd showed up early, and The O2 is nearly full and very loud for bout No. 1.
FABIANO MALDONADO VS. JAMES MCSWEENEY
Round 1 - Referee Marc Goddard in charge of the action. McSweeney opens with an outside leg kick. He throws it again and follows it with a short punch. Maldonado has the center, and he rushes forward with a series of punches that miss. McSweeney kicks to the head. Hard outside low kick from McSweeney, and he lands a stiff right hand, as well. Maldonado looks relaxed, but he hasn't found range yet. McSweeney misses a wild jumping kick and lands a left straight. McSweeney has the crowd chanting his name, and he's light and relaxed. McSweeney lands a low blow. There's a quick stop, but Maldonado wants to fight. Maldonado charges forward with a punch to restart, but McSweeney grabs a Thai clinch and delivers a knee. Halfway in. McSweeney dancing around, but he's near the cage, and Maldonado moves in to clinch. McSweeney circles off and pushes in. Maldonado throws a big right, but McSweeney ducks under it, controls the head and delivers several knees to the head. He lets go and lands a high kick. Maldinado motions toward his chin. He likes the punishment. Inside leg kick for McSweeney, and a right hand lands, too. Maldonado again points to the chin. Tough kid, but he's relying on an overhand right that McSweeney is ducking easily. McSweeney pushes into the clinch again. McSweeney pulls away and starts winging punches. Six land, then two more. Maldonado covering against the cage, but he's absorbing damage. McSweeney pulls away and the round ends. It's all McSweeney, 10-9 on the MMAjunkie.com card.
Round 2 - McSweeney fires up the crowd before the bell, and they sense more damage coming. Another low kick lands. McSweeney standing in the pocket, but he's one-dimensional right now. McSweeney retreats and fires a front kick. McSweeney's mouth wide open, but he's still moving. Crowd chants again for the Brit. Maldonado lands a right to the body, and McSweeney grunts. That hurt him. Maldonado goes back to the body. Maldonado lands a few short shots and McSweeney drops to the ground. More of a laydown than a knockdown really. The body shots must have really hurt. Maldonado moves to side control and then steps over with his left leg into half-mount. McSweeney takes guard. Maldonado throwing left hands from the top. They're not real forceful, but they count. Maldonado moves again to side control and works a keylock on McSweeney's left arm. He works it free, and Maldonado returns to the punching attack. Two minutes remain. McSweeney rolls a bit, but he doesn't really look to be standing. Maldonado land a big punch to the head and then more to the body. Short lefts to the face. McSweeney works to his knees, but Maldonado is right there on his back and drags him back down. Maldonado finally decides to stand with less than a minute. McSweeney rises slowly at the referee's orders. McSweeney throws a few front kicks. Maldonado again tags the body. McSweeney looks exhausted, but he's trying to throws. Maldonado attacks with a flurry in the closing seconds. One might have been late, but he took the round, 10-9 on the MMAjunkie.com card.
Round 3 - Quite a turn of events in the third, and the fight is on the line. McSweeney throws the front kicks in a defensive attack. He lands a jab, and Maldonado taunts again. McSweeney slips on a front kick, but Maldonado wants him up. McSweeney retreats to the cage, and Maldonado delivers to the body. McSweeney is done, but he tries to cover up. Maldonado smells the finish and unleashes a flurry of shots to the head, body and arms. McSweeney tries to defend, but Goddard has seen enough. Goddard calls it off, and McSweeney slumps to the floor. Fabio Maldonado def. James McSweeney via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 0:48.
SPENCER FISHER VS. KURT WARBURTON
Round 1 - Leon Roberts calls the action. Fisher rushes forward land lands a low kick. Warburton slides right away from the cage and throws one of his own. Warburton circling right. He lands a nice right kick to the body and follows with a left-side low kick. Warburton keeping his range early and using his length. Fisher giving chase. Both fighters working kicks early. Warburton the busier fighter. Fisher moves in with a nice left hand to the chin. Warburton immediately circles off and pushes Fisher into the cage with an over-under. Knees traded inside, but neither lands cleanly. Warburton steps over one the left and earns a nice outside trip.Fisher tries to push up, and Warburton locks in a guillotine on the left side.Fsihser had a loose half-gaurd underneath. Choke looks troubling, but it's not enough for a finish. Fisher pops his head out and grabs full guard. One minute left. Warburton trying to punch from top. Big forearm lands. Fisher scrambling underneath, but Warburton will not let him back to his feet. Round ends there, and it's a Warburton round on the MMAjunkie.com card, 10-9.
Round 2 - Warburton with an outside leg kick. Fisher returns the favor. Fisher again moving in. He catches a kick but can't capitalize. Warburton circles away and pushes Fisher into the cage. Fisher circles off and delivers a knee. It's a spinning battle in the over-under clinch against the cage. Knees to the gut by both. Crowd wants a break, and they finally get it with a touch more than three minutes. Big Fisher punch on the restart. Back into the clinch. Fisher knees to the leg. Warburton knees to the cup. Quick restart after a referee intervention. Fisher walks through a leg kick to deliver a straight punch. More clinchwork. Fight is very neutral in the clinch. Fisher pulls away and delivers a straight punch. Bak into the clinch, and it's Fisher staying busier with the knees. Tight round. with a minute left. Fisher catches a kick and pushes Warburton to the floor. He rushes in, and the Brit tries to attacks the leg from his back. Fisher's fine, and he lands some heavy leather. Fisher stands, backs away and delivers an axe kick to the body. The downed Warburton grabs the leg and tries for an ankle. Great stuff in these final seconds, and the round ends there. MMAjunkie.com gives a tight round to Fisher, 10-9.
Round 3 - Outside leg kick from Fisher. Warburton circling, but he's lost a little pep. Fisher lands a kick to the body, a few punches and a leaping knee. Warburton circling against the cage. Fisher's corner yells for him to remain patient. Fisher looking for an opening. He moves into the clinch. Warburton circles off. They again reverse position a few times against the cage. Knees come from both. Two minutes in. Very neutral in the clinch, and there's a restart. Fisher looks relaxed and lively. Warburton still moving forward. He nearly has a trip, and as Fisher regains his balance, Warburton tries to control him from behind. Fisher turns and clinches. Warburton controlling with a bodylock, but Roberts is quicker on the trigger with the restarts now. Spinning kick misses from Fisher. Warburton clinches and pushes in. Fisher looks up at the clock. He catches another knee to the cup, but he wants a quick restart. Warburton receives a warning. Jabs traded. Fisher with a leaping knee then pulls back on a spinning kick. Cardio might win Fisher this fight. It's tight, but Warburton looks visibly fatigued. Warburton pushes in, and Fisher steps to the side of the lazy shot and grabs a rear-naked choke. He drags Warburton to the floor. He tells Roberts to take a look, but Warburton signals he's fine. Fisher releases and takes mount. Just seconds left, and the round ends there, but that last sequence likely sealed the deal. MMAjunkie.com sees the round 10-9 for Fisher and awards him the fight 29-28. Spencer Fisher def. Kurt Warburton via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
The in-house microphone was not working as the result was read, though MMAjunkie.com later confirmed the scores with UFC officials Judges Doug Crosby, Howard Hughes and Paul Sutherland all gave Warburton the opening round and Fisher the final two.
MARK HOLST VS. PAUL SASS
Round 1 - Referee Dan Miragliotta in the cage. Holst jabs early as Sass keeps his distance. Sass leas in with a punch, but Holst rolls him to the floor. Sass immediately looks for his signature triangle underneath. Holst tries to pulls away and nearly moves into an omo plata. Holst pulls free again and stands. Back on the feet, but it's not for long. Sass immediately falls to his back. Holst stays in very tight this time. Sass again works the leg up the back. Holst feels it and pulls away. Sass thinks about attacking a leg. Holst works free of that. Still on the floor, and Sass again attacking with his legs high. Holst pulls away and asks for Sass to stand. Sass lands a spinning back kick. He falls, a little off-balance, and he grabs Holst's left leg as he hits the deck. Holst tries to stack him up, but he falls back and has to spin. Holst gets his leg free and pulls away. Back on the feet, and Sass fires a Superman punch and dives at the leg. He can't get the takedown, but he takes guard. Holst stays in tight. His hands are on the mat. Sass again works the legs high. Triangle choke is in, and he's got an armbar to boot. Holst writhing as he tries to wiggle free, but Sass' legs prove as tough as billed. He lets go of the arm, but the triangle is deep. Holst is forced to tap. Paul Sass def. Mark Holst via submission (triangle choke) - Round 1, 4:45.
ROB BROUGHTON VS. VINICIUS KAPPKE DE QUIEROZ
Round 1 - Referee Marc Goddard in charge of these massive heavyweights. Quieroz lands an early left, though he misses several more bombs. Broughton trying to fire back, as well, but Quieroz looks much quicker. Broughton moves into the clinch, but Quieroz trips him to the floor. Broughton with a butterfly guard. Quieroz steps to the right into half-mount. Three big right hands come from the top. Quieroz very patient on top. He pulls away and delivers a few elbows. Broughton looks to work his legs high, but Quieroz pulls free and fires off big punches. Quieroz has a very small but very vocal cheering section that is yelling over the dead-silent British contingent. Broughton throws a few kicks to the kidney. Quieroz postures up and misses a homerun shot that rocks the canvas. Broughton tries to spin as Quieroz postures again, but the Brazilian takes the back. He gets the hooks in, though he's a little off-center. He slides off the top, and we reset on the feet with two minutes left. Quieroz lands a 1-2. He misses a high kick, though a knee and a right hand score. Broughton's face reddened. Quieroz is throwing bombs. Broughton does finally land a shot of his own, and the towering Quieroz staggers. He regains his wits and shoots in. He may be a little hurt, but Broughton hits the deck. Quieroz in half-mount. Broughton delivers a few knees to the body from underneath. Broughton tries to attack the left leg, but Quieroz feels it and pulls free. Quieroz works to this feet in the closing seconds. Broughton weathered the storm, but Quieroz claims the first round on the MMAjunkie.com card, 10-9.
Round 2 - Broughton with an early low kick. He lands a straight. Quieroz fires back with a massive right. Broughton spins around, and Quieroz jumps his back. Broughton shakes him off and to the deck. Quieroz pops back up and Broughton is starting to land. Quieroz showing little head movement, and he's getting tagged. Broughton finding a home for the jab now, but the Brazilian terminator just walks through them and gets another takedown. Quieroz not real busy on top. When he postures, Broughton tries to punch up, but he can't reach his opponent's head. Quieroz lands a few soft punches, but he's not staying real busy, and Goddard stands them. High kick from Quieroz. Broughton lands a left. Quieroz still just standing there. Broughtont moves in with a flurry. Quieroz pushes forward and puts his opponent on the deck. It's Broughton that's staying busier on the bottom. Quieroz stands, and Broughton tries to kick him away, but the Brazilian falls back in. Another quick restart from Goddard, but Quieroz is literally laying on his foe on the floor. Right hand for Broughton. Quieroz again scores with an outside trip. It's money every time, but he does nothing with it once there. Broughton throws short punches underneath. He tries to sweep in the closing seconds, but the round ends there. MMAjunkie.com sees the round for Broughton, 10-9, but it will be interesting to see how the judges value the takedowns.
Round 3 - Quieroz with an early jab, but Broughton tees off with a combo. Broughton lands a stiff right straight. Quieroz shoots in, and Broughton finally sprawls. He locks in a guillotine on the right side. Amazingly, Quieroz tries for the trip anyway. Broughton defends it and pushes down to top position. Broughton looks momentarily for a keylock that isn't there. He settles for control and then goes for a straight armbar on the other side. Quieroz works free, but he turtles up. Broughton takes the back and sink in a rear-naked choke. It's in tight, and the Brazilian giant taps. The arena goes absolutely nuts as Quieroz kneels on the floor with obvious disappointment. Rob Broughton def. Vinicius Quieroz via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 1:43.
CYRILLE DIABATE VS. ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON
Round 1 - Referee Leon Roberts in charge of the evening's final preliminary bout. Gustafsson kicks low, and Diabate kicks to the body. Both fighters trading kicks. Diabate gets caught in the cup, but we cary on. Gustafsson stumbles on a low kick. Diabate tries to attack and Gustafsson lands a stiff right hand. He gives chase with more strikes, and Diabate hits the deck. He's alert and defends well. He tries to move out tot he side, but Gustafsson keeps on overhook on the right side and delivers several powerful lefts. Diabate forced to fall again to his back. Diabate moves up to his knees and to his feet. Gustafsson does, too, and he lands a few more short punches to the chin. Into the clinch for a bit. As the pull away, Gustafsson drops Diabate with another right. A few punches follow, and Diabate scrambles to his feet and away. Brief stoppage as Diabate's mouthpiece is replaced. On the restart, he attacks with a flurry of his own. Some land, but Gustafsson is answering. Gustafsson pushes Diabate to the ground and sets up in side control. Gustafsson fires off a few big punches from the top, though most are grazing or miss. He's still controlling the action. Round ends on the floor, and MMAjunkie.com sees it for Gustafsson, 10-9.
Round 2 - Gustafsson takes the center early. Diabate lands a nice straight, but Gustafsson ducks under, wraps up the body and slams him to the floor. Gustafsson in side control, and he delivers a few shoulder strikes. Diabate trying to work up as he rolls on his side. Gustafsson steps over with his left leg and traps Diabate's head. He continues the move and spins all the way into mount. Diabate rolls, and Gustafsson takes the back. The choke comes in, but it's not there. Gustafsson works in punches instead. Diabate forced to move, and Gustafsson returns to the choke. Diabate survives the choke again, but his opponent returns to the striking attack. Blood flowing from Diabate's face, and the punches have to hurt. Gustafsson locks in the choke yet again. This time it's very secure, and Diabate must tap. Alexander Gustafsson def. Cyrille Diabate via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 2:41.
CLAUDE PATRICK VS. JAMES WILKS
Round 1 - Referee Dan Miragliotta in the cage as we go live (via tape delay) on Spike TV. Patrick starts with his hands by his side. Low kicks traded. Wilks with a snapping front kick. Wilks in the center, and Patrick is moving side to side. Patrick bullrushes in and secures a bodylock as he pushes Wilks to the cage. Battle on the fence, and Patrick gets the trip. He's in half-mount. Wilks secures an arm, and Patrick is forced to pull away and shake his opponent off. Wilks lands a nice upkick before Patrick fives back in with punch. Wilks with full guard on the bottom two minutes in. Crowd wants action, and Patrick stands. He delivers a few kicks to the legs and then runs around the legs before dripping to side control. He steps over into mount with ease. Patrick slides off into side control. He moves into north-south, but they scramble and Wilks regains guard. Patrick stands again. Wilks firing upkicks. Crowd wants him off his back. Patrick pushes in again and takes half-mount, then mount. A few punches come in before the bell, and Patrick takes the opening round, 10-9, on the MMAjunkie.com card.
Round 2 - Wilks with an early low kick. Front kick lands, too, but he retreats. Patrick telegraphs another shot, and this time Wilks is ready. Patrick moves into the clinch anyway and drives Wilks into the cage. Wilks circles off. Patrick teases a Thai clinch but then drops for the bodylock. Stalemate on the fence. Patrick backs away and then moves in with a stiff left hand that snaps Wilks' head back.Patrick maintains the bodylock and pulls Wilks off the cage and trips him to the floor. Wilks again in full guard, and he looks to secure an arm. Patrick pulls it free and presses down. Wilks' head against the cage. Patrick trying to step over the legs into a better position. He finally stands after a scramble. Patrick looks to jump in, but he slips and has to just fall into guard. Wilks controls the arms on the floor with overhooks, but crowd wants something better. Wilks tries to roll, but the fight ends up back in a familiar position. Patrick in half-mount. Crowd is not happy, and the loudest boos of the night come forth. Round ends there, and MMAjunkie.com hands it to Patrick, 10-9.
Round 3 - A few shots traded outside, but we're quickly back into the clinch. Wilks on the outside at first, but Patrick ties up the body and spins off. The trip works again, and Patrick takes the top. One minute in, and we might just finish in this position. Wilks trying to tie up underneath. Patrick stands again. Wilks works to control a leg as his opponent pulls away, but he simply can´t hang on. Patrick spins back in and sets up on top in half-mount. Patrick not winning any fans, but he's winning the fight. Patrick steps into side control. Wilks regains butterfly guard and tries to elevate Patrick off, but it doesn't happen. One minute left. Patrick does pop up for a few punches to the head, but there's just not much in the way of action. As predicted, Wilks never gets off his back. Fight ends, crowd boos, and MMAjunkie.com sees the frame for Patrick, 10-9, and awards him the fight 30-27. Claude Patrick def. James Wilks via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
TRAVIS BROWNE VS. CHEICK KONGO
Round 1 - Referee Marc Goddard governs the heavyweight strikers. Haymakers early from Browne, but he gets nothing but air. Kongo circling, but he has yet to throw. Low kick from Kongo. Another. Outside leg kick. Browne dancing, bouncing. He fires another punch that comes up short. Kongo managing the range extremely well. Browne with his hands low. He wants Kongo to attack, but Kongo remaining patient. Cheers come down for the Frenchman. Browne again comes up short, and Kongo kicks to the legs. Browne lands a few slapping low kicks. Kongo finally opens up and chases, and he's wobbled by Browne. He retreats and resets. Browne moves into the clinch and then pulls away. Knees traded in the clinch before they pull away and reset. Goddard calls for action as the two patiently stand in front of each other. Browne lands a punch that sees Kongo lean back into the cage. Browne kicks to the body. OVerhand right for Browne just sneaks in. Browne misses a straight, but Kongo's counters are short. Brief clinch again. Away, and Browne scores a low kick. Kongo looks ready to fire at the bell, but he stops short. MMAjunkie awards the round to Browne, 10-9, based on the bigger shots.
Round 2 - Low kicks traded. Kongo opens up a bit more and lands two low kicks. Browne looks to move in, and Browne lands a straight up the middle. Into the clinch, and a knee catches Browne low. He needs a quick break. Replays show a direct hit, and the boos stop. On the restart Browne opens up again, and Kongo avoids and lands two countershots. Kongo grabs a Thai clinch and slips to the floor on a knee. Kongo pulls away and complains of an eyepoke. Goddard says fight on. Kongo opens up with a series of punches to the head. Browne covers well and retreats to the cage. Kongo fires knees to the thigh in the clinch. Halfway in. Kongo continues to tenderize the thighs, and he throws a punch to the face in between. Browne looks fine, but he's not doing anything to escape. Goddard doesn't like the lack of action and restarts them. Browne again coming up short on the restart. He pushes in, and Kongo circles off the cage and returns to the previous position. More knees from Kongo. Browne must be resting up for a big flurry. He circles off, and there's another restart. Browne again misses a big haymaker. Kongo a little more technical on the feet. Browne gets a takedown in the final seconds, but he can't establish anything before the bell, well horn, anyway, and MMAjunkie.com sees it for Kongo, 10-9 in a close round.
Round 3 - Fighters move immediately into the clinch, and Goddard isn't going to take it. In fact, he takes a point from Kongo for grabbing the shorts inside after a clear warning. Despite the penalty, Kongo moves right back in and appears to be holding a piece of cloth yet again. Browne looking a little more lively and moving side to side, though it's Kongo that delivers a bodyshot. He's back into the clinch for some reason. More knees inside, and Browne looks bored against the cage. Kongo continues to grab the shorts, and there's another restart from the stagnant fight. Two minutes remain. Kongo measuring his jab but not throwing. He finally unleashes a few straights. Browne fires right back with a few big shots. Neither does much damage. One minute. Browne lands a grazing straight. It's one-punch action from both tired fighters, but Kongo just slightly busier and certainly controlling the position. Again the clinch. Browne earns a takedown again in the very final seconds. Not much action from either fighter, and with the deduction, this could be interesting. MMAjunkie.com sees the final frame as a 10-9 round for Kongo but the deduction makes it a tie, 9-9, resulting in a 28-28 draw. Travis Browne and Cheick Kongo fight to a unanimous draw (28-28, 28-28, 28-28).
UFC knows what to do to fire up a British crowd after a dull fight. Cue the Dan Hardy warm-up montage. Instant success.
JOHN HATHAWAY VS. MIKE PYLE
Round 1 - Referee Leon Roberts in charge. Pyle with an early low kick. Hathaway holding the center. Pyle leaps in and avoids a quick counter flurry from Hathaway. Pyle ducks a punch, ties up the body and gets a trip takedown. Hathaway works immediately back to a knee. Pyle keeps the bodylock, but Hathaway spins and pushes down. Pyle takes a seat against the cage but won't let go. He finally does and pulls away. Hathaway ducks again but doesn't shoot. Hathaway saw it, and he fires an uppercut and the next attempt. Pyle throws a knee that comes up short. Chants of "England" fill the arena briefly. Hathaway firing punches, but Pyle covering well. Right hook lands for Pule and it was clean. Hathaway returns a salvo, and Pyle drives a knee up the middle. Hathaway looks for a takedown, but it misses. He follows with strikes the score. Pyle reaches and eats a counter straight. Pyle checks the clock. One minute left. Pyle lands to the body. Pyle ducks for a takedown. It's stuffed, but he lands a knee and pushes Hathaway to the floor. Hathaway pulls guard. Round ends there, and MMAjunkie.com sees it for Pyle, 10-9.
Round 2 - Hathaway takes the center. Pyle showing a lot of head movement, and he lands a low kick. Hathaway firing big punches, but he's yet to land clean. Pyle continues to move well. He tries again to tie up the body and look for a trip. Hathaway feels it this time and keeps it standing. Hathaway lands an elbow from the clinch then moves away and scores with a straight. Right hand for Pyle, but he misses another takedown. Hathaway finding his range now, and Pyle has to scamper away and reset. Pyle ducks another punch, but he can't overpower Hathaway on the trip. He sticks with and scores the takedown in a scramble. Side control for Pyle, and Hathaway's feet are on the cage. Pyle steps over into a triangle choke from the side position. If nothing else, Hathaway is completely trapped. He signals that he's OK. Pyle scoring short right hands. Pyle tries to reach back and adjust his ankle. Hathaway surviving underneath. He tries one big buck out, but Pyle proves too secure. Pyle is not going to finish this choke, but he's delivering dozens of unanswered blows. Pyle tries again to adjust. Round finishes there. Crowd cheers the effort from Hathaway, but MMAjunkie.com gives Pyle the round, 10-9.
Round 3 - Hathaway again takes the center, and he lands a kick to the body. Hathaway tries a takedown from distance, but Pyle turns and scampers. Hathaway lands a nice right hook up top and pushes into the clinch. Pyle gets a bodylock and spins off the cage. Pyle drops for a takedown attempt. It works, but Hathaway immediately back to a knee. A few "U.S.A." cheers come in followed by a lot of boos. Pyle drags Hathaway back to the floor. Two minutes in, and Hathaway pulls guard from underneath. Pyle stays tight on top. Hathaway tries to kick his legs up for a submission, but Pyle shucks the legs over and takes side control. He tries to step quickly into mount, but Hathaway holds half-guard. Pyle continues to try and pass, but Hathaway gets full guard. Hathaway tries desperately to scramble to his feet, but Pyle is on him like quicksand (Get it?) as they scramble to the cage. Punches to the ribs from Pyle. Hathaway is trapped against the cage. He's trying to step over and escape, but Pyle will now allow it. Pyle stands and passes the legs into side control. Hathaway spins and tries for anything, but it's not going to happen. Pyle hold the position until the final bell. MMAjunkie.com sees it for Pyle, 10-9, and awards him the clean sweep, 30-27. Mike Pyle def. John Hathaway via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
CARLOS CONDIT VS. DAN HARDY
Round 1 - Referee Dan Miragliotta oversees the evening's co-main event. Condit takes the center early. Outside leg kick for Condit. Inside leg kick scores, high kick blocked. Chants for Hardy are deafening. Condit continues to work the kicks as Hardy stalks. Hardy kicks low, and a follow-up high kick is blocked. Inside leg kick from Condit. Hardy short on a high kick. Condit keeping the range perfect early on. Hardy lands a left, but Condit fires two punches right back. Hardy looks comfortable, but it's Condit that's much busier. Condit with a spinning backfist. Hardy stands in the picket and lands a few straights. Condit kicks to the body and avoids the counter. Condit with a nice right and a left hook behind it. Kicks high, but it hits the back. Condit catches a kick and counters the leg. Hardy lands a stiff straight. Condit firing back in the pocket, but Hardy's power looked evident there. Hardy glancing down at the feet of his opponent. Condit kicks the body. Traded shots, and a left hook for Condit sees Hardy on the floor. Condit follows with a few more before Miragliotta pulls him off, and it was the first shot on the canvas that put him out cold. Stunning finish. Hardy was firing a left hook, too, but Condit's was a touch better. Carlos Condit def. Dan hardy via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 4:27.
YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA VS. MICHAEL BISPING
Round 1 - The fighters meet in the center. Akiyama lands a massive right. Bisping looked very flat-footed to open. Bisping recovers, but that was powerful. Bisping throws a few jabs, but not with the power of that first Akiyama blow. Akiyama kicks low. He;s very calm in the center. Bisping with an outside low kick. Akiyama almost stationary. Bisping attempts a takedown. It's stuffed, but a second one woks. Akiyama looks down at the canvas in a scramble, and Bisping attacks. He does it a second time. Is the foot hurt. Bisping continue to punch. Odd behavior. Bisping misses a high kick. Straght scors. Akiyama eaves him in. Bisping again looks for a takedown, but Akiyama shucks him off. Akiyama returns to the low kick. Three come in. Another. Bisping a little more lively now. Spinning punch from Akiyama, and he smiles. Bispins still on the prowl. Akiyama answering. Bisping misses flying knee at the end. Fun first round. MMAjunkie.com sees it for Bisping, 10-9, after being rocked early on.
Round 2 - Akiyama again fires the big right, but it misses. Bisping jabs and kicks. Akiyama pushing forward, and he does find a home for the right. Bisping bouncing. He catches a jab and calls for time after an apparent eyepoke. It's a brief break. Akiyama with a lead left. Bisping jabbing well, but it's Akiyama with the heavier shots. Bisping lands a 1-2. These two are happy trading in the pocket. Bisping a little more frequent, Akiyama a little more powerful. Low kick from Bisping then punch up top. Akiyama mixing in the low kick. Bisping pushes him back with a front kick. Bisping misses a big spinning backfist. Bisping catches a kick, but Akiyama pulls away. Right hands for Akiyama. Bisping answers. Another two-punch combo for Bisping. More combos from Bisping, but Akiyama lands the big right. Shots traded at the bell, and it's another solid round. Action is tight, but MMAjunkie.com goes with Akiyama on the more effective punches. Very close.
Round 3 - Front kick from Bisping. Akiyama again firing the big right. Akiyama very stationary. Bisping lights him up with combo finished with a kick. Akiyama battles back with his own combos, but Bisping returns with a stiff straight. Another right for Bisping. Crowd loves it. Jab for Bisping. Inside leg kick scores directly to the cup, and Akiyama drops. He's in obvious pain as the bout is halted. Doctor is taking a look, and Akiyama is not feeling well at all. Nevertheless, he wants to continue. Fight is going to continue. Akiyama signals to the crowd, but not much apology needed there. Akiyama rushes in immediately, but Bisping there to counter. Akiyama catches a kick and lands on an off-blance Bisping. Lots of back-and-forth. Bisping lands a knee from a Thai clinch and then releases and retreats. Akiyama continues to push forward, and he wobbles a bit from a Bisping combo. Bisping fires off more shots. Akiyama drops his hands to taunt, but the punches are landing. More right hands from Bisping. Akiyama still throwing that bomb, but he's having a harder time landing. Akiyama checks the clock. Little more than a minute. Bisping still light and moving. He's landing, too. Final seconds, and Akiyama unleashes with all his might. He scores a few, but they're not enough. Great finish. MMAjunkie.com sees it for Bisping in the final frame, 10-9, and gives him the fight 29-28. Michael Bisping def. Yoshihiro Akiyama via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Pretty bad night for the UK fighters on Saturday night.
How the hell Wilkes won TUF I will never know. He's looked terrible in both fights I've seen him in since. Although the boring ass lay and prey from his opponent really killed the crowd and the fight in general.
John Hatthaway got completed owned. I knew Pyle was highly thought of and has incredible experience but seriously, that was almost embrassing. A mounted crusfix with a triangle at the same time?? Amazing, how Hatthaway survived that I will not know. Still, terrible outcome and he just looked so outclassed it wasn't even funny.
Dan Hardy getting knocked the fuck out by Condit was the shock of the night for me. Hardy is the knockout artist but he just got beaten to the punch by Condit - which was a wicked left hook. Hardy is one of my favourite UK fighters just because of his promo skills and he didn't let me down in the post fight:
Joe Rogan: "So Dan, what went wrong in the fight?"
Dan Hardy: "I got punched in the face."
Quality! Hopefully Hardy is back soon but I was also very impressed with Condit who had the balls to stand and trade with a guy who is known for his punching power.
Bisping showed me a lot in his win over Akiyama - got a lot more respect for him after that and his last win. He saved the show from a UK fans point of view and showed amazing heart, carido and striking class during the win. Not sure I'd have given him all 3 rounds though, 2 and 3 for sure but I had Akiyama winning round 1. That huge right hand and then left that rocked Bisping had me really worried he was going to lose but he fought through it and came back really strong.
It wasn't the best show I've seen from the UK but there were some memorable moments. Oh and Chieck Kongo is a total waste of space as a fighter these days.
Roll on next weekend when Brock will SMASH!!!
Peace
Duckman
Yeah, I hate Congo....he deserves to lose everytime via horrible KO.
I was pissed that Hathaway lost, really liked that kid.
Wilks got dominated, the Hardy KO was a surprise to everyone I believe, and I was pissed Sexyama didn't win, but the main event wasn't too too bad.
121 tho is gonna be sick!
-Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez for the UFC Hvt. Championship. - Brock showed me that he's a true MMA fighter with his performance against Carwin, so I can finally like the guy. I like Cain too, so I wont be dissappointed come the outcome, but I think Lesnar wins with his fists, only because I can see their wrestling skills canceling out, and seeing how Chiek Congo dropped Velasquez in their fight multiple times, Lesnar has the strenght and if he connects once it's over....2nd round TKO.
-Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann.- Tough matchup for Shields, but he takes this to the ground and wrestles Kampmann, I'm saying 3rd round submission.
-Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago. - Tough, should be a standup fight, Sanchez takes the decision.
-Matt Hamill vs. Tito Ortiz.- Geez, im the only guy taking Ortiz. It's gonna be a wrestler v/s wrestler, but I see Tito using his experience to stay on top and ground n pound for the decision.
-Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brandon Schaub. - This is gonna be a quick one, but I think Gonzaga's more complete as a striker. 1st round stoppage.
Undercard
-Court McGee vs. Ryan Jensen. - Court takes this one, 2nd round TKO.
-Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor. - Tough fight to call, but I think Cote is the more complete fighter, wins this by either 1st round TKO or unam. decision.
-Mike Guymon vs. Daniel Roberts. - Don't know Roberts, and I got to see Guymon fight in Montreal and he looked very impressive. He wins......well say decision.
-Sam Stout vs. Paul Taylor. - Gonna be a standup fight, I think Stout has the better boxing, he wins unnam. decision.
-Chris Camozzi vs. Dongi Yang. - Camozzi was one of my favs on the last TUF, me and my brother said he had the hardest punches from a 170'er, and then he got that cut and had to leave the show. I'm taking him via 2nd round TKO
-Jon Madsen vs. Gilbert Yvel - Really wanna do the fan thing and say Yvel will score a crazy KO, and I hope he wins, but Madsen is a very tough wrestler, and He'll take this via decision. Go Yvel tho.....
Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez - Lesnar by Third Round TKO, Velasquez should knock him out on the feet, but he's so much smaller than Lesnar, when Brock does get the take down he'll wear Cain down, smothering him, and making him carry all of Brock's weight and it'll look similar to Lesnar/Mir II, just with one more round.
Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann - Shields by decision, he ate a right hand from Dan Henderson, Kampmann will bring nothing to Shields he hasn't seen before.
Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago - Paulo Thiago by Decision, Sanchez is overrated and should go back down to 155, Thiago will dominate him, in a pretty lopsided decision.
Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill - Ortiz by decision - Hamill will get taken down and while Tito will probably gas in the third round, Hamill will get beat up the first two leading to a 29-28 Tito victory.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brendan Schaub - Schaub by first round KO, will be almost a replicate performance of Gonzaga/Carwin with Schaub rocking Gonzaga on the feet with a counter hook and then following him to the ground leaving him unconscious.
I think i actually became a Hardy fan tbh, i think he looked awesome in the red shorts, mohawk and just everything about him looked like a well made character. And he's as mouthy as Avery from the NY Rangers so thats cool too
Looks like my pick Cody McKenzie is looking good to win......fuck that guys deadly....
The best was in the locker room being quiet. Then Nam says wow.
I think both losers tonight are in very good running for the wild card. I think it would be silly to do it any other way in all honesty. Those two having a lack of a fight each will make them the freshest guys in the house. At the very least Koscheks boy vs dude that Bruce Leeroy beat.
Well if they go on whose freshest yeah.
I think itll be that Marc Stevens guy (kos #1 pick) and then the british guy who put on one hell of a fight.
Quote from: Cory on October 21, 2010, 08:40:44 AM
Well if they go on whose freshest yeah.
I think itll be that Marc Stevens guy (kos #1 pick) and then the british guy who put on one hell of a fight.
THAT should be a good match.
Last night's matches were so freakin' quick!
While it would be a better fight, that brit took a beating before he got choked. If he got rocked during that fight, he may not be able to compete in the contest anymore due to athletic commission policies.
I'm PUMPED for tonight, gonna be sick.
I rarely watch UFC but I am watching tonights PPV just cause the Lesnar vs Cain match sounds like it will be pretty good.
Tonights card has the potential to be good, bad, ugly and historic.
I know alot of people are pulling for Schaub over Gonzaga but I ask "why"? Schaub has put a few W's togther but the level of competition he faced was borderline horrific, outside or Big Country. Gonzaga on the other hand.. he only loses to the top guys. Couture, JDS, Carwin, Werdum.. these guys are all top 10 guys. I don't see where Schaub has any advantage over a more experience guy with top BJJ and good standup.
Hammil vs Ortiz has the potential to be really, really bad. Neither guy has ever been an exciting fighter since Ortiz in 2003. Hammil is slow, plodding and has gotten the better of C and B level guys. Ortiz.. hasn't done much better lately. I see decision all over this in a LnP type affair.
Sanchez v Thiago has potential to be FUN. Two guys with decent chins that like to bang a bit. I'm hoping for a Sanchez win as Thiago hasn't ever really looked impressive. His big win over Koschek was pretty fluky as he was getting beat down before the uppercut that rocked Josh.
Sheild vs kampmann reallllly has my interest. Kampman is dynamic on the feet, where Jake is abyssmal. Jake though is an INCREDIBLE grappler. Not just a wrestler, his BJJ, or as he calls it American Jiu-Jitsu, is phenomenal. His top game is great and unlike in SF, he can use Elbows in UFC which I think will make him brutal on the ground. GSP vs Sheilds seems fun if they hit the ground.
An the MAIN EVENT, Lesnar vs Cain. This fight is HUGE. Carwina nd cain are the only threat to Brock I see as they are both accomplished enough they may be able to neutralize his wrestling and keep it standing, where Brock is lacking in ability. But.. Brock's a FREAK, his strength isn't matched by Cain and that could be enough to make a difference. Cain has Brock on the feet, but if he can't stop the Lesnar Double, he's fuuucckkkedd
Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez for the UFC Hvt. Championship.
-Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann.-
-Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago.
-Matt Hamill vs. Tito Ortiz.-
-Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brandon Schaub
....that was embarassing.
Shields and Lesnar both looked terrible.
Congrats to Cain.
MAIN CARD
Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami
Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara
Dennis Siver vs Andre Winner
Amir Sadollah vs Peter Sobotta
Krzysztof Soszynski vs Goran Reljic
PRELIMINARY CARD
Kyle Noke vs Rob Kimmons
Vladimir Matyushenko vs Alexandre Ferreira
Pascal Krauss vs Mark Scanlon
Duane Ludwig vs Nick Osipczak
Seth Petruzelli vs Karlos Vemola
Kris McCray vs Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Could be interesting, who you got?
MAIN CARD
Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami - If this card was in the States there is no way his would headline! I don't think Okami is a serious contender
Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara - This has potential to be a war. I think Riviera takes it
Dennis Siver vs Andre Winner - I like Siver & to be honest I'd like to see Winner get KTFO
Amir Sadollah vs Peter Sobotta - How does Sobotta still have a job in UFC? Oh, he's German & they're in Germany... I see
Krzysztof Soszynski vs Goran Reljic
PRELIMINARY CARD
Kyle Noke vs Rob Kimmons - This is my sleeper pick for Fight of the Night
Vladimir Matyushenko vs Alexandre Ferreira
Pascal Krauss vs Mark Scanlon - Never heard of either guy so Krauss via coin toss
Duane Ludwig vs Nick Osipczak
Seth Petruzelli vs Karlos Vemola
Kris McCray vs Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Quote from: Cory on October 24, 2010, 12:30:53 AM
....that was embarassing.
Shields and Lesnar both looked terrible.
Congrats to Cain.
I actually scored that fight for Kampmann but it is what it is.
I thought Jake did really well in the first round, but Martin really started turning the tide in the second, and Shields was fading.
Joe Rogan kept mentioning how he didn't understand why Kampmann didn't try to scramble back to his feet more and initiate more striking exchanges but honestly I thought Kampmann did very well on the ground.
Sure, Shields was on top in most of the scrambles but he wasn't dominating from the top. Kampmann was very offensive on the ground and even threatened Jake a couple times with a darce choke.
But I kinda figured they would give it to Shields due to the takedowns, and the fact that he was on top... even though he wasn't really doing much from the top. Shields has one of the best top games in MMA but he wasn't dominating Kampmann from the top at all.
And I usually love Joe Rogan's commentary but I thought it was ridiculous how he was over-hyping everything Shields was doing and not even acknowledging anything Kampmann was doing.
Even though it wasn't the best performance though, I still think Shields has the style to give GSP problems.
Hey guys, it's been awhile, hope you're all doing well.
Take a look at my latest article. Is Cain Velasquez the best heavyweight in MMA? AKA, most notably striking coach Javier Mendez called Cain the best in the world even before Cain debuted in the UFC. Now that he has essentially lived up to the hype, do you think AKA and even Chael Sonnen (Sonnen cited Cain as the best heavyweight in an interview earlier this year) were right all along about Cain? I do, read my thoughts.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/500227-mma-is-cain-velasquez-truly-the-best-heavyweight-in-the-world (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/500227-mma-is-cain-velasquez-truly-the-best-heavyweight-in-the-world)
Style yes, cardio no.
If he has another difficult weight cut against GSP, he's gonna be finished quick.
at l;east they made this card free, initially it was PPV.....and if this was PPV it'd be easily the most unappealing card maybe in UFC history. You can't say a fight gonna suck before it happens, but theres no fight worth $50. thank god its free.
MAIN CARD
Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami
Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara
Dennis Siver vs Andre Winner
Amir Sadollah vs Peter Sobotta
Krzysztof Soszynski vs Goran Reljic
PRELIMINARY CARD
Kyle Noke vs Rob Kimmons
Vladimir Matyushenko vs Alexandre Ferreira
Pascal Krauss vs Mark Scanlon
Duane Ludwig vs Nick Osipczak
Seth Petruzelli vs Karlos Vemola
Kris McCray vs Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Quote from: Cory on October 25, 2010, 06:35:41 AM
Style yes, cardio no.
If he has another difficult weight cut against GSP, he's gonna be finished quick.
I agree but I don't think Shields will make the same mistake twice. I think he will be more adjusted to the weight cut next time around.
Lets hope....or else it's gonna be a quick paycheck for GSP
Quote from: Cory on October 25, 2010, 02:03:20 PM
Lets hope....or else it's gonna be a quick paycheck for GSP
True that.
The Shields that fought Kampmann would get annihilated by not only GSP but also Fitch, Koscheck and possibly even Thiago Alves.
However, I would pick Shields to beat almost all of those guys if he was adjusted to the weight cut and cardio wasn't an issue.
MAIN CARD
Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami: I give Nate the edge standing but I believe Okami will dictate the pace of the fight from the wrestlers clinch. Okami is insanely good in the clinch, and he also has a very durable chin so I do not see Nate stopping him. Although Nate's grappling ability is very crafty as well but Okami should be able to control with his wrestling. I also think Okami will do well standing as well, but like I said, Nate's striking is much better.
Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara: To me, this is the hardest fight to predict on the whole card. At first I was leaning towards Rivera simply because he has looked absolutely devastating in his last two fights. But at the same time, Sakara has improved leaps and bounds recently, particularly his boxing ability and takedown defense. I know most will look at Sakara's record and dub him a "gatekeeper" or a "can", but you look at his recent fights and you'll notice the improvements he has made. I think he'll pick Rivera apart standing and finish in the second round.
Dennis Siver vs Andre Winner: This is going to be a fun fight. Winner has excellent hands, solid takedown defense and an underrated ground game. That said, Siver will give him problems with his unorthodox style. I see this going three rounds, but a very exciting standup war with Siver getting the nod.
Amir Sadollah vs Peter Sobotta: If Amir loses this fight, he may just become the next TUF winner to get a pink slip from the UFC. That said, Amir's standup is terrific and he's also well versed on the ground. Amir's only 2 losses are to Johny Hendricks and Dong Hyung Kim... no shame there at all as both are very legit. Nothing against Sobotta but I see him getting picked apart by Sadollah with Sadollah winning via submission.
Krzysztof Soszynski vs Goran Reljic
: I'm probably going to regret this, but, I think that at 205-lbs Reljic is a very dangerous fighter. His last two fights were at MW and he looked horrible, but his previous performances at 205 were fantastic. K-Sos has very heavy hands though so I have a feeling, like I said, I will regret this but we'll see.
PRELIMINARY CARD
Kyle Noke vs Rob Kimmons
Vladimir Matyushenko vs Alexandre Ferreira
Pascal Krauss vs Mark Scanlon
Duane Ludwig vs Nick Osipczak
Seth Petruzelli vs Karlos Vemola
Kris McCray vs Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Kinda shocked Dane didn't get the wild card spot, but the British guy deserved it, and Stevens is probably the best talented guy who didn't make it.
Former title challenger, "The Ultimate Fighter 4" runner-up and veteran middleweight Patrick Cote is a free agent.
Following a loss to Tom Lawlor this past weekend at UFC 121, the Canadian today confirmed via Twitter his UFC release.
"I had a little hope but (I) finally got the release word from the UFC," wrote Cote, who suffered a unanimous-decision loss at the Oct. 23 event in California. "It's been [an] awesome experience. I'll be back."
The defeat to Lawlor was Cote's third straight under the UFC banner. He suffered a title loss to champion Anderson Silva at UFC 90, and after sitting out more than a year and a half to heal from a knee injury suffered in the fight, Alan Belcher submitted him at UFC 113 earlier this year.
Then came the loss to Lawlor.
Prior to the recent three-fight skid, Cote, who first debuted with the UFC more than six years ago at UFC 50, posted seven wins in an eight-fight span. Included was a four-fight win streak (three of which came in the UFC) that earned him the title shot with Silva.
Cote, a veteran of the once-popular TKO organization in Canada, was in his fourth stint in the UFC. It took him five tries to earn his first UFC win while he remained undefeated outside the world's top promotion.
The 30-year-old currently owns a 13-7 record, which includes a 4-7 mark in the UFC
Surprised no one has posted this..here's a video of Dana White explain the particulars.
http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=52240 (http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=52240)
Also, Jose Aldo is defending his UFC featherweight title at UFC 125
http://www.heavy.com/mma/mma-news/2010/10/jose-aldo-next-title-defense-set-for-ufc-125/ (http://www.heavy.com/mma/mma-news/2010/10/jose-aldo-next-title-defense-set-for-ufc-125/)
We are going to see some super stacked cards in 2011 that's for sure.
Best news I've heard in awhile, great time to be an MMA fan... and a writer :)
Good stuff !
smart move ...
yeah, smart move for UFC
....now if they only got a womans division.
Quote from: Cory on October 28, 2010, 10:44:52 PM
yeah, smart move for UFC
....now if they only got a womans division.
love to see a womans division ... it is untap market with alot of upside
Who are the big wec guys that will enhance ufc?
Jose Aldo for sure, hes in #2 p4p fighter in the world.
Urijah Faber is the poster boy of WEC, he'll be a draw.
Then you have Ben Henderson going to the 155 division who will be an instant threat, Miguel Torres who up until his slip up this year was like 37-1.
Theres alot of talent coming in now.
And most of the WEC guys just won't measure up. Honest. People had big epectations for Cantwell and well... he's a medicore guy that was the WEC champ with high expectations.
For everyone drooling over hendo and Aldo.. there is a WORLD of difference between fighting Manny Gamburyian compared to Maynard, Florian, penn and Edgar.
it adds more fighters to the lower divison , WEC was not about the heavy fighters . it going to open mma world little more . It also smart because now he does not have to worry two companies... wonder if he stull has the VS deal ... if he does he now has more time to advertise for the UFC , more slots to add shows... it a good move
Good move, yes. Gives a title fight for every show basically.
But still.. the merging of the WEC/UFC LW ranks will still see the UFC top guys remain at the top. The WEC hasnt had the competition level for the WEC guys to get that good, so Edgar, penn, Kenflo, Maynard will still be at the top of the LW division.
The lower ranks... not really interested. Eveyone loves them cause they are fast, have great cardio and can battle, but Im not interested in watching 135lbs that can't even knock me out beat on each other with no solid power. Sure, they'll bang and be excited, but at 135, 125, 145 there isn't alot of power to go along with finishing. It happens cause dudes got weak chins, but it dosnt excite me near as much a MW and up as those guys I'd be afraid of on the street or in a bar. 125, 135.. I'll pass.
at 125 and 135 those guys kill each other , I love those fights ... little guys with alot of motor trying to wreck havok ... it going to be interesting 2011 if nothing else ...
those realyl dont entertain me. its like boxing.. 12 rounds of the same but you know its gonna go the distance. Ruins the element of suprise.
Im highly confident if Aldo moves to 155....he'll fuck the division up.
He's UNREAL
The UFC's first-ever featherweight title fight is official for UFC 125.
Company officials today formally announced that the WEC's final featherweight champion, Jose Aldo (18-1 MMA, 8-0 WEC), will defend his newly minted UFC 145-pound title against top challenger Josh Grispi (14-1 MMA, 4-0 WEC) at the Jan. 1 event.
"UFC 125: Resolution" takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card, which also features lightweight champ Frankie Edgar defending his title against Gray Maynard, airs live on pay-per-view.
"Jose Aldo is one of the best fighters in the world, pound for pound, and you'll see why on Jan. 1," UFC president Dana White stated in today's release. "Aldo can do it all, and his historic arrival in the UFC as its first featherweight champion is going to set an exciting new standard. But Josh Grispi is a finisher, and he's got every intention of taking the featherweight title back to Boston."
The 22-year-old Grispi established himself as a top contender with four consecutive wins to open his WEC career â€" a run that includes a February 2008 win over fellow current contender Mark Hominick.
The Massachusetts resident has since earned victories over Jens Pulver and Micah Miller in a combined 83 seconds and choked L.C. Davis unconscious in June.
Meanwhile, Aldo looks to defend his newly-issued UFC title for the first time after closing out his WEC run with two successful defenses of the belt. Aldo was then granted the UFC's first-ever featherweight championship when Zuffa, LLC elected to merge the UFC and WEC.
The 24-year-old Brazilian is currently on an 11-fight run and is widely considered among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
HELL YEAH!!
That show is looking frigging bad ass!
Peace
Duckman
Main Card:
Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton Jackson
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn
Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcão
Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon
Preliminary card:
Matt Brown vs. Brian Foster
Aaron Simpson vs. Mark Muñoz
Karo Parisyan vs. Dennis Hallman
Darren Elkins vs. Edson Barboza
Tyson Griffin vs. Nik Lentz
I'm going to be in Amsterdam when this show is on, so might not be able to see it live. Well definitely be recording the show though. Stacked card and the top two matches are really interesting just in terms of how all 4 guys are going to perform. Lot riding on both fights for all 4 guys.
Thoughts, predicitons?
Peace
Duckman
Main Card:
Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton Jackson
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn
Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcão
Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon
Preliminary card:
Matt Brown vs. Brian Foster
Aaron Simpson vs. Mark Muñoz
Karo Parisyan vs. Dennis Hallman: Karo is back, awesome!
Darren Elkins vs. Edson Barboza- Crap shoot.
Tyson Griffin vs. Nik Lentz
I almost had another card right up and down picked correctly, but Brock fucked it up for me in the main-event. I might have to start gambling on these things. :D
Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton Jackson
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn
Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcão
Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon
Preliminary card:
Matt Brown vs. Brian Foster
Aaron Simpson vs. Mark Muñoz
Karo Parisyan vs. Dennis Hallman
Darren Elkins vs. Edson Barboza
Tyson Griffin vs. Nik Lentz
Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton Jackson
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn
Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcão
Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon
Preliminary card:
Matt Brown vs. Brian Foster
Aaron Simpson vs. Mark MuñozKaro Parisyan vs. Dennis Hallman
Darren Elkins vs. Edson Barboza
Tyson Griffin vs. Nik Lentz
glad birtish guy won.....he deserved it
He’ll be back.
LAS VEGAS â€" Few camps have had the type of recent success â€" or even a single successful night â€" like Team Alpha Male has.
The California-based team's biggest star, Urijah Faber, posted an impressive bantamweight debut and scored a first-round submission-victory over former title-challenger Takeya Mizugaki.
The victory concluded a perfect night for Team Alpha Male at WEC 52, which took place Thursday at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
The event was the second-to-last-one before the WEC merges with its sister promotion, the UFC, in January.
In the night's Versus-televised headliner, former featherweight champ Faber dropped a weight class and easily topped Mizugaki. "The California Kid" closed the distance and fought from close quarters until he got the opening he needed. As Mizugaki fought for better position against the cage, Faber hopped on his back, secured his hooks, and tightened the grip once his opponent tried slamming him to the mat. Within a half minute, Faber secured the rear-naked choke, and Mizugaki opted to go to sleep instead of tap-out.
Referee Josh Rosenthal tested Mizugaki's arm, and when it was clear the Japanese fighter was out cold, the fight was halted at the 4:50 mark of the opening round.
"The Japanese have that fighting spirit, and this guy is known for being a guy who goes to the end, so I knew I'd need to do something drastic to take him out," Faber said.
After emerging as the WEC's biggest star and sometimes single-handedly carrying major shows, Faber admitted the moment was bittersweet.
"We're going to the UFC after this," Faber said with glassy eyes. "It's been an awesome run for the WEC. I love these guys. But it's time to step it up and get my belt in the UFC and live my dreams."
Faber (24-4 MMA, 9-3 WEC), who needed the win to avoid a potentially disastrous third consecutive loss, concludes his WEC career with a solid .750 winning percentage. Mizugaki, meanwhile, (13-5-2 MMA, 2-3 WEC) alternates between wins and losses for the sixth straight fight.
Faber, though, wasn't the only Team Alpha Male fighter to enter the winner's circle.
In the night's other featured attraction, veteran fighter Javier Vazquez talked his way into a co-headliner slot after publicly thrashing Chad Mendes as a coddled prospect who was "spoon fed" opponents by WEC officials.
The fast-rising featherweight prospect, though, easily dispatched of Vazquez like every opponent before him.
The former NCAA Division I national wrestling runner-up and Team Alpha Male staple used his trademark takedowns, smothering top game, apt submission defense and steady ground and pound to grind out a decisive and shutout unanimous-decision victory (30-27 on all three judges' cards).
Vazquez attempted nearly every conceivable defense from his back, but nothing could slow Mendes and his dominant ground game. And as was evident from his bag of tricks, the scariest thing about Mendes' ground skills are that they only keep getting better. Aside from a failed attempt to somersault over his opponent's guard, Mendes registered barely a single misstep in the dominating performance.
The victory keeps Mendes (9-0 MMA, 4-0 WEC) undefeated and moves him ever closer to a title shot. Vazquez (16-4 MMA, 2-3 WEC), meanwhile, halts a two-fight win streak he put together after a pair of split-decision losses in his first two WEC fights.
In a bout that received third billing, Erik Koch showed the type of striking that's all too common among Duke Roufus-trained fighters and knocked out late replacement and WEC newcomer Francisco Rivera with a first-round headkick.
Koch originally was slated to fight Josh Grispi in a No. 1 contender's bout, but the featherweight standout instead was booked for a title fight with WEC/UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo at UFC 125. In his place stepped Rivera, who could never combat Koch's long reach and vicious kicks.
After chopping away at Rivera's legs, Koch went high and floored his opponent with a left shin to the side of the head. Rivera fell to the mat, and Koch finished him off with hammerfists to force the stoppage at the 1:36 mark of the first round.
"Hopefully I get a bonus for this," a beaming Koch said. "I thought it was a pretty good knockout. But I've got to give it to Francisco. He took [the fight] on two weeks' notice. I didn't know if I was going to have an opponent."
Koch (11-1 MMA, 3-1 WEC) now has posted back-to-back wins since a decision loss to Mendes earlier this year. Rivera (5-1 MMA, 0-1 WEC) suffers the first loss of his young career.
Never mind the short layoff, never mind his size and reach disadvantage, and never mind his opponent's jiu-jitsu credentials. A focused and energetic Joseph Benavidez bounced back from an August title loss to bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz and tapped out Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Wagnney Fabiano with a second-round guillotine choke.
Benavidez, a late replacement for injured Brian Bowles, perhaps was a bit surprised to find Fabiano's willingness to keep the fight standing in an evenly matched first round. He may have been even more surprised to find Fabiano more than capable of avoiding Benavidez's frantic striking and ability to dish out his own.
But in the second round, Fabiano may have underestimated his opponent's ground skills and left himself prone to submissions. He narrowly escaped a tight guillotine choke that cageside observers thought prompted a tap-out (replays show it didn't), and a subsequent Peruvian necktie nearly sealed the deal. Ultimately, though, after again securing a dominant position, Benavidez returned to the guillotine choke, dropped to his back, and torqued the hold to force the tap-out at the 2:45 mark.
"I'm always in shape, and I have my two brothers [backstage]," said Benavidez, referring to Team Alpha Male teammates Faber and Mendes. "I thought it was a great matchup for me, so I took it. I fight. That's what I do."
Benavidez (13-2 MMA, 5-2 WEC), whose only two pro losses have come in close decisions to Cruz, secured his standing as a top contender. Fabiano (14-3 MMA, 4-2 WEC), meanwhile, loses for just the second time in 12 fights.
Make no mistake about it; Demetrious Johnson â€" not ring rust â€" resulted in a loss for Damacio Page.
Fighting for the first time in 13 months after a series of injuries forced him to the sidelines, Page posted an impressive first round against fellow bantamweight Johnson with a dominant ground game. However, Johnson took control in the next two rounds and ultimately scored a third-round submission win for one of the night's biggest upsets.
Page scored a trio of beautiful tosses in the first round and smothered his opponent with an effective top game and ground and pound. But Johnson regrouped between rounds and came out strong in the second. In addition to vicious leg kicks and solid punches from a variety of angles, "Mighty Mouse" dictated where the fight would unfold with a series of his own takedowns. By the third round, Page was slowing, and Johnson capitalized with a final takedown that set up a guillotine choke when his opponent desperately tried to get back to his feet.
The tap-out came at the 2:27 mark of the round.
"I needed to keep my hips away from him," said Johnson, a smaller bantamweight who said he tried to bulk up for the fight. "That's what he was doing, taking advantage of my hips (to get the first-round takedowns)."
With the biggest win of his career, Johnson (8-1 MMA, 2-1 WEC) rides a two-fight win streak into the UFC. Page (12-5 MMA, 3-2 WEC), meanwhile, suffers setback after a recent streak of four wins in five fights.
SEE ALSO: WEC 52 preliminary-card recap: Assuncao, Njokuani, McDonald and Swanson shine
MAIN CARD
* Urijah Faber def. Takeya Mizugaki via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:50
* Chad Mendes def. Javier Vazquez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
* Erik Koch def. Francisco Rivera via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:36
* Joseph Benavidez def. Wagnney Fabiano via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 2:45
* Demetrious Johnson def. Damacio Page via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 3, 2:27
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Raphael Assuncao def. L.C. Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
* Anthony Njokuani def. Edward Faaloloto via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 4:54
* Dustin Poirier def. Zack Micklewright via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 0:53
* Michael McDonald def. Clint Godfrey via submission (armbar) - Round 1, 2:42
* Cub Swanson def. Mackens Semerzier via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
* Yves Jabouin def. Brandon Visher via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Going to try to download this show today if it's available. Love me some WEC. Plus only one show left after this.
Peace
Duckman
I hear the Faber end was nasty and left Mizugaki looking almost dead.
Quote from: Gary on November 12, 2010, 11:26:47 AM
I hear the Faber end was nasty and left Mizugaki looking almost dead.
Tis true. I was worried for a few seconds when the EMT personals started surrounding him when he was laid out in the octagon. That choke was in there for quite sometime. Maybe it just felt longer watching it. I'd have to watch it over again.
Damnit, my picks out. Stupid fisherman.
All I know is if I were Nam's corner man I would rip my own face off in frustration. That second round I was standing up yelling at the tv "Enough with the single head kicks he's in no shape to fight back punch him now!!!" I will say that little asian has a very mean body shot.
Main Card:
Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton Jackson
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn
Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcão
Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon
Preliminary card:
Matt Brown vs. Brian Foster
Aaron Simpson vs. Mark Muñoz
Karo Parisyan vs. Dennis Hallman
Mike Lullo vs. Edson Barboza
Tyson Griffin vs. Nik Lentz
Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton Jackson- Lyoto, UD.
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn- Penn, UD
Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcão- Harris, TKO 2nd rd
Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch- No call on this one.
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon - J-Lo, Sub, rd 2.
Jackson cause I hate Machida with a passion. And I think Rampage is someone that Machida wont be able to handle.
Penn. I think a Penn with a better gas tank can beat Hughes.
Harris
Davis
I'll go against what everyone else thinks and go with J Lo
I have the exact same reason as Honker.
I despise Machida....and seeing him get Ko'd live in Montreal was purely incredible.....I think Rampage's wrestling will be the key in this fight.
...can't be 'elusive' fighting on your ass the entire fight.
I dont think Rampage will take him down ever. I think He'll take shots and waylay Machida in the face and put him out cold. In fact I'm calling the exact same punch he layed Chuck out with, extended right hook.
lets hope.
Nice wins for both last night.
I dont know what Koshcheck was saying that second fight was boring.....it wasn't half bad for a TUF fight.
It's the same thing as when Dana says Strikeforce is horrid. He's promoting his product.
Quote from: Cory on November 18, 2010, 06:19:14 PM
Nice wins for both last night.
I dont know what Koshcheck was saying that second fight was boring.....it wasn't half bad for a TUF fight.
Koscheck was just trolling. He only said that because both fighters were from the red team and because Bruce Leeroy loss, which he was sorta backing.
http://www.newwavemma.com/mma/combining-anabolic-steroids-with-mixed-martial-arts (http://www.newwavemma.com/mma/combining-anabolic-steroids-with-mixed-martial-arts)
QuoteTwo leading professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters were using Nandrolone Metabolite and Drostanolone and were banned for it. What happened made people realize what many in the MMA circle already were aware of the fighting ring is no stranger to performance-enhancing supplements.
Mixed Martial Arts came out in the underground sports arena in the 90′s, it combined fighting styles from striking to grappling, into one powerful sport. It was banned in many circles at first due the heavy violence. But nearly 10 years later, the underground sport began to gain greater exposure, which increased its credibility. To improve viewing pleasure and ensure fighters were protected from vulgar injuries new standards for fighting were created. The changes made allowed things like corporate interest, sponsors, and Pay-Per-View television events to be a regular part of the sport.
Two things happed to a sport when large amounts of money are introduced. First, as many new athletes join the sport the level of performance is greatly increased. Second, since the stakes of each fight are higher, drug use is more likely to play a part. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are on the line when fighters step into the ring. With all the money and pressure of competition, performance-enhancing drugs quickly found a home in the sport.
A lot of MMA fighters chose to use Halotesten and/or Mibolerone. Effects of taking these include feelings of aggression and strength increases, while not experiencing water retention or weight gain. Strikers often go with Winstrol and Trenbolone. Testosterone and human growth hormone are starting to become more popular in the sport. The supplements are expensive, carefully monitored, and sometimes are only available to some professional athletes. A physician can prescribe testosterone, but human growth hormone is difficult to get your hands on, even from a physician.
The decision of a fighter to take enhancers is a personal decision. All professional fighting organizations forbid the use of steroids, including many stimulants. Testing is very expensive and usually performed at pro levels, where the sponsors will foot the bill for such tests. If many of the top competitors are taking them, does taking steroids constitute cheating? This has become a complicated question. As long as the sport stays successful with worldwide coverage and millions of sponsorship dollars, the need to use performance enhancers will always be present.
I think it'll be a Brookings v/s Johnson final.
Main Card:
Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton Jackson - TKO Rd. 3 (Lyoto will be too quick for Rampage & wear him out)
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn - Decision
Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcão - TKO Rd. 3
Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch - TKO Rd. 1
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon - Decision
Preliminary card:
Matt Brown vs. Brian Foster - Decision
Aaron Simpson vs. Mark Muñoz - Decision
Karo Parisyan vs. Dennis Hallman - Submission Rd. 3
Tyson Griffin vs. Nik Lentz - Boring Decision
Brookings kinda has a Wanderlei face...
and i'd be surprised if he wasnt a HUGE pothead
You guys forgot to include one of the prelim fights: Paul Kelly vs. T.J O'Brian
So adding to my predictions: Paul Kelly def. T.J O'Brian via first round TKO
Also, I highly doubt Rampage will take Machida down at all and if he does Machida will get back up instantly. I think you guys seriously underestimate Machida's wrestling.
And Rampage has looked horrible in recent performances. Most of you are only picking Rampage because "Machida is a boring fighter" which I disagree with entirely.
Rampage has a shot at knocking Machida out if he can catch him... very doubtful that he can. Rampage has developed into a one-dimensional predictable boxer relying entirely on landing that one shot. If Forrest Griffin gave him problems standing... imagine what Machida can do.
I still don't understand the hate for Machida but it is what it is.
If Rampage mixes things up well and comes in with a great gameplan I do think he has a good chance of winning but I have a hard time seeing him follow a sound gameplan at this point. He's going to chase Machida down and get countered all night then complain and make excuses after the fight that "Machida was running" just like Tito did.
Quote from: MitchMMA on November 20, 2010, 01:01:13 PM
You guys forgot to include one of the prelim fights: Paul Kelly vs. T.J O'Brian
So adding to my predictions: Paul Kelly def. T.J O'Brian via first round TKO
Also, I highly doubt Rampage will take Machida down at all and if he does Machida will get back up instantly. I think you guys seriously underestimate Machida's wrestling.
And Rampage has looked horrible in recent performances. Most of you are only picking Rampage because "Machida is a boring fighter" which I disagree with entirely.
Rampage has a shot at knocking Machida out if he can catch him... very doubtful that he can. Rampage has developed into a one-dimensional predictable boxer relying entirely on landing that one shot. If Forrest Griffin gave him problems standing... imagine what Machida can do.
I still don't understand the hate for Machida but it is what it is.
If Rampage mixes things up well and comes in with a great gameplan I do think he has a good chance of winning but I have a hard time seeing him follow a sound gameplan at this point. He's going to chase Machida down and get countered all night then complain and make excuses after the fight that "Machida was running" just like Tito did.
I don't underestimate his wrestling. I said I don't think Rampage will take him down period. I would honestly be shocked and amazed if he did take him down.
Most people find him very boring. It doesn't mean he doesn't fight smart. Most people find his marathon running style boring.
When going forward on Machida most people don't go full speed ahead and try to stay in their own range. Rampage will aggressively move forward past his range and dick slap Machida down.
But only time will tell.
Ramapge has admitted he should not have taken the evans fight after that long of a layoff . he was distracted and was not able to train properly ... all the Rampage camp has to do is follow the blueprint that Shogun did to Machida the last two fights and I think Rampage has a very good chance in beating , also you have to question how Machida responses to being knockout out for the first time in his life .
for me the odds are better than even that Rampage is going to win this fight , I going with the exp. because both are coming off losses and Rampage has been there and done that , coming back from a loss ... this is Machida first time coming back from a loss .
I missed the fights, was hanging out at a family BBQ but from what I read, Rampage actually followed a sound gameplan... I am shocked lol. Although most sites seemed to have Machida winning on their score cards, I didn't watch the fight so I can't really comment on that. Good win for Rampage though. I'll be honest, even though I picked Machida to win I kind of wanted Rampage to pull it off b/c I think a fight between Rampage and the winner of Bader/Jones would be a sick fight, not that Machida wouldn't be but I just think stylistically Rampage vs. Jones or Bader will be a great fight.
I think slowly but surely fighters are starting to figure Machida out. I still think Machida can frustrate a lot of LHW's but I have a very hard time seeing him win back the title at this point.
As for B.J Penn all I can say is holy freaking shit I did not see that coming lol. I picked B.J but I thought it would be a 3 rounder... did not expect B.J to knock Hughes out in 21 seconds lol. I am stoked for B.J vs. Fitch in Australia now.
missed it too , had to work , but it nice to see that jackson is back , going to catch the replay after I finish some writing , be back for a more detail post later , but I am happy that Jackson got the win
Penn....holy god.
I thought Rampage Machida was close, I gave rounds 1 and 2 to Rampage, and Machida got the 3rd. ( i think thats how i scored it...too many canadian beer)
How many times do I have to tell you dipshits about mmalinker.com???
Machida is going down the path of Chuck Liddell. If they want him to win his fights, he'll have to fight grapplers. Otherwise the strikers have him figured out.
I'm happy with the Penn fight, and I'm not surprised he won like that or how soon. Anything is possible with hands like his. Hughes is also going a path of a former star Ken Shamrock. He's forgetting he's a grappler and is enjoying being on his feet. With his kind of cardio he could have worn BJ down before he'd think of gassing. And instead he's throwing fucking kicks???
Yeah, Hughes is fighting like Sean Sherk. Sherk (aside from the roids scandal) would be 155 champion if he remembered hes the best wrestler in the division, yet hes obsessed with standing up.
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Venue: Bell Centre
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
MAIN CARD
* Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck (for welterweight title)
* Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve
* Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
* Mac Danzig vs. Joe Stevenson
* Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
* Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Rafael Natal
* Sean Pierson vs. Matthew Riddle
* Joe Doerksen vs. Dan Miller
* Ricardo Almeida vs. T.J. Grant
* Pat Audinwood vs. John Makdessi
December 4th
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Venue: Scottrade Center
Broadcast: Showtime
MAIN CARD
* Dan Henderson vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral
* Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson
* Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith
* Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland
* Antonio Silva vs. Valentijn Overeem
* Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac
* Finalist No. 1 vs. Finalist No. 2
* Kendall Grove vs. Demian Maia
* Rick Story vs. Johny Hendricks
* Leonard Garcia vs. Tyler Toner
* Will Campuzano vs. Nick Pace
* Pablo Garza vs. Fredson Paixao
* Rich Attonito vs. Dave Branch
^^^
FInale card...discuss
* Dan Henderson vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral --- Hendo snaps back from that horrible Shields loss...2nd round TKO
* Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson --- Donno who Carson is, but if he isnt a TOTAL can, it's over for Walker....decision win for the nobody.
* Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith - Daley wins in an absolute slug fest. Wanna see this fight pretty badly, this will be a KO.
* Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland - Lindlands far past his prime, Lawler takes this.....either 1st round KO or decision.
* Antonio Silva vs. Valentijn Overeem - Big foot for the win over the older Overeem, decision.
MAIN CARD
* Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck (for welterweight title) - GSP dominates, unam. decision.
* Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve -- tough call, slugfest. Going with the power man, 2nd round TKO.
* Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira --- If this fight goes to the ground, Oliveira is deadly, he takes this with a 3rd round submission.
* Mac Danzig vs. Joe Stevenson -- Stevenson wins, submission.
* Thiago Alves vs. John Howard --- Alves, TKO.
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
* Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Rafael Natal
* Sean Pierson vs. Matthew Riddle
* Joe Doerksen vs. Dan Miller
* Ricardo Almeida vs. T.J. Grant
* Pat Audinwood vs. John Makdessi
I had Machida in the first and third, personally.
I wouldn't call it a robbery though. The first round was close to call.
watch it ... very close could have gone either way ... I gave the first to Jackson , but that was just barely
it was a good fight in my opinon
Penn... Damn where that come from
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on November 21, 2010, 04:58:16 PM
How many times do I have to tell you dipshits about mmalinker.com???
Machida is going down the path of Chuck Liddell. If they want him to win his fights, he'll have to fight grapplers. Otherwise the strikers have him figured out.
I'm happy with the Penn fight, and I'm not surprised he won like that or how soon. Anything is possible with hands like his. Hughes is also going a path of a former star Ken Shamrock. He's forgetting he's a grappler and is enjoying being on his feet. With his kind of cardio he could have worn BJ down before he'd think of gassing. And instead he's throwing fucking kicks???
haha the last time I used that site the vids kept freezing, but that was awhile ago... I will have to give it another shot and see if it works lol
And I agree, Machida might have to start relying more on his grappling when up against strikers. His takedowns and BJJ are solid, but his Shotokan style is no longer as effective as it once was.
Side note: Would also love to see Rampage fight the winner between Forrest and Franklin
MAIN CARD
Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck - KO Rd. 2 (GSP has been training his boxing with Freddie Roach so I'm guessing he plans to bang & who doesn't want to see Koscheck get his ass handed to him? I thought he was a dick before TUF 12 but he managed to out-do himself time & time again. Bravo Josh!)
Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve - Decision
Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira - Split decision (My FOTN prediction, could go either way)
Mac Danzig vs. Joe Stevenson - Submission Rd. 3
Thiago Alves vs. John Howard - TKO Rd. 2
PRELIMINARY CARD
Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett - Submission Rd. 2
Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Rafael Natal - Decision
Sean Pierson vs. Matthew Riddle - TKO Rd. 1 (Short notice = Easy win)
Joe Doerksen vs. Dan Miller - Submission Rd. 2
Ricardo Almeida vs. T.J. Grant - Submission Rd. 3
Pat Audinwood vs. John Makdessi - Coin toss
MAIN CARD
* Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck (for welterweight title)
* Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve
* Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
* Mac Danzig vs. Joe Stevenson
* Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
* Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Rafael Natal
* Sean Pierson vs. Matthew Riddle
* Joe Doerksen vs. Dan Miller
* Ricardo Almeida vs. T.J. Grant
* Pat Audinwood vs. John Makdessi
MAIN CARD
* Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck (for welterweight title)
* Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve
* Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
* Mac Danzig vs. Joe Stevenson
* Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
* Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Rafael Natal
* Sean Pierson vs. Matthew Riddle
* Joe Doerksen vs. Dan Miller
* Ricardo Almeida vs. T.J. Grant
* Pat Audinwood vs. John Makdessi
* Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck (for welterweight title)
* Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve
* Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
* Mac Danzig vs. Joe Stevenson
* Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
* Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Rafael Natal
* Sean Pierson vs. Matthew Riddle
* Joe Doerksen vs. Dan Miller
* Ricardo Almeida vs. T.J. Grant
* Pat Audinwood vs. John Makdessi
Cory pretty much nailed my thoughts on this card
Dan Henderson vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral - Decision (I don't have quite the same confidence in Hendo as Cory does. Age catches up to everybody... but I thought he was on the downturn before the Bisping fight!)
Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson - Seriously, who cares!
Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith - KO Rd.2. Easily FOTN. Never mind "Hands of Stone", Scott Smith has balls of steel & definitely won't be afraid of Daley knocking him out.
Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland - Decision
Antonio Silva vs. Valentijn Overeem
MAIN CARD
* Dan Henderson vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral
* Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson
* Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith
* Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland
* Antonio Silva vs. Valentijn Overeem
I like Babalu alot ... would love to see him win here .
GSP will actually gut Koscheck and wear his intestines as a necklace.
MAIN CARD
* Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck (for welterweight title)
* Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve
* Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
* Mac Danzig vs. Joe Stevenson
* Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
* Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Rafael Natal
* Sean Pierson vs. Matthew Riddle
* Joe Doerksen vs. Dan Miller
* Ricardo Almeida vs. T.J. Grant
* Pat Audinwood vs. John Makdessi
The UFC's new featherweight champion will have to wait a little bit longer to make his first defense of the belt.
The WEC's final 145-pound champ, Jose Aldo (18-1 MMA, 8-0 WEC), who officially was awarded his new UFC title prior to this past Saturday's UFC 123 event, has suffered an undisclosed injury in training and has been forced to withdraw from a scheduled bout with top contender Josh Grispi (14-1 MMA, 4-0 WEC) .
The two had been expected to meet in the co-main event of "UFC 125: Resolution," which takes place Jan. 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) today verified Aldo's withdrawal, which was first reported by Heavy.com.
According to ESPN.com's Josh Gross, who posted the news on his official Twitter account, the injury was a "compacted vertebrae (which) caused tingling in both arms" and will force Aldo out of action for "at least a month for therapy."
Currently, officials have not decided how to plug the hole on the card or if Grispi will get a new opponent, sources told MMAjunkie.com.
Aldo, who was installed as a UFC champion following the recent decision to merge the world's largest MMA promotion with its sister company, the WEC, formally was awarded the UFC's first-ever featherweight title this past weekend.
Aldo debuted for the WEC in June 2008 with a second-round TKO win over Shooto legend Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira.
Following five consecutive knockout wins to open his WEC run â€" including three in the first round â€" Aldo was granted a title shot against then-champion Mike Brown. Aldo halted Brown with strikes in the second round.
Aldo then defended his belt twice with wins over Manny Gamburyan and Urijah Faber and is currently considered among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
Well that sucks! I was so looking forward to that fight! Aldo is the fucking man and seeing him perform in the UFC for the first time is going to be wicked.
Hopefully he can make a full recovery and get back in action quickly because UFC will want to build this division around him and get that marketing rocket attached to his back!
Peace
Duckman
Now 125 went from an A show, to a C+.
3 solid fights. I think Edgar/Maynard will be a boring wrestle fest....but its still a title shot...so theres one.
Thiago Silva v/s Brandon Vera......Vera hasn't put on good performances as of late, but thi could turn into a stand up brawl, so theres 2.
and Clay Guida v/s Takanori Gomi is the highlight of the show. This one should be electric. But I've now gone from ordering the show with my buddies, to streaming.
It is a huge loss to the show to be honest. Maynard/Edgar just isn't going to sell a PPV and really needed the help/hype that Aldo would have brought.
Guida vs. Gomi has got classic written all over it though for me!
Peace
Duckman
So that's Walker and Overeem both out of this show.
I don't know much about their replacements to be honest.
These two going down going to hurt the show?
I still think the Henderson, Daley and Lawler fights will be worth watching though - those are my picks for the wins too!
Peace
Duckman
I would fling my shit everywhere if I had to corner Nam. That being said I think he got screwed. I think he struck too many times to let 4 take downs win a final round. That being said, that was a pretty sweet fight. Johnson has an insane amount of heart.
I find in all close fights, who ever got the most takedown (/ the wrestler) usually wins. Johnson finished the 3rd on top, I gave him the win.
Going to be a tough call for the finals, I'm picking Brookings.
QuoteGoing to be a tough call for the finals, I'm picking Brookings.
Right with you.
UFC fighter Chael Sonnen received good news when the California State Athletic Commission voted to reduce his one-year suspension to just six months. Sonnen tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone in a sample he submitted prior to his loss to Anderson Silva. The suspension will expire on March 2, 2011 and comes with a $2,500 fine.
Sonnen claimed that he had been undergoing testosterone replacement therapy due to hypogonadism. He claimed he informed a commission officer, who verified as much, but noted that he did not submit the necessary paperwork.
Interesting outcome for Sonnen and the UFC. That rematch with Anderson Silva might not be that far away after all.
Peace
Duckman
I know this isn't offical, but here's to it.
Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac
* Micheal Johnson 1 vs. Johnathan Brookings
* Kendall Grove vs. Demian Maia
* Rick Story vs. Johny Hendricks
* Leonard Garcia vs. Tyler Toner
* Will Campuzano vs. Nick Pace
* Pablo Garza vs. Fredson Paixao
* Rich Attonito vs. Dave Branch
Same picks.
L1 might know cuz hes in Canada, but Sportsnet does an MMA pick em, and im 27th out of the 6000 users, top 5 get prizes, #1 gets 50" TV and Ps3, and I have all those picks.
Brookings, Bonnar (Looked jacked at weigh ins), Maia, & Hendricks.
(http://mmaaddicts.com/dann/the-ultimate-fighter-12-finale/stephan-bonnar.JPG)
.....he's ready.
Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac
* Micheal Johnson 1 vs. Johnathan Brookings
* Kendall Grove vs. Demian Maia
* Rick Story vs. Johny Hendricks
* Leonard Garcia vs. Tyler Toner
* Will Campuzano vs. Nick Pace
* Pablo Garza vs. Fredson Paixao
* Rich Attonito vs. Dave Branch
Brookins is my favourite to win, but I wouldn't be surprised if Johnson upsets him. He's a tough son of a bitch and he always has that chance to KO him.
I think Jonathan will take it though...
Holy crap, he doesn't look like a friendly fireman any more!
Stephan Bonnar
* Micheal Johnson
Johny Hendricks
* Leonard Garcia
* Will Campuzano
Fredson Paixao
* Rich Attonito
I thought it was a valid explination but once tainted with steroids accusations always tainted...
Damn Rick Story, went 7-1 in my MMA Pick Em League.
Brookins took one hell of a beating though, fantastic composure.
Ko of the year in Daley/Smith
and maybe the sickest ground n pound I've ever seen in Hendo/Bablu.
Check these 2 fights out now!
That first round went exactly how I figured the first two would go, with Brookins taking the third.
Nam cannot catch a break.
I found Joe Rogan's Tirade very needed. Judges like Cecil Peoples need to go.
...yeah, Nam got whored.
Does Garcia pay judges? I thought Nam won all 3....then again I thought Korean Zombie won all 3 against Garcia and he won again.
Heres Hendos brutal gnp
(http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m594/jadnat2k/SFC/DanHendersonKORenatoSobral.gif)
(http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m594/jadnat2k/SFC/DanHendersonKORenatoSobral2.gif)
and heres the Daley KO
(http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m594/jadnat2k/SFC/PaulDaleyKOScottSmith.gif)
This show is on in the UK tonight on Bravo 2 at 10pm. Can't wait - loves me some good KOs!!
Peace
Duckman
Just got home, unreal day.
Weigh ins were way better than at 113.....and just met Shogun Rua and Michael Johnson (TUF) at a Q&A
Can't wait to lose my voice yellin at Kos.
Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck (for welterweight title)
Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve
Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
Mac Danzig vs. Joe Stevenson
Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
Sounds fucking awesome Cory!
Just heard that UFC are coming to Glasgow in May, probably for a Fight Night event! Will be moving heaven and earth to go that!
This PPV is going to be epic!
Peace
Duckman
So you're all on GSP???
.
.
.
.
Yea me too. He's gotta win.
MAIN CARD
Josh Koscheck I think he has the tools. If anyone can "Serra" GSP, it's Koscheck.
Sean McCorkle
Jim Miller
Joe Stevenson
Thiago Alves
PRELIMINARY CARD
Dustin Hazelett
Jesse Bongfeldt
Matthew Riddle
Dan Miller
Ricardo Almeida
Pat Audinwood
Hmm....well that was dominate.
GSP made a great fighter look like a rookie in that match... not even close
That the best I seen of Alves ... he look great
Miller with a nasty kneebar ... charles made a wrong move trying to punch him in the stomach , should have push with the other leg .
Mac look good , he seems like a better fighter, nasty ko , sick punch to the jaw
Stefan I like he going to do well
I also enjoyed it as well. Good advert for UFC.
GSP is just a freak of nature. I doubt there's many better athletes in any sport than him. Just an incredible performance and training with Freddie Roach did wonders for his striking. He MUST move up and fight Anderson Silva soon though, there's no one left at WW that he hasn't already beaten.
A really enjoyable event. Loved the opening fight with Alves looking like the total beast of old.
Miller must be getting close to a Title shot.
Danzig threw that backing away hook like Chuck Liddel in his prime. Very impressive shot.
Struve proved he's got a ton of skills and really could be a big fucking deal in a few years.
Good event, lot of fun and one of the loudest, hottest crowds I've heard at any sporting event.
Roll on 2011!!
Peace
Duckman
I really wish I could have a write up like I did for 113....but I really can't remember a whole lot.
I think aside from the main event, the crowd wasn't as loud as it was at 113.....but could have been the seats. Lots of funny chants, solid 'Fuck you Koscheck' chants for the first 3 rounds, one dude behind us was so trashed 'Fuck you Goushayy' the entire time.
Prelims really sucked from what I remember.
A dude fell from our level down one when everyone was exciting, and was surprisingly alright minus a bit of blood.
Still, when GSP came out, the Bell Centre was rocking.
Fun event, can't WAIT to go to the one in Toronto at the Rogers Centre....seats 67,000 rumours itll sell out, and that GSP/Shields and Cain/Dos Santos will be there, cant wait.
From MMAFighting.com:
Marking a return to the country that helped create modern mixed martial arts as we know it, the UFC on Wednesday announced that the promotion would stage a show at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug. 27, 2011.
UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and UFC president Dana White made the announcement at City Hall, flanked by the city's mayor Eduardo Paes.
Given the economic potential for both the promotion and potential host cities, White said the UFC's move into the country was more than a one-time visit.
"This isn't a test," White said. "We believe this works everywhere. It definitely works in Brazil. All you have to do is look at the dais here. The guy who started it, the youngest champ, the best pound-for-pound, a top 10 pound-for-pound. This isn't a test; it's going to work in Brazil."
The return is a long time coming.
The last UFC event held in Brazil was on Oct. 16, 1998. On that night, Frank Shamrock held on to the middleweight championship, while other fighters participating included Vitor Belfort, Pedro Rizzo, Wanderlei Silva and Pat Miletich.
"Ten years [after buying the company], here we are today answering the one question over the last 10 years I've been asked the most: when are you going to be doing a fight in Brazil?" Fertitta said. "We look forward to helping to grow the sport in Brazil and making a significant economic impact on the city of Rio."
Alongside for the announcement was a collection of UFC royalty, including current middleweight champ Anderson Silva, light-heavyweight champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, featherweight champ Jose Aldo, and No. 1 middleweight contender Vitor Belfort.
"That's a lot of gold up here," White joked, before pointing out that several men in the argument for the world's top 10 pound-for-pound fighters are Brazilian.
"It goes to show how much talent and quality of talent are in Brazil," White said.
Also included in the announcement was MMA legend Royce Gracie. Brazil's Gracie family is largely considered the first family of MMA, helping to create the inaugural UFC event as a way to market Gracie jiu-jitsu in the United States.
Rorion Gracie, the son of Helio Gracie, co-founded the tournament with Bob Meyrowitz and Art Davie. At the time of the November 1993 show, it wasn't known if it would be a one-shot deal or continue into the future, but today, the UFC is valued at over $1 billion.
The UFC's move into Brazil comes as the South American nation continues a gradual move on to the world stage. Brazil recently won the rights to the 2014 Soccer World Cup, as well as the 2016 Olympic Games.
According to several news reports, Brazil's economic growth is second only to China worldwide, and last Sunday's "60 Minutes" reported that the country is poised to overtake France and Britain as the world's fifth-largest economy.
White faced questions about which UFC fighters would be competing in the promotion's return, but he noted too many fights had to play out in the interim to predict such a thing.
"I'm sure there are a lot of Brazilians that will want to fight on this card in Rio," he said with a smile.
White didn't close out the press conference without adding one more nugget that will draw plenty of speculation, as he and Fertitta said they would have "one more surprise announcement later this year" in regards to another location the UFC will soon be visiting for the first time.
They've ruled out Silva and Sonnen. So who would you like to see coach the next season of TUF?
TV wise it's gotta be Lesnar/Mir for me. The trash talking alone would be worth it! Just can't see Brock being away from home for that long to record the show.
So, thoughts?
Peace
Duckman
Heard Faber/Torres is a rumor too.
Mir/Lesnar would be good....but I honestly dont wanna see them fight again.
I dont see Lesnar being credible enough as a coach... You could easily have guys who have a hell of alot more experience then him on his team and we could see a moment where they are showing him how to do shit...
I guess you have to basically look at the next big fights in the works but not on the books yet...
Shields & Pierre would be smart if Pierre didnt just do one so that is off the table...
Shogun & Evans would be sweet IMO but Evans just did one and I am unsure if that fight is actually on the books yet
Silva & Belfort could work but Silva does not speak english lol
I guess you could easily move away from the title holders and such and if that is the case I would honestly like to see...
Sonnen & Leben
I think that would be a very interesting show... Maybe a # 1 contender show with the winner getting a crack at Silva...
Leben would be a present to Silva. Plus I don't want to see Leben cry anymore, too much of that on season 1. Sonnen would have him weeping on day one by making fun of him. Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar would be a good one though. This is because of the lightweights not being in in a while.
Wait they're fighting next card... I thought they had a few before their fight... oops.
I like the sound of Shogun and Evans....sounds most appropriate, in regards to the time of the fight.
All in all, I don't think GSP was impressed by Koscheck's performance.
Quote from: A-Jo on December 16, 2010, 05:28:21 PM
All in all, I don't think GSP was impressed by Koscheck's performance.
ha
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zz3p63WSXZE/TQrst99qWTI/AAAAAAAAA-4/pduzoiHqZww/s1600/12.gif)
great move ...
Probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen in MMA!
That'll be on highlight reels for EVER!
The show was supposed to be really good as well - downloading now!
Peace
Duckman
wec always had good shows and great fighters , it just was not able to complete ... UFC is a monster
Strikeforce still alive becuase of the cable deal with showtime and they got some very good fighters of there own right . but honest it not going to over take the UFC by any means in size or popularly
I think it would be smart to have Anthony Pettis & the winner of Maynard/Edgar. They will probably meet soon to amalgamate the WEC & UFC Lightweight belts. It would have been so much better if Ben Henderson had have retained the belt.
Lesnar/Mir would be great for entertainment value but I have no interest in seeing that fight.
Personally I'd like them to do another season like "The Comeback".
:o :o :o :o :o
Amazing.
* Satoshi Ishii vs. Jerome Le Banner
* Sergei Kharitonov vs. Tatsuya Mizuno
* Alistair Overeem vs. Todd Duffee*
* Bob Sapp vs. Shinichi Suzukawa^
* Champ Bibiano Fernandes vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (for featherweight title)
* Champ Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba (for welterweight title)
* Shinya Aoki vs. Yuichiro Nagashim+
* Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Josh Thomson
* Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Caol Uno
* Akiyo "Wicky" Nishiura vs. Tetsuya Yamato@
* Kyotaro Fujimoto vs. Gegard Mousasi@
* Hideo Tokoro vs. Kazuhisa Watanabe
* Jason High vs. Hayato Sakurai
* Hiroshi Izumi vs. Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa
* Katsuaki Furuki vs. Andy Ologun
Ishii v/s Le Banner, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo v/s a Kickboxing Legend who can still go. Intresting.
Overeem v/s Duffee, Stand up war, excited, Duffee could surprise alot of people.
Also you got Kharitonov (Ko'd Overeem, and Sem Schilt), Bob Sapp (freakshow....but usually entertaining), A sick fight in Fernandes and Takaya, a poential KO of the night when Zaromskis fights legend Sakuaraba, toss in Aoki, Josh Thompson, Mousasi, Sakuari and Minowaman
I can't wait to watch this 4 hour event.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
MAIN CARD
* Champ Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (for lightweight title)
* Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann
* Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera
* Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim
* Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Marcus Davis vs. Jeremy Stephens
* Josh Grispi vs. Dustin Poirier
* Phil Baroni vs. Brad Tavares
* Mike Brown vs. Diego Nunes
* Daniel Roberts vs. Greg Soto
* Antonio McKee vs. Jacob Volkmann
I'm honestly only excited for the Gomi/Guida fight. 125 losing Aldo really hurt this cards marketability.
Edgar and Maynard are talented fighters, but both are very tactical, which in turn makes for a long, boring fight. I hope their Wrestling will cancel out and will force both guys to stand and bang, but I don't see that happening. Which ever fighter gets in their groove first and establishes who the better wrestler is, this fights going to the ground.
Leben/Stann has potential, any Leben fight can turn into a slug fest, let's hope.
Silva/Vera should be a standup fight, but I have a gut feeling neither guy will go for the kill and Silva's punching and Vera's legkicks will have these two standing for 3 rounds. Then again, with two strikers, you can never count out a exciting finish.
Diaz/Kim, two ground fighters, Kim's boring as hell, and Diaz will look to get the to the ground. I think submission of the night here.
and Gomi/Guida, I'm HOPING is a standup war for three rounds.
I think the Leben/Stann and Gomi/Guida fights will get the year off to a great start.
I'm thinking the same as you Cory for the Title fight. I hope Edgar's striking wins out because Maynard is another boring wrestler and that division needs some excitment around it. Especially with all the WEC guys coming in.
I'll be watching because it's the first show of the year and I can watch live with being off work for New Year.
Still, Aldo would have make this show must see and would have been the perfect introduction to him on the biggest stage of them all.
Peace
Duckman
When it was all said and done this was quite an entertaining show.
The main even was a hell of a fight. Anyone who doubts Frankie Edgar's heart and chin needs to seek professional help. The way he came back from that 1st round mauling was incredible. To then dominate the 2nd round like he did was even more remarkable.
Maynard showed a lot but I guess it's the old saying that to win the Title you need to beat the Champion.
I can see where the draw decision came from but I'd prefer to see a clear winner. Probably would have gone with Maynard winning 3-2 but I could see the 5th being a draw. Very close.
Leban vs. Stann was exactly the fight I hoped it would be, complete slug fest. A big win for Stann but the way they were throwing it could have gone either way. Leban is still one of the toughest guys in the UFC.
Vera needs to be gone. He looked clueless off his back and got completely owned by a reinvigorated Silva - with his back now healthy he could be a serious contender again!
Diaz vs. Kim was entertaining as hell. Diaz seemed to want to spend more time talking trash and acting tough than actually doing anything in the fight. Lot of posing and gestures but not much in the way of killer instinct to finish the fight. I was highly impressed with Kim, great technique and good striking too.
Gomi and Guida was a bit of a let down for me. Gomi looked like he'd never seen someone move in a fight before. Hell of a slick submission by Clay but I think Gomi's win over Giffin was a lucky punch because Clay owned his ass here.
I think the Maynard/Edgar rematch is a must and it should prove a good buyrate for the UFC given that both guys are now legit stars in the eyes of many fans. Edgar especially is proving himself to be one of the real success stories of the last few years.
What'd you guys think of the show in general?
Peace
Duckman
The current lineup is below.
Pay-Per-View Bouts
Middleweight Title Fight:
Anderson Silva (champion) vs. Vitor Belfort (challenger)
Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin
Ryan Bader vs. Jon Jones
Jake Ellenberger vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Miguel Torres vs. Antonio Banuelos
Preliminary Bouts
Sam Stout vs. Paul Kelly
Gabe Ruediger vs. Paul Taylor
Mike Pierce vs. Kenny Robertson
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Ricardo Romero
Chad Mendes vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Demetrious Johnson vs. Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto
Now THAT is one seriously impressive card on paper. The top two matches alone are must see for me simply because I love watching those four guys fight.
Bader vs. Jones could be the key fight to Jones stepping up into the top level of fighters - something I think we're all keen to see. A true, new, homegrown UFC superstar would be a serious boost to the sport.
I also can't wait to see Miguel Torres in the UFC and I hope he's ready to tear through the competition and make a Title run in 2011/12.
On the undercard Stout vs. Kelly should be great and the UFC debut of KID Yamamoto is another big headline. I've read a lot about KID and I know he's thought by some to be pas his best but I still can't wait to see him in the UFC.
Fucking sick card and could be a early contender for show of the year for me!
Peace
Duckman
The draw really pissed me off. I can see how it COULD be a draw, but in a title fight, the judges needa pick a winner.
I personally only liked rounds 1 & 2, the three that followed were like what I predicted, very un-entertaining.
Leben/Stann was well, what everyone expected, except Stann came out on top.
Silva destroyed Vera, and you're right Sam, Vera is trash.
I missed the DIaz/Asian fight.
And Guida/Gomi was very disappointing.
THIS is a card.
3 Excellent main card fights, and Torres gets his first taste of the UFC.
The undercard has a lot of notible guys in Kid Yamamoto, Omigawa, and The slugfest which will be Sam Stout v/s Paul Kelly.
I'm pumped for this card.
From MMAFighting.com:
Eight Strikeforce heavyweights have all signed to compete in a single-elimination tournament to begin on Feb. 12, sources have confirmed to MMA Fighting.
While several of the matchups have been rumored for some time, MMA Fighting can report the addition of Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem to the field. A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed that Overeem will take on Fabricio Werdum.
The first two quarterfinal bouts will take place on Feb. 12, with Fedor Emelianenko taking on Antonio SIlva, while Andrei Arlovski will face Sergei Kharitonov. Earlier Tuesday, MMA Fighting reported Emelianenko's contract extension with Strikeforce, paving the way for his entrance into the field.
The other two quarterfinal bouts include Brett Rogers facing Josh Barnett and Overeem taking on Werdum, the last man to beat Emelianenko.
While the Emelianenko-Silva and Arlovski-Kharitonov fights will take place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the location and date of the second set of quarterfinals is still to be determined.
Overeem's presence in the field is particularly relevant, as the promotion's champion has defended the belt only once, in a May 2010 knockout over Rogers. Since then he's won the K-1 Max kickboxing title and fought in a DREAM interim heavyweight title fight, defeating Todd Duffee. But his participation in the tournament field may give fans a chance to see him multiple times in the U.S. in 2011.
The stacked field should also capture some attention away from rival promotion UFC, which has had problems with its heavyweight division, including injuries to heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez and contender Shane Carwin, contract issues with Roy Nelson, and the uncertain status of major drawing card Brock Lesnar.
One word: AWESOME.
Peace
Duckman
Ill second this.
Awesome
Sam Stout is out, Donald Cerrone is in.
What a fitting replacement.
That's not too shabby a replacement at all! Still going to be a slugfest I reckon.
Hopefully we'll get some of the prelim fights on TV over here.
Peace
Duckman
Toronto will host a title fight with its first UFC event.
As expected UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (21-2 MMA, 15-2 UFC) defends his title against Jake Shields (26-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at the event.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the long-rumored bout with MMAjunkie.com over the weekend, and officials today formally announced the fight during this week's "UFC Ultimate Insider" online show.
"UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields" is slated for April 30 at the 69,000-seat Rogers Centre in Toronto. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view, and a UFC Fan Expo event coincides with the show.
UFC 129 is expected to break attendance and gate records for the UFC and North American MMA. Officials haven't decided on an official seating capacity, but 40,000 isn't outside the realm of possibility.
Having St-Piere, a French-Canadian, on the card certainly will help. The champ recently posted his fifth consecutive title defense with a lopsided unanimous-decision win over Josh Koscheck at UFC 124. The fighter, who many consider the world's top-ranked pound-for-pound competitor, essentially would clean out the welterweight division with a win over Shields. It'd also mark his ninth straight win and 15th victory in his past 16 fights.
A victory over Shields, a former EliteXC welterweight champion and Strikeforce middleweight titleholder, could prompt St-Pierre to move to middleweight.
Shields recently made his UFC debut and edged Martin Kampmann via split decision at UFC 121. The Cesar Gracie product owns a staggering 15-fight win streak with wins over notables such as Dan Henderson, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Robbie Lawler, Paul Daley, Nick Thompson, Mike Pyle, Carlos Condit and Yushin Okami.
He looks to become just the seventh different welterweight champion in UFC history.
Sick. I'm temped to go but I have been told everyone just watches the big screen anyways. I'm split. We'll see. This is going to be a huge card though and I'm excited for it.
Yeah, unless your willing to shell out $5000 for seats.
HOLY SHIT!!!!!!
http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/11/brock-lesnar-junior-dos-santos-to-coach-next-season-of-the-ult/ (http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/11/brock-lesnar-junior-dos-santos-to-coach-next-season-of-the-ult/)
I did not see that one coming!! Good God that's a hell of a fight and the show is going to must see!
Wonder if Brock will last till the end?
Thoughts, opinions, anyone else marking out as much as me?
Peace
Duckman
This is going to be fun. How big is Lesnar going to look standing amongst 7 welterweights? It'll be like Gulliver's Travels
I'm putting the over/under on broken doors this season at 2.5
whoa what a time to get ESPN UK at long last, gonna be pretty awesome to watch! and a good time to get back into mma
Horrible. It'll be a good fight which Dos Santos should win... but Brock Lesnar as a coach is absurd. The guys he'll be coaching will probably have more experience than he does.
it will be entertaining , one thing you know brock knows how to act in fornt of the camera . He going to let his asst. coaches do most of the work. than again he might suprise us. but there are alot of fighters that don't make good coaches . Rampage being one , love the guy but he was not a good coach. so it going to be a rating coup... i know I am going to watch it
Quote from: Level-One on January 11, 2011, 07:45:01 PM
Horrible. It'll be a good fight which Dos Santos should win... but Brock Lesnar as a coach is absurd. The guys he'll be coaching will probably have more experience than he does.
My thoughts exactly.
Then again, when has it just be THE face coach? Theres always 4-5 other coaches helping, and Lesnar has a great camp.
Quote from: Cory on January 11, 2011, 10:02:59 PM
My thoughts exactly.
Then again, when has it just be THE face coach? Theres always 4-5 other coaches helping, and Lesnar has a great camp.
That's a fair point. As well as Black Deaths. I've been thinking about it... and I'm willing to admit that it was in the heat of the moment. While Brock Lesnar will make a horrible coach; him on television is exactly what the UFC needs in terms of promotion and it could make for some good television. Business aside, I still would have preferred to see the slot go to Cruz/Faber or Maynard/Frankie... but this isn't bad either. We'll see!
I'm really interested to see this. Should be great to watch.
Anyone who thinks this is about Brock being a suitable coach or not is a moron.
Notice no one is complaining that such a young guy with no big fight experience like Dos Santos being a coach.
It's about entertainment and TV ratings and Brock brings both in spades.
The guy is the biggest draw in the UFC by a mile. He makes headlines and money. EXACTLY what the UFC want.
It's like people moaning about Kimbo getting a shot a few years back. Drew the biggest ratings the show ever had.
The guys going onto this show will receive the best coaching from the two camps and I doubt any of them will be complaining about Brock showing them how to wrestle!
Peace
Duckman
No doubt going to be a shit load written about this story but here's one of the better early articles looking at how this could play out for Lesnar:
From MMAFighting.com
There's a decent chance that Brock Lesnar may not survive his "Ultimate Fighter" coaching stint. Come on, six weeks in Vegas, away from the sanctuary of his Minnesota compound? With cameras in his face for the better part of every day? All while hopeful young fighters pester him for something resembling guidance?
For the reclusive, misanthropic Lesnar we've come to know and be fascinated by, it sounds like a prison sentence. It sounds like the exact opposite of everything he claims to enjoy.
Instead of privacy, he gets constant attention. Instead of whitetail deer and a barber who knows just how he likes his crew-cut sculpted, he gets gas station slot machines and awkward gym time alongside his next opponent, Junior dos Santos.
If his head literally explodes on camera, I won't be terribly surprised.
Okay, so I'm exaggerating a tad, but you get the point.
We may never know the full story of what UFC president Dana White had to do to get Lesnar to agree to this (chances are it involved a bunch of money), but give the man credit. Convincing Lesnar to do TUF is on par with convincing Lindsay Lohan to do 'Celebrity Rehab,' or maybe getting Bret Michaels to do a show that doesn't involve groupies and/or hair extensions.
And yet, White pulled it off, and in the process he's given the TUF franchise a much-needed shot in the arm, while also lining up a huge heavyweight showdown between Lesnar and JDS at the end of the season. It's a no-lose scenario for everyone, except, perhaps, Lesnar.
As fighters like Matt Serra and Rashad Evans have showed us in the past, the upside of serving as a coach on TUF is that it gives fans a chance to see your personality beyond the broad strokes of pre-fight marketing. As fighters like Matt Hughes and "Rampage" Jackson have demonstrated, that's also the bad thing about it.
If you're an interested, engaged, down-to-earth coach, it shows on TUF. If you'd rather take a nap or ask your fighters to compare you to heroes of the Bible, that'll show too.
The job of TUF coach isn't even really all that instruction-oriented. When White said it was "one of the dumbest things [he's] ever heard" to suggest that Lesnar, who has fewer than ten pro fights, isn't qualified to coach the show, he was right â€" but not because of any of Lesnar's accomplishments.
The truth is, the coaches on the show don't really have to coach. That's why they get to bring all those other guys. Georges St. Pierre opted to train alongside his team last season while letting John Danaher and Greg Jackson handle the heavy lifting, and that was fine. We all realize (or at least we should) that simply being really good at something does not mean you know how to teach it to others. In fact, the more gifted you are at something, the less you're usually able to understand how or why other people struggle with it.
This seems especially true of Lesnar, whose sudden success in MMA had a lot to do with his freakish natural ability. It's not as if he can teach his reality TV fight team how to be bigger, stronger, and faster than everyone they face. At the same time, it's likely that several of his fighters will have more pro fights to their credit than he does, and maybe also more total mat time in MMA gyms.
That's fine, as long as Lesnar realizes what he's really there for, and doesn't treat the experience as if it's a six-week dental appointment that he can't wait to be done with. Obviously the man knows some good coaches, so let them coach.
Lesnar can train alongside them in the gym, crank up the Slayer to get everyone pumped before practice, maybe spout an inspirational phrase or two. All he has to do is appear interested in the proceedings, and yet not overbearing. He needs to avoid the "Rampage" pitfall of ignoring his fighters until it's too late to help them, while also not making the Hughes mistake of trying to mold everyone in his own image.
Mostly, this is a chance for Lesnar to let fans get to know him a little more. It's also a chance to at least appear to care about the careers of other fighters. Really, all Lesnar has to do is not screw it up by eye-rolling his way through this thing and constantly reminding everyone â€" from the UFC, to the Spike TV producers, to the fighters and the home audience â€" what a giant favor he's doing them just by showing up every day.
If he can do all that, this little venture will undoubtedly be a success that will lead to more fame and more money once it's done. Who knows, he might even surprise himself and have a little bit of fun along the way.
Okay, probably not fun. But then, that's what the money's for, and we know Lesnar's a fan of that.
Well this is an interesting idea - from MMAfighting.com:
The UFC has announced that two fights on the non-televised portion of Saturday night's Fight for the Troops event will be streamed live on the promotion's official Facebook page.
"I'm always looking for ways to give fans fights for free and this is just another example of that," UFC President Dana White said in a statement. "Facebook is such a great tool for people to stay connected and we're excited to put two live fights on our UFC page for free."
The UFC, more than any other sports league, has used social networking to connect to fans. So from that perspective, it's easy to see why they'd do this Facebook deal. But the deal still seems a little weird.
Facebook isn't exactly known as a home of live sporting events. And there are still plenty of UFC fans who aren't on Facebook and therefore won't be able to watch. It also seems strange that the UFC wouldn't just stream the fights on its own web site, or add two more fights to the Spike TV broadcast and make the show an hour longer.
Still, this has to be considered good news for UFC fans.
The two fights -- Cody McKenzie vs. Yves Edwards and DaMarques Johnson vs. Mike Guymon -- should both be exciting, and more free MMA can't be a bad thing. Even if it's an unusual thing to tune in to Facebook to watch a fight.
What'd you guys think of this?
Peace
Duckman
Like.
Looks like I'm borrowing someone's facebook account for a day.
Hey guys,
I recently spoke with Greg Nelson, head coach over at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, on my radio show last night. Nelson was a big part of Lesnar's training camps in his first four UFC fights but did not work with him for the Carwin and Cain fights. He explains why in this interview and also discusses Brock coaching TUF and more.
Enjoy!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/583031-mma-coach-greg-nelson-tuf-coaching-will-bring-brock-lesnar-back-to-his-roots (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/583031-mma-coach-greg-nelson-tuf-coaching-will-bring-brock-lesnar-back-to-his-roots)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oboeedF4EeI&feature=feedu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oboeedF4EeI&feature=feedu)
That was fucking awesome! Watched it live last night on MMA live.
I can't decide if I should change my pick for the main event because everyone is going for Silva (bar me and Cory) and he seems supremely confident.
I still think if Belfort comes out all guns blazing he'll take him out.
Ah, decisions, decisions!!
Can't fucking wait for the show tonight!!!
Peace
Duckman
Im torn between all 3 of the big matches.
Silva is the champ and p4p one of the top fighters and HOW can you bet against the guy? But Belfort is hungry, Silvas last performances were shit, and Belfort can outstrike the champion, very tough.
Franklin/Griffin, I like both guys, both great characters and likable fighters (unless you got peev'd from when Griffin ran away v/s Silva). I think I want Franklin to win it more and hope for a title run for the old guy.
Bones Jones/Bader is by far the most im torn. I like both guys alot, and both are probably in my top 10 UFC fighters. I like Jones style, but Bader knows how to win in the clutch, and I think is a better wrestler than Jones which I think will be the deciding factor in this fight. On the feet, Bader has more power and the one punch knockout threat, but Jones is so much more diverse and dangerous.
I ALSO say this card on paper is right up there with UFC 100, and if this card performs like it should on paper (I dont think UFC 100 was as good as it was on paper at all), we could witness one of the greatest UFC events of all time.
Can't wait.
oh yeah
Demetrious Johnson vs. Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto
is live on Facebook tonight at 825 est,
It has the potential to be knockout of the night
Ah fuck it. I'm going with Silva in the 3rd round. I just can't bet against the Champion. Plus the more I think about it, the more Silva HAS to win this fight to get to the GSP superfight. I think he'll be up for this and will survive the early onslaught from Belfort.
Also changing my outcome on Jones/Bader. I still think Jones will win but I think it'll go the distance due to Bader's style.
And after reading up on and watching more of Rocha, I'm going with him over Ellenberger.
I'm probably going to regret changing those but what the hell!! That's it, no more changes.
We're lucky over here Cory, we get the Kid fight on ESPN on the preshow!! Sometimes it pays to live in the UK.
Peace
Duckman
Anyone find a place to watch yet? Seems the shoutbox is down so can't ask there.
The main event was...anticlimatic for sure. 3 minutes of nothing, bam KO.
I'm gonna start kicking people in the face.
That was unreal! I didn't think you could actually knock someone out with a kick like that! In fact, just getting your leg that high in the air with that much power is amazing, lol!
I enjoyed the show. I thought the opening fight was pretty boring because Torres was obviously playing safe and just using his INSANE reach advantage to keep distance and jab his way to a win. Not a great debut performance but there's signs that Torres might be getting his mojo back.
Ellenberger vs. Rocha was great in the first round with the cool ground work by Rocha and Ellengberger fighting to survive. Then it fell off a cliff and got very boring. Probably the right decision in the end but how in the fuck did one judge give all 3 rounds to Rocha?? Moron.
Jones proved how good he is. Bader couldn't do anything with him. At all. I don't know if he froze or if Jones is just that good but Bader looked terrible. The choke was something Jones seemed to be working to get for most of the fight and he kind of slipped it on out of nowhere. HUGE win for him but the biggest moment of the show had to be:
Shogun vs. Jones for the LHW Title!!! A real shame for Evans to get injured but that fight is one hell of a replacement. Loved the crowds reaction to it and also the reaction to Shogun coming into the cage. Some people will say it's too much too soon for Jones but given the circumstances I reckon it's the right move business wise for the UFC.
Griffin vs. Franklin was a solid yet unspectacular fight. The size difference just seemed to be too much for Franklin and Griffin didn't look as rusty as I expected. I expected more fireworks in this one and more from Franklin to be honest.
What the fuck can you say about Silva? What a kick and what a knock out! Unreal. A real shame the fight didn't go longer so Vitor could really test his chin but still, that's why Silva is the champion. I won't doubt that man ever again!
I don't think the show truly lived up to the hype if I'm honest. Although the Jones/Shogun announcement and that highlight reel knock out by Silva were really cool!
Peace
Duckman
First fight sucked, but I enjoyed the show.
The three prelims they showed on Spike were pretty cool too.
UFC 127 will take place on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
It'll no doubt be another sell out show for the UFC which is becoming hugely popular in Australia.
Here's the fight card:
Main card
Welterweight bout: B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch
Middleweight bout: Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera
Lightweight bout: George Sotiropoulos vs. Dennis Siver
Welterweight bout: Carlos Condit vs. Chris Lytle
Middleweight bout: Kyle Noke vs. Chris Camozzi
Preliminary card (ESPN U.K.)
Lightweight bout: Ross Pearson vs. Spencer Fisher
Heavyweight bout: Chris Tuchscherer vs. Mark Hunt
Preliminary card
Light Heavyweight bout: James Te-Huna vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Middleweight bout: Nick Ring vs. Riki Fukuda
Lightweight bout: Maciej Jewtuszko vs. Curt Warburton
Light Heavyweight bout: Anthony Perosh vs. Tom Blackledge
Featherweight bout: Zhang Tie Quan vs. Jason Reinhardt
Thoughts, opinions?
Peace
Duckman
being the good lil' British boy I am - I'm interested to see how Michael Bisping does against Rivera. He's gotten a hell of alot ebtter since the drop to middleweight, so I'm looking forward to the fight - Rivera's gonna be a tough nut to crack.
And of course, I'm loving seeing BJ Penn again!
I think this was an average PPV to be honest, and didn't live up to the hype.
But honestly in sports now a days, when do anything actually live up to the hype?
I havent seen a fight that lived up to the hype (i could be missing something) since Wanderlei/Liddell
....meh.
I can't see the main event being exciting, just Fitch working the mat game, but with Penns BJJ, it could be a standup fight, so theres potential.
I'm only really excited for Siver/Sotiropoulos, that match has potential to be a war.
I like the look of Pearson vs. Fisher on the undercard. That should be a war.
Sotiropoulos has been knocking on the door of the LW Title scene but I'd have preferred him in there with Jim Miller or someone else on the rise in the division. Siver has journeyman fighter written all over him and while he'll make a good fight of it, when it goes to the ground Sotiropoulos will twist him up like a pretzel.
Bisping of course I want to win. He's a Brit so I've got to support him and I think he's been improving since Hendo knocked the ever loving shit out of him. This will be a hell of a test for him though and a major win for Bisping's Title hopes if he can pull it off.
Condit and Lytle looks like a good one. My shout for fight of the night whenever Lytle is concerned!
The main event could be great if BJ keeps it standing. Or utter boring shite if Fitch gets his way. I just feel that this is a fight where the 'bad BJ Penn' will turn up. The dude's motivation to fight seems to only come out when he's got a big name facing him and Fitch is a top contender but not exactly a headline maker. It might be a good fight but that'll be all down to Penn because everyone knows what Fitch will do.
Peace
Duckman
The first event of the Strikeforce HW Tournment will take place on February 12th, 2011 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Strikeforce have been doing a bit to hype this but just not on the UFC levels. They really need to get some hype and promos going for this show because the Tournament itself is really interesting and could be a big draw.
Anyway, the show is on Showtime this weekend and here's the card:
Main card
Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva
Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout: Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov
Heavyweight Grand Prix reserve bout: Shane Del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson
Heavyweight Grand Prix reserve bout: Chad Griggs vs. Gianpiero Villante
Heavyweight Grand Prix reserve bout: Valentijn Overeem vs. Ray Sefo
I haven't seen Kharitonov fight at all recently. Only stuff I've seen of him is from his PRIDE days and he was a bad ass striker back then. More of the same these days I hope.
The big question has to be how Fedor performs after being beaten by Werdum last year. I reckon he should beat Silva but I don't know if it'll be as easy as some are predicting. Still, Fedor needs the win and he needs to put in one of his classic performances to continue to justify his high position in the HW rankings in 2011.
Looking forward to this one!!
Peace
Duckman
Same, can't wait.
awesome... what day ... I really want to see this
This Saturday bud! Should be a good one.
Peace
Duckman
Fedor LOSES!
Im VERY VERY surprised he didn't attempt to bulk up for the fight.
I know hes never known too, but against a good 285lbs, an aging 225 something is going to lose everytime.
I honestly see this being a bad size match-up for Fedor. He didn't approach the fight with any strategy to overcome Silva's reach, and he gave up 60 something pounds. Did he forget Silva's a top 10 heavyweight?
Very disappointing, who knowns if he woulda continued what would have happened, but I hope he calls it quits and doesn't tarnish his career, or maybe he'll try and salvage his career and wimper into the UFC, or maybe a move to Light Heavyweight?
The hype is finally over for a second heavyweight
I've been saying it constantly. The guy has fought no one of any real note at HW for about 5 years.
He's the greatest HW MMA fighter of all time...but everyone's time passes and I just can't help feel he's spent too long letting his management team leave him on the shelf to protect his legacy.
I haven't seen the show yet so I can't comment on his performance in this specific fight but this really doesn't surprise me.
He's just not the Fedor he was and that's simply what happens naturally. No one can domiate for years any more.
Peace
Duckman
I'm just posting these because they seem pretty decent to me. I use to go to school with this guy, he was a British Judo Champion by the time he was 17 and then shit his the fan and he ended up fighting. He took a break and these were his first two fights back.
He is the skinhead dude, but was always a rottweiler. He fights around Nottingham in the UK. Anyone know of any decent Uk MMA sites he/I can get these up on?
The second fight got messy, I know he broke the guys jaw, but he ended up haing surgery himself because he had "a hole in his orbital floor the size of a ten pence piece and also a hole in his sinus wall, whether it was that fight relate or not, we will never know.
I think the sound is a bit dodgy on the 2nd
Like i mentioned earlier, I think retiring as the greatest HW MMA fighter, and arguable best mma fighter of all time before he loses again.
How can you be considered great when you dont fight? Hes good yes but nowhere near the greatest. Its like me playing a couple of great games of tennis then not entering another tourney all year and still expecting to be considered great
For 10 years in Japan he was incredible MDK and undefeated, fighting at HW when really he's a LHW at most.
I'll argue his recent past as much as the next guy, but in his glory days in PRIDE he was the greatest on the planet and his record from that time makes him the best of all time.
No one has matched that yet unless GSP destroys Silva or vica versa.
Recent history, not so great, but the guy is a bonefide legend.
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Duckman on February 16, 2011, 11:57:47 AM
For 10 years in Japan he was incredible MDK and undefeated, fighting at HW when really he's a LHW at most.
I'll argue his recent past as much as the next guy, but in his glory days in PRIDE he was the greatest on the planet and his record from that time makes him the best of all time.
No one has matched that yet unless GSP destroys Silva or vica versa.
Recent history, not so great, but the guy is a bonefide legend.
Peace
Duckman
QFT
From MMAFighting.com:
Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz and lightweight titleholder Gilbert Melendez will put their titles on the line against Paul Daley and Tatsuya Kawajiri, respectively, on the April 9 Strikeforce card in San Diego, Calif.
Additionally, the card at the Valley View Casino Center will feature a 205-pound showdown between DREAM light heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi and American Kickboxing Academy product Mike Kyle.
Strikeforce announced the bouts Wednesday alongside the postponement of the heavyweight tournament from April 9 to June 18.
This past January Diaz (24-7) successfully defended his Strikeforce belt for the second time when he submitted Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos with a second-round armbar. Daley (27-9) made his Strikeforce debut last December with a brutal first-round knockout over Scott Smith. Daley returned to action over the weekend and added another KO to his record, finishing DEEP champion Yuya Shirai in the first round at BAMMA 5 in Manchester, England.
Melendez (18-2) last competed in April 2010 when he pitched a five-round shutout against DREAM champion Shinya Aoki on the Strikeforce-CBS card in Nashville. Melendez was supposed to give Aoki a rematch next in Japan on New Year's Eve but the fight fell apart due to contractual issues. Kawajiri (27-6), who lost to Melendez at PRIDE Shockwave on New Year's Eve 2006, is coming off a decision win against Josh Thomson at Dynamite!! 2010.
When Mousasi (30-3-1) last fought for Strikeforce in April, he dropped his Strikeforce light heavyweight title to Muhammed "King Mo' Lawal. Mousasi returned to Japan for two more fights in 2010 and won the DREAM light heavyweight title. Kyle (18-8-1) took a fight on short notice in December and lost to Antonio Silva in a heavyweight bout.
That's a couple of fucking awesome fights right there.
Shame about them putting back the HW Tournament that's probably due to having a cheating roid loving cunt like Josh Barnett who can't get a licence to fight anywhere!
Peace
Duckman
Disappointed Mousasi gets a can to fight, but im excited about Diaz/Daley.
Diaz could have his hands full with Daley, and I really like both guys, so it'll be a great fight.
Plus Kawajiri deserves a shot after what I think, decisively beating Josh Thompson @ DYNAMITE
Alright, it's a huge show with major buzz thanks to the main event.
Here's the main card as things stand:
Mauricio “Shogun†Rua (19-4) vs. Jon Jones (12-1)
Urijah Faber (24-4) vs. Eddie Wineland (18-6-1)
Jim Miller (19-2) vs. Kamal Shalorus (7-0-2)
Nate Marquardt (30-10-2) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-3)
Brendan Schaub (7-1) vs. Mirko “Cro Cop†Filipovic (27-8-2)
So, thoughts, opinions, let's get things going for what is an event I've SO hyped for!
Peace
Duckman
I've never been so excited for a fight then I am with Shogun and Jonny Bones. When it was announced after Bones fight with Bader (which was also another fight I was looking forward to seeing) I marked out. And now I'll mark out even louder if Bones defeats Shogun. It'll be tough fight but if Jonny pulls out the win; a mini-anderson silva/GSP star is born.
All I can say is, there is a god and this is his gift to us.
Jones/Rua will be epic, cant wait!
Going for Rua tho. Anyone who defeated that sack of shit Machida i owe my loyalty. Plus I met him before that fight. He's my boy.
Aside from the fucking awesome main event, I'm really interested to see how Faber performs. I get the feeling the UFC are looking to build a lot around him, Aldo, Cruz and maybe Torres (unless he is as boring as he was in his debut) with the new lower weight classes.
How do you guys think Faber will perform? He's dropped down a weight class from his WEC days right?
Also, will Akiyama finally put to be the nickname, Nate The Great? Cause honestly, I've watched a few of his last fights and I see nothing great about the guy at all.
God damn it I can't wait for this show!!! lol.
Peace
Duckman
I am looking forward to it because once Jones wins the title that would make me right on two of my predictions for MMA in 2011...
I have ESPN!!!!
Holy shit.
http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/03/12/zuffa-purchases-strikeforce/ (http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/03/12/zuffa-purchases-strikeforce/)
Did not see that coming at all.
Massive news and a huge power play by UFC.
Incredible.
Peace
Duckman
Im not the biggest MMA fan and even I know this is huge.
weirdly enough..its almost been 10 years (by about a week) that WWE bought WCW
I wonder if Dana is gonna recognize there titles and do a possible title mergers.
The first person that cries about 'MMA being dead' and 'Strikeforce being sell outs' like some of the twats I've seen in other MMA forums is getting banned.
Peace
Duckman
Holy fuck! I was seriously expecting to click on this link & be Rick Rolled or something. On the video Dana White is saying the right things about Strikeforce remaining as is & honouring the contracts etc. I wonder if the plan is to use Strikeforce as a feeder promotion somewhere down the road. Big day for MMA. Here's hoping this means Nick Diaz vs BJ Penn!
This is the best thing that could have happened to MMA. Strikeforce will still run only now maybe they can put on good fights and not freak shows. In the end Dana got Fedor after all.
Yeah likewise about clicking the link... I even went on other web sites to confirm it and my jaw dropped similar to the way it did when WWE bought WCW...
MMA is dead.
Strikeforce are sellouts.
Quote from: Judge Anger on March 12, 2011, 09:59:29 PM
MMA is dead.
Strikeforce are sellouts.
the ball is in your court duck, lol.
Judge forgot the crying smiley
I just read a tweet about this, honestly, like sam said, huge powerplay by UFC.
Strikeforce never once affected UFC from a viewership standpoint and I honestly knew this was going to happen. Yeah, last year Strikeforce put on amazing cards, but I figured 2-3 more years and this would have happened.
Im glad to hear Dana will keep the Strikeforce thought, but odd that he wants another promotion just after merging with WEC.
and Yes, this sets up huge fights. Diaz, Melendez, Mousasi, Overeem, Fedor, Big Foot Silva, Jacare, Robbie Lawler, Henderson, ....Paul Daley?
Got all the female contracts if UFC ever goes down that path.
My jaw dropped, this is epic!
Methinks this is gonna be an amazing thing for the world of MMA... now I shall lie here and think of he dream matches that may ACTUALLY just happen. Sweeeeeeet.
I was absolutely loving the card (Mainly wanna see Nate The Great get smacked down - don't know why but I hate that guy), right up until I saw Crocop was fighting.
Now don't get me wrong, I love the guy, always have - anyone who's taken down Igor Vovchanchyn is a GOOD fighter in my estimation - however the guys been off form for a while, has been talking retirement... I'm really worried this could be the nail in the coffin.
Aside from that though, yup I'm loving the card.
My heart says Jones but my head says Rua. Even after the long lay off. I don't think he's going to be as dazzled by Jones' striking and I think on the ground he could hook one of those long limbs for a possible submission.
I still think it'll probably end with strikes though and if Rua is anywhere near what he was against Machida, then he's winning this one.
Going to be a hell of a fight and a huge night for the UFC too! Bring it the fuck on!! :)
Peace
Duckman
Jon Jones stopped a mugger hours before the fight starts!
Undercard been good so far!
Damn, Rua....It's Bones, bitch! Boooooones!
You know all this time I have done my best to remain neutral when it comes being fans of fighters and instead just a fan of match ups and the sport as a whole... but I am officially sold with Jonny Bones. I marked out like I have never done before. This man is the real fucking deal!
WAR BONES!
I honestly didn't expect Jones to handle Rua like he did...
As he was walking out I was thinking "Fuck Jones looks so calm and dangerous"... Then the fight started and he was reminding me of Anderson Silva when he handled Rich Franklin for the title...He just seemed like he was having his way with Rua and was not worried one bit about anything Rua could do to him...
Hell in the first round when Rua looked gassed I was thinking that Rua was trying to set Bones up thinking he would get over eager and come in to recklessly and get laid out. As a matter of fact when Bones hit Rua with that face kick when they were standing up you could see Rua all dazed and Bones just stood back as if he was weary of Rua and how dazed he was acting...
My favorite part was the end of the second round when Bones grabbed Rua's leg toward the end of the round and Rua just leaned back waiting for the round to end and Bones reached back with a hammer fist and blasted Rua in the jaw.
Incredible. No other word for it. That man is the real deal. One of the most dominant performances from a challenger in a Title fight I've ever seen. The stand up, the ground work, the calmness...just everything was perfect.
He made Shogun look like a little kid in there. Stunning.
Highlight for me was that spinning back elbow against the cage coming out of the clinch. Then the straight left hand and the front kick that nearly did a Belfort on Shogun. In that moment it was like, "fuck, ok, this guy is something else."
I tried to hold off on the hype like L-1 said but when you see a performance like that, in that situation, you just have to accept he's IT. The future of MMA.
23 years old too!! Fucker! lol.
That was a hell of a show and the Jones performance has to be up there with some of the greatest moments in UFC/MMA.
Can't wait to see him destroy Rashad!
I'm sold. Bones all the way!!
Peace
Duckman
I'm impressed! I assumed Bader would be able to dominate him on the ground then I assumed Rua would be able to dominate him on the feet. My doubting Jon Jones days are officially over! Rashad Evans must be shitting himself because he had a chance against Shogun but based on last night's performance he doesn't have a prayer against Jones.
So when do we jump on the Jones vs. Anderson Silva bandwagon??
Also, Evans is a dead man walking and I reckon he knows it. No way in hell is he beating Jones if he performs like he did against Shogun last night.
Peace
Duckman
On another major point coming out of the show last night. Is this the end of Cro Cop in MMA at this level?
Personally I really hope so because that is one too many horrific looking knock outs he's suffered.
Peace
Duckman
My friends and I had been following Bones since his fight with Bonnar, and even we were like, "Oooh -- I don't know, it might be too early," when the fight with Rua was announced. Thankfully, Bones (who I named Bones O'Brien after) pulled it out in one of the most dominant title fights I've ever seen. Rua looked out of shape when he came in, and when he gassed in the first round, we all knew it was over. Congrats to Bones -- a humble young man who's got his priorities straight. Hopefully, Rua can come back from this, but I fear it's gonna be another Rich Franklin/Anderson Silva double-fail on Shogun's part.
Faber's fight was fun to watch, as Faber (who I've seen live a few times) is a freakin' hurricane when his game's on. Hopefully, Aldo and Faber meet again, soon. :)
Cro who? 'Cause that guy in the UFC over the past couple years? That ain't him.
Bascially everything Marq said.....again me and my buddy met Rua @ 113 in MTL, so I took this video after the fight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ3bAXLPkPM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ3bAXLPkPM)
Don't kick the foot stool....
Yeah Jones did look deadly. So full of energy, he didn't seem to break a sweat with finishing Shogun like he did. He made him look silly and you have to be amazing to do that. I was expecting a lot more wrestling from Jones and the fact he didn't need it a whole lot just goes to show he is the real deal. Far as Evans vs Jones goes, I can see Jones ending that one quickly too.
As for the rest of the card, Cro Cop needs to retire like now because he looked dreadful. When he got knocked down he was falling down before the punch was even thrown...
And Urijah Faber looked pretty awesome too. Full of energy, a like a pitbull terrier.
I hear he not going to do any superfights... no cross -promote at the moment . that can change
but zuffa now rules the mma world
also we need more women bouts ... dana you hear that
Gina Carano in the UFC, PUHLEESE! ;D
It's not nearly as big as some people have made it out to be. If what Dana says is true, the payoffs will come in maybe 2 or 3 years from now. I think it's bigger for Dana's pocket at this point then it is for the fans... but it should eventually translate into some big fights down the road.
They've got two issues really. The first is the contract with Showtime that runs until 2014 according to most sources.
The second is M-1 Global.
The Showtime deal means that until its up, Strikeforce really will run as a separate brand - although they now have the added bonus of advertising through the UFC and opening up their brand awareness for a good few years.
They build some stars during this time and then move them into the UFC when their contracts are up and that's money all round because the superfights will mean more to the public than before.
Something like TUF can also be used to get the Strikeforce guys more known to the casual fans because even though they have some tremendous fighters, most UFC fans couldn't pick Gilbert Melendez or Jacare out of a line up.
One thing that struck me is how this might water down a lot of the Titles as we've seen in boxing over the years and also in WWE. The more Titles they have, the less they mean.
Conversely this could also lead to UFC/Strikeforce Grand Prix style tournaments a couple of times a year to run alongside the other main cards. THIS would be awesome and could help bring through new fighters and make new stars.
On the M-1 thing I can't see M-1 doing anything that involves Fedor fighting in the UFC. Which means one of the biggest potential drawing fights (Brock vs. Fedor) won't happen. Even with both guys losing and Fedor seemingly going down the Cro Cop route of losing all his mystique, that fight would still do huge money for UFC.
L-1 is right, we probably won't see the major changes until a couple of years down the line but one thing Dana White has always said is they will give the fans the fights they want to see and hopefully this includes a few superfights in the next 12 months.
Peace
Duckman
Wait will the UFC bring over there female division? Honestly I would not mind seeing more since the few fights I've seen have been some pretty good fights.
From the interview I saw with Dana White he basically said that he is not anti-women fighting he just doesn't see enough good women fighters to establish divisions and while you might have a couple great super fights with the women he wants divisions...
Not according to Dana White. He believes there aren't enough good female fighters to make a competitive and interesting weight class.
He may have a point on that because since Cyborg beat Carano there hasn't been a woman's fight that's really drawn much interest in Strikeforce.
I mean they might have been good fights but from a drawing point of view, outside of Carano, there's not much interest.
Then again, most female MMA fighters don't look this good:
(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTI6BU6J2FdFHOonzS41gLf21-MZ3NrE0BaZsKZkrILYHE7eKpy8w)
Unless they can find 10 plus top level female fighters that they can promote and draw money with I don't think UFC would be interested.
Then again that could all change, just like everything else - it's all speculation at the moment.
Peace
Duckman
I'm going to be real interested to see where they go with this. Hopefully the transition works out to where they can integrate Strikeforce into the UFC. Anyway excited to see where this ends up going.
With the amount of Talent UFC is going to have there gonna have to start having three hour shows nearly every week to let them all fight lol.
http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/03/29/thiago-silva-submitted-sample-inconsistent-with-human-urine-s/ (http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/03/29/thiago-silva-submitted-sample-inconsistent-with-human-urine-s/)
I'm not sure what's worse, using performance enhancing drugs, or then using a masking agent and denying everything in public like Silva did after the 1st came up positive.
Man, I really like watching Silva fight but just like Chael Sonnen this is going to put doubt on everything he's done and will do in MMA.
People will say he had a back injury and what not but fucks sake, if you're too hurt to fight, find something else do to for a living - don't cheat your opponent, fans and employer like this.
Really disappointing all round.
Peace
Duckman
http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/03/28/brock-lesnar-discusses-undertaker-confrontation-coaching-tuf-13/ (http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/03/28/brock-lesnar-discusses-undertaker-confrontation-coaching-tuf-13/)
It's interesting to see Brock so humble and open in an interview. One of the few times I've seen him appear really open and honest.
A good watch and also interesting to hear about his real heat with Undertaker. Puts their confrontation after the Cain fight in a whole new light.
Peace
Duckman
We've had it the last few years and the show starts tonight in the US - so might as well start it now!
By the way, anyone in the UK know where and when this is going to air? I know Sky Sports had the last season but I've heard fuck all about this season. You'd think they'd promote the hell out of this with Brock being the huge draw that he is.
Anyway, no doubt we'll get it a week later from the US (as with most things) but I'm personally really looking forward to this season.
Let the discussion begin!!
Peace
Duckman
Apparently it's going to be on Sky Sports but it's not on the schedule yet. It'll probably be a week behind the US like last year.
From what I've read JDS speaks highly of Brock. I was kind of hoping that he'd lose his head wreck the place but I guess that's not happening. I am interested in seing Lesnar work with these guys though, he never strikes me as a "people person".
The over/under on broken doors this season is 2.5
It's "inconsistent with human urine" because he's a beast!
It's #Tigerblood
Quote from: Jonny Briggs on March 30, 2011, 04:01:58 PM
It's "inconsistent with human urine" because he's a beast!
QFT
One of my favourite fights, very disappointed. Hope he gets back in track.
I honestly dont know what to expect, lets hope tonights a good one.
Watching it now and this looks like it's gonna be a good season without any "characters" to make it fun and fancy. We're gonna see some good fights.
just watch it ... going to be interesting season .
what a shitty fight.
Maybe he's part animal like the Brundlefly.
Nah, just a cheating cock.
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Duckman on April 01, 2011, 12:45:03 PM
Nah, just a cheating cock.
(http://coffeeforclosers.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/boo.gif)
Cock-a-doodle-don't...do drugs, m'kay! :)
Peace
Duckman
Felt really sorry for the kid who blew his knee out and couldn't stay. Sounded like a nasty injury too.
Hard to judge any of the guys off one show. Just interesting to see how Brock acts and reacts to situations. Dos Santos seems like a really nice dude. Doesn't come across like a bad ass fighter!
Quite a boring first fight, but I don't remember many seasons were the opening fights were great. Lot of guys just don't want to risk losing this early in the season.
Looking forward to the rest of the season though!
Peace
Duckman
Nice to see the underdog win this week. 3rd round was good, first 2 were shit.
The pre-fight promos made me think the underdog would win, but as i'm accustomed to wrestling i was waiting for the swerve, glad it didnt happen
Chael Sonnen was sentenced to:
24 months probation
A $10,000 fine
Forfeiture of his real estate license
In a plea bargain stemming from a 2006 mortgage fraud charge.
This was what was expected when he plead guilty.
So, opens the door for him to come back to the UFC - once he gets his license to fight back. Let the rumour mill begin about Sonnen and Bisping fighting.
Peace
Duckman
Diaz/Daleys 1st round was unreal.
Melendez is my new #1 fav LW. He finishes fights....nuff said,.
Nick Diaz is the man! Goddamn it. I'm a fan of another fighter!
Season has been boring thus far. Also, heard it's bringing in it's lowest or low ratings in a long time... but I haven't cared to check that out, yet.
He's been my favourite fighter for 4 years now, hopefully with the UFC marketing, he can line up a shot for the superstardom he deserves.
Its alot of .....fighting safe, which is the case most seasons....but its god awful boring.
i will be honest ... i think the fighting lack something , maybe they should have had the guys fight to get into the house ... it still earlier in the season , it might pick up
I agree with BD.
Having the fights to get into the house makes not only the fighters more hungry, but it helps show who I'm going to cheer for, lol.
Quote from: Cory on April 12, 2011, 06:59:20 PM
He's been my favourite fighter for 4 years now, hopefully with the UFC marketing, he can line up a shot for the superstardom he deserves.
I doubt I'd go that far. I'm a fan of his fighting, but his personality is absolute shit. He's crazy.
C'mon people, lets start talking about one of the biggest cards in UFC history, well at least biggest venue.
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Venue: Rogers Centre
Broadcast: Pay-per-view and Spike TV
MAIN CARD
* Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Jake Shields (for welterweight title)
* Champ Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick (for featherweight title)
* Jason Brilz vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
* Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida
* Mark Bocek vs. Ben Henderson
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
* Nate Diaz vs. Rory MacDonald
* Jake Ellenberger vs. Sean Pierson
Supposed to be 55,000 people in attendance, really pissed I couldnt fly up, have an exam to write THAT friday and sunday, so it was practical. Lets hope it turns out to be a good card.
the best right now against the one of the best upcoming in the division... Shields has all the tools to beat him... and truth i would not be surprise if he did . I got to go with the champ , but it not going to be a cake walk for gsp
aldo is the man ... but can he prove it on ufc ppv
truth all randy got to do is take down Machida and sit on his ass ... Lyoto mat skills are nothing compare to randy ... Lyoto needs to keep it stand up to win it
Henderson to win ... don't let the smooth taste fool you
I hope Couture wins, but i doubt it.
Fuck Machida, no homo
While the personalities of the main event guys won't sell much, there's no doubt that as one of the most intriguing GSP fights in a while - it's going to be awesome. Not a knock down, drag out kind of war, but a serious human chess match where one mistake could mean the end of the fight. I think both guys are that talented.
The big question has to be, can Shields get the biggest win of his career in what a lot of people would see as an upset? Personally I think he's got the tools to do it but it's got to the point where I just can't look past GSP against anyone! Still I think Shields will make this more of a fight than either Cuntcheck or Hardy - granted that doesn't say much. Still, I don't think GSP will 'own' this fight by any stretch and it will be a serious test of just how great GSP is. He comes through this fight with the Title in tact? He's gotta be best pound of pound in the world.
The atmosphere alone is going to be worth the PPV price. I hope the UFC make a good job of getting the lighting and sound right in the arena because sometimes their events sound a little flat. The Canadian fans always make for a great show but with GSP and 55,000 of them in there on the night? It should be one of the loudest and most intense UFC shows of all time.
I can't wait to see Aldo in the UFC. I've now been able to see all his WEC fights - thanks to Extreme Sports channel over here showing a WEC event every night at 10pm. Last night I watched him just chop the shit out of Faber's legs and before that I saw him knock Mike Brown the fuck out! Also was able to see the fight where he threw that crazy double flying knee strike!! Incredible. Cage rust could be an issue but I expect Aldo to come out and win this one impressively. He is seriously one of the best fighters I've ever seen.
Also with the WEC being on a lot I've seen a lot of Ben Henderson. This guy is the real deal. Granted he's a pretty boy but fuck, the man can fight. I'm really looking to him and Aldo to make huge impressions on the UFC with their fights and really set the stall for the lower weight class guys.
Machida/Couture is also intriguing as hell. Can Randy get hold of Machida, drag him down and rough him up? Or will Machida be too fast and too elusive with his striking and keep Couture at bay while beating him up from distance? Who knows!! I'm just looking forward to seeing how it plays out and where each guy goes after the fight. Could be the last we see of Couture if he loses? Will Machida get back into the Title picture with a win? Lots of questions to ask.
This is a great show on paper and will be a real spectacle with such a huge crowd and 2 titles on the line. Can't wait!!
Peace
Duckman
4/19/2011 4:47 PM ET By Mike Chiappetta
We knew this day would come eventually, but Randy Couture has gone on so far past the normal limits of human athletic performance that maybe we started to believe it would never happen. Just two months shy of his 48th birthday, Couture says he sees the end of his mixed martial arts career racing towards him. He will fight Lyoto Machida at UFC 129 on April 30 in front of 55,000 fans, and win, lose or draw, he will call it quits right afterward to focus on acting and other interests.
It's a decision he made once before. He retired in 2006 after losing to Chuck Liddell in the third fight of their trilogy, but with the benefit of hindsight, Couture says now that he knows that was simply a break necessary due to other trying events in his life. But this one, he says will stick.
Next weekend in Toronto will be the last time we see "The Natural" in his natural environment.
"I kind of want to go out on my own terms and decide when enough is enough, and I think that time has come," Couture said during a Tuesday teleconference.
If it is the end, he is certainly going to leave the sport in style. The event will be by far the largest MMA show ever promoted in North America in terms of attendance and gate. Though he downplayed it, the retirement of Couture, who has always been a fan favorite, may end up overshadowing the rest of the card and will almost certainly result in him receiving an ovation that will rival and perhaps surpass that of anyone on the card, including welterweight champion and Canadian national hero Georges St. Pierre.
Couture already has his first two post-fighting projects lined up. In May, he'll begin shooting a role in an action film entitled "Hijacked" while in August, he'll move on to the sequel to the 2010 hit "The Expendables."
His desire to move into a new phase of life factors more into the retirement decision than any fight-related factors. In fact, Couture told MMA Fighting that even at 47, his body is responsive and capable of competing at a high level throughout a grinding training camp.
"That was one of the things I've struggled with, is that I am healthy as ever and feel great and I feel I have the ability to compete, and compete at this level," he said. "I feel I've stretched it and pushed it, and I don't want to wait until I have those issues to think about and weigh into training camp or weigh into a camp. That's part of going out on my terms.
"I don't want to wait until I have that injury and have doctors telling me, 'You can't fight anymore,'" he continued. "That will affect all the other things I like to do. I like to hunt, I like to ride my bike. I like to do other things. I'm healthy and can enjoy most of my life right now. I don't want to wait too long."
Couture was ready to walk away and call it a career after his last match against James Toney, the boxer who ventured into MMA and was handily defeated by Couture in a first-round submission. A month after that fight, his lawyer Sam Spira told MMA Fighting that Couture might have fought for the last time, but could possibly be lured back for an "interesting" fight.
This time around, Couture added no such qualifiers to his retirement talk, though he noted that with a win, he realized the UFC might continue to approach him with fight offers.
With his decision seemingly made, the legend says a win or loss won't sway him; his lasting memories of the fight will come from how he performs, and they are memories that will have to last him the rest of his life. Before 55,000 fans and for the last time, the multi-time, multi-divisional champion will walk away from a sport he helped bring into international prominence.
"My life is going fantastic, it couldn't be going any better," he said. "I'm coming off three straight victories and everything's firing and going well. It's the right time for me to go out with my head up and go out with this competition. It's my 30th fight, I've been doing this for 14 years. It's time for me to focus on other things in life and enjoy my life a little bit."
4/18/2011 12:58 PM ET By Mike Chiappetta
Over the last week, Nick Diaz has spoken extensively about the possibility of a big boxing payday. First, he called out two-time light-middleweight champ Fernando Vargas, but that fight seems unlikely to happen due to Vargas' medical issues.
Diaz's camp then called out former super middleweight champ Jeff Lacy. According to Lacy's team, it's a fight he's more than willing to take. On Monday, Lacy's management group confirmed his interest in facing the Strikeforce welterweight champ in a boxing match.
"Nick has accomplished a great deal in mixed martial arts and is certainly one of the best in the sport," Lacy said in a statement. "But getting in the ring with me for a boxing match is a path he needs to be very wary of taking. I'm willing to put it all on the line anytime, anywhere."
The 33-year-old Lacy would certainly be a credible opponent. He has a career mark of 25-4 with 1 no contest, competed for the U.S. during the 2000 Olympics, and has fought major names including Roy Jones, Jr., Jermain Taylor and Joe Calzaghe during his 10-year pro run. Seventeen of his wins have come by way of knockout. Lacy, though, has lost two straight fights, including an upset loss to unheralded Dhafir Smith in his last bout, just last December.
Though Diaz is best known for his handiwork in MMA cages with a career mark of 25-7, 1 no contest, he has boxed once professionally, winning his only match by unanimous decision back in April 2005. Despite winning 10 in a row, Diaz has voiced growing frustration about his MMA career.
During a recent interview on "Inside MMA," Diaz and his team voiced both that frustration along with a continued interest in boxing.
"I don't know," Diaz said. "I don't see much of a future in this sport for me, I honestly don't. Especially if there's not a whole s---load of money going on."
Lacy's manager Joey Gilbert -- himself a pro boxer -- was very complimentary of Diaz's skills, saying "his comfort level in the pocket and under fire is comparable to any seasoned boxing champion's" and adding that he believes Diaz has the best hands in MMA.
That said, Lacy's team has no doubt Diaz is in over his head if he does take the plunge against a high-caliber opponent.
"For the right price, I'm more than interested in heading to his turf and putting my fist in his mouth and silencing him," Lacy said.
4/19/2011 11:00 AM ET By Michael David Smith
Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren won a controversial unanimous decision over Marcos Galvao on Saturday night in Yuma, Arizona, with all three judges seeing the fight differently than nearly every member of the MMA media saw it.
Particularly surprising about the decision was that judge Chuck Wolfe scored the bout 30-27 for Warren: Not only did Wolfe score the first and third rounds for Warren, as did his fellow judges, but Wolfe also gave Warren the second round, even though almost everyone else watching thought that round was decidedly Galvao's.
Although Wolfe declined to go into a detailed blow-by-blow account of the second round, he defended his scorecard and his decision, saying on Tuesday morning that he thought all three rounds in the fight were close, and that in close rounds, something relatively minor can be the difference in a 10-9 score.
"It could be one takedown different, it could be one punch different, it could be one kick different, it could be one attempted submission different," Wolfe said.
Wolfe said he wasn't aware that his scoring of the fight had caused a controversy in the MMA community, and he said that as a judge he can't be concerned about how fans or the media view his decisions. He also said that his background as a professional kickboxer and his knowledge of MMA gives him insight that surpasses that of the average fan watching at home.
"I've judged and refereed since the beginning of the sport, I've been head official for over 600 different bouts," Wolfe said. "If you want to question my credentials, I think I have way more than anyone out there to be qualified to judge. I know fans get disappointed, but I don't think you're going to have Joe Warren fans complain about how the decision went."
Wolfe acknowledged that Galvao landed some significant strikes in the fight, but he said nothing Galvao did was enough to justify giving him any of the three rounds.
"Did he damage Warren in that fight? Yeah, he did, for a short period of time," Wolfe said. "I remember the bout very clearly. When they are close rounds there's one thing or maybe two things that might put someone ahead. ... You can grade it 10-10 but you might as well not be there if you're not going to score someone to win the round."
Bellator promoter Bjorn Rebney said after the fight that he found Wolfe's 30-27 score for Warren hard to understand, but the judges work independently of the promoters. Bellator 41 took place at a resort owned by the Cocopah Indian Tribe, and Wolfe and the other judges were hired by the Potawatomi Athletic Commission. Wolfe noted that the tribal commission follows the standard procedures employed by state athletic commissions, including telling the judges to watch the fights with their naked eyes. Judges are not provided with TV monitors, which means they're seeing the fight from a different vantage point than the fans at home.
"There are a lot of things that a fan will cheer about outside the cage, but each judge has a different viewpoint and a different angle," Wolfe said. "Unfortunately, judges don't have a replay, don't have a rewind, they just have to judge by what they see."
Ultimately, Wolfe said, if Galvao isn't happy with the decision he should look in the mirror, not at the judges.
"He had three rounds to take Warren out if he really wanted to beat him -- he had three rounds to dominate Warren, as well as Warren had three rounds to dominate him," Wolfe said. "It's up to the fighter. ... Don't leave it in the hands of the judges, especially when it's a close fight."
4/19/2011 3:39 PM ET By Mike Chiappetta
UFC president Dana White has indicated to MMA Fighting that the promotion has no interest in offering a fight to Brazilian pioneer Royce Gracie for the UFC's upcoming August event in Rio de Janeiro, refuting previous reports that talks between the two sides could result in a Gracie return.
Just last week, Gracie told Brazilian news site Esporte.UOL.com that negotiations for his return were ongoing.
Gracie is considered the sport's early seminal figure, winning three of the first four UFC tournaments with a jiu-jitsu style that was then foreign to most fight fans but has become a necessity in modern MMA. At just 6-foot-1 and around 175 pounds, Gracie used his ground skills to tap out opponents who sometimes outweighed him by 50 pounds or more.
At 44 years old though, Gracie (14-2-3) has not competed in the sport in nearly four years. In his last match, which took place in June 2007, he defeated Kazushi Sakuraba via unanimous decision, but afterward tested positive for steroids and was suspended for a year by the California state athletic commission.
The legend has not fought in the UFC's octagon since May 2006, when he returned after more than 11 years away from the promotion, only to suffer a first-round drubbing at the hands of then UFC welterweight champ Matt Hughes. The fight took place at a 175-pound catch weight, and Hughes dominated Gracie en route to a first-round TKO.
While Gracie would like one more chance to close out his career in style, it looks like the legend is unlikely to see the inside of the octagon at UFC 134.
I wish i could see him fight one last... My all time fav. and he the one that made me a fan of MMA
This just adds to the fact that I want him to win.
I think the most legendary UFC fighter of all time, with out a doubt.
If he did fight, it would probably be considered a side show, much like Hershel Walker, but eh, it'll sell.
This would not go well for Nick Diaz! He has awesome hands for MMA but boxing is just different. In his last 2 fights he's been dropped by a punch (possibly 3, I can't remember if Noons actually put him down) He's got balls & cardio to spare but I'm not sure that his boxing would work quite as well without fear of his BJJ.
As Joe Rogan always says: "that man is my hero."
I think what he's done in the sport, for as long as he's done it, at the highest level possible makes him one of the greatest of all time.
Going to be an emotional final night in the octagon for Couture and his fans. I expect him to get one hell of a send off and rightfully so.
Let's just hope he goes out with a great win!
Peace
Duckman
As an undercard attraction I don't see the harm in him being on the show. Even in some kind of exhibition or something.
But fighting anyone decent? Nah, it'll do more harm than good to his incredible legacy in the sport.
Peace
Duckman
Eesh. Diaz would have to be insane to go up against someone with that level of skill and experience.
I know he's had boxing experience but going up against a former World Champion is totally different.
It wouldn't be as bad as what happened to James Tony when the roles were reversed. Still, even with his amazing heart, competent boxing skills and great cardio I just can't see him winning against anyone who is at or has been at the World Title level.
Would still watch his first boxing match that's for sure.
You ask me, he just needs to concentrate on getting that mega money unification fight against GSP or whoever is the WW Champ (other than Shields cause he obviously won't fight him) at the time.
I just get the feeling that his boxing looks good in MMA but would be exposed as not being up to the top level if he was to fight another top level boxer.
Still, one of my favourite fighters at the moment - mean mother fucker, cuts brilliant promos and FINISHES FIGHTS! Can't ask for more than that!
Peace
Duckman
I demand to see Royce Gracie vs Brock Lesnar.
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on April 20, 2011, 10:21:59 PM
I demand to see Royce Gracie vs Brock Lesnar.
LMAO
That why I love the Honker
If he did come back, who would you honestly want to see him fight? Are there any good matchups?
Maybe Damien Maia at a CW
finally a finish!
4/20/2011 9:32 AM ET By Ben Fowlkes
Dan Severn has always been a believer in setting goals for himself. Even now the 52-year-old UFC Hall of Famer writes down in his daily planner what he wants to accomplish by the end of each year, then checks that list almost every day to see if he's on the right track.
But with an official record of 99-16-7 and a career that spans almost the entire history of MMA in North America, even Severn is running out of goals in the sport. There are only a few he'd still like to accomplish before he retires at the end of 2012, and the clock is running out.
For starters, he'd like to get to 100 wins. Since he already has three wins this year and two more fights scheduled before the end of May, that one seems perfectly feasible. But it's who he'd like to eventually beat that may prove more problematic.
"I really only have three matches that I was trying to accomplish," Severn told MMA Fighting. "That's one more match with Ken Shamrock, one more match with Mark Coleman, and one more match with Royce Gracie."
The first two he's pretty sure he can accomplish on his own, in one of the smaller MMA organizations. The third? For that one, Severn said, he may need the UFC's help, and this is where it gets tricky.
Ever since he heard rumors that Gracie might return to the Octagon at UFC 134 in Brazil this August, Severn has been campaigning to be his opponent. He's left phone messages and fired off emails to the UFC about it, but has heard nothing in response.
He knows it's a long shot. The two first met in a time before weight classes, but now several divisions and at least seventy pounds stand between them. There's also the fact that, according to UFC president Dana White, the organization has no intention of bringing Gracie back at all. But the way Severn sees it, he has nothing to lose by asking.
"As I always tell people, you can't read my mind, so I'm telling you. I have interest in doing this match," he said. "Will it happen? I don't know."
To understand Severn's dogged persistence in the young man's world of professional fighting, it helps to understand how he found his way here to begin with. The first time Severn punched another human being in the face, he said, was when he was in his thirties. Even then, it was only out of financial necessity.
In the early '90s the former All-American wrestler from Arizona State took what he thought was a stable, lucrative job in the automotive industry. In the span of two weeks he sold one house and bought another one closer to his new job in Coldwater, Michigan. Only by the end of those two weeks, he no longer had the job.
"The corporation's explanation was that the guy who hired me had overstepped his bounds," Severn said. "We were in one of the worst recessions we had been in, except for what we're in now, so for me to find another job was virtually impossible. I asked an attorney friend what I should do and he said, 'Dan, the first thing you need to do is go sign up for unemployment.' I said, 'I don't know how to do something like that. I've never been on unemployment in my entire life.'"
Severn spent his days looking for a job and his nights training to be a pro wrestler â€" a field some of his colleagues from the amateur wrestling ranks had gone into. One day he came across a flyer advertising a local toughman contest where the winner was promised one thousand dollars.
"All I knew was, I needed a thousand dollars," Severn said. "So I signed up and I went to it."
He sported a dark, bushy mustache and amateur wrestling singlet, which earned him some peculiar looks as the boxing gloves were laced onto his hands. The bouts consisted of three one-minute rounds, and there wasn't much technique on display, as Severn remembers it.
"It was kind of ugly, and we weren't exactly abiding by the Queensbury Rules. All I know is, two days later I walked out of there with a thousand dollars. ... I had to find a way to make some money in a really sh-tty economic time. So I made my money the old-fashioned way: I walked into a ring and I beat people up and I took it."
Severn was beginning to dip his toe into the prizefighting waters, but it wasn't until a friend showed him the first couple UFC events that he began to seriously consider getting in the cage. In Coldwater they didn't even get pay-per-view events, Severn said, and though he'd done one shootfighting event in Japan, he still knew little to nothing about the striking arts.
"It was a friend of mine in Detroit who watched the first couple and he made me copies of them on VHS tape and said, 'Hey, you ought to think about doing this.' I saw people getting kicked in the face and I thought, these are not exactly skills I possess. But then he said, 'Look at this skinny guy doing jiu-jitsu and beating everyone.' That skinny guy, of course, was Royce Gracie."
It seemed simple enough, so Severn signed up for UFC 4. At first, he thought the best chance he'd get would be as an alternate for the one-night tournament. Then, just days before the event in December of 1994, the UFC informed him that he was in.
"By the time I was given the nod, I was a last-minute fill-in. My training camp consisted of five days of training for an hour and a half each day. Then I walked into the world of no-holds-barred. I did not train a single strike. I did not train a single submission."
Severn also didn't tell his friends or family what he was up to. He thought it would be his little secret, but it just so happened that his uncles had ordered the pay-per-view. When they recognized their nephew on the TV screen, they wasted no time calling Severn's father and asking him if he knew where his boy Danny was that evening.
'He said, 'Well, isn't he in Coldwater?' They said, 'No he's about to fight in this cage here on TV,' Severn recalled. "I'm just shy of 37 years of age and my father ends up chewing me out after it was over."
His uncles called back after each round to update Severn's parents, and the news got better with each dispatch. On the strength of his athleticism and wrestling skills alone he breezed through the quarterfinals and semis. Every time he emerged for another walk to the Octagon, he wore the same gray t-shirt, darkened by just a little more sweat after each fight. This, Severn said, was by design.
"A lot of people asked me why I wore this plain gray t-shirt. Everyone who knows about university athletics knows that every athletic department will issue you your set of grays. I used to grade my workout by how many t-shirts I would sweat through. A standard practice for me was two shirts, and I mean soaked. You'd peel it off, throw it against the wall, and you'd hear a slop. A really good day? Three shirts. Standard was two."
It may have been the beginning of his MMA career, and he may have been in his mid-thirties, but he wanted to show that he was bringing the same work ethic to it that he had to college wrestling.
"This was my grassroots here," said Severn. "I've been issued my grays. Now I'm going to work."
It was smooth sailing until Severn met Gracie in the finals. Severn's size and strength advantage appeared to be ruling the day, but just under sixteen minutes into the fight he found himself caught in a triangle choke, which he had no idea how to escape from. Severn was forced to tap out, and only then did he realize how much he still had to learn about the new sport of MMA.
"Like they say, it's a physical chess match," Severn said. "It's just that checkmate hurts a little bit more."
Severn would go on to have a prolific career in the nascent sport, winning the UFC 5 tournament and the Ultimate Ultimate tournament. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he stayed active even as the sport changed around him, and he evolved along with it. Perhaps most impressively, his work ethic never flagged. The year he turned 49 he fought ten times, and that was just a tad more than normal for Severn.
Only now that the ride is coming to an end â€" or so he says â€" he knows it might not be so easy to finally give it up.
"There's not going to be any gum for me to chew or any patch for me to put on my arm, so yeah, it might be tough. But you'll never find another guy like me because of all the different interests I have. I look upon mixed martial arts as a hobby. It's been a well-paying hobby, but it's nothing that I do because I need the money."
A rematch with Gracie, who defeated him back when he was just a 36-year-old baby in the sport? That would be nice, but he's not going to lose sleep over it if it doesn't happen. It's just that, after a lifetime of setting goals and going after them, it's not in him to sit back and say nothing while a potential opportunity passes him by.
"Do I expect this match to really materialize?" Severn said. "I don't know. I think the weight thing will be the biggest barrier to it. But I have nothing to lose by at least saying, yeah, I'm willing to do this match. At least then my voice is heard."
4/21/2011 2:28 PM ET By Mike Chiappetta
Vitor Belfort will look to bounce back into the win column after suffering a loss in his recent middleweight championship fight, when he takes on Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133.
The match was confirmed by UFC president Dana White to ESPN UK.
White also confirmed the event would take place in Philadelphia on August 6, as first reported by MMA Fighting back in February.
Belfort (19-9) was knocked out in the first-round of his title fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 126, a loss that snapped a five-fight win streak. Afterward, he had been expected to make his return against Wanderlei Silva, but that plan was eventually scrapped.
Meanwhile, Akiyama will be hoping to put an end to a two-fight losing streak. Two previously rumored fights never materialized due to various reasons. A matchup with Chael Sonnen was tabled due to Sonnen's suspension, while he later pulled out of a matchup with Nate Marquardt after the recent devastating natural disasters struck his home country of Japan.
Other announced bouts so far include Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara and Michael McDonald vs. Nick Pace.
4/21/2011 10:30 AM ET By Ben Fowlkes
These days Jake Shields has a problem he's never dealt with before. For most of his career, he was one of the best, but least recognizable fighters in MMA.
Now, thanks to his title shot against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 129 on April 30 â€" and a significant promotional push from the UFC â€" his anonymity is a thing of the past.
"Sometimes just random people come up â€" and they're fans, you have to be nice to them and I completely appreciate my fans â€" but sometimes when you're just walking around you don't want to think about [the fight]," Shields told MMA Fighting. "Sometimes guys will come up and ask me how much I weigh or telling me how I should fight GSP. It's like, come on, man. Don't tell me how I should fight him. I have trainers for that."
Then again, every fighter has trainers. Shields also has something else that most don't: a manager who treats him like family. Because, well, he is.
Jack Shields coached his son in wrestling from the ages of nine to nineteen, but he was reluctant to get involved in Jake's MMA career at first.
"After the ['Mach'] Sakurai fight he didn't get any offers," Shields' father explained. "He upset Sakurai and then two months later he still wasn't in any fights. So he asked me to find him a fight."
The elder Shields had some experience representing bands and putting together the occasional music festival in the Sierra Nevada mountains, but he had never come close to managing a pro fighter before. Still, this was his son asking for his help, so he made some calls, offered the U.S. Shooto organization a few suggestions, and soon Jake had a fight.
"Jake asked me to manage him after that and I said, 'I'm sure there's someone down there who knows the business a lot better than I do. I'm all the way up here in the mountains. There's got to be someone closer to you who knows this business.' Six to eight months later he sent me a contract that somebody wanted him to sign and then I took over. It was terrible. I had to [delete] the whole thing and write a new one."
He's beat a lot of top fighters and yet he's never gotten a lot of attention.
-- Jack Shields
Shields' father has been calling the shots ever since, and both men have been pleased with the results. In that time Shields has gone from a champion on small regional promotions to a fighter on the national stage, though the goal was always to end up in the UFC, as Shields made clear when his Strikeforce contract came up for renewal in 2010.
"Unfortunately, Jake didn't play it as close to the vest as I would have liked," Jack said with a wry laugh. "We were in Strikeforce under a welterweight contract, and we were fighting middleweights because there wasn't any welterweight competition. After [Dan] Henderson, there wasn't really anyone left at middleweight. You couldn't see three fights ahead. You couldn't even see two fights ahead."
At the first opportunity, Shields made the jump to the UFC. Now comes the hard part, especially for a fighter who's gotten used to being ignored.
With the 'UFC Primetime' cameras in his face for the past few weeks, and his phone ringing constantly, Shields has had to adjust to the sudden heat of the spotlight on the fly.
"I try to stay focused, but it feels different because there's a lot more media attention and people coming up to me. It feels different in that way, but I keep my head on straight. Fighting for the UFC is amazing, and not a lot of people will get to do it, but winning a UFC title is a different story, especially against one of the best champs in the world right at his prime, and that's something I want to do. I feel like yeah, if I lost now I could always come back and win a UFC title. But it would mean so much more to take it from GSP right in his prime."
The way his father sees it, the strange part isn't the media attention that this fight is getting. With a crowd of 55,000 expected at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on April 30, a little extra buzz is to be expected. No, the strange part is that it took this long for his son to get the recognition he earned.
"It's been crazy, but Jake's been a top level fighter, in the top ten since 2004," Shields said. "He's beat a lot of top fighters and yet he's never gotten a lot of attention. This fight is getting more attention than any fight I can remember, and it's just gone off the hook. The enormity of this particular event is even bigger than we imagined."
[Jake's] confidence tends to wash over me, and I usually go into the fights relaxed and confident as well.
-- Jack Shields
Fighting under that kind of pressure, and against one of the most dominant champs in MMA, is bound to be a little tougher than defending an EliteXC title in Sunrise, Florida. A fighter has to be on top of his game mentally, which is where Shields thinks previous challengers have gone wrong.
"I think a lot of guys go out there already beaten. They do it with a lot of the great champs. When they're at their peak and all these people tell you they can't be beat, you might start believing it. But for me, I've never felt that way. I've been a big underdog in several fights, but I always believe in myself and I'm going to go out there and fight."
And while most fathers would be overwhelmed by the stress of sitting outside the cage and watching their son fight for a world title â€" all under the contract they negotiated for him â€" the elder Shields said he draws his strength from his son's.
"Jake is somebody who fights cool. Before the fight he stays relaxed and he'll be back there joking. I've been back there with other people â€" I'm not going to name them, but friends of ours who fight â€" and some of them work themselves up to get mad and angry before they go fight. Jake doesn't do that. He's totally relaxed and totally confident. That relaxed confidence tends to wash over me, and I usually go into the fights relaxed and confident as well."
That's a good thing, because on fight night in Toronto there's likely to be a vocal mob of Canadians doing their best to unnerve the Shields family in every way they can think of. Staying relaxed and confident through all that will only be a fraction of the battle.
4/21/2011 9:50 AM ET By Ariel Helwani
Dana White told MMA Fighting earlier this month that Nick Diaz "could be a big star if he would just calm down a little bit and not be so angry with everybody."
But UFC color analyst Joe Rogan said on Monday's episode of The MMA Hour that he likes Nick Diaz just the way he is.
"I like Nick Diaz as Nick Diaz. I don't think he has to do anything different," Rogan said.
"I think what Nick Diaz needs is big fights. I think what Nick Diaz needs is promotion and big fights. Obviously, I'm biased when it comes to this whole Strikeforce-UFC thing, both under the same umbrella, but what I hope it leads to is super-fights. I want to see Nick Diaz against the very best in the UFC. I would love to see Nick Diaz vs. Josh Koscheck. I would love to see Nick Diaz vs. Georges St-Pierre."
Rogan, who called Nick Diaz one of "the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world" last year, offered glowing praise when discussing Diaz's recent win over Paul Daley.
"I think he's one of the best fighters in the world, I really do. He's one of the most exciting, and that's for sure. Just think about what kind of a champion fights a guy with his own style and takes it to him the way he did to Paul Daley. I mean, he threw caution to the wind and went out there and banged with Paul Daley and took him out with his own style. [It was] an incredible fight.
"I am a huge Georges St-Pierre fan, and I think he is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but I couldn't imagine him employing that kind of a strategy in a championship fight and making it so exciting. Nick Diaz is a wildman. He just goes in there guns blazing, and he doesn't have to. He has an amazing jiu-jitsu background, we saw that in the Cyborg fight, as soon as it went to the ground and he was on his back, he locked up Cyborg in an armbar, and you know, Cyborg is a real experienced veteran. Nick is a phenom. He has improved dramatically.
he last time Diaz fought someone with a solid wrestling background was Sean Sherk in 2006. Coincidentally, or maybe not, he lost the bout via unanimous decision (and Diaz would probably tell you that was the last time he legitimately lost a fight since his fight against KJ Noons one year later ended due to a doctor's stoppage.)
Rogan believes Diaz will only truly be tested when he faces another legitimate wrestler.
"The real issue that Nick is going to have is with wrestlers. He's going to have an issue with guys who hold him down and don't do anything, hold him down and play it really safe and just punch him and hit him with short elbows. I think those guys are going give him trouble always in the UFC. But in Strikeforce, when he's fighting Cyborg, when he's fighting Paul Daley or Scott Smith, those guys, they're not going to do that, they're going to stand with him, and that's when he looks spectacular."
Tyron Woodley, a former collegiate wrestler at the University of Missouri, made a statement at the Diaz vs. Daley fight by wearing a "I Got Next" T-shirt. The undefeated fighter appears to be next in line for Diaz, but with Diaz's sights set on boxing and Woodley's lack of star power, who knows when that fight will actually take place.
"I think he wants a big payday. The problem with Tyron Woodley is, even though he's very good, he's an excellent fighter, the general public has no idea who he is, so [a Diaz vs. Woodley fight is] not going to command a Georges St-Pierre-like purse."
4/21/2011 9:31 AM ET By Matt Erickson
The UFC has raised several personal bars with its first stadium show, UFC 129 next week in Toronto. Why not one more?
The UFC announced early Thursday morning via its Twitter feed that all five of its unaired preliminary card fights for UFC 129 will be streamed live on Facebook. MMA Fighting was first to report Wednesday that at least two bouts were planned for the social networking giant.
For the first time in its history, every fight on the card will air on a broadcast of some type. The first five fights will stream at the UFC's Facebook fan page, a trend the company started in January at its Fight for the Troops 2 show. Two prelims will air live on Spike TV, a common pay-per-view lead-in the promotion started at UFC 103 in September 2009. And the main card will air on pay-per-view.
UFC 129, which takes place on April 30, will be the company's debut in the Canadian province of Ontario, which passed MMA legislation last fall. It marks the UFC's first stadium show, taking place at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, home of Major League Baseball's Blue Jays and Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts. The event instantly shattered North American MMA attendance and gate records, selling its initial stock of 42,000 tickets to fan club members alone, forcing another 13,000 tickets to be made available to the general public. And the gate for those 55,000 fans is expected to be in excess of $10 million.
The main card pay-per-view for UFC 129 airs an hour earlier â€" 9 p.m. Eastern â€" than the 10 p.m. start time that has been customary. The Spike TV prelims air at 8 p.m. Eastern, and the live Facebook stream will start at 6 p.m. Eastern.
UFC 129, which also is preceded by the company's first Canadian Fan Expo, features a main event welterweight title fight between champion Georges St-Pierre, considered the most popular athlete in Canada, and challenger Jake Shields. The co-main event is the UFC's first featherweight title fight, pitting champion Jose Aldo against Ontario's Mark Hominick. Also on the card, Hall of Famer Randy Couture fights for what he says will be the last time when he meets former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.
The full fight card for UFC 129 is below.
Main Card
Georges St-Pierre vs. Jake Shields
Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Jason Brilz
Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida
Mark Bocek vs. Ben Henderson
Spike TV Prelims
Nate Diaz vs. Rory MacDonald
Sean Pierson vs. Jake Ellenberger
Facebook Prelims
Claude Patrick vs. Daniel Roberts
Ivan Menjivar vs. Charlie Valencia
Jason MacDonald vs. Ryan Jensen
John Makdessi vs. Kyle Watson
Yves Jabouin vs. Pablo Garza
Not gonna lie, I say do it.
Put it as the 2nd or 3rd fight on the card.
Thats a sick fight right there, hard to say it wont be anything but a stand up war
I agree 100% with everything Rogan said.
Dana needs to market this guy as the bad guy he is.
Hell, you can still be a bad guy and be over in MMA.
Very true.
I listened to that whole interview with Rogan. The dude talks a lot of sense.
I see UFC signed Mayhem, wonder if that will tempt Diaz or just piss him off?!?
Peace
Duckman
Even a fight with Mayhem wont bring Diaz the purse he wants.
Diaz wants GSP/top 10 p4p money, and hes not making it. He gets just over $150,000 a fight, whereas Silva/GSP get $400,000-$600,000 w/ win bonus.
I think Mayhem would make his tear more credible then it is, but theres not a whole lot of money there. He needs to go to UFC to get 'paid'.
How much weight do you give to the comments that Diaz struggles against high level wrestlers and that's the reason he won't go to UFC as most of their top ten guys are wrestlers?
Personally I don't see Diaz as the kind of guy who would duck anyone!
Peace
Duckman
I agree, even thought hes my favourite fighter, I think hell struggle against Koshcheck and Fitch and GSP, but I highly doubt he'd duck anyone.....ever.
Plus if it goes to the ground, hes phenominal on his back, but like Rogan said its guys like Fitch and Koshcheck (v/s Daley for example) that lay and pray that would cause serious problems.
4/23/2011 4:00 PM ET By Michael David Smith
Jason "Mayhem" Miller's return to the Octagon will take place in July, as he battles Aaron Simpson at UFC 132. The UFC announced the Miller-Simpson fight on Saturday, a day after Miller's signing with the UFC was confirmed.
There's no word yet on whether Miller-Simpson will be on the pay-per-view card, but it would be an ideal fight for a Spike TV preliminary bout. Thanks to his brash personality and his status as host of MTV's Bully Beatdown, Miller was one of the most famous mixed martial artists outside the UFC, and his presence on a basic-cable bout would draw some eyeballs and likely reel in some casual fans to make a last-minute pay-per-view purchase.
The 8-2 Simpson is an outstanding wrestler who is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Mario Miranda in March. Simpson's wrestling and punching power makes him an interesting threat to Miller.
But the 24-7 Miller has to be considered the favorite. Miller has an excellent submission game and is one of the best middleweights in the world off his back. He's also a crafty enough striker to give Simpson trouble standing up. Simpson could certainly win a decision against Miller, but Miller has more ways to win this fight.
Miller has fought in the UFC just once, losing to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 52 six years ago. Miller's second time inside the Octagon should yield his first victory
Should be a good fight, but I hope its not 132's main event lol.
no... i hope not ... more likely one of the matches , but not ME
Ohhhh, I thought by the title UFC 132: Mayhem/Simpson was the name of the card.
My bad BD.
Alrighty then, regardless, anytime Mayhem fights its entertaining. BTW, love the MMA board activity BD, missed this lol.
Gina Carano (8-1 MMA, 1-1 SF) is the newest addition to Greg Jackson's team in Albuquerque, N.M.
Carano recently decided to depart from her home base of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas to prepare with the distinguished Jackson as she prepares to make her return from a 22-month layoff to fight at June's "Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum" event.
Jackson recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) it was rather straightforward how the pair synced up.
"She called me up and said 'Hey, can I come down to Albuquerque to train?'" Jackson said. "I said, 'Sure.' So, she came down to train."
Needless to say, there wasn't much hesitation on Jackson's behalf.
But, through the years, Jackson has said that he's been forced to turn away a variety of fighters because they weren't a good fit for Team Jackson/Winkeljohn.
So, what exactly made Carano, who's still awaiting an opponent for the June return, a good addition when others have failed to fit the mold?
"We don't have any 145ers, and she's really sweet and really nice," Jackson said. "So, those are the things you look for. And she's talented; she's very talented."
Carano brings her talents to a women's team that features former Strikeforce welterweight champion Sarah Kaufman, the undefeated Holly Holm, notable Julie Kedzie and a talented amateur roster.
From Jackson's standpoint, Carano is certainly making the most out of the time spent with the aforementioned ladies. He's thrilled with the decision to bring her on board.
"She's really talented, she works hard, she does what's expected, and I'm impressed," he said. "I'm just starting to get to know her as fighter. But, she's here all the time and she works really, really hard."
Randy Couture, the head of Carano's former team, echoed those sentiments and recently told MMAjunkie.com the split was amicable.
"I'm all for it," Couture said. "I want all the fighters at my gym to go wherever they need to go to get what they need to progress and become the best fighters they can be.
"They can't always get that at Xtreme Couture."
While Jackson continues to familiarize himself with Carano, he confesses that he already sees the potential the polarizing figure of women's MMA possesses.
"She's got the talent, and she has a great work ethic," Jackson said. "Those two things will take you as far as your will can. As I get to know her more as far as helping her out for the fight, we'll get to a better sense of it. But, she definitely has all the talent and all the potential in the world."
A pair of high-profile light heavyweights looking to return to the win column will meet in Philadelphia, as Rich Franklin faces Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
UFC officials today announced the matchup, which takes place at UFC 133.
Though not yet officially announced by the promotion, UFC 133 takes place Aug. 6 in Philadelphia. The city's Wells Fargo Center is expected to host the pay-per-view event.
Franklin is undoubtedly happy to get an opponent of smaller stature. He took on could-be heavyweight Forrest Griffin at UFC 126 in a marquee matchup with personal stakes â€" the two agreed the loser would get a tattoo â€" and struggled with the former champion's bulk when the fight hit the ground. In the end, he lost a unanimous decision and was forced to get some new ink â€" or at least a big splotch of henna shaped as a dragon.
The unfortunate design erased the memory of his previous outing, a knockout win over Chuck Liddell at UFC 115. But that win left him with another reminder in the form of a broken left ulna he suffered when Liddell kicked him in the forearm in the first round of the fight.
Nogueira doesn't cut nearly as much weight as Griffin, but his heavy hands may give Franklin pause. The Brazilian PRIDE veteran and twin brother of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira showed well in his most recent fight against Phil Davis, but the up-and-comer took control of the ground game and lost a unanimous decision in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 24. It was Nogueira's second consecutive setback after Ryan Bader outpointed him at UFC 119 and put him at an even 2-2 inside the octagon.
With back-to-back losses, "Lil Nog" could be facing an uncertain future with a third loss.
Wolfe is a fucking idiot. There is no doubt to anyone with a pair of eyes in their face that it was at the very most a 29-28 win for Warren. Although, I'd say it was actually 29-28 Galvao. The entire thing reeked of Boxing like fixed corruption.
good move ... Jackson could get her to the next level ... very good move
4/25/2011 4:06 PM ET By Mike Chiappetta
A long-rumored deal that would bring former professional wrestling star Dave Batista to mixed martial arts under the Strikeforce banner is now dead.
The 42-year-old, whose real last name is Bautista, quit wrestling in mid-2010 and shortly afterward said he was interested in transitioning into MMA. After months of ongoing negotiations though, Batista told TMZ that talks with Strikeforce came to a close shortly after UFC parent company Zuffa bought Strikeforce.
"It didn't break down until they sold out" he said. "I had no idea. Nobody ever said anything. Scott Coker never said anything. We had a deal on the table. We were just trying to fix a few things and next thing I know they got bought out. That's how it goes."
Batista, who said he was "real disappointed" by the development, said he had spoken to other organizations but had his "heart set on Strikeforce."
As far back as last October, Batista told a Washington, DC radio station that the two sides were "real close" to a deal, had agreed on money, and that he was hoping to make his debut in March 2011. He also announced that he would train with Team Cesar Gracie to prepare for his first match. Strikeforce president Scott Coker later confirmed ongoing dialogue, but that timeframe came and went without a finalized deal, and now it appears he's unlikely ever to fight in major MMA.
Strikeforce officials declined to comment on the report.
4/25/2011 4:15 PM ET By Ray Hui
Of the Joneses, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is much more interested in the boxing great as an opponent than the current UFC light heavyweight champion.
Silva has made it clear it's his dream to fight his idol Roy Jones Jr. and at 36 with "maybe five more years" in the MMA game, Silva still has the desire to box the 42-year-old Jones Jr.
"Maybe finish my contract for UFC, finish my fights in MMA, I'll go," Silva said Monday on The MMA Hour. "This is my goal for my career. It's my dream -- is to fight Roy Jones and boxing."
Although Jones' best boxing days behind him, Jones' decline hasn't stopped Silva from wanting the fight. In 2008, Silva expressed interest in fighting Jones Jr. and a year later the two engaged in discussion of a potential fight. However, UFC president Dana White squashed any immediate possibility of it by saying the fight won't happen as long as Silva is under contract with the UFC.
Silva, who won the UFC belt in October 2006, as the champion, is tied to the UFC. Since the talks of the Jones Jr. fight, Silva has defended his belt another three times and is scheduled to put his belt on the line against Yushin Okami at UFC 134 in August. -- Not that Silva is in a hurry to leave the UFC though. Silva previously stated he wanted to retire at 35, but after speaking with his family and training partners, could be fighting for another five years.
For 2011, when it came to talks about super fights, it's been about the possibility of Silva facing Georges St-Pierre. That matchup now seems unlikely with St-Pierre not ready to move up to middleweight and the general fan interest swaying towards a different opponent. Ever since Jon Jones dismantled Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to win the light heavyweight belt in May, fans have drummed up interest for a Silva vs. Jones "dream matchup."
On The MMA Hour, Silva didn't have much to say about a fight against Jones, but instead showered the 23-year-old champ with praise.
"Sometimes I look at Jon Jones fight and I remember me when I started to fight." Silva said. "I remember. I like Jon Jones. He's a good guy. He has great focus for training, for working. That's it. My opinion is Jon Jones is staying with the belt for a long time."
Silva no longer wants to fight at 205, as to not interfere with Black House teammates such as Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Lyoto Machida. So despite two spectacular performances at 205, Silva will stay in the division he made his name in.
"I finish my career in my class," Silva said.
4/25/2011 12:55 PM ET By Mike Chiappetta
Saturday night is expected to be the last time in the octagon for UFC legend Randy Couture, so expect the tributes to begin trickling in early this week and a flood to follow his fight with Lyoto Machida, win or lose. They are all deserved of course, even though plenty of them will focus on what he's done, rather than what he might do.
What's amazing is that despite all his accomplishments in the cage -- championships and megafights among them -- Couture could end up becoming one of the rare fighters who is more important to the sport in retirement than he was in action. That is a tall order, of course. Couture is and will forever be one of the seminal figures of early MMA, and was one of the few pioneers able to evolve from a singular style to favorably compete with the modern class of hybrid athletes.
His legacy is surely written in stone. He's a multi-time, multi-division champion; he holds a UFC record by competing in 16 title fights; and he was one of the few early personalities that transcended into mainstream consciousness. So what can he do after he hangs up his gloves that he didn't do before? He can be a voice for MMA, he can be an agent for change, he can offer thought-provoking perspective on the direction of the sport.
Couture already has his first two post-MMA roles. They are in the movies. In May he will begin shooting an action film entitled "Hijacked" and in August, he'll move into taping the sequel to "The Expendables." He will probably make a couple of nice paydays and look to continue growing his career in Hollywood. He is certainly entitled to those opportunities, and to shaping his future however he sees fit. He doesn't owe the sport another second of his time.
But there is another role he would be perfect for, one that would allow him to stay involved in his beloved sport and make him a leading voice in its future. It's not in the UFC, but instead, in the media.
For a few years now, Couture has dabbled as an analyst, first for the UFC, then for ESPN on their "MMA Live" show. He's excelled in the role. He perfectly understands the fighter's mind, the business of MMA, and how the two intertwine.
During that time, Couture was one of many who stepped into the guest analyst seat. There is and/or was Rashad Evans, Stephan Bonnar, Chael Sonnen, Frank Mir and Rich Franklin, among others. The common thread: they are all active fighters. As a general rule, when you're under contract with a team, or a promotion, you're not going to say anything too critical of them. When asked, you might offer a few vague words on a controversial subject, but in the interests of self-preservation, you're not going to cut off your nose to spite your face. That's fair, and that's normal -- some would say rational -- human behavior. With Couture there, the show matters more. And when the show matters more, so does the sport.
An analyst by definition should be someone with the independence to fairly look at every side of an issue, someone with vast knowledge of a subject and whose words carry some weight. Someone with a little gravitas. No one in MMA fits that classification better than Couture.
There are certain subjects in MMA that could use a leading voice. Concussions, fighter's unions, fighter pay, performance enhancers, judging issues. This is just a short list of topics in which it would be beneficial to have the input of a retired, respected fighter. Whether it's just bringing attention to the problem or offering a solution, anything from Couture's lips will result in a bigger audience to the issues.
Couture has shown a willingness to address controversial issues in the past, notably in 2008, when he resigned from the UFC after a financial dispute. Given the newfound freedom of retirement, his voice should be welcomed into other hotly debated issues. Among other sports, there has been a trend of utilizing retired athletes in the analyst role. Over the last 10 years, the Sports Emmys for studio analysis and sports event analysis have gone to ex-pro athletes in 18 of 21 awards. Only three-time winner and legendary football broadcaster John Madden kept the pros from a complete sweep. Given Couture's cerebral approach to MMA, his well-known preparation skills and a willingness to tackle important issues, he fits the ideal mold of what an analyst should be.
There are other ways for Couture to continue to impact the sport, of course. He still has his Xtreme Couture gyms, which will continue to churn out top talent. He could use his name to be a Zuffa ambassador in the world at large. Or like Chuck Liddell, he could take a job in the UFC corporate office. Couture mentioned the other day that he plans to stay involved, specifically mentioning the fight to get MMA sanctioned in New York as a possible cause in which to lend his name and voice.
In retirement, Couture is likely to become more inundated with work offers than he was during his active career. As one of MMA's most knowledgeable minds and legendary names, it would be a shame if his platforms did not extend beyond entertainment. There is no replacing Dana White as the mouthpiece of MMA, but it wouldn't hurt to add Randy Couture as its voice of reason. UFC 129 may be the last time we see him fighting, but hopefully it's not the last time we hear his take on issues worth fighting for.
4/25/2011 4:25 PM ET By Ben Fowlkes
In the Octagon that night, former UFC champ B.J. Penn sounded like a defeated, deflated fighter. He'd just fought to a draw with Jon Fitch at UFC 127, and yet the way he talked in his post-fight interview, it sounded like he might be ready to walk away from MMA for good.
But as Penn told Ariel Helwani on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, that was just the disappointment talking.
"I guess I was just bummed out because I know I can beat that guy, and there I was getting my butt kicked in the third round and ending up with a draw," Penn said.
Regardless of how downtrodden he may have sounded in his post-fight interview, however, Penn is far from done. In fact, the way he sees it, there are still some major goals left on his to-do list, such as recapturing the UFC welterweight title and then going back down to lightweight and winning that belt once more before retiring.
"Those are definitely two dreams of mine," said Penn. "I know those are big aspirations, but I guess you've got to shoot for the stars."
The fact that he thinks he still has the skills and the ability to do those things was part of what made the outcome of the Fitch fight so hard to swallow, he said. He'd had a good training camp right up until he injured his shoulder in the last couple weeks, but he still felt like he was in a position to win the fight going into the final round.
"I knew I could do it, and I ended up making some mistakes," he said. "Whether it's in the training camp or in the fight, there's things that have to be fixed, and I was just at a point where I was like, aren't I past making these mistakes already? But I guess you just keep learning, and things keep changing. ...You just try to find what works for you at the end of the day."
It's been nearly two months since the fight, and Penn said he's watched it all the way through only once. While standing in the Octagon following the disastrous third round, he seemed grateful to go home with the draw. Now that he's had more time to think about it, however, he's not so sure that it was a 10-8 round for Fitch.
"I really didn't know at the time. I was just kind of bummed out about how it went. But looking back at the fight, I would have to say I've seen Jon Fitch get many 10-9 rounds that have looked like that. I've seen him do that to Ben Saunders and Thiago Alves and many different people, and he got 10-9 rounds for that. But at the end of the day, I think everything unfolds the way it should, and if me and Jon Fitch get the opportunity to step in the ring and meet each other again, that would be a blessing for both guys."
Penn and Fitch were originally slated for a rematch at UFC 132 in July, but Fitch pulled out of the fight with a shoulder injury. Since Penn was dealing with a shoulder injury of his own, he then decided to withdraw from the event as well, though he said he's still unsure whether he'll need surgery.
At 32 years old, Penn's plan now is to stay active and try to accomplish as many of the goals on his checklist as possible before his career comes to an end. There was a time when he thought he'd be fighting well into his forties, he said. Now he just wants to make the most of whatever time he has left.
"I guess in a little bit of a way, I feel my clock ticking. But I don't feel it ticking like it's going to be over real soon, but ticking like I want to accomplish a few more things. I want to fight. I want to be active. I want to make money. I want to get better and have more of these life experiences, and that's it. I want to stay busy. I don't want to sit on the shelf."
Oh man. Worst MMA news for a damn long time:
From MMAFighting.com:
The grudge match will have to wait. So will Jon Jones' first title defense.
A hand injury has knocked the new UFC light-heavyweight champion out of action for the time being, leaving the UFC without a main event for its upcoming return to Philadelphia in August. As a result, the promotion has booked a fight pitting Jones' scheduled opponent Rashad Evans against rising star Phil Davis.
The UFC 133 fight was confirmed by the UFC on Monday morning. It was first reported by the Canadian Press.
The full extent of Jones' injury and his rehabilitation time is not yet known, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, though it is believed to be a torn ligament. The uncertain timetable was a key factor in the change.
Evans (15-1-1) has not fought since last May when he defeated Quinton "Rampage" Jackson via unanimous decision. Afterward, he was supposed to fight Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, choosing to wait for Rua to recover from knee surgery to fight him. As Rua neared healthy though, Evans suffered an injury of his own. He was replaced in the fight by Jon Jones, who knocked out Rua to become the youngest UFC champion ever.
As members of Team Greg Jackson, Evans and Jones had originally promised never to face each other, but that bond fractured even before Jones won the belt. In the weeks since, Evans left his longtime camp of Team Jackson and the two have traded barbs online.
The friendship turned into a grudge match, but Jones' injury will sideline it at least for the time being. The UFC has yet to announce whether Davis would become the No. 1 contender with a win over Evans.
The unbeaten Davis is 9-0, and most recently defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via unanimous decision at a Fight Night event in March.
UFC 133 takes place on August 6 at the Wells Fargo Center.
Ok, Davis vs. Evans? Lay and prey fest or are these two going to go for it to get the next crack at Jones?
I'm really bummed that Jones got hurt, seems like the curse of the UFC LHW Title is alive and well.
Peace
Duckman
Man, that sucks. Big match for Phil Davis though, unfortunatly they clash style wise and it could be quite dull.
sucks big time
This sucks. Best case scenerio for Bones is that Rashad beats Davis quick & remains number one contender & healthy. If Davis wins I'm guessing Rampage gets the next shot if he gets past Matt Hammill
Really hyped to see Mayhem in the UFC and hopefully he can shine in his first fight and move up the card quickly.
He's got the personality to really sell fights and the UFC love that kind of fighter.
I'd expect a win here and then a move onwards and upwards!
Seconded on the recent MMA activity BD - awesome work buddy!
Peace
Duckman
Damn, I should start calling this shit out loud. I had a gut feeling this fight wasn't going to happen ever since it was announced... it sucks to see Jones out with an injury, though.
Great opportunity for Davis though, but I think he loses this. He didn't look to good against Lil' Nog.
4/26/2011 9:34 AM ET By Mike Chiappetta
Chuck Liddell knows a thing or two about defending a championship. The "Iceman" captured the UFC light-heavyweight title and held it for two years before relinquishing the crown. Georges St. Pierre has held a UFC belt even longer. He won the undisputed welterweight title in April 2008, so a successful title defense over Jake Shields at this weekend's UFC 129 will make it three years and counting at the top.
Liddell, though, has his doubts about St. Pierre getting there. In a Monday interview on The MMA Hour, Liddell said he thinks the challenger is likely to walk away with the belt.
"I'm siding with Jake," Liddell said. "Jake's going to have to take him down. I'm expecting him to be in great shape for the fight. He'll be in great shape for GSP. But yeah, I expect him to take him down and finish him."
Part of Liddell's opinion admittedly stems from his long history with Shields, who got his start in the sport by training with Liddell in San Luis Obispo, California.
The 32-year-old Shields has been one of the top multi-division fighters in the world for several years, but Liddell knew him from his early days, when Shields (26-4-1) was known for his hardcore work ethic. Liddell says he couldn't predict Shields' future excellence, but it was clear from his drive that he was determined to make an impact in the sport.
"He had athletic ability, I knew he was very tough and he always wanted to work," Liddell said. "He was always in the gym working on new things, working with people. We'd always say, 'Relax, you have a fight in a couple days. Just relax.'"
Liddell, who is retired as a fighter and currently serves as the vice president of business development for the UFC, said he's at peace with his recent decision to call it quits inside the cage as he works on projects to promote the sport and his company.
"It's one of those things, I'm never gonna get over not fighting, I don't think, but i'm content with my decision to retire," he said.
Next up on Liddell's personal agenda is getting married. He'll tie the knot with his longtime girlfriend Heidi Northcott this summer. And while he still works out, he doesn't incorporate MMA training into his routine as often as he'd like. But he still makes time to watch fights as a fan.
When asked how he thought a prime Iceman would fare against current light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones, Liddell laughed at the hypothetical.
"I don't like to answer questions like that because I'm not going to fight him," he said. "I'm retired, it's not going to happen. But you know what? If you asked me when I was fighting in my prime, I would have said I'd win. That's just the way I was. I thought i could beat anyone in the world."
Read More: UFC FanHouse Exclusive News Chuck+Liddell, Jake+Delhomme, Jon+Jones,
4/26/2011 6:00 AM ET By Ray Hu
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva still has no explanation for the controversial and outspoken Chael Sonnen's behavior leading up to their title fight at UFC 117 last August.
"Chael disrespected me, disrespected all of the fans in MMA, Chael disrespected my people in Brazil. Chael no respect nothing," Silva said Monday on The MMA Hour in a rare interview in English without manager Ed Soares as his translator. "I don't know what happened with Chael, but he's a good fighter. Maybe I don't look at Chael as a bad guy, but sometimes Chael has a problem with the fight. He has no control. I don't know. This is Chael's problem."
Sonnen trash-talked his way to a fight against Silva and nearly won the fight, if not for a triangle choke/armbar combination Silva pulled off with three minutes and 10 seconds left in the fifth and final round. Out of all eight of Silva's title defenses, Sonnen presented the most difficult challenge. Still, Silva doesn't think a rematch with Sonnen is necessary.
"I fought Chael for five rounds. Chael no win. I don't go more to fight for Chael," Silva said. "I don't care that Sonnen [wants] another chance for the belt, that's just my opinion."
Although Silva isn't interested in another go-around with Sonnen, the fight remains a possibility if UFC president Dana White presents Sonnen if Silva defeats Yushin Okami at UFC 134 in August.
"This is not [Silva's] final decision here. He just feels [Chael] is not deserving of another shot," Silva's translator cleared up.
Silva has been a victor in his last 14 fights and his last loss was over five years ago in a disqualification due to an illegal upkick against Okami. As for his potential opponents after Okami, Silva wouldn't name names.
"I don't know. This is Dana's decision. This is not my decision," Silva said. "I'm back [fighting] for my academy, I'm back for my friend, I fight for all the guys. [Whoever Dana puts in front of me], I'm going to fight."
4/26/2011 10:13 AM ET By Ben Fowlkes
If you're a UFC fighter who's unhappy about being pressured into fighting your friends and teammates, don't come crying to B.J. Penn.
The former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion said on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour that it's all part of the game, and fighters should plan accordingly.
"I think teammates have to fight each other, and I knew that the whole time," Penn said. "That's why I would always distance myself. Of course they have to. I always thought it was B.S. that [Josh] Koscheck and [Jon] Fitch wouldn't have to fight, but they can just keep taking turns going for title shots, but they never had to fight each other? That doesn't make sense."
As Penn told Ariel Helwani on Monday's show, that's part of the reason why he chooses to do his training camps in Hawaii, far away from the more established gyms on the mainland where potential future opponents train.
"You know why I never went to any of these places and trained? Because it's the same thing that you see with guys like Rashad Evans and Jon Jones. Now there's a big problem because of that. That's why I always kept my distance from anyone. I had a thousand chances to go train with Jon Fitch, but I knew I'm probably going to fight this guy one day, so let's be friends when we're done fighting."
Of course, Penn's disdain wasn't limited to the teammates who refuse to fight each other. He also had some choice words for the fighters he suspects of using performance-enhancing substances, not that he's ever been shy about calling them out in public.
"I always complained about the steroids and stuff, but really I look back on it and I can beat all these guys even if they're on steroids," Penn said. "I just like to tease them. ...I would love to see more of the guys get busted, but there's really nothing you can do about that stuff, I guess."
4/26/2011 11:53 AM ET By Ariel Helwani
If the UFC has its way, there will be monitors present beside each judge at next month's UFC 130 in Las Vegas.
Marc Ratner, the UFC's Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, informed MMA Fighting that the organization has formally submitted a request to the Nevada State Athletic Commission to install monitors as a backup viewing option for the judges assigned to score the bouts at UFC 130.
"I've emailed [NSAC Executive Director] Keith [Kizer] and asked him to put the request on the next agenda. We believe these monitors will be another look to help with the judges," Ratner wrote via e-mail.
Last week, MMA Fighting reported that no plans were in place in Nevada to place monitors for the judges to look at during fights.
According to the UFC, California is the only state to ever provide monitors for judges while scoring MMA bouts.
When MMA Fighting asked NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer if he would be open to the idea, Kizer replied, "Maybe." He added that it was up to a promoter to formally ask for the monitors to be present.
"A promoter can petition (to allow judges to have personal monitors,) and we'd put it on the agenda," Kizer told MMA Fighting last week. "The UFC is well aware of the process but has chosen not to ask in the past."
UFC 130 takes place May 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The main event is Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 3 for the UFC lightweight title.
4/26/2011 12:58 PM ET By Ben Fowlkes
It's been ten months since UFC welterweight Rory MacDonald (10-1) lost a heartbreaker of a fight to Carlos Condit at UFC 115, and he's finally put it behind him.
Well, mostly. Sort of.
That is to say, he's put it behind as much as any fighter can after being stopped in the final ten seconds of a fight he was winning on the scorecards. Had he lasted just seven seconds longer, MacDonald would likely have won a split decision victory. Instead, he went home with his first loss, and he's been feeling the sting of it ever since.
"It was difficult," said the 21-year-old MacDonald. "It was really hard to deal with, but I think I've dealt with most of it by now. I still think I need to get in there again and win this fight [against Nate Diaz at UFC 129] to really get over it, and maybe one day I need to get a rematch with Carlos to fully get over it. I don't know."
The way MacDonald and his coaches see it now, it's a loss that can be chalked up to the exuberance of youth. After getting the better of Condit in the first two rounds, MacDonald went into the third with guns blazing. Condit took advantage of the openings MacDonald provided him with, ending the fight with a barrage of strikes at 4:53 of the final round.
The effort earned both MacDonald and Condit a Fight of the Night bonus, but it also made MacDonald realize that he needed to make some changes.
"I was too aggressive in the third round after I'd won the two rounds before," MacDonald said. "I wasn't thinking. It was totally an emotional fight. I was letting everything fly and then letting the cards fall where they may."
After the defeat, the young man from British Columbia moved full-time to Montreal to join the Tristar team headed by Georges St. Pierre's longtime trainer, Firas Zahabi. MacDonald had visited a couple times before, but the loss to Condit showed him that he needed to become a smarter fighter if he was going to compete with the best in the UFC. That's where Zahabi came in.
"You can be the better fighter, but you've got to fight the best," Zahabi said. "I think Rory was the better fighter, but he didn't fight the best that night. I told him, 'You had everything over Condit except experience.' It showed, because Condit knows the tricks of the trade and he was able to pull out a win when the chips were down. ...Rory was trying to win every exchange, where he could have managed his risks better in the last round, because he won the first two rounds convincingly. He didn't need to expose himself in the last round."
Thanks to a knee injury that required surgery and forced him out of a planned return to action in November, MacDonald had plenty of time to sit around and think about his mistakes. On Saturday night in Toronto, he'll get a chance to find out just how far he's come since suffering his first defeat, and he'll get to do it in front of 55,000 screaming Canadians as he takes on former 'Ultimate Fighter' winner Nate Diaz.
"I've been working on this for the last ten months," said MacDonald. "I've been working on it very consciously, and the time is now to see if it paid off. It's not just the [physical] training, but the mental training."
It helps that he's been able to spend so much time with St. Pierre. The UFC welterweight champ is not only a gifted athlete, but he's also an experienced veteran of the sport with a lot to teach a young fighter like MacDonald.
"It's amazing to be good friends with Georges, because with where he's been and what he's gone through, the things he's accomplished, he teaches me a lot. Not only in the gym, as far as technique and game plan and all that stuff, which is very helpful, but he's a very good friend and he's helped me see how a champion trains, how he rebounds, and it's been a great help being around him."
As Zahabi explained, that influence extends to the rest of the team as well.
"The guys look up to [St. Pierre], and he really does it right. The way he prepares himself, the way he takes care of his body, the way he puts his priorities in order. He puts the right things first in his life, and he provides a good example for the young fighters."
For MacDonald, the hardest part of training camp isn't the sparring sessions with St. Pierre, but rather making sure that he doesn't get too down on himself after a rough day in the gym.
"I'm very critical of myself. My coaches will tell me, 'Rory, you did great today. It was probably your best day of practice in a while.' But I'll feel like I looked like crap, just because of one or two things that were missing. I'm very critical of my training and my fighting, and sometimes it can be a downfall, but sometimes it can be a great thing since it keeps me motivated to keep getting better."
With three months to go until his twenty-second birthday, MacDonald still has plenty of time to develop as a fighter. Taking on Diaz in his first fight back from a long layoff will certainly be a stiff test, but it's the necessary next step in finding out exactly how much he's learned since the Condit fight, and how far he still has to go.
The good news, according to Zahabi, is that MacDonald has the raw ability. The only question is, does he have the mental game to make the most of it?
"Rory has so much potential, who knows how far he could go? He might be the next GSP, or he might not be. But at the end of the day, he's putting in the work and he deserves everything he's gotten. I really think these coming few years he's just going to get better."
Didn't think something as trivial as adding monitors would be so complicated..man WWE has spoiled us lol.
Quote from: Gary on April 26, 2011, 03:10:21 PM
Didn't think something as trivial as adding monitors would be so complicated..man WWE has spoiled us lol.
True
I found this pretty funny. Check out his reaction when Paul Daley floors Nick Diaz. The colour drains from his face when he realises that the guy he said would never work for Zuffa again might be about to be their first Strikeforce champion!
Best news I have heard in months. All they need now is a pair of new eyes and some goddamn sense. I found this today, and LOL'D.
(http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/post-images/cecil_peoples_action_figure.jpg)
No shit, odds say the guy cant fight.
Go to japan.
He can do it if he drops back to 155. I dont think with the bigger wrestlers @ 170 he'll grab the title.
Yeah, his stint on MTV's "Bully Beatdown" might bring more audience in, though odds say those who watched that show were watching the UFC too.
if he was smart and actually was serious , truth i don't think he was really wanting to get in the game
Yeah, Rashad has really great wrestling, maybe more than Davis, so if its standing Rashad will pick him apart.
I personally think its too big a step for Davis, but eh, its fighting. Anything can happen.
....yeah thats not biased.
Hes Canada's next best fighter, and if he would have survived the final round v/s Condit, he would have won the decision.
I like this. Dana has been public that he hates Nick Diaz and his personality.
He looked like a fan boy there for a moment.
HA!
Quote from: Cory on April 27, 2011, 01:24:36 AM
....yeah thats not biased.
you think ;D
jake is great fighter , he has the tools to win... but right now GSP is the best . I have to favor the Champion ... GSP can be beaten , but will Jake be the one to do it
I very much agree, Shields has the tools to be the one to do it, but id be foolish to bet against the champ.
Even if he was serious, THAT much muscle.....he'd never make it into the second round.
you have a point
anything can happen in the fight game ... ask Sonnan he knows that well
Quick turn around for Lil Nog. This will be a technical fight which will probably go the distance. I'm just not sure what either guy brings to the top level of the division any more.
Will still be an interesting fight because both guys are veterans and both guys need the win.
Peace
Duckman
The dude used to gas out doing his ring entrance in WWE. I seriously once saw him stop at the bottom of the ramp, cough and wheeze before spitting a big throat oyster on the ground. When he got in the ring he'd then spend as long as possible leaning on the ropes to get his breath back. The most unfit muscle head I've ever seen.
Thank fuck he's not going to fight because that kind of freak show would just be sad to watch. He'd actually probably get a deal in Japan but I can't see it happening.
He'll be back in WWE before the end of the year anyway because they desperately need some main event starts back on their roster and they'll pay him handsomely too.
Peace
Duckman
That's brilliant! I couldn't believe he was referring at the last Strikeforce show. He got some serious crowd heat when they introduced him - "leg kicks don't finish fights" - what a fucking tool!
It's incredible to think it's taken this long to get the judges monitors. I'm assuming they have them in boxing?
Peace
Duckman
can you say Super Hulk Tournament 2011?
This kid has one hell of a bright future ahead of him. Always impressed with him and that fight with Condit was awesome.
Looking forward to seeing him bounce back in front of 55,000 of his mad countrymen!
Peace
Duckman
Fuck fixed sports. Wait...
BOO!
Quote from: Level-One on April 26, 2011, 11:12:11 PM
Best news I have heard in months. All they need now is a pair of new eyes and some goddamn sense. I found this today, and LOL'D.
(http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/post-images/cecil_peoples_action_figure.jpg)
He's hott.
Thanks for your very well described opinion on this matter.
Well I don't know about you guys but I thought it was one hell of a show.
First off the arena looked fucking incredible. I'm glad UFC got lots of wide shots and sweeping camera angles to show the sheer size of the place. Incredible spectacle!
The free fights on Facebook were great with two killer finishes with a spinning back fist KO and a flying triangle. Great stuff, really set the night up well. The other prelims were pretty good too, although Diaz/McDonald was a bit of a let down until late in the fight when it really picked up and McDonald started doing a Kurt Angle with his German suplexes!
First fight was a great battle with Bocek looking like he might get a submission but Henderson really showed his intensity and his striking skill. The right call in the end but Bocek made it a really competitive and interesting fight. Henderson has some brutal knee strikes too!
Brilz was out. He got caught. Shame too because I get the feeling those two were going to go to war! In the end he got clipped really strongly and when Vlad landed a couple of ground shots you could see Brilz legs go straight and his arms drop. Dude was out, even if he was ok pretty soon after.
HOLY SHIT! Machida is the Karate Kid! He finished it with the crane kick! I actually think that was a more impressive kick than the one Anderson Silva landed on Belfort. Hell of a pick by Level One in the prediction game to change it late to a 2nd round TKO!! Good call my man!! After that I don't see Couture coming back - could be wrong, but that looked like a man who really has had enough. Machida seems to have worked out that if he just adds a little aggression to his fighting style, he'll be back in Title contention soon. If Rampage beats Hamil I think they need a rematch to see who gets the next shot at Jones.
Aldo and Hominick was a fucking great fight. I'm adding that to my list of potential fight of the year candidates. Aldo looked incredible in the first round and a half. Then looked like he was gassing badly, Hominick came back into it with great striking but damn, Aldo turned it around in round 4 to seal the deal. That lump on Hominick's head was HORRENDOUS! I mean one of the sickest things I've ever seen. He looked the damn Elephant Man and he KEPT FUCKING FIGHTING!! Just like Nick Diaz in recent fights Mark Hominick just made himself a ton of new fans with that performance. Also it really looked like he might steal it in the 5th if he could have passed and really landed some shots on Aldo on the ground - who was totally gassed by that point. Hominick was really gracious in defeat too and I'd love to see a rematch down the line. Great fucking fight.
GSP vs. Shields was just what everyone predicted. Shields might have been undefeated for so long but he'd never fought anyone as good as GSP. I thought my prediction was bang on when GSP landed the head kick in round 4 but he just didn't go in for the kill. Frustrating as hell because you really want to see fights finished. Or, if they're not finished, at least they're a war like Aldo v. Hominick was. In the end GSP is awesome. There's no one close to him in that division but there's always going to be that question mark about if he fights too safe and doesn't finish fights. Then again he doesn't just lay and prey, his striking skill is what wins him fights these days. Too quick, strong, slick and skillful for a lot of guys on the feet. Still, the 55,000 in attendance weren't happy by the end as they wanted their hero to finish the fight.
So all in all I really enjoyed this show. Some great finishes, a brilliant war with Aldo and Hominick and GSP once again shows he's just the fucking man and I don't see anyone beating him unless he does move up and fight Anderson Silva. But with the size difference I don't see him doing it.
Great night for the UFC and one hell of a spectacle! Bring on Edgar vs. Maynard 3!!
Peace
Duckman
What fight would you like to see GSP have next? Do you want to wait for him to move up in weight and face Anderson Silva or a huge WW Title unification fight with Strikeforce Champ Nick Diaz?
So I think it's safe to say that after his knock out last night by Machida that Couture's retirement is pretty much confirmed.
I've come into MMA late, only really getting into it in the past couple of years. I've been playing catch up a lot and spend a lot of time watching old fights and reading up on the history of the sport. It's safe to say you'd have to be a complete dick not to agree that Randy Couture is one of the most important men ever to compete in MMA. A guy on who's back the sport was built.
Just wanted to get some thoughts on what he's achieved in his career, what he's meant to the sport of MMA, that kind of thing.
Peace
Duckman
I think GSP vs. Silva should remain a pipe dream, because if it happens with all the hype surrounding the fight it's never gonna live up to anyone's expectations.
Can't say anything more then what Sam did.
I think highlight was Diaz/Macdonald 3rd round and the 5th round of the Hominick/Aldo fight.
Really, not a bad night of fights.
B+
I've been watching since 2006, and heavily/religiously since 2007 and I can honestly say that I've never been a big fan of Randy. I never really liked his fighting style, the way he would bully guys up against the cage for rounds and rounds didn't appeal to me.
....until he fought Tim Sylvia for the HW Title in 2007 @ UFC 68, a night I'll never forget.
Me and my brother hated Tim Sylvia. His last 2 title defences against Arlovski and Jeff Monson were two of the worst fights we have ever seen. Randy was 42 at the time I think, 42-43 and we thought "oh great another fucking gimmie for this piece of shit Sylvia". What we were treated to was one of the greatest fights of all time. Not because it was a toe to toe brawl or a sick flash KO. No, we saw a 42 year old man excitingly DOMINATE the 6'8" record 23-2 (ok, to credit Sylvia was a beast still he won the title 2nd time) Sylvia and shocked the world, in the fight of the night.
He then was against the Odds v/s Gonzaga who came off that murder of Cro Cop, and in another fight of the night performance held onto the belt. Then his fight against Lesner he had basically no more than a punchers chance at winning, GREATLY undersized and had ring rust from not fighting in over a year, and he won round 1 against the freak.
I think Joe Rogan stated it best,
"That man is my hero."
Has to be Diaz.
He can only have the super fight once he's totally cleaned the 170lbs division, and Diaz is the last man standing.
A pillow.
No, seriously. Last night cemented this guy a bore fest. Now some people can bring up the entire eye thing but what about his fights before that? He fights not to lose. Although I'm frustrated and not impressed by his performance; he's still a great fighter and one of the best. I just don't care to see him fight, anymore.
He doesn't want to fight Anderson. He ducked the question last night. Give him Nick Diaz. If he makes this fight boring as well, you know undoubtedly there's a problem.
Rory McDonald is SUCH a beast! His rag dolling of Nate Diaz just gave me memories of Jon Bones Jones. When I sat there and watched and immediately thought, future champ some day soon! Those suplexs made me mark the fuck out like I was watching the WWE or some shit as a kid again. When he hit two in a row; it was officially the highlight of my night. Absolutely brilliant. Nate Diaz is a warrior as well.
The entire card delivered except the main-event. Crazy ass knockouts. Crazy ass flying triangle. Crazy ass fights. A crazy ass venue here in Toronto. It was just a brilliant night for MMA and the UFC. Look out for Madesski (sp?) he has some great stand up and it looks like he's got take down defense to keep fights standing. I won't make the same claim I did for Rory at this point; but I think we can expect to see him make some solid waves soon. Brutal spinning back first.
Jason Brilz... WHAT HAPPENED MY DUDE!? Damn, I never expected that to happen, never mind in 20 seconds. That effectively killed any and all hype, Brilz had. :P
Lyoto is a class act. Love the knockout as well. Good thing I followed my gut and changed my predict! Randy Couture sure knows how to go out like a champion. He isn't the rick flair of wrestling, this guy isn't going to come back for another fight after retirement. You could really hear it in his tone that this is it. You're a legend Randy! Aldo and Hominick was a war I will be watching again today. That knot on Hominicks head was DISGUSTING! He looked like an alien (lol) and a part of his head looked like it was ready to explode. Just nasty. Dudes a warrior though having the will to dominate the 5th round after all that.
Main-event blew chunks. I can't even believe GSP allowed Jake Shields to tag off on him. I thought it would be a fight on the ground... not standing up. GSP really brought out the point fighting. I'm pretty sure at one point he was trying to either just trying to secure a round for the decision, or outright secure a round for that 30 round win streak he has going on--with the looking up at the clock and taking Shields down with like 20 seconds left. As I said in another thread; he has a fight not to lose mentality, and if tonight was any indication... it'll be exactly what costs him the belt in the end. He won't fight Anderson, so everyone can stop that now.
Still, despite that this was probably my favorite card on paper and end result. I think it tops UFC 100, IMO.
For him to be competeing at the age of 47 says alot about this guy. He is a true Gladiator and will always be looked at as one of the greatest of all time.
I like how 2 judges had it 48-47 GSP....lol. Sheilds won the 5th. Any other rounds is retarded.
Boring?
No No No my friend, thats not it at ALL.
He fights the Greg Jackson way, oh shit, maybe boring was right?
:P
The only thing about last night was why would he want to go to the ground? Thats like standing against Alves/Hardy, where GSP took them both down.
You know what you're going to get in a GSP fight. He's going to do the opposite of what his opponent is good at and dominate him at that for 5 rounds. Thats what makes him the best fighter, as he's brilliant everywhere to be able to pick/choose what hes going to do before the fight and execute the hell out of it. Yes, its boring as fuck, but I SURE didnt play $10 last night ($80/8ppl) to see GSP's fight, you knew it was going to be boring. I wanted to see Hominick/Aldo and Randy's last fight, and the main event was part of the package.
Diaz has been my favourite fighter for upwards of 3 years now, if he fights GSP, GSP is going to wrestle him to the ground and lay some medium ground n pound for the decision. GSP doesn't want to stand against Diaz because Diaz is a better boxer, and he doesn't wanna transition alot on the ground, because Diaz is a LEGIT BJJ black belt, maybe only a step behind Sheilds who has the best @ 170.
Besides the way Silva and GSP fight, they'd feel each other out for 5 rounds and not do anything. It wouldn't be a war, that's for sure.
So, deliberate eye poke by Shields or not?
http://youtu.be/JEDAHzU5sr4 (http://youtu.be/JEDAHzU5sr4)
Peace
Duckman
.........wtf
Seems to be the new conspiracy theory of the moment. Shields poked him in the eye on purpose and that's why GSP had so much trouble with his left eye during the fight...
Take it as you will.
Peace
Duckman
I'm so glad I saw Couture's final fight, he's indeed a legend. I think I'm just about getting back into MMA at around the right time, otherwise I would've missed the latter part of Couture's career. I mean the dude's 47 and he's definitely a major part of the sport, from the early-ish days. I guess he looked a bit old and sluggish in the cage but against Machida I think it's easy for anyone to look sluggish.
For me Hominick vs Aldo was the fight of the night for the pure fact Hominick didn't give up, even when he had another head growing on his eyebrow. That thing looked fucking sick and I was sure it was going to explode any second. But the fight showed why John McCarthy is a perfect ref... Anyone else would've stopped the fight.
Main event was disappointing for sure... GSP should've finished the fight and he had a chance multiple times to. Shields is a beast but he shouldn't of lasted as long as GSP allowed him to.
Ultimately I thought it was a great card, but Hominick vs Aldo stole the show. It would've been the ultimate story book if Hominick could've finished Aldo off during the ground-and-pound in the last minute and a half. But alas, he couldn't... For someone that looked pretty fucking knackered, Aldo managed to endure a lot of fists in the last minute.
It's like Cunt-checks dive v/s Daley all over again.
Fuck, I really like that Clay guys 1st round, and his pinky was disgusting!
I enjoyed this episode though
Is Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz prepared to drop boxing to fight UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre?
The answer is yes. A qualified yes, trainer and manager Cesar Gracie today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)).
The desire is there, he said. The storyline is there. The contractual hurdles? Not an issue, really, since the UFC purchased Strikeforce this past March. But there is one issue.
Gracie said Diaz is contractually allowed to box and is well into his preparation for a match against a high-profile pugilist, which could be former IBF super-middleweight champion Jeff Lacy and could come in the fall.
So Diaz needs to be persuaded to put down the 16-ounce gloves. Will a meeting with UFC brass change that?
Perhaps.
This past week, UFC president Dana White said he will fly to Diaz's hometown of Stockton, Calif., presumably for a heart-to-heart with the chronically brash fighter on his future. Talk of a superfight between St-Pierre and Anderson Silva apparently has cooled following the champ's methodical dismantling of Jake Shields in the headliner of this past Saturday's UFC 129 event, and the idea of fight between the Strikeforce welterweight champion and the UFC champion has come into the picture.
Diaz is riding high following a recent explosive victory over Paul Daley in the third title defense of his Strikeforce belt.
Of a potential St-Pierre vs. Diaz showdown, White said this past Saturday, "It's an interesting fight."
Diaz predicted his longtime training partner Shields would beat St-Pierre and was cageside during the fight. The day prior at weigh-ins, White said Diaz and younger brother, UFC 129 fighter Nate Diaz, yelled obscenities at the crowd on their way backstage.
But that's par for the course for the brothers, who get consistent praise from White at the same time he laments their PR problem.
"They're unique individuals, those two," White said. "I like them. I like their attitudes. I like their styles. You've got to play the game a little bit, please. And please don't flip off fans and threaten to kick everyone's asses."
Diaz previously has attacked St-Pierre's rise in the UFC and said a fight with the welterweight champ is the only one in which he's interested. But he abruptly switched directions after his win over Daley when Gracie announced his fighter was closing in on a professional boxing match that was allowed by his new Strikeforce contract.
Shields' impending victory was also cited as a reason Diaz sought out boxing. But now that his prediction for a Shields win has been proven untrue, the stage is set for a change of heart.
"Obviously, there's a storyline behind it," Gracie said. "Shields just lost a decision, and Nick wants some revenge for that. Nick is very confident that he can defeat St-Pierre.
"He's a guy that could press the action against GSP and not let GSP dictate the pace. GSP has been a great champ, and hats off to him. But there has been criticism that he's not really taking risks. With Nick, you have the ultimate risk-taker. He will fight you at your game. He throws caution to the wind, really, because he's more interested in beating you up than winning on points. I think that makes for an intriguing matchup between the two."
But can it happen? Diaz is not only a Strikeforce fighter but a champion, and White previously said that he would not do crossover fights between promotions, regardless of the fact that UFC parent company Zuffa LLC now owns both properties.
Gracie thinks Zuffa can.
"Look, (UFC executive) Lorenzo (Fertitta) can do whatever he wants at this point," he said. "The guy signing the checks is the guy making the decisions. There's a couple of roadblocks, and I think the least of which is Nick's contract with Strikeforce. That would be a roadblock if we chose not to take the fight against Georges St-Pierre.
"But obviously, that wouldn't happen. The biggest thing is that Nick's Strikeforce contract dictates that he can box in 2011, and we've gone pretty far into that process. It's still a work in process, but we're just about there."
To reverse the process, Gracie said, is going to take convincing. And by convincing, he means a good deal.
"It would take Lorenzo and Dana to really come into this and show us how it could happen," Gracie said. "It would have to make financial sense for everybody. So, we're waiting just like everyone else to see what they have in mind, and I'm more than happy to listen to their suggestions."
Recently, the issue of teammates/training partners fighting each other has become a hot button issue in the sport of MMA. The conversation began with the prospect of UFC 205’ers Jon "Bones" Jones and Rashad Evans (both Greg Jackson trained fighters) having to fight each other. After interviews with conflicting messages and some initial bad blood, it was decided that the two would have to face each other for the title later this year. Anticlimactically enough, it was announced (shortly thereafter) that the fight would not happen, due to an injury suffered by Jones.
The loudest comments coming out of a lot of camps were that training partners didn't want to fight each other. Those were the initial reactions, but as the dust clouds have settled, and everyone has had a chance to really think it over, some of the responses have changed.
I recently did interviews with several UFC fighters who didn’t seem to think it was a big deal at all. Roy Nelson was adamant that he would "fight anyone".
When I spoke with Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, he said, "I’d fight a teammate. We do it every day in the gym. At the end of the day, it’s about having a career. I fully support all of my teammates and I will help them with whatever, but when it comes down to it, you have to do what’s best for your career."
UFC middleweight Kendall Grove was more vocal about the concept. When asked if he would fight a teammate, this was his response: "If it comes down to it. If the price is right, I would! I could fight my best friend, and if it’s for a good reason, and that good reason is money. How do I do that (pay bills)? I need money. How do I get that? I gotta fight. Let’s just go out there and fight! I don’t care! That’s the business! A lot of these guys gotta stop crying and lollygagging. Like, c’mon dog, we’re in the HURT business. Fight! If not, then don’t ever say "Well, I coulda been the champion." Go try and BE the champ! Our job requires us to fight other people. People gotta stop being sensitive. You can quote me on that!"
Frank Mir went as far as to say (in a recent video interview with RawVegas.tv) that he was going to stop training with other heavyweights because he might have to fight them (in the UFC) someday.
Dana White has always been adamant about friends and teammates needing to be willing to fight each other. In October of 2010, he asserted that cowardice was a driving factor in some teammates not being willing to fight each other. "Me personally, what I think, is when one guy says, 'Oh, he's my friend I won't fight him,' that means, 'I train with this guy and this guy's probably going to kick my ass,'" White asserted. "That's what I get out of that - 'I'm not confident enough to fight this guy.' (source: fightline.com)"
It will be interesting to see what comes of it all. Will we ever see Koscheck vs. Fitch? How about Jake Shields vs. Nick Diaz? If Diaz fights GSP eventually and is able to beat him (which is a totally separate conversation to have), does Jake Shields move up to 185 lbs. just to avoid fighting him?
So far, push has never really come to shove. A fighter has not been told that he has to fight a teammate…or else. Is it that improbable to think it could happen? Will we start to see camps that are devoted to just one weight class? Will we start to see more fighters leaving camps over the prospect of potentially having to fight someone they train with?
These are all problems that will need to be addressed, but it seems all are inevitable bridges to be crossed. Dana White and the Fertitta’s have always pushed for the best guys fighting each other. If this is to continue to happen, it seems foreseeable that we will see some fights made that were previously somewhat unthinkable.
Here are some other notable teammate matchups that we could possibly see, barring one of the fighters leaving that particular camp:
- Shane Carwin vs. Brendan Schaub (Jackson MMA)
- Melvin Guillard vs. Clay Guida (Jackson MMA)
- Joseph Benavidez vs. Urijah Faber (Team Alpha Male)
- Chael Sonnen vs. Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller (Team Quest)
- Cole Miller vs. Mark Bocek (American Top Team)
- Gray Maynard vs. Evan Dunham (Xtreme Couture)
- If Jay Hieron ever signs with Zuffa: Hieron vs. Martin Kampmann (Xtreme Couture)
- If Marlon Sandro eventually signs with Zuffa: Sandro vs. Jose Aldo Jr. (Nova Uniao)
- "Jacare" Souza vs. Anderson Silva (Black House MMA)
by Kevin Haggerty
It's around time for him to retire. He's slowing down and has no business fighting light heavies because he's slowing down. He has no business fighting heavy because most of those guys worth a damn are bigger than he is, and historically he has trouble with larger wrestlers. I think before he Tank Abbott's his career he needs to hang it up, he can't compete with the best anymore.
...that was a fucking disgusting upkick (upheel?)
Ive not been following TUF this season as closely as I have past seasons but what was Justin Edward's suspended for?
He was knocked out, and it was pretty damn nasty (awesome) heh
Main card:
Lightweight Championship bout: Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Gray Maynard
Light Heavyweight bout: Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill
Heavyweight bout: Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson
Middleweight bout: Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago
Heavyweight bout: Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne
Preliminary card (Spike TV):
Welterweight bout: Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story
Bantamweight bout: Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson
Preliminary card:
Middleweight bout: Kendall Grove vs. Tim Boetsch
Bantamweight bout: Renan Barão vs. Cole Escovedo
Bantamweight bout: Michael McDonald vs. Chris Cariaso
Lightweight bout: Gleison Tibau vs. Bart Palaszewski
I was just watching Edgar vs. Maynard 2 the other day and it's still almost unbelievable how Edgar recovered from that first round. Just amazing heart and then the way he came back into the fight shows the kind of heart he has. I'm really looking forward to this fight and I think this time Edgar will get the win.
Rampage, if he's got his shit together, should beat Hamill and move closer to another LHW Title shot. I'm expecting a Rampage KO here but only if his mind is into his training and the fight itself.
Mir and Nelson is an interesting one too. Could go either way. I've heard Nelson is really good on the ground but haven't had the chance to see it in the UFC. Just pray it's more exciting than Mir vs. Cro Cop! Can't imagine it'll be any worse!
Seeing Alves and Torres on the prelim show is surprising. Well, maybe not Torres because his first UFC fight was a bit boring. I'd expect both of them to look to steal the show and prove they should've been on the PPV.
This looks like a really good show on paper and the main even should be a great fight if their last one is anything to go by!
What'd you guys think? Looking forward to this one?
Peace
Duckman
Pumped for every match but the Main Event.
I hope to god its the the 1st/2nd of their second fight, or else its going to be boring as fuck.
EVery other fight looks sick on paper.
Really looking forward to this, I like all the main event bouts bar Struve vs Browne but thats only because I don't know much about the latter.
Alves vs Story should be great.
Did most of last years TUF contestants drop weights?
UFC bantumweight and Featherweight really helps alot of guys and clears up some clutter in the lightweight division
looking like a great night of fights here. Edgar Vs Maynard does not excite me because there styles are not made for exciting action. they cancel each other out in my eyes.
Jackson going to be focus and I see him taking out Hamill , it going to be a damn good fight.
nelson has good ground game , he never use it , but frank going to test him on the ground and it would be the smart move , Roy got my respect , he shown himself to a damn good fighter , He stood toe to toe with del santos and took alot of his punches. He has a strong chin. so Mir going head to head with him not going to be a good move. use your better ground game and wore him out.
Maybe it's just me but I thought the last Edgar/Maynard fight was an absolute classic. It had a ton of drama and I found it entertaining as hell. A shit lot more entertaining than any of GSP's last few fights.
Must just be my tastes but I'm really looking forward to the 3rd fight.
Peace
Duckman
I was not fan of either one , so yeah maybe that why I not excited as much as you ... mean it not going to be a good fight .
I'm with duckman. I'm looking forward to that main-event fight as well. I think Edgar is underrated and doesn't really get nearly the credit he deserves. I think their second match is going to give Frankie the advantage. Here's a guy you already lost to but now know you can beat (even though it went to a draw) so it might give him a boost in the mental department as well. Fuck the MMA-math though. Frankie improves with every fight. People see this as a boring wrestling match because of their styles but it cancelled out in their last fight and I think this fight will be similar.
Also, Rampage and Hamil is a hard one to call. For some reason, I see Rampage knocking Hamil out... but apart of me wants to slap a prediction on the table for Matt to grind out Rampage. If it's the Rampage the showed up against Machida, I think the knock-out bit will ring true. It's an odd fight on paper, IMO.
Overall, I'm feeling this card. It's amazing with that BW and FW additions have done to these cards.
UFC issued a press release on Monday to announce that 350 UFC and Strikeforce fighters are now eligible for customized accident insurance coverage. The insurance will cover accidental injuries suffered by the fighters during training as well as non-training incidents such as automobile accidents.
"The new policy adds 24-hour worldwide medical life insurance and dental coverage, as well as emergency medical evacuation," reads the press release. "Zuffa will pay 100 percent of the premiums for its athletes and have an employee dedicated to handling and filing all claims."
Amazing. UFC class their fighters as independent contractors, much like WWE but they are now offering insurance cover for their fighters.
Here's hoping WWE and TNA follow suit soon.
Peace
Duckman
A bit more on this from MMAFighting.com:
One of the things that has always separated the UFC from sports leagues like the NFL, NBA and MLB is the lack of insurance for UFC fighters for injuries suffered outside the Octagon. But as the UFC grows, that appears to be changing.
Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC and Strikeforce, has announced that its 350 or so fighters, who are all independent contractors, will now be eligible for what it calls "customized accident insurance coverage." The policy will cover not just accidental injuries suffered in training, but also injuries suffered in car accidents or other injuries that have nothing to do with the fighters' MMA careers.
"As this sport continues to grow, we have been working hard to secure additional insurance coverage so that our athletes can perform at the highest levels," UFC President Dana White said in the announcement. "We're proud to give our athletes access to this type of insurance."
Almost as significant as the insurance policy is the fact that the UFC is making a point of publicly addressing the insurance policy. The UFC may be taking note of the fact that other sports leagues -- especially the NFL -- have been criticized for not taking proper care of athletes who suffer injuries, and wanting to get ahead of that issue. UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta issued a statement explaining the reasoning behind the new insurance policy and will participate in a media conference call to provide more information.
"Our athletes are some of the very best in the world and we've committed significant financial resources to provide them with insurance that complements the gold standard we have set for event-related coverage," Fertitta said. "We're pleased to provide coverage that enables our athletes to seek and receive treatment for injuries sustained while preparing for bouts."
This is a step in the right direction.
Peace
Duckman
smart move
Honestly when I read this I said to myself "Bravo"...
To me this shows that the head honchos for the UFC are making butt loads of money and are using some of it to assure that their fighters are taking care of...
Well done...
Son of a fucking bitch!
From MMAFighting.com:
Injuries have sidelined both Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, forcing the cancellation of UFC 130's main event fight, MMA Fighting has learned.
UFC president Dana White confirmed to MMA Fighting that both fighters are out.
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Edgar had the more serious injury of the two, suffering two broken ribs during training, while Maynard suffered a knee injury.
The bout would have been the last of the trilogy. Maynard won the first bout in April 2008 in a unanimous decision. In January, the rematch ended in an all-time classic, with Maynard nearly knocking out the champion in the first round before Edgar rebounded with a gutsy performance to force a five-round draw.
Maynard-Edgar III is likely to happen in the future, but there is no timetable yet for its scheduling.
With no replacement fight, Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill will be promoted to the main event, while Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson is the co-main event.
Man! To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. What a bad piece of luck for both guys and the UFC as a whole.
Thank fuck the under card is so strong but that is really going to hurt the PPV buy rate - lot of people would be buying this for the 3rd fight.
Plus it means the back log in the LW Title picture is even worse.
Interim Title could be coming back if these guys are out for any significant length of time.
Fuck! I really wanted to see that fight.
Speedy recovery for both I hope!
Peace
Duckman
Biggest disappointment no replacement fight for this, but I guess it'd be hella short notice.
An organization.....fuck a sport run correctly.
rare.
True that.
Ironic as hell they announce this on the same day they lose their next PPV main event because BOTH fighters are injured in training!
Peace
Duckman
Damn, that sucks. They both got injured at the same time, too?
This really hurts the card for me on paper but it still has the potential to be a great event. Shit happens!
They bumped Alves/Story to the main card.....that fights gonna be a slugfest, cant wait!
WAR ALVES
As expected, the UFC's return to Brazil will feature a championship headliner and rematch between middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva (28-4 MMA, 13-0 UFC) and challenger Yushin Okami (26-5 MMA, 10-2 UFC).
The long-rumored Aug. 27 event, now dubbed "UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami," is set for HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro.
A total of six bouts now have been announced for the card, which marks the UFC's first event in Brazil since 1998.
Also now official for the card is a middleweight bout Maiquel Falcao (26-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Tom Lawlor (7-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC). MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) first reported the bout this month.
The 185-pounders join previously announced fights of light heavyweights Forrest Griffin (18-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (19-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC), lightweights Spencer Fisher (24-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) vs. Thiago Tavares (15-4-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC), and light heavyweights Luiz Cane (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) meets Stanislav Nedkov (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
Silva, who's been under consideration for a superfight with welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre, has won 14 consecutive fights, which includes a record eight consecutive UFC title defenses. Undefeated in the UFC, Silva hasn't lost a fight since 2006, when the Brazilian suffered a disqualification loss (due to an illegal upkick) to Okami at a Rumble on the Rock show in Hawaii.
Okami, a longtime middleweight contender, defeated Nate Marquardt at UFC 122. The November bout initially was declared a No. 1 contender's fight, though officials didn't formally announce Okami as the next title challenger. Regardless, the Japanese fighter has won six of his past seven fights. His current win streak includes a knockout of Lucio Linhares and decision victories over Mark Munoz and Marquardt.
The latest "UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami" card now includes:
Champ Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami (for middleweight title)
Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Edson Barboza vs. Ross Pearson
Luiz Cane vs. Stanislav Nedkov
Maiquel Falcao vs. Tom Lawlor
Spencer Fisher vs. Thiago Tavares
Alexandre "Cacareco" Ferreira vs. Rousimar Palhares*
David Mitchell vs. Paulo Thiago*
I think with the frequency of injuries of their top talent over the past 2 years they had to make this move. UFC wants their fighters in the ring so that they can make money. It's hard to have a championship fight without the champion. Hopefully the insurance will allow the fighters to get good medical care, and maybe start recovering from injuries faster.
From what Frankie said on UFC.com it's not his ribs that's the main problem, it's 3 bulging discs in his back...not good at all.
Apparently he had back surgery before during his high school/college wrestling days, so it's been a long time issue.
I really hope he doesn't need surgery or will be out for a considerable amount of time. I've really grown to like Edgar following his two fights with BJ and the last fight with Maynard.
Speedy recovery because the LW division is hot as hell right now and they need Edgar in there.
Peace
Duckman
I just really respect the fact that it covers injuries outside of fighting/training and that the fighters don't have to pay for it.
From what I've heard, not many employers offer this to their employees in the US. Especially not ones classed as independent contractors.
Peace
Duckman
lightweight is hot , but there a lot of fighters to pick up the slack , so yeah i hope he gets a quick recovery
From MMAFighting.com:
Unlike other professional sports organizations that have cautioned, not to mention fined, its players for using Twitter, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is encouraging its fighters to tweet as much as possible.
According to a UFC official, UFC president Dana White announced at the UFC Fighter Summit, held this week in Las Vegas, that fighters will receive bonuses for adding Twitter followers and writing creative tweets.
Here's how the new Twitter bonus initiative will work:
Starting June 1, UFC and Strikeforce fighters will be divided into four categories, based on how many Twitter followers they currently have. At the end of each quarter, three fighters from each category will be awarded a $5,000 bonus. The three winners will be based on who has gained the most followers since the start of the quarter, who gained the highest percentage of new followers and who wrote the most creative tweets. White will be the judge of the last category.
At the conclusion of a full calendar year, the UFC will end up paying $240,000 a year to its fighters for their Twitter usage.
So while NFL and NBA players have been fined for tweeting during team functions, the UFC is doing the exact opposite, which is no surprise considering how active White is on Twitter and how he has long been in favor of embracing social media.
The majority of the 350 fighters contracted to UFC and Strikeforce were present at the UFC Fighter Summit. Seminars on Zuffa's new insurance coverage, taxes, gambling and, of course, social media were held.
What'd you make of this guys?
Peace
Duckman
I personally think it is creative and honestly makes me once again think that the UFC us run by guys who are determined to rule the world...
very creative
Other sports industries are afraid of change, so it's nice to see UFC continue to embrace it.
Do you guys follow any UFC/MMA guys on Twitter?
I'm always highly entertained by Kenny Florian, Rampage, Dan Hardy, Matt Mitrione, Jake Ellenberger, Phil Davis and Forrest Griffin.
Peace
Duckman
Son of a fucking bitch!!
From MMAFighting.com:
In a blockbuster announcement Thursday afternoon, UFC President Dana White revealed that Brock Lesnar is once again suffering from diverticulitis and will not be able to fight at UFC 131. Instead, the main event on that fight card will be Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin.
"I want to thank the UFC, I want to thank Mr. White and I want to apologize to Junior dos Santos and Spike TV," Lesnar said. "This is an unfortunate situation for me. I dodged a bullet about two years ago with diverticulitis, at that time not knowing what the problem was. ... Diverticulitis is something that never goes away. It's something I've dealt with since the first occurrence and I've been battling it."
Lesnar said that he has been feeling sick for three months and has been on antibiotics, and that "It didn't allow me to train to my full capabilities. I was forced to make a decision to go back to the doctor this week."
Although he insisted that the illness won't end his career and that he won't retire from MMA, he said there's simply no way he can fight as scheduled in June.
"It wouldn't have been fair," Lesnar said. "My health is No. 1, my family is No. 1 and it was a hard decision. I'm choked up about it and there's nothing I can do."
No doubt a lot more to come on this story. Lesnar has said the symptoms hit him during TUF filming.
Jon Jones, Frankie Edgar, Grey Maynard and now Brock Lesnar. Lot of big money fights getting royally fucked for the UFC recently.
Peace
Duckman
Rampage is gonna win this one.
This sucks.....
.....but JDS v/s Shane Carwin is a fucking sick fight.
Roy Nelson called that shit at the beginning of the year. Yowza.
Quote"I think Brock Lesnar is done," Nelson said. "I think Brock doing TUF is one way to basically take a situation and make it win-win for him. I think Lesnar doing the show is a way to introduce Junior Dos Santos to the American fan base in the way the show does. TUF introduces "stars in the making" to the casual UFC fan and while JDS is the number one contender he still needs some help with the American fan base. So the conspiracy basically comes down to the fact that Shane Carwin has no one to fight in June. I think Brock Lesnar will walk off the TUF set and then Carwin will take his spot or Frank Mir will come in to "save the day" and fight JDS for title contention. The reason I believe Frank would be the guy is because Mir is coming off a win and I was already supposed to fight Shane so fans were already hyped to see it. Or Carwin could move in to face JDS and I could still face Frank but it doesn't really matter to me as to who fights who because all that really matters is the fans want to see me fight somebody. A lot of things could happen over the next six weeks but it seems a bit off that Carwin doesn't have an opponent right now and all of the top heavyweights are spoken for."
source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/1/21/1948177/ufcs-roy-nelson-i-think-brock-lesnar-is-done
(Scuttles back into obscurity...)
Very interesting...
I don't know man, Kenny Florian is funny fucker on there. Same with Forrest Griffin.
I forgot to mention Chael Sonnen as a good one to follow, one of his most recent classics:
"I love watching sports like Hockey or Rugby, anything where a fight might break out. Which is why I stopped watching GSP."
Lol.
Peace
Duckman
Sonnen and Griffin hands down. They always have either a creative trash talk or an observation of every day life that makes me smile.
Really sucks for Edgar. Just as he was looking at finally gaining the fans' respect by beating Maynard in the rubber match, they both get dinged. I'm sure they were over training like madmen for their fight, but still this ties up the already contender packed Lightweight division even further. You got Bendo and Miller set to fight, then Pettis and Guida, and then whoever wins that match will be the next contender. Gilbert Melendez might as well start cutting down to 145 because there's no way in hell he's getting his shot anytime soon.
Such a sick card. I'm all Brazilian on this. War goes out to Thiago, Palhares, and Barboza.
I still have faith this fight will happen. There is NO ONE at welterweight left for GSP, and Diaz is the perfect antidote to GSP. Good MMA boxing, awesome off his back, and he will constantly be up in GSP's face. He'll force him to fight, and he'll force an exciting fight at that out of Mr. Decision.
Now I get to see if Nick has what it takes to beat a past his prime boxer with a bum left shoulder. I just hope that his sparring with Andre Ward and Omar Henry pays off. I don't think he has a damn thing to lose taking this fight, and even if he did lose a match with GSP will still be red hot.
Diaz vs. GSP > GSP vs. Silva
Hmmm, 1-0 to the fat man.
Quote from: Duckman on May 13, 2011, 08:10:57 AM
I don't know man, Kenny Florian is funny fucker on there. Same with Forrest Griffin.
I forgot to mention Chael Sonnen as a good one to follow, one of his most recent classics:
"I love watching sports like Hockey or Rugby, anything where a fight might break out. Which is why I stopped watching GSP."
Lol.
Peace
Duckman
HA, thats gold. Gonna go subscribe right now.
Total opposite of what NBA/NFL does were they even fine guys if they tweet 90 minutes before and 90 minutes after a game. Great job by UFC.
I disagree. Out of all of those possible fights a unification fight with Melendez is the most exciting. Pettis is no doubt next in line if he beats Guida. But I'd love to see Melendez get in there, not just with a top ten UFC guy, but a unification fight with either Edgar or Maynard.
Melendez has to be top two lightweight in the world at the moment and the unification side of the fight alone would do big bucks.
It's a stacked as hell division but I think once Edgar/Maynard 3 is done. Melendez needs to be in the top level mix as soon as possible.
Peace
Duckman
Anyone really think Okami stands a chance? I see him getting taken out inside 2 rounds TKO.
Hell of a card. Great to see them back in Brazil, I'd expect the atmosphere at the show to be incredible.
HUGE night for Shogun too.
Peace
Duckman
couldnt agree more with Sam.
Melendez is the most exciting 155'er in the world, he finishes fights. No one has been as dominate as he is right now since a in-prime BJ Penn.
YES!!! I swear I've been saying I wanted this match up since Brock/Santos was announced! Fuck yeah, bring this fight on. Also love how this was the main-event on my Fantasy card. :D
I wonder what this does to the ratings?
Dude, Lesnar's gonna hafta start eating more fiber or something. Or rub wheat germ on Sable's old leathery cooch at least.
reading up on it , it common for people to have more that one attack ... but lest now he more update with what is attacking him ... I say he comes back this fall
Honestly, I don't think is diverticulus(sp?) this time. I think he's using that as an excuse to do a book tour for 'Death Clutch'. Not only that but I genuinely think he doesn't want any more of MMA. He's just had his ass destroyed twice, and whoever wins this match will do the same. These heavys towards the top aren't like Mir, they have excellent takedown defense, they can take a punch, and damn can they deliver one.
He's rich enough to where he can retire if he wants and be the personal family man he is. In his new book he talks about his name value by summing it up with a Larry Hennig quote. "You gotta get in, to get out." I think this is officially Brock getting out.
woah woah definite misconception there. Huge Gil fan here. Hell I think I went hoarse screaming for him to elbow Kawajiri's face face off live, and then I lost my voice by the time Diaz vs. Daley was done. My point was that in this gigantic lightweight division, a guy like Gil SHOULD be getting the shot but will have to wait a motherfucking long time with all the contenders in the mix. Not only that, but Dana was saying something about Strikeforce fighters having to fulfill their contracts before stepping over to UFC.
So please. Don't think I'm hating on the latino elbow machine.
(http://i53.tinypic.com/kashfs.jpg)
Dude Lesnar hates publicity..I doubt this is all for a book tour.
Ah ha! Got ya Nick. Was about to tell you to hand in your passkey to the MMA forums if you're not a fan of Melendez! ;)
He was on MMA Live on ESPN really pushing the idea of a unification fight. Here's hoping Dana was watching.
Peace
Duckman
I'm getting more interested in the Carwin/JDS fight by the day but I reckon JDS will have too much striking and win by TKO - just like he would have against Brock.
As for Brock's future, I'm holding off any bold predictions. Mainly because I don't believe he's ducking the fight and I do believe he's legitimately ill.
I think he'll be back late next year for a fight with someone like Brendan Schaub or maybe Big Nog.
Then again knowing Brock he might just 'go dark' and go back to the wilderness...you just never know with him.
I hope he comes back because he brings more money to UFC on PPV than anyone else on their roster, even GSP.
Peace
Duckman
I figured you meant that Nick as your ALMOST as big of a Diaz fan as me, and you can't like Nick Diaz and NOT like Gilbert.
But that makes sense, looks like it'll be early next year before he gets a unification fight. Figure Maynard/Edgar goes down October-December, Gil wont be getting a shot till Spring 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH1Vb_tPM5E&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH1Vb_tPM5E&feature=player_embedded)
UFC NEEDS to sign this guy. I've been saying hes a top 185'er for 2 years now.
He's good, no doubt about it, but he's going to get nowhere in Bellator crushing cans. Sad thing is, Bellator is famous for their iron clad contracts, hence seeing talented guys like Askren and Alvarez locked down. I hope when it comes time to resign, he considers Dana's offer.
From MMAFighting.com:
Now that the California State Athletic Commission has voted to uphold Chael Sonnen's indefinite suspension, the UFC middleweight will have a long wait before he gets another day in court.
CSAC executive officer George Dodd told MMA Fighting on Thursday that the soonest Sonnen could reapply for a fighter's license is May of 2012, though he could apply for a second's license to corner other fighters sooner.
"One of our rules, in our Title IV [of the California Code of Regulations], stipulates that you have to wait one year after an appeal of your suspension or revocation of license. And since he appealed this [on May 18, 2011], it's one year from the day of denial."
In other words, Sonnen will either have to sit the next twelve months out or else try and get a license to fight in another commission's jurisdiction. That most likely rules out Nevada, but several other states â€" not to mention the U.K., Europe, and Japan â€" would still remain viable options.
That is, if the UFC is willing to promote a fighter who is still officially denied a license from a major commission like California.
If and when Sonnen does reapply for a license in the Golden State, Dodd said, he would have to show the commission proof of his rehabilitation, much like Josh Barnett was asked to do in his recent CSAC hearing.
"[Sonnen] is going to have to show that he's done something to promote the sport, promote goodwill," Dodd said. "He does a lot of good things already. He talks to kids and stuff like that about making right decisions. But he's going to have to show that he's making the right decisions as well. You can say it, but you have to make those decisions yourself."
As for Sonnen's use of testosterone, Dodd said a therapeutic use exemption is still not out of the question, but the fighter would have to go through the proper channels first.
"What would happen is he would...request it through the athletic commission. The commission would probably request that the medical advisory committee review it. The medical advisory committee would review it and then make a recommendation back to the commission whether or not to approve or disapprove."
Wednesday's hearing was not about whether Sonnen was or was not in need of the testosterone injections at the time of his fight with UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva at UFC 117 last August, Dodd said.
Instead, it was about Sonnen's misrepresentation of conversations he claimed to have had about that testosterone use with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Ultimately, the commission found his explanations of those past statements unconvincing.
"That is true," Dodd said. "That's why we never brought up more about what happened back then. We didn't. I didn't testify because there was nothing I could testify to that would give it more cause aside from what was already said."
At Wednesday's hearing Sonnen told the CSAC that conversations with UFC president Dana White had led him to believe he would be "effectively retired" if he wasn't relicensed this week. As of yet, there is no official word on what the UFC plans to do with regards to Sonnen's future in the organization.
Two questions.
1. Has Sonnen been treated harshly by the CSAC?
2. What does the future hold for Sonnen?
Peace
Duckman
A bit more on this that I missed:
The California State Athletic Commisison changed its decision yesterday that the indefinite suspension of Chael Sonnen would be treated as a license revocation, and thus, he would not be able to apply for a new license until May 28, 2012.
However, the commission stated in a release that an error in interpretation of the rule was made and Sonnen would be able to apply for a new license once his current license expires on June 29.
It should be noted that should Sonnen apply for a new license and be denied, he would not be allowed to apply again for a one year period, so this may all be a semantic argument in California.
However, he would be free to apply after June 29 in any state because his suspension would have ended. Many states would likely require Sonnen to first get reinstated in California, but the Antonio Margarito and Josh Barnett cases have shown Texas in both cases licensing both fighters as opposed to telling the fighters they first had to get cleared in California.
UFC would also have to make a decision as to whether they would do what could be considered commission shopping.
Quote from: Duckman on May 21, 2011, 09:44:05 AM
Two questions.
1. Has Sonnen been treated harshly by the CSAC?
2. What does the future hold for Sonnen?
Peace
Duckman
1. Absolutely not. One thing you definitely do not do is lie in front of the comission, because they video tape every thing you say and will use it against you. Sonnen has spilled many half lies while testifying, the biggest one saying that he spoke to Keith Kizer before his fight with Anderson Silva and said he was given verbal permission to use TRT. During this trial he changed that up, saying his buddy Matt Lindland spoke to Keith Kizer about TRT therapy and was given the go ahead. So apparently he assumed that since Matt Lindland was cleared for it, leaving him under the assumption that he didn't have to clear his condition with the commission.
I kept tabs of the recent trial on a twitter feed. Let me just say it is weird seeing sonnen like this...
Quote
JoshGrossESPN "If I don't get my license today I'm effectively retired. That came from the boss, Dana White." -- Chael Sonnen
MMAjunkieSteven Chael: I don't want to retire today
MMAjunkieSteven Chael: I am just asking you to go back to work.
JoshGrossESPN "I worked for this chance my whole life. I don't want to retire today." Chael is welling up. He's talking about himself.
Dude dug his own grave. That's what you get, when you....
(http://static.images.memegenerator.net/Instances280/7/7674/7858512.jpg)
2. Pro Wrestling possibly? This guy would be HUGE in WWE.
When he last spoke with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)), boxing promoter Don Chargin said he had contracted Nick Diaz to box Jeff Lacy in the fall and expected the fighter and his representatives to act in good faith.
He's had a change of heart since then.
While he's disappointed that Diaz won't be boxing anytime soon, Chargin said he'd rather step aside to let the Strikeforce champ take a fight of another kind â€" against Georges St-Pierre.
"That's something he wanted with St-Pierre," Chargin said. "He wants to box, too. But what if he lost to Lacy? It would kill the [St-Pierre] fight."
Conversations with the Diaz camp have led Chargin to believe a fight between the Diaz and St-Pierre is currently on the table for December.
"That's what they told me," he said.
Diaz's manager, Cesar Gracie, was unreachable for comment. UFC president Dana White wasn't â€" he threw cold water on the notion that the superfight is all but a done deal by telling MMAjunkie.com there are "still a lot of hurdles" to making it a reality.
Boxing could be one of them. Diaz has a clause in his Strikeforce contract that allows him a professional boxing match in 2011. White had said he would honor the contract at the same time he expressed confidence in his ability to make a Diaz vs. St-Pierre superfight happen. He reportedly met with Diaz this past week in Las Vegas.
So while boxing appears to be on hold, Chargin expects that Diaz will someday enter the ring â€" perhaps as early as next year.
"We're still going to do something, but after this fight," Chargin said. "Let him get his chance at that title. He still wants to box. That's all they talk about."
Whether MMA fans share Diaz's enthusiasm is another matter. In the past year, the fighter has built tremendous momentum by defending his title three times in dominant fashion. His momentum hit fever pitch this past month when he defeated Paul Daley by TKO in the first major Strikeforce event since the promotion was purchased by UFC parent company Zuffa.
The Strikeforce champ was on the tip of many a tongue as a potential challenger to St-Pierre after a tepid response to the UFC champ's most recent title defense against Jake Shields at UFC 129.
White has said he would not co-promote between Strikeforce and the UFC, even after buyout. If Diaz were to migrate, his current contract would likely need to be revised or replaced by one bearing Zuffa's name. That could jeopardize a move back to boxing; standard to all Zuffa contracts is a championship clause that prevents fighters from leaving the promotion in the event that a title is won.
That's just one of the hurdles to which White likely alludes.
For now, Chargin said he's being patient.
"Those guys work hard enough that if he's got a chance â€" and the way they explained it to me, it's a heck of an opportunity," Chargin said. "I'd feel terrible if he didn't get that chance because of something in the boxing thing. If it was just a fight and not a major MMA fight, I would have tried to talk him out of it.
"But with this, and with what people are telling me, it would be a big fight."
Mixed martial arts is now one step closer to regulation in New York.
Of course, the sport has been here before, so there is still some work to be done.
Nevertheless, the New York Senate today voted 42-18 in favor of Bill S1707A. It's a small victory for MMA fans in the Empire State, and the effort to legalize the sport will now shift to the New York State Assembly.
Assembly bill A04146, the New York State Assembly's version of the legislature that was passed in today's vote, was referred to the committee of tourism, parks, arts and sports development in February and has remained inactive since. A vote on the bill has not yet been scheduled, but interested observers can track the progress of the process here.
The current New York State Assembly session ends June 20, and there are just 12 days of business remaining in that period.
Several Senators today took the floor to speak in favor of the sport, including Senator Kevin Parker, who cited the safety record of MMA in comparison to other sports, while also clarifying that much of the brutality described by those against regulation in New York date back to a time before the institution of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.
Parker also explained that approving regulation would actually allow the government to add in additional safeguards should it be so inclined. And of course, the financial benefit of regulation was also addressed, and Parker alerted this fellow Senators to the millions of dollars in tax revenue being lost to nearby markets for a sport that New Yorkers can quite easily view on cable TV and pay-per-view.
It should be noted that today's vote is no guarantee the sport will be heading to Madison Square Garden anytime soon. In June 2010, the New York State Senate voted 32-26 to approve bill A02009 â€" that year's MMA bill â€" but it stalled in the Ways and Means committee. The previous year's bill also met the same fate.
New York state has long been one of the holy grails in the movement to legalize MMA across the country. UFC president Dana White is encouraging New York residents to contact their Assembly member to voice support of regulation in the state.
"It's time to bring the fastest growing sport in the world to New York," UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta stated in an official release. "With every passing month, our sport gets more and more popular around the country and in New York. We want to thank the State Senate, and we’re confident that when Assembly members take an objective look at our safety record, our popularity with their constituents, and the economic benefits and jobs we would bring to the State, they will take the same action and UFC fans will finally be able to see live UFC events in their home state."
Should be official by thursday. Woot!!
Let's just hope it gets through the next stage of the process. So much money being left on the table by NYC government types it's almost criminal!
If we don't get to see UFC in MSG by next year then the guys running that state/city need to go a few minutes with Cain or Bones and get some sense knocked into them!
How can they allow such offensive shit as 16 and Pregnant and Real Housewives to be shown on TV but they won't let a live UFC show in New York!?!
Completely ri-cock-ulous.
Peace
Duckman
Awesome! Probably the fight I'm most looking forward to this year!
Peace
Duckman
If this happens, first time I'll ever root against GSP.
Yeah, but will you bet against him? Can Diaz beat him?
Peace
Duckman
No.
I dont think you can ever bet against GSP, I donno if I would even if the Anderson fight happened, because i think it'd be the Sonnen fight without the triangle, as GSP is a better wrestler and Sonnen.
But I hope this fight will either bring the best out of GSP (he'll have to finish before Diaz finishes him) or Diaz wins and we got a WW Champion that wont rest on his laurels and finish fights.
Q: Fabricio Werdum was the first (technically second) man to defeat Fedor. Do you think that maybe with victory over Werdum you will prove your superiority over Fedor as well?
No. You can't use mathematics in fighting. You have to fight the person yourself to say that you are the better man. But I have to agree that a win over Werdum will close the debate if I'm a Top 10 fighter or not.
Q: Do you think that maybe at some point Fabricio Werdum became overconfident following his victory over Fedor Emelianenko. Also, what do you think about him always saying "Alistair Overeem is my son"?
Werdum is a professional fighter and he will be confident but not overconfident. I heard him saying that I'm his son, but I don't understand what he really means. I think he means that he's superior then me, because he beat me a couple of years ago. I think it's a lost in translation thing.
According to Jon Fitch's twitter, he isnt happy.
"for realize. GSPvsDiaz=bullshit" -Jon Fitch
There is no debate from this corner whether he's a top 10 heavyweight or not. I dare anyone to name 10 better... the curse of not being a UFC fighter
Quote from: Cory on May 25, 2011, 04:55:04 PM
According to Jon Fitch's twitter, he isnt happy.
"for realize. GSPvsDiaz=bullshit" -Jon Fitch
Maybe Jon Fitch should learn to finish! He is world class at what he does but he no-one is buying a PPV to see Jon "1D" Fitch.
Nick Diaz is a dangerous combination of heart, balls & skill. Can he beat GSP? He
can but the smart money isn't on him. I pray that Nick Diaz & Josh Koscheck coach the Ultimate Fighter against each other. Can you imagine how good that would be?
Quote from: Duckman on May 25, 2011, 02:34:14 PM
Awesome! Probably the fight I'm most looking forward to this year!
Same here, and though I'll be rooting for Diaz, I certainly won't be betting against St. Pierre either.
Yeah he's certainly a top ten HW fighter. Would be insane to argue anything else.
Top 3 though? Probably if he beats Werdum.
Man that fight is going to be fucking great!
Peace
Duckman
Fitch can fuck right off. There's more to getting a Title shot in UFC these days then just boring everyone to death on the way to a decision. There's no money in him fighting GSP again whereas Diaz? Well just look at the responses here and elsewhere - THIS is the fight people want to see.
Peace
Duckman
You can't really reason with it that way because it's all politics. They don't really think it's dangerous. While I really don't follow all this talk; I do think it will be legal within time span of (2-4) years. It's just a matter of when because MMA/UFC will come to New York. Dana White is too stubborn to accept nothing less, lol.
This is bullshit...
... we need to wait until December? :D
Middleweights Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller will serve as coaches on the upcoming 14th season of "The Ultimate Fighter."
UFC president Dana White today confirmed the assignments with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). MMA.tv initially reported the selections.
The season begins filming in June and debuts on Spike TV in September.
Bisping (21-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and Miller (24-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will meet in a season-ending fight at an event to be determined.
For the time in series history, "TUF 14" is expected to feature bantamweight and featherweight fighters. A 28-man, 32-slot tournament will be used. After an elimination round of fights, an official cast of 14 fighters will be determined. Two opening-round losers then will get second life as wild-card picks who fight for the eighth spot in the quarterfinal bracket.
Bisping, who won "TUF 3" and coached on "TUF 9," and Miller, who recently left Strikeforce and signed with the UFC, take the spots that were rumored to be going to a variety of fighters. Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber, Chael Sonnen, Brian Stann, Georges St-Pierre, Nick Diaz and others all had been speculated as possibilities.
Sonnen, in fact, had the spot opposite Bisping. But unable to get a second's ("cornerman") license due to his fight ongoing fight following a recent California State Athletic Commission, Sonnen instead was replaced by Miller. (Bisping said he was "gutted" by the decision.)
Miller, in fact, is slated to fight Aaron Simpson at July's UFC 132 event, though that fight is expected to be scratched.
For more on "The Ultimate Fighter 14" debut, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
I actually think this was smart, both guys are great on camera.
Mayhem is going to be a coach, wow, this is going to be a weird season lol.
oh shit , i think that going to be a great season ... both are great in front of the camera
plus i like the fight your way in... always thought that was the best way to pick who goes to the house
Mayhem vs Bisping should lead to a pretty entertaining season. Bisping should bring in the Diaz boys as guest coaches just to stir some shit
He probably would, just to be a dick!
In all honesty if they couldn't get Bisping and Sonnen, then Bisping and Mayhem is the next best thing.
It should be a much more interesting and entertaining series than the current one - which is boring the arse off me.
The fight itself should be a good one and if Bisping gets past Mayhem I think he's got a legitimate shout at a Title shot in his next fight.
Peace
Duckman
I'm looking forward more to the fight than the usual drunken antics. Bisping vs. Miller is a solid fight on paper, and I'm looking forward to Miller finally getting his due against elite competition.
Not gonna lie, I was bored as shit during this card.
Thats all I have to say. A superman punch I guess was cool, and Stann was a monster.
It was pretty boring, partly due to the fact that this wasn't a great card and I wasn't that into it from the get-go. And plus, I fucking bombed the predictions, lol. I don't think I have ever predicted so many matches wrong until tonight.
I actually enjoyed the show, not blown away but mostly entertained throughout. I thought Stann looked fantastic and made a great statement of his intent in the division. I'd expect the UFC machine to really get behind him now. Especially with his history in the marines.
I though Alves looked slow and unmotivated. Shame because I had hopes for that fight. He didn't seem to warm up until round three. Story fought a smart first couple of rounds though, credit to him.
I thought Browne had one of the most spectacular looking KOs in a long time. Although any time Struve gets KOed it looks awesome because has so far to fall and such big legs to fold up under him!
Roy Nelson was a joke. Talk about out of shape. Probably the biggest fight of his career to date and he's gassed after half a round. I'd be shocked if Dana didn't have some serious talks with him about getting his shit together. He has a lot of skills and a really marketable personality but he could hardly lift his arms after the first round. He spent far too long hugging Mir and leaning on him because of how tired he was. Mir looked good but I wonder how much of that was down to Nelson being so fat, slow and gassed.
Rampage looked in a different league from Hamill when it came to striking and Hamill take down attempts sucked. It would have capped the night off nicely if Rampage got the KO and he did seem to be going for it. Hamill just looked completely done in the 2nd round after taking a few punches and having all his take downs stopped. He knew if he couldn't take Rampage down he couldn't win the fight, it was written all over his face. Not a classic war by any means, but I didn't expect that, although I did expect Rampage to KO him. Rampage looked better than he did in the Machida fight but his opponent was at a much lower level, so hard to say where Rampage is in terms of his career right now. I think from a money drawing stand point they can get one more run with him going after Jones. But I'd be shocked if he beat Jones on the last 3 fights I've seen from Rampage.
Not a classic show, but a couple of good finishes and a couple of decent fights. Then again we get the shows for free. If I'd have paid for it, would probably have been disappointed.
Roll on Pettis vs. Guida and JDS vs. Carwin THOSE are two fights we can all get hyped about!
Peace
Duckman
From MMAFighting.com:
The superfight between Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson, which has been rumored since shortly after Henderson won the Strikeforce light heavyweight title in March, is official.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced Saturday the main event for a July 30 card at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., a northwest suburb of Chicago. Emelianenko, a heavyweight, and Henderson, currently a light heavyweight, will fight at a catch weight of 220 pounds on the Showtime-broadcast card.
Coker said the fight is one Henderson has wanted for a long time, and was willing to move up in weight to face Emelianenko.
"Dan told me, 'I'll fight him at any weight, any time, any place. Just let me fight Fedor,' " Coker said. "So Dan's really the one that pushed to fight Fedor. He said, 'I've always wanted to fight him, I think I can beat him, so let's get it on.' But then the managers get involved, and consultants get involved, and they start talking to (Emelianenko manager) Vadim (Finkelstein), and that's the weight that everybody agreed on. Fedor's a heavyweight, so to ask him to drop to 205 is really quite a drop. But Dan was more than willing to come up."
The promotion last hosted an event at the Sears Centre in November 2009 â€" Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers. In that main event, Emelianenko beat Brett Rogers by second-round TKO.
After a loss to Jake Shields in his Strikeforce debut, Henderson knocked out Renato "Babalu" Sobral last December, then won the light heavyweight tittle with a third-round TKO of Rafael Cavalcante in Columbus, Ohio, in March.
Emelianenko, regarded by many as the best mixed martial arts fighter in history, went nearly 10 years without a loss before tapping out to a triangle-armbar combination against Fabricio Werdum last June. He followed that up with a TKO loss to Antonio Silva in February when the cageside doctor stopped the fight after the second round when Emelianenko was having trouble seeing.
Coker said the promotion considered several major U.S. markets for the fight before settling on a return to the Chicago area.
"Chicago's a great city for sports and MMA," Coker said. "When we were identifying the market for Fedor, obviously you have to think about the New York area. You have to think about Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area. And Chicago, with the Russian community there, we thought was a natural fit. Dan Henderson, he's loved everywhere in this country. So we thought that fight made a lot of sense in Chicago."
Coker also announced Saturday that after the June 24 Strikeforce Challengers show in Kent, Wash., all future Challengers shows will take place at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas. Strikeforce previously steered clear of Las Vegas shows because of the Zuffa's heavy presence there. But after Zuffa purchased Strikeforce earlier this year, the doors were opened. The first Challengers show in Las Vegas will take place July 22 with a main event featuring Bobby Voelker vs. Roger Bowling â€" a trilogy grudge rematch.
And at the June 18 Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum card in Dallas, which airs live on Showtime, Strikeforce will tread more new ground with a preliminary card airing live on HDNet. HDNet's "Inside MMA" weekly show will air the event's weigh-ins live on June 17. Coker said the HDNet deal, for now, is just for the Dallas event â€" which features the two remaining quarterfinals of the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament, plus the return of Gina Carano, who Coker confirmed will face Sarah D'Alelio.
Probably the biggest fight Strikeforce can put on right now outside of the HW Title tournament.
What'd you guys make of this? Does Hendo vs. Fedor still excite you in 2011?
Peace
Duckman
Yes it excites me enough to go out and buy tickets to the event...
I have heard during the last two Fedor loses that he is a really small heavyweight so it should be interesting to see him as a big LHW fighting against a great fighter like Hendo....
Good man! You'll need to give us a report on the show. Damn I wish I lived in the States sometimes!!
I think it's a really interesting fight for both guys. Last two fights Hendo has looked really, really good. Much better than he did in the UFC towards the end of his run.
Fedor obviously has had two straight losses and there's a lot of talk about how relevant he is in MMA in 2011. Lot of people saying the sport has passed him by as he hasn't fought anyone at a high level since probably Cro-Cop back in Pride. Apart from Werdum, obviously.
This fight will go a long way to answer questions about both guys and it's one that will draw a lot of interest from MMA fans.
Here's hoping it's the first of many 'superfights' in the next few years.
Peace
Duckman
in rampage defense he did have a broken hand ... so I will give him a pass on not knocking Hamil , but also Hamil got a hard ass head and strong jaw
the show itself was make shift patch , it look weak because the main fight these fights were built around did not happen
I seriously got myself all worked up for this main event and walked away confused and violated. I know I sound like the another parrot, but I did not enjoy this PPV at all.
I really tried even by becoming a 'judge' and seeing how close I could call it to their scores but that lost its zip for me also.
Meh, can't win 'em all. :P
I think a lot of the disappointment comes from what this PPV could have been and what it turned out to be.
Went from Edgar/Maynard 3 - which I don't care what anyone says, would have been a classic fight just as their 2nd fight was. Plus it would have been a Title fight and a proper main event.
You had Rampage vs. Silva in the co-main - which would have been a stand up war but got fucked by Silva being a drug cheat cock. Then Rampage vs. Hamill is made the main event and it's never going to be a true main event fight, unless it's a title eliminator or something, which this wasn't.
Plus Mir vs. Nelson in the 3rd match position - which thanks to the above get bumped to the co-main and let's be honest, that's not a co-main event fight, not with Nelson's UFC record anyway - he just hasn't had enough fights.
I still thought the first 3 fights on the card were entertaining and I enjoyed Mir/Nelson for what it was, although I still think Nelson needs to get in shape and fast if he wants to survive in UFC.
Again with UFC shows, the main event doesn't do much and that leaves people on a downer. Bit like their last show with GSP/Shields.
I still say the next two shows will have main event worthy fights that'll cheer us all up!!
Peace
Duckman
Can't wait, but Fedor is going to destroy.
I think IT Can be an even match, but now that Fedor won't be fighting a guy thats 30+ lbs then him, I expect the Fedor of the old, and Hendo just cant match that. Destroy in no way means that theres NOT questions about these two guys as of late, nor that Hendo isn't in Fedors league, but at a catchweight, I think Fedor wants to go out and redeem himself.
Cant wait.
Guess we'll find out if Fedor's hand speed is declining or not. If Henderson can get this one to the ground, I think he wins. That's a big task though.
I agree with L1......cant remember a time I predicted so bad. Heres in short my breakdown of the card.
Stann/Santiago was the best fight of the night, only two guys who looked like they wanted to go at it.
Alves/Story ....that Story guy just had Alves up against the cage for 2 rounds, would hold him, ref would separate and would hold him again. Alves should have adapted, but c'mon. Story fought scared for the first two rounds, and in the 3rd when they opened up Alves started to fuck him up, but it was too little too late. Story at the end did what he had to do, but didn't impress me.
Browne/Struve was too short to call it a good fight, but at least we got our knockout.
Mir/Nelson was a sack of shit fight this was. Not even going to break it down, one of the worst fights I've ever seen.
Rampage/Hammil YAWN, Rampage dominated an under matched opponent. Nuff said, Hammil didn't have momentum once in the fight, and Rampage honestly wasted his time. He shoulda waited for Rua or something to get that #1 contender shot.
Best part of the night was in Rampage's post fight interview: "No one wants to stand an bang anymore, people come around with these little gameplans, what the hells wrong with these people."
UFC is downhill for me now honestly. You get 5 fights a card, and you might get 2 that are worth anything, because of wrestlers, guys fighting cautiously, and "gameplans". Gameplans are a integral part to MMA, but im not a fighter, so I can sit back here and say you're boring as fuck, lets see some action.
UFC needs a serious Card of the year coming soon, or Dana needs to tell these guys you're not going to get rewarded for JUST winning anymore, you need to draw and be exciting, which he does a bit, but he needs to do more.
Torres vs Johnson was a good fight, decision was wrong but it was still entertaining to watch Torres constantly working off of his back and being much more dangerous than the guy on top.
UFC president Dana White is still hanging "TUF" with the Philippines, but his promotion is not quite there in mounting its first international version of the reality show.
"We're like one piece away from finishing the thing," White told reporters following UFC 130, which took place this past Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
That piece, however, could be the start of a much more ambitious drive to create a world grand prix of international competitors on "The Ultimate Fighter," he added.
White is a huge fan of the grand prix tournaments of the now-defunct PRIDE, which the UFC purchased in 2007, and he's taken quite a liking to soccer since the 2010 FIFA World Cup, even going so far as to issue a joking ban to the vuvuzelas that filled South African arenas to the annoyance of many.
An international "TUF" tournament could not only crown the best up-and-comer from beyond U.S. borders, but perhaps heighten interest from fans that want to cheer on their respective countries.
"It's like the World Cup of 'TUF,'" White said. "Dude, if we can nail that one, that's my dream."
A date has yet to be locked down for the Philippines-based season of the reality show. White has previously pointed to Canada and the Middle East as two front runners for international locales, but the Southeast Asian country took center stage this past February.
Back in 2008, UFC officials announced plans to host an event in the Philippines in mid-2009, and an open workout with Chuck Liddell drew more than 4,000 fans. Brandon Vera, whose father is Filipino, also held one of his own that drew 10,000 attendees.
The plans for an event in the country, which has a population of approximately 92 million, ultimately were scrapped due to the global financial crisis.
"TUF," which launched in 2005 on Spike TV, ends its 13th season this Saturday with The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale in Las Vegas.
Spike TV is unlikely to air the international editions of the reality show, but White said episodes could be hosted online.
"Technology is our friend," he said. "It keeps getting better and better."
He's done well so far to request the fights that make the most career sense to him, and Rick Story (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) already has a guy in mind for his next appearance.
Story, who earned his biggest win to date against Thiago Alves this past Saturday at UFC 130, said he'd like to fight perennial contender Jon Fitch.
"Me and my coach Pat White were discussing this, and we think that the next opponent that would best suit us would be Jon Fitch because he's the next guy in line," Story said following the event, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Story should be thankful to be in the position to make a request. He took a knee to the jaw in round three that sent his teeth through his mouthpiece. Alves also cracked him with several punches to the jaw. The fight ended with both men swinging for the bleachers.
Yet some in the audience felt the action wasn't good enough and booed â€" a common theme throughout the pay-per-view event.
"I actually thought it was a great fight," UFC president Dana White said. "I don't know what those people were watching. Rick Story fought a great fight.
"He got crushed with that knee, and the fight changed. Thiago had a chance to jump in there and take that fight over, in my opinion, and he didn't. Rick kept his head together (and) kept his composure like a pro."
Story requested the fight with Alves following a decision win over fellow up-and-comer Johny Hendricks. This past Saturday's victory was his sixth consecutive win.
A fight with Jon Fitch would undoubtedly move Story to within striking distance of a shot at welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. Fitch is currently recovering from a shoulder injury that forced him to withdraw from a rematch with B.J. Penn at UFC 132 (The two fought to a draw at UFC 127).
White's ears may be more open to requests given his praise for Story's performance.
"He showed some big stuff tonight against a tough guy who's been in big fights," White said. "I thought it was a great fight. No reason to boo."
Quote from: Cory on May 01, 2011, 05:42:48 PM
The only thing about last night was why would he want to go to the ground? Thats like standing against Alves/Hardy, where GSP took them both down.
You know what you're going to get in a GSP fight. He's going to do the opposite of what his opponent is good at and dominate him at that for 5 rounds. Thats what makes him the best fighter, as he's brilliant everywhere to be able to pick/choose what hes going to do before the fight and execute the hell out of it. Yes, its boring as fuck, but I SURE didnt play $10 last night ($80/8ppl) to see GSP's fight, you knew it was going to be boring. I wanted to see Hominick/Aldo and Randy's last fight, and the main event was part of the package.
Diaz has been my favourite fighter for upwards of 3 years now, if he fights GSP, GSP is going to wrestle him to the ground and lay some medium ground n pound for the decision. GSP doesn't want to stand against Diaz because Diaz is a better boxer, and he doesn't wanna transition alot on the ground, because Diaz is a LEGIT BJJ black belt, maybe only a step behind Sheilds who has the best @ 170.
Yeah that. I'd get all hyped up for a Diaz/GSP fight but it's obviously just going to be five rounds of him sitting on top of Diaz and doing just enough to give him as much sitting on top time before the next takedown. Maybe on occasion he'll tease an Armbar or throw an overhand right so he can say he was totally, honestly looking for the finish, but the rest of the time, he's doing exactly enough to win and little else.
Fitch doesn't want to fight him though. He says he only wants to fight GSP or BJ Penn and will sit out a year if he has to in order to get those fights.
Fine with me. A year of not having to watch Fitch 'fight' is a blessing.
Peace
Duckman
exactly
QuoteU wanted it! U GOT IT!!! GSP vs DIAZ Oct 29th UFC 137 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
From Dana White's Twitter. Can't wait till' tickets go on sale!!
I found out and I was like...
(http://4gifs.com/gallery/d/160232-1/Singer_freaks_face.gif)
great
.... and I see Diaz getting clock cleaned
If you mean 'clock cleaned' as in KO'd or TKO'd, don't bet on it. GSP hasn't TKO'd anyone since Serra in 2008, and Diaz hasn't been TKO'd since way early in his career. Diaz is the same guy who made the well touted Dream Welterweight Champion, who everyone was saying was the welterweight Cro Cop, look like a punk. He's also the same guy who took two flush KOable shots from THE hardest hitter in the division, Paul Daley, and he came back to TKO Daley by the end of the first round. People were calling Daley the best striker at welterweight before his fight with Diaz, and now they pass that label on to the guy who got Story'd. Diaz is the best striker at welterweight, and he has the jits to give GSP fits. Love this fight.
Can't wait.
GSP probably wins, but im fully backing my boy Diaz to be the one to beat him. I cant fucking wait, i'd pre-order this now if I could.
I'll be bold and say Diaz via 2nd rd TKO 8)
i hope this GSP fight is better than the last one.
that one was boooooooooooring.
If he's not going to develop TKO power, or work on his jiu jitsu to actually finish people when he takes their back, then he can fuck off. No one wants to watch the decision machine. He needs to get his ass up to middleweight now, there's so many interesting fights for him there.
Quote from: Bryan on June 02, 2011, 03:19:42 AM
i hope this GSP fight is better than the last one.
that one was boooooooooooring.
I wouldn't get your hopes up.
I think it's going to be a great fight because Diaz will not dick around for 3 rounds like Shields did. He will be aggressive, he'll take the fight to him and that's something no one has done to GSP in ages.
Will Diaz win? Whole other discussion.
Is this the best fight for the division, the UFC and the sport that they could put on right now? Fuck yeah.
Diaz's promos alone will be worth 250K buys. I can't wait to hear what he's got to say about GSP.
If this is the start of more cross over fights with UFC/SF then I'm all for it!
Hyped to hell for this one folks because it's the fight fans wanted to see and we've got it!
Peace
Duckman
Next up:
Cain v/s Overeem
I'd like to see Gilbert Melendez vs. winner of Edgar/Maynard too!
So much potential for major money fights now!!
Peace
Duckman
Seems like it's going to be a very entertaining season! ;D
I see Miller taking down the door early on just to mimic past coaches.
I think his fight against Alves and Hendricks shows that Story is quickly becoming a competitor in the welterweight division. I think if Story beats Marquardt, He may become No. 2 or No. 3 contender in UFC.
Quote from: Allister Black on June 03, 2011, 02:46:57 PM
I see Miller taking down the door early on just to mimic past coaches.
I was actually talking to my brother about this today.
Story needs to finish fights. He's only impressed me against Hazelett. Call me hard to impress, but to be honest v/s Hendricks and Alves he fought very conservatively and when he opened up he showed weakness. Only thing to take from his last two was that he can beat a decent wrestler in Hendricks.
V/s Marquardt (Fitch fight isn't happening) I see him having severe problems. Alves as much as hes one of my favourites, is fairly one dimentional, Marquardt is one of the best all around fighters in the UFC, let alone 170.
As expected 2011 NCAA Division I national wrestling champion Bubba Jenkins is headed to the world of MMA.
The 23-year-old has officially joined the Florida-based American Top Team, team officials today announced.
Jenkins, who won this year's NCAA title at 157 pounds, concluded a career at Penn State and Arizona State with a 94-24 record, including a 21-3 mark in his championship 2010-2011 season.
Even before defeating then-undefeated (38-0) David Taylor in the championship match back in March, Jenkins announced his intentions of moving into MMA.
"Bubba is now fully committed with his MMA career and will move down to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., where he will join a host of other MMA stars to work with, such as Mike Brown, Cole Miller, Jorge Masvidal, Thiago 'Pitbull' Alves, Hector Lombard and Gleison Tibau among others," the announcement stated. "This is the first wave in American Top Team's bid to bring high level wrestlers into the mix. We are very pleased Bubba has decided to call ATT and South Florida home."
No stranger to the big stage, Jenkins' NCAA finals victory came in front of 17,687 fans.
After earning a state championship in high school, Jenkins began his career at Penn State, where he was a 2008 runner-up at 149 pounds. But after a clash with new coach Cael Sanderson, he transferred to Arizona State and had his most successful season. Taylor, whom he beat in this year's NCAA finals, competed for Penn State.
-------------
This is great to see the best wrestlers turn to MMA now, but fuck. Is this a bad thing? More decision machines in the making?
The hand injury that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson sustained this past Saturday at UFC 130 is serious â€" but perhaps not serious enough to stall his career.
As light-heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) tells it, Jackson (32-8 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will get a shot at his belt.
"I'll be fighting Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson next," Jones told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) on Thursday. "I'm not allowed to discuss the date because I didn't sign a contract, but yeah, it will be very soon."
The announcement may come as a surprise to those familiar with Jackson's recent health history. The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended him this week following his lopsided decision win over Matt Hamill at UFC 130, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The former champ had to get his left hand X-rayed and could be suspended until Nov. 25 if an injury was found. He can, however, gain clearance before that from an orthopedic doctor.
Jackson said he first hurt his hand while horsing around with teammates over the holidays and re-injured it in camp. The fight with Hamill did little but aggravate it further. However, it appears that the severity of the injury, which UFC president Dana White said could give Lyoto Machida or Rashad Evans the next title shot, has been downgraded.
White also said the title shot was Jackson's should he be healthy by fall.
"Bones" has wrestled with his own injuries, or specifically, one injury. He was expected to undergo surgery on a long-bothersome hand ligament, which scratched a potential fight with Evans at UFC 133. The promotion instead booked Evans to meet standout Phil Davis at the Aug. 6 event. Soon afterward, Jones caught fans by surprise when he announced that his doctor ruled against surgery and that he expected to return to the cage in the fall. But officials said it was too late to scratch Evans' UFC 133 headliner with Davis.
Jones said Thursday that his hand is "totally fine" and will be good to go for a fight with Jackson.
When would he like to return to the cage?
"September," he said.
If Jones gets his way, two options may accommodate him. "UFC Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou" is slated for Sept. 17 in New Orleans, and UFC 135 is targeted for Sept. 24 in Denver. However, the financial upside is far greater for Jones with a pay-per-view event since he receives a cut of its profits.
So, UFC 135 appears a likely option.
If the champ gets his way.
...again the EFK knows best
so ask yourself ... you really thought Clay going to take out showtime .... My thought would be hell no... but hey it happen
good job to Tony ... nice punch
Hey, if other sports can draft out of college, why not MMA camps? Seems like the next logical step.
it smart move
Honestly, it's not like they're gonna do much else after college. The path is like this: high school, college, World championships with wrestling clubs, MAYBE Olympics. What are they gonna do, go to pro wrestling? Pfft...
But yeah, this is a good next step for the guy IMO.
I had tony winning until I thought wrestling....Ramsey would just wrestle him. I shoulda went with my gut, good finish.
I like the guy, but Rampage better step his training up big time for this one, and sadly that's just to keep himself from being embarrassed. I don't see a way for Jackson to walk away from this fight with the belt.
It's GOT to be a PPV fight. In fact there's no chance it wouldn't be.
Also I just think Rampage will be too slow to beat Jones.
It'll be a money fight and the promo work from Rampage will no doubt get him another big pay day. I just don't see him winning the Title. Look what Jones did to Hamill and then compare it to what Rampage did. Granted Rampage would probably be more 'up' for the Jones fight, but still, I just can't see him winning.
If the fight even happens. Still haven't heard how bad his hand is.
Peace
Duckman
Kinda pisses me off that Quinton is leap frogging Machida. But I guess they want Jones to build up his name by giving him beatable, yet nameworthy challenges.
Quote from: Cory on June 05, 2011, 09:35:11 PM
I had tony winning until I thought wrestling....Ramsey would just wrestle him. I shoulda went with my gut, good finish.
Same here. I let my hate for the douchebag cloud the fact the guy has good takedown defense and heavy hands.
I'm so glad amateur wrestlers are looking to MMA rather than pro wrestling. You can actually excel based on your athletic credentials, and not have to worry about having loads of charisma.
That said, Ben Askren is one boring poodle head.
You guys do realize that GSP is deathly afraid of anyone with a legit black belt, right? On GSP's end this is going to be like the Shields/Koscheck fights, just with a few more takedowns. Watch in shock and awe as Nick Diaz baits GSP into getting into the pocket, then destroys him with his awkward, yet effective punches in bunches.
I can see that, but I still cant see Diaz stopping GSP takedowns. I see Diaz winning the strandup for for the minute/minute and half then GSP taking him down and "scoring".
But Aside from being Canadian I hate GSP, but because hes our big athlete and someone other than Hockey I almost have to cheer for the dude, but I hope Diaz gets the strap
I don't think Diaz minds being on his back, even against GSP. I know in theory that sounds like a recipe for more of the same 5 round snooze-fest, but if you look at GSPs last 10 fights he only fought two people with the BJJ skills to actually sub him.
Matt Hughes - Sub'd GSP for his first loss in 04, then GSP sub'd Hughes in the rematch
and BJ Penn at UFC 94, who got TKO'd. Some might say Serra, but his one UFC submission victory doesn't rank high enough IMO to consider him a threat to GSP.
Diaz is the first guy in a long time that will have legitimate skills off his back.
I can't see how Diaz isn't the huge underdog here, but this one definitely has potential for an upset. WAR DIAZ! :jointpasssmiley:
Not really. Rampage beat Machida. Argue that decision all you want (and I thought Machida won that fight) but he's the next guy in line. Machida got whipped by Shogun and lost to Rampage.
I don't think a win over Couture puts Machida in the number one contender position.
Then again I don't think a win over Hamill does that for Rampage either.
But Rampage beating Machida has to put Rampage higher up the rankings and with Evans tied up with Davis, this is the logical fight.
If Machida wins his next fight and Jones beats Rampage well, then the money for the Jones/Machida fight will be even bigger.
Peace
Duckman
From MMAFighting.com:
Gina Carano will have to wait a little longer to make her return to the cage.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced Tuesday afternoon to open a media conference call that Carano will not be fighting on June 18 against Sarah D'Alelio. Coker said Carano did not receive medical clearance from her doctor.
"I'm disappointed not to be fighting June 18. I'd like to thank (coach and trainer) Greg Jackson ... and I hope this is just a brief setback," Carano said in a prepared statement read by Coker.
Carano's return was scheduled for the main card of Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum, which airs on Showtime and features the second two quarterfinal fights of the promotion's heavyweight tournament.
Coker said the promotion did not have any additional details yet for the reason Carano was not cleared to fight. He said a lightweight top contenders fight between KJ Noons and Jorge Masvidal, originally scheduled to air on HDNet as part of the prelims, will be elevated to the main card, which airs on Showtime.
"I know she's really disappointed. We talked to her representatives," Coker said. "It's an unfortunate situation, and we'll be moving forward with the KJ Noons-(Masvidal) fight. We just don't have any other further information on Gina."
Coker said D'Alelio does not yet have a new opponent for the Dallas card and was unsure if she would still fight on the show. He said he hoped a decision would be made on D'Alelio's spot on the card by the end of Tuesday.
Carano (7-1, 1-1 Strikeforce), a Dallas area native, was to make her return to the cage for the first time since a loss in August 2009 to Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos in a Strikeforce women's middleweight title fight. She has been out of fighting action while pursuing a film career, including a role in "Haywire," a film directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh, scheduled for release later this year.
On Saturday, Coker told MMA Fighting in Las Vegas prior to the UFC's TUF 13 Finale that despite Carano's movie future, he believes she still has the drive to continue fighting, as well.
"Gina has a successful career in film now," Coker said. "She's done this Steven Soderbergh movie, and I heard it's been getting great reviews. They're feeling this could really launch her film career. What I respect about Gina is, she's a fighter at heart. This is something she wants to do."
But Coker also said Carano's layoff of nearly two years could be a factor â€" and told MMA Fighting he believed she likely was thinking about possible cage rust.
"I think deep inside, there has to be a little bit of 'What is it gonna look like? How am I gonna perform?,'" Coker said. "There must be, after two years, a little bit of doubt. I think she's going to have a good showing, and I think she's going to be in a tough fight. I think Sarah is going to be a girl who is going to be up there and be in her face."
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum takes place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The main card features two quarterfinal fights in the promotion's Heavyweight Grand Prix â€" heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers. Noons-Masvidal now joins the heavyweight tournament bouts, plus two heavyweight tournament reserve fights.
Though the heavyweight tournament should be sufficient to draw viewers to Showtime, Coker told MMA Fighting on Saturday having Carano on the card was being looked at as a solid opportunity to bolster the ratings.
"It's going to be a great event because Gina, let's face it, had the highest rated Showtime event for two years or something like that," Coker said. "The (Fedor vs. Silva) event in New Jersey beat that, but that was the heavyweight tournament. Gina and Cyborg held the rating. Showtime loves her, the media loves her â€" she's got that X factor. And she's on her way to a film career."
Coker said despite the long layoff for the 29-year-old who was christened as "the face of women's MMA" several years ago, he didn't believe Carano wanted to come back and just fight sporadically. He said he envisioned Carano returning so she could challenge for a title again.
"I respect she doesn't want to fight once," Coker said. "She wants to fight in the fall, next year ... she has this game plan in her mind and fighting's important to her. Let's see how far she can take it. She wants to come back, and the game plan depends on how she does in the first couple fights. But you have that fight in you, you've got that dog in you â€" you want to fight. She has that in her. She's going to continue to do (films and fighting)."
Well there's a few ratings points dropped. Say what you will about her but that woman draws ratings. Of course it's cause she's hot as hell, but still...
Peace
Duckman
yes hot as hell and yes she can fight ... I wanted to see her fight again... I like to watch her fight ... i am not happy
....fuck.
Well, I guess Ill just have to watch porn.
Quote from: Duckman on June 07, 2011, 06:38:30 AM
Not really. Rampage beat Machida. Argue that decision all you want (and I thought Machida won that fight) but he's the next guy in line. Machida got whipped by Shogun and lost to Rampage.
I don't think a win over Couture puts Machida in the number one contender position.
Then again I don't think a win over Hamill does that for Rampage either.
But Rampage beating Machida has to put Rampage higher up the rankings and with Evans tied up with Davis, this is the logical fight.
If Machida wins his next fight and Jones beats Rampage well, then the money for the Jones/Machida fight will be even bigger.
Peace
Duckman
Couldnt have said it better myself.
I like KJ Noons and like the replacement... Come on boys just suck it up and watch One night in CHYNA!
This sucks. I was really looking forward to her fight. Of course, it's because she's extremely hot--but secondly, I'm a fan of female MMA. Many of the fights I've seen are always some of the best of the night.
This really sucks. The hottest MMA fighter of all time isn't fighting. :(
Main card:
Heavyweight bout: Junior Dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin
Featherweight bout: Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes
Heavyweight bout: Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman
Middleweight bout: Demian Maia vs. Mark Muñoz
Lightweight bout: Donald Cerrone vs. Vagner Rocha
Preliminary card (Spike TV):
Lightweight bout: Sam Stout vs. Yves Edwards
Middleweight bout: Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Chris Weidman
I think that's a hell of a card to be honest. I'll be going out of my way to see the Stout/Edwards fight because I've always enjoyed watching Stout fight.
Cerrone and Rocha should be a real chess match fight on the ground with Cerrone looking to make a mark in the stacked LW division.
Maia and Munoz is one of those BJJ vs. wrestler fights that's tough to call and also could be a great fight. I'm thinking Munoz will actually try to keep it standing but Maia will eventually get it to the ground.
Florian drops to his FOURTH!! weight class since joining the UFC! He's the reverse Manny Pacquiao of MMA! He's also in for one hell of a fight with Nunes who has a hell of a record and did well in WEC. Will the weight cut effect Florian or will this prove to be the right weight class for him? Personally I think he got so squashed by Maynard that he realised he would have a better shot at dropping down and being the 'big' guy in the lower weight class. Will be interesting to see how that plays out for him.
As for JDS vs. Carwin? That is probably one of the most exciting HW fights in a long time. I don't see it going the distance and I'm keen to see if Carwin's cardio is now improved because JDS will kill him if he gasses like he did against Lesnar. Plus the winner gets Cain and that's a HELL of a fight no matter which guy gets it!
What'd you guys think, you hyped for this show at all?
Peace
Duckman
Cant wait for the main event, so pumped
Very hyped for the main event. Florian vs. Nunes and Stout vs. Edwards could also be real exciting.
Not too thrilled with the rest of the card, but I see some guys who shouldn't be on a PPV card performing like they're on a PPV card.
Can't wait to see Quinton's response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZX3vHf6cSoc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZX3vHf6cSoc)
I have A LOT of anticipation for this match!
QuoteFive-round non-title fights in main events will be the standard going forward in the UFC.
UFC president Dana White made the official announcement on Thursday that any fight signed from this day forward as a main event would be a five-round fight, regardless of whether or not it’s for a title.
Any fight currently signed for a main event that’s not a title fight, such as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, who square off at UFC 133 in Philadelphia, will remain a three-round bout.
“What I don’t want to do to guys, fights that we’ve already made and they signed the bout agreement, you’re mentally training for a three-round fight. ‘Oh, now it’s five rounds’; you can’t do that to guys,†White stated.
He was specific in stating all future bout agreements for main event non-title fights would be five-round affairs.
“From this day forward, as we speak right here, right now today, every fight that is a main event that is not a title fight will be a five-round fight,†said White. “For Spike and everything else.â€
This will be the first time in the modern history of the sport that MMA has had five-round fights that are not championship bouts.
White has long talked about making the move, and said they almost made the jump at UFC 131, but bout agreements had already been signed and the fighters were already in training camps to prepare for a three-round fight.
“We’re very close to doing it,†White revealed when speaking about five round non-title fights following UFC 129.
Now it is a reality.
White also specified that this policy is in effect for any show that the UFC produces whether it’s a pay-per-view or a UFC Fight Night event, main event fights will be five-round non-title bouts.
Let the cardio and conditioning workouts begin.
Personally this sounds great to me as it means a event with no title fight like the one with Carwin Vs Dos Santos would still be 5 rounds... Ofcourse this only goes into effect on any future fights that have yet to be signed...
I am really digging all the improvements the UFC are making even when they don't have to since they are the dominate force in MMA...
QuoteWhen Nick Diaz travels to the UFC on Oct 29 to face Georges St-Pierre, he will do so without the Strikeforce welterweight title.
According to UFC President Dana White, Nick Diaz is now a UFC fighter and has vacated his Strikeforce welterweight belt to get a shot at UFC champion Georges St-Pierre.
“He will give up the title, he will give up his Strikeforce title,†White said. “He will come in and fight Georges St-Pierre, two guys will fight for the vacant belt in Strikeforce and we’ll go from there.â€
White stated that Diaz could go back to Strikeforce at some point in the future if he chose, but for now he is strictly a UFC fighter.
No decisions have been made at this time regarding who will fight for the belt or when that fight will take place.
At the top of the Strikeforce welterweight division right now the two names that would likely first pop to mind would be the last title contender in the weight class, Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley, and former Missouri wrestler Tyron Woodley.
There is also a pivotal welterweight match coming up in July between Evangelista ‘Cyborg’ Santos and Tarec Saffiedine that could play a role in determining one of the top contenders.
Diaz will face St-Pierre in the main event of UFC 137 on Oct 29 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas with the UFC welterweight title on the line.
Interesting... I guess Dana wants to make sure that no one confuses this with some kind of unification fight... I guess also it would be kind of unfair for Diaz to have the chance to win the UFC title but Pierre to have no chance at winning the Strikeforce title...
Two more rounds of Jon Fitch action! Yay.
Hopefully this'll make those that Main Event more conditioned for Title Shots and everything. I think it's a great idea and am very excited about it!
I like this idea. It makes the main events seem like a big deal than the other fights on the card with more rounds which is what needs to happen.
Tournament for the vacant title
Quote from: Jonny Briggs on June 10, 2011, 01:55:14 PM
Two more rounds of Jon Fitch action! Yay.
....ha
But I like this move.
Anyone not watching Aaron Rosa vs. Joey Beltran on Facebook right now....should be!
Slugfest lol, if this goes 3 rounds it's FOTN.
That Stout KO was fucking nasty.
I enjoyed the main event, great slug fest great heart shown by Carwin, the Florian/Nunes fight was pretty good too.
Excellent show, I really enjoyed it, definitely more so than the last couple of shows.
Cerrone just utterly outclassed Rocha standing up and never really looked in trouble. Excellent leg kicks just wearing him down until he could hardly stand up. Whoever that judge was a while back (think it was Cecil Peoples) who said 'leg kicks don't win fights' needs to watch this fight and learn something. Rocha couldn't shoot by the 2nd round because his leg was hurt and Cerrone just picked him apart on the feet. Interesting at the end where Cerrone apologised for fighting to win instead of fighting to finish. I thought he did well, no need to say sorry!
Einemo vs. Herman was my FOTN. Just a greatly entertaining slug fest between two heavyweights that could have gone either way. Herman smiling through the whole thing was kind of weird! Good though. A really solid finish with the knee strikes and the big left hand. He did that combo earlier in the round and it really hurt Einemo. Who didn't look too bad after 5 years without a MMA fight. Didn't get as much on the ground as I expected though. Herman needs to work on his feet and head movement though because against a JDS or other high level striker I reckon he'd been in a lot of trouble. Too much standing still. Great fight though, had me cheering and marking out at the end!
Maia vs. Munoz was a really technical and tactical fight. Maia surprised me with his striking in the 1st, Munoz too didn't seem to know what the fuck was going on! Munoz got his shit together in the 2nd and 3rd though and earned the win. Good fight.
Florian vs. Nunes was a good scrap too. Shocked that Nunes was the one to tire in 2nd and 3rd considering the weight cut Ken-Flo had. It didn't seem to affect him though, looked really strong in the 3rd round. He looked a little tense and nervous in the 1st, I thought Nunes was going to take it when he clipped him and knocked him down. Florian is another guy who fights to win as opposed to fights to finish - which was really evident here in the 3rd. Just doing enough to win but too much where he might get caught - as he did right at the end, 20 more seconds and Nunes might've just got the TKO because Florian was wobbled quite a few times in the fight. I'm not convinced he should get the next shot at Aldo though. I'd like to see him go against Hominick or maybe Mendes with the winner getting Aldo.
Loved the main event. The heart of Shane Carwin is incredible. The shots he took in the 1st and 3rd were just brutal. How he survived to go the distance I do not know. Massive respect to Carwin, a true warrior. JDS looked great, amazing accuracy with his jab, landed the big upper cut a few times and even managed two huge take downs in the 3rd - just to really seal the deal. I thought this was the best JDS has looked in the UFC and against a really dangerous opponent. He didn't have a mark on him at the end of the fight which just shows how well he did. A titanic main event battle and I'm really looking forward to seeing how Cain deals with JDS when they eventually fight.
Undercard was solid too - didn't see the FB fights but saw the TV ones. Sam Stout had a brutal KO though!
All in all a really enjoyable card with some good finishes and decision fights that were still really entertaining and exciting. Plus a truly big main event statement by JDS.
Peace
Duckman
I think it's a really good move when a main event fight really means something - like last night for instance. When it's a number one contenders fight. Or maybe a big return fight from an earlier close decision.
Where I'm not sure on it is if a fight like, say for instance a Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story or a Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle should be 5 rounds. I appreciate they're main event fights...but they're not MAIN EVENT fights. If that makes sense.
Then again, it might encourage more finishes and it'll really help settle any arguments that come up in a close 3 round fight.
As Midas said, the best thing is UFC are actually actively changing and making improvements to the sport. When they probably could sit back and rest on their laurels, they're not and they're doing things the fans are asking for and THAT is what sets them apart from any other sport.
Peace
Duckman
Another interesting point on this. On MMALive on ESPN this week when Gilbert Melendez was asked if he'd drop his SF title to get a shot at the winner of Edgar/Maynard he said he'd drop it in a heart beat. That he'd be more than happy to drop it.
I guess it really shows how everyone views SF as the number 2 promotion and that the goal has to be the big fights in the UFC.
Will probably go some way to convincing them that once the Showtime deals etc are done, that SF will have to merge with UFC.
Peace
Duckman
So Bascially (I agree) only PPV's should have 5 rounds. Live on Versus/Finales should be 3 rounds.
UFC should keep SF as a.........lets say League Championship to its Premier League. It'll be WEC but with the same weight classes, where you can watch the up and comers and shit, and the UFC can have a larger control of the young talent/Japanese fighters
As expected UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) will attempt to make his first title defense when he meets Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8 MMA, 7-2 UFC) at UFC 135.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) first reported the expected booking earlier this month and said Jones simply needed a doctor to clear his injured hand.
With that clearance received, UFC officials today announced that verbal agreements are in place for the September fight.
Although not officially announced, UFC 135 takes place Sept. 24 at Pepsi Center in Denver. The night's main card, including Jones vs. Jackson, airs on pay-per-view.
Jones, who won the title from Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in March, was expected to undergo surgery on a long-bothersome hand ligament, which scratched a potential fight with Rashad Evans at UFC 133. The promotion instead booked Evans to meet standout Phil Davis in the headliner of the Aug. 6 event. Soon afterward, Jones caught fans by surprise when he announced that his doctor ruled against surgery and that he expected to return to the cage in the fall. But officials said it was too late to scratch Evans' UFC 133 headliner with Davis.
Instead, they targeted Jones for his meeting with Jackson.
Jones now has won four straight fights, and his only career loss came via questionable disqualification to Matt Hamill. The junior-college wrestling champion joined the UFC in 2008 after just a 6-0 pro record and has quickly become one of the organization's biggest stars.
Jackson, a former UFC titleholder, recently picked up his fourth win in five fights with a lopsided unanimous-decision victory over Hamill at UFC 130. His lone defeat during the stretch came to Evans in a No. 1 contender's bout. If victorious, Jackson could reclaim the belt he took from Chuck Liddell and ultimately lost to Forrest Griffin in 2008.
Rock and roll! The rest of the card looks like it's shaping up to be pretty damn good too.
Going to be a hell of a fight. I'm more interested in this than Jones vs. Evans, that's for sure!
Peace
Duckman
Yeah, Jones VS Rampage has potential to be great. The smack talk has already been fun! hahaha
Jones has this fight hands down... Especially if Rampage comes out like he did against Hamill...
Bones VIA elbows of death in round 2.
Thanks for coming Rampage!
Jackson
he gives you guys and bones a surprise
How does he plan on doing that BD? Bones has him in EVERY area, wrestling, striking, clinch, from top, cardio.
Rashad and Bones will be better I think.
that why they fight ... yeah on paper Bones looks better . but you can not count out a puncher.
going to pick Jackson to knock him out in a slugfest
yeah call me crazy , but anything can happen in the ring
I like both fighters, but Im going with Bones Jones. He`s too young, too quick, to versatile, and his reach I think for Rampages classic style of punching.
I do however think that Rampage has a chance because he does have more power then Jones, but I think it`ll be tough because of Jones`s reach in the standup.
As for who I`m going for, id rather seem Rampage pull and upset and be champion again, but I like both fighters so I may play Switzerland and not pick a side.
The five-fight main card is set for UFC 133.
The event takes place Aug. 6 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. It's the UFC's second-ever show in the City of Brotherly Love.
UFC 133's main card airs on pay-per-view, and the headliner pits former light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans (15-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) against Phil Davis (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a likely No. 1 contender's bout.
Other bouts slated for the main card include light heavyweights Rich Franklin (28-6 MMA, 13-5 UFC) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC), middleweights Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) vs. Vitor Belfort (19-9 MMA, 8-4 UFC), middleweights Jorge Rivera (19-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) vs. Alessio Sakara (15-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC), and welterweights Rory MacDonald (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Mike Pyle (21-7-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
The event's preliminary card is expected to air and stream on Spike TV and Facebook, though details haven't been announced.
The full UFC 133 card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
Phil Davis vs. Rashad Evans
Rich Franklin vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Vitor Belfort
Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara
Rory MacDonald vs. Mike Pyle
Location: Dallas, Texas
Venue: American Airlines Center
Broadcast: Showtime and HDNet
MAIN CARD (Showtime)
Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum (heavyweight grand-prix opening round)
Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers (heavyweight grand-prix opening round)
Daniel Cormier vs. Jeff Monson
Chad Griggs vs. Valentijn Overeem
Jorge Masvidal vs. K.J. Noons
Can`t wait to watch Overeem fight again, and theres alot of solid fights this weekend. The two grand prix fights could end up being one sided, but exciting. Monson and Noons can be exciting, and Chad Griggs (the dude who knocked out Bobby Lashley) is awesome to watch, no defence throw bombs kind of guy. Needless to say, Im excited.
Great card. Noons-Masvidal is going to have some good lightweight boxing. Griggs vs. Overeem is hopefully going to be exciting and quick via Overeem kimura. Glad to see Monson back again, and Cornier being tested with him. Barnett and Rogers is going to be a fun one as well, poor Rogers. And the main event? Shit. Can't wait to see Werdum get his face knee'd off. Looking forward to this card almost as much as UFC Rio.
Pretty big names on this card. Gonna be good.
Should be entertaining!
I'm looking forward to Akiyama/Belfort
A really great looking card. All eyes on Roidreem on this one. Time to prove he is a top 5 HW by beating one.
I honestly hope Josh Barnett loses for the simple fact he's a repeat drugs cheat. He won't lose but it'd be poetic justice if he did.
The Noons/Masvidal fight as got FOTN written all over it. MMA Live on ESPN were talking about the winner of this getting the next shot at Melendez.
Strikeforce shows are usually really exciting and I expect this one to be no different. Will be a ton of fun.
Peace
Duckman
Oh yeah, on a side note, one of my buddies over here in Scotland really wants to watch the show and is looking for any good streams. Not really my thing (I like to pay for my stuff) but does anyone here know of a good stream I could recommend to him?
Cheers.
Peace
Duckman
The top three fights on the card have got a ton of stories and possibilities coming off all of them. Will Evans gets the win and the Title shot? Will Akiyama and Belfort go to war and where does the winner go after this fight? Belfort needs the win after being KTFO out Anderson Silva. Can Franklin continue his good run and take out Little Nog?
Sakara and Riviera could be the sleeper fight that steals the show. Slug fest ahoy!!
Rory MacDonald kicked the ever loving shit out of Nate Diaz and looked incredible in the process. I hope this fight has as many German suplexs as that one! Pyle is a dangerous opponent though. That's another great fight in the making.
I know losing Evans/Jones might've taken some of the mainstream attention away but that is still a card with a whole lot of potential for great fights.
Although I'm expecting a main event lay and prey fest, unfortunately.
Peace
Duckman
Jones wins this every day of the week for me. For all the reasons Cory said.
Rampage has a punchers chance but I just don't see him being able to catch Jones. I'm expecting take downs from Jones and elbows all night long for a TKO finish.
It'll be an awesome first round but from there this is Jones's fight to lose.
Peace
Duckman
try
myp2p.eu and find it on there...
....if he uses Sopcast, use MMA-TV channel, thats what I'll be using.
Thanks Cory, i'll let him know!
Peace
Duckman
That main event was utter garbage.
Barnett/Rogers that judo throw to full mount by Barnett was one of the greatest things I think I've seen in MMA.
Masvidal/Noons was a great fight, my FOTN
Cormier dominated Monson, kinda boring, and I missed the first fight, but Griggs won via TKO saw the finish, that brawlers starting to grow on me.
Bones may just do something stupid and get knocked the fuck out somehow. This is a very important fight for him. You are not a champion till you defend the title kid.
Call me crazy, but am I the only one that thinks Werdum did enough to win the fight? I mean I know top control= win; like we all know it does when it comes to the judges decision; but I felt like Werdum controlled the majority of the fight. From what I saw, Werdum wasn't ever really hurt. He'd milk it and fall to the canvas hoping Overeem would follow him to the mat and he won the stand up exchanges by swarming him.
Quote from: Level-One on June 19, 2011, 03:34:38 AM
Call me crazy, but am I the only one that thinks Werdum did enough to win the fight? I mean I know top control= win; like we all know it does when it comes to the judges decision; but I felt like Werdum controlled the majority of the fight. From what I saw, Werdum wasn't ever really hurt. He'd milk it and fall to the canvas hoping Overeem would follow him to the mat and he won the stand up exchanges by swarming him.
That's a fair assessment.
While I knew Overeem had the decision, I also thought that Werdum was cheated. He outstruck Overeem and was definitely the more aggressive of the two. What more do the judges want from the guy? Overeem can can taunt and try to be the crowd guy all he wants, fact of the matter is this was his rematch and he wasn't able to prove a damn thing. All he did was prove to me that Werdum still owns him, if not he would have been on the ground mauling him until the fight was stopped one way or another. No excuses for a guy with more Subs in his career than KOs.
I guess to some fans he had a smart game plan, but to me, if you talk the talk you better walk the walk. And Overeem got caught talkin' shit last night.
I honestly think the exact opposite. Overeem made Werdum look like a child.
It was very Leites/Anderson like.
I will say I think surprisingly Werdum landed the better strikes which was surprising, but this is a fight. You can try and pull guard EVERY attempt and expect to win. Overeems takedown defence was unreal, he tossed Werdum off him like a bastard child a dozen times, and when they would separate he landed some big shots.
I'm not too critical of Werdum, its a complete clash of styles. Werdum wanted it on the ground so he did everything he could to do that, Overeem wanted it standing and Werdum flopped on his ass after a few good shots.
I scored it:
10-8 Overeem Rnd 1
10-9 Overeem Rnd 2
10-9 Werdum Rnd 3
I think both fighters are really good, and this is a total shit matchup, and we got what was expected if Overeem didn't KO in the 1st round.
Gotta agree with Cory here. Werdum's swarms would've edged him on the scorecards if he didn't have just about every takedown nullified. Also I hate to use Mauro's words here, but I think Overeem simply didn't respect Werdum's power. Reason being is he had his GG teammate Siyar Bahadzura fly out to train Muay Thai with Werdum before this fight. I was shocked as hell, then I realized he simply does not respect Werdum's stand up and was willing to help him out to try to make this a more competitive fight. Which is why you saw Alistair allow himself to get hit more than usual :P
I also think Overeem definitely deserved the decision based on effective octagon control. Whether it was standing or on the ground, Werdum never took the momentum. He had a short swing of it with that knee in the 2nd, but that was it. Altogether you can't hate Alistair for trying to anticipate the takedown. Some of the best strikers in the world tone down their aggression when facing grapplers so they can be prepared to sprawl.
Quote from: Nick on June 20, 2011, 07:48:03 PM
Some of the best strikers in the world tone down their aggression when facing grapplers so they can be prepared to sprawl.
Exactly what happened.
Gomi/Nate Diaz has been added.
If it can be even HALF the fight Gomi/Nick Diaz was, it'll be fucking amazing.
http://mmajunkie.com/news/24071/takanori-gomi-vs-nate-diaz-slated-for-ufc-135-in-denver.mma (http://mmajunkie.com/news/24071/takanori-gomi-vs-nate-diaz-slated-for-ufc-135-in-denver.mma)
Quote from: Dan Alexander on June 19, 2011, 02:30:27 AM
Bones may just do something stupid and get knocked the fuck out somehow.
Would so love to see Rampage hit him with a Mike Brown uppercut as he does a flashy spinning elbow. Talented as hell, just an unbelievably cocky punk who needs to get his chin checked.
And I cannot wait for Diaz-Gomi. That's a nice gift to the hardcores right from Joe Silva.
With Cory and Nick on this one. Werdum did not win that fight by any stretch of the imagination. Unless they were having a contest to see who could fall down and then sit on their ass the longest while doing nothing. In which case he got at least two 10-8 rounds.
Roidreem didn't really impress me either as he gassed badly in the 3rd round and I as so many guys are doing, he fought to not lose instead of fighting to win.
The show was ok. Barnett owned it and his post match promo was pretty good until the end. He should've gone uber heel on the crowd. As it was it died at the end a bit.
KJ Noons is a tough mo fo and Masvidal looked great in the first 2 rounds. Good fight.
Roidreems brother needs to step away from the sport. Tapping to strikes is one thing but he pretty much only got struck properly once...maybe twice at a push.
All in all, with the shit announcing, tons of empty seats and the decision to interview no one who speaks English as their first language, this show come off as a bit crappy. Which was a shame because I was really excited for it.
The main event just stunk the place up and as with some UFC shows in the past few months, if the ME sucks, it kind of spoils the rest of the show - even if up until that point it's been really good.
Here's hoping the semi-finals are a bit more up to the standard of 'best HW fighters on the planet.'
Peace
Duckman
Diaz got to win that fight to stay relevant? He's not been great in his last few outings. Mind you Gomi seems to be suffering from the Pride hangover that a lot of guys had coming in to UFC.
Should be a great one if it's half the fight Nick Diaz vs. Gomi was in Pride. One of my all time favourite fights. The fact Diaz was probably stoned as fuck all the way up to the fight is even more impressive!
Peace
Duckman
I think Nate needs too, after he got demolished by our other Canadian prodigy, he needs to win, and Gomi needs the win to show the fans just what he was all about in PRIDE.
I honestly, just wanna see if anything happens between Nick/Gomi either at the weigh ins or post-fight
MAIN CARD (Versus)
Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story
Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo
Matt Brown vs. John Howard
Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
Manny Gamburyan vs. Tyson Griffin
Joe Stevenson vs. Javier Vazquez
Joe Lauzon vs. Curt Warburton
Rich Attonito vs. Daniel Roberts
Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira
Matt Grice vs. Ricardo Lamas
Edward Faaloloto vs. Michael Johnson
Not going to lie, solid fights, nothing really spectacular, but usually these "free" cards are the sleepers. They really should move Gamburyan/Griffin to the main card
MAIN CARD
Champ Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber (for bantamweight title)
Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben
Ryan Bader vs. Tito Ortiz
Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller
Rafael dos Anjos vs. George Sotiropoulos
PRELIMINARY CARD
Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Aaron Simpson vs. Brad Tavares
Anthony Njokuani vs. Andre Winner
This is the first card in a while there I want to watch all 10 fights. From bottom to top you get:
-- Njokuani/Winner two very fast strikers, all of the mixings to be a strikefest
-- Simpson/Tavares with 7-0 Tavares v/s 2x FOTN and 1x KO of the night in Simpson
---Bowles/Mizugaki has former WEC Bantamweight champion against Mizugaki who I've been a fan of since his fight vs Torres, a Fight of the year
--Dos Anjos/Sotiropolis has Sotirpolis a recent legit LW title contender v/s a fight of the night and submission of the night winner
--Guillard/Roller will be a standup war, excited for this one.
The main card got lots of names, Siver/Wiman is a fight, SIver wins he may just be #1 contender, you get to see Condit beat up a boring judo guy, Bader/Ortiz could be a war, Silva/Leben has FOTN written all over it unreal fight and the main event will be exciting, 95% of Fabers fights are.
Can't wait for this one folks.
Whoot, the Bantamweights headlining a ufc ppv. Who wouldve ever thought. Then they put in an 'axe murdering' just for kicks, this has potential to be card of the year
this is a sick card for hardcore fans
I reckon this could be worth the watch. Not a lot of 'headline' type fights but lots of potential for some good match ups. Plus it's free!
Peace
Duckman
Fucking fantastic card from top to bottom. The Spike fights are sick! The top three fights on the PPV are all intriguing and have the potential to be really good.
The main event is one I've wanted to see since the WEC folded into the UFC.
Can't wait for this show.
Peace
Duckman
Wow, I might have to watch the whole run, as well!
Im actually think Barry/Kongo will be good to watch, and I've NEVER said that about a Kongo fight.
I hope Tito doesnt have any "injuries" and we can see the tito of old fight Bader, because that would be sick. Im not going to get my hopes up, but I can dream.
I like the idea as it will allow more fighters the opportunity to finish important fights without leaving them in the hands of the judges . This will only really impact fights that go the distance and not those highly anticipated fights that end way before the third round anyway.
QuoteAs Midas said, the best thing is UFC are actually actively changing and making improvements to the sport. When they probably could sit back and rest on their laurels, they're not and they're doing things the fans are asking for and THAT is what sets them apart from any other sport.
Peace
Duckman
That sums up my feelings quite nicely. I love this move and I'm glad Dana White made it happen. I know some people dislike Dana White for their own reasons and that's going to happen when your running a multi-million dollar promotion & sport but he's honestly one of the best owners I've seen. I don't know him personally, but I think it's safe to say he's a good guy at heart and one down to earth motherfucker. He gives the fans what they want and goes above and beyond what is required to do so. This is one of the reasons the UFC has been so successful.
I'm not a fan of monopolies; but I can sleep tight knowing that Dana White isn't going to be one, one hundredth of what someone like Vinny Mac is.
Lastly, I'm okay with having every main-event five minutes no matter the card. Too many main-events (which are usually the best match ups) leave me feeling ripped off when it goes to a decision... and a boring main-event can sometimes ruin an otherwise solid card. So, bring it on.
From MMA Fighting.com:
In a shocking twist to an already surprising day, UFC president Dana White has released longtime veteran Nate Marquardt after the fighter was ruled out of Sunday's UFC on Versus main event.
The company president made the announcement through social media on the new video website Tout.com.
"Not only is he out of this fight and out of the main event on Versus, he will no longer be with the UFC," White said.
"I was looking forward to my welterweight debut. I'm sorry I let everyone down," Marquardt said in a short statement released to MMA Fighting.
Marquardt was to make his welterweight debut after 14 fights in the promotion as a middleweight. He arrived to the weigh-in venue on Saturday intent on making the 170-pound limit, but after beginning the process, Pennsylvania athletic commission officials refused to grant him clearance to fight.
Representatives from the commission were not immediately available to explain the decision.
A source in Marquardt's camp said the fighter believed he could make weight before commission members ruled him out.
Charlie Brenneman replaced Marquardt and will face Rick Story on the card.
If it is the end, it's an unceremonious ending to the UFC career of a fighter who was largely considered a consummate professional. Marquardt was 10-4 in the promotion since signing in the fall of 2005. In July 2007, he became the No. 1 middleweight contender and faced Anderson Silva for the championship, but SIlva defeated him via first-round TKO.
Though he continued on in the division and was considered a contender thereafter, he decided to try a drop to welterweight after his last fight, a unanimous decision win over Dan Miller at UFC 128. Unless White changes his mind, it will be the last time Marquardt fights in the octagon.
WOW! Eh, what the fuck just happened?!? That's the prediction game effed as well!
Peace
Duckman
There's still no information on why he got cut. Weight cutting issues were not confirmed as a problem, so possibly an illegal substance found? Either way this is a huge loss for UFC, and I think Bellator will be calling Nate up promptly.
that's a new one. never heard of someone being removed and cut from the promotion the day BEFORE their match.
something's definitely up. guess we'll find out more tommorow.
But lets be honest, if you're getting a main event 3 rounds of boring action, prolly 70% will continue to be boring the final two.
Very confused with this one, Nate is a great fighter, and Dana knows this so it had to be something serious.
But, I expect him to be back with the company within the next year or two, unless he like.....tried to fondle innapropriatly one of Dana's kids or something
All ive been able to find is that he failed his "medicals" which means they probably found something.
But odd, seeing how Sonnen is around
Former World Victory Road/Sengoku featherweight champion Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) officially is octagon-bound.
UFC officials today announced the top-ranked Japanese star is the newest addition to the roster of the world's biggest MMA promotion.
Officials did not reveal Hioki's debut appearance and first opponent.
"FYI â€" guard-smashing savant Hatsu Hioki, a top-ranked featherweight, has been signed to the UFC roster," UFC officials stated on the promotion's official Twitter account. "Welcome!"
The 27-year-old holds an incredible 12-1-1 record in his past 14 outings, with the lone loss coming in controversial split-decision fashion to current UFC fighter Michihiro Omigawa in a Novemebr 2009 Sengoku bout.
Fighting almost exclusively in Japan during his near-nine-year career, Hioki has earned 16 of his 24 career wins via stoppage, including 12 via submission. Hioki has fought three times in Canada, a run that includes a pair of victories over recent UFC 145-pound title-challenger Mark Hominick.
Hioki also owns career victories over notables Jeff Curran, Ronnie Mann, Marlon Sandro and Rumina Sato, among others.
Hioki, who was the reigning Sengoku champion, follows the path of Brazilian middleweight Jorge Santiago, who also recently vacated his title in Japan in favor of fighting for the UFC.
The UFC is seriously stacking their divisions right now. Can't wait to see some of the fights Joe Silva throws at us with all of his newly acquired talent. Which apparently includes Strikeforce fighters if the demand is right.
Stikeforce will be gone by 2013
UFC stands as the main mma fed in the world
year and half away from the year of the super fights
QuoteThe unanswered questions keep going. Dana White just announced that Nate Marquardt was no longer with the UFC. It was a short message where White said that Marquardt had failed his medicals and is not only off the show, but out of the UFC, without giving any explanation.
Nobody has confirmed the medical issue that forced Marquardt out of the fight, but one person with knowledge of the situation told us it was not an issue related to cutting weight. Marquardt being fired would seen to indicate medicals revealed something that would lead to severe disciplinary action.
QuoteRead the front page.
Can’t say anymore until I get a confirming second source.
I’m trying to hint.
Second hint: Why was Brenneman able to make weight? He was told on Monday his fight was off, no replacement, right? Answer: He was told to stay on weight.
Add everything up.
Rush rush rush
Again, my best source on what happened isn’t good enough to go with on the exact thing. But it was a commission medical issue, not a weight issue.
From Dave Meltzer. Weird. Faked blood test perhaps?
serious issue ... roids maybe , that pretty much the main thing that could cause this sudden action.
Im pissed because a guy that lives down the street (TJ Grant) was supposed to fight Brennaman until he got like bronchitis or something. If luck fortuned the other way, he could have been in the main event. My brother talked to him at the bar last night and he was seriously depressed.
This is extremely strange. Never seen anything like this happen before except for maybe that time when Kimbo Slice lost to Seth Petruzelli after he was switched in only hours before the fight.
Took me awhile to figure out why I knew Charlie Brenneman. He was the winner of Pros vs. Joes!
I guess getting beat up by Goldberg = getting into MMA.
I do enjoy free cards though, so I'll be watching.
I fucking hate Kongo, but that was fucking UNREAL
This beats Scott Smith/Pete Sell, that was highlight of 2011 so far by FAR
Definitely spectacular. For a second I thought they knocked each other out, but then Congo sprung back up and hammerfisted Barry's face :)
Man at the end of Round 1 the look on Story's face was priceless.
As soon as I saw this Brenneman guy, I laughed and said he's probably going to pull the upset and I found myself cheering him right from the get-go despite betting for Rick Story. Oh well. I don't like Rick Story, and I enjoyed seeing the underdog prevail.
Pat Berry Vs. Cheick Kongo, wow... what a roller coaster. In real time, I actually thought they knocked each-other out... but of course on the reply, it was just Cheick falling/jumping on top of Berry for some extra punches. That was crazy!
Im glad Rick Story got a taste of what he did to beat Thiago Alves. Payback is a bitch.
^ seriously, I was laughing as Charlie grinded the holy hell out of him.
Kongo you're a french asshole who hates testicles, but damn what an awesome come from behind KO.
Meathead, work on your takedown defense please.
Alright Matt Brown, glad to see him get a win.
Joe Stevenson's facebook fight was shit. Goodbye.
Slick as always sub from Joe Lauzon, and in quick fashion.
Griffin looked good at featherweight, and outwrestled/leg kicked the shit out of a legit featherweight in Manny Gamburyan.
Would've loved to see Oliveria beating the crap out of Lentz, but sadly missed that.
That KO by Kongo was incredible. So much drama in such a short space of time. I was jumping out my seat and marking out. That's why I love MMA.
The rest of the show was solid enough, little boring in places but there was a lot of ground work and changes of opponents for guys, so I expected it to be a little slow going at times.
I loved Meatheads 3 punch combo to take out Moorcraft. Very slick. As Nick said, he needs to work on take down defence but if he gets that working he could go places.
Meathead vs. Kongo anyone??
Peace
Duckman
I'd take that fight, but I think Meathead would take it.
Im not going to believe that Kongo is a good fighter because of the 2nd intresting thing hes done (1st being his sick ground n pound against......some can two years ago) in like 10 UFC fights.
True, but it would be one that'd I'd book simply to capitalise on what happened for both of them on Sunday.
I don't think Meathead is at the level of say a Nelson, Mir, Big Nog etc - the kind of just below the top level HWs. But I do think he's a money fighter at the moment and with the whole NFL background UFC will get the push behind him.
Peace
Duckman
Exactly, plus Meathead is a decent shit talker for a lower/mid card fighter, that staredown when both him and Morecraft was in the ring was sweet, MMA needs more of it.
And since fighters that win on the same card usually fight on the same card 4-5 months down the road, this fight makes perfect sense.
http://mmajunkie.com/news/24196/denial-of-therapeutic-use-exemption-may-have-contributed-to-marquardts-ufc-demise.mma (http://mmajunkie.com/news/24196/denial-of-therapeutic-use-exemption-may-have-contributed-to-marquardts-ufc-demise.mma)
Thats the best we know now until Nate comes out and says something.
Saw the interview with Ariel. Gotta say that's some BS getting a testosterone injection 3 weeks before the fight and expecting the commission to be cool about it.
I'd co-sign that. Would've liked to see Kongo get popped by Travis Browne, but Meathead will do.
Yeah this testosterone replacement therapy is getting a bit beyond a joke now. Stank of BS with Sonnen and this is just the same.
UFC or the commissions need to work on getting some kind of guidelines in place across the board.
The whole thing just reeks of taking roids, dropping testosterone levels and then using more drugs to try to get back to a normal level.
Something is rotten in Denmark with all of this.
Peace
Duckman
I really don't know what to make of this
After today, an asterisk gets taken off Chael Sonnen's name.
The onetime middleweight challenger's indefinite suspension from the California State Athletic Commission comes to an end today, and his manager said a meeting tomorrow in Las Vegas will determine the direction of his career.
"We're going to reevaluate it then," Sonnen's manager, Mike Roberts, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)).
Sonnen was unavailable for comment at the time of this writing.
The CSAC indefinitely suspended Sonnen this past May for giving what officials determined to be inconsistent statements in a December appeal of a one-year suspension issued in the wake of his UFC 117 loss to Anderson Silva (which was later halved to six months) due to his testosterone-replacement therapy, as well as a felony charge on money laundering. In a second appeal hearing later that month, the commission upheld its ruling by a 4-1 vote.
The decision effectively sacked a job offer for Sonnen to coach opposite Michael Bisping on "The Ultimate Fighter 14." Onetime Strikeforce middleweight title challenger and recent UFC signee Jason "Mayhem" Miller instead got the job, and production began earlier this month.
At the time of the second hearing, Sonnen said the upholding of the suspension would prompt him to retire. But as of late, the fighter has been back to his old ways on his official Twitter account â€" that is, throwing stones at any target he fancies.
"Axe Murderer, my ass," Sonnen recently tweeted in a swipe at UFC 132 co-headliner Wanderlei Silva, a popular target. "I'm more intimidated by Axe Body Spray."
And late Tuesday night, he made it clear that retirement is the last thing on his mind.
"I can finally get back to the most important thing in my life," wrote Sonnen, who dominated in the Silva fight until the champ pulled off a fifth-round submission. "Defending my middleweight championship."
CSAC Executive Director George Dodd said Sonnen's name will be removed from a national registry of fighters that notes medical and administrative suspensions. If, however, the fighter wants to be licensed again in California, he needs to appear before the commission, and rehabilitation is likely to be the lynchpin of re-licensure.
Interestingly, Dodd also said the CSAC is in the process of finalizing formal language on the state's therapeutic-exemption process for TRT to be added to the commission's current statutes. Additionally, future applicants for an exemption will need to appear before the commission and its newly formed medical advisory committee to evaluate the necessity of using testosterone, a hot topic brought forth by Nate Marquardt's recent admission of prescribed use of the hormone prior to UFC on Versus 4.
As to whether licensees previously flagged for performance-enhancers will be allowed to get an exemption, Dodd said the CSAC will evaluate applications on a case-by-case basis.
Its a shame considering he was apparently suffering from hypergonadism when he tested positive.
Sometimes translation can muddy the truth, and other times, it can provide a refreshing transparency.
During an open workout Wednesday in Las Vegas, South Korean welterweight Dong Hyun-Kim (14-0-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) made no bones about the fact that he wants a title shot and he feels he's ready to fight reigning champ Georges St-Pierre.
When that happens, of course, is not up to him. He'd like it to be his next fight â€" assuming he gets past Carlos Condit (26-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) this Saturday at UFC 132. But he'll settle for the fight after that if need be.
You might say that's a pretty big assumption for Kim, a former champion in Japanese promotion DEEP who's about to face one of the most decorated and experienced opponents he's yet faced in Condit.
But that's just the kind of confidence Kim has just days before his fight, which takes place on the pay-per-view event's main card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. And he's really just keeping with tradition; he called out St-Pierre following his most recent win over Nate Diaz at UFC 125 in January.
"I'd like to fight GSP right after this fight, but I think that I'd probably have to fight one more fight," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). "But I really don't want to think anything past this fight."
Condit, he more confidently said, is in no way a unique challenge. He said he's met fighters like the former WEC champion earlier in his UFC career when he was less a known commodity and more a wild card.
He doesn't have that luxury any more, of course. Oddsmakers have him just slightly behind Condit in the sports books, but the two are virtually even.
To get that kind of nod is just the indicator of how far Kim has come in three years of octagon competition. With three consecutive victories under his belt, he's fallen short only once in the promotion with a split-decision loss at UFC 94 to Karo Parisyan â€" but that was changed to a no-contest afterward when Parisyan tested positive for painkillers. A draw nearly four years ago put the first blemish on his resume. But other than that, he's been on a long roll.
"I think Carlos is a lot like Matt Brown or Nate Diaz," Kim said. "Basically, I'm going to take him down. But the only difference is going to be (that) he's more active on his back. So (the) basic strategy is going to be the same.
"But I'm still going to win this fight. That's not going to change."
You might not see Kim drop to one knee and propose a bout for the belt like St-Pierre so famously did at UFC 56. For one, he doesn't speak English â€" yet another job for his translator.
But he trusts his message will be loud and clear by beating Condit.
"Style-wise, I'm probably going to be the best match-up for GSP, and I'm going to have to prove myself from winning this fight," Kim said.
.......ahahahahahaha
Former EliteXC headliner and UFC veteran Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson will make his pro-boxing debut on Aug. 13, officials today announced.
He'll headline a four-round main event at Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.
Neither an opponent nor broadcast details have not been announced for the show, which Gary Shaw Productions and Tony Holden Promotions is producing.
"Even in his losses, 'Kimbo' brought a level of excitement that few fighters can generate," Shaw stated. "He is a genuine personality with unbelievable strength and character, and we're excited about his prospects in boxing.
"The minute he steps in the ring, he'll be one of the most recognizable and talked-about fighters in the sport, and his fans around the world will once again feel the excitement."
Shaw actually introduced Ferguson to the MMA world in 2007 as the head of the since-folded EliteXC organization. A former underground sensation who rose to fame thanks to his bareknuckle-fighting videos on YouTube, Ferguson won his first three MMA bouts, including the first-ever U.S.-network televised MMA headliner (against James Thompson at "EliteXC: Primetime"). Despite an eventual loss to Seth Petruzelli in the final major EliteXC show, UFC president Dana White took a gamble on "Kimbo" in 2009.
Ferguson was the featured fighter on a heavyweights-only 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which shattered the reality series' ratings record. After an opening-round loss to eventual show champ Roy Nelson, Ferguson won his first official UFC fight with a lackluster decision victory over Houston Alexander at the show's live finale.
Surprisingly, though, he was dropped from the roster following a subsequent loss to Matt Mitrione at UFC 113.
Since his UFC release, Ferguson's representatives have hinted at possible pro-wrestling and boxing appearances, though they never materialized.
I'll watch this, always been a fan of Kimbo, and I think Boxing is a better sport for him, always have.
Quote from: Duckman on June 29, 2011, 02:10:27 PM
The whole thing just reeks of taking roids, dropping testosterone levels and then using more drugs to try to get back to a normal level.
Duckman
This.
It's like a slap in the face to not only the commission but the fans as well.
QuoteStrikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers has been arrested and charged with assault in the third degree, domestic assault by strangulation, and pattern of stalking conduct after assaulting his wife in their Minnesota home on Wednesday.
UFC president Dana White, following the UFC 132 pre-fight press conference, confirmed that Brett Rogers has been released from his contract with Strikeforce after being arrested and charged.
A report from MyFoxTwinCities.com states that Rogers was arrested after he reportedly punched his wife repeatedly, strangled her, and she lost a tooth and had a golf ball sized wound on her face.
Apparently his wife blacked out from the strangulation and their daughters were in the home and tried to separate the two from fighting, which resulted in Rogers also being charged with a gross misdemeanor for child endangerment.
The other three charges levied on Rogers are felonies in Dakota County, Minnesota.
Rogers stated when arrested that he had been drinking before the argument that led to the arrest broke out.
According to the police report, Rogers’ children tried to keep their parents from fighting after witnessing their father push their mother. Their elder daughter stated that Rogers had struck her mother in the past, and also struck the children as well.
Bail was set at $100,000 with conditions and he is set to appear back in court on Friday.
My father used to smack my mom around when I was a kid so I have no sympathy for assholes who beat women in generally but I have more hatred for those men who do it infront of their children scarring them for life...
I would love to say that I hope he gets locked up and some guys whoop his ass but that likely won't happen... Fingers Crossed...
That fat one shot wonder did nothing for the sport. He was a slightly better version of Kimbo slice, with no following. He fought here in May and was sooo out of shape and pathetic.
plus a cunt for doing such a terrible thing
LAS VEGAS â€" The UFC could make its long-awaited return to Japan this year.
UFC president Dana White today said that plans are moving forward for for the organization to promote a show in the country, which hasn't hosted a UFC event since UFC 29 way back in 2000.
"The rumor is true," said White, who couldn't given any exact details on a date or host venue. "We're going to come to Japan, and probably soon."
Just how soon?
"This year," he said.
White and other officials have long teased the possibility of an upcoming show in Japan, where four pre-Zuffa LLC events took place in Tokyo (twice), Chiba and Yokohama more than a decade ago. Until the past few years, the UFC largely ignored the region.
However, in 2009, the UFC amped up its efforts in Asia, signed new TV and Internet deals in Japan, and began serious recruiting of Japanese talent.
In recent months, domestic Japanese MMA has been on the decline. While some mid-level promotions have continued developing talent and hosting solid shows, the most notable (at least to North American fans) have struggled. DREAM has hosted just one show in 2011 (with another planned for July 16), but both have been scaled back with virtually no television presence and smaller seating configurations.
World Victory Road's Sengoku event series, meanwhile, has been dormant since December, and financial struggles suggest the promotion may be done. In fact, some of the organization's top talent â€" such as featherweight champ Hatsu Hioki, middleweight champ Jorge Santiago and heavyweight Dave Herman â€" recently have signed with the UFC.
Meanwhile, the UFC has picked up many top-level Japanese fighters who were left without major homes, such as Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and Riki Fukuda. Additionally, perhaps its most recognizable Japanese star, Yushin Okami, challenges UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva in August at UFC 134.
Fuck him, he was in the right place at the right time to become a recognisable face, and yeah, screw him.
Fuck that asshole. Glad he got released for what he did.
Hell of a fucking show. One of the best top to bottom cards in UFC for a while.
Great finishes from Condit, Tito, Leben and Guillard.
Condit's flying knee strike got the show off to the perfect start. He has to be knocking on the door of a Title shot now. Although people will talk about Fitch being next in line - FUCK THAT. Get Condit in there with the winner of GSP/Diaz.
I was shocked with Tito's win but perhaps it's showing that Bader isn't quite the fighter that anyone thinks? Good for Tito though and you could see how much the win meant to him. Great moment.
Not 100% sure on the Siver decision to be honest. I thought he took round 3. But I didn't give him 1 and certainly not 2. Good for my predictions right enough, just not sure it was the right call by the judges.
Leben could've really put Wanderlei on the shelf with that KO. Brutal stuff and Leben really does have hands of stone. Wanderlei is going the route of Liddell - the older he gets the slower his reactions and the weaker his chin. He was OUT COLD and looked to be trying to fight the ref in his guard because he didn't know what the hell happened.
The main event was fucking AWESOME. I love those close, chess match type fights. I had it 3-2 for Cruz. I thought Faber took 1 and 4 and Cruz, 2,3 and 5. Could have gone the other way though easily. Cruz has a style like no one else, so different and effective. Faber looked great too but I think Cruz edged it with better combos and a few more take downs. Plus he stuffed a lot of Faber's take downs. The pace they kept up and the crisp techniques were great. Hell of a fight - loved it! That's a 5 round fight that's worth watching for sure.
Seems like we've had a UFC event every week for about 3 months now!! This one was the best by a country mile. Great finishes, great drama, some guys moving into title picture and a classic main event. Top notch and made up for the SHIT boxing match I watched before it!
Peace
Duckman
Fucking disgraceful. He hits his wife and his kids? Cunt. Plain and simple.
The big bitch couldn't lay a hand on Josh Barnett but he'll smack a woman and little kids around? Wow, tough guy.
I hope they throw the book at him. Disgusting behaviour and NO excuse for it.
Peace
Duckman
fuck him
next news story
It's bad enough he hit his wife.
It's bad enough he ground and pounded her in his front yard, with the kids watching. And neighbors.
But the chick actually said nothing happened when police showed up. That pissed me off. I hope they get eyewitness testimonies from all the witnesses, and I honestly hope someone cracks this piece of shit over his head with a brick in prison. And then buttfucks him while unconscious.
Quote from: Duckman on July 03, 2011, 08:34:40 AM
Hell of a fucking show. One of the best top to bottom cards in UFC for a while.
Agreed. Even the decisions were exciting.
Sot getting clocked surprised me. I'm thinking he's in love with his striking, and needs to go back to what made him famous. I love it how Dos Anjos said in the post fight that he had been practicing his muay thai hard, and then they show the replay of him throwing a totally drunken redneck haymaker which George willingly sticks his chin out for.
Guillard looked damn good out there. I'm gonna borrow an overused word from Rogan, 'crisp' striking and excellent footwork. This is yet another example of a guy who abandons what he's good at to fight a guy at his game. Just because Roller got a KO of the night before doesn't make him an overnight striking sensation. He needs to go back to wrestlefucking if he wants some wins.
Njuokani looked smooth, nailing Andre with some great shots. I don't know if Andre Winner has an iron chin or Njoukani hits like a bitch, but Winner kept taking a swarm of limbs from Njuokani. If Roller had used the strategy against Guillard that he used with Njuokani, he might've done better. Still would've probably have been TKOed, but at least he would've dragged out the process.
Bowles/Mizugaki was a doozer. It's sad to see two of the premier guys of the bantamweight division delegated to facebook, but acceptable with the safe performance they put on. This fight kinda took some of the steam out of the main event for me, just because I expected this card to be a bantamweight showcase.
What a beautiful flying knee to start off the main card. I was so hoping Condit would find a way to pull out a win against this grinder, and I'm glad he did. That's two undefeated prospects he's derailed thusfar. Regardless of who wins GSP/Diaz, I know Condit is down to fight either. But how awesome would Condit vs. Diaz for the belt be?
Tito truly shined against Ryan Bader. He had all the motivation he needed from Dana saying he would cut if him if he didn't win, and he pulled that one out with impressive fashion. I loved the return of his killer instinct. I'm proud of Tito and I hope he gets a role as a light heavyweight gatekeeper.
Siver/Wiman is a classic judging fuck up. One where damage isn't accounted into, even though one guy has a vagina on his forehead. Sure Siver won round 1 and maybe squeaked by with three, but I would think the near stoppage beating he took in round two should factor in for more than the few shots we saw from Siver.
Wandy makes me sad. It's sad to see a man who looks like he could rip your spine out of your back and jump rope with it have such a shot chin. I'd say one more big marquee match, say Vitor Belfort, then retire. Good for Lieben though, I hope he goes somewhere with this win as he's been middling forever.
Cruz/Faber broke my expectations. I for one thought it was going to be a boring, safe 5 rounder, and it was nice to see these guys turn it up and put on a true show for the fans. I really expected Urijiah to implement more wrestling, but he let Dominick dictate the pace with an entertaining dance and prance to victory.
Great show...and a great lead-up to UFC Rio!
Quote from: Duckman on July 03, 2011, 08:34:40 AM
Hell of a fucking show. One of the best top to bottom cards in UFC for a while.
Great finishes from Condit, Tito, Leben and Guillard.
Condit's flying knee strike got the show off to the perfect start. He has to be knocking on the door of a Title shot now. Although people will talk about Fitch being next in line - FUCK THAT. Get Condit in there with the winner of GSP/Diaz.
I was shocked with Tito's win but perhaps it's showing that Bader isn't quite the fighter that anyone thinks? Good for Tito though and you could see how much the win meant to him. Great moment.
Not 100% sure on the Siver decision to be honest. I thought he took round 3. But I didn't give him 1 and certainly not 2. Good for my predictions right enough, just not sure it was the right call by the judges.
Leben could've really put Wanderlei on the shelf with that KO. Brutal stuff and Leben really does have hands of stone. Wanderlei is going the route of Liddell - the older he gets the slower his reactions and the weaker his chin. He was OUT COLD and looked to be trying to fight the ref in his guard because he didn't know what the hell happened.
The main event was fucking AWESOME. I love those close, chess match type fights. I had it 3-2 for Cruz. I thought Faber took 1 and 4 and Cruz, 2,3 and 5. Could have gone the other way though easily. Cruz has a style like no one else, so different and effective. Faber looked great too but I think Cruz edged it with better combos and a few more take downs. Plus he stuffed a lot of Faber's take downs. The pace they kept up and the crisp techniques were great. Hell of a fight - loved it! That's a 5 round fight that's worth watching for sure.
Seems like we've had a UFC event every week for about 3 months now!! This one was the best by a country mile. Great finishes, great drama, some guys moving into title picture and a classic main event. Top notch and made up for the SHIT boxing match I watched before it!
Peace
Duckman
I began to write my review, but I dont want to infringe on what Sam said, as my thoughts on the event were the exact same. Only difference is in the Siver fight I thought he took 1 & 3, but that was a close fight.
Only disappointments was the Bowles/Mizugaki fight in the prelims, Id honestly say I believed that was a FOTN contender and it wasn't much more than a one sided affair, and seeing Wanderlei get knocked out so quickly, I think a war is really what everyone wanted.
In the end THIS was the type of card UFC needed to make up for their recent lackluster events performance wise.
What a turd.
Hope they put him away for a long, long time.
How am I infringing? We're just two diehard fans writing a review of a show we like.
Quote from: Nick on July 04, 2011, 10:35:04 AM
How am I infringing? We're just two diehard fans writing a review of a show we like.
I had it (maybe poor choice of wording) that I started to write my review and it literally looked exactly what Sam said, so I wasn't going to write out the same exact thing, it'd be damn near plagiarism.
Nothing against/negative towards you bro whatsoever.
LAS VEGAS â€" If it's up to UFC president Dana White, MMA legend Wanderlei Silva (33-11-1 MMA, 3-6 UFC) is done competing in the octagon.
After Silva was brutally defeated in just 27 seconds by Chris Leben at Saturday night's UFC 132 event in Las Vegas, White said "The Axe Murderer" would be best served by putting an end to his 15-year career as a professional fighter.
"People love him so much because of the way he fights and his style and the type of person he is," White said. "But yeah, (it's) probably the end of the road for Wanderlei."
Silva and fellow slugger Leben were expected to stand and bang from the opening bell, and the duo did not disappoint. Both fired heavy shots in the pocket, and while Silva did tag his opponent early, it was Leben who ultimately ended the fight with a rapid-fire assault that left the Brazilian dazed and confused on the canvas.
"People knew that [Silva] and Leben were going to come out and they were going to throw until somebody fell down, and it was Wanderlei tonight," White said.
The loss dropped Silva to just 2-4 in his current octagon run. And while he was competitive in a win over Michael Bisping and a loss to Rich Franklin, there was also a UFC 92 knockout at the hands of arch-rival Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, as well as PRIDE-era knockout defeats at the hands of Dan Henderson and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.
In total, Silva is just 2-6 since September 2006, and White believes the former PRIDE middleweight champion should join fellow MMA legend Chuck Liddell on the sidelines.
"I think it's one of those ones where I'd like to sit down and talk to him and kind of Chuck Liddell him into it," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). "I think the guy has nothing left to prove.
"He's a warrior. People love him all over the world, and I just don't want to see that happen to him anymore."
While Leben was understandably excited following one of the best performances of his career, "The Crippler" said Silva will remain at the top of his list of heroes of the sport.
"Wanderlei Silva is my favorite fighter; he always has been," Leben said. "To tell you the truth, I never visualized the fight going the way it went. I only visualized a three-round war.
"I've never been as scared to go into the ring as to fight Wanderlei Silva. The man is a legend. What he's done for the sport is absolutely amazing."
White said he has yet to directly address Silva, who did not attend the evening's post-fight press conference. The Brazilian turned 35 years old on Sunday.
LAS VEGAS â€" Melvin Guillard (28-8-2 MMA, 10-4 UFC) wants a shot at the UFC lightweight title more than you can possibly imagine.
Guillard's desire to wrap that gold around his waist runs so deep, he's willing to fight both teammates and family if that's what it takes to cement his legacy.
But despite an emphatic win at this past weekend's UFC 132 event, Guillard doesn't have a clear road to the top. The 155-pound division is stacked deep with contenders. No matter, says Guillard. Bring 'em on. He's already the best in the world â€" with or without the belt to prove it.
"I am the best 155-pounder," Guillard told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). "I'm a finisher. No disrespect to Frankie Edgar or Gray Maynard, but they proved it in the last fight when they fought each other. Gray had him on his heels and didn't finish. I'm a finisher. I go in for the kill. I smell blood.
"I guess you could say I've been through so much in my life, getting in the cage and swinging hands and putting people away, that's easy for me. Growing up with a mother that was a Baptist minister whipping me all the time, that's the stuff I'm afraid of. I can get in there and throw hands with anybody. It's just all about the organization and the bosses giving me my opportunity."
Just two short years ago, that opportunity seemed so far away. Still dealing with the repair of his reputation following a failed 2007 drug screen due to cocaine use, Guillard was mired in a 3-3 stretch that was highlighted by flashes of brilliance but marred by questionable decisions both in and out of the cage.
UFC president Dana White said it saddened him to watch Guillard's potential go unfulfilled for so long.
"I've known Melvin for a long time, since 'The Ultimate Fighter,' and I always thought he was a very talented guy and just never lived up to his potential," White said. "He was out there not doing all the right things to become the great fighter that he had the potential to be."
But following a September 2009 loss to Nate Diaz, Guillard began to work under the tutelage of famed trainer Greg Jackson. He also focused on the priorities of his personal life, making drastic changes in order to better his professional career.
"I just had to grow up," Guillard admitted. "Like Dana said, when he first met me on 'The Ultimate Fighter,' I was just a young kid. I've grown with this business for the last six years, and it's been great. I've had a lot of down times, but a lot of people stuck in my corner â€" Mr. Joe Silva, Dana, himself, Mr. Lorenzo (Fertitta). I always go back and think about when Dana told me, 'Kid, get your [expletive] together, and you can be great.' I did. I put myself in rehab and got my [expletive] together.
"I've got a beautiful wife. I'm more of a family man now. I'm not hanging out in the streets. I play more golf in the daytime than I see nightlife now. It wasn't like that. I was always in clubs. I don't even go out anymore. I go to dinner with the wife, and I do movies. I'm doing the family thing."
But as genteel as Guillard's life appears to be outside of the octagon, it's nothing but violent when the cage door is closed behind him.
Guillard is currently riding a five-fight win streak that includes brutal destructions of Shane Roller, Evan Dunham and Waylon Lowe, as well as hard-fought decision wins over Jeremy Stephens and Ronnys Torres.
Just 28 years old and with nearly 40 documented fights to his credit, Guillard's mission is clear.
"The UFC is by far the biggest sport in the world to me, and I'm happy to be a part of this," Guillard said. "I always tell myself that I would hate for a kid to walk up to me and say, 'Hey, when's your next UFC fight?' and I'm no longer in the UFC. That's why I work so hard to fight to stay in. I'm in, and nobody is going to take my position.
"I'm going to just keep knocking guys out until I get a title shot."
Guillard said he'd like to fight top-ranked 155-pounder Jim Miller next, but Miller is currently booked to face former WEC champ Ben Henderson in August. Guillard also welcomes a rematch with fellow UFC 132 winner Dennis Siver, but the UFC has yet to make a decision on "The Young Assassin's" next foe.
Some MMA fans and pundits have pointed to a potential matchup with Guillard and his teammate, Clay Guida. Guillard admits he won't shy away from that fight if it's made, but only if the UFC title is on the line. At that point, all loyalties go out the window.
"The only way I would fight a teammate is for the title," Guillard said. "At the end of the day, we all have this understanding. I'm not going to fight my teammate for nothing when there's all these [lightweights]. It just doesn't make sense to me. But we're all in here for one thing.
"I want to have a kid one day, and I tell my kid, 'Your dad would have been a great champion, but I let Clay Guida have my spot.' I can't live like that. That will ruin my legacy.
"We're all here for one reason. This is business. I'll fight my brother for that UFC title. I'll fight my mother for that UFC title. I mean that, and that's from the heart. When that time comes and I have to fight a teammate, we have to sort out how we're going to do the training camps, but may the best man win. I will be the better man that day."
Until that day comes, White said it's simply refreshing to see Guillard living up to what he's always had the ability to be: scary.
"It's good to see him living up to the potential," White said. "He is fast. He's explosive. He's talented. He's got great wrestling. He's got dynamite in both hands. He can kick. He can move. He's a scary 155-pounder."
I can't say I disagree. Guillard has dangerous hands. I think he can potentially get wrestlefucked to a loss, so he's not untouchable. I'm a big fan of Frankie but I think Guillard knocks him out. Maynard would be a tougher match up, but if Guillard can keep it standing, he'll knock him out too.
We all knew this was coming, I still don't like it though. Dana let Chuck Liddell get brutally knocked out three times in a row before finally pulling the plug on him.
When you fight a fight like Silva and Leben both planned on fighting, things like this happen. Silva wasn't outworked or gassing horribly, he got caught within the first 30 seconds of the fight, could happen to any guy on any day of the week. Don't take away the man's livelihood.
The Strikeforce/UFC merger is inevitable, if I were Dana I'd keep Wandy around, he'd make at least a good gatekeeper for some of the younger and less experienced MW/LHWs.
I think one more big pay day against Belfort (as Nick said in the other thread) and then call it a day.
You don't want to see a guy who is a true legend of the sport get more and more fucked up and hurt due to unnecessary brain trauma from KOs.
It was the same with Chuck and I think it's the same with Wanderlei.
The only opponent these dudes can't KO is Father Time. Catches them all eventually.
Peace
Duckman
it's all good.
(http://www.maniacworld.com/internet-bro-fist.jpg)
Guillard vs. Melendez for Strikeforce Lightweight Title now. Keep these dangerous dudes busy.
The top of that division is CRAZY with talent. Miller vs. Henderson will answer a few questions but there's still so much talent with legitimate claims to a Title shot.
Guillard is definitely top 5 I'd say.
Would love to see him and Guida hook it up - although they're both in Jackson's camp so probably not going to see that any time soon.
Although a fight with Melendez would also be wicked!
Peace
Duckman
I can see one to two more big fights for him left
Guillard is dangerous , his hand speed is unreal and truth he can wrestle , you just have not seen it yet. because he has not had to use it.
Legit title contender and future champion
yeah I said it
great show... my picks did not come through, but i am not going to complain that much . Conduit knee on the button. really thought stub gun going to grind him out
Give tito props he step up and pull out a win when he had to. Say what you will about the guy , he is a legend and one hell of a fighter .
you knew it was going to be a war between sliva and Leben ... Leben got the better shots .
siver ... not sure about that one , it was also close fight . both put up a great effort ... hard call
cruz vs faber fight was top notch , two top fighters in there prime meeting , that why I love mma . when you can get fights like that . honest it was too close to call and usually when that happens the champion retains .
what to see another
I agree with John and Sam.
I say give him one more fight, against a mid-range to upper fighter, see how he does. If he wins, he can continue to to try and stay relevant, rather than watch a legend fall like Cro Cop/Liddell. He got caught against a power striker in 30 seconds, that could have been any 185er. HE needs to adjust his style, and give it one more shot.
If he loses once more, especially by KO/TKO call it quits.
He also has Greg Jackson behind him, and expect Guillard to make my top 10 LW's when I get around to updating my rankings tonight.
I think he needs one more fight against a Guida (will show us how good he is against a wrestler) or get Penn @ 155 or something like that.
I think the fact he's had 4 bad KOs in his last 8 fights says it all. The dude is going to get seriously hurt if he takes any more big KOs and no one wants to see that.
Peace
Duckman
I agree and understand your point, but as a promoter, hes only got 2 KO losses in the UFC, and I think you have to give him another shot if he wants it.
I don't think he's stupid enough to keep fighting if its starting to affect his health, as from the vigs he does pre-shows hes a family man and now runs his own gym in Vegas. If he wants and believes he can fight, I think he's earned the right.
6 UFC fights, 2 fight of the nights, 1 KO of the night, 1 fight of the year. a 2-4 record mind you, but I still think he got caught by a serious power puncher, and I didn't see enough to say "hang up the boots", especially after all of the surgeries this guys had during his time off so he can continue to fight.
If Silva says he's going to call it a career, I'd understand that as I agree with Sam to a point. He's defiantly not going uphill currently, and if its truly starting to affect his life/health after the medical suspensions then he's doing the right thing.
Quote from: Nick on July 04, 2011, 02:02:47 PM
Guillard vs. Melendez for Strikeforce Lightweight Title now. Keep these dangerous dudes busy.
;D
Of all the targets at which Chael Sonnen (25-11-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has aimed, the toughest one may be ahead.
Not long after a bout with Lyoto Machida was nixed, sources today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that the onetime middleweight contender will stay in his division and is targeted for a meeting with Brian Stann (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at UFC 136, which takes place Oct. 8 at Toyota Center in Houston.
Verbal agreements are in place for the bout, though contracts haven't been signed.
Sonnen previously has taken aim at Machida on Twitter, which has led to intense rumors about a fall fight between the two. That matchup, however, was shot down this morning, as MMAjunkie.com reported.
Sonnen was freed to fight exactly one week ago after serving a suspension handed down this past May by the California State Athletic Commission. The commission issued an indefinite suspension after determining that the fighter had given inconsistent statements about his testosterone-replacement therapy this past December in an appeal of a one-year suspension that was issued in the wake of his UFC 117 loss to Anderson Silva (which was later halved to six months). The commission also cited his conviction earlier this year on one felony charge of money laundering when handing down the suspension.
It is unknown whether Sonnen will apply for a therapeutic-use exemption with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which will oversee the Oct. 8 event.
Stann, meanwhile, is coming off an impressive TKO victory over former World Victory Road/Sengoku champion Jorge Santiago at UFC 130. Prior to that, he stopped Chris Leben with strikes at UFC 125. The fast-rising contender and former WEC champ has now won five of his past six fights, and the lone defeat came to top contender Phil Davis before Stann's move down from light heavyweight.
A heavyweight scrap between Bobby Lashley (6-1) and UFC and Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Eddie Sanchez (12-5) will headline this month's Titan Fighting Championships 19 event.
HDNet officials recently announced the matchup. The all-high definition channel airs the evening's main card.
Titan Fighting Championships 19 takes place July 28 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan.
Big-show veterans Rob Kimmons and James Krause are also expected to appear on the card. Additional fight announcements are expected shortly.
Lashley fights for the second time under the Titan Fighting Championship banner. The former professional wrestler earned an exhausting decision win over John Ott at March's Titan Fighting Championship 17 event. The fight served as a rebound from Lashley's Strikeforce loss to Chad Griggs in August 2010.
Meanwhile, Sanchez looks to snap a two-fight losing streak after dropping back-to-back outings to Mike Whitehead and Neil Grove. The outing marks Sanchez's first fight in 2011 after scoring just a 1-2 mark in 2010.
The fight also marks Sanchez's first appearance for the Titan Fighting Championship promotion. The 29-year-old boasts three fights in Bellator, where he went 2-1, and a 3-3 mark for the UFC.
Hhhmmm. Not sure I care about Lashley fighting to be honest. He hasn't looked very impressive in the last 2 fights I saw him in. Gassed really badly.
I've not seen much of Sanchez but if he's got any experience he'll work Lashley over and drag him into the later part of the fight where Lashley always seems to fade.
It'll grab headlines but I'm just not convinced by Lashley at all.
Peace
Duckman
That's a hell of a fight for Sonnen coming back. Plus it's a hell of a high profile fight for Stann too.
Tough to call a winner here. Especially with Sonnen being out so long. Stann has the advantage standing but you know Sonnen is going to take him down and try and rough him up.
I guess the question is, does the winner get the next shot at Anderson Silva? You know UFC are desperate to get Sonnen and Silva back in there after the first fight. If Stann wins, is that enough to earn a Title shot or does he need to beat an Okami/Munoz/Belfort level of fighter before he gets the Title shot?
A really interesting fight for the division moving forward.
Peace
Duckman
Chael Sonnen is a nob so I hope Stann knocks his fucking block off.
I agree with Sam.
If Sonnen wins he`ll fight Silva if he gets past Okami.
If Stann wins, I see him having to fight one more legit guy before he gets a title shot.
The only thing that sucks about this fight is Stann is a guy Sonnen really likes and respects. So we probably won't get the awesome trash talk we would have if he was fighting Machida.
Peace
Duckman
Sonnen going to trash talk him anyway , does not matter to him
Sonnen alluded in an interview that no one is safe when it comes to trash talk, so expect a little in the lead up weeks.
I predict a Sonnen wrestlefucking to a unanimous decision. Sonnen does NOT want to stand with Stann, and Sonnen can bowl over just about anyone with his takedowns.
Hell of a fucking fight right there if it goes ahead. A SHIT lot more interesting than Penn vs. Fitch for sure.
Plus as a co-main event to GSP vs. Diaz that would be a couple of sick fights and draw well on PPV.
Condit wins, he's got to fight the winner of GSP vs. Diaz, right?
Hopefully they get it sorted.
Peace
Duckman
GSP will beat Diaz but he will not be impressed by BJ or Condits performance.
Sick matchup
Well, at least we've got more notice this time so it doesn't fuck up the prediction game.
Got to say, I'm shocked Tito took the fight but also really fucking impressed he did. Sounds like Machida shot himself in the foot by asking for "Anderson Silva" money and even more shocking Tito DIDN'T ask for more money!! What the fuck??
Anyway, I guess the big question is, can Tito win the fight? I'm not sure, but Evans has been out of the cage for a long ass time and Tito (if he can get into the same frame of mind as his last fight) could be a dangerous opponent. I've seen Evans dropped a few times and Tito's striking could cause him some trouble.
This'll be a much more interesting fight I think than Evans v Davis. Maybe not once it gets going because I haven't seen an exciting Evans fight for a long time, but build up wise, Tito is a much bigger name, much more entertaining and certainly a bigger 'story' than Davis right now.
Some serious twists and turns here guys, what'd you think?
Peace
Duckman
Tito finishing Bader has made this really interested, and considering how close their last fight was (did Tito get points deducted? Can't remember) it should be helluva alot more exciting than the Davis fight. Hopefully a loss won't be too damaging for Tito, but I guess that all depends on the manner of the loss. If he beats him though, thats gotta propel him right up to the top of the mix.
Really looking forward to it. But after the last event, I'm just looking forward to watching some UFC again!
Evans is happy as shit ... Tito yes he impress me in his last fight , but Evans on paper is the better fighter and should win this fight . I am not going to count Tito out of it . Hell no , Tito a Vet and dangerous opponent... but Evans should pick up the win
Sam reason Tito did not ask for more money is winner get a shot at the title , if he takes out Evans , he got instant title match , Yeah worth taking on short notice in his eyes I think
Plus he already earns about $450,000 per fight so not exactly going to be poor!
Man, if things got really fucked up we could have Tito vs. Rampage for the LHW Title in 2011!!! Imagine the odds on that happening a year ago!
The last fight was a draw, that Tito reckons he won. He got docked a point for holding the fence without being given any warning for it by the ref before. Pretty shitty really.
But yeah, this fight is a lot more interesting now than the 'dry humpathon' I was expecting with Evans and Davis.
Peace
Duckman
I would love to see a Jackson vs Ortiz fight ... being that I am old school MMA Fan lol
I think Tito is undermatched, as Evans has the takedown defence to keep the fight standing and is probably as strong as Tito, and a lot quicker.....but then again I didn't see Tito winning AT ALL against Bader so he could shock us again. Fighting with his back against the wall is true, so maybe it brings out shades of the old Tito
One things for sure, people are talking about the fight and they sure as fuck weren't before!
Tito = interest = money.
Peace
Duckman
Say fucking word... this shit get's so crazy. One moment Tito is fighting for his job, the next he's ultimately a win (or two) away from a title shot.
I'm fairly sure Rashad wins here, though.
I have been a huge Tito hater for a very long time and I am not exactly a fan at this point but I do give the guy respect for stepping up...
I believe he looked at his last fight as a situation where he knew he would be gone if he didn't win and lucky for him he did win... He seems to have the mind set that money and all that other shit aside he wants to make one last run at the title before he is done for good and this fight with Evans is his best chance and he finally has his head right...
I am actually thinking I might root for him in this fight which if you know how much I dislike Tito you would know how much respect I gained for him...
Lost tons for Machida also!
I kind of think of this run of Titos like Lebens run a few fights back when he won then took another fight on short notice and won that also...
Tito is going to muck Evans. The first time they fought, IMO Ortiz won all three rounds. Plus even if Evans really did win that last
round, Ortiz would've won if it wasn't for the point deduction in the 2nd round for grabbing the fence, which shouldn't have even
happened cause he got taken down anyways.
Plus, if yall remember in the 2nd round, the clock saved Evans. Ortiz had a really tight guillotine in that Evans couldn't escape, well
this time, that guillotine is for the win.
Quote from: James Shark on July 14, 2011, 05:39:32 PM
Tito is going to muck Evans. The first time they fought, IMO Ortiz won all three rounds. Plus even if Evans really did win that last
round, Ortiz would've won if it wasn't for the point deduction in the 2nd round for grabbing the fence, which shouldn't have even
happened cause he got taken down anyways.
Plus, if yall remember in the 2nd round, the clock saved Evans. Ortiz had a really tight guillotine in that Evans couldn't escape, well
this time, that guillotine is for the win.
Comparing the fight 4 years ago will get you know where with this fight because Ortiz was 4 years younger and Evans has since improved his game tremendously...
I think Ortiz best asset in this fight is his confidence... As his skills have diminished since the last fight...
Quote from: Midas on July 14, 2011, 05:46:22 PM
Comparing the fight 4 years ago will get you know where with this fight because Ortiz was 4 years younger and Evans has since improved his game tremendously...
I think Ortiz best asset in this fight is his confidence... As his skills have diminished since the last fight...
^^^
THIS
Tito is tough....
Rashad is in better shape. Is in better condition. Has improved more.
Evans has been out the cage for AGES though and has never been a fighter who does well in 'war' situations. I reckon if Tito is aggressive as fuck he could win it.
I don't think he will, but I think he might just go out on his shield and make a fight of it.
Their first fight was pretty boring but hopefully this one Tito has the frame of mind to go for it and not just let Evans dry hump out a decision.
Peace
Duckman
From MMAFighting.com
Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard have verbally agreed to meet for a third time at UFC 136 in Houston, sources close to the event confirmed with MMA Fighting.
The long-awaited trilogy fight was supposed to take place at UFC 130 in May, but injuries suffered by both the champion Edgar and Maynard forced the UFC to delay the lightweight title fight.
Maynard handed Edgar the only loss of his career in April 2008. They met again in January, this time under different circumstances with Edgar as champion, but the UFC 125 rematch ended in a draw. That fight is considered by many to be the current front-runner for 2011 Fight of the Year.
UFC 136 is scheduled to take place on Oct. 8 at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. The co-main event is expected to be Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann.
SWEET. The sooner they get this fight done the sooner the LW division can get sorted out and deserving fighters who have been waiting for months can get Title shots!
Peace
Duckman
finallly
I think Tito knows that he could have rode the momentum from the Bader win for several months and been in line for a title shot with 2 or 3 more wins...
But he gambled it away and decided to go for broke against Evans who is not a walk in the park... He knows that if he comes out and wins this fight he is in line for a #1 contenders fight in the near future...
This is a good move for Tito...
Lil Nog is out of UFC 133 for his bout with Franklin,so much for co main event. If they cant find a good replacement, Akiyama
and Belfort will probs move to co. I think they're going to give Franklin Hamill doee :-\
Alistair Overeem (35-11 MMA, 3-0 SF) today informed the world he would not be fighting for Strikeforce on Sept. 10.
Strikeforce today informed Overeem his services will not be needed for the remainder of Strikeforce's heavyweight grand prix.
In a shocking development, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) has confirmed that Overeem has been pulled from the tournament, and Daniel Cormier (8-0 MMA, 5-0 SF) will take his spot in the semifinals of the promotion's heavyweight grand prix.
The change was first reported by Tatame.com. It's currently unclear if Overeem is still under contract with the promotion or if Strikeforce brass elected to hand their heavyweight champion an outright release.
Overeem today revealed on MMA Fighting's "The MMA Hour" that the promotion requested he return to action against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (16-2 MMA, 3-1 SF) on Sept. 10. However, the Dutch striker said he asked for more time and preferred an October booking.
With the company planning for a September event to host the promotion's heavyweight grand prix semifinal bouts, some obvious tension was built. Overeem said the company threatened his release even before today's official announcement.
"What's going to happen next, I don't know," Overeem told MMA Fighting. "I've had some threats of cutting me out of the tournament if I don't participate. I don't know if they're going to do it."
Overeem now has his answer.
Overeem's publicly stated position was that the Sept. 10 date was too soon to return to action and that he needed time to heal some nagging injuries.
However, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) has learned that Overeem was in the process of working out a new contract with the promotion, which may have contributed to his unwillingness to compete in September. It may also explain his recently expressed desire to challenge champion boxers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko in a boxing contest â€" a strategy similar to the one Nick Diaz used to leverage his Strikeforce title into a shot at the UFC's welterweight belt.
Silva, who was aware of today's reports but unaware of any official change, seemed rather unconcerned at the development.
"I don't care who they put against me," Silva today told MMAjunkie.com through his manager and interpreter, Alex Davis. "If Overeem doesn't want to fight because his toe is hurt, then get me King Kong. Get Josh Barnett and Sergei Kharitonov both. I'll fight them both at the same time.
"I'm very frustrated and disappointed that someone who is considered one of the best fighters in the world would basically withdraw from the competition and refuse to fight me. Overeem is a great guy, but I don't really like what he's doing right now as a fighter. Either way, I don't pick my opponents. I would have much rather Cain Velasquez stepped in for Overeem because I want to prove I'm the best heavyweight in the world. If it's Cormier I won't take him lightly, either. I'll continue to train just as hard as if I was still facing Overeem."
Davis believes Cormier provides a capable fill-in, but he also admits the entire situation is unfortunate.
"Antonio and I both find it very unfortunate that Overeem apparently declined to take into consideration all the interests involved in his appearance," Davis said. "Strikeforce needs him to fight in September. His fans, and really almost all MMA fans, were looking forward to the conclusion of this amazing grand prix. Antonio was looking forward to fighting an opponent as popular and accomplished as Overeem is. Now, all that may be lost."
If Tito beats Evans I'll finally allow Midas to do the one thing he's been itchy for for many many years, blowing me.
I like and respect Cormier, I just don't know if he'll be able to handle the size of Bigfoot. As far as I'm concerned, Cormier is a LHW with a few too many pounds on him to begin with. Maybe this means we'll see the Reem in the UFC sooner rather than later.
with Overeem out, I think Big Foot has this locked up. It'll be him v/s Barnett in the finals no doubt.
Quote from: Cory on July 21, 2011, 09:46:39 PM
with Overeem out, I think Big Foot has this locked up. It'll be him v/s Barnett in the finals no doubt.
I agree. Obviously anything can happen, but I would be shocked if that wasn't the final. Could be a decent matchup up as I'm sure neither wants to be on the ground with the other.
Fedor Emelianenko does not yet have the answer to the question staring him in the face.
With a career-sapping third consecutive loss possible following a decade of triumph in competition, the deeply religious Emelianenko said today that the decision whether to continue fighting or call it a career following "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Henderson" is "God's will."
And while he'd like to continue competing for a few more years, Emelianenko (31-3 MMA, 1-2 SF) said his future won't be determined until after he's fought the decorated Dan Henderson (27-8 MMA, 2-1 SF).
The two headline the July 30 event, which takes place at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The event's main card airs on Showtime.
As it usually is with Emelianenko, he betrayed nothing of the circumstances surrounding the fight, which follows a TKO loss via doctor's stoppage to Antonio Silva in the quarterfinals of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix and a submission loss to Fabricio Werdum almost a year ago.
Instead, the Orthodox Christian, who hails from Stary Oskol, Russia, expressed gratitude for the lessons he'd received from God in good times and bad.
"If it's God's will, then I can certainly continue fighting for several years to come," he said through translator and M-1 representative Steven Bash. "I'd like to continue to fight, and thank God right now I feel great. My health is great, and I'm in good physical shape. But we'll see."
Despite his dual setbacks, Emelianenko said he'd changed nothing in preparation for his bout with Henderson, though he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that he may be lighter than usual on fight day at 220 pounds compared to his usual 230. (While the fight is a heavyweight contest, Henderson said he'll come in a hair over the big-man minimum at 206.1 pounds.)
Emelianenko has twice traveled to Holland to train with K-1 legend Ernesto Hoost and world-class striker Peter Tiejsse, as well as at his hometown gym. Although there were initial rumors that he would drop to the light-heavyweight class for the Henderson bout, Emelianenko said he is happy in the division where he's resided since his start in MMA.
"I've always fought as a heavyweight, and I didn't see any reason to fight at a lighter weight," he said. "There haven't been any significant offers to fight a light heavyweight, so I fight at the same weight I'm accustomed to."
While Emelianenko's preparation appears to be business as usual, there are changes that await him. Since his loss to Silva, Strikeforce has been purchased by UFC parent company Zuffa LLC, an entity with whom he shares a rocky past. Emelianenko has, in fact, been a vocal critic of the managerial style of UFC president Dana White, who lobbied aggressively for the former PRIDE champion before months of heated negotiations failed to produce a contract.
With the company he signed with now under the control of the promotion he declined, Emelianenko sidestepped a question of how it feels to fight for a new owner.
"It doesn't really matter to me," Emelianenko said. "The main thing is that the fans of the sport see both of us fight and see the best fighters fight."
And for now, Emelianenko vs. Henderson is one of the biggest fights possible for the new Strikeforce despite its non-title status. The stakes are huge for both fighters: A loss for Emelianenko undoubtedly would prompt calls to retire while Henderson would go out on a loss in his final contractual obligation to the promotion.
It's hard to imagine Emelianenko isn't aware of those stakes. Asked whether his recent slide has affected his confidence, however, Emelianenko gave an emphatic no.
"If God has given us a certain path for our life, then I have to go down that path and feel confident about it," he said.
Overeem/Velasquez sooner than we think? Colour me excited.
Quote from: Cavalry INC on July 22, 2011, 07:00:02 AM
Overeem/Velasquez sooner than we think? Colour me excited.
IF he does come to the UFC, I'd love to see him destroy Mir. Wouldn't mind seeing him fight Carwin either, but Carwin could probably use an easier fight to get off the losing streak.
Location: Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Venue: Sears Centre Arena
Broadcast: Showtime
MAIN CARD (Showtime)
Champ Dan Henderson vs. Fedor Emelianenko (heavyweight non-title fight)
Champ Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha Tate (for women's welterweight title)
Tim Kennedy vs. Robbie Lawler
Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley
Tarec Saffiedine vs. Scott Smith
PRELIMINARY CARD
Gesias Cavalcante vs. Bobby Green
Eduardo Pamplona vs. Tyler Stinson
Alexis Davis vs. Julie Kedzie
Derek Brunson vs. Lumumba Sayers
Bryan Humes vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones
Im excited. I think Fedor/Henderson will be a fantastic matchup and is really going under the radar. A potential FOTY, someone who isn't 60lbs heavier than Fedor and I cant wait.
Coenen/Tate, honestly anytime you get a high level womans fight its exciting.
Kennedy/Lawler will be a slugfest, will be good.
Daley/Woodley anytime Paul Daleys fighting its always exciting against the very good young prospet Woodley.
And Gesias Cavalcante on the undercard, if he can get back to his old form, he used to be a top 10 LW.
I agree. No reason this shouldn't be a solid show. It will definitely be interesting to see how the Fedor / Hendo fight plays out. Though it seems that Hendo has everything to gain and nothing to lose while Fedor has everything to lose and nothing to gain.
If Hendo wins, he went up a weight class to took out the former P4P king.
If Hendo loses (but is competitive) then it was a good showing and is admirable for him to step up and face Fedor.
If Fedor wins it is "only because he's fighting a LHW" which would just give more reason for him to drop down.
If Fedor loses, he lost his third straight to a guy who fights in a different weight class.
I think your reason for Fedor winning is why.
I want him down at 205, I think his age is becoming a factor, but him @ 205 where hes bigger than his opponents = scary.
Quote from: Cory on July 22, 2011, 10:12:57 PM
I think your reason for Fedor winning is why.
I want him down at 205, I think his age is becoming a factor, but him @ 205 where hes bigger than his opponents = scary.
I agree. In modern Heavyweight MMA he's going to struggle. If he just put in the work to cut weight he could definitely be a beast at LHW, especially in Strikeforce.
This really hurts the Grand Prix for me. Even more so than Fedor getting his ass handed to him in his fight.
Overeem was talked up prior to this as being 'the man' at HW in MMA. Some people were even saying he was better than Cain. One of major selling points and the major point of interest, for me at least, was seeing him prove his status by fighting top line MMA HW. Not kickboxing, not some dodgy fight in Japan. But coming to the States, fighting clean and fighting top level competition.
He looked horrible against Werdum (granted not all his fault) and looked pretty clueless and totally gassed by the 3rd round. Now he's going into a really stern test, against the guy who mauled Fedor, and we don't get to see the fight.
That hurts not just the Grand Prix but also Overeem as a legit top 3 in the world HW MMA fighter. Until he actually puts together a run of fights against guys at the top level, I just can't buy into him being something special.
I'm not saying he isn't injured, let me be clear on that. If he's not healthy he shouldn't be fighting, especially with so much on the line.
I just think that the timing of this couldn't be worse and it devalues what was one of the most exciting tournaments in MMA in years.
I'd imagine Overeem will now fight the winner of the Grand Prix for the Strikeforce Title and then no doubt move to the UFC once his contract with SF is up. He's only got 1 fight left on his deal as it stands.
Which is another fucking stupid situation that SF got into. They didn't extend the guy's contract to cover the whole of the GP and then a future Title fight? Terrible management.
I just hope Overeem gets healthy and then gets to fight the level of competition that will prove he is as good as everyone says.
Peace
Duckman
I'm concerned as hell about his mindset for fighting these days. So much talk about retirement since his last 2 losses. Hardly the kind of talk you want to hear ahead of a huge fight like he's got.
I'm not sure if Fedor's issues are physical, technical or that he simply doesn't give a fuck any more. But a guy who talks this much about giving up, this often, really appears to not have his mind in the game.
Peace
Duckman
I saw an interview with Helwani and Dana yesterday which implied that the toe injury wasn't real. Apparently Reem was initially told that the fight would be in October and then out of the blue Showtime (who apparently has full control of when there are shows) says it is September. He told them a 7 week camp wasn't enough and was told that he would have to pull out of the tournament if he didn't fight in September. That is where the "toe injury" stems from. Weird situation to be sure.
As for his contract, he may have a Championship clause, I think all the other Strikeforce guys do. Shields didn't because his contract was an EliteXC contract that Strikeforce bought out when EXC tanked.
I really think one big push at 205 would help make up for two losses and could make him a legend in two weight classes.
If he wants too, at 34 he realistically is past his prime, but can fight at a high level till 36-37, and a Fedor at 205 where he's the bigger fighter scares me to think about it.
But I doubt that'd happen because I cant see him ever cutting weight.
http://www.mmabay.co.uk/2011/07/24/exclusive-nate-marquardt-exclusive-to-bamma-but-could-be-loaned-out-will-make-debut-at-welterweight/ (http://www.mmabay.co.uk/2011/07/24/exclusive-nate-marquardt-exclusive-to-bamma-but-could-be-loaned-out-will-make-debut-at-welterweight/)
Bit surprised he went there instead of Bellator, though I guess he could be "loaned" to Bellator. It'll be interesting to see if he does enough to make Dana/Zuffa reconsider and bring him back. I'll admit my first thought was that he was going there because there weren't any commissions and he would be able to continue his TRT without worries. Though I read something else on MMABay about BAMMA starting to do Commission style testing, so who knows.
First topic started down here, if I broke any rules I apologize.
No, all good bro.
And thats odd not to sign with Bellator, as their the only successful company in North American that isnt owned by Zuffa
He's got fucking no one to fight in BAMMA too. Basically going to be fighting unknown guys, on shows no one in the US will see.
The only possible marketable match up is against Paul Daley and that's not a certainty with Daley getting SF fights.
Dude is obviously either getting a fuck load of money, or he's black listed in the States cause this move really doesn't make any sense otherwise.
Peace
Duckman
Maybe he signed there instead because the UFC has a nasty habit of buying up top promotions.
Phone Rings
Dana: Fucking shit Hello
Nate: It's me. I'm thinking on signing with Bellator.
Dana: Don't fucking sign with them. I'm fucking planning on fucking buying that fucking shit next. Do you want to be a fucking fighter? Well not fucking there. Fuck.
good money and a chance to kick the shit out of unknowns
Doesn't really do much for his standing though BD. What's the point in fighting if you're not fighting top level competition?
And you're not on TV or PPV in the US?
I just don't get it. Nothing against BAMMA, but they're bringing in guys like Shoguns fat brother and Frank Trigg and they're classed as the top fighters.
The only thing I can think of is they've lined him up to fight Tom 'Kong' Watson who is the top UK fighter not currently in UFC/SF. Even then...I just don't see how it's a good move for Nate career wise, unless he's truly fucked in the US and Bellator couldn't afford him.
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Duckman on July 25, 2011, 04:38:38 PM
The only thing I can think of is they've lined him up to fight Tom 'Kong' Watson who is the top UK fighter not currently in UFC/SF. Even then...I just don't see how it's a good move for Nate career wise, unless he's truly fucked in the US and Bellator couldn't afford him.
Is Che Mills still around?
I'm telling ya, He was scared shitless of Dana buying a company he'd work for.
Honker may be right
Zuffa is eating the MMA world up ...
Age?
He's still only 34/35
Quote from: trifecta on July 27, 2011, 05:32:11 AM
Age?
He's still only 34/35
Thats getting up there in MMA terms. Most fighters decline at 36, with the true exceptions being Dan Henderson and Randy Couture.
Especially where Fedor has had 30+ fights, Randy only ever had 20 or so.
Hendo is going to nail him with his ''H-bomb'' (LULZ) and either knock Fedor out or GNP until the referee pulls him off. Sorry, but I think Fedor has expired. Still, it should be a entertaining bout whether my prediction pans out or not...
i say Hendo is going to have a second round techincal knockout on Fedor
Smith looked really bad in that first fight
Damn, I really hoped Daley woulda Ko'D Woodley in the 3rd there to finally stick it to these boring ass wrestlers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ1HrMbXa7I&feature=feedu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ1HrMbXa7I&feature=feedu)
I don't think Smith can hang at WW. He's look awful in both his fights in that division.
Good to see a more well rounded game from Daley and that omoplata attempt was impressive.
Kennedy and Lawler with a very fun first two rounds and a bit slow third. I can't see any way that Kennedy doesn't come out the winner.
Kennedy was classy at the end, I think Lawler is still the better fighter, but impressive win.
Miesha Tate with the excellent come from behing victory.
FEDORS UP NEXT!
H-Bombed!
Fedor went completely limp.
Im sorry, Fedor got rocked and congrats to Hendo....
but that fight was stopped early.
Seeing what happened Kongo/Barry, Fedor's face hit the mat, but he rolled over and looked to attempt to pull guard or grab Henderson......Herb didn't give him a chance to try and intelligently defend himself, and just saw the way he hit the mat and jumped the gun.
I doubt Fedor would have made it out, Hendo has sick ground n pound, but Fedor can take punishment, and I'm a little pissed about the stoppage.
Needless to say, Fedors done.
JoeRogan on twitter agrees:
I love Herb Dean, and I think he's the best in the world but I would have liked to see Fedor have an opportunity to recover
4 minutes ago
I disagree.
The Barry/Kongo fight I don't recall Barry ever being right on top of Kongo after the knockdowns. Both times, that I recall, he had to rush in on him and by the time he got there Kong was grabbing at him.
This time Fedor was limp and took a few more shots from Hendo who was right on top of him. I think it was a good stoppage.
The more important thing here is that Fedor was stopped by a guy who is really a Middleweight. He has to do something different if he wants to continue.
The first time he dropped Kongo, Kongo went limp and dropped to one knee and Barry tee'd off, but Dan Mirgliota was about to jump in and stop kept it going because Kongo grabbed Barrys legs after 4-5 shots to try and stop the flurry.
Fedor wasn't even given a chance.
and middleweight or not, Henderson has one of the best punches in the game, easily top 5 for any weight classes. I'd put money that if Henderson caught Brock or Cain with a clean shot like he did Fedor, they'd drop too.
The H-Bomb is devastating.
I don't think this was a bad stoppage at all. Even if it continued Fedor was done either way with Hendo throwing them down on him like that. Good stoppage.
Time to retire, IMO.
Quote from: Level-One on July 31, 2011, 12:48:39 AM
Even if it continued Fedor was done either way with Hendo throwing them down on him like that.
Time to retire, IMO.
I agree, but I think he deserved 3 seconds to see if he could defend himself, so there would be no reasonable doubt about the stoppage.
that the hardest part ... ref got to make the split second decision , because who wants to be the ref that let it go little to long after he should have stop it and the fighter get seriously hurt because of it.
You error on the side of cation.
better to be known as the guy that stop it little to early , than the ref that fuck it up and stop it to late .
also long live the king , Fedor is now finish ... one of the best
I haven't seen the finish yet, so can't really say if it was too soon.
But from the description Fedor hit the mat face first, out cold, then came too but ate a few more shots from Hendo. With the power Hendo has, I'm not sure Fedor would've been able to defend - could be wrong though, will need to see it.
I'm always a fan of seeing a fight stopped if a guy is out cold. Your brain has shut down. Even if you can grab a leg or something, you are going to be very, very lucky to be able to defend yourself (i.e. Kongo) and not suffer more damage.
I'd rather see Fedor stopped early and be able to fight again, then let it go and he gets fucked up. Remember, he took a serious beating in his last fight too - lots of shots to the head.
Writing has been on the wall for him for years now. Really since PRIDE closed and he didn't come to the UFC to fight the top guys. Every fight he loses from no one will hurt his standing as one of the best of all time and no one wants to see that.
Like I said though, I'll hold judgement on the stoppage until I see, but Herb Dean usually gets these things right.
Peace
Duckman
It's a very difficult call to make. I mean I don't think watching from a televisual perspective I'd have stopped it but I can't categorically say it shouldn't have been stopped. Just that it would have been nice to see IF Fedor could have recovered.
Quote from: Insomnia on July 31, 2011, 01:30:25 PM
It's a very difficult call to make. I mean I don't think watching from a televisual perspective I'd have stopped it but I can't categorically say it shouldn't have been stopped. Just that it would have been nice to see IF Fedor could have recovered.
My thoughts exactly.
3 years ago Herb Dean was the worst ref in the game, but he's improved with huge strides and is now right behind Big John as the best in the game, so maybe he saw something I didn't, but I think he stopped it 3 seconds early.
Plus take the fact that in 37 fights Fedor has never complained about anything, just gone on with his quiet self, he said that the fight was stopped early and complained about the stoppage.
"It seems to me, yes (it was stopped early)," he said through translator and M-1 executive Steve Bash. "It seems to me objectively, I was ready to continue fighting."
Take it for what its worth.
Aye, one thing is for sure, though - I wouldn't have liked to be the man making that call. I do respect it, though - even if I also respect the argument against it. I guess its talking points like these that add to the excitement. We'd have loved to see those 3 seconds and can only think of what might have happened.
The ONE thing that I dont like is the speculation. I would love Fedor to make a move at 205, highly unrealistic, but if he doesn't wanna go down to Light Heavyweight he should retire. The fact that theres the controversy of a early stoppage, might make him want to fight one more fight and HW and tarnish his career even more.
Quote from: Cory on July 31, 2011, 10:21:04 PM
The ONE thing that I dont like is the speculation. I would love Fedor to make a move at 205, highly unrealistic, but if he doesn't wanna go down to Light Heavyweight he should retire. The fact that theres the controversy of a early stoppage, might make him want to fight one more fight and HW and tarnish his career even more.
Money talks. ;) Hate to say it, but I'm sure he's got a lot of selfish voices in his ear right now urging him to walk into something stupid. Try to just enjoy the great memories, the good times. Nature of this kind of business that your heroes usually end up humbled. Cowards like Marciano and Floyd in boxing for instance are the ones who remain "flawless".
Brave decision, Tito... But is it wise? :o
The Ultimate Fighter 13" semifinalist Chris Cope (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will make the trip across The Pond to face English fighter Che Mills (13-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 138.
Mills' camp first reported the matchup, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) has since confirmed with sources close to the event that both fighters have agreed to the contest.
UFC officials have yet to announce the contest.
UFC 138 takes place Nov. 5 at LG Arena at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. The main card airs in the U.S. on Spike TV via same-day tape delay. It's uncertain where the Cope vs. Mills fight will fall on the evening's schedule.
Cope, a former MMAjunkie.com blogger, made his official octagon debut in June, earning a unanimous-decision win over fellow "TUF 13" cast member Chuck O'Neil. Consistently branded an underdog while on the show, Cope earned his way to the season's semifinals with victories over Javier Torres and Shamar Bailey.
The UFC 138 bout will mark Cope's first outside of the U.S.
Mills secured a spot on the ninth season of "TUF," representing his home country in the U.S. vs. U.K. season. However, he was defeated in the elimination round by James Wilks and did not make it into the house. Since that brush with the UFC, Mills has gone 6-2 on the regional circuit, fighting in England, Japan, Russia and Spain.
Mills currently carries a four-fight win streak. Ten of Mills' 13 career wins have come via stoppage.
----
Not a huge matchup, but Che Mills has been my favourite Brit fighter not in the ufc. Hes one of the most exciting 170ers in the world, Wanderlei Silva like, which has cost him a few fights in the past.
Cant wait for this.
Alexander, the younger brother of the "last emperor" of Fedor Emelianenko, considered that the reason for the defeat of Russians to Dan Henderson in the incompetence of the coaching staff fighter.
- If an athlete loses - that is to blame the coach, and if wins - it is his personal achievement, - said Alexander Life Sports. - To blame the coaching staff - and the Ravens Michkov. Improperly prepared for battle. They sit like two amoebas, and do not know what to say. They are asked direct questions, as they say, "It is difficult to judge its physical form, will fight." Well, what the coach can say so? Only far from the sport. I just call them - "zasekatel time" and "mahatel towel." That's what they do as a team, that's all, what they do Federation.
From MMA UNDERGROUND
Many think fedor will be cut and will not retire thats totally not the case... Lorenzo respects fedor and ive been told he will be offered a 2 fight deal... But before you praise this move its on 2 conditions... 1 no more co promotion and 2 his contract will be cut in half the big money pay days are over if he wants to continue on fighting he will have to earn his money and win to get big paydays...
M1 global have been working out all the angles... Vadim has been negoiating with showtime about reupping there deal with the network and looking for showtime to make an investment within the company for ownership... This would make fedor exclusive for m1 global and they still have there star attraction and slowly rebuild him... Real winner of this whole situation dan henderson will be resigned to a huge deal by lorenzo fertitta as the company is very happy and pleased...
Dan Henderson will be resigned to a very lucrative contract this week to remain in the fold... A ufc return has not been ruled out as there still deciding on what to do with them...
http://tsn.ca/mma/story/?id=373120 (http://tsn.ca/mma/story/?id=373120)
3 UFC events in Canada in 2011, potentially. Maybe I'll try and go to that; the show's scheduled for my birthday, after all. :)
It costs more to go to Toronto than Montreal from where I am, hotels are a bitch in Tdot.
So, please go back to MTL
That's why having family in T-Dot is a plus. ;D
I went to 113 in MTL and tickets, roundtrip flight, and 5 star hotel was like $600 in total. Me and my buddies priced the trip to go see Shields/St.Pierre and it was like close to $1000.
Considering Montreal is the best city in Canada, every other girl is hot, and they dont ID (I was underage come 113) its my little heaven on earth.
But if 140's cards looking good, I might take the financial hit and go.
Here is the deal with the stoppage. Fedor went limp and dropped to the mat and Hendo was all over him after that. Fedor took 3-5 more shots, not once defending himself because he was still limp and OUT! He came to and started defending himself after the Referee tried to stop the fight, and he took even more blows then. Fedor got caught by a quicker opponent with power and lost. The fight in my opinion was stopped where it needed to be. That's the difference between boxing and MMA. In boxing you can get knocked out and get up and take more punishment, hurting yourself more. When you're out in MMA, you're done. It was the right call, and as much as we all love Fedor's legacy, you can't let that cloud your judgement. If this had been Brock vs Carwin and Carwin had won via the same scenario, we wouldn't be talking about how the stoppage was premature, you'd all be celebrating Brock getting his ass whipped.
Quote from: RickRampage on August 04, 2011, 12:56:39 PM
Here is the deal with the stoppage. Fedor went limp and dropped to the mat and Hendo was all over him after that. Fedor took 3-5 more shots, not once defending himself because he was still limp and OUT! He came to and started defending himself after the Referee tried to stop the fight, and he took even more blows then. Fedor got caught by a quicker opponent with power and lost. The fight in my opinion was stopped where it needed to be. That's the difference between boxing and MMA. In boxing you can get knocked out and get up and take more punishment, hurting yourself more. When you're out in MMA, you're done. It was the right call, and as much as we all love Fedor's legacy, you can't let that cloud your judgement. If this had been Brock vs Carwin and Carwin had won via the same scenario, we wouldn't be talking about how the stoppage was premature, you'd all be celebrating Brock getting his ass whipped.
QFT.
Finally saw the fight tonight. Fedor was absolutely out cold, face down, hands up and not moving. I do not believe he would have come back no matter how long it went. Hendo's ground and pound is fucking brutal and he wouldn't have let Fedor up after hurting him that badly.
Also, Fedor just got cut by Strikeforce. I know he's actually got a contract with Showtime, so it's not the worst because Showtime and M-1 could still do a deal for his future fights.
Pretty much confirms we'll never see him in the UFC though...and you can't claim to the best if you haven't fought in the UFC. Least that's how I see it.
Peace
Duckman
I think Fedor is winding down, so cutting him was a smart move by Strikeforce; but I think you will see Fedor retire and just stay behind the scenes in M-1 Global. Still, you never know; sometimes people do crazy things because they love what they do. Also, I meant to mention this in my previous post, but anyone who doesn't agree with my saying that it was called right, please remember at the beginning of all MMA matches the referee instructs them to 'Defend Yourselves at ALL times'. For a good couple of seconds, Fedor wasn't, and that is why Herb Dean called the match.
Quote from: Big Gay Honker on July 20, 2011, 06:24:21 PM
If Tito beats Evans I'll finally allow Midas to do the one thing he's been itchy for for many many years, blowing me.
Sorry midas better luck next time.
Lol, he'll be so disappointed Honker!
Hell of a performance from Rashad last night. THAT is the kind of fighter than could give Jones a lot of trouble.
Not a bad show, but not a patch on the last one. Thought McDonald looked fantastic against a very solid veteran fighter in Pyle. Riviera and the greek was shit, so boring and both guys gassed terribly. The tiny blue pants were horrendous and deserved a KO - Ebersole is becoming my new favourite weird fighter. Belfort killed the fuck out of Sexiyama in double quick time. The main event was a great fight. Loads of crowd heat. Tito hanging in there with Rashad 2.0 before the brutal knee to the mid section to finish the fight. I can see Evans getting a lot more fan support if he fights like that from now on.
My heart ruled my head and screwed my predicitons but what can you do?
Looking forward to Rio show!
Peace
Duckman
Tito needs to work on taking body shots. Machida dropped him with a knee to the tummy before, now Rashad. Hopefully the UFC wont put Tito down because I do enjoy seeing him smacked around.
Good show.
Tito wont get cut, because he took this fight on short notice....so in a way he did the UFC a favour
After 13 fights inside the octagon, Matt Hamill has decided to retire from MMA.
The UFC light heavyweight today made the announcement on his personal website.
Hamill (10-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) suffered a second-round TKO loss to Alexander Gustaffson this past Saturday at UFC 133, which was his second consecutive setback following a decision defeat to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 130.
"To be honest with you, after 'Rampage,' he was done," Hamill's trainer and manager, Duff Holmes, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). "He told me, 'I just can't stand the constant pain.'"
The born-deaf fighter suffered several injuries throughout the course of his career in the UFC, including a pinched nerve in his neck that ailed him prior to the Jackson fight. He also re-injured his shoulder, which was separated in his December 2009 fight with now-champ Jon Jones.
"I was ready to make this decision after UFC 130, but my friends, family, coaches and most importantly my daughter encouraged me to give it one last chance," Hamill wrote in his announcement. "My career has been plagued by injuries starting with 'The Ultimate Fighter' and disrupted my training ever since.
"There hasn't been even one training camp where I've been able to train without training around an injury. I have not been kind to my body, and it has nothing left after 28 years of nonstop competition. It's time to finally give it a rest."
Hamill, a lifetime wrestler, and Holmes will continue to train fighters at their gym, Mohawk Valley MMA, in upstate New York.
"I couldn't be prouder of him, and he's taken me on this amazing journey he's been on," Holmes said. "He has nothing to hang his head about."
The 34-year-old Hamill leaves the octagon with a 9-4 record (10-4 overall). He has notable career victories over former champ Tito Ortiz, Keith Jardine and Mark Munoz. Although he is the only man to hold a win over Jones, he doesn't consider it one due to the outcome of the fight (Jones was disqualified for illegal elbows).
A three-time Division III wrestling champ at Rochester Institute of Technology, Hamill first became known to fans on "The Ultimate Fighter 3." He won a preliminary fight on the reality show but was forced to withdraw with a concussion.
A movie based on Hamill's life is set for a fall release.
"Thank you to all my training partners who have shared their blood sweat and tears with me along the way," the fighter said. "Thank you to all my friends and family for their unconditional support and most of all thank you to my fans! It's the fans that have made this the truly special experience it has been.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Venue: Bradley Center
Broadcast: Versus and Facebook
MAIN CARD (Versus)
Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle
Ben Henderson vs. Jim Miller
Donald Cerrone vs. Charles Oliveira
Duane Ludwig vs. Amir Sadollah
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jared Hamman
Joseph Benavidez vs. Eddie Wineland
Ed Herman vs. Kyle Noke
Ronny Markes vs. Karlos Vemola
Alex Caceres vs. Jim Hettes
Cole Miller vs. T.J. O'Brien
Danny Castillo vs. Jacob Volkmann
Edwin Figueroa vs. Jason Reinhardt
i don't know why but dislike hardy, maybe i just don't like his attitude , just rub me the wrong why , but it going to be a hell of a slug match with lytle . there going to toe to toe in the center of the ring , should be great
Smooth Henderson , is still my man , but this is another great fight here
I think Oliveira going to bounce back , but he got a tough guy in the Cowboy
all really solid fights here
I think Hardy/Lytle will be a war
It's a hell of a card - four really strong matches. With a main event that'll deliver on the excitement side of things.
I'm a HUGE Dan Hardy fan. The guy is a much better spokesman for UK MMA than Bisping.
I think Miller vs. Henderson will be a total war.
Expect Cowboy to get a big win in a tough fight here.
And of course, hoping that Hardy comes through the war with Lytle to get the win he desperately needs.
Also I see Lytle is retiring after this fight. He's announced this as his last. The man will go down in a blaze of glory but hopefully not with a win!
Peace
Duckman
A fighter close to Shawn Tompkins says the renowned trainer passed away this morning.
Veteran lightweight John Gunderson today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that Tompkins "didn't wake up," but he was still unclear on the details surrounding his passing.
Longtime friend and confidant Chris Horodecki said the trainer was in Canada and had spoken to him yesterday but was unaware of the bad news when contacted today.
Additional sources ultimately confirmed the trainer's death with MMAjunkie.com, though details weren't immediately available.
Tompkins first emerged on the national MMA scene as a coach in the now-defunct International Fight League. He was first an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Anacondas and was later promoted to head coach after MMA legend Bas Rutten stepped down from the role to assume a commentator position. He later split with the company.
Tompkins then migrated to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and served as a coach there before splitting with the gym and joining the TapouT Training Facility.
The coach, who also competed professionally for a handful of fights a decade ago, nurtured the careers of several notable fighters in his career, including Gunderson, Horodecki, Sam Stout and Mark Hominick. Tompkins, who frequently appeared on MMAjunkie.com Radio, was 37 years old.
Check back with MMAjunkie.com for an update on this unfortunate news.
Hardy/Lytle and Henderson/Miller were amazing fights
An amazing night of fights. It's a shame they didn't show some of the facebook prelims. Hamman v. Dolloway and Wineland vs. Benedivez were awesome fights I recommend to anyone with free time on their hands.
Quite possibly the best televised fight card this year.
Henderson/Miller has got to be in the running when it comes to fights of the year. Tremendous action and star making performance from Henderson.
Peace
Duckman
Biggest moment in MMA so far? Feels like it.
From MMAFighting.com:
In a landmark announcement that marks the move of MMA's leading promotion to network television for the first time, the UFC and FOX on Thursday confirmed a deal that would put UFC programming on the FOX family of networks for the next seven years.
Under the terms of the agreement, FOX will broadcast four UFC events a year on broadcast television and six events on FX, their basic cable station that is available on 99,369,000 homes, almost the same number of homes that receive Spike.
The Ultimate Fighter will also air on FX in a revamped, live version, while other FOX-owned entities like FUEL and FOX Deportes will also carry UFC programming.
"Television is about the next big thing, and that's why we're here this morning," said Hill, who added that the UFC was "something we firmly believe in."
Under terms of the deal, the first UFC event on FOX will air on November 12, while additional UFC programming on FOX networks launches on January 2012.
White lauded the deal as the highlight of his tenure leading the UFC.
"This was it for me, this is what I always wanted," he said. "This is what I always felt was the pinnacle for us here in the United States. Not just to be on the No. 1 network in the country, but to be on a network with all the other real big sports: NFL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, etc."
The deal was brokered by the UFC's agent Ari Emanuel. Though financial terms weren't disclosed, Sports Business Daily reported on Tuesday that UFC will receive around $90 million per year in rights fees.
For a time, the UFC reportedly looked into launching its own network, a fact that was acknowledged during the press conference by Fertitta. But after considering all the available options including competing network offers, the FOX deal best fit their goals and needs.
"I think that a UFC channel would be very successful," he said. "But we sat down, thought about it a little bit and said, 'You know what we do best? Put on great fights.' We're not in the business of running a network. And as far as the life cycle of the company and where we're at, it just made more sense for us to do this deal with FOX."
FOX executives said they were drawn to the UFC by their ability to attract the coveted male to 18-34 year old demographic. Hill, who had in the past voiced no interest in MMA, said he had changed his tune over the past few years as he watched UFC continue to grow and market their brand and fighters.
White said that the UFC will use the deal as a "fresh start" to revamp all of their offerings, including pay-per-views.
The most significant changes may come to TUF, which will take place over a 12-week time frame and include live fights each week. As part of the deal, TUF will be moved to Friday nights. Each episode will feature taped footage from the four to five days prior, but the match between advancing fighters will be live. In addition to that, coaches will conduct their own training camps during the time and then fight at the end of the season.
While in the past, a network deal may have been undone by an advertisers unwillingness to sponsor mixed martial arts programming, FOX executives say that stigma is nearly gone.
"We would not have gone into the deal if we hadn't canvassed large group of advertisers who are 100 percent behind it," Hill said. "There might be one or two companies that have got a 'do not buy.' There is a hell of a lot more who have a 'do buy' on this sport."
Under the terms of the deal, the UFC will continue to control production of its events, though FOX will have input. FOX will control pre- and post-fight shows.
All in all there will be 36 UFC fights a year on FOX-owned networks, which includes the 26 live TUF fights, 6 FX "Fight Night" events and 4 major events on FOX. White said that the promotion still considers itself a pay-per-view company, but there is no question that there will be many more expectations and much more scrutiny as a result of the major deal.
Landgraf said the deal makes great sense as their research showed that their is an 80 percent overlap between fans of the UFC and FX viewers.
"I can't emphasize how thrilled I am to get this deal done," Hill said. "If you look where Frank, Dana and Lorenzo have taken the group in last decade, imagine what's going to happen in the next decade. I think the growth potential is explosive."
pretty much puts a hurting on spikeTV
This just sounds great...
I really want to see a Ben Henderson/Clay Guida fight. Guida is prob in for a title shot now though. I was gutted for Miller, was expecting him to pull a submission mid-getting his arse handed to him, but Henderson was too damn slippy. Main event and co-main event were both great, was a great way for Lytle's career to end, Hardy fucked up but apparently he won't be getting sacked. Is he the first guy to go four losses in a row in the UFC and still remain signed?
Cerrone has looked strong since his debut in UFC, need to get him a fight with one of the top tier folk. I know he lost to Henderson a couple of times in WEC as well as others, so I'm not sure if he has improved or if he has just fought lesser talents since coming over.
Anywhoo, great show, really enjoyed it.
I agree with BD, what does this mean for Spike?
Quote from: Flins. on August 18, 2011, 05:24:03 PM
Hardy fucked up but apparently he won't be getting sacked. Is he the first guy to go four losses in a row in the UFC and still remain signed?
Not 4 in a row, but Wanderlei is like 2-7 in the UFC and is still signed.
TNA just become Spike's best asset..
looks like Spike's going to go bankrupt.
I'd put money on Bellator taking over Spike. It is all owned by the same company and Spike reaches more viewers than MTV2. Though I read something a while back that said if Spike lost UFC they might rebrand and be less of a "dude" channel.
If you bring the fight they'll keep you on. Plus he does a lot of good promotion work for the company. And he's a big fucking deal in the UK - but if he loses his comeback fight, I'm not sure they can justify keeping him on.
Henderson vs. Guida would be fucking awesome. Battle of the weird hair cuts!
Wonder if Cerrone and Pettis will fight? Could be interesting.
The LHW division is SO staked with talent at the moment. They need to get those big matches going once Edgar and Maynard fight.
Peace
Duckman
Well Spike have the rights to show all previous UFC stuff on Spike until August 2012. After that, no more UFC on there.
Personally I just love the fact that UFC are going to revamp a lot of stuff, TUF becoming a weekly LIVE fight, the PPV format being revamped (WWE haven't revamped anything they do in over 13 years), even the gladitor dude is getting changed (booo)!
Exciting times.
Peace
Duckman
Bad news for SpikeTV, good news for everyone else!
Quote from: Legacy Pro Wrestling on August 19, 2011, 01:54:28 PM
I'd put money on Bellator taking over Spike. It is all owned by the same company and Spike reaches more viewers than MTV2. Though I read something a while back that said if Spike lost UFC they might rebrand and be less of a "dude" channel.
They might be going that way now ...There no chance in hell that TNA can hold spikeTV up on there shoulders like Smackdown was doing for UPN back in the day. I see spike repackaging themselves again after UFC is gone.
RIO DE JANEIRO â€" The UFC is committed to a Brazilian event in 2012, and it could be one for the record books.
On Saturday, the organization hosts UFC 134 at Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena, and the venue's approximately 14,000 seats sold out in a staggering 74 minutes.
Thanks to that success, the organization now is planning a visit to Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas. And a massive venue could host the show.
On Tuesday, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta met with local officials to discuss a possible show at the Convention Center of Manaus (one of many "sambadromes" located throughout the country), an outdoor venue that can hold up to 100,000 fans. The city's metro area includes more than two million residents.
"Our expectation is that Manaus will set a new attendance record with 100,000 people watching the show," Feritta said.
Such an event could shatter records that, in fact, were shattered just a few months ago. Back in April, the organization hosted UFC 129 at Toronto's Rogers Centre. The UFC's first-ever stadium show drew 55,724 attendees for a $12.075 million gate.
Both marks set North American and UFC records. The previous records were $5.4 million (UFC 66) and 23,152 (UFC 124).
The world's largest reported MMA crowd in history attended PRIDE Shockwave 2002 at Tokyo National Stadium in Japan. Officials put the attendance mark at 91,107, though it's impossible to verify and was likely a smaller total.
Of course there going to head back. it one of the birth places of MMA and people love a good fight . it a no brainier
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Venue: HSBC Arena
Broadcast: Pay-per-view, Spike TV and Facebook
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
Champ Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami (for middleweight title)
Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Brendan Schaub
Edson Barboza vs. Ross Pearson
Luiz Cane vs. Stanislav Nedkov
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
Spencer Fisher vs. Thiago Tavares
Dan Miller vs. Rousimar Palhares
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
David Mitchell vs. Paulo Thiago
Raphael Assuncao vs. Johnny Eduardo
Erick Silva vs. Luis Ramos
Felipe Arantes vs. Yuri Alcantara
Yves Jabouin vs. Ian Loveland
I like how Dana says if Okami wins he'll go down as the greatest Asian fighter in history.
IF he wins it will be the greatest victory in an Asian fighters history, but Okami is boring a fuck. I think Sakuraba will always hold that title.
I am looking forward to this card...
Really good card, Nedkov looked shaky in the begin, but hes a fucking animal....I can see this guy just getting in wars every fight. Nog/Schaub was exciting, great finish from Nog didnt expect that, Barboza/Pearson was a war, didnt see any of the undercard but I expect it to get FOTN great fight, Rua had a great finish, I didnt think that fight would finish that quick, and hell I was worried about my Rua pick, he didnt look to good at the weigh-ins, but nice ground n pound.
And Silva/Okami was what mostly everyone expected, Okami never had a chance, unless he turned into an American wrestle machine and he clearly didnt, Anderson toyed with him and quick finish. Now lets set up Silva/Sonnen 2, so we can get on with GSP/SIlva
Agree cory ... funny Silva was thinking might toy with him little more ... than said fuck it let me finish this because this my home country ... lol
got all my picks expect one , I really thought forest was going to show us something ... that was a heart pick... it was a great show... some nasty as knockouts
Just a brilliant show from top to bottom. I didn't get to see the pre card but the main PPV show was fucking tremendous!
The main thing that stood out to me was the crowd. Just incredible reactions to all the Brazilian fighters on the show. Then absolute silence when anything went against them! They brought the show up another couple of levels for me.
Really enjoyed the Cane vs. Nedkov fight for the opener. It wasn't technically great - Goldberg was really going over the top on how good Cane's combinations were. They were ok, but not outstanding. Nedkov had one punch, that he kept landing! Cane needs to work on getting that left hand up. Nice finish too, referee gave him a chance to recover, but he was done.
I was shocked Big Nog won and in the way he did but I was also pleased. We've had so many legends and big names of the past getting their asses handed to them recently. Really good to see a true warrior like Big Nog survive big shots from Schaub and come back with a great KO! Not sure if that'll be his swan song or if he can legitimately make another run at the Title. Also - the crowd reaction to his win? HOLY SHIT!! People looked like they were nearly falling out the stands they were so hyped!
Pearson vs. Barboza was my late switch to FOTN in the predictions - and it worked out well. Now THAT was a striking master class Mr Goldberg! Barboza looked so crisp and like Florian said on commentary, watching him is like watching a normal fighter in fast forward! I loved this fight and while some UK fans are bitching about the decision, I reckon it was the right call. Hell of a close fight and both guys came out of it looking strong.
I’ve since heard Griffin’s wife went into labour just before the fight â€" which probably explains his state of mind going into the cage. I took one look at him in the prep area and knew it’d be a first round KO loss. Rua put in a good performance and got the finish but Griffin just wasn’t at the races at all in this fight. Not sure where Rua stands now â€" is he really healthy? Does he only put his mind into a fight when he’s coming off a loss? Still lots of questions for me on Rua.
The main event just proved that Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter of this generation. P4P king without a doubt. He just took the first round to work Okami out and then blitzed him in the second. Honestly, that man is just unbelievable. He’s beaten everyone in that division and guys in divisions above him. He’s been fighting at the highest possible level for years now and apart from Sonnen, no one has got close to beating him. You can take your Fedor’s and your Roidreems and anyone else that people reckon is or was the best fighter in the world. Since he came into the UFC, it’s been Anderson Silva â€" simple fact, he’s fighting the best competition and no one has beaten him. Now he’s got Nike and Burger King as sponsors I reckon Silva is going to start being discussed outside MMA as the best athlete/sportsman in the world.
All in all this was a fucking awesome show. With the hottest crowd I’ve ever seen at a MMA fight. Great fights with great finishes, some classic moments with Big Nog and Silva. I can’t wait for UFC to run Rio again and go to a big football stadium where I’m sure they could draw 100,000 fans easily.
Top show, loved it!
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Duckman on August 28, 2011, 01:16:40 PM
The main event just proved that Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter of this generation. P4P king without a
Duckman
Yeah, I modded my p4p rankings for Silva to go one ahead of GSP
there will not be a Silva /Sonnen 2 ... gsp/ Silva is pretty much the fight right there .
I thought the main card was predictable personally.
On a side note, there is one fighter that can beat Silva. He is undefeated in the UFC. The man is Minowa. Learn his name and love him.
Heel hook
I really think Jones is going to just outclass Rampage and destroy him but Rampage is my boy and I hope to see him KTFO that cocky kid, who u guys got?
Tbh, I don't see Rampage winning this fight. Style-wise, I think Jones is the worst possible fight for Rampage (unless Rampage uses his wrestling, in which I think Rampage has too much core power for Jones_
Did anyone hear that Rampage thinks that Bones has a spy in his camp? It made me lol. Rampage is getting a lil paranoid.
styles makes fight ... Jones needs to stay out of reach and use his fighting skills , he is a better fighter on paper.. problem I see is Jones might want to press it and get careless ... rampage is dangerous fighter and you can not get careless with him.
Nice way to make a splash with their new network:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/mma/post/2011-09-02/ufc-fox-cain-velasquez-junior-dos-santos/545749/1 (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/mma/post/2011-09-02/ufc-fox-cain-velasquez-junior-dos-santos/545749/1)
Awesome
This is just great...
I mean this is a fight many fans have been looking forward to and Dana knows that he can give it away for free to start of this partnership with a bang and still have enough great fights to headline all the PPV's still left in the year...
An absolutely brilliant move on Dana's part. These two are the future and present of the heavyweight division.They may not have the name value amongst the casuals, but this show will give them that. They're both two exciting fighters, and let's face it, people love heavyweights. This fight could really go any way, I'm looking forward to it. Question is, what's the other fight they're gonna show on this two match card?
Quote from: Nick on September 02, 2011, 08:42:45 PM
An absolutely brilliant move on Dana's part. These two are the future and present of the heavyweight division.They may not have the name value amongst the casuals, but this show will give them that. They're both two exciting fighters, and let's face it, people love heavyweights. This fight could really go any way, I'm looking forward to it. Question is, what's the other fight they're gonna show on this two match card?
They probably need to have a few matches readily available depending on how long the Cain-JDS fight goes.
It should be a good one if they want to maximize the impact of their FOX debut.
Wait -- so does this mean it's not happening in San Jose?
If so, there goes my birthday present. God dammit.
I think it's in Anaheim now, Marqck.
Well it is signed...
What do you guys think about this?
going to make money ... lots of money
don't know yet what to think... truth Overeem on paper is the better fighter ... but being the best fighter base on resume does not mean a thing... that why they have fights , anything can happen . Don't see this going one full round , someone getting the knock the fuck out
Wow!
I wonder if the fan who catches Brock's head in the second row will sell it or have to give it back to Brock's wife
You know I think Allister can KO Brock no problem....
But Brock and his team need to be smart and work on getting Overeem to the ground and wearing him out as I suspect that if they can tire him out and get it to a 3rd, 4th or 5th round Overeem will gas and Brock will finish him...
However Brock needs to work on his own gas so he has some strength in those later rounds...
Cant wait!
To say I can't wait is an understatement, I mark for the Reem so hard and Brock is proven to draw money.
The best thing is both guys are freakishly strong so you know the odds of seeing a crazyass throw goes up tenfold.
Right now UFC are really booking the hottest cards in sport, so hype.
Massive fight and the one a lot of fans have been asking for.
With the Fedor ship sunk in terms of UFC it's good to see they've signed Roidreem. He's the only other big draw in the HW division that they don't have.
I don't buy him as one of the greatest MMA fighters in the world. He's a top class striker, but I think he has a ton of holes in his game and his cardio always looks suspect.
Then again Brock got eaten for dinner by a guy who probably isn't half the striker Roidreem is. Plus there's questions over how he takes a punch and his own cardio.
That's half the reason the fight is so interesting.
If Brock gets Reem on his back and can wear him down I think Brock takes it.
Reem can obviously win early with a KO but I'd be stunned if Brock dives in and leaves himself open to getting hit - especially in early rounds as this is a 5 rounder.
It's a fucking great fight and personally it's a nice 'fuck you' to all the MMA marks who cried about Brock ducking fights and him being done for good a few months ago. Yet they still sucked on to Fedor's nut sack when he was getting owned by a middleweight.
Anyway, hell of a fight, huge money draw for UFC and it'll be a hell of a way to sign off what has been another massive year for UFC.
The winner of this fight gets the winner of JDS vs. Cain too!! AWESOME.
Peace
Duckman
Cesar Gracie has known Nick Diaz for 12 years and has stuck by him in good times and in bad.
But when it comes to the UFC's decision to boot him from a fight with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137, right is right, and wrong is wrong.
"I don't blame Dana White on this at all," Gracie today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). "This is a professional company, and Nick is a 28-year-old man."
Diaz no-showed a press conference today in Las Vegas promoting UFC 137. It's the second time he had done so in two days. A press conference Tuesday in Toronto saw St-Pierre pull double duty in promoting the fight and answering questions from the media when Diaz no-showed.
In Diaz's place goes Carlos Condit, who vacates a fight with B.J. Penn in UFC 137's co-main event.
UFC 137 takes place Oct. 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, and its main card, including the St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) vs. Condit (27-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) fight, airs live on pay-per-view.
White did not say whether Diaz (25-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has been released from the UFC, but Gracie said it wouldn't surprise him if that were the case. Shortly after he spoke to MMAjunkie.com, Gracie directly phoned the UFC president to apologize.
"I've stuck up for Nick, even when he was wrong before," Gracie said. "But he's let a lot of people down. He's let his team down. We all bought plane tickets to Vegas. We got hotel rooms booked, paid for. We've got all that, and Nick just decided not to go to something he's supposed to. They're paying him a lot of money, and in this economy where people don't have money, he's blessed. He should be thanking God every night how blessed he is.
"And instead, he's not getting on a plane to go to Vegas. I'm extremely disappointed. He's done a lot of stuff, but this is the worst of it. If I were him, I would be begging Dana White to get my job back and work your way up to a title shot at some point."
For the record, Gracie said he tried to get Diaz to the press conferences and on Monday left his son's birthday party to chauffeur the fighter to the airport for the gathering in Toronto. Diaz, however, left the gym before he could do so.
Gracie volunteered to go on the plane with Diaz, but Diaz said he wanted to go by himself.
"I'm not a psychologist," he said. "I personally think there's some kind of social anxiety happening here with Nick. Dana said, 'You've got to play the game this much.' And this isn't even playing the game. This is about being a man and being responsible. And Nick has done neither in this situation.
"He's a great jiu-jitsu guy. He's a great fighter. I'm saying this because I care deeply about the guy. He's one of my black belts. But in this situation, he is 100 percent wrong, and he got what he deserved."
Gracie is unclear on whether his relationship with Diaz will hold through the storm.
"At this point, I don't know what I'm going to do with Nick because he's not only disrespected the sport, he's disrespected me and himself," he said.
Gracie said he'll understand if the UFC cuts Diaz but hasn't heard either way.
"There's a lot of people in this world that work hard and show up to work, and they're grateful to have the job," he said. "And Nick is obviously one of those.
"I've barely slept in the last couple of days, and it's sickened me. Here's the opportunity that I've worked for for over 10 years, to mold a guy to become the best possible guy, and to show he can be the best guy in the world. And he takes this opportunity and he acts like an immature child about it.
"It's disturbing, to say the least. He got what he deserved by not taking this fight. He told everybody he would do whatever it would take to do it, he lobbied for it, and he acts like this. Dana White is 100 percent correct in what he did."
Im honestly too pissed right now to even properly express how I feel.
Fuck man,
well ... damn
Time to get excited for the new main event!
Wow. That's all I can say. ;D
It will be a shame if Brock isn't 100% which I don't think he is and probably won't ever be again. Brock is by far the better wrestler and probably has a better ground game but I don't think Overeem is going to let it get that far.
A first round KO is my prediction.
Dana White just announced on his Twitter "You wanted it you got it Penn Vs Diaz on Oct 27th" then went on to tweet again correcting the date...
I couldn't imagine him meaning Nate Diaz so does this mean Nick Diaz is fighting Penn?
BJ's doomed.
Wait, so who's fighting who now?
GSP is fighting Condit for the title
Diaz is fighting BJ Penn.
Also Brock will have his next fight 12-30-11 to face overime
Nick Diaz has been found â€" sort of.
The MIA welterweight, who today was pulled from the main event of October's UFC 137 event, surfaced Wednesday evening via YouTube and apologized â€" sort of.
In a two-and-a-half minute rant Diaz said he taped while returning from San Francisco back to his hometown of Stockton, Calif., the former Strikeforce welterweight champion apologized for not making it to the "beauty pageant" and proclaimed he's ready to fight anytime, anywhere and with anybody.
"I was out in San Francisco, last-minute, trying to get on an airplane to go to a press conference for the UFC," Diaz says in the video. "They wanted me to fight for the title against Georges St-Pierre. Now they're telling me they're going to give the fight to Carlos Condit, which I think is ridiculous. Georges thinks it's a great idea because Carlos Condit poses an even greater threat. So I guess that just leaves me out."
Of course, UFC president Dana White recounted the process a little differently at Wednesday's UFC 137 press conference. White detailed a series of missed flights and broken promises as the UFC unsuccessfully tried first to get Diaz to Toronto for a Tuesday conference and then again on Wednesday to Sin City.
Diaz declined to explain the reason for his absence from the two gatherings.
Instead, Diaz used his YouTube platform to address the paycheck he'll now miss while assuring his supporters that whether it be boxing or MMA, he's more than ready to fight now.
"It's funny," Diaz said. "One second, I'm about to come into some money and do a little bit of boxing, [expletive] probably lose some teeth. But I'm ready to get paid, you know? I'll fight whoever, whatever, anything. I'd definitely rather fight GSP, of course, but I was ready to do some boxing, so they got me out of that, and they got me in the fight with GSP for the same money or more money or whatever. But now it looks like they get to save money, and I don't get paid, and I'm locked in a new contract.
"All these deal makers making deals. All I know is I'm ready to fight. I'm sorry I didn't make it to the beauty pageant, but I've never not shown up to a fight. I've never backed out of a fight in my life. That's not what I do."
Looks like someone don't want me to win ! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4EbRnFn0Tg#)
MAIN CARD (Showtime)
Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov (heavyweight grand prix semifinal)
Daniel Cormier vs. Antonio Silva (heavyweight grand prix semifinal)
Champ Ronaldo Souza vs. Luke Rockhold (for middleweight title)
Roger Gracie vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
Maximo Blanco vs. Pat Healy
PRELIMINARY CARD (HDNet)
Mike Kyle vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Yoel Romero
Jordan Mein vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos
Alexis Davis vs. Amanda Nunes
Chris Mierzwiak vs. Dominique Steele
Just watched this show, damn, lots of upsets. Did not see Cormier/Rockhold beating Big Foot/Jacare
I missed the first two fights.
McGee/Asian dude was boring as hell, but that 3rd round made up for it, what a war that happened. Like Joe Rogan said, "a fight broke out in the 3rd round".
And I was shocked that Shields got KO'd, but with all things considered with his father im not completly surprised.
UFC boss says Henderson-Rua winner likely for title shot, Guillard leads lightweight pack
by John Morgan on Sep 21, 2011 at 5:00 pm ET
DENVER â€" UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones puts his title on the line at Saturday's UFC 135 event, and the card marks the beginning of a stretch that sees six UFC titles defended in a seven-week stretch.
And while UFC president Dana White doesn't typically like to make future matchups before fight results have been determined, the boss believes Dan Henderson (28-8 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (20-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) and Melvin Guillard (29-8-2 MMA, 10-4 UFC) have all positioned themselves within striking distance of UFC gold.
White shared his ideas following Wednesday's UFC 135 pre-event press conference in Denver.
First up was a UFC 139 matchup between Henderson and Rua. The recently announced headliner, which White said will be contested as a five-round affair, serves as a de facto No. 1 contender matchup on Nov. 19 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
"It would be tough not to give the winner of that fight the next shot after Rashad (Evans)," White said. "Rashad's next."
Henderson, who recently signed an exclusive deal with the UFC, vacated his Strikeforce belt as part of his return to the UFC, where he posted a three-fight win streak (over Rousimar Palhares, Rich Franklin and Michael Bisping) before contract talks stalled in 2009. Henderson, a former two-division PRIDE champion, ultimately signed with Strikeforce, where he went 3-1, which included a title victory over then-champ Rafael Cavalcante and a recent TKO of Fedor Emelianenko.
With Strikeforce now operating under the same roof as the UFC, White said negotiations with the longtime veteran were quick and painless.
"They went smooth," White said. "He wanted to fight in the UFC."
Meanwhile, the UFC's lightweight title picture has been a mess for most of 2011. A draw between current champ Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard â€" not to mention a pair of injuries that delayed the rematch â€" has kept the belt on hold for most of the year. The two will hopefully resolve the situation at October's UFC 136 event in Houston.
In a talent-rich division, it's difficult to determine who should get the next crack at the title. Top contenders like Ben Henderson and Clay Guida have each made a case, and the winner of a November bout between the two will certainly find himself in an enviable position.
But White believes Guillard, who faces Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, may truly be the one in the driver's seat.
"In my opinion, if he can keep his head together â€" because he's such a nutball â€" Melvin Guillard is very nasty at 155. (pounds)," White said. "But the problem with Melvin â€" the problem he's had for years, and hopefully he can keep that under control â€" season two of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' if you guys remember that, he ended up losing the fight and was out of the house. We sent people to another house then. He was out in Vegas acting like he was Anderson Silva, like he was the longest-reigning champ ever.
"He's always had this problem with getting ahead of himself. If he can control himself and focus and keep training and stay serious, I think Melvin Guillard is a force to be reckoned with."
UFC 139 shakeup: Vitor Belfort out, Wanderlei Silva in against Cung Le
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 21, 2011 at 12:40 pm ET
An injury has forced Vitor Belfort (20-9 MMA, 9-4 UFC) out of November's UFC 139 event, and fellow middleweight Wanderlei Silva (31-11-1 MMA, 3-5 UFC) has stepped in to fight Cung Le (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
UFC president Dana White today announced the change via Twitter.
The nature of Belfort's injury was not disclosed.
UFC 139 takes place Nov. 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. With a heavyweight title fight between champ Cain Velasquez and Junior Santos moved from UFC 139 to UFC on FOX 1 â€" and given Le's massive following in San Jose â€" he and Silva will take at least a co-headlining slot on the card.
The night's main card airs on pay-per-view.
Le, 39, went 17-0 as a Sanshou kickboxer before moving to MMA in 2006. Le, who hasn't fought in 16 months while pursuing an acting career, has fought exclusively for Strikeforce, where he posted a 7-1 MMA record (with seven knockout victories) with an array of flashy and highlight-reel wins. His only defeat during his run came to Scott Smith, who pulled off a stunning come-from-behind KO win in the final couple minutes of their December 2009 bout. However, Le avenged the defeat in his next bout with a KO set up by a spinning back kick.
Thanks heavily to Le, Strikeforce has drawn some massive crowds in San Jose, where the fighter has many Vietnamese fans. In fact, he was a part of both of the best-attended Strikeforce events in history. Both took place in San Jose.
Silva returns to the cage for the first time since a knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132. The former PRIDE titleholder has been stuck in a bit of a skid with six losses in his past eights, and his lone victories came over Michael Bisping (via close decision) and Keith Jardine (knockout). However, the 35-year-old remains a fan favorite and one of the sport's most admired fighters.
The latest UFC 139 card includes:
Cung Le vs. Wanderlei Silva
Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Brian Bowles vs. Urijah Faber
Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story
Ryan Bader vs. Jason Brilz
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Gleison Tibau
Stephan Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Tom Lawlor vs. Chris Weidman
Now this is a fucking stacked card
All matchups make sense.
Unreal card
I'm going.
Go fuck yourself.
Oh, go knee-strike a stool, Rory Mc-St.Pierre. ;)
Anyway, I believe tickets go on sale next Saturday, so all the guys at work and I are hoping to get 'em before they sell out. Last time I went to a UFC fight around here, I almost saw Chael Sonnen win the middleweight title. Here's hoping Wandy comes out of nowhere and knocks Cung Le the fuck out.
How much do the ticket prices run in the States for? I always wondered that. WHen I went to UFC 113 I sat like middle-ish arena for like $250
it various depending on arena
maybe low as 30 dollars to high as 500 dollars depending on where you want to sit.
$30's unreal, the cheapest at the Bell Centre was like, $100
We paid about $68 each for a great view at the Sonnen/Silva fight in Oakland. The Shark Tank is a different story, but I'm willing to spend a chunk of change on my birthday present this year (I turn 26 a few weeks after).
Damn Jones is good
Jones play it smart...Thought he would get careless , he did not, not happy I love Rampage , but can not deny Jon Jones is damn good .
that thing he did at the beginning of the 1st tho was IMO disrespectful
Quote from: Cory on September 25, 2011, 11:08:28 PM
that thing he did at the beginning of the 1st tho was IMO disrespectful
agree it was bush league , he did not need to do that
Quote from: Cory on September 25, 2011, 11:08:28 PM
that thing he did at the beginning of the 1st tho was IMO disrespectful
Disagree. Jones said he was doing it to shoot a single. Either way, it's a mind game. It threw rampage off from the start. He didn't expect jones to start crawling around the octagon like a spider, lol.
If it was in round 3 or 4 after Jones had been smashing the shit out of rampage, i'd say it's disrespectful. It's why I don't like when Anderson showboats; because he's clearly already outclassed his opponnet and there's no need for it.
cue Joe Rogan: "BUT HE'S SO HUMBLE!"
Bullshit. Jones and Anderson are arrogant motherfuckers who want to be arrogant, yet be called humble at the same time.
Even though it was arrogant, I'll admit I liked the spider crawl at the beginning. Definitely an unexpected mind game. I wish Rampage would have pulled him in for a powerbomb, but oh well. As a matter of a fact I wish there was a lot of things that Rampage should've done. Counter uppercut to a spinning elbow and leg kicks a plenty to Jones's chicken legs namely. But I will give Rampage credit for his awesome takedown defense, very impressive against a guy who ragdolls just about anyone.
Nick I agree with you , those are the same thing I wish rampage would have done ... I was latterly screaming at the tv for him to do this things. Just screaming kick him in the legs , kick him in the legs , make him give up there kicks he throwing at you and turn this in to a brawl
I wouldn't call Jones humble; but the ''hate'' this kid gets is borderline retarded. He isn't as arrogant as everyone makes him out to be. Rampage came across far more arrogant/cocky then Jones ever did.
to be honest , Jones is young champion and he going to get more hate on him . His words are going to be discussed and examine because of his youth , He can back up his talk and in the end that all that matters . Rampage has always been like that and he never going to change.
I like jones and think he damn good , but there still flaws in his game , problem is he going to get better , if your going to beat him , make it now , because there going to be a point he going he going overcome those flaws and start a Anderson Silva run in the future.
As much as I'd appreciate a highlight reel-filled fight, I do expect the new main event to end in the first round. Cung can't play around if he wants to win; his most recent bouts have gone past the first. The rest of the card looks stunning as well.
(http://kwout.com/cutout/u/6u/aa/z8p_bor.jpg)
Was looking forward to Evans and Jones, but I'm looking even more forward to this.
Jones takes this one...
Finally I can cheer for Jones to murder someone.
UFC champ St-Pierre out of UFC 137 with injury, Diaz vs. Penn named new headliner
by Steven Marrocco and Dann Stupp on Oct 18, 2011 at 5:05 pm ET
An injury has forced UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) out of next weekend's UFC 137 event and a title fight with Carlos Condit (27-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC).
UFC president Dana White today tweeted the news.
A co-main event between B.J. Penn (16-7-2 MMA, 12-6-2 UFC) and Nick Diaz (25-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has been promoted to the main event. It'll be contested at three rounds.
"Oh, shut the [expletive] up," a flabbergasted Condit told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) when told the news. "I'm pretty disappointed, man. That's, wow. Just disappointed, that's all I can say. But I gotta go, brother."'
A knee injury forced St-Pierre off the card, though the extent of it isn't known. According to White, Josh Koscheck offered to fight Condit on 10 days' notice, but the UFC boss stated Condit will sit on the sidelines and await St-Pierre's return.
UFC 137 takes place Oct. 29 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view, and prelims air on Spike TV and stream on Facebook.
"I just land in NYC and what do I always say!?" White tweeted. "I have to deal with bad [expletive] everyday!! GSP is out with an injury!!!"
St-Pierre, of course, was initially slated to fight Nick Diaz, who vacated his Strikeforce title to rejoin the UFC for the first time since 2006. However, when Diaz no-showed a pair of recent press conference, White scratched him from the headliner and briefly considered terminating his contract. However, he ultimately put Condit in Diaz's slot, and Diaz got demoted to Condit spot in the co-headliner, where he meets B.J. Penn.
If Diaz beats Penn does Condit still get the next shot?
^^
I'd assume so, seeing as how Dana's still a bit upset with Diaz.
Condit has stated that he will sit back and wait for GSP to heal up .
Well I really dont want to order this PPV now... Last time a main event fell out and the co-main event took over without any new fights I regretted spending the money...
Streaming is your friend
Quote from: Black Death on October 19, 2011, 03:34:55 PM
Streaming is your friend
THIS
I was gonna go down to the bar to watch it, but not gonna spend the $30 on a table/wings/beer, just stream it at home. WAR DIAZ!
For about 45 minutes or so, it looked like a classic Nick Diaz performance.
That is, if you count Diaz's out-of-the-cage behavior as part of his fighting signature, and chances are, you do.
Diaz was trending nationwide on Twitter not long after he apparently no-showed a media call in support of the pay-per-view event he's now headlining opposite B.J. Penn, UFC 137.
Despite his new role as a headliner â€" a role that, by the way, was his original role before he no-showed a press conference promoting his title fight with welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre on the Oct. 29 card â€" Diaz said he had been training and had no clue his presence was required on the media call.
He made it, though three-quarters of an hour late.
"I didn't even know about the call," Diaz told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). "What happened? I didn't even know there was a call. Nobody called me in the last week, couple days, and said there was a call. I trained last night, I went home, got something to eat, went to sleep, woke up, my phone was dead, and then my brother's telling me I'm supposed to be on a call. I don't know anything about it."
When word of Diaz's no-show spread, manager Cesar Gracie sent Nate Diaz to his older brother's house to rouse him and get him on the call.
"He did not know about the call," Gracie told MMAjunkie.com. "I was told about the call yesterday afternoon, literally yesterday afternoon, and I have not seen Nick since yesterday afternoon. He went on a training, crazy bike ride or whatever. He was out there and didn't answer his phone. He was out there training, and no one told him about the call."
As with other infamous no-shows, others were forced to publicly explain Diaz's behavior. UFC president Dana White got wind of it shortly into the call and tweeted, "I'm hearing UFC dropped the ball on the Nick Diaz no show today!! SUCKS." UFC Director of Communications Dave Sholler said the promotion had been in constant contact with Gracie and declined to elaborate on the situation during today's call.
Penn was unfazed by Diaz's absence and seemed to find charm in the situation.
"Nick is Nick," he said. "He's going to do what he does, and for me, that's just what he does. I enjoy watching the stuff that Nick Diaz does. He doesn't change; he's always himself. That has nothing to do with me. He does always show up to the fight, so I don't think we have to worry about that stuff."
And though the fight is set, questions remain about the headliner one day after White announced that champ St-Pierre had sustained a knee injury and would not be able to fight Carlos Condit. White tweeted that Diaz (25-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) vs. Penn (16-7-2 MMA, 12-6-2 UFC) is a three-round fight, but Gracie later said that the bout's length depends on whether both sides can agree to a five-rounder, as the UFC has made the norm for headlining fights (that aren't short-notice affairs such as in the case of UFC 137). He said his camp had agreed and the ball rested in Penn's camp.
Penn, however, said he hadn't even heard from the UFC about his promotion to top billing and demanded additional compensation, amazingly, from Gracie â€" to make it a five-round fight.
"I'm more than willing to do a five-round fight," Penn said. "If Dana wants a five-round fight, he just needs to give me a call, and we can put it together right now. But if Cesar wants to make it a five-round fight, he can compensate me personally; he can put his money where his mouth is."
Nevertheless, Penn were both in the dark about whether the idea for a five-round fight had taken official root.
Diaz, meanwhile, expressed regret at missing an opportunity to fight St-Pierre and railed at the circumstances that led to his fight with Penn, a onetime training partner whom he called a better technical opponent.
"I've got like a lawyer that's supposed to get paid $100,000 â€" a ridiculous amount of money," Diaz said. "I've been doing the same since I started â€" since I was 17. I live down the street from my parents, who I used to live in the same house with. Now I live with my brother, and I've got all these business people around me trying to make deals. I don't know anything about that.
"All I know is that somebody's getting paid over a hundred grand just to tell me what I'm supposed to do and what I'm not supposed to do. And I'm like, for that much money, I think I could have had somebody standing around telling me, 'Hey, you can't miss this press conference. That kind of voids the whole contract, and then you're out, and you get [expletive]. You're fighting [expletive]. You make no money. So you have to be at this thing.'
"If I had read that [expletive] over myself, I'd have been a little more cautious. I probably would have showed up to that press conference, but that's not the case. I'm in the gym training hard. I think that's what's important. I think we made a deal; a deal's a deal. I don't know anything about going back on that. That never came to mind. But as far as I'm concerned, people working for me should have been there to tell me what's what, and I didn't have that like everybody else has."
The current deal has Diaz fighting Penn on Oct. 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. That he will show to. In the meantime, his absence from the public eye continues to captivate as much, and perhaps more, than his presence inside the cage.
By Ariel Helwani
Video Reporter and Writer
UFC president Dana White has already stated that the new UFC 137 main event between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz will not be a five-round fight because, as he put it, "they haven't trained for five rounds."
However, Diaz's manager and trainer Cesar Gracie wants the world to know that Diaz is ready and willing to go five rounds with "The Prodigy" on Oct. 29.
"If they can't fight five rounds against each other, how are they going to fight five rounds against GSP?," Gracie said to MMAFighting.com on Tuesday.
Gracie said he told White that Diaz wanted to change the fight to a five-rounder but had yet to hear back from Penn's camp. After speaking to Gracie, both White and Penn could not be immediately reached for comment.
"Dana is good with it," he said. "We've agreed to it. If BJ agrees to it, we'll make it happen."
Gracie added that there was no hesitation on Diaz's part to agree to a five-round fight after hearing the news of GSP's injury and subsequent removal from the card.
"These guys have to prove they are ready. These guys are fighters. BJ has always said he's a warrior. ... The old school days of MMA, back when it was NHB, they fought forever.
"Don't be scared, homie. Let's make it five rounds."
lol, with conditining being one of Diaz's strong points, and it being one of the severe weaknesses of Penn, HIGHLY doubt this wil, happen.
thought the same thing
''Don't be scared homie!'' is one of the greatest tag lines in MMA, lol!
I wish this was a five rounder. I really wanted to see Condit Vs. GSP, provided that this would be the first exciting fight GSP would have in a long time... this would help fill that void!
BJ's cardio has always been questioned but I don't know. People always say he can't go five rounds and he has and looked good while doing it. But I don't know that's up in the air. I still don't think Diaz is all that better then BJ, Diaz couldn't really fare to well against the top 5 ww's last time he was in the UFC. I also think Diaz has basically been beating up on scrubs at Strikeforce, but I can't deny the fact that a BJ vs Nick Diaz fight looks great on paper. Both can throw em and both are good at subs. So it's an interesting matchup.
Quote from: J Vega on October 24, 2011, 10:47:11 PMDiaz couldn't really fare to well against the top 5 ww's last time he was in the UFC. I also think Diaz has basically been beating up on scrubs at Strikeforce,
Comparing Diaz his first run in the UFC to now, its beyond a horrible comparrison. Their not the same fighter....in any aspect.
Secondly, he didn't beat scrubs, he just fought a lot of one dimensional fighters, in Noons/Daley/Zaromskis for example. But he did the only impressive thing aside from defending his belt in those fights that he could do and he beat those guys at their own game. Hes a top level BJJ black belt, easily a top 10 @ WW for his mat skills, but his boxing in easily the best at 170....easily. Hes has the best MMA-boxing in MMA.
Regardless, its tough to call a winner. They both have the same style, and I think Penn might end the ground a marginal, but I think Diaz has a more technically sound boxing game over Penn.
have to agree with Level One ... " Don't be scared homie ! " best tag line for MMA ever
Quote from: Cory on October 24, 2011, 11:06:39 PM
Comparing Diaz his first run in the UFC to now, its beyond a horrible comparrison. Their not the same fighter....in any aspect.
Secondly, he didn't beat scrubs, he just fought a lot of one dimensional fighters, in Noons/Daley/Zaromskis for example. But he did the only impressive thing aside from defending his belt in those fights that he could do and he beat those guys at their own game. Hes a top level BJJ black belt, easily a top 10 @ WW for his mat skills, but his boxing in easily the best at 170....easily. Hes has the best MMA-boxing in MMA.
Regardless, its tough to call a winner. They both have the same style, and I think Penn might end the ground a marginal, but I think Diaz has a more technically sound boxing game over Penn.
I see where your getting at, if Diaz does win tonight it will be absolutely huge for his career. Same could be said with a perhaps washed up BJ, but a win for him would also prove otherwise.
I was really impressed by BJ in his fight aganist Fitch, obv he got destroyed in the 3rd, but I expected Fitch to do that to him as soon as the fight started. It sucks I won't be able to watch tonight.
Damn, what an ass whopping.
lol, I def thought to highly of BJ, sucks he retired but it's his time to hang em up.
link (http://mmajunkie.com/news/25869/with-ufc-champ-st-pierre-livid-condit-gives-way-to-diaz-for-super-bowl-weekend-fight.mma)
Quote
LAS VEGAS â€" Once again, Nick Diaz (26-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) proves to be just the right kind of crazy.
Moments after defeating MMA legend B.J. Penn in the main event of Saturday night's UFC 137 event, Diaz told a Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd he thinks UFC champ Georges St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) faked an injury in order to avoid a fight.
The move earned St-Pierre's attention, and UFC president Dana White said Carlos Condit (27-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has agreed to step aside in order to make the fight it seems everyone now wants to see.
"I've known Georges St-Pierre since 2004," White said at the evening's post-event press conference in Las Vegas. "He's one of the nicest guys I've ever met, and he's always exactly the same no matter what the situation is, no matter who he's fighting. Since 2004, I've never seen him like he was tonight. Georges St-Pierre flipped out tonight after Nick Diaz was in the ring, and Nick needs motivation. He's got it. He's going to fight Georges St-Pierre.
"Carlos Condit has agreed to step aside and get the next guy. [St-Pierre] said, and I quote â€" you're going to think I'm full of [expletive], but this is the truth â€" I quote, 'He's the most disrespectful human being I've ever met, and I'm going to put the worst beating you've ever seen on him in the UFC."
White said the bout will likely take place Feb. 4 in Las Vegas, at the company's traditional Super Bowl weekend event. Condit will also compete on the card, and a win guarantees him a shot at the winner of the St-Pierre vs. Diaz matchup.
And if Condit loses?
"That would suck," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)).
However, White said Condit was not forced to withdraw from the planned contest with St-Pierre. Instead, the UFC boss said he presented the former welterweight champ with an option, and Condit elected to step aside in favor of the blockbuster matchup.
"I didn't call him up and say (you're out)," White said. "I like Carlos Condit. I respect him, and yeah. He's getting the title shot. He'll get the next shot at the guy, and he said he wants to fight on that card, too, so he's going to fight on that card. It was a good conversation."
With the announcement made, Diaz had no problem immediately jumping into the villain role.
"You see how I have to come off just to get a fight," Diaz said. "I've got to come off like that just to get a fight. I've got to be the bad guy and point the finger. Make me the bad guy. I'm the bad guy. Now I get a fight."
Meanwhile, St-Pierre responded with a statement issued through UFC brass.
"This is what I wanted since the beginning," St-Pierre stated. "Let's do what was supposed to be done originally. I've always wanted this fight. Now I want it even more. I can't wait for Super Bowl weekend."
Jesus -- if Chael Sonnen gets his way and they do his rematch with Silva on this same night, this will be a must-see card, hands down.
Cue the music, Diddy. UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo (20-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is coming home.
Jose Aldo will defend his belt against top contender Chad Mendes (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at January's UFC 142 event in the UFC featherweight champion's native country of Brazil.
UFC president Dana White today revealed the booking to FOXSports.com, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) has since confirmed the promotion's plan.
While not yet officially announced by the promotion, UFC 142 is expected to take place Jan. 14 at Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena.
Aldo seeks his third-consecutive defense of the first-ever UFC featherweight title. The 25-year-old was granted the belt when the UFC absorbed the WEC, where Aldo was the reigning champion with two successful title defenses. Aldo has since earned unanimous-decision wins over Kenny Florian and Mark Hominick.
Meanwhile, Mendes brings a perfect career mark into the contest. The Team Alpha Male product was penciled in to face Aldo at this past August's UFC 133 event, but injuries to the champ prevented the contest. Mendes elected to fight on rather than wait, downing Rani Yahya via decision. The 26-year-old will now be rewarded for his choice with a shot at the belt.
Damn The Team Alpha boys must have nightmares about Jose Aldo. I haven't really seen enough on Mendes to really comment on this fight, but I would think Aldo is the favorite.
A rule you must remember ... don't fight a Brazilian in Brazil... they tend to kick all sorts of ass in there home country ... the past show there was a great example of that rule lol
it going to be a good fight , right now you have to pencil in Aldo as the Favorite
you have to retire sooner or later ... but BJ Penn was and is of the the greats . We should see him in the Hall of Fame soon
Diaz ... have we not learn anything from Koscheck ... don't piss GSP off ... He turn Koscheck face into hamburger and made him look like a newbie in the ring.
I think Diaz has got a major ass kicking coming
Quote from: Black Death on November 01, 2011, 11:14:54 AM
Diaz ... have we not learn anything from Koscheck ... don't piss GSP off ... He turn Koscheck face into hamburger and made him look like a newbie in the ring.
I think Diaz has got a major ass kicking coming
Sorry, BD -- but Diaz is in a completely other league from Koscheck. If they wanna go toe-to-toe with each other, Diaz has the chin and the skill/technique (he outboxed Penn for Christ's sake) to prove more than a match for GSP. If they go to the ground, Diaz can only his own and is like a cobra off his back. I think this'll be a lot more even than people think.
Quote from: Marq on November 01, 2011, 11:49:41 AM
Sorry, BD -- but Diaz is in a completely other league from Koscheck. If they wanna go toe-to-toe with each other, Diaz has the chin and the skill/technique (he outboxed Penn for Christ's sake) to prove more than a match for GSP. If they go to the ground, Diaz can only his own and is like a cobra off his back. I think this'll be a lot more even than people think.
THIS
I wouldnt put money on Diaz, but i hope he wins. I like GSP, hes one of the most dominat champions of all time, but at least Diaz comes to fight, not drump hump to a decision. He could have easily finish Penn, but decided to make a fight out of it because thats what people paid for. GSP probably wins this one, but Diaz is the first guy that will give GSP problems since a prime Matt Hughes.
I do not agree... Diaz could not have easily finished off Penn or he would have, I refuse to believe the thinking of a fighter is "I could finish this fight whenever I want but let me put it in the hands of the judges for the sake of the fans"... On top of that did no one see the first round where Penn totally dominated in the stand up and proved that Diaz can be outboxed if only for one round...
GSP will likely not stand up but instead ground and pound Diaz but if he did stand up with Diaz I believe he would dominate the boxing hands down because only thing this fight with Penn proved to me was that Diaz can beat up a aging fighter with suspect cardio after he has gassed himself out...
GSP has this fight no problem and I would put money on that...
Quote from: Midas on November 01, 2011, 04:16:31 PM
I do not agree... Diaz could not have easily finished off Penn or he would have, I refuse to believe the thinking of a fighter is "I could finish this fight whenever I want but let me put it in the hands of the judges for the sake of the fans"... On top of that did no one see the first round where Penn totally dominated in the stand up and proved that Diaz can be outboxed if only for one round...
GSP will likely not stand up but instead ground and pound Diaz but if he did stand up with Diaz I believe he would dominate the boxing hands down because only thing this fight with Penn proved to me was that Diaz can beat up a aging fighter with suspect cardio after he has gassed himself out...
GSP has this fight no problem and I would put money on that...
Penn is 32
Yes a retired 32 year old fighter at that...
When Joe Rogan was speaking in regards to Jon Jones and his age of 24 he said that fighters primes are between the age of 27 - 30 which when making my statement would put Penn 2 years beyond that prime which would put him past his prime...
And to futhur my point he is 32 and next year he will be 33 and the year after that he will be 34 therefore he is technically and again fighter but that is not ofcourse what I meant...
He is past his prime fighting a guy who is in his prime...
2, 3 ,4 I can count too.
All seriousness, lol. GSP would dominate boxing? Not only is Diaz pro boxing level, he has a MMA-boxing style thats pretty much unparallelled, not to mention a reach advantage. GSP such had some sick boxing against Jake Shields....the ju-jitsu/wrestler.
Not gonna lie, calling it GSP by dry hump and waste of $50-the superbowl better be good cause this fight was boring decision, but saying that GSP has better standup......lol.
Quote from: Cory on November 01, 2011, 05:53:44 PM
2, 3 ,4 I can count too.
All seriousness, lol. GSP would dominate boxing? Not only is Diaz pro boxing level, he has a MMA-boxing style thats pretty much unparallelled, not to mention a reach advantage. GSP such had some sick boxing against Jake Shields....the ju-jitsu/wrestler.
Not gonna lie, calling it GSP by dry hump and waste of $50-the superbowl better be good cause this fight was boring decision, but saying that GSP has better standup......lol.
Well after seeing what Penn did to Diaz in the first round I believe that if GSP were to stand up he would dominate the boxing... However I will concede that if GSP shoots straight to the ground and does not stand toe to toe then he clearly does not believe he has better boxing so why should I...
Quote from: Black Death on November 01, 2011, 11:09:14 AM
you have to retire sooner or later ... but BJ Penn was and is of the the greats . We should see him in the Hall of Fame soon
Yeah totally agree, All my favorite fighters seem to be past their prime.
GSP jab fest via decision.
I mean IDK, I kinda feel like GSP doesn't fight to win, but instead fights to not lose. I think he'll find out where he is most dominant against Diaz and ride that to the end, and then apologize to everyone for not finishing the fight. I do agree with I believe Cory when he said Diaz will be able to push GSP more then any opponent since Hughes in his Prime. I hope to see this just cause GSP has been rather boring as of late, and it bothers me cause he is such a great fighter I wanna see him being pushed a little bit more by his competitors, and I hope Diaz can do this and fight how he wants to fight, and not how GSP wants to. But easier said then done.
It went the distance at least. But, yeah.. quite a one-sided scene.
Vitor Belfort v/s Anthony Johnson was also announced.
Sick fight, going to be a war.
If you want to see Clay Guida (29-11 MMA, 9-5 UFC) battle Ben Henderson (14-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on Nov. 12, you better be next to a computer.
While many MMA fans have openly hoped for a quick ending in that night's Cain Velasquez (9-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) vs. Junior Dos Santos (13-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) main event in order for Guida vs. Henderson to also air on the UFC on FOX broadcast, UFC president Dana White today said that's not going to happen.
During a conference call to promote the event, which takes place in Anaheim, Calif., White said the featured bout will be the only fight on the broadcast, even if it "only goes 10 seconds."
The UFC and FOX deal doesn't technically begin until 2012, and the Nov. 12 event is simply a one-hour teaser show. The evening's 10-bout undercard streams free on Facebook and FOX.com.
White also revealed today that in addition to FOX in the U.S., the Velasquez vs. Dos Santos fight will also air live in 15 additional countries, including Canada and the U.K.
MAIN CARD (FOX)
Champ Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos (for heavyweight title)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook and FOX.com)
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
Pablo Garza vs. Dustin Poirier
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Ricardo Lamas vs. Cub Swanson
Clay Harvsion vs. DaMarques Johnson
Robert Peralta vs. Mackens Semerzier
Paul Bradley vs. Mike Pierce
Matt Lucas vs. Aaron Rosa
Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Man I can't wait for this. Although they could have done a ton more with the count down special to get more casual fans interested.
Also, total pisser they aren't showing Guida vs. Henderson on TV - that's got FOTY written all over it.
Going to be an epic fight though and a huge turning point moment in MMA.
Peace
Duckman
Diaz in career making stoppage. You heard it here first!
That's my heart talking though - it would be the best outcome for the UFC if you think about it. The rematch alone would draw a million buys. Hell, I think this first fight will draw a million buys.
Probably end up with a GSP decision thanks to ground and hump but we can all hope that history doesn't repeat.
That division needs a shake up and GSP needs to be tested. I think Diaz is the man to do both.
Will he win? I hope so, the man has converted me.
Oh and I'd just like to say that BJ Penn was a top 10 ranked WW and not someone I'd class as 'past it' at least not until AFTER he got taken apart by Diaz. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Peace
Duckman
As expected, Chael Sonnen will be the next fighter to challenge for UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva's title.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the plans on Wednesday's edition of "The Jim Rome Show."
However, no date has been selected for the long-awaited rematch because Silva currently is recovering from a shoulder injury.
"It's the fight everyone wants to see," White said. "People want to see Chael vs. Anderson. Anderson is in this position where he feels this guy is so disrespectful he doesn't want to give him a shot and everything else, but Anderson will end up fighting Chael Sonnen."
Although Silva vs. Sonnen II was always the plan, fellow contender Mark Munoz's recent shellacking of Chris Leben in this past weekend's UFC 138 main event may have cast some doubt on it. Munoz, who's now 6-1 over his past seven fights, immediately campaigned for a title shot after the second-round TKO.
After the event, though, White made it sound unlikely that Munoz would get to cut in line.
Of course, Sonnen did some campaigning of his own recently. After submitting Brian Stann at UFC 136, Sonnen made the champ a boastful proposition (though he later said the offer is off the table).
"Anderson Silva, you absolutely suck," Sonnen said at the Oct. 8 event. "Super Bowl weekend, the biggest rematch in the history of the business. I'm calling you out Silva, but we're upping the stakes.
"I beat you, (and) you leave the division. You beat me, and I will leave the UFC forever."
Sonnen isn't willing to fulfill those terms now, but he clearly got under the skin of Team Silva.
Silva (29-4 MMA, 14-0 UFC) and Sonnen (26-11-1 MMA, 5-4 UFC) first met 14 months ago at UFC 117 and delivered a fight for the ages. Sonnen dominated the action for four rounds before getting caught in a triangle choke midway through the fifth and final round. The pair was scheduled to meet again early this year, but the immediate rematch was nixed when the California State Athletic Commission suspended Sonnen for elevated levels of testosterone.
Currently, Silva is recovering from bursitis in his shoulder. Although the UFC returns to his native Brazil on Jan. 14 for UFC 142, even UFC 143 on Super Bowl weekend (Feb. 4) would be a quick turnaround after the champ's recovery and a full training camp.
My latest article, looking at UFC's debut on FOX this weekend.
http://wrestlingslasthope.blogspot.com/2011/11/duckman-on-ufc-on-fox.html (http://wrestlingslasthope.blogspot.com/2011/11/duckman-on-ufc-on-fox.html)
Enjoy and leave a little feedback if you'd like.
Peace
Duckman
called the winner , lol just missed the round
fox got a winner , they need to expand and added more matches . people will watch
Quote from: Black Death on November 14, 2011, 03:58:37 PM
called the winner , lol just missed the round
fox got a winner , they need to expand and added more matches . people will watch
Called the round and finish, just missed the fighter. Never seen JDS getting it.
Great article Sam!
QuoteFor anyone who has read the title of this article, then read the two opening paragraphs and STILL hasn’t worked out I’m writing about UFC’s debut on FOX this weekend â€" get out. No, seriously, get out right now. This isn’t the right place for you.
I got out after this part cause he told me too :(
Jking, good stuff man.
Wow, amazing card.
Wandy/Le was sick, Silva fucked him up....
and the main event was epic, easily top 5 fights in UFC history.
Dan Henderson is my hero.
gotta agree. even though i'm still new to the whole MMA thing the card was AWESOME, the last two fights were great, especially the main event. didn't mind i got it free either since I signed up for the Xbox dashboard preview 8)
The axe murderer is still the axe murderer
great fight
Yep the man is out of jail and ready to fight
and he is fighting Roger Huerta this Saturday in Pharr, Texas in a new promotion UWF
Tempted to get this fight event , I like both guys and I know it going to be a damn good fight
Here the website for the event www.uwfmma.com (http://www.uwfmma.com)
here where it going to be streaming at www.gfl.tv (http://www.gfl.tv) it only 9.99
war machine interview
VT Interview: War Machine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1kI8GssWnI#ws)
Roger Huerta interview
VT Interview: Roger Huerta (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Z1zv72TCU#ws)
This is going to be vicious. It'll be interesting to see Huerta's grace matched up against Machine's unrelenting style.
Anyone else catch the interview at the end?
Bisping was fucking hilarious, perhaps greatest thing said under the UFC brand.
The Ultimate Fighter Finale Weigh In (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xyvq_Sq8mQ#ws)
...wow Mayhem gassed pretty bad.
I didn't watch the video. But wasn't he the one that kicked the shit out of a porn star while on set for a movie, and somehow had a sword in hand as police looked for him?
Very bad.
Did he just not train enough? Did he spend too much time trying to play games? I really hate it for him because I wanted to see him submit Bisping...but boy was I wrong.
He got gassed pretty early, I honestly don't know what was up, I know he's not fought in just over a year, possibly he just not been training like he should between TUF and Bully Beatdown.
But something I noticed, when it comes to his Win/Loss, Miller is that in between guy, he's the stepping stone guy. The guy who can beat anyone, except for the best.
Lets look at the list of people who have defeated him
Chael Sonnen-Number Two middleweight in the world today.
Todd Carney(He turned around and knocked him out his next match)-I don't know who he is.
Tim Kennedy-Don't know who he is.
Georges St-Pierre-Number one Walter weight in the world today.
Frank Trigg-As much as I don't like Trigg, at one point he was a beast.
Jake Shields-Number Three Walter weight in the world.
Besides two fighters who could be big, I just dont know em, he has only been beaten by the best, it should of been a forgone conclusion he would lose to Bisping. With that being said, I really wanted to see Miller win this one.
Quote from: Al Black Rose, Cavalry Armorer on December 06, 2011, 04:27:55 PM
Lets look at the list of people who have defeated him
Chael Sonnen-Number Two middleweight in the world today.
Todd Carney(He turned around and knocked him out his next match)-I don't know who he is.
Tim Kennedy-Don't know who he is.
Georges St-Pierre-Number one Walter weight in the world today.
Frank Trigg-As much as I don't like Trigg, at one point he was a beast.
Jake Shields-Number Three Walter weight in the world.
Besides two fighters who could be big, I just dont know em, he has only been beaten by the best, it should of been a forgone conclusion he would lose to Bisping. With that being said, I really wanted to see Miller win this one.
Tim Kennedy is a strikeforce fighter rumoured to be on his way to the UFC. Actually is pretty decent.
Todd Carney is a journeyman who's only notable win has been to Mayhem (that I know of, I remember him fighting Doerkson a few years back and Doerkson submitting him pretty easily)
Mayhem also lost to Ricardo Soiza (who isnt too bad)
Yeah, Tim Kennedy is a legit fighter, and Jacare is one of the best 185'ers in the world, surprised he hasnt moved to Strikeforce, hes a legit top 10 185er
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dm-meltzer_gsp_condit120711 (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dm-meltzer_gsp_condit120711)
QuoteWhat was expected to be UFC’s biggest pay-per-view fight in more than a year has been postponed a second time.
Wednesday, UFC president Dana White sent out a message on Twitter stating that welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (22-2) had suffered a torn ACL and needs surgery that will keep him out of action for 10 months.
White announced that Nick Diaz (26-7) will now face Carlos Condit (27-5) in the UFC 143 main event on Feb. 4 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight will be five rounds for the interim welterweight championship.
St. Pierre had been scheduled to defend against Diaz on Oct. 29, but first Diaz was pulled from the fight by White after no-showing two press conferences.
Condit, who was originally scheduled to fight B.J. Penn on the same card, was then elevated to face St. Pierre, but St. Pierre suffered both a knee and a hamstring injury and pulled out less than two weeks before fight time.
Condit was promised the next title shot. But then Diaz beat Penn on Oct. 29 and claimed that St. Pierre wasn’t really injured and was ducking him, which led to interest heightening for St. Pierre vs. Diaz, a fight St Pierre asked for and received.
Condit had been scheduled to face Josh Koscheck on Feb. 4. No new match has been announced for Koscheck.
White had few words about the UFC 143 change at a Wednesday press conference in Chicago where he was promoting a Jan. 28 event on Fox. White’s tweet came out shortly before the change.
“I want to talk about this fight [the Jan. 28 show’,†White said when the subject was brought up. “GSP is out. That sucks.â€
Although Diaz, 28, has only fought once in UFC since a run as a mid-level fighter from 2003-06, in the past five years, he’s gone 15-1 with one no contest. Whatever criticism there was about his competition level during that period was largely quieted when he took apart Penn, a former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, in winning a three-round decision.
Many consider Diaz to have the best boxing currently in MMA, and nobody can match his combination of hand speed, conditioning and reach. His lone loss during that period was a blood stoppage against K.J. Noons, which he avenged in winning a rematch.
Condit was welterweight champion in the WEC before that organization’s division moved to UFC. He’s won 12 of his last 13 fights over the same five-and-a-half year period, with his only loss coming in a close decision to Martin Kampmann. He’s won his last two fights over Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim via fist-round knockouts, winning knockout of the night bonuses in both instances.
Well, that sucks. :(
I was really looking forward to Diaz and GSP, but this fight definitely has its upside as well.
Oh Lord this is where Diaz will say GSP is scared to face him again.
Clearly it is GSP ACL that is the scared one...
Diaz needs to tear that ACL a new one...PUN INTENDED...
This fight has motherfucking awesomeness all over it. The stars are aligning for Nick Diaz :jointpasssmiley:
The division will struggle without GSP around for the better part of the year. Perhaps this is where GSP makes the move up to LHW?
Quote from: Nick on December 07, 2011, 11:50:57 PM
This fight has motherfucking awesomeness all over it. The stars are aligning for Nick Diaz :jointpasssmiley:
Most definitely. I think Nick can almost hear Bruce Buffer calling his name post-fight.
WAR DIAZ! :sparta:
sucks indeed...
than Condit wins the fight and you guys are going to go ... wtf happen Diaz
GSP is scared, dont be scared homie
GSP has the worst luck sometimes. 10 months is a long time to be out of commission as well, but here's hoping the "interim" fight is good.
Quote from: Black Death on December 08, 2011, 03:28:55 PM
than Condit wins the fight and you guys are going to go ... wtf happen Diaz
I was waiting for someone to say this!
I only want Diaz to go over Condit so we can see the grudge match unfold between him and GSP.
My memory is foggy, but something like that. Yes.
Sorry but IMO, War Machine is an idiot. He's a loud-mouth who never really was that talented, only really lucky. In addition, he's the guy who spouted off claiming that Rhino stole the "War Machine" moniker from him, and in addition, he posted this while in prison:
"The oppression of MEN is worse than oppression of Jews in Nazi germany, worse than the slavery of Blacks in early America... I'm not exaggerating either."
Quote from: Johnny Rebel on December 08, 2011, 11:26:40 AM
The division will struggle without GSP around for the better part of the year. Perhaps this is where GSP makes the move up to LHW?
Actually in an interview with Firas(GSP's trainer), he was saying GSP is very capable of making 155. He said he's been making 170 for a while now, and 155 may be more of a challenge for him. So yeah, that may be the next division for him in 2013.
He's a fucking idiot, but an exciting fighter. I think he'll do well over in Bellator(yup, they signed him.)
Quote from: Nick on December 09, 2011, 06:34:57 PM
He's a fucking idiot, but an exciting fighter. I think he'll do well over in Bellator(yup, they signed him.)
^
This. He wont ever be anything more than a Houston Alexander type, but eh, their exciting.
The UFC is going to strike while the iron is hot.
Following a successful lighter-weights season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series on Spike TV, the UFC is going even lighter and adding a 125-pound flyweight division.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the long-rumored division â€" which will be the UFC's eighth â€" should be announced within the next few days.
"It's happening," he said. "I told you guys it's happening, and it's happening."
When?
"This weekend," White said after Wednesday's UFC on FOX 2 press conference in Chicago (before hopping on a jet to Toronto for this weekend's UFC 140 event). "I should have something by this weekend."
The success of "TUF 14," a first-ever season to feature 135-pound bantamweights and 145-pound featherweights, helped solidify White's decision. The UFC boss has hinted at the implementation of the weight class for about a year, though recent reports suggested the UFC might put the project on the back burner. But White said that won't be the case, and it seems "TUF 14" played a role.
While Diego Brandao won the "TUF 14" featherweight crown this past weekend, John Dodson â€" a fighter best suited for flyweight, where he's world-ranked â€" won the bantamweight title in exciting fashion.
"If anything proved how awesome the small guys are it was this season of 'The Ultimate Fighter,'" White said. "How about the finale? The finale was incredible. Diego's (fight) was probably the best one-round fight I've ever seen, and Dodson was just incredible."
Since the UFC first hinted at adopting the weight class, the flyweight division has gone under the spotlight. Tachi Palace Fights, which has the market on 125-pound talent cornered, has competitors such as Ian McCall, Darrell Montague, Jussier da Silva and Ulysses Gomez who have expressed interest in a move to the UFC (with Tachi's blessing).
Additionally, the UFC has a number of guys in its bantamweight division who could make the drop, including Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson. Just don't expect White to force their hand.
"I'm not moving down anybody down," he said. "Those guys can make the decisions themselves, what weight division they want to fight in. But I have a feeling that 125-pound division is going to be as nasty as (155) and (170). There's going to be a lot of talent there."
Additionally, he suggested international-recruiting efforts could land some prized flyweights.
"At 125 pounds, I think you're going to see a lot of Hispanic and Asian fighters now coming to come compete at that weight," he said.
Miguel Torres (39-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is no longer with the UFC.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) today confirmed with UFC officials that Torres has been released from the promotion following an inappropriate Twitter post.
UFC president Dana White first revealed the move to SI.com.
"Miguel Torres has been cut from the UFC, and his career with us now is over," White told SI.com.
"If a windowless van was called a surprise van, more people wouldn't mind going for rides in them," Torres stated. "Everyone likes surprises."
"There's going be times when things happen and mistakes are made," White told SI.com. "I cannot defend Miguel Torres. I cannot defend what he said. What he said makes no sense other than when he says, 'It was a joke.' Well, I don’t think that’s a funny joke. I think it’s disturbing."
Torres today told HeavyMMA's Matt Erickson the quote was a reference to a line to an FX sitcom, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Episode No. 2 of the series fourth season took place largely in a van with tinted windows that the characters repeatedly called a "rape van."
The move comes one day after UFC light heavyweight headliner Rashad Evans on Wednesday also made an off-color comment in reference to the recent Penn State sexual abuse scandal. However, White declined to punish Evans for his poor judgment.
"[Evans] said something stupid," White on Thursday told MMAjunkie.com. "It's probably one of the dumbest things you can say.
"He gets it, and he knows it was a stupid thing to say. We'll see what happens."
Forrest Griffin recently found himself in similar hot water after Tweeting, "Rape is the new missionary." Griffin eventually removed the comments after drawing the ire of many of his followers, and he explained to White the comment was meant as more of a social commentary on the prevalence of rape cases in current media coverage. Griffin was not released by the promotion.
Torres fought most recently at November's UFC 139 event, where he earned a unanimous-decision won over Nick Pace. He's probably best known for his stint as WEC bantamweight champion, when he notched three defenses of the belt before surrendering the title to Brian Bowles.
UFC brass have yet to make an official announcement regarding the roster move.
Earlier this year, Zuffa officials rolled out the new bonus program to all UFC and Strikeforce fighters. UFC president Dana White long has been a supporter of the social-media movement and currently boasts nearly 1.7 million Twitter followers.
UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva, former interim heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrgio Nogueira and middleweight contender Demian Maia each recently pocketed $10,000 for winning bonuses in two different categories, while Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos and UFC welterweight contender Paulo Thiago each scored $5,000 for earning a win in a single category.
..c'mon womens division.
This is so fucking stupid. I don't dislike Dana White but come on, man. I'm starting to see his Bias towards fighters. Rashad and Forrest both made comments like this and an apology was acceptable; but Miguel is expendable to the UFC and get's the shaft for making the same sort of comments.
The comment itself wasn't even that bad especially in reference to a fucking tv show. I loathe political correctness. Dana White isn't one to talk about shit people say to begin with as he's had his fair share controversial moments with his mouth as well.
Yes, you can argue that Dana White is boss and he can run his company how he wants; just know 90% around here could be fired for some of the shit we say if our bosses ever read it...
I wonder how much of this has to do with their new FOX deal... if it has anything to do with it like I think it was, well then maybe it wasn't the greatest thing for the sport after all.
UFC President Dana White announced Saturday night at the UFC 140 press conference in Toronto that the promotion will hold a four-man 125-pound title tournament beginning at UFC on FX 2.
The man widely regarded as MMA’s best flyweight, Ian McCall, will make his Octagon debut against former UFC bantamweight contender Demetrious Johnson, while onetime WEC star Joseph Benavidez will lock horns with Shooto 123-pound world champ Yasuhiro Urushitani. The location of the March 3 event is yet to be announced.
The reigning Tachi Palace Fights flyweight titleholder, McCall, 27, has yet to taste defeat since dropping to 125 pounds after an ill-fated bantamweight run in the WEC. “Uncle Creepy†captured the TPF belt on Aug. 5, submitting Darrell Montague via third-round rear-naked choke.
A protégé of Matt Hume at AMC Pankration, 25-year-old Johnson is slated to meet Eddie Wineland on Jan. 28 in what could be the last bantamweight appearance for “Mighty Mouse†in his UFC career. Johnson challenged for the promotion’s 135-pound title on Oct. 1 and fell by unanimous decision to Dominick Cruz.
Benavidez has been perfect through his 17-fight career save for a pair of losses to Cruz under the WEC banner. Since joining the UFC, the 27-year-old has earned a pair of unanimous decision victories, besting Wineland and Ian Loveland in 2011. The Team Alpha Male representative owns eight of his 15 career wins by way of submission.
Urushitani rides a five-fight winning streak into his UFC debut. The 35-year-old twice failed to capture the Shooto 123-pound title before finally snatching the belt from Ryuichi Miki in 2010. Urushitani successfully defended his title for the first time by knocking out Yuki Shojo on July 18.
Courtesy: sherdog.com
Miguel should have been fined.
All fighters who cross the line in such a public way that compromises the UFC's image should.
Rashad Evans said worse during the press conference for the next Fox card. Here is what he said to his opponent Phil Davis: "I can't wait to get my hands on him like that dude did to those kids from Penn State."
NOW that is definitely worse than what Miguel did, although Miguel has a history of tweeting rape related tweets, so it didn't really surprise me that he was let go.
Rashad? He was not punished at all. He makes the UFC money so they let him pass this once. Just like they did with Forrest Griffin who tweeted "Rape is the new missionary" last month. He did however take the tweet down and apologized and donated to a rape crisis centre afterward. Miguel? He prolly doesn't feel bad for tweeting that stuff, but only regrets it now because it got him fired.
The UFC needs to hire a reputable PR firm, IMO. These controversies are not good for their public image whatsoever.
Remember that time Dana called someone a fag or something along those lines? He's still employed. Remember that other time Dana was on his reality show and he was dropping f bombs every five seconds? Or that time he belittled Overeem fans, and fans of fighters in other promotions? Then the time he was insulting towards Steve Mazzigatti?
Defending your companies public image begins and ends at the top. If anything this is a showing of how little he values his fighters that aren't his "Good ol boys" EI Chuck, Matt Hughes, Leben, Bonnar, etc.
probably was a wrong place, wrong time scenario, though I won't disagree at all that the bigger stars get better treatment.
still was stupid of him.
hmm, shouldn't they focus on getting the two other divisions they brought over from WEC over? they've done a good job promoting the new guys but bringing in another division on top of these two is a bit much. with as many shows at they're running in 2012 though there's probably room for another one.
Way they're talking, a lot of it had to do with the success of TUF 14. I don't think Dana realized how hungry these lighter guys are/were. Me personally, I love it. The stamina and drive the smaller guys have is unreal, and like Bryan said, the amount of events UFC is running in 2012, they won't have a problem giving every weight class an ample amount of time to showcase the talent. I can't wait to see what Ian McCall pulls off, I know two weeks ago on Inside MMA, he said he was injured...but...could that have just been him postponing a fight so he'd be healthy for UFC? Who knows....
125? I was wrestling at 141 in 6th grade.
Quote from: Johnny Rebel on December 12, 2011, 05:09:55 PM
125? I was wrestling at 141 in 6th grade.
not everyone could be husky as you in 6th grade ... i joke man lol
it set up for a woman's division , but Dana is old school and has stated does not like to see the ladies fight .
as a person , he crap , but hey the man is a damn exciting fighter,
Fedor Emelianenko (32-4) is returning to Japan.
A long-rumored bout between the former PRIDE heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii (4-1-1) is expected to headline a New Year's Eve event in Japan featuring two DREAM title bouts and the completion of the DREAM bantamweight tournament.
Officials today announced the fight.
"DREAM: Fight for Japan: Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011!" (also dubbed "DREAM: New Year! 2011") is set for Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
While domestic broadcast plans have yet to be announced, the event airs live stateside on HDNet.
A rumored bouts between Tim Sylvia and Brett Rogers could not be confirmed at the time of this writing, nor could a previously reported women's bout between Megumi Fujii and Karla Benitez.
Although longtime sponsor Fields is expected to support the New Year's Eve event, it's not clear who is promoting it. According to a source, the official title of the promoter is "the executive committee of Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011!" DREAM, though, obviously is playing a significant role, at least from a talent perspective.
As earlier reported, DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki (29-5) will defend his title against former Sengoku champ Satoru Kitaoka (29-10-9). Aoki returns after a submission win over former WEC champ Rob McCullough at DREAM.17 in September, which marked his sixth consecutive win following a decision loss to Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez at the CBS-televised "Strikeforce: Nashville." Kitaoka enjoys a four-fight streak that includes a decision win over UFC vet Willamy Freire at DREAM.17.
Additionally, DREAM featherweight champ Hiroyuki Takaya (16-9-1) attempts to defend his title a second time when he meets Takeshi "Lion" Inoue (21-5). After falling short to Robbie Peralta in his U.S. debut at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley," Takaya got back on the winning track at "DREAM: Japan GP Final," where he outpointed Kazuyuki Miyata. Inoue, meanwhile, knocked out UFC vet Caol Uno in his most recent appearance at DREAM.17, which brought his current win streak to three.
The final two rounds of this year's world bantamweight grand prix conclude with Bibiano Fernandes (9-3 MMA, 6-1 DREAM) vs. Rodolfo Marques Diniz (14-1 MMA, 1-0 DREAM) and Antonio Banuelos (19-7 MMA, 1-0 DREAM) vs. Masakazu Imanari (24-9-2 MMA, 4-2 DREAM).
Fernandes won his opening-round grand-prix bout via submission over Takafumi Otsuka. He looks for his ninth win in 10 fights when he takes on Diniz, who made a successful DREAM debut with an opening-round decision victory over Yusup Saadulaev. He's now won 11 consecutive fights.
Banuelos, a recent WEC and UFC fighter, earned a split-decision victory over Hideo Tokoro in the grand prix's opening round. He now meets Imanari, who looks for his fourth win in five fights (and ninth win in 11 fights) following an opening-round submission victory over Abel Cullum.
In a throwback to Japanese MMA events blending real and staged fights, a pro-wrestling match between PRIDE vet Kazuyuki Fujita and K-1 legend Peter Aerts will start the show.
The full card for "DREAM: Fight for Japan: Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011!" includes:
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii
Champ Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka (for lightweight title)
Champ Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi "Lion" Inoue (for featherweight title)
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Katsunori Kikuno (mixed-rules bout)
Rodolfo Marques Diniz vs. Bibiano Fernandes (bantamweight grand-prix semifinal)
Antonio Banuelos vs. Masakazu Imanari (bantamweight grand-prix semifinal)
Hideo Tokoro vs. Yusup Saadulaev (bantamweight grand-prix reserve match)
Ryo Chonan vs. Hayato Sakurai
Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Aerts (pro-wrestling match)
The best part about this card is that I'm probably going to it :)
I'll be just outside Yokohama from the 24th to Jan 5th, I'm going to do everything I can to get tickets and go
Quote from: Cory on December 12, 2011, 10:33:35 PM
The full card for "DREAM: Fight for Japan: Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011!" includes:
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii
Champ Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka (for lightweight title)
Champ Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi "Lion" Inoue (for featherweight title)
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Katsunori Kikuno (mixed-rules bout)
Rodolfo Marques Diniz vs. Bibiano Fernandes (bantamweight grand-prix semifinal)
Antonio Banuelos vs. Masakazu Imanari (bantamweight grand-prix semifinal)
Hideo Tokoro vs. Yusup Saadulaev (bantamweight grand-prix reserve match)
Ryo Chonan vs. Hayato Sakurai
Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Aerts (pro-wrestling match)
Arroooo? A Wrestling Match? Is this like a real WWE type pro wrestling match where it's staged or wha?
Brazilian sluggers Vitor Belfort (20-9 MMA, 9-5 UFC) and Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1 MMA, 4-6 UFC) will serve as opposing coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil."
UFC president Dana White today announced the selections during a pre-UFC 142 press conference in Rio de Janeiro.
The two will coach opposing teams on the first-ever international edition of "TUF," which in March debuts on Globo, and will oppose each other following the conclusion of the series.
Belfort will still face Anthony Johnson at January's UFC 142 event.
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" will be produced by Brazilian firm Floresta and air as part of the UFC's broadcast deal with Globo. The series is expected to feature 12 taped episodes in addition to a live finale.
While FUEL TV is expected to air the show in the U.S., UFC president Dana White has yet to officially announce a stateside broadcast partner.
As recently as this past Wednesday, White denied the two would serve as coaches on the show. MMAjunkie.com witnessed Belfort and Silva both meet with White during this past week's Las Vegas tryouts for "TUF 15," prompting speculation the two would earn coaching roles.
"Let me tell you what, if I was planning on having anything, the last place I would meet with guys is in front of you guys," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). "But yeah, we have a lot of guys that we're looking at as potential coaches. What we're going to do is we're going to go down there and cast it, figure out what we're going to do, and then we'll go from there."
When the coaches clash, it will serve as a rematch of a 1998 matchup between the to sluggers. Then just 20 years old, Belfort swarmed Silva in a a UFC 17.5 contest, earning a win in just 44 seconds. Fans around the globe have long called for a rematch, and now â€" nearly 14 years later â€" it will finally happen.
"TUF," which debuted on Spike TV in 2005 and quickly became a driving force for the UFC's move into the mainstream, has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and has produced past champions such as Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and Matt Serra. The current 14th season is the first to feature bantamweight and featherweight fighters.
Due to the UFC's landmark seven-year with FOX, FX becomes the new U.S. home of "TUF" in 2012. The show will include live Friday-night fights rather than taped bouts.
White and UFC matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby will on Wednesday host an open tryout session in Sao Paulo for fighters hoping to land a spot on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil."
There's a lot of good top flyweights competing in Japan and Taichi Palace Fights. All they would really have to do is comb Japan and the midwest, drop down a few bantamweights, and there's your division. I don't blame them for expanding so quickly with another division. With all the televised fights airing on Fuel, Fox, and FX next year, they're going to need all the bodies they can get.
Ishii struggled against Filho. He's gonna get worked by the new Miguel Torresque Fedor.
This is the perfect fight to make for the region. It'll make for a hell of a free fight. I see it going for three rounds of bloody Muay Thai. Not to mention UFC is going to pull some great talent from a region which is bustling with prospects right now.
Quote from: Nick on December 13, 2011, 07:26:59 PM
This is the perfect fight to make for the region. It'll make for a hell of a free fight. I see it going for three rounds of bloody Muay Thai. Not to mention UFC is going to pull some great talent from a region which is bustling with prospects right now.
very true
I'm looking for Wandi to throw a front kick to see if it's truly Vitor's Bane. This should be a fun fight up until Vitor knocks him the Fuck out. Then give us the Vitor Silva rematch I'm more interested in seeing.
Quote from: Nick on December 13, 2011, 07:23:37 PM
There's a lot of good top flyweights competing in Japan and Taichi Palace Fights. All they would really have to do is comb Japan and the midwest, drop down a few bantamweights, and there's your division. I don't blame them for expanding so quickly with another division. With all the televised fights airing on Fuel, Fox, and FX next year, they're going to need all the bodies they can get.
Damn, I hope 2012 does not bode as many injuries as 2011 did.
Come on, BD! I know you feel my pain.
Quote from: Johnny Rebel on December 15, 2011, 08:54:35 AM
Come on, BD! I know you feel my pain.
lol
I do Johnny , trust me I do
Not looking forward to this. Wanderlai isn't the same fighter he was in Pride, hell, he isn't the same fighter he was when he finally fought Chuck.
This is going to end brutally. I normally like the V in MMA but it's hard to cheer for it when you know that someone whose taken the punishment Wanderlai has is going to have a lot of brain trauma later in life.
I mean... look what Chris Leben did to him. Vitor is going to murder him.
...look at what HE did v/s Cung Le.....
Remember that time Vitor sawed half of Marvin Eastman's face off with his knee's?
Wandi will put up a good fight until Vitor pummels him with 30 punches a second.
Quote from: Cory on December 17, 2011, 11:45:00 AM
...look at what HE did v/s Cung Le.....
LOL. Cung Le hadn't fought in over a year. He's a glorified C (if that) list action 'star'. For fuck sakes... Scott Smith TKO'd him. Imagine what Belfort would have done to Le if he wasn't pulled from the match due to injury.
So....when Silva fought Leben that was a years break as well....so that kinda contradicts your Leben point a few posts ago.
And if ANYONE fights Scott Smith and wants to stand and bang, there's a chance he'll knock you out....hes a very credible striker/brawler type.
I'd put my money on Vitor too, but saying he'll murder Wandy is foolish, because anytime Silva fights he can finish anybody at any moment.
I was there at the show and I was beyond pissed when I left. The GP matches, kickboxing, and pro-wrestling matches were fine but I will NEVER attend a Dream show again. I sat 10 rows from the ring and it was clear that Dream is both inept and corrupt.
1) In the opener (grand prix reserve match), the japanese fighter got slammed neck first into the mat and obviously had a head injury of some sort (real nasty). The doctors and promoters had him out of the ring within a minute by streacher WITHOUT A FUCKING NECKBRACE. If you get slammed head first or neck first, you dont play around. Common sense says put him in a neck-brace.
2) Antonio Inoki (one of the promoters) came out attached to a cross. The entire show was covered in his shameless self promoting. The stadium had pictures of him everywhere, every mma fighter mentioned him in their post fight (obviously rehearsed) promos, the Japanese name for the show was his catchphrase.... he is a corrupt man and I will never, ever spend a dime on anything he has touched. After being offended by his antics in the ring, I asked my wife not to translate his promo into English for me because I knew. When two guys in turbins came out with a picture of Kim Jong II (or whatever Korea's dictators name was), I hung my head and refused to watch any more of that debacle. One of the guys in turbins 'attacked' Inoki, they tried to pass it off as real but it was horrible.
3) It was fixed. I sat close enough that I could see things clear enough. Aoki could have finished his opponent in the third round but his corner motioned for him to let go of the choke. The other title match, the loser (Lion) had crisper striking and won every exchange and yet his corner encouraged him as he back-pedalled the whole fight (of course in between rounds they properly coached him). The main event ended in exactly enough time for Inoki to get in the ring and to set up a picture-perfect moment as the New Years count down began. The timing was too perfect.
Dream is Fixed. Everyone in the crowd that I talked to (awesome Australians) had the exact same thoughts as me. My wife has seen exactly 3 mma events before this show (still doesn't fully grasp the rules) and she realized it before I did.
I despise Inoki, I hate Dream and, the saddest part... I stood by Fedor as he lost 3 in a row, I stood by Fedor as he took the Monsoon fight on a M1 Global show, I stood by Fedor through everything... I can no longer call myself a Fedor fan. I have been a Fedor fan since 2003 (he got my attention at Pride 25, made me a fan at Total Elimination, I got my friend's dad to buy my first Fedor shirt after that) and to see how much corruption he is surrounded by pains me.
A) Fedor knocked Iishii the fuck out
B) Japan MMA has ALWAYS been fixed, even back in the PRIDE (different extents tho), as its ran by the Yakuza (betting and such)
C) Its Fedors management that makes all of these stupid decisions, not him. If anything, its his fault for sticking with M1 Global, but then again he does have a lot of money invested in ti.
Strikeforce officials today issued a statement regarding Strikeforce women's featherweight champion Cris "Cyborg" Santos' failed drug test but offered few clues about what's next for the beleaguered titleholder.
In a statement posted on Strikeforce.com, CEO Scott Coker said the organization will allow the California State Athletic Commission's process to play out.
UFC president Dana White, though, painted a much bleaker future.
"She's getting stripped of the belt," White today told ESPN 1100 AM Las Vegas' "MMA Insiders" show.
White, part of the Zuffa ownership group that acquired Strikeforce in early 2011, also suggested Strikeforce's entire 145-pound female division could be scrapped.
Earlier today, the CSAC announced Santos tested positive for stanozolol metabolites following a Dec. 17 title defense at "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal" in San Diego. She's been suspended one year and fined $2,500. Her win over Hiroko Yamanaka also has been overturned to a no-contest.
"Strikeforce has not seen the test results regarding Ms. Santos," Coker stated in today's release. "However, we have a consistent and strong stance against any use of performance-enhancing drugs. We also have a long history of supporting effective drug testing of athletes by authorized regulatory bodies.
"Therefore, we will closely monitor the matter and will work with the California State Athletic Commission regarding any information we may be asked to provide. We also recognize that Ms. Santos has administrative process rights under California law, and we hope that she is not prejudged before she has the opportunity to exercise such rights."
Santos couldn't be reached for comment, but CSAC officials said she has the right to appeal her license suspension.
Santos (10-1 MMA, 3-0 SF) picked up her 11th straight win (and fifth straight in Strikeforce) with the 16-second knockout of Yamanaka, which came at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. The bout, which marked a third straight title defense, served as the night's Showtime-televised co-headliner and was Santos' first bout in Strikeforce in 18 months following a contract dispute. As Santos has torn through competition (with nine knockouts in 11 career wins), she's often been dogged by steroid speculation, though she never previously failed a test.
Was fucking awesome.
That is all.
Agreed.
UFC is on a roll right now. Quality cards after quality cards.
Called the main event
lol
Fucking WOW! That spinning back roundhouse spinning back kick of doom that spins was INSANE!
Poor Terry Etim - how come UK fighters are always the ones to get knocked out in such horrendous fashion (thinking Bisping v Henderson)? Then again, that kick (and Hendo's right hand) would've KOed anyone on the planet.
Awesome night of fights. Glad to see AJ kicked to the kerb for missing weight AGAIN. After going UP a division. What an unprofessional asshole. Although it did seem the ref was rather 'keen' to keep the fight standing...wonder why? Great gutsy performance from Vitor.
Oh and a healthy Jose Aldo? That is a scary, scary dude.
Silva getting robbed was a joke but that kid looks like another great prospect out of Brazil.
Perfect way to start the year. Looking forward to the show on Sat and again the following week!
Peace
Duckman
Yeah, it was a great show. Some dodgy refereeing, like Duckman said, with the Silva DQ (which should get overturned on appeal) and the quick stand ups in the Belfort/Johnson fight. It's frustrating that a guy who is as talented as Johnson can't manage his weight because he has the potential to be a dangerous middleweight, he gassed and looked to have given up by the time Belfort flattened him out.
Barboza is awesome, watched all of his fights in the UFC so far and he just continues to impress. Would be interesting to see him face off against one of the more elite strikers in the Lightweight division. I said it in another thread, but I'd love to see him face off against Nate Diaz. I saw an article on the UFC sight hyping up a fight between him and Cerrone, which would be cool. Be interesting to see what his ground game is like, not seen anyone really able to take him down.
Aldo knocking out Mendes looked so easy, it was pretty damn scary haha How many guys are there in the featherweight division that could challenge him though? Not entirely sure who is even in line for the next title shot. Dustin Poirier? Diego Nunes?
I know they won't do this because they'll want Aldo to establish his division. But if Edgar beats Henderson I'd love to see Aldo and Edgar in a super fight - catch weight of 150 lbs maybe. I just think the potential for an incredible fight is there that could make both guys legit next level stars in UFC.
Barboza against either Diaz or Cerrone would be awesome, like you say, we've not seen anything of Barboza's ground game. Certainly would against either Diaz or Cowboy.
Great to see some new young fighters coming through!
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Flins. on January 16, 2012, 01:43:16 PM
the Silva DQ (which should get overturned on appeal)
Yeah, this better get overturned. You could tell on Yamasaki's face that he made a bad call. But I don't blame him, he had to make a quick decision without having the option to see the replay. SIlva did hit him in the back of the head once, but like Rogan was saying in the interview, he seemed to be going out of his way to not hit him in the back of his head. I hope UFC does the right thing and overturn that decision to a first round TKO in Silva's favor.
Not sure how UFC handles the appeals, but I think it'd be altered to a No Contest rather than completely reverse the decision to the win. It was a wierd call overall though, Yamasaki was asking him if he could continue, Prater was complaining about his neck or his shoulder or something. It's an important call to make though, considering how dangerous strikes to the back of the head can be, think I'd rather see a few bad calls every years than some guy getting brain damage.
I think if a 'superfight' were to happen between champions, I would've thought it'd be between the featherweight and bantamweight, purely because of how light the divisions are in drawing power. A Dominick Cruz (assuming he beats Faber)/Jose Aldo fight would be pretty big, would be an interesting clash of styles as well.
Was an awesome card indeed. I hate it for Rumble, I really do. why doesnt he bump up to LHW?
As far as Aldo and the featherweight division goes, I'll be keeping a close eye on both Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez. Both have a lot of talent, and both of them hit hard. Granted, their both 'rookies' to the UFC, but hey...it can happen.
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Venue: Bridgestone Arena
Broadcast: FX and FUEL TV
MAIN CARD (FX)
Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller
Duane "Bang" Ludwig vs. Josh Neer
Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian
Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft
PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV)
Jorge Rivera vs. Eric Schafer
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Kamal Shalorus
Charlie Brenneman vs. Daniel Roberts
Fabricio Camoes vs. Tommy Hayden
Daniel Pineda vs. Pat Schilling
Nick Denis vs. Joseph Sandoval
Rumble gone ... it sad , but you think he would just move to 205 or heavyweight if he was having trouble making weight at 186
Rumble will be back, hes one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, he just has to figure his shit out. This was just a message sending from Dana.
Just found out Munoz has pulled from the fight due to injury, so it is now Sonnen vs. Bisping :-(
I think a re-match with Maia would've been more interesting but I'm guessing this is a straight out title eliminator now. As much as I'd like to see Bisping win, I just don't see him stopping Sonnen's takedowns. Should be a fun week or so of build up though.
Palhares/Maia anyone? Heh.
EDit: Just checked Maia's wiki (whilst I was typing this up) and according to Wiki it will be Palhares who replaces Bisping. Awesome.
Well, this should be a walk in the park for Sonnen so everyone gets the biggest rematch (perhaps) in UFC history
Aye, won't be fun for me to watch! Huge Bisping fan.
Also, Wiki lied to me (surprsingly) and it is Maia vs Chris Weidman, massive step up in competition for him since his last opponent was Tom Lawlor.
Nice KO for Barry, dude was awesome and hung out with me and my buddy during the weigh ins @ 113, glad to see him get a win.
Main event is up now
I was watching one of the fights at work, didn't catch the name of the fighters. The guy who locked on the guillotine choke so deep that his opponent couldn't even tap out was sick.
Yeah, Josh Neer is sick....was really looking for more from that fight tho.
It was a decent night of fights. Barry showed he can defend submissions, though I did feel some on another level to Morecraft would've finished him several times.
People should check out the prelims, if only for the Nik Denis KO, elbows in the clinch. First time I've seen it in the UFC, was pretty brutal.
Main event was not at all surprising, to me anyway. I never got the hype behind Guillard, he has good stand up but it's way to flashy, leaves him vulnerable for takedowns and he's clearly not very good at defending submissions so you'd think he'd be more conservative with his stand up? Especially when he has the power to finish anyone in the division, without having to throw flying knees every minute.
I'm a little obsessed with MMA at the moment, and don't really want to start several topics for little bits of news that I find exciting and what not.
The third UFC Fox event has got it's headline fight; Nate Diaz vs Jim Miller. Huge fight, and the winner gets the next title shot? Right? I'm loving the lightweight division at the moment, packed full of quality fighters.
Speaking of talented lightweights, Siver has dropped to featherweight and will be fighting Diego Nunes. Should be interesting to see how Siver does in the division and against one if its better strikers.
Just watched one of the pre-fight videos between Bisping and Sonnen, was pretty funny. God, I hope Bisping pulls of a sub, would be amazing, and very possible.
Quote from: Flins. on January 26, 2012, 06:38:12 PM
I'm a little obsessed with MMA at the moment, and don't really want to start several topics for little bits of news that I find exciting and what not.
The third UFC Fox event has got it's headline fight; Nate Diaz vs Jim Miller. Huge fight, and the winner gets the next title shot? Right? I'm loving the lightweight division at the moment, packed full of quality fighters.
Speaking of talented lightweights, Siver has dropped to featherweight and will be fighting Diego Nunes. Should be interesting to see how Siver does in the division and against one if its better strikers.
Just watched one of the pre-fight videos between Bisping and Sonnen, was pretty funny. God, I hope Bisping pulls of a sub, would be amazing, and very possible.
I hope Bisping tried, and CM Punks jumps the cage and GTS's him.
Tomorrows going to be a sick night of free fights
When Sonnen retires, he needs to become a commentator. That is all.
Pretty disappointed with the fights, but I dont see this whole controversy where Bisping won.
Sonnen had the 1st and 3rd no doubt.
I can see why Sonnen won the fight, I don't agree he out right won the first round though, he dominated the third round for sure, the first and second was just a stand still really and besides Bisping holding him against the cage(Which the ref should of pulled them apart more then he did) he really did nothing else, so honestly the third round was what I based the fight on.
And all and all I was disappointed but impressed that Phil Davis was actually able to go five rounds with Evans, there was no doubt who won the fight, but as I said on the shoutie last night, Evans is known for his finishing power and he was unable to do that against Davis last night.
Yeah that was a win-win situation for Davis, IMO. Even though he lost, he still proved that he can go with the 'big' names in the LHW division. Was he ready for that fight though? I don't believe so. Davis is an incredible fighter and I think in a few more years, will defintely be more contention for the LHW division. But, the question is, is Evans a threat to Jon Jones?
The way Evans looked against Davis, I'm going to say no. But, the trash talking between the two will be epic. I just don't see Evans standing a chance against Jones. Jones will knock Evans out in the first or second round. The only person I see giving Jones a good fight, as it stands right now, is Dan Henderson. Laugh if you want to...but you know Hendo has still got a lot of gas left in the tank.
Maia performance was embarrassing. I'm glad they gave the decision to Weidman. At least he had reason to be as gassed as he was in the 2nd/3rd rounds.
I thought the Sonnen/Bisping match was boring as all hell too. I expected that match to end in a decision, but for there to be some pretty exciting action at least. I had Sonnen winning that fight though (1st and 3rd rounds).
I was pleased to see Davis last the entirety of that match. He took some wicked shots from Evans during that fight and proved he has a good chin. I was displeased with his wrestling though, I thought Evans looked much much better on the ground and that surprised me a little bit. It just showed that Davis is not quite ready for the big time, but it also showed he'll be there after some more work with his stand up.
As for the rematch goes... the way Sonnen looked last night... Silva has to be licking his chops. I don't see that fight getting past Round 2. And the Jones/Evans fight should be really good. It's easy to just dismiss Evans in this fight, but he always seems to show up in that underdog role. Really looking forward to the fight, although I do think Bones will win it.
Its hard to say how Silva/Sonnen II will go, because Sonnen was fighting a last minute-ish opponent in Bisping after Munoz pulled out. Its harder to fight a guy whose as talented as Bisping right away and execute a gameplan effectively, considered Munoz and Bisping are completely different fighters. I think Sonnen shouldnt have stood with Bisping as much as he did, but I knew it was going to be a sloppy fight, because elite fighters gameplan, and when things change last minute you either have a 'meh' performance or you get "hurt" like GSP.
But if Sonnen stands with Silva based off last night, ooo boy.
I don't buy the excuse that Sonnen was fighting a last minute opponent, so was Bisping, and if anything that short notice played into the hands of Sonnen as he's the best wrestler in the division and Bisping wasn't preparing for that. I'm totally biased because I'm a Bisping fan, but explain this for me, if Sonnen won the third round (which he did) all he did was control Bisping, there was no damage done, some transitions on the ground and that was it. He had his back and mount but did nothing with it. Now in the first round, sure he got a couple of takedowns, but Bisping controlled the round as well as the second, when he got taken down he got straight back up. It's another wrestler biased result in the UFC. Now wonder Rogan always bangs on about it being a key elemenet in the sport, because it's something judges focus on a lot. How on earth Sonnen got judged a 30-27, i'll never know. I get the argument that Bisping didn't really do any significant damage whilst he controlled Sonnen against the cage for two rounds (practically), but Sonnen did no damage on the ground. Anyway rant over. I felt Bisping did enough to win, but I would. Hate how everyone is saying it's a shit performance by Bispings opponent once again, when will people give the guy credit for his talent? Ah Miller was poor, Sonnen was poor. Takes a lot of balls to be that cocky after the result as well haha, gotta give Sonnen some credit for that, ever the showman.
Maia fight was awful, probably a good job he didn't face Bisping, his 'standup' is abysmal. Which is strange because he looked decent against Munoz. Weidmann looks pretty good though.
So disappointed with the main event, was just hoping from something big from Evans, but credit for Davis for sticking in there. Jones fight should be fun, can't see Evans winning. I agree with DnK, Henderson is probably the guy to beat Jones at the moment.
Someone on Facebook said last night they couldn't wait to see Sonnen beat Silva in their rematch and I thought I was going to choke on my drink.
Sonnen is a good wrestler, don't get me wrong but judging by his performance last night, like Cory and DnK said...Silva is going to destroy him. I don't see the fight going past the 2nd round. Did I already say that?
And hey, I'm the one who said Hendo would be the tougher challenge for Jones. 8)
Quote from: Flins. on January 29, 2012, 11:18:39 PM
I don't buy the excuse that Sonnen was fighting a last minute opponent, so was Bisping, and if anything that short notice played into the hands of Sonnen as he's the best wrestler in the division and Bisping wasn't preparing for that. I'm totally biased because I'm a Bisping fan, but explain this for me, if Sonnen won the third round (which he did) all he did was control Bisping, there was no damage done, some transitions on the ground and that was it. He had his back and mount but did nothing with it. Now in the first round, sure he got a couple of takedowns, but Bisping controlled the round as well as the second, when he got taken down he got straight back up. It's another wrestler biased result in the UFC. Now wonder Rogan always bangs on about it being a key elemenet in the sport, because it's something judges focus on a lot. How on earth Sonnen got judged a 30-27, i'll never know. I get the argument that Bisping didn't really do any significant damage whilst he controlled Sonnen against the cage for two rounds (practically), but Sonnen did no damage on the ground. Anyway rant over. I felt Bisping did enough to win, but I would. Hate how everyone is saying it's a shit performance by Bispings opponent once again, when will people give the guy credit for his talent? Ah Miller was poor, Sonnen was poor. Takes a lot of balls to be that cocky after the result as well haha, gotta give Sonnen some credit for that, ever the showman.
A) 30-27 was ridiculous, some judges should be kicked in the fucking face.
B) Wrestling bias has been around for the last two years or so, its bullshit.
C) Sonnen won the 1st and 3rd. 3rd was all Sonnen, 2nd was closer to the 3rd, but Bisping won with control. 1st, Bisping and Sonnen were about split on control, maybe edge it to Sonnen (but dont quote me 100%) I saw on a YouTube comment someone had the strike numbers and Sonnen had 23 power strikes oppose to Bispings like 14 or 13 strikes.
I recall Sonnen landing quite a few clean shots everytime Bisping got back up from a takedown, which must've scored well. I didn't know the striking stat though, I think it's just that Bisping looks better in the stand up where as Sonnen was wild and obviously only throwing them to get inside and get the takedown.
The wrestling bias as he really put me off most fighters of that style. I think it was the DeMetrious Johnson vs Torres fight that bugged me. Johnson took him down, Torres wanted to go down, the next three rounds where then pretty much Johnson defending himself from submissions but because he was on top and 'dominating' he won comfortably. It just seems that scoring a takedown scores more than being able to reverse it and get back up immediately, or it scores better to be on top rather than be in control on your back. I'm deviating from the topic. Just waiting to get all prelims so I can watch them, hopefully there'll be a few good 'uns.
A few more fights being announced, some are quite interesting.
So the next Fox event will be headlined by Miller vs Diaz, which will be awesome. Other fights announced for that are TUF winners John Dodson (who's dropped to Flyweight) and Tony Ferguson facing Darren Uyenoyama and Dennis Hallman respectively. I'm not sure about the whole booking with Ferguson, why is he constantly getting 'veterans'? The Yves Edwards fight was pretty close and could've gone either way, but it just seems like they are just feeding these guys to him. Hallman is great on the ground and showed up Mekdessi but personally it just seems like an easier match up for Ferguson.
Another fight announced for this show is Lavar Johnson vs Pat Barry, which should be freaking awesome, don't think this one will be going to the ground so hopefully it leads to another Kongo-esque bout and one of them is probably going to be getting KO'd. If anyone didn't see Johnsons KO of Beltran from last weekend, watch it! Brutal uppercuts.
Aslo announced is the return of Thiago Silva after his suspension, and he'll be having a re-match with Brandon Vera. You know, the guy he embarressed and made a fool of last time out. Could be fireworks in this one, but if Silva's still in the form he was before the suspension I don't see a change in the result. Anyone see the Vera/Marshall fight? How was it?
Oh and Tom Lawlor vs Jason MacDonald announced for the same show. Meh.
Really pumped to see Thiago Silva get back, he was easily one of my top 5 until the steroid thing, but hopefully he learned his lesson (and well with the lighter wallet) and can show why hes a fucking animal. Fuck Brandon Vera, why is he even still in the UFC? Trash of a fighter
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Venue: Mandalay Bay Events Center
Broadcast: Pay-per-view, FX and Facebook
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz (for interim welterweight title)
Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum
Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce
Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen
Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)
Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier
Jorge Lopez vs. Matt Riddle
Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa
Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope
One of the best cards on paper in a while, Im hoping Diaz/Condit and Barao/Jorgenson are both wars. Im pumped, right before the super bowl as well. Going to be a unreal weekend!
Wasn't Vera cut after the loss to Jones?
What a poor decision, Diaz won the fight not only in my mind, but the twenty other people in the bar too. Hell, I love watching Condit fight and this was no way a robbery or anything, but the judges are horrible, Diaz won rounds 2-5 no doubt, and 1 I believe Diaz had octagon control and landed the far better punches and round 3 was also very close, but Carlos had 3-4 IMO.
Aside from the fact that they made the wrong decision, two judges had it 49-46 cards, NO WAY either DIaz or Condit won 4 rounds, and because of that I agree with Diaz's t retire. The judges are absolutly HORRIBLE.
& No one wants to see Condit/GSP. At least Diaz brought something to the table and was like nothing GSP ever fought, but Condit is just a better version of what Dan Hardy was when they fought. PPV buys arent going to be nearly as high, and GSP and Diaz hate each other and wanted to fight, the anticipation would be huge, close to Sonnen/Silva II.
But Condit had one hell of a fight, and I'm not upset at all that my boy Diaz lost to a guy like Condit, Condits probably my second favourite 170'er and maybe in my top 10, but there's no way you can convince me that Diaz didnt win. I hate Diaz fans, are they all internet thugs? All over the UFCs facebook and YouTube their saying Condit was running like Kalib Starnes, Condit executed a perfect Greg Jackson gameplan and wouldnt like Diaz corner him and beat the shit out of him, but in the end he still lost 3-2.
But in regards to Diaz's retirement after the fight, I wish I could slap everyone who says hes a crying little bitch, sore loser, ect. He's just saying what everyone (I didnt thankfully) who tossed out $50 to watch Condit/Jacksons Gameplan to go out and try and win by points from the start. They hype the fight up to be this war, Diaz comes to fight and Condit executes a points gameplan which I think he fell short on. I'm not saying Condit should have stood in front of Diaz and played into his hand, but c'mon. Diaz comes to fight, and nearly every Greg Jackson fighter comes to win, and its taking its toll on MMA, and Diaz is disgusted with the sight that MMA is turning into, a points game.
Greg Jackson is killing MMA.
I thought Condit won the fight, no questions asked.
I had it 48-47.
Condit with rounds 2, 3, 4
Diaz with rounds 1, 5
I thought rounds 1, 2, and 5 were toss up rounds though.
I am not sure where everyone thinks Diaz won this fight... I laughed at Diaz whining after the fight. The guy is a punk and has no respect for the sport or the people in it. So I hope he does retire. MMA doesn't need a Nick Diaz.
If Diaz is mad about it being a points game, then he should have finished Condit and he didn't. Not even close. He barely even did damage to him. Condit landed far more strikes then Diaz and the damage to Diaz was apparent. Not to mention, his legs were jello by the end of that fight. He stopped moving forward as much in the last 3 rounds because of it.
If Diaz wants to just stand and trade punches then he should go into boxing, because MMA is not the right sport for him.
I'm excited for the Condit/GSP fight. I think it's going to be a really good fight and even though I think GSP will ultimately win, I think Condit will win a round or two from him.
I agree with everything Cory said 100%
I for one like Nick's persona. If you know you won the fight, why lie in a post-fight interview? That makes sense? Don't think so.
Somebody obviously needed to speak the truth, I think Nick did it well. And he's not retiring, not in my opinion. Like it or not Nick is a cash cow, and Dana knows it. Nick will be fighting the winner of Condit/GSP, no doubt in my mind.
I don't think Condit vs. GSP is good for the sport at all...it's gonna be the most boring fight in the history of the UFC. I witnessed a couple handfuls of casual fans walking out of a bar during UFC on FOX 2 because there was no action of any kind.
I had it 49-46 Condit. To be fair, I'd need to watch the fight again I think maybe 1 of the rounds between 1-2 could go to Diaz but regardless anyone calling this fight a robbery is an idiot. If this fight was scored over 25 minutes there's no doubt Condit won this fight and that's why I am happy he won a close decision. I don't agree with rounds 1-2 both going to Diaz but I wouldn't call that a robbery either.
Condit did ''run'' a bit but nothing like Starnes, lol. And once Condit was up off the cage he was hitting Diaz with punches and kicks all night. If Condit was point fighting, so does Diaz when he throws dozens of half-powered punches in bunches without the intent to knock his opponent out. These Diaz fans complaining are the biggest bunch of cry babies I have ever seen, lol.
Overall not the war I was expecting but I still enjoyed it. Anyone who found this fight boring seems to be a sloppy brawl fan more then a fight fan.
And yes, Diaz was PATHETIC post fight. Quitting because you lost a close decision? Eh, what do you expect from Diaz though? He doesn't seem too bright.
Quote from: Level-One on February 05, 2012, 04:46:33 PM
I had it 49-46 Condit. To be fair, I'd need to watch the fight again I think maybe 1 of the rounds between 1-2 could go to Diaz but regardless anyone calling this fight a robbery is an idiot. If this fight was scored over 25 minutes there's no doubt Condit won this fight and that's why I am happy he won a close decision. I don't agree with rounds 1-2 both going to Diaz but I wouldn't call that a robbery either.
Condit did ''run'' a bit but nothing like Starnes, lol. And once Condit was up off the cage he was hitting Diaz with punches and kicks all night. If Condit was point fighting, so does Diaz when he throws dozens of half-powered punches in bunches without the intent to knock his opponent out. These Diaz fans complaining are the biggest bunch of cry babies I have ever seen, lol.
Overall not the war I was expecting but I still enjoyed it. Anyone who found this fight boring seems to be a sloppy brawl fan more then a fight fan.
And yes, Diaz was PATHETIC post fight. Quitting because you lost a close decision? Eh, what do you expect from Diaz though? He doesn't seem too bright.
+1
Quote from: Level-One on February 05, 2012, 04:46:33 PM
I had it 49-46 Condit. To be fair, I'd need to watch the fight again I think maybe 1 of the rounds between 1-2 could go to Diaz but regardless anyone calling this fight a robbery is an idiot. If this fight was scored over 25 minutes there's no doubt Condit won this fight and that's why I am happy he won a close decision. I don't agree with rounds 1-2 both going to Diaz but I wouldn't call that a robbery either.
Condit did ''run'' a bit but nothing like Starnes, lol. And once Condit was up off the cage he was hitting Diaz with punches and kicks all night. If Condit was point fighting, so does Diaz when he throws dozens of half-powered punches in bunches without the intent to knock his opponent out. These Diaz fans complaining are the biggest bunch of cry babies I have ever seen, lol.
Overall not the war I was expecting but I still enjoyed it. Anyone who found this fight boring seems to be a sloppy brawl fan more then a fight fan.
And yes, Diaz was PATHETIC post fight. Quitting because you lost a close decision? Eh, what do you expect from Diaz though? He doesn't seem too bright.
Ronda Rousey:
If I wanted to see a man run for 25 minutes I'd go to a track meet. Diaz is the real champ, what a bullshit fight
20 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
MarloesCoenen:
4-1 Nick, thanks to the backmount at the end.
18 hours ago via UberSocial for BlackBerry
josh neer:
Wow. Nick got robbed 4-1 diaz. Carlos was doing the Forrest Gump #runforestrun
20 hours ago via Twitter for Android
Dan Henderson:
Wow, I would not want to judge that one. I had it even after 4. And diaz in the 5th
21 hours ago via Seesmic
Cody McKenzie:
Wow really goes to show you how bad these judges suck Carlos ran the entire time
21 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
Joe Lauzon:
I eagerly await fight metrics for this fight... I thought Diaz won that all night long.
21 hours ago via HootSuite
Yves Edwards:
I wanted Nick to win but there's no way Condit won 4 rds backing up.
21 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
Pat Miletich:
That decision was an absolute joke. At best, Condit won 2 rounds.
21 hours ago via Mobile Web
Mark Muñoz:
Gr8 fight! Think Diaz 4 rounds to 1. We'll see! #ufc143
21 hours ago via Echofon
Matt Lindland:
Great fight Diaz 1,2,5 Condit 3,4
21 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
Micah Miller:
What a fucking robbery
21 hours ago via DROID
Ariel Helwani:
Condit wins via decision. Great fight. I think I had it 3-2 Diaz but need to watch again.
21 hours ago via Echofon
Damn, seems to be a whole lot of 'idiots' speaking out.
Some accomplished, highly respected names on that list. I think they've probably seen enough fights to have an opinion.
Few of them are buddy buddy with the Diaz's brothers, but it's interesting to see their take on the fight, even if it's only eleven of god knows how many respectable people in the sport ;)
Personally I didn't think the fight was that contentious, Condit won it in my mind though I do want to watch it again. I'll quote a post I saw on another forum because I think it breaks down the fight well and it is something I agree with.
QuoteEffective striking - Condit had a higher percentage of shots landed than Diaz
Grappling - Diaz's one 'takedown' was more luck than skill. Condit also stuffed one
Aggression - Condit threw more strikes than Diaz
Octogon Control - Condit let Diaz have the centre of the cage but all the time Diaz was playing into Condit's gameplan, not vice versa.
Bar the comment about the takedown, which I don't think was down to luck, I think that Diaz lost the fight. Condit had an effective game plan, he landed more strikes and he wasn't just throw weak shots, if anything that's something Diaz has perfected in his career; a high volume of weak shots with alot of accuracy. So Condit backpeddled a lot and it was affective, Diaz had no response to it. He did corner him several times but never took advantage of it, if he'd taken it to the ground (which he showed he was capable of) he would've had more chance of winning the fight than chasing Condit around the ring and getting hit.
Diaz was way too one dimensional in this fight and the 'Jackson gameplan' proved it. Only has himself to blame for losing. I get the frustration with the post fight comments, and I still like the guy and hoping he doesn't retire. But yeah it was over the top, as is the reaction of a lot of Diaz fans.
There were a few decisions last night that were contentious though, like the Koscheck/Pierce fight. Despite being a complete borefest and some dodgy reffing (why didn't he get a point deducted?). The Caceres/Figurea fight, why did Caceres get two points deducted after a low blow that wasn't followed with a warning and then another, and yet Koscheck gets warned for using his fingers, which then leads to poking Pierce in the eye and he gets another warning? Both of those calls were by the same ref. The Matt Riddle fight went the wrong way imo too.
Dustin Poirier looked awesome on the ground, but then he was grappling with a 20 year old white belt in Jui-Jitsu so that wasn't surprising.
Was a pretty entertaining night, Roy Nelsons chin being the highlight.
Quote from: JohnS. on February 06, 2012, 01:58:34 PM
Ronda Rousey:
If I wanted to see a man run for 25 minutes I'd go to a track meet. Diaz is the real champ, what a bullshit fight
20 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
MarloesCoenen:
4-1 Nick, thanks to the backmount at the end.
18 hours ago via UberSocial for BlackBerry
josh neer:
Wow. Nick got robbed 4-1 diaz. Carlos was doing the Forrest Gump #runforestrun
20 hours ago via Twitter for Android
Dan Henderson:
Wow, I would not want to judge that one. I had it even after 4. And diaz in the 5th
21 hours ago via Seesmic
Cody McKenzie:
Wow really goes to show you how bad these judges suck Carlos ran the entire time
21 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
Joe Lauzon:
I eagerly await fight metrics for this fight... I thought Diaz won that all night long.
21 hours ago via HootSuite
Yves Edwards:
I wanted Nick to win but there's no way Condit won 4 rds backing up.
21 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
Pat Miletich:
That decision was an absolute joke. At best, Condit won 2 rounds.
21 hours ago via Mobile Web
Mark Muñoz:
Gr8 fight! Think Diaz 4 rounds to 1. We'll see! #ufc143
21 hours ago via Echofon
Matt Lindland:
Great fight Diaz 1,2,5 Condit 3,4
21 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
Micah Miller:
What a fucking robbery
21 hours ago via DROID
Ariel Helwani:
Condit wins via decision. Great fight. I think I had it 3-2 Diaz but need to watch again.
21 hours ago via Echofon
Damn, seems to be a whole lot of 'idiots' speaking out.
Some accomplished, highly respected names on that list. I think they've probably seen enough fights to have an opinion.
Joe Rogan said he rewatched it and hes leaning towards Diaz as well
Bas Rutten, Phil Davis, Pat Barry, and Miesha Tate all said they thought Condit won on MMA Live today.
See, its not like someone like myself, who Diaz has been my clear #1 favourite fighter since like, 2006. I'm in no way saying that it was a robbery, or that there was NO way that Condit won, it was a very close fight, but you'll never convice me that Diaz lost that fight. Condit had the counter strike, but we've seen judges time and time again contradict themselves. Give 3 different judges and they would give Nick all the rounds for octagon control, forcing Condit to always be on the counter, and we got the 3 that saw it a completely other way.
The judges are shit. "Dont leave it to the judges" is a fair statement, but v/s a Greg Jackson fighter not named Jon Jones, it always goes to the judges, and there's not a competent judge in the fucking commission. Its their job to be a JUDGE and not on a consistent basis be so wrong and awful. But thats what there is. Jon McCarthy, Randy Couture (EXAMPLES), and actual MMA vets should be judges, find non bias ones much like they find a non bias ref for World Cup games in soccer and let them judge.
Also, Dana might have been on the Diaz side of things, quoted from Joe Rogans twitter:
QuoteI just read that @danawhite said it's possible for a Diaz Condit rematch before GSP returns! #FUCKYEAH
Quote from: Cory on February 07, 2012, 12:37:56 AM
See, its not like someone like myself, who Diaz has been my clear #1 favourite fighter since like, 2006. I'm in no way saying that it was a robbery, or that there was NO way that Condit won, it was a very close fight, but you'll never convice me that Diaz lost that fight. Condit had the counter strike, but we've seen judges time and time again contradict themselves. Give 3 different judges and they would give Nick all the rounds for octagon control, forcing Condit to always be on the counter, and we got the 3 that saw it a completely other way.
The judges are shit. "Dont leave it to the judges" is a fair statement, but v/s a Greg Jackson fighter not named Jon Jones, it always goes to the judges, and there's not a competent judge in the fucking commission. Its their job to be a JUDGE and not on a consistent basis be so wrong and awful. But thats what there is. Jon McCarthy, Randy Couture (EXAMPLES), and actual MMA vets should be judges, find non bias ones much like they find a non bias ref for World Cup games in soccer and let them judge.
Also, Dana might have been on the Diaz side of things, quoted from Joe Rogans twitter:
That was Condit's 4th decision in 33 fights. Sorry when you get outstruck as badly as Diaz was in that fight. You'll find a hard time finding a competent judge who would see it in Diaz's favor.
I like Condit, but he hasnt beaten anyone noteworthy until he got into the UFC, so trying to mass the finishes statistic only holds as much weight as the people who he finished. In his big shot for the belt, he played the points game.
In WEC Condit was a monster, but the talent he finished was even more poor than some of the cans Nick Diaz kicked the shit out of in Strikeforce. Then when he finally made it to the big leagues in his UFC debut he lost to Kampmaan clearly, he looked like shit. He then decisioned Jake Ellenberger, Got his ass kicked for 2 rounds by a 20 year old green fighter and ended up with a sick finish but Condit looked very poor, beat Dan Hardy who has taken arguable the biggest fall in MMA as of late (maybe Fedor tops him), and beat a VERY overrated Dong Hyun Kim with a fantastic flash KO. Thats what it is when you actually look into his UFC fights, not just glimpse at his wikipedia page and prove you can read. Nick Diaz has been arguably the most exciting fighters since he gave everyone the middle finger when the submitted Josh Neer and left the UFC, leaving with a submission and TKO in his last two fights. Then had fight of the year, and a contender for fight of the decade vs Gomi in PRIDE, then fought far lesser talent (the same level, maybe higher than what Condit fought @ WEC) but he made it exciting. Scott Smith (exception), KJ Noons, Marius Zaromskis, and Paul Daley are all elite strikers, and rather strategize, wrestle or use his BJJ black belt, Diaz went into these fighters strengths and beat them. He does what little to no Greg Jackson fighter does and that's beat a guy at their own game. Thats why Diaz got BJ Penn is his debut and retired him, and why Condit got Martin Kampmaan (and lost).
Condit didn't try and finish that fight what so ever, and fought a cautious fight. He won, but he didn't win like a true champion should. You'll always have the people who said a true champion has a game plan, and those people can go watch grass grow for all I care. Then you have the people who bring the fight to their opponent, dont rip the fans off, promote the UFC as excitement at its finest.
Theres a reason why Dana White is strongly hinting at a rematch. He A) believes that Diaz won, or clearly deserves a rematch ASAP, B) realizes that GSP/Condit isnt a good fight...no one wants to pay for a strategic point battle aka GSP dry humping C) wants to have a clear winner.
I'm happy Condit won, like I've said before hes one of my more likeable fighters, but his performance (like Nicks) wasnt good, after the fight was over NO ONE was like wow, Condit is the best, hes deserves to be the champion after that. THATS why Dana is pushing for a rematch, neither guy should be satisfied with their performance. Diaz didnt adapt to Greg Jacksons point war, and Condit didn't come to fight. A rematch will prove that either Condit is the better fighter or Diaz learned how to beat a Greg Jackson gameplan. I want to see Diaz knock Condit out then get to fight GSP in the fight everyone wants to see, I also would like to see Condit knock Diaz out and prove to be the man who deserves to fight GSP
All in all I want to see the fight that it should have been, not ruined by some fucking Greg Jackson "my camp has a 85% win percentage" gameplan.
I want to see the two elite strikers go out and fight to see whose best, not what happened last Saturday. Condit didnt look AT all what he did in the fights to get the opportunity to fight Nick Diaz, and Nick Diaz tried to use what GOT HIM to the title scene but didnt adapt when he realized Condit wasnt going to stand and bang. Diaz should have gone for a takedown and made it so Condit couldnt keep running and backing away in fear of the takedown and make him come forward.
The fans deserve a rematch, I feel bad for whoever paid $50 to watch that.
If I were Greg I'd have Carlos doing scrambling and takedown defense drills all fucking day. Next time, Diaz is taking this to the ground(He made Carlos look like a white belt on the mat). God I hope Dana gets this rematch signed.
Nick Diaz got his pussy ass WHIPPED.
LOL.
Nobody tried to finish that fight. They both were playing a points game. Even when Diaz was hitting Condit, he wasn't hitting him has hard as he could, he was just making sure the strikes landed. That is what Diaz does. He did the same thing against over the hill BJ Penn, who should have been finished off. He played a points game, with accurate strikes with not a ton of power. He tried to do the same thing against Condit, but Condit gameplanned for it and beat Diaz at his own game.
You can discredit Condit's fighters all you want, you can say he didn't deserve to be in a fight for the interim title... but either did Nick Diaz. Diaz has to be one of the most over hyped fighters in MMA history. The only reason anyone wants to see GSP/Diaz is because they hate each other. That fight would be just like all the other GSP fights... him smothering Diaz for 5 rounds on the ground. At least Condit brings a variety of weapons that I think legitimately gives GSP a threat.
And I'd be okay with a rematch with both of them. I thought the fight on Saturday was pretty damn exciting. I'd be okay for them to go at it again. UFC wants Diaz to have a second chance so they can make a bunch of money on GSP/Diaz, instead of giving that opportunity to the better fighter. But I don't see Diaz beating Condit in the rematch, thats for sure.
Heres something I found on MMAJUNKIE.com
Quote
Dana gave Diaz 1 & 2.
Condit gave Diaz 2 & 3.
Judge Kamijo gave Diaz 2 & 5.
Judge Jarman & Judge Peoples gave Diaz round 3.
The only round unanimous for Condit was Round 4. It was a close fight. Let's do it again.
Hmmm, was anyone watching the same fight? Everyones all over the board
As expected, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will face Rashad Evans (17-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC 145.
UFC officials recently confirmed that the two former teammates will fight in Atlanta on April 21. As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) previously reported, tickets for the event go on sale next week.
Evans defeated Phil Davis at January's UFC on FOX 2 event to earn a shot at the belt.
"UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans" takes place at Atlanta's Philips Arena, a 19,000-seat venue that's home to the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and the WNBA's Atlanta Dream. The venue also hosted the UFC's only other Atlanta show: UFC 88 in 2008. That show, which featured Evans' second-round knockout of Chuck Liddell in the headliner, drew an announced attendance of 14,736 and a $2.6 million gate.
UFC 145, a pay-per-view event, marks the fourth-ever UFC event held in Georgia. The state played an important role in the promotion's early development, hosting UFC 13 in 1997 and UFC 11 in 1996. Both of those events were held in Augusta.
Jones, of course, fought most recently in December, downing former champion Lyoto Machida in impressive fashion and bringing to a close one of the most impressive calendar years in MMA history. After the fight, Jones expressed his desire to take a few months off. However, that plan quickly changed.
Meanwhile, Evans has now earned four-straight wins since losing the light heavyweight title to Machida in May 2009. "Suga" downed Davis, Tito Ortiz, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Thiago Silva to earn his way back to a title challenge.
The current lineup for UFC 145 includes:
Champ Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans (for light-heavyweight title)
Michael McDonald vs. Miguel Torres
Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage
Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin
Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills
Ben Rothwell vs. Brendan Schaub
Mark Bocek vs. Matt Wiman
Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs
John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani
Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero
Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski
LAS VEGAS â€" The rematch is happening.
At Saturday night's UFC 143 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White confirmed that both UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva (31-4 MMA, 14-0 UFC) and his nemesis Chael Sonnen (27-11-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC) have verbally agreed to meet in Brazil on an as-yet-undetermined date in June.
Silva was in Las Vegas for Saturday's fight card, and White said an agreement was reached during the event.
Bout agreements are expected to be finalized shortly.
Sonnen, of course, had stated he didn't believe Silva would ever fight him again following the pair's memorable UFC 117 matchup, in which the challenger dominated for four-and-a-half rounds before relenting to the champ. Since that fight, Sonnen has alternated between campaigning for a rematch and dismissing the need for one.
White, however, said the likelihood of the rematch was never in doubt.
"Chael's full of [expletive]," White said. "You guys need to stop listening to Chael."
Silva has remained mostly silent on Sonnen, citing his desire to let the victory speak for itself and his unwillingness to lend any more spotlight to the trashtalking extraordinaire that is his current nemesis.
Earlier this month, White confirmed that Sao Paulo was the most likely Brazilian city to host the June event, which is also expected to feature Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva and the final bout of the first-ever "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" tournament.
However, White said a venue has yet to be determined
Anderson is salivating at the thought of this fight. I like Chael's trash talking, it's entertaining most of the time. But Anderson has his number. The first fight was the closest Chael will ever come to beating Silva, I see this one being the complete opposite, with Anderson ending the fight before the championship rounds.
WAR SILVA!
Quote from: Cory on February 07, 2012, 01:45:48 PM
Heres something I found on MMAJUNKIE.com
Hmmm, was anyone watching the same fight? Everyones all over the board
Yeah, it was a close fucking fight. I think the only unanimous round in the entire fight was Round 4 for Condit. The other 4 rounds went to both guys from a variety of different sources.
Like I said though, it's very good chance a rematch will occur. Dana really wants a GSP/Diaz fight. And so does a lot of the UFC fan base.
I just don't see how this fight is that appealing. I don't see Chael lasting past 2 rounds.
Yeah Sonnen didnt look impressive at all v/s Bisping, but I donno. I wouldnt mind seeing the upset
Quote from: Cory on February 07, 2012, 02:36:25 PM
Yeah Sonnen didnt look impressive at all v/s Bisping, but I donno. I wouldnt mind seeing the upset
Oh don't get me wrong, I'll be pulling for Sonnen, after all he is a fellow Oregonian like myself. I just don't see it happening.
My take:
http://bit.ly/wIsnOw (http://bit.ly/wIsnOw)
Diaz fans will hate it, probably.
Peace
Duckman
I took a look, Duckman, and I don't hate it. It was a good read with a lot of valid points, if anything further validating in my mind that the judges are the biggest issue. The fight itself was great, and close no doubt. Definitely has all the ammunition it needs for a rematch.
I still think as a fighter you have no business in the cage if you plan on running. That goes back to what the UFC actually is, starting with UFC 1. I think people need to go back and really watch some of the old UFC events to get a feel for what the fans are truly upset about. Carlos Condit embarrassed the UFC name at 143. And he embarrassed himself. If that was a lie then he would have showed up at the post fight press conference, but he didn't.
Quote from: Duckman on February 07, 2012, 04:16:14 PM
My take:
http://bit.ly/wIsnOw (http://bit.ly/wIsnOw)
Diaz fans will hate it, probably.
Peace
Duckman
Thank you Duck...
Basically I agree with everything said in this article...
I have been reading this thread but have been reluctant to post as I did not feel like getting into a argument about it...
I am not a fan of Nick or Nate Diaz as I think they are both conceited assholes who are legit tough guys who treat anyone not in their inner circle like shit... I am sure if you are in their inner circle you see the kind and loyal side of these two and anyone with half a brain would see that they are top notch fights... Hell I hate Kanye West but none the less the guy has great music...
While not being a fan I still chose him to win this fight in the prediction game and was shocked at what I was seeing...
I was sitting nest to Fnord watching this and when it was all said and done we both agreed that either Condit won or it was a Draw but not that Diaz won... I heard the outcry afterwards about Diaz winning and I simply said whatever and moved on...
I read what Cory said about wanting to smack people who believed Diaz was bring a little bitch after the fight by retiring so I will prepare myself for the smack coming my way lol... I am not a fan of fighters who lose and then decide to take their ball and go home... You lost and you didn't think you should have FINE but to fucking retire is just a little girl move and we all know you are not so it was lame... Did anyone else catch the fact that he basically all but said that he has never agreed that he lost a fight? I saw lots of his earlier loses int he UFC and he lost his ass in a couple so this is the sign of a guy who clearly cannot accept losing...
My Girlfriends Father is the same fucking way... This is a little off subject but we were playing Monopoly one time about 8 years ago and I whipped that ass and when he knew I was going to win he basically got mad and started to do shit like refuse to sell my property or if he did he wanted like 10,000 for some shit and then would basically sell it to his Daughter for like $100 when I offered him like $1000 and then when I basically got a little upset and told him he was being a sore loser he got all pissed and toss the board... This was a fucking grown man doing this!
IMO Diaz was a sore loser who refused to accept the fact that Dana White was right when saying "Never leave it in the hands of the judges" and he even himself admitted that he thought he was ahead on the score cards so he didn't put much effort into the submission...
But anyways in regards to the fight... I think Condit was fucking smart! He knows better then to stand toe to toe with Diaz and strike because Diaz will whip that ass... He knew that he had to get the fuck out of the way if he was backed into the cage and that he couldnt let Diaz piss him off...
Diaz tried and tried to corner him but Condit always got out and he tried to piss him off by mocking him, taunting him and even smacking him and it didn't work like it worked for Diaz each other time...
Condit was to smart to fall into that trap and Diaz fans are pissed! Ask BJ Penn what he would do differently and I bet your ass he would not say "I wouldn't change anything" he would say "I would not stand right infront of Diaz and take that pounding!
The main point was Condit wanted to win and he knew standing toe to toe with Diaz would not get that so he made sure he never got cornered and that require him to sprint away each and everytime Diaz got him cornered...
Fighters do that all the time, they never play to their opponents strength... If your opponent if a BOXER then you use your wrestling and hump his ass for the win and if he is a wrestler then you strike his ass for the win... Problem with Diaz is the guy is a world class striker and if you try to take him down he will submit your ass so the alternative is to stand with him and make sure you hit him more then he hits you and that is what Condit did...
If Diaz would have knocked out Condit then people would be saying "Stupid Condit should never had tried to stand toe to toe with Diaz"...
Anyways that is my take, great article Duck...
Quote from: JohnS. on February 07, 2012, 04:48:12 PM
I took a look, Duckman, and I don't hate it. It was a good read with a lot of valid points, if anything further validating in my mind that the judges are the biggest issue. The fight itself was great, and close no doubt. Definitely has all the ammunition it needs for a rematch.
I still think as a fighter you have no business in the cage if you plan on running. That goes back to what the UFC actually is, starting with UFC 1. I think people need to go back and really watch some of the old UFC events to get a feel for what the fans are truly upset about. Carlos Condit embarrassed the UFC name at 143. And he embarrassed himself. If that was a lie then he would have showed up at the post fight press conference, but he didn't.
I guess it is a lie because he showed up to the post fight press conference...
Oh well. I had read somewhere that he bounced after the fight. 8)
Quote from: JohnS. on February 07, 2012, 04:48:12 PM
I still think as a fighter you have no business in the cage if you plan on running. That goes back to what the UFC actually is, starting with UFC 1. I think people need to go back and really watch some of the old UFC events to get a feel for what the fans are truly upset about. Carlos Condit embarrassed the UFC name at 143. And he embarrassed himself. If that was a lie then he would have showed up at the post fight press conference, but he didn't.
He wasn't running, he was effectively counter punching/kicking/elbowing/winning. The only person that embarrassed themselves was Diaz with his one-dimensional performance and post-match strop.
In your opinion he wasn't running, in mine he was. A lot of respected MMA personalities share each of our opinions. The He was running/he wasn't running argument is based solely on opinion. The use of the word EFFECTIVELY is very subjective, because most of the EFFECTIVE strikers/counterstrike I watch get KOs or TKOs. That would be the definition of effective striking. If you get a KO, you were effective. If half the MMA universe thinks you wimped out, you probably weren't very effective.
Oh, yeah it's all subjective. Effective striking in my minds is when you know, you hit the other guy in the face. Which Condit did, and he did it more than Diaz did. If the only strikes you consider to be effective by true definition are KO's then every fight you watch must be pretty darn boring, but I get what you are saying :D
I only saw a couple of comments from pro's saying he ran, and as far as I remember they were Diaz's buddies. Half the MMA universe? Please. The others just said they had the fight with Diaz, whilst many others have come out saying they had the fights with Condit. They're are all commentating on the fight as fans. Josh Neer can talk shit about Condit but when he fought Diaz he got arse handed to him.
Fighting like a true champion means fighting to win.
That's what Condit did. Was it pretty? Arguable, at best. But he landed more shots, exposed a pretty significant hole in Diaz's gameplan, and did his job. Close fight, definitely -- one Nick could EASILY win in an anticipated rematch. But to not give Condit credit by saying he ran is just ludicrous. He was smart and has a belt to show for it.
You don't go up to Chuck Liddell in his prime and go blow-for-blow like Tito tried to do in their second fight. You don't shoot in for a takedown against Dan Henderson like Michael Bisping did in their fight. You don't try for a game of reach with a guy like Jon Jones, and you don't stand there and swing for the fences, toe-to-toe with a guy who's as tough as Nick Diaz.
C'mon, guys -- it's simple. Let's not overcomplicate this. Would it have been cool for Condit to have a triumphant knockout against a guy like Diaz? Of course! But as Sam said in his article, the guy went in there to win, not to put anyone over.
Its one of those things you going to have the Diaz guys and the Condit guys.
But to say that after the performance Condit put on, if you had no idea that it was for a belt, would you say that guy deserved to be a champion? No way. Vice versa, if Diaz won with that performance, ID be saying the exact same thing. Regardless of who you think won, its probably 60/40 Condit looking around the interwebs, its very rare you can change someones opinion of the fight, but at the end of the day both fighters had a horrible performance in regards to their preview track records, and the fans deserve a rematch at the least.
Neither Condit or Diaz deserves to get the shot at GSP after Saturday.
Not sure how credible the source is, but I found this:
QuoteAt UFC 143 on Saturday, Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit fought five rounds for the UFC Interim Welterweight title, with Condit winning the unanimous decision. The outcome was controversial, with Diaz, along with many fans, fighters, and media members feeling that his constant forward pressure was enough to win a clear decision.
At the post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White said he was open to the possibility of a rematch, but made it clear that both parties had to be eager to fight. As Diaz was so maddened by the decision that he announced his retirement immediately post-bout in the Octagon, and because yesterday Condit's camp indicated they were not interested, there was little hope that the rematch would be made.
However, sources close to the deal just confirmed with The Underground that Carlos Condit has accepted a rematch with Nick Diaz, with the UFC Interim Welterweight title again on the line.
Condit said 'Yes, I accept the rematch' and will be in Las Vegas on Thursday to finalize the deal.
The winner will presumably face GSP for the Unified Welterweight title, when the Canadian recovers fully from knee surgery, which is expected to be around November.
It's unclear at this time as to when the rematch will take place, but it looks like the fans have got what they asked for.
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/383512/Condit-accepts-rematch-with-Diaz/ (http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/383512/Condit-accepts-rematch-with-Diaz/)
Hopefully we'll get the rematch.
Quote
danawhite
Dana White
@justScrap85 @carloscondit @malkikawa the rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not thur.
1 hour ago
The1ChillGuy This Guy
@danawhite Why do a rematch? Condit soundly beat Diaz the first time, I didn't find it that close at all. I want a new fight... =/
danawhite Dana White
@The1ChillGuy carlos wants it
1 hour ago
Looks good to me.
Yeah, a rematch is deserved in a sense I reckon, mainly for the fans. I thought, in a totally unbiased view, that Condit won it. But no sense in rambling on and on, because most of the points have been covered. I thought Bas Rutten said it best on MMA Live, Condit fought his fight and Diaz the same. While both of them were trying to get points, Condit just happened to get more. He out struck Diaz with both punches and kicks, thus getting more points. Had one of them 'wanted' it more, they would have stopped being afraid of the inevitable and went for a knock out, because both of them have the power. I felt like Diaz thought he would be able to control the fight more and knock Condit out, but Condit prevailed and Diaz looked like an ass, and him saying he was done with fighting after the match was just a total Diaz move. Quitting because you didn't win? I mean, people will point the fingers at Brock, but hell, Brock came back to the octagon after beating a life threatening disease. Diaz demolished BJ Penn and then tried to outscore Condit. Why not go for the knockout if you're that bad ass?
Condit was not running. And I can't remember if it was Pat Barry or Bas Rutten who made the Ali metaphor, and it's true. Condit waback-steppingng and striking all at once, so how is that running? Running was the way Anderson Silva ridiculed Chael Sonnen in their first fight. Running is what I would do if I had to get in the octagon with one of the UFC fighters.
And hey, when the rematch happens, if Diaz is hungry enough, he'll get in their and prove it like Shogun did Lyoto in their rematch.
So, all we can do now is see what happens.
I for one, don't think it matters who the interim champ is, come November/December whenever...GSP will finish off either opponent in an easy fashion.
Quote from: DnK on February 07, 2012, 02:13:40 PM
I just don't see how this fight is that appealing. I don't see Chael lasting past 2 rounds.
Geez, talk about some high hopes. ;D
The way Sonnen looked against Bisping was just pitiful, and I know it was a short notice change, but shit...if anything, Sonnen should have been ready for someone at Bisping's level, no offense. I just believe Mark Munoz would have been a way tougher opponent for Sonnen and Silva for that matter.
Anderson Silva will more than likely knock Sonnen out within the first 2 minutes of the fight, just to prove that last time he was toying with him. Anderson Silva is just an incredible fighter and has phenomenal talent. Sonnen just has a loud mouth.
Stacked card with some of the younger UFC talent on it. Getting weird seeing all the new names though, UFC's roster is really starting to expand.
Curious to see what Chad Griggs will do. Won't this be his first octagon appearance?
As for the main event, seriously guys, does anyone expect Rashad to have a chance? Even though he trained with Jones at one point, Jones has approved tenfold since then. And hell, if Jones feels like Rashad will be able to pinpoint some type of weakness, Jones will train his ass off just to rid himself of that weakness. Which, lets be honest, we have not seen any weakness out of Jones. I don't see Rashad lasting past 3rd round, unless he just happens to land some out of the blue shot on Jones and knocks him out. Rashad doesn't seem to be as strong as he once was, and I thought that showed in the Quinton Jackson fight.
Either way, wish I had the money to make the short trip up to Atlanta. But damn, I can only imagine how high tickets are.
It's one to watch purely because of Sonnen's hype. When you look at the middleweight division, besides Bisping, who else is there really that would have a blockbuster match against Silva? I guess you have Wanderlai and Jason Miller next on the queue, but Sonnen is what will sell against Anderson for this rematch - Speaking purely from a business/marketability standpoint.
Quote from: brkendown on February 08, 2012, 02:11:07 AM
As for the main event, seriously guys, does anyone expect Rashad to have a chance? Even though he trained with Jones at one point, Jones has approved tenfold since then. And hell, if Jones feels like Rashad will be able to pinpoint some type of weakness, Jones will train his ass off just to rid himself of that weakness. Which, lets be honest, we have not seen any weakness out of Jones. I don't see Rashad lasting past 3rd round, unless he just happens to land some out of the blue shot on Jones and knocks him out. Rashad doesn't seem to be as strong as he once was, and I thought that showed in the Quinton Jackson fight.
Either way, wish I had the money to make the short trip up to Atlanta. But damn, I can only imagine how high tickets are.
Weird, I said the same thing to my brother when we saw the announcement. Rashad will be lucky to get past the 3rd, but I don't think he's even gonna get that far, to be honest. Jones is about as complete of a fighter as we've got in the sport today, and until someone actually uncovers some kind of weakness, I see no reason to doubt him right now.
And yeah, I'd love to have some extra money come my way so I could get down to Atlanta, but I don't believe that'll be happening.
He was released after his loss to Silva but brought back when he failed the drugs test. Not that we'll be getting the rematch now as Vera is injured. Don't they have annouced who will be replacing him.
Donald Cerrone vs Yves Edwards has been announced, seems like a drop in the quality of his opponent, no disrespect to Edwards but I think Cerrone is a class above. Fight is scheduled for May. He is one of my favourite fighters so I'm interested in seeing him back in action pretty soon, but I would've preferred him facing of against Barboza, Guillard or someone on that kind of level.
Machida showed him up a little in his striking game, not that Evans is close to be Machida-like on his feet, but there have been a few weaknesses shown. I see this one going the way the Jackson fight went, Jones dominating the stand up on the outside and when he gets in close he'll take him down and sub him.
Looking forward to the Rory/Che fight, Che is a lethal striker but I'm pretty sure his ground game isn't the best. Expect this one to end quickly, either way.
Wanderlai & Miller are no where near the title, the former especially after Belfort knocks him into retirement. I think they could put anyone against Silva and it would be huge in Brazil, a re-match with Belfort would be awesome down there (assuming Silva retains). Munoz is probably the next guy in line though.
Quote from: brkendown on February 08, 2012, 01:55:51 AM
Anderson Silva will more than likely knock Sonnen out within the first 2 minutes of the fight, just to prove that last time he was toying with him. Anderson Silva is just an incredible fighter and has phenomenal talent. Sonnen just has a loud mouth.
Silva wasnt toying with Sonnen in their last match, Sonnen kicked the shit out of Silva for 4 rounds.
I think is Sonnen can implement the same gameplan and ground n pound Silva again, there could be trouble......hes hoping he knows how to defend a triangle choke now
Quote from: Flins. on February 08, 2012, 10:34:38 AM
Looking forward to the Rory/Che fight, Che is a lethal striker but I'm pretty sure his ground game isn't the best. Expect this one to end quickly, either way.
THANK YOU
I made a topic about this like 3 months ago, I cant wait for this fight. Che Mills = 170 Wanderlei Silva (in prime).
Sadly, I think Rory is a much better fighter, equally as exciting too. Thats going to be a sick fight.
Quote from: brkendown on February 08, 2012, 01:52:32 AM
I for one, don't think it matters who the interim champ is, come November/December whenever...GSP will finish off either opponent in an easy fashion.
HOW DARE YOU
use "finish" and "gsp" in the same sentence.
Quote from: Cory on February 08, 2012, 03:21:08 PM
HOW DARE YOU
use "finish" and "gsp" in the same sentence.
+1
Seriously, if I heard that, I'd have thought to myself, "Finnish? I thought GSP was Canadian?"
IMO a rematch before GSP fights Condit is bullshit... I understand that GSP wont be back to late 2012 and condit can easily fight another fight before any fight with GSP would be ready to go but I honestly believe that had this been reversed and Diaz was on the winning end of a controversial decision there would be no talks of a rematch instead the next 8 months or so would be filled with GSP Vs Diaz fight talk...
This is just my opinion but basically Diaz didn't think he lost and threw a little hissy fit and threatened to quit the UFC by doing that sham of a retirement speech and the UFC brass are biting at the bit to get a rematch for Diaz so he will stick around and be happy and so they have one more chance to get that Diaz Vs GSP match done...
I was indifferent about the outcome of the first one since I believed it was a forgone conclusion that Diaz would win but for the second fight I will be rooting with every ounce of my soul for Diaz to lose one more time...
If Condit wins a second time using the same strategy as the first fight then any argument in regards to it being a rip off is null and void because Diaz should spend the next couple months working on neutralizing this flaw in his game and keeping a fighter from moving away from his power punches...
I am sure that Anderson Silva has been working his ass off since his fight with Sonnen to assure that he is not dominated in the same fashion as last time...
You know what... I really really dislike Evans and I am a huge Jones fan...
With that being said... Man I don't see Jones ending Evans and I see Jones taking a decision...
Evans is one of those guys that you forget how good he is until he comes out and shows you over and over again... Jones is a beast and I hope I a wrong about this but I honestly think that Evans could very well take this with a KO and you have no clue how much that pains me to say...
I for one will be the first to say that I was not at all impressed with the way Sonnen handled Bisping and thought he was gassed to easily...
But lets face reality ladies and gentlemen... Anderson Silva will be fighting Chael roughly 2 years since his last fight with him... In those two years he has defended his title 2 TIMES and both fights were striking battles that he dominated and with Chael being suspended he has managed to fight 2 TIMES in that period of time... Silva was injured and I take that into consideration but remember this, Silva was 34 two years ago and was in pre injury form when he got his ass handed to him by a wrestler and unlike WINE fighters do not get better with age after they get into their mid 30's (Fuck off with the Cotoure references)...
It is not smart to believe that a aging fighter two years removed from a ass whipping will come out and dominate a fight with a guy like Sonnen...
Truth is that Silva needs to keep this fight standing up and not let Sonnen do what he did last time, he will dominate the fight if he keeps it standing but you can bet your ass that no way will Sonnen stand toe to toe with Silva...
This fight can go either way but dont make it sound like a aging Silva will dominate because last time was a fluke on Sonnens part... If he dominates it is only because he understands Chaels gameplan and will do everything in his power to prevent him from using it...
Surely Greg Jackson will have a lot of insight for what to look for with Evans. Jones may not knock Evans out, but on the ground? Jones is still going to have the upper hand. I can't see it going to decision either way. If it does, you my friend, deserve a coke.
Quote from: Marq on February 08, 2012, 04:12:06 PM
+1
Seriously, if I heard that, I'd have thought to myself, "Finnish? I thought GSP was Canadian?"
+1 back, ahahahaha.
I think Bones has good enough wrestling to keep this standing, Evans is the more technical wrestler, but Bones is stronger and longer limbs to defend it.
I honestly think both these guys know something about the other from years of training that they`ll plan to exploit. Bones has yet to be KO`d and seems to have a decent chin, Rashad went to sleep vs Machida. My verdict, Bones Jones TKO in the 3rd or 4th.
Quote from: Cory on February 09, 2012, 12:59:38 AM
I think Bones has good enough wrestling to keep this standing, Evans is the more technical wrestler, but Bones is stronger and longer limbs to defend it.
I honestly think both these guys know something about the other from years of training that they`ll plan to exploit. Bones has yet to be KO`d and seems to have a decent chin, Rashad went to sleep vs Machida. My verdict, Bones Jones TKO in the 3rd or 4th.
I hope so...
Only way Rashad Evans 'wins':
Was this legal? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHBMKOboqJQ#)
Awesome.....but they both do that move.
I'm excited to see Efrain vs Danzig. That's probably the UF mark coming out in me but both of these guys had a world of potential but have fallen short of expectations since entering the UFC.
Count me in the Bones camp. 2nd round TKO.
Silva's a cunt so can't wait to the see the undisputed champ put this myth to bed.
Chael Sonnen, undefeated and undisputed.
Born Eagle. 8)
Rumors floating around that Diaz tested positive for marijuana. This could mess up any chance of a rematch.
If this is true I think he knew he was going to test positive, maybe that's why he acted the way he did post fight?
Who knows. Interesting rumor though.
I think theres always a risk he`ll test positive for weed....have you even seen him in an interview....if he doesnt look high as shit he looks like he needs to be high as shit.
If Diaz pops positive for pot, no go with that. Condit will probably be stuck fighting Hendricks or Ellenberger come July.
A million buys on this one. Chael's going to be a hype freight train. I would love to see him take over Fox News, and possibly choke out Bob O' Reiley to hype this.
This is one fight where I advocate the use of lay and pray. Rashad is awesome with integrating strikes with his takedowns, and I think he has what it takes to drag this kid down and humble him.
While I do not believe Condit would care about fighting Diaz again I have to wonder if he agreed because he knew that Diaz was going to come up positive on his test and get suspended...
Like after the fight he hears rumors of Diaz testing positive and says to himself "Fuck it, if he is positive I get the respect for agreeing to a rematch so quick and I don't have to fight him again and if he does not test positive then I just have to fight him again"...
As much as I dislike Diaz I think this is some sad shit because Diaz is in his prime and losing a year (if it is that long) during your prime sucks balls...
Just another example on how much he disrespects the sport of MMA.
Quote from: DnK on February 09, 2012, 06:27:50 PM
Just another example on how much he disrespects the sport of MMA.
Agreed
Quote from: DnK on February 09, 2012, 06:27:50 PM
Just another example on how much he disrespects the sport of MMA.
That's an argument for a different day.
Nick holds a medical marijuana card in the state of California. Saying he disrespects a sport that he trains like no other for is kinda rough. He's definitely not the only fighter to smoke pot, so I don't know if I'm sold on that.
But I can see where you're coming from. If you know you have a fight, make sure you're clean.
Sometimes it's just not that easy. :jointpasssmiley:
He has been suspended for one year.
Quote from: Kevin Iole (Yahoo Sports)
UFC welterweight contender Nick Diaz failed his post-fight urinalysis Saturday following his loss to Carlos Condit in their bout for the interim welterweight championship at UFC 143 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, announced Thursday.
Diaz, 28, who tested positive for marijuana, is a second-time offender in Nevada and, thus, faces a one-year suspension. He also tested positive for marijuana following a Feb. 24, 2007, victory over Takanori Gomi at a PRIDE Fighting Championship event held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Six weeks after the first positive test the commission fined Diaz $3,000 (20 percent of his $15,000 purse), suspended him for six months and changed his win over Gomi to a no-decision. The commission’s report in 2007 noted Diaz’s concentration of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, was 175, three-and-a-half times the concentration level of 50 required under Nevada regulations to produce a positive test result.
“All results received thus far have been negative, except Mr. Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites,†Kizer said in a release Thursday. “A complaint for disciplinary action against Mr. Diaz has been filed.â€
Diaz isn’t the first fighter to test positive for marijuana recently. Matt Vanda appeared before the Nevada commission Jan. 31 after a second positive test for marijuana. He had initially been suspended for 90 days by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board after marijuana was discovered in his system following a Nov. 12, 2010, bout against Ossie Duran.
Marijuana was again found in Vanda’s system following a Dec. 16, 2011, loss to Marco Antonio Rubio in Las Vegas and on Jan. 31 the Nevada commission fined Vanda 40 percent of his $11,000 purse and suspended him for a year.
If Diaz is fined 40 percent of his purse, it would cost him $80,000 of the $200,000 he earned in the unanimous decision loss to Condit last Saturday for the UFC interim welterweight title.
Diaz was on the verge of getting a rematch with Condit for the interim championship when the test results returned and scuttled the bout. UFC president Dana White, in Brazil to tape “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,†sent out a message on Twitter late Tuesday in which he said Condit had agreed to a rematch.
But all sides denied Wednesday that a rematch had been agreed upon before news of the positive test result was released Thursday.
UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said he was “disappointed†to hear of Diaz’s positive test. He said the UFC would honor any punishment Diaz was given and would not seek to have him fight in areas which are not regulated.
When the UFC holds events out of the U.S., if there is not a local body that regulates the sport, the UFC self-regulates. Marc Ratner, the UFC vice president for regulatory affairs and Kizer’s predecessor as executive director of the Nevada commission, runs those events under Nevada rules.
“We would stand behind whatever decision Nevada makes and if Nick is given a punishment, we would accept it,†he said. “Marijuana is an illegal substance and if you choose to take that, you have to pay the price for it.â€
This is after posted, I don't know how it ended up like this but I posted the bit at the bottom not DnK.
Quote from: DnK on February 09, 2012, 08:46:14 PM
He has been suspended for one year.
Quote from: Kevin Iole (Yahoo Sports)
UFC welterweight contender Nick Diaz failed his post-fight urinalysis Saturday following his loss to Carlos Condit in their bout for the interim welterweight championship at UFC 143 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, announced Thursday.
Diaz, 28, who tested positive for marijuana, is a second-time offender in Nevada and, thus, faces a one-year suspension. He also tested positive for marijuana following a Feb. 24, 2007, victory over Takanori Gomi at a PRIDE Fighting Championship event held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Six weeks after the first positive test the commission fined Diaz $3,000 (20 percent of his $15,000 purse), suspended him for six months and changed his win over Gomi to a no-decision. The commission’s report in 2007 noted Diaz’s concentration of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, was 175, three-and-a-half times the concentration level of 50 required under Nevada regulations to produce a positive test result.
“All results received thus far have been negative, except Mr. Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites,†Kizer said in a release Thursday. “A complaint for disciplinary action against Mr. Diaz has been filed.â€
Diaz isn’t the first fighter to test positive for marijuana recently. Matt Vanda appeared before the Nevada commission Jan. 31 after a second positive test for marijuana. He had initially been suspended for 90 days by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board after marijuana was discovered in his system following a Nov. 12, 2010, bout against Ossie Duran.
Marijuana was again found in Vanda’s system following a Dec. 16, 2011, loss to Marco Antonio Rubio in Las Vegas and on Jan. 31 the Nevada commission fined Vanda 40 percent of his $11,000 purse and suspended him for a year.
If Diaz is fined 40 percent of his purse, it would cost him $80,000 of the $200,000 he earned in the unanimous decision loss to Condit last Saturday for the UFC interim welterweight title.
Diaz was on the verge of getting a rematch with Condit for the interim championship when the test results returned and scuttled the bout. UFC president Dana White, in Brazil to tape “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,†sent out a message on Twitter late Tuesday in which he said Condit had agreed to a rematch.
But all sides denied Wednesday that a rematch had been agreed upon before news of the positive test result was released Thursday.
UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said he was “disappointed†to hear of Diaz’s positive test. He said the UFC would honor any punishment Diaz was given and would not seek to have him fight in areas which are not regulated.
When the UFC holds events out of the U.S., if there is not a local body that regulates the sport, the UFC self-regulates. Marc Ratner, the UFC vice president for regulatory affairs and Kizer’s predecessor as executive director of the Nevada commission, runs those events under Nevada rules.
“We would stand behind whatever decision Nevada makes and if Nick is given a punishment, we would accept it,†he said. “Marijuana is an illegal substance and if you choose to take that, you have to pay the price for it.â€
HA! What a stupid cunt.
I read the link to the article wrong...
He faces a one year suspension.
I think he knew what was going to happen, hence him baking up for the fight. As much are people are calling him stupid, this is the smartest thing for his career right now. He's been on the edge about being in MMA due to the ruleset being limited, favoring wrestlers, and 'point' fighters. He needed time off bad, and this is just the break he needs to decide if he truly wants to do MMA anymore. Triathlons and helping out in his camp will keep him busy in the meantime.
Quote from: Nick on February 09, 2012, 09:47:34 PM
I think he knew what was going to happen, hence him baking up for the fight. As much are people are calling him stupid, this is the smartest thing for his career right now. He's been on the edge about being in MMA due to the ruleset being limited, favoring wrestlers, and 'point' fighters. He needed time off bad, and this is just the break he needs to decide if he truly wants to do MMA anymore. Triathlons and helping out in his camp will keep him busy in the meantime.
Sorry I do not agree...
Taking time off to find out what you want to do is one thing but testing positive for a banned substance and getting suspended for 1 year and losing $80,000 in pay is NEVER the smartest thing you can do. Trying to flip it like this is a good career move is not going to fly as far as I am concerned...
It is not like Diaz is running around a millionaire who can take a year off without breaking the bank, I am sure he will be strapped for cash during this year and losing a year of your career in your prime is not good for anyone...
He'll say he's broke but the dude's been making 150k-200 his last five fights, and that's not including sponsorship money and undisclosed bonuses. He's fine, trust me.
I do agree that as much as Nick talks about making money, he has enough of it to be okay.
I can say pretty confidently that the only reason why he was caught with weed in his system is simply because he didn't give a fuck. If the test was done after the event like I think it was; he probably didn't take the steps necessary to bypass the drug testing system because after his loss he said he was retiring. It seems like this was just his way to send a big ''FUCK YOU'' to Dana & the UFC.
If he won this thread wouldn't exist. Anyone thinking he was ''ducking'' GSP... ::)
Quote from: JohnS. on February 09, 2012, 08:42:54 PM
That's an argument for a different day.
Nick holds a medical marijuana card in the state of California. Saying he disrespects a sport that he trains like no other for is kinda rough. He's definitely not the only fighter to smoke pot, so I don't know if I'm sold on that.
But I can see where you're coming from. If you know you have a fight, make sure you're clean.
Sometimes it's just not that easy. :jointpasssmiley:
Rather it be pre-fight, post-fight...whatever, they sell shit all day every day that you can drink to clean your system out. It's not like they're a random drug screen you can't prepare for. And last time I checked, a dedicated pot head knows about the stuff to cleanse your system. And hell, if you don't want to fork out the money for it...just use sura-jel or whatever the hell that stuff is called used for canning stuff. Hey, it's nasty...but I know it covers up sweet mary jane on any kind of piss test, even the military's.
All the hoo-hah about he done this on purpose, eh...no one is stupid enough, I'd hope, to risk losing your purse. But then again...thinking about how easy it is to mask marijuana...-shrugs shoulders-.
I don't know about Diaz..rather it be Nick or Nate...
Quote from: Level-One on February 10, 2012, 05:09:32 AM
I do agree that as much as Nick talks about making money, he has enough of it to be okay.
I can say pretty confidently that the only reason why he was caught with weed in his system is simply because he didn't give a fuck. If the test was done after the event like I think it was; he probably didn't take the steps necessary to bypass the drug testing system because after his loss he said he was retiring. It seems like this was just his way to send a big ''FUCK YOU'' to Dana & the UFC.
THIS
He wouldn't have made the same mistake he did vs Gomi again, because theres no way he trains that hard to fail a test, but I think a year for something that hes legally allowed to do is his home state is bullshit. He broke the rules of the commission, but he medically needs it and should have received a much lighter sentencing.
Again, a year off is good. Not only does it build hype, he can talk as much shit to GSP as he wants, decide if this is what he wants to do as I never understood the boxing thing....there's way more money to make at his level in MMA than starting out boxing.
from mixedmartialarts.com
GSP 'ates Nick Diaz (professionally, not personally) so much that he recently told friend and training partner Kenny Florian he would give up his title for the opportunity to fight him.
Just prior to the Condit Diaz fight, GSP laid out his feelings.
"It is weird that I want Condit to lose," said GSP. "But I have never wanted to fight anyone as much as I want to fight Diaz. I don't truly 'ate him as a person. I don't know that he is a bad guy, but I 'ate what he brings to the sport with the disrespect and the unprofessional things he says and does. It is sort of a professional 'atred. He has been nothing but disrespectful and arrogant towards me ... I am determined to get back to the Octagon as soon as possible to fight this guy."
When Diaz lost a decision to Carlos Condit at UFC 143 in Saturday night, the idea of GSP's next fight being Nick Diaz appeared to have lost too.
However, on Tuesday UFC Tonight host Florian said that after 143, GSP told him he wants to fight Diaz so badly that he would be willing to give up his title.
Later Tuesday night news broke that a rematch between Diaz and Condit is in the works, so once again GSP may sit and hope that Diaz, who he 'ates (professionally) comes out on top. But even if Condit wins again, there is a chance that GSP's first fight back is not for the title, but simple because he (professionally) 'ates Nick Diaz so badly.
Wednesday Diaz' coach and manager Cesar Gracie said Diaz could not fight for a year, reasons upspecified, so GSP's hopes of fighting Diaz may not come to pass for a long time, no matter what.
Diaz is such a twat.
Che Mills. 8)
He's from my hometown. 8) 8) 8)
Awesome fight announced today. Dustin Poirier against The Korean Zombie! What a fight that'll be.
Oh and Igor Pokrajac is in for Vera and will be facing Thiago Silva.
(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/fan_shot_images/186568/img_6535-682x1024.jpg)
Thiago, thank you for failing your drug test, here's a Russian can.
Cerrone vs. Edwards is another gimmie. I wish they'd give Cerrone a solid wrestle boxer, he's been fed kickboxers since he came to UFC.
Vera broke his arm to beat Elliot Marshall, then agreed to rematch Thiago before consulting with his doctor. Dumbass.
....where do I get that shirt
Well found it on the Diaz website, for only $25 its a done deal.
Nick Diaz - one of the most immature and unprofessional fighters on the planet. Yet one of the most popular and skilled. It's so frustrating following this guy and his career. So much good and so much bad about him.
Say what you like about the guy but he gets a reaction and gets people talking.
Good for the sport? Bad for the sport? It doesn't really matter.
I just hope he gets a 6 month ban, rather than a year, because with Brock gone Diaz is the guy who will bring a lot of casual fans and interest to the sport.
I think the arguments about him being allowed to smoke in California is a total cop out and more excuses for a guy who has more excuses when he fucks up than Chael Sonnen! He wasn't fighting in Cali and he knew he'd be tested. Unprofessional and stupid - simple as.
Still, I hope he's back soon because I don't want GSP/Diaz to end up like Mayweather/Pac.
Peace
Duckman
Did not know that was the reason he's out of the fight, what a tool.
Steephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson vs. Matt Brown has been added to the 145 card, should be a fun fight, well should be a cool KO anyway :D
Cain Velasquez vs Frank Mir looks to be happening, not sure when, but I'm guessing it'll be a title eliminator.
Tito Ortiz/Forest Griffin III is in the works as well and would be Ortiz's last fight. Nothing confirmed with this though.
Quote from: Flins. on February 12, 2012, 11:52:35 AM
Cain Velasquez vs Frank Mir looks to be happening, not sure when, but I'm guessing it'll be a title eliminator.
Tito Ortiz/Forest Griffin III is in the works as well and would be Ortiz's last fight. Nothing confirmed with this though.
Excited for the first one.
Not so much the second one.
Quote from: DnK on February 07, 2012, 01:06:41 AM
You'll find a hard time finding a competent judge who would see it in Diaz's favor.
Those don't exist, sorry lol.
I'd say decision for Jones, if Rashad doesn't find a way to take him down. Evans is a smart fighter, which means he and his camp are surely anticipating Jones' style. I see a patient Rashad trying to go the distance, teasing in the 1st and 2nd; looking for openings in the 3rd and 4th.
The Cain/Mir fight could be good, and I'm actually interested in the Ortiz/Griffin match purely because it will be Tito's last fight and Forest realy needs to get back into the swing of things and beat a decent opponent.
A couple of new matches announced by UFC are for the next Fox event that'll be headlined by Miller vs. Diaz. Rousimar Palhares will take on Alan Belcher and Josh Koscheck gets Hendricks. I'm assuming the Koscheck/Hendricks fight will decide a challenger for Condit since the re-match is off.
On Fuel TV. Don't worry about ordering it, they're having a free preview from the 13th to 19th. As long as you have above basic, you should be good. Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger is the main event, co-main is Dave Herman vs. Stefan Struve. Card starts at 5p/8e.
Missed it, nothing looked too great in the results TBH
STRIKEFORCE: Tate vs. Rousey Promo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXLVUbVh4Hg#ws)
Yay.
Oh yeah ... I like Rousey a lot
I read a interview where she was talking about cyborg
She wants to break Cybrog's arm off and slap her in the face with it . I was yeah I like this woman right here
This going to be a good match right here
4 wins, 4 submissions, 4 arm bars, 4 fights under 1 minute.
Her v/s Cyborg needs to happen, plus shes charismatic as hell.
You seriously missed out. Best free card within the last twelve months hands down. Find a torrent and download it immediately, I shit you not.
Rousey is awesome, and I see her taking Gina's place in WMMA. Hopefully she can keep Strikeforce's 135 pound division alive, being the 145 division is dead due to Cyborg getting cut.
here the problem ... Sonnan had his chance ... he blew it ... he caught Silva at the right time and could not pull off the win .
it not happening again .. I say Silva beats him in three rounds , the same game plan is not going to work this time . if he tries the same game plan he loses quickly
Not much more to be said here. I don't think Silva falls for the same strategy 2 times in a row. I don't think Chael gets out of the second round (if that).
Not to say the upset wouldn't be great to see...
[spoiler]Jones < Machida < Evans[/spoiler]
I dont know, I think Evans would beat Machida in the rematch, and if that comparison is for who is in the rankings, its very easily Jones < Evans < Machida
I don't know, you could be right, Machida just doesn't look to have the same confidence that he used to, so a possible rematch with Evans could be a different story. Even though Rashad only has one loss I haven't been that impressed with him since he lost to Machida
Shit gon' be good. That all I know.
:jointpasssmiley: Puff Puff Pass Riko
I'm pumped for this fight tonight. Not only because Ronda Rousey is smoking hot but the female's division so far in strike force has delivered some pretty awesome bouts.
Ronda Rousey by ArmBar first round is my prediction. I like Miesha Tate as a fighter as well though so either way, I'm going to enjoy this fight.
Tate a tough fighter ... but shit Rousey fucking snapped her arm ... great fight she fucking legit on the ground ... Rousey time
bitches don't like each other and it showed ... Love it
Rousey is more talented and dominate than Cyborg.....IMO and when this fight happens.....wow. GSP/Anderson of WMMA
Quote from: Cory on March 04, 2012, 01:29:13 AM
Rousey is more talented and dominate than Cyborg.....IMO and when this fight happens.....wow. GSP/Anderson of WMMA
agree
I winced watching that armbar.
Rousey is one scary scary scary woman.
Champ Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem (for heavyweight title)
Frank Mir vs. Cain Velasquez
Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva
Dan Hardy vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig
Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
Shane Del Rosario vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira
Paul Sass vs. Jacob Volkmann
WOW.
8 of 10 fights are unreal looking.
Add Hunt vs. Werdum and you have the best Heavy GP EVA
DAMN!!!
I predict a lot of first round KOs here. My people are saying Dos Santos will take it but I'm actually on the fence about that one.
right now I give the edge to Dos Santos ... because I think he a better striker .. if it stays stand up ... Overeem needs to take to the ground and Ground and Pound him to win
I think Overeem has better technical standup than JDS...but im afraid to say JDS has far more power in his hands. Id like to see what Overeem does in the clinch....but as far as Overeem taking this fight to the ground....HIGHLY doubt it.
JDS has the better chin and more power. Unless he gets an uberknee to the liver, he should be good to TKO him.
That's an unreal card right there. Will be fun to watch.
Bellator 60 Moment - Pat Curran KOs Joe Warren (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjAGtQosof0#ws)
Is it me or was that just some bad reffing? That fight should have been stopped way earlier, hell his arms were out stiff a few times before he went down.
the ref fuck up big time ... it should have been stop earlier ... warren took to many unnecessary shots at the end
Yeah, I was sat there going "He's stopping this right? He's going to stop this in a second, right?". I can't believe how much of a beating the ref let him take.
I know next to nothing about MMA and thought the same thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2i37N05_4tM# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2i37N05_4tM#)!
Back to back cards with highlight KO's....looks to be a good season of Bellator
Marius Zaromskis vs Bruno Carvalho Somersault Kick at Rumble of the Kings (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvXBq_oREd0#)
What a thing of beauty. Amazing balls to even think of trying something like that.
pretty move ... the opponent thought it was a shoot , tries to duck to stop the take down and take a kick to the back of the head , nice
also was his nickname " the white man " I may have heard that wrong lol
watch the first two episodes and caught the tail end of last night show.
I like the live format and it looks like it going to be a good year
nice fights ... I think James Vic got little lucky but that happens , right move at the right time.
Marcello just could not get pass Lawrence stand up.
what are your guys thoughts
Whitemare
I never knew Judge fought in MMA.
I must say that this move was pretty epic. Definitely a risk to try it, but it paid off big and all but sealed the deal for him.
Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is unlikely to fight champion Junior Dos Santos (14-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) for the UFC heavyweight title this summer at UFC 146.
Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) the No. 1 heavyweight contender failed a pre-fight drug test conducted this past Tuesday following a press conference for UFC 146.
Overeem's "A" sample was flagged for an elevated T/E ratio that exeeded 10-to-1, well over the 6-to-1 limit. Kizer said the heavyweight has the right to request the test's "B" sample, which, if negative, would make him eligible to receive a fight license.
The former Strikeforce champion was among six top-billed fighters who were tested for the all-heavyweight pay-per-view event, which takes place May 26 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. All were tested for diuretics, masking agents, anabolic steroids and T/E ratios in addition to drugs of abuse.
Dos Santos, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, Roy Nelson and Antonio Silva all passed their tests.
It's not the first time Overeem has run afoul of the NSAC. He was granted a conditional license to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 after missing a pre-fight drug test ordered by the commission, which reinstated out-of-competition testing this past July.
Answering to the commission via telephone during an NSAC hearing held three weeks prior to UFC 141, Overeem said he missed the test because he had flown back to his native Holland to care for his ailing mother and wasn't made aware of the obligation. When he got word, he submitted an invalid blood test conducted by his personal doctor and then submitted urine that wasn't tested.
The NSAC gave him a license on the condition that he submit to a drug test conducted by an accredited laboratory, which he did two days later (and subsequently passed), as well as pass a drug test upon arriving in the U.S. for the Lesnar fight and submit to two random tests.
This past Tuesday's test served as one of those random tests, which also followed a fight-night test at UFC 141.
Because Overeem's conditional license expired on Dec. 31, the NSAC will not receive a disciplinary complaint against him as it does for licensed athletes. Instead, he will need to appear before the commission should he choose to apply for a license, which notably, hadn't been filed for UFC 146.
With one half of May 26's event on the shelf, the UFC may give one of the main-card heavyweights an impromptu title shot.
I really hope progress is made for his second testing.
if not the title fight must be scrapped....no one is worthy of a shot ATM.
I am just amazed ...
Quote from: Cory on April 05, 2012, 02:07:48 PM
I really hope progress is made for his second testing.
if not the title fight must be scrapped....no one is worthy of a shot ATM.
I sorta agree. I think a case could be made for Mir.
However, I've been hearing Mark Hunts name flying since this entire thing went down. I think it's crazy how weak this division is right now. Mark Hunt best win is Cheick - thats it.
Yeah L1, but look at this way. They can sell Mark Hunt extensively just on his Pride career alone if he got the shot. He was the man to end Wandy's 5 year win streak, he beat Cro Cop when he was legit and feared, and he came the closest as anyone I've seen to beating Fedor in his prime.
He's beat Kongo and two fat slobs. We can agree on that. But how can you deny how fucking awesome the stand up battle would be? I'm all for #RallyForMarkHunt, fuck Overeem.
Oh yeah and Dana confirmed that Mir vs. Cain is still on for the card. So they get to pick between Hunt, Henderson, and possibly Overeem if he can come up with some ridiculous excuse at his hearing April 24th.
Overeem is still going to try and get his license to lets hope because Overeem/Dos Santos is the ONLY fight Im pumped to see right now.
But id think Hunt would be a nice challenger.....exciting stand up fight. Dont think he has a chance, but then again if you told me Mark Hunt KO'd JDS for the title I wouldnt be surprised.
Royce Gracie vs. Dan Severn (Gracie Breakdown w/ CM Punk) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNV4t_be-EE#ws)
I remember watching this and was shocked that Gracie beat him from the ground . I never seen anything like that before . I was and still am a huge Royce Gracie fan.
By Franklin McNeil | ESPN.com
Middleweight champion Anderson Silva will defend his title for the second time against top contender Chael Sonnen on July 7 at UFC 148 in Las Vegas, promotion president Dana White said Tuesday.
The fight was originally planned for UFC 147 on June 23 in Rio de Janeiro. But UFC has yet to secure a venue for the event, which prompted it to move the fight to the United States.
"We wanted to do the fight here (Brazil) in a soccer stadium," White said at a news conference in Rio. "First we tried Sao Paulo, then we tried to get some stuff done in Rio.
"Not only did that not work out, but we still don't have a venue for The Ultimate Fitghter (Brazil) finale. But we're still working on a venue here."
White said he still intends to hold the finale for "The Ultimate Fitghter: Brazil" on June 23. Coaches Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort are expected to headline the event in a middleweight bout.
Featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who is tentatively schedule to defend his title July 21 at UFC 149 in Calgary, might be moved to the June 23 card. An opponent has yet to be named for Aldo.
With the likelihood of Aldo being taken off the UFC 149 card, White hinted at headline that event with light heavyweight champion Jon Jones defending his title against top contender Dan Henderson. "We've talked about the possibility of Jose Aldo moving to this (UFC 147) card here. It's probably going to happen," White said."We're working with his camp right now.
"And Dan Henderson and Jones could be a possibility. Obviously Jones just fought. We have to give (Jones) a few weeks and see how he feels and figure out what the main event will be in Calgary."
Jones successfully defended his 205-pound belt Saturday night in Atlanta with a unanimous decision over former sparring partner Rashad Evans.
Silva, a native of Brazil, defeated Sonnen at UFC 117 in August 2010 in Oakland, Calif., by a fifth-round submission.
While eager to face Sonnen in his home country, Silva took the news of their rematch taking place in Las Vegas in stride. He will be making his 10th title defense.
"I don't have fans only in Brazil, but worldwide," said Silva, who is 31-4."So regardless of where this fight is, I will be representing Brazil. I will be doing my job for my fans."
Sonnen, who dominated most of the fight with Silva, earned a rematch against the champion when he defeated Michael Bisping by unanimous decision on Jan. 28.
"Look, Las Vegas is the fight capital of the world," Sonnen said."This is the biggest fight in the history of combat -- boxing, wrestling, fighting, anything that is mano a mano, there has been nothing that is bigger than this.
"We're going to the fight capital of Earth. We will be the biggest sporting event in the history of combat."
Sonnen will enter the bout with a professional record of 27-11-1 and a two-fight win streak.
StrikeForce:Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey full fight,luta completa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AAwoPCOxZ0#ws)
For those who missed the fight , here it is ... Watch the Arm Collector do what she does best
Five Fights , Five Rounds , Five Arms ...
Love me some Rousey
lame, the hostile crowd to Sonnen would have been epic.
Hey , from what I heard everyone wanted it in Brazil , but it fell through because of united nations conference or something like that... trust me UFC did not want this one moved
By Franklin McNeil | ESPN.com
Roy Nelson became the latest heavyweight to land a new opponent for UFC 146, the promotion announced Monday on its website.
On the May 26 main card, Nelson will now face Gabriel Gonzaga at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
He was originally scheduled to face Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, but the Brazilian was pulled from that fight to face former UFC heavyweight titleholder Cain Velasquez in the co-main event.
Velasquez was slated to face fellow ex-champion Frank Mir. But that fight was scrapped when Mir got tabbed to meet current champion Junior dos Santos.
Mir replaces top contender Alistair Overeem, who was pulled from the card after failing a random prefight drug test.
Nelson, the former International Fight League heavyweight champion, has a professional record of 16-7. Since winning The Ultimate Fighter series in 2009, Nelson has struggled to find his footing in the Octagon.
He has won just two of his five most recent UFC fights.
Gonzaga, a one-time UFC heavyweight contender, returned to the promotion on Jan. 14 and registered a first-round submission victory over Edinaldo Oliveira.
He was released by UFC following an October 2010 loss to Brendan Schaub.
Gonzaga will carry a 13-6 record into his fight with Nelson.
(http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2011/0525/mma_mir_carwin_576.jpg)
By Brett Okamoto
ESPN.com
As one might expect, Frank Mir found it incredibly difficult to prepare for Cain Velasquez when circumstances -- and every story he read on the Internet -- said he’d be fighting Junior dos Santos.
The UFC announced over the weekend Mir would replace Alistair Overeem in next month’s heavyweight title fight against dos Santos in Las Vegas. Overeem, who is scheduled to appear in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday, failed a random drug test in Las Vegas late last month.
Technically, Overeem hasn’t failed to receive a license from the commission yet, meaning there was an outside chance he’d still be available on May 26. That meant until the UFC’s announcement, Mir had been in limbo on whether he’d fight dos Santos or his originally scheduled opponent, Cain Velasquez.
Realistically, he admitted, his thoughts had more or less settled on the title fight.
“I would be lying if I said it didn’t pull me away from my preparations for Velasquez,†Mir told ESPN.com. “The fact it came through was a good thing, because I already had one eye on dos Santos.â€
In the early parts of camp, Mir was going home and watching Internet videos of college wrestling matches, according to his head trainer Jimmy Gifford. Once the Overeem news was announced, those late-night film sessions mysteriously switched to videos of boxing classics.
“He came in saying, ‘Yeah, I watched Joe Louis fights last night,’†Gifford said. “I told him 'I thought you were watching wrestling.'
“I’m actually happy the fight got changed. We were like everyone else -- reading the Internet, saying this guy tested positive; what’s up? He was already pretty checked out.â€
The best stabilizing force in the camp, according to Mir, was his father. He wouldn’t argue the fact it looked as though his son were headed to a title fight, but still found a fairly creative, yet effective, way to keep the focus on Velasquez.
“My father said, ‘Even if they give us dos Santos, what if he gets hurt?’†Mir said. “Oh, they’ll put me back in with Cain. OK. We’ll prepare for Cain.â€
One month out, the focus has officially turned to dos Santos and it’s a fight Mir and his camp are confident in despite the shortened camp.
A positive for the former champ is that although he was preparing for a three-round fight instead of five, the fact that Velasquez fights at a “middleweight’s pace,†borrowing a phrase from Gifford, forced Mir into the best physical shape of his career.
(http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2012/0424/mma_e_mir_300.jpg)
Al Powers for ESPN.com
Despite a condensed training camp, Frank Mir feels confident heading into a bout with Junior dos Santos.
“In all honesty, I think three rounds with Cain is as vicious as five with anyone else,†Mir said. “As far as what he brings to a fight, Cain is a lawnmower. He keeps moving forward. He threw 300 punches in the Cheick Kongo fight. I don’t think some welterweights can match that. So, I am in better shape cardio-wise now than I have been at any point in my life.â€
While Mir’s team prepares for a title fight, Overeem released a statement Monday that the positive drug test resulted from an “anti-inflammatory medication that was mixed with testosterone,†prescribed to him by his doctor for a rib injury.
Overeem stated he was unaware the substance contained testosterone, which led to his elevated levels.
When asked if that’s an issue he’s ever dealt with in his 11-year career, Mir said he’s made it a point to inform the promotion he’s fighting for exactly what substances he’s on to avoid similar issues.
“Anytime a doctor tells me to take something, I’m immediately telling the UFC,†Mir said. “They have doctors on staff. So, I say, ‘Hey, I have an injury. This is what I’m going to do.’ I’m just very transparent with everything I do. That way, I feel if my doctor gives me something, if I have everyone on board and tell everyone what’s going on, it can be immediately addressed.â€
Some hard-hitting Brazilians will ply their trade on Canadian soil.
Sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that light heavyweights Thiago Silva (14-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (20-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC) have agreed to meet at UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta.
UFC president Dana White today tweeted the Silva vs. Rua matchup but didn't reveal a date for it. MMAjunkie.com later confirmed the targeted event.
UFC 149 takes place July 21 at Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome. The main card airs on pay-per-view, and FX and Facebook are expected to carry the prelims. Silva vs. Rua likely will be part of the PPV lineup, which â€" as MMAjunkie.com first reported â€" will feature a featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo (21-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and challenger Erik Koch (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC).
Silva recently returned from a 15-month layoff (due to a drug suspension) and suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Alexander Gustafsson in this month's UFC on FUEL TV 2 headliner. Since opening his UFC career with a 4-0 mark, the Brazilian is just 1-3, which included a UFC 125 victory over Brandon Vera that was overturned to a no-contest.
Rua recently saw his UFC record fall to .500 with a hard-fought, "Fight of the Year" decision loss to Dan Henderson back in November at UFC 139. The 2006 PRIDE grand-prix champion won the UFC light-heavyweight title from Lyoto Machida in 2010 but lost it to reigning champion Jon Jones in early 2011.
Combined, Silva and Rua have posted 28 knockouts in 34 career wins.
SICK fight
-MMAJUNKIE
Well that didn't take long.
With the ink barely dry on his new UFC deal, former Bellator middleweight champ Hector Lombard (31-2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) made his intentions perfectly clear.
"I want to be UFC middleweight champion, and I want to fight Anderson Silva to do it," Lombard stated. "I have such respect for him as a fighter. It would be an honor and a dream come true to test my skills against his."
Lombard originally announced the deal on Tuesday, and UFC officials today confirmed the new contract. The former Bellator champ vacated the belt to migrate to the UFC.
The UFC nearly brought the 34-year-old Lombard into the fold in 2007, but visa issues halted the possible debut at UFC 78. He's since fought primarily for Bellator and regional promotions in Australia. With Bellator, he he won a season-one tournament, made one title defense, and also won four non-title fights after winning the belt.
"I've wanted to fight in the UFC all my career," Lombard stated. "I wouldn't be in the UFC if I didn't think I could win the UFC world title."
A Cuban native and former Olympic judoka, Lombard trains with American Top Team. He currently boasts an incredible 25-fight win streak. A UFC debut date and opponent have yet to be named.
Silva, of course, is currently slated to fight Chael Sonnen in the main event of July's UFC 148 fight card.
AND
Brian Stann (12-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will serve as the UFC's welcoming committee for longtime Bellator champion and recent UFC signee Hector Lombard (31-2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
Sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) the fighters are expected to meet in August in a network-televised UFC on FOX 4 main-card bout.
UFC president Dana White today tweeted the Stann vs. Lombard matchup but didn't reveal a date for it. MMAjunkie.com later confirmed the targeted event.
UFC on FOX 4 takes place Aug. 4 at Los Angeles' Staples Center. In addition to the FOX-televised main card, FUEL TV is expected to carry the prelims.
Lombard, Bellator's longtime middleweight champion, signed with the UFC just this past week. The Cuban-Australian standout enters the UFC on the strength of a 24-0-1 unbeaten streak that dates back to 2006. Lombard, who nearly signed with the UFC in 2007 before visa issues got in the way, most recently knocked out Trevor Prangley at Bellator 58, which fulfilled the terms of his Bellator deal. He concluded his run in the organization with an 8-0 record.
Stann recently picked up his fourth win in five fights with a first-round knockout via ground and pound of Alessio Sakara earlier this month at UFC on FUEL TV 2. Prior to the victory, the former WEC light-heavyweight champion snapped a three-fight win streak (over Mike Massenzio, Chris Leben and Jorge Santiago) and potentially cost himself a title shot with a second-round submission loss to upcoming title challenger Chael Sonnen.
Cant fucking wait to see that fight, Lombard is a serious contender, and I hope his success continues. Hes the type that can beat Anderson, a strong grappling background (Olympic judo for Cuba) and has knockout power (something Chael doesnt have).
It'd be nice to see someone finally beat Silva so he will definitely be a welcome addition to me!
No offensive to Mir but I thought Cain deserved a title re-match more than Mir does. Down the line though I think we'll see the Dos Santos/Velsaquez re-match for the title.
Quote from: Cory on April 29, 2012, 10:09:17 PM
Cant fucking wait to see that fight, Lombard is a serious contender, and I hope his success continues. Hes the type that can beat Anderson, a strong grappling background (Olympic judo for Cuba) and has knockout power (something Chael doesnt have).
A mate of mine does MMA and spoke very highly of this guy after seeing him fight here in Aus. Judging by his record, he'll kick serious ass in UFC.
Your right sick fight
and a must win for Silva
He has looked great fighting guys that are not on his level, the fight against Stann will be really interesting, first time he'll be fighting someone with the striking power to match his own. Lombard is much more well rounded though and I would've thought he has Stann beat in that respect.
I always think he'd be an awesome welterweight, but the cut would probably be pretty rough on him considering he is a beast 'n all.
MMAJUNKIE-
The rubber match will have to wait.
UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (19-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has torn his ACL and is now unavailable to face opposing "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" coach Urijah Faber (26-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC 148.
The injury was first reported by PhyteGurus.com and has since been confirmed by UFC president Dana White.
UFC boss White announced the injury via Twitter, but it's currently unknown if Faber will take another fight in the interim or wait for Cruz to heal. White's post encouraged fans to "stay tuned for more info."
UFC 148 takes place July 7 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view, and FX and Facebook are expected to carry the prelims. Cruz vs. Faber III was originally expected to take the headlining slot of the event, but logistical issues forced the move of Anderson Silva (31-4 MMA, 14-0 UFC) vs. Chael Sonnen (27-11-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC) II from a planned Brazilian slot to the main event of UFC 148.
Cruz and Faber currently serve as opposing head coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter: Live." Their traditional coach-vs.-coach bout was set to place a month after the reality show's conclusion on FX.
It would have been their third meeting overall; Faber won the first at WEC 26 via submission to defend the WEC featherweight title, and in 2011, Cruz avenged the defeat with a unanimous-decision victory at UFC 132 to defend his UFC belt.
A timetable for Cruz's return has yet to be established.
HORRIBLE. Especially with TUF live.
This sucks but it happens. Ugh.
- The summer title fight between UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and top contender Urijah Faber is off. Cruz, who is currently coaching opposite Faber on this season's The Ultimate Fighter, blew his ACL. The fight was scheduled to be the co-main event of UFC 148 on July 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which is headlined by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva defending his championship against Chael Sonnen. You can get more details about this story at FightLine.com by clicking here.
Read more: http://www.WrestlingInc.com/wi/news/2012/0507/552419/tommy-dreamer/#ixzz1uFYMArOk (http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2012/0507/552419/tommy-dreamer/#ixzz1uFYMArOk)
Was really looking forward to the Cruz-Faber fight so this is definitely a bummer. An ACL is an injury that could take up to a year to fully recover so I don't think it'd be a bad idea to have an interim title fight and then unify them in a bout with Cruz when he is healthy again.
Pretty much how Dana operates... I was excited about the third fight , first two were classics and I wanted to know who was going to win the rubber match
while have to wait a little longer
Not been a good last two months for Dana, first Overeem now Cruz. Yikes.
MMAJUNKIE-
Benson Henderson's first defense of the UFC lightweight title is official.
UFC president Dana White today confirmed Henderson and former champ Frankie Edgar will meet at UFC 150 on Aug. 11. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) first reported the likely date this past month.
White made the official announcement during tonight's new edition of "UFC Tonight" on FUEL TV.
Denver's Pepsi Center hosts the event, which includes a pay-per-view main card and prelims on FX and Facebook.
Edgar (14-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC), of course, surrendered the belt to Henderson (16-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at February's UFC 144 event via unanimous decision.
UFC president Dana White initially encouraged Edgar to drop to 145 pounds and challenge UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo for the title. However, Edgar remained intent on fighting again for the lightweight belt, and a bit of fan lobbying and fighter encouragement eventually led White to change his mind and award a rematch to "The Answer."
Edgar, of course, is no stranger to rematches. Henderson marks the third straight opponent whom he's faced in back-to-back fights after tussling with Gray Maynard and B.J. Penn.
Meanwhile, former WEC champ Henderson looks to remain perfect under the UFC banner. Anthony Pettis defeated "Smooth" in the final WEC event, but Henderson had picked up wins over Mark Bocek, Jim Miller and Clay Guida to earn his title shot before taking the decision win over Edgar.
Pettis initially was expected to get the next shot at Henderson after earning a knockout win over Joe Lauzon at UFC 144. Instead, he now waits on a new opponent.
it makes sense ... it going to be another good fight
Quote from: Cory on May 09, 2012, 02:50:48 AM
Not been a good last two months for Dana, first Overeem now Cruz. Yikes.
agree
I know a rematch will be awesome, but it's honestly unfair to the rest of the lightweight division. It seems that everytime a title shot is up for grabs, it is a rematch.
I am sure this causes a lot of unrest of the 'locker room'. I know it would piss me off thinking I beat someone and earned a shot at the title only to once again be told hold on, we have to do yet another rematch. Maynard/Edgar went at it three times, and now two times between Benson and Frankie. I would have rather seen Pettis and Henderson go at it, but that's just me.
UFC has had a lot of hard luck here lately, someone is not living right. Kharma is def. taking an effect against Dana White.
...Awesome Kong made Cruz tear his ACL?
And as per always someone has to say it.....he was scared..he didn't wanna face Faber jking.
MMAJUNKIE --
As expected, UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) and Dan Henderson (29-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) will headline UFC 151 on Sept. 1.
UFC president Dana White officially announced the title fight via Twitter and said it'll take place in Las Vegas.
The UFC boss first hinted at the likely date for Jones vs. Henderson this past week.
No venue has been announced for the title fight, which will air on pay-per-view. FX and Facebook are expected to carry the prelims.
Jones, who's quickly emerged as one of MMA's biggest stars, earned a unanimous-decision victory over Rashad Evans at UFC 145. It marked his seventh straight win, his fourth consecutive victory over a former UFC champ, and his third consecutive title defense. It also cemented his status as one of the sport's top pound-for-pound fighters.
Henderson, meanwhile, is on a 7-1 run that includes fights at middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. The heavyweight win came over Fedor Emelianenko under the Strikeforce banner. After re-signing with the UFC, Henderson then topped light heavyweight Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in a "Fight of the Year" performance at UFC 139. Since then, he's waited on the sidelines for his promised title shot.
UFC 151 comes three weeks after UFC 150 in Denver and three weeks prior to UFC 152 in Toronto.
As expected, the second international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" will feature Australia vs. the U.K.
UFC executives today announced the launch of "The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K.," which airs later this year.
Tryouts for the show, which are open to fighters weighing between 61 and 77 kilograms (approximately 135 to 170 pounds) are scheduled for June 12 in Sydney and June 15 in London.
"Australia and the U.K. have a fierce, long-standing rivalry, and where better to settle the score than in the UFC's Octagon?" asked UFC exec Marshall Zelaznik in an official release. "The popularity of MMA has exploded in Australia and the U.K., with gyms opening all over the respective countries. There is an athlete in one of those gyms who hasn't had the chance to show the world what he can do. 'The Ultimate Fighter' is going give to him that opportunity.
"We're going to discover the UFC's future stars. You can bet on it."
UFC officials first teased the idea of the series in January, with the season's live finale expected to take place in Brisbane, Australia. UFC officials declined to confirm a slot for the finale in today's release.
Nicknamed "The Smashes," a play on words of the 130-year-old cricket rivalry between the two nations known as "The Ashes," "The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K." follows "TUF: Brazil" as the second international edition of the long-running reality series. Like "TUF: Brazil," the show is expected to be tape-delayed (as opposed to the current live format of the series aired in the U.S. on FX). Broadcast plans for the series have yet to be announced, though its expected to be filmed in Australia.
fuck man.....whens Canada getting its shot.
As much as I love Jon Jones, I believe Dan Henderson has a legitimate chance against him. It'll be hard for Hendo to get in on Jones, but when he does I believe he can rock him. And Hendo's wrestling is top notch, I mean he is an Olympic wrestler. Can't wait for this match.
I agree -- I think Henderson has the best chance of getting him down to the mat and in the guard position.
Henderson doesn't stand a chance on his feet.
Am I the only person who remembers Shields Vs Henderson?
I believe the only chance he has is on his feet landing that massive punch and winning that way... If Shields can out wrestle Hendo then I see no way that Jones cannot do the same...
This reminds me so much of the Silva Vs Belfort fight pre-hype where everyone was saying how Belfort had Silvas number and that he had the best chance of beating him and Silva made that front kick famous...
At 41 years old I think he is getting far to much credit and I love Hendo but lets not forget that when he was 37 he lost back to back fights to Rampage and Silva... It isn't like age has made Hendo better and yeah he beat Shogun but it wasn't like a dominate performance and if we recall Shogun was manhandled by Jones...
I think the truth is that Evans had the best chance and he didn't do it...
However we all know MMA so anything can happen... If Hendo lands a punch and wins he won't hold the title long...
I actually thhink Hendo has the best chance on his feet.....Hendo has the hardest right in MMA...he KO'd Fedor, a guy with 30lbs on him. If he can knockout Fedor, he can know out Bones.
However.....Hendo deserves the belt...ageless wonder coming off the fight of the year.....Bones has had two really lackluster fighrs out of his last 3....v/s Jackson and Evans he dominated but wasn't overall impressive. Hes hitting that glass window like GSP...so dominate (dont get me wrong...hes fighting top guys and making them look like their in another league) but lets hope that Evans fight wasnt his first step into become GSP and winning his next 5 by decision.
Hendo finishes fights, and Ill be cheering for him as he takes on the most dominate fighter at 205 in quite some time.
I disagree with the lacklustre performance comments. Rashad Evans is the only guy he didn't finish, and to be fair, at times he just looked like he was toying with him, Anderson Silva-esque. I know you hate the Greg Jackson style tactics and what not, but how can a fighter who dominates great fighter after great fighter be clased as lacklustre? Considering he is always looking to finish I don't see the comparison to GSP at all.
He beats Dan Henderson in every department, if Jackson and Rashad can't get him down, control him, no chance Henderson can. I can see Henderson knocking him out though. Personally, I hope he doesn't. Yeah it would be a great story, but I've never really been a fan of Henderson, mostly because he keeps knocking my favourite fighters silly. Jones to win this one, though it'll be interesting to see how he does against his first true power puncher.
Any talk on who the coaches are?
Don't think I can deal with another Bisping season, even though I like guy guy.
Only other options I can think of are Dan Hardy/Che Mills vs Kyle Noke (dropping to Welterweight).
I dont think Bones beats Hendo in every department.
I think Hendo has more power, and is better up against the cage, tested & proven chin, and experience is always an asset. I wouldnt bet money on Jones to lose, becuase hes a greatly dominate fighter, but I think Hendo will be more of a threat then Evans was. Rashad played right into Jones game and gave us a shit fight aside from one round. (I honestly said lackluster because I was still disapointed with how unentertaining the Evans fight was....JBJ is still my 1 p4p guy). Hendo knows he needs to go for it and if he goes out itll be swinging....not constantly adjusting angles like Evans did.
George Sotiropoulos would be best best for Aussie IMO...maybe Mark Hunt.
UK....tough. Again Bisping is still the face and best UK fighter ATM, but if Sortiopoulos is in, maybe Terry Etim
Bones VIA whatever he wants.
Hendo has a punchers chance - that's about it.
Hunt as a coach would be awesome, shame there are no British heavyweights that are on his level. Overeem is technically English as he was born in the country, but actual English heavyweights such as Broughton, Thompson and De Fries have pretty much no name value at all.
Sotriopoulos/Etim again, I just don't think Etim has the name value, and Sotri only has it from being in TUF. Pearson would be a better choice here if he hadn't dropped a weight division, but he's featured quite a bit in this season as one of Cruz's coaches.
Just got a feeling it will be really underwhelming , I don't know about anybody else, but I kinda got bored of TUF Brazil. Not sure why, some of the fights were enjoyable and there was plenty going on, just found myself disliking Wanderlei as the show went on and I don't want my opinion of him tarnished.
Quote from: Cory on May 14, 2012, 11:26:22 PM
I dont think Bones beats Hendo in every department.
I think Hendo has more power, and is better up against the cage, tested & proven chin, and experience is always an asset. I wouldnt bet money on Jones to lose, becuase hes a greatly dominate fighter, but I think Hendo will be more of a threat then Evans was. Rashad played right into Jones game and gave us a shit fight aside from one round. (I honestly said lackluster because I was still disapointed with how unentertaining the Evans fight was....JBJ is still my 1 p4p guy). Hendo knows he needs to go for it and if he goes out itll be swinging....not constantly adjusting angles like Evans did.
I'll give you the other two, Jones chin has only really been tested once but it's not enough to get a good of idea of how much he can take. But I'm not sure about this. I don't think Henderson will be able to get the right leverage to successfully pin Jones against the cage, Jones comes from a similar grappling background (though Henderson was obviously at more elite a level), so he that balance, and with his height I just don't see it happening. An example of this is the Bisping/Sonnen fight, two completey different fighters, but that's what I see happening if Henderson attempts those kind of tactics. Plus Jones has shown himself to be dangerous up against the cage as well, pinning them there with his reach, landing with elbows and knees. He finished Shogun and Machida up against the cage, and nearly finished Rashad.
Like Level One said, he's got a punchers chance.
Well if you can distinguish Wandy from the fighter and the person then you should be fine...but I too have found it hard getting into TUF BRazil and I dont really know why that is
TJ Grant dominated Carlos Prator last night, and he lives and trains like 15 minutes away from me. Ive met him numerous times and hes a legit dude....glad. He actually beat Johny Hendricks....but kneed him in the balls and lost a point and lost 2-1 every round.
Anyways....looks like a main card fight next. Proud of my boy.
Watch the fight ... very good fighter
Tj grant once fought my training partner, elmer waterhen. Elmer has nothing but praise for him
Hes a great local guy....hes got offered to go to bigger gyms and shit, but declined to stay local. Ive never really tried MMA TBH...ive done kickboxing here and there and I used to go there to get a great cardio workout....but TJ a great guy...often does a lot of free seminars and shit.
Never forget the time I stuffed a takedown from him....then again I outweighted him by 25 pounds.
MMAJUNKIE-
The long and illustrious career of Fedor Emelianenko (33-4) reportedly will come to a close in just a month.
The 35-year-old fighter told Russian television outlet isport.ua his recently announced June 21 fight with Pedro Rizzo (19-9) will be the final one before his retirement.
The former PRIDE champion and recent Strikeforce fighter said the time was right.
"It will be the last fight of my career," Emelianenko said. "It's time to end my career."
The June 21 event is held in conjunction with M-1 Global at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. It's expected to air on pay-per-view.
Emelianenko recently left Strikeforce following consecutive losses to Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson. Since then, the Russian recently has competed overseas, where he picked up victories over Jeff Monson and Satoshi Ishii in late 2011. The Rizzo fight is his first of 2012.
Despite his recent setbacks with Strikeforce, Emelianenko once was the most celebrated heavyweight â€" perhaps the most celebrated competitor in any weight class â€" in MMA. As part of his legendary PRIDE run, when he held the title from 2003 to 2006, he won 27 consecutive fights (with one no-contest) while building an aura of invincibility.
Emelianenko's notable wins have come over the likes of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, among others. Many of the opponents were in the prime of their careers.
However, due to a contentious relationship between the UFC and Emelianenko's management, the fighter never competed in the UFC, which has housed most of the world's top heavyweights since PRIDE's collapse.
MMAJUNKIE-
One of the biggest and most marketable stars in the UFC has been arrested on suspicion of DUI.
Jon Jones, the UFC's reigning light-heavyweight champion, was arrested early this morning after crashing his Bentley in Binghamton, N.Y., near his hometown in Ithaca.
Jones' management team confirmed the arrest today but stated, "The facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated."
The Broome County Sheriff's department reportedly took Jones, 24, into custody earlier today at approximately 5 a.m. ET, according to TMZSports.com. According to the report, he crashed his car into a utility pole, and his mom bailed him out a few hours later.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) could not immediately reach UFC officials for comment, but Jones' management team released a statement.
"I can confirm that Jon Jones was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI," stated manager Malki Kawa. "While the facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated, First Round Management fully supports Jon, and we are asking for fans and media to respect the privacy of Jon and his family during this time."
Kawa stated that neither Jones nor his representatives will grant any interviews at this time.
However, a representative told MMAjunkie.com Jones wasn't injured in the crash.
Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) most recently fought at and headlined UFC 145 on April 21, when he defeated rival Rashad Evans via unanimous decision. It marked his seventh straight victory and his third consecutive title defense.
The arrest is unlikely to result in any type of punishment from the UFC. Fellow fighter Ross Pearson, for example, was arrested in Las Vegas on suspicion of DUI earlier this month. UFC president Dana White condemned anyone who drinks and drives but said Pearson wouldn't be pulled from an upcoming card.
"I'm a realist," White said. "You can't expect all these people to be perfect. I understand they're role models. They're human beings. They're going to make mistakes. I'm one of those guys that believes we're all going to make mistakes â€" it's how you handle it after you make that mistake that tells you who you really are."
Jones' fight with Henderson takes place Sept. 1 in Las Vegas.
I honestly didn't believe it at first... but after digging around it seems legit. Very sad, very unfortunate. At the same time, I just want to roll my eyes with how he goes on about religion. This SHOULD bring him back down to earth. I'm just glad he's alright he could have easily been killed today or even worse killed someone else.
He's has a sick ground game - very smooth with his transitions. All around solid fighter, though. I'm looking forward to seeing more of TJ Grant he brings it every time I've seen him.
Thing is everyone makes mistakes, expect hes famous and needs to play the role model type, especially with his religious background.
Plus....if you drink and drive you're the stupidest fucking idiot on the planet.
I love Dana's attitude. Any other sport and he'd be suspended immediately.
I was beyond pissed off when I heard this! I wanted to see Dom kick Faber's ass!
MMAJUNKIE-
UFC president Dana White and Tito Ortiz (16-10-1 MMA, 15-10-1 UFC) haven't always seen eye to eye, but that won't keep the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" from earning a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.
White today told MMAWeekly.com that Ortiz will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at July's UFC Fan Expo.
"The storylines played out, and it's part of our history, between me, Chuck (Liddell) and Tito," White said following Tuesday's UFC 150 press conference in Denver. "It is definitely a part of the history of this sport."
Ortiz made his UFC debut in 1997 at UFC 13, the same event where future UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture also first fought. At 22 years old, Ortiz competed as an amateur in order to preserve his college wrestling eligibility. He would ultimately go 1-1 in the night's tournament, earning a win over Wes Albritton in an alternate bout before replacing an injured Enson Inoue and losing via submission to Guy Mezger.
Nineteen months later, Ortiz took his lone professional bout outside of the octagon, defeating Jeremy Screeton in just 16 seconds at a Los Angles-area event titled West Coast No Holds Barred Championships.
Ortiz returned to the UFC in 1999 at UFC 18, winning eight of his next nine fights and claiming the UFC light heavyweight title in the process. Ortiz would go on to defend the belt five times before surrendering it to Couture in 2003.
Ortiz would later put together five straight wins after defeating Ken Shamrock (twice), Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort and Patrick Cote, earning another shot at the belt â€" and former friend Liddell â€" at UFC 66 in December 2006. Ortiz would ultimately fall short in that bid, but the $5.4 million gate still ranks as the largest live MMA gate ever earned in Nevada.
Ortiz also boasts the honor of headlining the first sanctioned MMA event in the state of Nevada, beating Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 33 in September 2001. While the event is infamous for running over its allotted pay-per-view time following five straight decisions on the main card, it always will serve as the starting point for legalized MMA in Nevada and the UFC's first show in its Sin City home base.
Ortiz's five defenses of the light heavyweight belt still are the most ever for that championship, and while he publicly feuded with White over the years, he always returned to the octagon. Ortiz was twice a coach on "The Ultimate Fighter" and currently holds the career record for most UFC bouts with 26. (Matt Hughes, whose future status is still in question, has fought 25 times for the UFC. Josh Koscheck is the most likely to eclipse the mark with 21 UFC appearances at 34 years old.)
Ortiz's rivalries with Shamrock and Liddell were key storylines in the early days of the UFC, and his tiffs with the boss were always a constant source of tension and news. Ortiz fights for the final time at UFC 148, which takes place July 7 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, where he completes a trilogy series with fellow former champ Griffin.
The UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony is likely to take place on Friday, July 6, at the nearby Mandalay Bay Convention Center prior to the event's official weigh-in ceremony as part of the UFC Fan Expo.
Ortiz will be the eighth fighter inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Mark Coleman, Couture, Royce Gracie, Hughes, Liddell, Dan Severn and Shamrock. TapouT co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis is also in the UFC Hall of Fame.
He will make a good addition to the Hall.
A well deserving inductee
no problem with that ... he earn it
No matter the shenanigans or where he is now as a fighter, he definitely deserves this. For a long time him and Chuck were the faces of American MMA.
May be one of the greatest insights on current UFC situation ive ever seen.
MMAJUNKIE-
LOS ANGELES â€" The way injury withdrawals have ravaged the UFC's 2012 schedule, Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva II looks all the more special.
Sonnen, or Chael P. Sonnen â€" it's hard to differentiate the two these days â€" said there's no way he would ever withdraw from a fight. And he has a solution for halting others from doing so.
"I think there should be forfeiture," he today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)).
Should a fighter withdraw, Sonnen said, he would take a loss on his professional record.
"It's not realistic with the architecture that we have, but we're the only sport where you can just not show up," he said.
"Every event is set. The Super Bowl for 2015. The kickoff time, the venue â€" it's set. If one team doesn't want to show up, a Super Bowl champion will be crowned that day."
Sonnen and champ Silva (31-4 MMA, 14-0 UFC) headline UFC 148, which takes place July 7 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The event's main card airs live on pay-per-view while preliminary-card fights air on FX and Facebook.
Sonnen (27-11-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC) said his pre-fight schedule virtually guarantees he'll get sick the week of the fight. The one time he felt healthy beforehand, against Demian Maia at UFC 95, he got "rolled up so bad" that he blocks it from his memory.
The point is, he fights regardless of how he feels, and everyone else should too.
"My father was a plumber," Sonnen said. "I would never disrespect him by not showing up to an athletic competition that has a maximum duration of 25 minutes. I hear guys talking, 'I pulled a hamstring.' What does that have to do with anything? That's a button off of my shirt. 'Aw, I broke a finger â€" button fell off my shirt, let's sew this back on.' What possibly does it have to do with walking across the ring and beating a guy up? It's ridiculous.
"We have a Mike Tyson quote (he stole that from me): 'The military is at war right now. A soldier gets confronted on the battlefield. He doesn't say, "Get on a scale. You know, I'm not feeling good, can we reschedule this a week from now?" That's not real life, and if you give your word that you're going to do something, you need to do it."
It's even more bothersome to the UFC middleweight title challenger that fighters talk about injuries following a fight.
"I appreciate it when Junior (Dos Santos) beat Cain Velasquez; I think Cain is so scary," Sonnen said. "And Junior tarnishes it by saying he was hurt. Because he's not trying to tell you he was hurt â€" he's attempting to paint a picture. And picture is, 'As good as I did, I'm even better had I been healed.' It's absurd. You just trained for a cage fight. We would expect that you don't feel that good. It's extremely redundant to say that."
Perhaps surprisingly, Sonnen, or Chael P., doesn't take issue with the claim that Silva was suffering from a rib injury prior to their first meeting at UFC 117, which ended when Silva submitted him in the fifth round after a four-plus round beating by Sonnen as the challenger.
"It's great marketing," Sonnen said. "It works. People go for it. It's (manager) Ed Soares marketing 101. Each Blackhouse guy, that's what they do. 'I was hurt.' And it's like a new thing. I completely believe you. I don't think you're lying. I just don't know what the relevance is."
But while Sonnen understands it might be good business for injured fighters to turn down matches that could damage their career, or worse yet, see them cut from the UFC, he believes that a real sportsman doesn't think that way.
And despite his disdain for the practice, he doesn't believe the injury bug is hurting the UFC's business.
"They still sell out shows," Sonnen said. "Numbers are still great, and the roster is so deep that sometimes the replacement fights are better. So it's not bad for business. I just don't understand it. There's so many fake tough guys in this sport. Man, you can get all the tattoos you want, and boast to everybody about how tough you are, but if you're not willing to make that walk when they call your name, it doesn't count."
Sonnen isn't shy about saying he'll make that walk on July 7 in what will be the final fight of UFC 148. He's waited nearly two years for a rematch with Silva, and there's no way he'll miss out. Unless, of course, he breaks a leg.
Then it might not be his choice.
UFC 148 SILVA vs SONNEN II Pre-fight Press Conference (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDUNUcJkl0#ws)
Obviously after losing to Anderson Silva there's a ton of speculation about Chael Sonnen and what's next for him. I even read WWE but that's a joke - he'd get a shit lot more money staying in UFC for a few more fights.
Anyway, the most recent topic and one Chael himself has commented on is moving up to LHW.
He's stuck in the same position as a guy like Koscheck who aren't going to get anywhere near another Title shot in their division until the Champion loses his belt.
So would this be a good move for Sonnen? He's never going to get a Title shot at 205...or would he? Where do you guys see Sonnen's career going now his feud with Anderson is dead?
Peace
Duckman
So Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin have been announced as the next coaches on the new season of TUF.
I have to admit I quite liked the live format of the last season but I can see why they're going back to taped for the new one. Although I don't think it'll do much for the ratings. They need to get the show off Friday nights and back onto a day and time slot when people are actually watching TV. But that's a whole other issue.
Just wondering what you guys make of Nelson and Carwin as coaches and whether it interests you in the new season? Personally I think Nelson has the kind of personality to make the show entertaining. He's got a kind of weird, sarcastic sense of humour that could translate well into annoying Carwin who seems super serious and intense most of the time.
I guess the main issue is do you want to see them fight at the end of the season? I think it could be half decent but to be honest there's maybe some younger and more dynamic fighters on the roster who could do with the boost in exposure that coaching TUF brings.
What'd you guys think?
Peace
Duckman
I really don't know what's up with Rosenthal at the moment when it comes to late stoppages.
He let Cain turn Big Foot into burger meat for WAY too long in their fight. Then at UFC on Fuel on Wednesday he stood by as Mark Munoz took about 10-12 punches on the ground that he REALLY shouldn't have taken. When I saw that elbow connect from Weidman I thought Munoz was out cold. When he hit the mat face down I thought he was out cold. Then Rosenthal stands there going, "fight back Mark" while he's getting the crap punched out of him and doing NOTHING to defend.
I just don't get what fight Rosenthal was watching. Fighter safety is absolutely paramount and Munoz was lucky he didn't get more badly hurt.
It also makes defending the sport to people who don't like it all the more difficult.
Feels like it's time both refereeing and judging in MMA was given a major overall. What would you guys do? What's your take?
Peace
Duckman
Here's why:
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/411053/ESPN-releases-Body-Issue-images-of-naked-Ronda-Rousey/ (http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/411053/ESPN-releases-Body-Issue-images-of-naked-Ronda-Rousey/)
Oh and the fact she's a really great fighter and probably one of the best at selling a fight with her promos outside of Chael Sonnen!
Peace
Duckman
i saw that pic ...my heart stop
These are fucking awesome!! Dude is going through every PRIDE FC show from number 1 and creating these videos. Enjoy:
Part 1:
The best of PRIDE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QWNw5pkcGs#ws)
Part 2:
The best of PRIDE (Part 2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFd5IG10IAc#)
Part 3:
The best of PRIDE (Part 3) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Iilp2W9o_4#)
Peace
Duckman
UFC on Fuel: Mark Munoz vs Chris Weidman (Full Fight) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwVw_IKXYMc#ws)
I heard rumours on Twitter of Stephan Bonnar being the 1st candidate. Bonnar wants one more big name before he retires and Sonnen would be it, plus I'd watch that fight.
Im just going to find it hard to believe Sonnens trash when hes leaving a division because he can't be the champion....kinda weak, yet totally understandable.
Yeah, favourited that pic on Twitter.....aside from the mole thing under her left eye, shes damn near perfect, sooo sexy and such a dangerious fighter.
Yeah, I usually regard Josh as one of the better refs but you hit it on the head there Sam, recently he's been just awful. No one is as bad as that girl ref (see Cyborg v/s Yamanaka) but now Josh is down there with Mazagatti and Mirgliotta for the worst in form refs.
Well like you said, Roy has personality and Shanes seriousness is something that scares the shit out of most people, makes for a great show. Two guys who try to hog all the attention will either be fantastic like Rampage/Rashad, or horrible like old Tito/Shamrock. I think a balance between the funny guy and the serious guy is good.
Faber and Cruz didnt really have the greatest personalities.
I want to see LHW and HW tho....try and redeem theirselves from the 1st time they did heavyweight TUF.
(http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/troll_approval.gif)
I just feel like the mantra for all refs and actually all MMA fans should be, "I'd rather see an early stoppage than a late one." They can always do a rematch if it's an early stoppage. God forbid but they might not get that chance if the stoppage is too late.
Peace
Duckman
Not sure about the move, and to be honest I think it would be a good time for him to try something away from MMA. He still has a lot of hype behind him and it wasn't like he got completely destroyed in the fight. But I'm not sure he can really make an impression on the LHW division, sure the build up to a fight with Griffin or Bonnar might be entertaining, but the guys will be bigger, stronger, and I think a lot of the top fighters in the LHW division are more well rounded than the top Middleweights.
Completely agree, way too late a stoppage and it's cool that Dana is acknowledging it is a bad call publically, but he has done it several times alongside judging decisions but nothing is being pushed to change. I know it's not Dana who is in power when it comes to these things, but a man of his power, with his money, I'm sure he could do something other than saying 'Don't let it go to the judges' - because they're incompetent. What are we expecting next TUF 'Don't get knocked out, 'cos the ref might just watch on as you get your head caved in'.
I think late stoppages seemingly occur more often than early ones, and that definitely needs to change.
I like the combination, I don't think Nelson will be as annoying as someone like Koscheck, but will be enough of an irritant to Carwin to make us care about the fight at the end and the competition between them. The Faber/Cruz 'hate' seemed way too forced this past season, so hopefully this one might make the show a little more interesting.
A heavyweights show would be great too.
The judges for the UK vs. Australia: The Ashes are Ross Pearson & Sotripoulous. Which sounds exciting. Shame they signed Jimi Manuwa up for the Nottingham card as that dude could've torn through this show.
I can't remember if it was Bas or Kenny that said it on Inside MMA a couple of weeks ago, but Sonnen's best fight was his first loss to Anderson Silva.
I didn't understand the hype behind the guy other than his mouth, never seen anything impressive from him.
As far as him moving up to 205? Would probably be a horrible mistake, if anything he should drop down and give it a go. But leaving a division because you lost the the champion is pretty weak. Maybe they should send him to Strikeforce and let him dabble in their middleweight division.
He looked good against Brian Stann, completely dominated him and got an easy sub.
He looked phenomenal in the Stann and Marquardt fights, and garbage in the Bisping one.
Quote from: Cory on July 13, 2012, 10:53:43 PM
He looked phenomenal in the Stann and Marquardt fights, and garbage in the Bisping one.
I'll have to look those two fights up, I seen the latter match and it was awful indeed.
I think they will be great working together, because Roy Nelson is pretty funny. And well, Carwin always looks like the Terminator.
I was kinda surprised by this though because he just said on Inside MMA that he wouldn't be ready till late Fall, maybe early Winter. My question is though do you think Carwin will be the same after the back surgery?
And I really hope they put some LHW and HWs on the show, I enjoy watching the little guys but they need some fresh blood in those divisions.
I didn't watch any of the TUF: Live, I could not get into it. Faber and Cruz did seem real forced. I am glad they're going back to the taped show and hopefully they move it back to Wednesday night.
Glad I wasn't the only one who felt this way. That stoppage was way too late. I figured he would have called it after he hit the ground after the elbow.
Early stoppage is better than late stoppage, everyone should agree on that.
Yes, this season interests me a hell of a lot more than Faber/Cruz, and Bisping/Miller before that.
But I guess it's more based on - Roy Nelson can take hard shots, Shane Carwin has bricks for hands. Nelson hits hard himself, but Carwin's chin really hasn't been tested beyond the JDS fight. Plus, like the above poster said, the back surgery leaves a lot of questions that need answerin'!
I like the Faber/ Cruz feud , problem there was undercurrent of respect there and it was hard to not see it. So the hate same force at time . But that fight would have been great and I am still hoping to see it.
Nelson and Carwin is interesting
I think the Bisping/Miller season gets a bad press because of how utterly shit their fight was at the end. Miller just didn't have it at UFC level. I actually thought the pranks and how shitty they were with each other were really fucking funny. Then again I do have the sense of humour of a 12 year old.
I just hope Carwin stays healthy and they don't have to replace him mid season or something. Had enough injuries in UFC these past few months to last a life time.
Oh and it looks like they're coaching WWs this year. Because UFC needs more of them...apparently...
Peace
Duckman
Worst PPV in last 5 years.
I did not watch it but I have read some about it and it did not seem that good, but I guess they can't all be winners.
Ive kinda lost interest in UFC and I think honestly it's cause they have so many shows now. Before they had only like one show a month with the UFC Unleashed once a week with old fights but they could promote their upcoming events. Now it just seems like they have so much and it's a lot to try and keep track of, but then again that's just me.
There's only three fights that didnt entertain me, kongos, lombards, and mitch clarkes because I live in saskatoon, the guy is an errogant spaz and nobody irl likes him
I didn't like really any fights. The ones that were "good" would have been average on any card. I missed the Nick Ring fight, but like many the main card was awful. Yet another reason why I hate Kongo, such trash never been a fan since his bullshit fight with Cro Cop.
The Lombard/Boetch fight was maybe the worst fight Ive ever seen, and how they scored that Boetch? I would be pissed if Hector didn't deserve to lose, but Hector rocked Boetch in the 2nd with a kick to the liver and had a big slam in the 3rd where Boetch did NOTHING....
And by the time the main event came everyone in the bar was already leaving, and even I didn't give it a chance. I blacked out after the 3rd round, so cant really say, say it was a decision so probably wasnt anything special.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Frank Mir (16-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC) is temporarily leaving the octagon in favor of a Strikeforce cage.
USA TODAY Sports confirmed with UFC and Strikeforce officials that Mir had agreed to meet Strikeforce grand prix winner and former two-time Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier (10-0 MMA, 7-0 SF) at a yet-to-be-announced Strikeforce event expected to take place in late October.
It will air on Showtime.
"There has been a lot of speculation as to who Cormier would fight next, and this is the fight that makes the most sense," UFC President Dana White said. "The reality is, Cormier is one of the best heavyweights in the world. He just won the grand prix and beat Josh Barnett. He needs to fight opponents of that caliber, and Frank Mir is that guy."
Strikeforce was purchased by the UFC's parent company, Zuffa, in March 2011. The companies have since operated independently, and differences between White and Strikeforce's broadcast partners at Showtime have led to a largely frosty relationship. However, this booking represents a temporary change in direction, as the UFC and Strikeforce rosters were previously considered mutually exclusive.
After the fight, both Mir and Cormier will compete in the UFC after a decision this past fall for Strikeforce to dissolve its heavyweight division and focus on developing other weight classes. Many of the company's heavyweights moved to the UFC, while Cormier stayed to finish out the heavyweight tournament.
For more on Strikeforce in October, stay tuned to the Rumors section of the site.
-Credit goes to MMAJunkie
So, what do you guys think? Frank Mir stand a chance against Cormier? Or does Cormier prove he is a worthy contender of being in the top 5 heavyweights in the world? This fight is huge and I can't wait. I am putting my money on Cormier, only thing he needs to watch for is Mir's sneaky submissions. Cormier looked sick the entire Grand Prix, at least in my opinion. Although most of his opponents were over rated and outdated.
Where does this leave Barnett though? I know they said both fighters were getting one more fight under Strikeforce banner, and after that does he end up in the UFC? Or will Barnett go to Bellator? Or possibly retire?
Discuss
Well mir is still a dangerous fighter and still well respected so a win over him is huge
Quote from: Black Death on July 26, 2012, 07:53:34 PM
Well mir is still a dangerous fighter and still well respected so a win over him is huge
THIS.
I think this is a very close fight, but will be the final proving match if Cormier is ready for UFC elite level HWs.
It will be interesting to see Cormier bridge the gap, I see him being too much for Mir, but Mir could just do what he did to Big Nog and rip his arm off after getting peppered on the feet. Cormier doesn't having the boxing talent of either Nog or JDS, so it should be interesting.
Barnett to Bellator could be interesting, he would make a good challenge for Konrad.
Mir's essentially a jobber to the stars at this point so this will do more for Cormier's rep going into UFC than anything else (assuming he wins).
Should be a decent fight regardless of the outcome.
Suspended â€" and retired â€" UFC welterweight Nick Diaz may be eyeing a return to the game, and when he comes back, he wants fights "that matter."
That's according to his head coach and manager, Cesar Gracie. And by fights "that matter," there's one in particular that Gracie said Diaz plans to ask for: a shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
Gracie on Friday wrote in a blog post at GracieFighter.com titled "Future of Nick Diaz" that the Stockton, Calif., native would take a catchweight fight with Silva "in a minute," but if Silva won't come down, Diaz is glad to go up to 185 for the fight.
Diaz (27-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) has not fought since a UFC 143 loss in February to Carlos Condit in an interim welterweight title fight. After the unanimous decision setback, Diaz said he was retiring from the sport. But days later, it was announced he tested positive for marijuana metabolites, his second such offense in Nevada. He was suspended for a year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, despite having medical clearance to use marijuana for medicinal purposes in California.
Condit, of course, advanced to a title unification bout against champion Georges St-Pierre â€" a fight he has thus far chosen to wait for rather than risk his interim belt in the meantime. The UFC is targeting November in Montreal at UFC 154 for their fight.
"As far as future opponents, Nick has stated that he would like to take fights 'that matter,'" Gracie wrote. "Since GSP will be fighting Condit, he has to look elsewhere. He will respectfully ask for a fight with Anderson Silva, a fighter he respects and would like to challenge.
"Silva’s camp has been speaking of a fight with GSP, possibly even at a catchweight. Nick will take that fight in a minute but has told me that should Silva decide not to drop at all, he will move up to 185 [pounds] to face the champ."
Gracie said that Diaz has ratcheted up his training, and the camp is planning to challenge Diaz's suspension in court with the hope of getting it reduced. (Diaz also was fined $79,500 after UFC 143 â€" 30 percent of his $200,000 fight purse and 30 percent of his $65,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus.)
Diaz is eligible to reapply for a license in Nevada on Feb. 4, 2013. He will, however, need to pass a drug test to get licensed.
"For the last couple of months I’ve watched Nick begin to frequent the gym more and more," Gracie stated. "He’s training harder now than he has for many of his fights. It was obvious that training and fighting is in his DNA. It is who he is.
"This week we had a great talk and he made it clear to me that he is ready to get back to the cage. Nick Diaz will return. To address the NSAC suspension, I will say that we have appealed to the courts and if things go our way, it will be plausible that Nick could return as early as sometime at the end of this year."
Gracie stated that he has a meeting set up with UFC president Dana White for Aug. 6 to discuss Diaz and his future.
Before Diaz's loss to Condit in what was a close and somewhat controversial unanimous decision, Diaz had an 11-fight win streak that dated back to November 2007. Over that stretch, he won Strikeforce's welterweight title and defended the belt three times before vacating it to sign with the UFC.
He was expected to fight St-Pierre at UFC 137, but when he missed a pair of pre-event news conferences to promote the fight, White yanked him in favor of Condit and booked Diaz to face B.J. Penn. St-Pierre then got hurt, putting Diaz-Penn into the main event, which Diaz won with ease. White then gave Diaz a second shot at St-Pierre, to Condit's chagrin. But when the champion again was injured, the Diaz-Condit fight became the main event at UFC 143.
MMAJUNKIE
The winner of Saturday's UFC on FOX 4 headliner will get a title shot.
Despite both fighters having already suffered losses to reigning light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones â€" and despite the competitors owning a combined 3-5 record (with one no-contest) in their past nine fights â€" the winner of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (20-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC) vs. Brandon Vera (12-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) will get a shot at the belt.
UFC president Dana White today confirmed the plans.
"Yes," White said flatly when asked about the title stakes.
UFC on FOX 4 takes place Saturday at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The main card, including the Vera vs. Shogun five-round headliner, airs on FOX following prelims on FUEL TV.
"'Shogun' Rua just came off a 'Fight of the Year' last year," said White, referring to Rua's close decision loss to Dan Henderson in November at UFC 139. "He's probably one of the best fighters of the last decade. Think about it. This guy knocked out 'Rampage' (Jackson), knocked out Chuck Liddell, knocked out Mark Coleman, knocked out Lyoto Machida, knocked out Forrest Griffin, knocked out Alistair Overeem twice, submitted Kevin Randleman. A win vs. [Vera] puts him right back in position, and then he's probably the No. 2 guy in the world."
As for Vera, who hasn't won back-to-back fights in three years, he understands it's icing on the cake. He was just happy to have a main-event fight on network television after UFC on FOX 4 lost an originally planned headliner of Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann.
"Like I said before, this is already a blessing in disguise, and by Dana throwing [the title shot] out there, it's like winning the lottery twice," he said.
Despite some recent setbacks, Vera is coming off a decision victory over Eliot Marshall. Rua, meanwhile, fights for the first time since the loss to Henderson, who fights Jones in next month's UFC 151 headliner.
Rua, a former champ, lost his belt to Jones via TKO in early 2011. Vera also suffered a TKO loss to Jones, which came in 2010.
Ahahahahah what trash. Gustafsson is a much more deserving contender than either of these two....Rua maybe....VERA AHAHAHAHAHA
Henderson fight was close ... if Vera beats him , hell give vera the shot... Vera not going to beat him
What the hell happened to all the contenders? They're going to have to rush Gustafasson and Texeira at this rate.
As being a big Nick Diaz fanboy, it's safe to say Anderson will beat his ass if this fight happens.
^
That
I think that reason there giving rua or Vera a title shot first ... might be trying to not rush those two
Gotta use the name of former stars to keep the title relevant while they build some new contenders.
I think Dana has also come out and said that whoever puts on the best performance out of Shogun/Vera & Bader/Machida gets the next title shot. He has beat all of them, so if he gets past Henderson I'd imagine his reign will continue.
Teixera will be catapulted up somewhat once he demolishes a disinterested Rampage. But yeah the LHW division is looking real thin. Davis could get back in the picture if he can beat Prado, who could make a name for himself against the 'prospect'.
Gustafsson vs Griffin could be a good fight but he probably needs to face someone higher up the rankings to get his shot.
If that twat Diaz is worth a shot at prissy boy Silva then I'm fucking ahead of him in the queue.
Nick Diaz is a nob.
Props to Mir for being the first big name to crossover to Strikeforce. Cornier takes this, but not easily.
Diaz is the man, but Can't see him beating Anderson, but I think he'd hold his own for 2-3 rounds standing.
Machida just made Bader look silly.
Machida was great, but if he goes on to face Jones, he'll face the exact same problems he had before. Not as easy to counter strike with a guy who doesn't have to get inside.
It was a great show overall though, J-Lau is awesome.
Machida will be made look silly by Jones again. Then again, I think Hendo is going to dethrone Jones.
Nam Phan looked great in his fight. Varner looked good despite losing. But what about Vera? He shocked the hell out of me surviving that long.
I'm a fan of anything involving Roy Nelson!
After hinting that he might move up from middleweight to light heavyweight following his loss to Anderson Silva in July, Chael Sonnen has announced the move â€" and his opponent.
Sonnen will make the climb to 205 pounds and will face former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin at the promotion's year-end show on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas. Griffin beat Sonnen with a first-round submission nearly nine years ago in a regional promotion. Sonnen made the announcement on Tuesday's edition of "UFC Tonight" on FUEL TV.
The UFC's Dec. 29 show, though not yet announced by the promotion, is likely to be UFC 155. It will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between champion Junior Dos Santos and former champ Cain Velasquez.
Though a venue for the card is not yet known, it will take place either at the MGM Grand Garden Arena or Mandalay Bay Events Center. The Sonnen-Griffin fight is likely to serve as the pay-per-view's co-main event.
After back-to-back wins over Brian Stann and Michael Bisping, Sonnen (28-12-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC) got his rematch with Silva at UFC 148. But he lost by second-round TKO. Not long after the fight, the outspoken Oregon native dropped hints that he was considering going up a weight class. Tuesday, he made it official.
Sonnen said Griffin has been overlooked in the conversation for potential challengers for light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who on Sept. 1 defends his title against Dan Henderson.
"A number of years ago, I fought with a guy who turned out to become a very good friend of mine, and I lost the match," Sonnen said. "Since becoming friends and competitors with him, I've also become a fan. I watched him win the world championship. I watched him etch his name in stone as a guaranteed future Hall of Famer. … He's the one guy Jon Jones hasn't fought. He's beat two world champions in his last three outings.
"I get very frustrated that Forrest's name is left out of the conversation. This is a guy who's beat everybody, and he's never been in the talks to fight Jon Jones. He's coming off a fight with Tito Ortiz, one of the most decorated light heavyweights of all time â€" a Hall of Famer. They go out and have a 'Fight of the Night,' an awesome performance, and still, he gets overlooked."
Sonnen implied that his sights are set squarely on Jones' title â€" but that he wanted to earn the opportunity.
"I could go up to 205 and I could take Jon Jones' belt the same as I could take his candy on Halloween â€" a little punk kid, I'd snatch it away all I want," Sonnen said. "But there's something to be said in sportsmanship for earning your shot. And on the 29th of December, I'm going to go through Forrest to do it."
Griffin (19-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) fought on the same UFC 148 card as Sonnen and beat Ortiz by split decision in the rubber match of their trilogy. It was Griffin's first fight since an August 2011 loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 134.
Though the UFC has not yet made the fight official, UFC President Dana White recently said he believes the time is coming for Griffin to consider retirement. But that apparently will have to wait.
It should tell you a lot about the state of relations between Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski that Sylvia, when asked what he remembered about his three fights with the fellow ex-champ, offered one broken sentence.
"Him being fast but having a weak chin," Sylvia told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio)).
There's still no love lost between the two heavyweights, but Sylvia (31-7) hopes to end the long-running beef when they meet a fourth time at "ONE FC 5: Pride of a Nation."
That, or leave Arlovski (17-9) with one last reminder that he's a superior fighter.
"I'm going out there to KO him," Sylvia said. "If it happens great, if it doesn't, whatever. I would like to be done with our beef, but we'll see what happens."
"ONE FC 5: Pride of a Nation" takes place Aug. 31 at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, and streams live on the promotion's website.
Sylvia, who enjoys a three-fight win streak and recently came within a signature of joining Strikeforce, said the fight is actually the fifth time he's prepared for Arlovski, who's won his past two outings.
The two were supposed to fight before their first meeting, which took place in 2005 at UFC 51 and ended when Arlovski submitted Sylvia with an achilles lock to become the interim heavyweight champion.
And it's the sixth time the prospect of a fight between them has surfaced, if you count the plans of the dormant-again ProElite, who put the two in the main and co-main draw of an event this past November in hopes of pairing them in the promotion's next event.
"Once you've trained that many times to fight somebody, you know them pretty well," Sylvia said. "We feel real confident going into this fight."
Sylvia avenged his initial loss to Arlovski at UFC 59 with a come-from-behind knockout loss to win the UFC heavyweight title for the second time in his career. At Sylvia's request, the two fought a third time three months later at UFC 61, and again "The Maine-iac" walked away with a win in one of the more lackluster heavyweight title fights in UFC history.
Since then, the two have periodically sparred in the press. At one point, Arlovski even coined a vulgar phrase to describe Sylvia's relationship with his ex-girlfriend.
But with the waning careers of both, a fourth fight hasn't exactly been demanded by fans. And so much time has passed that the bad blood between them is no longer a boil, but a simmer.
Sylvia, however, has designs on using the bout as a springboard for a comeback. He's enlisted the help of UFC heavyweights Stipe Miocic and Matt Mitrione in training camp, and he said his days of fighting at super heavyweight are over. At 36 years old, he estimates he has but two or three years left in the sport, but he'd like to hang up his gloves inside the octagon.
"It's always been a dream of mine to fight overseas," Sylvia said. "I've wrestled in Japan. But [ONE FC] is a good opportunity. I've got a three-fight contract with these guys. I'll fulfill the contract, and maybe I put on three good ass-whuppings and maybe the UFC will give us a call."
Following Wednesday's Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen Twitter dustup, the UFC light heavyweight champion and his manager, Malki Kawa, had choice words for Sonnen, who labeled "Bones" a "dork" and essentially challenged him to a future fight.
Sonnen's manager, Mike Roberts, heard the talk. And while he admits his client would be more than happy to take on Jones, he thinks it's best to let the fighters speak for themselves.
"I'm not going to respond to what Malki says," Roberts told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) when asked for comment. "All anybody cares about is the fighter. What Malki and I have to say means nothing."
The beef between Sonnen and Jones started when the two-time UFC middleweight title challenger hosted Tuesday's new edition of "UFC Tonight." Sonnen, who revealed that he's moving up to 205 pounds to face Forrest Griffin in December, likened the effort needed to take the belt from Jones something akin to stealing his Halloween candy.
"I could go up to 205 and I could take Jon Jones' belt the same as I could take his candy on Halloween â€" a little punk kid, I'd snatch it away all I want," Sonnen said on "UFC Tonight." "But there's something to be said in sportsmanship for earning your shot. And on the 29th of December, I'm going to go through Forrest to do it."
Jones today took to Twitter to blast Sonnen for his comments, and Kawa backed his client when contacted by MMAjunkie.com.
Roberts suggests it's not a manager's place to aid in any pre-fight hype.
I would never say anything bad about Jon Jones," Roberts said. "That's between Jon and Chael, and it would be very irresponsible of me to pass any type of judgment on Jon Jones in regards to this matter."
While Roberts prefers to abstain from any potential ongoing feud, he does admit he would be happy to see Sonnen face Jones for the light-heavyweight belt. However, he believes any such fight would be made simply because Sonnen is driven to be the best fighter in the sport and not due to any personal beef between the fighters or their management.
"It's like Chael has said all along, 'If you're not trying to win championships, you need to retire,'" Roberts said. "So, of course whoever has the belt is who Chael wants to fight. He'll go through whoever he has to go through to get to that person. Right now, Forrest Griffin is the biggest and baddest one out there available to fight."
In the end, Jones may have tipped his hand when he indicated he wasn't allowing himself to be provoked by Sonnen's comments but was instead simply engaging in a little fan-friendly match of wits. Roberts, whose client's trashtalking over the past few years has become the stuff of legend, isn't interested in trying to determine Jones' mindset or intentions. He prefers to remain on the sidelines, and he advises Kawa to do the same.
"I 'm not sure why Malki feels the need to get in the middle of it, but to each his own," Roberts said. "He's going to get himself in Chael's crosshairs, and he will lose that battle."
We sure throw the word "legend" around pretty loosely these days.
thats why I put it in quotations. I think aside Sonnen Sylvia is full of himself the most. He regards himself as a UFC legend and thinks Dana should bow down to him and let him return to the UFC.
Needless do we forget after his first year of being a fucking animal, his shitfest fights with Arlovski almost killed the UFC Heavyweight division. At least we got to watch Randy Coutures greatest performance against this sack of shit,
Strikeforce - All Access: Ronda Rousey - Full Episode 1 - SHOWTIME MMA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7kpFqGqALI#ws)
I love how Bones immediately took the bait on Twitter and started some back and forth with Sonnen.
It's like no one has worked out his deal yet and just keep feeding the fire by replying to him.
Bones would probably eat him for dinner but if anyone can talk and somehow work their way into another big Title fight, it's Chael!
Peace
Duckman
Jon Jones would brutalize Chael, but I don't see Chael getting past Griffin.
Actually Chael has a good chance at beating Forrest , Forrest is not great on the ground , he likes to keep it stand up , Sonnen would be smart to get the take down and use his ground game to win the fight ... if it stand up , Forrest wins
AGree....think Sonnen will just wrestle Forrest to a decision.
MMAJUNKIE-
In a hypothetical fight with middleweight champion Anderson Silva (32-4 MMA, 15-0 UFC), it sounds like welterweight titleholder Georges St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) might has well don a singlet to the cage because he's going to be 100 percent grappler.
"Chael (Sonnen) and all these other good wrestlers are able to get [Silva] down to the ground," White said Tuesday in a MetroPCS fan chat. "Georges St-Pierre will definitely take him down."
It's not that UFC President Dana White won't give St-Pierre credit for all that he's accomplished in the striking game. It's just that if he fights Silva, that's what's going to happen.
That's what has to happen. But what transpires from there â€" in the fight that's not confirmed but seems to be on the tip of every fan's tongue â€" does not bode well for St-Pierre, the way White sees it. Then again, it doesn't bode well for just about anyone who has the misfortune of being across the cage from Silva. Certainly not the middleweights who reside in the same division.
"It doesn't look like it," White said when asked if there are any current fighters in the 185-pound division to dethrone Silva. "The guy is so talented, I think he's the greatest of all-time, and he keeps proving it again and again."
So when it comes to St-Pierre, whose signature strength is putting opponents on their back, White seems to think that a long-running pound-for-pound debate will be settled with Silva on top, where he currently resides on most lists.
"Usually in the second round when [Silva] comes out, he makes sure he doesn't get taken down again," White said. "He usually lights guys up in the second round."
White, of course, has a recent example on his mind. The Sonnen he mentioned quickly took down Silva at UFC 148, just as he did when they first met at UFC 117. For the first five minutes, it looked like the much-publicized rib injury that Silva suffered in the initial meeting might be relegated to the same list of fictional fighter hurts as Tito Ortiz's cracked skull. But before the second round could end, Sonnen was in a heap in a corner of the cage, and Silva was still champ.
The reality is that a St-Pierre vs. Silva superfight, which has been talked about for no less than three years and put off for a myriad of reasons, could be closer than ever. If St-Pierre beats interim champ Carlos Condit at UFC 154, fewer obstacles than ever remain to the long-awaited meeting.
"That's the fight they both want," White said of the champions.
That's a reversal of earlier interviews in which St-Pierre did not seem anxious to take the superfight. (A welterweight or catchweight meeting that doesn't threaten his title undoubtedly sweetens things for the returning champ.)
But just as before, there are plenty of reasons the fight won't happen: injuries, layoffs, stipulations, money â€" all the usual things.
If it does happen, though, White said the best fighter in the world will be crowned. He's made his pick.
"There's been an argument for a long time, whether it was Georges or Anderson," he said. "So we'll find out."
MMAJUNKIE-
Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (14-3-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC) is reportedly heading to 145 pounds.
According to a report issued tonight on Tuesday's new edition of FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight," Edgar has made the decision to move down to 145 pounds.
A debut date and opponent have yet to be established, but Edgar is reportedly hoping to fight again before the end of the year.
Edgar has long dealt with questions about a potential move to 145 pounds, but after a pair of wins over B.J. Penn and two dramatic fights with the massive Gray Maynard, "The Answer" made it clear he was happy fighting as a lightweight. But after Edgar dropped a pair of decisions to current champion Benson Henderson, UFC President Dana White made it clear he'd prefer to see Edgar at what would appear to be a more natural weight class.
"He's always proved that he can stay at 155," White said following Edgar's UFC 150 loss to Henderson. "There's never been a case where Frankie's not good enough to stay at 155, he's not tough enough to be at 155, he's not talented enough to be at 155 or that he's not even big enough to stay at 155. I just think at 145, he's a monster."
Now that he's apparently making the move, Edgar will have a chance to flourish in a new division. However, despite previous promises that Edgar could drop to 145 pounds for an immediate shot at the belt, White believes the division has since evolved and the former lightweight champ would need a win or two before getting a title fight.
"I think Frankie would have to fight somebody at 145 (before getting a shot at the title)," White said. "We've got all these backed up titles right now. I don't want that backed up, and if I know Frankie, he's going to want to get in there right away."
MMAJUNKIE
Former Strikeforce women's featherweight champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (10-1 MMA, 4-0 SF) has made it clear she is not a Ronda Rousey (6-0 MMA, 4-0 SF) fan.
And while she would be more than happy to step into the cage with "Rowdy," especially after the current Strikeforce female bantamweight champion called her out, Santos has been medically advised against trying to make 135 pounds.
With that in mind, Santos said she's done talking about Rousey and any potential fight for the bantamweight title. If Rousey wants to prove her worth, Santos said, let her come back to 145 pounds to do it â€" the same place she started her Strikeforce career.
"I get many questions about Ronda Rousey, and I would like to set the record straight for the last time, as I do not consider her much personally, much less as a fighter," Santos told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) through an interpreter. "She claims she is the champion and openly challenges me to fight at 135 pounds, which I find laughable. She competed in the Beijing Olympics at 154 pounds and fought at 145 pounds in MMA until she learned she would have to fight me and then dropped to 135 pounds.
"I have never fought below 145 pounds, and I am considered the pound-for-pound top woman fighter in the world. I have yet to lose a fight while holding the Strikeforce 145-pound title. My last fight was considered a no contest, but that has not changed the fact that I am the women's 145-pound champion."
Santos, who made her Strikeforce debut in April 2009, was stripped of the Strikeforce women's featherweight title one month after a post-fight drug test at "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal" turned up positive for stanozolol metabolites in late 2011.
The California State Athletic Commission, which oversaw the event, suspended Santos for one year and fined her $2,500. Additionally, her first-round TKO of Hiroko Yamanaka was also overturned to a no-contest.
Rousey, who was 2-0 in Strikeforce's 145-pound division, dropped to 135 pounds earlier this year and promptly earned the promotion's female bantamweight title by submitting then-champion Miesha Tate. This past Saturday night, the former Olympic judoka defended the title by submitting former champion Sarah Kaufman in just 54 seconds.
Following the win, Rousey called out Santos and challenged her to come down to 135 pounds.
"I need to send out a challenge to Ms. Cyborg, there," Rousey said after her victory. "People want to see you have the first fair fight of your life. I'm the champ now. The champ doesn't go to you. You go to the champ. Come down to 135 and let's settle this."
Santos said that's simply impossible for her to do, and doctors have told her as much. As far as the Brazilian slugger is concerned, if this potential superfight is going to happen, it needs to be in the same division Rousey started her Strikeforce career.
"There really is not a safe way for me to cut to 135 pounds â€" not without hurting myself physically," Santos said. "I am less than eight percent body fat at 145 pounds, and my cardiologist and physician have advised me that to make such a drastic reduction in weight could have permanent effects on my long-term health. I will not endanger my health to satisfy the rantings of a spoiled little girl who has yet to prove that she can truly compete at my level at a weight she has not only fought at before but has been awarded an Olympic medal."
Santos' CSAC suspension ends in December, and despite a since-deleted tweet that suggested she was looking to terminate her Strikeforce contract, the former champion said she's looking forward to fighting again and hopefully regain the belt she eagerly points out she never truly lost.
And if Rousey wants to move up to 145 pounds in an attempt to make history as a female dual-division champion, then she has an open invitation to step into the cage. Until then, "Cyborg" said she's done dealing with the outspoken Californian.
"To put this issue to rest, if Ronda is the future of women's MMA and is the champion that she envisions, you know where I am, and I am more than willing to give you an opportunity to test me," Santos said. "I will fight you at 145 pounds â€" you know, the weight that you started at â€" and then you can have two belts and prove to everyone that you are indeed a champion. If not, stay at 135 pounds and continue to delude yourself and your fans that you can beat me. You're really not worth my time otherwise.
"I will do all of my talking in the ring. Until then, you're really not worth my breath."
QuoteUntil then, you're really not worth my breath."
...After a long and outspoken rant.
I mean I don't know much about the situation itself, I just find somebody saying that amusing.
Just looking at details, Im gonna have to side with cyborg. Like, trash-talk aside, there's no way she can make 135. Rhonda's managaer was just out to make her look bad
I think 140 is fair. Meet in the middle...or honestly have Ronda go up to 145 and try and win 2 belts.
Her threats feel hollow to me ...
Id rather at 145
UFC president Dana White will make an announcement regarding next week's UFC 151 event today at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT).
Although officials didn't detail what will be revealed, the media call comes less than a day after rumors surfaced that headliner and title challenger Dan Henderson may be injured and unable to fight.
You can listen to the media call live on MMAjunkie.com Radio at www.mmajunkie.com/radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio).
Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is slated to fight UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in the Sept. 1 title fight, which headlines a pay-per-view event at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The title fight is the featured attraction on an otherwise top-heavy card.
UFC President Dana White is hosting the call and will take questions from reporters after the announcement.
If Henderson, in fact, is out of the title fight, it's not clear what the UFC would do as a backup plan.
Stay tuned to MMAjunkie.com for complete coverage of today's call.
Just confirmed UFC 151 is off! Hendo out with knee injury. Sonnen agreed to step up and fight Bones. Bones turned the fight down.
So now it's Bones v Machida at UFC 152.
What a damn shame. I was really looking forward to seeing if Hendo could test Bones and challenge him.
Peace
Duckman
NOOOOOO!!!!
There was gonna be some good facebook fights...
Lost all my respect for Bones....what a bitch move.
Hes scared of the Gangster from West Linn, Oregon.
Simply gutted for Hendo. Hes a real champion and would have fought anyone on 5 days notice if the situation was vice versa.
I don't agree ... Bones has a 3 month training camp to get ready for Hendo ... five days before the fight , you ask him to forget it and get ready for someone else ... no... he the champion , He earned that spot , The challengers come to him , He has nothing to prove ... Take a fight on five days notice is a quick way to being a ex-champion.
He did the smart move , the challenger is hurt, you stop the fight and you get ready for the next challenger...you don't let pride and ego rule you ...
Got to agree with BD somewhat, Jones is not at fault for this thing being cancelled. It does make him look a bitch, but everyone knows he would maul Sonnen. I think the entire move is Greg Jackson wanting what is best for his fighter, which is why he has advised him not to take the fight. There is being a company man and all, and there is risking your title and your reputation on a fight you don't get to prepare for? Why should he put himself in that position.
I listened to the conference call Dana did, and he can bitch and moan all he wants about Jackson killing the sport and Jones not being a fighter. But for all the talk of how many guys he has on his roster that would step up to fight, he had to call in fucking Jay Heiron to face Ellenberger in the co-main event? And only Sonnen stepped up. Honestly, it got to a point where I felt it was close to defamation and could land Dana in some trouble, especially his comments about Jackson.
Jones didn't cancel the card, he just I ain't fighting. It's not the first time I co-main event took over the card and let's face it, the card was weak as hell. Had it had a few more recognisable names, it would've gone ahead just fine. Dana is pissed at the whole scenario but pins it all on one man? Brings into question the whole UFC sponsorship thing.
I have lost some respect for Bones because he could beat Sonnen, quite easily in my opinion. But I understand why he wants more than eight days to prepare for him. Sonnen doesn't care 'cos he does the same thing every fight, he bull rushes ya, and takes ya down. Jones has spent his training camp focusing on a different type of wrestler who has much more ability in his stand up and would probably prefer to swing for the fences than go for a takedown. Two very different fighters, and why risk getting wrestlefucked out of a title?
I think this should make the UFC bookers wake up a little and make sure they don't book anymore one fight cards in the future.
Not sure why White cancelled the card to be totally honest. It definitely paints Bones as the bad guy.
I don't blame Bones whatsoever. I didn't lose any respect for him either. Sonnen has no business to be fighting for the LHW title and if it were to go down, I would have felt bad for the fighters that have worked hard that are well above Sonnen interms of being in line for a shot next.
No question Bones would have beaten Sonnen, but that isn't the point. I don't think it was so much as Bones don't have enough time to prepare, it was that Sonnen ha done nothing to deserve a shot at the champ. Bones did the right thing in denying him that.
I like Sonnen too. But even he knows he didn't deserve that.
The fact that Dana couldn't figure out a way to keep the show alive I a HUGE fail on his part.
There's two sides, business side which we can look
At from a non bias and from a fans perspective. Business wise, Dana's fault. If I was Bones Jones honestly I wouldn't want to fight, risk my new Nike deal, belt, and rep fighting a guy who has potential to beat me yet is undeserving. Also, Danas own fault for pumping out 3 cards a month and having only one REAL fight for 151, and I hope he learns a lesson from this.
To finish from a business perspective it's the other side of the spectrum. UFC is Jones employer and when they tell him to work for 200-400k you better fucking work. Fault on UFC for not having something like that in their contracts where a champion can't deny a title defense. There's also Jones image at stake. 95% of people lost a lot of respect for him, especially powerful people in the MMA community in Dana, Lorenzo, Rogan, and countless fighters. It'll hurt Jones marketability from not taking a fight against an out if shape Sonnen. He should have taken the fight and won, saved all if the undercard fights purses so they don't go another few months without income and end up looking like a true champion and gain admiration of his fellow card mates for saving their pay.
Now from a fans perspective which we all are, how can you not call Jones a bitch. We're fans, we pay to see fights, and ultimately based on That faggot Greg Jackson who is KILLING MMA and Jones ruined a card. He's the only fighter in history to turn down a fight and that's not a champions mentality I'm sorry. Your mr p4p big Nike deal and you not only ruin a card and piss off almost everyone in the MMA community but your prove that you rely far to much on a Greg Jackson cross county run around the cage gameplay to adjust to fight a new, far less talented ATM yet similar styled opponent? Bitch move, and I've lost all respect for him.
Any fighter not under Greg Jackson I guarentee would take that fight if in their shoes because they love the sport and come to fight to prove their the best for a reason and save the day, not all about significant gameplans or padding a record.
I hate to break it to anyone who says Bones can't be blamed for this. He had a challenger, he had 9 days to get ready. Dana White loves people who will step up, and HIS CHAMPION! Refused to step up..screw Jon Bones Jones.
It seems a mixed opinion amongst the fans, I've read plenty of threads on Sherdog that would suggest that it isn't 95% of fans that think he is a bitch.
The fact of the matter is that Jon Jones had no responsibility for that card being cancelled. The UFC management cancelled it, and I'd take a wild guess at that only happening because Dana had a bitch fit about somebody saying no to him. Apparently both Chael Sonnen & Chris Weidman stepped up and said they'd fight Jones, why can't they fight each other? Is it shit because it doesn't get the right kind of build sure, but the title fight would've been no worse, and the card was crap anyway.
Jones might be under contract with the UFC, but this isn't any day to day job where you do whatever your manager tells you to do. And if MMA wants to be a legitimate sport, I'm just saying shit like this wouldn't happen in boxing. If a promoter (White) had a fighter drop out, it is his responsibility to sort it out, no else. Simply offering Jones Chael Sonnen, is not sorting it out. It is seeing a quick fix to a fuck up that is entirely his fault, and getting pissed off because Jones isn't bullied into it.
If you had millions of dollars, your legacy as a fighter, and lots of other shit to be concerned about, why on earth is it a bitch move not to take the fight on eight days notice?
He is not the only fighter to not take a fight, Dan Henderson's rejected plenty (though he's acted like a saint and taken a swipe at Jones on twitter), in fact Anderson Silva just said he won't fight Weidman, and that he is taking the rest of the fucking year off.
The only precedent here is that the show has been cancelled, and he can be all red faced and bury Jones & Jackson all he wants, but the fault lies entirely on him and the UFC management.
Anyone who thinks 'he's ducked an out of shape middleweight' is completely missing the point. I'm not a huge Jon Jones fan, and I was kinda hoping Henderson would KO him, but I'm completely behind this decision. Major risk, little reward, why would he accept that fight?
I think Henderson is getting away from this as well without any blame. He injured his knee weeks ago, but according to a lot of people, tried to train through it. Had it been brought up earlier, Machida would've stepped in and all would've been sorted since he had no medical suspension. I'm not saying it is his fault at all, as most fighters try to train through injuries or not realise how severe they are, but there really should've been a back-up plan considering the amount of injuries the company has had over the last few months.
Seth Rogan & the other fighters are lashing out at Jones, which I can understand, your not going to publicly bury your boss. I'd be very surprised if other fighters felt the blame lied entirely with Jones, I know a couple of them have defended him, Ben Henderson is one I can think of.
Also, I've never seen Jones not go for the finish under 'Greg Jackson tactics'. But that is a completely different debate haha.
Just found this out (slow start to the day). Machida has turned down the title fight at 152 and apparently Shogun did as well, they both wanted longer to prepare for Jones. So Belfort gets the title shot, which is random but at least he is coming off of a win.
So are Machida and Shogun both bitches as well? Given the match with a months notice.
Also, according to the MMA sites, Anderson Silva offered to step up and fight another LHW but not Jones (since he rejected the idea of fighting anyone with eight days notice). So yeah, UFC had options, but they chose to scrap it all.
I'd like to see Edgar fight a couple of times before getting the title shot, I think KZ deserves the shot after Koch. I think Edgar vs. Mendes or Lamas would be great. I think both could give him a good fight, Mendes would be a great opponent. Winner of Oliveira/Swanson will be up there as well.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort has accepted an offer to fight current titleholder Jon Jones on Sept. 22 in Toronto, Zuffa LLC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta told ESPN.com on Friday.
Belfort was UFC's third option after former 205-pound champions Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua turned down a chance to face Jones with about four weeks remaining before the fight.
"Yes, Machida and 'Shogun' passed," Fertitta said. "Thank God for old-school real fighters."
For the first time in the 11 years since Fertitta and president Dana White (who also confirmed the fight with ESPN.com) took control of UFC, the promotion was forced to cancel a card Thursday when Jones turned down a fight with former middleweight top contender Chael Sonnen.
Jones, who has wins over Machida and Rua, was slated to fight Dan Henderson on Sept. 1 at UFC 151 in Las Vegas. But Henderson was forced to pull out due to injury, and Jones refused to fight Sonnen on eight days' notice.
Belfort (21-9) was scheduled to fight Alan Belcher on Oct. 13 at UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro.
He claimed the UFC light heavyweight title Jan. 31, 2004, with a first-round TKO of Randy Couture. But Belfort would relinquish the title to Couture in an immediate rematch Aug. 21, 2004.
Couture would defeat him by third-round TKO.
Jones (16-1) won the title March 19, 2011, with a third-round TKO of Rua.
He submitted Machida in the second round of their Dec. 10, 2011, fight in Toronto.
Jones recently told ESPN.com that he did not want to fight Machida in a rematch because of low pay-per-view numbers the two generated in their previous fight.
"I don't want to fight Lyoto Machida," Jones said. "He was my lowest pay-per-view draw of last year. No one wants to see me fight Lyoto Machida. I don't want to fight Lyoto again. Lyoto is high-risk and low-reward."
Zuffa LLC is the parent company of UFC and Strikeforce.
MMAfighting.com earlier reported the Jones-Belfort fight.
Not sure I buy this 'high risk low reward' stuff. If you genuinely want to be considered the best at what you do, you take on allcomers and you beat them all.
He'll get people defending him for what he did but he would have got a lot more respect if he'd just got on with it. Bottom line is he didn't take the replacement fight because he was scared he'd lose. Everything else is immaterial. He's already well off, he's already champ, but he's so far from being a legend.
If he doesn't want to be considered as one of the greatest of all time when he retires then fine I guess, but I thought professional fighters had pride? If he was the man he'd say 'f*ck it' deck Sonnen and get mad props.
He's clearly not the man.
Sure, there are arguments that UFC's contingency planning could do with some improving, but Jones loses face just as much here, especially when he's in top condition ready for a fight.
He is taking on all comers, which is why he accepted the fight with Machida (who then turned it down) and then Belfort at the end of the month. You're being ignorant to the fact that he was only given eight days to prepare for a new opponent, add in cutting weight and all the media hype leading up to and he'd barely be in the gym. This isn't the 90's where people 'fight', this is a professional sport now. If they offered the Sonnen fight at the end of the move, he would've taken it.
What isn't there to buy about high risk low reward? It's the truth. I think it takes more pride to stand up to his management and say no. I'm not sure people really understand pride, but being bullied into a fight because the 'whole card depends on it' is not something to be proud. Sure he could've beat the shit out of Sonnen, but it would've achieved absolutely zero accept appease the keyboard warriors.
Silvas a true champion, trying to save the card, why couldnt Jones do the same?
My thing is Jones had a FULL camp, and offered to fight guys who were all out of shape, yet still declined? Again, looking from a fans perspective, c'mon man. You supposed to be a p4p top 3 guy and your that nervous about your skill set?
Quote from: Cory on August 24, 2012, 11:08:32 AM
You supposed to be a p4p top 3 guy and your that nervous about your skill set?
That's the point I was trying to make. He's had a full training camp preparing to fight Dan Henderson - so say Henderson spends the whole camp learning something new and turns up with unexpected tactics and skills - is the fight suddenly not fair because Jones was prepping for something else? No.
This whole thing is a mess all round but 'not being prepared' is certainly something that shouldn't be used as an excuse. As Cory said, is he worried about his skill set?
Like I said before, UFC f'ed up too, and pretty bad, but Jones is going to get some justifiable heat.
and thats where I bring Greg Jackson in. He's such a "sport killer" as Dana said, because he got it into Jones head that he need a gameplan to beat anyone, not use his unreal skill set.
You cant come up with a game plan in a week? Bull shit.
When it comes to the level of competition these guys are at, I don't think it is unreasonable to give them time to prepare to face their opponent. Jones's camp said they would fight Machida given the notice because they know the guy, they've prepared for him the past. The chances of Sonnen beating an unprepared Jones is much higher than his chances of beating a fully or somewhat prepared Jones. And having a full camp is fine, I don't thin he rejected the fight because he wasn't in shape or anything like that, it just wasn't enough time to prepare for the kind of fighter Sonnen is.
Quote from: Cory on August 24, 2012, 11:47:31 AM
and thats where I bring Greg Jackson in. He's such a "sport killer" as Dana said, because he got it into Jones head that he need a gameplan to beat anyone, not use his unreal skill set.
You cant come up with a game plan in a week? Bull shit.
They wouldn't have gotten a week, probably only a couple of days at most.
Quote from: Flins. on August 24, 2012, 11:50:27 AM
When it comes to the level of competition these guys are at, I don't think it is unreasonable to give them time to prepare to face their opponent. Jones's camp said they would fight Machida given the notice because they know the guy, they've prepared for him the past. The chances of Sonnen beating an unprepared Jones is much higher than his chances of beating a fully or somewhat prepared Jones. And having a full camp is fine, I don't thin he rejected the fight because he wasn't in shape or anything like that, it just wasn't enough time to prepare for the kind of fighter Sonnen is.
This is where the phrase 'man up' comes into it I think. He's champ for a reason, show the fans! He still wouldn't be at an unfair disadvantage, being that he has had the full camp to condition and Sonnen also has only 8 days minus the fitness work. And like you said, they'd probably only get two days - the same for Sonnen.
He's made himself look a bit of a mug really.
plus......should it be the same style of gameplan?
Hendo was going to try and grapple, and youd have to watch out for his power.
Sonnen would just grapple anyway. Both guys are wrestlers.
Quote from: Dorling on August 24, 2012, 12:01:02 PM
This is where the phrase 'man up' comes into it I think. He's champ for a reason, show the fans! He still wouldn't be at an unfair disadvantage, being that he has had the full camp to condition and Sonnen also has only 8 days minus the fitness work. And like you said, they'd probably only get two days - the same for Sonnen.
He's made himself look a bit of a mug really.
The easier the challenge is percieved to be, the more there is to lose if you fail at it. No doubt Jones is scared of losing, who the hell isn't, but that fear can be somewhat subsided by being fully prepared for the opponent you are facing. Please explain to me how he is a mug for wanting to prepare for an opponent, this isn't a fight in the street.
Quote from: Cory on August 24, 2012, 12:16:43 PM
plus......should it be the same style of gameplan?
Hendo was going to try and grapple, and youd have to watch out for his power.
Sonnen would just grapple anyway. Both guys are wrestlers.
Come on Cory, I know you know more about MMA than to think these guys are the same. Other than them both coming from different backgrounds when it comes to wrestling - Greco & Freestyle. I doubt Henderson would've grappled much with Jones on the ground, considering his chin is there to be tested, and how often he was been caught in submissions in the past. I think Henderson's gameplan would've been to knock Jones out, taking the takedowns when they present themselves, and trying to close the gap and control him against the fence. With Sonnen, he only has wrestling, he'd only be looking for the takedown, most likely the double leg. I think Sonnen is a more explosive wrestler as well who would constantly chase it through out the fight. Their approach is different, despite having similar skills. Jones would need to work his TDD a little more when faced with Sonnen, amongst other things - let's say, a triangle choke?
Oh I know Hendo is a unreal Greco, but still very similar game plan, enough not to panic and have to change things 360 to accommodate.
Henderson already said countless times he was going to put Jones on his back and strike when presented opportunity (check like, the hype video, then again what they say and do are totally different things ala GSP)
But Sonnen hasn't trained since the Silva fight, so Id take your explosive argument and kinda shrug my shoulders, as obviously NOT training he wouldn't lose all of his explosiveness, but it'd be no where near what we usually see after a full camp, which would IMO make Hendo's wrestling a bigger threat than what Sonnens would be on 8 days notice. Plus, Bonesy wouldnt have had to worry about Sonnens hands, unlike Henderson.
Quote from: Cory on August 24, 2012, 01:13:48 PM
Oh I know Hendo is a unreal Greco, but still very similar game plan, enough not to panic and have to change things 360 to accommodate.
Henderson already said countless times he was going to put Jones on his back and strike when presented opportunity (check like, the hype video, then again what they say and do are totally different things ala GSP)
But Sonnen hasn't trained since the Silva fight, so Id take your explosive argument and kinda shrug my shoulders, as obviously NOT training he wouldn't lose all of his explosiveness, but it'd be no where near what we usually see after a full camp, which would IMO make Hendo's wrestling a bigger threat than what Sonnens would be on 8 days notice. Plus, Bonesy wouldnt have had to worry about Sonnens hands, unlike Henderson.
lastactionhero360 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL135uL2XZA#ws)
hahahaha, well done.
Quote from: Flins. on August 24, 2012, 12:30:17 PM
Please explain to me how he is a mug for wanting to prepare for an opponent, this isn't a fight in the street.
His contemporaries and, most would say, inferiors have stepped up to say they would take a fight with 8 days notice. He has mugged himself off. His 8 day argument is invalid if he is facing somebody that also only has 8 days, is it not?
Quote from: Dorling on August 24, 2012, 02:22:44 PM
His contemporaries and, most would say, inferiors have stepped up to say they would take a fight with 8 days notice. He has mugged himself off. His 8 day argument is invalid if he is facing somebody that also only has 8 days, is it not?
When Dana made the press conference, there was only Sonnen who stepped up to the plate. Weidman and Silva have come out of the woodwork afterwards stating they would've stepped up but it's hard to imagine that three guys of that calibre put their names forward and UFC didn't try to arrange something else. So, not many contemporaries, just a few, and it is completely different for a champion and someone who just signed up for a huge endorsement deal to take a fight in eight days than it is for some bottom feeder (the guys coming out saying they would on twitter). Jones took a couple of fights on short notice when he was building himself up to the top, but once in that position, it is different and you can't deny. There is just too much to lose to not be prepared.
And no, it's not the same for Sonnen as he has nothing to lose from the result of the fight.
Also, for all this ripping on Jones for not taking a fight with a few days prep. Why is nobody mentioning the fact Shogun & Machida, two well respected veterans, have just turned down the fight with a months prep?? Why is Dana not making press conferences about how disgusting they are, and on their trainers are killing the sport?
It shouldn't matter. Jones is the Champ. He shouldn't get to decide who and when he fights. That's the price of being the champ, everyone is after you.
The Packers at 14-0 last year didn't go "we've got the division locked up, so we're canceling the last two games of the season to stay undefeated." The Giants aren't gonna go "We won the superbowl, we're not playing again till next superbowl to defend the title". Michael Phelps doesn't go "I got up on the wrong side of the bed today, we're not having a race tonight."
Honestly he shouldn't even get a say when it comes to his fights. The target is on him, not the other way around. He's supposed to stand on top of the mountain and knock down everyone who tries to climb up, regardless of who they are or how much time it takes.
I mean hell, we don't even see that bitchiness in wrestling. Punk goes "I'm not defending the title" but he defends it against two people anyway. Yes it's scripted, but we'll never see a script where a champion refuses a match and gets his way.
Wow... He tried to use the NFL and WWE to make his point... Just wow.
I'll bite though.
Last I check when the Green Bay Packers are scheduled to face someone, they face that team. The other team doesn't pull out a few days before and a new team is offered to them to play. Get serious now.
And the WWE comment. No.
And Flins, nobody will mention Shogun or Machida because there decision didn't lead to a show being cancelled. But if Bones is a bitch for doing what he did then I guess the UFC is filled with a bunch of bitches.
Quote from: DnK on August 24, 2012, 07:11:53 PM
Wow... He tried to use the NFL and WWE to make his point... Just wow.
I'll bite though.
Last I check when the Green Bay Packers are scheduled to face someone, they face that team. The other team doesn't pull out a few days before and a new team is offered to them to play. Get serious now.
And the WWE comment. No.
And Flins, nobody will mention Shogun or Machida because there decision didn't lead to a show being cancelled. But if Bones is a bitch for doing what he did then I guess the UFC is filled with a bunch of bitches.
Erm, I'm thinking 'bitches' isnt a proper term...I wouldnt dare called any fighter a bitch to their face.....I may on the other hand risk my life calling them a Diva however. Called Jones one myself, but backtracking.
Like argument is hard for me to pick a side, because I can see where Jones in coming from and the reasons to say "he did what was right", but the MMA fan side of me doesn't give a shit what right and wrong. Hes the fucking champion, he needs to fight.
I just think there's now a massive difference between a 'fighter' and an 'athlete' and Jones is most certainly an athlete.
Whether that's right or wrong is debatable and this whole situation is horrible for everyone involved.
I just feel as Champion Jones owes the company and all the guys on the undercard more than just saying, "this doesn't work for me."
Great debate though guys, nice to see the MMA board firing up and everyone with differing opinions!
Peace
Duckman
Quote from: Duckman on August 25, 2012, 10:11:20 AM
I just think there's now a massive difference between a 'fighter' and an 'athlete' and Jones is most certainly an athlete.
Wow,
QFT. The best opinion on Jones i've heard all debate.
It's a good move for Edgar I think. I was watching his fight with Benson with my Dad who couldn't believe they were both in the same weight class.
Personally, I'd go Edgar vs KZ with the winner getting Aldo for the Title (sorry but barring some sort of miracle Koch is not beating Aldo).
It's good to see the FW division is starting to get a little deeper talent wise too.
Peace
Duckman
Agree I would be a beast at 145
Aw shucks man, you'll make me blush!
*fist bump*
(http://sobrietyofthesoul.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/190529_1845650097724_1134782857_2134136_482364_n.jpg)
I think everyone is to blame for this BS, at least on UFC's end to be honest.
Jon Jones is to blame for being a little bitch and not taking a gift fight with a middleweight he could've made A TON of money off of. That POS had just completed a full camp and was going to do media/weight cut his last week. I don't give a shit about adjustments to training, if Jones is a true champion he'll prove his mettle against whomever Dana chooses. I know the point could be made that training for a right handed stalker vs. a takedown machine is completely different, but it wouldn't have made much of a difference anyways being how strong Jones is for a LH. He would've destroyed Sonnen in less than two rounds, taken home a fat PPV check(especially considering Sonnen offered his full purse to fight Jones), made a ton off of Nike and his other sponsors, and best of all? He would've saved the day. For someone who is already hated by the fans, he must really want to be a heel.
Greg Jackson is to blame for pleading to Jones to not take the fight. He fucked up the biggest money fight of Jones's career, all so he could keep a champ at his gym. His excuse was not enough time to train for Sonnen. See my reply above. Greg is awesome at pissing off Dana White.
Dana White is to blame for promoting a terrible fucking card to begin with, and expecting people to shell out 60 bucks for one fight. Cancelling that card was the right thing to do. Honestly he should've cancelled the last PPV as well.
Joe Silva is to blame for being a fucktard and booking contender fights on Fuel. Nobody saw Weidman knock out Munoz, so nobody knows that Weidman is next in line for Anderson. You don't put contender fights on Fuel, or even FX for that matter. You book them on Fox and PPV. He's an idiot, blew all his big matches on Fuel and FX, leaving him a terrible undercard to book for the second PPV in a row. I so wish I could have this dude's job.
The fans are to blame for paying up for anything UFC. If it's a shit card supported by one good fight, don't buy it. Watch it at a friend's or at a bar. They deserved to not get their money back for hotel reservations and airfare.
See? More than one target when you look at the big picture. The ones who I feel sorry for the most are the undercard fighters. Thankfully Dana is moving their matches around, still it sucks for all those who flew out their family and friends to watch them fight. Not to mention the sponsor pay they were counting on that they won't get when they expected.
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva offered to accept a light heavyweight fight on eight days' notice if it would salvage UFC 151, called off Thursday after the loss of its main event.
Ed Soares, Silva's manager, confirmed to ESPN.com his fighter contacted him from Brazil on Thursday to inform the UFC he was willing to headline the card as a light heavyweight. MMAFighting.com first reported news of Silva's offer.
Ultimately, of course, UFC president Dana White declined Silva's offer, responding to Soares it was too late to save the card.
"Anderson called me, said he heard about the event getting canceled," Soares told ESPN.com.
"He goes, 'Well dude, tell Dana I haven't been training and I'm not in the best shape. I wouldn't be able to make 185 pounds, but if he could find another 205-pound fighter willing to take the fight on eight days' notice, I'd be willing to take the fight to save the event. I don't want to see the other fighters on the card not be able to fight and the fans and all of it. I don't know if that will make a difference.'"
The UFC announced Thursday it was scrapping the UFC 151 event in Las Vegas after an injury forced light heavyweight Dan Henderson off the card and champion Jon Jones turned down a replacement fight against Chael Sonnen.
Soares said Silva was willing to fight another light heavyweight but not Jones, as he would obviously want reasonable time to prepare for a fight of that magnitude.
Previously, Silva had said he wished to take the rest of 2012 off after a win over Sonnen at UFC 148 in July.
"He's got a lot of stuff going on right now, and there aren't any fights that make a lot of sense," Soares said on Silva's decision to rest until 2013. "But Anderson has a big heart. I was really bummed out yesterday to hear the UFC had to cancel an entire event. That was a kick in the stomach to, I think, every fighter in the organization.
"Some fighters get big paydays, but other smaller fighters now don't have a paycheck from that event, and it's sad."
Silva (32-4) is widely considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He holds the UFC record for successful title defenses at 10. His last fight at 205 pounds was a knockout win over Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 in August 2009.
In addition to Silva and Sonnen, middleweight contender Chris Weidman reportedly offered to headline the Sept. 1 event. UFC officials have since announced Jones will meet Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 on Sept. 22 in Toronto.
UFC light heavyweight Lyoto Machida, who recently turned down an offer to face Jon Jones at UFC 152 later this month, has stated he did so because four weeks' notice was simply not enough time to prepare.
In a released statement, Machida’s management wrote the Sept. 22 date of UFC 152 in Toronto would not have allowed the fighter to have a training camp that was “complete and worthy of his work.â€
“I want to serve the UFC and recapture the belt,†Machida said. “I always respect my opponent. For those reasons, I must prepare myself in the manner I believe in.â€
The statement went on to say six weeks would give Machida enough time to prepare and that he “believes the bout could take place in Brazil at UFC 153,†which is scheduled to take place Oct. 13.
That scenario appears unlikely, as the UFC announced on Friday it had replaced Machida with Vitor Belfort, who will come up from middleweight to challenge Jones at UFC 152.
UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta confirmed to ESPN.com both Machida and Mauricio Rua turned down the Sept. 22 fight with Jones.
Speaking on Belfort, Fertitta added, “Thank God for old-school, real fighters.â€
Machida has taken heat in the past for turning down offers from the UFC. In August 2011, he declined an opportunity to headline UFC 133 against Rashad Evans on short notice, drawing the ire of UFC president Dana White.
A former champion, Machida (18-3) earned the title shot with a knockout win over Ryan Bader at a UFC on Fox event last month. He lost to Jones via second-round submission in a title fight last December.
http://www.fighthype.com/news/article13082.html (http://www.fighthype.com/news/article13082.html)
King Mo - The Voice of Reason. The first opinion I have seen of a fighter that doesn't give a shit what Dana thinks of him.
I agree with everything that mo is saying ... Sonnen is one smart guy ... notice that twitter war started right before the announcement ...
Smart
Say what you want about Silva...he's a gamer.
Too little too late for him
He's a fighter, gained bit more respect for Spidey here. Top notch move, really cares about the sport unlike Jones
That's so unexpected and yet so cool. Young Mr Jones could learn a lot.
Who could they have got him to fight though?
Peace
Duckman
Wasn't it a week or so ago that Silva said he won't fight Chris Weidman? Just find it funny that everyone thinks the fella is a 'fighter' now, considering he has rejected fights in the past and put on performances that would be labelled 'Greg Jackson Tactics' by the haters.
I must be the only person who still thinks Weidman does deserve a shot.
And totally different circumstances, his decision not to fight Chris didn't ruin a card and purses for like 20 other fighters
Weidman is as deserving as the other middleweight contenders at the moment. I'm thinking he will get the winner of Bisping/Stann, though Boetsch & Belcher are possible opponents. Can't see any of those fighters beating Weidman though.
And for the hundreth time, UFC cancelled the card not Jones - how do people not get this?! Judge him all you like for not taking the fight, but he did not cancel that card. And all those fighters have had their fights moved to the next couple of shows. I'm not going to drag this thread into another Jones debate though haha.
I'm just saying, if the situation had been reversed, and Anderson Silva had had his title challenger replaced a week before the fight, Silva would've laughed Dana out of the room.
And if your Auntie had bollocks she'd be your Uncle.
You can't judge what one guy 'might' do. Only on what one guy 'did' do and Jones shit it. Simple as that. Silva, for all his fucking around in the past, at least fights the guys they put in front of him. He probably made Dana's life hell but he fought Sonnen for the 2nd time when he obviously didn't want to.
As far as Silva refusing to fight Weidman? I don't ever remember that fight being announced. If anything Weidman was doing a Sonnen and trying to talk his way into a fight he is still at least one win away from deserving. His fight before the Munoz fight was fucking horrible. Nowhere near a Title fight level performance.
At least Silva put his name out there as someone that could've stopped the show from being cancelled.
Doesn't make him a hero or anything but it does deserve at least a slight nod of credit.
Peace
Duckman
I just think all these fighters coming out in the aftermath and saying they would've taken the fight are a little self serving. It's easy for them and the fans to sit back and say they would take it when there isn't as much on the line for them. Anderson could've come up to LHW and possibly lost to, er, lets say Gustaffson , he's still champ, he still has his middleweight legacy, and his reputation won't be tarnished because he took the fight on short notice and all. Rousey has come out afterwards now saying that she would face Cyborg at catchweight if she was in Jones position, despite saying previously that Cyborg has to come to her.
I'm pretty sure Anderson came out and said he wouldn't face Weidman, so it was never going to get announced as a match or anything. And his performance against Maia was just as good as Anderson's, just saying. I don't actually think he deserves a title shot, I was just using it as an example of how the guy is no different to Jon Jones.
When the press conference was made to cancel the show, Dana only spoke about one guy stepping up. So far all the fighters saying they would've taken the fight, where were they? If there were so many willing to fight, why wouldn't the UFC organise another fight?
I'm not saying he's lying, but me saying he wouldn't have taken the fight if it was his title on the line, is no more presumptuous than all these fighters saying they would've taken the title fight in Jones position.
All this was, was Dana giving Anderson some good publicity.
Dana saying it was "too late to save the card"... that is outright laughable.
If Anderson fought anyone in the LHW division, it would have been easy day to keep the card.
Looks like a lot of you took the bait to make Anderson look like a hero in what was a very dark moment for the UFC. Not that I blame them, but Anderson was never going to take a fight to save the card.
Dana royally fucked up. Plain and simple. And Bones didn't bail him out, which was looked down upon. But the blame lies on Dana, 100%. His job to make it work. And for the first time, he failed to do his job.
"Thank God for old school, real fighters."
He does realize, it's his promotions policy that allows fighters to decline fights.
Shit, now most of the LHW division are no longer real fighters. Thank God we have the great Vitor Belfort!
UFC is looking worse and worse as this all keeps unfolding.
MMAJUNKIE-
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) just made one significant step back to the cage.
The fighter, who's been on the sidelines for 16 months due to a knee injury, today announced he's been medically cleared to resume normal MMA activities.
That should open the door for his planned UFC 154 pay-per-view headliner with interim titleholder Carlos Condit (28-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) this fall.
"I'm now medically cleared to compete in professional mixed martial arts events," St-Pierre today tweeted. "Rendez-vous le 17 novembre."
UFC 154, of course, takes place Nov. 17 at Montreal's Bell Centre. UFC officials previously announced they hoped the French-Canadian champion would headline the card. The co-headliner features a No. 1 contender's bout between Johny Hendricks (13-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) and Martin Kampmann (20-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC).
A troublesome knee injury ultimately resulted in St-Pierre's ACL surgery back in December. The champ recently said he was ahead of his 10-month recovery schedule.
Condit, who won the interim belt with a February win over Nick Diaz at UFC 143, opted to wait for the champ rather than take another fight and risk his big-money opportunity with St-Pierre.
St-Pierre, one of MMA's top pound-for-pound fighters, most recently earned a decision victory over Jake Shields at UFC 129 in April 2011. He's since won nine straight fights while posting six consecutive title defenses over the likes of Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn and Josh Koscheck.
While Condit is next up for "Rush," St-Pierre and UFC middleweight Anderson Silva have expressed interest in a super fight, UFC President Dana White recently confirmed.
MMAFIGHTING.com
Aug 30, 2012 - To say Jon Jones hasn't had the best week would be putting things mildly. It's hard to remember a fighter who took such a dramatic hit in the court of public opinion in this short of a time, and unfortunately, just when we thought the UFC 151 drama was over, it looks like things may be getting a little worse before they get better.
According to a report from The Wrestling Observer, prior to last week's debacle, Jones got so upset with Chael Sonnen's Twitter badgering, he actually contacted UFC President Dana White to "ask him to tell Chael to stop."
Regardless of how you feel about Jones, if the report is indeed true, it's the last thing this guy needed right now. At best, it looks like one of the greatest fighters on the planet has skin thinner than a fresh-cut peach. At worst, it seems akin to a child running to Mom to get his older brother to stop picking on him, and is a far cry from his "I'm more man than you'll ever be" rebuttal. Either way, nothing good can come out of this.
Jones' roller-coaster of scrutiny has been outrageous lately, and while he may be a victim of a slow news cycle, neither him, nor his camp have really done much proactively to stop it. As Joe Rogan often says, "Bones" could be the greatest talent of this generation, but watching a 25-year-old kid slowly, unwittingly dig himself deeper into a pit of public animosity is a tough sight to behold.
Hopefully, if only for Jones' sake, this whole bizarre spectacle can ultimately be forgiven next month with another display of combat brilliance.
The way the whole thing played out for Daniel Cormier's next fight has been spot on. In fact, the heavyweight said, a better script could not have been written.
Cormier (10-0 MMA, 7-0 SF), a former standout wrestler at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, next will fight Nov. 3 just up the road in Oklahoma City against former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir (16-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC).
And for the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament winner, everything seems to be coming together just about perfectly.
"They called me yesterday and asked me to give a quote to USA TODAY announcing the fight would be headed to Oklahoma. Man, I just about lost it. That's really pretty cool," Cormier on Tuesday told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio)).
"Strikeforce: Cormier vs. Mir" will take place Nov. 3 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City with a main card airing on Showtime and prelims on Showtime Extreme, a date and location reported Monday by MMAjunkie.com and USA TODAY.
Cormier gets to headline another Strikeforce card. He gets to face another high-caliber opponent in Mir, who will move over from the UFC for a one-time-only special attraction before Strikeforce closes the door on its heavyweight division. He gets the security of knowing he'll be moving to the UFC, himself, after the fight. And to top it off, he gets to do it all in front of a friendly crowd just 45 minutes from where he was an All-American.
Cormier has come a long way, and he's done so quickly. He's also wise enough to know it and appreciate it. After all, as Cormier put it, borrowing from his manager, when he started out in Strikeforce on the promotion's Challengers Series, he was fighting "on the undercard of the undercard."
Cormier, who in May beat Josh Barnett to win the heavyweight grand prix crown, has all his attention focused on Mir â€" even if he still has to pinch himself that all this success is happening so fast.
"It doesn't mean this isn't a little more than what I would've expected, to fight someone like Frank Mir in my 10th fight," Cormier said. "He's a great warrior and a great finisher. I don't think there's a guy in the division, outside Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, who are better finishers in the heavyweight division. He gets a hold of someone and goes for it 110 percent.
"People talk about Frank's a great submission guy and a great jiu-jitsu guy, but the respect from me comes from him being a great finisher in the heavyweight division."
Cormier is excited for the big venue. He's excited for what is certain to be a favorable crowd in his adopted second home state. He's excited for the chance to really put himself on the map against a heavyweight icon like Mir.
And he swears he isn't looking past the former champ when he thinks about UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. But he does think about him.
Cormier, an American Kickboxing Academy product, is just a little bit biased. But he thinks Velasquez, his AKA teammate, is going to beat Dos Santos on Dec. 29 to win back the UFC heavyweight title. And if that proves to be the case, well, what's Cormier to do? It's widely known that he'll slide over to the UFC after he faces Mir. And a win in November could have him quickly into the title mix. But as has proven to be the case with many teams, especially at AKA, Cormier doesn't want much part of fighting a teammate.
The solution? Well, he could just drop right down to light heavyweight â€" into Jones' turf. He can't get behind Jones' recent decision to turn down a fight with Chael Sonnen, which led to the cancellation of UFC 151. Cormier says he'd have done things differently, has proven so in the past, and so have other fighters â€" they've fought in less-than-ideal situations for the greater good.
"That's (Jones') decision to make. We all think differently," Cormier said. "But obviously my view on that situation is different. When I fought Jeff Monson, I was supposed to fight Shane del Rosario. … Even Cain's fight with Junior (at UFC on FOX 1) â€" they were both so hurt, they probably should've pulled out of the fight, both of them. But they didn't â€" they put it all on the line. Could you imagine the first FOX card and Cain or Junior pulling out? It would've been a complete disaster."
So if Velasquez gets the heavyweight belt and Cormier beats Mir and doesn't want to think about a showtime with his teammate, 205 could be calling â€" which Cormier hasn't been at in more than 10 years.
Still, one scenario, he thinks, could work out just right â€" him vs. Jones as coaches on Season 17 of "The Ultimate Fighter," with a fight for the title afterward.
"I have talked openly about fighting Jon Jones becauseI expect Cain to get his hand raised on Dec. 29," he said. "If I go down (to light heavyweight), I need some time to get down to a comfortable weight. I haven't been to 205 since 2001. If I do it the correct way, it's possible. If things fall in line, then that's what needs to happen. Throw me and Jones on (TUF) next year, and it would get more casual fans to get to know me. It would give me seven-eight months to get the weight off, and it would be awesome. That's not my place, but if there's a way for Dana (White) to hear this, I think it's a grand idea."
But even if he has Jon Jones somewhere in a daydream in the back of his mind, he tries to remain vigilant about the task at hand.
"I have a big fight with Frank. Frank's going to test me in ways most guys haven't," Cormier said. "My focus is on that. My short-term goal is get through this fight healthy, and get in the UFC at the beginning of the year."
MMAJUNKIE-
Undefeated bantamweight female prospect Sara McMann (6-0 MMA, 0-0 SF) is the latest addition to the Strikeforce roster.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) today learned from multiple sources close to the former Olympic wrestling silver medalist that McMann has signed a multi-fight deal with the promotion.
McMann could debut as soon as the promotion's recently-announced Nov. 3 event, but an opponent has yet to be determined. Exact terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 31-year-old McMann fought most recently at July's Invicta Fighting Championships 2, where she earned a hard-fought decision win over submission ace Shayna Baszler. It was McMann's sixth consecutive win as a professional, all of which came in a 14-month span.
McMann is one of the most decorated female freestyle wrestlers in American history. She earned a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens while competing at 63 kilograms (approximately 139 pounds).
The Maryland native is also a three-time medalist at the FILA Wrestling World Championships and a two-time gold medalist at the Pan American Games.
McMann is currently ranked No. 5 at 135 pounds in the Unified Women's Mixed Martial Arts Rankings. Strikeforce's current champion in that division, of course, is fast-rising superstar and fellow Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey. The same rankings also include McMann as the No. 10 pound-for-pound female fighter in the sport while Rousey hold the top spot
I've found myself getting more and more interested in the WMMA, much in the same vein as the Flyweights, seeing it become mainstream and what not and seeing history being made. A bit more depth and UFC have to consider adding it
UFC President Dana White raised some eyebrows this past week when he gauged fan interest in a Brock Lesnar (5-3) vs. Fedor Emelianenko (34-4) super fight.
Not surprisingly, fans voiced their approval.
White, though, said it's far from likely, especially now that famed Russian heavyweight Emelianenko has retired from the sport.
"There was a question (on The Underground), 'Could Dana make this fight?'" White said Tuesday on FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight." "And then I asked them, 'Well, how many people really want to see this fight?' I was asking a question. I guess a couple people want to see that fight."
The mere possibility of the blockbuster ignited days of discussion and debate among MMA fans. But for Lesnar, a former UFC heavyweight champion who retired from MMA and rejoined WWE earlier this year, and Emelianenko, a longtime PRIDE champion who retired from MMA in June, it's extremely unlikely to happen.
Neither fighter is under contract, and especially with Emelianenko, it's likely to stay that way, White said.
A few months ago, White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that his inability to sign Emelianenko and book the fight with Lesnar was one of his biggest regrets. White, of course, puts the blame on Emelianenko's longtime manager and the head of M-1 Global, Vadim Finkelstein. Although the two sides came close to an agreement a few years ago, discussions fell apart, and Emelianenko instead signed with Strikeforce. The Russian never re-signed with the organization after the UFC's parent company acquired the promotion in early 2011.
"I'll tell you this: I have done so much to try to get Fedor into the UFC," White said. "You know how I am, especially if I say it publicly. 'This is an obsession. I've got to get this thing done.'
"I've tried to get it done. And the crazy thing is, now everyone's asking if I can make this fight, and you know Fedor's retired. The guy retired. I don't know (if I could get him back). I couldn't get him when he was fighting. Now, we're on such good terms I'm going to pull him out of retirement?"
What do you guys think? To me wouldnt be anything but a freak show fight....but Id definatly watch.
MMAJUNKIE-
Sometimes, when it rains, it pours. Such often is the case for the UFC.
Not two hours after announcing the loss of its co-main event for UFC 153 next month in Brazil, the UFC now has lost its top draw on the card. Main event featherweight champion Jose Aldo has been forced out of his title fight with Frankie Edgar, leaving the UFC with a pair of holes in the top two positions for its return to Rio de Janeiro.
UFC President Dana White on Tuesday announced the news, summing it up on Twitter with: "Main and co-main in the same day!! Another amazing day at the UFC. We have some work to do."
Earlier on Tuesday, White announced news that co-main event fighter and former light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was out of his fight with Glover Teixeira with an injury. It is not yet known who Jackson's replacement will be.
Aldo (21-1, 3-0) was expected to face Erik Koch (13-1, 2-0) in the main event of the card, which takes place at HSBC Arena in Rio on Oct. 13. But an injury to Koch forced him out, and the UFC elected, in news first reported by USA TODAY and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)), to give an immediate title shot to new featherweight Edgar (14-3-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC), the former lightweight champion who decided to drop down 10 pounds and make a run at 145.
But now Aldo is out, and Edgar's shot at another belt will be put on hold. It is not yet known if Edgar will remain on the card against a different opponent or if he will now step back and wait for Aldo to recover from his injury.
White on Tuesday told MMAjunkie.com he was uncertain what would happen with Edgar's placement on the card, saying both options were open â€" that Edgar could face a new opponent next month, or he could be pulled.
Edgar was looking to join UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and B.J. Penn as the only men to hold UFC championships in two different weight classes.
Aldo has not fought since a UFC 142 first-round knockout of Chad Mendes, which also took place at HSBC Arena in Rio. That win gave him successful UFC title defenses against Mendes, Kenny Florian and Mark Hominick and made him 11-0 as a Zuffa fighter, including his time in the WEC.
Edgar finally moved to 145 after months and months of encouragement from White. In 2010, he won the lightweight title against B.J. Penn at UFC 112 and defended it at UFC 118. He fought to a now-famous draw with Gray Maynard at UFC 125, then knocked him out in the rematch at UFC 136. But against Benson Henderson at UFC 144 this past February, he finally tasted defeat in a title fight, dropping a close unanimous decision.
He got a rematch this past month at UFC 150 in Denver, but again dropped a close decision. After that, he decided to drop to featherweight â€" and found himself quickly back in a title fight with Koch was injured and he stepped up.
UFC officials now apparently will go to work on another five-alarm pay-per-view situation. Just this past month, the entire UFC 151 pay-per-view was canceled when Jon Jones refused a replacement fight with Chael Sonnen after Dan Henderson was forced out with an injury.
For more on UFC 153, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
MMAJUNKIE-
MMA has no bigger advocate for improvements in judging and officiating than UFC President Dana White.
The UFC boss has a virtual patent on "Don't leave it in the judges' hands." And when it comes to referees, he's never been shy about pointing out missteps that the third men in the cage could have handled better. (To be fair, he's also quick to go public when a ref makes a call that proves to be spot on.)
But to help referees do their jobs even better, and to help ensure critical mistakes that affect the outcome of fights are decreased, White advocates instant replay.
"Every other sport has instant replay. Fighting needs to, too, especially with how bad the officiating has been â€" judges and reffing," White told hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten on Monday's edition of "Inside MMA" on AXS TV. "They've got this thing with combat sports. These athletic commissions have this thing like, 'Once a guy makes a decision, it can't be overturned.' It's insane. In football, if you make a mistake (you go to instant replay). Guys are going to make mistakes. You can't be at all the angles. You can't see everything."
It's not the first time White has called for instant replay. In January, at UFC 142, White railed against a decision made by referee Mario Yamasaki that cost Erick Silva a TKO win over Carlo Prater and instead gave him a disqualification for illegal strikes to the back of the head.
Replay, White said, would have given Yamasaki the opportunity to watch the sequence to determine if the blows were indeed illegal. And if not, the fight could have been restarted rather than stopped with what appeared to be a raw deal for Silva, who was given his win bonus by White, despite the DQ.
"Listen, there are refs out there like Steve Mazzagatti that are just plain bad. He's a bad ref. He's got no business in the ring," White said in January in Rio de Janeiro after UFC 142. "But you've got guys like Mario Yamasaki and some of the other guys that are going to make mistakes. There's nothing wrong with making mistakes. There's nothing wrong. We're [expletive] human. We're going to do it. But you have to be able to go back and say, 'We made a mistake. Here's the proof. Let's overturn it.'"
On Monday, he expanded on his hope for a broader use of the available technology across the board in MMA.
White is of the belief that one bad call from an official that leads to an undue loss for a fighter can change the entire course of his career.
"Instant replay would be awesome because the thing that people do understand, but some don't â€" once you make a decision and it's a bad call, you affect this guy's life forever," White said. "You make a mistake in a baseball game, there's 190 more games this season. They'll be all right. They'll make up for it. You make a mistake in fighting, it hurts this guy immensely.
"… It's literally, I think it's one of the worst things that can happen if a guy loses a fight that didn't really lose that fight. You know how hard these guys work, how hard these guys train and how much they put into this, and it affects their money, their legacy â€" it affects everything."
White pointed to his light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC), and the one loss on his record as proof referees hold a lot of power in their hands if they make a bad call.
Jones' one loss was a disqualification in December 2009 against Matt Hamill. In dominant position on top, Jones began raining down a series of fists and elbows while Hamill covered up. When referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped Jones, the assumption was that he had won by TKO.
But Mazzagatti stopped the fight to take a point away from Jones for illegal "12-6" elbow strikes. After he announced the point deduction, he checked on Hamill. And upon determining he was unable to continue, the fight was waved off.
Ironically, Mazzagatti then went to watch replay of the strikes Jones was landing â€" using a policy instituted in Nevada earlier that year. And when he determined the strikes that kept Hamill from being able to continue were illegal, Hamill was awarded the disqualification victory â€" and Jones had his only loss, albeit one with an asterisk next to it.
After the fight, Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) he believed Mazzagatti's call was the right one.
"At the end of the day, you have the illegal elbows that cut him up, and that's why it was stopped," Kizer said. "The only call you can make in that situation is a disqualification. Because there was definitely some damage done by lawful elbows, it was difficult to determine what caused what until he saw the instant replay. Then it was very easy. It would have been a tough call for him without the instant replay just due to the good strikes that preceded the illegal blows. That's why we added it."
White appears to be of the ilk that Mazzagatti never should have let it get to that point â€" that Jones was clearly doing enough legal damage to warrant a stoppage well before what ultimately were determined to be the illegal strikes.
"Jon Jones has one loss on his record that isn't right," White said. "It wasn't a loss. He should be undefeated right now. We should be able to go out and promote Jon Jones as the undisputed, undefeated light heavyweight champion â€" but we can't because there was a guy reffing a fight that didn't belong there."
And to that end, White's frustration is more about the general state of officiating consistency â€" which he believes instant replay ultimately would help. When it comes to judging, Nevada has added monitors for judges to be able to watch the fight in cases where their view may be blocked by a referee, or the action in the fight is taking place away from their ideal line of sight.
But the referee decision-making and judging inconsistencies continue, and White believes it's leaving a crucial black eye on the sport that needs quick mending.
"It has to get better. If it doesn't, everybody is in trouble," White said. "I consistently, when bad calls are made, I call people out. We're doing everything we can to try and stop this from happening."
MMAJUNKIE-
Suddenly, Bellator is without a heavyweight champ.
Cole Konrad, a two-time NCAA wrestling champ who transitioned to MMA and dominated the competition in the tournament-based promotion, is for now retiring from the sport.
Plans to find a new champion are unclear at the moment. The news first was reported by Twincities.com and subsequently confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) by a source close to the promotion.
The Twincities.com report said Konrad, 28, is leaving fighting to become a financial trader at a Minnesota-based firm that supplies ingredients to the feed, pet food, food processing and chemical industries. Konrad will specialize in trading milk products.
Bellator officials declined comment on Konrad's retirement.
Konrad (9-0 MMA, 7-0 BFC), who won his NCAA titles while at the University of Minnesota, made his MMA debut in 2010 and earned two wins before signing with Bellator. He went on to fight in the promotion's inaugural heavyweight tournament and swept the field to become the Bellator heavyweight champion.
He defended his title in March with a 60-second submission win over Eric Prindle.
For more on Bellator's upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.
MMAJUNKIE-
With his career winding down, Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Stephan Bonnar (14-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) has been begging for a big fight. Now he's got it.
USA TODAY Sports has confirmed with company officials that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (32-4, 15-0) is moving up to 205 pounds to meet Bonnar in the three-round main event of UFC 153 event, which takes place Oct. 13 at Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena.
Additionally, Brazilian slugger Glover Teixeira (18-2, 1-0) meets fellow countryman Fabio Maldonado (18-5, 1-2) in the evening's co-main event. And in a bout first reported by Brazilian outlet Tatame, former interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-7-1, 4-3) faces Dave Herman (21-4, 1-2).
The new additions to the card were necessitated when original headliner, featherweight champ Jose Aldo, and original co-main-event fighter Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on Tuesday were forced to withdraw with injuries. Aldo's opponent, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, now will be rescheduled for a later date, while Teixeira, who was expected to face Jackson, now draws Maldonado.
"UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar" now features a six-fight main card that airs on pay-per-view. Preliminary-card bouts are expected to air on FX and stream on Facebook.
"We're back on track," UFC President Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). "Anderson Silva wasn't scheduled to fight at all. I called him today, and he's shooting a commercial in Brazil. Anderson Silva steps up, and Stephan Bonnar wants to fight him. The Teixeira vs. Maldonado fight comes together, and then Nogueira was standing right there with Anderson shooting the commercial with him, and he said he wanted to fight, too.
"This is old-school UFC. A card is in jeopardy, but guys that are world champions and superstars stepped up and jumped in and saved the card. This is why the fans love this sport and why we went on a 12-year run without canceling an event."
That streak recently ended, of course, when UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones declined a late-notice fight with two-time middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen at UFC 151, and the promotion ultimately elected to scrap the entire event.
Bonnar's place in UFC history is secure as one-half of an epic 2005 fight with Forrest Griffin in the live finale of the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter." That bout is widely considered the starting point for the sport's current popularity growth. Bonnar later tangled with future champions Rashad Evans and Jones, among others, during a disappointing 2-5 stretch. However, he's since put together a three-fight win streak and has openly lobbied for fights with some of the sport's biggest names.
He certainly found that in Silva, who is widely considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. The Brazilian phenom is undefeated since 2006 and has won an incredible 15 straight fights in the UFC. The 185-pound kingpin has fought twice before in the UFC's light heavyweight division, earning first-round knockout wins of former 205-pound champ Griffin and James Irvin.
Maldonado had been expected to fight Jorgen Kruth at this month's UFC on FX 5 event. However, Kruth abruptly retired, and Maldonado was expected to shift to UFC 154, where he would meet Cyrille Diabate. But UFC officials had yet to announce the new fight, and Maldonado openly campaigned for the bout with Teixeira.
Meanwhile, Teixeira made his UFC debut in May with an impressive first-round submission win over Kyle Kingsbury. The result marked Teixeira's 16th straight win. His most recent loss came in March 2005.
Nogueira fights for the first time since suffering a broken arm in a December 2011 loss to Frank Mir. Nogueira was expected to fight Cheick Kongo at this past July's UFC 149, but "Big Nog" ultimately decided his arm wasn't ready for action. He now meets Herman, who looks to snap a two-fight losing streak after dropping back-to-back outings against Roy Nelson and Stefan Struve.
MMAJUNKIE
tephan Bonnar was mostly enjoying his retirement.
It's not as if he was playing 18 holes in the morning and then meeting the bridge club at HomeTown Buffet â€" making sure to get there before dinner pricing starts at 3:30 p.m. And it's not as if his retirement was a full-on, "I quit. I'm done. Finito. Never again." But Bonnar said it was mostly a retirement, nonetheless.
Then Anderson Silva came along and spoiled it all.
"It's just amazing how overnight I go from my phone never ringing to the coolest guy around," Bonnar told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) on Monday.
And so Bonnar (14-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) put his retirement on hold for a while and decided a fight against Silva (32-4 MMA, 15-0 UFC), arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history, maybe would be enough reason to get back in the octagon. Bonnar and Silva now meet in the light-heavyweight non-title main event of UFC 153 next month in Rio de Janeiro, with middleweight champ Silva moving up to 205 pounds for the pay-per-view headliner.
Of course, Bonnar wasn't really close at all to that golf-and-bridge-club scenario. In fact, when he got word that the UFC wanted his services for the Rio card, he was in Florida helping former WWE star Dave Bautista to train for his upcoming MMA debut.
The UFC wanted him to fight Glover Teixeira, whose original UFC 153, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, had scratched due to an injury. But Bonnar had been talking about his "rule" for months â€" and if guys can't pass his entrance exam, they're probably not getting in the cage with him. After 10 years in the biz and 14 UFC fights, the rule is Bonnar's price of admission, and he doesn't feel like he needs to apologize for it.
"My manager hit me up and asked how I feel about fighting Glover Teixeira," Bonnar said. "And I said, 'You know my rule. If I'm going to do this again, he's got to have more Twitter followers than me.' I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true. That's how I feel. That's a measure of someone's popularity, and I just want a bigger name. The last three opponents, I've had more Twitter followers than them, and I've beat them, and I feel like I deserve a bigger name now. I really don't have an interest in fighting an up-and-comer type, guys who are climbing their way up and people don't really know how good they are. I've done that a lot in my career."
In fact, Bonnar's past three opponents â€" Krzysztof Soszynski, Igor Pokrajac and Kyle Kingsbury â€" don't have as many Twitter followers combined as Bonnar does. It's an interesting barometer for deciding whether or not to fight someone, but Teixeira didn't make the cut.
"I got another text from (my manager) asking how I'd feel about fighting Anderson, and I laughed," Bonnar said. "Like, 'Yeah. Good luck trying to pull that one off.' Of course I'd fight Anderson â€" 2.5 million Twitter followers? Geez. Like this will ever happen.' … By Thursday night, it was everywhere, and I couldn't believe it. I played a little phone tag Friday and got ahold of (UFC President Dana White), and lo and behold, it was true.
"I think it really set in (Sunday) that I'm fighting Anderson Silva. I'm still a little bewildered."
In fact, reached via text by MMAjunkie.com this past Thursday, Bonnar had yet to officially talk to the UFC and White about the fight. He only presumed it to be happening because the Internet was blowing up about the matchup, which USA TODAY and MMAjunkie.com first reported in the wake of the cancellation of the UFC 153 title fight between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar.
Bonnar has had some big opponents in his career. Early on, before he was known much outside of his local MMA scene in northwest Indiana, before he hit the mainstream on "The Ultimate Fighter," he traveled to Brazil to fight future UFC champ Lyoto Machida. And, of course, on that historic first season of the reality show, he fought future champ Forrest Griffin at the live finale â€" a fight that is universally regarded as the one that put the UFC on the map and changed the course of the sport forever. It could even be argued that without that Griffin fight, there may not be a UFC to make Silva the greatest fighter on the planet â€" and forget about him having 2.5 million Twitter followers.
Bonnar would go on to fight future champs Rashad Evans, and Griffin again, and Jon Jones â€" all decision losses. But there has been nothing of this kind of magnitude in his career, and he knows it.
"There isn't (anything bigger)," he said. "He's the best guy on everyone's pound-for-pound list, he's got 15 straight UFC victories, been a champion for six years or so. It's great, though, because I feel like I have nothing to lose. Fighting Anderson in his backyard, I'm a record-setting underdog. I couldn't ask for anything more."
That last part probably isn't entirely true. Bonnar could ask for something more. He could ask to get his hand raised. And despite odds that now are as high as 15-to-1 against him at some offshore betting sites, a win for Bonnar would change everything.
Bonnar had been asking for a fight with Jackson. They had beef a while back, but it didn't go very far. And Bonnar and Griffin had been campaigning to White to be coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter," where they got their big break. They wanted to live in the house with the fighters, just like they had done when they were castmates on Season 1. At the end of the show, they could fight one last time â€" Griffin is 2-0 in the series â€" but White had been consistently shooting that idea down.
In July, Bonnar quietly mentioned to this writer that a spot on the UFC's planned September return to his home state of Indiana (a show that eventually was changed to UFC on FX 5 in Minneapolis next month) might be in the cards, and while nothing was remotely close, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira had been bandied about as a possible opponent. "Little Nog" passed Bonnar's Twitter test, so why not? But that didn't come to pass, either.
And so it was that Bonnar was done with fighting, even if he didn't want to be.
"Honestly, in my mind, I was retired," he said. "Before my last fight, I felt a lot of pressure. I was a (2-to-1) underdog against Kingsbury. But I still felt a lot of pressure because I knew I had to win â€" and had to win and win good because then I could campaign to get that fight with 'Rampage' Jackson. Then I could campaign to coach 'TUF' against Forrest. I wasn't going to fight again if I couldn't get something like that. I really wasn't. I tried hard. I went on a lot of TV shows and was in a lot of articles and even in my talk with Dana he was like, 'That ain't happening.' So it's like, 'Damn, looks like I'm hanging it up.'
"It really went from me being retired to the biggest fight I could ever dream of having â€" overnight. Life is funny sometimes."
But it's really that Griffin trilogy fight that Bonnar is eyeballing if he's allowed to step back and daydream for a bit on what it would be like to beat Silva, what it would be like to do something no one in the UFC has done before him, what it would be like to sit out for 10 months and then go to Brazil, where Silva is a household name and has godlike status, and defy odds that are bordering on ludicrous â€" to get his hand raised.
When he thinks about it, what a way to go out. Fight the greatest, score the biggest upset in the history of the sport, win the hearts of millions of fans in a moment bigger than "Rocky" â€" and then hang up the gloves for good, walking away on top of the world.
"I was thinking about it; if I win this fight, how am I ever going to top that?" Bonnar said. "It's been hard enough trying to top the (first) Forrest fight all these years. Then if I freaking beat Anderson Silva, talk about a perfect storybook ending to a career."
Not so fast, though.
"Then on the other side, if I beat Anderson Silva, then voila â€" I could probably get that coaching gig with Forrest, I could probably get a new contract and get paid a lot of money to fight," he said. "It's an interesting dilemma, but one that I'm pretty thankful to be close to having â€" or just have the opportunity to have."
Of course, a win over Silva would give Bonnar four straight at light heavyweight â€" with the most recent being against the man many consider the greatest ever to strap on gloves. White believes he's the greatest, which is the opinion that may matter most. So if Bonnar beats the greatest, what's left? Perhaps a rematch with light-heavyweight champ Jones, whom Bonnar took to a decision three and a half years ago, but this time, with a possible title on the line (provided Jones beats Vitor Belfort on Saturday)?
"Wow. You know what? I didn't even think of that," Bonnar said.
It's a little more proof of just how quickly this scenario has unfolded for Bonnar. Out of nowhere came a life-changing megafight at 35 years old, right as he's ready to wind his career down.
Bonnar knows the consensus is that he doesn't stand a chance â€" even though he never has been stopped, save for two TKOs thanks to cuts. There's a camp that sees Bonnar going all three rounds with Silva, coming forward the whole time, and leaving a bit bloodied up. But there isn't a very big camp that sees Bonnar winning.
For Bonnar, all the better.
"I don't care, though. I feel great about this," he said. "There's no pressure on me. I'm fighting the pound-for-pound best guy in his backyard. I'm a record-setting underdog. It's a good light-and-free feeling."
That the only thing that it is missing is depth . but this is a good signing right here.
Have any of you being watching this company?
I've just watched their latest PPV, it was $10 for the stream and it was pretty much perfect. Great quality and production to rival UFC (minus fighting robots).
Also the show was entertaining as hell, lots of upsets and finishes, and I think only one decision in which was still a decent fight.
If you haven't watched anything from these guys I would definitely recommend checking them out. With Dream gone, and One FC focusing on other markets such as Singapore, Malaysia and what not. They could get big. And for $10 it's well worth it.
Their time zones might not be great for US folk though (you can still catch PPV replays though), but it is perfect for UK guys, live MMA at 1pm on a Saturday? Go on then.
So yesterday was Batista MMA debut, for those of you that didn't watch might be shocked with the outcome of the fight. Batista wins in the first round with a TKO that whole fight lasted a whole 4 minutes.
He took on a fat old guy. I don't rate his win at all.
I give him props for stepping in there ... let see if he stick with it . I hope he does well
(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1234743/2.gif)
DESTRUCTIVE
Aye, props to him stepping up and getting the win. But lets see how he fares against an opponent that is a step above 'Bob Sapp Level'. Still, for a man his age who hasn't been training long, it's pretty impressive.
serious question.
Was the PPV really titled "Dave Bautista Presents: MMA"?
and
(http://i.imgur.com/Mjcy7.jpg)
Quote from: Nick on October 07, 2012, 10:43:44 AM
(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1234743/2.gif)
DESTRUCTIVE
Man, they pulled out all the stops. Never knew Goldberg had credentials as a MMA ref.
TBH....the guys a step below Hershel Walker, so props for taking it seriously.
Let's see Bautista VS Walker next!
This was beyond painful to watch. I had no doubt he'd win... but by fucking god, he looks like he's never sparred in a striking match in his life.
No exaggeration... I probably have better striking defense then him and I haven't trained a day in my life. It was THAT bad. He had his hands out in front of him trying to zombie clinch him, eating shots left and right.
His ground game looked pretty bad too. I expected him to be better than this. Hilarious. WTF was that?
Quote from: Fnord on October 08, 2012, 01:03:43 PM
Let's see Bautista VS Walker next!
Walker retired. I think the next viable option for Bautista is obvious.
(http://cageradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/bob_sapp-264x300.gif)
ha ha ha ha ...
fuck you nick
;D
MMAJUNKIE-
Anderson Silva might be willing to move up in weight to fight Stephan Bonnar, but he won't fight light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
"There are many possibilities, but fighting Jon Jones is one of them that I don't think is possible," Silva said today during a press conference in support of UFC 153. "There's no way."
The middleweight champ's proclamation was the latest of several objections to the superfight, which has drawn heated interest from fans since Silva's record-setting 10th consecutive title defense earlier this year.
A meeting between Silva (32-4 MMA, 15-0 UFC) and Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) would be one of the sport's most marketable matchups, with both champs on extended runs of dominance. Both, however, have demurred on the idea of fighting each other.
On a recent media call for Saturday's event, which takes place at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Silva acknowledged the clamor of interest in a bout with Jones. Not just from fans, but his boss, UFC President Dana White.
But while a trip up to light heavyweight to headline Stephan Bonnar was possible due to the lack of weight-cutting time available, an extended stay would be "pretentious."
"There's other guys in that weight class on our team like Rafael (Cavalcante), (Antonio Rogerio) Nogueira ... (and) other guys that could potentially face Jones in the future.
"I'm 37 years old, and I feel like I need to be honest and continue what I've built, which is keep defending my belt at 185."
White has all but scoffed at Silva's previous assertions and said the champ changed his tune about meeting welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC).
"Anderson and Jones are saying, 'hey, we're buddies,' or 'we don't want to fight' or whatever the deal is," White said in September. "But [Jones] didn't want to fight Rashad either, and that happened."
During an open workout for UFC 153, Silva even said that St-Pierre was one of his main focuses in advance of his meeting with Bonnar, which serves as Saturday's headliner.
But Jones, who is currently recovering from an elbow injury sustained at UFC 152, is out of the picture.
This the same Anderson Silva who said he would have stepped up to face Jones to save that UFC event a couple of months ago right?
I heard a rumor about the next season of TUF being Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones... anyone else heard this? Cause that would be awesome.
Dan Henderson got screwed
MMAJUNKIE RE: Dan Henderson:
Just two short months ago, Dan Henderson was on deck for a well-deserved title shot against UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
But following a knee injury that forced him out of a title fight at September's subsequently canceled UFC 151 event, the division has moved on without him.
Henderson watched as Jones got offered a fight with Lyoto Machida, ultimately defeated Vitor Belfort instead, heard talk of a potential Jones vs. Anderson Silva super fight, and now watches as Chael Sonnen follows a failed middleweight title shot with a spot coaching "The Ultimate Fighter 17" opposite Jones.
Henderson admittedly is a bit perplexed as to why the brash and outspoken Sonnen has cut to the front of the line, got the "TUF 17" assignment, and been promised a title shot in a division in which he doesn't own a single UFC win.
So he went to Twitter and posted a message that included UFC President Dana White's Twitter handle.
"I guess I should just quit training to win fights and to be exciting for the fans and just go to s--- talking school," he tweeted.
Even before the title shot went to Sonnen, Henderson had essentially lost his once-promised title fight. With the former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion on the mend after tearing his MCL training for the UFC 151 fight, White said this past month that he expected Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) to next fight Machida (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) . Actually, it was part of a rant in which the UFC boss criticized Machida for not taking a short-notice opportunity against Jones at UFC 152.
"So you wanted to fight Jon Jones, you climbed up to the title fight, and you don't take it," White said of Machida. "Now you're fighting [expletive] Dan Henderson. Now you might not even get to the [expletive] title again. You lose to Dan Henderson, you're not anywhere near Jon Jones."
Although Henderson initially hoped to return to the cage by year's end, the UFC's remaining 2012 schedule is already full of top-level fights, so it'll likely be 2013 before we see him, possibly against Machida.
Either way, it's been nearly a year since his most recent octagon appearance; in a "Fight of the Year" winner, he took a decision win over ex-champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139. (You know, the one that earned him that title shot.)
Bellator 76 Eddie Alvarez vs Patricky "Pitbull" Freire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8tBVmN65sY#ws)
MMAJUNKIE-
The UFC's annual year-end card in Las Vegas is set for Dec. 29 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The long-talked about event was made official by the UFC on Friday for the date and location that previously had been reported by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)). Though the event number and date were known, the MGM Grand location had not been made formal until Friday, nor had the main event.
Headlining the card, as expected, is a title fight between heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos meets ex-titleholder Cain Velasquez in the pay-per-view's main event.
And just Friday, the UFC announced that former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, who was awaiting a replacement opponent with Chael Sonnen moving on to face Jon Jones, will meet Phil Davis, likely in the co-main event slot.
It's the UFC's fifth straight year-end event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The UFC holds its year-end cards as close to New Year's Eve as possible. However, depending on the calendar, the shows sometimes take place after the new year, as it did with UFC 125, which took place Jan. 1, 2011.
UFC 155 will be the 24th UFC event at MGM Grand Garden Arena, which most recently hosted "UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II" on July 7.
The latest UFC 155 card includes:
Champ Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez - for heavyweight title
Phil Davis vs. Forrest Griffin
Tim Boetsch vs. Chris Weidman
Joe Lauzon vs. Gray Maynard
Alan Belcher vs. Yushin Okami
Phil De Fries vs. Matt Mitrione
Chris Leben vs. Karlos Vemola
Sonnen is one crafty bastard ...
Quote from: GM TyTy on October 17, 2012, 07:49:27 PM
Dan Henderson got screwed
yep
its not a bad card , but not really who i wanted to see in the main event. Being honest i am really really waiting for that Alistair Overeem VS Dos Santos fight. But still , i will be watching !!
MMAJUNKIE
The return of "The Ultimate Fighter" to Brazil officially has its coaches set.
As previously reported, Brazilian veterans Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-7-1 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and Fabricio Werdum (16-5-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) will serve as coaches on the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil." UFC
UFC officials on Tuesday announced the two fighters will square off as coaches on the reality show before squaring off in the octagon following the season.
"TUF: Brazil 2," which is expected to feature welterweight fighters, will begin filming in early 2013 with an expected debut of next March. Earlier this month, more than 300 hopefuls attended an open tryout to get on the show following UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro.
"TUF: Brazil" was the first international edition of the long-running reality competition series. The show, which featured coaches Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort, debuted this past March and aired on Globo in Brazil. In the U.S., the show streamed on TUF.tv, and FUEL TV carried it on a delayed basis starting in June.
Following "TUF: Brazil 2," Nogueira and Werdum will fight in the traditional season-ending coaches fight. That bout will be a rematch between the two. Nogueira beat Werdum by decision at a 2006 PRIDE event in the first round of an open-weight grand prix.
Nogueira is coming off a submission victory over Dave Herman at UFC 153 in Rio. But he has alternated wins and losses in his past seven fights. Werdum re-signed with the UFC after a 3-1 stint with Strikeforce, where he upset Antonio Silva and Fedor Emelianenko. He's on a 5-1 run, including a TKO win over Mike Russow at UFC 147 in Brazil in June.
Nogueira coached Season 8 of the U.S. version of "The Ultimate Fighter" opposite Frank Mir.
Should be fun. I'm a massive Big Nog fan and the Nog/Mir season was a fun one so this should be good. He's going to get mauled in the fight with Werdum though :(
Yeah, Werdum is on a war path now...very dangerous guy
MMAJUNKIE
UFC 153 fighters Stephan Bonnar (15-8 MMA, 8-7 UFC) and Dave Herman (21-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) each tested positive for banned substances in their post-fight drug screens.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) today confirmed with Ultimate Fighting Championship officials that all 24 fighters who competed at this past month's UFC 153 event in Brazil were tested, and Bonnar and Herman were the lone two competitors who failed the screen.
Bonnar tested positive for Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid, while Herman's screen was flagged for marijuana metabolites.
UFC 153 took place Oct. 13 at Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena. Anderson Silva defeated Bonnar in the evening's headliner while Herman was submitted by Antonio Rodrgio Nogueira in the co-main event.
With the lack of an athletic commission to govern the event, UFC officials took the role of overseeing the fight card. UFC exec Marc Ratner said the company has yet to issue a suspension to the fighters but is expected to do so sometime next week.
Bonnar earlier this week announced his retirement. His first positive test and subsequent suspension came after UFC 62, at which he dropped a unanimous decision loss to Forrest Griffin in their rematch. At that event, the Las Vegas-based Bonnar tested positive for a Boldenone metabolite that resulted from anabolic-steroid use.
Following the suspension, Bonnar owned up to the infraction, saying he was trying to speed up the rehab of an injured elbow in time for the Griffin fight. He was suspended for nine months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and fined $5,000.
After a three-fight losing skid that included unanimous decision losses to eventual light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman, Bonnar bounced back in 2010 with a second-round TKO win over Krzysztof Soszynski, then dominant unanimous decision wins over Igor Pokrajac and Kyle Kingsbury.
After a layoff of nearly a year, he got the chance of his career when he was asked to face Silva in Brazil in a light heavyweight bout on just a month's notice. Bonnar came out swinging, but eventually succumbed to a Silva knee to the midsection and follow-up punches on the ground in the first round. It was the first time he had been stopped, not counting two stoppages from cuts.
"Huge thanks to every UFC fan out there!" the Carlson Gracie-trained Bonnar stated on Facebook, announcing his retirement. "All I ever wanted was to bring ya'll some fun...hope u were entertained. Peace, love, & violence!"
Earlier this week, Bonnar's wife gave birth to the couple's first child.
Drostanolone is an anabolic steroid in the dihydrotestosterone family. Earlier this year, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal tested positive for the same substance.
For Herman, the failed test is also his second offense. The heavyweight was in 2011 scratched from a planned matchup with Mike Russow when he failed a pre-fight drug screen issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Herman later revealed marijuana was the offending substance, though he denied using the drug.
The remaining 22 fighters on the card all tested negative for drugs of abuse (such as marijuana and cocaine), as well as anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancers.
MMAJUNKIE-
Chael Sonnen today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) that not only does he expect Dan Henderson to help him prepare for a title fight against Jon Jones â€" but Henderson will be one of his assistant coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter 17."
"We're on great terms (and) we've always been on great terms," Sonnen said while adding that Henderson will also corner him against the light-heavyweight champ when they meet April 27.
Sonnen downplayed any rift with the former PRIDE champ and two-time UFC title challenger that arose in the wake of his selection as a coach for "TUF 17," which came with the guaranteed title fight against Jones.
"You've got to understand, what Dan and I have got is like the military," Sonnen said. "Our gym has got an order, and Dan is one of the coaches. He's above me. I don't talk back to Dan, and if Dan wants to say something, that would be the way it is."
Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who was scheduled to fight for the title at UFC 151 before a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the event (which was later canceled), had plenty to say following the unexpected turn on the UFC's long-running reality show. He criticized the decision to pair Sonnen (28-12-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC) and Jones (17-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC).
"I guess I should just quit training to win fights and to be exciting for the fans and just go to s--- talking school," he tweeted.
Later, Sonnen himself hinted that a rift might have developed between them as a result of his assignments.
"I haven't spoken to him, but, um â€" I haven't spoken to Dan," Sonnen said on Tuesday during a fan chat sponsored by MetroPCS. "We'll leave it at that."
Now, it appears the two have not only mended fences, but joined forces. Sonnen, though, said that's nothing to be surprised about.
"He's helped me through my whole career," he said. "The media can try to spin it however they want. But he's helped me with my whole career, and he's going to help me with this one, too."
Henderson joins Sonnen's other assistant coaches, including Clayton Hires (striking coach), Scott McQuary (head coach at Team Quest Tualatin), Jamie Huey (striking coach), Mike Dolce and Vinny Magalhaes. UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture also is expected to join some training sessions.
UFC President Dana White recently shot down rumors that he had skipped over Henderson in favor of the sharp-tongued Sonnen, who went on the verbal offensive against Jones during a conference call announcing their fight and "TUF" gig. But today Sonnen was nothing but respectful toward the champ.
"Dan Henderson is hurt," White said on Tuesday. "I called Dan Henderson yesterday or the day before â€" whenever the hell it was. I said, 'How's your knee?' He said, 'It's still tight. I'm going to start training and see how it feels.' He doesn't even know how his knee feels yet. He doesn't even know if his knee is 100 percent yet, and everyone is chirping about the Dan Henderson fight. Dan Henderson is not healthy yet."
Sonnen and Henderson still are vying for the same title, however. Of a possible collision later down the line, Sonnen said, "You've got to stick around, man. I can't give you the conclusion. What fun will reading the book be?"
Well, who can really blame Bonnar lol
Not saying what he did was right, just saying I totally understand where he's coming from. The temptation would've been huge
Looking back at the Herman/Big Nog fight, Herman had to be high as fuck. Constant grin, doing absolutely nothing in the stand up and getting peppered by a much slower, and clearly beat up opponent, laughing when he tapped out. Explains a lot, disappointed I didn't figure it out during the fight haha spent most of the fight questioning out loud what the hell he was doing.
As for Bonner, it's not surprising given how hench he looked going into the fight and his past. Probably knew he was going to retire after the fight as well.
If I were fighting Anderson I'd be shooting every God damn roid I could find, straight into my eye balls. You need all the help you can get when you're fighting a Jedi!
Truth be told it looks like one of those 'late notice, shit I need to cut a ton of weight' situations, as opposed to taking something to getting bigger/stronger.
Herman is a tool though. Not for smoking weed (cause I do that and it's cool as fuck) but just in general terms. Big Nog owed his ass on the ground and proved him wrong on his bs about BJJ not working.
Still, more failed drugs tests, whatever the situation, looks bad on the sport in general.
Peace
Duckman
agree with Duckman on the Bonner thing , trying to cut weight as fast as he can. don't have a problem with it .
MMAJUNKIE
In an historic and groundbreaking moment for mixed martial arts history, Ronda Rousey will soon be a member of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Rousey, the Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion, will become the first female fighter in UFC history, crossing a barrier that even a year ago seemed to be highly unlikely, if not nearly impossible.
The news comes from TMZ, though sources with the UFC and Strikeforce could not immediately confirm the report to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)).
Though no official word has come yet from the UFC or Strikeforce, UFC President Dana White tweeted a smiley-face icon not long after the social media world was abuzz with talk of TMZ's report. That smiley face is a White tradition of sorts dating back to Fedor Emelianenko's first loss in nearly 10 years â€" though Thursday's smiley tweet could be mere coincidence.
Rousey (6-0 MMA, 4-0 SF), according to TMZ, will become the UFC's first female champion, with her 135-pound Strikeforce title now becoming the UFC's women's bantamweight title. An opponent for her first title defense in the UFC will need to be sought, of course, and will make that opponent the second female UFC signee.
The hope from fans and Zuffa officials alike has been that Rousey would fight Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos once Santos returns from a yearlong steroids suspension. But Santos has been hesitant to drop from 145 pounds, where she was Strikeforce's champion before being stripped of the title after her positive test. But with a spot on a UFC card, likely a pay-per-view and potentially in a headlining slot, available to drop down to fight Rousey, her feelings may change.
Rousey, in just a short window of time, has taken the MMA world by storm. She ran through three amateur opponents with first-round armbars, then turned pro and proceeded to submit her first four foes with the same move, all in the first round.
She got a title shot this past March against Miesha Tate, and though Tate lasted longer than all of Rousey's previous opponents combined, she still was forced to tap to the same now-legendary and feared armbar.
In her first title defense this past August in San Diego, Rousey submitted Sarah Kaufman â€" by armbar â€" in less than a minute.
At the same time she has been dominating inside the cage, Rousey has been a force outside of it, as well. She was nominated for a record four World MMA Awards this year. She has appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine for "The Body Issue." She's been on with Conan O'Brien, co-hosted with TMZ, had a Showtime "All Access" special, was called "the greatest female fighter of all time" by Rolling Stone and is featured in the current issue of Sports Illustrated.
But perhaps the biggest barrier Rousey needed to cross was breaking White of his long-held stance that women never would fight in the UFC.
White's stance has been predicated on a belief that there aren't enough high-level female fighters to build deep enough divisions to warrant having them in the UFC. But it has been Rousey who has, as he has admitted, forced him to take another look.
And recently, White said that new look was enough for him to say that the UFC would soon cross the gender barrier â€" though he wasn't certain how soon it would be.
According to TMZ, Rousey will debut for the UFC soon. And at the same time, the site reported the upcoming Jan. 12 Strikeforce show, first reported by MMAjunkie.com, will be the promotion's last before folding. So Rousey would be looking for a new home no matter what.
Now that new home apparently will come under the banner of the largest MMA promotion in the world.
I dont see how this could be a bad thing. GSP vs Silva would be insane and it would crush sales records. I am a GSP supporter till the bitter end and i hope he qwould be able to control silva on the ground, the thing about that is getting silva to the ground. I would have to say if GSP could take the fight to the ground and avoid being submitted he would win... If it stayed standing silva would KO in in a heart beat.
What about you guys?
The guys who outwrestled silva were chonnan and lutter. Both are huge guys, bigger than silva was. Gsp is small, takedowns would be less effective as he couldn't power them.
Silvas submissions would be a non factor, Gsp has too good top control.
It's all size, Gsp should not take The fight
I don't think it would be as good as a fight as everybody claims. I think Silva would pull his usual crap and keep GSP at a distance with his reach advantage, picking at him any time GSP got close. I don't think GSP would have much success taking him down - and Silva is the more decorated striker.
Both valid points but you can't rope GSP in with Chonnan or Lutter because well he's GSP. He knows he would be at a dis admantage which is why i think he would be going for alot of sweeps and using his judo more in this fight then any other.
GSP is good on the top but silva is quick and can lock his on much like Matt Hughes did to GSP with that armbar a long ass time ago.
We also have to factor in that if silva pulls his lazy antics it could cost him just like is cost matt hughes when GSP Knocked him right the fuck out. Silva would try to keep him at bay with that long reach but if GSP could get inside iot like he has done to countless taller fighters.... Silva might be fucked.
It'll be the biggest PPV draw in UFC history, but the fight will be meh. I cant remember the last time a fight on paper lived up to the hype.....maybe Hendo/Shogun.
I think it'll be vice versa. Silva doesnt want to fight till late next year.....assuming his first fight back in GSP he'll have rust. GSP is a superior athlete than Silva and would be sizably bigger than 170 for this catchweight fight and will just pursue the takedown, and I think will get it and lay and pray for 5 rounds.
Alright I am going to say this I feel as though Silva is the strongest champion because he is in the weakest division. He has not faced the caliber of tough opponent GSP has. All round I see GSP as the better fighter, he has striking, he has wrestling, he is quick, he is elusive. GSP has it all. Silva don't get me wrong is an elite fighter, but the only person to really have him in danger was Sonnen... and face it Sonnen punches like a fucking kitten! The sad verdict is that Silva is stronger, and has a longer reach. If they fight a catch weight I feel that Silva's size will still come into effect. In reality I see GSP as the best fighter in the world, who takes on all opponents in a strong division. I am not saying Silva has it easy, but GSP has it harder and proved he is the greatest Welterweight in the history of the sport. He has cleaned out the respectable division. Silva would still take it, that reach and his elusiveness would catch up to GSP in no time, because in reality he wouldn't have the size to pin him to the ground. It might be good for the UFC, but it won't be good for GSP or Silva provided which one looses. However the winner would go down as the best fighter of all time. It's a tough decision on GSP's part. I mean Silva fights light heavyweight sometimes. . . that is a pretty big advantage, as GSP is just an average size Welterweight. Well prior to his return, he looked pretty bulked up against Condit.
MMAJUNKIE-
LAS VEGAS – Now that the fate of Strikeforce has been determined, the fates of many of its marquee fighters are starting to trickle out.
For lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, that could wind up meaning an instant title shot against UFC champion Benson Henderson.
UFC President Dana White on Thursday told a small group of reporters following a pre-event news conference for UFC 155 that Strikeforce's top fighters will be making their way to the UFC now that the promotion officially will fold following its final show – a Jan. 12 card in Oklahoma City.
And while White had to temper his quick reaction to Melendez by leaving open the possibility that anything could happen, it could be good news for Melendez.
"(Melendez will) probably come right in and get a title shot," White said. "Again, we'll see."
White expressed his disappointment for how many Strikeforce fighters' past year has been. The promotion had to cancel a pair of fall events, and if fighters on the roster aren't booked for the final show in January on Showtime, their fates may have been up in the air.
But along with the official news of Strikeforce's final show came several fight bookings for upcoming UFC shows with Strikeforce fighters crossing over, including Derek Brunson, who fights Saturday at UFC 155 to open the pay-per-view card against Chris Leben.
"What has happened to the fighters in Strikeforce is horrible," White said. "The way this thing went down is horrible, and they've been very patient. What's happened over there has been completely s---ty."
Melendez (19-2 MMA, 11-1 SF) has been Strikeforce's lightweight champion, either in interim or unified form, since 2009. He owns seven straight wins in the promotion, all title fights. He most recently fought in May, when he defended his title in a trilogy fight with Josh Thomson.
He was set to defend it in September against Pat Healy. But when an injury led to the cancellation of Strikeforce's show in Sacramento, Calif. He found his way onto the Jan. 12 show in the main event, also against Healy. But when he wasn't ready to return from the injury rehab, he again was pulled.
If he does find his way into an immediate title shot when he officially comes to the UFC, it could be at the detriment of either Donald Cerrone or Anthony Pettis. Those two former WEC lightweights meet at UFC on FOX 6 in January, and it has been widely believed that the winner will get the next shot at Henderson, who defended his title against Nate Diaz earlier this month.
But no time frame for Melendez's first UFC fight has been determined, so if the injury keeps him out further into 2013, it's still conceivable that the Cerrone-Pettis winner could fight Henderson, with Melendez getting a shot later in the calendar year in what would presumably be a title unification fight for the UFC and Strikeforce belts in the same type of way the UFC held title unification fights with former PRIDE champions.
Regardless of what might happen, White said he's glad the battle of Strikeforce, the lines of which primarily were drawn along the broadcast partnership with Showtime, is finally over.
"I'm so glad it's over," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)).
Hope this happens. I think Benson will win though.
I disagree. Melendez has the best hands and power at 155....legit knockout power....something we really havent seen in lightweight since BJ Penn was in his prime.
I think Melendez would KO him late in the fight.
Figure to keep discussions open, yet to not clutter with the pick em topics, discuss all 2013 UFC Fight info (including TUF) here.
Starting with UFC 156.....fucking Overeem losing to that mongoloid pissed me off. Maia/Fitch was as exciting as expected.....McCall/Benevidez was decent....fucking turned off the Volkmann/Greene fight which was supposed to be sick.
Evans/Nog up now....meh going into the 3rd.
Will also add that this season of TUF has been the best in a long time, even if only a fight in.
I called the Bigfoot upset! Wasn't confident enough to choose him in my picks but I had a side bet on with a couple of the potential upsets, Lil Nog & Bigfoot won, McCall didn't.
I enjoyed the Maia/Fitch fight, was interesting seeing Fitch getting handled like that, only seen GSP deal with him so comfortably on the ground before. Get him up against a grappler with solid striking, and we'll see how much of a contender he is.
I usually enjoy the flyweight fights, but did not enjoy the McCall/Benevidez fight at all. Didn't seem all that crisp and though Benevidez was getting the better of the stand up he seemed content scoring and not actively pursuing any sort of finish. Just seemed like two fighters trying to out 'score' each other, which of course is the name of the game, but can be hard to watch at time.
Volkmann pissed me off so much in his fight, had Green's back countless times and just seemed content 'attempting' submissions. Hopefully the loss will see him compete with a little more urgency in future fights. Similar to Overeem, though Overeem was obviously a lot more active and dangerous, he still seemed too content. Both of them paid heavily for it.
Prelims were fun, Woodley beasting Hieron was a nice surprise. Kimura/Camus was a great fight, the kind of fight I've come to expect from the flyweight division. Vallie-Flagg/Edwards & Dunham/Tibau were fun fights, I think Edwards did enough to win the fight, but no one has agreed with me so far, haha.
Anthony Pettis calling out Aldo post show is interesting. Shit for guys like Lamas & Korean Zombie if another lightweight drops down and gets immediate shot. Personally, I am hoping for Henderson/Pettis II, but if we get Pettis/Aldo, don't think I'll be complaining.
New season of TUF has been great, I was hoping for more focus on the training and such, but I'm happy with what they are showing so far. They have hyped up the next episode no end too, excited for it.
yeah cant wait to see that knockout their talking about on TUF.
and Pettis/Aldo would be amazing!
Aldo vs. Pettis for the Featherweight title has been announced for August 3rd... oh shit!
Does leave the Lightweight division without a clear challenger though. Maybe Frankie can move back up :/
Awesome!
and I donno, Dana said after 156 that he wont let Frankie go back up to 155.
Quote from: Flins. on February 05, 2013, 12:39:37 PM
Aldo vs. Pettis for the Featherweight title has been announced for August 3rd... oh shit!
Does leave the Lightweight division without a clear challenger though. Maybe Frankie can move back up :/
Melandez.
I forgot Melendez wasnt champion yet :p
Best 155er since in prime BJ Penn
Quote from: Cory on February 05, 2013, 01:20:51 PM
I forgot Melendez wasnt champion yet :p
Best 155er since in prime BJ Penn
Melendez is good, but I think Benson will beat him. I also thought Benson would beat Showtime this time around too. I think we'll see Benson as champ for a long time.
Melendez has some of the best hands in MMA, and by far at 155, he also showed in his fights vs Josh Thompson that he can handle himself on the ground vs a grapple.
Then again, in typical UFC fashion wouldnt be surprised if Benson humps him for 5 rounds to get the win.
Quote from: Cory on February 05, 2013, 01:33:04 PM
Melendez has some of the best hands in MMA, and by far at 155, he also showed in his fights vs Josh Thompson that he can handle himself on the ground vs a grapple.
Then again, in typical UFC fashion wouldnt be surprised if Benson humps him for 5 rounds to get the win.
I think what will hurt Melandez is his lack of competition he's had. Lets see how he does in the UFC. Benson has faced the best LW fighters except for Melandez.
Yeah, he did fight Josh Thompson like 3 times, but he did crush Aoki who at the time was a top 5 guy, so the competition HASNT been there, but he has faced elite guys while in Strikeforce, but not so much as Benson. However Gilbert does train at Cesar Gracie JJ with the Diaz brothers, so hes getting the highest level training as oppose to like...saying when Fedor was rumored and everyone was saying he wasn't fighting elite competition, nor training with any.
Its gonna be a sick fight come April I believe if Benson comes to fight, not gameplan win.
Benson always comes to fight. That's why I like the guy.
And I'm not sure if you watched Melendez/Thomson III... but Thomson won that fight. It was crazy when Melendez was being boo'd in his hometown after he was awarded the split decision.
I just think Melendez will get outworked by Henderson... but I agree, it has the makings to be a good fight.
I love the lower divisions. Always put out better fights then the upper division.
I've always seen Melendez in the same light as Jim Miller, 'cept Melendez's ground game is much more smothering. It will be an interesting fight, but I see Benson winning the stand up with his range and more versatile striking, and I can't see Melendez getting the better of the ground game.
I was joking when I said Frankie, btw, haha and I meant after the Melendez/Henderson fight, who is next? If Healy beats Miller (which I doubt will happen) I can see him getting a shot since he should've had his shot at Melendez. TJ Grant is getting close, Dos Anjos & Nurmagedov could make a run at it but are a few fights away. Maynard hasn't fought since he beat Guida, so he could be in contention with another win.
^^ Cool story, TJ Grant lives 10 minutes from my house and we usually try and have a family potluck every summer. Crazy hes now a top 10 ranked lightweight....hes fucking busted his ass, and still reps the small gym down the road.
Also, Gustafsson vs. Mousasi is the UFC of Fuel 9 (April 6) main event....gonna be a good one.
So the TUF KO was pretty epic. Anyone else see it?
Yup....trying to find a GIF for my avatar
(http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/229/files/2013/02/hallko.gif)
T'was brutal man, I had fucking chills when it happened. I think it being in TUF without there being much noise just added to the intensity. That and the fact every other competitor in there most likely just shit their pants.
Anyone catch the primetime for Rousey/Carmouche? Damn, gain even more respect for Ronda the way she deals with her fathers death.
Rory MacDonald pulls out of UFC 158 fight against Carlos Condit due to neck injury.
Johny Hendricks replaces MacDonald.
Quote from: Jon on February 18, 2013, 09:19:26 PM
Rory MacDonald pulls out of UFC 158 fight against Carlos Condit due to neck injury.
Johny Hendricks replaces MacDonald.
Where does that leave Ellenberger? His match with Diego Sanchez is still one of my all time favorites.
Damn, was excited to see Rory
I like Rory... but I think Condit and Hendricks are both better than him.
So with all the hype surrounding Ronda Rousey, I feel really bad for Carmoche. She isn't being promoted heavily as the other half of this historic fight. All over sports the last two weeks on every sports broadcast I have caught they were interviewing Ronda Rousey, the sports magazines ran stories on her. She's great and all, but UFC missed a click not promoting her opponent, unless this is supposed to be a squash fight. I don't even know what Carmoche looks like, or even if I'm spelling her name right.
What happens if Ronda loses? You've been promoting the heck out of her and largely ignored her opponent. It's almost as if the entire women's division is riding on Ronda and if she loses the experiment fails because they haven't promoted Carmoche at all.
Quote from: T-Dungeon Master on February 23, 2013, 10:08:40 AM
So with all the hype surrounding Ronda Rousey, I feel really bad for Carmoche. She isn't being promoted heavily as the other half of this historic fight. All over sports the last two weeks on every sports broadcast I have caught they were interviewing Ronda Rousey, the sports magazines ran stories on her. She's great and all, but UFC missed a click not promoting her opponent, unless this is supposed to be a squash fight. I don't even know what Carmoche looks like, or even if I'm spelling her name right.
What happens if Ronda loses? You've been promoting the heck out of her and largely ignored her opponent. It's almost as if the entire women's division is riding on Ronda and if she loses the experiment fails because they haven't promoted Carmoche at all.
I'm like you...don't have a clue who she is fighting.
However, if she does somehow pull up the what-seems-to-be a major upset, the UFC has a new star, and they can begin pushing her the same way. It's a win/win for UFC this weekend.
all you can say about Rousey is Six fights , Six rounds , Six Arms
Man, shes so good I think when i revise my p4p shell crack the list
Pat Healy got busted for pot and loses his bonuses. Im hearbroken for the guy
Result has been turned to a NC as well. Nobody to blame but himself.
Shoulda learned from Nick Diaz.
I'm not heartbroken for the guy. He broke the rules of the sport he competes in. It's a pretty simple policy to follow.
Josh Burkman vs. Jon Fitch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzoj-GxWC68#ws)
With the bucketload of technically great submissions in the last weekends UFC show, it would be hard to pick against them, but in terms of badassery and the fact it was Jon Fitch that got choked the f*** out, this has to be up there, right?
Absolutely. He didn't just sub Fitch, be tucked him in and gave him a pillow before putting him to sleep! Even Mazzagatti didn't know what to do as it was Burkman who released the sub and just walked off Mart Hunt style.
Thank you. Watching him get put to sleep made my morning.
awesome that it happened to the worlds most boring fighter....but holy fuck Mazagatti SUCKS
- "King Mo" Lawal will make his return to the cage at Bellator MMA Wednesday night. Lawal will face Seth Petruzelli in the light heavyweight semifinals. Petruzelli is best known for knocking out then-undefeated Kimbo Slice in 14 seconds in a fight that aired on CBS. You can watch the season premiere of Bellator MMA Wednesday night on Spike TV at 8pm ET.
- Speaking of King Mo, he has been doing media for the fight and has been saying that he plans to wrestle for TNA in late summer or early fall.
King Mo returned back to his winning ways, earning a quick first round knockout victory over Seth Petruzelli in the Bellator MMA light heavyweight semifinal tournament tonight.
Lawal took Petruzelli to the ground early, however the action was paused because the fighters butted heads during the takedown. Once the fight resumed, Lawal took Petruzelli back to the ground and was in Petruzelli's guard. Lawal stood up and pushed Petruzelli's legs to the side and planted him with a huge right hand that immediately took him out.
You can get more details about the fight at FightLine.com. With the win, Lawal's MMA record improves to 10-2 (1), and his Bellator record jumps to 2-1.
was able to watch it , he did good
Bellator MMA's 'Fight Master,' episode No. 1 recap
As the opening scenes of 'Fight Master' get underway, the premise for the show is laid out to the audience. Thirty-two fighters travel to New Orleans to compete in a tournament. They'll start by picking a coach to assist them in their journey. Four options are available: Randy Couture, Greg Jackson, Frank Shamrock and Joe Warren.
The prize for the winner is $100,000, a spot in an upcoming Bellator MMA tournament and the title of 'Fight Master.'
The coaches seem both excited and a bit nervous to see how things are going to play out. After all, what if no one wants to be on their team? As it turns out, each camp can only have four fighters, so no coach will have to worry about being left out. After a win, fighters are allowed to ask the panel a few questions before ultimately deciding on their team.
The rules are familiar for the fights. It's two five-minute rounds. If there's a draw, a third "overtime" round is implemented to decide a winner.
FIRST ELIMINATION FIGHT: Chip "The Surgeon" Pollard (7-4) vs. Tim "The Ginga Ninja" Welch (9-4).
The pair trade jabs to open, feeling out the distance as they move well around the cage. Pollard looks the faster fighter to open, but Welch lands clean with a right-left combo that sends Pollard to the floor. Welch pounces with a few follow-up shots, and he's awarded the first-round knockout.
COACH SELECTION: Welch elects to become the first member of Greg Jackson's team.
* * * *
SECOND ELIMINATION FIGHT: Eric "Easy E" Scallan (11-4) vs. Chris "The Action Man" Curtis (7-3)
Scallan kicks the body early as Curtis is trying to touch gloves. Curtis answers immediately with a flash knockdown on a straight and another on a knee shortly after. But Scallan answers back with several takedowns in a round that's aired in highlight form. The second frame is also shortened, but it shows Scallan again working to control the positioning. At the end of two rounds, Scallan is awarded a majority decision.
COACH SELECTION: Behind the scenes, Joe Warren admits he's not sure Scallan is a proper fit for his squad. Unaware of that concern, Scallan elects to become the first member of Warren's team.
* * * *
THIRD ELIMINATION FIGHT: Brendan "Tiny Shorts" Tierney (10-5) vs. Nick "The Phoenix" Barnes (6-0)
An aggressive Barnes opens with a flurry and drives through a takedown on his larger opponent. Tierney turns for a leg, and while the submission won't come, he does escape to the feet. Barnes fires punches on the restart, but Tierney moves to a Thai clinch and drops his foe with big knees. Tierney immediately moves to the back and looks for a series of submissions. Barnes somehow survives the tight hold and sweeps to the back, where he earns an impressive rear-naked choke finish.
COACH SELECTION: Frank Shamrock offers up the hard sell, and Barnes bites. He's the first member of Shamrock's team.
* * * *
FOURTH ELIMINATION FIGHT: Darryl "Devastating" Cobb (6-6) vs. A.J. "Pinoy Punisher" Matthews (6-2)
Cobb opens with a power-based game, firing heavy strikes and driving in for a takedown. Matthews answers back in the second frame with hard kicks on the feet and nearly securing the back. With the score even, the pair moves to a third frame. Matthews gets a key takedown and spends much of the frame there, earning him the fight by decision.
COACH SELECTION: Matthews hears positive feedback from all four coaches but ultimately elects to become the first member of Randy Couture's team.
* * * *
FIFTH ELIMINATION FIGHT: Josh "Quay" Quayhagen (6-1) vs. Chris "The Cleveland Assassin" Lozano (10-3)
Lozano seems to outmuscle Quayhagen in the opening frame. A tired Quayhagen tries valiantly to answer, but Lozano takes him to the floor and pummels his face until the final bell in a brutal beatdown.
COACH SELECTION: All four coaches have positive words for Lozano after the impressive performance. Greg Jackson has an inside track with past experience training Lozano, but the fight elects to get a new look and chooses to become the second member of Shamrock's team.
The debut season of Bellator MMA's "Fight Master" airs on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET
I like it , going to be checking it out . on the last selection Shamrock use the " Shamrock mind trick " on Lozano , He told him he should train with Jackson , He the best that can help you , mean I can take you , but you maybe better off with him and Lozano choose Sharmrock ...laugh my ass off . want to see more
haha here's my thoughts on the first episode if anyone's interested in hearing my ridiculousness lol
Ciccarelli's Corner: Thoughts on Bellator "Fight Master" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VrdYj_3esk#)
I think the show was intriguing at best, and although the initial format varies from TUF, it will be interesting to see how it varies when it comes to the next round of fights. I'm hoping for more emphasis on the training, something that TUF has mostly moved away from. And I agree with the comment on the editing, it does seem a little off, Randy barely said anything and Joe never shut up. Not sure if that is a true reflection of them, or there was just more focus on Joe, since he was the face of company for a while. One thing that really bugged me, was the editing before the first fight, they showed a highlight of Welch knocking the fucking guy out, and then showed the fight. Fortunately they didn't do that with every fight, but it was a 'WTF' moment for me.
I think the show will interesting
what to see the training sessions
--MMAJUNKIE
After nearly 10 years in the MMA game, Megumi Fujii will hang up the gloves – after one final fight.
Fujii (26-2) on Saturday announced her pending retirement on her Twitter account, saying she will compete for Vale Tudo Japan on October 3, then call it quits.
Of her 26 career wins, the 39-year-old has 19 by submission and has never been stopped – her only two losses have gone the distance.
Fujii started her MMA career an amazing 22-0 before suffering her first loss, a split-decision setback to Zoila Frausto Gurgel at Bellator 34 in a fight to determine the promotion's first 115-pound women's champion.
Prior to that loss, after fighting just three times outside her native Japan in her first 19 fights, she came to the States and picked up three wins for Bellator.
Against Sarah Schneider at Bellator 21, she earned the first and so far only knockout win over her career with a third-round stoppage. At Bellator 24, she tapped Carla Esparza with a second-round armbar in the opening round of the promotion's inaugural women's tournament. And at Bellator 31, she submitted Lisa Ellis just 99 seconds into their semifinal tourney fight with an armbar to set up the fight with Gurgel.
After the loss to Gurgel, which was a controversial decision, Fujii returned to Japan and won three straight before coming back Stateside to fight Jessica Aguilar at Bellator 69. But she dropped that fight by unanimous decision by a trio of 29-28 scores.
Her most recent outing was a unanimous decision win over Mei Yamaguchi at Vale Tudo Japan's December show.
An opponent has not yet been announced for Fujiis retirement fight. She becomes the third well-known fighter to retire this week, following Bellator's Renato Sobral and Seth Petruzelli, who announced they would end their careers after losses at Bellator 96 on Wednesday.
I've enjoyed what it's shown so far.
Bobby Lashley defeated Matthew Larson at Global Warrior Challenge's "British Invasion" PPV last night at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The former WWE and TNA Superstar quickly took his opponent down and submitted him in just 1:38 of the first round.
With the victory, Lashley's professional MMA record improves to 9-2.
Wow... what was with that post fight interview
Hey yall.
It was confirmed about 3 hours ago that on UFC 168 the Ronda Rousey VS Miesha Tate fight was no longer the main event. Anderson Silva will go head-to-head with Chris Weidman on December 28th in what is probably the Biggest rematch in company history. Who do you guys think will take the belt back home ?!
Personally , i think The Spider is gonna beat the living hell out of Weidman in this fight , If Anderson Silva show up to ''FIGHT'' and not to showboat , its gonna be a quick ass kicking.
Cory, here is this, in case you want to add it since the thread was locked.
---------------------
UFC ON FOX: JOHNSON VS. MORAGA RESULTS
Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga --- JOHNSON WINS BY 5TH ROUND SUBMISSION
Jake Ellenberger vs. Rory MacDonald --- MACDONALD WINS BY 3RD ROUND DECISION
Robbie Lawler vs. Bobby Voelker --- LAWLER WINS BY 2ND ROUND KO
Liz Carmouche vs. Jessica Andrade --- CARMOUCHE WINS BY 2ND ROUND TKO
Mac Danzig vs Melvin Guillard --- GUILLARD WINS BY 2ND ROUND KO
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT: Ed Herman vs. Trevor Smith
KO OF THE NIGHT: Melvin Guillard
SUBMISSION OF THE NIGHT: Demetrious Johnson
-----
SCORES
Cory: 23 (5 Outcomes, 4 Finishes, 5 Rounds, 9 Bonus)
Franchise: 14 (5 Outcomes, 3 Finishes, 3 Rounds, 3 Bonus)
Jon: 11 (3 Outcomes, 2 Finishes, 3 Rounds, 3 Bonus)
BD: 11 (5 Outcomes, 2 Finishes, 1 Round, 3 Bonus)
Level-One: 11 (4 Outcomes, 2 Finishes, 2 Rounds, 3 Bonus)
The Rockstar: 9 (3 Outcomes, 2 Finishes, 1 Round, 3 Bonus)
Flins: 8 (3 Outcomes, 2 Finishes, 0 Rounds, 3 Bonus)
-----
CURRENT STANDINGS
1ST: JON 160PTS
2ND: FLINS 156PTS
3RD: FRANCHISE 156PTS
4TH: CORY 155PTS
5TH: BLACK DEATH 146PTS
6TH: LEVEL-ONE 137PTS
7TH: ROCKSTAR 114PTS
8TH: DUCKMAN 76PTS
9TH: DOMINGO 73PTS
10TH: TRISTAN KRUISE 62PTS
11TH: FNORD 35PTS
12TH: DANTE 9PTS
12TH: SHIELDS 9PTS
14TH: NICK 5PTS
14TH: BLACK REPUBLICANS 5PTS
16th: JUSTIN 4PTS
after the last card i don't want to see rory mcdonald on a card ever again.
he's good. he fought very good. and he's probably is in line for a title shot. but THAT MATCH. ugh.
Think Ellenberger gave him to much respect and did not press the action as hard as he could . Macdonald use the jab effectively and keep him out of range .
Quote from: Bryan on July 29, 2013, 08:13:09 AM
after the last card i don't want to see rory mcdonald on a card ever again.
he's good. he fought very good. and he's probably is in line for a title shot. but THAT MATCH. ugh.
Yeah, that was brutal....but look at some of his past fights and you'll see he's always been an exciting fighter up till that fight. His fight with Carlos Condit and Nate Diaz were very very good.
Watching King Mo last fight ... he a great striker and has good ground and pound
but I want to see more , he has no submission moves .
he not a complete fighter
First off... Cory is on FIRE!!!!
Second off... can someone explain to me how the judges... ALL THREE OF THEM... saw that fight in favor for Phil Davis?
IMO, Machida easily won that fight... all 3 rounds.
Damn Judges ... I was looking good until that decision
Agree with you Jon ...only thing I could say is they gave Davis the 1st and 2nd round because of the late takedowns
Missed the fight but honestly if any fighter deserved to lose a bad decision for once, Machida would be the guy.
I had Gustafsson winning the fight. You guys?
What an incredible fight.
I had Jones winning 2, 4, 5.
But I was proud to see a fellow Sweede give Bones a true run for his money.
If Gustafsson didn't gas out their towards the end, he might have won this fight. One of the best I've seen.
I had Gus winning 1-3 and 4th more of a tossup (Gus dominated him for the first 3 1/2 minutes of that round, that leans it for me to give it to him despite the last 45 seconds of it)
I too had Gus winning 1-2-3 and Jones winning the championship rounds, but 2 was a toss up so wasnt upset with the decision. Seems Champions ALWAYS wins close fights so we all called it at the bar who was going to win.
But still an insane fight and cant wait for a rematch.
in a close fight champion get benefit of the doubt , unless the challenger dominates him.
I had Jones Round 2, 4 and 5, Gustafsson 1 & 3. 2nd was the closest round though and probably the decider. Great fight, would love to see the re-match, before Glover destroys one of them, heh.
Agree....i think Glover is the best 205er right now, could beat either of them.
Boy, I bet TNA is SOOOOO glad they invested in hyping that fight.
Seriously....
#mfxhasfieldday
#TNAFail
They should've invested in someone that wasn't as injury prone as Tito Ortiz. Bellator as company are a bit of a shambles anyway, moving the card to a TV card when the fight gets cancelled, when most MMA fans would still buy it for the Eddie Alvarez/Michael Chandler rematch. Then there is the whole situation with their Light Heavyweight champion, who they withdrew from a title match, so two other guys can fight for an interim belt, which the actual champion is said to be a 'back up' for. The tournaments are getting stale, and with no real depth the few top guys they have in the company are more than likely just counting down the days of their contract until they can sign with the UFC.
With Lil Nog pulling out of their announced bout almost immediately, their weren't many options for the Swede to face in London. Step up Jimi Manuwa! What an opportunity. I've been looking forward to seeing this guy fighting a striker since I heard h signed with the UFC, last two fights have been a little anti-climatic but there is no doubting this guy has potential. Obviously, it is a huge step up and Gustafsson should win with ease, but Manuwa has got crazy power and, I believe, a longer reach than Alex. Fingers crossed it doesn't fall through.
Quote from: Flins. on October 27, 2013, 08:27:24 AM
They should've invested in someone that wasn't as injury prone as Tito Ortiz. Bellator as company are a bit of a shambles anyway, moving the card to a TV card when the fight gets cancelled, when most MMA fans would still buy it for the Eddie Alvarez/Michael Chandler rematch. Then there is the whole situation with their Light Heavyweight champion, who they withdrew from a title match, so two other guys can fight for an interim belt, which the actual champion is said to be a 'back up' for. The tournaments are getting stale, and with no real depth the few top guys they have in the company are more than likely just counting down the days of their contract until they can sign with the UFC.
I agree I watch the rematch and it was a great match and I thought to myself , they gave this match away for free when people could have pay money to see this fight.
Quote from: Black Death on November 05, 2013, 05:44:33 PM
I agree I watch the rematch and it was a great match and I thought to myself , they gave this match away for free when people could have pay money to see this fight.
What makes it worse is the whole debacle over taking Alvarez to court, by having no faith in putting him in the headline fight for a PPV and reverting it to TV, they completely contradicted themselves and to top it off the guys only got one fight left on his contract, which most will likely be the trilogy fight. After that he will be going to the UFC.
Have to admit though, I'm kind of glad we got to see the rematch. Helluva fight.
Agree hell of a great fight ... that the difference between UFC and Bellator ... if White had that fight ... he would have promoted the shit of it and made some money.
Gonna be sick, almost as pumped for this fight as I am Rory McDonald vs Robbie Lawler
havent caught it yet, is it worth watching? Saw it was a split dec, right call?
It was a fight of the year candidate in my books ... I thought chandler won , but it was a close fight could have gone either way. Bellator needs to sell the shit of the next fight
Quote from: Black Death on November 05, 2013, 08:46:57 PM
It was a fight of the year candidate in my books ... I thought chandler won , but it was a close fight could have gone either way. Bellator needs to sell the shit of the next fight
Agreed with all this. I had alveraz winning
Anthony Pettis out of UFC title defense with injured knee
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/anthony-pettis-injures-ufc-title-defense-injured-knee-183404118--mma.html (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/anthony-pettis-injures-ufc-title-defense-injured-knee-183404118--mma.html)
QuoteNew UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will have to wait a bit longer than he expected to make the first defense of his title. According to a report on Fox Sports Live Sunday night, Pettis has once again injured a knee and will not fight Josh Thomson at UFC on Fox 9 Dec. 14 as previously scheduled.
The new main event for UFC on Fox 9 will be the flyweight title bout between Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez that was previously scheduled to headline the Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale card. That Nov. 30 card will now be headlined by Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard III.
The two lightweights first fought in an exhibition fight during the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter and once again in 2010. Diaz won the first fight and Maynard won the second by split decision.
There is no official word yet on how long Pettis will be unable to fight. Pettis won the UFC lightweight strap last August with a first round submission of Benson Henderson.
Thomson last fought and won last April with a second round TKO over Diaz. We will keep you posted with updates on these stories as they happen.
I think they adjusted that card pretty well in this scenario... UFC on Fox 9 already had Faber fighting on it and yeah losing Pettis without a replacement fight would have hurt to card badly IMO but replacing it with a Flyweight Title fight works...
Yeah the TUF Finale took a small hit in this scenario but lets be honest the UFC on Fox is more important seeing how it is on broadcast TV...
Big hit, but gives more time for my boy TJ Grant to recover.
Quote from: Cory on November 11, 2013, 10:48:59 PM
Big hit, but gives more time for my boy TJ Grant to recover.
I had to look this up to see what you were talking about...
I will admit that at times I kind of glance over the lighter classes and this is one of those cases,Grant is on a FIVE fight win streak and seems like a legit contender to Pettis... The replacement not so much in my eyes but with a KO over Diaz as of late I can see the reason he was chosen.
Do you think that Dana will make the Pettis Vs Grant fight next for Pettis when he recovers or stick with the Thomson match?
Quote from: Midas on November 12, 2013, 10:50:46 AM
I had to look this up to see what you were talking about...
I will admit that at times I kind of glance over the lighter classes and this is one of those cases,Grant is on a FIVE fight win streak and seems like a legit contender to Pettis... The replacement not so much in my eyes but with a KO over Diaz as of late I can see the reason he was chosen.
Do you think that Dana will make the Pettis Vs Grant fight next for Pettis when he recovers or stick with the Thomson match?
Well Grant had a title shot (Insane, he grew up/lives like 3 minutes away from me) against Henderson, but he suffered a concussion and had to pull out, thus Pettis/Henderson fight in which Pettis won. He was then supposed to fight Pettis in December but he still isnt medically cleared to fight, which sucks. Grant is super exciting guy, one of the few 155-ers that can Knock out guys, and he's one of the highest level ju-jistu fighters in Canada.
...needless to say it'll look like he'll probably fight Henderson early 2014 for a title shot.
TJ is a killer, but I don't think he matches up well against Pettis. I think he could beat Bendo though, but I'm not sure it would be for a No1 Contendership match, Benson has been beaten by Pettis twice now. Still not entirely sure how Josh Thomson has got the title shot, I'm guessing it is winnable title defense over a fighter who is known. Either way, we all know whoever holds that Lightweight belt is just keeping it warm for Nurmagomedov.
I think Pettis/Grant is a great matchup, both guys are strikers, except Grant still have 170-er power against these lighter guys.
I do agree that Nurmagomedov is a beast, Id like to see him fight Gil first tho before hes in the title picture.
Quote from: Cory on November 12, 2013, 12:07:15 PM
I think Pettis/Grant is a great matchup, both guys are strikers, except Grant still have 170-er power against these lighter guys.
I do agree that Nurmagomedov is a beast, Id like to see him fight Gil first tho before hes in the title picture.
It would be a fun fight, and I'd love to see it. I just think the speed of Pettis would cause TJ too many problems.
And, YES!, I want to see that fight. The UFC needs to book that. Gil vs. Khabib, that's a proper contender fight, let TJ gets his shot, and Benson can have Thomson.
Quote from: Cory on November 12, 2013, 11:40:12 AM
Well Grant had a title shot (Insane, he grew up/lives like 3 minutes away from me) against Henderson, but he suffered a concussion and had to pull out, thus Pettis/Henderson fight in which Pettis won. He was then supposed to fight Pettis in December but he still isnt medically cleared to fight, which sucks. Grant is super exciting guy, one of the few 155-ers that can Knock out guys, and he's one of the highest level ju-jistu fighters in Canada.
I am going to check out some of his fights later on...
UFC's Rony Jason needed 22 stitches after self-inflicted injurieshttp://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-rony-jason-needed-22-stitches-self-inflicted-192436250--mma.html (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-rony-jason-needed-22-stitches-self-inflicted-192436250--mma.html)
QuoteAfter getting knocked out by Jeremy Stephens in his native Brazil Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 32 and suffering his first loss in the organization, featherweight Rony Jason did even more damage to himself backstage. According to MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz, Jason punched himself in the face repeatedly and smashed a door with his elbow after his fight backstage, requiring a total of 22 stitches to his arm and head.
"I needed 15 stitches in my elbow and seven over my eye," the fighter explained.
"I punched my head twice after the fight, I was so angry. But that's nothing compared to my loss. I'm devastated.
"I hurt my elbow, but I'm okay... I was crying, angry with my loss, and I landed my elbow on the door. It's hurt, but didn't break any bones. I was just devastated at that moment.
"I've trained for a long time for this fight. I was undefeated for four years. Unfortunately, this is an individual sport and I have to deal with it."
The incident serves as an unfortunate reminder to fans of how hard fighters can take losses, especially ones where they've suffered brain trauma. Jason walked into a kick and that was his night.
Of course, he has nothing to be ashamed of by simply losing but that doesn't ease the frustration. The let down of Jason training for years and months for such a moment only to have it end quickly and not in your favor is the brutal mirror reflection of Stephens' own joy at being able to win his second straight fight, and in impressive fashion.
Interesting... I honestly think this shit is just crazy... I know you are upset and I know that no one likes to lose but take a anger management class or two buddy... Shit like this reminds me more of a toddler not getting their way and throwing a temper tantrum then then a adult trying to cope with a lost...
You are a UFC fighter and are trained in Mixed Martial Arts so we get it you are likely a bad mofo but doing shit like this in order to make yourself feel better about the lost is just plain stupid IMO...
You only hurt yourself in the long run...
Follow up...
Rony Jason Suspended for Unsportsmanlike Conduct After Locker Room Incidenthttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/1847216-rony-jason-suspended-for-unsportsmanlike-conduct-after-locker-room-incident (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1847216-rony-jason-suspended-for-unsportsmanlike-conduct-after-locker-room-incident)
QuoteAfter his loss at UFC Fight Night 32, featherweight Rony Jason took out his frustrations on a locker room door. Jason has now been suspended for that outburst.
The Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission has put Jason on ice for 30 days for unsportsmanlike conduct in the wake of the incident, according to a report from MMAFighting.com's Guilherme Cruz.
That suspension is on top of the 180-day medical suspension Jason received Monday from the same commission, presumably as a result of the gash he opened on his arm after elbow-smashing a door in his locker room following his knockout loss to Jeremy Stephens. The cut reportedly required 15 stitches to close.
Adding the suspensions together, Jason will not be eligible to fight again until June 2014. Though he remains a top prospect at 145 pounds, the lengthy time off—not to mention the reasons behind it—will surely rob Jason of substantial momentum, particularly in the crowded featherweight division.
Losing is certainly a foreign sensation for the 29-year-old Jason (13-4). Coming into Fight Night 32, Jason had won his last eight professional bouts, including winning the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.
After defeating Godofredo Castro to win the season, Jason was considered one of the hottest featherweight prospects in the sport. He followed that win with a Knockout of the Night-winning performance against Sam Sicilia at UFC 153. A win in June over Mike Wilkinson put Jason at 3-0 under the UFC banner.
But Jason will need to start a new streak after Fight Night 32. Jason was clearly excited to fight in front of his Brazilian countrymen, and action was relatively minimal for the first half-minute of the fight. But a head kick from Stephens changed all that. Jason hit the canvas hard, and an academic ground shot sealed the deal. Stephens received the win by KO at 40 seconds in the very first round.
For his part, UFC president Dana White seemed nonplussed by Jason's actions in the locker room after losing to Stephens.
"You do stupid stuff sometimes," White said at the post-fight press conference. "I don't think he expected to slice his arm open and get hurt, but it happens."
Well fuck the long run... Turns out he hurt himself right now LMAO... On top of causing a long medical suspension because you cut yourself during your temper tantrum to also now are out for a extra 30 days for being a sore loser...
I will admit however that when I read "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" I right away thought "Fucker got caught roughing the passer!" then I giggled and look around to see if anyone heard me giggle...
Quote from: Midas on November 12, 2013, 12:36:40 PM
I am going to check out some of his fights later on...
His fight over Grey Maynard was bar far his best, and gives you the best representation of the type of fighter he is, his fight with Evan Dunham as well.
Were any footstools harmed in the rampage?
'Unsportsmanlike Conduct', the new tag line for TUF.
Quote from: Cory on November 12, 2013, 12:55:45 PM
His fight over Grey Maynard was bar far his best, and gives you the best representation of the type of fighter he is, his fight with Evan Dunham as well.
Just watch his last three fights. Dunham fight was bonkers, Wiman KO was brutal and the Maynard fight was just clinical.
Midas you are missing one of the most exciting divisions in MMA. Between LW and FW as my favorite divisions in MMA.
Khabib needs to definitely face someone with a bit of name value. His undefeated streaks speaks volumes, but until he beats a big name, he'll be lost in the shuffle. I think a good next fight for him would actually be Josh Thomson or potentially Gray Maynard.
TJ Grant is that hardworking fighter that's easy to cheer for. He is a blast to watch in the cage. Would love for him to get his shot at the title, but it appears that his injury has lowered him down in the pecking order. I think a Grant vs. Bendo is a logical next fight.
Not sure how bad Pettis hurt his knee or how long he is out for, but hopefully it's not for a long period of time. I'd love to see him vs. Melendez next, but that's just me.
Wish Dana would get on his horse and get Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler to the UFC. Their last Bellator fight was a doozy.
Quote from: Jon on November 13, 2013, 02:38:19 PM
Midas you are missing one of the most exciting divisions in MMA. Between LW and FW as my favorite divisions in MMA.
Khabib needs to definitely face someone with a bit of name value. His undefeated streaks speaks volumes, but until he beats a big name, he'll be lost in the shuffle. I think a good next fight for him would actually be Josh Thomson or potentially Gray Maynard.
TJ Grant is that hardworking fighter that's easy to cheer for. He is a blast to watch in the cage. Would love for him to get his shot at the title, but it appears that his injury has lowered him down in the pecking order. I think a Grant vs. Bendo is a logical next fight.
Not sure how bad Pettis hurt his knee or how long he is out for, but hopefully it's not for a long period of time. I'd love to see him vs. Melendez next, but that's just me.
Wish Dana would get on his horse and get Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler to the UFC. Their last Bellator fight was a doozy.
I am gathering that.... As of late my love for MMA has been put on the back burner due to ordering so many wrestling PPV's with Fnord for the FWL... It is like we skip over the UFC cards and then I lose some interest...
I recorded the last card and I think I will keep up more...
QuoteBellator Allows Undefeated Welterweight Champion Ben Askren to Walk Away
Posted on November 14, 2013 by Ken Pishna
Bellator MMA on Thursday released its welterweight champion, Ben Askren, from any further obligation to the promotion, leaving him a free agent.
The Bellator welterweight championship is now vacant until Douglas Lima faces the winner of the Season 9 welterweight tournament. Rick Hawn and Ron Keslar will square off in the tournament final at Bellator 109 on Nov. 22.
Bellator president Bjorn Rebney stated on Twitter that "it was clear it was a good time for both parties to move on."
Askren completed the fight obligations on his Bellator contract when he scored a TKO stoppage of Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 97 in July. He was still under a matching period that gave Askren the right to seek other offers, but also gave Bellator the option to retain him if they would match any offer he received.
The decision to release Askren, who maintains an unblemished 12-0 professional record, has been bandied about by Rebney for several months.
"I don't think we're going to make an offer (to retain Askren) at this point," Rebney told ESPN.com in August. "So I don't see any reason to make anybody sit out. If Ben's going to go to the UFC, we should speed up that process so he can go fight."
Rebney then pulled back, offering to allow Askren out of his contract immediately if the UFC would guarantee him an immediate title shot.
When that did not materialize, it appears that Rebney and company determined that it was time to release its welterweight champion, who has held the belt since defeating Lyman Good in October of 2010.
Rebeny has often been critical of Askren's fighting style, which has traditionally been labeled "lay and pray" by fans and pundits.
Askren is a former Olympic wrestler that is proficient at taking his opponent down and grinding out a decision victory, which he did in the majority of his Bellator fights, although he has two TKO stoppages and one submission among his nine Bellator victories.
"I've said it many times, Ben's a completely one-dimensional fighter who is utterly dominant in that dimension," Rebney said in Thursday's statement announcing Askren's release.
"I had a number of discussions with Ben and it became clear it was time for both parties to move in different directions. We've relinquished any right to match here and Ben can sign with whoever he chooses to sign with. Ben's been at Bellator since the start of his career, I respect him and what he's accomplished and wish him the best wherever he goes."
Rebeny and Bellator are sure to be criticized for allowing one of its champions, especially one that holds the promotion's record for most successful title defenses at four, to walk away. Askren, however, appears to be quite pleased at his former employer's decision.
He told MMAWeekly.com recently, "When I got into the sport, my goal was to be the best in the world, and in my mind, I'm not that far away from it. If I put my money on me and GSP (UFC champion Georges St-Pierre) fighting, I'm betting on myself. I might be the best fighter at 170 in the world right now.
"Obviously, I haven't had the chance to prove that at this point in my career and, hopefully, at some point I'll be able to."
Askren now at least has the option to negotiate with the UFC and sign with them, unencumbered, if he and they choose to work a deal, and that sits well with the former Bellator welterweight champion.
"I am now free to go to the UFC and beat whoever I want."
Would be a huge signing, probably bigger than Alvarez given that he has so far seemed pretty unstoppable. Not the most entertaining fighter to some, and the level of opponent he has had so far is questionable, but there is no denying his ability. Anyone think he could make a run at the UFC Welterweight title? (If he signed)
I dont think Dana wants to sign him, easily the most boring-est fighter on the planet right now.
I'd be shocked if Dana opted out on him because he is perceived to be a boring fighter. GSP was at one point the face of the UFC, and still one of their biggest stars, and he and Askren are similar in styles. I think Askrens problem is the level of competition he has faced so far, too easy for him to dominate. Hieron give him a decent fight, and he's a durable guy (minus Woodley murder), but no one else has really had the ground game or counter wrestling to get an even fight out of him. He is a complete and utter dick though, he's like Koscheck level of douche.
Honestly, I hope Dana signs him and has him face off against a top Welterweight contender that will shut him up. I've never really liked Askren.
6 Reasons This Could Be GSP's Last Fighthttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/6-reasons-could-gsps-last-fight-202000139--mma.html (http://sports.yahoo.com/news/6-reasons-could-gsps-last-fight-202000139--mma.html)
QuoteThe most compelling moment of UFC 167 may unfold, not during any of the fight action, but immediately following the main event.
A nagging question, the most compelling subplot of this weekend's show in fact, will once again be answered: Will Georges St. Pierre surprise fans and retire from the sport?
We rarely wonder such things about 32-year-old athletic superstars at the peak of their powers, but my hunch is that Saturday night will be GSP's last fight inside the octagon.
Assuming, of course, the UFC welterweight champ defeats Johny Hendricks, whom he has labeled the toughest opponent of his 11-year career.
Many will find it hard to fathom the classy Canadian bidding adieu at such a strikingly young age - especially when we consider age-defying studs such as Bernard Hopkins, Randy Couture and George Foreman who thrived into their 40s - but I believe most signs point to GSP getting his hand raised and then perhaps making a surprise and perhaps emotional announcement to UFC commentator Joe Rogan immediately following the bout. Or he could go back to Montreal, take time off and reflect on his decision and motivations and then make an announcement.
Most among the MMA and mainstream media now seem to be leaning toward the "GSP is not going to retire" angle. But here are six reasons why I suspect GSP will, after more than a year of speculation and a bunch of conflicting reports and smokescreens, officially hang up the 4-ounce gloves:
#1: What else is there left to prove?
A GSP win would be his 19th in the UFC - setting a new all-time UFC record. If GSP hypothetically continued fighting, who are his likely opponents? Two names: Rory MacDonald (if he beats Robbie Lawler on Saturday) and Carlos Condit. I know Dana White said this week that he foresees GSP and MacDonald (training partners) would break their vows and fight for the belt - but I say slim chance. Not going to happen.
So how about GSP vs. Condit? Been there, done that. GSP already survived Condit once. The champ had to pick himself up off the canvas in the fight and, despite getting his hand raised, looked tremendously beat-up afterward. A rematch with Condit would not generate mega-bucks so I say GSP will lack incentive. There's no big upside, to his wallet or his legacy, for GSP in a Condit rematch.
Real quick: Anybody else at 170 you think GSP is chomping at the bit to fight? Can't think of one, can you? Me neither.
So it seems very likely that GSP retires from the 170-pound division and vacates the UFC belt (leaving MacDonald, who has said he wants a title shot by mid-next year, to potentially fight Carlos Condit for the UFC welterweight title).
#2: So the theory goes, as GSP cryptically mentioned during his interview with Kevin Iole ... GSP will leave the 170-pound division and just compete in UFC Superfights. He'll move up a weight class, or down.
Ah, I too was so tempted to buy into the Superfight thing. It stumped me for awhile. Really did. Anderson Silva vs. GSP. In Dallas. 100,000 fans, right? Biggest UFC event in history. That was the MMA fantasy, right?
I'll tell you what - don't see it happening. For one thing, contrary to him being a 2-to-1 underdog, I believe Chris Weidman will beat Anderson Silva a second time in December. Even under that scenario, Silva vs. GSP could still be made, and would still generate strong pay-per-view numbers, but it might not make GSP the crazy millions it would probably require to convince him to jump a weight class and fight against the UFC's all-time greatest fighter, who walks around at more than 215 pounds to GSP's 195. Remember, GSP has previously expressed an unwillingness to move up and fight Anderson Silva. That's a big reason the fight never happened. I don't see that changing unless Silva just really checks out, loses his mojo and GSP sees tremendous vulnerability. Oh, and if Silva loses to Weidman, then yet another UFC legend is going to be hounded with retirement questions (you can bet on that).
One other thing: Could you see GSP vs. Chris Weidman?
Again, I say no. GSP is very familiar with Weidman, who also trains Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under John Donaher. In fact, GSP picked Weidman to beat Silva in their first fight. Which means GSP knows how talented and awesome Chris Weidman is. Weidman is stylistically a bad matchup for GSP. The bullying GSP got away with at 170 won't work against a bigger, stronger and longer phenom like Weidman. So I highly doubt GSP has any interest in a fight with Weidman.
So, rack your brain: Who at 185 would GSP be interested in fighting? He could always do what veteran fighters so often do - fighting the so-called "fights that make sense," which is code for "fights that make me the most money but aren't against the best guys." I'm betting this scenario won't unfold because I just don't see those kinds of dangling carrots - say a Chael Sonnen vs. GSP fight - motivating GSP at this stage of the game.
Do you think GSP wants to move up and fight Vitor Belfort any time soon? I personally don't think anybody is eager to fight the Brazilian steamroller right now.
#3: The competition is catching up.
Yes GSP has ruled the 170-pound division for 6 of the past 7 years but the gap is closing quickly. There is now tremendous depth in the division with MacDonald, Condit, Jake Ellenberger, Jake Shields coming alive again and even a dark horse like Matt Brown who has been running dudes over.
In the old days GSP dominated opponents and left the cage virtually unscathed. In his past two fights, against Condit and Nick Diaz, the champ has left the cage with a marked up face. And he tore the ACL in his knee before that. So GSP is even more in touch with his own mortality these days. He is a man of conscience and extraordinary as a strategist. He is always two steps ahead of every one else. He is an intellectual nerd (who knows a lot about dinosaurs, for instance) and values his brain power. So he's not the type who is going to stick around too long and wait to be knocked out a few times (like most other champions) before he retires.
#4: Go out on top.
Precious few sports legends ever do. In fact, I have trouble naming the ones who do. John Elway and his two Super Bowl titles jumps to mind. Then Ray Lewis last year with the Baltimore Ravens. But I can talk for hours about the pro athletes who stayed too long, sometimes hurting their image.
GSP, however, is the kind of visionary who is smart enough to go out on top while his body, brain and image are still at their peak. And he's got the millions to walk away whenever he wants.
GSP recently made some intriguing comments during interviews.
Consider the champ's comments recently to Yahoo Sports writer Kevin Iole:
"There are a lot of things I can't tell you," GSP told Iole with a smile creasing his face. "But I have plans. I'm ready for other things. We'll see what happens. Moving up, moving down, fighting some other guy. I have big plans, but I can't tell you everything. I just can't give all of my secrets today."
Also consider GSP's recent comments to MMA Fighting:
"I don't know when I'm going to retire," GSP told the outfit. "It could be in one week, it could be five years or 10 years. Right now, I'm really happy with what I do. I feel very happy, very motivated and I'm planning my next fight, not my retirement. People who love me, they want me to retire on top. It's normal. Every time I step inside the Octagon, it's a big risk and of course they want me to retire on top. But, the truth is, I'm the one who will decide about that."
Lot of hedging there. And I suspect the "it could be in one week" line is what will transpire.
#5: GSP doesn't need the money, folks; he is likely is worth tens of millions of dollars.
He is a global icon whose reputation is good as gold. The guy has the potential to easily make millions more in sponsorships, business deals and in movies (he's scheduled to appear in his third movie next year). A lot of other pro fighters don't have a Plan B, which is why they keep fighting. St. Pierre has options galore that don't involve getting punched in the head or limping around the house for weeks.
#6: For his past three fights GSP has been bombarded with the same questions about retirement and opponents voicing suspicions about the champ and PEDs.
It's become a circus. GSP is smart enough to know that if he is going to retire then it's best to keep reporters in the dark until after your fight. Imagine if GSP did tell reporters leading up to a fight that this was his last one. That would mean even greater distractions from the media. So don't expect the champ to give us forewarning of his last fight.
Retirement will mean a lot more peace and quiet for the soft-spoken and very private Canadian. It means people forever remembering you as champion rather than remembering how you got knocked out in your last fight. Which is how it ends for the vast majority of fighting legends.
I found this article interesting and wanted to share...
Jon Jones pulls out of UFC 170 title defensehttp://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/jon-jones-pulls-ufc-170-title-defense-032458100--mma.html (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/jon-jones-pulls-ufc-170-title-defense-032458100--mma.html)
QuoteJust one day after it was officially announced that light heavyweight champ Jon Jones would next defend his title at UFC 170 Feb. 22 in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White revealed that Jones had pulled out of the bout. The champion is not injured, however, according to White.
"I told you yesterday that Jones will fight on Feb. 22," White told reporters following the UFC 167 press conference Thursday in Las Vegas. "He won't fight Feb. 22. He just pulled out of the fight. He's not fighting Feb. 22."
Jones spoke about fighting Teixeira very recently with SB Nation's Luke Thomas and how daunting the challenge would be. "I'm getting ready to fight this guy from Brazil who's won twenty fights in a row. Who's short and muscular and who finishes fights," Jones said.
White offered no explanation for why Jones will now not fight Teixeira at UFC 170. "He's not injured," White said flatly.
Jones last fought in September, successfully defending his 205 pound title against Alexander Gustafsson via decision after the closest and seemingly hard-fought bout of the 26 year-old champ's career. Gustafsson is set to fight Jimi Manuwa in his next contest March 8 in London, England.
As news develops regarding what's next for Jones and Teixeira, we'll keep you informed. What's your guess as to why Jones won't fight this Feb. if he's not injured?
What the hell is this? By Whites comments I gather he is pissed...
Ugh, fuck Jon Jones, huge diva.
http://middleeasy.com/fighting/item/12353-watch-a-9-year-old-khabib-nurmagomedov-wrestle-a-bear (http://middleeasy.com/fighting/item/12353-watch-a-9-year-old-khabib-nurmagomedov-wrestle-a-bear)
Pierre wins with a split decision...
I understand that some will not agree but no way Pierre beat Hendricks...IMO
My opinion either. That second round, I had it for Hendrix but I guess not eh
Its UFC judging, what did you expect?
And GSP retires "for now" on top of it.... man.
I had it 48-47 for Hendricks.
Gave Hendricks the 1st, 2nd, 4th.
Gave GSP the 3rd, 5th
The 2nd round is I guess the one people are saying could swing either way. I clearly had it for Hendricks, but I'm also not a professional judge.
I do know that GSP landed more strikes than Hendricks. But Hendricks obviously did the most damage.
If GSP is really done, I'd love to see a Condit/Hendricks rematch for the belt.
GSP should have lost, I felt the 3rd was the closest of them all.
GSP had more lower body kicks, which to me, don't mean much when you're getting hit in the face 3-5 times a round. I htink Hendricks did one of the better jobs of taking GSP down than most people have. I just felt like going into that 5th round, GSP had to force Hendricks to tap or KO him to walk out the champ. I guess I was wrong.
I only saw highlights of the fight - and the highlights were all of Hendricks. There was a few moments where they showed St. Pierre just holding Hendricks to stop the attack. Rarely did I see a positive thing (again, it's highlights).
However, at our staff meeting today, everyone I talked to who watched it was sure Hendricks should have won, and I don't doubt it from what I saw. Could just be that whole thing to allow GSP to retire (done it all) or move up/down. Allows for the new guys to really go at it (like Condit/Hendricks).
guys quite honest did not see the fight . but my opinion unless hendricks dominate him totally , Nevada judges are going to give the champion benefit of the doubt in close rounds ... not all the time , but most of the time they do. But if GSP is going to retire or take time off Hendricks going to get a shot at the interim title , so he in a good spot
That's bs bd. status should never determine victory
Judges should follow their own rules. 10-9 should be option not necessary. Close round, 10-10. Slight advantage, 10-9. Clear advantage, 10-8. Pure dominance, 10-7.
Also. Screw Kate Winslow. It took her under 4 seconds to be out of position in the first fight she officiated last night. She is horrible at her job in every area. Kudos to herb dean for his officiating, he saw Rory was trying to stall to a decision and he was on top of everything without being dominant presence. He was heard not saw and broke up all stalls excellently.
Rory looked awful.
His performance was flat out embarrassing.
When I compete, the commission uses a 5 point system. You get one point for each category you have advantage in. They are
Effective striking. Effective grappling. Damage. Control I think and maybe aggression. So, I could win a round 5-0 or win a round 2-1. It's not perfect but it's better. Solutions are easy to find
I usually don't have a problem with the judging, but the Las Vegas Athletic Commission is just awful.
Quote from: The TyTy is here! on November 17, 2013, 02:01:12 PM
That's bs bd. status should never determine victory
Judges should follow their own rules. 10-9 should be option not necessary. Close round, 10-10. Slight advantage, 10-9. Clear advantage, 10-8. Pure dominance, 10-7.
Also. Screw Kate Winslow. It took her under 4 seconds to be out of position in the first fight she officiated last night. She is horrible at her job in every area. Kudos to herb dean for his officiating, he saw Rory was trying to stall to a decision and he was on top of everything without being dominant presence. He was heard not saw and broke up all stalls excellently.
Ty Ty ... not endorsing it . just giving my opinion on what happens in Vegas. It needs to improve that is the truth ... but the judges look at MMA like it boxing and that wrong . Hell Dana White even said he felt GSP lose.
I thought it was a close as hell fight, but GSP won. Hendricks was outstruck for the majority of the fight and you can argue that more damage was done to GSP, but he was never close to being stopped. I do want to rewatch the fight. But i am thinking it is the same as Jones/Gustaf, you guys are judging the fight with your hearts and not your heads. I t is also a little karma for Hendricks who has been on the right side of a few wrong decisions. Pretty shocked at the reaction from Dana White.
Here is the fightmetric.
http://blog.fightmetric.com/2013/11/st-pierre-vs-hendricks-official-ufc.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter (http://blog.fightmetric.com/2013/11/st-pierre-vs-hendricks-official-ufc.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)
There shouldn't be judges decisions. Keep going until someone wins.
Quote from: Mike Powers on November 17, 2013, 04:47:03 PM
There shouldn't be judges decisions. Keep going until someone wins.
Too much risk for injury.
This isn't bloodsport, lol.
honest , I did not see it ... I will take flins word on it .
That just leaves it up to the refs to recognize when to stop a fight. I'm not saying have a free for all like the early days of UFC. Keep the framework that they've built, rules, rounds, etc. But just keep having rounds until it is over.
In cause no one saw it.
Quote from: Mike Powers on November 17, 2013, 04:54:31 PM
That just leaves it up to the refs to recognize when to stop a fight. I'm not saying have a free for all like the early days of UFC. Keep the framework that they've built, rules, rounds, etc. But just keep having rounds until it is over.
One of the reasons it regularly accepted now is because more like boxing in the rounds and rules. what you purpose is what it was like when it started in 1993.
No I am not.
I am saying keep it the same.....EXCEPT.....instead of having 5 Rounds max, just keep having rounds until someone wins. Why is this hard to understand?
I don't like it Mike.
I fight my heart out, giving everything I have for 3 rounds. I leave nothing left. Give me more time, I will fight like I have all the time in the world. My pace will slow, I will fight more cautiously, I will fight more on the outside and take my time picking my shots.
Kinda like Rory failed to do.
Rounds aren;t the issue. Longer rounds won't work, shorter rounds may work. Judging is purely the issue
I agree judging is the issue. I'm eliminating the judges.
When I compete under the rules I compete under, I'm not worried about the judges decision. I have met the judges beforehand, I know they are knowledgeable and know what they are doing. When I compete, I'm not scared of a bad decision. Unless the fight is razor-close, like neither has an advantage, it'll be a draw.
When I go to 'unified judging', like when I competed in ontario and Alberta, I was worried. I trained knowing that win or lose, when it went to the judges because my still is a control style, I wouldn't have won over the judges.
Good judges, good system, no problem
I'm not sure judging the bout overall is the best step forward, I can recall as many bad decisions in Pride, Dream and such, as I can in the UFC. The 10-9 must system is essentially the best form of getting a winner from a fight, and although sometimes draws are appropriate, in JMMA, they are way too common. And in most cases, a long fight without conclusion is more frustrating to fans than a wrong decision. The main problem lies in what is being judged, you're relying on the opinions of three 'experts' with all differing interpretations of the judging criteria. And with the current judging criteria being so vague - (i.e. what constitutes control?).
Mike, have you watched the Royce Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba fight in Pride? If you haven't, watch it, and you should get an understanding as to why the sport moved away from unlimited time limit fights. There worse examples from old school UFC, but most of them were out of shape brawlers, where as this fight is two elite grapplers. Dan Severn vs. Ken Shamrock is another good example.
Shamrock vs Gracie 2 could be another example
This is what it will be in 50 years...
(http://cdn-media.hollywood.com/images/l/mortal_kombat1.jpg)
I am NOT saying unlimited time limit.
Keep the round structure. Keep the rules. Just keep going past 5 rounds.
Am I speaking Greek?
That is an unlimited time limit, just with breaks...
And is bad idea that will lead to worse fights
I disagree.
How many rounds would you have them go for. How would you keep them fighting that long when very few can even keep pace for 3 rounds
If you can't keep up, then you'll get KO'd /TKO'd and lose.
Quote from: Mike Powers on November 18, 2013, 12:04:02 AM
If you can't keep up, then you'll get KO'd /TKO'd and lose.
(http://www.lawmarketingmonitor.com/files/2013/03/ditka-stop-it-600x432.jpg)
I'll stop, but I'm not changing my mind.
Nobody is going to have KO power in those late rounds unless they hold back because they know they can keep on going... thus, the fights wouldn't be as exciting.
That is what Ty is getting at.
3-5 Rounds is perfect.
5 3 minute rounds would be incredible
(Says me, the man with an often questioned gas tank)
Oh gosh, I fought once, would never want more than 2 rounds O.O
Quote from: Mike Powers on November 17, 2013, 08:05:26 PM
I am NOT saying unlimited time limit.
Keep the round structure. Keep the rules. Just keep going past 5 rounds.
Am I speaking Greek?
If you don't limit the rounds...you don't limit the time. Thus, it is unlimited. Are you Greek Powers?
I give up.
The winner by rear naked choke in the first round...
NOT MIKE POWERS!
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bellator-108-results-rampage-jackson-043626520--mma.html (http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bellator-108-results-rampage-jackson-043626520--mma.html)
QuoteAfter his originally scheduled Bellator debut fight against Tito Ortiz was scrapped due to an Ortiz injury, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson finally made his promotional debut at Friday night's Bellator 108 at Revel in Atlantic City, N.J.
Facing Joey Beltran, a fellow UFC veteran and another fighter known for liking to stand and bang, Rampage got frustrated early in the fight when Beltran used a lot of movement to stay out of Rampage's striking range, looking to employ his jab.
Beltran caught a kick midway through the opening round and then pressed Rampage to the cage. He did a good job keeping Rampage on the fence and working the body with punches, but Rampage eventually separated and took the fight away from Beltran.
Rampage moved in, forcing Beltran back to the fence, landed a knee to the body, and followed with a flurry of punches that included a left hook that sent Beltran face down on the mat. The referee stopped the fight with one second left on the clock.
Rampage could hardly contain himself after the fight, trying to take control of the microphone, yelling, "I'm back! Bjorn Rebney fixed my knees. Y'all gonna see more knockouts. Everybody in my weight class better be shaking in their boots!
"I proved I still got it."
Alexander Volkov looked to defend his heavyweight belt from countryman Vitaly Minakov, both men entering the fight undefeated in their Bellator tenures, but it wasn't to be.
He ate a couple early kicks from Volkov, but did some serious damage, softening Volkov up with some stern knees to the midsection. Minakov failed on his belly-to-belly suplex attempt, but turned it to his advantage, immediately reversing into Volkov's guard and grounding and pounding him until the referee eventually stood them up.
Upon standing, Minakov sent Volkov floating to the mat with a right uppercut, and then unloaded with a brutal series of punches until the referee waved the fight off.
Minakov remained undefeated and captured the Bellator heavyweight championship in the process. He will now move on to defend the belt from Season 9 tournament winner, UFC veteran Cheick Kongo.
Marcos Galvao stormed back into the Bellator cage for the first time since losing to friend, teammate, and bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas at Bellator 89 last year.
He quickly took Tom McKenna down, mounted him, and began working him over with punches alternating between top mount and back mount. Galvao gave up position to attempt an armbar. McKenna escaped to his feet, but Galvao immediately brought him back to the mat, secured back mount, and finished in a flurry.
Patricio "Pitbull" Freire earned a second shot at the Bellator featherweight championship with his stunning performance in the Season 9 Final against Justin Wilcox.
Freire had the pedal to the floor from the opening bell, quickly overcoming Wilcox with strikes. Freire sent Wilcox to the canvas a final time little more than two minutes into the bout, swarming him with punches before the referee stepped in.
Freire has been to the featherweight tournament final three times. He lost in the Season 2 Final to Joe Warren; won in Season 4, but lost in his challenge to dethrone Pat Curran; and will now move on to face Daniel Straus.
Straus and Freire fought once before, in the Season 4 Final, where Freire won a unanimous decision.
Bellator 108 Results
-Rampage Jackson def. Joey Beltran via KO (strikes) – R1, 4:59
-Vitaly Minakov def. Alexander Volkov via TKO (punches) –R1, 2:57
-Marcos Galvao def. Tom McKenna via TKO (punches) – R1, 4:29
-Patricio Freire def. Justin Wilcox via TKO (punches) – R1, 2:23
-Robert Sullivan def. Sergio da Silva by Unan Dec (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) – R3, 5:00
-Dan Matala def. Ryan Cafaro via TKO (punches) – R2, 3:52
-Will Martinez defeated Kevin Roddy via Sub (rear-naked choke)– R1, 3:50
-Liam McGeary def. Najim Wali via Sub (armbar) – R1, 1:31
-Anthony Morrison def. Kenny Foster by Maj Dec (28-28, 29-27, 30-26)
-Nah'Shon Burrell def. Jesus Martinez by Unan Dec (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
-Tom DeBlass def. Jason Lambert via KO (punches) – R1, 1:45
-Sam Oropeza def. Chip Moraza-Pollard via KO (punches) – R1, 0:37
I'll take credit for that win. 2-0 lifetime baby!
No, he's still washed up.
Subpar opponent
Was a great card tho, lots of finishes. Its what Bellator needed after Ortiz/Rampage went down the drain.
I watch it , thought he did a great job in the fight .
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/nevada-commission-director-says-no-judging-crisis-224324772--mma.html (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/nevada-commission-director-says-no-judging-crisis-224324772--mma.html)
QuoteThe Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) and its executive director Keith Kizer came under fire once again this past weekend after the UFC 167 main event in Las Vegas. UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre retained his title with a controversial split decision win over challenger Johny Hendricks.
"This is the thing that makes people not like fights," UFC president Dana White said after the event.
"I don't even know what to say. I'm still so blown away by it. Georges knew he lost, his corner knew he lost. Hendricks knew he won, his corner knew he won...This commission is just despicably horrible.
"The Nevada State Athletic Commission has a lot of work to do – a lot of work to do - and it makes me sick. They better get to work, and they better figure out how to not destroy, not only the sport of boxing, but this sport, too."
Kizer and the Nevada commission were also pilloried after one judge scored Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s lopsided win over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez a draw this past September. Despite the criticism, Kizer denies that there is a problem with scoring in the world's fight capital.
When asked Monday by Cagewriter if there is a judging crises in Nevada, the state chief flatly says, "No."
Furthermore, Kizer rejected the idea that St. Pierre's decision win should be considered controversial. "I understand the controversy in the Mayweather fight," he explained.
"But I don't see controversy in the GSP/Hendricks decision. The media seems split on who won. The LA times scored it for GSP. All seemed to agree that Hendricks won rounds two and four and that St. Pierre won three and five. The first round could have gone either way."
This writer scored rounds 1-4 for Hendricks and round 5 going to St. Pierre.
Kizer understands that people will disagree with judges' decisions on any given fight. However, even if one disagrees with the UFC 167 main event decision, as Dana White did, Kizer says criticizing the commission for it doesn't make sense.
"Even if you disagreed with the scoring, how is that something to criticize the commission for," Kizer asks.
"Before the fight, both the St. Pierre and Hendricks camps were fine with the proposed judges... [Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and former NSAC executive director] Marc Ratner and Dana White have also told me that they believe Sal D'Mato and Tony Weeks (the two judges who scored the fight for St. Pierre with scores of 48-47) were two of the best judges, if not the best, in MMA. You can tell they feel that way by where the UFC has taken them."
When the UFC holds events abroad in places without athletic commissions, they often choose to hire officials themselves. Weeks and D'Mato have judged many UFC events all over the world and so Kizer says that Nevada was not out of line in any way by choosing them to judge the UFC 167 main event.
Kizer says that the training and evaluation for established judges like the ones who officiated over UFC 167 consists of both formal and informal elements.
"There's formal and informal things we do with officials," Kizer explains.
"The formal part for us are the seminars we put together for officials where we go over things like judging criteria but also things like rules of ethics. Don't ask for autographs, don't sneak people in, etc. We go over fight films and discuss many things. After events we informally talk with officials as well about the calls they made and decisions they gave, reasons for doing so and we discuss things."
Kizer feels that nothing was out of the ordinary with the UFC 167 main event scoring and that Nevada judges are doing a good job, overall. He also says that he hasn't received any warnings or pressure to change how things are done from other state officials this fall, in the wake of the Mayweather vs. Canelo scoring and UFC 167 scoring.
Dana White lobbed perhaps his worst criticism ever of the NSAC after UFC 167, insinuating that he will have to reconsider holding so many events in the UFC's home state and saying that the governor of Nevada should somehow get involved in correcting the vague problem he feels exists with the way the commission operates. The UFC brings a lot of money into the state with it's events and it isn't inconceivable that a veiled threat to not hold as many events as they always have in Nevada would get the attention of those in the state legislature and the governor himself.
"Nevada is a very scary place," White said to media after UFC 167.
"This is the worst commission on the planet. I am afraid to bring fights to Las Vegas. I never thought I'd say that. This is the city I live in. This is the city I love. This is the worst commission on the planet."
Even after those comments from White and a public apology to the governor after the Mayweather/Canelo fight from one of the commissioners earlier this fall, Kizer says he isn't worried.
"I don't think it's likely," Kizer said of the possibility that the UFC would decide to scale back its promotional efforts in Nevada.
"I don't think its what (White) meant but in any case, we are a public agency and so we are happy to hear everyone's comments and input."
As it does periodically, the NSAC has set a public workshop for Monday, Dec. 2 at 9am to solicit comments from any interested people on matters related to unarmed combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts. For more information on the meeting, view the full public notice here.
their oblivious if they dont think there is an issue
QuoteScott Jorgensen is now looking for his third opponent at the Dec. 14 UFC on Fox 9 card after John Dodson suffered an injury and has been forced out of their scheduled match up. Dodson himself was a replacement for Ian McCall, who was initially set to face Jorgensen.
Jorgensen is dropping to flyweight after losing three out of his last four fights at 135 pounds. The UFC announced Dodson's injury on Twitter Tuesday.
A new opponent for Jorgensen is expected to be announced soon. UFC on Fox 9 is headlined by flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson defending his title against Joseph Benevidez.
I like Dodson allot so I personally think it sucks he is not fighting...
(http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Hector-Lombard-UFC-2.jpg)
QuoteUFC welterweight contender Hector Lombard had harsh words for colleagues Jake Shields and Georges St. Pierre recently. Lombard made fun of the welterweight champ St. Pierre's fear of aliens to MMA Junkie this week and also called out Jake Shields.
"He's so scared of aliens coming up and taking him," Lombard said of St. Pierre.
"You have to be really messed up to think about all that stuff. Like honestly, I have a lot of respect for him and the stuff he's done for the sport, but how can you think about an alien coming and going to take you? Are you kidding me or what? It's stupid."
As for Shields, who has not lost in his last four fights, Lombard calls him "boring," and promises that he'll make the American really fight.
"He'll make it boring, or I'm going to end up knocking him out. It's going to be one or another," said Lombard, who has lost two out of his last four fights.
Though he may question St. Pierre's sanity, Lombard isn't ready to call out the possibly retired champ just yet.
"Up to this point, [St-Pierre] can do whatever he wants," Lombard said.
"He's done a lot for the sport. There's no point for me to go and criticize the man. What I do know is that I have to win my next fight and go from there."
Who do you want to see Lombard fight next? Let us know in the comments section.
I had to google him to see who he was and I guess I am slacking in my MMA because I do not recall hearing of him but he looks stacked.
Lombard is a beast. Former Bellator MW Champ.
He is strong, but can also hold is own (to an extent) on the ground. But he is crazy strong for a welterweight.
His only two losses in the UFC were in controversy as I thought he won both (especially against Boetsch), but he lost both by split decision.
They were trying to get him on the upcoming UFC card since he is Australian, but it was full after his quick highlight KO of Nate Marquardt.
Quote from: Jon on December 04, 2013, 05:06:14 PM
Lombard is a beast. Former Bellator MW Champ.
He is strong, but can also hold is own (to an extent) on the ground. But he is crazy strong for a welterweight.
His only two losses in the UFC were in controversy as I thought he won both (especially against Boetsch), but he lost both by split decision.
They were trying to get him on the upcoming UFC card since he is Australian, but it was full after his quick highlight KO of Nate Marquardt.
He looks like a animal... I am going to Youtube him later...
I feel bad for Jorgensen, who now on short notice, has to prepare for a third different opponent.
As for Dodson, I would love to see him in a fight against the guy he originally replaced in this fight. Ian "Uncle Creepy" McCall.
I was looking forward to the Dodson/Jorgenson fight, but hopefully we'll now get Dodson/McCall in the near future, which would be fun. Makovsky is a good fighter too, so seeing him come in to fill out the Flyweight division is only a good thing.
Quote from: Jon on December 04, 2013, 05:10:37 PM
I feel bad for Jorgensen, who now on short notice, has to prepare for a third different opponent.
As for Dodson, I would love to see him in a fight against the guy he originally replaced in this fight. Ian "Uncle Creepy" McCall.
I didn't even think about it from that point of view... This guy is trying to prepare and keeps having this happen but sticks with it like a soldier... Good for him...
Yeah one of my favourite dudes in the game right now. His fight against Boetsch was horrendous, skip that. He looked nothing like the type of fighter he is.
He clowns around, toys with and disrespects his opponents and then this happens
Anderson Silva KNOCKED OUT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwDqz2P0YTw#)
Why do you feel he is or at least was so cocky and arrogant that he just didn't seem to take any of his opponents seriously or view them as potential threats?
He's baiting his opponents, watch his fight Forest Griffin, perfect example of how the tactic works. It's risky, but like you say he's a confident guy and he has a good chin, emphasis on the had, Weidman more likely smashed it to shit with his follow up shot. There is arrogance there, but it is more tactical than you think, like the Diaz dropping their hands and baiting their opponent to engage, their trying to get them to play their game and Anderson was looking to counter strike. He more than likely underestimated Weidman's power.
Quote from: Flins. on December 06, 2013, 08:16:56 AM
He's baiting his opponents, watch his fight Forest Griffin, perfect example of how the tactic works. It's risky, but like you say he's a confident guy and he has a good chin, emphasis on the had, Weidman more likely smashed it to shit with his follow up shot. There is arrogance there, but it is more tactical than you think, like the Diaz dropping their hands and baiting their opponent to engage, their trying to get them to play their game and Anderson was looking to counter strike. He more than likely underestimated Weidman's power.
I personally dont like this because of cases like the Weidman fight, but that about sums it up.
There's much more to it then that. Weidman threw that combo knowing it would land, I would bet he more than likely practised it. Ask any boxer, they would have told you Anderson is open to same side combos. They make it sound easier than it is to land but in the world of mma, nearly every combo is thrown 1-2 or 1-2-3. Occasionally, you see double jabs to the body but other than that, it's rare and due to the nature of the game, hard to pull off.
Chris threw his right and Anderson moved his head back to avoid it. This is common for Anderson and works in all his fights. Silva thinks the next punch will be the left hook and is positioned (though a bit uncomfortably) to avoid it as well and counter out. Weidman as he is pulling his right back, throws a herring punch with the right that keeps Silvia's head back. With the head back, it can only move forward so when Chris threw the left hook, it was set up on its mark. Some might say it was luck but as someone who's trained boxing and mma, I'm confident weidman knew it would land though I'm not sure he expected the ko.
Silva got beat by great technique
Quote from: The TyTy is here! on December 06, 2013, 02:38:43 PM
There's much more to it then that. Weidman threw that combo knowing it would land, I would bet he more than likely practised it. Ask any boxer, they would have told you Anderson is open to same side combos. They make it sound easier than it is to land but in the world of mma, nearly every combo is thrown 1-2 or 1-2-3. Occasionally, you see double jabs to the body but other than that, it's rare and due to the nature of the game, hard to pull off.
Chris threw his right and Anderson moved his head back to avoid it. This is common for Anderson and works in all his fights. Silva thinks the next punch will be the left hook and is positioned (though a bit uncomfortably) to avoid it as well and counter out. Weidman as he is pulling his right back, throws a herring punch with the right that keeps Silvia's head back. With the head back, it can only move forward so when Chris threw the left hook, it was set up on its mark. Some might say it was luck but as someone who's trained boxing and mma, I'm confident weidman knew it would land though I'm not sure he expected the ko.
Silva got beat by great technique
I think it was a combination of technique, a little bit of luck, and Silva's arrogance that lead to the KO. If Silva doesn't drop his hands and do that little bit of taunting, Weidman wouldn't have had as clear of a shot at him. It just happened that he had a good game plan, Silva didn't take him seriously enough, and it lead to him getting a big KO.
I take luck out of it. There was nothing lucky about it. Weidman was consistently at the right angles and his feet were in the right spots, he used superior positioning throughout the whole fight. Checkout Weidman's footwork for the KO, it was beautiful.
This is the best picture of it imo
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2894093/Eye_contact.png)
Silva is looking at the right hand which is what Chris wanted, Chris is moved into perfect position and the hook is perfectly timed.
The difference between this fight and the Bonnar or Griffen fights is that Weidman was being aggressive and moving forward which made it much more difficult for Silva to counter. Using good angles and forward movement, Silva was forced into being defensive instead of his usual aggressive counters. Silva used that countering to force Griffen to be super aggressive and when Griffen lunged forward instead of angled forward, Silva caught and dropped him.
This wasn't the first time that Silva has eaten a big punch from someone, in his fight against Hendo, Silva ate a couple big punches. There was one combo where the H-bomb landed nicely that pretty nearly mimicked the KO from Weidman. The footwork was downright a mirror of Weidman's off that punch but the difference was the set-up. Hendo was using 1-2's while Weidman used 1-1-2. Silva, while still eating it, was able to see it coming where with Weidman, he got caught.
Silva's 'clowning around' came off more as desperation. He was taken down and controlled on the ground by a powerful guy, he at a few good shots and he was in a good fight against a great fighter. Silva was trying to force Weidman into his game but it didn't work. Silva made an error (footwork + head movement) and got caught.
Silva drops his hands, thats his technique. Its a common counter puncher's technique that Silva has used to perfection time and time again. I would dare say, Silva's success comes from his techniques of which that is a part of is lowering the hands. I am nowhere near good enough to use that style, perhaps Ill never be. I have teammates though he can do that and use it successfully. Its hip and core movement, you can't do the same with your hands up and you can down. Its great against 1-2 combos but falls short in same side combos.
Silva's arrogance played nothing into the fight. Weidman out-fought him and forced Silva into a position he got caught. It was the same position the Hendo could not capitalize on but because of a nice hand technique (that looked uglier than it was), he was able to ko Silva.
UFC announced the acquisition of 11 invicta straw weight 115 lb fighters. Will debut on TUF season 20. Will edit in the link later
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UFC
UFC acquires 11 fighters from Invicta FC, launches women's strawweight division with 'TUF 20′
By John Morgan and Steven Marrocco December 11, 2013 7:30 pm
One month after signaling an interest to open a new UFC women's division, the promotion has gone all in on strawweights.
UFC President Dana White today announced the promotion has acquired the contracts of 11 Invicta FC fighters, who will compete on the first all-women season of "The Ultimate Fighter" for the inaugural UFC strawweight title.
Filming for the show kicks off May 18 and features Alex Chambers (4-1), Claudia Gadelha (11-0), Felice Herrig (9-5), Bec Hyatt (5-3), Emily Kagan (3-1), Juliana Lima (6-1), Rose Namajunas (2-1), Tecia Torres (4-0), Paige VanZant (3-1) and Joanne Calderwood (8-0). A debut date for the first episode wasn't immediately announced.
White told MMAjunkie that the participants likely will be coached by men, but isn't ruling out female coaches. He added that a date and location for the show's finale and title fight has yet to be determined.
"The fans like it, I'm thrilled with it, and we're going to dive into the 115-pound division," White said. "We're invested, we're in, as far as the women go."
White said the UFC will continue to work with Invicta, which he said would rebuild its strawweight division.
"We'll continue to work with them and other promoters," he said.
Approximately one year ago, White signed Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey to a contract when a broadcast deal with the promotion's television partner, Showtime, failed to materialize. Rousey became the UFC bantamweight's champion as the promotion built out a 135-pound division.
Women made their debut in the octagon when Rousey headlined UFC 157 opposite Liz Carmouche.
In March, the UFC recruited male and female bantamweights as contestants on "The Ultimate Fighter 18," which featured Rousey and ex-Strikeforce champ Miesha Tate as coaches.
White said the success of the co-ed season opened the door for the first all-women season of the show.
(Pictured: Felice Herrig)
So... midgets?
Women. I'd wager a deeper division based on regional promotions I see
That makes more sense. lol They don't have enough women to make a Top 10 for Rousey's division, why bring in another?!
Here's my chance!
pedit: wimmens? no dana pls...
Well, there's more 115 lb female fighters, especially in japan. Expansion of the sport especially with the announcement that starting next year, the UFC will be doing regional fights across the globe to be aired country by country. I think it's a great idea.
Quote from: Fnord on December 11, 2013, 08:02:04 PM
That makes more sense. lol They don't have enough women to make a Top 10 for Rousey's division, why bring in another?!
kinda agree with this.
Update: On Wednesday night's late edition of FOX Sports Live, MMAFIghting.com's Ariel Helwani added further details. According to the terms of the deal, which had been in the works for about a month before being finalized, all the fighters received pay upgrades to $8,000 to show/$8,000 win bonuses. The exception was Esparza, the reigning Invicta champion, who will make $10K/$10K. All fighters under contract will be paid both their show and win money twice between now and the time they enter the TUF house, which means Esparza will earn $40K and the rest $32K to stay on the sidelines and stay in shape for the first half of 2013. The show will premiere in September.
UFC Fight Night Australia: Hunt vs Silva highlights (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0GKm9koyYo#ws)
- Though Mark Hunt and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva put on a fight for the ages that ended in a draw, it doesn't look like the two heavyweights will be running it back anytime soon. Ariel Helwani for UFC Tonight has revealed that Silva is looking to get back in the cage as soon as possible, while Hunt is going to be sidelined for some time with a broken hand. Bigfoot's management isn't interested in the bout or a long layoff and UFC president Dana White is apparently on board. We will likely be seeing Silva in action sooner than Hunt can recover.
- In unfortunate news for top heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum, champ Cain Velasquez is going to need most of the upcoming year to recover from shoulder surgery. A report featured on UFC Tonight revealed that Velasquez underwent surgery this week for an injured shoulder and will need at least five to six months of rehabilitation before the champ can even get back to proper training. UFC president Dana White would reportedly like to see Werdum get back in the cage and not ride the sidelines until Velasquez is ready to fight. Velasquez is expected to be well enough to compete again at the end of next year.
when the rematch happens, cant wait. Such a good fight, could tell Hunt fucked his hand up when he started throwing elbows in the 4-5th round.
You can understand , Silva wants to stay in the title hunt ... needs to capitalize on the momentum of this great fight. Can not sit around and wait for hunt to heal
Can not wait for the rematch when it happens
Hunt doesn't need his hands!
[spoiler](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ba3KM0pCIAApPI_.jpg:large)[/spoiler]
hahaha, that picture is awesome
QuoteUFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, who transformed from a young boy who had to learn karate to defend himself against bullies into the biggest mixed martial arts star of his era, said Friday issues in his personal life have caused him to vacate the title and walk away from the sport.
He left open the possibility that he would return, but stopped short of guaranteeing it.
He said the pressure of being one of the sport's biggest stars is always getting to him and that he needed a break to refresh.
"I have been fighting for a long time," St-Pierre said. "I have 22 fights in the UFC [actually 21] and 15 of my fights [actually 14] were for a world title. I have been fighting for a very long time at a high level and there is a lot of pressure, a lot of criticism. I've decided I need to take time off. I know the UFC is a business and they can't wait for my little personal [issue]. They have to keep things rolling so I have vacated my title out of respect to the other competitors.
"One day, when I feel like it, I might come back. But right now, I need a break."
UFC president Dana White, who called St-Pierre "the greatest welterweight in UFC history" said Johny Hendricks would fight Robbie Lawler at UFC 171 on March 15, 2014, in Dallas for the vacant title. White said he also wants to put former interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit on the card, but he is still working on the opponent.
St-Pierre, 32, has an overall mixed martial arts record of 25-2 and is 19-2 in the UFC and 12-2 in UFC title fights. He said his health is fine and that health issues did not factor into his decision.
St-Pierre, who won a highly controversial decision over Hendricks in his last fight, at UFC 167 on Nov. 16, said the decision has been coming for a while. In addition to the issues in his personal life, which he said he would keep private, he noted the pressure of trying to take the sport to the next level is immense.
He was the UFC's biggest pay-per-view star and it is believed that his two fights in 2013, against Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in March and against Hendricks last month, are the company's top selling pay-per-view shows of the year.
"The part people don't understand is, the situation I am in, is it's a lot of pressure," St-Pierre said. "Every fight I'm carrying weight on my shoulders. Every fight, it's like you add weight on my shoulders. Every fight, you add weight, you add weight and you add weight and at one point, it becomes so heavy I have a hard time carrying it myself.
"For me, in order to keep my mental equilibrium ... physically, I'm 100 percent. I'm still young and everything. I'm on top of the world. Mentally, I cannot go through another training camp right now. I don't know when I will be able to."
"If one day I feel ready, I'm going to come back," St-Pierre said, but added he would do so as the challenger.
White backed St-Pierre's decision and said he did not want anyone to fight unless they are fully committed to doing so.
"I agree with him 100 percent," White said. "If you aren't [100 percent], this isn't baseball or some sport where you go out. This is fighting, man. You have to be 100 percent mental, physical, emotional. If you're not, you should sit out and wait until you get your stuff cleared up. I think it's the right move."
Good for him. Let him take a long time off to heal and get well and deal with stuff. The division isn't left in question, Hendrix gets a title run and the rematch will be insane in a few years. This is good, though sad, news
I feel the same way... rest up...get check out ...heal
pumped for Lawler/Hendricks
Cory just ran away with the Pick Em title tonight. Great work man.
not over with yet ... one more show to go. anything can happen
OHHH BABY!
Quote from: Cory on December 13, 2013, 08:52:06 PM
pumped for Lawler/Hendricks
Hell yea, I'm for damn sure gonna see about getting tickets, now.
(http://www1.cdn.sherdog.com/image_crop/200/300/_images/fighter/20081106051124_joecamacho.JPG)
QuoteLongtime MMA veteran and Bellator fighter Joe Camacho has passed away due to an apparent heart attack. He was 41 years old.
Camacho was rushed to Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina, Calif., early Monday morning, according to a report from Sherdog.com. He was not feeling well over dinner on Sunday night, Camacho's cousin, Charlie Valencia, told the website.
After arriving at the hospital, Camacho was pronounced dead, according to the report.
West Covina police on Monday confirmed Camacho's death, but said the official cause of death had yet to be determined.
Camacho's most recent MMA fight came at Bellator 106, dropping a unanimous decision to Cleber Luciano on the undercard at the Long Beach Arena. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt also competed for a number of Southern California regional fight promoters, including King of the Cage and Respect in the Cage, among others.
Camacho was also an active Brazilian jui-jitsu competitor, having just competed in the North American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation's competition in Long Beach, Calif., over the weekend.
MMA fighters took to social media on Monday morning to express their condolences to Camacho and those close to him.
"Just got sad news from Charlie Valencia," Urijah Faber wrote on Twitter. "Joe Camacho unexpectedly passed away today."
"Really sad to hear about losing another fighter due to a heart attack," wrote Cub Swanson.
The news of Camacho's passing comes a week after another Southern California fighter, Shane Del Rosario, passed away due to full cardiac arrest.
Camacho's MMA record was 13-19-3.
(http://blacksportsonline.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/black-sports-online-anderson-silva-wants-fight-jon-jones.jpg)
QuoteOn Dec. 13, emotionally worn UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre announced he was vacating his title and taking a break from mixed martial arts. While St-Pierre did leave the door open for a return to the Octagon, the teleconference may have signaled his retirement.
"If I lose again, all the media will criticize me, say that I'm not the same anymore, and maybe Dana will say it's time to retire," Silva said. "He forced Chuck Liddell to retire. He didn't want to and is a guy that made history in the UFC, but you have to be prepared.
"I'd say 'Thank you for everything, but I'll continue doing what I love in other ways,'" he added. "I'd go to other promotions, fight in other sports, but I'd continue fighting because that's what I love to do."
Liddell (21-8-0, 13 KO/TKOs) ended his Hall of Fame career losing five of his last six fights, four of them by stoppage. That's when White intervened, telling Liddell it was time to hang up his gloves.
Conversely, before losing the title to Weidman at UFC 162 in July, Silva (33-5-0, 20 KO/TKOs) defended the belt a UFC-record 10 times and was riding a 16-fight, six-year winning streak.
And in his loss to Weidman, Silva was caught clowning.
"The Spider" had reportedly considered retirement prior to UFC 162 -- like St-Pierre, burdened by the pressures of being the champ. But now Silva is singing a very different tune and is motivated to reclaim the belt.
"The faster I end the fight, the better," he said. "I train the hardest I can to end it quickly. People might say 'Oh, he threw the first fight.' And if I lose again, some people will say I need to retire, that Weidman is the best. It's normal, and you have to be prepared for that."
The 38-year-old Brazilian has a lot left in the tank and has the opportunity to show it at UFC 168. Prior to the Weidman loss, "The Spider" had only one close call in his run as champ -- UFC 117 against Chael Sonnen.
Physically and mentally, Silva is a long way from retiring, perhaps even a Dan Henderson-esque distance. He signed a new 10-fight contract with the UFC earlier this year and is still considered the "Greatest of All Time" by many people, including St-Pierre. Plus, as long as he puts on good fights and sells Pay-Per-Views, it's hard to envision White attempting to force Silva into retirement.
But if he did, and "The Spider" was able to leave the UFC, other promotions would be wise to pounce.
QuoteInterim titles have been used throughout the years in the UFC. Company president Dana White has awarded interim titles in the past when his champions have sat on the sidelines with injuries, but he's not about to do that with his current stable of hurt champions.
White on Saturday said that interim titles will not be up for grabs while lightweight champ Anthony Pettis and heavyweight king Cain Velasquez nurse back to health after each has had surgery. The reasoning, White said, lies within knowing exactly when Velasquez and Pettis are expected to return.
"We know when Cain is coming back. We know when Pettis is coming back," White told reporters when asked if there was a timeline for implementing interim crowns. "We do those when we don't know when somebody is coming back or we don't know what's going on."
Velasquez injured his shoulder in his recent title defense at UFC 166 against Junior dos Santos. For a time, there was doubt that the heavyweight champ would need to undergo surgery. After further consultation, Velasquez decided to follow through with the procedure and he will be out until mid-2014 at the very least.
Pettis injured his knee and was forced out of a scheduled title defense against Josh Thomson, which was supposed to happen at UFC on Fox 9 on Saturday. He, too, will be out until midway through 2014.
Both Velasquez and Pettis had successful surgeries this week, the fighters revealed via their Instagram pages.
QuoteNot to worry, fiscally concerned MMA fan. The price hike for UFC 168 is a one-time deal.
UFC president Dana White confirmed on Saturday night that the cost for the upcoming pay-per-view is, in fact, getting a $5 increase, but other pay-per-views going forward will go back down to the normal price.
"Just that fight," White told reporters, when asked about the cost of the Dec. 28 PPV card.
The typical cost of a UFC pay-per-view is $54.95 for high definition and $44.95 for standard definition. For UFC 168, however, consumers will see an increase to $59.95 for HD and $49.95 for SD.
White said that he imagines people will be upset about having to pay the extra $5 for premium mixed martial arts, but explained that the problem is easily alleviated with inviting over a couple extra friends to help foot the cost for the PPV at home.
White added that raising the price wasn't his call, saying, "Some guys got together in the office and decided to do that. I didn't determine it."
UFC 168 will be headlined by a middleweight title fight between onetime champion Anderson Silva and the man who beat him to take the title, Chris Weidman. The card is co-headlined by women's champ Ronda Rousey defending her crown against longtime rival Miesha Tate.
Whatever, Ill find a good stream and hook it up to my TV, for 0$
I think Silva fucks Weidman up and shuts all these people up.
Quote from: Cory on December 17, 2013, 10:26:14 AM
I think Silva fucks Weidman up and shuts all these people up.
I really want to watch the rematch seeing how I skipped the first match...
Quote from: Cory on December 17, 2013, 10:25:34 AM
Whatever, Ill find a good stream and hook it up to my TV, for 0$
Which most do however I find it shitty that they are doing this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qRfa_xP9mBc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qRfa_xP9mBc)
- Recap all of the action from Saturday night's UFC on FOX 9 fight card with the Phantom Cam highlights above.
- According to UFC president Dana White, UFC on FOX 9 pulled in a crowd of 11,573 for a live gate of $1,066,610. The California State Athletic Commission will release the official numbers next week.
UFC on FOX 9 took place at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California. A flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez headed up the card.
- The fight night bonuses for UFC on FOX 9 were handed out in the standard amount of $50,000. Demetrious Johnson, Urijah Faber, Edson Barboza and Danny Castillo all took home bonuses.
Johnson earned Knockout of the Night for his first-round starching of Joseph Benavidez, which made for his third successful title defense. Faber earned Submission of the Night for his guillotine finish of Michael McDonald; the win likely put Faber back in title contention at bantamweight. Finally, Barboza and Castillo took home Fight of the Night for their back-and-forth lightweight tilt.
- MMAJunkie has released the salary information for the UFC on FOX 9 fight card, as reported by the California State Athletic Commission. Check out the full list below.
Demetrious Johnson: $175,000 ($50,000 win bonus)
defeated Joseph Benavidez: $42,000
Urijah Faber: $200,000 ($100,000 win bonus)
defeated Michael McDonald: $17,000
Chad Mendes: $90,000 ($45,000 win bonus)
defeated Nick Lentz: $29,000
Joe Lauzon: $60,000 ($30,000 win bonus)
defeated Mac Danzig: $32,000
Ryan LaFlare: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
defeated Court McGee: $20,000
Edson Barboza: $52,000 ($26,000 win bonus)
defeated Danny Castillo: $31,000
Bobby Green: $36,000 ($18,000 win bonus)
defeated Pat Healy: $25,000
Zach Makovsky: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
defeated Scott Jorgensen: $26,000
Sam Stout: $60,000 ($30,000 win bonus)
defeated Cody McKenzie: $12,000
Abel Trujillo: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
defeated Roger Bowling: $12,000
Alptekin Ozkilic: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
defeated Darren Uyenoyama: $12,000
(http://a4d69b0be31a71a4ce13-693158ff2c1c99d0e4a41d57d491843d.r93.cf1.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Antonio-Bigfoot-Silva-UFC-146-weigh-478x270.jpg)
QuoteUFC officials on Tuesday announced that UFC Fight Night 33 main eventer Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva was suspended for nine months and would forfeit his $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus. Silva tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone for his Dec. 7 bout with Mark Hunt in Brisbane, Australia.
"Months before my fight I looked for the UFC doctor Marcio Tannure in Brazil, so I could start the hormonal replacement 'TRT,' which was authorized and recognized by a professional," Silva wrote on Facebook.
Dr. Tannure is the medical director of the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission, which is charged with regulating many MMA events, including the UFC, in Brazil.
"I started the treatment and 2 weeks before my fight; I did all the exams required by the UFC," Silva continued. "My testosterone level continued to be low, so I was recommended by the doctor to increase the dosage. Unfortunately my level increased too much and caused me to suspend. I only did what was recommended by someone trained, who understands about the subject. Therefore, it was not my mistake.
"I'm cool because I know that the mistake was not made by me. I never tried doing anything wrong for my fight."
Generally, at the end of the day, the responsibility for such situations falls on the athlete, which appears to be the case here, regardless of what Silva says.
"Although [Antonio] Silva is on a medically approved regimen of testosterone replacement therapy, and had been in compliance with therapeutic guidelines on all pre-fight tests performed prior to the event, the results of his test on the day of the event indicated a level of testosterone outside of [the] allowable limit," UFC officials said in a statement. "Silva has been informed that the elevated testosterone level is a violation of the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy and his Promotional Agreement with Zuffa."
Silva's Fight of the Night bonus money now goes to Hunt, and he must also pass drug test upon completing the suspension before he is allowed to fight again.
Hmm, something tells me this deformed looking freak is still on the same regime that he was back in elite xc
Never knew Khali was in UFC.
Still not sure how TRT is legal at all...
- The UFC has yet to officially announce the details regarding its impending digital network, but an apparent soft launch of the network's website has revealed a few likely aspects to the promotion's subscription service.
According to the website, the service will be called "UFC FIght Pass" and will cost users $9.99 a month. The service will offer live events, event replays, access to the UFC fight library, TV shows and original content.
The network will allow hardcore fans the access to watch all of the obscure international events on the UFC's increased 2014 schedule.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KiUPxVlHIqQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KiUPxVlHIqQ)
(http://www.bjpenn.com.4sj1.spdl.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/390x270xwhite-lesnar1.jpg.speedilic.ic.kl1dpnXtAj.jpg)
As if there is not enough going on this weekend at UFC 168?
Rumors and reports have been circulating and swirling over the possible return of former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
In this video, UFC president Dana White, with a sly grin, says that he "honestly" doesn't know why Lesnar is in Vegas this weekend.
Lesnar is 36-years-old and is a part-time performer with World Wrestling Entertainment, and is expected to have a major role in the company's Wrestlemania XXX in April 2014. He won the UFC championship in Nov. 2008, and defended it successfully twice. His time in the cage was severely hampered by two serious bouts with diverticulitis that led to surgery and threatened his athletic career. Lesnar lost the championship to Cain Velasquez on Oct. 2010. Lesnar headlined four straight pay-per-views that broke the 1 million buy mark, a UFC record.
Are you buying the possibility of a Lesnar return? With PPV juggernaut Georges St. Pierre stepping away from the cage, the organization could be in need of another pay-per-view king.
Going to the bar tonight to watch this!
Can't wait!
I'm even more excited to see Poirier, who is one of my favorite MMA fighters. Hoping for a good fight from him against Diego.
What ya'll doing for the fights tonight?
going to be chilling watching it at home ...
The first card ive made a point to watch live for quite some time, cant wait. Not sure if Im gonna hit up a bar or stream it yet.
WAR Brandao, Barnett, Rousey and SILVA
POIRIER!!!!!!
That's how you treat a fighter that couldn't even be tasked to get even remotely close to making weight!
HOLY SHIT
ONE OF SICKEST THINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN
FUCK
THAT WAS CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
everyon e I pick won ... expect for the last fight ... Rousey is still a bad ass bitch ... Arm collector ... 8 fights 8 arms
Tate's not even in her league.
Sadly, I don't think Cat Zigano is either.
Gonna be awhile before we see her lose.
i knew that before the fight happen ... people got caught up in the hype because of the TUF show ...
Browne I knew was going to shine ... he a heavy hitter , he got a title match coming up soon
Warning: Graphic footage...
[spoiler](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fwmi1mLjZW4/Ur-yN3P4U4I/AAAAAAAA_Rc/sVtJRvpIYJg/s1600/6.gif)[/spoiler]
Just saw the video of it and it looked gruesome. Reminded me of both Sid Vicious and Kevin Ware.
i will be honest once was enough ... seeing it in real time ...don't want to see it again
Yeah, I put a spoiler on Powers' post because I know some people don't want to involuntary see that.
Ummm....sorry?
Quote from: Mike Powers on December 29, 2013, 01:38:46 AM
Ummm....sorry?
powers don't worry about it , we were watching live. when it happen. if we had not been watching the show , we would have jump to see the Video
you did nothing wrong
Fuck that was awful, and enraged my greatly when Weidman threw his hands up celebrating at the end (after checking on Silva mind you, but still)
Quote from: Cory on December 29, 2013, 12:04:29 PM
Fuck that was awful, and enraged my greatly when Weidman threw his hands up celebrating at the end (after checking on Silva mind you, but still)
I was fine with the celebration after he checked on him.
What did you want? Him to start crying or some shit?
They are fighters for fucks sake. They go into the cage knowing they could get injured.
Quote from: Cory on December 29, 2013, 12:04:29 PM
Fuck that was awful, and enraged my greatly when Weidman threw his hands up celebrating at the end (after checking on Silva mind you, but still)
I don't mind it either , because he now beat what many consider the best pound for pound mma fighter in the world ... many say the best mma fighter of all time... twice ... there going to be a release after the fight.
real anger is seeing Silva go out like that ... he been so great for so long , it hard to see that happen. wish he gone out some other way.
weidman vs belfort next ... that going to be great
He didnt need to celebrate, he checked a kick and won, he shoulda had the same reaction Uriah Hall had earlier, not come off like a meathead.
Cant wait for Belfort to juice up and murder Weidman (needless to say, Im not a believer haha)
Quote from: Cory on December 29, 2013, 12:20:45 PM
He didnt need to celebrate, he checked a kick and won, he shoulda had the same reaction Uriah Hall had earlier, not come off like a meathead.
Cant wait for Belfort to juice up and murder Weidman (needless to say, Im not a believer haha)
You're going to be waiting for a long time.
Weidman is lightyears better than Belfort.
That why we have the fights ... Belfort been on fire in the last couple of matches ... I think he going to have a get chance of getting the win.
in the end it going to be a great fight
The Belfort vs. Weidman fight will be intriguing, both have knock out power and I think Belfort is quicker. Vitor is a stronger grappler than Silva, but I think Weidman is going to be dominant force for quite a whille, wouldn't be surprised to see him brutalise and sub Belfort ala Jones.
Hopefully this isn't the end for Silva, but going to be a tough comeback from that injury.
Quote from: Cory on December 29, 2013, 12:20:45 PM
He didnt need to celebrate, he checked a kick and won, he shoulda had the same reaction Uriah Hall had earlier, not come off like a meathead.
Cant wait for Belfort to juice up and murder Weidman (needless to say, Im not a believer haha)
From a fighters perspective, I would be upset if my opponent didn't celebrate. I would be upset because, though hurt, he has conquered me. Sucks that silva broke his leg but it was weidmans moment. I armbar someone and their arm snaps, I celebrate the win. He checked the kick and silva was damaged, the right thing to do is celebrate and get the attention while leaving the docs to do their job. Respect and concern are backstage not in ring.
Good to see more participation!
Cory, I' know you've discussed making a MMA Sim League... well I JUST DID! Took me awhile to get it up and running, but for the most part it's ready to have people make fighters.
Not sure if it's okay to post it in here, so if someone objects, I'll just take the link away. I was just going to post it in the e-fed vault, but technically, this isn't an e-fed.
http://fantasyfightleague.freeforums.net/ (http://fantasyfightleague.freeforums.net/)
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:10252908 (http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:10252908)
UFC bantamweight Dominick Cruz has suffered a major setback in his attempt to return to the Octagon for the first time in more than two years.
A groin injury has forced Cruz, 28, to withdraw from a title unification bout against Renan Barao, which had been scheduled to headline UFC 169 on Feb. 1 in Newark, N.J
Cruz, who last fought in October 2011, will vacate the title as a result of the injury. It's the first time a UFC champion has vacated the belt due to inactivity since 2005, when Frank Mir surrendered the heavyweight title following a motorcycle accident.
Barao (31-1) will now meet Urijah Faber (30-6) for the undisputed bantamweight title. The two met previously at UFC 149 in July 2012 for the interim title. Barao won the five-round bout via unanimous decision.
"Faber fought four times last year and won all four impressively," UFC president Dana White said Monday. "Thank God he wanted to step up on three weeks notice. He's pumped about it."
Cruz (19-1) suffered a torn ACL injury while training for an attempt at a third title defense against Faber in July 2012. He eventually underwent two surgeries that year on the knee, after complications arose from the first.
Considered a top 10 pound-for-pound talent prior to the injury, Cruz became the inaugural UFC bantamweight champion when the promotion added the 135-pound weight class in 2011. His notable victories include decision wins over Faber, Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez.
Ah man, that sucks. Not sure where Cruz stands now, been a long time since he fought, and with the analyst gig on Fox, dunno if we'll see him fight action. Which is disappointing considering how talented he was.
Quote from: Jon on January 01, 2014, 07:47:16 PM
Cory, I' know you've discussed making a MMA Sim League... well I JUST DID! Took me awhile to get it up and running, but for the most part it's ready to have people make fighters.
Not sure if it's okay to post it in here, so if someone objects, I'll just take the link away. I was just going to post it in the e-fed vault, but technically, this isn't an e-fed.
http://fantasyfightleague.freeforums.net/ (http://fantasyfightleague.freeforums.net/)
Honestly dude, this is a fantastic idea, but
Have you thought to bring it up with Judge/Sam/Ian to make a sub-board here in the MMA forum? Would be far easier to attract members (cross-over from the FBL) because of the network of people here, plus they're usually supportive of user games (ala Dorling and the Ruins).
Been super busy with college starting up this week, so just peaked today, but my thoughts I couldnt see a problem with them helping you make a sub board here in the MMA forum to help kick activity in the ass, I dont know how much my backing pulls here, but I'd fully co-sign for this if you were interested.
Derrick Rose of MMA
Alistair Overeem Calls Out Brock Lesnar After UFC 169 Victory
UFC 141 Weigh-In: Lesnar/Overeem Highlight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUQ9TB3OWJM#ws)
UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem called out Brock Lesnar following his unanimous decision victory over Frank Mir at UFC 169 tonight.
"I heard there's word that Brock Lesnar is about to come back to the UFC," Overeem said. "Well I'll be here waiting for him."
Overeem defeated Lesnar in his final UFC outing via first round TKO at UFC 141 in December of 2011. UFC President Dana White has been recently saying that Lesnar wants to return to the UFC and fight while under contract to WWE when his schedule clears up.
Lol, 99.9% chance Lesnar never fights again, so that was pointless
BORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
At least Ubereem got back on track....always been a fan.
I wouldnt wish Jose Aldo leg kicks on my worse enemry
That was a bullshit stoppage...
Fighter is giving you a thumbs up and you stop it...
BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Feel gutted for Faber, but Barao is world class and most likely was going to win that fight regardless.
But when the winner even says he was surprised the fight was stopped... you know it was a premature stoppage.
Very unlike Dean and it ruined a good fight, which it's a shame.
But more importantly, it's probably the last time Faber has a shot at UFC gold, which to me, is the saddest part of it all.
Yeah, a tough call for ol' bum chin
- UFC star Alistair Overeem called out Brock Lesnar at the UFC 169 pay-per-view last night. However, at the post-fight press conference UFC President Dana White said Lesnar will not be returning to the UFC. Here's what he said courtesy of FOX Sports:
"Brock Lesnar is not coming back. Brock Lesnar is not fighting. I mean does he want to come back? I mean, we've talked about him wanting to come back. He feels like he wasn't 100 percent while he was here and he feels like he sold himself a little short and all the stuff that I've told you guys before. But, no, he's not (returning)."
Of course he's not returning, lol.
BROCK COME BACK! BROCK SMASH OVEREEM!
UFC 169 Highlights: Mir vs. Overeem (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOBkBfE4Rns#ws)
- Alistair Overeem defeated fellow heavyweight Frank Mir by decision last night at UFC 169, but to hear UFC president Dana White talk on FOX Sports last night, the Dutchman might as well have lost.
Overeem defeated Mir via unanimous decision, but many have criticized him for playing it safe in the bout. To add to that, following the lackluster win, Overeem called out Brock Lesnar, who he already beat and is not currently on the UFC roster.
"He fought safe," White asserted. "I think he could have finished Mir. He kept his job. Should Frank retire? We don't make those decisions tonight. Frank is tough. It was a crappy performance by Alistair and then he calls out someone who doesn't even fight in the UFC. It was not a great night for Overeem."
?
I actually didnt mind that fight, Overeem didnt look bad, he dominated and where as when he goes to finish lately he gets caught, he didnt over commit. Nothing wrong there for me.
Is he back on the juice again?
This is the weakest MMA news that came out of UFC 169.
Like seriously, who cares about a fight that will not happen again?
Quote from: Jon on February 03, 2014, 04:57:56 PM
This is the weakest MMA news that came out of UFC 169.
Like seriously, who cares about a fight that will not happen again?
Wrestling fans who like MMA are killing this story.
And he is facing Phil Davis at UFC 172, pending injuries. Thoughts?
He's looked awesome at LHW, but not faced the stiffest of competition outside of the heavyweight fight with Arlovski. I was always a massive fan of his before he got cut, thought he had a tonne of potential, and it may be the shift to LHW where we really see him come in to his own. Cracking fight to come back into the UFC, and a tough one. Excited for this!
As long as he can make weight, i`ve always been a fan.....a real finisher.
If he doesn't make weight at LHW, something is wrong haha
- UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem took some criticism for calling out Brock Lesnar following his recent defeat of Frank Mir - both because Lesnar isn't an active fighter and Overeem defeated him handily in his last fight two years ago. In an effort to defend himself, Overeem recently appeared on MMAFighting's The MMA Hour, to explain himself.
"I believe I read somewhere that he wanted to come back, and that he believed he didn't fight because of the health conditions and that it would have been different if he was healthy," Overeem said. "He was talking about maybe a comeback, and I thought he wanted to fight me because of his last fight, maybe a rematch. With Brock, you have to take it with a grain of salt."
Overeem rebounded from a two-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision over Mir. Though rumors of Lesnar's return have been persistent, UFC president Dana White has insisted that he isn't coming back.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ufc-fighter-charged-threatening-shoot-estranged-wife-article-1.1607142 (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ufc-fighter-charged-threatening-shoot-estranged-wife-article-1.1607142)
Damnit, at one time was my favourite figher....then steroids....then this.
Quote from: Cory on February 03, 2014, 09:50:01 PM
Wrestling fans who like MMA are killing this story.
Quote from: Fnord on February 05, 2014, 09:20:03 PM
- UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem took some criticism for calling out Brock Lesnar following his recent defeat of Frank Mir - both because Lesnar isn't an active fighter and Overeem defeated him handily in his last fight two years ago. In an effort to defend himself, Overeem recently appeared on MMAFighting's The MMA Hour, to explain himself.
"I believe I read somewhere that he wanted to come back, and that he believed he didn't fight because of the health conditions and that it would have been different if he was healthy," Overeem said. "He was talking about maybe a comeback, and I thought he wanted to fight me because of his last fight, maybe a rematch. With Brock, you have to take it with a grain of salt."
Overeem rebounded from a two-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision over Mir. Though rumors of Lesnar's return have been persistent, UFC president Dana White has insisted that he isn't coming back.
lol
Honest ... I think Brock is done. Really does not need to return , He been Heavyweight champion , what else does he need to prove. He got money , he got the family. Why does he need to go back to UFC. Now I will say if he did not get sick. He had a chance to be a better MMA fighter than he was when he left.
Why keep fighting when you got that fat contact from the WWE.
http://mmajunkie.com/2014/02/leg-injury-knocks-rashad-evans-out-of-ufc-170-co-main-event-with-daniel-cormier/ (http://mmajunkie.com/2014/02/leg-injury-knocks-rashad-evans-out-of-ufc-170-co-main-event-with-daniel-cormier/)
QuoteThe UFC 170 card has been hit by its fair share of injuries, but this one hurts.
A leg injury has knocked Rashad Evans (21-3-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) out of his co-main event bout against Daniel Cormier (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at next week's card in Las Vegas. UFC officials announced the news Wednesday night.
UFC 170 takes place Feb. 22 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass. The card is headlined by a women's bantamweight title fight between champion Ronda Rousey and Sara McMann.
The UFC said the late nature of the injury will mean no replacement fighter will be sought for Cormier, nor will there be a replacement fight added to the event, which now will be complete with 10 fights instead of 11. The UFC did not announce which fight from the preliminary card will move up onto the pay-per-view portion of the show. A welterweight bout between Rory MacDonald and Demian Maia now becomes the co-feature.
The news came just about six hours after Evans wrapped up a media-only conference call, on which he discussed his fight against Cormier. No mention of the injury was made on the call.
Specifics of Evans' leg injury were not revealed. However, the UFC retreated news from Yahoo! Sports reporter Kevin Iole, who said that UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta told him Evans would not require surgery, but would need a month's worth of rehab.
Evans was going after his third straight win and was tasked with welcoming his longtime friend Cormier to the light heavyweight division for the first time. Cormier was moving down from his longtime heavyweight home, where he won the Strikeforce grand prix in 2012.
With the cancellation, the UFC 170 card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann – for women's bantamweight title
Rory MacDonald vs. Demian Maia
Mike Pyle vs. T.J. Waldburger
Stephen Thompson vs. Robert Whittaker
[/quote
Not that this match sold it for me, but now I really don't think I'm going to get this PPV.
Yeah, only the main event and McDonald/Maia have any interest for me, ill just stream it.
Excited for the ME...
Excited for Wonderboy vs Whitaker.
But that's it.
This was the fight that sold this card for me.
Quite the bummer.
Shame they couldn't get anyone else to step in for the fight, I doubt this new guy stands a chance. But then, I think Cormier is a little overrated and one dimensional, so maybe this guy will show that up.
The Whittaker/Wonderboy & Pyle/Waldburger fights should be fun. And the main event might be the most competitive fight we will see out of Rousey, it also might have the worst striking showcased in an UFC main event as well.
Odd to think you have a card like this for a PPV, and a Fox show has Dos Anjos vs. Nurgamedov on prelims.
- Though it was just recently revealed that Rashad Evans injured his leg and would be forced out of his planned UFC 170 bout with Daniel Cormier next weekend, the UFC has already found a replacement for the Olympic wrestler. Pat Cummins, an All-American wrestler who is undefeated in four pro MMA bouts, will be stepping up to make his UFC debut against the undefeated Cormier. Cummins has finished all of his pro fights, either by TKO or submission. The two light heavyweights faced off previously during their amateur wrestling days and will have another go at it in the UFC 170 co-main event.
Apparently, the guy lost his job at Starbucks (or some other coffee shop, can't remember) when he took a phone call from Dana whilst at work. Cool way to get booted haha.
UFC President Dana White said that he recently offered Alistair Overeem a fight against Junior dos Santos, which he declined. Dana asserted that Overeem was ducking Dos Santos, and Overeem responded, claiming that he couldn't accept the fight due to a rib injury. Speaking to MMA Junkie, White mocked Overeem's claim.
"I have a feeling this rib injury is going to last as long as it takes for dos Santos to get another opponent," White said. "That's what I'm willing to bet. This is going to be the longest rib injury ever. As soon as we get dos Santos a fight that rib is going to heal right up.
"[Overeem] marches his f—ing ass in here. Tells us how much he's worth. He's worth all this money, he's the best heavyweight in the world, he's going to be the champion, and he doesn't want to f—ing fight anybody. I bet you his f—ing rib wouldn't be hurting if we got Brock Lesnar, bet you his rib would be fine... did anybody hear anything about a rib injury until I offered him dos Santos two different ways?"
with this and the Gilbert Melendez situation, Dana has been a fucking idiot lately
Doubt I'll ever be able to top that.
Only missed the round Oliveria got his submission and the FotN wrong.
Aye, you bossed that round Jon haha. I like how how pointless it was UFC abolishing KOTN & SOTN as they seem to think finishes are the only thing that warrants performance of the night. Personally, I found Musoke's performance more impressive than Erik Silva's - which was a tune up if there ever was one (even before the injury replacement).
- Last night at UFC Fight Night 36, Lyoto Machida out-fought Gegard Mouasasi over five rounds to earn a unanimous decision win and a Fight of the Night bonus. During the Fox Sports post-fight show, Machida revealed that he won his second straight fight since dropping to middleweight with an injured foot.
"I don't know what happened. I did some kicking and he defended with his knee. I don't know if I broke my foot," he said. "I didn't think about my foot during the fight, I just tried to keep my focus on the fight. He's a tough opponent. But he kept his hand down. I saw I could kick his head, leg and body. I had confidence in my kicks."
While the win makes Machida a frontrunner for a middleweight title shot, the UFC have yet to commit and for now, Machida is fine with that.
"I don't know. Dana White is the boss and can decide everything. I think I deserve the title shot," said Machida. "We'll see."
Whether or not he has to wait for a crack at the belt, it doesn't sound like Machida will be hopping back up to his old home at light heavyweight in the meantime.
"Now I've found my weight," he said. "There are a lot of big guys at 205. Now I'm a big guy. I can fight everybody with my technique, strength and power."
Dana White has said that Machida's exact spot in the title picture will be determined by the outcome of the UFC 173 title fight between champ Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort.
So for the pick em, should we add performance of the night to the pick ems? @ 1 point each
I'm just looking forward to the Hendricks fight to be honest, I think he's going to be crowned Champ soon.
Anyone else watch this card? I wasn't pleased I was happy Rampage got the Knockout but it felt as if Bellator wanted King Mo vs Rampage for a while now especially since there's been a war of words between the two fighters. However, I hated the majority of the card and King Mo looked awful! He appeared scared and was only concerned about keeping the fight safe at least in my opinion. The only big letdown I had was the "scuffle" after Rampages fight was over. It felt too much like a TNA brawl inside the cage, I don't mind fighters not liking each other or brawls in the cage (I loved Shields/Melendez/Diaz's vs Miller and his camp at Strikeforce) but this seemed scripted as I don't know what. Anyone else feel the same?
Yeah, that shit had to be scripted.
It been while since King Mo has impressive me in a fight
- The UFC has announced that former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos will be facing off against Stipe Miocic in the co-main event of the upcoming UFC 173 fight card.
Dos Santos is coming off of a loss to current champ Cain Velasquez in a title fight that took place last October. After suffering his first professional loss to Stefan Struve in 2012, Miocic has won two straight, earning decision wins over Roy Nelson and Gabriel Gonzaga.
UFC 173 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 23 and will feature a main event between UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida.
- On the heels of three straight losses, The Ultimate Fighter 6 winner Mac Danzig has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts. The cerebral fighter released a comprehensive and very respectable statement recently, of which you can read an excerpt from below. For the full statement, check out Danzig's Tumblr.
Quote"After 13 years of competing in MMA, and 7 years of competing in the world's premiere high-level organizations, I have finally decided to retire from professional fighting. This decision has been a long time coming, spawned by a myriad of reasons (I'll touch on just a few here), and should come as no real surprise to most of you who have followed my career closely.
"Working for the UFC over the past 7 years has been a spectacular privilege, for which I am truly grateful. During dark times, even when some fans began to write me off, Joe Silva looked at my record for what it really was, not simply a numbers game, and continued to give me the opportunity to fight on the world stage for the best organization out there. This has been an awesome lesson in perseverance for me.
"It has been a long, amazing, arduous, thrilling, painful, depressing, spectacular, self-realizing, worthwhile struggle of a journey, for which I have no regrets. I have accomplished a lot in the sport, especially thanks to the many opportunities the UFC has given me. The competition level that I reached is far beyond what I ever imagined being able to do when I first set out to be a fighter in the year 2000. That being said, in hindsight, my enthusiasm and motivation for competition definitely reached it's peak around 2008 (after 7 years prior of toiling in the minor professional leagues) and it's been an uphill battle ever since."
The 34-year-old retires with a record of 21-12-1.
Great match up. Should be fun.
What do you think about the matchup Fnord?
Dude was always a lame IMO
Too one sided for me, JDS wins in the 1st.
UFC 171: Extended Preview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpHSK44FewM#ws)
- You can check out an extended preview above for UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler, which takes place on March 15th at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. In the main event, Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler square off for the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship.
Quote from: Jon on March 06, 2014, 06:04:24 AM
What do you think about the matchup Fnord?
I've never been a fan of Stipe Miocic.
(http://ragdollgames.com/arcade/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/sadpanda.png)
Jimi is good, but tonight proved there is only two at the top right now in the LHW division... yeah... you heard me DC!
THE PRIDE OF SWEDEN... THE MAULER...
ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quote from: Jon on March 08, 2014, 05:14:31 PM
Jimi is good, but tonight proved there is only two at the top right now in the LHW division... yeah... you heard me DC!
THE PRIDE OF SWEDEN... THE MAULER...
ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great fight.
Credit to Manuwa he did better on the ground than I thought he would, but yeah in the end Gustafsson was just better than him. That knee was sick too.
Apparently another UK card is planned for next Feb, so we'll most likely see Manuwa again then - fingers crossed for a fight with Anthony Johnson.
I enjoyed this card. Some fun fights and a red hot crowd really lifted the whole event.
Manuwa is crazy strong, when Gustafsson tried to take his back towards the end of the 1st round, he just blocked it with one arm and then threw him off with raw power. Not sure he could do that for a full fight, but it was mighy impressive - especially when you consider what Gustafsson did on the ground against Jones.
The finish in that fight was perfect, an excellent statement for Gustafsson to show he deserves the next shot at Jones.
Gunner Nelson really impressed me too. That guy is going to be something special if he can keep healthy.
Have to say, I also really liked the commentary team on this show. Dan Hardy did some great work, a little nervous on the post match interviews but he'll improve as he does more of them. In terms of adding technical information and colour to the broadcast, he did a great job.
Can't wait for Lawler v Hendricks this weekend - that card is staked and the top two fights should be tremendous.
It was in much need of some Buffer though.
The ring announcer was awful, haha.
Must be the only one backing Lawler for the WW title fight.......Lawler is awesome.
I know Lawler is good , but I do not see him beating Hendricks
- Bellator MMA officially announced today that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. King Mo Lawal will serve as the co-main event for their first pay-per-view, Alvarez vs. Chandler III, on May 17th. The fight is in the finals of the Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament, and the winner will go on to get a shot at the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship.
"I've been wanting to come back to Memphis for the last decade, and I'm finally getting that chance to fight in one of the biggest fights of my career for Bellator," Rampage said. "After being part of the Bellator family for a while now, I feel like the old Rampage, and that's not a good thing for Mo. I'm back, I'm a monster, and I'm looking to put on another entertaining fight for all my fans on May 17th."
King Mo noted that he's wanted to fight Rampage for a long time.
"When it comes down to it, this is a fight I've wanted for a long time, and I'm going to be able to beat his ass in his hometown, and everyone is going to respect me," Mo said. "Rampage is just a stepping stone in my way to get that title shot again and get that belt. It's all I want, and after I beat Rampage, I'm going for that belt, simple as that."
Not got much interest in this fight, but looking forward to the Alvarez/Chandler trilogy fight - if it is anything like the other two, it's got to go down as one of the best rivalries in MMA history.
- The Countdown to UFC 171 special was released earlier this week, and you can check out all three parts below.
Countdown to UFC 171: Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaOee6Yh8fg#ws)
Countdown to UFC 171: Carlos Condit vs. Tyron Woodley (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD9wP8Wmb0U#ws)
Countdown to UFC 171: Diego Sanchez vs. Myles Jury (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpUV_uT2_KI#ws)
Hendricks missed weight at weight ins by 1.5 pounds... has 2 hours to lose it.
Been saying since day 1 Lawler got this......sounds like Hendricks is gonna be tired tommorow losing all this weight.
WAR LAWLER!
A lot of people missing weight this weekend.
Sounds like water weight ... still I can see Hendricks taking this fight , like I said Lawler is good , but I just think Hendricks is going to get him in this fight. If Lawler won I would not be mad
Not sure it is water weight, Hendricks walks around at a pretty large weight and has openly spoken about transitioning to middleweight in the future. It's only a pound and a half though, so not too much to read into it and I doubt it will have any effect on the fight itself - if it goes through.
But yeah, three missed weights for UFC, a couple in Bellator including their title fight, and a few catchweight bouts in One FC, KFC having a sale or something?
He has made weight on the 2nd attempt.
I notice Jake Shields is not getting any love , this was a guy at one time consider the man that was going to take the belt from GSP
find that interesting
final round, fuck Hendricks for bitching out.
Great fight, smart from Hendricks.....but lost respect. Bitch move...just held him down for last minute.
...you had him wobbly to finish, and you pussy out and take the safe route. Not my type of fighter.
Coming from a GSP fan....
Great fight and the better fighter won. Simple as that.
Would love to see a rematch down the road.
I feel gutted for Condit though, he's my fav in that division and to see him lose go down like that sucked. Hope he can bounce back and get back in the thick of things.
Quote from: Black Death on March 14, 2014, 09:38:03 PM
I notice Jake Shields is not getting any love , this was a guy at one time consider the man that was going to take the belt from GSP
find that interesting
Yup, the "not getting any love" people were justified tonight.
I just wish Bellator didn't have such a tight grip on Alvarez so he could go to UFC. I'm happy about the third bout between the two fighters, both are astonishing athletes.
This fight is the last on his contract with Bellator, he's free to go where he wants after this fight.
To be fair, Jake Shields is a great grappler. One of the best in the division, just isn't particularly well rounded, and Lombard has proved how good he is, and how undersized he was in the middleweight division. He should've dropped to welterweight along time ago.
Absolutely gutted for Condit as well.
Last night really shook up the Welterweight division, with their being no real contender now. Shields I feel would've been in with a shout if he'd beaten Lombard convincingly and Condit the same. But Woodley and Lombard are still a win or two from contendership, especially with the likes of Dong Hyung Kim, Rory McDonald and Tarec Saffeidine. Guys like Matt Brown and Gunnar Nelson should be in the mix as well. Welterweight is the most stacked division without a doubt, makes it even more impressive that GSP ruled it for so many years.
Fights I'd like to see:
Carlos Condit vs Winner of Matt Brown/Erick Silva
Rory MacDonald vs. Tyrone Woodley
Hector Lombard vs. Robbie Lawler
Jake Shields vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Damien Maia vs. Gunnar Nelson
and then there is Ellenberger vs. Saffiedine already in the mix.
Exciting times!
Quote from: Jon on March 16, 2014, 12:59:55 AM
Coming from a GSP fan....
Purely patriotic. Hate the way he fights.
honest cory ... winning is winning , you don't get style points , your main goal is to get the Win when the last bell sounds
I said I understand what he did, cant say I wouldnt do the same thing if I was him, but as a fan he took the easy way out. NO WAY Lawler would have held him down to play it safe.
Everyone at the bar was cheering for Hendricks, and everyone started to boo and call him a pussy for the last takedown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q9N_psO_xIg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q9N_psO_xIg)
- Former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz attended UFC 171 this past Saturday. During a post event interview, he mentioned that he is ready to fight again, and pitched a fight between himself and newly crowned UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks.
"Maybe they want me to fight Johny Hendricks, take an ass whoopin right to your face, bro, worse than tonight because you got your ass whooped all four rounds," Diaz said, who hasn't fought since losing to Georges St-Pierre via unanimous decision last year. "I seen it. I seen your little [imitates movement] amateur style."
You can check out the whole interview above.
Quote from: Flins. on March 16, 2014, 07:47:40 AM
This fight is the last on his contract with Bellator, he's free to go where he wants after this fight.
Who's last fight? Alvarez or Chandler?
I love Diaz's style but Hendricks will demolish him in the octagon, he can ask for that fight all he wants but UFC will just use this to boost Hendricks up.
Diaz is a HORRIBLE matchup for Hendricks, especially if he fights anything like he did vs Lawler.
Hendricks struggled to take Lawler down and I would defend that Diaz takedown D is close to on par with Lawler.
Diaz ground game > Lawler
and Hendricks stood in front of Lawler for 4 1/2 rounds....Diaz would litterally punch him 1,000 times in that time.
Ugh, how is this guy still relevant? Hasn't won a fight in three years, and his last big win was Takanori Gomi... seven years ago. And that got overturned. I suppose you could give him props for beating a shot and undersized BJ. He gets beat by any top 5 Welterweight in the UFC today though, and probably the rest of the Top 10.
One of the most overrated fighters in the history of the sport. Diaz is as horrible a match up for Hendricks as he was for GSP.
I think he could have some fun fights though, but he shouldn't be anywhere near a title shot at the moment. I know the UFC runs itself as a business and generally ignores the fact MMA is a sport, and with no clear challenger, it wouldn't surprise me if they did it. But personally, I'd rather someone who deserved the shot got it, and he fought someone like Hyun Gyu Lim.
Alvarez
Both those dudes need to go to the UFC now.
Quote from: Flins. on March 19, 2014, 12:22:44 PM
Ugh, how is this guy still relevant? Hasn't won a fight in three years, and his last big win was Takanori Gomi... seven years ago. And that got overturned. I suppose you could give him props for beating a shot and undersized BJ. He gets beat by any top 5 Welterweight in the UFC today though, and probably the rest of the Top 10.
One of the most overrated fighters in the history of the sport. Diaz is as horrible a match up for Hendricks as he was for GSP.
I think he could have some fun fights though, but he shouldn't be anywhere near a title shot at the moment. I know the UFC runs itself as a business and generally ignores the fact MMA is a sport, and with no clear challenger, it wouldn't surprise me if they did it. But personally, I'd rather someone who deserved the shot got it, and he fought someone like Hyun Gyu Lim.
98% disagree with everything you said that BUT the point that he doesnt deserve a title shot. He's money though and Dana has showed countless times *cough* Sonnen *cough that money over talent.
I've got to ask, who has he beaten in the last five years of any significance? I've never really spoken to a Diaz fan haha so just wondering why he is so highly thought of?
Well you have to consider he was in Strikeforce where the competition wasnt amazing, but the way he beat people kept it impressive. He fights people at their strengths to make fights as exciting as possible, look at Scott Smith and Paul Daley, two fighters that are stand and bang all the way....and Diaz stood and bang, where most guys in the 170 class would just take these guys down in snore fests. This makes him more marketable and people like to watch him fight....you never have to worry about him taking the safe win like 95% of the champions in UFC.
His win over Zaromskis was very impressive, dude at that time was a top 10 Welterweight and the Dream Welterweight champion, as well as the BJ Penn fight, Penn wasnt the same fighter as he way, but that was one of the most dominate performances of all time....didnt Diaz hit him like 100 times a round?
His loss over Condit IMO Diaz had, and enough people did and you'd assume they would have had a rematch because it was so debatable but he got the GSP fight....and GSP is well GSP, he beats everyone at 170.
So I discredit the Condit loss, and he lost against a previous #1 p4p, add that he sells fight the dude is still right there for a title shot. I do think he should fight Woodley or something, but for Diaz its title fight or nothing.
As for why Im a Diaz fan, hes a straight shooter. If he doesnt like something hell speak out against it, and it sells fights. His style is amazing...dude has the best boxing at 170 and one of the best ground games.
Plus his team of fighters are my favorite.
Diaz, Melendez, Rousey.
I find him entertaining to watch as well, but I just don't believe he is as good as others. I know the Condit fight was a debated loss, but it really highlighted how one dimensional a fighter he is, he was outstruck and outsmarted because he didn't have a gameplan for someone that wouldn't stand in front of him and trade. Every opponent he had in Strikeforce were cherry picked to match his style, bar Frank Shamrock, who should've retired after the Cung Le loss. He does well against brawlers, but put him against a more technical striker, or a wrestler, or any of the more well rounded fighters they have in the top tier of the Welterweight division today... he'll struggle.
The Penn fight was dominate, but Rory MacDonald's performance was just as good.
In fact, I'd like to see that fight, Rory vs. Nick. Rory smashed his brother and represented the new breed of MMA fighters. Diaz is old school and needs a big win to get into title contention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bCSO47iOFs4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bCSO47iOFs4)
- UFC President Dana White recently released a vlog ahead of this Sunday's UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 event on FS1. It takes a behind the scenes look at UFC 169 and 170, you can check it out above.
Teixeira Plans To Knock Out Jon Jones
- Glover Teixeira, who will face off against UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones at UFC 172 on April 26 for the title, took to Inside MMA recently to discuss the fight and was asked if he thought he could beat Jones.
"Yeah, of course. I have the power to beat him. I have the skills. I have to believe in my skills that it's going to work against his skills," Teixeira said. "People always tell me, oh, we'll bring you this guy or that guy to simulate Jon Jones, but I don't really worry about him. In my mind, he has to worry about what I'm going to do to him. He's the champion, but hey, I believe in my skills. I believe that April 26th, I'm going to go over there and knock this guy out."
So this is something that came out in the media over the last couple of days and has lead to the UFC making a pretty drastic decision.
Chope isn't exactly a well known fighter, having only fought in the organisation once - a losing effort against Max Holloway. But earlier in the weekend details of his dismissal from the military five years ago were released. He was charged with assaulting his wife on several occasions, and punished for it with a six month sentence.
Whilst it is a pretty despicable thing for someone to do and is in no way condonable, he was punished justly at the time of the crime and has since focused on his fight career and separated from his wife.
So why has the UFC cut him? And what precedent are they setting with this decision? Are they even running background checks on fighters?
There is a long list of fighters with priers on their roster, Abel Trujillo has also been convicted for similar crimes, will we be hearing news of his dismissal in the coming days? What about Jimi Manuwa, who is unable to gain a visa to fight in the US because of past convictions - which I believe were related to armed robbery. Or Alex Gustafson? Jeremy Stephens? In fact, with Stephens, Dana White flew out to deal with the matter personally, but on this occasion he was trying to get him out of jail and back in the octagon. Will we be seeing Mike Tyson on UFC programming again?
Or is this just a case of making an example out of a fighter that is relatively unknown?
What are your thoughts on this?
When you have a business that is entertainment, so mostly sports, if the performance > headaches, you put up with it. this is a case of when the performance isn't worth it.
What a KO by Henderson.
That was crazy. Never count out Dan Henderson, huh?
This was a fun show that was almost ruined by some terrible ref calls. Seriously, the sooner they get some sort of professional MMA ref and judge qualification and governing body the better.
Anyone see that insanely late stoppage on the Bellator show the other day? That was some scary stuff. Guy took tons of punches to the face when he was clearly out cold.
Then again, Henderson/Rua fight could have been stopped in the first because Henderson looked out a few times, but he came back and won.
That's why it's so important you get competent and qualified refs and judges across MMA as soon as possible.
Quote from: Duckman on March 26, 2014, 10:04:01 AM
That was crazy. Never count out Dan Henderson, huh?
This was a fun show that was almost ruined by some terrible ref calls. Seriously, the sooner they get some sort of professional MMA ref and judge qualification and governing body the better.
Anyone see that insanely late stoppage on the Bellator show the other day? That was some scary stuff. Guy took tons of punches to the face when he was clearly out cold.
Then again, Henderson/Rua fight could have been stopped in the first because Henderson looked out a few times, but he came back and won.
That's why it's so important you get competent and qualified refs and judges across MMA as soon as possible.
Couldn't agree more Sam.
The judging, at time, is just awful. Like I don't know what fight they are watching.
The reffing, while not as bad, needs to fixed as well. This, for the well being of the fighters.
Something has to change... and soon.
I can see both sides of the argument on this one. He did his crime and served his sentence. Then again, if he was a regular joe and applied for a job, he'd have to declare his criminal convictions and probably wouldn't get the job on that basis. It's why going to jail isn't as simple as 'do the crime, serve the time' and then it's done. That shit follows you around until the grave, rightly or wrongly.
Let's not underplay this, the guy held a knife to her throat, beat her up and would probably have done much longer in jail if it wasn't for the fact it was dealt with by the armed forces court process.
There's more to take into account than just 'what is fair' especially when it comes to some cowardly fuck who is convicted of beating his wife.
The UFC have a ton of different people to answer to from the corporate side of things.
Do you stand up for a guy like this or do you just cut him and let someone else deal with the headache? If he's not worth a great deal to the company, you cut him.
The Stevens thing is a little different because that was to do with an arrest warrant that had been outstanding for a while and I don't think Dana White knew all the facts before he started getting involved.
The rest of the guys you've mentioned are money drawing guys or big stars. They're always going to be treated differently, that's just the nature of sports and entertainment business in general.
Look at Rampage and his crazy truck joy ride shit he pulled after losing to Forest Griffin. If anyone should have been cut it was Rampage, but he was too important to the company so they helped him, rather than punished him.
I guess you just look at each situation on an individual basis and decide the best course of action for the company. It's not really about what's best for the fighter.
Cheers,
Duckman
It's a growing sport but that growth will be stunted if they don't sort out the judging and the refereeing. Or at least reduce how often there are glaring errors.
Herb Dean had a couple of rough calls recently, that's a given considering how many fights he refs and over the year he'll make many more good calls than bad. He's the kind of referee who should be the norm, not the exception.
Some of those refs in Brazil might as well have been cornering some of the home fighters. Especially in that Siler fight - that was such a bad call to stop the fight.
They need to get something in place to educate the refs and judges and also some kind of system whereby if they do make a fuck up, they're not back the following week in a big money fight, with the potential to fuck up again.
Some big company is missing a trick by not creating a qualification in MMA judging/refereeing in line with something like the NSAC. Every other sport or even trade has recognised qualifications in competence to do the job, why not MMA judges and refs?
Aye, I in no way condone what the guy has done, and I'm not against his release. But at the same time, I feel somewhat conflicted because I believe people should be treated equally, if you've got a guy like Trujillo - who is fun to watch but not especially talented, who has committed similar crimes and not faced the same punishment. It just sends my moral compass off kilter. To me it really emphasises the point that the UFC brand comes before the sport of MMA, and whilst Dana will rant and rave about judges and referees and the legitimacy of the sport, his company, being the focal point of the sport pretty much globally, is most likely doing more damage than good to that image.
T.J. Dillashaw has been announced as the next guy to challenge to Barao ??? I can only assume Assuncao is injured or something, and they're looking to have Barao defend a couple of times this season. I like Dillashaw, but he has nothing for Barao at this point.
- Jon Jones is scheduled to defend his UFC light heavyweight title later this month at UFC 172 against Glover Teixeira. The man set to compete in the co-main event that night, Phil Davis, still believes "Bones" will find a way to remove himself from the fight.
Davis who is lined up with a returning Anthony Johnson on the April 26 card from Baltimore, told MMAjunkie.com recently that it isn't too late for Jones to pull out.
"He may not fight at UFC 172," the ex-Penn State University wrestling standout said. "It's not too late for him to back out of this one. It's happened before. If he happens to back out of this fight for whatever reason, I'm willing to take on Glover Teixeira for an interim championship."
Davis (12-1) was referring to the Jones-Teixeira contest being scheduled a few times before things were officially locked down for Baltimore. The only other time Jones (19-1) turned down a fight was when he was presented Chael Sonnen on short notice after an injury to Dan Henderson, which caused the complete cancellation of a pay-per-view.
- Dana White took a massive shit today in lieu of the upcoming UFC 172, which features Light-Heavyweight Champion, Jon "Bones" Jones defending his title against Glover Teixiera.
Dana was trying to remember what he had to eat that would cause such a massive dumpage.
"It could have been In N' Out," the President of the UFC said. "I was in the head for what seemed like hours. I'm just glad it's out of my body and I can get back to work.
That work he is referring to, is of course the UFC and prepping for the next PPV... UFC 172.
Oh be nice.....Fnords just trying to get some activity going here in the MMA boards.
There's getting activity going...
And posting pointless stuff. Anyone can do that.
Fair point.
I really don't care... it's what Fnord does, haha.
But I was bored and wanted to troll him a bit.
Ha, fair point.
Anderson Silva recently told UFC Fight Pass that he could get back inside the Octagon this year, but other obligations are standing in his way. "The Spider" broke his leg last December in a loss to Chris Weidman for the middleweight championship.
"Another couple of months and I would be ready to fight this year," Silva said. "But I'm having this opportunity to spend more time with my family, to focus and work over my personal projects."
Silva, 38 years old, has hired an agency to help him with his possible acting career going forward and is also taking classes to become a certified police officer. He did add that he feels an obligation to the U.S. MMA fans to return to action before calling it a career.
"I was a bit worried to being with but then I thought to myself I have been doing this since I was a kid, let's go," Silva said. "And I'm doing this to give back to the U.S., what the U.S. gave me. Which is the opportunity for my children to study, the opportunity for a different life than the one I have in Brazil and being able to make a difference."
- Johny Hendricks, who captured the UFC welterweight title from Robbie Lawler last month, is targeting a return to action between "September and November," as he told MMAjunkie.com recently. Hendricks suffered several injuries in the five-round fight, the worst of which was a torn bicep.
"I know that's a huge spread, but if I'm healing up quickly, then September easy," he said. "Then again, I don't want to push it too quick because if I re-injure it, I'll be out even longer."
Hendricks also stated that he hopes the UFC pairs up the many contenders for his title while he is sidelined to determine a true No. 1 contender. Rory MacDonald, Tyron Woodley, Hector Lombard and others have all laid claim to being the next man to fight for the belt.
"I'll be out for a little bit longer, so I would like to have them all fight one more time," he said.
Not the biggest Silva fan but can't wait to see him back in the octagon, no disrespect to Weidman but there first bout Silva got caught messing around and we all know how the second fight ended.... Point being I think Weidman is deserving of the strap but I can't say with confidence he's better than Silva at this point in Silva's career. Yeah Silva is an all time great but even an aging Silva imho is better than Weidman.
Agreed with all points stated above, not to hijack this thread but this immediately made me think of the guy who's serving 20 years or so in prison I think he tried to kill his wife or something, all I know is he's the guy who beat Diaz pretty bad in there first fight but lost the next two match ups (or at least the next match up).
Gina Carano Plans Her Return To The Octagon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OVVNFp98iw#ws)
- Gina Carano is ready to make a return to MMA. Carano appeared on a recent edition of "The Arsenio Hall Show" and confirmed plans to meet with UFC president Dana White soon to discuss competing for the promotion.
"I love (fighting)," Carano said. "It's something I can do that makes everything else disappear. I dream about it. Either I will (make a comeback) now or retire. Now is the moment."
Carano (7-1) left MMA in 2009 after a loss to Cris "Cyborg" Justino and entered into an acting career. She has appeared in several major-motion pictures, including "Fast and Furious 6" and as the lead in both "Haywire" and "In the Blood."
Rumors of Carano's impending return have floated around for months now. Hear what else she had to say in the video above.
- Jake Shields proved the theory of win-or-go-home correct, as the UFC released the one-time title contender Monday. News of the decision was first reported by MMAFighting.com.
Back in 2011, Shields fought then-UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre to a decision. He was unsuccessful in becoming champion, and also dropped a bout to Jake Ellenberger. However, Shields only recently picked up decisions over both Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia. In his latest fight, though, he was topped by Hector Lombard, dropping him to 4-3 with one no-contest in the UFC and 29-7-1 overall.
"Jake and our team are already exploring options," said Lex McMahon, manager for Shields. "I'm confident that Jake will have a new promotion to call home very soon."
What a joke.
Don't think he ever recover from that loss to the GSP... he was at the top of his game and he could not get it done. That messes with your mind for a long time
He is 4-1 in his last five, and pretty comfortably beat Woodley and Maia. He was cut for the same reason Fitch and Okami were cut.
not exciting enough
Load of shit.
Always been a fan, hope to see her back....and she how she rebounds from her time off plus getting destroyed by Cyborg.
Brutal call....like Flins said 4-1....but doesnt affect me any. Dude was awfully boring, now he doesnt get to ruin potentially fun fights.
His stand up was pretty tiresome to watch, but his ground game I found quite entertaining. The fight against Maia was a good example of that.
Gina vs Ronda? That's of course if Gina manages to pull together a string of wins and if Ronda manages to survive against Zingano. Either way I hope Dana makes it happen.
Fight Night Abu Dhabi: Post-fight Press Conference (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOzL4852fHc#ws)
After four years, the UFC returned to Abu Dhabi for a special Friday event that aired entirely on Fight Pass. UFC Fight Night 39 featured a main event between heavyweights Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
As he has done to the likes of Cheick Kongo, Matt Mitrione and others, Nelson landed his heavy right hand and dropped Nogueira, flooring the former interim UFC heavyweight champion. Nelson, a former winner of The Ultimate Fighter, offered plenty of respect to Nogueira after the fight.
"He's a legend," said Nelson, who improved to 20-9 with the first round win. "Thank you. If it wasn't for him, there wouldn't be fighting in MMA. He's the heavyweight (legend)."
In the co-main event, Clay Guida picked up his second featherweight victory, besting Tatsuya Kawajiri via decision. Other main card results saw Ryan LaFlare defeat John Howard and Ramsey Nijm finish Beneil Dariush.
Nelson and Nijem each earned "Performance of the Night" bonuses and an extra $50,000, while Guida and Kawajiri were named the "Fight of the Night."
The attendance was announced at 7,963, which UFC president Dana White stated was a sellout, for a live gate of $1.8 million.
Complete results can be found below:
Roy Nelson def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via KO (right-hand) at 3:37 of Round 1
Clay Guida def. Tatsuya Kawajiri via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ryan LaFlare def. John Howard via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ramsey Nijem def. Beneil Dariush via TKO (strikes) at 4:20 of Round 1
Jared Rosholt def. Daniel Omielanczuk via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Thales Leites def. Trevor Smith via TKO (strikes) at :45 of Round 1
Jim Alers def. Alan Omer via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Johnny Bedford vs. Rani Yahya is declared a no-contest due to accidental head butt at :39 of Round 1
I wish this wouldn't have just been available on Fight Pass. I would've liked to watch this one.
You can stream it...
Nah. Once I've read results my interest waivers. I'd really only watch it live.
Well... you stream it live is what Im saying.
- A rumored light heavyweight scrap could be added to UFC 173 in the coming days, as officials are trying to secure Dan Henderson vs. Daniel Cormier. The card takes place May 24 from Las Vegas and features UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao vs. T.J. Dillashaw in the main event.
The UFC has been forced to re-work several planned bouts and move them, all the while the Henderson-Cormier contest has been rumored. It was reported on "UFC Tonight" recently that medical clearance for Henderson is currently the hold up.
Henderson (30-11) snapped a three-fight losing skid this past March when he knocked out Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in Brazil. Cormier (14-0) had a perfect 205-pound debut in February, finishing Patrick Cummins in the first round.
Fight Night Abu Dhabi: Roy Nelson Octagon Interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FpR1V6aAX4#ws)
- Roy Nelson cemented his status as one of the premier knockout artists in the heavyweight division on Friday when he finished Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the main event of UFC Fight Night 39 from Abu Dhabi. Nelson landed a right hand that floored "Minotauro," which you can see in the video above.
For "Big Country," the win was the 14th knockout of his career. In fact, each of Nelson's (20-9) last 11 wins have come in that fashion, including victories over Brendan Schaub, Stefan Struve, Mirko CroCop and Cheick Kongo.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Nogueira (34-9-1) has been finished in each of his last five losses, including knockouts vs. Nelson, current UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir.
Dilladhaw?!
He is going to be obliterated.
They need Hendo/Cormier or else thats a horrible headliner.
Anderson Silva vs Thales Leites level
- Ex-Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem could be joining forces with the man who once defeated him. "UFC Tonight" noted that Overeem is interested in joining the Jackson-Winkeljohn gym in New Mexico, which is home to current contender Travis Browne.
The 33-year-old Overeem (37-13) was finished by Browne last August in the first round. He rebounded this past February with a decision victory over former UFC champion Frank Mir.
Overeem left Florida's Blackzilians team recently and also underwent surgery on his elbow to correct a pinched nerve. No timetable has been set for his return to action. The report also stated that the gym's head coach, Greg Jackson, is planning on bringing "The Reem" in for a tryout.
He needs steroids again, give him the rage to actually want to finish a fight.
lmfbo!!!!!
- UFC female bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey continues to take shots at Cris "Cyborg" Justino, despite Justino still not being signed to a contract with the promotion. Rousey, who meets Alexis Davis later this year at UFC 175, discussed her feelings on Cyborg and her previous steroid use with Yahoo! Sports.
"I've said before, I don't care if she's injecting horse semen into her eyeballs, I'll fight her," Rousey said. "I can't make a decision for the whole division. I can't say it's the right thing. This girl has been on steroids for so long and (has been) injecting herself for so long that she's not even a woman anymore. She's an 'it.' It's not good for the women's division. It's not good at all."
In 2012 Justino tested positive for an anabolic steroid that she said was used to cut weight and not build muscle mass. She was fined by the California Athletic Commission and suspended for a year. She has competed for Invicta FC and Lion Fight since her release from Strikeforce.
"If she comes in the UFC and I beat the (expletive) out of her and then I retire and become an action movie star, then the UFC is still going to be stuck with her," Rousey said. "The division could die. She could ruin the whole sport. Even though it's a fight a lot of people want to see, even if I beat the living crap out of her, it won't be good for the sport because she'd still be in the UFC."
TUF Brazil 3: Octagon Girl Contest (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olbvnTw3EHQ#ws)
- As part of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3, the UFC is running a contest to determine a new Octagon girl. The original 16 contestants have been narrowed down to eight finalists, all of which you can see in the video above.
The winner will be part of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 Finale later this year, where new TUF winners will be crowned. The May event features Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic in the main event.
Of the eight finalists, two actually train in MMA along with their modeling careers. Ana Cecilia practices taekwondo, as she says her "entire family trains. My mother's got a black belt and my brothers also train."
Camilia Bortolazzo uses boxing to stay in shape, adding, "I love it. I've been training for one year now." TUF Brazil 3 airs exclusively on UFC Fight Pass each week.
Yeah Assuncao has a rib injury, so Dillashaw was brought in. Rest of the card is looking pretty good what with Hendo vs Cormier and Lawler vs Ellenberger.
Anyone think Dillashaw lasts more than one round?
Quote from: Duckman on April 25, 2014, 02:47:04 PM
Anyone think Dillashaw lasts more than one round?
He has a ton of heart... I think he does.
Having Faber as a mentor must be somewhat helpful, he's fought him twice now, and even if the second was a little premature he has something that Dillashaw can adapt into his game. I'd be amazed if it got to the championship rounds.
Arlovski is my fave fighter. He was the first fighter I was a fan of.
Quote from: Duckman on April 25, 2014, 02:47:04 PM
Anyone think Dillashaw lasts more than one round?
I think he can. If he can avoid getting caught like he did against Dodson he should be fine. Then again Dodson has stupid power so that might not be the best comparison.
Always liked him too. Have to admit, I was a bit surprised to see him back, but the HW division is a little thin on top talent at the moment. I think he's in for a name guy for the up and comers to face and maybe make their name if they beat him. Do you see him making a run at the Title at this stage in his career?
If he doesn't get given Hunt or Overeem yeah. Thinking about it he'd be a great opponent for Browne, Miocic, Rothwell or Schaub.
Also Belfort wants his title shot against Weidman back. I think the roids have finally started to mess with his brain.
He is scheduled to make his return against Schaub at 174. It should be an interesting fight, I can't see Schaub outgrappling him and I'd put money on Arlovski's chin holding up over Schaub's. But Schaub is one of those guys I always underestimate because he is easily knocked out, not too dissimilar to Arlovski although I don't think he is a glassy chinned as Brendan.
A fight Miocic if he loses to JDS would be fun, but I think he gets blasted against Browne, Nelson and co, so not sure he feature much in the upper regions of the heavyweight division.
GLASS CHIN
Quote from: Duckman on April 26, 2014, 01:29:42 PM
Always liked him too. Have to admit, I was a bit surprised to see him back, but the HW division is a little thin on top talent at the moment. I think he's in for a name guy for the up and comers to face and maybe make their name if they beat him. Do you see him making a run at the Title at this stage in his career?
Yes. He's my hero.
Quote from: Cory on April 26, 2014, 04:28:57 PM
GLASS CHIN
..!.,
Nelson is the heavyweight gatekeeper and Arlovski has knocked him out before. So if he beats Schaub a rematch between those two could be fun for a TV card.
I like that idea taurus
The glass chin guys do make for more exciting fights because they can and will be knocked out at any time.
I don't see him making a title run, at all, but I do think he'll bring some name recognition to the HW Division.
What did you guys make of UFC172? I loved it, probably the best show of the year so far. Crazy finishes all over the card, Rumble looks like a frigging killer at 205 and Jones made Glover his bitch (something I didn't think he'd do) and totally outclassed him at his own game. Can't wait for Jones v Gus 2!
Quote from: Duckman on April 28, 2014, 07:47:07 AM
Can't wait for Jones v Gus 2!
QFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah...Rumble was insane and Jones Gustaffson II is gonna be insane. WAR GUS
Aye, it was a great card, I really wish there was an option to remove the commentary without having to watch it on mute. I know it is a common compliant, and unlike a lot of MMA fans I have no problem with Rogan, even if he is quite biased on occasions I enjoy his input - if only he could remember who was who with the lesser known fighters. Mike Goldberg though, I have slowly grown to become frustrated with and genuinely I feel he ruins some fights, stuttering over his lines, repeating himself endlessly, adding nothing to the discussion of the fight and generally finding the worst possible time to throw in his advertisements. Obviously the latter is more an issue with direction than Goldberg himself, but at this point, I think I'd prefer Anik, which says alot.
Outside of that little annoyance though, the card was great from the fightpass prelims up to the main event. Rumbles fight was a joy to watch, the Castillo and Beal knockouts were spectacular, and there were some pretty unique submissions executed, the Rockhold transition into an inverted triangle was a thing of beauty. My highlight of the night was the Gomi fight, it was a sloppy brawl, but there is something about that guy that I just mark out for haha I think it's the old school, just go out and fight attitude.
One question I have coming out of it is who is next in line for the Light Heavyweight title, the Daniel Cormier vs. Dan Henderson fight was pitted as a number contender fight, but that fight isn't far away and with Rumble knocking off Davis in the way he did, he has to be up there. But who does he fight next? Assuming DC beats Hendo and they let him wait for the winner of Gus/Jones 2, Rumble would be in prime position for the next shot, with a win or two whilst the rest of them go at it. He won't be fighting Rashad because of their friendship, Glover would be too much of a risk since he won't be close to another title shot for a while, most others are tied up and still then, there aren't many out there who would be a bigger win than Davis. The winner of Cavalcante/Bader is likely, maybe the loser of DC/Hendo, but it would seem unfair to throw a 1-3 Hendo to Rumble.
Glover was never really on the same level as Jones and hadn't been tested at all really (Bader and Old Rampage are not tests and he still nearly lost to Bader).
Granted his boxing is good but in the UFC all he's been doing is winging cross-counters non-stop. He follows them with a left hook sure but apart from that he's not got much. Jones outclassed him and broke his spirit over probably his best fight ever in terms of how he looked.
But holy shit Rumble is still insane, I thought his fight would be much closer than it was.
Rockhold also looks to be a guy the UFC could get behind at middleweight.
Thank god Flins ninja'd me since I'd forget about Beal's awesome flying knee. Everything about that KO was sexy.
Well if Cormier wins against Hendo... he'll be next in line after the Bones/Gus fight.
As for Rumble, I honestly think him vs. Glover makes sense. Both coming off a fight, so they'll be on the same timeline, and it'll be a nother marquee match for Rumble to prove his win over Davis wasn't just a fluke. I think Rumble is sort of in the sam boat as Hector Lombard. A guy that was out of the top 10 in the rankings and beat a top 5 guy in the division. He's gonna need to do it one more time to be in the title picture.
Glover/Rumble would be fucking nuts.
Quote from: Cory on April 28, 2014, 03:13:14 PM
Glover/Rumble would be fucking nuts.
This. Makes the most sense too out of all the potential fights at 205.
Gotta go - Jones v Gus 2. The winner of that fights winner of DC v Hendo - which I think will be DC.
Rumble gets by Glover and he's probably only one fight away from a title shot.
It's incredible to think that guy fought at 170. He looked about 5 times stronger than Davis and didn't seem to gas out at all during the fight. Silly fucker should've been fighting at 205 his whole career, if that's how good he looks.
Anyone else think Davis was overlooking him? Especially with all the trash talk to Jones during the conference call. Maybe he got ideas about his station because once he couldn't get the takedown, he actually looked worried and confused and then got his ass kicked.
Funny cause a few weeks ago most people were worried after Gus, Jones didn't have any challengers left. Rumble coming back and DC dropping down should put pay to that. If all goes to plan for them.
I haven't seen the under card fights yet, but I've got 'em recorded and will watch tonight.
So out of boredom and what I brought up earlier, I thought I'd break down the card and what could be next for those involved. I have watched quite a few of the fights for a second time, which says a lot about how good the card was! Spoilers if you haven't seen all the fights yet. Also, I've intentionally tried to pick match ups with fighters that are not currently scheduled to fight, just to make it more interesting.
--
Chris Beal KO's Patrick Williams
This was an entertaining scrap between two UFC débutantes, although anyone who watched series eighteen of The Ultimate Fighter would've seen Beal in action before. Patrick Williams, despite defeat, is one to look for in future cards as he has a unique style and will most likely be involved in a couple more entertaining fights, and with his tendency to stick his chin out, a couple more highlight reel knock outs. If you haven't seen the finish to this fight, I highly advise you check it out as it is possibly the cleanest flying knee KO in UFC history, more than deserving of the performance bonus and proved Beal was worthy of a call up despite his poor performance on TUF.
What's next for them?
Chris Beal - He certainly made his mark on his début and will most likely get a higher profile fight in his next outing. With the tendency for UFC matchmakers to pit TUF contenders against one another, and the high volume of Brazil cards upcoming this year, my bet is on a match up with Hugo Viana.
Patrick Williams - He's going to be on the wrong end of a highlight reel for a long time to come, but Williams showed some potential, despite his poor strike defence. My bet is on a match up with Beal's teammate and TUF 18 finalist Davey Grant, who has not fought since losing out to Chris Holdsworth in the finals.
Danny Castillo KO's Charlie Brenneman
Hard to believe we got two fantastic knock-outs one after the other, but this one whilst not as flashy as Beal's was just as devastating. A picture perfect overhand right that took out the game Brenneman and likely ended his recent return to the UFC. The first round was competitive, with Brenneman getting the better of the grappling exchanges but never really maintaining control. Castillo racked up the first win for Team Alpha Male on the night and his value continues to rise.
What's next for them?
Danny Castillo - Since his 2012 knockout loss to Michael Johnson, Castillo has racked off three credible victories in the lightweight division and lost a highly disputed majority decision to Edson Barboza. Despite his impressive run the last year or so, he is competing in one of the more stacked divisions in the UFC, and really needs a victory over a highly ranked opponent to break the top 15. Gleison Tibau is one of the gatekeepers at 155, and I think the UFC are ready to give Castillo another chance at that top half of the division.
Charlie Brenneman - I believe he will be cut after this loss.
Bethe Correira decisions Jessamyn Duke
Duke, another contestant from TUF 18, continued training with Rousey and her team after her stint in the competition and it showed in her performance against Correira. Where despite having quite a reach advantage, and a muay thai background, her gameplan was more boxing orientated and whilst she landed combinations and did well, it was clear from the first round that Correira had more power and little respect for the power of Duke which allowed her to swing free punish Duke whenever she stepped in. It was a poor gameplan and poor coaching and Correira took full advantage.
What's next for them?
Bethe Correira - It was calm performance from Bethe who countered Duke and eased to the unanimous decision, the result puts her 2-0 in the UFC and 8-0 overall, so no doubt they will give her a step up in competition next time out. A big win and she could be placing herself in title talks, though some improvement in her performance would be needed. Jessica Eye is currently without a win in the UFC but she is undoubtedly one of the more talented fighters in the division and would represent a strong challenge for Bethe.
Jessamyn Duke - This is a little harder to call, she wasn't dominated in her loss to Bethe, but it is clear she has a lot to do in her development and she needs to fight to her strengths. She will no doubt get another shot, considering her ties to Rousey. Leslie Smith would be a decent opponent, she is experienced and would represent a challenge, and after a lacklustre performance herself in her last outing it would make sense. Smith may drop in weight once the Strawweight division is officially added though.
Takanori Gomi decisions Isaac Vallie-Flagg
This was a fun fight, real fun, and whilst Gomi is still not firing on all cyclinders and likely never will again, he still possesses a lot of power and bludgeoned Vallie-Flagg in the second and third. Isaac though he had a decent showing, his chin allows him to fight at a tenacity that is probably detrimental to his success as his stand up is technically strong, but he prefers to brawl. This worked in Gomi's favour, and the decision was a pretty clear one despite Vallie-Flaggs decent showing.
What's next for them?
Takanori Gomi - Gomi, whilst not performing spectacularly in his recent fights, is arguably 4-0 since his loss to Nate Diaz in 2011. With a few cards planned in Japan and the rest of Asia this year, I'd imagine we will be seeing him again soon and hopefully we can see him getting another step up in competition as the Pride fanboy in me wants to see him make a late run at the title. However, it is more likely he will remain mid-tier and challenge an up and coming prospect who is likely to get an entertaining fight out of him. Step up, John Makdessi, the Canadian striker suffered another step back in his progession at UFC 169 and would give Gomi a stand up battle.
Isaac Vallie-Flagg - Isaac could be cut, given the division he fights in, but he is the type of fighter Dana has wet dreams over and I'm sure we'll see him fight again. A fighter in a similar position is Yancy Medeiros, and these two could've have an explosive fight with a lot on the line.
Joseph Benavidez submits Tim Elliot
It might have only lasted the one round, but it was one helluva round. Elliot came out and put Benavidez on the back foot almost immediately, an impressive feat in itself as the former challenger is normally the aggressor. Given his underdog status, his performance was enough to raise his popularity amongst fans and the UFC matchmakers, his inventive top control and high intensity threw Benavidez off and for most of the round it was going his way, but Benavidez proved why he is more than likely the second best fighter in the division. An unstoppable guillotine choke that forced Elliot to frantically tap out with his feet ended it and surely put Benavidez back amongst title discussions.
What's next for them?
Joseph Benavidez - Another big win for Benavidez, unfortunately, he is in a similar position to his Alpha Male teammate Urijah Faber in that he has lost to the champion twice, the last of which being more than comprehensive. With that in mind, he will likely need to knock a few more challengers before he gets another shot, unless of course the title was to change hands. With many of the current challengers tied up or already on his record, John Linekar could represent a challenge for him and would likely make for an entertaining bout.
Tim Elliot - He is currently on a two fight skid, but both losses have come against two of the best in the division and given his attitude and performance in both losses I can't see him falling too far down the rankings. A fight with Jussier Formiga would be intriguing with both fighters grappling ability.
Max Holloway submits Andre Fili
One thing that bugged me leading up to this fight was the advertisement of Holloway as a prospect, this guy is much more than a prospect. He might be young, but he has knocked a couple of tough opponents and arguably won the fight against Dennis Bermudez - who is on a tear at the moment. Fili on the other hand is a definite prospect, and whilst he lost out on this occasion, in the minds of some he was winning the fight heading into the third, including Holloway's coaches. Fili, who possesses one of my favourite nicknames, is not your typical Alpha Male fighter, but he fights like one and looks to have a huge amount of potential. Holloway worked his usual counter game, whilst also working the body with brutal combos and kicks, but Fili used his length well and possessed a little more power in his punches early on.
What's next for them?
Max Holloway - Max is once again in a position where he has racked up a few wins, but they have again been over predominantly low ranked opponents. He needs a win over a higher ranked opponent to really cement himself as a threat in the featherweight division. Charles Oliveira could be that challenge, and himself is in a similar position to Holloway.
Andre Fili - Fili impressed in the loss and will most likely get a quick turn over and fight again soon, medically permitting. The UFC could go down two routes with Fili, one would be to protect him and fill out his win column a little more, the other would be to put him straight in with another star in the making and see who comes out on top. Scottish judokan Robert Whiteford could represent the latter path and would make for a good fight.
Jim Miller submits Yancy Medeiros
This was always going to be a tough fight for Medeiros, and I have a lot of respect for him for stepping up last minute, but he is far from Millers level and he knows it. Miller was able to bully Medeiros into a clinch, take him down with ease and procede to lock in a nasty guillotine, who Medeiros failed to tap out of. Some would call it brave, others stupid, either way Miller picked up an easy and will no doubt fight again soon.
What's next for them?
Jim Miller - I think this might be one of the more obvious predictions, given how Donald Cerrone wanted to step in and wants to fight again soon, the same with Miller, I think it is likely this two will go out it soon. Both are on a strong run of form and a win could propel them into title contention.
Yancy Medeiros - As I mentioned earlier, I think Yancy and Isaac Vallie-Flagg would be a good match up. I don't think it would be fair on Medeiros to get cut, considering he stepped up when the UFC needed him to, but the UFC have done it in the past.
Luke Rockhold submits Tim Boetsch
Another impressive outing from the former Strikeforce champion, who has been on a tear since getting knocked out by Vitor Belfort. Boetsch shot in almost immediately, but his aggression worked against him with Rockhold showing some slick grappling and transitioning into reverse triangle. He worked on that for a while, whilst Boetsch managed to hold off until Rockhold switched up to kimura and left him no choice but to tap. Rockhold seems to have all the tools to be a true challenge to Weidman, but there are a few fights to go before that might happen, and that is assuming Weidman will overcome Machida.
What's next for them?
Luke Rockhold - He has started to show what everyone who watched Strikeforce knew he was capable of, which makes Vitor's victory over him all the more impressive no matter your opinion on the TRT matter. And whilst Rockhold called out for a rematch with Vitor, I can't see it happening. He also called out Bisping, which seems to be the thing to do in the middleweight division. Personally, I feel he should be aiming a little higher and I am sure the UFC will have bigger plans in mind for him. Yoel Romero is another fighter looking to make a run at the title, and whilst other title challengers are tied up, this would be a good fight for Rockhold.
Tim Boetsch - Boetsch should be cut in my opinion, since his come back TKO over Okami, you could argue that he has gone 0-5. Technically though he is 2-3, but his split decision victories over Lombard and Dolloway were both questionable. If he is kept around though, he could be used to further the profile of an up and coming fighter. Caio Magalhaes would fit the bill, and given his previous struggles with a powerful wrestler, it would a proving point for Magalhaes whilst given Boetsch the opportunity to get back on track.
Anthony Johnson decisions Phil Davis
This was the shock of the night for many, even for those who have followed Rumble Johnson since he left the UFC, where he showed a huge improvement in both his ability and maturity. However, Phil Davis is someone who was on the verge of the title shot and has had some big victories of the cream of the crop in the Light Heavyweight division. The UFC were perhaps a little early in setting the foundations for a Davis title shot, with him taking seemingly premeditated pops at Jones leading up to this card. Rumble proved a lot of people wrong with this performance with an absolutely dominant display, he got in the face of Davis in the first and put the fear in him. By closing that gap, he forced Davis out of his comfort zone and nullified one of Davis's biggest weapons - the power double. Rumble put the fear in Davis, and most likely in the rest of the division in his triumphant return.
What's next for them?
Anthony Johnson - What started off this tangent from myself and managed to kill a few hours. It seems a lot of people are in agreement that a bout with Glover would be the best next step, and whilst I agree that this would be a fantastic fight, I don't think it is the route they will go if they are smart. If they were to make this bout and Glover were to win, not only does it derail Johnson, but it eliminates a challenger for the title (unless the title changes hands). The safer option would be 'Lil Nog' Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, his constant injury problems may throw a spanner in the works, but I feel this is a fight that would work stylistically and in terms of ranking.
Phil Davis - So close to that title shot, but yet so far. Davis is highly touted, but I personally don't feel he has shown much since his win over Lil Nog in 2011. He has dominated lower tier fighters, but every time he gets a step up in competition, he loses, of course there is the exception of the Machida fight - which was a disputed decisions and not particularly impressive from either fighter. Another drop in competition is to be expected, and Ovince St. Preux matches the criteria.
Jon Jones decisions Glover Teixeira
Another impressive display from possibly the greatest MMA fighter of all time, Gustafsson knocked off some of the mystique in the last fight, but we were straight back to the seemingly unstoppable norm here. And whilst Glover was resoundingly beaten, it was still a decent performance from him and there were some positives, his takedown defense held up and there were a few occasions when he had Jones trapped against the cage and unloaded a flurry of punches. He was outmatched though, and Jones came in with a strong gameplan, not sure I buy much into the "I improvised it" line. If he can work his clinch with Gustafsson, the rematch might be a little more short lived than people are hoping for.
What's next for them?
Jon Jones - An obvious one here and the fight every MMA fan has been looking forward to, Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jon Jones 2!
Glover Teixeira - A tough position for Glover now, being beaten so comprehensively, but it is still quite clear that he one of the better fighters in the division who has the power to take out anyone. He could find himself in a similar position to Junior Dos Santos, but a fellow Brazilian could be the right test for that. Shogun Rua would be a great opponent at this time, but with Shogun reportedly close to retirement, the UFC may go down another path. Oh, and of course, whether Shogun wanted the fight or not.
--
So that was a long ass post, don't feel too bad if you can't be arsed reading it heh
good read flins....would like more of it if you enjoy doing it. MMA boards can always use more activity.
Quote from: Cory on April 28, 2014, 06:58:16 PM
good read flins....would like more of it if you enjoy doing it. MMA boards can always use more activity.
Great... now you're gonna have Fnord posting 5 thread topics :P
Great stuff Flins, a really good read.
I'm with Cory on this, if you - or anyone else reading this - wants to do something like this on a regular basis here, go for it!
QuoteAfter last week's UFC 172, Dana White called Jon Jones the best fighter in the world, pound for pound, but also mentioned that something needs to be done about the the light heavyweight champ's frequent eye-poking. That was about the right chord to hit, as far as we're concerned.
Jones is an amazing fighter and looked dominant against a top challenger Saturday night. In addition to receiving just-credit for being a dazzling fighter, however, it is entirely appropriate to bring up the issue of Jones' eye-poking.
He did it a couple times to Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 without penalty. Jones recently responded to the call for his eye-pokes to stop on Instagram in a very Jon Jones way - he posted something silly and embarrassing and then tried to erase it from memory soon after.
Jones posted a close-up video of his face mocking fans and critics of his eye-poking, essentially calling them cry babies. Then, it seems that he erased the video.
On the one hand, we can see where Jones is coming from. The guy has a good deal of hate thrown his way by many fans and, no doubt, some try to take away from his amazing accomplishments.
This writer has already argued that Jones deserves none of our hate. He isn't beyond criticism, at times, however.
Look, Jon, you may make fun of fans who complain about your eye-poking but it is a serious issue. I don't think anyone can say that you've won any fights because of your eye-poking, but let's not act as if you don't do it all the time.
You poked Teixeira in the eyes multiple times. You poked Gustafsson in the eyes more than once.
You poked "Rampage" Jackson in the eyes. You poked Lyoto Machida in the eyes. Y
ou poked Rashad Evans in the eyes. You poked Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the eyes, while standing and while on the ground.
Dude, you pretty much poke everyone in the eye, all the time. You should stop.
So, while Jones has earned the right to bask in the glow of his well-earned victories, he should probably not gloat about all the cheating he does and gets away with in fights. Given that he took down the video on Instagram, he probably realizes that now.
This, of course, is on the heels of the played-down scandal of homophobic slurs coming from Jones' Instagram account before UFC 172, directed at a fight fan. Supposedly, Jones himself didn't post those offending things, even though he, Dana White and his management all seemed to give different alibis and explanations.
Jon Jones is a true champion and deserves our respect for it. Hopefully, for his sake, he learns to deal with the fame, hate and legitimate criticisms in a more professional way.
Here is the video
Jon Jones Mocks Haters (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSLL2HCMSXU#)
He should stop poking people in the eyes.
Quote from: Jon on May 01, 2014, 06:14:54 PM
He should stop poking people in the eyes.
+1
I noticed it several times during the fight and mentioned to Fnord how he does this shit all the time...
He's been doing it for as long as I can remember, as well as a few other fighters, but he's the champion and not the most likeable of guys so with him it is a bigger deal.
A couple of fights ago, it was oblique kicks that were classed as cheating. The eye pokes aren't intentional, he is creating distance, Glover got around it after a couple of rounds but at that point Jones was getting in close and dominating him in the clinch. I'd say it is more an issue with the gloves, but the referees could be less lenient with it, the same with fence grabbing, shots to the back of head and so on... all of which fighters take advantage of with minimal warning.
Jones is still a dick though haha
Great job
All I know is that I am moving back up in the mma
Pick Em
Coming for that number one spot
Looks liike I got one of my predictions right, it was probably the more obvious one outside of Jones vs Gustaffson haha Miller and Cerrone are signed to headline a Fight Night card in New Jersey in July. Should be a fun fight, especially with it going five rounds.
Another recent announcement is the headline bout on the Ireland card, which will of course be Conor McGregor up against Cole Miller. The card will also have Brad Pickett vs. Ian McCall which has to be a fun scrap.
Some more recent fight announcements:
Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes II (About damn time!)
Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
Pat Healy vs. Gliebson Tibau
Justin Scoggins vs. Dustin Ortiz
Ricardo Lamas vs. Hacran Dias
John Howard vs. Rick Story
Gunnar Nelson vs. Ryan LaFlare
And JDS is out of the Miocic fight with a broken hand.
Some good fights, obviously the Aldo vs. Mendes rematch is a long time coming. Not sure what happens if he wins that fight, considering he has pretty much sweeped the division of contenders already. Move up to Lightweight perhaps? It's been rumoured a long time.
The rest are mostly middle of the pack bouts, but the Scoggins/Ortiz and Nelson/LaFlare fights could see the winners move up into contendership talks.
Yeah....if Aldo wins again (I think he does handedly once more against Mendes) he has to move up....no one has dominated their division like he has.
The McGregor/Miller exchanges on the MMA hour recently were so great. A lot of people won't like McGregor but the sport needs crazy personalities like him. Laughed my ass off all the way through their back and forth interview.
If you haven't seen it yet, check it out.
I think Aldo has to move up and mix it with the likes of Pettis and the other top 155 guys. There just doesn't seem to be the level of competition for him at 145, plus the fan interest will be there if he cleans out his division and then comes up to the next looking to do the same. Aldo is an amazingly talented fighter, who hardly draws anything and is criminally unknown for the level of skill he has and the winning streak he's been on. A move up to 155 and some big fights on FOX would help reverse that and get him the recognition he should already have.
I see Maldonado is JDS replacement. I'm not sure that's going to work out to well for him, but he's tough and hell and can take a wicked punch, so it should at lest be an entertaining fight!
Can't believe Maldonado has stepped up, the guy is undersized at LHW. True badass that guy.
A couple more fights announced:
Lil Nog vs. Rumble is set for July
Struve is set to return against Mitrione
and flyweights Makovsky vs. Formiga are matched up.
Lots of exciting fights announced lately!
So Hunt vs Nelson in the works. The world may explode.
That'll be one hell of a fun fight!
I dont think I've ever seen someone underperform so much like Barao did....kudos to Dillashaw. Proved me wrong, and it was awesome.
Yep, I'm in shock.
So did someone forget to tell Dillashaw that he was fighting one of the undead or?
Fantastic win for Mousasi
- Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has mentioned a possible return fight with Nick Diaz through his manager. Now, Diaz is letting everyone know that he is interested, as well.
During a recent episode of "UFC Tonight," Ariel Helwani reported that Diaz would accept a fight with Silva if the money was right. Diaz retired after a loss to Georges St-Pierre, and has turned down multiple fight requests by the UFC.
Silva, who suffered a broken leg in late 2013 during a loss to Chris Weidman, has targeted early 2015 for his return to the Octagon.
Fight Night Albuquerque: Henderson vs. Khabilov (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aOpKtJnIGc#ws)
- Weigh-ins for Saturday's UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov event took place earlier today. The card airs on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
In the main event, former lightweight champion Benson Henderson will face Rustam Khabilov from the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Other fights include Ross Pearson-Diego Sanchez and John Dodson-John Moraga.
Complete weigh-in results can be found below, along with a video replay of the weigh-ins in the player above.
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1/10 p.m. ET)
Benson Henderson (155.5 lbs.) vs. Rustam Khabilov (156)
Diego Sanchez (155) vs. Ross Pearson (155.5)
John Dodson (125) vs. John Moraga (126)
Rafael dos Anjos (156) vs. Jason High (154.5)
Piotr Hallman (154) vs. Yves Edwards (155)
Bryan Caraway (135) vs. Erik Perez (136)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1/8 p.m. ET
Yaotzin Meza (136) vs. Sergio Pettis (135)
Bobby Voelker (170.5) vs. Lance Benoist (169)
Scott Jorgensen (125.5) vs. Danny Martinez (124.5)
Jon Tuck (154.5) vs. Jake Lindsey (153.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Fight Pass/7:30 p.m. ET)
Patrick Cummins (204) vs. Francimar Barroso (204)
Id watch it...dont think my boy Diaz would stand much of a chance....but could be interesting to see those two stand up, Silva unorthodox striking v/s Diaz punches in bunches....I just think the reach would be too much for Nick
that was the worst fucking decision I have ever seen...ever.
Diego? Yeah man, the dude has been on the end of so many gifted decisions, it really does highlight the lack of knowledge with the judges.
Like I cant remember a time when a fight has been so clearly 30-27 and it go completely opposite. Once again in 2014, Judging is a horrendous black eye to MMA.
One judge got it right, lol.
This is right there next to when Machida beat Shogun at UFC 104 and 1/2 of Leonard Garcia's decision wins.
- UFC president Dana White continues to discuss Ronda Rousey in great detail. During a recent interview with EsNewsReporting.com, White confirmed the stories of the UFC female bantamweight champion taking on two men outside of a movie theater.
"This is a true story," White said. "(Rousey) got into a street fight with two huge guys in a movie theater. She hurt them both so bad they went to the police department and filed charges against her. That was before she started fighting. That was when she was doing Judo alone."
Rousey will defend her title in July against Alexis Davis at UFC 175. She is unbeaten in her MMA career and a former bronze medalist at the Summer Olympics in Judo.
Rousey herself has explained the "incident" in detail before, stating that a girl was placing her feet on her chair at the movie and pushing her head. She stated that, after being cornered by the men, she punched one in the face several times.
The worst and most suspicious looking decision I've ever seen.
There's an argument for Sanchez to win one round, maybe. But all three? And he got fucking knocked down in the 2nd! Just so wrong on every level. All the fight stats favoured Pearson - he did everything in that fight. Diego threw wildly (hardly landed when he did), gestured, thumped his chest and that was about it. He didn't even do his usual crazy charges forward.
This was a total hometown boy decision, or that one judge who scored it 30-27 to Sanchez has never watched a fight before in his life.
Fuckers ruined what would've been a clean sweep of predictions for me too!
Veteran UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has failed a random drug test and been forced out of a recently booked UFC 175 fight with Vitor Belfort.
Sonnen (28-14-1 MMA, 7-6 UFC) tested positive for two banned substances, ESPN.com first reported, and has been removed from the July 5 pay-per-view event. Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett subsequently confirmed the failed test when contacted by MMAjunkie.
Sonnen tested positive for anastrozole, a non-steroidal aromatase-inhibiting drug used to treat breast cancer, and clomiphene, which is used to treat female infertility. Bennett said a complaint has been filed against the fighter, who could face a fine and/or suspension. It is unknown whether he will appeal the complaint; however, sources indicated to ESPN.com that he will accept the test results.
"No, I don't know (if he'll appeal)," Bennett said. "I believe he's going to address the public shortly this afternoon. We haven't heard. He may be at the commission (hearing) on [on June 17], but that still remains to be seen.
" ... [The punishment] could be anything from accepting his explanation to a fine and a suspension. Not having all the facts on the table at this time ... as far as any guidelines for penalties, it would be accepting some form of explanation that he has to be objective and fair, and if that doesn't suffice because both drugs are on the WADA list and they're prohibited, it could be a fine and a suspension."
Sonnen recently halted his use of testosterone-replacement therapy following the NSAC's ban of the controversial hormone therapy in February. He discussed the process in a recent video interview with MMAjunkie, which can be found below.
Bennett didn't want to speculate if the drugs detected in Sonnen's failed drug test may have been used to help his post-TRT transition, though he suggested repercussions are likely.
"I'm not a doctor," he said. "All I do know is that those substances are banned, and it will be interesting to see what Mr. Sonnen's response is as to why they were found in his system. At this point in time, I couldn't comment on that.
" ... I'm sure his overall history with his moral character and his previous tests, I'm sure that will all be considered by the commissioners, not that I'm speaking for them. But I think common sense would dictate that you look at all the events that he's been involved with, and that will be part of the equation to end up with the results."
According to the UFC, Sonnen is expected to address the failed test today.
"UFC officials acknowledge irregularities in a recent random test," the statement read. "Chael is planning on addressing the matter this afternoon."
Sonnen, a three-time UFC title challenger who also hosts the UFC's weekly "UFC Tonight" news show on FOX Sports 1, was tested while in Las Vegas for a recent UFC media conference.
Sonnen also was called before the NSAC on May 13 in a special meeting because of a previous suspension stemming from his testosterone use, which arose when he failed to properly disclose it following his first fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 117 in 2010.
Sonnen, of course, was expected to fight rival Wanderlei Silva following the conclusion of their stints as coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3″ earlier this year. Injuries delayed the matchup before it was scrapped entirely due to "issues related to Wanderlei Silva's licensing in the state of Nevada," according to UFC officials. Sonnen was then slated to fight Belfort (24-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) in a UFC 175 main-card bout, though it's now been scrapped.
Source: MMAJunkie
- Dean Amasinger brought into question the New Mexico Athletic Commission during an interview with MMAjunkie.com. Amasinger, in Albuquerque for Ross Pearson, stated that Pearson noticed no Jackson-Winkeljohn fighters were listed on the drug testing charts.
"Ross came back from the (pre-fight) drug test, he said to me, 'I've seen the list; none of the Jackson guys are on the drug test list, or the New Mexican guys who are fighting on the card,'" Amasinger said. "And so I went and checked and that was the case. I made a note to Burt Watson and I said, 'I want to let you know that I'm feeling uncomfortable about that.'"
Pearson was involved in a controversial decision in his fight with Diego Sanchez, as the judges awarded Sanchez - a native of Albuquerque - the win. Pearson's camp has filed suit. The drug test results have yet to be made public from UFC Fight Night 42.
Sonnen just shared on his facebook page:
"I want to take an opportunity to officially announcement my retirement from competitive mixed martial arts. I had a great time. I want to thank Roy Pittman. I want to thank Dave Sandal. I want to thank my coach Clayton Hires. These guys taught me how fight, they taught me how to persevere and they stood by me through thick and thin.
"I want to thank FOX, I want to thank the leadership of the UFC. I want to thank a man named Bill Brady, who gave me a second wind if you will. He's a member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and he believed in me at a time when I really needed somebody too, and I owe the second wind of my career to him. I am proud to call him a friend. I also want to thank the most important opponent I've ever had. I couldn't have got here without this dance partner, and that is of course you, Anderson Silva. Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you for the memories, thank you for the invitation to the barbeque, even though I didn't take you up on it. "
Not a good look.
I was rolling with some guys today and heard a few cool things.
1) the reason UFC is backing out of Montreal is because the Quebec commission are trying to play big shot. Acting like douches and trying to take more control of the cards and more money and trying to get more Quebec fighters on the cards.
2) UFC isn't looking into Vancouver much anymore. Never was a great fight city, with the disappointing ticket sales and minimal merch sales, not many fighters want to fight there either. Expect more in Calgary and Winnipeg (and next year, a fight night in Saskatoon).
3) the big thing with metamorphis is the sponsors. Apparently, they're making pretty dough off sponsors and so being on fight pass benefits them lots.
Ugh, that's all I can think of now (other then mainly gossip stuff)
Quote from: Ty on June 28, 2014, 06:57:56 PM
I was rolling with some guys today and heard a few cool things.
1) the reason UFC is backing out of Montreal is because the Quebec commission are trying to play big shot. Acting like douches and trying to take more control of the cards and more money and trying to get more Quebec fighters on the cards.
2) UFC isn't looking into Vancouver much anymore. Never was a great fight city, with the disappointing ticket sales and minimal merch sales, not many fighters want to fight there either. Expect more in Calgary and Winnipeg (and next year, a fight night in Saskatoon).
3) the big thing with metamorphis is the sponsors. Apparently, they're making pretty dough off sponsors and so being on fight pass benefits them lots.
Ugh, that's all I can think of now (other then mainly gossip stuff)
Luckily their coming here to Halifax in October...East Coast WILL sell out every show, easy.
Franchise had a perfect card... god damn.
Rousey is awesome.
Quote from: Cory on July 06, 2014, 10:55:13 AM
Rousey is awesome.
Yeah, I love that everyone wants her to lose, but she's so much better than everyone else. It's great. Such a dominant champion.
Quote from: Jon on July 06, 2014, 11:06:38 AM
Yeah, I love that everyone wants her to lose, but she's so much better than everyone else. It's great. Such a dominant champion.
I REALLY want her to fight Zingano before she takes her "leave".....its Zingano and Cyborg the only two that have a chance, Carano would sell maybe the most tickets but much like Cyborg that fight will take too much to happen in the near future.
Honestly, Rousey is so much better than both those girls. Where she use to be weak, she has caught up. She's in a league of her own. It doesn't matter who she faces anymore.
I agree. She knocks out the grapplers, submits the strikers... and generally, well, just dominates. Cyborg would have a punchers chance, but everyone else I can't see matching up. I thought Davis would her biggest challenge yet, but man, I was wrong haha
2 things...
Pumped for Poirier vs McGregor! Diamond is my favorite FW and McGregor would be a close 2nd. So looking forward to this fight!
And Gus is out vs Bones, replaced by Cormier. Really bummed out on that.
Poirier vs McGregor should be pretty epic. That Ireland card was great, crowd was insane and Conors post fight speech was one of those memorable moments in the UFC.
Shitty deal for Alexander but pumped for both of those fights.
http://mmajunkie.com/2014/07/hes-back-nick-diaz-ends-retirement-signs-new-three-fight-ufc-deal (http://mmajunkie.com/2014/07/hes-back-nick-diaz-ends-retirement-signs-new-three-fight-ufc-deal)
The Anderson Silva is looking more and more of a possibility, which is fucking awesome. In fact, I think there re some intriguing fights for him at Middleweight, if were to hang in that division for more than the one fight.
I had a slow Sunday and the UFC show recorded, so I thought I'd do another report on the show. Spoilers ahead if you've not caught up yet.
The Flins Report
UFC on Fox 12: Lawler vs. Brown
Noad Lahat earns decision victory over Steven Siler
The evenings proceedings kicked off with a huge upset, well maybe not huge, but still impressive none the less. Siler has had a decent career in the UFC since getting the KTFO by Brandao during his TUF stint, a career no one really expected given his performance on the show, but with defining victories over Mike Thomas Brown and Cole Miller he became a threat in the Featherweight division. He always struggled with one aspect of MMA though, and that was grappling defense. And that was something Lahat took advantage of early on in the fight. Lahat, a well touted prospect prior to his debut, is coming off a spectacular knockout at the hands of Godofredo Castro Pepay. He looked more than up for the challenge here though, dominating the first round with his grappling, and almost finishing it in the second with both a rear naked choke and triangle choke. Siler did well post first round, finding his range in the second and really taking it to a clearly tired Lahat in the third. But he left it too late and whilst finding himself in dominant positions in the final round, never looked close to getting the finish.
What's next for them?
Lahat - He announced in his post fight interview that he will be returning to Israel to fight for his country, so he may not be making a return for some time. But hopefully we will be seeing the prospect again, the sooner the better, for several reason. In terms of a next opponent, it's likely he will face a debutant or someone else on the lower echelon of the roster. Jim Alers would be a good choice, the American prospect is 13-1 and was victorious in his UFC debut back in April, earning a split decision victory over Alan Omer.
Siler - This loss will be a blow for Siler, whose current form is now taken to a three-fight losing streak. It is unlikely he will be cut, as his overall record stands at 5-3, but the next fight could be a an all or nothing fight and he's likely to find himself facing someone in a similar position. He tends to fight regularly, so expect a quick turnaround for Siler also. I'm predicting Hacran Dias could be the man he faces, Dias has done little to impress since his own upset victory over Iuri Alcantara, dropping decisions to both Nik Lentz and Ricardo Lamas - both strong opponents to be fair.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk earns decision victory over Juliana de Lima
A decent fight that introduced us to another set of fighters that will fill out the new Strawweight division for the females. For the purists, especially those that enjoy the striking aspect of MMA, will enjoy the performance Joanna put out as she near dominated the fight with perfectly executed combinations. De Lima had her moments, mostly in the first round where she relentlessly pushed for a takedown that wouldn't come. However, had she fought with a little more restraint that gameplan may have had more success, as she showed in the third round, when the takedown finally paid off, Joanna was a little lost on the ground.
What's next for them?
Jedrzejczyk - Joanna put on a clinic at times, but the last round highlighted a weakness that everyone else in the division will be looking to exploit the next time we see her. In terms of her next match up, I can only imagine the UFC bosses looked to introduce these fighters early, in the hope that they can clearly define a title challenger for when the champion is crowned through TUF. So it would only make sense that she would face the only victorious fighter in the division, Claudia Gadelha. Gadelha showed off her striking game in her last fight, but it is her BJJ skills that will have everyone worried about her.
Lima - If I am being honest, I'd say this result was down to the whole spectacle of making your debut in the UFC. Had she not blown her proverbial wad in the first round, or made a Batista-esque tiresome entrance, I think she would've won this fight at the mat. So I'm expecting a stronger performance in her next outing. I doubt the UFC would simply swap opponents for the four fighters in the division, so it is more likely we will see her face one of the contestants from the next TUF, considering they will be filling out the roster. My bet would be Bec Hyatt, one of the standout fighters that won't win the show.
Gilbert Burns earns decision victory over Andreas Stahl
This was a fun fight between two unbeaten fighters making their debut and looking to keep their '0'. Really competitive throughout all three rounds, these guys looked at home in the octagon despite mostly only fighting regionally before their call up. Despite the competitiveness of the bout, the decision was clear cut, due to Burns just doing a little more. Burns managed to get Stahl to the ground in two of the three rounds and his frantic striking game bloodied up Stahl. Andreas performed exceptionally, given the pace of Burns and the broken nose he suffered in the first round. Not the fight I was expecting between two predominantly grappling based fighters, definitely one to watch.
What's next for them?
Burns - With this performance, there is no doubt he will have the attention of quite a few guys in the Welterweight division, especially those that are likely to get matched up with him. A member of the Blackzilians, he fights in a similar way to Vitor Belfort, except he's got a more extensive BJJ background and a seemingly bottomless gas tank. I'm expecting big things from the guy, but it is only one fight, and he needs a few more before I can officially jump on the Burns Bandwagon. I'm predicting he gets matched up with someone like Albert Tumenov next, the Russian is 1-1 in the UFC and coming off a knockout victory over Anthony Lapsley. It would certainly make for another entertaining bout.
Stahl - Andreas won't have damaged his stock too much with this loss, but it is a loss nonetheless and he will need a victory in his next outing if he is to prove his worth in the UFC. His defensive grappling looked solid, his striking looked tight and with his successful wrestling background, he could still be a prospect worth keeping an eye on. I'm thinking he may get matched up with another seemingly talented fighter who has struggled at this stage, Mike Rhodes, who is 0-2 after dropping decisions to George Sullivan and more recently, Robert Whittaker.
Thiago Trator earns decision victory over Akbarh Arreola
Similar to the last fight in that it was an even contest and well fought between the two, it lacked in similar excitement though. Arreola has been around the MMA scene for quite awhile, and probably earned his call up to the UFC due to him being Mexican and their interest in expanding into that market. Despite that though, he fought well, I'm not sure he is UFC quality but he will provide a good test for anyone else they want to put him up against. He fought like a veteran in the fight, predominantly countering the much more aggressive Brazilian, but he was effective and was the only fighter to take it the mat, no matter how briefly. The first two rounds were close to call, but on aggression and control, Trator eked them. In the third round though, Trator turned up the volume and really decided the outcome of the fight.
What's next for them?
Trator - Thiago took the fight to his opponent from the first bell and never really slowed down, his style might not be the most aesthetically pleasing, with the wild sloppy strikes, but with the gas tank he's got he is going to be a challenge for plenty of the Lightweights UFC have to offer. Imagine the lovechild of Leonard Garcia and Erick Silva, and this is what you have with this kid. Not sure how far he will go, but I'll be keeping an eye on him. I say give him another Mexican, give him Juan Manuel Puig. These two were likely on a collision course in Jungle Fight, so it makes sense to let them duke it out in the Octagon. Puig is coming off a knockout loss to Adriano Martins in his debut, but he looked to be an explosive, yet hittable striker in the three minutes it lasted.
Arreola - The Mexican looked cautious in the fight, he seemed to be handling Trator well, but the Brazilian thoroughly outstruck him and kept him on the backfoot for the majority of the fight. I'm sure he will make whatever fight he is in competitive, but I just can't see him picking up a win given his style. It's only the one fight though, so I'd imagine he will end up with an opponent in a similar position. Step up Yosdenis Cedeno. The Cuban got his first victory in the octagon a couple of weeks ago taking him to 1-1, his style would match well with Arreolas. Not sure how I got through that without a nipple joke.
Brian Ortega submits Mike de la Torre
A showdown between two BJJ blackbelts, and this one was over quick. Mike de la Torre actually looked to be the more well rounded fighter, in the brief showing he put in before Ortega dragged him to the mat. Once Ortega got him into a position where he was at his strongest, there was seemingly little he could do. Ortega is a beast on the mat, you blink and you'll miss this guy go from taking someone down, to taking their back and sinking in a choke. Torre fought of the choke for as long as he could. An impressive debut, and the first finish of the card. Yay.
What's next for them?
Ortega - I don't think he could've made a more impressive debut, the next step though is bringing that kind of performance against a higher level of opponent. Prospective opponents will be somewhat encouraged by the lack of striking shown, but that is also something that could work in the favour of Ortega, depending on how good his striking game actually is. The matchmakers will likely be licking their lips at what they can do with him, my vote would go with Pedro Munhoz. Both held the RFA Bantamweight title, and would have faced off in the organisation had Munhoz not been called up last minute to face Assuncao.
Torre - It's a hard one to call, when a guy is knocked off this quick without really doing anything wrong. He was just outclassed and at this level, that is worrying. He was however coming off a split decision loss to Mark Bocek, proving he is capable of competing at this level. Maybe he took a cut too far, who knows. But if he gets another shot, I'd say we could see him up against someone like Dustin Kimura, a low end roster member who could do with a win.
Tim Means earns a decision victory over Hernani Perpetuo
I'm a huge Dirty Bird fan, so this was one of the fights I was looking forward to. And as a fan, I wasn't disappointed. It didn't start out looking like it would be the easy victory it was, but once the dust had settled from the first round, Means took charge and showed superior striking skills en route to the decision victory. Perpetuo came out strong, lots of aggressive flurries, with some strikes finding a home. But once Means established his range, Hernani had to move to plan B, unfortunately for him, he didn't seem to have a plan B. There also looked to be an arm injury which could be the reason Perpetuo was less aggressive in the closing round(s).
What's next for them?
Means - As a fan, I was frustrated with his loss to Magny. But he looked strong here, with much better stamina and a gameplan that was executed well. The move up to Welterweight was a dubious one, considering the height he had at Lightweight, but for now, it is looking like the correct decision. I'm expecting a favourable match up for his next fight, one designed for entertainment rather than ranking status. K.J. Noons would make an exciting opponent for Means, if he stays at Welterweight. If not Alan Patrick would be the kind of opponent that would suit a Means match up.
Perpetuo - Hernani was a little underwhelming in this outing, especially after the more energetic performance he put in against Jordan Mein. He fights with aggression and a style that could see him notch up a few knockouts, but he needs to be more well rounded if he wants to be anything other than a lower card highlight. Coming from the camp he comes from, it is surprising he is as one dimensional as he is. That being said, he is an exciting fighter, and if he fights in the UFC again I'd like to see him up against someone like Leonardo Mafra, someone who will go toe to toe with him. Coming from a rival camp, it has the potential to be a heated undercard fight for one of the Brazilian cards scheduled for later in the year (depending on his injury).
Patrick Cummins dominates Kyle Kingsbury in a decision victory
Domination really is the only word to describe this fight, Cummins beat Kingsbury into retirement, literally. It wasn't a bloodbath, but Kingsbury looked helpless in the fight. I counted maybe five leg kicks landed, possibly a couple of right hands that glanced the gloves of Cummins, and that was it... for three rounds. He played right into the hands of Cummins as he focused almost entirely on trying to react to the takedown attempts, all of which were successful. Ten out of ten takedowns for Cummins in a ten out of ten performance. He may not be the most diverse fighter in the Light Heavyweight division, but I have hard time imagining anyone outside of the elite being able to handle him.
What's next for them?
Cummins - I'll be honest, I was a doubter of Cummins, just thought he was another top level wrestler who would flop in the UFC and didn't really buy into the hype built around him prior to the Cormier fight. I'm taking notice now. He just needs a step up in quality in his opponents before I am fully convinced. He seems to be on the fast track with the UFC, and competing in such a shallow division, I don't think it will be long before he is in or around the top 15. For his next fight, I'd match him up with newcomer Jan Blachowicz, the Polish fighter is highly regarded former champion of top European promotion KSW. He might be making his debut in the UFC, but he is a next level opponent for Cummins that works for everyone.
Kingsbury - He retired. And I don't blame him. He did well considering how late he got into MMA, but he overstayed his welcome in the UFC and was likely only kept around due to the aforementioned lack of depth in the Light Heavyweight roster. He will be most remembered for his stint on TUF and jizzing on some fruit. I think that says it all.
Jorge Masvidal earns decision victory over Daron Cruickshank
This was a fun scrap, that really highlighted the strengths of both fighters. And whilst Cruickshank got the first blow, one helluva of a first blow, it was Masvidal that utilised his wrestling to see of his game opponent. It wasn't plain sailing for Masvidal though as he was dropped and seemingly flash KO by a perfectly placed Cruickshank right hand. He recovered as he hit the mat, and somehow jumped back to his feet and regained his composure. He ended that round with a takedown in the dying seconds, and that was something we would continue to see throughout the rest of the fight. Masvidal almost got the finish himself with a tight D'Arce choke, but Cruickshank defended well. A good fight that shakes up the top 20 in the Lightweight division.
What's next for them?
Masvidal - Jorge has knocked off some quality opponents since he joined the UFC and his only loss was a questionable decision to Rustam Khabilov. He has definitely earned the right to a match up with some in the top ten. His well rounded game could see him go far, and given his experience I could see him upsetting a few of the higher ranked fighters. If I were to pick his next fight, I would go with Edson Barboza, fresh off his stoppage of Evan Dunham.
Cruickshank - I feel almost sorry for the guy, he near enough knocked his opponent but still came out a loser. Takedown defense is always a concern with guys like Cruickshank who are so entertaining on the feet, you end up praying someone doesn't take him down and lay on him. But until he plugs that hole in his game, he is going to remain a mid tier talent, no matter how many flashy KO's he gets. I don't think he will drop too far in terms of ranking, but the quality of his opponent may differ, I'm thinking a rising prospect - give him a gatekeeper role and see how Rashid Magomedov rises to the challenge. And entertaining and meaningful fight, make it happen.
Bobby Green earns a split decision victory over Josh Thomson
A really close fight between the last minute opponents, and ultimately, I think the right man won. I feel slightly for Thomson who is coming off the tough loss to Henderson, to have the last minute switch is always hard, especially when you are competing at this level. And he never really got going. Green managed to control the pace and the tempo of the fight, but his output in the early rounds was pretty limited. Thomson on the other hand was landing the more significant strikes, but little else. The first round was deciding round, with Thomson clinching the second with the first takedown of the fight, and Green taking the third by amping up the aggression and utilising more of his wrestling up against the fence. The first round was a tough one to call, but I'd agree with the judges and side with Green, purely on his control of the octagon. Thomson will feel aggrieved though.
What's next for them?
Green - It might be a career defining win for Green who took full advantage of the late call up, fortunately for him, he was already halfway through a fight camp. It wasn't the most inspiring victory, but against an opponent the calibre of Josh Thomson, a wins a win, and an impressive one at that. He has slowly built his way up the rankings, and you'd have to think his next port of call would be another top 10 or even 5 opponent. I'm guessing at Donald Cerrone for his next opponent, Cerrone doesn't like to hang around before his next fight and with Khabib injured this looks like the only worthwhile fight for him at the moment.
Thomson - It's always tough losing a split decision, but two in a row, that has got to sting. He didn't do a whole lot wrong in the fight and had he been a little more prepared he may have adopted a different strategy and who knows what the result would've been. But thems the breaks and Josh will be looking to get back on the win wagon with a decent opponent his next fight. My money is on them rescheduling the initial match up or having him face Rustam Khabilov. The Russian prospect would be a solid win for Thomson, and provide Rustam with another top tier opponent.
Dennis Bermudez submits Clay Guida
Probably the most impressive performance of the night and one that really shakes up the Featherweight division and adds another contender to the long list of folk chasing down Jose Aldo. Bermudez was near perfect in this performance, dominating Guida with his grappling, lighting him up with his striking and generally controlling the fight. I always Guida tough to watch, but I'm glad I didn't skip this fight as it really highlighted the progression Bermudez has made since his submission loss to Diego Brandao in their TUF final in 2011. Guida did what he could but he just didn't have the tools to stop Bermudez once he got going. Definitely a fight to watch if you haven't seen too much of The Menace.
What's next for them?
Bermudez - This guy deserves a top 5 opponent, he is on a seven fight win streak and has slowly climbed his way up, some of his fights have been questionable, notably the Max Holloway decision but his killer instinct in the last two fights have been attention grabbing and there is no doubt in my mind that we will be seeing him face a top class opponent next. The question is who, personally, I'd like to see him up against Ricardo Lamas, the two match up well and it would make for a highly competitive bout that would further define Bermudez's championship credentials if he were able to get the victory. There are quite a few top flight Featherweights in the waiting line though so there are plenty to choose from.
Guida - I should probably be impartial, but man, I hate watching this guy fight. He's like my four year brother after necking a six pack of Red Bull - all over the place. There is no doubting he has skills, but I think I'd prefer sitting through Cloverfield after a dodgy curry than have to watch him fight again. But he isn't going anywhere, and they will likely match up with someone like Darren Elkins next.
Anthony Johnson TKO's Lil Nog
Well that was quick! Rumble is a wrecking ball at the moment and I only see it going one way, straight to a title shot. There isn't much to say about this fight, Johnson found his range, backed Lil Nog up against the fence and unloaded. As impressive a victory as they come in the Light Heavyweight division.
What's next for them?
Johnson - There is only one fight to make, I'd still like to see him fight someone else, but who else is there? This division along with the heavyweight is far too weak and it makes it almost predictable. Glover Teixeira has to be the next guy he fights, then he goes on standby for the title, assuming he wins. I can't see who else they could match him with, Hendo would just be cruel. It might be predictable matchmaking, but it would make one helluva fight.
Nogueira - This will be a tough loss to come back from for Lil Nog, but I can't see him retiring just yet. He was outclassed in this outing but I see plenty of potential matchups for him within the division, most of them nostalgic and likely to be held on a future Japan card. Shogun Rua would be my pick, these guys had a legendary fight in Pride and with them both close to the end of their careers in MMA we need to see them go at it again.
Robbie Lawler earns a decision victory over Matt Brown
What a fight, seriously, if you were to watch any fight from this card, watch this one. Then again, you already knew that! With these two going at it was either going to end in a brutal KO or an all out war, and we got the war... to an extent. The decision was clear cut in the end and it all really pivoted on two moments. They split the opening rounds and the closing rounds, but it was the third round where Lawler hurt Brown with a kick to the body, which was wrongly called a groin shot. Lawler was unable to pursue the finish in that instance, but in the next round he found himself on top for a large portion of the round and it emptied most of Browns gas tank.The final round was great though, Brown proving his badassery once again. He pressured Lawler throughout the fight, walked him down with a diverse striking game, but Lawler was just too clinical in his counter striking. Fun fight.
What's next for them?
Lawler - Considering this was an official contendership fight, I've not got much to add here. He will be fighting Johnny Hendricks once he is fully fit. And I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to it.
Brown - The Immortal One has quite a few choices ahead of him, the defeat won't have damaged his standing as many doubted he could hack it at this level. He proved them wrong and he will be getting another top tier opponent. If I wasn't 90% sure Nick Diaz is going to fight Anderson Silva, I would want Diaz against Brown. But as that is at the moment unlikely, I'm going to for the fight that should've happened a few months back, Carlos Condit. I'm not sure how long Condit is out with his injury, but with Brown needing to heal up to, I want to see this fight!
Overall, it was entertaining card. Not many stoppages, but they don't always define entertainment. The three fights to watch have to be the main event between the two bruising Welterweights, Matt Brown and Robbie Lawler. The undercard fight between the unbeaten prospects Gilbert Burns and Andreas Stahl, and utter brutality Anthony Johnson showed against the Pride veteran, Lil Nog. I'd say I'm looking forward to the next card, but eh, we'll see.
Great read Flins, and thankfully im not the only one wanting to see Rumble and Glover....no one else was really talking about that matchup, but that a fight that will have nothing but fireworks.
A few fights announced:
Bobby Green vs. Jorge Masvidal
Ilir Latifi vs. Jan Blachowicz
Rory MacDonald vs. Tarec Saffiedine
Nick Diaz vs. Anderson Silva
Also apparently in the works is Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez.
Diaz Anderson is a fucking dream match, cant wait...hope they stack the rest of the card
Quote from: Cory on July 31, 2014, 02:27:33 PM
Diaz Anderson is a fucking dream match, cant wait...hope they stack the rest of the card
A dream match? No way. Silva should easily handle Diaz. I think it's gonna be pretty one sided and boring.
Quote from: Jon on July 31, 2014, 02:57:47 PM
A dream match? No way. Silva should easily handle Diaz. I think it's gonna be pretty one sided and boring.
2-years-ago-Silva would easily handle Diaz. Now? I'd be surprised if Silva can even make it to the 2nd round.
I don't know, it's hard to judge Silva's chances based on his losses to Weidman. If his chin is shot, we'll find out in that fight 'cos Diaz isn't known for his power but he is known for his accuracy and his volume. Then again, with Silva it was never about his ability to take a shot, it was his head movement, avoiding and rolling with shots.
The same can be said about Diaz though, he has been largely inactive for the last few years and lost his last two fights. And if he found Condit slippery, he's going to be in a for tough night with the Spider.
Definitely a super fight. Hopefully Anderson wins, GSP comes out of retirement, and they duke it with either/both retiring afterwards.
Quote from: Flins. on July 31, 2014, 04:43:29 PM
I don't know, it's hard to judge Silva's chances based on his losses to Weidman. If his chin is shot, we'll find out in that fight 'cos Diaz isn't known for his power but he is known for his accuracy and his volume.
Definitely a super fight. Hopefully Anderson wins, GSP comes out of retirement, and they duke it with either/both retiring afterwards.
I think his Chin is shot....I honestly think Andersons reach is the biggest factor for Diaz NOT winning, because with his boxing style its gonna be tough to pepper shots in, but I think Andersons chin is shot, and with the leg break its likely his movement wont ever been the same.
I think Anderson loses, then waits for GSP and they have one final fight, then both call it quits.
DC/Jones brawl, staged?
Quote from: Flins. on August 05, 2014, 05:45:37 AM
DC/Jones brawl, staged?
Maybe? I don't know how "real" this feud really is. The thing about this fight, they don't really need to "sell" the fight as casual fans even want to watch it. On a fan level, I wanted Bones/Gus 2, but this matchup is very intriguing too. Listening to the interview after the brawl on Sportscenter... I don't know... I think there is some genuine dislike there. Which if true, makes for a great fight! I hope either way... whoever wins, the other shows the proper respect after the fight, which typically happens between two guys who sell a fight like this.
The guy in the middle of it seems to be have gained the most popularity out of the brawl.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BuPWXfWIgAAjzqG.jpg:large)
Dana's eyes lit up when he saw that, a nice color green $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier Brawl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf_WWMTR9LU#ws)
The much-anticipated UFC light heavyweight collision between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will have to wait. UFC officials confirmed on Tuesday that Jones has suffered an injury in training and will be out until 2015.
The Jones-Cormier fight for the light heavyweight title was set to take place September 27 at UFC 178, but that card will now receive flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso.
Officials only said that "Bones" suffered a leg injury and will not be able to fight until January. The bout with Cormier will take place January 3 at UFC 182, which also goes down from Las Vegas.
Jones and Cormier were all over the news last week after getting into a heated brawl on stage during a press conference. The two continued to push one another verbally during appearances on ESPN's "SportsCenter" and "FOX Sports Live."
Well that sucks. Surely Gustaffsson will be back in the picture by then?
Quote from: ESPN.com
Lightweight mixed martial artist Eddie Alvarez is joining the UFC.
Bellator MMA president Scott Coker confirmed to ESPN.com the promotion granted Alvarez, 30, his unconditional release early Tuesday morning.
UFC president Dana White announced via Twitter on Tuesday afternoon Alvarez signed with the UFC and will fight Donald Cerrone in the co-main event of UFC 178 on Sept. 27 in Las Vegas. Cerrone (24-6) was previously scheduled to fight Bobby Green on the same date, but switches to Alvarez instead.
Eddie Alvarez's departure for UFC sounds like a lose-lose, but make no mistake, Tuesday was a good day for Bellator, writes Brett Okamoto. Story
UFC officials confirmed to ESPN.com Green has been removed from the card and will fight a different opponent at a later date.
Alvarez (25-3) vacates Bellator's 155-pound title, which he won in a split decision victory against Michael Chandler at Bellator 106 in November. The company has no future matching rights on Alvarez, according to Coker.
"We granted Eddie his unconditional release this morning," Coker told ESPN.com. "Eddie is free to explore the free-agent market. We wish him the best in the future."
Coker, former CEO of Strikeforce, said he met with Alvarez and his manager Glenn Robinson in Miami shortly after replacing former Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney at the head of the company in June.
At that time, Coker said it was clear Alvarez did not consider Bellator his long-term home.
"After sitting down with him and getting to know him, it was just a very hurtful situation for him," Coker said. "I think the damage was already done. It became clear there was a wall there, and it was not directed at me.
"They just made it clear the damage was done."
Alvarez, who appeared in the inaugural Bellator event in April 2009 and won the title later that year, provided the following statement to ESPN.com via text message.
Dave Mandel for Sherdog.comEddie Alvarez, the 155-pound champion, was granted his unconditional release by new Bellator MMA president Scott Coker on Tuesday.
"This was a long process but it's a decision that everyone seems happy with," Alvarez said. "I think it's important to say that I am genuinely thankful for the time at Bellator. I know that sounds a little crazy given everything I went through, but I've fought there since 2009 and have been involved in some really amazing fights.
"The staff there always treated me great and I'm going to miss seeing a lot of those familiar faces around for sure. Myself and my team had some really good discussions with Scott, but in my heart I knew I was ready to move on and start the next chapter of my career."
The announcement effectively ends a near two-year saga between Alvarez and the promotion, which began in late 2012 when Alvarez fielded a multi-fight offer from the UFC after Bellator waived its 90-day exclusive negotiating period.
Rebney moved to exercise the promotion's right to match the UFC offer. Alvarez and his legal team argued, however, the Bellator offer was not the same. The two sides eventually filed countersuits against each other.
In August 2013, a settlement was reached that included two fights from Alvarez under the Bellator banner and then his unconditional release. Three months after the settlement, Alvarez defeated Chandler for the lightweight title.
He was scheduled to appear in a title bout against Chandler at a Bellator pay-per-view event in May, but withdrew due to a late concussion suffered in training. Chandler (12-2) went on to fight Will Brooks for an interim title and lost via split decision.
Coker said he had not discussed Alvarez's departure with either Chandler or Brooks (14-1) as of Tuesday morning but believed that fight would happen next, "maybe in November." He did not know if Brooks would be promoted to undisputed champion.
Alvarez has since recovered from the concussion and told ESPN.com he has resumed training and is "1,000 percent."
About time.
Stephan Bonnar on UFC Hall Of Fame Induction, His Critics + Naming His Son Griffin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70kcCnAQN2c#ws)
- UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar has signed a fight contract with Bellator MMA. Bonnar, who was involved in a classic with Forrest Griffin at the end of The Ultimate Fighter 1, was inducted into the hall of fame last year alongside Griffin.
Bonnar immediately called out another fellow member of the UFC's HOF in Tito Ortiz. "The American Psycho" is also expected to help out with announcing duties for Bellator on Spike TV.
"I want everyone to know I'm coming out of retirement because it's time to free the MMA world of the virus that's known as Tito Ortiz," Bonnar said. "We've been suffering through his boring fights for too many years, and it's about time that someone beats it out of him once and for all."
During his UFC career, Bonnar fought the likes of Anderson Silva, Jon Jones and Mark Coleman, along with a rematch vs. Griffin.
- Former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao was forced to withdraw from a planned main event fight Saturday vs. T.J. Dillashaw for the title after suffering an injury while cutting weight. Joe Soto, who was set to make his UFC debut on the prelims, was moved to the UFC 177 headline bout.
Barao, who cuts a tremendous amount of weight in the days leading up to the fight, suffered a fall when he lost consciousness in his hotel bathtub and hit his head. He was not allowed to continue cutting weight or fight by medical officials.
It was the second fight removed from the card on Friday, as a match between Henry Cejudo and Scott Jorgensen was also taken off the lineup after Cejudo had issues cutting weight.
aaaand worst PPV goes to this. too many cards and this is bound to happen.
UFC 177 main card wasn't half bad. I've seen worse for a PPV main card, FOR SURE.
Not sure what Dana told them before their fights, but they all went out and entertained.
Joe Soto impressed the shit out of me for taking that fight on 24 hours notice as did TJ for accepting it. Saved the card from being canned.
I don't know, it just seems the UFC is digging itself into a hole with all these cards. I'm not sure if I am the only one burnt out with the UFC at the moment, but I have the last three cards recorded and have still not had the interest in watching them, despite being interested in certain fights. I just think there are way too many midcard fights headlining events, and more emphasis on packing out the prelims for Fox. I don't mind the whole continental cards they are putting out, but with everything else, it's hard to keep up with it all. There is also the issue of have everyone booked up or recovering, so when these injuries happen, which generally are hard to avoid, there are no suitable or decent replacements. So fights/shows get cancelled, or fights get moved and things get switched to different shows until you end up with a glorified prelims on PPV.
I'm not sure what the solution is, but personally, I'd like to see them decrease the number of shows, focus more on supershows. Main event and co should always be title fights and the undercard should be full of contender fights, or at least fights that are important to the division. There has to be investment in more than just the main event. The last three shows we have had, we have the main event and generally one other fight that fit that criteria. The continental cards I can understand, given their focus on local talent.
I dunno, I have no idea how to run an international fight company, but they're doing something wrong.
Quote from: Flins. on September 02, 2014, 05:48:52 AM
I don't know, it just seems the UFC is digging itself into a hole with all these cards. I'm not sure if I am the only one burnt out with the UFC at the moment, but I have the last three cards recorded and have still not had the interest in watching them, despite being interested in certain fights. I just think there are way too many midcard fights headlining events, and more emphasis on packing out the prelims for Fox. I don't mind the whole continental cards they are putting out, but with everything else, it's hard to keep up with it all. There is also the issue of have everyone booked up or recovering, so when these injuries happen, which generally are hard to avoid, there are no suitable or decent replacements. So fights/shows get cancelled, or fights get moved and things get switched to different shows until you end up with a glorified prelims on PPV.
I'm not sure what the solution is, but personally, I'd like to see them decrease the number of shows, focus more on supershows. Main event and co should always be title fights and the undercard should be full of contender fights, or at least fights that are important to the division. There has to be investment in more than just the main event. The last three shows we have had, we have the main event and generally one other fight that fit that criteria. The continental cards I can understand, given their focus on local talent.
I dunno, I have no idea how to run an international fight company, but they're doing something wrong.
100%
I still watch most of them, I care about maybe 1 every 10 shows?
I still watch 80% of the shows and love them all (though I did miss UFC 177 and didn't feel bad for it)
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and former UFC star Chael Sonnen will call the Battleground MMA pay-per-view together on October 3rd from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
MMAFighting.com reports that negotiations to land Ross & Sonnen as the announcers for that event began a few months back. The main event of that show will feature Ryan Couture, the son of MMA Hall of Famer Randy Couture, against Jonny Carson.
Yeah, the strip club I go to every month on UFC PPV day to watch the UFC PPVs didn't even buy this one. lol
I hear what ya'll are saying, but I usually find myself watching an event, even if its for one fight. I too would rather have better built cards, but I also don't mind watching a UFC event every weekend either.
As for last night card... I think that was the first time I've ever been shutout in predictions.
Quote from: Jon on September 06, 2014, 11:40:14 AM
I hear what ya'll are saying, but I usually find myself watching an event, even if its for one fight. I too would rather have better built cards, but I also don't mind watching a UFC event every weekend either.
As for last night card... I think that was the first time I've ever been shutout in predictions.
Card was tough to call...one of the better ones of paper, especially with two even HW fights, anyone can knock out anyone kind of deal.
Bellator MMA: Tito and Bonnar Erupt After Fight Announcement -Official HD Version (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkhHcCNe97M#ws)
- Bellator MMA took a page out of the pro wrestling handbook recently, bringing two fighters into the cage to present a main event. They went a step further by even using a "masked man" to help promote the signing of Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar.
Ortiz and Bonnar eventually had to be separated after the masked man was revealed, which you can see in the video above. The two will square off in November on Spike TV.
The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Media Day (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW07W5QgvqU#ws)
- The Ultimate Fighter returns tonight with a special season, as the crowning of the first-ever female strawweight champion takes place throughout the season. The two-hour opener airs on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET this evening.
Check out the video above to see highlights from a recent media day event conducted to promote TUF 20, with interviews from many of the cast members. Also, head coaches Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez talk about the season.
- Georges St-Pierre appears to be working towards a late-2015 return to the Octagon, according to his head coach Firas Zahabi. The leader of the Tristar Gym in Canada recently discussed the former UFC welterweight champion with ESPN.
"My personal opinion is he still has plenty of competitive juice in him," Zahabi said. "I don't think he'll be anywhere near fight shape until he's late 34, mid-34. I think he's got a few fights in him, but I don't want to speak for the guy. He might retire and no one could blame him."
St-Pierre stepped away from MMA after defeating Johny Hendricks and defending his title. He has remarked several times since about a lack of drug testing in the sport being one reason he didn't want to fight anymore.
"From now on, he's in a place where he doesn't have to fight a guy if that guy doesn't do the test," Zahabi said. "He is a big believer in everybody should be natural. Georges is happy. He's a natural athlete."
I am so excited for tomorrow nights card!! I mean, it's a great card from undercard to main card. Really, really looking forward to it. So much that I am willing to watch it instead of the Oregon State/USC game.
It is a pretty good card, shame about the main event. But outside of that it has some good match ups, and of course, McGregor vs. Poirier!
Finally a "stacked" card to get hype about. Will be tuning in.
Ronda Rousey Would Rather Die Than Lose - Jim Rome on Showtime (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnNlfkju7i4#ws)
- Ronda Rousey made a recent appearance on "Jim Rome on Showtime" to promote her work inside - and outside - of the Octagon. The reigning UFC female bantamweight champion discussed why she would never submit during a fight, which you can hear in the video above.
"There have been times during a fight when I thought I was going to die. I thought to myself, 'I would rather break my neck than lose a fight,'" Rousey said. "I will never tap out of a fight because I know the feeling of losing. I know that I would rather die than lose a fight."
Rousey is tentatively set to return to action in January against Cat Zingano. Since moving from judo, where she won an Olympic bronze medal, to MMA, Rousey has won all 10 of her pro fights.
"It's not that I've never lost, it's that I've lost at the worst time,s so I know what a loss is," she said. "That's why I want to win so much more than these other girls."
BRUTAL.
http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/korean-zombie-to-step-away-from-ufc-for-two-years-for-mandatory-military-service-101314 (http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/korean-zombie-to-step-away-from-ufc-for-two-years-for-mandatory-military-service-101314)
This made me sad. Was hoping for McGregor vs. Zorean Zombie!
such a shame, one of the only guys in the UFC you know you're going to get your moneys worth out of. Heard he had a back/shoulder injury tho that was gonna keep him sidelined for 8-12 months plus a kid on the way so I guess good timing to get this out of the way now.
UFC 116 Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin review from the big stars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlhRIEYW030#ws)
Former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin, who lost to Brock Lesnar for the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Title at UFC 116 in 2010 but later retired in 2013, says he's interested in a rematch against the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Carwin says he would come out of retirement if Lesnar would do the rematch.
Carwin told FOXSports.com:
"I'm all in. All the pain would be worth that. [In the first fight] I should have let him up and kept punching him in the head. Lesson learned. Cain [Velasquez] learned it. If I didn't make it obvious what to do to that guy, the next guy did."
"He's not coming back. I don't even know why he would have the desire."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDTKKMiWg3o
The UFC injury woes continue as UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been removed from the UFC 180 main event with an injured knee.
News broke this evening of the injury, but the event will still see a UFC Heavyweight title fight, as Velasquez will be replaced by PRIDE FC veteran and fan favorite Mark Hunt. He'll be taking on the original challenger Fabricio Werdum with the winner being named interim UFC Heavyweight champion.
"I'm so unbelievably disappointed that this happened," Velasquez said in a statement released by the UFC. "To say I was looking forward to fighting in Mexico for the first time is an understatement. I wanted to fight on that card so bad. Looks like it wasn't meant to be and it's not going to happen. I'm going to get my
knee fixed and get back to training as soon as I can. I'm sorry to the fans in Mexico who were expecting this fight, and I hope to be able to come down and still be a part of this historic event."
Velasquez was key to this event not only as the Heavyweight champion, but because the company was breaking in to Mexico for the first time. The event was heavily promoted on the back of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America series, in which he and Werdum served as coaches.
Velasquez has faced a number of injury woes over the past several years and missed over a year of action three times in his UFC career. He's not defended the heavyweight title since his dominant win over Junior dos Santos in 2013, and will now be sidelined well into 2015.
Hunt commented on the situation, saying "I feel blessed to have this opportunity to fight for another world title. This is something that doesn't happen often to people. First K1 and now UFC – how can I say no, even though it's on short notice? I'm dropping everything and flying to Mexico tomorrow so I can best prepare myself for this fight. I have to get into shape and acclimatize to that environment, which is really important."
Fabricio Wedrum says that he was unfazed by the change in opponent, only wanting the UFC Heavyweight title.
"I'm ready for whatever comes," said Werdum. "I have been training in Mexico for nearly two months and accept the challenge that is presented to me. I'll continue to prepare and will arrive ready to fight on behalf of all my Latin American fans.
UFC 180 takes place November 15 from the Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City. The event will feature the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, as well as a co-main event featuring Kelvin Gastelum vs. Jake Ellenberger.
Only fight id want to see if Lesnar/Fedor and thats just from a pure freak show appeal.
Velasquez is made of glass, an unreal fighter but im happy with this replacement. I want to say I lived to see Mark Hunt UFC Champion.
- As noted yesterday, Fabricio Werdum found out that he won't be facing Cain Velasquez next month at UFC 180 for the heavyweight title. Instead, he'll meet Mark Hunt for the interim belt from Mexico City. For Werdum, though, all that matters is gold is on the line.
"The important thing for me is that I'm ready to fight," Werdum said in an interview with UFC.com. "The object was never Cain Velasquez. It's always been the belt. Since I got back to the UFC, it's been about getting the belt and it doesn't matter from who. I just want the belt and I'm ready to fight anybody."
Werdum, who defeated Travis Browne earlier this year even after being declared the No. 1 contender, did add that he is a "little bit sad for Cain and about not fighting him right now, but I'm ready to fight for the belt." He is 7-1 in his last eight fights overall, including a win over former interim UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
- Mark Hunt didn't think for a second about not accepting a fight on short-notice for the interim UFC heavyweight title against Fabricio Werdum. The two will meet on November 15 at UFC 180 after Cain Velasquez went down with an injury.
For Hunt, the only concern is making 265 pounds. A number he'll have to hit dead-on to make the bout official.
"Only challenge is making weight," said Hunt, in an interview with MMAFighting.com after news of the fight broke.
Hunt disclosed that he is officially 302 pounds, giving himself a little over three weeks to cut 37 pounds. Earlier this year, rumors he was overweight for his fight with Roy Nelson were dismissed when Hunt made the limit.
So happy for Robbie Lawler!
Hendricks lost that fight more then Robbie won it, but it's going to set up one hell of a rubber match, which is good because I'm not high on Rory MacDonald at all.
Pissed that Gil lossed....but yeah. Nice to see Lawler finally with the belt.
A potential first step towards a class action lawsuit against the UFC was taken this week, as a group announced their intent to sue the world's top MMA organization.
The group, led by Jon Fitch, Cung Le and Nate Quarry, held a press conference in San Jose Tuesday to state that they'll be "identity class plaintiffs" and hope to add more names. Le is currently on the UFC roster, while Fitch and Quarry are former championship contenders for the brand. The successful lawfirms Joseph Saveri Law Firm, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, and Berger & Montague are all involved.
The lawsuit accuses the UFC of violating the Sherman Antitrust act via elimination of competition. This leaves the UFC as the only viable promotion in which these fighters can earn a living in comparison to where they would elsewhere else.
"This lawsuit really is about fairness," said Quarry. "It's about a fair market value for the athletes. Over and over again, we've seen that's just not been the case. The UFC has taken over the entire industry and dictated its terms upon the fighters without any say. We don't have any rights. It's the word that comes down. It's time for those things to change. We deserve to reap the fruits of our labors."
During the press conference, a comparison was drawn to the NFL as "the only game in town," but says that there are multiple teams within that league driving up competitive prices for the athletes involved. The UFC's controversial sponsor policies are also mentioned, as the UFC doesn't permit sponsors that have previously shown allegiance to other brands or rival promotion's fighters. The complaint filed against Zuffa referred to Bellator MMA as a "minor league" to the UFC.
The suit will be open to ""All persons who competed in one or more live professional UFC-promoted MMA bouts taking place or broadcast in the United States during the Class Period. The Bout Class excludes all persons who are not residents or citizens of the United States unless the UFC paid such persons for competing in a bout fought in the United States."
Congrats on the Win Jon, as well as helping me run the game this year, I'll be ready to take it back next 'season'.
(http://www.marksforxcellence.com/userbars/ufcmfx4.png)
Thanks Cory
For those predicting already... be prepared to switch things around as all those cards are subject to change. A lot of those cards have not been finalized yet and either Cory or myself will update it when we see any changes. Just an FYI.
Great to see more particpation though!!!!
Yeah, I'll "re-asses" closer to the dates, but I just wanted to put something down so I don't forget! :D
Quote from: Jon on December 23, 2014, 12:32:13 PM
For those predicting already... be prepared to switch things around as all those cards are subject to change. A lot of those cards have not been finalized yet and either Cory or myself will update it when we see any changes. Just an FYI.
Great to see more particpation though!!!!
This. Well done guys.
I am taking it this year ...
also excited about the Henderson vs Alaverz fight ... I love Ben , big fan , but I got a gut feeling that eddie takes this fight
Cerrone steps in for fight v/s Benson Henderson.....not gonna lie he's cracking my top 5 favourite fighters....dude gets it.
gonna be the first of many injuries this year. but that'll be a fun card. most of the main card have guys with name recognition!
I loved the line on Wrestling Observer about how if Cerrone wins, he'll get the winner of Pettis vs. Dos Anjos, but he'll probably fight three times before that fight, because he's insane!
Got to love and respect Cerrone for how he does his business. Not sure it's a smart move to fight someone the calibre of Henderson with such a short turn around, but then again Jury did nothing to him in that fight and he'll still be in good condition following his camp for the Jury fight.
Cerrone has had more fights in the last two years, than Cain Velasquez has had in his entire career!!
hate to say it ... but I have a feeling that guys are over training and need to scale back ... same to be happening a lot
Alvarez got a bad case of the flu, that's why he had to pull out the Henderson fight. But you're right BD, there's certainly issues with over training and guys getting hurt.
By Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones announced Tuesday that he would be entering a drug treatment facility after he tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite in cocaine, discovered in an unannounced drug test by the Nevada State Athletic Comission taken on December 4, 2014.
Because cocaine is only banned during competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (whose bylaws Nevada follows) and since it is not a performance enhancing drug, the 27-year-old Jones will not be suspended, nor will his Saturday, January 3rd, unanimous decision win over Daniel Cormier be overruled.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports broke the story and said that Jones was later tested a second time, and passed that test.
Jones released a statement through his attorney:
"With the support of my family, I have entered into a drug treatment facility. I want to apologize to my fiancee, my children, as well as my mother, father and brothers for a mistake that I made. I also want to apologize to the UFC, my coaches, my sponsors and equally important, to my fans. I am taking this treatment program very seriously. Therefore, at this time, my family and I would appreciate privacy."
The UFC released a statement on the subject.
"We support UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones' decision to enter a drug treatment facility to address his recent issue. While we are disappointed in the failed test, we applaud him for making this decision to enter a drug treatment facility. Jon is a strong, courageous fighter inside the Octagon, and we expect him to fight this issue with the same poise and diligence. We commend him on his decision, and look forward to him emerging from this program a better man as a result."
"I am proud of Jon Jones for making the decision to enter a drug treatment facility," said Dana White. "I'm confident that he'll emerge from this program like the champion he truly is."
Couple of things: he didn't actually fail for cocaine, but rather a compound in his system which is formed by cocaine use. So he did take cocaine, but didn't actually test positive for it.
It looks really bad on UFC though because they knew he failed his before the Cormier fight. Also, it comes right after the announce their not doing their own drug testing anymore - after the Cung Le screw up.
Also, the out of competition thing is a bit rich, considering he was tested in a training camp a month before a fight. Ok, technically he's not 'in competition' but he's training for the competition he's going to be in.
Too many grey areas there for a lot of people.
It's a sad story though because it's obvious Jones has got caught up in the celebrity life style and no doubt has a ton of hanger ons around him these days. Something Dana White was worried about from the day Jones won the Title because he'd seen the same thing happen to Mike Tyson.
Although, it does explain why Jones has such a high opinion of himself and why his personality seems to change all the time - classic coke head behaviour! That's a joke by the way.
I hope he gets his shit together but Jones is the best fighter on the planet and he's got such a huge upside in terms of becoming that guy who breaks through as a mainstream sports star for MMA. Although now his name is going to be known for all the wrong reasons.
What're your thoughts on this guys?
Duckman
From Wrestling Observer:
Alistair Overeem vs. Roy Nelson has been added to the 3/14 UFC PPV from Dallas according to a story in the Dallas Morning News Tuesday, the same event headlined by lightweight champion Anthony Pettis vs. Rafael dos Anjos.
The #11 ranked UFC heavyweight, Overeem is the former Strikeforce, DREAM, and K1 Heavyweight Champion, holding all three titles at the same time. He made his UFC debut to great fanfare, defeating Brock Lesnar in under five minutes. However, his record since has been spotty, going 2-3 over his next five fights. He'll face Nelson coming off a first-round TKO of Stefan Struve, which followed from a more conservative ground-and-pound based game-plan. Despite setbacks, "The Reem" still remains a popular figure in the heavyweight division.
Due to his combination of everyman (read: fat) physique and crowd-pleasing KO-seeking style, Nelson has been a fan favorite for years. After starting his MMA career as a grappler, the heavy hitter has won every single one of his UFC fights by knock-out, with notable wins over legends Mirko CroCop and Rodrigo Nogueira. Though coming off a 2nd round KO loss to Mark Hunt, Nelson will enter the Octagon against Overeem ranked #9 in the UFC.
Should be a fun fight.
I'm a fan of both of these guys and even though they seem to have been falling lately, I think this match could boost one of them up higher and I think it should be a good fight.
Found on Twitter:
Hes the kilo for kilo fighter in the world.
Quote from: Cory on January 07, 2015, 12:44:24 PM
Found on Twitter:
Hes the kilo for kilo fighter in the world.
lol
His head/ego got to big and he did some coke. It happens. lol
Reem got this.
oh yeah, that's a big issue.
it does go to show though how advanced fighters have become compared to 10 years ago. it's kind of insane.
unfortunately that means there's going to be lots of cancelled fights, which does hurt interest at times.
As much as I think McGregor is awesome, provoking and trying to make Aldo mad isnt a good idea. Aldo is the scariest little man I've ever seen in MMA.....ever.
Quote from: Cory on January 21, 2015, 05:12:36 PM
As much as I think McGregor is awesome, provoking and trying to make Aldo mad isnt a good idea. Aldo is the scariest little man I've ever seen in MMA.....ever.
It's all about selling man.
Yeah Aldo is a whole different animal from anyone McGregor has faced. Like going from non-league to the premier league. McGregor and UFC are doing something right though - they've built a legit star and the TV ratings from last weekend prove that. Good article from Dave Meltzer on that here:
http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/1/21/7868339/fox-sports-1-numbers-firmly-establish-conor-mcgregor-as-a-major-u-s (http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/1/21/7868339/fox-sports-1-numbers-firmly-establish-conor-mcgregor-as-a-major-u-s)
The one thing the UFC needs is stars to drive their PPV business, which has gone down dramatically in recent years. I was going through the PPV buys from the last few years and it's obvious that they're going to make a move for Brock Lesnar when his contract is up, look at these numbers he drew:
Jul 11, 2009 UFC 100: Lesnar vs. Mir 2 1,600,000
July 3, 2010 UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin 1,160,000
Oct 23, 2010 UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez 1,050,000
Nov 15, 2008 UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar 1,010,000
Dec 30, 2011 UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem 800,000
I don't know how he'd perform these days, given the lay off, injuries and how much the rest of the division will have improved. But with monster PPV numbers like that, you can see why there's the interest in him.
What do you guys think about Brock and the potential for him to make a return to the UFC?
star power up the yin yang and I have a feeling that not for the illness stopping his growth as a fighter , he could held that belt for a longer period of time.
Brock has another run left in him and I have feeling he going to return , there going to throw a shit ton of money at him get him back .
I honestly think its a work. Keep everyone thinking he's going back to UFC, making the "he's gonna lose because he's leaving" be an ever bigger shock at the Rumble....then at Mania surly he's going to lose his contracts up tomorrow.....and then wins again...kinda like Punk and that Chicago PPV a few years back.
I truly think with the diverticulitis, age and if he left when he did earlier I dont see anything changing. There arent many fights in the UFC left for him, IMO anyways that make me say YES I WANT TO SEE THAT. I think this is just another great ploy from Heyman to keep in this crazy informed smark era to pull one over their eyes like when he ended the streak.
...then again he's Brock Lesnar....one of the biggest athletic freaks, if not THE athletic freak of this generation....he can do what he wants.
Sam, I absolutely think Brock is coming back to the UFC.
He has 1,2... maybe 3 matches left in him and all the UFC see's with him is $$$$$. And money is all Brock really wants.
I wouldn't discount him re-signing with WWE still on a similar contract... an appearance here and there. But I'd be shocked if Brock wasn't back in the UFC in 2015.
I can see a few matches worth the buy...
Brock/Overeem II
Brock/Hunt
Brock/Mir III
Also, getting pumped for one of my fav fighters in Gus! Should be a good card! And FREE!
got to agree going to be a great card
Rumble... SMASH
Mighty impressive.
Watch out Bones... rumble is coming!
Rumble is a serious ...serious threat to Jones ... I got to say
I am the only that choose him to win this match
;D
That guy is one of the scariest mo fos I've ever seen. So nice, humble and calm, but a stone cold killer inside the cage. Like the complete opposite of Phil Davis - who never shows any aggression or hustle to finish a fight.
Rumble v Jones should be a huge fight.
We all got smoked last night in the predictions too! Lots of surprises.
Speaking of which, did you guys think the Hendo fight was stopped too soon?
Absolutely stopped too soon.
Damn Rumble
All aboard the Amirkhani hype train!
UFC CEO Addresses CM Punk's Debut And If The Company Will Go Outside Of UFC For His Opponent
UFC 182: Q&A with CM Punk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEV8GTJqH3A#ws)
Source: ESPN
- UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta recently spoke with ESPN.com and commented on CM Punk's debut in The Octagon
Fertitta promised Punk's UFC debut will come against someone "competitive" and said it will probably be a pay-per-view co-main event.
Fertitta said they will most likely go outside of the promotion for Punk's first opponent but it's going to be left up to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. Fertitta said:
"But I'm going to defer to Joe Silva. We'll let him bring two to three names to the table and we'll figure it out from there. But I guarantee you it will be a competitive guy."
Fertitta commented on the type of opponent he sees for Punk's first fight:
"I think it has to be somebody with some level of credentials. It's not just going to be some guy off the street. It's going to be somebody who is a professional mixed martial artist -- certainly somebody who MMA media will recognize and know."
His debut does have me genuinely intrigued. It's a tough task matching him up with someone though, as there is a chance he will lose and they will have to find a fight for this guy. Do they go with someone with no ground game, who could potentially knock Punk out? Or someone who has a similar game to him. The 'known name' comment threw me, do you think he is referring to the general public or the MMA community with that?
Personally, I say bring Andy Wang out of retirement! If they were brave, they could match him up with Braulio Estima or Kron Gracie, but both would likely best Punk on the mat. Minowaman could be a fun match up!
I heard the Green Ranger Tommy wants to fight him. lol
Which would be awesome, right up until he knocks Punk out haha
@ Middleweight: Chris Leben, Tom Watson
@ Welterweight: Sexyama, Patrick Cote, Joe Riggs, Mike Swick,
if he dares,
@ Light Heavyweight: Robert Drysdale, Krzysztof Soszynski
I think the key is finding an older fighter with SOME name, or a recent retired fighter who would be appeased to come out for one more fight, as this CM Punk thing could be viewed as a one fight only kinda deal.
Sexyama or WHITE ranger
QuoteThe 2015 World MMA Awards was held at the Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas, and among the big winners on the event are Robbie Lawler, Ronda Rousey, and Kelvin Gastelum.
For the media related awards, MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani won his 5th straight 'Journalist of the year' award, edging out the four other nominees who interestingly enough all happened to be current or former SBN writers themselves.
As for Bloody Elbow, we received our first nomination for 'Media Source of the Year' but was unsurprisingly beat out of the category. BE regular Ben Saunders though, did win 'Submission of the Year' for locking up the first omoplata in UFC history. Check out the full results below:
Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year: Robbie Lawler
Female Fighter of the Year: Ronda Rousey
Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Kelvin Gastelum
International Fighter of the Year: Conor McGregor
Fight of the Year: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes II (UFC 179)
Knockout of the Year: Mark Hunt vs. Roy Nelson (UFC Fight Night 52)
Submission of the Year: Ben Saunders vs. Chris Heatherly (UFC Fight Night 49)
Comeback of the Year: Dominick Cruz (career)
Upset of the Year: TJ Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao (UFC 173)
Shawn Tompkins Coach of the Year: Duane Ludwig
Gym of the Year: Team Alpha Male
Trainer of the Year: Mike Dolce
Referee of the Year: Herb Dean
Ringcard Girl of the Year: Arianny Celeste
Leading Man of the Year: Dana White
Personality of the Year: Joe Rogan
Best Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
Best Lifestyle Clothing Brand: Bad Boy
Best Technical Clothing Brand: Venum
Best Technical Equipment: Everlast
MMA Media Source of the Year: MMA Junkie
MMA Journalist of the Year: Ariel Helwani
Lifetime Achievement Award: Burt Watson
- It was announced at the UFC 183 Q&A with Conor McGregor that he'll be challenging UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 189 on July 11 in Las Vegas. The fight was originally planned for May, but a Jon Jones vs. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson fight will headline a May pay-per-view instead.
Chris Weidman sustained an injury and will be out of his planned UFC 184 fight with Vitor Belfort. Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano will now be the main event.
Weidman tore rib cartilage while wrestling earlier this week. He plans to be ready to return in April or May. Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington moves in as a seemingly underwhelming co-main event. The company had stacked the show in order to avoid another major cancellation at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Gutted. I'm SO looking forward to this fight.
Interestingly Vitor turned down an interim title fight against Machida. Not really a surprise though, he might as well hold out for a couple of months and get the Title fight with Weidman.
But I'm not surprised Vitor turned down the fight with Lyoto after initially wanting an interim title fight. He was probably hoping he was going to get tossed some guy he knew he could beat.
Apparently, Dana might be offering him someone else as well.
Feed him to Jacare.
If he's smart he'll stay away from Jacare!
I think Vitor believes the main belt is ducking him bro. (Tommy Toe Hold Show reference there).
Diaz is still the man.
Anderson tests positive for steroids
Diaz *yawn* tests positive for pot
Quote from: Cory on February 03, 2015, 09:06:20 PM
Anderson tests positive for steroids
Diaz *yawn* tests positive for pot
LMAO
Diaz has a licenses and doesn't give a fuck, fight for money to buy pot cookies, triathlon entry's and condoms before he porks Ronda Rousey.... but good ol morals, did this for my family Anderson Silva damn.
That's 3 fighters from the same gym getting popped for roids in the past couple of months. Those guys in Brazil really need to buy a calander and start cycling off earlier!
Diaz was double the allow limit for pot (which was increase by NSAC recently) he just doesn't give a fuck. Got to wonder though, can UFC take any of his PPV bonus etc for this? Same with Silva. Cause that could cost them both a small fortune. I don't think they actually do that, but maybe it's something they'll bring in to try and stop all this roid shit.
Silva is protesting his innocence, of course. But it's hardly a surprise that a guy who is 40 this year, was able to come back from one of the worst sporting injuries I've ever seen in 12 months, and turned out to be on roids. Still a massive black mark on one of the best careers in MMA history. Makes you wonder how long he's been juicing for and that does nothing but harm to his legacy. He really should've called it quits after the leg break and gone off into retirement with his legacy firmly intact.
did not have problem with the roids ... I watch the leg break in real time... give that man all the drugs that he ask for.
;D
LOL. I did too man. It was horrific. I'll never forget the screams Silva let out when it happened.
On a serious note though, Chuck Mindenhall (one of my favourite MMA writers) summed this whole thing up perfectly a few days ago on MMAFighting.com:
Through many seasons of watching football, you learn to condition the reflex to cheer on a big play. You see it, want to believe it, but there's a brief second where you hold off on the high fives to make sure there aren't any flags on the field. If there aren't, boom, rejoice. If there are, let's be clear -- somebody is sucking the life out of the game. See enough plays wiped out because of a penalty and you can't help but guard against your own swing in emotions.
The UFC is a bit like that these days. Cheer on Saturday night when the fights take place, jeer on Tuesday night when the drug tests come back. We saw it with Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva, one of the best heavyweight fights of all time, a fight that ended -- as if ordained by the Fight Gods themselves -- in a poetic majority draw. Dana White had Roots of Fight make him a t-shirt commemorating the bout. It was just that good.
Days later, "Bigfoot" tested positive for elevated testosterone, and suddenly there was a stenciled mustache on the Mona Lisa.
At UFC 182, Jon Jones scored his most impressive victory to date over Daniel Cormier, but by Tuesday it was learned he was in rehab for cocaine. At UFC 183, Nick Diaz and Anderson Silva fought in a rare novelty bout that was all about fan imagination, and not one but both of them came back with hot tests. Diaz for pot (again), Silva for a cocktail of performance-enhancing drugs from a random January 9 test.
The latter is a killer. The latter is, for lack of a better word, disheartening.
When Anderson Silva tests positive for PEDs, nothing feels sacred. Anderson Silva is largely considered the greatest practitioner of the mixed techniques to ever step foot in the Octagon. He was the guy who beat the roided-out beasts of his day as if to wag a finger at cheating and strike a chord of natural grace. He was the wholesome icon of 16 straight UFC victories and 10 title defenses, whose greatest known vice was scarfing down a couple of Big Macs before a fight. He was the man and the myth, the guy who came back from a shattered shinbone this past Saturday at 39 years old just to show the world he's still got it.
Before the confetti could be swept up from the celebration of his triumphant return, though, the fight has become tainted. So now has Silva's legacy. Tuesday once again carried the sad postscript. Drostanolone and Androstane, two banned substances, discovered in his system by the WADA-accredited Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory at the University of Utah. The tests only came back after the fight, which is its own can of worms, but the problem is you're never sure when it all began. How far does the taint go back? Why, as people have been asking on social media, can't MMA fans have nice things?
You talk to people who covered this sport from its earliest days, and they tell you stories about just how rife MMA was with cheats. There was a hesitation to believe it was as widespread in the sanctioned New Era, when government bodies conducted in-competition drug testing to catch cheaters and, more realistically, dummies who didn't cover up better. Still, a fair amount of fighters were getting caught doing something. Diaz, who has made no secret that he likes to toke up, was one of them.
But in the world of out-of-competition testing, what a snake hatch we've opened up. When it wasn't Wanderlei Silva running from a drug test (leading to his retirement), it was Chael Sonnen testing for everything under the sun (leading to his retirement). The overall hypocrisy in the matter came off as poorly as the test results.
And speaking of hypocrisy, think back to what Silva told MMA Junkie just this past October and let the thing burn through you.
"When the guys test for the steroids, it's bad because this is a problem," he said. "It's bad not just for the UFC, but for the sport.
"When the guys test for the steroids, [they should have] no more fights. When you use the steroids, you use them for a long time. When you use the steroids for a long time, you have a problem. It's a drug and it's not good for the sport."
It's also not good for the sport when one of its greatest ambassadors, the man who personally reopened Brazil for business at UFC 134, ends up in the same pile of asterisks. Maybe it's no longer surprising when anybody gets caught doing PEDs. But with Silva...well, you can't help but wonder where naïve begins and ends.
And it sucks.
Since Silva defeated Diaz on Saturday, the "superfight" conversation kicked up again about him longtime welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre finally meeting in the cage. It was fun to think about, because the timing was actually not bad for it to happen.
Or at least, that's how it was on Saturday. By Tuesday, the timing couldn't have seemed worse. St-Pierre walked away from the game in part because of its rampant PED issues. Now Silva becomes part of the problem. That fight will likely never happen. Silva, if he lives by his own words, should have "no more fights." St-Pierre, if he lives by his, has no reason to come back.
These are just a couple of the problems that go into what is obviously a larger whole.
Quote from: Duckman on February 06, 2015, 03:54:31 AM
That's 3 fighters from the same gym getting popped for roids in the past couple of months. Those guys in Brazil really need to buy a calander and start cycling off earlier!
Diaz was double the allow limit for pot (which was increase by NSAC recently) he just doesn't give a fuck. Got to wonder though, can UFC take any of his PPV bonus etc for this? Same with Silva. Cause that could cost them both a small fortune. I don't think they actually do that, but maybe it's something they'll bring in to try and stop all this roid shit.
Silva is protesting his innocence, of course. But it's hardly a surprise that a guy who is 40 this year, was able to come back from one of the worst sporting injuries I've ever seen in 12 months, and turned out to be on roids. Still a massive black mark on one of the best careers in MMA history. Makes you wonder how long he's been juicing for and that does nothing but harm to his legacy. He really should've called it quits after the leg break and gone off into retirement with his legacy firmly intact.
Diaz was at least all natural, and didnt cheat....I guess really considering how they view pot he was putting himself at a disadvantage. Silva on the other hand ruined his legacy and cheated while doing so.
- The UFC can't seem to catch a break, as Hector Lombard has been removed from UFC 186 after the Nevada Athletic Commission announced he failed a drug test for desoxymethyltestosterone. The substance is an anabolic steroid commonly referred to as "DMT." Lombard failed a urine test administered after his January 3 win over Josh Burkman at UFC 182.
Lombard's planned fight with Rory MacDonald at UFC 186 has been pulled. Lombard will await disciplinary action from the Nevada commission.
- Replacing Lombard vs. Rory MacDonald will be a title fight featuring dominant Flyweight champion Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson taking on Japanese star Kyoji Horiguchi. Horiguchi had said that he would rather wait for a championship fight because he wasn't prepared, but John Lineker missing weight and eliminating Ian McCall from the title picture caused a Horiguchi title shot.
- UFC 182 headliner Daniel Cormier has been booked for his first fight following his unsuccessful challenge of Jon Jones' title.
"I'm fighting Ryan Bader on June 6 in New Orleans live on FOX Sports 1 in a five-round main event. I start my trek back to the UFC light heavyweight championship. I can't wait," Cormier said on UFC Tonight.
Ryan Bader is experiencing a career resurgence, winning four fights in a row. He's ranked fifth in the UFC Light Heavyweight division.
Rory McDonald v Robbie Lawler announced, gonna be a hell of a fight.
- Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White and Lawrence Epstein open the press conference with Fertitta leading the way.
- Fertitta reads a statement saying it's been a challenging few weeks with high profile drug test failures, but says it's due to their stricter policies. The test failures have caused the company to take a deeper look at PED issues. He then toots the UFC's horn about how they've funded companies and drug tests, and other things related to fighter safety.
- Fertitta says the sport needs a more robust drug testing system.
- Dana White says Jon Jones tested positive for cocaine out of competition at the beginning of December. Recreational drugs are not supposed to be tested for out of competition. After his fight he tested negative for any drugs or PED's. White has his typical tone as he tells listeners that Jones was fined $25,000, which was donated to children who had lives impacted by drug use. He says people who get punished for marijuana and recreational drug use are failing in-competition instead of out of competition like Jones.
- White says that Anderson Silva had a test on January 9th out of competition by a lab in Salt Lake City. The NSAC didn't get the test back until February 3rd, and the UFC didn't find out until 10 am that morning.
- White says the UFC and the athletic commission would never cover up a drug test failure in order to put on a fight. He notes that Yahoo interviewed the lab in question about that.
- Silva failed a post-fight test and will go before the NSAC for his punishment.
- Hector Lombard failed a UFC 182 post fight drug test. As soon as UFC found out, they pulled him from his planned bout with Rory MacDonald. He says the UFC only announces drug test failures if they're self regulating. The Nevada State Athletic Commission was handling this, which is why there was no announcement.
- Fertitta fires off some stats, saying there was a 26.3% out of competition failure rate, and that is alarming.
- Fertitta wants all fighters tested in-competition, and will administer between 900 and 1000 tests annually. All championship and main event fighters will be subject to enhanced testing starting on July 1. He says there will still be testing between now and then, but they're going to work with a third party.
- Fighters will be subject to WADA testing. Fertitta says the UFC is willing to commit millions of dollars to in and out of competition testing. He also says they advocate harsher penalties and fines for offenders. He says they'd support WADA's four year ban for first-time offenders.
- Epstein says this is a unique situation and can't be compared to other sports, because teams have their athletes all in one city. The UFC has fighters in 45 countries, so it's something they have to figure out.
- Yahoo's Kevin Iole says that fighters can beat tests when they know it's coming. He asks if they'll be testing before camps. Fertitta says that testing will take place 12-14 weeks before the fight.
- Epstein wants to get the athletic commissions to adopt these harsher punishments. They want to know that when they hand down a punishment that it's respected by every athletic commission.
- Epstein says the UFC isn't in the drug testing business, they're in the sports media business. They're getting a third party to handle all of the testing issues that way there's no conflict of interest.
- It's worth adding that the UFC roster is being subjected to drug tests, uniforms, possible 2-4 year bans, exclusive deals and insurance but are still listed as independent contractors.
- "It's going to get worse before it gets better."- Lorenzo Fertitta
- In response to Joe Rogan saying there is a steroid epidemic, Dana White says there isn't a PED epidemic, but there's a problem. When a guy like Anderson Silva gets caught, it sends a message.
- White and Fertitta said they're bound to lose a lot of main events and title fights. Fertitta says matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby will have to get more creative. '
- Dana White says they're going to move a lot faster than baseball. He says PED's in the cage are dangerous and if you have to use them, you don't belong in the UFC.
- Dana White says he didn't imply that the UFC would be ditching out of competition testing in December, but he did. His specific quote was "Our legal department screwed that whole thing up. We've got no business handling the regulation."
- Fertitta says that if champions test positive, they'll be stripped of the title if their on a two to four year ban.
- Epstein says he's talked to athletic commissions around the world about whether they would accept outside drug tests and suspensions and there are some legal issues involved. He says it may take time, but he thinks he can get them to honor those suspensions and tests.
- The testing will involve both blood and urine. The fighters will have to check in and let the companies know where they are.
- Dana White says the sport will be a better and just as exciting without PED's. He says you either have the ability to fight or you don't.
- Fertitta says they've kept their broadcasters and sponsors in the loop about their plans. He says they've identified that there is a problem.
- Lorenzo Fertitta says that if the NSAC wants to test every single fight on UFC 189, they can. He said he would encourage it.
- Several fighters have reached out and said that they consider this a great move and are happy about the move. Fertitta singles out Chris Weidman and says he is really excited about the testing. Dana White said that Robbie Lawler offered to undergo any testing necessary to fight Georges St-Pierre if he would come back.
- There are a lot of variables that are going to prevent them from setting a budget for this initially. Tests, tracking down fighters, and judiciary systems after failures make it too unpredictable. Fertitta said it will be millions of dollars and they're prepared to pay for it all. After a couple of years they'll be able to budget it based on history.
- Dana White thanks everyone for coming and the press conference comes to a close.
Step in the right direction for sure
Anyone else see the video fo Josh Neer kicking some internet trolls ass who wanted to fight him? The video keeps getting taken down from YouTube, but Brandon Vera said it best:
"I grew up in a time when what came out of your mouth meant something..... Glad to see Mr. Neer keepin it old skool".
Its not a good look for MMA at the end of the day however, but dude was up for it.
had to look it up after reading this, here it is:
http://www.sportsjoe.ie/mma/video-ufc-veteran-josh-neer-sees-red-and-viciously-beats-up-internet-troll/14788 (http://www.sportsjoe.ie/mma/video-ufc-veteran-josh-neer-sees-red-and-viciously-beats-up-internet-troll/14788)
and for the record as well
http://www.sportsjoe.ie/mma/the-man-who-ufc-veteran-josh-neer-brutally-beat-up-is-fine-and-he-wants-a-rematch/14838 (http://www.sportsjoe.ie/mma/the-man-who-ufc-veteran-josh-neer-brutally-beat-up-is-fine-and-he-wants-a-rematch/14838)
UFC 184: Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano Staredown (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSJkzWG5NUk#ws)
- UFC 184 main eventers Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano had a heated staredown today ahead of their bout Saturday. The fight is two years in the making, delayed after a major knee injury to Zingano. You can see video of the two squaring off above.
Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Cris "Cyborg" Santos will be in attendance at UFC 184 in addition to potential Rousey opponent Holly Holm, who is competing in the night's co-main event. Now it appears that Four Horsewoman rival Bethe Correia will also be at the Los Angeles event.
Correia has repeatedly called out Rousey on her way to a 3-0 record in the UFC. Two of those wins are over Rousey training partners and fellow "Four Horsewomen" Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler. By all means, three potential opponents for Rousey will be at the event.
I love Ronda
I hate her. I hope she gets knocked out.
Rousey is amazing, most dominate fighter ive seen since Fedor.
Quote from: Cory on March 01, 2015, 12:01:37 AM
Rousey is amazing, most dominate fighter ive seen since Fedor.
And this is news... how?
for the record water is wet and sky is blue ... thank you and we return to your regular schedule mma discussion
your arm is going to get snapped
Her skills on the ground are insane, I'm not sure if that comes down to the talent pool, or just how good she is. Watching her fights reminds me of early days Royce Gracie.
bumped her up to 4 in my p4p rankings.....if she can dominate Cyborg and Holm in the same fashion hell...might have to push her up to 1.
She'll smash Holm. Bethe Correria will probably be the next challenger, depending on the wait, I've read that Ronda will be focusing on a movie or something next. Cyborg is the only real challenge I think there is out there for her.
Quote from: Flins. on March 01, 2015, 11:56:08 AM
Her skills on the ground are insane, I'm not sure if that comes down to the talent pool, or just how good she is. Watching her fights reminds me of early days Royce Gracie.
I watch that 14 second fight , what she did was insane , the split second thinking, she pull off a move she never done before in a fight , I agree it reminds me of Royce Gracie in early days , just so much head and shoulders above the rest. scary part is she getting better . when you see her in the street , don't reach out to shake her hand. don't give her your arm , she just might break it off. just bow to her
Looks like we ain't rollin' any longer. :(
http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/3/3/8142435/the-babysitter-to-the-stars-burt-watson-parts-ways-with-ufc (http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/3/3/8142435/the-babysitter-to-the-stars-burt-watson-parts-ways-with-ufc)
Am I reading that correctly? Is Rampage back in the UFC?
Pending a lawsuit from Bellator, yep.
He is indeed, although whether or not he'll be able to fight on the next PPV is doubtful - Belator have raised a court action to stop him fighting.
Basically he had a huge contract with Belator, then did his usual Rampage thing (hating his current boss and wanting to leave). He claimed Belator didn't honour the contract re: giving him PPV bonuses and other stuff. He claimed they didn't release PPV numbers to Rampage's manager and therefore were in breach of contract.
So they quit Belator and went back to UFC. UFC must've thought that Rampage had a solid case because they signed him. But it's now all up in the air.
So Ronda gets another 30 second fight? Nice.
Pumped for Aldo/McGregor tho for how one sided it's going to be.
I know. McGregor is just gonna dominate. 8)
Go to 9:00 of the video.
UFC 189: World Tour Press Conference - Dublin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxoT34adJ_4#ws)
If one of them gets injured in training, a little part of me will die inside! Haha. Can't wait for that fight, no idea how it is going to go, you'd think Aldo would have the advantage but Conor is such an unknown talent, as he is blasted through pretty much everybody.
I think to beat Aldo you have to take him down to avoid his speed and leg kicks....which I dont see Connor being able to do....however this fight is going to be unreal, July cant come soon enough
That is the unknown about Conor though, he's been much quicker than everyone we have seen him fight so far, and the only fight he wasn't able to dominate in the striking was against Holloway (dat reach!). We don't know how Aldo compares to Conor in the speed department, and Aldo showed against Mendes that he is hittable, but he also has a great chin.
I still think Aldo will punish the lead leg of McGregor and if I were to predict I would lean towards a TKO via leg kicks due to Conor's stance. But I honestly don't have a clue how it is going to play out. The most intriguing fight since Cormier vs. Jones.
Cabbie Presents: Georges St-Pierre (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHlwZwhD6pA#ws)
After a year and a half out of the cage, it seems as if former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre is softening his stance on a potential return to MMA. UFC President Dana White said last week he didn't think GSP would be back.
"(Dana White) says he's sure I won't come back, that's his opinion," St-Pierre told the Winnipeg Sun. "I train, I keep myself in shape. I have marks on my body because my body bruises easily and I'm training hard. It doesn't mean I'm coming back, but it doesn't mean I'm not coming back. I'm thinking about it."
St-Pierre went on an indefinite hiatus in 2013, citing personal issues. Later he would go on to say that he wouldn't return unless the UFC cleaned up the performance enhancing drug situation was cleared up. The UFC pledged millions of dollars in an effort to clean up the sport earlier this year.
http://mmajunkie.com/2015/04/video-watch-al-iaquinta-f-bomb-the-booing-fans-at-ufc-fight-night-63 (http://mmajunkie.com/2015/04/video-watch-al-iaquinta-f-bomb-the-booing-fans-at-ufc-fight-night-63)
Quote from: Cory on April 07, 2015, 03:20:32 PM
http://mmajunkie.com/2015/04/video-watch-al-iaquinta-f-bomb-the-booing-fans-at-ufc-fight-night-63 (http://mmajunkie.com/2015/04/video-watch-al-iaquinta-f-bomb-the-booing-fans-at-ufc-fight-night-63)
I liked his response. Sure in the heat of the moment... But they had no reason to boo. I had Iaquinta winning on my card.
Cro Cop! Cro Cop! Cro Cop!
One of the best sporting moments of the year for me. The rest of the card was a little underwhelming, especially the co-main event, but that finish, man, I can't remember the last time I was so happy to see somebody win a fight/game/match. I literally jumped off the sofa celebrating haha
Why the blue fuck was it not on BT Sport which would have recorded it when i was away for the weekend and for some unknown fucking reason on Pick TV which didn't record and they aren't repeating it.
Slightly fucking irked
Since when did Pick TV start showing UFC? Odd. Not sure if it conflicts with Fight Pass? They are still usually on BT Sport though :S
Yeah i checked my Youview box and nothing turned up
then went onto the search and came up on pick tv
slightly annoyed
Yeah that was annoying as hell. Must be something to do with it being on Fight Pass over here? Great win for Cro Cop though, love those come from behind wins.
did not think Cro cop still had it in him ... respect
Reports going around today that Khabib has reinjured his knee and his out of his UFC187 co-main event fight with Donald Cerrone...looks like we've got another cursed UFC PPV card!
http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/4/30/8519531/injured-khabib-nurmagomedovs-fight-against-donald-cerrone-at-ufc-187 (http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/4/30/8519531/injured-khabib-nurmagomedovs-fight-against-donald-cerrone-at-ufc-187)
I was really looking forward to this fight and after all the trash talking Khabib has done to hype his return and the fight, if he's out with an injury again it's just such a pisser.
Hopefully it's not serious and he can fight, but it doesn't look good from all accounts.
Ugh, 187 was looking like the best card in the better part of a year now this shit? Im surprised this card wasnt in Canada with all the fights getting scrapped.
looks like John Makdessi is stepping in, wow grab your popcorn people!
Ugh. Man that's disappointing.
Sick card last night, havent have a card live up to the hype in as long as I can remember.
Browne/Arlovski was amazing, fuck Weidman
I'm just glad Weidman shut up that cheating asshole Belfort. He has really become the Brazilian killer. Spider twice, Machida, and now Belfort. Kid is the real fucking deal. I can see Rockhold giving him a real run for his money, but nobody outside him. Has a good head on his shoulders too. Could be the champ for a long time.
And I was so happy to see Cormier win. I like Rumble a lot, but the guy is a one trick pony. He got exposed in a bad way last night. Cormier is as elite as they come and when he took Rumble's best shot and popped right back up, I knew it'd be his night.
HATE Weidman (not a huge Belfort guy after everything thats happened last 2yrs or so) but Loved that finish, nothing better than a dominating ground and pound.
I think he still has one Brazilian left to Jacare but Rockhold has the better chance, perfect style matchup.
Don't understand the hate for Weidman... why do you hate him?
Quote from: Jon on May 24, 2015, 02:07:07 PM
Don't understand the hate for Weidman... why do you hate him?
Never liked the way he got all cocky after the first Silva win, HATE that fight camp and as a Canadian the super american thing is annoying.
I get why to an American he'd be awesome, hes to you what GSP is to Canadians, and he's one hell of a fighter. Enjoyed his last two fights, hate the guy.
I don't mind Weidman, seems to be a bit of a jack ass with the guys that are disrespectful, i.e Anderson & Belfort. He was getting lit up by Belfort though. I'll be interested in seeing how he does against Jacare and Romero, assuming both get a shot in the near future, as both are just as lethal on the ground as he is and both have power in their punches. Rockhold is a good fighter and I think he'll give a good fight, I just think Weidman is likely stronger in most areas.
On a side note, fuck Daniel Cormier!
Yes, he subbed a gassed out Rumble, I'm sure Vitor will welcome him to the club. But he almost got KO'd twice, this wasn't a great performance. He took advantage of Rumble's poor fight IQ, he was hurt in both rounds and Rumble rushed in for the kill and wound up on the mat. The post-fight interview? I mean... the guy just got bossed by Jones a few months and calls him out like that? No respect to Rumble, who got fucked over with them deciding to give DC the title shot after Jones screw up. Can't imagine it is ideal to have to switch up your fight camp for a freaking Olympic wrestler on short notice.
The guy is a complete tool. Unfortunately, he's still probably the second best guy in the division. I'd like to see how Rumble would handle the re-match, full training camp, none of the shit that went down during this one, and maybe a little more smarts in the fight.
Rumble is far from a one-dimensional fighter. Remember who is coming off wins against, he isn't just a knockout artist, he can wrestle and he was manhandling Cormier in the early stages. If there is anything he needs to work on it is the gas tank and the gameplan.
He was never manhandling Cormier. I did give him the first round though, just because he landed a few big shots. But DC literally took Rumbles best shot and popped back up. That's a scary good chin.
Anytime Cormier got his hands on Rumble he couldn't break free. The dude is a knockout artist. He's fun to watch and would probably win a stand up fight with anyone in the division. But his cardio is awful... Imagine if he won and we had to see him go 5 rounds. Good god. He was gassed after round two.
I'm glad DC won. Better MMA fighter.
Im just pissed because Rumble/Jones is 10x more interesting than Cormier/Jones II.
Jones is a better fighter in pretty much every way than Cormier (aside from the pure wrestling pedigree DC has) and after the first fight I have no doubt it'd be the same result.
At least with Rumble you have that flash KO power that can unseat the p4p king, rather than a "smart" fighter who will never be able to out-score Bones Jones.
I don't think Rumble really stood a chance against Bones... but DC was an even more difficult math-up stylistically for him.
I love Rumble. I love his come back. But let's not go pretending he's the best in that LHW division.
If he didn't catch Gus in the 1st, he would have ended losing that fight.
Quote from: Jon on May 25, 2015, 05:38:34 PM
I don't think Rumble really stood a chance against Bones... but DC was an even more difficult math-up stylistically for him.
I love Rumble. I love his come back. But let's not go pretending he's the best in that LHW division.
If he didn't catch Gus in the 1st, he would have ended losing that fight.
True, but its the chance of what he did to Gustafsson happening to Jones that brings your excitement. Rumble is at a point where for 10 minutes can he beat anyone, and especially the undisputed p4p king that no one can beat.....now we get to see
I think Bones, Cormier, Gus and Mousasi are better fighters than Rumble every day of the week, but none of those guys bring the KO/takedown D power of Rumble for the first 2 rounds of a title fight....the things you'd need to beat Bones Jones.
Cormier will never be able to get over the sheer reach disadvantage, Gus has the reach you need but in pretty much ever facist Jones is better and Mousasi needs to put it all together for a good run here.
How can you know that? Are you forgetting Rumble's performance against Phil Davis? Probably the best wrestler in the division outside of DC. He is classed one of the best because he tore through the best in the division.
Look at the takedown attempts and successes, specifically when Rumble was fresh, it wasn't as easy as you are making out Jon. Round one, he drops DC, first time in his career, Rumble rushes in for the kill, DC recovers quick and catches a leg and hugs until he finally gets the opportunity to lift him, but even then Rumble practically popped straight back up. Second round, Rumble lands a head kick flush, DC eats it but he obviously feels it, Rumble starts spamming the kicks, DC catches a wayward one, leeches on to him again and gets him down whilst he is off balance. After two rounds of defending this, Rumble's cardiovascular is done and he has proven in the past that he gives up when in this position.
DC didn't win that fight, Rumble lost it. Give him some Velasquez cardiovascular and he would be the complete package, almost.
How you can say DC is the better all around fighter... i don't know. He was getting beat on the feet, wasn't get much done with the wrestling aside from taking advantage of Rumble's errors, if anything it proved he is pretty one dimensional himself.
I will give him one compliment though, he has one hell up a chin. Not sure anyone else in the division could've taken those shots, including Jones.
It doesn't bother me that he is champion, because we all know it is pretty hollow until he beats Jones. In the meantime I would like to see how he fares against Gustaffson as he is someone who I believe will trouble him just like Jones did, if he recovers mentally from the Rumble KO.
I am probably viewing this a little slanted though given my dislike of him. I just think Rumble deserves way more credit than you are giving him Jon, he got played a shit hand.
Gus is a solid matchup for Cormier, another freak mis-match of reach.....but then again Cormier will just all out wrestle him.
Quote from: Cory on May 25, 2015, 06:07:38 PM
True, but its the chance of what he did to Gustafsson happening to Jones that brings your excitement. Rumble is at a point where for 10 minutes can he beat anyone, and especially the undisputed p4p king that no one can beat.....now we get to see
I think Bones, Cormier, Gus and Mousasi are better fighters than Rumble every day of the week, but none of those guys bring the KO/takedown D power of Rumble for the first 2 rounds of a title fight....the things you'd need to beat Bones Jones.
Cormier will never be able to get over the sheer reach disadvantage, Gus has the reach you need but in pretty much ever facist Jones is better and Mousasi needs to put it all together for a good run here.
No doubt about it... I was excited to see if Rumble could knock Bones' head off. I'm not doubting the chance of that happening.
It's obvious Bones is better then everyone but himself. He's the only one holding himself back from ultimate greatness and it's quite a shame.
Quote from: Flins. on May 25, 2015, 06:15:43 PM
How can you know that? Are you forgetting Rumble's performance against Phil Davis? Probably the best wrestler in the division outside of DC. He is classed one of the best because he tore through the best in the division.
Look at the takedown attempts and successes, specifically when Rumble was fresh, it wasn't as easy as you are making out Jon. Round one, he drops DC, first time in his career, Rumble rushes in for the kill, DC recovers quick and catches a leg and hugs until he finally gets the opportunity to lift him, but even then Rumble practically popped straight back up. Second round, Rumble lands a head kick flush, DC eats it but he obviously feels it, Rumble starts spamming the kicks, DC catches a wayward one, leeches on to him again and gets him down whilst he is off balance. After two rounds of defending this, Rumble's cardiovascular is done and he has proven in the past that he gives up when in this position.
DC didn't win that fight, Rumble lost it. Give him some Velasquez cardiovascular and he would be the complete package, almost.
How you can say DC is the better all around fighter... i don't know. He was getting beat on the feet, wasn't get much done with the wrestling aside from taking advantage of Rumble's errors, if anything it proved he is pretty one dimensional himself.
I will give him one compliment though, he has one hell up a chin. Not sure anyone else in the division could've taken those shots, including Jones.
It doesn't bother me that he is champion, because we all know it is pretty hollow until he beats Jones. In the meantime I would like to see how he fares against Gustaffson as he is someone who I believe will trouble him just like Jones did, if he recovers mentally from the Rumble KO.
I am probably viewing this a little slanted though given my dislike of him. I just think Rumble deserves way more credit than you are giving him Jon, he got played a shit hand.
And DC deserves way more credit than you are giving him.
I like Rumble. But as history as shown, if you get him down... he's pretty much done for. Don't blame DC for executing his gameplan to perfection. DC won that fight just as much as Rumble lost it. That's crazy to think otherwise. And he got a shit hand? Really? You really think he stood a better chance at beating Bones? Outside of a 1st Round KO... the same thing would have happened and probably more brutally. And even if he did win... we all know DC would be Bader... he would have lost to DC anyway. You want to be the best in the world... no such thing as getting a shit hand when you have a chance to be the champion. If you're the best, you can beat anyone. Rumble isn't the best though.
Rumble has world class takedown defense... I don't doubt that. He has to though because he is horrific on the ground. He can't defend himself and once your on top of him, he can't get back up very easily because he lacks in that department. If he could work on his ground game over the next few years, then I'd like his chances a lot more against the wrestlers in the division.
True, he proved he can beat Phil Davis. But I'm not so sure he would beat him in a rematch. Or beat Bader, even. If he doesn't KO you, you stand a really good chance at beating Rumble and that's just the way it is. He has a lot of holes in his MMA game... which is why he really is a KO or bust type of fighter. Fun to watch... exciting... but overall, there are just better fighters than him in the division.
You obviously hate DC... so it'd be pointless arguing over you thinking he's one dimensional. He was smart for not trying to stand with Rumble. I don't think there is anyone in the division that can win by standing with Rumble. But DC has pop on his feet too and against most people isn't afraid to stand and trade... but Rumble is a different beast in that department.
I did think the fight was over after that first shot in the 1st though. I was shocked at how DC popped back to his feet and recovered so quickly. Literally took Rumble's best shot and I bet Rumble was like, is his head... FUCK!
Quote from: Cory on May 25, 2015, 07:14:58 PM
Gus is a solid matchup for Cormier, another freak mis-match of reach.....but then again Cormier will just all out wrestle him.
I don't think he can just outwrestle Gus though. Gus has the ability to get back to his feet. It'd be a fun match-up. Much better than DC vs Bader.... but what can I say. Bader was smart by making it personal with DC, because DC wears his emotions on his sleeve. And if people can buy into them hating each other... the fight will sell.
I am completely biased haha it is why I made a point of stating I hate the guy before giving my opinion on the fight. I honestly think though, that give those two ten fights, DC doesn't dominate them all. I see it as very similar to Cain/JDS except Rumble has more of a striking advantage.
To clarify though, when I am saying he got a dealt a shit hand I am referring to the fact that he got a world class opponent change on short notice. I can't imagine it is easy, having to switch up your training camp from preparing for the reach and striking of Jones to the Olympic calibre wrestling and draining style of DC. Jones would not have hugged Rumble, they might have clinched, he might have taken him down, but they have extreme differences in their style. No matter how good you are, you can't just step up and fight anyone at this level. It goes both ways though, I just believe any smart fighter would want a full fight camp to prepare themselves for a wrestler of DC's calibre.
mann, Condits such a killer when he wants to be (not again Diaz). Was pulling for my boy Alves but god damn. Now with GSP out of the picture Condit and Lawler will be a unreal fight
A couple of big announcements from UFC yesterday in terms of anti-doping and athlete training and rehab from injuries:
Rehab centre details: http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/6/3/8725421/ufc-announces-ufc-lab-to-promote-athlete-training-and-rehabilitation (http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/6/3/8725421/ufc-announces-ufc-lab-to-promote-athlete-training-and-rehabilitation)
Revamped testing policy: http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/6/3/8724535/revamped-ufc-drug-policy-includes-random-year-round-testing-two-year (http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/6/3/8724535/revamped-ufc-drug-policy-includes-random-year-round-testing-two-year)
Nothing but praise for the company from me in doing both of these. The first is a move to obviously stop so many fighters getting injured in training and also to help them come back from injuries quicker. Makes sense.
The drug testing policy, along with what NSAC announced a week or so ago, are both great steps in the right direction to begin cleaning the sport up. With unannounced year round testing under the leadership of USADA (who don't mess around) this could be the start of finally getting the sport cleaned up (or at least as clean as they can make it - there will always be shit bag drug cheats in every sport).
What do you guys make of these big announcements?
Here we go!! From Wrestling Observer:
On UFC Tonight, UFC president Dana White announced two new championship fights but no dates for when those fights will take place.
The first was Daniel Cormier defending his light heavyweight title against Alexander Gustafsson, not Ryan Bader as previously expected. Bader and Cormier had a verbal altercation at the UFC 187 post-fight press conference after Cormier's win over Anthony Johnson. Gustafsson hasn't fought since losing to Johnson in Stockholm, Sweden, via first round stoppage.
White's second reveal was that Chris Weidman would be defending his middleweight title against Luke Rockhold. That fight makes the most sense given Rockhold's impressive win over Lyoto Machida on 4/18 in Newark, NJ. The reason that fight's date wasn't announced is UFC is still hoping it could be on 12/6 in Madison Square Garden, but time is running out on getting legislation passed in New York to allow that show to take place.
Obviously something needed to be done regarding the injuries, it was happening too frequently and costing Dana A LOT of money,
and the other black eye of MMA has been fighters getting popped for illegal substances, so the better policys the cleaner the fighters will be.
Both moves in the right direction to really address two of the biggest issues in MMA, and more importantly the UFC.
DC vs Gus is IMO better than DC vs Bader. DC vs Bader would be two wrestlers trying to out-wrestle each other, at least Gus offers a huge size mis-match and hell, personally I wouldnt care who would win between Cormier and Bader, at least now I can pull for the big Swede.
As for the Weidman/Rockhold.....would still prefer Jacare, but isnt he injured or something? That fight there doesn't really do much for me....seems like their really similar fighters expect Weidman will hold the edge is pretty much every area.
Wheres a Condit/Lawler fight that every fan will drool over? .....you know assuming he beats Rory
After Lawler beats boring Rory... I think Condit will get the next crack (at least I hope). Tough with a potential Lawler/Hendricks 3 in there as well.
But as for the fights annoucned... I love both of them.
Gus is my fav LHW, so of course I'll be pulling for him.
And Rockhold and Weidman is going to be an awesome fight. Jacare didn't deserve the next crack (especially with Rockhold holding a win over Jacre over in Strikeforce). Rockhold has beaten the tougher competition recently and put himself in position to get the next shot. Jacare is certainly next in line though and deservingly so.
Gus getting the shot kind of makes sense, just goes to show how dominant Jones was in the division. Literally cleaned it out. I'll be rooting for Gus, of course, and I believe he has a good shot at winning it.
Weidman vs Rockhold is a good match up, Rockhold in my opinion has the better striking, Weidman the better wrestling, but they are both proven talents all around so it should be a fun fight. Not sure Rockhold has the power to stop Weidman, so I can't see him winning it. Jacare will be his toughest test imo.
I'd be surprised if Rory lost to Lawler again, but we'll see. Doubt Condit gets a shot over Hendricks, if the latter is available and coming off a couple of wins. He should re-match Woodley at least.
New York ... "yeah, fucking making a lot of money with MMA shows , who wants to do that? "
Exciting night of fights last night, Rothwell is weird as hell, Porier and Hendo looked fantastic.
That was one of the most action packed shows I've ever seen. Never mind there not being a boring fight on the card, there wasn't even a boring minute! Apart from maybe when Jon Anik speaks!
Loads of great finishes and that Tavares/Ortega fight was really great.
Rothwell is such a scary dude. Not just from a fighting point of view, he just has that weird disconnected personality of a serial killer in the making!
Nice to see Hendo fighting back the hands of time again. Although why you'd go into a fight with him and keep your hands by your sides for the first 30 seconds is beyond me. Great finish though.
Time for a real step up for Porier too. He's looked great since moving up. Would be good to see him fight someone in the top ten next.
Excellent show, everyone should check this one out.
Cain Velasquez still fights?!
Going to interesting to see how he handles the proverbial "ring rust" Saturday.
Damn Cain looked like shit, and Melendez won that fight.
Quote from: Cory on June 14, 2015, 03:17:09 PM
Damn Cain looked like shit, and Melendez won that fight.
Cain look real bad but in no world did Melendez won fight under current scoring system.
Quote from: TimBucktuo on June 14, 2015, 04:22:33 PM
Cain look real bad but in no world did Melendez won fight under current scoring system.
1 was Gil, 3 was Alvarez but I edged the 2nd to Gil.
Probably didn't help that Gilbert gassed, if he was prepared he'd be Alvarez 9/10
Kimbo Slice vs Shamrock for free tonight, with Lashley also on the card for freak, "still wanna see it" fight. Then add actual awesome fights like Michael Chandler, and Featherweight title fight Pitbull Freire is unreal....solid night of fights.
Yeah. I'm trying to figure out if I wanna watch that or ROH: Best in the World... lol I might pull double-duty and watch ROH on my laptop while watching Kimbo/Shamrock on the tv! lol
dont even care that that fight was rigged, always back my boy Kimbo.
Has it come out as staged, Cory? I haven't watched the fight just a highlight of the finish, hard to tell from that. Are we talking Coleman/Takada level staged?
Well, Shamrock had him dead to rights in a read naked choke, and Kimbo just rolled out of it. I get Shamrock is 51, but for as ripped as he is and how bad Kimbo is on the ground, and for how good Shamrock used to be.....I cant see how it wouldn't be fixed....sadly.
Worst. Fight. Ever.
Kimbo is a rigged fight loving joke. Wonder how many times he has won or even fought in professional MMA without payoffs
Quote from: Adam Wrong on June 21, 2015, 03:53:31 PM
Worst. Fight. Ever.
Kimbo is a rigged fight loving joke. Wonder how many times he has won or even fought in professional MMA without payoffs
His Houston Alexander fight was actually a sick performance to be honest, as as big a Kimbo fan as I am, that's probably the only fight he's won 100% legit.
Quote from: Cory on June 21, 2015, 03:58:52 PM
His Houston Alexander fight was actually a sick performance to be honest, as as big a Kimbo fan as I am, that's probably the only fight he's won 100% legit.
(http://www.gifsforum.com/images/gif/not%20sure%20if%20serious/grand/87582072.gif)
Kimbo is a joke.
I'm pretty certain there was some good old fashioned working going on there. No one puts a choke on like that, it looked like an 80s WWE sleeper hold at one point. Unless Ken completely gassed his arms out, which just seems so unlikely given how short a time he had the choke on for.
It's certainly suspect and in line with the kind of worked fights I've seen from promotions like RINGS and even some of the more suspect PRIDE fights.
Kimbo is the kind of freak show fight main eventer that Belator are building their show around and with them drawing their biggest rating ever, I'm sure it was much more benefical for Kimbo to 'win' this fight than for Shamrock to tap him out inside 30 seconds - which is what most people would assume would've happened.
Don't be shocked if Kimbo v Hershel Walker is booked for a few months down the line.
Haha, so true...but it worked. As you mentioned they did their best draw on Spike TV ever....Kimbo is a guy people want to see.....hell I remember how hugely popular he was back when I was in High School with the street fight videos.
Also, if anyone has time check out the documentary: Dog Fight, its about the Miami street fighting scene....really solid, made by Billy Corben.
Screw it, I like Kimbo. Even Joe Rogan said for how fixed it looked, Kimbo still jacked Shamrock up, and I'll be content if they keep feeding him cans for free for my amusement. Maybe toss James Toney back in the ring....I could see Walker too.
Aye, Bellator certainly has the old freakshow feel about it since Coker took over and took it in that direction. Almost Pride like booking, with the legitimate talent mostly in the lower weightclasses, and the odd killer tearing shit up in the heaviers. I would imagine they are aiming for a Lashley vs. Kimbo, but there are numerous fights they could put on that would get plenty of attention. I am still waiting for the Lashley vs/ Pudzianowski fight. Is Bob Sapp still taking dives? There is Kimbo's next opponent!
That rating and the one for Tito v Bonnar (their previous record) show that the casual fan and general public are drawn by stars and not by great fights.
It's why these guys can do big ratings and be classed as successful, despite being low on skills and well past their primes.
Then you get someone like Mighty Mouse, who is probably one of the top 3 pound for pound fighters around, cleans out his division and he can't draw a dime on PPV.
Personality and star aura are so important, especially with a show like Bellator which is a TV promotion and so ratings are its life blood.
It's the old argument of sport vs. business and Bellator are so close to a pro wrestling promotion these days, it wouldn't shock me if a few fights are 'booked' to give them the outcomes they're looking for. I don't know if they'd go so far as to fix an outcome, though I wouldn't be surprised, because this is about making money and drawing ratings and so far that's what they're doing.
The only UFC show to draw more TV viewers than these two Belator shows was McGregor vs. Siver - which was all to do with McGregor's personality, his promo ability and the UFC marketing machine behind him.
You can see why some MMA purists get so upset by this kind of thing, but it's what draws the general public and it's what pays the bills. Kind of like Mayweather or Trump at WM - you want to make big money, you need to draw the casual fan or the non-fan and you do that with stars, personalities and hype.
Mayweather/Manny buy rate is the perfect example of that. More than 4 million buys and they estimate that more than 2.4 million of those buys had never bought a boxing PPV before that fight.
Love it or hate it, Bellator have got a business model and a plan to get their name out there and get eye balls on the product. You then just have to hope that the guys like Chandler, Brooks or whoever catch the eye and become stars in their own right, but that's going to take some time and they'll probably need to play second fiddle to these kind of fights for a while longer.
I reckon Lashley would maul Kimbo as soon as he took him down, which if judging by that second take down Shamrock got, Lashley could do with one leg and his eyes closed!
I have never understood why the 'purists' are so against this sort of thing though, as it gives exposure to the real talent. Guys like Pitbull Friere, Weichel, Chandler, Brooks, Michael Page, get these guys on the undercard with these general public draws headlining and everybody wins. Pride were perfect example of this but plenty of organisations have done the same thing, and from it we got the likes of Dan Henderson, Takanori Gomi, Shogun Rua, Big Nog, Lil Nog, and so on and so on, fighters that possibly don't have the personality to market themselves but have show classed themselves when given the spotlight.
UFC has the size and drawing power, in my opinion, to put anyone in the main event and have the numbers pulled into be self sufficient, but they still see it as a viable method of promoting. Hiring CM Punk, bringing back Cro Cop, Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz.
Agree with whats been said here.
...in other news, Aldo fucked his ribs up and that fight is in jeopardy.
FUCK
Always a risk of injury when you announce and promote a fight for this long, but man, a fractured rib? What the fuck are these guys doing in their training so close to fights where they get a fractured rib for crying out loud. If I were in charge in the UFC, there would have be some serious questions asked of gyms and what they are doing when fights are just around the corner because the number of injuries that drop off within weeks of fight night is way too high.
They should start implementing fines or something within a month of a fight, if you get injured or something. UFC needs to do something to cover their ass....they have hyped and promoted this fight more than any fight that I can remember in recent memory, and now its looking like it'd all been a waste.
Hope they dont end up going with Mendes vs McGregor....that'd be a boring ass fight and too much risk if McGregor loses. I could see Mendes just all out wrestling Connor.
If he can't fight, they just need to postpone it, the rib injury can't be that severe and they have the ready made main event with Lawler vs. McDonald. UFC need to look at what his camp are doing, he has withdrawn from a lot of fights.
Quote from: Flins. on June 26, 2015, 12:16:26 PM
If he can't fight, they just need to postpone it, the rib injury can't be that severe and they have the ready made main event with Lawler vs. McDonald. UFC need to look at what his camp are doing, he has withdrawn from a lot of fights.
Agree 100%
around fighters need to step back in there training ... this has been a tend in the past couple of years , has the sport has grown , it sames like the fighters has step up there training and it causing a lot of training injuries. It time for them to look at ow they train and for how long . maybe shorten the camp or cut back on drills something , because it hurting the sport overall when big fight get cancel or postpone due to one of the fighters getting hurt and pulling out .
over-training is an reality and UFC needs to step in take a serious look at it
Yeah, there really is no upside to putting Mendes up against Aldo. Because if Mendes wins that fight, there goes the big money fight with Aldo. However, if he were to beat Mendes, it would increase the excitement of the fight, but really, I think the fight already has so much buzz going for it, a little bit more doesn't help that greatly. In this situation the risk far outweighs the gain.
If Aldo can't go... postpone the fight another month or two... led Lawler/MacD main event and cash in.
Sam is absolutely obliterating the competition in pick'ems. Back to back cards getting 3 fights dead on and getting the 6 point bonus.
Sam, huge props... it's going to take someone to explode in the second half of the season to catch you... or an epic collapse by you.
Cheers buddy, I always put an accumlator bet on when I do my picks, so the last few weekends have been very profitable!
Still plenty of time for me to collapse though!
Here's something - any of you guys ever listen to Joe Rogan's 'fight companion' shows when he gets together with Brendan Shaub and a couple of other guys to watch the fights and comment on them as they're happening? If you haven't, they're really worth a listen. Some damn funny stuff and also some great insight from different guys on the fights. Also Shaub is a funny guy, I would never have guessed that from his UFC promos and interviews.
Sam is spanking us, gay jesus Christ.
In other ways, solid night of fights. Getting to watch Machida get knocked out is always awesome, as well as that unreal head kick knockout from generic Brazilian name guy on Steve Bosse
Aldo Out, Mendes In
Fight will be for interim FW title.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO disappointed in this!
http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/13177577/jose-aldo-ufc-189-bout-conor-mcgregor-rib-injury (http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/13177577/jose-aldo-ufc-189-bout-conor-mcgregor-rib-injury)
Stupid decision. At least McGregor has had some time to prepare for Mendes. I do think McGregor stands a better chance against Mendes, but its time we saw him against a really talented grappler. The number of title fights that have been getting re-arranged through injury, it is really frustrating as a fan. No idea why they couldn't delay it.
So disappointing. May be the biggest set of blue balls from a fight ever.
Quote from: Flins. on July 01, 2015, 05:52:45 AM
Stupid decision. At least McGregor has had some time to prepare for Mendes. I do think McGregor stands a better chance against Mendes, but its time we saw him against a really talented grappler. The number of title fights that have been getting re-arranged through injury, it is really frustrating as a fan. No idea why they couldn't delay it.
I don't know man... McGregor could have said no, but he's doing it for all the Ireland fans who had already paid for plane fare and tickets to watch him fight.
If anything, I like the guy so much more because he didn't take the easy road.
If he beats Mendes, then he truly deserves to be given the next title shot.
For UFC it goes one or two ways... their cash cow loses and has to work is way back up for a fight against Aldo, with far less hype around it. Or he beats Mendes and his stock crashes through the roof and the fight vs. Aldo is even bigger then ever. I'm sure hoping for the latter.
the one thing about mma that is truth , nobody stays unbeaten , if your going to be the champion , you got to beat all comers
you either prove your the best or you get out of the way
With all this Aldo/Conner/Mendes talk does anyone remember the other title fight on saturday?
Quote from: TimBucktuo on July 02, 2015, 11:53:36 PM
With all this Aldo/Conner/Mendes talk does anyone remember the other title fight on saturday?
Im torn. Lawler is a beast and such a sick fighter but the more Canadian champions the better.
There would probably be more interest in the fight if they hadn't already fought in a pretty lopsided bout. I do think MacDonald has the ability and coaching around him to have grown a lot since then.
And I'll be honest, Jon, I hadn't thought about the Irish fans coming over, that is a good point. I would've been happy with him fighting Edgar/Mendes/Aldo, the frustration just comes with how close it is to the fight with all the promotion prior to it. I also, think it is an easier fight for McGregor.
You can get a great parlay bet on Lawler and Mendez, both betting underdogs at the moment. Might stick a few bucks on them to be honest.
Quote from: Duckman on July 06, 2015, 03:50:45 AM
You can get a great parlay bet on Lawler and Mendez, both betting underdogs at the moment. Might stick a few bucks on them to be honest.
I'd do it, as good a chance as anyone to upset.
So Gilbert Melendez is pooched eh
Yep, another one bites the dust. Funny thing is, when I saw Mendenz at the last show, his body looked more like a guy who was now off roids - he looked a lot softer than in previous years. Although he's never really had a massive roid look about him, he certainly looked smaller, especially around the chest.
He's said he didn't inject anything and went with the old 'blame the supplements' routine. Pretty sad really.
Really tough for me, Gil has been in my personal top 5 for quite some time now......time to cross him off that list.
Sadly he probably won't be the last buddy. I get the feeling in the next year or so we're going to see a lot of guys fall.
Best PPV in easily a few years, amazing night of fights.
Quote from: Cory on July 12, 2015, 12:39:31 AM
Best PPV in easily a few years, amazing night of fights.
Might be my favorite of all time.
What a night of fights.
LIVED
UP
TO
THE
HYPE!
That undercard though. Thank heaven for Matt brown. Before that it was super slow then we had brown, Gunnar/thatch and just kept building from there.
Wow Rory nose though, I had my nose fix not long ago and it was a super horrible surgery recovery. Mine nowhere near as bad as Rory nose though, that thing was pulverized flat and twisted.
Quote from: TimBucktuo on July 12, 2015, 01:38:14 AM
That undercard though. Thank heaven for Matt brown. Before that it was super slow then we had brown, Gunnar/thatch and just kept building from there.
Wow Rory nose though, I had my nose fix not long ago and it was a super horrible surgery recovery. Mine nowhere near as bad as Rory nose though, that thing was pulverized flat and twisted.
Prelims is not on PPV.
I hope we see Rory/Lawler III down the road, and Aldo/McGregor is going to be the most hyped fight in UFC history, I bet they wait till Super Bowl weekend or something.
Probably the best PPV they've ever put on. All the fights were awesome, two crazy flying knee finishes, a couple of FOTY contenders and two awesome Title fights. Plus new music, graphics (loved that 3D shit on the octagon before the two title fights) and I actually liked the more sports team/professional look with the uniforms.
Plus Conor passed the test and became a star for them. That fight with Aldo will be a monster draw!
Can't ask for a better show than that. Loved every minute of it.
It was a great card. I've not since any fights other than the main card, but man, they are going to have a top time beating that. Wish I had the ability to stay up late these days and watch it live and still enjoy it. Great matchmaking all round, some really competitive fights, and man Lawler/MacDonald has to be FOTY, right? What a war!
What a KO from Mir last night.
I'm still baffled on how Duffee was actually the favorite for that fight.
Guess everyone assumed Mir was totally shot. Didn't get to see the show but heard the KO was brutal.
That's Duffee's gimmick though - every win and every loss he's had have been by KO!
Also, I'm going to my first UFC show this weekend - their debut in Scotland at the 16,000 seat Hydro area in Glasgow. So damn excited for this show!!
Quote from: Duckman on July 16, 2015, 11:44:26 AM
Also, I'm going to my first UFC show this weekend - their debut in Scotland at the 16,000 seat Hydro area in Glasgow. So damn excited for this show!!
Enjoy it man, I'll never forget 113 or the Fight Night in Halifax.
Just hope Leites doesnt go all him v/s Anderson Silva on you.
I am going to be disappointed if you weren't singing along to Marley, Sam.
Enjoyable card so far bar a couple of fights, co-main was a little underwhelming, huge props to Pearson for escaping that armbar though, looked tight!
I'll be the first to admit that all the events the UFC has now a days kinda water downs the product, but i'll be a hypocrite and say it's been kinda nice having a fight card every weekend in July it seems.
Quote from: Cory on July 21, 2015, 01:57:34 PM
I'll be the first to admit that all the events the UFC has now a days kinda water downs the product, but i'll be a hypocrite and say it's been kinda nice having a fight card every weekend in July it seems.
I would agree that it waters down the product a bit, but UFC have shown the ability and capability to put on super cards. As long as they continue to have a huge card 3-4 times a year (maybe quarterly), then I'm quite alright with all these shows every weekend. It gives lesser known talent the spotlight for a night. So in that aspect, it's really pretty cool.
I myself, like the fact that there is a fight card just about every weekend. But I'm sort of a diehard.
I find it a relief that theres so many cards. I used to be anxious the few times I missed a card. Now I get to choose which cards to watch. I wasn't excited about the recent Machida/Romero, Thompson/Ellenberger, and Bisping/Thales cards so I skipped them and it helped me enjoy the Mir/Duffee, Mendes/Connor/Rory/Lawler, and Cain/Werdum fights even more. Throw in a card that I literally only needed to watch to fights on (Jędrzejczyk/Penne and I love Tatsuya Kawajiri) and its been a fun summer so far for me.
Flins - I was singing along buddy. In fact the whole crowd was singing along. I felt a bit sorry for Leites cause I think he thought he was this huge babyface, but people just love singing and dancing to that song!
UFC in Glasgow was the best event I've ever been to. Better than any WWE show or gig. The atmosphere in the crowd was insane. There were some great fights and all three Scottish fighters won. I also loved the fact that a lot of the crowd were knowledgable about ground work etc - lots of rounds of applause for good reversals and transitions. I expected it to be more of the 'we paid for blood' kind of crowd but I was so pleased it wasn't. The crowd pop when Pearson got out of that armbar was crazy!
UFC put on a great show. It's like half MMA show, half gig with great music and light shows in between fights. Plus the hype videos through the night were really good to.
I'd encourage everyone, if you can afford it (and the tickets aren't cheap) to go to a live UFC show. It's such a different experience from watching on TV and me and my brother had a really great time.
I hope they come back to Scotland in the future cause I'll be first in line for tickets.
I remember a while back him and another cut guy called themselves the 'A team' and the others 'B team' and Dana got quite pissy about it.
For some reason I always expected him to be in the cross hairs and it looks like UFC have now fired him for speaking out about the Reebok deal. From Wrestling Observer:
Jacob "Stitch" Duran, regarded as the best cut man in the business, was fired today by UFC in a shocking move.
Duran just posted on Twitter in regard to a fan question based on stories this week that he had lost sponsors due to the Reebok deal, "You will be the first to know that the UFC just let me go because I spoke out about the Reebok deal. Got to look for a new job."
There's probably more to it (there usually is) but this does suck for him and the fighters who won't be getting the best cut treatment during fights anymore.
Ok, so the rumours are gathering pace that Fedor is coming back to MMA.
Where do you think he ends up and who do you think he fights?
GO!!
Bellator are doing a combined MMA/kickboxing show in September and yesterday they released a picture of what the area may look like:
http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/7/20/9004767/bellator-creates-rendering-of-dynamite-show-with-both-cage-and-ring (http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/7/20/9004767/bellator-creates-rendering-of-dynamite-show-with-both-cage-and-ring)
What do you think about this show as a concept? Will you watch it? I've got to admit, I've never been into kickboxing and only watched one or two fights, but I think I might check this out.
Bellator and fights Couture
Always liked K1, when Glory is on Spike I try to watch, so I'll catch this.
M1 global, Tom Sylvia or nobody we've heard of
I am praying to the MMA gods for this to be true.
Longshot? UFC, Vs. Bigfoot. Rematch that people wanna see!
If he goes bellator - him Vs. Lashley would pull big, I reckon. Please god, not Randy Couture. I love Randy, always have... but the dude's 52, and this is the Last Fucking Emperor...
Also, Arlovski would be a great rematch. I still remember fondly watchin the video of Fedors knocking Arlovski out in mid air as he went for a jumping knee.
Quote from: BamBamBunglow on July 22, 2015, 01:18:26 PM
I am praying to the MMA gods for this to be true.
Longshot? UFC, Vs. Bigfoot. Rematch that people wanna see!
No, no no no no and no.
Fedor 100% lost that fight because he was so undersized, and that hasnt changed, same would go for a fight with Lashley. I highly doubt Fedor would lose to Lashley but hes at an age that the freak show fight wouldnt be worth it.
He needs to fight smaller heavyweights, Couture has to be it.
...then again if M1 gets involved I wouldnt be surprised if its Fedor Emelianenko vs Hong Man Choi vs Kimbo Slice in a Knights Armour Triple Threat.
If it's Couture, I'm not watching it.
Couture should stay retired. The man has done enough and ZERO to prove to anyone.
He'll be in better condition than Shamrock & Kimbo.
if this is a cash grab ... The UFC would be the place where he would go to get the max money .
She is a bad bitch ... do not fuck with Rousey
34 seconds ... FUCK!
now she can throw punches ... be scared
How dominant is she right now ...
Counting tonight's #UFC190, her last four fights have lasted a combined 130 seconds!
My God ... her problem is what Mike Tyson face in his prime . She needs opponent we believe will have chance to beat her . That quote is from Max Kellerman and I agree... to think I would see rise of another fighter as dominant in there sport now as Tyson was back in the 80's again in my lifetime ... unbelievable
Rowdy with a KO on the day Rowdy passes away.
So fitting.
:'(
It is very impressive how she has adapted her game and improved to become the beast that she is, but lets not get carried away with this performance, this was probably her weakest challenger so far. The hype from the UFC was solid and built Bethe up as a rival, but yeah, she is no Meisha Tate.
The question with Rousey that will always remain, is Cyborg. And it is such a shame that they can't seem to make an agreement with the weight class. Rousey won't be around for many more years, so no doubt she'll be looking to cement her legacy in the sport and move on to the next chapter. Baffles me that Cyborg isn't interested enough in that payday to cut the weight. I think Rousey will retire off of her next fight with Meisha, she is already the next in line if we are looking at rankings, but she is also the only fighter to give Rousey an actual fight. Hopefully we see her against the likes of Holm and Cyborg before then, but that does seem the more likely scenario.
I would also love to see her fight Jedrzejczyk, but that is more of a GSP vs. Anderson Silva sort of match up (bit of hyperbole there). Joanna would tear her up in the stand up, but you'd have to wonder how long it would take Rousey to get her down.
I would rather see Zingano get another chance seeing as how Zingano destroyed Miesha....I literally have -5 intrest in Rousey/Tate III.
But yeah, Rousey is amazing, also props for shouting out Hot Rod last night.
The Zingano/Tate fight was pretty competitive up until the finish ???
Quote from: Flins. on August 02, 2015, 06:53:01 PM
The Zingano/Tate fight was pretty competitive up until the finish ???
Yeah, 1st round was fairly even but that finish = destruction.
Its going to take a good power striker to have any chance against Ronda, and thats only if Ronda wants to stand and bang. Cyborg and Zingano are the only 2 females right now with the power and ability to knock Ronda out.
I actually think Tate is the best matchup against Ronda and she destroys her.
Ronda would beat Cat in under a minute again and I think she's dismantle Cyborg just the same.
we already seen what she can do with against Zingano... I am not looking forward to another fight with Tate . we seen it before, right now she at the top of her game , it going to take someone who can keep her at distance and stuff her takedowns , I don't see that happening in the near future
Quote from: Jon on August 02, 2015, 08:40:25 PM
I actually think Tate is the best matchup against Ronda and she destroys her.
Ronda would beat Cat in under a minute again and I think she's dismantle Cyborg just the same.
same thoughts here
My problem with Cyborg is what is she like off roids? Does she actually keep that power, or does she end up like Vitor - a deflated shell of the former fighter?
It seems beyond me that some fighters can cut 15-25 pounds and Cyborg can't drop 5 lbs of muscle from her frame and then cut 5 pounts to make the weight Ronda fights at.
Any argument about a catch weight or Ronda moving up is a totally moot point because it's not up to the dominant, mainstream, rapidly becoming iconic champion, to make any kind of concessions like that for a title contender.
The ball is completely in Cyborg's court and in the next 8-12 months she makes the changes needed to get to 135 or that fight never happens and that's on her, not Ronda or UFC. If she physically can't do it, then so be it, that's just the way it goes.
Personally I don't see Holm, Cat, Tate or anyone else coming close to being able to beat Ronda. Especially as Ronda is so dialed in and intent on being the greatest female fighter of all time and retiring undefeated. If any fight could have been the one where she slips up (head turned by SI cover, movies, tons of publicity and money) it would've been this one. Instead she looked better and more focused that ever and just destoryed this chick at her own game - a game which was highly over hyped by UFC, nothing Betche did against any of her past opponents made me worry for Ronda.
I even won £20 on betting Ronda would finish the fight inside the first 2 minutes. Should've gone for the minute and I'd have made even more!
I think she fights and owns Tate in December, does some movies and then we get her vs Cyborg next summer or not at all.
I just think it's awesome to watch a competitor come in and complete change the perception of a sport, how someone can compete and in it and bring it all kinds of mainstream attention. Plus she's going to inspire a whole new generation to take up the sport and keep women's MMA healthy for years to come.
She's doing great things and it's cool to be able to witness it first hand.
Going to the UFC event this weekend, watch for me in the crowd. Ill be in my fight gear, 4th row from the cage.
Quote from: TimBucktuo on August 18, 2015, 11:59:32 PM
Going to the UFC event this weekend, watch for me in the crowd. Ill be in my fight gear, 4th row from the cage.
enjoy yourself man
Holm vs Rousey announced, and thats about as one sided you could get.
What a fight that was last night, also shout out to Franchise for the Perfect Pick Em. All fights correct, + 12pts worth of bonus pts. Might be able to catch Sam here with a strong final quarter.
That was an incredible fight. Complete warriors, both of them. Helped what was a pretty boring show up to that point.
Franchise and his tactic of only ever predicting decisions paid off big time! Well done buddy. Going to make the final few months of shows really interesting.
Thanks! I didn't expect to see that as the results. I was expecting maybe like 5 or 6 points but not that.
I still hate DC *grumbles*
Arguably one of the greatest fighters in MMA history has been officially reinstated by the UFC after a hit-and-run situation sidelined Jon Jones for several months.
The UFC announced today that they've lifted their suspension on the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, who was forced to vacate his championship after fleeing from the scene of an accident in April. Jones' foe Daniel Cormier went on to win the title.
Last month, Jones plead guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, and was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation, with authorization to travel for work-related reasons. He's also mandated to do 72 appearances for charity or youth outreach in order to avoid a felony charge.
UFC and Jon Jones both commented on the news. You can see UFC's official statement below.
"We've made it clear to Jon that this new opportunity to compete in UFC is a privilege and not a right, and that there are significant expectations we have regarding his conduct moving forward," said UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. "We're happy to read and see reports that he has embraced the terms of his plea agreement and is using this experience to grow and develop as a person."
"I am thankful to be able to do what I love once again and I look forward to proving myself as a champion in and outside of the Octagon," Jones said.
Source: WrestlingInc
Big ups to Holm for pull off the upset ... well done . Can not wait for the Rematch ... Now we get to see true measure of Rousey , Can see pick herself up and come back strong. That mark of a true champion. How you handle yourself after you lose. Everyone loses in MMA. no stays unbeaten in the octagon.
Quote from: Cory on August 21, 2015, 02:51:35 PM
Holm vs Rousey announced, and thats about as one sided you could get.
You turned out to be right, but I'm pretty sure now how you meant it...
There is still no way that fight was a bigger upset than Serra/GSP, nothing will ever touch that.
I think to the mainstream public it is a bigger upset. Just for the level that Ronda had been pushed to with the general public and all the new fans she's brought in for her fights. None of them even thought for one second that she'd lose, let alone in the way she did - being completely picked apart and made to look foolish in there.
Serra caught GSP with a punch early that knocked him loopy. Holm took Ronda apart and I think that the nature of the defeat makes it a bigger upset to me anyway.
I get that, but to MMA fans Holm is without a doubt a top 5 female fighter in the world, IMO I had her right after Rousey and Cyborg and Joanna, so that puts her at #4.
Serra won the TUF where the scrubs got to fight their way back into the UFC and win a title shot, Serra wouldn't have been even close to top 10 Welterweights (wouldnt be surprised if he was in the 20s) in the UFC and KOing GSP after he dominated the legends of the division in Penn and Hughes.
Both big upsets but like the Ronda hype train, I believe the magnitude of this upset is too getting far too overhyped.
Honestly, what surprised me the most about the fight were the grappling mistakes Ronda made. For people that know me here, you know I spend a bit of time (it's not obsessive...) on the mat. There were 3 main grappling exchanges, Ronda made simple mistakes in each that she wouldn't have made 3 years ago. First exchange, holm had her arm across rouseys hip and back against the fence. Her hip was low and away, your not landing a throw from there but takedowns are pretty easy. Second exchange, holm was on the ground and Rousey was looking for an armbar. Smart money would be maintain position and work control until you can advance. She threw for the armbar and holm got up. Had she maintained position, who knows what could have happened. Third exchange, Rousey went for a hip toss/drag when holms hip was beneath hers. You don't get throws unless you control the hip, my first month students know that.
Most of my big wins in wrestling came from guys who'd been dominant for so long that they grow overconfident in techniques that aren't wise. Guys who come from schools where they have to grit it out for a long time have always given me more issues. Rouseys dominance caused her to give up on the basics (she stopped reeping a few fights ago to set up the throw).
That's what shocked me most lol
Was I shocked Rousey lost? Absolutely.
I mean, Holm didn't even look great in her first few fights in the UFC and I thought she was not ready for a fight like this.
What I've seen over the past year or two... maybe even three... is a Ronda Rousey is more then just a UFC fighter. She does a ton of shit on the side. TV Shows. Movies. Commercials. UFC promoting shit. I just think she has been extremely lucky that here not being 100% focused on her fights hasn't caught up to her until now.
This may be an unpopular opinion based on how bad she was beat up... but I think the Holm win was a fluke. It was a combination of one person really focused and well prepared and the other limping into another fight THINKING it'll be another easy fight. The gameplan by Holm's camp was perfect for the gameplan by Rousey's.
There will be a rematch. And while I don't think it'll be a walk in the park for Ronda... I do fully expect her to be more focused. Better prepared. And will reclaim the title with a first round submission.
I HOPE! I PRAY! Vegas decides to back Holm on the rematch, because I'd love to cash-in on that!
Of course... it could go the other way as well...
Maybe this loss deflates her. And she spirals downward. Definitely a possibility.
My girl will be back though! #ROWDYNATION
Quote from: Jon on November 19, 2015, 09:28:45 PM
Was I shocked Rousey lost? Absolutely.
I mean, Holm didn't even look great in her first few fights in the UFC and I thought she was not ready for a fight like this.
What I've seen over the past year or two... maybe even three... is a Ronda Rousey is more then just a UFC fighter. She does a ton of shit on the side. TV Shows. Movies. Commercials. UFC promoting shit. I just think she has been extremely lucky that here not being 100% focused on her fights hasn't caught up to her until now.
This may be an unpopular opinion based on how bad she was beat up... but I think the Holm win was a fluke. It was a combination of one person really focused and well prepared and the other limping into another fight THINKING it'll be another easy fight. The gameplan by Holm's camp was perfect for the gameplan by Rousey's.
There will be a rematch. And while I don't think it'll be a walk in the park for Ronda... I do fully expect her to be more focused. Better prepared. And will reclaim the title with a first round submission.
I HOPE! I PRAY! Vegas decides to back Holm on the rematch, because I'd love to cash-in on that!
Of course... it could go the other way as well...
Maybe this loss deflates her. And she spirals downward. Definitely a possibility.
My girl will be back though! #ROWDYNATION
I agree with all of this, and as a Ronda fan since day 1 I kinda like the loss derailing her hype train a bit. It was starting to get a tad too much for my liking.
The win certainly wasn't a fluke, that is for sure. However, the re-match, which looks like it is going to happen, will be a completely different fight. Rousey has the skill set to beat Holly, but in this fight, she fought stupid, bull-rushing the counter-striker and just getting popped in the face. She did catch Holly a few times, which Rogan & Co never seemed to mention, but that is just how the UFC commentary goes, they tend to home in one fighter and sell the crap out of what they are doing. Rousey caught her, and she was unfazed. Probably because she has spent the better part of her career get smacked in the face by fighters that are dedicated boxers, not a Judo athlete who has been boxing for a couple of years. Rousey should've fought harder for the take down, because that is where she wins the fight. She just wasn't able to creatively close the distance on Holly, and when she did, she seemed too winded to take advantage.
The big thing though is Rousey has never been knocked down/ out before and she lacks the ring craft to clear distance without rushing in. It'll be that same mind game but Holm has been there before so she will be calmer and more adjusted. She'll also have had another fight camp to prepare for Rousey's game.
I don't see Rousey's camp having the boxing in place to prepare Rousey for cutting the ring. Fact is, she's not at an elite gym. Her coaches outside of her grappling aren't elite trainers. There's probably a hundred videos of Ronda training with Edmond Tarverdyan and in not one of those videos do I see anything other than throw some punches, step throw some punches, move, throw some punches, step. If you look at great kick boxing coaches, they know that anyone can throw a punch hard and so its the least of your worries. Ive trained with tons of good kick boxing coaches and one truly elite coach and I can tell you that Tarverdyan is not an elite coach. The elite coach I trained with (only a few times, I couldn't keep up with his class. Im starting to get to the point where my striking is good enough but not quite sharp enough yet) emphasized knowing where you should be, out stepping your opponent, cutting off the ring, and being a step to the outside. When he sees me sparring, he usually screams 'position! control! strike!' (because I always yell 'position, control, submission/takedown' to me grapplers').
What I'm trying to say is Holm has huge advantages going into the second fight. Where it stands, Rousey's team won't be able to prepare her enough to clear in for the takedown safely. Rousey will be much more desperate in the fight. Rousey's aura on invincibility is gone in her head, she needs a better coach to prepare her on how to survive damage without fear.
I think Rousey will win the rematch but I wouldn't put too much money on it.
Im biased though. Rousey's strengths are similar to mine, her weaknesses the same. I learnt more from her loss than I'd like to admit to make me into a better fighter.
Oh, if you guys haven't checked it yet, MMA's greatest journalist Jack Slack did a breakdown of Holms and Rousey's striking.
http://fightland.vice.com/blog/how-holly-holm-killed-queen-ronda-rousey (http://fightland.vice.com/blog/how-holly-holm-killed-queen-ronda-rousey)
This season of TUF was excellent, all those who haven't watched it check it out.
And shit, might actually have to fork over the $60 to get the fights on PPV this weekend, Aldo/McGregor is going to be sick
Quote from: Cory on December 10, 2015, 12:40:55 PM
This season of TUF was excellent, all those who haven't watched it check it out.
And shit, might actually have to fork over the $60 to get the fights on PPV this weekend, Aldo/McGregor is going to be sick
This season of TUF was the best one since Rousey/Tate did it.
Some really good personalities... obviously Conor on there was money.
I'm really bummed that Rogers had visa problems and had to be replaced though.
Does it matter? Lobov woulda KO'd anyone in the house, with his nasty 10-11-1-1 record.
It was deflating to see Rogers not get that spot in the final, I think it was pretty clear he was the best fighter in the house in terms of all round ability. Hall is essentially McKenzie MKII, but he lied on his VISA, what was he expecting? We'll probably see him pop up on a card outside of the US.
This the first time the two guys in the final both lost on the show? I remember guys like Court McGee and a couple of others that lost and got there, but I can't think of it happening with both.
Some great fights over the next three days. The whole main card of 194 is stacked. Edgar vs. Mendes, Barboza vs. Ferguson from the finale. You've got Northcutt, Theodorou and Sterling on the Van Zant card.
And next week, Dos Santos vs. Overeem! They are finally going to fight!
Wow, I wish that was at least 3 round war but got damn, Connor did everything he said he'd do. With Rousey going down, UFC NEEDED that.
I feel really gutted for Aldo, and I think the rematch will be the fight everyone wants to see....then again does 14 seconds count for knocking off ring rust?
Happy for Connor, really enjoy both him and Aldo...just hope they have an immediate rematch.
Ugh, McGregor doesnt want to make the 145 cut anymore....fuck you. He needs to do Aldo II and Edgar before 155.
Quote from: Cory on December 13, 2015, 11:11:12 AM
Ugh, McGregor doesnt want to make the 145 cut anymore....fuck you. He needs to do Aldo II and Edgar before 155.
Why? The lightweight division needs him. And the 145 cut is hard on him. I'd be alright with Edgar beating Aldo in their rematch for the vacant belt.
But yeah, McGregor would beat both, so doesn't really matter to me.
After the guy killed himself trying to make weight in One FC, and the recent IV ban, I think we will see quite a few fighters going back to their 'natural' weight class.
I'm also against the idea of an immediate rematch. It practically destroyed any mistique the Lightweight title had for around 3 or 4 years because we were constantly seeing the same guys fight each other. That was what made the Featherweight division one of the more exciting divisions.
Next few title matches should be:
Holm vs. Tate
Rockhold vs. Romero
McGregor vs. Edgar
Or if he decides to move up:
McGregor vs. RDA (or Cerrone)
Edgar vs. Holloway
CONGRATULATIONS SAM!
Winner of the 2015 MMA Pick'Em League!
Here is your prize: (http://www.marksforxcellence.com/userbars/ufcmfx5.png)
You fell 6 points shy of matching my mark from last season though! I can't make you feel too good!
Hell of a season though as you beat Franchise and myself by 64 points.
what domination, we should be calling you Sam McGregor.
Maybe I'll be able to get my head out of my ass for 2016
Thanks lads! I've finally achieved something I can talk about at job interviews!!
Thanks to everyone who played and to Jon and Cory for keeping the threads updated and keeping the game going. Awesome work lads.
Here's to 2016.
great job sam , had a good start bu my year fell apart ... well on to 2016
WHAT A FINAL ROUND!
AWFUL DECISION, and I'm a Lawler fan.
I wouldn't say awful decision. It depends on how you judge that 3rd round. I had it for Condit... but I can see the argument for Lawler there too. Super close fight. Super close decision.
Absolutely gutted for Condit though, as he deserves to wear that strap.
I had it 4 rounds to 1 for condit. Mind you, my stream was choppy for the 3rd but other than 20 seconds or so in the second after lawler knocked condit over (I don't consider that a lnockdown), it was all condit.
But fantastic footwork by condit, some of the best I've seen at ww in a long time. Outside, safe to punch, inside, better kick. Whenever lawler stepped one, condit responded appropriately. You could tell lawler was focused on landing the punch while condit was focused on the feet. Beautiful.
Quote from: TimBucktuo on January 03, 2016, 12:50:18 PM
I had it 4 rounds to 1 for condit. Mind you, my stream was choppy for the 3rd but other than 20 seconds or so in the second after lawler knocked condit over (I don't consider that a lnockdown), it was all condit.
But fantastic footwork by condit, some of the best I've seen at ww in a long time. Outside, safe to punch, inside, better kick. Whenever lawler stepped one, condit responded appropriately. You could tell lawler was focused on landing the punch while condit was focused on the feet. Beautiful.
It was definitely a knock down in the 2nd. Lawler out struck and did more damage than Condit in the 2nd and 5th. I think it's a no brainer that Condit won the 1st and 4th and Lawler won the 2nd and 5th. It comes down to what you look for in the 3rd.
I agree, wasn't a total robbery as that 3rd round was SO close. I had it for Condit.
Still, you can't really complain when you get a 5th round like that! Everything that makes me love the sport of MMA and have utter respect for the guys who compete in it. Just insane heart, intensity and never say die attitude from both guys.
Lawler is such a maniac though. I mean how many crazy five round wars has he had since coming back to UFC? Just a pure warrior and for a guy his age, it's crazy to see him keep performing like that.
Was utterly gutted for Condit though as he's one of my favourite fighters to watch and I really did think he'd done enough to win the title.
If he doesn't retire, I'd love to see a rematch between these two.
Plus, there's the small matter of Cruz/Dillashaw this week which should be nuts as well!! Poor TJ got owned when they did that face to face interview, but I don't think the fight will be that one sided. You guys looking forward to that one?
Dislike both of those guys so lets hope for a double KO, and Bibiano Fernandez to run from the crowd and steal the belt!
As reported here: http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/1/7/10734624/blockbuster-conor-mcgregor-vs-rafael-dos-anjos-holly-holm-vs-miesha (http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/1/7/10734624/blockbuster-conor-mcgregor-vs-rafael-dos-anjos-holly-holm-vs-miesha)
It looks like UFC are lining up two huge Title matches for their March PPV with Conor McGregor moving up to LW to try and become a 2 weight champion at the same time. Plus Holly Holm will defend her Title against Miesha Tate.
Wow, that's going to be a huge buy rate - red panty night for Mrs Dos Anjos too!
What do you guys think about all this?
I think its too soo for McGregor to move up a weight, he's acting like he's cleaned out the division and has to move up to find adequate challengers. Aldo rematch, Edgar, even Holloway are still in his division.
The fight itself however as someone who doesn't particularly like dos Anjos, I'd like to see McGregor knock him out.
Still think if you made this a rematch card and had Aldo/McGregor 2 and Rousey/Holm 2 it'd be the mic drop of event announcements. (Obviously with Rouseys obligations it couldn't happen, but still)
damn Johnson is a scary man, just not again wrestlers with gameplans
and big showing from Sam in the pick ems, 18 points! Fotn and 3 fights dead on bonuses, nice job. Hope you placed a few bills on the fights.
Thompson looked hella impressive, destroyed big rigg
He really did. Hendricks looks like a different guy. I know he was getting his weight under control, but he just looked like he had no power and couldn't even keep a guy like Thompson down. You guys think it's just the weight cut/change of camp for him, or has the drug testing really changed so many guys?
Seems to me we're seeing sluggish performances from guys who used to be killers. We're seeing a lot of smaller and softer physiques since the enhanced drug testing and harsher penalties came in. It can only be a good thing to make the sport safer and fairer, but man, some guys just look and fight completely differently these days.
Also, that Roy Nelson fight has to be one of the worst I've ever watched. Rosholt was pathetic. He didn't even look like he wanted to fight.
On Thompson, where does he fit in the division for you guys? I reckon he's a win or maybe two away from a Title shot at the moment. Maybe match him up with Woodley, the winner gets the shot?
Quote from: Duckman on February 09, 2016, 03:46:07 AM
On Thompson, where does he fit in the division for you guys? I reckon he's a win or maybe two away from a Title shot at the moment. Maybe match him up with Woodley, the winner gets the shot?
Hearing McGregor wants 170 too if he beats RDA, but I agree with Thompson and Woodley for number one contender.
Also, RIP Kevin Randleman. Passed away at 44, PRIDE legend.
McGregor at 170 sounds insane. I thought that was his walk around weight. Lawler and the rest walk around at 190-200. It'd be a really big fight, but I could see Conor getting mauled by Lawler. Badly.
Not gonna lie, always get hyped watching Kimbo fight. Should be a fun night of trash fights at Bellator 149
Quote from: Cory on February 15, 2016, 01:09:05 PM
Not gonna lie, always get hyped watching Kimbo fight. Should be a fun night of trash fights at Bellator 149
Not even gonna waste my time with it.
Quote from: Jon on February 15, 2016, 01:10:16 PM
Not even gonna waste my time with it.
BUT.....BUT
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFJSuXA1ez4#)
that Kimbo "fight" was the funniest shit ive ever seen
RDA broke his foot... out of the UFC 196 card.
That SUCKKKKKKKKKKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't understand what these fighters are doing to themselves being so close to fight night. Inexcusable.
They're scared to fight Mcgregor.
Have to tip my hat to McGregor for taking this fight with Diaz at 170lbs. For all the criticism he has given others for not taking fights on short notice, he is a man of his word and I respect that about him.
This is a lose/lose fight for McGregor though. I don't think anyone expects him to lose to Diaz so a loss could hurt that aura of invincibility he has right now. While a win isn't going to really impress anyone other than we get a look at how he looks at WW after saying he'd beat Lawler.
For Diaz it's like winning the damn lottery. If he wins... probably has the next title shot or REAL close to one. If he loses, he still makes an ass load of money doing so.
The real winner is the fans though as the card without McGregor is just awful. While McGregor vs. Diaz isn't McGregor/RDA or Aldo or Edgar.... it still is a potential fun fight that saves the card from passable to watchable.
I already liked McGregor a lot before this and I really REALLY like him now.
I'm a McGregor fan for sure. I'd watch him fight anyone.
I agree, was always a big fan of his and glad they went with Diaz over Cerrone.....the war of words for the next few weeks is going to be damn good.
Big mark for McGregor. I think he's the smartest businessman in UFC history. He's taken what Chael did, but backed it up by winning fights and capturing the whole of Ireland to have his back. Every single pro wrestler should watch his interviews and learn how to get a character across and sell fights.
I see him winning this fight without too much hassle. Nate looked great in his last fight, but that was off a full camp. With 12 days notice I don't see him being anywhere near the level he'll need to be at to beat McGregor - who is coming off a full camp and now doesn't need to worry so much about wrestling as RDA is out the fight.
I can see this going maybe 2 rounds before McGregor stops him.
Then it'll be RDA at UFC200 - which seems like a show that needs McGregor main eventing now that Ronda is out for the year by the looks of things. Then again, if McGregor does win a bigger fight for UFC200 is probably Robbie Lawler.
Either way, exciting times for McGregor and some of the promos he's cut so far have been awesome. Especially the bit about how everyone else phones their wives to celebrate red panty night, and Nate can only call Nick!
Should be a fun fight anyway, which all McGregor's fights tend to be!
Gutted RDA is out but it's a McGregor fight, so I'll be watching for sure.
(http://i.imgur.com/xzFQbZP.png)
Just giving away money, 209 all day. Myself and two other buddies cleaned up over $2000 on these two fights....shoulda went risky with the pick ems too.
That UFC on Fox card is fucking stacked.
t's official. Invicta FC Featherweight Champion and former Strikeforce Featherweight Champion Cris "Cyborg" Justino has joined the UFC.
The news was mentioned as a possibility a few weeks ago on UFC Tonight, as the company wanted to stack the UFC 198 card in Brazil. She'll be on the show, taking on Leslie Smith (8-6-1) in a catchweight of 140 pounds.
A former Flyweight, Smith has competed at 135 pounds in the UFC, and is perhaps best known for her ear exploding during a fight with Jessica Eye in 2014.
The UFC released the following statement:
QuoteOne of the most feared fighters in the world is finally making her way to the Octagon, as Invicta FC featherweight champion Cris "Cyborg" Justino faces Leslie Smith at UFC 198 on May 14.
The bout, which takes place at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil, will be held at a catchweight of 140 pounds.
A native of Curitiba, the 30-year-old Justino (15-1, 1 NC) is unbeaten for over 10 years, and with 13 of her 15 pro wins coming by knockout, it's not surprising that she has soared to the top of every organization she has competed in. Owner of victories over Gina Carano, Marloes Coenen (twice), and Shayna Baszler, the former Strikeforce champion has compiled a 5-0 record with five knockouts as a member of the Invicta FC roster.
UFC 198 is indeed a loaded show, as Fabricio Werdum defends his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic. Also on the show are Anderson Silva, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Antonio Rogerio Noguiera and Vitor Belfort
Damn, would be even more hyped if the Rousey train wasn't derailed.
Cyborg v/s Miesha would be a destruction tho
Cyborg with testosterone testing is going to be a different fighter.
I don't think she can hang with the top of the womens division.
Quote from: Jon on March 28, 2016, 02:17:04 PM
Cyborg with testosterone testing is going to be a different fighter.
I don't think she can hang with the top of the womens division.
She's a bit late to the party but make sense to put her on this card if they want to sell out the stadium in Brazil. This move should've been made a few years back and she could've made some real money. It's weird to think she's been contracted to Zuffa for all this time, but fighting in Invicta to try and get her down to the weight class - which she's never actually done.
I doubt Ronda will look to do her any favours as she's got huge money fights with Tate and Holm. Plus she's got to get down to 135 to fight for the title, something she claimed she couldn't do medically. Which was total rubbish. I think this might be someone advising her finally giving her good advice - stop messing around crushing under skilled and smaller tomato cans in Invicta and get to the UFC while you can still make some money. Ronda and Holm losing has completely opened that division up and there's interesting fights to be made between Tate, Ronda and Holm - chuck in Cyborg and you've got a year's worth of fights that should do big business.
Will be interesting to see how she looks with the strict drug testing in UFC, lot of fighters (especially from Brazil) have looked like shells of their former selves in recent months.
Damn, Cormier hurt pulled out of fight....they're hoping its not too bad and he'll be back for 200.
He teased it earlier in the day, and now it appears to be official -- UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor has retired from mixed martial arts and will be pulled from the UFC 200 show.
McGregor tweeted that he was retiring early this afternoon, causing a firestorm. No reason for the retirement has been given, and many suspected that the 27-year old Irishman was either joking or leveraging for a better deal.
As it turns out, he seems serious, at least for now. UFC President Dana White appeared on ESPN to break the news to fans.
"Conor didn't want to come to Las Vegas and be part of any promotional training," White said. "He's in Iceland training. It doesn't make you exempt. We spend a lot of money on this stuff. Is Conor McGregor retiring? Only he can answer that question," White said. "I don't know. But he will not be a part of UFC 200."
White said that a replacement fight is being sought out for the UFC 200 main event. McGregor was scheduled to take on Nate Diaz in a re-match on the July card.
Rumor is, it has something to do with the fighter who was killed from injuries sustained in a fight from a small promotion that Conor McGregor attended ringside for.
I really hope this isn't the end of Mystic Mac, but if it is, what a pleasure it was to see him take over the MMA world.
If it's in his contract that he has to do promotional stuff, then he has to do the promotional stuff. I'm glad to see White taking a hard line on this and pulling him from the card for no-showing. Not doing so would set a precedent. Don't let inmates run the asylum.
shame though, I was pulling for Diaz to do the double :(
LOL! And now apparently Dia has announced his retirement. Not sure if he's trolling or not, but this is turning into a farce.
Its the same scenario back when Nick Diaz was going to fight GSP, he didn't do media and the fight got pulled.
I think its a good thing because I didn't want to see that fight again. Nate Diaz would beat him again, its has been and always will be an incredibly needless and tough matchup for McGregor. Hopefully this fight wont be rescheduled unless maybe Diaz wins some gold and they have two champions fight or something.
I agree with Jon in saying he's probably still very shook up about what happened, that's a really traumatic event to happen in something you do everyday. I can see Connor not wanting to be apart of promoting something he just witnessed a guy die in and needs some time to deal with it....the fact that he was training in Iceland yesterday shows it's a mental thing, not an injury or the like.
I can see McGregor taking time off until early 2017 where he'll fight Frankie Edgar maybe Super Bowl weekend.
Quote from: Cory on April 20, 2016, 12:02:32 PM
I can see McGregor taking time off until early 2017 where he'll fight Frankie Edgar maybe Super Bowl weekend.
In that scenario, it'd be the winner of the Aldo/Edgar fight.
Quote from: Jon on April 20, 2016, 02:04:50 PM
In that scenario, it'd be the winner of the Aldo/Edgar fight.
Oh right, either way no matter who that is = big $$
From his Facebook page this morning:
Quote
I am just trying to do my job and fight here.
I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote.
I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting.
There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the damn shop.
50 world tours, 200 press conferences, 1 million interviews, 2 million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I'm left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation. And the many distractions that led to this.
Nothing else was going through my mind.
It is time to go back and live the life that got me this life.
Sitting in a car on the way to some dump in Conneticut or somewhere, to speak to Tim and Suzie on the nobody gives a fuck morning show did not get me this life.
Talking to some lady that deep down doesn't give a fuck about what I'm doing, but just wants some sound bites so she can maybe get her little tight ass a nice raise, and I'm cool with that too, I've been giving you all raises. But I need to focus on me now.
I'm coming for my revenge here.
I flew an entire team to Portugal and to Iceland to make my adjustments in preparation and fix my errors I made with the weight and the cardio prep.
With the right adjustments and the right focus, I will finish what I started in that last fight.
I will not do this if I am back on the road handing out flyers again.
I will always play the game and play it better than anybody, but just for this one, where I am coming off a loss, I asked for some leeway where I can just train and focus. I did not shut down all media requests. I simply wanted a slight adjustment.
But it was denied.
There had been 10 million dollars allocated for the promotion of this event is what they told me.
So as a gesture of good will, I went and not only saved that 10 million dollars in promotion money, I then went and tripled it for them.
And all with one tweet.
Keep that 10 mill to promote the other bums that need it. My shows are good.
I must isolate myself now.
I am facing a taller, longer and heavier man. I need to prepare correctly this time.
I can not dance for you this time.
It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I've danced us all the way here.
Nate's little mush head looks good up on that stage these days. Stuff him in front of the camera for it.
He came in with no shit to do that last one. I'd already done press conferences, interviews and shot the ads before RDA pulled out.
Maybe I'll hit Cabo this time and skull some shots pre-fight with no obligation.
I'm doing what I need for me now.
It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way.
I feel the $400million I have generated for the company in my last three events, all inside 8 months, is enough to get me this slight leeway.
I am still ready to go for UFC 200.
I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions.
If this is not enough or they feel I have not deserved to sit this promotion run out this one time, well then I don't know what to say.
For the record also -
For USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations -
I AM NOT RETIRED.
*slow clap*
Quote from: Jack on April 21, 2016, 02:38:16 PM
Boo.
Not a fan of this at all.
Sounds like whining to me.
I think he has every right to whine.
He is literally making the promotion millions of dollars. And while he is getting paid a handsome amount... it's really nowhere near what he should be making for all the appearances and promotion work he does that he doesn't get paid for.
Changes need to happen in the UFC. I strongly feel they need a fighters union. And it's nice to see the top draw in the business stand up for what he believes is right.
I'm leaning more towards Jack on this debate....its the job. Everyone has done it before McGregor, just because he's blown up doesn't give him the right to think he's above protocol. If it truly was regarding the death he witnessed I would be approaching it differently but him not mentioning it in that Facebook post takes it off the board in this discussion.
Ronda Rousey was more popular than McGregor and she did all the promotional shit. During their big tears Anderson Silva and GSP did all of the promoting. Jon Jones when not drunk driving has did his duty promoting. McGregor has been the shining employee because its his job....and now to raise a stink simply because he got his ass beat last time is kinda a weak excuse and I'd side with the UFC overall on this one. Its their biggest show ever, they need all hands on deck more than ever especially with the reported $10 million ad budget.
HOWEVER, I think UFC isn't all good in this. I think they could have resolved this and gave McGregor some leeway considered he's bailed the UFC out on more than one occasion and has made all of his fights 'money' fights regardless of who he is facing. A good boss will scratch their prized employees back every now and again, especially one who has filled Dana's pockets more than anyone else in the last two years....instead Dana kinda threw him under the bus.
It's a tricky situation and I'm kinda stuck in the middle on it. McGregor is failing to do his job which brass tacks he's ultimately at fault but the UFC certainly could have handled this much better.
What do you guys think about the whole McGregor/Mayweather thing?
Quote from: Cory on May 19, 2016, 12:07:54 PM
What do you guys think about the whole McGregor/Mayweather thing?
Will never happen.
Supposedly Connor met with UFC today to figure out what he's going to do moving forward, probably getting something going for the NYC card.
Also from listening to one of the newer MMA Hour's, Joe Rogan is uncertain if he'll resign with the UFC when his contract is up in August. Really hope he stays, the commentary is significantly better with him rather Stann or Florian. DC isn't bad, but there's only one Joe Rogan.
I'm hit or miss with Rogan. He tends to picks sides more then Inlike as he acts like everything is a big shot landed, haha. But he has tremendous knowledge on the sport and accurately says moves, etc.
In todays random news, Mayhem Miller showed up 24lbs overweight for his Venator FC Middleweight Title Fight.
I needed a card where I beat everyone by a lot. I think I missed two cards. :(
Catching up though.
I don't chime in here a lot but I'm happy for Cody Garbrandt. He's from my hometown, went to my high school, etc. Not one of those fanboys attempting to latch onto hometown fame. Just happy for him.
Huge win too, one or two more wins and he'll earn a title shot I recon.
Las Vegas Aces sign Donald Foley to a 2 year 4.5MM deal
Whoops
LMAO
hahaha
so Ariel Helwani said Dana is close to finalizing Brock Lesnar for UFC 200 (vs Mark Hunt).
Id say 99.99% chance this would never happen with Brock being under contract and Vince not risking Brock losing amongst other things but Helwani is the most reliable source in MMA.
...and its confirmed. I've seen Mark Hunt or Fedor Emelianenko as potential matchups
Helwani was removed from the venue before the Bisping fight, had his press credentials taken and told he was banned for life from UFC events.
All because he posted this on twitter a short while before UFC wanted to make an announcement themselves.
Quote from: Dorling on June 05, 2016, 04:39:04 PM
Helwani was removed from the venue before the Bisping fight, had his press credentials taken and told he was banned for life from UFC events.
All because he posted this on twitter a short while before UFC wanted to make an announcement themselves.
I expect there to be a big backlash to that and the UFC to allow him back, but huge dick move. You're right it was about the Lesnar leak but rather find out who is leaking the info be it internally within the UFC or someone out of fight camps, UFC just bans Ariel and company.
Dick move on UFC or Helwani?
Quote from: Jon on June 05, 2016, 08:22:36 PM
Dick move on UFC or Helwani?
UFC.
Helwani was doing his job and UFC banned him as well as one of the best photographers in MMA because she was associated with Ariel.
I think Ariel is kinda a weiner but getting banned for doing your job is a dick move. It wasn't like he stole documents or anything, someone told the most famous MMA beat reporter one of the biggest news stories of the year and he reported it. Also, he tweeted they we're working on something, not that anything was finalized. I saw that tweet and still popped like crazy when Lesnar showed up in the new UFC 200 promo. Helwani's tweet did nothing too affect my surprise or reaction and I bet the same was for the majority....as 95% of people thought he was trolling or getting trolled with the Lesnar info.
As much as I respect Dana and Lorenzo and find their personalities relatable and entertaining for the most part, this screams of two high school bullies picking on a nerd simply because it's the quickest solution, not the right one.
Okay, was just checking... because yeah, Helwani did absolutely nothing wrong.
I'd be shocked if they didn't reinstate his credentials again before the next event.
And how about The Count! I was really happy for the guy. I have always liked him, but it's because I think he's pretty funny. And I didn't give him a shot in hell to beat Rockhold.
I thought Rockhold looked like a real bitch after he lost.
But he might have talked his way into a rubber rematch with him after the post fight presser. That was damn entertaining and there is some legit beef there between the two.
And it's officially Mark Hunt...
Quote from: Jon on June 06, 2016, 01:51:31 PM
And how about The Count! I was really happy for the guy. I have always liked him, but it's because I think he's pretty funny. And I didn't give him a shot in hell to beat Rockhold.
I thought Rockhold looked like a real bitch after he lost.
But he might have talked his way into a rubber rematch with him after the post fight presser. That was damn entertaining and there is some legit beef there between the two.
Agree excellent way to top one of the best cards of all time.
Quote from: BamBamBunglow on June 06, 2016, 02:00:41 PM
And it's officially Mark Hunt...
That's a fantastic fight, not as good as Fedor would have been from a pure freak show perspective, but that's still the best possible fight Lesnar could have took. MAYBE Shane Carwin, but Hunt has been active and will pose more of a challenge.
I honestly have no idea why WWE let this happen. Taking the fact that we assume Lesnar had this in his contract, it sounds like he had a one fight deal, rather than a UFC 200 specific deal. Still, WWE can't win in this situation, here's why.
All the carry-over they would get for Brock Lesnar, they already have. His tear in the UFC to coming back to WWE, if anyone was going to start watching WWE because of Brock and the UFC they would have done that already. WWE is/has/and will be targeting kids. Kids don't stay up to 1am watching UFC. Now, with Mark Hunt if Brock loses in Vince's eyes his monster, the streak ender just lost at the biggest UFC pay per view ever to (in Vince's mind) "Some fat Mexican" in Hunt. At least Fedor they could try and swing defeat as losing to debatably the greatest of all time, now it's Hunt and his 12-10-1 record.
UFC doesn't give a fuck about crossover, kids aren't watching UFC and if you're an adult wrestling fan and haven't started watching MMA, you're not going to start now. UFC got its biggest PPV draw of all time back and WWE has assumed ALL of the risk, with IMO not very much reward. Adults want to watch Brock fight, adult won't want to watch Brock in WWE. WWE gets some promotion for Summerslam out of it, but unless Brock wasn't resigning at any cost unless this fight was in his contract, this is an awful situation for the WWE.
Now the MMA fan in me can't wait. UFC 200 is going to be incredible.
Apparently it has been in the works for awhile, I'm assuming in his initial contract with WWE.
It certainly explains the Lesnar/Ambrose match at WrestleMania not being very violent as he didn't want to injure himself.
But he's just gonna get kicked in the gut and then fall over 3 minutes later...
(http://superluchas.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/fc141aovetkobles.gif)
Quote from: Fnord on June 06, 2016, 03:34:32 PM
But he's just gonna get kicked in the gut and then fall over 3 minutes later...
(http://superluchas.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/fc141aovetkobles.gif)
Well, that fight against Overeem was much different. First, Overeem tested positive for testosterone. Second, he was struggling with diverticulitis.
Hunt is more of a stand and bang. He'll throw a leg kick here and there... but he finishes people with his right hand.
Lesnar should be able to take him down and beat him up on the ground.
But Lesnar will have a bit of ring rust (sorry Dom, it's a real thing) and we'll see if he can avoid the right hook from Hunt.
for those that want some insight on the Helwani situation:
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLNsbQ6gv7U#)
.....and UFC reverse the ban.
Quote from: Jon on June 06, 2016, 03:41:15 PM
Lesnar should be able to take him down and beat him up on the ground.
I sincerely doubt that - Hunt has a pretty good take down defense. And by pretty good, I mean it took Werdum three attempts to get him off his feet.
I'm planning on putting a cheeky £5er on hunt to win in the first by knockout. Odds will be decent, and I reckon that's what will happen.
Quote from: BamBamBunglow on June 07, 2016, 05:11:35 AM
I sincerely doubt that - Hunt has a pretty good take down defense. And by pretty good, I mean it took Werdum three attempts to get him off his feet.
I'm planning on putting a cheeky £5er on hunt to win in the first by knockout. Odds will be decent, and I reckon that's what will happen.
Yup, betting on Mark Hunt and Nate Diaz is going to be good to my bank account hopefully.
Where do you beat 5ers at?
Quote from: Fnord on June 07, 2016, 01:46:50 PM
Where do you beat 5ers at?
send it to Franch and get him to bet it for you in Vegas lol.
Yep, my money is going on Hunt and Diaz for sure.
Brock is 39 soon, hasn't fought since 2011 and we just don't know how much has been taken out of him physically with his illness - he didn't fight anything like the monster he was after his illness. Plus Hunt is a KO artist and has very under rated takedown defence. This is not an easy fight for Brock by any means. Plenty of risk here.
It's a really interesting time in UFC, especially with the proposed sale going on in the background.
Looks like they needed something to push UFC200 into the million buys territory and without Ronda or Conor, Brock coming back is a good bet to do that.
I'm so surprised WWE let him do this, if he gets KOed (which is likely) he could be out of Summerslam which is less than a month after UFC200.
The rumours are that in return WWE might get Paige Van Zant for Summerslam and possibly Ronda for WM next year.
As for UFC/Ariel thing - they were totally wrong there. You can't ban a journalist simply for doing his job and especially in the way they did it. They got butt hurt the guy broke stories they wanted to break and banned him for it. If you want to be a legitimate sport, you need to allow the media to report, question, challenge and sometimes break stories you don't want them to. You can't have all the coverage, all the hype from the media and then throw the toys out the pram when they do something you don't like. That's the crap Vince used to pull back in the day and it doesn't fly these days.
Looked to me like UFC bullying MMA Fighting and Ariel and trying to supress the media from writing news stories that they wanted to break. If they wanted to break the stories, they shouldn't have have put Brock back on the active fighter list on Friday, or work harder on keeping their own house in order so people aren't giving Ariel and others these insider stories. You can't blame the media here - UFC were well out of order and looked like total morons because of it.
Still, Bisping won (YAY!), Cruz v Fabre was a good fight and Hendo's KO was brutally awesome and the perfect send off for his career - that crowd pop he got was insane! UFC199 was a damn fun show from top to bottom.
Looking forward to UFC200 even more now with added Brock!
Heard that about Van Zant too.....she's incredibly cute but surely dancing with the stars hasn't raised her value THAT much, I mean she's an average female fighter and has decided to put the cart before the horse here with her MMA career.
I think it did, that show drew 18 million viewers, most of them female, and WWE's female fan demographic has been dropping like a stone in recent years. So if she can even bring a small percentage of those viewers to WWE, she'll be worth it to them.
That said, I doubt anyone is buying a Network sub to see her at Summerslam. But they might watch her on RAW in the lead up to it, if WWE can get her for a few shows.
Now if they could get Conor on WM32 - that would be a real coup and bring so many more eye balls to the product. Plus Conor would flourish there on the mic.
and I wouldn't be surprised if they got some video rights in this deal....maybe footage of Lesnar's previous fights or more likely footage from the Hunt fight so if he wins they can make a montage/highlight for SS with more than still images from google.
I would love to see Conor have a WM spot, he would absolutely flourish.
Maybe he's there to count the 1...2...3 making Balor the champ? (Most likely unrealistic, but maybe at a WM down the line).
Van Zant is really meh to me.
Rousey has appeal though.
Surprised Chael Sonnen never ventured into professional wrestling... and I think Bisping could have a future doing something with the company as well.
Quote from: Jon on June 08, 2016, 11:20:33 AM
I would love to see Conor have a WM spot, he would absolutely flourish.
Maybe he's there to count the 1...2...3 making Balor the champ? (Most likely unrealistic, but maybe at a WM down the line).
Van Zant is really meh to me.
Rousey has appeal though.
Surprised Chael Sonnen never ventured into professional wrestling... and I think Bisping could have a future doing something with the company as well.
I believe Chael is a promoter currently for some like, underground submission league...he was going on about it on Ariel Helwani's show a few weeks ago. But agree, Sonnen is a realistic fit for a WWE run;
On the MMAHour, sounds like Fedor will be signing with the UFC soon....man I dont care that he's over the hill, Fedor is still Fedor. Him v/s the winner of Brock/Hunt would be amazing.
Looks like the sale of the UFC is nearing it's final stages. Here's a quote from a MMAFighting.com article by Dave Meltzer today:
The UFC has received two bids in the range of $4.1 billion and a sale is close, according to an ESPN.com report Thursday. The two high bidders, per ESPN sports business inside Darren Rovell, are WME-IMG (in conjunction with Dalian Wanda Group) and China Media Capital.
The bids are somewhere between $3.9 and $4.2 billion, sources said.
The sale would be for the entire company. Currently, both groups are trying to completely finance the buyout, the report said. The results of that could determine which bidder ends up buying the UFC.
ESPN reported that one of the potential investors for WME-IMG is the Kraft Group, which owns the New England Patriots. A Kraft spokesman declined comment to ESPN. Robert Kraft is a friend of UFC president Dana White; White, a former Boston resident, has been spotted numerous times on the sidelines at Patriots games.
China Media Capital has a group of a number of investors from Shanghai and Hong Kong.
In 2015, UFC took in $608,629,000 in total revenue and had a profit of $157,806,000, sources said.
The UFC is owned primarily by casino billionaires Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta. White and Flash Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi government, also own a percentage.
Both bidders are interested in keeping White on board, sources said.
Whoever takes over, I get the feeling a lot is going to change. Could be a very interesting time.
Just to make you feel a little bit sick - if the sale goes through for $4 billion, Dana White with his stake in the company would pocket around $380 million in cash!! If I were him I'd take that cash, then stick around for another year or two before passing the promoting reigns to someone else.
What do you guys think about the potential sale and any knock on effect it may have on MMA in general.
I think I saw a report that Dana will stay on for the foreseeable future even if the sale goes through and I think for him, cash out and still get to do what you love as he's a big marketing tool now that the new owners could use. If the UFC sold and there was no more familiar faces promoting the events it could hurt the product.
Joe Rogan said if they sell he won't come back which kinda sucks as I dislike pretty much everyone else on commentary. Stann lacks enthusiasm, Florian can't not come off like a nerd. DC is my favourite and unless he does something like Randy Couture did back in the day, I think bad commentary could hurt the product as well...and I don't think I've heard anyone say wow Jon Anik and KFlo were great on commentary last night.
China is taking over if they win the bid man, look at football....already paying outrageous money to attract starts to their shitty league, I fear they could do more harm than good if they win the bid.
Ugh, that Fedor fight.
Well, hopefully Rory/Wonderboy lives up to even just half the hype and we'll get an amazing fight.
Source: Flo Combat
What was once thought unimaginable appears to be a reality.
According to a report from FloCombat's Jeremy Botter, the UFC has accepted a bid of $4.2 billion to be sold to the ownership group of WME-IMG, the Dalian Wanda Group, The Kraft Group and Tencent Holdings, the owners of the largest internet portal in China. The sale hasn't been completed but isn't expected to be announced until after UFC 200 on July 9.
Many bids were submitted but it came down to two groups: the WME-IMG, the Dalian Wanda Group, The Kraft Group and Tencent Holdings team and the other was China Media Capital. FloCombat also reports the CMC's bid was short of what the UFC was looking for in the deal.
The website also reports that in 2015, Fox, which is their TV partner, made an offer to buy the world's largest MMA organization but the bid was denied when the offer came in at half of what the UFC was looking for.
The majority of the money to broker the deal is being put up by DWG and Tencent Holdings. WMG-IMG and The Kraft Group though would act as the faces of the group, particularly in North America.
Questions have surfaced on whether Dana White would remain in the UFC. FloCombat states that White will stay with the UFC. White owns slightly less than nine percent of the company and his shares will be sold as part of the sale, but he will be getting new shares to stay on as UFC President.
Source: mmajunkie
MMAjunkie
UFC exec says reports of UFC sale are 'false,' internal email to staff offers same message
By: John Morgan | June 21, 2016 12:00 am
Dave Sholler
Dave Sholler
The world's largest MMA promotion may eventually change hands at some point, but UFC officials insist that no such transaction has taken place at this time.
FloCombat.com today reported that UFC officials had accepted a bid of $4.2 billion from "a group consisting of WME-IMG, the Dalian Wanda Group, The Kraft Group and Tencent Holdings." However, UFC Vice President of Public Relations Dave Sholler said those reports are untrue.
"FloCombat.com's report indicating that the UFC has been sold is false," Sholler told MMAjunkie. "We've communicated that to our staff members tonight via an internal memo."
MMAjunkie obtained the email sent to all UFC employees denying the legitimacy of the FloCombat.com report and signed by UFC co-owner and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta.
"A report today by FloCombat.com indicating that the company has been sold is false," the email read. "This follows other false speculation in the press recently.
"Such misrepresentation of facts in the media negatively impacts our business, staff members and athletes. We have instructed our attorneys to investigate and take all appropriate legal actions against the parties publishing and contributing to these false stories.
"With International Fight Week and the historic UFC 200 rapidly approaching, we look forward to once again delivering a series of events that our fans won's soon forget. We appreciate your hard work, diligence and commitment, and thank you for your focus as we continue to take the sport to new heights."
FloCombat.com's report indicated that as part of the deal, UFC President Dana White would remain in place, while Fertitta would depart the promotion after the transaction was complete.
White wasn't immediately available for comment.
I think they're going to go out with UFC 200 as the final show of the Fertitta era.
I always take their responses to press stories with a pinch of salt. When the sale story original broke they denied it, until they could get their own spin on it. Doesn't mean this particular sale story is true, plus it's kind of quick to do all the due diligence on the deal if final bids were submitted on Friday.
But sale is happening, just a matter of when.
Sounds like GSP could be making a return very soon.
Quote from: Jon on June 21, 2016, 09:48:28 AM
Sounds like GSP could be making a return very soon.
and sounds like he wants Bisping....that's not a good matchup for the champ at all.
Quote from: Cory on June 21, 2016, 11:55:13 AM
and sounds like he wants Bisping....that's not a good matchup for the champ at all.
There are not many good matchups for the "champ". He'd be an underdog against a majority of the top fighters in his weight class.
I still think a guy that'd be willing to stand and bang like Rockhold, Weidman or someone with comparable wrestling like Jacare will be far better than having a rusty GSP take him down for 25 minutes.
Hendo, Hendo, Hendo!! Let him fight Hendo. Although GSP would draw more, so they'll probably go with that.
But from a storyline perspective and as Hendo's last fight it'd be great.
Even if Hendo wins, he can vacate the Title and do the winner of Rockhold v Weidman vs Jacare or whoever for the Title.
Quote from: Duckman on June 22, 2016, 04:48:50 AM
Hendo, Hendo, Hendo!! Let him fight Hendo. Although GSP would draw more, so they'll probably go with that.
But from a storyline perspective and as Hendo's last fight it'd be great.
Even if Hendo wins, he can vacate the Title and do the winner of Rockhold v Weidman vs Jacare or whoever for the Title.
That would a be a terrible decision.
If Jacare doesn't get the next shot... it'd be Frankie Edgar in the FW division all over again.
Hendo shouldn't be ANYWHERE in ANY title shot conversation. It'd be one thing if he got there by drawing big numbers, but he doesn't do that. He really should walk away right now as that last fight, doesn't get much better than that for him.
Quote from: Jon on June 22, 2016, 12:21:42 PM
That would a be a terrible decision.
If Jacare doesn't get the next shot... it'd be Frankie Edgar in the FW division all over again.
Hendo shouldn't be ANYWHERE in ANY title shot conversation. It'd be one thing if he got there by drawing big numbers, but he doesn't do that. He really should walk away right now as that last fight, doesn't get much better than that for him.
BTW - Check out the UFC Unfiltered Podcast that just released hosted by Jim Norton and Matt Serra, great podcast especially for the first one.
....they had Dana on and asked him about everything from the sale, Ariel, UFC 199 + Ottawa cards but they talked about the Hendo/Bisping fight and he essentially said he'd want that fight and most of the guys at 185 are injured (Weidman, Jacare) that deserve the shot ahead of Hendo, so things may allign if these guys want to fight sooner than later.
Quote from: Cory on June 22, 2016, 01:19:44 PM
BTW - Check out the UFC Unfiltered Podcast that just released hosted by Jim Norton and Matt Serra, great podcast especially for the first one.
....they had Dana on and asked him about everything from the sale, Ariel, UFC 199 + Ottawa cards but they talked about the Hendo/Bisping fight and he essentially said he'd want that fight and most of the guys at 185 are injured (Weidman, Jacare) that deserve the shot ahead of Hendo, so things may allign if these guys want to fight sooner than later.
That's just crazy to me. He's 13th in the MW rankings. That should be nowhere near title shot discussion. He's lost 4 out of this last 6 fights. It'd be like Mir getting a crack at Stipe because he's had an awesome career. Too many deserving people in front of him, IMO, to not get a crack first. Can't tell me the 12 people are injured in front of him. I mean I love Hendo... but, it sends a really bad message IMO.
I'd love that fight but I totally agree, but how many fights have been made because they'll sell better v/s giving it to a person who by the rankings earned it. They may also see well Bisping was quite a way off in the rankings and won the belt.
It's all about $$$ and this fight already has backstory. Well say Hendo is at #10.
1. Yoel -- Suspended?
2. Rockhold - Just loss
3. Jacare - Hurt
4. Weidman - hurt
Everyone else (Kennedy, Brunson, Mousasi, Belfort, Machida) wouldn't sell anywhere close to Hendo, and I wouldn't be surprised if Dana will hold the multiple failed drug tests of Yoel, Belfort against them if they bumped Hendo).
Quote from: Cory on June 22, 2016, 05:47:32 PM
I'd love that fight but I totally agree, but how many fights have been made because they'll sell better v/s giving it to a person who by the rankings earned it. They may also see well Bisping was quite a way off in the rankings and won the belt.
It's all about $$$ and this fight already has backstory. Well say Hendo is at #10.
1. Yoel -- Suspended?
2. Rockhold - Just loss
3. Jacare - Hurt
4. Weidman - hurt
Everyone else (Kennedy, Brunson, Mousasi, Belfort, Machida) wouldn't sell anywhere close to Hendo, and I wouldn't be surprised if Dana will hold the multiple failed drug tests of Yoel, Belfort against them if they bumped Hendo).
I think Bisping was 4th or 5th in the rankings. And he took a fight on short notice... little bit different then a planned title fight. And he was coming off a pretty good streak of wins since his loss to Rockhold in 2014.
I would rather a Hendo/Rockhold rematch and that would sell SOOOOOOO much better than Hendo/Bisping which I could really care less about. Let's give Mir a title fight too. And might as well give BJ Penn a shot when he is ready to go too. Fuck... let's bring back Iceman for a shot at the Bones/Cormier winner. I mean, come on. It'd be a joke if Hendo was holding that belt if he beats Bisping. So many better fighters than him in that weightclass.
The plan is for Bisping to defend in November at UFC 205 in MSG. Weidman and Jacre have both stated they'd be ready then.
Bisping/Hendo would be only good enough to headline a UFC Fight Night. I think it'd be a terrible move by the UFC... but maybe the sale (if it happens) would start trending match-ups that should happen more often.
CM Punk's UFC debut official for September 10th in Cleveland at 203.
Yeah Jon I do agree with to you to a point, but it's not about rankings at all with Hendo/Bisping. It's about getting the biggest buy rate for a Title fight and right now, with everyone else out injured, the story is there for Henderson to get his final shot. His last fight, against one of his most famous opponents (everyone remembers his finish of Bisping at UFC 100 and there season of TUF did well), who is now champion and looking for revenge. Pro wrestling story telling at its finest, only done as a shoot. The fight completely sells itself to the general public and also to the nostalgic hardcore fans who would like to see Henderson have one final big fight.
I think you're majorlyunder estimating what a draw Bisping v Henderson would be, compared to Bisping fighting any one else in the divison. Henderson is a much bigger name and is much more popular right now than either Rockhold or Jacre. And they're both injured.
Now from a sporting point of view, I agree with you completely. But this is UFC, this is sports entertainment. They want fights that will draw the biggest audience - countless examples down the years that great fights don't draw, it's stars and personalities. And right now, in that division, Bisping and Henderson are arguably the biggest and most well known stars to the audience UFC needs to draw from to make money from - namely the mainstream and casual fans - the ones that tune in for Ronda and Conor's fights on mass.
It might all be a moot point anyway as GSP says he wants his comeback fight against Bisping for the Title and THAT is a real big money match for Bisping and UFC, much bigger than Henderson.
I just think when discussing these decisions by UFC, it's always worth remembering that logic, fairness and who is where in the rankings isn't at the forefront of their thinking. It's about drawing money. And Bisping fighting either Henderson or GSP, makes them a ton more money than him fighting Rockhold or Jacre, no matter how much each guy may deserve it.
It's funny how close this kind of thing mirrors WWE with people saying certain people shouldn't get a push, even though the company believe they will draw them money.
As for Punk's fight...I don't know man. Freddie Roach said it'd take him 3 years solid training to get Conor ready to box Mayweather. I reckon that's being generous as hell. For MMA, I'm thinking 5 years training and some lower level fights before getting into UFC. And that's for someone with a background in wrestling, judo, BJJ, or any other combat sport. Punk is not that guy and I'd be utterly shocked if he made it out round 1.
But just like everything else I've mentioned, he's not about the sport, he's about drawing money and getting the general public/casual fan to watch. If Belator have proved one thing this past year or so it's that the public will watch freak show fights, terrible fights and all other kinds of BS if there's stars involved or guys with charisma and interesting personalities - which Punk does have. He's still doomed though.
Best thing to hopefully come from the Punk fight is a 1st round KO from Gall and Punk looking to go back to wrestling.
It's official -- CM Punk is scheduled for his first UFC fight, and it'll take place just under two years after he first signed with the UFC.
Punk announced on UFC Unfiltered that he'd be fighting Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in September.
"I've been laying low media-wise, because I have nothing to say," Punk told Matt Serra and Jim Norton. "You can't talk a bunch of s--t until you've been in there, and I haven't been. The instant I got cleared, I got on the horn and nailed everything down, and I'll be debuting September 10 in Cleveland."
Punk said that he had to take care of his injury issues before setting a date for his UFC debut, ones that he's dealt with for years.
"I'm happy to have a date, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. You keep training and keep training until you hit a wall, and that was the point I was at. I found out I've been walking around with a herniated disk for probably years," Punk said.
- As noted, CM Punk revealed that he will make his UFC debut against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 on September 10, nearly two years after his UFC signing was announced. UFC 203 is scheduled to take place at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH, which C-NET points out is the same arena that Punk left WWE after a heated exchange with Vince McMahon and Triple H. Punk has not been to a WWE event since.
I have to admit I like how he understands the expectations from this fight. He was recently on the newest UFC Podcast with The Rock and he seemed like he got the full scope of his debut.
"If I win it's because Mickey Gall is a can and if I lose it's because I suck and should go back to WWE".
He gets it.
Quote from: Cory on June 23, 2016, 04:10:37 PM
I have to admit I like how he understands the expectations from this fight. He was recently on the newest UFC Podcast with The Rock and he seemed like he got the full scope of his debut.
"If I win it's because Mickey Gall is a can and if I lose it's because I suck and should go back to WWE".
He gets it.
yep , you got to like that he self aware about what people are thinking about this fight.
my hope is he can get the fighting out of his system , heals up and comes back to wrestling one day. Still think he got a lot left to offer .
Quote from: Black Death on June 23, 2016, 04:22:08 PM
yep , you got to like that he self aware about what people are thinking about this fight.
my hope is he can get the fighting out of his system , heals up and comes back to wrestling one day. Still think he got a lot left to offer .
Especially when before it was really just him and Daniel Bryan for indy guys that deserved a push....now the landscape has changed outside of the booking/writing side that pissed him off. Balor, Owens, Zayn, Cesaro, Aries, Rollins, Neville, Harper, Samoa Joe he may want to reunited with his old buddies.
Un. Der. Whelming.
Quote from: Cory on July 10, 2016, 12:50:44 AM
Un. Der. Whelming.
Please tell me you didn't think Brock was going to stand and bang with him....
Nope, I thought Hunt was gonna catch him early.
Clearly the boring fights were poor matchups stylistically, but I dont think Dana is too happy that the billed greatest card in UFC history will go down as an average PPV.
Everyone remembers 100 with the Hendo KO of Bisping and Brock mauling Mir...200 is maybe Miesha's gusher before she quit.
then again for it being an average PPV with all of the drama and changes maybe he'll be content.
Cain's KO and Nunes KO we're great, most of the bar wasn't too happy with the Aldo/Edgar fight but I personally had that or the Sage fight as my fight of the night it wasn't as good as it could/should have been but Aldo was INCREDIBLE tonight.
DC and Brock fights were snore-fests, as expected if you told me DC and Brock we're winners of their fights.
But damn, Nunes made Meisha quit....didn't even have the choke locked in and she was tapping, wonder if Meisha trained with Sage for the fight.
Quote from: Jon on July 10, 2016, 12:57:36 AM
Please tell me you didn't think Brock was going to stand and bang with him....
Yeah... Brock's job was to win, not have an entertaining slug fest.
Seeing Anderson silva not in shape made me sad. Like seeing Dawkins in a Broncos' jersey sad.
But Brock remains the co-captain of Team Earth vs Team Aliens along with James Harrison.
and no fight of the night award kinda says it all.
Quote from: Cory on July 10, 2016, 01:49:48 AM
Nope, I thought Hunt was gonna catch him early.
Clearly the boring fights were poor matchups stylistically, but I dont think Dana is too happy that the billed greatest card in UFC history will go down as an average PPV.
Everyone remembers 100 with the Hendo KO of Bisping and Brock mauling Mir...200 is maybe Miesha's gusher before she quit.
Cormier and Brock had to do what they had to do to win the fight. DC/Spider fight was extremely boring. But I didn't think the Brock/Hunt was that boring. Brock was fucking him up with his G&P, not sure why the crowd was booing. Wasn't like he was laying on him to waste time. He was doing some major damage. I was really impressed with Brock, because after he looked gassed in Round 2, I thought Hunt was going to get to him... but Hunt just was not able to close the distance because he was so scared about being taken down.
But I really enjoyed ALL the fight pass fights. The Sage fight was entertaining and his arm bar escape was really impressive. TJ/Assuncao fight was pretty good technical fighting. TJ/Cruz rematch is going to be awesome. Gast and Big Rigg was a really entertaining slugfest. Hendricks gassed again and he needs to find a better way to diet or I dunno, because moving to MW wouldn't be a good move for him I think. And Pena/Cat was a great fight.
On the main card, Cain was terrific. I quite enjoyed the Aldo/Edgar fight. Aldo looked like a man on a mission. McGregor cannot beat that Aldo... period... unless he catches him early again. Felt bad for Edgar as I really thought this was going to be his time, but he couldn't get in any type of rhythm. Like I said DC/Spider and Brock/Hunt were not barn burners, but they were what I pretty much expected. The Nunes win... that was crazy. I really didn't give her much of a chance against Tate and she straight up fucked her up. Maybe that Tate weight cut had more effect on her than I thought it would. Because you were right Cory... she pretty much gave in at the end there.
All in all... I thought it was a really enjoyable night of fights. And given that the main event was removed two days before... I thought it was a successful night for the UFC.
Sorry Jon.
(http://i.imgur.com/nMVoolC.jpg)
Ugh... most undeserving title shot ever.
brock is a freak of nature ... he pretty much beat up a top ten heavyweight after not being in a actual fight in two years. unreal
We all got to get old, Anderson Sliva is still one of greatest fighters to every get into the octagon and nobody can take that away from him. Plus he took the fight on three days notice , huge props to him for that.
From Wrestling Observer:
After months of speculation, the UFC has officially been sold.
The New York Times reported late Sunday night that the combat sports organization had been sold for over $4 billion to a group led by William Morris Endeavor (WME) and International Management Group (IMG). WME/IMG is the same group that Jeremy Botter reported UFC being sold to a few weeks ago.
The papers for the sale were signed on Saturday, the day of UFC 200. The official announcement is expected to be made as soon as Monday.
WME/IMG, which represents talent including Dwayne Johnson and Ronda Rousey, beat out a conglomerate that included China Media Capital.
Among the financial backers of the deal are said to be Silver Lake, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the investment firm of Michael S. Dell, who will become minority owners. Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell head WME/IMG.
The Times also reported WME/IMG has gotten financial backing this year for a major sale from SoftBank, a Japanese telecommunications firm and Titan Fidelity.
This marks the second sports property WME/IMG has taken over after purchasing the Professional Bullriders league last year.
The news of the sale was inevitable, but there was some uncertainty over what percentage of the company would be sold and whether Dana White would stay on with the change in ownership.
Both CBS 8 and TMZ confirmed that White will remain in his role as UFC president and that the Fertitta brothers will maintain a small stake in the company. White also told Brett Okamoto of ESPN that his role will be unchanged with him retaining a stake in ownership.
CBS 8 will have exclusive interviews with White and Lorenzo Fertitta on Monday morning.
ESPN's Darren Rovell first broke the news that the UFC was for sale in May. And after initial denials, it was widely reported that a bid of over $4 billion from the WME/IMG group had been accepted in June.
The Fertitta-led Zuffa corporation originally bought the UFC for $2 million in 2001 and were in charge of the promotion during its rise to national prominence.
Zuffa had just broken ground on a new campus that was to be its headquarters as well as a state-of-the-art rehab center and training center for its athletes in Las Vegas.
White and Flash Entertainment also had a minority stake in the company and are slated to get a massive payoff with its sale.
White reacted to the sale on Twitter with a smiling face emoji.
White responded to whether Rogan was staying on with a thumbs up, so that was my only concern with the sale that he was staying on and that looks like the case.
I hope there is a change within the matchmaking though. I wasn't sure where the UFC was heading these last few years. They introduced the kits, re-packaged the production and introduced official rankings in an attempt to legitimise the sport... but at the same time maintained hokey matchmaking that MMA was built upon. It is stuck between the two and needs a clear direction. I am happy with either of them, but I have found the UFC stale these last few years. With McGregor being the only reason to tune in, imo.
Their stars are dropping quicker than they can market the next lot. GSP, Silva, Jones, Rousey. They could do with a shift in marketing as well. They need to find another way of getting these out there, rather than relentless pressers. Rumble Johnson should be a guy that people know outside of MMA! Might help if they'd didint have a CEO who publicly chastised his fighters on a regular basis.
And then of course there is the fighter pay...
one of the reasons I think is over training , they are hurting themselves before the fights by over doing it.
I agree they need to change tactic with marketing. plus open up with more shows , honest getting a channel like HBO or Showtime to showcase fights would help. Boxing still maintains a grip because they still can get fights on those channels , something like that would help in my opinion
So... lost a TON of respect for Cowboy Cerrone over the weekend.
He talked about the DC/Spider fight... saying Cormier "fought like a fag".
Loved what Cormier had to say about on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. Absolutely no excuse for it. I don't care that he called Cormier out about thinking the fight sucked... but do use that language. Like DC said, with everything that happened in Orlando... just uncalled for and really makes him look like a real piece of shit. And to boot... Nunes becoming the first LGBT fighter to win a UFC title.
I'm really disappointed in Cowboy and he lost me as a fan. I hope he gets his teeth kicked in next fight.
Quote from: Jon on July 12, 2016, 05:54:36 PM
So... lost a TON of respect for Cowboy Cerrone over the weekend.
He talked about the DC/Spider fight... saying Cormier "fought like a fag".
Loved what Cormier had to say about on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. Absolutely no excuse for it. I don't care that he called Cormier out about thinking the fight sucked... but do use that language. Like DC said, with everything that happened in Orlando... just uncalled for and really makes him look like a real piece of shit. And to boot... Nunes becoming the first LGBT fighter to win a UFC title.
I'm really disappointed in Cowboy and he lost me as a fan. I hope he gets his teeth kicked in next fight.
Quote from: Jon on July 10, 2016, 12:55:49 PM
Ugh... most undeserving title shot ever.
Totally agree... I mean Dan Hendo is 2-2 in the middleweight division and 4-6 since his return to the UFC. He is ranked #13 in the middleweight division according to UFC.COM and is getting a title shot.
QuoteFrank Mir
Ilir Latifi
Tarec Saffiedine
Yair Rodriguez
Al Iaquinta
Frankie Saenz
Matheus Nicolau
You know what these guys have in common? They are all ranked 13 in their respective division!'
TUF Finale: Champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk defended against CURRENT ranked #1 contender Cláudia Gadelha
UFC 200: Champ Daniel Cromier was scheduled to fight #1 ranked Jon Jones
UFC 202: Champ Robbie Lawler is fighting #4 ranked Tyron Woodley
UFC 203: Stipe Miocic is fighting #3 RANKED Allistair Overeem
I can go back futher if needed to even talk about Rockhold Vs Weidman, Dos Anjos Vs Alverez and etc...
Is #1 contender Luke Rockhold not good enough?
Is #2 contender Chris Weidman not able to be ready by UFC 204 in November?
Is #3 contender Ronaldo Souza and his 7-1 record in the UFC not good enough?
Is #4 contender Vitor Belfort and his 1st round KO of Dan Hnderson in November not good enough?
Is #5 contender Anderson Silva... Oh wait he just fault so okay I see... STILL November is far several months away!
Is #6 contender Robert Whittaker and his 5 fight win streak not better then Hendo's 1 fight win streak!
Is #7 contender Gegard Mousasi and his 6-3 record in the UFC and 4 Performance of the Night bonuses not good enough!
Is #8 contender Lyoto Machida... Maybe not him but he beat Hendo at UFC 157!
Is #9 contender Uriah Hall... Great young talent who is 5-2 in last 7 fights.
Is #10 contender Derek Brunson and his ONE LOST in 7 fights in the UFC not good enough for a title shot over HENDO!
Is #11 contender Tim Kennedy not good enough... Maybe! He did lose his last fight and that was 2 years ago!
Is #12 contender Thales Leites not good enough... Well he did lose to Bisping but is 5-2 in last 7 fights!
Point I am trying to make is that if you rank the guy 13 then maybe you should give someone in the 12 slots above him a shot at the title first!
I don't like this at all!
Add in the fact that IF he wins, and he very well could. One H-Bomb and down goes Bisping.
He is planning to retire after the fight.
Regardless if he wins or loses, a guy challenging for the belt in an undeserving fashion is going to RETIRE after the fight.
I love Hendo, he's had an amazing career... but that shouldn't grant you a title shot on your way out the door. He's had more then his fair shot of chances at winning a title in the UFC. I'd be much more comfortable with UFC making this a non-title fight.
They are trying to play this off like a grudge match... they FOUGHT SEVEN YEARS AGO. SEVEN! At UFC 100. Yes, Hendo won the match with a highlight reel KO and yes, I'm sure Bisping wants to avenge it. But for pete's sake... wait until he loses the belt then have your rematch. Guarantee Bisping doesn't retain if he fights any of the top tier guys in that division... Rockhold in a 3rd match... Weidman, Jacare.
Makes the UFC look like a joke. I really hope they reconsider before making the fight official.
I'm not going to get into picking apart someone's post, but at least half of those contenders that Midas has mentioned are either injured, just lost fights, or already booked.
Bisping v Hendo is a big money fight to do in the UK, to give Bisping his moment in front of his own fans, make him a bigger star in the UK and give Hendo one final fight to end a legendary career.
If he wins, we've got plenty of contenders for a 4 man tournament to crown the new champion.
I don't get why everyone is getting so upset about this fight. It's pure sports entertainment and if you haven't worked out that's what UFC is then I don't know what to say.
Should the number one contender always fight the champion? No. There's so many more factors in booking a fight than just rankings.
The main argument against the fight, and the point Midas was making, is that it completely nullifies the purpose of the rankings.
I personally wanted to see his fight happen a while ago, so I am happy we are getting the rematch. But there is a legitimate reason that people can be unhappy about the booking of it. Fans don't have to just simply accept that the UFC doesn't want to treat MMA like a professional sport.
Fair point, but you can't hang every decision the UFC makes on the rankings.
They don't have to accept it. But it's not going to change - UFC is a professional sport, it's just not only about number one guy fighting number 2 and number 3 fighting 4.
Making money is the main objective and Bisping v Hendo is a bigger money fight than Bisping v Robert Whittaker etc etc...
QuoteI'm not going to get into picking apart someone's post, but at least half of those contenders that Midas has mentioned are either injured, just lost fights, or already booked.
Your point is moot with the fact that
#3 Ronaldo Souza just won his last fight
#7 Gegard Mousasi just won his last fight and Performance of the night
Last time I checked the champ can only fight one guy and I just named two who are coming off victories and are ranked higher then Henderson and are not currently injured. So regardless if half of my list is not suitable the two I just named are.
QuoteBisping v Hendo is a big money fight to do in the UK, to give Bisping his moment in front of his own fans, make him a bigger star in the UK and give Hendo one final fight to end a legendary career.
Bisping is the draw in the UK! Putting him up against Henderson over more qualified opponents does nothing for gate sales in this case and giving him one last fight is fine but a title shot is not!
QuoteIf he wins, we've got plenty of contenders for a 4 man tournament to crown the new champion
BUT WHY? This comment is ridiculous!
QuoteI don't get why everyone is getting so upset about this fight. It's pure sports entertainment and if you haven't worked out that's what UFC is then I don't know what to say.
Everyone is upset because this is not SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT! Sports entertainment is made up bullshit by Vince McMahon the UFC is a SPORT with a governing body, rules and regulations and a rankings system much like boxing. So while the promoters want to maximize profit they also should be held accountable when they do something that clearly is designed to be a money grab! Fans are upset because it disregards the ranking system which is designed to give the promoter an ideal of who deserves what and gives the fighters motivation to win and move up for a potential title fight.
If you jump down the list to #13 then is spits in the face of the guys who have earned a title shot by fighting hard and proves that unless you come out and sale yourself and promote yourself you will be passed over when you have legit earned a title shot by hard work and dedication.
PROMOTION = TITLE
HARD WORK/DEDICATION = NOTHING
Is that what the UFC is trying to say? If you don't understand that then I don't know what to say!
QuoteShould the number one contender always fight the champion? No. There's so many more factors in booking a fight than just rankings.
LMAO first off yes! That is why he is called the #1 contender! However in the UFC we have seen the brass skip over the #1 contender to pick out a different fight but usually that is within the top 5 contenders! They went out of the TOP 10 fighters in the division! I am unsure but I do not believe ever in the history of the UFC have they ever dipped down to #13 contender for a title shot and if they did it was probably a replacement for a injured contender.
QuoteThe main argument against the fight, and the point Midas was making, is that it completely nullifies the purpose of the rankings.
Exactly! If you are going to pick and choose who fights for a title based on pass accolades and preference then why have a ranking system and a #1 contender.
QuoteFair point, but you can't hang every decision the UFC makes on the rankings.
True... But to totally disregard the rankings and treat them like they mean nothing is also not what they should do!
QuoteUFC is a professional sport,
Dude make up your mind! Either it is sport entertainment or a professional sport! You cannot pick and choose which it is when it suits the point you are making!
QuoteMaking money is the main objective and Bisping v Hendo is a bigger money fight than Bisping v Robert Whittaker etc etc...
LMAO then why do we ever let the #1 contender fight if it is about money?
Dos Anjos just fought the #1 contender Alverez but I would have paid good money to watch that fight on PPV if he was fighting Cerrone or Pettis!
Why is the HW champ fighting Overeem next! The big money fight is against Brock Lesnar and he is ranked 8th in the division!
The point I am trying to make is that while UFC is about money they can't go around disregarding the rankings and putting the fights together that make the most money because it would make them look foolish and would cause a problem. CLEARLY because we are not seeing the fights that make the most money because they don't make sense and this is what we are seeing here. This fight makes no SENSE!
You defend it... Well actually I don't know why your defend it because in the pass the champ has faced the former champ in a rematch or someone in the top 10 ranking and this is not happening this time so as a fan of MMA you should be outraged that the UFC is allowing a fighter who intends on retiring a title shot based on pass accomplishments.
Souza told UFC just a few weeks ago he needed knee surgery, he was never an option for the next title shot at that point. Had he told them a different reason, he wouldn't be having this conversation right now.
Of ufcs top contenders,
Rockhold - not medically cleared
Weidman- surgery
Machida- not allowed to fight
Shogun - surgery
Souza - surgery
Silva - just fought him, just got beat by Cormier (may not get cleared again so soon)
Hall - surgery
Kennedy - semi retired
Pretty wel, the only people in front of him able to fight are whittaker (shouldn't be ranked so high, has struggled against top 20 competition outside of hall) and mousasi (who just fought). Ufc didn't have a lot of options here, I'm okay with them booking a money fight over a contender fight while most of their top ten is injured. I'd have loved to see mousasi get the shot though but he was booked so I understand.
Quote from: Jon on July 12, 2016, 05:54:36 PM
So... lost a TON of respect for Cowboy Cerrone over the weekend.
He talked about the DC/Spider fight... saying Cormier "fought like a fag".
Loved what Cormier had to say about on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. Absolutely no excuse for it. I don't care that he called Cormier out about thinking the fight sucked... but do use that language. Like DC said, with everything that happened in Orlando... just uncalled for and really makes him look like a real piece of shit. And to boot... Nunes becoming the first LGBT fighter to win a UFC title.
I'm really disappointed in Cowboy and he lost me as a fan. I hope he gets his teeth kicked in next fight.
I don't know man he publicly apologized and wore the gay pride UFC shirt after....pretty sure it was a slip of the tongue from a guy who is pretty much the cowboy hat wearing redneck of the UFC after he was a few beers deep. It showed a real poor lack of judgment to talk like that on a public forum but I remember Bisping called Rockhold a faggot after their post fight presser a few weeks ago and no one was really up in arms.
You're surely entitled to your opinion on this though but for me personally he slipped up on a word and apologized...good enough for me.
Quote from: Midas on July 12, 2016, 07:29:22 PM
Totally agree... I mean Dan Hendo is 2-2 in the middleweight division and 4-6 since his return to the UFC. He is ranked #13 in the middleweight division according to UFC.COM and is getting a title shot.
Is #1 contender Luke Rockhold not good enough?
Is #2 contender Chris Weidman not able to be ready by UFC 204 in November?
Is #3 contender Ronaldo Souza and his 7-1 record in the UFC not good enough?
Is #4 contender Vitor Belfort and his 1st round KO of Dan Hnderson in November not good enough?
Is #5 contender Anderson Silva... Oh wait he just fault so okay I see... STILL November is far several months away!
Is #6 contender Robert Whittaker and his 5 fight win streak not better then Hendo's 1 fight win streak!
Is #7 contender Gegard Mousasi and his 6-3 record in the UFC and 4 Performance of the Night bonuses not good enough!
Is #8 contender Lyoto Machida... Maybe not him but he beat Hendo at UFC 157!
Is #9 contender Uriah Hall... Great young talent who is 5-2 in last 7 fights.
Is #10 contender Derek Brunson and his ONE LOST in 7 fights in the UFC not good enough for a title shot over HENDO!
Is #11 contender Tim Kennedy not good enough... Maybe! He did lose his last fight and that was 2 years ago!
Is #12 contender Thales Leites not good enough... Well he did lose to Bisping but is 5-2 in last 7 fights!
#1 Rockhold is coming off a loss, wont get the shot.
#2 Weidman has been dealing with an injury and most likely his camp wouldn't have accepted a fight at 204. He can't afford to take another loss so quickly, he'll make sure everything is 100%.
#3 Jacare got fucked over for sure, hurt I think though.
#4 Belfort struggles to not piss hot before/after everyone of his fights, wouldn't be surprised to see fighters with reputations now after the Jon Jones thing to get more overlooked because of the risk.
#5 Anderson just fought.
#6 to #12 - As much as I like Mousasi, none of those guys will sell a fight or put asses in seats more so than Dan Henderson. Rematch, Retirement?, Title fight....it'll sell huge, plus a lot of them couldn't take a fight for 204.
Now I completely get how this fucks with the ideas of rankings....it does in ever sense of the way and I'll tell you I'm not completely against it. Rankings are a measurement of wins and losses and putting those who win more at the top and lose more at the bottom. It doesn't take into account how those wins and losses happened or really weighs a stoppage win much more than a KO win or something.
My point being I kinda like Hendo getting a shot over the #6-#12's at least because some of those guys would just try and take Bisping down and make it a boring fight. As a fan at a core, I want to see the best fight possible over anything. Henderson vs Bisping for me is the only fight in the division outside of Jacare/Bisping that can happen in UFC's timeline for the next Middleweight Title fight and get me excited.
If this sets a precedent that fighters need to start getting finishes and that moving up the rankings by decisioning your way to the top will get you overlooked then it may be the kick in the ass some of these dudes need.
Thanks Ty. I'd have posted that but didn't have time to look up all their current statuses.
And yes something can be both a professional sport and sports entertainment. I think you're taking far too simplistic view of what sports entertainment is. You know those pyros and the jet fly over they do in the NFL - sports entertainment. All that music at basketball - sports entertainment. Conor vs Nate Diaz - sports entertainment. Ronaldo getting injured in the Euro final, getting subbed off and then basically managing the team from the touch line - sports entertainment.
Sports entertainment isn't just limited to WWE. In my opinion. The entertainment factor in all sports is always taken into account when whatever sport it may be is putting together fights, picking guys to be spokesmen for the company, getting them on TV shows and doing commercials. The two things absolutely go hand in hand.
Also, you're coming at this and me like you're going to change things. No need to go through each line of a post to find fault to 'prove' your opinion. This isn't a mafia game! And no, I don't get out raged about this stuff, life is far too short.
Anyway, I'm sure UFC know what they're doing. Certainly more than any of us.
As much as I enjoy the conversation, Sam has the mic drop. The UFC know what they're doing and are more informed than any beat writer or any fan.
- They created their own 'UFC Rankings' a few years ago and I don't believe they'd want to firmly shit all over an aspect of their company that they HEAVILY promote throughout the shows by ignoring them.
- They decided that Bisping was going to defend the title at 204. The Middleweight division has been hit by a huge injury bug and as Ty kinda elaborated a vast majority of the fighters couldn't make the 204 show. Again, I'm kinda irked that Jacare and Mousasi in particular are getting passed over but clearly they wouldn't be ready in UFC's eyes for 204.
- Bisping vs Henderson is the $$$ fight, it stands to earn the UFC and their new ownership the most money, especially from casuals. People that already watch MMA would buy the PPV because its a title fight...the casuals can get behind the storyline already between Hendo and Bisping.
Best case scenario: If this 204 card is in UK or wherever it means Bisping HAD to fight on 204. None of the other contenders not coming off a loss higher than Dan Henderson could take the fight and now we're getting an EXCELLENT fight in Hendo/Bisping II. Winner of that fights Jacare, he gets his title shot just later.
Worst case scenario: UFC wants the $$ fight and are making this fight happen sooner than later while everyone more deserving is on the shelf so they can get this fight between Hendo and Bisping.
Quote from: Cory on July 13, 2016, 11:42:02 AM
I don't know man he publicly apologized and wore the gay pride UFC shirt after....pretty sure it was a slip of the tongue from a guy who is pretty much the cowboy hat wearing redneck of the UFC after he was a few beers deep. It showed a real poor lack of judgment to talk like that on a public forum but I remember Bisping called Rockhold a faggot after their post fight presser a few weeks ago and no one was really up in arms.
You're surely entitled to your opinion on this though but for me personally he slipped up on a word and apologized...good enough for me.
I understand he apologized... but that shit is rooted deep in him. There is a reason he used the word, because it's part of his everyday vocabulary and that to me, just isn't right. To me, it's the equivalence of saying the n-word.
And I don't like Bisping either. Has always been a ripe piece of shit.[/quote]
#1 Rockhold is coming off a loss, wont get the shot.
Quote from: Ty on July 13, 2016, 11:34:41 AM
Souza told UFC just a few weeks ago he needed knee surgery, he was never an option for the next title shot at that point. Had he told them a different reason, he wouldn't be having this conversation right now.
Of ufcs top contenders,
Rockhold - not medically cleared
Weidman- surgery
Machida- not allowed to fight
Shogun - surgery
Souza - surgery
Silva - just fought him, just got beat by Cormier (may not get cleared again so soon)
Hall - surgery
Kennedy - semi retired
Pretty wel, the only people in front of him able to fight are whittaker (shouldn't be ranked so high, has struggled against top 20 competition outside of hall) and mousasi (who just fought). Ufc didn't have a lot of options here, I'm okay with them booking a money fight over a contender fight while most of their top ten is injured. I'd have loved to see mousasi get the shot though but he was booked so I understand.
Souza said he'd be good to go in November. UFC 204 is scheduled for October tentatively. Now Jacare has to wait for their fight and then probably a good amount of time afterwards before their fight is booked. And Weidman said he will be good to go in November for UFC 205. So yeah, sorry the injuries is no excuse. Both Jacare and Weidman have spoke out about the unfairness and joke of the ranking system. And Rockhold would be to go for a rubber match for UFC 204.
And I think Hendo/Spider would sell so much more as a fight. 2 legends in a stand up battle. And yes, Spider would be good to go in October. And that should be the fight Hendo should go out on.
@Sam (Didn't want to clog the post up by quoting both you and Cory's replies)
Aspects of UFC and sports in general are sports entertainment... BUT not the fight itself. That is sports competition. In this case... I really think UFC didn't realize the backlash the decision was going to really cause. Not only among their fan base, but among their fighter base.
@ Cory
But they did shit all over their rankings. That's exactly what they have done. When they have their top contenders good to go for 204 (Rockhold/Yoel) or 205 (Jacare/Weidman). Sorry there is no excuse there to have Bisping fight Hendo because of course Bisping wants that fight, that fight is his best chance of retaining the belt. And UFC has people coming off a loss fight in a rematch right away for the belt... so that is a piss poor excuse.
Sure Bisping/Hendo 2 is a $$$ fight. But I think Bisping/Rockhold 3 is a bigger $$$ fight and that is available to them, but it seems like UFC is trying to do Bisping a favor here.
Don't like it and depending on the rest of the card, I might not even watch it. I hope they pair it up with a strong co-main.
I agree that Sports Entertainment in it's own entity is a part of any sport, but with the nature of fight sports where fights are booked, it leans more towards it being orchestrated. For example, there is a big difference between Bisping vs Henderson, to Bisping vs Rockhold. With the latter being something that happened due to a short notice injury and lack of a higher ranked contender, this lead to Bisping finally getting his chance at the title and well we all witnessed the drama of that fight. The same can be said of McGregor vs Diaz. However, the rematch is different, and with a mandatory challenger in Edgar, it should not have come first.
The fight will be entertaining, no doubt about it, and it will draw interest. But Henderson was not the only option, given the UFC can pick and choose when these defences occur.
I think a mandatory challenger would be a good option in the UFC, with clearly advertised Title Eliminator fights. But there is a reason we don't get these, and that is mostly due to the UFC wanting to govern the sport to a point where that edge of Sports Entertainment that borders a legitimate sport becomes blurred.
With that all being said, I am looking forward to the fight haha. Despite how heartbreaking another H-Bomb knockout would be.
Let's not confuse entertainment in sports with sports entertainment.
QuoteSports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience. Unlike typical athletics and games, which are conducted for competition, sportsmanship, exercise or personal recreation, the primary product of sports entertainment is performance for an audience's benefit, thus they are never practiced privately. Commonly, but not in all cases, the outcomes are predetermined; as this is an open secret, it is not considered to be match fixing.
UFC is a competitive sport!
The overall point others are making is that UFC can do what it wants and knows better then me the fan and if they chose to give Dan Henderson a retiring fighter who is ranked #13 a title shot I should trust that they know what they are the doing.
However as a fan of the sport I say that the job of the UFC is to protect their brand and name and the sport of MMA because without protecting it they could possibly ruin it.
From my point of view when they take a #13 ranked fighter and give him a title shot over men who deserve it more based on wins and rankings you are spitting in the face of the men who earned the shot and also making every single fight to determine the #1 contender pointless.
They are within their rights to put together any card they want and I am winthin my rights to save my money and not buy the card which is what I am going to do.
The UFC has made the choice to disregard their rankings and surpass fighters who deserve it more and proves my initial point of my post which was...
QuoteUgh... most undeserving title shot ever.
To agree with this post and I have proven that this is the most undeserving title shot ever and the only counter given is "UFC can do what they want"!
Damn, Midas about to start a AllRankingsMatter movement outside UFC's new offices haha.
Quote from: Cory on July 13, 2016, 05:28:49 PM
Damn, Midas about to start a AllRankingsMatter movement outside UFC's new offices haha.
LMAO...
Most undeserving UFC title shot has to be Joe Soto.
Let's not hyperbole this too much, Dan Henderson is a legend in the sport, a guy who just KTFO Hector Lombard whilst he is nearing his 50's. He has toppled Fedor, Prime Wanderlei, Prime Shogun and more. If there ever was a guy who you could give an unwarranted shot, it is probably him.
Quote from: Flins. on July 13, 2016, 05:51:08 PM
Most undeserving UFC title shot has to be Joe Soto.
Let's not hyperbole this too much, Dan Henderson is a legend in the sport, a guy who just KTFO Hector Lombard whilst he is nearing his 50's. He has toppled Fedor, Prime Wanderlei, Prime Shogun and more. If there ever was a guy who you could give an unwarranted shot, it is probably him.
Yes this is your opinion... I am saying that his previous accomplishments in the sport should not over shadow the fact that he is 2-2 in the middleweight division and is retiring after this fight.
Ronaldo Souza just got a TKO victory over Vitor Belfort at UFC 198 and that is the very same Vitor Belfort who KO Dan Henderson back in November.
Gegard Mousasi KO his opponent at UFC 200 and got a TKO victory over Henderson in Jan 2015.
I can conceded that if we fall out of the top ten because of injury then yeah they can give Hendo the shot but two great names who deserve the title fight are right here and an unwarranted shot at a title because of having a legendary career rubs me the wrong way.
So you feel UFC is going to go the way of boxing .... It about making money making fight not about ranking when fighter is book
What if they make this a non-title fight....would you be fine with that then? Nothing has been OFFICIALLY announced so they could certainly go that direction.
I could totally see this being a non-title fight, especially with Hendo being pretty well publicized as stating he's retiring. This fight is $$$ regardless of a belt being involved.
Danas exact quote:
Quote"We're going to do Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping," White said on the show while seated next to Bisping, who was working the FS1 desk as an analyst. "It's a fight that the champ wants. It's a fight that the fans want. We're thinking about doing it in Manchester, England. But that's not signed yet."
He said nothing about it being a title shot.
Kinda like Diaz/McGregor.
I'd be fine with a non-title fight.
Quote from: Flins. on July 13, 2016, 05:51:08 PM
Most undeserving UFC title shot has to be Joe Soto.
He received the title shot... because Renan Barao pretty much collapsed the day before the fight with Dillashaw. Joe Soto was already on the card and they gave him the shot with less than 24 hour notice. Soto was 15-2 and a the former Bellator FW champ. It was either that or scrap the card completely. Thought it was a pretty ballsy move by TJ to accept it still, but it saved the card.
Not the same thing as if Hendo gets a straight up undeserving planned shot rather than having to step-in on short notice to save a card.
Quote from: Black Death on July 13, 2016, 06:14:47 PM
So you feel UFC is going to go the way of boxing .... It about making money making fight not about ranking when fighter is book
You know the thought crossed my mind for a moment but to be honest I know very little about boxing and didn't want to speak about something I do not watch often enough.
However I feel that there are only a handful of boxers who can draw from the casual "fight" fan but this is from a outsiders point of view.
Quote from: Cory on July 13, 2016, 06:19:18 PM
What if they make this a non-title fight....would you be fine with that then? Nothing has been OFFICIALLY announced so they could certainly go that direction.
I could totally see this being a non-title fight, especially with Hendo being pretty well publicized as stating he's retiring. This fight is $$$ regardless of a belt being involved.
Danas exact quote:
He said nothing about it being a title shot.
Kinda like Diaz/McGregor.
I will admit that I am jumping the gun because I made the assumption that if the champion is fighting on a card in a division he has the title for he would be defending it but yeah if it is not a title fight then I am shocked.
Here is why...
When UFC 200 was announced and the card had the rematch for the Diz/McGregor fight with the Interim title for the Aldo/Edgar fight I was outraged! Yes Duckman I was outraged! My life is short but I can still be outraged by something :)
I did not understand why the champ would fight on a card against a person in a different division while the former champ was fighting on that same card for a title shot. Where was his fucking rematch!
A little off subject...
So my point is that if it is a non-title fight then I raise objection to the champ fighting on a card in his division without defending.
Hendo Vs Bisping is not a bad fight and is a rematch that should have happened already... Just a bad title fight under these circumstances in my humble opinion.
Quote from: Flins. on July 13, 2016, 05:51:08 PM
Most undeserving UFC title shot has to be Joe Soto.
Let's not hyperbole this too much, Dan Henderson is a legend in the sport, a guy who just KTFO Hector Lombard whilst he is nearing his 50's. He has toppled Fedor, Prime Wanderlei, Prime Shogun and more. If there ever was a guy who you could give an unwarranted shot, it is probably him.
Dude, no. John lober came into his fight with frank shamrock on a 6 fight losing streak. Randy couture got knocked out by Liddell them jumped up to win the belt from silva. Justin eilers got knocked out in his ufc debut and fought arlovski in his next fight for the title. Ken shamrock hadn't fought in the ufc for 5 years and was coming off a loss when he fought Ortiz. Frank trigg made his ufc debut against Hughes after fighting duds his career. Bj Penn was on a 2 fight losing streak at welterweight when he fought gsp. Brock lesnar.
Yeah, soto barely cracks the top 10 in my books.
Holy shit the first round of Ferguson/Vannata was insane...was looking like one of the bigger upsets in UFC history. Vannata has earned himself a fan here.
Nick Diaz suspension is up July 31.
LET'S GO!
Wrestling Observer report on Chad Mendez being banned for 2 years. Tested positive for HGH - which means these tests are pretty cutting edge because no one gets popped for HGH, and loads of guys are using it because it's so difficult to detect:
Continuing a month that has been full of noteworthy drug testing news, USADA announced on Wednesday that UFC featherweight Chad Mendes has been suspended for two years following an out-of-competition drug test failure.
The test that caused the failure was taken on May 17th and Mendes was informed of the potential violation on June 10th. The substance that triggered the failure was revealed to be growth hormone GHRP-6.
Mendes last fought Frankie Edgar in December of 2015 at the Ultimate Fighter 22 finale show. Before that, he lost to Conor McGregor at UFC 189 after stepping in for an injured Jose Aldo on short notice.
Mendes will be eligible to return to mixed martial arts competition in 2018.
The full USADA statement is available below:
"USADA announced today that UFC athlete Chad Mendes, of Sacramento, Calif., has received a two-year sanction for an anti-doping policy violation after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Mendes, 31, tested positive for GHRP-6 (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hexapeptide) following an out-of-competition urine test conducted on May 17, 2016. GHRP-6 is a prohibited substance in the class of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.
Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptides are listed as Non-Specified Substances on the WADA Prohibited List. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, the standard sanction for an anti-doping policy violation involving a Non-Specified Substance is a two-year period of ineligibility.
Mendes' two-year period of ineligibility began on June 10, 2016, the date on which he received a provisional suspension. In addition, Mendes has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to May 17, 2016, the date of sample collection, including forfeiture of any title, ranking, purse or other compensation.
USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes. The anti-doping program run by USADA for UFC athletes includes education, science and research, testing, and results management. Official UFC Anti-Doping Program information and athlete resources are available at UFC.USADA.org."
champions cant defend their titles for shit in 2016
Amazing fight card. Great night.
So happy that Conor won too and it sets up a trilogy fight down the road.
Agreed, that entire card was everything 200 wasn't and needed to be. I had it 47-47 Draw, but fight of the year for me.
Quote from: Cory on August 21, 2016, 09:06:28 PM
Agreed, that entire card was everything 200 wasn't and needed to be. I had it 47-47 Draw, but fight of the year for me.
I had it 48-47 McGregor.
1st, 2nd, 4th to Conor.
3rd and 5th to Diaz.
No way was that 3rd round a 10-8 round for Diaz. That's absurd to me. If that was a 10-8 round, then Conor's 1st round was a 10-8 round.
I had it as a 10-8 in the 3rd because if it was 30 seconds longer Diaz would have finished, 10-9 I don't think Diaz was as done in as McGregor was in the third to give it a 10-8.
But looking at the stats, Diaz 271 Total strikes to Conors 190, 178 significant strikes to 161, Diaz with the only takedown landed too.
I mean at the Bar I had it 47-47 or 3 to 2 for McGregor but the stats are surly leaning in Diaz's favour here....its so bullshit how blood can sway things....Diaz has almost as much scar tissue on his head as Abdullah the Butcher.
At the end of the day both guys won here with a trilogy fight which will be yet again multi-million dollar paydays for both.
In the mean time I want to see McGregor/Aldo II and Diaz/Alvarez.
Great fight. Stayed up late to watch it and me and my buddy were not disappointed.
I could have seen a draw, 3-2 McGregor, or 3-2 Diaz and they would've been fair results. It was a razor close fight.
I had McGregor 3-2 - winning 1, 2 and 4. I thought round 2 would be the 'swing' round so to speak. McGregor did drop him twice, but Diaz wasn't in trouble, whereas Diaz came storming back in the last minute of the round. But I think McGregor did more in the first 4 minutes of the round to win it...but it was close. 3rd Diaz owned and if he had 30 seconds more I think he'd have finished him, McGregor was exhausted more than badly hurt, but he was in a ton of trouble. I could see that being scored 10-8 to Diaz but I went 10-9. 4th Conor did rally and got his second wind, for a while at least and landed the better shots. Diaz looked really tired in the 4th - like he'd blown through too much energy to get that dominant 3rd round. 5th was Diaz 10-9.
A great, great fight that lived up to the hype and proved a lot about how Conor is as a fighter and how tough he is because make no mistake, he was dead on his feet for large parts of the second half of that fight.
I'm glad we can get a trilogy fight in a few months - I'd go with Aldo v McGregor at UFC in NYC cause they've got to get that FW title scene sorted out. Then go with the 3rd fight at 155. Conor needs to get away from 170 for the good of his career - he's just far too small at that weight but also seems to struggle to keep up his pace at that weight.
All in all I'm not sure if it was better than Lawler v Condit in terms of pure drama and how close both fighters were. But in terms of hype, personalities, drama and then the fight itself, it more than lived up to the hype and will probably be fight of the year.
Rest of the main card was really good - finishes, quality fights and Rumble Johnson looks absolutely terrifying again.
Seeing that Rumble performance really shows how badly the sport is going to miss Rumble vs Bones
word is ... no third fight is going to happen
Quote from: Black Death on August 23, 2016, 01:28:03 AM
word is ... no third fight is going to happen
lol...Dana is just pissed that McGregor doesnt want to defend the 145 belt and likely never will cut down to that weight.....and the no third fight is for everyone who thinks it'll be each of these guys NEXT fight. My guess was the 3rd fight would be on Super Bowl weekend but with Conors 6 month medical suspension I'd expect that 3rd fight to be at the end of 2018.
Oh they're doing that 3rd fight for sure. Just not right away. Got to build it all back up again. I'm sure Conor will fight once before he goes back to Diaz. Diaz on the other hand, sounds like he'll just sit out, enjoy his money and wait for Conor.
Quote from: Duckman on August 23, 2016, 03:43:42 AM
Oh they're doing that 3rd fight for sure. Just not right away. Got to build it all back up again. I'm sure Conor will fight once before he goes back to Diaz. Diaz on the other hand, sounds like he'll just sit out, enjoy his money and wait for Conor.
still think him vs Alvarez is a $$$ fight
Anything with Conor McGregor is a $$$ fight. It's THE $$$ fight.
Dana still pretending like he is in charge. Great fight, pretty clear decision in my eyes, but nobody really loses in fights like that. I think Conor might be one of the biggest draws in fight sports now, like Jon said, anything would sell.
Quote from: Jon on August 23, 2016, 07:16:07 PM
Anything with Conor McGregor is a $$$ fight. It's THE $$$ fight.
I was talking about Diaz/Alvarez....Diaz doesnt care about belts but that fight for Nate makes the most sense....it'll do excellent buys.
He certainly doesnt NEED to fight after clearing $2 million but my god that'd be an awesome fight.
I think Diaz should have to earn a title shot and most certainly shouldn't be given one following a loss to the FW champ at WW.
If we're talking about the sport, rather than the entertainment side, Alvarez should fight Khabib next for the Title. That guy has been due a title shot for a long, long time. He's more than earned it. Granted, it's not a huge money fight but given how Conor's held up FW, I don't think they want to do the same at LW. And waiting for Diaz to recover from this fight, and then get the money deal to get him in the cage will take some time. He's not making £2 million fighting Alvarez, even if it would be an awesome fight. And I don't think he'll be interested in fighting for less than £2 million now - why would he? He's made more money that he'll ever need and could retire today. He's said time and time again that titles and fighting don't interest him. He's only got one real big money fight and that's the 3rd with Conor. Or if they can offer him something like GSP in his first fight back.
For me, it's got to go Conor v Aldo for FW Title, Alvarez v Khabib for LW title and Nate Diaz vs USADA for vaping during the post fight press conference!
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/24/welterweight-rory-macdonald-quits-ufc-bellator (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/24/welterweight-rory-macdonald-quits-ufc-bellator)
Another one off to Bellator. Rory MacDonald appears to have signed for Bellator.
Thoughts?
Now that is surprising, and possibly the first induction that we are seeing a shift? He might have lost a few of the top tier fights but he is far from boring and one of their bigger draws in Canada.
I think this falls on the UFC not willing to pay for one of their biggest 170 draws.
Plus most fighters hate the Reebok deal, Rory is getting more money and its now a much bigger fish in a smaller pond. I dont blame him
Listening to both Randy Couture and Bendo on the fighter and the kid, bellator is starting become a viable alternative for fighters as they're more fighter friendly, both in how they do promotions and money wise. I wouldn't be surprised to see Cowboy leave UFC if UFC balks at his demands, I believe he had one more fight on his contract currently but I'm not sure.
Quote from: The TeeJ of Philly on August 26, 2016, 10:09:19 AM
Listening to both Randy Couture and Bendo on the fighter and the kid, bellator is starting become a viable alternative for fighters as they're more fighter friendly, both in how they do promotions and money wise. I wouldn't be surprised to see Cowboy leave UFC if UFC balks at his demands, I believe he had one more fight on his contract currently but I'm not sure.
Cowboy has already signed a 8 fight contract to stay with UFC.
Quote from: Jon on August 26, 2016, 10:27:17 AM
Cowboy has already signed a 8 fight contract to stay with UFC.
Ah, didnt see that from yesterday. Good for him.
Quote from: The TeeJ of Philly on August 26, 2016, 10:09:19 AM
Listening to both Randy Couture and Bendo on the fighter and the kid, bellator is starting become a viable alternative for fighters as they're more fighter friendly, both in how they do promotions and money wise. I wouldn't be surprised to see Cowboy leave UFC if UFC balks at his demands, I believe he had one more fight on his contract currently but I'm not sure.
Its good to have competition (insert WWE having none comparison here). Bellator will never really challenge UFC ever....but theres certainly enough room to have a successful secondary promotion especially with all their free TV on Spike.
I think we'll really see Bellator develop if they can continue to hold onto their homegrown talent while adding a few known UFC guys. They're gonna need to lock in Michael Chandler and more importantly Michael 'Venom' Page.....who might be the hottest Welterweight prospect in the world today
I'll be in Cleveland tonight for the fights. Doesn't look like a great card really. Just overhyped around here because Stipe is a Cleveland boy and of course CP Munk.
Enjoy it man, my bet is both of those fights have a finish.
Respect to Punk
what in the hell was that main event though?
yikes.
Never mind that main event, what the hell was that ref doing in the Browne v Werdum fight? You don't get a time out for an ouchie finger in UFC! He turned his back and said stop. Verbal submission. Ref should've stopped the fight there and then. Christ, remember a few years back when Rich Franklin broke his arm against Chuck Liddell and kept fighting, and knocked Chuck out with his other arm?!? I just can't stand Travis Browne . He's a dirty fighter, constantly using eye pokes and when his finger gets hurt he wants the fight to be stopped so he can be treated, and then carry on fighting.
Also, Edmund...got to be a contender for the worst coach in MMA. Everyone coming out of his gym looks worse with each fight. I was rolling my eyes at him ranting and raving during the fight. Then he has a go at Werdum after and almost ends up with Werdum kicking him in chest? What the hell!?!
That aside, I actually thought the show was fun. Granted, some of the fights (one especially) sucked, but at least from a talking point pov there's plenty to get your teeth into.
As for Punk? Went exactly how I expected. In fact it went a minute longer than I expected. There's a reason you don't see backyard football players starting in the NFL. Same thing here. Just a ridiculous experiment on UFC's behalf and with his level of skill, it was pretty dangerous to put him in the cage like that. At least when James Tony came in he had some combat experience. Fair play to Punk though, he's got crazy self belief and he did seem to enjoy the experience. He should never fight in UFC again though. Be interested to see this show's buy rate and if he made a big difference. I don't expect this one to do much above 300,000 buys - with Punk maybe adding 50K to the base rate for this kind of show.
At least Mickey Gall knows what's up and immediately called out Sage Northcut. Smart move young man.
Oh and to those people who claimed McGregor was 'running away' during the second Diaz fight...take a look at Roidreem in the main event of this show - now THAT is running during a fight!
Decent, newsworthy show. But please, no more fights for Punk in UFC.
I think the reaction to Punks loss is a little over the top. He defended fairly well on the ground, was just out grappled by more experienced fighter. You see that kind of victory all the time in professional fights. The rush in was his biggest mistake and what appeared amateurish. But comparing it to Toney? I mean he was just a useless sack of shit that Couture humiliated. It was vastly different. There have been far worse performances by wrestlers turned MMA, Del Rio get head-kicked, O'Haire getting KTFO by a 50 year old Butterbean (guessing at the age). I do agree, however, that he should have started with some bums in the lower leagues and built himself up for he payday in the UFC, not doubt he would have still lost but you'd hope it was in a less dominate manner.
You thought he defended fairly well? For a white belt maybe but jeez man, he got utterly schooled. The only time I've seen more one sided ground work in a top level fight is when Maia fights and he is basically a human back pack that chokes you out for fun. And Mickey Gall is no Damien Maia on the ground.
James Toney was a world champion level boxer. At three weight classes. One of the best ever. He had a legitimate combat sports background, not MMA, but he had earned money fighting. He had the same level of MMA experience as Punk and was handled just the same.
I actually don't see any difference between the two performances. They were both terrible and both nowhere near the UFC level.
I respect Punk's determination and guts - he did something I'll never do. But to say he did ok and defended well, you must've watched a different fight to me. I just saw an amateur getting owned - something I don't want to see in the UFC. If I did, I watch amateur MMA fights.
Watch Punks hands and body positioning, I am not a BJJ expert but he was defending himself. You are talking as though Gall dumped on his arse and tapped him out in a seconds, which is pretty much what happened with Toney. Perhaps I am not remembering the Toney fight that well. I think you are hyperboling it to the extreme because it is Punk and the circumstances that lead to him fighting in the UFC. If I could be arsed, I'd pull up several examples of similar finishes between pro's.
Nah man, that was someone being utterly dominated. He landed no punches, no take downs, didn't improve his position once after he was taken down and was finished in just over 2 mins. Never mind his hand and body position, he was completely done as soon as that fight hit the ground. He defended himself for as long as it took Gall to get his back - which was about 20 seconds. He never looked like he wasn't going to get finished.
I've watched enough MMA for enough years to recognise when someone is an amateur and doesn't have the skills required. Punk is that guy. It's just a fact - he hasn't trained as long, he's too old to start this as a career and his body has a ton of mileage on it.
The Toney fight went the exact same way.
I'm not hyperboling anything to the extreme because it's Punk. I'm just saying what I and the rest of the universe saw - he got owned. Simple as that. He didn't do anything in the fight. At all.
I know why he got to UFC - because of his name and he's a superstar. I'm fine with that. But you can't turn round after a demolition job like that and say he did well, or even ok, just because he's Punk.
If anyone else had come into UFC with a 0-0 record, performed like that and been finished in under 3 mins, I'd be saying exactly the same thing. The gulf in class was blantently obvious and Mickey Gall isn't exactly a top level guy (he might be in the future but will need to see him a real fight and a few more years doing this).
He should never have fought in the UFC first place and he shouldn't again. I'm all for the show business and money making side of things, but you've at least got to have pros fighting real pros.
Fair play to him for doing that, but no one is going to convince me it was a good idea, or that he performed well.
I didn't say he performed well or that it was a good idea, quite the opposite. Just claimed that the overall reaction to his loss was over the top. But yeah, I can see there is no changing your opinion so we will have to agree to disagree. I would suggest re-watching the Toney fight as I have and seeing the difference. I know me and you have you watched a lot of Pride as well, where there were plenty of actual amateurs getting embarrassingly dominated.
205 looks crazy....tried to grab a few tickets to the show and I didnt stand a chance.
I think it's going to be a pretty good card.
Hopefully it's more like 202 than 200. 8-9 of the 11 fights could be considered main event fights (across PPV + Free Fight Nights).
Fuck I thought Hendo deserved to win that fight, but can totally see how Bisping got it, it's all about the 2nd round.
1st: Hendo, fringe 10-8 round.
2nd: Bisping landed way more strikes but Hendo had much more damage. I edged it to Hendo for dropping Bisping.
3rd: Bisping 10-9 easy.
4th: Bisping dominated, 10-9 easy.
5th: close but I had Hendo edging it with the takedown.
Bisping was always winning this if it went to the judges, they're as bias as the awful ones that they get in America (as seen in Bisping/Hamill, Bisping/Anderson, and Bisping/Hendo) but maybe its because I wanted Hendo to win so bad that I see him as the winner.
I had it 49-46 for a Bisping.
Only gave Hendo the 1st round, which he was losing until he dropped Bisping.
Hendo was gassed out after the 1st round. I thought the fight was pretty boring.
Quote from: Jon on October 09, 2016, 12:23:00 PM
I had it 49-46 for a Bisping.
Only gave Hendo the 1st round, which he was losing until he dropped Bisping.
Hendo was gassed out after the 1st round. I thought the fight was pretty boring.
Yep. That's how I saw it too.
I really enjoyed the fight, as a Bisping fan it was great to see him come through a couple of knock downs (especially the first which I thought was ending the fight) and defend his title in his home town.
This was a close fight. Wasn't a robbery for Bisping to get the decision. Same could be said for Henderson, but it was the 3rd, 4th and 5th that made the difference. I gave them all to Bisping. With a 10-9 in the first and second for Hendo. It was close to a 10-8 in the first, but the fact he got back up and finished the round on his feet probably saved it from being a 10-8.
I thought Hendo did well for a guy that old, with that many miles on the clock. He took round 3 off to recover some energy and didn't really get back on track until late in the 5th.
If you judge the fight on who looked like they lost after, you'd give the fight to Hendo for sure. But looking at each round and also the strikes Bisping landed in the middle of the fight, you can see why they went with Bisping.
Plus if you're judging on striking, grappling, aggression and control - in that order. I think Bisping won the striking in at least 3 rounds and maybe even 4 (that second round is tough to call).
It wasn't the best fight, Hendo gassed after the first round and spent the rest of the fight ponderously hoping Bisping would get lazy with his defence, which he did in the second after seemingly rocking him and landing the groin shot. Weird fight really, as Bisping dominated but Hendo did all the damage. I think the right guy won.
Ronda is back, and I think she's gonna destroy Nunes. Thats a bad matchup. Dana said too if she beats Nunes, the Cyborg fight is happening.
http://www.thescore.com/mma/news/1130264-georges-st-pierre-terminates-ufc-contract-i-am-a-free-agent (http://www.thescore.com/mma/news/1130264-georges-st-pierre-terminates-ufc-contract-i-am-a-free-agent)
Damn, Bellator needs to change their pants.
what a dominating performance
dooho is the man
Cyborg might be in trouble
Quote from: Black Death on December 22, 2016, 10:04:16 PM
Cyborg might be in trouble
surprise of the year for sure, her and brock
First... CONGRATS TO CORY!!!! Winning the pick'ems for a 3rd time!
Last night was a decent card, but some strange ref decisions. I had Hendricks and Saffedine as winning their fights. Saffedine for sure! Hendricks/Magny was close.
But man... the fall of Rousey has been tough to watch. Why she has Edmund still as a coach is beyond me. But I think this is the last we see of Rowdy in the MMA. She might still have a place in WWE... maybe...
Cody Garbrandt is legit as fuck. Man, I've never seen anyone do what he did to Cruz. He needs to tighten up his taunting and trash talk in the ring, because he don't need that shit. He looked fantastic last night and I can't wait for him and Dillashaw to throw down.
Agree, He convince her that she could stand and bang and that was never her core strength . She gone away from what got her to the top. That is her top ground game and submission work. Last night she did not even attempt a takedown. She try to bang with someone who main strength is the striking , That two fights in a row she try to out strike strikers
I would love for her to go WWE... but if she still wants to fight , she needs to change her coach quickly
Thanks all for playing the Pick Ems, lets have another strong year in 2017!
And yeah, kinda felt like if Ronda was going to lose it was going to be quick and embarrassing, and it was. I agree with Jon, how does Edmund still have a job? If Ronda had a coach like Greg Jackson or something not only do I think he'd have he prepared mentally 10x better but actually come up with a gameplan and not have Ronda who has awful standup, try and stand up identically the way she did and got dominated vs Holm, against maybe a bigger hitter in Nunes.
I think it becomes more and more clear why we never got Rousey/Cyborg, that'd be maybe more one sided than the CM Punk fight...hell this fight vs Nunes was more one sided than the Punk/Gall fight.
and shout out to Cody tho, I didn't think he stood a chance in that fight. I enjoy watching him fight but everything about Cody just screamed contender with KO power will get outpointed/out classed by the champion and boy was I wrong. Dude was phenomenal and another star, cant wait to see him destroy that dork Dillashaw.
The first 3 fights were pretty shit last night, but the last two made up for it.
Also, how about no sendoff for Mike Goldberg? It was his last event you figure they'd at least let Rogan acknowledge it or something.....did him wrong.
Mike Goldberg is terrible and I'm so happy he's going. That dude has to be one of the luckier people in life, as he pretty much kept that job because he was there before it got popular and pretty much was the voice for UFC. I just can't stand his commentating as he doesn't add anything for me and I'm not sold he's even knowledgeable in the sport.
I hope Rogan goes next. I would much rather Anik and Stann.
Cody Garbrandt is from my hometown and went to the same high school and all that stuff. Needless to say folks back at home are really really happy about his success. The kid Maddux, I've had drinks with his dad lol.
Quote from: Doug E Fresh on December 31, 2016, 03:03:37 PM
Cody Garbrandt is from my hometown and went to the same high school and all that stuff. Needless to say folks back at home are really really happy about his success. The kid Maddux, I've had drinks with his dad lol.
I think he did a tiny bit of damage to his character from all the behind the scenes stuff coming off like every bit of a meathead jersey-shore type but having the sick kid with him and giving him the belt and stuff showed real character. I never disliked Cody and anytime one of the small midget fighters can actually finish fights I'm always a fan.
that decision on Silva/Brunson tho....yikes.