Friday, December 31, 2010
Clay Guida Has a Great Gameplan for Takanori Gomi, But Will He Stick To It When He Starts Getting Punched?
WEC 53 Predictions
World Extreme Cagefighting puts on its 53rd and final fight card Thursday night, and we'll say goodbye with what should be a very entertaining fight card, with one bout determining the first UFC bantamweight champion, and another determining the next UFC No. 1 contender.
What: WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis
Where: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Arizona
When: Thursday, the non-televised undercard begins at 7 PM ET and the Versus TV card begins at 9.
Predictions on the five televised fights below.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/16/wec-53-predictions/
Exclusive pictures from UFC 124
Check out the exclusive pictures by Tracy Lee from UFC 124, including a determined GSP, an overjoyed Jim Miller and the punch that Joe Stevenson ran directly into.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Exclusive-pictures-from-UFC-124?urn=mma-295231
Wladimir Klitscho David Haye Cornelius K9 Bundrage Miguel Cotto
Scary moment on WEC 53 preliminary card
Eddie Wineland and Ken Stone had a frightening moment during the preliminary card at WEC 53. From Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole, who was cageside:
Stone pulled guard and Wineland walked him across the cage and backed him to the fence. Then, he did a Rampage Japan-style slam and Stone was out cold immediately. Down for 5-10 minutes and then out on a stretcher.
Stone was taken from the arena in a stretcher, but he did not sustain any serious injuries, and was moving and breathing without trouble.
Otherwise, the WEC 53 undercard was called by several on-site media the most exciting undercard they've seen. Only two fights went to the judges cards.
Complete undercard results:
Renan Barao def. Chris Cariaso via submission via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:47
Yuri Alcantara def. Ricardo Lamas via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 3:26
Danny Castillo def. Will Kerr via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 1:25
Eddie Wineland def. Ken Stone via knockout (slam) - Round 1, 2:11
Brad Pickett def. Ivan Menjivar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Shane Roller def. Jamie Varner via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:55
Danny Downes def. Tiequan Zhang via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Wild-Ass UFC Booking Roundup: Miller vs. Shalorus, Faber vs. Wineland, Bruce Leroy, Kid Yamamoto + More
("This big horsemeat-eating motherf*cker is next.")
There's been a veritable orgy of UFC fight-bookings happening over the last couple days, and we might as well throw them all at you in one lump sum. We'll start with one that might not be the biggest of the bunch, but definitely struck us as the strangest...
Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus - UFC 128:
When Dana White proclaimed that Miller's impressive kneebar submission win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 124 put him in the mix of lightweight contenders, nobody figured that would mean that he'd be paired with an Octagon newcomer in his next bout. But this is the UFC, and sometimes the organization's MMA math just doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense. The Sparta, New Jersey native will attempt to increase his winning streak to seven when he takes on (7-0-2) WEC veteran Shalorus at UFC 128 in his backyard in New Jersey.
Dan Miller vs. David Branch - UFC 128:
Considering that his brother is on the card and they can save on cornermen hotel rooms and plane tickets, it's a no-brainer that the UFC would have another local fighter like Miller on the card for UFC 128. The fact that they now have to pay Chuck Liddell's seven-figure salary, bar and strip club tabs has not been lost on the accounting department who have undoubtedly suggested some cost cutting measures that will be implemented in 2011. Wait until you see the beat-up budget ex-strippers they bring in to replace Arianny and Chandella.
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub - UFC 128:
It turned out that reports earlier this week that a rumored bout between Schaub and Stephan Struve had been verbally agreed to by both fighters were incorrect. Instead, Schaub will look to climb over former PRIDE wrecking machine, Cro Cop on his way to a top five opponent in 2011.
Filipovic will attempt to prolong his rapidly shortening career by defeating the up-and-coming fighter who is riding a three-fight winning streak which includes a "W" over Gabriel Gonzaga -- the last man to put Cro Cop to sleep prior to Frank Mir turning his lights out in his last outing at UFC 119.
2010 Boxing Fight Of The Year: Humberto Soto - Urbano Antillon
Humberto Soto used to be a reliably good time. As a pressure fighter, his style catalyzed action. But over the years, he had become a bit more technical, and rarely of late has he been in memorable bouts.
It took a practicing pressure fighter, Urbano Antillon, to bring back Humberto Soto, Action Star. Over 12 rounds in December in the main event of a Top Rank pay-per-view, the two top-10 lightweights waged violent war. Antillon got fully up in Soto?s business, and Soto had no choice but to stand and trade at times.
As the more nuanced pugilist of the pair, Soto got the better of things, for the most part. He would occasionally wobble Antillon, especially toward the close of rounds. But Antillon came away with some chunks of Soto in his teeth, too. He tore at Soto?s ribcage, in particular. Just when it seemed like Antillon was about to fade or go down, he would rally the very next round.
I do not deem Soto-Antillon the TQBR Fight of the Year with much conviction. I won?t hazard a guess about whether anyone else will. I will say that I expect among the year-end award-giving crowd, several fights ? Ricky Burns-Rocky Martinez? Amir Khan-Marcos Maidana? ? are likely to win laurels.
I went with Soto-Antillon because it was the fight that I thought featured the most sustained action, the most back-and-forth punch-swapping. Both men bore shiners for their troubles. In the end, Soto won in part due to his superior sweet science. But the rest of that phrase coined by Pierce Egan goes ?the sweet science of bruising,? and Soto rediscovered the ?bruising? part thanks to Antillon. We can thank both of them for it.
Minowa loses, Mousasi and Kharitanov early winners at Dynamite!! 2010
Gegard Mousasi added another solid win to his resume. The former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ again tried his hand at K-1 and came away the victor over Kyotara. The Japanese veteran was fresh off an appearance in K-1's World Grand Prix but was no match for the smaller Mousasi, who went on to a unanimous decision win at Dynamite!! 2010 in Saitama, Japan.
Mousasi brought the pain in the second round when he landed an overhand right on the chin. Kyotara was rubber legged and went down hard with 1:30 left in the round. It took 14 seconds for the referee to re-start the fight and Kyotara was still in bad shape. He was tough and ate some big shots, but survived. Mousasi was a bit gassed in the final round but avoided any significant damage. He's now 5-0 under K-1 rules.
MMA veteran Sergei Kharitanov scored the best knockout of the early fights. He walked straight forward with zero fear of Tatsuya Mizuno's punching power. The Japanese fighter landed several solid rights but the Russian was unphased as he waited to launch his attack. The first decent punch Kharitanov landed destroyed Mizuno.
A right down the pipe rocked Mizuno, who then took a knee right in the face and fell to his back, where he caught two more punches for good measure. He was out cold for a few minutes as medical handlers tried to talk to him. Kharitanov gets MMA win No. 17 at 1:25 of the first round.
He probably wouldn't have been in the ring if the fight card was in the U.S. Kharitanov was also part of the WGP card two weeks and lost via brutal KO that night. In the states, he'd likely receive a 45 or 60 day medical suspension. Apparently, he was healthy to cruise by an outmanned fighter in Mizuno.
Hiroshi Izumo def. Ikuhisa Minowa TKO via strikes, 2:50 of Round 3
Andy Ologun def. Kasuaki Furuki via unanimous decision.
Kazuyuki Miyata def. Caol Uno via unanimous decision
Hideo Tokoro def. Kazuhisa Watanabe via submission (armbar), 2:50 of Round 3
The 11 things MMA fans want to see in 2011
Looking ahead to the new year, Cagewriter is turning it up to eleven. In no particular order, here are the 11 things MMA needs for 2011.
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Alistair Overeem: Despite his loss to Fabricio Werdum, the negotiations just to get Fedor fighting in the U.S. again have been treacherous, and now it seems that he will fight Antonio Silva. Meanwhile, Overeem has kept busy making history in K-1. Strikeforce has two of the best heavyweights in the world on their roster. It should not be difficult to get them to fight.
Improved judging: How many fighters need to get screwed by judges before changes are made in MMA's judging system? As the sport continues to grow and improve, parity will follow and more fights will require a judges' call. These fighters deserve competent judges.
A challenge for Jose Aldo: The featherweight champ looked head and shoulders above Faber and Manny Gamburyan in 2010. As fun as it is to watch Aldo beat up on his opponents, someone who challenges him could be much more fun.
Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber coaching on "The Ultimate Fighter": This match-up is full of win. Bantamweights Cruz and Faber are top-flight fighters, already dislike each other, and both come from camps that would provide excellent coaches and training partner cameos. Going with smaller fighters would not only invigorate the TUF franchise, it would also introduce a larger MMA audience to the WEC fighters joining the UFC.
Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Nick Diaz: Enough with the trash talk, the viral videos and the catchphrases. Strikeforce needs to make this fight happen.
Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva: The two have been at the top of pound-for-pound rankings for years, and are just one weight class apart. GSP has asked for time to put on weight to fight Silva, who walks around at more than 200 lbs. UFC, give him time, and then let's make this fight happen.
Legal MMA in New York: Seriously, Empire State. Get your act together and legalize MMA. It's ludicrous for a state with a rich history of boxing and wrestling not to allow mixed martial arts.
A rejuvenated Brock Lesnar: Losing his title to Cain Velasquez exposed Lesnar's distaste for getting punched in the face, a liability for someone whose job involves getting punched in the face. It will be fascinating to see how Lesnar reacts to being an underdog, and watching to see if he has the resolve to come back should be an interesting storyline.
More pre and post-fight shows: Here at Yahoo! Sports, there was a pre-fight show for UFC 121. ESPN's "MMA Live" did pre and post-fight shows for UFC 116 and 121, and Versus had shows for the final two WEC events. Every one of these shows added to the MMA viewing experience.
Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez: To compete with the UFC juggernaut, the smart thing for Strikeforce and Bellator would be to team up to make the best fights. This should start with a bout between their two lightweight champions. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney probably ended any hopes for this bout with overzealous negotiation tactics, but it still would be a fun fight for fans to watch.
More Pat Miletich on the microphone: The man is both a legendary coach and fighter, and now he uses his talents as a commentator for Strikeforce. Inexplicably, he isn't always included on their broadcast team. Please, give us more Pat.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Cruz makes UFC bantamweight history with victory at WEC 53
Dominick Cruz made MMA history, defending the WEC bantamweight title and earning the first-ever UFC bantamweight title with a dominating win over Scott Jorgensen at WEC 53 in Glendale, Ariz. on Thursday night. On all three judges cards, Cruz won 50-45.
Cruz started the fight just as expected. He did not stop moving, throwing combinations and leg kicks, then dancing away from Jorgensen. When Jorgensen could get a hand on Cruz, he tried to take him down but had to settle for a clinch. He could only hold the clinch for a few seconds, as Cruz broke away and returned to the constantly moving stand-up. As the round ended, Jorgensen took Cruz down, but couldn't stay on his back. Cruz rolled out and ended up on top of Jorgensen.
Even with Cruz continuing his stick-and-move game, Jorgensen was able to land a few more punches early in the second round, opening a cut on the bridge of Cruz's nose. Cruz took Jorgensen down halfway through the round and followed that up with damaging elbows. They returned to their feet near the end of the round, but Jorgensen couldn't capitalize on the opportunity.
With Jorgensen's eyes swelling up, Cruz turned up the pressure in the third round. He wobbled Jorgensen with a right hand early. Jorgensen returned to his feet, but Cruz didn't slow. He followed up with kicks to the head and body, all the while dodging and moving between strikes. With a minute left in the round, Cruz hit a beautiful takedown. After that, Jorgensen came close to being able to generate offense, reversing Cruz and taking his back, but Cruz slipped out and returned to his feet.
By the fourth round, Jorgensen needed a home run as he was clearly behind in points. Jorgensen came out strong early, but every time he seemed to get going, Cruz took him down and followed with nasty strikes. Jorgensen, a Division I collegiate wrestler, had no answer for Cruz's kneetap takedown.
Somehow, Cruz did not slow in the fifth and final round. Jorgensen continued to move forward and even got a takedown, but couldn't do anything with it. Cruz answered Jorgensen's takedown with a blast double leg of his own, taking Jorgensen straight down to the canvas.
When the final horn sounded, Cruz walked to the side of the cage where former WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber was sitting, and glared at him. Faber is the only man who has beaten Cruz, and he recently dropped to bantamweight. Cruz didn't hesitate to ask for a bout with Faber after the fight. Faber made comments on the WEC pre-show that made it obvious that he would welcome this fight.
Anthony Pettis Uses Amazing Kick to Beat Ben Henderson
Anthony Pettis brought the WEC promotion to an end in style on Thursday night, using one of the most incredible kicks in the history of the sport to seal the victory against Ben Henderson at WEC 53.The kick all but defies description: Pettis jumped into the air, pushed off the fence with his foot and landed an incredible head kick at the end of the fifth round, putting an emphatic ending on his unanimous decision victory. The kick looked like something out of a martial arts movie, but Pettis said it's something he and his coach have been working on.
"Duke Roufus, we practice that all the time," Pettis said. "I've got 10 more of those kicks coming when I'm in the UFC. How do you like that to end the WEC?"
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/16/anthony-pettis-uses-amazing-kick-to-beat-ben-henderson/
Overeem-Duffee Will Be for DREAM Belt; Tim Sylvia Signs With Titan FC
Filed under: DREAM, News, Japan
After much insistence from Alistair Overeem, DREAM has made it official that Overeem's bout against Todd Duffee at Dynamite!! 2010 will be for the promotion's "interim" heavyweight belt."I'm very happy that they found an opponent, I'm even more happy that it's going to be for the DREAM heavyweight title," Overeem said Thursday at a Dynamite!! press conference.
Dana White Expects to Know 'Ultimate Fighter' Coaches on Friday
In the week and a half since the Finale of The Ultimate Fighter Season 12, speculation has run rampant about who the coaches will be for the show's 13th season, which will begin taping in early 2011. UFC President Dana White said on Wednesday that he's about 48 hours away from knowing the coaches' identities."We should have it done by Friday," White said at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, where he announced that the UFC would host a fight card in Brazil in August.
So who are the likely choices?
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/15/dana-white-expects-to-know-ultimate-fighter-coaches-on-friday/
Cantwell-Diabate, Simpson-Miranda, Cane-Vemola Targeted for March UFC Cards
Also slated for March is Aaron Simpson vs. Mario Miranda at UFC Fight Night 24 and Luiz Cane vs. Karlos Vemola at UFC 128.
No "UFC Prelims" Spike TV special for UFC 125, no online stream announced
Despite a star-studded preliminary card and some intriguing matchups, Saturday's UFC 125 event appears it'll air solely on pay-per-view. Sources close to the show today told MMAjunkie.com that Spike TV will not air one of its traditional one-hour "UFC Prelims" specials prior to the PPV main card.
Additionally, UFC officials have announced no plans to stream any of the preliminary-card fights, which they recently did with UFC 124.
Pacquiao Selected as One of CNN?s Top 20 Stories that Changed the World in 2010
UFC 128: Brendan Schaub vs. Mirko Cro Cop
Filed under: UFC
At long last, Brendan Schaub has an opponent in place for his next fight: He's taking on Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 128 on March 19.Schaub, who's coming off a great 2010 in which he went 3-0 inside the Octagon, had previously been linked to a meeting with either Frank Mir or Stefan Struve. But instead he'll take on Cro Cop, who will return to the Octagon for the first time since a lackluster loss to Mir in September.
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/29/ufc-128-brendan-schaub-vs-mirko-cro-cop/
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
When will Nelson fight? This video only confuses more
Roy Nelson is on the shelf for a while or is he? Inside MMA needed to bring Roger Cossack on board to navigate this story. Nelson is being sued by Square Ring Inc. for a contract signed before his fight against Jeff Monson in March of 2009. Nelson then accepted a slot on Season 9 of "The Ultimate Fighter." That's where things get fuzzy.
Apparently, SRI believes it holds promotional rights for Nelson and the fighter violated the deal by working out a deal with Zuffa. But there's a lot more to the story that the casual viewer should know.
The IMMA interview is incredibly misleading in several ways. Roy Jones is made into the villain. That's really not the case. Square Ring Inc. is a legitimate promoter in the world of boxing, so it's not Jones simply trying to screw over the MMA fighter.
Secondly, Nelson was working in a matchmaking capacity for the promotion after his March of 2009 fight. According to the Fight Lawyer blog, Square Ring built its lawsuit around a short conversation between the UFC's Marc Ratner and Nelson at a May 2009 MMA event in Primm, Nev.
On or about May 24, 2009, Defendant's Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Mr. Marc Ratner, attended the Primm Event. Plaintiff s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. John Wirt, spoke with Mr. Ratner at the Primm Event and told Mr. Ratner that Mr. Nelson was not only assisting SRI's matchmaker for the MMA bouts on the Primm Event, but also that Mr. Nelson was under contract with SRI as a fighter. Mr. Ratner also spoke separately with Mr. Nelson while at the Primm Event.
In the end, it sounds like the lawyers have to figure out some cash settlement Nelson will have to send the way of Square Ring.
Check out the interview and then read the take from the Fight Lawyer. SRI probably has a case and Nelson is far from a fighter getting bullied by Jones. Hopefully, the financial terms can be worked out quickly so Nelson can get back into the Octagon sooner rather than later. Because of his fighting style, appearance and ability to promote a fight, just about every high level UFC heavyweight is calling out the mulleted-mammoth. Nelson's tale should serve as a lesson to all MMA fighters outside the UFC. Get a lawyer before you sign any contract!
Floyd Mayweather Beats Manny Pacquiao, Who Beats Shane Mosley
Filed under: WBC, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. Trainer Lee Espinoza is a veteran in the sport who has known many boxers for years.
In this FanHouse video, Espinoza gives his opinion on eight-division titlist Manny Pacquiao (pictured at right, on the left), three-division, five-time champion, Shane Mosley (pictured at far right), and six-time champion Floyd Mayweather.
On May 7, Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) will defend his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt against Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) in an HBO pay per view televised, Top Rank Promotions bout from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas where Pacquiao's WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) crown will not be on the line.
Mosley was beaten by unanimous decision by Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) in May of 2009, and battled to September's junior middleweight draw against ex-champion Sergio Mora (21-1-1, six KOs). Mayweather has been promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2010/12/28/trainer-floyd-mayweather-beats-manny-pacquiao-who-beats-shane/
Vitali Klitschko Wladimir Klitscho David Haye Cornelius K9 Bundrage
Is the UFC HW Belt the Pinnacle of Combat Sports?
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/85835-ufc-hw-belt-pinnacle-combat-sports.html
Playful Punching: Manny Pacquiao Fans Riot, Exile Manny Pacquiao
A one-time boxing sensation and hero to many of his countrymen, Manny Pacquiao had enjoyed a stellar career until recently. Pacquiao's fame as an international sporting celebrity was cemented by a trio of victories between 2011 and 2013. First, Pacquiao challenged ...
Source: http://www.proboxing-fans.com/playful-punching-manny-pacquiao-fans-riot-exile-manny-pacquiao_122910/
Ariel Helwani Best of 2010 MMA Interviews Part 2
var s1 = new SWFObject("http://www.mmatko.com/player-viral.swf","JW","480","420","9");
s1.addParam("allowscriptaccess", "always");
s1.addParam("allowfullscreen","true");
s1.addParam("wmode","transparent");
s1.addParam("flashvars","file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaSJYbHhSzw");
s1.addVariable("enablejs", "true");
s1.write("mediaspace");
.
.
.
Source: http://www.mmatko.com/ariel-helwani-best-of-2010-mma-interviews-part-2/
Frankie Edgar: ?Gray Maynard Should Be the Favorite?
Source: http://www.5thRound.com/63289/frankie-edgar-gray-maynard-should-be-the-favorite-at-ufc-125/
Cage Rage 14 Punishment Vitor Belfort Vs Anthony Rea
Related posts:
- Cage Rage – Vitor Belfort VS Ivan Serati
- Vitor Belfort Training
- The very best of Vitor Belfort by Rubio.
Source: http://www.ufc-video.co.cc/2010/12/cage-rage-14-punishment-vitor-belfort-vs-anthony-rea/
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
WEC 53 Weigh-In Video
All the fighters participating on the WEC 53 card will step on the scale for the WEC 53 weigh-in Wednesday, and if you can't be there in Glendale, Ariz., you can watch the live stream right here at MMAFighting.com.The card features two title fights: Lightweight champion Ben Henderson and challenger Anthony Pettis will have to make the 155-pound limit, and bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Scott Jorgensen will have to make the 135-pound limit.
Following the weigh-in, the UFC's Forrest Griffin will take part in a question-and-answer session with fans, which will also stream live.
The weigh-in starts at 7 PM ET and the video is below.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/15/wec-53-weigh-in-video/
WEC 53: Donald Cerrone Submits Chris Horodecki
wed off a great display of fighting from his back Thursday at WEC 53, spending most of the second round controlling Chris Horodecki from the bottom before eventually getting him to tap out to a triangle choke.Cerrone thanked his coach afterward.
"Thanks to Greg Jackson," Cerrone said. "Always pushing, always giving us words of wisdom to keep us motivated. I've got to give it all to Greg Jackson."
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/16/wec-53-donald-cerrone-submits-chris-horodecki/
Live MMA Coming to MTV2 With New Bellator Deal
The latest channel to venture into televising live mixed martial arts fights is a network few had expected: MTV2.Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that it has reached a three-year deal to air live fights on MTV2, starting in 2011. Bellator will continue with its seasonal format of 12-week, eight-fighter tournaments, with the next tournament beginning in March.
At first blush, MMA and MTV might seem like strange bedfellows. For that matter, MTV and any sport would seem to be a strange pairing -- isn't MTV supposed to be music television?
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/14/live-mma-coming-to-mtv2-with-new-bellator-deal/
UFC 124 Post-fight press conference: Who's next for GSP?
-- For the first time, the UFC allowed the fans to vote for the Fight of the Night, and that $100,000 bonus was given to Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck by the fans. Mark Bocek and Jim Miller split the Submission of the Night bonus, each taking home an extra $50,000. Bocek's was for a triangle choke of Dustin Hazelett, while Miller won his bonus for slapping a kneebar on Charles Oliveira. Mac Danzig was awarded the $100,000 Knockout of the Night bonus for his quick KO of Joe Stevenson.
-- Dana White said he believed it was the Pierson/Riddle fight should have won the fight of the night, and the UFC will take care of those fighters. He also said that the fans blew their chance by voting in GSP/Koscheck, so they won't get another chance to vote in FOTN. Later, White told GSP that he owed Pierson, his training partner, $100,000 dollars.
-- Montreal delivered again, with 23,152 fans packing into the Bell Centre, bringing in one of the largest North American gates ever of $4.58 million. This was the fourth UFC event in Montreal.
-- The biggest winner of the night may have been Mike Dolce, the man behind the Dolce Diet, for helping Thiago Alves move past his weight problems. Alves said that getting on the Dolce Diet was not just a change in his diet, but a change in lifestyle, and that made the difference in how he fought against John Howard.
-- When asked about a possible GSP-Anderson Silva super fight, White was non-committal, saying "We'll see what happens." GSP said that he needs to check it out, because if he were to move up, he needs to gain muscle and stay up at middleweight. He pointed out how the weight class movement affected the timing of Roy Jones, Jr., and he doesn't want to move back and forth between weight classes.
-- GSP seemed open to fighting Jake Shields. "I like watching him fight, he's very meticulous, he beat up everyone at 170 and 185, I think he's amazing," GSP said about Shields. "He's probably the number one contender right now for my title."
-- GSP spoke about his post-fight embrace with Koscheck, saying that Kos apologized and said the trash was to hype up a fight. GSP thanked him for coming and fighting in Montreal. "In the end, we need a good guy, we need a bad guy, and it's a business," GSP said.
-- Jim Miller is often not regarded as one of the UFC's best lightweights, despite the fact that's he only lost to Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, two men fighting for the lightweight title. He said it does bother him, because he believes he is the No. 3 guy.
"It does eat at me a little bit. It does bother me," he said. He hopes to get another chance at Edgar and Maynard. "I want revenge. I want to beat those guys. Even though Frankie and I are friends, it was fun when we fought the last time. It will be fun the second time."
Vitali Klitschko Wladimir Klitscho David Haye Cornelius K9 Bundrage
Now That He's Once Again in Control of His Destiny, Keith Jardine Vows a UFC Return
UFC 125 Prelims Set for Ion TV with Baroni-Tavares, Davis-Stephens, Grispi-Poirier
Monday, December 27, 2010
Renzo Gracie Wants to Fight in UFC's Return to Brazil
Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, News
Renzo Gracie's camp wants you to know that his MMA career isn't close over and that he wants to fight on the UFC card in Brazil on Aug. 27.MMA Fighting recently spoke to Gracie's manager, Ali Abdel Aziz of Dominance MMA Management, about the 43-year-old's desire to fight on what will be the first UFC card in Gracie's home country since October 1998.
"It's Renzo's dream to fight in a UFC in Brazil," Abdel Aziz said, "but it's up to the UFC and Dana [White] to make it happen."
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/22/renzo-gracie-wants-to-fight-on-ufcs-return-to-brazil/
Vitali Klitschko Wladimir Klitscho David Haye Cornelius K9 Bundrage
The GDP Award
Filed under: Strikeforce, Japan
There are only two types of people who say they'll get in the cage and fight for free: liars and psychos. You think you want to put on the gloves, get up in front of a screaming crowd, and get punched in the face for free on a Saturday night? Are you dense?Naw, playa. Fighting, when done right, is a job. When done wrong, it's a criminal offense, or at the very least a way to get kicked out of your favorite bar. The wise pugilist knows that if people are paying to see him, some of that money should find its way into his pocket, if only so he can pay for his stitches and Jägerbombs after the fight.
It is with this in mind that we award this year's GDP Award (or as "King" Mo Lawal would say, the Get Dat Paper Award) for MMA's most ambitious cash-stacking, money-making hustler to none other than Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem. [pause for confused applause]
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/25/the-gdp-award/
WEC 53 ratings: Final card draws 615,000 viewers, seventh-highest in company history
World Extreme Cagefighting went out with a bang in the cage, and the promotion didn't do too bad in the ratings, either. With a pair of titles on the line in the final event in WEC history, "WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis" scored an impressive 0.62 household rating and an average audience of 615,000 viewers on Versus, MMAjunkie.com confirmed with an industry source.
The ratings figure marks the third-straight WEC event to experience a gain in viewership, and WEC 53 finishes as the seventh-highest rated event in the promotion's history.
Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle in line for UFC 128 in March
The Renzo Gracie protege is scheduled to face off against veteran Mike Pyle when the UFC ventures to New Jersey once again next March.
Almeida recently bounced back from an embarrassing submission loss to former champion Matt Hughes, with a decision victory over [...]
Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/26/ricardo-almeida-vs-mike-pyle-in-line-for-ufc-128-in-march
No Love for Dustin "McLovin" Hazelett, but TJ Grant Gets Another Chance
Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/22/no-love-for-dustin-mclovin-hazelett-but-tj-grant-gets-another-chance
2010 Boxing Robbery of the Year
Boxing always has bad results. That's just the name of the game, and it's why they say to leave it out of the judges' hands. In recent years, most fans have been too quick to yell "ROBBERY!!" just because a fight was close and didn't go to the fighter they thought should have won. A fight that is close enough to be won by one or two rounds by one fighter could usually be won by the other with a slight change of perspective. Still, sometimes ...
Source: http://www.proboxing-fans.com/2010-boxing-robbery-of-the-year_122210/
Scott Coker Thanks Fans for 2010, but ?Incredible? MMA Action Still to Come
Alright, so he also reiterated Strikeforce’s plan of attack for the new year. He is a promoter, and all…
The buzz surrounding the San Jose, California based promotion has [...]
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Three Questions To Be Answered At UFC 125
Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/25/three-questions-to-be-answered-at-ufc-125
UFC 125 Fight Card Official for Jan. 1 with Edgar vs. Maynard 2, Leben vs. Stann
Jardine WINS - steps back to ponder his UFC return strategy
---Quote---
Taking a day off.
It would seem like a pretty simple...
My favorite fight of 2010: Edson Barboza vs. Mike Lullo
My top fight of the year will not show up on any top ten lists. It didn't show up on any of our "You Choose" polls, and since it aired after the main event of UFC 123, it's not even one that many MMA fans saw.
But the fight that stood out the most to me in 2010 was Edson Barboza's win over Mike Lullo, because it was the first time I saw my cousin fight in the Octagon. Though Mikey, errr, Lullo lost, I've never been so proud.
Mikey called me on Nov. 10 to share the good news. He was replacing the injured Darren Elkins at UFC 123, a card that, coincidentally, I was planning to cover in person. I was floored. After Mikey's last fight, a third-round submission of Tyler Combs, I thought that he was ready for the next level but had no idea that the next level would come so quickly.
I was nervous before weigh-ins, since I hadn't talked to Mikey yet that day. An interview with the UFC's Marc Ratner distracted me, but as soon as that was over, I couldn't calm down until I saw him on the scale. I was so anxious that I didn't even notice that internet sensation Antoine Dodson was sitting in front of me. When I finally heard Joe Rogan say the name "Mike Lulll-ooooo," I had tears in my eyes.
Mikey is my cousin on my mother's side, and Lullo is a family name we take pride in. There have been Lullos who served in wars and built businesses from the ground up. My grandfather (Mikey's great uncle) John Lullo Sr., was a prizefighter in the 1920s. Seeing the name Lullo on the screen above the UFC weigh-ins took my breath away.
Though my Cagewriter duties kept me busy, I was able to hang out with Mikey the night before the fights. We went to dinner and watched "Couples Retreat," a truly terrible movie, the night before the fight, and I watched a calmness come over my cousin. Usually, he's like a ball bouncing around a pinball machine, but he had finally relaxed. He was ready to fight.
He had the third fight in on the UFC 123 undercard, and I'll be honest. I had a hard time concentrating on the first two bouts: Tyson Griffin's questionable (to put it mildly) decision loss to Nik Lentz, and Paul Kelly's TKO of T.J. O'Brien. I just wanted to see Mikey.
As I was sitting on press row, I had to stay professional and abide by the rule of no partisan cheering. I could hear my relatives. A bus full of Mikey's friends and family had driven in from suburban Chicago that afternoon, and they were not quiet. As much as I wanted to join them in yelling "MIKEY!" I sat quietly in my seat. Dave Meltzer kindly agreed to write up the fight story so I could concentrate on watching my cousin fight.
Mikey started off strong, but I grew concerned when he couldn't get a takedown. He is a submission wiz, but even when he was in the right position to get a gogoplata, he couldn't finish. I became more concerned when Barboza started to use whipping kicks to batter Mikey's legs, shuddering every time I heard the loud smack from the kicks.
But he kept standing. I could tell he was in pain, and though the MMA journalist in me thought, "He needs to keep going and make a good impression," the protective cousin in me just wanted it to end. How much more could he take?
After the end of the second round, I thought the fight was going to be stopped. Mikey was limping badly, but when the horn sounded, he returned to the center of the cage, ready for more. Barboza knocked his legs out from underneath him a few times, and finally, the fight was stopped. Mikey had lost his debut in the UFC, and had to be carried out by his cornermen.
After the Fight
I had to shake that off. Karo Parisyan and Dennis Hallman would soon be walking out for their fight, and I had to file Meltzer's story about Mikey's loss. In retrospect, having work to focus on helped me to keep it together.
There was an intermission a few fights later, and I accompanied a fellow reporter to Mikey's prep room. He greeted me with a huge smile, saying, "Hi cuz!" Though his knee was wrapped up and covered in ice and his face was bruised, he assured me that he was OK.
I hugged him and said again and again how proud I was of him. Though I tried my damnedest to hold them in, my tears flowed. Staying professional didn't matter any more. My cousin had just taken a fight on 10 days notice, just a month removed from his last fight, and had showed he was as tough as nails. Pride wasn't a strong enough word to cover what I felt.
After I saw him, I updated our family that he was doing OK, and returned to my job. Writing fight reports and briefs from the press conference was much easier after seeing Mikey smile and say, "I'm fine." The night went on. Phil Davis invented a new submission, B.J. Penn knocked out Matt Hughes, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson won a close decision over Lyoto Machida.
When I finally finished my work, I had no interest in going to post-fight parties. I just wanted to see my family, so I headed to fight hotel. A large group of loved ones were gathered, and had plenty of questions for me. "Who won Fight of the Night? Why did Tyson Griffin lose? When is the UFC coming to Chicago?" I answered them best that I could, and heard from Mikey that there was no structural damage on his knee. Phew.
Scanning the restaurant, I noticed that Barboza and his family and friends were sitting just a table away. I smiled. Mikey noticed where I was looking and said, "Oh yeah! We talked. We took a picture together. Nice guy."
Call me sentimental, but Barboza and Lullo gave me my favorite fight of the year. If you ever are lucky enough to see a beloved family member get in the Octagon, it will be your favorite, too.
Five bouts, including Mendes vs. Omigawa, added to "UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort"
The UFC's traditional Super Bowl weekend card is nearly complete, and UFC brass has announced five additional fights for "UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort."All five fights were previously reported by MMAjunkie.com, though a featherweight matchup between Team Alpha Male fighter Chad Mendes and Japanese import Michihiro Omigawa had not yet been tied down to specific date by initial reports.
Featuring a middleweight title fight between current champion Anderson Silva and top challenger Vitor Belfort, UFC 126 takes place Feb. 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Wladimir Klitscho David Haye Cornelius K9 Bundrage Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto-Ricardo Mayorga Renews Bob Arum-Don King Rivalry
Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, Boxing Rumors, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions
Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum, told FanHouse on Thursday that he expects to close a deal "today" with fellow 79-year-old rival promoter, Don King, that will match former world champion Ricardo Mayorga (pictured above, at left) of Managua, Nicaragua, opposite Arum's WBA junior middleweight (154) titlist Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico, on a March 12, pay per view card from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
A former WBA and WBC welterweight (147 pounds) and WBC junior middleweight king, the 37-year-old Mayorga (29-7-1, 22 knockouts) is coming off of a Dec. 17, ninth-round knockout over Michael Walker (19-6-2, 12 KOs), of Chicago, the latter of whom lost for the fifth straight time when he was stopped for the third consecutive fight.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2010/12/23/miguel-cotto-ricardo-mayorga-to-be-set-for-march-12/
Mike Brown doesn't want to be "deer in headlights" in second UFC run
In fact, Brown has been inside the octagon once before, but only before his accolades as a [...]
Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/24/mike-brown-doesnt-want-to-be-deer-in-headlights-in-second-ufc-run
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Alistair Overem vs Peter Aerts at K-1 Final Grand Prix 2010 - Alistair Overeem
K-1 World Grand Prix Final 2010, [ Final ]
Last Events #37-38: DREAM Dynamite!! 2010 & UFC 125
------------------------------------------------------------
_Marius Zaromskis_ vs. Kazushi Sakuraba (title...
Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos Announced, Strikeforce's January 29 Event Officially Becomes "Diaz vs. Cyborg"
?The Italian Tank? Keeps Rolling with Three Wins in a Row
Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2010/12/21/the-italian-tank-is-rolling-with-three-wins-in-a-row/
Simon Boulter (UK) VS Bobby Thomas (Croatia) ? Cage Rage in Wales swansea
Related posts:
Mendes vs. Omigawa Among Five Fights Made Official for UFC 126 Fight Card
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/16948/mendes-vs-omigawa-among-five-fights-made-official-for-ufc-126-fight-card/
Sugar Ray Robinson Rocky Marciano Vitali Klitschko Wladimir Klitscho