Source: http://www.watchkalibrun.com/2011/1/11/1930119/even-fox-news-ruins-christmas
Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus Todd Duffee Marvin Eastman
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Anthony Pettis: "Showtime" Talks Meal Time
Next time you’re in Milwaukee, “Showtime Bar & Grill” is worth a visit. The establishment is jointly owned by highly-regarded MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his prized protégé, former WEC lightweight world champ Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. On the menu at the hotspot: Pizza with Italian sausage, a Kobe Beef Burger, chili cheese fries and a ribeye steak. All very tempting to the 25-year-old Pettis (13-2), who recently spoke with UFC.com about his predominantly organic diet and how it has made weight-cutting easy. UFC: What sorts of foods do you remember eating as a kid?
Pettis: My mom wasn’t that good of a cook so she used to make a lot of macaroni and cheese and Spam. My dad was like a master chef at fried chicken; My dad made the best fried chicken ever! That was one of my favorite meals as a kid.
I came from a Spanish family, so we would eat pinchos, which is a Puerto Rican shish-kabob type of thing. We would enchiladas, tacos, rice and beans – all the kinds of things Hispanic kids eat.
Do you consider yourself a big eater?
I’m a huge eater and I’ve been that way ever since I was a kid. I have always been athletic so I was always eating a lot.
What changes have you made to your diet over the years?
I changed my diet because I had to become wiser about cutting weight. In my old sport – Taekwondo – I didn’t have to cut weight. We didn’t go by weight divisions. But once I started fighting amateur – my 20th birthday was my first fight – I had to start cutting weight and watching what I was eating.
I went through two phases. One phase is what I call ‘Eating Dumb.’ I didn’t know how to cut weight, I didn’t t know the right things to do. So I thought the less that I ate, and the cleaner my meals were – I would eat like chicken breast and salad for dinner – I didn’t know how to cut weight so that was my Eating Stupid Phase. So from the beginning of my WEC career (June 2009) all the way up until my camp for the Shane Roller fight (August 2010) I didn’t have a nutritionist so it was just a dumb way to eat.
I used to be hungry all the time so I couldn’t show my full potential in workouts. I was also getting injured a lot. I found out later that I could eat a lot more food, and a bigger variety of food, and still lose weight.
When do you feel like you found the right nutritionist and what does that diet consist of?
It was right after the Henderson fight, actually. I performed well on previous diets, but right after the Henderson fight I went and trained with Urijah Faber (in Sacramento). I met a nutritionist named Eric … and after sitting down and listening to what he had to say I felt like he was the right guy for the job. So I started working with him for the Clay Guida camp.
So that guy in California decides what the meals are going to be and sends them to my cousin, who is a chef and prepares all my meals.
I might eat a 4-ounce chicken breast, some greens, sometimes a carb like a sweet potato. I drink a lot of smoothies. Our big thing is we use coconut oil for everything. I take a scoop of coconut oil every morning when I wake up with a protein shake. I just eat whatever my nutritionist tells me to eat.
Every meal tastes like a regular meal so I never feel like I’m cutting weight. In the past when I was cutting weight my meals would be very plain and very dull. But the stuff I eat tastes amazing – it’s stuff I would pay to eat at a restaurant!
Any rules for your diet?
It’s pretty simple, nothing crazy. I don’t indulge in ice cream or anything crazy.
Do you take any supplements?
I take an organic whey protein. Every meal and everything that I eat is organic during camp. And even out of camp I try to eat clean. Organic just makes me feel better. I take glucosamine and coconut oil.
My nutritionist recommends that I drink one gallon of water a day. I also drink some coconut water and a chocolate coconut water. I put coconut water in my smoothies and my protein shakes.
After making weight for a fight what is your go-to meal?
Yeah, I do the same meal every time after weigh-ins: Salmon, spinach and sweet potato. But my meal the day of the fight always varies. The meal I had before my last fight with Joe Lauzon was pancakes, eggs and bacon. I eat breakfast and that’s it. Then I go big (with food) after my fight.
Do you pack on weight easily or are you one of those insane-metabolism/naturally slender guys who can eat whatever he wants and stay thin?
No. As a kid and in my teens, all the way up to my early 20s I could eat whatever I wanted and I was always slim. But now that I’m 25 I’ve been packing on weight. I’m coming off a shoulder injury so I couldn’t do much working out. I’ve had to watch what I eat. The heaviest I get is 185, but at that weight I feel sluggish and like crap.
Everyone remembers the so-called Matrix kick against Benson Henderson … and you’ve got so many other kicks in your arsenal. Can you still fire off those crazy kicks at 185?
Oh yeah, I can do all the same kicks. They just won’t be as crisp and I won’t be as energized as I’d like to be. My best weight is 170. When I’m at 170, I’m perfect.
So even an out-of-shape Anthony Pettis could knock somebody out with a head kick?
Oh yeah, definitely. That’s something I’ve been doing since I was a kid, so …
Quick question: Who do you like in the rematch between Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar?
Henderson. I just feel he’s too big of a 155er for Frankie Edgar. I think it will be by decision because Frankie is one of those guys that is a tough, tough guy to finish.
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Anthony-Pettis-Showtime-Talks-Meal-Time
Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo Luciano Azevedo Ba Te er Ryan Bader
Monday, July 30, 2012
Renan Barão - A Deserved Opportunity to Make a Dream Come True
The sequence of events over the last three months that saw Renan Barao switch opponents twice before moving from UFC 148 to the main event of UFC 149 was stunning, to say the least.Now, Barão is preparing to battle Urijah Faber on Saturday night for the interim UFC bantamweight belt, but to get here, he went through a lot of different emotions and a surprise after his fight against former WEC title challenger Scott Jorgensen.
Barão (30-1, 1 NC) dispatched Jorgensen by unanimous decision at UFC 143 in February, and his aspirations for a shot at the title were high. Then Jeff Hougland's name was announced as his opponent for UFC 148 in Las Vegas on July 7th, and while the Nova Uniao product was fine with the choice, he was uncertain what this match against the unheralded up and comer was going to do for him in his title quest. Okay, a win is a win, and it doesn't matter against who that victory comes against when you have a winning streak like Barao does, but a fight is a fight, and losing to someone like Hougland, who was only 1-0 in the UFC at the time, would be worse than an upset; it would be catastrophic.
But the MMA world keeps turning, and a succession of changes then shook the bantamweight division. Soon, the UFC was forced to relocate fighters from one event to another to cover for injured fighters who dropped off the cards - and it was announced that Barao would instead face the "Pride of El Salvador", Ivan Menjivar, at UFC 148. However, destiny had a final trick reserved for the man unbeaten in his last 31 fights, as an injury suffered by the 135-pound champion, Dominick Cruz, opened the ultimate door for what Barao never expected three months prior: a fight for the belt. This new situation was so big that Barao couldn't avoid smiling at any moment, even when he had to be in the stare down position inside The Ultimate Fighter training center in Las Vegas against Faber when their bout was announced.
"That's the problem with not talking English too well," he laughed, talking about his trip from Rio de Janeiro to Vegas without knowing the reason for the journey. "I didn't imagine that it would happen so quickly, and Dedé (Andre Pederneiras, Barao’s coach and manager) just said we need to go to USA to resolve some issue. I thought I'd fight one more time and then I would face the winner of Faber-Cruz (if he won the Menjivar fight). So now you all can understand why I couldn't hide the smile in any of the situations that came afterwards."
Talking about it now makes Barao laugh, but at the time, with Pederneiras not telling him the real reason for their sudden trip to Las Vegas, he was concerned, but the shocking news at that moment was turned into pure happiness when he finally found out the answers to his questions.
"My reaction… when I got the point, well man, I think I have no words," he said. "Inside my body I was smiling much more than I do when I talk about that chance I have now. Look at it this way, we all have dreams, and we know how much time it takes for them to come true. I was looking for this objective for that long, and thank God I'll have this opportunity of showing against Faber the hard work I had put in during my whole career."
There’s no question that he deserves this shot. The man has been perfect during his time under the Zuffa umbrella, with two finishes in the WEC, three great performances in the UFC and the longest winning streak in MMA today. That’s 31 fights without a loss, but fighting Faber for the world bantamweight title is unquestionably the high point of Barao's career and how he handles everything leading up to the match of his life can be a burden. But Barao says it is not this way.
"I'm very relaxed with this winning streak issue; sometimes it's mentioned by my teammates regarding the amount of fights I have won one after other, but I don't think on it," Barao said. "This is a result of the hard work I had during my career, and I'm trying to collect the results of that again with a win on Saturday night and consequently the bantamweight UFC belt.
"My enthusiasm for this chance and the winning streak are things I don't think of at this point; my focus is on Faber and what I can do to beat him, the strategy I'll utilize, things like that. Nothing can harm me now, and because of that I don't turn positive achievements into pressure on my shoulders."
Part of the Nova Uniao team, Barao is teammate to a host of UFC fighters, among then a champion, Jose Aldo, the kingpin of the featherweight division. Aldo isn't just the man at 145 pounds, he is also one of the five men who beat Faber, and many believe that with some adjustments, Barão can have the former WEC featherweight champion's number as well. Is that the way Barao sees it?
"He gained experience and he dropped one weight class since he fought Aldo, so we had some changes here," he said. "Of course Aldo's support is a key point, but I only expect a war, a great fight and I'll bring to the table the best tactics to get this victory."
During those last 90 days prior to the main event of UFC 149, Renan Barao passed through several different emotions, including uncertainty and happiness. But we can't forget that this is a Barao's dream and he wants to make it happen in real life with a happy ending. So he foresees the final result of the match as such:
"Arm raised, belt around my waist and a smile bigger than the one when I found out I would fight for the interim UFC bantamweight belt. That is what I imagined for me and a dream [a mission] accomplished."
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Renan-Barao-A-Deserved-Opportunity-to-Make-a-Dream-Come-True
Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good
Invicta Fighting Championships 2 discussion thread
Welcome to our discussion thread for tonight's all-female Invicta Fighting Championships 2 event.The event streams free on InvictaFC.com beginning at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT local time) from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan.
Stay tuned for a recap of the event, which includes a headliner between Shayna Baszler and Sara McMann and a co-feature of Alexis Davis vs. Hitomi Akano.
Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Frank Mir, the Strikeforce Crossover, and Who Should Be Next
Former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir has done us all a great service by agreeing to meet Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix winner Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce cage this fall. After all, the other opponents rumored to have been under consideration — Tim Sylvia, Josh Barnett (again), KJ Noons sitting on Ryan Couture's shoulders — weren't really options at all, and who else is there on the Strikeforce roster to challenge Cormier? The answer is no one, and with Mir shucking the bonds of the UFC for a one-time-only crossover bout, we get to have a match-up that's compelling on paper and will likely be very fun to watch.
However, the move doesn't address the other glaring holes that need to be filled in the roster of the House That Scott Coker Built. Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez has beaten everyone that matters in his division, middleweight champ Luke Rockhold is without a worthy foe, and gosh darn it, you can only spread Keith Jardine so thin. So who else should the UFC send over to fill Strikeforce's ranks? Sure, the dough and exposure is nowhere near as great compared to what you get for fighting in the Octagon, but look at Nate Marquardt. The ex-UFC welterweight waltzed in, put up a heck of a fight against Tyron Woodley, and is now the owner of a shiny new belt. For the fighters, there is certainly value in crossing over. Here, then, is a list of fighters on the UFC roster who could be prime candidates for taking the Strikeforce fieldtrip. It is by no means complete — please, feel free to add to them in the comments. And if you disagree with my suggestions… picture me sad. So very sad.
- Evan Dunham — At one time, the word on the street was that the brass wanted B.J. Penn to take on Melendez in Strikeforce. But Penn is too much of a viable pay-per-view commodity, and it would've been senseless to waste him on the subscription-based channel Showtime. Evan Dunham, though, is another story entirely. The jiu-jitsu specialist had a pretty good win streak going before he was outpointed by Sean Sherk at UFC 119 and smashed by Melvin Guillard at UFC: Fight for the Troops 2, and his well-rounded skills could conceivably give Melendez fits no matter where the fight goes.
- Clay Guida — Fast, frenetic, and fun when he wants to be (i.e., when he's not running away for five rounds), Clay Guida could definitely make Melendez miserable in the cage. Besides, what's left for him in the UFC? It would take Ben Henderson, Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz all slipping on banana peels and breaking their legs before Guida could come close to tasting championship glory.
- Gray Maynard — As a former "wrestling man-blanket" turned "dangerous slugger", Gray Maynard could stuff Melendez's takedowns, squash his jiu-jitsu, and hit "El Nino" so hard his pet parrot dies. Also, what else is the UFC going to do with Maynard? If Edgar reclaims the lightweight championship from Henderson, watching Maynard and Edgar go at it once more is about as palatable as a plate of dirt.
- Thiago Alves — Once upon a time, Thiago Alves was in contention for the UFC welterweight title. Those days are gone now, but that doesn't mean that Alves isn't skilled and dangerous enough to make waves among Strikeforce's welterweights. Maybe, maybe Woodley could hold Alves down for three rounds. Maybe not, though, and Alves is just capable enough to beat him and beat Marquardt and take the belt.
- Jon Fitch — UFC welterweight king Georges St. Pierre mauled him, Johny Hendricks KO'd him, and he drew with Penn. However, other than that, Jon Fitch's run in the Octagon has been flawless. Boring, but flawless. Do you think Marquardt can prevent Fitch from hugging him to death? I don't. And I'd wager that once Fitch stepped into the cage to face Woodley, the two would stare at each other for a full fifteen minutes, unsure of what to do.
- Chris Leben — UFC middleweight stud Chris Leben is good for about two or three fights a year before his annual steroid suspension forces him to sit on the sidelines, so why not let him do those bouts in Strikeforce? In terms of skill set, he's got enough grappling to keep Rockhold from really hurting him. As for his striking… yeah, no way could Rockhold eat one of those concrete fists and survive.
- Vladimir Matyushenko — Look, it's not like any of the Strikeforce light-heavyweights can hold onto the belt for any length of time, but it's boring watching the same three guys fight for it over and over again. Put Vladimir Matyushenko in there against Mike Kyle, Gegard Mousasi and Rafael Cavalcante and let's see where it goes.
Jim Genia gets his tweet on here. Giddyup.
Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Uncle Creepy Returns at UFC on Fox 4
http://www.mmaweekly.com/uncle-creep...t-ufc-on-fox-4
Ian McCall may not have made it out of the UFC flyweight tournament and into the title fight, despite two attempts against Demetrious Johnson, but he’s not exactly out of the picture just yet.
He’ll get an opportunity to keep his UFC championship dreams alive when he faces John Moraga on Aug. 4 at UFC on Fox 4 in Los Angeles. UFC officials on Thursday announced the bout.
McCall (11-3-1) fought his way into the UFC via the WEC and Tachi Palace fights, waiting for the 125-pound weight class to open up. When it finally arrived, he slotted into the four-man flyweight tournament, but eventually lost a decision to Johnson, who will square off with Joseph Benavidez for the first UFC flyweight championship at UFC 152 in Toronto in September.
This will be “Uncle Creepy’s” first fight since losing to Johnson in early June.
It makes for an interesting match-up with Moraga (10-1), who earned his stripes on the Rage in the Cage circuit in Arizona.
Both are aggressive submission fighters that could provide for fireworks when the fight hits the mat.
Ian McCall may not have made it out of the UFC flyweight tournament and into the title fight, despite two attempts against Demetrious Johnson, but he’s not exactly out of the picture just yet.
He’ll get an opportunity to keep his UFC championship dreams alive when he faces John Moraga on Aug. 4 at UFC on Fox 4 in Los Angeles. UFC officials on Thursday announced the bout.
McCall (11-3-1) fought his way into the UFC via the WEC and Tachi Palace fights, waiting for the 125-pound weight class to open up. When it finally arrived, he slotted into the four-man flyweight tournament, but eventually lost a decision to Johnson, who will square off with Joseph Benavidez for the first UFC flyweight championship at UFC 152 in Toronto in September.
This will be “Uncle Creepy’s” first fight since losing to Johnson in early June.
It makes for an interesting match-up with Moraga (10-1), who earned his stripes on the Rage in the Cage circuit in Arizona.
Both are aggressive submission fighters that could provide for fireworks when the fight hits the mat.
Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?78866-Uncle-Creepy-Returns-at-UFC-on-Fox-4&goto=newpost
Rousimar Palhares Out; Buddy Roberts In Against Yushin Okami at UFC 150
http://www.mmaweekly.com/rousimar-pa...ami-at-ufc-150
A late change has been made to the upcoming UFC 150 card in Denver as Rousimar Palhares has been forced out of his fight with Yushin Okami.
Greg Jackson trained middleweight Buddy Roberts now steps in to face Okami on the show happening on Aug. 11 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Roberts’ manager Ali Abdel Aziz from Dominance MMA confirmed the news via Twitter late Tuesday evening, and also independently confirmed the switch to MMAWeekly.com as well.
Buddy Roberts gets a huge opportunity in only his second UFC fight as he steps in to face perennial top ten middleweight Yushin Okami on short notice.
Roberts was already competing on the card against Colorado native Chris Camozzi, but now moves up in the card to face Okami instead.
The veteran middleweight, who is also an instructor at Greg Jackson’s gym in New Mexico, has won his last six fights in a row including his UFC debut where he defeated Caio Magalhaes by unanimous decision.
Now he faces Yushin Okami in a bout that will still remain on the main card for the UFC 150 pay-per-view headlined by lightweight champion Benson Henderson in a rematch with Frankie Edgar.
As for Rousimar Palhares, the nature of his injury has not been revealed at this time, but for now he will sit on the sidelines and await his return at a later date.
UPDATE: Sources have also indicated that local fighter Chris Camozzi has suffered a training injury and will not remain on the UFC 150 card. MMAWeekly.com will have more information on the show as it develops.
A late change has been made to the upcoming UFC 150 card in Denver as Rousimar Palhares has been forced out of his fight with Yushin Okami.
Greg Jackson trained middleweight Buddy Roberts now steps in to face Okami on the show happening on Aug. 11 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Roberts’ manager Ali Abdel Aziz from Dominance MMA confirmed the news via Twitter late Tuesday evening, and also independently confirmed the switch to MMAWeekly.com as well.
Buddy Roberts gets a huge opportunity in only his second UFC fight as he steps in to face perennial top ten middleweight Yushin Okami on short notice.
Roberts was already competing on the card against Colorado native Chris Camozzi, but now moves up in the card to face Okami instead.
The veteran middleweight, who is also an instructor at Greg Jackson’s gym in New Mexico, has won his last six fights in a row including his UFC debut where he defeated Caio Magalhaes by unanimous decision.
Now he faces Yushin Okami in a bout that will still remain on the main card for the UFC 150 pay-per-view headlined by lightweight champion Benson Henderson in a rematch with Frankie Edgar.
As for Rousimar Palhares, the nature of his injury has not been revealed at this time, but for now he will sit on the sidelines and await his return at a later date.
UPDATE: Sources have also indicated that local fighter Chris Camozzi has suffered a training injury and will not remain on the UFC 150 card. MMAWeekly.com will have more information on the show as it develops.
Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch
Friday, July 27, 2012
Vitor Belfort vs. Alan Belcher official for UFC 153
As MMAjunkie.com earlier reported, a middleweight fight between Vitor Belfort and Alan Belcher is now set for UFC 153. Officials today confirmed the matchup, which serves on the pay-per-view main card of the event at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Preliminary-card fights air on FX.
Belfort could be in the middleweight contender line with a win, while Belcher hopes to solidify his status atop the division.
Ryan Bader Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao Josh Barnett David Baron
Rory MacDonald, B.J. Penn submit to voluntary drug testing ahead of UFC 152
Canadian youngster Rory MacDonald and former UFC dual division champion B.J. Penn will become the first fighters in the promotion's history to partner with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.VADA officials on Thursday announced that both fighters have agreed to eight weeks of random blood and urine testing ahead of their upcoming UFC 152 matchup with the Las Vegas-based independent organization footing the bill.
VADA officials on Thursday announced Penn's decision, and MacDonald's camp subsequently confirmed with MMAjunkie.com their participation in the program.
Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng
Gilbert Melendez defends Strikeforce Title against Pat Healy on Sept. 29
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Gilbert Melendez has his next title defense set, as Strikeforce announced on Wednesday that he'll take on Pat Healy in the main event of their Sept. 29 event in Sacramento, Calif.
Melendez won his seventh straight title fight in May, defeating Josh Thomson for a second time at Strikeforce "Barnett vs. Cormier." That decision win brought him to 9-1 lifetime in Strikeforce title bouts, his sole loss coming against Thomson by decision in their first meeting.
Healy has won five straight fights into this title bout, and is 6-1 in his Strikeforce run, his sole loss coming against Thomson as well in 2010. In his most recent bout, he edged past Mizuto Hirota on the "Rockhold vs. Kennedy" card a week and a half ago.
The event will take place from the Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, and in addition to the Lightweight Title bout, a heavyweight bout featuring Daniel Cormier will take place on the card. His opponent will be announced in the coming days.
"There's no doubt that Gilbert Melendez is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but he's facing a tough test when he defends the Strikeforce Lightweight Title against Pat Healy in Sacramento," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said. "Pat has been around the sport a long time and has put together an impressive winning streak. This is the biggest fight of his life and he doesn't want to waste this opportunity."
Penick's Analysis: Healy was getting out-wrestled by Hirota to start their bout, and really didn't have an impressive showing, but when the only other option for Strikeforce right now was a fourth fight between Melendez and Thomson, this is the way they went. This is the spot Melendez is stuck in for now, and the biggest battle he has in this matchup is with himself. He had a poorer performance against Thomson in May in part because of a lack of motivation for the fight, and he has to make sure that doesn't happen this time around.
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Melendez won his seventh straight title fight in May, defeating Josh Thomson for a second time at Strikeforce "Barnett vs. Cormier." That decision win brought him to 9-1 lifetime in Strikeforce title bouts, his sole loss coming against Thomson by decision in their first meeting.
Healy has won five straight fights into this title bout, and is 6-1 in his Strikeforce run, his sole loss coming against Thomson as well in 2010. In his most recent bout, he edged past Mizuto Hirota on the "Rockhold vs. Kennedy" card a week and a half ago.
The event will take place from the Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, and in addition to the Lightweight Title bout, a heavyweight bout featuring Daniel Cormier will take place on the card. His opponent will be announced in the coming days.
"There's no doubt that Gilbert Melendez is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but he's facing a tough test when he defends the Strikeforce Lightweight Title against Pat Healy in Sacramento," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said. "Pat has been around the sport a long time and has put together an impressive winning streak. This is the biggest fight of his life and he doesn't want to waste this opportunity."
Penick's Analysis: Healy was getting out-wrestled by Hirota to start their bout, and really didn't have an impressive showing, but when the only other option for Strikeforce right now was a fourth fight between Melendez and Thomson, this is the way they went. This is the spot Melendez is stuck in for now, and the biggest battle he has in this matchup is with himself. He had a poorer performance against Thomson in May in part because of a lack of motivation for the fight, and he has to make sure that doesn't happen this time around.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Affliction2/article_13941.shtml
Volk Han Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Dan Henderson not thinking about legacy ahead of UFC 151 title shot against Jon Jones
A little more than a month before his light heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones, Dan Henderson isn't worried about his legacy. A win over Jones would give Henderson titles in the UFC, Strikeforce, PRIDE and RINGS. It also would be a significant upset - and likely would have people reconsidering their best-of-all-time lists. Could Henderson move past Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko as the greatest fighter in history?
"That's not really for me to decide," Henderson told MMAjunkie.com earlier this month. "I'm just out there trying to be the best fighter that I can be, and if people think I'm the best ever, then even better."
Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Rousimar Palhares injured, Yushin Okami now meets Buddy Roberts at UFC 150
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC's best laid plans have not worked out for them in 2012, with injuries ravaging cards and sending fighters down everywhere. The latest injury to hit them comes to Rousimar Palhares, who has been forced out of a bout with Yushin Okami next month at UFC 150.
The news comes from Ali Abdel Aziz from Dominance MMA, the manager of middleweight Buddy Roberts, who has agreed to jump in against Okami. Roberts' originally scheduled opponent, Chris Camozzi, has also suffered an injury taking him out of the card.
Okami looks to bounce back from a loss to Tim Boetsch at UFC 144 in Japan, his second straight stoppage loss after his title loss to Anderson Silva.
Roberts made his UFC debut in June, winning his sixth straight fight with a decision over Caio Magalhaes. He brings a 12-2 overall record into this bout.
UFC 150 takes place on August 11 from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo., headlined by the Lightweight Championship rematch between Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar.
Penick's Analysis: We discussed how excited we were for the UFC 150 card on last night's MMATorch Livecast, with Okami-Palhares being a part of that. I think we jinxed it. The UFC just cannot catch a break when it comes to these injuries, and now they've got another really intriguing fight that's gone to the wayside. Roberts won't be expected to have much of a chance here, but he was smart to jump at the opportunity nonetheless. An upset would be massive for him, and a loss is already expected. It's a win-win spot for him.
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The news comes from Ali Abdel Aziz from Dominance MMA, the manager of middleweight Buddy Roberts, who has agreed to jump in against Okami. Roberts' originally scheduled opponent, Chris Camozzi, has also suffered an injury taking him out of the card.
Okami looks to bounce back from a loss to Tim Boetsch at UFC 144 in Japan, his second straight stoppage loss after his title loss to Anderson Silva.
Roberts made his UFC debut in June, winning his sixth straight fight with a decision over Caio Magalhaes. He brings a 12-2 overall record into this bout.
UFC 150 takes place on August 11 from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo., headlined by the Lightweight Championship rematch between Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar.
Penick's Analysis: We discussed how excited we were for the UFC 150 card on last night's MMATorch Livecast, with Okami-Palhares being a part of that. I think we jinxed it. The UFC just cannot catch a break when it comes to these injuries, and now they've got another really intriguing fight that's gone to the wayside. Roberts won't be expected to have much of a chance here, but he was smart to jump at the opportunity nonetheless. An upset would be massive for him, and a loss is already expected. It's a win-win spot for him.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_13937.shtml
Steve The Snake Claveau Rich No Love Clementi Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs Ray Cooper
Dana White "embarrassed" by UFC 149 pay-per-view card performance in Calgary
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Saturday's UFC 149 event got off to a solid start. The fans in Calgary were getting a good show from the preliminary card, with several solid fights, vicious knockouts, and submissions. UFC President Dana White was in a good mood, as the UFC had shattered the gate record at the Scotiabank Saddledome, bringing in $4.1 million for the event.
Then the pay-per-view started.
The opening bout between Matt Riddle and Chris Clements was alright, and it ended with a fantastic submission from Riddle, but things quickly went down hill. For three straight fights, 45-minutes of in-cage "action" left fans restless and booing, as James Head, Brian Ebersole, Cheick Kongo, Shawn Jordan, Tim Boetsch, and Hector Lombard failed to give them any semblance of a show.
The way those fights played out led to an unappreciative audience during a technically sound main event, which also got booed. It was not at all the way White wanted to debut in Canada, and he was brutally honest afterward about how it went.
"Before I get too negative, I think that the undercard was awesome, these guys blew it out of the water," White began at the post-fight press conference. "I said this the other day and it's true: We make money; this company makes money, and I like breaking records. We broke the gate record tonight and I'm embarrassed by it. I was excited when I heard and now I'm embarrassed. The undercard delivered - they were awesome - and the main card did not."
White expanded on his feelings later in the press conference, and after injuries tore apart the card they originally planned to bring to Calgary, he couldn't help but to be disappointed in the fact that they weren't able to still come in with a knockout show.
"I'm bummed out about it, I don't know what else to say," White said. "I'm pretty honest about it. I'm not out here saying 'that's the greatest show you've ever seen.' It wasn't. When you buy tickets, we come into a market like this, we break the record and do the kind of gate we did because people believe in us. People believe in the UFC, and that when we come to town, we're going to bring you the best fights possible. And then our guys go out and they deliver. Like I said, this is a partnership between us and the fighters. We do our part and they always do theirs. Unfortunately, I was so excited to stick this one up everybody's a** that said this card sucked, and we didn't."
Penick's Analysis: This was a rare event that failed to live up to massively lowered expectations. The UFC almost never hits a main card dud like this, and there's no reason to believe that it's a trend. However, the massive amount of events they run means they're employing a lot more fighters than they used to, watering down the talent pool. That means a lot of non-top 20 or even top 30 guys are getting higher profile spots than in the past because the best fights and fighters are getting spread out further among events. Add injuries into the mix and it at times gets worse. It may not be a problem with a solution right now, but it's a reality of the new UFC.
 |
Then the pay-per-view started.
The opening bout between Matt Riddle and Chris Clements was alright, and it ended with a fantastic submission from Riddle, but things quickly went down hill. For three straight fights, 45-minutes of in-cage "action" left fans restless and booing, as James Head, Brian Ebersole, Cheick Kongo, Shawn Jordan, Tim Boetsch, and Hector Lombard failed to give them any semblance of a show.
The way those fights played out led to an unappreciative audience during a technically sound main event, which also got booed. It was not at all the way White wanted to debut in Canada, and he was brutally honest afterward about how it went.
"Before I get too negative, I think that the undercard was awesome, these guys blew it out of the water," White began at the post-fight press conference. "I said this the other day and it's true: We make money; this company makes money, and I like breaking records. We broke the gate record tonight and I'm embarrassed by it. I was excited when I heard and now I'm embarrassed. The undercard delivered - they were awesome - and the main card did not."
White expanded on his feelings later in the press conference, and after injuries tore apart the card they originally planned to bring to Calgary, he couldn't help but to be disappointed in the fact that they weren't able to still come in with a knockout show.
"I'm bummed out about it, I don't know what else to say," White said. "I'm pretty honest about it. I'm not out here saying 'that's the greatest show you've ever seen.' It wasn't. When you buy tickets, we come into a market like this, we break the record and do the kind of gate we did because people believe in us. People believe in the UFC, and that when we come to town, we're going to bring you the best fights possible. And then our guys go out and they deliver. Like I said, this is a partnership between us and the fighters. We do our part and they always do theirs. Unfortunately, I was so excited to stick this one up everybody's a** that said this card sucked, and we didn't."
Penick's Analysis: This was a rare event that failed to live up to massively lowered expectations. The UFC almost never hits a main card dud like this, and there's no reason to believe that it's a trend. However, the massive amount of events they run means they're employing a lot more fighters than they used to, watering down the talent pool. That means a lot of non-top 20 or even top 30 guys are getting higher profile spots than in the past because the best fights and fighters are getting spread out further among events. Add injuries into the mix and it at times gets worse. It may not be a problem with a solution right now, but it's a reality of the new UFC.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_13907.shtml
Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan Dan The Sandman Christison
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
PENICK: UFC 149 Notebook - Awful PPV brings down Faber-Barao; Lombard fizzles, Jimmo thrills in weird night
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Injuries ravaged what Saturday's UFC 149 event could have been, but even with a very minimal expectations, the pay-per-view card was a massive letdown. The preliminary card got the night off to a great start, and the pay-per-view kicked off alright with a great finish to an ok fight, but from there it was one of the poorest pay-per-view events in recent UFC history.
--The main event was a technically sound battle between two good fighters. The only problem was that it came after the middle portion of the card, and the fans in Calgary were completely done with less-than-spectacular action. Renan Barao was in danger of being a little too comfortable and complacent during the fight, as he allowed Faber to score on a lot of strikes even if they weren't doing a lot of damage. However, he was clearly the bigger, stronger, and rangier fighter throughout, and when he scored with his strikes they did a lot more damage than anything Faber threw. I don't know how he'll match up with Cruz at this point, but he's more than comfortable in the cage and with his skill set, and if he waits out a title fight he'll be competitive. It would be great to see him defend the Interim belt, considering that's the reason an Interim Title is put together in the first place, and I think a fight between him and Michael McDonald would be a fantastic Interim Title fight.
--The middle three fights on the pay-per-view card were three of the worst fights on any UFC pay-per-view in a really, really long time. Hector Lombard's anticipated UFC debut ended up fizzling out as he lost a split decision in just a terrible fight with very little going on from either fighter. It was a pattern they shared with the fight prior to them, with Cheick Kongo and Shawn Jordan spending about 13 minutes of their "fight" in the clinch. It was just dull and boring, and was a battle of attrition that left the crowd booing. But it didn't even start with that fight; no, the string of awfulness kicked off with Brian Ebersole's weird performance against James Head. At least that fight had some offense to it, but it was just an awkward, tedious affair through 15 minutes.
--By contrast. the opening bout between Matt Riddle and Chris Clements gave one of the night's top highlights. Riddle was clearly ahead into the third round, but he left no question the fight was his when he ducked under a spinning back fist, locked on an arm triangle choke, pulled off a beautiful trip, and choked him out. It was an excellent finish, and the best Riddle's had in his career.
--The FX Prelims were, for the most part, exciting and entertaining, though the final bout before the pay-per-view event left a lot to be desired. Nick Ring was reduced to literally running away from Court McGee's attacks by the end of the third round, and was being constantly backed up through most of the fight, yet he took a unanimous decision victory. It was a complete hometown decision, and one I don't at all agree with. He had an argument for the first round, and did a little bit of damage in the second round, but he was getting outstruck in the second and third, and the third was close to a 10-8 frame. Really unfortunate decision, especially for McGee.
--Roland Delorme's surprising streak in the bantamweight division came to a decisive end at the hands of Francisco Rivera. This one was simply a case of Rivera's massive advantage in the striking game being allowed to play out. Delorme's grappling has been superb, but without being able to implement that he was essentially out of his element. Rivera kept pressure on, landed smart strikes throughout and finished it in impressive fashion near the end of the first round. It's hard to tell where he stands in the division based off that fight, but he deserves a chance to take on some stiffer competition next time out.
--Ryan Jimmo decided to go against his reputation for boring fights on this card, smashing Anthony Perosh with one punch and tying the record for fastest knockout in UFC history. It was a perfectly placed right hand that sent Perosh down, and he added an unnecessary shot on the ground before referee Josh Rosenthal could get there. It was as good a debut as anyone could have hoped for out of him, and now he'll get a chance to prove he should fight at a higher level in the division.
--The opener on the FX card was a pretty entertaining back and forth fight between Bryan Caraway and Mitch Gagnon, but Gagnon's gas tank cost him what very well could have been his fight. He was winning the striking exchanges, and was doing a lot of damage in the moments he had top position, but his gas tank was gone midway through the second, and Caraway was able to set up a rear naked choke come the third round. The finish was excellent, though, as Caraway smartly distracted Gagnon with hands on his face, then locked up the choke when Gagnon tried to get his hands away. Very smart work, and another win for Miesha Tate's boyfriend.
--Finally, on the Facebook card, Antonio Carvalho picked up an absolutely vicious knockout win over Daniel Pineda, while Anton Kuivanen edged out Mitch Clarke. Carvalho landed a great right hook to Pineda's jaw after having a head kick blocked, and it set up two more vicious punches with Pineda just out of sorts entirely. He landed one extra punch after the fight was being stopped, and he immediately apologized and looked remorseful for the added blow. All was forgiven, and he's got a great win under his belt now inside the Octagon. As for Kuivanen-Clarke, it was decent and competitive fight, with Kuivanen deserving the nod; not much to add beyond that.
All-in-all it was a tale of two cards tonight. The excitement came from the unexpected places, while the fights that others thought could be great ended up being just the opposite. It was a strange night overall, and one the UFC will be happy to move past.
 |
--The main event was a technically sound battle between two good fighters. The only problem was that it came after the middle portion of the card, and the fans in Calgary were completely done with less-than-spectacular action. Renan Barao was in danger of being a little too comfortable and complacent during the fight, as he allowed Faber to score on a lot of strikes even if they weren't doing a lot of damage. However, he was clearly the bigger, stronger, and rangier fighter throughout, and when he scored with his strikes they did a lot more damage than anything Faber threw. I don't know how he'll match up with Cruz at this point, but he's more than comfortable in the cage and with his skill set, and if he waits out a title fight he'll be competitive. It would be great to see him defend the Interim belt, considering that's the reason an Interim Title is put together in the first place, and I think a fight between him and Michael McDonald would be a fantastic Interim Title fight.
--The middle three fights on the pay-per-view card were three of the worst fights on any UFC pay-per-view in a really, really long time. Hector Lombard's anticipated UFC debut ended up fizzling out as he lost a split decision in just a terrible fight with very little going on from either fighter. It was a pattern they shared with the fight prior to them, with Cheick Kongo and Shawn Jordan spending about 13 minutes of their "fight" in the clinch. It was just dull and boring, and was a battle of attrition that left the crowd booing. But it didn't even start with that fight; no, the string of awfulness kicked off with Brian Ebersole's weird performance against James Head. At least that fight had some offense to it, but it was just an awkward, tedious affair through 15 minutes.
--By contrast. the opening bout between Matt Riddle and Chris Clements gave one of the night's top highlights. Riddle was clearly ahead into the third round, but he left no question the fight was his when he ducked under a spinning back fist, locked on an arm triangle choke, pulled off a beautiful trip, and choked him out. It was an excellent finish, and the best Riddle's had in his career.
--The FX Prelims were, for the most part, exciting and entertaining, though the final bout before the pay-per-view event left a lot to be desired. Nick Ring was reduced to literally running away from Court McGee's attacks by the end of the third round, and was being constantly backed up through most of the fight, yet he took a unanimous decision victory. It was a complete hometown decision, and one I don't at all agree with. He had an argument for the first round, and did a little bit of damage in the second round, but he was getting outstruck in the second and third, and the third was close to a 10-8 frame. Really unfortunate decision, especially for McGee.
--Roland Delorme's surprising streak in the bantamweight division came to a decisive end at the hands of Francisco Rivera. This one was simply a case of Rivera's massive advantage in the striking game being allowed to play out. Delorme's grappling has been superb, but without being able to implement that he was essentially out of his element. Rivera kept pressure on, landed smart strikes throughout and finished it in impressive fashion near the end of the first round. It's hard to tell where he stands in the division based off that fight, but he deserves a chance to take on some stiffer competition next time out.
--Ryan Jimmo decided to go against his reputation for boring fights on this card, smashing Anthony Perosh with one punch and tying the record for fastest knockout in UFC history. It was a perfectly placed right hand that sent Perosh down, and he added an unnecessary shot on the ground before referee Josh Rosenthal could get there. It was as good a debut as anyone could have hoped for out of him, and now he'll get a chance to prove he should fight at a higher level in the division.
--The opener on the FX card was a pretty entertaining back and forth fight between Bryan Caraway and Mitch Gagnon, but Gagnon's gas tank cost him what very well could have been his fight. He was winning the striking exchanges, and was doing a lot of damage in the moments he had top position, but his gas tank was gone midway through the second, and Caraway was able to set up a rear naked choke come the third round. The finish was excellent, though, as Caraway smartly distracted Gagnon with hands on his face, then locked up the choke when Gagnon tried to get his hands away. Very smart work, and another win for Miesha Tate's boyfriend.
--Finally, on the Facebook card, Antonio Carvalho picked up an absolutely vicious knockout win over Daniel Pineda, while Anton Kuivanen edged out Mitch Clarke. Carvalho landed a great right hook to Pineda's jaw after having a head kick blocked, and it set up two more vicious punches with Pineda just out of sorts entirely. He landed one extra punch after the fight was being stopped, and he immediately apologized and looked remorseful for the added blow. All was forgiven, and he's got a great win under his belt now inside the Octagon. As for Kuivanen-Clarke, it was decent and competitive fight, with Kuivanen deserving the nod; not much to add beyond that.
All-in-all it was a tale of two cards tonight. The excitement came from the unexpected places, while the fights that others thought could be great ended up being just the opposite. It was a strange night overall, and one the UFC will be happy to move past.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/penickstake/article_13906.shtml
Rich No Love Clementi Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs Ray Cooper Kit Cope
Monday, July 23, 2012
Jimmo Debuts With Seven Second KO Win - UFC 149 Prelim Results
CALGARY, July 21 - Just one fight into his UFC career and Ryan Jimmo has already made some considerable waves, delivering a demolition of Australia’s Anthony Perosh in UFC 149 prelim action Saturday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome that took only seven seconds.
All it took was one monster overhand right from Jimmo, landing flush on Perosh’s chin and putting the Aussie out before he hit the canvas. The Edmonton native, who notched his 17th straight win, made it look remarkably easy in front of his fellow Canadians.
“I’m very happy,” said the beaming, bald-headed light heavyweight after blitzing the 39-year-old submission ace. “Hi Mom, I love you! … I knew if I threw some heavy leather he was going to be on the ground.”
Jimmo, a four-time national champion in Karate, is definitely a fighter worth watching. In addition to his explosive wrecking of Perosh (13-7), Jimmo’s resume also includes wins over UFC vets such as Wilson Gouveia, Marvin Eastman, Rameau Sokoudjou and Jesse Forbes.
Watch Ryan Jimmo UFC 149 highlight video
COURT MCGEE VS. NICK RING
Different venue, different soil, same result.
In a rematch of their controversial bout in The Ultimate Fighter season 11 competition, Canada’s Nick Ring again eked by Court McGee – with Saturday’s victory perhaps equally controversial.
Nearly all of the middleweight fight unfolded on the feet, with Ring attempting several takedowns but being rebuffed each time. Round one was closely contested, with the southpaw Ring dancing and landing and McGee plodding forward but less busy with his strikes but landing hard on occasion.
The first half of round two clearly belonged to McGee, the TUF 11 winner who relentlessly and fearlessly stalked forward and began landing with more frequency and firing away with ferocious leg kicks. With his hometown faithful chanting “Go Nick Go!” Calgary’s Ring came on strong down the stretch, cracking McGee with several sizzling straight left hands to perhaps steal the round. The damage was reflected on McGee’s face in the form of a plenty of blood gushing from the bearded Utahn’s nose.
By any standard, McGee won the third round on the strength of superior cardio and a heavy volume of punches. Ring, his gas tank fading, danced away as if simply trying to kill the clock and survive. When Ring did throw, his punches had little steam on them and McGee seemed unfazed by their impact.
The faces of both fighters at the final horn showed signs of their slugfest, but McGee seemed like a man who could fight on another few rounds while an exhausted Ring seemed almost unable to stand, needing to be held up by a cornerman. But the Canadian’s physical suffering may have been alleviated somewhat when he heard the judges’ scores – 29-28 across the board.
Post-fight thoughts from Nick Ring
FRANCISCO RIVERA VS. ROLAND DELORME
The fight game, like life itself, is full of surprises and irony. For instance, Francisco Rivera bullied and battered Roland Delorme with heavy shots for four minutes – landing pretty much everything he wanted. But it was a short left hook counter – nothing special or devastating at first glance – that finally put Delorme on the deck and earned Rivera the knockout at 4:19 of the opening stanza.
The free-slugging Californian dedicated the victory to his mother.
“My mom’s been sick… and this is the way to prove to her that I still love her and I thank God every day that’s she’s OK,” said Rivera (9-2).
Watch Rivera's post-fight interview
BRYAN CARAWAY VS. MITCH GAGNON
In all likelihood, Bryan Caraway needed a stoppage as he entered round three against a Canadian opponent that had roughed him for much of the opening 10 minutes. Calm and collected, the veteran took down Mitch Gagnon early in the final frame, trapped him, locked in a rear naked choke and won the tapout at 1:39 to escape with his second UFC triumph.
Gagnon left caution to the wind early on, smothering Caraway with takedowns early and landing a bevy of hard ground and pound shots, posturing up high and getting plenty of momentum behind his shots. Caraway rallied in the final minute with a takedown of his own, and despite getting full mount on top, he caused little damage.
Gagnon had appeared to be a tad winded as the first round came to a close, but emerged from his stool in round two and walloped the former Motorcross standout with big punches and hard knees. Caraway looked to be in trouble, but quickly calmed the storm with a takedown to avoid continuing to get the worse of the fistic exchanges. And in the third, the TUF 14 competitor, who was making his bantamweight debut, lowered the boom in impressive style to notch his second Octagon victory.
ANTONIO CARVALHO VS. DANIEL PINEDA
Ontario’s Antonio Carvalho achieved a career milestone Saturday night, knocking out fellow featherweight Daniel Pineda to earn his first-ever UFC victory. Overwhelmed with emotion by the feat, 33-year-old Carvalho dropped to his knees inside the Octagon and cried. It was a quick night for the Brazilian (14-5), who dropped the ultra-aggressive Pineda (17-9) early with a left high kick, then punished the charging Texan with three hard and precise right hands that turned out the lights at 1:11 of the opening round.
Hear from Carvalho after his win
MITCH CLARKE VS. ANTON KUIVANEN
Who says ground fighting is boring?
That certainly wasn’t the case for the night’s opening clash between Edmonton’s Mitch Clarke and Finland’s Anton Kuivanen. From the first round onward, fans were treated to an exciting, back-and-forth jiu-jitsu battle filled with daring submission attempts and nonstop attacks.
The lightweight tussle ended with Kiuvanen (17-5) capturing his first UFC victory by split decision (29-28 twice and 28-29).
It was Clarke who came closest to finishing the fight, locking in a deep armbar in round one from his guard. Kuivanen, his arm fully extended, somehow wiggled his endangered limb free and escaped. Clarke appeared to have accomplished more in the topsy-turvy round, especially on the strength of a 2-0 takedown advantage.
Kuivanen came on stronger in the second stanza, cracking Clarke (9-2) with a hard left hook to commence the round, then fighting off kimuras while spending most of the round on top.
With the fight up for grabs, Kiuvanen took control in the third round over a fading Clarke, scoring two takedowns on the Canadien, and dominating on top with some hard right hands.
Kuivanen post-fight interivew
All it took was one monster overhand right from Jimmo, landing flush on Perosh’s chin and putting the Aussie out before he hit the canvas. The Edmonton native, who notched his 17th straight win, made it look remarkably easy in front of his fellow Canadians.
“I’m very happy,” said the beaming, bald-headed light heavyweight after blitzing the 39-year-old submission ace. “Hi Mom, I love you! … I knew if I threw some heavy leather he was going to be on the ground.”
Jimmo, a four-time national champion in Karate, is definitely a fighter worth watching. In addition to his explosive wrecking of Perosh (13-7), Jimmo’s resume also includes wins over UFC vets such as Wilson Gouveia, Marvin Eastman, Rameau Sokoudjou and Jesse Forbes.
Watch Ryan Jimmo UFC 149 highlight video
COURT MCGEE VS. NICK RING
Different venue, different soil, same result.
In a rematch of their controversial bout in The Ultimate Fighter season 11 competition, Canada’s Nick Ring again eked by Court McGee – with Saturday’s victory perhaps equally controversial.
Nearly all of the middleweight fight unfolded on the feet, with Ring attempting several takedowns but being rebuffed each time. Round one was closely contested, with the southpaw Ring dancing and landing and McGee plodding forward but less busy with his strikes but landing hard on occasion.
The first half of round two clearly belonged to McGee, the TUF 11 winner who relentlessly and fearlessly stalked forward and began landing with more frequency and firing away with ferocious leg kicks. With his hometown faithful chanting “Go Nick Go!” Calgary’s Ring came on strong down the stretch, cracking McGee with several sizzling straight left hands to perhaps steal the round. The damage was reflected on McGee’s face in the form of a plenty of blood gushing from the bearded Utahn’s nose.
By any standard, McGee won the third round on the strength of superior cardio and a heavy volume of punches. Ring, his gas tank fading, danced away as if simply trying to kill the clock and survive. When Ring did throw, his punches had little steam on them and McGee seemed unfazed by their impact.
The faces of both fighters at the final horn showed signs of their slugfest, but McGee seemed like a man who could fight on another few rounds while an exhausted Ring seemed almost unable to stand, needing to be held up by a cornerman. But the Canadian’s physical suffering may have been alleviated somewhat when he heard the judges’ scores – 29-28 across the board.
Post-fight thoughts from Nick Ring
FRANCISCO RIVERA VS. ROLAND DELORME
The fight game, like life itself, is full of surprises and irony. For instance, Francisco Rivera bullied and battered Roland Delorme with heavy shots for four minutes – landing pretty much everything he wanted. But it was a short left hook counter – nothing special or devastating at first glance – that finally put Delorme on the deck and earned Rivera the knockout at 4:19 of the opening stanza.
The free-slugging Californian dedicated the victory to his mother.
“My mom’s been sick… and this is the way to prove to her that I still love her and I thank God every day that’s she’s OK,” said Rivera (9-2).
Watch Rivera's post-fight interview
BRYAN CARAWAY VS. MITCH GAGNON
In all likelihood, Bryan Caraway needed a stoppage as he entered round three against a Canadian opponent that had roughed him for much of the opening 10 minutes. Calm and collected, the veteran took down Mitch Gagnon early in the final frame, trapped him, locked in a rear naked choke and won the tapout at 1:39 to escape with his second UFC triumph.
Gagnon left caution to the wind early on, smothering Caraway with takedowns early and landing a bevy of hard ground and pound shots, posturing up high and getting plenty of momentum behind his shots. Caraway rallied in the final minute with a takedown of his own, and despite getting full mount on top, he caused little damage.
Gagnon had appeared to be a tad winded as the first round came to a close, but emerged from his stool in round two and walloped the former Motorcross standout with big punches and hard knees. Caraway looked to be in trouble, but quickly calmed the storm with a takedown to avoid continuing to get the worse of the fistic exchanges. And in the third, the TUF 14 competitor, who was making his bantamweight debut, lowered the boom in impressive style to notch his second Octagon victory.
ANTONIO CARVALHO VS. DANIEL PINEDA
Ontario’s Antonio Carvalho achieved a career milestone Saturday night, knocking out fellow featherweight Daniel Pineda to earn his first-ever UFC victory. Overwhelmed with emotion by the feat, 33-year-old Carvalho dropped to his knees inside the Octagon and cried. It was a quick night for the Brazilian (14-5), who dropped the ultra-aggressive Pineda (17-9) early with a left high kick, then punished the charging Texan with three hard and precise right hands that turned out the lights at 1:11 of the opening round.
Hear from Carvalho after his win
MITCH CLARKE VS. ANTON KUIVANEN
Who says ground fighting is boring?
That certainly wasn’t the case for the night’s opening clash between Edmonton’s Mitch Clarke and Finland’s Anton Kuivanen. From the first round onward, fans were treated to an exciting, back-and-forth jiu-jitsu battle filled with daring submission attempts and nonstop attacks.
The lightweight tussle ended with Kiuvanen (17-5) capturing his first UFC victory by split decision (29-28 twice and 28-29).
It was Clarke who came closest to finishing the fight, locking in a deep armbar in round one from his guard. Kuivanen, his arm fully extended, somehow wiggled his endangered limb free and escaped. Clarke appeared to have accomplished more in the topsy-turvy round, especially on the strength of a 2-0 takedown advantage.
Kuivanen came on stronger in the second stanza, cracking Clarke (9-2) with a hard left hook to commence the round, then fighting off kimuras while spending most of the round on top.
With the fight up for grabs, Kiuvanen took control in the third round over a fading Clarke, scoring two takedowns on the Canadien, and dominating on top with some hard right hands.
Kuivanen post-fight interivew
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/UFC-149-Prelim-Results
Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino
Sonnen Blames Media For Distractions And Losing Silva Fight
http://www.bjpenn.com/mmanews/2012/0...+NEWS+BLOGS%29
By Evan Stoumbelis
Never at a loss for words, Chael Sonnen spoke to Fuel TV’s “UFC Tonight” about the question burning in everyone’s minds: What happened in his fight against Anderson Silva?
“Listen, you wanna really know what happened? Everything’s going fine. I’m minding my own business. I’m out there, in the middle of a fist fight. I look up–in between rounds–and this is a true story–I see Kenny Florian and he’s got like a buffet style [dinner] in front of him. He’s stuffing his face. And I get completely distracted. Next thing I know, the ref says ‘are you ready?’ And I’m thinking, ‘no I’m not’. And I’ve gotta walk out there anyway.”
Sonnen lost to Anderson Silva after a spinning backfist attempt went bad and he found himself stumbling to the ground. Silva finished the fight shortly after via TKO due to strikes.
By Evan Stoumbelis
Never at a loss for words, Chael Sonnen spoke to Fuel TV’s “UFC Tonight” about the question burning in everyone’s minds: What happened in his fight against Anderson Silva?
“Listen, you wanna really know what happened? Everything’s going fine. I’m minding my own business. I’m out there, in the middle of a fist fight. I look up–in between rounds–and this is a true story–I see Kenny Florian and he’s got like a buffet style [dinner] in front of him. He’s stuffing his face. And I get completely distracted. Next thing I know, the ref says ‘are you ready?’ And I’m thinking, ‘no I’m not’. And I’ve gotta walk out there anyway.”
Sonnen lost to Anderson Silva after a spinning backfist attempt went bad and he found himself stumbling to the ground. Silva finished the fight shortly after via TKO due to strikes.
Clay Guida Jason Guida Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel
Sunday, July 22, 2012
rockhold & Tim Kennedy
Both of these men absolutely fucking suck. For all that shit they talked about strike force , you'd think that both of these guys would come out and fight. Disgraceful as fuck........
Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?78831-rockhold-amp-Tim-Kennedy&goto=newpost
Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao
Saturday, July 21, 2012
ROUNDTABLE: Should Rashad Evans move to middleweight? Who should he face there?
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RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
If Rashad Evans moves down to 185, he instantly becomes the second best middleweight in the world. But the fact that he's coming off of a loss (even if it was to Jon Jones), disqualifies him in my mind from an immediate title shot. I've been saying for about four years now, even before he won the 205 title, that he'd be a better fit at 185 than at 205. Not that I was the only person on that particular bandwagon, but still. So, yeah, he has a future at 185.
I'm glad that Michael Bisping has been booked against Brian Stann, because I feared the possibility of seeing Bisping vs. Evans again. It was brutal the first time, and even though both guys are improved drastically from where they were in 2007, I still can't get the rancid taste of that fight out of my mind. If Evans drops and doesn't get an immediate title shot, he'd clearly be one win away from that title shot, so his debut at middleweight would have to be a #1 contender match. Vitor? Weidman? Lombard? Belcher? I do think that the next shot will go to either Hector Lombard if he dominates Tim Boetsch, or to Chris Weidman if Lombard doesn't dominate. I don't think Belcher's high enough profile for that fight (although I'd pick Belcher to win it). So in my mind, Rashad's hypothetical middleweight would be against either Vitor Belfort or either Weidman and Lombard, whomever doesn't get the next shot at Anderson Silva.
Yes, 185 is a mess.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Well, if he can do it and not ruin himself, I say he should. If he does make the move, I think that Rashad should be put straight into a number one contender's fight. I think Rashad deserves that, plus I think that there's a lot of guys who are on the same level in the division. I would especially feel good about Rashad fighting Hector Lombard, if Lombard were to beat Tim Boetsch.
ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Well, with both Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen contemplating moves to other divisions, it makes more sense for both fighters to fight each other first at a catch-weight, similar to what Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva have done in the past. That would be a fight I would like to see Evans in because it's a good litmus test to face the two-time middleweight contender. The promos alone would be great, but more importantly it would help Evans figure out where his place in the UFC belongs, be it a fresh start at 185 or keeping steady in 205. The choice is up to Evans.
CHRIS PARK, MMATORCH UK SPECIALIST
Rashad has spoken this week of cutting weight while maintaining his athleticism and all-round ability. Assuming he is able to take this all down with him then I truly believe he could be a real force, and potentially the next dominant champion, at 185.
Hang on! I didn't say he would beat Anderson Silva. He wouldn't (in my view) but he could be a front runner to replace Silva once the champ hangs up his mitts. The UFC, however, would find it very difficult to resist a Silva vs. Evans clash before the Brazilian retires and if Evans were to make an impressive debut he could well be in the mix immediately.
A win over Tim Boetsch will see Hector Lombard next in line - in a fight the UFC will have plenty to market - so you would assume Evans would need at least one win before gaining his own title shot.
I would like to see Evans straight in at the deep end. Make Evans vs. Sonnen for both men's next fight. I like how those two match up.
If nothing else the trash talk should be pretty fun to watch/hear. @MMATorchUK
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I think a move to middleweight for Rashad Evans makes perfect sense. He will never realistically be able to defeat Jon Jones, and he has fought most every decent fighter at 205. As far as the UFC is concerned, this move would make several big money fights available in a reasonably short time frame. If he does move down to middleweight, he should fight Chael Sonnen. Two big names with two big talkers could be a huge fight by the end of 2012. If Evans can beat Sonnen, he can make his claim for a title shot. The UFC is running out of fighters to realistically challenge Anderson Silva for the middleweight belt. As a former light-heavyweight title holder, Rashad can step in and have an immediate impact in the title hunt at 185.
BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Absolutely and I would love to see him face off with Anderson Silva or Vitor Belfort; both would make for fantastic fights and mutually beneficial opportunities. Weidman would also make a great opponent at this stage. With Rashad's natural athleticism and striking power he could be an extraordinarily dominant middleweight. Let's not forget this is the guy who won TUF at heavyweight. Rashad could choose to stay put in light heavy but he has nothing left to accomplish in the division aside from avenging his losses - so why not drop down and take on the best fighter on the planet in Anderson Silva.
GRIFFIN MARSH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Yes, he will not be the light heavyweight champion again. Ever. A move to middleweight instantly gives him size and strength over most of the division. Would he beat Anderson? No, but I say "look out" to the rest of the division because your career plans could change should Rashad decide to. I'd like to see his first fight against Chris Weidman in a number one contender match. The winner gets fed to The Spider.
DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR
If he stays at light heavyweight, he's treading water until Jon Jones moves up to heavyweight. He's too good to wait for that to happen, but also not good enough to beat Jones if another title opportunity presents itself. Evans is a superb talent and one who's still somewhat underrated in my opinion. If I were him, i'd go for it and make the move. He's already said he's prepared to wait his turn, take a tune up fight at 185 lbs, and then fight for the title.
There are plenty of options awaiting him, but my personal preference would be a fight with either Chris Wiedman or Hector Lombard. One of them gets Anderson Silva, the other one gets Rashad Evans. Other options include Alan Belcher and Vitor Belfort so Joe Silva is spoiled for choice. Whatever happens, Evans moving down is the best thing for him right now.
JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
A lot of fighters are often willing to compete at a higher weight because if worse comes to worse, they can always drop down and make another run at the title. Well, worse has certainly come to worse for Rashad Evans at 205 because he's already held the title, lost the title, and was soundly defeated in his attempt to regain the gold. With a 17-2-1 record, no one can ever paint Rashad Evans with the "failed light heavyweight" brush, but at the same time there are very few fresh matchups left for him at that weight.
That being said though, I'm not sure Evans would still get fast tracked to a middleweight title shot the way he would have a few months ago. The division has picked up a lot of steam over the last few months and there are too many contenders out there for Evans to walk in, pick up a pedestrian victory over an average fighter and get Anderson Silva served up to him on a silver platter.
If Evans moves down he's going to really go in and blow the doors off a big name contender like Vitor Belfort to separate himself from the pack.
[Rashad Evans art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/roundtables/article_13869.shtml
Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović
2012's Unofficial Half-Year Awards: The Fighters
I know I’ve made exceptions in the past for fighters with one single defining performance in the first half of a particular year, and while there were many that fit that bill, I’m standing firm to my original premise. So…if you’ve had more than one fight in 2012, you’re eligible here. If not, we’ll see you in January. The Highly Unofficial Half-Year awards conclude today with the best fighters of the first half of 2012.5 – Matt Brown
Once on the verge of being cut from the UFC, Matt Brown is now on a three fight winning streak, with each fight coming in 2012. Sure, he didn’t beat the level of competition faced by some of the other fighters on this list, but his level of activity, the way he won his fights (knockouts over Chris Cope (Watch Here) and Luis Ramos and a clear-cut decision over Stephen Thompson (Watch Here)), and just the feel good nature of his comeback from some rough times in and out of the Octagon over the years earns him the nod here.
4 – Demetrious Johnson
Ian McCall was considered by many to be the top flyweight in the world when the UFC launched the division in March. Former bantamweight title challenger Demetrious Johnson fought six rounds with McCall over two fights, drawing in the first one (Watch Event) and clearly beating “Uncle Creepy” the second time (Watch Event). Now Johnson has to be considered the top dog at 125 pounds, but only a win over Joseph Benavidez in their bout for the UFC flyweight championship will cement that title in the eyes of the fans.
3 – Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum’s exit from the UFC in 2008 wasn’t one he would like to remember, as he was knocked out by a debuting Junior dos Santos (Watch Here) at UFC 90. Four years later, dos Santos is the UFC heavyweight champion, Werdum has gone 5-1 with two ultra-impressive victories in his Octagon return over Roy Nelson (Watch Event) and Mike Russow, (Watch Event) and with his world-class jiu-jitsu game and improved standup, a rematch with JDS may look significantly different than the first fight did.
2 – Martin Kampmann
Long respected throughout the fight game, Martin Kampmann is finally having the breakout year people have expected from him since he arrived in the UFC in 2006, and he’s doing it by finishing top contenders in dramatic fashion. First it was his come from behind submission of Thiago Alves (Watch Event) with less than a minute left in their January fight, and then “The Hitman” showed why he owns that moniker as he took out heavy-handed Jake Ellenberger (Watch Event) in the second round after getting rocked and cut earlier in the fight. Will he keep this momentum going? It’s going to be fun finding out.
1 – Chris Weidman
The top spot belonged to Martin Kampmann until Chris Weidman came along and blitzed one of the best middleweights in the world – Mark Munoz – (Watch Event) in July via second round TKO. It was the Long Islander’s second win of the year, and while he wasn’t spectacular in his workmanlike decision win over Demian Maia (Watch Event) in January, when you consider that he took the fight on late notice and had to cut an enormous amount of weight in a short time, it makes the victory over the former middleweight title challenger even more impressive. Weidman is the real deal, and fight fans can’t wait to see what he does in the second half of 2012.
Honorable Mention – Mike Pyle, Stefan Struve, Stipe Miocic, Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Steven Siler, Erick Silva, James Te Huna
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/2012-Unofficial-Half-Year-Awards-The-Fighters
Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo Luciano Azevedo Ba Te er Ryan Bader
Vinny Magalhaes faces Igor Pokrajac at UFC 152 in Toronto
The news broke earlier in the week that jiu-jitsu champion Vinny Magalhaes had re-signed with the UFC. Today, Joe Ferraro at Sportsnet.ca reports that Magalhaes will sqaure off against Igor Pokrajac at UFC 152 in Toronto.
Magalhaes (9-5) returns to the UFC after a three year absence riding a five fight winning streak. During his streak Magalhaes won and defended the M-1 Global light heavyweight championship.
Pokrajac (25-8) has won four of his last five bouts inside the octagon. In his most recent outing at UFC on FUEL TV 3, Pokrajac would notch a unanimous decision win over Fabio Maldonado.
UFC 152 takes place from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on September 22nd. The event features the first-ever flyweight championship bout which matches Joseph Benavidez against Demetrious Johnson.
Vinny Magalhaes faces Igor Pokrajac at UFC 152 in Toronto is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis Tony DeSouza Edwin Dewees Nick Diaz
Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy Prelim Results
In the opening fights of the two-title Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy event, Portland fans turned up at the Rose Garden Arena to cheer for their local fighter Pat Healy and adopted son Ryan Couture. The judges obliged, giving those fighters early wins on a night that also demonstrated 22-year-old Jordan Mein's scary potential at welterweight and started with a submission sunk in under 30 seconds.
Mizuto Hirota vs. Pat Healy
In the night’s featured prelim, Portland’s own Pat “Bam Bam” Healy spoiled DEEP and Sengoku champ Mizuto Hirota’s Strikeforce.
Throughout the lightweight fight, Hirota was able to control the action, using a bodylock to keep Healy against the fence. His first takedown resulted in a standup and a call for action from the ref, and on the feet it was Hirota who set the tone with repeated hooks and short body shots. At times, Healy’s five-inch height advantage seemed to work against him, as each time he threw punches, Hirota would duck under and close the distance to clinch.
In the second round, Healy worked more to keep things in the center of the cage. His efforts with short elbows and punches opened up the Japanese fighter’s nose, but Hirota continued to use his power and leverage to get cage control and another takedown. With two minutes left, Healy rallied by dumping his opponent on his butt, as Hirota closed his guard and worked his way back out of danger. In round three, both men briefly exchanged in the center of the cage, but otherwise it was more of the same on the fence, this time with Healy doing more of the work to get takedowns.
Judges unanimously gave the fight to Healy with scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice, bringing him to a 30-15 pedigree; Hirota now sits at 14-5-1. "Hirota was super tough and really strong. His wrestling was a lot better than I thought it would be," said Healy, who called for a title shot against reigning lightweight king Gilbert Melendez. "I think I’ve earned it. I’ve fought the toughest guys and I have the most wins."
Ryan Couture vs. Joe Duarte
A second lightweight bout featured the fourth Strikeforce outing of Ryan Couture, as he took on TUF alum Joe Duarte in a competitive fight scored as a split decision for Couture.
The first round was back and forth as both fighters tested their range. Duarte performed well with short, snapping strikes that included body blows; but Couture was ready with counters that backed Duarte off each time. A last-minute takedown seemed to spell points for Duarte, but he landed in Couture’s butterfly guard and was briefly on the brink of being armbarred.
The first big takedown in the second belonged to Couture, who used the clinch to throw Duarte down; Duarte later returned the favor with a trip but quickly let Couture back to his feet. With a minute left, Couture got another big takedown, took Duarte’s back, then opened up with some elbows on the ground as the crowd in Oregon – his UFC Hall of Fame father’s home turf – cheered loudly.
Couture’s momentum carried into the third as he scored a huge knee to the body from the clinch. Duarte continued pressing the action, but his striking was less aggressive and he seemed weary as Couture worked against the cage for takedowns. Duarte easily got a couple of takedowns in the center of the cage and once worked for a guillotine on the ground, while Couture got some against the fence, but each time both men – increasingly exhausted -- returned to their feet.
The scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 boosted Couture to a 5-1 record while Duarte gets his first loss in more than two years, slipping to 10-3.
Jorge Masvidal vs. Justin Wilcox
In his first return to action since his December title bout against Gilbert Melendez, boxer Jorge Masvidal earned a split decision victory over AKA power wrestler Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox. Though the lightweight contender never opened up with his signature striking, Masvdial's solid takedown defense and a powerful flurry in the first sealed the win.
Wilcox came out the aggressor, throwing a high kick and lunging forward with jabs, but his five-inch reach disadvantage did him no favors and after about 90 seconds, he went for a takedown, finishing it with a trip. Wilcox bulled “Gamebred” to the fence, and once Masvidal made it back to the center, Masvidal came to life, nailing a hard punch that staggered the shorter fighter. Wilcox shot again but this time was stuffed by Masvidal, who landed a knee, followed Wilcox to the ground, then literally chased him around the cage as Wilcox tried to escape the onslaught of kicks and punches. Yet another flying knee seemed to stun Wilcox, who backed up and swatted at Masvidal until regaining his balance at round’s end.
Wilcox started the second with more strikes, kicks and takedown attempts, but again struggled to complete anything of note. Masvidal waited out the muscle-bound wrestler, but his most solid response was a low kick. A high kick from Wilcox grazed the taller fighter, who smiled and urged Wilcox forward. Wilcox obliged, as Masvidal continued to wait and watch. With under a minute left, Wilcox managed to get Masvidal down.
If Masvidal was biding his time before exploding, he didn’t show it in the third, as Wilcox pushed forward with combinations that finally began to find their mark. Masvidal connected with the occasional low kick or jab, but it was Wilcox who threw and landed more, then briefly got Masvidal to the mat before trapping him against the cage and dragging him back down.
Judges scored the fight 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29 for Masvidal, whose sluggish performance was enough to lift his record to 23-7; Wilcox departs the Rose Garden Arena with a record of 11-5. "I thought I had him out twice in the first round but he scrambled and managed to survive so my hat’s off to him," said Masvidal. "I’m not a wrestler by trade and I was happy I was able to stuff so many of his takedowns."
Jordan Mein vs. Tyler Stinson
The first televised bout on the prelims, which aired on SHO Extreme, featured Canadian prospect Jordan Mein fighting self-made Kansan Tyler Stinson. At just 22 and 26, respectively, with more than 30 fights each, the two rangy welterweights represented two of the youngest and most experienced fighters on the card. After three rounds, judges gave the unanimous decision (30-27 three times) to Jordan Mein.
Most of the fight was a boxing match, with Stinson controlling the action but Mein controlling the damage. Stinson used his jab to make space, as Mein’s deft head movement kept him largely out of danger. The story of round one was Mein’s left hook, which landed multiple times per minute and broadcast itself on the right side of Stinson’s face, which was bloodied after just two minutes of combat.
Both men sped up in the second, with Stinson throwing more legs to start out. Mein landed a thudding right to the body, but Stinson continued his aggression before “Young Gun” Mein fired back with an uppercut. The younger fighter’s calm was evident, as he waited and picked his shots, using his technical boxing to inflict damage with counters. Mid-round, Mein’s combinations became more fluid, with more body shots on display. Stinson continued to move forward and work his jab, but seemed unable to mount any significant offense save a few straights that found their marks. Stinson scored with one takedown as Mein came forward, but Mein quickly got back up and rewarded the Kansan with more strikes upstairs.
Mein cranked up the aggression in the third stanza, taking the center of the hexagon in southpaw and closing in with strikes including a nasty right hook that landed a few times. With Stinson’s corner urging him to “risk it all,” Stinson threw a trio of body kicks, but it wasn’t enough to dissuade Mein, who remained composed and active as the clock ticked down.
"He landed some hard body kicks that sucked the wind out of me toward the end there," said Mein. "This is a really gratifying win."
The win was Mein's 24th (with 8 losses) and his second in Strikeforce (last September, he memorably finished Evangelista Cyborg with elbows), while Stinson drops to 21-9.
Jason High vs. Nate Moore
In the night’s first bout, welterweights Jason High and Nate Moore met in what turned out to be a quick clash between two wrestling titans. “The Kansas City Bandit” High opened with a few testing kicks followed by a combination, and as Moore charged forward, High locked in a guillotine and pulled guard, drawing the tap just 26 seconds in.
High – who last month won his division as a blue belt at the at the 2012 IBJJF Worlds – sees his record rise to 17-3, while AKA’s Moore slips to 8-3.
"That easily could’ve been a drawn-out fight so I’m happy I could finish it quickly and stay healthy," said High. "He tried to take me down but I was prepared for it and I sunk in the guillotine."
Mizuto Hirota vs. Pat Healy
In the night’s featured prelim, Portland’s own Pat “Bam Bam” Healy spoiled DEEP and Sengoku champ Mizuto Hirota’s Strikeforce.
Throughout the lightweight fight, Hirota was able to control the action, using a bodylock to keep Healy against the fence. His first takedown resulted in a standup and a call for action from the ref, and on the feet it was Hirota who set the tone with repeated hooks and short body shots. At times, Healy’s five-inch height advantage seemed to work against him, as each time he threw punches, Hirota would duck under and close the distance to clinch.
In the second round, Healy worked more to keep things in the center of the cage. His efforts with short elbows and punches opened up the Japanese fighter’s nose, but Hirota continued to use his power and leverage to get cage control and another takedown. With two minutes left, Healy rallied by dumping his opponent on his butt, as Hirota closed his guard and worked his way back out of danger. In round three, both men briefly exchanged in the center of the cage, but otherwise it was more of the same on the fence, this time with Healy doing more of the work to get takedowns.
Judges unanimously gave the fight to Healy with scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice, bringing him to a 30-15 pedigree; Hirota now sits at 14-5-1. "Hirota was super tough and really strong. His wrestling was a lot better than I thought it would be," said Healy, who called for a title shot against reigning lightweight king Gilbert Melendez. "I think I’ve earned it. I’ve fought the toughest guys and I have the most wins."
Ryan Couture vs. Joe Duarte
A second lightweight bout featured the fourth Strikeforce outing of Ryan Couture, as he took on TUF alum Joe Duarte in a competitive fight scored as a split decision for Couture.
The first round was back and forth as both fighters tested their range. Duarte performed well with short, snapping strikes that included body blows; but Couture was ready with counters that backed Duarte off each time. A last-minute takedown seemed to spell points for Duarte, but he landed in Couture’s butterfly guard and was briefly on the brink of being armbarred.
The first big takedown in the second belonged to Couture, who used the clinch to throw Duarte down; Duarte later returned the favor with a trip but quickly let Couture back to his feet. With a minute left, Couture got another big takedown, took Duarte’s back, then opened up with some elbows on the ground as the crowd in Oregon – his UFC Hall of Fame father’s home turf – cheered loudly.
Couture’s momentum carried into the third as he scored a huge knee to the body from the clinch. Duarte continued pressing the action, but his striking was less aggressive and he seemed weary as Couture worked against the cage for takedowns. Duarte easily got a couple of takedowns in the center of the cage and once worked for a guillotine on the ground, while Couture got some against the fence, but each time both men – increasingly exhausted -- returned to their feet.
The scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 boosted Couture to a 5-1 record while Duarte gets his first loss in more than two years, slipping to 10-3.
Jorge Masvidal vs. Justin Wilcox
In his first return to action since his December title bout against Gilbert Melendez, boxer Jorge Masvidal earned a split decision victory over AKA power wrestler Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox. Though the lightweight contender never opened up with his signature striking, Masvdial's solid takedown defense and a powerful flurry in the first sealed the win.
Wilcox came out the aggressor, throwing a high kick and lunging forward with jabs, but his five-inch reach disadvantage did him no favors and after about 90 seconds, he went for a takedown, finishing it with a trip. Wilcox bulled “Gamebred” to the fence, and once Masvidal made it back to the center, Masvidal came to life, nailing a hard punch that staggered the shorter fighter. Wilcox shot again but this time was stuffed by Masvidal, who landed a knee, followed Wilcox to the ground, then literally chased him around the cage as Wilcox tried to escape the onslaught of kicks and punches. Yet another flying knee seemed to stun Wilcox, who backed up and swatted at Masvidal until regaining his balance at round’s end.
Wilcox started the second with more strikes, kicks and takedown attempts, but again struggled to complete anything of note. Masvidal waited out the muscle-bound wrestler, but his most solid response was a low kick. A high kick from Wilcox grazed the taller fighter, who smiled and urged Wilcox forward. Wilcox obliged, as Masvidal continued to wait and watch. With under a minute left, Wilcox managed to get Masvidal down.
If Masvidal was biding his time before exploding, he didn’t show it in the third, as Wilcox pushed forward with combinations that finally began to find their mark. Masvidal connected with the occasional low kick or jab, but it was Wilcox who threw and landed more, then briefly got Masvidal to the mat before trapping him against the cage and dragging him back down.
Judges scored the fight 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29 for Masvidal, whose sluggish performance was enough to lift his record to 23-7; Wilcox departs the Rose Garden Arena with a record of 11-5. "I thought I had him out twice in the first round but he scrambled and managed to survive so my hat’s off to him," said Masvidal. "I’m not a wrestler by trade and I was happy I was able to stuff so many of his takedowns."
Jordan Mein vs. Tyler Stinson
The first televised bout on the prelims, which aired on SHO Extreme, featured Canadian prospect Jordan Mein fighting self-made Kansan Tyler Stinson. At just 22 and 26, respectively, with more than 30 fights each, the two rangy welterweights represented two of the youngest and most experienced fighters on the card. After three rounds, judges gave the unanimous decision (30-27 three times) to Jordan Mein.
Most of the fight was a boxing match, with Stinson controlling the action but Mein controlling the damage. Stinson used his jab to make space, as Mein’s deft head movement kept him largely out of danger. The story of round one was Mein’s left hook, which landed multiple times per minute and broadcast itself on the right side of Stinson’s face, which was bloodied after just two minutes of combat.
Both men sped up in the second, with Stinson throwing more legs to start out. Mein landed a thudding right to the body, but Stinson continued his aggression before “Young Gun” Mein fired back with an uppercut. The younger fighter’s calm was evident, as he waited and picked his shots, using his technical boxing to inflict damage with counters. Mid-round, Mein’s combinations became more fluid, with more body shots on display. Stinson continued to move forward and work his jab, but seemed unable to mount any significant offense save a few straights that found their marks. Stinson scored with one takedown as Mein came forward, but Mein quickly got back up and rewarded the Kansan with more strikes upstairs.
Mein cranked up the aggression in the third stanza, taking the center of the hexagon in southpaw and closing in with strikes including a nasty right hook that landed a few times. With Stinson’s corner urging him to “risk it all,” Stinson threw a trio of body kicks, but it wasn’t enough to dissuade Mein, who remained composed and active as the clock ticked down.
"He landed some hard body kicks that sucked the wind out of me toward the end there," said Mein. "This is a really gratifying win."
The win was Mein's 24th (with 8 losses) and his second in Strikeforce (last September, he memorably finished Evangelista Cyborg with elbows), while Stinson drops to 21-9.
Jason High vs. Nate Moore
In the night’s first bout, welterweights Jason High and Nate Moore met in what turned out to be a quick clash between two wrestling titans. “The Kansas City Bandit” High opened with a few testing kicks followed by a combination, and as Moore charged forward, High locked in a guillotine and pulled guard, drawing the tap just 26 seconds in.
High – who last month won his division as a blue belt at the at the 2012 IBJJF Worlds – sees his record rise to 17-3, while AKA’s Moore slips to 8-3.
"That easily could’ve been a drawn-out fight so I’m happy I could finish it quickly and stay healthy," said High. "He tried to take me down but I was prepared for it and I sunk in the guillotine."
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/strikeforce-rockhold-kennedy-prelim-results
Friday, July 20, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Josh Koscheck vs. Jake Ellenberger Tapped as UFC 151 Co-Main Event
http://www.mmaweekly.com/josh-kosche...-co-main-event
UFC 151 now has a co-main event and it features two top ten welterweights looking to get back into the contender’s race.
Nebraska powerhouse Jake Ellenberger will return to action on Sept 1 as he faces former NCAA champion Josh Koscheck in Las Vegas.
UFC officials announced the new match-up on Wednesday.
With a title shot seemingly within his grasp, Jake Ellenberger ran into the always tough Martin Kampmann for his last fight at the Ultimate Fighter Live finale.
After almost finishing Kampmann in round 1, the Dane battled back and instead put Ellenberger down in the second stanza handing the Nebraska native only his second loss in the UFC.
Now more determined than ever to get back to the top of the division, Ellenberger faces a fighter who has sat in the top ten of the welterweight division for the last few years.
Josh Koscheck has come close on many occasions to being the top dog at 170lbs, but has never captured the strap. That’s not to say however that Koscheck isn’t always one of the top performers at welterweight where he holds wins over names like Matt Hughes, Paul Daley and Diego Sanchez.
Recently however Koscheck lost a close decision to fellow NCAA champion Johny Hendricks at UFC on Fox 3, and hopes to rebuild with a win over Ellenberger in September.
Ellenberger vs. Koscheck will serve as the co-main event for the upcoming UFC 151 show headlined by light heavyweight champion Jon Jones as he defends his title against former Pride and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson.
UFC 151 now has a co-main event and it features two top ten welterweights looking to get back into the contender’s race.
Nebraska powerhouse Jake Ellenberger will return to action on Sept 1 as he faces former NCAA champion Josh Koscheck in Las Vegas.
UFC officials announced the new match-up on Wednesday.
With a title shot seemingly within his grasp, Jake Ellenberger ran into the always tough Martin Kampmann for his last fight at the Ultimate Fighter Live finale.
After almost finishing Kampmann in round 1, the Dane battled back and instead put Ellenberger down in the second stanza handing the Nebraska native only his second loss in the UFC.
Now more determined than ever to get back to the top of the division, Ellenberger faces a fighter who has sat in the top ten of the welterweight division for the last few years.
Josh Koscheck has come close on many occasions to being the top dog at 170lbs, but has never captured the strap. That’s not to say however that Koscheck isn’t always one of the top performers at welterweight where he holds wins over names like Matt Hughes, Paul Daley and Diego Sanchez.
Recently however Koscheck lost a close decision to fellow NCAA champion Johny Hendricks at UFC on Fox 3, and hopes to rebuild with a win over Ellenberger in September.
Ellenberger vs. Koscheck will serve as the co-main event for the upcoming UFC 151 show headlined by light heavyweight champion Jon Jones as he defends his title against former Pride and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson.
Andrei Arlovski Ricardo Arona Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio Mikhail Avetisyan
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