Wednesday, March 6, 2013

UFC on Fuel 8: Wanderlei Silva wants another fight in Japan after exciting win over Brian Stann

Wanderlei_Silva_wide_art_CG_3.jpg


By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Wanderlei Silva tried to turn back the clock on his career this weekend in Japan, knocking out Brian Stann in a furiously paced and exciting brawl at UFC on Fuel 8. The win was another major highlight in what has been a very up and down run for "The Axe Murderer," and it came in a country where he's known a lot of success.

As a former Pride Champion and Grand Prix winner, Silva is very familiar with the Japanese audience, and he was thrilled to be back there this weekend.

"I feel really happy," Silva said after the event (via MMAJunkie.com). "I don't know what happens in Japan, but it makes me feel young.

"I'm happy to fight in Japan again. I have the best moments in my life here, and today is one more. I feel the energy here, the energy of the Brazilian fans, the Japanese fans. I feel really happy to fight over here."

Despite picking up a big win to extend his career, Silva's not sure how long he'll continue. UFC President Dana White had wanted him to retire almost two years ago when he was viciously stopped by Chris Leben, but he's won two of his next three, and thinks he's got a little left in him.

"I'm fighting one fight at a time right now," Silva said. "I feel healthy. A couple of injuries are normal, you know? I know sooner or later I'm going to need to stop this job, but I'm happy for this feeling and this energy from my fans.

"I'm so happy to make a show for the fans. I'm so glad to make my fans happy around the world."

That worldly traveling is something he hopes to do again before he retires, as he said he'd like one more chance to fight in Japan after this win.

"I had a dream before I retired to fight in Brazil and fight here," Silva said. "I'm so glad the UFC gave me the opportunity to fight one last time in Brazil and fight here. I hope the UFC will give me a chance to come back here."

Penick's Analysis: This is a spot where it would make perfect sense if the UFC wanted to allow him to return to Japan once more. He's not in title contention, so throw him in a fun matchup with a fighter game to engage in a brawl the likes of which he had with Stann. Not a fighter concerned about what's going to happen if they lose, just someone who is ready to leave everything in the cage. Put that one on top of one of the four events the UFC hopes to run in Asia this year, and you've got a ready-made headliner for another Fuel card.

[Wanderlei Silva art by Cory Gould © MMATorch.com]


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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_16124.shtml

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

Bellator Season 8 on Spike TV – Promo Video

Check out the new promo video for Bellator MMA which will be making the move to Spike TV in January 2013. The new year also kicks off the Season 8 tournaments which will be competed in 5 divisions: featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight.

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/bellator-news/bellator-season-8-on-spike-tv-promo-video-60578/

Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia

XFC 22: An inside look at Roger “The Leperchaun” Carroll

RogerCarroll e1361236705399 XFC 22: An inside look at Roger The Leperchaun CarrollOne of the most anticipated fights of the night is a welterweight matchup between local favorite Roger Carroll and regional challenger Josh Eagans as Xtreme Fighting Championships returns to Charlotte for XFC 22: Crossing the Line on February 22. The fight will be Carroll’s second with the XFC and Eagans XFC debut. The two will face off on the live side of the promotions event, televised on AXStv.

Roger Carroll is a veteran of the sport, with nearly 7 years of pro fighting experience on his resume. He last fought for the XFC in the main event of XFC 19 where he fought to a decision against black belt Nicolae Cury. He followed that performance in January where he was able to squeak out a split decision victory against the previously undefeated Drew Kennedy. Carroll’s record is now (11-8) with experience against some of today’s toughest fighters including Urijah Hall and Clint Hester, both TUF veterans.

Locally in Charlotte, Roger is one of the biggest draws in the MMA scene. Though he is originally from Florida, he moved to North Carolina years ago and through his training with Renegade Fighting Systems and appearances on local promotions, he has quickly become a favorite for fight fans in Charlotte. Carroll will have a few advantages against Eagans including the hometown crowd. He is also a black belt in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and on paper has already beaten Eagans once before. Eagans and Carroll met back in 2011, in a fight that ended very early in the first round after Eagans sustained a serious shoulder injury just minutes into the fight. Carroll walked away the winner that night but he will now have to prove he is indeed the better fighter.

To see Roger “The Leprechaun” Carroll fight in front of his hometown crowd taking on South Carolina’s Josh Eagans visit www.OfficialXFC.com and purchase tickets to XFC 22: Crossing the Line. The event is presented by ICRealTime Security Solutions and ThroatPunch Ind. Apparel and will air live on AXStv from the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

XFC 22 – Crossing The Line

Main Card

Scott Holtzman vs. Jason Hicks
Joseph Corneroli vs. Ricky Rainey
Suzie Montero vs. Pearl Gonzalez
Josh Eagans vs. Roger Carroll
D’Angelo Bynum vs. Jimmy Fowler
D’Juan Owens vs. Nate Landwehr

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/xfc-news/xfc-22-an-inside-look-at-roger-the-leperchaun-carroll-67669/

Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Bellator 84 Highlight video – Alexander Volkov, Felice Herrig

Bellator crowned their heavyweight champion when Alexander Volkov earned a five round decision over Rich Hale in the main event of Bellator 84 on December 14th. In a featured women’s MMA bout, Felice Herrig defeated Patricia Vidonic for the second time this year. Also picking up wins on the main card were Daniel Vizcaya and Louis Taylor.

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/bellator-news/bellator-84-highlight-video-alexander-volkov-felice-herrig-60681/

Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie Ralek Gracie Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie

Score Fighting Series 7 weigh-in results: Mein and Petz cleared for tonight's headliner

All fighters are on weight for tonight's Score Fighting Series 7 event.

On Thursday the event's 20 fighters successfully made weight, including headliner/UFC vet Forrest Petz (170.6 pounds) and borrowed Strikeforce fighter Jordan Mein (170.4).

Score Fighting Series 7 takes place at Hamilton Place Theatre in Ontario, Canada. The main card airs live on AXS TV in the U.S. (and The Score in Canada) at 10 p.m. ET.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/yuWyldfVo6E/score-fighting-series-7-weigh-in-results-mein-and-petz-cleared-for-tonights-headliner.mma

Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez Keith Hackney Matt Hamill

Pyle vs. Nelson, TUF Winner vs. TUF Winner and More

Three exciting new bouts have been announced for Las Vegas' annual summer kickoff event, taking place this year on Saturday, May 25.

Welterweight Mike "Quicksand" Pyle will put his three-fight KO streak on the line against Iceland's undefeated Gunnar Nelson at UFC 160.

Also at welterweight, fans will see a battle between newly-crowned Ultimate Fighters as TUF Smashes king Robert Whittaker will take on TUF 16 winner Colton Smith.

"Lil' Heathen" Jeremy Stephens make his 145-pound debut against Estevan Payan in what could turn out to be a featherweight slugfest.

Lightweight Thrillers Added to Las Vegas Card


updated February 21

Two exciting lightweight bouts have been added to the UFC 160 fight card scheduled for May 25 in Las Vegas.

Top-ten ranked lightweight contenders T.J. Grant and Gray "The Bully" Maynard will go to war in a fight that could shape the future of the lightweight title picture. Plus, Abel "Killa" Trujillo, coming off of an impressive UFC debut victory over Marcus LeVesseur, will face undefeated contender Khabib Nurmagomedov


Teixeira vs. Bader, Cowboy vs. KJ on Summer Opener


updated February 20

Two top-ten light heavyweights will meet Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas as Ryan "Darth" Bader will face Glover Teixeira.

In addition, a lightweight bout with Fight of the Night potential is set for UFC 160 as KJ Noons will face Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.


Cain vs. Bigfoot, Reem vs. JDS at UFC 160


updated February 13

It's official: With a first-round TKO over previously undefeated Travis Browne and a knockout win over top contender Alistair Overeem, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva has earned a title shot against UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. That heavyweight championship bout will anchor UFC 160, to be held Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas.

Plus, two of the top heavyweights in the world will settle their differences at the event as former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair "The Reem" Overeem will take on former UFC heavyweight champion Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos.

Farther down in the weight divisions, fans will see a fantastic stylistic matchup as welterweights Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson and TUF season 7 winner Amir Sadollah do battle.

Verbal agreements are in for all three matchups. More details about the event, including venue and ticket information, will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-160-fight-card-update

Rashad Evans Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho

Leonard Garcia vs. Cody McKenzie heading to UFC 159 in April

MMATorch_Generic_Logo_wide_259.jpg


By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

A featherweight bout between Leonard Garcia and Cody McKenzie appears headed to the UFC 159 card in New Jersey this April. Garcia revealed the matchup on Twitter, though the UFC hasn't officially announced the fight.

UFC President Dana White recently praised Garcia for his fighting style, saying he's not getting cut from the UFC despite four straight losses, and losses in five of his last six. Garcia could arguably be 0-11 going back to 2009, as his three wins and one draw in that stretch were all split decisions that could have easily gone to his opponents.

He'll try to keep his roster spot once again when he takes on McKenzie, who is in definite need of a win himself. McKenzie hasn't fought since making his featherweight debut last July, where he was stopped by Chad Mendes with a body punch. That marked his third loss in four fights.

UFC 159 takes place on April 27 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, headlined by the Light Heavyweight Championship bout between Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen.

(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)

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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_16123.shtml

Marcelo Brito  Rob Broughton  Mike Brown  Junie Browning Paul Buentello 

Former WEC announcer Joe Martinez tapped for octagon debut at UFC on FX 6

Former WEC announcer Joe Martinez will soon make his octagon debut.

Martinez recently revealed to Examiner.com that he has been hired for in-cage duties at next month's UFC on FX 6 event, which takes place on Saturday, Dec. 15 in Australia but due to the time difference airs live in the U.S. on Friday night.

Promotion mainstay Bruce Buffer is set for his familiar announcing role that same weekend at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/RQ-GO0r9eIE/former-wec-announcer-joe-martinez-tapped-for-octagon-debut-at-ufc-on-fx-6.mma

Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett  David Baron  Phil Baroni

Promo Poster for XFC 22: Crossing the Line – Hicks vs. Holtzman

A battle of undefeated lightweights Jason “The Ronin” Hicks and Scott “Hot Sauce” Holtzman will serve as the main event of XFC 22: Crossing The Line on February 22nd. The stakes are high in this lightweight clash as the winner is expected to get a title shot against newly crowned champion “Notorious” Nick Newell.

Hicks (5-0) is a former winner of the XFC Open Fighter tryouts. He has finished four of his opponents and is coming off a second round submission win over Shane Crenshaw at XFC 19. Holtzman (3-0) has won all of his professional fights under the XFC banner. He last competed at XFC 20 where he notched a first round technical knockout win of Chris Coggins.

XFC 22: Crossing the Line takes place from the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The main card will be televised live on AXS TV.

xfc 22 crossing the line poster e1355874574253 Promo Poster for XFC 22: Crossing the Line   Hicks vs. Holtzman

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/xfc-news/promo-poster-for-xfc-22-crossing-the-line-hicks-vs-holtzman-60683/

Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson

Paulo Thiago vs Benoist added to UFC on FX 8 in Brazil

http://www.bjpenn.com/thiago-benoist...+NEWS+BLOGS%29

UFC on FX 8 in Brazil just added two welterweights with plenty to gain.

Paulo Thiago (14-5) and Lance Benoist (6-2) are the latest additions to UFC on FX 8, according to several published reports.

And both welterweights could be fighting for their UFC lives.

Thiago is 1-4 in his past five outings. He started his UFC career with a win over Josh Koshchek followed by a decision loss to Jon Fitch. He got back on track with victories over Jacob Volkmann and Mike Swick. But next came loses to Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann. Thiago got back on track with a decision win over David Mitchell, but then lost two more, first to Siyar Bahadurzada and most recently, Dong Hyin Kim in November.

Benoist made his UFC debut with a ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus and victory over Matt Riddle in September of 2011. He has followed that with consecutive decision loses to Seth Baczynski and Sean Pierson. The slick submission expert started out his career with six-straight wins.

UFC on FX 8 is slated to take place on May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The event’s main card airs live on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

As of now, the UFC on FX 8 card looks like this:

Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold

Constantinos Philippou vs. Ronaldo Souza

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham

Lance Benoist vs. Paulo Thiago

Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?80210-Paulo-Thiago-vs-Benoist-added-to-UFC-on-FX-8-in-Brazil&goto=newpost

Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca Rich Franklin Ian Freeman Don Frye

Wanderlei Silva By the Numbers

20
Age at which Wanderlei Silva began fighting professionally

36

Current age

1998
Year in which he made his UFC debut

48
Total number of career fights

2
Missing word from this quote by UFC on FUEL TV 8 opponent Brian Stann about Wanderlei: "He's done more for this sport in any ___ years of his career than I'll ever do."34
Total number of career wins

26
Wins via KO, TKO or tapout due to strikes

26
Combined wins in PRIDE and UFC, the most of any fighter

1
Wins via submission to something other than strikes

6:32:33
Total combined UFC and PRIDE fight time, more than any other fighter

36
Time, in seconds, it took for Silva to knock out Keith Jardine at UFC 84

3
Number of fights he's won in 30 seconds or less

1
Number of sons named Thor

25
Knockdowns in UFC/PRIDE competition, more than any other fighter

1,940

Number of days “The Axe Murderer” held the PRIDE middleweight title

4
Number of UFC Fight of the Night bonuses - Fight of the Night vs. Rich Franklin at UFC 147 and UFC 99, Knockout of the Night vs. Jardine at UFC 94 and Fight of the Night vs. Liddell at UFC 79

1


Number of amazing tribal head tattoos

1002
Significant strikes landed in UFC/PRIDE fights, the third most of any fighter (behind Georges St-Pierre and Quinton Jackson)

4
Number of successful/consecutive PRIDE middleweight title defenses

356,000+
Number of Twitter followers of @wandfc

18
Consecutive wins in PRIDE, the most in the organization's history

3
Number of career losses Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has by KO/TKO

2
Number of those losses that were to Silva -- both TKOs via knees

0


Losses by submission


28
Total number of fights in Japan prior to this week

6
Years between Silva's fight this weekend and his previous fight in Japan

12
Years between Silva’s UFC 147 main event against Franklin in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and his previous fight in Brazil

750,000+
Combined views on Youtube of Silva and Mark Coleman’s unbelievable Japanese shaving cream commercial

2005
Year Silva made his acting debut, which was in PRIDE's movie “Nagurimono: Love & Kill," in which he played a character named Vandarei Shiuba







Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-fuel-tv-8-wanderlei-silva-by-the-numbers

Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida 

Will You Be Fired After Your Recent Loss in the UFC? [FLOWCHART]

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?80214-Will-You-Be-Fired-After-Your-Recent-Loss-in-the-UFC-FLOWCHART&goto=newpost

Josh Barnett  David Baron  Phil Baroni Don Barr Pat Barry 

Four titles on the line at CFA 09: Night of Champions

cfa championship fighting alliance logo e1355363920904 Four titles on the line at CFA 09: Night of ChampionsChampionship Fighting Alliance has put together a fight card which features four championship fights to kick off their 2013 schedule on January 19th.

The Bank United Center in Coral Gables, Florida will serve as host for the aptly named CFA 09: Night of Champions.

Lightweight Title Fight (Main Event)
Luis “Baboon” Palomino (20-7) vs. Luiz “Buscape” Firmino (15-6)

Flyweight Title Fight (Co-Main Event)
Alexis Vila (11-2) vs. Josh Sampo (8-2)

Welterweight Title Fight
Valdir Araujo (11-3) vs. Marcelo Alfaya (14-6)

Interim Featherweight Title Fight
Victor Delgado (6-0) vs. Sean Soriano (6-0)

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/cfa/four-titles-on-the-line-at-cfa-09-night-of-champions-60587/

Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie

'TUF' times: Sonnen says he turned down spot on 'TUF 1,' Jones once cut from tryouts

LAS VEGAS - The debut season of 'The Ultimate Fighter' has long been recognized as the starting point of MMA's current popularity boom and was responsible for launching the careers of stars such as Stephan Bonnar, Kenny Florian, Forrest Griffin, Josh Koscheck, Chris Leben, Diego Sanchez and Mike Swick.

But as successful as the 2005 series debut proved, imagine what it could have been with one Chael P. Sonnen.

Sonnen, who coaches on the upcoming 17th edition of the series, says he actually turned down a spot on "TUF 1."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/KKhDR24z_g0/tuf-times-sonnen-says-he-turned-down-spot-on-tuf-1-jones-once-cut-from-tryouts.mma

Yoji Anjo  Ao Hailin  Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona 

2 Title Changes At TNA’s No Surrender PPV

Two title changes took place Sunday night at No Surrender as Winter regained the Women’s Knockout Championship from Mickie James while Austin Aries beat Brian Kendrick to capture the X Division Championship.

The title changes were forewarned prior to the event as a match line-up for the Sept. 23 TNA live event in Springfield, Illinois listed Aries as the X Division Champion and Winter as the Women’s Knockouts Champion. We reported both these title changes in our **SPOILER** report on Sunday afternoon.

Robert Roode defeated Bully Ray via pinfall to win the Bound for Glory Series and earn a match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship next month at Bound for Glory. Roode beat Gunner via submission earlier in the show, tying Bully Ray’s 52-point total—Ray beat James Storm in the second match of the event. This set up the tiebreaker match between Roode and Ray. It obviously looks like Roode is in for a huge TNA push.

Wrestling News

Source: http://www.ifight365.com/2011/09/2-title-changes-at-tnas-no-surrender-ppv/

Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia

Monday, March 4, 2013

UFC on FUEL TV 8 Post-Fight Presser and Bonus Recap

Four fighters attended the UFC on FUEL TV 8 post-fight press conference - Wanderlei Silva, Mark Hunt, Yushin Okami, and Takeya Mizugaki.

Silva and Hunt both earned Knockout of the Night bonuses for their stoppages of Brian Stann and Stefan Struve, respectively. Silva and Stann engaged in an all-out brawl that also earned Fight of the Night. After a more conservative start to the second frame, Silva unleashed a right cross-left hook combo that starched Stann. "The Axe Murderer" followed up with a few ground strikes before the referee stepped in to end the bout.

Hunt and Struve also put on an entertaining fight, with the momentum shifting several times. Late in the third round, Hunt tagged Struve with a hook that sent the giant Dutchman crashing to the mat, his jaw apparently broken. Hunt turned and walked off without throwing any additional punches.

With no submission victories at UFC on FUEL TV 8, no Submission of the Night bonus was awarded.

Each bonused fighter received $50,000 for their efforts. Wanderlei Silva received a total of $100,000 for earning both Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night.

Click here to watch full press conference

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/fuel8-post-pc-recap

Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović

Champ Rockhold calls Larkin attack 'pretty amateur,' eyes early 2013 for return

Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold today told MMAjunkie.com that he never signed a bout agreement to fight Lorenz Larkin and never intended to fight at the promotion's final event.

When officials announced the Jan. 12 event in early November, Rockhold said he informed them a wrist injury lingered and that he was unable to fight.

That's why he's particularly irritated by a series of verbal attacks from Lorenz Larkin regarding his willingness to compete.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/W2DnRK2YaFU/champ-rockhold-calls-larkin-attack-pretty-amateur-eyes-early-2013-for-return.mma

Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus  Todd Duffee  Marvin Eastman 

Invicta FC 4 official with Esparza-Gadelha title fight, Baszler-Davis and more

The lineup is nearly compete for the all-female Invicta Fighting Championships' next card.

Invicta FC 4 takes place Jan. 5 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The card is expected to stream online.

Headlining the 12-bout lineup is undefeated Claudia Gadelha vs. Carla Esparza for the organization's first-ever 115-pound strawweight championship.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/x3bAU6Q9Sxc/invicta-fc-4-official-with-esparza-gadelha-title-fight-baszler-davis-and-more.mma

Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah 

The Strongest Man You've Never Heard Of: CT Fletcher

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?80205-The-Strongest-Man-You-ve-Never-Heard-Of-CT-Fletcher&goto=newpost

Ba Te er  Ryan Bader  Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett 

UFC and Joe Hand Promotions Extend Agreement

Joe Hand Promotions Remains Exclusive Distributor of UFC Events on Closed Circuit TV/Pay-Per-View for all Commercial Establishments in United States
 

Feasterville, PA – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization and Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. announced a multi-year extension of their closed circuit/pay-per-view TV distribution agreement. The deal maintains Joe Hand Promotions, headquartered in Feasterville, Pa., as the exclusive commercial distributor throughout the United States for the UFC, the fastest growing sports organization in the world, through 2015.

“I’m pleased that Joe Hand Promotions will continue to provide passionate, loyal sports fans with our action-packed events,” said Dana White, UFC President. “Joe Hand Promotions’ experience in the closed-circuit industry and their knowledge of the UFC has helped grow the organization into the world’s leading pay-per-view event provider.”

Joe Hand Promotions acquired the UFC commercial distribution rights for the United States in 2001. With over 43 years of experience, Joe Hand Promotions has become the nation’s premier distributor of pay-per-view and closed circuit sports and entertainment programming.

“We are honored to be the exclusive commercial distributor of the UFC in the United States, provide commercial establishments such as bars, restaurants, military bases, casinos, universities, cruise ships and oil rigs with UFC live events,” said Joe Hand Jr., president of Joe Hand Promotions. “We look forward to continuing to provide UFC’s ever-increasing fan base with UFC live events at their favorite commercial establishments throughout the United States.”

UFC live pay-per-view events take place at preeminent destinations worldwide, including MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas), Staples Center (Los Angeles), Saitama Arena (Tokyo, Japan), Ericsson Globe (Stockholm, Sweden), Saddledome (Calgary, Canada), AirCanada Centre (Toronto, Canada), Bell Centre (Montreal, Canada), and HSBC Arena (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), and consistently draw sell-out crowds with record-breaking gates. Presenting over twelve pay-per-view events per year, the UFC stands as the largest pay-per-view content provider in the United States.

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/UFC-AND-JOE-HAND-PROMOTIONS-EXTEND-AGREEMENT

Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle

Rise of The Footsoldier

I'm gonna watch this movie.

I heard it was quite gangster.

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?80212-Rise-of-The-Footsoldier&goto=newpost

Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo 

Quebec commission declines to hear Alessio Sakara's UFC 154 appeal request

Patrick Cote's controversial UFC 154 disqualification victory over Alessio Sakara will stand.

On Friday, Quebec's La Regie des alcools des courses et des jeux (the baord that governs combat sports in the province) declined to hear Sakara's protest that referee Dan Miragliotta mishandled the bout, which took place Nov. 17 at Montreal's Bell Centre.

French-language outlet LaPress.ca was the first to report the board's decision.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/-KmHRagkJ2g/quebec-commission-declines-to-hear-alessio-sakaras-ufc-154-appeal-request.mma

Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus  Todd Duffee  Marvin Eastman  Stav Crazy Bear Economou 

BELLATOR 91 LIVE RESULTS: Hansen's round by round report for "M'Pumbu vs. Veigh" event on Spike

Bellator_91_poster.jpg


By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Columnist


BELLATOR 91
FEBRUARY 28, 2013
LIVE FROM RIO RANCHO, NEW MEXICO



FIGHT ONE: DAVID RICKELS VS. JASON FISCHER (LIGHTWEIGHT SEMIFINALS

- Rickels defeated Fischer on November 30 2012 at Bellator 82. Rickels handed /Fischer his only professional defeat.

ROUND ONE: Jason Herzog is the third man in the cage. Although David Rickels is so manly you could say he's the fourth man in the cage. Not saying you should, just that you could. Rickels comes out with the kicks, Fischer is trying to establish the jab. Rickels lands a nice right hand off of a partially blocked head kick. Fisched is having some success with his jab, and is using it to set up an uppercut. Rickels eats a big right hook to the jaw. He felt that one. Fischer presses forward and puts Rickels on the cage, but Rickels uses his size to turn and disengage. Fischer is getting to the clinch well enough, but not trying to get takedowns. Big uppercut by Rickels. Fischer clinches and puts Rickels on the fence. Rickels turns and releases. 10-9 Rickels

ROUND TWO: Rickels puts Fischer on the cage. Fischer turns. Rickels reverses. Rickels lands a knee, turns, and Fischer hits a walkoff right hand before getting back to the middle. Rickels ducks under a punch and shoots a double leg takedown. Fischer has rubber guard. Rickels is keeping his body tight against Fischer. Fischer is being smooshed, but is looking for a triangle armbar nonetheless. Rickels got out. No damage. Rickels working the ribs from inside closed guard. Rickels passes to half now, and continues on the ribs. Rickels tries to get mount, but a nice sweep from Fischer who winds up on top. Rickels with open hand slaps from the bottom to the ears of Fischer. Rickels' guard is wide open. Fischer is utterly incapable of doing any damage. Rickels gets up, and we're back to standing. Rickels steps in with a right and a left. The building is so quiet you can hear individual conversations. From five miles away. Fischer working a single against the cage s the round ends. Bad round, to the surprise of not me. 20-18 Rickels

ROUND THREE: Rickels lands an outside leg kick, and there seemed to be a clash of heads. Rickels is bleeding like crazy from over his left eye. The commentators missed the headache. Scramble against the cage. Rickels is landing big left hands, and just shoves Fischer onto his back. Closed guard up against the fence. Rickels gets on top, looking for a kimura. He steps overs Fischer to north south, and loses the kimura. Rickels on top, in rubber guard. Closed guard now. Big hammerfists from the top by Rickels. Rickels working for mount. He's got it. He's looking for an arm triangle, but that stoopid old cage got in the way. Fischer is trying to keep Rickels chest to chest. He held on for a while, but Rickels got free and is landing big lefts. Fischer gives up his back with 1:15 left. Rickels goes for the rear naked choke, but he isn' across the jaw and quickly gave it up. Big right hands to Fischer's face. Fischer gives up his back again and Rickels continues to pound away. Rickels dives for an armbar. Fischer is doing everything he can to roll out. Rickels loses it with 5 seconds away. 10-8, 30-26 Rickels

WINNER: David Rickels by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

STAR RATING: (**-) I've already forgotten 98 percent... Wait, make it 100% of that fight. One thing, it is absolutely idiotic to score that fight 29-28. Jason Fischer didn't win one second of that fight. Well, he might've, but I already forgot that fight.


FIGHT TWO: WILL BROOKS VS. SAAD AWAD (LIGHTWEIGHT SEMIFINALS

ROUND ONE: Jason Herzog is pulling double duty. Both fighters trade leg kicks early. Brooks gets stuffed on a takedown. Awad clinches, and lands a could huge punches to the jaw of Brooks. Brooks is hurt. Awad is charging, landing a dozen huge hammer fists to the back of the head ear of Brooks. Brooks is holding on to Awad's leg. Brooks gets back to shaky legs and eats a left hook to the ear that crashes him down. Awad is unloading, and Jason Herzog has seen enough. It's over.

WINNER: Saad Awad by KO at 0:43 of round one

STAR RATING: (**+) It's a damn shame Jason Herzog, Sean Wheelock, and Jimmy Smith don't know what the hell the back of the head is. Brooks ate fifteen shots to the back of the head while turtled, but whatever. The only rules that matter involve weed, anyhow.


FIGHT THREE: CHRISTIAN M'PUMBU VS. ATTILA VEGH (FOR BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

ROUND ONE: Jason Herzog is the referee yet again.Lots of respect early. Read that to mean a full minute of feinting, and the New Mexico crowd is already booing. Maybe that has to do with the full 45 minutes between the Rickels "fight" and this fight. 90 seconds in Vegh drops M'Pumbu with a straight right. Vegh dives on top of him by M'Pumbu somehow reverses and gets top position. Vegh with Dusty elbows from the bottom. M'Pumbu is starting to get his senses back, and he's got Vegh shoved up against the fence. Vegh uses the cage to get to his feet, but he's got to be careful with his neck as M'Pumbu has a front face lock that could turn into a guillotine. M'Pumbu disengages with 1:45 left. Back to the middle of the cage. Back to the circling and feinting. And booing. Vegh ties up M'Pumbu after he missed on a big right hand, and wind up tripping M'Pumbu. Vegh on top as the round ends. 10-9 Vegh

ROUND TWO: Vegh steps in behind a leg kick and starts winging haymakers four inches away from the face of a recklessly retreating M'Pumbu. In case I sound disdainful; I am. M'Pumbu is feinting so often I think he thinks he's Rashad Evans against Nogueira. I avoided the displeasure of writing up Machida vs. Henderson and Evans Nogueira. This is my penance. Vegh is landing a shot here and there before M'Pumbu gets on his bike. Vegh gets on top of M'Pumbu and continues to do absolutely nothing. M'Pumbu with good wrist control. Vegh is rolling for a kneebar, but yeah, sure. M'Pumbu is staying composed and stands up. Nice left hand from M'Pumbu. M'Pumbu dives down, his leg out of trouble. Full mount now, that was too easy. Vegh rolls and gives his back. M'Pumbu won't get the rear naked choke in. I'm not a lucky guy. 10-9 M'Pumbu. 19-19

ROUND THREE: Vegh is being the aggressor, coming forward. M'Pumbu flicks jab feint after jab feint. Vegh drops M'Pumbu with a short uppercut. Vegh on top. M'Pumbu makes sure to keep the action to a minimum, chest to chest. Vegh briefly had his left arm caught in a triangle armbar, but he powered out of it. Vegh would be wise to get out of here and get back to standing. Vegh lands a short elbow. Vegh is on top in a modified north south. M'Pumbu spins, and it's, well, who cares, it's really bad. I totally forgot about Hale - Volkov until Twitter reminded me about it. I think it's that bad. Vegh explodes and gets mount. Vegh does nothing, and gets told by Jason Herzog to start working. Not ot KEEP working, but to START working. Vegh with left elbows, and M'Pumbu is cut open. It's a bad cut, but not in a bad spot. 29-28 Vegh

ROUND FOUR: This is going to be a short paragraph. 50 seconds in and Vegh gets a takedown. It looked more like Vegh charged in and M'Pumbu fell on his ass before his feet would move.

BREAKING NEWS: DANA WHITE JUST CUT ATTILA VEGH AND CHRISTIAN M'PUMBU

Wow. That's huge news, man. Dana signed these guys during the middle of a Bellator fight, just to cut them on principle. And neither of them are on weed. Oh, back to standing or something. Vegh with a big-gish right hand. Vegh with another big right, and a knee. Vegh lands a left, multiple rights, and a knee. M'Pumbu dives forward with a double on the fence, in a desperate attempt to stay inside of Vegh's range. After 90 seconds of sleep apnea curing death, Herzog separated them. 30 seconds left. M'Pumbu with the weakest shot of all time and gets stuffed, predictably. 10-9 Vegh, 29-27

ROUND FIVE: Touch of gloves to begin the round, and the crowd boos immediately. M'Pumbu needs a finish. As does this fight. M'Pumbu. Punch, feint, kick, circle, feint, feint, pawing, flick weak jab, weak shot stuffed, clinch, false sense of desperation, boooooo. 10-9 Vegh

WINNER: Attila Vegh by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 50-45)

STAR RATING: You're kidding, right? (0*) The two worst fights of the last 3 months were the Bellator Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight championship fights. Bellator should cut every fighter on their roster in these two divisions.




Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Bellator_Events/article_16093.shtml

Rob Broughton  Mike Brown  Junie Browning Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman 

UFC 160: Gunnar Nelson vs. Mike Pyle Set For May

http://mmafrenzy.com/33041/ufc-160-g...e-set-for-may/

UFC 160 continues to get a bit more crowded each day it seems. A welterweight scrap between Mike Pyle and Gunnar Nelson has been added to the annual Memorial Day Weekend fight card. MMAJunkie first reported the pairing.

Mike Pyle has won three-straight fights since losing to Rory MacDonald at UFC 133. The 37-year-old will provide a stern test for Gunnar Nelson. The Icelandic fighter has yet to taste defeat in his young career and his won his first two bouts in the UFC.

UFC 160 takes place May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight card will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. A bout between Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos will co-headline the Memorial Day weekend card.

Fight Card:

UFC Heavyweight Title Fight: Cain Velasquez (c) vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva
Alistair Overeem vs. Junior dos Santos
Glover Teixeira vs. Ryan Bader
Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons
Gray Maynard vs. T.J. Grant
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo
Jeremy Stephens vs. Estevan Payan
Gunnar Nelson vs. Mike Pyle

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?80207-UFC-160-Gunnar-Nelson-vs-Mike-Pyle-Set-For-May&goto=newpost

Jason Grace Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie Ralek Gracie Renzo Gracie

UFC on FUEL TV 8 Post-Fight Presser and Bonus Recap

Four fighters attended the UFC on FUEL TV 8 post-fight press conference - Wanderlei Silva, Mark Hunt, Yushin Okami, and Takeya Mizugaki.

Silva and Hunt both earned Knockout of the Night bonuses for their stoppages of Brian Stann and Stefan Struve, respectively. Silva and Stann engaged in an all-out brawl that also earned Fight of the Night. After a more conservative start to the second frame, Silva unleashed a right cross-left hook combo that starched Stann. "The Axe Murderer" followed up with a few ground strikes before the referee stepped in to end the bout.

Hunt and Struve also put on an entertaining fight, with the momentum shifting several times. Late in the third round, Hunt tagged Struve with a hook that sent the giant Dutchman crashing to the mat, his jaw apparently broken. Hunt turned and walked off without throwing any additional punches.

With no submission victories at UFC on FUEL TV 8, no Submission of the Night bonus was awarded.

Each bonused fighter received $50,000 for their efforts. Wanderlei Silva received a total of $100,000 for earning both Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night.

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/fuel8-post-pc-recap

Josh Hendricks Ed Herman Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Tank Abbott

Potential TNA No Surrender PPV **SPOILERS**

The lineups for TNA house shows seem to reveal two title changes that may go down at No Surrender.

The lineup for the company’s September 23rd show in Springfield, Illinois lists Austin Aries as the X-Division champion and Winter as the Knockouts champion, leading to believe that they will get the belts tonight or at one of the next two Impacts.

Wrestling News

Source: http://www.ifight365.com/2011/09/potential-tna-no-surrender-ppv-spoilers/

Phil Baroni Don Barr Pat Barry  Vitor Belfort  Robert Berry

Bellator featherweight Daniel Straus arrested for drug, traffic violations in Florida

Bellator_MMA_logo_33.jpg


By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Bellator featherweight contender Daniel Straus was arrested on Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on four traffic and drug charges, according to a report from MMAJunkie.com.

The 28-year-old featherweight - who was scheduled to fight Pat Curran on April 4 at Bellator 95 until a broken hand forced him out of the fight - was charged with driving on a suspended license, possession of cannabis of more than 20 grams, possession of MDMA/ecstasy, and use or possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the report.

Straus had been in Florida training with Coconut Creek's American Top Team, and he is currently being held in the North Broward Bureau detention facility in Pompano Beach. He's being held on $2,200 bond for the four charges.

Penick's Analysis: This is disappointing, of course, but as we're seeing more and more often, marijuana use among fighters is far from an uncommon thing. Now, the MDMA in his possession is a different story, and driving around on a suspended license isn't a good idea either, and the charges definitely have Straus in some trouble right now. This is the type of thing which could affect his employment with Bellator, though that remains to be seen.

(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)

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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Bellator/article_16106.shtml

Jason Grace Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie Ralek Gracie Renzo Gracie

Sunday, March 3, 2013

UFC ON FUEL 8 CONTESTS: Prediction and Betting Games Results

UFC_on_Fuel_8_poster_7.jpg


By: Dan Moore, MMA Torch UK Contributor

If you're watching a UFC on FUEL event, expect plenty of decisions. We've had a combined 23 fights on 2 FUEL cards (London and Tokyo) so far this year. Of those 23 fights, 17 of them relied on the (terrible) judges to provide us with a winner. Luckily the co-main and main event in Japan didn't need the judges, unfortunately for most of us both fights provided an upset. Let's take a look at how we all did:

CONFIDENCE GAME FIGHT PREDICTIONS

63 people submitted entries for this card. Here’s a combined breakdown of how many confidence points you placed on each fighter (Winner in bold):

Wanderlei Silva - 24
Brian Stann - 545

Mark Hunt - 54
Stefan Struve - 433 

Diego Sanchez - 445
Takanori Gomi - 59

Yushin Okami - 91
Hector Lombard - 354

Rani Yahya - 218
Mizuto Hirota - 70

Dong Hyun Kim - 252
Siyar Bahadurzada - 172

Brad Tavares - 254
Riki Fukuda - 67 

Takeya Mizugaki - 188
Bryan Caraway - 121

Kazuki Tokudome - 94
Cristiano Marcello - 145

Alex Caceres - 181
Kyung Ho Kang - 64

Hyun Gyu Lim - 292
Marcelo Guimaraes - 35 

CONFIDENCE GAME RESULTS

Nick Williams (31 points)
 beat Clinton Tillett (23 points) to retain his title as MMA Torch Confidence Picks Champion. A first title defense for the champion but it wasn't exactly memorable. Nick dropped big points on Stann, Struve, Lombard, Marcello and Hirota for his 31 point haul. Clinton couldn't capitalize and only correctly predicted 4 of the 11 fights. He heads back to the pool for UFC 158 in 2 weeks time.

Next up for the reigning champion is Lee Hopwood who finished with an impressive 54 points. Lee won this one at a canter and only dropped points on Marcello, Hirota and Struve. After an embarrassing loss last weekend, Chris Houten is right back on form, but sadly for him it wasn't quite enough to out score Lee.

Here are the results of the Confidence Picks pool:

54 - Lee Hopwood
49 - Chris Houten
46 - Anthony Sinnott
45 - Harry "Super" Cooper
45 - Richard Race
45 - Chris McCann
44 - Kevin Seng
44 - Erwin "Skarz" Bouwman
43 - Cambo "Rambo" Nelson
41 - Mandeep Singh
41 - Rob Reid
41 - Carll Light
40 - Steve Goobie
39 - Sam Martin
39 - Chris Parkes
39 - Shaun Louis
39 - Adam "The Sandman" Lindley
38 - Scott Pipher
38 - Alex Potapoff
37 - James Brown
37 - Adam Tranter
37 - Brent King
37 - Chris Wallner
36 - Charles Mickael
36 - Nick Mizesko
35 - Matt "No Nickname" Page
35 - Jimbo Slice
35 - Michael Douglas
35 - Paul "Bad Boy" Beedham
35 - David Moxon
35 - Mark Bunce
34 - Gareth Moores
32 - Rick Thayer
32 - Dan Moore
32 - David Clatterbuck
32 - Casey Carmody
31 - "The American Dream" Mark Sacchetti
31 - Hunter Long
30 - JayMon1002
30 - Seth Gipson
30 - Avery "Averydamus" Clarke
30 - Ben Heather
29 - Wallace Stone
28 - Dennis Fagan
28 - Julie Dunn
28 - Bill Gallagher
27 - Paul Connellan
27 - Joel "Chico Guapo" Wielenga
26 - Jack Broadey
25 - Ed Gibbons
25 - Joe "The Prophet" Williams
25 - David Lindahn
25 - Sean Simpson
24 - James "The English Phenom" Cater
23 - Tommy Strong
23 - Brandon Ashcraft
22 - Ben Studer
21 - John Theis
20 - Eugene Kim
16 - Daryl Chumbley
13 - Jason McKee


Note: Should either the champion, or challenger fail to submit their picks for UFC 158 (St-Pierre vs. Diaz), Chris Houten will step up as a challenger, and so on. Everyone else will be fighting for the No 1 contender slot on the night, and the right to face off against Nick, or Lee at UFC on FUEL 9 (Gustafsson vs. Mousasi) next month.

BETTING GAME RESULTS

This contest sucked and even horrible judges couldn't separate this awfulness. Simply by default Shaun Louis retains his title as MMA Torch Betting Champion and Clinton is banished back to the pool with his head held in shame! I did seriously consider ditching both guys, but seeing as there is no precedence, Shaun keeps hold of his title and moves on to UFC 158. If this happens again and both champion and challenger lay horrible stinking goose eggs. Both will get ditched and 1st and 2nd in the pool will battle it out to be the new champ.

Shaun Louis: $0

Clinton Tillett: $0


Next up for the champion is longtime player Jimbo Slice who hit on some very impressive bets to bring home $2998.62. Not many parlay bets came through this weekend but Jimbo's did and with Mark Hunt as one of his picks, it paid off handsomely. Honorable mention to Brent King who finished a very close second with an impressive return of $2712.50. Jimbo must be salivating at the thought of taking on a champion whose form has just hit rock bottom.

Here (in no particular order) are the results of the Betting Picks pool:

Jimbo Slice: $2998.62

$200 on Caceres for $366.67

$200 on Hunt for $510

$200 on Yahya for $373.91

$200 parlay on Caceres, Yahya and Hunt for $1748.04

Brent King: $2712.50

$250 on Okami for $687.50

$500 on Hunt for $1275

$250 on Silva for $750

Dan Moore: $1842.39

$250 on Yahya for $467.39

$500 on Okami for $1375

Matt "No Nickname" Page: $1200.00

$400 on Silva for $1200

Richard Race: $1375.00

$500 on Okami for $1375

Sam Martin: $1475.00

$150 on Sanchez for $200

$500 on Hunt for $1275

Steve Goobie: $1191.67

$200 on Caceres for $366.67

$300 on Okami for $825

Eugene Kim: $1466.67

$50 on Caceres for $91.67

$500 on Okami for $1375

Dennis Fagan: $522.22

$300 on Tavares for $522.22

David Moxon: $600.00

$200 on Silva for $600

Adam "The Sandman" Lindley: $1214.17

$50 on Sanchez for $66.67

$450 on Hunt for $1147.50

"The American Dream" Mark Sacchetti: $1441.67

$500 on Caceres for $916.67

$250 on Tokudome for $525

Brandon Ashcraft: $805.00

$200 on Okami for $550

$100 on Hunt for $255

James Brown: $2312.61

$300 on Yahya for $560.87

$500 on Hunt for $1275

$100 parlay on Yahya and Hunt for $476.74

Nick Williams: $522.22

$300 on Tavares for $522.22

Kevin Seng: $2232.56

$400 on Caceres for $733.33

$250 on Tavares for $435.19

$250 on Yahya for $467.39

$100 parlay on Caceres, Tavares and Yahya for $596.65

Erwin "Skarz" Bouwman: $1549.07

$100 on Taveres for $174.07

$500 on Okami for $1375

Mandeep Singh: $900.00

$300 on Silva for $900

JayMon1002: $800.00

$270 on Tavares for $470

$230 on Dong Hyun-Kim for $330

Avery "Averydamus" Clarke: $1375.00

$500 on Okami for $1375

David Lindahn: $210.00

$100 on Tokudome for $210

Ben Heather: $1014.82

$200 on Caceres for $366.67

$200 on Tavares for $348.15

$100 on Silva for $300

Jason McKee: $561.96

$200 on Dong Hyun-Kim for $286.96

$100 on Okami for $275

Mark Bunce: $600.00

$200 on Silva for $600

Joe "The Prophet" Williams: $510.00

$200 on Hunt for $510

Jack Broadey: $793.91

$200 on Tokudome for $420

$200 on Yahya for $373.91

Carll Light: $1558.33

$100 on Caceres for $183.33

$500 on Okami for $1375

Gareth Moores: $1185.11

$200 on Tavares for $348.15

$200 on Dong Hyun-Kim for $286.96

$200 on Okami for $550

Ed Gibbons: $560.87

$300 on Yahya for $560.87

Rob Reid: $1000.00

$100 on Caceres for $183.33

$200 on Okami for $550

$200 on Sanchez for $266.67

Daryl Chumbley: $430.43

$300 on Dong Hyun-Kim for $430.43

Tommy Strong: $1335.00

$300 on Okami for $825

$200 on Hunt for $510

James "The English Phenom" Cater: $210.00

$100 on Tokudome for $210

Chris McCann: $1520.00

$200 on Tokudome for $420

$400 on Okami for $1100

Charles Mickael: $550.00

$300 on Caceres for $550

Chris Houten: $1173.15

$200 on Tavares for $348.15

$300 on Okami for $825

Cambo "Rambo" Nelson: $550.00

$200 on Okami for $550

Paul Connellan: $1060.00

$200 on Okami for $550

$200 on Hunt for $510

Michael Douglas: $560.87

$300 on Yahya for $560.87

Anthony Sinnott: $1310.00

$100 on Tokudome for $210

$400 on Okami for $1100

Harry "Super" Cooper: $1561.96

$100 on Yahya for $186.96

$500 on Okami for $1375

Nick Mizesko: $373.91

$200 on Yahya for $373.91

Joel "Chico Guapo" Wielenga: $137.50

$50 on Okami for $137.50

John Theis: $373.91

$200 on Yahya for $373.91

Alex Potapoff: $127.50

$50 on Hunt for $127.50

Chris Parkes: $689.12

$300 on Hyun Gyu-Lim for $385.71

$300 on Mizugaki for $422.45

$200 on Sanchez for $266.67

Hunter Long: $1072.69

$250 on Tavares for $435.19

$250 on Hunt for $637.50

Chris Wallner: $1602.22

$300 on Tavares for $522.22

$300 on Okami for $825

$100 on Hunt for $255

David Clatterbuck: $412.50

$150 on Okami for $412.50

Casey Carmody: $287.50

$50 on Okami for $137.50

$50 on Silva for $150

Bill Gallagher: $1590.00

$150 on Tokudome for $315

$500 on Hunt for $1275

Paul "Bad Boy" Beedham: $373.91

$200 on Yahya for $373.91

Lee Hopwood: $1390.47

$200 on Hyun Gyu-Lim for $257.14

$400 on Sanchez for $533.33

$200 on Silva for $600

Adam Tranter: $1060.00

$200 on Okami for $550

$200 on Hunt for $510

Seth Gipson: $720.29

$100 on Yahya for $186.96

$400 on Sanchez for $533.33

Ben Studer: $183.33

$100 on Caceres for $183.33

Scott Pipher: $0
Rick Thayer: $0
Sean Simpson: $0


Note: Should either champion, or challenger fail to submit picks for UFC 158 (St-Pierre vs. Diaz), Brent King would step up as a challenger, and so on. Everyone else will be fighting for the No 1 contender slot on the night, and the right to face off against Shaun or Jimbo at UFC on FUEL 8 (Gustafsson vs. Mousasi) next month.

RECAP

MMA Torch Confidence Picks Championship Match Up (UFC 158)


Nick Williams (Champion) vs. Lee Hopwood (Challenger)

MMA Torch Betting Picks Championship Match Up (UFC 158)

Shaun Louis (Champion) vs. Jimbo Slice (Challenger)


Performer of the Night: Two stand out performers this weekend. In equal share the prestigious winners of this award are Jimbo Slice and Lee Hopwood. Congrats.

Goat of the Night: This is going to both Shaun Louis and Clinton Tillett for dropping bombs in their betting title match up. You guys are supposed to be the elite!


We're back for UFC 158 (St-Pierre vs. Diaz) next week. I'll post links on my Twitter account when the contests go live.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, @MMATorchDan



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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/prediction_and_betting_contests/article_16119.shtml

Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo  Luciano Azevedo  Ba Te er 

Bryan Caraway's Long-Awaited Encore

UFC bantamweight Bryan CarawayIf you’re using a music comparison to describe Bryan Caraway’s 2012 campaign in the Octagon, it’s like Led Zeppelin played a show and didn’t come back for an encore of Stairway to Heaven. That’s how high people were on the former Ultimate Fighter competitor’s come from behind win over Mitch Gagnon at UFC 149 last July.

Containing all the drama you want from a bout that ends up taking home Fight of the Night honors, Caraway shook off some rough moments early on to submit the tough Canadian in the third and final round and wrap up his second UFC victory and first at 135 pounds.

But then, nothing. No encore, no chance to build on the momentum of his biggest pro win, as he was forced to the sidelines due to injury.

“I’m used to wrestling and competing growing up and we’d wrestle two, three times a week – we’d have a dual on Tuesday, a dual on Thursday, and then we’d wrestle three, four, five times on Saturday,” said the former Central Washington University wrestler. “Even in wrestling it would take a few matches into the season to start getting momentum, so that’s definitely a challenge in MMA, not being able to fight soon, and it seems like almost every fight you’ve got a little of the Octagon jitters or a little rust. So it’s tough.”

That’s the bad part of the whole scenario. The good part is that Caraway is back in action this Saturday against Takeya Mizugaki, and that he’s coming into the bout off a win that did lift his profile considerably in a talent-rich bantamweight division. That aspect was a long time coming for the 28-year-old from Goldendale, Washington, who has been competing in MMA since 2004.

“I’ve been fighting almost ten years, I definitely feel like I’m a pioneer of the sport in the smaller weight classes, and it feels good to start getting more credit and have people recognize me for my talents and my name. It took a lot of hard work.”

That work is far from over. In fact, with a new year underway, it’s just beginning, especially when facing an opponent like Mizugaki, one who has only been finished once in the last three years (by Urijah Faber in 2010). Yet at the same time, the Japanese fighter is erratic, with his last 11 fights following a loss-win-loss-win pattern that would presumably make him hard to get a read on.

“I don’t think it matters necessarily what guy shows up, because I think every Mizugaki shows up tough as nails,” said Caraway. “I think it just happens to come down to certain weaknesses or certain matchups. I believe that matchups are huge in MMA and they make fights. It’s not always the best guy that’s necessarily the champion or the best guy that wins the fight – it can just be the style matchup.”

But Caraway believes he has the style to trouble Mizugaki, and perhaps add him to his lengthy list of submission victims. Eight of Caraway’s last nine wins have come by some form of choke, but this potent finisher knows that he could be in trouble if he pushes the envelope too hard against a rugged competitor like Mizugaki.

“I think that’s what makes him the most dangerous,” he said. “He never goes away and I’m a finisher, so I just have to not be overzealous in trying to finish him. I’ve got to stay calm and I know that if I go in there and get so close to finishing and try so hard that I can end up gassing myself out. So I have to be smart, knowing that this could easily be a 15 minute war.”

It’s a veteran lesson that Caraway picked up a long time ago, yet his finishing rate hasn’t dipped at all. He owes that to experience and attitude.

“You have to not be afraid to go for the finish,” he said. “Instead of trying not to lose, you try to win. And that’s what I’m looking to do – I’m looking to pressure and not be too afraid to go for the finish. I’ve got to be aware of not blowing my lungs or my muscles out, but on the other hand, I’m gonna be pushing for that finish.”

If he gets it, that’s three straight in the Octagon, which isn’t an easy feat, especially at 135 pounds. But he’s not looking too far ahead at the moment, promising only that 2013 will provide more fights that will demand – and hopefully get – an encore.

“I don’t know what 2013 holds for me,” said Caraway. “The only thing I can guarantee is that I’m gonna go out there and fight 110%, I’m gonna put on a show, and I’m showing up to win. That’s all I can guarantee. I know I’m no pushover, I know I have a good chin and a lot of heart, and you will see that every time – someone who wants to win.”




Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Bryan-Caraway-Long-Awaited-Encore

Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan Marcelo Brito  Rob Broughton 

UFC on FUEL TV 8 Fantasy Preview

UFC welterweight Dong Hyun KimThere's no rest for the weary in the fight game, so just a week after UFC 157 last Saturday, the UFC returns to the Land of the Rising Sun with UFC on FUEL TV 8 from Japan.

There are more than a few tight matchups on this card so picking the exact round or method of victory will be ultra important for this show, not to mention four different fighters making their UFC debuts.

Let's take a look at a few of the key fights that could mean the difference between victory and defeat in the latest UFC Pick Em' game for UFC on FUEL TV 8:

1) If you love knockouts, the main event is tailor made for that finish. Both Brian Stann and Wanderlei Silva are artisans of the knockout, with Silva having the most combined KOs and TKOs in UFC / PRIDE history (18), while Stann has finished 10 opponents, with eight of those wins coming by first round KO or TKO. Both of these fighters are finishers, so it's not likely this one will see the later rounds, but Silva has gone the distance with competitors like Rich Franklin over the last couple of years, so anything is possible. It's been nearly five years since Stann lost by knockout, but Silva has suffered four KOs or TKOs in his last seven defeats. When big punchers come to fight anything can happen, and Stann and Silva certainly define those roles. This one may come down to who can land the best one shot of the fight, and who has the better chin. The numbers side slightly with Stann judging by recent fights, but never count out the heart and determination of Wanderlei Silva.

2) Diego Sanchez returns to the lightweight division for the first time since 2009 when he takes on former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi. Sanchez is a machine when it comes to conditioning and his ability to push forward during a fight. Sanchez has the third most takedown attempts in UFC history and the numbers show when he stays busier than his opponents in landing total strikes he's always victorious. Stylistically, Sanchez is favored in this fight because his wrestling and grappling style could give Gomi fits. Add to that the fact that Sanchez has never been finished in his entire career, and it starts to show that he's got a great shot of avoiding Gomi's heavy hands and pulling out a decision or potential submission win.

3) The fight between Dong Hyun Kim and Siyar Bahadurzada is one of the most interesting stylistic matchups on the card. Kim, who has traditionally been a grappler in the past, has worked tirelessly to improve his striking, showing that in his fights against Paulo Thiago and Sean Pierson. His bread and butter however is the ground game, where he's overwhelmed opponents like Nate Diaz, Amir Sadollah and TJ Grant. Bahadurzada is a vicious, powerful striker who only has one fight in the UFC but a resume that is a highlight reel of finishes. When picking this fight choose wisely because it's likely either Kim will grind out a decision by putting Bahadurzada on his back, or the Afghanistan native will land another nasty knockout to add to his record.

4) One underdog to keep an eye on for this fight card is bantamweight Bryan Caraway. The former WEC fighter and Ultimate Fighter hopeful makes his second trip to 135 pounds, but he has a very tough test in front of him in former WEC title contender Takeya Mizugaki. Make no mistake, Mizugaki has faced the best of the best at 135 pounds and he's hung tough with all of them. Still, Caraway's wrestling and tenacity could give Mizugaki problems in the clinch as he stays away from the Japan native's knockout power. For an underdog pick, Caraway is solid in this slot.

5) Alex Caceres is another interesting fighter to watch on the UFC on FUEL 8 prelims. Taking on newcomer Kyung Ho Kang, Caceres faces a more experienced fighter in every way except where this one counts – in the UFC. Caceres has looked very solid at bantamweight thus far, and as he continues to develop he's an interesting star on the rise. Kang is no pushover, but in his UFC debut he faces a confident fighter who has won three out of his last four fights with the defeat coming by way of a controversial split decision.

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/UFC-on-FUEL-TV-8-Fantasy-Preview

Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai  Mac Danzig  Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik