UFC adds Sarah Kaufman, Julie Kedzie, Amanda Nunes, and Germaine de Randamie to women's roster

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC recently added four more fighters to their women's bantamweight division, as UFC President Dana White revealed on Friday that their current roster is now up to ten.

Alongside Champ Ronda Rousey, and the challenger she dispatched at UFC 157 on Saturday night Liz Carmouche, the women's division was bolstered recently with the addition of Miesha Tate, Cat Zingano, Alexis Davis, and Sara McMann. Now, four more are officially under contract.

White revealed to Fox Sports' AJ Perez that Sarah Kaufman, Julie Kedzie, Amanda Nunes, and Germaine de Randamie are now all under contract with the UFC.

Kaufman, the former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion, will fight for Invicta FC in April against Leslie Smith in an attempt to bounce back from her loss to Rousey last summer. She'll then make her UFC debut sometime later this year.

Kedzie enters the UFC on a two fight losing streak in Strikeforce, but she was in an exciting fight with Miesha Tate in her last bout in August of 2012.

Nunes is 2-2 in her last four fights, alternating wins and losses in both Strikeforce and Invicta. In her most recent bout, she dropped a decision to Sarah D'Alelio at Invicta FC 4 in January.

Finally, de Randamie will enter the UFC with the least MMA experience amongst those coming to the UFC. However, the former kickboxer has plenty of fight experience, having entered MMA with an undefeated 37-0 kickboxing record. She's won three of her five MMA fights, including a win over Hiroko Yamanaka in her last bout in August of 2012.

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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_16051.shtml

Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar

An @anthonynjoku reenactment of @urijahfaber ‘s sub win on sat night!

From My Inst@gram:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TracyLee/~3/oZmalDrnd9s/an-anthonynjoku-reenactment-of-urijahfaber-s-sub-win-on-sat-night.html

Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett  Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell  Gesias JZ Calvancante 

Tyrone Spong vs. Remy Bonjasky GLORY kickboxing fight moved to March

Less than a week after the fight announcement, Tyrone Spong's next kickboxing outing has been changed.

In a bout originally set for Feb. 16 in London at GLORY 5, Spong now will meet Remy Bonjasky on March 23 in London.

GLORY officials recently announced the date change, saying the delay will give Bonjasky a chance for a full fight camp.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/_MYmxHXeIps/tyrone-spong-vs-remy-bonjasky-glory-kickboxing-fight-moved-to-march.mma

Ralek Gracie Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie

10 Unforgettable UFC Armbars

On February 23rd at UFC 157, the best arm-collector in the biz, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, will look to add another extremity to trophy case. The undefeated UFC women’s bantamweight champion has earned all of her wins by first-round armbar. In honor of the "Queen of Armbars” making her UFC debut, here is a list of the top limb-twisting armbars ever in the Octagon.

10. Nate Diaz on Takanori Gomi at UFC 135 watch fight free
In his return to the lightweight division, Nate Diaz severely outclassed former PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi in a flawless first-round, Submission of the Night victory. The younger “Stockton Slapper” went to work on the feet overwhelming the “Fireball Kid” until Gomi dropped, then pounced with a triangle attempt that turned smoothly into an armbar for a picture-perfect ending. It marked not only Diaz’s first armbar win in MMA, but Gomi’s first loss via the sub.

9. Joe Lauzon on Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 17 watch fight*
Naturally, the UFC’s resident King of Fight Night bonuses has earned two SOTN awards via armbar. Amidst a ferocious battle with his heavy-handed opponent, Stephens found himself a touch overconfident while ground and pounding. With “J-Lau” seeing blood (his own), Lauzon swept and armbarred Stephens, then readjusted to get “Lil’ Heathen” to tap twice.

8. Diego Brandao on Dennis Bermudez at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale watch fight free
The gentle art is plenty brutal when Diego Brandao is doing it. In an absolutely wild round one between Brandao and Bermudez, both exchanged white-knuckled, vein-popping, fight-ending haymakers and takedown slams. With only seconds remaining, Brandao exploded with an armbar attempt that flipped Bermudez from top position to on his back and tapping. That powerful armbar won Brandao a SOTN bonus, another for FOTN and the TUF 14 featherweight tournament.

7. Frank Mir on Tim Sylvia at UFC 48 watch submission free
Without a doubt, Frank Mir is the best submission threat the UFC’s heavyweight division has ever known. The former UFC heavyweight champion won his first three fights in the Octagon by submission, but it was his fourth that will forever be replayed in highlight reels: Only 50 seconds into the opening round of Mir’s title fight against Tim Sylvia, Mir positioned for an armbar attempt. Sylvia tried to pull his arm out, which resulted in Mir breaking Sylvia’s radius bone right below the elbow. The move scored Mir his first gold belt from the UFC and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from famed coach Ricardo Pires.

6. Stefan Struve on Pat Barry at UFC Live watch submission free
Yes, a 7’ tall MMA fighter has an insane height and reach advantage in the standup, but that frame extraordinaire is a big help on the ground as well. The Dutch “Skyscraper” Stefan Struve has certainly proved as much with four submission victories including a slick, SOTN armbar over knockout artist Pat Barry. Struve’s long legs snatched up the striker's upper body like a Venus Flytrap and -- though Barry tried in vain to slam his way out of danger -- quickly maneuvered him for the sub win.

5. Matt Hughes on Georges St-Pierre at UFC 50 watch submission free
If you want someone to pass you the torch in the UFC, sometimes you need to shake it out of their hand by attacking the arm; such was the case in the welterweight division between Matt Hughes and Georges St-Pierre. Hughes, the original dominant 170-pound king, showed GSP his place within the division’s ranks with a first-round armbar finish in their title fight in 2004. (Three years later, then-champ GSP returned the favor with an armbar win of his own over Hughes.)

4. Anderson Silva on Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 watch submission free
As if getting caught in a triangle choke wasn’t bad enough, some sadistic submission magicians simultaneously attack the prone appendage. Genki Sudo did it to Mike Brown, Paul Sass to Jacob Volkmann, but the best example of the move is Anderson Silva’s on Chael Sonnen. In the final minutes of the fifth frame of their UFC middleweight championship bout, which Sonnen was winning four rounds to none, Silva locked in the double-submission, retaining his belt. (Dustin Poirier did something similar in his win against Max Holloway, but went the extra mile by doing it from top position: After locking in triangle from the bottom, Poirier rolled over to a mounted triangle, then tugged on Holloway's trapped limb to get the tap.)

3. Chris Lytle on Matt Brown at UFC 116 watch fight*
If you thought an armbar was bad, now add the word “reverse." Self-proclaimed “just a boxer”, Chris Lytle was sneakily good on the ground, which was never more evident than in his sub win over Matt Brown. From side control, Lytle snuck his legs up his opponent's side, then quickly stepped over Brown's head with his near leg, then trapped Brown's arm by locking up a reverse triangle with his other leg. With that in place, Lytle attacked Brown's far arm. Like I said, sneaky good.

2. Dustin Hazelett on Josh Burkman at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale watch fight*
Armbars are like snowflakes, no two are the same -- especially if it's one by former UFC welterweight Dustin Hazelett. The Jorge Gurgel BJJ black belt scored the first of two back-to-back SOTN armbar finishes in 2008 over Josh Burkman. While holding onto Burkman’s arm during a scramble on the ground, Hazelett threw his leg over Burkman’s back into an unforgettable armbar.

1. Royce Gracie on Jason DeLucia at UFC 2 watch fight*
UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie won his first 11 UFC fights by submission, which crowned him the winner of 3 of the first 4 UFC tournaments. While Gracie steamrolled the competition at UFC 1 and initially blew everyone’s minds with the martial art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, it was at UFC 2 that its endless versatility was truly on display. At UFC 1, Gracie took everyone’s back and finished, but, at UFC 2, Gracie showed that no area of the body or appendage was safe from being submitted.

As the UFC has hosted well over a hundred events featuring thousands of fights, the very first armbar victory inside the Octagon is still as breathtaking as it was then. The image of the bigger DeLucia trying to escape by standing, and Gracie hanging upside down, latched to his opponent’s arm and wrenching it backwards, is forever etched in all fans’ memories. Since no one back then was expecting the move, the announcers didn’t know what they were seeing and referee “Big” John McCarthy was way out of position. With the top of his head brushing the canvas and his feet up in the air, Gracie redefined the very idea of an offensive position.

*Single fights on UFC.TV are available a la carte or unlimited with a subscription

Honorable mentions: Kazushi Sakuraba on Marcus Silveira , Dennis Hallman on Matt Hughes, Josh Barnett on Semmy Schilt , Lee Murray on Jorge Rivera, Ricardo Romero on Seth Petruzelli, Minotauro Nogueira on Dave Herman, Matt Wiman on Paul Sass

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/by-the-numbers-top-10-ufc-armbars

Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan Marcelo Brito 

Official War Ronda Thread

War Ronda

Best armbar in the bizness.

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?80176-Official-War-Ronda-Thread&goto=newpost

Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan

ROUNDTABLE: Does Lyoto Machida deserve a second shot at Jon Jones with UFC 157 split over Dan Henderson?

Does Lyoto Machida "deserve" a second shot at Jon Jones with that split decision win over Dan Henderson? If not, how would you book the next title fight and No. 1 contender fight?


RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Let's say the Twins make the wild card game of Major League Baseball (fat chance!) and face off against the Rangers. Let's say the Twins make four errors (more likely), give up four unearned runs (quite likely), make multiple baserunning mistakes (I can see that), and win 5-4 in the ugliest game of all-time. They still move on, no? Because, that's sorta kinda completely EXACTLY what Lyoto Machida did against Dan Henderson. Either you beat the #1 contender and you move on (like Machida did last weekend), or you lose to the #1 contender and you fall back, (like Henderson did last weekend).

See, if this is a sport (I wonder more and more with each passing day), then you only have one set of judges to convince. There aren't two judging panels; one to score winner and losers, one to score artistic content. If style points matter to you, maybe you should watch gymnastics and figure skating. You know, those non-sports that your girlfriend thinks are so cool every fourth year. Maybe that's more your speed.

Lyoto Machida BEAT DAN HENDERSON! Okay? How many freaking guys can say that? Machida avoided the right hand, was never in any trouble, and implemented his scientific and duller than shit gameplan perfectly. That is to be commended. The most important part of fighting is NOT GETTING HIT! How hard is that for the troglodytes to understand? Don't like it? Don't watch it.

It's really, really, REALLY damn hard to win a fight when you're unconscious. What should Machida have done? Taken 42 uninterrupted overhand rights from Henderson, and THEN decided to fight? Here's a newsflash, "LET ME BANG, BRO," doesn't f***ing work in MMA.

Either you win and move forward, or you lose and fall back.*

<1>*-The legal department wishes it to be said that this message was in no way sponsored by Bjorn Rebney, Viacom, or Jon Fitch.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I suppose he deserves it because who else is more deserving? This fight just proved, though, that he's going to lose to Jon Jones again. His win over Henderson looked like most of his other fights, he did nothing different. He looks like the exact same fighter that lost to Jones the first time. When it comes to rematches I always ask, "What's different this time?" The answer here is absolutely nothing. The result of their first fight was Machida getting choked out. What's different this time? Nothing. He might not get choked out this time, but he's going to get finished. I see no improvement in Machida, therefore I see no difference in the outcome.


BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Lyoto Machida doesn't deserve a single thing, because in any sane mans mind he lost that fight. In total strikes Dan Henderson outstruck Machida 54 to 28. Body strikes? 29 to 9 for Hendo. Legs? 16 to 1 also for Hendo. Sure, Machida landed more "significant" strikes by 7 but volume, cage control and effectiveness all should have been scored for Henderson. Not to mention the tie 1-1 on takedowns. I don't see any way to explain this as a win for Machida, it was very much Carlos Condit's style against Nick Diaz, pretend to engage and run away. Machida did nothing significant beyond his trip takedown as opposed to Henderson who chewed up Machida's front leg. It was a ghastly fight that bored the daylights out of me, and maybe the judges dozed off and circumstantially scored it for the guy who lost. I say we make a rematch happen, because outside of this Henderson has no path to a title shot before retirement and he really got screwed here by the judges.


TONY BECERRA, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I heard many complaints about how Lyoto Machida "Machidad" his way to another victory. The truth is he is not unbeatable (Rua/Jackson/Jones have proven it) and Dan Henderson did not come in with an effective game plan to win the fight. At some point in the fight your corner should be advising you to look for something other than the overhand right. Dana White said Lyoto is now the number 1 contender, and I believe he is... until he's not. I wouldn't be surprised to see White make another fight for Machida depending on the outcome of the Jones-Sonnen fight. I think a more interesting title fight would be Jones vs Cormier assuming they both come out victorious in their next fights and Cormier drops down to 205. As for Lyoto, I can see a number 1 contender's bout versus Alexander Gustafsson.


MIKE BACIOR, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I'm just so disillusioned with UFC title contention. Whoever the UFC brass feels like should get a title shot will get one next, regardless of anything Dana White says now. It's all ridiculous. For MMA to be a legitimate sport there needs to be some sort of organized formula for determining title contention, even if it leads to people receiving multiple shots.


ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Any time I think of deserving fighters who should have been given title shots, I think back to how many times fighters like John Fitch were passed over. Now, because he spoke the truth regarding his feelings about the UFC, he was let go. My point on both being , Dana White can and will make any fight he wants and no one can say one damn thing. Chael Sonnen is on TUF and fighting for a title in a weight class he was not even in! If you wrote it in a movie script, they would not make the movie, because it is so unbelievable. It dilutes the sport and disrespects the fighters who have sacrificed their life and the lives of their families for a title shot. Years of hard work can be for not if White deems a fighter ‘not sellable.’ I think Jones will murder Sonnen and Jones will then fight Anderson Silva. As ridiculous is it sounds, I think the UFC will make the No.1 contender fight between Machida and Sonnen.


DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR

There can be no disputing Lyoto Machida is now the No 1 contender at Light Heavyweight. However after his performance against Dan Henderson this weekend, no one but Machida himself is going to be overly excited at that thought. Thankfully there is no rush to book him in a fight with Jon Jones (or Chael Sonnen!).

If Alexander Gustafsson convincingly beats Gegard Mousasi in Sweden this April, then Machida could ultimately find himself pushed out. If the Swede doesn't win that fight, it only leaves Daniel Cormier as an alternative providing he beats Frank Mir. Even if he does win, he'll probably need at least one fight at 205 lbs to prove he can make weight safely. So if Gustafsson wins well, he's next. If he doesn't then Machida is getting another crack at JBJ.

[Lyoto Machida art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]


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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/roundtables/article_16060.shtml

Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes

RFA 5 card set with Downing-Rinaldi featherweight title fight, Krause vs. Jordan

Resurrection Fighting Alliance puts its featherweight title up for grabs when it returns this week.

The show is set for Friday's RFA 5 event in Nebraska with a seven-bout main card, including Jared Downing vs. Jordan Rinaldi for the 145-pound title and WEC vet James Krause vs. Joe Jordan.

RFA 5 takes place Friday at Viaero Event Center in Kearney, Neb. The main card airs live on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/H2uBRZu-FJQ/rfa-5-card-set-with-downing-rinaldi-featherweight-title-fight-krause-vs-jordan.mma

Steve The Snake Claveau  Rich No Love Clementi  Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper 

APP USER - NEW IPHONE/IPAD UPDATE as of 2/23 - Please Update

MMATorch App users, please update to our latest version of our free app. Just click on the App Store on your device and click update.

Also, Android users, our Android App was updated last week so if you haven't yet, be sure that it updated automatically or manually.

Keep spreading the word on social media about MMATorch.

And as always, when you're on your laptop or at your computer, be sure to visit us on the web, too, at www.mmatorch.com.

Thanks!

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/vipfeaturealert/article_16033.shtml

Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge

BAMMA UK comes to Newcastle (UK) on March 9th

The UK’s premier Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA, is proud to announce BAMMA 12, which takes place at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena in response to popular demand on Saturday 9th March 2013. Tickets will go on sale on Friday 1st February.

The event will feature in a two hour live broadcast on 5* in the UK with highlights to follow on Channel 5; and will be televised on AXS-TV in the US, The Fight Network in Canada, Red Media in Russia, TV Esporte Interativo in Brazil, Setanta in Africa and TDN in Latin America.

The event will also be the first BAMMA show conducted under the umbrella of independent UK medical body, Safe MMA. Membership requires all competitors to be Safe MMA registered, to have undergone standardized GP medicals and blood tests, and to be medically cleared to fight. On-the-night post-fight medical results will be submitted to a confidential, medical database held by Safe MMA at the Centre of Health and Human Performance at 76 Harley Street, London. For more information about Safe MMA go to http://www.safemma.co.uk

BAMMA’s director, David Green, said:

“Newcastle is a renowned hotspot for British fighting talent and in many ways a spiritual home to BAMMA: An array of BAMMA fighters have hailed from the region and Newcastle is home to our equipment partner Lonsdale and also to one of our official ring girls, Georgia Graham. There’s a strong MMA fan base up there and Newcastle is an energetic city that loves to party; it’s where the Fans have been calling for us to go for a while, so it is definitely the natural place for BAMMA 12 and the atmosphere is going to be immense.”

BAMMA’s Managing Director, Ashley Bothwell said:

“BAMMA is proud to be working with Safe MMA. It’s major step forward for MMA in this country and has brought the different promotions together for the first time to ensure that the safety of fighters comes first and to work for the greater good of the sport. Our continued programming with terrestrial Channel 5 also reflects the rising popularity of MMA in the UK and it’s exciting to be working in two partnerships that are helping shape the growth of the sport here. The North East is a hot bed for UK MMA and BAMMA in Newcastle has been a long time coming. We look forward to the opportunity to broadcast some of that talent to our global fan base and showcase some of the best that the region has to offer”.

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/bamma-2/bamma-uk-comes-to-newcastle-uk-on-march-9th-67665/

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Ao Hailin  Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski 

finally tapped a couple guys tonight

Of course they are both white belts too, smaller than me and they each got me once as well but it felt good to actually get a sub in live rolling, not just drilling.

I also was dominating one of them position-wise later in the night but he was defending better and we both got exhausted before I could get another sub. Tonight was no GI, so all the drilling on lapel chokes for the last few weeks didn't help much.

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?80135-finally-tapped-a-couple-guys-tonight&goto=newpost

Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson

Twitter Mailbag: Fowlkes on superfights, bad judging and Ronda Rousey in UFC

It's Thanksgiving here in the U.S., so if you find any gravy stains on this week's edition of the Twitter Mailbag, please bear with us.

In this installment of the TMB, we delve into the politics of the potential Anderson Silva-Georges St-Pierre superfight, the dimming prospects for a true women's division in the UFC, what you let yourself in for when you turn down a fight, and much more.

To ask a question of your own, open up the Twitter and find @BenFowlkesMMA. To have some knowledge kicked your way, read on.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/1GG5vKmZcw0/twitter-mailbag-fowlkes-on-superfights-bad-judging-and-yes-ronda-rousey-in-the-ufc.mma

Wesley Cabbage Correira  Patrick The Predator Côté  Randy The Natural Couture  Dan Cramer Alberto Crane

TUF 17 Weekly Recap - Episode 5

The episode opens with the coaches' take on the impending Bubba McDaniel vs. Kelvin Gastelum match. Jon Jones believes that Kelvin is the weakest link on Team Sonnen and that Bubba will win this fight anywhere. Chael Sonnen concedes that Bubba is the favorite, but thinks that conditioning will be on their side. Despite that perceived advantage, Chael calls in some backup and has Ronda Rousey call Kelvin to give him more incentive. She promises that if he wins, she’ll come out to Vegas and train with them.

So far this season, the interactions between the coaches have been surprisingly jovial. Jones admits that he likes to remain aloof from his opponents and doesn’t enjoy talking to them, but acknowledges that the two see each other so much that he can’t really stop it. As Jones and Sonnen make small talk in the hallway, Luke Barnatt puts Bubba on blast. Given the experience gap between Kelvin and Bubba, he calls it “cheap shot” for Bubba to choose such a raw opponent. He predicts that karma will side with Kelvin and he’ll score the KO upset.

Back at the house, Chael Sonnen and some of the other assistant coaches stop by to play charades. Gilbert Smith is wearing his casual camouflage briefs...and nothing else. As the guys inside the house are enjoying the classic pastime of the habitually bored, Bubba sits in front of the fire alone and tells us his story. “I was that kid that shouldn’t be alive.” Without going into much detail, Bubba states that throughout his life, he and the municipal and/or federal laws have not always agreed on right and wrong.

From Bubba's tale of legal gray areas, we transition to the life of Kelvin Gastelum, whose major source of inspiration comes from his mother. She raised Kelvin and his sister all on her own with modest means. Besides fighting for his mom to make her proud, he’s fighting for other kids who find themselves in his position. “I come from poverty, and with enough hard work and discipline you can get what you want.” He feels that Bubba -- and everyone else --  is underestimating him and he’s ready to prove them wrong.

Strategy Sessions
Cut to Chael Sonnen giving a pep talk to the team. He asks the crew, “What emotion will help you inside the cage?” He answers the question for them and tells them that no emotion helps you. The only thing you can count on are your two fists and actions. After making a particularly emotional appeal against emotion, Chael reverts to his old ways and rhymes words together.

While Kelvin and Bubba get ready for their fight, Josh Samman looks to avoid one. He tells the Team Jones coaching staff that if Bubba wins, he’d like to avoid the next contest. He’s banged up and goes through the rundown of his injuries. Jon Jones holds two disparate reactions to Samman’s request. On one hand he praises Josh for his openness and even compares it to his own relationship with coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn. Then, in the very same breath, he says that Samman is too open, and that he and the other coaches don’t appreciate fighters trying to make demands.

At the Team Jones training session, Bones talks about the (mis)match a bit more. He claims that Bubba takes it easily on the feet and that his superior BJJ takes it on the ground, too. Assistant coach Josh Wood goes even further saying the only way Bubba loses is from a lucky punch or mental mistake. Meanwhile, Mickey Rourke shows up to give a talk at Team Sonnen’s camp which can best be summed up as, “work hard and avoid crazy chicks.”

As Bubba and Kelvin weigh in on the scale, other cast mates weigh in on the fight. Adam Cella thinks that the fight is much too one-sided. Josh Samman criticizes Kelvin’s diet, but Luke Barnatt sees Kelvin winning as long as he stays aggressive. Zak Cummings echos with the warning: “don’t sleep on Kelvin.”

Fight Day
Both fighters begin the first round aggressively. Bubba rushes in, and Kelvin head tosses him on the mat. Bubba rises quickly, but Kelvin closes the distance and locks in a front headlock. Bubba pulls off a slick sweep from half guard and soon jumps to take his opponent’s back. Kelvin fights the choke and returns to his feet, but Bubba still has a waist lock secured. Kelvin rolls through and ends up in Bubba’s butterfly guard. Bubba uses an armbar attempt to roll Kelvin over and moves to mount. Kelvin gives up his back again and Bubba takes advantage of it. Again Kelvin defends and the two break apart and return to their feet. Bubba attempts a takedown, but Kelvin counters and puts Bubba on his back again. Bubba sweeps with 45 seconds left and the frantic pace continues. Kelvin runs a single to take top position, takes side mount with 10 seconds remaining and stays there until the bell.

The second round opens with Kelvin Gastelum landing a ferocious low kick. He then closes the distance and puts Bubba into a bodylock. Bubba attempts a counter throw, but Kelvin winds up on top. Gastelum transitions to side mount, but quickly loses position. Bubba has top position and his corner pleads with him to drop some elbows. Instead, he transitions for a rear naked choke attempt, which Kelvin easily shakes off. Kelvin lands a few punches as Bubba attempts another sweep. This time, though, Kelvin holds position and secures some ground and pound. When Bubba tries to sweep again, Kelvin uses a front headlock to transition to Bubba’s back. Chael shouts, “Oh my God! He might have it!” and Bubba taps with 2:22 left in the round.

Chael calls it the best fight so far and chalks up “one more for the bad guys.” In the locker room, Jon Jones tries to pump Bubba up for his shot at the wildcard and says he’ll be better than ever. The wound is still fresh, though, and Bubba says, “I feel like a failure.” Ronda Rousey calls to congratulate Kelvin and he giggles like a nervous schoolboy.

The captain of the Dark Side announces the next fight and it will be Josh Samman vs. Tor Troeng. Chael says that they chose this fight because each has the ability to make it to the main event and they’ll just have it out next week. Josh thinks that Tor has his exact same skills, just with less athleticism.

The episode ends with a preview of next week. Will Uriah Hall alienate his teammates? Do Josh’s recurring injuries affect his performance? Can Kelvin’s paper mâché heart win Ronda over? Find out this and more next week on The Ultimate Fighter!

Team Sonnen (3-1)
Luke Barnatt (1-0, TKO win over Gilbert Smith in episode 2)
Uriah Hall (1-0, KOd Adam Cella in episode 3)
Zak Cummings
Tor Troeng
Jimmy Quinlan
Kevin Casey (0-1, lost a UD to Collin Hart in episode 4)
Kelvin Gastelum (1-0, submitted Bubba McDaniel in episode 5)

Team Jones (1-3)
Clint Hester
Josh Samman
Bubba McDaniel (0-1, submitted by Kelvin Gastelum in episode 5)
Gilbert Smith (0-1, TKOd by Luke Barnatt in episode 2)
Collin Hart (1-0, defeated Kevin Casey by UD in episode 4)
Adam Cella (0-1, KOd by Uriah Hall in episode 3)

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/tuf-17-recap-episode-1705

Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin  Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison 

Brad Tavares: Chasing His Dream around the World

As a kid growing up on the Hawaiian island of Kailua, Brad Tavares dreamed of one day seeing the world. The ambition to do so was never in short supply, but the idea of traveling the globe and the means to bring this goal to fruition, at times appeared to be as distant as the sun setting across the western horizon.

In many cases, leaving the small island paradise is a door which never opens.  And while Tavares may be Hawaiian to the bone, there was a world and a sport beyond the shores that were waiting for him.

At just 23 years old, Tavares was selected to participate in the 11th season of The Ultimate Fighter. While the reality show was the Xtreme Couture-product’s introduction to the UFC fan base, the two years which have followed have been the most rewarding. In his five showings inside the Octagon, Tavares has emerged victorious in all but one affair, showcasing an ever-evolving skill set in the process.

Working under mentor Ray Sefo has allowed Tavares to add unique elements to an already strong striking game. The 25-year-old’s standup attack has always been the foundation of his success, but with a mind for detail and a blue collar work ethic, Tavares has added elements of speed and power, making his greatest attribute all the more dangerous.

The commitment to honing his craft has allowed Tavares to collect back-to-back wins, and he will be looking to keep the momentum rolling when he steps into the cage this weekend with Riki Fukuda at UFC on FUEL TV 8 in Tokyo, Japan.

For Tavares, competing in the “Land of the Rising Sun” will be another dream realized. For a kid who has made his way through the world based on his ability to stay on the grind, the fires of motivation are stoked heading into his showdown with Fukuda in Japan.

 “Honestly…growing up, Japan was a place I always wanted to go,” Tavares said. “I’m not much of a person who wants to fight in crazy places, but Japan is definitely one of the places I’ve always wanted to fight in. I grew up watching PRIDE and K-1. I’ve seen those crowds and the type of shows they’ve put on. It has always intrigued me. Fighting in Japan is always something I’ve wanted to do and I’m glad I get to do it on the biggest stage in the world in the UFC.

“I’m always trying to please the fans and put on a fun fight. I’m looking to showcase my striking and go for the finish. If the opportunity arises, I’m going to take that finish wherever I can get it. I’m going to try to knock him out, but if it goes to the ground, I’ll try to submit him there. I want to get one of these bonuses and put on a great fight for the Japanese fans. I want to win these fans over forever. That’s what they say about the Japanese fans. You put on a good show for them and you have fans for life. That’s what I’m going to do for them.”

While striking may be the source of talent that sparked Tavares’s career as a mixed martial artist, training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas has paid dividends in other areas. The Las Vegas gym is well known for housing some of the best wrestlers in MMA, in addition to a revolving door of top-level grapplers aspiring to cut their teeth in a new venue. The constant grind has served to sharpen the TUF alum’s wrestling skills and they will come in handy against Fukuda.

The Japanese fighter uses a wrestling-heavy attack, and training at the American Kickboxing Academy will only serve to strengthen Fukuda’s skills. While Tavares expects the 32-year-ol to be looking to take the fight to the canvas, he is prepared to handle anything Fukuda brings his way.

“[Fukuda] likes to grind and wrestle but he doesn’t really possess that strong, Division I-type wrestling,” Tavares said. “I’m not taking anything away from him because he is a good fighter, but he doesn’t bring that powerful style of wrestling. He strikes to get to a single and tries to put guys on the mat, but I’m confident in my takedown defense and that I’ll be able to stuff him and stop his takedowns. I’ve seen in his past fights, when that does happen, he is no stranger to brawling. If he wants to do that, it is all the better for me. A standup battle is exactly what I want.

“That being said, this is the UFC where the best of the best fight. Anything can happen. I’m not expecting only one attack from him, and I’ve taken all aspects of the fight into consideration. If he does take me to the mat, I’ve been working heavily on my jiu-jitsu and wrestling games. I’ll be ready for wherever the fight goes. Obviously I’d like to keep the fight on the feet, but if it doesn’t go that way, I’ll get to show a different side of my game.”

“I never wrestled in high school, college, or any of those things,” Tavares continued. “But the team I started out with, wrestling was one of our foundations. We saw it early on that wrestling can dictate where the fight goes and it’s something we worked on constantly. Striking is where I excel and the most fun part of fighting for me. That is what a lot of people see from me, but I would say I have a pretty strong wrestling game as well.

“On occasion we’ve had college wrestlers come by the gym, and I do very well against them. Recently Martin Kampmann brought in a wrestler who had just competed in the Olympics and I was able to do pretty well against him in straight-up wrestling. Those things are confidence boosters. People probably won’t see a (Jon) Fitch from me, where I take my opponent down and grind them, but I do posses solid offensive and defensive wrestling skills.”

With the bout against Fukuda quickly approaching, the goals Tavares has set for himself are coming within reach. Often times, young fighters are looking to grab the lion’s share of opportunity as quick as it comes, but an elevated sense of maturity has Tavares willing to take his journey through mixed martial arts one step at a time.

He understands victory is the catalyst which makes all things possible in the realm of combat sports. By defeating Fukuda on Saturday night in Japan, the next step will become available, and Tavares is ready to hit the next tier of the middleweight division at full speed.

“I want to keep the ride going,” Tavares said. “I definitely want to be in the Top 10 of this middleweight division and a win over Fukuda will get me closer to that goal. I don’t think it will quite get me into the Top 10, but it will definitely put me in a position to fight the guys who are there. I want to be on another good show, especially for the Japanese fans, and come home with the ‘W’”.
 
“2013 is the perfect time for me to make my move up the ladder. A bunch of the guys who were in contention fell out recently. The opportunity is there, and with a good win over Fukuda, I can get a bigger name on a higher stage. I definitely think the division is wide open and I’m looking to make my run.”


 

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Brad-Tavares-Chasing-His-Dream-around-the-World

Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo  Luciano Azevedo 

Michael Chiesa: Back to Normal

As far as training camps go, Michael Chiesa’s prep work for his Saturday bout with Antono Kuivanen has been a lot more “normal” than the last two. The last time the Ultimate Fighter 15 winner got ready for a fight, against Marcus LeVesseur at UFC on FOX 5 in Seattle, he got hit with an illness on the week of the fight. The time before that, well that was even crazier.

“I was a week out of the house getting launched back into reality, having to deal with getting readjusted to having my phone and communicating with everybody – everything that comes along with The Ultimate Fighter,” said Chiesa late last year of the camp for his TUF 15 finale bout with Al Iaquinta.  

Every fighter who competed on that season of TUF should receive the MMA version of a bronze star for surviving 13 weeks of the first (and to this day only) season of TUF to be filmed live. While six weeks away from the world is bad enough, 13 takes things to a whole new level. So when the tournament was over and the finalists determined, there wasn’t a lengthy break to go home, get re-acclimated to the outside world, train with your usual training partners, and then fight for a UFC contract. As soon as Chiesa and his housemates were done with the show, it was time to fight the next week.

“That first week out was just crazy,” he recalls. “The producer was handing me my phone and my wallet, and I’m touching money for the first time and I’m seeing all these text messages and all these voice mails, and Facebook and Twitter, and it’s almost like I forgot to handle all that. It’s funny because that first night I got out of the house, I didn’t sleep for 24 hours straight. I got out, I turned the TV on, and I had my headphones in and I’m listening to music, and everything I had deprived from me I had going all at once. It was a crazy feeling, but it felt good. It was refreshing. Especially when you go without your family for three months and you finally get to talk to them, it makes me think about the people that serve in Iraq and go so long without talking to their families. It makes you appreciate that so much more.”

And while the rest of the cast that had fights were obviously in must win situations, Chiesa had the added pressure of being the one fighting for the TUF title, the one with the media spotlight shining on him, and yeah, despite being free of being in the house, you can’t be too free when you have to make weight on Saturday.

“When you’re in the house and you’re cutting weight, you don’t have anything to do, and everybody hangs out in the kitchen, which just makes it harder to cut weight,” he said. “It’s a little more agonizing, because you don’t have any outlet to get your mind off it. But that week I was out, it was still tough to cut weight because I’m a big ’55er, and having to cut weight back to back was really hard. But the one thing that made it nice that week we got out was that I went to the movies a couple times, I got to walk around and do things to take my mind off the fact that I was starving. On one hand it was hard because it was my third weight cut in four weeks, but on the other hand it was a little easier because I had things to take my mind off it.”

By this time, you probably know that Chiesa survived his first week of post-TUF freedom, made weight for his fight, and then won the season title by submitting Iaquinta in the first round. That’s impressive. But what made his run through the show even more praiseworthy is that he did it after his father Mark passed away during the series. The tragic death came right after Chiesa earned his spot in the house, but he soldiered on in his father’s memory. When you add everything together, you get the impression that nothing the fight game can throw at Chiesa will faze him from here on out.

“Life’s got a funny way of popping one thing to another,” he said. “Going through the 13 week process while coping with the loss of my dad on top of the tough fights and the tough training, they showed some of the breakdowns I had on TV, but I’ll definitely look back on this as one of my best accomplishments. Winning The Ultimate Fighter is a dream of mine I’ve had since I was a senior in high school. I can remember sitting with my girlfriend in the basement of my dad’s house, telling her as we’re watching Rashad Evans win The Ultimate Fighter season two ‘I’m gonna fight and I’m gonna win this show.’ It was a good accomplishment, and enduring everything I went through, coping with the loss of my dad, not leaving the competition, and staying in there and giving it everything I had, it will be hard for life to throw an obstacle my way that will be harder than that.”

It’s the way they make fighters in the Pacific Northwest, the area Spokane Valley, Washington’s Chiesa represents, and he is quick to point to Lyle Beerbohm, Cody McKenzie, and Sam Sicilia as major influences in his career. It’s a close knit group up there, and the 25-year-old lightweight prospect is proud to be a part of the MMA scene.

“There isn’t a guy that fights in Washington that I don’t have a connection with,” he said. “The thing about Washington that not a lot of people know is that our roots in mixed martial arts go a lot deeper than in any other state. AMC, Matt Hume’s gym, was founded in 1991. UFC I wasn’t until 1993. We have one of the longest running amateur circuits, we’re one of the only states with one, and we’re talking about guys like Chris Leben, Nate Quarry, and all sorts of guys that came up through Washington’s amateur circuit and went to the UFC. And I think that’s why we have a special bond. We’re underrated for how deep our roots go in mixed martial arts, and that’s what kind of draws us together. I don’t think you see that in a lot of states.”

A lot of states don’t produce fighters like Chiesa either, and though his post-TUF career has taken a while to get moving, he plans on stepping on the gas in 2013 to get back up to speed.

“I want to fight at least three times and I want to go 3-0,” he said. “By the end of 2013 I want to be a contender and I feel like the last accomplishment I have now is to become a world champion.”

 
 
 

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Michael-Chiesa-Back-to-Normal

Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper  Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira 

Dana White praises Robbie Lawler's UFC 157 performance, says "hungry" Strikeforce fighters raising the bar

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The influx of fighters from Strikeforce to the UFC has brought about a number of surprising and entertaining results, with several pulling off upsets over their UFC counterparts. It started in full force at UFC 156 earlier this month, with Isaac Vallie-Flagg, Bobby Green, and Tyron Woodley each picking up wins, and it continued at UFC 157 on Saturday night.

Caros Fodor arguably should have gotten the decision nod against Sam Stout, instead losing a questionable split decision, but then Robbie Lawler stopped Josh Koscheck on the night's main card as well. UFC President Dana White was pleased with Lawler's performance on the card, and after the event he talked about how those fighters from Strikeforce will elevate the rest of the roster.

"He looks good at 170 pounds – way better than he did at 185," White said (via MMAJunkie.com). "He looked slow and lethargic and out of shape. He looked like he didn't give a s*** at 185. He looked like the old Robbie Lawler at 170 pounds."

"Strikeforce had hungry fighters. These f***ing guys are hungry. Most of them haven't fought in a year. They didn't know what was going on with their career. Couldn't pay their bills. All this s***. Now they're in here and they know what it was like to be [over there]. They're hungry, man. I love it.

"The Strikeforce kids, they're going to raise the bar on all these other guys."

Penick's Analysis: There is some truth to that sentiment. Knowing it's win or go home has the Strikeforce guys especially out to prove something, and they've been doing that. Whether they can continue it in subsequent fights remains to be seen, but there's no questioning the surprising success they've enjoyed thus far inside the Octagon. With many more still to come, those competing against them from the UFC's roster need to be wary of taking them lightly.

[Dana White art by Travis Beaven (c) MMATorch.com]

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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_16047.shtml

Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono

UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold

Another card announcement I missed while I was away.

UFC on FX 8 Fight Card

Bout Info

Main Event
Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold

Main Card
Ronaldo Souza vs. Costa Philippou

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?80155-UFC-on-FX-8-Belfort-vs-Rockhold&goto=newpost

Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

UFC 157 RESULTS: Lyoto Machida defeats Dan Henderson in lackluster contest

By Rich Hansen, MMATorch Columnist

In a fight to ostensibly determine the next challenger to Jon Jones' UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, Lyoto Machida circled, feinted and dodged his way to a lackluster split decision victory over Dan Henderson.

In a very tepid affair, the elusive Machida relied on angles and distance to avoid Dan Henderson's vaunted right hand. Other than the last five seconds of the first round, and a couple of minutes in the third round, the entire contest played out on the feet.

With ten seconds left in round one, Machida landed a trip takedown from a body lock and landed several quick punches and elbow as the horn sounded. The third round saw Henderson get a takedown on Machida, but was unable to land any significant offesne during that time.

Despite the wrath of the Anaheim, CA audience, Machida improves his MMA record to 19-3 (11-3 UFC) with this victory over Henderson. Henderson, in his first fight since his war with Mauricio Rua in November 2011, sees his record drop to 29-9 (6-3 UFC).


[Lyoto Machida art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]


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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_16031.shtml

Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Ao Hailin  Shinya Aoki 

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/

Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan

UFC interim champ Renan Barao's coach prefers title shot, but doesn't want to wait

Barao coach Pederneiras would prefer title shot, but doesn't want fighter to wait

Nova Uniao leader and coach Andre Pederneiras on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com he's waiting on UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby's call to tell him when and where UFC interim bantamweight champ Renan Barao is fighting next.

"If I had a choice, I would rather Renan fight Dominick (Cruz), but I don't want to wait too long," Pederneiras said.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/a074GmnlK_g/interim-champ-renan-baraos-coach-prefers-title-shot-but-doesnt-want-to-wait.mma

Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga

ROUNDTABLE: Predictions for Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche main event at UFC 157

Will Ronda Rousey earn another first round armbar win over Liz Carmouche at UFC 157? Will Carmouche pull off the upset? Or will the fight play out in some other way?


RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Liz Carmouche isn't a particularly talented fighter. Of all the fighters she's defeated, not one of them currently has a record above .500. The only good fighters she's faced, she's lost to. And now she's a credible challenge to Ronda Rousey? Um... No. Look. Is it possible she catches Ronda with an overhand or an uppercut or something? Yeah, sure. It's possible. I mean, Columbus found The New World, right?

But to answer the questions posed before me here:

Yes
No
No


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I think the fight goes into the second round. Rousey has to prove that she's not just a one-time sensation. She's like a young pitcher in baseball. It's easy to tear it up when no one knows about you, but now there's tape on you and the second time around won't be quite so easy. Having said that, though, I still fully expect Rousey to win in impressive fashion.


BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I think Rousey fakes the armbar attempt and attempts something new. Carmouche is too damn strong to do that to, and it probably wouldn't work. It's the first women's fight in UFC history, I truly believe Liz would let her arm be ripped off before tapping out to an armbar. I expect to see this end in the first but via choke. If Carmouche pulls off the upset she's going to f*** up Dana White's plans worse than Bigfoot Silva did.


TONY BECERRA, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Six fights, six victories, all via arm bar. The past is a good predictor of the future and I'm sure Rousey will attempt the arm bar early in the fight, now will she pull it off? I'd like to think that Carmouche has studied enough film to expect it and prepare to defend it, that said, six have tried and six have failed to stop Ronda Rousey from locking it in.


ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

This fight will end with another first round armbar victory for Ronda Rousey.


ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

It's going to go the same way every Ronda Rousey fight goes. Arrive, get submission win, leave. Rousey is a machine, and kudos to Carmouche on her way to this opportunity, but still, I can't see Rousey getting beat on a stage as a big of this. Rousey with the obvious submission.


JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Liz Carmouche managed to get herself submitted by Marloes Coenen. Her strengths play right into Rousey's strenghts, and quite frankly, she's nowhere near the athlete Ronda Rousey has proven to be.

Carmouche is getting tapped, probably in the first round.


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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_16027.shtml

Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga