Nick Diaz was a no-show at the UFC 137 press conference in Las Vegas - just like he was a no-show at the press conference in Toronto the day before. Dana White decided enough is enough and axed him from the card, giving Carlos Condit the title shot in his place. In this interview with MMA:30's Dave Farra; Dana White talks about the trust lost, why he thinks he'll never heard from Diaz again, and touches on Overreem vs. Lesnar and the UFC's return to Japan. See more videos at MMA30.com
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Dana White talks after UFC 137 "I Will Never Trust Nick Diaz Again" - Dana White
Nick Diaz was a no-show at the UFC 137 press conference in Las Vegas - just like he was a no-show at the press conference in Toronto the day before. Dana White decided enough is enough and axed him from the card, giving Carlos Condit the title shot in his place. In this interview with MMA:30's Dave Farra; Dana White talks about the trust lost, why he thinks he'll never heard from Diaz again, and touches on Overreem vs. Lesnar and the UFC's return to Japan. See more videos at MMA30.com
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Junior Dos Santos: Top 10 Threats to Dos Santos' UFC Heavyweight Title in 2012
UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos will square off with striking juggernaut Alistair Overeem later this year. While the immediacy of the contest ushers Overeem to the precipice of MMA glory, the Dutchman is not the only combatant Dos Santos will have to be wary of in 2012.
The UFC heavyweight division, once thought of as the organization's weakest link, is brimming with an influx of talent lent by 2009's heavyweight edition The Ultimate Fighter, the acquisition of top Strikeforce talent and the development of several young big men.
Though Dos Santos is widely regarded as the best fighter on the globe over 205 pounds, the heavyweight waters contain some seriously hungry sharks. In 2012, Dos Santos will have to look out for these 10 fighters in particular.
Dana White UFC 131 Video Blog Day 2 - UFC
Dana White UFC 131 Video Blog Day 2. Behind the Scenes of the UFC 131 press con. Dana talking to fans about fights coming up and hockey.Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc/dana-white-ufc-131-video-blog-day-2-video_348769b2e.html
Georges St-Pierre focused on Nick Diaz and nothing else
LAS VEGAS -- Think Georges St-Pierre isn't obsessed with Nick Diaz? Consider this: The UFC welterweight champion didn't know who is playing in Sunday's Super Bowl.
When the Montreal native was asked if he'd be rooting for the New England Patriots against the New York Giants during a media availability at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Wednesday, St-Pierre replied "Are the Patriots playing? I don't even know who's in the [game]. I think New York is in it. New York is closer to Montreal, so I hope New York will win."
One would think St-Pierre would have plenty of time to keep up with the rest of the sports world, since he's been on the sidelines in Los Angeles, rehabbing from his December surgery to repair his torn left ACL.
But it's clear he's fixated on Diaz, the one fighter who has proven his ability to get under his skin.
"I can be a little, what do you call it? OCD. Obsessive-compulsive," said St-Pierre.
Diaz, who fights Condit for the interim welterweight title in the main event of UFC 143 on Saturday night, is the current object of GSP's self-described OCD. While St-Pierre has all the respect in the world for Condit, the champion is openly rooting for a rematch with St-Pierre, who he feels has openly disrespected him.
"I'm thinking about him right now, said St-Pierre. "I don't try to think too much about him. I hope he wins the fight Saturday night. I hope he does, I pray he does. Maybe he won't, but I hope he does."
"I want Nick Diaz to win for two reasons," said St-Pierre. "First, it is the fight everyone wants to see, he was the champion of Strikeforce and I was the champion of the UFC. What lights the fire in me is challenges. When I don't have a challenge, I feel dead. Also, a lot of the things he has said, he has questioned me and my integrity. I have never cheated in my life. It is one thing when you something to promote the fight but it is another when you attack someone personally. It is what it is and that's why I have my motivation to fight him.
St-Pierre said he won't be able to train all-out until July, which makes November the earliest target date for an Octagon return when you factor in a full training camp if all goes well. His last fight was his April 30, 2011, win over Jake Shields, so a November return would mean a year and a half away from the cage.
But St-Pierre's laser focus is aimed at Diaz, so the champ shook off questions of Octagon rust and dismissed the notion of taking a tune-up fight before facing Diaz.
"In mixed martial arts, there's no such thing as a tune-up fight. There's not guy out there who I can say, oh, I can take him. Who knows, that guy might kick my ass. There is no such thing as tune-up fights. In boxing, they can have optional title fights. I truly believe it's ridiculous. You're champion, you should fight the main guy."
So GSP has made it clear Diaz is the man he wants to fight, preferably as soon as November.
"I want him to wait for me. I want him to go on vacation and relax a bit and wait for me, because I'll be back soon."
Just don't ask him about the NBA Finals or the World Series between now and then.
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Phil Davis and 5 of the Freakiest Bodies in MMA
One of the best things about MMA is that you don't need a specific body type in order to succeed in the sport.
Whether you have a belly like Roy Nelson, or you're as jacked as Brock Lesnar, as long as you have skill and heart, you can compete in the sport.
But while most guys who like to to get in a certain shape, others naturally, (or tragically), have a different build.
Some guys are just downright weird to look at based off of how their body is.
Here's a look at a few guys who have some of the weirdest bodies in MMA history.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1057582-phil-davis-and-5-of-the-freakiest-bodies-in-mma
UFC on Fox 2?s Three Stars: Oliveira, Johnson and Evans
The UFC's second foray into network television was not exactly thrilling. Some of the best moments happened during the Fuel broadcast, with the fights on Fox providing less-than-exciting action. Who stood out for you? Here are Cagewriter's Three Stars. Tell us yours in the comment section or on Facebook.
No. 1 star -- Charles Oliveira: In his first fight at featherweight, the Brazilian used a leg submission that caused every MMA writer on press row to say, "What was that?" We settled on a calf slicer, while Oliveira walked away with the Submission of the Night bonus.
No. 2 star -- Lavar Johnson: If you haven't watched Johnson's KO of Joey Beltran, go watch it. We'll wait. OK, now that you've watched him take out Beltran with huge uppercuts, you likely will agree with him taking home the Knockout of the Night bonus.
No. 3 star -- Rashad Evans: Put yourself in Evans' shoes. Though you're the No. 1 contender for the light heavyweight belt, injury and bad luck has forced you out of the actual title bout more than a year. Then, you're told you still have to win another fight to get that title shot. You could sulk about it, or you could use the five rounds provided to beat up and outwrestle Phil Davis. Evans chose the latter.
B/R MMA Official Rankings for February: Top 10 Welterweights in MMA
UFC 143 came to a close this weekend, and just like that ,the welterweight rankings had lost one of its premier competitors.
While most fans and analysts alike feel that Nick Diaz will eventually return to create some havoc on the rest of the welterweight division, due to his announced retirement, we have no choice but to eliminate him from this month’s rankings.
Now that the dust has settled on one of the most important welterweight fights in recent memory, it’s time to take a look and see where top level athletes settle in, and more importantly, it’s time to see whether Georges St-Pierre was able to hold off Carlos Condit and retain his spot atop the division.
These rankings are the combined effort of some of Bleacher Report MMA's best writers, as we continue to try to provide you with the best content on the web.
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