Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
UFC 126 shocker: Jones given immediate title shot after submitting Bader
Now that's a night. Jon Jones showed off another part of his sick arsenal in taking out unbeaten Ryan Bader at UFC 126. The lanky 23-year-old light heavyweight phenom overpowered Bader for 6-of-9 minutes on the ground and finished the fight with a guillotine choke. Then the UFC shocked Jones and fans by offering the kid a shot at the UFC light heavyweight title against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Jones accepted on the spot.
"I feel great. God is so good. I feel great," Jones told UFC analyst Joe Rogan. "Hats off to Endicott, New York. And I'm going for a world title baby. Let's do it!"
Rogan announced that Rashad Evans, Rua's original opponent at UFC 128 was out with an injured knee. Dana White confirmed to Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole that the fight is still on for mid-March in Newark, N.J.
Jones (12-1, 6-1 UFC) will have just over five weeks to prep for the biggest fight of his young career. Iole reports that Evans injured his knee yesterday. According to Dr. Steve Sanders, the knee will keep Evans sidelined for 6-8 weeks.
Bader (12-1, 5-1 UFC) is a huge, thickly-muscled light heavyweight, but tonight he looked no different than every other Jones' opponent in the UFC. The kid is thin, but he's overpowered everyone when they've locked horns with him.
After toying with some standup at the start of the fight, Jones scored an easy takedown just 30 seconds in. He muscled Bader on the ground, which shocked many observers considering he was facing a former All-American wrestler from Arizona State. Jones worked for different chokes while he kept the fight on the ground for two minutes. Once it got back up to the feet, Bader looked intimidated by Jones' length. He attempted a takedown from a mile away and wound up on his back again for the final two minutes of the first.
In the second, it was more of the same. Jones was more measured. Bader looked tentative on the feet. Then Bader made the mistake again of shooting from long distance and allowed Jones to settle on top of him, where he eventually sunk in the nasty guillotine. His 84-inch reached help set it up and it was clear, his grip was like a vice. Bader tapped at 4:20 of the second.
Update: Jones received a $75,000 bonus for Submission of the Night.
Kharitonov KOs Arlovski, moves to Strikeforce Grand Prix semis
Sergei Kharitonov earned the first semifinal berth in the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix, knocking out Andrei Arlovski at 2:49 in the first round of their bout in New Jersey on Saturday.
Arlovski, a crowd favorite, started strong with a flurry of strikes and kicks. He had good movement early, avoiding Kharitonov's strikes. But it turned bad for Arlovski when Kharitonov used the clinch to work inside, then landed a knee, an uppercut and knocked him to the the ground with a short right jab. Kharitonov finished the bout with a strike on the ground, knocking Arlovski out cold.
This is Arlovski's fourth loss in a row, with three of them first-round knockouts. He was once the UFC heavyweight champion, but now is in a precarious point in his career with a record of 15-9.
Kharitonov, who made his name in the Pride Fighting Championships, laughed off the suggestion that he is a darkhorse in this tournament.
"I don't care what the experts say. I'm going to win this tournament."
He will now face the winner of Josh Barnett and Brett Rogers. Those two will face off in April.
Anderson Silva on Fighting GSP: 'It Will Be Fun' - UFC 126
Anderson Silva on Fighting GSP: 'It Will Be Fun' Video by UFC 126Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-126/anderson-silva-on-fighting-gsp-it-will-be-fun-video_503500776.html
Shane Del Rosario "I am more than just a kickboxer Now" - Shane Del Rosario
Fight Hub TV caught up with rising heavyweight Shane Del Rosario as he won via armbar against rugged fighter Lavar Johnson.
Chad Griggs talks to Inside MMA after Strikeforce win - Chad Griggs
Fresh off his victory over Gianpiero Villante , Chad Griggs spoke to Inside MMA's Ron Kruck about the fight.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Strikeforce Challengers 14 LIve Blog And Results: Healy Defeats Beerbohm
Welcome to Bleacher Report MMA's live coverage of Strikeforce Challengers 14, headlined by Lyle Beerbohm vs. Pat Healy. The event is at the Cedar Park Center in Cedar Park, Texas.
Also on the event, Ryan Couture takes on Lee Higgins, Bryan Travers battles Carlo Prater, Erik Apple fights Ryan Larson, and David Douglas goes up against Nick Gonzalez.
The untelevised undercard features Drew Pendleton vs. Dennis Dombrow and Thomas Diagne vs. Aaron Lan Franco.
The event can be seen on Showtime starting at 11 p.m. EST/8 p.m. PST. Check out our live running coverage below.
Josh Nason is a New England-based freelance MMA journalist that currently has a Jon Fitch feature in February's FIGHT! Magazine. He frequently does radio/podcast appearances and asks for your "like" for ESPN Boston to cover MMA. Follow him on Twitter.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Insdie MMA talks to Fedor's Manager about possible retirement - M-1 Global
Inside MMA's Ron Kruck caught up with M-1 Global CEO and friend/manager of Fedor Emelianenko, Vadim Finkelstien after Fedor's loss to Antonio Silva at the Strikefore World Heavyweight Grand Prix. ; Finkelstein, spoke about the possibility of Fedor retiring and how he really doesn't think Fedor lost the fight.
Ryan Couture Submits Lee Higgins, Improves to 2-0 in Strikeforce
Ryan Couture, the son of UFC legend Randy Couture, improved to 2-0 in his brief professional MMA career with a solid victory over Lee Higgins at Friday night's Strikeforce Challengers card.The third-round submission via rear-naked choke was a more impressive all-around performance than Couture's professional debut. Couture showed solid grappling and effective if not particularly powerful striking, and he finally put Higgins away with just 19 seconds remaining in the third round.
"He's tough as nails," Couture said of Higgins. "I'm real glad I was finally able to get him there at the end."
The mobs show up in North America to meet GSP and Fedor
Fight nights are usually the big nights in mixed martial arts, but yesterday on a random Tuesday, the sport took center stage in Toronto and New York. The UFC hit the ground in Canada for a big press conference to introduce the fighters for its April event in Ontario. Strikeforce held a huge fanfest in New York. Fedor Emelianenko was swarmed like a rockstar.
Check out the photos at Roseland in New York City as Fedor, Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, Sergei Kharitonov, Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett, Antonio Silva, Brett Rogers and Frank Shamrock hung out with the crowd.
Dyami Arroyo of The Bronx was the first to show at 8:30 a.m. Despite cold, bitter, windy conditions, he kept his spot at the head of the line. "There was no way I was going to miss a chance to meet Fedor and the greatest heavyweights in the world," Arroyo told Strikeforce P.R.. "As soon as I heard about this, I told my boss I was taking the day off."
Said Brooklyn’s Joe Doyle, who arrived a little after Arroyo and Diaz: "To get this kind of access to these kinds of fighters is unbelievable," he said. "There was no way I wasn’t going to be here. I am really happy that STRIKEFORCE did something like this for us. No other MMA organizations do anything like this around here."
Strikeforce opens its heavyweight Grand Prix this Saturday in New Jersey (Showtime 10 p.m. ET/PT). Fedor faces Antonio Silva while Arlovski battles Kharitonov.
Exclusive pictures from UFC 126
Check out exclusive pictures from Tracy Lee of UFC 126. See Silva's knockout, Cerrone and Jones' chokes and, of course, Steven Seagal.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Exclusive-pictures-from-UFC-126?urn=mma-318493
Saturday, February 19, 2011
UFC Pre-Zuffa: The Top 10 Fighters In the UFC Before Dana White Took Over
Time changes, people change, and change is definitely something that the UFC has done a bunch of since 1993, when the first UFC was broadcast live to American audiences on pay-per-view.
They initially started off as a showcase of the various martial arts, but were branded as a form of "human cockfighting" and faced the risk of going out of business before a man named Dana White and two brothers named Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta came in and purchased the UFC.
The end result is an Ultimate Fighting Championship league that eventually developed into the company we all know (and some of us knock) now.
Before the reigns of the Anderson Silvas, the Georges St.-Pierres, the Cain Velasquezes and the BJ Penns, Frankie Edgars and even the Mauricio Ruas of today, there were 10 guys who held their own claims as being dominant at a time in which there was really nothing else besides the UFC.
Without further ado, I will now take the distinct pleasure of introducing to you those 10 men.
Former UFC Fighter Dan Lauzon Stabbed During Late Night Altercation
Mixed martial artist Dan Lauzon suffered a non-life threatening stab wound during a late night fight in a Bridgewater, Mass. pub parking lot, according to a published report from local paper The Enterprise.The newspaper's website originally named the 22-year-old in its report before removing his name. A source close to Lauzon confirmed to MMA Fighting that the original report was accurate and that Lauzon needed stitches to close a cut.
His brother, UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon, wrote a blog post that indirectly addressed the situation, writing, "Luckily everything was okay and it wasn't a big deal as was originally thought."
MMA News: Fedor, Arlovski, Antonio Silva, Boxing vs. MMA and UFC 129
Wednesday brought some crazy news to the mixed martial arts world, but Thursday may have been even crazier!
On Wednesday, you had members of Fedor Emelianenko's camp bring up hypnosis as a reason for his loss to Antonio Silva on February 12th.
Well, Thursday saw Silva's manager answer those accusations, while Fedor's camp implied that Silva and Alistair Overeem are both on steroids.
Boxing promoter Bob Arum also offered some "interesting" thoughts on mixed martial arts and the sport's fan base as compared to that of boxing.
In more "normal" news, we had Greg Jackson offer his thoughts on why Andrei Arlovski is not finished and assorted news from the UFC.
Full stories on all of these items are below.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Bellator wants you to spend Saturday nights with them
Bellator Fighting Championships kicks off its fourth season on the first weekend of March, and again, they'll be on a new network and on a new night. MTV2 will air Bellator's fights live on Saturday nights starting Mar. 5.
The good news is that the tournament-based promotion will be live, something they didn't have with Fox Sports, their previous home. The bad news is that Saturday nights are owned by the UFC and Strikeforce. Will Bellator face a conflict?
"That's part of the magic we have here," [Bellator CEO Bjorn] Rebney said. "When I was sitting down with the MTV folks, they said, 'Look, if there's a big UFC event, if there's a pay-per-view event, we'll kick our show an hour or two earlier so that it can be an MMA night for fans.' They can go from MTV2 to Spike TV or go from MTV2 to pay-per-view.
Bellator's hope is that MMA fans can make a night of it. For MTV and Spike's parent company, Viacom, this is a dream come true. Fans can stay with their company for hours of MMA watching. On Mar. 19, for example, a fight can watch Bellator's event in Oklahoma before tuning into UFC 128.
But Bellator will run into Strikeforce trouble on their very first week. The same night that Bellator kicks off their welterweight tourney in California, Strikeforce will put two belts on the line in Ohio, and in their regular timeslot, the two would conflct for an hour.
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Sergei Kharitonov Post-Fight Interview after Andrei Arlovski KO - Sergei Kharitonov
After defeating Andrei Arlovski KO to advance to the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament Semifinals, Sergei Kharitonov spoke with Showtime Sports about the next steps for his career in MMA.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Throat Grab Technique Helped Antonio Silva Beat Fedor Emelianenko
Two members of the first family of Brazilian jiu jitsu, Ryron Gracie and Rener Graice, have produced this excellent instructional video showing the jiu jitsu techniques that Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva used to dominate Fedor Emelianenko on the ground during the second round of Saturday night's fight.
The whole thing is worth watching, but it's especially interesting to hear the Gracie brothers comment on a technique that seems like something out of a street brawl but was in reality an intelligent, tactical mixed martial arts maneuver employed by Silva: Grabbing Fedor by the throat.
Cerrone wins Octagon debut with nasty submission at UFC 126
At UFC 126, Donald Cerrone (14-3) showed that WEC lightweights do have a home in the UFC, as he submitted Paul Kelly (11-4) in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Kelly started the fight oddly, throwing a punch immediately after the two had touched gloves. Cerrone reacted with a quick takedown. Kelly tried in vain for a guillotine, but Cerrone broke away and the two returned to their feet. Cerrone took charge in the stand-up, landing big strikes, then taking Kelly down. When on the ground, Cerrone landed several elbows, including one that cut Kelly near his right eye.
Kelly tried to take over the fight in the second round, continuously moving forward and throwing punches, but Cerrone used his ground game to win the fight. He took Kelly down with a textbook trip, then moved to full mount. After reopening the cut on Kelly's face with strikes, Cerrone moved behind to to secure a body lock. Kelly tried to escape, but just opened his neck up for Cerrone to slap a perfect rear naked choke. Kelly had no choice but to tap at 3:48 in the second round.
Cerrone had been a top contender in the WEC's lightweight division for years, coming up short in title bouts against Jamie Varner and Ben Henderson. But any questions about his place in the UFC were answered with how he dominated Kelly.
Video analysis: What's next for Fedor?
Fedor Emelianenko has a big decision to make. The legendary Russian heavyweight looks overmatched against the giant big men of 2011. After taking a vicious beating at the hands of Antonio "Big Foot" Silva, a sad Fedor said that it might be the end of the road. He's only 34 years old, but Fedor faces an uphill climb at 6-feet, 230 pounds.
Adam Hill from the Las Vegas Review-Journal joined us to talk about what Fedor said after the fight and who'll ultimately make the decision for Emelianenko. He can retire or move on to the next fighting challenge. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker floated the idea of getting Fedor back in the mix as a tournament alternate.
"There's absolutely a possibility he could be a replacement," Coker said during the postfight press conference. "That's the beauty of the tournament. You don't know what could happen in the next leg of the tournament. As this tournament unwinds over the year, there could be an injury, and you could see Fedor back in the tournament."
Good idea? We think not. It might be wiser to have Fedor face the loser of April's Alistair Overeem-Fabricio Werdum fight. Hill shoots that down by pointing out that whether he wins or loses against Werdum, Overeem is still the champ. Could you really sell an Overeem-Fedor fight before allowing the Dutch kickboxer his chance to fight the tournament champion at the end of the year?
Little person Freeland leads a troupe of little guys at California fight card tonight
With the merger of the WEC into the UFC, Zuffa just pushed the 135 and 145-lb weight classes to the forefront. Is it too soon to start talking about the 125ers?
There are several prominent flyweights featured on a Tachi Palace card in Lemoore, California, who'd like to be the next small fighters to step into the spotlight.
The Visalia Times Delta says Tachi Palace Fights 8 (free stream on MMAjunkie.com - 8:30 p.m. ET) is essentially holding its own 125-tournament tonight:
TPF 125-pound champion Ulysses Gomez (7-1) will defend his title in a 5-round bout against Darrell Montague (8-1), and Jussier da Silva (9-0), who is regarded as the world's top 125-pound fighter, will put his undefeated record on the line against World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Ian McCall (8-2).
Tachi Palace Fighting knows it has something specials with the flyweights.
"It is the most important weight class we have," said Tachi Palace entertainment coordinator Jeremy Luchau. "Some people do see it as a tournament because we have some of the best guys in the world. It is an opportunity for guys who have been in our promotion to showcase their skills against some of the top fighters from around the world."
There's also a ton of intrigue around the debut of another small fighter, but this guy is a little thicker. Tyler Freeland, a little person at just 4-foot-11, is making his pro debut.
Freeland, nicknamed "Hulk Hands," put together an impressive 16-4 mark in the amateur ranks.
"It’s dwarfism, a bone disorder where my bones stopped growing," Freeland told Sherdog.com in describing his hypochondroplasia. "I’m about four eleven, but I tell everyone I’m five feet. I need that extra inch."
Walking around 160 pounds, Freeland is no tiny guy. But he realizes, he'd have a tough time at 155 pounds, where many of the fighters are in the 5-9 to 5-11 range. He'll make his debut at 145 and hopes to eventually get down to 135. Freeland, 26, recently began training at Las Vegas' TapouT Training Center with Shawn Tompkins.
Tompkins said just like any fighter, Freeland, 26, has to work around certain limitations.
"With his height, it’s always harder to strike with someone taller than you," Tompkins says, "but it’s harder to wrestle with someone shorter. Their level-change is so much faster than yours."
He said Freeland has something you can't necessarily teach.
"What most impressed me is that he has a lot of power in his hands," he adds. "He’s got KO power and very big hands. He hits hard and is very precise. He has a really good wrestling pedigree. I’ve just been banking on rounding his game out, keeping him safe from submissions and working on his standup. We’ve been having fun and building from there."
Freeland faces Diego Melendez. They met in the amateur ranks and Melendez won via triangle. Freeland says he took that fight on short notice and things will be different this time.
Anderson Silva on Fighting GSP: 'It Will Be Fun' - UFC 126
Anderson Silva on Fighting GSP: 'It Will Be Fun' Video by UFC 126Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-126/anderson-silva-on-fighting-gsp-it-will-be-fun-video_503500776.html
With ear bleeding, Griggs scores TKO of Villante at Strikeforce
Chad Griggs won a quick slugfest over Gian Villante at Strikeforce in New Jersey on Saturday, winning his reserve bout in the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix. Griggs is now 2-0 in Strikeforce after TKOing Bobby Lashley in August.
Griggs came out swinging from the bell, wobbling Villante more than once. But Villante, who played football at nearby Hofstra University, held on and even landed a vicious kick to Griggs' ear. The ear exploded with blood, but it didn't bother Griggs. He knocked Villante to the ground with a right hook. Villante somehow stood back up but took more punishment. Griggs landed another right, and followed Villante to the ground with more strikes until referee Yves Levigne stopped the bout at 2:49.
With this win, Griggs is now part of a pool to step in for any Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix fighters who may get injured. He is 10-1, while Villante falls to 7-2.
BJ Penn, George Sotiropoulos and the Top 10 BJJ Fighters Competing in the UFC
Bleacher Report's Andrew Mahlmann takes a look at the top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighters in the UFC today, two of which will be competing on the UFC 127 fight card.
The UFC was originally created to showcase the superiority of the martial art known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Now, all modern fighters are trained in the art. Without knowledge in BJJ, fighters would be helpless to defend themselves against ground techniques and submissions.
Of course, some fighters are still able to separate themselves from the pack when it comes to competency in the art of BJJ.
Even though their opponents train every day, it cannot measure up to the years of study and technical mastery these practitioners exemplify.
Qualification is based on technical ability, utilization and overall efficacy.
These are the top 10 BJJ fighters competing in the UFC.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Best of Fedor vs. Silva Interviews
Filed under: MMA Videos, Strikeforce, Videos
Fedor vs. Silva is officially in the books, so we thought it would be fun to look back at some of the highlights from our pre-fight and post-fight interviews. Check out the highlight video below.Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/17/best-of-fedor-vs-silva-interviews/
Griffin ekes out UFC 126 decision win over Franklin
Forrest Griffin (18-6) returned from a 15-month layoff with a unanimous decision win over Rich Franklin (28-6). Griffin won the bout 29-28 on all three judges' scorecards.
Griffin struck first, taking Franklin down early in the first round, and then spent much of the round controlling Franklin while landing several punches and elbows. The former middleweight Franklin couldn't find a way out from underneath Griffin, a fighter who is a natural light heavyweight.
In the second round, Griffin got another takedown by dragging Franklin down from behind. Griffin tried to get a body lock on, but Franklin was able to work away and return to his feet. Griffin controlled the stand-up, using kicks and strikes to control Franklin.
Griffin, still fresh in the third round, continued to land kicks and strikes. He notched a takedown with a minute left in round, which was then reversed by Franklin. The two battled for position, both trying to get the other down, until Griffin broke free from Franklin's grip.
Even Griffin realized the bout was close, and even gestured to Franklin that the fight was close as the judges' decision was announced. He was honest after the fight, admitting that not everything going up to the fight was perfect.
"Rusty. Rusty," Griffin said when asked how it felt to be fighting again. "It's great to be back, to be honest. Camp didn't go right, but it's good to be back."
Both of the former champions have had long layoffs. Griffin last fought in November of 2009, beating Tito Ortiz at UFC 106 while Franklin last fought in June, knocking out Chuck Liddell at UFC 115. Franklin broke his arm in that bout.
'Rampage' now wants Hamill: 'I'm gonna knock him into tomorrow'
All it takes is a little trash talk or perceived disrespect to get the juices flowing for Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
Over the weekend on Twitter @rampage4real, the former UFC champ sounded disappointed that he was booked to fight Matt Hamill at UFC 130 in May.
Hamill is filling in for Thiago Silva. Initially there were rumors the fill-in would be Rashad Evans. That fight never came to fruition, so Hamill it is.
Jackson's manager Anthony McGann told Yahoo! Sports' that Hamill's been running his mouth and it's lit a fire under Rampage.
"We found out that Matt Hamill actually requested to fight Rampage. His camp pushed hard for it turning down other possible opponents. When Quinton found this out, his opinion rapidly changed on Matt Hamill," McGann said. "Matt's strategically aiming at Quinton with the words if he takes out the ex-champ then he's in the mix for a shot. Those are brave words considering Rampage just beat (Lyoto) Machida. So the fight is set for May 28, Rampage doesn't take lightly to being called out."
Jackson said bring it on.
"He wants me? Well, he can have me," Jackson told Yahoo! Sports. "I'm gonna knock him into tomorrow."
McGann also wanted to clear the air about what happened when Jackson was offered UFC light heavyweight champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on short notice.
"We were signed to fight Thiago Silva on May 28 in Las Vegas. He had some problems and we were told straight away," McGann said. "Around the same time Rashad (Evans) got injured and we were offered Shogun on short notice."
Rumors had it that Jackson was walking around in the 250-pound neighborhood in .
"Quinton wanted the fight but he was too heavy and there wasn't enough time. Both Thiago and Shogun, are guys that will get into a fight with Quinton, something his last two opponents haven't. (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva gave (Jon) 'Bones' Jones the opportunity (to fight Rua), as he was good with the short time and we waited for our opponent."
McGann explained that the Hamill offer caught Team Rampage off guard.
"We were given Hamill on the May show and initially Quinton was disappointed. Matt just wasn't one of the guys he has been focusing on. He really wants Rashad again or Stephen Bonnar because both guys are disrespectful to him," McGann said. "He respects Matt as a tough opponent and he believes that Matt is someone who will put on a show which is what he loves to do. He just had never paid him no mind until Joe Silva offered him."
Silva was forced off the card because some of his drug test samples, from his win at UFC 125 over Brandon Vera, were in question.Team Fedor Needs to Move on Instead of Making Excuses for Loss
Filed under: Strikeforce
Fedor Emelianenko lost on Saturday night, and while a doctor's stoppage is not the most conclusive way to win or lose a bout, there's no denying that Emelianenko got decisively beaten up in the second and final round. Antonio Silva took him down and smashed him up for nearly the full five minutes. Even if Fedor himself says he could have continued, fighters agree to compete under the care of the referees and doctors in regards to their long-term health and protection, and the ringside physician feared for Emelianenko's vision after seeing his right eye completely closed.It's only a few days later, but coaches on his team have been quoted many times in the Russian sports media talking about the loss. It's their right to explain what went wrong, but what about when they start floating conspiracy theories?
The most ridiculous one floated? One by his trainer Vladimir Voronov, who claimed in an interview with Lifesports.ru that illegal methods of psychological warfare were used. His claim? Hypnosis.
Antonio Silva talks to Inside MMA after stunning victory over Fedor - Antonio Bigfoot Silva
Inside MMA's Ron Kruck talks to Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva after his second round stoppage victory over Fedor Emelianenko
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Throat Grab Technique Helped Antonio Silva Beat Fedor Emelianenko
Filed under: Strikeforce
Two members of the first family of Brazilian jiu jitsu, Ryron Gracie and Rener Graice, have produced this excellent instructional video showing the jiu jitsu techniques that Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva used to dominate Fedor Emelianenko on the ground during the second round of Saturday night's fight.
The whole thing is worth watching, but it's especially interesting to hear the Gracie brothers comment on a technique that seems like something out of a street brawl but was in reality an intelligent, tactical mixed martial arts maneuver employed by Silva: Grabbing Fedor by the throat.
UFC 129: Lyoto Machida Knows His Job Is on the Line Against Randy Couture
Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida was on top of the mixed martial arts world when he defeated "Suga" Rashad Evans for the UFC light heavyweight title in May 2009 at UFC 98. The second round knockout victory left UFC commentator Joe Rogan exclaiming, "Welcome to the Machida era!"
Since that time, Machida has won one fight, a controversial unanimous decision over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 104, and lost his next two.
The victory over Rua was questioned after the fight by UFC president Dana White who said, "I thought Shogun won the fight." A rematch was booked for UFC 113, which Rua won by first round knockout, taking the UFC light heavyweight title from Machida.
Machida's next loss was at the hands of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, a unanimous decision defeat on November 20th of last year.
Machida is now on dangerous ground. As of late the UFC has been releasing many fighters who lose three consecutive fights. That knowledge is not lost on Machida.
When Machida faces UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture on April 30th at UFC 129, he knows his job may very well be on the line, "The UFC considers the incomes a lot, the profits, and if I’m not pleasing the fans anymore, they won’t feel sorry for me," Machida told Tatame.
Machida knows Couture will be a tough test, "We know Randy Couture is a great champion, a guy who helped to build the sport as it is, and it’s a great pleasure to have this fight on my résumé, because I’ll be part of Randy Couture’s history on the sport," Machida commented. "He added much to MMA. I believe we can win, we have many weapons. Despite he’s on a certain age, he’s tough and experienced, and he’s been fighting guys like Minotauro, and he did tough fights and he’s tough for anyone."
Machida is known for his defensive fighting style. With his job on the line and the pressure on he may bring a new look to the Octagon when he faces Couture. This bout will be one to watch.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Dana White 'Blown Away' by Response to UFC 129 in Toronto
UFC president Dana White said Tuesday he was "blown away" by fan response to the promotion's April show in Toronto. UFC 129, scheduled for April 30 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, reportedly sold 42,000 tickets from its UFC Fight Club and newsletter presales alone last week - which led the UFC and Rogers Centre officials to reconfigure the seating setup to add more tickets for Saturday's public on-sale.
Within minutes, the additional ticket allotment was gone, and the UFC had a new personal best - and North American record - 55,000 tickets sold with a record $11 million gate. White said the company took a risk putting that many tickets on sale for its first stadium show - but was banking on previous successes in Canada, in Montreal and Vancouver.
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/15/dana-white-blown-away-by-response-to-ufc-129-in-toronto/
Dana White smashes Fedor lovers on Twitter following the Russian's loss
With plenty of longtime mixed martial arts fans on the emotional edge following the beatdown of Fedor Emelianenko, there was one man who was fired up to see the Russian go down in flames. Minutes after Fedor fell badly at the hands of Antonio Silva, Dana White hit Twitter, posted a smiley face and then opened up the blowtorch.
Longtime Fedor backers and fans of PRIDE were bent and White stirred the pot. He threw out barbs like "M-Done" for M-1 and "VaDummy" for Vadim Finkelchtein, Fedor's manager.
Responding via Twitter, M-1's Evgeni Kogan didn't enjoy the shots.
The UFC president was personally vested in this one. He'd tried to sign the Russian fighter on numerous occasions, but couldn't come to an agreement with M-1, his management team. There was probably a small part of him reveling in the fact that Showtime's big signee had lost again. White often references the lack of respect he received from networks when he was building his MMA empire. Fedor shocked the fight world by rejecting the UFC's overtures to sign not once, but twice with Strikeforce. Emelianenko is now 1-2 fighting on Showtime/CBS.
White battled with readers for roughly two hours following the Showtime fight card and signed off by thanking the fans being so passionate. He was back on Sunday ready to further debate. Fans responded by coming up with new Twitter handles likes @UFC_HWs_Suck and @ForeverPRIDEFC.
UFC 126 weigh-in: Silva wears mask and nearly starts a brawl
Turns out Dana White was right about the polite press conference on Wednesday. He called it 30 minutes of bull[expletive]. Vitor Belfort and Anderson Silva said little, but White said there was a lot of anger beneath the surface that we weren't seeing.
At today's weigh-in in Las Vegas, the angst between the fighters boiled over.
Silva weighed in, hustled across the stage, put on a mask and got right in Belfort's face. Belfort didn't want to back down and pushed forward. Eventually, Silva took of the mask and the jawing began.
Belfort said Silva was reacting to a comment he made this week. Belfort suggested that Silva puts on a facade in public and in the cage.
"I just know one thing, when you say silly things, when you do silly things, it’s because you’re worried and you’re trying to wear a mask," Belfort said during Thursday’s media workouts. "The way I fight, and the way I am, I have respect. I just need to wear one mask, myself."
Belfort said he wasn't falling for Silva's mind games.
"His actions speak louder than his words. I think he respects me. I just think he wears the mask, trying to intimidate me," Belfort said of Silva’s attempt to spook him. "He can see it in my eyes. I’m on fire. I’m not getting intimidated by anyone."
Silva, as usual wouldn't admit what he said when was trash-talking. He simply indicated that he wasn't happy with Belfort's talking.
Forrest Griffin was shredded as he weighed in at 205 pounds. That's good considering, he gets as heavy as the low 240's between fights. Griffin's also had the last 14 months off recovering from shoulder surgery.
UFC newcomers Donald Cerrone, "Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and Miguel Torres got some of the loudest roars of the afternoon.
The most intense fighter was Jon Jones. His staredown with Ryan Bader was classic, as Jones got right in his face and was breathing heavily.
Mike Pierce didn't make weight on his first attempt even though he stripped down to nothing in front of the big Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd.
UFC 126 weigh-in (Courtesy MMAjunkie)
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
Forrest Griffin (205) vs. Rich Franklin (203)
Ryan Bader (205) vs. Jon Jones (206)
Jake Ellenberger (171) vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha (170)
Antonio Banuelos (136) vs. Miguel Torres (136)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
Paul Kelly (155) vs. Donald Cerrone (155)
Chad Mendes (146) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (146)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
Demetrious Johnson (136) vs. Norifumi Yamamoto (135)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Untelevised)
Gabe Ruediger (155) vs. Paul Taylor (156)
Kyle Kingsbury (205) vs. Ricardo Romero (205)
Mike Pierce (171)* vs. Kenny Robertson (170)
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Junior Dos Santos on Anderson Silva's Win at UFC 126, Brock Lesnar and Coaching TUF - Junior Dos Santos
MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant was able to spend a few minutes with UFC heavyweight contender Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos backstage at UFC 126, and she got the Brazilian fighter to answer a few questions about coaching The Ultimate Fighter, his opinion of champion Cain Velasquez and his opinion on whether or not Anderson Silva is, in fact, human.�Cigano also talks about the special guests he's invited to TUF- including Shogun and Jose Aldo- and how he feels about spending time in Las Vegas. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryant
UFC 127 Fight Card: Odds, Predictions, Analysis and News
UFC 127 will take place on Saturday February 26th at the Acer Center in Sydney, Australia.
Headlining the card will be a bout between former UFC champion B.J. Penn and top-ranked welterweight contender Jon Fitch.
The co-main event will be a middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Jorge Rivera.
Bleacher Report will be your source for news, analysis and opinions on the upcoming fight card.
Check back often as the fight card nears for all the information you need about UFC 127.
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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/609866-ufc-127-fight-card-odds-predictions-analysis-and-news
Strikeforce Fedor vs. Silva Preview and Predictions
Strikeforce's much-discussed heavyweight tournament begins on Saturday night, with two of the four quarterfinal bouts taking place on a five-fight card that features nothing but heavyweights.What: Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva
When: Saturday, the Showtime card starts at 10 PM ET
Where: Izod Center, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Predictions on the five televised fights below.
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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/09/strikeforce-fedor-vs-silva-preview-and-predictions/
Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva Post Fight Interview after Fedor Fight - Antonio Bigfoot Silva
Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, known as "Pez�o" in his home country Brazil talks to Showtime Sports moments after defeating Fedor Emelianenko by TKO to advance to the semifinals of the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament.
Strikeforce Fedor vs. Silva: A Look Inside the CompuStrike Numbers
CompuStrike’s motto is, “Every strike counts.”
Looking at the face of Fedor Emelianenko after his bout with Antonio Silva on Saturday, Feb. 12, that saying appeared to ring true, at least on the part of Silva's strikes.
A look at the numbers compiled from the quarterfinal bout in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament reveal that Silva delivered a huge number of strikes to Fedor, mostly from the ground and mostly power strikes.
Silva succeeded in landing 72 of 128 attempted strikes. Of the 72 strikes that did land, 51 of them were power strikes. Those numbers go a long way toward explaining why Fedor’s face looked like an overripe tomato when the referee waved the fight off at the conclusion of the second round, giving Silva the TKO win.
Dig a little deeper into the stats and you see that of those 72 strikes, 47 were landed while on the ground in the second round. Thirty-eight, or 80 percent of those landed strikes being power strikes.
By comparison, Fedor landed 36 strikes out of an attempted 53 with 16 power strikes. Of those 36 strikes, 28 were landed in the first round.
I know the numbers aren’t needed to show that Silva dominated the fight, but sometimes it’s nice to see the numbers behind a fighter’s victory, especially one where one fighters dominates his opponent.
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Monday, February 14, 2011
UFC 126's Three Stars: Silva, Jones and Cerrone
UFC 126 kicked off an excellent February of MMA, filled with Silva/Belfort, the start of Strikeforce's heavyweight Grand Prix, and the UFC's trip to Australia. Who stood out at 126?
No. 1 star -- Anderson Silva: With the kick heard round the world -- at least, all the way to Brazil -- the middleweight champion cemented his standing as the best ever. This was his 14th win in a row and his eighth title defense. The best part? He is eager to put it all on the line against welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre.
No. 2 star -- Jon Jones: In beating Ryan Bader, Jones outwrestled the wrestler, earning an immediate title shot in the process. Despite the quick turnaround, early betting lines have already suggested that Jones is the favorite to win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
No. 3 star -- Donald Cerrone: Throughout his career in the WEC, Cerrone heard questions about whether he could cut it as a UFC lightweight. Judging by Saturday's performance, the answer is an emphatic yes. He dominated Paul Kelly and finished him off with a violent rear naked choke, not long after finding out that his grandfather had passed away. For that, he won a $75,000 bonus -- a bonus 7.5 times larger than any he had received in the WEC.
Honorable mention -- Miguel Torres: The crowd at the Mandalay Bay didn't appreciate Torres' strategy of picking apart Banuelos from the outside, using a jab to keep Banuelos away, but that crowd must have no appreciation for history. In Torres' losses to Brian Bowles and Joseph Benavidez, he charged inside on short fighters, giving up his reach advantage. In his UFC debut, Torres still used his effective jab, but stuck with a strategy that worked.
Dishonorable mention -- Japanese MMA: It was a rough night for UFC fighters from Japan. Both Michihiro Omigawa and Norifumi Yamamoto lost, and then Yushin Okami learned that if GSP beats Jake Shields, he has to wait on his chance at the middleweight title.
Fedor Emelianenko: The Present Does Not Change The Past
Does a night's sleep help put it into perspective?
It does a bit.
And for the people that have been watching Fedor Emelianenko since his prime, we knew this day would have to come eventually.
For his fans, it is the heartbreaking fall of a superhero. Someone that always seemed to float above the mortals turns out to be human after all.
For a fighter that drew so many comparisons to boxing great Mike Tyson—inside the ring—it is fitting for Fedor to go out much the same way as Iron Mike did, six years ago.
By the time Tyson entered the ring against Kevin McBride in 2005, his previous multi-dimensional attack had been reduced to an obvious blitz of knockout punches that no longer caught anyone off guard.
These were not the pinpoint accurate shots that so confidently found their opponent in the past. These were punches of desperation, simply hoping for a quick ending, not expecting one.
This was a fighter that was not enjoying being in the ring. There was no drive, no motivation, no heart left in the shell of this beloved superhero.
It was apparent then that the story was over. And after watching Emelianenko winging his deadly hooks only to be easily taken down and his face pounded into a swollen mess by Antonio Silva, it is clear that his chapter has closed.
Could he continue on and remain relevant in the heavyweight division? Maybe.
Should he? I think he was done before this fight was even made.
He has money, a family, a legacy. At age 34, how much longer could we realistically expect him to be great?
Sure, there are fighters like Bernard Hopkins and Randy Couture that defy the odds and continue to achieve great things well into their 40s. But these are not men that experienced that greatness at a young age.
Couture was already in his thirties before he even competed in MMA.
Hopkins arguably didn't reach the top of his sport until his 2001 knockout of Felix Trinidad at 36-years-old.
These are men who suffered a mixture of failures throughout their twenties. They built up a drive that would force them to repeatedly prove themselves.
In the case of Tyson and Emelianenko, from a young age all they ever knew was success. They never learned how to recover from a loss because their egos were built solely on winning.
They were millionaires before they ever were forced to face defeat. Those mental tools to rebound can not be developed when your legacy, finances, and self-image are already secure.
Since taking his career to America, Emelianenko has not been willing to bring all of his tools into the ring. His mindset has been that of getting a knockout as quick as possible and going home.
That can only work so many times.
This is not a case of a fighter's body breaking down and not being able to perform or sustain like it once had. Unlike Chuck Liddell or Andrei Arlovski, whose desires have not wilted but the physical aspects will not allow it. This is a man that simply does not want to fight anymore.
For all of the similarities between Tyson and Emelianenko inside the ring, their personalities could not be further apart outside of it.
Tyson was a brash, unbalanced, confused roller-coaster who could never find any foundation in his life during his career. After years of financial negligence, he was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2003.
With no other choice, he disguised the shell he had become and fought on for years, desperately trying to dig himself out of the hole he had created.
Emelianenko on the other hand has always been a calm, respectful, calculated rock who appeared to find steadiness in religion and tradition.
I have no idea what his financial situation may be, but if I had to guess, I would assume it to be secure.
Will he continue to fight on? That is anyone's guess. But, in a perfect world, this would be a fitting conclusion to such a dynamic era.
And to Emelianenko's detractors that may not be as deeply rooted in his career, I feel somewhat sorry for you.
While I often wish I hadn't been too young to fully experience Tyson's championship reign in the eighties, I am grateful I was able to see a legend in Emelianenko while he was still invincible.
The present does not change the past.
We knew this day would come, and no matter what Emelianenko decides to do from here on out, I consider myself lucky.
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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/607558-fedor-emelianenko-the-present-does-not-change-the-past
Rashad Evans wont Fight Jon Jones if he gets belt "I Won't Fight Jones" - Rashad Evans
In this MMA:30 exclusive, shot at The Gun Store in Las Vegas, "Suga" Rashad Evans explains to Dave Farra that he won't fight Jon Jones, even for a title. Evans also explains in detail how the injury occurred, how long he'll be out for, and calls out someone he still wants to fight...bum knee or not.
Strikeforce Fedor vs. Silva Results: What's Next for Fedor Emelianenko?
Fedor Emelianenko has done everything he could possibly do in mixed martial arts.
He has won championships, tournaments, beaten some of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport and been one of the most humble athletes every step of the way.
That's why it's so difficult to think that his fight last night against Antonio Silva could be the last fight in the career of the greatest heavyweight fighter in MMA history.
When you have an icon like Fedor, you never think in your wildest dreams that they could just be knocked off the pedestal, but in sports anything can happen.
They are almost larger-than-life figures. They can conquer any challenge. The odds don't matter, the stakes never get in the way and somehow, someway—even in their most vulnerable moments—they always pull through.
Against Silva, Fedor couldn't pull through. The odds were in Fedor's favor, but Silva was able to use his size and skills to neutralize everything that Fedor usually does so well.
Silva was pretty effective in the first round of the fight, landing several punches including one that busted up Fedor's nose. It was a close round, but one that you probably had to give to Silva.
Then came the second round...and everything fell apart for Fedor. He couldn't muster any offense at all, and he wasn't able to do anything to stop Silva's relentless attack. Silva took him down and was able to get full mount position on him. Going into the fight, everyone thought that Silva's best chance to win would be to get on top of Fedor and just pound on him.
Sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Silva just started throwing his arms down on Fedor's head, and you could tell Fedor was in trouble.
To Fedor's credit, he was able to survive the onslaught, and was close to locking in an ankle lock submission. But he couldn't get position, and the round was over. Silva had beaten on Fedor so badly that Fedor's right eye was swollen shut.
As soon as the horn sounded for the end of the third round, the referee told the doctor to look at that eye. But before the doctor could render a decision, the ref called for a stop to the fight.
It was all over. Fedor had been dominated in a manner the likes of which none of us had ever seen. In true Fedor fashion, he didn't whine, complain or make excuses. He understood that he got beat by a better man.
So what happens next for Fedor?
When he was interviewed after the fight, he talked about retirement. "Maybe it's the time to leave. Yes, maybe it's the last time. Maybe it's high time...Maybe this is God's will," Fedor said.
It could have just been a heat-of-the-moment thing, but would you really put it past him if he did stop fighting?
He is going to be 35 years old this year, which is still young, but he has been fighting professionally since he was 20 years old. He has done it all in this sport. His unbeaten streak is one of the most impressive achievements in sports history.
Plus, he doesn't seem like someone who wants to stick around too long, only to see his legacy somewhat tarnished by old age.
There is some talk about him possibly moving down to light heavyweight, which would be a smart move for business because it would open a whole new world of challengers.
With that said, it's hard to imagine Fedor doing that. He has been a heavyweight for his entire career, and athletes are very prideful creatures. He might see moving down a weight class as an admission that he doesn't believe he is capable of competing with the top heavyweight fighters any longer.
We will find out exactly what is going with Fedor at some point in the future, but it wouldn't be a shock if this were the last fight for "the Last Emperor."
For the latest news and information, check out Strikeforce: Fedor vs Silva News, Results And More page.
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Strikeforce Fedor Vs. Silva: Recap Of The Night, Chael Sonnen Said What?
Now, I know this isn't in the order readers may expect it, but I'd like to lead off with a very quick, shocking quote courtesy of Paullazenby.com from MMA bulletin board extraordinaire Chael Sonnen, which many fans and journalists in the MMA community I'm sure have already seen, but for those of you who haven't:
"Thank you, Anderson, for revealing yet another weakness for me to exploit in our rematch. Beating that poor punching bag doesn't impress Uncle Chael, guy. You tipped your hand like a chump poker player at a $5 table in Atlantic City. You may have beaten Vitor, but in the process, you LOST your edge. By beating that husk, you gave me the last page of your playbook. Revel in your time, [because] it ENDS the night you face me. I will mow you down like autumn wheat, AGAIN."
Lazenby, days later, continued by saying Sonnen followed up with these remarks:
"Here's a little something for you "pocket protector/number cruncher" types: I hit Anderson Silva with more unanswered, undefended strikes than any fighter has landed on an opponent in the history of combat sports. Go count 'em up, Poindexters.
I struck him more times than Quasimodo struck the church bell at Notre Dame. I hit him so many times that I stopped fighting because my fists bouncing off his melon were ringing so loudly that it sounded like a bell, and I thought that the round, and the fight, were over. Actually, that's not true—I actually stopped out of mercy and boredom.
God knows, if he hit me with a 10TH of the undefended shots I hit him with, the ref would have pulled him off me faster than a meth-head pulls the foil off a dozen shoplifted Dristan tablets. I hit him enough to have the fight stopped FIVE TIMES, in FIVE separate rounds.
Therefore, I consider myself 5-1 against him, even allowing for his tainted triangle which only came after I thought the fight was over, and I had already turned the side of his head into a bowl of porridge with my fists."
Now normally I wouldn't put such a long quote, but I feel it is worthy of being cited. Sonnen's always been in the news for his comments, particularly about Lance Armstrong and Anderson Silva, but is this taking it a little bit too far?
Fedor, Arlovski Lose; Retirement Talk?
With losses by both Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva, more talk of retirement now surrounds the two as each minute passes. Emelianenko was savagely beaten in the second round of his matchup against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, while Arlovski suffered a first round KO at the hands of Sergei Kharitonov.
There has been talk of Scott Coker superseding the tournament standardized rules, and putting Emelianenko back into the tournament. But if Emelianenko's words in his post-fight interview with Gus Johnson hold any water, "The Last Emperor" may well indeed be finished.
"Maybe it’s time to leave,” he said. "Yes, maybe it’s the last time. Maybe it’s high time. Thank you for everything. I spent a great, beautiful, long sporting life. Maybe it’s God’s will."
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva Results, News and More
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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/607239-strikeforce-quickie-recap-chael-sonnen-said-what