Jon Jones stopped by ESPN's campus in Bristol, Conn. on Tuesday, dropping in at Sportscenter, Sportsnation, and other ESPN shows. He also sat with someone wearing a Pittsburgh batting helmet and a catcher's chest protector who told bad jokes. Stay tuned to the end to hear Jones get one little needle in at Rashad Evans.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
5 of the Worst Broken Noses in MMA History
In the world of MMA, KOs and submissions are often par for the course, but occasionally en route to said triumphs, the vanquished can encounter mind boggling injuries—from damaged limbs or in this case deformed broken noses.
With regards to the human physiognomy, save for the eyes, the snout is probably the most easily targeted, given that it lies perilously at the centre of one’s face.
Whilst other injuries are nothing to turn your nose up at (no pun intended), the effect of a mangled nose can lead to difficulty in breathing thus resulting in a fighter who either wants out or becomes completely disorientated.
When that happens it’s near enough a sure-fire sign of defeatism.
With that said, there have been numerous broken conks in mixed martial arts, but let’s take a look at the worst in MMA history.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/992572-5-of-the-worst-broken-noses-in-mma-history
UFC 141: Why There Will Never Be a Dominant UFC Heavyweight Champion
The UFC has never really had a dominant heavyweight champion and it is becoming abundantly clear that they never will.
Randy Couture is probably the closest thing ever to a dominant UFC heavyweight, holding the title three different times and defending it three times as well between 1997-2008. While Couture held the title for approximately 1,113 days during that span of 11 years (4,015 days) and 629 days consecutively, the title changed hands to seven different fighters in that time period alone.
In a time and era when the heavyweight division was the weakest in the world, a big man who was ahead of his time had a great opportunity to clear out all comers and stay fresh with two fights annually. Couture was the standout big man of that early era of MMA.
The sport has evolved since that time, and that evolution has created more and better heavyweight fighters, more and better training and in essence a parity that the division has never seen before. The division is as deep as it has ever been and with the recent announcement that the Strikeforce heavyweight division will dissolve into the UFC, the water will only get deeper.
Evolution has also created a demand for title fights and expectation of fighting three to four times in one year a la Jon Jones. That demand also minimizes the chances of a lengthy, dominant reign. Injuries, fatigue and lack of focus creep in as each training camp goes on.
The days of the dynasty team in other sports has been crushed by salary caps and collective bargaining agreements aimed at creating a level playing field. In MMA, the evolution to parity has been a much more natural thing based on growth and development of the sport.
Sure, there are still dominant champions in the welterweight, middleweight and even the light heavyweight division, but it is easier to dominate at the lighter divisions where mistakes can be overcome, grind on the body is less and in-fight comebacks are more of the norm.
One example to explain what I mean is lightweight champion Frankie Edgar compared to former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
Edgar made early errors in both his title defences against Gray Maynard but the power shots Maynard landed were not enough to put the champ away. He was able to come back and hold on to his title both times. In contrast at heavyweight, Cain Velasquez made a mistake early against Junior dos Santos and due to the power of a heavyweight strike, it was all she wrote for his title reign.
Is Dos Santos, the man who looks unbeatable, going to have a dominant hold on the heavyweight gold? I don't see it that way and believe that his title reign will also be a short one. History, evolution and parity says that the big belt will remain a hot potato in 2012.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.
Catch him on Facebook and Twitter at wakafightermma.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Brazilian legends Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort to coach new ?TUF Brazil?
Brazil is the new frontier for mixed martial arts and Dana White is expecting a huge 2012.
There's already two cards tentatively planned for Brazil and this morning, during a UFC 142 press conference, the promotion announced the coaches for "The Ultimate Fighter Brazil." Brazilians Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva will coach and then fight at a later date in 2012.
Taping will begin after the UFC hits Rio de Janeiro on January 14, 2012.
"This show in the United States is huge ? it's one of the longest-running reality shows," White said at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro. "It's incredibly popular, it's been huge for us there. We think it's going to be 1,000 times bigger in Brazil. The amount of talent that's in this country right now? There's an undiscovered Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, Vitor Belfort or Wanderlei Silva."
The Silva-belfort fight is actually a long-awaited rematch. Belfort, 21 at the time, pulled a massive upset on Silva at UFC Brazil. Some much time has passed that Belfort doesn't view it as a rematch.
"I think the first fight was very quick, I couldn't perform as well as I wanted to," Silva said. "I think this is one of the biggest rematches in all of modern MMA and I'm very pleased to give this to my fans and to once again fight in Brazil. This is a dream."
Tryouts in Brazil kick off tomorrow with a cast announcement expected to arrive in early 2012. When will Silva and Belfort meet? Rumors say it may be on a summer card in a Sao Paolo stadium. That's also the rumored time for Anderson Silva to return.
There is some pressure on Belfort to keep full interest in this mega-fight in tact. He's one of the headliners at UFC 142 where faces an interesting test in Anthony Johnson.
The UFC has lined up Globo as its network in Brazil to air the new TUF. In the United States, it's still up in the air, but Fuel would seem like a smart spot for the international show to land.
Photos courtesy Twitter.com/MikeChiapetta and Marcelo Alonso
With ?Cyborg?s? 16-second win and no Gina Carano, does women?s 145-pound division stand a chance?
Dana White was already wondering about the viability of the Strikeforce women's 145-pound division. After watching Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos destroy a helpless Hiroko Yamanaka in 16 seconds Saturday night, he's got to be thinking more about promoting just one female division down at 135.
Add in that each month Gina Carano is away from the sport, cements the fact that she's never returning for a serious run, and the featherweights better watch their diet and prep to slim down.
That's not going to be an easy task for Cyborg. You are what you are, and she's a large woman. She already looks ridiculous shredded at 145. Can she really cut another 10 pounds in healthy fashion and recover in one day to be 100 percent rejuvenated on fight nights?
"I'm going to put in a valiant effort to try and make 135," Santos told MMAjunkie's John Morgan through an interpreter. "Maybe if I can make a catchweight and fight at 140 first and slowly make my way down to 135, but I'm going to put in a good effort to get down to 135."
If the 145 division remains, Strikeforce could match up Cyborg against Ronda Rousey. That'll certainly make for a good prefight promotion, but from a fight standpoint, it may be a mistmatch. What does it say about the 145-pound division if the best option for the champ is to face�a woman who is just four fights into her pro career?
The signs are there that Carano isn't coming back. There will simply be too many opportunities and too much money in the entertainment world to allow her to return to getting punched in the face. Her film "Haywire" is due for release in 2012. You can see in this January GQ feature why she'll be so highly sought after as a female action movie star.
What do you guys want? A more loaded 135 division or to see Zuffa/Strikeforce to show some patience and allow the field to develop the next few years at 145?
Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem Weigh In on Pre-Fight Woes...Sort Of
Filed under: UFC
For both participants in the UFC 141 main event, life outside the cage has been even more hectic than the limited time spent inside it of late. Maybe that's why neither is terribly thrilled about the prospect of talking about it at length.With former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar getting back into action for the first time since having twelve inches of his colon removed, and Alistair Overeem in the midst of a battle with the Nevada State Athletic Commission over licensing issues -- all while also trying to see to his ailing mother back home in the Netherlands -- the year-end pay-per-view could have easily been dubbed UFC 141: Outside Distractions.
But with the two men set to square off in Las Vegas on December 30, at least they can relate to one another's struggles on some level. Take, for instance, Lesnar's response to Overeem's drug-testing woes on Monday's UFC 141 media call.
Though the former champion said he's remained blissfully ignorant of most of Overeem's issues with the NSAC, thanks in part to his isolated training camp and general disdain of the internet, Lesnar said he knows what it's like to have people peppering him with questions about drug tests and suspicious muscle mass.
More Coverage: UFC 141 Fight Card | UFC 141 Results
"I've been dealing with the same accusations my whole life," Lesnar said, calling it "part of the lifestyle...I've been used to it for many years now."
Overeem, too, seems to have become numb to the questions and whispers about his weight gain and almost cartoonish physique, even if he's known to be a little more congenial about those questions than Lesnar.
"Everybody has a right to ask whatever they want, and I have a right to respond or to ignore," said Overeem. "The thing is, I'm very busy with my career. It's not only just training, it's a lot of other stuff on top of it, which is assembling the team, PR, doing all these interviews, so I'm very occupied with that. I simply don't have the time to get into all these allegations. Usually they're done over [the] internet, people I don't even know and have never even met."
Both men also seem to have to their own unique no-go lists when it comes to pre-fight questions from media. For Lesnar, it's the repetitive questions about his health, his surgery, and his comeback from diverticulitis that he only has so much patience for these days. He played along for a little while on Monday's call, admitting that there was "nothing easy" about his recent struggles, but when asked to expand on those issues he quickly found his breaking point.
"I've answered a million questions about my health here," he snapped at one reporter. "That's the best you can come up with today? I feel great. I feel very, very good."
Overeem, on the other hand, continued to guard any and all information about his life inside the gym as if it were a matter of national security. The Dutch heavyweight instantly shut down any question about who he was training with or how he'd adjusted to moving his camp from Vegas to Holland in order to be closer to his mother, who is still recovering from cancer treatments.
It got to the point where UFC PR man Dave Sholler essentially asked reporters to stop wasting their own time by asking Lesnar about his health or Overeem about his preparation. Too bad those still seem like the most interesting topics less than two weeks out from the fight.
But if you're keeping score of outside distractions in the lead-up to this bout, it would seem to be Overeem who's far ahead. Lesnar's health issues might be more serious than some wrangling with the NSAC, but he's also had more time to deal with them. Overeem's had to move his training camp, deal with the emotional drain of a sick mother, and jump from one doctor's office to the next just to get the commission a drug test that it will accept.
Through it all he's kept a remarkably calm public appearance, maybe because he's used to the chaos after such a tumultuous career in both Japan and North America.
"I've been through a lot in my career," he said. "I have like, I don't know, I think like 65 or 70 fights, so you learn how to deal with distractions, setbacks. I mean, I'm a three-time champion, and I've been through a lot. It's all about adaptation. I'm pretty good at that, I think."
Lesnar also touched on the challenge of "trying to live a somewhat normal life" while also competing as a world-famous UFC heavyweight, but in the end there might be only one thing they agree on, and it's that neither is expecting to have to put in 25 minutes of work on fight night.
"I don't see it really going past the second round," said Overeem. "First or second round, maximum."
Lesnar concurred, saying, "I feel the same. This is a heavyweight fight that, you know, we're both going in to finish this fight. I don't foresee it going five rounds."
Whether that's more of a prediction or a hope, we'll have to wait and see.
Paula Sack Interviews Demian Maia - UFC 131
Paual talks to Demian about his preparation for his upcoming fight versus Mark Munoz at UFC 131: Dos Santos vs Carwin. Watch the event Live on Pay-Per-View or www.UFC.tv this Sat Jun 11th at 6/9PM PT/ETSource: http://mmalice.com/ufc-131/paula-sack-interviews-demian-maia-video_2ad01b3d5.html
Monday, December 19, 2011
Cris Cyborg Blows Out Hiroko Yamanaka to Defend Strikeforce Title
Filed under: Strikeforce
Returning to the cage after a year and a half away, Cris Cyborg absolutely destroyed Hiroko Yamanaka on Saturday night, needing just 16 seconds to win by technical knockout.Cyborg exploded out of the gate and connected two quick hard right hands to knock Yamanaka down. Yamanaka got up but Cyborg exploded on her again, knocking her down against the cage. Cyborg began to pounce on the ground, but before she could do anything there the referee stepped in and stopped the fight.
"I'm very happy," Cyborg said afterward. "I trained hard for a year and a half. This is amazing. I love fighting, I love training, I want to fight more."
The win improves Cyborg's professional MMA record to 11-1 and shows once again that she's simply the toughest woman in the world. She's Strikeforce's women's featherweight champion, and the only question about her is whether Strikeforce will be able to find any opponents who can test her. After the fight Cyborg was asked about potentially fighting Ronda Rousey, which could be an option, although Rousey probably isn't ready for Cyborg.
Yamanaka came into the fight with a 12-1 record and a reputation as one of the best female fighters on the planet, but she's no Cyborg. There's no one like Cyborg.
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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/12/18/cris-cyborg-blows-out-hiroko-yamanaka-keeps-strikeforce-title/
Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski Recorded Live Video Chat July 8th 2011 - Andrei Arlovski
Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski Recorded Live Video Chat July 8th 2011 Video by Andrei Arlovski
UFC 143 nightmare: St-Pierre injures his knee, Diaz and Condit to battle for interim title
UFC president Dana White and company got the bad news this afternoon: Georges St-Pierre is sidelined for an extended period of time and will miss UFC 143 in early February.
According to White twitter account, the UFC's welterweight champ suffered a knee injury.
Nick Diaz, originally scheduled to face GSP, will now battle Carlos Condit for a 170-pound interim title belt.
Apparently, one fan doesn't understand what an "interim title" fight means and lashed out at White. The UFC president handled it about the best way you can when you're engaged by an idiot.
Why an interim belt? By the time St-Pierre returns at the end of 2012, he'll have been sidelined for over 21 months. It's unknown whether Condit's original opponent at UFC 143, Josh Koscheck will remain on the card.
MMA Knockout of the Week: Watch Cairo Rocha Earn a Win in "Lightning" Fashion
Before a Super Six masterpiece from Andre Ward and Carl Froch opened up for last night's Strikeforce: San Diego card, the Brazilian Fighting Championship presented an exciting display of MMA action on Friday night at an event known as "Desafio dos Imortais" (Challenge of the Immortals), headlined by a clash between Brazilian prospect Wellington Carlos "Tom" Oliveira and four-fight UFC veteran Chris Wilson.
However, it was the now-6-3-0 middleweight prospect Cairo "Lightning" Rocha who left a lasting impression on the crowd, and if you've kept both eyes on these "Knockout of the Day/Week" entries from B/R MMA, you know that the MMA world has taken some note of these finishes as well due in part to their impact upon landing and the technique with which the shot was thrown.
Thank Rocha for this week's "Knockout" entry, because without the two-and-a-half minutes in the cage with Francisco Neves, the KO might not have been worth a mention.
Actually, it would have, but you wouldn't hear people going entirely crazy over it.
Anyways, Rocha is in the white trunks, Neves is in the black trunks, and all it takes is a well-timed roundhouse kick—a la Marcos Aurelio—to put Mr. Neves out, earn a win for Rocha by way of first-round KO, and cement the 6'3" Brazilian speed-demon's reputation for being a very quick finisher, regardless of when he records the finish.
To put it very simply, there is a reason why the young lion is known as "Lightning," and with more experience under his belt, there's no telling what this young Brazilian prospect could be capable of achieving in the fastest-growing sport in the world.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Paula Sack Interviews Demian Maia - UFC 131
Paual talks to Demian about his preparation for his upcoming fight versus Mark Munoz at UFC 131: Dos Santos vs Carwin. Watch the event Live on Pay-Per-View or www.UFC.tv this Sat Jun 11th at 6/9PM PT/ETSource: http://mmalice.com/ufc-131/paula-sack-interviews-demian-maia-video_2ad01b3d5.html
Strikeforce Live Blog: Billy Evangelista vs. K.J. Noons Updates
Filed under: Strikeforce
This is the Strikeforce live blog for Billy Evangelista vs. K.J. Noons, a lightweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. Both fighters are coming off losses to Jorge Masvidal. Noons (10-4) is on a two-fight losing streak, having lost to Nick Diaz before the Masvidal fight. Prior to the March loss to Masvidal, Evangelista (11-1) won seven Strikeforce fights.
The live blog is below.
More Coverage: Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal Results | Latest Strikeforce News
Round 1: Both fighters are coming off losses to Jorge Masvidal. Noons shoots in early for the takedown and gets it, but Evangelista scrambles up quickly. Evangelista has the center of the cage and bulls Noons against the fence. Evangelista takes Nonos down with a high crotch, but Noons pops back up. Evangelista tries a standing guillotine, and Noons pulls his head free. Noons stuffs another takedown try. Noons lands a knee to the body and Evangelista closes the distance. Back to the middle of the cage and Evangelista scores with a hard left hook. Noons starting to get comfortable with a kick-punch combo, and lands with a straight right at the end. Evangelista digs low for the takedown. Noons defends but Evangelista lands an elbow in close quarters. It's a very tight round, but I score it for Evangelista as his early success was more than Noons' late performance.
Round 2: Noons with a spinning back fist early, then lands a hook. He seems as though he's found the distance. Evangelista lands a left hook and Noons is bleeding from the nose. Evangelista is taunting Noons now. Noons answers with a right hand that scores. Noons throws a lazy left hook and Evangelista counters with a right hand that scores. Evangelista has stuffed a pair of takedowns. Evangelista also fails on a takedown. Noons scores with a jab and right as he dances around the outside. Evangelista tries to close the gap. Noons goes low on a shot and drives Evangelista against the cage, where the round ends. That round was Noons', 10-9.
Round 3: Evangelista lands the first big punch of the round, an overhand. Noons replies back with an uppercut. Noons flicks out his jab repeatedly and then drills Evangelista with a head kick. Evangelista takes it but Noons then adds a spinning back fist. Evangelista goes low. Noons defends and they're back to trading. Noons' jab is measured now and scoring repeatedly. Evangelista pushes forward as Noons tries to keep space. Against the fence, Evangelista tries a standing D'arce. It looks tight. Noons drops to his knees and twists out. Back to their feet and Noons hammers him with a right. Both guys running on fumes as their punches slow. Suddenly, Noons lands a crunching left hook, but Evangelista just smiles at him. They're trading blows as the round ends. MMA Fighting scores it for Noon, 10-9.
Winner: KJ Noons via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/12/17/strikeforce-live-blog-billy-evangelista-vs-k-j-noons-updates/
Zuffa Should Consider Sending BJ Penn to Strikeforce to Face Gilbert Melendez
Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce
If Dana White won't bring Gilbert Melendez to the UFC, he should bring the UFC to Melendez. Or at least, someone for him to fight. After beating Jorge Masvidal at last night's Strikeforce event in San Diego, what more is there for him to do? Who else is there for him to beat? What matchup are fans clamoring to see? The answers are nothing, no one and none.Melendez is a top five fighter with nothing left to prove in the division as it stands right now. He's beaten Masvidal, Shinya Aoki and Josh Thomson, three of the best lightweights outside of the UFC, but there's no signed fighter in the division who has truly earned the right to face one of the best. Sure there are fighters like KJ Noons and Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante with some name value, but both of those guys have won exactly one fight in a row.
Solution: Bring someone over from the UFC to fight him. It doesn't have to be the champion. Bring one of the many quality guys over to challenge him. I have just the guy. He's a big name, he can bring attention to the promotion, and he offers the instant credibility that only a former UFC champion can provide. Bring over BJ Penn to fight Melendez.
Right now, Penn is on a break from fighting. He's home in Hilo, Hawaii spending time with his family after his hard-fought loss to Nick Diaz in October. But Penn does plan to fight again, and he even said that he'd be willing to rematch Diaz.
That's not going to happen, as Diaz has moved on to preparing for a big interim UFC welterweight title fight with Carlos Condit. So we need to find something that excites Penn, something that motivates him. Regardless of the skeptics who still refuse to believe that Melendez is for real, Penn knows the truth, that Melendez is for real and has a set of skills that would provide a challenge. Because of that, a bout with Melendez might interest him. As an added bonus, Melendez comes from the same Team Cesar Gracie as Diaz, making the marketing of the fight simple. BJ Penn comes looking for revenge against Diaz's teammate.
Penn loves fighting for belts, and as long as Frankie Edgar is the lightweight champ, Penn is stuck. He isn't going to get another shot against Edgar after losing to him twice. The same holds true for his chances of getting a welterweight title fight. He's already lost to Georges St-Pierre twice and Diaz once, so his chances of earning his way back for another title bout anytime soon are slim. So where does that leave him? He's in a legend-at-large role, looking for interesting matchups wherever they might appear. And is there really anything in the UFC that is so much more interesting than Penn-Melendez?
Let's face it, Penn would be one of the biggest stars ever to fight in the Strikeforce hexagon, with only Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko able to rival his popularity. He's a former two-division champ in the UFC, every MMA fan knows him, and his presence would certainly bring attention to the promotion. Just as importantly, it would illustrate that Zuffa is serious about Strikeforce.
Just last week, White promised that Strikeforce wouldn't be a B-league, or a feeder system for the UFC. They would go after top talent, he said. They would find a way to make Strikeforce's best fighters happy, he said. That would mean leaving Melendez where he is, and bringing talent to him. This match would prove that White meant what he said.
The biggest hurdle in this plan would be making it worth Penn's while. Because Strikeforce is on Showtime and not pay-per-view, the pay scale is different, and White would have to dig into his his pocket to make him whole.
That investment would be worth it for Zuffa, to show that they are truly committed to Strikeforce as its own promotion. It's one thing for White to say it on a conference call, it's another entirely for him to send over a UFC legend. That's a statement. That's a promise kept.
BJ Penn would be just the fighter to satisfy White's promise, fan interest and Melendez's ambitions. Melendez doesn't just need a legitimate challenge, he deserves one.
Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva breakdown their upcoming fight - Strikeforce
At the Strikeforce Heavyweight GP in Dallas, TC Inside MMA correspondent Ron Kruck caught up with Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva. The Reem spoke about his victory over Fabricio Werdum and the challange that lies ahead in Silva. Bigfoot spoke about how to do the impossible and beat Overeem
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Dana White gives female fighting another shot
As shocking as it was to hear a fired up Dana White talk about the long-range future of Strikeforce on Showtime, it was nothing compared to his attitude shift on women's MMA.
The women's divisions will remain in tact in the new Strikeforce/Showtime deal announced yesterday. In the middle of 2011, it appeared female fighting was going to take step back when Strikeforce was dissolved. By popular demand, women's fighting will still be showcased at close to the highest level of the sport. .
"Every weekend you guys are asking me about the women's division ... and women and women and women, and the fans are always terrorizing me on twitter about the women's division. The women's division is very popular. We're gonna keep it," White said during a teleconference (7:45 mark).
Stars like Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Miesha Tate, Sarah Kaufman and Ronda Rousey still have a home where they can get major exposure. White is sticking to guns about the issues he has with women's MMA. It needs work, but he's willing to give it a chance saying both the 135 and 145 pound divisions will stay.
"Again you guys hear me talk about this all the time. The depth in some of these divisions. 'Cyborg's' division has that problem. She's a huge star. She's a champion. We're gonna keep that division. People are excited to her fight. We're gonna keep it," said White (9:40 mark).
Zuffa management may lean toward some crossover fights between the divisions while the depth issues is being worked on.
"If you look at Cyborg's division, it's not a very deep division with a lot of talent. You can stack the other division deep with talent because that's what you have to do," said White comparing it to the early days of UFC when there were no lightweight, bantamweight and featherweight divisions in the promotion (20:15 mark). "In order to run a show and establish champions with great contenders you gotta go deep in every one of those weight divisions."
So as big as the news was for the elite male fighters at 205, 185, 170 and 155, yesterday's announcement benefited female fighting more than anything. With the might and money of Zuffa/UFC plus the ability to talent evaluate, the talent pool in female fighting at the highest levels should explode. Then the question is, will fans want to pay to see it and will it bring eyes to the TV sets? That's a debate for another day. At least right now, women get the opportunity.
Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal -- By the Odds
Filed under: Strikeforce
It's Strikeforce time again, for better or worse, and that usually means one thing to the betting MMA fan: opportunity. I don't know if it's the built-in talent inequality on the roster or the penchant for one-sided squash matches, but it seems like Strikeforce always features fights with big favorites and hefty underdogs. If you know how to parlay the former and spot the latter, that could mean some profitable fight nights. If you don't, it's just another night of crying into the couch cushions.
Let's see how oddsmakers see it going down on Saturday night's Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal card.
Gilbert Melendez (-380) vs. Jorge Masvidal (+290)
On any Strikeforce card, both in the pre and post-Zuffa eras, you're bound to find some long odds to go with total mismatches. But while Saturday night's main event has the long odds part down, I doubt it's quite as much of a mismatch as it looks like on paper. Masvidal doesn't have the name recognition or the big wins that Melendez does, but he's still a tough, experienced fighter who's difficult to put away. That means Melendez could be looking at five hard rounds with this guy, which is plenty of opportunity for us to find out whether he took this challenge seriously enough in training camp. This is a tricky fight for Melendez, because there's just not that much to gain. Masvidal, on the other hand, could go from solid journeyman to potential star with one good night. Skill-for-skill, the edge has to go to Melendez. He's the all-around better fighter, and he should win this. But Masvidal is the kind of guy who won't give you anything. Melendez is going to have to go out there and take it.
My pick: Melendez. I can't bring myself to take the underdog risk on Masvidal, mostly because there are better options on this very same card. Speaking of which...
Gegard Mousasi (-380) vs. Ovince St. Preux (+290)
I get it: Mousasi's a familiar name and St. Preux is just some Challengers guy, right? Wrong. St. Preux is a genuine prospect, a gifted athlete, and maybe even a future Strikeforce champ with the right experience and adjustments. He hasn't lost a fight since 2009 and he's looking more and more comfortable in the cage of late, albeit against a series of opponents who seem as if they might have been selected for just that purpose. Mousasi, on the other hand, has looked a little uninspired in recent fights. He had that weird little draw with Keith Jardine, and he hasn't faced anyone really tough since he dropped the belt to Mo Lawal in 2010. He was the flavor of the month for a little while, but he just never progressed past a certain point and couldn't develop the appropriate sense of urgency about it, either. Maybe he deserves to be the favorite just based on the difference in experience against high-level opponents, but to give him Gilbert Melendez odds is insane. Not only does St. Preux have a chance, it's a pretty good one. I'd consider him a good bet at +190. At +290 he's a steal.
My pick: St. Preux. It feels like oddsmakers are just begging me to take their money here. I'd hate to disappoint them.
Cris "Cyborg" Santos (-900) vs. Hiroko Yamanaka (+550)
Oh, here we go. Hide your kids. Hide your girlfriend's delicate face. Hide anything you don't want smashed to pieces by the most intimidating fighter in women's MMA. "Cyborg" is back on the scene and it's looking like another squash match for the 145-pound champ. This time you can't blame matchmakers. There simply aren't many women out there who could give Santos much of a fight. Granted, Santos hasn't fought in a year and a half, while Yamanaka's been pretty active, but come on. You look at Yamanaka's record and there's nothing to suggest that she's ready for the intensity and the force of this one-woman wrecking crew. Nothing at all.
My pick: Santos. But at -900, I can't even put her in my parlay without feeling weird about it. It's like betting on a bull in a fight with an ostrich. You know you're almost certainly going to be right, but who wants to profit off something like that?
KJ Noons (-190) vs. Billy Evangelista (+155)
Here's one where you can actually learn something by comparing their performances against a common opponent. Both these guys dropped decisions to Masvidal in their most recent outings, though Noons' loss was the one that seemed to catch oddsmakers off-guard. This isn't one of those fights where they both do very different things, and it's a contest to see who can shut the other one down and make it into his kind of fight. Instead, it's a fight where they have similar styles and approaches, but one guy is just a little sharper at it. And who's that one guy, you ask? Easy: he's the one with the minus next to his name.
My pick: Noons. I don't see him blowing two in a row where he's the favorite, but I'll save it for the parlay.
Quick picks:
- Justin Wilcox (-170) over Caros Fodor (+140). I'm still bitter that we didn't get a Wilcox-Cavalcante rematch after the unfortunate eye-poke ending to the last bout. This should be slightly less competitive.
- Devin Cole (-155) over Gabriel Salinas-Jones (+125). I don't expect the fight of the year, but I do expect a win for Cole.
The 'For Entertainment Purposes Only' Parlay: Melendez + Noons + Wilcox + Cole
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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/12/16/strikeforce-melendez-vs-masvidal-by-the-odds/
Ryan Ford Post Nick Hinchliffe Interview - Ryan Ford
Ryan Ford Post Nick Hinchliffe Interview Video by Ryan FordSource: http://mmalice.com/ryan-ford/ryan-ford-post-nick-hinchliffe-interview-video_f841c3083.html
Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal -- By the Odds
Filed under: Strikeforce
It's Strikeforce time again, for better or worse, and that usually means one thing to the betting MMA fan: opportunity. I don't know if it's the built-in talent inequality on the roster or the penchant for one-sided squash matches, but it seems like Strikeforce always features fights with big favorites and hefty underdogs. If you know how to parlay the former and spot the latter, that could mean some profitable fight nights. If you don't, it's just another night of crying into the couch cushions.
Let's see how oddsmakers see it going down on Saturday night's Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal card.
Gilbert Melendez (-380) vs. Jorge Masvidal (+290)
On any Strikeforce card, both in the pre and post-Zuffa eras, you're bound to find some long odds to go with total mismatches. But while Saturday night's main event has the long odds part down, I doubt it's quite as much of a mismatch as it looks like on paper. Masvidal doesn't have the name recognition or the big wins that Melendez does, but he's still a tough, experienced fighter who's difficult to put away. That means Melendez could be looking at five hard rounds with this guy, which is plenty of opportunity for us to find out whether he took this challenge seriously enough in training camp. This is a tricky fight for Melendez, because there's just not that much to gain. Masvidal, on the other hand, could go from solid journeyman to potential star with one good night. Skill-for-skill, the edge has to go to Melendez. He's the all-around better fighter, and he should win this. But Masvidal is the kind of guy who won't give you anything. Melendez is going to have to go out there and take it.
My pick: Melendez. I can't bring myself to take the underdog risk on Masvidal, mostly because there are better options on this very same card. Speaking of which...
Gegard Mousasi (-380) vs. Ovince St. Preux (+290)
I get it: Mousasi's a familiar name and St. Preux is just some Challengers guy, right? Wrong. St. Preux is a genuine prospect, a gifted athlete, and maybe even a future Strikeforce champ with the right experience and adjustments. He hasn't lost a fight since 2009 and he's looking more and more comfortable in the cage of late, albeit against a series of opponents who seem as if they might have been selected for just that purpose. Mousasi, on the other hand, has looked a little uninspired in recent fights. He had that weird little draw with Keith Jardine, and he hasn't faced anyone really tough since he dropped the belt to Mo Lawal in 2010. He was the flavor of the month for a little while, but he just never progressed past a certain point and couldn't develop the appropriate sense of urgency about it, either. Maybe he deserves to be the favorite just based on the difference in experience against high-level opponents, but to give him Gilbert Melendez odds is insane. Not only does St. Preux have a chance, it's a pretty good one. I'd consider him a good bet at +190. At +290 he's a steal.
My pick: St. Preux. It feels like oddsmakers are just begging me to take their money here. I'd hate to disappoint them.
Cris "Cyborg" Santos (-900) vs. Hiroko Yamanaka (+550)
Oh, here we go. Hide your kids. Hide your girlfriend's delicate face. Hide anything you don't want smashed to pieces by the most intimidating fighter in women's MMA. "Cyborg" is back on the scene and it's looking like another squash match for the 145-pound champ. This time you can't blame matchmakers. There simply aren't many women out there who could give Santos much of a fight. Granted, Santos hasn't fought in a year and a half, while Yamanaka's been pretty active, but come on. You look at Yamanaka's record and there's nothing to suggest that she's ready for the intensity and the force of this one-woman wrecking crew. Nothing at all.
My pick: Santos. But at -900, I can't even put her in my parlay without feeling weird about it. It's like betting on a bull in a fight with an ostrich. You know you're almost certainly going to be right, but who wants to profit off something like that?
KJ Noons (-190) vs. Billy Evangelista (+155)
Here's one where you can actually learn something by comparing their performances against a common opponent. Both these guys dropped decisions to Masvidal in their most recent outings, though Noons' loss was the one that seemed to catch oddsmakers off-guard. This isn't one of those fights where they both do very different things, and it's a contest to see who can shut the other one down and make it into his kind of fight. Instead, it's a fight where they have similar styles and approaches, but one guy is just a little sharper at it. And who's that one guy, you ask? Easy: he's the one with the minus next to his name.
My pick: Noons. I don't see him blowing two in a row where he's the favorite, but I'll save it for the parlay.
Quick picks:
- Justin Wilcox (-170) over Caros Fodor (+140). I'm still bitter that we didn't get a Wilcox-Cavalcante rematch after the unfortunate eye-poke ending to the last bout. This should be slightly less competitive.
- Devin Cole (-155) over Gabriel Salinas-Jones (+125). I don't expect the fight of the year, but I do expect a win for Cole.
The 'For Entertainment Purposes Only' Parlay: Melendez + Noons + Wilcox + Cole
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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/12/16/strikeforce-melendez-vs-masvidal-by-the-odds/
Brian Ebersole takes tight decision win at UFC 140
Brian Ebersole halted Claude Patrick's win streak by winning a razor-close split decision at UFC 140 in Toronto on Saturday. The judges saw it 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 for Ebersole.
After the last two fights on the card ended in under a minute, this one started a bit more slowly. Ebersole pushed Patrick back to the fence to work a takedown. Ebersole got Patrick to the ground, but Patrick grabbed a guillotine. Ebersole survived, and the two returned to their feet. The first round finished with more clinching, but no serious damage for either fighter.
The pair returned to the clinch in the second round. Neither man could get get an advantage as they pushed into each other until the final 20 seconds of the round. Patrick landed four big strikes, which constituted most of the offense for the round.
After showing good takedown defense for much of the fight, Patrick was finally taken down by Ebersole. He held onto Patrick's back, landing strikes the whole time. The even match continued as Patrick maneuvered Ebersole into a choke, and then Ebersole rolled out. They returned to their feet, and Patrick landed more strikes. As the round came to an end, Patrick stuffed a takedown, then tried for one more choke, but couldn't hold on. The horn to end the round sounded with Ebersole on top of Patrick.
Ebersole, who has been fighting since 2000, said that the guillotine wasn't close to taking him out. "In my experience, the guillotine is a myth," Ebersole said after the bout of a submission that is quite effective.
He now has a record of 49-14-1. Patrick, who was fighting in front of a home crowd, lost for just the second time in his career. He is now 14-2.
Friday, December 16, 2011
10 Old-School Fighters We'd Love to See in MMA Today
How would some of the old legends of MMA fare against today's top-notch fighters?
It's fun to think about whether a prime Royce Gracie could to handle a Demian Maia or a Ronaldo Souza on the ground, or whether Bas Rutten would have been able to hang with Junior dos Santos.
The old-school MMA fighters were some of the most entertaining to watch, so let's take a look at 10 old-school fighters we wish were still competing today.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/985388-10-old-school-fighters-wed-love-to-see-in-mma-today
Miller?s striking continues to take a verbal beating from White and Bisping
Jason Miller had a golden opportunity to make a big impression at the Season 14 "Ultimate Fighter Finale." Did he ever.
Miller so looked so sloppy standing up that UFC president Dana White is still engaged in conversation about the veteran's performance.
"It was bad. To be honest, and my Twitter's been blowing up with Mayhem fans blasting me, but facts are facts: It was the worst standup I've ever seen in my life. I don't know if I've ever seen standup that bad," White said during yesterday's UFC on Fox 2 press conference in Chicago. "I don't even know what to call it. I've seen guys with some ring rust. Some of the punches that were thrown by 'Mayhem' Miller in this fight, you can go to a girls Tae Bo class and see better form in standup. It was embarrassing."
Bisping told MMAWeekly on Saturday that it was liking fighting some clown at a pub.
"We're not outside a pub drunk. In England, you get two piss heads outside a kabob shop fighting like that," Bisping said. "This is the UFC. Come on Jason, sort it out."
Jeremy Botter from Heavy.com tweeted that night that he believed White was iffy about bringing Miller back for another fight. We didn't believe him, but now that we hear White still going on about the performance, maybe Botter was onto something?
Was Miller's performance that bad? Should he be axed after his one fight (we're not counting Georges St-Pierre fight back in 2005) in this modern era of UFC?
Michael Bisping doesn?t want to hear about Jason Miller?s stamina, ?Mayhem? just needs work on his game
Michael Bisping just wanted a little more credit following his win over Jason "Mayhem" Miller, so he scolded the media who were saying the American ran out of steam early in the fight.
"Did you see the pace of the fight? Did you see how many punches I was throwing? Any time I stop someone it's because they gassed. I guarantee Jason didn't gas. I guarantee Jason could've gone five rounds," said Bisping.
The Brit said he was the reason Miller was physically and mentally sapped by the middle of the third round.
"Guess what? You might have cardio but when someone's landing big body shots like I was ... kneeing you in the stomach and punching you repeatedly in the face, your cardio gets affected," Bisping said. "Even the best runner would gas. You get Lindford Christie in there and beat the [expletive] out of him, see how fast he runs the 100 meters."
Bisping believes Miller can compete in the UFC, but the 30-year-old MMA veteran needs a lot of work.
"I've got good takedown defense and he took me down. Against someone less experienced, he could've gotten a submission. He gave me a tough first round," Bisping said. "If I were him, I'd go train striking, keep his shape a little bit more when he's standing up and be a little more orthodox."
Because Miller was launching his head each time he threw an overhand right, it almost became a short night for Bisping. He got drilled in the first when the fighter's clashed heads.
"He was throwing it and really committing with his head. I could feel it instantly and a big lump on my head," Bisping said. "When I'm sparring I prefer a really good, high-level boxer. Someone who's really good and technical. I do great against those guys. Someone who's unorthodox, a beginner if you will ... they catch you with shots because they do stupid things that they're not supposed to do. They don't follow the guidelines."
Miller has survived solely on his grappling by fighting in Japan, Strikeforce and some of the minor leagues around the U.S. He definitely needs to dedicate himself to the stand-up game or his stay in the UFC could be very brief.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
UFC 131 Weigh in Highlight: Florian v. Nunes - UFC 131
Tomorrow night, Kenny Florian will make his featherweight debut as he takes on Diego Nunes at UFC 131Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-131/ufc-131-weigh-in-highlight-florian-v-nunes-video_dbd951e65.html
Ben Askren has one challenge left on wrestling mat
Ben Askren defended his Bellator belt with a decision win over Jay Hieron in October. He's wrestled in the Olympics, won two multiple championships for the University of Missouri, and his next challenge should be Douglas Lima, when Bellator's next season starts in March.
But Askren may have one more wrestling match in him. The idea of a one-time match with current world champ Jordan Burroughs has been proposed to Askren, and he likes what he hears.
"He's a great competitor. He's the world champ. It would be a blast," Askren told Cagewriter. "We have uniquely different styles. I have the scrambling, and am a great mat wrestler, and he's very good on his feet. I think it will be a blast. You don't get to see too many contrasting styles that often."
His contract with Bellator allows Askren to participate in wrestling events. His sponsor, Cage Fighter, also sponsors Burroughs, and is working to make this match happen, possibly in Chicago the weekend of the UFC on Fox 2.
Askren is known for letting his opponents know exactly what he thinks of them, which can often result in harsh words. With Burroughs' credentials, Askren has nothing but respect for his possible opponent.
"He's one of the few people I actually respect. I can't talk [expletive.] I've got a lot of respect for him. If you look post-Cael [Sanderson], me and Burroughs are the two most dominant wrestlers as far as we both had undefeated seasons, we both won the Hodge Trophy, we both had very, very few close matches in the last couple years."
In the meantime, Askren is continuing to focus on an MMA career. Though next year is an Olympic year, he is definitely sticking with MMA and preparing for his next Bellator title defense. He describes his training at Duke Roufus' gym in Milwaukee as awesome, and has no plans to take a break during Bellator's hiatus.
"Training hard. I don't have an off-season, so I'm in the gym five days a week. Well, six, really. "
Demian Maia: I Know I Can Submit Michael Bisping
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, UFC on FOX
CHICAGO -- Demian Maia thinks he can be the first person to hand Michael Bisping a submission loss."He has a good submission defense but it doesn't matter," Maia recently told MMA Fighting. "I've fought guys before that have never been submitted before many times and I've submitted them. I know I have the chance to submit him."
It will also be his strategy when he meets Bisping at UFC on FOX 2 on Jan. 28. Maia acknowledges this fight against Bisping will be a great opportunity for him to showcase his jiu-jitsu skills again.
Maia, who held submission wins in his first five UFC fights, has seen his six most recent fights end in decision. Maia explains the lack of finishes have been due to more challenging opponents and his focus on improving in other areas of MMA.
"It's expectations," Maia told the press at last week's UFC on FOX 2 conference. "I fight everytime tougher and toughers guys. I took time to learn more boxing, thai boxing and even wrestling. I cannot just train jiu-jitsu anymore. I need to be an MMA fighter."
Maia last fought at UFC 136 in October, outpointing Jorge Santiago after three rounds. Meanwhile, Bisping is coming off a win against Jason "Mayhem" Miller on Dec. 3.
Maia was informed on Dec. 2 the possibility of meeting the winner of Bisping-Miller later at UFC on FOX 2. After Saturday's fights, Bisping had to return home and decide if he would make a quick turnaround and fight again on the Jan. 28 card. The fight wasn't official until last Wednesday's UFC on FOX 2 press conference at the United Center.
"They just set me the flight tickets yesterday, like two hours before I went to the airport," Maia said. "We just came here."
In fact, Maia didn't sign the bout agreement until after the conference.
If Maia wants to submit Bisping though, he'll have to take him down first. Bisping has done a solid job keeping the fight standing, winning nine of his 15 UFC fights via (T)KO.
"Sometimes people underrate him, I don't know why," Maia said. "But I think he's tough, he's good. He's only lost three fights in his career."
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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/12/13/demian-maia-i-know-i-can-submit-michael-bisping/
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The best of Chael Sonnen at the UFC on Fox 2 press conference
CHICAGO -- After the UFC on Fox 2 press conference, UFC president Dana White commented on Chael Sonnen's ability to sell a fight. He called Sonnen the best promoter since Muhammad Ali. Comparing Sonnen to the man who called himself the "Greatest of All Time" isn't a title that White took lightly, adding that he knew it was going to get him in trouble.
Take a look at the best of Sonnen's soundbites from Wednesday's press conference, and tell us if White was right.
On if Anderson Silva is next on his schedule: "I got no problem with Anderson Silva, but I'm not going to change my schedule just to kick his ass. If I'm not the best guy and Mark is, then he can go have the shot. But Anderson's not going to fight me in Brazil, in America, in Antarctica, in his kitchen when I'm trying to get a Brazilian steak. He's not going to fight me."
On if Silva is ducking him or Dan Henderson: "I don't believe Anderson's hurt. He says he's hurt and then he's caught on tape working with Wanderlei Silva and working with Lyoto Machida, that got caught on tape. I really don't care about Anderson Silva. How hard is it going to be to become world champion when you're beating up math teachers? I think he's ducking me. I think he's ducking Dan Henderson. I don't think he's hurt."
[Related: Injury keeps Georges St. Pierre out of UFC 143; Nick Diaz to face Carlos Condit]
To a fan who thanked the UFC for coming back to Chicago: "You're welcome that we came back to Chicago. When Dana and I decided to come back to Chicago, he takes most the credit, but you were who we specifically were thinking of. Thank you for coming out today."
On running for office: "I held public office, and I left the only way a person should: in handcuffs."
On his opponent, Mark Munoz, remembering a dirty move that Sonnen used when the two wrestled in college: "Mark's explanation of it being heat of the moment, I appreciate that but I can assure you. It was a pre-meditated and pre-calculated event. I offer no apology. I don't even remember college! I'm driving around with a car with no insurance, a pocket with no money, and the biggest thing on my mind is which kid should I sit next to on exam day. As far as a wrestling match goes, it was the fourth thing on my mind."
On fighting friends: "Everybody's got guys they don't want to fight, and Mark's at the top of that list. Not just because he's a friend but because he's a hard match. I've competed with him and I've never beat him. We have to do this, and on top of that, Mark and I agreed to fight to set up an example for the rest of the guys. This is just competition. Basketball players don't not face each other because they're friends.The answer is yes, and we will compete and we will live with the result."
On Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow: "I've never seen a football game in my whole life. I've never seen a basketball game and my uncle won two championships. This is the only game I know to play. Good for Tim."
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UFC 143 nightmare: St-Pierre injures his knee, Diaz and Condit to battle for interim title
UFC president Dana White and company got the bad news this afternoon: Georges St-Pierre is sidelined for an extended period of time and will miss UFC 143 in early February.
According to White twitter account, the UFC's welterweight champ suffered a knee injury.
Nick Diaz, originally scheduled to face GSP, will now battle Carlos Condit for a 170-pound interim title belt.
Apparently, one fan doesn't understand what an "interim title" fight means and lashed out at White. The UFC president handled it about the best way you can when you're engaged by an idiot.
Why an interim belt? By the time St-Pierre returns at the end of 2012, he'll have been sidelined for over 21 months. It's unknown whether Condit's original opponent at UFC 143, Josh Koscheck will remain on the card.
Video: The most adorable ?fight? you have ever seen
We take this break from discussion of Jon Jones' choking out Lyoto Machida, and Frank Mir snapping Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's arm to watch some adorableness that will make you giggle. It's two toddlers trying out taekwondo in this video that just went viral.
OK, so it's not so much a fight as two tiny people dancing around each other who come nowhere near landing anything. They do have some impressive movement, though.
Thanks to With Leather.
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