Jayce Caine: Eternal Fight Gym Interview

What was the key factor that first sparked your interest in MMA?

Thing is, I've always loved fighting ever since I was a kid. I didn't necessarily like the idea of hitting people and all that (until later), but I was always fascinated by martial arts and just how clearly it set someone apart from the rest. The way that every person fought and moved differently even among the same style, it really showed the "Art" aspect and how people could express themselves through combat.

I can honestly say that "Fighting" itself has been an interest of mine since before I even knew that it was something I could choose as a profession, meaning even as far back as like first grade. I'm just thankful that Eternal Fight Gym is giving me this opportunity to make use of myself and my rather different way of doing things.


Being an amateur right now, what do you think it will take to go pro?

I've got absolutely no doubt in my mind that going pro isn't going to be difficult. It's going to take a lot of blood, sweat and working with Eternal Fight Gym to step my game up and elevate to a whole new level. However, despite the difficulty I'm sure will be involved, I'm not deterred in the least but welcome it, and once I go pro, the goals don't stop there. I know with Chris, Tommy, Shaun, G-Funk (Gary) and everyone backing me and believing in my ability, I'll go far. Not to mention my own determination and inability to quit.


Growing up were you involved in any martial arts or were you a brawler?

More or less I was just a brawler. Growing up, I was too poor to afford any martial arts, and I say that without any shame at all. My interest in it shone through on various occasions though, and for maybe three weeks or so, one of my aunts (whom I have absolutely no connection with anymore) paid for some Tang Soo Do classes when I was about 12 with her son.

I learned really fast, but wasn't really the social happy type. The smile on my face when Friday night sparring came up was something I still remembered. It wasn't anything hardcore, just rules where if you got the opponent to the ground or out of the little circle it was over. For that short time there, I kicked a couple of the higher belts out easily which still makes me a bit proud.

I won't go into full detail about that; don't want to bore you folks. Had to stop that when my aunt's son apparently lost interest or some falling out with my aunt, so martial arts was out of reach for me again until I was like 17. Then again, that didn't last for more than a month because we lacked funding and were going through a very rough period.

At 20, I went back to that same school, and even without cash or anything, the Grandmaster felt I had potential so he let me train. I was in there as much as possible even when anyone else wasn't and focused a lot on Muay Thai.

After little more than five months, my family was going through yet another rough time, so I wanted to try and get a part-time job to help. The Grandmaster didn't like that it'd cut into my training or whatever and more or less kicked me from the school. Which is fine, since from an outside viewpoint, I could see he was just trying to make me into some sort of copy of himself rather than allow me to grow on my own.

For about seven months after that, I went back to doing dumb shit. Smoking, drinking, getting in street fights and lots of other trouble. I pretty much untrained everything I ever knew by reverting to that crap and feeling that martial arts was completely out of my reach again. Though, not for a single day was I able to get those thoughts out of my head. It's probably why I got into so many street fights, it was the only way I'd get that "feel" again.

I ended up moving to Hagerstown, and while drinking with a friend, I couldn't help but start talking about martial arts and how I'd love to get back into it. He pointed across the street and said "There's a kickboxing school right there," which was pretty damn literal.

So, with alcohol on my breath I got up walked over by myself and saw a few guys doing stretches. Tommy (Tom "The Hitman" Desmond) was the first guy I talked to; they told me to come back Monday. I did and showed up pretty much every single day since. At first they tried to kill me, but that's Tommy for you haha. I wouldn't quit, and they said they could see from my movements that I had some basic/natural ability that they could work with. I'm thankful to Eternal Fight Gym more than you know right now.


What are your aspirations in the MMA community?

I want to go everywhere. I want to fight in every single bout I'm allowed to. If it means I can go to Japan, L.A, New York, anywhere at all, I would love to go and get as much experience as possible. Holding a belt or two is definitely something I'm looking forward to, but an object is an object, and it means nothing if I don't really let it be shown that I'm really in this fight game for the fight itself.

The money, being known, and all that other shit are just side effects for me. I truly just love this sport, and I want to learn so much more and hopefully make a big impact on it. I won't say all my ideas how I intend to do that, you'll just have to keep an eye on me.

 

I understand your first MMA fight was the other day, what was your mindset going into that and what was your feelings on the outcome?

Yeah, it was Nov. 20th 2010 in Virginia at Brawley Fights. Definitely check those guys out for any fighter or viewers who want to see a real good show. Those guys really handle things in a professional manner.

I'll be the first to admit that I went in there with the total wrong mindset. I was relaxed the entire time, and just as I was about to go in, I ended up getting all pumped up and thinking about knocking this dude's head off and just overall not sticking to a relaxed (yet solid) and natural fighting style.

A lot of folks said I pretty much had the "Stand Up" aspect of it totally dominated, and I felt I could have done better personally if I was more focused. All the lights, all the people, it was a completely new experience for me. My opponent had been training for about two years compared to my five (with Eternal, since the rest I don't even count considering the short time and how I let myself deteriorate horribly).

There were no excuses though, the guy managed to keep taking me down, couldn't submit me or really hurt me, but he racked up the points in the third round with ground control and my lack of true focus and clear thinking. In the end, I lost by decision, but Eternal Fight Gym's proud of me. If anything, I took the loss harder than anyone, since I was unable to see the good I did in the fight until Shaun "The Reaper" Yancy who also lost by decision that same night (his first cage fight too) gave me a few words.

He was smiling, enjoying himself, talking with chicks, while I was sitting at the table wanting to rip everything apart with a pissed off expression. He really showed me that he was the better man of the two of us that night and pointed out all my good points in the fight that I had completely brushed under the rug. Not for a moment did I consider quitting though, and I'll be fighting again real soon and much better.



What is your average training routine?

At Eternal we're constantly mixing it up, whether it's Chris or Tommy running things and even when I'm by myself. Stretching is one of the few constants and one of the most important parts of training, period. I won't go into depth since if you want to know our training routine, you should come down and work with us. However, I will say that by the end of the day, we're all leaving that place sweating and in pain, sometimes bleeding all over the place. Saying we work hard is an understatement and my intent to push the envelope even more.


What is your take on the upcoming battle between Canada and America, GSP vs. Koscheck?

Dude, my answer here is going to be short and sweet. I want GSP to completely DESTROY Koscheck. Koscheck is a complete douche bag. His skill means nothing to me with that disgusting personality tainting it. GSP is a true martial artist. I believe he'll come out on top, and if he doesn't, he'll come back and destroy him any way.


Seems like that's all the questions, just want to give a quick shout out to a few folks. First and foremost, Eternal Fight Gym itself, it's like a home to me where I spend most of my time, and I even intend to be there on Christmas if I can.

Chris Suder, for giving me this opportunity, believing in my ability, seeing my potential and then allowing me to expand it all.

Tom "The Hitman" Desmond for working with me constantly and trying to push me as much as possible. I make it a goal to keep up with him since he's pro, and if he isn't done with an exercise, I won't drop until he does.

Jake "The Snake" Schaper who has helped me make leaps and bounds in my striking. Sometimes I'll try to push a bit more if I can haha, even if it's torture.

Shaun "The Reaper" Yancy who we like to call "Gigantor" for all his heal and encouragement.

Gary "G-Funk" Heagy for all his massive help with my ground game/jiu jitsu.

Bernard "B Hop" Gillebaard or "Old Man Lightning" has given me tips on my kicking that's made them strong as hell, but I still have to get to his level one day.

Bryan Vance, for the knowledge he shares whenever he shows up. Watch out for Jason Davis, Jay Holbrook, and Geoff Ditlow...You better hang around and keep training and do some damn fights!

Thanks to the Coalition guys (Jeremy Carper, Tyler Boswell & others) too for training and sparring with us (Eternal), hope to do it again more often.

Thanks to Derek Dombrouski, for setting me up with some basics that even alcohol and sitting on my ass couldn't strip away.

As for non-fight related, my mother and sisters (and one baby brother in Jamaica; hi Jason!). My long-time friend Terence Cowan and just everyone.

I can't name everyone cause the list would be too big, but I won't let you people down. I've come from nothing, and I'll keep getting better since I'm still essentially nothing at the moment. You people will all see me become something much, much more.

 

Adam Buck Clark @ Lets Bang Em MMA

Also find my Articles @ The MMA Truth

Fight Night MMA

Spawl N Brawl MMA

FanvsFanOnePunchWonder

Follow Lets Bang Em Mma: Debates and Discussions on Facebook

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/528284-jayce-caine-eternal-fight-gym-interview

Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar

Keith Jardine 'is on a seek and destroy mission to inflict pain' at MMA Global Invasion on Dec. 13 (Video)

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2010/11/29/1843731/keith-jardine-is-on-a-seek-and-destroy-mission-to-inflict-pain-at-mma

Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo

The Two Sheds Review: Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs Ribeiro

The day before Rampage faced the Dragon, Vitor Ribeiro and Justin Wilcox went at it in the main event of the latest Strikeforce Challengers show, shown this past Monday night on Bravo 2 here in Britain.

The broadcast began with lightweight action as Caros Fodor went up against Derek Getzel.

A nice technical battle began with both men swinging, before an extensive clinch against the cage. From there the fight went to the ground, and as the round neared its final seconds Fodor locked in a D’Arce choke for the submission win.

It was up to the welterweight division for the next fight as Marius Zaromskis took on Waachiim Spirit Wolf.

A non-fight that began with Zaromskis flying across the cage. Unfortunately he caught Spirit Wolf with a stray finger to the eye, and after a lengthy rest period and a couple of checks from the doctors, the fight was ruled a no contest. The time of the fight? Only six seconds.

Normal action resumed as Ovince Saint Preux went up against Antwain Britt in the light heavyweight division.

At first it looked like we were in for another no contest when Saint Preux accidentally poked Britt in the eye just 30 seconds in.

Thankfully, Britt recovered, and from there the fight progressed nicely, with Saint Preux controlling the first round with some nice strikes and some good ground work, going for a foot lock towards the end.

Britt came back strongly in the second with some ground work of his own, but OSP re-asserted his control in the third, beginning with a hard liver kick, followed by take downs and ground control.

No surprise with the decision as the judges scored in favour of Saint Preux.

The main event saw Vitor Ribeiro facing Justin Wilcox in the lightweight division.

A very interesting fight saw Wilcox outbox Ribeiro throughout. The Brazilian went for a few take downs but Wilcox easily avoided them. He also refused Ribeiro’s invitations to join him on the ground.

Once again there was no surprise with the result, with Wilcox taking home the unanimous decision.

In conclusion—three good fights and one unfortunate no contest, made for a very entertaining show, and given the performances of some of the guys here, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them plying their trade in the main shows soon.

I was a little disappointed that the women’s fight between Jan Finney and Liz Carmouche was cut from the British edit though, mainly because the women’s fights are quite often the highlight of the show. I only knew about this particular encounter because it was left on the highlights package at the end.

But apart from that, good stuff, and I hope that the powers that be at Sky, who recently purchased the Living Group of channels, which includes Bravo 2, don’t dump Strikeforce when they close down the channel in the new year.

These shows would make a welcome addition to the Sky Sports schedules.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/527370-the-two-sheds-review-strikeforce-challengers-wilcox-vs-ribeiro

Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo

The UFC Patty Hearst'd Gerald Harris

("It's not you, UFC, it's me. It's all my fault. I'm ugly and useless and deserve to be hit until it sinks in.")

You would think that seeing the MMA world in an uproar over your questionable firing for one somewhat uninspired performance would provoke you to speak out about your feelings on the matter.

Either Gerald Harris is angling for a quick return to the Octagon or the former UFC middleweight is suffering from a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome.

Whatever the reason, the former CagePotato TUF 7 blogger seems to have accepted his undeserved firing and has shouldered the brunt of the blame for the UFC's decision to let him go.

"I messed up. I had the biggest opportunity in the world, and I didn't seize the day. I didn't take advantage of the situation I was in. I don't feel sorry for myself in a sense of being cut. I'm more disappointed with my performance than anything. That's what hurts me the most. I didn't show enough initiative to win the fight," Harris told MMAJunkie. "If it was a [preliminary-card] fight, I probably wouldn't be in that much trouble, but they gave me the opportunity of a lifetime (on pay-per-view), and I blew it. I really blew it. I have nothing to blame it on. I'm not blaming it on the choke. I had a great training camp. Everything was great other than the fight. I have no excuses, none at all."

read more

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/ufc-patty-hearstd-gerald-harris

Matt Hamill MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez

Jayce Caine: Eternal Fight Gym Interview

What was the key factor that first sparked your interest in MMA?

Thing is, I've always loved fighting ever since I was a kid. I didn't necessarily like the idea of hitting people and all that (until later), but I was always fascinated by martial arts and just how clearly it set someone apart from the rest. The way that every person fought and moved differently even among the same style, it really showed the "Art" aspect and how people could express themselves through combat.

I can honestly say that "Fighting" itself has been an interest of mine since before I even knew that it was something I could choose as a profession, meaning even as far back as like first grade. I'm just thankful that Eternal Fight Gym is giving me this opportunity to make use of myself and my rather different way of doing things.


Being an amateur right now, what do you think it will take to go pro?

I've got absolutely no doubt in my mind that going pro isn't going to be difficult. It's going to take a lot of blood, sweat and working with Eternal Fight Gym to step my game up and elevate to a whole new level. However, despite the difficulty I'm sure will be involved, I'm not deterred in the least but welcome it, and once I go pro, the goals don't stop there. I know with Chris, Tommy, Shaun, G-Funk (Gary) and everyone backing me and believing in my ability, I'll go far. Not to mention my own determination and inability to quit.


Growing up were you involved in any martial arts or were you a brawler?

More or less I was just a brawler. Growing up, I was too poor to afford any martial arts, and I say that without any shame at all. My interest in it shone through on various occasions though, and for maybe three weeks or so, one of my aunts (whom I have absolutely no connection with anymore) paid for some Tang Soo Do classes when I was about 12 with her son.

I learned really fast, but wasn't really the social happy type. The smile on my face when Friday night sparring came up was something I still remembered. It wasn't anything hardcore, just rules where if you got the opponent to the ground or out of the little circle it was over. For that short time there, I kicked a couple of the higher belts out easily which still makes me a bit proud.

I won't go into full detail about that; don't want to bore you folks. Had to stop that when my aunt's son apparently lost interest or some falling out with my aunt, so martial arts was out of reach for me again until I was like 17. Then again, that didn't last for more than a month because we lacked funding and were going through a very rough period.

At 20, I went back to that same school, and even without cash or anything, the Grandmaster felt I had potential so he let me train. I was in there as much as possible even when anyone else wasn't and focused a lot on Muay Thai.

After little more than five months, my family was going through yet another rough time, so I wanted to try and get a part-time job to help. The Grandmaster didn't like that it'd cut into my training or whatever and more or less kicked me from the school. Which is fine, since from an outside viewpoint, I could see he was just trying to make me into some sort of copy of himself rather than allow me to grow on my own.

For about seven months after that, I went back to doing dumb shit. Smoking, drinking, getting in street fights and lots of other trouble. I pretty much untrained everything I ever knew by reverting to that crap and feeling that martial arts was completely out of my reach again. Though, not for a single day was I able to get those thoughts out of my head. It's probably why I got into so many street fights, it was the only way I'd get that "feel" again.

I ended up moving to Hagerstown, and while drinking with a friend, I couldn't help but start talking about martial arts and how I'd love to get back into it. He pointed across the street and said "There's a kickboxing school right there," which was pretty damn literal.

So, with alcohol on my breath I got up walked over by myself and saw a few guys doing stretches. Tommy (Tom "The Hitman" Desmond) was the first guy I talked to; they told me to come back Monday. I did and showed up pretty much every single day since. At first they tried to kill me, but that's Tommy for you haha. I wouldn't quit, and they said they could see from my movements that I had some basic/natural ability that they could work with. I'm thankful to Eternal Fight Gym more than you know right now.


What are your aspirations in the MMA community?

I want to go everywhere. I want to fight in every single bout I'm allowed to. If it means I can go to Japan, L.A, New York, anywhere at all, I would love to go and get as much experience as possible. Holding a belt or two is definitely something I'm looking forward to, but an object is an object, and it means nothing if I don't really let it be shown that I'm really in this fight game for the fight itself.

The money, being known, and all that other shit are just side effects for me. I truly just love this sport, and I want to learn so much more and hopefully make a big impact on it. I won't say all my ideas how I intend to do that, you'll just have to keep an eye on me.

 

I understand your first MMA fight was the other day, what was your mindset going into that and what was your feelings on the outcome?

Yeah, it was Nov. 20th 2010 in Virginia at Brawley Fights. Definitely check those guys out for any fighter or viewers who want to see a real good show. Those guys really handle things in a professional manner.

I'll be the first to admit that I went in there with the total wrong mindset. I was relaxed the entire time, and just as I was about to go in, I ended up getting all pumped up and thinking about knocking this dude's head off and just overall not sticking to a relaxed (yet solid) and natural fighting style.

A lot of folks said I pretty much had the "Stand Up" aspect of it totally dominated, and I felt I could have done better personally if I was more focused. All the lights, all the people, it was a completely new experience for me. My opponent had been training for about two years compared to my five (with Eternal, since the rest I don't even count considering the short time and how I let myself deteriorate horribly).

There were no excuses though, the guy managed to keep taking me down, couldn't submit me or really hurt me, but he racked up the points in the third round with ground control and my lack of true focus and clear thinking. In the end, I lost by decision, but Eternal Fight Gym's proud of me. If anything, I took the loss harder than anyone, since I was unable to see the good I did in the fight until Shaun "The Reaper" Yancy who also lost by decision that same night (his first cage fight too) gave me a few words.

He was smiling, enjoying himself, talking with chicks, while I was sitting at the table wanting to rip everything apart with a pissed off expression. He really showed me that he was the better man of the two of us that night and pointed out all my good points in the fight that I had completely brushed under the rug. Not for a moment did I consider quitting though, and I'll be fighting again real soon and much better.



What is your average training routine?

At Eternal we're constantly mixing it up, whether it's Chris or Tommy running things and even when I'm by myself. Stretching is one of the few constants and one of the most important parts of training, period. I won't go into depth since if you want to know our training routine, you should come down and work with us. However, I will say that by the end of the day, we're all leaving that place sweating and in pain, sometimes bleeding all over the place. Saying we work hard is an understatement and my intent to push the envelope even more.


What is your take on the upcoming battle between Canada and America, GSP vs. Koscheck?

Dude, my answer here is going to be short and sweet. I want GSP to completely DESTROY Koscheck. Koscheck is a complete douche bag. His skill means nothing to me with that disgusting personality tainting it. GSP is a true martial artist. I believe he'll come out on top, and if he doesn't, he'll come back and destroy him any way.


Seems like that's all the questions, just want to give a quick shout out to a few folks. First and foremost, Eternal Fight Gym itself, it's like a home to me where I spend most of my time, and I even intend to be there on Christmas if I can.

Chris Suder, for giving me this opportunity, believing in my ability, seeing my potential and then allowing me to expand it all.

Tom "The Hitman" Desmond for working with me constantly and trying to push me as much as possible. I make it a goal to keep up with him since he's pro, and if he isn't done with an exercise, I won't drop until he does.

Jake "The Snake" Schaper who has helped me make leaps and bounds in my striking. Sometimes I'll try to push a bit more if I can haha, even if it's torture.

Shaun "The Reaper" Yancy who we like to call "Gigantor" for all his heal and encouragement.

Gary "G-Funk" Heagy for all his massive help with my ground game/jiu jitsu.

Bernard "B Hop" Gillebaard or "Old Man Lightning" has given me tips on my kicking that's made them strong as hell, but I still have to get to his level one day.

Bryan Vance, for the knowledge he shares whenever he shows up. Watch out for Jason Davis, Jay Holbrook, and Geoff Ditlow...You better hang around and keep training and do some damn fights!

Thanks to the Coalition guys (Jeremy Carper, Tyler Boswell & others) too for training and sparring with us (Eternal), hope to do it again more often.

Thanks to Derek Dombrouski, for setting me up with some basics that even alcohol and sitting on my ass couldn't strip away.

As for non-fight related, my mother and sisters (and one baby brother in Jamaica; hi Jason!). My long-time friend Terence Cowan and just everyone.

I can't name everyone cause the list would be too big, but I won't let you people down. I've come from nothing, and I'll keep getting better since I'm still essentially nothing at the moment. You people will all see me become something much, much more.

 

Adam Buck Clark @ Lets Bang Em MMA

Also find my Articles @ The MMA Truth

Fight Night MMA

Spawl N Brawl MMA

FanvsFanOnePunchWonder

Follow Lets Bang Em Mma: Debates and Discussions on Facebook

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/528284-jayce-caine-eternal-fight-gym-interview

Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit

Victimized by poor judging? 'Sucks to be you... '

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2010/11/29/1842439/victimized-by-poor-judging-sucks-to-be-you

Matt Hamill MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez

The Reem Episode 10 Big In Japan - Alistair Overeem

The Reem Episode 10 Big In Japan Video by Alistair Overeem

Source: http://mmalice.com/alistair-overeem/the-reem-episode-10-big-in-japan-video_fdabad35a.html

Mike Pyle Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields

Scott Coker Probably Can't F*cking Wait for 2010 to Be Over

(Sometimes the metaphor is just ... too perfect. PicProps: Showtime)

So … not to be overly cynical … but we find it pretty hard not to start snickering from the very first line of USA Today’s recent holiday weekend interview with the Strikeforce CEO, when the newspaper boldly (read: blandly) proclaims: Scott Coker is approaching 2011 with optimism.

Well yeah, no shit. We’d be stoked about the new year too if we’d just witnessed our MMA company spend much of 2010 looking like a scared stray dog trying to work its way across a busy four-lane highway during rush hour traffic. Just to recap, this year Strikeforce -- among other fails -- staged an enormous brawl on national television, watched its awesome-sounding middleweight tournament go tits up before it even got past the planning stages, gave its middleweight champ to the UFC, stood dumbfounded when Fedor Emelianenko fucking lost to Fab Werdum, gaped while two Brazilian dudes nobody has ever heard of captured gold in two different weight classes, showed a complete and total inability to book the right fights and continued to slap itself on the proverbial forehead while suffering the whims of its largely absentee heavyweight champion.

Somehow, the stray dog made it to the other side of the Interstate but frankly we’d rather hit our own dick with a hammer than endure a year like the one Strikeforce just had. So forgive us if we can’t quite take Coker at face value when he implies that 2011 is “about more than surviving” for his company. It’s actually all about surviving and as much as the boss promises a 33 percent increase in Strikeforce programming next year, we can’t help but notice that for the bulk of this interview Coker just sounds like a dude who is taking it one day at a time.

read more

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/scott-coker-probably-can%E2%80%99t-fcking-wait-2010-be-over

Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz

Victimized by poor judging? 'Sucks to be you... '

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2010/11/29/1842439/victimized-by-poor-judging-sucks-to-be-you

Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy

Rampage Jackson Worries Lyoto Machida Will Give Him a Boring Fight

by Michael David SmithWhen a UFC fighter goes on SportsCenter two days before his fight, he's usually expected to try to sell the viewers on a fight that he guarantees is going to be a "brawl" or a "barn burner" or a "slugfest" or whatever other word you want to use to describe the kinds of fights that will make the casual MMA fan watching ESPN buy the pay-per-view.

That's not what Rampage Jackson did on Thursday morning.

Instead, Jackson went on SportsCenter and described his fight with Lyoto Machida Saturday night at UFC 123 as one that could easily be boring.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/18/rampage-jackson-worries-lyoto-machida-will-give-him-a-boring-fig/

Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping

Tyson Griffin 'on Verge of Tears' Following Controversial Decision Loss - UFC 123

Tyson Griffin 'on Verge of Tears' Following Controversial Decision Loss Video by UFC 123

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-123/tyson-griffin-on-verge-of-tears-following-controversial-decision-loss-video_a9f12f475.html

John Hathaway Mike Pyle Travis Browne Randy Couture

State of the Strikeforce Light Heavyweights

by Michael David SmithStrikeforce's light heavyweight title has been held by three different fighters this year, and two more fighters will vie for the right to fight for the belt in the main event of the promotion's December 4 show. Although the Strikeforce light heavyweight division doesn't have the depth of the UFC, it does have several good fighters and the potential for a bunch of exciting fights over the next year.

So can Strikeforce make those fights happen? If they can, which fights should they book first? And who will be the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion in a year's time? We answer those questions in our state of the Strikeforce light heavyweight division, below.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/28/state-of-the-strikeforce-light-heavyweights/

Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping John Hathaway

Herschel Walker Off Strikeforce Card Due to Injury

Filed under: Strikeforce, News

NFL star turned mixed martial arts fighter Herschel Walker has been forced to withdraw from his second pro MMA bout due to a cut suffered in training.

Walker (1-0) was scheduled to face Scott Carson (4-1) at next weekend's Strikeforce event in St. Louis, however after recently suffering a cut under his eye, the organization decided to pull him off the card.

MMA Weekly first reported the news, and MMA Fighting confirmed it with Strikeforce director of communications Mike Afromowitz.

"I feel terrible about this,'' Walker stated in a press release. "I know things like this happen in all sports, but I had trained very hard and was excited to be returning to the cage again. I hope to fight again as soon as the cut heals.''

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/24/herschel-walker-off-strikeforce-card-due-to-injury/

Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit

Chuck Liddell's next challenge: Marriage

UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell is still undecided on the future of his fighting life, but he has made a major commitment in his personal life. Liddell recently proposed to his girlfriend Heidi Northcott.

According to People Magazine, Liddell popped the question after the two went on a helicopter ride of the Grand Canyon. On Twitter, they responded to congratulations messages from baseball player Brad Penny and Liddell's "Dancing with the Stars" castmate, Karina Smirnoff.

The pair have not shied away from headlines. They starred in a viral advertisement that showed Liddell and Northcott working out in the nude. Before his bout with Rich Franklin at UFC 115, Liddell credited Northcott for helping him refocus on training and fighting. He went on to get knocked out in that bout.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Chuck-Liddell-s-next-challenge-Marriage?urn=mma-285482

Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping

TUF 12: Kyle Watson Speaks on Matt Hughes at UFC 123, Fight With Wilkinson

He may not make as much noise outside the Octagon as some of his housemates, but Kyle Watson has made plenty of noise inside the Octagon this season on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck.

Previously best known as the jiu-jitsu coach at the HIT Squad, Watson advanced to the semifinals of the TUF 12 lightweight tournament on last week’s show with a commanding performance against Aaron Wilkinson. The last week was not nearly as kind to his boss, however, as HIT Squad founder Matt Hughes was knocked out in 21 seconds by BJ Penn at UFC 123.

Watson took time Monday to discuss both his quarterfinal win and Hughes’ loss with UltimateFighter.com and Bleacher Report.

 

Before we get to the episode last week and your fight, I wanted to get some reaction from you on what happened on Saturday with Matt. Being part of his camp, it had to be tough to watch?

It was. I thought it would be a lot more competitive than that. It was one of those fights where I wouldn’t have bet money either way, because we’ve seen what a really in-shape and focused BJ Penn is like, and the same goes for Hughes, too. When Hughes is ready and prepared, he’s very dangerous as well. It was weird. I think the weirdest part was that I was in Montreal and I was actually watching the fight with Georges St-Pierre. That was really weird, watching the fight with him, and him having fought both of them. It was interesting. I figured if Matt stayed standing the way BJ’s striking had looked lately—despite the fight with Frankie Edgar, I think BJ Penn has some of the best hands in MMA—I knew he’d give Matt a hard time if he couldn’t get it to the floor. Unfortunately, he caught him before he even had the opportunity to try to take him down. I think that BJ caught him off guard, right in the first exchange. I don’t think Matt was ready for him to come forward with those straight punches. But as we all know, it only takes one to put you down, and BJ is a guy that can do that.

 

When I talked to Matt on the conference call before the fight, he mentioned that he’d only rolled with you a couple of times since you’d been back from taping the show, because he was going out to Jeremy Horn’s camp so much. Not having had much of a role in his training camp, was it weird not knowing as much what to expect from Matt, or where he was at with his preparedness?

The thing is, I’m a lot smaller than Matt, and not nearly as strong, so even though my jiu-jitsu is very technical, it’s very hard for me to put Matt in dangerous positions, just due to the sheer difference in strength, so I feel like a lot of times, he’d prefer to go to Horn’s, because he’s got bigger guys that are so technical as well who can put him in those dangerous positions. If someone asks me who he works with for jiu-jitsu, I’m going to say Horn, since Horn’s the guy that’s been with him from the beginning. I’m still relatively the new guy on the block. Since the HIT Squad opened, I’ve been there. So, I don’t really get to work with Matt on a one-on-one basis where I can actually show him things. It’s more, I train with him when we’re doing live drills. I didn’t really have enough experience to say, “You seem on” or “you seem off,” because I only rolled with him three times total for this camp. I didn’t really know what to expect, because I don’t see his preparation out in Utah.

 

Well, moving on to what’s going on with you and your fight on the show last week, what were your initial thoughts when the matchup was made with you and Aaron.

I was pretty happy with that, actually. I was even more comfortable after watching the first round and the wild card fight, because despite the fact that he was able to submit Marc Stevens, Marc had a very dominant first round on him. He really controlled him positionally, and I knew I was the strongest guy in the house, grappling-wise, and I figured, well, if Marc can put him in those positions, I can do the same thing, but I knew I would capitalize if I got his back or got him mounted. After watching the first round, I was a lot more confident. I was happy with the matchup, because Aaron, while a lot of people said his stand-up was stronger than mine, I knew that if I took him to the ground, he was going to be in a lot of trouble. My game plan was to make him think I might stand a little bit, and get him in the clinch. I figured he’d think I was going to shoot on him, so I did two level-change fakes, clinched him up, and from there, it was pretty much cruise control.

 

Yeah, you could definitely tell that you were confident in the comments they played while you were walking out, although I’ve got to say: “fish and chips?” That doesn’t sound like somebody who does a lot of trash talking.

It was one of those things where they didn’t have a lot of material to show of us trash-talking, because I think we respected each other. I never talk trash even if I don’t like the person, but I really did like Aaron. We got along really well, so that was the best thing I could come up with.

 

I think that kind of came across in the episode before, where they showed all the guys who were fighting in the quarterfinals, and you mimed hitting Aaron in the back of the head with a hammer. That’s not something you do to somebody you have a problem with.

I was just messing with Aaron. Aaron and I were very cool before and after the fight.

 

The other time we got to see you on this episode was working Michael’s corner in the fight with Alex. What did you think about being asked to corner for that fight? Did that have anything to do with Alex, or was it just that Michael asked you and you said OK?

Good question. Obviously, I’m not Alex’s biggest fan, but it was definitely not a thing where I said, “I’m going to corner you because I don’t like Alex.” It’s more a matter of Michael and I got along well, trusted each other as training partners, and he approached me about it. It was more being a friend of Michael than dislike for Alex. With the coaches stepping out of the situation, they had to have cornermen, so he asked me first, and I said, “Sure, no problem.” Alex asked me later to corner him, and I said, “I can’t man. I already committed to Michael.” I wouldn’t have liked to corner against Michael, but if Michael didn’t choose me and Alex said, “Hey I need somebody,” I would have done it for him as well. You need a cornerman. It was more my friendship with Michael than not liking Alex.

 

Did people have an issue with the fact that he wound up with someone from Koscheck’s team cornering him? It definitely came across weird. He had the corner from Team Koscheck—Josh even offered to corner him—he warmed up in the Koscheck locker room, and he came out in the yellow jumpsuit, the Koscheck color. Did anyone have an issue with that?

Well, the jumpsuit was more his thing than the color. He was wearing it because of the whole Bruce Leroy persona. I’m sure he was feeling a little disconnection from our team, and the other team. He didn’t really get along with anybody in the house, for the most part, but him and Jeff Lentz had a strange relationship sometimes. Some days, they’d talk smack to one another, other days act like best buddies. I can’t really explain that situation. But Brookins also cornered him because he felt the same way I did. Everyone needs a cornerman. Brookins got along with everybody, so he said, “I can help out too.” I can’t really explain the Jeffrey Lentz in the corner thing, but it wasn’t like all of a sudden, Alex was like, “I’m yellow team now,” it was more, “I feel a disconnect from my team. I just want to have somebody corner me.”

 

Any thoughts on that fight, having seen it from the corner? I know Koscheck was making like the fight sucked, more to get under Georges’ skin than anything else, but it was different kind of fight than we’ve seen on the show this season.

I think that was just Koscheck being a little childish. I think everyone there besides Koscheck thought it was an entertaining fight. I don’t see how you could say the fight sucked. It was back-and-forth, a little lopsided. I think the only thing that would have made it better would have been if there were a finish. I think the fight was very exciting. I think people are going to look at it one of two ways. Either they’ll think, “Michael’s not as good as I thought,” or “Bruce Leroy is better than I thought.” It’s up to each person to kind of decide that. I think a lot of people blew Alex off, but what he lacks in skill, he does make up with athleticism and heart, so he was able to stay competitive.

 

One last thing. The one clip that people have seen from next week’s episode with the semifinals is the weigh-ins, and I’ve just got to ask. What’s up with those boxers, man?

[laughs]. A lot of people have asked me about that, too. I wasn’t going to take the lead on being the attention whore and trying to get the camera all the time – I let Alex do that – but I have a sense of humor. I don’t take myself too seriously. That’s just my own way of being kind of silly. If I can get a chuckle out of somebody, I’m going to do that.

 

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/526807-tuf-12-kyle-watson-speaks-on-matt-hughes-at-ufc-123-fight-with-wilkinson

Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle Travis Browne

State of the Strikeforce Heavyweights

by Michael David SmithThe list of names in Strikeforce's heavyweight division is undeniably impressive: Former No. 1 fighter in the world Fedor Emelianenko. The man who beat him, Fabricio Werdum. Former UFC heavyweight champions Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett. Hot prospects Daniel Cormier and Shane del Rosario. And the champion, K-1 wrecking machine Alistair Overeem.

The biggest question facing Strikeforce is whether it can actually get all of those fighters -- and Antonio Silva and Brett Rogers and Lavar Johnson and so on -- into the cage, fighting each other. The heavyweight talent is there. The heavyweight fights came all too infrequently in 2010, and as we take a look below at the state of Strikeforce's heavyweight division, we offer some suggestions on what should happen in 2011.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/27/state-of-the-strikeforce-heavyweights/

Mike Pyle Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields

Exclusive pictures from UFC 123

Check out exclusive pictures by Tracy Lee from the UFC's return to Michigan at UFC 123. See a poignant post-fight shot of Matt Hughes and BJ Penn, George Sotiropoulos submitting Joe Lauzon, and Phil Davis' new submission. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Exclusive-pictures-from-UFC-123?urn=mma-288271

Randy Couture Jake Shields Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill

For Paulo Thiago it's 'just one more chance' to 'kill or be killed'

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2010/11/27/1839221/ufc-quick-quote-for-paulo-thiago-its-kill-or-be-killed

Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar

TUF 12: Kyle Watson Speaks on Matt Hughes at UFC 123, Fight With Wilkinson

He may not make as much noise outside the Octagon as some of his housemates, but Kyle Watson has made plenty of noise inside the Octagon this season on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck.

Previously best known as the jiu-jitsu coach at the HIT Squad, Watson advanced to the semifinals of the TUF 12 lightweight tournament on last week’s show with a commanding performance against Aaron Wilkinson. The last week was not nearly as kind to his boss, however, as HIT Squad founder Matt Hughes was knocked out in 21 seconds by BJ Penn at UFC 123.

Watson took time Monday to discuss both his quarterfinal win and Hughes’ loss with UltimateFighter.com and Bleacher Report.

 

Before we get to the episode last week and your fight, I wanted to get some reaction from you on what happened on Saturday with Matt. Being part of his camp, it had to be tough to watch?

It was. I thought it would be a lot more competitive than that. It was one of those fights where I wouldn’t have bet money either way, because we’ve seen what a really in-shape and focused BJ Penn is like, and the same goes for Hughes, too. When Hughes is ready and prepared, he’s very dangerous as well. It was weird. I think the weirdest part was that I was in Montreal and I was actually watching the fight with Georges St-Pierre. That was really weird, watching the fight with him, and him having fought both of them. It was interesting. I figured if Matt stayed standing the way BJ’s striking had looked lately—despite the fight with Frankie Edgar, I think BJ Penn has some of the best hands in MMA—I knew he’d give Matt a hard time if he couldn’t get it to the floor. Unfortunately, he caught him before he even had the opportunity to try to take him down. I think that BJ caught him off guard, right in the first exchange. I don’t think Matt was ready for him to come forward with those straight punches. But as we all know, it only takes one to put you down, and BJ is a guy that can do that.

 

When I talked to Matt on the conference call before the fight, he mentioned that he’d only rolled with you a couple of times since you’d been back from taping the show, because he was going out to Jeremy Horn’s camp so much. Not having had much of a role in his training camp, was it weird not knowing as much what to expect from Matt, or where he was at with his preparedness?

The thing is, I’m a lot smaller than Matt, and not nearly as strong, so even though my jiu-jitsu is very technical, it’s very hard for me to put Matt in dangerous positions, just due to the sheer difference in strength, so I feel like a lot of times, he’d prefer to go to Horn’s, because he’s got bigger guys that are so technical as well who can put him in those dangerous positions. If someone asks me who he works with for jiu-jitsu, I’m going to say Horn, since Horn’s the guy that’s been with him from the beginning. I’m still relatively the new guy on the block. Since the HIT Squad opened, I’ve been there. So, I don’t really get to work with Matt on a one-on-one basis where I can actually show him things. It’s more, I train with him when we’re doing live drills. I didn’t really have enough experience to say, “You seem on” or “you seem off,” because I only rolled with him three times total for this camp. I didn’t really know what to expect, because I don’t see his preparation out in Utah.

 

Well, moving on to what’s going on with you and your fight on the show last week, what were your initial thoughts when the matchup was made with you and Aaron.

I was pretty happy with that, actually. I was even more comfortable after watching the first round and the wild card fight, because despite the fact that he was able to submit Marc Stevens, Marc had a very dominant first round on him. He really controlled him positionally, and I knew I was the strongest guy in the house, grappling-wise, and I figured, well, if Marc can put him in those positions, I can do the same thing, but I knew I would capitalize if I got his back or got him mounted. After watching the first round, I was a lot more confident. I was happy with the matchup, because Aaron, while a lot of people said his stand-up was stronger than mine, I knew that if I took him to the ground, he was going to be in a lot of trouble. My game plan was to make him think I might stand a little bit, and get him in the clinch. I figured he’d think I was going to shoot on him, so I did two level-change fakes, clinched him up, and from there, it was pretty much cruise control.

 

Yeah, you could definitely tell that you were confident in the comments they played while you were walking out, although I’ve got to say: “fish and chips?” That doesn’t sound like somebody who does a lot of trash talking.

It was one of those things where they didn’t have a lot of material to show of us trash-talking, because I think we respected each other. I never talk trash even if I don’t like the person, but I really did like Aaron. We got along really well, so that was the best thing I could come up with.

 

I think that kind of came across in the episode before, where they showed all the guys who were fighting in the quarterfinals, and you mimed hitting Aaron in the back of the head with a hammer. That’s not something you do to somebody you have a problem with.

I was just messing with Aaron. Aaron and I were very cool before and after the fight.

 

The other time we got to see you on this episode was working Michael’s corner in the fight with Alex. What did you think about being asked to corner for that fight? Did that have anything to do with Alex, or was it just that Michael asked you and you said OK?

Good question. Obviously, I’m not Alex’s biggest fan, but it was definitely not a thing where I said, “I’m going to corner you because I don’t like Alex.” It’s more a matter of Michael and I got along well, trusted each other as training partners, and he approached me about it. It was more being a friend of Michael than dislike for Alex. With the coaches stepping out of the situation, they had to have cornermen, so he asked me first, and I said, “Sure, no problem.” Alex asked me later to corner him, and I said, “I can’t man. I already committed to Michael.” I wouldn’t have liked to corner against Michael, but if Michael didn’t choose me and Alex said, “Hey I need somebody,” I would have done it for him as well. You need a cornerman. It was more my friendship with Michael than not liking Alex.

 

Did people have an issue with the fact that he wound up with someone from Koscheck’s team cornering him? It definitely came across weird. He had the corner from Team Koscheck—Josh even offered to corner him—he warmed up in the Koscheck locker room, and he came out in the yellow jumpsuit, the Koscheck color. Did anyone have an issue with that?

Well, the jumpsuit was more his thing than the color. He was wearing it because of the whole Bruce Leroy persona. I’m sure he was feeling a little disconnection from our team, and the other team. He didn’t really get along with anybody in the house, for the most part, but him and Jeff Lentz had a strange relationship sometimes. Some days, they’d talk smack to one another, other days act like best buddies. I can’t really explain that situation. But Brookins also cornered him because he felt the same way I did. Everyone needs a cornerman. Brookins got along with everybody, so he said, “I can help out too.” I can’t really explain the Jeffrey Lentz in the corner thing, but it wasn’t like all of a sudden, Alex was like, “I’m yellow team now,” it was more, “I feel a disconnect from my team. I just want to have somebody corner me.”

 

Any thoughts on that fight, having seen it from the corner? I know Koscheck was making like the fight sucked, more to get under Georges’ skin than anything else, but it was different kind of fight than we’ve seen on the show this season.

I think that was just Koscheck being a little childish. I think everyone there besides Koscheck thought it was an entertaining fight. I don’t see how you could say the fight sucked. It was back-and-forth, a little lopsided. I think the only thing that would have made it better would have been if there were a finish. I think the fight was very exciting. I think people are going to look at it one of two ways. Either they’ll think, “Michael’s not as good as I thought,” or “Bruce Leroy is better than I thought.” It’s up to each person to kind of decide that. I think a lot of people blew Alex off, but what he lacks in skill, he does make up with athleticism and heart, so he was able to stay competitive.

 

One last thing. The one clip that people have seen from next week’s episode with the semifinals is the weigh-ins, and I’ve just got to ask. What’s up with those boxers, man?

[laughs]. A lot of people have asked me about that, too. I wasn’t going to take the lead on being the attention whore and trying to get the camera all the time – I let Alex do that – but I have a sense of humor. I don’t take myself too seriously. That’s just my own way of being kind of silly. If I can get a chuckle out of somebody, I’m going to do that.

 

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/526807-tuf-12-kyle-watson-speaks-on-matt-hughes-at-ufc-123-fight-with-wilkinson

Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit

Radach vs. Lopes to Replace Scrapped Walker vs. Carson Bout on Dec. 4 Strikeforce Card

(Radach and Lopes will step in with just nine days notice.)

With heavyweight Herschel Walker forced out of his planned December 4 Strikeforce bout with WEC veteran Scott Carson due to a deep cut he sustained training with Daniel Cormier on Friday, a light heavyweight scrap between usual middleweights Lucas Lopes and Benji Radach has been put together at the last minute to help fill in the dwindling Henderson vs. Babalu fight card.

Earlier in the week yet-to-be matched up Jesse Finney, who was originally slated to face Scott Smith before "Hands of Steel" was instead matched up with Strikeforce newcomer Paul Daley, was forced to bow out of the event due to an eye injury.

Sources close to the situation told CagePotato.com Thursday that Lopes (19-10), who is one of Finney's training partners and holds a win over UFC standout Thiago Alves, has agreed to face Radach on the card. Radach (20-5), whose record includes wins over Murilo Rua and Gerald Harris, hasn't fought since being knocked out by Smith last year, but he is a crafty veteran Lopes would regret taking lightly. 

Another source we spoke to informed us that Strikeforce was unable to find a suitable opponent in time for Carson, so the 4-1 veteran whose return to MMA after a nine-year absence in June was spoiled by a first round knock out by Lorenz Larkin.

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/radach-vs-lopes-replace-scrapped-walker-vs-carson-bout-dec-4-strikeforce-card

Jake Shields Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill MMA Fighting

Herschel Walker Off Strikeforce Card Due to Injury

Filed under: Strikeforce, News

NFL star turned mixed martial arts fighter Herschel Walker has been forced to withdraw from his second pro MMA bout due to a cut suffered in training.

Walker (1-0) was scheduled to face Scott Carson (4-1) at next weekend's Strikeforce event in St. Louis, however after recently suffering a cut under his eye, the organization decided to pull him off the card.

MMA Weekly first reported the news, and MMA Fighting confirmed it with Strikeforce director of communications Mike Afromowitz.

"I feel terrible about this,'' Walker stated in a press release. "I know things like this happen in all sports, but I had trained very hard and was excited to be returning to the cage again. I hope to fight again as soon as the cut heals.''

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/24/herschel-walker-off-strikeforce-card-due-to-injury/

Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy

White calls Marquardt a 'choker' and criticizes camp

Dana White speaks his mind even if it means lashing out at the good guys in the sport. White pulled no punches after watching Nate Marquardt struggle in another pivotal fight.

"He is a choker," White told MMAjunkie at the UFC postfight press conference. "He choked tonight. Listen you couldn't meet a nicer guy than Nate Marquardt. He's a great guy. Nice kid choked tonight."

Marquardt lost his one and only shot at the middleweight title back in 2007. He's admitted many times that he froze up against the champion Anderson Silva at UFC 73.

Back in February, a win over Chael Sonnen would've earned him a much-coveted rematch against the champ. Because of a flawed gameplan, he was dominated by Sonnen. It happened again last night against Yushin Okami. Marquardt never got in a groove. He was outpointed on the feet and couldn't maintain position when the match hit the ground.

What disappointed White even more was Marquardt's measured approach. The fight appeared to be even on the scorecards heading to the final round, but the middleweight contender never went for broke.

"You already blew a title shot once; you're in a fight for the title shot again in the third round, and you're not throwing any punches or kicks? It has nothing to do with pressure," White said. "You're ... professional, and you're going to go after it in the last round to get your title shot."

The UFC president pointed the finger of blame at Marquardt's trainer and cornermen.

"I mean, Nate Marquardt sat here tonight and said that he thought he won the fight. Where the [expletive] is his corner? You go into the last round and you're getting outstruck by a wrestler, and you think you won the fight? And this is consistent with the Greg Jackson camp," said White.

The Jackson camp generally employs a calm, analytical style between rounds. There's no screaming, yelling or desperation. White said that approach has backfired with many of the Jackson fighters.

"Marquardt is such a talented guy, and what I'm seeing is stuff from the Greg Jackson camp," White said. "This camp continuously – when these guys fight, their corner is either telling them they're ahead or they're winning."

The disappointment of the loss can probably be erased pretty quickly with a couple of wins. Marquardt is just 31 years old and Silva is far from a lock to hold onto the title in 2011. Marquardt is also fortunate because there aren't a ton of hot shot prospects nipping at his heels that could knock him from the top five in the UFC's 185 class.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/White-calls-Marquardt-a-choker-and-criticizes-?urn=mma-285453

MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez Dana White

Georges St Pierre ESPN Sportcenter Commercial - Georges St Pierre

John Anderson thinks twice about borrowing from Georges St. Pierre (GSP).

Source: http://mmalice.com/georges-st-pierre/georges-st-pierre-espn-sportcenter-commercial-video_c09e2d822.html

Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz

George Sotiropoulos Talks UFC 123 Bout with Joe Lauzon - UFC 123

George Sotiropoulos spoke with MMAWeekly.com about his UFC 123 match up with Joe Lauzon.

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-123/george-sotiropoulos-talks-ufc-123-bout-with-joe-lauzon-video_3358eaa53.html

Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields Martin Kampmann

Happy Thanksgiving 2010 from MMAmania.com!

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2010/11/25/1836085/happy-thanksgiving-2010-from-mmamania-com

Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo

Jose Aldo on Receiving New UFC Title, Upcoming Defense vs. Josh Grispi

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, WEC, FanHouse Exclusive, News, Videos

MMA Fighting recently caught up with Jose Aldo following a ceremony held prior to UFC 123 where he was presented the new UFC featherweight title. The former WEC 145-pound king talked about receiving the belt, why he turned down a fight against Kenny Florian and his next title defense against Josh Grispi at UFC 125.

UPDATE: Jose Aldo Forced Out of UFC 125 Due to Injury

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/23/jose-aldo-on-recieving-new-ufc-title-josh-grispi/

Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman

Duke Roufus Talks NAFC, Chico Camus, Anthony Pettis, and 135ers With B/R

Duke Roufus, one of the most renowned trainers of  the Kickboxing and Muay Thai disciplines of Mixed Martial Arts, will see some of his boys in the Octagon in the weeks to come, what with Pat Barry and Matt Mitrione in action at UFC Fight For The Troops 2.

Anthony Pettis facing Ben "Smooth" Henderson in what will be the final WEC Lightweight bout before the merger takes full effect, and Alan Belcher looking to get back in the cage sometime in 2011.

In 24 hours, Roufus will also see some of his hometown's finest in action at the North American Fighting Championship's "Bad Blood" card at the Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

While the card recently lost Sherron "Rob Roy" Leggert due to an ankle injury, along with Shine Fights Veteran James Warfield due to a hamstring injury which was thought to be merely a groin injury, by some.

So who will a hardcore fan know of that is fighting on this action-packed card?

"One guy you are going to know," Roufus said, "Jameel Massouh, "The Real Deal"; he's a three time WEC vet—had a war with Raphael Assuncao and he lost to one of my former students, Erik Koch."

Now 24-7 professionally, "The Sergeant" had a wild three round war with former UFC Lightweight and now-UFC-formerly-WEC Featherweight Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia, which Duke mentioned was a fight that many people thought he should have won.

The fight with Koch, a loss by Unanimous Decision, was Massouh's last WEC fight before posting a three-fight win streak—the most recent addition to which includes a late first-round submission win via Guillotine Choke at Bellator 29.

The opponent for "The Sergeant" is a truly special story, and one that only a handful of people in life (myself definitely excluded) can connect to and relate to.

The man's name is Chico "King" Camus, who now stands at 6-1 professionally, but why was he a special story?

"I don't know if you saw the World Of Jenks with Anthony [Pettis]," Duke said, "But the stuff Anthony avoided and stayed out of, Chico got into."

The reason why Chico went from the cold unforgiving world of "the streets" into the tough yet exhilarating world of Mixed Martial Arts, besides his longtime friendship with Pettis, had something to do with a personal belief of Mr. Roufus.

"In life, I believe that it's not where you start, it's where you finish," Roufus said, "and Anthony's been a big proponent of getting a lot of kids into our academy, training MMA."

And what of Roufus' take of Chico now?

"He's turned his life around to MMA; he's actually defeated two WEC vets already: Joe Pearson and John Hosman, so this is a very pivotal fight."

Not only is it pivotal in the fact of it being the night's main event, but the ramifications of a victory for "King" Camus could mean his name goes to the next level.

"I think if he can pull the hat-trick off and win against Jameel, you'll see Chico joining the ranks of the UFC Bantamweights."

If it wasn't for the WEC Bantamweight division, few would see the big deal about Miguel Angel Torres, Joseph Benavidez, Dominick Cruz, Scott Jorgensen, or any other exciting 135er in the sport, and with the WEC/UFC Merger incorporating the Featherweights and the Bantamweights, a fresh array of new 145 and 135 pound fighters is something all too inevitable.

Those who have not seen Chico in action could very well be in for quite a treat if he does come into the UFC, but first up is Jameel Massouh.

Also on the card is Jason Guida, the well-known brother of UFC 125's walking stick of wrestling dynamite, Clay Guida, and while The Carpenter won't be on this NAFC card, Jason will see action against "Smiling Sam" Alvey in a Light Heavyweight encounter.

In addition, Floyd "Hitman" Hodges will see Bantamweight action on the card, as will Heavyweights Ron Carter and Justin Lemke in only a few of the fights slated for tomorrow's 13 fight card.

The NAFC has been more than just a launching pad for stars like Pettis, Barry, Belcher and now Camus.

As a matter of fact, Tim Boetsch's last fight before a successful return to the UFC at UFC 117 was a fight at NAFC's "Stand Your Ground" event in which he knocked Reese Shaner out in a minute and five seconds.

The company attracts fighters from all over the states, with some guys coming in from Michigan, some guys that fight out of Indiana, guys who train out of such renowned academies as Matt Hughes' HIT Squad and even a plethora of guys who are regional. There's no a shortage of talent in the NAFC.

What there are in the NAFC are fresh, hungry fighters that follow an unofficial creed:

“To get to the big show, you have to win on our show!”

Whether you've got tickets to "Bad Blood" or not, don't be surprised if the next fresh talent to come to the UFC comes from the NAFC.

These guys are hungry and primed to make themselves a name you'll never forget in MMA, and before you know it, you might find yourself talking about these guys for a long, long time.

For more on the NAFC, check out the official press release.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/525355-duke-roufus-talks-nafc-chico-camus-anthony-pettis-and-135ers-with-br

Carlos Condit Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle

White calls Marquardt a 'choker' and criticizes camp

Dana White speaks his mind even if it means lashing out at the good guys in the sport. White pulled no punches after watching Nate Marquardt struggle in another pivotal fight.

"He is a choker," White told MMAjunkie at the UFC postfight press conference. "He choked tonight. Listen you couldn't meet a nicer guy than Nate Marquardt. He's a great guy. Nice kid choked tonight."

Marquardt lost his one and only shot at the middleweight title back in 2007. He's admitted many times that he froze up against the champion Anderson Silva at UFC 73.

Back in February, a win over Chael Sonnen would've earned him a much-coveted rematch against the champ. Because of a flawed gameplan, he was dominated by Sonnen. It happened again last night against Yushin Okami. Marquardt never got in a groove. He was outpointed on the feet and couldn't maintain position when the match hit the ground.

What disappointed White even more was Marquardt's measured approach. The fight appeared to be even on the scorecards heading to the final round, but the middleweight contender never went for broke.

"You already blew a title shot once; you're in a fight for the title shot again in the third round, and you're not throwing any punches or kicks? It has nothing to do with pressure," White said. "You're ... professional, and you're going to go after it in the last round to get your title shot."

The UFC president pointed the finger of blame at Marquardt's trainer and cornermen.

"I mean, Nate Marquardt sat here tonight and said that he thought he won the fight. Where the [expletive] is his corner? You go into the last round and you're getting outstruck by a wrestler, and you think you won the fight? And this is consistent with the Greg Jackson camp," said White.

The Jackson camp generally employs a calm, analytical style between rounds. There's no screaming, yelling or desperation. White said that approach has backfired with many of the Jackson fighters.

"Marquardt is such a talented guy, and what I'm seeing is stuff from the Greg Jackson camp," White said. "This camp continuously – when these guys fight, their corner is either telling them they're ahead or they're winning."

The disappointment of the loss can probably be erased pretty quickly with a couple of wins. Marquardt is just 31 years old and Silva is far from a lock to hold onto the title in 2011. Marquardt is also fortunate because there aren't a ton of hot shot prospects nipping at his heels that could knock him from the top five in the UFC's 185 class.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/White-calls-Marquardt-a-choker-and-criticizes-?urn=mma-285453

Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo

UFC 124: Josh Koscheck is 'coming to hurt' Georges St. Pierre (Video)

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2010/11/24/1835081/ufc-124-josh-koscheck-is-coming-to-hurt-georges-st-pierre-video

Matt Hamill MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez

UFC 126: Sam Stout vs Paul Kelly booked for Feb. 5 in Las Vegas

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2010/11/24/1834898/ufc-126-sam-stout-vs-paul-kelly-booked-for-feb-5-in-las-vegas

Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo