aboardnylons70

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Cerrone moves into title picture by smashing Siver at UFC 137

LAS VEGAS - The new Donald Cerrone is one scary individual.

The former WEC star continued his assault on the UFC lightweight division by destroying a previously hot Denis Siver in less than three minutes.

Cerrone (17-3, 4-0 UFC) rocked Siver on the feet several times before finishing him with a rear-naked at the 2:25 mark of the first round in the second fight on the UFC 137 Spike broadcast.

Cerrone's now won six straight fights and last two have come via brutal knockout. The list of title contenders is long at 155 pounds, but Cerrone has certainly earned himself a shot at one of the guys in the top six.

Both fighters came out throwing, but it was Cerrone who was able to deal with getting hit. He fired back hard shots and when he landed a huge left kick to the head, it was the beginning of the end for the Russian fighting out of Germany. Siver's legs were lost. He wobbled for several seconds before grabbing a Cerrone leg and slowing the down the fight along the cage.

Cerrone moves into title picture by smashing Siver at UFC 137

The fighters separated and Cerrone landed another right straight down the pipe. Siver went down to his knees where Cerrone jumped on his back and quickly got his hooks in. Seconds later, he slapped on the rear-naked choke and Siver tapped almost immediately.

"Donald hits very hard. Both shots got me pretty wobbled and I was unable to collect myself after the second one. That made it very easy for him to sink in the submission and there was nothing I could do."

Cerrone loves to fight so he may not wait until one of the big boys is free to fight. He said before and after the fight, he'd like another bout before the end of 2011. He's 4-0 this year.

"There were a couple of things I should have done differently, but I'll work on it," said the extremely self-critical Cerrone. "I want to fight one more time this year - bring it on. I don't want to wait."

Siver (19-8, 8-5 UFC) had won four straight coming in.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Cerrone-moves-into-title-picture-by-smashing-Siv?urn=mma-wp8718

Carlos Condit Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle

UFC: Chuck Liddell and Rampage Meet for a Rubber Match

Former UFC light heavyweight champions Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson closed the book on their rivalry in a "rubber match" that ended in surprising fashion.

The legendary UFC superstars stepped onstage before the UFC 137 weigh-ins to play against one another in THQ's upcoming "UFC Undisputed 3" video game.

There was no shortage of entertainment either. The event had entrances, Mike Goldberg calling the action, and a Pride world title.

The storied rivalry between Liddell and Jackson began at Pride Final Conflict in November 2003.

Jackson used his world class striking to dominate the standup exchanges and close the distance for takedowns. In the second round, Liddell's corner was forced to throw in the towel after the light heavyweight superstar took a barrage of unanswered body shots on the ground.

After the bout, Liddell returned to the UFC, where he would win a world title and go on a seven-fight win streak.

The streak was finally snapped in May 2007 at UFC 71, where Jackson defeated Liddell once again in the rematch to claim the light heavyweight title.

Who wins the rubber match?

We'll leave out the spoilers and let you find out for yourself in the video above.

The release date to "UFC Undisputed 3" has been pushed back to February 14 in North America and February 17 in Europe. The game will be featured on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Along with a star-studded roster of over 150 fighters, the game will also host a plethora of new options, including fighter entrances and competing under the Pride banner and rules.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/930938-chuck-liddell-and-rampage-meet-for-a-rubber-match

Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman

BJ Penn and 7 Fighters We Were Sad to See Retire from MMA

In the short history of mixed martial arts, there are only a few fighters who can actually be classified as legends. BJ Penn, without question, is one of them.

A former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, Penn is one of only two fighters in the company’s history who has held titles in multiple weight classes. This amazing feat helps spotlight the incredible versatility and longevity that “The Prodigy” has displayed during his time in the sport.

Unfortunately for fans, in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan after his disappointing loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 138, Penn strongly indicated that it might be the last time we see him compete in the cage. We have seen Penn make vague references to retirement before, but it never felt anything like this.

The emotion poured through the television screen as the dejected former champion shook Rogan’s hand, who praised him and thanked him for his accomplishments. If his retirement does stick, as many believe it will, it will be the latest in a string of sad retirements in this sport, still in its teenage years.

Penn’s retirement is the latest, but these seven MMA legends also had also had heart-wrenching retirements for themselves and their fans.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/930420-bj-penn-and-7-fighters-we-were-sad-to-see-retire-from-mma

Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping

UFC on FOX: Did Clay Guida's Tendency To Bleed Cost Him a Spot on FOX?

Blood.

Some MMA fans love it (perhaps a bit too much), while others consider it a necessary evil in a violent sport.

But for those in the media who are uneducated and unwilling to give the sport a chance, blood is just another reason to call the sport little more than “human cockfighting."

The UFC is looking to shed the human cockfighting label for good this weekend when they make their debut on FOX, airing a one-hour special event featuring a heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.

But fans have been left wondering why only one fight is eligible to make the broadcast, especially since a fight between lightweight contenders Clay Guida and Ben Henderson could result in the winner getting a crack at Frankie Edgar’s title.

Guida’s manager, John Fosco, said in a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com that the UFC would have preferred to have shown the fight if possible, but FOX decided against it.

But why?

According to Fosco, the head honchos at FOX thought that Guida would be unable to draw viewers, but is that really an issue at this point?

The main event with Velasquez and Dos Santos has been hyped and promoted to the point that fans would have only been talking about the main event regardless or who else was on the card, so Guida and Henderson would basically be expected to put on an exciting fight and nothing more, something that both men do almost every time they step into a cage.

The only reason to not put the Guida fight on the televised broadcast is fear.

Guida is a fighter who has been busted open pretty frequently throughout his career, and in a fight with a guy like Henderson, it seems even more likely that there will be a bit of blood flow.

Perhaps FOX is afraid of a bloodbath on the first card of their new sports franchise, and it makes sense from a business standpoint if they are.

This is the first fight card in a long-term deal with the UFC, and the first step in making the UFC into a sports franchise that rivals the NFLs and NBAs of the world is to change the public’s perception of the sport.

A three-round fight that ends with two guys covered in blood probably isn’t going to do much to change that perception.

You can make the argument that FOX knew what they were getting into when they decided to throw a combat sport on their network, but maybe it’s better for the sport as a whole if they do everything they can to avoid a public backlash immediately.

So while having to watch Guida and Henderson fight one of the most anticipated non-title bouts of the year on Facebook isn’t ideal, it may end up helping the growth of the sport in the long run.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/930312-ufc-on-fox-did-clay-guidas-tendency-to-bleed-cost-him-a-spot-on-fox

Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy

UFC 139: Dan Henderson's 10 Greatest Knockouts

A powerhouse wrestler, it took him a while before Dan Henderson relied in the power behind his leather to finish his fights.

Six of his first nine fights ended by decision, but after a while, the touted Olympian soon became one of the hardest-hitting men, barring any division, as he has since proved that same power across three different weight classes.

Henderson takes on fellow Pride veteran Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on November 19 as the former Strikeforce champion makes his return to the Octagon for UFC 139.

The stakes are high for Henderson, because if the Californian does prove successful in his next outing, he becomes one of the top contenders in the organization, seeking refuge in either the middleweight or light heavyweight class—pretty much, Henderson's future is at his discretion.

He has come a long way since his debut in 1997, producing some memorable bouts with equally-memorable finishes over some of the best fighters in the world today.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/928885-ufc-139-dan-hendersons-10-greatest-knockouts

Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle Travis Browne

Monday, November 7, 2011

Alves makes a non-story of weight issues and annihilates Abedi at UFC 138

Thiago Alves answered all the questions about potential weight issues, by coming out strong and storming through Papy Abedi in a little over three and a half minutes at UFC 138.

Alves used his lethal striking to set up a rear-naked choke finish at the 3:35 mark of the second round against the UFC newcomer in Birmingham, England.

"It feels amazing. I love England and this is one of the highlights of my career. I had an amazing training camp and can't wait for the next one," Alves said. "I'd love to fight in Brazil, that is my dream."

Alves (19-8, 11-5 UFC) needed this one badly. He was a minus-385 favorite Abedi, but was coming off a lackluster performance in a loss against Rick Story at UFC 130.

Tonight, Alves put on the type of show that earned him a title shot in 2009 at 170. His kicking game can be sick at times if he has the stamina to keep throwing. The gas tank was there. It turned out that missing weight yesterday at 172 pounds may have been a fluke, not a sign that he lacked discipline.

Alves peppered Abedi with low kicks over the first few minutes. He also took the best from the Zaire-native fighting out of Sweden had to offer. Give Abedi credit, he chose to stand and slug with a tough striker.

It finally cost him when he got nailed by a right over the ear and a left hook. The off-balance Abedi hit the floor seconds later where he was mounted. Alves rained down heavy punches and elbows before Abedi (8-1, 0-1 UFC) spun to give up his back.

The UFC is set to return to Brazil with UFC 142 in January.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Alves-makes-a-non-story-of-weight-issues-and-ann?urn=mma-wp9057

Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields Martin Kampmann

UFC 138?s Three Stars: Terry Etim, Renan Barao and Che Mills

UFC 138 was overlooked. Sandwiched between Nick Diaz at UFC 137 and the UFC's first foray into network television, it's no surprise that a tape-delayed card without a title fight would not get the same love as those events, but the fighters still delivered with exciting performances. Here are Cagewriter's Three Stars. Tell us your in the comments or on Facebook.

No. 1 star -- Terry Etim: The British fighter's last trip to the Octagon was a loss at UFC 112. He must have spent the past 19 months thinking about that loss, and how to get back on the right foot in his next fight. He did that by submitting Edward Faaloloto in just 17 seconds, causing the crowd in Birmingham to erupt in joy. He was awarded a $70,000 Submission of the Night bonus for his work, which eased the frustration of a 19-month layoff.

No. 2 star -- Renan Barao: How do you quiet a crowd full of Brad Pickett supporters? By knocking him down, beating him up, and then jumping on his back and securing a rear-naked choke, all in the first round. Barao and Pickett both won Fight of the Night bonuses for their efforts. Barao may want to use that money to take some gymnastics lessons, as his one misstep was a fall on his celebration aerial.

No. 3 star -- Che Mills: While watching the fights, my internet suddenly went out during Chris Cope's walk in. It took barely two minutes to get my internet working again, and I was ready to start watching Cope's woo-filled fight. I was too late. In his UFC debut, Mills took less than a minute to take out Cope with a brutal knee and ground and pound. He, too, earned an extra $70K for his trouble for the Knockout of the Night. Not a bad way to start out with the UFC.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-138-s-Three-Stars-Terry-Etim-Renan-Barao-a?urn=mma-wp9118

Randy Couture Jake Shields Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill