Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/12/23/2657633/man-dies-after-online-sparring-challenge
Friday, December 23, 2011
UFC Announces Several Fights for Upcoming Events
The fight announcements came at a fast and furious pace on Tuesday evening. Shortly after reporting an injury had taken Erik Koch out of his UFC 143 bout against Dustin Poirier, the organization confirmed three other matchups for their upcoming events.
First off, for their followup show on FOX, a heavyweight scrap between Joey Beltran (Pictured) and Lavar Johnson was added to the January 28th lineup. That is indeed the same Lavar Johnson that has dropped two straight contests in Strikeforce.
The 265-pound transfers are starting to trickle over?
?UFC on FOX: Evans vs. Davis? takes place inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Here is the card?s updated roster:
Preliminary Bouts:
Dustin Jacoby vs. Chris Camozzi
Cub Swanson vs. George Roop
Lavar Johnson vs. Joey Beltran
Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow
Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely
Cody McKenzie vs. Michael Johnson
Johnny Bedford vs. Eddie Wineland
Evan Dunham vs. Paul Sass
Main Bouts:
Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia
Mark Munoz vs. Chael Sonnen
Phil Davis vs. Rashad Evans
Speaking of freebie fight cards, a bantamweight brawl with Ivan Menjivar and John Albert will go down on the UFC?s debut on FUEL TV. The CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska hosts the February 15th event.
These are the athletes expected to appear in the show:
Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert
Jonathan Brookins vs. Rani Yayha
Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes
Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman
Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez
Lastly, it was announced Caio Magalhaes has agreed to replace injured Stansislav Nedkov and fight Fabio Maldonado at UFC 142. The Octagon?s return to Brazil will be held inside the HSBC Arena in Rio de Jenairo.
Here is the current roster for the January 14th fiesta:
Preliminary Bouts:
(FX)
Fabio Maldonado vs. Caio Magalhaes
Mike Pyle vs. Ricardo Funch
Ednaldo Oliveira vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho
Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares
Main Bouts:
(Pay-Per-View 10PM ET/7PM PT)
Erick Silva vs. Carlos Prater
Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza
Mike Massenzio vs. Rousimar Palhares
Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson
Chad Mendes vs. Jose Aldo (UFC Featherweight Champion)
First off, for their followup show on FOX, a heavyweight scrap between Joey Beltran (Pictured) and Lavar Johnson was added to the January 28th lineup. That is indeed the same Lavar Johnson that has dropped two straight contests in Strikeforce.
The 265-pound transfers are starting to trickle over?
?UFC on FOX: Evans vs. Davis? takes place inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Here is the card?s updated roster:
Preliminary Bouts:
Dustin Jacoby vs. Chris Camozzi
Cub Swanson vs. George Roop
Lavar Johnson vs. Joey Beltran
Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow
Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely
Cody McKenzie vs. Michael Johnson
Johnny Bedford vs. Eddie Wineland
Evan Dunham vs. Paul Sass
Main Bouts:
Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia
Mark Munoz vs. Chael Sonnen
Phil Davis vs. Rashad Evans
Speaking of freebie fight cards, a bantamweight brawl with Ivan Menjivar and John Albert will go down on the UFC?s debut on FUEL TV. The CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska hosts the February 15th event.
These are the athletes expected to appear in the show:
Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert
Jonathan Brookins vs. Rani Yayha
Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes
Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman
Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez
Lastly, it was announced Caio Magalhaes has agreed to replace injured Stansislav Nedkov and fight Fabio Maldonado at UFC 142. The Octagon?s return to Brazil will be held inside the HSBC Arena in Rio de Jenairo.
Here is the current roster for the January 14th fiesta:
Preliminary Bouts:
(FX)
Fabio Maldonado vs. Caio Magalhaes
Mike Pyle vs. Ricardo Funch
Ednaldo Oliveira vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho
Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares
Main Bouts:
(Pay-Per-View 10PM ET/7PM PT)
Erick Silva vs. Carlos Prater
Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza
Mike Massenzio vs. Rousimar Palhares
Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson
Chad Mendes vs. Jose Aldo (UFC Featherweight Champion)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
TXMMA Presents: Your Updated Guide to HDNet?s Legacy Fighting Championship 9
HOUSTON, TX, December 16, 2011 – It’s finally time for�HDNet?s Legacy Fighting Championship 9. The show gets started promptly with the first undercard bout kicking off at�at 7:30pM followed by the LIVE broadcast on HDNet Friday Night fights beginning at 9PM CST / 10PM Eastern. Headlining the main card will be�vale tudo legend and current [...]
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ASK THE TORCH: Amadi answers reader questions on Jon Jones, UFC rape jokes, and possibility of UFC return for Tim Sylvia
By: Jason Amadi, MMATorch Columnist
Craig writes: Am I the only person a little unimpressed with how Jon Jones dropped Lyoto Machida to the floor when the ref stopped the fight?� He said after that he knew he was out so what is wrong with carefully lowering him to the ground?
A: I understand that long term consumption of mixed martial arts can desensitize people to violence, but not until the rise of Jon Jones have I seen such compelling evidence of MMA's ability to make people oversensitive.� Jones knocked Lyoto Machida around with punches, he split his face open with an elbow and when he saw fit, he strangled him unconscious with a choke. However, what fans seem to really take umbrage with was the fact that Jones abruptly released the choke at the behest of referee "Big" John McCarthy.
When a referee puts their hands on a fighter and calls an end to a bout, his or her immediate responsibility is to ensure that both competitors disengage. When John McCarthy called an end to the UFC 140 main event, he instructed Jones to release a guillotine choke, and Jones acquiesced.� Releasing the choke was Jones' responsibility as a competitor, as was following the instructions of the referee; the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion did both.
Whether or not anyone wants to take that incident and draw conclusions about Jones' personality is their prerogative and I won't begrudge them for it in the slightest. But given the heinous beating that left Lyoto Machida lifeless in the arms of Jones in the first place, I think it's a bit silly to focus on what Jones did after the fact.
�
Chris writes: Dana White just fired Miguel Torres for tweeting a joke about rape, so why is it okay for him to tweet a rape joke after his firing?
A: First of all, anyone familiar with the timeline of UFC President Dana White knows that he regularly goes off on Twitter trolls in that fashion. Dana White being rude, abrasive, and/or vitriolic in a public forum isn't news at this point. Second of all, it isn't any more appropriate for Dana White to tweet rape jokes than Miguel Torres, but to act as though both "jokes" are equally offensive would be fairly disingenuous.
The "joke" that got Miguel Torres fired was essentially a thought on how to improve the effectiveness of "rape vans." Without the context provided on the critically acclaimed television show that Torres lifted it from (and this is coming from a huge fan of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the joke goes from well crafted dark comedy to something completely inappropriate for a public sports figure to tweet. In all likelihood, had Miguel Torres never been cut, Dana White's lame prison rape joke probably would have gone largely unnoticed.
In fact, had Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans not gotten into hot water over rape jokes, Miguel Torres probably wouldn't have been cut.
�
Brandon writes: Will we ever see Tim Sylvia in the UFC again?
A: It's unlikely that we'll ever see Tim Sylvia back in the Octagon. From a competitive standpoint, Sylvia belongs in the UFC without question. The landscape of the UFC's heavyweight division will change dramatically over the next few months with the addition of Strikeforce fighters, but the fact is Pat Barry is still prominently featured on UFC main cards; Lavar Johnson is coming off two back to back submission losses in Strikeforce and he's still getting a fight against Joey Beltran. And Joey Beltran is in the UFC.
It's obvious to anyone with eyes that Tim Sylvia could still get a lot done in the UFC's heavyweight division. His last UFC bout was an Interim Heavyweight Championship fight in which he beat Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira from pillar to post before getting tapped. Had Sylvia avoided the submission and continued battering Nogueira, it's possible that we could have seen Tim Sylvia vs. Brock Lesnar in the main event of UFC 100.
The reason Tim Sylvia isn't in the UFC now is mostly political. Sylvia asked for his release from his UFC contract in 2008 so that he could pursue a fight with Fedor Emelianenko and more money outside the organization. Leaving the UFC in that fashion and then getting humiliated in 36 seconds is pretty much all it takes to become persona non grata at Zuffa headquarters.
Guys like B.J. Penn may have been able to ditch the UFC and come back strong, but it's important to remember that B.J. Penn wasn't the least popular champion in UFC history, he didn't get knocked out by Ray Mercer, he didn't get knocked out by Abe Wagner and he's never defecated himself in the Octagon.
�
Feel free to follow me on Twitter @JasonAmadi and you can direct your "Ask the Torch" questions to mmatorch@gmail.com
 |
A: I understand that long term consumption of mixed martial arts can desensitize people to violence, but not until the rise of Jon Jones have I seen such compelling evidence of MMA's ability to make people oversensitive.� Jones knocked Lyoto Machida around with punches, he split his face open with an elbow and when he saw fit, he strangled him unconscious with a choke. However, what fans seem to really take umbrage with was the fact that Jones abruptly released the choke at the behest of referee "Big" John McCarthy.
When a referee puts their hands on a fighter and calls an end to a bout, his or her immediate responsibility is to ensure that both competitors disengage. When John McCarthy called an end to the UFC 140 main event, he instructed Jones to release a guillotine choke, and Jones acquiesced.� Releasing the choke was Jones' responsibility as a competitor, as was following the instructions of the referee; the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion did both.
Whether or not anyone wants to take that incident and draw conclusions about Jones' personality is their prerogative and I won't begrudge them for it in the slightest. But given the heinous beating that left Lyoto Machida lifeless in the arms of Jones in the first place, I think it's a bit silly to focus on what Jones did after the fact.
�
Chris writes: Dana White just fired Miguel Torres for tweeting a joke about rape, so why is it okay for him to tweet a rape joke after his firing?
A: First of all, anyone familiar with the timeline of UFC President Dana White knows that he regularly goes off on Twitter trolls in that fashion. Dana White being rude, abrasive, and/or vitriolic in a public forum isn't news at this point. Second of all, it isn't any more appropriate for Dana White to tweet rape jokes than Miguel Torres, but to act as though both "jokes" are equally offensive would be fairly disingenuous.
The "joke" that got Miguel Torres fired was essentially a thought on how to improve the effectiveness of "rape vans." Without the context provided on the critically acclaimed television show that Torres lifted it from (and this is coming from a huge fan of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the joke goes from well crafted dark comedy to something completely inappropriate for a public sports figure to tweet. In all likelihood, had Miguel Torres never been cut, Dana White's lame prison rape joke probably would have gone largely unnoticed.
In fact, had Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans not gotten into hot water over rape jokes, Miguel Torres probably wouldn't have been cut.
�
Brandon writes: Will we ever see Tim Sylvia in the UFC again?
A: It's unlikely that we'll ever see Tim Sylvia back in the Octagon. From a competitive standpoint, Sylvia belongs in the UFC without question. The landscape of the UFC's heavyweight division will change dramatically over the next few months with the addition of Strikeforce fighters, but the fact is Pat Barry is still prominently featured on UFC main cards; Lavar Johnson is coming off two back to back submission losses in Strikeforce and he's still getting a fight against Joey Beltran. And Joey Beltran is in the UFC.
It's obvious to anyone with eyes that Tim Sylvia could still get a lot done in the UFC's heavyweight division. His last UFC bout was an Interim Heavyweight Championship fight in which he beat Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira from pillar to post before getting tapped. Had Sylvia avoided the submission and continued battering Nogueira, it's possible that we could have seen Tim Sylvia vs. Brock Lesnar in the main event of UFC 100.
The reason Tim Sylvia isn't in the UFC now is mostly political. Sylvia asked for his release from his UFC contract in 2008 so that he could pursue a fight with Fedor Emelianenko and more money outside the organization. Leaving the UFC in that fashion and then getting humiliated in 36 seconds is pretty much all it takes to become persona non grata at Zuffa headquarters.
Guys like B.J. Penn may have been able to ditch the UFC and come back strong, but it's important to remember that B.J. Penn wasn't the least popular champion in UFC history, he didn't get knocked out by Ray Mercer, he didn't get knocked out by Abe Wagner and he's never defecated himself in the Octagon.
�
Feel free to follow me on Twitter @JasonAmadi and you can direct your "Ask the Torch" questions to mmatorch@gmail.com
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Ask_the_Torch_41/article_11849.shtml
Alexis Davis Returns to Strikeforce in March
Riding a three-fight win streak, Alexis Davis will look to make it four in a row when she returns to Strikeforce in March.
Source: http://mmaweekly.com/alexis-davis-returns-to-strikeforce-in-march
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
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
Brock Lesnar Pleads Guilty to Hunting Violations
On Tuesday, Brock Lesnar’s (Pictured) attorney appeared in a Medicine Hat, Alberta court in Canada and plead guilty on his client’s behalf to improper tagging of an animal during a hunting trip in November 2010. The former UFC heavyweight champ was fined $1,725 and issued a six-month hunting suspension. “In Alberta, Americans can’t hunt without [...]
Source: http://www.5thRound.com/100489/brock-lesnar-pleads-guilty-to-hunting-violations/
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Georges St-Pierre: Why His Injuries Are Damaging His Legacy
For the first time since 2007, a different welterweight will be wearing UFC gold.
Georges St-Pierre will be on the shelf for a considerable amount of time due to ACL surgery and the UFC has decided to make a match between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit for the interim title.
GSP is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in history, there's no denying that. But considering GSP was scheduled to face his most credible challenger in a long time in Diaz, the lack of the fight materializing twice will always be a knock on him.
No matter how true or untrue the idea is, GSP isn't fighting his toughest challenge in years.
The anti-GSP crowd just acquired more ammo in their crusade against the former champion. His knee injury coupled with the ACL tear has put the fighter on the shelf for the foreseeable future.
A fighter is judged not only on wins and losses, the name for those wins and losses matters as well.
With GSP "avoiding" a fight with Diaz, GSP's detractors will claim the French Canadian is avoiding his toughest challenge in years.
GSP already has been criticized for fighting safe in his title defenses, the backlash from not fighting Diaz will lower his ranking on P4P lists of many fans.
The UFC also isn't happy that GSP isn't fighting given the fact he's their top draw and a match against Diaz would've made a lot of money for the company.
When GSP does recover from his injury, he will likely be rushed back to appearing on a card before he's ready. We've seen in other sports how athletes take over a full calendar year to recover from ACL surgery and the UFC won't want to wait that long to get their top moneymaker back.
Besides not fighting Diaz now, when St-Pierre is rushed back from his injury, there's a possibility he may not be the same fighter that we've seen.
That would definitely hamper his legacy if he were to lose due to the injury.
It's not like he has a lot of fan support now given the way he fights. If he were a more popular fighter, he'd likely be given a pass for the injuries and not fighting Diaz.
Injuries aren't predictable and it's not his fault at all for getting injured so we shouldn't blame him but fans will forever be on his case.
Whether it's fair or not, GSP has nobody to blame but himself for the lack of popularity fans and their unwillingness to give him a pass.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/990076-georges-st-pierre-why-his-injuries-are-damaging-his-legacy
Video: Fighter scores KO with amazing head kick
In addition to Gilbert Melendez and Cristiane Santos defending their belts last night, there was an event in Brazil this weekend. A fighter named Cairo Rocha won with this capoeira style kick:
Is this the knockout of the year?
Is this the knockout of the year?
Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/video_ridiculous_knockout_of_the_weekend/8803591
Anderson Silva And Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira ... - The MMA News
Join our newsletter and get entered to win some badass MMA swag. First Name *. Email *. Send me the newsletter. Click Here. Popular; Latest; Comments. The MMA News Store Opens (with discounts!) October 27, 2011 ...
Monday, December 19, 2011
Lesnar vs. Overeem Website Exclusive: Collection of Articles Covering UFC 141 Hype
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Today we're featuring a web-exclusive gathering of articles on UFC 141's main event - Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem. They're all in one place in our Spotlight Box at the top of the home page.
Our website URL is: www.mmatorch.com.
WEBSITE FEATURES:
-Spotlight Box featuring a collection of links on a specific theme, currently Lesnar vs. Overeem
-Ability to comment on articles and read comments from others
-Vote in polls and see results of current polls
-View our current video feature as part of our affiliation with USA Today, now the UFC 140 press conference
-Search for past articles on specific events and fighters
With our new advertising affiliate partner, we are able to bring you MMATorch.com on the web with fewer ads than ever, including no more full page or pop-up ads.
We hope, if you read about MMA on the web in addition to your mobile device, you'll add a bookmark for MMATorch.com and make us part of our routine no matter what type of device you're using to get MMA news and opinion!
Click the image below to see the current look of the website including our new Brock Lesnar art.
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/mmatorchappalert/article_11791.shtml
Jens Pulver Was Knocked Out Cold Last Night In Nebraska
Jim should definitely add Jens Pulver to that must-retire list too. Pulver was knocked out cold by a knee to the face from Tim Elliot at a RFA show in Nebraska last night. Sadly, Pulver should have retired awhile ago, but never did. HT: BE
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/f71AO6fIUGA/
Fabio Maldonado Draws Newbie for UFC 142
Just days after Stanislov Nedkov had to withdraw from UFC 142, Fabio Maldonado has drawn an Octagon newcomer as a replacement.
Source: http://mmaweekly.com/fabio-maldonado-draws-newbie-for-ufc-142
Sunday, December 18, 2011
HDNet?s Legacy Fighting Championship 9 ? Results, Recap, and Photo Gallery
HOUSTON, TX, December 17, 2011 ? Another night of exciting Houston MMA action is in the books after Legacy Fighting Championship 9 last night LIVE and on HDNet. The televised card 5 out of 6 bouts finish before the final bell while only the main event and only championship fight of the evening saw the [...]
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Strikeforce Results: Mousasi Wins, but Fails To Impress Again
Gegard Mousasi did what he needed to by beating Ovince St. Preux tonight.
He won most of the rounds and enforced his game plan which won him the decision.
It's also why he didn't do anything to impress fans.
Because he won by decision.
This is a man who has been able to knock out 18 opponents and submit 10 others in his 32 wins. He's a former kickboxer. St. Preux is a tough fighter who has made a name for himself in recent outings, but he should have been cannon fodder for an accomplished MMA artist like Mousasi.
Instead, it was a fight where as much as Mousasi dominated in the first two rounds, he was taken down in the final round and dragged into deep waters. For all the finishes that Mousasi has had in his career, the man has seen the third round a decent amount of times and against good opposition.
There was his draw with Keith Jardine and his five-round loss to Muhammed Lawal. He has been there before.
Looking at St. Preux's list of beaten opponents, none stand out on Mousasi's level. In fact, a few no-names have beaten him by TKO which meant that Mousasi should have been able to follow suit.
It didn't happen.
Mousasi was able to enforce his will on St. Preux, but he was never able to beat him soundly enough for the fight to warrant a stoppage.
It might not be a bad result, but keep in mind, this was a man that some were comparing to Jon Jones before his loss to Lawal. Others thought he might be the head of the light heavyweight division.
He was someone who seemed to be growing and getting a bigger list of victims to his name from each passing day.
This criticism might be premature because no one can know what level St. Preux might end up at, but Mousasi was supposed to be the best.
He was supposed to be one of the future champs of the division.
Instead, he's now struggling in fights with emerging challengers instead of wearing the Strikeforce or even UFC title.
The best way of explaining why Mousasi is a disappointment comes not from words, but from sight, and it comes in the third round of his fight with St. Preux finishing the round by choking Mousasi but failing to finish him.
For as strong and dominant as Mousasi was, for as strong as he can be, it was embarrassing.
He let a spectacular finish get away from him.
And that isn't something champions do.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Saturday, December 17, 2011
UFC NEWS ? Vitor Belfort: The UFC Is Taking Over Soccer In Brazil
?They said that soccer was the passion of our people but the UFC is taking over. I?m so glad to be a part of the past, the present and the future. And in the future, the UFC is going to be mainstream everywhere. Because UFC, Dana White, Lorenzo and the whole crew, bring the best, [...]
STRIKEFORCE "MELENDEZ VS. MASVIDAL" PREVIEW: Penick's fight picks for final main Showtime card of 2011
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Strikeforce's 2011 campaign comes to a close on Saturday night with a Lightweight Championship bout between Gilbert Melendez and Jorge Masvidal, along with three other fights in the final event on the organization's current deal with Showtime. Emanating from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif., the four-fight card features some of Strikeforce's remaining top fighters in some entertaining matchups. Here's a brief look at what's coming to Showtime this Saturday night:
Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal (Lightweight Championship):
The Strikeforce Lightweight Champion knows what this fight can be to him. Off five straight wins and continually being placed into conversation as one of the top lightweight fighters in the world, Melendez knows that there is a contingent that expects him to choke in this spot. He's rolled through his last five opponents in increasingly impressive performances, and his striking has continued to come along to complement his already fantastic top game.
Masvidal has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career, but in his last two fights against Billy Evangelista and K.J. Noons, he's put forth two of his best performances ever. He's got a very good striking game himself, and his wrestling game may be adept enough to keep up with Melendez.
He's going to give the reigning champ a fight here on Saturday night, as he's a game opponent for anyone, but Melendez is the better and more established fighter overall. Melendez will be out to make a statement in this one, and if he can connect as he did against Takaya in his last fight, and keep that killer instinct if he gets Masvidal in trouble, this is his fight to lose. Melendez by TKO in the second round.
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Hiroko Yamanaka (Women's Featherweight Championship:
"Cyborg" finally returns to the cage after 18 months out of action, taking on 12-1 Japanese fighter Hiroko Yamanaka. Strikeforce has struggled to find credible opponents for "Cyborg," as outside of herself and Gina Carano, many of the top women fighters in the sport compete in a lower weight class, and many of her past opponents have indeed competed in lighter classes.
Though Yamanaka has only lost once and brings an eight fight winning streak into this event, she simply hasn't faced anyone like "Cyborg" before in her career, because there isn't another female fighter like "Cyborg" in the game right now.
The concern for the champ right now is the really long layoff, but she wasn't out because of injury, and should be in great shape in her return. Yamanaka is tough, but this is clearly a fight "Cyborg" is, and should be, expected to win.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St-Preux (Light Heavyweight):
This is a huge step up in competition for the exciting Ovince St-Preux, entering the event on an eight-fight winning streak and looking to take out the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion.
Mousasi returns to Strikeforce for just the second time since losing his title to Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, though he's picked up three wins in Japan in DREAM in the meantime. His sole appearance in Strikeforce came in April, when he went to a controversial draw with Keith Jardine in a fight most felt should have been his.
Mousasi is the much better striker, and a very dangerous submission specialist as well. However, St-Preux's wrestling game could give Mousasi similar problems to what he faced against Lawal if he stays relentless on it. That said, St-Preux isn't as decorated a wrestler, and Mousasi's takedown defense has to have gotten better since that fight. St-Preux is a ton of fun to watch, but this fight may be too big of a leap from the level he's been facing in his career thus far. Mousasi by submission in the second round.
K.J. Noons vs. Billy Evangelista (Lightweight):
Both Noons and Evangelista enter this bout looking to rebound from losses to Masvidal this year. Evangelista dropped a decision to Masvidal in March, and then Masvidal earned his shot on this card against Melendez by beating Noons in June.
Evangelista is a decent striker with a good wrestling game, but Noons has enough of a ground game to keep the fight where he likes to be: standing. Noons' boxing is very good, and a level above what Evangelista will bring into the fight, and even though Evangelista just suffered his first loss in March, Noons should be expected to hand him a second. Noons by decision.
 |
Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal (Lightweight Championship):
The Strikeforce Lightweight Champion knows what this fight can be to him. Off five straight wins and continually being placed into conversation as one of the top lightweight fighters in the world, Melendez knows that there is a contingent that expects him to choke in this spot. He's rolled through his last five opponents in increasingly impressive performances, and his striking has continued to come along to complement his already fantastic top game.
Masvidal has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career, but in his last two fights against Billy Evangelista and K.J. Noons, he's put forth two of his best performances ever. He's got a very good striking game himself, and his wrestling game may be adept enough to keep up with Melendez.
He's going to give the reigning champ a fight here on Saturday night, as he's a game opponent for anyone, but Melendez is the better and more established fighter overall. Melendez will be out to make a statement in this one, and if he can connect as he did against Takaya in his last fight, and keep that killer instinct if he gets Masvidal in trouble, this is his fight to lose. Melendez by TKO in the second round.
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Hiroko Yamanaka (Women's Featherweight Championship:
"Cyborg" finally returns to the cage after 18 months out of action, taking on 12-1 Japanese fighter Hiroko Yamanaka. Strikeforce has struggled to find credible opponents for "Cyborg," as outside of herself and Gina Carano, many of the top women fighters in the sport compete in a lower weight class, and many of her past opponents have indeed competed in lighter classes.
Though Yamanaka has only lost once and brings an eight fight winning streak into this event, she simply hasn't faced anyone like "Cyborg" before in her career, because there isn't another female fighter like "Cyborg" in the game right now.
The concern for the champ right now is the really long layoff, but she wasn't out because of injury, and should be in great shape in her return. Yamanaka is tough, but this is clearly a fight "Cyborg" is, and should be, expected to win.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St-Preux (Light Heavyweight):
This is a huge step up in competition for the exciting Ovince St-Preux, entering the event on an eight-fight winning streak and looking to take out the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion.
Mousasi returns to Strikeforce for just the second time since losing his title to Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, though he's picked up three wins in Japan in DREAM in the meantime. His sole appearance in Strikeforce came in April, when he went to a controversial draw with Keith Jardine in a fight most felt should have been his.
Mousasi is the much better striker, and a very dangerous submission specialist as well. However, St-Preux's wrestling game could give Mousasi similar problems to what he faced against Lawal if he stays relentless on it. That said, St-Preux isn't as decorated a wrestler, and Mousasi's takedown defense has to have gotten better since that fight. St-Preux is a ton of fun to watch, but this fight may be too big of a leap from the level he's been facing in his career thus far. Mousasi by submission in the second round.
K.J. Noons vs. Billy Evangelista (Lightweight):
Both Noons and Evangelista enter this bout looking to rebound from losses to Masvidal this year. Evangelista dropped a decision to Masvidal in March, and then Masvidal earned his shot on this card against Melendez by beating Noons in June.
Evangelista is a decent striker with a good wrestling game, but Noons has enough of a ground game to keep the fight where he likes to be: standing. Noons' boxing is very good, and a level above what Evangelista will bring into the fight, and even though Evangelista just suffered his first loss in March, Noons should be expected to hand him a second. Noons by decision.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/penickstake/article_11776.shtml
Expected Tim Sylvia vs. Brett Rogers bout for New Year's Eve in Japan postponed [UPDATED]
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
A heavyweight bout between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia and recently incarcerated heavyweight Brett Rogers has been postponed from its originally scheduled New Year's Eve date according to a report from FCFighter.com.
The bout's postponement comes as Rogers' camp has had trouble procuring a work visa for a flight to Japan in time for the bout, and the fight is expected to take place now sometime in the first quarter of 2012.
Rogers is out of a stint in jail for a third degree felony assault conviction for a domestic incident in June.
The original report stated Rogers was still in jail. He was released two days ago, and the article has been edited to reflect that.
A heavyweight bout between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia and recently incarcerated heavyweight Brett Rogers has been postponed from its originally scheduled New Year's Eve date according to a report from FCFighter.com.
The bout's postponement comes as Rogers' camp has had trouble procuring a work visa for a flight to Japan in time for the bout, and the fight is expected to take place now sometime in the first quarter of 2012.
Rogers is out of a stint in jail for a third degree felony assault conviction for a domestic incident in June.
The original report stated Rogers was still in jail. He was released two days ago, and the article has been edited to reflect that.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_11770.shtml
Friday, December 16, 2011
UFC 143: Nick Diaz's 10 Greatest Moments
One of the best welterweights in the world is finally getting his due.
Nick Diaz has been plugging away as a professional mixed martial artist for over ten years, and now at 28 years old, the Stockton fighter has reached the culmination of his career.
Leaving his championship reign in Strikeforce to compete in the UFC, Diaz has since emerged as the organization's top contender and has many big fights ahead of him.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/985707-ufc-143-nick-diazs-10-greatest-moments
MMA NEWS ? Strikeforce/Showtime Media Conference Call (Audio)
Click here for the latest STRIKEFORCE coverage provided by BJPENN.COM
Hunting Violations Land Brock Lesnar In Canada?s Crosshairs
It looks like Brock Lesnar’s love for hunting has landed him in a little hot water with the law in Alberta, Canada. 102.1 CJCY-FM radio reported today that Lesnar is facing three violations of the�Alberta Fish and Wildlife Act after a recent hunting trip to Alberta. Fish and Wildlife officers confirmed the international celebrity has [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/_kOENXN9E40/
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Dana White Amped Over ?TUF: Brasil? (Video)
UFC president Dana White deemed his recent trip to Brazil to launch UFC Rio 2 and TUF: Brasil a success. See what he had to say about MMA in Brasil.
Source: http://mmaweekly.com/dana-white-amped-over-tuf-brasil-video
UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem Extended Video Preview
Source: http://www.themmanews.com/ufc-141-lesnar-vs-overeem-extended-video-preview/
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Watch Frank Mir Break Minotauro Nogueira's Arm (Video)
Frank Mir scored a huge win over Minotauro Nogueira this weekend at UFC 140. He did it in style. Nogueira had landed a couple good punches on Mir that put him on the ground. Nogueira then jumped on Mir and took his back. Somehow Mir recovered from the punches and reversed Nogueira's hold and put him in a kimura. After rolling around for a few seconds Mir finished the fight by breaking Nogueira's arm. Not a good way to go out. Mir has now won three strait fights and is looking for another shot at the big man, Brock Lesnar.
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Like this post? Check out our Home Page for more stories and follow us on Twitter
UFC 144 Japan: Edgar vs. Henderson Poster
Tweet UFC 144 Japan (aka UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson) marks the Ultimate Fighting Championships first visit back to the “Land of the Rising Sun” since UFC 29 way back in December 2000. Instead of holding the event at the Differ Ariake Arena like they did with their first visit, which saw an attendance of [...]
Source: http://www.themmanews.com/ufc-144-japan-edgar-vs-henderson-poster/
Alistair Overeem Granted Conditional License to Fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 141
As previously reported, the Nevada State Athletic Commission requested to have a conversation with Alistair Overeem (Pictured) on Monday. The trusty rumor mill suggested the UFC heavyweight either had complications with his UFC 141 pre-fight drug test or he was having issues getting licensed for his December 30th bout against Brock Lesnar. As it turns [...]
Source: http://www.5thRound.com/99357/alistair-overeem-out-against-brock-lesnar-frank-mir-in-at-ufc-141/
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Wanderlei Silva vs Bitor Belfort: The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 1
This morning the UFC held a press conference from Brazil, in regards to the upcoming UFC 142 in Brazil and more.� Today, the UFC announced that two of the most famous Brazilian fighters on earth, Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will coach against each other on the first ever installment of the Ultimate fighter Brazil.� [...]
DREAM ?New Year! 2011? Fedor vs. Ishii Promo
DREAM “New Year! 2011″ takes place on Saturday, Dec. 31, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and will air on HDNet. The latest DREAM New Year! 2011 fight card can be found in our fight cards section.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/eDies_3ADQk/
Lesnar vs. Overeem still on! NSAC grills ?The Reem? over tardy drug test, but grants a conditional license
At the start of today's Nevada State Athletic Commission, it looked like another Las Vegas UFC main event might be headed towards the scrap heap. But after an hour of investigating and collecting info on Alistair Overeem, the commission granted him a conditional license to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 later this month.
The issue at hand was a missed random drug test requested by the NSAC on Nov. 17. Overeem's management was called in the morning about the test, the fighter then jumped on a flight from the U.S. to the Netherlands, and no response was given to the request for four days. Overeem explained that the time lapse was simply due to a communications breakdown.
Things got more complicated on Nov. 23 when Overeem went to his personal doctor in Amsterdam and the wrong type of test was administered. The commission asked for a urine test and received blood test results instead. Overeem submitted to the urine test on Dec. 7, but that again was done by his doctor.
After collecting the necessary info during the hearing and a short discussion, the commission decided to grant Overeem a conditional license.
He'll have to re-test in the next few days at a European location designated by the NSAC. He'll also have to submit another urine sample once he returns to the U.S. Following the fight, Overeem will be subjected to two more random tests in the U.S.
Overeem returned home on Nov. 17 because his mother experienced a health scare in her fight against cancer. Overeem bought that ticket on Nov. 15.
Plenty of media members reacted strongly to the conditional license describing the hearing as a farce. Overeem has long been subjected to rumors of steroid usage. A one-time light heavyweight, The 6-foot-5 Overeem has added incredible mass to his frame. He now weighs around 255 pounds.
Las Vegas is glad to hear that the fight is still on. The city's UFC cards in 2010 and 2011 have seemed cursed. Injuries have caused main events to go bye bye on several occasions.
UFC 108 was supposed to feature Anderson Silva-Vitor Belfort in the main event. UFC 109 was headlined by Randy Couture against Mark Coleman after several big fights fell through. UFC 130 lost Frank Edgar-Gray Maynard III due to injuries to both fighters. Most recently UFC 137 and UFC 143 lost Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz fights.
Monday, December 12, 2011
POLL: Which fighter poses the biggest threat to UFC Champ Jon Jones?
TO VOTE IN OUR POLL OR SEE CURRENT RESULTS, PLEASE *FIRMLY* TAP THE LINK BELOW ON YOUR PHONE SCREEN...
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/mmatorchappalert/article_11705.shtml
UFC 140 Results: 5 Reasons Jon Jones vs Anderson Silva Has to Happen but Won't
With Jon Jones' impressive second-round submission over Lyoto Machida, Jones added a definitive exclamation point to an absolutely historic year. Perhaps, the best year any fighter has ever had.
With his impressive year has come a lot of praise and a lot of hype. Some would even place him atop of their pound-for-pound list. That's where Anderson Silva comes in.
Silva, the longtime kingpin of the middleweight division has held on to the top spot of pound-for-pound lists longer than anyone, with the exception of Georges St-Pierre. Silva has been the undisputed greatest fighter in the world.
While Silva has certainly set the mark for longevity, it's hard to deny Jon Jones' recent dominance.
While the debate could go on and on for days and a solid case could be made for both, MMA isn't college football; this could very well be settled "on the field."
A Jon Jones-Anderson Silva super fight is the biggest fight the UFC could possibly make. Silva has moved up to light heavyweight before and aside from one or two contenders has cleaned out the middleweight division. At 36 years old, Silva doesn't have anything left to accomplish, and a win over Jones could only make his already incredible legacy even more definite.
Despite all the reasons this fight would be great, the fight everyone want to see will never happen.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
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We'll be transitioning all of our Facebook activity to this new FAN page in coming weeks, so please LIKE us to continue receiving our updates, alerts, and topic discussions.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/mmatorchappalert/article_10826.shtml
UFC NEWS ? Photo: ?Big Nogs? Broken Arm
Click here for the latest UFC 140 coverage provided by BJPENN.COM
Exclusive Video: Mir Talks Nogueira Injury
Frank Mir reflected on his submission of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 140 with Sherdog.com?s Jordan Breen.
Source: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Mir-Talks-Nogueira-Injury-3515
Saturday, December 10, 2011
UFC 140 weigh-in results: Hallman misses weight, everyone successful
UFC 140 fighter weigh-ins took place this afternoon from Toronto's Air Canada Centre.
All fighters came in on weight except Dennis Hallman, who weighed 158.5 pounds. After refusing to weigh-in again, he has been fined 20 percent of his purse for failing to make the 156-pound limit.
The full UFC 140 weigh-in results are as follows:
Main Card (Pay-per-view)
- Champ Jon Jones (205) vs. Lyoto Machida (204)
- Frank Mir (260) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (239)
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (204.5) vs. Tito Ortiz (206)
- Brian Ebersole (170.5) vs. Claude Patrick (171)
- Mark Hominick (145) vs. Chan Sung Jung (145.5)
Preliminary Card (ION Television)
- Igor Pokrajac (205) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (206)
- Jared Hamman (185) vs. Constantinos Philippou (185)
- Dennis Hallman (158.5)*�vs. John Makdessi (155.5)
- Yves Jabouin (136) vs. Walel Watson (135.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
- Mark Bocek (156) vs. Nik Lentz (156)
- Rich Attonito (170.5) vs. Jake Hecht (170.5)
- John Cholish (156) vs. Mitch Clarke (154.5)
Source: http://mmadiehards.com/news/ufc-140-weigh-in-results-hallman-misses-weight-everyone-successful/
BAMMA 8 ? Live Play by Play
Event: BAMMA 8 Where: Capital FM Arena, Nottingham When: December 10th 2011 Press F5 to refresh Featherweight bout - Brian Hyslop vs. Ian Malone Round 1 - Nervous start to the opening bout of the evening as neither wants to commit after a brief exchange of leg kicks. Hyslop seems to have more urgency in [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/mmahq/main/%7E3/Le4zuxtENjg/
Dan Henderson May Have Great Incentive for Phil Davis Win
After Dan Henderson (Pictured) pulled out a grueling decision win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in what many believe to be the scrap of the year, Henderson requested for his next bout to be of the light heavyweight championship variety. Unfortunately for Hendo, the UFC subsequently announced a 205-pound top contender bout between Rashad Evans and [...]
Source: http://www.5thRound.com/99050/dan-henderson-may-have-great-incentive-for-phil-davis-win/
UFC 140 Jones vs. Machida: Weigh-in Results and Live Reaction
This Saturday's fight between light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former champ Lyoto Machida is one of the most intriguing matchups between any two fighters in UFC history. While most fans have Jones as the favorite, it is nearly impossible to predict the outcome of this fight.
Jones is still undefeated (with the exception of Matt Hamill, of course) and Machida has only two losses in his career, one of which could have gone either way. Will the Machida era rise from its ashes on Saturday? Or will Jones take out "The Dragon" and prove himself to be Dragonborn?
UFC 140 has a lot more going for it than just Jones vs. Machida. Frank Mir and "Big Nog" are set to face off against one another for the second time. After his performance against Brendon Schaub, many people are giving Nogueira the win in this fight, but we all know you can never count Mir out.
With so many fights that could end up being fight of the night, UFC 140 is set to be another great card in a year full of them. The weigh-ins start at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. Make sure to check back with Bleacher Report for a minute-by-minute update of everything that goes down—this page will be updated below.
Preliminary Card
Mitch Clarke (154.5) vs. John Cholish (156)
Rich Attonito (170.5) vs. Jake Hecht (170.5)
Mark Bocek (156) vs. Nik Lentz (156)
Yves Jabouin (136) vs. Walel Watson (135.5)
John Makdessi (155.5) vs. Dennis Hallman (158.5)
Jared Hamman (185) vs. Constantinos Philippou (185)
Krzysztof Soszynski (206) vs. Igor Pokrajac (205)
Main Card
Mark Hominick (145) vs. Chan Sung Jung (145.5)
Claude Patrick (171) vs. Brian Ebersole (170.5)
Tito Ortiz (206) vs. Antônio Rogério Nogueira (204.5)
Frank Mir (260) vs. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (239)
Jon Jones (205) vs. Lyoto Machida (204)
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Friday, December 9, 2011
Strikeforce isn't the only fight promotion hitting the Showtime airwaves this month as M-1...
Strikeforce isn't the only fight promotion hitting the Showtime airwaves this month as M-1 Challenge XXX: "Zavurov vs. Enomoto II" goes down tonight (Dec. 9, 2011) at 10 p.m. ET on the cable television network. MMA Nation's Jonathan Snowden talks to Shamil Zavurov and Yasubey Enomoto regarding their welterweight title fight (and rematch) in advance of tonight's telecast right here.
UFC's Jon Jones Nominated For ESPN SportsNation Award
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is in the spotlight this weekend for his title defense against Lyoto Machida and a win would complete a great 2011. Regardless of the result at Saturday's UFC 140, ESPN SportsNation is giving fans the opportunity to cement his status for what he's done.
The popular show has named Jones one of eight finalists in their second-annual "Awesomest Dude Of The Year" contest, a bracket where online voting decides who moves onto the next round. Jones is the only MMA representative and fans can vote exclusively on Facebook for who they think should move on.
Jones is paired up against someone that watches him frequently in big MMA fan, actor and WWE talent Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Jared Allen and Tim Tebow from the NFL, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin from the NBA, extreme sports star Travis Pastrana and women's soccer player Hope Solo are also in the tourney. (Yes, Solo is nominated for 'Awesomest Dude'). Over 270,000 votes were collected for 2010 winner and soccer star Landon Donovan.
Jones is 3-0 so far in the calendar year with wins over Ryan Bader, Mauricio Rua and Quinton Jackson. A victory over Machida Saturday would give Jones wins over three former UFC champions in one year, which would be a first.
SBN coverage of UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida
Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/12/9/2622763/jon-jones-ufc-espn-sportsnation-awesomest-dude-award
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Hockey Fight of the Day: Zac Rinaldo vs. Corey Tropp
Buffalo and Philadelphia are two of the toughest cities in the Northeastern United States and apparently the attitude carries over to players on each area’s NHL team as exhibited by the Philadelphia Flyers’ Zac Rinaldo and Buffa Sabres’ Corey Tropp in a scrap from last night’s game between the two. It’s fast, it’s furious, and [...]
Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/08/hockey-fight-of-the-day-zac-rinaldo-vs-corey-tropp
Strikeforce champ 'Cyborg' Santos considering 135; Coker OK with Tate-Rousey
If Strikeforce is able to renew a deal with Showtime and extend its run on the premium-cable station beyond February, no shortage of storylines is emerging for its female fighters.
Two big ones came out today during a Strikeforce media call.
For one, Strikeforce women's featherweight champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos is considering a move down to 135 pounds ? a division that could soon see champ Miesha Tate take on fast-rising Olympian Ronda Rousey.
Two big ones came out today during a Strikeforce media call.
For one, Strikeforce women's featherweight champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos is considering a move down to 135 pounds ? a division that could soon see champ Miesha Tate take on fast-rising Olympian Ronda Rousey.
Source: http://www.mmaplayground.com/forums/topic50317-1.html
St-Pierre Injured, Diaz to now Face Condit
It seems as if destiny is conspiring against fight fans. Months ago, when the UFC announced that UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre would fight Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz at UFC 137 the fight world rejoiced in what was sure to be a fight of the biggest magnitude. However, the fight gods didn?t think that this was to be done and with Nick Diaz going all, well, Nick Diaz, the end result was a Diaz-Penn main event at UFC 137 after GSP was hurt and unable to fight Diaz?s replacement, Carlos Condit.
Fast forward to Diaz?s thorough beatdown of BJ Penn at UFC 137 and again fight fans were teased with the much-anticipated GSP - Diaz fight to take place at UFC 143. However, yet again, life has conspired to wrap us fight fans up in the proverbial wet blanket as news broke today that St-Pierre tore his ACL and is effectively shelved until next year.
St-Pierre?s ACL on his right knee will need to be surgically repaired. The surgery will effectively put GSP on the...
Fast forward to Diaz?s thorough beatdown of BJ Penn at UFC 137 and again fight fans were teased with the much-anticipated GSP - Diaz fight to take place at UFC 143. However, yet again, life has conspired to wrap us fight fans up in the proverbial wet blanket as news broke today that St-Pierre tore his ACL and is effectively shelved until next year.
St-Pierre?s ACL on his right knee will need to be surgically repaired. The surgery will effectively put GSP on the...
Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/st_pierre_injured_diaz_to_now_face_condit/8591551
Georges St-Pierre Injured, Nick Diaz Meets Carlos Condit for Interim Title at UFC 143
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has suffered a torn ACL that has forced him out of the UFC 143 main event against Nick Diaz, who will now face Carlos Condit for the interim 170-pound title at the Feb. 4 event in Las Vegas.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Watch today?s UFC on FOX 2 press conference LIVE on ProMMAnow.com at 2 p.m. ET
There will be a UFC on FOX 2 special press conference today at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., which will stream LIVE on ProMMAnow.com at 2 p.m. ET (11 p.m. PT)
Related posts:
Related posts:
- Pictures: UFC on FOX 2 press conference The UFC held a special press conference Wednesday at the...
- UFC announces Bisping-Maia for UFC on Fox 2 A middleweight match-up between Michael Bisping and Demain Maia rounds...
- Spike TV to counter-program UFC on FOX 2 on January 28 When the UFC returns to FOX on Saturday, Jan. 28,...
TUF 14 Finale medical suspensions: Miller ... - mma news and results
TUF 14 Finale medical suspensions: Miller possibly out six months with broken nose.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
How good is Diego Brandao? He once knocked out lightweight Brian Foster
Each year, it's a tough to get a strong read on just how good the finalists are at the Ultimate Fighter Finale. The competition on the show can be shaky and we only have a little tape to judge.
Featherweight Diego Brandao looked like a complete beast in running through Jesse Newell, Steven Siler and Brian Caraway in the less than six minutes combined. He's got massive power.
Before his appearance on Season 14, his most impressive win came against UFC veteran Brian Foster up at 155 pounds. Brandao crushed Foster, who's got UFC wins over Matt Brown, Forrest Petz and Brock Larson, with a nasty uppercut.
Brandao will face Dennis Bermudez on Saturday night for the Season 14 featherweight title and a six-figure contract with the UFC.
B/R MMA at the MMA Expo: Brittney Palmer, Carlos Condit, Clay Guida and More
The Mixed Martial Arts Expo rolled into the Pearson International Center in Mississauga this past Saturday, December 3, and many UFC fighters and stars were on hand to thrill Ontario fans.
UFC fighters Clay Guida, Melvin Guillard, Carlos Condit, Sam Stout, Matt Mitrione, Stefan Struve and Jake Shields made appearances and signed autographs for the fans.
Bleacher Report MMA was on the scene to get some video footage and talk to UFC stars such as Mac Danzig, Ryan Ford, Carlos Newton and Brittney Palmer (See the video for all interviews and fighter appearances).
Thousands of fans were in attendance for the MMA Expo, which is in its sixth year of existence. The event proved a great opportunity for fans to mix and mingle with their favorite UFC stars and personalities.
The Expo also hosted the NAGA Toronto grappling and jiu jitsu championships in the same hall, featuring all ages and all levels of grappling from beginner to expert.
MMA Expo president Gerald Chopik deemed the event a success due to the strong turnout, and the atmosphere was clearly electric and felt by all.
"Thank you for helping making it the best show ever. Every fighter/celebrity I spoke with said it was an awesome time and they love the Toronto fans and atmosphere best of all," Chopik posted on facebook.
The action and fun doesn't stop there for MMA fans in the Greater Toronto Area, as UFC 140 takes place this Saturday, December 10.
Please check in here all week for all of my UFC 140 event week coverage
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
How good is Diego Brandao? He once knocked out lightweight Brian Foster
Each year, it's a tough to get a strong read on just how good the finalists are at the Ultimate Fighter Finale. The competition on the show can be shaky and we only have a little tape to judge.
Featherweight Diego Brandao looked like a complete beast in running through Jesse Newell, Steven Siler and Brian Caraway in the less than six minutes combined. He's got massive power.
Before his appearance on Season 14, his most impressive win came against UFC veteran Brian Foster up at 155 pounds. Brandao crushed Foster, who's got UFC wins over Matt Brown, Forrest Petz and Brock Larson, with a nasty uppercut.
Brandao will face Dennis Bermudez on Saturday night for the Season 14 featherweight title and a six-figure contract with the UFC.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Brett Rogers receives sentencing for June assault
In the not-too-distant past, Brett Rogers was considered to be a future force in the heavyweight division after opening up his career with ten straight stoppages, including eight in the first round. Coming off a brutal knockout of Andrei Arlovski in his biggest fight to date, Rogers then fell to formidable foe Fedor Emelianenko and [...]
Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/01/brett-rogers-receives-sentencing-for-june-assault
Chael Sonnen Won?t Be Fighting Mark Munoz ? Eyeing Winner of Miller/Bisping Fight
Fight Hub TV managed to get a couple minutes with UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen, hosting the World MMA Awards. And he dropped two bombshells in that he won’t be fighting Mark Munoz (rumored for UFC on Fox 2) and that he could be facing the winner of Bisping/Miller this weekend. “I have no fight [...]
Sunday, December 4, 2011
10 Reasons Why Stephanie Ann Cook Should Be the Next UFC Octagon Girl
According to the ancient Mayans, the end of the world is near. Our world will crumble in 2012, but not because of tectonic plates or earthquakes like those naked wizards predicted. No, Godzilla is not going to destroy our buildings and eat us all, either.
You see, planet earth will be destroyed due to the immense amount of sexiness that will be produced by the ring girls of the sport of MMA. This is something that no ordinary scientist can predict, but I have a very rare piece of technology that has led me to this theory.
It’s called the sexbot 5000, and three years ago I inserted this technology directly up Sarah Jessica Parker’s nose. The machine detects sexy waves and will grow larger as it picks up more beautiful radiation.
Parker’s nose grew exponentially within that three-year time frame, and it appears that her nose is set to explode as the machine detects more waves in the coming year.
Oh well, if you’re going to die, then that is surely the way to go out.
MMA is home to some of the most beautiful women in the entire world. UFC Octagon girls are so unbelievably hot that even the goddesses of Mt. Olympus are jealous of their assets.
Arianny Celeste, Chandella Powell and Brittney Palmer are certainly top notch, but it’s time to add a new girl to the team.
Enter Stephanie Ann Cook, a blonde bombshell from Las Vegas, Nevada, and the most ambitious young woman you'll ever meet.
If anyone should be next in line to wear that UFC bikini, it should be her—and here are 10 reasons why.
HANSEN: Picking Away at What's Left of Strikeforce's Carcass
By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Columnist
I wish I were a fan of zombie movies. I wish I were chock full of zombie references and knowledge. I wish I could pull out a million lines with instant recall about zombies eating brains, coming up from the grave, and whatever the hell else they do. I wish I had an encyclopedic knowledge of all the great zombie references throughout movie history so that I could accurately describe in great detail and with scathing wit the exact future of Strikeforce.
But I don't. And I can't. So instead I'm just going to just have to pick at the carcass of the once proud promotion.
Of course, I won't be the first vulture picking away at the carrion. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has beaten me to the roadkill by several months. The vital organs and the flesh are all gone; all that is left is some gristle (unmarketable champions and challengers who lack credibility), some fat (the remnants of the Heavyweight Grand Prix), and bones (female MMA, about which nobody gives a damn). The vital organs (Diaz, Miller, Henderson?) have been eaten, digested, and excreted to the UFC (yes, that reference could have been grosser).
GRISTLE
For those of you who are hoping to see the Strikeforce brand continue in some way, shape, or form - either in its current form as a separate promotion or as a so-called feeder league to the UFC ? allow me to introduce you to Keith Jardine, Luke Rockhold, and Jacare Souza.
Keith Jardine (3-6-1 last 10, 0-0-1 Strikeforce, 0-0-0 career middleweight) has recently been named as the first challenger for the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship held by some guy named Luke Rockhold. I asked one of my friends today if he knew who Luke Rockhold was, and he guessed that Rockhold was Fred Flintstone's boss at the quarry. Close, but no cigar.
For those of you who haven't been paying attention, and that would be most of you, some guy named Luke Rockhold is the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. His face, along with the mug of Keith Jardine, will be adorning posters all over the Las Vegas metro area over the next few weeks. Is it any wonder that Zuffa has reserved the 4000 seat Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to host the January 7 event?
Luke Rockhold wasn't supposed to be the Strikeforce Champion. He was scheduled to fight Jacare Souza for Jacare's title because nobody outside of the U.S. Army was interested in seeing Tim Kennedy fight Jacare for a second time. Rockhold was the best of a short list of bad options.
Once Strikeforce's middleweight division lost Dan Henderson, Jake Shields, Jason Miller, and Cung Le to the UFC; once Melvin Manhoef, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, and Joey Villasenor were revealed to be mere journeymen; once Nick Diaz made it clear his future was not at middleweight, and once Tim Kennedy lost an uninspiring title fight with Jacare, then nothing remained of the once proud middleweight division.
So all that was left was Luke Rockhold, who was set up out of necessity alone to fight Jacare. Rockhold was booked into the title fight coming off an 18 month layoff due to injury. Rockhold's best victories were against Paul Bradley and Jesse Taylor. Strikeforce held Rockhold in such high esteem that he had never fought on a Showtime card outside of the Challengers series. And then Rockhold - a supremely talented fighter, and fun to watch as well - went out and beat Jacare.
Now, it's not like Jacare was a household name either. Despite being the most talented grappler in the middleweight division, despite having loads of charisma and personality, and despite being a fantastic finisher of fights, Jacare has failed to catch on with the Strikeforce audience. Part of that has to be chalked up to his Brazilian nationality, and part of the blame rests on Strikeforce for not pushing him as the star that he could be. Regardless of the reasons, Jacare is not a star.
Jacare's losing the title to Rockhold opened up an opportunity for his former challenger Tim Kennedy. Unfortunately for the war hero Kennedy (don't believe me, just ask him), he was unable to fight on January 7 which opened the door for a new challenger.
Keith Jardine.
I love Keith Jardine. I love everything about Keith Jardine other than his overall talent level. If Strikeforce's future is to be as a standalone promotion, Strikeforce just cannot under any circumstances be giving title shots to Keith Jardine.
They cannot be giving title shots to Jorge Masvidal, either.
They cannot leave their Welterweight Championship vacant.
They cannot let Dan Henderson remain as their Light Heavyweight Champion when he fights for the UFC.
SOME FAT
Less than one year ago, the top ten fighters in the Strikeforce heavyweight division were (in no particular order) titular champion Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva, Sergei Kharitonov, Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett, Shane del Rosario, and Daniel Cormier.
The first eight of those ten fighters were booked into a single elimination tournament. Del Rosario was booked as a tournament alternate, along with Chad Griggs, Ray Sefo, (and we'll just stop right there?). Cormier was not booked as an alternate.
Now, Overeem is one fight away from fighting for the UFC Championship, but is still the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion. Fedor Emelianenko is no longer with the promotion. Fabricio Werdum, participant in two of the worst fights of all time (vs. Arlovski and vs. Overeem) is now trying to get under contract with the UFC and is actively campaigning for a fight with Brendan Schaub. Silva is in limbo after being slaughtered by Daniel Cormier. Kharitonov is, like the 2006 Chicago Bears, who we thought he was, a one-dimensional puncher who is unlikely to fight for Zuffa again. Brett Rogers is in prison, because apparently punching people inside a cage just doesn't provide him with enough opportunity to punch people in the face. Andrei Arlovski might as well be in prison, seeing as how he's fighting for ProElite now. And del Rosario's career is on hold, having suffered injuries from a car wreck.
And now we're down to two. Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier are essentially all that remains of the once vaunted Strikeforce Heavyweight division. Barnett's post-Strikeforce MMA future is bleak, as he is no favorite of UFC kingpin Dana White. The thrice-busted roider was signed to Strikeforce before the UFC acquired Strikeforce, and is only with Strikeforce now because he is contracted to the company. Say what you want about Zuffa, but they live up to their contracts (paging Mark Hunt...).
Daniel Cormier is the one shining light. If Strikeforce survives more than a couple of months, Cormier is the man they need to build around. After replacing the departed Alistair Overeem in the semi-final round of the Grand Prix, he announced his presence on the big stage by knocking out world's slowest man Antonio Silva in the very first round of their fight. He knocked him out so well that he broke his hand, putting the finals of the Grand Prix in grave danger (I said grave danger? You said "is there any other kind?"). How's that for timing?
BONES
The most discussed division in Strikeforce is the bantamweight division. Unfortunately for ticket sales and television ratings, I'm referring to the women's bantamweight division. In a fate that could only be described as Strikeforcian in nature, the only hot division and hot issue that involves the company is happening in a division that has proven to draw exactly zilch in terms of money.
Ronda Rousey has quickly made a name for herself in the Strikeforce featherweight division. She has gone 2-0 for Strikeforce, winning fights against Sarah D'Alelio and Julia Budd by armbar, less than one minute into each bout. Rousey won a bronze medal for judo in the 2008 Olympic Games. She is 4-0 as a professional MMA fighter, with her two wins outside Strikeforce also coming by armbar inside the first minute.
Not irrelevantly, Rousey is an extremely talented self-promoter, as well as a phenomenally beautiful woman. And before you start getting all holier-than-thou here, the fact remains that marketability is 100% a factor when Zuffa determines who gets title shots, who gets pushed, and who gets exposure. Don't believe me, see the curious case of Fitch, Jon.
In a perfect world, the Olympic pedigree, beauty, MMA talent, charisma, intelligence, and most importantly the ability to savage her opponents would make Ronda Rousey a star. And not just a regular star, but a star that can sell tickets, bring eyes to the TV screen, and get mainstream buzz.
Miesha Tate is the Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion. She won the title earlier this year with a fantastic fourth round arm triangle choke on the since-released Marloes Coenen. Tate is a fantastic grappler with a developing striking game, and she is more than willing to exploit her good looks and killer body to get her name out there. Don't believe me, check out her Twitter background, or do a google search on ?Miesha Tate Ass? and you'll see how she chooses to market her, um, assets.
Rousey has been campaigning for a title shot at 135, despite only having fought at 145. After all, if an ugly bastard like Keith Jardine can get a middleweight title shot, why can't a brickhouse like Rousey get an immediate title shot at 135? After all, Jardine is winless in Strikeforce, and Rousey is an undefeated killer. Rousey feels she should be in line for a title shot ahead of Sarah Kaufman - a highly skilled but hideously boring fighter who holds a 2009 victory over Tate - because she is hot (career, not appearance) right now, and can generate more money and buzz than Kaufman would draw against Tate. Rosuey's contentions are 100% accurate.
Tate is of the belief that the upstart Rousey hasn't earned a damn thing in MMA, especially not at 135. Rousey should get in line behind Sarah Kaufman, Alexis Davis, Bob Hope, Danny Glover, and any other name she can come up with. Tate thinks Rousey is using her gift of gab and her physical beauty to take a spot from a more deserving girl. Tate also is 100% correct.
And let's be clear about one more thing here: Nobody cares. The dial doesn't move one fraction of a millimeter for any female fighter short of Gina Carano, and she ceased being an MMA fighter 4:59 into her fight with Cris Cyborg. There is no demand for her conqueror, as Cyborg hasn't been truly in demand since that win, and hasn't fought in almost 18 months.
In short, the only division that's getting any play in the MMA media (snicker) is a division that has never drawn a dime, and is one that is unlikely to do so anytime soon. Despite my appreciation for female MMA (I went from critic to skeptic to convert), I understand that there is no market for it at this time. I also understand that Dana White wants nothing to do with it.
REMAINS
So what is the future of Strikeforce, and what should be the future of Strikeforce? Let's be clear; Strikeforce was diagnosed with cancer the day they signed Fedor Emelianenko. The cancer was deemed terminal the day that they chose not to book Fedor vs. Alistair Overeem. The patient (Strikeforce) was taken off of chemotherapy the day Fedor lost to Werdum. The patient was pronounced dead by Dana White and Ariel Helwani one fateful Saturday afternoon in early 2011.
The Strikeforce that we all knew and loved (or hated, whatever) died when they went under the Zuffa corporate umbrella. The thing that we call Strikeforce is as much Strikeforce as Vince McMahon's ECW product was genuinely ECW. So, once separating what was Strikeforce from what uses that same name, the future is irrelevant. Whether they become a feeder league, try to stand alone, or dissolve into the UFC just doesn't matter. The future of Strikeforce, just like Strikeforce presently, just doesn't matter.
Insert Obligatory Twitter Plug @MMATorchRich Here
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But I don't. And I can't. So instead I'm just going to just have to pick at the carcass of the once proud promotion.
Of course, I won't be the first vulture picking away at the carrion. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has beaten me to the roadkill by several months. The vital organs and the flesh are all gone; all that is left is some gristle (unmarketable champions and challengers who lack credibility), some fat (the remnants of the Heavyweight Grand Prix), and bones (female MMA, about which nobody gives a damn). The vital organs (Diaz, Miller, Henderson?) have been eaten, digested, and excreted to the UFC (yes, that reference could have been grosser).
GRISTLE
For those of you who are hoping to see the Strikeforce brand continue in some way, shape, or form - either in its current form as a separate promotion or as a so-called feeder league to the UFC ? allow me to introduce you to Keith Jardine, Luke Rockhold, and Jacare Souza.
Keith Jardine (3-6-1 last 10, 0-0-1 Strikeforce, 0-0-0 career middleweight) has recently been named as the first challenger for the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship held by some guy named Luke Rockhold. I asked one of my friends today if he knew who Luke Rockhold was, and he guessed that Rockhold was Fred Flintstone's boss at the quarry. Close, but no cigar.
For those of you who haven't been paying attention, and that would be most of you, some guy named Luke Rockhold is the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. His face, along with the mug of Keith Jardine, will be adorning posters all over the Las Vegas metro area over the next few weeks. Is it any wonder that Zuffa has reserved the 4000 seat Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to host the January 7 event?
Luke Rockhold wasn't supposed to be the Strikeforce Champion. He was scheduled to fight Jacare Souza for Jacare's title because nobody outside of the U.S. Army was interested in seeing Tim Kennedy fight Jacare for a second time. Rockhold was the best of a short list of bad options.
Once Strikeforce's middleweight division lost Dan Henderson, Jake Shields, Jason Miller, and Cung Le to the UFC; once Melvin Manhoef, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, and Joey Villasenor were revealed to be mere journeymen; once Nick Diaz made it clear his future was not at middleweight, and once Tim Kennedy lost an uninspiring title fight with Jacare, then nothing remained of the once proud middleweight division.
So all that was left was Luke Rockhold, who was set up out of necessity alone to fight Jacare. Rockhold was booked into the title fight coming off an 18 month layoff due to injury. Rockhold's best victories were against Paul Bradley and Jesse Taylor. Strikeforce held Rockhold in such high esteem that he had never fought on a Showtime card outside of the Challengers series. And then Rockhold - a supremely talented fighter, and fun to watch as well - went out and beat Jacare.
Now, it's not like Jacare was a household name either. Despite being the most talented grappler in the middleweight division, despite having loads of charisma and personality, and despite being a fantastic finisher of fights, Jacare has failed to catch on with the Strikeforce audience. Part of that has to be chalked up to his Brazilian nationality, and part of the blame rests on Strikeforce for not pushing him as the star that he could be. Regardless of the reasons, Jacare is not a star.
Jacare's losing the title to Rockhold opened up an opportunity for his former challenger Tim Kennedy. Unfortunately for the war hero Kennedy (don't believe me, just ask him), he was unable to fight on January 7 which opened the door for a new challenger.
Keith Jardine.
I love Keith Jardine. I love everything about Keith Jardine other than his overall talent level. If Strikeforce's future is to be as a standalone promotion, Strikeforce just cannot under any circumstances be giving title shots to Keith Jardine.
They cannot be giving title shots to Jorge Masvidal, either.
They cannot leave their Welterweight Championship vacant.
They cannot let Dan Henderson remain as their Light Heavyweight Champion when he fights for the UFC.
SOME FAT
Less than one year ago, the top ten fighters in the Strikeforce heavyweight division were (in no particular order) titular champion Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva, Sergei Kharitonov, Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett, Shane del Rosario, and Daniel Cormier.
The first eight of those ten fighters were booked into a single elimination tournament. Del Rosario was booked as a tournament alternate, along with Chad Griggs, Ray Sefo, (and we'll just stop right there?). Cormier was not booked as an alternate.
Now, Overeem is one fight away from fighting for the UFC Championship, but is still the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion. Fedor Emelianenko is no longer with the promotion. Fabricio Werdum, participant in two of the worst fights of all time (vs. Arlovski and vs. Overeem) is now trying to get under contract with the UFC and is actively campaigning for a fight with Brendan Schaub. Silva is in limbo after being slaughtered by Daniel Cormier. Kharitonov is, like the 2006 Chicago Bears, who we thought he was, a one-dimensional puncher who is unlikely to fight for Zuffa again. Brett Rogers is in prison, because apparently punching people inside a cage just doesn't provide him with enough opportunity to punch people in the face. Andrei Arlovski might as well be in prison, seeing as how he's fighting for ProElite now. And del Rosario's career is on hold, having suffered injuries from a car wreck.
And now we're down to two. Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier are essentially all that remains of the once vaunted Strikeforce Heavyweight division. Barnett's post-Strikeforce MMA future is bleak, as he is no favorite of UFC kingpin Dana White. The thrice-busted roider was signed to Strikeforce before the UFC acquired Strikeforce, and is only with Strikeforce now because he is contracted to the company. Say what you want about Zuffa, but they live up to their contracts (paging Mark Hunt...).
Daniel Cormier is the one shining light. If Strikeforce survives more than a couple of months, Cormier is the man they need to build around. After replacing the departed Alistair Overeem in the semi-final round of the Grand Prix, he announced his presence on the big stage by knocking out world's slowest man Antonio Silva in the very first round of their fight. He knocked him out so well that he broke his hand, putting the finals of the Grand Prix in grave danger (I said grave danger? You said "is there any other kind?"). How's that for timing?
BONES
The most discussed division in Strikeforce is the bantamweight division. Unfortunately for ticket sales and television ratings, I'm referring to the women's bantamweight division. In a fate that could only be described as Strikeforcian in nature, the only hot division and hot issue that involves the company is happening in a division that has proven to draw exactly zilch in terms of money.
Ronda Rousey has quickly made a name for herself in the Strikeforce featherweight division. She has gone 2-0 for Strikeforce, winning fights against Sarah D'Alelio and Julia Budd by armbar, less than one minute into each bout. Rousey won a bronze medal for judo in the 2008 Olympic Games. She is 4-0 as a professional MMA fighter, with her two wins outside Strikeforce also coming by armbar inside the first minute.
Not irrelevantly, Rousey is an extremely talented self-promoter, as well as a phenomenally beautiful woman. And before you start getting all holier-than-thou here, the fact remains that marketability is 100% a factor when Zuffa determines who gets title shots, who gets pushed, and who gets exposure. Don't believe me, see the curious case of Fitch, Jon.
In a perfect world, the Olympic pedigree, beauty, MMA talent, charisma, intelligence, and most importantly the ability to savage her opponents would make Ronda Rousey a star. And not just a regular star, but a star that can sell tickets, bring eyes to the TV screen, and get mainstream buzz.
Miesha Tate is the Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion. She won the title earlier this year with a fantastic fourth round arm triangle choke on the since-released Marloes Coenen. Tate is a fantastic grappler with a developing striking game, and she is more than willing to exploit her good looks and killer body to get her name out there. Don't believe me, check out her Twitter background, or do a google search on ?Miesha Tate Ass? and you'll see how she chooses to market her, um, assets.
Rousey has been campaigning for a title shot at 135, despite only having fought at 145. After all, if an ugly bastard like Keith Jardine can get a middleweight title shot, why can't a brickhouse like Rousey get an immediate title shot at 135? After all, Jardine is winless in Strikeforce, and Rousey is an undefeated killer. Rousey feels she should be in line for a title shot ahead of Sarah Kaufman - a highly skilled but hideously boring fighter who holds a 2009 victory over Tate - because she is hot (career, not appearance) right now, and can generate more money and buzz than Kaufman would draw against Tate. Rosuey's contentions are 100% accurate.
Tate is of the belief that the upstart Rousey hasn't earned a damn thing in MMA, especially not at 135. Rousey should get in line behind Sarah Kaufman, Alexis Davis, Bob Hope, Danny Glover, and any other name she can come up with. Tate thinks Rousey is using her gift of gab and her physical beauty to take a spot from a more deserving girl. Tate also is 100% correct.
And let's be clear about one more thing here: Nobody cares. The dial doesn't move one fraction of a millimeter for any female fighter short of Gina Carano, and she ceased being an MMA fighter 4:59 into her fight with Cris Cyborg. There is no demand for her conqueror, as Cyborg hasn't been truly in demand since that win, and hasn't fought in almost 18 months.
In short, the only division that's getting any play in the MMA media (snicker) is a division that has never drawn a dime, and is one that is unlikely to do so anytime soon. Despite my appreciation for female MMA (I went from critic to skeptic to convert), I understand that there is no market for it at this time. I also understand that Dana White wants nothing to do with it.
REMAINS
So what is the future of Strikeforce, and what should be the future of Strikeforce? Let's be clear; Strikeforce was diagnosed with cancer the day they signed Fedor Emelianenko. The cancer was deemed terminal the day that they chose not to book Fedor vs. Alistair Overeem. The patient (Strikeforce) was taken off of chemotherapy the day Fedor lost to Werdum. The patient was pronounced dead by Dana White and Ariel Helwani one fateful Saturday afternoon in early 2011.
The Strikeforce that we all knew and loved (or hated, whatever) died when they went under the Zuffa corporate umbrella. The thing that we call Strikeforce is as much Strikeforce as Vince McMahon's ECW product was genuinely ECW. So, once separating what was Strikeforce from what uses that same name, the future is irrelevant. Whether they become a feeder league, try to stand alone, or dissolve into the UFC just doesn't matter. The future of Strikeforce, just like Strikeforce presently, just doesn't matter.
Insert Obligatory Twitter Plug @MMATorchRich Here
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/richhansen/article_11528.shtml
Saturday, December 3, 2011
THIS WEEKEND IN MMA: List of top MMA programming on TV for 12/3 and 12/4
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Marathon - Spike TV - 11AM-7PM ET: If you missed any of this season of The Ultimate Fighter, catch up on all the bantamweight and featherweight action before Saturday night's live Finale event, as Spike TV runs every episode from this season back-to-back.
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale - Spike TV - 8PM ET: The UFC's final live event on Spike TV features two Ultimate Fighter finals bouts, as well as a heated middleweight confrontation between TUF 14 coaches Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_11533.shtml
Cris ?Cyborg? Santos Willing To Try Fighting At 135 Lbs
Source: http://www.themmanews.com/cris-cyborg-santos-willing-to-try-fighting-at-135-lbs/
ROUNDTABLE: Michael Bisping vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller - predictions for TUF 14 main event - Hansen, Hyden, Perez, Hobaugh, Amadi, and Pelkey
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RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST?
Bisping by decision.� Shocking, right?� It's been five years since Trigg finished Mayhem, and nine years since the only other time he's been finished.� But Bisping is a better kickboxer than Miller, and he's going to do more damage in the standup game.� I really don't think Miller has anything for Bisping, and I sense an uninteresting yet dominant decision coming for Michael Bisping.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR??
I think that Mayhem gets the win here. I think he submits Bisping with a choke of some sort. I just don't think that Bisping is going to be able to do enough damage to Mayhem to get the finish. I think Mayhem wears Bisping down and gets the submission in the third round or so.??
ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Even though Mayhem Miller has always been touted as a great fighter with loads of talent, he has always faltered when it comes to big fights (see against Jake Shields in Strikeforce). �Nothing is going to change because Michael Bisping, though he has faltered in big fights too, will make quick work of Miller, who will be out-matched in this fight. �Bisping wins via second round TKO.
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Both fighters are pretty well rounded and usually bring great cardio into fights. I think Bisbing has many more ways to win though. He will need to close the distance and use his advantage standing to win this fight. Miller has a great chin. He has only been stopped by KO once in his career by Frank Trigg. That stoppage was back in 2006 from soccer kicks while he was�already on the ground. Mayham is a legit BJJ black belt and can win if he can find a way to take Bisbing down and use his superior ground skills. I think what really hurts Miller in this fight is the fact that he has not fought in over a year. �I think this will be a close fight with Bisbing winning by decision.
JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Michael Bisping may not be the most dangerous fighter in the middleweight division, but he's very technical in his approach and good enough to beat most fighters out there. I expect Bisping to box Miller up, use his wrestling to keep the fight on the feet and dictate the pace for five rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory.
�
"Mayhem" is coming off a long layoff and unless he shows us something new here, he's dropping a decision to Bisping and making a lot of Americans unhappy.
�
MATT PELKEY, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
?This is an extremely close fight between two above-average, well-rounded middleweights. Bisping is a little better on the feet, but lacks the kind of power to give me pause in thinking Mayhem's slight edge in grappling will prove the difference. A finish by either seems highly unlikely, so give me the guy who's likely to spend more time on top in a fight sure to be scrambling and grapple heavy. Miller on points.�
[Michael Bisping art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/roundtables/article_11520.shtml
Friday, December 2, 2011
Applications for ?The Ultimate Fighter 15? Due Today
Calling all wannabe Octagon superstars! The UFC and FX will be holding tryouts for ?The Ultimate Fighter 15? on Monday in Las Vegas. However, athletes looking to audition must have their application submitted by today.�� The next season of the hit reality series features the lightweight and welterweight divisions. Tryouts will be held inside the [...]
Source: http://www.5thRound.com/97845/applications-for-the-ultimate-fighter-15-tryouts-due-today/
PENICK: Notebook 12/1 - Keith Jardine in a title fight? Really? Pelkey's rank of TUF seasons; delayed UFC on Xbox app
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Short notebook tonight, look out for a TUF 14 Finale preview in the morning!
-I don't understand the booking of Keith Jardine in a Strikeforce Middleweight Title fight in the slightest. Jardine's never competed in the division, and he's getting a title fight at a weight he's never fought at off a draw in his last fight. It just doesn't make sense, and doesn't speak well for keeping Strikeforce around. With "Jacare" Souza complaining about being on the sidelines on Twitter earlier this week as well, and a number of top fighters in the organization already in the UFC or heading there shortly, it's time to make a decision on what Strikeforce is going to be moving forward. If it's going to be a feeder league of sorts and continue on, the title should be scrapped and the fighters worthy of being at that level brought to the UFC. If that's not in the cards, is it really worth having titles in the organization when this is one of the fights to be made? And if they're going to keep Strikeforce around, why not bring over a more legitimate fight for Rockhold from the UFC's roster? There are a ton of names that would make more sense than Jardine for this fight.
-Chael Sonnen's video interview from last night with FightHubTV gave the hint that Saturday's Michael Bisping-Jason Miller fight would factor in to who he met next. However, it's highly possible this was a case of Sonnen being Sonnen and he may be trying to garner a reaction. A fight with either Munoz or Bisping would make sense if he's not waiting for Anderson Silva to heal, but really until something more concrete comes out we don't have much to go on.
-Matt Pelkey went back through the entirety of The Ultimate Fighter over the last week for his breakdown and ranking of each season of the show. Looking at his rankings of each of the seasons and how they've fared in developing talent for the UFCs roster, the top and bottom of the list don't really bring much in the way of surprises. The first two seasons aren't likely to ever be touched in terms of fighters having subsequent success in the Octagon. Fighters have different ways to get into the Octagon that don't involve being locked away for six weeks in the house, and the fighters that make it onto the show aren't always the most qualified fighters. Personality drives the show, at least that's been the mindset of Spike and UFC execs choosing those that make it onto the show, and because of that a lot of good fighters end up in the UFC through other, more conventional avenues. Will anything change in the fighter quality level as they move to a new format on FX? It's not likely, but perhaps it can bump up past what we've seen out of the last several iterations of the show.
-I'm eagerly anticipating the UFC's foray onto the Xbox 360, and was thoroughly disappointed to wake up this morning to the news that it won't be out until December 20. You see, the new app was reportedly going to be released today, with next week's UFC 140 being the first event available for purchase through the new system. Instead, it's three weeks later, and UFC 141 will be the first live event. But with the news that the new Xbox 360 dashboard update was getting moved to December 6, it wasn't a surprise to see this get delayed as well. As someone who uses his Xbox 360 for multimedia even more than for games at this point, the UFC's addition to the fold is going to be a really interesting new way to experience UFC events and pay-per-views, and I can't wait to get my chance to see it first-hand.
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-I don't understand the booking of Keith Jardine in a Strikeforce Middleweight Title fight in the slightest. Jardine's never competed in the division, and he's getting a title fight at a weight he's never fought at off a draw in his last fight. It just doesn't make sense, and doesn't speak well for keeping Strikeforce around. With "Jacare" Souza complaining about being on the sidelines on Twitter earlier this week as well, and a number of top fighters in the organization already in the UFC or heading there shortly, it's time to make a decision on what Strikeforce is going to be moving forward. If it's going to be a feeder league of sorts and continue on, the title should be scrapped and the fighters worthy of being at that level brought to the UFC. If that's not in the cards, is it really worth having titles in the organization when this is one of the fights to be made? And if they're going to keep Strikeforce around, why not bring over a more legitimate fight for Rockhold from the UFC's roster? There are a ton of names that would make more sense than Jardine for this fight.
-Chael Sonnen's video interview from last night with FightHubTV gave the hint that Saturday's Michael Bisping-Jason Miller fight would factor in to who he met next. However, it's highly possible this was a case of Sonnen being Sonnen and he may be trying to garner a reaction. A fight with either Munoz or Bisping would make sense if he's not waiting for Anderson Silva to heal, but really until something more concrete comes out we don't have much to go on.
-Matt Pelkey went back through the entirety of The Ultimate Fighter over the last week for his breakdown and ranking of each season of the show. Looking at his rankings of each of the seasons and how they've fared in developing talent for the UFCs roster, the top and bottom of the list don't really bring much in the way of surprises. The first two seasons aren't likely to ever be touched in terms of fighters having subsequent success in the Octagon. Fighters have different ways to get into the Octagon that don't involve being locked away for six weeks in the house, and the fighters that make it onto the show aren't always the most qualified fighters. Personality drives the show, at least that's been the mindset of Spike and UFC execs choosing those that make it onto the show, and because of that a lot of good fighters end up in the UFC through other, more conventional avenues. Will anything change in the fighter quality level as they move to a new format on FX? It's not likely, but perhaps it can bump up past what we've seen out of the last several iterations of the show.
-I'm eagerly anticipating the UFC's foray onto the Xbox 360, and was thoroughly disappointed to wake up this morning to the news that it won't be out until December 20. You see, the new app was reportedly going to be released today, with next week's UFC 140 being the first event available for purchase through the new system. Instead, it's three weeks later, and UFC 141 will be the first live event. But with the news that the new Xbox 360 dashboard update was getting moved to December 6, it wasn't a surprise to see this get delayed as well. As someone who uses his Xbox 360 for multimedia even more than for games at this point, the UFC's addition to the fold is going to be a really interesting new way to experience UFC events and pay-per-views, and I can't wait to get my chance to see it first-hand.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/penickstake/article_11522.shtml
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