Bloody Cajun MMA

Alan Jouban Interview

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 18:56:00 +0000

After his recent victory in Baton Rouge, Lafayette native Alan Jouban (5-1) gave us some insight into how he went from country boy, to model, to actor, to a fast rising MMA prospect.

Super big thanks go out to Bobby Jr. at Holbrook Media for helping us out with the audio levels.

Bellator's "Peaceful Warrior Program" wrap up

noreply@blogger.com (uberfighter) — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:07:00 +0000

Two days before Bellator 69 will come to L'Auberge Du Lac they hosted the "Peaceful Warrior" program at Progressive Evolution martial arts gym in Lake Charles. In attendance was Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, local fighter and world karate champion Josh Quayhagen, and heavyweight fighter Ron Sparks. Bellator was very excited and grateful for the local media coverage for the event. They stressed to me that "They are not too big for anyone." Any exposure that will help their brand and mma to grow is very appreciated. If only other, smaller promotions could have such an appreciative attitude towards local media. Bjorn was also buzzing to kick off the program. He took a few minutes to tell me about the TV deal on Spike which he was thrilled about. After that he explained that this program was part of a larger effort to do community outreach work across the country, and they were still looking for the right fit. The program started with a meet and greet segment. I took this time to talk to Bellator heavyweight Ron Sparks. He said that training for his fight Friday had gone really well, and that he loved coming to fight in the South. Hailing from Kentucky, he said that the people in Louisiana were just super nice and fun to compete in front of. Of Bellator he had nothing but positive things to say. While the UFC were not yet ready to offer him a contract, Bellator wasted no time signing him straight away. After the meet and greet, a film detailing how dangerous bullying was in America was shown. It featured young kids who had committed suicide as a result of bullying...some as young as 11! At the conclusion of the video Josh had his students put on an anti-bullying demo. The kids in attendance enjoyed it immensely as the students took turns throwing the bully (Josh) around. This was followed by the door prize giveaway that ended the show. As one audience member said, "It was really fun." How admirable of Bellator to raise awareness of such a devastating social evil as bullying. After watching the sport, it is clear that Bellator is not only good for the sport of MMA, but they are good for all of us.

Bellator presents "Peaceful Warrior Program" in Lake Charles

noreply@blogger.com (uberfighter) — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:02:00 +0000

Peaceful Warrior Program - Open House Event

“Knocking out Bullying and Killing with Kindness”

May 16^th 4:00-5:30pm

Held @:

Performance Evolution: Fitness, Martial Arts, & Sports Training Facility

Performance Evolution

2015 Ryan St.

Lake Charles, LA 70605

PEACEFUL WARRIOR PROGRAM’S MISSION

The Peaceful Warrior Program’s lasting mission is to empower the next generation to take a proactive responsibility to change their world for the better.

We aim to do this by empowering the youth of Calcasieu Parish to take a powerful proactive stand against domestic violence, along with physical and verbal bullying. The mission is to equip these young people with the knowledge to first make positive decision themselves, then the power to make smart nonviolent approaches to helping others overcome negative behavior or circumstances.

The Peaceful Warrior Program is designed to give the future of our world a voice, not just to teach them good character but to reach out and learn from them. Then empower them to take control of this mission and create their own pathways of reaching out and empowering the following generation, developing a forever evolving and growing culture of responsibility, peace, and love!

Hosted by:

The Peaceful Warrior Karate Kid’s Demo Team & Josh Quayhagen (3x Karate World Champion and Pro Mixed Martial Artist)

EVENT INCLUDES

o Fun Interactive Anti-Bullying & Peaceful Warrior Presentation!

o Multisport obstacle course challenge

o Peaceful Warrior Karate Team Demonstration

o Door prizes and free raffles

o An opportunity to be come together to join a team of young people from Calcasieu Parish wanting to make a difference in and around their school and community!!!

This event is open to boys and girls ages 10-17 years old looking to come together to improve one’s character, create a powerful voice in the community, and stand up against violence and bullying in and around the a Lake Charles Community.

Eric Scallan Bellator 61 Interview

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:30:00 +0000

Gladiators of Lafayette rising star Eric Scallan will be fighting on Bellator 61 this friday night. His fight will be broadcast on Bellator.com and Spike.com, and he will be facing tough veteran opponent Derrick Krantz. Follow Eric at @EricScallanMMA, friend him on Facebook, and watch his fight!

Night of Champions 3 Results

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:33:00 +0000

Results via MixedMartialArts.com

Winner Loser Method

Donnie Bell	Aaron Carter	Submission	1st	1:35
Zac Kelley	Hayward Charles	TKO/RSC	2nd	0:23
Mike Baskis	David Armas	Submission	1st	4:15
Victor Gonzalez	Eugene Broussard	TKO/RSC	1st	0:17
Justin Timpa	Azariah Pattee	Submission	1st	1:22
Fernando Aroyo	Pablo Ramos	Decision	3rd
Dakota Smith	Jacob Capelli	Decision	3rd
Duece Domogeaux	Mike Martinez	TKO/RSC	3rd	0:00
Bruce Moore	David Herrera	Submission	1st	2:26
Alvin Jordan	Mark Beuke	Submission	3rd	2:56
Mike Pindel	Hector Trevino	TKO/RSC	1st	1:51

USA-MMA presents Night of Champions 3

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:19:00 +0000

Main Card:
Alex Cisne vs Eric Scallan
Joe Lerma vs Aaron Philips
Zac Kelly vs Joshua Heyward Charles

Undercard:
David Huerrera vs Dat Tran
Chris Tornero vs Mike Bruno
James Russell vs Everett Sims
Sijin Kurian vs Eugene Broussard
Joe Gibbs vs Deuce Domengeaux
Billy Frederick vs Alvin Jordan
Azariah Pattee vs Traveon McNulty
Jeff Mercier vs Matt Boyd
Shannon Whitlief vs Pablo Ramos
Brandon Dellamardia vs Dakota Smith
Hector Trevino vs Darick Perkins
Mike Martinez vs Sergio Arguellez
Brandon Gerald vs Bruce Moore
Mark Burke vs Charles Garrett

There will be a meet and greet with current UFC fighter and co-star of the documentary Fightville-Tim Credeur, UFC and PRIDE veteran-Yves Edwards, and The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 contestant and star of the MTV series CAGED-Christian Fulgium at the weigh-ins Friday at 5pm at Rivals Sports Grill. There will also be an official afterparty at Rivals after the show.

Update: Eric Scallan had to withdraw from this event after signing to fight on Bellator 61 on March 16 in Bossier City. No news on his replacement.

GFA 17 Results, Review, and Pics

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:47:00 +0000

GFA 17 2/11/2012

Tonight mixed martial arts comes to Youngsville, Louisiana with Global Fighting Alliance 17. On the card there are 11 fights, 10 amateur and a professional fight featuring John De Jesus making his professional debut from American Top Team against Aaron Phillips of Tim Credeur's Gladiator Academy. While getting ready for the fights to start I had a chance to talk with Coach Baga from ATT, and the main event should prove to be a real treat for fight fans. Both De Jesus and Phillips are young, hungry fighters who are well rounded, and like to stand and trade. De Jesus came in to the fight 5 pounds over the 135 pound limit and so had to forfeit 20% of his purse to Phillips. As usual, amateur fights are 3 three minute rounds, while professional fights are 3 five minute rounds.

Follow us on Twitter and Like our Facebookpage!!:)

Fight 1 135 lbs

Devin Jones (2-1) vs Trey Blaylock (0-1)

Round 1
Blaylock throws the first punches. Jones lands a left. Blaylock shoots...no luck. He then front kicks and eats a right counter. Jones lands a one-two. Blaylock is wild with his defense and is getting picked apart. Jones shoots in and Blaylock sprawls. Blaylock takes the opening and goes for standing guillotine. He drops into guard. Jones gets out and starts dropping serious shots on Blaylock. Blaylock's face is now busted up. He pushes Jones off and stands up against the cage. The round ends. Blaylock drops his hands every time he throws anything, and Jones is more than happy to stay in the pocket and counter. The ref gives Blaylock a lot of time to decide whether he wants to continue, and this draws some criticism from the crowd.

Round 2

Blaylock bull rushes in straight away, but the obvious attempt is easily denied. Blaylock throws a low kick. He appears to be fighting scared. Jones pushes to cage with a solid connection to Blaylock's head. Now against the cage Jones digs to the body. They stay in the clinch and trade knees with quite a few low blows in the mix. Finally the ref restarts with ten seconds left. This round was fairly uneventful as it was spent largely against the cage. Blaylock seemed out of ideas and quite desperate.

Round 3

Blaylock bull rushes again. They are against the cage trading knees again. Jones is landing some good knees. Blaylock is just trying to survive at this point. Blaylock goes for a standing choke again. It looks tight, but Jones escapes to the applause of the crowd. After one final flurry, the round ends.

Winner: Devin Jones by unanimous decision.

Fight 2 145 lbs

Jordan Brouillette (Global Fitness) (2-2) vs Robin White (1-3)

Round 1

Brouillette leads with a high kick that glances. White shoots and gets the first takedown. He advances to side control. White shows good position skill, but Brouillette reverses. They make it back to standing. Brouillette looks to land some thai knees from the plom. White pushes to the cage and gets the takedown, landing in the mount. Some light ground and pound follows, but nothing damaging. White moves to side control. Brouillette stands up, gets the thai clinch, and blasts White in the face with knee shots. White hangs in there and gets another takedown. He is in his opponent's half guard. The round ends. A very good round. Brouillette was very dangerous on the feet, but White was tenacious in his takedowns...and tough. There were some very good skills displayed. White has a gash in his forehead.

Round 2

Brouillette is showing signs of fatigue. White clinches up and pushes to the cage. He works and gets the takedown. Brouillette has him in full guard. White lands some light ground and pount to the body. Brouillette makes it to his feet. He then clinches and lands two good knees to White's head. White pushes Brouillette to the cage. Brouillette lands some more good knees, and White is a bloody mess. White pushes to the cage again looking for the takedown. They hit the ground, and the round ends. White is getting the takedown's, but his face is paying the price for them.

Round 3

Brouillette opens the round with a high kick. White pushes to the cage after taking some big shots. He gets the takedown and passes Brouillette's guard. Immediately Brouillette rolls out and escapes. Brouillette disengages to rest. White is battered. Brouillette eats a hook while backpedaling. White pushes to the cage again. After a struggle, he finally gets the takedown. Brouillette goes for a triangle armbar, and White passes to side control. Brouillette rolls to his feet and stands. The round ends. This was a great fight that saw both fighters leaving it all in the cage. White got beat up, but there is no questioning his toughness! Had Brouillette more conditioning he could very well have finished the fight in this round.

Winner: Robin White by split decision. The crowd booed like crazy when the decision was read. This decision is mystifying. Brouillette won the fight easily, but the refs scored it a wrestling competition...unfortunate.

Fight 3 125 lbs

Will Hastings (0-1) vs Eugene Broussard (1-0)

Round 1

Hastings throws some leg kicks, and Broussard flurries with punches that force Hastings back. Broussard lands a nasty midkick. He has really fast kicks. Hastings tries his hand at a kick, but Broussard catches it, and they clinch up. They separate. Now Hastings catches a kick, and Broussard pulls guard against the cage. Broussard works a high guard, but Hastings doesn't leave any openings. The round ends. This round was was pretty close. Broussard looked to be the better, faster striker.

Round 2

Broussard throws a one-two and clinches against the cage. He digs to the body a couple of shots. Hastings knees to the legs. They separate. Hastings with a front kick, and Broussard answers with a stiff combo that scores. Broussard throws a wheel kick that misses and clinches. Hastings gets him against the cage and looks to knee. Broussard gets the takedown and gains side control. He lands some good shots to Hastings' head. Broussard mounts, and Hastings rolls him over into guard as the round ends. Another close round. By looking to clinch up so early Broussard played into Hastings's strength.

Round 3

They clinch again, but Broussard throws punches to get out of it. He sticks and moves a bit. Then he lands a good hook. A few more shots are thrown, and Hastings grabs his head. Up against the cage he looks to land some knees. Some of these conect, and Broussard looks hurt. Broussard drops to a knee, and Hastings takes his back. He's looking for the choke. It's close a couple of times. The round ends. This was a really close fight.

Winner: Eugene Broussard by split decision. This decision really could have gone either way, as round 2 was razor thin. This was Broussard's first fight.

Fight 4 135 lbs

Devin Cannon (Global Fitness) (1-0) vs Jace Bridwell (1-1)

Round 1
Right away Bridwell slips. Cannon quickly jumps on him and in the scramble takes his back. Bridwell reverses position and winds up in Cannon's guard, but Cannon slips a triangle on him. Bridwell moves to the side to try to alleviate the pressure, but eventually is forced to tap. The ref doesn't see the tap and Bridwell goes out. This mistake was made worse as Bridwell convulsed several times before he was attended to. After regaining consciousness, it was clear that Bridwell had hurt his ankle during the fight.

Winner: Devin Cannon by submission at :56 Rd 1.

Fight 5 185 lbs
Jarett Doyle (0-1) vs Seneca Joseph (2-1) (Gladiator Academy)

Round 1

Doyle throws the first punch, and Joseph clinches up to the cage. Joseph tries for a judo throw, but Doyle slips out behind him and takes Joseph's back. Joseph rolls, and Doyle gets the full mount. Joseph reverses position and ends up on top in Doyle's guard. Joseph postures up and lands some big punches. He then passes and lands some hammerfists from the side. The round ends. Joseph made a rookie mistake with the attempted throw, but he reversed quickly and took over the round.

Round 2

Joseph with a looping hook. Doyle rushes in, and Joseph goes for the choke. He pulls guard, but only manages to secure half-guard. This allows Doyle to escape. The lack of action at this point gets them restarted on the feet. Doyle connects with a punch as Joseph rushes in to clinch. They fall and Doyle ends in the mount, but he doesn't really do anything. He looks gassed. The round ends.

Round 3

Joseph clinches up against the cage, and he gets the takedown. He quickly gains side control and begins raining down hammerfists into Doyle's side. Doyle offers no defense, and the ref stops the fight. Joseph has some green around the edges, but there is no denying his power and ground skill. This kid looks beastly.

Winner: Seneca Joseph by TKO at :58 Rd 3

Fight 6 145 lbs

Cody James (1-0) vs Duece Domengeaux (0-1) (Gladiator Academy)

Round 1

Domengeaux opens up with some big kicks. James gets in tight and goes for a front choke. Domengeaux escapes. Then they just start trading. Both fighters are landing shots. James falls, and Domengeaux pounces on top. James attempts a triangle, but Domengeaux defends it well. He stands out of James' guard, then leaps in with a big punch. There is a scramble, and James gets back control. Domengeaux rolls, and James lands some good shots while maintaining a dominant position. The round ends. James looks to the be better, more aggressive grappler, and Domengeaux is a little too reckless on his feet.

Round 2
They start trading, and Domengeaux eats a punch. They clinch up, and James lands a beautiful throw. Domengeaux rolls onto his knees and gets in James' guard. James wastes no time and attempts a gogoplata, and it looks sunk. Domengeaux struggles but makes a great escape. Once out he finds himself in a triangle. James locks his legs, and it is tight. James grows impatient and switches to an armbar, which gets the tap. James' ground game looked plain sick. His guard was extremely active...and effective.

Winner: Cody James by submission in Rd 2

Fight 7 Heavyweight

Adrian Stafford vs Billy Brown

Brown comes out looking very wild and sloppy. He throws pawing shots at Stafford to no effect. He falls/goes for a leg. Stafford defends it easily and starts blasting big shots to Brown's face. Brown covers up and waits for the stoppage. Stafford showed composure and poise in being patient and looking for his openings against a clearly less skilled fighter.

Winner: Adrian Stafford by TKO at 1:11 Rd 1

Fight 8 145 lbs

Donald Goff (4-2)(Global Fitness) vs Mike Bruno (2-1) (Gladiator Academy)

Bruno comes out very aggressive. He shoots, and Goff wizzers. Bruno tries to roll through it and finds himself caught in a reverse triangle. Goff adjusts it into a straight triangle, and Bruno taps. It looked like Bruno was just caught off guard, and Goff showed great awareness capitalizing on the brief opening.

Winner: Donald Goff by submission at :53 Rd 1

Fight 9 135 lbs

Clay Burns (Global Fitness)(5-4) vs Justin Dixon (2-0)

Round 1

They both throw punches, but nothing really connects. Dixon with a front kick. Burns throws a combo, but Dixon does a nice job slipping it. Dixon throws a leg kick. Burns lands a thundering uppercut that almost knocks out Dixon's mouthpiece. Dixon immediately shoots, and Burns defends against the cage. Burns sneaks a couple of punches underneath. Dixon finally gets the takedown. The round ends. Both fighters showed good movement and were evenly matched, with the defining moment of the round being the uppercut landed by Burns.

Round 2

Dixon shoots immediately and gets the takedown. Burns gets the guard. He makes a play for Dixon's neck but doesn't get it. Dixon works the body a little bit. There is not much action, and they get restarted. Dixon shoots again, and gets the takedown. He is in half-guard this time. Dixon works the body while he looks to pass. Burns rolls, and Dixon goes for the back. Burns defends pretty well. He gets back to his feet with Dixon behind him. Burns somersaults as the round ends. It is clear that Dixon has no interest in the stand up after tasting Burn's power. He needs to press any advantage he gets on the ground to win this fight.

Round 3

Dixon throws a leg kick, and then he shoots for an ankle pick. He gets the takedown. Burns gets halfguard. Burns works to his feet, they scramble, and Dixon takes his back. Burns spins, and they go to the ground. Burns gets to his feet and gives his back yet again. He spins, and Dixon works for a single leg. He gets it and falls into a guilotine by Burns. The round ends as he escapes to guard. This is a case of wrestling being the deciding factor. Dixon landed no damage, but his positional advantages in rounds 2 and 3 proved to be the difference in the way this fight played out.

Winner: Justin Dixon by unanimous decision.

Fight 10 145 lbs

David Bosnick (Global Fitness)(1-0) vs Zach Cothren (5-2)

Round 1

Bosnick leads with a stiff jab. He follows it with a good one-two that sounds off nicely. Cothren lands a sloppy mid kick. Bosnick throws a high kick that grazes. Cothren throws a nice leg kick. They clinch. They then joust at the cage. Bosnick lands some knees inside. They separate. Bosnick shoots and gets a big takedown, but Cothren stands up and goes for the guillotine. Bosnick defends well. At the bell Cothren sinks in a deep choke. Bosnick literally crawls back to his corner. He is indicating he was hit low at the bell, and he is being given extra time to recover.

Round 2

They start off trading. They clinch and trade knees. Cothren gets a leg. He then presses against the cage. He lands some good knees, and Bosnick is hurt. They separate, and Bosnick is angry. He drops his hands in defiance and wants Cothren to drop his. Cothren doesn't go for it. Bosnick is bleeding from the eye. Bosnick lands a nasty leg kick. A good combo rocks Cothren. He goes down, and Bosnick mounts. Cothren is scrambling to stay alive and is saved by the bell. Bosnick really took control of the round after the separation from the clinch. Cothren seemed to fade noticeably. This was a very good round for Bosnick.

Round 3

Cothren shoots and takes Bosnick's back. Cothren drags him down and looks for the choke. Bosnick escapes and reverses position to get in guard on top. At this the crowd cheers. Bosnick postures up and lands some shots. He passes to side control. Then he moves to north south. Cothren rolls onto his knees to stand. Bosnick lands some big blows to close out the round. Cothren kept it interesting for most of the fight, but Bosnick had spurts of total dominance. He needs to tap into his raw aggression more.

Winner: David Bosnick by unanimous decision

Fight 11 Main Event 135 lbs Professional

John DeJesus (0-0) (ATT) vs Aaron Phillips (2-0) (Gladiator Academy)

Round 1

The house is buzzing for this one.

De Jesus comes out aggressive, and pushes phillips to the cage. Phillips lands a big knee that backs up De Jesus. Phillips then connects with a big kick to the body. He follows this up with a smooth trip takeown. Once on the ground he passes to side control. De Jesus is moving a lot trying to recover guard, but Phillips rolls into a D'Arce choke. It looks tight. De Jesus defends it well, but it still looks tight. With all the rolling around Phillips lets it go to establish side control. Phillips lands some good punches. De Jesus recovers guard and almost instantly Phillips is in an armbar. De Jesus tries to extend, but Phillips escapes and lands a punch. He postures up. Before any real damage can be delivered De Jesus pushes off and stands up. Phillips comes right back and lands a big knee to the body. Then he misses with a highkick. De Jesus answers with a midkick of his own. Phillips slips, and De Jesus follows him into guard. Phillips is very busy from the bottom with elbows to De Jesus' temple. The round ends. This was a really great round. Phillips showed great grappling from both the top and bottom, and De Jesus showed the BJJ skills that ATT is known for, and a willingness to trade. De Jesus also has a significant reach advantage, but Phillips used his Muay Thai skills to get in close and score with knees and kicks.

Round 2

Phillips opens with a leg kick, and then he lands a stiff cross. De Jesus pushes him to the cage and does a nice takedown into side control. De Jesus is being patient, and Phillips is able to attain guard and goes for a triangle. De Jesus escapes. He answers with an elbow that Phillips blocks. They get restarted. They clinch, and De Jesus pushes to the cage dropping for a leg. Phillips reverses, and De Jesus switches for a kneebar. Phillips defends and moves to take his back. De Jesus rolls and stands up. Just overall great scrambling and they get back to their feet. Phillips lands some big body shots that seem to hurt De Jesus. Phillips digs another hook to the body, and De Jesus pushes him to the cage. Phillips lands some big shots from the Thai clinch, and De Jesus is slowing down. De Jesus manages to surge forward and lands several clean punches as the round closes. These guys are definitely closing out the show. De Jesus is getting the worse of the stand up, but he is not giving an inch.

Round 3

Before the round starts Phillips is standing in his corner staring at De Jesus looking like he is ready to go 5 rounds. They take the center, De Jesus jabs, and Phillips throws a body kick. De Jesus lands some combos, and Phillips answers with a big knee to the body. Phillips is getting tagged but doesn't seem to care. His hands are low and is just walking through punches looking for the big kick or knee. Phillips scores to the body. He looks like he is stalking De Jesus around the cage while De Jesus lands punches. Phillips pushes to the cage and lands another knee. De Jesus throws an elbow. As Phillips closes the distance De Jesus keeps pushing him away. Phillips throws a flying knee that De Jesus catches. He tries to capitalize on this opportunity, but Phillips reverses and lands on top throwing lots of punches and hammerfists. De Jesus stays calm and gets halfguard. Then he smoothly makes a nice reversal into north south. Phillips rolls, and De Jesus spins for his back. He sinks his hooks in. He's looking for the choke. Phillips defends well. De Jesus stretches him out and lands punches to the head to close out the fight. What an incredible showing by both fighters, and the crowd roars their approval of the combatants' efforts. This was a very hotly contested fight with both fighters having the advantage at different point. Phillips Muay Thai seemed to dictate the stand-up, and although they were very evenly matched on the ground, Phillips had more effective striking when he had the dominant position.

Winner: Aaron Phillips by unanimous decision.

Despite the number of fights going to a decision, this card delivered some really amazing contests. It was the ground fighting on display that won the night for several fighters. To close the night we had a main event that could have easily fit on a televised card. It was that good! Though coming up short in the decision, De Jesus showed that he can compete with the very best of the area, and Phillips showed that he has the fortitude to win a grueling war of attrition. With this question answered, the next one may just be how high his star can rise in the sport.

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:16:00 +0000

GFA brings Top Shelf Fights to Lafayette this saturday at:

Top Shelf Sports

1616 Youngsville Hwy (Amb. Caff. Ext.)

Youngsville, La.

7 PM

Jesse Thorton vs Aaron Phillips
Clay Burns vs TBD
Zach Cotthren vs David Able
John De Jesus vs J.D. Alexander
Jace Bridwell vs Justin Dixon
Jeremy Maddox vs Alvin Jordan
Donald Goff vs Mike Bruno
Devin Jones vs Dat Tran
Will Hastings vs Eugene Broussard
Cody James vs Duece Domogeaux
Jordan Brouillette vs Robin White
Jarrett Doyle vs Seneca Joseph
Trey Blaylock vs Bruce Moore
Adrian Stafford vs Billy Brown

Dustin Poirier UFC 143 Interview

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:04:00 +0000

UFC 143 Preliminary Bouts Broadcast on FX at 8 PM

This saturday night, Dustin Poirier (11-1) looks to solidify himself as a contender in the featherweight division of the UFC, and continue to display his developing (s)kill set in the main event of the UFC on FX broadcast of the UFC 143 preliminary bouts. The native of the northside of lafayette is on a 4 fight win streak and is currently the #5 ranked featherweight by mmaweekly.com. Poirier was originally set to face Erik Koch but he injured himself, and Ricardo Lamas stepped up to the plate, only to injure himself as well. Max Holloway (4-0) answered the call to battle and brings a high pace unorthadoxed striking style to his UFC debut. Keep your eyes peeled for this one as both fightes like to walk forward, engage with opponents, and use high pressure styles to put opponents in bad positions.

Poirier by submission!!!

G1 presents Sovereign Valor: Team USA vs Team Japan

noreply@blogger.com (uberfighter) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:46:00 +0000

MMA has come to Coushatta. The card features 11 fights featuring 4 professional bouts. Amateur fights are three 3 minute rounds, while professional fights are three 5 minute rounds. The professional fights feature fighters from Japan against American fighters. As a bonus, one of the referees tonight was UFC veteran, Rich Clementi. After a peformance by the First Mate dance crew, the show opens to the entrance of the two competing teams in the cage. As one may guess, the crowd has a noticeable bias. With the teams facing off in the cage, their respective national anthems play. At the conclusion of the anthems, the crowd goes wild in anticipation.

Note: Our appologies to the amateur fighters! We were not able to sit cageside and it took a while to find the right settings to get good quality action pics with a new lens.

Fight 1 Amateur 170 lbs

Steven Boulet (Performance Evolution) vs Alvin Jordan (Gladiator Academy-Lafayette, LA)

Round One:
They circle and trade punches. They joust against the fence...then separate. Jordan is more aggressive but gets caught with a looping overhand right by Boulet that ends Jordan's night early.

Winner: Steven Boulet at 1:04 Rd 1, KO.

Fight 2 Amateur 205ish lbs.

Derek Baines (Urban Jungle-Houston, TX) vs Jeremy Hardy (Bushi Ban-Pasadena, TX)

Round 1:

Hardy opens with leg kicks. Then they both start trading leg kicks. Hardy is clearly winning the battle of the leg kicks, as redness shows and Baines begins favoring his left leg. Hardy gets a front head lock and begins pushing Baines against the cage while landing some knees to the head. The fighters separate, and you can see that Baines is bloodied. Hardy drops him with a hook. He quickly gets mount and rains down big shots. Baines rolls over and Hardy sinks the rear naked choke forcing the tap.

Winner: Jeremy Hardy 2:06 Rd 1 by submission (rear naked choke)

Fight 3 Amateur 140 lbs.

Martin Walker (TX Top Team-Beaumont, TX) vs Mike Bruno (Gladiator Academy-Lafayette, LA)

Round 1:
Bruno shoots in and gets the takedown, advancing to half-guard. Walker regains full guard. He then goes for a triangle. He locks the legs. It is tight. Walker then transitions to armbar. Bruno appears to be in all kinds of trouble, but then he gets his head out and escapes. Walker is very impressive with his skills off his back. He then catches his own leg for rubber guard. While pushing on Bruno's face he looks for a gogoplata. Bruno counters. The round ends with Bruno tied up in Walker's guard.

Round 2:
Bruno shoots again and pushes Walker against the cage. He lands a big slam and gains side control. Walker works to get half-guard and then guard. They scramble, and Bruno winds up in the mount. He lands some punches. Walker escapes and looks for a triangle from his back. The round ends. Both of these fighters are displaying some fine grappling prowess and skill.

Round 3:

Walker opens the round with a leg kick. Bruno answers with a quick shot and gets the takedown in side control. Walker moves his hips to gain half-guard. Bruno changes the temperature by trying to soften Walker up with some punches. This gives him the opportunity to advance to side control, and after that the mount. At this Walker turns over, giving his back. Bruno lands a flurry, and the ref stops the fight. While both fighters were impressive, it was Bruno's heart and tenacity that won him the fight.

Winner: Mike Bruno by ref stoppage due to strikes, Rd 3.

Fight 4 Amateur 205+ lbs

Gary Harling (Houston, TX) vs Everitt Sims (Gladiator Academy-Lafayette, LA)

Round 1:

They immediately clinch. Sims takes him down and wastes no time working for the mount. Once there Sims rains huge punches down. Harling rolls over and Sims gets the choke. Sims was just too big and mean for Harling.

Winner: Everitt Sims at 1:11 Rd 1 by rear naked choke.

Fight 5 Amateur 185 lbs

Ryan Spann (TX Top Team-Beaumont, TX) vs Corey Manuel (Lake Area BJJ-Lake Charles, LA)

Round 1:

Manuel shoots immediately at the glove touch, grabs a leg, and goes for the takedown. Spann gets under the chin with a guillotine as he defends the shot. He adjusts his grip, and it is deep. Manuel continues to drive for the takedown, but after a couple of steps goes out on his feet. Spann drops his limp opponent as the ref steps in.

Winner: Ryan Spann :16 seconds by standing guillotine, Rd 1.

Fight 6 Amateur 125 lbs.

Will Spidle (TX Top Team-Beaumont, TX) vs Dat Tran (Gladiator Academy-Lafayette, LA)

Round 1:

Tran comes out real aggessively with punches. They tie up at the cage. Spidle has double underhooks. Tran gets caught with an errant low blow and takes some time to recover. Upon the restart Tran charges in. Spidle gets a takedown and lands in side control. Tran recovers back to guard and goes for an armbar. Spidle defends it well. He then pushes Tran up against the cage. Tran rolls his legs up trying to escape, and Spidle pounces with a flurry of strikes. Tran turtles up and waits for the stoppage.

Winner: Will Spidle at 2:33 Rd 1 by referee stoppage.

Fight 7 Amateur 155 lbs

Nkosi Campbell (Bulls Gym-Alexandria, LA) vs Taylor Montgomery (TX Punishment Crew-Beaumont, TX)

Round 1:

Campbell leads with a superman punch. They clinch, and Campbell lands some big knees to the body. He then bullies Montgomery to the ground. Montgomery escapes, and they scramble. Campbell lands in side control. Montgomery gets guard, and then makes a beautiful sweep into mount. Unfortunately the moment was short lived, as Campbell reversed him right back into guard. Montgomery goes for a triangle, and just as he locked his legs Campbell picks him up and power bombs him to unconsciousness. Campbell was a pit bull in the cage. He came in 10 pounds over, and his strength proved to be the deciding factor in the fight.

Winner: Nkosi Campbell at 2:30 in Rd 1 by knockout

Fight 8 Professional 135 lbs

Tashiro Nishiuchi Akai 16-7-13 (Team Japan) vs Lewis McKenzie 12-9 (Team USA)

Round 1:

McKenzie comes out with aggressive strikes, making great use of his reach advantage. He throws some nice combos of kicks and pucnhes. He pushes Nishiuchi to the cage. They separate. McKenzie gets the clinch and executes a nice hip throw. Nishiuchi quickly gets back to his feet. McKenzie lands a good one two. They trade more. McKenzie's frantic pace is beginning to wear himself out. His defense and movement slow, and Nishiuchi capitalizes by landing two good punches. Nishiuchi follows up looking to finish and eats a spinning back fist. His legs buckle, and the crowd goes nuts. McKenzie pushes him to the ground, and they scramble. Nishiuchi ends on top, and McKenzie gives his back. Nishiuchi goes for the choke, but McKenzie escapes. The round ends with Nishiuchi attempting to sink the choke. This was a super exciting round. McKenzie is a little wild, but he uses his range well to work multi-level combos. Nishiuchi seems a little off balance, but he is being patient and looking for his openings.

Round 2:

McKenzie lands some good punches. His right keeps scoring. Now Nichiuchi lands a few in return. McKenzie looks tired again and shoots. He gets Nishiuchi against the cage. Nishiuchi's nose is bloody. He's taken a lot of punishment, but he seems to have a pretty good chin. They separate off the cage and exchange more punches again. They are both landing. McKenzie gets caught, he shoots lazily, and Nishiuchi takes his back. The choke is sunk, and McKenzie has no choice but to tap. This was a very exciting fight, and McKenzie was very impressive considering he has no formal training in mma.

Winner: Tashiro Nishiuchi at 2:31 Rd 2 by rear naked choke

Fight 9 Professional 185 lbs

Yoshihito Kuroki 2-1-4 (Team Japan) vs Eric Scallan 8-3 (Team USA)

Round 1:
Scallan throws the first combo. He follows it with a solid mid-kick, and Kuroki shoots. Scallan stuffs it and ends in side control. Scallan advances to the mount and seamlessly transitions to the armbar, getting the immediate tap. This was a dominating performance with flawless execution.

Winner: Eric Scallon at 1:05 Rd 1 by armbar.

Fight 10 Professional 155 lbs

Kota Okazawa 10-5-4 (Team Japan) vs Derek Campos 8-2 (Team USA)
Derek Campos recently signed with Bellator.

Round 1:

They immediately start trading some quick punches and Okazawa goes down. He quickly recovers and shoots on Campos. It is easily stuffed, and Campos stands up. Campos throws some solid punches, changing levels, Okazawa shoots again, as he is getting picked apart. Campos stuffs the attempt again. Okazawa pushes him into cage, and he finally gets the takedown. Campos has him in butterfly guard. He goes for the omaplata on Okazawa. They scramble, and Campos gets on top. Okazawa then goes for a kimura, but Campos defends well. Campos tries to pass Okazawa's guard, while working some solid ground and pound to the body. The round ends. Okazawa was outclassed standing and didn't seem to do much better on the ground.

Round 2:
Campos lands a stiff counter and Okazawa buckles. He lands another hook, and Okazawa drops into a shot. Campos stuffs it. He then works to get the back. He gets it and flattens Okazawa out. He lands a couple of shots and keeps him flat. He lands more shots to the head. Campos steadily works for the choke and eventually forces the tap. Campos was just too fast and skilled on the ground. This guy showed why he is going to Bellator. Campos turned in a very strong performance.

Winner: Derek Campos at 3:46 Rd 2 by rear naked choke

Fight 11 Professional 155 lbs

Yoshiaki Takahashi 7-1-2 (Team Japan) vs Adam Schindler 9-3 (Team USA)
They have an intense staredown.

Round 1
Schindler leads with a good leg kick. Takahashi kicks in answer, but Schindler catches it and drives him to the ground. Schindler is really aggressive and in the scramble takes Takahashi's back. He immediately flattens him out and rains down punches to the sides of the head. Takahashi is tough and makes a valiant effort to escape, but Schindler's top control is too good, and Takahashi is flattened out again. Eventually the non-stop punches start to wear on him, he stops defending himself, the lack of defense and accumulation of punishment forces the referee to stop the fight.

Winner: Adam Schindler at 2:55 in Rd 1 by TKO stoppage

I have to say that this card surpassed my expectations. No fights went the distance, and a few fighters really impressed me. As a bonus, the representative for Team Japan was none other than Funaki of WWE fame.

The real action for me, however, was outside the cage, as the entire media row got threatened by some drunken, redneck assholes because we were working during the national anthem and didn't have a media table to put our gear on in order to stand. They were very vocal and belligerent about it, and I actually thought we would be forced into an altercation. But if those certain someones are reading this, I have a piece of friendly advice. If you love your country as much as you appear to, then perhaps you should put more effort into learning the lyrics to the anthem as you do in policing what everyone else is doing.

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:53:00 +0000

Pro Bouts:
Team Japan vs Team USA
Kota Okazawa vs Derek Campos
Yoshihito Kuriki vs Eric Scallan
Tashiro Nishiuchi vs Lewis McKenzie
Yoshiaki Takahashi vs Adam Schindler

Amateur Bouts:
170 lb Charlie Ontiveros vs Devin Christopherson
185 lb Ryan Spann vs Corey Manuel
155 lb Taylor Montgomery vs Kosi Campbell
125 lb Will Spidle vs Dat Tran
HWT Gary Harling vs Everitt Sims
140 lb Martin Walker vs Mike Bruno
170 lb Steven Boulet vs Alvin Jordan
155 lb TBD vs Justin Timpa
205 lb TBD vs Derek Baines

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:39:00 +0000

Cole Nalley (125 Champ) vs. Nick Rutland
Jeremy Moore (145 Champ) vs. Stephen Bazanak
Ariel Jaurez (155 Champ) vs. Jeff Humphries
Brian Foster (170 Champ) vs. Tim Roman
Allen Smith (185 Champ) vs. Derek Perkins
and Jovon Roberson fighting for the 205 belt

Pre-UFC on Fox Interview with Dustin Poirier

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:19:00 +0000

At 10-1 and on a 3 fight win streak, Dustin Poirier is quickly climbing the featherweight ranks of the UFC. Currently the 6th ranked fighter at 145lbs by ESPN.com, the "Diamond" is preparing for a tough challenge against an unpredictable opponent. Pablo Garza is from southern canada;) and was on "The Ultimate Fighter". He fought once for the WEC before two impressive victories in the UFC; one by flying knee and one by flying triangle. Dustin is prepared to bring this fight into the deep waters of the swamp and drown the canadian;) in the dark waters of the fight.

Bellator 52 from L'Auberge du Lac Casino in Lake Charles

noreply@blogger.com (uberfighter) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:37:00 +0000

The L'Auberge du Lac casino resort is once again the home of Bellator, this time for the quarterfinal round of the heavyweight tournament. This round of the tournament promises big knockouts as 5 of the 8 entrants had to cut weight to make the 265 pound limit. I am very excited to see Blagoi Ivanov, the only man to ever defeat Fedor in Sambo, compete tonight against late replacement Zak Jensen, and it is nice to see a former Ultimate Fighter contestant, Abe Wagner, participating in the tournament after his stunning KO of Tim Sylvia.

On the undercard are some local fighters, and some are even making their professional debut. As a local follower of MMA how great must it be to make your pro debut on the stage of Bellator, where a good showing can really fast track a fighter.

The fights are scheduled to start at 6, and we arrive at 5:30. As is typical for L'Auberge, there are tons of people outside in the casino area. There is a good crowd waiting to be seated, and there is a buzz in the air. The first thing we notice upon entering is how much better the overall production value was. There was no having to find people or bumbling about. They knew who we were and where we needed to go. After no time at all we were set up wishing we had taken some more time to drink before coming in (press isn't allowed booze in the cage area; apparently they only want obnoxious people behind the barricade). As I was looking around I noticed how eclectic the crowd was. Oh sure there were Ed Hardy Douchebags aplenty, and there was the unmistakable odor of steroids present, but there were also lots of other people who looked much more mainstream. There were kids, couples, and even a few old people who admittedly looked like they were only there because they were taking a break from gambling. Soon the ring announcer came out and we were all systems go. The fights started promptly at six.

Fight 1
Nick Nichols (debut) v Matt Van Buren (3-0)
3x5 minute rounds 213 pounds catchweight

Round 1
Nichols shoots early. They work against the cage. Nichols gets the takedown. They get back to their feet. Van Buren gets standing back control. Nichols goes for an arm lock. Van Buren defends well. Van Buren gets a takedown and works to half guard. He gets the mount with 10 seconds left. This was a good round dominated by Van Buren, as he showed good technique and control.

Round 2
Van Buren works some leg kicks. He follows it up with a good scoring combination. They clinch and Nichols knees Van Buren low. Once again they clinch and Van Buren works some knees. He then gets a nice takedown and immediately gets back control. Van Buren lands some big shots. Ref stops it. Van Buren dominated a green fighter. The new kid hung in there, but he just took a beating. The winner at 2:29 of rd 2 TKO Matt Van Buren.

Fight 2
Justin Frazier (4-0) v Liron Wilson (9-4)
3 x 5 minute rounds 265 lbs

This fights promises to be a good ground match, as Frazier is a wrestler with good power, and Wilson is a BJJ practitioner with 9 subs.

Round 1
Frazier shoots and gets the takedown. He quickly gets side control, but Wilson regains half-guard. Frazier lands some big shots and then gets mount back control. More big shots and the ref steps in to stop it. Wow Wilson just didn't have a chance. Good wrestling + good power = undefeated. Look for Frazier to make some noise in the division. His control was top notch, and he didn't content himself to maintain the position. He knows how to hurt people. The end comes at 1:50 rd 1 Justin Frazier.

Fight 3
Josh Quayhagen v Cosmo Alexander (pro debuts for both)
3 x 5 minute rounds, 155 lbs

Both of these guys are strikers, so I'm looking forward to a good scrap. Quayhagen is a karate practitioner from Lake Charles, and Alexander is a Muay Thai specialist from Florida.

Round 1
The crowd is really behind the Lake Charles native. They are super loud and create a very exciting atmosphere for the fighters. However the action is slow as there is a lot of feeling out here. They both show a lot of respect for each other. They both throw a couple of leg kicks, but they are reluctant to let hands fly. Finally they start to land a little bit. Quayhagen is more aggressive and pushes the pace. He puts together some respectable combinations. Alexander appears to be content to back pedal and counter strike, but he isn't doing it very well.

Round 2
Alexander comes out looking timid, although no real damage has been landed. Quayhagen is still the aggressor and is swinging wildly. He gets countered with good punch but shakes it off. He works the jab a little bit. Alexander seems frustrated and just wants to throw leg kicks. He slips and Quayhagen lands some good punches to close out the round. At this point Quayhagen has all the momentum and is running away with it.

Round 3
Quayhagen shoots for the takedown. He gets side control. Alexander recovers position into guard. Quayhagen is content to ride the position for the win and so just works the body. The crowd is behind their boy and erupts as the fight ends. Quayhagen has heart and tenacity, but he still needs to refine his game. Alexander appeared the superior athlete, but he just didn't have enough fight in him.

Winner by Judges Decision: Josh Quayhagen

Fight 4
Bryan Goldsby (17-10) v Genair Da Silva (10-4)
3 x 5 minute rounds 150 lbs.

After the strikers had a showcase it was time for these two wrestlers to throw down. Both looked like good athletes, but Da Silva appeared to have an edge in submissions.

Round 1
Da Silva comes out hard with strikes looking to put pressure on Goldsby. After a couple of opening kicks he launches flying knee that just misses. Then he follows it up with a crips axe kick that makes Goldsby take a step back. They then clinch against cage. Goldsby has had enough of the stand up and lands a big takedown. Da Silva does a great job getting up and lands a big throw of his own that sees him in side control. He goes for a kimura, but Goldsby escapes nicely. Da Silva takes him down again, finishing in full guard. Goldsby escapes again and shoots for another takedown. Da Silva stuffs effectively and controls Goldsby's head. He then slips his arm under Goldsby's chin and goes for a Darce choke. Goldsby tries to roll and signals that he is ok, but the choke tightens, and after a good struggle he taps. This fight was a really fun grappling display with many reversals. Da Silva looked impressive in every facet, from the crisp kicking to his takedowns and submissions. Look to see him again soon. Goldsby showed that he is a solid fighter, despite having a few holes in his game. The finish comes at 3:54 of Rd 1 Da Silva by Darce choke.

Fight 5 (televised fights)
3 x 5 minute rounds 265 lbs.

Now that the televised fights are starting I look behind me to see that the crowd is finally here, and like all LA crowds, they are rowdy!

Mark Holata (11-2) v Ron Sparks (7-0)

Holata is a former NFL football player who is a knockout artist, and Sparks is just as big and just as nasty looking. These are two very big men. I don't look for this one to last very long.
Holata in white and sparks in black

Round 1
Holata is there to throw. He comes out swinging right away. Sparks has good movement for such a big man and so counters. Holata takes a big shot on the chin and walks through it. They clinch. They are both throwing big punches all around. Sparks lands a glancing right followed by a big right hook on the chin and Holata drops. A couple of follow up hammer fists and Holata is out cold. These big boys were throwing down. While Holata may be a veteran of Toughman competitions, it is a completely different game with 4 ounce gloves on. As for Sparks, it is hard to say much about him other than he hits hawwd. The finish comes at 1:24 Rd 1 by KO Ron Sparks.

Fight 6
3 x 5 minute rounds 265 lbs.
Abe Wagner (10-4) v Eric Prindle (7-1)

Abe was previously on the 5th season of The Ultimate Fighter and knocked out Tim Sylvia in his last fight. Prindle is a monster of a man who is an army boxing champ. This fight could be over just as quick as the last one.
Abe in white, Prindle in blue

Round 1
Wagner comes out the aggressor and lands first. Prindle answers and big shots are thrown from both men. Solid leg kick by Wagner. Prindle tries a kick of his own, but Wagner catches it and takes Prindle down. He finishes the takedown in side control,then advances to full mount with a nice move. Wagner opens up some big ground and pound on Prindle. The thud is sickeningly loud from every impact. Prindle has enough and rolls and manages to reverse the position, ending up in Wagner's guard. Wagner looks for an arm and then triangle. He gets an arm. Prindle escapes, and Wagner is back on his feet. This is an incredible pace for such big men. Wagner stays on Prindle and lands more big punches. Prindle looks hurt. Wagner smells blood and looks to finish. Prindle lands a big knee to the body that hurts Wagner, forcing him to retreat to recover. Prindle stalks him across the cage, and the round ends. Prindle looks worn out after such a taxing round, and Wagner is eager for a chance to recover as well. This was easily one of the best rounds I've seen in a long time.

Round 2
They clinch against cage. Prindle lands a knee. Wagner throws a high kick. They clinch again, and Prindle continues where the big knee from last round left off and throws big punches to the body. Wagner is hurt. He falls and Pindle mounts. He then moves to side control and goes for a kimura. Wagner rolls and gets up. This time Wagner goes for an ankle. They joust for ankles as the round ends. This was a very close round as both men are exhausted, but Wagner is getting outmuscled by the larger Prindle.

Round 3
Wagner lands some good shots and is beating the gassed Prindle to the punch. Prindle clinches. Wagner escapes. Wagner gives up his speed advantage and shoots for the takedown. Prindle sprawls and stuffs the attempt. From here Prindle moves to side control and just beats on the smaller Wagner. Prindle looks for the side choke, but gives up on it and advances to mount. Wagner turns, and Prindle goes for a rear naked choke. He lets go to deliver more punches, and Wagner reverses at the bell. Holy cow what an incredible fight. This is definitely fight of the night. Given the way the last two rounds went it is doubtful that Wagner took the decision. The sad thing is that he was winning the last round until he shot in. He just didn't know how to handle Prindle's size. The good news is that this fight allowed Wagner to showcase his toughness and heart. He took on a much bigger opponent and was able to nearly finish him. Prindle showed himself to be much more than just a powerful brute. He is a thinking fighter who adapts to the evolution of the fight, and he has no quit in him. There was no real loser to this fight in my book.

Winner by unanimous decision Eric Prindle (29-28)

Fight 7
3 x 5 minute rounds 265 lbs
Zak Jensen (10-7) v Blagoi Ivanov (9-0)

Ivanov is the only man to ever defeat Fedor Emilianenko in a Sambo competition and is undefeated in MMA. Due to some card shuffling he is now facing Jensen. There is much anticipation in seeing what Ivanov can do in Bellator. Jensen is a hard nose fighter who can take ridiculous amounts of punishment a la Wesley "Cabbage" Correira. This fight should be good.
Jensen in blue. Ivanov in white.

Round 1
Jensen is stalking Ivanov with a bit of a demented look to him. I don't know if it is to intimidate his opponent or not, but I know it definitely creeped me out. Jensen throws a high kick. Ivanov closes the distance and delivers an awesome throw into mount. Jensen regains half guard. He escapes into top position against cage. He makes it to his feet. Ivanov unloads with some really clean punches that connect. Jensen just smiles in acknowledgment. Jensen tries for a throw but doesn't get it. Jensen's face is now bleeding, and still smiling. He is getting beat to the punch by the smaller, faster Ivanov. The round ends. Jensen is getting picked apart and doesn't seem to care. He just smiles and keep lumbering forward. Man this guy is tough.

Round 2
They come out swinging and clinch up. Ivanov performs a trip takedown into side control. He goes for a kimura. He advances to mount, loses the hold, and so rains down punches. Jensen actually trades punches while mounted. No defense, no head movement, just some "you hit me and I hit you"...from the mount. UN.Believe.Able. Jensen makes a good bridge escape. Then he charges for a takedown, and Ivanov locks on a guillotine. Jensen still tries to finish the takedown and goes limp as he is choked unconscious. Ivanov looked good in all aspects, but it took him a while to show his dominance as Jensen was all chin and toughness. As for Jensen, the closest thing I can think to compare him to is an ox on PCP. This beast will just keep charging at you until you take him out. The stoppage comes at 2:35 Rd 2 technical submission Blagoi Ivanov.

Fight 8
3 x 5 minute rounds 265 lbs.
Mike Hayes (16-4-1) v Neil Grove (11-3-1)

This is a real David and Goliath style match up, especially when you consider that Grove's nickname is Goliath, and Hayes is the smallest competitor in the tournament at 224 lbs.
Hayes in white and Grove in black. Neil Grove is 40 years old.

Round 1
Hayes looks loose. They trade leg kicks. Grove lands the first punch. Then he throws some good leg kicks. They circle for a bit. Grove is not really throwing much. Hayes gets a takedown, but Grove whizzers out of it. There is a good exchange. The crowd having fun with the fight yelling "fish and chips" and "bangers and mash". The round ends. Grove was very reserved for some reason. While he was looking for the one punch, Hayes out worked him all round.

Round 2
Grove attempts a spinning back kick. Hayes throws more leg kicks and works the body a bit. Grove does nothing. He finally throws a flurry aginst the cage. Hayes gets away and still punches the body. Grove catches a kick and ties up briefly. The round ends as Grove catches another kick but does little save for throwing wildly. The crowd is booing and getting restless at this point. I fear had they any fish and chips they would have thrown it in the cage.

Round 3
Grove flurries and appears to be wildly going for the finish. Hayes looks hurt and ties up. Grove recklessly throws bombs, and Hayes seizes the opening and gets the takedown in side control. Grove tries to escape but ends in north south. He rolls. Hayes gets back control with hooks. He loses a hook and Grove ends up on top. Grove goes for a heel and loses position. Hayes ends up back on top with 30 seconds left. He tries for a kimura. The round ends with Hayes landing punches from side control. This fight definitely underperformed expectations as Grove just didn't want to engage, and when he did he looked wild. Hayes had a good gameplan to stick and move and avoid the brawling giant.

Winner by Split Decision decision Mike Hayes.

Overall this was a very good show. The production was really top notch, and the fighters left it all in the cage. The semi-finals are set with Ron Sparks facing Eric Prindle, and Blagoi Ivanov set to take on Mike Hayes. At the post-fight press conference, Bjorn expressed his satisfaction with the fights assured us that both Wagner and Jensen would get fights as soon as possible after their impressive showings tonight. Grove answered his critics by stating that an early leg kick from Hayes took out his leg for the duration of the fight, and this left him unable to do anything more than wait for Hayes to come to him. He was most apologetic and disappointed, but he said it was all due to Hayes' superior gameplan.

During the show my wife leaned over and told me how much more exciting and intense it was to watch fights like this, I replied, "But of course, that's why we do this." To everyone who contents themselves to watch on television, you are truly missing out. These local shows are something special. You can get a professional production value with the size to make everyone feel like a VIP. There is nothing that can compare to the actual experience of the lights, the crowd, the energy, and the sounds of real MMA.

Bjorn has made it known that they love coming to Lake Charles because they have seen how great it is to have MMA shows at L'Auberge. So the question is, will you?

For more Bellator discussion, Go to www.bloodyknux.com/Bellator 5

Bellator 52 from L’Auberge Du Lac Loaded with Undercard Talent

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:32:00 +0000

via: www.bellator.com

Bellator Fighting Championships makes its return to Louisiana on Saturday, October 1st as the promotion hosts Bellator 52 from L’Auberge Du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles. The action begins at 7 p.m. ET with a stacked undercard streaming LIVE on Spike.com. The televised portion of the event will feature the quarterfinals of Bellator’s Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament and will begin at 9 p.m. ET LIVE on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX.

Lightweight sensation Cosmo “Good Boy” Alexander will make his MMA debut against Lake Charles native Josh Quayhagen, who will also be making his professional debut. Alexander enters Bellator with an incredible resume in Muay Thai, as the 29-year-old striker has over 50 professional kickboxing fights under his belt, along with several of the sport’s most notable championship titles. The Miami resident is one of the most highly-coveted prospects in all of MMA and looks to put on a show for Bellator fans. To see video of Cosmo’s devastating striking in competition, please click HERE.

Bellator featherweights collide as Genair da Silva takes on Bellator veteran Bryan Goldsby. For Silva, the Brazilian striker is looking to get back into the win column after suffering a close split-decision loss at the hands of fellow Brazilian Marlon Sandro in Bellator’s Summer Series Featherweight Tournament.

Undefeated light-heavyweight Matt Van Buren joins Bellator looking for victory over Alexandria, La. resident Nick Nichols. At 25 years old, the Virginia based Van Buren will look to impress Bellator brass with a dominating win.

There are also two intriguing heavyweight fights on the ledger as Josh Burns battles former The Ultimate Fighter competitor Zak Jensen, and Liron Wilson takes on the undefeated Justin Frazier, who will put his 4-0 record on the line.

The Season 5 heavyweight tournament will feature an eight-man field that boasts a dominating 73-15-2 record along with 41 combined knockouts. Undefeated Ron Sparks takes on Oklahoma native Mark Holata, Season 3 finalist Neil Grove faces 15-win veteran Mike “300” Hayes; and in other quarterfinal action, Thiago “Big Monster” Santos looks to be the first man to put a blemish on Blagoi Ivanov’s 4-0 record and Army veteran Eric Prindle will test Abe Wagner, the man who beat former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in the first round earlier this year.

“L’Auberge Du Lac has been an incredible venue partner for us, and we should have a great night of fights on October 1st LIVE on MTV2 and EPIX, as well as on Spike.com,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “There are some first-time Bellator fighters on this card that I can’t wait to watch and see what they can do in the cage.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Jordan Upsets Johnson at Strikeforce Challengers 19

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:46:00 +0000

via: denarosports.com

2007 National Champion fullback for the LSU Tigers, Shawn Jordan (12-3) upset the heavily favored Lavar Johnson (15-5) at Strikeforce Challengers 19 last weekend. Jordan has moved out to New Mexico to train with Greg Jackson's camp, and it looks like the change has already paid dividends as Jordan hit Johnson with some massive punches before taking the fight to the ground and ending the fight with a americana arm lock.

Fight Video below:

Shawn Jordan vs Lavar Johnson Strikeforce Challengers 19

Ultimate Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou Main Card Results

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Via: ufc.com
Note: The results are listed with the first fight at the bottom thru the main event at the top.

NEW ORLEANS, September 17 - It was almost a no win situation for Jake Ellenberger, fighting longtime welterweight star Jake Shields in the UFC Fight Night main event Saturday after Shields’ decision to fight on after his father Jack passed away on August 29th. But with Shields’ decision to carry on with business, it meant that Ellenberger had to do the same, and in just 53 seconds, the Omaha power puncher ended an emotional night at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center with a first round TKO of Shields that put him squarely in the title picture. See post-fight interview

“I can’t explain how I feel right now,” said Ellenberger, who handed Shields his first knockout loss in over a decade. The finish earned him $55,000 for Knockout of the Night.

After shooting out some jabs to start the fight, Shields began looking for the takedown, but he came up short twice. After the two locked up again, Ellenberger scored with a flush right knee to the head. Shields hit the deck, and for a second it looked like he was reaching for Ellenberger’s ankle, but “The Juggernaut” wasn’t fooled. He knew Shields was hurt and he finished matters with a series of unanswered strikes, forcing referee Kevin Mulhall to stop the fight at the 53 second mark of the opening round.

As the bout was stopped, Shields, unaware of what was going on, actually grabbed Mulhall’s leg, thinking the fight was still on. But it was over, and Ellenberger had the biggest win of his career while Shields will have to regroup.

“I’m just frustrated,” said Shields, who was coming off a five round decision loss to Georges St-Pierre in a UFC 129 championship bout. “He caught me. I thought I still had some fight left, but the ref thought it was time to stop it.”

Ellenberger ups his record to 26-5 with the win; Shields falls to 26-6.

McGEE vs. YANG

The Ultimate Fighter season 11 winner Court McGee used a ferocious late assault to put an exclamation mark on a grueling three round unanimous decision win over South Korea’s Dongi Yang. See post-fight interview

The judges saw it 30-27, 30-28 and 29-28.

The action was tense in the early going, with each fighter throwing single shots in an effort to open up some more consistent opportunities. Two minutes in, McGee briefly jarred Yang with a right hand, and though Yang’s return fire bruised McGee up under the left eye, “The Crusher” finished the round as the busier of the two.

Yang and McGee reversed roles in round two, with Yang landing the more solid punches over the course of the frame. For a twist, McGee attempted to grapple with Yang, presumably in search of a takedown, by “The Ox” wasn’t having it, and he eluded the mat.

The crowd began getting restless in round three, yet while there wasn’t a sustained slugfest going on, the action was still intriguing, and with 3:15 left, a left hook rocked McGee. McGee survived the follow-up by Yang, whose bloody nose was worsening, and with fatigue now an issue, both fighters began to make a final charge. For McGee, that meant getting his first takedown with a little over a minute remaining, and the crowd roared at this new development. And though Yang got back up quickly, a second takedown followed, with McGee pounding away with strikes before a final guillotine choke attempt.

With the win, McGee improves to 13-1; Yang falls to 10-2.

KOCH vs. BROOKINS

It wasn’t the way featherweight up and comer Erik Koch wanted to get his fourth consecutive victory, but he’ll take it, as he oupointed The Ultimate Fighter season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins in a bout marred by long periods of Brookins pinning his opponent to the fence in search of a takedown. See post-fight interview

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Koch, who ups his record to 13-1; Brookins falls to 13-4.

When not pinned and smothered against the fence by Brookins, Koch had some solid moments while striking from long range, but it was the takedown seeking Floridian who dictated where the bout was taking place for much of the opening five minutes.

After more of the same for the first half of round two, Brookins finally got Koch to the canvas for a moment, only to have “New Breed” immediately get back to his feet. Unfortunately for the Wisconsin product, Brookins was not letting him go. Koch soon reversed position and got loose, and his striking remained sharp until he got pushed to the fence again. With a minute left, Brookins got the takedown, with Koch getting back to his feet fairly quickly.

There was little change to the pattern in round three, other than Koch getting a little more time to work his strikes. But when Brookins closed ranks and pushed Koch to the fence again, the crowd began getting restless and they let their feelings known after the disappointing conclusion to the bout.

BELCHER vs. MacDONALD

After more than 16 months out of the Octagon due to two surgeries for a detached retina, middleweight contender Alan Belcher made a triumphant return to active duty with an emphatic first round finish of veteran Jason MacDonald. See post-fight interview

“I’m so emotional right now,” said Belcher. “The past 16 months have been up and down. I know tonight that this is what I want to do. I want to pursue that belt. I’m back baby.”

MacDonald was after the takedown from the opening bell, but when he finally got the bout to the mat, it was with Belcher in the top position. For a submission artist like MacDonald, that wasn’t necessarily the worst news in the world, but given Belcher’s punching power, it soon turned into that, as ground strikes stunned the Canadian. Finally, after a steady barrage of unanswered blows, MacDonald verbally submitted, with referee Dan Miragliotta calling a stop to the bout at the 3:48 mark.

With the win, Belcher improves to 16-5; MacDonald falls to 26-15.

Ultimate Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou Prelim Results

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 15:57:00 +0000

Via: ufc.com
Note: The results are listed with the first fight at the bottom thru the last fight at the top

NEW ORLEANS, September 17 – Lightweight standout Evan Dunham got back in the win column after two straight losses to Sean Sherk and Melvin Guillard, pitching a punishing three round shutout victory over The Ultimate Fighter 13 alum Shamar Bailey in UFC Fight Night action at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Saturday night. Watch post-fight interview

Scores were 30-27 across the board for Dunham, who improves to 12-2; Bailey falls to 12-4.

The standup was fast-paced and crisp, with Dunham the more effective of the two. Bailey wasn’t far behind though, as a thudding shot to the head reddened Dunham’s forehead. Dunham’s 1-2s mixed in nicely with his kicks though, and despite a late takedown from Bailey, it was the Oregon native’s round.

There was no let-up from both men in round two, with Bailey starting strong and Dunham roaring right back. Two minutes in, Dunham’s attack looked to be wearing on Bailey, whose Octagon movement began to slow, making him a more stationary target. Yet despite taking many flush shots, Bailey’s chin wouldn’t dent, and he stayed in the fray, even though his takedown attempts were coming up empty. By the end of the round, Bailey was dealing with a cut over his eye, adding to his woes.

Energized by the minute’s rest, Bailey’s work rate increased as the final round began, with Dunham remaining calm as he picked his shots and shook off the occasional flush punch to the head that landed. What soon became the storyline though, was how Bailey was still standing under the increasingly ferocious assault of Dunham, who picked things up even more as the crowd roared. Even a final guillotine choke attempt by Dunham wasn’t enough to take Bailey out, and while the Indiana vet didn’t win the fight, he earned plenty of respect for his gritty effort.

McKENZIE vs. ROCHA

Vagner Rocha evened his UFC record to 1-1 with stellar groundwork against Cody McKenzie, winning the lightweight bout via second round submission. Watch post-fight interview

“I worked a lot since the last fight,” said Rocha, whose late-notice UFC debut against Donald Cerrone in June resulted in a decision loss. “I still made some mistakes, but my jiu-jitsu’s always there.”

McKenzie’s customary rush into the battle came with a little restraint at the bell, but after drawing an imaginary line in the Octagon and daring Rocha to cross it, the old McKenzie was back and ready to go. Through it all, Rocha didn’t lose his cool, getting in a couple hard shots before shooting in for the takedown. McKenzie immediately tried to lock on his patented guillotine choke, but Rocha easily pulled loose, and after the two scramble for position, it was the Brazilian looking for the submission and almost catching McKenzie’s arm and neck. Finally, with less than a minute left, McKenzie broke free and got back to his feet, where he landed some solid punches before the round concluded.

With the crowd chanting his name, McKenzie took the fight to Rocha as the second round began, but after landing some strikes, his second guillotine attempt also came up empty. Rocha’s submission attempts were looking a lot more ominous, and his busy ground attack had The Ultimate Fighter alum always guessing. And finally, Rocha struck paydirt, sinking in a rear naked choke that prompted McKenzie to tap at 3:49 of round two.

With the win, Rocha ups his record to 7-2; McKenzie falls to 12-2.

BENOIST vs. RIDDLE

Unbeaten welterweight newcomer Lance Benoist battled through blood and the punches and knees of Matt Riddle to do enough good work in the first two rounds to take a razor-thin unanimous decision victory. Watch post-fight interview

All three judges saw it 29-28, a result that was roundly booed by the fans in attendance. Both men were awarded $55,000 for putting on what was named the Fight of the Night.

Benoist (6-0) jarred Riddle with the first right hand he landed, but the Pennsylvania native quickly recovered. After a swooping head kick missed its mark, Riddle decided to close the gap and tie his opponent up, but a low knee from Benoist brought a brief halt to the action. Upon resuming, Benoist went back to work, only to have a knee get caught by Riddle and turned into a takedown. With 1:45 left in the round, Benoist reversed position and used the advantage to score some points with ground strikes until the bell sounded.

The two southpaws kept it standing for much of the first 90 seconds of round two, with Riddle (5-3) breaking the pattern with a takedown. After scrambling to their feet, Benoist turned the tables with his own takedown, and with blood streaming down his face from his nose, he began opening fire. Riddle did some good work from the bottom, landing an upkick and attempting a submission, and at the bell, the crowd roared in appreciation for the rapidly heating up action.

Riddle came out fast in the third, getting the bout to the mat, where he landed knees from side control and kept firing strikes from his opponent’s guard. It was to be where the bout remained until the final bell, as Riddle controlled the final frame impressively, but not impressively enough to sway the decision in his favor.

STONE vs. WALKER

After back-to-back knockout losses to Eddie Wineland and Scott Jorgensen, the third time was the charm for Ken Stone, as he earned his first Zuffa victory with a first round submission of Donny Walker. Watch post-fight interview

Stone’s ground game was on point from the start, as he got Walker to the mat and immediately went to work. Eventually, he got Walker’s back and sunk his hooks in. Next came the rear naked choke, and while Walker resisted for as long as he could, he soon went to sleep, forcing referee Myron Gaudet to halt the bout at the 2:40 mark.

With the win, Stone improves to 10-3; Walker falls to 14-8.

BACZYNSKI vs. HARVISON

Seth Baczynski made an impressive return to the UFC, using his striking game to set up a second round submission win over Clay Harvison in a meeting of welterweight alumni of The Ultimate Fighter series. Watch post-fight interview

Season 11’s Baczysnki (14-6) appeared to have some issues with Harvison’s movement as the bout opened, but as the round moved on, the “Polish Pistola” began to score effectively with knees to the head and body, as well as a hard elbow from close range that kept Harvison on the defensive.

Things didn’t get much better for season 13’s Harvison (9-4) in the second round, as he was dropped by a right uppercut, submitted to some thudding ground strikes and then finished off with a rear naked choke that forced a tap at 1:12 of the frame.

WALDBURGER vs. STUMPF

Talented Texan TJ Waldburger secured his second UFC victory in three tries, submitting late replacement Mike Stumpf in the first round. Watch post-fight interview

A kick to the leg that caused Stumpf to lose his balance as the bout opened was all Waldburger needed to capitalize, as he took Stumpf down and then took his back. Stumpf quickly recovered, but Waldburger wasn’t letting go as he got the hooks in on his foe. The patient Stumpf soon found daylight though, getting to his feet briefly before Waldburger took him back to the mat. After a wild scramble that included a flying knee attempt by Stumpf, Waldburger got the bout to the mat and almost got caught in a guillotine, but the slick submission artist made some magic of his own, catching Stumpf in a triangle choke that produced a tap out at 3:52 of the opening frame.

With the win, Waldburger improves to 14-6 and also received a $55,000 bonus for Submission of the Night; Stumpf, who came in on short notice to replace the injured Daniel “Ninja” Roberts, falls to 11-3.

PERALTA vs. LULLO

Octagon newcomer Robert Peralta spoiled the featherweight debut of Mike Lullo, scoring a three round unanimous decision victory over the Illinois native. Watch post-fight interview

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28.

Peralta’s kicks and knees scored early and often in the first round, prompting Lullo to pull his foe to the canvas. Peralta (15-3) immediately rose, looking to keep his scoring run going. Soon, Lullo’s legs reddened, bringing back memories of the low kick assault he took in his UFC debut against Edson Barboza at UFC 123 in November of 2010. Lullo fired back with his own punches and kicks, but the crowd erupted when Peralta responded with a kick-punch combination to the body and then pressed the action even more with overhand rights, more leg kicks, and a flash knockdown.

As the second round opened, Lullo (8-3) had a huge knot on the left side of his head, but he kept throwing both punches and kicks. The only thing was, they didn’t appear to have any effect on Peralta. As the round approached the two minute mark, Lullo rushed in for a takedown, but had to settle for pinning his foe to the fence. Eventually, Peralta broke free, but Lullo was the busier of the two fighters as he looked to even up the scoring.

Both fighters came out busy for the final round, with Lullo breaking up the striking pattern with a takedown attempt that Peralta was able to avoid, but the two again remained pinned to the fence with Lullo in control. Finally, with less than 90 seconds left, Lullo got his takedown, but only for a brief moment, as Peralta sprung to his feet. Another takedown followed with 30 seconds left, but it wasn’t enough for Lullo to get the judges’ nod.

EDWARDS vs. LOPEZ

A third round surge wasn’t enough for highly-touted welterweight prospect Jorge Lopez to get the win in his bout with The Ultimate Fighter 13’s Justin Edwards, who instead took the close unanimous decision victory. Watch post-fight interview

Scores were 29-28 across the board for Edwards, who improves to 8-1; Lopez falls to 11-2.

Edwards closed the distance quickly and efficiently against Lopez, and his grappling prowess and strength was evident as he almost locked in a guillotine choke early. Lopez fought free and had some success when keeping his distance, but at close range, Edwards scored with short elbows and controlled the lockups. As the round progressed, Lopez got his licks in, but whenever he would move in to capitalize, Edwards usually got the better of the action.

The fighters traded kicks as round two commenced, with Edwards scoring a takedown moments later and then attempting another guillotine choke that Lopez broke out of before getting back to his feet. A second trip to the mat saw Edwards score with a series of punches before Lopez shot back to a standing position, but the Wanderlei Silva-protégé was unable to get back in the scoring column before the round ended.

Lopez secured his first takedown of the fight in the opening minute of the third, but Edwards immediately went to work on his arm. Lopez kept his cool, and when he got loose, he jumped into the mount position and then took his opponent’s back. Edwards turned out of trouble, but into some more as Lopez held side control. With two minutes left, the two got back to their feet, but only briefly, as Lopez scored another takedown. Edwards almost took Lopez’ arm in the closing seconds, but the Las Vegas resident was able to escape before the bell.

UFC Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou Preview

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 23:07:00 +0000

On Saturday September 17th, the UFC will have it's first MMA event in New Orleans since the Lakefront Arena hosted UFC 27: Ultimate Bad Boyz on September 22, 2000. The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will host UFC Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou more than a decade later, but better late than never for the rabid MMA fanbase in the crescent city and around the gulf coast. The main event will be aired live on Spike TV at 8 p.m. and all of the prelims will be streamed live on the UFC's Facebook page.

Shields vs Ellenberger
Jake Shields vs Jake Ellenberger is the main event of the evening. This is a battle between two grapplers, but each with a different skill set. Shields is an elite grappler. He is a wrestler and a BJJ blackbelt under Ceasar Gracie. Ellenberger is also a wrestler. He doesn't have the submission skills of Shields, but he does have good defensive wrestling and posses explosive power in his hands.

Whoever is able to dictate where the fight takes place will likely be victorious. If Shields can get the fight to the mat, it will be hard for Ellenberger to defend the submissions from Shields. If Ellenberger can keep the fight standing he will have the opportunity to turn off Shields' lights with a crushing overhand right.

McGee vs Yang
Court McGee was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 11. He is primarily a wrestler who likes to pressure and outwork his opponents. Dongi Yang has an attacking striking style but he isn't afraid to go to the ground either.

This is a closely matched bout as both men are well rounded fighters who have big hearts. McGee will be looking to grind on Yang for the finish on the canvas, and Yang will be looking to finish the fight with strikes.

Brookins vs Koch
Jonathan Brookings lived through a fight with featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo and used that experience to win season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter. He prefers to draw his opponents into a grappling match while his opponent Erik Koch is more of a striker, coming in on a three fight winning streak.

Look for Koch to keep the fight standing and delivering punishment as Brookings tries to drag him into a grappling match.

Belcher vs MacDonald
While both men are well rounded, this is another grappler vs striker match. Jason MacDonald will try to employ his dangerous BJJ skills to take out Muay Thai fighter Alan Belcher. MacDonald is coming off a win against Ryan Jensen at UFC 129, and Belcher was working his way up the contender ladder and on a two fight win streak before a detached retina put him out of action since May 2010.

This in another very closely matched bout, and one has to wonder if ring rust will be a factor for Belcher.

Prelims on Facebook:

McKenzie vs Rocha
Dunham vs Bailey
Riddle vs Benoist
Stone vs Walker
Roberts vs Waldburger
Edwards vs Lopez

Zuffa Keeps Louisiana Fighters Busy in June

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:42:00 +0000

Louisiana native MMA fighters highlighted every televised event in the month of June. The month started off with three lafayette natives fighting consecutively. Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier's hard fought victory over british kickbocker Jason Young on his way to a unanimous decision at UFC 131 got the month off to a strong start. The following week, Poirier's mentor "Crazy" Tim Credeur wasn't so fortunate against Ed "Short Fuse" Herman losing by TKO at The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 Finale. The UFC took the third weekend of June off and Strikeforce took center stage with the second round of their heavyweight grand prix. Daniel Cormier obliterated Jeff "The Snowman" Monson's mug on his way to a dominant unanimous decision. June was wrapped up with two new orleanians with Pat Barry's shocking loss to Cheick Kongo at UFC Live on Versus 4; and as a little langniappe, Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard played a jazz solo on Shane Roller's face on July 2 at UFC 132 winning by KO.

There will be victories and defeats in MMA but strong character always shines through; and these swamp people showed class in defeat and in victory.

UFC 132 Guillard vs Roller on SpikeTV Saturday night

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:30:00 +0000

Image courtesy of: cagedinsider.com

Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard is on an impressive four-fight winning streak since joining forces with the famed Greg Jackson Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has dispatched Ronnys Torres, Waylon Lowe, Jeremy Stephens, and Evan Dunham, and he will be facing a formidable challenge in three-time all american wrestler Shane Roller this Saturday night on SpikeTV at UFC 132.

Guillard will be looking to use his own defensive wrestling skills to fend off Roller's takedowns and unleash a torrent of crisp, powerful punches.

Daniel Cormier facing Jeff Monson at Strikeforce this Saturday on Showtime

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:47:00 +0000

Image courtesy of: Showtime Sports

Former two-time Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier (7-0) will go to battle with former UFC heavyweight title contender and Abu Dhabi submission wrestling champion Jeff "Snowman" Monson (42-11). This will be the toughest opponent yet for the Lafayette native in his skyrocketing MMA career. The fight is part of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix card this Saturday night on Showtime, and if Cormier is victorious he will continue get big named opponents and quickly gain contender status.

Dustin Poirier UFC 131 Exclusive Interview

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:38:00 +0000

Dustin spent a few minutes visiting with bloodycajunmma.com. He gave us his thoughts on UFC 129, the documentary "Fightville", his opponent Jason Young, and he gives us his pick for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

TUF 13 Finale Exclusive Interview Pt. 2 with "Crazy" Tim Credeur

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:51:00 +0000

This is the second installement of this exclusive bloodycajunmma.com interview with "Crazy" Tim Credeur. Tim tells us how being a new father has changed him, he gives us his thoughts on "Fightville", and how living a martial arts lifestyle developes better humans.

TUF 13 Finale Exclusive Interview with "Crazy" Tim Credeur Pt. 1

noreply@blogger.com (visionary2g) — Thu, 26 May 2011 06:13:00 +0000

Tim speaks with BloodyCajunMMA.com about recent developments in the MMA landscape such as Zuffa's acquisition of Strikeforce, Zuffa's new insurance policy for its fighters, and his educational experience at the UFC Fighter Summit.
Tim also tells us of his respect for his opponent Ed Herman,
shows us his excitement about the UFC coming back to Louisiana, and what it means to him personally, and to the Louisiana fighters on the UFC roster!