Fightsport Magazine Online

UFC 100, 100% good.

Maddy — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:59:00 -0400

MMA fans are buzzing about UFC 100. This card is arguably one of the best UFC cards in a long time.

Mir versus Lesnar will be an interesting bout. Most people deem this fight as just a power vs. skill fight; but it may not be as simple as that. Mir seems to have regained his confidence level and seems to really want to make his mark in the heavyweight division. Granted, he is the smaller of the two, but Mir is a pretty tough guy. You would be hard pressed however, to find anyone who is bigger or more powerful than Lesnar.

I watched Lesnar fight at K-1 a few years ago. I remember watching him walk into the cage and thinking “Oh my goodness, I am scared for whomever this guy is fighting!” He’s just a massive man with an impressive wrestling background. I give anyone credit that is willing to trade blows with Lesnar. Mir is the more experienced fighter, and like we saw when these two met last time, experience can trump size and strength. However, both of these fighters have had some time to train and hone their skills, so this match up could be a very interesting one.

Thiago “Pitbull” Alves will get his shot against fan favorite Georges St-Pierre. This fight should be entertaining, because both of these fighters are well rounded and true MMA athletes. Both have impressive wins over the same fighters, and it’ll be neat to see what St.Pierre’s game plan is.

It will be interesting to see how Michael Bisping does against veteran fighter Dan Henderson. Although Bisping has proven to be a force in the UFC and has improved drastically since his own “Ultimate fighter” days, Henderson may be tough opponent for him. I wonder how Bisping feels. It must be a profound sense of accomplishment to go from and “Ultimate Fighter” contestant, to winner, to Coach, to fighting a UFC veteran on one of the best UFC cards. You have to love that.

Lashley Saps ‘The Beast’

Victor — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:31:00 -0400

BILOXI, Miss. (June 27, 2009) – Popular Bobby Lashley took super heavyweight Bob “The Beast Sapp to the mat right off the opening bell and used his improved ground-and-pound game to win by first-round submission in the main event on the “Ultimate Chaos” pay-per-view event, presented by Prize Fight Promotions and Fight Force International, last night at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Diego Sanchez: I'm the No. 1 contender right now

Victor — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:35:00 -0400

Love him or hate him, UFC lightweight contender Diego Sanchez (20-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) deserves your respect.

The mercurial "Nightmare" followed his "TUF" winning performance with five-straight wins in the UFC's welterweight division.

Now on the eve of his TUF 9 Finale main-event bout with Clay Guida (25-9 MMA, 5-3 UFC) at The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Sanchez says he also deserves a shot at the UFC lightweight title

Bellator's four championship finalists make weight for season-ending Week 12 event

Victor — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:35:00 -0400

All 16 competitors who fight at Friday's Bellator Fighting Championships Week 12 event, including middleweight finalists Jared Hess and Hector Lombard and lightweight finalists Toby Imada and Eddie Alvarez, have weighed in for the show.

All four championship fighters made weight for the event, which takes place at the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Fla.

what a week

Maddy — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:09:00 -0400

There seems to be plenty of drama in the world off MMA this past week. Shonie “Mr. International” Carter wants to fight Jason “the Athlete” MacDonald after MacDonald said that Carters’ career was now a “bit of a joke”. Carter responded by saying he wanted to make MacDonald “Bleed, stop the bleeding and then make him say Mr. Carter.” Sigh.

Mirko Cro Cop controversially redeemed himself for UFC fans in the octagon at UFC 97. Reportedly UFC President Dana White said that Cro Cop broke his word when he signed with the Dream organization after last Saturday’s fight card. It seems that the UFC will once again not have Mirko Cro Cop in its heavyweight division. (A loss for the UFC since Cro Cop is arguably one of the best heavy weight fighters)

Cheick Kongo who is strong, always in shape and has a good stand up showed last Saturday that he needs some mat practice before he makes his way to the top of the UFC heavyweight division. Cain Velasquez has definitely made a statement in the UFC and I’m sure many people are anxious to see who he will square off against next. But I don’t count Kongo out; this loss may make him a better-rounded fighter. Oftentimes a loss can teach you more than a win.

The multitude of Franklin fans have cause to celebrate because it seems like Rich “Ace” Franklin was back to his old ways in his bout against Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva. Maybe this fight will give Franklin that boost of confidence he needs to return to his finishing ways…only time will tell.

ASC JULY 31

Victor — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:51:00 -0400

The Babyfaced Assassin

Victor — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:41:00 -0400

SEAL BEACH, California (June 3, 2009)— With his chiseled jaw and Mr. Incredible looks, Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” Barnett could be the leading man in a Hollywood film or a character straight out of the anime that he loves so much. He has a superhero frame—at 6’3”, 250 pounds, one can almost picture the “Babyfaced Assassin” wrapped in a cape, standing atop a tall building, scanning the city below for any evil doers. He is a well-spoken, charismatic figure whose persona is as compelling as his impressive fight record.

UFC 104 at the Staples Center October 24

Victor — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:02:00 -0400

At the UFC post fighter presser for last night’s “Evans vs. Machida” event, UFC President Dana White officially announced his company’s plans to return to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California for the first time in over three years for UFC 104 on October 24, 2009.

Medical Suspension Ices Arlovski’s Boxing Debut

Victor — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:45:00 -0400

Wednesday, June 10 12:31 am PT: A 60-day medical suspension will prevent Andrei Arlovski from making his professional boxing debut for Golden Boy Promotions on June 27 in Los Angeles.

Arlovski was dispatched by heavyweight upstart Brett Rogers with a trio of punches in only 22 seconds at Strikeforce “Lawler vs. Shields” on June 6 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

Carano -Cyborg - Strikeforce august 15

Victor — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:23:00 -0400

Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos will meet at Strikeforce’s Aug. 15 event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The promotion announced the much-awaited bout during their event telecast Saturday on Showtime.

Maddys Blog-The story

Maddy — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:47:00 -0400

Sometimes people don’t believe me when I tell them I’m a MMA columnist. “You like the violence?” is a common question. Or “you don’t look like an MMA person.” is a common reaction. (What does an MMA person look like exactly?) The truth is that I love good stories. Victory, triumph and stories of personal growth/success are always my favorite themes. Perhaps that is why I love MMA so much.

MMA is a sport of discipline, of hard work and passion. I loved Machida’s fight at UFC 98 and this was even more solidified for me. When Machida returned home, he was greeted by hundreds of fans cheering for him and chanting his name. They held up banners that read “Lyoto of Para…Lyoto our Champion.” Machida was greeted by people who were proud of his success and his victory. Yet, this champ remains humble and disciplined. He is already looking ahead, realizing that the next step, perhaps harder than the last, is defending his title.

I remember liking Ed Herman allot during Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter” not for the drama that he sometimes caused with his temper, but for what he had accomplished. Herman spoke of his humble beginnings and worked tirelessly to get on the show. He has trained diligently and has done very well in the UFC. Herman has created his own destiny.

Randy Couture, after retiring and over the age of forty returned to the octagon to take on a younger, spryer Tim Sylvia at UFC 68. Couture, against all odds, defeats the champion and makes UFC history.

Our sport is littered with people who have a story to share. When we see a fighter become victorious in and outside of the octagon something magical happens. And this is the stuff good stories are made of.

WEC BROWN vs FABER

Victor — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:27:00 -0400

Bellator

Victor — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:24:00 -0400

Fedor defends heavyweight title vs Barnett in Affliction M-1 Global's "Trilogy"

Victor — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:31:00 -0400

SEAL BEACH, California (June 3, 2009) – Russian combat fighting legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko defends his WAMMA heavyweight title against No. 1 contender Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” Barnett, when Affliction M-1Global presents its third major mixed martial arts show, “Trilogy,” Saturday night, August 1 live on Pay-Per-View from Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Cro Cop

Victor — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:21:00 -0400

"Cro Cop is back and ready" says Dana White after finalizing a deal with Mirko and UFC. Cro Cop's official come back will be on June 13 against Mustapha Al Turk.