MMA Root

UFC 111: Hardy vs St. Pierre – It’s The Ones You Don’t See That Hurt You

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:29:20 +0000

The list of respected and dangerous victims is impressive. It is one that includes the men who fell under the rule of Georges St. Pierre, the current UFC welterweight Champion.

The worth of that list weighs heavily with names like Alves, Fitch, Hughes (2), Penn (2), and anyone else who dares dance with the devil known as “Rush.”

Once in awhile, a fighter comes along that doesn’t pay much mind to names, lists, or credentials. While all that is respectable and commendable, it doesn’t hold much weight when things get thick in the cage.

Odds reflect common results, but don’t account for the variables that a fight imposes.

Those variables are greatly affected by two fighters who create a certain equation. Rarely are bouts held between two fighters who already fought, so as a result, both the equation and the variable outcomes are often very different.

While one fighter may be the constant from which all challenging talents are judged, another fighter may live only to shatter that mold.

No one may see it coming.

No one may bet the farm, but when it happens, it is unmistakable.

Not every fighter can do it, and sometimes the least likely of which are the ones that do happen to do it.

Shocking the world is no easy task and let’s face it, if the world knew it was coming, how shocked would they really be?

If I am a fighter and the focus of the world is on the man I am supposed to beat, then surely they are underestimating the fact that I made it here on my own two feet, and can do what it is that I do against the guy that no one else can seem to beat.

It’s my turn to try. And I have no intention of losing.

Alas I am not a fighter, not in the practical sense of the word, but I do understand pride and dignity. I fully understand and appreciate the desire of a man to prove to everyone who ever doubted him that he can do anything you dare tell him he cannot.

I can appreciate a man who few, if any, give an ounce of credit to with regard to toppling odds that most would not dare bet against, much less attempt to sway, through the actions necessary to truly impact the outcome of a fight no one seems to think he can win.

It is that type of grit, desire, and confidence that will be necessary to stop a force like the one Dan Hardy will face later this month. It is going to take the type of guy who may recognize and respect that type of elite talent, but keep believing in himself regardless.

The Outlaw strikes me as that type of man. He is the type who knows what he is up against, but he continues to smile and know that his variables have never been in a cage with GSP.

GSP has never faced the shuck and the jive of Hardy; he has never been hit by Hardy; and he has never had to try and break a man like Hardy.

Hardy is the type of guy that knows that he is that variable in the equation. He is what is necessary for an unprescribed outcome.

GSP has always been there, Dan Hardy has not.

That is what is intriguing about his upcoming match with the champ.

In addition to the simple math, it would seem Hardy—for the first time on the big stage—may be motivated by more than just his opponent this time out.

Those odds mentioned before have a lot of people clinging to the “Rush” bandwagon, and rightfully so, the man is simply an amazing fighter.

But the fact that people get so hung up on the star of one fighter, sometimes leaves the odd man out with a lot more to prove than maybe he might against just any other opponent.

Count a man out and make it apparent to him, and you inadvertently motivate him more so than any one fight may do.

Make no mistake, no one in their right minds is going to bet the farm on Dan Hardy. There are a lot of questions surrounding a fighter who burst on the scene as the “Outlaw” has, but in his short tenure in the UFC, he has answered more questions than he posed.

While those answers may not seem direct enough to answer the myriad of questions surrounding GSP, sometimes it only takes the right answer to the right question.

Once again, we focus where we like to convince ourselves of an assured outcome, but it is a fine line isn’t it?

When we talk about take downs, and how they will be defended, sometimes we overlook a right hand and how it can be avoided.

When we talk about ground and pound, we forget about the ability to submit from ones back.

When we talk about cardio, we overlook first-round knockouts.

While there are many points to be made as to why Rush is as good as he is, there are many points to be made about Hardy as to why GSP may not get a chance to show us all once again why he has that belt.

We know more about the champ than we do the challenger, and that in and of itself may be the very reason we should pause and really take a closer look.

Because what we know of the champ is that he will dominate; he will impose his game; he will bring the odds with him; and he will do all he can to prove those odds true.

We also know the champ is human, sometimes we forget or pass it off as a fluke, but GSP has shown holes in his armor—however small they may be.

Dan Hardy has seen them too.

And if he gets to knocking the wheels off that bandwagon come UFC 111, there is one MMA fan out there who may not be uber surprised.

Momentum is a strange thing.

As we already know with GSP, the best can be rattled. Momentum can go both ways as history would have it.

Not all godlike fighters are created equal but consider for a moment that they are all merely human. Just ask Mauricio “Shogun” Rua how indestructible the unsolvable Lyoto Machida is.

Ask Brett Rogers or Andrei Arlovski if they think Fedor is unbeatable. I assure you we already know their answers.

So while they may remain unbeaten, it is painfully obvious in some cases, that it is not by sheer impossibility alone. They remain unbeaten because the final proverbial nail could not be driven into the coffin in those fights.

Rest assured, Dan Hardy will have his bags and his hammer come fight night, and will be looking to bury GSP.

That is what everyone seems to be missing. Hardy is not coming to lay down, he is coming to throw down.

Who are we to say it can’t be done?

Who are we to forget that it has happened before?

Who are we to assume anything in this sport?

By now, we should know better shouldn’t we?

by Todd Jackson

Cain Velasquez List of Fight

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:30:09 +0000

Cain Velasquez List of Fight

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez Video – UFC 110
Ben Rothwell vs. Cain Velasquez – UFC 104 Fight Video
Cain Velasquez vs Cheick Kongo UFC 99
Cain Velasquez vs Jeremiah Constant Bodog Fight
Cain Velasquez vs Jesse Fujarczyk Strikeforce
Cain Velasquez Vs. Brad Morris UFC 83 Video
Cain Velasquez Vs. Jake O’Brien UFC Fight Night 14 Video
Cain Velasquez vs Denis Stojnic
He better fight Lesnar soon

How the UFC Wins By Not Having James Toney Fight Kimbo Slice

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:05:19 +0000

When the UFC officially announced yesterday that Kevin “Kimbo Slice”Ferguson would be fighting Matt Mitrione at “UFC 113 : Machida vs. Shogun 2,” it left boxing legend James Toney without a date for his MMA debut.

It was almost a foregone conclusion that Kimbo would welcome Toney into the sport of MMA as the pairing would provide a pure standup war, but it seems as though the UFC thought better of the idea.

Although the rumored bout would’ve generated massive interest within the mainstream media, it would also have been a lose-lose situation for the UFC.

Had Toney won, the prevailing thought would have been that Kimbo wasn’t a legitimate MMA fighter to begin with. If Toney had lost, the UFC’s latest blockbuster signing would have been beaten by an amateur boxer—at best.

So, if not Kimbo, then who will Toney meet in his first Octagon outing?

By no means do I have any ”inside information” in terms of what the UFC’s plans are, but the obvious choice at this point is UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. It’s a challenge that Couture has been pushing for so it has to peak UFC president Dana White’s interest enough to at least consider making it happen.

Couture has said countless times that he only wants to take “interesting fights” at this stage of his career. Well, nothing would be more intriguing than a former elite boxer facing one of the most well known MMA fighters of all time.

It would be the ultimate striker vs. grappler matchup and an easy sell for the UFC as they could attract hardcore MMA fans while capturing a whole new audience for the sport.

A potential bout with the former champ seems like a match made in heaven for the UFC and Toney. As I have previously pointed out , it’s also a fight that Toney COULD conceivably win.

by Tim Ngo

BJ Penn Fight list Video 20+

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:29:15 +0000

Keith Jardine list of fights

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:40:23 +0000

Keith Jardine

Keith Jardine Fights

Houston Alexander Vs. Keith Jardine UFC 71 Video
Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader Fight Video UFC 110
Keith Jardine Vs. Chuck Liddell UFC 76 Video
Keith Jardine Vs. Forrest Griffin UFC 66 Video
Rampage Jackson vs. Keith Jardine – UFC 96 Fight Video
Wanderlei Silva Vs. Keith Jardine UFC 84 Video
Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva Fight Video – UFC 102
Brandon Vera Vs. Keith Jardine UFC 89 Video
Keith Jardine vs Amir Rahnavardi
Keith Jardine vs Bryan Pardoe
Keith Jardine vs Rashad Evans
Keith Jardine vs Thiago Silva
Keith Jardine vs Wilson Gouveia
Keith Jardine vs Kerry Schall
When he fight he sure bleed a lot.

UFC 111: Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin, the Preview

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:04:10 +0000

UFC 111 is set to premier on March 27, headlined by Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy.

Although the St-Pierre vs. Hardy fight is the main event, another fight on the card has main event potential, Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin.

This fight is for the Interim Heavyweight Championship, and the winner will most likely face Brock Lesnar or Cain Valasquez.

Frank Mir is 31 years old, stands 6′3″ tall, and weighs in at 240 lbs. Mir has a professional mixed martial arts record of 13 wins and four losses. More than half of Mir’s wins come by way of submission.

He holds a black belt in Kenpo Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Frank also is trained in boxing and Muay Thai. Mir is known for his excellent ground work, and is a submission specialist, he’s not afraid to tell you how good he is either

Mir’s opponent is Shane Carwin. Carwin is the elder, coming into the fight at age 35. He stands 6′5″ tall, and weighs in at the heavyweight limit of 265 lbs. Shane has a perfect professional mixed martial arts record of 11 wins and no losses. His wins are pretty evenly split between submissions and knock outs.

Carwin holds a brown belt in BJJ, was an NCAA Division II wrestler, and has boxing experience. Though his credentials favor his ground work, Carwin’s stand up has been coming along nicely in the UFC.

Going into this fight, I think both fighters have opposite game plans. Mir is going to want to stay away from the heavy hands of Carwin. Knowing Mir though, his ego got so huge after knocking down Cheick Kongo in his last fight he will probably push the envelope.

If Mir does decide to takedown Carwin, I think he will be a lot more successful and comfortable, rather than standing up with Shane.

Carwin is going to look to stand and trade with Mir, though he doesn’t have a big advantage in doing so. If one thing Mir has improved drastically in, it’s his boxing, and Mir gained nothing but confidence after that Kongo beat down.

My prediction for this fight is Mir by early third round submission. Look for a lot of explosiveness from Mir, but watch out for Carwin’s counter punching. Shane’s got big, heavy hands and has a lot of knock out power.

This is going to be a very good fight, and could possibly over shadow the St-Pierre vs. Hardy fight. If I had to guess, I would say Mir vs. Carwin will be fight of the night.

Don’t take your eyes off the TV on March 27, anything can happen with these two fighters.

by Christopher DiCarlo

MMA: Massachucettes Approves Double Weigh-In Policy, Did They Get It Right?

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:59:58 +0000

As most of you know, the current weigh-in policy across most states’ athletic commissions has just one weigh-in over 24-hours before the event. The Massachusetts State Athletic Commission has a better idea.

The approved policy states that:

“The Massachusetts “double weigh-in” provision calls for a fighter to be weighed in no more than 36 hours before his fight and again on the night of the fight. The fighter cannot weigh more than 1.0625 times his initial weight on the second weigh-in.

The formula means the higher the weight, the higher the allowable weight gain. For example, a fighter contracted to fight at 135 pounds can’t come in higher than 143.4375 pounds on fight night, 170 pounders cannot exceed 180.625, 205 pounders cannot exceed 217.8125 pounds, etc.”

As a former wrestler, I can tell you with certainty that weighing in the day of the fight is an extremely common event across all levels of wrestling. Wrestling is not quite the same as MMA, but they do have many similarities and a severe difference in weight could affect the outcome the same in both sports.

In the New Jersey State High School Tournament, for example, you weigh in each day and as each day passes you receive a one pound weight allowance. For example, if you wrestle at 189 you could weigh-in at 189 the first day, 190 the second, 191 the third, etc…

A similar policy is in place for nearly every tournament across the wrestling world. This keeps the wrestlers weight down and does not allow them to balloon up so that they can use their weight to their advantage.

This move by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission is a step in the right direction for mixed martial arts. The days of fighters cutting down to a certain weight two to three days before the fight even occurs and then beefing up 10-20 pounds for the fight may be numbered.

The current policy for most states is flawed. The ability to weigh in days before the fight compromises the integrity of the fight.

A fighter like Brock Lesnar weighing 290 pounds the day of his fight is simply unfair. The weight class is 265 lbs, so that you weigh at or around 265 lbs when you fight. Cutting down days before a fight means nothing if you have the ability to gain a decent amount of the weight back before you step in the ring.

Now it is understandable that the fans do not want to see sucked out fighters who just cut down and have not had ample time to hydrate themselves. Nobody wants to see a shell of a fighter who cannot compete at the level he is expected to compete.

So to counter this, the Massachusetts’s Athletic Commission will not only weigh the fighters no less than 36 hours before the fight, which is standard, but they will also do it again the day of the fight with a roughly six percent weight allowance.

This at least puts a maximum on the weight of the fighter on the day of the fight. Each fighter will have the ability to gain a certain, fixed amount for each fight and they cannot go over that allotted amount.

Setting a weight maximum on the day of the fight evens the playing field. Even if a fighter cuts less than six percent of his body weight and is under the maximum on the day of the fight, the opposing fighter is not exponentially bigger.

Fighting someone 10-15 pounds heavier than you can cause you to lose a fight if you have a similar amount of ability, and I am sure it has in the past. There is a reason for weight classes, and this is a step in the right direction to keep fighters’ weights in proximity to their actual weight class.

by Ben Duronio

Chuck Liddell List of fights

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:21:51 +0000

Chuck Liddell fights

XFC: Growing MMA Organization Looks to the Northeast for Expansion

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:01:46 +0000

The sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has seen dramatic growth in the past decade. Through great marketing and promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has become the leading MMA organization in the United States.

But as the sport grows at an incredible pace, public demand from fans and fighters alike are creating a need for more venues and events across the country.

One Southeastern-based organization, Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC), has seen tremendous growth since it being founded in 2006 by John Prisco, and is helping to fill the void.

In 2007, the organization set a Florida statewide record for attendance of an MMA event by drawing over 13,000 fans to the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.

Based out of Tampa, XFC has produced fight cards in Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, and even held an event in South Africa on Feb. 19, 2010.

Prisco, a native of New Jersey, recently said he hopes to bring the XFC into the northeast region of the United States next.

“That was one of the reasons I wanted to do XFC open fighter tryouts in the Northeast,” Prisco said. “We have existing and still forming TV relationships which will allow our weekly show to be seen there.

“It’s all about branding our product, and you must lay a solid foundation before doing shows 1,000 miles from your homebase. We are hoping to possibly do a promotion in northeast New Jersey in 2010.”

Prisco was joined by Rob Kahn from Gracie Tampa as XFC held an open tryout at American Top Team in Danbury, Conn., on Jan. 16, 2010.

Over 100 hopeful amateur MMA fighters showed up to battle for two spots on the televised XFC 11 fight card on July 9, 2010. Ryan Quinn and Abi Mestre won the honors after the grueling 12-hour event.

“I was hoping to win it and finally fight for the XFC,” Quinn said afterward. “They are an outstanding promotion and I am very proud to finally make it here.”

“This is my once in a lifetime opportunity and I promised myself I would never look back and regret not doing everything in my power to be successful.”

Due to the great turnout, American Top Team has agreed to host the XFC Fighter Tryouts annually from now on. “Reaction was incredible,” Prisco said, “Our Production Team filmed it and you will see some clips soon on our website. A lot of talent was there.”

A week later, Premier Mixed Martial Arts in Knoxville, Tenn., hosted the second XFC Fighter Tryout with 50 fighters competing for one spot on the XFC 11 card.

Ultimately, the last man standing was Joseph Ian Stephens with Jonathan Burdine scoring the alternate spot in case Stephens was not available.

Tennessee is familiar with the XFC. In April 2009, XFC held its first televised fight card in Tennessee, airing on HDNet.

HDNet aired four live XFC Fight Cards on the network in 2009, and has plans to air four more live XFC cards in 2010.

HDNet has been a vital part of the growth of XFC.

“It gave us the credibility we needed,” Prisco related. “We were already doing big shows, great production with very talented fighters. People just needed to see our product. HdNet has been a tremendous partner for us and we are very thankful.”

As the XFC continues to grow, Prisco has great plans to expand beyond just top quality events.

“We are opening up XFC Training facilities, and franchising them now,” Prisco explains. “How can you go wrong running an XFC Training franchise when we are all over TV? The XFC branding makes them very difficult to compete against. TV, big shows and training facilities, that’s the model and it is working.

According to Prisco, XFC just did a show in South Africa and is planning to break ground on a new XFC training facility there as well.”

“We are dedicated to launching the careers of the champions of tomorrow,” Prisco has said.

The next XFC event will take place on March 19 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. The event, XFC 10 “Night of Champions” will be televised live on HDNet. There will be two title belts on the line.

When asked what people who watch XFC 10 should expect to see, Prisco said, “A show that is top notch, very entertaining with some of the best young talent this sport has to offer. Add to that the incredible production HDNet brings to your product, and the viewer walks away very satisfied.”

Among the fighters on the card, are some familiar names to UFC fans. Shane Primm was a cast member on season eight of the Ultimate Fighter on SPIKE TV. He will battle Gerardo Julio Gallegos in the 185 pound weight class.

Another UFC veteran, Junior Assuncao, will battle John Mahlow for the XFC Lightweight Championship belt.

The XFC featherweight title will also be on the line as Jason Wood takes on Jarrod Card.

Also among the fighters on the 10-bout card are Jay White, who is a trainer for Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas; and Jason Carapelluci, who hails from Boston.

The first bout begins at 7:00 PM and the televised fights will start at 9:00 PM. For those that cannot attend the event in person, it can be seen live on HDNet, available to Dish Network, DirectTV and Verizon Fios customers.

by George Campbell

Have you seem Fedor Emelianenko as an artist?

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:24:06 +0000

Did you that Fedor could draw such cute pictures.