UFC Championship Fights

"Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva" preview: Time for big boys to shine (MMAJunkie.com)

2011-02-20T06:47:00.000-08:00

Eight heavyweights. One tournament. Three steps to glory.

Not since the 2006 PRIDE open-weight grand prix have so many top-level heavyweights been in one place. The Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, a three-stage, single-elimination tournament that kicks off Saturday at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., could arguably crown the baddest man in the planet.

Two quarterfinal matchups feature a David vs. Goliath matchup (at least on paper) when Fedor Emelianenko (32-2 MMA, 1-1 SF) meets Antonio Silva (15-2 MMA, 2-1 SF), and Andrei Arlovski (15-8 MMA, 0-2 SF) looks for redemption against Sergei Kharitonov (17-4 MMA, 0-0 SF).

Additionally, three heavyweight reserve matchups are on tap for the event's main card: Shane Del Rosario (10-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) vs. Lavar Johnson (15-3 MMA, 3-0 SF), Ray Sefo (2-0 MMA, 1-0 SF) vs. Valentijn Overeem (28-25 MMA, 0-0 SF), Chad Griggs (9-1 MMA, 1-0 SF) vs. Gian Villante (7-1 MMA, 0-0 SF).

Showtime airs the all-heavyweight main card while HDNet airs the preliminary proceedings.

A quick rundown of Saturday's quarterfinal competitors:

Fedor Emelianenko: The heavyweight who needs no introduction. The former PRIDE heavyweight champion held a win streak unparalleled in MMA and for 10 years went virtually unbeaten in professional competition. That streak came to an end this past June when Fabricio Werdum submitted him. He then lay dormant for the remainder of the year as his management, M-1 Global, renegotiated his contract with Strikeforce. Emelianenko made his promotional debut in November 2009 with a second-round TKO victory over Brett Rogers.

Antonio Silva: Nicknamed "Bigfoot," Silva, who suffers from a condition known as acromegaly (or gigantism), is a six-year veteran of the sport who made his first splash on the American MMA scene with a 4-0 run in EliteXC that saw him win the now-defunct promotion's heavyweight title. He shortly afterward found himself in hot water when he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone and was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission. He was unsuccessful in appealing the decision he admitted to using an over-the-counter testosterone booster to treat his acromegaly and fought overseas until the term of his one-year suspension expired. He met disappointment in his return to the U.S. when Werdum outpointed him in his Strikeforce debut, which came at the same time of Emelianenko's debut. He rebounded with two consecutive wins over former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski and, most recently, a come-from-behind TKO of Mike Kyle.

Andrei Arlovski: Once the face of the UFC's heavyweight division, Arlovski went on a six-fight win streak in the mid-2000s that saw him win the interim (and later undisputed) heavyweight title and defend it once before back-to-back losses to Tim Sylvia forced him to rebuild his standing. He left the UFC for greener pastures in mid-2008 and racked up wins over Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson. He then hit the most difficult skid of his career: three consecutive losses, which came to Emelianenko, Rogers and Silva.

Sergei Kharitonov: A former training partner of Emelianenko, Kharitonov perked up ears in the 2004 PRIDE heavyweight grand prix with victories over Murilo "Ninja" Rua and Semmy Schilt before losing in the semifinals to former champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Back-to-back losses in 2006 to current Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem and Aleksander Emelianenko put him back to the career drawing board, and after the death of PRIDE, his appearances became more sporadic, and injuries hampered a consistent schedule. He made an unsuccessful run at the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix kickboxing title, though he earned an impressive knockout win over Tatsuya Mizuno in his most recent MMA appearance this past New Year's Eve at DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010."

The quarterfinal matchups:

Emelianenko vs. Silva: Betting lines have given little weight to Emelianenko's high-profile setback, and he's a huge favorite going into the bout. In fact, separate betting lines give the fight an increasing improbability of continuing after the first round, and Emelianenko is favored every step of the way. Silva thus finds himself in the position of proving fans and pundits wrong, and he plans to do that by putting Emelianenko on his back and pounding out a TKO win. But he's got to get the Russian there first, and he has to avoid the scythe-like right hand that's bound to come his way as he closes distance. If and when he gets the fight to the ground, Silva must avoid the armbar that Emelianenko has used to submit many an opponent who thought along the lines of the Brazilian. It's a steep uphill battle for the underdog. But if he can cut Emelianenko with an elbow or a punch (and why is there no betting line on that?) things could go his way quickly. Otherwise, the Russian just has too many ways to win.

Arlovski vs. Kharitonov: Betting lines have Kharitonov as a slim favorite, and that's mostly because he's not bearing the same cross as Arlovski. The former UFC champ is coming off three consecutive losses and still is facing critics who say he doesn't have the jaw for combat sports (though that jaw held up just fine in a decision loss to Silva). Kharitonov, though, has fallen short to heavy-handed strikers such as Overeem and Aleksander Emelianenko, and he's just as liable to get caught by Arlovski's fast right hand. That is, of course, if Arlovski can let them go. The former UFC champ's confidence is at an all-time low, and he's often waited for opportunity inside the cage rather than chase it. A loss in the tournament could signal a trip back to the minor leagues or even a major career change. Nevertheless, it's all but certain these two will stand in the pocket initially until one draws first blood. As of now, it's looking better for Kharitonov to be that guy. From there, he easily could take down Arlovski and grind him out, if his punches don't end it first.

In other main-card action, up-and-comer Del Rosario gets his first shot at the big time against fellow prospect Johnson, who battled his way back into MMA this past year after a shooting incident left him fighting for his life. Both fighters have terrorized the competition in regional competition, and both have a laundry list of first-round stoppages. Someone is likely going to sleep soon in this fight, and the winner will be high on the list should one of the tournament competitors fall due to injury.

Additionally, Griggs, who picked up his highest-profile victory to date with a win this past August over former WWE star Bobby Lashley, attempts to build on that momentum against Villante (7-1 MMA, 0-0 SF), an unheralded regional standout who's earned six of his eight professional wins in the first round.

Longtime combat sports veterans Sefo and Valentijn Overeem clash in the first main-card bout of the evening. Overeem, the older brother of Alistair Overeem, attempts to build on two recent knockout wins on the European circuit. He has an ocean of MMA experience on Sefo, a longtime K-1 favorite who transitioned back to MMA in late 2009 after flirting with the sport in 2005. If the fight stays on its feet, it's night-night for Overeem. Otherwise, it will be a string of clinches and takedown attempts from the MMA veteran.

MAIN CARD (Showtime)

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva (heavyweight-tournament quarterfinals)Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov (heavyweight-tournament quarterfinals)Shane Del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)Valentijn Overeem vs. Ray Sefo (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)Chad Griggs vs. Gian Villante (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)PRELIMINARY CARD (HDNet) John Cholish vs. Marc StevensIgor Gracie vs. John SalgadoDon Carlo-Clauss vs. Sam OropezaJosh LaBerge vs. Anthony LeoneJason McLean vs. Kevin RoddyFor the latest on "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva," stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Check out more UFC News at MMAjunkie.com. This story originally appeared on MMAjunkie.com and is syndicated on Yahoo! Sports as part of a content-partnership deal between the two sites.

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Carlos Condit forced to withdraw from UFC 127 with knee injury (MMAJunkie.com)

2011-02-20T01:36:00.000-08:00

A knee injury has dashed Carlos Condit's hopes for a slugfest with Chris Lytle (30-17-5 MMA, 9-9 UFC) at UFC 127.

Sources close to the event today informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Condit (26-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will be out of action for a minimum of a month and will be unable to compete. Sportsnet.ca first reported the possibility of the former WEC champ's withdrawal.

UFC 127 takes place Feb. 27 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia and airs live on pay-per-view. Due to the time difference, the event airs live in the U.S. on Feb. 26 in its normal Saturday-night timeslot. A welterweight clash between former champion B.J. Penn and perennial contender Jon Fitch headlines.

It's unknown at this time whether the UFC has found a replacement for Condit. The fighter most recently appeared this past October at UFC 120 and saw his stock rapidly climb with a first-round knockout of one-time contender Dan Hardy. That triumph followed a TKO win over Rory MacDonald at UFC 115and a decision against Jake Ellenberger at UFC Fight Night 19

Lytle, meanwhile, quietly has amassed a four-fight win streak with UFC victories over Kevin Burns, Brian Foster, Matt Brown and former champ Matt Serra. "The Ultimate Fighter 4" runner-up said he wants to close out his career with a shot at the belt, though it's unclear now where he stands in the title contention picture.

For the latest on UFC 127, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Check out more UFC News at MMAjunkie.com. This story originally appeared on MMAjunkie.com and is syndicated on Yahoo! Sports as part of a content-partnership deal between the two sites.

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Can Emelianenko regain his legendary aura? (Yahoo! Sports)

2011-02-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

It was little more than seven months ago that Fedor Emelianenko last competed in the sport he dominated for years. The match only took 69 seconds, but they seemed like the longest in the history of mixed martial arts.

Fabricio Werdum baited the sport’s most mythical character by going down hard from a punch that he now claims barely touched him. In his eagerness to finish the fight, Emelianenko went to the ground after his foe. Werdum immediately clamped on a triangle choke. Watching the replay of the fight, you can see it was only a matter of seconds before Emelianenko tapped. But if you were in San Jose’s HP Pavilion on June 26, you would swear time was standing still.

Considered for so long the best pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts, the Russian veteran had come seconds away from losing on so many occasions – only to reverse position and immediately finish things – that almost nobody could even conceive that he could actually lose.

A contemplative Fedor Emelianenko returns to the cage on Saturday night.
(Getty Images)

Almost nobody but the man himself. In MMA’s most stunning moment of 2010, he submitted to Werdum.

“It happened that people made me an idol,” Emelianenko said shortly after his first loss since 2000. “But everybody loses. I’m just a human being. And if it’s God’s will next fight, I’ll win.”

Time hasn’t stood still since, even though at times it seems Emelianenko’s return to competition was taking forever. The usual Emelianenko contract renegotiations – three-way discussions involving M-1 Global, Emelianenko’s promotional arm; Showtime; and Strikeforce – dragged until being finalized at the beginning of the year. His signing coincided with the announcement of the eight-man Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight tournament that begins Saturday night and will run through most of the year.

Emelianenko’s quest to regain the aura he had for several years starts at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. Emelianenko (32-2, one no-contest) faces Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (15-2) in the three-round main event of an all-heavyweight event on Showtime.

In Silva, Emelianenko faces a man at least four inches taller – and one who will likely go into the cage close to 50 pounds heavier. Silva is a former heavyweight champion in smaller organizations such as Cage Rage and Cage Warriors in the United Kingdom and the defunct Elite XC in the United States.

“Nothing has changed for me,” Emelianenko said about life after being exposed as a human being whose blood is actually red like the rest of us, rather than a cyborg out of a movie. “I train just as I’ve trained before. It just so happens that I had made an error in the previous fight, so in training I have just worked on trying not to make that same mistake again. For me, nothing has changed inside of me, and I still have the same beliefs. I just want to train harder for the next fight.”

Emelianenko’s training is altogether different from that of Silva’s. Silva moved himself and his family from Brazil to the United Kingdom in 2005, and a few years later – after a falling-out with the Wolfslair Team – moved himself and his family to sunny South Florida. There, he joined the American Top Team. He still speaks limited English but works with a slew of world-class fighters, many of them top-level jiu-jitsu black belts. And he’s been formally training in kickboxing over the past three years to add to his skill set.

Emelianenko, on the other hand, has remained in his native Russia, training with old-school methods and with the mentality of making everything as uncomfortable as possible.

“When I train in the mountains in remote areas, I train in the high altitude where it’s very cold, even near freezing,” he said. “It just makes the entire training process that much more difficult, which I believe is beneficial because if I can get through it then, I’ll be that much better for it. Another reason I do it is because nobody bothers me. All I do up there is train, eat and sleep. And all I need to concentrate on is the entire process of my training regimen, without any distractions. I believe that’s what allows me to be in maximum shape leading up to a fight.”

The 6-foot-4 Silva has giant-like proportions far beyond even what his height would indicate. He has a huge head, hands and feet, stemming from having acromegaly, a tumor in his pituitary gland that caused an oversecretion of growth hormone. He had an operation to remove the tumor in 2007 and still takes medication to combat the effects.

With his look, Silva at first glance comes across as one of those giants used a gimmick attraction in major MMA events in Japan who usually don’t have much fighting skill. But Silva has a lifetime of martial arts experience, even if he’s only really been able to put it together completely in recent years. He started karate classes at age 4 and Brazilian jiu-jitsu at 17, and he’s now black-belt level in both sports.

And yet he enters the fight as a 5-to-1 underdog.

“I think everyone would be an underdog fighting Fedor,” Silva said through interpreter and manager Alex Davis as he wound down preparations for the fight. “I like being the underdog; there’s less pressure that way.

“Fedor is a legend and to be a legend, you have to beat a legend,” Silva added. “And I’m ready to be the best heavyweight in the world.”

Silva says there is no favorite in the tournament and that all eight fighters have a shot at winning.

“I’d like to see the whole tournament in one night,” he said. “Then we’d really see who the best man was.”

Silva’s two losses have come via decision to Werdum and via ref stoppage to 310-pound Samoan Eric Pele.

“The first one [to Pele] was not a real loss,” he said. “It was an early stoppage in a fight I was winning and I would have come back in.”

Silva appeared to be hurt worse against Mike Kyle in his most recent fight. He was knocked down and was dominated for the entire first round before turning the tables and pounding Kyle out in the second round.

Silva’s other loss – via decision in the match that led to Werdum getting the bout with Emelianenko – was a fight in which he won the first round but got tired faster and lost rounds two and three. He said that loss made him better because it forced him to make sure to be in condition for the full 15 minutes.

If Silva is to score the upset over Emelianenko, he could get a chance to avenge that loss to Werdum – provided Werdum beats Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem on April 9. But it’s neither a goal of his nor something he’s looking forward to.

“[Werdum’s] my friend,” Silva said. “I don’t want to fight him. If I have to fight him, I will, but he will still be my friend – and after the fight, we’ll go out and have coffee together.”

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Del Rosario-Johnson could steal the show (Yahoo! Sports)

2011-02-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The opening night of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix features plenty of star power at the top, as former PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko, former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski, and former Elite XC kingpin Antonio Silva all seek to advance in quarterfinal action.

But a pair of alternates could potentially steal the show at the Izod Center on Saturday night. Two of Strikeforce’s top heavyweight prospects, Shane Del Rosario and Lavar Johnson, make their Showtime main card debuts in a bout that promises plenty of fireworks.

“It could get explosive out there, baby,” said Johnson (15-3). “Sometimes when you go to the fights, the guys who aren’t in the main event are the ones who come out and really fire up the crowd. I’m going to do my part to make it happen.”

Shane Del Rosario has only been pushed past the first round once in his career.
(Todd Williamson/Getty Images

All 25 of the fighters’ combined wins have come by way of stoppage. Del Rosario, a Laguna Niguel, Calif., native and Muay Thai specialist, has only been pushed past the first round once in his career and has eight of his 10 wins via KO or TKO. Johnson, who relies on the power of his big right hand, has six first-round stoppages in his current seven-fight win streak.

Something has to give. But it probably won’t take long.

“We’ll come out standing and banging, no doubt,” said Del Rosario. “Where it goes from there, we’ll see.”

While both fighters are focused on Saturday night, they both admit they’ve caught themselves daydreaming about making it to the main bracket. The winner of the fight will be named first alternate, and thus would become the first substitute in the main bracket if a fighter has to withdraw from the tournament.

“Look, I’m not wishing injury on anyone,” said Johnson, a native of Ladera, Calif. “But the fact is, these are big guys, some of the heaviest hitters on the planet, and the chances someone might have to drop out are pretty good. So yeah, if I beat Shane, I almost expect the opportunity to get into the main bracket will come up.”

“All those guys you look up to, like Fedor and (Alistair) Overeem, those are the guys you aspire to be,” said Del Rosario. “You get into this sport to have the opportunity to prove you belong and fight the best. If I get the call, I’ll be ready.”

Weigh-in results:

Grand Prix quarterfinal: Fedor Emelianenko (230) vs. Antonio Silva (264)
Grand Prix quarterfinal: Andrei Arlovski (230) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (250)
Grand Prix first alternate: Shane Del Rosario (248) vs. Lavar Johnson (243)
Grand Prix second alternate: Chad Griggs (229) vs. Gian Villante (227)
Grand Prix third alternate: Valentijn Overeem (239) vs. Ray Sefo (249)
John Cholish (155.75) vs. Marc Stevens (156.5)
Igor Gracie (170.75) vs. John Salgado (170)
Don Carlo-Clauss (170.4) vs. Sam Oropeza (169.75)
Josh LaBerge (145.75) vs. Anthony Leone (146.2)
Jason McLean (145.5) vs. Kevin Roddy (145.75)

Promoters have said all week they expect the Izod Center, scaled to 14,500 seats, to be full Saturday night. But if that’s the case, the crowd will likely be heavily papered: A check of Ticketmaster on Friday showed groups of eight seats together available at every price level from cageside to the nosebleeds.

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Emelianenko's downfall years in the making (Yahoo! Sports)

2011-02-17T18:40:00.000-08:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The familiar script seemed ready to play out one more time.

Fedor Emelianenko, the greatest heavyweight in mixed martial arts history, gave up considerable size, height and reach to an intimidating foe. The stoic native of Stary Oskol, Russia, would find himself in trouble.

Somehow, he’d fight his way out, floor his opponent with a big overhand right, and add to his collection of action-movie finishes.

Fedor Emelianenko was slowly ground down and beaten by Antonio Silva on Saturday.
(AP)

Not this time.

The 34-year-old was overwhelmed by Brazilian giant Antonio Silva on Saturday night, taken down to the Izod Center mat and pummeled with an endless array of punches and submission attempts.

There was no heroic comeback. The second round ended. Emelianenko’s face was a hideous mess, his right eye swollen shut. The cageside doctor was not about to let him continue with a possible cracked orbital bone.

The fight ended, and so did an era.

It may seem like Emelianenko was suddenly knocked from his perch over the course of two brutal rounds of action, but the seeds for his downfall were sown while he was still riding high.

When the Japan-based PRIDE folded four years ago, Emelianenko was almost universally regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Other fighters flocked to the UFC, but Emelianenko’s management, headed by Vadim Finkelstein, took a different path. They aggressively sought every last dollar and succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, wringing massive contracts out of wanna-be promotional marks like BodogFight and Affliction.

That could only happen as long as Emelianenko maintained his unbeatable mystique, which meant from 2007 and onward, the Russian no longer pushed himself against the best competition the fight world had to offer. Emelianenko fought middleweight Matt Lindland in the first and only Bodog event of note. He fought inexperienced Hong Man Choi in Japan. He disappeared from the scene for months on end, as promotional partnerships fell apart and Finkelstein and Co. sought new deals.

Meanwhile, the rest of the heavyweight division was fighting and improving as the talent pool deepened. The UFC offered Emelianenko a reported $5 million per fight and an immediate shot at then-champion Brock Lesnar in the summer of 2009. The offer was turned down, and Emelianenko instead went to Strikeforce.

Fedor struggled in his first Strikeforce match, against unheralded Brett Rogers. But Emelianenko rallied and won with a home-run knockout punch, so his lackluster performance until that point went largely unnoticed.

In June, Emelianenko was submitted in under two minutes by Fabricio Werdum, a fighter who previously was best known for being cut from the UFC roster.

Of course, even the best can be caught by a jiu-jitsu ace like Werdum, so Emelianenko again was given a pass.

Saturday night, though, left no doubt that the heavyweight division has passed Fedor by. No matter how much heart he possessed in the cage, or how much class he possesses outside it, a 230-pound heavyweight can’t isolate himself, be controlled by management that always seemed to come up with reasons to avoid elite opponents, and remain at the top of the class.

His opponent, Silva, is a solid and respectable pro, but not one who was considered elite before Saturday night. Silva had no signature wins before defeating Fedor, with an array of journeymen like Ricco Rodriguez and Mike Kyle among his conquests.

Silva was 285 by the time he entered the cage Saturday, a 55-pound advantage over his foe. He had 4½ inches of height on Emelianenko and a considerable reach advantage. Even in the back-and-forth first round, Silva had an obvious strength advantage. The second round was like watching a schoolyard bully torment a victim, and while Emelianenko showed great courage in surviving a 10-8 round, he simply had no answer for anything Silva dished out.

“A lot of people say he has the strength of a bear,” Silva said at the post-fight press conference, “but I have the strength of a Bigfoot.”

The ever-gracious and humble Emelianenko, who went to the hospital immediately after the fight, seemed to make his intentions clear in the cage. “Maybe it is the time to leave,” he told an interpreter. “Maybe it is the last time. Maybe it is my time.”

But the money men seemed in complete denial of what went down. Finkelstein, whose M-1 “promotion” basically exists as Emelianenko’s personal vehicle, isn’t in any rush to let go of his meal ticket.

“Everyone saw how the fans greeted him,” Finkelstein said. “He’s had a wonderful career. I think the stoppage isn’t such a clear-cut thing. He will find the strength to go on in the future. … With God’s help, we will see Fedor back in the cage.”

Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker, understandably, was trying to put his best face on an evening that delivered the fans a night of exciting action, but wreaked havoc on the marketability of his Grand Prix tournament. The two fighters considered the biggest names to American fans – Emelianenko and former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski – were defeated, the latter via his third knockout in his past four fights.

That leaves Coker trying to sell the public on several fighters who for the most part are high quality but not ticket sellers or ratings draws, like Werdum and Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem.

Coker floated the idea Emelianenko could be reinserted into the tournament down the road as an alternate.

“Fedor always comes back,” said Coker. “As for retirement, people get emotional. … I expect he’ll be back. You never know, he could come back [into the tournament] if there’s an injury.”

But this, quite frankly, would make a farce of the entire tournament concept. What’s the point of having a tournament if someone who was brutally eliminated is given a free pass back into the competition?

Hopefully, it won’t get to that. Hopefully, if Emelianenko really does want out, he’ll be allowed to retire. Despite all the big fights his management left on the table over the years, despite the long absences and subpar opposition, Emelianenko’s legacy is still that of the sport’s first great heavyweight, the man who used his heart and skill to overcome his foes time and again, the man who made new MMA fans the world over.

If he gets out now, that legacy will stay unspoiled.

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Fight Path: Albert Alvarez stepping out of the shadow of his famed older brother (MMAJunkie.com)

2011-02-16T21:39:00.000-08:00

Albert Alvarez was hesitant to begin a mixed-martial-arts career, given the fame of his brother who is seven years older.

They share many traits and aspects of life, including a tough-as-nails mother who helped the boys grow closer by not letting older Eddie pick on younger Albert. They were also both skilled high school wrestlers in the Philadelphia area.

But Albert was concerned that his brother Eddie, who is 21-2 in MMA, would cast too long of a shadow for Albert to get a fair shake in the sport.

So whom did Albert turn to for advice? Eddie, of course.

"I was worried about what other people were thinking, like, 'What if he doesn't live up to his brother?'" Alvarez told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "So me and my brother sat down and talked. I told him I wanted to do it, and he said he didn't have a problem with it.

"He was on board; he just told me not worry about what other people think."

As he has for his brother's entire life, Eddie Alvarez will be in Albert's corner for his second fight on Friday when he appears in his second Locked in the Cage show in his hometown of Philadelphia.

Alvarez, the 20-year-old younger brother, won his amateur debut via decision at a Locked in the Cage opportunity his brother helped him to get. This time, he hopes to make things more decisive and move on to a professional career.

Meanwhile, he trains with his brother while working an 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. machine-operating job for Kraft Foods, making his schedule good for training in the afternoon and evening but bad for sleep.

He's just trying to keep winning, make his own name and become a pro fighter.

"I wanna go pro as soon as possible, and whenever I'm ready and the circumstances are right, it's gonna happen," Alvarez said. "I feel like I'm ready now, and I'm trying to show it."

Toughness at home

Albert is the youngest of four Alvarez children, three boys and a girl. Their father owned his own business doing work on homes, and their mother was a surgical tech at Temple University.

They come from big, strong stock, as evidenced by their mother's insistence that the brothers not pick on one another.

"She's very strong," Alvarez said. "She'll shove you and slap you pretty hard. My mother and father both, they're very strong. I never feel overpowered by anybody in the ring or have trouble in avoiding being tossed. I feel like I'm from my parents and their strong gene pool."

That gene pool first produced Eddie, who was a star high school wrestler while younger Albert was often in the crowd watching him. Alvarez later would become a wrestler himself, starting at age 10 and continuing through his own strong high school career.

By his senior year, Alvarez was tiring of cutting weight but went through another successful season at 155 pounds, competing in the 150-pound division.

Alvarez was best when he was on his feet, to the point he would sometimes let opponents back up after taking them down so he could get back to a standing position. Alvarez didn't have a desire to go to college after high school, so he went to work immediately.

Soon, Alvarez settled into a job with Kraft that left him plenty of free time in the afternoon and evening before work to train. He always held an interest in MMA, as well.

It was just a matter of getting his confidence strong enough and consulting with his brother.

"He had been doing it for about five years already," Alvarez said. "How could I find a better person to talk to about it than him?"

His own career

Alvarez wasn't long out of high school when he finally had a sit-down talk with his brother and they decided they should start training together.

At about 18, Alvarez wasn't just training with his brother. He was training with one of the world's best in his weight class, and they started a tradition of sparring on Saturdays that continues today.

Eventually, Alvarez even got his brother's help to get his first fight.

"I had been training for about eight months, really hard," he said. "(Eddie) knows the promoter of Locked in the Cage, and he asked him what he thought about me fighting there. He was open to it, and everything went from there."

Alvarez made his amateur debut on Dec. 3, and it went well quickly. Almost too well.

"I was nervous, a little jittery, but I felt relaxed when I was in the ring," he said. "I gave him a real good shot coming right out, and I got a little too happy I think. I still feel like I should've finished him the first round, but I managed to win in a decision."

Eddie Alvarez was in his brother's corner, just as he will be on Friday. He'll be supporting the less-experienced, youngest member of his fighting family who is mostly training or working, splitting time between his third-shift job and his dedication to MMA.

"I just try to fight the best I can, not necessarily be like anybody else," Alvarez said. "If that's what it looks like, it's not intended at all. I'm just trying to do what I learned."

Award-winning newspaper reporter Kyle Nagel is the lead features writer for MMAjunkie.com. His weekly "Fight Path" column focuses on the circumstances that led fighters to a profession in MMA. Know a fighter with an interesting story? Email us at news [at] mmajunkie.com.

Check out more UFC News at MMAjunkie.com. This story originally appeared on MMAjunkie.com and is syndicated on Yahoo! Sports as part of a content-partnership deal between the two sites.

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Strikeforce Grand Prix goes for big bang early (Yahoo! Sports)

2011-02-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

At first glance, the seeding for the Strikeforce Grand Prix, an eight-man heavyweight tournament that begins on Saturday at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., seems like a blind draw.

Fedor Emelianenko, the man many still regard as the finest heavyweight in the world, and Alistair Overeem, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, are on the same side of the bracket.

The idea of having the two stars meet in the finals was dashed by the seemingly odd opening-round pairings. Emelianenko will take on Antonio Silva in Saturday’s main event and Overeem will meet Fabricio Werdum in another opening-round match, on April 9 at a site not yet determined. Werdum is second, Emelianenko third, Overeem sixth and Silva 10th in the MMAWeekly.com heavyweight rankings.

Fabricio Werdum, the man who defeated Fedor Emelianenko, is one of the eight men in the Strikeforce Grand Prix.
(Esther Lin photo)

Emelianenko, who hasn’t fought since his nearly 10-year winning streak was snapped by Werdum on June 26, shrugged at the odd matchups.

“I haven’t thought about it at all and all I have thought about is training for [Silva],” Emelianenko said. “I didn’t take part in the structure of the brackets, so I don’t know why it is like it is. You have to fight the [best] guys anyway to win.”

The Grand Prix is a great idea for no other reason than it creates the possibility for Emelianenko to fight three times in the same year for the first time since 2005. He’s only fought eight times in the last five years and once in the last 14 months.

Overeem holds the Strikeforce heavyweight belt, but it’s the legendary Russian who gives the division significance. Without Emelianenko, the tournament is far less interesting. Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov won’t exactly fill seats. Saturday’s event will likely sell out, due to Emelianenko.

An Overeem-Emelianenko final would have drawn massive interest. As would an Emelianenko-Werdum rematch, with Emelianenko chasing revenge.

Coker, though, opted to guarantee the fans the significant matches upfront. By pitting the Overeem-Werdum winner against the Emelianenko-Silva winner in the semifinals, he’s gone just about as far as he can to get the match he wants without having made it in the first round.

Now, all of that presumes that Emelianenko, a better than 3-to-1 favorite, gets past Silva. While Silva (17-4) is a quality fighter, it would be another upset of monumental proportions if he defeated Emelianenko.

“The odds are all in Fedor’s favor, but the odds do not reflect reality,” Silva said. “The truth is, this fight could go either way. I am very confident and I’m here to win.”

Emelianenko didn’t lose for a decade and it’s hard to imagine him losing back-to-back fights. It’s never a complete shock when a 260-pound man wearing four-ounce gloves knocks out another, but Emelianenko has such a significant speed advantage and such a better all-around game that it’s difficult to envision him losing.

As a result, projecting him into the second round guarantees Strikeforce one of its dream fights, given he will fight the Overeem-Werdum winner.

“I wanted to make sure we did what we could to give the fans the fights they wanted to see,” Coker said.

That, though, could leave its finale as something of an anticlimactic event. On what is clearly the “B” side of the bracket, Arlovski, the one-time UFC heavyweight champion who hasn’t won a fight in more than two years, will meet Kharitonov. Kharitonov has only fought once in the last 21 months and that came on New Year’s Eve, when he beat light heavyweight Tatsuya Mizuno.

In the other fight in that bracket, Josh Barnett meets Brett Rogers. Barnett, another former UFC heavyweight champion, is clearly a talent, but he’s twice failed postfight drug screenings and still isn’t licensed in California, where he failed a test before a planned 2009 bout with Emelianenko. That failure led to the demise of Affliction as a fight promoter.

Coker is considering putting the April 9 show in Japan, where there is no testing for anabolic steroids. But if he does not, he’ll have to find a state which would allow Barnett to fight despite his failure to clear his business with the California State Athletic Commission.

Texas comes immediately to mind, since it accepted boxer Antonio Margarito as an opponent for Manny Pacquiao last year after California denied Margarito a license. Coker said he has had interest from up to 10 states if he opts not to bring the April show to Japan.

If Barnett comes out of the “B” side, the legitimacy of the finale can not be questioned. Coker, though, gambled by seeding the field in a way that guaranteed better early-round matches.

Overeem’s belt won’t be at stake because all Grand Prix bouts are three rounds and not the five-rounders required for a championship. If someone other than Overeem wins, that will diminish the significance of the title until Overeem defends it against the winner.

Still, while the tournament is not without its oddities, it figures to produce several good fights and gives American fans an opportunity to see Emelianenko on national television as many as three times in a short span.

The soft-spoken Emelianenko got it right when he said, “When you have the best fighters in the world fighting each other, it’s a good thing.”

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Pedro Rizzo: "I really want to finish my career in the UFC" (MMAJunkie.com)

2011-02-16T15:35:00.000-08:00

Pedro Rizzo (19-9) is a long way removed from his unanimous-decision victory over Ricco Rodriguez at UFC 45 in November 2003.

That was the last time he competed inside the octagon. If Rizzo has anything to say about it, it won't be his final time either.

On a comeback of sorts, a return to the sport's pinnacle has officially become the endgame for Rizzo.

He is actively seeking the proverbial icing on the cake in a professional career that checks in at right around 15 years in length.

The only problem is taking the necessary steps to position himself correctly for a potential return.

While skeptics claim he's no longer UFC-caliber, that he's battered and bruised from years of combat, Rizzo believes Father Time has yet to pass him by.

"I'm not that old," he recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "Everybody thinks I'm 40 because, as I always say, there was the 'middle time.' It was Royce Gracie, Marco Ruas, and after that came the new guys (like me) in the middle.

"I fought with (Mark) Coleman, all these guys, and now they are older than me. I fought with Dan Severn, but I was very, very young then. People don't understand. They think I'm the same age as these guys. I'm still 36."

"The Rock" currently is riding a three-fight win streak with victories over Jeff Monson, Gary Goodridge and Ken Shamrock.

His resume has started to snowball to a certain degree. The hope is at some point it will galvanize UFC management.

Currently, Rizzo does not have anything on his plate in the foreseeable future with the UFC nor any other fight promotion.

For now, training occupies his days.

"I go everywhere," said Rizzo, referring to his native country of Brazil. "Wherever I can find good training, I will go there. I am always looking for the best training."

He still considers Nova Uniao's Andre Pederneiras his head trainer despite the fact that he's in constant motion.

He trains in the northern part of Rio de Janeiro in Tijuca. He travels to train with the Nogueira brothers periodically. He will also frequent Anderson Silva's camp in Barra da Tijuca at X-Gym.

If you own a gym in Brazil these days, chances are you likely will cross paths with Rizzo at some point.

"I'm training with good guys," he said. "My main training partner is Glover Teixeira. He used to be a main training partner for Chuck Liddell. He's living in Brazil. He trains with me every day."

The impetus for his nomad-like training is simple: seek out the best trainers and training partners one can find and reap the benefits.

Furthermore, his frequent interaction with quality fighters provides a daily litmus test for him to use as a gauge during periods of self-reflection.

"Maybe I have five, six, seven more fights," Rizzo said. "I want to do my best. I want to step in the ring and have a big battle, a big war, exchange blows. It doesn't matter what happens. I will knock people out, or I will be knocked out. We'll see."

Whether it means he'll take his fighting style back to the UFC or somewhere else next remains to be seen.

"I really want to finish my career in the UFC," Rizzo said. "It is kind of a dream for me. I think I am still able to fight with the top guys.

"It would be a dream to finish my career in the UFC. I don't know if it will be possible, but I'm doing my part. I'm training every day. I am keeping in shape and training hard. That is what I have to do."

With the UFC scheduled to visit HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 27, there is always a small chance he could get his wish.

"When they call me, I'll be ready."

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by Gorgeous George, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Goze. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

Check out more UFC News at MMAjunkie.com. This story originally appeared on MMAjunkie.com and is syndicated on Yahoo! Sports as part of a content-partnership deal between the two sites.

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Silva pounds Emelianenko at Strikeforce GP (Yahoo! Sports)

2011-02-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Fedor Emelianenko came into his fight against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva on Saturday night hoping to prove that his first loss in a decade was a fluke.

Instead, the native of Stary Oskol, Russia, left the cage at the Izod Center pondering retirement.

The man regarded by many as the greatest fighter in mixed martial arts history was brutalized by Silva in the main event of the Strikeforce card at the Izod Center. Silva (16-2) dominated the former PRIDE heavyweight champ in a one-sided second round. Emelianenko came out of the stanza with his right eye swollen shut and the doctor called a stop to the match.

Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva brutalized Fedor Emelianenko (on ground), who hinted at retirement following his loss to Silva.
(Gregory Payan/AP Photo)

“Maybe it is the time to leave,” said Emelianenko (32-3, 1 no-contest) in the cage after the fight through an interpreter. “Maybe it is the last time. Maybe it is my time. Thank you for everything.”

The fighters came out and fought a back-and-forth first round that could have been scored for either combatant. But at the outset of the second, Silva ducked an Emelianenko overhand and scored a takedown. They stayed there for the remainder of the round, as Silva unloaded with a ground-and-pound assault, mixed with several submission attempts. Silva locked in a tight arm triangle, but Emelianenko survived both the attempt and the round without quitting.

“I came into this fight and everyone said, ‘Fedor, Fedor, Fedor,’ ” said Silva, who had 4½ inches and 34 pounds on his opponent. “But I showed to the world what I can do.”

Silva’s win over Emelianenko was one of two quarterfinal matches in Strikeforce’s Grand Prix tournament. In the other, former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski’s long, sad decline continued as he was knocked out by Russian Sergei Kharitonov. Arlovski came out sticking and moving, but Kharitonov quickly overpowered and cornered him. A big overhand left was followed with a right to the jaw that knocked Arlovski (15-9) to the ground. Two more shots from Kharitonov put Arlovski out before referee Kevin Mulhall stopped it at 2:49.

Arlovski has lost his past four fights and has been knocked cold in three of them.

“I was nervous because Andrei is a very tough fighter,” said Kharitonov (18-4) through an interpreter. “I have a lot of respect for his skills and for him as a person. “I could care less what the experts think. I know I’m going to win this tournament.”

The main card at the Izod Center also featured three tournament alternate fights, all of which ended in first-round stoppages.

In a much-anticipated battle of prospects, Shane Del Rosario improved to 11-0 with a first-round submission win over Lavar Johnson (18-4). The two heavyweights, who have won the bulk of their matches via TKO and KO, were expected to come out and stand and trade. But Del Rosario absorbed Johnson’s best shots and got him to the ground, where he worked him over until he saw the opening for a submission. Del Rosario applied an armbar and Johnson submitted.

“I knew he would come out pressuring me,” said Del Rosario. “It was my first fight in seven months. He was as advertised. He was very strong. I went for a submission and I got it.”

It was the 10th time in 11 fights that Del Rosario, who connected on 37 of his 64 attempted strikes, finished his opponent in the first round.

Chad Griggs (10-1) finished Gian Villante (7-2) at 2:49 of the first round after a whirlwind brawl. Neither fighter exhibited much in the way of technical skill, but both brought the crowd to its feet with a series of wild haymakers at the outset. Villante connected with a huge head kick that caused Griggs’ cauliflower left ear to bleed heavily. Griggs caught a break when referee Yves Lavigne stopped the fight to let Griggs retrieve his mouthpiece, which had been knocked out of his mouth by the force of the kick. And Griggs, who previously had been best known for knocking out highly touted Bobby Lashley, came out of the timeout swinging, finishing Villante off soon thereafter.

The main card opened with Valentijn Overeem (29-25) making short work of Ray “Sugarfoot” Sefo (2-1). The near 40-year-old Sefo is a decorated kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter but is inexperienced in MMA. That showed in the fight as Overeem, the brother of Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, quickly took Sefo down to the mat and out of his element. Overeem worked into position for a neck crank and got the submission just 97 seconds into the fight.

The tournament continues on April 9 at a site to be determined, where the remaining quarterfinal matches will be held – Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers. Silva meets the Overeem-Werdum winner and Kharitonov gets Barnett-Rogers.

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With Carlos Condit out, Chris Lytle welcomes Brian Ebersole to UFC 127 (MMAJunkie.com)

2011-02-14T21:38:00.000-08:00

One man's loss is another man's gain.

Less than one day after former WEC champion Carlos Condit was forced to withdraw from a highly anticipated UFC 127 contest with Chris Lytle (30-17-5 MMA, 9-9 UFC), longtime veteran Brian Ebersole (44-15 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been tapped as a replacement.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the switch, which was first reported by Fight News Australia, with sources close to the event.

An American-fighter now based in Australia, Ebersole carries a seven-fight win streak into the matchup, and his lone loss in his past 12 overall fights was to current Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight champion Hector Lombard. Fighting professionally since 2000, Ebersole has competed under the Strikeforce and International Fight League banners, as well as King of the Cage.

During his extensive career, Ebersole has clashed with MMA notables Stephan Bonnar, Tony Fryklund, Ed Herman, Matt Horwich, Lombard, Carlos Newton, Kyle Noke, Shannon Ritch, Kerry Schall, Alex Schoenauer, Alex Serdyukov and Nick Thompson, among others.

For the latest on UFC 127, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Check out more UFC News at MMAjunkie.com. This story originally appeared on MMAjunkie.com and is syndicated on Yahoo! Sports as part of a content-partnership deal between the two sites.

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Steve Carl out, Anthony Lapsley faces Jay Hieron at Bellator 35 (MMAJunkie.com)

2011-02-13T22:39:00.000-08:00

After suffering an undisclosed injury in training, Steve Carl (11-2 MMA, 2-1 BFC) has been forced to withdraw from Bellator Fighting Championships' upcoming welterweight tournament.

In his place steps ShoXC and King of the Cage veteran Anthony Lapsley (19-4 MMA, 1-0 BFC).

Bellator brass today announced the switch and confirmed that Lapsley will face Jay Hieron (19-4 MMA, 0-0 BFC) at Bellator 35, which takes place March 5 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif., and airs on MTV2.

"While the Steve Carl injury was devastating to hear, I'm excited for the opportunity Anthony is getting with Bellator," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated in today's release.

Lapsley fought once under the Bellator banner in a May 2009 victory over Ryan Williams in the promotion's debut season. The victory launched Lapsley's current four-fight win streak, and his lone loss in his past eight official bouts came to recent UFC fighter Mike Guymon.

"Jay is actually a fighter I've always enjoyed watching, I just never thought I'd have the opportunity to fight him," Lapsley stated. "It's going to be a war because I'm going to make it a war. He's been on some big shows and fought some really tough guys, but it's my turn now."

For Hieron, his Bellator debut represents his first contest following what will be just more than 13 months on the sidelines following a two-fight stint under the Strikeforce banner.

Hieron, who has also fought under the UFC, WEC, Affliction and IFL banners, among others, carries a seven-fight win streak into the matchup. Four of the victories came via decision, while three were earned via first-round stoppage.

For more on Bellator 35, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Check out more UFC News at MMAjunkie.com. This story originally appeared on MMAjunkie.com and is syndicated on Yahoo! Sports as part of a content-partnership deal between the two sites.

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St-Pierre: "It would be foolish for me to look past Shields" at UFC 129 (MMAJunkie.com)

2011-02-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is not yet convinced that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is in his future.

Ask him on May 1 after he's fought Jake Shields.

There are many, of course, who feel the UFC 129 headliner is a formality and think the clash between pound-for-pound greats is inevitable. For one, Las Vegas oddsmakers, who set the line on the potential fight at 6-to-1 odds in favor of St-Pierre, according to UFC president Dana White.

Just as Silva (27-4 MMA, 12-0 UFC) was bombarded with questions about the superfight this past Saturday following his explosive knockout of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126, so was St-Pierre (21-2 MMA, 15-2 UFC) when he sat down to talk about his headlining bout against Shields (26-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), which takes place April 30 at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

"I don't even think about this right now," St-Pierre said at a press conference in support of the spring event. "I never thought about it. I always live in the present moment, and my biggest problem is Jake Shields.

"It would be foolish for me to look past Shields. He poses the biggest threat to my title. He's a very well-rounded fighter. The UFC brought him in, and I'm glad they did because he's the No. 1 guy for the welterweight title.

"As the champion, I'm a proud champion, and I want to fight the best guy. I'm going to fight Jake Shields, and I'm happy to do so."

Although White conceded this past Saturday that St-Pierre vs. Silva will happen if the welterweight champ defends his title a sixth consecutive time, he was again forced to pump the brakes on the expectations of fans and media.

"This guy is so stealth," White said of Shields. "But that's how he's been his entire career.

"People have been counting this kid out forever. He just fought Dan Henderson at 185 pounds, and anybody who's ever covered mixed martial arts in this room probably even his training camp didn't think he was going to win that. Not only did he win that fight he dominated Henderson.

"He hasn't lost a fight since 2005. That's tough to do in this sport. So this is a tough fight for St-Pierre. I don't care what Las Vegas says or anybody else says."

St-Pierre sees more depth in the fight than most observers, who say the welterweight title matchup is an easy one to envision: The champ stuffs the takedown and pounds the challenger into oblivion.

The champion said he sees a threat in Shields' striking skills, and obviously his black-belt level jiu-jitsu. Most dangerous, though, is the weapon between the challenger's ears.

"He's very well-rounded, plus, he's a very clever fighter," St-Pierre said. "That's what makes him most dangerous he's a clever guy. We have a lot of guys that are dangerous in the sport, but they are not clever. They go in there and they try to rumble. He's not that kind of guy."

For his part, Shields is a little perturbed that he's been left on the sidelines of his own fight, though he understands why there's so much attention on Silva vs. St-Pierre. The champions have dominated in their respective weight classes so long that it's natural to want to put them together. But there's one easy way to turn people's heads, and that's by winning the welterweight title.

"It's a big mistake to overlook me," he said. "Because I plan on coming out there and spoiling that fight."

For more on UFC 129, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Check out more UFC News at MMAjunkie.com. This story originally appeared on MMAjunkie.com and is syndicated on Yahoo! Sports as part of a content-partnership deal between the two sites.

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The Social Network set to cross $200 million worldwide

2011-01-15T00:02:00.000-08:00

CULVER CITY, Calif., January 5, 2011 – As The Social Network, the most critically acclaimed film of the year, is set to launch on DVD, the hit film is poised to pass $200 million at the worldwide box office, it was announced today by Jeff Blake, chairman, Worldwide Marketing and Distribution for Sony Pictures. To date, The Social Network has grossed more than $93 million in the US and $104 million overseas, and will pass the $200 million mark in the next few days. The DVD will be released on January 11, 2011, and contains more than eight hours of bonus extras about the motion picture. The film will also be re-released in approximately 600 theaters nationwide on January 7.

Commenting on the announcement, Blake said, “The Social Network has struck a chord with audiences all around the world. No invention defines our era like Facebook does, but what has made it break through as a motion picture is that it is a parable for our time. Everyone, everywhere, can relate to the human motivations of the real-life people who are depicted in the film. At the box office, this film showed true staying power, grossing more than four times its opening weekend gross – a rare accomplishment when the average for wide releases last year was below three times its opening weekend gross. It is always a great feeling to see a film connect with moviegoers, but this film is incredibly special to us – we are as proud of it as any film in our studio’s history.”

The Social Network has been embraced during this year’s awards season, with four honors from the National Board of Review, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor for Jesse Eisenberg. The film has also received six Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, and nominations for Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, as well as two nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, including Ensemble and Eisenberg for Best Actor, and nominations for Best Picture from the Producers Guild of America and Best Adapted Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America. The film has also been named Best Picture by 24 critics groups, including the New York Film Critics Circle, the New York Film Critics Online, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Chicago Film Critics Association, the San Francisco Film Critics, the Boston Society of Film Critics, the Dallas/Ft. Worth Film Critics Association, the Washington Area Film Critics Association, the Toronto Film Critics Association, the UK Regional Critics Awards, Sight and Sound, the Village Voice/LA Weekly Critics Poll, the African American Film Critics Association, the Black Film Critics Circle, the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the Houston Film Critics Society, the Detroit Film Critics Society, the Florida Film Critics Circle Awards, the St. Louis Film Critics Association, the Indiana Film Journalist Awards, the Utah Film Critics Association, the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, and the Las Vegas Film Critics Society. The film also appears on over 350 critics’ Top Ten lists.

The film has been named Best Picture of the Year by numerous publications, including The New York Times, New York Post, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, LA Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Chicago Sun-Times, Denver Post, Boston Phoenix, Cleveland Sun, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, the Huffington Post, IFC.com, Miami Herald, Lincoln Journal-Star, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, MSN Movies, North County Times, Oklahoma Gazette, Omaha World Herald, Orlando Weekly, Sight & Sound, Time Out Chicago, Time Out New York, and Tulsa World, among many others.

In The Social Network, director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin explore the moment at which Facebook, the most revolutionary social phenomenon of the new century, was invented – through the warring perspectives of the super-smart young men who each claimed to be there at its inception. Drawn from multiple sources, the film moves from the halls of Harvard to the cubicles of Palo Alto as it captures the visceral thrill of the heady early days of a culture-changing phenomenon in the making – and the way it both pulled a group of young revolutionaries together and then split them apart. In the midst of the chaos are Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), the brilliant Harvard student who conceived a website that seemed to redefine our social fabric overnight; Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), once Zuckerberg’s close friend, who provided the seed money for the fledgling company; Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), who brought Facebook to Silicon Valley’s venture capitalists; and the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer and Josh Pence), the Harvard classmates who asserted that Zuckerberg stole their idea and then sued him for ownership of it. Each has his own narrative, his own version of the Facebook story – but they add up to more than the sum of their parts in what becomes a multi-level portrait of 21st Century success – both the youthful fantasy of it and its finite realities as well. The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, and Ceán Chaffin and based on the book “The Accidental Billionaires” by Ben Mezrich.

source- Sony Pictures Entertainment

View the original article here

WWE: Bobby “The Brain” Heenan DVD review

2011-01-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

Bobby Heenan is considered by his peers and his bosses to be the greatest professional wrestling manager, one of the funniest personalities to ever wrestle in the squared circle, and a brilliant colour commentator. Almost getting shot by a fan did not stop Heenan from being his ‘weasel-like’ character.

The last World Wrestling Entertainment DVD release of 2010, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, is a fun look back for WWE fans of the 80's growing up hating Heenan and his wealth of talented wrestlers in his stable known as ‘The Heenan Family.’ Disc one contains a standard WWE documentary on Heenan’s career, memorable moments from his days managing, hilarious segments with Gorilla Monsoon, and the display of his sharp wit while commentating in WWE and World Championship Wrestling. Disc two features a couple of Heenan’s matches, commentary along with Gorilla Monsoon for the Royal Rumble ’92, and the commentary work he did at WrestleMania 17 for the Gimmick Battle Royal.

WWE did not put a lot of time into Heenan’s biography as 50 minutes is far too short for such an amazing talent. However, Heenan has lived an amazing life where he influenced a lot of wrestlers to become champions and is considered by Vincent Kennedy McMahon Jr. to be the best ever. The bio explains how he made his difficult route into pro wrestling and how he only went to WWE with the blessing of former World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel.

Throughout every organization Heenan showed that he put the business over his own image, as every evil deed he started ended up with him losing in the end. The clips of The Bobby Heenan Show are neat to see, but it’s disappointing there are no highlights from his show in the extras. His entire wCw run is considered a miserable time, although many fans of the 90's best remember Heenan from wCw. His commentary there was comedy gold, but WWE almost completely ignores it.

Heenan is not interviewed for the biography, although he does have some comments in the extras. Heenan’s jokes about women can easily be taken the wrong way, especially by women who are sensitive about their weight. Heenan’s wife and sobbing daughter show how he is far from a sexist person in real life. Heenan’s partnership with Monsoon is showcased as arguably the greatest commentating duo ever in WWE, even Jerry Lawler admits Heenan and Monsoon are better than Jim Ross and Lawler.

The Heenan DVD set is one that will leaving you wanting more and hopefully this is only one of many Heenan DVDs to be released. If you’re a fan of WWE’s The World’s Greatest Wrestling Managers or preferred wrestling when there was no Monday Night RAW, Heenan was one of the best reasons to watch wrestling in that era.

WWE: Bobby “The Brain” Heenan

Rated: PG

Entertainment One

Released on Dec. 28, 2010

Disc 1 Documentary Chapters:

Chicago Root

Manage like a Wrestler

Orange Fire

Weasel Suit

Remembering AWA

Bright Lights, Big City

Heenan Family

WrestleMania

I Am Not a Weasel

Manager of Champions

Primetime

The Bobby Heenan Show

Commentating with Gorilla

Leaving WWE

WCW

Health Issues

Hall of Fame

Disc 1 Extras:

The Executioners

AWA Manager of the Year 1976
AWA All-Star Wrestling – 25th December, 1976

The Wrestling Bear

Centerfold

“Honey, I’m Home!”

The Other Weasel Suit

“I Am Not A Weasel”
Tuesday Night Titans – 2nd October, 1984

Bobby Heenan & Gorilla Monsoon go to Busch Gardens
Prime Time Wrestling – 12th December, 1988

Get Your Popcorn Ready

Golfing Tips with Bobby Heenan & “Mean” Gene Okerlund
Sterling Farms Golf Course – October 1991

Bobby’s Big Entrance
WrestleMania IX – 4th April, 1993

Gorilla Monsoon Fires Bobby Heenan
RAW – 6th December, 1993

The Humor of Bobby Heenan

A Farewell to Gorilla
Nitro – 11th October, 1999

The Wedding Eulogy

“Freakish Noises”
WrestleMania XX – 14th March, 2004

Bobby Heenan’s Induction into the WWE Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame – 13th March, 2004

Disc 2:

Battle of the Managers
Bobby Heenan vs. Lord Alfred Hayes
AWA St. Paul, MN – 13th January, 1980

Weasel Suit Match
Bobby Heenan vs. Greg Gagne
AWA St. Paul, MN – 17th August, 1980

Handicap Match
Hulk Hogan vs. Nick Bockwinkel & Bobby Heenan
AWA – St. Paul, MN – 2nd May, 1981

Bobby Heenan vs. Salvatore Bellomo
Madison Square Garden – 26th November, 1984

Weasel Suit Match
Bobby Heenan vs. Ultimate Warrior
WrestleFest `88 – 31st July, 1988

The Royal Rumble Match
Royal Rumble – 19th January, 1992
Commentary By: Bobby Heenan & Gorilla Monsoon

Gimmick Battle Royal
WrestleMania X7 – 1st April, 2001
Commentary By: Bobby Heenan & Gene Okerlund

View the original article here

The Ringys: Best in MMA 2010 now online

2011-01-12T22:07:00.000-08:00

Listen here to the December 22, 2010 episode of Ringside Report Radio hosted by Dave Simon, Kevin “Big Tuna” McKough and Julie V.

On this episode, Dave, Kevin and Julie discussed the latest in the negotiations between Fedor Emelianenko and Strikeforce and their inability to come to terms on a fight in January.

The Ringys made their return to the show, the annual MMA awards as decided by the Ringside Report staff. Categories included: Fight of the Year, Fighter of the Year, Feud of the Year and many more.

All this and more MMA talk on this 2-hour episode of Ringside Report Radio.

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What To Do When Your Whole World Is Falling Apart? 6 Support Ideas To Stop Anxiety and Give You Back Your Life | Quotes Inspirational

2011-01-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

What To Do When Your Whole World Is Falling Apart? 6 Support Ideas To Stop Anxiety and Give You Back Your Life | Quotes Inspirational

Patrick Roy: Winning, Nothing Else book review

2011-01-11T22:43:00.000-08:00

Patrick Roy was the heart and soul of the Montreal Canadiens throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s—he made spectacular saves almost every game and gave the impression of a hockey warrior in the nets.

In October, his father Michel did his own tribute to his son, a biography entitled Patrick Roy: Winning. Nothing Else.

This is as close as one is going to get to a true Patrick Roy biography. For years Roy refused the help of ghostwriters wanting to publish his life story. His father, a full-time musician, writer and journalist, obviously has a lot of bias towards his son.

However, this bias doesn’t ruin the exciting style exhibited in this new biography. He clearly showcases a passion for hockey when he tells of his son’s games. Michel Roy also displays a great knowledge of history and how young hockey players are brought up in Canada.

The book is as much a biography of Roy as it is Michel Roy, who fills the reader in on his own life during the rises and falls of his son. Patrick Roy was not an instant success—he was seen as different due to his butterfly style of goaltending. But his determination and love for playing hockey kept him motivated and focused on his destined career.

His father fills the reader in on almost every detail of Patrick Roy’s NHL career, from a brief overview of each season to a detailed playoff run, including all of his Stanley Cup wins.

When it comes to conversational topics, such as Roy’s departure from Montreal, Michel Roy does not hold back his own opinion of the disgraceful night against the Detroit Red Wings. However, Michel Roy backs up his argument with many quotes from Habs players on the team and former Habs greats like The Rocket and Ken Dryden. Regardless what side you take, the picture of a dark day in Habs history was perfectly illustrated.

If you’re looking for the juicy gossip about Patrick Roy’s domestic disturbance, that eventually saw him in divorce court, you’re out of luck. Although his ability to decipher what his son was thinking at the time of certain events is questionable, it is apparent that he had a profound influence on his son’s life.

Whether you’re a fan of Roy or not, Patrick Roy: Winning. Nothing Else, is a great hockey book and explains the origins of a Habs hero.

Patrick Roy: Winning. Nothing Else
Michel Roy
John Wiley & Sons Canada
October 2010
528 pp.

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Strikeforce Signs World Champion Nick Diaz To New Multi-Year Agreement

2011-01-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (Dec. 28, 2010) – STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight Champion and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt Nick Diaz (23-7, 1 NC) has signed a new, multi-year agreement with the San Jose, Calif. based world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion.

“I’m looking forward to continuing my career with STRIKEFORCE,” said the dynamic 27-year-old Diaz, a protégé of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Cesar Gracie and resident of Stockton, Calif. “When I first got here, there weren’t a lot of great 170 pound fighters for me to fight, but that’s definitely changed. There’s a lot of really good fighters in the division now and I’m ready to fight anyone who thinks they can beat me.”

Of late, the 6-foot-1 Diaz has been unstoppable, winning his last eight matchups. In his last effort, he settled a three-year old score with arch-nemesis K.J. Noons, out-striking Noons en route to a five-round unanimous decision at HP Pavilion in San Jose last Oct. 9.

Five months prior to the victory over Noons, the no-nonsense Diaz, one of MMA’s most intriguing figures, ventured to Saitama, Japan, to face top-ranked rival Hayato “Mach” Sakurai in a DREAM promoted affair. To the surprise of many, the southpaw Diaz made quick work of Sakurai, submitting the Japanese fighter with an armbar at the 3:54 mark of the first round.

Diaz was crowned the first STRIKEFORCE MMA welterweight champion in history last Jan. 30 after he scored a thunderous first round (4:38) TKO on rising star Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis with an onslaught of punches at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

Diaz’s next challenge and second title defense is set for Sat., Jan. 29 when he will square off with Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in the main event of a stacked STRIKEFORCE fight card.

Other rumored fights include Middleweight Championship bout between
Champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza taking on Robbie Lawler.
As well as, Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson and Roger Gracie vs. Trevor Prangley

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LIDDELL RETIRES, MOVES FROM THE OCTAGON TO THE BOARDROOM

2011-01-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The career of the greatest light heavyweight in UFC history has come to a close, as former UFC champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell’s retirement was announced Wednesday at the UFC 125 press conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I want to thank Frank (Fertitta), Lorenzo (Fertitta), and Dana (White) for everything they’ve done for me over the years, and the sport. Most of all I want to thank my fans and my family,” said an emotional Liddell. “I love the sport and I’m excited to go into a new stage in my life and keep promoting the best sport in the world, the sport I love.”

That new stage will begin immediately, as UFC President Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta have brought Liddell aboard as the organization’s Executive Vice President of Business Development.

According to Fertitta, Liddell’s duties will include work on fighter relations and government regulation, but he will mainly focus on new business development for the UFC, an organization he has fought for since 1998.

Over those last 12 years, Liddell was a feared striker who ruled the 205-pound weight class with an iron right hand, and in doing so became mixed martial arts’ first crossover superstar. During his reign of terror over the UFC’s light heavyweight division from 2004 to 2007, he compiled a seven fight unbeaten streak that included knockout wins over world champions Randy Couture (twice) and Tito Ortiz (twice), as well as respected contenders like Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Jeremy Horn.

A world champion from April of 2005 to May of 2007, Liddell was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July of 2009.

“He’s been more than a friend, more than a fighter, and more than a champion,” said White. “This is a big deal for us.”

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Best of Anderson "The Spider" Silva (Highlight)

2011-01-10T05:47:00.001-08:00

a tribute to the best of Anderson Silva Highlight of MMA career..Anderson "The Spider" Silva (born April 14, 1975) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and mixed martial artist. Since October 14, 2006 he has been the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion. He has also competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships, Cage Rage, Shooto, and Rumble on the Rock.

Once a member of Chute Boxe Academy, he left to form the Muay Thai Dream Team. In late November 2006, he joined a new team called Black House with Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort, Assuerio Silva, and the Nogueira brothers. On May 16, 2008, Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira opened the Team Nogueira MMA Academy in Miami, Florida.

MMAWeekly, Sherdog and Nokaut currently rank Anderson Silva as the number one middleweight in the world, while both Sherdog and Yahoo! Sports rank Silva as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Silva has announced his intentions to retire by mid 2009, as soon as his current contract with the UFC is complete.

Although speculation ran rampant about where Silva would sign next, the UFC announced in late April 2006 that they had signed him to a multi-fight contract, one of these fights believed to be for the middleweight title. It was not long before the UFC started promoting Silva, releasing an interview segment almost immediately after announcing his arrival.

Silva made his anticipated debut at Ultimate Fight Night 5 on June 28, 2006. His opponent was Chris Leben, a contestant from The Ultimate Fighter 1 reality show who had since gone undefeated in the UFC with five consecutive victories. A relatively unknown fighter in the United States, Silva made an emphatic debut when he knocked out Leben with a flurry of strikes, followed by a final knee strike at 49 seconds into the first round. In response to the victory, the UFC quickly tallied a poll on their main page, asking viewers to select Silva's next opponent; the majority of voters selected UFC middleweight champion, Rich Franklin.

Although it is unknown whether the UFC voters had any bearing on the situation, Silva was given his chance at the title at UFC 64 on October 14, 2006. Silva defeated Franklin by TKO (strikes) at 2:59 in the first round. Silva hit Franklin with knees to the body in the Muay Thai-clinch, then badly broke Franklin's nose with a knee to the face. Unable to strike back, Franklin dodged the last of Silva's strikes before falling to the ground, where referee "Big" John McCarthy ended the fight. Silva was then crowned the new UFC middleweight champion. Anderson Silva joined Black House-teammate Lyoto Machida as the only men to have beaten Franklin.

On February 3, 2007, Silva defeated The Ultimate Fighter 4 winner Travis Lutter by submission in the second round via triangle choke at UFC 67. What was to be Silva's first title defense since defeating Franklin in October 2006 was quickly changed to a non-title bout following Lutter's unsuccessful attempt to make the 185 pound weight limit for the title contest.

Silva successfully defended his title against Nate Marquardt on July 7, 2007 in Sacramento, California on the UFC 73 card, winning by TKO at 4:50 in the first round.

On October 20, 2007 at UFC 77, Silva defeated Franklin in a rematch by TKO in the 2nd round. The fight was in Franklin's home town of Cincinnati, Ohio and took place at the U.S. Bank Arena

Silva defended his UFC Middleweight Championship against Pride FC Welterweight champion Dan Henderson at UFC 82 on March 1, 2008 in a title unification bout, winning by submission via rear naked choke in the second round.

Silva won his UFC Light Heavyweight debut against James Irvin on July 19, 2008 at UFC: Silva vs. Irvin via KO due to strikes in 1:01 of the first round.

On October 25, 2008, Silva fought Patrick Coté at UFC 90 in Rosemont, Illinois. In the third round, Coté landed awkwardly on his right leg while throwing a kick and fell to the mat grasping his right knee and in obvious pain. Referee Herb Dean declared the fight over when Coté could not continue, ruling the bout a TKO victory for Silva. Coté, however, became the first of Silva's UFC opponents to make it into the third round. Silva remains undefeated in the UFC.

Song- Remedy by Seether...(Was and goes to Devour by Shinedown but youtube made me take it off)

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-Benson10- UFC 2010: Fastest Knockout Ever?

2010-08-29T20:53:00.001-07:00

MUST SEE VIDEO FRONT PAGE on YAHOO?

2010-08-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Watch UFC 118: James Toney Interview

2010-08-18T19:20:00.001-07:00

More UFC 118 EDGAR VS PENN 2 TRAILER

2010-08-10T05:08:00.000-07:00

UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2 is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 28, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

Watch UFC 118 - Edgar vs. Penn 2 Trailer in HD UFC Championship Fights

2010-08-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

UFC Championship Fights on UFC 118 -of Edgar vs. Penn 2

Let's see who is the best between the two. This is an exciting and most awaited event of UFC118 and ufc series fights

Edgar is gonna get damaged this time around. Penn was NOT in shape for that last fight and every true MMA fan knows it. Hes not gonna make that fault again, hes coming support to CA to drag with that old man and he'll jumping outta pools in no term! Edgar is no act realize that but hes not Penn.