UFC events

Video: UFC 140 Jones vs. Machida Predictions

2011-12-08T20:24:00.002+01:00

A bout between Lyoto Machida and Phil Davis were linked to this event; however, it was revealed that Davis is still recovering from a knee injury and the bout would not occur.

A bout between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans was also linked to this event. However, a lingering thumb injury will cost Evans a potential title bout with Jones for the second time, as Jones is now expected to face Lyoto Machida at the event.

Rory MacDonald was expected to face Brian Ebersole at the event; however, on November 8th, MacDonald pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by Claude Patrick, who was promoted from a preliminary card bout with Rich Attonito as a result. Rich Attonito will remain on the card against UFC newcomer Jake Hecht.

UFC 140 will feature 4 preliminary bouts live on Ion Television.

Main card

Light Heavyweight Championship bout: United States Jon Jones (c) vs. Brazil Lyoto Machida
Heavyweight bout: United States Frank Mir vs. Brazil Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Light Heavyweight bout: United States Tito Ortiz vs. Brazil Antônio Rogério Nogueira
Welterweight bout: Canada Claude Patrick vs. United States Brian Ebersole
Featherweight bout: Canada Mark Hominick vs. South Korea Chan Sung Jung

Preliminary card (Ion Television)

Light Heavyweight bout: Poland Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Croatia Igor Pokrajac
Middleweight bout: United States Jared Hamman vs. Cyprus Constantinos Philippou
Lightweight bout: Canada John Makdessi vs. United States Dennis Hallman
Bantamweight bout: Canada Yves Jabouin vs. United States Walel Watson

Preliminary card (Facebook)

Lightweight bout: Canada Mark Bocek vs. United States Nik Lentz
Welterweight bout: United States Rich Attonito vs. United States Jake Hecht
Lightweight bout: Canada Mitch Clarke vs. United States John Cholish

Video: Jon Jones talks motorboating and Rampage

2011-06-14T00:26:00.002+02:00

Public Service Announcement from UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Jon "Bones" Jones. Responding to the public outcry after "Motorboatgate" - wherein Quinton "Rampage" Jackson made advances towards Karyn Bryant - Jon gives his advice on the appropriate setting for such actions. Knowing when, and with whom, motorboating is acceptable will help all of us lead happier, scandal-free lives.

Video: Jon Jones talks Rampage and movie career

2011-06-14T00:01:00.001+02:00

As we mentioned over the weekend, the UFC light heavyweight champion told Karyn Bryant last week that he was at Warner Bros. for a meeting to discuss the possibility of starring in one of the company’s upcoming films. Looking back at his fellow UFC fighters’ track records after starring in movies, “Bones” might want to think long and hard about whether or not he wants to become an actor at this point in his career.

Here’s the proof:

• When The Scorpion King 2 was released in 2008, Randy Couture lost back to back fights to Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Sure, he beat James Toney the same month that The Expendables was released, but since that one was more like a light sparring session we’ll look at the Machida fight as being the one that counts.

• Chuck Liddell dropped two straight to Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine after The Life and Death of Bobby Z was released in 2007 and lost three in a row to Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua and Rich Franklin after Drillbit Taylor hit theatres in 2008.

• After Cyborg Soldier was released, Rich Franklin lost to Dan Henderson.

• Quinton Jackson lost to Rashad Evans after Never Surrender was released. He won his first fight after the release of A-Team, but the split decision over Lyoto Machida was hotly contested and could have just as easily have gone to “The Dragon.”

• Tito Ortiz lost his next two fights and Chuck Liddell lost his UFC interim light heavyweight title bout to Randy Couture after Cradle 2 the Grave hit theatres in 2003.

• Ortiz hasn’t won a fight since appearing in Zombie Strippers in 2008.

• Keith Jardine lost four in a row and was dropped from the UFC roster after Crank: High Voltage came out in 2009.

Video: UFC 131 was a bloody mess

2011-06-13T23:58:00.001+02:00

Strikeforce Overeem vs. Werdum conference call

2011-06-07T23:42:00.001+02:00

The UFC is hosting a conference call today at 2 p.m. ET to promote next week's Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum event. Scheduled to appear on the call are titular fighters Alistair Overeem (Strikeforce heavyweight champion) and Fabricio Werdum, who will be joined by Gina Carano and her opponent, Sarah D'Alelio.

Follow Mike Fagan on Twitter for live updates, and check back here after the call for a full recap of the proceedings.

Overeem and Werdum will complete the first round of the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix, which kicked off all the way back in February. Carano hasn't competed in a mixed martial arts bout in over 22 months, losing by TKO to Cris "Cyborg" Santos for the vacant Strikeforce female 145-lb. title.

Scott Coker

-Gina Carano's medical clearance was revoked by doctor.
-Masvidal vs. Noons takes Showtime spot left open by Gina's departure.
-No determination on Sarah's spot on the card. Look to have news by the end of the day.
-Josh is going to be fine, and he'll be fighting in Texas on the 18th.
-We'll be reaching out to HDNet about replacing the fight on HDNet.

Alistair Overeem

-Since the Werdum loss, I've focused on myself. Worked on plan, backup plan, and backup backup plan for opponents.
-I like the challenges that lie in front of me. I never complain about a fight. I love to fight.
-I was ready three weeks ago.
- I like the idea of a ring, but I figure the cage is more safe. You can't fall out of it.
-Every professional fighter needs to take his environment into consideration and train in a cage.
-I do feel the Grand Prix is an opportunity to introduce myself to fans in the U.S., the world as the no. 1 heavyweight.
-I see the American market as the future. The Japanese market has some problems. The U.S. is the dominant place for MMA.
-This fight is going to be different. You're going to see a way more aggressive Overeem.
-Nothing's changed for me with Zuffa buyout. I heard about GSP/Diaz fight, but that fight has no relevance to my situation.
-If I win the tournament, I want to fight the UFC champ, Cain Velasquez.

Fabricio Werdum

-I'm looking for a Junior Cigano win so I can fight him. (I think, it's hard to hear Werdum with his accent/no translator.)
-June is my month (inaudible). I'm excited for this fight.
-In 2006, I was just about jiu-jitsu. Now I train in other discipline. I'm excited about this fight, guys.
-I haven't fought in a year. I like to fight four times in a year. I have a big surprise for everybody.

SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum

Star-divide

Full card:

Showtime card

Heavyweight: Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum
Heavyweight: Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers
Women's 145-lb.: Gina Carano vs. Sarah D'Alelio
Heavyweight: Daniel Cormier vs. Jeff Monson
Heavyweight: Valentijn Overeem vs. Chad Griggs

HDNet prelims

Lightweight: K.J. Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal
Lightweight: Gesias Cavalcante vs. Justin Wilcox
Lightweight: Conor Heun vs. Magno Almeida

Gina Carano suspended, off Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum card

2011-06-07T23:39:00.002+02:00

Strikeforce kicked off today’s “Overeem vs. Werdum” media conference call with some very bad news — franchise star Gina Carano will not be making her scheduled return to the cage against Sarah D’Alelio. Scott Coker told reporters that Carano failed her pre-fight medical examination, but didn’t share specific details about what might be wrong with her health.

Replacing Carano vs. D’Alelio on the televised card of the June 18th Showtime event will be the lightweight title eliminator between KJ Noons and Jorge Masvidal, which was originally slated for the prelims. The promotion may find a replacement opponent for D’Alelio, and will announce more details later. We’ll update you when we know more.

Video: Jason "Mayhem" Miller talks TUF 14 and Michael Bisping

2011-06-07T00:29:00.002+02:00

We all know Mayhem has some experience in front of the cameras. As the host of Bully Beatdown on MTV for the past three seasons, Jason Miller has built up the necessary experience to make for a great choice as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 14. And it didn't take long for him to get the trash-talk headed in the direction of opposing coach Michael Bisping (via HeavyMMA):

"I feel great getting the TUF spot. It’s a little early to start the smack talk but I’m going to beat the bangers and mash out of Bisping after my team smashes his team. Now that Osama is dead, Bisping is the most hated man in America. Everybody hates that guy. I wonder what it’s like to actually be hated that much. You would have to put a terrorist attack together to be hated any more than he is."

He's also acutely aware of what he brings to the table in terms of his unique status in MMA:

"Look…Dana and Lorenzo didn’t get here by throwing a bunch of money at a problem. They got where they are because they are smart dudes. They know what sells and they realize that I have an independent fan base that’s not just UFC fans. I’ll be able to pull some of my fans onto their television program which will be great. It will be fantastic. It’s good for me, for them…it’s good for everybody. It’s good for MMA. It’s going to be fun and it will broaden the horizons for the fringe fans who are just becoming interested in mixed martial arts. My goal is to make this the best season of TUF, the highest rated season and to smash a Brit at the end of it."

The UFC also put out a video showing him training with Mark Munoz, Satoshi Ishii, and a few others. Bisping isn't mentioned once because it's purely related to him being a coach and showing how he works with others. One of the first quotes of the video is fairly amusing:

"If there's one thing I'm good at, it's beating up people. If there's two things I'm good at, it's beating up people and saying moderately funny things on cable television."

Diaz vs. St-Pierre Official for UFC 137 in October

2011-06-03T00:50:00.002+02:00

UFC president Dana White made an otherwise slow news day into an exciting one that fight fans have been waiting for for a long time with a simple tweet that was succinct and to the point.

“U wanted it! U GOT IT!!!”

What we will get will be a welterweight showdown between UFC champ Georges St-Pierre and Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Although he didn’t say whether or not both (or any of the two for that matter) titles will be on the line, does it really even matter?

As we discussed during last week’s episode of The Bum Rush Radio Show, Diaz might be the most legitimate challenger St-Pierre has faced in some time, in spite of White’s constant claims that every challenger the St. Isidore, Quebec fighter has faced “is toughest opponent yet.” Of noting is that St-Pierre dropped just his first two rounds since 2008 against the the Stockton, California native’s Team Cesar Gracie training partner Jake Shields in April and many feel that Diaz is a more well-rounded version of the former Strikeforce middleweight champion.

Diaz too has not lost since 2007, having notched wins in that time over Frank Shamrock, Scott Smith, Mach Sakurai, KJ Noons and Paul Daley.

One thing’s for sure, St-Pierre isn’t going to be able to jab Diaz into a living death or smother him on the ground and dry hump him to a decision. This one’s gonna be a 209-style scrap, son.

Video: Badr Hari’s Documentary

2011-06-01T23:01:00.003+02:00

If you’re unfamiliar with who Badr Hari is, watch this documentary and familiarize yourself with kickboxing’s answer to Mike Tyson.

“The Golden Boy” is candid and honest about his issues with anger inside and outside of the ring in the short doc that aired last week on Dutch TV. I don’t know what makes a crazy, out of control person who stomps on downed opponents and knocks people who piss him off out in the street so polarizing, but it’s stories like these that I’d read about or watch any day of the week.

If you’re like me and the show left you wanting to hear more from Hari about himself, you’re in luck. Michael Schiavello announced during the HDNet broadcast of last weekend’s Titan Fighting event that he recently sat down with the beleagured Dutch-born Morroccan fighter to shoot an episode of his acclaimed “The Voice vs.” series and that it was the most intense interview he’s ever done. The Voice vs. Badr Hari will air June 24 at 10 pm ET on HDNet.

Check out parts 1, 2 and 3 of the documentary below.

Jon Fitch ducks Rick Story

2011-06-01T22:56:00.002+02:00

I feel bad for Jon Fitch. Here's a guy with a 13-1-1 record in the UFC. Wins over Thiago Alves (twice), Diego Sanchez, Paulo Thiago. Fought to a draw with B.J. Penn in a bout that I, and the computers, believe he won. He has one loss in nearly a decade, to Georges St. Pierre, the number 1 or 1a pound-for-pound fighter in the entire world.

All Fitch receives in return is guff. Guff from the UFC for not wanting to sign over his likeness rights. Guff from fans for his grinding style of fight. Guff from whatever cosmic force that is preventing him from a rematch with GSP.

I suspect he'll receive more guff today.

Following his manhandling of Thiago Alves at UFC 130, Rick Story called out Fitch at the post-fight press conference. Fitch responded in an interview with MMA Weekly:

"I'm at a point in my career where I need to be fighting main events and main event fighters," Fitch told MMAWeekly.com. "And if you don't have a belt, currently, or you haven't owned a belt in the UFC, I'm not really interested."
...
"I've gone out of my way throughout my career to just fight everybody they put in front of me and it's cost me dearly," he said. "When you fight somebody who no one knows and don't recognize their name, it doesn't matter how bad you beat them.

"I kind of had a talk with Rashad Evans during the expo up in Canada. (It) kind of opened up my eyes to it a little bit. He was telling me I (have to) stop screwing around, I have to think about my career, and I'm a main event fighter. I should only be fighting main event people."

That he took advice from Rashad Evans, another fighter who takes heat from everyone under (and including) the sun, brings a smile to my face.

I can already hear the complaints in my head. Fighters shouldn't pick and choose opponents. If I told my boss I didn't want to fight someone, I'd be fired. Typical half-brained nonsense.

Here's SB Nation MMA's Jonathan Snowden, on why Fitch's decision is a prudent one:

For Fitch, this makes perfect sense. And as we seen the sport grow, as the money gets bigger, with more on the line than ever, we'll continue to see fighters picking and choosing opponents. Fighting Rick Story is a no win proposition for a fighter like Jon Fitch. Story has a style built to make opponents look bad. Worse, his "Q" value is so low that beating him is of no benefit. We have a ton of workmen in the building today. If one of them was secretly Rick Story, I'm not sure I'd pick him out of the crowd.

I couldn't pick Rick Story out of a crowd, let alone from other faceless UFC welterweights like Jake Ellenberger, Brian Foster, and Mike Pierce, names that conjure images of some half-brained sitcom about four blue-collar construction workers.

That's not to mention that Fitch has wasted enough fights already. He beat Pierce at the end of 2009, Akihiro Gono (Untelevised! Following his fight with GSP!) in the beginning of that year, Chris Wilson in 2008, Luigi Fioravanti in 2007.

Jon Fitch gains nothing from fighting Rick Story, a fighter unknown outside of Vancouver, Washington, and websites such as this one. It's a fight, at best, the UFC could market as the co-main event on a pedestrian PPV card, and one that could derail Fitch's career in defeat.

Fitch has earned the right to be a little choosey about his career. What has Rick Story done that deserves precedence over the number two guy in the division? We're still not two years removed from his loss to John Hathaway in the trenches of MMA-hating Germany.

So who SHOULD Jon Fitch fight? Well, he claims he'll be ready to fight in November, December at the very latest in worst-case scenario. He wants rematches with St. Pierre and Penn. St. Pierre was rumored to fight Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz in December, but it sounds like Showtime is making that fight very difficult. Penn, meanwhile, is spontaneously calling out Jake Shields at dinner with Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta on Twitter.

If GSP/Diaz falls through, Fitch makes the most sense as Plan B. If Penn and Shields fight, put them on in September which sets up the timetables for the winner to fight Fitch at the year-end show in December. Easy game.

Video: Rampage Jackson starts fight with reporter

2011-05-31T08:16:00.001+02:00

Video: Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson motorboats reporter

2011-05-30T20:36:00.003+02:00

I hate when we post pictures of half-naked ring girls or any other female involved in MMA. It's a traffic driver though and, as much as people act like it is a sin, traffic is the lifeblood of long term stability and monetization of a website. More than a simple distaste for the act of posting the pictures, it is knowing what is coming in the comments (not just here at Bloody Elbow, but on any MMA site) as the discussion shifts to talk of who would and wouldn't sleep with the woman involved, who is running away from their computer for a fierce masturbatory session and what is the lewdest act each person can think of.

It's an ugly side of this sport's media and fanbase. While demanding people take the sport seriously and turning red with anger at the giggling of the uninformed when someone is locked in full guard, we are often all too willing to reduce women in MMA to soulless sex objects.

This treatment of women as props on the grand stage of MMA has allowed Quinton Jackson to repeatedly get away with dry humping reporters while we shake our collective head, laugh and say "Oh, that Rampage! He's so crazy!" Now, in the wake of UFC 130, he's at it again. This time making a joke about Karyn Bryant making him horny and then motorboating her before telling her to leave before he humps her. Give the video a watch:

Bryant is being a "good sport" about the whole thing and I'm sure some are going to say that her acceptance of the situation makes it all okay. But, we all know that Bryant, who is trying to build up her site, is more at risk than Jackson should she express any discomfort over the idea.

Let's not forget the reaction to Heather Nichols of Cage Potato when she spoke to Sports Illustrated about her experience with Jackson. Jackson "dry humped" her during an interview and, when Nichols told SI that she was uncomfortable with his actions it was met with the expected reactions from the dredges of the MMA world. Nichols was "asking for it" and should be happy that Rampage "put her on the map."

The message was loud and clear: stand there, hold the microphone, be cute, don't make the fighters look bad and be happy anyone knows who you are. Nevermind that they only know you as "that girl Rampage humped, LOLZ!"

Cage Potato touched on Jackson's actions and how they could lead to sexual harassment courses for Zuffa employees:

Now, I'm all for a good laugh, but its incidents like these are partially what is keeping MMA from gaining real widespread mainstream acceptance. Bob Reilly is probably sitting in his office as I type this working feverishly to add the clip to his latest anti-MMA Powerpoint presentation he will be presenting to the New York State Assembly in the coming months. You can bet that the UFC adding mandatory anti-sexual harassment or sensitivity training to the agenda of next year's UFC Fighter Summit, if it doesn't before then.

Brett Favre's incident with Jenn Sterger was the reason the NFL began its anti-sexual harassment training and policy and its safe to say Rampage will likely be the reason the UFC does the same, and so they should.

It's a good point, but it is an issue with more than the top MMA promotion and a handful of fighters. It's that we, as a fanbase, are all too willing to accept the constant objectification of women.

Cage Potato's article reads like something well meaning. But right above the headline is the link to the "Ring Girls" section. While it's great to act as though Rampage's antics toward women are bad for the sport's growth, it's hard to take that stance too seriously when you're also writing:

Holy crap. If you're interested in watching Bellator ring girl Jade Bryce rub herself down for two minutes, you came to the right place today. My God, this chick. Video not safe for work, unless you don't mind embarassing yourself at the office.

Or:

At yesterday's weigh-ins, Felice and Nicdali produced one of the greatest staredown photos in recent memory. (Whether you prefer this one or Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort pretty much depends on if you prefer chicks or dudes. Sorry. That's the deal.)

Sexual harassment? Bad. Gay jokes? Good.

And, of course they ran a "Hottest Women in MMA Grand Prix" to bring out the best comments possible from the readers.

It's unfair of me to single out Cage Potato just because they're an easy target at this moment. It's more widespread than one specific site and one specific incident.

Trust me, I realize the irony of my grandstanding on the topic when, just a week ago, Bloody Elbow ran the Kelli Hutcherson Maxim photos. It'd be stupid to say that beautiful women from the MMA world who take part in modeling shoots shouldn't be acknowledged. But the first step toward changing the sport's treatment of women is in changing the way that women are talked about.

There are ways to talk about women involved in the sport (even the ones that do sexy photo shoots) that doesn't involve the debasement of their status as human beings. It may not be the difference in gaining mainstream acceptance, but it's one of the things that can make a difference in being evolved and intelligent fans when it comes to more than just muay thai and jiu-jitsu.

TUF 14 coaches Bisping and Mayhem

2011-05-28T00:17:00.002+02:00

Step aside, Chael Sonnen ... and Georges St. Pierre ... and Nick Diaz.

Michael Bisping will reportedly keep his rumored spot as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 but it will be opposite newly signed middleweight mouth-off Jason "Mayhem" Miller, which is currently slated for a Sept. 21, 2011 debut on Spike TV.

The Underground has it:

Today, UFC President Dana White revealed exclusively to the Underground that middleweight's Michael Bisping and Jason 'Mayhem' Miller will coach the fourteenth installment of the Ultimate Fighter reality show.

As per usual, Bisping and Miller, after verbally bashing each other throughout the season, will meet inside the Octagon to physically bash each other at an undisclosed date and event.

TUF 14 will feature, for the very first time in the long history of the show, fighters from the bantamweight and featherweight divisions.

Today's announcement brings to an end a lot of speculation -- and headache -- surrounding the coaching gigs on the fading reality show.

Star-divide

Bisping, a TUF veteran in every sense of the word (won TUF 3 and coached TUF 9), was always the first choice to coach the show, it would seem.

However, the UFC was hopeful they could put him opposite mouthy ex-Realtor Chael Sonnen and watch the ratings, which have been anemic all throughout season 13, shoot through the roof.

Unfortunately, Sonnen's poor standing with both the California and Nevada State Athletic Commission's put an end to all that talk, as he won't even be able to apply for his license again until June 29.

Filming, at that point, will already be underway.

One trash talker's loss is another big mouths gain, as "Mayhem" has stepped in to fill the void. And while he's not as infamous as Sonnen, his sometimes diarrhea of the mouth is equally as explosive.

Not only that, he's no noob to this reality show thing. Miller has been the host of MTV's "Bully Beatdown" for three seasons dating back to March 2009.

All the ingredients are there. Controversial? Check. Gimmicky? Check. Can't stop talking? Check.

Oh, and he's a damn good fighter, too.

It should be noted that Miller was initially slated to make his return to the Octagon at UFC 132 on July 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada against Aaron Simpson. That fight is expected to be scrapped.

Sorry "A-Train!"

Can a cocky Brit and a goofy American save the once popular Spike TV reality show? Or is it too little, too late for the program that "saved" the UFC? And who wins when the two square off at the conclusion of filming?

TUF 14 debuts on Sept. 21 via Spike TV. No date or venue has been named for the Bisping vs. Miller contest at this time, but is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more details on the upcoming TUF 14 debut as they become available.

Video: The Axe Murderer is a murderer on the mat too

2011-05-27T16:37:00.003+02:00

Sure, we know that Wanderlei Silva is a high level BJJ black belt, but his last submission win was a decade ago. When Wandy tapped out Bob Schrijber in the opening round of the 2000 Pride Grand Prix with an RNC, Jon Jones was snitching on playground kids for doling out Pixy Stix, and Rory MacDonald was still watching SpongeBob.

Actually, some of us are still watching SpongeBob, so perhaps that wasn’t a great illustration. Whatever.

Point is, Wanderlei’s submission game is talked about, but you never expect to see him wrap someone up in his guard. It’s sort of like being told that Paris Hilton has a sister who is both intelligent and uninterested in chasing fame. You could believe it, but you really want to see some proof to make sure.

Anywho, check out this video of everyone’s favorite fighter and some other dude practicing some arcane martial art known as “Brazilian Jui Jitsu” in what appear to be pajamas.

Video: Quinton Rampage Jackson talks Matt Hamill

2011-05-27T01:08:00.002+02:00

Quinton Jackson's views on UFC 130 opponent Matt Hamill. Jackson talks about his priorities other than fighting, not watching video of opponents and more. Give it a watc

Video: Rampage Jackson disses Ariel Helwani

2011-05-27T00:52:00.003+02:00

In an unofficial sequel to “People Like That Get Slapped,” Ariel Helwani attempted to interview Quinton “Rampage” Jackson yesterday, and barely escaped with his life. After some warm-up insults about Helwani’s tie and shoes, Jackson realized who he was talking to, and the vibe immediately became hostile. Apparently Jackson didn’t appreciate that Helwani asked him about “Queen Mo” during a recent MMA Hour appearance — while Rampage was eating, no less — when ‘Page just wanted to discuss his UFC 130 fight against Matt Hamill. Plus, his peoples told him that Ariel had been hatin’.

Ariel offers to squash the beef at the 2:52 mark. Unfortunately, that phrase means the exact opposite in Memphis than it does everywhere else, and Jackson raises up on Ariel, who does his best to change the subject. Rampage gets upset again later when Helwani brings up nutritionist Mike Dolce, who wasn’t with Rampage for this training camp. (“I’m fighting Matt Hamill, I’m not fighting Mike Dolce. What’s Mike Dolce got to do with me winning or losing a fight?”)

The interview ends in a more cordial fashion, but Jackson clarifies that if it wasn’t for his friend Anthony Evans, who’s a friend of Ariel’s, “I probably would have smacked the shit out of you.”

Mirko Cro Cop is making another title run in the UFC

2011-05-27T00:44:00.002+02:00

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s nine-fight UFC career has been one of can-crushing highs and head-rattling lows. After suffering consecutive knockout loses against Frank Mir and Brendan Schaub, Dana White claimed that we’d seen the last of Cro Cop in the UFC. But DW had a change of heart yesterday, telling reporters that he owes Filipovic another fight, and the 36-year-old Croatian veteran will be returning to the Octagon. As he explained:

“Do I think he should have retired? Yeah. But I don’t think he’s in one of these situations where — I felt Chuck Liddell needed to retire right then. Listen, he’s a man, he’s a grown man. If he wants to continue to fight, that’s his right. And he still has a fight with me.”

Of course, Dana could easily cut Mirko’s contract if he wanted to; having fights left on your contract is no guarantee of job security in the UFC. White must feel that there’s at least one more marketable fight out there for Cro Cop. Do you use him to put over another young contender? Do you book him against another PRIDE-era old timer — say, Nogueira if he loses to Schaub? Do you give him a co-headlining spot on a Versus broadcast against the caliber of opponent that he’s beaten in the past? Is there anybody left who even cares?

A return date or opponent for Filipovic has not yet been announced.

Video: Jon Jones is fighting Rampage or Machida

2011-05-26T01:03:00.001+02:00

We know everyone is getting sick of the back-and-forth between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans, but we figured this was an interesting tidbit worth mentioning from an interview “Bones” did with TopMMANews while he was in London, Ontario, Canada last week for MMA Live 1.

While talking about Evans’ upcoming match-up with Phil Davis at UFC 133 Jones said, although he thinks Rashad will win the bout decisively, he likely won’t get the next shot at his strap as was previously promised. What made the off-the-cuff comment interesting is that Jones said the decision to push “Suga” back a position in line wasn’t his; it was UFC president Dana White’s.

“I don’t even think I’ll be fighting [the winner of Davis-Evans] now. I had a meeting with Dana and he’s talking about Lyoto [Machida] or [Quinton] Rampage [Jackson] and if Rashad wins decisively, he’ll get the title shot [after them],” Jones explained. “But I’m in the business of competing against the most elite males in the world in hand-to-hand combat and that’s something I have a lot of pride in. So whoever comes next, when I’m ready, I’ll be ready.”

Alistair Overeem wants his top 10 status

2011-05-26T00:50:00.003+02:00

Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair "The Demolition Man", "The Reem", "Megareem", "Ubereem" Overeem will step inside the Strikeforce cage for the first time this year, facing the man who already beat him back in Pride - Fabricio Werdum. Last year was the best in Overeem's career, as the Dutch phenom defended his Strikeforce by brutalizing Brett Rogers, finally conquered the K-1 World GP and became the first DREAM Heavyweight Champion.

Alistair Overeem was voted MMA Fighter of the Year on LowKick.com, currently occupying 8th position in website's community P4P rankings. Here's what Alistair Overeem had to say about the upcoming bout against Fabricio Werdum, UFC heavyweights and competing in Boxing.

The fight against Fabricio Werdum is just one month away. Can you talk about your training camp for this fight, and how it's different from the previous ones you had for Brett Rogers and Todd Duffee?
There's not much different expect that we train for a different opponent. I’ve been training with John Olav Einemo a lot, by the way.

Fabricio Werdum was the first (technically second) man to defeat Fedor. Do you think that maybe with victory over Werdum you will prove your superiority over Fedor as well?
No. You can’t use mathematics in fighting. You have to fight the person yourself to say that you are the better man. But I have to agree that a win over Werdum will close the debate if I’m a Top 10 fighter or not.

Do you think that maybe at some point Fabricio Werdum became overconfident following his victory over Fedor Emelianenko. Also, what do you think about him always saying "Alistair Overeem is my son"?
Werdum is a professional fighter and he will be confident but not overconfident. I heard him saying that I’m his son, but I don't understand what he really means. I think he means that he’s superior than me, because he beat me a couple of years ago. I think it’s a lost in translation thing.

It will be your first fight this year, comparing to 7 (MMA and K-1 combined) fights in 2010. How do you feel about having a relatively long layoff?
I liked it. After my fight against Todd Duffee I could go on a holiday and enjoy life, instead of being in the gym all the time. So it gave my body a good rest and that was needed.

With K-1 WGP belt already around your waist, do you think about testing yourself in Boxing?
No, not really. My goal is to become the best MMA fighter and that’s what my focus is. Boxing is a whole different sport and you shouldn't take it lightly. If there are no challenges left in my career, then I can consider something like that. But for now, there are plenty challenges.

UFC and Strikeforce are now under the same umbrella. What do you think about fighters such as Shane Carwin, Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, dos Santos and of course the Champion Cain Velasquez? How soon do you want to fight in the UFC?
My main focus is on winning the Strikeforce tournament, so UFC is not on my mind right now. I’ve always stated that the Heavyweight division in Strikeforce has the best fighters and I still think so. But still, it would be foolish to say that the UFC heavyweight fighters are not good. The guys you named are all very dangerous fighters that can finish fights. Carwin has great knockout power, Brock is a great wrestler and athlete, Frank Mir improved his standup and has a good ground game and the champion Cain Velasquez is very durable and has great wrestling. So those fighters are world-class for sure.

LowKick.com fans voted you for MMA Fighter of the Year 2010. What's your main goal for 2011?
To be voted MMA fighter of the Year 2011 by winning the Strikeforce GP title.

Your prediction for the fight against Fabricio Werdum - Submission or KO?
KO.

Quinton Rampage Jackson is in shape

2011-05-26T00:47:00.001+02:00

Miesha Tate is ready

2011-05-26T00:45:00.000+02:00

Pro Strikeforce Fighter (11-2), Tournament Champ, Number 1 contender, Personal Trainer, Motivational Speaker, animal lover, cake decorator

Can Michael Bisping talks his way to a Shot at the Title?

2011-05-24T23:50:00.001+02:00

Before the fight against Nate Marquardt at UFC 109, Chael Sonnen was just another UFC Middleweight far, far away from challenging Anderson Silva for his belt. But the charismatic Oregonian had plans of his own; Sonnen used his second-to-none trash talking skills and the interest in Nate Marquardt’s campaign for a rematch against Anderson Silva to call out the Champ, eventually forcing himself into the mix for a shot at the title. Of course, Chael Sonnen backed up his talk by bulldozing Marquardt during all three rounds, to get in line against the winner of UFC 112 Silva vs. Belfort Maia match-up.

Whether you like him or not, it’s hard to deny that Chael Sonnen has an exciting personality. But Sonnen had his “share of losing”, and now finds himself in an ongoing battle against his toughest opponent to date – the NSAC and CSAC commissions.

When looking for another UFC Middleweight, even remotely controversial and charismatic as Chael Sonnen, the only name that comes to mind is Michael “The Count” Bisping. It’s no surprise that the pair were originally set to resurrect The Ultimate Fighter series, something that even Brock Lesnar struggled to do this season. Sonnen and Bisping are the only ones who have enough ammunition to bring TUF back to the (at least) 2 million viewers region.

Bisping’s behavior at UFC 127 did some damage in short-term, but was the best thing to happen in his Mixed Martial Arts career in long term. Right now, everyone wants to teach Michael Bisping a lesson, from UFC’s Nate Marquardt, to Strikeforce’s Tim Kennedy. But the most important thing is that everyone interested in who will be Bisping’s next opponent and how he will do against him.

With Chael Sonnen suspended indefinitely, Bisping is the biggest “draw” the UFC Middleweight division currently has to offer. “The Count” is the only one who can give ZUFFA a strong build-up material for a classic “bad boy” storyline.

Back in the day, Brock Lesnar was the one MMA fans loved to hate. Lesnar eventually became the biggest draw in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, earning a title shot after just one victory inside the Octaogn. Of course, there’s more to the Brock Lesnar story, and Bisping is a completely different fighter. But the facts are still there. Michael Bisping has to get the best out of his current situation, as apologizing more than once for the UFC 127 incident is surely not one of them.

Next weekend’s fight between Jorge Santiago and Brian Stann may determine Bisping’s next opponent. Both fighters are coming off impressive victories, as one of them will definitely find himself “in the mix” on May 29th. Will Michael Bisping become the first UK fighter to win a major MMA title? Only time will tell.

Photo: Michael Bisping at the UFC 100 press conference at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino on July 9, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Francis Specke

Video: Rashad Evans talks "white boy" text message to Jon Jones

2011-05-24T23:44:00.004+02:00

Rashad Evans talks about the controversy swirling around him and former teammate Jon Jones, even about the controversial text messages he allegedly sent to Jones.

Chris Leben goes toe to toe agains Wanderlei Silva

2011-05-24T23:27:00.002+02:00

Chris "The Crippler" Leben speaks about his UFC 132 matchup with Wanderlei Silva:

0:20 "Wanderlei has been my hero for a long time"
1:03 "Wanderlei's a blue collar fighter, he's not going to run from me"
1:30 Talks about how he doesn't really need the crowd for motivation, he just needs someone to punch him in the face
2:40 Discusses how sick he was before the Stann fight, and how he might have overlooked him
3:26 "This will be my 19th fight in the UFC"
4:22 Talks about standing toe-to-toe with Silva
5:05 He's 30 now, doesn't want to go out anymore, just focused on better things

Mark "Fight Shark" Miller open heart surgery

2011-05-24T23:24:00.003+02:00

Matthew Roth has been posting a multi-part interview with Mark Miller at Head Kick Legend. Miller returns to action this Saturday for the first time since having aortic valve replacement surgery. Miller gives the rundown of why he needed the surgery in part one but I found the first two questions from part two to be incredibly insightful into the level of determination Miller has to continue fighting:

Matt: Your story from there is pretty well publicized. The following six months or a year was pretty much the worst hell for you with a ton of family tragedy...

Mark: It was 10 months. My mother, my father, my brother, the car wreck...another one that happened in Austin. I hate that city. There was just a lot. A lot of not good things that happened there.

Matt: At that point, was there any doubt like "Maybe I don't want to do this anymore?" or was there...

Mark: No, there was never. Honestly Matt, people ask me that and honestly I never did. I talked about this earlier today (note: On Inside MMA), my thought was that I was so focused, tunnel vision to fight again, that that's what got me through everything. It got me through the rehab from the heart surgery. It got me through the deaths. It got me through the rehab from the car wreck and the knee surgery later. The fighting was my focus. There were times when the thought crossed my mind like "is somebody trying to send me a sign? Is the universe trying to tell me not to do this?" Then it became hard to get fights. Being a professional fighter my whole life it was never a problem, now people had a fear. It was a good story but promoters and commissions were worried about it. My problem with the commissions is that they licensed me my whole career with the problem, I don't have the problem anymore, they surgically repaired the problem. But when you have an eight and a half inch scar on your chest, it creates a lot of fear in people. And then you have the people asking "well what about your chest?" If a fighter breaks his arm and then comes back, no one has a problem. They always say, if you break a bone it grows back stronger. Your chest isn't much different. But it's that people can't really conceive of a saw and rib splitters opening you up like an oyster digging your heart out of your body.

Miller goes on later in the interview to talk about the maturation process of Jon Jones and Phil Davis (men Mark has worked with personally in the past). The interview as a whole is one of the most interesting I've read in years and I seriously urge all of you to head over to Head Kick Legend and give it a read.