UFC

Fedor Emelianenko KO Knocks out Brett Rogers FIGHT - STRIKEFORCE Nov 7 highlights !

2009-11-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

If there's any justice in this world, Saturday's Strikeforce/M1 Global fight night on CBS will shatter the network TV records for MMA ?

He's biggest weapon is his fighting intellect. Sometimes it takes a few knocks & some blood, but he'll always eventually win because he's smarter than any of his opponents. Period. the chances of grounding and pounding re very high in octagon..people who say that theyve never seen fedor having to withstand gnp have to realise that.fedors 1st time in the cage.the guy is a living legend . Thoughts ??

training camps of Fedor and Rogers leading up to their fight this

2009-11-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Jake Shields ready for strikefore MMA fight Nov. 6 2009 or ready for some UFC ?

2009-11-02T12:14:00.001-08:00

After a string of a dozen consecutive victories against notables ranging from Yushin Okami to Carlos Condit to Mike Pyle to Paul Daley to Robbie Lawler, Jake Shields has clearly established himself as one of the sport's top fighters. But with a Saturday Strikeforce title fight with Jason "Mayhem" Miller earning the winner the vacant middleweight belt, the former welterweight now has his sights set on domination in two divisions. But while Shields is willing to fight just about anyone (and has), he recently told mmajumkie) there's one name that could prevent the jiu-jitsu ace from claiming championships in two weight classes. That name is Nick Diaz, a fellow Strikeforce fighter who Shields now considers "a brother." Both Cesar Gracie-trained fighters are some of the top stars in the fast rising Strikeforce promotion, which kicks off its new CBS broadcast deal with a live airing of "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers" Nov. 7 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Shields vs. Miller is billed as the night's co-main event. Shields, who now makes the move to 185 after defeating Robbie Lawler at a catch-weight of 182 pounds back in June, is enjoying the new weight class. "Not cutting weight is awesome," he said. "I certainly enjoy fighting at 185 more." Despite the move up, Shields isn't committing fully to 185. In fact, he has plans to return to welterweight at some point. "I've bulked up," Shields said. "I'm still not a true 185-pounder. But I've bulked up. During training I weigh 191 or 192 (pounds), and it kind of sticks. I don't want to go much higher." So if Shields (23-4-1) defeats Miller (22-6), would he then want a shot to claim the welterweight belt too? Strikeforce hasn't crowned a welterweight champion (though Diaz and fellow UFC vet Jay Hieron are the leading candidates to fight for it), and Shields would certainly be at the top of the list of contenders. "I definitely would," he said. "Nick Diaz is my training partner, and I'm not trying to cut him off, but I would. We've never really sat and decided who wants to do what. But I definitely want to fight for both." In fact, Shields said, he probably never would have moved up to 185 pounds in the first place if Strikeforce had added depth to the division a bit earlier. "Most likely I'd be at 170," he said. "The main reason I went up (a weight class) was because of the lack of good opponents for me. Shields said he has no problems fighting Miller despite their previous relationship. Shields actually appeared as a guest star on Shields' MTV reality series "Bully Beatdown" (and dished out some serious justice to the local bully), and the two have trained together. But with Diaz, he said it's different. "It's easy to turn that off (with Miller)," Shields said. "I've fought ... other friends in the past, and Mayhem and I are kind of acquaintances and aren't really friends. We've hung out together a couple times and trained together a couple times. But it's not like we call each other and check up and see how we're both doing. We're not that close. I've got nothing bad to say about him, but I don't have a problem busting him in the face either. "It's a little different with Nick Diaz. Like I said, Mayhem and I are more acquaintances. But with Nick, I've been good friends with him for eight years. ... He's more like a brother to me. It'd be too weird fighting him. He's the only guy I wouldn't fight." But what if the exposure and offer were so lucrative that they'd be crazy not to fight? What is gobs of money were thrown at the two fighters, for example, to headline a CBS card? "It would have to be so much money – more than they're willing to offer," Shields said. "It'd have to be way over than they're paying right now. I guess if they coughed up a million dollars, we'd think about it. But I doubt that's the case, but I guess you never know. The money's going up now." Obviously, when talking about the future, there's another topic that often comes up. You can't discuss world rankings and top-level competition without mentioning the UFC, especially when it comes to the welterweight division, which is ruled by UFC fighters. Shields admits he has one dream fight for his career. "The UFC obviously has (UFC welterweight champion) GSP (Georges St-Pierre), and that's a fight I would love," he said. "That'd be my ideal fight if I were with the UFC." So, would he join the UFC? After excelling as one of the top non-UFC fighters in the sport today, would he finally jump ship and join the worldwide leader in MMA? "That's a tough call right there because I really like both," he said. "Strikeforce treats me great and have been really good. They support me. I love fighting in Strikeforce. "The UFC obviously is the bigger name and has some great fights. Right now, I'm taking it one fight at a time and will figure it out from there."

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers CBS Card Announced - will this card be a big hit ?

2009-10-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

With the promotion's debut on CBS just under a month away, Strikeforce announced Friday the four matchups that will take place on the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers card at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

"We're looking forward to delivering an explosive night of world class MMA action on CBS," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said in a statement. "We have the world's No. 1 fighter, Fedor, making his network primetime debut against an undefeated powerhouse in Brett Rogers and, with the stars lined up for the remainder of the card, it is bound to be an exciting night of television."

The new bouts added were Fabricio Werdum vs. Antonio Silva and Mousasi's opponent as Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. The bouts are pending the approval of the Illinois State Commission.

CBS Bouts:

- Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers
- Jake Shields vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
- Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
- Fabricio Werdum vs. Antonio Silva

Preliminary Bouts:

- Erin Toughill vs. Marloes Coenen
- Mark Miller vs. Deray Davis
- Christian Uflacker vs. Jonatas Novaes

"It is an honor to have the opportunity to bring the Strikeforce brand to CBS. We are looking forward to bringing MMA back to the network and to having the world's No. 1 heavyweight — Fedor — compete for the first time on live network television against one of America's most promising young, undefeated stars — Brett Rogers."

Brock Lesner pulls out of UFC 106 ? Sick H1N1 Virus ?

2009-10-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has withdrawn from his upcoming title defense against Shane Carwin due to illness, UFC President Dana White told Yahoo Sports on Monday.

“He said he’s never been this sick in his life,” White said of Lesnar. “He said it’s been going on for a long time and he just hasn’t been able to shake it.”

Lesnar was scheduled to face Carwin Nov. 21 in Las Vegas at UFC 106. White told Yahoo, however, that Lesnar has been sick for more than three and a half weeks and has been unable to train. White does not think Lesnar has the H1N1 virus, according to Yahoo’s report.

Sherdog.com has not been able to reach Carwin for comment, but he posted on his Twitter account that he was "very disappointed."

"It's (disappointing) hearing about your career and life through the media," Carwin wrote in a second message. "Nothing from the (bosses) yet."

In a third message, Carwin indicated that he had spoken with his manager, Jason Genet, and suggested that the matchup has been postponed until Jan. 2. UFC 108 is scheduled for that date at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC.com reported Monday that a light heavyweight matchup between Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin will now headline UFC 106.

"UFC Main Events" special debuts Nov. 7 on Spike TV, counters Strikeforce event

2009-10-26T05:26:00.000-07:00

Going head to head with Strikeforce's CBS debut and its headliner between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers, the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Spike TV debuts its "UFC Main Events: Couture vs. Nogueira" special on Nov. 7.

Spike TV Vice President of Sports and Specials, Brian J. Diamond.

The two-hour special features four major bouts from 2009, including Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102, that have never previously aired on free television.

The special airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Other bouts featured on the special include Vitor Belfort vs. Rich Franklin from UFC 103, as well as B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian and Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin from UFC 101.

"We always get calls from the UFC about some great programming they want us to air all the time," Diamond said. "And we love it. The fans love it."

The special is the latest counter-programming move for the UFC, which often airs fights (both taped and live) to go head to head with a rival organization's offering. Strikeforce is a frequent target, and the now-defunct Affliction Entertainment also dealt with the UFC's counter-programming.

The same night as "UFC Main Event," Strikeforce holds its first-ever CBS-televised event. The show takes place near Chicago at the Sears Center with Emelianenko vs. Rogers, Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Jake Shields (for the organization's vacant middleweight title) and two other bouts.

Diamond, though, said this latest offering is just one of many in the works.

"We have some more stuff planned that we'll announce in the next few weeks that will take place by the end of the year," he said.

For the latest on "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers," stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

UFC 104 Highlights

2009-10-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

Lyoto Machida, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s unbeaten light heavyweight champion, had the look of a loser in the waning moments of Saturday.

His lip was split, bruises dotted his face and he walked very gingerly on his right leg. More telling, a frown creased his face throughout the entire postfight news conference, 45 minutes after his bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua had ended at the Staples Center.

UFC president Dana White, who promised a rematch as soon as he could make it, felt Rua had won. Undercard fighters Joe Stevenson and Anthony Johnson agreed. The majority of the media scored it for Rua.

And though Machida’s body language said he felt the same way, the three men who were paid to render the decision disagreed.

Judges Nelson “Doc” Hamilton, Cecil Peoples and Marcos Rosales each scored the fight 48-47 for Machida, who improved to 16-0 in the most difficult bout of his career. Hamilton gave Machida Rounds 2, 3 and 4. Peoples and Rosales each gave Machida the first three rounds.

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That was all he needed to become the first man since Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in 2007 to successfully defend the UFC’s light heavyweight belt.

“I would have liked to have performed better,” Machida said glumly, “but it’s not always possible.”

But while the majority opinion seemed to be that Rua deserved to win the title – Yahoo! Sports also had it 48-47 for Rua, giving him Rounds 1, 4 and 5 – this verdict was hardly an outrage.

Many in the crowd of around 16,000 let Hamilton, Rosales and Peoples know how they felt. Internet message boards lit up immediately with howls of protests.

The men who should be facing the wrath of those who felt Rua had won should not be Hamilton, Peoples and Rosales, who rendered their opinions in a very technical, taut affair. Rather, Rua supporters should be angry at his corner men, who continually told him he was well ahead.

Rua said he didn’t press the action in the final two rounds because his corner had told him he was in control. If that’s true, it’s that advice that cost him the fight. And it’s always the worst kind of advice to give a fighter in any match, but particularly a technical fight like Machida-Rua.

And while many disagree with the judges, their decision is at least defensible. White blasted them for their scoring, but he and many of the angry fans didn’t take time to consider that the judges weren’t drinking beer and eating popcorn and slapping five with their friends or doing any of the things that fans do as they watch a bout. Their concentration was on the cage and the action inside it for all five minutes of every round.

Fans, who are distracted by other things, tend to look away from the action for a split second or two several times in a fight, whether it be to talk to a friend, grab a snack or gesticulate after a big blow. When a bout is as close as Machida-Rua was, that’s often the difference between scoring the round correctly and getting it wrong.

“It was a matter of each round being won on maybe one or two little things,” Hamilton said following the fight. “There was no sustained action by anybody in that fight. There were no combinations thrown. It was always one punch, one kick. So you look at it and say, ‘What was effective in that fight? What was effective in that round?’ Based on that, somebody wins the round.”

Those advocating a Rua victory point to the fact that Machida appeared to take far more damage in the bout. Rua’s kicks were tenderizing Machida’s leg and the welts on his face gave away, perhaps for the first time, what he does for a living.

Hamilton, though, said it’s hard to judge a fight on damage sustained in a bout like Machida-Rua.

“They’re assuming he’s hurt,” Hamilton said. “You don’t really know, though, do you?”

This was a fight that was there for Rua to win and he simply didn’t win it. Had the decision gone Rua’s way, Machida couldn’t have complained, because there was little to choose from in many of the rounds. It was a very close fight and a case could be made for either man in most of the rounds.

Rua (18-4) was hurting Machida with kicks – Machida said the large welt on the left side of his midsection wasn’t causing him pain, but he conceded at the postfight news conference his right leg was giving him problems – and he seemed to control the tempo.

Machida said after the bout he hadn’t been busted up as badly since his sixth professional mixed martial arts bout. But Rua, who was trailing on all three scorecards after three rounds, didn’t pick up the pace because he was told he was in command of the bout.

“I feel I was able to use my strategy well in the fight to do a good fight,” Rua said. “My corner was telling me I was winning the fight and that is why I didn’t press the action so much in the final rounds. I felt I was winning. Everyone who has spoken to me has told me they felt I won the fight.”

He could have won the fight. And he probably should have won the fight.

But he only has himself and his own people to blame. Had they sent him out with a sense of urgency for the fourth and fifth rounds, history might have been different on Saturday. Rua managed to shatter some of the Machida Myth with his performance, but he didn’t leave with the belt around his waist.

As outraged as many are at the call, the culprits aren’t Messrs. Hamilton, Peoples and Rosales.

Rather, the bad guys in this scenario are Rua’s friends, partners and coaches who were all too willing to pat him on the back and cheerlead rather than to encourage him and go and finish a fight he had within his grasp.Even though Cain Velasquez had controlled 95 percent or more of his four previous Ultimate Fighting Championship fights, there was still a good deal of skepticism about where he stood in the UFC heavyweight division heading into his match against Ben Rothwell on Saturday night.

Sure, he was a very good wrestler and had taken down and controlled everyone he faced, but at 238 pounds, no larger than some of the biggest light heavyweights, doubts lingered as to what would happen when he would face a big striker who had the size to give him problems.

And there was also the question of whether he could deliver the kind of performance that would make people take notice, as opposed to just grappling his way to victory against the top-level opponents.

After Velasquez’s performance at Staples Center, the new question is whether anyone is going to find a way to stop his relentless onslaught of wrestling to get foes down and the pacing of his punches on the ground once he gets them there.

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Velasquez took an opponent who cuts to make the 265-pound weight limit and manhandled him in a manner that had to convince skeptics that he belongs in the mix with the top heavyweights in the sport, winning via referee stoppage at 0:58 of the second round.

Rothwell, making his UFC debut after being the top heavyweight of the International Fight League, came in with 13 wins in his previous 14 matches and was considered Velasquez’s biggest test to date. But he had no answers, spending the entire fight basically in survival mode before a controversial stoppage by referee Steve Mazzagatti.

Velasquez (7-0) was controlling Rothwell on the ground early in the second, and as Rothwell tried to stand, he took six quick punches flush in the face as he was getting up, so Mazzagatti waved off the fight.

The crowd booed the stoppage, but Rothwell had taken a beating from the opening seconds of the fight by a combination of wrestling and conditioning the likes of which may have never been seen in MMA’s heavyweight division.

In a sense, one could say the stoppage was merciful because there were times in the first round Mazzagatti could have called it off with little controversy as Rothwell was eating punch after punch.

Still, while praising Velasquez’s performance and labeling him a legitimate contender, UFC president Dana White did have some words for Mazzagatti.

“You know what I think of Mazzagatti,” White said after the show at the news conference. “I don’t think he should be allowed to even watch MMA, let alone referee in it.”

The fight was like a cat-and-mouse game, except the mouse was the one playing the game. Whenever the 6-foot-5 Rothwell (30-7) seemed to get out of a relentless barrage of punches on the ground and get to his feet to where he’d theoretically fare better, it turned out to be a tease.

Velasquez would grab him and put him right back where he was. When he would lock his hands around Rothwell, despite giving up at least 30 pounds, he was not just taking Rothwell down but also physically launching and slamming him at will.

“When I was wrestling as a heavyweight, I would face guys who were 285 and 290 pounds,” said Velasquez, who was a two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State. “So it’s not new. This is my weight class and I don’t think about moving down.”

Most likely, this was a good test. Because if he wants the UFC heavyweight championship, there is a good chance he’s going to be in there with guys who are bigger and stronger than he is. The current champion, Brock Lesnar, is the physically strongest fighter on the UFC roster, and a better credentialed wrestler, who, like Rothwell, cuts to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit. Lesnar’s next title defense is against Shane Carwin, an NCAA Division II national champion who is near Lesnar’s size.

Where Velasquez appears to have the edge on his bigger foes would be in wrestling technique as well as absolutely freakish conditioning for a heavyweight.

“I think he’s awesome,” White said. “Ben Rothwell came in wanting this fight. He thought being in the UFC was his destiny. He had a game plan, he had size and he had experience.”

Velasquez had no problems with Rothwell’s size. When he stood with him, he moved enough to never take a big shot, closing the major hole in his game that he had with Cheick Kongo back at UFC 99. In his previous fight, he was stunned with punches at the beginning of every round, shook them off, took Kongo down and mauled him for the remainder of each round.

“I knew I had to get better,” Velasquez said. “I came into this sport to be the champion, so I want the shot against the Lesnar-Carwin winner. It’s up to UFC when that happens.”

Former PRIDE champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who won a decision over Randy Couture on Aug. 29, is the only person in the way of Velasquez getting the next title shot. Nogueira seemed to be the next in line, but Velasquez looking so impressive here at least puts him in the discussion.

Almost as important is that this seemed to be the fight to solidify Velasquez as a genuine star. He came into the Staples Center cage as arguably the most popular fighter on the show, with the only rival being main eventer and light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.

Velasquez’s backers, most notably trainer Javier Mendez, for years had pushed Velasquez’s marketing potential if he made it to the top because he’s a genuine Mexican heavyweight with championship potential. That ethnic group has been so important in the success of boxing.

The UFC has been attempting to tap into the Mexican audience, both in the U.S. and in Mexico itself. The first attempt, with lightweight Roger Huerta, never quite hit. Velasquez is quiet, which can often work against a fighter in being a star, but ultimately, if he continues to dominate opponents, that in the long run will overcome any shyness.

In the past, Velasquez had been a fighter highly touted by insiders, largely based on his gym reputation, but most of the fans had not yet recognized him as someone that was going places.

On this night, there was a strong Latino presence in the crowd, with chants of “Mexico, Mexico,” which may have been a first at a UFC event. But unlike boxing, this was not a heavily Latino audience, and Velasquez’s appeal crossed over based on the strength of his performance.

Thoughts ??

Tito Ortiz fighting Tyson Griffin In UFC 106 ??

2009-10-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

Ortiz to face Griffin at UFC 106

Buzz up! 58 PrintTito Ortiz will face a stern test in his first match in the Ultimate Fighting Championship since undergoing back surgery Oct. 6, 2008, when he takes on Forrest Griffin at UFC 106 on Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Ortiz, who last fought at UFC 84 on May 24, 2008, when he lost a decision to Lyoto Machida, had been slated to face Mark Coleman. But Coleman had to withdraw from the bout Monday after suffering a second-degree tear of the medial collateral ligament in his knee.

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Griffin, who lost a controversial decision to Ortiz at UFC 59 in Anaheim, Calif., on April 15, 2006, said last week he hoped to return to action at UFC 108 in January. Given the urgency to find a suitable opponent for Ortiz in the co-main event of what the UFC sees as a blockbuster card, Griffin agreed to the bout.

Both men are former light heavyweight champions. Griffin defeated Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for the belt last year before losing it in his first defense to Rashad Evans. Griffin is coming off a first-round knockout loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 101.

Ortiz, who re-signed with the UFC in July – thus ending a bitter dispute with White – is 0-2-1 in his last three fights and hasn’t won since stopping Ken Shamrock on Oct. 10, 2006, in a bout on Spike TV.

Since then, Ortiz was stopped by Chuck Liddell in a rematch at UFC 66 – a bout that sold a then-UFC pay-per-view record of 1.05 million – fought to a draw with Evans at UFC 73 and lost to Machida at UFC 84.

Ortiz had fought for several years with pain in his back. He said he hadn’t been healthy since 2002 when he defeated Shamrock in Las Vegas in the first of their three bouts. He had spinal fusion surgery Oct. 6, 2008, and didn’t begin to train again until July.

UFC 108 Fight is all set !

2009-09-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Damn! Even a Belfort fight leaves Silva looking bored!
Bone spurs be damned, the UFC is looking for Anderson Silva to be ready for its first card in 2010. UFC president Dana White told Lance Pugmire of the L.A. Times that Silva will defend his UFC middleweight title belt against Vitor Belfort on Jan. 2 at UFC 108 in Las Vegas. There's been a little back and forth between the UFC and the Silva on whether he was getting bone spurs removed from his elbow. White would like to see him get it done as soon as possible, while Silva and his manager Ed Soares appear to be dragging their feet on a decision.
The timing of the White announcement is interesting considering the fact that middleweight contender Dan Henderson was in Las Vegas this week working on his next contract. A sticking point in the deal was thought to be when Hendo would get his shot at a Silva rematch. Now rumors are flying that Henderson will face Nate Marquardt on this same card in a title eliminator.
Henderson was under the impression that his fight against Michael Bisping at UFC 100 was a title eliminator. Henderson crushed Bisping with a devastating knockout. All summer he's been saying that the only fight he wants is that match against Silva. Two weeks ago, Belfort returned to the UFC after a near five years layoff, and beat former middleweight champ Rich Franklin in less than four minutes. Both Henderson and Marquardt lost title shots against Silva. It's clear the promotion wants a fresh face to step in there against "The Spider."
With Quinton Jackson's hissy fit/retirement, rumors are also swirling that Rashad Evans, who was supposed to fight Rampage on Dec. 12, may now fight Thiago Silva at UFC 108. yahooufc.com

UFC Dana White talks about Rampage Jackson , Retiring ??? ?

2009-09-26T11:28:00.001-07:00

UFC president Dana White is disappointed with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s recent announcement that he will be retiring from mixed martial arts to follow his acting career, but he wishes his friend the best and won’t stand in his way.
White was recently a guest of Carmichael Dave on the radio station KHTK (audio here) and talked about Jackson.
“Rampage is a grown man,” White said. “He’s acting like a baby right now, but he’s a grown man. If he wants to be in the movie business, Rampage, good luck to you, man. I hope he makes it big, and I’m not being sarcastic. … I hope the movie thing works out for him. If that’s what he truly wants to do, and that’s what he feels and that’s what he thinks his career is, I wish him all the luck in the world.”
White talked about not getting any warning about the Jackson’s surprise retirement but he still likes the former UFC light-heavyweight and that he won’t stop him.
“I just found out, too,” White said. “Rampage has been a friend of ours. We really like Rampage. I’m not going to get into the battle of who’s done what for who and all that stuff. We’ve done a lot for him and yes, he’s been there and fought. The guys who come in here, they’re fighters. That’s what they do. We give them fights and they fight. And they make money and we make money. That’s the way it works.” “He’s a grown man,” White said. “He can do whatever he wants to do.”

--> You guys really need to realize how much being in this movie means to Rampage.
The thing that brought him and his dad together was the A-Team and to get the opportunity to play B.A. Baracus in the motion picture for the A-Team is something that means a lot to him AND his dad.
So I give respect to Rampage for standing up for his beliefs and sticking with what means a lot more to him, He could fight Rashad as soon as filming was done, but Dana didnt want to wait that long, Dana could EASILY find fighters to fill spots until the fight could go on.
Im sure we dont really know both sides of the story, but Rampage isnt really a bad guy here. Dudes just being sentimental and everyones ripping him apart for it ????

Your Thoughts ??

UFC 103: Watch UFC 103 Live, Franklin vs Belfort , Watch UFC 103 Live video

2009-09-21T11:12:00.001-07:00

The Ultimate Fighting Championship presents UFC 103. Featuring former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort versus UFC superstar Rich "Ace" Franklin in the main event.

UFC 103 Vitor Belfort Drops and Finishes Rich Franklin Highlights

2009-09-20T05:22:00.000-07:00

It wasn’t a surprise when Vitor Belfort made a religious analogy to describe his return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday night.
Belfort (19-8), in his first match with the organization in four-and-a-half years, stopped Rich Franklin (27-5, 1 no contest), finishing the former middleweight champion in the first real flurry of the fight.
“The Bible tells the story that the story of the second house is greater than the first,” said the former UFC light heavyweight champion.
Belfort is a devout Christian, but it is his career that might more aptly be described as born again.
He stormed onto the scene and earned the nickname “The Phenom” in 1997 when he was a 19-year-old heavyweight, scoring flash knockouts against men much larger than himself, such as 300-plus pound Scott Ferrozzo and nearly 300-pound Tank Abbott, with the fastest hands ever seen up to that point in UFC competition.
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But he never reached the level of domination expected. While he had flashed of brilliance, he also had nights when he didn’t seem to come to fight, most notably a loss to Alistair Overeem in a Strikeforce main event three years ago.
But Saturday’s win was Belfort’s fifth straight, and fourth by stoppage from punches. It may signal the return of the “Old Vitor” fans have wanted for more than a decade, or it may simply be that the “New Vitor” is a fully matured fighter.
Little happened in the first 2:30 of the main event of UFC 103, with the packed house of 17,428 fans at the American Airlines Center starting to boo. Franklin reacted, wanting to pick up the pace to entertain the crowd, and Belfort responded by catching Franklin with a grazing punch. Franklin was a little stunned and Belfort then delivered a looping left hand that was the key blow, and after a few hard lefts on the ground, referee Yves Lavigne stopped the fight at 3:02.
The show, the UFC’s first in the market, drew a $2.4 million gate, the largest for any sporting event ever in the building.
The win impressed UFC president Dana White enough that he was already talking of Belfort as being in the mix for the next shot at middleweight champion (185 pounds) Anderson Silva, even though this fight was at a catch weight of 195 pounds and Belfort needed several attempts to make weight.
White, though, will have to sort out issues involving Silva and potential challengers Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt before deciding whom Belfort will next fight.
“Dan Henderson fought Anderson Silva and took him down in the first round and put his hand over Silva’s mouth, and then in the second round, Anderson finished him,” said White about their fight in March, 2008.
“Silva finished Nate Marquardt in the first round (in a July 2007 title match). I want to put Dan Henderson against Nate Marquardt with the winner getting the shot at Silva.”
White said he would be meeting with Henderson in the next week, whose contract has expired and is currently a free agent. Henderson has said that he was promised the shot at Silva, which Silva doesn’t want, noting he had beaten Henderson last year. Henderson had agreed to a rematch with Franklin which was the original main event on this show, but that fell apart when initial fan response was negative and White acquired Belfort’s contract after Affliction folded in July. Henderson has declined requests to face Marquardt, feeling he’d be risking a title shot he had already earned.
But White said in the interim, he may put Silva against Belfort, a match he had talked about back in June on Spike TV before Belfort was even in the organization, with the winner then facing the winner of Henderson vs. Marquardt. Or he may wait and put Belfort against the winner of Silva against the Henderson-Marquardt winner, depending on how things work out.
White said earlier in the week that Silva would be undergoing minor elbow surgery and be out of action for a few months. Silva himself had claimed this past week he was completely healthy, he had no injury and that nobody had hurt him.
Another UFC official said that Silva’s camp had wanted to keep the surgery quiet and not let people know there was an injury. However, since the word got out, and since Silva wasn’t going to fight in the next few months, they weren’t going to deny the story.
Belfort, known from the start for his quick, accurate hands and good grappling skills, credited something new in his training, even though it wasn’t obvious to the fans watching.
“My new weapon is karate,” said Belfort, noting it is teaching him to not waste energy and make every blow count. “I want to use it. As soon as I saw something and attacked, I wanted to take his zip code, area code and social security number.”
As for Franklin, the loss seems to put his career as a pay-per-view headliner in limbo. It’s his second loss in three fights, having lost to Henderson in January, and followed with a win over Wanderlei Silva in June. He’s been used this year largely as utility main event material, a name fighter who headlines shows when no champions are available.
White noted that Franklin was one of the fighters who helped build the company, being middleweight champion and the second season Ultimate Fighter coach when the sport hit television.
“He’ll always have a place with us,” he said.
Franklin said he wasn’t exactly sure what happened in the fight because he didn’t remember a lot.
“I just remember the kick I threw and he caught my leg,” he said. “I remembered the fans booing and thinking I needed to push the pace of the fight. I assume I got caught.”
Dave Meltzer covers mixed martial arts for Yahoo! Sports. Send Dave a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

UFC 103 Fight Card

Rich Franklin Vs. Vitor Belfort
Vitor Belfort Wins by Knock Out at 3:02 of round one

Mirko Cro Cop Vs. Junior Dos Santos
Junior Dos Santos Wins by Technical Knock Out at 2:00 in the 3rd round

Martin Kampmann Vs. Paul Daley
Paul Daley Wins by Technical Knock Out at 2:31 in the 1st round

Josh Koscheck Vs. Frank Trigg
Josh Koscheck Wins by Technical Knock Out at 1:25 in the 1st round

Tyson Griffin Vs. Hermes Franca
Tyson Griffin Wins by Knock Out at 3:26 in the 2nd round

Efrain Escudero Vs. Cole Miller
Efrain Escudero Wins by Technical Knock Out at 3:36 in the 1st round

Drew McFedries Vs. Tomasz Drwal
Tomasz Drwal Wins by Submission (Choke) at 1:03 in the 2nd round by rear naked

Jim Miller Vs. Steve Lopez
Jim Miller Wins by Technical Knock Out at 0:48 in the 2nd round. Steve Lopez had to stop due to a shoulder dislocation

Rafaello Oliveira Vs. Nik Lentz
Nik Lentz Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round

Rick Story Vs. Brian Foster
Rick Story Wins by Submission (Choke) at 1:09 in the 2nd round by arm triangle

Eliot Marshall Vs. Jason Brilz
Eliot Marshall Wins by Split Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round

Vladimir Matyushenko Vs. Igor Pokrajac
Vladimir Matyushenko Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round

Rob Emerson Vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Rafael Dos Anjos Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round

The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 Preview (Starring Kimbo Slice, Rampage Jackson, Rashad Evans & More)

2009-09-14T04:23:00.000-07:00

Coachs :

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
"Sugar" Rashad Evans

Participants :

* Zak Jensen (11-2)
* Marcus Jones (4-1
* Scott Junk (6-2)
* John Madsen (3-0)
* James McSweeney (12-4
* Matt Mitrione (0-0
* Roy Nelson (14-4)
* Demico Rogers (4-0)
* Brendan Schaub (4-0)
* Darill Schoonover (10-0)
* Wes Shivers (3-1)
* Wes Sims (22-12-1)
* Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (3-1)
* Abe Wagner (6-2)
* Mike Wessel (6-1)
* Justin Wren (10-1

Zak Jenson – standout wrestler at Augsburg College
Marcus Jones – former 1st round NFL draft pick who had a six-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Scott Junk – Division II All-American football player at Southwest Oklahoma State and fought in UFC 76.
James McSweeney – former international kickboxing and Muay Thai champion
John Madsen – defeated Brock Lesnar in a high school wrestling match
Matt Mitrione – played for New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings
Roy Nelson – former IFL Heavyweight Champion
Demico Rogers – high school football and wrestling star
Brendan Schaub – played for Buffalo Bills and Arena Football’s Utah Blaze
Darrill Schoonover – decorated Army veteran
Wes Shivers – former member of the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons
Wes Sims- fought two heated battles with former UFC champ Frank Mir at UFC 43 and UFC 46
Kimbo Slice – former EliteXC heavyweight contender and YouTube sensation
Abe Wagner – played linebacker at Michigan Tech and has a degree in mechanical engineering
Mike Wessel – UFC veteran and former strength and conditioning coach at University of Arkansas
Justin Wren – high school All-American wrestler

Ultimate Fighter 10 "TUF 10" cast member Jon Madsen's road to UFC already crossed Brock Lesnar

2009-09-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Jon Madsen's first meeting with Brock Lesnar displayed the elements that would later make him one of the most intriguing up-and-coming heavyweights in mixed-martial-arts.Even though they were only in high school.Madsen was a freshman at Dolan High School in South Dakota, which was separated by about 45 minutes from Lesnar's town. That made the heavyweight wrestlers competitors in a high school event, and Lesnar, two years older, beat Madsen.Then the fireworks came."It's a funny story; I'm sure Brock still remembers," Madsen said. "The dual was over, and I look over and see my brother and him exchanging words, and I see him push off my brother. I grabbed my headgear and I whipped it at his head, but the coaches grabbed us before anything else happened. The whole crowd went nuts."Madsen used the same intensity to became a national champion college wrestler before earning his chance on "The Ultimate Fighter 10," which debuts next week on Spike TV. Still relatively inexperienced in the MMA world at 3-0, Madsen brings the toughness of small-town upbringing (his graduating class included eight people) and the support of an association with Matt Hughes to the popular reality show.Always one of the smaller heavyweights during his wrestling career, Madsen developed his athleticism to battle the bigger, sometimes stronger competitors. The same goes for life in the "TUF" house, where his small-town, laid-back personality sometimes clashed with the more brash personalities."The feedback I've gotten from the crew who worked on the show before is that they had so much good stuff the thought about extending it for an episode or two," Madsen said. "There's definitely some drama and some crazy drunk moments."Small-town scrapperDespite the lack of bodies at Madsen's South Dakota high school, there was no lack of enthusiasm for sports. On the wrestling team, for instance, there were 20 participants.Madsen had been involved in wrestling since age 4, and his parents transported him and his brothers to tournaments throughout the state. In third grade he was already 92 pounds. By the sixth grade, he had his first experience with understanding his size and strength."It was a regional tournament, and there was a kid there who was supposed to be good," Madsen said. "I picked him up a couple times, and some of the high school guys who were officials ran over because they thought I was gonna body slam him."He quit wrestling right then, and I thought, 'I might be good at this.'"He got better. Even though he was relatively small at about 205 pounds by the eighth grade, Madsen was put into the heavyweight role by a coach who wanted bragging rights against a neighboring town."They were at a meeting and that guy was talking up his heavyweight," Madsen said. "So he said, 'Screw it, I'll move you up.' I ended up pinning the kid, even though he was a senior and I was in the eighth grade. So I stayed up there."I've always been in better shape than the bigger guys, in good condition, better with technique."Madsen eventually left his town of about 400 for the seemingly booming metropolis of Brookings, S.D., which mushroomed to 20,000 in population when South Dakota State was in session. By his sophomore year, Madsen was the NCAA Division II national champion, and he became a three-time All-American at the school.His small-town roots made him more personable than some, and to this day he waves to people while driving past. But that doesn't mean he didn't find his share of troubles before his MMA career arrived.An outlet for roughnessAfter college, Madsen was searching for an appropriate path."I was on a destructive path," Madsen said. "I was drinking and partying and doing things to occupy my time. I wasn't focusing on any goals, I ended up in some prison for some stupid (expletive)."I finally had enough. I always liked competing and being in shape, working hard, and I thought, 'Why am I doing this?' "A friend told Madsen about a gym nearby, so in February 2007 he entered the world of MMA. It turns out that gym belonged to another guy with a wrestling background, Matt Hughes, and Madsen took to the training.MMA was an appropriate outlet for Madsen's aggressiveness."What can I say," Madsen said, "I like hitting people."Just three months after starting his training, Madsen took his first fight, which was also his professional debut. Even though he didn't know some of the specific moves and techniques of martial arts, Madsen relied on his aggressiveness.It paid off. He earned his first victory by knockout in 1:30."I was using more instincts than technique," Madsen said. "I was just trying to knock the guy's head off."After two more wins, Madsen got his chance with the "TUF 10" tryout in Seattle. His association with Hughes didn't hurt, but organizers liked his mix of athleticism, personality and toughness. Then, once he got on the show, Madsen was in a house with other big-bodied men like him. But don't think that a mass gathering of heavyweights necessarily means there was more aggressiveness."(Big guys) are probably some of the most laid back guys," Madsen said. "They've always been the big guy, so they didn't have to prove they were tough; they were intimidating because of their size."We were all there for the same thing, to compete."Like Madsen has been doing since he was the biggest third-grader around.

Florian-Guida Scheduled for UFC 107

2009-09-09T17:34:00.001-07:00

Florian-Guida Scheduled for UFC 107

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Fastest Knock out in UFC history ( TKO ) By Tod Duffee !

2009-08-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

You know you're good when you question a seven second knockout. Todd Duffee walked across the Octagon and floored Tim Hague with a jab. Down went the big Canadian where he was greeted with eight more shots in five seconds. A left on the ground made Hague go limp, that's when referee Mario Yamasaki jumped in to give Duffee the knockout victory in UFC debut at 4:53 of the first round in the third fight of the night at UFC 102 in Portland.
When asked about the seven second win, Duffee said, "I think it was six seconds."
The knockout was a UFC record surpassing the previous mark of eight seconds set by James Irvin over Houston Alexander at Ultimate Fight Night 13 and Don Fyre over Thomas Ramirez at UFC 8.
Duffee (6-0, 1-0 UFC), who looks like Brock Lesnar Jr., at a muscular 6-foot-4, 251 pounds obviously possesses massive power. The 23-year-old fights out of American Top Team in South Florida and now has six victories all by knockout.
CHICAGO COP RUSSOW PUT THE SHACKLES ON MCCULLY
If you can't wrestle don't step in the cage with Mike Russow. A former collegiate wrestler at Eastern Illinois, Russow took Justin McCully down at will. "The Insane One" didn't even challenge to get back to his feet. The only times McCully got up was when referee Herb Dean forced the fight back up. Russow threatened with a kimura at the end of each round but couldn't finish things. He still rolled to a unanimous decision (30-27 on all three cards) victory.

Nate Marquardt - Punch Out - Demian Maia UFC 102

UFC 102 Highlights ! watch here for free video !

2009-08-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

Randy Couture signed a six-fight contract extension early Saturday afternoon, so he’s clearly not going anywhere despite his 46 years and his loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the main event of UFC 102 at the Rose Garden.
And Nogueira, who seemed much older than his 33 years in December when he was walloped by Frank Mir, made a statement of his own.
Nogueira was a little bit better than Couture in every aspect on Saturday, pounding out a unanimous decision in a rousing battle that was chosen as the show’s Fight of the Night. It was the second consecutive loss for Couture, but his age clearly wasn’t an issue. He was beaten on this night by a guy who was highly motivated to quiet his critics.
“I never worked in my life for a fight like I did for this one,” Nogueira said. “I have a lot of respect for Randy. He’s been around for 12 years and fighting everyone and that’s why I trained a lot, so I could make a good show.”
More From Kevin Iole
Nogueira outlasts Couture in UFC 102 thriller Aug 30, 2009
Silva draws another unorthodox foe Aug 28, 2009
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Nogueira looked like a beginner in his loss to Mir at UFC 92. He suffered from a staph infection and spent seven days in the hospital less than a month before the fight. On the day he got out, he tore the meniscus in his left knee.
The reason Nogueira is one of the most popular fighters in the history of mixed martial arts is that he’s the type of person who said nothing to anyone about his condition and came out and slugged with Mir as long as he was able to do so.
“He’s a very game, very durable guy,” Couture said of Nogueira. “He has a great jab and he followed it with some pretty good right hands. I’m not terribly surprised he fought the way he did.”
Nogueira knocked Couture down about two minutes into the fight and then spent about a half-minute with a choke, trying for the submission. It was a pattern that would repeat itself throughout the fight.
The former UFC and PRIDE titleholder would get Couture in a compromising position, Couture would make a heroic escape to bring the crowd to its feet and then they’d go toe-to-toe for a while before the cycle started over.
Nogueira had to fight the inclination to get frustrated when nothing he was doing would result in a finish.
“I’d just try something else, a different submission, something different,” Nogueira said. “I knew he was prepared to have a good fight. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to fight Randy. When I got his back, he escaped. When I got the triangle, he escaped. He threw some very tough elbows. I knew it was a tough fight and I was prepared for that.”
Couture is going to have a lot of them ahead of him. UFC president Dana White pretty much gave him carte blanche to fight where he wanted – at light heavyweight or heavyweight.
Couture has had three stints as heavyweight champion and two as the light heavyweight champion. Despite the defeat, he proved he can still compete at a high level at heavyweight, but he has some physical advantages at 205 pounds that might make sense for him to drop to that weight class.
“He can do whatever he wants to do,” White said.
Couture’s contract, which is for six fights or 28 months, will take him within six months of his 49th birthday, if he fulfills it.
He may not be the fighter he was at his peak, but he’s still not far off of it.
“I didn’t have any illusions I won the fight, but I knew it was a damn good fight,” Couture said. “Going out and doing what you trained to do is what it’s all about. Of course you’d like to win, but if you do what you trained to do, you can’t ask for more than that.
“As far as staying at heavyweight or going to light heavyweight, I’m interested in interesting fights,” he said. “There are a lot of guys in both divisions who would be interesting fights for me. We’ll see what the Grand Poobah over here wants to do.”
If White had his preference, Couture would drop to 205 pounds, where potential fights against the likes of middleweight champion Anderson Silva and light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida could be made.
Nobody was ready to commit to anything just minutes after a fast-paced, back-and-forth battle. Couture’s performance on Saturday keeps another ace in White’s deck and sets the stage for a few more big fights.
A fight against Silva would do big business at the box office and on pay-per-view, but White casually dropped Lesnar’s name as well.
“There are a lot of logical opponents for him,” White said. “There’s a lot of young blood in our heavyweight division and there could be some fun fights for Randy there if that’s what he wants to do. The point is, he looked great. Even in losing, he looked good.”
Nogueira looked great in winning and Couture look good in losing.
For a promoter, it doesn’t get any better.
And it doesn’t get much better for a fight fan, either. Two of the game’s greats are going to be around a while longer. There’s nothing to complain about there.

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Watch live video from UFC 102 Replay in HD~ on Justin.tv

or watch here

Watch live video from MMA138 Replays on Justin.tv

UFC 102 Weigh In results

2009-08-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

Antonio Nogueira vs. Dorian Grey: A solid Nogueira steps to the scale. He was 246 pounds for the Mir fight; 231 pounds here. Randy Couture, 220 for Brock Lesnar, is the same weight but looks better. He steps down and immediately sips the blood of a baby to replenish.
7:19 p.m. ET: Thiago Silva is 205, Keith Jardine the same. Silva puts on his sunglasses for the staredown.
7:17 p.m. ET: Demian Maia on stage: Royce Gracie 2009. 185 even. Nate Marquardt a seriously muscled 185.
7:16 p.m. ET: Krzysztof Soszynski coming in. Mr. Mxyzptlk weighs in at 205 even. Brandon Vera in the Speedos. 205.
7:14 p.m. ET: Jake Rosholt to the scale. 185 pounds. What distracting hairstyle will Chris Leben adopt tonight? Oh. He's looking normal. 185.
7:12 p.m. ET: Aaron Simpson enters. "Let's go, Herman!" someone yells. The life of a prelim fighter. 185 even. Ed Herman follows. 185.5.
7:11 p.m. ET: Anime-haired Chris Tuchscherer steps on: 258 pounds. Gabriel Gonzaga gets a good reaction. He's got his mouthpiece in. The man is ready for anything. 259 pounds.
7:08 p.m. ET:Police officer Mike Russow gets on the scale with a t-shirt on. That's always a little weird. Maybe he didn't manscape. 260 even. Justin McCully waves to a receptive (i.e. non-booing) crowd. A little imaginary lat syndrome happening. 238.
7:06 p.m. ET: Todd Duffee strolls up the stairs. Barrel-chested fellow. 251 pounds. Tim Hague: 263.5 with gum.
7:04 p.m. ET: Mark Munoz enters. The "Filipino Wrecking Machine" is sort of -- strange, no? Do we call Jardine the "Caucasian Dean of Mean"? Munoz is 185.5. Nick Catone sucking it in a little bit. 185.5.
7:02 p.m. ET: Evan Dunham doffs the shoes, socks, shirts, etc. He's 155 on the nose. Mini Clive Owen, Marcus Aurelio, approaches the stage. They're working the scale hard. 156.

UFC 104 Machida Vs Shogun in L.A.

2009-08-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

UFC 106 Brock Lesnar & Tito ??

2009-08-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

UFC 106: Lesnar & Tito, Big PPV Potential
August 21, 2009
Yesterday, it was leaked, and then confirmed by various sources, that Shane Carwin is indeed Brock Lesnar’s next opponent. The bout will headline UFC 106 on November 21st from Las Vegas, Nevada; the same night that Tito Ortiz is reportedly set to take on Mark Coleman.
Carwin was supposed to face Cain Velasquez at UFC 104 in Los Angeles, but it appears as though the UFC is looking to avoid having either man eliminated from the heavyweight title picture. Velasquez, however, will still fight on the UFC 104 card against former IFL Heavyweight Champ Ben Rothwell.
Payout Perspective:
This has the potential to be a very serious PPV card. Lesnar or Ortiz headlining on their own have the potential to do huge numbers, let alone if both are on the same card. It may seem as though some are now trumpeting every UFC card to do 1 million+ buys, but here is why I think this card has a legitimate chance to actually make that mark:
Brock Lesnar is the sport’s biggest draw: he’s been in a headlining position (main or co-main event) four times; none have ever done less than 600,000, and each has been successfully stronger than the last (UFC 81: 600k, UFC 87: 625k, UFC 91: 900k, UFC 100: 1700k).
Heavyweight championships sell: no division in combat sports is a potent of a draw as the big men are.
Lesnar’s UFC 100 Performances: he mauled Frank Mir, flipped off the fans, insulted Bud Light, and gave us a little TMI - people everywhere - hardcore, casual, curious, or otherwise - are more interested now than ever before.
Ortiz is an MMA legend, one of the greatest draws of all time: he’s headlined two record breaking events on PPV and another on Spike (UFC 61: 775k, UFC 66: 1050k, Ortiz Shamrock III: HH 3.1 peaking at 4.3 ).
UFC’s super-marketing machine: The UFC has a great deal of incentive to pump up the vaunted UFC hype machine for this event in order to set the tone and build momentum for a very busy year’s end (TUF 10 Finale, UFC 107: Rampage vs. Rashad, and UFC 108 which is an event that could likely feature the return of GSP on January 2nd).

UFC legend and hall-of-famer Chuck Liddell to go "Dancing with the Stars" in September

2009-08-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

We suppose, if nothing else, it'll bring some street cred to ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."UFC superstar and hall-of-famer Chuck Liddell will join 15 other celebrities on the upcoming ninth season of the reality-show competition, which pairs each celebrity with a professional dancer.Liddell, perhaps not surprisingly, is the first mixed-martial-arts fighter to appear on the highly rated dance program, which debuted in the U.S. in 2005."I want to win," the 39-year-old Liddell told UFC.com. "I don't like losing in anything, so I'll work as hard as they'll let me."Three other athletes will join Liddell this season: former NFL player Michael Irvin, Olympic gold-medalist swimmer Natalie Coughlin and professional snowboarder Louie Vito. The rest of the cast includes singer Aaron Carter, "Iron Chef America" host Mark Dacascos, politician Tom DeLay, singer Macy Gray, actor Ashley Hamilton, actress Melissa Joan Hart, model Kathy Ireland, model Joanna Krupa, actress Debi Mazar, singer Mya, reality star Kelly Osbourne and entertainer Donny Osmond. Liddell last fought in April, when he suffered a knockout loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 97 in Montreal. It was Liddell's fourth loss in five fights, and his third via knockout during that span. After the fight, UFC president Dana White said the fighter would enter retirement. But Liddell and his trainer, John Hackleman, have repeatedly stated they haven't shut the door on the fighter's career, and earlier this month at UFC 101 Q&A session with fans, White said he didn't want Liddell fighting again but that he wouldn't stop him if he wants to make a return to the octagon.Liddell, though, recently said he wouldn't return any sooner than next year, which opened the door for the "Dancing with the Stars" stint.And before the harassment begins, keep in mind that many notable athletes have appeared on the show, including NFL legends Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice; NBA Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler; Olympians Apolo Anton Ohno, Shawn Johnson, and Maurice Greene; and former boxing champions Evander Holyfield and Laila Ali.Liddell said the show producers had contacted him previously about appearing on the show."They asked a couple different times, but it would be too much time to take off from training for fights," Liddell stated. "Now I don’t have any fights coming up and I'm not training, so it's something to do."Liddell also hopes to change the public perception of MMA fighters."I'm going to go out, be myself and show what kind of people we do have in this sport," he stated. "I'm sure the reaction will be mixed (among fight fans). My friends are going to be excited, and I'll never hear the end of it because they'll make fun of me, but it should be fun and I think everyone will like it."The new season of "Dancing with the Stars" premieres Monday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

watch strikeforces title fight Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs Gina Carano . & highlights from the biggest womens MMA Night ever !

2009-08-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

When Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos was introduced to American fans on CBS one year ago, with the idea of creating an ultimate opponent for Gina Carano, the Brazilian was given the moniker “The Baddest Woman South of the Equator.”
After Santos finished Carano to become the first Strikeforce women’s lightweight champion (145 pounds) in the biggest women’s MMA fight ever in North America, her “Baddest Woman” title no longer needs any geographic boundaries. From D Meltzer
In the aftermath of Santos’ first-round victory, one question asked for months seems to have been answered with an exclamation point.
Strikeforce’s card at the HP Pavilion, headlined by Carano-Santos, drew 13,524 fans, one of the largest non-UFC crowds in the history of the sport. There was little doubt the crowd came to see Carano, who came across as a star at the level of a fighter like Georges St. Pierre or Chuck Liddell. The notion that people weren’t interested in seeing women fight was clearly put to rest.
But the result raises another question: Where will the women’s sport wind up when its top fighter is a non-English speaking Brazilian who looks like she’s right off the pages of Flex Magazine instead of an American like Carano, who finished No. 16 in Maxim’s list of hottest women on the planet?
Santos won’t be able to draw Carano’s level of attention on her own, but she has star power of her own to make another gigantic match with the right opponent. The question is, who will be that opponent?
In this one, Santos’ relentless approach paid dividends. Her fast pace seemed to tire Carano, particularly as the first round passed the three-minute mark. Both women had been fighting three-minute rounds before this fight, but this one was scheduled for five rounds of five minutes.
The match went back-and-forth early, with Carano even getting on top a few times and achieving mount position. At that point Carano stood up, and it looked like it may have been a tactical error because Santos had the edge in firepower when standing.
Santos took over late in the round and with the clock ticking down, she was pounding on Carano. In a somewhat controversial decision, referee Josh Rosenthal stopped the match with less than a tick left in the round, and until Santos celebrated by jumping on the top of the cage, much of the crowd thought it was the end of the round as opposed to the end of the fight.
The stoppage would not have been controversial if there were 20 seconds left in the fight. Clearly, a stoppage based on the pounding Carano had taken, under most circumstances, wouldn’t have even been an issue. The only issue is that there was one second left in the round, and at that point perhaps Carano should have at least been given the opportunity to use her one-minute rest period before the start of the second round.
Either way, Carano’s star should not dim because of the loss. History has shown that MMA fans recognize everyone can and does lose. Every major drawing card in the sport has lost at one time or another.
Still, it was an historic night for women’s MMA, with an atmosphere equivalent to the biggest men’s fights in history. Santos (8-1) was clearly the villain to the crowd in the MMA version of a Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova-type rivalry. Through an interpreter, she admitted sheltering herself in training. She didn’t feel pressure and wasn’t concerned about the hype of the match, while Carano was in the eye of the promotional hurricane as the star of the event.
“I never felt I was in danger,” said Santos, particularly when Carano had her in full mount. “I took a lot of jiu-jitsu and was comfortable on the ground. I went for a heel hook and leg lock.”
Carano (7-1) was unavailable for comment after the match. At times she tried to work a clinch game, similar to her trainer, Randy Couture, but she wasn’t able to make it work.
“The clinch game, you can’t learn it in one or two months,” said Santos.
So where does it go from here? Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker noted that his next major woman’s promotion would likely be Japanese-style tournaments, with one at 135 pounds and another at 145 pounds, perhaps as early as the end of this year. Coker spent years as the American promoter for K-1, the leading kickboxing group in Japan, which uses a tournament format for its major shows.
“We’ll start with eight fighters,” said Coker. “The winners would go to a second show, where we’ll have the semifinals and finals. The winner of the tournament would become the top contender for Cyborg.” Coker, when asked if Carano would be put in such a tournament, said he’d have to discuss it with her people.
The Strikeforce promoter is usually calm and cool under the worst of circumstances, and the weeks leading up to the show featured plenty of them, as several matches had to be rearranged for various reasons. But he thought he had a nightmare scenario on his hands the night before the show.
At about 9:30 p.m. on Friday night, on a show where every major match but the main event fell apart, Coker got a phone call from the Santos camp. They were apologetic, saying that they had no idea beforehand, but that when the commission was testing Santos, they found out that she was pregnant and the fight was off.

Your Thoughts ?

Watch live video Strikeforce Weigh-In Results: Gina Carano vs. Cris Cyborg

2009-08-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

Isaiah Hill (156 lbs.) vs. Alex Trevino (156 lbs.)James Terry (169 lbs.) vs. Zac Bucia (170 lbs.)David Douglas (156 lbs.) vs. Justin Wilcox (154 lbs.)Scott Lighty (202 lbs.) vs. Mike Cook (205 lbs.)Mike Kyle (219 lbs.) vs. Fabricio Werdum (228 lbs.)Jay Hieron (169 lbs.) vs. Jesse Taylor (172 lbs.)Gilbert Melendez (155 lbs.) vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida (155 lbs.)Renato "Babalu" Sobral (201 lbs.) vs. Gegard Mousasi (204 lbs.)Gina Carano (143 lbs.) vs. Cris "Cyborg" (144.5 lbs.)

There are bigger matches this year than Saturday night’s Gina Carano vs. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos bout that headlines Strikeforce’s card at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
But in some ways, none may be more important for shaping the future of the sport. As big as Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir was last month, or B.J. Penn vs. Georges St. Pierre was in January, neither were matches that were going to change the face of the sport of mixed martial arts. The sport, or at least the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand name, had already made it. This year’s megafights grew the sport, but the sport and brand would have been plenty healthy even had they never happened.

As much as the undefeated Carano downplays her role, the popularity of the women’s version of the sport was built on her back, and every big step along the way bears her footprints.
In 2007, when Showtime started airing MMA, a proposed women’s match was suggested for the debut show and was not well received by the company. Gary Shaw, who promoted Elite XC at the time, pushed hard for the fight, believing that Carano had that special “it” factor that separates the people who can simply fight well, from those who people want to see fight.
Showtime gave tentative approval, giving the women one chance to sink or swim. After Carano and Julie Kedzie tore down the house with an emotional performance on February 10, 2007, opposition faded.
When CBS got into the game last year, Carano was the second-most heavily promoted fighter they used, behind only Kimbo Slice. Her appeal is unquestioned. In her last fight, when she defeated Kelly Kobold by decision on CBS on Oct. 4, from the start of her match until the finish, the audience grew by 1,643,000 viewers. It was the biggest audience gain for any MMA fight in the U.S.
Saturday’s fight establishes a few firsts. It will be the first time a women’s match is the main event of a major televised MMA event. And they are not just main eventers, but they are carrying the show from a promotional standpoint.
If the card is successful, it will be impossible to deny the headliners the credit. If the show isn’t successful, it will establish a stigma for women’s MMA. Fans will watch Carano in droves as part of the card, but if the numbers are disappointing, the stigma will be that women fighters, are not strong headliners.
Thus far, signs are good. Promoter Scott Coker predicted between 10,000-12,000 fans live, which would be the company’s largest crowd on a show not headlined by Frank Shamrock.
The event also creates the first women’s champion in a stable national promotion, with the creation of a 145-pound title.
But the real question is whether this match represents the novelty of a pretty girl who was marketed well, or is it the foundation for women in MMA to break through in a way women in boxing, wrestling and kickboxing have never to truly able to achieve?
“I don’t have to be there for the sport to be successful,” said Carano. “I’m doing the best with this opportunity to represent the sport. I’m doing everything I can do. But the sport is awesome. It’ll make it by itself. They don’t need me for it to be successful. I’m being given the chance right now for a period of time, and there’ll be another person with the chance next.”
Women’s boxing seemed in a similar situation in the 90s, with Christy Martin in the Carano role. Martin got all the way to the cover of Sports Illustrated, but as Martin’s career faded, so did the popularity of women’s boxing.
It still exists, as women’s MMA will a decade from now, but right now women’s boxing is not a major part of the sport, there is no superstar, nor match that could headline a major event.
Whether Carano, 27, is the next Christy Martin or the female Royce Gracie as someone who builds the foundation of a lasting sport, her looks can’t carry her if she’s not a top level fighter. A win would answer any critics of her fighting ability, because Santos (7-1) is no joke. She’s a 9-to-5 favorite on the Vegas books, and has been the most impressive woman fighter on the big stage since her debut a year ago.
Santos is ultra-aggressive, and has overwhelmed opponents similar to a prime Wanderlei Silva, with a relentless style. It’s a style that has allowed her to almost instantly win over audiences that had never heard of her going in.
It makes for a great dynamic. Santos, 24, appears to have stepped off the pages of a women’s bodybuilding magazine. Carano could pass for a Maxim model, and in fact, just recently had a spread in that magazine.
In every arena where both have appeared, there has been an obvious crowd reaction of anticipation that only the biggest fights of any era have.
Both fighters have had issues making weight. In Santos’ last fight on April 11, she weighed in at 152 pounds, seven pounds over the limit. The fight before, she weighed 148, which was what the fight was contracted for.
Carano has missed weight twice in her seven fights, and on two other occasions, was borderline. But her weight issues were all at 140 pounds, and she has always come in under 145. A lot of women fighters, and their camps, have been upset at both women, with the idea they aren’t respecting the sport by not making weight, and the feeling neither has been truly punished for it because of their star power.
On Thursday, the California State Athletic Commission sent a memo out to all fighters, but obviously meant for Carano and Santos. They said there is only one opportunity to weigh in. No allowances will be made, so both fighters must make 145 pounds, or there will be no championship match. They will not permit cutting of weight after missing weight a first time.
There is another first for both women, and that is the time limit. Both are used to fighting three rounds of three minutes. This fight is scheduled for five rounds of five minutes. That’s what makes predicting the fight more difficult. It’s the equivalent of putting two of the best 400-meter runners on the track, and then betting on who is going to win at 800 meters.
“Five rounds is going to be difficult,” said Carano. “It’s 16 more minutes than I’m used to. But, I feel like it gives you a different mentality. At the beginning, I was like, `What did we ask for?’ But now, I’m happy with it and I think that (it) could help me out in the long run.”
Carano has a strong Muay Thai base, and the fight looks to be someone who tries to overwhelm someone with an all-out style against someone better technically. But can Carano stand up to the ferocity, or will Santos come in with less in trying to pace herself? If Carano isn’t overwhelmed, and Santos doesn’t change her style because of the extended time, the longer match could favor Carano.
In other matches of note, Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1), riding a 12-fight winning streak, arguably the most impressive non-UFC fighter of the past two years, makes his U.S. debut when he challenges Renato “Babalu” Sobral (35-8) for the Strikeforce light heavyweight title. Mousasi, born in Iran but living in Holland, figures to have a strong edge standing. Sobral is the better wrestler and needs to turn the fight into a grappling match to have his best chance. Mousasi, a major star in Japan, was the Dream middleweight champion, who vacated the title to move to light heavyweight, has never faced a wrestler of the caliber of Sobral, so this is a real test.
The interim lightweight title will be at stake as Gilbert Melendez (15-2) looks for revenge against Mitsuhiro Ishida (18-5-1). Melendez was unbeaten and one of the highest ranked lightweights in the world when Ishida outwrestled him on December 31, 2007, en route to a unanimous decision.
Ishida is a late replacement for lightweight champ Josh Thomson, who wasn’t cleared to fight due to his broken ankle suffered four months ago not being fully healed. Ishida’s style is based on fast-paced grappling and controlling his opponent, often winning decisions. Melendez is primarily a wrestler, known for his takedown defense and conditioning.
The other televised fight is a heavyweight encounter pitting Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) against Mike Kyle (12-6-1). Werdum was scheduled to face Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, who had suffered a hand injury fighting bouncers in a bar, which got infected and hadn’t fully healed. Werdum, with a win, would be in line for a bout with either Overeem or Fedor Emelianenko.

WEC : 42 Miguel Torres Vs Bowles delivers WEC Upset ?

2009-08-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

In mixed martial arts, every second of every fight is like overtime in a hockey playoff game. Every fight can end at any moment. Miguel Torres found that out Sunday when he met Brian Bowles at the Hard Rock Hotel for the World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight championship. Torres was raining blows upon Bowles and backing his unbeaten challenger to the cage when, almost out of nowhere, Bowles let loose a right hook. In an instant, Torres was in a heap on the canvas and referee Josh Rosenthal was yanking Bowles off of him, completing the WEC’s second major upset in a year. Last year, Mike Brown accomplished a similar feat when he blew out the highly touted and heavily favored Urijah Faber in a featherweight title bout. Bowles won his belt by technical knockout at 3:57 of the first round, ending Torres’ 17-fight winning streak and definitively putting an end to any discussion that Torres should be considered the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter. “I was on top a long time and it’s hard to keep pushing,” said Torres, who fell to 36-2. Bowles, now 8-0, is a wrestler who had torn through the best the WEC had to offer but was still a considerable underdog to Torres, who entered the fight at No. 4 in the Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound rankings. From the moment the fight first became a possibility, Bowles exuded confidence. Torres had one of the most complete skill sets in MMA and his gym feats were legendary. There were reports that he was knocking down middleweights and was sparring evenly with heavyweights in his training camp, but Bowles never let it get to him. Even as he prepared to make the often long and lonely walk to the cage, Bowles was placid and confident. “I kind of confused myself back there, because even when it was time to go out to fight, I wasn’t nervous,” Bowles said. “I thought I had to psyche myself up.” But Bowles thought of elite fighters like ex-UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, who never let his emotions get to him, and he maintained his cool demeanor. It paid off big-time when he was in the middle of a firefight with Torres bearing down for the kill. Torres is, by trade, a jiu-jitsu expert, but he also has great hands with knockout power in each. He landed several flush shots to Bowles’ chin, backing the one-time police officer toward the cage. It was the kind of scene seen many times in a Torres fight, the moment before he ended the bout. But instead of crumbling, Bowles set his feet and ripped off a right hand that probably ended the fight by itself. Torres dropped instantly to the mat and the fight had turned 180 degrees. Bowles pounced and landed 10 or 11 flush shots to the head before Rosenthal halted the carnage. The turnaround was stunning in its swiftness. “This is why we fight the fights,” WEC general manager Reed Harris said. “ … The level of competition is so high that anything can happen on any show.” Torres had to carry the promotion and was a familiar presence on the interview circuit, pitching the WEC in particular and MMA in general. He’s one of the most insightful, well-spoken fighters in the game, and he is frequently sought after by the media. But Torres suggested on Sunday that the demands on his time somehow contributed to his defeat. He said life will change for Bowles now that he holds the belt. “No excuses,” Torres said. “Brian is going to be a good champion, but he’ll see that the responsibilities that go along with being the champion are not easy.” Bowles, who had an ice pack on his left hand which he believed may have been broken, is willing to find out what it’s like. He’s legendary at his gym for his work ethic and has frequently been compared to ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin for his meticulous preparation. There may be more gifted fighters, but few are going to outwork Bowles. Bowles is hardly the most charismatic champion in the world, but the power in those fists will speak volumes. “He throws a lot of heat,” Torres said in admiration. “He has a lot of power in those hands.” Bowles listened to Torres speak with a placid look on his face and his head bowed. He wasn’t flamboyant or outspoken as a challenger, and now, after the biggest win of his career, he wasn’t about to change. He was asked how he planned to celebrate, but shrugged. He was going for X-rays and then said he’d hang out with his teammates. “I’m just going to enjoy this,” Bowles said, “and then get back to work.” The WEC has yet another blue-collar, power-punching champion in its stable. This one scored a dramatic and significant win just as when it looked like he was in trouble. Harris couldn’t have been thrilled to see his top draw get knocked out in the first round, but he paid tribute to a sport in which anything is possible at any time. “Things like this happen,” Harris said of the major upset. “It’s why MMA is so exciting. It’s why people watch. Anything can happen. A guy can lose every round and pull a submission out of nowhere. This kind of thing is what makes it such an exciting sport.” please comeback to view !

video from UFC 101 pay per view - BJ Penn Defeats Kenny Florian in the 4th round with a submission UFC 101

2009-08-09T12:02:00.001-07:00

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