MMA NEWs

Vitor Belfort Fight Videos (pre-Vitor vs Bisping fight)

2013-01-16T22:50:00.002-08:00

Vitor Belfort
Nickname: The Phenom
Fights out of: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Age: 35
Height: 182 cm (6'0")
Weight: 185lbs (84kg)
Fight Record: 21-10-0 (W-L-D)

Vitor Belfort vs Terry Martin

Vitor Belfort vs Tank Abbott

Randy Couture vs Vitor Belfort

Matt Lindland Vs Vitor Belfort

Do you think he will win against Michael Bisping?

Let's see what he's got to say.

" I will rule the cage"

Michael Bisping Fight Videos (pre-vitor vs bisping fight)

2013-01-16T22:38:00.001-08:00

Dan Henderson vs Michael Bisping UFC 151

Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping UFC 148

Chris Leben Vs Michael Bisping

Jorge Rivera Vs Bisping Highlights

UFC FAN CLUB Q&A

interview

Belfort vs Bisping

2013-01-16T22:19:00.000-08:00

Bisping vs Belfort

Who is going to win?

Michael Bisping?

Vitor Belfort?

Munoz vs Weidman

2012-07-11T03:48:00.000-07:00

The UFC returns to FUEL TV on Wednesday night with another fun fight card headlined by Mark Munoz versus Chris Weidman in a bout that will have far-reaching implications in the middleweight division.

Munoz is a middleweight mainstay whose name has been tossed around among the list of title contenders for nearly two years. His last wins came against marquee opponents in Demian Maia and Chris Leben, with the latter coming by TKO. Munoz will enter the Octagon on Wednesday night hoping to establish that he is, indeed, the number one contender to Anderson Silva’s middleweight crown. An impressive victory could be just what the doctor ordered to secure his first UFC title fight.

Weidman, on the other hand, is still a relative newcomer to the UFC, with less than half of the Octagon appearances as his foe. He isn’t on anyone’s short list of title contenders, but he is on everyone’s list of top middleweight prospects. Weidman’s most recent win, a unanimous decision over Maia, proved that this guy is more than just hype. A win over Munoz likely won’t be enough to secure a title shot, but it will definitely establish him as middleweight mainstay standing on the verge of title contention.

In other words, both men have a lot on the line on Wednesday night. What is going to happen once the action gets underway? My guess is a standup war.

Both Munoz and Weidman have deep amateur wrestling roots. Munoz was a two-time All-American and 2001 National Champion at Oklahoma State. Weidman was a two-time All-American at Hofstra and placed third in the national tournament during his senior year. When two highly accomplished wrestlers face off inside the Octagon, it is typical for their wrestling to cancel out, which means slugging it out for the duration of the fight.

I’m quite sure that neither man is has much trepidation over a standup-focused affair. Munoz has shown a tremendous propensity for banging it out with opponents. He carries show-stopping power in his right hand, though he wings both left and right hands with seriously bad intentions.

Munoz typically uses his standup as a means to a takedown so that he can unload his equally brutal ground-and-pound. But as he learned in his bout with Yushin Okami, takedowns against a strong wrestler aren’t guaranteed, even for a guy with Munoz’s wrestling chops. Thus, he has spent countless hours since that fight focusing on his standup so that he has other avenues to victory, aside from putting an opponent on his back.

Munoz showed his growth as a fighter when he fought Aaron Simpson and CB Dollaway, who are two of the better wrestlers in the division. Munoz displayed a varied game plan, without an exclusive focus on takedowns. He won both bouts. It is likely that he will approach Weidman the same way.

Weidman has shown a ton of confidence and comfort in his standup game. That makes a lot of sense, since he is trained by one of the best standup coaches in the game in Ray Longo. Weidman’s standup, though, is very different from Munoz’s.

The New Yorker isn’t a slugger, like Munoz. He is much more of a tactician, fighting behind the jab and changing angles to both open throwing lanes and present a difficult target for return fire.

That is a great way to approach a guy like Munoz, who will regularly find himself off balance because he throws nearly every strike with such commitment and power. Weidman should try to take advantage of that by keeping his long jab in Munoz’s face for most of the fight. His five-inch reach advantage will be a significant factor in the fight, if Weidman remains committed to the jab.

The hot-shot prospect should be careful not to circle out too often to his left after he jabs. Munoz’s best weapon, as mentioned, is his right hand. Weidman should circle away from that weapon as often as possible.

If he starts to land the jab with regularity, Munoz will likely get impatient and throw with more and more aggressiveness, which will open the door for a takedown. Munoz, like most wrestlers who haven’t adopted an addict-like commitment to mastering the guard, doesn’t like fighting from his back. I don’t think it is shocking to state that his guard is probably his weakest offensive position. If Weidman can put him there, he will score points without much risk in getting submitted during his ground attack.

Munoz will need to counter Weidman’s length and movement advantages by using controlled bombs to close the distance. He needs to get into Weidman’s chest and make this a slugfest, not a technical kickboxing bout, if he is going to win his fifth consecutive fight.

He can make it a slugfest by cutting off the cage with diagonal forward movement, rather than chasing his foe. Once Weidman is anywhere near the cage, Munoz should explode in for a double-leg. He probably won’t be successful scoring a takedown in that scenario, particularly since the cage is a fighter’s friend when defending doubles. But it will allow Munoz to move from the double to the clinch, which is a big key for him winning the fight.

On the inside, Munoz is probably the physically stronger man. I don’t know that for certain, but it seems likely after watching the two compete in separate bouts. Plus, Munoz has great technique in the clinch, particularly when it comes to firing elbows, dirty boxing and transitioning to throws or a high crotch takedown.

Just like with Munoz, Weidman’s weakest offensive position is undoubtedly his guard. I know he is a purple belt in jiu-jitsu under Matt Serra, who certainly doesn’t progress students through the ranks haphazardly. But I guarantee that Weidman is more comfortable facing a guy with Munoz’s vicious ground and pound from the top position or on the feet. I’m not suggesting that Weidman doesn’t have the submission skills to pull off a stunning victory from his back. I’m arguing that should be a backup plan, if he doesn’t find success on the feet or otherwise can’t work to his feet following a takedown.

At the end of the day, I think this fight is much more evenly matched than most are suggesting. Munoz is the rightful favorite, but only by a slim margin. It would not surprise me in the least to see Weidman pull off an upset victory. In fact, I might even be leaning that way in my own mind.

Whatever happens, the winner of this bout will be well positioned to make a move in the division in the fall. For Munoz, that may mean a title shot. For Weidman, it likely means another marquee opponent on a significant fight card.

Source:http://au.ufc.com/news/The-Blueprint-Munoz-vs-Weidman

Schwangerschafts Ernaehrung

2012-04-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

Im Ratgeber erfahren Schwangere alles, was sie ueber die richtige Ernaehrung in der Schwangerschaft wissen muessen, damit sie ein wirklich gesundes Baby zur Welt bringen kann. Der einzige Ratgeber in D dieser Art! Promo: www.clevere-tipps.com/affiliates

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Street Combat Training - The Street Fight Academy

2012-04-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

Highly effective street combat & self defense system! Learn how to fight and defend yourself in a real life street fight! Beautiful professionally written sales page - huge 75% commissions - extremely high quality product!

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HomeCrafts Work-At-Home Catalog 2010

2012-04-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

Work-At-Home Catalog 2010. Make Art & Crafts In The Comfort Of Your Own Home and earn $$$. Its Fun, Its Easy and Its Very Profitable, Us$5,000 A Month.

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Self Defense Krav Maga On-Line

2012-04-02T03:11:00.000-07:00

Krav Maga, the best self defense method is finally online! Israeli army face-to-face fighting method against terrorists. Great converting sales page! Lots of materials in the affiliates page: email texts, product review, blog post, pictures and much more!

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Technique of the Week: How Werdum Submitted Fedor

2012-04-02T01:06:00.000-07:00

Technique of the Week: How Werdum Submitted Fedor News | Blog | Articles | Interviews | Rankings | Press | Fights | Techniques | MMA TrainingFight Finder
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More Strikeforce "Overeem vs. Werdum" News
RELATED NEWS: Report: Fractured Foot Forces Nunes off June 18 Strikeforce
Wednesday, June 01, 2011 9 Fights Set for Strikeforce ‘Overeem vs. Werdum’
Thursday, May 26, 2011 Technique of the Week: Sneak-Attack Kimura
Monday, May 23, 2011 Nunes-Kedzie Announced for June 18 Strikeforce
Friday, May 20, 2011 Noons-Masvidal Official for June Strikeforce in Dallas
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 ‘Bigfoot’ Wants Barnett in Strikeforce GP, Has Harsh Words for Lesnar
Monday, May 16, 2011RECENT FABRICIO WERDUM NEWS: Technique of the Week: Passing the Guard
Monday, May 16, 2011 Strikeforce Grand Prix Bumped to June, April Features 2 Title Bouts
Wednesday, March 02, 2011 Werdum’s Confidence at an All-Time High
Thursday, February 10, 2011 Sherdog’s Submission of the Year
Thursday, January 06, 2011 Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament Officially Set with 4 Bouts
Tuesday, January 04, 2011 Now Healthy, Werdum Eyes Fight in Japan or Abu Dhabi
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Easy Pumpkin Painting

2012-04-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

A must for Halloween, this Step-By-Step Guide offers instruction and photos for painting cute, whimsical faces on pumpkins.

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Terry McElhinneys Stop Stammering Workbook

2012-04-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

Earn 50% commision on a very uniuqe and powerful workbook

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Purebred Dog Registrations

2012-04-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

Register a Purebred or Hybrid (Popular Mix, Example: CockerPoo, MaltiPoo, ChiPoo, etc) Dog or Puppy online instantly. Most Breeds accepted. Breeder friendly.

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Guida-Maynard, Franklin-Le Kick Off Summer of UFC

2012-04-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Member Money Magnet

2012-04-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

Earn up to $100 per sale promoting this comprehensive membership site course. Includes eBook guides, videos and custom software for running your site.

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Aztec Gardens Mexican Cookbook

2012-04-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

Mexican Recipe Ebook

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Ten Best - Top European Fights in UFC History

2012-04-01T04:02:00.000-07:00

On April 14th, the UFC’s Octagon will travel overseas to Europe for the 15th time in its nearly 19 year history, setting down for an inaugural event in Stockholm, Sweden that is headlined by the light heavyweight battle between hometown hero Alexander Gustafsson and Brazil’s Thiago Silva.

Gustafsson-Silva promises to be an explosive matchup, and if it does live up to expectations, it may just earn a spot on this list of the ten best fights to appear on the UFC’s European cards.

10 – Rich Franklin W3 Wanderlei Silva – UFC 99 (2009, Cologne, Germany)
When it was announced that the main event of the UFC’s first foray into Germany was going to pit former middleweight champion Rich Franklin against former PRIDE champ Wanderlei Silva, you knew things were going to turn out okay at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, and neither “Ace” or “The Axe Murderer” disappointed during their three rounder. Filled with solid action throughout that was punctuated by periodic bursts of berserker attacks from Silva, Franklin pulled out a close, but unanimous, decision in which his more disciplined style paved the way to victory. “He caught me in the second round, but for the most part, I really kept myself out of those exchanges,” said Franklin. “I didn’t get caught, I was not greedy with my punches – I used two or three punch combinations, got in and out, used a lot of footwork, and tried to do my best to not stand there and trade punch for punch. I kept moving and stuck to the gameplan for the whole 15 minutes, and it wasn’t that bad.”

9 – Marcus Davis Wsub1 Paul Taylor – UFC 75 (2007, London, England)
We couldn’t have an all-Euro list without at least one fight from New England’s “Irish Hand Grenade,” Marcus Davis, who fought seven consecutive times in Europe at the height of his UFC career. And this one was a short, but memorable, bout, where Davis got dropped early by a head kick, only to show off his underrated submission skills and finish the fight moments later. After the bout, which earned Davis the Submission and Fight of the Night awards, he declared that he was willing to do just about anything to keep the fans satisfied. “If I’ve gotta take another neck kick to get people to jump out of their seats and have a good time, that’s what I’ll do,” said Davis. “If I have to learn how to do a flying gogoplata or something crazy, that’s what I’ll learn. I’ll do whatever I’ve got to do to become better and better and better.”

8 - Antoni Hardonk KO2 Eddie Sanchez – UFC 85 (2008, London, England)
This heavyweight battle between Antoni Hardonk and Eddie Sanchez didn’t get a lot of attention, either before or after the fight, and that’s a shame, because it was an entertaining scrap with plenty of haymakers thrown before the finish. And if anything, the bout did make an impression on the winner, as Hardonk told me that the victory was the one he would put in a time capsule to let people know what he was about as a fighter. “One fight that I think about a lot is when I fought back in London at UFC 85,” said Hardonk. “I fought Eddie Sanchez and I got really hurt in that fight. At one point he hit me right in the eye and it broke my orbital bone. I was dizzy, I fell to the floor, and he jumped on me to finish the fight, but I used my ground skills to survive and weather the storm. Then I came back and I knocked him out. That was definitely one of the fights that I think about a lot because I overcame myself that time. There are some guys that are extremely gifted. They have physical talent, they’re super fast, they’re strong, and sometimes have great technique. But it’s easy to be tough or look great when things go your way. But it’s hard to look tough and put on a great fight when you’re being dominated. It’s completely different.”

7 - Paul Kelly W3 Paul Taylor – UFC 80 (2008, Newcastle, England)
If you saw this one, you’ll know why it’s here. If not, here’s what I wrote when listing the All-England battle between Paul Taylor and Paul Kelly on the best fights of 2008 list: Nothing like a little local rivalry to spice things up, and when British welterweights Paul Kelly and Paul Taylor locked up, they were fighting as if the fate of England itself was at stake. Punctuated by an opening 30 second sequence that saw both fighters standing and trading punches at close range, the fight was fast-paced throughout, with the two even exchanging blows while on the mat. As the bout progressed, the bigger and stronger Kelly pulled ahead and away, but Taylor, despite being cut and overpowered, never stopped battling, almost pulling off a kimura in the second round and still landing enough punches and kicks while standing to keep Kelly honest. In the end though, it was Kelly by unanimous decision in a memorable Octagon debut.

6 – Matt Wiman KO2 Thiago Tavares - UFC 85 (2008, London, England)
Buried on the undercard of a stacked UFC 85 card that includes names like Hughes, Alves, Bisping, Swick, Davis, Marquardt, Werdum, and Vera, Matt Wiman and Thiago Tavares soared to the top of the list to win Fight of the Night honors at the O2 Arena with an exciting back and forth battle that saw a dizzying array of submission attempts by both men, some crisp standup, and finally an emphatic knockout by Wiman, who topped off his June by getting married a week later. Everything you could want in a mixed martial arts match was here, and both fighters showed what the sport can be when done right.

5 - Renan Barao Wsub1 Brad Pickett – UFC 138 (2011, Birmingham, England)
It didn’t last long – just four minutes and nine seconds – but for pure fury, you couldn’t do much better than the bantamweight battle between Brazil’s Renan Barao and England’s Brad Pickett. From the sound of the bell to open the bout, the two tore at each other like bitter enemies, with Barao eventually gaining the upper hand and ending matters via rear naked choke submission.

4 - Ian Freeman TKO1 Frank Mir – UFC 38 (2002, London, England)
The first UFC card in Europe may have been headlined by the welterweight title fight between Matt Hughes and Carlos Newton, but it was local hero Ian Freeman who stole the show by handing unbeaten young gun Frank Mir his first pro loss via first round TKO. What made the win even more poignant was that “The Machine” scored the win not knowing that his seriously ill father had passed away shortly before the bout, news he found out after the biggest win of his career.

3 - Quinton Jackson W5 Dan Henderson – UFC 75 (2007, London, England)
For historical reasons alone, this first unification bout between a UFC champion (Quinton Jackson) and a PRIDE champion (Dan Henderson) would probably warrant a spot here, but then the two veteran light heavyweight stalwarts proceeded to put on a back and forth five rounder that Jackson eventually emerged victorious from via five round unanimous decision.

2 - Michael Bisping TKO2 Denis Kang - UFC 105 (2009, Manchester, England)
While it might be overdramatizing things to say that Michael Bisping’s career was on the line when he faced veteran Denis Kang at UFC 105 in Manchester, following his UFC 100 knockout loss to Dan Henderson, a second defeat wouldn’t have done “The Count” any favors. And after a strong first round, Kang was in control and seemingly on his way to victory, but in the second, Bisping made his adjustments, turned up the heat and stopped Kang. The pride of UK MMA had gotten back on track and he did it in spectacular fashion.

1 - Tyson Griffin W3 Clay Guida - UFC 72 (2007, Belfast, Northern Ireland)
“I was actually surprised to hear boos before me and Tyson engaged, about the first 10 or 12 seconds,” said Clay Guida of the early moments of his UFC 72 bout against Tyson Griffin. “Then we started throwing punches and it was a mess from there on out.” It was a beautiful mess though, as Guida and Griffin went at it tooth and nail for three rounds in a bout that was the Belfast card’s Fight of the Night and a 2007 Fight of The Year winner for many fans and pundits. And while Griffin took the razor-thin split decision, there were no losers in this one, as both lightweights showed off the intensity and technique of mixed martial arts, primarily on the mat, where they scrapped for much of the 15 minute bout.

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Resell Rights Ninjas

2012-04-01T01:50:00.000-07:00

Finally Revealed: The Art Of Making Money Effortlessly From Other People's Work! - 12-Part Video Series Reveals All! Affiliates Earn 75%! www.resellrightsninjas.com/affiliates.php

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Fireworks & Pyro Projects eBook

2012-03-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

Fireworks & Pyro Projects, is the largest and most exciting collection of practical fireworks projects ever assembled in one book.

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The World's Oldest UFC Fan?

2012-03-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

"The strategy involved is the most amazing part. It’s also very mentally challenging for anyone to enter the ring or the Octagon." - Sam Chinkes Fill in the blank: The oldest UFC fan I have ever met is __ years old.

63? 67? 72?

You can stop scanning your brain. I got ya beat.

I’m confident that the man who would set the record for oldest UFC fanatic lives right here in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas.

He is a native New Yorker and World War II Army veteran. He has worked extensively as an ad exec, painter and sculptor. And, in his spare time, his daring choice of television programming has prompted his wife of 62 years to ask him on many a night: “Why are you watching that again?”

“Cuz’ it’s the best thing on television!” he responds in an affable tone, citing humor as paramount to his long-lasting union.

The name of this unique superfan: Mr. Sam Chinkes. Born in 1923. 88 years young. And living proof that although the UFC impressively reels in the male 18-34 demographic, and has hooked a surprising number of female fans on the sport as well, that the elder statesmen among us are not immune to the allure and artistry of a cagefight. After all, a fascination with fighting is in every human being’s DNA.

Since the early 1990s, Chinkes said, he has been faithfully watching UFC. Back when Royce Gracie put UFC on the map with mind-blowing victories over 250-pound Goliaths.

“My wife doesn’t care for it,” Chinkes confided, “but she has her own TV. I watch (UFC) whenever I can and most of the time I find it’s the best thing on TV … except for some old movie favorites of mine. I watch movies about the mafia all the time. I mean, I’m from New York. But I’ll still watch UFC instead of my favorite movies because I’ve seen the movies many times before. I make sure to catch the statistics before all of the fights. I’m crazy about the announcer, Bruce Buffer. He’s terrific! Very dramatic. He’s a real pro.”

Track and field was Chinkes’ forte in his prime, though he was always smitten with the sport of boxing. As a child growing up in the Bronx, he and some friends would test themselves on a makeshift punching bag made from a potato sack. They donned gloves and lightly sparred under a fire escape stairway.

“We never hit each other hard – though I saw stars one time,” Chinkes reminisced. “I’m not a fighter. I’ve never been in a fight in my life. But if the UFC were around when I was younger, I would have liked to have coached a fight. I’m absolutely sure I could have done it. I would understand my fighters, be a good strategist. I was a survivor of World War II, so I think in those terms.

“So I’ve always liked the sport. It’s athletic. There’s an art to keeping your balance, hitting someone and avoiding getting hit. The strategy involved is the most amazing part. It’s also very mentally challenging for anyone to enter the ring or the Octagon.”

I ask Mr. Chinkes to name his favorite UFC fighters.

“The Canadian guy … what’s his name? … GSP,” he replied. “The heavyset guy who was beat recently… the heavyweight champ … Brock Lesnar! Yeah. He’s a guy I got to like for awhile. But then I saw that as tough as he is, as big as he is – he can’t take a punch. Am I wrong?”

Bonus Material: How I (Accidentally) Met Sam Chinkes

Good stories, like $100 bills, aren’t supposed to miraculously fall from the sky and into your lap. Cosmic luck caused mine and Mr. Chinkes’ paths to cross. I was reading alone at what seems like the world’s last bookstore when a gentleman sat down at the table next to me. For as long as I can remember I’ve had a soft spot for most of my elders, particularly those of upbeat energy and the glass-is-half full cheer. The laid-back but self-assured stranger beside me fit the bill. I asked what he was reading and the conversation flowed easily from that point on, as if I had known this man for many years.

He seemed super-sharp, showing off a very agile mind.

“You must read a lot,” I presumed.

“As a matter of fact, not all that much,” he countered.

That veered us in to more interesting turf: He’d been married 62 years to the same woman. 62 years! How many things, other than food and water and a toilet, do you think you’ll enjoy a 62-year relationship with?

I’ve always been fascinated by seniors, by the wisdom they’ve accrued that could save the rest of us the suffering of wisdom by Trial & Error. I’ve always been irked by what seems, in my opinion, a society that treats seniors as second-class citizens. There are other cultures where seniors are treated with reverence. Here we tend to treat them with deference, as if they are all senile, all something none of us wants to be.

And I’ve always, always, always been fascinated by people that can make their marriage work for a long time. 30 years. 40 years. 50 years. And not suffer the marriage, but enjoy it. A divorcee myself, I perk up when marriage marathoners share their secrets and advice.

“You want to know what it is?” he tells me. “It’s humor. We’re always making each other laugh. I used to think that the younger years would be the best. But the truth is, our older years are the best. We laugh more now than ever.”

He asks me to guess his age. I concentrate on his face and build. I’ve always possessed a whacky (and incredibly useless) skill of being able to guess how much people weigh within two or three pounds. I get it from my wrestling background. People’s ages stump me more, because some people age prematurely and others so gracefully.

“76,” I tell Mr. Chinkes.

Stumping me makes him smile.

“88.”

We talk some more and somehow or another we start discussing television programming. I live in a four bedroom home and have 20-inch television that I have never, not once, turned on or watched. My instant friend watches his fair share of television.

“You know the best thing on television these days?” he asks rhetorically. “It’s UFC.”

I didn’t instantly perk up. I didn’t make the connection. UFC? That must be three initials that stand for some senior citizen organization.

He couldn’t be referring to the UFC I know and love – Ultimate Fighting Championship.

But just to be sure … “What do you mean by UFC? You don’t mean cagefighting UFC, do you?”

“Yeah, the cage fights! I love watching that!”

And there you have it. Apparently every demographic on the planet is susceptible to the UFC, which is one of the few places left on earth that is truly a meritocracy. Unlike almost every other business, UFC isn’t a who-you-know industry. It isn’t about who has the most money, or the best lawyers, or the prettiest mug. It’s mano y mano. May the best man win. Sam Chinkes “gets it,” reminding me – reminding all of us – that we should learn and evolve and stay open-minded for as long as we are here.

I walk him to his car. He wants to show me something. He opens the trunk of his car. There are dozens of black shirts in a box. He holds one up: It is a sketch of one fighter front kicking another to the face. Reminscent of the breathtaking technique that Anderson Silva used to knockout Vitor Belfort.

“I drew that sketch right off the top of my head in seconds,” Chinkes said.

Sam Chinkes gave me one of his shirts. And I thought so highly of this extraordinary fan, and his love of UFC, that I wrote a story about him.

Sam has never been to a live UFC event. The UFC and myself are going to change that very soon.

Do you know a UFC fan who breaks the mold, or are you one? Email a picture and description to fanpic@ufc.com to be considered for a future feature!

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How to Start a Conversation with Anyone Video Presentation and eBook

2012-03-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

This product teaches how anyone can master the art of small talks in parties and functions to reap the benefits of making new friends, acquiring new customers, landing new jobs. Technicques on how to handle parties and start conversations are explained.

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The Ultimate Recap Live*: Episode One

2012-03-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

*Recap not actually live

Weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter Live, airing Friday night at 10 pm ET/PT on FX. Click here for international channels and here to see past episodes.

Seeing that there was a significant gap between UFC events, I graciously accepted the offer to do The Ultimate Fighter Live Recap. Expect some of the same things that you get from the Downes Side -- expert analysis, proper grammar, and maybe even a reference to the Lincoln-Douglas presidential debates.

After an intro to the new season and format (the show is now half-taped content from the last week of training/living in the house; but the fights at the end of the episodes air live each week) from Dana White we fly through some snapshots of the fighters. Michael Chiesa stands out to me due to his similarities to Cody McKenzie. Not only do they have similar looks, but apparently they both live out of their cars. Now he just needs a submission named after him -- Chies-a-tine or Chies-a-plata are my early favorites.

Next up we go right into team selections. Urijah Faber wins the coin toss, which gives him the right to choose either the first fighter for his team or the first matchup of guys to fight. Faber elects to choose the first fight, giving Cruz the first fighter pick. Later we’ll hear Faber explain how this strategy puts his team in position for a “guaranteed win.”

Cruz takes Justin Lawrence with the first pick (that’s the guy who poured it on and knocked out experienced vet James Krause inside of 90 seconds in the premiere) and Faber chooses Al Iaquinta (the toe ruiner). Cruz fills out his roster with (in order) Sam Sicilia (the 8-second knockout guy from the premiere), Myles Jury (a TUF 13 contestant who had to leave due to injury and a training partner of Cruz in San Diego), Mike Rio, James Vick, Vinc Pichel, Chris Tickle, and Jeremy Larsen. Faber’s crew grows with Cristiano Marcello (the Gracie black belt), Daron Cruickshank, Joe Proctor, Mike Chiesa, John Cofer, Andy Ogle (the British kid) and Chris Saunders (The One With the Mohowak).

The picks go largely without incident until Cruz opts for Chris Tickle because Tickle had been openly lobbying to be on Faber’s team. In a mind-eff of things to come, Cruz explains that he was purposely throwing a wrench into Faber’s plans – since everyone knew Tickle was Faber-focused, Faber didn’t have to use up one of his picks on him, because he knew Dominick wouldn’t take him. Or in his words, “I took him because Urijah would take him, and by me taking him, Faber couldn’t take him anymore because he was taken.” While I applaud him for showing all the verb tenses of take (despite lack of the pluperfect) it was a little confusing. we’ll see if “Bad Boy” Tickle ends up being a great pick up or if it’ll just be a really creepy piece of fan fiction.

After a couple of training clips, the guys gather in the gym for the fight announcement. As the teams are waiting, we get a little of the beloved trash talk between the two coaches. Faber confronts Cruz about comments he made in UFC magazine about Urijah’s parents helping him set up a gym. Faber warns Cruz against bringing his family up, and tells him to stop. Dominick apologizes and says he meant no offense. Faber accepts Cruz’ apology on behalf of his dad (really.)

Reasoned discussion followed by an apology and understanding -- are you listening, Jon and Rashad?! The church bake sale I went to last week had more tension than that. (In my defense, those cookies were over-baked and I deserved a refund.)

Team Faber decides to pit Michael Cruickshank against James Vick. The prevailing attitude is that boxer Vick is too one-dimensional for this fight and that Cruickshank, a seasoned kickboxer trained by his parents (“My mom can beat up your dad,” he smiles), will easily win. Even Cruz admits that his fighter is the underdog. Now, I have an unfair bias in favor of lanky lightweights, so right away I was hoping that Vick wouldn’t embarrass himself.

After some more training clips, the coaches call Michael Chiesa into the back. He takes a phone call from his mother, who informs him that his father has died of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Chiesa later meets with Dana White and learns that he’ll be able to leave the house for the funeral and return if he wants. Chiesa immediately says he’ll return and compete. Chiesa is obviously devastated, and frankly, his raw emotion and the unflinching cameras make it devastating to watch.

After a level of gravitas previosly unseen on TUF, it’s fight time. Vick gets a pep talk backstage from Cruz, who implores him to go out and have fun. Vick’s only response is a nervous-sounding “Yes, sir.” Meanwhile in the Team Faber locker room, Cruickshank is relaxed and ready to get out there.

The first few minutes are uneventful. Crankshaft (isn't that easier to remember?!) throws some flashy Tae Kwon Do kicks that look cool, but like most of what you buy at Bed Bath & Beyond, don’t really accomplish much. Suddenly, 'Shaft dives in on a double leg and eats a hard right knee to the face. It puts him out cold and lanky underdog James Vick is on his way to the quarterfinals. All in all, things worked out well for Vick -- except for when Jon Anik totally left him hanging during the post fight interview.

The show closes with the fight selection for next week and a big psychological play by Dom. Cruz pulls a slick move by choosing first-pick Justin Lawrence for next week’s bout, then telling Faber to pick who from his team he wants to battle Lawrence. Faber sits in stunned silence, unsure who to send in, and asks his team if any of them are “ready to scrap.” No one on Team Faber makes a move. I hadn’t heard that much awkward silence since I told my parents I was ditching grad school to become a professional fighter.

Finally, Cruz picks Marcello and the match that many fans expected to see at the Finale is set for next week. Will Team Cruz’s number-one pick show his worth? Will Team Faber get their first win with their second choice? Will someone finally urinate on someone/something? Find out next week!

In the meantime, be sure to follow me on twitter @dannyboydownes, the show at @InsideTUF and leave comments. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m writing this on St. Patrick’s Day and I have a couple Irish stereotypes to fulfill.

Here’s the season at a glance:

Team Cruz
Myles Jury
Jeremy Larsen
Justin Lawrence - schedued to fight Cristiano Marcello in episode 2
Vinc Pichel
Mike Rio
Sam Sicilia
Chris Tickle
James Vick - (1-0) won via KO over Daron Cruickshank in episode 1

Team Faber
Mike Chiesa
John Cofer
Daron Cruickshank - (0-1) lost to James Vick in episode 1
Al Iaquinta
Cristiano Marcello - scheduled to fight Justin Lawrence in episode 2
Andy Ogle
Joe Proctor
Chris Saunders

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Crazy Tim's Even Crazier Ride Back to the UFC

2012-03-31T10:28:00.000-07:00

"When I’m fighting, people are gonna be standing up in their living rooms hollering at the TV. If at some point that costs me my career, I don’t care. I’m gonna keep on doing it until the wheels fall off.” - Tim Credeur In September of 2009, Tim Credeur fought the fight of his career against Nate Quarry, only to lose a heartbreaking three round decision.

Seven months later, he was faced with the biggest fight of his life, and it was one he couldn’t afford to lose.

It all started with the usual medicals he needed to get for his UFC 113 bout with Tom Lawlor in May of 2010. It was his first fight back since his 15 minute war with Quarry, his first UFC loss, and fans were anticipating the middleweight showdown. It was a routine process until it wasn’t routine anymore, and Credeur’s doctor called him in to explain that there was something showing up on his brain, but that he wasn’t sure what it was. Worst case scenario, it was a brain tumor. Even worse than that, since it was located in the hypothalamus, it was inoperable.

Credeur, 32 at the time, had been training in martial arts since he was a teenager. Fighting was a huge part of his life. A bigger part was his wife Mamie, and as he left the doctor’s office, he struggled to come up with a plan on how to tell her.

But she called first.

He froze, not ready yet. But even if he was, she had news of her own. She was pregnant with their first child. The specter of death and the promise of life intersected that day in Louisiana, and if Credeur wanted to get a glimpse at the cruel jokes life can play on us, he instead got an eyeful.

“As nervous as I was about not fighting again, I had to shelf that,” said Credeur. “It wasn’t really the priority. My wife is my number one priority and I had to figure out a way to shelf my problems and shelf my frustrations and be excited with her and make her feel okay. So I didn’t tell her anything for a little over a week. Then we talked about it and figured out what we were gonna do. It was kind of a blessing in disguise because since I couldn’t fight, I had to focus on some other things. I had the opportunity to build my business, build my gym, train a bunch of other fighters and focus on things I hadn’t been focusing on. I had been focusing on myself.”

There was still the unknown mark on his brain scan though, and as the months went by, he had to return to the doctor several times.

“We had to do multiple scans over time,” he said. “It was so small and so minor that they weren’t sure if it was the beginning of an aneurysm or a tumor. They weren’t really sure what it was, but maybe it was too dangerous for me to be fighting.”

Each subsequent scan brought a little hope, but at the same time, more questions.

“Am I gonna be able to be the father that I’ve always wanted to be?”

“What’s gonna happen to my wife?”

Finally, after a crushing wait of nearly seven months, Credeur got some unexpected good news.

“I’m okay, the thing in my brain was kinda just an anomaly, a freckle, something I was probably born with,” he said, sounding drained after reliving the worst ordeal of his life. Two weeks later, more good news as Mamie gave birth to Audrey in January of this year.

Tim Credeur was alive, was going to stay that way, and he was a daddy. But the first person he gives credit to is his wife.

“My wife’s tough, man,” he said. “She’s amazing. She’s been with me through thick and thin for ten years and she stuck by my side and we gutted through it, we made it work, and we’re okay.”

There was only one thing missing…

A fight.

And after getting cleared to resume training and his fighting career, Credeur signed a contract to face Ed Herman this Saturday on the Ultimate Fighter Finale card in Las Vegas. For the native of Lafayette, Louisiana, it’s like reconnecting with an old friend.

“The biggest thing that I missed was the competition,” he said. “Competing’s in my blood. I’m not the greatest athlete and I’m not the greatest talent, but that fire to compete and the enjoyment of being in the ring and getting into some battles with some of the best fighters in the world is what I miss the most. We’ve got to support our families, but I don’t really care so much about the money, and I’m not trying to be famous. I’m not trying to do nothing else other than getting some fights. That’s all I really want to do. That’s why I got in this sport. I started when I was about 14 years old and I’ve been headlong into it ever since then.”

He almost lost it too, but that only makes him want it more.

“Sometimes horrible things that happen to us are really just blessings in disguise,” he said. “So I’m lucky to be able to walk away from those things a better person, a stronger person, and I thank God for the gifts we have and the blessings we have. I’m blessed to be able to compete in a sport that’s always been my dream and something I wanted to be a part of. Now more than ever, I’m more inspired, more focused, and more dedicated, and more excited.”

Fight fans should be excited as well, because Credeur is one of those rare souls who will always deliver a supreme effort in the Octagon by being completely willing to put himself in harm’s way. The Quarry fight was the most shining example of this, as he basically threw his black belt in Jiu-Jitsu to the side in favor of a slugfest with one of the hardest-hitting 185 pounders in the world. And the shocking part of the whole ordeal was that Credeur was winning exchanges and hurting Quarry on a number of occasions before the “Rock” would roar back and tag “Crazy Tim.” It was a grueling battle to remember for Credeur, regardless of the result.

“I might drop some fights sometimes, and Nate Quarry beat me fair and square, but Tim Credeur is not gonna beat Tim Credeur,” he said. “I’m gonna get in there every time and fight my heart out. I’m never gonna go in there and try to eke out a decision or fight the smart fight or keep my distance and win on points. I’m never gonna fight like that. I’m not saying the way I fight is any smarter; maybe it’s not, but at least when I’m fighting, people are gonna be standing up in their living rooms hollering at the TV. If at some point that costs me my career, I don’t care. I’m gonna keep on doing it until the wheels fall off.”

That’s toughness you can’t buy and you can’t learn it either. Where does Credeur’s come from? Louisiana soil.

“Let’s be honest,” he said. “I was not a widely recruited high school athlete for any sport, I’m not this great Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion talent that was scouted by the UFC. I’m not that and I never have been; I’m just a guy that worked really, really hard and made sacrifices a bunch of other people weren’t willing to make to be where I’m at. And when I get in there, I’ll be damned if I’m gonna beat myself. As best as I can, I’m gonna fight until either he falls down or I fall down or my heart explodes. That’s the only way that I really know how. Some of that is because of the way that I’ve been raised. In Louisiana, there’s a really blue collar mentality. We work for everything we have. So many things go wrong in our state – hurricanes destroy our homes, our lives are destroyed by the whims of the oil barons, and the oil explosion in the gulf pretty much ruined our economy. I think Louisiana is ranked 49th in the country in everything – education, roads, everything. It’s a hard life down here, and it’s tough. So to get by it takes hard work, sacrifice, and dedication. And that’s all I know.”

Audrey Credeur will learn those lessons some day as well, and when she does, that will be more important to her father than any victories in the Octagon or world championship belts around his waist. If he didn’t before, he certainly knows now how precious life is, and he’s living every moment of it to the fullest. Is there any better legacy to leave your child?

“I just hope that when my daughter looks back at my life, she’s proud of who her dad is,” he said. “I want her to be filled with pride at the sacrifices I made for her, the way I raised her, the integrity that I showed in my life and the kind of man that I was.”

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Mastering The Art Of Self Hypnosis

2012-03-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

50% Affiliate Commission. Mastering The Art Of Self Hypnosis. Learn To Improve Your Life By Altering Your Bad Habits And Behaviors Through Self Hypnosis. Learn to Control Your Mind Using Simple Hypnosis Techniques.

Check it out!

Acrylic Painting Course

2012-03-31T01:39:00.000-07:00

A step-by-step painting course that is ideal for beginners and anyone new to acrylic painting. This 4 part course shows all the stages to painting 12 works of art, the equipment used, and a range of painting techniques too.

Check it out!

Jersey Boys Lined Up for UFC on FX in June

2012-03-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

Up-to-the-minute news about UFC on FX 4, taking place June 22 in Atlantic City, NJ

More fight card updates:
FX 2
UFC 144
FUEL 2
UFC 145
FUEL 3
UFC 146
UFC on FX 3

The UFC will head down the shore this summer with a UFC on FX event planned for June 22 in Atlantic City.

The main event, as announced on Sunday, will be a five-round battle between two of the best lightweights in the world, Clay Guida and Gray Maynard. Since then, a handful of fights have come together, promising another exciting event on the Eastern seaboard.

Two welterweight bouts will pit the best of Brazil against home-grown talent. Jersey boy Dan Miller will drop to welterweight for the first time in his UFC career for a fight against Ricardo Funch. Plus Matthew Riddle, who grew up one state over in Allentown, Pennsylvania, will take on Luis "Beicao" Ramos. Riddle and Ramos were originally slated to fight at UFC 141 in Las Vegas, but the fight was scratched after Riddle became sick the day of the event.

Two other Garden State natives have also landed spots on the fight card. Rich Attonito, who trains at American Top Team in Florida but was born in Elizabeth, NJ, will face Rick "The Horror" Story at 170 pounds. Plus Nick "The Jersey Devil" Catone will return to action after more than a year in a middleweight tilt with TUF veteran Chris Camozzi.

One more welterweight bout was added at the end of Wednesday: submission specialist TJ Waldburger will face relentless wrestler Brian "Bad Boy" Ebersole.

Verbal agreements for the above bouts are in. Ticket and venue information will be announced soon.

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