MMA Ratings

Strikeforce: 10 Things I Learned Last Night

2009-11-08T10:21:00.008-05:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) 1. This Picture Might Be Accurate Anyone else would have been finished. Broken nose on the very first punch, from a jab no less, before taking some serious ground and pound from a guy known explicitly for his big hands? We've seen talented fighters succumb to less. But Fedor? The increasingly mythical entity that is "The Last Emperor" stood tall and remained calm, weathered the storm, landed some shots of his own and put an exclamation point on the evening with a precision knockout of Brett Rogers less than two minutes into Round 2. More...

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Fight Picks and Predictions for Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers

2009-11-07T18:30:00.005-05:00

By Nicholas Bailey (nbailey@mmaratings.net) What is the meaning of a Fedor vs. Rogers fight? It's not clear. Rogers isn't the cream of the crop, and he's dangerously untested for a fight against an all-time pound-for-pound great like Fedor, but he does have the ability to threaten the heavyweight kingpin. Furthermore, all of this will be happening on the widest possible stage, being broadcast to millions of homes, expanding beyond even the reach of Zuffa's media monster. If Rogers loses quickly, as Fedor's recent opponents have, his humiliation will be complete, and those who have never seen...

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Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers Picks & Predictions

2009-11-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

By Bryan Levick (BryanLevick@mmaratings.net) Tomorrow night mixed martial arts returns to CBS for the first time since last October as Strikeforce presents: Fedor vs. Rogers. The televised portion of the card has four bouts and all of them have some sort of title implications involved with them. Now on to my predictions. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers Strikeforce and CBS have really stepped up here big time with the addition of Fedor on a card that will air during prime time and on free television. Scott Coker took a huge gamble by signing Fedor and if he is to recoup some of his...

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Mixed Martial Arts in the Mainstream: The Jorge Gurgel Theory

2009-11-07T12:55:00.004-05:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) With Strikeforce's long-awaited network television debut tonight, the mainstream media will be turning their often-occluded eye towards Mixed Martial Arts. So too will millions of viewers, some long-time fans flocking at the chance to see the great Fedor Emelianenko fight for free, others in sheer curiosity towards this sport they keep hearing about called MMA. Over the last few months, a great deal has been made about the potential push of Mixed Martial Arts into the mainstream and tonight's groundbreaking event opens the door for that...

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Sengoku 11 Preview

2009-11-06T18:15:00.000-05:00

By Joshua Stein (josh@mmaopinion.com) Along with two Strikeforce events this weekend, the Japanese organization World Victory Road will be putting on Sengoku 11 in Tokyo. Featherweight Bout: Hatsu Hioki vs. Michihiro Omigawa The event will feature a matchup that will look to begin correcting a bizarre featherweight tournament as Michihiro Omigawa (7-8-1 MMA) takes on the organization’s top ranked featherweight in Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2 MMA, #4 IWMMAR). Middleweight Bout: Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov There will also be a notable fight between top ten middleweight and organizational...

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Strikeforce Fight Week Previews: Fedor vs. Rogers

2009-11-06T12:48:00.006-05:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) Now it's time for the big dance. Before breaking down the fight, here is my one shout out to the rest of the MMA community: We're getting a chance to see one of the greatest fighters to ever grace our sport for free tomorrow night. This is like Ali fighting on ABC's Wide World of Sports back in the day. Tell your friends, tell your enemies and tell all the people you talk to today, because I don't want to spend Monday writing about the sad state of affairs this sport really is when Fedor Emelianenko can't draw as many fans to a fight on FREE...

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Strikeforce Fight Week Preview: Jake Shields vs. Jason Miller

2009-11-06T12:17:00.003-05:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) I've already gone on record in a couple different places saying this will be the Fight of the Night. That's what happens when you get a guy who likes to submit people fighting a guy who just doesn't tap. While my prediction for this fight has been known to readers of my work at Bleacher Report, that won't stop me from breaking in down FWP-style as always. I mean, just because I think Mayhem is going to win doesn't mean I can't discuss the finer points of this outstanding match-up. Some would call that remaining objective; undoubtedly, others...

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Strikeforce Fight Week Previews: Gegard Mousasi vs. Sokoudjou

2009-11-05T21:07:00.004-05:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) Grab a pen and write this down: In no more than three years time, Gegard Mousasi will be considered the best Mixed Martial Artist on the planet. Remember who told you that when everyone who follows the sport is fawning over the Armenian-born, Dutch-raised soon-to-be superstar. Saturday night, fight fans will get to see why the man known as "The Dreamcatcher" is on the verge of becoming a household name and one of the top pound-for-pound performers in the sport. Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4-0) The training camp...

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Strikeforce Fight Week Previews: Fabricio Werdum vs. Antonio Silva

2009-11-05T14:50:00.005-05:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) Sorry I've been slacking on breaking down the Strikeforce Main Card this week; in addition to moving, writing revisionist histories on Brock Lesnar and trying to find a job has taken up all of my time. Now that it's already Thursday, here's what we're going to do: two today, two tomorrow. With that out of the way, let's get down to brass tax and break down this bout. Fabricio Werdum (12-4-1) vs. Antonio Silva (13-1-0) As always, where each fighter trains is Step One in trying to figure out who is going to have their hand raised and who is...

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Brock Lesnar: A Lesson in Revisionist History

2009-11-04T13:04:00.003-05:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) Brock Lesnar is the UFC Heavyweight Champion. That fact cannot be disputed. Apparently, everything else in the Mixed Martial Arts history of the athletic freak of nature is up for reconsideration, depending on what side of the Lesnar Line you land on. If you're Team Lesnar, than there is no need to reconstruct the events that have taken place thus far; after all, your guy has a shiny gold belt holding up his pants. The quick UFC history of the organization's top heavyweight looks like this to you: Debuted against a former champion with...

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Thiago Alves: I'm on a mission to become a World Champion

2009-11-04T09:12:00.006-05:00

By Bryan Levick (BryanLevick@mmaratings.net) At the ripe old age of 26, UFC welterweight Thiago Alves has already been through more in his eight years in mixed martial arts than most fighters go through in their whole careers. [Editor's note: Thiago Alves was MMA Ratings' 2008 Fighter of the Year.] From being suspended for using a diuretic to make weight against Tony DeSouza in 2006 to failing to make weight against Matt Hughes at UFC 85 in 2008, all of those trials and tribulations helped Alves become the fighter he is today, the fighter the UFC tapped to fight welterweight champion...

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"Lil' Evil" Jens Pulver to Return in 2010

2009-11-02T16:43:00.004-05:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) When Jens Pulver was submitted in 33 seconds by Josh Grispi back at WEC 41 in Sacramento, the fan favorite known as "Lil' Evil" tearfully thanked the fans for years of support and hinted that the last fight of his career may have just taken place. Thankfully, that doesn't look like it is going to be the case, as the first lightweight champion in UFC history plans on returning to the cage in 2010. Candid as ever, Pulver discussed the time between the Grispi loss and now with Mike Chiappetta of AOL Fanhouse, divulging that moving back to Idaho...

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Red Jelly Beans, Kleenex and Mixed Martial Arts: Oddly Logical Analogies on a Sunday Morning

2009-11-01T12:38:00.005-05:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) If given a choice, which would you rather have: as many red jelly beans as you could possibly eat or all the jelly beans you could stomach in a variety of colors? Those who love red jelly beans see no reason to venture away from their favorite, content to consume the one and only option they enjoy. But some people enjoy and even need variation, different options and possibilities in their jelly bean intake, and the idea of only being allowed one color ruins the enjoyment. Now that you're craving jelly beans, think about this: what if the red...

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Dan Henderson: The Bobby Hull of MMA

2009-10-31T20:39:00.004-04:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) Dan Henderson is the Mixed Martial Arts version of Bobby Hull. For those unfamiliar with the career and biography of "The Golden Jet," Hull was one of the NHL's preeminant stars, sniping goals from the left wing for the Chicago Blackhawks in larger quantities than anyone before him, including Maurice "The Rocket" Richard. But in 1972, Hull grew unhappy with being chronically underpaid and threatened to sign with the upstart WHL. Even though his contract demands seem unreasonable, the owners banded together, came up with the money and landed...

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For The UFC, Less Could Mean More

2009-10-30T14:45:00.006-04:00

By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) When news broke earlier in the week that Brock Lesnar was forced to pull out of his UFC 106 title defense against Shane Carwin, Mixed Martial Arts writer Josh Nason asserted that the sudden shift in schedules highlighted a bigger UFC problem: too many events. Let's make one thing clear right off the top: the chances of the UFC deciding that they're running too many pay-per-view events in a year are about the same as Bob Arum and Bernard Hopkins being next year's inductees into the UFC Hall of Fame. But hypothetically speaking, what would...

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Welcome to the Official MMA Ratings Store

2009-10-29T16:21:00.003-04:00

MMA Ratings, your source for in depth MMA analysis and opinion, and your only source for fight and event rankings, is now bringing you the best in MMA clothing and fight gear. Make MMA Ratings your source for all your MMA gear and clothing. Our store is owned and operated by MMA fighters and fans who want to share their enthusiasm and love for the sport with our customers. Our passion is reflected in our store, and in the performance you can expect in all our products and in your shopping experience. Special thanks to Scott Miller with a MMAadnet for his help with graphics and support. They...

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Breaking down Machida vs Rua

2009-10-27T17:23:00.007-04:00

By Eric Kamander (EricKamander@mmaratings.net) Yesterday I brought up the appearance of impropriety as the UFC's, and MMA's, single biggest obstacle. And specifically I was referring to this appearance as the result of inconsistent, or even faulty, officiating. As I mentioned it seems that after every event there is some controversy over the refereeing or judging. But how much of that is the fault of the officials, and how much is simply a matter of ambiguous rules. For now let's take a look at that some of the ambiguity that goes into judging for fans and officials alike. Recently the...

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The UFC's biggest obstacle is evident at UFC 104

2009-10-26T15:07:00.007-04:00

By Eric Kamander (EricKamander@mmaratings.net) At this past weekend's UFC 104 I think we had a look at the single biggest obstacle facing the UFC today in their effort of constant expansion. While the main event was filled with controversy, it didn't start with Shogun's questionable loss the to The Dragon. Let's look at some of the preliminary fights that were not scheduled to be televised. The airing Chael Sonnen vs. Yushin Okami was questioned and it was suggested that they could have shown Kyle Kingsbury vs. Razak Al-Hassan. And the topic of Zuffa's nefarious motives for making and...

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MMA World Expo

2009-10-24T18:08:00.006-04:00

By Eric Kamander (EricKamander@mmaratings.net) I just came back from New York City's first ever World MMA Expo. It was filled with the usual things you would expect at this sort of event: grappling demonstrations, MMA clothing merchants, supplement dealers, scantily clad ring girl wannabees. Overall I have to say the whole things was a bit unimpressive. That said I still had a good time for the few hours I hung around. Wanderlei Silva was there all day signing autographs in an octagon, and the line out side it was so long I think it might have taken me that long to get one. I settled for...

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Picks and Predictions for Dream 12: Caged Heat

2009-10-23T18:30:00.009-04:00

By Nicholas Bailey (nbailey@mmaratings.net) Dream 12 represents Fight Entertainment Group's concession to the modern age of MMA, adopting the cage (and no, they are not the first Japanese promotion to do so) and the standard three fives round system (and they are the last Japanese promotion to do so, Guy Mezger's disinformation campaign aside). While it is great to see ace fighters get a chance to fight in a proper venue (and don't even try to argue otherwise; the ring is wrong, end of story), it's frustrating to see that most of the top talent in the promotion will not be on this card,...

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WADA Prohibited Substances

2009-10-22T10:20:00.002-04:00

By Katrina Belcher (KatrinaBelcher@mmaratings.net) Sadly, we occasionally hear that another MMA fighter has tested positive for an illegal substance - like steriods or marijuana. Some fighters, like Nick Diaz, admit to drug use. Diaz says smoking marijuana is part of his plan as it helps him to be “more consistent about everything.” Not much we can do about Nick; if he smokes the stuff, he won’t get to fight, period. But then there are the fighters like Josh Barnet who claim the results of his test, showing he tested positive for steroids, are inaccurate. Many fans were excited about the...

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Picks and Predictions for UFC 104: The Machida Era

2009-10-21T18:37:00.000-04:00

By Nicholas Bailey (nbailey@mmaratings.net) Any time you get to see Lyoto Machida fight, it is a treat. The man is an absolute master and his style is fascinating. Add to that the fact that his opponent is none other than Shogun Rua, one of the most electrifying fighters ever to strap on gloves, and formerly the best in the world, and you have a must-see match. The fact that you get to see a blue-chip prospect like Cain Velasquez sternly tested on the undercard on top of a plethora of high-quality matchups makes this event a must-watch. Lyoto Machida (-405) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua...

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Tuff-N-Uff's Event proceeds to benefit Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation

2009-10-21T18:00:00.003-04:00

By Katrina Belcher (KatrinaBelcher@mmaratings.net) (Las Vegas, NV) Tuesday, October 20, 2009 – “The fights were exciting and fast paced, quickly highlighting the emerging skills of these amateur fighters as they progress in their careers. The crowd was once again treated to a full display of MMA techniques including stunning submissions and spectacular knock outs.” (Jeff Meyer, Vice-President of Vice-President of Tuff-N-Uff Productions.) As reported by me here, this past weekend’s Tuff-N-Uff and Xtreme Combat Weekend partnered to put on a show stopping event to...

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State of California hiring new AC Executive Officer

2009-10-21T10:16:00.000-04:00

By Katrina Belcher (KatrinaBelcher@mmaratings.net) Looks like in spite of its financial woes, and amid a flurry of resignations, the State of California is seeking to fill the position of California Athletic Commission, Executive Officer (position #617 - 110 - 8875 - XXX) – a newly vacated position. According to Dave Thornton, the commission's interim executive officer, Howard Rose, a California State Athletic Commission member, resigned effective later this month. His resignation is on the heels of last week's resignation by commission member Timothy Noonan, another commission officer. To...

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TUFF thoughts on Dana's White's latest vlog

2009-10-20T22:20:00.006-04:00

By Katrina Belcher (KatrinaBelcher@mmaratings.net) Okay folks - here's Dana White's latest video blog or "vlog" as they're more affectionately known. In this vlog, he talks about a lot of things going on - most especially his cousin, who was fighting at the event, and giving away tickets to UFC 107 in Los Angeles, via Twitter. The event was the Tuff-N-Uff Future Stars event that was part of Randy Couture's Xtreme Combat Weekend and Fundraiser! 100% of the proceeds from the Tuff-N-Uff fight Card went to support the Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation. Some of my observations: Well...

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