Friday, 31 January 2014
5 Rounds Show – Robin Breaks Down the Strategic Maulings on Display at UFC Fight Night 35
Retired Nick Denis did his homework, and then he did what few UFC fighters can
It started in Tokyo. The second round of World Victory Road's Sengoku featherweight grand prix in 2009, Marlon Sandro coming at him with what looked like an overhand right. Nick Denis lifted his arm to block it.
"But instead of an overhand right, he threw a right uppercut," Denis told MMAjunkie.com. "The last thing I remember was seeing his fist coming toward my face and thinking, oh s---."
Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero
Frank Mir says he's not considering retirement regardless of outcome against Alistair Overeem at UFC 169
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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Frank Mir has lost three fights in a row into Saturday night's UFC 169 event, and the UFC hasn't committed to keeping either he or Alistair Overeem on the roster with a loss. Despite that, Mir isn't looking to retire no matter what happens on Saturday.
His three straight losses all came to top level competition, as he was taken out by Junior dos Santos, lost a decision to Daniel Cormier, and stopped by Josh Barnett. He doesn't see those losses as indicative of a need to retire.
"I kind of know no matter what it's not going to be my last fight," Mir said in an interview with ESPN.com. "I'm still younger than a lot of the guys in the division. There are two ways I would consider retirement. One is losing to guys who are not top-level competition. The other is if I started losing where it's like, 'OK man, you were knocked out viciously and staring at the rafters.' I won't endanger my health."
"I'm sorry if those three losses aren't killing my ego. Let's see, the losing streak started with Junior dos Santos, the No. 1 heavyweight in the world at the time. Then I lost to Cormier in a pretty boring fight and then to Barnett, which to me was a no-contest because the fight had a very controversial stoppage. Look at who I've fought. I should retire? Wow. We'd only have five guys in every weight class because everybody else would need to retire."
Penick's Analysis: There's some merit to this for sure, but I have no idea what the UFC will do with him if he loses four straight. They may give him another fight down lower on the card, but I don't know if that's something they're going to look to do. That said, what he really needs to do is win, because four straight losses takes away any interest in seeing him anyway.
[Frank Mir art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_20085.shtml
UFC fighter Wanderlei Silva to run for Brazilian congress
Wanderlei Silva plans to begin a campaign for congress in his native Brazil after fighting Chael Sonnen this year, according to a press release from the MMA legend. According to a report from Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, Silva is affiliated with the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) in Parana, Brazil.
Beating up the Brazil-knocking Sonnen is actually a part of Silva's campaign, thus far.
"I’ll go to the TUF house, knock Sonnen out and then start my campaign," the release said.
"The Axe Murderer" said that he has many social projects in mind and is tired of waiting on others to complete them. He has already opened up a free gym, the type of which he spoke to Yahoo! Sports about in 2012, and wants to give back more to poor Brazilians.
"I realized that I have many projects to be done, many interesting things, and if everything goes right, I will do this," Silva said.
"I just opened a free, public MMA gym in Paraiba, so why can’t Curitiba or Sao Paulo have one? No money? Someone needs to do this. I’m tired of asking, so I’m going to do that on my own hands at the congress."
"No more corrupt politicians stealing from us," he went on.
"This generation [of politicians] needs to go to jail, retire or die. It’s the time for the good people, but we need to do something. It needs to be good for everybody. And if you think [soccer star turned politician] Romario is controversial, wait until I get there."
Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter
Ibiza holiday jet in near miss with UFO over Reading
A Thomas Cook airliner flying holidaymakers home from Ibiza to Manchester passes "within feet" of a UFO
Any pilot flying holidaymakers between Manchester and Ibiza must be prepared for outlandish sights.
But perhaps nothing so apparently unworldly as this.
The captain of a Thomas Cook airliner flying tourists back from the Spanish holiday island to the north of England reported a "near miss" with a "rugby ball"-shaped UFO, which passed within feet of his jet.
The encounter, over Reading, Berks, was reported to the aviation authorities, who launched an investigation. But no earthly identity for the object could be established.
The encounter was disclosed earlier this month by the Telegraph, following the publication of a report into the inquiry. The document did not identify the aircraft involved.
However, following an analysis of flight data recorded on the internet, the Telegraph has established it was a Thomas Cook plane, with the flight number TCX24HX. It was an A320, with the registration G-KKAZ, which was made in 2003.
The jet was flying to Manchester International airport, from Ibiza, on July 19th 2013. For years, the island has enjoyed a hedonistic reputation, attracting thousands of tourists each summer, many attracted to its vibrant nightlife. In recent years, it has attracted an increasingly upmarket clientele, among them David and Samantha Cameron.
The aircraft was flying at 516mph, at an altitude of 34,000ft, when it was passed by the UFO.
The encounter occurred in daylight, at around 6.35pm. It only emerged following publication of the report, which concluded it was “not possible to trace the object or determine the likely cause of the sighting”.
The captain said he spotted the object travelling towards the jet out of a left hand side, cockpit window, apparently heading directly for it. He said there was no time to for the aircrew to take evasive action.
He told investigators he was certain the object was going to crash into his aircraft and ducked as it headed towards him.
The incident was investigated by the UK Airprox Board, which studies “near misses” involving aircraft in British airspace.
The report states: “(The captain) was under the apprehension that they were on collision course with no time to react. His immediate reaction was to duck to the right and reach over to alert the FO (First Officer); there was no time to talk to alert him.”
It adds: “The Captain was fully expecting to experience some kind of impact with a conflicting aircraft.”
He told investigators he believes the object passes “within a few feet” above the jet.
He described it as being “cigar/rugby ball like” in shape, bright silver and apparently “metallic” in construction.
Once it had passed, the captain checked the aircraft’s instruments and contacted air traffic controllers to report the incident. However, there was no sign of the mystery craft.
As part of the inquiry, data recordings were checked to establish what other aircraft were in the area at the time. However, all were eliminated. The investigation also ruled out meteorological balloons, after checking none were released in the vicinity. Toy balloons were also discounted, as they are not large enough to reach such heights. Military radar operators were contacted but were unable to trace the reported object.
A spokesman for Thomas Cook Airlines said, “All our pilots are trained and required to report any unexpected events that occur during the flight to the aviation authorities.”
The Ministry of Defence closed its UFO desk in December 2009, along with its hotline for reporting such sightings. Following that change, the Civil Aviation Authority took the decision that it would continue to look into such reports, from aircrew and air traffic controllers, because they could have implications for “flight safety”.
In 2012, the head of the National Air Traffic Control Services admitted staff detected around one unexplained flying object every month.
Diego Sanchez hints at possible UFC on FUEL TV 8 bout with Takanori Gomi
Diego Sanchez may soon have his first fight in more than a year. The UFC veteran today tweeted that he may fight fellow lightweight Takanori Gomi at UFC on FUEL TV 8 in Japan, assuming the Japanese fighter takes the bout.
UFC on FUEL TV 8 takes place March 3 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Following Facebook prelims, the night's main card airs on FUEL TV.
Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans
Invicta Fighting Championships 7 Women’s MMA World Championship Tripleheader, Dec. 7 on PPV
HOBOKEN, NJ (October 31, 2013) – Integrated Sports Media announced today that it will distribute Invicta Fighting Championships 7, featuring three world title fights, on pay-per-view in North America, Saturday night, December 7, live from Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.
“We look forward to bringing MMA fans an absolutely loaded Invicta FC 7 card, showcasing the best women fighters in the world,” Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs commented. “Integrated Sports Media distributed Invicta’s first pay-per-view event – Invicta Fight Championships 6- this past July and it was a major hit, featuring non-stop action and competitive fights from the opening match right through the main event.”
Invicta Fight Championships 7 is being distributed in North American by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9:00 p.m. ET – 6:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DISH, Avail-TVN in the United States, as well as Bell TV, Shaw PPV, SaskTel, TELUS, and MTS in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95.In addition, viewers may purchase the show at Ustream.TV.
“We are excited about teaming up with Integrated Sports again to deliver an outstanding Invicta Fighting Championships women’s world championship tripleheader MMA fight card to a national audience on Pay-Per-View,” Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp said. “With this event, we are looking to close out Invicta FC’s second year of operation in super-strong fashion, with a stacked card featuring an assortment of the best female athletes in our great sport. Our fans are the best in the world and they are going to be treated to some incredible action on December 7.”
The stacked, nine-bout event is headlined by an exciting flyweight showdown between reigning Inficta FC champion Barb Honchak (8-2), of Bettendorf, Iowa and three-time “Fight of the Night” winner Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (6-3-1), of Pleasanton, California.
The 34-year-old Honchak, a protégé of living legend Pat Miletich, reeled-off her seventh straight victory on July 13, dominating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vanessa Porto to become the first Invicta FC 125-pound champion in history on July 13.
Smith, a dangerous 31-year-old striker, has become a crowd favorite, engaging in all-out slugfests with her opponents on the five Invicta FC cards that she has appeared on. On July 13, competing in her first fight as a flyweight after campaigning as a bantamweight, Smith defeated Jennifer Maia by way of a unanimous three-round decision.
Invicta FC strawweight (115 lbs.) champion Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (9-2), of Redondo Beach (CA), takes on undefeated Brazilian superstar Claudia Gadelha(11-0) in the co-feature.
The 26-year-old Esparza, a student of famed trainer Colin Oyama, will step in the cage for the first time since sustaining a knee injury during training earlier this year. In her last effort at Invicta FC 4 on January 5, she registered a unanimous decision over “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt for her fourth consecutive win.
Unstoppable since turning pro in 2008, Gadelha has improved her striking to go with her outstanding submission game. The 24-year-old fighter will make her second start under the Invicta FC banner having scored an impressive win by third round (3:58) TKO over JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki last July.
In the first-ever Invicta FC bantamweight (135 pounds) world championship bout, KO specialist Lauren Murphy (7-0), of Anchorage, Alaska, meets fellow unbeaten star Miriam Nakamoto(2-0, 1 NC) of Dublin (CA).
Murphy has been perfect, thus far, in the Invicta FC cage, earning back-to-back unanimous decision victories over Kaitlin Young and Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio on April 5 and July 13, respectively. Prior to her Invicta FC debut, the 30-year-old had scored TKO finishes in all five of her fights.
Veteran Muay Thai champion Nakamoto extended her perfect record at Invicta FC 6, scoring a first round (2:08) TKO on Duda Yankovich off a knee strike and series of punches, earning her “KO of the Night” honors.
Riding a four-fight win streak, Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig(9-4) of Buffalo Grove, Illinois will make her highly-anticipated Invicta FC debut in a strawweight match against unbeaten prospect Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (3-0), of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Also fighting on the undercards is Scotland’s Joanne Calderwood (7-0) versus Finnish strawweight Katja “Killer Bunny” Kankaanpaa (8-0-1) in a battle of unbeaten; Canadian featherweight (145 lbs.) powerhouse Julia “The Jewel” Budd (5-2) puts her three-fight win streak on the line against fellow Canadian, submission ace Charmaine “Not So Sweet” Tweet (4-3); Cincinnati (OH) flyweight Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-3) collides with Porto (15-6), who plans to rebound from her aforementioned loss to Honchak; Minneapolis (MN) bantamweight Kelly Kobold (18-3) makes her long-awaited Invicta FC debut against Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger (11-6), fighting out of Odessa, Missouri; two Invicta FC newcomers,New Jersey flyweight Munah “The Perfect Storm” Holland (5-2) and Nina “The Strina” Ansaroff (5-4), of Fort Lauderdale, square-off against each other to round-out the card.
For additional information please visit www.IntegratedSportsnet.com or www.invictafc.com.
About Invicta Fighting Championships: Invicta is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicata is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. For more information about Invicta or its events and fighters visit www.invictafc.com or follow on Twitter @InvictaFights.
About Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson and Roy Nelson, in addition to World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Gennady Golovkin, Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Paulie Malignaggi, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr., Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media has distributed numerous International soccer matches featuring teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com or follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.
Invicta Fighting Championships 7 Women’s MMA World Championship Tripleheader, Dec. 7 on PPV is a post from: MMA Interplay
UFC and MMA4NY to Hold Press Conference
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-mma4ny-press-conference
Marcus Aurelio Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo Luciano Azevedo
Thursday, 30 January 2014
MMA legend Anderson Silva delivers delusional quote of the day
Contrary to popular thought, athletes can't sully great legacies by staying in the game too long and not knowing when to retire or stay retired.
They can damage their bodies and brains, perhaps, by not knowing when to quit but loving your craft so much you don't know when to stop is not a character flaw. Making excuses and vainly trying to diminish the accomplishments of your opponents, however, is a sure-fire way to tarnish even the shiniest legacy.
While we were busy wishing former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva a speedy and full recovery and hoping that he ultimately makes the best decision for himself on whether or not he should ever attempt a return to professional fighting after having his leg shattered by Chris Weidman last month, "The Spider" has begun to sully his reputation with delusional comments.
Silva was recently interviewed by Brazilian outlet Globo and MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz translated the fighter's comments. Barring any huge mix up in translation, it appears that Silva has taken an excuse-making, deluded note or two from former rival Chael Sonnen.
"I don’t think [Weidman should consider it a win]," Silva said.
"It was an accident. And I’m pretty sure I would have won the fight."
Deep breath. Alright.
We love Anderson Silva. The all-time great might very well be the best mixed martial artist in history and he has nothing left to prove. That's why it is so frustrating to read such insecure words from the former champion.
Let's recap Silva's two fights with Chris Weidman. In the first round of the first fight, Weidman took Silva down with ease and then smacked him around on the ground.
After Weidman went for and missed a leg lock attempt, Silva got back to his feet. In the second round, Silva tried in vain to mount his own offense with strikes on the feet but could not find the bobbing and weaving Weidman (save for a few hard leg kicks. Let's remember those...) before getting knocked out by the challenger.
In the first round of their second fight, Silva was again taken down in the first round with ease. Once again, he was battered on his back. When he got back to his feet, Weidman actually knocked him out with a short right hand.
The referee did not notice that Silva was out because once his head hit the mat after falling. Weidman hit him some more on the ground. When they got back to their feet in the second round, Anderson threw some leg kicks that Weidman checked.
One of those kick-checks shattered Silva's leg.
Over nearly four rounds, Weidman has dominated almost every second against Silva, knocked him down three times and out twice. If Weidman is "lucky" as Silva suggests, the Long Islander should invest all his money in lottery tickets.
Silva went on, digging his embarrassing hole deeper.
"I can see some technical mistakes I did in the fight," he said.
"To land the perfect kick, I needed to distract him by punching him in the face so he wouldn’t pay attention to the kick. He was protecting the upper part of his body, and he raised leg instinctively. The kick was so strong he lost balance."
So, Silva is now bragging about the kick that may end his career? Saying that leg kick where he broke his own leg in two places was so strong it made Weidman lose balance is like bragging that you bruised a guy's fist when he knocked you out.
Silva is correct in saying that he did not set up his leg kicks with punches. We're not sure why that is supposed to be some major and new observation.
You set crosses up with jabs and kicks up with punches. That's not new to mixed martial arts.
For years, however, Silva has gotten away with not throwing his leg kicks behind punches and from the type of stance that one would ordinarily. He was so much better and quicker and stronger than every other opponent that he was able to get away with those slapping, not set up kicks for years.
Silva could not get away with that the second time around against Weidman, however, so he lost. The fact of the matter is that it appears that Weidman can beat Silva any number of ways, because he already has.
No shame in that for Silva. Weidman is a decade younger, much bigger and has a skill-set that matches up well against Silva.
"I saw my mistake, and now I’m only worried about my comeback," Silva went on.
"If the UFC thinks I deserve another opportunity [against Weidman] or if I need to earn it, I just want to do what I do, it doesn’t matter if it’s for the title or not. I want to do what I do well."
We hope you heal up fully Anderson, and that, if you want to, you fight again. But please, stop wrecking the respect you've earned with your actions through classless words.
Follow Elias @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter
2013 MMA Awards: Comeback fighter of the year
The Yahoo! Sports 2013 MMA Awards keep rolling out this week. Last week, we presented the winners of Fight of the Year, KO of the Year, Submission of the Year and Male and Female Fighters of the Year. Today, we reveal our selection for Comeback Fighter of the Year.
We'll also be presenting Comeback Fight of the Year and Breakthrough Fighter of the Year later today so check back with us later in the day. The full remaining awards schedule is below. After that, our pick for 2013's Comeback Fighter of the Year.
Jan. 6: Comeback Fight of the Year, Breakthrough Fighter of the Year
Jan. 7: Event of the Year
Jan. 8: Trainer of the Year, Television Commentator of the Year, Referee of the Year, Biggest upset of the Year
Comeback Fighter of the Year:
There were a bunch of feel-good stories in the sport of mixed martial arts last year, embodied by candidates for our 2013 Comeback Fighter of the Year. Chris Weidman was and stayed undefeated in the cage but he came back from two shoulder surgeries, a year of inactivity, a freaking hurricane and homelessness to beat perhaps the best fighter in MMA history, Anderson Silva, not once but twice in 2013 and become the UFC's middleweight champion.
Vitor Belfort lost half of his 2012 bouts and had lost his prior two shots at UFC gold in convincing fashion heading into this past year. Yet, three incredible knockout wins via head kick later and "The Phenom" has become the number one contender to Weidman's belt, and has done so at the advanced sporting age of 36.
Our selection for the biggest comeback kid story of 2013 in MMA, however, is perhaps the most unlikely title contender in recent memory...
The Yahoo! Sports MMA Awards Comeback Fighter of the Year: Robbie Lawler
Over a decade ago, Robbie Lawler became one of the youngest fighters in UFC history. He had power in his hands and anger in his heart once he hit the Octagon.
Still, even back then in what we would have assumed was the thinking brawler's physical prime, Lawler never really came particularly close to title contention.
After losing two straight fights by stoppage in 2004, Lawler was out of the UFC. For the next decade, the explosive knockout artist fought in every top organization underneath the sport's biggest stage and did pretty well for himself.
However, when the UFC owners decided to close up the Strikeforce promotion which it had recently purchased and where Lawler had been fighting for the past three years, no one could have imagined that he'd become one of the most successful imports from the organization into the UFC. Lawler had lost five out of his eight Strikforce fights including three out of his last four when he squared up with two-time UFC welterweight challenger and perrenial contender Josh Koscheck last February at UFC 157.
The excellent wrestler Koscheck seemed like a horrible matchup for the striker Lawler. Instead, Lawler manhandled and bludgeoned Koscheck en route to a truly ruthless first round stoppage win.
Lawler followed that surprise win with another nasty KO win against Bobby Voelker in July and then took on the welterweight's heir apparent, Rory MacDonald at UFC 167 in November. MacDonald was a training partner for division kingpin Georges St. Pierre and very little in the young fighter's career up to that point suggested that he was anything but the future champion once St. Pierre decided to hang his own gloves up.
St. Pierre wasn't the only one to receive a surprise at UFC 167 when Johny Hendricks beat him up before being robbed of the decision win, though. Lawler took it to favored MacDonald and out-pointed and out-muscled the Canadian to earn a split-decision win.
When St. Pierre decided to take a leave of absence from the sport and vacate his title, UFC president Dana White announced that Hendricks and Lawler would fight to decide the new welterweight champ in early 2014.
Lawler's road to the top may not yet be at its end but he's already achieved a remarkable and meteoric re-rise. Most fighters don't get second acts but Lawler spent a decade fighting and improving to force his into existence.
For doing so, Robbie Lawler is our choice for Comeback Fighter of the Year, 2013.
Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/2013-mma-awards-comeback-fighter-182314635--mma.html
Tyrone Spong vs. Remy Bonjasky GLORY kickboxing fight moved to March
Less than a week after the fight announcement, Tyrone Spong's next kickboxing outing has been changed. In a bout originally set for Feb. 16 in London at GLORY 5, Spong now will meet Remy Bonjasky on March 23 in London.
GLORY officials recently announced the date change, saying the delay will give Bonjasky a chance for a full fight camp.
UFC on FOX 10 Musings
The Downes Side: UFC on FOX 10 Predictions
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/The-Downes-Side-UFC-on-FOX-10-Predictions
Canada Gets Five UFC Events in 2014
Score Fighting Series 7 results: Mein quickly stops Petz, Ronson batters Healy
Strikeforce took a gamble by loaning out Jordan Mein, one of its top welterweight prospects, for Friday's Score Fighting Series 7 headliner.Against UFC vet Forrest Petz, he faced a heavy-handed fighter with proven knockout power.
Yet, quickly in the main-event fight, it looked like anything but a risky proposition.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/6g8-voA-wek/score-fighting-series-7-results.mma
Murilo Bustamante Grant Campbell Gesias JZ Calvancante Luiz Cane
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
ROUNDTABLE: Did the nature of Ben Henderson's UFC on Fox 10 win actually hurt his path back to a Title fight?
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Does the controversial nature of his split-decision win over Josh Thomson actually hurt Benson Henderson's chances at working back to another fight with Anthony Pettis, or does he have the same lengthy road regardless? Why or why not?
RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Henderson was a country mile away from a title shot against Anthony Pettis on Saturday afternoon, and he's a country mile away from a title shot against Anthony Pettis now. Had he slaughtered Thomson, which he clearly did not do, he might have put himself a little bit closer. That he won ugly didn't help him get closer, but that he didn't lose means at worst he's at the same place he was before. Limbo. I also think Dana White is getting tired of Henderson's style, as evidenced by his sneering dismissal of another "typical (Benson) Henderson fight." Don't bore the boss when you fight. In the UFC that rule is sacrosanct, even more so than don't piss off the boss. Dana White will employ (sorry, Independently Contract) fighters he doesn't like, but he'll fire great fighters who bore him (See Okami, Yushin and Fitch, Jon).
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I am not convinced that it hurts him. It is not his fault the ref’s got it wrong. I agree that the decision was too close to call, but to penalize Henderson for not finishing a fight does not make any sense. Having said that the UFC has a horrible track record of making the title fights they want instead of making the fights for the most deserving fighters. Benson Henderson is two or three fights away from another title shot regardless.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I think it's the same long road regardless. This is who Henderson is. He's demonstrated time and again that this is how he fights, and he's going to try to improve. The judges don't give him much incentive to improve either, with the way they judge things. He seems destined to be the new Jon Fitch, a guy who can beat almost everyone but the champ. The danger that Henderson faces is that if he loses a few in a row, he's out. I think his win over Thomson doesn't do much for his case at a title shot, but it doesn't hurt it either.
DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK COLUMNIST
It certainly hurts him now that Dana White has effectively ruled him out of another instant title shot this summer. I very much doubt he would have got one anyway, even if he'd finished Josh Thomson to earn his win.
It's difficult to sell a fight so soon after he lost so convincingly to Pettis in what was his second loss to the champ. To earn another shot is going to require at least one more win over a fellow top contender in the division.
[Benson Henderson art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/roundtables/article_20083.shtml
TTTHS
Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82297-TTTHS&goto=newpost
Randy The Natural Couture Dan Cramer Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz
Ellenberger and Saffiedine to meet at UFC 172
In the UFC 172 main event, Jon Jones defends his UFC light heavyweight crown against Glover Teixeira. Read the Full Article Here
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Ellenberger-Saffiedine-UFC-172
Darrell Montague injured, Justin Scoggins steps in to fight Will Campuzano at UFC 171
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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
An injury to flyweight Darrell Montague has brought a change to UFC 171 this March.
The UFC announced the injury removal on Tuesday, and his originally scheduled opponent, Will Campuzano, will now take on Justin Scoggins on the card.
Campuzano returned to the UFC in November, losing a decision to Sergio Pettis. That was his first loss since dropping to 125 lbs., as he'd won five straight fights in the division since dropping down in 2011. He jumped up to 135 lbs. for that fight with Pettis, but is heading back down to where he'd had success recently for this event.
He'll take on the undefeated Scoggins, who made a successful UFC debut in December. He took out Richie Vaculik by TKO at UFC Fight Night 33, moving his record to 8-0.
UFC 171 takes place from Dallas, Texas, on March 15, headlined by the vacant Welterweight Championship fight between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler.
This article originally stated mistakenly that Campuzano's loss to Pettis was at 125 lbs., but the fight happened at bantamweight. The error has been corrected.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_20084.shtml
UFC on FOX 10 Weigh In Results
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Official-UFC-on-FOX-10-Weigh-In-Results
Bellator's Patricio "Pitbull" Freire: "How can I be motivated to fight if I know the people I fight for... want me to lose?"
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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Earlier this week, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney tried to defend their decision to book the immediate rematch between Daniel Straus and Pat Curran. He argued that the idea of them completing the trilogy out-weighed the tournament win of Patricio "Pitbull" Freire, who has been vocally out-spoken in the wake of the Straus-Curran announcement.
Rebney's statement didn't sit well with Freire, who released another lengthy comment via Twitter on Friday expressing his feelings on the entire situation. Freire's statement below:
"Never in my entire career have I felt so disrespected and disappointed. @BellatorMMA announces their tournament brackets and in all of them they only have the champion, on the Featherweight one they have @PatCurranMMA as well. I don't have anything against Curran himself, what I don't like is the clear way he's being favored. I have all the desire in the world to fight and beat him again, not letting it to the judges this time. The issue is not this one. It's how the entire division is overlooked because of him. What is fair is fair, the only ones who can fight for Bellator's Featherweight belt are me and Frodo, if Frodo can't, then it's me. But the disrespect now goes beyond just the Featherweight division. Why is @kongo4real not there? Why is @MikeChandlerMMA not there? @PhenomLima and @RickHawnMMA will define the champion, I get that. But why is Curran worth of being on the image and the other challengers aren't? And why do you have it like the tournament winner will fight the winner of @DanielStraus vs Curran? There is a line and it's being ignored. And what about your champion? Daniel Straus deserves respect. I miss the time when Bellator's "title shots are earned, not given" were true. Also I miss the time when champions were respected. I want to be respected when I am champion and I think Daniel Straus should get respect for what he achieved. How can I be motivated to fight if I know the people I fight for and I have defended all these years want me to lose? How would you feel if you were me?
Penick's Analysis: Bellator made another highly questionable move today, announcing that Joe Warren will fight the Bantamweight Champion on May 2. That in and of itself wouldn't be a problem. However, he'll be fighting the Champion with a full three months of preparation, while that Champ will have to bounce back eight weeks after either retaining (in Eduardo Dantas' case) or capturing (in Rafael Silva's case) the Title. It really isn't respectful to certain fighters when moves are made in such blatant favoritism towards others. The simple fact of the matter is either Frodo Khasbulaev has gotten screwed out of his title fight due to dubious "visa issues" which somehow haven't been worked on in several months, or Pitbull's gotten screwed out of his title fight by virtue of being next in line. Rebney's explanation for giving Curran the fight doesn't mesh with what happened in the second fight. It doesn't necessitate the immediate rematch over those who have earned their shots, and that decision is going to have a ripple effect of negativity for some time.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Bellator/article_20041.shtml
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Bellator's 'Vote for the Fight' series continues with Daley, Saunders, Lima, War Machine
Bellator's interactive feature allowing fans to pick the first fight on the promotion's Spike TV debut continues with the second episode in an ongoing web series. The promotion recently announced "Vote for the Fight" during the MTV2 broadcast of Bellator 79.
Bellator events currently air Fridays on MTV2 through the remainder of Season 7, but will move to Spike TV starting in January 2013.
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Sean Soriano Fight Video UFC Fight Night 34
Source: http://www.mmatko.com/tatsuya-kawajiri-vs-sean-soriano-fight-video-ufc-fight-night-34/
Quebec commission declines to hear Alessio Sakara's UFC 154 appeal request
Patrick Cote's controversial UFC 154 disqualification victory over Alessio Sakara will stand.On Friday, Quebec's La Regie des alcools des courses et des jeux (the baord that governs combat sports in the province) declined to hear Sakara's protest that referee Dan Miragliotta mishandled the bout, which took place Nov. 17 at Montreal's Bell Centre.
French-language outlet LaPress.ca was the first to report the board's decision.
Dana White says Brock Lesnar return to UFC possible
In a media scrum Wednesday after UFC Fight Night 35, UFC president Dana White spoke about the chances retired former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar could one day come back to MMA and the promotion. The former NCAA Division I wrestling national champ and current WWE star still has contact with the UFC, according to White.
"He has some regrets," White said.
"Would he like to fight again? I'm sure he would. We'll see how this whole thing plays out. It's definitely a possibility."
White says that Lesnar feels he could have done even better in his UFC career if it weren't for having the life-threatening condition diverticulitis throughout it.
"Me and Brock talk," he said.
"I said recently Brock feels like, he said he has some regrets with MMA because he wasn't healthy. He was going through those stomach problems the whole time he was here. So he has regrets.
"It's interesting. He became champion with diverticulitis. What would he have done without it? From the first day he fought in the UFC until his last fight he was suffering from it. He never felt right. He just didn't know why and then it really hit him. He feels like he was fighting here at 40 percent."
Lesnar won the UFC heavyweight championship by stopping Randy Couture in 2008 in what was just his fourth professional fight. Overall, Lesnar was 5-3 and ended his career with two consecutive losses to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem after surgeries to address his diverticulitis.
"He thinks a Brock Lesnar that was 100 percent could have done much better," White went on.
"I told him, 'you're out of your [expletive] mind. You came in here with one fight and became the heavyweight champion.' It was fun having Brock here."
Would you ever want to see Lesnar back in the Octagon or should he stick to pro-wrestling? Let us know in the comments section.
Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter
VR headset for the ps4 & the xbox one
pretty sure its on my list
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Alex Caceres, Donald Cerrone and Sergio Pettis Win Bonuses at UFC on FOX 10
After an interesting night of MMA action, UFC president Dana White awarded Donald Cerrone and Sergio Pettis each an additional $50,000 for their special performances Saturday night at “UFC on FOX: Henderson vs. Thomson.” Alex Caceres (pictured) double dipped and scored an extra $100,000
Cerrone made quick work of Adriano Martins with a first round highlight reel head kick. The strike earned “Cowboy” $50K for “Knockout of the Night.”
Pettis was handed the first loss of his young professional career, but he won’t leave Chicago empty handed. He and Caceres put on the best show to earn “Fight of the Night.”
Caceres also scored “Submission of the Night” for his rear-naked choke victory.
UFC on FOX 10 took place inside United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Fight of the Night:
Sergio Pettis and Alex Caceres ($50,000/each)
Submission of the Night:
Alex Caceres ($50,000)
Knockout of the Night:
Donald Cerrone ($50,000)
Monday, 27 January 2014
ENOUGH with Benson
And hey, if you can't finish someone, can you at least DOMINATE someone or at least win convincingly? At least when GSP was fighting 5 round snooze-fests, he was dominating. Nobody was questioning whether he won or not (until Hendricks).
I watched Stipe/Gonzaga then I went out to the bar to get drunk because I knew exactly that this would be another 5 rounder controversial decision, like always.
Benson stinks, he has no "overdrive" or "champion mode", and for all his athleticism, size and strength he can't seem to figure out how to actually HURT somebody.
Enough with this guy! I can't be the only one sick of him.
Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82301-ENOUGH-with-Benson&goto=newpost
Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan
UFC on FOX 10 Results: The Twitter Perspective
Twitter: Where everyone has an opinion, and when it comes to MMA, they’re almost always wrong. Tonight’s UFC on FOX 10 provides another joyous occasion where the MMA Twitterverse can come together and snark the hell out of what goes on in the cage. What’s that? You don’t “do” Twitter? Don’t sweat it, here’s what […]
The post UFC on FOX 10 Results: The Twitter Perspective appeared first on MMA Convert.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/cfSqrvzUUrw/
UFC 169 Could Be Moved to Sunday
With a forecast predicting snow and an outdoor stadium that could quickly turn into a winter nightmare, there is a very real chance that next Sunday’s Super Bowl in East Rutherford, N.J. could be moved to Saturday, February 1 – which would be the worst case scenario for the UFC, as their UFC 169 event […]
The post UFC 169 Could Be Moved to Sunday appeared first on MMA Convert.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/QiPEmztqi0s/
Bellator MMA to hold open tryouts from Latin America
Newport Beach, CA. (November 30, 2013) – Bellator will host open tryouts for aspiring fighters on Sunday, December 1st and Saturday, December 7th from Latin America. The first tryout will take place Sunday, December 1st at Candecom MMA in Mexico and continue Saturday, December 7th from United MMA- Fight Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Both tryouts will begin at 10 a.m. local time.
Fighters must bring a mouth piece, protective cup and MMA or boxing gloves. Fighters must also be an unrestricted free agent with no contractual obligations to any other combat sports promotion. All weight classes are welcome. Tryouts will consist of one-on-one grappling as well as a group striking session. There will be no live MMA sparring.
There will be no winner of the tryouts, but instead the Bellator talent relations team will review all performances post-tryout and determine if there is a fit for a future opening. Fighters are also asked to bring their MMA ID or their MixedMartialArts.com profile page that includes their photo.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BellatorMMA
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 115 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 175 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Newport Beach, California.
About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
About mun2
mun2 is the leading Hispanic cable network for young millennial adults 18-34. From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content that resonates across a multi-screen platform. Young, vibrant and unabashedly Latino, mun2 has a distribution to over 38 million households. The network is part of Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal.
Bellator MMA to hold open tryouts from Latin America is a post from: MMA Interplay
Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/mma/bellator-mma-to-hold-open-tryouts-from-latin-america-68041/
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UFC on FOX 10 Weigh-In Results
All 11 fights planned for Saturday’s UFC on FOX 10 event are a go, as 22 fighters successfully weighed in earlier today. In the main event, former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will take on Josh Thomson. Henderson came in at 156 pounds, while Thomson was 155. Complete weigh-in results can be found below, along […]
The post UFC on FOX 10 Weigh-In Results appeared first on MMA Convert.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/VjtKcPLcQvo/
UFC on FOX 10 Postfight Presser
UFC on FOX 10 is now one for the history books, and it’s likely that the passage of time will paint a picture of an event where a veteran lightweight got screwed out of a decision and contemplated calling it quits afterwards. Yeah, I’m talking about former Strikeforce champ Josh Thomson, who got the fuzzy end of the lollipop with a crap decision against Benson Henderson, and who spoke of being at the end of his journey at the postfight presser. See for yourself what Thomson said in the following video, which is the press conference in its entirety.
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/99603/ufc-on-fox-10-postfight-presser/
Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle
Ed Soares on Anderson Silva: “He’s Focused on Coming Back”
It’s only been a few weeks since his horrific leg-break in the Octagon at UFC 168, but already former champ Anderson Silva is working towards recovery. In fact, longtime manager Ed Soares was with him recently, and when Soares was on AXS-TV’s “Inside MMA” last week, he had this to report:
The post Ed Soares on Anderson Silva: “He’s Focused on Coming Back” appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.
Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2014/01/27/ed-soares-anderson-silva-hes-focused-coming-back/
Adrenaline, cash & whiskey: A short ride with UFC’s ‘Cowboy’ Donald Cerrone
As we wrapped up our Head to Head conversation with Clay Guida to break down Saturday's UFC on Fox 10 card earlier this week, we had to ask him a little more about his teammate Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. Cerrone made headlines recently by claiming that he was flat-broke and that he was hungry to fight again, and as often as possible, so that he could get some more cash and start saving it.
Guida knows the financial difficulties of fighting for a living and also knows Cerrone well. Is a broke Cerrone fighting from a good place, mentally, we asked Guida to guess.
"Look, everyone is different and reacts to things differently," Guida said.
"Different things make different people tick. When you're as good at so many things as he is, from being a professional wake-boarder to a mountain climber to doing rodeo stuff, I think you just do everything in extreme ways. But money is a good motivator so if 'Cowboy' says he is fighting to secure his financial future, more power to him. "
Fair enough. We were still interested in Cerrone's answer to the question, though.
Luckily, we didn't have to wait long as we caught up with The Team Jackson/Winkeljohn fighter a few minutes later. Cerrone flat-out shut down the idea that he could be distracted by being broke.
"Hell no, man," he told us.
"You have a short window, you know, and if I plan on living the lifestyle I want I’ve got to make a nest egg. So, let’s [expletive] rack ‘em and stack ‘em as fast as we can."
You'd think that these types of folksy turns of phrase might come off as corny or inauthentic in person. However, you somehow you get the feeling that Cerrone, Cowboy hat perched on his head, camouflage hunting jacket on his back, is speaking straight with you.
That, combined with his reckless fighting style also help you believe that, since he's fighting to stack cash, he wants to do it as often as possible from here on out.
"I’ll fight every weekend, hell yeah," he said.
Cerrone doesn't deny that fighting as often as he wants for the UFC would take it's toll on his body. He's got a quick solution for that, though.
"Getting’ banged up ain’t nothing a few shots of whiskey can’t cure," Cerrone explained.
Speaking of drinking, Cerrone has said that an earlier attempt to tone-down his lifestyle contributed to his underperforming in the Octagon. The bull-riding, wake-boarding, mountain climbing, hard-drinking "Cowboy" says that for his fight Saturday against Adriano Martins, he has let himself be who he is.
The switch wasn't just a psychological one, either. Cerrone said he really didn't limit any of his favorite excessive or risky activities leading up to this bout.
"No, I definitely do all those things, 100%," he said with a smirk.
"Everyone was like, ‘Cowboy’ you need to quit doing all this stuff, start taking care of yourself, if you were serious about it, blah blah, blah’. No, I need to go be me."
We posited Guida's theory that Cerrone has a deep-seeded need to constantly have his adrenaline pumping, he grinned again. "Yeah. Definitely," he said.
How does fighting MMA compare to the thrills of bull-riding and cliff-hanging, for Cerrone?
"This is it, man," he said.
"Bull riding is fun but fighting is it."
His cash-money talk taken into consideration, we still suspected that when the Octagon cage door closes on Cerrone, it isn't money that's on his mind. The thrill, it would seem, is from a more primal source - the challenge of beating up another man.
"Is that what it is about MMA," we ask. "That it's another man across from you that you prove you're better than?"
In the midst of a weight-cut, Cerrone had seemed fidgety, distracted and didn't make much eye-contact for most of our conversation. At this point, however, he looked right back, smiled, nodded and said, "exactly."
Saturday night at UFC on Fox 10, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone will have a man in front of him to beat up, with cash on the line. We can't imagine him enjoying much else more than that.
Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter