Speaking at the UFC Fan Expo, "Korean Zombie" Jung Chan Sung discussed his epic fight against Leonard Garcia at WEC 48 last month, promising fans more of the same. Twenty-three year old Jung Chan Sung is currently 10-2 in Mixed Martial Arts.
Monday, May 31, 2010
UFC President Dana White talks about the signing of Jake Shields; Considers Machida-Rampage showdown
UFC boss Dana White shared his thoughts about an array of subjects, speaking at the UFC 114: Rampage vs Jackson post-fight press conference. White provided his analysis for the situation regarding the future of Jake Shields, saying "Strikeforce suck, and don't. He is coming here". Jake Shields' contract will expire during the next weeks, as a future match-up against Georges St. Pierre or Anderson Silva is definitely a possibility.As for the UFC 114 main eventer Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, White revealed that he is considering the possibility of the showdown against Lyoto Machida, who tasted the first loss of his career against Shogun Rua at UFC 113 in Montreal.Next Ultimate Fighting Championship attraction will be UFC 115: Liddell vs Franklin, held at the at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. According to various reports, UFC will return to England this Autumn, with the entertaining UFC 120 fight card, that will be held at the O2 Arena in London.
Wanderlei Silva expects fireworks against Yoshihiro Akiyama
“It’ll be the professor Rafael Cordeiro who will deal with it and guide the sparring to do it the way it must be done. Akiyama is really tough, a good guy, who was an athlete for all his life through. He has a good ground game, Yoshihiro Akiyama is really strong.
It’ll be an interesting fight, it’s a good fight for me because he goes forward and goes with the flow, and he doesn’t run off. I believe the fight will be busy, a big show. I want to keep on fighting for the next six years, at least until I’m forty. This division change was good, I had to change my diet and I’m feeling just fine.”
Wanderlei Silva is currently 2-3 in his five bouts inside The Octagon, losing to Chuck Liddell (decision), Rampage Jackson (KO) and Rich Franklin (decision). The Axe Murderer is currently Thirty-three years old, competing professionally in Mixed Martial Arts since 1996.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
MMA Fighter Gouges Out Friend’s Heart and Eyes
Jarrod Wyatt, 26, also faces charges of aggravated mayhem and torture stemming from the grisly March killing of his 21-year-old friend Taylor Powell, after a Del Norte County Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday there was sufficient evidence to put the case before a jury.
Wyatt, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, is due to reappear in court Friday for arraignment.
Powell was killed at a home in the coastal town of Requa, about 40 miles south of the Oregon board, early on March 21. He bled to death after his heart was removed from his body while still alive, according to his death certificate.
Deputies, responding to a 911 call, found Wyatt at the scene.
Another man had raised the alarm after allegedly seeing him naked and dripping with blood, standing over the mutilated body.
The witness told officials Wyatt had earlier been acting strangely after drinking “some kind of mushroom tea.”
Wyatt’s MMA career is still in its earlier stages. According to The Daily Triplicate in Crescent City, Calif., he had won his first pro bout in October.
Michael Bisping has nothing but respect for Dan Miller
Victory over Dan Miller improves Bisping's Mixed Martial Arts record to an impressive 19-3, going 3-2 in his last five fights. Michael Bisping is now 9-3 inside The Octagon, after making his debut against Josh Haynes at the Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale.
Michael Bisping declared numerous times that he is looking for a rematch against "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva, after the two met in the co-main event of UFC 110 in Australia, last February. Wanderlei Silva will square off against the Japanese-Korean superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116 on July 3rd.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson regrets he did the A-Team movie
Coming after a long layoff, Rampage struggled to find his trademarked aggression that helped him to win 30 bouts in his Mixed Martial Arts career. Jackson's last fight was against Keith Jardine at UFC 96, as Rashad Evans fought twice since then, against the top Light Heavyweights Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson may find himself in the cage with "The Dragon" Lyoto Machida in his next fight, in what could be one of the most anticipated striking battles in UFC history. Both fighters are looking to bounce back from defeats in their last fights, with sights on another run at the top of the UFC Light Heavyweight division.
MMA Live breakdown Rashad Evans victory over Rampage Jackson at UFC 114
Also, MMA Live also share their thoughts about other bouts of the night, including Michael Bisping's wonderful performance against Dan Miller at the co-main event of the evening, and Jason Brilz' display of heart against the high-ranked Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. UFC 114 winners Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping and the unbeaten British hot prospect John Hathaway are taking part in the show to discuss their fights.
Next UFC event will be UFC 115: Liddell vs Franklin, taking place on June 12, at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop will co-headline the show in his fight against the Kickboxing prodigy Pat "HD" Barry.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Rashad Evans Concludes UFC 114 Grudge Match with Decision Win over Rampage Jackson, Shogun Rua Title Fight is Next
As soon as the opening bell went off, Evans immediately rocks Rampage with a right hand that staggers him to the fence as Evans looks to go for the takedown and succeeds as Rampage recovers, but Rashad who is trying to keep the pressure is unable to do much after that as Rampage finds a way to get back to his feet and resets.
Rampage attempts to go for his big power shot, but Evans is sticking and moving while he uses his speed to his advantage to get ahead on the judges scorecards as much is done in the second round as in the first round as Evans gets a pivotal takedown and leaves Rampage with no answer to counter in any way, shape or form.
However, in the last round Rashad who did lax just a bit in his fight with Thiago Silva found himself getting caught by a Rampage right hand as Evans is dropped to the ground while Rampage tries to seize the opportunity, but Rashad recovers and ultimately gets out of Rampage hold over him as he secures a few more takedowns to get this fight to a decision and take the victory.
With the grudge match done, Rashad Evans will move on to his second title shot as he will now be the first to challenge Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua for the UFC light heavyweight championship as Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson will hopefully be back once again and get his ring rust out of the way.
Props: urdirt.com
Michael Bisping Bounces Back with UFC 114 Decision Victory over Dan Miller
From the start of the fight, surprisingly Miller decides to sty on the feet with ‘The Count’ as he is somewhat comfortable standing in the pocket and getting some shots in the process, but Bisping with his gameplan has Miller right where he wants him as he begins to pick apart the Whippany, New Jersey native with punches, kicks and good foot work.
In the second round, Bisping lands some heavy right handed bombs on Miller, but still does not go down as Miller continues to stay inside and deal punch for punch with Bisping which is not panning out as Bisping has the edge.
Miller gets a takedown on Bisping, but may have proven to be too late as Bisping who is tough to take down and hard to keep down gets back up to his feet and gets away from Miller with another solid right hand to break free and continue his assault on the feet and even though Miller tries for one last gas, the bell sounds as this fight also goes to the judges scorecards.
And as a decision is made, the judges score the fight in favor of Michael Bisping as he gets back on the winning track and looks to move up the middleweight ladder again, while Dan Miller could be on the firing line to lose his spot on the UFC roster.
Props: urdirt.com
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira takes Razor Sharp Close Decision over Jason Brilz at UFC 114
During the fight, Brilz went to his bread and butter and got the takedown on Nogueira as he utilizes his strength and weight to his advantage as Nog looks to use his Jiu-Jitsu to his advantage, but Brilz had a great gameplan for the former PRIDE veteran as he would change Nogueira’s gameplan in a drastic way.
Nogueira who looked hesitant to strike with Brilz decided to go for broke and nearly paid for it in the second round as Brilz was teeing off with some wild left and right hooks and nearly finishing. but Nogueira hung tight and stood toe to toe with Brilz as they go into the final round and it was a back and forth battle as they both looked for dominant positions on the ground and on the feet as the bout once again went to the judges decision.
However, the judges saw that Nogueira did just enough as he was in favor of two scorecards to get the victory as Brilz was robbed of a sure win and the crowd chants “BULL-SHIT”. Still, Nogueira is unbeaten inside the Octagon and Brilz in defeat will definitely be back inside the Octagon after such a valiant effort.
Props: urdirt.com
John Hathaway Impresses in Tough Test, Decisions Diego Sanchez at UFC 114
From the start of the bell to the closing bell, Hathaway had a great gameplan for Sanchez as he used his reach to his full advantage as Hathaway used his jab and a solid knee strike to put a hurting on Sanchez early to gain control throughout the fight.
Sanchez who normally starts very strong seemed to not have it as he tried to get in on Hathaway to make some damage happen, but was unsuccessful as Hathaway was able to counter, stuff the takedown attempts and come in and attack whenever he had the opening.
The judges gave all rounds to the 22 year old and even scoring a 10-8 third round as John ‘The Hitman’ Hathaway comes away with the a big win in the UFC and will be up against tougher competition from here on in.
Props: urdirt.com
UFC 114: Mike Russow Catches Todd Duffee with Late KO for the Win
Throughout the fight, Duffee is landing some very heavy handed shots, but Russow has a very tough chin and continues to fight on as he tries to reset and make something happen constantly.
Duffee appears to have hurt his hand as he lost some pep to his step, but is still in control of this fight for the most part as the fight goes into the third and final round.
It appears that Duffee will remain unbeaten as Russow has no answers to make anything happen, but Todd Duffee did not know that as he continued to cruise on, Russow found the only opening he needed and landed a vicious straight right hand that stunned Duffee as Russow followed it with another right hook as he is flat on his back as Russow gets the unexpected third round KO for the win.
Unimpressed with his performance, Russow wants to get back on the drawing board, but still remains unbeaten in his Octagon career after just two fights while Duffee suffers the first loss of his MMA career.
Props: urdirt.com
DREAM 14 Fight Video: Nick Diaz vs Mach Sakurai
If you were unable to stay up until 7:00 am this morning to watch the DREAM 14 main event, don’t worry we got your back! In the video below watch the full Nick Diaz vs Mach Sakurai fight.
Lyoto Machida “You will see my comeback, I’m training hard and I’m going to prove to everyone why I’m here”
In this video from the UFC 114 Fan Expo, former light heavyweight Lyoto Machida talks about his loss to Mauricio Shogun Rua and his return to the Octagon. Machida says that he is training hard to get his title back and appears he now has a new fire to get back to the top. Machida also picks Rashad Evans to defeat Quinton Rampage Jackson tonight at UFC 114, because he feels he is more focused.
Matt Hughes inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame
Speaking to the UFC.com, Hughes shared his feelings about the Hall of Fame induction: "I just never thought about it, to be honest, so yeah, it came out of the blue. I really thought a lot about it the first couple of days after Dana told me, and I really didn't know what to think about it. I've always been the type of guy who thought that somebody who gets inducted into the Hall of Fame needs to be a retired individual.
That's just my train of thought. But I'm very privileged and I thank the UFC. I took this up as just a hobby, something to occupy my time and to vent some aggressiveness and be competitive. I never thought that I would be in the position that I'm in today. Shaking hands, signing autographs, being a world title holder and being inducted into the Hall of Fame, this is beyond what I ever would have pictured my life being."
Matt Hughes joins the Mixed Martial Arts legends Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Charles "Mask" Lewis in the prestigious UFC Hall of Fame.
Hughes' career milestones (mmamania.com):
• 44 pro wins
• 17 UFC wins (most all-time)
• 2 welterweight championship reigns
• 7 successful title defenses (most ever)
• 9 championship fight wins (tied with Randy Couture for most ever)
• 5 knockout wins in championship fights (tied with Couture and Chuck Liddell for most ever)
• 5 successful consecutive welterweight title defenses (1st all-time)
• 12 welterweight championship fights (1st all-time)
• 27 welterweight championship rounds fought (tied for 1st all-time with Georges St-Pierre)
• 3 submission wins in welterweight championship fights (1st all-time)
• 6 former or current UFC champions defeated by Hughes (St-Pierre, Serra, BJ Penn, Dave Menne, Sean Sherk, Carlos Newton)
Urijah Faber confirms Bantamweight intentions
Legendary former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah "The California Kid" Faber discussed what's next for him, confirming that he will try his luck at the WEC Bantamweight (135 pounds) division. Faber is currently 23-4 in his MMA career, competing since 2003.
MMA Live: In-depth UFC 114 Rampage vs Evans preview
This week's MMA Live panel preview the long-anticipated grudge match of the year between Suga Rashad Evans and Quinton Rampage Jackson.
UFC 114 Weigh-Ins: Fighters hit the scale in Las Vegas, Nevada
Do not forget to make your picks for the event, and to join us at LowKick.com for the LIVE Play by Play commentary of the main card fights.
Full Weigh-ins results:
Main event:
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (205) vs. "Suga" Rashad Evans (206)
Main card (Televised):
Jason Brilz (205) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205)
Michael Bisping (186) vs. Dan Miller (185)
John Hathaway (171) vs. Diego Sanchez (171)
Todd Duffee (253) vs. Mike Russow (253)
Spike TV card (Televised):
Dong Hyun Kim (171) vs. Amir Sadollah (171)
Efrain Escudero (156) vs. Dan Lauzon (155)
Under card (May not be broadcast):
Melvin Guillard (155) vs. Waylon Lowe (155)
Joe Brammer (156) vs. Aaron Riley (156)
Luiz Cane (205) vs. Cyrille Diabate (205)
Jesse Forbes (186) vs. Ryan Jensen (185)
King Mo takes another swipe at Rampage
Strikeforce Lightheavyweight Champion King Mo Lawal shares his opinion on the match up between his training partner Rashad Evans and Quinton Rampage Jackson. Mo is currently recovering from the fight against Gegard Mousasi at Strikeforce: Nashville, and is expected to return to action at Dream.15 for the Light Heavyweight Gran Prix.
Rampage vs Evans hype-up video
Excellent Rampage vs Evans hype-up video, for thosse who need another reason to tune in for this Saturday's UFC 114 main event. Two Light Heavyweights will finally settle their score at the sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Alan Belcher vs. Demian Maia expected for UFC Fight Night 22
It appears Belcher got what he asked for, as he and Maia have verbally agreed to meet at UFC Fight Night 22 in September, according to MMA Fighting.
Belcher (16-6) is 4-1 in his last five bouts, which includes a current two fight winning streak. He most recently scored a second-round submission win over Patrick Cote at UFC 113 earlier this month. His rear-naked choke submission win over Cote earned him an extra $65,000, as he was awarded the "Submission of the Night" fight night bonus.
Belcher has put together a solid 7-4 record with the UFC since debuting with the promotion in August 2006, scoring other notable Octagon wins over Wilson Gouveia, Jorge Santiago, Ed Herman and Denis Kang. His other UFC losses have came against Yushin Okami, Kendall Grove, Jason Day and Yoshihiro Akiyama.
Maia (12-2) is 1-2 in his last three bouts, most recently suffering a unanimous decision loss to Anderson Silva in a UFC middleweight title fight in the main event of last month's UFC 112 event. He previously defeated Dan Miller at UFC 109 in February.
Maia now sports a 6-2 UFC record, picking up wins in his first five UFC bouts, all by submission, over Ryan Jensen, Ed Herman, Jason MacDonald, Nate Quarry and Chael Sonnen. His only other UFC and career loss came against Nate Marquardt at UFC 102.
The as-of-yet unannounced UFC Fight Night 22 event is expected to take place on September 15, with an exact location and venue yet to be determined. The event will likely serve as the lead-in for Spike TV's debut episode of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 12.
The only other rumored bout set to take place at UFC Fight Night 22 is a lightweight fight between Jim Miller and Gleison Tibau.
Props: fiveknuckles.com
The 15th annual Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships kick off next week
Since its creation in 1996, The Mundials have become the Super Bowl of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, crowning new world champions each year over a span of 4 days.
Many mixed martial artists and trainers have either competed in, or won this tournament in the past. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Fabricio Werdum, Alexandre Ribeiro, Roger Gracie, and B.J. Penn are just a few current MMA fighters who have won this tournament at the black belt level.
For those of you new to the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the Mundials breakdown like this:
Each person competing represents a team, but competes as an individual.
Competitors are matched according to their belt rank, age, weight and gender. Each age group, belt rank, weight, and gender will have its own world champion at the end of the tournament.
There is also an Absolute (open weight) champion crowned each year. The Absolute champion is the most coveted of all the championships awarded at the Mundials. Weight classes are disregarded as BJJ puts its principles of skill trumping size to the test. Only the very best are crowned champion in this category, and shows that the principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu hold true even against other practitioners of the sport.
This will mark the third year in which California has hosted the event since moving from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2007.
The 15th annual World Jiu-Jitsu Championships will take place from the Long Beach Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California. The event will run from June 3rd - June 6th and will be streamed live on the internet for the first time in history.
Props: fiveknuckles.com
DANA WHITE WANTS GSP VS. KOSCHECK IN TORONTO
With the UFC's announcement on Tuesday that they are planting a flag in the city of Toronto, opening a Canadian office in a province that still doesn't sanction mixed martial arts, sends a clear message that they are committed to getting the job done in Toronto.
UFC president Dana White admits that he'd love to put the title fight between St-Pierre and Koscheck in Toronto, but says that having it in Koscheck's hometown is also a possibility.
"We want to do that fight here," White said about Toronto. "We could do Pittsburgh too though, but we'd like to do it here."
Maybe they could turn it into the best coaches challenge ever with the winner getting home field advantage? It could be a possibility if sanctioning passes, but the lead legal counsel for the UFC, Lawrence Epstein, takes a step back and says that everything is a process and they still have work to do in Ontario.
"It's very, very tough to put a percentage on it," Epstein answered when asked how far along the process is with the Ontarian government. "All I can tell you is we've had a lot of positive talks with all the ministers and their staffs regarding this issue. Ultimately, I think the province of Ontario is doing very much what the city of Vancouver did, deliberate, thoughtful analysis of the issues. We're very hopeful they're going to reach the same conclusion which was reached in Vancouver, which is to regulate the sport."
The ultimate goal is to get the sport regulated in Ontario and the rest of Canada, but White says at the end of the day the UFC is there to stay.
"I've been saying we were close (to getting Toronto sanctioning) for two years," White said with a laugh. "As close as I thought we were before, who knows? I don't know what that means. We're here, we're hammering it, it's not one of those things like we have to get this done this year. We eventually have to get it done."
As far as locations go it seems the UFC has already decided that the Rogers Centre, formerly known as the Skydome, would likely be the landing venue for an event there. The UFC president could only smile when asked if holding their press conference on Tuesday at the Rogers Centre held any significance at all.
"Maybe a little," White said.
The timetable for the St-Pierre vs. Koscheck match-up is likely at the end of this year following Season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” UFC vice president Marc Ratner told MMAWeekly.com that they have had talks about bringing an event to the Pittsburgh area when the new Consol Energy Center opens, coincidentally, later this year.
Whether it's Toronto or Pittsburgh, the element adds another piece to the puzzle for the promise of a great fight looming later this year with St-Pierre vs. Koscheck.
Props: mmaweekly.com
100 SHOWS A YEAR: DANA WHITE ON UFC'S FUTURE
UFC president Dana White told MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday in Toronto that they would be "aggressive" and increasing the number of shows they do might be the first step in that.
With the Canadian UFC office set to open and Tom Wright leading the operation, three shows a year north of the border could be a possibility, and White believes there's only one direction to go from there... up.
"Yeah probably, who knows," White said about doing three shows a year in Canada. "As this thing continues to grow, and understand it's a work in progress. When we bought this company we were doing five fights a year. If you would have told me six, seven years ago that we'd be doing 34 fights a year, I'd say it's impossible. It will never happen, that's crazy.
"We're probably going to end up doing 100 fights a year."
One hundred fights a year may sound like a lofty ambition, but six years ago 34 fights would have sent most people's heads spinning. Now with the roster of fighters deeper than ever and the pool growing every day, global expansion and more shows only seem likely.
White believes that at some point there will be simultaneous shows going on globally, as the UFC looks to expand into China and India very soon, and European shows are expected as well.
"We could have a show here on Saturday night, and five more going on in five other countries," said White. "That's what's eventually going to happen."
From everything White has said so far, the focus now is Canada and China, but anything is possible.
Expansion isn't a possibility at this point... it's a certainty.
Pros: mmaweekly.com
BAKER AND SHLEMENKO ADVANCE AT BELLATOR
The victories by Baker (13-1) and Shlemenko (29-4) set up an intriguing final round matchup between two vastly different fighters, who both played to their strengths to defeat formidable opponents before a raucous crowd at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre on Thursday.
Shlemenko, making just his third appearance in the U.S., won his fight against former all-American wrestler Jared Hess in gruesome fashion.
“It never ceases to amaze and humble me the level of courage and heart that our fighters display here in the cage and Jared Hess showed that yet again,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said during the post-fight press conference. “At the same time, I have to congratulate Alexander Shlemenko, who fought hard against the 185-pound tournament favorite and was able to get the win.”
While not nearly as dramatic, Baker’s win over Las Vegas native and former competitive powerlifter Eric Schambari (12-2) was far more dominant. Baker -- who entered the tournament saying that he was gunning for reigning Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard’s belt -- backed up the talk by using a tight triangle choke to finish Schambari just 2:29 into Round 1.
“I knew he was going to come out and try to take me down,” Baker said of Schambari afterwards. “He’s a strong, strong dude, but on the ground I knew I could finish him with a submission. I’m looking all the way to Hector now. I’m looking to get my title … I’m looking to get my belt.”
Earlier, in the first televised fight of the night, Sanchez pulled off one of the most thrilling come-from-behind wins of the year to defeat Marcus Sursa by TKO at 0:23 into Round 3.
After an evenly matched first round, Sursa came out swinging to start Round 2, dropping Sanchez to the canvas with a solid right hand just a few seconds after the opening bell. For a few moments, it appeared as if Sursa would finish the fight easily, but Sanchez somehow regained his composure, took the dominant position and wore Susa down with a relentless ground-and-pound as the round ended. A rejuvenated Sanchez then came out with a vengeance in Round 3, knocking Sursa to the mat after just a few seconds before finishing him with a flurry of blows to the head.
“He caught me pretty good there and dazed the [expletive] out of me, but I’ve got a tough chin and I came back,” Sanchez told Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith immediately after the fight. “I knew if I just hung in there I could finish him off.”
Afterward, Rebney announced that, with the victory, Sanchez had earned his way into Bellator’s Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament, which begins in August.
“He put on a great fight, made a great comeback and showed some huge heart,” Rebeny said of Sanchez.
In the final televised bout of the evening, a Bantamweight Feature Fight, Wyoming native Nik “Garfield” Mamalis used a rear naked choke to finish Hawaiian standout Mark Oshiro at 1:29 into Round 2.
The event also played host to five Local Feature Fights:
- Aaron Rosa def. Robert Villegas via unanimous decisión
-Adam Schindler def. Brian Melancon via unanimous decisión
-Andrew Chappelle def. Cedrick Marks via rear naked choke (8:18)
-Jimmy Flick def. Humberto DeLeon via unanimous decision
-Fernando Rodriguez def. Kenneth Battle via rear-naked choke (6:28)
Props: mmaweekly.com
Yes! Cartwheel returns, as Diego Sanchez promises an exciting fight against John Hathaway
Former UFC Lightweight title challenger Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez shared his thoughts and opinions on the upcoming UFC 114 main card fight against John Hathaway. Sanchez also demonstrated his world-famous Yes! Cartwheel, promising an exciting fight on Saturday night.
Michael Bisping and Dan Miller expect a war on Saturday night
UFC 114 co-main eventers Michael "The Count" Bisping and the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dan Miller discussed their upcoming fight, stating that they will give everything in their power to achieve the vital victory. UFC 114 will take place this Saturday (May 29th) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Rampage: Rashad Evans is known for dancing around and playing with his nipples
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson declared that he was not surprised by Rashad Evans' poor "Uncle Tom" statement. Rampage discussed his war of words with the fellow Ultimate Fighter 10 coach, stating that he is looking to settle the score this Saturday.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
UFC 114 Video Preview: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
In a preview of last night’s Countdown to UFC 114 show the cameras focused on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira who will be making his second appearance inside the Octagon when he faces off against late replacement Jason Brilz who steps in for an injured Forrest Griffin as “Lil’ Nog” talks about his twin brother Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and his upbringing into the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.
UFC on Versus 2 Video: Joe Stevenson says Takanori Gomi is still “Dangerous”
In this video interview with Joe Stevenson, we get his thoughts on his upcoming fight against former PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi. While Gomi was defeated easily by Kenny Florian in his last fight, Stevenson says he still expects Stevenson to be dangerous when they meet in the Octagon.
Props: urdirt.com
Props: urdirt.com
UFC 114: Rampage vs Evans Press Conference Highlights
Middleweight bout between Michael "The Count" Bisping and Dan Miller will serve as the co-main event of the evening. Todd Duffee, Rogerio Nogueira and Diego Sanchez will also be on the main card of the night.
Full fight card:
Main card
Light Heavyweight bout: United States Quinton Jackson vs. United States Rashad Evans
Middleweight bout: England Michael Bisping vs. United States Dan Miller
Heavyweight bout: United States Todd Duffee vs. United States Mike Russow
Light Heavyweight bout: Brazil Antônio Rogério Nogueira vs. United States Jason Brilz
Welterweight bout: United States Diego Sanchez vs. England John Hathaway
Preliminary card (Spike TV)
Welterweight bout: United States Amir Sadollah vs. South Korea Dong Hyun Kim
Lightweight bout: Mexico Efrain Escudero vs. United States Dan Lauzon
Preliminary card (Main Card)
Lightweight bout: United States Melvin Guillard vs. United States Waylon Lowe
Light Heavyweight bout: Brazil Luiz Cane vs. France Cyrille Diabaté
Lightweight bout: United States Aaron Riley vs. United States Joe Brammer
Middleweight bout: United States Ryan Jensen vs. United States Jesse Forbes
Dana White shares his thoughts about UFC 114: Rampage vs Evans
UFC President Dana White shared his thoughts about this weekend's UFC 114 event. White discussed the trash talk between Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping's fight against Dan Miller, Todd Duffee and Diego Sanchez. MGM Grand Garden Arena is now officially sold out for the event, which will take place on May 20th, live on Pay-per-View.
Rashad Evans says he scored a "Psychological Victory" over Rampage Jackson
UFC 114 main eventer "Suga" Rashad Evans stated that unlike his opponent Rampage Jackson, he is not taking the fight as a "personal issue". Rashad Evans declared that he got into Rampage's head, which will give him extra advantage on Saturday night. Evans is currently 14-1 in his MMA career, losing via knockout to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98.
Rampage: Rashad has taken things too far
UFC Light Heavyweight veteran Rampage Jackson shared his opinion about the ongoing verbal war between him and Rashad Evans, in the build-up for this weekend's UFC 114 main event. Rampage called Evans an ignorant fighter, in light of his recent "uncle tom" remarks. Rampage is currently on a two-fight winning streak in the UFC, with victories over Wanderlei Silva and Keith Jardine.
Chuck Liddell: Ortiz knew he is not going to fight me after the show
UFC Hall of Famer and one of the greatest 205'ers of all time, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, revealed that he knew all the time that the fight against Tito Ortiz is not going to happen. This week's episode of The Ultimate Fighter show reveals the reason behind Tito's withdrawal. Chuck Liddell will square off against Rich Franklin on June 16th at the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Ricardo Arona looking to get a word with Dana White this weekend for UFC 114
In a recent interview with Tatame.com Arona says that he will be in Las Vegas this weekend to support former teammate Antonio Rogerio Nogueira who will be facing Jason Brilz at UFC 114, but is hoping he can speak with Dana White despite not having a meeting scheduled in place.
“I’m going for other reasons, to give a support to Minotouro, merchandising… Being there, I hope I can talk to Dana White, but we don’t have nothing settled or scheduled.”
It has been said before that Dana White has not expressed any interest in signing ‘The Brazilian Tiger’ to a contract, but from the looks of it, Arona appears to be ready to make a run at the big show and prove to White that once his injury is healed up that he is ready for business inside a cage.
“I’m going to meet the guys… I don’t know if I’ll get there right on time, but I’ll do what I can to help him”, tells the fighter, who recently came back to the trainings. “I just came back to train now, on a calm way because of my knee, but this recovery part is almost done. I’m training so I can be at my best and can come back to business.”
Many believe that Arona has the skill set to make a run in the UFC light heavyweight division as he has been able to fight amongst the best fighters in the world during his PRIDE days, but what will it take for him to convince someone like Dana White that he is UFC bound?
Props: urdirt.com
Diego Sanchez’s returns home to Albuquerque and 170 pounds, but John Hathaway is looking to ruin his home coming at UFC 114
Last week Sanchez announced his return to Duke City in Albuquerque, New Mexico at a press conference along side his Mother and Father where he will train with Albuquerque Kickboxing academy.
The Daily Me got the scoop on Sanchez’s return to the city where he will now rejoin his friends and family, “The Nightmare” hopes to regain some of the hunger that helped him land a spot on the Ultimate Fighter season 1.
“Albuquerque has always been my home,” Sanchez said during a news conference at the Hotel Albuquerque. “I had to leave to learn. That’s part of being a martial artist.
“I could only stay away from the family so long. I realized that being away from home, what got me to the Ultimate Fighter, what got me to the UFC was being hungry to be at the top. I had the great city of Albuquerque supporting me. I also had my family supporting me, that family love.”
While Sanchez is returning to Albuquerque, this does not mean he will also return to the Gym of his one time coach Greg Jackson and his training facility. The trainer did not even know that Sanchez was returning to Albuquerque, “I haven’t talked to him at all. He hasn’t stopped by, but I’m sure he will,” Jackson said.
Sanchez did not say it out right, but it appears that he does not want to train out of Greg Jackson’s camp since Georges St.Pierre is also trained by Jackson, which could be a conflict of interest.
“Everybody knows that Georges is an amazing athlete. He somewhat claims to train out of Albuquerque,” Sanchez said. “I know he’s been here once, or he comes once a year for a week or something like that. That’s not being out of Albuquerque.”
While Sanchez may have St.Pierre’s title in his future plans, another hungry welterweight from across the pond intends on pounding him out when they open up the main card at UFC 114 this weekend. London Shoot Fighter’s undefeated welterweight John Hathaway (12-0), who spoke to the official UFC website about his upcoming fight against Sanchez.
“This is easily my biggest fight and my biggest test,” Hathaway says. “Diego’s come along leaps and bounds with his stand-up, and I still think his hustle and his Jiu-Jitsu are his strongest suits. He’s going to come and try to go frantic on me early, and he’ll probably try and take me down. But I just see myself beating him up standing then eventually getting my takedown and staying on top and trying to pound him out.”
While Sanchez will be a heavy favorite amongst fight fans and casual fans who are not familiar with the upcoming UK fighter, Hathaway has all the tools to upset “The Nightmare” in his return to the welterweight division. While the UK’s fighter’s have been given a stereotype of being one dimensional fighters, Hathaway has been adding more tools to his belt to defeat Sanchez.
“Yeah, I think rubber guard is a good style for me and we use that a lot at London Shoot as well,” he says. “They use little bits of Eddie’s system. It was nice to go train somewhere else, too, a little break. A little holiday, you know? I think experiences like that keep you going. Those guys are all great over there.”
This could easily be the best fight of the night at UFC 114, Sanchez and Hathaway’s fight has not received the hype and attention it has deserved since Rampage and Rashad are getting all the attention at the moment, but I expect this to be a war between two fighters who love to scrap for every inch.
Props: urdirt.com
Quinton Rampage Jackson says he will Punish “Coward” Rashad Evans at UFC 114
Quinton Rampage Jackson tells ESPN.co.uk that he feels Rashad Evans is a “Coward” and will not go toe-to-toe with him when they meet this weekend at UFC 114.
Props: urdirt.com
Tom Wright talks about why he is the right man to help UFC in their "Canadian Ambitions"
New Ultimate Fighting Championship Canada CEO Tom Wright explained why he is the right man to help Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White to achieve their "Canadian Goals". The former Canadian Football League CEO was announced yesterday as the UFC Canada CEO, and will serve as the key man in the promotion's man goal to get MMA regulated in the country.
Ralek Gracie is not preparing to tap out against Kazushi Sakuraba at Dream 14
One of the youngest Gracie family representatives, Twenty-four year old Ralek Gracie, discussed his upcoming fight against "The IQ Wrestler" Kazushi Sakuraba at Dream 14. Ralek Gracie declared that he is not intimidated by Sakuraba's record against his family members, claiming that the fight against the Japanese legend is a good opportunity to make a statement. Ralek Gracie is currently 2-0 in his MMA career, competing professionally since 2007.
Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta talk about the UFC global expansion
Ultimate Fighting Championship big guns Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta discussed their future plans for the promotion, in light of the UFC Canada opening. The promotion will look to continue its global expansion, with sights on India and as a potential markets.
Fabricio Werdum shares his thoughts about Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem
Strikeforce Heavyweight prospect Fabricio "Vai Cavaio" Werdum shared his thoughts about his future opponent Fedor Emelianenko and the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. Fabricio Werdum will square off against Fedor Emelianenko for the WAMMA Heavyweight Title on June 26th, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
Dana White UFC 114 Vlog: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
UFC President Dana White continues his UFC 114 Video Blog, this time showing behind the scenes of the UFC press conference in Toronto. UFC will return to action this weekend with the stacked Rampage vs Evans fight card, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
UFC to open Canadian office in Toronto
Today, White and UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, demonstrated their full support for Canada and their long-term commitment to the country with an announcement that the UFC will open an office in Toronto and that sports industry veteran Tom Wright will lead Canadian operations for the UFC as Director.
"The support that we receive from the fans and the media here is second to none," said White. "Vancouver was our fastest sellout in history, and every other fight that we've held here has been a huge success. It's time for UFC to show its commitment to this country, and prove that we are as passionate about our Canadian fans as they are about us."
White continued to say that the UFC is considering Canada as the location for the Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck UFC welterweight title fight, and that this UFC event could be held in conjunction with a two-day UFC Fan Expo.
White then introduced UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta, who revealed plans for the UFC office in Toronto and welcomed the new Director for Canada Tom Wright.
"I am pleased to announce we are opening an office in Canada, and that Tom Wright, who is so respected and accomplished here in Canada, will lead our business in this critically important market," said Fertitta. "This will be the second international office for the UFC, and much like our UK operation, this presence will allow us to better serve the fans and businesses here, and to continue on our path of global expansion."
With a successful sports business career spanning more than 25 years, Wright will serve as Director, Canadian Operations for the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. In this role, he will focus on improving and strengthening UFC's relations within local communities, provincial governments, Canadian businesses and the national and local media. Wright will build upon the efforts to regulate the sport of mixed martial arts in Ontario, and as he stated today, toward implementing a regular UFC events schedule that would include holding up to three UFC events per year in Canada. The UFC also pledged to develop a program to support local community sports with resources put back into the many regions of the country that have so strongly embraced the sport of mixed martial arts.
"I am honoured to have this opportunity to lead Canadian operations for the UFC and to be involved in this incredible period of time in the sport's history," said Wright. "I look forward to helping the UFC build its brand and business in Canada, to working side by side with sports visionaries Frank Fertitta, Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White, and to the amazing journey that lies ahead."
An accomplished and respected business and community leader, Wright has extensive experience in the North American sports industry.
Before serving four years as Commissioner for the Canadian Football League, Wright was the President and CEO for Salomon North American, President Adidas Canada LTD and President of Spalding Canada LTD. He has also been significantly involved with Special Olympics in Canada as a volunteer for more than 25 years and served as the organization's National Board Chairman. He remains active on this board as well as a Director of the Special Olympics Canada Foundation, which he joined in 2002. Most recently Wright was Managing Director of Level5 Strategic Brand Advisors, one of Canada's foremost business and brand strategy firms working with many of North America's and the world's leading brands.
Wright begins his role as UFC's Director of Canadian Operations effective May 31st. The location and date for the official opening of the UFC's Toronto office will be announced in the near future.
Fertitta and White delivered this announcement today at 1:00pm ET live from the Rogers Center in Toronto.
UFC has held three successful events in Montreal (UFC 83, UFC 97 and UFC 113) and is holding its fourth event, UFC 115, on Saturday, June 12th live from General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. UFC 115 ranks as the fastest sellout in the history of the UFC organization, with tickets selling 30 minutes after an initial pre-sale event began. UFC legends Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin are headlining this historic first event in Vancouver.
Over the past four years, White has been to Canada more than a dozen times for media tours, press conferences, media days and attending UFC events.
Props: fiveknuckles.com
Video: Canadian UFC Fighters on WEC 49 Event in Edmonton
Alan Belcher wants Top Middleweight Fights, says Division is “A mess”
Although, Belcher will not be getting that shot yet, he tells Sherdog.com that he does not know what UFC matchmaker Joe Silva thinks of him, but remains patient at the same time knowing that his time will eventually come.
“I don’t know what [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva’s deal is. Through my career, I’ve pushed for certain fights, and I don’t know if it’s Joe’s personality or what, but I think he’s not an Alan Belcher fan. They haven’t brought me in to lose any fights,” Belcher said. They haven’t tried to set me up or anything. [Joe Silva is] cool and everything; it’s just … I don’t know. It seems like I’m sitting there screaming: ‘The fans want to see me fight big fights.’ I’ve got a big following, and I’ve got not just a flashy style; I have an explosive striking style. The fans want to see it, but he’s not hearing it, man. It doesn’t matter. As time goes by and I keep winning fights, they have to give me the big fights.”
Since the UFC 113 win, Belcher had expressed in taking such fights with Demian Maia or even Vitor Belfort if not Silva. But although, Maia may be a possibility for Belcher it is not likely that he will get a fight with Belfort due to the fact that he is likely next for a middleweight title shot after Chael Sonnen who will face Anderson Silva at UFC 117 this coming August, which leads to Belcher stating that the middleweight division as a whole has been a mess as of late.
“I think it may be something with Belfort’s contract,” Belcher said. “Probably said if he beats Rich Franklin, he gets a title shot or something. It’s probably something like that, because have you ever heard of someone getting a title shot after someone else gets a title shot? Chael gets this, [and] then after he loses, Vitor gets the next one? I never heard of that before.”
“What do I have to do to get on a poster? What do I have to do to get on a ‘Primetime’ show or when Spike TV comes to your school and stuff?” Belcher asked. “I need to put a lot of work into this, and I feel like I’m on top of the game and there [are] a lot of fans out there that haven’t gotten the opportunity to know who I am yet. I just feel like I should be pushed a little bit more, and I feel like I should be making more money.”
In Belcher’s case, he must continue to keep on winning and had he got the decision over Yoshihiro Akiyama back at UFC 100 which some believe he won that fight, he would be a lot closer to a title shot.
But, he has to know that he is in the hunt for title contention and a couple of more wins should get him there. Thoughts?
Props: urdirt.com
Tim Sylvia tells haters he doesn’t care what they think about him or his weight he’s from the East coast
In a recent interview with Sherdog.com’s “Savage Dog Show”, the former UFC heavyweight champion spoke about how he intended to keep his weight at 300 pounds in order to deal with the massive Polish strong man’s size.
“I did that on purpose,” he explained Monday on the Sherdog Radio Network’s Savage Dog Show. “I wanted to be heavy for the fight. I wanted to be as big as he was. … When we took the fight, he was 336 pounds and then he was 300 during the press conferences we were doing. He lost another 23 pounds between the press conferences and when it came to the actual fight day. I actually hit 285 during training and then I just went back to eating five times a day again. At the peak of my training, I was 285, which is pretty much what I am when I fight for the UFC — actually about 275 and then I cut 10 pounds to make the weight when I fight (at 265).”
In Marius Pudzianowski’s debut against a former professional Boxer in Poland, the World’s strongest man was able to chop down his opponent with what could be described best as “Horse Kicks” all power no finess. The Boxer ran away looking frightened and hurt as Pudzianowksi’s kicks landed, Sylvia easily checked those kicks at Moosin MMA against the strong man in their fight.
“It wasn’t a good leg kick,” he said. “It was just hard and powerful. He didn’t kick me where he was supposed to kick me. If you kick anybody, like the three I put on him, you want to kick on the quad. That way it takes your legs away. He kicked me in the calf. And then the next one was just below the knee and the third one I was able to check.”
While Sylvia has also suffered embarrassing back-to-back defeats at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko and an over the hill Ray Mercer at Adrenaline MMA, the former champion is on a comeback trail and is quick to point out that he has still accomplished a lot throughout his career.
“I know what I’ve done,” he responded Monday. “I know no one else has been a five-time UFC heavyweight champ besides Randy (Couture). As soon as Brock (Lesnar) defends it and makes that, then he’s in that division too, but no one else is. Not even Arlovski.”
As for Sylvia’s critics, he makes no apologies and does not care if you love him or hate him. He is not going to beg you to like him and does not intend to change his personality.
“It is what it is,” he said. “I am who I am. I’ve made statements and stuff. If you hate me, I hate you. I don’t care. I don’t care if you don’t like me, to be honest with you. That’s just the way it is. I’m not going to change for anybody. I’m not going to kiss people’s butts and so on and so forth. That’s just not me. I’m from the East Coast, and that’s just the way we’re all brought up.”
Sylvia also reiterated his ultimate goal is to be back in the bigger fight promotions again “I’d like to think (by) 2011,” Sylvia said, “I’d like to be with Strikeforce or UFC.”
So far, Sylvia has the wins to begin his goal of returning to a major fight promotion, but he is often one of the most criticized figures in the sport today. Part of it is because of his work ethic. Sylvia will have to show he can make the 265 pound weight limit, and get down from his current 305 pound weight. Sylvia has said repeatedly that he does not like to diet, but if he intends on making it back to the UFC or to StrikeForce he will need to cut weight.
At the moment 40 pounds seems like a lot of weight, but for a fighter 40 pounds can be taken off easily. In the case of Sylvia it is up to him on how fast he would like to make that happen. For the sake of his career lets hope he does make that commitment and is able to get a few more wins and his weight down soon.
Props: urdirt.com
Anthony Johnson thinking about moving to middleweight possible after knee injury
According to a interview with Johnson’s manager, Ken Pavia did with MMAJunkie.com, “Rumble” may have put on too much weight after his recent knee injury to make the 170 pound limit for welterweight fighters.
“He has to maintain a very diligent cardio routine to stay in striking range of 170 (pounds),” Johnson’s manager, Ken Pavia, today told MMAjunkie.com “Because of his knee injury, his weight has gotten up a little bit, and we don’t want to delay his comeback because of a weight issue. So we’re entertaining the possibility of taking a fight at 185 (pounds).”
According to Pavia, Johnson has to cut so much weight at the moment that he may be bigger then light heavyweight fighter Tito Ortiz, who weights over 205 pounds. Pavia also said that Johnson would normally cut more then 50 pounds to make the welterweight division.
“Anthony Johnson is one of our more solid light heavyweights right now,” Pavia said today. “I’m pretty sure he’s bigger than Tito (Ortiz).”
Pavia pointed out that UFC match maker Joe Silva has even questioned Johnson’s possible move to the middleweight division.
“[UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva has a couple rules that he lives by, one of which is he’ll never tell a fighter what weight to fight at, and he’ll never make a fighter fight injured,” Pavia said. “And he’ll tell you that over and over again.
“That being said, the last time he saw [Johnson], he turned to me and said, ‘C’mon, dude.’ So that’s one of the reasons we’re entertaining an [185 pound] fight. It’s not for sure yet.”
When Johnson missed weight by over five pounds at UFC 104 last year, there was speculation that he came into the Octagon weighing anywhere from 195 to 200 pounds for his fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida. As Joe Rogan pointed out, Johnson’s knockout victory was unfair because he was a light heavyweight fighter against a welterweight. What makes it worse is that Yoshida is considered a small welterweight fighter and probably should fight at the 155 pound weight limit.
Since then Johnson’s ability to make the 170 pound limit has always been questioned, and it was a matter of time until he had to make the jump to 185 pounds as a permanently.
Props: urdirt.com
Todd Duffee is not a Big Monkey that screams at his TV while eating Beef Jerky
Todd Duffee tells MMAJunkie.com that fans will love and hate him regardless if he wins or loses, but what matters is that he continues to win.
Fedor Emilianenko training for the fight against Fabricio Werdum on June 26th
WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko is currently at the critical stage of his preparations for the fight against Fabricio Werdum on June 26th, training at he new Sambo Academy in Stariy Oskol. The fight will be held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, as the Strikeforce stars Cyborg Santos and KJ Noons are also set to take part in the fight card.
Dana White UFC 114 Vlog: One day in life of the President
UFC president Dana White once again gives us behind the scenes footage at the preparations leading up to UFC 114, this Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be headlined by the Light Heavyweight grudge match between Suga Rashad Evans and Quinton Rampage Jackson.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Greg Jackson talks Rampage and Rashad’s Mental Warfare
“I don’t think it’s that serious. I think it’s just a tool to get in [Rampage’s] head. It has nothing to do with race. Again, you have a tradition of that kind of stuff — people claiming that their opponents aren’t true Mexicans or stuff like that. It’s been going on for years. Rashad is so smart. People don’t really understand how smart this guy is. He knows better than to get emotional or heated about it. I think he’s going to be all business at fight time. I’m not worried at all about him getting drawn in and trying to knock Rampage out in 15 seconds. He’s a real sharp and careful guy.”
Greg Jackson tells Sherdog.com’s Beatdown Radio that Rashad Evans and Quinton Rampage Jackson’s trash talking is nothing new and a part of the fight game. Jackson says that Rashad’s intention is to get into Rampage’s head before their fight this weekend.
Props: urdirt.com
UFC 114: Rampage vs Evans Primetime Episode 2
The second part of the UFC on primetime for UFC 114: Rampage vs Rashad. The show features both fighters trash talking, as well as great behind the scene footage of training in their camps, Rashad with Greg Jackson and Rampage with Wolfslair. The event will take place this weekend, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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