Michael Johnson Talks GSP's TUF 12 Team Victory Over Koscheck

by Michael David SmithWhen Dane Sayers took on Sako Chivitchian on this week's episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck, it meant that all 14 fighters in the house have had their opportunity to step into the Octagon.

In MMAFighting.com's weekly interview with Team GSP's Michael Johnson, we asked how he felt he stacked up after having seen everyone in action, and Johnson said he liked his chances against everyone who had advanced to the next round of this season's Ultimate Fighter tournament.

Johnson also touched on Josh Koscheck's confrontation with a member of the Team GSP staff, and the annual Ultimate Fighter coaches' challenge. The full interview is below.

 

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Snuba Maui: What it is and Why You should Try it

When you are planning your tropical getaway to Maui, snorkeling or scuba diving might be on your to-do list for your vacation. But what about snuba diving? Although this underwater activity is not as well known as standard scuba or snorkeling, Maui snuba diving is quickly picking up steam as one of the most popular [...]

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Kobi Graham - Incident at Cape Solander

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Bellator: Lombard defends title, calls out 'Jacare'

In a surprising bout that had an unsurprising result, Hector Lombard closed out Bellator's third season by defending his Bellator middleweight belt. He took it with a 49-46 win on all three judges cards over Alexander Shlemenko. After hearing the decision, Lombard called out Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza.

As he is known to do, Lombard started with a huge storm of punches in the first round. Lombard landed punch after punch, but Shlemenko still managed to survive. As the fight wore on, Lombard turned to the takedown. Early in the bout, Lombard used the takedown to set up ground and pound, but he slowed down. 

Lombard's other two Bellator fights this season lasted a total of 42 seconds. He seemed unprepared for a fight that went past the first round, and spent much of the bout holding Shlemenko down on the ground while not causing much damage. Twice, Lombard had Shlemenko's back, but didn't actually sink in a rear naked choke or use it to ground and pound.

The two were stood up several times, usually after Shlemenko gave a pleading look to referee Troy Waugh. When they were back on their feet, Shlemenko tried to use spinning fists and kicks, but Lombard saw them coming and defended well.

Lombard is now the second Bellator fighter to try to get a bout with a Strikeforce fighter after winning a belt. Lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez is campaigning for a bout with Strikeforce's lightweight champ, Gilbert Melendez.

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Nick Diaz Is an Old-School Martial Artist

by Michael David SmithStrikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz cultivates an image of a street fighter, but in the video below from Fight Magazine he explains that he's actually been a student of traditional martial arts since he was a small child.

"I did aikido when I was four years old," Diaz says. "My first experience of doing martial arts was weird, real traditional, strange smell with incense burning. We did a lot of bowing, it was a lot of path of least resistance and go with the flow. ... Really good stuff for when you're at a young age."

 

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'Surf Artist' Bryn Hall Interview

Check out a cool little interview with Cornish COTW featured surf artist Bryn Hall put together by myCornwall.tv…

Click the video below to watch…



- Bryn's website/blog
- Bryn on Switch-foot

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Jake Shields grapples his way to a split decision at UFC 121

Jake Shields debut in the UFC was not flashy, but it got the job done as he won the split decision over Martin Kampmann at UFC 121. The judges saw the fight 28-29, 30-27, 29-28 for Shields in Anaheim on Saturday.

As expected, Shields took Kampmann down quickly to start the fight, and worked diligently there until the final minute of the round. Shields used leg kicks to keep Kampmann from closing the distance, and tried for another takedown as the round ended.

Shields continued to show his grappling game in the second round, controlling Kampmann on the ground. Kampmann was able to inflict some damage, twice hitting Shields in the face with knees while the two were clinched up. But when on the ground, Shields ruled the round, passing Kampmann's guard with ease. Shields slowed his pace in this round.

A gassed Shields had trouble getting Kampmann to the ground in the final round. When it finally happened, Shields continued to outgrapple Kampmann, but the pace of the fight was slow. Kampmann never really was able to take control of the fight away from Shields, and didn't unload in stand-up as he is able to do.

Though Shields, the Strikeforce middleweight champ who vacated his belt to sign with the UFC, had fought at welterweight in the past, his last fights for Strikeforce were at middleweight with last welterweight bout was in 2008 against Paul Daley. The cut down to welterweight appeared to be a bad one, because he had no problem fighting for five rounds in his April title defense with Dan Henderson.

Shields was supposed to be guaranteed a title shot with a win over Kampmann, but this bout raises two questions. One, was the win good enough to earn the title shot, and two, can Shields fight at 170 lbs.?

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UFC 121 Weigh-In Video

by Michael David SmithAll 22 fighters stepping into the Octagon at UFC 121 on Saturday night will step onto the scale at the UFC 121 weigh-in on Friday afternoon, and if you can't be there to see it at the Honda Center in Anaheim, you can watch it live right here at MMAFighting.com.

In the main event, heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is likely to come in right at the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds, while No. 1 contender Cain Velasquez will be considerably smaller. Velasquez weighed in at 242 for his last fight, eight months ago, and it will be interesting to see whether he's bulked up at all in preparation for his fight with the enormous Lesnar.

The weigh-in starts at 5 PM ET and the video is below.

 

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Turning Green...SealLine and JetBoil Get Hip

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MMA Marketplace: Drive like Dana White

UFC president Dana White was profiled in Dubs, a magazine that covers car culture. He talks about his two Ferraris -- apparently, they're way better than Lamborghinis -- and a Barracuda, but says that his every day car is his Range Rover.

Good news! If you have $95,000 sitting around, you too can drive like Dana. Well, maybe you don't want to drive exactly like Dana. He did beat up the Lamborghini last November when driving around Las Vegas, and we've seen how erratic his driving can be in video blogs. He also hasn't always had the best of luck with Range Rovers, as the model that the UFC bought Dan Henderson for coaching "The Ultimate Fighter" broke down on the former UFC fighter. If you want to buy that Range Rover, click here to price and build it.

Thanks to Fightlinker

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Lesnar back to wrestling? White says absolutely not

Brock Lesnar was mauled by Cain Velasquez on Saturday and now some bloggers and fans are questioning his desire to be a fighter. Are they onto something? He's split his last two fights but took a vicious beating in both. The money could be bigger back in wrestling for Lesnar. Maybe Lesnar's having second thoughts about MMA? These assertions all seemed ridiculous until "The Undertaker" from the WWE pulled his little stunt on Saturday night.

UPDATE: TMZ spoke with UFC president Dana White, who threw cold water over all the rumors:

Despite an intense standoff between Lesnar and Undertaker at UFC 121 this weekend -- in which Undie challenged Brock to a fight -- UFC president Dana White tells us, "Brock Lesnar is still under contract with the UFC ...  he is not going to wrestle in the WWE. He cannot wrestle, box or fight anywhere else."

The WWE star broke from an Octagon-side interview (0:43 mark) to challenge Lesnar as he walked back to the lockerroom. The short confrontation has got the wrestling world buzzing. Now there are rumors that the WWE wants to or has made a big offer for the former UFC champ to return at Wrestlemania 27 in April.

Yahoo! Sports' Dave Meltzer is a longtime pro wrestling observer and he just doesn't believe a Lesnar return to WWE in 2011 is possible for several reasons. 

Jonathan Kamis from the O.C. Register said that White had some issues with Lesnar after the fight. It couldn't have been over this, right? 

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Matt Hughes: UFC Needs a Fighter to Balance Joe Rogan

by Michael David SmithIn almost every television broadcast of almost every sport, one of the commentators is an athlete who has competed in the sport being shown. You never watch an NFL game without hearing analysis from a former football player, or a Major League Baseball game without hearing the voice of a former baseball player.

But in the UFC, the commentary role goes to Joe Rogan, who's undeniably knowledgeable about MMA but whose background is in comedy and acting, not in fighting.

Matt Hughes says it's time for the UFC to add a fighter to the broadcast.

 

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Break in the action: Joe Rogan's perfect Mauro Ranallo impression

We're nearing the apex of all the hype for UFC 121 and Brock Lesnar's title bout with Cain Velasquez, and quite frankly, we could use a break. A little levity is called for, and here it is in the form of UFC commentator Joe Rogan doing a dead-on impression of Strikeforce commentator Mauro Ranallo.

Now, we can return to the hype. BROCK-SMASH-CAIN-PUNCH-OOOOOOWWWWWW.

Thanks to Chicago's MMA for the heads-up. 

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UFC's Mir, Griffin and Bonnar make excellent attack dog bait

Frank Mir, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar aren't training for a bout at the moment, so what are they doing with their time? Getting attacked by dogs, of course. All three volunteered at the Las Vegas Police Canine Trial, an event where canine dogs compete to show who can bite the best. Their job consisted of standing pat while trained police dogs ran them down and took a bite.

What experience do they have that qualifies them for this job? "I fought a giraffe once," Griffin said. Not to mention, their jobs as mixed martial artists gives them a pretty good idea on how to remain calm when someone is coming at you. 

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MMA Marketplace: Drive like Dana White

UFC president Dana White was profiled in Dubs, a magazine that covers car culture. He talks about his two Ferraris -- apparently, they're way better than Lamborghinis -- and a Barracuda, but says that his every day car is his Range Rover.

Good news! If you have $95,000 sitting around, you too can drive like Dana. Well, maybe you don't want to drive exactly like Dana. He did beat up the Lamborghini last November when driving around Las Vegas, and we've seen how erratic his driving can be in video blogs. He also hasn't always had the best of luck with Range Rovers, as the model that the UFC bought Dan Henderson for coaching "The Ultimate Fighter" broke down on the former UFC fighter. If you want to buy that Range Rover, click here to price and build it.

Thanks to Fightlinker

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Jake Shields grapples his way to a split decision at UFC 121

Jake Shields debut in the UFC was not flashy, but it got the job done as he won the split decision over Martin Kampmann at UFC 121. The judges saw the fight 28-29, 30-27, 29-28 for Shields in Anaheim on Saturday.

As expected, Shields took Kampmann down quickly to start the fight, and worked diligently there until the final minute of the round. Shields used leg kicks to keep Kampmann from closing the distance, and tried for another takedown as the round ended.

Shields continued to show his grappling game in the second round, controlling Kampmann on the ground. Kampmann was able to inflict some damage, twice hitting Shields in the face with knees while the two were clinched up. But when on the ground, Shields ruled the round, passing Kampmann's guard with ease. Shields slowed his pace in this round.

A gassed Shields had trouble getting Kampmann to the ground in the final round. When it finally happened, Shields continued to outgrapple Kampmann, but the pace of the fight was slow. Kampmann never really was able to take control of the fight away from Shields, and didn't unload in stand-up as he is able to do.

Though Shields, the Strikeforce middleweight champ who vacated his belt to sign with the UFC, had fought at welterweight in the past, his last fights for Strikeforce were at middleweight with last welterweight bout was in 2008 against Paul Daley. The cut down to welterweight appeared to be a bad one, because he had no problem fighting for five rounds in his April title defense with Dan Henderson.

Shields was supposed to be guaranteed a title shot with a win over Kampmann, but this bout raises two questions. One, was the win good enough to earn the title shot, and two, can Shields fight at 170 lbs.?

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Joby Gorillatorch Switchback: Lantern & Headlamp In One

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Lesnar's going hunting after the fight, so the viking beard stays

Good thing George Steinbrenner doesn't run the UFC. The recently deceased Yankee owner required that his athletes be clean shaven. A "Big Stein" versus Brock Lesnar showdown over facial hair may have been one for the ages. Lesnar loves his new whiskers, telling the audience and media at the UFC 121 prefight press conference that the beard is staying.

"I'm keeping it. I'm going hunting. I'm leaving the next day and heading up to Canada," said Lesnar. 

Lesnar is embracing his Nordic looks.

"It's cold out. I'm going to get in the viking ship and row my way up into the great white north," chuckled Lesnar.

The beard may take on a pinkish hue if Lesnar gets cut like he did in the fight against Shane Carwin. He might look like his wrestling buddies Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes when they used to slice themselves open.

Lesnar also added that he's happy to visit Canada even though that's where he experienced a lot of medical missteps before his stomach ailment was correctly diagnosed back in the U.S.

"I love Canada. I've got a house in Canada. I love the hunting," said Lesnar. "I could've been anywhere and got poor service. I've been in the United States and gotten poor service."

When he first returned to fighting, Lesnar angered many Canadians by ripping their healthcare system.

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Five Womens 2011 Snowboards you shouldn?t miss

2011 looks like it’s going to be a really great year for womens snowboards. Check out the Ride Promise, pictured above, for starters – these roll out of the stores for �289.95 which is pretty darn good for a board that rides so well. Here’s our Top Five Womens Snowboards for 2011 (in no particular [...]

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Middle Fork American: Last-minute Extension!

‘Ain’t that just how it always goes–you announce a deadline, you make plans to pack up and move on down the road, and then wha-bam, the situation changes. Not that we’re complaining…………we just got word that the season on the Middle Fork of the American River has been extended by a week!� Our last trips [...]

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UFC 121 Weigh-In Video

by Michael David SmithAll 22 fighters stepping into the Octagon at UFC 121 on Saturday night will step onto the scale at the UFC 121 weigh-in on Friday afternoon, and if you can't be there to see it at the Honda Center in Anaheim, you can watch it live right here at MMAFighting.com.

In the main event, heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is likely to come in right at the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds, while No. 1 contender Cain Velasquez will be considerably smaller. Velasquez weighed in at 242 for his last fight, eight months ago, and it will be interesting to see whether he's bulked up at all in preparation for his fight with the enormous Lesnar.

The weigh-in starts at 5 PM ET and the video is below.

 

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Fathers Day 2010

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Kongo is the latest fighter to claim rampant steroid use in MMA

There's a lot of impressive physiques in mixed martial arts, none more so than Cheick Kongo. Kongo says he doesn't use performance enhancing drugs and never will. He can't say the same about his compadres. Kongo is part of a growing group of fighters going public with claims that the sport has an issue with steroid use. 

"50 percent [of MMA fighters take steroids], if not more.... What can I say, other than we need to stay away from all of that. It's not easy to put things into perspective, especially if you believe that you have a disadvantage from the get go," Kongo told Riddum.com.

The Frenchman is absolutely shredded, so there be no purpose for him to use steroids, right? That's not entirely true. He's a 230-pound heavyweight in a world of 265 pounders. Kongo says there's a ton of pressure to keep up with the Joneses in all weight classes.

"For some athletes, it's hard to hold up physically and mentally- the pressure, the obligation to stay on top - everything pushes you to take steroids," said Kongo.

Kongo (15-6-2, 8-4-1 UFC) fought to a draw this weekend at UFC 120 against the 6-foot-7, 251-pound Travis Browne. He was clearly at a power disadvantage but he won't change his mind about turning to drugs for help.

"For me, PEDs aren't the solution," said Kongo. "Taking PEDs jeopardizes your health and it's cheating. I am a fighter; I owe my victories to my hard work, my training, the fact that I push myself beyond the limit, the sacrifices I make to a life almost entirely dedicated to sports. Nothing else. Stay away from the needles. You can succeed without them."

Kongo joins Dennis Hallman, who told Inside MMA on HDNet that he also thought 50 percent of the game was using. After his fight at UFC 117, Hallman apologized for making the statement. His post-comment behavior was similar to Josh Koscheck, who at the start of taping for Season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter" suggested that he and GSP should be blood tested like Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley were before their fight. Kos quickly rescinded his request and apologized for thinly-veiled claims that St. Pierre was using.

For fans of the major sports, this sounds eerily similar to the 2005 claims made by Jose Canseco that 85 percent of baseball was using. In MMA, is this a case of "Where there's smoke there's fire?" or are Hallman, Koscheck, B.J. Penn and Kongo full of it?

Hopefully, this is all a minor story soon when cheaper ways of blood testing come along. Then extensive testing should be made mandatory for all major cards in the U.S. Until then, the sport has a pretty good-sized image issue to deal with unless it can get its own athletes to stop speaking their mind. 

Tip via MMAMania

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Better stamina, crisp boxing lead Bisping past Akiyama at UFC 120

Love or hate him - and plenty of MMA fans can't stand Michael Bisping - you have to give him credit for being a well-rounded, smart fighter. After a rough night for the British fighters on the main card, Bisping pleased the hometown fans in London by scoring a unanimous decision victory, 30-27 on all cards, over Yoshihiro Akiyama in the main event at UFC 120 in London.

"Akiyama's a tough fighter but I truly believed in my training and my skills and my ability to win this fight," Bisping told UFC color analyst Joe Rogan. 

Just seconds into the fight, Bisping felt Akiyama's power. Akiyama, a fighter of Korean descent born in Japan, packs some zip in his hands. He landed a right hand on the side of Bisping's head. The Brit's legs buckled and he had a little trouble regaining his balance for a few seconds.

"I was seeing double. That's for sure," Bisping said. "And I couldn't see out of (my left eye). I said 'oh [expletive] this isn't a good start.'" 

Once the fight settled into a rythym it was Bisping who consistently landed a series of combinations while Akiyama only went for the knockout punch. "Sexyama" landed his share of good right hands throughout the fight but the judges favored Bisping's volume over Akiyama's hard shots.

Things got dicey in the final round when Akiyama (13-3, 1-2 UFC) took nasty low blow as Bisping (20-3, 10-3 UFC) tried an inside leg kick. With 3:30 left in the fight, Akiyama laid on the mat for over two minutes and at one point he looked a longshot to continue the fight.

When it re-started, Akiyama went for broke but he only had about 60 seconds left in his gas tank. He even tried one last flurry in the final 10 seconds of the fight but Bisping avoided eating a fight changing shot.

Akiyama has won only one of his three fights with the UFC. All the matches have been very similar. He's chosen to slug it out in each fight but because his conditioning isn't up to par, he wasn't been able to maintain the same pace for 15 minutes. Akiyama's a short, thick middleweight at 5-foot-10. Maybe he's carrying some excess weight. He has the game to be a player at welterweight but as long as he remains at middleweight he may just be a .500 fighter.

For Bisping, this is another baby step toward the top five in the UFC's middleweight division. He's suffered middleweight losses to Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva. He still holds out hope for a shot at the champ Anderson Silva but right now, at minimum, he's behind Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt in the 185-pound pecking order.  

"I'm training my ass off. I'm hungry," said Bisping. "Regardless of what some people say on the Internet, they think I'm full of my own [expletive], I'm not! No one works harder than me. Hopefully, I'll get the call soon."

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War of Words Between Frank Shamrock and Dana White Continues

Filed under: Fighting, News

Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar teamed up to give UFC 121 a huge box office boost at UFC 121 this past Saturday, but it wasn't the only war that earned headlines around the MMA world.

It may be a feud that will never lead to an in-ring conclusion, but the ongoing verbal fireworks between UFC president Dana White and MMA legend Frank Shamrock has continued on. Just days prior to UFC 121, White had some choice words for Shamrock, and now Shamrock has fired back.

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More Coverage: Read Frank Shamrock's Official Statement

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ESPN's 'Sports Science' says no power discrepancy between Cain and Brock

Did you hear the news? The NFL fined Cain Velasquez for a vicious hit. It seems that's how far the ominpotent league reaches nowadays. The UFC doesn't frown on putting your head through your opponent's chest, meaning Brock Lesnar better watch out. Velasquez showed off his takedowns during a recent visit to ESPN's "Sports Science" where he tested his power and endurance.

It was no shocker to hear Velasquez's stamina was on the same level as a marathon runner but the 245-pounder impressed even more in the strength department.

The show said Velasquez punches with as much power as any boxer they've ever had in the lab. His tackle/takedown of that poor dummy (broken neck and two torn ACLs) matched the level of tackling power shown by NFL player Dwight Freeney.

So the 270-pound Lesnar won't have a power advantage over Velasquez. You buying it?

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Cain Velasquez Talks beating Brock Lesnar on on Lopez Tonight - Cain Velasquez

Cain Velasquez Talks beating Brock Lesnar on on Lopez Tonight Video by Cain Velasquez

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Tyler Franz Then and Now

Tyler Franz rips in old and new footage. Via: Everyman.

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Five Womens 2011 Snowboards you shouldn?t miss

2011 looks like it’s going to be a really great year for womens snowboards. Check out the Ride Promise, pictured above, for starters – these roll out of the stores for �289.95 which is pretty darn good for a board that rides so well. Here’s our Top Five Womens Snowboards for 2011 (in no particular [...]

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Scuba Diver Girls Harbor Seal Adventure

The girls go diving with their new friend Bjorn with one mission in mind…diving with the harbor seals! The seals in San Diego are so cute and curious, they are like the puppies of the sea! We had a successful mission and we were all smiling by the end of the dive! Copyright information for [...]

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...a couple more from last week

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Work Stinks! Boogie ? Recap and Engagement

Sorry it’s taken me so long to develop a recap of last weekend…life has been a bit of a whirlwind since we returned home on Monday from the Work Stinks! Boogie at Start Skydiving. This was the second year in a row that Rick and I attended this event, and let me just tell you [...]

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What you need to know from this week on 'The Ultimate Fighter'

On this week's episode of "The Ultimate Fighter," we have one episode, but two fights. What does that mean? You'll have to read on to find out.

Good problem to have of the week: With their first win, Team Koscheck is stressed about how to pick the next fight. They see it as a bad but good situation.

Under your skin of the week: Team GSP is very upset by the way Team Koscheck has celebrated their win. Koscheck and the coaches stopped by and picked on Michael Johnson, who was clearly ticked off by it. Somehow, these fighters don't get that getting mad about it is exactly what Koscheck wants. 

Voice of reason of the week: Georges St. Pierre sat his team down and told them not to let Team Koscheck's antics get under their skin. That makes sense ... so clearly, that advice won't be followed.

Trash talk guessing game No. 1 -- Who said:

I just go out there and kick and punch and knee. 

I'm not like these other guys that he's fought.

I want him to feel pain. 

First fight of the week: Cody McKenzie (Team GSP) vs. Marc Stevens (Team Koscheck)

Round 1: Stevens shoots in for a quick takedown and McKenzie sinks in his trademark guillotine. Stevens is put to sleep, and Koscheck is clearly disgusted. 

After the fight, the Stevens locker room is dead silent. Koscheck had no explanation to offer his fighters, and they had to head in to the gym for the next fight announcement. Team GSP had control, and they put up their fighter Jonathan Brookins against Sevak Magakian. GSP calls Brookins his secret weapon. In case you're unfamiliar with Brookins' work -- which maybe GSP was -- he is one of the many fighters that Jose Aldo destroyed on the way to the WEC championship.

Stupid prank of the week: "Ahhh, Josh, where you put my sandals?" Koscheck hid GSP's sandals, which is the one of the weakest pranks in the history of "The Ultimate Fighter."

Trash talk guessing game No. 2 -- Who said:

I want to go up, like flowers to the sun.

This is like, win or die, man.

Second fight of the week: Jonathan Brookins (Team GSP) vs. Sevak Magakian (Team Koscheck)

Round 1: Brookins earned the first cheer of the fight when he supplexed Magakian down to the ground. Though Magakian stood up quickly, Brookins stayed on his back. After some maneuvering, he sunk in a standing rear naked choke and put Magakian to sleep.

Body count of the week: Two fights, two fighters put to sleep. Team GSP took both fights this week, leaving one last fight for Team Koscheck to try to dig out of the hole next week.

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Scuba Diver Girls Drysuit Diving

Margo and Occhi head out into La Jolla Cove to DIVE DRY! Occhi took along her new Hollis light and the girls had a blast! We found a whole cast of characters floating around and hiding under rocks. The kelp was amazing as usual and we even ran into our friend Al down there! Thank [...]

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Unlucky Steve Cantwell off Saturday's UFC 120 card

Since Steve Cantwell is in England for UFC 120, he might want to head over to Ireland to try to find a four-leaf clover, a leprechaun or a shillelagh. The unlucky fighter was forced off of UFC 120 with a knee injury. With it being too late to find a replacement for the bout with Stanislav Nedkov, the fight was canceled. Both Cantwell and Nedkov will receive their show money.

Cantwell was supposed to fight Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 108, but was pulled at the last minute because of an undisclosed medical issue. At the time, UFC president Dana White said that the medical problem could prevent Cantwell from ever fighting again.

This would have been Cantwell's first fight in more than a year. He dropped a decision to Brian Stann in his last fight at Ultimate Fight Night 19. The former WEC champ lost to Luis Arthurt Cane before that.

This is a tough break for Nedkov, as well. He was scheduled to fight Rodney Wallace at UFC 117, but was forced off the card by injury. Now, both fighters must wait to see when their bout will be rescheduled. 

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UFC 120: Carlos Condit KOs Dan Hardy

by Michael David SmithDan Hardy complained heading into his fight with Carlos Condit at UFC 120 that Condit and his trainer, Greg Jackson, are too cautious and try to win dull decisions. He can't say that anymore.

Instead, Condit knocked Hardy out with a brutal left hook in the first round of their bout in London on Saturday.

After the televised card got off to a dull start with three straight decisions, Condit changed everything by standing and trading shots with Hardy. After a couple minutes of action, Condit and Hardy both threw left hooks at each other at the same time, but Condit's landed just in time to send Hardy to the canvas. Condit landed a couple more on the ground to erase any doubt.

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More: UFC 120 Results | Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy Live Blog | Latest UFC News

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My 6th Slalomevent at Sotavento

The third PWA Slalom of the 2010 season here at Fuerteventura saw a lot of different conditions while 5 days of competition. From 40 knots down to 15 knots, which are relatively unusual for Sotavento at this period of the time. It�s over for 3 days already. We sailed 10 full rounds. I finished 36th [...]

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Surf Photographer - Matthew Clark

Introducing Matthew Clark, a surf photographer in New York. Matt won the Follow the Light Foundation grant back in 2007, has a great eye and a portfolio well worth checking out…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-photographer/matthew-clark.php



www.clarkography.com

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White says Mexican community is fired up to see Velasquez whip Lesnar

Dana White is a longtime boxing fan so he's seen on numerous occasions how rabid Mexican fight fans can be. Breaking into the Latino market has always been a goal of the UFC and they may finally have their guy if Mexican-American Cain Velasquez can pull the upset on UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar at UFC 121.

"If Cain Velasquez wins on Saturday night, for the Hispanic market, it's crazy," White told Karyn Bryant. "Mexicans and Puerto Ricans, when they have a champion, it's crazy."

White pointed to the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez as a prime example.

"It's like when Greg Haugen went down into Mexico City and said all that crazy stuff. I think that's this type of fight," said White. 

The prefight talk for the 1993 match got nasty.

"(Chavez's 82-fight win streak consisted of) Tijuana taxi drivers that my mother could have knocked out," said Haugen. He also took a shot at the Mexican fans. "There aren't 130,000 Mexicans who can afford tickets."

Chavez hyped the fight by saying, "I really hate him bad. When he looks at me, I want to vomit. I am going to give him the worst beating of his life. I am going to make him swallow the words that came out of his dirty mouth."

Chavez-Haugen drew 130,000-plus fans in Mexico City.

Velasquez overcoming the might of Lesnar, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound monster, who looks like he came straight out of video game, only adds to the passion of the Latino fans.

"Brock Lesnar is the guy that the Mexican community wants to see Cain Velasquez smash," said White.  

The fanbase starting getting revved up during a Velasquez rally last Sunday in Los Angeles. It was a wild scene attended by a thousand-plus fight fans. 

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Daniel Cormier Expresses How Proud He Is of Teammate Cain Velasquez

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, Videos

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- MMA Fighting spoke to Cain Velasquez's teammate Daniel Cormier about his good friend's title win over Brock Lesnar, whether he expected the fight would play out that way and how the team will celebrate.

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www.rock-climbing-blog.com claimed on Technorati

I’m pleased to claim this blog officially on Technorati so that more people will read it
This link to my Technorati Profile is all it takes.

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How to?build a home gym

When I moved into my new home, I spent a little time on reconnaissance for somewhere to train for climbing.
I initially thought a fingerboard would be the way to go. However, all the doorways were flimsy stud walls and not sturdy enough.
An alternative jumped out - Rock Rings by Metolius. If only I could find [...]

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Brock Lesnar Pre Fight UFC121 - UFC 121

Showdown Joe Ferraro interview with Brock Lesnar discussing his heavyweight championship title defense against Cain Velasquez.

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Footloosin': A Strapless Short Film

From Nikolai Samson and Almond Mfg, Footloosin' is a short film of bindingless soul shredding and pillow popping out of Revelstoke, BC. Hit play for 9 minutes of Friday powder stoke.

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It?s all custom!

Well it’s official, my brand new custom rig is complete thanks to the recent addition of my Sabre2 120. It came last week and I’ve been so excited to see it – even more so to fly it! Thankfully, CSC has plenty of riggers on staff that don’t mind helping a girl out. Though I’ve [...]

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Last Chance for Middle Fork Rafting Trip

It’s just about curtains for the Middle Fork of the American river this year.� After this weekend, the powers that be will reduce flows on the Middle Fork so they’re high enough for fish and deer and possums, but way too low for whitewater rafting.� It would be more like “low water walking.” An interesting [...]

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Daniel Cormier Expresses How Proud He Is of Teammate Cain Velasquez

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, Videos

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- MMA Fighting spoke to Cain Velasquez's teammate Daniel Cormier about his good friend's title win over Brock Lesnar, whether he expected the fight would play out that way and how the team will celebrate.

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Title shot hopes for Jon Fitch seem dim

In a video he recently Tweeted, Jon Fitch showed that he is not an adept standup paddleboarder.

Falling off the paddleboard after three seconds is the least of Fitch's problems. That welterweight title shot that he thought he was in line for? It turns out that the winner of Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann will likely get the next shot at the winner of Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck.

"If Jake Shields should win against Martin Kampmann, it will probably be him next," [Dana] White said.

That "probably" is a ray of hope for Fitch. Probably means nothing is set in stone. Fitch proposed that he should fight the winner of Shields/Kampmann for the title shot. What would you like to see happen with the UFC welterweight belt?

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Video: Robe Canyon, Stillaguamish (and Robe Race is Sunday!)

In deference to the Robe Canyon Race happening tomorrow (Sunday April 25, 2010), here’s a cool video I found on Professor Paddle showing kayakers running the drops – there are�some really�nice boofs in there. If anyone’s planning on heading out there to watch�it should be fun, the race will probably start around 10:30-ish 1 pm-ish [...]

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What You Need to Know about Maui Snuba Tours

For those who want more depth than snorkeling offers, but aren’t quite ready for the scuba diving adventure, snuba is the perfect compromise. This relatively new activity, which is a hybrid between snorkeling and scuba diving, has caught on not just in Maui, but in other areas of the globe as well. In fact, snuba [...]

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Paul Robinson Completes ?Ill Trill? (8C/V15)

Cross Posted from 27Crags A few weeks ago a strong climber and friend, Mickey, from the UK showed Paul Robinson a hard project in Magic Wood, CH. At the time Paul had just finished Neverending Story and was looking for … Continue reading →

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UFC 121 picks, Vegas-style: Velasquez looks to ruin 'Brocktober'

After UFC 100, Brock Lesnar was labeled an unstoppable force. Following a rough performance at UFC 116 against Shane Carwin, that kind of talk has died down. Was Lesnar overrated or is Carwin just that good? The next guy to put Lesnar's reputation to the test is Cain Velasquez. He's getting a lot of respect from bettors and fight insiders. Is he big enough to lock horns with Lesnar? Or will he wear out the monster?

Damon Martin from MMAWeekly and Larry Pepe from ProMMARadio joined me on RawVegas.tv to breakdown the big fights in Anaheim this weekend. 

UFC 121 odds (Courtesy Lagasse Stadium Las Vegas): 

Cain Velasquez (+120) vs. Brock Lesnar (-150) -- UFC heavyweight title
Martin Kampmann (+210) vs. Jake Shields (-270)
Tito Ortiz (+130) vs. Matt Hamill (-160)
Paulo Thiago (-110) vs. Diego Sanchez (-120)
Tom Lawlor (Even) vs. Patrick Cote (-130)
Paul Taylor (+200) vs. Sam Stout (-250)
Matt Schaub (+170) vs. Gabe Gonzaga (-200)
Ryan Jensen (+190) vs. Court McGee (-240)
Mike Guymon (+140) vs. Daniel Roberts (-170)
Chris Camozzi (Even) vs. Dongi Yang (-130)
Gilbert Yvel (+150) vs. Jon Madsen (-180)

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A Life Ascending (trailer)

A Life Ascending chronicles the life of acclaimed ski mountaineer and mountain guide Ruedi Beglinger. Living with his wife and two young daughters on a remote glacier in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, Beglinger has built a reputation as … Continue reading →

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First New Carnivorous Mammal in 24 Years, Better See It Now

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The pressure eases on Tito: Jenna could land Broadway gig

Jenna Jameson became a rich woman in her first go-round as an actor. Of course, she was playing herself in those adult films. Now she's really wants to show off her acting chops. The N.Y. Post reports Jameson is a strong candidate for a role in the hit Broadway show "Rock of Ages."

"... I'm praying I get the role," Jameson told The Post. "Broadway has always been a dream of mine ever since I was a little girl. I am really excited."

The show's producers are impressed with the former porn queen.

A show source told us, "The producers were surprised, but Jenna has a good voice. And while she's famous for her X-rated movies, she can act. This may be a shock to traditional Broadway fans, but the show is always trying to push the boundaries."

Jameson hit the casting couch today in the Big Apple

"I'm meeting with the producers [today], and I just hope I have enough talent to carry the role. We are talking about a run that would be anything from a month to three months, and it could start very soon. I think I'm perfect for the role, and I am really looking forward to becoming a New Yorker."

What do this mean for her husband Tito Ortiz? With Jameson moving from Huntington Beach, Ca. to New York, life could be more or less complicated. He was smart in marrying up. Now Jameson may be on the verge on having more resources to support her hubby. If Ortiz loses this weekend, he may done with the UFC. Tito is 0-3-1 dating back to late 2006.

All they have to need now is some marital peace. Ortiz told USA Today that the couple hit again the skids during the last month.

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Crypt Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park

You’ll find Crypt Lake on page 113 of Don’t Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies, the Opinionated Hiking Guide. It’s Trip 22. You’ll also find it on the agenda of every visitor to Waterton Lakes National Park who has any interest in hiking. It’s by far the most popular trip in the park, and [...]

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UFC 120 Predictions

by Michael David SmithThe Octagon is back in England on Saturday for UFC 120, a card that's heavy on British fighters and that's sort of like an hors d'oeuvre before the feast that is UFC 121 a week later.

What: UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama

Where: 02 Arena, London

When: The main card starts at 8 p.m. in London (3 p.m. ET) and will be shown on tape delay on Spike starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Predictions on the five televised fights below.

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More: UFC 120 Fight Card | UFC 120 Pictures | UFC 120 Results

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Work Stinks! Boogie ? Recap and Engagement

Sorry it’s taken me so long to develop a recap of last weekend…life has been a bit of a whirlwind since we returned home on Monday from the Work Stinks! Boogie at Start Skydiving. This was the second year in a row that Rick and I attended this event, and let me just tell you [...]

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A Review Of Three Modern Dive Knives

Function Over Beauty I like a dive knife that looks great, we all do! However,� a sexy looking knife is not much use to you if it doesn?t cut through that mono-filament line that?s wrapped around your leg! I tried three modern knives out on an assortment of materials that commonly cause diver?s trouble, from [...]

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Turning Green...SealLine and JetBoil Get Hip

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Lesnar's going hunting after the fight, so the viking beard stays

Good thing George Steinbrenner doesn't run the UFC. The recently deceased Yankee owner required that his athletes be clean shaven. A "Big Stein" versus Brock Lesnar showdown over facial hair may have been one for the ages. Lesnar loves his new whiskers, telling the audience and media at the UFC 121 prefight press conference that the beard is staying.

"I'm keeping it. I'm going hunting. I'm leaving the next day and heading up to Canada," said Lesnar. 

Lesnar is embracing his Nordic looks.

"It's cold out. I'm going to get in the viking ship and row my way up into the great white north," chuckled Lesnar.

The beard may take on a pinkish hue if Lesnar gets cut like he did in the fight against Shane Carwin. He might look like his wrestling buddies Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes when they used to slice themselves open.

Lesnar also added that he's happy to visit Canada even though that's where he experienced a lot of medical missteps before his stomach ailment was correctly diagnosed back in the U.S.

"I love Canada. I've got a house in Canada. I love the hunting," said Lesnar. "I could've been anywhere and got poor service. I've been in the United States and gotten poor service."

When he first returned to fighting, Lesnar angered many Canadians by ripping their healthcare system.

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Paulo Thiago training for UFC 121 - Paulo Thagio

Bad Boy Fighter Paulo Thiago trains for his upcoming fight against Diego Sanchez at UFC 121. Paulo's camp was based in Brazil at Team Constrictor. We caught up with Paulo as he trained for a week in San Diego at Alliance Training Center. Make sure to watch Paulo's fight at UFC 121 on Pay-Per-View this Saturday, October 23rd

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Evo Walks the Line this Friday, October 22: A Benefit for POW

Seattle, WA (October 20, 2010) – This Friday, October 20, Evo in Seattle is holding a snow-themed fashion show to benefit Protect Our Winters. Entitled “Walk the Line”, the event is themed around the styling of the original punk rocker Johnny Cash, but is intended to show off the new trend to involve a bit of fashion in the world of highly functional outerwear—basically the idea that something can be technical without adhering to the tight-fitting and earth-toned backcountry suit stereotype.

With appearances by Gretchen Bleiler and Kelly Clark and emcee’d by Rob Kingwill, it is largely an industry-focused event, but according the official press release, “This event is for everyone, even if you can’t be here for the evening we encourage you to participate. There will be a live Twitter feed during the show featuring commentary and imagery! You are encouraged to Tweet alongside the broadcast and let us know if you like what you’re seeing while your feedback going to be shared with the world…

“Proceeds from the evening will go to Protect Our Winters (POW).  Donations will be accepted at the door as well there will be a silent auction featuring Ski Destination packages from Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, Mt Bachelor and Whistler Blackcomb. Each include lift tickets, outerwear kits and select items from participating sponsors. There will be drinks, light appetizers, desserts, beats by DJ Sean Cee and parking/shuttle provided by Seattle MINI.”

So take your physical or virtual self down to Evo this Friday and get your fashion on for a good cause.

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UFC 121 Lesnar vs Velasquez Preview Show - UFC 121

The Fight Network previews UFC 121 on Saturday night headlined by UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar defending his title against Cain Velasquez.

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All Kaufman-Coenen is missing is a little heat

With a great women's championship fight on the horizon, it's too bad Sarah Kaufman can't exhibit the feistiness she showed before her last title defense. She was angry with Strikeforce over what she perceived as a lack of respect from the promotion. Kaufman lashed out before her fight against Roxanne Modafferi saying that the Strikeforce 135-pound women's champ deserved to be on the main cards just like her 145-pound counterpart, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos.

I deserve to be on a main Strikeforce Card because I am a talented, exciting FEMALE fighter at 135lbs! I will NOT eat a ridiculous amount of cookies to make 145lbs JUST for the opportunity to be on a main card and growing man parts… well that would just be ridiculous :D

Well, after delivering a big slam finish against Modafferi, Kaufman has made the big show this Saturday night on Showtime but she's hasn't really caught onto the concept of using her chops to creatie interest in the fight. Anything other than being respectful and polite is strange for the champ. No one's saying she needs to be Chael Sonnen when it comes to hyping the fight against Marloes Coenen, but give us something!

"I'd describe her as a Thai boxer and a grappler," Kaufman said of Coenen. "She does have definitely some good things she does on the ground and some good things that she does on her feet. And she's pretty comfortable being in both places."

Women's MMA is still in the growth stages so maybe trash talk isn't warranted yet. But it couldn't hurt.

In some ways, Coenen handled Modafferi much more easily than Kaufman by scoring a submission victory in just 65 seconds. She has a quiet confidence about her and sounds like she'll be more dangerous on the fight than ever before. 

The fighters' prefight demeanor shouldn't fool folks. This fight has all potential to be an all-out slugfest. It's a big challenge for Kaufman, who is considerably smaller, giving away five inches in height.

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