Video analysis: Iole sets the record straight on MMA vs. boxing salaries

With each passing day, MMA is getting closer to the interest shown towards mainstream sports. With that comes more transparency and a deeper look at everything that concerns fighters including their salaries. It was week reported last week by ESPN the Magazine that Brock Lesnar was the highest earner in 2010 at $5.3 million. If that's the true figure, it seemed a bit short of Manny Pacquiao's $32 million. Those are the top dogs, but what does that mean for boxers and MMA stars in the two-through-30 range?

This money talk in MMA even prompted HDNet's Inside MMA to get into the issue a few weeks ago about Nick Diaz. The suggestion was made that Diaz needed to leave MMA to get the money he deserves. Kenny Rice said Diaz might make as much in one boxing match as he's made in 16 of his 32 MMA fights combined (1:08 mark).

That was odd assertion considering Diaz just made $325,000 in his last two fights. Is that fair for a guy who's roughly the 15th biggest star in MMA?

Yahoo!'s MMA/boxing expert Kevin Iole checked in with us to explain how there's no middle class in boxing and that it's highly unlikely Diaz would fetch anything close to 175k for a boxing match.

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White believes in Couture, thinks Machida’s style is hurting him

If you questioned why 47-year-old Randy Couture is getting a shot at Lyoto Machida, look no further than the head honcho at UFC. Dana White has long argued that Couture is still a top 10 fighter in the UFC's light heavyweight division.

During this Yahoo! feature, Fight Day, White also says Machida's counterstriking style may be turning into a negative (1:05 mark).

"The style that got him all those wins, all these years is kind of backfiring on him now. I don't think people have figured it out, but he lays back a little too much," White said. "I think he needs to be more aggressive and come forward. And he's definitely gonna have to be that way with Couture. Cause Couture's gonna be right in his face the whole fight."

Couture's recent wins came against boxer James Toney and 45-year-old Mark Coleman. Before that, he struggled to get by Brandon Vera, who was cut and then brought back by the UFC.

The USA Today/Bloody Elbow MMA poll has Couture at No. 16 in the world and No. 12 in the UFC. White says the rankings are [expletive]. Does he really stand a chance against a top five 205er in his prime? The oddsmakers say no. Machida is a massive minus-350 favorite.

Don't forget, you can watch UFC 129 on PPV right here on Yahoo! Sports.

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UFC 129 Live Results: St-Pierre vs. Shields, Aldo-Hominick, Couture-Machida, More

MMAFrenzy.com will have live results from tonight's UFC 129 event starting at 6pm ET for the preliminary card and 9pm ET for the pay-per-view main card, which is headlined by welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre vs. Jake Shields.

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Garmin Touchscreen GPS Watch Runs For You

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New paintings by Peter Pierce

Hope you're all having a great Christmas break and ready to celebrate the New Year! :) We've just updated Hawaiian based artist Peter Pierce's profile with a few new paintings, take a look…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/peter-pierce.php



www.peterpierce.com

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New art from Erik Abel

We’ve just completely refreshed Californian urban contemporary artist Erik Abel‘s profile with a wide and beautiful range of surfing, nature, tribal and illustrative art. We love this guys work, hope you like it too… www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/erik-abel.php www.abelarts.com

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Bellator 42 Predictions

by Michael David SmithFor the second consecutive Saturday night, Bellator has the mixed martial arts spotlight to itself, as Bellator 42 is the weekend's only major MMA card. The big question facing Bellator is whether the match-ups they've put together will result in the kind of exciting card that will get fans buzzing, and create a little momentum for the promotion heading into the home stretch of its fourth season.

Bellator 42 took a hit when Paul Buentello suffered an injury and had to pull out of his fight with Bellator heavyweight champion Cole Konrad, so whatever attention this card can garner will come from the semifinals of the light heavyweight tournament, and the promotional debut of Ronnie Mann.

Here are the basics on Saturday night's card:

What: Bellator 42

Where: Lucky Star Casino, Concho, Oklahoma

When: Saturday, the MTV2 broadcast starts at 9 PM ET.

Predictions on the three main card fights below.

 

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Maui Boat Tours Offer a Complete Island Experience

While there are many sights to see in Maui, some of the best adventures take place in the waters surrounding the islands. Maui boat tours help you experience your vacation to the fullest, whether you want to spend you time whale watching, snorkeling or taking in a spectacular Hawaiian sunset. We have tips to help [...]

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Great October sessions

Since I am back from the PWA Slalom final on Sylt I tried to get as much time as possible on the water. The good performance on Sylt, I could finish the season with the best result of the 2010 season with a 35th, gave me a lot of motivation. Most of the sessions on [...]

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Hominick will pimp CFL team at UFC 129

Canada sounds like it's stoked for UFC 129 and all its countrymen on the card next week in Toronto. Mark Hominick, a Thamesford-native is representing all of Ontario, he'll also be pushing the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. From Yahoo!'s CFL blog:

Hominick will wear a Tiger-Cats' hat as he enters the octagon; his shorts will also feature a Tiger-Cats' logo and an ad for Ticats.ca. The team's also running a contest which includes tickets to UFC 129 as a prize (along with plenty of other impressive stuff), and Hominick will also be featured at "MMA Night" at Ivor Wynne Stadium, which will take place July 16 when the Tiger-Cats host the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Andrew Bucholtz from 55-yard line says the CFL is capitalizing on something other major leagues are whiffing on:

MMA fans are also an excellent demographic for the Tiger-Cats to reach out to. The MMA fan base includes a lot of people in their 20s and 30s (partly because the sport's rise to prominence is still relatively recent), and that's a group the CFL would do well to try and draw. The CFL audience used to skew a lot older; I think that's starting to change, but there's still a need to bring in new, young fans, and a partnership with a prominent Canadian MMA fighter's an excellent way to at least increase the visibility of the Tiger-Cats' brand. From an image perspective, it's also a good thing for a CFL team to position itself as on the side of MMA; many established sports leagues and brands have somewhat turned up their noses at the UFC, and that's probably not a smart long-term strategy given the sport's rapidly growing popularity.

We're glad to see Ontario is welcoming MMA with open arms. Now it's time to work on its acceptance of the Lingerie Football League.

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2010 Skate Perception

Lots of rad skating and some tech editing in the 2010 Skate Perception montage.

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Andy Irons - "You will never be forgotten"

On November 2nd 2010 the surfing world lost a dear friend, hero and champion; Andy Irons. Surf photographer Brian Bielmann with the help of Scott Mortensen has put together a touching photo tribute in memory of AI…

Brian said: "I have so many memories of Andy and this is my way of sharing them with family and friends all over the world. I hope you guys enjoy this and never forget a great man, a great friend."


Click the image above to watch video


Image credit: Billabong

www.brianbielmann.com

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St. Pierre 'Scared' and Shields 'Sick of Him' as Matchup for No. 1 Nears

Filed under: UFC, News

TORONTO -- For Jake Shields, the interest in fighting Georges St. Pierre came many years ago, before he ever signed his name to a UFC contract, before many people who now classify themselves as MMA fans knew who he was. Shields was already a veteran of the sport, and had quietly amassed a long win streak that resulted in an EliteXC welterweight championship. He won that fight in just 63 seconds, and moments afterward, voiced a hope of one day facing GSP, who was then already the UFC champ.

Wherever St. Pierre was that night, his sixth sense might have been tingling. The Canadian star had for a long time watched and admired Shields from afar, and considered the possibility that they might one day meet. By then they were both champs, but the day he truly realized Shields was elite was in the spring of 2006, when Shields beat both Yushin Okami and Carlos Condit on the same night.

Since even before that time, St. Pierre and Shields have been almost inarguably the best welterweights in the world. Dating back to the start of 2005, the champion has won 14 of 15 fights, and the lone loss, to Matt Serra, has been avenged. The challenger has one-upped him though, coming in with 15 consecutive wins. So as far as they are both concerned, UFC 129's main event is a fight that is a long time coming.

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

Team dos Santos has the momentum from last week's win. Who will win the next fight? Will Brock Lesnar misuse more colloquialisms? Who paints his toenails? Read on for spoilers and a recap this week's episode.

Lollygagging of the week: After the loss, Lesnar is disappointed in the work ethic of his team, making me think that Lesnar learned his coaching style from:

You know what that makes you? Lollygaggers.

Fight announcement of the week: Team dos Santos has this week's pick, so he picks Ramsey Nijem to take on Lesnar's Charlie Rader, who Lesnar called out for lollygagging.

J. Crew model of the week: Nijem has painted toe nails and loves Glee, which give his teammates a reason to make fun of him."Everyone makes fun of me for watching Glee, but those kids are talented," Nijem says. No argument here.

Like a two-year-old, he takes his clothes off at the drop of a hat. He likes to joke around with his teammates, which may be a ruse to throw his opponents off. Perhaps, or perhaps not.

Cameo of the week: Brock Lesnar brings in UFC Hall-of-Famer Matt Hughes to work with his fighters on wrestling. Now, far be it from me to question Lesnar, but he is a former wrestler with pretty strong bona fides, and so he brought it another wrestler ... ? I love wrestling as much as anybody, but wouldn't it make sense to bring in a coach to shore up weaknesses? Nonetheless, Brock's team loves working with Hughes, a legendary welterweight.

As both teams talk about this fight, they're absolutely sure that the other team is underestimating the other. Both teams think that their fighter's advantage will be wrestling. Hmmm.

Misuse of the word disgrace of the week: Lesnar tells Rader that if he doesn't win, it's a disgrace because Nijem paints his toenails. I'd like to see Lesnar call Chuck Liddell a disgrace.

Fight of the week: Ramsey Nijem (Team dos Santos) vs. Charlie Rader (Team Lesnar)

Round One: Nijem starts by driving Rader into the fence in a clinch. They continue to pummel for much of the round until Nijem throws an inadvertent knee to Rader's crotch. Once broken apart, Nijem dives in for another takedown attempt. Though he has trouble getting it, he does inflict damage with knees and short strikes. He finally puts Rader on his back after tons of work. Rader springs back to his feet, but Nijem brings him back to the ground and stays in control for the rest of the round.

Round Two: This time, Nijem has no problem getting the takedown. He takes Rader's back and controls him at the beginning of the round, throwing short strikes until he can flatten Rader out and apply a rear-naked choke. Rader didn't put up much of a fight, and tapped to give Nijem the win.

After the fight, Lesnar said that he was worried from the start of the fight, when he saw the look in Nijem's eyes. He also says that Rader quit, an idea that Dana White backed up.

Quote of the week: "I don't even care. These guys don't want to even be here." -- Brock Lesnar

Lesnar clearly doesn't know how to handle fighters who don't have the same drive as he has. He rips them for choking and not caring. It's going to be a long season if Lesnar and his fighters don't get on the same page.

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FINAL DAY for Pre-Season Sale 2011

This is it folks,�January 31, 2011�is the last day of our Pre-Season Sale.� Prices go up to normal tomorrow.� Git ‘er done and save 25% on any river, any trip, any day of the week during the regular 2011 rafting season.� From a whiz-bang South Fork Express trip to a mega multi-day Tuolumne-Cherry Creek Combo, [...]

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‘Mayhem’ Miller takes his talents to the UFC

Jason "Mayhem" Miller, a veteran of Strikeforce and DREAM and the star of MTV's "Bully Beatdown" has signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC after his Strikeforce deal expired, as reported by MMA Fighting and confirmed by Miller's Twitter account.

He plans to fight in the UFC's middleweight division:

"I will beat the brakes off most of the guys in the middleweight divisions in the UFC," he said. "I guaran-damn-tee it."

Miller hasn't fought since a DREAM win over the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba in September 2010. His last Strikeforce bout was a year ago in Nashville. He won over Tim Stout, then jumped in the cage after Jake Shields' win, sparking a brawl resulted in suspensions. He has fought in the UFC before: one loss to now-welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre.

This is the first big signing of a former Strikeforce fighter since Zuffa, the UFC's parent company, bought Strikeforce. At the time of the purchase, UFC president Dana White said that business would continue as usual and that the UFC and Strikeforce would continue to compete for fighters. Miller's contract had expired, and he hadn't had any Strikeforce fights in more than a year.

Many of the UFC's top middleweights are already tied up with fights, so it will be interesting to see where they will slot Miller first. Do you think they should challenge him with a top middleweight? Or bring him back into the fold slowly? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.

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The view from two MMA judges’ seats

MMA fans disagree on nearly everything, from the best pound-for-pound fighter to the best promotion to even the prettiest ring card girl. However, there is one area that MMA fans, media, promoters and fighters do agree on -- the state of MMA judging is nothing short of sorry. Martin Kampmann, Nam Phan and Riki Fukuda were recent victims of egregiously bad judging, but rarely does a card go by that doesn't have at least one judges' decision that leaves the MMA world confused.

Two judges spoke up recently about their job, and how they arrive at decisions. Chuck Wolfe, who surprised Bellator fans by scoring Joe Warren 30-27 in a win over Marcus Galvao, despite the damage that Galvao inflicted on Warren during the second round. Wolfe defended his call:

"He had three rounds to take Warren out if he really wanted to beat him -- he had three rounds to dominate Warren, as well as Warren had three rounds to dominate him," Wolfe said. "It's up to the fighter. ... Don't leave it in the hands of the judges, especially when it's a close fight."

Yes, that's a judge saying, "Don't leave it in my hands." Wolfe mentions his credentials, but then essentially says, "Don't make me do the job." Imagine being at work and telling that to your boss. How long would it be before you cleaned out your desk?

Jeff Blatnick, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling and an early player in building the UFC, now serves as a well-respected MMA judge. He allowed reporter Jim Genia to shadow him through a regional MMA event in New Jersey, explaining some of the nuances to judging that fans can't see from their seat in the stands or through their television screen.

"If a fighter winces from a landed punch, that means it scored," he says.� "If I hear the whoosh of a foot dragging on a takedown, it's a legitimate attempt at a takedown."

Blatnick acknowledges that there will be subjectivity among judges, because a judges has to compare apples and oranges. Does a takedown matter more than three elbows? How does a leg kick stack up next to a jab?

Judging is a problem in MMA, but one that is to be expected in a sport that has grown so much in a short time. Judges with backgrounds in wrestling or boxing or jiu-jitsu are having to learn the value of the other disciplines. What's clear is the need for ongoing education for current and new judges. Some states, like New Jersey and Ohio, already have stringent requirements for judges. Other states need to catch up.

The good news is that MMA recognizes the problem exists, which is the first step in fixing any debacle. Recently retired UFC vet Ricardo Almeida plans to go into judging, hopefully starting a trend for former fighters.

Education and more qualified judges will help, but something that any fan of a judged sport need to realize is that subjectivity will always creep into the judges' minds. Their decisions will forever be one more area of disagreement for MMA fans.

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MMA Marketplace: Tokyo Five’s shirt for Japan

Tokyo Five bills itself as an apparel company with the Bushido spirit, and they're acting on it in the wake of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan. They are teaming up with Global Giving to raise money for Japan with the sales of a new shirt:

The shirt is just $20 and 100% of the proceeds will go to Global Giving Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. Click here to buy it and help with the relief.

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Ultimate Fighter's Ramsey Nijem Talks Tension on Team Dos Santos

by Michael David SmithOn this week's episode of The Ultimate Fighter, Junior dos Santos had some trouble in the ranks of his coaching staff, and he had to reprimand his assistant, Lew Polley, for pushing his fighters too hard in practice.

Ramsey Nijem, a member of Team Dos Santos, said in his weekly interview with MMAFighting.com that he was glad dos Santos said something, because Polley had been taking his intense coaching style to extreme lengths.

Nijem also discussed the new member of Team Dos Santos and this week's fight between Len Bentley and Ryan McGillivray, and he offered an interesting preview of his own (not quite) nude scene in next week's episode. The full interview is below.

 

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Whitewater Rafting in Mystery Fiction

Since O.A.R.S. is an adventure travel outfitter, specializing in whitewater river trips, we’re always on the lookout for good books about the sport. Sure, there are lots of useful guidebooks, instructional manuals and such, but there’s nothing like diving into a rip-snorting novel that takes place on roaring rapids of a whitewater river to get [...]

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Garmin Touchscreen GPS Watch Runs For You

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This Machine Kills Fascists Trailer Two

Richmond's This Machine Kills Fascists is looking good. Check their second trailer.

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B.J. Penn: 'Teammates Have to Fight Each Other'

Filed under: UFC

If you're a UFC fighter who's unhappy about being pressured into fighting your friends and teammates, don't come crying to B.J. Penn.

The former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion said on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour that it's all part of the game, and fighters should plan accordingly.

"I think teammates have to fight each other, and I knew that the whole time," Penn said. "That's why I would always distance myself. Of course they have to. I always thought it was B.S. that [Josh] Koscheck and [Jon] Fitch wouldn't have to fight, but they can just keep taking turns going for title shots, but they never had to fight each other? That doesn't make sense."

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New art from Damian Fulton

Just added a bunch of new art to Damian Fulton's showcase on Club Of The Waves. Awesome stuff, check it out…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/damian-fulton.php



www.damianfulton.com

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Former NHL enforcer is trying MMA in June

On skates, Donald Brashear could always fight with the best of them.

Can he do it bare-footed and against trained professional fighters? Brashear wants to find out.

According to the Canadian Press, the former NHL henchman, who's still playing hockey in the minors, has signed a deal with Ringside MMA to fight in June in Quebec City.

"Despite Brashear's lack of experience in MMA, he's a very athletic guy, he's in good shape, he's gutsy, he's learning pretty fast and showed an early interest and motivation," a Ringside MMA spokeswoman said. "Plus, he's no stranger to fighting."

Keep in mind, Brashear is also 39 years old. The 6-foot-3, 237-pounder will have to get approval from local authories before he steps into the cage.

Brashear may want to look at MMA sparring videos with another former NHL player George Laraque. Sure he was facing one of the best in the world, but Laraque was schooled a few months ago by Georges St-Pierre.

We're guessing the biggest test for Brashear will be conditioning and avoiding the potential adrenaline dump that happens in fighting. Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski, who's crossed over to professional boxing, said fighting is unlike any conventional sport.

"You have to control it in boxing, because in football maybe that first series you get real excited. The warm up in boxing is far, far more important than in football," Zbikowski told ESPN1100 in Las Vegas.

During his 17-year career, Brashear piled up 2,634 penalty minutes in 1,025 NHL games.

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The view from two MMA judges’ seats

MMA fans disagree on nearly everything, from the best pound-for-pound fighter to the best promotion to even the prettiest ring card girl. However, there is one area that MMA fans, media, promoters and fighters do agree on -- the state of MMA judging is nothing short of sorry. Martin Kampmann, Nam Phan and Riki Fukuda were recent victims of egregiously bad judging, but rarely does a card go by that doesn't have at least one judges' decision that leaves the MMA world confused.

Two judges spoke up recently about their job, and how they arrive at decisions. Chuck Wolfe, who surprised Bellator fans by scoring Joe Warren 30-27 in a win over Marcus Galvao, despite the damage that Galvao inflicted on Warren during the second round. Wolfe defended his call:

"He had three rounds to take Warren out if he really wanted to beat him -- he had three rounds to dominate Warren, as well as Warren had three rounds to dominate him," Wolfe said. "It's up to the fighter. ... Don't leave it in the hands of the judges, especially when it's a close fight."

Yes, that's a judge saying, "Don't leave it in my hands." Wolfe mentions his credentials, but then essentially says, "Don't make me do the job." Imagine being at work and telling that to your boss. How long would it be before you cleaned out your desk?

Jeff Blatnick, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling and an early player in building the UFC, now serves as a well-respected MMA judge. He allowed reporter Jim Genia to shadow him through a regional MMA event in New Jersey, explaining some of the nuances to judging that fans can't see from their seat in the stands or through their television screen.

"If a fighter winces from a landed punch, that means it scored," he says.� "If I hear the whoosh of a foot dragging on a takedown, it's a legitimate attempt at a takedown."

Blatnick acknowledges that there will be subjectivity among judges, because a judges has to compare apples and oranges. Does a takedown matter more than three elbows? How does a leg kick stack up next to a jab?

Judging is a problem in MMA, but one that is to be expected in a sport that has grown so much in a short time. Judges with backgrounds in wrestling or boxing or jiu-jitsu are having to learn the value of the other disciplines. What's clear is the need for ongoing education for current and new judges. Some states, like New Jersey and Ohio, already have stringent requirements for judges. Other states need to catch up.

The good news is that MMA recognizes the problem exists, which is the first step in fixing any debacle. Recently retired UFC vet Ricardo Almeida plans to go into judging, hopefully starting a trend for former fighters.

Education and more qualified judges will help, but something that any fan of a judged sport need to realize is that subjectivity will always creep into the judges' minds. Their decisions will forever be one more area of disagreement for MMA fans.

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Snake blood shots in Thailand the secret to success for fighters on the comeback trail

Mike Swick, Phil Baroni and Roger Huerta may seem like strange bedfellows, but they have one thing in common - their mixed martial arts careers have taken turns for the worse. Baroni and Huerta have had trouble evolving and keeping up with the competition while Swick has battled a variety of health issues.

During his down time, Swick's a huge world traveler and loves to chronicle his adventures on video. His latest sojourn included Huerta and Baroni during a trip to Thailand.

The fighters learned how to handle a cobra, then watched a handler kill the snake and cook it up. If that wasn't insane enough, two of the fighters did shots of cobra blood (NSFW - language).

Swick's journeys have taken him everywhere. This trip also included being shot by Thai cops. Last year, he got into a dicey situation in Ethiopia.

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Gilbert Melendez On Strikeforce Buyout and Kawajiri Rematch - Gilber Melendez

 

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And so it begins

This weekend marks the beginning of the skydiving season (well, for me anyway). Last year I was blessed to have ample travel opportunities throughout the winter, along with a dropzone within driving distance that’d let me huck myself out of a Cessna on sunny, yet still frigid days. So needless to say there really wasn’t [...]

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Video analysis: Iole and Cofield talk Diaz being next for GSP

With few quality welterweights dotting the Strikeforce roster, how willing is Zuffa to allow Nick Diaz to fight lesser names in its smaller organization? The Strikeforce 170-pound champ won his 10th straight fight against Paul Daley on Saturday, so who's next?

Diaz has the well-rounded game to give UFC champ Georges St. Pierre a real run for his money. If GSP gets by Jake Shields at UFC, will the UFC quickly abandon the "business as usual" mantra that it pitched when it purchased Strikeforce and throw Diaz at the French-Canadian?

Yahoo!'s lead MMA writer Kevin Iole joined us to discuss Diaz's immediate future and the win over Daley.

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Watch UFC 129 from your own room in the Rogers Centre

UFC 129 in Toronto sold out in record time, but fans left without seats have an option to get into the Rogers Centre: book a room for $1,300 in the Renaissance Hotel, which is a part of the Rogers Centre and looks into the large, domed arena. You and up to three friends can enjoy the fights from the privacy of a hotel room.

Of course, there's fine print:

The hotel plans on enforcing a strict set of special policies regarding the number of guests in the room, as well as the restriction of outside food and beverages, so be sure and check out the rules before booking the room.

You don't want to be watching a crucial moment in Jake Shields vs. Georges St. Pierre and have hotel security bust in and kick everyone out before you hear the judges decision, so it makes sense to follow these rules.

According to the Renaissance, the hotel rooms are comparable to 200 or 300-level seats, which are going for between $350-600 on Stubhub. A $1,300-room split four ways is $350. Throw in tax and food, and the room will cost about $400 a person, so it's not necessarily a cheaper option.

There are upsides to having a private room to watch the fights:

-- No line for the bathroom.

-- If a fight breaks out in the stands, that has no effect on you. Let the idiots tussle. They won't knock over your beer.

-- A break in the fights = naptime.

-- The guy yelling, "PUT HIM IN A BODYBAG!" is not sitting behind you. Neither is the armchair coach, the know-it-all, the fighting couple or the way-too-drunk-too-early-in-the-night guy. (Unless those are your friends. If they are, you can lock them in the bathroom.)

But it's not everything you could want in a fight-watching experience. A few years ago, a young woman tried to watch a Blue Jays game from a Renaissance room wearing nothing but a thong and a smile, and security quickly put an end to it.

More UFC 129 coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
Georges St. Pierre's training is just messing with us now
St. Pierre visualizes Toronto celebration

Would you want to watch the fights from a hotel room? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.

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Classic Dean Potter Soloing The Nose of El Capitan In Yosemite Valley (video)

Breath, life, vitality of the spirit. Join Us On Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo & YouTube

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Mann Dominates, M'Pumbu and Hale Advance at Bellator 42

by Michael David SmithIn an exciting if overlooked Saturday night fight card, Ronnie Mann put on an impressive showing in his Bellator Fighting Championships debut, while Richard Hale and Christian M'Pumbu advanced to the light heavyweight tournament final at Bellator 42.

Mann spent three rounds brutalizing an overmatched Josh Arocho, winning a unanimous decision in which one judge awarded him a shocking (but not completely unreasonable) 30-25 victory, while the other two judges gave him the more conventional 30-27 scores. The British Mann was making his Bellator debut, and he was confident and aggressive, displaying great positional control and violent ground and pound. Mann, who improved his professional MMA record to 19-2-1, showed that he's going to be a force to be reckoned with in Bellator's featherweight division, although he's going to have to beat much better opponents than Arocho, whose record fell to 6-10.

 

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Springtime Gold

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The worst part of UFC 129 for GSP and Shields? Dealing with the sometimes dopey media

Fighting in front of 55,000 fans, a huge pay-per-view audience and increased media attention has to be great for the fighters at UFC 129. There is a downside. With all the interest, Jake Shields and Georges St-Pierre say the media crush has been unbelievable.

"It's always a distraction. For sure, I'm not gonna lie, the worst part is this," St-Pierre said. "Sometimes you have to wake up very early in the morning. It's bad because it messes up your sleep time."

Shields wants to be a company man, but when you body is on west� coast time, it makes it even tougher to fulfill your duties.

"I think they have me doing the same amount [of interviews as St-Pierre], which I'm not really used to," Shields said (0:15 mark). "I looked at my schedule up there and they have me getting up at seven in the morning for interviews, which is four o'clock in the morning my time.�It seems kind of ridiculous to me. I don't know."

The former Strikeforce middleweight champ will do what he's told. He's a quality dude. Watch him act like a pro as this crazy, smiling wacko is all over him.

Before you mock too hard, John D. Villareal is a pretty accomplished athlete. He's just a little too Tony Little-like.

GSP said he understands that the media requests are part of the business and those increase even more when you're a champion. He also knows it's how fans get their fill of the sport.

Most Excited Interviewer in the World tip via Cage Potato

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George Lucas’ daughter returns to the cage this weekend

Amanda Lucas, daughter of the famed filmmaker George Lucas, will fight again this Saturday at Freestyle Cage Fighting in Oklahoma on a card headlined by UFC veteran Matt Grice and well-known female fighter Erin Toughill.

Lucas is 1-1, winning her last fight via decision in 2009. She had been on an extended layoff from the cage while she focused on improving technically and getting married, telling MMA Fighting that she didn't want to walk down the aisle "looking like a battered woman." You would think that her father could probably connect her with a good make-up artist.

Lucas trains at Fairtex in San Francisco as well as Gilbert Melendez's Skrap Pack team and Cesar Gracie Academy.�She also had a knee injury, but has spent the last six months training and rehabbing.

"I am really excited for this fight," she said. "I was originally scheduled to fight in February, but I suffered a partially torn MCL and PCL during my training camp. I have basically been either training or rehabbing my knee for the past six months. I am looking forward to fighting, taking a week off, and then getting back into the gym. I am in great shape, well prepared and am ready to test myself on Saturday."

Lucas has made cameos in her father's movies, including all three "Star Wars" prequels.

Hopefully, her father will get inspiration from her daughter's fight experiences and give MMA the cinematic treatment it deserves. MMA on the Death Star? Indiana Jones and the Octagon of Doom? Or Lucas could return to his roots and make an "American Graffiti" -eseque film about fighting. Instead of chronicling teenage boys and their last night before college -- and a bunch of boss cars -- Lucas could take a look at a day leading up to a fight.

It would be better than many of the cliche-ridden treatments Hollywood has given MMA in the past. Help us Amanda Lucas! You're our only hope!

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First Snowpack Report of 2011

As you know, we’ve had some crazy weather this fall and early winter.�We’re off to�a good start, but keep in mind that despite all this early precipitation, it is�still too early to tell with certainty what the 2011 rafting season will be like. If we had a dry weather pattern develop between now and April, [...]

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GSP's Trainer Talks UFC 129 Title Fight: 'One Guy Is Going to Break'

Filed under: UFC, News

When it comes to the big fights, it helps to have been there before. That's true not only in the cage, but also in the gym. As UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Jake Shields prepare to face off at UFC 129 on April 30, they have to balance their training with seemingly endless media responsibilities and the ubiquitous presence of the UFC Primetime cameras in their gyms.

It might not sound like much of a factor in fight preparation, but according to St. Pierre's trainer, Firas Zahabi, experience in the media spotlight counts for a lot in a UFC title fight.

"I can tell you, the first time we had Primetime around it was a lot harder. It was just more stress," Zahabi told MMA Fighting. "Now, it's the third time we've had them around, and we've had the Countdown so many times, just various other camera crews in our gym so many times, we're accustomed to it. Now it doesn't bother our training camp at all."

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Georges St. Pierre Works on Striking, Gymnastics to Prepare for Jake Shields

by Michael David Smith

With just a week and a half to go before UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre puts his title on the line against Jake Shields at UFC 129, the Official GSP YouTube channel is offering up some inside looks at St. Pierre's preparation.

Some of the videos, like the one above of St. Pierre working on his striking, are about what you'd expect from any MMA fighter. But a few of the videos show how unique GSP is when it comes to his strength and conditioning work.

 

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Tortola Roundtail

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Surf Artist - Kathryn Colvig

Introducing oil painter Kathryn Colvig based in Nosara, Costa Rica, a place she says has had a "profound" effect on her work, painting "the surf, big waves, and the power of the ocean". Check it out…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/kathryn-colvig.php



http://kathryn-colvig.artistwebsites.com

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Daley interview: The Brit is open to UFC return, but he’s not going to seek out White

Who saw this one coming? Back in May of 2010, Paul Daley was fired by the UFC.�Seconds after a�loss to�Josh Koscheck, Daley lost his cool and�threw a punch at the winner. When he was approached by an angry Dana White in the cage, Daley�didn't exactly grovel for forgiveness. An�incensed White, cut Daley and said he'd never fight for the UFC again. This weekend because of a bizarre twist in the fight game,�Daley's�already back collecting a check from�the UFC's parent company�Zuffa.

Daley challenges Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce welterweight title (Showtime 10 p.m ET/PT). This�is the first major�Strikeforce since the promotion was purchased by the UFC three weeks ago. So Daley didn't make it 12 months without once again fighting for his former employer. �

"All this is good for me.�This is what I wanted to do. I wanted to be the rival.�I wanted to prove something," Daley told Cagewriter.com about his motivation after�being fired. "This now is the biggest opportunity, the biggest stage. How�better to be the champion of an organization, that they're rivaling is owned by the same company,�that shunned you, kicked you away�to be their chanpion again?"

It's a helluva storyline. Never before has a fighter who crossed White been presented with such a chance.

"It makes a lot more interesting if I become the champion," Daley said. "The black sheep of the family becomes the greatest provider for the family ... now, what's up with that?"

Daley doesn't sound like he has anything against the UFC or White, but he's steadfast in his belief that he's handle the postfight apologies appropriately since the incident went down.

"If there's still an opportunity there,�I ain't gonna reach out for it," Daley said. "As far as I'm concerned I've done enough�in apologizing through the press and the media for what I've."

Ultimately, the guy he needs to smooth things over with is White. �

"I've never spoke to Dana personally or face-to-face or on the phone about the incident itself. I have no reason to reach out to him. He's the employer. If he wants me with a company,�then he reaches out to me and says 'hey look I want you to be with my company. Let's sit down and talk."

Daley thinks his problems with White began well before the Koscheck fight saying he was brought in to lose against guys like Martin Kampmann and Dustin Hazelett. When he didn't and carried himself in arrogant fashion, it may have turned off the powers that be.

Daley wants the win and Strikeforce title belt in the worst way. If he doesn't win and never makes it back to the UFC, the Brit is confident that he'll be fine. He's got an entrepreneurial spirit, is a good self-promoter and knows he can�draw a crowd to watch him fight somewhere around the world. �

"I'll be fine no matter what," Daley said. "I've always been good at making money. That's why I ain't scared to say what I've got to say.�They're feeding me now but away from her, I'll still get fed."

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Gilbert Melendez Surprised Tatsuya Kawajiri Didn't Train in Cage - Strikeforce

Gilbert Melendez Surprised Tatsuya Kawajiri Didn't Train in Cage Video by Strikeforce

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The more you climb, the better you?ll climb

I have had a few days away from climbing - in fact, my last session was 3 weekends ago at Froggatt - and so I got back to the gym this week. My local gym has an auto-belay setup so I was able to do some indoor routes without company.
And I struggled! Struggled to get [...]

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Strikeforce’s Three Stars: Diaz, Melendez and Aoki

Strikeforce's first major event under Zuffa ownership was not without its odd moments, but it was dominated by two champs who train together at Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

No. 1 star -- Nick Diaz: Throughout their one-round scrap, both Diaz and Paul Daley were wobbled. The difference was in how each fighter recovered. Diaz's mixture of body shots and strikes to the head added up on Daley, and the damage at the end of the round was too much for Daley to handle.

No. 2 star -- Gilbert Melendez: How do you stop a wrestler? By punishing him every time he tries for a takedown. Melendez tagged Tatsuya Kawajiri early with a right hook, and then followed up with punches, kicks, takedowns and elbows until the fight ended with a TKO. He held onto his Strikeforce lightweight championship, but Melendez has his eye on more: the UFC lightweight belt.

No. 3 star -- Shinya Aoki: His first fight in the U.S. didn't go so well, but Aoki has been on a tear since losing to Melendez a year ago. He continued that streak on Saturday, cranking Lyle Beerbohm's neck until "Fancy Pants" had no choice but to tap.

Honorable mention -- Elbows: One of Zuffa's first changes to Strikeforce after taking over was to remove the ban on elbows. Strikeforce's fighters responded by using their new weapon with delight. Melendez used short elbows on the ground to finish off Kawajiri and Diaz used them effectively throughout his win over Daley.

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The Truth About Making Weight

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive

When Mike Dolce's cell phone buzzes with an unfamiliar number a few days before a major MMA event, he already knows what's coming.

Dolce's primary work is as a nutritionist, managing the day-to-day food intake of pro athletes with precision focus. But the creator of "The Dolce Diet" is also known to be something of an expert at temporary weight-cutting, and a last minute call to Dolce means that somewhere, some fighter is panicking.

"I get phone calls the week of, or the night before weigh-ins sometimes," Dolce said. "I've taken same- day requests. I've gotten there on the day of the weigh-ins, got in there and gotten it done. I'm able to work a little magic then, but if they're calling me at that point, they already screwed up."

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Local Hero Peggy Oki

We're thrilled to hear that Peggy Oki has been named as a "Local Hero" by the Santa Barbara Independent (scroll halfway down the page to see Peggy!).

Peggy has more than earned this honor with her inspiring & enduring support for protecting cetaceans and ocean life, through her Origami Whales Project… An international campaign, aimed at getting the message across to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), to put a stop to the slaughter of whales and the cruelty of commercial whaling in Japan, Norway and Iceland.


Photo: Peggy Oki. Photo by Matt Dayka

You may remember Peggy Oki as the only female member of the legendary Zephyr Skate Team (a.k.a. Z-Boys of Dogtown)…



www.peggy-oki.com

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Shinya Aoki - Post Fight - Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley - SHOWTIME Sports - Shinya Aoki

The submission artist, Shinya Aoki, talks about his 93 second win over Lyle Beerbohm and his concerns for Japan.

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Judge Chuck Wolfe Defends 30-27 Score for Joe Warren

by Michael David SmithBellator featherweight champion Joe Warren won a controversial unanimous decision over Marcos Galvao on Saturday night in Yuma, Arizona, with all three judges seeing the fight differently than nearly every member of the MMA media saw it.

Particularly surprising about the decision was that judge Chuck Wolfe scored the bout 30-27 for Warren: Not only did Wolfe score the first and third rounds for Warren, as did his fellow judges, but Wolfe also gave Warren the second round, even though almost everyone else watching thought that round was decidedly Galvao's.

Although Wolfe declined to go into a detailed blow-by-blow account of the second round, he defended his scorecard and his decision, saying on Tuesday morning that he thought all three rounds in the fight were close, and that in close rounds, something relatively minor can be the difference in a 10-9 score.

 

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The Burning Bridges Tapes Vol. 2: Darrell Mathes

The second edit from Holden Outerwear’s recent release of classic and unseen footage from KidsKnow's influential film Burning Bridges is dedicated to Darrell Mathes footage.

THE BURNING BRIDGES TAPES-VOL. 2 from HOLDEN OUTERWEAR on Vimeo.

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The Burning Bridges Tapes Vol. 1: Wittlake, LeBlanc and Forgash

The folks at Holden Outerwear have dug up and remixed some footage from KidsKnow's 2005 film Burning Bridges. Featuring riding from Holden co-founder Mikey LeBlanc, Scotty Wittlake and Andy Forgash, some of this footage is previously unseen, some of it made the flick, all of it is good.

THE BURNING BRIDGES TAPES- VOL. 1 from HOLDEN OUTERWEAR on Vimeo.

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MMA Marketplace: The Diaz Brothers shirt to wear to work

If you have a big day coming up at work, you need this shirt. As you consider your big presentation, meeting, review or maybe even fight, wear this shirt to remember the wise words of Nick Diaz: Don't be scared, homie.

As modeled by Chael Sonnen, the shirt will give you the confidence to face the day and the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Urijah Faber wore it to send a message to his UFC 132 opponent, Dominick Cruz. Hopefully, Diaz will wear it as he walks out to this weekend's bout with Paul Daley.

I don't think I'm overstating when I say this shirt will make your life better. Buy it here for $25, a paltry sum to pay for improving your life.

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Strikeforce: Shinya Aoki Easily Submits Lyle Beerbohm

by Michael David SmithShinya Aoki is one of the greatest submission specialists in mixed martial arts, so it was no surprise that Lyle Beerbohm was no match for him at Saturday night's Strikeforce event.

But it was a bit of a surprise just how easy Aoki made it: The whole fight lasted just a minute and a half, and Beerbohm all but invited Aoki to submit him with an odd game plan: Beerbohm charged forward and pressed Aoki against the fence in the opening seconds of the first round, a clear mistake that put Aoki in his wheelhouse when they fell to the ground.

 

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The Crew Mix Tape Vol.13

The Crew basically killed it in the two song Mixtape Volume 13.

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