2011. június 30., csütörtök

Dominick Cruz Believes Urijah Faber Hasn't Evolved Over the Years

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LAS VEGAS -- Watch below as UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz talks about settling the score with Urijah Faber at UFC 132, making his UFC debut, getting the respect believes he deserves from the MMA community and his surgically-repaired hand.

 

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Pat Barry 2.0 looks to seize opportunity against Cheick Kongo

PITTSBURGH -- You don't need to point out Pat Barry's weaknesses as a fighter to him. He's well aware of his reputation as a striker with no ground game.

"The three things that Pat Barry needs more than anything else is heavyweight training partners, jiu-jitsu and wrestling. The whole world knows that, like I'm allergic to the ground or something," Barry said.

Even the UFC's video game reflected his problems with grappling.

"Whoever made the video game, as soon as my character falls down, he dies. Even if I just lay down on my back, he dies."

But to learn the ground game and give him an edge in his UFC on Versus 4 bout with Cheick Kongo, he had to find other heavyweights who knew the ground game inside and out. He found that at Death Clutch, the Minnesota-based training home of Brock Lesnar that is run by former University of Minnesota wrestling coach Marty Morgan. Barry first went to Death Clutch to work with Lesnar on striking and was asked to stay. Now, he works with Lesnar, Bellator heavyweight champion Cole Konrad (pictured), and Chris Tuchsurer, among other big guys.

"If anything, I think Marty Morgan saw my work ethic, saw that I always work hard, I don't complain -- I complain a little bit, but ignore my complaining -- he saw that I learn fast, and being a student of the game, it's hard for him to see someone struggle and ignore it. He's like superman. He saw it and came to the rescue."

Under Morgan's tutelage, Barry said that his game has evolved to keep up with the ever-changing and growing sport.

"What I was doing in my mind was enough, but apparently there is never enough, especially with the way the sport is evolving. You've got wrestlers coming and knocking people unconscious. You have strikers who take people to the ground and beat them up. It never stops."

Like Barry, Kongo has a background in kickboxing, but has added a nasty component of ground and pound to his arsenal in recent bouts. Sunday night, Barry will finally get the bout that he has been asking for since signing with the UFC.

"This is the fight I've been asking for ever since I've gotten in the UFC. It's the opportunity I was waiting for. He's a heavyweight striker, and he was known as one of the most deadly heavyweight strikers in the UFC. I never brag, I don't have the most killer ego, but I couldn't take hearing that. I want to be known as the guy to watch out for."

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Jon Olav Einemo Discusses Five-Year Hiatus From MMA - UFC 131

Jon Olav Einemo Discusses Five-Year Hiatus From MMA Video by UFC 131

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Overeem beats Werdum at Strikeforce, but fails to impress

Alistair Overeem looked to send a strong message in Saturday night's Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinals. Instead, he created plenty of questions about his much larger physique and his stamina. Overeem took a sloppy fight via unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, in the main event at Strikeforce's Dallas event.

Overeem, a huge tourney favorite, suddenly looks beatable. All three of the remaining fighters in the field are capable of taking out Overeem (35-11, one no-contest).

In the semifinals, the 256-pounder will face the massive Antonio "Big Foot" Silva. On the other side of the bracket, is a big puncher in Sergei Kharitonov and a great ground fighter, Josh Barnett.

Overeem has added 40 pounds to his frame over the last five years, but now it appears he may have gone too far. His gas tank was a real issue and his hand speed was unimpressive.

"As you know, Fabricio is one of the best grapplers in the world, so we didn't want to play with him on the ground," said Overeem, who indicated nothing Werdum landed really hurt him. "He just felt a little bit unpredictable in the standup."

For 15 minutes, Werdum (14-5-1) tried to get the fight to the ground where he could show off his excellent submission skills, but he never got Overeem into a dangerous spot.

The Brazilian worked hard throughout the opening round but was consistently thrown away by the powerful Overeem. In the second and third, both fighters were extremely tired. By pulling guard, Werdum actually got into some decent positions on his back with Overeem in his guard, but he was too tired to execute a submission. Overeem was also exhausted and often times just laid close to Werdum's body.

On the feet, Overeem landed harder, single shots. Werdum landed some decent combinations. CompuStrike actually had Werdum outlanding Overeem 69-48, but few of his shots did real damage.

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Smiley?s Project: Finger of Fate, The Titan (video)

Summer is here. The snow in the high country is melting fast and it’s time to get in the mountains. Janelle and I just led a trip up the East Buttress of Mt Whitney here in California with three people. … Continue reading

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Charles Oliveira's Win Over Nik Lentz Changed to No Contest

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The result of Charles Oliveira vs. Nik Lentz is now officially a no contest.

The Pennsylvania state athletic commission on Wednesday determined that an illegal knee by Oliveira set up his submission win at this past Sunday's UFC on Versus 4 in Pittsburgh.

"After review of the tape of this contest and after consultation with the referee the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission has ruled that the results of this match will be changed to a no-contest," Executive Director Gregory Sirb said in a statement provided to MMAFighting.com. "This change is a direct result from an accidental kick to the head by Mr. Oliveira to a grounded Mr. Lentz."

In the second round of the preliminary lightweight fight, Oliveira landed a knee to the head of a grounded Lentz and proceeded to tap out Lentz with a rear-naked choke at one minute and 48 seconds. The knee, while accidental, was clearly illegal and noticed by the live audience watching and the UFC commentators. However, there was no call from the one person who could have made a difference that night, the referee.

"All the other referees were jumping up, guys from the commission were jumping up, I was jumping up. A lot of people were wondering what was going on, why the fight wasn't being stopped, because it was so blatant," Lentz's coach Greg Nelson told MMAFighting.com Tuesday, adding that Lentz suffered an injury to his eye socket due to the knee.

Despite the controversial finish, the match was exciting enough that it was awarded Fight of the Night by the UFC and both fighters walked away each with a $50,000 bonus.

With the result change, Lentz (21-3-2) remains undefeated in his UFC run with five wins, a draw and a no contest. Meanwhile, Oliveira (14-1) will have to try again to bounce back from the first loss of his career last December against Jim Miller.

 

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2011. június 29., szerda

Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview - Strikeforce

Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview Video by Strikeforce

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Slimmed down Morecraft ready for Mitrione at UFC on Versus 4

PITTSBURGH -- A tiny Christian Morecraft will be in the cage to fight Matt Mitrione on Sunday night. Well, as tiny as you can get at 6-foot-6 and 265+ lbs.

At the UFC on Versus open workouts on Friday, a sleeker Morecraft answered questions about his slimmed-down frame.

"Right now, I'm over 265. I've been doing a lot of strength training. You know all the madness that goes into this. I used to be a 360-lb. man a few years ago. I'm just morphing into this. I'm feeling more powerful and more explosive and just amped."

Morecraft's known more for his ground game, but said that he has focused on his stand-up. That should come in handy against a hard hitter like Mitrione.

"Obviously, in this sport, we work on all different aspects of our game. I've really been working on my striking and counterstriking," Morecraft said. "I was dominating my first fight with Stefan Struve, and my stand-up wasn't as close to what it is now. I couldn't wait to work on that divot in my game. Can't wait to unleash it on Sunday."

In his UFC debut against Struve, Morecraft won the first round before getting knocked out in the second.

Morecraft wants a win to continue to move up in the UFC heavyweight division, continuing, as he put it, "The Live It Love It Tour," but he has a little more motivation to fight Mitrione, a fighter who is known to get under his opponents' skins.

"I've said a lot of stuff like I don't like Matt. Obviously, I respect him. Ever since I saw him on 'The Ultimate Fighter,' I just always wanted to fight him."

He doesn't take Mitrione's trash talk too seriously, though.

"That stuff's always fun. People love it, and it keeps us around. It's almost like adding in a little entertainment into the game."

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Shifting Perception by Jay Alders

[...]

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Interior Extends Ban on New Uranium Mines near Grand Canyon

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Weekly Whitewater Watch: June 27th ? July 4th 2011

Planning on taking an O.A.R.S. trip in the near future? Booked on an O.A.R.S. trip already? We present you with our weekly whitewater watch – a resource available to YOU, the interested adventure traveler. Check back every week for updates on rivers across the west! Here you will find information regarding weather, river flows, exciting [...]

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Canadians in Portugal


A bunch of Canadians went to Portugal for Concrete and came back with this video.

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2011. június 28., kedd

Talking Strikeforce MMA at the Dallas Mavericks Victory Parade - Strikeforce

Talking Strikeforce MMA at the Dallas Mavericks Victory Parade Video by Strikeforce

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Things you don't usually see

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Video analysis: Iole says it’s time to change what MMA judges are looking at

MMA judges continue to come under scrutiny at the biggest cards around the world. Fans, fighters and even promoters are frustrated with decisions like the one handed down at UFC 131 when Michihiro Omigawa lost a unanimous decision to Darren Elkins. The Japanese star lost his fourth straight in the UFC.

Two judges gave Elkins a 29-28 decision while Dave Hagen scored it 30-27 for the winner. The 29-28's were far from embarrassing. After all, Elkins outlanded Omigawa 78-65 according to Fight Metric. Giving the third round to a fading Elkins was a little shaky since Omigawa outlanded the American 21-7.

Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole checked in on the judging discussion and pointed out that the officials may be taking the wrong things under consideration when scoring a fight.

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J Rob is The Spirit Counselor: Think Thank's "Ransack Rebellion"

Keeping in their tradition of mini-teasers, Think Thank released this first clip of Jason Robinson, the "Spirit Counselor." Ransack Rebellion, coming this fall.

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Camp Free Always

Did the universe send us a symbolic gift of encouragement? We were certain of it when, years ago, we received an Alberta license plate bearing the letters CFA. We recognized it as an acronym: Camp Free Always. Camping free has long been our creed. We wrote a book about it: Camp Free in B.C. But [...]

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Springtime Gold

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2011. június 27., hétfő

Form of Happiness

Have you ever sat and thought about what makes you happy? Like, really thought about it? In a recent discussion with a friend I grew up with, we were talking about, as a kid, how I loved to re-arrange my bedroom. I would ask my parents to help me so frequently, in fact, it�bordered�on annoyance. [...]

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Action and lifestyle photos by Jim Russi

Introducing a new photo exhibit on COTW by photographer Jim Russi. Featuring surfing, action & wave photos from the north shore of Hawaii, mixed with stunning water photography, art and lifestyle shots celebrating the feminine form and women's surfing. Jim has served as Senior Staff Photographer for all the major U.S. surf magazines, and in addition to his editorial work, he has collaborated closely on numerous advertising campaigns for Swell and has worked on Roxy ad campaigns for over a decade now. Well, well worth checking out his portfolio! Enjoy…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-photography/exhibit-jim-russi.php

Surf photo by Jim Russi

www.jimrussi.com

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Protest Art from David Williams

We've just refreshed Australian artist; David Williams' profile on COTW with some new art, namely "protest art", against the way 'we' are treating the oceans, particularly sharks! The artist commented; "I'm scared for Sharks... 'We' are eating them to death, but mostly removing their fins & leaving the rest to make Shark Fin Soup... I'm just completing the last in a series of works, some of which will be up for silent auction to help raise funds for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society."

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/david-williams.php

Shark Sculpture by David Williams

David has also recently produced an Organic shirt; "Man Eating Shark", of which 50% of profits goes to S.S.C.S (contact the artist for full details)…



www.wildoats.com.au

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Mitrione interview: Former NFL player wonders if Carwin will ever break through cardio barrier

Matt Mitrione is back and he's feeling pretty confident.

The former NFL player and Purdue defensive lineman has been learning on the fly. One thing he realized immediately was that the stamina needed for MMA is a lot different than football. After a rough time on Season 10 of "The Ultimate Fighter," the big guy seems to have figured things out. For others in the heavyweight division, it hasn't been as easy.

Shane Carwin is way ahead of Mitrione in the heavyweight pecking order, but he may not be able to advance any further if he can't go all out for 15 minutes.

Mitrione joined ESPNRadio1100 in Las Vegas to talk about the heavyweight rankings. On Carwin, he thought the big man was holding back in the first round to conserve energy.

"Gassing is a huge thing to a heavyweight. For it to happen the first time in a major fight (Carwin vs. Brock Lesnar), I think it might have played a little bit of mind games for Carwin," Mitrione said (1:40 mark). "I think it's very serious. Gassing is a big damn deal."

Mitrione said the signs of pre-mature fatigue were there again two week's ago at UFC 131 against Junior dos Santos.

"I heard he said between the first [and second], 'my legs are dead'. I think that's another sign of the adrenaline dump. Adrenaline dump is a bitch and once it sets in it really plays mind games with you," Mitrione (4-0, 4-0 UFC) said. "He has a couple more fights to gets used to it. It can really make or break you."

The show also went on to speak about where Brock Lesnar ranks and what he'll be facing if he returns some time in early 2011.

Mitrione faces 6-foot-7, 265-pound Christian Morecraft this weekend in Pittsburgh at UFC on Versus 4.

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Celeb jiu-jitsu showdown: Ashton Kutcher vs. ‘Al Bundy,’ who wins?

A guy breaks into your home and gets on top of you. Can you find a way to get yourself off the floor?

Here's a shocker. Ed O'Neill of "Al Bundy" fame from "Married with Children" would probably be standing in a matter of seconds and chances are Ashton Kutcher would have no shot of rising to his feet. You ask why? The 61-year-old O'Neill has been training jiu-jitsu for 15 years, meanwhile Kutcher is a novice, who borrowed a black belt, during this recent visit to Brazil.

Black Belt Magazine tells the story that O'Neil, who played a dumpy shoe salesman on FOX's hit television show, got hooked on jiu-jitsu during a quick visit to Rorian Gracie's gym in Torrance, Ca.

O'Neil was pushed by a producer/writer friend John Milius to visit the gym. Gracie put "Al Bundy" through the robber drill and he failed.

Taking the bait, he asked Gracie how he'd managed to maintain complete control (while on top of O'Neil). Once the principle was explained the simplicity of the art floored O'Neil. He set up an appointment to begin training and has been rolling ever since.

Black Belt reports that in 2007, O'Neil received his black belt.

"Ed has a vast knowledge of moves," Gracie said. "He has great execution of the techniques and does them with a certain level of ease. We're worked with this guy every single week for 15 years."

Maybe Kutcher, 33, will have his black belt in 15 years. The photo is from Rio de Janeiro where Kutcher stopped in to visit a Carlson Gracie disciple.

Ashton Kutcher, [was in] yesterday, June 13, [to see] Ricardo de la Riva, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. Ashton showed that understands the subject and trained very well with the black belts of the academy.

Ashton learned the secret of one of the world's most famous guards, the De la Riva guard, which was demonstrated by the master himself, to the finest detail.

Tip via Fightlinker

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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

Surf Art by Peter Pierce

www.peterpierce.com

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2011. június 26., vasárnap

Blogger Pitch Tips

This may come as a surprise, I know it did for me the first few times, but I get a lot of PR pitches for ideas, guests posts and features for the blog. It’s not uncommon that they are highly off base and/or something that just isn’t a good fit for my blog. Usually, they [...]

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Whitewater Kayaking in April In Alaska - Literally White Water, As In Ice

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James Toney Returning to MMA in Fall Matchup with Ken Shamrock

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When it comes to mixed martial arts, James Toney still has fight left in him.

Most people believed the multi-divisional boxing champion was one and done in the sport after losing to Randy Couture last August, but nearly a year after the disastrous debut, Toney has decided to return for another go-round. Toney and MMA pioneer Ken Shamrock have both signed on the dotted line to oppose each other in a fall event that is still being planned.

Toney's trainer Trever Sherman confirmed the matchup to MMA Fighting.

BJPenn.com first reported the matchup, attaching it to a September 23 date in El Paso, Texas. Sherman, though, said to his knowledge, neither a date or location has been finalized. He said that Toney, Shamrock, their management teams and event promoters would meet this Saturday night to further discuss particulars.

"The earliest date as I know it would be late September, and the latest would be late October," said Sherman, who added that Texas, California and Nevada were the three potential sites discussed, with Texas as the most likely destination.

Also undecided is whether the match will take place under an established promotion, or as a stand-alone event of fights offered on pay-per-view. Sherman further mentioned that a reality series could be attached to the bout.

Toney's only pro MMA fight occurred against one of the sport's all-time legends. At last August's UFC 118, Couture took him down inside the opening 20 seconds and eventually forced Toney to tap to an arm triangle. Since then, Sherman said that Toney has done little MMA training aside from occasional grappling sessions. He has mainly focused on boxing, where he fought and retained his IBA heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Damon Reed in February 2011.

The 47-year-old Shamrock was once one of MMA's most intimidating fighters, but has won just twice since 2005, going 2-7 during that time. His last bout came last November, when he lost via TKO in the first round after injuring his knee.

Sherman said Toney promised to dedicate himself to training, and that they would invest time in working on takedown defense to keep the fight in Toney's comfort zone.

"The takedown is Ken's only chance," Sherman said. "I respect Ken as much as I do Randy. He's one of the reasons we have this art. But he can't stand with James. Randy proved that. He didn't stand with him for 10 seconds. No one will make that mistake. I want James to go in with hands down by his waist and dare Ken to punch with him."

Sherman said that Toney was adapting well to takedown defense in practices with experienced wrestlers but made a mistake against Couture that he wouldn't replicate against Shamrock. Even since then, he said that whenever Toney trains with wrestlers, he hurts them on the way in, and with small gloves, it may only take one well-placed punch to put Shamrock out.

Toney will prepare for the fight at the recently opened International Fight Center in Van Nuys, California. His team believes that with a win over Shamrock, Toney could put himself in place for a few paydays from promoters looking for unsigned drawing cards, and that if he can string a few wins together, a seemingly impossible goal looms for the soon-to-be 43-year-old: a return to the UFC.

 

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Surf Artist - Marc Christian Kunze

We love these paintings by our latest featured ocean artist; Marc Christian Kunze from Santa Cruz, California. Take a look, We're sure you'll love them too? Let us know what you think… 

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/marc-christian-kunze.php 

Ocean Art by Marc Christian Kunze

http://wavepaintings.weebly.com

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Curran finishes Peruvian with Peruvian necktie; Sandro survives tough one at Bellator 46

Marlon Sandro was expected to be the guy producing a flashy finish, instead it was the usually workmanlike Pat Curran who did so during the back end of the Bellator featherweight tournament quarterfinals in Hollywood, Fla.

Sandro, a huge free agent signing for Bellator, had to go the distance with Genair da Silva Jr. to pull out a split decision win. Curran, back down at 145 after a lot of success at lightweight. finished Luis Palomino with a very uncommon submission, the Peruvian necktie at 3:49 of the first round.

Both fighters move into the tournament semifinals in July. Bellator announced that Sandro will face Nazareno Malegarie while Curran takes on Ronnie Mann. Also on that card is Bellator's featherweight champ Joe Warren, who'll battle the Season 4 tournament winner, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire at Bellator 47 in Rama, Canada.

Warren (7-1) hasn't fought at featherweight since he beat Joe Soto last September. The division has added so much talent and developed so quickly, Warren may not even be amongst the top five 145 pounders on the current Bellator roster.

Pat Curran (14-4) would certainly give the smallish Warren a run for his money. Curran was very competitive during his lightweight fights with Bellator. He upset Roger Huerta last May and began the former UFC star's demise. Then he went the distance with top six lightweight Eddie Alvarez.

Tonight in Florida, he looked awesome at featherweight. Possessing heavy hands, Curran dropped Palomino with a huge right, just over two minutes into the fight. A stunned Palomino tried to secure a takedown, but the scramble resulted in Curran eventually scoring his own along the cage and gaining top control.

With his cousin Jeff, a former WEC champ and jiu-jitsu black belt, in his corner, Curran began to show off his quickly improving submission. The 23-year-old worked a d'arce choke. When that wasn't working, he transitioned to highly unusual Peruvian necktie. The pressure of cranking back with hands, hips and legs made it impossible for Palomino to survive.

"Once I just sunk it in, I went for it. I practice it all the time in the gym," Curran told MTV2's Jimmy Smith. "I was glad I got a chance to show it off. I rocked him with the right hand. He felt a little weak while he was still getting his mind back together."

It wasn't as easy for Sandro, No. 5 in the USA Today/Bloody Elbow 145-pound rankings, against the fellow Brazilian da Silva.

The former Sengoku featherweight champ started strong. Just over two minutes into the fight, Sandro dropped da Silva with a nasty left. He jumped on top and pounded away, but the referee Jorge Alonso wisely let da Silva scramble his way out of trouble. Sandro, 34, tried a guillotine choke, but da Silva eventually got his head free.

In the second, Sandro (18-2) continued to land solid shots with front leg kicks and by getting off first with his hands. Da Silva tried to counterpunch, but was way too wild. The pace slowed in the third and da Silva landed his best punch of the fight, a right hand with 3:55 left. Da Silva tried two takedowns against a tiring Sandro and whiffed on both. Sandro made good on 1-of-2 down the stretch.

Cagewriter scored it 30-27 for Sandro, but the judges were split. The Florida trio scored it 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29 for Sandro.

The pressure's on Sandro, the highest-ranked fighter remaining in the field. Frankly, it looks like he might be a little overrated. His only losses are against new UFC signee Hatsu Hioki, and Michihiro Omigawa.

Omigawa lost a disputed decision at UFC 131, but he's been less than impressive in his second chance with the promotion.

We'll find out what Sandro has in North American fight No. 2. The Bellator semis should be explosive. This is an excellent group.

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Walk The Plank

Slam has a sick road trip video called Walk The Plank.

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2011. június 25., szombat

Heath Kirchart Stay Gold B-Sides

I feel bad for all the other videos coming out today that have to compete with Heath Kirchart's Stay Gold B-Sides.

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Roxy Relax Mix Typed Hoody ? Lilac

Roxy Relax Mix Typed Hoody – Lilac The Roxy Relax Mix Typed Hoody is available in Lilac. 80% Cotton, 20% Polyester, Pull on, with printed logo design on front. Price �32.50 FREE UK DELIVERY AVAILABLE Category: Hoodies|X-treme Deals

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Cormier takes next step by picking apart Monson

Daniel Cormier is taking baby steps working his way towards being legitimate heavyweight contender and he's passing each test with flying colors. Tonight, he avoided the clutches of submission artist Jeff Monson and lit up the veteran with a variety of punches and kicks. Cormier cruised to the eighth victory of his young career with a unanimous decision, 30-27 on all cards.

Cormier's arsenal of left hooks, right hand leads and powerful clinch work tired the 40-year-old. He outlanded Monson 120-40. His combinations confused and startled the former UFC title contender. Cormier also made good on 37-of-47 kicks.

By the end of the fight, Monson's face was all marked up and he suffered a cut on the top of his head.

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Advice from 30,000 miles on the Trail

Carry a PLB Kath and I generally hike alone. Rarely does anyone know where we are, because we tend to plan last-minute, according to the weather. We’ve always known that self rescue was our only hope in case of emergency. And we’ve always been comfortable with that. But as our backcountry ventures became longer and [...]

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Camp Free Always

Did the universe send us a symbolic gift of encouragement? We were certain of it when, years ago, we received an Alberta license plate bearing the letters CFA. We recognized it as an acronym: Camp Free Always. Camping free has long been our creed. We wrote a book about it: Camp Free in B.C. But [...]

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Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Countdown Preview Show - Strikeforce

Fight Network previews Strikforce's heavyweight Grand Prix featuring Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers taking place on June 18, 2011 in Dallas, Texas.

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2011. június 24., péntek

UFC 131: Herman wins battle of the UFC debuts

Dave Herman and John-Olav Einemo both had impressive combat sports careers before starting with the UFC, but it was Herman who came out ahead in the two men's Octagon debuts. Herman won in a TKO after a back-and-forth debut at UFC 131 in Vancouver on Saturday night.

Einemo started the bout by driving Herman into the fence, but Herman held him off. Einemo continued to stalk Herman around the Octagon. Einemo caught a leg kick and took Herman down. He moved into side control, which is where he should have been able to show off his submission skills, but Herman pushed Einemo off with his feet and they returned to stand-up.

In the second round, Einemo continued to stalk Herman around the cage, landing several punches along the way. After a short stop to give Herman his mouthpiece, Einemo went on the offensive, landing several strikes that appeared to wobble Herman, but he recovered to throw a knee and strikes to shake up Einemo. But then Einemo came back, throwing knees that appeared to staggered Herman.

The tide changed in the fight one more time when Herman delivered knees to Einemo's midsection. Einemo fell to the ground, and Herman followed up with big punches until the fight was stopped at 3:19 in the second round.

"I wanted to keep it on my feet against a world-class submission artist. I've been working on my conditioning at Team Quest because that's been an issue for me in the past. Once I started hitting him with big shots, I knew I could finish him," Herman said after the fight.

Both fighters came in with rich pedigrees before their Octagon debuts. Herman, who trains with Dan Henderson at Team Quest, was a Division I wrestler at Indiana and fought in Bellator and Sengoku. Einemo has world-class grappling, and is the only man to have beaten Roger Gracie at Abu Dhabi. But it was Herman's skills and abilities to withstand Einemo's strikes that won the fight, pushing Herman's record to 21-2, while Einemo now 6-2.

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Marius Zaromskis vs. 'Mach' Sakurai Rematch Booked for July 16 Dream Event

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Another champion has been added to DREAM's upcoming event as DREAM welterweight champion and 2009 Welterweight GP champion Marius Zaromskis will rematch former pound-for-pound great Hayato "Mach" Sakurai in a non-title bout at Fight for Japan: DREAM 2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament Final.

Prior to their first meeting during the 2009 Welterweight GP, Sakurai had struggled badly to cut the required weight and questions were raised as to his readiness and commitment to fighting. During the bout however, Sakurai traded evenly with Zaromskis early but was eventually on the receiving end of the Lithuanian's signature head kick and was pounded out for the first round stoppage.

Since then, although the reigning champion Zaromskis has managed to pick up two more wins in Japan and keep his belt but his trips to America have been disastrous, going 0-3 with one no contest. Sakurai has been even more troubled since their first meeting as the knockout loss was the start of an 0-4 slide that has yet to be broken.

The full card after the break.


DREAM - Fight For Japan: 2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament Final
July 16 at Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan

DREAM Light Heavyweight Championship
Gegard Mousasi vs. Hiroshi Izumi

DREAM Featherweight Championship
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Kazuyuki Miyata

Bantamweight Japan Tournament Final
Masakazu Imanari vs. Hideo Tokoro

Bantamweight Japan Tournament Third Place
Keisuke Fujiwara vs. Kenji Osawa

Marius Zaromskis vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Willamy Freire
Todd Duffee vs. Nick Gaston
Eiji Mitsuoka vs. Bruno Carvalho

 

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High flows = summer fun!

Hi there everyone, As far as water content and flows goes, we have arrived. What we have been talking about for months is now in full motion. The melt is more than underway and we are feeling it on every river in the State. This week the Tuolumne and Merced got up to 13k CFS [...]

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FishEyes Rod and Reel Give You the Underwater View

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South Dakota town bans MMA because of a bar fight

M-M-A are still three dirty and misunderstood letters. In many locales, you'll notice that any time a bar fight or scrap goes bad, if it involves someone who's ever stepped in an MMA gym, the blame will be placed on the sport. That's exactly what's happened in one South Dakota town.

A 28-year-old who belong to the Disciples of MMA club in Watertown was involved in a March bar fight. His opponent, Justin Jaton, died and the town has since banned MMA fights. Huh?

Jerrin Stulkin, who trains in Tae Kwon Do, is facing murder charges. (Video from KELO)

Three months later, according to The Republic, the residents of Watertown defeated a measure to allow an MMA fight within the city limits.

KWAT radio reports that Tuesday's vote was 841 people favoring the events and 1,228 people opposing them.

The City Council in May voted 5-3 to allow MMA events, a form of fighting entertainment that some label as barbaric. MMA opponents gathered enough petition signatures to force a citywide vote.

Mixed martial arts fighters use a variety of techniques, borrowing from boxing, wrestling and various forms of martial arts.

Promoter Mike Alama says he'll still hold fights in the Watertown area, but outside the city limits.

Did this really have anything to do with MMA? Of course not. The police description of the incident says it was even a fight.

"The term 'fight' should probably be used very loosely," said Detective Chad Stahl of the Watertown Police Department. "This was an assault."

Randy Leddy, a local bartender and MMA student, called the campaign to smear the sport silly.

"It's very frustrating for me that it has to be linked to MMA," Leddy said. "The cage fighting community had nothing to do with it - it was two individuals and liquid courage."

(NOTE: The Leddy quote appears to have been removed from the original story. It was saved from the story on MMA.tv.)

You still don't believe the fight and MMA are linked? Here's a follow-up story from April talking about how martial arts teaches you that it's proper to walk away from a fight.

With a population of 21,482, Watertown is the fourth-largest city in South Dakota.

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First bouldering at Stanage Plantation, Derbyshire, UK

Location: Stanage Plantation
Date: Sunday 27 July
Sunday shone this weekend. A planned trip to the gym was quickly canned and instead we made a trip out to a new bouldering spot. After a recommendation that Stanage plantation had some good climbing (thanks Jonny!) we checked my bouldering guide book and set out.
If you’re reading this wondering [...]

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2011. június 23., csütörtök

UFC 131: Herman wins battle of the UFC debuts

Dave Herman and John-Olav Einemo both had impressive combat sports careers before starting with the UFC, but it was Herman who came out ahead in the two men's Octagon debuts. Herman won in a TKO after a back-and-forth debut at UFC 131 in Vancouver on Saturday night.

Einemo started the bout by driving Herman into the fence, but Herman held him off. Einemo continued to stalk Herman around the Octagon. Einemo caught a leg kick and took Herman down. He moved into side control, which is where he should have been able to show off his submission skills, but Herman pushed Einemo off with his feet and they returned to stand-up.

In the second round, Einemo continued to stalk Herman around the cage, landing several punches along the way. After a short stop to give Herman his mouthpiece, Einemo went on the offensive, landing several strikes that appeared to wobble Herman, but he recovered to throw a knee and strikes to shake up Einemo. But then Einemo came back, throwing knees that appeared to staggered Herman.

The tide changed in the fight one more time when Herman delivered knees to Einemo's midsection. Einemo fell to the ground, and Herman followed up with big punches until the fight was stopped at 3:19 in the second round.

"I wanted to keep it on my feet against a world-class submission artist. I've been working on my conditioning at Team Quest because that's been an issue for me in the past. Once I started hitting him with big shots, I knew I could finish him," Herman said after the fight.

Both fighters came in with rich pedigrees before their Octagon debuts. Herman, who trains with Dan Henderson at Team Quest, was a Division I wrestler at Indiana and fought in Bellator and Sengoku. Einemo has world-class grappling, and is the only man to have beaten Roger Gracie at Abu Dhabi. But it was Herman's skills and abilities to withstand Einemo's strikes that won the fight, pushing Herman's record to 21-2, while Einemo now 6-2.

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Henderson interview: ‘I’m not done yet’

CHICAGO -- Sitting at a restaurant in Chicago with Strikeforce boss Scott Coker and a handful of reporters, Dan Henderson answered questions on a variety of topics, from his future with Strikeforce to the his opponent on July 30, Fedor Emelianenko. He made it clear that he was not done yet, and is looking forward to this next challenge.

"With both of our careers, we've done a lot in the sport. You match two guys up like that, and with me probably being the underdog and a smaller guy, I have a lot more to gain than he does. I have a lot less to lose, and those fights are always the most fun for me," he told Cagewriter

Henderson will fight in a weight class much larger than any of his other fights, against a man who, until recently, was considered unstoppable. At 40 years old and with a legacy in combat sports set, why do it?

"The challenge of things, and things like fighting Fedor. That's the biggest challenge of my career. Those are things that excite me and motivate me to keep going," Henderson said.

In this bout, he won't defend his recently-won Strikeforce light-heavyweight belt. That hardly matters to Henderson.

"No, when I'm out there, I don't think, [expletive], the belt's not on the line. I better not hit this guy. I'm just as motivated when I train."

But the prospect of uniting light heavyweight titles across Strikeforce and the UFC does interest Henderson. When Henderson signed with Strikeforce, it seemed an impossibility, but Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce changed that.

"As soon as Zuffa bought Strikeforce, Jon Jones fought right after that. Everybody was blowing up my Twitter about fighting Jon Jones. I think that fight would be fun for me because he's so unorthodox. It's something that probably needs to be built up after I defend the belt once or twice."

Focused on Fedor

And it's not the fight that Henderson is focused on at the moment. Though he says that he never bought into the mystique of Fedor Emelianenko, he does respect what the Russian fighter has accomplished.

"I knew that he was talented and tough and there every fight. Those are the types of guys that are pretty consistent and I would never bet against him."

Like all fight fans, Henderson has wondered what happened to Emelianenko in his last few fights, which were losses to Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Silva.

"Looking on the outside, his heart hasn't been into it. He's hardly trained. Ever since PRIDE, he doesn't look like he's put much into it. I'm hoping he gets rejuvenated."

Timing was a key part in putting this fight together.

"It was something that was interesting to me, that could possibly make everyone a lot of money, but things had to fall in the right way. With me losing my first fight, and then him losing, I thought it wasn't going to happen. Just the way things have gone in the light heavyweight division and then Fedor getting mugged by a really big heavyweight, they started looking at fighting littler guys. I'm probably about as little as he'll get to fight ever in his life. "

Henderson, who normally walks around at 204 lbs., has no plans of getting bigger to fight Emelianenko, who weighed in for his last fight at 230 lbs.

"It won't change a whole lot at all, except at weigh-ins, I'll drink water to make sure I'm over 205 lbs. I don't typically weigh over 205 much at all."

With a loss to Henderson, Emelianenko's management indicated that he might retire. Henderson doesn't want to see him walk away from MMA, but that doesn't mean he intends to hold back on July 30.

"No, I'm a fan of his like everyone else. I don't want to see him retire. But that won't stop me from beating him, either. "

Retirement isn't on Henderson's mind. He still wants to accomplish more, but he thanks his open approach to the sport for his long, successful career.

"My first fight, I hadn't done any training in MMA. I was just a wrestler. To learn along the way has been fun, and to evolve with the sport, and having the mentality that I could learn from anybody. That, and being smart over the years with my training."

That open-minded work ethic, and one other thing.

"Viagra," he said with a laugh.

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Munoz plays with fire, but gets by Maia at UFC 131

Mark Munoz was shocked early by Demian Maia, but stuck with his gameplan and picked up a big win by testing the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace's ground game. Munoz was given the unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, in a pivotal middleweight fight at UFC 131 in Vancouver.

This is a very rewarding win. All of the sacrifices that my family has made and all of the work my training partners put in to help me get ready for this fight ? it all came to fruition tonight. Demian is obviously an excellent jiu-jitsu artist, but fortunately, my wrestling really helped me grind this one out," said Munoz.

Munoz got a wake up call in the first round. Maia came out throwing hard lefts that the former Oklahoma State wrestler simply wasn't picking up. Just 45 seconds into the fight, Maia nailed him with grazing left. Munoz's legs went out as he stumbled backwards, but Maia didn't seem to pick up on the fact that�the Filipino�was in trouble. Munoz quickly regained his wits and started firing back with his own hard shots.

"His standup got a lot better. His punches were crisp and a lot straighter than I expected. We had expected more looping punches, but he definitely tightened that part of his game up," Munoz said. "At the end of the day, I was able to persevere and grind out a tough decision."

In the second and third rounds, the fight was highlighted�by some solid exchanges on the feet, but it�turned into a battle of who would win the clinch game along the game. Munoz played a dangerous game. pretty much anyone who's tested Maia in tight, has been tossed or dominated into a submission. When the fight did hit the ground, Munoz�controlled the position and avoided getting in a real predicament.

Munoz (11-2, 6-2 UFC) is now 6-1 down at middleweight and probably deserves a shot at someone like Chael Sonnen or Brian Stann. Maia (14-3, 8-3 UFC) came out of this fight a winner as well. His improved standup certainly keeps him in the mix to continue fighting top 10 opponents at 185.

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South

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UFC 131 Medical Suspensions Issued to All Fighters

All 24 fighters from UFC 131 earlier this month were issued nine-day medical suspensions by the Vancouver Athletic Commission, while Shane Carwin will be sidelined up to 60 days as one of 13 fighters who received longer suspensions.

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Manufacturing Stoke

Misfit pictures presents a documentary film about sustainability in the surf industry titled "Manufacturing Stoke". COTW featured (Californian) artist Damian Fulton contributed his art for the awesome poster (seen below). Damian also features in the film. Follow Manufacturing Stoke on Facebook for updates! The trailer About Manufacturing Stoke: No other sport is so intrinsically linked [...]

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2011. június 22., szerda

Exploring Prague (Day 1)

This morning we arrived in the beautiful Czech Republic city of Prague. Now I know why they call this city the "Paris" of Eastern Europe. It definitely rivals the beauty of both Vienna and Paris. We took a cab from the airport, checked into our hotel and immediately started to explore the town. Glistening with [...]

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Jorge Masvidal Makes the Case for Title Shot - Strikeforce

Jorge Masvidal Makes the Case for Title Shot Video by Strikeforce

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What to Look for In a Molokini Snorkel Tour

Molokini snorkeling tours are the perfect way to make the most of your Maui vacation. Molokini Crater is considered one of the premier locations for snorkeling and diving in the world, due to the breathtaking coral formations and the abundance of tropical fish and other marine life in the area. Molokini has been labeled Hawaii’s [...]

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UFC Sells Out Upcoming Rio Event in 74 Minutes

Filed under: , ,

Add another country to the list of places that UFC can lay claim to, as the promotion sold out its long-awaited return to Brazil in 74 minutes.

The August 27 event at HSBC arena sold its allotment of 16,572 seats in a flash.

The promotion has not held an event in the nation that is largely considered MMA's birthplace since October 16, 1998, when UFC: Ultimate Brazil took place in the country's largest city, Sao Paulo.

That was over two years before the fight organization was purchased by current owners Zuffa LLC.

Since then, the UFC has visited various parts of the world including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.

The UFC Rio event, officially dubbed UFC: Silva vs. Okami, is headlined by a rematch of a 2006 bout between current UFC champ Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami. In that first fight, Silva was disqualified for an illegal upkick, giving Okami a win. It was the last time anyone has left the cage with Silva credited for a victory. Since then, he has won 14 straight fights.

 

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See a Whole New Side of Maui with a Maui Snorkeling Cruise

No matter how beautiful the tropical scenery of Maui might be, the view below the water is as breathtaking as the view on dry land. One of the best ways to experience the underwater world of the Hawaiian tropics in on-board a Maui snorkeling cruise. There are many options available for a snorkel cruise in [...]

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Yogaslackers: Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race 2011

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

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2011. június 21., kedd

Yogaslackers: Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race 2011

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

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Support Team River Runner ? Teaching Wounded Veterans to Kayak

Team River Runner is a stellar non-profit�organization that helps wounded veterans and their families “find health and healing through whitewater” by teaching them how to kayak.� My kayaking friends from Texas who came out here last summer (on a trip I have yet to blog about, of course) – Ben Kvanli,�Jennifer Kerr and Kelly Howard, [...]

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What You Need To Know Before You Go Scuba Diving

Exotic vacations are really popular these days and doing more adventurous activities with your off time can be really attractive. Not everyone likes the idea of just sitting around by a pool and you might want to spice up your trip with activities at Scuba Diving Resorts. It’s really easy to get the basics down [...]

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Wild In The Street LA Meet Up Location

If you are in Los Angeles and want to get Wild In The Streets with Emerica, meet up at Hollenbeck skate plaza today (June 21st) at noon.

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Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview - Strikeforce

Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview Video by Strikeforce

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