2011. augusztus 31., szerda
Countdown to UFC 131 - UFC
Full episode! Vancouver is on notice - heavy hands mean a big-time main event unlikely to go the distance in Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin. Plus Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes and Demian Maia vs. Mark Mu�oz - see what's in store!scuba diving white water rafting skiing snow boarding hiking
Gabriel Zufferey Part
Aum (Om) Infographic
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2011. augusztus 30., kedd
UFC on Versus 5 postfight: Lytle wins bonuses, WEC fighters entertain and Hardy keeps his job
MILWAUKEE� -- Some notes from the UFC on Versus 5 post-fight press conference:
-- UFC president Dana White announced the bonuses on Twitter before the press conference. Chris Lytle won both Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night, netting him $130,000 and a Harley-Davidson. Dan Hardy picked up $65,000 for his half of the Fight of the Night performance, and Donald Cerrone won $65,000 for his Knockout of the Night of Charles Oliveira.
-- UFC chairman Lorenzo Fertitta tweeted that he has no plans to cut Hardy, despite his four-fight losing skid. He said, "I like guys that WAR."
"It's a nice vote of confidence from the boss. I love being a part of the organization. If they are going to give me one more fight, I need to come back reinvented," Hardy said.
-- Lytle admitted that he was surprised that Hardy shot in on him during the final minutes of the fight. He said it was an instinct to reach for the guillotine.
"He's one of the toughest guys I've been in there with. I threw a lot of hard shots on him and it didn't stop him," Lytle said of Hardy.
-- Ben Henderson doesn't know where he would rank in the very crowded UFC lightweight title picture.
"It's not my place to say I'm no. 7, no. 21. You guys tell me. What does Dana think? What does Sean Shelby think?" Henderson said.
-- Though his job is safe, Dan Hardy plans to give himself some time away from fights to improve.
"I think my head is elsewhere right now. I think I'm going to step away and clear my mind a bit. I had quickest rise and quickest fall in the UFC," Hardy said.
-- Henderson paid tribute to his teammates by getting on his knees and begging UFC brass to take a look at the other fighters in the gym, a completely selfless act for a fighter who could reasonably be using his post-fight speech to ask for a title shot. Henderson was predictably humble when asked about it.
"We're not alone in that cage. We have training partners who bleed with us. They're our brothers. If not for those guys, I wouldn't be where I'm at. Life like a fighter is life like a starving artist, and I just want them to get a shot. I will stand behind them."
-- Jim Miller had questioned the readiness of WEC fighters when the UFC first merged with the organization. Donald Cerrone and Henderson, both WEC vets, smiled at that fact.
"I think the little brothers just beat up the big brothers!" Cerrone said.
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? Will Power flips off IndyCar officials after crash
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? Bradley's amazing comeback caps PGA Championship
Video: Dane Jackson on Detonator Wave
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Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview - Strikeforce
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview Video by Strikeforce
Videoportrait about me by Kevin Pritchard
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Real Fall 2011 Catalog
Real just dropped their Fall 2011 catalog with Tommy Guerrero's 20 Year Edition decks and short video, an LA park edit, Davis Torgerson's new ad, plus all the new boards and gear from Real.
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Surf Artist - Michael Ahearne
www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/michael-ahearne.php
www.surfartgallery.co.uk
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2011. augusztus 29., hétfő
Sonnen exclusive: Silva?s going down against Okami at UFC 134
Anderson Silva is clearly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. When healthy and interested, he's destroyed every UFC opponent put in front of him. but Chael Sonnen sees an opening for Yushin Okami against the middleweight champ and thinks the Japanese star is leaving UFC 134 with the title strap.
"[Silva]'s lost to Okami once before. This is a rematch and Yushin already beat him once," said Sonnen speaking of a 2006 match up at 170 pounds where Okami picked up a win via disqualification because Silva delivered an illegal upkick. "Yushin is a lot better now, so I can't imagine how he wouldn't beat him again."
Sonnen says Silva has ducked opponents who play to his weakness, takedown defense. He went as far as saying the fight against Okami won't even be competitive. Sonnen's entitled to his opinion. After all, he's the guy who beat Silva for four and a half rounds at UFC 117 before getting caught in a late submission.
Sonnen also told a story about Vitor Belfort on "The MMA Insiders" show in Las Vegas on ESPNRadio1100/98.9 FM. He was so bullish on Belfort's chances against Silva at UFC 126 that plunked down a little money on the underdog. He said all hopes ended when he saw Belfort at the weigh-in. He says Belfort backed down to Silva's attempts of intimidation. After that, Sonnen ripped up his ticket.
Listen here for the entire "MMA Insiders" show. Co-host Kevin Iole was joined by FX's John Landgraf and Sonnen.
You can watch UFC 134 right here on Yahoo! Sports
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JZ Cavalcante Post Fight vs Wilcox Wants to Return to Action Soon - JZ Cavalcante
JZ Cavalcante Post Fight vs Wilcox Wants to Return to Action Soon Video by JZ Cavalcanterock climbing mountain climbing wrestling wwf wrestling skateboarding
UFC 134?s Three Stars: Silva, Nogueira and Silva
With a crowd that was loud and chanting from the very first fight to an exciting slate of fights, the UFC's trip to Rio delivered. But which stars loomed as large as the Christ the Redeemer statue?
No. 1 star -- Anderson Silva: My brother sent me a text message after the Silva KO that said, "Silva is Jordan/Gretzky-esque." As much as it pains me to agree with him, my brother is completely correct. Both Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky were constantly taking your breath away, as they completed feats that seemed super human while making it look easy. Those head feints that come from the core? The effortless striking that still busted up Yushin Okami's face? Rank those with Jordan's fadeaway jumper or Gretzky's slapshot, and appreciate that we get to witness greatness every time Silva steps into the Octagon.
No. 2 star -- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: The 35-year-old with 40 fights under his belt showed that he still has plenty left in the tank. He started by using a strong chin and good defense as he avoided Schaub's power shots. Then, he landed a few power shots of his own, knocking out a younger, faster Schaub, causing the fans in Rio to go absolutely insane. I doubt the celebration has yet ceased.
No. 3 star -- Erick Silva: Lost among the hubbub of the main card was a beautiful KO by Silva, an up-and-coming star from Nogueira's gym in Rio. He started his UFC career with a 0:40 knockout, and then celebrated with a Matrix-esque backflip off the cage. That kind of striking will make fight fans clamor for what's next.
Who were your Three Stars? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.
UFC on Versus 5?s Three Stars: Henderson, Lytle and Cerrone
The fighters delivered on the UFC's first trip to the Dairy State, giving exciting performances from the top to the bottom of the card. That made the task of picking out just three stars even tough. Cagewriter's picks are below. Tell us yours in the comments or on Facebook.
No. 1 star -- Ben Henderson: After losing the WEC belt to Anthony Pettis, the enduring image of "Smooth" was getting kicked in the face. He used that loss as fuel, first beating Mark Bocek at UFC 129, and then aggressively taking out Jim Miller on Sunday night. According to CompuStrike, Henderson outstruck Miller 148-26 and was 7-for-7 on takedown attempts.
No. 2 star -- Chris Lytle: Few athletes and even fewer fighters get to retire on a win. After 54 fights, 20 with the UFC, Lytle earned that honor with one last Fight of the Night performance, topped off with a Submission of the Night choke. Now, he'll have an extra $130,000 and a Harley-Davidson to help with his retirement.
No. 3 star -- Donald Cerrone: Before the UFC and WEC merger, "Cowboy" felt like the kid brother of the UFC's lightweight division, not quite getting the respect of his UFC brethren. After landing 24 power strikes to Charles Oliveira's four and TKOing the Brazilian in the first round, Cerrone joked that the little brothers had exacted their revenge.
Protest Art from David Williams
www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/david-williams.php
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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Strikeforce: Josh Barnett Describes Win Over Brett Rogers as 'Perfect' - Josh Barnett
Strikeforce: Josh Barnett Describes Win Over Brett Rogers as 'Perfect' Video by Josh Barnetthelicopter skiing ocean scuba diving cave scuba diving mma mma fighting
2011. augusztus 28., vasárnap
Sonnen exclusive: Silva?s going down against Okami at UFC 134
Anderson Silva is clearly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. When healthy and interested, he's destroyed every UFC opponent put in front of him. but Chael Sonnen sees an opening for Yushin Okami against the middleweight champ and thinks the Japanese star is leaving UFC 134 with the title strap.
"[Silva]'s lost to Okami once before. This is a rematch and Yushin already beat him once," said Sonnen speaking of a 2006 match up at 170 pounds where Okami picked up a win via disqualification because Silva delivered an illegal upkick. "Yushin is a lot better now, so I can't imagine how he wouldn't beat him again."
Sonnen says Silva has ducked opponents who play to his weakness, takedown defense. He went as far as saying the fight against Okami won't even be competitive. Sonnen's entitled to his opinion. After all, he's the guy who beat Silva for four and a half rounds at UFC 117 before getting caught in a late submission.
Sonnen also told a story about Vitor Belfort on "The MMA Insiders" show in Las Vegas on ESPNRadio1100/98.9 FM. He was so bullish on Belfort's chances against Silva at UFC 126 that plunked down a little money on the underdog. He said all hopes ended when he saw Belfort at the weigh-in. He says Belfort backed down to Silva's attempts of intimidation. After that, Sonnen ripped up his ticket.
Listen here for the entire "MMA Insiders" show. Co-host Kevin Iole was joined by FX's John Landgraf and Sonnen.
You can watch UFC 134 right here on Yahoo! Sports
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Maui Sunset Cruises: The Perfect End to a Perfect Day
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MMA Marketplace: A non-eye-searing MMA shirt
Ben Fowlkes from MMA Fighting assisted Cagewriter in our ongoing campaign to find MMA apparel that does not involve, gargoyles, angel wings, fire, feathers, illegible text or gold foil accents. He passed on this shirt from Commit Threads, a company that works with independent designers on limited edition shirts.
This image depicts an act that goes on thousands of times every day at dojos, gyms and training centers worldwide: A fighter wrapping his hands. It's so simple, but instantly identifiable with fighting. Buy the limited-edition shirt for just $20.
Do you have a suggestion for MMA Marketplace? Use email, Twitter or Facebook to send it in.
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George Lucas? daughter wins by submission in Japan
The force was with Amanda Lucas as she won her second MMA bout, a submission over Hikaru Shinohara at DEEP 55 in Japan. Lucas, the daughter of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, won with an armbar in the first round.
Former Strikeforce fighter Roxanne Modafferi was on hand for the bout, and shared how the fight went down on her blog:
She pretty much creamed Hikaru Shinohara. She mounted her and the Japanese girl could totally not move. Lucas was just hitting her and hitting her over and over, but she didn't put her full body weight into it, so it wasn't doing a lot of damage. Hikaru was defending her jaw area, so the punches bounced off her forehead and temple. That's probably why the Japanese ref, who are notorious for stopping fights early, let it go on. Finally Amanda realized that the fight wasn't gonna get stopped, so she transitioned to a beautiful arm bar. It was FULLY extended, but the Japanese fighter wasn't tapping. Her cornerman threw the towel- rightfully so, but she was so upset that stalked back to her corner and punched him as hard as she could. I'm told that he got a black eye.
That's enough drama for George Lucas to create a whole new series. A cornerman stopping a fight only to be rewarded with a punch? That's worth at least a subplot in his next film.
Amanda was supposed to fight in Oklahoma in April, but her bout was scrapped at the last minute. She has been training at Fairtex, Cesar Gracie Academy and with Gilbert Melendez's Skrap Pack.
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2011. augusztus 27., szombat
www.rock-climbing-blog.com claimed on Technorati
This link to my Technorati Profile is all it takes.
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Hamman overwhelms Dollaway at UFC on Versus 5
MILWAUKEE -- In his first bout at middleweight, Jared Hamman showed that he was quite comfortable, TKOing CB Dollaway in the second round at UFC on Versus 5 on Sunday night.
Dollaway looked strong early in the fight. He worked an arm triangle in the first, but was unsuccessful, and when he took Hamman's back later in the round, Hamman shook Dollaway off and was able to get full mount. Dollaway snuck out, and the two then traded strikes from their feet. Dollaway wobbled Hamman, and followed up with strikes on the ground, but couldn't stop the fight before the round ended.
Hamman took control in the second round, owning Dollaway in striking. He pinned Dollaway against the cage, and then when Dollaway tried for a takedown, Hamman used it as an opportunity to do some old fashioned ground and pound. Dollaway emerged once, but Hamman took him back to the ground and finished the bout with a bevy of right hands. Referee Herb Dean stopped the bout at 3:38 in the second round.
"First round was rough.� Second round, I just went for it.� He got me once standing and that phased me," Hamman said after the fight. "I came out and gave it 100%.� I love to fight, even when the crowd is cheering for the other guy I get pumped.� I just really enjoy it.� I don't know who I want to fight next.� I don't like the guys that just sit back and don't put anything into it? I enjoy fighting."
Hamman was much less successful at light heavyweight, but clearly has found a home in the middleweight division. This win gives him a 13-3 record. Dollaway has now dropped his second fight in a row. He lost to Mark Munoz in March.
Fresh Off Surgeries, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Has Sharpened His Wrestling
Filed under: UFC
RIO DE JANEIRO -- After eighteen months away from the cage and three surgeries, it's hard not to wonder what kind of shape Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will be in for UFC 134. From his hip to his knees, the 35-year-old Brazilian has undergone a complete physical overhaul since his knockout loss to Cain Velasquez, and questions about whether it's left him in better or worse condition for Saturday night's fight with Brendan Schaub seem to follow him wherever he goes.
"I don't think he would take a fight with a guy like me if he wasn't a hundred percent," Schaub said on Thursday. "Especially in front of his home crowd."
One hundred percent might be stretching it a little bit, but Nogueira insists he's better off now than he has been for years.
"The last three years before I had the surgery, we couldn't find out exactly what the problem was," he said. Now, after three surgeries, he feels like he's got a whole new body to work with. "I'm walking better, everything. When I would bend down before, there was a lot of pain."
Still, the recovery from all those procedures didn't come easy. It was ten months of physical therapy, sometimes for up to six hours a day.
"It was a big rehab," Nogueira said. "It was really hard, but I think the rehab also made me in good condition for my core, my back strength. ...It helped me train, I think. I feel good for this fight."
At the same time, Nogueira wanted to fight on the UFC's Rio card so badly that you might wonder whether he rushed his recovery, and you wouldn't be the only one, he admitted.
"I asked the guys, like Anderson Silva, Rafael 'Feijao' [Cavalcante], my sparring partners. I said, guys, I want to fight in Brazil. They said I should take some more time, but I said, one month. Let's train for one month, and then you're going to say I can do it. After one month I was training hard, my wrestling got better, my jiu-jitsu got better. I pulled the guys together and they told me, yeah, you're ready."
Against Schaub, Nogueira's wrestling ability could be the difference between victory and defeat, which is why he brought in former U.S. Olympic coach Eric Albarracin to help him train for this fight.
Albarracin said he could see Nogueira's past wrestling training there under the rubble of his current game in the gym, and it was only a matter of sharpening it up and bringing it out.
"As I started working with him, it came back," Albarracin said. "I could see it. I thought, I don't have to teach him too much. He knows how to wrestle."
So does that mean Albarracin thinks Nogueira could put Schaub on his back with a double-leg? At that, the wrestling coach grinned.
"That's the plan," he said. "He can do it if he needs to."
The ability to take the fight to the floor could prove to be vital against the bigger, faster Schaub, who'll come into the fight with a reach advantage and a heavy right hand, and will most likely look to put both to work.
"If I put him down, I've got a chance to use my jiu-jitsu," said Nogueira. "I have more experience than him. For sure, he's physical and he's younger than me, but I've got good endurance."
In the past, it's been Nogueira's ability to keep rising from the grave that's proved to be one of his greatest assets. On Saturday night, we'll get to find out whether he still has one more resurrection left in him.
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Toad and Salmon's Chili Bowl
Toad and Salmon's Chili Bowl contest and cook off is going down at Potrero del Sol skatepark in San Francisco on Saturday August 27th. That's This Weekend!
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Car Danchi 5 Teaser
We first came across Car Danchi a few years back, when creator Neil Hartmann sent a few copies of Car Danchi 2 to our office. Now five years deep, the ultimate shred-bums of Japan return for some serious van living. Buried cars! Big snow! Parties!
UFC on Versus 5 postfight: Lytle wins bonuses, WEC fighters entertain and Hardy keeps his job
MILWAUKEE� -- Some notes from the UFC on Versus 5 post-fight press conference:
-- UFC president Dana White announced the bonuses on Twitter before the press conference. Chris Lytle won both Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night, netting him $130,000 and a Harley-Davidson. Dan Hardy picked up $65,000 for his half of the Fight of the Night performance, and Donald Cerrone won $65,000 for his Knockout of the Night of Charles Oliveira.
-- UFC chairman Lorenzo Fertitta tweeted that he has no plans to cut Hardy, despite his four-fight losing skid. He said, "I like guys that WAR."
"It's a nice vote of confidence from the boss. I love being a part of the organization. If they are going to give me one more fight, I need to come back reinvented," Hardy said.
-- Lytle admitted that he was surprised that Hardy shot in on him during the final minutes of the fight. He said it was an instinct to reach for the guillotine.
"He's one of the toughest guys I've been in there with. I threw a lot of hard shots on him and it didn't stop him," Lytle said of Hardy.
-- Ben Henderson doesn't know where he would rank in the very crowded UFC lightweight title picture.
"It's not my place to say I'm no. 7, no. 21. You guys tell me. What does Dana think? What does Sean Shelby think?" Henderson said.
-- Though his job is safe, Dan Hardy plans to give himself some time away from fights to improve.
"I think my head is elsewhere right now. I think I'm going to step away and clear my mind a bit. I had quickest rise and quickest fall in the UFC," Hardy said.
-- Henderson paid tribute to his teammates by getting on his knees and begging UFC brass to take a look at the other fighters in the gym, a completely selfless act for a fighter who could reasonably be using his post-fight speech to ask for a title shot. Henderson was predictably humble when asked about it.
"We're not alone in that cage. We have training partners who bleed with us. They're our brothers. If not for those guys, I wouldn't be where I'm at. Life like a fighter is life like a starving artist, and I just want them to get a shot. I will stand behind them."
-- Jim Miller had questioned the readiness of WEC fighters when the UFC first merged with the organization. Donald Cerrone and Henderson, both WEC vets, smiled at that fact.
"I think the little brothers just beat up the big brothers!" Cerrone said.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
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2011. augusztus 26., péntek
Pre-Trip Anticipation
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Kayaker Beatdown on the Ottawa River (and Surprise Ending :)
Texture Tour through Milan and the Adriatic Coast
A Brief Glance has video from Nike Europe's Texture Tour through Milan and the Adriatic Coast.
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Sammy Montano Part
Liberty points us toward a sick Sammy Montano part. I'm guessing this is from Mexico but I haven't seen any of these spots before, which is a plus for me.
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Great conditions at Lake Neusiedl
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Mark Munoz Still Sees Major Holes in Demian Maia's Striking - UFC 131
Mark Munoz Still Sees Major Holes in Demian Maia's Striking Video by UFC 131mma frenzy rock climbing mountain climbing wrestling wwf wrestling
2011. augusztus 25., csütörtök
A look at Gen Y from the inside
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UFC reportedly has deal with FOX; Network has big press conference announcement set for Thursday
The rumor merry-go-round continues to twirl with regards to the UFC and a new television deal.
First it was the Wall Street Journal reporting that Zuffa (parent company to the UFC) was closing in on a deal with Comcast/NBC. Now Sport Business Daily says FOX has stepped up to grab the mixed martial arts giant in a package that could be worth as much as $90 million per year.
In what would represent a major push into the mainstream for the UFC, Fox has agreed to a deal that will see the broadcast channel air as many as four MMA events per year, according to several sources. The multiyear deal would mark the first time the UFC will have consistent airtime on a broadcast network. Fox execs refused to comment on the deal, but sources with knowledge of the negotiations said bidding had gone as high as $90M per year. The Fox deal is believed to be for seven or eight years.
UPDATE: John Ourand from SBJ tweeted that FOX has a major announcement on the way later this week.
UFC president Dana White wouldn't confirm the deal to MMAjunkie.
"You guys will know when we have a TV deal," said White.
White appeared with Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole on Friday's "MMA Insiders" on ESPNRadio1100/98.9 FM in Las Vegas.
"We do not have a deal. We're out there talking to everybody. When you're out there talking to everybody there's going to be lots of rumors," White said (19:10 mark). "In a perfect world, what would really work out great is if you could be on CBS and FOX and Comcast/NBC. Just like the NFL is. That would be the perfect world, but this sport has a lot of room to grow."
White has been very selective over the years with the UFC's programming partners.
"I will not do a dumb deal. We're not going to do a deal that doesn't make sense. We could've been the first mixed martial arts on network television, but none of the deals made sense," White said. "And as you saw all those guys [that were on network TV like EliteXC on CBS] ended up going out of business."
The UFC has been looking for a multi-platform deal. The promotion would like programming on network TV and several cable channels. Currently, it's running live fights and additional programming with preview shows and past fights on Spike and Versus. That will change in a deal with FOX.
As part of the deal, most of the weekly programming that UFC has on Versus and Spike TV will move to FX starting in January. That includes several fight cards, plus shows like the reality series "The Ultimate Fighter." Fox-owned Fuel also will wind up with some UFC content. But rumors that Fox will rebrand Fuel as a UFC channel are not true, sources said. Fox was attracted to UFC programming, which has produced some of the highest viewership figures �-- and most attractive demos --� on Versus and Spike TV.
According to SBJ, Viacom-owned Spike dropped out of the bidding because of lagging numbers:
The UFC's talks with Viacom-owned Spike ended before that. Sources said Spike ultimately passed over concern that its UFC shoulder programming stopped growing. Shows like "Unleashed," "Knockouts" and "Countdown" averaged 1 million viewers in '05. This year, they are averaging 492,000. Spike holds the rights to UFC library programming through '12, including old fights and shoulder programming such as "UFC Unleashed."
The most recent live event on Versus actually trended up at UFC on Versus 5.
UFC's Sunday night event�in Milwaukee on Versus also drew 766,000 viewers from 9:00-11:09pm ET, marking the net's most-viewed program for the week ending August 14. That figure is up 3% from 744,000 viewers for the last UFC event on Versus on June 26.
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UFC on Fox: How will ?The Ultimate Fighter? change?
Thursday's landmark announcement that the UFC has a new partnership with the Fox network included the news that the UFC's relationship with Spike TV will end after the upcoming season of "The Ultimate Fighter." The revamped show will air on Fox's sister network, FX.
Its home is far from the only change that will be made for the reality show that helped kickstart the UFC's popularity but has grown stale as of late. Instead of featuring a taped, edited show with taped fights, the fights will be shown live. Packages from life in the fighter house and training will be cut from the things that happened during the week leading up to each fight.
Also, fans will have a chance to help decide the fights, as they will get to vote on upcoming match-ups. The coaches will conduct their training camps over the 12-week period of the show alongside their fighters, and fight at the end of the season. Over the course of two seasons in a year, 24 live fights will be aired on Friday nights.
Of course, there are plenty of questions that will need to be answered about how the UFC will run the show. Will the finale still be an event, like it has been for the past seasons, or just be a part of the show? Will the fight-in shows still happen, or will the cast be decided by the time the show starts?
It also will ask much of both the contestants and the coaches. The winners of the show will be decided as much by their health and ability to withstand the rigors of the show as their fighting potential. Coaches will have to move their training camps to Las Vegas, where the show is taped. Plenty of fighters like to be cloistered off from the rest of the world during training camp, and the temptations of Sin City could be a bit much to handle during camp. That could limit the pool of fighters who want to serve as coaches.
But those are minor quibbles for a show that lost its must-watch edge years ago. The UFC promised a fresh start with Fox, and the changes to "The Ultimate Fighter" shows that they're headed in the right direction.
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Rua or Griffin? Evans says Forrest, video experts like ?Shogun?
The most intriguing fight at UFC 134 might be Mauricio "Rua" Shogun against Forrest Griffin. Griffin manhandled Rua at UFC 86. Yet he's a huge underdog heading to the fight in Rio De Janeiro. Remember this is also the same Rua who was destroyed by Jon Jones back in March. So who wins? Fellow UFC light heavyweight star Rashad Evans sees a repeat of the first meeting.
"There's something that happens in a fight sometimes, and the way Forrest beat him the first time, he took a piece of him with him. And when you take a piece of somebody with you?well, Shogun recognizes that. I think they might pick up right where they left off, because there's no fear. That's gone. You know, Forrest is going to go in there, and Forrest is going to push the pace. Let's be honest here. Shogun does not have the best conditioning. I think that was a problem in their first fight, and I think it's going to be a problem in this second fight."
RawVegas.tv panelists Damon Martin (MMAWeekly.com) and Larry Pepe (ProMMARadio.com) don't agree with Evans. They're both worried about Griffin's passion for the fight game.
Nine Ways of Looking at UFC 134
Filed under: UFC
UFC 134 in Brazil promises to be memorable for a variety of reasons. Here are just a few of them, in no particular order or importance.I. "Yushin Okami is not only the biggest middleweight I've ever fought," Mike Swick told me once, "He might be the biggest middleweight I've ever seen." In fact, it was a decision loss to Okami that convinced Swick he was in the wrong weight class, since he just could compete with Okami's size and strength. It may not always come across on TV, but Okami isn't just a good wrestler -- he's a powerhouse. He's the kind of fighter who can, if he has to, take you down and lay on you until the judges declare him the winner. For a champion whose biggest weakness is his takedown defense, that's a legitimate problem.
II. But how much time will Okami get to work on the ground, anyway? Let's be honest here: if Okami tries to go all human blanket on Silva for five full rounds, the Brazilian crowd is going to let him have it. No referee is going to admit it, but a continuous stream of boos has hastened more than one ref stand-up in MMA history. It shouldn't, of course. The third man in the cage should remain oblivious to everything outside of it. That's easier said than done, however. Sure, Bob Dylan had the fortitude to get booed every night when he went electric, but does Mario Yamasaki have that same iron will that Dylan had? Could Herb Dean power through "Like a Rolling Stone" even as the hate poured down on him? I'm not so sure. Let Okami get a couple rounds of takedowns and ground control under his belt, and we may find out.
III. There are two ways to beat Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. One is to be a vastly superior fighter, as Jon Jones was. The other is to deal with his bull rush in the early going, absorbing and/or deflecting his aggression as best you can, then turn it up in the later rounds when he's burned through his jetpacks. The latter is what Forrest Griffin did the first time they met, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and it's his best chance in the rematch. He's bigger, stronger, and if he can make Rua carry some of that weight and wear himself out, that's when Griffin can put him away. Skill-for-skill, Rua is probably the more gifted fighter, but Griffin has a way of just hanging around. Some nights, that's enough.
IV. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira hasn't fought in a year and a half. During that time, he also had knee and hip surgery. Now he's coming back to fight Brendan Schaub, who's looking to continue the legend-slaying tour he began with a knockout of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in March. Anybody else seeing disaster in the works for Big Nog? He's the kind of fighter who seems to have crammed three careers worth of action into the last decade, and now he's not looking quite so spry or resilient anymore. Schaub is a big, young, hungry heavyweight. Unless Nogueira can pull off a hail mary submission off his back -- possibly after being knocked there by a Schaub right hand -- it's hard to see how he wins this.
V. If you've been looking for a chance to get to know more Brazilian fighters, you're in luck. In all, fourteen Brazilians are competing on this card, ranging from ones you might know (ever hear of this Anderson Silva guy?) to ones you might not (Erick Silva and Luis Ramos, for instance, who will be debuting in the UFC against one another). In other words, even though he'll be there to corner his buddy Okami, this might not be the night for Chael Sonnen to regale the boys backstage with his particular brand of cultural insult comedy.
VI. Once more unto the breach for Ross Pearson. The British lightweight was on his way up the ladder until that surprising loss to Cole Miller, then he bounced back with a decision over Spencer Fisher. The time for gradual build-ups is apparently over, because now he gets the Brazilian buzzsaw, Edson Barboza, who's been known to make audience members cry just from witnessing his brutal leg kicks in person. Okay, so that last part is just a rumor I'm trying to start, but the point is it could be true. Pearson has a seriously tough night ahead of him against Barboza. Even if he pulls off the upset, chances are he'll be hobbling through the airport in the morning.
VII. How good is Dan Miller's leglock defense? We're about to find out. Miller's never been submitted in his MMA career, but he's also never fought an enemy of knee ligaments everywhere quite like Rousimar Palhares. "Toquinho" has won three of his last four with submissions below the waist. As long as he can keep his head in the game and avoid another costly mental lapse like the one he suffered against Nate Marquardt, he has the potential to be a real problem for Miller, who could really use a win right about now.
VIII. Pity poor Ian Loveland and Yves Jabouin. Theirs is the only fight on the card that doesn't feature at least one Brazilian. Will that make it a novelty for the Rio fans, or just the perfect moment to visit the concessions stand? It is on the prelims, and early on in the night, too. If the crowd is operating on Brazilian time, they may miss it entirely.
IX. There's just no way Anderson Silva will be anything but one hundred percent serious while fighting in his home country, right? I mean, it's one thing to screw around in Abu Dhabi, but Rio? No chance he decides to samba for five rounds here. Not in front of family and friends, not to mention his big time corporate sponsors and his reactionary boss. Not on your life, right? Right?
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?Bang? Ludwig gives Sadollah a stand-up lesson at UFC on Versus 5
Duane Ludwig is still a relatively young fighter, but the guy has logged 88 pro fights between mixed martial arts and kickboxing, so when Amir Sadollah decided to stand with a guy nicknamed "Bang," he was asking for it.
What Sadollah got was a beating for two rounds and probably a major headache. Ludwig stormed to a unanimous decision victory, 29-28 on all three scorecards, at UFC on Versus 5 in Milwaukee, Wis.
"I've been doing this since I was 15. Not to be boastful, but I'm good at what I do," Ludwig, 33, said. "I just have good composure. I drill these things over and over."
Sadollah (6-3, 6-3 UFC) has an excellent Muay Thai background, but not on the pro level. He's also not a great boxer and Ludwig took advantage of a guy in just his ninth professional fight. From the opening seconds, Ludwig landed wicked combinations inside. The left hook was especially devastating as Sadollah looked a step slow in the pocket.
The champ from Season 7 of "The Ultimate Fighter," showed a granite chin because he got rocked and appeared to be on shaky legs with 1:25 left in the first. It happened again in the second when Bang ripped him with a left hook with 2:40 left in the round.
Sadollah, who's a pretty solid ground fighter from the top, tried to get it to the mat often, but failed on eight occasions.
"I'm not playing. I'm a mixed martial artist," proclaimed Ludwig about his takedown defense.
Ludwig (21-11, 4-2 UFC) tired a bit in the third, but his stamina was still better than many of his previous fights where he's cost himself victories due to exhaustion. Frankly, Ludwig was probably a little shocked that some of those shots over the first two rounds didn't finish Sadollah.
"Amir ... he's good man. I wasn't nervous for this fight and that got me scared. Amir is a tough guy," Ludwig said.
2011. augusztus 24., szerda
Former UFC heavyweights Rodriguez, Gormley, McCorkle and Sylvia post mixed results
If you think the UFC and Strikeforce have trouble finding heavyweight depth beyond their top 10, imagine what it's like around the rest of the world. This weekend's smaller promotion fight slate gives us a good read.
Tim Sylvia, Chase Gormley, Ricco Rodriguez and Sean McCorkle were all in action. They didn't fight world beaters and the group still barely managed a split.
Rodriguez got a wake up call at Bellator 48. A UFC heavyweight champ way back in 2002, the 229-pound Rodriguez still needs to make the final cut to 205. He was overwhelmed and overpowered by Seth Petruzelli. Petruzelli, another UFC vet and an "The Ultimate Fighter" alum, shredded Rodriguez on the feet. The 34-year-old looked gassed towards the end of the first, ate a few kicks and then charged right into an overhand right. He went down like a ton of bricks and Petruzelli, a true light heavyweight, dropped a couple of hammer fists to finish the fight. Petruzelli posted win No. 14 of his career at the 4:21 mark of the first.
It was even worse for Gormley, who lost at a local Las Vegas show, Superior Cage Combat. The 6-foot-3, 275 pounder fought someone named Beau Tribolet. Tribolet (7-1) was called in on two days notice and knocked Gormley silly in less than three minutes. Gormley (7-4) was 0-2 with the UFC losing to Stefan Struve (UFC 104) and Brendan Schaub (UFC on Versus 1). Tribolet, a former power lifter, is a police officer in Tucson, Az.
In Illinois, Sylvia, the UFC heavyweight champ on two occasions, smashed Patrick Barrentine. Barrentine (9-6) hadn't fought in two years. Sylvia (28-7) has won 5-of-6, but is still trying to erase the memory of three one-sided losses in the last three years against Fedor Emelianenko, Ray Mercer and Abe Wagner.
McCorkle's fight may have been the oddest of the bunch. McCorkle (12-2) defeated Alex Rozman, who has a 3-13 record. McCorkle was 1-2 with the UFC. He was released after a loss to Christian Morecraft.
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Kimbo Slice spectacular in boxing debut with 17-second knockout
Kimbo Slice built his reputation on the streets by destroying his opponents with a ferocious attack. Because of takedowns and grappling, it didn't quite work out for Kimbo in mixed martial arts. Saturday night he went back to his roots, albeit wearing the heavy gloves on instead of going bare-knuckled and scored a vicious 17-second knockout in his professional boxing debut at Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma.
"It's like second nature for me. I'm comfortable here. I found a home here," said Slice (1-0) of his crossover to boxing.
The 37-year-old also knows he has a lot to learn and didn't want to get too excited about the win.
"I can't give myself a good grade because my movements were a little shady. I felt like I didn't really connect the way I wanted to. I still have a lot of learning to do. I'm a baby, taking baby steps," said Kimbo.
Check out the raw video shot from the crowd in Oklahoma. Kimbo took out James Wade with a brutal uppercut. Wade was out cold balancing on the ropes.
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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. hiking camping winter camping outdoor camping summer camping
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2011. augusztus 23., kedd
UFC 131 Weigh in Highlight: Florian v. Nunes - UFC 131
Tomorrow night, Kenny Florian will make his featherweight debut as he takes on Diego Nunes at UFC 131hiking camping winter camping outdoor camping summer camping
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview - Strikeforce
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UFC reportedly has deal with FOX; Network has big press conference announcement set for Thursday
The rumor merry-go-round continues to twirl with regards to the UFC and a new television deal.
First it was the Wall Street Journal reporting that Zuffa (parent company to the UFC) was closing in on a deal with Comcast/NBC. Now Sport Business Daily says FOX has stepped up to grab the mixed martial arts giant in a package that could be worth as much as $90 million per year.
In what would represent a major push into the mainstream for the UFC, Fox has agreed to a deal that will see the broadcast channel air as many as four MMA events per year, according to several sources. The multiyear deal would mark the first time the UFC will have consistent airtime on a broadcast network. Fox execs refused to comment on the deal, but sources with knowledge of the negotiations said bidding had gone as high as $90M per year. The Fox deal is believed to be for seven or eight years.
UPDATE: John Ourand from SBJ tweeted that FOX has a major announcement on the way later this week.
UFC president Dana White wouldn't confirm the deal to MMAjunkie.
"You guys will know when we have a TV deal," said White.
White appeared with Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole on Friday's "MMA Insiders" on ESPNRadio1100/98.9 FM in Las Vegas.
"We do not have a deal. We're out there talking to everybody. When you're out there talking to everybody there's going to be lots of rumors," White said (19:10 mark). "In a perfect world, what would really work out great is if you could be on CBS and FOX and Comcast/NBC. Just like the NFL is. That would be the perfect world, but this sport has a lot of room to grow."
White has been very selective over the years with the UFC's programming partners.
"I will not do a dumb deal. We're not going to do a deal that doesn't make sense. We could've been the first mixed martial arts on network television, but none of the deals made sense," White said. "And as you saw all those guys [that were on network TV like EliteXC on CBS] ended up going out of business."
The UFC has been looking for a multi-platform deal. The promotion would like programming on network TV and several cable channels. Currently, it's running live fights and additional programming with preview shows and past fights on Spike and Versus. That will change in a deal with FOX.
As part of the deal, most of the weekly programming that UFC has on Versus and Spike TV will move to FX starting in January. That includes several fight cards, plus shows like the reality series "The Ultimate Fighter." Fox-owned Fuel also will wind up with some UFC content. But rumors that Fox will rebrand Fuel as a UFC channel are not true, sources said. Fox was attracted to UFC programming, which has produced some of the highest viewership figures �-- and most attractive demos --� on Versus and Spike TV.
According to SBJ, Viacom-owned Spike dropped out of the bidding because of lagging numbers:
The UFC's talks with Viacom-owned Spike ended before that. Sources said Spike ultimately passed over concern that its UFC shoulder programming stopped growing. Shows like "Unleashed," "Knockouts" and "Countdown" averaged 1 million viewers in '05. This year, they are averaging 492,000. Spike holds the rights to UFC library programming through '12, including old fights and shoulder programming such as "UFC Unleashed."
The most recent live event on Versus actually trended up at UFC on Versus 5.
UFC's Sunday night event�in Milwaukee on Versus also drew 766,000 viewers from 9:00-11:09pm ET, marking the net's most-viewed program for the week ending August 14. That figure is up 3% from 744,000 viewers for the last UFC event on Versus on June 26.
Josh Koscheck Returns at UFC 139 in San Jose, May Jump to Middleweight
After a lengthy layoff following his title shot against Georges St-Pierre, Josh Koscheck is finally ready to return.Koscheck said on his Twitter feed Sunday night that he is the latest addition to the UFC 139 card that takes place in San Jose on Nov. 19 - in the heart of his training ground.
But perhaps more interesting is Koscheck saying the fight, against a yet-unnamed opponent, is likely to be at middleweight, moving him up from 170 pounds for the first time since 2005. "My next fight is in San Jose ...," Koscheck said. "Good chance fighting at 185lbs. Should know real soon who."
After a three-fight win streak - a KO of Frank Trigg, a submission of Anthony Johnson and a decision over Paul Daley that got the Brit booted from the UFC for a post-fight sucker punch - Koscheck got a Season 12 coaching spot on "The Ultimate Fighter" opposite St. Pierre.
In their welterweight title fight at UFC 124 last December, St-Pierre peppered Koscheck (15-5, 13-5 UFC) with jabs throughout the bout and broke his right orbital bone. The subsequent surgery has kept Koscheck on the shelf, and his Nov. 19 return will mean a layoff of nearly a year.
Koscheck fought at middleweight on Season 1 of TUF, but dropped from 185 to welterweight after his win over Chris Sanford on the TUF 1 Finale in April 2005. His 18 fights in the UFC make him one of the promotion's longest-standing veterans. His five losses include two to St-Pierre and one to former title challenger Thiago Alves in a fight he took on short notice.
Koscheck is the second fighter to get a "home" fight on the UFC 139 card. Cain Velasquez, his training partner at the American Kickboxing Academy, located in San Jose, headlines the card to defend his heavyweight title for the first time against Junior dos Santos.
Koscheck's move to middleweight is one he has talked about in the last several months. He has said often he will not fight his AKA teammates, and Jon Fitch is one of just a few welterweights that would make sense for Koscheck to fight who don't already have a match booked.
But the move up also gets him one weight class closer to Stephan Bonnar, one of his housemates on TUF 1. Bonnar and Koscheck have been trading barbs on Twitter and in the media after Bonnar's Trash Talkin' Kids t-shirt line made an "Osh Kosh B'Gosh' shirt mimicking Koscheck. Though other fighters, including St-Pierre, Roy Nelson and Brock Lesnar, took the playful shirts in good humor, Koscheck threatened a lawsuit, obtaining former UFC fighter Christian Wellisch as his legal representation. Earlier this year, Bonnar's company, NGauge Inc., shut the shirts down entirely and started a new line called Punch Buddies in its place.
But a fight between Koscheck and Bonnar would mean Bonnar would have to move down from light heavyweight - or that Koscheck would have to move up even more to light heavyweight, or to an agreed-upon catchweight fight. Bonnar has not fought since last December, and had to pull out of a scheduled fight against Karlos Vemola at UFC on Versus 5 earlier this month with a knee injury.
UFC 139 will be the company's first fight in San Jose, the former home base of one-time rival Strikeforce before its purchase by Zuffa earlier this year. Though not yet made official, it will take place at the HP Pavilion. Aside from Koscheck's return to middleweight and the heavyweight title bout between Velasquez and dos Santos, UFC 139 will feature a bantamweight contenders bout between former champions Brian Bowles and Urijah Faber, plus a welterweight bout between Martin Kampmann and Rick Story.
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