Meltzer says UFC is having difficulty with Lesnar's future

Maybe there was something to that little exchange between the Undertaker and Brock Lesnar following his fight at UFC 121. The rumors are swirling around Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champ and WWE star.

Some say the UFC wants Lesnar to take part as a coach on Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter." Others say Lesnar doesn't want to be involved with very much involving MMA right now. This report was written after listening to Pro Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer:

Lesnar reportedly hasn't talked with anyone from UFC or answered their phone calls since losing the UFC Heavyweight Title to Cain Velasquez last month. Sources also say that Lesnar hasn't began to prepare for his next UFC fight and hasn't trained since losing to Velasquez.

It's said that Lesnar has lost some interest in MMA and has been been re-considering his future in the sport after his loss to Velasquez and the beating he took in the win against Shane Carwin before that.

Lesnar reportedly has only one fight left on his contract. Could it be that the Wrestlemania appearance, which he could make upwards of $2 million for, is the hold up? Is Lesnar really thinking about bailing on MMA after just one bad loss?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Meltzer-says-UFC-is-having-difficulty-with-Lesna?urn=mma-300989

Luiz Azeredo  Luciano Azevedo  Ba Te er  Ryan Bader 

Humbled Vera learned you can't trash talk in the Octagon

Brandon Vera has never lacked for confidence. In fact, when the media and fans would question his lack of aggression is some fights, Vera would fire back defiantly. But it was clear, he wasn't the same fighter who shot up the charts in 2005 and 2006. It took a major wake-up call to finally shake up Vera.

The 33-year-old quickly rose to the top of the heavyweight division with wins at Ultimate Fight Night 2 and UFC 57, 60 and 65. He eventually met his match against the massive Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum at heavyweight. Then two years later he took hotshot Jon Jones too lightly.

"I for sure, did not give Mr. Jones the respect he deserved and that's my fault," Vera during the UFC 125 prefight press conference (24:50 mark).

Vera (11-5) lost his concentration at the worst time. 

"When I was underneath him, I'm remember being off in my own world while he was throwing elbows and missing. I was holding his wrist and thinking 'geez man, all the hype was about you ... this is what you have to offer on the ground, really?' I remember I said 'you f'n suck,' but before I said the word suck, the elbow came down on my face and smashed my face."

The Jones' elbow broke Vera's cheekbone. MMA can be incredibly dangerous if you don't defend yourself properly. The Filipino-American paid the price and was sidelined for seven months. 

"That's when I realized right then and there, 'That's what you get you bastard. That's what you get for thinking you're so ahead of the game.'"

For Vera, who is just 3-3 since dropping to light heavyweight, the success in his late-20's came too fast. 

"Honestly [it was] my arrogance. The fights seemed easy. I was in there training hard, training hard [then] I go in there and knock someone out real quick. Train hard, train hard then knock somebody else out real quick," said Vera [20:58 mark]. "My arrogance caught up to me. My head got real big and somebody needed to pop it. Too bad they had to pop my face for it to pop, but it's popped. I'm back. My head's level and I'm ready to go."

Vera better be right-minded. He's got a tough test at UFC 125 in aggressive striker Thiago Silva and frankly his job may be on thin ice if he loses a third straight fight.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Humbled-Vera-learned-you-can-t-trash-talk-in-the?urn=mma-301908

Hector Ramirez Kevin Randleman Vitor Ribeiro Aaron Riley

You tell us: The best fight finishes of 2010

As much fun as it is to watch a three- or five-round scrap, one of the best things about MMA is that fighters can have control of their own destiny by finishing their fights. What were the best ones in 2010? You tell us. Winners will be announced on Dec. 30.

Paul Daley's KO of Scott Smith -- At the Strikeforce St. Louis event in December, knockouts were the order of business. Robbie Lawler and Dan Henderson both won with impressive first-round KOs, but it was Daley's sickening KO of Smith that stood out. With a left hook, Daley sent Smith directly to the canvas.

Fabricio Werdum's triangle armbar of Fedor Emelianenko -- This ending was impressive both for the interesting submission and the fact that Werdum ended Emelianenko's incredibly dominant run of win after win. 

Scott Jorgensen's guillotine of Chad George -- It wasn't in a title fight or a main event, but for sheer awesomeness, you have to love this one. At WEC 47, Jorgensen locked on a guillotine, and squeezed it so tightly that George's feet left the ground. George tapped in just 0:31.

Cain Velasquez's TKO of Brock Lesnar -- Velasquez took the UFC heavyweight championship with a perfect combination of speed, power and wrestling skills. He took advantage of Lesnar's biggest weakness -- his inability to take punches. Velasquez broke Lesnar with strike after strike, winning by TKO in the first round. 

Takanori Gomi's KO of Tyson Griffin -- Gomi had lost his UFC debut to Kenny Florian, an uninspired start for the PRIDE star. He made up for it with a quick right hand in his bout with Griffin, which stiffened Griffin and laid him out in the first round.

Anderson Silva's triangle armbar of Chael Sonnen -- Sonnen dominated this championship bout for 23 minutes, taking down and striking the previously invincible Silva at will. Sonnen seemed destined for a decision win and the UFC middleweight belt, until he got sloppy and gave up an arm in the fifth round. Silva took advantage and tapped Sonnen out at 3:10 in the fifth round.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/You-tell-us-The-best-fight-finishes-of-2010?urn=mma-299359

Antonio Silva Assuerio Silva Paulo Silva Jay Silva

The Purge Begins: Tyler Toner Also Released, Plus Thoughts On Chris Horodecki And Jamie Varner

It?s one thing to know that it has to happen, it?s another thing entirely to see it in motion. And make no mistake, fans and friends? the purge has begun. In addition to the recently-announced firings of major (albeit down-on-their-luck) WEC stars Jamie Varner and Chris Horodecki, it?s also being reported that Featherweight Tyler Toner [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/29/the-purge-begins-tyler-toner-also-released-plus-thoughts-on-chris-horodecki-and-jamie-varner

Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko

Brendan Schaub vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" on deck for UFC 128

After promising a strong return for the new year and washing away any talk of an immediate retirement plan, former PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix Champion Mirko Filipovic, or rather “Cro Cop” will be returning to the octagon this March when he takes on another young gun in the heavyweight division.
The Croatian heavyweight recently [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/30/brendan-schaub-vs-mirko-cro-cop-on-deck-for-ufc-128

Jonathan Wiezorek Pete Williams Matt Wiman Travis Wiuff

Nick Diaz signs multi-fight extension with Strikeforce

Fans anxious to see Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz follow teammate Jake Shields to the Octagon will have to wait a little longer, as the company he currently calls home has issued a press release stating the 27-year old has elected to extend his professional relationship with Strikeforce. Though no specific terms were provided the [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2010/12/29/nick-diaz-signs-multi-fight-extension-with-strikeforce/

Thiago Tavares Paul Taylor Glover Teixeira Tra Telligman

Both Robbie Lawler And Nick Diaz Sign New Strikeforce Contracts

The surging strikeforce promotion heads into 2011 with two things: a lot of promise, and several important goals that must be met. One of their clearest and yet most-difficult goals is to continue to legitimize their various championships. And two men have recently emerged as key players in that regard: one is already a champion, [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/30/both-robbie-lawler-and-nick-diaz-sign-new-strikeforce-contracts

Karl James Noons Jan Nortje Phillipe Noer Jake O Brien

Premier League: Man. City v Blackpool

Image: http://stadiums.football.co.uk/Images/Photos/Large/17-2.jpg

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/sports-vbookie/85913-premier-league-man-city-v-blackpool.html

Elvis Sinosic Dennis Siver Kestutis Smirnovas Jimmy Smith

?UFC 125: Resolution? Live Weigh-Ins Video at 5PM ET/2PM PT

The official weigh-ins for “UFC 125: Resolution” takes place today inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stream Friday?s weight contest live right here on 5thRound.com starting at 5PM ET/2PM PT. A lightweight title scrap between champ Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard will headline the pay-per-view broadcast. Maynard is looking for a [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/63220/ufc-125-resolution-live-weigh-ins-video-at-7pm-et4pm-pt/

Kalib Starnes Joe Stevenson Luke Stewart Denis Stojnic

WEC 53: Donald Cerrone Submits Chris Horodecki

by Michael David SmithDonald Cerrone showed off a great display of fighting from his back Thursday at WEC 53, spending most of the second round controlling Chris Horodecki from the bottom before eventually getting him to tap out to a triangle choke.

Cerrone thanked his coach afterward.

"Thanks to Greg Jackson," Cerrone said. "Always pushing, always giving us words of wisdom to keep us motivated. I've got to give it all to Greg Jackson."

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/16/wec-53-donald-cerrone-submits-chris-horodecki/

Antonio Silva Assuerio Silva Paulo Silva Jay Silva

Jorgensen thinks Cruz is looking for excuses and will run the entire fight

Dominick Cruz has a way of getting under his opponent's skin. Just 25-years-old, he's a master of winning the mental war before the fight hits the cage. Scott Jorgensen isn't falling for Cruz's game. The WEC 135-pound says he'll be getting hand surgery following the fight and be sidelined for up to six months.

"In my opinion that's retarded. It's almost like he making an exuse for a loss, already. 'Oh my hands hurt. I gotta get surgery anyway,'" Jorgensen told ProMMARadio. "Maybe he's playing mind games, I really don't care." 

Jorgensen says Cruz is already shot mentally just days before they meet at WEC 53.

"He's looking for sympathy and he's building a built-in excuse. He’s thinking about losing … already has that seed in his head," said Jorgensen (2:35 mark). "That little bit of doubt may be too much for him. Come fight night, he has to make a decision. And I think I know what his decision already is. He’s looking for an easy way out (once the fight gets going)."

The 135-pound WEC champ has stymied recent opponents with his ducking and darting style. Too often, Cruz's victims got frustrated, went into chase mode and were made to look silly. Jorgensen isn't interested in playing Cruz's game on the feet.

"No matter who I fought, they look like they got beat up. I leave guys bruised, battered and I think that intimidates Dominick because he's never faced that," said Jorgensen. "A lot of running is what I feel like he's going to be trying to do. You can’t evade somebody from your back,"

The challenger is warning fans that if the fight is boring, it's not going to be his fault.

Cruz and Jorgensen meet in Phoenix on Thursday (Versus 9 p.m. ET/PT). The winner will be officially awarded the UFC bantamweight title. Check here for the entire 20-plus minute conversation with Jorgensen. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Jorgensen-thinks-Cruz-is-looking-for-excuses-and?urn=mma-296097

Anthony Perosh Seth Petruzelli Anthony Pettis Nam Phan

Leben's Personal Battle, Stann's War Led to 'Toughest Guys' in UFC Fighting

Filed under: UFC, News

LAS VEGAS -- Many people have taken a short look at the life and times of Chris Leben and drawn their own conclusions. Brian Stann is no different. Except Stann's judgment was as simple as five words: "I want to fight him."

Stann's impulse had nothing to do with Leben's tattooed, hair-dyed appearance. It had nothing to do with the trouble Leben has sometimes found himself in. It had nothing to do with any moral judgment. Instead, it had everything to do with how he fights. Stann is a Silver Star-winning former U.S. Marine, and yet he marvels at Leben's fighting spirit.

How complimentary is he of Leben's heart? Try this on for size:

"This is a guy who's very, very tough. The toughest guy, I believe, on the UFC roster other than me," Stann said.

More: UFC 125 Fight Card | UFC 125 Pictures | UFC 125 Results

---

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/30/lebens-personal-battle-stanns-war-led-to-toughest-guys-in-u/

Jérôme Le Banner Jess Liaudin Chuck The Iceman Liddell Shad Lierley 

Chuck Liddell announces retirement from MMA

The end of an era became official earlier today when iconic light-heavyweight Chuck Liddell announced he was hanging up his gloves for good at a press conference related to this weekend?s upcoming UFC event. However, while Liddell closed one chapter of his life with the news, he quickly followed it up by mentioning he?d opened [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2010/12/29/chuck-liddell-announces-retirement-from-mma/

Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio

'Soul of Fight' Videos, Part 1: Okuno vs. Chonan, Maeda vs. Kanehara, Nakamura vs. Enomoto

(Taisuke Okuno vs. Ryo Chonan. Fight starts at the 1:30 mark. Props: DJSexStyle via MiddleEasy)

Some highlights from today's stoppage-heavy Sengoku show. Above, Ryo Chonan gets put to bed in just 19 seconds. After the jump: The brief but ferocious slugfest between Yoshiro Maeda and Masanori Kanehara, which ended in an unfortunate early stoppage, and the welterweight GP final match between Keita Nakamura and Yasubey Enomoto.

read more

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/soul-fight-videos-part-1-okuno-vs-chonan-maeda-vs-kanehara

Stav Crazy Bear Economou  Yves Edwards  Justin Eilers  Jon Olav Einemo

WEC 53 Weigh-In Video

by Michael David SmithAll the fighters participating on the WEC 53 card will step on the scale for the WEC 53 weigh-in Wednesday, and if you can't be there in Glendale, Ariz., you can watch the live stream right here at MMAFighting.com.

The card features two title fights: Lightweight champion Ben Henderson and challenger Anthony Pettis will have to make the 155-pound limit, and bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Scott Jorgensen will have to make the 135-pound limit.

Following the weigh-in, the UFC's Forrest Griffin will take part in a question-and-answer session with fans, which will also stream live.

The weigh-in starts at 7 PM ET and the video is below.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/15/wec-53-weigh-in-video/

Keith Hackney Matt Hamill Volk Han Joachim Hansen

Dan Hardy v Anthony Johnson in March?

mmafighting.com





Welterweights Dan Hardy and Anthony Johnson have verbally agreed to square off in March, MMA Fighting has learned from sources close to the fight.

The front-runner event...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?71730-Dan-Hardy-v-Anthony-Johnson-in-March&goto=newpost

Mark Hominick Choi Hong man Jeremy Horn Chris Horodecki

Anthony Pettis, Lyoto Machida, and More Proving That The Traditional Martial Arts Can Help In The Cage

What did�the initial UFC’s have in common?� Beyond the dominance of Royce Gracie and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, they also all served to denounce the traditional martial arts styles to some extent.� Let’s face it, a few things became abundantly clear early on.� First, if you couldn’t grapple, you couldn’t fight, at least not in a [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/26/anthony-pettis-lyoto-machida-and-more-proving-that-the-traditional-martial-arts-hold-worth-in-the-cage

Liu Jinwen David The Crow Loiseau Hector Lombard Alexandru Lungu

Video analysis: Iole's MMA fight 2011 wishlist

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Video-analysis-Iole-s-MMA-fight-2011-wishlist?urn=mma-300243

Bart Palaszewski Rousimar Palhares Mike Patt Ivan Pack

Throwdown Interview with Brandon Vera

After revealing the new Brandon Vera “Propaganda” UFC 125 walkout tee, Throwdown caught up with the UFC Light Heavyweight fighter to get his thoughts on his upcoming match against Thiago Silva, the resurgence of his fight career and the opening of his second Alliance Training Center MMA gym. All pumped up and looking forward to [...]

Source: http://fighterxfashion.com/throwdown-interview-with-brandon-vera/

Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge

Find Your Rhythm With UFC 125

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/2496/find-your-rhythm-with-ufc-125

George Sotiropoulos Haik Soukiasian Ronaldo de Souza Ron The Monster Sparks

Alistair Overeem and Todd Duffee Will Fight for Dream?s Interim Title

Those folks at Dream have taken procrastination to a whole new level. After waiting until the 11th hour to confirm Alistair Overeem would indeed face Todd Duffee at ?Dynamite!! 2010,? the Japanese promotion has just announced the studs will vie to become the company?s first heavyweight champ. Although the title will be of the interim [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/63505/alistair-overeem-and-todd-duffee-will-fight-for-dreams-interim-heavyweight-title/

Cheick Kongo Josh Koscheck Pascal Krauss Keigo Kunihara

Does Frankie Edgar have any fans?

He's the guy that beat BJ and is the current UFC LW champ.

I hardly ever hear people discussing him :dunno:

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/85877-does-frankie-edgar-have-any-fans.html

Thiago Tavares Paul Taylor Glover Teixeira Tra Telligman

Dethrone x Gray Maynard UFC 125 Walkout Shirt

As Gray “The Bully” Maynard looks to claim the UFC Lightweight Championship during his main event match against the Lightweight division’s current top dog Frankie Edgar, Dethrone Royalty reveals the “Kings Aren’t Born” walkout tee for the number one contender. Currently undefeated and ready for war when he steps inside the Octagon to face Edgar [...]

Source: http://fighterxfashion.com/dethrone-x-gray-maynard-ufc-125-walkout-shirt/

Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez Keith Hackney

MMA Top 10 Bantamweights: Moving to the UFC

by Michael David SmithWorld Extreme Cagefighting is over, and its fighters are heading to the UFC -- which means the UFC now has, by far, the strongest bantamweight division in mixed martial arts.

In fact, although Japan was once home to most of the sport's best small fighters, in 2011 just about every single significant 135-pound fight will take place inside the Octagon.

The biggest fight will be the first UFC title defense for bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who's No. 1 in our bantamweight rankings and ready for a rematch with No. 2 Urijah Faber. See how the rest of the bantamweights stack up below.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/17/mma-top-10-bantamweights-moving-to-the-ufc/

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher

Bellator signs deal with MTV2 for fourth season and beyond

Bellator has signed a three-year deal with MTV2 to air the promotions' fights live, starting with the fourth season in March 2011. The tournament-based promotion, with champions like Ben Askren, will air on MTV2, a station once known for music programming but has grown to air sports-ish programming like "Bully Beatdown," a show hosted by Strikeforce's Jason "Mayhem" Miller, and "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory," which follows professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek.

From the Bellator press release:

MTV2, which features the highest concentration of M12-24 and M12-34 in television, will telecast two of these LIVE tournaments per year, plus a collection of special feature events. The first tournament will premiere in March 2011.  
 
"MTV2 is the perfect home for the intense mixed martial arts action of Bellator," Eric Conte, SVP, Programming and Production, MTV2. "MMA is at the top of our audience's wish list, and partnering with Bellator to bring live events and specials to MTV2 made complete sense since our viewers are so hungry to see more MMA on-air."

The key word in that is live. Bellator was with Fox Sports Net for their last two seasons, and they were often pre-empted by other local programming. In Chicago, Bellator's hometown, the fights rarely aired live, and sometimes were started after midnight. By the time the fights aired, the results were widely known.

Bellator recognized that and made a change. They also appear to be going after a younger demographic, as most MMA promotions covet the 18-49 year-old male demographic.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Bellator-signs-deal-with-MTV2-for-fourth-season-?urn=mma-295838

Mike Van Arsdale Paul Varelans Jovany Anaconda Varela Tony Vartanian

Ricardo Almeida rumored for match-up with Mike Pyle at UFC 128

It looks as though New Jersey resident Ricardo Almeida will have an opportunity to represent his State, as well as regionally-related Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, on March 19 against fellow submission-grappler Mike Pyle at UFC 128 in Newark, New Jersey. Almeida and Pyle are both coming off decision wins in their previous performances. News of the possible [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2010/12/27/ricardo-almeida-rumored-for-match-up-with-mike-pyle-at-ufc-128/

Jeff Joslin Scott Junk  Martin Kampmann Denis Kang

Chuck Liddell Discusses Post-Retirement Plans with ESPN

Chuck Liddell fought his heart out for over 12 Hall of Fame years. During yesterday’s surprise retirement ceremony, “The Iceman” fought back tears as he said farewell to the sport he’s helped build. The former light heavyweight champ wasn’t quite as emotional when he discussed his retirement and subsequent promotion to UFC executive VP of [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/63543/chuck-liddell-discusses-post-retirement-plans-with-espn/

Yoshihiro Takayama Daiju Takase Oleg Taktarov Akitoshi Tamura

Pettis steals UFC title shot: Henderson shocked by fifth round cage walking kick

If anyone thought the UFC would have trouble promoting a WEC-UFC lightweight title unification bout, think again. Anthony Pettis pulled the upset on former WEC champ Ben Henderson by using one of the craziest moves in MMA history.

Pettis landed a wacky head kick after he ran up the side of the cage. A stunned Henderson hit the deck with less than 90 seconds left in the fight. In a back and forth five rounder, that was pretty even inside the final two minutes, the stunning kick locked up the win for Pettis.

He took the title and earned himself a shot against the UFC lightweight champ with a unanimous decision win 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46. Cagewriter scored it 48-47 for Pettis.

Frank Edgar, the current UFC 155-pound champ defends his title on Jan. 1 against Gray Maynard. Pettis gets the winner some time in 2011. That kick will be the centerpiece of the UFC's highlight reel heading into the title showdown.

"We practice that all the time in the cage," Pettis told WEC announcer Craig Hummer. " (Pettis' trainer) Duke Roufus says just have fun in the cage. I got 10 more of them kicks coming. How do you like that to end the WEC?"

Pettis (13-1, 6-1 WEC) goes down as the final lightweight champ in WEC history. Zuffa's smaller promotion is being folded into the much more popular UFC. Many of the fighters from the WEC's 135, 145 and 155 pound weight classes will be brought on board. UFC actually started mixing in some of the WEC's roster on two cards earlier this month. 

Henderson (12-2, 5-2 WEC) will be one of those guys. He was likely a good five minutes away from getting his shot at Edgar or Maynard. Henderson was the better grappler in the fight but had trouble finding his range on the feet. It was an even fight entering the final round. Pettis was effective most of the fight on the counter-strike and really got hot in the fifth.  

Pettis blasted Henderson on a combination with 3:50 left. He also landed a brutal knee as Henderson charged in for a takedown with 2:53 left. Henderson scored a takedown with 2:20 left and got Pettis' back but he got a little impatient going for the choke and he allowed his opponent to escape with 1:28 left. The fighters circled for a while and then Pettis attempted his running kick with 1:04 left. He nailed Henderson, who fell to his back. Pettis got off 41 unanswered punches and hammer fists, while Henderson clutched at his leg on the ground. The kick and final minute sealed the victory.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Pettis-steals-UFC-title-shot-Henderson-shocked-?urn=mma-297147

Rich No Love Clementi  Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper 

Mike Tyson helping Vitor Belfort prepare for Anderson Silva

Vitor Belfort finds inspiration outside of mixed martial arts, even has he prepares to meet Anderson Silva for the middleweight title at UFC 126 on Feb. 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?71732-Mike-Tyson-helping-Vitor-Belfort-prepare-for-Anderson-Silva&goto=newpost

Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez

Humbled Vera learned you can't trash talk in the Octagon

Brandon Vera has never lacked for confidence. In fact, when the media and fans would question his lack of aggression is some fights, Vera would fire back defiantly. But it was clear, he wasn't the same fighter who shot up the charts in 2005 and 2006. It took a major wake-up call to finally shake up Vera.

The 33-year-old quickly rose to the top of the heavyweight division with wins at Ultimate Fight Night 2 and UFC 57, 60 and 65. He eventually met his match against the massive Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum at heavyweight. Then two years later he took hotshot Jon Jones too lightly.

"I for sure, did not give Mr. Jones the respect he deserved and that's my fault," Vera during the UFC 125 prefight press conference (24:50 mark).

Vera (11-5) lost his concentration at the worst time. 

"When I was underneath him, I'm remember being off in my own world while he was throwing elbows and missing. I was holding his wrist and thinking 'geez man, all the hype was about you ... this is what you have to offer on the ground, really?' I remember I said 'you f'n suck,' but before I said the word suck, the elbow came down on my face and smashed my face."

The Jones' elbow broke Vera's cheekbone. MMA can be incredibly dangerous if you don't defend yourself properly. The Filipino-American paid the price and was sidelined for seven months. 

"That's when I realized right then and there, 'That's what you get you bastard. That's what you get for thinking you're so ahead of the game.'"

For Vera, who is just 3-3 since dropping to light heavyweight, the success in his late-20's came too fast. 

"Honestly [it was] my arrogance. The fights seemed easy. I was in there training hard, training hard [then] I go in there and knock someone out real quick. Train hard, train hard then knock somebody else out real quick," said Vera [20:58 mark]. "My arrogance caught up to me. My head got real big and somebody needed to pop it. Too bad they had to pop my face for it to pop, but it's popped. I'm back. My head's level and I'm ready to go."

Vera better be right-minded. He's got a tough test at UFC 125 in aggressive striker Thiago Silva and frankly his job may be on thin ice if he loses a third straight fight.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Humbled-Vera-learned-you-can-t-trash-talk-in-the?urn=mma-301908

Yoji Anjo  Ao Hailin  Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski 

Proposed Strikeforce heavyweight tournament is a waste of time?

Showtime did a damn good job of putting and then holding together its Super Six tournament for 168-pounders in boxing. Why can't the network and Scott Coker find the answers for a heavyweight tournament in MMA?

Kid Nate over at Bloody Elbow says a tournament with Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Silva, Sergei Kharitonov, and Brett Rogers would be "hot."

He leads us to FightOpinion where common sense reigns on this dream tourney:

Between (the news that Fedor won't fight in January) and the fact that Josh Barnett still isn't licensed to fight in California and Alistair Overeem has K-1 obligations and you're looking at a Heavyweight tournament consisting of guys like Brett Rogers and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. In other words, if Strikeforce tries to put together a Heavyweight tournament, it will fall apart before it even begins.

Zach Arnold says stop jerking around with unrealistic goals and simply make fights: 

At this point, all I want to see from Strikeforce is competency. Forget about booking a tournament. Forget about any elaborate plans for 2011. Produce the fights that people want to see and do so in a timely manner. This is a results-oriented business. The rematch between Fedor and Werdum, if there was going to be one, should have happened before the end of 2010. It didn't. The fact that Fedor's camp is even negotiating with Strikeforce and showing strength after the loss to Werdum is amazing. Nobody knows when Werdum or Overeem (or Barnett) is going to fight next. Who's left?

Coker's a smart guy, but are these bloggers correct? Should Strikeforce scrap the idea? If we put aside the UFC, can we actually say boxing is healthier now than MMA when it comes to matchmaking? Strikeforce has a really good collection of heavyweights yet most of them are fighting once a year. Where are the fights?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Proposed-Strikeforce-heavyweight-tournament-is-a?urn=mma-299005

Kerry Schall Nino Schembri Fabiano Scherner Semmy Schilt

Robbie Lawler Signs New Deal with Strikeforce

Filed under: Strikeforce, News

Ahead of his middleweight title shot next month, middleweight Robbie Lawler has signed a contract extension with Strikeforce.

The promotion announced the news Wednesday, just a day after announcing it had also resigned its welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, to a new deal.

Sources close to Lawler's camp told MMA Fighting on Wednesday night that Lawler's deal has been in the works for several months, with many of the terms being worked out over the last couple of weeks.

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/30/robbie-lawler-signs-new-deal-with-strikeforce/

George Sotiropoulos Haik Soukiasian Ronaldo de Souza Ron The Monster Sparks

UFC 124 Free Prelims Online

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/2488/ufc-124-free-prelims-online

Sam Hoger Mark Hominick Choi Hong man Jeremy Horn

Jorgensen thinks Cruz is looking for excuses and will run the entire fight

Dominick Cruz has a way of getting under his opponent's skin. Just 25-years-old, he's a master of winning the mental war before the fight hits the cage. Scott Jorgensen isn't falling for Cruz's game. The WEC 135-pound says he'll be getting hand surgery following the fight and be sidelined for up to six months.

"In my opinion that's retarded. It's almost like he making an exuse for a loss, already. 'Oh my hands hurt. I gotta get surgery anyway,'" Jorgensen told ProMMARadio. "Maybe he's playing mind games, I really don't care." 

Jorgensen says Cruz is already shot mentally just days before they meet at WEC 53.

"He's looking for sympathy and he's building a built-in excuse. He’s thinking about losing … already has that seed in his head," said Jorgensen (2:35 mark). "That little bit of doubt may be too much for him. Come fight night, he has to make a decision. And I think I know what his decision already is. He’s looking for an easy way out (once the fight gets going)."

The 135-pound WEC champ has stymied recent opponents with his ducking and darting style. Too often, Cruz's victims got frustrated, went into chase mode and were made to look silly. Jorgensen isn't interested in playing Cruz's game on the feet.

"No matter who I fought, they look like they got beat up. I leave guys bruised, battered and I think that intimidates Dominick because he's never faced that," said Jorgensen. "A lot of running is what I feel like he's going to be trying to do. You can’t evade somebody from your back,"

The challenger is warning fans that if the fight is boring, it's not going to be his fault.

Cruz and Jorgensen meet in Phoenix on Thursday (Versus 9 p.m. ET/PT). The winner will be officially awarded the UFC bantamweight title. Check here for the entire 20-plus minute conversation with Jorgensen. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Jorgensen-thinks-Cruz-is-looking-for-excuses-and?urn=mma-296097

Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander

Anthony Pettis ?Super Kick?

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/2500/anthony-pettis-super-kick

Sean Sherk Katsuyori Shibata Jake Shields Akira Shoji

"Shogun" Rua asks Randy Couture not to retire; wants to fight the legend

While Mauricio Rua has recently recovered from his third knee surgery, he’s already chomping at the bit to get back inside the octagon.
The Brazilian striker was last seen in action this past May when he claimed the UFC light heavyweight title from rival and fellow countryman Lyoto Machida at UFC 113 in Montreal, Quebec, [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/26/shogun-rua-asks-randy-couture-not-to-retire-wants-to-fight-the-legend

Carlos Newton Mike Nickels Alexandre Franca Nogueira Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira

Iron Star x Melvin Guillard Signature Shirt

Stepping in as a late replacement to take on Evan Dunham in the main event at UFC: Fight for the Troops 2 and currently riding a three fight win streak with his most recent victory over Jeremy Stephens at UFC 119, Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard has been steadily climbing his way up the UFC [...]

Source: http://fighterxfashion.com/iron-star-x-melvin-guillard-signature-shirt/

Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga

?UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort? Betting Odds

Super Bowl Sunday typically signifies Las Vegas’ busiest workday every year. However, thanks to “UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort,” gambleholics will have the sports books buzzing all weekend long this year thanks to their blockbuster shindig.� The star-studded card features a middleweight title scrap between champion Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort. The powers that be [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/63283/ufc-126-silva-vs-belfort-betting-odds/

Aldrin de Jesus  Todd Duffee  Marvin Eastman  Stav Crazy Bear Economou 

Wanderlei Silva: "Vitor Belfort Is Psychologically Weak, And I'm Going to Knock Him Out!"

A lot of fans and fighters are once again talking about Wanderlei Silva after a drop down to Middleweight seems to have revitalized the career of ?The Axe Murderer?. Several fighters have called out Wanderlei in the past: no less than Alan Belcher, Nate Marquardt, and Chris Leben have all made it known that they?ve [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/29/wanderlei-silva-vitor-belfort-is-psychologically-weak-and-im-going-to-knock-him-out

Georges St Pierre Masanori Suda Genki Sudo Amar Suloev

WEC 53 Weigh-In Video

by Michael David SmithAll the fighters participating on the WEC 53 card will step on the scale for the WEC 53 weigh-in Wednesday, and if you can't be there in Glendale, Ariz., you can watch the live stream right here at MMAFighting.com.

The card features two title fights: Lightweight champion Ben Henderson and challenger Anthony Pettis will have to make the 155-pound limit, and bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Scott Jorgensen will have to make the 135-pound limit.

Following the weigh-in, the UFC's Forrest Griffin will take part in a question-and-answer session with fans, which will also stream live.

The weigh-in starts at 7 PM ET and the video is below.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/15/wec-53-weigh-in-video/

Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher

UFC.125.Countdown.HDTV.XviD-aAF / Pre-Fight.Press

*UFC.125.Countdown.HDTV.XviD-aAF*

Image: http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/5258/ufc125poster.jpg...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc-multimedia/85864-ufc-125-countdown-hdtv-xvid-aaf-pre-fight-press.html

Icho Larenas Bobby Lashley Joe Lauzon Mo Lawal

MMA Marketplace: Get your WEC goods while you can

Excuse me for being a little nostalgic over the last WEC show tonight. I've always had a soft spot for this promotion with their reliably exciting cards and kind and personable fighters. I'm sure this twinge of nostalgia will continue well after the final horn is sounded on Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis and Scott Jorgensen vs. Dominick Cruz. One way to indulge in that is to get some WEC gear before it can only be found on eBay. 

The UFC Store has markdowns on much of the WEC apparel. The blue sherpa sweatshirt is just $31.97 and the t-shirt is just $11.97. You can even get the best of the WEC DVD for less than $15, which is an absolute steal when you get: Torres vs. Mizugaki, McCullough vs. Cerrone, Faber vs. Pulver I and many other amazing fights.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/MMA-Marketplace-Get-your-WEC-goods-while-you-ca?urn=mma-296952

Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis  Tony DeSouza  Edwin Dewees 

Stefan Struve Doesn't Think Sean McCorkle Is on His Level - UFC 124

Stefan Struve Doesn't Think Sean McCorkle Is on His Level Video by UFC 124

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-124/stefan-struve-doesnt-think-sean-mccorkle-is-on-his-level-video_c605e7331.html

Thiago Tavares Paul Taylor Glover Teixeira Tra Telligman

The Voice vs. Alistair Overeem Video Preview - Alistair Overeem

The Voice vs. Alistair Overeem 12/10/10

Source: http://mmalice.com/alistair-overeem/the-voice-vs-alistair-overeem-video-preview-video_7bf98baeb.html

Travis Lutter Stevie Lynch Adam Lynn Chris Lytle

Dana White Mum on Future Plans for Brock Lesnar

Filed under: UFC, News

LAS VEGAS -- Two months after walking out of the octagon upon losing the UFC heavyweight title, Brock Lesnar has seemingly vanished.

In a way, it's nothing new for the Minnesota-based fighter to retreat to his family and quiet setting on his Minnesota ranch, shunning the media spotlight.

But this time his absence has come with rumors and whispers, that Lesnar is interested in returning to pro wrestling, although likely only for a one-fight payday at WWE's upcoming Wrestlemania event.

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/29/dana-white-mum-on-future-plans-for-brock-lesnar/

Sam Stout Georges St Pierre Masanori Suda Genki Sudo

The Shoot: Phil Baroni gets another chance to be the best evah at UFC 125 (Video)

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2010/12/29/1901869/the-shoot-phil-baroni-gets-another-chance-to-be-the-best-evah-at-ufc

Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes

Crazy Full Contact BJJ Vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN4huMf1Aow&feature=player_embedded

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?71751-Crazy-Full-Contact-BJJ-Vid&goto=newpost

Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo  Luciano Azevedo  Ba Te er 

Does Todd Duffee Stand A Chance Against Alistair Overeem?

Recently, Five Ounces of Pain confirmed that Alistair Overeem will fight Todd Duffee at the DREAM/K-1 DYNAMITE!! 2010 card on December 31.� The question is, does Duffee stand a chance against the current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion and recent 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion?
Most MMA fans may recall that Duffee took the UFC by storm [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/26/does-todd-duffee-stand-a-chance-against-alistair-overeem

Jimmy Smith Maurice Mo Smith Patrick Smith Scott Smith

MMA Top 10 Pound-for-Pound: GSP Stays on Top

by Michael David SmithGeorges St. Pierre remains the best fighter in all of mixed martial arts, regardless of weight class.

There are arguments, to be sure, for other fighters, namely middleweight champ Anderson Silva or featherweight champ Jose Aldo, getting the No. 1 spot. Most of those arguments center around the fact that Silva and Aldo are finishers, while St. Pierre tends to win decisions.

I'm sympathetic to those arguments, but what St. Pierre does in his decision victories is amazing: In his four decisions as the UFC welterweight champion, the 12 judges have turned in scorecards of 50-45, 50-45, 50-45, 50-43, 50-44, 50-45, 50-44, 50-45, 50-45, 50-44, 50-44 and 50-43. It doesn't get more dominant than that.

So St. Pierre remains on top. Find out the rest of the Top 10 below.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/19/mma-top-10-pound-for-pound-gsp-stays-on-top/

Takeshi Inoue Tokimitsu Ishizawa Wallid Ismail

Alistair Overeem, plus another bout, officially announced for Dynamite 2010 line-up

Japanese promoter FEG announced the official addition of Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem, as well as a match-up between two masters of opposing disciplines, to the ever-expanding card expected to take place in Saitama, Japan on December 31 at ?Dynamite: The Power of Courage?. Though no opponent was named for Overeem, the two individuals set [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2010/12/23/alistair-overeem-plus-another-bout-officially-find-home-on-dynamite-2010-line-up/

Falaniko Vitale Igor Vovchanchyn Anthony Walsh Wang Guan

Article: Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa Documentary - The Story of Minowaman (video)

You can view the page at http://ninjashoes.net/forum/content.php?325-Ikuhisa-Minowaman-Minowa-Documentary-The-Story-of-Minowaman-(video)

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?71743-Article-Ikuhisa-quot-Minowaman-quot-Minowa-Documentary-The-Story-of-Minowaman-(video)&goto=newpost

Brock Lesnar Frank Shamrock Tito Ortiz Randy Couture

UFC 128: Brendan Schaub vs. Mirko Cro Cop

by Michael David SmithAt long last, Brendan Schaub has an opponent in place for his next fight: He's taking on Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 128 on March 19.

Schaub, who's coming off a great 2010 in which he went 3-0 inside the Octagon, had previously been linked to a meeting with either Frank Mir or Stefan Struve. But instead he'll take on Cro Cop, who will return to the Octagon for the first time since a lackluster loss to Mir in September.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/29/ufc-128-brendan-schaub-vs-mirko-cro-cop/

Sam Hoger Mark Hominick Choi Hong man Jeremy Horn

Brockwatch 2011: MMA World Can Hardly Wait to Leave Lesnar for Dead

(Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Buddy movie! PicProps: SportsAgentBlog)

A whole new year, a whole new Brockwatch. After spending part of 2009-10 waiting with bated breath to see if Brock Lesnar’s body would eat itself from the inside out, it now appears that we’ll at least begin 2011 wondering aloud if the notoriously fickle slab of beef will ever fight in the UFC again. Initial reports do not look good. Company President Dana White all but admitted he had no idea what was going on with Brock a couple weeks back and the latest news from wrestling guru Dave Meltzer indicates that Lesnar hasn’t been returning the boss’ phone calls and maybe hasn’t trained a single day since that soul-crushing beatdown by Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 brought “Brocktober” to a screeching halt a week early.

The smug indignation is thick in the air of the blogodome right now, friends. Frankly, it seems like the MMA world can’t fucking wait to stick a fork in the moldering corpse of Lesnar’s legitimate fighting career and declare him the most overhyped, overly-muscled windbag since, well, Kimbo Slice. Clearly, we are all taking unseemly, but totally understandable glee in the idea that he might turn tail and slink back to professional wrestling after getting his ass handed to him by Velasquez. C’mon though, obviously nobody (except maybe Sable) likes Brock Lesnar, but the sober realist in us has to ask: Aren’t we getting a little bit ahead of ourselves here?

read more

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/brockwatch-2011-mma-world-can-hardly-wait-leave-lesnar-dead

Ryan Gracie Peter Graham Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin

Reports: Ricco Rodriguez on Verge of Prerequisite, Redemptive Mid-30s UFC Return

(The hypogonadism is spreading like wildfire. PicProps: MMAClothingTrends)

So, we forgive you if you didn’t spend 2010 following Ricco Rodriguez’s career with the rapt and breathless attention you reserve for ex-UFC champs like, say, Tim Sylvia. If you’re just a youngling and/or aren’t a huge fan of Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab then it’s also sort of understandable if you read that headline and were like, “Ricco who?” (Seriously though kid, UFC 39, check it out sometime) In any case, you’ll have to excuse the rest us oldsters if we pause from massaging Tiger Balm into our arthritic hip and raise one hoary eyebrow at reports out this week that the former 265-pound-titlist-turned-tragic-cautionary-tale might be on the verge of returning to the UFC.

MMA Weekly got the water boiling with an interview published on Christmas Eve and on Monday Five Ounces of Pain inserted the standard “learned from a source close to the fighter” qualification to the story that Rodriguez has been "negotiating" with our Octagon Overlords about a brand new three-fight, six-figure deal. To this we say: Huh. Weird.

read more

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/reports-ricco-rodriguez-verge-prerequisite-redemptive-mid-30s-ufc-return

Mario Sperry Pete Spratt Brian Stann Aaron Stark

UFC 125 Press Conference Video

Filed under: UFC

UFC President Dana White, lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, No. 1 contender Gray Maynard and others will all meet the media on Wednesday for the UFC 125 press conference, and we'll stream the video here at MMAFighting.com.

The pre-fight press conference usually includes some pre-fight trash talk, although Edgar and Maynard have been awfully quiet on that front. The UFC may be counting on the talkative Leben to sell the pay-per-view.

The press conference begins at 4 PM ET and the video is below.

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/29/ufc-125-press-conference-video/

Branden Lee Hinkle Sam Hoger Mark Hominick Choi Hong man

McKee's arrived, says he's going to dial down the trash talk

Antonio McKee is a smart guy. He realized a few years back his fighting alone wasn't going to get him to the UFC, so he honed his skills on the microphone. It worked. He kept winning - he hasn't lost since 2003 - and the UFC signed the 40-year-old lightweight.

In two weeks, he'll debut at UFC 125 against Jacob Volkmann.

In this video introduction piece, McKee (25-3-2) says now that he's with the big show he won't have to play a "character" as he calls it outside the ring. Why not?

It's more important now than ever for McKee to talk his way into the mix. He doesn't have much time. He's a skilled grappler and takedown artist, but to gain the attention of the brass and more importantly new fans, McKee better use those chops.

Paul Daley, Dan Hardy, Tito Ortiz, Josh Koscheck, Michael Bisping, Anthony Johnson, Frank Mir, Matt Serra and Chael Sonnen have all earned a little extra credit and a few free passes on the rankings ladder because of their prefight media work in the past.

We feel safe in saying, McKee should provide some good prefight fodder. He just can't help it (video below - NSFW). McKee's great at hyping fights and won't be able to contain himself once he hits the ground in Las Vegas. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/McKee-s-arrived-says-he-s-going-to-dial-down-th?urn=mma-298175

Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie

Miller surprises Oliveira with first round sub at UFC 124

Charles Oliveira is a great prospect. The key word is prospect. The 21-year-old was facing a guy with seven UFC wins and a well-rounded game.

Oliveira took Miller lightly on the ground and paid for it.

The New Jersey-native, working from top control in a standing position, transitioned to an ankle lock. Oliveira didn't do much to extricate himself, and Miller cranked back with a kneebar. Oliveira tapped almost immediately giving Miller the win at 1:59 of the first round.

"When I stood up and the leg presented itself, I went for it," Miller said at the UFC 124 postfight press conference. "I really don't care where the fight ends up going. I started attacking the toe hold and he didn't worry about the knee."  

Update - Miller split the Submission of the Night award with Mark Bocek and received $50,000 for his efforts. 

Miller's appearance must fool people. At just 5-foot-7 with a red beard, he looks like the guy next door. There was heavy betting on Oliveira. By the time the fight went off, Miller was a plus-140 underdog in spite of entering the match with a six-fight win streak.

"Coming into the fight, I was trying to gain a little respect to be honest," Miller said. at the UFC 124 postfight press conference. "We went into that fight with him as the favorite, which I really didn't understand."

"He's got a big future ahead of him, but I knew I've fought a lot tougher guys than he has," Miller said. "I was trying to leave me mark and really get after him."   

Even Dana White had his doubts about Miller's chances on the ground with Oliveira.

"When he went for that foot, me and (UFC owner Lorenzo) Fertitta looked at each other and said 'that was stupid.' Then he pulls off that kneebar," White laughed. "Goes to show you what we know. That why he fights and we don't."

Miller (19-2, 8-1 UFC) is a tough nut to crack. His only loss came against Gray Maynard, who is unbeaten in the UFC and challenging UFC lightweight champ Frank Edgar for the title next month.  

Oliveira (14-1, 2-1 UFC) was the rage of the division after two dominant UFC wins since August.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Miller-surprises-Oliveira-with-first-round-sub-a?urn=mma-294720

Paul Taylor Glover Teixeira Tra Telligman Ivan Titenkov

Bocek shreds Hazelett on the ground for first round win at UFC 124

The first fight on UFC.com’s televised prelims figured to be a grapple-fest with Mark Bocek and Dustin Hazelett trading takedowns and submissions attempts. It was a grapple-fest, but it was completely one-sided.

Bocek smoked Hazelett, a fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, as he pulled off a beautiful triangle choke at 2:33 of the first round in Montreal.

Update - Bocek split Submission of the Night honors with Jim Miller and received a $50,000 bonus. 

The usually reserved Bocek (9-3, 5-3 UFC) was boisterous after the win, calling out fellow jiu-jitsu master George Sotiropoulos. Bocek, a Canadian wants to face Sotiropoulos in Toronto at the end of April.

"I've been quiet for a long time. I have the best jiu-jitsu in the lightweight division," Bocek told UFC analyst Joe Rogan. "I'll prove it to everybody."

Sotiropoulos is regarded as a top seven fighter in the UFC’s lightweight division, so it was pretty bold for Bocek to call him out. He earned the right tonight with the submission he pulled off.

Hazelett, coming down from welterweight, figured to be the stronger fighter but he never got a shot to take advantage of strength or his 6-foot-1 frame. Just seven seconds into the fight, Bocek shot for a single-leg takedown. Hazelett went down quickly and was on his back just 15 seconds into the fight.

Hazelett tried to stay busy from the bottom but Bocek made it impossible. He quickly worked to improve his position. Bocek got to side control with 3:56 left in the round. He eventually moved to mount where he jumped on the opportunity to lock on a triangle choke. Bocek quickly spun to his back where he softened Hazelett with some elbows and then put his right arm across his face. Hazelett had to tap at 2:33 of the first.

Miller beats up Doerksen in bloody fight

Dan Miller and Joe Doerksen are both excellent ground fighters and that's where they waged war for 15 minutes. Doerksen appeared to be in the bad position on the bottom, but he did solid damage. Miller did just a little bit more while maintaining top control for over 12 minutes. Miller took a split decision, 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28 in fight No. 2 on UFC.com's broadcast. 

UFC 124 undercard (Courtesy MMAjunkie): 

John Makdessi def. Pat Audinwood via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26).
Ricardo Almeida def. T.J. Grant via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Sean Pierson def. Matt Riddle via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Rafael Natal and Jesse Bongfeldt fight to a majority draw (28-28, 28-28, 29-28 Natal).

Scoring of the Bongfeldt-Natal fight was initially announced as 30-30 on all three cards. Copies of the official cards were distributed and showed the actual score with judges Sal D'amoto and Tony Weeks calling the fight a 28-28 draw, while judge John Woodburn gave the fight to Natal, 29-28. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Bocek-shreds-Hazelett-on-the-ground-for-first-ro?urn=mma-294702

Ivan Pack Ido Pariente Karo Parisyan Sherman Pendergarst

Triumph*United Imperial Legion T-shirts

A combination of clean looks combined with crisp graphics results in these two new additions to the Triumph*United T-shirt range from the “Imperial Legion” collection. Injecting a small amount of Muay Thai styling seen with the thai writing on the “Bolts” tee, along with bravery at the heart of the “Lionman” style, the Triumph*United T-shirt [...]

Source: http://fighterxfashion.com/triumphunited-imperial-legion-t-shirts/

Alexandre Franca Nogueira Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rogério Nogueira Karl James Noons

UFC 124 Free Prelims Online

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/2488/ufc-124-free-prelims-online

Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn

MMA Top 10 Welterweights: No End in Sight to GSP's Dominance

by Michael David SmithGeorges St. Pierre whipped Josh Koscheck for five rounds at UFC 124, bringing to 30 his streak of consecutive rounds won. Think about that: St. Pierre has fought the best of the best in the welterweight division, and although you can knock him for not finishing most of his recent fights, even the wildly inconsistent judges we have in MMA these days couldn't find a reason to score a single round against him over 30 rounds of action.

So when does that change? Jake Shields has dominated a whole lot of opponents himself recently, winning 15 straight fights including eight by stoppage and five by unanimous decision. But while Shields is certainly worthy of his title shot, it's extremely difficult to envision him actually beating St. Pierre, who does just about everything better than Shields. I could very easily see St. Pierre beating Shields by yet another unanimous decision, 50-45 all the way around.

And so as we rank the Top 10 welterweights in MMA, we're left wondering if any of them have what it takes to end GSP's reign.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/15/mma-top-10-welterweights-no-end-in-sight-to-gsps-dominance/

Alex Karalexis Mark Kerr Mamed Khalidov Sergei Kharitonov

Frank Mir Out, Stefan Struve In Against Brendan Schaub at UFC on Versus 3

Instead of a planned matchup with former champ Frank Mir, Brendan Schaub will face fellow heavyweight prospect Stefan Struve at UFC on Versus 3 on March 3 in Louisville.

Could a rubber match between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar be back on possibly after the rivals coach The Ultimate Fighter 13?

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/16976/brendan-schaub-vs-stefan-struve-not-frank-mir-reported-for-ufc-on-versus-3/

Rumina Sato Kerry Schall Nino Schembri

Anthony Njokuani vs Edson Barboza on deck for UFC 128

And the news keeps coming in.
UFC 128, which is expected to take place on March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey will feature a championship headliner, pitting light heavyweight title holder Mauricio “Shogun” Rua as he looks to defend the 205-pound strap for the first time against former champ Rashad Evans. [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/28/anthony-njokuani-vs-edson-barboza-on-deck-for-ufc-128

Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez

Zuffa gives Varner his walking papers

http://mmaweekly.com/former-wec-champion-jamie-varner-released-from-wecufc-following-loss


---Quote---
Former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/85811-zuffa-gives-varner-his-walking-papers.html

Hermes Franca Rich Franklin Ian Freeman Don Frye

Ryo Chonan to Face Okuno, Not Hornbuckle at Sengoku: Soul of Fight

Filed under: Sengoku, Japan

Ryo Chonan will now meet Taisuke Okuno instead of Dan Hornbuckle on Thursday's Sengoku "Soul of Fight" card at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan

The promotion announced Monday Okuno as Hornbuckle's replacement. According to Chonan, Hornbuckle withdrew from the fight over the weekend due to the flu.

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/27/ryo-chonan-to-face-okuno-not-hornbuckle-at-sengoku-soul-of-fig/

Gilbert Yvel Ishkhan Zakharian Roman Zentsov Zhang Chuanlong

Chris Horodecki also falls victim to LW curse

---Quote---
Chris Horodecki (16-3 MMA, 2-2 WEC) is the latest fighter to be released from Zuffa's lightweight roster.

The 23-year-old London,...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/85812-chris-horodecki-also-falls-victim-lw-curse.html

Randy Couture Josh Barnett Ricco Rodriguez Tim Sylvia

Strikeforce Champ Nick Diaz Signs Multi-Year Contract Extension

Courtesy of Strikeforce, there will be one less welterweight champion standing in the unemployment line. On Tuesday, the San Jose, California based promotion announced they have inked Nick Diaz to a multi-year contract extension. ?I?m looking forward to continuing my career with Strikeforce,? said Diaz.� ?When I first got here, there weren?t a lot of [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/63390/strikeforce-champ-nick-diaz-signs-multi-year-contract-extension/

Antonio Silva Assuerio Silva Paulo Silva Jay Silva

Crash Course: DREAM/K1's "DYNAMITE!! 2010" Edition

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to another edition of ?Crash Course?, the series of articles designed to give fans a quick rundown of all the latest upcoming MMA cards. We?re only five days away from the traditional year-end Japanese MMA super-show, ?DYNAMITE?, and it?s shaping up to be an amazing card. Many [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/26/crash-course-dreamk1s-dynamite-2010-edition

Dan The Beast Severn Frank Shamrock Ken Shamrock Sean Sherk