Brain study could help fighters decide when to retire

It's decision time for Wanderlei Silva. It's the same dilemma Chuck Liddell struggled with in 2010 and guys like Jens Pulver and Ken Shamrock are still battling. When do you retire from active fighting?

Stand-up sluggers take a lot of shots to the head and no one wants to see a fighter with eroding motor skills in his 40s or 50s.

In a story with the same headline, the Las Vegas Review-Journal shines a light on a brain study that could help fighters decide when to retire.

Changes in brain volume, scarring and blood flow will be measured through brain scans. Changes seen on a participant's MRI will be correlated with their performance on cognitive assessments and neurologic exams. When fighters show a correlation between MRI findings and cognitive decline, researchers hope to determine whether there is a relationship to a number of factors, including knockouts, number of rounds fought and number of blows suffered.

"It's important to know the true brain health impact that boxing and other combative sports have on fighters," said Dr. Michael Modic, chairman of the Neurological Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. "We hope to find a way to identify fighters with repetitive injuries to be able to knowledgeably tell fighters when to hang up the gloves and help them heal."

The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is looking for 650 fighters from the boxing and MMA to volunteer for the study. Over a four-year period, fighters would have their brains monitored to judge trauma. The study is part of a $400 million grant from the Lincy Foundation, backed by gambling magnate Kirk Kerkorian.

Study participants will undergo four annual MRI brain scans, along with cognitive and speech tests and physical exams to monitor how brain activity can be changed by head trauma in the ring.

The information could also help commissions around the country on issues of licensing. Silva, 35, has lost six of eight fights and suffered nasty KOs in four of those losses. He also took a ton of shots to head in his loss to Liddell. Commissions have never really turned down aging fighters. Maybe they'll have more ammo in the future to protect the fighters from themselves.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Brain-study-could-help-fighters-decide-when-to-r?urn=mma-wp4913

Jordan Radev Hector Ramirez Kevin Randleman Vitor Ribeiro

Overeem out of Strikeforce HWT GP, but still fighting for Zuffa

The Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix has been very solid so far, but if there's one complaint it might be the amount of time it's taking to progress.

Zuffa, looking to speed things along, scheduled the semifinals for Sept. 10. Alistair Overeem says he can't fight in September, so now in a surprising move, Zuffa has dumped him from the tournament.

It's a shocking development, involving the guy who most still felt was the favorite to win the whole thing and eventually secure a fight with UFC champion Cain Velasquez down the road.

Instead, it'll be Daniel Cormier who steps up and faces Antonio "Big Foot" Silva.

The story picked up steam this afternoon when Overeem appeared on AOL.com's MMA Hour.

"What's going to happen next? I don't know. I've had some threats of cutting me out of the tournament if I don't participate. I don't know if they're going to do it. Personally, I don't like to be threatened. If people start talking like that then?be my guest, but then I'm really not going to sing to their tune," Overeem said.

"For them to unilaterally declare, okay, [September 10] is going to be the second round, which I never agreed on, and then threaten me if I don't want it, it?doesn't really show a lot of respect,"

It was more than "a lack of respect," there were actions behind the words. Overeem is out, but that doesn't mean he's getting booted from the Strikeforce roster. He's the Strikeforce heavyweight champ and UFC president Dana White pointed out that Overeem's still with the company.

"Sept. 10 was the date Showtime wants us to go, so it's the date we've got to go. It's unfortunate that Alistair is unavailable, but situations like this are why there are alternates in the tournament," White told MMAjunkie. "Overeem is under contract, and when his pinky toe heals up, we'll get him another fight," White said.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Overeem-out-of-Strikeforce-HWT-GP-but-still-fig?urn=mma-wp4782

Keigo Kunihara Mike Kyle Achmed Labasanov Jason Lambert

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 Barnett

Source: http://mmalice.com/josh-barnett/strikeforce-josh-barnett-describes-win-over-brett-rogers-as-perfect-video_a2d2d7805.html

Ed Herman Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Sam Hoger

What's the best way to post pictures now?

Hey Ninja,

I've been having a hard time with picture posting. I originally used the from URL option and just copy the image url but lately, I keep getting invalid URL whenever the "Retrieve remote...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75551-What-s-the-best-way-to-post-pictures-now&goto=newpost

Masanori Suda Genki Sudo Amar Suloev Mike Swick

Strikeforce fighter St. Preux once snubbed Bobby Bowden

Ovince St. Preux hits the big stage in Las Vegas tomorrow night at Strikeforce Challengers 17. With 14 pro fights under his belt, he won't be nervous. It doesn't hurt either that he played football in front 100,000-plus during his days in the SEC at Tennessee.

OSP would love to get recruited to the UFC at some point in the future. If offered, it won't be a tough decision. It wasn't as easy when he was a star athlete in high school. All the big guns came after the 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker/defensive end prospect.

St. Preux joined ESPNRadio1100's DC and the Sunshine Man on Wednesday to talk about his fighting and football background. He said he chose Tennessee over schools like Miami, Florida State, Notre Dame and Clemson. The decision to turn down Bobby Bowden and FSU was made easier when OSP had a little incident go down at his job.

While St. Preux was working at a Burger King in the Immokalee, Fl. area, his boss got a call asking for the star athlete. The manager asked who was calling and thought it was a prank when the voice on the other end said, "it's Bobby Bowden." The BK boss hung up the phone. That wasn't really the make or break moment in St. Preux's recruitment, but it made for a memorable story. OSP went to have a productive career along sides the likes of Kevin Burnett, Erik Ainge, Robert Peace, Cedric Houston and Gerald Riggs Jr.

Now he wants to be mentioned with names like Jon Jones, Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, Mauricio "Rua" Shogun and Lyoto Machida. OSP looks for his seventh straight win tomorrow night against Joe Cason in Las Vegas.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Strikeforce-fighter-St-Preux-once-snubbed-Bobby?urn=mma-wp4911

Masanori Suda Genki Sudo Amar Suloev Mike Swick

Dee Smith & Duke Roufus Help Brandon Bullington Prepare for Rising Fight League

Bullington has been training with Dee Smith for two and a half years and has a blue belt in BJJ, trains in Muay Thai Kickboxing and wrestled in high school. Bullington is very thankful for all the help he has received from Smith and for this fight world famous Duke Roufus. Brandon had the pleasure of working with Roufus recently on combinations and improving faster hand speed. Smith has the rising star on a strict regimen of cardio, running and weight lifting and a special workout that only the Dee Smith could implement in his daily routine.

When asked why he chose Absolute Jiu Jitsu, he shared with me that he wanted to be the best and that is where the best MMA fighters are trained. It was an easy decision and he has never looked back.

Bullington is confident that he will be the superior fighter when the bell sounds on August 20 at the Rising Fight League at the Talley Ward Center, 324 South James Street, Morristown, TN.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=236475096381693 . 

Bullington is a well rounded fighter, has a record of 3-3 and is a rather large 155 pounder that tossed his last opponent around like a rag doll. Bullington is a very explosive fighter and quickly captured the attention of the fans with his last fight. He is soon to become a household name because of the way he submitted Taylor Wilson in the second round by Kimura. Bullington has the look and finesse of a young Ken-Flo, which only adds to the appeal of this fighter.

Brandon is a very polite gentleman and told me this was his first interview, but I could not tell. He was very well spoken and acted as if he had been through many interviews.

Brandon is from Chilhowie, VA and currently lives in Abingdon, VA. He stands 5’11" and was born March 19, 1985. He would like to get six more fights under his belt (the LW RFL) which he is confident that he will win and then would like to turn professional in a year or two. This is sure to be an all out war with Gib Frye, this fight alone will be worth the price of admission. Make plans to attend this spectacular MMA event.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/786587-dee-smith-duke-roufus-help-brandon-bullington-prepare-for-rising-fight-league

Vitor Belfort Randy Couture Chuck Liddell Quinton Jackson

Nothing ?tricky? about St. Preux tonight at Strikeforce Challengers 17, a big knee ends Cason?s chances

Ovince St. Preux had no intentions of going from the gridiron to the cage, but trainer Eric Turner tricked him into fighting mixed martial arts. Turner saw the potential in the former Tennessee Volunteers' linebacker and convinced him that the punches in the cage weren't that hard.

Four years later OSP is the one dishing out the pain. Joe Cason felt his power tonight in Las Vegas when he ate a knee to the face and a shin to the ribs. Cason was shot. Seconds later, the fight hit the deck where St. Preux eventually got off five huge shots, splattering Cason's blood on the canvas, and the downed fighter tapped due to strikes at 1:12 of the first round at Strikeforce Challengers 17.

The Haitian-American, who was a high school football star in Immokalee, Fla. prior to his time at Tennessee, has won eight straight and is 5-0 with Strikeforce. OSP thinks it's time for step up in competition and a promotion to Strikeforce's bigger shows.

"I think the fans have been talking about it. I think the fans want it. I'll be calling out lots of people ... Gegard [Mousasi], [Renato] 'Babalu' [Sobral]. I'm definitely ready to step up," said St. Preux, 28.

OSP (11-4) still works out of Knoxville, Tenn. the home of the University of Tennessee, but with some time off after his last fight in January, he made sure to travel around the country to train with new camps.

Most of his learning in 2010 came in the cage as he fought six times. With some time away from active fights, he worked with Dan Henderson's camp in Temecula, Ca. and also made his way to Denver to train at Grudge Training Center, the home of fighters like Brendan Schaub, Nate Marquardt and Shane Carwin.

Cason comes from a good camp as well, with Duke Roufus in Milwaukee, and it was clear the formerly unbeaten light heavyweight had a swagger about him and came to fight. But his aggression actually cost him as OSP used good footwork to avoid big shots and get off some counterstrikes.

The strike that destroyed Cason was unique. Cason charged St. Preux and the rangier ex-football star attempted a body kick. The leg never fully uncoiled, but with Cason coming forward he got drilled under his chin by OSP's knee and his shin crushed his ribs. The double-dose of pain wobbled Cason and he never recovered.

St. Preux has told the "tricked into fighting" story many times including again this week when he appeared on ESPNRadio1100 in Las Vegas.

"My biggest thing was about getting hit," said St. Preux, who played football at 6-foot-3, 248 pounds. "[Turner] had some 18-ounce boxing gloves on; he kind of hit me in the arm. He said, 'This is the hardest you're going to get hit.'"

When St. Preux fought for the first time and got blasted by an opponent who was wearing MMA's official five-ounce gloves, OSP realized he'd been duped. St. Preux knew he was in a fight, but he didn't freak out. His athleticism showed when he first started in the game and it's really paying off now. Cason was too slow to avoid the inevitable beating tonight in Sin City.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Nothing-tricky-about-St-Preux-tonight-at-Stri?urn=mma-wp4976

Sean Salmon Diego Sanchez Jorge Santiago Evangelista Santos

Why MLB Needs Instant Replay

Image: http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/670132/HomeTag2.gif.opt.gif

Image:...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75555-Why-MLB-Needs-Instant-Replay&goto=newpost

Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello

Don?t pick against Jackson: Couture called a ?fake [expletive] has-been? for doing so

There are two Quinton Jacksons. The boisterous, cocky "Rampage" who showed up at the UFC 135 press conference on Tuesday in Denver and hypersensitive, delicate Jackson who lashes out like a youngster if he's criticized or called on the carpet.

We saw a great example of that when he threatened to quit MMA in late 2009 claiming he was being mistreated and used by the UFC. That came roughly 14 months after UFC management bailed him out and stuck with him after a bizarre driving rampage in Southern California.

This week, in between dropping some epic trash talk on young Jon Jones, Jackson flipped out on Randy Couture. What did Couture do? The retired UFC legend had the nerve to pick against Jackson in his last fight!

A Twitter war unfolded between the 33-year-old Jackson and Couture, 48.

Here's the video where Couture hurt Jackson's feelings:

Jackson wore Xtreme Couture/Affliction gear during his walkout at UFC 114x in May of 2010. It sounds like he's suggesting Couture's "anti-Jackson" picks are motivated by Rampage changing apparel providers.

Twitter graphic via USA Today

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Don-t-pick-against-Jackson-Couture-called-a-fa?urn=mma-wp4893

Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau  Rich No Love Clementi  Mark The Hammer Coleman

Strikeforce Preview: Fedor Emelianenko Says He Has No Plans to Retire

As the Strikeforce hosts their event tomorrow night, the talks of possible retirement for headliner Fedor Emelianenko loom large. 

Nearly unbeatable for the last decade, "The Last Emperor" recently suffered two consecutive losses for the first time in his career. In an interview with Sherdog.com, Emelianenko said he understands the importance of facing Dan Henderson, but that doesn't mean he is about to look past his opponent. 

"We’ll fight our next fight, and, after that, we’ll see,” Emelianenko told reporters during a teleconference.

“I’m not thinking about what might be. Right now, I’m just thinking about this fight, and after this fight, we’ll sit down and figure out what to do next."

Unlike his last two opponents, Henderson presents a different challenge to Emelianenko, as he will be facing him in a heavyweight bout. Henderson, a natural middleweight, has not competed in a heavyweight bout since 2002 and is going to giving up considerable weight against his Russian counterpart. 

Henderson might appear to be older than Emelianenko; however, he is still a dangerous and formidable opponent. "Hendo" will be entering the bout on a two-fight win streak, previously knocking out Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante; his win over Cavalcante earned him the Strikeforce light heavyweight title.

Emelianenko respects Henderson's accomplishments, and should he win at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, IL, it will be another former UFC champion added to his resume.

“Dan Henderson has been a fighter for a long time and he’s been a champion in many different organizations. For me, it’s very important,” Emelianenko said. 

Perhaps what's even more important to Emelianenko is that he hopes to earn one more opportunity to wear the heavyweight crown. After rumors of the Russian heavyweight potentially moving down to compete at 205 lbs, Emelianenko doesn't envision himself at a lightweight.

“I’ve always fought as a heavyweight, and I didn’t see any reason to fight at a lighter weight," he said.

"There haven’t been any offers to fight at light heavyweight. I fight at the same weight I’m accustomed to.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/784991-strikeforce-preview-fedor-emelianenko-says-he-has-no-plans-to-retire

Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie

Struve vs. Barry

It's on. (https://twitter.com/#!/ufc/status/95966285116092418)

Image:...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75550-Struve-vs.-Barry&goto=newpost

Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi

Don?t bring Jon Jones a fake belt to sign

Jon Jones' ascent to the top of the UFC's light heavyweight division has been fast, but also filled with plenty of hard work and growth as a fighter. It has been far from easy. He's proud of that belt and even keeps it wrapped in a special case when not carrying it with him.

So you can understand why he's not wild about the fact that someone can go to Toys 'r' Us and buy a similar belt for $12.99.

I hate it when people come up to me with a belt that looks exactly like mine and they ask me to sign it. I worked three times a day for three years to get this belt, and now this guy asking me for an autograph has one just like it. Are you serious? I mean it's not as heavy, but it looks just the same.

Fair enough, Jon. He has grown close to that belt, and doesn't want to see the fakes out there. He will have to put it on the line on Sept. 24 against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Thanks to With Leather. Read the whole interview to hear what Jones will sign and Urijah Faber's thoughts on how to improve MMA.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Don-t-bring-Jon-Jones-a-fake-belt-to-sign?urn=mma-wp4690

Chuck Liddell Quinton Jackson Forrest Griffin Rashad Evans

Video analysis: Who blew it? Zuffa or Overeem?

For casual MMA fans, the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix just took a major hit with the ouster of Alistair Overeem. Now the biggest name in the tournament is gone and the card loses a lot of steam without Overeem, a fan favorite.

Couldn't this have been avoided? Did Overeem overplay his hand or did Zuffa make a mistake? Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole checked in to give his take on this video blog.

"The Reem" told Zuffa he wouldn't be ready for Strikeforce 36 in early September, but October was good. That would mean the other three participants would have to adjust their schedules for Overeem. Keep in mind, both Antonio Silva and Sergei Kharitonov haven't fought since February.

Jeff Wagenheim from SI.com brought out the big guns and slammed Strikeforce's heavyweight GP.

The departure of The Reem is only the latest in a neverending succession of oddities and tribulations for the year-long event and for Strikeforce itself, which sensible Zuffa observers have always believed will go away at some point -- just as Pride did, just as the WEC did. But clearly this consolidation is not happening according to the Neil Young business plan, because Strikeforce is fading away before it can burn out. Apparently rust does sleep.

The Heavyweight Grand Prix was flawed to begin with -- shouldn't a tournament be held to determine the next challenger for a title, rather than including the champ himself? -- and soon became immeasurably more flawed. Can you imagine any major sport holding one set of playoff quarterfinals, then waiting four months before completing the other side of the bracket? Well, that's exactly how the Grand Prix unfolded.

The bigger issue? The October schedule is already jammed. Oct. 1 is out with UFC on Versus 6 in New Orleans, UFC 136 on Oct. 8 and Oct. 29 has UFC 137.

Don't forget Showtime is already booked for Oct. 15 with Bernard Hopkins facing Chad Dawson. So the only open weekend is Oct. 22. Does Showtime have the staff to effectively set up and promote major fight cards on back-to-back weekends?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Video-analysis-Who-blew-it-Zuffa-or-Overeem-?urn=mma-wp4822

Shad Lierley  Jushin Thunder Liger Zach Light Scott Lighty

Strikeforce picks, Vegas-style: Fedor still a huge favorite over Hendo

Fedor Emelianenko's lost two straight, the second one pretty badly against Antonio "Big Foot" Silva, but the betting public still trusts in the former heavyweight king. On the Las Vegas betting boards, Fedor is a sizable minus-250 favorite to win tonight's fight in Chicago (Showtime 10 p.m. ET/PT).

"The MMA Insiders" host Kevin Iole and myself talked about how Fedor needs to approach Hendo (3:35 mark). Strikeforce announcer Frank Shamrock also appeared on ESPNRadio1100/98.9 FM in Las Vegas to speak about his experience in dealing with Henderson's strengths (5:22 mark).

This is one of Strikeforce's five-fight slates in recent memory. The odds say so with nothing bigger than a minus-250 favorite. All the underdogs have a solid shot at pulling the upset. Who has the best shot? Cagewriter says Paul Daley. If Daley stays off the ground, and that's a big if, his striking is too crisp for the inexperienced Tyron Woodley.

Bloody Elbow's cast of writers made their selections on all the fights. BE also tabs Daley as its top choice to pull off the upset. Six prognosticators chose Woodley and five sided with Daley.

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson betting odds (Courtesy Lagasse's Stadium Las Vegas):
Dan Henderson (+200) vs. Fedor Emelianenko (-250) - Heavweight

Robbie Lawler (+150) vs. Tim Kennedy (-180) - Middleweight

Paul Daley (+170) vs. Tyron Woodley (-200) - Welterweight

Miesha Tate (Even) vs. Marloes Coenen (-130) - 135 pound title fight

Scott Smith (+190) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (-240) - Welterweight

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Strikeforce-picks-Vegas-style-Fedor-still-a-hu?urn=mma-wp5167

Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho

Rich Franklin: A Good Week for the Former UFC Champion

Rich Franklin may have opted to withdraw from UFC 133 when his opponent, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira dropped out due to injury, but don't feel bad for the former UFC champion. 'Ace' had a pretty good week starring in a Boost Mobile commercial and having his life story purchased for a possible movie project.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Double E Pictures and Motion Theory have optioned the rights to Franklin's life story and plan on producing the film "American Fighter" based around Franklin's path from high school math teacher to UFC champion.

The film will be written by David Hollander whose past writing credits include the television shows "The Cleaner" and "The Guardian."

Franklin told the Hollywood Reporter, “I’m excited to see the story of my career as a fighter brought to the screen, and I feel confident that the team assembled will do a great job in telling this story."

Franklin also saw Boost Mobile release a commercial in which he stars in a "Bring a UFC Fighter to Work" Contest. The winner of the facebook based contest will, according to the commercial, have a UFC fighter dispatched to their place of employment to "Make sure someone is listening to you at work."

Franklin may not be fighting on August 6 in Philadelphia, but things seem to be working out pretty well for 'Ace.'

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/784292-rich-franklin-a-good-week-for-the-former-ufc-champion

Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell  Gesias JZ Calvancante  Luiz Cane 

Marquardt signs with the U.K.?s Bamma

Nate Marquardt isn't waiting around for the UFC to change its mind. The elite middleweight has decided to fight for one of the biggest international promotions, Bamma in England.

Bamma is highly successful promotion in the U.K. The next scheduled card comes in early September. That includes 185-pound title fight with Frank Trigg challenging Tom Watson. Paul Daley has been a big draw in the past as well for Bamma.

Through BAMMA P.R., Marquardt had this to say:

"Offers came in from several fight promotions, but we felt that BAMMA was definitely the best fit. They put on high-quality shows, stack their cards with top-level fighters, and sign those fighters to multi-fight deals.� They are also the only fight organization in the UK that implements PED testing," Marquardt said. "To be honest, that is one of the main reasons that we chose BAMMA. I want�to prove to my fans and to the world that I'm the real deal and that I belong on top."

Liam Fisher from Bamma jumped at the chance to sign Marquardt.

"As soon as we received word that the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission lifted Marquardt's suspension we jumped at the chance to sign him. He is a top ranked contender and an asset to any promotion. Words cannot express how excited we are that Marquardt is now fighting under the BAMMA banner," said Fisher.

Marquardt is expected to speak at length about the signing tonight on ESPN's MMA Live.

Marquardt and his management team spoke with U.S.-basedBellator, arguably the No. 1 non-Zuffa owned MMA promotion in the country, but nothing officially materialized.

Bellator was hoping to set up a fight between Marquardt and the promotion's unstoppable champion Hector Lombard. Lombard lashed out again at Marquardt on a local Miami-area radio station.

"He's getting offered more money than me, more money than anybody and he doesn't want to take the fight," Lombard told 790 the Ticket in Miami. "They offered him a one-fight deal. They didn't offer him any contract, a one-fight deal. Way more money than he was making in UFC."

It was previously thought that Marquardt may have turned down the deal because he was asked to enter a Bellator middleweight tournament and work his way up the ladder to get Lombard.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Marquardt-signs-with-the-U-K-s-Bamma?urn=mma-wp4948

Dong Hyun Kim Kevin Knabjian John Kolosci Cheick Kongo

How Couture, Lesnar, Griffin and Henderson helped one student turn his grades around

As the head of the Ohio Athletic Commission since 2004, Bernie Profato has been in close contact with some of MMA's best, and he told Cagewriter that he has always been impressed with the fighters. No episode impressed him more than when three former UFC champs all played a hand in turning his grandson's grades around.

"When Randy [Couture] was in Columbus, my grandson was having some problems in algebra, and he's a big MMA fan. I talked to Randy about it. Later, when he was in town for the WEC, he asked, 'Hey Bernie, how's your grandson?' and when you think about all the people around him, he remembered that. I said, 'Hey, he got that D to a B.' Randy says, 'Let me give him a call.' I gave him my cell phone and he left a message because he was in school.

"That night we were having dinner, and it was Randy, Brock [Lesnar] and Forrest [Griffin], and Randy asks if my grandson got the message. I said yes, and thanked Randy because my grandson really appreciated it. Brock said, 'What's that?' and I said, 'Well, he brought his D to a B.'

"'He didn't get an A?' he said, so I gave the phone to Brock, and he called my grandson and said, 'I'll come and kick your butt if you don't get that grade to an A.' Then Forrest got on the phone and said, 'Listen, Daniel, you're doing a great job, son. If�this big guy gives you any more [expletive], me and Couture will kick the hell out of him. One of us can't, but both of us can!'

"Last year, during Strikeforce, Dan Henderson called and talked to him. Do you know what that does for this kid? He went from a D in three subjects to a B+ average. That's because these guys took the time to talk to the kid and say, 'You've got to get to school and learn.'

"Because these guys are educated. You're not dealing with a bunch of dummies. You're dealing with a bunch of guys with college educations. That's what they're telling my grandson. Football is second, but an education is first. When he's hearing it from these guys, he's going out and putting his nose to the grindstone. They turned him around."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/How-Couture-Lesnar-Griffin-and-Henderson-helpe?urn=mma-wp4853

B J Penn Frankie Edgar Ken Shamrock Dan Severn

What's the best way to post pictures now?

Hey Ninja,

I've been having a hard time with picture posting. I originally used the from URL option and just copy the image url but lately, I keep getting invalid URL whenever the "Retrieve remote...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75551-What-s-the-best-way-to-post-pictures-now&goto=newpost

Pete Williams Matt Wiman Travis Wiuff Wu Haotian

Kenny Florian on Cut to Featherweight: 'I've Never Felt Better' - UFC 131

Kenny Florian on Cut to Featherweight: 'I've Never Felt Better' Video by UFC 131

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-131/kenny-florian-on-cut-to-herweight-ive-never-felt-better-video_8d2dac0f1.html

Trevor Prangley Daniel Puder Jens Pulver Mike Pyle

Junior Dos Santos Interview - UFC

Heavy-handed Junior Dos Santos steps back into the Octagon? against a man considered to be an equally dangerous striker, Shane Carwin. Will Junior's speed advantage be enough to hand Carwin his first KO loss? Watch UFC 131 Live on Pay-Per-View and www.UFC.tv on Saturday, Jun 11th at 6/9PM PT/ET.

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc/junior-dos-santos-interview-video_8d42cdb57.html

Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rogério Nogueira Karl James Noons Jan Nortje

Kenny Omega vs 9 year old girl

http://youtu.be/E9obAE2w26Y

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75586-Kenny-Omega-vs-9-year-old-girl&goto=newpost

Yoon Dong Sik Gilbert Yvel Ishkhan Zakharian Roman Zentsov

Strikeforce Fedor vs. Henderson: Official Weigh-in Results and Reaction

The official weigh-ins for Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson will take place on Friday at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT) at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

MMA legends Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson will clash in the headliner at a catch-weight bout.

The former Pride heavyweight champion Emelianenko hopes to rebound from back-to-back losses against Henderson, who is coming off a big knockout win over Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante for the light heavyweight title.

Strikeforce women's welterweight champion Marloes Coenen is also scheduled to defend her world title against top female contender Miesha Tate.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for updates as the fighters tip the scales. 

 

Main Card (Showtime)

Fedor Emelianenko (223) vs. Dan Henderson (207)

Marloes Coenen (135) vs. Miesha Tate (135)

Tim Kennedy (185) vs. Robbie Lawler (185)

Tyron Woodley (170) vs. Paul Daley (171)

Scott Smith (171) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (170)

 

Undercard

Gesias Cavalcante (155) vs. Bobby Green (155)

Eduardo Pamplona (170) vs. Tyler Stinson (171)

Alexis Davis (136) vs. Julie Kedzie (135)

Derek Brunson (186) vs. Lumumba Sayers (184)

Bryan Humes (266) vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones (260)

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/784245-strikeforce-fedor-vs-henderson-official-weigh-in-results-and-reaction

Frankie Edgar Ken Shamrock Dan Severn Tank Abbott

Now this is how you do a bachelor party.....

password: "Ambrose"

http://vimeo.com/26932636

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75554-Now-this-is-how-you-do-a-bachelor-party.....&goto=newpost

Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao

Strikeforce fighter St. Preux once snubbed Bobby Bowden

Ovince St. Preux hits the big stage in Las Vegas tomorrow night at Strikeforce Challengers 17. With 14 pro fights under his belt, he won't be nervous. It doesn't hurt either that he played football in front 100,000-plus during his days in the SEC at Tennessee.

OSP would love to get recruited to the UFC at some point in the future. If offered, it won't be a tough decision. It wasn't as easy when he was a star athlete in high school. All the big guns came after the 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker/defensive end prospect.

St. Preux joined ESPNRadio1100's DC and the Sunshine Man on Wednesday to talk about his fighting and football background. He said he chose Tennessee over schools like Miami, Florida State, Notre Dame and Clemson. The decision to turn down Bobby Bowden and FSU was made easier when OSP had a little incident go down at his job.

While St. Preux was working at a Burger King in the Immokalee, Fl. area, his boss got a call asking for the star athlete. The manager asked who was calling and thought it was a prank when the voice on the other end said, "it's Bobby Bowden." The BK boss hung up the phone. That wasn't really the make or break moment in St. Preux's recruitment, but it made for a memorable story. OSP went to have a productive career along sides the likes of Kevin Burnett, Erik Ainge, Robert Peace, Cedric Houston and Gerald Riggs Jr.

Now he wants to be mentioned with names like Jon Jones, Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, Mauricio "Rua" Shogun and Lyoto Machida. OSP looks for his seventh straight win tomorrow night against Joe Cason in Las Vegas.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Strikeforce-fighter-St-Preux-once-snubbed-Bobby?urn=mma-wp4911

Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper  Kit Cope 

Fedor vs. Henderson Results

Filed under: Strikeforce, Results

MMA Fighting has Fedor vs. Henderson results for all of the July 30 Fedor vs. Henderson fights, plus live coverage from the Sears Centre, live blogs of all the fights and live Fedor vs. Henderson twitter updates.

In the main event, Fedor Emelianenko will try to end his two-fight losing streak against Dan Henderson in a heavyweight bout, while Marloes Coenen will defend her 135-pound women's title against Miesha Tate.

Televised Card
Dan Henderson def. Fedor Emelianenko via first-round TKO (live blog)
Miesha Tate def. Marloes Coenen via submission (arm-triangle choke) (live blog)
Tim Kennedy def. Robbie Lawler via unanimous decision (live blog)
Tyron Woodley def. Paul Daley via unanimous decision (live blog)
Tarec Saffiedine def. Scott Smith via unanimous decision (live blog)

Preliminary Card
JZ Cavalcante def. Bobby Green via split decision (live blog)
Tyler Stinson def. Eduardo Pamplona via first-round KO (live blog)
Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision (live blog)
Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via submission (rear-naked choke) (live blog)
Gabriel Salinas-Jones def. Bryan Humes via submission (brabo choke) (live blog)

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/07/30/fedor-vs-henderson-results/

Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto

Voelker recovers from bad start, TKOs Bowling in second

Book Bobby Voelker-Roger Bowling fights every month! What fan is going to complain? They've fought three times and each bout has been a barnburner. Friday night at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, Voelker scored a nice comeback win by landing a nasty knee in the second round that Bowling never recovered from. Voelker wobbled Bowling with a right knee, saw his opponent's legs fail him, and then finished with nine unanswered shots on the ground at 2:15 of the second round at Strikeforce Challengers 17 .

"It was pretty suspenseful," Voelker told Showtime's Mauro Ranallo. "He was winning the whole way."

Voelker's now won two straight against Bowling, but the loser has nothing to be ashamed about. Bowling outclassed Voelker (24-8) throughout the first round. He dominated the stand up with nasty legs kicks and a great left hook. He actually had Voelker on shaky legs in the final minute of the first, but didn't pour it on.

For some reason in the second, Bowling tried to wrestle and work the clinch game. At 5-foot-8, against the 6-1 Voelker, that proved to be a horrible move. With his back on the cage, Voelker got a thai clinch on Bowling's head and pulled his noggin down into that big� knee. Bowling stumbled backwards and his legs were gone.

Voelker deserves a lot of credit. Some of Bowling's shots in the first would've broken a weaker fighter. The 32-year-old said it was part of the plan against the less-experienced Bowling.

"I just knew he was coming in hard. He always does, that's the way he fights. It's just balls to the wall, ready to take your head off," Voelker said. "I knew I had to wait a little bit, weather the storm and he'd lower his hands a little bit or fade, and I'd catch him with something like I did."

Voelker's won 4-of-5 with Strikeforce and may set for a jump to Strikeforce's bigger shows. According to Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is considering giving Voelker the winner of the Scott Smith-Tarec Saffiedine fight.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Voelker-recovers-from-bad-start-TKOs-Bowling-in?urn=mma-wp4984

Roberto Traven Frank Trigg Mostapha Al Turk Ryuki Ueyama

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson Play-by-Play and Live Results

Tonight, Fedor Emelianenko will fight under Zuffa for the first time in his illustrious MMA career, as he takes on fellow legend Dan Henderson. This fight against the current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion could be a make-or-break bout for Emelianenko, who has lost two straight fights for the first time in his career.

In another first for Zuffa, Strikeforce Women's Welterweight Champion Marloes Coenen will be the first woman to attempt to defend a belt, as she faces Miesha Tate.

Bleacher Report will bring you all the action from these blockbuster fights and the rest of the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson main card. Live coverage will begin at approximately 10 pm ET.

 

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/785420-strikeforce-fedor-vs-henderson-play-by-play-and-live-results

Brock Lesnar Frank Mir Brock Lesnar Shane Carwin

Diaz beats former MLB player Byrnes at Lake Tahoe area triathlon

Nick Diaz is about as unconventional as it gets in mixed martial arts. That includes training year round for triathlons in between all of his time at the gym.

Diaz is prepping for the biggest fight of his career, Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137 in October, but he's not curtailing any of his road work, cycling or swimming.

The former Strikeforce welterweight champ, who hasn't lost an MMA fight since 2007, finished an impressive 36th at the 30th Annual Donner Lake Triathlon.

Diaz also beat out former Oakland A's outfielder Eric Byrnes in the process. It took Diaz 2 hours, 46 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the 0.9 mile swing, 24.8 mile bike ride and 6.5 mile run around Donner Lake.

"It keeps me in great shape. I'll be in great shape when I start training camp," Diaz told the North Tahoe Bonanza. "A lot of mixed martial arts guys who train only at one sport will fall short at some point in a fight, whereas an all-around good athlete can go further, in my opinion."

In April, Diaz was in Las Vegas for an Xterra race. He explained to Cagewriter's Maggie Hendricks why he races eight or nine times a year.

I just like to race. I like the open water swim. It gives me something to build for. During [triathlon] season, every two weeks, I'll race. In that training, I get stronger and stronger, building up to the race. After a race, a lot of people will crash, but I'll keep building up and building up until I have to fight. It gives me something to not crash after the race is over. I try to keep the ball rolling until I have a fight.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Diaz-beats-former-MLB-player-Byrnes-at-Lake-Taho?urn=mma-wp4866

Matt MacGrath Leonardo Lucio Nascimento Pawel Nastula Kazuhiro Nakamura

Returning vet Jeff Curran meets Scott Jorgensen at UFC 137

Image: http://mmajunkie.com/dyn/images/fighters/scott-jorgensen-8.jpg

Jeff Curran now has an opponent for his first fight inside the octagon in seven years.

Sources close to the event today...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75560-Returning-vet-Jeff-Curran-meets-Scott-Jorgensen-at-UFC-137&goto=newpost

Denis Kang Georgi Karakhanyan Alex Karalexis Mark Kerr

Showtime Strikeforce Fedor vs Henderson Preview Video

Showtime Strikeforce Fedor vs Henderson Preview Video.

Source: http://www.mmatko.com/showtime-strikeforce-fedor-vs-henderson-preview-video/

Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin  Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan 

Strikeforce Fedor vs. Henderson: Fedor Emelianenko Will Knock out Dan Henderson

Improbable is the notion of any man knocking out the legend known as Dan Henderson.

From Wanderlei Silva and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Anderson Silva, from Rousimar Palhares and Michael Bisping to Jake Shields and Rafael Cavalcante, nobody has been able to knock Henderson out.

None of those guys even had enough to get a stoppage by strikes or a TKO by a cut on him—Wanderlei, Shields and Rampage all beat Henderson by decision (although Hendo avenged the loss to Wanderlei just before facing Rampage), while "The Spider" beat him by second-round submission.

So far, nobody has come close to stopping the unstoppable; nobody has come close to making the impossible possible and knocking Dan Henderson out and out cold...

...until now.

You see, in his bout with "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko, Henderson faces the one man with the power necessary to turn the constantly-bright lights of the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion out quickly.

Is it solely due to Fedor's knockout power?

Absolutely not.

Recall, if you will, Fedor's past two fights and that they are both losses.

First, Fedor went wild after lulling himself into a false sense of control following a big uppercut that he thought connected with Fabricio Werdum's chin, and then tapped out to one of the most technically-beautiful triangle-armbars in the sport.

Then, in a somewhat controversial bout this past February, Fedor and Antonio Silva tied at 19-19 by the end of the second round of their quarterfinal bout in the Strikeforce Grand Prix, but the damage done to the right eye of Fedor was seen by a ringside doctor as severe enough to warrant a TKO stoppage.

Let's be honest: Fedor needed to slim down, he needed to bring back whatever was lacking in the Werdum and Silva fights and most importantly, he needed to remember why some boldly considered him to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world at one time.

He's never been on a two-fight skid in his whole career, and the fire lit under his ass was always evident, even when his fights were close, so there was never any question of whether Fedor was motivated or not.

Now, things are different with Fedor's two losses in the books.

Many believe that his fire has long since extinguished and that this fight is happening just to give Dan Henderson a fight, but I would beg to differ.

This fight is happening because the Strikeforce brass knows how to put on monumental clashes that people would pay to see.

As for Fedor's fire?

If it really did leave, expect the fire to come back hotter than ever come Saturday, and don't expect Henderson's chin to survive when it does.

 

For those who will be representing Team Hendo on Saturday, you can learn why Fedor will get knocked the f**k out here.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/783741-strikeforce-fedor-vs-henderson-fedor-emelianenko-will-knock-out-dan-henderson

Thiago Silva Wanderlei Silva Marcus Silveira Aaron Simpson

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 Cavalcante

Source: http://mmalice.com/jz-cavalcante/jz-cavalcante-post-fight-vs-wilcox-wants-to-return-to-action-soon-video_3e43c6544.html

Igor Vovchanchyn Anthony Walsh Wang Guan Wang Sai

Mel's Hole

Mel's Hole is a supposed geographic anomaly discovered by Mel Waters on his land near Ellensburg, Washington. Waters claimed that he lived in or near Manastash Ridge, Washington, about nine miles due...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75580-Mel-s-Hole&goto=newpost

Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade 

AVGN - Thundercats Series Review

When I was a kid I actually sent away for Mumra or whatever the fuck his name was. I remember he actually smelled like a rotten ass tomb. I wonder how they did that.
...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75584-AVGN-Thundercats-Series-Review&goto=newpost

Dong Hyun Kim Kevin Knabjian John Kolosci Cheick Kongo

Miesha Tate's Relationship With Boyfriend, Trainer Bryan Caraway, a Winning Match

Filed under: Strikeforce, MMA Fighting Exclusive

CHICAGO -- "More positives than negatives" is the way Miesha Tate and Bryan Caraway both describe their atypical relationship as a couple who also happen to be professional MMA fighters.

"It's really, really hard to sometimes separate the personal life and the business life of you being her coach, but you know it works out," Caraway told MMA Fighting on Thursday. "She's fighting for a world title and we're still together and haven't killed each other yet," he said with a laugh.

When Tate challenges Marloes Coenen on Saturday for the title of best in the world at 135 pounds in women's MMA, Caraway, who is a cast member on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, will serve as her head cornerman for the fight.

So much has transpired since the two first met at Central Washington University less than six years ago. Caraway ran a college MMA club and Tate was a former high school wrestler pushed by her karate-practicing roommate to check out the club.

"I met Miesha when she was a freshman in college, [she] didn't know anything about mixed martial arts," Caraway said. "And I got to see her grow as a person and as a fighter and it's unbelievable to see her as a freshman in college to fighting for a world title now."

On Thursday, in between reiterating her desire for her fight against champion Coenen to be an entertaining war, Tate took the time to also show her appreciation for Caraway.

"Bryan and I have a really unique bond in that we share similar passion," Tate told the media at Harry Caray's. "There's pros and cons with every situation but I definitely think the pros outweigh the cons. He understands the process I'm going through, the weigh-cutting and he's there to support me through the thick and thin."

Despite some "trying" times, at the end of the day Caraway feels they have both benefited through their shared passion and common understanding of the high highs and low lows that come with this demanding sport.

"It definitely is me being the fighter myself understands what she's going through when she's cutting weight for a fight or dieting, the space that she needs, the extra bit of motivation to help her stay on track when she's dieting," he said. "I understand all that, the irritability and stuff. It makes sense for me to step back from the relationship and understand what she's going through and not to take things personally."

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/07/28/miesha-tates-relationship-with-boyfriend-trainer-bryan-caraway/

Vernon White Mike Whitehead Jonathan Wiezorek Pete Williams

The Thing (2011)

As posted in another thread this is not a remake.

Its a prequel, which makes me very happy.

The story takes place at the norweigian camp.

At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75575-The-Thing-(2011)&goto=newpost

Curtis Stout Sam Stout Georges St Pierre Masanori Suda

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson Weigh-In Highlight Video

Filed under: Strikeforce, Videos

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- MMA Fighting was on the scene for the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson weigh-ins on Friday, held at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates. Check out the full results here.

Check out the highlights below.

 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/07/29/strikeforce-fedor-vs-henderson-weigh-in-highlight-video/

Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George

Kimbo Slice?s son is a rising high school football prospect in Florida

Kevin Ferguson always wanted to be an All-American linebacker for the University of Miami. It didn't work out for the man better known as Kimbo Slice, but he may have a second lease on life with his son Kevin Ferguson II.

Kimbo was a great football prospect in the early '90s at Palmetto H.S. in the Miami area. His football career was derailed when his house was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew.

Kevin, a 16-year-old at Booker T. Washington H.S., is the spitting image of his menacing dad (pictured below) all the way down to the trademark facial hair. He's got a big bushy beard, but doesn't have to go with the bald head like his father. Kevin II has a tall mohawk. He looks slightly older than a junior in high school.

"I get that a lot. [People ask] 'Are you 35? Let me see your birth certificate.' I'm only 16. Come on dude! I just turned 16," [Ferguson told the Orlando Sentinel in the video above].

Kevin II is one of nine kids. When his father's in town he stays with Kimbo and the rest of the time he's at Mom's. He has a close bond with his Dad, who fought professionally for both EliteXC and the UFC. Said Ferguson:

"He's a cool dad. He's more like a brother to me, but you also have to keep the respect there because he's also our father ... not just our friend."

Ferguson is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound running back with some extra pressure on his shoulders. People around Miami know Kimbo very well.

"It's a motivation. Kimbo Slice being my dad is a motivation to not be as good as him, but to be better than him. So, when dudes criticize me about who he is, that just let's me know that they know who I am, and I just go out there and try to make my presence known. I don't try to be Kimbo Slice's son, I want to be Kevin Ferguson the second."

It's still early in Ferguson's development. He was backup at Miramar H.S. last year, but still decided to roll the dice by transferring to Booker T, a Florida superpower. If he wins a starting job during his junior or senior year and puts up numbers, he's almost guaranteed a Division I scholarship. On a positive note he also sports a 3.2 GPA.

Follow Yahoo! Sports on Facebook and be the first to know about the most interesting stories of the day.

Other popular Yahoo! Sports stories:
? Sign up for Fantasy Football
? Embarrassing moment for Redskins quarterback
? Tiger Woods has an incredible backyard

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Kimbo-Slice-8217-s-son-is-a-rising-high-school-?urn=mma-wp5052

Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau  Rich No Love Clementi 

UFC 131 Weigh In Highlight: Dos Santos vs Carwin - UFC 131

Watch these two monsters of the Octagon square off tomorrow night at UFC 131 .

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-131/ufc-131-weigh-in-highlight-dos-santos-vs-carwin-video_bbf20ac89.html

Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis  Tony DeSouza 

Junior Dos Santos Interview - UFC

Heavy-handed Junior Dos Santos steps back into the Octagon? against a man considered to be an equally dangerous striker, Shane Carwin. Will Junior's speed advantage be enough to hand Carwin his first KO loss? Watch UFC 131 Live on Pay-Per-View and www.UFC.tv on Saturday, Jun 11th at 6/9PM PT/ET.

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc/junior-dos-santos-interview-video_8d42cdb57.html

Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie

Working in the business: Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports columnist

MMA is not just a sport, but also a business that creates jobs for people all over the world. Cagewriter takes a look at some of the people and jobs that keep the MMA wheels churning. First up: Yahoo! Sports columnist Kevin Iole.

Cagewriter: What are your job duties?

Kevin Iole: My job is to come up with feature stories and columns that would appeal to a wide audience that follows boxing or MMA. Occasionally, I cover events, I meet with a fighter, sometimes I go to lunch or dinner with a fighter or manager.

Hardly a day goes by where I don't do a radio interview of one sort or another. A lot of times I'll do short TV gigs, discussing upcoming fights or my thoughts on fighter.

I'm supposed to stay on top of breaking news from an analytical standpoint. When news breaks, what does it mean? It's not necessarily my job to be the first guy to get it out there, but it's my job to explain to people the significance of the news.

CW: But you do break news sometimes.

KI: A lot of times, what I do when I get up in the morning, something as a reporter for more than 30 years I've gotten in the habit of doing, is make calls to people in the industry. That's how you find stories. That's how you develop relationships with people. That's the biggest part in our business. I find a lot of good stories that way, and I ending breaking news that way.

CW: What is the best part of your job?

KI: I can really live a dream. Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a sportswriter. I love fights. I love both boxing and MMA, and I get to write about the biggest fights, the biggest stars, to say my opinion on a day-to-day basis. I can't imagine doing anything else.

CW: But what's the worst part?

KI: The biggest downside is that I can't be a fan. I'm a fan of the Steelers, and if the Steelers score a touchdown, I'm standing up cheering. I'm clapping my hands. When I cover fights, I may see some of the best fights in history, and I can't cheer. I can't clap my hands. I can't root for any particular side. I've got to be neutral.

The other downside is travel. Getting on airplanes, staying in hotels, being away from my family. I did over 100,000 miles in travel for Yahoo! last year. As much as being in exotic places is nice, I wish there was a Star Trek thing where I could get beamed into these places.

CW: What did you do before this to prepare you to be a columnist?

KI: I was a reporter for many years. I started with a small paper in Pittsburgh, and then moved to Vermont. I was there for close to 10 years, and then after having met my wife, she and I moved to Las Vegas. I was with the Las Vegas Review-Journal for about 17 years. By the time I got to Yahoo!, I had over 25 years of experience as a reporter.

CW: What advice would you give to someone starting out in MMA journalism?

KI: The first thing is to just write a lot. If you're sitting at home watching the fight, run back to your computer and write about it. Compare it to what other people do.

The second thing is read a lot of good writing. Whoever you think is a good writer, whether it be in boxing, MMA, or any other sports, read good writing. Pay attention to how they transition from paragraph to paragraph, or how they make their case. Also understand what the elements of a news story are.

Look at your work with a critical eye and ask, what could I have done better? How does somebody else do that exact same story? What points do they make better? Why is their story better than mine? If you look at that and pay attention, you're going to be able to do it. Assuming that when someone wants to be a writer, they have some skills to begin with, it's just a matter of developing them. It's not something that comes naturally. Sometimes, it's a long and tortured process.

You have to go through it multiple times before you decide that's the final product. Sometimes, people want to sit down and after 15 or 20 minutes and say, 'OK, I'm done,' and think that what they have is the best they can do. They can definitely do better.

A lot of young writers are too wordy, and they use too many big and extraneous words that can be left out. A good rule of thumb is less is more.You need to think if somebody on the subway on the way to work, they're reading your piece. Are they going to jab the guy next to them and say, 'Hey, read this?' Or will they just go to something else. If you know they're going to jab the guy, then you've done your job. If not, you've got to work to do.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Working-in-the-business-Kevin-Iole-Yahoo-Spor?urn=mma-wp4789

Georgi Karakhanyan Alex Karalexis Mark Kerr Mamed Khalidov

nice painting

http://api.ning.com/files/zdd-GPi-2iw94aq-2DlreKerVoAIc2Bbp2JwDM8uTIcIos0tie-51D74J*kfvdWcstZblu*ZqzpvTadqoGpZCAxfnXinO-Od/A427A1009.jpg

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?75556-nice-painting&goto=newpost

Joe Son Chael Sonnen Krzysztof Soszynski George Sotiropoulos

Fighters Friday News And Notes: The Best News Stories Of The Week

Every Friday, Fighters.com will present the ?Fighters Friday News And Notes?, compiling several of the top stories from around the internet. Here are all of the best stories from this week of MMA coverage.

A Look At The Continuing Growth Of MMA Gyms In Alabama (MMA Training)

UFC President Dana White Looks To Fix Things (Fightlinker)

Strikeforce Star Paul Daley Talks UFC Ban (Fightline)

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker Talks About A Variety Of Subjects (MMA Fighting)

The Career Statistics Of Fedor Emelianenko (MMA Mania)

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Source: http://www.fighters.com/07/29/fighters-friday-news-and-notes-the-best-news-stories-of-the-week-2

Brock Lesnar John Lewis Jérôme Le Banner Jess Liaudin

Fertitta interview Part 3: UFC owner has strong feelings on TRT, wants solutions soon

Testosterone replacement therapy may have been sports' dirty little secret, but Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt changed that with their highly publicized run ins with state commissions in California, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Those are some of the leading commissions in the country yet there's no standard policy and plenty of gray area to allow fighters to, at a minimum, enhance their performance between fights and during training camp.

The confusion over TRT really concerns UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta.

"What you can't have are guys abusing this to the point where their levels are at some super-human factor, giving them this performance enhancement," Fertitta told ESPNRadio1100's "The MMA Insiders" show in Las Vegas.

Fertitta says testing right before and after a fight isn't enough to prevent fighters from abusing TRT.

"There's got to be more random testing. It seems like, possibly, guys are getting outside the boundary while they're training and managing it down where once the week of the fight [has arrived], they take the test and they're fine. I think that there needs to be this random testing to make sure no one's abusing it," said Fertitta (1:25 mark).

For the UFC, there is no gray area concerning TRT.

"I think we came off with a pretty strong response to Nate Marquardt, and kind how we feel about TRT," Fertitta said. "Our stance is we're working with commissions to say 'look this whole thing has got to come to an end.' If you are going to have some kind of therapy, not only can you not be at the top end of the range, you can't be anywhere near performance enhancing."

Before he was due to fight in the main event at UFC on Versus 4, Marquardt failed his test in Pennsylvania. He was suspended by the Keystone State and then it came to light his TRT issues began in N.J. before UFC 128.

Marquardt didn't have a testosterone use exemption in either state and tested positive at least once. What was the penalty? He was fired by the UFC, with little hopes of a return, but he is once again free to fight in the U.S.. Once he passed a subsequent test in Pennsylvania he was cleared and will serve no suspension.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Fertitta-interview-Part-3-UFC-owner-has-strong-?urn=mma-wp4801

Ed Herman Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Sam Hoger