Here is Jim "The Kid" Hettes fighting Jay Haas at NMMA - Cage Fight 2, which took place on 11/27/09 in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Hettes (9-0) won his UFC debut with a second round submission of Alex Caceres. Hettes strung together several submission attempts throughout the fight. Hettes returns to fight Nam Phan tonight at UFC 141.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Video of the Day - Overeem v. Aerts
Here is the finale of the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix featuring Alistair Overeem against Peter Aerts.
Overeem will fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 on December 30th with the winner getting a title shot against Junior Dos Santos.
Overeem will fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 on December 30th with the winner getting a title shot against Junior Dos Santos.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Video of the Day - Jenkins v. Williams
Here is Jesse "Bubba" Jenkins fighting Joshua Williams at Tachi Palace Fights 11, which took place on 12/2/11. This was the MMA debut of Jenkins, the 2011 NCAA champion.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
What Was Wrong With UFC on Fox 1?
The problem with UFC on Fox 1 wasn't the Junior Dos Santos versus Cain Velasquez fight. The knockout was awesome. The problem was the mindless chatter and commercials over the other 58 minutes of the night.
The ratings tell you that plenty of people were flipping back and forth waiting for the fight to start. Most sources report around 5 million viewers during the off time, and 8 or so million for the fight.
Mindless chatter doesn't sell the sport of MMA. Exciting fights sell the sport. The UFC easily could have put both the Damarques Johnson's KO and Dustin Poirer's submission on the broadcast. Or they could have put on a highlight reel of the Ben Henderson versus Clay Guida fight. Casual fans aren't watching fights streaming on Facebook. Many are watching at the bar or a friends house.
One of the biggest problems with Elite XC's broadcasts on CBS were the long breaks in action following a quick finish. They would opt for cliched fighter interviews and Mauro Ranallo blabbering, rather than showing an exciting undercard fight on delay.
UFC on Fox 2 will take place January 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago. The broadcast time is rumored to be two hours. Hopefully, the UFC makes sure at least five fights are aired and the mindless chatter is eliminated. Fights sell the sport.
The ratings tell you that plenty of people were flipping back and forth waiting for the fight to start. Most sources report around 5 million viewers during the off time, and 8 or so million for the fight.
Mindless chatter doesn't sell the sport of MMA. Exciting fights sell the sport. The UFC easily could have put both the Damarques Johnson's KO and Dustin Poirer's submission on the broadcast. Or they could have put on a highlight reel of the Ben Henderson versus Clay Guida fight. Casual fans aren't watching fights streaming on Facebook. Many are watching at the bar or a friends house.
One of the biggest problems with Elite XC's broadcasts on CBS were the long breaks in action following a quick finish. They would opt for cliched fighter interviews and Mauro Ranallo blabbering, rather than showing an exciting undercard fight on delay.
UFC on Fox 2 will take place January 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago. The broadcast time is rumored to be two hours. Hopefully, the UFC makes sure at least five fights are aired and the mindless chatter is eliminated. Fights sell the sport.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Video of the Day - Sowiński v Jewtuszko
Here is Artur Sowiński fighting Maciej Irokez Jewtuszko at KSW 17 which took place on 11/26/11 in Lodz, Poland.
The fight was Jewtuszko's first since his UFC debut ended in a decision loss to Carl Warburton.
The fight was Jewtuszko's first since his UFC debut ended in a decision loss to Carl Warburton.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Video of the Day - Malikov v. Emelianenko
Here is Aleksander Emelianenko fighting Magomed Malikov in M-1 Challenge 28 which took place on 11/12/11.
TUF 14 Finale Preview
After whittling down the cast of 32 fighters, the TUF 14 Finale has been set which will be headlined by the coach on coach match-up of Michael Bisping versus Jason "Mayhem" Miller. The featherweight final pits Diego Brandao against Dennis Bermudez, while the bantamweight final pits John Dodson against TJ Dillashaw.
145 - Featherweight -
(Bisping) Diego "Ceara" Brandao (13-7)- Tough 6 year fight veteran currently of Team Jackson MMA and riding a 3 fight win streak, he has compiled 8 KO's and 3 submissions in his career. Originally from Brazil, Diego's big wins have come over Fabiano Silva (16-4), UFC veteran Brian Foster (15-5) and James King (15-10).
Brandao used a left hook and flying forearm on Jesse Newell (6-1) in his first fight, then KO'd Steven Siler (18-9) in his second TUF bout. To earn a trip to the finals, Diego rattled Brian Caraway and kept up punishing the Team Alpha Male fighter before the stoppage win.
(Mayhem) Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez (7-2)- Began career 7-0, before being subbed in his last two fights. His biggest career win came over UFC veteran Shannon Gugerty. Bermudez dropped a round before coming to life in the second, defeating the hyped Jimmie Rivera (8-1).
In his second TUF fight, Bermudez won via TKO on a roughed-up Stephan Bass (10-0). In his fight to make the finals, Bermudez took some punishment standing before tapping out Hamid "Akira" Corassani (9-3).
135 - Bantamweight
(Mayhem) John "The Magician" Dodson (11-5)- Team Jackson trained fighter who normally fights at 125, only losses due to decision. Last fights were victories over John Moraga (7-1) and Jessie Riggleman (10-2). Record also listed at 14-5. Dodson beat Brandon Merkt (11-0) after a body punch in the opening round. He next took a lopsided decision over John Albert (6-1) in the second round. To earn his trip to the finals, Dodson brutally KO'd Johnny Bedford.
(Bisping) T.J. Dillashaw (4-0)- Based out of Team Alpha Male, Dillashaw was a collegiate wrestler at Cal State Fullerton. Was victorious over then undefeated Taylor McCorriston (5-1) in his last bout via TKO. Dillashaw won his opening round TUF fight against Matt Jaggers (20-7) via TKO, and next defeated Roland Delorme (6-1) via RNC. To make it to the finals, Dillashaw won a unanimous decision against Dustin Pague (10-4).
(Dillashaw wrestling at Cal State)
Here is the full fight line-up which kicks off at 8/7 central this Saturday on Spike TV live from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The official fight time of the prelims probably will be around 6/5 central.
SPIKE TV CARD
Michael Bisping v. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
Dennis Bermudez v. Diego Brandao - FW FINALE
John Dodson v. T.J. Dillashaw - BW FINALE
Yves Edwards v. Tony Ferguson
Johnny Bedford v. Louis Gaudinot
FACEBOOK CARD
Marcus Brimage v. Stephan Bass
John Albert v. Dustin Pague
Roland Delorme v. Josh Ferguson
Josh Clopton v. Steven Siler
Bryan Caraway v. Dustin Neace
145 - Featherweight -
(Bisping) Diego "Ceara" Brandao (13-7)- Tough 6 year fight veteran currently of Team Jackson MMA and riding a 3 fight win streak, he has compiled 8 KO's and 3 submissions in his career. Originally from Brazil, Diego's big wins have come over Fabiano Silva (16-4), UFC veteran Brian Foster (15-5) and James King (15-10).
Brandao used a left hook and flying forearm on Jesse Newell (6-1) in his first fight, then KO'd Steven Siler (18-9) in his second TUF bout. To earn a trip to the finals, Diego rattled Brian Caraway and kept up punishing the Team Alpha Male fighter before the stoppage win.
(Mayhem) Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez (7-2)- Began career 7-0, before being subbed in his last two fights. His biggest career win came over UFC veteran Shannon Gugerty. Bermudez dropped a round before coming to life in the second, defeating the hyped Jimmie Rivera (8-1).
In his second TUF fight, Bermudez won via TKO on a roughed-up Stephan Bass (10-0). In his fight to make the finals, Bermudez took some punishment standing before tapping out Hamid "Akira" Corassani (9-3).
135 - Bantamweight
(Mayhem) John "The Magician" Dodson (11-5)- Team Jackson trained fighter who normally fights at 125, only losses due to decision. Last fights were victories over John Moraga (7-1) and Jessie Riggleman (10-2). Record also listed at 14-5. Dodson beat Brandon Merkt (11-0) after a body punch in the opening round. He next took a lopsided decision over John Albert (6-1) in the second round. To earn his trip to the finals, Dodson brutally KO'd Johnny Bedford.
(Bisping) T.J. Dillashaw (4-0)- Based out of Team Alpha Male, Dillashaw was a collegiate wrestler at Cal State Fullerton. Was victorious over then undefeated Taylor McCorriston (5-1) in his last bout via TKO. Dillashaw won his opening round TUF fight against Matt Jaggers (20-7) via TKO, and next defeated Roland Delorme (6-1) via RNC. To make it to the finals, Dillashaw won a unanimous decision against Dustin Pague (10-4).
(Dillashaw wrestling at Cal State)
Here is the full fight line-up which kicks off at 8/7 central this Saturday on Spike TV live from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The official fight time of the prelims probably will be around 6/5 central.
SPIKE TV CARD
Michael Bisping v. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
Dennis Bermudez v. Diego Brandao - FW FINALE
John Dodson v. T.J. Dillashaw - BW FINALE
Yves Edwards v. Tony Ferguson
Johnny Bedford v. Louis Gaudinot
FACEBOOK CARD
Marcus Brimage v. Stephan Bass
John Albert v. Dustin Pague
Roland Delorme v. Josh Ferguson
Josh Clopton v. Steven Siler
Bryan Caraway v. Dustin Neace
Monday, November 7, 2011
Video of the Day - Frazier v. Foster
Here is boxing legend "Smokin'" Joe Frazier boxing Bob Foster (56-8) for the WBA and WBC heavyweight boxing titles on 11/18/70 at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Unfortunately, Smokin' Joe lost his battle with liver cancer at age 67. Frazier holds wins over Muhammad Ali (56-5), Buster Mathis (30-4), Eddie Machen (50-11), Dave Zyglewicz (32-4), Joe Bugner (69-13) and Jerry Quarry (53-9).
Unfortunately, Smokin' Joe lost his battle with liver cancer at age 67. Frazier holds wins over Muhammad Ali (56-5), Buster Mathis (30-4), Eddie Machen (50-11), Dave Zyglewicz (32-4), Joe Bugner (69-13) and Jerry Quarry (53-9).
Video of the Day - Arlovski v. Fulton
Here is the final 30 seconds of Andrei Arlovski's fight with Travis Fulton at Pro Elite - "Big Guns" which took place on 11/5/11. There is absolutely no need to watch the first 2 and a half rounds of this fight.
Arlovski has now won his past two fights after losing four straight. He has been extremely tenative and cautious over the past two fights, but he has not gotten KO'd. I'd expect him to fight again in Pro Elite a few months from now.
Arlovski has now won his past two fights after losing four straight. He has been extremely tenative and cautious over the past two fights, but he has not gotten KO'd. I'd expect him to fight again in Pro Elite a few months from now.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Anderson Silva versus Neo
Here is Anderson Silva in a fan made video trying to put him in the Matrix.
Mark Munoz Talks Chris Leben
Here is Mark Munoz talking about his upcoming fight with Chris Leben. The video was taken by friend of MMA Blaster, Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV.
Munoz explains that his stand-up has improved and he is comfortable standing, but he is ready to take the fight wherever it goes. Munoz knows not to stand right infront of Leben, as many fighters get lured into doing.
I expect Munoz to work his hands to set-up takedowns. Munoz' ground and pound is some of the best in the business, and I think he will be able to utilize it.
Munoz explains that his stand-up has improved and he is comfortable standing, but he is ready to take the fight wherever it goes. Munoz knows not to stand right infront of Leben, as many fighters get lured into doing.
I expect Munoz to work his hands to set-up takedowns. Munoz' ground and pound is some of the best in the business, and I think he will be able to utilize it.
Mailbag - Who Wins Between Velasquez and Dos Santos
DesMoinesMMA asks: Who do you think will win between Cain Velasquez (-180) and Junior Dos Santos(+150)? Who would you bet on for this card?
I really think the Junior Dos Santos versus Cain Velasquez title fight is a flip of the coin type of fight. The longer the fight stays standing, the more I like Junior Dos Santos. With UFC debuting on Fox, odds are the fighters feel the pressure to deliver an exciting fight.
Junior Dos Santos stand-up is crisp, powerful and dynamic. Velasquez prefers a boxing type attack and often goes into brawl mode. Velasquez does possess the edge in the wrestling department as an NCAA All-American. It would be good strategy to attempt to get Dos Santos to the mat. However, he will have to take some serious punishment on his way there.
Expect Dos Santos to control the center of the cage, avoiding the fence where takedowns come easier. In the end, I think it will be close, but the guy connecting more standing will win. I'd lean towards Junior Dos Santos, but won't be putting money on the fight.
Looking at the undercard is where you will find the mismatches.
Mike Pierce (-350) vs. Paul Bradley (+265)
Aaron Rosa (-135) vs. Matt Lucas (+105)
Mackens Semerzier (-135) vs. Robert Peralta (+105)
Cole Escovedo (-300) vs. Alex Caceres (+230)
Ricardo Lamas (-130) vs. Cub Swanson (EVEN)
DaMarques Johnson (-280) vs. Clay Harvison (+220)
Norifumi Yamamoto (-370) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (+280)
Ben Henderson (-280) vs. Clay Guida (+220)
Dustin Poirier (-280) vs. Pablo Garza (+220)
Cole Escovedo (-300) is a virtual lock against Alex "Bruce Leroy" Caceres. Escovedo has better technical skills standing, and is levels ahead on the ground. Escovedo has beaten quality B-level fighters before, while Caceres has not. As long as he avoids a flashy kick or two, I expect Escovedo to get a first round submission victory.
My upset play would be Robert Peralta (+105) against Mackens Semerzier. Peralta has serious power in his stand-up game with 11 TKO's on his resume, while Semerzier is often tenative standing. Peralta is riding an 8 fight winning streak, which includes his UFC debut against Mike Lullo and Strikeforce debut against Hiroyuki Takaya. Meanwhile, Semerzier is 1-3 in his last four fights, with his only win against Alex Caceres.
Another good play is Matt Lucas at (+105), as Aaron Rosa weighed in at 260 just 5 months ago for his heavyweight loss against Joey Beltran. Rosa needs to cut 44 pounds to make the cut to 206, with the one pound allowance. Lucas, an All-American wrestler out of Northern Colorado, has solid wrestling skills and ground and pound attack. With Rosa drained, takedowns should get easy for Lucas as time goes on. Rosa seemed a little slow at 260.
I also like Kid Yamamoto and Dustin Poirer.
*To have your MMA question answered, send an email to mmablaster@gmail.com.
I really think the Junior Dos Santos versus Cain Velasquez title fight is a flip of the coin type of fight. The longer the fight stays standing, the more I like Junior Dos Santos. With UFC debuting on Fox, odds are the fighters feel the pressure to deliver an exciting fight.
Junior Dos Santos stand-up is crisp, powerful and dynamic. Velasquez prefers a boxing type attack and often goes into brawl mode. Velasquez does possess the edge in the wrestling department as an NCAA All-American. It would be good strategy to attempt to get Dos Santos to the mat. However, he will have to take some serious punishment on his way there.
Expect Dos Santos to control the center of the cage, avoiding the fence where takedowns come easier. In the end, I think it will be close, but the guy connecting more standing will win. I'd lean towards Junior Dos Santos, but won't be putting money on the fight.
Looking at the undercard is where you will find the mismatches.
Mike Pierce (-350) vs. Paul Bradley (+265)
Aaron Rosa (-135) vs. Matt Lucas (+105)
Mackens Semerzier (-135) vs. Robert Peralta (+105)
Cole Escovedo (-300) vs. Alex Caceres (+230)
Ricardo Lamas (-130) vs. Cub Swanson (EVEN)
DaMarques Johnson (-280) vs. Clay Harvison (+220)
Norifumi Yamamoto (-370) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (+280)
Ben Henderson (-280) vs. Clay Guida (+220)
Dustin Poirier (-280) vs. Pablo Garza (+220)
Cole Escovedo (-300) is a virtual lock against Alex "Bruce Leroy" Caceres. Escovedo has better technical skills standing, and is levels ahead on the ground. Escovedo has beaten quality B-level fighters before, while Caceres has not. As long as he avoids a flashy kick or two, I expect Escovedo to get a first round submission victory.
My upset play would be Robert Peralta (+105) against Mackens Semerzier. Peralta has serious power in his stand-up game with 11 TKO's on his resume, while Semerzier is often tenative standing. Peralta is riding an 8 fight winning streak, which includes his UFC debut against Mike Lullo and Strikeforce debut against Hiroyuki Takaya. Meanwhile, Semerzier is 1-3 in his last four fights, with his only win against Alex Caceres.
Another good play is Matt Lucas at (+105), as Aaron Rosa weighed in at 260 just 5 months ago for his heavyweight loss against Joey Beltran. Rosa needs to cut 44 pounds to make the cut to 206, with the one pound allowance. Lucas, an All-American wrestler out of Northern Colorado, has solid wrestling skills and ground and pound attack. With Rosa drained, takedowns should get easy for Lucas as time goes on. Rosa seemed a little slow at 260.
I also like Kid Yamamoto and Dustin Poirer.
*To have your MMA question answered, send an email to mmablaster@gmail.com.
Video of the Day - Omigawa v. Escovedo
Here is Michihiro Omigawa fighting UFC veteran Cole Escovedo at Dream 16 which took place on 9/25/10 in Nippon Gaishi Hall, Japan.
Omigawa is looking for his first UFC victory this weekend against newcomer Jason Young.
Omigawa is looking for his first UFC victory this weekend against newcomer Jason Young.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Kimbo's Second Boxing Match Video
Here is Kimbo Slice boxing Tay Bledsoe in Grand Island, Nebraska on October 15, 2011.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Masakatsu Funaki - MMA Legend
Masakatsu Funaki (39-13) is one of the original pioneers of mixed martial arts, even though many in the United States have never heard of him. He along with Minoru Suzuki started the Pancrase organization. It was one of the first mixed martial arts organizations, debuting after Shooto, but before the UFC.
Funaki won the King of Pancrase title on two occasions being the first fighter to do so. During his illustrious career, Funaki defeated top fighters Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Guy Mezger, Jason Delucia, Semmy Schilt, Minoru Suzuki, Yuki Kondo, Vernon White and various others. Masakatsu beat Ikuhisa Minowa at Dream 6 with an inverted heel hook in his last match.
He is credited with increasing the popularity of mixed martial arts in Japan when he triumphed over Bas Rutten with a toe-hold. In addition to his success in MMA, Funaki is a legendary Japanese pro wrestler.
Funaki won the King of Pancrase title on two occasions being the first fighter to do so. During his illustrious career, Funaki defeated top fighters Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Guy Mezger, Jason Delucia, Semmy Schilt, Minoru Suzuki, Yuki Kondo, Vernon White and various others. Masakatsu beat Ikuhisa Minowa at Dream 6 with an inverted heel hook in his last match.
He is credited with increasing the popularity of mixed martial arts in Japan when he triumphed over Bas Rutten with a toe-hold. In addition to his success in MMA, Funaki is a legendary Japanese pro wrestler.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Shlemenko v. Balschmieter
Here is Alexander Shlemenko fighting Andre Balschmieter at the Bratsk Combat Sport Festival which took place in Russia on 2/24/07. The match was conducted under odd rules with a standing 8 count which is uncommon for a fight after 2002.
Alexander will be fighting Brian Rogers at Bellator 54 in the semifinals of the middleweight tournament.
Bellator 54 will take place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the Boardwalk Hall and will be broadcast on MTV2, Epix and Spike.com.
MTV 2 Card
Brian Rogers v. Alexander Shlemenko - MW GP
Bryan Baker v. Vitor Vianna - MW GP
Zach Makovsky v. Ryan Roberts
Jacob Kirwan v. Rene Nazare
Spike.com Card
Duane Bastress v. Daniel Gracie
Karl Amoussou v. Joey Kirwan
Tim Carpenter v. Ryan Contaldi
Andria Caplan v. Adrienne Seiber
Brian Kelleher v. Claudio Ledesma
Alexander will be fighting Brian Rogers at Bellator 54 in the semifinals of the middleweight tournament.
Bellator 54 will take place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the Boardwalk Hall and will be broadcast on MTV2, Epix and Spike.com.
MTV 2 Card
Brian Rogers v. Alexander Shlemenko - MW GP
Bryan Baker v. Vitor Vianna - MW GP
Zach Makovsky v. Ryan Roberts
Jacob Kirwan v. Rene Nazare
Spike.com Card
Duane Bastress v. Daniel Gracie
Karl Amoussou v. Joey Kirwan
Tim Carpenter v. Ryan Contaldi
Andria Caplan v. Adrienne Seiber
Brian Kelleher v. Claudio Ledesma
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Video of the Day - M'Pumbu v. Hale
Here is Christian M'Pumbu fighting Richard Hale at Bellator 45 for the light heavyweight Bellator season 4 tournament title.
M'Pumbu will fight Travis Wiuff in a non-title bout this Saturday at Bellator 55.
M'Pumbu will fight Travis Wiuff in a non-title bout this Saturday at Bellator 55.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Video of the Day - Beltran v. Pendergarst
Here is Joey Beltran fighting Sherman Pendergarst at Bellator 5 which took place on 5/1/2009 in Dayton, Ohio.
Beltran will return to the UFC to fight newcomer Stipe Miocic at UFC 136 on October 8th.
Beltran will return to the UFC to fight newcomer Stipe Miocic at UFC 136 on October 8th.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Video of the Day - Hioki v. Sato
Here is Sengoku FW tourney semi-finalist Hatsu Hioki versus grappling legend Rumina Sato. The fight took place in Shooto on 11/29/08.
Hioki makes his UFC debut against George Roop at UFC 137.
Hioki makes his UFC debut against George Roop at UFC 137.
Video of the Day - Penn v. Gomi
Here is BJ Penn fighting Takanori Gomi in Rumble on the Rock 4 which took place on 10/23/04 in Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii.
After the fight, BJ would go on to defeat Matt Hughes taking the UFC welterweight championship. Gomi would go on to become a Japanese MMA legend, winning 15 of his next 16 fights including the Pride lightweight championship.
Penn next will next fight Nick Diaz at UFC 137 which takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Here is the full line-up for UFC 137:
PPV CARD
Nick Diaz v. B.J. Penn
Cheick Kongo v. Matt Mitrione
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic v. Roy Nelson
Hatsu Hioki v. George Roop
Jeff Curran v. Scott Jorgensen
SPIKE TV CARD
Donald Cerrone v. Dennis Siver
Tyson Griffin v. Bart Palaszewski
FACEBOOK CARD
Eliot Marshall v. Brandon Vera
Danny Downes v. Ramsey Nijem
Chris Camozzi v. Francis Carmont
Dustin Jacoby v. Clifford Starks
After the fight, BJ would go on to defeat Matt Hughes taking the UFC welterweight championship. Gomi would go on to become a Japanese MMA legend, winning 15 of his next 16 fights including the Pride lightweight championship.
Penn next will next fight Nick Diaz at UFC 137 which takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Here is the full line-up for UFC 137:
PPV CARD
Nick Diaz v. B.J. Penn
Cheick Kongo v. Matt Mitrione
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic v. Roy Nelson
Hatsu Hioki v. George Roop
Jeff Curran v. Scott Jorgensen
SPIKE TV CARD
Donald Cerrone v. Dennis Siver
Tyson Griffin v. Bart Palaszewski
FACEBOOK CARD
Eliot Marshall v. Brandon Vera
Danny Downes v. Ramsey Nijem
Chris Camozzi v. Francis Carmont
Dustin Jacoby v. Clifford Starks
Video of the Day - Cro Cop v. Fujita
Here is Mirko Cro Cop against Kazuyuki Fujita at the K-1: Andy Hug Memorial Fights from 8/19/01. This was Mirko's first MMA fight after having a succesful K-1 kickboxing career.
Mirko fights Roy Nelson at UFC 137. Replay at 1:10 is awesome.
Mirko fights Roy Nelson at UFC 137. Replay at 1:10 is awesome.
Video of the Day - Sparks v. Holata
Here is Ron Sparks fighting Mark Holata at Bellator 52 which took place on 10/1/11 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Video of the Day - Khabilov v Duran
Here is Rustam Khabilov fighting Akin Duran in the M-1 Challenge 18 which took place on 8/16/09 in Hilversum, Netherlands.
This fight is not for the squeemish, as it features on of the most brutal belly to belly suplexes I've ever seen.
This fight is not for the squeemish, as it features on of the most brutal belly to belly suplexes I've ever seen.
Video of the Day - Phan v. Awad
Here is Nam Phan fighting Saad Awad from Gladiator Challenge 74 which took place on 2/16/08 in Los Angeles, California.
Phan will fight Leonard Garcia at UFC 136 in a rematch of their TUF 12 fight. Phan was absolutely robbed in the last fight as he landed far more strikes in the fight, losing a split decision.
Phan will fight Leonard Garcia at UFC 136 in a rematch of their TUF 12 fight. Phan was absolutely robbed in the last fight as he landed far more strikes in the fight, losing a split decision.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
ADCC 2011 Results - Galvao Domination
Andre Galvao is the talk of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling 2011 tournament, winning the absolute and under 88KG divisions. Braulio Estima, 2009's big winner, defeated Jacare in the superfight on points, 3-0. Mario Sperry also won a superfight against Renzo Gracie, 5-0.
Galvao, a BJJ blackbelt under Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, now runs his own school. As you can see below, Brazilian fighters dominated the field, with the exception of Dean Lister taking the under 99KG division.
To win the absolute finale, Galvao defeated Shinsho Anzai, Sergio Moraes, Murilo Santana and Pablo Popovitch via toehold for the championship. In the 88KG division, he defeated Don Ortega, Gunnar Nelson, Pablo Popovitch and Rousimar Palhares. Galvao (6-2 MMA) indicated he may return to the MMA arena, though he enjoys running his school. Galvao's biggest MMA wins have come over John Alessio, Jorge Patino and Jeremiah Metcalf.
You'll notice plenty of high level MMA fighters including Vinny Magalhaes of TUF 8 winning the over 99KG division over Fabricio Werdum on points. 2009's over 99KG winner, this years 2nd place winner, Strikeforce/UFC veteran Fabricio Werdum. Current UFC fighter Rousimar Palhares took 2nd in the under 88KG division, securing three heel hooks to make the final, eventually losing on points to Andre Galvao.
Absolute - Open Weight
1st - Andre Galvao - Brazil
2nd - Pablo Popovitch - Brazil
3rd - Xande Ribeiro - Brazil
Over 99KG - 218 pounds
1st - Vinny Magalhaes - Brazil
2nd - Fabricio Werdum - Brazil
3rd - Roberto Abreu - Brazil
Under 99KG - under 218 pounds
1st - Dean Lister - USA
2nd - Joao Assis - Brazil
3rd - Xande Ribeiro - Brazil
Under 88KG - 194 pounds
1st - Andre Galvao - Brazil
2nd - Rousimar Palhares - Brazil
3rd - Pablo Popovitch - Brazil
Under 77KG - 169 pounds
1st - Marcelo Garcia - Brazil
2nd - Leo Viera - Brazil
3rd - Kron Gracie - Brazil
Under 66KG - 145 pounds
1st - Rafael Mendes - Brazil
2nd - Rubens Charles - Brazil
3rd - Jeff Glover - USA
Women's Over 60KG - 132 pounds
1st - Gabi Garcia - Brazil
2nd - Hanette Staack - Brazil
3rd - Ida Hansson - Sweden
Women's Under 60KG - 132 pounds
1st - Kyra Gracie - Brazil
2nd - Michele Nicolini - Brazil
3rd - Luana Alzugir - Brazil
Galvao, a BJJ blackbelt under Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, now runs his own school. As you can see below, Brazilian fighters dominated the field, with the exception of Dean Lister taking the under 99KG division.
To win the absolute finale, Galvao defeated Shinsho Anzai, Sergio Moraes, Murilo Santana and Pablo Popovitch via toehold for the championship. In the 88KG division, he defeated Don Ortega, Gunnar Nelson, Pablo Popovitch and Rousimar Palhares. Galvao (6-2 MMA) indicated he may return to the MMA arena, though he enjoys running his school. Galvao's biggest MMA wins have come over John Alessio, Jorge Patino and Jeremiah Metcalf.
You'll notice plenty of high level MMA fighters including Vinny Magalhaes of TUF 8 winning the over 99KG division over Fabricio Werdum on points. 2009's over 99KG winner, this years 2nd place winner, Strikeforce/UFC veteran Fabricio Werdum. Current UFC fighter Rousimar Palhares took 2nd in the under 88KG division, securing three heel hooks to make the final, eventually losing on points to Andre Galvao.
Absolute - Open Weight
1st - Andre Galvao - Brazil
2nd - Pablo Popovitch - Brazil
3rd - Xande Ribeiro - Brazil
Over 99KG - 218 pounds
1st - Vinny Magalhaes - Brazil
2nd - Fabricio Werdum - Brazil
3rd - Roberto Abreu - Brazil
Under 99KG - under 218 pounds
1st - Dean Lister - USA
2nd - Joao Assis - Brazil
3rd - Xande Ribeiro - Brazil
Under 88KG - 194 pounds
1st - Andre Galvao - Brazil
2nd - Rousimar Palhares - Brazil
3rd - Pablo Popovitch - Brazil
Under 77KG - 169 pounds
1st - Marcelo Garcia - Brazil
2nd - Leo Viera - Brazil
3rd - Kron Gracie - Brazil
Under 66KG - 145 pounds
1st - Rafael Mendes - Brazil
2nd - Rubens Charles - Brazil
3rd - Jeff Glover - USA
Women's Over 60KG - 132 pounds
1st - Gabi Garcia - Brazil
2nd - Hanette Staack - Brazil
3rd - Ida Hansson - Sweden
Women's Under 60KG - 132 pounds
1st - Kyra Gracie - Brazil
2nd - Michele Nicolini - Brazil
3rd - Luana Alzugir - Brazil
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Bobonis Notches Biggest MMA Victory
This past Saturday, Shah Bobonis won the biggest fight of his career, defeating American Top Team's Marcos da Matta at Bellator 50 via 3rd round KO. With momentum on his side, Bobonis has now won four MMA bouts in a row.
Da Matta is a serious talent in the BJJ game, winning a World Championship in 1996 in the purple belt division, a Brazilian National Championship in 2000, and silvers at the 1999 Pan-Am Games and 2000 Worlds.
Bobonis has been a friend of mine since I did a story on him in preparation for a bout back in 2008. I was recently able to catch up Shah and ask a few questions about his recent performance.
MMA Blaster: What did you know about Marcos da Matta and his BJJ credentials going into the fight?
Bobonis: Going into the fight I knew that he was the best BJJ player at 135 pounds in the Florida MMA scene. I didn't want to look him up before the fight because I didn't want to over think it. After the fight I looked him up, and he has more BJJ titles than I have MMA fights.
MMA Blaster: What was the game plan for the fight?
Bobonis: Master Marcos Avellan of FFA and I put together a game plan that seemed to pan out exactly the way we thought it would. We wanted to pot shot him with clean shots and keep distance. We wanted him to work hard for every take down and for me to keep getting up after being taken down. Then, when he started to tire from all the take down attempts, get more aggressive with the stand-up.
MMA Blaster: How did the fight play out? Did he have you any trouble with his submission attempts? What did you hit him with for the KO?
Bobonis: The fight played out according to the game plan. I hurt him, then dropped him with a few right hands in the first round. Almost took his leg off with a low kick, and made him work hard for every take down.
I was caught in a tight arm bar early in the fight that popped my arm a bit. Also, my back was taken twice, but besides the arm bar I never felt like I was in serious submission trouble. In the third I felt him fading and finished him with a right and left hook.
MMA Blaster: What is your next move?
Bobonis: I have a few offers on the table so I'm not sure yet what is next. I have to rest my hands a bit because they are pretty sore. I'd like to fight one more time this year.
MMA Blaster: Any shout outs? Sponsor mentions?
Bobonis: I want to thank my parents, family, friends, Marcos and David Avellan, everyone at the Freestyle Fighting Academy, Brawl and Maul, MMA Global Solutions, Swole Nutrition, Well Rounded Warrior, MMA Sporting Goods, Born Filthy MMA and Fast Graphics.
Da Matta is a serious talent in the BJJ game, winning a World Championship in 1996 in the purple belt division, a Brazilian National Championship in 2000, and silvers at the 1999 Pan-Am Games and 2000 Worlds.
Bobonis has been a friend of mine since I did a story on him in preparation for a bout back in 2008. I was recently able to catch up Shah and ask a few questions about his recent performance.
MMA Blaster: What did you know about Marcos da Matta and his BJJ credentials going into the fight?
Bobonis: Going into the fight I knew that he was the best BJJ player at 135 pounds in the Florida MMA scene. I didn't want to look him up before the fight because I didn't want to over think it. After the fight I looked him up, and he has more BJJ titles than I have MMA fights.
MMA Blaster: What was the game plan for the fight?
Bobonis: Master Marcos Avellan of FFA and I put together a game plan that seemed to pan out exactly the way we thought it would. We wanted to pot shot him with clean shots and keep distance. We wanted him to work hard for every take down and for me to keep getting up after being taken down. Then, when he started to tire from all the take down attempts, get more aggressive with the stand-up.
MMA Blaster: How did the fight play out? Did he have you any trouble with his submission attempts? What did you hit him with for the KO?
Bobonis: The fight played out according to the game plan. I hurt him, then dropped him with a few right hands in the first round. Almost took his leg off with a low kick, and made him work hard for every take down.
I was caught in a tight arm bar early in the fight that popped my arm a bit. Also, my back was taken twice, but besides the arm bar I never felt like I was in serious submission trouble. In the third I felt him fading and finished him with a right and left hook.
MMA Blaster: What is your next move?
Bobonis: I have a few offers on the table so I'm not sure yet what is next. I have to rest my hands a bit because they are pretty sore. I'd like to fight one more time this year.
MMA Blaster: Any shout outs? Sponsor mentions?
Bobonis: I want to thank my parents, family, friends, Marcos and David Avellan, everyone at the Freestyle Fighting Academy, Brawl and Maul, MMA Global Solutions, Swole Nutrition, Well Rounded Warrior, MMA Sporting Goods, Born Filthy MMA and Fast Graphics.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Fights to Make After UFC 135 and UFN 25
UFC 135 and UFN 25 were two solid events that shook up the landscape of the UFC. Most notable was another excellent performance by Jon Jones at UFC 135 and Jake Ellenberger's nasty KO of Jake Shields at UFN 25.
Here is a mock look-in at some potential bouts down the line:
Jon Jones against Rashad Evans- Jones is coming off a dominant performance against Rampage Jackson, utilizing his range, landing low kicks at will, and ending the fight with a 4th round rear naked choke. Rashad has been chomping at the bit for a title shot, last fighting Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 and winning via TKO.
Jake Ellenberger against winner of Condit v. GSP- Ellenberger has been on fire since his insanely close loss to Carlos Condit, winning 5 straight fights. His last was the pinnacle with a destructive KO against title challenger Jake Shields.
Josh Koscheck against Tim Boetsch- Koscheck was able to stop Matt Hughes via TKO at UFC 135 as time was expiring. With hints at moving to 185, and the UFC not eager to see GSP v. Koscheck III, it is time for him to make the jump. Boetsch notched another big time peformance at UFC 135, crushing Nick Ring, before that he stopped Kendall Grove.
Travis Browne against the winner of Kongo v. Mitrione- Browne now stands at 12-0-1, taking a unanimous decision against Rob Broughton at UFC 135. With the draw coming against Cheick Kongo, a rematch would make sense should he win against Mitrione. Mitrione has confused many with his striking and athletic ability. Mitrione v. Kongo happens at UFC 137.
Nate Diaz against the winner of Mac Danzig v. Matt Wiman- Diaz is coming off a pinpoint performance against Takanori Gomi. Looking to make another run at 155, after alternating wins and losses at 170, the next logical step would be a fight against the winner of these two TUF vets.
Erik Koch against loser of Jose Aldo v. Kenny Florian- Koch was dominant in his decision win against TUF winner Jonathan Brookins extending his win streak to 4, defending takedowns and punishing his opponent. With Chad Mendes owning the title shot, Koch needs a high profile bout to push him into conention at 145.
Here is a mock look-in at some potential bouts down the line:
Jon Jones against Rashad Evans- Jones is coming off a dominant performance against Rampage Jackson, utilizing his range, landing low kicks at will, and ending the fight with a 4th round rear naked choke. Rashad has been chomping at the bit for a title shot, last fighting Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 and winning via TKO.
Jake Ellenberger against winner of Condit v. GSP- Ellenberger has been on fire since his insanely close loss to Carlos Condit, winning 5 straight fights. His last was the pinnacle with a destructive KO against title challenger Jake Shields.
Josh Koscheck against Tim Boetsch- Koscheck was able to stop Matt Hughes via TKO at UFC 135 as time was expiring. With hints at moving to 185, and the UFC not eager to see GSP v. Koscheck III, it is time for him to make the jump. Boetsch notched another big time peformance at UFC 135, crushing Nick Ring, before that he stopped Kendall Grove.
Travis Browne against the winner of Kongo v. Mitrione- Browne now stands at 12-0-1, taking a unanimous decision against Rob Broughton at UFC 135. With the draw coming against Cheick Kongo, a rematch would make sense should he win against Mitrione. Mitrione has confused many with his striking and athletic ability. Mitrione v. Kongo happens at UFC 137.
Nate Diaz against the winner of Mac Danzig v. Matt Wiman- Diaz is coming off a pinpoint performance against Takanori Gomi. Looking to make another run at 155, after alternating wins and losses at 170, the next logical step would be a fight against the winner of these two TUF vets.
Erik Koch against loser of Jose Aldo v. Kenny Florian- Koch was dominant in his decision win against TUF winner Jonathan Brookins extending his win streak to 4, defending takedowns and punishing his opponent. With Chad Mendes owning the title shot, Koch needs a high profile bout to push him into conention at 145.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Video of the Day - Vila v. Warren
Here is Alexis Vila fighting Joe Warren at Bellator 51 which took place on 9/24/11 at the Canton Civic Center in Canton, Ohio.
Vila advanced to the final four in the BW tourney with the big time KO.
Vila advanced to the final four in the BW tourney with the big time KO.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Video of the Day - Bobonis v. Thorne
Here is Shah Bobonis fighting Chris Thorne at "Fight Time 4 - MMA Heavyweight Explosion" which took place on 4/1/11 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Shah recently notched the biggest win of his MMA career with a 3rd round KO over Marcos da Matta at Bellator 50.
Shah recently notched the biggest win of his MMA career with a 3rd round KO over Marcos da Matta at Bellator 50.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Video of the Day - Herman v. Kita
Here is UFC fighter Dave "Pee Wee" Herman fighting Michal Kita at Bellator 31 which took place on 9/30/10 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Despite his claims that jiu-jitsu doesn't work, Herman shows some solid skills in this bout.
Herman next meets Mike Russow on the main card of UFC 136 next on October 8, 2011.
Herman next meets Mike Russow on the main card of UFC 136 next on October 8, 2011.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
How did Fox feel about MMA in 1998?
Fox and the UFC just signed a mega deal that promises four events to be aired on the broadcast network, sure to shatter all MMA ratings records in the United States.
But back in 1998, when MMA was only four years old in this country, Fox took another angle when covering MMA on it show, "Fox Files." It went the underground, illegal, human cockfighting, dangerous, next moral danger route. Headbutts, yeah, they are really dangerous doc, why they weren't the first thing against the rules is beyond me.
You'll see clips of Yves Edwards, Mark Kerr, Eugene Jackson, Tiki. Around the 8 minute mark is a unique clip of an event being busted by the cops, card shuffled after fighters leave; then continuing after the cops leave, which happened quite a bit back in the day.
But back in 1998, when MMA was only four years old in this country, Fox took another angle when covering MMA on it show, "Fox Files." It went the underground, illegal, human cockfighting, dangerous, next moral danger route. Headbutts, yeah, they are really dangerous doc, why they weren't the first thing against the rules is beyond me.
You'll see clips of Yves Edwards, Mark Kerr, Eugene Jackson, Tiki. Around the 8 minute mark is a unique clip of an event being busted by the cops, card shuffled after fighters leave; then continuing after the cops leave, which happened quite a bit back in the day.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Fights to Make After Strikeforce - Barnett v. Kharitonov
In a Strikeforce Grand Prix that has already lasted seven months, it is fair to say the luster has been lost to a certain extent. Add in a possible hand injury to finalist Daniel Cormier, as he punished the massive head of Junior "Bigfoot" Silva, and a possible finale might not reach us until the end of the year.
Josh Barnett v. Daniel Cormier- Barnett (31-5) enters the final of the Grand Prix on slick arm-triangle wins over Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov. The former UFC champ, now known as "The Warmaster" will certainly enter the bout as the favorite, looking to strike to set up a takedown to use his vaunted submission skills.
(The Warmaster)
Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier (9-0) tournament route has been off the beaten path, as he began by winning an alternate bout over Jeff Monson. Cormier then had his breakout win this past weekend knocking out the massive Bigfoot. Cormier will definitely let his hands fly again while mixing in takedowns against Barnett.
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal v. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante part II for LHW Title- Both men enter the bout on dramatic KO victories. King Mo won his return bout with a first round KO of uber BJJ fighter Roger Gracie, while Feijao (11-3) stopped hyped wrestler Yoel Romero Palacios.
The first bout saw King Mo (8-1), with one bad knee, fighting a stand-up battle and eventually gassing out. A second bout with a healed up Mo would certainly yield fireworks again. The bout could be for the title, as Dan Henderson is without a contract, and likely to return to the UFC.
(King Mo)
Luke Rockhold v. Tim Kennedy for MW Title- Rockhold (8-1) had a dominant performance against reigning champ Jacare to take the 185 pound Strikeforce title. The only other fighter on a roll is Kennedy (14-3), who has defeated Robbie Lawler and Melvin Manhoef since his decision loss to the aforementioned Jacare. Rockhold has rattled off 7 straight wins.
Josh Barnett v. Daniel Cormier- Barnett (31-5) enters the final of the Grand Prix on slick arm-triangle wins over Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov. The former UFC champ, now known as "The Warmaster" will certainly enter the bout as the favorite, looking to strike to set up a takedown to use his vaunted submission skills.
(The Warmaster)
Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier (9-0) tournament route has been off the beaten path, as he began by winning an alternate bout over Jeff Monson. Cormier then had his breakout win this past weekend knocking out the massive Bigfoot. Cormier will definitely let his hands fly again while mixing in takedowns against Barnett.
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal v. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante part II for LHW Title- Both men enter the bout on dramatic KO victories. King Mo won his return bout with a first round KO of uber BJJ fighter Roger Gracie, while Feijao (11-3) stopped hyped wrestler Yoel Romero Palacios.
The first bout saw King Mo (8-1), with one bad knee, fighting a stand-up battle and eventually gassing out. A second bout with a healed up Mo would certainly yield fireworks again. The bout could be for the title, as Dan Henderson is without a contract, and likely to return to the UFC.
(King Mo)
Luke Rockhold v. Tim Kennedy for MW Title- Rockhold (8-1) had a dominant performance against reigning champ Jacare to take the 185 pound Strikeforce title. The only other fighter on a roll is Kennedy (14-3), who has defeated Robbie Lawler and Melvin Manhoef since his decision loss to the aforementioned Jacare. Rockhold has rattled off 7 straight wins.
Jake Ellenberger Ready To Fight
Here is friend of MMA Blaster, Marcos Villegas, speaking to UFC Fight Night 25 headliner Jake Ellenberger regarding his upcoming bout with Jake Shields.
Ellenberger states that his 8 to 10 week training camp has gone well and he is injury free. He doesn't feel that Jake Shields is a big step up in competition, though Shields presents different problems. From bell to bell, Ellenberger promises to put the pressure on Shields throughout.
Ellenberger states that his 8 to 10 week training camp has gone well and he is injury free. He doesn't feel that Jake Shields is a big step up in competition, though Shields presents different problems. From bell to bell, Ellenberger promises to put the pressure on Shields throughout.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Video of the Day - Bloodworth v. Farhat
Here is Brian Bloodworth fighting Scott Farhat at Wild Bill's Fight Night 33 which took place on 8/26/2011 in Duluth, Georgia.
Bloodworth (6-1) will make his UFC debut on five days notice against Mike Easton (11-1) at UFC on Versus 6.
Bloodworth (6-1) will make his UFC debut on five days notice against Mike Easton (11-1) at UFC on Versus 6.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Video of the Day - Edwards v. Berto
Here is a slightly editted version of Yves Edwards fighting Edson Berto at Elite XC - "Street Certified" which took place on 2/16/2008 in Miami, Florida.
Edwards next fights Rafaello Oliveira at UFC on Versus 6.
Here is a look at the UFC on Versus 6 card which takes place in Washington, D.C., at the Verizon Center. The event will be broadcast on Versus and Facebook.
VERSUS CARD
Dominick Cruz v. Demetrious Johnson - BW TITLE
Pat Barry v. Stefan Struve
Charlie Brenneman v. Anthony Johnson
Mac Danzig v. Matt Wiman
FACEBOOK CARD
Yves Edwards v. Rafaello Oliveira
Michael Johnson v. Paul Sass
Byron Bloodworth v. Mike Easton
T.J. Grant v. Shane Roller
Josh Neer v. Keith Wisniewski
Joseph Sandoval v. Walel Watson
Edwards next fights Rafaello Oliveira at UFC on Versus 6.
Here is a look at the UFC on Versus 6 card which takes place in Washington, D.C., at the Verizon Center. The event will be broadcast on Versus and Facebook.
VERSUS CARD
Dominick Cruz v. Demetrious Johnson - BW TITLE
Pat Barry v. Stefan Struve
Charlie Brenneman v. Anthony Johnson
Mac Danzig v. Matt Wiman
FACEBOOK CARD
Yves Edwards v. Rafaello Oliveira
Michael Johnson v. Paul Sass
Byron Bloodworth v. Mike Easton
T.J. Grant v. Shane Roller
Josh Neer v. Keith Wisniewski
Joseph Sandoval v. Walel Watson
Friday, September 2, 2011
Video of the Day - Kitaoka v. French
Here is former Sengoku champion Satoru Kitaoka fighting Clay French in "Sengoku - Fourth Battle" which took place on 8/24/08 at the Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan.
Kitaoka (28-10-9) next fights Willamy Freire at Dream 17. Kitaoka, who has spent his entire fight career in Japan, has 15 submission wins on his resume, including subs over UFC veterans Takanori Gomi, Carlos Condit, Kurt Pellegrino and Paul Daley.
Clay French (19-6), a former KOTC champ, has had a solid career in his own right, defeating WEC vet James Krause via split decision at the Titan Fighting Championship on 7/29/11. He holds wins over Jameel Massouh, Mac Danzig and Jason Ireland.
Dream 17 takes place on September 24, 2011, in Saitama, Japan at the Saitama Super Arena and will be broadcast on HDNet. The fights feature the quarterfinals of the bantamweight grand-prix.
Shinya Aoki v. Rob McCullough
Joachim Hansen v. Tatsuya Kawajiri
Takeshi Inoue v. Caol Uno
Yan Cabral v. Kazushi Sakuraba
Willamy Freire v. Satoru Kitaoka
Gerald Harris v. Kazuhiro Nakamura
Antonio Banuelos v. Hideo Tokoro - BWGP
Bibiano Fernandes v. Takafumi Otuska - BWGP
Masakazu Imanari v. Abel Cullum - BWGP
Rodolfo Marques v. Yusup Saadulaev - BWGP
Baru Harn v. Ikuhisa Minowa
Kitaoka (28-10-9) next fights Willamy Freire at Dream 17. Kitaoka, who has spent his entire fight career in Japan, has 15 submission wins on his resume, including subs over UFC veterans Takanori Gomi, Carlos Condit, Kurt Pellegrino and Paul Daley.
Clay French (19-6), a former KOTC champ, has had a solid career in his own right, defeating WEC vet James Krause via split decision at the Titan Fighting Championship on 7/29/11. He holds wins over Jameel Massouh, Mac Danzig and Jason Ireland.
Dream 17 takes place on September 24, 2011, in Saitama, Japan at the Saitama Super Arena and will be broadcast on HDNet. The fights feature the quarterfinals of the bantamweight grand-prix.
Shinya Aoki v. Rob McCullough
Joachim Hansen v. Tatsuya Kawajiri
Takeshi Inoue v. Caol Uno
Yan Cabral v. Kazushi Sakuraba
Willamy Freire v. Satoru Kitaoka
Gerald Harris v. Kazuhiro Nakamura
Antonio Banuelos v. Hideo Tokoro - BWGP
Bibiano Fernandes v. Takafumi Otuska - BWGP
Masakazu Imanari v. Abel Cullum - BWGP
Rodolfo Marques v. Yusup Saadulaev - BWGP
Baru Harn v. Ikuhisa Minowa
Thursday, September 1, 2011
TUF 14 Rumors and Preview
The Ultimate Fighter 14 debuts tonight, September 21, 2011, with head coaches Jason "Mayhem" Miller opposite Michael Bisping. The show will be the first to feature the lighter weights, with tournaments for the 135 and 145 pound divisions.
(Michael Bisping pictured)
After multiple complaints, the show will again feature an elimination round to get into the house. As such, there will be 32 fighters starting out, with 16 in each bracket. In addition, there will not be a wild card fight. With injuries a constant in the show, that also is a good move.
(Jason "Mayhem" Miller pictured)
Listed below are the contestants which have been confirmed on numerous MMA websites and seen in the teaser videos.
The obvious front-runners in the 145 division are Micah Miller and Eric Marriot, each of whom have big show experience with solid overall skills. Hopefully Dana White doesn't match them up in the opening match-ups. The featherweight division has some interesting prospects as well, including KOTC's 135 pound champ Jimmie Rivera, undefeated fighter Stephen Bass, Jesse Newell and Team Alpha Male's Bryan Caraway.
The 135 division seems more open, with experienced John Dodson likely being the favorite, though he normally fights at 125. TJ Dillashaw is an interesting fighter, having wrestled for Cal Sate and training under at Team Alpha Male. Brandon Merkt is an undefeated fighter at 11-0, but really has faced only sub-par competition.
There always seems to be a well traveled veteran that rises to the occasion and notches some wins on the show. With it being the 135 division, several bantamweight fighters have usually fought up one or two weightclasses to get experience. We'll see how 24+ fight vets Matt Jaggers, Paul McVeigh and Johnny Bedford do in the tournament.
135 - Bantamweight
John "The Magician" Dodson (11-5)- Team Jackson trained fighter who normally fights at 125, only losses due to decision. Last fights were victories over John Moraga (7-1) and Jessie Riggleman (10-2). Record also listed at 14-5.
T.J. Dillashaw (4-0)- Based out of Team Alpha Male, Dillashaw was a collegiate wrestler at Cal State Fullerton. Was victorious over then undefeated Taylor McCorriston (5-1) in his last bout via TKO.
Paul McVeigh (18-6)- A BJJ brown belt, owned the Cage Warriors belt in the UK. Enters the tournament on 3 straight wins, his last over Andreas Bernhard (7-2).
Brandon Merkt (11-0)- Fighting out of Wisconsin, Merkt has steamrolled regional competition. Best win over Billy Jochum (10-5).
Matt "Jagger Bomb" Jaggers (20-7)- An Indiana fighter who has fought for Sengoku, Bellator and ShoXC, Jaggers has 17 finishes on his resume. He defeated Orville Smith (11-3) in ShoXC and Peter Dominguez (2-2) in Bellator.
Carson "Little Juggernaut" Beebe (6-1)- Younger brother of former WEC champ Chase Beebe. Training out of the Midwest Training Center, has four stoppage wins out of 6.
Dustin Pague (9-4)- The current Ring of Combat 135 pound champ, Pague has 5 straight wins. Pague, who has delivered all nine of his wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
Louis Gaudinot (5-1)- This New York based fighter from Team Tiger Schulmann has fought exclusively in the Ring of Combat organization. Defeated Jesse Riggleman (10-2) in last bout via guillotine.
Johnny Bedford (17-9, also seen 22-9)- A five year fight veteran, Bedford won via rear naked choke over WEC vet Frank Gomez (10-4) in his last bout. All-American wrestler has won belts for the Superior Warrior Championship and Elite Combat League.
Bruce "BJ" Ferguson (6-2)- Won his only big fight against TJ Barber at Bellator 30. Has a KO win over Jeremy Pender (7-2).
Orville "Pooh Bear" Smith (12-3)- Once held the Legends of Fighting 135 pound belt. Fought in ShoXC. Holds a split decision win over castmate Josh Ferguson.
Roland Delorme (6-1)- Fighting out of Winnepeg, Canada, Delorme was 6-0 with 4 subs and 2 TKO's before a split decision loss to Eric Wilson (5-1) in his last fight.
Josh "Taz" Ferguson (7-3)- Younger brother of BJ Ferguson, all seven wins have come via submission. He has not fought since a split decision loss to Jessie Riggleman on 10/3/09.
John "Prince" Albert (6-1)- Was 6-0 with 3 subs and 3 TKO's before last bout, where he lost to Roy Bradshaw via guillotine choke. Fights out of Washington's Victory Athletics.
Casey Dyer (6-1)- A ridiculously tall 6'1" and 135, Dyer has never gone the distance in his MMA career with 3 KO's and 3 Sub wins. Lost his last fight via triangle to Jeremy Pender.
Tateki Matsuda (6-3)- Fighting out of Boston, Matsuda lost to Saul Almeida in his last bout at Bellator 48.
145 - Featherweight
Micah Miller (17-4)- Younger brother of UFC's Cole Miller, Micah last fought at Tachi Palace 7, defeating Isaac DeJesus (9-3) with a neck crank. Has career wins over Diego Saraiva (21-15), Bruce Connors (8-3), Anthony Morrison (16-10) and Jesse Moreng (9-1).
Eric Marriot (20-5)- A Bellator and M-1 veteran, Marriot is a well traveled Midwest fighter. Holds 2 wins and 1 loss against Ryan Roberts (16-9), submission win over Demi Deeds (15-10) and a decision win over Chris Mickle (28-15).
Jimmie "El Terror" Rivera (8-1)- Reigning KOTC 135 pound champ after a 5 round split decision victory over Abel Cullum (18-5). Defended the belt with a decision over Jared Papazian (13-6). Possible that he is in the 135 pound bracket, but everything I've seen has him at 145.
Bryan "Kid Lightning" Caraway (15-5)- A Team Alpha Male fighter based in California, Caraway has fought in the WEC, Strikeforce and Elite XC. Caraway defeated Marlin Weikel (7-2) in his last fight, and has Strikeforce wins over Alex Zuniga and Alvin Cacdac.
Jesse Newell (6-1)- A BJJ purple belt under BJJ master Fabio Leopoldo, and kickboxing instuctor at Gracie Ventura. Newell is the only fighter to beat Diego Grijo (7-1). Only loss to Brandon Bender (8-0). 3 TKO's and 3 submission wins in his career.
Stephen "Bigfish" Bass (10-0)- Fighting out of Champions Training Center in Georgia, Bass is undefeated with 5 submission wins. Has wins over Bellator vet Bryan Goldsby (13-13) and ShoXC vet JC Pennington (21-12).
Hamid "Akira" Corassani (9-3)- Fighting out of Sweden, Corassani has done well on the European MMA circuit with career wins over Graham Turner (17-6), Ivan Buchinger (16-3), and Peter Mettler (7-2).
Marcus Brimage (3-1, incomplete)- This will be the second reality show for Brimage, who was on the worst MMA reality show of all-time, BET's "Iron Ring," where he made the finals. Fighting out of Alabama, Marcus defeated UFC veteran Kyle Bradley (15-8) in his last bout.
Steven "Super" Siler (18-9)- Fighting out of Victory MMA, Siler has fought almost all of his bouts on the Utah circuit. He has defeated well traveled veterans Enoch Wilson (16-7), Nick Mamalis (17-7) and Olly Bradstreet (35-11) once, after dropping three to him.
Josh Clopton (4-0-1)- Training out of San Francisco with Gilbert Melendez, Clopton last fought in November of 2009, taking a split decision over Mike Baskis (3-3).
Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez (7-2)- Began career 7-0, before being subbed in his last two fights. Has a win over UFC veteran Shannon Gugerty.
Diego "Ceara" Brandao (13-7)- Tough 6 year fight veteran currently of Team Jackson MMA and riding a 3 fight win streak, he has compiled 8 KO's and 3 submissions in his career. Originally from Brazil, Diego's big wins have come over Fabiano Silva (16-4), UFC veteran Brian Foster (15-5) and James King (15-10).
Brian Pearman (7-1)- Fighting out of Missouri while training mainly with TUF 12 runner-up Michael Johnson, Pearman notched his biggest win in his last fight with a decision over then undefeated Mike Richman (9-1).
Karsten Lenjoint (7-1)- Fighting out of Wolfslair gym in the UK, Lenjoint's only loss came to TUF 9's Jeff Lawson (14-5). 4 TKO's and 3 subs on his record, with last win a TKO over Dean Reilly (5-2).
Bryson Hansen (5-1)- Fighting out of Hawaii, Hansen has 3 TKO's on his resume. Last bout was a submission loss to Russell Doane (5-0).
Dustin Neace (22-16)- Indiana based fighter has fought exclusively in the Midwest, compiling 18 submissions wins and 4 TKO's. Wins over Corey Mahon (9-4) and Johnny Bedford (17-9) highlight his resume.
(Michael Bisping pictured)
After multiple complaints, the show will again feature an elimination round to get into the house. As such, there will be 32 fighters starting out, with 16 in each bracket. In addition, there will not be a wild card fight. With injuries a constant in the show, that also is a good move.
(Jason "Mayhem" Miller pictured)
Listed below are the contestants which have been confirmed on numerous MMA websites and seen in the teaser videos.
The obvious front-runners in the 145 division are Micah Miller and Eric Marriot, each of whom have big show experience with solid overall skills. Hopefully Dana White doesn't match them up in the opening match-ups. The featherweight division has some interesting prospects as well, including KOTC's 135 pound champ Jimmie Rivera, undefeated fighter Stephen Bass, Jesse Newell and Team Alpha Male's Bryan Caraway.
The 135 division seems more open, with experienced John Dodson likely being the favorite, though he normally fights at 125. TJ Dillashaw is an interesting fighter, having wrestled for Cal Sate and training under at Team Alpha Male. Brandon Merkt is an undefeated fighter at 11-0, but really has faced only sub-par competition.
There always seems to be a well traveled veteran that rises to the occasion and notches some wins on the show. With it being the 135 division, several bantamweight fighters have usually fought up one or two weightclasses to get experience. We'll see how 24+ fight vets Matt Jaggers, Paul McVeigh and Johnny Bedford do in the tournament.
135 - Bantamweight
John "The Magician" Dodson (11-5)- Team Jackson trained fighter who normally fights at 125, only losses due to decision. Last fights were victories over John Moraga (7-1) and Jessie Riggleman (10-2). Record also listed at 14-5.
T.J. Dillashaw (4-0)- Based out of Team Alpha Male, Dillashaw was a collegiate wrestler at Cal State Fullerton. Was victorious over then undefeated Taylor McCorriston (5-1) in his last bout via TKO.
Paul McVeigh (18-6)- A BJJ brown belt, owned the Cage Warriors belt in the UK. Enters the tournament on 3 straight wins, his last over Andreas Bernhard (7-2).
Brandon Merkt (11-0)- Fighting out of Wisconsin, Merkt has steamrolled regional competition. Best win over Billy Jochum (10-5).
Matt "Jagger Bomb" Jaggers (20-7)- An Indiana fighter who has fought for Sengoku, Bellator and ShoXC, Jaggers has 17 finishes on his resume. He defeated Orville Smith (11-3) in ShoXC and Peter Dominguez (2-2) in Bellator.
Carson "Little Juggernaut" Beebe (6-1)- Younger brother of former WEC champ Chase Beebe. Training out of the Midwest Training Center, has four stoppage wins out of 6.
Dustin Pague (9-4)- The current Ring of Combat 135 pound champ, Pague has 5 straight wins. Pague, who has delivered all nine of his wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
Louis Gaudinot (5-1)- This New York based fighter from Team Tiger Schulmann has fought exclusively in the Ring of Combat organization. Defeated Jesse Riggleman (10-2) in last bout via guillotine.
Johnny Bedford (17-9, also seen 22-9)- A five year fight veteran, Bedford won via rear naked choke over WEC vet Frank Gomez (10-4) in his last bout. All-American wrestler has won belts for the Superior Warrior Championship and Elite Combat League.
Bruce "BJ" Ferguson (6-2)- Won his only big fight against TJ Barber at Bellator 30. Has a KO win over Jeremy Pender (7-2).
Orville "Pooh Bear" Smith (12-3)- Once held the Legends of Fighting 135 pound belt. Fought in ShoXC. Holds a split decision win over castmate Josh Ferguson.
Roland Delorme (6-1)- Fighting out of Winnepeg, Canada, Delorme was 6-0 with 4 subs and 2 TKO's before a split decision loss to Eric Wilson (5-1) in his last fight.
Josh "Taz" Ferguson (7-3)- Younger brother of BJ Ferguson, all seven wins have come via submission. He has not fought since a split decision loss to Jessie Riggleman on 10/3/09.
John "Prince" Albert (6-1)- Was 6-0 with 3 subs and 3 TKO's before last bout, where he lost to Roy Bradshaw via guillotine choke. Fights out of Washington's Victory Athletics.
Casey Dyer (6-1)- A ridiculously tall 6'1" and 135, Dyer has never gone the distance in his MMA career with 3 KO's and 3 Sub wins. Lost his last fight via triangle to Jeremy Pender.
Tateki Matsuda (6-3)- Fighting out of Boston, Matsuda lost to Saul Almeida in his last bout at Bellator 48.
145 - Featherweight
Micah Miller (17-4)- Younger brother of UFC's Cole Miller, Micah last fought at Tachi Palace 7, defeating Isaac DeJesus (9-3) with a neck crank. Has career wins over Diego Saraiva (21-15), Bruce Connors (8-3), Anthony Morrison (16-10) and Jesse Moreng (9-1).
Eric Marriot (20-5)- A Bellator and M-1 veteran, Marriot is a well traveled Midwest fighter. Holds 2 wins and 1 loss against Ryan Roberts (16-9), submission win over Demi Deeds (15-10) and a decision win over Chris Mickle (28-15).
Jimmie "El Terror" Rivera (8-1)- Reigning KOTC 135 pound champ after a 5 round split decision victory over Abel Cullum (18-5). Defended the belt with a decision over Jared Papazian (13-6). Possible that he is in the 135 pound bracket, but everything I've seen has him at 145.
Bryan "Kid Lightning" Caraway (15-5)- A Team Alpha Male fighter based in California, Caraway has fought in the WEC, Strikeforce and Elite XC. Caraway defeated Marlin Weikel (7-2) in his last fight, and has Strikeforce wins over Alex Zuniga and Alvin Cacdac.
Jesse Newell (6-1)- A BJJ purple belt under BJJ master Fabio Leopoldo, and kickboxing instuctor at Gracie Ventura. Newell is the only fighter to beat Diego Grijo (7-1). Only loss to Brandon Bender (8-0). 3 TKO's and 3 submission wins in his career.
Stephen "Bigfish" Bass (10-0)- Fighting out of Champions Training Center in Georgia, Bass is undefeated with 5 submission wins. Has wins over Bellator vet Bryan Goldsby (13-13) and ShoXC vet JC Pennington (21-12).
Hamid "Akira" Corassani (9-3)- Fighting out of Sweden, Corassani has done well on the European MMA circuit with career wins over Graham Turner (17-6), Ivan Buchinger (16-3), and Peter Mettler (7-2).
Marcus Brimage (3-1, incomplete)- This will be the second reality show for Brimage, who was on the worst MMA reality show of all-time, BET's "Iron Ring," where he made the finals. Fighting out of Alabama, Marcus defeated UFC veteran Kyle Bradley (15-8) in his last bout.
Steven "Super" Siler (18-9)- Fighting out of Victory MMA, Siler has fought almost all of his bouts on the Utah circuit. He has defeated well traveled veterans Enoch Wilson (16-7), Nick Mamalis (17-7) and Olly Bradstreet (35-11) once, after dropping three to him.
Josh Clopton (4-0-1)- Training out of San Francisco with Gilbert Melendez, Clopton last fought in November of 2009, taking a split decision over Mike Baskis (3-3).
Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez (7-2)- Began career 7-0, before being subbed in his last two fights. Has a win over UFC veteran Shannon Gugerty.
Diego "Ceara" Brandao (13-7)- Tough 6 year fight veteran currently of Team Jackson MMA and riding a 3 fight win streak, he has compiled 8 KO's and 3 submissions in his career. Originally from Brazil, Diego's big wins have come over Fabiano Silva (16-4), UFC veteran Brian Foster (15-5) and James King (15-10).
Brian Pearman (7-1)- Fighting out of Missouri while training mainly with TUF 12 runner-up Michael Johnson, Pearman notched his biggest win in his last fight with a decision over then undefeated Mike Richman (9-1).
Karsten Lenjoint (7-1)- Fighting out of Wolfslair gym in the UK, Lenjoint's only loss came to TUF 9's Jeff Lawson (14-5). 4 TKO's and 3 subs on his record, with last win a TKO over Dean Reilly (5-2).
Bryson Hansen (5-1)- Fighting out of Hawaii, Hansen has 3 TKO's on his resume. Last bout was a submission loss to Russell Doane (5-0).
Dustin Neace (22-16)- Indiana based fighter has fought exclusively in the Midwest, compiling 18 submissions wins and 4 TKO's. Wins over Corey Mahon (9-4) and Johnny Bedford (17-9) highlight his resume.
Eric Paulson Talks SF Grand Prix
Here is Josh Barnett trainer Eric Paulson talking to Fight Hub TV's Marcos Villegas about the Strikeforce Grand Prix. Paulson explains that Barnett would like to fight Junior Silva, who apparently has been talking a lot of smack lately. However, he thought Cormier has been looking great lately.
Paulson is confident that Barnett will win the Grand Prix. He states that Barnett and Dana White, president of the UFC, have made-up.
Paulson is confident that Barnett will win the Grand Prix. He states that Barnett and Dana White, president of the UFC, have made-up.
Video of the Day - Barnett v. Mighty Mo
Here is Josh Barnett fighting Siala-Mou Siliga, aka Mighty Mo, at Dream 13 which took place on 3/22/10 in Yokohama, Japan.
Barnett won his opening round Strikeforce Grand Prix bout against Brett Rogers and moves on to face Sergei Kharitonov on September 10th.
Strikeforce - Barnett v. Kharitonov takes place on Sep 10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the U.S. Bank Arena. It will be broadcast on Showtime and HDNet.
SHOWTIME CARD
Josh Barnett v. Sergei Kharitonov - HW Grand Prix
Daniel Cormier v. Antonio Silva - HW Grand Prix
Ronaldo Souza v. Luke Rockhold - MW Title Fight
Roger Gracie v. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
Maximo Blanco v. Pat Healy
HDNET CARD
Mike Kyle v. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Yoel Romero
Jordan Mein vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos
Alexis Davis vs. Amanda Nunes
Chris Mierzwiak vs. Dominique Steele
Barnett won his opening round Strikeforce Grand Prix bout against Brett Rogers and moves on to face Sergei Kharitonov on September 10th.
Strikeforce - Barnett v. Kharitonov takes place on Sep 10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the U.S. Bank Arena. It will be broadcast on Showtime and HDNet.
SHOWTIME CARD
Josh Barnett v. Sergei Kharitonov - HW Grand Prix
Daniel Cormier v. Antonio Silva - HW Grand Prix
Ronaldo Souza v. Luke Rockhold - MW Title Fight
Roger Gracie v. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
Maximo Blanco v. Pat Healy
HDNET CARD
Mike Kyle v. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Yoel Romero
Jordan Mein vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos
Alexis Davis vs. Amanda Nunes
Chris Mierzwiak vs. Dominique Steele
Video of the Day - Hornbuckle v. Carl
Here is a highlight video of Dan Hornbuckle's awesome submission victory over Steve Carl from Bellator - Texas, which happened on 5/20/10.
Hornbuckle will next compete at Bellator 49 on September 10th against Luis Santos in the start of the Bellator 5 welterweight tournament.
Bellator 49 takes place at Atlantic City, New Jersey at the Ceasars and will be broadcast on MTV2 on September 10, 2011.
MTV2 CARD
Dan Hornbuckle v. Luis Santos (WW 1ST RND)
Chris Cisneros v. Ben Saunders (WW 1ST RND)
Chris Lozano v. Brent Weedman (WW 1ST RND)
Steve Carl v. Douglas Lima (WW 1ST RND)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Joel Roberts v. Brylan Van Artsdalen
Giedrius Karavackas v. LeVon Maynard
Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra v. Scott Heckman
Lester Caslow v. James "Binky" Jones
Azunna Anyanwu v. J.A. Dudley
Hornbuckle will next compete at Bellator 49 on September 10th against Luis Santos in the start of the Bellator 5 welterweight tournament.
Bellator 49 takes place at Atlantic City, New Jersey at the Ceasars and will be broadcast on MTV2 on September 10, 2011.
MTV2 CARD
Dan Hornbuckle v. Luis Santos (WW 1ST RND)
Chris Cisneros v. Ben Saunders (WW 1ST RND)
Chris Lozano v. Brent Weedman (WW 1ST RND)
Steve Carl v. Douglas Lima (WW 1ST RND)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Joel Roberts v. Brylan Van Artsdalen
Giedrius Karavackas v. LeVon Maynard
Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra v. Scott Heckman
Lester Caslow v. James "Binky" Jones
Azunna Anyanwu v. J.A. Dudley
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Video of the Day - Grove v. Riggs II
Here is Kendall Grove fighting Joe Riggs in Pro Elite on 8/27/11 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Video of the Day - Silva v. Frykland
Here is Anderson Silva fighting Tony Frykland at Cage Rage 16 - Critical Condition which took place on 4/22/06 in London, England.
Anderson will fight Yushin Okami this Saturday at UFC 134 - Rio.
Anderson will fight Yushin Okami this Saturday at UFC 134 - Rio.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Pat Curran Takes 145 Tourney Title
Pat Curran landed a nasty head kick KO of Marlon Sandro at Bellator 48 to win the featherweight tournament title this past Saturday.
After a round which saw Marlon Sandro winning the stand-up portion of the action, Curran found victory in the second. Curran threw a couple jabs then fired a right head kick that knocked Sandro out cold.
With the win, Curran will likely face the winner of Patricio Freire and Joe Warren. The bout could be postponed with Warren competing in the 135 pound tournament and Freire nursing a hand injury.
Other winners at Bellator 48 included Seth Petruzelli knocking out Ricco Rodriguez, halting his 12 fight win streak. Petruzelli went back to his karate roots, throwing a couple spinning kicks before throwing a big right hand.
Undefeated Cole Konrad (8-0) won with a unanimous decision over Paul Buentello, utilizing his improved stand-up skills. Undefeated Rene Nazare (10-0) continued his win streak with a brutal second round TKO of lightweight Juan Barrantes.
After a round which saw Marlon Sandro winning the stand-up portion of the action, Curran found victory in the second. Curran threw a couple jabs then fired a right head kick that knocked Sandro out cold.
With the win, Curran will likely face the winner of Patricio Freire and Joe Warren. The bout could be postponed with Warren competing in the 135 pound tournament and Freire nursing a hand injury.
Other winners at Bellator 48 included Seth Petruzelli knocking out Ricco Rodriguez, halting his 12 fight win streak. Petruzelli went back to his karate roots, throwing a couple spinning kicks before throwing a big right hand.
Undefeated Cole Konrad (8-0) won with a unanimous decision over Paul Buentello, utilizing his improved stand-up skills. Undefeated Rene Nazare (10-0) continued his win streak with a brutal second round TKO of lightweight Juan Barrantes.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Video of the Day - Dan Gable Double Leg
Here is the double leg takedown being taught by Hall of Fame wrestler and coach Dan Gable.
Gable won the gold medal at the 1972 Olympics in Munich where he did not surrender a single point.
Gable won the gold medal at the 1972 Olympics in Munich where he did not surrender a single point.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Video of the Day - Lytle v. Spratt
Here is Chris Lytle fighting Pete Spratt in RSF - Shooto Challenge 2 on 1/2/04 in East Belleville, Indiana.
Chris Lytle retired on a high note by submitting Dan Hardy at UFC on Versus 5. Lytle has always been a fan favorite and bonus bounty hunter by utilizing pro level boxing skills, solid wrestling with an underrated submission game.
Chris fought all around the world, defeating Kazuo Misaki in Pancrase, Aaron Riley in Hook and Shoot, Pat Healy in the WEC, and Mike Brown, Kyle Bradley, Paul Taylor, Brian Foster and Matt Serra in the UFC.
Chris Lytle retired on a high note by submitting Dan Hardy at UFC on Versus 5. Lytle has always been a fan favorite and bonus bounty hunter by utilizing pro level boxing skills, solid wrestling with an underrated submission game.
Chris fought all around the world, defeating Kazuo Misaki in Pancrase, Aaron Riley in Hook and Shoot, Pat Healy in the WEC, and Mike Brown, Kyle Bradley, Paul Taylor, Brian Foster and Matt Serra in the UFC.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Video of the Day - Sandro v. Denis
Here is Marlon Sandro fighting Nick Denis in the Sengoku 8 - in a featherweight Grand Prix bout.
Sandro fights Pat Curran in the finals of the Bellator Featherweight tournament this Saturday at Bellator. Sandro advanced to the finals by defeating Nazareno Malegarie and Genair da Silva via decision.
*Fight starts at 4:45.
Sandro fights Pat Curran in the finals of the Bellator Featherweight tournament this Saturday at Bellator. Sandro advanced to the finals by defeating Nazareno Malegarie and Genair da Silva via decision.
*Fight starts at 4:45.
Clay Guida Safe Auto Commercial
Here is an odd commercial starring Clay Guida. Not sure how destroying someone's house convinces them to buy auto insurance, but it is kinda funny.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
GSP Training for Nick Diaz
Here is UFC's welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre training for his bout with Nick Diaz at the Wild Card boxing gym. GSP has been working heavily on his boxing in preparation for the bout with Diaz, who likes to throw a volume of punches rather than power strikes.
You will see GSP first working on spinning back kicks, then spinning back fists, before right and left kicks while faking the superman punch. It is truly amazing the concentration and precision of GSP while drilling. The GSP v. Diaz bout will take place at UFC 137 on October 29, 2011, in the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Footage courtesy of Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV, friend of MMA Blaster.
You will see GSP first working on spinning back kicks, then spinning back fists, before right and left kicks while faking the superman punch. It is truly amazing the concentration and precision of GSP while drilling. The GSP v. Diaz bout will take place at UFC 137 on October 29, 2011, in the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Footage courtesy of Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV, friend of MMA Blaster.
Video of the Day - Pulver v. Wheeler
Here is Jens Pulver fighting Coty "OX" Wheeler in MMA Fight Pit: Genesis, which took place on 8/13/11 in New Mexico.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
UFC Title Picture
Here is the title picture for the UFC.
HW Champ- Cain Velasquez
Contenders- Junior Dos Santos, Frank Mir, Brock Lesnar
*Velasquez fights JDS at UFC 138 for the title
*Velasquez defeats Lesnar at UFC 121 for the title
*Dos Santos defeats Shane Carwin at UFC 131 for #1 spot
*Frank Mir defeats Roy Nelson at UFC 130
LHW Champ- Jon Jones
Contenders- Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Phil Davis, Lyoto Machida
*Jones fights Rampage at UFC 135 for the title
*Evans defeats Ortiz at UFC 133
*Rampage defeats Matt Hamill at UFC 130
*Griffin defeats Rich Franklin at UFC 126
*Griffin fights Shogun Rua at UFC 134
(Jon Jones pictured)
MW Champ- Anderson Silva
Contenders- Yushin Okami, Brian Stann, Vitor Belfort, Mark Munoz
*Anderson Silva defeats Belfort at UFC 126
*Okami defeats Marquardt for #1 contender at UFC 122
*Silva fights Okami at UFC 134 for the title
*Belfort KO'd Akiyama at UFC 133
*Stann on three fight win streak
*Munoz defeats Maia at UFC 131
(Anderson Silva pictured)
WW Champ- Georges St. Pierre
Contenders- Nick Diaz, Jon Fitch, Carlos Condit, BJ Penn, Diego Sanchez
*GSP defeats Jake Shields at UFC 129
*Fitch and BJ Penn fight to a draw at UFC 127
*Nick Diaz relinquishes Strikeforce belt
*GSP will fight Diaz at UFC 137 for the title
*Condit KO's Kim at UFC 132
(Georges St. Pierre pictured)
LW Champ- Frank Edgar
Contenders- Gray Maynard, Clay Guida, Benson Henderson, Melvin Guillard, Anthony Pettis, Dennis Siver
*Edgar fights to a draw with Maynard at UFC 125
*Edgar and Maynard out with injuries
*Guida defeats Pettis at the TUF 13 Finale
*Guillard wins 5th straight over Roller at UFC 132
*Siver wins 4th straight over Wiman at UFC 132
*Henderson defeats Miller at UFC on Versus 5
(Frank Edgar pictured)
FW Champ- Jose Aldo
Contenders- Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes, Manny Gamburyan
*Aldo defeats Hominick at UFC 129
*Chad Mendes defeats Yahya at UFC 133
*Florian defeats Nunes at UFC 130
*Aldo v. Florian likely for the next title bout
(Jose Aldo pictured)
BW Champ- Dominic Cruz
Contenders- Demetrious Johnson, Scott Jorgenson, Brian Bowles, Joe Benavidez
*Dominic Cruz defeats Faber at UFC 132
*Johnson defeats Torres at UFC 130
*Bowles defeats Mizugaki at UFC 132
(Dominic Cruz pictured)
HW Champ- Cain Velasquez
Contenders- Junior Dos Santos, Frank Mir, Brock Lesnar
*Velasquez fights JDS at UFC 138 for the title
*Velasquez defeats Lesnar at UFC 121 for the title
*Dos Santos defeats Shane Carwin at UFC 131 for #1 spot
*Frank Mir defeats Roy Nelson at UFC 130
LHW Champ- Jon Jones
Contenders- Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Phil Davis, Lyoto Machida
*Jones fights Rampage at UFC 135 for the title
*Evans defeats Ortiz at UFC 133
*Rampage defeats Matt Hamill at UFC 130
*Griffin defeats Rich Franklin at UFC 126
*Griffin fights Shogun Rua at UFC 134
(Jon Jones pictured)
MW Champ- Anderson Silva
Contenders- Yushin Okami, Brian Stann, Vitor Belfort, Mark Munoz
*Anderson Silva defeats Belfort at UFC 126
*Okami defeats Marquardt for #1 contender at UFC 122
*Silva fights Okami at UFC 134 for the title
*Belfort KO'd Akiyama at UFC 133
*Stann on three fight win streak
*Munoz defeats Maia at UFC 131
(Anderson Silva pictured)
WW Champ- Georges St. Pierre
Contenders- Nick Diaz, Jon Fitch, Carlos Condit, BJ Penn, Diego Sanchez
*GSP defeats Jake Shields at UFC 129
*Fitch and BJ Penn fight to a draw at UFC 127
*Nick Diaz relinquishes Strikeforce belt
*GSP will fight Diaz at UFC 137 for the title
*Condit KO's Kim at UFC 132
(Georges St. Pierre pictured)
LW Champ- Frank Edgar
Contenders- Gray Maynard, Clay Guida, Benson Henderson, Melvin Guillard, Anthony Pettis, Dennis Siver
*Edgar fights to a draw with Maynard at UFC 125
*Edgar and Maynard out with injuries
*Guida defeats Pettis at the TUF 13 Finale
*Guillard wins 5th straight over Roller at UFC 132
*Siver wins 4th straight over Wiman at UFC 132
*Henderson defeats Miller at UFC on Versus 5
(Frank Edgar pictured)
FW Champ- Jose Aldo
Contenders- Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes, Manny Gamburyan
*Aldo defeats Hominick at UFC 129
*Chad Mendes defeats Yahya at UFC 133
*Florian defeats Nunes at UFC 130
*Aldo v. Florian likely for the next title bout
(Jose Aldo pictured)
BW Champ- Dominic Cruz
Contenders- Demetrious Johnson, Scott Jorgenson, Brian Bowles, Joe Benavidez
*Dominic Cruz defeats Faber at UFC 132
*Johnson defeats Torres at UFC 130
*Bowles defeats Mizugaki at UFC 132
(Dominic Cruz pictured)
Friday, August 5, 2011
Bobonis Ready for Fight Time!
On August 19, 2011, mixed martial artist Shah Bobonis will look to make it four wins in a row against rising ATT prospect Caleb "Sideshow Bob" Archer. The 135 pound bout will take place in Howard Davis, Jr.'s "Fight Time 6 – Pride & Glory" at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Bobonis' is a two-time Combate Extremo 155 pound title holder, who defeated Manuel “Manix” Gallareta in the first round to win the 145 pound belt on May 21st. Bobonis has won all three of his fights this year and has not allowed one opponent to make it past the second round.
Hopefully all goes well for Bobonis, who announced that he will face Marcos da Matta on the televised portion of Bellator 50, which takes place on September 17th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
MMA Blaster: How did your fight against Manuel “Manix” Gallareta play out in Combate Extremo? What did you do to stop the fight?
Shah Bobonis: The fight with Manix went great. I knew his stand up was his strength and he was coming off a knockout win over the Combate Extremo champion. Once we got to the floor, it was a one-sided fight. Right after hitting the matt, I sunk in a North-South Choke to finish the fight.
(Shah wins with a North-South Choke)
MMA Blaster: Was that for a championship belt? What weight? Are you looking to stay there or keep moving down?
Shah Bobonis: That was for the Combate Extremo 145 pound belt. I will be moving down in weight, as my next fight on August 19th for Fight Time Promotions will be at 135lbs. I’ll be fighting American Top Team prospect Caleb Archer.
MMA Blaster: How has training been going? Are you still training at FFA?
Shah Bobonis: Training is going great. I feel like I’m getting better every day. I work with Coach Marcos Avellan every morning and he has made it possible for me to train full time. He now has a "Fighter House" that some of his fighters live in rent free.
MMA Blaster: What do you know about your next opponent Caleb "Side Show Bob" Archer? Is that the main event?
Shah Bobonis: Yes, the fight on August 19th is the main event. I know Caleb has been doing Muay Thai for a long time. He trains at ATT so he is going to be at least decent in every aspect of fighting, but his stand-up is his strength.
(Bobonis, Howard Davis, Jr., Caleb Archer)
MMA Blaster: What promotion will that fight be in? Where will the fights take place? How do fight fans get tickets?
Shah Bobonis: I’m fighting in Fight Time 6 – Pride & Glory at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Anyone who would like tickets can email me shah5297@gmail.com, or hit me up on Facebook. I’ll have tickets for sale this weekend.
(Promo poster)
MMA Blaster: Are you looking for sponsors? How does a company become a sponsor?
Shah Bobonis: I’m always looking for sponsors!!! The fight will be rebroadcast on Fight Zone TV so it’s a good fit for anyone looking to sponsor a fighter and get publicity. Anyone interested can email me shah5297@gmail.com.
MMA Blaster: Any shout-outs or sponsor mentions? Thank you's?
Shah Bobonis: Thank you to my parents, everyone at FFA and Brawl N’ Maul. Thanks to you Joe at MMA Blaster for the support and the ink!
Bobonis' is a two-time Combate Extremo 155 pound title holder, who defeated Manuel “Manix” Gallareta in the first round to win the 145 pound belt on May 21st. Bobonis has won all three of his fights this year and has not allowed one opponent to make it past the second round.
Hopefully all goes well for Bobonis, who announced that he will face Marcos da Matta on the televised portion of Bellator 50, which takes place on September 17th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
MMA Blaster: How did your fight against Manuel “Manix” Gallareta play out in Combate Extremo? What did you do to stop the fight?
Shah Bobonis: The fight with Manix went great. I knew his stand up was his strength and he was coming off a knockout win over the Combate Extremo champion. Once we got to the floor, it was a one-sided fight. Right after hitting the matt, I sunk in a North-South Choke to finish the fight.
(Shah wins with a North-South Choke)
MMA Blaster: Was that for a championship belt? What weight? Are you looking to stay there or keep moving down?
Shah Bobonis: That was for the Combate Extremo 145 pound belt. I will be moving down in weight, as my next fight on August 19th for Fight Time Promotions will be at 135lbs. I’ll be fighting American Top Team prospect Caleb Archer.
MMA Blaster: How has training been going? Are you still training at FFA?
Shah Bobonis: Training is going great. I feel like I’m getting better every day. I work with Coach Marcos Avellan every morning and he has made it possible for me to train full time. He now has a "Fighter House" that some of his fighters live in rent free.
MMA Blaster: What do you know about your next opponent Caleb "Side Show Bob" Archer? Is that the main event?
Shah Bobonis: Yes, the fight on August 19th is the main event. I know Caleb has been doing Muay Thai for a long time. He trains at ATT so he is going to be at least decent in every aspect of fighting, but his stand-up is his strength.
(Bobonis, Howard Davis, Jr., Caleb Archer)
MMA Blaster: What promotion will that fight be in? Where will the fights take place? How do fight fans get tickets?
Shah Bobonis: I’m fighting in Fight Time 6 – Pride & Glory at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Anyone who would like tickets can email me shah5297@gmail.com, or hit me up on Facebook. I’ll have tickets for sale this weekend.
(Promo poster)
MMA Blaster: Are you looking for sponsors? How does a company become a sponsor?
Shah Bobonis: I’m always looking for sponsors!!! The fight will be rebroadcast on Fight Zone TV so it’s a good fit for anyone looking to sponsor a fighter and get publicity. Anyone interested can email me shah5297@gmail.com.
MMA Blaster: Any shout-outs or sponsor mentions? Thank you's?
Shah Bobonis: Thank you to my parents, everyone at FFA and Brawl N’ Maul. Thanks to you Joe at MMA Blaster for the support and the ink!
Video of the Day - Kawajiri v. Fickett
Here is Tatsuya Kawajiri fighting Drew Fickett at Dream - "Fight for Japan," which occured on 7/16/11 at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan.
Kawajiri (28-7) will drop to 145 for his next bout, which is against Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen at Dream 17.
Kawajiri (28-7) will drop to 145 for his next bout, which is against Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen at Dream 17.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
UFC Rio Preview
With the UFC looking to make a huge splash in its first event in Brazil since 1998, Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami will square off in the main event at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event is the first since the major news of a UFC and Fox partnership.
Anderson Silva (30-4, 13-0 UFC) has unequivocally had the most unprecedented run in the UFC, winning 13 straight in the promotion, including 9 for the title. Mixing precision striking with elite Muay Thai skills, Anderson has made many top notch MMA stars look like amateurs during his run.
Anderson will look to punish Okami standing, mainly using his fists to avoid an Okami takedown. Anderson could look for the Muay Thai clinch with knees early and often, while looking to scramble if taken down. Anderson KO'd Vitor Belfort in his last bout with a front kick with follow up punches, with other UFC wins over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Nate Marquardt and Demian Maia.
(Anderson punching Forrest Griffin)
The only chink in Silva's armor during his UFC run has been a near defeat to Chael Sonnen, who tagged Silva with punches and accomplished takedowns at will during the first four rounds of the title fight. In the fifth, Silva nailed a miraculous triangle/armbar to retain the title. Sonnen has been training with Okami in preparation for the bout.
Yushin Okami (26-5, 10-2 UFC) has experience with Anderson Silva before, fighting him in BJ Penn's Rumble on the Rock tournament. Anderson punished Okami with leg kicks, Okami's failed a couple takedowns before getting a single leg, then Okami was rocked by an illegal upkick while grounded.
(Okami punching Rory Singer)
Okami should know that his takedowns must be set-up from the clinch in order to work. Okami probably also knows that while his stand-up has improved greatly since the first match-up, it is no where near the level of Anderson's. Expect Okami to look for the clinch early and often to neutralize the range of Anderson.
Here is a look at the full card:
PPV CARD
Anderson Silva v. Yushin Okami
Forrest Griffin v. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira v. Brendan Schaub
Edson Barboza v. Ross Pearson
Luiz Cane v. Stanislav Nedkov
SPIKE TV CARD
Spencer Fisher v. Thiago Tavares
Dan Miller v. Rousimar Palhares
FACEBOOK CARD
David Mitchell v. Paulo Thiago
Raphael Assuncao v. Johnny Eduard
Erick Silva v. Luis Ramos
Felipe Arantes v. Yuri Alcantara
Yves Jabouin v. Ian Loveland
Monday, August 1, 2011
Video of the Day - Hardy v. Rushton
Here is Dan Hardy fighting Danny Rushton in Cage Warriors which took place on 9/16/06 in Sheffield, England. At the time, Hardy was the Cage Warriors welterweight champion.
Dan Hardy fights Chris Lytle at UFC on Versus 5 tonight.
UFC on Versus 5 airs live tonight from Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Bradley Center, broadcasting on Versus and Facebook.
VERSUS CARD
Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle
Ben Henderson vs. Jim Miller
Donald Cerrone vs. Charles Oliveira
Duane Ludwig vs. Amir Sadollah
FACEBOOK CARD
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jared Hamman
Joseph Benavidez vs. Eddie Wineland
Ed Herman vs. Kyle Noke
Ronny Markes vs. Karlos Vemola
Alex Caceres vs. Jim Hettes
Cole Miller vs. T.J. O'Brien
Danny Castillo vs. Jacob Volkmann
Edwin Figueroa vs. Jason Reinhardt
Dan Hardy fights Chris Lytle at UFC on Versus 5 tonight.
UFC on Versus 5 airs live tonight from Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Bradley Center, broadcasting on Versus and Facebook.
VERSUS CARD
Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle
Ben Henderson vs. Jim Miller
Donald Cerrone vs. Charles Oliveira
Duane Ludwig vs. Amir Sadollah
FACEBOOK CARD
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jared Hamman
Joseph Benavidez vs. Eddie Wineland
Ed Herman vs. Kyle Noke
Ronny Markes vs. Karlos Vemola
Alex Caceres vs. Jim Hettes
Cole Miller vs. T.J. O'Brien
Danny Castillo vs. Jacob Volkmann
Edwin Figueroa vs. Jason Reinhardt
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Video of the Day - Kawajiri v. Takeda
Here is Tatsuya Kawajiri fighting Kozo Takeda at Dynamite 2008 in a K-1 rules kickboxing match.
Kawajiri got back to his winning ways at Dream 17 with a first round TKO of UFC veteran Drew Fickett.
Kawajiri got back to his winning ways at Dream 17 with a first round TKO of UFC veteran Drew Fickett.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Video of the Day - Sakuraba v. Galesic
Here is a crazy fight from Dream 12: The White Cage between Kazushi Sakuraba and Zelg Galesic which took place on 10/25/09.
Today is Sakuraba's birthday, you can celebrate by donning your Tiger Mask at work, or just watching some of his best moments.
Today is Sakuraba's birthday, you can celebrate by donning your Tiger Mask at work, or just watching some of his best moments.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Phil Davis Unplugged
Phil Davis recently pulled out of his title shot eliminator match with Rashad Evans after suffering an injury in training. Tito Ortiz, fresh off his big win over Ryan Bader, has agreed to fill in and fight Evans at UFC 133.
Here is Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV talking with Phil about the time his father struck a deer in the country. Phil also explained how he gets match-ups, with the date being the first thing, the fight venue second, and the opponent last.
Davis is a perfect 9-0 with 5 wins in the UFC, including victories over Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson, Rodney Wallace, Tim Boetsch and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Here is Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV talking with Phil about the time his father struck a deer in the country. Phil also explained how he gets match-ups, with the date being the first thing, the fight venue second, and the opponent last.
Davis is a perfect 9-0 with 5 wins in the UFC, including victories over Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson, Rodney Wallace, Tim Boetsch and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Video of the Day - Jeffries v. Guseinov
Here is Tyson Jeffries fighting Arthur Guseinov in M-1 Challenge 26 which took place on 7/8/11 in Costa Mesa, California.
Guseinov, a Russian fighter, delivers one of the most exciting finishes of the year in this fight.
Guseinov, a Russian fighter, delivers one of the most exciting finishes of the year in this fight.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Eric Paulson Talks Josh Barnett and Strikeforce GP
You might know innovative MMA fighter and now coach Eric Paulson as Brock Lesnar's assistant coach on TUF 13. Paulson runs the CSW gym in Fullerton, California, and serves as Josh Barnett's head coach among others.
In the interview below, taken by Marcos Villegas, Paulson explains that he wasn't surprised to see Brett Rogers last to the second round with Josh. The objective was for Josh to not get hit, get the takedown, control Rogers and take his wind.
For Barnett's next match-up against uber puncher Sergei Kharitonov, Paulson will have Josh work on his conditioning, boxing and takedowns. The goal will be for Josh to get a tie-up, takedown, top ccontrol and obviously to end the fight.
When discussing Alistair Overeem's performance against Fabricio Werdum, Paulson explained that Overeem appeared sluggish and Werdum was beating him to the punch. Antio Silva has improved by leaps and bounds, and has a great chance to advance to the finals. Check out the video below!
In the interview below, taken by Marcos Villegas, Paulson explains that he wasn't surprised to see Brett Rogers last to the second round with Josh. The objective was for Josh to not get hit, get the takedown, control Rogers and take his wind.
For Barnett's next match-up against uber puncher Sergei Kharitonov, Paulson will have Josh work on his conditioning, boxing and takedowns. The goal will be for Josh to get a tie-up, takedown, top ccontrol and obviously to end the fight.
When discussing Alistair Overeem's performance against Fabricio Werdum, Paulson explained that Overeem appeared sluggish and Werdum was beating him to the punch. Antio Silva has improved by leaps and bounds, and has a great chance to advance to the finals. Check out the video below!
Video of the Day - Miller v. Trigg
Here is the end of Frank Trigg versus Jason "Mayhem" Miller at Icon Sport - Trigg v. Mayhem which occured on 12/1/06 at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Video of the Day - Fedor v. Arlovski
Here is Fedor Emelianenko against Andrei Arlovski from Affliction: Day of Reckoning which took place on 1/24/09.
Fedor will look to break his two fight losing streak against Dan Henderson on July 30th at Strikeforce - Fedor v. Henderson at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.
Fedor will look to break his two fight losing streak against Dan Henderson on July 30th at Strikeforce - Fedor v. Henderson at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Video of the Day - Kaufman v. Marquez
Here is Sarah Kaufman fighting Ginele Marquez from HCF: Titlewave which took place on 10/19/07 in Calgary, Canada.
Kaufman will be fighting this Friday at Strikeforce Challengers 17 against Liz Carmouche. The winner should get a title shot against the winner of champion Marloes Coenen and Meisha Tate which unfolds at Strikeforce - Fedor v. Henderson on July 30th.
Strikeforce Challengers 17: Voelker vs. Bowling 3 takes place Friday, Jul 22, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort. The event will be broadcast live on Showtime.
MAIN CARD
Roger Bowling v. Bobby Voelker
Devin Cole v. Shawn Jordan
Joe Cason v. Ovince St-Preux
Liz Carmouche v. Sarah Kaufman
Adlan Amagov v. Ron Stallings
PRELIM CARD - Un-aired
T.J. Cook v. Lionel Lanham
Ben Lagman v. Anthony Smith
Bill Cooper v. Maka Watson
Sterling Ford v. Brian McLaughlin
Kaufman will be fighting this Friday at Strikeforce Challengers 17 against Liz Carmouche. The winner should get a title shot against the winner of champion Marloes Coenen and Meisha Tate which unfolds at Strikeforce - Fedor v. Henderson on July 30th.
Strikeforce Challengers 17: Voelker vs. Bowling 3 takes place Friday, Jul 22, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort. The event will be broadcast live on Showtime.
MAIN CARD
Roger Bowling v. Bobby Voelker
Devin Cole v. Shawn Jordan
Joe Cason v. Ovince St-Preux
Liz Carmouche v. Sarah Kaufman
Adlan Amagov v. Ron Stallings
PRELIM CARD - Un-aired
T.J. Cook v. Lionel Lanham
Ben Lagman v. Anthony Smith
Bill Cooper v. Maka Watson
Sterling Ford v. Brian McLaughlin
Video of the Day - Fedor vs. Kerry Schall
Here is Fedor Emelianenko vs. Kerry Schall from Rings World Title 1 which took place on February 20, 2001.
Schall had won against John Dixon in Rings USA to earn the shot. In 2005, Kerry made his only UFC appearance following his stint on TUF 2, losing to Keith Jardine via leg kicks.
Fedor returns to Strikeforce this Saturday to fight Dan Henderson.
Schall had won against John Dixon in Rings USA to earn the shot. In 2005, Kerry made his only UFC appearance following his stint on TUF 2, losing to Keith Jardine via leg kicks.
Fedor returns to Strikeforce this Saturday to fight Dan Henderson.
Video of the Day - Sandro v. Oliveira
Here is Marlon Sandro fighting Orley de Oliveira in Shooto - Brazil 7, which took place on 3/19/05.
Sandro (18-2) has fought several high profile fights in the Pancrase and Sengoku promotions in Japan, most notably defeating Masanori Kanehara, Nick Denis and Daiki "DJ.taiki" Hata. Sandro is known for his heavy hands and quick pace.
Sandro fights in his semi-final match this Saturday in Bellator 47 against Nazareno Malegarie.
Bellator 47 will take place this Saturday at the Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada. The main card will be broadcast on MTV2, featuring the featherweight semi-finals.
MAIN CARD
Nazareno Malegarie v. Marlon Sandro - FW Semi's
Pat Curran v. Ronnie Mann - FW Semi's
Neil Grove v. Zak Jensen
Chris Horodecki v. Chris Saunders
PRELIMINARY CARD
Daniel Langbeen v. Will Romero
Bryan Goldsby v. Bo Harris
Daron Cruickshank v. Sergej Juskevic
Syd Barnier v. Denis Puric
Sandro (18-2) has fought several high profile fights in the Pancrase and Sengoku promotions in Japan, most notably defeating Masanori Kanehara, Nick Denis and Daiki "DJ.taiki" Hata. Sandro is known for his heavy hands and quick pace.
Sandro fights in his semi-final match this Saturday in Bellator 47 against Nazareno Malegarie.
Bellator 47 will take place this Saturday at the Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada. The main card will be broadcast on MTV2, featuring the featherweight semi-finals.
MAIN CARD
Nazareno Malegarie v. Marlon Sandro - FW Semi's
Pat Curran v. Ronnie Mann - FW Semi's
Neil Grove v. Zak Jensen
Chris Horodecki v. Chris Saunders
PRELIMINARY CARD
Daniel Langbeen v. Will Romero
Bryan Goldsby v. Bo Harris
Daron Cruickshank v. Sergej Juskevic
Syd Barnier v. Denis Puric
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Strikeforce - Overeem v. Werdum
Strikeforce - "Overeem v. Werdum" will air live this Saturday night on Showtime from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The event will include the 2nd half of the 1st round of the Strikeforce HW Grand Prix.
The headlining bout pits K-1, Dream and Strikeforce HW title holder Alistair Overeem (34-11) against ADCC champ Fabricio Werdum (14-4). The game plans are obvious in this fight, as Overeem will do his best to strike and keep the fight standing. Conversly, Werdum will do his best to bring the fight to the ground, where Werdum submitted Overeem in 2006 with a kimura in Pride.
Since becoming a full-time heavyweight, Overeem's career has shot off the charts. He is 9-0 in MMA since a September 2007 KO loss to fellow tourney competitor Sergei Kharitonov. Even more impressive, Alistair was able to capture the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix World Championship, defeating kickboxing legend Peter Aerts in the final.
(Overeem KO's Fujita)
Werdum sent shockwaves through the MMA world in his last fight, a one minute long bout with Fedor Emelianenko which saw the Russian tapping. As the bout unfolded, Werdum was punched, went to the canvas, and then baited an aggressive Fedor into the fight ending triangle/armbar choke. The submission won MMA Blaster's submission of the year.
(Werdum submits Fedor)
In other action, former UFC champ Josh Barnett (29-5) meets former Elite XC and Strikeforce contender Brett Rogers. Rogers has slimmed down since his last bout, but will still be looking to use his powerful hands. The smart thing for Barnett to do would be to get the fight to the ground as quick as possible, but he may look to strike first standing.
Josh Barnett fought twice in Japan in 2010, winning via TKO over Geronimo dos Santos and submitting Mighty Mo Siliga. Barnett rose to fame in the early UFC, defeating Semmy Schilt and Bobby Hoffman to earn a title shot against Randy Couture. Barnett would defeat Couture via TKO at UFC 36, but tested positive for three banned substances. Barnett would go on to acheive success in Pride, going to the finals of the 2006 HW Grand Prix.
(Josh Barnett Pride picture)
The hard hitting Rogers rose to fame in the Elite XC when he rattled off four straight wins to earn a fight against Andrei Arlovski. Rogers would go on to knock out Arlovski with a clean shot, catapulting him into a match with Fedor Emelianenko. Unfortunately, Rogers would be TKO'd by Fedor and next to Alistair Overeem. He has since rebounded with a win over Ruben "Warpath" Villareal.
(Brett Rogers pictured)
Here is a look at the card:
SHOWTIME MAIN CARD
Alistair Overeem v. Fabricio Werdum - HW GP
Josh Barnett v. Brett Rogers - HW GP
Daniel Cormier v. Jeff Monson
Chad Griggs v. Valentijn Overeem
Jorge Masvidal v. K.J. Noons
HDNET CARD
Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante v. Justin Wilcox
Magno Almeida v. Conor Heun
Nah-Shon Burrell v. Joe Ray
Mike Bronzoulis v. Todd Moore
Brian Melancon v. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Strikeforce HW GP Recap Video
The headlining bout pits K-1, Dream and Strikeforce HW title holder Alistair Overeem (34-11) against ADCC champ Fabricio Werdum (14-4). The game plans are obvious in this fight, as Overeem will do his best to strike and keep the fight standing. Conversly, Werdum will do his best to bring the fight to the ground, where Werdum submitted Overeem in 2006 with a kimura in Pride.
Since becoming a full-time heavyweight, Overeem's career has shot off the charts. He is 9-0 in MMA since a September 2007 KO loss to fellow tourney competitor Sergei Kharitonov. Even more impressive, Alistair was able to capture the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix World Championship, defeating kickboxing legend Peter Aerts in the final.
(Overeem KO's Fujita)
Werdum sent shockwaves through the MMA world in his last fight, a one minute long bout with Fedor Emelianenko which saw the Russian tapping. As the bout unfolded, Werdum was punched, went to the canvas, and then baited an aggressive Fedor into the fight ending triangle/armbar choke. The submission won MMA Blaster's submission of the year.
(Werdum submits Fedor)
In other action, former UFC champ Josh Barnett (29-5) meets former Elite XC and Strikeforce contender Brett Rogers. Rogers has slimmed down since his last bout, but will still be looking to use his powerful hands. The smart thing for Barnett to do would be to get the fight to the ground as quick as possible, but he may look to strike first standing.
Josh Barnett fought twice in Japan in 2010, winning via TKO over Geronimo dos Santos and submitting Mighty Mo Siliga. Barnett rose to fame in the early UFC, defeating Semmy Schilt and Bobby Hoffman to earn a title shot against Randy Couture. Barnett would defeat Couture via TKO at UFC 36, but tested positive for three banned substances. Barnett would go on to acheive success in Pride, going to the finals of the 2006 HW Grand Prix.
(Josh Barnett Pride picture)
The hard hitting Rogers rose to fame in the Elite XC when he rattled off four straight wins to earn a fight against Andrei Arlovski. Rogers would go on to knock out Arlovski with a clean shot, catapulting him into a match with Fedor Emelianenko. Unfortunately, Rogers would be TKO'd by Fedor and next to Alistair Overeem. He has since rebounded with a win over Ruben "Warpath" Villareal.
(Brett Rogers pictured)
Here is a look at the card:
SHOWTIME MAIN CARD
Alistair Overeem v. Fabricio Werdum - HW GP
Josh Barnett v. Brett Rogers - HW GP
Daniel Cormier v. Jeff Monson
Chad Griggs v. Valentijn Overeem
Jorge Masvidal v. K.J. Noons
HDNET CARD
Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante v. Justin Wilcox
Magno Almeida v. Conor Heun
Nah-Shon Burrell v. Joe Ray
Mike Bronzoulis v. Todd Moore
Brian Melancon v. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Strikeforce HW GP Recap Video
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Video of the Day - Cavalcante v. Takaya
Here is Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante fighting Hiroyuki Takaya at K-1 Hero's 6 which took place on 8/5/06 in Tokyo, Japan.
JZ will fight Justin Wilcox at Strikeforce - Overeem v. Werdum this Saturday.
JZ will fight Justin Wilcox at Strikeforce - Overeem v. Werdum this Saturday.
Werdum Talks GP
This Saturday, ADCC champ Fabricio Werdum will face Alistair Overeem in the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. The stacked tournament saw Bigfoot Silva defeat Fedor and Sergei Kharitonov defeat Andrei Arlovski in the first round.
In the below interview done by Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV, Werdum explains that he was happy that the UFC bought Strikeforce as it will prove good for the sport. Werdum is looking forward to his bout with Overeem, and hopes a tournament championship will lead to a title unification bout between Strikeforce and the UFC.
Werdum also explains that he didn't like to see Fedor lose to Bigfoot, as he liked the idea that he was the only person to defeat him. Werdum acknowledged a boost in popularity since that victory.
In the below interview done by Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV, Werdum explains that he was happy that the UFC bought Strikeforce as it will prove good for the sport. Werdum is looking forward to his bout with Overeem, and hopes a tournament championship will lead to a title unification bout between Strikeforce and the UFC.
Werdum also explains that he didn't like to see Fedor lose to Bigfoot, as he liked the idea that he was the only person to defeat him. Werdum acknowledged a boost in popularity since that victory.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
UFC 131 Post Fight Conference
Here is the UFC post fight conference. With a solid night of fights, Junior Dos Santos secured his title shot battering Shane Carwin for three rounds.
Kenny Florian made a successful debut at 145 winning against Diego Nunes. Kenny explains that he felt great making the transition to 145 and his cardio wasn't an issue, indicating that he was able to outlast Nunes. Dana White said it is, "more than likely" that Florian will fight Aldo for the featherweight title.
Mark Munoz indicated that he belongs in the upper echelon of the 185 division. Mark fought a close bout with Demian Maia, winning a decision. Mark has definitely earned a high profile bout in his next fight, maybe with recent winner Brian Stann.
Kenny Florian made a successful debut at 145 winning against Diego Nunes. Kenny explains that he felt great making the transition to 145 and his cardio wasn't an issue, indicating that he was able to outlast Nunes. Dana White said it is, "more than likely" that Florian will fight Aldo for the featherweight title.
Mark Munoz indicated that he belongs in the upper echelon of the 185 division. Mark fought a close bout with Demian Maia, winning a decision. Mark has definitely earned a high profile bout in his next fight, maybe with recent winner Brian Stann.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Video of the Day - Herman v. York
Here is Dave "Pee Wee" Herman against Jim York in a crazy bout in Sengoku 11th Battle from 11/7/09. One of the craziest endings I've ever seen.
Herman next makes his UFC debut at UFC 131 on the main card against Jon Olav Einemo.
Herman next makes his UFC debut at UFC 131 on the main card against Jon Olav Einemo.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Video of the Day - Ring v. Galipeau
Here is TUF 11 castmate Nick "The Promise" Ring fighting Yannick Galipeau in Aggression MMA which took place on 10/24/2009 in Canada.
After winning two fights on TUF 11, Ring went down with another knee injury that required surgery. Ring returned to the UFC at UFC 127 winning a controversial decision over Riki Fukuda. Ring will look to improve his performance at UFC 131 against James Head.
After winning two fights on TUF 11, Ring went down with another knee injury that required surgery. Ring returned to the UFC at UFC 127 winning a controversial decision over Riki Fukuda. Ring will look to improve his performance at UFC 131 against James Head.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Video of the Day - Stevenson v. Jackson
Here is Joe Stevenson v. Jeremy Jackson from King of the Cage's "Bad Intention's" show which took place on 6/22/02.
Stevenson next fights Javier Vazquez at UFC on Versus 4 this Sunday. Stevenson is in desperate need of a victory to remain in the UFC
UFC on Verus 4 will be take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the CONSOL Energy Center, broadcasting on Versus and Facebook. As you can see, the UFC career of many fighters will be decided on Sunday with the loser being cut from the organization.
Versus Card
Nate Marquardt v. Rick Story
Pat Barry v. Cheick Kongo
Matt Brown v. John Howard
Matt Mitrione v. Christian Morecraft
Facebook Card
Manny Gamburyan v. Tyson Griffin
Joe Stevenson v. Javier Vazquez
Joe Lauzon v. Curt Warburton
Rich Attonito v. Daniel Roberts
Nik Lentz v. Charles Oliveira
Matt Grice v. Ricardo Lamas
Edward Faaloloto v. Michael Johnson
Stevenson next fights Javier Vazquez at UFC on Versus 4 this Sunday. Stevenson is in desperate need of a victory to remain in the UFC
UFC on Verus 4 will be take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the CONSOL Energy Center, broadcasting on Versus and Facebook. As you can see, the UFC career of many fighters will be decided on Sunday with the loser being cut from the organization.
Versus Card
Nate Marquardt v. Rick Story
Pat Barry v. Cheick Kongo
Matt Brown v. John Howard
Matt Mitrione v. Christian Morecraft
Facebook Card
Manny Gamburyan v. Tyson Griffin
Joe Stevenson v. Javier Vazquez
Joe Lauzon v. Curt Warburton
Rich Attonito v. Daniel Roberts
Nik Lentz v. Charles Oliveira
Matt Grice v. Ricardo Lamas
Edward Faaloloto v. Michael Johnson
2011 NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships
The 2011 NCAA division I wrestling championships results. Bubba Jenkins won his first title, after placing 2nd while at Penn State in 2008. Jenkins, the champ at 157 pounds, is currently training at American Top Team, training to make his MMA debut.
This year produced some awesome results, with Penn State, led by coach Cael Sanderson, winning the overall team championship. In an interesting story, Anthony Robles, with one leg, managed to win a championship at 125 pounds. He has stated that it was his last match of his career.
Many of these elite athletes will try to continue a path of amateur wrestling, but some will come to mixed martial arts. Strength, conditioning, mental toughness, the ability to cut weight and quickness are all traits of most high level wrestlers.
The biggest skill that transfers to MMA is the ability to take someone down and defend the take down. However, the mental aspect cannot be overlooked as most of these guys take part in over 100 combat matches over a college career.
Jordan Oliver, Kellen Russell and Jonathan Reader all capped off undefeated seasons. Jordan Burroughs won his second championship, his first being at 157 pounds in 2009. Cornell's Kyle Dake captured his second NCAA championship, this time at 149 pounds after winning the 141 title last year.
125- Anthony Robles (ASU) def Matt McDonough (Iowa) 7-1
133- Jordan Oliver (OSU) def Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) 8-4
141- Kellen Russell (Mich) def Boris Novachkov (Poly) 3-2
149- Kyle Dake (Cornell) def Frank Molinaro (PSU) 8-1
157- Bubba Jenkins (ASU) def David Taylor (PSU) - Fall
165- Jordan Burroughs (Neb) def Tyler Caldwell (OK) 11-3
174- Jonathan Reader (ISU) def Nick Amuchastegui (Stan) 10-3
184- Quentin Wright (PSU) def Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) 5-2
197- Dustin Kilgore (Kent) def Clayton Foster (OSU) - Fall
285- Zachery Rey (Lehigh) def Ryan Flores (American) 2-1
Team Results:
Penn State (PSU)- 107.5
Cornell - 93.5
Iowa - 86.5
Oklahoma State (OSU)- 70.5
American - 65
Arizona State (ASU)- 62.5
Minnesota - 61
Lehigh - 58.5
Boise State (BSU)- 57.5
Wisconsin - 54.5
*(Stan) - Stanford
*(Poly) - Cal Poly
This year produced some awesome results, with Penn State, led by coach Cael Sanderson, winning the overall team championship. In an interesting story, Anthony Robles, with one leg, managed to win a championship at 125 pounds. He has stated that it was his last match of his career.
Many of these elite athletes will try to continue a path of amateur wrestling, but some will come to mixed martial arts. Strength, conditioning, mental toughness, the ability to cut weight and quickness are all traits of most high level wrestlers.
The biggest skill that transfers to MMA is the ability to take someone down and defend the take down. However, the mental aspect cannot be overlooked as most of these guys take part in over 100 combat matches over a college career.
Jordan Oliver, Kellen Russell and Jonathan Reader all capped off undefeated seasons. Jordan Burroughs won his second championship, his first being at 157 pounds in 2009. Cornell's Kyle Dake captured his second NCAA championship, this time at 149 pounds after winning the 141 title last year.
125- Anthony Robles (ASU) def Matt McDonough (Iowa) 7-1
133- Jordan Oliver (OSU) def Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) 8-4
141- Kellen Russell (Mich) def Boris Novachkov (Poly) 3-2
149- Kyle Dake (Cornell) def Frank Molinaro (PSU) 8-1
157- Bubba Jenkins (ASU) def David Taylor (PSU) - Fall
165- Jordan Burroughs (Neb) def Tyler Caldwell (OK) 11-3
174- Jonathan Reader (ISU) def Nick Amuchastegui (Stan) 10-3
184- Quentin Wright (PSU) def Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) 5-2
197- Dustin Kilgore (Kent) def Clayton Foster (OSU) - Fall
285- Zachery Rey (Lehigh) def Ryan Flores (American) 2-1
Team Results:
Penn State (PSU)- 107.5
Cornell - 93.5
Iowa - 86.5
Oklahoma State (OSU)- 70.5
American - 65
Arizona State (ASU)- 62.5
Minnesota - 61
Lehigh - 58.5
Boise State (BSU)- 57.5
Wisconsin - 54.5
*(Stan) - Stanford
*(Poly) - Cal Poly
Video of the Day - Ferguson v. Park
Here is TUF 13 finalist Tony Ferguson fighting Frank Park at Long Beach Fight Night 3 which took place on 1/4/09 in Long Beach, California.
Tony won the TUF 13 170 Pound Tournament Finale by knocking out Ramsey Nijem. Tony, who wrestled at 165 pounds in college is undecided on whether his future lies at the 155 or 170 division.
Tony won the TUF 13 170 Pound Tournament Finale by knocking out Ramsey Nijem. Tony, who wrestled at 165 pounds in college is undecided on whether his future lies at the 155 or 170 division.
Video of the Day - Nijem v. Casey
Here is Ramsey Nijem's final bout before fighting in the TUF 13 tournament against Scott Casey at Showdown Fights - Respect which took place on 9/24/10 in Orem, Utah.
Ramsey will fight Tony Ferguson for the TUF 13 Title on Saturday.
Ramsey will fight Tony Ferguson for the TUF 13 Title on Saturday.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
TUF 13 Finale - Ramsey v. Ferguson
The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 regular season has wrapped, leaving two fighters, Ramsey Nijem (4-1) and Tony Ferguson (10-2) to battle for the tournament championship. Each fighter won three bouts via stoppage to advance to the finale. Nijem was Junior Dos Santos' fourth-round pick while Ferguson was Brock Lesnar's third pick.
Ramsey Nijem, with some unusual in house antics, looked solid in competition. In his first bout, Ramsey dominated Charlie Radar with constant pressure and takedowns. He eventually won after injuring Radar's shoulder on a second round takedown then rear naked choke. The second bout saw much of the same, as Nijem overwelmed Clay Harvision for a quick first round rear naked choke.
The final bout against Chris Cope saw Ramsey throw more hands, rocking Cope in the second with an overhand right. Ramsey continued with the punishment coaxing a ref intervention for a TKO. Expect Ramsey to attempt to apply constant pressure against Tony Ferguson, looking for takedowns to utilize his stifling top game.
Tony Ferguson wanted to throw punches in bunches during all three of his tournament bouts. In the first fight, Tony traded with Justin Edwards before being taken down. Looking for openings and being active on the ground, Tony unloaded a nasty upkick to Edwards jaw, earning the KO victory.
In his second bout, Ferguson quick clean punches for a first round TKO victory over Ryan McGillivray. In his final tournament bout, Ferguson went toe to toe with Chuck O'Neil. O'Neil thwarted some Ferguson takedowns and landed some nice inside/outside leg kicks on Ferguson. However, Tony landed the crisper punches to the face throughout, landing flush in the third eventually ending Chuck's tourney run.
In other action, the final 155 WEC champ Anthony "Showtime" Pettis will face off against Clay Guida. After landing the infamous matrix kick off the cage against Ben Henderson, Pettis seemed destined for a UFC title shot to unite the titles. Unfortunately, the UFC title picture became muddied as current UFC champ Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard battled to a draw. While preparing for the rematch, each fighter sustained injuries.
The delay has prompted this bout, which would validate a future title shot for Pettis, and could put Guida closer to the title shot. Besides the performance over Henderson, Pettis has won via triangle over Shane Roller and Alex Karelexis while KO'ing Danny Castillo with a head kick. Pettis will look to time Guida's movement, utilizing punches to set up his kicks. Don't expect too many kicks, as he will look to stuff eventual Guida takedown attempts.
(Anthony Pettis kick)
Clay Guida, a five year UFC vet, is currently riding three straight submission victories of his own. With his frenetic style with constant head movement, Guida will look to punch to set up his takedowns. Once on the ground, Guida will look to stifle Pettis' submissions while issuing heavy doses of ground and pound.
(Clay Guida throwing a punch)
Here is the full fight card, featuring six fighters from TUF 13, and four from other TUF seasons:
MAIN CARD
Tony Ferguson v Ramsey Nijem - TUF 13 Finale
Clay Guida v Anthony Pettis
Chris Cope (TUF 13) v Chuck O'Neil (TUF 13)
Kyle Kingsbury (TUF 8) v Fabio Maldonado
Tim Credeur (TUF 7) v Ed Herman (TUF 3)
PRELIMS (Select bouts air if time allows)
Reuben Duran v Francisco Rivera
Scott Jorgensen v Ken Stone
Justin Edwards(TUF 13) v Clay Harvison (TUF 13)
Shamar Bailey(TUF 13) v Ryan McGillivray (TUF 13)
Josh Grispi v George Roop (TUF 8)
Danny Downes v Jeremy Stephens
Ramsey Nijem, with some unusual in house antics, looked solid in competition. In his first bout, Ramsey dominated Charlie Radar with constant pressure and takedowns. He eventually won after injuring Radar's shoulder on a second round takedown then rear naked choke. The second bout saw much of the same, as Nijem overwelmed Clay Harvision for a quick first round rear naked choke.
The final bout against Chris Cope saw Ramsey throw more hands, rocking Cope in the second with an overhand right. Ramsey continued with the punishment coaxing a ref intervention for a TKO. Expect Ramsey to attempt to apply constant pressure against Tony Ferguson, looking for takedowns to utilize his stifling top game.
Tony Ferguson wanted to throw punches in bunches during all three of his tournament bouts. In the first fight, Tony traded with Justin Edwards before being taken down. Looking for openings and being active on the ground, Tony unloaded a nasty upkick to Edwards jaw, earning the KO victory.
In his second bout, Ferguson quick clean punches for a first round TKO victory over Ryan McGillivray. In his final tournament bout, Ferguson went toe to toe with Chuck O'Neil. O'Neil thwarted some Ferguson takedowns and landed some nice inside/outside leg kicks on Ferguson. However, Tony landed the crisper punches to the face throughout, landing flush in the third eventually ending Chuck's tourney run.
In other action, the final 155 WEC champ Anthony "Showtime" Pettis will face off against Clay Guida. After landing the infamous matrix kick off the cage against Ben Henderson, Pettis seemed destined for a UFC title shot to unite the titles. Unfortunately, the UFC title picture became muddied as current UFC champ Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard battled to a draw. While preparing for the rematch, each fighter sustained injuries.
The delay has prompted this bout, which would validate a future title shot for Pettis, and could put Guida closer to the title shot. Besides the performance over Henderson, Pettis has won via triangle over Shane Roller and Alex Karelexis while KO'ing Danny Castillo with a head kick. Pettis will look to time Guida's movement, utilizing punches to set up his kicks. Don't expect too many kicks, as he will look to stuff eventual Guida takedown attempts.
(Anthony Pettis kick)
Clay Guida, a five year UFC vet, is currently riding three straight submission victories of his own. With his frenetic style with constant head movement, Guida will look to punch to set up his takedowns. Once on the ground, Guida will look to stifle Pettis' submissions while issuing heavy doses of ground and pound.
(Clay Guida throwing a punch)
Here is the full fight card, featuring six fighters from TUF 13, and four from other TUF seasons:
MAIN CARD
Tony Ferguson v Ramsey Nijem - TUF 13 Finale
Clay Guida v Anthony Pettis
Chris Cope (TUF 13) v Chuck O'Neil (TUF 13)
Kyle Kingsbury (TUF 8) v Fabio Maldonado
Tim Credeur (TUF 7) v Ed Herman (TUF 3)
PRELIMS (Select bouts air if time allows)
Reuben Duran v Francisco Rivera
Scott Jorgensen v Ken Stone
Justin Edwards(TUF 13) v Clay Harvison (TUF 13)
Shamar Bailey(TUF 13) v Ryan McGillivray (TUF 13)
Josh Grispi v George Roop (TUF 8)
Danny Downes v Jeremy Stephens
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
UFC 130 Picks
Question: What are your picks for UFC 130? I'm looking to put some money down in Las Vegas this weekend. What fights will be good?
- Kevin J. - Sacremento, CA
Kevin, the way the card is stacked looks to be poised for some slugfests and quick finishes. The three fights I feel the most confident in are two undercard fights, with my most confidence in Gleison Tibau over Rafeal Oliveira and Michael McDonald over Chris Caraiso.
Gleison Tibau (-330) over Rafaello Oliveira (+280)- Oliveira hasn't beat anyone of great note and doesn't seem to be on the same level as Tibau. An aging Bendy Casmir looks to be his best win, with his last stint in the UFC resulting in a loss to Andre Winner.
Tibau (22-7) is a much larger, stronger and dangerous fighter than Winner. Pretty sure Tibau pulls out a stoppage win. Tibau, a BJJ blackbelt, has defeated Kurt Pellegrino, Josh Neer, Caol Uno and Jeremy Stephens in the UFC.
Michael McDonald (-350) over Chris Cairiso (+305)- McDonald is coming off 5 straight dominant performances with 3 TKO's including Manny Tapia and Cole Ecovedo in Tachi Palace Fights, an armbar over Clint Godfrey in the WEC and a dominant decision over previously undefeated Edwin Figueroa in the UFC.
- Kevin J. - Sacremento, CA
Kevin, the way the card is stacked looks to be poised for some slugfests and quick finishes. The three fights I feel the most confident in are two undercard fights, with my most confidence in Gleison Tibau over Rafeal Oliveira and Michael McDonald over Chris Caraiso.
Gleison Tibau (-330) over Rafaello Oliveira (+280)- Oliveira hasn't beat anyone of great note and doesn't seem to be on the same level as Tibau. An aging Bendy Casmir looks to be his best win, with his last stint in the UFC resulting in a loss to Andre Winner.
Tibau (22-7) is a much larger, stronger and dangerous fighter than Winner. Pretty sure Tibau pulls out a stoppage win. Tibau, a BJJ blackbelt, has defeated Kurt Pellegrino, Josh Neer, Caol Uno and Jeremy Stephens in the UFC.
Michael McDonald (-350) over Chris Cairiso (+305)- McDonald is coming off 5 straight dominant performances with 3 TKO's including Manny Tapia and Cole Ecovedo in Tachi Palace Fights, an armbar over Clint Godfrey in the WEC and a dominant decision over previously undefeated Edwin Figueroa in the UFC.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Video of the Day - Mayhem v Shibata
Here is video from Jason "Mayhem" Miller in his fight against Katsuyori Shibata. Miller is in the zebra pants.
Miller has been selected as a coach opposite Michael Bisping for TUF 14.
Miller has been selected as a coach opposite Michael Bisping for TUF 14.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Video of the Day - Watson v. Ninja Rua
Here is Tom "Kong" Watson fighting Ninja Rua at Bamma 6 in the UK.
b3 by mmablaster.com, your source for MMA!
b3 by mmablaster.com, your source for MMA!
Video of the Day - Trigg v. Phillips
Here is Frank Trigg fighting John "The White Mike Tyson" Phillips at Bamma 6 in the UK.
b2 by mmablaster.com, your source for MMA!
b2 by mmablaster.com, your source for MMA!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Leonard Garcia on Jung, Miller, Jones v. Evans
Here is friend of MMA Blaster, Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV, interviewing UFC fighter Leonard Garcia. Garcia discusses his recent bout with Chan Sung Jung, where he succombed to the first twister in UFC history. Leonard explains that he has now incorporated the move into his arsenal.
Garcia next discusses the feuds between Cole Miller and his "brother" Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. The feud began when Miller had some attitude when Garcia fought him. Cerrone said he was going to come get Miller at 155, and the two almost fought at a restuarant.
In regards to the Rashad Evans leaving of Team Jackson, Leonard describes Evans as a big brother to him. Evans gave Jones the title shot. Garcia just wants them to fight so they can figure it out and be best friends. Garcia believes that Greg Jackson gets the worst of it, because he really didn't want to choose sides.
Garcia next discusses the feuds between Cole Miller and his "brother" Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. The feud began when Miller had some attitude when Garcia fought him. Cerrone said he was going to come get Miller at 155, and the two almost fought at a restuarant.
In regards to the Rashad Evans leaving of Team Jackson, Leonard describes Evans as a big brother to him. Evans gave Jones the title shot. Garcia just wants them to fight so they can figure it out and be best friends. Garcia believes that Greg Jackson gets the worst of it, because he really didn't want to choose sides.
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