Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko
Monday, February 13, 2012
Cain Velasquez vs. Frank Mir, Urijah Faber vs. Dominick Cruz Likely to Take Place This Summer
Amidst a late-night marathon on Twitter on Thursday night, UFC co-owner Lornzo Fertitta broke quite a bit of news regarding multiple bouts in the works, along with news about the upcoming The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil season and fighters the UFC possibly could sign in the future.
The Sunday Junkie: Feb. 12 edition
Just went it seemed the Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz talk was over, that hope went up in smoke.With talk of a rematch from the UFC 143 contest swirling, Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites and now faces a yearlong suspension, putting to rest for now any plans for another fight.
We were again flooded with emails, some questioning the process, others questioning Diaz. But this week's winner of "The Sunday Junkie," our weekly reader-feedback feature, Canadian reader Tyler Adams," thinks Diaz's behavior leaves only one appropriate response.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/oNg3MCRHz4E/the-sunday-junkie-feb-12-edition.mma
Brutal Spinning Back Kick Street Fight
Who got hurt worse the victim or the guy standing next to the bitch that screamed for no reason?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6TovX4_ddE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6TovX4_ddE
Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?77867-Brutal-Spinning-Back-Kick-Street-Fight&goto=newpost
Norifumi Kid Yamamoto Ryushi Yanagisawa Yoshiaki Yatsu Hirotaka Yokoi Hidehiko Yoshida
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Media fantasy camp: Where fans get to experience Nick being Nick
LAS VEGAS -- He's the most bizarre interview in the sport. Even the most savvy media member can't really crack the conundrum that is Nick Diaz.
So when some fans took their swings at Diaz following the UFC 143 press conference, they found out quickly even the best questions will probably illicit an answer that leaves you chuckling or scratching your head.
The first fan got up and asked Diaz what it would mean to him if there was a day when both he and his brother, Nate, were UFC champions. Diaz slowly grabbed the microphone and then had Dana White repeat the question. Great question, right? The answer was pretty straight forward.
"Yeah, that's what we're working towards. That's the idea," said Diaz (9:15 mark).
[ Related: Nick Diaz's straightforward fight approach defies crazy rep ]
Fan No. 2 took his shot and asked about Diaz's "Primetime" quotes, where he said to be a successful fighter, you have to love the sport so much that you have to hate it.
Diaz paused for nine seconds and let out a deep sigh before producing this doozy.
"That pretty much says it, what I said. That's what I meant. That's what that means," Diaz said.
White said Diaz is simply fascinating.
"He's knows the answer, 'but [expletive] you.' And that's a fan! '[Expletive] you, I'm not going to tell you the answer to that," laughed White. "You what I mean? 'I don't give a [expletive] what you think. I'm here to fight and I don't care if you people like me or you hate me.'"
That uncomfortable feeling isn't reserved just for the MMA media or inquisitive fans. Even White feels awkward around Diaz.
"It's almost like he hates us. What the [expletive] did we do? It's crazy. He's a fascinating human being."
White has no issues this time around with Diaz, saying the fighter has done everything the promotion has asked him to. Although he did mention it took Diaz missing three flights before he eventually arrived in Las Vegas from Northern California.
You can watch UFC 143 right here on Yahoo! Sports
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? UFC honors MMA legends, current champs with pay-per-view tribute video
? Arian Foster among NFL stars to try British accent in interview
? Passan: Josh Hamilton's latest relapse restarts quest for sobriety
Nick Diaz Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen Chris Dolman Edson Drago
Not the most romantic bunch, MMA stars give out Valentine?s Day advice
The big day - for women - is just a few days away. Guys know it's get the job done or else on Valentine's Day.
Dave Farra did a nice job of rounding up several stars from both the female and male sides of the mixed martial arts world to get their takes on Feb. 14. This is refreshing to watch as we find out that some of the ladies aren't big fans of V-Day either.
Miesha Tate doesn't the like pressure of having to choose the right gift. Forrest Griffin says "his boyfriend is too picky" but that he's easy to please.
Ronda Rousey says she's generally let down and she usually loses out because her birthday and Valentine's Day are too close together. Natasha Wicks sounds like a dream girl as she complains about the cost of everything. The thrifty Wicks likes to celebrate after the official day has passed.
Urijah Faber admits he just gives himself some loving on the big day while Martin Kampmann uses the Danish card to escape from buying gifts.
Brittney Palmer gives advice to women saying the best gift for your man is a BP calendar or the March issue of Playboy magazine.
Anyone trying to steal Tate away from her fighter boyfriend Bryan Caraway, start off with peanut butter and chocolate.
Love is in the air. Most certainly with our readers. Happy Valentine's Day from the Cagewriter crew.
Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs Ray Cooper Kit Cope Wesley Cabbage Correira
Former TUF finalist Kris McCray headed to Bellator
Kris McCray, who made it to the finals of The Ultimate Fighter Season 11, has signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator Fighting Championships and will debut in the upcoming season. McCray (7-3) was defeated by Court McGee in 2010 in the finals of TUF 11 and dropped two more bouts inside the Octagon thereafter, forcing [...]
Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/02/10/former-tuf-finalist-kris-mccray-headed-to-bellator/
Kerry Schall Nino Schembri Fabiano Scherner Semmy Schilt Alex Schoenauer
UFC 143 video: Scott Jorgensen teaching the next generation of MMA phenoms
You can watch UFC 143 right here on Yahoo! Sports
Scott Smith Renato Babalu Sobral Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Joe Son Chael Sonnen
4 Fights Announced...
---Quote---
Amir Sadollah (5-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) vs. Jorge Lopez (11-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) - UFC on FUEL 3
Cody McKenzie (12-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) vs. Aaron Riley...
Amir Sadollah (5-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) vs. Jorge Lopez (11-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) - UFC on FUEL 3
Cody McKenzie (12-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) vs. Aaron Riley...
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/99825-4-fights-announced.html
Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao
Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem Targeted for UFC 146 on Memorial Day Weekend
UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos will defend his title for the first time against Alistair Overeem in a fight that is expected to take place at UFC 146, the UFC's Memorial Day weekend event on May 26 in Las Vegas.
Ivan Salaverry Sean Salmon Diego Sanchez Jorge Santiago Evangelista Santos
Fertitta: Diaz will not be cut
UFC Boss: Nick Diaz Will NOT be Cut After Failed Drug Test Written by *Tom Ngo (http://www.5thround.com/contact/)*
February 10th, 2012
Image:...
February 10th, 2012
Image:...
Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?77890-Fertitta-Diaz-will-not-be-cut&goto=newpost
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rogério Nogueira Karl James Noons Jan Nortje Phillipe Noer
WALKER: The MMA Stock Exchange - A Look at the Rising and Falling in the UFC's Bantamweight Division
By: Brad Walker, MMATorch Contributor
Here is a brief summary of what I will be doing here; I'm going to look at the current champ from each division and label them "now." Then I will look at who I feel has the best chance to dethrone that champ and label them "next." Next I will select two each of the following: fighters with rising stock, fighters with stagnant (unchanging) stock, and fighters with dropping stocks. I will give explanations as to why I feel each one is placed where they are, and feel free to give me any feedback you believe would be a credible argument, after all analysis is partially opinion, now let's roll our sleeves up and dig in.
BANTAMWEIGHTS
Now: Dominick Cruz. Cruz is currently the lightest weight champion in the UFC, and one hell of a dominant fighter inside of the cage. His wresting is impeccable, and his boxing isn't too shabby either. Cruz holds wins over almost every fighter at the top end of the division, and has only lost once in his seven year career, which was to Urijah Faber. He has the ability to hold guys down and hammer on them for entire rounds, but he doesn't have the most sparkling jiu-jitsu game to go along with his strength. Dominick has defended his UFC Championship twice, but prior to that he held the WEC Title, which he defended twice as well. He's game for any fight, and will do whatever it takes to bring home the win. Cruz needs to work on his BJJ before he becomes a full-fledged dominant champion, because his lack of submission defense led to his only career loss. We are going to be seeing a lot more of him in the months to come coaching opposite Faber on The Ultimate Fighter.
Next: Urijah Faber. The California Kid - a man who has a huge fan following throughout the world, and the abilities to capture the title from Cruz. After all, he is the only fighter ever to defeat him, but then again, he did lose the rematch in a fight of the night effort from both men. Faber has a phenomenal jiu-jitsu game that he has shown off frequently, winning 14 career fights via submission, including one over Cruz. His stand up is pretty solid too, taking home seven ko/tko wins meaning he has finished 21 of his 26 career wins. Faber is probably one of the most solid fighters in the game right now; his only problem is he needs to remember that his strongest point is submissions, not knockouts. I don't know if I would place a bet of Faber to defeat Cruz in their rematch following the next season of TUF but I do know that I would place a solid bet that it's going to earn a fight of the night nod, and if it doesn't make it to the judges probably a submission or knock out of the night too. Urijah has become a phenomenon in the cage and fans just seem to gravitate towards him, but now he needs to rise to the occasion and capture his first UFC gold.
Rising Stock: Renan Barao. This guy is so dominant inside of the cage that he hasn't lost since his very first MMA fight seven years ago - and since then has gone 28-0-1. That is one hell of a streak, and most fighters never even see their winning streaks go into double digits, much less 29 fights without a loss. Barao's jiu-jitsu is insane, and he never misses a chance to show it off, whether it's an arm-bar, rear naked choke, or a kimura he's going to make you tap one way or the other. His striking is pretty solid for his size, but he uses it properly, and strikes to set up take downs and submission attempts. His fight against Scott Jorgensen at UFC 143 was extremely impressive and he took home a very decisive victory against a very game opponent. I expect to see Barao's next fight be labeled a title eliminator fight with Dustin Poirier which could very well be a bitter war on the ground to see who can lock in the first submission.
Rising Stock: Michael McDonald. Perhaps the biggest statistic in McDonalds favor is his age; this guy is only 20 years old with a 14-1 record. He's fought mostly top notch talent throughout his career and may just have the heaviest hands in the division. With a staggering eight career wins by knockout it makes me wonder why people want to stand and trade with him He's still very young and has more than enough time to build momentum and sharpen his skills inside the cage. He's already held bantamweight gold once in his career (in Tachi Palace Fights) and its hard to imagine that he won't get his hands on the UFC strap in the future. In a division stacked with submission experts McDonald brings weapons to the table that will have them scrambling for guard in a heartbeat. His next test will be his biggest to date going toe to toe with Miguel Torres, if he gets a win there hes going to be sitting pretty just within reach of the title picture.
Stagnant Stock: Miguel Torres. I don't know which is scariest about Miguel Torres, whether it be his sheer size at 135 pounds, or his incredible jiu-jitsu game that is nearly unmatched. Since joining the ranks of the elite fighters in mixed martial arts, he has posted an impressive eight wins against three losses in the WEC and UFC.�Torres' overall record of 39 wins and four losses is extremely impressive and one of the best amongst active fighters right now, and with 23 of those wins coming via submission this is not a dude you want to be stuck on the ground with. I had the fortunate luck to bump into Miguel twice over the UFC on Fox 2 weekend in Chicago, and he looks absolutely massive for a bantamweight. He sports an impressive 76 inch reach and the scariest mohawk in all of MMA. The only thing holding Miguel back right now is the quality of the opponents he has beaten lately, and I would like to see him get a step up in competition and see him flash more of his BJJ skills inside of the cage. Once he can get a few fights against better opponents behind him I fully expect to see him make his way into the title picture.
Stagnant Stock: Mike Easton. Easton is just barely getting his feet wet inside the UFC right now with only two fights behind him so far, but he has won both of them, most recently a fantastic war with Jared Papazian in which he edged out a majority decision. This guy is so overwhelmingly impressive, his physique is downright scary and his striking is extremely crisp. To date his most notable win was in 2008 over the most recent TUF winner John Dodson, and that's not the most impressive name to have on your resume. I would love to see Easton get tested against a Brian Bowles or Miguel Torres to see how stable his game will stay as the level of his opponents increases. I'm not saying we should throw this guy in the shark tank, but we can start him out with a few stingrays and go from there. I expect to see him take a loss or two, but come back stronger and ready for a new challenge. Easton has nowhere to go but up from where he is now, but he needs to be fighting guys who are not making their first appearance inside of the Octagon.
Falling Stock: Eddie Wineland. Now don't get me wrong, I am certainly not saying Eddie is a bad fighter because that is very far from the truth, all I'm saying is that he hasn't looked like himself lately. Eddie made his UFC debut on a four fight win streak coming out of WEC, and has since lost two consecutive decisions to Faber and Benavidez. If you look at the statistics Wineland has never been the most consistent fighter as he always seems to pick up a couple wins then take a decisive loss. The fact is Eddie needs to get back to basics, his striking has always been his strongest point and he needs to work on his wrestling and jiu-jitsu skills to maximize the amount of time he can spend on his feet utilizing his power. I have no idea who I would recommend he fights next because the division is so deep, but whoever they put him in the ring with, I hope he comes prepared, or else we may see him get the chop from Dana White.
Falling Stock: Damacio Page. Page started out his career impressively, racking up a clean 5-0 record before taking three consecutive losses. Since then he has seemed to stay on the same path of being wildly inconsistent in his fights, and he seems to be the easiest guy to submit in the division. Of his six career losses, five have come via submission, and considering he fights out of Jackson's Gym in Albuquerque I seriously wonder how this can continue to happen. His next fight will be against Brad Pickett in April, but Pickett has nine wins via submission, so I have to ask myself if Page is going to stand a chance. We all know that UFC tends to hold fighters to the three strikes and you're out rule, so if Page loses to Pickett, he's probably out. Don't get me wrong, Page himself has had some very impressive fights and great knockouts in his career, but I have to question whether or not he is in the right camp for his type of fighting and what he needs to learn to become a better fighter. We haven't seen him in the cage since last March because of injuries, but I truly hope we see a whole new fighter when he makes his return, otherwise we won't be seeing much of him anymore in the future.
Be sure to follow me on twitter @BradMMATorch - feel free to ask me questions, or make comments on what you've read - or tell me what you'd like to see me write in the future. I'm going to wait at least 6 months to do another rundown of the Stock Exchange series, so let me know what all of you would like to see. I am currently working on a number of ideas so expect to be seeing a lot more of me in the near future.
 |
BANTAMWEIGHTS
Now: Dominick Cruz. Cruz is currently the lightest weight champion in the UFC, and one hell of a dominant fighter inside of the cage. His wresting is impeccable, and his boxing isn't too shabby either. Cruz holds wins over almost every fighter at the top end of the division, and has only lost once in his seven year career, which was to Urijah Faber. He has the ability to hold guys down and hammer on them for entire rounds, but he doesn't have the most sparkling jiu-jitsu game to go along with his strength. Dominick has defended his UFC Championship twice, but prior to that he held the WEC Title, which he defended twice as well. He's game for any fight, and will do whatever it takes to bring home the win. Cruz needs to work on his BJJ before he becomes a full-fledged dominant champion, because his lack of submission defense led to his only career loss. We are going to be seeing a lot more of him in the months to come coaching opposite Faber on The Ultimate Fighter.
Next: Urijah Faber. The California Kid - a man who has a huge fan following throughout the world, and the abilities to capture the title from Cruz. After all, he is the only fighter ever to defeat him, but then again, he did lose the rematch in a fight of the night effort from both men. Faber has a phenomenal jiu-jitsu game that he has shown off frequently, winning 14 career fights via submission, including one over Cruz. His stand up is pretty solid too, taking home seven ko/tko wins meaning he has finished 21 of his 26 career wins. Faber is probably one of the most solid fighters in the game right now; his only problem is he needs to remember that his strongest point is submissions, not knockouts. I don't know if I would place a bet of Faber to defeat Cruz in their rematch following the next season of TUF but I do know that I would place a solid bet that it's going to earn a fight of the night nod, and if it doesn't make it to the judges probably a submission or knock out of the night too. Urijah has become a phenomenon in the cage and fans just seem to gravitate towards him, but now he needs to rise to the occasion and capture his first UFC gold.
Rising Stock: Renan Barao. This guy is so dominant inside of the cage that he hasn't lost since his very first MMA fight seven years ago - and since then has gone 28-0-1. That is one hell of a streak, and most fighters never even see their winning streaks go into double digits, much less 29 fights without a loss. Barao's jiu-jitsu is insane, and he never misses a chance to show it off, whether it's an arm-bar, rear naked choke, or a kimura he's going to make you tap one way or the other. His striking is pretty solid for his size, but he uses it properly, and strikes to set up take downs and submission attempts. His fight against Scott Jorgensen at UFC 143 was extremely impressive and he took home a very decisive victory against a very game opponent. I expect to see Barao's next fight be labeled a title eliminator fight with Dustin Poirier which could very well be a bitter war on the ground to see who can lock in the first submission.
Rising Stock: Michael McDonald. Perhaps the biggest statistic in McDonalds favor is his age; this guy is only 20 years old with a 14-1 record. He's fought mostly top notch talent throughout his career and may just have the heaviest hands in the division. With a staggering eight career wins by knockout it makes me wonder why people want to stand and trade with him He's still very young and has more than enough time to build momentum and sharpen his skills inside the cage. He's already held bantamweight gold once in his career (in Tachi Palace Fights) and its hard to imagine that he won't get his hands on the UFC strap in the future. In a division stacked with submission experts McDonald brings weapons to the table that will have them scrambling for guard in a heartbeat. His next test will be his biggest to date going toe to toe with Miguel Torres, if he gets a win there hes going to be sitting pretty just within reach of the title picture.
Stagnant Stock: Miguel Torres. I don't know which is scariest about Miguel Torres, whether it be his sheer size at 135 pounds, or his incredible jiu-jitsu game that is nearly unmatched. Since joining the ranks of the elite fighters in mixed martial arts, he has posted an impressive eight wins against three losses in the WEC and UFC.�Torres' overall record of 39 wins and four losses is extremely impressive and one of the best amongst active fighters right now, and with 23 of those wins coming via submission this is not a dude you want to be stuck on the ground with. I had the fortunate luck to bump into Miguel twice over the UFC on Fox 2 weekend in Chicago, and he looks absolutely massive for a bantamweight. He sports an impressive 76 inch reach and the scariest mohawk in all of MMA. The only thing holding Miguel back right now is the quality of the opponents he has beaten lately, and I would like to see him get a step up in competition and see him flash more of his BJJ skills inside of the cage. Once he can get a few fights against better opponents behind him I fully expect to see him make his way into the title picture.
Stagnant Stock: Mike Easton. Easton is just barely getting his feet wet inside the UFC right now with only two fights behind him so far, but he has won both of them, most recently a fantastic war with Jared Papazian in which he edged out a majority decision. This guy is so overwhelmingly impressive, his physique is downright scary and his striking is extremely crisp. To date his most notable win was in 2008 over the most recent TUF winner John Dodson, and that's not the most impressive name to have on your resume. I would love to see Easton get tested against a Brian Bowles or Miguel Torres to see how stable his game will stay as the level of his opponents increases. I'm not saying we should throw this guy in the shark tank, but we can start him out with a few stingrays and go from there. I expect to see him take a loss or two, but come back stronger and ready for a new challenge. Easton has nowhere to go but up from where he is now, but he needs to be fighting guys who are not making their first appearance inside of the Octagon.
Falling Stock: Eddie Wineland. Now don't get me wrong, I am certainly not saying Eddie is a bad fighter because that is very far from the truth, all I'm saying is that he hasn't looked like himself lately. Eddie made his UFC debut on a four fight win streak coming out of WEC, and has since lost two consecutive decisions to Faber and Benavidez. If you look at the statistics Wineland has never been the most consistent fighter as he always seems to pick up a couple wins then take a decisive loss. The fact is Eddie needs to get back to basics, his striking has always been his strongest point and he needs to work on his wrestling and jiu-jitsu skills to maximize the amount of time he can spend on his feet utilizing his power. I have no idea who I would recommend he fights next because the division is so deep, but whoever they put him in the ring with, I hope he comes prepared, or else we may see him get the chop from Dana White.
Falling Stock: Damacio Page. Page started out his career impressively, racking up a clean 5-0 record before taking three consecutive losses. Since then he has seemed to stay on the same path of being wildly inconsistent in his fights, and he seems to be the easiest guy to submit in the division. Of his six career losses, five have come via submission, and considering he fights out of Jackson's Gym in Albuquerque I seriously wonder how this can continue to happen. His next fight will be against Brad Pickett in April, but Pickett has nine wins via submission, so I have to ask myself if Page is going to stand a chance. We all know that UFC tends to hold fighters to the three strikes and you're out rule, so if Page loses to Pickett, he's probably out. Don't get me wrong, Page himself has had some very impressive fights and great knockouts in his career, but I have to question whether or not he is in the right camp for his type of fighting and what he needs to learn to become a better fighter. We haven't seen him in the cage since last March because of injuries, but I truly hope we see a whole new fighter when he makes his return, otherwise we won't be seeing much of him anymore in the future.
Be sure to follow me on twitter @BradMMATorch - feel free to ask me questions, or make comments on what you've read - or tell me what you'd like to see me write in the future. I'm going to wait at least 6 months to do another rundown of the Stock Exchange series, so let me know what all of you would like to see. I am currently working on a number of ideas so expect to be seeing a lot more of me in the near future.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Staff_Editorials_19/article_12439.shtml
Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher
ONE FC 2: Battle of Heroes (Videos)
http://www.steverattlemma.com/2012/02/one-fc-2-battle-of-heroes-videos
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/multimedia-videos/99820-one-fc-2-battle-heroes-videos.html
Georges St Pierre Masanori Suda Genki Sudo Amar Suloev Mike Swick
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Ryan Ford Post Nick Hinchliffe Interview - Ryan Ford
Ryan Ford Post Nick Hinchliffe Interview Video by Ryan FordSource: http://mmalice.com/ryan-ford/ryan-ford-post-nick-hinchliffe-interview-video_f841c3083.html
Sean O Haire Yushin Okami Bobby Ologun Andy Ologun Alan Omer
UPDATED: Fighters seek sanctions from producers of MMA reality show
IP 360, a legal daily focusing on issues in intellectual property reports on the recent motion for sanctions in a trade secret lawsuit filed in Illinois involving an MMA reality show focusing on women. The producers claims that several fighters on�Ultimate Women?s Challenge�revealed results of the yet-to-be aired show. UPDATE: 02/10/12 – Just to clarify, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Payout/~3/ntD0_C0-ZKg/
Jason Reinhardt Eddy Rolon João Roque Kristian Rothaermel Ben Rothwell
Iron Sky - scifi parody
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py_IndUbcxc
Looking good.
Looking good.
Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?77868-Iron-Sky-scifi-parody&goto=newpost
Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono
With managers' role currently under scrutiny, Alex Davis says now is time to shine
In recent weeks, it seems the role of MMA manager has been thrust into the spotlight - but for all the wrong reasons.With very high-profile clients such as Jose Aldo and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua departing from their longtime management teams, one has to wonder if further moves are inevitable. And if so, do fighters even need managers in their career?
Veteran manager Alex Davis, who has seen MMA transform from sport to big business during his lifetime in the game, believes proper management - when done right - is stall a valuable tool in guiding a fighter's career.
Gilbert Yvel Ishkhan Zakharian Roman Zentsov Zhang Chuanlong Zhang Tiequan
MMAjunkie.com Radio: Dillashaw, Watson, Albert, Loeffler, Thompson, Gabel, Joseph
MMAjunkie.com Radio closes another week of programming with a stacked lineup that includes UFC on FUEL TV 1 fighters T.J. Dillashaw, Walel Watson, John Albert and Sean Loeffler.Additionally, UFC 143 winner Stephen Thompson calls in, as do Cage Warriors Fight Night 3's Matt Gabel and Gareth Joseph.
MMAjunkie.com Radio airs from noon to 2 p.m. ET (9-11 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Listen to and watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.
Gleison Tibau Anthony Torres Miguel Torres Roberto Traven Frank Trigg
Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos - UFC 131
Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos Video by UFC 131Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian Karen Grigoryan Kendall Grove Clay Guida
Not the most romantic bunch, MMA stars give out Valentine?s Day advice
The big day - for women - is just a few days away. Guys know it's get the job done or else on Valentine's Day.
Dave Farra did a nice job of rounding up several stars from both the female and male sides of the mixed martial arts world to get their take...
Dave Farra did a nice job of rounding up several stars from both the female and male sides of the mixed martial arts world to get their take...
Brian Stann Aaron Stark Kalib Starnes Joe Stevenson Luke Stewart
Anyone wanna play me in EA MMA (PS3)
I kinda suck but the game is still fun :) Anyone interested? PSN name is LuckeyGuy
Source: http://forums.ufc.production.sparkart.net/showthread.php?t=111363&goto=newpost
Victor Valimaki Mike Van Arsdale Paul Varelans Jovany Anaconda Varela Tony Vartanian
One FC 2: Ole Laursen vs Felipe Enomoto
Image: http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/945743/Laursen_vs_Enomoto.jpg
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/general-mma-vbookie/99801-one-fc-2-ole-laursen-vs-felipe-enomoto.html
Chuck Liddell Quinton Jackson Forrest Griffin Rashad Evans Lyoto Machida
Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski Recorded Live Video Chat July 8th 2011 - Andrei Arlovski
Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski Recorded Live Video Chat July 8th 2011 Video by Andrei ArlovskiLyoto Machida Marzagui Ayoub Paul McVeigh Frank Mir Daniel Moraes
Friday, February 10, 2012
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview - Strikeforce
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview Video by StrikeforceSource: http://mmalice.com/strikeforce/strikeforce-overeem-vs-werdum-preview-video_68946046e.html
Wes Soldier Combs Ray Cooper Kit Cope Wesley Cabbage Correira Patrick The Predator Côté
Mexican Army finds 13.6 TONS of Pure Meth in Mexico
Mexican troops have made a historic seizure of 13.6 tonnes of pure methamphetamine in the western state of Jalisco, an amount equivalent to half of all meth seizures worldwide in 2009 and worth...
Mark Weir Fabricio Werdum Vernon White Mike Whitehead Jonathan Wiezorek
HANSEN: The Ballad of John and Yoko, (If John Were Carlos Condit and Yoko Were Nick Diaz)
By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Columnist
Not that anyone asked, but here's how I would handle the top of the UFC welterweight division.
As it stands right now, Carlos Condit is the Interim UFC Welterweight Champion, and Georges St-Pierre is the full-fledged UFC Welterweight Champion. I know, I know. Breaking news; you're welcome.
It's very obvious that Dana White, Georges St-Pierre, and Nick Diaz all want to see St-Pierre vs. Diaz for the title. Of course, Carlos Condit went and mucked up that plan by going out there and, you know, winning. So as a result of that ever-so-unpleasant happenstance, we're looking at Condit vs. St-Pierre (yawn) or Condit versus Ellenberger (yawn) or Sanchez (yawn) or Koscheck (which might eventually lead to Koscheck versus GSP III (yawn)) or Hendricks (who? I mean, yawn).
So what's a promoter looking to make his first dollar to do? Let me tell you a story. A true story. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. And... the guilty.
In 2007, there was a guy named... let's call him Tall Guy, who always wore this really tacky Shiny Gold Belt every time he went out in public, and it totally didn't go with any of his shoes. But Tall Guy didn't let that stop him from wearing his twenty pounds of gold out to dinner, contract signings, and the such.
Tall Guy was given this Shiny Gold Belt by Rich Bald Guy, but Rich Bald Guy didn't expect to see Tall Guy wearing the damn thing with him 24 hours a day, ya dig? Unfortunately, even though Rich Bald Guy technically owned the Shiny Gold Belt, he couldn't just up and take it back, because then the lawyers would get involved, and Stan Marsh would yell shenanigans, and then there would be drama, and attention and the such. Rich Bald Guy needed a mercenary.
Enter Old Guy. Old Guy used to work for Rich Bald Guy, but he put himself out to pasture a year prior. Old Guy decided he could beat Tall Guy, so Rich Bald Guy was all about that. Old Guy beat up Tall Guy and Rich Bald Guy gave Old Guy the Shiny Gold Belt, and all was well with life, the universe, and everything. Hairy Back Guy tried to steal the Shiny Gold Belt, but failed miserably, and all was extremely well with life, the universe, and everything.
Unfortunately for Rich Bald Guy, and for life, the universe, and everything, Old Guy was in fact a mercenary. And being a mercenary, one day he told Rich Bald Guy "so long, and thanks for all the fish," and out the door he went. With the Shiny Gold Belt, no less. Horror of horrors!
Rich Bald Guy wanted nothing more than to get back his Shiny Gold Belt, and if he was able to stick it to the mercenary Old Guy, all the better. So he commissioned a goldsmith to make Shiny Gold Belt 2.0, and eventually he gave Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 to Brazilian Scar Dude. Rich Bald Guy then went out and told the world that Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 was better than that other Shiny Gold Belt, and Old Guy can stick it.
(Irrelevant side note... Adrien Brody would look a hundred times better if he took that Gilette Fusion Glider that he's endorsing and shaved the hell out of his sideburns, chin, and upper lip as well. Just sayin'. Back to the story.)
Old Guy knew his Shiny Gold Belt was the best Shiny Gold Belt, and he wanted to get his hands on both Shiny Gold Belts. Apparently he'd then be able to meld the two Shiny Gold Belts into some form of Super Belt with magic powers or some such nonsense. I don't know, whatever, I'm just telling you what I heard. So Old Guy says to Rich Bald Guy, "I'll fight Brazilian Scar Dude, and the winner gets to wear both belts. Deal?"
So Rich Bald Guy�thought about that offer for about 30 seconds, and remembering that his secondary goal was to 'stick it' to Old Guy, he had a message for Old Guy. Rich Bald Guy went up to Old Guy and said, "Sorry Old Guy. I think you can beat Brazilian Scar Dude, and then what have you learned from all this? Nothing. So, I told Brazilian Scar Dude to show his Shiny Gold Belt to Cocky Dude in December. And, you know, even though I'm Rich Bald Guy, it's not like I can just change things with at the snap of my fingers (at which point they say Rich Bald guy busted out laughing for like ten minutes straight). So how about you hang out with Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man in November, and maybe, just maybe, he won't rip the Shiny Gold Belt from your cold dead hands?"
Feeling he had no choice, Old Guy walked into a room with Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man and gave the original Shiny Gold Belt to Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man. Eventually, Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man and Cocky Dude went through with that whole melding of the Shiny Gold Belts thing, and Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 seems to have disappeared.
So, what's the point? How does this tie in to the current UFC Welterweight mess? Simple. Let Condit, or anyone who might beat Condit, defend the interim title as many times as he needs to until GSP is ready to return. Make sure that GSP returns at a time when Condit (or whoever is the Interim champion at that time) is already booked. Then just book the fight you want to book, GSP vs. Diaz for the real title, winner faces the interim champion. Is it really that complicated?
You can follow Irreverent Smart Ass Guy on Twitter, @MMATorchRich
 |
As it stands right now, Carlos Condit is the Interim UFC Welterweight Champion, and Georges St-Pierre is the full-fledged UFC Welterweight Champion. I know, I know. Breaking news; you're welcome.
It's very obvious that Dana White, Georges St-Pierre, and Nick Diaz all want to see St-Pierre vs. Diaz for the title. Of course, Carlos Condit went and mucked up that plan by going out there and, you know, winning. So as a result of that ever-so-unpleasant happenstance, we're looking at Condit vs. St-Pierre (yawn) or Condit versus Ellenberger (yawn) or Sanchez (yawn) or Koscheck (which might eventually lead to Koscheck versus GSP III (yawn)) or Hendricks (who? I mean, yawn).
So what's a promoter looking to make his first dollar to do? Let me tell you a story. A true story. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. And... the guilty.
In 2007, there was a guy named... let's call him Tall Guy, who always wore this really tacky Shiny Gold Belt every time he went out in public, and it totally didn't go with any of his shoes. But Tall Guy didn't let that stop him from wearing his twenty pounds of gold out to dinner, contract signings, and the such.
Tall Guy was given this Shiny Gold Belt by Rich Bald Guy, but Rich Bald Guy didn't expect to see Tall Guy wearing the damn thing with him 24 hours a day, ya dig? Unfortunately, even though Rich Bald Guy technically owned the Shiny Gold Belt, he couldn't just up and take it back, because then the lawyers would get involved, and Stan Marsh would yell shenanigans, and then there would be drama, and attention and the such. Rich Bald Guy needed a mercenary.
Enter Old Guy. Old Guy used to work for Rich Bald Guy, but he put himself out to pasture a year prior. Old Guy decided he could beat Tall Guy, so Rich Bald Guy was all about that. Old Guy beat up Tall Guy and Rich Bald Guy gave Old Guy the Shiny Gold Belt, and all was well with life, the universe, and everything. Hairy Back Guy tried to steal the Shiny Gold Belt, but failed miserably, and all was extremely well with life, the universe, and everything.
Unfortunately for Rich Bald Guy, and for life, the universe, and everything, Old Guy was in fact a mercenary. And being a mercenary, one day he told Rich Bald Guy "so long, and thanks for all the fish," and out the door he went. With the Shiny Gold Belt, no less. Horror of horrors!
Rich Bald Guy wanted nothing more than to get back his Shiny Gold Belt, and if he was able to stick it to the mercenary Old Guy, all the better. So he commissioned a goldsmith to make Shiny Gold Belt 2.0, and eventually he gave Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 to Brazilian Scar Dude. Rich Bald Guy then went out and told the world that Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 was better than that other Shiny Gold Belt, and Old Guy can stick it.
(Irrelevant side note... Adrien Brody would look a hundred times better if he took that Gilette Fusion Glider that he's endorsing and shaved the hell out of his sideburns, chin, and upper lip as well. Just sayin'. Back to the story.)
Old Guy knew his Shiny Gold Belt was the best Shiny Gold Belt, and he wanted to get his hands on both Shiny Gold Belts. Apparently he'd then be able to meld the two Shiny Gold Belts into some form of Super Belt with magic powers or some such nonsense. I don't know, whatever, I'm just telling you what I heard. So Old Guy says to Rich Bald Guy, "I'll fight Brazilian Scar Dude, and the winner gets to wear both belts. Deal?"
So Rich Bald Guy�thought about that offer for about 30 seconds, and remembering that his secondary goal was to 'stick it' to Old Guy, he had a message for Old Guy. Rich Bald Guy went up to Old Guy and said, "Sorry Old Guy. I think you can beat Brazilian Scar Dude, and then what have you learned from all this? Nothing. So, I told Brazilian Scar Dude to show his Shiny Gold Belt to Cocky Dude in December. And, you know, even though I'm Rich Bald Guy, it's not like I can just change things with at the snap of my fingers (at which point they say Rich Bald guy busted out laughing for like ten minutes straight). So how about you hang out with Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man in November, and maybe, just maybe, he won't rip the Shiny Gold Belt from your cold dead hands?"
Feeling he had no choice, Old Guy walked into a room with Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man and gave the original Shiny Gold Belt to Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man. Eventually, Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man and Cocky Dude went through with that whole melding of the Shiny Gold Belts thing, and Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 seems to have disappeared.
So, what's the point? How does this tie in to the current UFC Welterweight mess? Simple. Let Condit, or anyone who might beat Condit, defend the interim title as many times as he needs to until GSP is ready to return. Make sure that GSP returns at a time when Condit (or whoever is the Interim champion at that time) is already booked. Then just book the fight you want to book, GSP vs. Diaz for the real title, winner faces the interim champion. Is it really that complicated?
You can follow Irreverent Smart Ass Guy on Twitter, @MMATorchRich
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/richhansen/article_12453.shtml
Randy Couture Josh Barnett Ricco Rodriguez Tim Sylvia Frank Mir
***OFFICIAL*** Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger Pre/Post fight discussion
Image: http://www.cdn.sherdog.com/_images/fighter/20090622091547_diegosanchez.JPG Image:...
Matt Andersen Alex Andrade Jermaine Andrè Yoji Anjo Ao Hailin
UFC 143 weigh-in: The new Nick Diaz avoids drama, main eventers hit the mark
LAS VEGAS -- UFC 143 has brought us a new Nick Diaz.
That's probably not the case, but the Stockton terror showed some self-control this week at the prefight press conference and again at Friday's weigh-in. No pushing, no shoving. The main event is a go. Both main event fighters checked in at 169 pounds.
Some in the media thought Condit looked a bit drawn and may have had a tough weight cut.
Over the years, Diaz has consistently gotten a little close to his opponent during photo opportunities at pressers and weigh-ins. Frank Shamrock got the finger. He got up close and personal with Evangelista Santos. He got even closer with B.J. Penn. He almost got into it with Paul Daley. Diaz has two postfight dust ups. Once following a KJ Noons victory and the other after his teammate Jake Shields won and was approached in the cage by Jason Miller.
There was a bit of shock in seeing a thinner Roy Nelson. The former 265-pounder, once labeled a bloated truck driver by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, slimmed down to 246.
UFC 143 weigh-in (courtesy MMAjunkie)
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
- Carlos Condit (169) vs. Nick Diaz (169)
- Roy Nelson (246) vs. Fabricio Werdum (246)
- Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Mike Pierce (170)
- Renan Barao (136) vs. Scott Jorgensen (135)
- Ed Herman (185) vs. Clifford Starks (185)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)
- Max Holloway (144) vs. Dustin Poirier (146)
- Alex Caceres (136) vs. Edwin Figueroa (135)
- Matt Brown (171) vs. Chris Cope (171)
- Jorge Lopez (169) vs. Matt Riddle (170)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
- Rafael Natal (186) vs. Michael Kuiper (183)
- Dan Stittgen (170) vs. Stephen Thompson (171)
You can watch UFC 143 right here on Yahoo! Sports
John Alessio Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves
Diaz: Where there's smoke, is there smoke?
by Kirik Jenness | 24 minutes ago | source: The Underground (http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/) | 2978 Views | 6 Comments
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Sam Stout Georges St Pierre Masanori Suda Genki Sudo Amar Suloev
Spike TV to air Diego Sanchez marathon head to head with UFC on Fuel 1 "Ellenberger vs. Sanchez"
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Spike TV will counter-program another live UFC event next Wednesday, but this one is likely to be more effective. The UFC will air their first live event on Fuel TV on that day, a channel many UFC fans currently don't have access to, with a main event between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez from Omaha, Neb.
Spike TV, meanwhile, announced on Tuesday that they'll run a five-hour UFC marathon, with Diego Sanchez bouts sprinkled in throughout the night.
First up will be a rebroadcast of The Ultimate Fighter season nine finale, which featured Sanchez's fantastic fight with Clay Guida. That begins at 7PM ET, and runs until 10PM ET, at which time two UFC Unleashed episodes will be up. The first episode contains Sanchez's UFC 121 bout with Paulo Thiago, while the second features his UFC 82 win over David Bielkheden.
Spike TV will counter-program another live UFC event next Wednesday, but this one is likely to be more effective. The UFC will air their first live event on Fuel TV on that day, a channel many UFC fans currently don't have access to, with a main event between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez from Omaha, Neb.
Spike TV, meanwhile, announced on Tuesday that they'll run a five-hour UFC marathon, with Diego Sanchez bouts sprinkled in throughout the night.
First up will be a rebroadcast of The Ultimate Fighter season nine finale, which featured Sanchez's fantastic fight with Clay Guida. That begins at 7PM ET, and runs until 10PM ET, at which time two UFC Unleashed episodes will be up. The first episode contains Sanchez's UFC 121 bout with Paulo Thiago, while the second features his UFC 82 win over David Bielkheden.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_12436.shtml
Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo Luciano Azevedo Ba Te er Ryan Bader
A. Silva trains in Jungle with Rain Forest Wrestlers for Sonnen!
http://revistatrip.uol.com.br/so-no-site/reportagens/anderson-silva-no-xingu.html#1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlpA-cL99Uw&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlpA-cL99Uw&feature=player_embedded
Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes
Georges St. Pierre: ?The way I see it, I am not the champion anymore on Saturday night.?
A common criticism of ?interim? champions is the belief those who wear the label are not actually in possession of a legitimate belt. However, in the case of this weekend?s UFC 143 headliner between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, injured title-holder Georges St. Pierre has a much different viewpoint on the matter. In his mind, [...]
Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis Tony DeSouza Edwin Dewees Nick Diaz
Nick Walker vs. Joe Morris at MCC - Midwest Cagefighting
HDNet WebFights is back with this beating from the Midwest Cagefighting Championships in Des Moines, IA on 6/24/2011. This bout features two lightweights Nick Walker and Joe MorrisSource: http://mmalice.com/midwest-cagefighting/nick-walker-vs-joe-morris-at-mcc-video_4c4311bd2.html
James Thompson Nick Thompson Josh Thomson Din Thomas Gleison Tibau
UFC 143: Nick Diaz's trainer Cesar Gracie blasts Nevada judges after Diaz's loss to Carlos Condit
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Nick Diaz wasn't very happy on Saturday night when the judges' scorecards were announced in favor of Carlos Condit in their UFC 143 main event. Condit took the decision with scores of 48-47, 49-46, and 49-46, a result that Diaz and his camp simply couldn't believe.
They were so in shock at the result that Diaz's manager Cesar Gracie said on Monday that he thinks the judges don't like Diaz.
"No I don't obviously [think Condit won], [Diaz] clearly won that fight," Gracie said in an interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour at MMAFighting.com (transcribed by BJPenn.com). "I've been there when Nicks lost fights and have told him you kind of let that one go... But this fight it was very clear. I was kind of shocked when I was in the cage, we were pretty much all in disbelief especially when the judges scores where read...
"If you repeat that first round five times you're still gonna lose because every judge had Nick losing that first round, so there was nothing we could have done... In my opinion I don't think the judges like Nick. He talks in the ring, Carlos was running in the ring and at one point Nick slapped him and told him to stop running. Nick thought it was going to be a dog fight."
Gracie believes the judges in Nevada have it out for Diaz, and vehemently disagreed with the decision they handed out. Because of that, it's a hard loss for him and Diaz's entire team to accept.
"I don't know what the judges where looking at," Gracie said. "They don't like Nick in Vegas, they never award him a decision there except the B.J. fight and we almost had to kill B.J. to get that. I don't think we can get a fair fight, I don't think we can get fair judging in that state at all... I don't know how they scored it that way I truly don't.... If Nick would have been knocked out by Carlos I would have felt better about it than I do right now."
Penick's Analysis: I gave my breakdown of the main event yesterday, and the thing Diaz and his camp refuse to accept is that Diaz didn't do a whole lot of anything himself in the fight. One of the reasons he didn't win several of those rounds is because he simply wasn't connecting on much when he was walking Condit down. Conversely, Condit was connecting on his kicks and short combinations. Had three of the rounds looked like round two then Diaz would have a case, but they didn't. It wasn't that the judges didn't like Diaz in the cage, it's that Diaz wasn't effective, at least not nearly enough to have a true complaint in this one.
[Nick Daiz art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
 |
They were so in shock at the result that Diaz's manager Cesar Gracie said on Monday that he thinks the judges don't like Diaz.
"No I don't obviously [think Condit won], [Diaz] clearly won that fight," Gracie said in an interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour at MMAFighting.com (transcribed by BJPenn.com). "I've been there when Nicks lost fights and have told him you kind of let that one go... But this fight it was very clear. I was kind of shocked when I was in the cage, we were pretty much all in disbelief especially when the judges scores where read...
"If you repeat that first round five times you're still gonna lose because every judge had Nick losing that first round, so there was nothing we could have done... In my opinion I don't think the judges like Nick. He talks in the ring, Carlos was running in the ring and at one point Nick slapped him and told him to stop running. Nick thought it was going to be a dog fight."
Gracie believes the judges in Nevada have it out for Diaz, and vehemently disagreed with the decision they handed out. Because of that, it's a hard loss for him and Diaz's entire team to accept.
"I don't know what the judges where looking at," Gracie said. "They don't like Nick in Vegas, they never award him a decision there except the B.J. fight and we almost had to kill B.J. to get that. I don't think we can get a fair fight, I don't think we can get fair judging in that state at all... I don't know how they scored it that way I truly don't.... If Nick would have been knocked out by Carlos I would have felt better about it than I do right now."
Penick's Analysis: I gave my breakdown of the main event yesterday, and the thing Diaz and his camp refuse to accept is that Diaz didn't do a whole lot of anything himself in the fight. One of the reasons he didn't win several of those rounds is because he simply wasn't connecting on much when he was walking Condit down. Conversely, Condit was connecting on his kicks and short combinations. Had three of the rounds looked like round two then Diaz would have a case, but they didn't. It wasn't that the judges didn't like Diaz in the cage, it's that Diaz wasn't effective, at least not nearly enough to have a true complaint in this one.
[Nick Daiz art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_12426.shtml
Minoru Suzuki Tim Sylvia Javier Torres Tor Troeng Nobuhiko Takada
Thursday, February 9, 2012
has anyone noticed cams new level of aggresion?
lately cams been on a warpath! what happened to the fun loving canuck we all loved? did he quit smoking or something else? is his business failing? his wife cheating? tell us cam whats with the new...
Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon
Hockey Fight of the Day: Jared Boll vs. Jim Vandermeer
The HP Pavilion, a.k.a. The Shark Tank, has hosted plenty of fights before as the arena is not only known as a home-base for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks but also the Strikeforce MMA organization. In honor of the venue, last night’s game between the Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets resulted in a number of [...]
Source: http://www.fighters.com/02/02/hockey-fight-of-the-day-jared-boll-vs-jim-vandermeer
Min Soo Kim Dong Hyun Kim Kevin Knabjian John Kolosci Cheick Kongo
HANSEN: The Ballad of John and Yoko, (If John Were Carlos Condit and Yoko Were Nick Diaz)
By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Columnist
Not that anyone asked, but here's how I would handle the top of the UFC welterweight division.
As it stands right now, Carlos Condit is the Interim UFC Welterweight Champion, and Georges St-Pierre is the full-fledged UFC Welterweight Champion. I know, I know. Breaking news; you're welcome.
It's very obvious that Dana White, Georges St-Pierre, and Nick Diaz all want to see St-Pierre vs. Diaz for the title. Of course, Carlos Condit went and mucked up that plan by going out there and, you know, winning. So as a result of that ever-so-unpleasant happenstance, we're looking at Condit vs. St-Pierre (yawn) or Condit versus Ellenberger (yawn) or Sanchez (yawn) or Koscheck (which might eventually lead to Koscheck versus GSP III (yawn)) or Hendricks (who? I mean, yawn).
So what's a promoter looking to make his first dollar to do? Let me tell you a story. A true story. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. And... the guilty.
In 2007, there was a guy named... let's call him Tall Guy, who always wore this really tacky Shiny Gold Belt every time he went out in public, and it totally didn't go with any of his shoes. But Tall Guy didn't let that stop him from wearing his twenty pounds of gold out to dinner, contract signings, and the such.
Tall Guy was given this Shiny Gold Belt by Rich Bald Guy, but Rich Bald Guy didn't expect to see Tall Guy wearing the damn thing with him 24 hours a day, ya dig? Unfortunately, even though Rich Bald Guy technically owned the Shiny Gold Belt, he couldn't just up and take it back, because then the lawyers would get involved, and Stan Marsh would yell shenanigans, and then there would be drama, and attention and the such. Rich Bald Guy needed a mercenary.
Enter Old Guy. Old Guy used to work for Rich Bald Guy, but he put himself out to pasture a year prior. Old Guy decided he could beat Tall Guy, so Rich Bald Guy was all about that. Old Guy beat up Tall Guy and Rich Bald Guy gave Old Guy the Shiny Gold Belt, and all was well with life, the universe, and everything. Hairy Back Guy tried to steal the Shiny Gold Belt, but failed miserably, and all was extremely well with life, the universe, and everything.
Unfortunately for Rich Bald Guy, and for life, the universe, and everything, Old Guy was in fact a mercenary. And being a mercenary, one day he told Rich Bald Guy "so long, and thanks for all the fish," and out the door he went. With the Shiny Gold Belt, no less. Horror of horrors!
Rich Bald Guy wanted nothing more than to get back his Shiny Gold Belt, and if he was able to stick it to the mercenary Old Guy, all the better. So he commissioned a goldsmith to make Shiny Gold Belt 2.0, and eventually he gave Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 to Brazilian Scar Dude. Rich Bald Guy then went out and told the world that Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 was better than that other Shiny Gold Belt, and Old Guy can stick it.
(Irrelevant side note... Adrien Brody would look a hundred times better if he took that Gilette Fusion Glider that he's endorsing and shaved the hell out of his sideburns, chin, and upper lip as well. Just sayin'. Back to the story.)
Old Guy knew his Shiny Gold Belt was the best Shiny Gold Belt, and he wanted to get his hands on both Shiny Gold Belts. Apparently he'd then be able to meld the two Shiny Gold Belts into some form of Super Belt with magic powers or some such nonsense. I don't know, whatever, I'm just telling you what I heard. So Old Guy says to Rich Bald Guy, "I'll fight Brazilian Scar Dude, and the winner gets to wear both belts. Deal?"
So Rich Bald Guy�thought about that offer for about 30 seconds, and remembering that his secondary goal was to 'stick it' to Old Guy, he had a message for Old Guy. Rich Bald Guy went up to Old Guy and said, "Sorry Old Guy. I think you can beat Brazilian Scar Dude, and then what have you learned from all this? Nothing. So, I told Brazilian Scar Dude to show his Shiny Gold Belt to Cocky Dude in December. And, you know, even though I'm Rich Bald Guy, it's not like I can just change things with at the snap of my fingers (at which point they say Rich Bald guy busted out laughing for like ten minutes straight). So how about you hang out with Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man in November, and maybe, just maybe, he won't rip the Shiny Gold Belt from your cold dead hands?"
Feeling he had no choice, Old Guy walked into a room with Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man and gave the original Shiny Gold Belt to Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man. Eventually, Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man and Cocky Dude went through with that whole melding of the Shiny Gold Belts thing, and Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 seems to have disappeared.
So, what's the point? How does this tie in to the current UFC Welterweight mess? Simple. Let Condit, or anyone who might beat Condit, defend the interim title as many times as he needs to until GSP is ready to return. Make sure that GSP returns at a time when Condit (or whoever is the Interim champion at that time) is already booked. Then just book the fight you want to book, GSP vs. Diaz for the real title, winner faces the interim champion. Is it really that complicated?
You can follow Irreverent Smart Ass Guy on Twitter, @MMATorchRich
| |
As it stands right now, Carlos Condit is the Interim UFC Welterweight Champion, and Georges St-Pierre is the full-fledged UFC Welterweight Champion. I know, I know. Breaking news; you're welcome.
It's very obvious that Dana White, Georges St-Pierre, and Nick Diaz all want to see St-Pierre vs. Diaz for the title. Of course, Carlos Condit went and mucked up that plan by going out there and, you know, winning. So as a result of that ever-so-unpleasant happenstance, we're looking at Condit vs. St-Pierre (yawn) or Condit versus Ellenberger (yawn) or Sanchez (yawn) or Koscheck (which might eventually lead to Koscheck versus GSP III (yawn)) or Hendricks (who? I mean, yawn).
So what's a promoter looking to make his first dollar to do? Let me tell you a story. A true story. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. And... the guilty.
In 2007, there was a guy named... let's call him Tall Guy, who always wore this really tacky Shiny Gold Belt every time he went out in public, and it totally didn't go with any of his shoes. But Tall Guy didn't let that stop him from wearing his twenty pounds of gold out to dinner, contract signings, and the such.
Tall Guy was given this Shiny Gold Belt by Rich Bald Guy, but Rich Bald Guy didn't expect to see Tall Guy wearing the damn thing with him 24 hours a day, ya dig? Unfortunately, even though Rich Bald Guy technically owned the Shiny Gold Belt, he couldn't just up and take it back, because then the lawyers would get involved, and Stan Marsh would yell shenanigans, and then there would be drama, and attention and the such. Rich Bald Guy needed a mercenary.
Enter Old Guy. Old Guy used to work for Rich Bald Guy, but he put himself out to pasture a year prior. Old Guy decided he could beat Tall Guy, so Rich Bald Guy was all about that. Old Guy beat up Tall Guy and Rich Bald Guy gave Old Guy the Shiny Gold Belt, and all was well with life, the universe, and everything. Hairy Back Guy tried to steal the Shiny Gold Belt, but failed miserably, and all was extremely well with life, the universe, and everything.
Unfortunately for Rich Bald Guy, and for life, the universe, and everything, Old Guy was in fact a mercenary. And being a mercenary, one day he told Rich Bald Guy "so long, and thanks for all the fish," and out the door he went. With the Shiny Gold Belt, no less. Horror of horrors!
Rich Bald Guy wanted nothing more than to get back his Shiny Gold Belt, and if he was able to stick it to the mercenary Old Guy, all the better. So he commissioned a goldsmith to make Shiny Gold Belt 2.0, and eventually he gave Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 to Brazilian Scar Dude. Rich Bald Guy then went out and told the world that Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 was better than that other Shiny Gold Belt, and Old Guy can stick it.
(Irrelevant side note... Adrien Brody would look a hundred times better if he took that Gilette Fusion Glider that he's endorsing and shaved the hell out of his sideburns, chin, and upper lip as well. Just sayin'. Back to the story.)
Old Guy knew his Shiny Gold Belt was the best Shiny Gold Belt, and he wanted to get his hands on both Shiny Gold Belts. Apparently he'd then be able to meld the two Shiny Gold Belts into some form of Super Belt with magic powers or some such nonsense. I don't know, whatever, I'm just telling you what I heard. So Old Guy says to Rich Bald Guy, "I'll fight Brazilian Scar Dude, and the winner gets to wear both belts. Deal?"
So Rich Bald Guy�thought about that offer for about 30 seconds, and remembering that his secondary goal was to 'stick it' to Old Guy, he had a message for Old Guy. Rich Bald Guy went up to Old Guy and said, "Sorry Old Guy. I think you can beat Brazilian Scar Dude, and then what have you learned from all this? Nothing. So, I told Brazilian Scar Dude to show his Shiny Gold Belt to Cocky Dude in December. And, you know, even though I'm Rich Bald Guy, it's not like I can just change things with at the snap of my fingers (at which point they say Rich Bald guy busted out laughing for like ten minutes straight). So how about you hang out with Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man in November, and maybe, just maybe, he won't rip the Shiny Gold Belt from your cold dead hands?"
Feeling he had no choice, Old Guy walked into a room with Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man and gave the original Shiny Gold Belt to Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man. Eventually, Scandinavian Donkey Kong Man and Cocky Dude went through with that whole melding of the Shiny Gold Belts thing, and Shiny Gold Belt 2.0 seems to have disappeared.
So, what's the point? How does this tie in to the current UFC Welterweight mess? Simple. Let Condit, or anyone who might beat Condit, defend the interim title as many times as he needs to until GSP is ready to return. Make sure that GSP returns at a time when Condit (or whoever is the Interim champion at that time) is already booked. Then just book the fight you want to book, GSP vs. Diaz for the real title, winner faces the interim champion. Is it really that complicated?
You can follow Irreverent Smart Ass Guy on Twitter, @MMATorchRich
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/richhansen/article_12453.shtml
Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George
New BAMMA 9 main event announced (24th March)....
Image: http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431523_10150545411057285_83327412284_8908836_1476819453_n.jpg
World Champion vs. British...
World Champion vs. British...
Lyoto Machida Mauricio Rua Dave Menne Murilo Bustamante Evan Tanner
Michael Bisping splits from longtime team at Wolfslair
Top-ranked middleweight Michael Bisping is no longer a member of Wolfslair MMA Academy.A source close to the camp today confirmed the news to MMAjunkie.com but declined to go into specifics about the change.
Bisping most recently took on Chael Sonnen at UFC on FOX 2 and suffered a unanimous decision loss, which scratched a middleweight title shot against champ Anderson Silva.
Adam Lynn Chris Lytle Lyoto Machida Marzagui Ayoub Paul McVeigh
MTV's Caged is Worst Show Ever and Bad for the Sport
Apparently I must have been living under a rock because for nearly the past 20 years I have watched practically everything ever aired on television...
Source: http://forums.ufc.production.sparkart.net/showthread.php?t=111272&goto=newpost
Karo Parisyan Sherman Pendergarst B J Penn Anthony Perosh Seth Petruzelli
PROPS TO CARLOS MACHIDA FOR SHOWING UP TO "FIGHT"
If Conduit wanted to RUN a marathon with Diaz he should have put on one of those faggot yellow body vests and and some size S bike shorts and him and Nick could have held hands and jogged and soothed...
Josh Koscheck Pascal Krauss Keigo Kunihara Mike Kyle Achmed Labasanov
?UFC on FUEL TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger? Main Card Confirmed
Now that UFC 143 is in the record books, the organization has announced the five main bouts that will air live in their next show on FUEL TV. ?UFC on FUEL TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger? takes place February 15th inside CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska. A pivotal welterweight contest between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez [...]
Source: http://www.5thRound.com/105582/ufc-on-fuel-tv-sanchez-vs-ellenberger-main-card-confirmed/
Marcus Vinicios Falaniko Vitale Igor Vovchanchyn Anthony Walsh Wang Guan
Carlos Condit's manager says they're not interested in Nick Diaz rematch, want GSP bout next
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Carlos Condit captured the Interim UFC Welterweight Championship on Saturday night in a five round decision over Nick Diaz at UFC 143. In the wake of the close 25-minute fight, there have been many calling to see a rematch between the two right away with Georges St-Pierre's injury timetable still not set.
However, the fight with St-Pierre is all that's on Condit's mind right now, and according to his manager Malki Kawa a rematch with Diaz is not at all on his mind.
"At this point, [a rematch] is not something we?re looking to do," Kawa said in an interview with MMAFighting.com on Monday. "We're looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. He was moved around, and shuffled around between fights. He won the fight. It doesn't interest us at all. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. Even [UFC president] Dana [White] scored it for him. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner."
"It was a performance that was excellent," Kawa continued. "He picked apart a very formidable fighter. Two judges saw it four rounds to one, and one saw it three to two. The fact that he didn't stand and bang with him? I'm sorry, not every fighter has to do that. He did what he had to do, and that goes to show me that this guy is mature, he's fighting fights that are smart.
"People are like, 'Oh, Carlos is not a finisher.' The guy threw how many spinning elbows? How many spinning back fists? He threw a flying knee. He tried to finish Nick Diaz when the time and the opening was there. I can't find a flaw in his performance."
Condit's going to take some time off, as he spent several months continuously training after his UFC 137 fight with GSP fell through. When he's ready to get back into action, he'll make a decision on his next fight. For now, though, he hopes that the next bout will be against St-Pierre.
"Carlos is a fighter," Kawa said. "At the end of the day, this is not a guy who wants to sit around and wait. He wants to fight. You never know. Right now, the idea is that we want Georges St-Pierre. The goal is to fight Georges St-Pierre. He wants to be the best in the world, so that's the fight that interests us at this moment."
Penick's Analysis: For all the talk about a rematch, there isn't much in it for Condit. He defeated Diaz on Saturday night. It wasn't a split decision, he had a rightful claim to at least three rounds, and the St-Pierre fight is one he has a right to. Diaz has everything to gain in a rematch, and Condit has already beat him. To take the fight again would mean he would need to prove himself again after having already done so. If the rematch comes about because St-Pierre is out until late in the year and Condit wants to fight, so be it, but he has no obligation to give Diaz a rematch.
[Carlos Condit art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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However, the fight with St-Pierre is all that's on Condit's mind right now, and according to his manager Malki Kawa a rematch with Diaz is not at all on his mind.
"At this point, [a rematch] is not something we?re looking to do," Kawa said in an interview with MMAFighting.com on Monday. "We're looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. He was moved around, and shuffled around between fights. He won the fight. It doesn't interest us at all. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. Even [UFC president] Dana [White] scored it for him. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner."
"It was a performance that was excellent," Kawa continued. "He picked apart a very formidable fighter. Two judges saw it four rounds to one, and one saw it three to two. The fact that he didn't stand and bang with him? I'm sorry, not every fighter has to do that. He did what he had to do, and that goes to show me that this guy is mature, he's fighting fights that are smart.
"People are like, 'Oh, Carlos is not a finisher.' The guy threw how many spinning elbows? How many spinning back fists? He threw a flying knee. He tried to finish Nick Diaz when the time and the opening was there. I can't find a flaw in his performance."
Condit's going to take some time off, as he spent several months continuously training after his UFC 137 fight with GSP fell through. When he's ready to get back into action, he'll make a decision on his next fight. For now, though, he hopes that the next bout will be against St-Pierre.
"Carlos is a fighter," Kawa said. "At the end of the day, this is not a guy who wants to sit around and wait. He wants to fight. You never know. Right now, the idea is that we want Georges St-Pierre. The goal is to fight Georges St-Pierre. He wants to be the best in the world, so that's the fight that interests us at this moment."
Penick's Analysis: For all the talk about a rematch, there isn't much in it for Condit. He defeated Diaz on Saturday night. It wasn't a split decision, he had a rightful claim to at least three rounds, and the St-Pierre fight is one he has a right to. Diaz has everything to gain in a rematch, and Condit has already beat him. To take the fight again would mean he would need to prove himself again after having already done so. If the rematch comes about because St-Pierre is out until late in the year and Condit wants to fight, so be it, but he has no obligation to give Diaz a rematch.
[Carlos Condit art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_12424.shtml
Ricardo Arona Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo
UFC 143 "DIAZ VS. CONDIT" ROUNDTABLE: MMATorch staff and contributors rate and review Super Bowl weekend event
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I'm sick, and I'm crabby. I have also run out of patience for the internet. If one more person tells me Carlos Condit fought like a sissy, I'm going to, well, I won't do a damn thing, but I'll be even crabbier. If anyone deserves to be criticized it's Nick Diaz. Diaz is the guy who refused to adapt. Diaz is the guy who wasn't landing. Diaz is the guy who was eating leg kicks. Diaz is the guy who refused to use his world class BJJ until it was too late. Diaz was the guy who pulled off his best Eric Cartman impression when he didn't get his way and said, "Screw you guys, I'm going home." Don't let the door hit you in the ass. Actually, after choosing to eat more than 100 leg kicks last night, if the door wanted to hit you in the ass, it's going to damn well hit you in the ass.
I'm also crabby because while it was a fine main event, clearly we (and by 'we' I mean everybody) had unrealistic expectations. It was a nice little fight, but not the seminal moment we all expected it to be. If they fought 100 times, this is the worst fight they could possibly put on for us. Fun, but empty, like Studio 54 in 1981.
As for the rest of the show, the less said the better. Werdum looked like a killer. Thompson looked great against the worst middleweight in UFC history, and Poirier did something nasty to the arm of a white belt. I'm still sick, I'm still crabby, so I'll take inspiration from the heart of the 209 and say, "Screw you guys, I'm going home."
ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST: (6.5)
A very hit and miss card. The prelims didn't hit big until the last scheduled fight between Dustin Poirier and Max Hollaway, when Poirier had that slick submission for the win. Same for the KO of Dan Stittgen by Stephen Thompson. The main card started out nice with a submission of Clifford Starks by Ed Herman. Even the Koscheck fight was lackluster, as he seemed frustrated from being there, let actually wanting to be there. Luckily, Werdum and Nelson had a great fight, that showcased what a tough guy Nelson is. Though he didn't leave with the victory (Werdum won via unanimous decision), he still left as the favorite of all the fans in attendance. Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit put on one hell of a fight. Diaz tried to bait Condit with his trademark taunting, but Condit kept his cool. Condit was able to get the decision, unanimously. In the end, the card was just so-so, but was really the last two fights that kept it from terrible.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR: (7.5)
I'm kind of torn on the final fight. It would have been nice to see more fireworks, but Carlos Condit stuck to his gameplan. I still don't think that titles should be won or lost by decisions. I think the only way to win a title, interim or not, should be by finishing your opponent. I understand that's not always possible, though, so we've got to live with decisions. Congrats to Carlos Condit.
I'd be more willing to cut Nick Diaz some slack if he didn't have a history. I also think that he'd say the exact same thing even if you ask him about this in two months. I understand he's frustrated, but he needs to quit playing the retirement card. Newsflash, the MMA world existed before Nick Diaz and will exist long after he's gone. No one in the UFC is bigger than MMA. If Georges St. Pierre, Jon Jones, and Anderson Silva all retired tomorrow the sun would still rise at the same time and the UFC would continue doing business.
On a final note, Roy Nelson must have steel plates in his head or something. Fabricio Werdum was laying into him with some vicious shots but couldn't stop him. Roy is like the real-life Homer Simpson.
BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR: (8.5)
UFC 143 held a lot in the balance mostly in the main event, but the fights on the main card provided a much needed dose of entertainment after the UFC on Fox 2 fights. Ed Herman was beat up badly in the first round but came back to pull off a great submission against Clifford Starks. In the future I hope opponents don't underestimate Starks' right hand. As expected Barao steamrolled Jorgensen on points, but I fully expect to see Jorgensen back in the near future as his all around game is solid. After that things started to get sketchy, I had Mike Pierce winning his fight against Josh Koscheck 29-28 but the judges clearly saw things differently. Koscheck didn't look as dominant as usual and was once again taken to school by a better striker, he needs to work on that aspect of his game and stop expecting his only striking talent - an overhand right - to carry him through fights that stay standing. Werdum vs. Nelson was one of the best heavy weight fights I have seen in quite some time; Werdum put every ounce of his striking ability right on Nelson's chin and Roy just shook it off, even avoiding a submission attempt, definitely a contender for fight of the night as Nelson hung in there through the very last seconds of the fight - with his new, not-nearly-as-round physique.
Now we have the steak and potatoes; the main event of Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit vs. Nick Diaz - this fight was created to be beautiful. If you are a twitter user as most of us here at the Torch are, there was a wide array of scores coming in from all sides of the world from fans and MMA fighters alike that had this fight scored in all directions with different scores in each one. Nick Diaz looked cocky as usual for the start of the fight and Condit looked uncomfortable which I would expect with Diaz's mind games. Nick very clearly wanted to continue to play with Condits head through the entire fight but was completely outclassed on his feet for five rounds. It was a great fight, especially late in the fifth round when Diaz was fighting for a submission. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and can't say a single negative thing about Condits gameplan - however Diaz did not execute, and how he looked confused at the judges decision and how he was is beyond me. It was clearly Condit's constant striking that won him the fight - although Diaz was certainly no slouch, landing a large number of punches and scoring a late takedown. Personally, I would rather see Diaz vs. Condit 2 than see Carlos defend against whomever is deemed the #1 contender at this point in time - there are quite a few fighters with legitimate arguments for the spot. Jake Ellenberger is facing Diego Sanchez, and Koscheck looked less than great tonight, so lets get a rematch for this ASAP. I know soon we will see Rich Hansens fights to make after UFC 143 - I hope to see Hendricks Vs Koscheck on that list.
This is a UFC card that you can wait for on DVD but you will be hearing about the Nelson Vs Werdum fight and Diaz vs. Condit fight constantly until you see them for yourself. Also be sure to look into Dustin Poirier's incredible submission of Holloway when you get the chance. Overall a great card that provided us with everything you want, especially on the top end of the card.
MATT PELKEY, MMATORCH COLUMNIST: (6.0)
Oh, where to begin. First off, I think we'll be seeing Condit-Diaz II sometime in the spring while GSP continues to heal. I had it 48-47 Diaz. I thought he clearly won the first two rounds, Condit won three and four, and Diaz sealed the fight in the last minute by taking Condit's back and going for a couple of submissions. Condit ran away literally the entire fight. And that wasn't the only awful decision on the card. The Martinez-Riddle fight was also a joke. Martinez easily won the first two rounds, but apparently Riddle's berserker routine in the last thirty seconds of round two was enough to make two judges forget about the first four and a half minutes. The card was largely a letdown, but was still obviously newsworthy with the crowning of an interim champion, plus it gets some bonus points for two highlights in particular. The first was Stephen Thompson's roundhouse KO of Dan Stittgen. I'm excited to see another karateka in the UFC, and his finish is yet another highly memorable KO already in this young year. The other was Dustin Piorier's topside triangle armbar submission of Max Holloway. Sure, Holloway is super young, and was even superer overmatched on the mat, but it was the first real submission highlight in a KO filled year so far. Nothing else really stood out to me, other than Renan Barao's performance against Scott Jorgenson. His striking was on point, and he completely shut down Jorgenson's wrestling game. He'll be an interesting challenger for the Cruz-Faber winner.
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR: (8.0)
UFC 143 started with a new intro and the retirement of the old gladiator footage. The new intro was great, and it honors some of the best fighters ever.
Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks started out with very exciting exchanges on the feet and was a great back and forth battle. Ed Herman was losing that battle before catching Starks in rear naked choke. Good fight between a good veteran and a great new comer. Clifford Starks is a name you need to remember. Once he learns more that wrestling, he will be someone to reckoned with at middleweight.
Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen saw two bantamweight fighters that fought a high paced and very entertaining fight. Barao's kicks were great to watch and his ground game is at a very high level. I have not seen Barao fight before and I am sure he has the skills to fight for the title in the not too distant future. Barao won a close decision victory over the veteran Jorgensen. With a record of 31-1-1 he will be fighting for the title this year if he can earn one more win in the UFC.
Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce started with Koscheck refusing to touch gloves and ended with a three round action packed fight that was too close to call. Koscheck came into the fight the heavy favorite, but the three rounds of action was one of the closest fights in recent memory. The split decision for Koscheck was not a surprise, but it was when he flipped off the crowd while Joe Rogan interviewed him after the fight. Classy.
The first round of the Roy Nelson vs Fabrico Werdum fight was one of the best first rounds I have seen in a long time. Roy Nelson's ability to take punishment is amazing. Werdum's knees are lethal and world class. It was a good fight, but Werdum clearly won every round. Werdum is now in the mix for the heavyweight title and I think Nelson will be forced to drop to light heavyweight or be dropped from the UFC.
The main event between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz was a nail biter. Both fighters were focused and seemed like they stayed to their game plan. This fight was spent the on the feet until the last 90 seconds when Diaz took Carlos down and got his back. It was a super close fight in a night filled with super close fights. I am glad I did not have to score this fight. I know how many people are going to question the victory decision for Condit. I thought he controlled three rounds and won the fight.
Nick Diaz was talking about retiring after the fight because he was robbed by the judges. He should have finished the fight and not left it up to the judges. I am positive that those comments are not really the last time we will hear from Diaz in the Octagon.
The victory by Condit sets up a great title fight between GSP and Carlos Condit later this fall. Great night of fights and five hours of action between the FX under card and the pay-per-view.
JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST: (7.0)
Good card, but not great. I was fairly bored by some of the undercard fights, but things picked up on the main card.
The main event really brings up my score because it delivered a competitive five round fight, and those are awesome. It wasn't the crazy battle of attrition that Nick Diaz fans are used to, but that's because it's a high level mixed martial arts contest for a UFC championship. The fact of the matter is that Nick Diaz fights an exciting style that's meant for mid to upper mid-tier welterweights. At the elite level, guys aren't going to let you box them up along the fence and drag them into your fight. Condit was simply able to keep his back off the fence, counter effectively and out land Diaz.
The co-main event between Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson was fun for the first round, but but like most heavyweight fights, got progressively worse as the fight continued. It didn't get too bad, but things slowed considerable. On the plus side, we got a good look at some of the improvements Werdum made to his game and firmly cemented Nelson in his tough-but-not-great heavyweight gatekeeper role.
Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce was tough to watch, but it needs to be said that Mike Pierce's style just isn't suited to win decisions in MMA. He's really gotten jobbed on close decisions in the past and it will continue to happen if he doesn't score clear undeniable offense.
Renan Barao really proved that Nova Uniao has one hell of a wrestling coach against Scott Jorgenson, but slowing down like that indicates to me that the Brazilian would get eaten alive in a 25 minute fight against UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz.
Good, but not the greatest card in the world. It certainly wasn't UFC on Fox 2 bad, but it was no UFC 141 or 142.
SHAWN ENNIS, MMATORCH SENIOR COLUMNIST: (8.0)
I haven't been able to see the prelims yet, so this is strictly a main card rating. I really enjoyed the fights tonight. Even Koscheck-Pierce, which had its moments of weirdness and stalling, was mostly fun to watch. I'm going to focus mostly on the main event here, and I'll talk about it more in the thumbs up/thumbs down.
For those saying that Carlos Condit won by running away, I ask you this: how do you run away and outland your opponent? Diaz landed some clean shots, yes, but Condit landed a lot more consistently. The other main point to make about Condit's gameplan: show me someone in the last five years that has stood in front of Nick Diaz and won. You can't. If you stand in front of Diaz and try to go toe to toe, you lose. It's that simple. You saw some of the shots that Condit landed tonight - most notably a couple of headkicks that landed full-on, shin to face, and Diaz didn't flinch. You can't hurt him, so why would a smart fighter stand toe-to-toe with him? And people want to take issue with the way Condit fought? Please.
Also, if you're in the Matt Lindland school of judging, look at the damage to the faces. Diaz was clearly more marked up than Condit was. There was no question who won the fight and who was the smarter fighter. The thing about Diaz is that he can't (or won't) dictate where the fight takes place. He was losing the fight on the feet, and there's no denying that. Yet not until the end of the fifth round did he decide to attempt to take the fight to the mat. We all know that Condit didn't hurt Diaz or come close to finishing him.
But if not getting hurt was the only criterion upon which fights were judged, Diaz would only lose to Jeremy Jackson. If Diaz had decided to either take the fight down early or cut off Condit's angles instead of talking trash, he might have won a round or two more. Instead, he decided to tell Condit that he wasn't hurt. That's not offense. And as far as Diaz retiring, if you choose to retire rather than analyze a fight that you clearly lost and see how you can improve your game, that's fine. Take your ball and go home. At least Tito Ortiz would actually admit to losses, even if he claimed injury.
Fabricio Werdum was a different fighter tonight than I can ever remember seeing. If that version of Werdum had fought Alistair Overeem, we might have seen a different result. Werdum absolutely battered Roy Nelson from pillar to post tonight. Nelson may be unfinishable (if that's a word [Ed. note - It's not]), though that may also be to the detriment of his health. I'm hoping for a Werdum-Mir fight. That would be fun.
Renan Barao didn't blow the doors off of Scott Jorgenson, but I don't think that means his win was a disappointment. Jorgenson is a tough guy. The timing is probably right for Barao to take one more fight rather than waiting for a season of TUF followed by Faber-Cruz, so I'd like to see him fight the winner of Torres-McDonald with a title shot at stake.
That's all I've got for now, but I'll have more in the form of Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down after I see the prelims. Until then, if you didn't enjoy Diaz-Condit, or if you think Condit ran away, I really don't know what to tell you. This is one of the first times I've been truly baffled by the reaction to a fight.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/roundtables/article_12409.shtml
Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah Terrance Aflague
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