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| UFC Quick Quote: James Irvin on the 8 second Houston Alexander knockout Posted: 03 Apr 2008 08:29 AM CDT
– James Irvin details during the UFC Fight Night 13 post-fight press conference what he was looking at alongside referee Steve Mazzagatti when he dropped Houston Alexander with a Superman punch just seconds into their 205-pound fight. It was stopped in eight seconds, tying the record (Don Frye vs. Thomas Ramirez at UFC 8 ) for the shortest fight in the history of the promotion. |
| Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta: Hottest fight right now in the lightweight division Posted: 03 Apr 2008 08:09 AM CDT
Props: UFC.com (Note that Huerta has indicated that he will not compete until at least September 2008 to finish college. Let’s hope that changes.) |
| SI.com: Green jackets & frozen feet tougher than MMA Posted: 03 Apr 2008 01:02 AM CDT
UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva and former Pride FC Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko make the 25 Toughest Athletes list over at SI.com. Emelianenko came in at #8 — behind Allen Iverson but ahead of Floyd Mayweather. |
| New York Times profiles IFL fighter Jamal Patterson Posted: 03 Apr 2008 12:26 AM CDT
Patterson, like so many of today’s fighters, has a “normal” life consisting of a full-time day job (hence the nickname) and a loving family. I know that may come as a shock to many MMA critics who would ordinarily see Patterson as nothing more than bloodthirsty Neanderthal who spends his downtime frothing at the mouth. Here’s a snip:
Patterson is preparing for his upcoming title fight against IFL light heavyweight champion Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko (20-3) at this Friday’s New Blood - New Battles event at The IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ. Kudos to the New York Times for presenting the article in a fair and balanced manner. Who would have thought we would see the day where a major publication examined the sport of mixed martial arts without the use of adjectives like brutal, savage, or barbaric. And not one reference to human cockfighting. Go figure. Click here to check out the article. |
| Ultimate Fight Night 13 recap for Florian vs. Lauzon Posted: 02 Apr 2008 10:20 PM CDT
"Mazz" was involved in two "controversial" stoppages on the main card, which were disputed heavily by the fighters on the losing end of those calls, Karo Parisyan and Houston Alexander. Let’s start first with the main event of the evening between lightweights Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon. As expected, both fighters set a frenetic pace from the outset, going back and forth with switches and takedowns. Florian unleashed some vicious elbows while on his back, which were deemed dangerous by the referee and warned that a point would be deducted if he did it again. From this point on it seemed Florian began to take over — despite some nice submission attempts from Lauzon to twist Florian’s ankle off. When the second round began Florian mounted Lauzon numerous times and he could not escape. Lauzon seemed to block most of the strikes, but he could not buck Florian and eventually the referee had seen enough. It was a great effort by both fighters and it could have possibly lasted a but longer if it wasn’t for the thin Colorado air — it seemed to take its toll on Lauzon. Even in a losing effort Lauzon showed he can compete against the cream of the division. Meanwhile, Florian cemented his status as the man to beat to get the next title shot at 155 pounds. Parisyan started off his bout with Thiago Alves strong, taking the Brazilian to the mat with a textbook takedown after securing the body lock. He worked from the top position for a bit until Alves eventually worked his way to the feet. Alves looked sluggish throughout the first stanza and did not uncork one of his trademark kicks until the two minute mark. Perhaps he was just feeling out the Armenian, but until he drilled Parisyan with a knee to the jaw from the clinch in the opening minutes of round two, he didn't look comfortable at all. But that's all it took … Alves followed Parisyan to the canvas and threw a flurry of combinations that Mazzagatti determined were too much. "The Heat" was irate from the moment of the stoppage and did not seem punch drunk at all. However, it was clear that he was hurt and apparently did not do enough to demonstrate that he was all good. This is a massive blow to Parisyan's immediate title fight chances and a massive boon to Alves.' Barring an injury to either Georges St. Pierre or Matt Serra in two weeks, it looks like the top welterweight contender picture has been cleared up thanks to one Alves knee. Get ready, Jon Fitch. Matt Hamill weathered the Jeet Kun Do blitzkrieg of Tim Boetsch to finish "The Barbarian" in the second round of their 205-pound scrap. Boetsch looked winded just minutes into the fight and could not muster up the energy to intelligently defend the ground and pound of Hamill. Hamill used his "gorilla strength" and a "rape choke" to overwhelm Boetsch in the end, showing a good chin and a more well rounded skill set in doing so. It should be real interesting to see where both these guys end up next. And what's there to say about Nate Diaz? This kid (he's just 22-years-old) just oozes talent and guts. Kurt Pellegrino beat the hell out of him for the entire first round, opening up a bad gash over his eye and lumping his face up nice. It looked to be like round two was going to be more of the same until Diaz wrapped his long limbs around the neck of "Batman" coming off a slam, cinched in the triangle, sat back, flipped off the overhead cameras and celebrated before getting the fight-ending tap. His brother, Nick, has taught him … well? Diaz has cemented his status as a very dangerous player in the very crowded lightweight division. To start off the evening, big surprise, James Irvin was involved in another quasi-controversial bout, stopping Alexander in record time en route to a first round technical knockout win. "The Sandman" dropped the Nebraskan with a Superman punch just moments into the 205-pound tilt. He followed it up with about three unanswered strikes, which forced the referee to step in and call a hault to the action. Alexander did look like he was out momentarily and defenseless, but he claimed during the post-fight interview that he was conscious throughout the exchange and the decision to stop the fight was "crap." Regardless, it's over and Irvin has notched a nice win, ensuring that his immediate future with the organization is safe after a tumultuous fight season in 2007. As for Alexander, it's anyone's guess where he goes from here after back-to-back technical knockout losses. He's a big fan favorite because of his raw ability and devastating punching power. However, one more loss could mean that fans will have to enjoy watching him knock dudes out — or get knocked out — elsewhere outside the Octagon. In the swing bout of the evening, Gray Maynard outboxed and outwrestled Frank Edgar to keep his undefeated record intact and to become the first man to find an answer for "The Answer." Maynard came in with a tight game and came away with a huge win over a very highly ranked fighter in the 155-pound class. This was a huge win for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 alum and should mean that he meets up with some of the top competitors in the division. A showdown with TUF 5 winner, Diaz, would be a fantastic match up — Diaz defeated "The Bully" while the two were on the show. As for Edgar, he'll more than likely return after his honeymoon (in 10 days) and be in search of redemption. Tough loss for Edgar but he'll come ba ck strong without question. That’s it for an action-packed night of mixed martial arts. The fans in attendance — like those of us at home — should be pleased. Out of 12 fights only two went to decision. Great stuff. For UFC Fight Night 13 quick results and LIVE blow-by-blow commentary of the main card click here. |
| Ultimate Fighter 7: Episode 1 recap and discussion Posted: 02 Apr 2008 09:00 PM CDT
The 16 new contestants wander into the gym with an unexpected air of humility. Then (almost comically) the remaining doors open and more contestants file in like the multiple Smiths from the hallway scene towards the end of The Matrix Reloaded. It took a few minutes of standing around bewildered but fortunately simple arithmetic prevailed and the guys realized there were now 32 contestants instead of 16. Dana welcomes the cast and introduces coaches Forrest Griffin and Rampage Jackson. Dana reminisces about season's past and declares his hatred for pussies and posers. I guess that explains his public disdain for the Sherdog forums. His solution is to have the contestants fight their way onto the show - or Fighters vs. Posers as Dana so affectionately calls it. Elimination tournament. Eight fights in the first episode. Trial by F'ing fire. I know it's early but damn if this isn't shaping up to be the best opener in TUF history. Not every contestant is as ecstatic as I am about this new development. Brandon Sene quit his job and sold his cars so that he could be on the show. Hopefully he doesn't get sent home on the first day since he now has no way to get home from the airport. Rampage wastes no time getting into character following Dana's announcement and swears it smells like someone shit their pants. I suppose it's possible seeing as how Tim Sylvia didn't leave the UFC until last week. The middleweights weigh-in first and everyone made weight which is surprising considering it was done on such short notice. Kudos to them. Middleweight Elimination Fight #1: Prince McLean (4-5) vs. Mike Dolce (4-4) Round 1: McLean eats a punch and they tangle and fall to the mat. McLean reverses but gets slammed back down for his efforts. Dana is amused by Dolce's war face. Rampage is partial to McLean's personality. Soon after McLean crumples in the corner from strikes. Mike Dolce defeats Prince McLean via TKO (strikes) McLean breaks down on camera as the producers give us the slow piano music that means we should be sad. Unfortunately the next fight is starting right away so the best we can do is bid adieu and keep it rolling. Middleweight Elimination Fight #2: Cal Yarbrough (0-0) vs. John Clarke (6-2) Yarbrough is a friend of Coach Griffin but Forrest isn't high on his chances. Clarke had to cut 17 pounds to make the fight and is getting too old to get drunk and fight in Boston. Knowing Boston's high moral standards, I find that very hard to believe. Round 1: Yarbrough misses with a high kick. Clarke shoots and scores easily. Forrest calls it garbage. Rib punches by Clarke. Yarbrough scrambles but goes nowhere. Clarke tries for the kimura but lets it go. Clarke gets warned for punches to the back of the head. Clarke rolls. Forrest continues to grimace. Yarbrough escapes and gets to his feet. They go back to the ground and Yarbrough gets top position. Clarke easily reverses and looks for the armbar. Yarbrough escapes and sticks his head into a guillotine but is able to back out and get to his feet. Yarbrough throws some sloppy strikes but Clarke is too exhausted to defend and just covers up until the ref stops it. Cal Yarbrough defeats John Clarke via TKO (strikes) The producers must not have been very fond of John Clarke since we don't even get a parting shot with him looking sullen on the bus ride to the airport. Instead we roll right into the third fight of the night. No complaints here. Middleweight Elimination Fight #3: Steve Byrnes (6-1) vs. Amir Sadollah (0-0) Round 1: Sadollah lands a front kick. Byrnes shoots and backs him to the cage but gets stuffed and still holds on. Byrnes eventually spins him to the mat into half and then full guard. Byrnes eats some shots from the bottom. A lot of effort for positioning and a lot of energy getting spent. Byrnes sneaks in some elbows. They inadvertently kiss during a transition. Sadollah does a nice roll and reverses position. Dana and Forrest argue whether or not Sadollah is strong. Byrnes locks in an armbar but Sadollah narrowly escapes. Sadollah back on top. Rampage gets submitted by his own spelling. Sadollah stands and gets reversed. Sadollah bleeding from the nose but stays busy from the bottom. Rampage doesn't like Byrnes face so close to Sadollah's yam-bag. Round one ends with Byrnes landing hammer fists. Round 2: Sadollah with a high kick. Sadollah shoots and drags Byrnes to the floor. Byrnes rolls and gets top briefly but Sadollah keeps the momentum with him and gets back to top position. Byrnes stands up and eats a knee. Byrnes is sucking wind but still gets a takedown. Sadollah looks like he's playing twister and accidentally lands on top of Byrnes. Sadollah lands some heavy blows from the top. Byrnes rolls again and gets trapped in an armbar and is forced to tap. In his excitement Sadollah runs to the side of the cage and jumps on it - only to come crashing right down like a winded Humpty Dumpty. Not satisfied with the embarrassment of falling on his head, Sadollah commences with an on-camera dance. And it's the robot. The largest collection of crickets and tumbleweeds ever assembled make their way across televisions nationwide. Amir Sadollah defeats Steve Byrnes via submission (armbar) Prior to the final televised fight of the night, we get highlights (and lowlights) of four fights that took place during first wave of the middleweight elimination tournament. CB Dolloway (6-0) defeats David Baggett (4-2) via TKO (strikes) Middleweight Elimination Fight #4: Dave Roberts (4-5) vs. Jeremy May (6-5) Roberts is seen training with Rampage before the fight much to the dismay of Jeremy May. Rampage tells May to mind his own business. Round 1: Roberts with a low kick. May returns the favor. Glancing haymaker by May. Roberts keeps his hands low. May rushes in with a combo that backs Roberts into the cage. May smothering him with punches. Roberts grabs a leg in desperation and they fall to the mat. Roberts looks lost and gets caught in an armbar. Rampage looks disgusted. May gets a wee bit cocky after the fight. Jeremy May defeats Dave Roberts via submission (armbar) Episode one is officially in the books and I couldn't be more pleased with the way this season has started. Fans have long been clamoring for more action and less drama and episodes one and two look to deliver on that demand. My only question is: How will they be able to sustain this kind of action-packed pace for the remainder of the season? Only time will tell. Stay tuned next week as they crank out eight more fights to determine the remaining middleweight contestants for this season including one of the most brutal knockouts in the history of the show - complete with ambulance! See you then! |
| UFC Fight Night 13 results, coverage and winners LIVE tonight! Posted: 02 Apr 2008 03:22 PM CDT
Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC Fight Night 13. If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main UFC Fight Night 13 results post and not this one. |
| Live High, Train Low: Altitude Training Systems to make difference at UFC Fight Night 13? Posted: 02 Apr 2008 01:36 PM CDT
When Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon meet tonight at the Broomfield Event Center for the UFC Fight Night 13 main event, there just might be one area where Lauzon has the edge: An ability to adjust to the change in altitude in the "Mile High City." That's because Lauzon has been using an altitude training system. Intended to help an athlete adjust to changes in elevation, altitude sleeping and workout systems are growing in popularity — especially in the world of mixed martial arts. You might have seen tape of Wanderlei Silva working out with a crazy mask and tube strapped to his face in preparation fight against Chuck Liddell at UFC 79. Strikeforce/EliteXC fans heard the ringside announcers comment on how both Frank Shamrock and Cung Le utilize similar devices. The UFC 80 Countdown show featured B.J. Penn — who helped prepare Lauzon for tonight's fight with Florian — in an altitude sleeping chamber. Penn swears by this device, which helps him and his fighters adjust from the near-sea level altitude of Hilo, Hawaii, where they train, to higher altitudes like Denver, Colo., as well as providing an intense workout. I spoke with Matt Formato of Hypoxico Altitude Training Systems —the leading distributor of such devices, which has provided training systems for Penn, Lauzon, Shamrock, Le, Din Thomas and a host of other top athletes — to find out how it all works. It's actually fairly simple. "By sleeping at altitude and by prolonged exposure to an altitude environment," Formato told MMAmania.com, "the body naturally releases EPO (or Erythropoietin), which triggers the kidneys to produce more red blood cells. More red blood cells in the blood equates to a higher oxygen-carrying capacity, and the more oxygen carried within the blood, within the body, the more oxygen that is able to be delivered to the body when it is under duress." "That being said, an increased oxygen-carrying capacity within the body leads to an overall greater conditioning level and greater cardiovascular stamina." Hypoxico offers Altitude Sleeping Systems that include tents for your bed; Altitude Workout Systems, such as the masks work by Shamrock and Le that were featured on Goldberg's Toe to Toe segment (you can find it here); and even Altitude Wellness Systems that can be used in a relaxed state in the treatment of asthma, allergies, diabetes, sleep disorders and other degenerative or chronic diseases. If you can't afford one of these training systems on your own, you might be able to find a local fitness center that offers altitude training. More and more gyms, especially on the west coast, are beginning to offer altitude chambers, which enclose several fitness machines and are ventilated with hypoxic air, allowing for multiple simultaneous users. In fact, you can even convert an entire room, if you're so inclined. These devices actually lower the oxygen level from about 21 percent at sea level down to about 13 percent, which simulates a 12,500 feet altitude environment. Take that, you Nepalese sherpas. While altitude training has received a lot of notoriety from fighters like Tito Ortiz and Rampage Jackson, who have trained in Big Bear, Calif.(elevation 6,752 feet, or 2,058 meters), you might ask yourself, how do you benefit from merely sleeping at altitude? Let's say you have a foot race with a Kenyan long distance runner coming up in four to six weeks. Let's face it, unless you do something drastic, you're going to get creamed. After all, this dude's Kenyan. Sleeping in an altitude tent — which is to say, sleeping in a low-oxygen environment — will help acclimatize your body so you won't get altitude sickness if your race runs through the Rockies. And even if your event takes place at sea level, the fact that your body has been working to produce more red blood cells, increase capillary growth (which means greater oxygen delivery to tissues, muscles and the brain) and enhance production of mitochondria (the cells' power plant for aerobic energy production) means that you'll see amplified pulmonary oxygen absorption and more efficient use of oxygen for energy production. In short, you'll smoke the Kenyan. Other signs your money was well spent include decreased average heart rate and blood pressure, increased production and release of Human Growth Hormone (do I have your attention now?) and stimulation of fat metabolism. That's right, fatties, you can actually lose weight easier on these machines. Sure beats Lean Cuisine. Plus, if you plan to spend four weeks in Big Bear without first preparing yourself for the change in altitude, it might take you several weeks to adjust, meaning that you might not be able to push yourself as hard as you normally would until your body has had a chance to acclimatize to the elevation. That can eat into precious time. Basically, if you could live in Big Bear while training at sea level, you might have even better results than what Team Punishment swears by. As Formato put it, "The basic philosophies are to live high and train low. What that means is for athletes who are trying to get in their speed work or their intense conditioning work, they want to be doing that as close to sea level as possible." Hypoxico suggests "sleeping high and training low" for some athletes, and for others they suggest sleeping high while also incorporating three or four, 30- to 40-minute high-altitude workouts each week. Besides those fighters already mentioned, Dan Henderson reportedly used altitude training equipment to prepare for his UFC 82 fight with Anderson Silva. Other fighters using these devices include Marcus Aurelio, Nick "the Goat" Thompson and the WEC's John Alessio. Interestingly enough, Din Thomas might not see the same edge from his use of altitude training systems in tonight's fight with Josh Neer. That's because Neer reportedly has been using these same devices. If the fight goes into the third round, don't expect either of these guys to let up early. And more and more fighters might not have that edge for much longer thanks to the emergence altitude training systems. |
| Ultimate Fighter 7 coach Quinton Rampage Jackson shouldnt even be allowed to carry a Coach wallet Posted: 02 Apr 2008 09:22 AM CDT |
“He didn’t block any of the punches … when he hit the ground he wasn’t even looking at me. He had his hands down and he was looking out into the crowd…. He was bleeding out of both nostrils. He never looked at me or tried to block a single punch. Any longer and my best shot probably would have been the sixth one so I think they jumped right in. I think when people see it on TV again they’ll understand that he wasn’t even looking at me.”
It was a great night of mixed martial arts action for everyone who tuned into UFC Ultimate Fight Night 13 this evening from the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colo., unless your name is Steve Mazzagatti.
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