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| UFC 83 recap and final thoughts for ‘Serra vs. St. Pierre 2’ Posted: 20 Apr 2008 03:10 AM CDT Somewhere in Montreal Dana White is wiping his brow. Last night Georges St. Pierre righted the welterweight ship by dominating Matt Serra and reclaiming his 170-lb title in front of a hometown crowd. As predicted, a vengeful GSP did what he was supposed to do in their first encounter and destroyed Matt Serra va TKO. “The Terror” never had a chance to get anything going after the bell sounded and while he may be remembered as merely a footnote on the career of GSP, that potential match against Matt Hughes is still out there. When I interviewed Georges St. Pierre in February of 2007, he told me that he would “definitely” move up in weight to challenge the middleweight champion. Assuming he can get past Fitch and perhaps a rematch with Penn, does a superfight against Anderson Silva exist somewhere down the road? Travis Lutter went out there yesterday against Rich Franklin and did what he does best: Squander his own opportunities. Lutter was controlling round one and could have potentially done the same in rounds two and three - had he been capable of actually breathing on his own. Lutter, like so many before him, showed the world of MMA just how important it is to be in peak physical condition. After all, the better your conditioning, the easier it is to run from your opponent ala Kalib Starnes. There were questions surrounding Starnes desire and heart going into UFC 83 and last night’s peformance did nothing to help his cause. Nor did the obscenities and crowd bashing. Nate Quarry looked good physically - maybe a little too good. Or maybe there was nothing else to focus on since Starnes refused to engage. And speaking of engaging, Michael Bisping looked like a completely different fighter against Charles McCarthy. “The Count” showed very clean stand-up and battered McCarthy after some early danger. It’s way too early for the likes of Rich Franklin, but someone in the UFC should push for Bisping to start battling some bigger names. Mac Danzig is trying to prove he’s no flash in the pan and though a little tepid in round one Danzig finally turned up the heat and softened up Mark Bocek before choking him out. Mac Danzig is loaded with talent but unfortunately so is the rest of the lightweight division. Things are getting even more interesting in the chase for 155-lb gold. Kenny Florian did a decent job filling in for Joe Rogan but despite the negative press Rogan sometimes gets I can admit to missing his act last night. UFC 83: “Serra vs. St. Pierre 2″ was a good card but not filled with many surprises. However there is little time to reflect on the feud since UFC 84 is right around the corner and we have another he/said he/said argument about who is the better fighter. Below is a list of bonus recipients from UFC 83: Demian Maia picked up the submission of the night ($75,000) Goulet and Hironaka won fight of the night ($75,000) MacDonald earned the KO of the night ($75,000) What did you think of the event? Let us hear about it in the comments section including the win/loss totals from your pre-fight picks! |
| UFC 83 fight results, coverage and winners LIVE tonight! Posted: 19 Apr 2008 04:43 PM CDT
Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 83: "Serra vs. St. Pierre 2." 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 83 results post and not this one. |
| Canada Bound: UFC 83 predictions with Patrick Cote (Part V) Posted: 19 Apr 2008 04:36 PM CDT Adam Wagner is a writer for MMAmania.com. He is in Canada as part of the UFC 83: "Serra vs. St. Pierre 2″ Ultimate Fight Train experience. He'll blog about his whirlwind trip throughout the weekend, providing an inside account of what it's like to be in Montreal (and Toronto) when the UFC comes to town for the first time ever. Enjoy. No time for pleasantries … just got an interview with UFC middleweight contender, Patrick Cote, before the start of UFC 83: “Serra vs. St. Pierre 2.” Here we go:
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You had to pull out of the UFC 83 fight against Alan Belcher due to a sprained knee, is that correct? Patrick Cote: Yeah, I slipped on the ice while running outside. (Laughs) It was pretty stupid. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): But you're all healed up now? Patrick Cote: Oh yes. Everything's good. I take care of my body, and I am 100 percent now. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You next face Ricardo Almeida at UFC 86 on July 5. Almeida has some good jiu-jitsu. How do you feel you measure up and how do you plan to counter his submission attempts? Patrick Cote: It's a big fight for me. A couple of years ago, I think five years ago, he was supposed to have a title shot before he left. He left because I think he had depression or something like that, I don't know. But he had something. But he came back at UFC 81, and he did a good job. We wanted a big fight, so this is exactly what we wanted. He's really good on the ground. His wrestling is so-so. And on my feet, I am not scared of anyone when it comes to striking. So this will be a sprawl-n-brawl fight for me. I moved to Montreal to train six months ago. I train with the national wrestling team here in Montreal. Patrick Cote: Oh yeah, sprawl-n-brawl. If the fight goes to the ground, I will get back on my feet. And if I'm on top on the ground, I'll throw him a couple of elbows and I'll get back on my feet, for sure. That's my style. I like to stand on my feet and knock out people. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well you've won your last 3 fights via TKO in the very first round. With Almeida being a tough jiu-jitsu guy, it presents an intriguing matchup. With a solid win, where do you think that that will put you in the title shot picture? Patrick Cote: Oh, that's what I want. And for sure this will be a clash of styles: classic jiu-jitsu vs. striker. The thing is, with my last three fights—especially with my last two fights—I knocked Drew McFedries and Kendall Grove out in the first round. I think that now, people will know not to get in a stand-up war with me. First, I have the confidence. I have a lot of confidence in myself. If I knock out my opponent again, maybe they will put me against the champ. The thing I said to everybody, I said to Joe Silva, I said, 'We know how to beat the Champion. We know exactly how to beat him.' And I'm sure if I have a fight against him, I will beat him for sure. But one fight at a time. Right now it is Almeida, and I have to worry about him for right now. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Have you been preparing for Almeida differently than you have in previous fights? Patrick Cote: I'll do a lot of wrestling, and a lot of ground work too. But I'm not going to change my style. My style is on my feet and knocking people out. It's no secret to anybody. It will be a sprawl-n-brawl fight for me, and I don't think he will be able to take me down. My wrestling is improving everyday. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How many more fights do you have on your contract? Patrick Cote: Two fights. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What do you think of the Fight Train, here? Have you had a chance to walk up and down the aisles and talk to the fans? Patrick Cote: Yeah, I have. I think this is a really really nice idea, the Fight Train. It's crazy. It's pretty good for the fans. Everybody's happy. To put me and Forrest on the train with the fans, we can share our experiences. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): When you were being interviewed for The Score's Hardcore Sports Radio, you mentioned that you will be providing ringside commentary at UFC 83 for the French pay-per-view. Is this a gig that's only for UFC 83 or is this something you plan to do moving forward? Patrick Cote: That's for all UFC Canada in French. For each UFC event in Canada, I will be the French commentator. That's the plan; however, I only have a contract in place for this show. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Let's talk about UFC 83: Serra or St. Pierre? Rich Franklin or Travis Lutter? Patrick Cote: I'm friends with both. I train with Georges. Right now, Georges is ready, he's physically ready. The thing is, we'll see how he will deal with the pressure. You know, it's a very smart move for Serra to come to Canada. Very smart. He does not have any pressure on his shoulders when he comes to Montreal, the home town of Georges. So I think it is a very very smart move. On paper, Georges is 10 times better than Matt. The only thing is, I can also see Matt Serra winning this fight the same way he did the first time. Anything can happen: the same thing as the first fight, or else Georges can destroy him very bad. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well there are also a lot of very good Middleweight matchups at UFC 83. Which do you think—we have Rich Franklin vs. Travis Lutter; Michael Bisping vs. Charles McCarthy; Kalib Starnes vs. Nate Quarry; and the list goes on—which do you see as being one of the more exciting Middleweight matchups? Patrick Cote: Probably Nate Quarry and Kalib Starnes, because they look like similar fighters, and I think it will be a good fight. But I'm looking forward to seeing Travis Lutter and Rich Franklin. I really think that Travis is going to win, and I think he is going to win big time, in the first round. It's not that it will be a big upset, but I think he will do very well against Franklin. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Lastly, would you like to thank any sponsors, and do you have any parting words for your fans? Patrick Cote: Yes, for everybody who helped put this train on the track, the Fight Train, MMACanada.net—everybody who was behind it—because it is really very nice. All of my sponsors for sure, and the fans. UFC in Canada, it's going to be crazy. It's going to be the biggest event in the history of the UFC. The fans in Montreal are crazy. |
| Canada Bound: Fame and the Ultimate Fight Train (Part IV) Posted: 19 Apr 2008 03:50 PM CDT Adam Wagner is a writer for MMAmania.com. He is in Canada as part of the UFC 83: "Serra vs. St. Pierre 2″ Ultimate Fight Train experience. He'll blog about his whirlwind trip throughout the weekend, providing an inside account of what it's like to be in Montreal (and Toronto) when the UFC comes to town for the first time ever. Enjoy. It has to be said, so I'm going to go ahead and say it: If I hadn't been in Canada this weekend, I'm not so sure Patrick Cote would have made the Ultimate Fight Train to Montreal. It's possible that Forrest Griffin wouldn't have made it either. Waking up at 4:50 a.m. after such a long day of media touring was not something anyone wanted to do. And despite trying, I don't think that even a couple of UFC legends can hold up a Fight Train from leaving on time. But after telling the cabby to keep the meter running and running back inside the hotel to wake everyone up, the entire entourage made it into downtown Toronto just in the nick of time. Can I say "entourage"? I really don't want to be thought of in those terms. But as Forrest, Cote, his girlfriend, Justin Curtin from MMA Fight Gear (the master strategist behind the Fight Train), Sean McManus, me and my girlfriend Paige all strolled through Union Station with a camera crew in tow, UFC fans clamoring for a look at the fighters, it certainly appeared that we were only there to carry luggage. Not exactly what you want to be remembered for, but better to be here than waiting in line for a ticket, that's for sure. The Ultimate Fight Train was an absolute blast. The fellas from MMA Fight Gear reserved five train cars in all—two went to Molson Canadian, two went to the general UFC fans, and one was reserved for VIP. That's where we sat. Ah, the perks of being on the inside. In addition to us, VIP consisted of Forrest, Cote and his friends, the crew from Fight! Magazine, Hardcore Championship Fighting CEO Keith Crawford, the Score folks, the TapouT girls and security detail, and rocker-turned-MMA fighter Robin Black. I'm sure there were others I missed, but those were the ones who stood out. Things started fairly low key while breakfast was being served (another benefit of VIP). But about an hour and a half into the five-hour-long trip, I got antsy and decided it was time to lighten my luggage. Mania had sent me up to Canada with about 20 MMAmania.com t-shirts (the white ones). You can find them here. Free merch was flowing like wine (including Ultimate Fight Train t-shirts, TapouT t-shirts and GSP headbands), so Sean and I decided it was time to distribute some Mania gear to the folks in the back of the train. After all, the beer hadn't started flowing yet, so they needed a pick-me-up. Soon, Forrest and Cote started making their rounds to meet fans and sign free copies of Fight! Magazine provided to everyone on board. The TapouT girls joined the party too. Several camera crews also made the rounds. After a bit, the beer was served, and things really began to take off. The volume in each of the train cars went up several decibels. Seeing an opportunity, I pulled Patrick Cote aside and conducted a quick interview (I'll post it next). Getting Forrest to sit still was an entirely different animal. Every chance I had was squashed by a camera crew or an autograph session. So I opted instead to settle into an MGD (where the Molson was, I have no idea). Answer to #2: 2. While cornering (literally) on rails on a Canadian fight train, which tastes better, the King of American beers, Budweiser, or Canada's own Molson? What's up, Canada? Where's the brew? The MGD was okay and all, but you lost out by not showing up. I'm going to have to find someone to explain this to me. By the time we arrived in Montreal, rumors were already surfacing about a couple of rowdies in the tail section of the train (apparently, someone smuggled mushrooms on board—hope it was worth it, because I doubt they last until fight time). We walked a few blocks from the train station to the Delta hotel. Man, this place is nice. Again, people lined up to check in, which was being held in a small conference room. And once again, we cut the line, carrying promotional t-shirts and other merchandise. Inside the conference room, a booth was set up for the TapouT crew, who were thus far nowhere to be seen. Matt Hamill was on hand, signing autographs and posing for pictures, keeping everyone at bay for the time being. Matt seemed like a really genuine guy and went out of his way to accommodate a lot of half-drunken fans. Soon, Forrest showed up and joined in the autographs. Finally the TapouT crew arrived. Those guys like to make an entrance, let me tell ya. They instantly commanded an audience, giving an orchestrated interview and acting like the circus you're used to seeing on television, before finally taking to their booth and entertaining the fans. I have to hand it to the Mask, Skyscrape and Punk Ass. They had an idea and they ran with it, turning an otherwise run-of-the-mill MMA outfitter into a multi-million dollar franchise that builds support for a lot of great fighters throughout the country (and the world). And they got rich in the process. But maybe it was Skyscrape's fluffy animal slippers, or the Mask's camouflage Army hat with a towel draping his neck, or maybe it was watching the Canadian glam rocker Robin Black give interview after interview about his upcoming MMA debut, but I just couldn't help but shake my head. This isn't what fighting's about, man. At least, this isn't what fighting's about where I come from. Fighting's supposed to be about two men entering, and one man walking out. It's supposed to be about measuring up your opponent, identifying his weaknesses while respecting his strengths, and shooting in for the win before getting caught yourself. It's supposed to be about the raw nature of the human condition, and focusing in on what makes us…in the end…still animals, if only for an instant. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be about fluffy lion slippers and black eye makeup. I can't help but wonder, do these guys ever wake up in the morning and say to themselves, you know I really don't feel like wearing the fluffy animal slippers today. I really don't feel like playing this character that I pretend to be in order to become a bazillionaire. Today I feel like going by "Albert" or "'Simon" or whatever the hell my real name is. But then again, had they stuck with my crappy attitude, theirs would be just another brand, hardly recognized. I guess what I'm saying is, I respect the good that they've done, not only for fighters, but for the popularity of the sport in general. I'm just a little nauseated by the production of it. I'm afraid of what it could mean for the sport of MMA down the road. We don't need another big-time wrestling, and when you're slinging characters, you walk a fine line. As I sat there with my girlfriend Paige, shaking my head, Forrest walked up. "Sometimes you gotta hate it," he said (I'm paraphrasing), referring to fame in general. "It can be a real bother. But you have to approach it knowing that one day, maybe not tomorrow, but one day, all of this will be gone, and you'll be back to sitting on the couch being fat. And no one will know who you are anymore." "Yeah," Paige said, "But then some old man will walk up to you and say, 'I know who you are. You're that fighter. You used to be great.'" "Yeah," Forrest said, knowing that that day is inevitable for all athletes. "I'm gonna bond with that guy." |
| Limited-time MMAmania.com UFC 83 weekend t-shirt sale Posted: 19 Apr 2008 11:08 AM CDT
We’re gluttons for punishment. This week we finally caught up with mailing out all the MMAmania.com t-shirts that were purchased and won during various site-sponsored contests. We’re now going to offer a special two-day promotion:
To place orders right now click HERE. This sale ends tomorrow (Sunday) evening. Thanks once again to ALL of our dedicated readers who placed orders — it really does help us keep MMAmania.com humming along. And apologies if there were any delays in the shipping process … it won’t happen again. To place orders right now click HERE. (Just in case you missed it the first time |
| UFCs Dana White gets ambushed on TSNs ‘Off The Record’ (Video) Posted: 19 Apr 2008 10:05 AM CDT |
| UFC Quick Quote: Georges St. Pierre is scared Posted: 19 Apr 2008 09:29 AM CDT
– An open and honest Georges St. Pierre reveals his emotions (common for just about every other fighter) during the final prefight press conference for UFC 83: “Serra vs. St. Pierre 2,” which takes place later on this evening from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. “Rush” is a hometown MMA hero and is widely considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. However, his mental toughness has often been questioned. That will all change with a win tonight — the pressure on him right now must be insane. |
| Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia fight booked for July 19 Posted: 19 Apr 2008 09:07 AM CDT
MMAWeekly.com is reporting the the Russian made the announcement on his personal Web site yesterday (Friday). For more on the monster showdown between the two former champions click here. Even though Sylvia is an Adrenaline MMA fighter and Fedor is loosely affiliated with M-1, it’s widely believed that the fight would be promoted by Affliction — a popular clothing company that is in the process of forming and MMA promotion — and be aired on Mark Cuban’s HDNet network. In addition to the Sylvia fight announcement, Emelianenko revealed that he is expected to compete twice more in 2008, including his annual appearance on a New Year’s Eve show. No opponents for those other bouts have been named at this time; however, don’t be surprised if we see Emelianenko rematch Mirko Cro Cop on December 31. It looks like Fedor is set to finally respond to the critics such as UFC President Dana White who lament that Emelianenko has padded his record with fights against handpicked opponents and hasn’t taken on any top competition in more than two years. This could be good if indeed accurate … real good. |
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