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| UFC 92 fights take shape with monster main card PPV Dec. 27 in Las Vegas Posted: 02 Oct 2008 08:22 AM CDT Company president Dana White today confirmed via Yahoo!Sports.com the three top main card bouts for the UFC 92 year-end mixed martial arts bonanza on January 31. We've already known about the solid match ups for quite some time, but let's quickly recap what we can expect on New Year's Eve weekend for those who may need a refresher. In the main event of the evening, interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira will clash with former division titleholder Frank Mir. Of course, the pair is currently in the midst of coaching opposite teams on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 to pump up the showdown. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin will defend his newly-won 205-pound belt against Rashad Evans. Both fighters scored major upsets against former champions (Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Chuck Liddell, respectively) to earn their spots atop the loaded weightclass. It's the first time ever two former TUF contestants will vie for a world title. And last but certainly not least, Jackson will take on Wanderlei Silva for the third time, hoping he can exact revenge after suffering two crushing defeats to "The Axe Murderer" several years ago while competing under the Pride FC banner. Here is the rest of the rumored UFC 92 fight card:
White mentioned in the article that he wanted to "stack" this blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) event. And it's safe to say he's already accomplished that goal … and there are still more spots to fill on the card. UFC 92 will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (not the Mandalay Bay Events Center as previously reported) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, December 27. The televised portion of the card will be available for purchase on PPV, beginning at 10 p.m. ET on fight night. For more on the show stay tuned to MMAmania.com. In the meantime, feel free to hit up out comprehensive event archive right here. |
| UFC 94: Matt Arroyo vs Dan Cramer Posted: 01 Oct 2008 11:37 PM CDT
It's a battle of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) contestants as season six alumnus Matt "No Regard" Arroyo (3-2) is scheduled to face season seven's Daniel Cramer (0-0) at UFC 94 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 31, according to WrestlingObserver.com. Arroyo was last seen getting pounded out by Matt Brown at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale back in June. This will actually be Dan Cramer's first professional fight despite a 3-0 amateur record and making it all the way to the TUF 7 quarterfinals. This should prove to be an interesting fight between two competitors who match up pretty well. UFC 94 will feature the welterweight superfight between former 170-pound champion and current lightweight kingpin BJ Penn versus current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. “Rush” first fought “The Prodigy” back at UFC 58 in 2006. The two battled back-and-forth in a very close fight that ultimately ended in a split-decision - one hotly contested by Penn and his followers ever since. Now he finally has his rematch - and a chance to settle the score. For the all the latest on UFC 94 click here. |
| Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice faceoff for Elite XC fight Oct. 4 Posted: 01 Oct 2008 10:17 PM CDT
Ken Shamrock did not keep his gameplan very close to the vest during today’s pre-fight press conference for his fight against Kimbo Slice in the main event at Elite XC: “Heat,” which airs on the CBS network, beginning at 9 p.m. ET as part of the third “Saturday Night Fights” special presentation. Do you believe? More pics courtesy of Tom Casino of the festivities after the jump.
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| The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8: Episode 3 recap and discussion Posted: 01 Oct 2008 07:58 PM CDT
Episode 3 of The Ultimate Fighter 8 is underway and with a title like “Demons” I can only hope they’re referring to a fighter’s haunted past and not a Beelzebub inspired rendition of an old Rigor Mortis classic. With the preliminary fights out of the way, the 16 contestants get delivered to the TUF barracks for a little rest and relaxation. In an obvious case of meticulously edited foreshadowing, one of our first images is of Junie Browning going down on a bottle of Corona while reliving the glory days of growing up in a trailer park in Kentucky. Brian McLaughlin is concerned that he might join Karn Grigoryan on the “Thanks for coming” list due to a nose fracture suffered during the elimination fights. The first order of business is team selections and the gang wanders into the gym with a sort of nervous anticipation. Standing by are coaches Frank Mir (Team Blue) and Antonio Nogueira (Team Red) with UFC President Dana White acting as master of ceremonies. As feared, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has issued 180-day suspensions for McLaughlin and Grigoryan, effectively ending their UFC careers before they even begin. Ouch. Resurrected are eliminated contestants Kyle Kingsbury (light heavyweight) and a yet-to-be-named lightweight. Apparently the mystery fighter has already boarded a plane and must now be flown back to Vegas to resume his 155lb duties. Frequent Flyer miles notwithstanding, I can only hope for his sake he’s not eliminated in the first fight. Dana proceeds with the coin toss and the winner gets to choose between first fighter or first fight. Mir wins the toss and selects light heavyweight Krzysztof Soszynski. Nogueira counters with Ryan "Darth" Bader. The rest of the picks are as follows: Frank Mir: Antonio Nogueira: The segment ends with Mir in bewilderment over how he could end up with so many good picks while John Polakowski goes on another hugging spree. I get the feeling people are afraid not to hug him in case he finally goes off the deep end while everyone’s asleep. It’s day one at the gym and Coach Mir looks to be enjoying his role as instructor. We get a look at assistant coach Ken Hahn who will be handling the striking techniques. Ground work will be taught by none other than Abu Dhabi champion Robert Drysdale. Later that night the cast has assembled for dinner and what started as camaraderie quickly dissolves into a grudge match between the Star-Belly and Plain-Belly Sneetches. It’s amazing what a simple change in uniform will do for the male ego. Leading the charge is Junie Browning, who aside from mastering every four-letter word this side of the Navy, has declared his hatred for anything and everything red. Perhaps all that booze made him forget he’s been clomping around all day in red shorts. He quickly gets bombed and starts trashing the house. Browning admits in the confessional that it’s all part of a master plan to get people to think he’s a clown so that they underestimate him come fight time. Krzysztof Soszynski dismisses the behavior as a cry for attention. Out of nowhere Junie collapses and starts bawling. Soszynski tries to do the right thing and coax him back into the house but Browning is inconsolable. So they just pick him up and carry him in. What are friends for? I almost had to remind myself it was only episode three. The next day over breakfast the topic becomes who will fill the remaining spot on Nogueira’s team. And what a coincidence (not), in walks Roli Delgado who was eliminated in episode two after a barnburner with George Roop. It’s training day for Team Nogueira and Big Nog demonstrates his philosophy of being a hands-on instructor without actually hurting anyone ala Matt Hughes. Joining him are jiu-jitsu champion Daniel Valverde and sixty-seven year old striking coach Al “Stankie” Stankiewicz. Nog’s reasoning behind his choice is that Stankie “Likes to work hard”. Aside from bopping around the ring like Popeye, Stankie is a fountain of martial arts wisdom.
I’m not calling him senile but it sounds like he’s training them to be accountants rather than ultimate fighters. Everyone reconvenes for fight selection and since Nogueira gets first pick he comes out swinging by pitting top pick Ryan Bader against Tom Lawler. Mir and Lawler both think it was a poor decision and that Nog may have underestimated Lawler. Soszynski decides to celebrate the first fight of the season by shrink-wrapping Bader’s undergarments to his bed. Joining him in the festivities are Lawler, Roop and Marshall. Meanwhile Bader gets busy in the gym with his training and Coach Nogueira brands him as the team’s Golden Boy. If that doesn’t sound like the kiss of death than I don’t know what does. Team Red returns home and lo and behold there is evidence of tomfoolery at every turn. When they finally discover that most of their stuff has been kidnapped, instead of being angry they just stand around looking confused. I kind of see their point, prank or no prank it’s a strange thing to lay your hands on another man’s briefs. Team Blue gets back to the house and Bader chooses to laugh it off rather than retaliate for fear of escalation. With guys like Junie Browning loose in the house I have a feeling that escalation may be inevitable. At the weigh-ins both guys hit their mark. Nogueira is picking Bader by knockout or submission. Mir looks forward to sending Bader home early. Coach Nogueira and company drop by to have dinner with their fighters and Nog has an affection for the grill skill of his team. He thinks they may have a future in food service (or Hestaraunt) if the whole fighting-thing doesn’t work out. I’ll say one thing, that Nog has a silver lining for every cloud. A bitter Browning gets angered by the sight of the closeness between the other men and phobically calls them “Gay as hell”. But enough about Junie and his broken home, it’s time to fight. Team Red’s Ryan Bader (7-0) vs. Team Blue’s Tom Lawler (4-1-1) Round 1: They open with a brief exchange and Bader gets rejected on a takedown. Bader rushes again and they clinch and exchange punches which Lawler seems to get the better of. Bader scores with a lunging right and finally nails the takedown. Lawler keeps him tied up from the bottom and Bader throws the occasional hammer fist and rib shot. Lawler makes a break for it and gets to his feet. They tie-up and exchange knees and punches. Lawler takes a lazy swing and Bader makes him pay with a hard takedown. Aside from smothering, Bader can’t seem to get much offense going until Lawler kicks him off, allowing Bader to posture up and land a HUGE right that knocks Lawler cold. Fortunately he was already flat on his back. Ryan Bader defeats Tom Lawler via KO. After the fight Nogueira celebrates with Bader in the dressing room and Stankie comes bumbling in, ranting and raving like Abe Simpson. Team Red is obviously elated to open with a win while a solemn Team Blue reflects on what could have been. Lawler handles the loss with complete class and credits Bader for being the better man. I have a feeling that tonight's episode was a precursor of some pretty crazy stuff happening later in the season. Like most fans, I can overlook most of the shenanigans as long as the fights are entertaining. Only time will tell. Stay tuned next week as a night of binge drinking prompts a visit from a very hoarse Dana White, tensions rise between the Blues and the Reds and the first lightweight elimination fight gets underway. See you then! |
| Drew Fickett and Jesse Taylor weigh-in for Total Combat fight Posted: 01 Oct 2008 07:23 PM CDT |
| UFC 89 video on Chris Leben vs Michael Bisping fight trailer (Extended) Posted: 01 Oct 2008 02:23 PM CDT |
| MMA Quick Quote: Frank Shamrock rooting for Ken against Kimbo Slice to set up sibling rivalry Posted: 01 Oct 2008 02:17 PM CDT
– Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock is still holding out hope that his adopted (and quasi-estranged) brother Ken can defeat the Miami street fighting legend Kimbo Slice this Saturday to set up a sibling rivalry fight early next year … but he has his doubts. Frank has been talking about this fight ever since Pro Elite signed Ken back in January. Win or lose against Kimbo, the fight is still a possibility for sometime in 2009. |
| Josh Grispi vs Diego Nunes WEC 37 fight likely Dec. 3 Posted: 01 Oct 2008 12:49 PM CDT
“The Fluke” is currently riding a seven-fight win streak, including his most recent first round destruction of Micah Miller at WEC 35. In fact, each of his nine career wins have been ended in the first frame (five by (T)KO and four by submission). The Boston area fighter is among the WEC’s youngest and brightest up-and-coming stars. At only 19 years old he’s already developed into a very dangerous mixed martial artist and he still has a world of potential in front of him. This will be his third fight in the WEC cage. He previously defeated Mark Hominick with a first round rear naked choke at WEC 32 and Miller at WEC 35 by technical knockout. Nunes is part of team Nogueira in Brazil. He trains day in and day out with some of the best mixed martial artists in the world. He’s mainly competed on the smaller level events in Brazil, but appears ready for his first big stage fight in the WEC. Like his opponent, he too has demonstrated the ability to end fights quickly. Of his 10 wins only one made it into the second round. And that was the first fight of his career … more than four years ago. This will be a high paced fight that more than likely won’t see the final bell. Both guys will be looking to finish the other early which should make for an exciting scrap. Miguel Torres will defend his bantamweight title against Manny Tapia on the card as well. That bout will more than likely be the event’s headliner. WEC 37 will air live on the Versus network beginning at 9 p.m. ET on December 3. Stay dialed in to MMAmania.com for more news and information on WEC 37. |
| Gina Carano vs Kelly Kobald Elite XC fight preview and prediction Posted: 01 Oct 2008 10:32 AM CDT
To get us prepared for the event, we will showcase a daily feature for each main card fight leading up to the event. These features will include information on the fighters, predictions, as well as training notes from each fighter. There are two high profile female fights on the card, but the one we’re taking a look at today is the main card bout between Gina Carano (6-0) and Kelly Kobald (16-2-1). The fight will be contested at 140 pounds. Here's the breakdown:
Fighter backgrounds: Gina Carano — "Conviction" is a 26-year-old fighter from Las Vegas with a background in Muay Thai and boxing. She’s one of the toughest and most competitive female fighters in mixed martial arts. Her father was a career back up quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, so she grew up around sports and was always an athletic girl. She was part of a state championship basketball team in high school and later discovered she was pretty good at fighting. So good in fact that she compiled a 12-1-1 professional Muay Thai record, which earned her an invitation to the first-ever sanctioned female mixed martial arts fight in the United States against Rosi Sexton in 2006. She hasn’t looked back since, defeating four straight opponents, the last three under the Elite XC banner. She’s been busy in the entertainment world outside of MMA, too. Gina is known as gladiator “Crush” on NBC’s “American Gladiators.” She’ll also star in the new Michael Jai White film “Blood and Bone,” as well as play Natasha in “Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3.” On top of all that, she was recently voted “The Hottest Woman in America” by Big Biz Magazine, so she’s not too hard to look at either. The only knock on Carano is that she almost always has trouble making weight. She’s failed to make the 140-pound limit for each of her last two fights under the Elite XC banner. Kelly Kobald – Kelly is a very experienced fighter for having only been training in mixed martial arts since 2002. Her 19 career matches have placed her across a ring or cage from some of the best female fighters in the world, including Tara LaRosa, Julie Kedzie, Shayna Baszler and on Saturday night, Gina Carano. She doesn’t shy away from tough competition. After not losing a fight for the first five years and 17 fights of her career, Kobald dropped her last two. The most recent loss to Kedzie was over a year ago and she hasn’t competed since. Don’t let the hiatus from fighting fool you though because she’s a very tough girl. She brings a well rounded style to the cage. In fact, eight of her 16 career wins have been by (technical) knockout and six by submission. She’s an aggressive, in your face style fighter. And she’ll certainly be a handful for Gina on Saturday. Training notes: Gina Carano – Gina trains out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas — home to some of the best fighters in the world, including UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin. Here’s Gina’s thoughts on her team:
And on her preparation for the fight:
It’s worth noting again that Gina has had trouble making the 140-pound weight limit in several of her fights. She claims it’s because of instability in her life and not because of lack of focus in the gym. Here’s a snip:
We’ll know on Friday whether or not all that means she’ll be on weight for this fight. Kelly Kobald – Kelly trains in Minneapolis at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy — a team known for producing fighters with great cardio. Carano’s last opponent was Kailin Young, who is a training partner of Kobald’s, so with that recent experience againt Gina, their team should be able to put together a solid gameplan for this fight. Kobald hasn’t actually fought in over a year and is coming off two straight losses, but she’s as confident as ever heading into this fight:
She’s also likes the underdog role she’s playing to the fan favorite:
Fight breakdown: If Kobald is true to her word she’s going to come out guns blazing when the bell rings. She said she wants to put the pressure on Gina and really test her, but that might only make matters worse on herself. Carano is one of those fighters who gets better the more you push her. In most of her fights it’s been her competitive attitude and toughness that have been the deciding factors. Gina has great Muay Thai, but whatever she has inside her that allows her to push back stronger when the pressure is put on her, is what makes her a great athlete. It’s what makes any great athlete, great. She has that in her and it’s hard to see her losing this fight. Kobald is going to come to fight … that’s a given. She knows how huge of an opportunity this is. Gina’s going to have to bring her A game to fend her off, but Gina always brings her A game. In short, this fight won’t be any different than the last two. Bring on “Cyborg” already. Final prediction: Gina Carano via technical knockout in round two Check back in tomorrow as we take an in-depth look at the Elite XC/Affliction co-promoted match featuring former UFC heavyweight champion Andre “The Pitbull” Arlovski vs. the former IFL champ Roy “Big Country” Nelson. |
| Frank Trigg: ‘It’s not difficult to see how to beat Anderson Silva’ Posted: 01 Oct 2008 08:44 AM CDT
Props: MMAFanHouse.com Quoteworthy:
Former UFC welterweight contender and current middleweight competitor Frank Trigg feels he would have the right style and gameplan to knock off UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva if the two ever locked horns. That scenario, however, will more than likely never happen unless “Twinkle Toes” can somehow work his way back inside the Octagon and in the good graces of UFC President Dana White and the rest of the Zuffa brass. It’s also possible that he has no intentions of ever returning to the UFC — he’s been successful outside the promotion with his radio program, clothing line, appearances on TNA, broadcasting and fights for smaller promotions sandwiched between. In fact, he has a 185-pound fight against the dangerous Falaniko Vitali at Strikeforce: “Payback” this weekend in Denver, Colorado. He has won four of his last five fights, including victories over Jason Mayhem Miller, Kazuo Misaki and others. |
Josh “The Fluke” Grispi (9-1) will face off against Brazilian Diego Nunes (10-2) in a featherweight bout on the WEC 37 card at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 3, according to 
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