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| Sean Sherk vs Tyson Griffin video UFC 90 fight talk Posted: 23 Oct 2008 07:45 AM CDT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MMA Quick Quote: No shirts, no shoes, no service Posted: 22 Oct 2008 11:45 PM CDT
– Affliction co-founder Todd Beard has less-than-kind words for Lorenzo Fertitta and the rest of the UFC brass after a partnership meeting between UFC and Affliction executives took place on September 26 according to MMAWeekly.com. A deal was proposed to allow Affliction back into the UFC as a major clothing sponsor (after banning them in January of 2008 for trying to promote MMA shows) with the agreement that Affliction would cease operations as a fight promoter and make available for purchase select contracts from their talent roster. Negotiations came to a screeching halt however after Affliction's co-promotion with EliteXC's "Heat" on October 4 and the subsequent licensing deals with UFC champions Randy Couture and Georges St. Pierre irritated the UFC. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fisticuffs: Spencer Fisher UFC 90 interview exclusive with MMAmania.com Posted: 22 Oct 2008 10:31 PM CDT
With 25 professional fights under his belt, Spencer "The King" Fisher (21-4) has been around the block a time or two. The three-year UFC veteran has gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Frankie Edgar and Hermes Franca and holds wins over Thiago Alves, Josh Neer, Sam Stout, Matt Wiman and most recently Jeremy Stephens at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 Finale in June. And if all goes according to plan, Fisher could be adding one more name to that list. He faces Shannon Gugerty (11-2) at UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote" this Saturday, October 25 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Ill. Although Fisher was originally slated to face slugger Melvin Guillard (21-7-2), the Team Miletich member will face a significantly different test in Gugerty, who has eight submission victories to his credit, the last of which came via rear naked choke in round one over previously undefeated Dale Hartt at UFC Fight Night 14 in July. It was both fighters' UFC debut. We caught up with Fisher to see how he feels going into this weekend and to ask about training with Matt Hume up in Seattle … and much more. Let's get to it.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your last fight against Jeremy Stephens was a barnburner. Tell us about what went right and what went not-so-right in that fight. Spencer Fisher: Well my training could have been better for that fight, for sure. For one thing, I didn't train like I normally do for that fight. Just because … I don't know … certain fights you get up for and certain fights you don't, unfortunately. But it was a learned lesson that I have to take every fight seriously. But as far as what went well, is when he tried to take me down, I ended up on top the majority of the time that that happened — which, for me, was a leap and bounds because time and time again my problem has been being put on my back, because I'm such an aggressive fighter that I constantly go forward and apply pressure. That's the kind of fighter I am. In doing so, I give up position a lot and get taken down. So I'm trying to learn from my mistakes and of course move forward the whole time and try not to fix what's not broken. So I'm going to continue to go forward, but more cautiously and be smart about the things I do. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your last three fights saw something fairly uncommon for a Spencer Fisher fight. All three went to decision. How important is a decisive victory this go around? Spencer Fisher: This fight will not go three rounds — will NOT go three rounds. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Shannon Gugerty is 11-2, but he hasn't really faced anyone of your caliber. Spencer Fisher: He's never fought the type of fighter that I am. Right now, I think I'm probably close to the best shape as I've ever been, cardio-wise, except for when I fought Sam Stout and Josh Neer. But I'm right up there. Whenever I have a fight coming up, I always try to ask the question, "Am I in as good of shape as I was (my last fight)." And right now, with the circumstances that have been, I am in as best shape as I could possibly be in from the time that I've trained and since taking the fight. The pressure I'll put on him, I don't think he's going to be able to keep up with it. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Have you watched tape on him? Spencer Fisher: I've seen one fight of his. My coaches and teammates have seen other fights of his. I don't need to study him as much as, you know … I'm going to do what I do. I'm just going to go out there and knock him out. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How do you plan to avoid Gugerty's submission attempts? Spencer Fisher: I've fought better submission guys, I roll with better submission guys … And it's a fight — it's hard to get an armbar with a fist in your mouth. And that's not arrogant or cocky, but again, he's never fought anybody like me. Everything he's good at, I've faced someone better before or rolled with people who are better than him at what he does. I'm confident, I'm not overlooking Shannon — he's the only thing I'm looking at right now — but I definitely plan on winning this fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, you're certainly a difficult fighter to finish. In something like 25 fights, you've only been stopped one time (against Hermes Franca at UFC Fight Night 8 in January 2007). And it wasn't because you didn't face stiff competition. You've fought Thiago Alves, Josh Neer, Carlo Prater, Sam Stout a couple of times. None of these guys are strangers to finishing an opponent. What gives? Spencer Fisher: I'm experienced and I'm gritty. I'll persevere through everything, at least I try to. I'll always be in the best shape that I can possibly be in. And I'm good at not taking damage — you can't tell by my face (laughs). But whether or not I'm on the bottom or not, I try not to take very much damage. And standing up, I've been doing it long enough that I know what to look for and try to protect myself. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Can you briefly tell us about your training camp for this fight. Who have you been sparring with? Have you brought in any new coaches or fighters to help you train? Spencer Fisher: Yep, Jens Pulver, myself, Rich Franklin, Chris Leben — all of us came up to AMC (American Martial Arts Center) in Seattle with Matt Hume. The reason I came up here is because I wanted to get a change of pace. I was kinda getting into a lull at Miletich. I'm still with Miletich, still living in Iowa, but it was time for a change of pace for me, change of scenery. Like I said, I needed to learn something new, and I came here, and it's just … wow. I know I'm tough, 'cause I fight, and I know I can just get in there and do it. But I wanted to learn something new and just be a smarter fighter. I'm getting older, and I was humbled when I came here. Everything I was good at, they had someone better at it. So if I was good at, say, jiu-jitsu, they had someone come out there who was better than me at jiu-jitsu. And if I was better than someone at boxing, they brought someone out who was better than me at boxing. So I never had a one-up on somebody. It was a good feeling. It's like starting over again. From the first time you walk into a gym, you have that nervous feeling about being there. That's how it is up here in Washington. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Is this the first time in a while that you've trained outside of Team Miletich? Spencer Fisher: Yes, I have brought other trainers into our gym before, but for this particular fight … you know, I was supposed to fight three other guys originally. And things were changed. And now it came to Shannon. And like I said, I'm taking Shannon just as serious as I would have taken Melvin — even more so, because I think (Shannon) has more tools. But I came all the way to Washington to prove myself. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): If a movie were to be made about you, would Donny Walberg play you? Spencer Fisher: You know, I've heard Mark Walberg a lot. That's funny that you said that, because I've had a lot of people say that to me before. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): There is a slight resemblance. Spencer Fisher: That's funny you said that. I've always been told that, but they said Mark. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Spencer, thanks a lot for taking the time to talk with us. Would you like to thank any sponsors or do you have any parting words? Spencer Fisher: Absolutely, of course I'd like to thank both teams, AMC and Team Miletich. As always, my manager, Monte Cox, as well as my sponsors Toe2Toe, Choppers Inc, Higher Power Energy, Cageside MMA, TheGunstoreLasVegas.com, thefifty50.com and KO Dynasty. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UFC 90 odds and betting sportsbook for Silva vs. Cote event Posted: 22 Oct 2008 10:55 PM CDT
– Patrick Cote Matt Serra did something similar not too long ago. And when he scored perhaps the biggest upset in modern mixed martial arts history over Georges St. Pierre to capture the welterweight title he and those close to him — and perhaps a handful of bettors — turned quite a staggering profit. “The Predator” finds himself in a similar situation this weekend as a massive underdog against UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Not too many people, or oddsmakers for that matter, are giving much of a chance against the Brazilian wrecking machine. So he intends to cash-in. With less than three days until fight night, therefore, we want to pass along the latest (and complete) betting odds for UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote," which takes place at The Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, on October 25, for those who think it’s possible to hop on the Cote gravy train. It's just cold hard numbers … and some possible juicy spoils:
To check out the complete UFC 90 fight card click here. And remember to check out our live coverage this Saturday when we provide complete round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of all the UFC 90 action. Don't know what those numbers mean? Unclear of how much you can win when you place bets? Check out the BetUS.com MMA betting calculator RIGHT HERE and find out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8: Episode 6 recap and discussion Posted: 22 Oct 2008 08:59 PM CDT
Episode six of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 is off and running and with a wholesome title like “Fight, Fight, Kill, Kill” it’s no surprise that Junie Browning is once again at the forefront of another show. After the requisite recap from last week that highlights Eliot Marshall’s win over Shane Primm, Team Blue coach Frank Mir asks Junie Browning to dispose of Roli Delgado. That prompts Browning to refer to Delgado as a nerd with no entertainment value and no purpose on the show. Fortunately for Junie the TUF mansion wasn’t constructed out of glass. A game Delgado is more than happy to oblige and like most viewers at home is curious as to why Junie Browning is so highly regarded. Coach Mir drops by the house to celebrate Marshall’s win with the rest of Team Blue. After a few drinks and some laughs, Mir decides to call out Roli Delgado for having a mail-order black belt in jiu-jitsu. When Mir asks for the details regarding his presentation, Delgado goes into the six degrees of separation and starts rattling off names of people nobody has ever seen or heard of. Delgado starts to pick up steam and what starts out as a simple explanation turns into Kevin Spacey’s monologue from The Usual Suspects. I never did figure out where his black belt came from but I’m pretty sure his instructor was in that Barbershop Quartet back in Skokie, Illinois. Afterwards, Junie tries to get into Delgado’s head with a barrage of insults and even offers him a deal where all Roli has to do is survive the first round to be declared the winner. Where can I get in on that action? Delgado is unfazed and admires Junie’s ability to have some athletic ability coupled with the brain of a peacock. Later at the fight announcement, Junie throws a black belt at Delgado’s feet and spits on it. Off to the side, Coach Nogueira instantly disintegrates like he just stared into the Ark of the Covenant. Even Mir is a little offended by the stunt and a visibly disturbed Anderson Silva politely tells Delgado to kick Junie’s ass. During a Team Red training session, Coach Stankie decides to take it upon himself to guarantee Delgado the victory by growling incoherently and dressing like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Delgado’s inability to conquer the timing of the speed bag has me wondering if his striking resume is as convoluted as his jiu-jitsu’s. Still, his training looks like the Olympic trials next to Junie’s, which from what we’ve seen thus far consists of him waltzing around an empty gym shadowboxing in the Octagon. At the weigh-ins, a chipper Delgado hits 155 without batting an eyelash. Browning on the other hand comes in at 158 with only an hour to do something about it. Coach Mir drops a few F-bombs and seems to have finally lost his patience with Junie’s laundry list of problems. Browning gets dressed up in some garbage bags and hits the treadmill and follows that up with the stationary bike in the Nevada sunlight. Junie struggles mightily but is able to gut it out and squeeze in at 156. Team Nogueira's Roli Delgado (7-3-1) vs. Team Mir's Junie Browning (2-0) Round 1: Browning comes forward aggressively. Delgado with a front kick that gets caught and Browning leg sweeps him. Back to their feet and Delgado puts together a nice combo that includes a jumping knee and a two-punch combo. Browning takes him to the fence. They struggle for position until Browning backs away. Delgado lands a combo. Delgado with back-to-back low kicks and a left jab that lands. Browning absorbs a body shot and a leg kick and then answers with one of his own. Browning is pushing the pace but Delgado is using it to effectively counterstrike. Browning with a leg kick and a front kick. Delgado tags him with a left and then shoots but Browning lands on top of him. They scramble but Browning seems content to let him back to his feet. Browning eggs him on so Delgado clocks him in the face but then misses with a slow knee that Browning catches and dumps him on the floor. Delgado lands a spinning back fist and Browning answers with a hard one-two punch. Then another. They clinch and Delgado scores an upward knee. They go to the fence as time expires. Close round but I give it to Delgado. Round 2: Browning eats a jab and answers with a hard body shot. Delgado shoots and gets rejected. Browning blasts him with a left and then another body shot. Delgado goes for the takedown and Browning scurries away. Browning lands some brutal body shots and Delgado starts to look sluggish and non-committal. Browning peppers the legs with kicks. Delgado sneaks in the occasional jab but not much else. Delgado gets hammered with five unanswered punches to the face and a leg kick. A crushing right dumps Delgado to the floor. Browning pounces but Delgado tangles him up and prevents the finish. Browning backs away and Delgado is able to immediately get to his feet. Delgado showing a ton of heart. Browning lands a low kick and a jab but both fighters look gassed. The striking starts to get a little sloppy on both sides as they suck wind. Delgado hulks up and unleashes a late flurry but it’s not enough to save the round. Round 2 is all Browning. Round 3: Browning opens with a leg kick. Delgado answers with a jab. Hard low kick by Browning. Delgado is landing the jab but Browning responds with much harder shots. Both fighters going in with flurries and backing out to get their wind back. Glancing backfist by Browning. Delgado fires off a front kick that Browning once again catches and Delgado falls to the floor. Browning just kind of hovers over him for a while and finally kicks the leg. Time is running down and not much is happening with Delgado on his back. Delgado snaps up rather quickly and they are back to trading blows. Nice jab and headshot by Delgado. Another Delgado jab and failed front kick but he stays upright. Three straight kicks by Delgado and a jab by Browning as time expires. Very close round but I give it to Browning based on damage inflicted. Junie Browning defeats Roli Delgado via split-decision. After the fight Junie expresses his disgust at his own performance for failing to finish the fight and back up all the jibber-jabber he’s subjected us to for the past six weeks. He also apologizes to Coach Nogueira for disgracing the black belt and Coach Mir tries to hint that it was the producers egging him on in an effort to make good television. Delgado is disappointed and wanted the win but is no doubt consoled when Stankie tell him that he loves him. Coach Nogueira admires Delgado’s heart and is not bothered by the loss because Roli went in and gave it his best effort. The fight had its moments but after the dog and pony show we sat through with Junie Browning since day one I don’t know how he can be considered a threat going into the semis. His fight was practically all striking and he nearly lost to a guy who couldn’t hit the speedbag two days before the fight. I can only hope this performance humbles him and we get to focus on something or someone other than Junie going forward. Doubtful, but here’s to hoping. Stay tuned next week as Team Mir trains in scuba gear and puts their manhood on ice, Team Nogueira plays monkey in the middle and the house pranks are taken to a whole new level. See you in seven! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CSAC upholds steroid suspension for Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva Posted: 22 Oct 2008 07:38 PM CDT
The first and only Elite XC Heavyweight Champion Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva did not get the result he was looking for today when his appeal to the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) was denied. The Brazilian filed an appeal with the CSAC after testing positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone following his win over Justin Eilers to capture the vacant heavyweight strap at ‘Unfinished Business’ back on July 19. “Bigfoot” will be forced to serve the original one year suspension and pay a $2,500 fine. His appeals case was based around the fact that he suffers from the medical condition known as Acromegaly, which is more commonly referred to as "Gigantism" and that a tumor in his body caused While that may be true, Boldenone is an artificial drug developed for veterinary use - primarily on horses. It’s not recommended for use by humans, much less naturally residing within us. Often Boldenone is confused with another anabolic steroid called Nandrolone, which is naturally present in the human body up to certain levels. That’s what Sean Sherk, Royce Gracie and even Roger Clemens have been accused of using to enhance performance. Unfortunately for any users of Boldenone, it has a long half-life, which means it can be detected for up to a year and a half after use. Phil Baroni, Stephan Bonner and Josh Barnett have all dealt with positive drug tests for Boldenone. Now an apparent free agent in the MMA world after the demise of Elite XC, “Bigfoot” will be out of action until July 26, 2009. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dana White’s UFC 90 Video Blog for October 21 (video) Posted: 22 Oct 2008 02:09 PM CDT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephan Bonnar vs Jon Jones UFC 94 fight on tap Posted: 22 Oct 2008 01:41 PM CDT
Bonnar — The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season one light heavyweight finalist — has been on the mend nursing a surgically repaired knee back to health for the past several months. He sustained the catastrophic injury while training for a big fight against Matt Hamill at UFC Fight Night 13 back in April, derailing the progress he had made after a suspension for steroids. In fact, he was on a two-fight win streak, finishing Eric Schafer and Mike Nickels, respectively, establishing himself once again as a dangerous light heavyweight threat. Now training at X-Treme Couture in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Chicago transplant will have to gear up for one of the most promising prospects in the division. Jones scored a unanimous decision win over veteran Andre Gusmao at UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" back in April, electrifying the crowd with his raw talent and improvisation within the cage that included spinning backfists, double spinning back elbows … crazy stuff. And he did it all on just days notice. It marked the sixth career win for Jones and his sixth fight of 2008. That's right, "Bones" is a decorated collegiate wrestler who just recently made the transition to mixed martial arts and is already making some waves at the UFC level. He'll have his hands full, however, against a very hungry and experienced "American Psycho" on Super Bowl weekend. UFC 94 will feature the welterweight superfight between former 170-pound champion and current lightweight kingpin BJ Penn versus reigning welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, as well as the highly anticipated showdown between light heavyweight unbeatens Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva. To check out the latest UFC 94 fight card and rumors click here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 changes weight classes, stiffens requirements Posted: 22 Oct 2008 11:13 AM CDT
Bisping — TUF 3 winner and current British UFC posterboy — is a clear choice for the position, considering TUF 9 will be themed, "U.S. vs. U.K." White did not confirm the opposing coach, however, he did indicate that Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson are both under consideration. Perhaps that decision will be made a little easier when "Ace" and "Hollywood" clash in the main event at UFC 93: "Dublin" on January 17. Time will tell. TUF 9 was originally set to feature a mix of middleweight and welterweight hopefuls competing for a "six figure" UFC contract in a tournament-style format. However the 185lb weight class was recently scrapped in favor of lightweight. No reason was given for the change, but tryouts held at London on October 20 yielded over 200 aspiring fighters - a far cry from the mere 25 who auditioned for season three. Perhaps there was an abundance of talented lightweights at the London evaluations that led to the change? Even TUF 3 alum Ross Pointon got in on the action, showing up with the letters U-F-C buzzed into his hair. Tryouts are also scheduled for Chicago, Illinois on October 27 to finish selecting the 32-member cast, which will eventually be whittled down to 16 in the first few days of taping. That’s not to suggest the UFC is looking for every Tom, Dick and Harry that knows how to shadowbox or submit their five-year old nephew. The UFC recently sent out a memo asking for applicants to have a verifiable background in professional mixed martial arts. The production schedule has not been revealed at this time; however, if the promotion decides to wait for either Franklin and Henderson then it could be pushed back until January 2009. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com as more details become available for season nine of The Ultimate Fighter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UFC Quick Quote: Sean Sherk looking in the mirror against Tyson Griffin at UFC 90 Posted: 22 Oct 2008 10:03 AM CDT
– Former lightweight champion Sean Sherk talks to ESPN.com about his upcoming clash with Tyson Griffin at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on October 25. He feels that with a win over the X-Treme Couture standout — who has won five of six fights inside the Octagon and four straight — will position him near the top of 155-pound title contenders once again. Sherk and Griffin do have strong wrestling backgrounds and very similar styles. Both have also experienced droughts in terms of finishing their opponents despite winning performances (Sherk 2005 and Griffin 2006), meaning we could very well see another decision on Saturday night if current trends continue. |
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