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| Georges St. Pierre talks UFC 94 bout against BJ Penn (Video) Posted: 29 Oct 2008 11:49 PM CDT x |
| The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8: Episode 7 recap and discussion Posted: 29 Oct 2008 09:03 PM CDT
Episode seven of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is now underway and with a title like “Body Bag” one has to wonder what exactly we’re in store for before (or perhaps during) tonight’s light heavyweight elimination fight. We get a quick recap of last week’s Browning vs. Delgado fight and while Roli gets props for his heart and determination (despite the split-decision loss), Team Blue is running a train on Junie for his inability to finish what most perceived to be the show’s weakest link. Coach Mir said it best: “Okay let’s be realistic, you just went three rounds with Rolando.” Krystos is convinced it’s either broken or fractured, but vows to fight on with no problems or complaints. We shall see. Coach Mir has also recruited Rafael Alejarra, Wanderlei Silva’s personal trainer to help teach his troops how to train for fight conditioning and not just good gym cardio. With that, out comes the snorkels to restrict oxygen and mimic the effects of being wiped in the later rounds of a grueling fight. To keep any of the guys from dropping dead, they pay homage to Millvina Dean by dumping them into a garbage pail filled with ice water immediately following their workout to reduce muscle inflammation and restore blood flow. Mir ends the segment with his second best quote: “People can take physical pain, people can take mental anguish, but cardio pain crushes everybody.” Then he has to go and ruin my newfound admiration for him by telling Vinny Magalhaes that he (Mags) has better jiu-jitsu than Coach Noguiera. Vinny (who by his own admission is despised in Brazil) just nods in agreement like its common knowledge and says that Nog’s jits is “very basic.” We’re talking about a guy who has ended 20 professional fights via submission - against some of the worlds best fighters. Can we show a little respect? If there is justice in this world, someone will pay for this heresy. Speaking of Big Nog, Team Nogueira also hits the gym and starts running back and forth with their arms interlocked like a human coin pusher from the mall arcade. Team Red appreciates the lighthearted approach though Coach Nogueira longs for the days when he had control of the fight picks. They continue the party-like atmosphere back at the house when Jules and Phillipe bake Nog a cake for his birthday. Jules says baking a cake for Nogueira is a dream come true and one of the best experiences of his life. They cook up a literal feast and chow down while laughing and having fun. The cynic in me wanted to point my finger and laugh but truth be told I almost wished I was there (I like cake). Though I will admit Nog looked a little Corky-ish sitting there clapping his hands in excitement after blowing out the candles on his cake. A bitter and jealous Shane Nelson says that Team Red is too close and sucks each other’s d*%& too much. Sounds like someone didn’t get a piece of cake. Vinny takes over for Junie in the A-hole department and starts calling Team Nogueira fake for all their camaraderie and admits he’s there not for his team but for himself. Mags is sure to get recruited by a great MMA camp with that attitude. At the fight announcement, Team Mir chooses Vinny Magalhaes to fight Jules Bruchez because Mir is convinced that Jules will easily be destroyed by the jiu-jitsu black belt. We get a closer look at Vinny as he prepares for his fight with Jules and he does have an impressive grappling resume but as Mir states, still has a few areas that need attention before he can be considered a complete fighter. Unfortunately for Vinny, Junie Browning has the verbal restraint of an African Grey Parrot and tells some of the Team Red guys about Vinny’s belief that he is equal or superior to Nogueira when it comes to jiu-jitsu. Nog smiles on the outside and detonates on the inside. He explains to the guys that there is a marked difference between what you can do in training and what you can do inside a locked cage and says Vinny has “little balls.” In addition, Nog finds Vinny in the gym and blacks out on him in Portuguese. After telling him they are now “enemies,” Vinny has nothing to say except how he respects Nog and he never said anything of the sort and blah, blah, blah. Nog also tells him they are not on speaking terms and that Vinny blew his chance of having any contact with him now or in the future. Vinny begs him to check the tape to clear his name and then later in the confessional goes right back to being a tough guy and mouthing off about how he doesn’t care if Nog speaks to him or not. After the dust settles we go to the training of Jules Bruchez. Coach Stankie tells him it would be nice if he was good on top so that he wouldn’t have to go down and dirty and smell all those farts. For a moment I felt like I was back in my sex-ed class in high school. Coach Noguiera likes the power in Jules hands and thinks his heart will be the difference. Back at the house, Krzysztof decides its time to get his prank on and orders a fake tombstone and body bag for Jules bedroom. I’m still trying to figure out where they got the body bag. Presumably from the supply closet at Stankie’s nursing home. Anyway, I get the feeling Krzysztof is picking Vinny in this fight. Team Red comes home to find the mock-funeral and once again it ends rather anti-climatically for the simple reason that Bruchez was more impressed by the prank then offended by it. In the locker room before the fight, Vinny admits he had a dream that he was submitted by Jules. Mir vows to quit as a coach if that dream comes true. Jules on the other hand would be content just to knock Vinny’s head clean off. Team Mir’s Vinny Magalhaes (2-2) vs. Team Nogueira’s Jules Bruchez (0-0) Round 1: Vinny opens with two high kicks and a right, none of which land. He follows with an inside leg kick that does. Jules answers with one of his own that just gets the shin. A frightened Jules has the head movement of John the Baptiste. Vinny lands another inside leg kick. Jules misses a punch, Vinny misses a kick. Nice body kick by Vinny who follows it with an inside leg kick. Hard body kick by Vinny. And another. Both fighters seem content to do nothing but bob and weave. Jules lands a jab and a front kick, misses with another. A background shot of Dan Henderson has him looking bored. Jules charges with a combo and a Vinny clinch turns into a flying armbar attempt. It’s unsuccessful but they go to the ground and Vinny easily mounts. Vinny shows impressive flexibility as he starts with a gogoplata and finishes with an armbar. Vinny Magalhaes defeats Jules Bruchez via submission (armbar). Tedious fight. UFC President Dana White was not impressed with the phantom stand-up from either fighter. I can’t blame Jules since he owns a professional record of 0-0. Nice finish by Vinny but again his striking could prove to be his downfall in the semis. Stay tuned next week as the latest prank involves stolen food and one man’s retribution, two lightweights square off for a chance to advance and a shocking betrayal by one fighter leaves the house in shock. See you in seven! |
| UFC 86 DVD ‘JACKSON VS GRIFFIN’ Posted: 29 Oct 2008 08:45 PM CDT
The main event featured the five-round thriller between UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and challenger Forrest Griffin, who also served as coach opposite Jackson on season seven of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) back in April. In addition, don’t miss the middleweight match-up between Ricardo Almeida and Patrick Cote to determine the number one contender for Anderson Silva’s 185 lb title. Here is the complete card for UFC 86 ‘Jackson vs. Griffin’: UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Bout: 205 lbs.: Quinton Jackson (28-6) vs. Forrest Griffin (15-4) Main Card: 185 lbs.: Patrick Cote (12-4) vs. Ricardo Almeida (9-2) Under Card: 265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) vs. Justin McCully (8-3-2)
UFC 86 "Jackson vs. Griffin' is now available for sale in our DVD store for $19.99 by clicking here. To check out our massive library of MMA DVD titles, including PRIDE DVD and UFC DVD click here. We also have Elite XC, WEC, Cage Rage, IFL, King of the Cage and other products for sale in our store. Looking for a title but don't see it in our store? Email us and we'll be happy to check its availability. Please keep in mind that we are only able to ship within the continental United States at this time. |
| UFC Quick Quote: Dana White respects Strikeforce; Gina Carano Posted: 29 Oct 2008 08:42 PM CDT
-UFC President Dana White as quoted in USA Today about what place Strikeforce and Gina Carano have in today’s world of mixed martial arts. Perhaps Mr. White isn’t the meglomaniacal dictator some people make him out to be. You decide. |
| Spirit MC 19 ‘Termination’ trailer and quick preview Posted: 29 Oct 2008 08:20 PM CDT
South Korean promotion Spirit MC has finalized the card for their upcoming ‘Termination’ event which will take place on Thursday, October 30 at the Chungcheong University in Cheongju City, South Korea. And it’s a doozy. First up is the middleweight (176lbs) title bout that pits Jae Suk Lim against Sang Il An. Fans may recognize Suk Lim from his previous stints with Strikeforce and Elite XC. He looked great in his last bout, submitting Jung Hwan Chan in the first round via rear naked choke at Spirit MC 17 ‘All In’ which took place back in June. Il An is coming off a lesser performance than Suk Lim’s after battling to a draw against Dong Hyun Kim (no, not the UFC fighter) at Spirit MC 18 ‘The Champion’ last August. Il An had impressive back-to-back knockouts earlier this year and is sure to be looking for his third against Chan. Next in championship action will be the highly anticipated fight between Kwang “Crazy” Hee Lee who will put his welterweight (154lbs) title on the line against undefeated Ui Cheol Nam. Hee Lee has won all five of his fights in Spirit MC - all by way of KO or TKO and certainly has a vicious pair of hands. He faced his first loss however back in May competing at ‘Sengoku Second Battle’ losing to Eiji Mitsuoka via rear naked choke in the first round. He’ll be looking to get back to his winning streak and possibly provide the fans with another knockout. It won’t be an easy task however since his opponent Cheol Nam is undefeated at 8-0. This fight has the potential to be one hell of a brawl. The event also features a handful of newcomers including three MMA debuts. Check out the trailer for ‘Termination’ after the jump:
Here is the official fight card for Spirit MC 19 ‘Termination’: Main Card: Undercard: |
| Olympic Judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii signs with FEG Posted: 29 Oct 2008 05:33 PM CDT
Olympic Judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii was set to make his mixed martial arts debut on New Year’s Eve at the FieLDS Dynamite show at the end of this year. However it now looks as though he will just be making a brief cameo appearance like Fedor Emelianenko did back at DREAM 6 in September according to our friends at Nightmare of Battle. While fans may be disappointed that he won’t be competing, the good news is he’s officially signed with Japan’s Fighting & Entertainment Group (FEG) and is expected to compete in an upcoming DREAM event sometime in Spring 2009. I’m sure he’ll elaborate when his fan club holds a celebration party on November 3, but for now he is remaining tight-lipped about the details. The December 31 Dynamite card features a plethora of top-tier fighters and fan favorites such as Kazushi Sakuraba, Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai, Joachim Hansen, Yoshihiro Sato and many more. One of the names being kicked around for Ishii’s debut according to Tokyo-Sports is fellow Judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida (8-6-1). Nothing is certain yet, but both athletes rank very high in the court of public opinion and a fight between them would no doubt be a huge draw. After winning an Olympic gold medal in Judo this summer in Beijing, many Japanese fans regard Ishii as a national hero. His appearance in and of itself might help to bring Japanese mixed martial arts back into the mainstream like the glory days of PRIDE FC. After winning his gold medal, Ishii issued an open challenge to heavyweight deity Fedor Emelianenko. I guess he didn't see what Fedor did to silver medalist Naoya Ogawa at PRIDE Final Conflict back in 2004. Fedor of course smiled and went about his business, as Ishii has yet to prove that he can transition from Judo to mixed martial arts and a few questions have been raised of his ability to strike - or be struck. In addition, his Judo Federation doesn't seem too keen on the idea of him making the jump from Judo to mixed martial arts, despite Ishii’s persistence. This could be the spark that FEG needs to help ignite DREAM’s sagging ratings. Unless of course he gets smashed by a journeyman ala Kimbo Slice. Looks like we’ll have to wait until November 3 to find out the rest. |
| Scott Smith offers a fighter’s perspective on the fall of EliteXC Posted: 29 Oct 2008 02:19 PM CDT
Former EliteXC middleweight contender Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith was set to face Cuban Judo Olympian Hector "Shango" Lombard at Elite XC "Night of Champions” on November 8 live on Showtime from the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada. It was supposed to be the last event for Elite XC in 2008 … and it was shaping up to be perhaps the promotion's best offering to date. Two world title fights were on the line, including a 185-pound showdown between division champion Robbie Lawler and Joey Villasenor and a 160-pound dream match up between Nick Diaz and Eddie Alvarez for the vacant lightweight crown. Smith had trained hard and was prepared to make the most of the opportunity, until a late night phone call changed his career forever. “I was hearing rumors and I actually got a call from a guy that works for the UFC and he was like ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ and I was like I don’t know, you probably know more than I do. Then my manager called and said it was pretty much a done deal.” Little more than two weeks after its biggest star, Kimbo Slice, lost in just 14 seconds to replacement journeyman Seth Petruzelli in front of 4.5 million people on CBS, Elite XC was forced to close its doors forever. “When I saw Kimbo lose (to Seth Petruzelli) I thought oh this isn’t good for EliteXC, they’ve got all their eggs in one basket. Then when I saw the controversy I knew it was just a matter of time at that point. We were kind of hoping for the November card just to get one last payday but everybody knew it was inevitable, it was just a matter of when.” That payday was one that not only Smith, but hundreds of other EliteXC employees were probably counting on. What made it even more difficult for Smith was the timing of the collapse. The closer he got to ‘Night of Champions,’ the more hopeful he became about the event still taking place. “I’ve been in camp for over eight weeks and I’ve been pushing myself hard. It’s one thing if [it happens] two months out from a fight, but two weeks? It’s devastating. Even if I lost, worst case scenario, (including sponsorship money) I would still be out close to $40,000. Until all the paperwork and everything is done I’m not going to be cleared to fight somewhere else before the end of the year. It’s close to the holidays, I got a mortgage to pay, I’ve got two kids, it’s tough.” The company dug a deep $60 million hole of which it was never able to climb out. Obviously, no money — investors who were supposed to keep the company alive at least until the end of the year never materialized — equals no events, especially when there's not even a pay-per-view (PPV) deal to fall back on. “It was purely financial.” Smith explains. “They had to have funding by a certain time, I believe it was Sunday or Monday night. If they didn’t get that funding the next day they were filing for bankruptcy. Everybody pretty much knew they weren’t going to get the funding. Supposedly CBS backed out because of the controversy with the [Petruzelli] fight, they were going to buy the company, but I personally think it was because of the whole Kimbo thing. He’s not nearly as marketable now that he got exposed. I think they’re using the controversy as an excuse. I talked to Showtime and they invested too much money in EliteXC and they had to draw the line and this was the line and they couldn’t put another penny into it.” In the end, the talent was there near the top … it just wasn't enough to compensate for all the other shortcomings and struggles that upstart mixed martial arts promotions face attempting to get off the ground. Especially one that builds a promotion around a fighter that has never been tested against real competition - something that Smith believes was their downfall from the beginning. “[Kimbo] was getting a lot of attention. He was definitely worth fighting and putting on cards and promoting, but they were getting too much away from the Robbie Lawlers and the Jake Shields of the company and just focusing too much on Kimbo. I’ve remained friends with a lot of people from the UFC and they were really upset about [the Kimbo push] calling it a joke. All I can do is support the company I’m working for and hope for the best. I do like Kimbo as a person, he’s a great guy. I have no problem with them promoting Kimbo and building him up because he does have potential to be a great fighter but it was [too much, too soon].” For a company that was plagued with rumors of poor decision making and gross mishandling by its executives, Smith defends the EliteXC management’s handling of the fiasco, specifically by Head of Fight Operations Jeremy Lappen. “Jeremy Lappen actually called me last night. He was very professional, very nice. He apologized for having to cancel the card and I kind of felt bad for the guy, that’s a tough phone call to make. (Lappen) said they even offered for upper management not to get a paycheck for this fight to try to make (the November card) happen. I consider Jeremy a friend and I really appreciated that phone call, it was very professional of him.” Despite the financial loss, the sudden end and subsequent unemployment hasn’t soured Smith on his experience under the Pro Elite banner. In fact, Smith considers his tenure with EliteXC to be one of the best of his career. “I’m happy I did it. Everybody from EliteXC treated me great, they took care of me, they paid me well - better than what I was getting at the UFC. I got great exposure, gained some great sponsorship including Affliction which I would have never gotten had I stayed in the UFC. Even how things turned out, I would do the same thing again. I made more money in 2008 then I made - ever.” With the experience behind him, Smith must now concentrate on an uncertain future. While he has been approached by smaller organizations who are interested in his services, Smith still has to wait for the paperwork to be sorted out. In the interim, he’s optimistic that one of the bigger promotions will be ready and waiting for him when that time finally comes. “The hard thing is I just don’t know what’s going to happen. All I can do is keep training. And if I’ve ever said anything bad about Strikeforce or the UFC or Affliction, I take it all back. I love all those guys!” For more on Scott Smith and the demise of EliteXC, check out his interview on MMAmania’s exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio by clicking here. |
| Bobby Lashley MMA debut for Mixed Fight Alliance set for Dec. 13 Posted: 29 Oct 2008 02:16 PM CDT
Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley will make his long awaited mixed martial arts debut at Mixed Fight Alliance: “There Will Be Blood” at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Fla., on December 13. No opponent has been named at this time, but that hasn’t stopped local radio stations in the South Florida area from promoting the appearance almost two months out from the actual event. Lashley was a three-time national champion collegiate wrestler at Missouri Valley College from 1996-1998. After college he turned professional and it wasn’t long before the enormous and naturally gifted athlete made his way into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) … the pinnacle of the industry. WWE President and CEO Vince McMahon more or less brought Lashley in as a replacement for Brock Lesnar — who at the time had recently retired and now competes under the UFC banner. He needed a big buy like Lesnar who could come in and wow the crowd with his freakish size, strength and athleticism. Ironically, Lashley is once again following in Brock’s footsteps as he attempts to make the transition into the sport of mixed martial arts. Lesnar — who will fight for the UFC heavyweight championship next month in only his fourth professional fight — has obviously already made his presence felt big time in the fight game. It’s going to be interesting to see if Lashley can produce similar results. It certainly doesn’t hurt his cause that he gets his day-to-day training at American Top Team (ATT) in Coconut Creek, Fla., which has a sick stable of fighters, including heavyweights Antonio Silva, Jeff Monson, Thiago Alves, Gesias ‘JZ’ Cavalcante, Wilson Gouveia, Denis Kang, Thiago Silva and many others to train with and learn from. Lashley is 32 years old, which isn’t young in today’s mixed martial arts world, so he’ll have to learn quickly if he wants to make his mark. But his background in wrestling along with his size and strength advantage should provide him with enough of a base to be competitive on a big stage right away. We’ll find out on December 13. Lashley is currently under contract with the American Fight League (AFL). The two parties inked a two-fight deal with an option for a third earlier this year. But like most of the other fighters under contract with the fledgling promotion, he still has the freedom to fight in other organizations so long as it doesn’t interfere with any AFL obligations. The promotion decided to hold off on its inaugural event until sometime in early 2009, clearing the way for Lashley to compete on the December 13 MFA show. Jeff “The Snowman” Monson (26-8) is also expected to be in action at the American Airlines Arena along with Lashley. An opponent has not yet been named for him either at this time. |
| Nate Diaz next fight possible at UFC 94 on Jan. 31 Posted: 29 Oct 2008 12:42 PM CDT
His trainer, Cesar Gracie, recently relayed the news via his gym’s official Web site, adding that a rumored bout against Clay Guida at TUF 8 Finale on December 12 had fallen through because of a recent foot injury sustained by “The Carpenter” in training. Here’s a snip:
Diaz has been nothing short of brilliant inside the cage since his stint on TUF, stopping four out of his five most recent opponents and defeating them all. He most recently headlined UFC Fight Night 15 last month against Josh Neer and the two put on an action-packed three-round show for the fans. He’s clearly ready to graduate and take on the top contenders in the 155-pound division in 2009. Diaz’s mixed martial arts skills are well beyond his 23 years on this planet — he appears to get better and better each time out. It’s scary. 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. |
| Renzo Gracie on life as a fighter; feud with BJ Penn (video) Posted: 29 Oct 2008 10:47 AM CDT
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and mixed martial arts legend Renzo Gracie was featured in a documentary titled "Renzo Gracie: Legacy" at the inaugural U.S. Sports Film Festival last Saturday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Perhaps best known for his battles with Dan Henderson and Kazushi Sakuraba back in the days of PRIDE Fighting Championship, Gracie (13-6-1) last competed at Elite XC: "Destiny" where he defeated Frank Shamrock via disqualification. The movie chronicles Gracie’s life from his days as a boy growing up in Brazil to his time spent as a top competitor in Japan and beyond. Of particular interest was his feud with BJ Penn back in 2005. Penn first studied the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Renzo’s brother Ralph Gracie, who took the gifted Hawaiian under his wing and molded him into a formidable grappler. Penn eventually left the Gracie school and in 2005 went against Gracie tradition by calling out one of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s most revered pioneers in Rodrigo Gracie. After taking the decision win, Penn then set his sights on Rodrigo’s cousin and brother of his mentor, Renzo Gracie. As if it wasn’t bad enough that a Gracie-trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter was calling out another, Renzo took exception to the fact that it was Penn’s father who made the call and not BJ himself. Renzo explains in our exclusive video after the jump:
Renzo and BJ fought to a very close decision that saw Penn win a battle of positions. Renzo would later get his revenge when one of his star pupils (at the time) Georges St. Pierre outpointed Penn in similar fashion at UFC 58. Will GSP do it again in their rematch at UFC 94? Gracie has enjoyed his time away from the sport, but still doesn’t consider himself retired. In fact the 41-year-old fighter plans to get back into the mix - after shedding a few extra pounds. Where he fits in to the big picture is hard to say. He still has the ability to draw in Japan and could be a nice addition to one of the upcoming cards in either DREAM or Sengoku. And of course he could always head over to Strikeforce to rematch Frank Shamrock, who got DQ’d for driving his knees into Gracie's head while he was on the ground at ‘Destiny’ (despite being warned by referee Herb Dean regarding an earlier infraction involving the back of the head). Time will tell. Renzo Gracie: ‘Legacy’ is expected to be available on DVD this November. |
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