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| Thiago Silva: Lyoto Machida ‘runs more than he fights’ Posted: 08 Dec 2008 08:38 AM CST
Quoteworthy:
Thiago Silva — who is certainly not short on confidence — is already beating his war drum several weeks out from his clash with fellow unbeaten light heavyweight Lyoto Machida at UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January 31. Perhaps it’s part of his pre-fight plan to rattle the cage of the “ghostly” Brazilian and get him to engage more often on fight night. Will Machida take the bait or will it be more of the same? |
| Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonner video and more free to watch online Posted: 08 Dec 2008 08:02 AM CST |
| Dave Kaplan on Junie Browning TUF 8 Finale fight (Video) Posted: 07 Dec 2008 07:50 PM CST |
| Pancrase ‘Shining 10′ results and quick recap Posted: 07 Dec 2008 06:50 PM CST
Pancrase got underway with their 10th installment of 'Shining' earlier today from the Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. A staggering 17 fights went down, with three of them title matches and one tournament final. There were originally 18 fights set to go down until Yuki Yashima (2-4-1) was attacked by a knife wielding maniac, effectively putting a stop to his scheduled bout with Yasutomo Tanaka (5-2-4). Only in Japan. Manabu Inoue was deservingly crowned the Bantamweight King of Pancrase by choking out Seiya Kawahara in the second round. Many expected the previously undefeated Seiya to win this one but it was not to be and now has his first ever loss. Let's hope it can motivate him to get back on the winning path. Speaking of getting back on the winning path, Katsuya Inoue did just that when he bested Koji Oishi in a decision win. Inoue was coming off a loss to Nick Diaz at DREAM 3 but was able to overcome Oishi for the vacant Lightweight King of Pancrase title. Takuya Wada & Masahiro Toryu finished what they started, with their last fight ending in a draw last October at Pancrase 'Shining' 9. It ended decisively this time with Wada getting the ‘W’ thanks to a hard earned unanimous decision victory. He is now likely to duke it out with the Welterweight Tournament Winner Tomoyoshi Iwamiya who got the decision nod in his bout with Hiroyuki Nozawa. Iwamiya will look to fight it out for Wada's Welterweight King of Pancrase title sometime in Spring 2009. And in women's action, Rin Nakai proved herself to be a force to be reckoned with by dominating the much more experienced Tomomi Sunabe with relative ease, ending it in only 93 seconds with a TKO win. Look to see more from her. Here are the official results for 'Pancrase Shining 10': Main Card Lightweight King of Pancrase Bantamweight King of Pancrase Welterweight King of Pancrase Welterweight Tournament Final Ichiro Kanai (9-9-3) defeated Daijiro Matsui (10-25-4) by arm triangle choke (2:25-R1) Preliminary Card Shingo Suzuki (2-0) defeated Makoto Kawawa (1-4) by armbar (1:13-R1) |
| Dana White: Oscar De La Hoya vs Manny Pacquiao ‘a bad day for boxing’ Posted: 07 Dec 2008 01:48 PM CST
Quoteworthy:
UFC President Dana White weighs in on the superfight last night between box office behemoth Oscar De La Hoya and the little engine that could, Manny Pacquiao, that wasn’t so super. The much smaller and faster Filipino gutted the “Golden Boy” for eight rounds, forcing De La Hoya to essentially quit on his stool and not answer the bell for the ninth round. He admitted after the battering that he “didn’t have it anymore” and would think about possibly retiring. That, of course, could be a huge blow to boxing … unless Floyd Mayweather Jr. can be coaxed out of retirement to fight Pacquiao. Even still, it appears that there are just a handful of interesting fights out there in sport … far fewer than the seemingly endless possibilities in MMA. And now its top draw could hang up the gloves for good. |
| Affliction MMA boxed in by Golden Boy promotions on January 24 Posted: 07 Dec 2008 12:17 PM CST
Golden Boy Promotions is hosting a welterweight superfight between four-time world champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Mexican sensation Antonio Margarito on January 24, the same date as Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning” pay-per-view card that features the main event of Andre Arlovski vs. Fedor Emelianenko according to the LA Times via Steve Cofield . Originally scheduled for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, the boxing card was repackaged and shipped to Los Angeles following some legal funny business involving Mosely and the oxygen-boosting drug EPO. This would have been the perfect opportunity for Affliction and Golden Boy to deliver on a long-rumored co-promotion that would feature a mixed line-up of boxing and mixed martial arts warriors duking it out at the same event. Imagine the success of Mosely-Margarito and Arlovski-Emelianenko on the same card. However that idea was scrapped after Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com that criticism of merging the sports led to the decision to scrap the idea. The companies still planned to promote the "Day of Reckoning" card, but this new development is hardly a helping hand. With the boxing bash going down at the nearby Staples Center, it could effectively draw much of the local interest in combat sports away from the Affliction card and into the hands of boxing. This is not the first roadblock the Affliction card has faced. "Day of Reckoning” was originally slated to go down on October 11, 2008, in Las Vegas before being postponed due to certain “obstacles” that Affliction VP Tom Atencio attributes to the UFC’s stranglehold on MMA in Sin City. It would appear the apparel company is now competing against itself with Mosely-Margarito just down the block, but to date no one can even say what the actual relationship is between Affliction and Golden Boy - if one exists at all. From boxing promoter Bob Arum:
This could be the first time ever that UFC President Dana White was a fan of Bob Arum. |
| Canada’s best kept secret: An exclusive interview with TJ Grant Posted: 07 Dec 2008 12:16 PM CST
Georges St. Pierre is without question Canada’s most popular mixed martial arts fighter. But he may soon have to share that spotlight with an up-and-coming fighter named TJ Grant. Grant (13-2) has won 13 of his 15 professional fights - with a staggering 12 of those 13 by submission. In addition to winning matches, he's been winning over audiences in Canada for quite some time. With his popularity back home and the do-or-die mentality he brings to his fights, it may be only a matter of time before one of the big organizations like the UFC takes notice of the FitPlus standout. Especially considering he already holds convincing wins over UFC veterans like Forrest Petz. At only 23 years old, Grant can only get better. Armed with an already formidable skill set, look for the Canadian grappler to become a force to be reckoned with as he builds on his experience in King of the Cage (KOTC) and TKO Major League MMA. I had the pleasure of catching up with TJ recently to talk about everything from his background in MMA, the fight with The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) alum Ritchie Hightower that never happened, KOTC Champs that don’t have to defend their belts and a whole lot more. Here's how it all went down. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): You recently defeated Beau Baker (4-1) via armbar at PFP 'Wanted'. How do you feel you did overall in your performance? Did you plan to break him down and lock him with a submission late into the fight or was it just that hard to catch him seeing he is well versed in submissions like yourself? TJ Grant: I was pleased with my performance in the fight. He was an incredibly tough dude and definitely came to fight. I really should have got my first KO that night but I think his head was made from granite. The plan was to keep it standing and at the same time if there were opportunities to put him on his back then to do it. He was better on the ground then I thought so as fight went on I felt standing was the best way to go. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): Did it surprise you how durable his chin was? Did he manage to throw you off at all when he was begging to be hit? TJ Grant: It did surprise me. I just watched the whole fight again and man I landed tons of clean punches….props to him. I didn't get discouraged because I am in good shape. And when he begged for more I just gave him more. He is a real warrior and will continue to be successful in the sport. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): Are you in good health after that fight? Did you sustain any injuries? TJ Grant: I am in very good health after the fight…with the exception of feeling like crap from all the McDonald's I have been eating recently. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): The scheduled opponent for you that night was Ritchie Hightower of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) fame, but he pulled out on short notice. Were you ready to fight despite the last-minute change? TJ Grant: Yeah well, I would prefer time to prepare for someone but there wasn't much I could do. All I care about is that I'm in good shape. I knew I Wasn't fighting Ritchie Hightower for about three weeks prior to the fight. I signed a contract to fight Ritchie and for whatever reason he didn't sign his end and I wasn't given a reason for him not fighting me. I didn't care either way I just wanted to fight. But the promotion already had begun promoting our fight. I had many quality opponents mentioned to me in the weeks leading up to the fight such as a guy named Seth Bazniski who is a former IFL vet and a solid fighter. Carlo Prater and some others were mentioned. They all seemed to fall through. Then they came upon Beau Baker who just beat Tommy Speer and was an up and comer and would be a good match up. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): You've only being competing professionally for a little over two years but in that span of time had 15 fights, including five this year. So with you staying busy is training pretty much an everyday thing? TJ Grant: I train six days a week, most days twice. Morning (well noon which is morning for me (laughs), I do conditioning and some times some combat drills and in the night I do my martial arts. Two-four hours a day total plus I teach Thai boxing and jiu-jitsu two-three hours at the gym. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): Do you plan to fight again before the end of 2008 or are you just going to take it easy and enjoy the holiday season? TJ Grant: I am going to keep training and help guys get ready for fights in the new year but as for me I will enjoy my holidays guilt free. I'll probably have a few beers, eat lots of pastries and eat lots of turkey! Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): Your popularity in your native Canada seems to be skyrocketing every time you fight. And with that and all your quality wins do you think it's just a matter of time before the UFC comes calling? TJ Grant: I hope so. I mean all I can do is win fights and make them exciting. The goal is the UFC or some other big organization. The UFC has all the talent and I would love to get there and compete. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): I'm surprised they haven't picked you up already, you own a few wins over UFC veterans like Forrest Petz and Chad Reiner. Dominating victories at that. How do you think you match up with the best of the best at 170lbs? Is there anyone you can think of that you would love to fight? TJ Grant: Not really anyone specific. There are so many good guys out there. I just want get my shot against whoever and make the best of it. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): Say the UFC or another big organization came knocking on your door. Would you be able to jump ship right away? Or are you locked in to a contract and if so how many fights are on that contract? TJ Grant: Right now I am under no contract to any organization. I would jump ship tomorrow if I could! Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): Despite your great fight record there are a couple of blemishes. Do you plan to avenge either of those losses? TJ Grant: Well who knows if it will ever happen. I'm not holding my breath. I asked for Gary (Wright) in King Of The Cage (KOTC) but apparently champions can have belts and not defend them in that organization so who knows. And Jesse (Bongfeldt) and me were supposed to meet actually what would be tonight, December 5 in Montreal for the TKO title but with the demise of TKO who knows. He was another opponent we tried to get for the November 29 Phoenix fight but it didn't work out. Both guys are very tough dudes and I definitely want to fight them again. I have grown a lot since both fights. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): Seeing as you're a submission specialist, would you ever consider entering any high profile submission tournaments such as Abu Dhabi or is your sole focus on mixed martial arts for now? TJ Grant: Right now my focus is on MMA because I need to pay the bills. I love jiu-jitsu and would love to focus only on that for a while. But with the sport of MMA you got to balance the time between wrestling, jiu-jitsu, Thai boxing and of course conditioning. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): Anyone thinking you were just a ground wizard would be wrong. You also have some great striking skills. You hone those skills at Team Fairtex in Thailand. How often do you travel there to work on your Muay Thai? TJ Grant: I have gone the past two years and I am going again in January. We try to balance our time between Kaewsamrit gym in Bangkok and Fairtex in Pattaya. Both places offer great training. I wish I could live there! The people, food, weather are all awesome. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): Do you ever feel under pressure from fans that might expect you to finish every fight now? TJ Grant: I always want to finish my opponent. Who really wants to fight for 15 minutes if they don't have to? (Laughs) but in all honesty I won’t be upset if I win a decision as long as I'm happy with my performance and know that we put on a great fight for the fans. I never want to hear boos in my career! I will always do my best to finish or at least put on an entertaining fight. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): You're not just a fighter, you're also a coach at Fit Plus and have to travel a lot for your fighter’s bouts. How do you manage to stay on top of all that? TJ Grant: Well Scott MacLean (owner and head trainer of Fit Plus) usually has to be the one to take all the major trips to corner guys. But when I got to go that's fine by me. Its nice cornering guys and getting to laugh at them cutting weight and seeing them all nervous before fights. Have to enjoy it when its not me fighting for a change! Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): We know you're a rising star coming out of Canada but is there anyone else you think we should be keeping an eye on? TJ Grant: There are so many good guys coming out of Canada these days. It's hard to mention a few…but I think Rory MacDonald from BC will be well known very soon. Stefan Manojlovic (MMAmania.com): Well TJ, thanks for taking the time out to talk to us, I as well many others look forward to seeing you fight again. Is there any sponsors you'd like to thank or any last words for your fans? TJ Grant: Yeah I want to say thanks to my sponsors first off, Remote Access Technology, ATM Cashbin, MMA FightShop and the Source Security. I also want to thank everyone for their support from fans, friends, family and of course Scott at Fit Plus and all the dudes that train me and train with me every day. Special thanks to Adam Gravelle for assisting with the interview. |
| BJ Penn video blog on Georges St. Pierre UFC 94 fight and more Posted: 07 Dec 2008 11:24 AM CST |
| UFC Quick Quote: Josh Koscheck knows judo Posted: 07 Dec 2008 11:21 AM CST
– Josh Koscheck tells the USA Today that he is preparing for the tight judo game of Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops” this Wednesday (December 10) at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The welterweight tilt is billed as the main event of the evening. It should be an interesting contrast in styles — Koscheck is a decorated collegiate wrestling national champion. |
| Martin Kampmann vs Alexandre Barros UFC 93 fight possible Jan. 17 Posted: 07 Dec 2008 11:01 AM CST
The “Hitman” recently had his nine-fight win streak snapped after getting wrecked by Nate Marquardt in short order via bruising first round technical knockout at UFC 88: “Breakthrough” back in September. It was apparently a wake up call for the Danish kickboxer that perhaps he is better suited to compete in a division 15 pounds lighter. This will mark the first time ever that Kampmann will compete at 170 pounds. And if he is able to adjust and perform well he could facing some top competition in the category sooner rather than later. His possible opponent, Barros, is currently enjoying a streak of nine consecutive victories. In fact, the Brazilian product has not dropped a bout since 2004. He is coming off a unanimous decision win over Udi Lima at Watch Out Combat Show 2 in September. Barros — who has been competing in professional mixed martial arts since 1999 — has a notable loss (unanimous decision) to former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes back in 2000 at World Extreme Fighting show in Indiana. UFC 93 features the highly anticipated light heavyweight clash between former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin and former Pride FC dual welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson. In the co main event of the pay-per-view (PPV) event, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will rematch the most recent UFC Hall of Fame inductee, former UFC heavyweight champion and 2000 Pride FC Open Weight Champion, Mark Coleman. To check out the latest UFC 93 fight card and rumors click here. |
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