Saturday, January 31, 2009

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Afro Samurai: MMAmania.com exclusive UFC 94 weigh in pics for ‘St. Pierre vs Penn 2′

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 10:28 PM CST

Nostradumbass here reporting live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Be sure to check out a handful of our exclusive UFC 94 weigh in pics right here after the jump.

Check back tomorrow for more pics from UFC 94 ‘St. Pierre vs. Penn 2.’

UFC 94 video: ESPN crew break down of ‘St. Pierre vs Penn 2′ PPV event

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 10:06 PM CST

MMAmania.com back online after minor technical difficulties

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 08:39 PM CST

UPDATE: Just want to let our readers we upgraded our server this week. We went from a Pinto to a Cadillac. What’s that mean? Smooth service tomorrow night for our blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 94. Finally … it only took us three years!

Sorry Maniacs, for the momentary lapse in coverage.

Unfortunately we had some minor technical difficulties behind the scenes, but rest assured after a few adjustments (see above) we’re back online and ready to give you more UFC 94 coverage than you can shake a Lei at, including some exclusive weigh-in pics from this afternoon’s event.

Thanks again for hanging in there, and now let’s get back to business.

UFC 94 weigh in results for ‘St. Pierre vs Penn 2′

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 07:16 PM CST

The official weigh-in event for UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2" took place earlier today in front of a packed (and very vocal) house at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, at 7pm ET.

All 20 fighters set to compete on the card made their respective marks on the scale. Both Stephan Bonnar and Clay Guida gave the crowd something to whisper about after a few extra seconds on the scale, but each fighter quickly ditched their socks and tried again, just squeaking in under the limit.

While the event had its share of heated staredowns, including the much ballyhooed face-off between UFC champions Georges St. Pierre and BJ Penn, no extra-curricular activities took place on stage - though a divided crowd took turns chanting for both Penn and GSP.

It should be noted that Karo Parisyan, already under close scrutiny for his anxiety issues, looked considerably out of shape after disrobing.

Here are the complete UFC 94 weigh in results:

170 lbs.: Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (170) vs. lightweight champion BJ Penn (168)
205 lbs.: Lyoto Machida (206) vs. Thiago Silva (206)
205 lbs.: Stephan Bonnar (206) vs. Jon Jones (206)
155 lbs.: Nate Diaz (156) vs. Clay Guida (156)
170 lbs.: Karo Parisyan (170) vs. Dong Hyun "Stun Gun" Kim (171)
170 lbs.: Jon Fitch (171) vs. Akihiro Gono (171)
155 lbs.: Manny Gamburyan (155) vs. Thiago Tavares (155)
170 lbs.: Chris Wilson (170) vs. John Howard (171)
265 lbs.: Jake O'Brien (205) vs. Christian Wellisch (206)
170 lbs.: Matt "No Regard" Arroyo (171) vs. Daniel Cramer (171)

Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas tomorrow (Jan. 31).

Of course, the latest quick updates of the prelim bouts will begin to flow earlier than that at around 8pm ET.

It's going to be a memorable night of fights — the most anticipated in recent history for the promotion … perhaps the sport. Be sure to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight coverage you can handle.

Jay Heiron guest on HDNets ‘Inside MMA’ tonight; Knockout of Jason High at Affliction to air

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:07 PM CST

HDNET fights and affliction partnership
If you watched Affliction: “Day of Reckoning” last Saturday night from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., you were probably wondering what happened to the welterweight bout between Jay Hieron and Jason High, which was mysteriously absent from the telecast.

It turns out, the promotion had to push the fight to the end of the event — after the pay-per-view was over — because there simply wasn’t enough time to squeeze the dark match onto either the HDNet or PPV broadcasts.

It’s a shame, too, because the fight itself turned out to be on par with most of the fights that night, meaning it was a high paced battle with a great finish.

Not to fear — HDNet plans to air the highlight reel-worthy fight tonight during its hour-long, weekly MMA news show, “Inside MMA,” tonight at 9 p.m. ET.

Better late than never.

Heiron — the former International Fight League (IFL) 170 pound champion — ended the fight just over a minute with an onslaught of strikes.

The loss was the first of High’s career. He had previously finished five out of his six opponents before the final bell — two via technical knockout and three by submission. It’s also worth noting that two of those wins had come against Octagon veterans James Giboo and Kevin Burns.

For Hieron, this win marked his fifth in a row. He’s shown a ton of improvement since being forced out of the UFC after losing his second straight match for the promotion back at Ultimate Fight Night 2 in 2005 to Jonathan Goulet. His nine fights under the IFL banner really did his career a world of good.

He’s competed twice and won both times since the promotion went under last year.

The fight is worth checking out tonight if you haven’t seen it already. In addition to Heiron, tonight’s guests include long-time MMA veteran Tank Abbott, as well as the last reigning WEC light heavyweight champion, Steve Cantwell.

UFC 94 video blog with Dana White (Episode five)

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 12:44 PM CST

UFC 94 predictions, preview and analysis

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 10:07 AM CST

UFC 94 "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2" is set to go down this Saturday, January 24 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, live on pay-per-view (PPV) starting at 10 p.m. ET.

Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET.

To get us pumped for the festivities, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer Jesse Holland (that's me) will be breaking down the main event matches and revealing each fighter's keys to victory.

If you're looking for an unbiased and objective examination of each contest, then I'm happy to report you will be extremely disappointed.

Why else do you think I would depose the former contributors and take this act solo like the selfish blowhard you already know me to be?

But enough about me … at least for the time being.

Let's get cracking:

Georges “Rush” St. Pierre (17-2) vs. BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (13-4-1)

Greatest fight of all time? Hard to say. A quick stoppage in the first round would be a tough pill to swallow. I will say for that for me, it’s probably the most anticipated fight of all time. How often can you say that about a rematch? Penn and St. Pierre have already met inside the Octagon at UFC 58: "USA vs. Canada" in 2006, which resulted in a controversial split decision win for St. Pierre. Penn brutalized St. Pierre for much of the first round, but then “Rush” stormed back and hung on in the final two frames to get the winning nod. Most at the time felt at the very least it should have been a draw because of the lopsided opening stanza (10-8?); however, the judges ringside did not agree. Regardless, it was a great fight and the encore will likely be even better since both fighters have improved significantly over time. And that's a scary thing to say – these are two of the most gifted pound-for-pound talents in the sport going up against one another in the prime of their careers. Its historical significance cannot be overstated. Now when I look at this contest from a distance, I have to give Penn a significant advantage in a lot of areas, including both striking and jiu-jitsu. True, GSP also has his black belt, but for reality’s sake let’s not pretend that makes him Penn’s equal. “The Prodigy” sports an iron chin and so many intangibles that it’s hard to imagine him losing. So why then, am I picking St. Pierre? Penn is meant to be a lightweight. Three of his four losses have come outside of that division and I believe that GSP will come in with the same anger and ferocity that he brought against Matt Serra at UFC 83. Expect St. Pierre to use his superior wrestling right out of the gate to avoid the stand up and effectively frustrate Penn, who may need to expend a lot of energy to avoid a barrage of knees and elbows while grounded. Eventually the higher weight will fail him, and the second he begins to lose a step, St. Pierre will capitalize and finish him. So let it be written, so let it be dumb.

Keys to victory:

St. Pierre: Penn doesn’t need a haymaker to finish you standing. His boxing may be MMA’s finest, so pick him up and dump him on his head. From there, rain down fury until he wishes he never said any of those mean things about you on “Primetime.”

Penn: If history is any indication, you’ve got one round to pull this off. I believe, like you do, that St. Pierre can be broken. Stuff a few takedowns or draw blood in the first minute and you could be home free.

Prediction: St. Pierre by TKO

Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (13-0) vs. Thiago Silva (13-0)

This is UFC 94’s version of Kesuke Miyagi vs. Terry Silver. The patient but deadly defender vs. the aggressive and powerful attacker. Machida has won five straight inside the Octagon, including big time bouts against Tito Ortiz, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Kazuhiro Nakamura among others. He's perhaps one of the most difficult fighters to figure out — "The Dragon" has a technical fight style that appears to frustrate his opponents, as well as a few fans who claim he’s "boring." Regardless, he's been knocking on the door of a title shot for some time now. A win over a meany like Silva would certainly improve his chances. Silva brings the fierce and aggressive style of his old Chute Boxe camp into each fight, stopping all but one of his opponents throughout his unstoppable mixed martial arts career. He has an explosive mix of punches and kicks, which can often leave him open to counter strikes. However, Silva has proven that he can take punishment and dish out more … just ask Tomasz Drwal, Houston Alexander and Antonio Mendes. With that said, I still don’t see how Silva overcomes the “elusivenss” of Machida. Round one will have so much footwork it wouldn’t surprise me to see Denny Terrio sitting ringside as guest judge. Silva is going to try and make something happen, but Machida’s counter-punching and technical prowess will continue to overcome. Heck, I’m even going for the finish on this one. Take heed Mr. Evans. Can’t you see, all around you, the Dragon’s breath?

Keys to victory:

Machida: Like Doc told Little Mac: Stick and move. Silva doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for error so don’t plant your feet or you might get planted yourself.

Silva: You’re so intimidating I hear they made you a hidden character in the next Super Smash Brothers game. Unfortunately Machida has ice in his veins, so ditch the usual butcher routine and mix it up on the ground. Finish the submission that Ortiz started.

Prediction: Machida by TKO

Stephan “The American Psycho” Bonnar (11-4) vs. Jon “Bones” Jones (6-0)

Fresh off his Direct-to-Torrent performance in “Ultimate Champion,” that “Other guy from season one” is back and possibly better than ever. Bonnar — The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season one light heavyweight finalist — hasn’t seen the inside of a cage in over a year since having his knee surgically repaired after sustaining a catastrophic injury while training for a big fight against Matt Hamill at UFC Fight Night 13 back in April, effectively derailing the progress he’d 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 Bonnar may have to prove that all over again as he faces 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 and double spinning back elbows. Some pretty wild stuff, but not as wild as the fact that he did it all on just days notice. It marked the seventh career win for Jones and his seventh fight of 2008. "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. I like Jones in this bout because his wrestling can keep Bonnar grounded in the same way Rashad Evans did when Bonnar lost to him at UFC Fight Night 5. In addition, Bonnar hasn’t fought in over a year and despite his experience, Jones has the momentum here after going 7-0 in 2008. I see a changing of the guard on Saturday night: Attack of the “Bones.”

Keys to victory:

Bonnar: Rookie mistakes are what make them rookies. But are you patient enough in your first fight back to capitalize on them? Hopefully you’re one veteran who won’t be MIA on Saturday night.

Jones: Use your wrestling to disrupt his rhythm and follow that up with some flashy ground and pound. You’re not going to finish him so be prepared to go the distance and do what you have to do to score points.

Prediction: Jones by split-decision

Nate Diaz (10-2) vs. Clay “The Carpenter” Guida (24-9)

If the main event somehow falters, we could be looking at a potential “Fight of the Night” candidate with two exciting 155-pounders looking to climb yet another rung on a very tall lightweight ladder. Diaz has been nothing short of brilliant inside the cage since his stint on TUF, stopping four out of his last five opponents and defeating them all. He most recently headlined UFC Fight Night 15 last month against Josh Neer, putting on an action-packed three-round show for the fans. 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. Having said that, he’ll still need to bring his A-game if he intends to topple the lightweight cardio machine known as Clay Guida. Despite his memorable performances and gritty determination, Guida has an average record (3-3) inside the Octagon. That record, however, doesn't paint a totally accurate picture because he has been involved in several close fights, which he arguably should have won (Tyson Griffin) or was on the brink of winning (Roger Huerta) before having it snatched away in the final round. He most recently defeated TUF 6 winner Mac Danzig via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 15 in typical Guida fashion, frustrating and outworking the vegan mixed martial arts veteran. Guida will look to add another TUF champion to his belt by overwhelming Diaz. It’s not completely out of the realm of possibility. Manny Gamburyan gave him all he could handle before his shoulder collapsed at the TUF 6 Finale and Guida is just as good - if not better - at unleashing hell. I don’t see this fight going anywhere but to the ground - and fast. The entire contest will be decided by how well Guida can defend the submission and if he can, how well Diaz can absorb punishment. Fear the triangle.

Keys to victory:

Diaz: You’re a better striker and a better grappler. His wrestling is sure to put you on your back. The question is, will you have the composure to take advantage of that position?

Guida: Whatever you do, don’t stop moving. You were clowning Roger Huerta until you got caught and subsequently choked out. If you didn’t learn from that mistake, history is likely to repeat itself.

Prediction: Diaz by submission

Karo “The Heat” Parisyan (18-5) vs. Dong Hyun "Stun Gun" Kim (11-0-1)

Karo Parisyan is back after recovering from a serious back injury - or a serious case of cold feet (depending on who you ask). Hopefully he’s back with a vengeance. The Armenian went AWOL after being stopped by rising star Thiago "Pitbull" Alves in the second round via strikes in his most recent performance at UFC Fight Night 13. The typically gracious Parisyan was uncharacteristically sour on the stoppage, claiming that referee Steve Mazzagatti was premature in his decision to halt the bout. While Parisyan may have suffered another setback in his never ending quest for the welterweight championship, he is still a dangerous opponent, going 8-2 since being outpointed by current 170-pound champ Georges "Rush" St. Pierre back in 2004. However, a loss against Kim could be catastrophic for the UFC career of Parisyan, who UFC President Dana White recently referred to as "a gatekeeper." Kim made a name for himself stateside after stopping Jason Tan in his inaugural appearance for the promotion at UFC 84: "Ill Will" back in May, pounding out his opponent with elbows in the final frame. The DEEP veteran followed that up with a close split-decision win against The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) alum Matt Brown at UFC 88. “Ding” Dong may be a tough opponent, but Karo has faced so many top ten guys like GSP, Sean Sherk, Diego Sanchez - and there’s just no substitute for that kind of battle-tested experience. Kim can’t throw anything at him he hasn’t already seen and if he’s not careful, he might get thrown himself. I can feel the heat in this one.

Keys to victory:

Parisyan: Now that you’ve aligned yourself with Greg Jackson, can we expect the requisite nipple tweak? If you really want to get people talking, you’ll tweak Kim’s as well. Go for the stoppage if you want people to take you seriously again.

Kim: If your Judo is indeed better than his, this could be an interesting fight. He doesn’t do well under ground and pound - the challenge is going to be getting him there.

Prediction: Parisyan by unanimous decision

That's a wrap, folks.

Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and our coverage of UFC 94 "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2."

What do you think? Now it's your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for Saturday's event.

UFC Quick Quote: Jeremy Stephens fight ‘a little easier’ for Joe Lauzon

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 09:40 AM CST

"On our feet it's the same fight. Stephens is a brawler but, once it hits the ground, it's going to be an entirely different fight. Hermes is a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu; Stephens isn't as good as him on the ground. He's going to come out and try to knock me out. He doesn't want to fight me on the ground. Hermes was a bigger fight but this is a little easier fight for me. I was training since early December for Franca. Someday we will fight, especially after what he's been saying about me being lucky I'm not fighting him. The change of opponents could have been a problem if the replacement had an entirely different style. Stephens may have quicker hands and he's tough, but it'll be a similar fight. It's going to be a great fight and there's nothing like headlining a UFC show."

– The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 alum Joe Lauzon comments during a recent media workout about his last minute opponent switch at UFC Fight Night 17 from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 7. Lauzon was supposed to collide with former number one division contender Hermes Franca in the main event of the Spike TV special, which is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. ET. Franca, however, sustained a serious injury during training and was forced out of the fight. His training partner, Stephens, stepped up to take his place.

Long Road Back: MMAmania.com interview exclusive with Stephan Bonnar

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 08:45 AM CST

UFC 94 will be a long time coming for Stephan Bonnar. Due to a severe knee injury suffered while training for a fight against Matt Hamill at Fight Night 13, he's been sidelined since early 2008.

Following reconstructive surgery to replace a torn lateral collateral ligament in his left knee with a ligament from a cadaver, Bonnar faced an uphill battle. It was an injury that could have sidelined him for much longer, perhaps permanently.

But 31-year-old, two-time Chicago Heavyweight Golden Gloves winner wasn't quite ready to throw in the towel. During the months of rehabilitation, he's had to change up his training to accommodate for his new knee. He's now ready to get back into the Octagon.

He'll get his first test in Jon Jones (7-0). The 21-year-old has been on an absolute tear since turning professional in April 2008 — right about the same time that Bonnar was going on IR. "Bones" Jones now has six stoppages, including two KOs.

Bonnar and Jones face off this Saturday at UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn II" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It airs on pay per view (PPV) starting at 10:00 p.m. It's a big night for MMA.

Despite his absence from the cage, "The American Psycho" has been absent from the scene. He co-hosted "The TUFfest 25 Moments" with Forrest Griffin, has appeared in several installments of ESPN's "MMA Live" and even has a new movie coming out. Check out Ultimate Champion here ultimatechampionmovie.com.

We caught up with Bonnar to ask him about his upcoming opponent and his new movie role, and to see how he plans to watch the GSP vs. Penn fight. After all, the guys a fan too.

Here we go:

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How's the knee?

Stephan Bonnar: Great. It feels good.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You trained for a long time in Chicago under Carlson Gracie until his passing in 2006. You've also worked with Mark DellaGrotte and Sityodtong, and now you're with Xtreme Couture. Now that you've relocated to Vegas and have access to a lot of different trainers and sparring partners, how would you compare this experience to your days back in Chicago?

Stephan Bonnar: You know, it's just a lot easier. I still go to a couple different gyms, but it seems like everything's at my fingertips. Every gym is like within two miles of the other one. I got great sparring partners at Couture, I got a great jiu-jitsu teacher up at Sergio Penha's, which is a few miles from there.

In Chicago, I'd get some good sparring, at some boxing gyms or with Arlovski, but it was a lot more difficult. I was traveling a lot more, going all over. But (in Vegas) you got a lot more places, a lot of different guys. It feels like everything out here is really close and convenient, not too far out of the way.

In Chicago, I was going up to Miguel Torres' school a couple of times a week for MMA work. I tried to make it to Duke Roufus' like twice a week for Muay Thai — that was in Milwaukee, that was killing me. And then also with the boxing too, I had Arlovski, I had some guys that jabbed, but even then, it'd be something I'd have to set up. I'd have to make calls and ask, are you going to go to the gym today? You gonna do sparring?

Down here, I just go to Couture's and show up there, and there's a bunch of guys to work with.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you still frequent Mark DellaGrotte's gym, Sityodtong, up in Boston?

Stephan Bonnar: Yeah, when I can. I was doing that ESPN gig for about a month and a half, where they had me out in Connecticut every week. It was just, I'd fly all the way up to Connecticut, then come back to do the show in the morning, then come back the next day. So then I said, hey listen, you know I love training with Mark and then I ended up staying out there and training with Mark and doing the show, so I actually got there a couple months ago. That was nice.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Speaking of the "MMA Live" segments, how exactly did that come about? Were you approached about it when Kenny needed somebody to fill in for him?

Stephan Bonnar: Well they had Kenny doing it and Frank Mir, and they were kinda looking for a third guy in the rotation. My agent, Dean Albrecht, represents Frank Mir, so he recommended me. They weren't sold on me totally. They talked to Kenny and asked him what he thought, and Kenny gave me a good recommendation. And then they said, okay, we'll give him a try. They gave me a little trial shot, ended up liking me, and decided to have me back.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): We're definitely seeing more and more of you as a crossover star. In addition to "MMA Live," you hosted "The TUFfest 25 Moments," you've done commentator work for some smaller promotions, and now you have a movie coming out where you're the top star. Can you talk a bit about Ultimate Champion and how you were first approached about the gig?

Stephan Bonnar: Yeah that was another one that … I think that was actually Randy's agent that said these guys are looking for a fighter, I think he'd be all right, give him a call. So I ended up giving the producer a call, and actually the producer and the director — although they're both from LA, so they both have places here in Vegas, they come here frequently — so I was able to meet with them here in Vegas and talk to them.

(Laughs) I really don't know how I got it, they just decided to go with me, I guess. Got a little string of luck. And fortunately they did. It was fun, I've always wanted to do something like that. To get a chance to be doing it, it was a blast. I'm so used to training, fighting and the grind, and going through the grueling workouts everyday, so to get a chance to have fun and fake fight, yeah it was pretty cool. It was a really good time.

But it wasn't fighting in the Octagon. The training gets old after a while, but nothing compares to actual fight night.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Can we expect to see more movies with you in the future?

Stephan Bonnar: (Laughs) We'll see. I'm game. It was a lot of fun, yeah, I'd do it again.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well you're next scheduled to face Jon Jones at UFC 94 this Saturday. He's a decorated collegiate wrestler with knockout power. What problems do you see Jones bringing to the table?

Stephan Bonnar: His length, unorthodox striking and athleticism are probably his biggest strengths. Of course his wrestling — his throws and stuff. He's got a real long reach. He doesn't throw just basic kicks and punches, he likes throwing in spinning elbows and the unexpected moves. Yeah, it's a good fight for me, though.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): In his debut against Gusmao, he looked to be throwing some improv skills in there — spinning backfists and spinning elbows. In fact, if it hadn't been effective, it might have been reckless, as Urijah Faber learned against Mike Brown. Do you anticipate Jones trying some of that stuff on you?

Stephan Bonnar: Yeah, definitely. If he's been able to get away with doing that so far — and, like you said, do it and not learn a lesson from it — then yeah, I definitely expect that if he feels comfortable he'll start throwing moves like that. But as you just saw with Arlovski, he looked to be in control of Fedor, and then he tried the jumping knee and it got him in trouble. So yeah, there's a downside to not landing it.

In the Gusmao fight, (Jones) threw a couple of those moves and got away with them. He's long enough too that it's harder for some guys to counter.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What did you think of the Arlovski vs. Fedor fight up until that point? Were you surprised?

Stephan Bonnar: Not really. I thought technically Arlovski had the better boxing skills — the all-around striking skills — he's great at that. He looked to be, up until that point, I definitely had Arlovski ahead. He looked to be in control. We saw Fedor's knees buckle a little from (Arlovski's) right hand. (Arlovski) had his chin down, seemed to be doing everything right, and yeah, he got a little carried away and tried a high-risk maneuver.

The thing about Fedor is a guy who's that dangerous, if you make one little mistake like that, and if he capitalizes on it, the fight's over, and that's exactly what happened.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): We have a huge fight coming up between GSP and Penn. Who do you like in that fight?

Stephan Bonnar: That's a really, really tough one to call. At first I was thinking BJ, and then I kinda went back to GSP. That's a tough one to call. The last fight I thought coulda gone either way. BJ did the more damage, but Georges out-wrestled him and got more takedowns. There're fights like that that are too close to call. If I had to absolutely pick someone, I'd say maybe BJ, but if Georges won, it wouldn't surprise me.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Being on a card with such a huge fight like that, what do you do? You've already fought, you're backstage, you've got this fight going on, I'm sure they have TVs back there, do you just sit down and watch it, or do you come back out and see it live?

Stephan Bonnar: For that one, yeah, I'll probably sneak back out and see it live. (Laughs) I'm a fan too. I live for fights like that.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Stephan, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. I know you don't have a whole lot of time so close to the fight. Lastly, do you want to thank any sponsors or do you have any parting words for your fans about what they can expect to see at UFC 94?

Stephan Bonnar: I'd plug TapouT, but they're all over the place. Even the little girl's stores at the mall have TapouT shirts. That really blows my mind. I guess plug the movie, Ultimate Champion.

UFC 94 video: Jon Fitch faster and stronger for Akihiro Gono fight

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 07:58 AM CST

Friday, January 30, 2009

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Just in case: Rick Story on deck if Karo Parisyan can’t go at UFC 94

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 01:41 AM CST

MMAmania.com has learned that there are concerns that Karo Parisyan will pull out of his upcoming bout against Dong Hyun "Stun Gun" Kim at UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, this Saturday night (Jan.31).

Accordingly, the promotion has opted to line up a “Plan B” just in case “The Heat” needs to get out of the kitchen less than 48 hours before fight night. Newcomer Rick Story is waiting in the wings, cutting weight and getting ready to make his Octagon debut against Kim if called upon.

Story is a veteran of the Elite Warriors Championship (EWC) circuit up in Oregon. In fact, he has plied his trade primarily in the northwest, winning seven of nine pro fights. He is currently on a six fight win streak — all of which took place in 2008.

Parisyan most recently recovered from an injury that forced him to withdraw from a fight against Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida at UFC 88: "Breakthrough" in September literally hours before showtime. It was an unfortunate situation that was made more curious with his admission the he has been dealing with panic attacks.

Numerous fans claimed "The Heat" merely freaked out and used the injury as an excuse to bail from the bout. And if for some reason he is replaced by Story on such short notice this time around, it will likely stoke those flames even higher.

We should get more information on this developing situation as the weigh-in event and fight night draw closer. As of right now, Parisyan is still booked to fight “Stun Gun.” But if for some reason he is scratched at the last minute, Story would take his place.

Stay tuned.

Tom Atentio: Rumors are false; Affliction MMA here to stay

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 01:16 AM CST

tom atencio affliction

Props: Hardcore Sports Radio

Quoteworthy:

“The rumors are just that, rumors, they’re not true, there’s no truth to it…. I have Donald Trump behind me, I have Golden Boy Promotions behind me, I have M-1, where are we going? People love to build you up, but they love to watch you fall even more and hopefully I’m not that guy. I’ve always maintained that I’ve taken the high road, I don’t talk shit about people. I have a lot going on right now with Trump, Golden Boy and M-1 and things are moving forward…. Right now, I’m learning a lot about this business. I’ve been honest from day one and right now, I’m going to sit down with Golden Boy, M-1 and Mr. Trump and we’re going to figure out how we’re going forward. We’re going to do events every three or four months. The bottom line is, this is only our second event, let me learn, let me do what I’m doing, but I must be doing something right because someone is starting these rumors.”

Affliction Entertainment Group Vice President, Tom Atencio, today took to the late-night airwaves to squash rumors that pegged his promotion as being “done.” Speculation has swirled that the upstart promotion is hemorraghing money after high-priced shows such as “Banned” and “Day of Reckoning” and is looking for a way out of the fight game. Not so fast, says Mr. Atencio, there is more to come.

UFC 94 after party with Dana White at LAX in Las Vegas Jan. 31

Posted: 29 Jan 2009 10:03 PM CST

Props: LaxTheNightClub.com

Georges St. Pierre vs BJ Penn video game action ‘UFC Undisputed’ 2009

Posted: 29 Jan 2009 08:50 PM CST

Uh … awesome?

(Thanks to MMA Fanhouse for the assist.)

Bobby Lashley official scratch for PFC ‘Best of Both Worlds’ with ankle injury

Posted: 29 Jan 2009 08:44 PM CST

Palace Fighting Championships (PFC) today announced the final mixed martial arts line up for "Best of Both Worlds" at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, Calif., on February 6.

And former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley (1-0) — who was set to do battle against CageSport veteran Mike Hayes (4-0) — was absent from the card. Event officials today confirmed to MMAmania.com that Lashley — who had just inked a two-fight deal with the growing California-based promotion — was yanked because of a significant ankle injury sustained during training.

He recently made his professional mixed martial arts debut with a first round technical knockout win over Joshua Franklin at Mixed Fighting Alliance: "There Will Be Blood" at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Fla., on December 13. He overwhelmed his opponent right from the get-go, opening up a gnarly fight-ending gash on his head only 41 seconds into the bout.

While it wasn't a true showcase of Lashley's developing mixed martial arts skills, it was an impressive performance nonetheless. Now training with one of the most highly regarded camps in the world, American Top Team, the potential is almost limitless for a guy with the background, size and athletic ability of Lashley.

There is no timetable for his return at this time, but it can’t be soon enough — Lashley is among the most intriguing athletes to make the transition to the sport. He has followed a path similar to that of UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.

Hector Lombard is also a noteworthy scratch "Best of Both Worlds" … even though his participation was never officially confirmed. The 170-pound judo specialist has been the center of discussion for several bouts planned in the United States recently; however, all of them have fallen through.

"Shango" was supposed to fight Karo Parisyan at UFC 78, but had visa issues and never made his way back onto another UFC card. He also signed with Elite XC last year, but never got a chance to compete for promotion before it went out of business in October.

PFC: "Best of Both Worlds" is a hybrid mixed martial arts and boxing card that will air live on ShoBox come fight night )the boxing portion of the show). Here is the latest card:

Mixed Martial Arts:
Ulysses Gomez (2-1) vs. David Suarez (2-1)
Brandon Cash (4-0) vs. Steve Gavin (3-2)
Alexis Vila (4-0) vs. Ben Nguyen (2-1)
Mike Hayes (4-0) vs. Ron Sparks (3-0)
Joey Cabezas (3-0) vs. Joe Morales (3-0)

Boxing:
Andre Ward vs. Henry Buchanon
John Molina vs. Joshua Kpakpo Allotey
Carina Moreno vs. Sharon Gaines
Manuel Quezada vs. Eric Boose
Mike Dallas Jr. vs. Anthony Martinez
Dewey Cooper vs. Arthur Williams
Tony Hirsch vs. Anthony Cannon

Phillipe Nover vs Kyle Bradley UFC 98 fight possible

Posted: 29 Jan 2009 08:37 PM CST

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 lightweight finalist, Phillipe Nover (5-1-1), will return to the Octagon for an encore performance against Kyle Bradley (13-6) at UFC 98 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23, according to AroundTheOctagon.com.

Nover — who drew lofty (and perhaps unfair) comparisons to UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva while on the show — will be out to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Efrain Escudero in TUF 8 Finale just last month.

It was a disappointing defeat for the Filipino balut-eating nurse from Brooklyn, N.Y., who finished all three of his opponents while on the show in short order. He ran through Joe Duarte, David Kaplan and George Roop to earn his spot in the finals.

However, Nover just had no answers for the outstanding wrestling skills of Escudero. He’ll likely be out to prove that he is indeed the real deal … and he’ll get to do it against a fighter who is winless (0-2) inside the Octagon.

Bradley has been stopped twice in his first two performances for the promotion. Joe Lauzon most recently pounded him out with strikes in their lightweight bout at UFC Fight Night 15 in September 2008. He had “J-Lau” hurt early in the bout, but could not put him away. He eventually paid the price for his inability to finish the scrappy veteran.

In his inaugural performance, Bradley took a fight against Chris Lytle at UFC 81: "Breaking Point" on short notice in a division above his normal weight class. It didn’t go too well. "Lights Out" had Bradley so punch drunk that when the referee, Yves Lavigne, stopped the fight Bradley continued on and was defending Lavigne from full guard.

The Team Voodoo knockout specialist will have to be on the giving end of the punishment against Nover, otherwise he may have a hard time convincing company officials that he is a UFC caliber fighter.

UFC 98 features the final round of the mini heavyweight tournament between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir in the main event of the evening. The rest of the card is shaping up nicely, showcasing the grudge match between welterweight enemies and former champions, Matt Hughes and Matt Serra, as well as an important lightweight clash between Sean Sherk and Frank Edgar.

To check out the latest UFC 98 fight card and rumors click here.

Bad Situations: An MMAmania.com interview exclusive with Karo ‘The Heat’ Parisyan

Posted: 29 Jan 2009 04:27 PM CST


Back in 2006, Karo Parisyan was on a collision course with a welterweight title shot. “The Heat” was riding a five-fight win streak, including wins over Matt Serra, Nick Diaz and Chris Lytle. He was practically a shoe-in. But first, the UFC said he’d have to get past a young up-and-coming fighter named Diego Sanchez. One tooth later, “Nightmare” earned the unanimous decision victory, leaving Parisyan back at square one.

More determined than ever to prove he deserved a title shot, “The Heat” returned to action, wracking up three more wins in the process in the ever-expanding and ever-crowded welterweight division. Once again, there was talk of a title shot. And once again, Parisyan would have to first test himself at Fight Night 13 against another young fighter.

This time, it was Thiago Alves.

Again, Parisyan found his grasp on a title shot slipping through his fingers, when in the second round “The Pitbull” was able to do something that no other fighter before him was able to do - not Georges St. Pierre, not Sean Sherk, and not Sanchez: Finish Karo Parisyan.

During the fallout from the fight, the question was asked a thousand times: Did referee Steve Mazzagatti end the fight too early? Parisyan seemed to recover immediately. No matter where you side on the call, controversy continues to surround Mazzagatti concerning questionable calls in fights like the Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir UFC 81 fight, among others.

In fact, Dana White once said of Mazzagatti, “He’s a nice guy, but he’s not a referee.”

Not that it mattered. Parisyan was still left, once again, on the outside looking in. Despite the impressive 8-3 UFC record, if he wanted that title shot, he was going to have to start all over again and work his way back up.

Which brings us to today. Well, Saturday night, actually.

That’s when Parisyan (18-5) will begin his long road back to redemption, at UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. “The Heat” faces another promising young fighter in Dong Hyun Kim (11-0-1) and will look to end “Stun Gun’s” two-fight UFC win streak.

We caught up with Parisyan to ask him about his upcoming fight, and boy did we get our money’s worth. He held nothing back when discussing everything from Mazzagatti’s stoppage of the Alves fight, his workout regimen, his new strength and conditioning coach and his ongoing battle with a panic disorder.

Then again, when you’re talking to “The Heat,” you can expect nothing less.

Let’s get after it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I’ve read that you are now working with a full-time strength and conditioning coach. Is this a change that’s new for this fight, or have you been working with him for some time now?

Karo Parisyan: This is a change for my entire career, brother. I’ve never taken the fight game very serious. I’ve always fought based on what God gave me, thank God, and how I’ve trained until age 22. I have trained my ass off until age 22 - I’m almost 27 now - for the last five years I haven’t really trained that much.

So I got a strength and conditioning coach about a month and a half ago. His name is Steve Campbell. He’s the strength and conditioning coach for James Toney, the boxer. I had about 10 to 11 sessions with him, but his sessions are insane, bro. He kicks ass. The last session I had was a straight conditioning session. I went through it. He told me that I’m an animal. I’m a beast. I’m ready for the fight, so it’s working out good for me so far, thank God.

But on the next fight (after this upcoming one) - hopefully there will be a next fight … I started working with him pretty late, so we will have a whole two-and-a-half-month, about 10 - 12-week program we should do. So I’ll be more cut and more in shape.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’re now a member of Greg Jackson’s camp out in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is that right?

Karo Parisyan: Yes, technically I am. Greg came out this weekend for about four days. He was cornering Donald Cerrone in San Diego (at WEC 38). We talked a little bit over the phone, we had some trouble to see each other, but … technically I’m on the camp.

The last time I was on the camp, we didn’t really get to train that much together. I got injured before the fight, and he never got to corner me. So this is a first-time deal. He’s going to corner me. I hope everything goes well, we’re gonna go to battle together.

And if everything goes well, I will start training with them, they will start training (here in California) with me, and we’ll keep on going back and forth. As soon as I get the panic attacks under control, and I have already.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Good. I was going to ask you about that. I had read that you’ve been prescribed medication for it, but you are trying to deal with (the panic attacks) without taking the medication. Is that correct?

Karo Parisyan: Yes sir. I got prescribed medication a long time ago. They gave me Xanax. I had heard of Xanax, but I didn’t know what it was exactly. People used to do it just to feel high about it. They gave me Xanax, and I swear to God, never have I ever took Xanax when I was having a panic attack.

First of all, this is the funniest thing right now. To myself, I was thinking if anybody else asks me that question how (am) I going to answer, because somebody else gave me that question on the UFC page. I did an interview, and they asked me, “You didn’t take the pills?” And (I was thinking about) what I was going to say a second time. And the deal is, right now you called me and you’ve given me the same question.

Why I didn’t take them - because I wasn’t having a panic attack, (but) I was so crazy about what was going on with me, what I’m gonna do, etc., etc. I was like, well, I have medication for that, but I’m scared. I don’t want to take that fucking medication right now, just because it might make it worse for some reason. I was just trying to deal with the panic attacks, so I never took medication.

And if it happens, God forbid, please God forbid, then I’ll probably pop a Xanax, and it’ll probably put me to sleep or something. I don’t know what it does.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): (Laughs) I don’t know either. But it’s very good to hear you’re seeing progress on that front.

Karo Parisyan: I’ll just tell ya this. In the past … after the Yoshida fight and all that stuff, and I didn’t get the chance to fight … I (hadn’t) had a panic attack even before that. I haven’t had a panic attack for about five or six months. So I’m praying to God.

But I know what triggers it, though. When I leave town and (am) in hotel rooms, I’m by myself. I start feeling weird. But I’ve been to Vegas, I’ve been out. Within that six months, I had meetings with Dana White, Lorenzo (Fertitta), I was out on the town. But I never got a panic attack, so I’m praying to God I will not get a panic attack before the fight.

I’m in good shape, I’m coming mentally strong. And for the first time in my life - I never disrespect my opponents, I never will - but I’m ready to put Dong Hyun Kim in some bad situations. I want to get a violent victory, swear to God.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well let’s talk about Kim for a second. He’s a fellow judo practitioner. He’s gained a large following in his native Korea. He’s been a sparring partner of Yushin Okami, so I think it’s safe to say he’s a tough competitor.

But in his last fight against Matt Brown, he looked to have nearly gassed himself out in the second round. He barely squeaked out the decision victory. I think even Joe Rogan said that he thought Matt Brown had won. What do you have in store for Kim, come Saturday?

Karo Parisyan: Truth is, bro, I think he knows he’s fighting me. And he knows I’m a seasoned veteran. I can’t tell you I’m a great fighter, but I’ve been around the block a couple of times. He’s going to come in good shape, he’s going to come mentally prepared and strong.

Everybody that I fight, they’re in the best shape of their life. Because they know that (sarcastically) Karo is apparently the gatekeeper, and if you pass Karo Parisyan, you’re a contender, which kinda makes me sad, and makes me angry. But that’s what they think, and this guy’s going to try to do the same thing to me, and I’m going to try everything I can to beat him up.

If he comes in the same shape as he did the Matt Brown fight, bro, I swear to God I’m going to make a highlight reel out of the kid. I hope he does. But even if he comes in good shape, I’m a more aggressive fighter. No disrespect to Matt Brown - I think he’s a great fighter, and I think he did a great performance at UFC 88 in Atlanta - but I think I’m a little stronger than Matt Brown. I have a little more experience, I have more wins than Matt Brown, I’m on a different level. So if Matt Brown gave (Kim) fits, I’m going to give him hell.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Because you haven’t fought in nearly nine months, do you think that cage rust is going to be a factor at all?

Karo Parisyan: I live in the real world, my friend. The truth is, I’m not going to lie to you, I should be a little rusty. I haven’t been in a cage - I’ve been in a cage in practice - but I haven’t been in a cage for fighting in about a year almost.

But then again, that’s never really done anything to me, bro. I don’t care about stuff like that, I don’t see that. That stuff doesn’t play a role with me. I was doing judo for about two-and-a-half years or three years. I came back and on four-days notice, I fought Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and I put a clinic on him. A month and a half later, I fought Antonio McKee. A month and a half later, I fought Fernando Vasconcelos, a two-time world jiu-jitsu champion. It never really mattered for me.

If you’re tough - you’re in the right mental state, you’re a tough kid, you got guts, you got balls - I don’t give a shit where you are, what you’re doing, you gotta get out there and fight. That stuff, that small stuff, should not be a factor in a professional fighter’s world. It shouldn’t. But it might, I don’t know, I never say never, because nothing is for sure in this world, but I hope it doesn’t.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): This is your first fight since losing to Thiago Alves at Fight Night 13 in April. It was a controversial stoppage. I’m sure you’ve seen the tape by now. Do you think it was ended a little too early?

Karo Parisyan: Listen, man, it’s so easy. When a fighter loses a fight, he looks for every excuse out there. He looks for stuff to change people’s minds about him. I’m a straight shooter - people hate me sometimes because I’m a straight shooter - but I gotta say how it is. I think that it was stopped a little too early. Give me two more shots on my face. Seal the deal, then stop the fight, Mazzagatti.

Motherfucker, I have been hit by Matt Serra so fucking hard, my neck snapped off the punch. It was the strongest punch - Matt Serra knocked St. Pierre out with the same punch - I caught it on my jaw. And I fell and I recovered. I was on my knee, I fell down.

Literally, (when Thiago Alves knocked me down) I ate two punches on my shoulder, one on my neck, and my arms were up. And they’re telling me that I was knocked out. How the fuck was I knocked out, bro, I popped right back up? Did you see the fight, what do you think?

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I thought it was stopped a little too early, to be honest.

Karo Parisyan: Yeah. I’m not saying Thiago wouldn’t have won the fight. He probably would have knocked me out cold. He probably would have hit me two more times, and I probably would have gone to sleep, I don’t know.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I agree with exactly what you just said. You can’t tell what would have happened. Who knows what would have happened, maybe Thiago would have won, who knows? But I think that (Mazzagatti) should have given you at least a few more seconds than he did.

Karo Parisyan: Yeah, because I ate a shot like that from Matt Serra, and I came back, and the third round was a 10 - 8 round. You know what I’m talking about? I’m a veteran, bro, I’ve been around the block a little bit. I’ve been fighting since I was 14 years old. I’m a veteran, thank God. Give me a chance to recover, don’t stop so quick.

But it was the first time in my life I got stopped. It really killed me, bro, it fucking killed me. I cried like a little girl. I was like, I can’t believe this is happening to me. Should I keep on fighting?

But the deal is, I wasn’t even in shape for that fight. I hadn’t trained for that fight at all. Look at my body. I had love handles sticking out. My chest was flat. It was ugly, bro. But then again, I still thought I could beat Thiago.

But Thiago took the fight very serious, he was in excellent shape, and he beat me, bro, fair and square. I think it was a little premature stoppage. You can never know what can happen. I could have always come back and beat him. I’ve beaten a lot of guys like that before. I’ve got hurt before and came back and beat (guys).

But then again, what are you going to do? You can’t do anything about it. All I can do is look forward. I can’t look back, bro, you gotta look forward. One thing in life that goes up and never comes down is age. Everything else goes up and down. So that’s the way you gotta look at life.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You were supposed to fight Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 88. A few hours before the weigh-ins, you had to pull out with, I believe it was a sciatica problem, is that correct?

Karo Parisyan: Yeah, I popped the sciatic nerve bridging a guy on a mount that was 250, my training partner. I’m a fucking idiot, because I’m supposed to be a veteran like I’m saying, and what happens? I don’t warm up, and I start rolling lightly during some last-minute (preparation), and I bridge and pop my back.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Is that better now, the nerve problem?

Karo Parisyan: Yeah, it is better, it’s fine. I took some shots for it. It was fine a month and a half later, it was perfectly healed. I’m injury free.

But the most important thing with me is mental, bro, just because of the panic attacks. And I’m mentally fine. Mentally, I’m ready to go into battle.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’re an 11-fight UFC veteran at just 26 years old, and you’ve recently signed an 8-fight contract. You seem to have the job security, and you clearly have the drive. What are your goals for the future, both this year, and going into next year?

Karo Parisyan: I would like to get three solid wins this year, and at the beginning of next year, I’d like to get a title shot. I don’t know what’s going to happen with the title, because if Georges St. Pierre has the title, we’re technically in the same camp. We had a talk on the phone, and we’re both against fighting friends. So I don’t know. I have no idea what’s going to happen on that, so we’ll see.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What weight do you normally walk around at? Is a cut to 155 or even a move up to 185 out of the question?

Karo Parisyan: Yes. I used to walk around, bro, at 195, 200 pounds. Now I’m walking around no more than 185 - 180, 183, 184. This morning I went for a three-mile run, came back, weighed myself, I was like 172. I’m already on weight. I can be on weight within two hours from now, and I’m fine. I haven’t been eating that much, though. I eat a little bit. My eating habits were fucking horrible. I ate a lot of fattening stuff. Now? Like right now, I’ll have a bagel, I’ll have an OJ. Couple hours later, I’ll have protein shake. Tonight I’ll have dinner, something nice. You have to eat, though. Eating’s the most important.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Could you make the cut to 155, do you think?

Karo Parisyan: No. That’s impossible. And I’ll tell ya why. Guys who I’ve fought, you ask them. My muscles are very dense, bro. I have very heavy muscles. I don’t look big, but when you touch me, my back and my upper body is very solid. I got a lot of muscle fit into that frickin’ place.

And I’m strong enough for 170, that’s for damn sure. I didn’t think Diego Sanchez was, and he went down to 155, which was a smart move for him.

I don’t know, bro. At 155 I will be an anorexic kid. God forbid, I’ll look like a cancer patient if I go down to 155. And if I do, man, I will be, seriously, I will be pretty much in title contention within a couple of fights. But 170 I think is my place. We’ll see, bro. Maybe we’ll be talking about that, but we’ll see how it goes.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Who do you like in the UFC 94 title fight: Georges St. Pierre or B.J. Penn?

Karo Parisyan: I love both those guys. Both of them are great fighters, great hearts, good minds, very talented. I think Georges St. Pierre is a self-made man. I think B.J. Penn is kinda like a God-given talent. If B.J. Penn wins, do not - do not - be surprised, 'cause he definitely has the skill set, he’s got everything to beat GSP. But I think GSP might squeak it out just based on physical strength and conditioning. I’m not saying B.J. won’t work on his conditioning, but I think GSP is ready for a five-round war, and I think physically he’s going to be a little bit stronger than B.J.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your cousin, Manny Gamburyan, will be fighting Thiago Tavares on the same card. On the surface, this looks like a step up in competition for Manny. What are your thoughts on that fight?

Karo Parisyan: I think that Manny is going to win the fight. I think Manny better win the fight, because it looks really bad for him if he loses the fight. It looks really bad for Thiago if he loses the fight too.

So these guys are going to get out there - the “Anvil” against … I don’t know what Thiago’s nickname is. They’re going to eat each other alive. I think Manny will squeak it out with his physical dominance. He’s physically going to be stronger than Thiago. He’ll take him down. He’s going to beat him up, ground and pound him, I think.

I don’t think there’s going to be a knockout or really a submission - maybe a leg lock from Manny? If he goes for a leg, he might finish the leg lock. But I don’t think (Thiago) is going to be able to submit Manny at all. The hands are always questionable with Manny, because Manny’s never got the really good hands. But you never know, man, you never know what’s going to happen. So of course I’m predicting that Manny’s going to kick his ass.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well Karo, it’s always a pleasure to talk to you. I really appreciate you taking the time out. I wanted to give you an opportunity to thank any sponsors, or if you have any parting words for all the Karo fans out there?

Karo Parisyan: For all the Karo fans, I would say, don’t ever give up on “The Heat.” I’m going to come back. If I have any haters, I hope you don’t hate me anymore. I appreciate all the fans. We would never have the sport. I would never be Karo Parisyan, there would not be a UFC, there would not be any shows if it wasn’t for the fans. If fans don’t come and don’t pay to watch a show, and they’re not a fan of the sport, we don’t have a show, we don’t have a fight, we don’t have a career. So I really appreciate everything from the fans.

I’d like to thank one of my sponsors and best friends, AutoMaxLeasing.com. It’s a car leasing place, a car broker. He’s one of my best friends. I actually am getting Quinton Jackson to buy a car from there pretty soon. He’s the best guy in the business.

UFC Quick Quote: Dana White doesn’t care about Affliction or Fedor Emelianenko

Posted: 29 Jan 2009 02:50 PM CST

“Affliction is going away. They did horrible, horrible buys on Saturday night. I’d love to see them do another show because I’d love to see them lose another 5-6 million of their t-shirt money … If Fedor doesn’t care than neither do I. If he wants to come over and fight the best in the world then that’s cool with me. At the end of the day, if Fedor wants to fight here I’m here, if he doesn’t I don’t care.”

-UFC President Dana White slams Affliction MMA and reaffirms his stance on the status of Fedor Emelianenko with Steve Cofield on ESPN 1100 about “The Last Emperor” ever becoming a possible addition to his heavyweight division. White and Co. worked hard to bring the Russian on board after the collapse of Pride FC; however, talks broke down when the parties could not agree on an exclusive fight contract. Emelianenko now competes for Affliction MMA and is apparently locked into a deal that would prevent him from competing in the Octagon anytime soon. Unless, of course, the upstart promotion falls on hard times in 2009 and calls it quits. Even still, it would be a minor miracle if Emelianenko ever signed with the UFC … he and his camp appear to mix like water and oil when it comes to working with UFC execs. Stranger things have happened, however.

‘MMA Live’ episode 38 video on ESPN previews UFC 94

Posted: 29 Jan 2009 02:29 PM CST

Fight card announced for the Frank Trigg headlined ‘Rumble In Race Town’ in Daytona Beach on February 14

Posted: 29 Jan 2009 01:03 PM CST

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – January 29, 2009 - Xtreme Cagefighting Federation has released the much anticipated fight card for the Dyna-Pep "Rumble In Race Town". The 10 fight event is scheduled for Saturday, February 14th at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach. It will be the first ever MMA event held the same weekend of a major Motorsports event.

Rumble In Race Town will be headlined by a former UFC® and Pride Fighting Championship® veteran Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg who is on a three fight win streak against the hard-hitting Danny "Bad Boy" Babcock who is currently the middle weight champion for the RFC.

Also on the fight card are UFC® veterans Jesse "JT” Money Taylor, Terry Martin and Jeremy May.

Jesse Taylor will face American Top Team standout Steve Estaban Ramos who was a competitor on El Gran Peleador. Terry Martin will go against the outstanding and undefeated Zak Cummings and Jeremy May will match up against Daytona's very own Todd Cutler who is also undefeated. Also on the fight card is former NFL All Pro Marcus Jones. He is scheduled to fight the undefeated John "War" Juarez who trains under Xtreme Couture.

"Each weight class will be represented by two incredibly talented fighters. Whether you are a MMA novice or well seasoned, I think you will enjoy the show." says Doug Bland, Founder of Xtreme Cagefighting Federation.

The official fight card includes:

Main Event:
170 lbs:"Twinkle Toes" Trigg (18-6) vs. Danny "Bad Boy" Babcock (6-1)

Fight Card:
185 lbs: Terry Martin (18-6) vs. Zak Cummings (8-0)
170 lbs: Jesse "JT Money" Taylor (9-2) vs. Steve Estaban Ramos (6-2)
265 lbs: Marcus Jones (3-1) vs. John "War" Juarez (2-0)
185 lbs: Todd Cutler (5-0) vs. Jeremy May (5-4)
205 lbs: TJ Cook (8-2) vs. Scott Harper (10-5)
170 lbs: Ryan "Who Dat" Keenan (2-0) vs. Travis McGee (0-0)
145 lbs: Gilbert Burgos (4-0) vs. Chris Thorne (4-2)
170 lbs: Vagner Rocha (0-0) vs. Allen Arzeno (0-0)
205 lbs: Byron Byrd (0-0) vs. Jim Hammortree (0-0)

Fight Card Is Subject To Change

Tickets for the Rumble In Race Town are on sale now via Ticket Master 407-839-3900 or at the Ocean Center box office.

Dyna-Pep, the makers of the "World's First Supercharged Energy Micro Shot" will be the primary sponsor for the Rumble in Race Town, get more information at www.dynapep.com

For more information, please visit www.xcfmma.com or call (704) 701-0904.

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