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

No comments:

Recent Articles on Sherdog.com

UFC rss

Recent Interviews on Sherdog.com