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| Tranny given Sunday: Gono evening gown baffles giggly Fitch Posted: 01 Feb 2009 03:00 AM CST
-UFC welterweight Jon Fitch tells MMAmania.com how difficult it was to concentrate on fighting at UFC 94 ‘St. Pierre vs. Penn 2′ while his opponent was being cornered by grown men in prom dresses. Japanese fan favorite Akihiro Gono did the foxtrot en route to the Octagon in a sort of RuPaul-inspired homage to the Pointer Sisters. Fitch would go on to take the unanimous decision victory, but not without a few laughs along the way. This 170-pound contest was worthy of main card status on entrances alone… |
| MMA Live ‘UFC 94 Postfight Extra’ on ESPN (Video) Posted: 01 Feb 2009 02:59 AM CST |
| UFC 94 recap: Penn quits on the stool, Machida knocks out Silva Posted: 01 Feb 2009 02:05 AM CST
UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn II” from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, is in the books and George St. Pierre is still the UFC welterweight champion. The only thing more impressive than the gameplan his team put together for this fight was the way he executed it. Coming in, the only real weakness BJ Penn had ever shown was cardio related. GSP came out of the gates attacking that weakness by leaning on the 155-pound champ and wearing him down with a visible size and strength advantage for most of the first two rounds. After he had BJ good and tired, St. Pierre switched his attack and started winning exchanges on his feet. At that point Penn looked tired and frustrated, and it was clear he didn’t have an answer for anything GSP did. The Canadian fighter pounded away on the Hawaiian native with numerous unanswered shots during a lopsided fourth round. Before the fifth round could begin, the decision was made by Penn’s corner to call it a night, giving GSP the technical knockout victory and his second straight welterweight title defense. After the fight, 170-pound number one contender Thiago Alves came into the Octagon to talk about finally getting his shot at the division title. GSP agreed that “Pitbull” had earned his chance, and now it’s only a matter of before it goes down. What a fight that’s going to be. In the co-main event of the evening, Lyoto Machida stopped fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva in first loss of his career with a brutal buzzer-beating, one punch knockout at the end of round one. “The Dragon” was again impressive with his elusive style and deceptive striking, but he was also a lot more aggressive in this fight than in the past. His ground and pound was nasty and to be quite frank he was just a better fighter than Silva in every aspect. In his post-fight interview, Machida wasn’t shy about asking for his chance to face current light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. Honestly, it’s hard to argue with the guy. No one has been able to even hurt the guy, let alone defeat him and if anybody is deserving of the number one contender role, it’s him. Other than the two featured fights, each of the other eight bouts went to the judges scorecards, with five of them being split-decisions. Stephan Bonnar was unsuccessful in his return to the Octagon after more than a year. He faced the dynamic up-and-comer Jon Jones and wound up on the wrong end of a unanimous decision. “Bones” once again looked outstanding, displaying a wide variety of kicks and strikes in his already formidable arsenal. He’s definitely a guy to keep an eye on in the light heavyweight division. A dominating win over a well known guy like Bonnar is a big feather in this kid’s cap. Karo Parisyan squeaked out a split-decision win over previously undefeated South Korean product Dong Hyun Kim. In a night filled with difficult fights to call, this was probably the most frustrating to score. Both came in with similar styles and seemed to reach a stalemate throughout the entire fight. It certainly could have gone either way and in no way should be considered an impressive showing for Karo. Still, a win is a win and at least he showed up for the fight. The Clay Guida and Nate Diaz fight was a great back-and-forth battle with lots of action. Nate showed some great stand-up in the final round, but he had no answer for Guida’s wrestling and tenacious style. “The Carpenter” had the submission wizard’s back for a good length of time throughout the three rounds and surprisingly had a lot of success on the ground, staying out of the submissions. It was hard watching either fighter lose, but Guida earned the split-decision victory. Former welterweight number one contender Jon Fitch was relegated to the undercard for his first fight back since his unanimous decision loss to Georges St. Pierre back at UFC 87 in August. He dominated his way to a unanimous decision victory over the charismatic cross-dresser Akhiro Gono. Note from Editor Jesse Holland: Gono came to the Octagon in a prom dress, and danced with his corner like some kind of RuPaul-inspired homage to the Pointer Sisters. All in all it was a solid night of fights. The main event was maybe a little too one-sided, but that just speaks to how good George St. Pierre really is. We’ll see what Thaigo Alves has to say about it, but right now GSP looks unbeatable. Up next for the UFC is Ultimate Fight Night 17 from the University of Southern Florida (USF) Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida on February 17. The event will be aired live on Spike TV and will feature a main event of Joe Lauzon vs. Jeremy Stephens. Mac Danzig, Josh Neer, Cain Velasquez, Kurt Pellegrino, Rich Clementi, Gleison Tibau and Anthony Johnson are all expected to be in action in Tampa as well. Don’t miss it. For our complete UFC 94 coverage click here . |
| UFC 94 bonuses and awards for ‘St. Pierre vs. Penn 2’ PPV fights Posted: 01 Feb 2009 01:39 AM CST
UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2" from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, has come to a close. The highly anticipated rematch between Georges St. Pierre and BJ Penn fell short of "Fight of the Night" honors thanks largely in part to a one-sided domination by "Rush." Instead, that distinction went to John Howard and Chris Wilson for their action-packed battle that saw Howard take a close split-decision. UFC 94 ended without a submission so no bonus was awarded in that category. That may have played a part in the UFC awarding a second "Fight of the Night" bonus when they recognized lightweights Clay Guida and Nate Diaz for their three round scrap. Guida did just enough to sway the judges despite a very close contest. While Thiago Silva was an early favorite for knockout of the night, that honor went to his seemingly invincible opponent Lyoto Machida. "The Dragon" was nothing short of brilliant in his dismantling of Silva and demolished the former undefeated light heavyweight in the final seconds of round one. Overall, it was a decent card despite eight of the ten bouts going to a decision. The fighters honored below definitely deserved a little extra cash for their outstanding performances. Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC 94:
Each fighter received $65,000 for their efforts in addition to their respective base salaries, which is not too shabby considering the shaky economy … the promotion is apparently not holding back on the generosity. For complete UFC 94 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here . |
| UFC 94 results, coverage and winners LIVE tonight! Posted: 31 Jan 2009 02:34 PM CST
Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2." Quick results of the prelim fights will begin to flow around 8 p.m. ET and LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the main card action will start at 10:00 p.m. ET with the pay-per-view (PPV) telecast. If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main UFC 94 results post and not this one. |
| MMAmania.com readers sound off with UFC 94 predictions for ‘St. Pierre vs Penn 2′ main event Posted: 31 Jan 2009 02:12 PM CST
UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ featuring the mega match between welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and lightweight kingpin BJ Penn, will take place from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, live TONIGHT (January 31) at 10pm ET. Uber-Maniac Adam G has spent the past few weeks compiling a documented record of MMAmania.com reader predictions for the main event between “Rush” and “The Prodigy.” What started as a small list of regular contributors has undergone a digital mitosis to become the massive collection it is today. Now on record are the UFC 94 predictions for the “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ main event as chosen by some of our site’s finest posters. And some of our not-so-finest. Without further ado, Adam G gives us a glimpse into the inception of his list and how he plans to hold each and every one of you accountable following the bout. And should Penn lose, please make sure someone removes any sharp objects and chemicals from his immediate reach, lest we have a situation on our hands. I hereby nominate Kevin to assume full responsibility for Adam’s safety in case of said scenario. Adam G and “The List:”
The battle lines have been drawn: ( ( !!!TEAM RUSH!!! ) ) Georges St. Pierre:
1. GORD : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. “Legkicks, Gas ‘em, Win, a one sided beatdown!” 2. JV : Via "What ever he wants! GSP GSP GSP!!!" 3. McArthur : Via Decision. 4. Nathan : Via Decision. “GSP GSP GSP!!!” 5. raetsinner : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. “After BJ gasses yet again at 170.” 6. GodDamnMike : Via “Fitch-Like Humiliation!” “A slam To GnP To TKO! Rnd 3.” 7. b.w. : Via Unanimous Decision. 8. naturalshadow : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. “Penn completely gassed.” 9. Punch You In The Ovaries : Via “BJ wont win a round!” 10. PJJ : Via? 11. NameNotRequired : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. “After utter domination!” 12. Jet99 : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. 13. Introvert : Via Unanimous Decision, 48-47. 14. TapedUpPair : Via "Humbling asphyxiation! GSP GSP GSP!!!" 15. MM_Eh : Via RNC set up by a “Greg Louganis TripleGainer.” 2nd or 4th Rnd. 16. Hardcharger : Via? 17. c-war : Via (T)KO, 1st Rnd. “And everyone will be surprised except me!” 18. day1er : Via TKO. GnP and a "reality check like he was crucifixed" 3rd Rnd. 19. Randy Murders : Via Slpit Decision. “But GSP might gas before BJ!” 20. ehoglund : Via TKO due to GnP, 4th or 5th Rnd. "But I wanna see a war!" 21. SilasM : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. 22. holyintellect : Via? 23. Jay : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd (4:20 of the 3rd Rnd). 24. PhilQNY : Via “GSP’s SIZE will be the difference maker.” 25. DJ : Via "Clear cut, dominating, convincing, 5th Rnd UD. GSP GSP!!" 26. Stevo : Via? 27. LJ : Via “Tittie Twister!!” 28. rydinlow : Via KO due to GnP, 3rd Rnd. 29. Liddell-Marqardt-GSP-Sherk : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. 30. Beaver : Via TKO due to GnP, 3rd Rnd. “Penn will need a miracle like Serra.” 31. Spyder : Via? 32. See What Had Happened Was : Via RNC! “I know its a long shot . . .” 33. Lester The Pimp : Via Decision. 34. BMO : Via "GSP has it in the bag.!” “GSP GSP GSP!!!" 35. Pete Dog : Via Decision. 36. MikeD : Via? 37. Andrew : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. 38. horny for MMA : Via Split Decision. 39. Jeff : Via TKO due to strikes, 4th Rnd. 40. enzo-enormous : Via? 41. Richard (My Dad) : Via TKO due to strikes, 4th Rnd. (Ref Stoppage) 42. Brandon : Via Unanimous Decision. “OMG, Wrestling.” 43. Kory : Via? 44. Anthony (with the BLUE screen name) : Via TKO 4th Rnd “GSP domination” 45. Pancake Head : Via “BJ is full of it! GSP dominates!” 46. HellaHectic : Via "He wins just by showing up" 47. Deadgrassinyard : Via TKO due to strikes, 3rd Rnd. 48. ACanadianPotHead : Via KO, Head kick, 4th Rnd. 49. JoW : Via TKO due to GnP, 3rd Rnd. 50. Pat : Via TKO, 5th Rnd. (After taking 3 of the first 4 rounds) 51. matt king : Via TKO due to strikes, ?? Rnd. 52. Jakob : Via? “GSP! GSP! GSP!” 53. Hero-Of-Time : Via a Finish, 4th Rnd. 54. Choke_Him : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. 55. Jake : Via TKO due to GnP, 4th Rnd. 56. Shadyone33 : Via? 57. DZZ : Via TKO due to GnP, 5th Rnd. 58. stinky-fingers : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. 59. DB : Via Unanimous Decision. 60. baby_eddie : Via TKO due to GnP, 3rd Rnd. 61. TOMMY-OUZO : Via Superior Jew Jiff Shoes! 62. GregC : Via Decision. 63. Don : Via Decision. 64. R-Dizzle : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. (3:56 of the 4th Rnd) 65. jslim : Via TKO, 5th Rnd. 66. TRIKZ : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. ” BJ will get owned!” 67. Ca$z : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. “Sorry Adam G.” 68. jintao : Via TKO due to GnP, 4th Rnd.. 69. Scott : Via? 70. ben : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd (3:39 of 3rd Rnd). 71. Chris : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. 72. mmanutZ : Via Unanimous Decision. “It wont be pretty!” 73. jee : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. 74. JB : Via “Ape Technique” 75. Diceman : Via GnP. “That’s Rush pounding BJ the f*ck out, if that’s not clear.” 76. gaara : Via Decision. 77. Robert(1) : Via? 78. jackel : Via “BJ will get whats coming to him! and then again by Florian!!” 79. Lights Out : Via KTFO! “BJ is gonna get embarrassed!!” 80. bad batz : Via TKO, 4th or 5th Rnd. “BJ will gas in the 3rd Rnd!” 81. WebGarden : Via TKO, 1st Rnd. “yep.” 82. Malonish : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. “Check my record at mmaplayground.” 83. NorthStar : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. 84. Couchchamp : Via Kimura, 3rd Rnd. “GSP is gonna wreck Penn!” 85. Brendan : Via Teabag, 3rd Rnd. 86. bullwhip : Via KO, 4th Rnd. “By a kick to the face!” 87. Jayshogun : Via Unanimous Decision. 88. belfort_fan : Via Unanimous Decision. 89. Arnold : Via Split Decision. 90. Hardcase : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. “GSP is going to maul BJ!” 91. VNDK8 : Via TKO due to GnP, 3rd Rnd. 92. RoB : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. 93. FoamDome : Via? 94. BrandO : Via Unanimous Decision. 95. What? : Via TKO. “The main event will disappoint.” 96. Nish : Via “Taps due to strikes or gasses at the stare down.” 97. Dave : Via Split Decision. 98. Paul N : Via TKO due to GnP, 4th Rnd. “After winning all 4 rounds.” 99. fleet : Via Decision. “I just want a great fight!” 100. Jared : Via TKO 2nd/3rd Rnd “Was cheering for BJ but im a b*tch so here i am!” 101. fistoffury : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. 102. josh : Via Unanimous Decision. 103. sac165 : Via? 104. Ralphie : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. “While eating a cheeseburger in front of BJ” 105. scottythebody : Via Unanimous Decision. 106. JRE : Via Unanimous Decision. 107. wesman : Via “BJ will wilt under GSP’s GnP, BJ doesnt have the 170 body.” 108. UKmmaBOY : Via TKO. 109. MrFyer : Via “GSP wins easily!” “It wont live up to the hype!” 110. DownUnder : Via TKO. “Although i would like to see Penn win.” 111. MoonUK : Via TKO due to GnP, 2nd Rnd. 112. Jimmy_Dean : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. “Come on BJ prove me wrong. BJ BJ BJ!!!” 113. ricky : Via TKO or Unanimous Decision. ”lol VIVA MONTREAL!!!” 114. newfie-mma-fan : Via Unanimous Decision. “GSP GSP GSP!!!” 115. Victory is Ours : Via TKO. GnP via Headkick “shin to post auric” 3:52 3rd Rnd 116. Hal Via “BJ will have even less of a chance today then he did 3 years ago!” 117. Karo sucks : Via “GSP all the way! And Karo sucks!!” 118. kg : Via “GSP will run thru BJ.” 119. El_Santo : Via TKO, 1st Rnd. “A Headkick will end it HAHA!!” 120. Dman08795 : Via “GSP is too well rounded.” “Balance helps him in later Rnds.” 121. Jeff-MonsonIsMyHero : “GSP annihilates BJ like BJ annihilates cheeseburgers!” 122. phatmacjuggalo : Via ”I cant wait to see GSP shut up fat over-rated BJ” 123. subwayy2sally : Via “I agree with Diceman.” 124. divekrusty : Via “GSP should have BJ’s number by now!” 125. Patrick Cote (UFC MLWT Fighter/TP) : Via SUB, 4th Rnd. “Will be a crazy war” 126. Kulter Gill (Canadian Pro MMAist) : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. (Ref Stoppage) 127. Guy Mezger (Former UFC Fighter) : Via “Head says BJ but my gut tells me GSP.” 128. Travis Lutter (Former UFC Fighter) : Via “GSP’s condition and wrestling wins it.” 129. Michael Guymon (Pro MMAist) : Via “Frenchy wins this in the 4th via GnP!” 130. Eddy Millis (Pro MMaist 0-2) : Via Decision. “Ill be pulling for BJ though.” 131. James “Kimbo Slice popped my ear” Thompson : Via “BJ is a better LTWT” 132. Elvis Sinosic (Former UFC Fighter) : Via “GSP wins but BJ looks good in his loss.” 133. David L ( UFC MLWT Fighter/TP) : Via Canada style! And an elbow!! 134. Cub Swanson (WEC LTWT Fighter) : Via Decision. 135. Stephane Vigneault (Canadian MMAist/TP) : Via TKO, 3rd/4th Rnd. 136. Chris Lytle (UFC WLWT Fighter) : Via ”The coin i just flipped, it was tails.” 137. Erin Toughill (Pro Female MMAist) : Via TKO due to GnP, 4th Rnd. 138. Randy Couture (5X UFC LHWT/HVWT Champ) : Via "At 170 lbs, I like George." 139. “Bang” Ludwig (The guy BJ subbed in a minute) : Via "GSP in the later rounds!" 140. Mike Brown (Current WEC FTWT Champ) : Via Unanimous Decision. 141. Rick Roufus (Pro MMAist 4-5) : Via “Each is gonna take eachothers head off!!” 142. Rashad Evens (Current UFC LHWT Champ/TP) : Via KO. “After a 2-3 Rnd battle..” 143. Nate Marquardt (UFC MLWT Fighter/TP) : Via Finish, 4th Rnd. 144. The Dean of Mean (UFC LHWT Fighter/TP) : Via Georges is in top form.” 145. Donald “The Cowboy” Cerrone (WEC #1 LTWT contender/TP) : I said so! 146. Kro Phil Nurse (GSP’s Muay Tai Coach) : Via “Everyone who has pushed for GSP” 147. Howard Grant (GSP’s Boxing Coach) : Via “NO sex 6 weeks before the fight!!!” 148. Jonathan Chaimberg (GSP’s S/C Coach) : “BJ goes 5 Rnds with GSP I’m shocked” 149. Firas Zahabi (GSP’s Head Trainer) : “GSP HAS TO STOP, DEMOLISH, FINISH BJ” 150. Jesse Holland via “Nostrabumbass” : Via TKO “Penn will gas and GSP will finish him” 151. CANADA! : Via ”He’s Our 2008 Athlete Of The Year!” . . My personal favorite = ) Georges St. Pierre:
( ( !!!TEAM PENN!!! ) ) BJ Penn:
1. MMAmania : “Penn via technical knockout, early round one or late round four.” 2. ( (Adam G) ) : Via SUB, 2nd Rnd “GSP wont survive the first 9 minutes!” BJ BJ BJ! 3. pUniSHment : Via TKO due to strikes, 3rd Rnd. BJ BJ BJ!!! 4. -utapout- ."The Prodigy's" 4th Biggest Hugger : Via "I F*CKING TOLD YOU SO!" 5. The Anomaly : Via SUB “He wins on the feet To GnP To SUB a la Penn/Stevenson” 6. jonsey : Via “JUST SCRAP!!!” 7. John : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. BJ BJ BJ!!! 8. Violent Mike : Via "SUB/TKO due to strikes, 1st Rnd, BJ BJ BJ!!!” 9. “BNF : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. “And it will be a bloody TKO!” BJ BJ BJ!!! 10. The Mexicutioner : "I need to show better loyalty to my fav fighter, BJ all the way” 11. OJR : Via RNC, 3rd Rnd! BJ BJ BJ!!! 12. Kevin : Via “1st or 2nd Rnd destruction!!!” 13. O damn he got caught : Via RNC, 3rd Rnd. “Classic BJ style!” 14. Psyqo78 : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. 15. Philicutioner : Via Knee to the face To GnP TKO a la Penn/Thomas.” 16. Chefdaddy : Via? 17. Haze : Via Arm Bar, 3rd Rnd. 18. MikeyBear2009 : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. “BJ better win with all the sh*t he’s talking!” 19. revjames13 : Via "Early destruction, shock and awe styleee!! BJ BJ BJ!!!" 20. SoCalStunNa : Via "My heart is with BJ." 21. Crowls : Via RNC, “He wins on the feet To GnP To RNC!” 22. haglenuts : Via SUB, 3rd Rnd. 23. Synyster[[2009 Year Of Gegard Mousasi]] : Via TKO, 3rd or 4th Rnd. “BJ BJ BJ!” 24. WESTSIDE/OHAU : Via? 25. boardRIDER : Via “Hawaiian style, its how we do it in Hawaii!! cheeehooo!” 26. Slovak : Via a Finish, 3rd Rnd. 27. Ktown : Via Flying Hawaiian Pineapples, 3rd Rnd. 28. Parks1 : Via “The X-Factor, BJ’s Boxing! A right hook!!” 29. Syd[a.k.a. "The Negation"] : Via Hiloan Choke! 30. Jmas : Via SUB, 2nd Rnd. 31. Scott (with the BLUE screen name) : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. 32. Madnuts : Via RNC, 2nd Rnd. “And it will be a bloody Rush that he submits.” 33. Cromzinc : Via RNC, 2nd Rnd. 34. killvicious : Via “Cute puppy sacrifice.” 35. TheEder : Via “kicking the sh*t outta GSP!!” 36. Rubbergaurd : Via? 37. Mathew : "I'm Hoping, Wishing and Dreaming." 38. MauiPimpin : Via TKO due to strikes, 2nd Rnd. 39. fokman : Via Triangle choke, 3rd Rnd. 40. xxBAxx816 : Via TKO, 1st Rnd. 41. dbh : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. 42. 2009 The year of Scott Ferrozzo: Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. 43. Fred : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. 44. masters : Via “He looks good, ready and in shape, hes got this one!” 45. tz swanger : Via “BJ dudes, in any way!” 46. rctrue : Via ” BJ will finish GSP permanently.” 47. Kdog : Via? 48. Kelli : “GSP is going to tap like a little b*tch!” 49. Nokimono : Via “BJBJBJBJ!!!” “Jesse Holland is out of his mind!” 50. PW : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. 51. dave : Via SUB, 4th Rnd. 52. Toddy : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. 53. Hotdamn : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. (3 minutes into the 3rd Rnd) 54. Clint : Via “Tearing GSP a new one!” 55. markg : Via TKO. 56. Metalnick : Via RNC, 2nd Rnd. 57. bennie : Via “BJ’s inner fire!” “BooooooM!” “BJ BJ BJ!!!” 58. BNF’s Big Brother : Via KO, 2nd Rnd. “Just like his little brother picked!” 59. Pretty boy : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. 60. pride 4 ever : Via “BJ lets get it homey!!!!” 61. snicket916 : Via KO, 2nd Rnd. 62. roy : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. 63. Don “The Prophet” King : Via Unanimous Decision. “He wont gas!” 64. MongoMan : Via “BJ looks better than he did last time at 170″ 65. DirtML : Via Arm Bar 3rd Rnd. 66. allamerican : Via TKO, 4th Rnd. (Ref Stoppage) BJ BJ BJ!!! 67. Tricia Champagne (from canada) : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. “Top of the world BJ!” 68. the still operator : Via CHOKE, “BJ licks GSP’s blood up & gives him a kiss” 69. liamd : Via RNC, 4th Rnd. “Set up by strikes!” 70. rustedface : Via TKO, 3rd Rnd. (3:00 into the 3rd Rnd) 71. Bobg : Via “I’m pulling for BJ!” “I’m a huge Penn fan.” 72. arthurzero : Via “BJ by CLINIC!” I expect an actual clinic tonight!” 73. Calvin Baldwin (Friend) : Via TKO, 2nd or 3rd Rnd. “I wanna see blood!” 74. Jesse (My Son) : Via KO, 1st Rnd. "That's a bad man! BJ BJ BJ!!!!" 75. Richard Sr. (My Grandfather) : Via UD, 48-47, "BJ gets Rnd's 1-3 for the Win" 76. Erin Gallagher (Uncle/Ex Pro Boxer) : Via KO, 1st Rnd. 77. Din Thomas (Former UFC LTWT Fighter) : Via “That fool knocked ME out!” 78. John Hackleman (Pro MMAist) : Via Omaplata. 79. Matt Lindland (Pro MLWT Fighter): Via “I gotta go American and say BJ.” 80. Scott Lighty (Pro MMAist) : Via “BJ Penn. Go Team Hawaii!” 81. Ron Frazier (Pro MMAist) : Via “BJ Penn wins a tough, hard-fought contest.” 82. Mike Whitehead (Former IFL Fighter/TUF Show Fighter) : Via Decision! 83. Falaniko Vitale (Former UFC MLWT Fighter) : Via “Go with the local boy!” 84. Lyoto Machida (UFC Fighter) : “He clapped for BJ and not GSP at a presser.” 85. Thiago Silva (UFC Fighter) : “He clapped for BJ and not GSP at a presser.” 86. Stav Economou (Vale Tudo 8-0) : Via Decision “BJ’s too tough and too skillful” 87. Urijah Faber (Former WEC FTWT Champ) : Via "The Mental Edge" 88. Tom Gavrilos (Por MMAist) : Via “Early fight goes to Penn.” 89. “Kid” Yamamoto (Pro FTWT Fighter) : Via Decision. 90. Scott Bieri (Pro MMAist) : Via “BJ’s skill set and fortitude will win this one.” 91. Coal Uno (Fought BJ twice, to a KO Loss and a Draw) : Via KO, 2nd Rnd. 92. Gabe Ruediger (UFC Fighter) : Via “Now that BJ has drive, it is scary.” 93. Robbie Lawler (Former EliteXC MLWT Champ) : Via KO, 2nd Rnd. 94. Rory Markham (Pro MMAist) : “BJ, To keep the mystery of martial arts alive.” 95. Jens Pulver (Former UFC LTWT Champ) : Via "Jab to death." 96. Tito Ortiz (Former UFC LHWT Champ) : Via Always has a BJ Tshirt with him! 97. Kevin Burns (UFC Fighter) : Via “BJ has his number unless he gets tired.” 98. Jamie Varner (Current WEC LTWT Champ) : "BJ’s a force, any wieght class!” 99. Troy Mandaloniz (UFC Fighter/TP) : Via TKO, 2nd Rnd. 100. Justin Mcully (UFC Fighter/TP) : “That’s the most amazing cardio workout.” 101. Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (UFC Fighter/TP) : Via Hawaiian style. 102. Renato Charuto Verissimo (Former UFC Fighter/TP) : Via BJJ I’m sure. 103. Matt Hughes (UFC Hall of Famer) : “If BJ’s in shape, his hand will be raised. .” 104. JD Penn (Brother/Manager/TP) : “BJ is the monster I’d be worried about!” 105. Jason Parillo (BJ’s Boxing Coach) : Via “Slackin and Mana burgers baby!!!” 106. Adam Disabato (BJ’s Wrestling Coach) : Via “The lack of holes in our game!” 107. Rudy Valentino (BJ’s Head Trainer) : Via BJ’s “killer instinct switch!” 108. Hawaii : Via Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole and his flying Yukalale!!! BJ BJ BJ!!! BJ Penn:
I expect each and every one of you back here immediately following the main event to either bask in the glow of victory or wallow in the shame of defeat.
-William Learned Marcy (1786-1857) |
| UFC 94 video Lyoto Machida vs Thiago Silva preview Posted: 31 Jan 2009 01:32 PM CST |
| UFC Quick Quote: Thiago Alves ‘praying’ for Georges St. Pierre win Posted: 31 Jan 2009 01:31 PM CST
– Number one welterweight contender Thiago Alves shares his hopes with Cage Writer regarding the outcome of tonight’s blockbuster showdown between 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre and lightweight titlist BJ Penn, echoing similar statements to that of Jon Fitch. Alves and Fitch — and more than likely the rest of the top players in the division — do not want to see the pace of the title defenses come to a screeching halt, which would more than likely happen if Penn wins tonight. He’d be on the hook to defend both titles (170 and 155), meaning that he’d have to be willing to fight very often to keep things moving in both classes. |
| Matt Wiman vs Sam Stout UFC 97 fight in the works Posted: 31 Jan 2009 01:30 PM CST
Lightweights Matt Wiman (10-4) and Sam Stout (13-5-1) are penciled in to collide at UFC 97 from The Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on April 18, “Handsome” was making moves in the 155-pound division before he locked horns with last-minute replacement, Jim Miller, at UFC Fight Night 16: "Fight for the Troops" just last month. Miller defeated Wiman via unanimous decision, snapping a four-fight win streak for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 4 alum. Aside from the most recent loss, during which he demonstrated his toughness and grit, Wiman had finished three of his last four opponents. He demonstrated dangerous knockout power with a second round upset of Thiago Tavares at UFC 85: "Bedlam" back in June of this year. He has only one other loss inside the Octagon to Spencer Fisher way back when. Stout recently dropped a unanimous decision to Terry Etim at UFC 89: "Bisping vs. Leben" in October 2008. It marked his send consecutive defeat inside the Octagon and third in the last four attempts for the heavy-handed XTreme Couture-trained fighter. During that span, "Hands of Stone" dropped a controversial split decision to Rich Clementi at UFC 83: "Serra vs St. Pierre 2″ in front of his hometown Canada crowd. He’ll get a chance to redeem himself on April 18. Stout has also lost to and defeated Fisher in two action-packed battles. UFC 97 will likely feature middleweight champion Anderson Silva, defending his 185-pound strap against Thales Leites. Company President Dana White recently announced during the UFC 93 post-event press conference that Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua would also square off in the co-main event. To check out the latest UFC 97 fight card and rumors click here. |
| Secret weapon: VersaClimber the next step in MMA conditioning Posted: 31 Jan 2009 01:10 PM CST
With increasing regularity, more and more mixed martial artists are looking at alternative ways to up their cardio. Often times running for 45 minutes at a time can not only be hard on the knees, hips and back, but it also might not adequately prepare a fighter for the intermittent nature of combat sports — the sudden bursts of explosive energy needed to capitalize on your opponent, when you "smell blood" so to speak. For many fighters, the VersaClimber is serving that role. Marketed as "one of the only true total body, non-impact, vertical trainers available," the VersaClimber does just that. Its non-impact nature allows an athlete to train without jarring his or her joints like running so often does. That's especially important for heavier athletes. The VersaClimber also engages all the major muscle groups that are used in grappling, boxing and jiu-jitsu — something a treadmill cannot do. But perhaps what's most importantly from a fighter's perspective is that there are no top-end speed limitations. Fighting requires high bursts of energy intermittently over a prolonged time period. When you're training on a treadmill, for example, and you want to increase your speed, you have to push a little button and wait for the motor to catch up with your request. That downtime doesn't translate very well into the ring or cage. The motor pushing the VersaClimber is your own. If you want to sprint, go for it. There is no downtime. The design allows for unlimited sprinting capabilities. I recently asked UFC veteran Stephan Bonnar about his experiences with the VersaClimber. If you recall, "The American Psycho" was originally slated to face Matt Hamill at Fight Night 13 back in April 2008; however, a severe knee injury forced him off the card. After undergoing reconstructive surgery, Bonnar needed to find a way to push his cardio, without the toll to the knees that often comes with running.
That's when Bonnar's strength and conditioning coach, Kevin Kearns, encouraged Bonnar to try the VersaClimber. You can watch Bonnar explain one of his favorite workouts on the VersaClimber here. I asked Bonnar about how difficult it was, post-surgery, to return to his old workout ways. This is what he told me: "Usually I like running up hills for my cardio. And that was just out of the question now. Probably about four months after my surgery, I got the VersaClimber and started using it. It really makes you work, so there's no cheating on it. You're fighting all that gravity, and it's so easy on your joints, there's no impact on the knees or anything like that." The VersaClimber has aided Bonnar in his nearly yearlong comeback. We'll see just how well his cardio has improved tonight at UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn II." But in the meantime, Bonnar has nothing but good things to say about the device: "Even though my knee was still not fully healed, just getting on the VersaClimber and going to work didn't bother it at all. And it's great for my cardio, because, like I said, I hadn't been able to do much the previous couple months. So I started from the bottom, and it helped get me back in shape pretty quickly. Even now, I've had my knee scoped before, I've had this surgery and they took out more cartilage. So as far as running up the hills like I used to, I kinda scratched that from the program and replaced it with the VersaClimber." As a strength and conditioning coach, Kevin Kearns' knowledge of low-impact, high-results conditioning makes him a hot commodity for some of the hardest working fighters in mixed martial arts. In addition to Bonnar, Kearns' clients include Kenny Florian, Marcus Davis, Kurt Pellegrino and Nate Quarry — the latter of which also had to come back from a devastating injury with help from the VersaClimber. Kearns turned Quarry onto the device when he was recovering from back surgery that kept him from competing for nearly two years. To hear Kearns explain it: "Nate Quarry is 36 years old, and he said, "Look, Coach, I can't do this anymore, my knees are just getting beaten to death by running on the road." So we recommended the VersaClimber a) because it's a killer cardio workout, and b) it's non-impact. There's no impact on the joints, there's no impact on the spine. You're actually elevated, and you're not on the ground. And I think that's just hugely beneficial for these MMA fighters, not to mention the cardio conditioning elements and the interloping conditioning elements, specifically for MMA." How it aids mixed martial artists specifically is due to the explosive nature of the sport. Sure you have to be in shape enough to fight for 15 or 25 minutes at a time — but you also need to be able to unleash on your opponent when you see an opening, and not gas yourself out in the process. Kearns says the VersaClimber is the perfect conditioning tool to meet those needs. "It's very easy to turn it up and do any type of interval workout. You've got non-impact, you've got upper and lower body working at the same time. When you run, you are activating your upper body, but there's no resistance … unless you want to (use) hand weights. So when you look at the specifics of the cross-crawl pattern of the VersaClimber, because it's in an X fashion, it's very specific to what MMA needs. It's opposite arm, opposite leg. And that's basically how you're punching and kicking anyway. So it's very easy to design circuits that are hugely explosive in short bursts, which is pretty much what you're going to run into in the ring. For all intents and purposes, you can get a lot of benefit in a minimal amount of time." Florian, who played Division 1 soccer at Boston College, has worked with Kearns — who he calls Dr. Evil — for years and is known for having tremendous conditioning. Kearns says that the first time Florian tried the VersaClimber, he was just 15 minutes into his workout and was shocked with how hard it made him work. He even came up with a nickname for it, although it's not safe to print here. Kearns trains about 15 professional fighters, most of whom are featured in the UFC and WEC. When taking on a new client, the first thing he recommends his athletes is the VersaClimber. He should know, he's had one in his own home for 12 years. To learn more about the VersaClimber and how it is suited specifically for combat training, check out their website here. To learn more about Kevin Kearns' MMA conditioning series available on DVD, go here. |
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