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

Jake Rosholt video on road to Dan Miller UFC Fight Night 17 bout (Episode two)

Posted: 05 Feb 2009 08:18 AM CST

UFC Quick Quote: Clay Guida wants Sean Sherk next

Posted: 05 Feb 2009 08:15 AM CST

"Sherk is a monster. Let's see if he can stop my takedowns. Sean's always someone that I've looked up to in his performances. What happens out of the cage is his business."

– Clay Guida tells FiveOuncesOfPain.com that he wants a piece of former lightweight champion Sean Sherk. “The Carpenter” is coming off a spit decision win over Nate Diaz at UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 31. It marked his third straight win inside the Octagon and fifth all time in eight appearances. Sherk is set to tangle with Frank Edgar at UFC 98 on May 23, making an immediate match up virtually impossible. Perhaps with another big win between then and now — or a Sherk loss — Guida could get his wish. However, that doesn’t appear to be a fight that Sherk would want to take if he’s already back near top of the number one division contender list.

Joe Lauzon video blog for Jeremy Stephens UFC Fight Night 17 (Day one)

Posted: 04 Feb 2009 10:45 PM CST

UFC Quick Quote: Joe Lauzon still wants to fight the trash-talking Hermes Franca

Posted: 04 Feb 2009 10:44 PM CST

He’s talking a lot of trash for someone who pulled out of the fight. He said he was looking forward to fighting me because he saw my brother fight and (Dan) sucks. My brother took three low blows in that fight, could have ended it by DQ but instead kept fighting and beat the kid anyway. Before I wanted to fight (Hermes) because I had a lot of respect for him. Now I want to fight him because he’s acting like a punk.

– UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon sounds off on MMAmania.com’s exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio regarding the comments Hermes Franca made about “J-Lau” following his withdrawal from their main event bout at UFC Fight Night 17 on February 7. Franca was replaced by the surging Jeremy Stephens but not before he referred to Lauzon as “Lucky” for escaping a beating at the hands of the hard-hitting Brazilian.

For the audio replay of Lauzon’s appearance click here.

Jon Jones has a major advantage

Posted: 04 Feb 2009 10:44 PM CST

jon jones

Props: TheGarv.com

Quoteworthy:

“I think that's going to be a problem for a lot of fighters. It comes really natural for people to clinch up, especially when strikes are being thrown, and big hits are landed. Once you do something so much, it's going to be hard for fighters to break out of that bad habit of clinching right away. The clinch is huge in mixed martial arts. And right now I have a major advantage over tons of fighters because I've been clinching my whole life. And there's definite rules and definite no-nos when you're clinching with someone when it comes to Greco. And [opponents] so far have done everything wrong from the clinch, besides striking…. And it's not even that I go into Greco mode. Because it's not even thought about or set up. It's just like, I know at least 20 different ways of throwing people.”

Electrifying light heavyweight prospect Jon Jones talks about his unique fighting style, which is grounded in sick Greco Roman wrestling skills. “Bones” has put it on display in both his performances inside the Octagon, upending veterans Andre Gusmao in his debut for the promotion and then again against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94 this past weekend. The national Junior College Champion out of Iowa Central Community College dropped out of school to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. So far it seems as though it was a wise decision — the 21-year-old has a bright future in the sport. And he’s only going to get better over time. Scary.

Georges St. Pierre: ‘I guarantee the result will be the same’ against BJ Penn

Posted: 04 Feb 2009 10:29 PM CST

He even says they can each wear a Rash Guard in the next go around … and much more:

Sorry, but we have not passed along much from Georges St. Pierre himself since “Grease Gate.” Check out another article right here.

UFC Fight Night 17 weigh in event details and information for ‘Lauzon vs Stephens’

Posted: 04 Feb 2009 08:38 PM CST

The official weigh-in event for UFC Fight Night 17: “Lauzon vs. Stephens” is set to take place at the Marshall Student Center on the University of South Florida (USF) campus in the Royal Palm Ballrooms A & B (on the 2nd Floor) on Friday, Feb. 6.

It will not air live on UFC.com via streaming video or any other Web site for that matter. Instead, expect a video package to be available at about 6 p.m. ET, which is about two hours after the first fighter is expected to tip the scale (4 p.m. ET).

MMAmania.com will provide the most up-to-the-minute coverage of the UFC Fight Night 17 weigh-in as possible, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.

Here's the complete line up:

Main event:

155 lbs.: Joe Lauzon (17-4) vs. Jeremy Stephens (14-3)

Main card (Televised):

265 lbs.: Cain Velasquez (4-0) vs. Denis Stojnic (5-1)
155 lbs.: Mac Danzig (18-5-1) vs. Josh Neer (24-7-1)
170 lbs.: Anthony Johnson (6-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (14-4)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

155 lbs.: Kurt Pellegrino (12-4) vs. Rob Emerson (8-6)
185 lbs.: Dan Miller vs. Jake Rosholt (5-0)
155 lbs.: Matt Grice (9-1) vs. Matt Veach (10-0)
155 lbs.: Gleison Tibau (15-6) vs. Rich Clementi (32-13-1)
185 lbs.: Nick Catone (5-0) vs. Derek Downey (10-3)
170 lbs.: Matt Riddle vs. Steve Bruno

For those in the “Sunshine State” for the first-ever show for the promotion on Florida’s west coast, remember that the weigh-ins are FREE to attend and open to the public.

Doors to the weigh-in will open at 1:30 p.m. local time.

In addition, fans will be able to attend a Q&A session with former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 and current welterweight up-and-comer, Ben Saunders, on that same day at about 2 p.m local time.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, Feb. 7), which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV from from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa.

Of course, the latest quick updates of the prelim bouts will begin to flow earlier than that right here at around 7:30 p.m. ET.

Remember to check out MMAmania.com for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC Fight Night 17 coverage you can handle!

Dana White: Expect big fights this year including BJ Penn vs Kenny Florian

Posted: 04 Feb 2009 05:27 PM CST

Props: MMA Fanhouse

Quoteworthy:

We’ve got Mir and Lesnar coming up, we’ve got possibly Rashad and Rampage, or if it’s not Rashad and Rampage it’ll be Rashad and Lyoto, which I think will be a very good card too. We’ve got all big fights — Randy Couture’s gonna fight again this year. We’ve got a lot of big cards this year … Also, Kenny Florian and BJ is going to be a big fight … I can’t see — BJ, to me, is not the type of person who’s going to have a fight like he just had and walk away from his belt at 155. I can’t see that happening … I wouldn’t have been shocked if BJ had won both titles and then retired. That wouldn’t have shocked me. But after the way that went down, I can’t see him retiring.

UFC President Dana White looks forward to a year of big fights including BJ Penn’s return to the lightweight division to battle number one contender Kenny Florian. Penn is currently mired in “Greasegate” after a Vaseline-happy cornerman back-lubed St. Pierre between rounds during their welterweight title fight at UFC 94 on January 31. Penn filed a formal request to the Nevada State Athletic Commission earlier today to have the incident reviewed. Hopefully it’s dealt with in a timely manner so we can put the fighting back in the Octagon where it belongs.

BJ Penn sends NSAC formal request to investigate Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94

Posted: 04 Feb 2009 03:15 PM CST

The legal team that represents lightweight champion BJ Penn — four days removed from a technical knockout loss to welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 on Jan. 31 — today sent a formal request (not a complaint) to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

The three-page letter is designed to ensure that the sanctioning body engages “in a comprehensive investigation and review of the activities involving and relating to Georges St. Pierre prior to and during the bout.”

St. Pierre’s cornermen during the fight applied Vaseline to his back and shoulders, which is illegal under the rules of the sport. Ringside officials noticed the petroleum jelly on the backside of the Canadian and sprung into action, wiping him down with towels after rounds two and three.

“Rush” isn’t giving excuses for the incident, saying it was just a minor mistake caused by the between-round frenzy and was part of a breathing technique. UFC President Dana White — who is taking the issue very seriously — has since blamed “stupid” cornermen (Greg Jackson and Phil Nurse) for the infraction.

The letter to the NSAC indicates that not only is greasing illegal, but it taints the reputation of the sport and jeopardizes the health and safety of those who participate in it.

Furthermore, it states the application of Vaseline put Penn at a serious disadvantage during the fight because as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, “The Prodigy” relies on his ability to apply techniques and strategies designed to immobilize or cause potential injury to his opponent.

With that ability neutralized, Penn’s attorney contends that his client was put in an environment that was both “life threatening” and “career ending.”

Perhaps the most damaging part of this letter is the accusation that a member from Team Penn had asked the NSAC prior to the bout to pay special attention to St. Pierre because of the possibility of Team GSP engaging in activities that would intentionally make him more slippery.

If Team Penn did in fact ask the NSAC to keep a close eye on St. Pierre during the match (who was subsequently found going overboard with Vaseline) then the champ - and his corner - could have a lot to answer for.