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| UFC Quick Quote: Rashad Evans not scared of Lyoto Machida Posted: 06 Feb 2009 11:22 PM CST
– UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans talks to Steve Cofield about a potential future match up against undefeated top division contender, Lyoto Machida. “Dragon” iced Thiago Silva at UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ last week, solidfying his position as a serious threat to “Sugar’s” crown. The Brazilian will more than likely be awarded the opportunity to snatch Evans’ belt sometime in 2009 … it’s just a matter of when. If former division kingpin Quinton “Rampage” Jackson can toppled Keith Jardine in March, he is likely next in line (barring injury). If he loses, Machida will get the nod. At the very least, Machida is one win away from a crack at Evans. Regardless of when it happens it’s long overdue. |
| Joe Lauzon video blog UFC Fight Night 17 (Day two) Posted: 06 Feb 2009 09:47 PM CST |
| UFC Fight Night 17 weigh in results for ‘Lauzon vs Stephens’ Posted: 06 Feb 2009 03:26 PM CST
The official weigh-in event for UFC Fight Night 17: “Lauzon vs. Stephens” took place earlier today at the Marshall Student Center on the University of South Florida (USF) campus in Tampa, Florida. All 20 fighters set to compete on the card, with the exception of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 4 veteran Rich Clementi and Josh Neer, made their respective marks on the scale on the first go around. "No Love" and the “Dentist” needed a little extra time to lose a half-pound each. Both fighters passed on their second chances, making the 156-pound division limit. Here are the complete UFC Fight Night 17 weigh in results:
Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights. Remember 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 the USF Sun Dome in Tampa. Of course, the latest quick updates of the prelim bouts will begin to flow earlier than that at around 7:30 p.m. ET. It's time to kick those UFC 94 hangovers — be sure to check us out for all the pre, during and post UFC Fight Night 17 coverage you can handle. |
| Nick Diaz next fight against ‘marquee’ opponent for Strikeforce on April 11 Posted: 06 Feb 2009 02:42 PM CST
The recent acquisition of Pro Elite assets is already beginning to pay dividends for Strikeforce. Today the camp for Nick Diaz announced that the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt — the man who Elite XC trotted in to rule its lightweight division (it didn’t go according to plan) — will compete for the San Jose, Calif.,-based mixed martial arts promotion on April 11. It will mark the first fight of the New Year for the former number one Elite XC lightweight contender.An opponent has not been announced yet; but it promises to be someone noteworthy and capable. Here’s a snip from GracieFighter.com:
Diaz was scheduled to face Eddie Alvarez in a monster showdown between two of the best 160-pound fighters in the world back in November 2008 before the promotion canceled the event and closed its doors for good. It will be first fight for the Stockton, Calif., native since scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Thomas Denny at Elite XC: “Unfinished Business” back in July 2008. This announcement comes on the heels of Strikeforce purchasing a good amount of Pro Elite’s assets earlier this week, including the contract of Diaz and other mixed martial arts stars, as well as more good news that the promotion inked a separate deal to air up to 16 live events on Showtime this year, beginning with the April 11 show in San Jose. The event is set to air live on the premium cable channel Showtime, taking place at the HP Pavilion. Ex-Elite XC fighters Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith and Benji “Razor” Radach are also expected to thrown down in a middleweight bout on the same card. Expect former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock to also be in the line up … possibly in the main event of the evening. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future fight announcements and rumors regarding the upcoming Strikeforce show. |
| Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski set to make his pro boxing debut on April 11 Posted: 06 Feb 2009 11:50 AM CST
Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski will make his professional boxing debut on April 11 at The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on the undercard of the Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright middleweight fight event on HBO according to Arlovski’s manager Bill Keane via ESPN.com. An opponent has yet to be named. Under the tutelage of world renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach, who has been working with “The Pitbull” over the past year or so to help him improve his striking, Arlovski has apparently signed with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions to take a crack at the sweet science after coming up short in his WAMMA world title fight against champion Fedor Emelianenko back on January 24 at Affliction: "Day of Reckoning." Prior to that the Belarusian was seen devouring IFL veteran Roy "Big Country" Nelson at EliteXC 'Heat' on October 4 of 2008. After losing back-to-back fights in the UFC against Tim Sylvia, Arlovski went on to win five of six with four (T)KO's. He was originally rumored to be making his debut last September in the opening fight on the Casamayor vs. Marquez card in on an HBO pay-per-view (PPV) telecast against an unnamed opponent. While that didn’t materialize, Roach was eager to get him lined up after the Emelianenko bout, even mentioning a possible throwdown with current WBA heavyweight title holder Nikolai Valuev. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed. The Pitbull has always been considered one of the top strikers in mixed martial arts, but it's anybody's guess as to how that talent would transfer over to a world championship boxing match against a monster like Valuev. Or any pro boxer for that matter. Time will tell. |
| UFC 96: Tamdan McCrory vs Ryan Madigan Posted: 06 Feb 2009 11:49 AM CST
MMAmania.com can confirm that Tamdan McCrory will replace an injured Ben Saunders to face the debuting Ryan Madigan who is replacing an injured Dustin Hazelett at UFC 96 ‘Jackson vs. Jardine’ on March 7 from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. In short: Saunders vs. Hazelett is now McCrory vs. Madigan. McCrory — a 20-something college student at The State University of New York at Cortland (SUNY Cortland) who also moonlights as a full-time fighter — was submitted by Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Dustin Hazelett at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" on November 15. He is already an Octagon veteran with four fights under his belt. "The Barncat" defeated Luke Cummo via unanimous decision at UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" and tapped Pete Spratt in his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 10 in June 2007. McCrory could use a big win here to stay relevant in a crowded UFC 170-pound division. He’ll be facing Octagon newcomer Ryan Madigan, who originally replaced Hazelett against Saunders. "The Lion" has five professional fights in the sport that date back to 2006. He is undefeated, finishing all of his opponents early with a nice mix of (technical) knockouts and submissions. He'll have his hands full trying to continue that streak against the wily “Barn Cat” when the pair collide in the "Buckeye State" on fight night. UFC 96 features a three-round light heavyweight tilt between former division champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Keith Jardine. Heavyweight hopeful Shane Carwin is also expected to tangle with former number one contender Gabriel Gonzaga in the co-featured fight of the evening. To check out the latest UFC 96 fight cards and rumors click here. |
| UFC Fight Night 17 predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 06 Feb 2009 11:49 AM CST
UFC Fight Night 17 "Lauzon vs. Stephens" is set to go down this Saturday, February 7, 2008, at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV from The University of Southern Florida (USF) Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. 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 9 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: Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon (17-4) vs. Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens (14-3) UFC Fight Night 17 was supposed to feature Joe Lauzon against Hermes Franca but to be quite honest, Jeremy Stephens is a more than worthy replacement. Stephens earned "Knockout of the Night" at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" after sending Rafael dos Anjos back to Brazil with a thundering uppercut that he threw from what appeared to be the center of the cage. It was among the most devastating finishes of 2008. The Iowa product has five career fights inside the Octagon, winning three (Dos Anjos, Cole Miller and Diego Saraiva) contests and losing (Spencer Fisher and Din Thomas) the others. He'd get a nice bump with a win over a name like Lauzon, but he'll need to do his best to stay upright for that to happen. “J-Lau” rebounded from a recent loss — a first for him inside the Octagon — to stop Kyle Bradley via technical knockout (strikes) at UFC Fight Night 15 in September. Prior to the win, he was one of the many recent victims of Kenny Florian courtesy of a second round technical Hellbow loss at UFC Fight Night 13 back in April. Lauzon was the favorite to win The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 season before meeting up with Manny Gamburyan in the semifinals. He has four wins in five attempts inside the Octagon and owes much of his fame to the swift KO of veteran Jens Pulver during “Lil Evil’s” homecoming at UFC 63. This comes down to Stephens 10 (T)KO’s vs. Lauzon’s 13 submissions. I’m taking “J-Lau” by decision in this one based on his control on the ground, but it’s not going to be as easy as he thinks it is - Stephens hands are just as deadly from the top as they are on the feet. Keys to victory: Lauzon: Don’t let him drag you into a slugfest and you should be able to control the fight. Takedowns should come early and often. If that doesn’t work, make that creepy bat-face you do sometimes and scare him into submission. Stephens: From what I’ve seen in past fights including TUF 5, a frustrated Lauzon is a broken Lauzon. If you can stuff the shoot or stun him in the opening minutes, you could pull off the upset. Prediction: Lauzon by unanimous decision Cain Velasquez (4-0) vs. Denis “The Menace” Stojnic (5-1) Blue chip heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez will finally return to action after missing several months with a knee injury that required minor surgery to repair. The undefeated American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) standout — who has won both of his UFC bouts in impressive fashion — is apparently 100 percent healthy and ready to rock and roll. He’s quickly built a reputation as a dangerous opponent who many in the division would prefer to avoid. Brad Morris and Jake O'Brien weren't so lucky — the former Arizona State University wrestler stopped them both in the first round like the rest of his victims. It's sink or swim, therefore, for his opponent, Stojnic, making not just his debut for the promotion, but also his first mixed martial arts appearance in the United States. The Sarajevo native has competed throughout Europe during his career, most recently outpointing Hakim Gouram at Holland’s ‘Beast of the East’ back in May. As of Noon on Friday, Stojnic is listed +475 to the -650 for Velasquez. Those are some dangerous numbers. Anyone remember a guy named Junior dos Santos? I don’t want anyone to think I’m not on the Velasquez war wagon, because I am. But I also want to keep the hype in perspective. I can remember a time when Jake O’Brien was 8-0 with all eight of those wins coming by way of (T)KO. And now? Undercard fu. Like most of the MMA world, I think Velasquez is going to quickly ground Stojnic with his wrestling and then simply pound him into a stoppage. Stojnic is far too one-dimensional to make this competitive but I don’t have to remind anyone that it only takes one punch. Keys to victory: Velasquez: This bout is on the televised portion of the card for a reason. Take him down and ground and pound. Rinse and repeat - assuming he survives the first attack. Stojnic: It’s unlikely this bout will stay upright for very long. Nothing like a perfectly timed knee ala Filipovic/Fujita to shock the world. It’s not gonna happen, but hey, at least the possibility exists. Prediction: Velasquez by TKO Mac Danzig (18-5-1) vs. Josh “The Dentist” Neer (24-7-1) This is a bout that could be make-or-break for man with no meat. Danzig — season six welterweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) — is coming off a frustrating unanimous decision loss to Clay Guida at UFC Fight Night 15 back in September. "The Carpenter's" relentless cardio and wrestling proved to be just too much for Danzig to overcome. Prior to the loss he submitted Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Mark Bocek with a rear naked choke at UFC 83: "Serra vs. St. Pierre 2″ in April. He stopped Tommy Speer in similar fashion before that to earn the TUF crown nearly one year ago. This will be the fourth fight for mixed martial arts veteran inside the Octagon and it's not getting any easier with opponents like "The Dentist." Neer is also looking to rebound from a loss at UFC Fight Night 15 — he dropped a tight split decision to Nate Diaz in a fight that was awarded with "Fight of the Night." A five-year veteran of the sport, Neer is no slouch on the ground or on his feet —- 10 of his wins have come via submission, with 10 more coming via (technical) knockout. After posting a 2-3 record in the UFC, Neer won six of seven fights outside the promotion before returning to the Octagon and defeating Din Thomas by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 13. In addition to Thomas, Neer holds wins over UFC veterans Joe Stevenson, Melvin Guillard and Forrest Petz. On paper I give this to Danzig for being perhaps a bit more complete, but after winning twelve straight he went 2-3 in his last five fights and it’s hardly a lock against someone as tough and with as many intangibles as Neer. If Danzig can control the pace and fight an intelligent game instead of turning it into a slugfest, then expect him to be ahead on the judges cards by the end of the third - but not by much. Keys to victory: Danzig: Neer has a reach advantage and some gritty clinch work. Stay out of the pocket and work the ground game. Watch out for that haymaker - they don’t call him “The Dentist” for nothing. Neer: Don’t expect Danzig to run out of gas so it wouldn’t hurt to be conservative in the opening frame. You know the ground game is coming at some point, how well are you prepared to defend it? Prediction: Danzig by split-decision Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (6-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (14-4) Anthony Johnson is a fighter that belongs on every main card because he seems to get more exciting with each fight. Fresh off his thrilling KO victory over Kevin Burns at UFC Ultimate Fighter Finale 8, “Rumble” has opted to come back and fight at Fight Night 17 rather than wait for a rumored fight with Mike "Quick" Swick later in the year. That tells me about the kind of competitor that Johnson is and I like that kind of attitude. Johnson avenged his controversial loss to Burns back at UFC Fight Night 14, knocking the Iowan senseless with a brutal head kick in the opening seconds of round three. Burns joins Tommy Speer and Chad Reiner on "Rumble's" ever growing highlight reel. He won't have a free pass however against the gritty Fioravanti. The American Top Team standout and military serviceman-turned mixed martial artist has his share of knockouts, ending 50 percent of his fights by way of (T)KO. Fioravanti was last seen taking Brodie Farber the distance in a unanimous decision win at UFC 16 'Fight for the Troops.' My biggest concern here is Johnson’s ability to win outside of his comfort zone. Yes, he can end it at any point and time with his ridiculous power, but Fioravanti has an unorthodox and vastly underrated striking style that can neutralize the more predictable, balls-to-the-wall offense of Johnson. I also have concerns about Johnson’s cardio against a guy like Luigi who can stay comfortably inside the pocket and muffle a power offense. If Johnson is unable to catch him early, it would not shock me to see him worn down and outpointed for a unanimous decision loss. That’s why I’m picking him to win. There has to be one fight per card where the judges screw it up. So let it be written, so let it be dumb. Keys to victory: Johnson: You’re a genetic freak - but how well can you incorporate those gifts into a well-rounded game? Prepare to go deep into the fight and find a way to win without the KO. You may not have a choice. Fioravanti: If you can avoid having your head taken off in the first round you have a pretty good chance of winning this. Close the distance and simply outwork him. Just keep an eye out for that newfound head kick. Prediction: Johnson by unanimous decision That's a wrap, folks. Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of UFC Fight Night 17. 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. |
| The Resurgence: The downfall and rise of Alistair Overeem, Vitor Belfort and Jorge Santiago (Video) Posted: 06 Feb 2009 11:44 AM CST |
| Cheick Kongo vs Antoni Hardonk UFC 97 fight on tap for Montreal Posted: 06 Feb 2009 08:57 AM CST
Surging heavyweights Cheick Kongo (13-4-1) and Antoni Hardonk (8–4) — who are each enjoying current win streaks inside the Octagon — are set to collide at UFC 97: "Redemption" at The Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on April 18. Kongo recently dismantled Mustapha al Turk at UFC 92: "The Ultimate 2008" in December 2008, unleashing a vicious onslaught of elbows and punches on the Cage Rage veteran that resulted in a first round technical knockout stoppage. It marked the fourth win in the last five fights for the Parisian. He dropped a split decision to Heath Herring at UFC 82: "Pride of a Champion" back in March 2008, which temporarily derailed his chances of competing for a division title. Kongo — who now trains at Wolfslair Academy in England alongside Michael Bisping, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and others — will look to get right back in the mix with a win over the Dutch kickboxer. Hardonk is the winner of three straight, taking our Mike Wessel via second round technical knockout at UFC 92. Prior to the win, he notched impressive back-to-back victories over Eddie Sanchez and Colin Robinson. He has not lost a bout since late 2007 — a submission courtesy of interim heavyweight champion Frank Mir. UFC 97 main event features middleweight champion Anderson Silva, putting his 185-pound title on the line against number one division contender, Thales Leites. In the co-main event, Mauricio Rua — fresh off his less-than-thrilling victory over Mark "The Hammer" Coleman at UFC 93 — will challenge former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell. To check out the latest UFC 97 fight card news and rumors click here. |
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