Friday, May 22, 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

Perfect timing: Cain Velasquez on his new UFC 99 opponent, Cheick Kongo

Posted: 21 May 2009 08:33 PM PDT

Highly-touted heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez was all set to face the toughest test of his young career, preparing to collide with grizzled MMA veteran, Heath Herring, in the co-main event at UFC 99: “The Comeback” on June 13.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany: “The Texas Crazy Horse” pulled up lame, forcing the promotion — and Velasquez — to switch gears on the fly and plug-in a formidable opponent capable of finding out what the wrestling powerhouse from Arizona State University is truly made of.

Enter Cheick Kongo.

“The French Sensation” is coming off a second round technical knockout victory over Antoni Hardonk at UFC 97 just last month. He has won his last three fights since losing a split decision to the aforementioned Herring. His confidence has more than likely never been higher.

Talk about a tall (and rather imposing) order … and he has just three weeks to try and figure out how to fill it.

We had the chance to briefly catch up with the soft-spoken Velaquez between training sessions earlier today. He talked to us about his new opponent, the Lesnar-Mir fight, the addition of Mirko "Cro Cop" to the fight card and much more.

Check it out:

Brian Oswald (MMAMania.com): The big news this week was that Heath Herring had to pull out of your UFC 99 fight. The UFC replaced Heath Herring with Cheick Kongo. How do you feel about your new opponent and will it change your strategy with little more than three weeks to go?

Cain Velazquez: I feel good about my new opponent. At this stage, I think he is a tougher opponent. I thought he was in line for a title shot next so that makes me feel good. I will definitely have to change up my gameplan now.

He has a long reach and is very strong fighter. He has improved his take down defense. I will be really focused on my take downs and also working to sharpen my kickboxing skills. Overall, I want to be fast, explosive and just stay calm out there.

Brian Oswald (MMAMania.com): Cheick Kongo is known for his aggressive stand up game. Kongo is also known for having a suspect ground game. Will you exploit this right away and look to take Kongo to the ground or will you stand and trade with him to start the fight?

Cain Velazquez: We will see how the fight goes. I will start with a stand up fight and see how that goes. The fight will end up on the ground if it needs to. His defense has gotten a lot better but I am a phenomenal wrestler. I am going to make Kongo work for everything in this fight.

Brian Oswald (MMAMania.com): There’s a rumor floating around that Kongo was promised the first shot at the winner of the UFC 100 title unification bout between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir if he can get past you June 13. If you beat Kongo, do you feel that puts you in line for a title shot over guys like Shane Carwin or the Randy Couture-Antonio Noguiera winner?

Cain Velazquez: I don't think about that. I just have to go out there and win this fight. Whatever the UFC decides to do with the next title contender is their call. That being said, if they ask me, I will definitely be ready for my title shot.

Brian Oswald (MMAMania.com): Dana White has confirmed Croatian heavyweight superstar, Mirko "Cro Cop," will make his Octagon return on the same UFC 99 fight card against Mustapha Al-Turk. Would you have rather fought a legend in the sport like Cro Cop or do you prefer a surging superstar like Cheick Kongo?

Cain Velazquez: I think Cheick is the perfect opponent for me right now. He is surging — he is at the top of his game right now. He has a three game winning streak going into this fight. I think adding Cro Cop made that fight card that much more exciting though.

Brian Oswald (MMAMania.com): How is your training coming along? What is your workout regimen like with little more than three weeks to go before your big UFC 99 fight?

Cain Velazquez: It is going good. I am doing three a days. I lift in the morning. I have training during the day and also night training. I add in a run between those work outs. Training is going good — I am working real hard right now. About a week before the fight I will slow things down and go into rest mode. It will basically be the week I am out in Germany.

Brian Oswald (MMAMania.com): Are you going to predict a winner for Lesnar vs. Mir. And do you have a preference as to who you fight?

Cain Velazquez: I honestly think it is a toss up. Frank Mir has beat Lesnar once. And he looked very sharp against Nogueira. Brock is still new to the sport but he is spending so much time in the gym. He has obviously gotten better. I think it will it be an exciting fight. I really can't predict a winner yet.

As far as whom I fight, I will fight either one.

Brian Oswald (MMAMania.com): Thanks for stepping away from your training to speak with us. We look forward to your fight with Cheick Kongo at UFC 99.

Cain Velazquez: Thank you

Brian Oswald is an associate editor for Inside Fights, as well as a syndicated writer to Fox Sports. Look for future exclusive articles from him on MMAmania.com

UFC 98 video: ‘Evans vs Machida’ PPV event LIVE this weekend!

Posted: 21 May 2009 08:07 PM PDT

UFC 98 press conference (Pics)

Posted: 21 May 2009 06:02 PM PDT

Matt Hughes and Matt Serra put up their dukes after the jump. For more pics head over to CombatLifestyle.com. Check out video highlights of the festivities right here.

Mustapha Al-Turk plans to bring home Mirko Cro Cop’s scalp after UFC 99 fight

Posted: 21 May 2009 05:05 PM PDT

Props: Blogs.Mirror.co.uk

Quoteworthy:

“I suppose nowadays in the fight game there are no easy fights. I’m stepping up as usual and hoping to take a big scalp come June 13th. I feel good. I feel like I’ve got the tools and the know-how and the skill to deal with him and beat him…. You know, I’ve got a good stand-up game — probably not as good as his — and I’ve got a good ground game. I’m a good wrestler. My jiu-jitsu’s good. I’ve got a good chance and I believe in myself, that’s the most important thing…. It’s only three and a half weeks away. It is quite short notice, but hey, you know, I’m stepping up and I’m going to take it to him. We’ve had to change all the training. It is quite short notice, and it is a steep learning curve to change my game. I’ve been working eleven weeks to deal with Todd Duffee, but that’s changed now and true intelligence is adaptation to environment, so if I can adapt to my environment I can demonstrate true intelligence.”

Mustapha Al-Turk — who was originally slated to face undefeated American Top Team (ATT) heavyweight Todd Duffee at UFC 99: “The Comeback” at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, on June 13 — talks about his preparation (and chances) against his new foe, Pride FC 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix winner Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. The former British Cage Rage heavyweight champion came up short in his Octagon debut against Cheick Kongo, losing via brutal technical knockout. Cro Cop didn’t have much luck against the Parisian, either, dropping a unanimous decision back in 2007, which forced his exit from the promotion. Does Al-Turk really have the tools to topple the Croatian and send him packing once again or will Cro Cop have the last laugh courtesy of his trademark Mohican head kick?

Reminder: UFC Countdown to 98 ‘Evans vs. Machida’ debuts tonight on Spike TV (May 21)

Posted: 21 May 2009 04:01 PM PDT

For more programming details on “UFC Countdown” to UFC 98: “Evans vs. Machida” click here.

UFC 98 video preview and more on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’

Posted: 21 May 2009 03:31 PM PDT

UFC Quick Quote: Martin Kampmann refuses to fight TJ Grant at TUF 9 Finale

Posted: 21 May 2009 03:02 PM PDT

"No disrespect to T.J. Grant, but I don't think it's a fight that makes any sense for me at the moment. I want to fight some higher ranked guys. I never even knew who the guy was, and he's probably a tough guy. But I want to fight guys who make sense for me and who can escalate me up the ladder more, so I didn't accept that fight. I don't know what happened, but apparently some miscommunication somewhere because I saw it all over the Internet…. If I'm thinking with my b*lls, I'll take any fight that comes up. But I got to be smart about my career and take the fights that make sense for me, and I don't think that fight makes sense for me at this time. Maybe when he gets some more wins in the UFC and builds up some good wins in the UFC, then maybe will meet somewhere along the road later.”

– Top welterweight contender Martin Kampmann tells Versus.com that despite reports that surfaced yesterday, he has turned down the opportunity to fight relative UFC newcomer, TJ Grant, at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9, citing intelligence as the basis for his decision. MMAmania.com has been informed by TJ Grant's camp the Canadian is still slated to compete at "The Pearl" at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 20. Grant made a successful UFC debut at UFC 97 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, earning a split decision victory over Pride FC veteran Ryo Chonan. The FitPlus standout has won 14 of his 16 professional fights — with a staggering 12 of those 14 by submission. We’ll pass along the opponent for Grant as soon as possible.

Bellator Fighting Championships ‘X’ poster for June 5 event

Posted: 21 May 2009 02:10 PM PDT

Props: Bellator.com

Bobby Lashley ready for a ‘Battle of the Giants’ against Bob Sapp on June 27

Posted: 21 May 2009 02:09 PM PDT

BILOXI, Miss. (May 21, 2009) – Fresh off his 24-second destruction of Mike Cook, former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley called his June 27th showdown against Bob "The Beast" Sapp in the "Ultimate Chaos" pay-per-view event headliner, live from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi, the "Battle of the Giants."

“Ultimate Chaos," presented by Prize Fight Promotions and Fight Force International, in association with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum, Treasure Bay Casino and Budweiser, is being produced and distributed by Gotham MMA and Integrated Sports at 9:00PM ET/6:00PM PT in the United States and Canada on cable and satellite Pay Per View via iNDemand, TVN, DirecTV, Bell TV, Shaw, Star Choice and Viewer's Choice for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

The 6-2, 255-pound Lashley, 3-time NAIA wrestling champion at Missouri Valley College, is an incredible physical specimen. Bobby joined the U.S. Army and was a 2-time Armed Forces Champion and 2002 Military Games Championship silver medalist. Two years ago, the chiseled Lashley became a WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) superstar, joining Donald Trump at Wrestlemania 23 in a bet against WWE president Vince McMahon. Lashley won the match and helped Trump shave McMahon's head in the ring.

Bobby's third pro MMA fight was a major hit last weekend as he displayed tremendous power submitting Cook, who had taunted the unbeaten Lashley by wearing a pro wrestling-type mask into their fight, with a near spine-snapping Guillotine choke. Bobby looked like a much more polished MMA fighter than he did in his previous three-round decision against Jason Guida.

"He tried to get in my head but I wasn't going to let him," Bobby explained. "He probably saw that the opponent in my previous fight had gotten a little in my head, but I learned from that experience and just shrugged it off this time. I trained hard and knew I was ready for that fight. My cardio was great and I worked on my boxing. I've reached a level of validation. When he put that mask on, I was only concerned with being validated to my opponent. The WWE thing will always be there, whether I have three or 300 MMA fights, but I'm glad that I have that WWE fanbase.”

Lashley fights a larger man for the first time in MMA action when he steps into the cage against an imposing 6-4, 350-pound Sapp (10-3-1), who played in the NFL for four years before becoming an iconic combat fighter in Japan, where he starred in PRIDE and K-1.

"Most heavyweights (in MMA) weigh 230-240 and that's the size of guys I've fought," Lashley said. "But I'm fighting a huge opponent in this coming fight. This guy must have weighed 370 at the press conference. Even if he gets down to 340, he'll still outweighs me by around 85 pounds. Sapp's really aggressive and I know he's going to come out hard. He won't be able to go through me, though. He's strong but his weakness is in the gas tank, even though I know he's training hard for this fight. It's going to be a good fight.”

"We liked this fight when it was first offered. When I fight there's always been a 'but' after it. It was a good fight but ……fill in the blank. Well, I'm fighting a bigger guy who's popular overseas. I don't think this fight will go long. It certainly won't be a long, drawn-out fight. There will be a lot of heavy blows, lots of banging – 'Battle of the Giants!' I'm training right now back home in Colorado. I like working in the altitude but I'll probably make a brief trip to train (with American Top Team) in Florida where there are a lot of big guys at our fight club. I may have to stack three guys up (to simulate Sapp, Bobby jokingly said). I have some big guys here I'm training with. They not be quite as big as Sapp, but they're big, very strong and have heavy hands like Bob."

Controversial Dutch heavyweight Gilbert "The Hurricane" Yvel (35-13-3) takes on 3-time UFC title challenger Pedro "The Rock" Rizzo (16-8-0) in an intriguing co-feature. Former King Of The Cage and Gladiator Challenge champion Javier "Showtime" Vasquez (12-2-0) meets dangerous lightweight Din "Dinyero" Thomas (24-8-0), star of The Ultimate Fighter 4; Canadian lightweight sensation Chris "The Polish Hammer" Horodecki (12-1-0) faces 4-time World Muay Thai champion William "The Bull" Sriyapai (12-4-0).

Also fighting on the card are welterweights Brett Cooper (8-4-0) vs. Waachiim "Native Warrior" Spirit Wolf (5-4), Affliction vice president Tom Atencio (1-0) vs. pro debuting lightweight Randy Hedderick, middleweight James Orso (8-3-0) vs. Colby McMahan (3-1-0), The Ultimate Fighter 3 star Danny Abbadi (3-4-0) vs. veteran middleweight Lance Thomson (4-2-0); welterweight Eric Bradley (2-1-0), 2-time All-America wrestler and 2003 NCAA boxing champion at Penn State, vs. Belfast, Northern Ireland brawler Colin McKee (3-2-0). All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets are priced at $25.00 (limited discount seating), $40.00 (general admission) and $55.00 (premium reserved seating) and sale at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum and all TicketMaster outlets.

For more information go to www.theultimatechaos.com, www.fightforce.org or www.mscoastcoliseum.com. Doors open at 5PM/CT, first fight 6 PM/CT, and the first PPV fight is at 8 PM/CT.

Lyoto Machida video on becoming ‘The Dragon’ at UFC 98

Posted: 21 May 2009 01:05 PM PDT
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