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- Dana White UFC 98 video blog (Episodes three and four)
- UFC 98 weigh in results LIVE for ‘Evans vs Machida’
- Mike Pyle steps to replace Chris Wilson against Brock Larson at UFC 98
- UFC 98 predictions, preview and analysis
- Potty all the time: Alistair Overeem clowns rent-a-cops over greedy bathroom attendant
- Watch UFC 98 Q&A with Frank Mir online today LIVE via streaming video at 5 p.m. ET
- Ed Soares, Krzysztof Soszynski and Chael Sonnen sound off on UFC 98 and so much more
- UFC Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz is ’still a force to be reckon with’ based on UFC 98 main event
- Bellator X complete fight card announced for Ontario show on June 5
- Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic: ‘The top ten rankings are about to change very fast’ (Video)
| Dana White UFC 98 video blog (Episodes three and four) Posted: 22 May 2009 11:40 PM PDT |
| UFC 98 weigh in results LIVE for ‘Evans vs Machida’ Posted: 22 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT
The official weigh-in event for UFC 98: “Evans vs. Machida” from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, has come to a close. It was a close call for Matt Serra, who was seen in the sauna just an hour before tipping the scale. “The Terror” however was able to hit his mark. Mike Pyle was given extra time to weigh in as a result of being called up on short notice to replace Chris Wilson. He reached 172 and was not penalized for the overage. Outside of Serra and Pyle, it was a rather pedestrian affair with no real fireworks with the exception of an intense staredown between main event participants Rashad Evans — who drew a mixture of boos and cheers — and Lyoto Machida. Here are the complete UFC 98 weigh in results:
Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights. *Because he took the fight on short notice, the NSAC did not penalize Mike Pyle for being one pound over. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, play-by-play coverage of the main card action tomorrow night (Saturday, May 23), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 8 p.m. ET. It's going to be a good night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 98 coverage you can handle. For our complete UFC 98 archive click here. |
| Mike Pyle steps to replace Chris Wilson against Brock Larson at UFC 98 Posted: 22 May 2009 12:36 PM PDT
Incomplete medical paperwork has forced UFC welterweight Chris Wilson to withdraw from his UFC 98 fight against Brock Larson at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, tomorrow night (Saturday, May 23), according to Sherdog.com. MMA veteran Mike Pyle (17-5-1), who’s been on standby for the event since early this week, will step in to replace him. It’s been a rough month for Wilson, who was recently the victim of a home invasion in Brazil, where he resides with his wife and children. Now a problem with medical paperwork will keep him on the shelf until he’s able to get it straightened out. From Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission:
Wilson, who was originally slated to face Josh Koscheck before “Kos” hurt his toe, was looking to rebound from a tough split-decision loss to John Howard at UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ on Jan. 31. It was the lone bright spot on a rather uneventful card, bringing home co "Fight of the Night" honors. Now Pyle, who has fought just about everywhere except inside the Octagon, including Elite XC, Strikeforce, Affliction and the IFL (among others), will step in at the eleventh hour and look to notch his fifth straight win against larson. “The Hurricane” trains alongside several of the best in the business at X-Treme Couture headquarters in “Sin City.” He was last seen at “Night of Combat II,” where he quickly disposed of Brian Gassaway via armbar. UFC 98 features a the first-ever main event to include an undefeated champion, 205-pound kingpin Rashad Evans, defending his world title against an undefeated number one contender, Lyoto Machida. In the co-main event, former welterweight champions Matt Hughes and Matt Serra will finally end their epic grudge match by taping up the gloves and letting their fists do the talking once and for all. To check out all the latest and greatest news heading into UFC 98 weekend click here. Check out Wilson’s explanation after the jump.
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| UFC 98 predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 22 May 2009 11:42 AM PDT
UFC 98: 'Evans vs. Machida' is set to go down this Saturday, May 23, 2009 from The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, live on pay-per-view (PPV) starting at 10p.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 break down the main event matches and provide an unbiased and objective examination of each contest. Well, not really, but you will be treated to a smörgåsbord of hot air, elitism and conjecture. And for a whopping third straight edition of Nostradumbass, I'm going to depart from my old cock-and-bull routine in favor of a neat and orderly format. I've also included the current betting lines for each fight so that you can get a feel for what the money has to say about the chances of each combatant. And if you just so happen to have a few bucks to throw down on your favorite fighter, far be it from me to stop you from clicking on the handy BetUS link I've conveniently provided. Now, enough with all the pillow talk … at least for the time being. Let's get cracking:
205 lbs.: “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-0-1) vs. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (14-0) Backgrounds: Machida has been patiently waiting for a crack at the title, all the while stringing together six straight victories inside the Octagon, including his coming out party at UFC 94 where he floored Thiago Silva in the first round for his first (T)KO finish under the UFC banner. The Brazilian is an effective counter striker and Karate master that has ramped up his offense a few notches in the past year. Like “The Dragon,” Evans has taken some heat in the past for his cautious approach. That all but went out the window after a devastating KO over former light heavyweight deity Chuck Liddell and a decisive TKO finish against ex-205 champ Forrest Griffin. The TUF 2 heavyweight winner has a solid wrestling game and deceptively fast hands. Dumbass predicts: This has been one of the hardest fights I’ve ever had to predict. The good news? It’s five rounds, so it will have plenty of time to unfold. The bad news? It’s five rounds, so it will have plenty of time to unfold. It’s hard to imagine two guys coming off brutal stoppages putting on a boring fight, but let’s not pretend that any of us have healed the wounds left by Anderson Silva and Thales Leites just over a month ago. Evans will bob his head like a parakeet and dance all night if you let him, while Machida has that one move where he looks like he’s trying to balance on a unicycle (that herky-jerky, back-and-forth movement). Rashad is fast and powerful, but then again so is Machida. I favor the Brazilian in the clinch and in the submissions, but I don’t see Evans sticking around long enough to get tapped - just as I can’t see Evans being able to effectively utilize his wrestling against the enigmatic gazelle. What I do see, is Evans running out of steam in rounds four and five, allowing Machida to rack up some valuable points. Rounds one through three will likely be interchangeable on the scorecards, and don’t be surprised to hear the boos start coming as early as the first. Sorry folks, this one has disappointment written all over it. Betting lines (as of May 22): Evans: +150 ((Bet Now)) Machida: -200 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Machida via split decision 170 lbs.: Matt Hughes (42-7) vs. Matt “The Terror” Serra (9-5) Backgrounds: Hughes needs no introduction. Like Chuck Liddell, Hughes owned his division a few years back and holds wins over BJ Penn, Georges St. Pierre and Sean Sherk. He has tremendous power in his wrestling and a suffocating top game. Serra on the other hand hits hard and has multiple jiu-jitsu titles to his credit. Both former welterweight champions have been sidelined with injuries — Serra sustained an elbow injury in his loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 83: "Serra vs. St. Pierre 2″ back in April and Hughes has been nursing a knee injury that he suffered in his loss to Thiago Alves at UFC 85: "Bedlam″ back in June. Serra and Hughes — who are about as opposite as two people can get — were opposing coaches in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 and were supposed to fight at UFC 79: "Nemesis" in December 2007. However, Serra had to withdraw because of a serious back injury. Now it’s time to settle the score. Dumbass predicts: Matt Hughes might be past his prime. The division seems to have moved on without him and I don’t think at this stage he has the desire to change his game for 2009. Still, what’s left is more than likely enough to overcome Serra. I like “The Terror” and think he deserves way more credit than he gets, but he doesn’t compete nearly enough to remain at a high level of competition — he’s averaged just one fight per year since 2004. Serra has knockout power, but after what happened with Thiago Alves I think Hughes will be a little less reckless in his attack. I’m afraid this one isn’t going to be fireworks, and will likely mirror Hughes unanimous decision win over Chris Lytle back at UFC 68 in March 2007. Serra has a stingie guard, so I don’t anticipate much damage, but he will get controlled for three rounds by the bigger, stronger Hughes. Wrestlemania! At least it’s only three rounds. Betting lines (as of May 22): Hughes: -275 ((Bet Now)) Serra: +190 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Hughes via unanimous decision 185 lbs.: Xavier “Professor X” Foupas-Pokam (20-10) vs. Drew “The Massacre” McFedries (7-5) Backgrounds: “Professor X" (20-10) came up short in his UFC debut after a tough unanimous decision loss to Denis Kang at UFC 97 from The Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on April 18. Prior to entering the UFC, the Cage Rage and Palace Fighting Championship (PFC) veteran was riding a six-fight win streak. The French fighter has a nice mix of submissions and (technical) knockouts on his resume. "Massacre" has had a rollercoaster career inside the Octagon, winning every other fight and being unable to string together consecutive wins in six attempts with the promotion. That is until he locked horns with Thales Leites on short notice at UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote" back in October 2008. McFedries dropped his second consecutive bout courtesy of a first round submission (rear naked choke). He lost to Mike Massenzio via submission (kimura) at UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha, Neb., on September 17, before the loss to the Brazilian. Dumbass predicts: Believe it or not, Drew McFedries is entering his eighth fight inside the Octagon tomorrow night. While he’s has mixed results (3-4), he’s been able to get continued airtime for the simple reason that you know you’re getting a dramatic finish. McFedries has never gone to a decision or pulled off a submission in his entire UFC career, and I don’t expect him to start against Professor X. The bad news is that if McFedries was going to ever be more than a hard-hitting gatekeeper, he would have gotten there by now. Still, he has the ability to finish at anytime, and with Foupas-Pokam at risk of going 0-2 in his UFC career, that sense of urgency could cause him to make a mistake and get the lights turned off. And that’s really what this fight boils down to. If Foupas-Pokam can fight intelligently and not anxiously (0-2 is never a good place to be on the Zuffa roster), this should be a convincing win. He’s certainly skilled enough. Despite his unanimous decision loss to Denis Kang at UFC, he’s racked up a nice 12-2 record since 2006 — and 17 of his 20 wins have been finishes. I don’t expect this one to be any different. Betting lines (as of May 22): Foupas-Poukam: -200 ((Bet Now)) McFedries: +150 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Foupas-Poukam via submission 185 lbs.: Chael Sonnen (21-10-1) vs. Dan Miller (11-1) Backgrounds: Sonnen will attempt to rebound from a quick first round submission loss to Brazilian jiu-jitsu powerhouse, Demian Maia, at UFC 95 earlier this year. The bout marked his third UFC appearance – he lost to Jeremy Horn via submission (armbar) at UFC 60: "Hughes vs. Gracie" back in 2006 and outpointed Trevor Prangley on all three judges scorecards at Ultimate Fight Night 4 that same year. Prior to the loss to Maia, Sonnen handed a dazed and confused Paulo Filho his first career loss at WEC 37 on November 5. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, Miller defeated Rob Kimmons via first round submission in his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 15 in September 2008. Four weeks later he followed that up with an encore performance, stepping in for an injured Ricardo Almeida to topple Matt Horwich via unanimous decision at UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote." Most recently, Miller filled in again as a replacement to school blue chip prospect, Jake Rosholt, via submission (guillotine choke) at UFC Fight Night 17. Dumbass predicts: Chael Sonnen is a solid mid-card talent with good all around skills, and he enjoyed some success in the WEC including a win over Paulo Filho after the Brazilian blew a head gasket and started speaking in tongues during their fight. I guess some of the crazies rubbed off on Sonnen, who’s now sounding weirder and weirder with each interview. I though Sonnen would hold his own going into this fight but hearing that he’s walking around at 221 lbs. three weeks out from a middleweight bout does not leave me with that warm, fuzzy feeling (that’s what mesc is for). I’m trying to be lenient here because he stepped up and filled in for a gimpy Yushin Okami, but now he’s telling the press that he’s doing Joe Silva a favor by taking this fight. However he isn’t doing the fans — or himself a favor if he mails it in for the paycheck, expecting another fight based on his “favor.” And Miller is no joke. He’s got a great submission game and a solid wrestling pedigree to boot. There is no way Sonnen is going to make the weight and still be fresh for this fight, so unless he lands a superman punch in the first thirty seconds for the KO, Miller is going to own him. I’m expecting a tap, but a TKO would not surprise me. Betting lines (as of May 22): Sonnen: +160 ((Bet Now)) Miller: -210 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Miller via submission 155 lbs.: Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk (33-3) vs. Frank “The Answer” Edgar (9-1) Backgrounds: Sherk failed to reclaim his title against BJ Penn at UFC 84: "Ill Will" back in May 2008. It was his first fight since being stripped of the title and suspended for six months because of a positive test for steroids that he refuted vigorously. At the ripe old age of 35, the "Muscle Shark" rebounded with unanimous decision win over Tyson Griffin at UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote," demonstrating much improved striking skills. "The Answer" rebounded from the first professional loss of his career to Gray Maynard (unanimous decision) at UFC Fight Night 13 to outpoint former number one contender Hermes Franca on all three judges scorecards at UFC Fight Night 14: "Silva vs. Irvin" in July 2008. Edgar recently earned a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu while training at Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu in Hamilton, N.J., under Ricardo Almeida — the star pupil of Renzo Gracie. He is a decorated high school (Toms River High School East) and collegiate (Clarion University) wrestler out of Toms River, N.J., who also moonlights as an assistant wrestling coach at Rutgers University. Dumbass predicts: Frank Edgar is a difficult guy to bet against, because he finds ways to win. His bread and butter has been his wrestling, which he used to overcome guys like Tyson Griffin, Spencer Fisher and Hermes Franca. Unfortunately it’s also been his downfall. Without a plan B, there is little place to go when your biggest weapon is neutralized. Case in point: Gray Maynard at UFC Fight Night 13. Gray bullied Edgar en route to his first loss by overpowering him and answering his wrestling chops with some of his own. “Answer” fans blame the high altitude, but having been around Frankie in person, it’s not a stretch to say he’s a featherweight with a lot of muscle mass. His opponent, Sean Sherk, is just the opposite. He’s a welterweight who cuts to make 155. That size difference in and of itself is enough to make this a repeat of the Maynard loss, but keep in mind that Sherk is a staggering 33-3-1, with his three losses coming to the top dogs in the UFC named Hughes, St. Pierre and Penn. I like that Edgar has been working on his striking, and Sherk has also tried to improve his stand up skills. If they can supplement their wrestling with the stand up — instead of abandoning their wrestling for it, then we could have an exciting fight. Or we could just see three rounds of two wrestlers demonstrating why boxing is called a science. I have Sherk all day, every day. Betting lines (as of May 22): Sherk: -300 ((Bet Now)) Edgar: +200 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Sherk via 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 98: "Evans vs. Machida." 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. |
| Potty all the time: Alistair Overeem clowns rent-a-cops over greedy bathroom attendant Posted: 22 May 2009 11:29 AM PDT
Current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem was expected to defend his title for the first time since obliterating Paul Buentello way back in November of 2007. His undefeated challenger, Brett Rogers, was coming off a thrashing of "Abongo" Humphries at "Shamrock vs. Diaz" on April 11. He was ready to test himself against the menacing Overeem, and both fans and media considered it a done deal. Then nothing happened. No official announcement, no press conference, just silence. Then the reason giving for "Demolition Man" being absent from the Showtime card was because he suffered a hand injury during training and was unable to be ready in time for June 6. Well turns out there's more to the story then that, according to Fighter’s Only Magazine. He did injure his hand, but this was no training mishap. Golden Glory manager Bas Boon recently updated on the events that transpired. According to him …
Overeem would also pay a visit to the emergency room though only for a small but painful cut he had received on his hand during the altercation, however not without the insistence of those around him.
And now you know. Hopefully Overeem can heal quickly and while he's at it, also stay out of trouble so we can see the Dutch bruiser finally defend his Strikeforce heavyweight title soon. Against who? That still remains an open question. Andrei Arlovski, Brett Rogers or even Fabricio Werdum? They'll be someone waiting in the wings to give Overeem a run for his money once he's back to full fitness. |
| Watch UFC 98 Q&A with Frank Mir online today LIVE via streaming video at 5 p.m. ET Posted: 22 May 2009 11:15 AM PDT
Props: UFCFightClub.com |
| Ed Soares, Krzysztof Soszynski and Chael Sonnen sound off on UFC 98 and so much more Posted: 22 May 2009 08:10 AM PDT
UFC 98-featured fighters Krzysztof Soszynski and Chael Sonnen, as well as MMA super-manager Ed Soares, were the featured guests on MMAmania.com's exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio this week. First up was Soares, the manager of Brazilian legends such as UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho and the number one-ranked 205-pound contender, Lyoto Machida, who has his title shot against Rashad Evans at UFC 98 on Saturday. Soares was quick to play up the potential for the fight, saying that it could prove to be "one of those fights that people talk about for the rest of their lives." "I don't think we're ever going to experience this in our lifetimes again,” he said. “To see an undefeated champion fight an undefeated challenger — and not just any undefeated champion and any undefeated challenger — let's look at these guys' resumes. They've knocked out or beaten the who's who of the sport. So I think this fight is actually a gift for all the MMA fans out there." Despite the optimism, Machida has been criticized in the past for not finishing his opponents — eight of his 14 victories have come via decision, although he's finished opponents in two of his last three fights. Soares understands the criticism.
"I know people want to watch the action. We all do. We all like to see a standup, bang out war. We all like to. But I think the whole spirit of martial arts is to go in there and inflict damage without getting hurt." He says Lyoto has always tried to finish fights, citing his UFC 79 fight against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou — a fight at the time considered the breakout moment of a future UFC superstar. "He finished Sokoudjou when Sokoudjou was supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread." Machida's latest victory came against another undefeated fighter in the heavy-handed Thiago Silva. Again Machida looked for the finish, snatching it at 4:59 of the first round just as time was about to expire. Soares considers it the "natural evolution" any great fighter goes through. The more time he spends in the Octagon, the more comfortable he becomes. He insists Machida is doing everything right, from diet to training, which he'll need if he wants to take the title from Rashad Evans. Soares spent the beginning of the interview answering criticism of another of his fighters, Anderson Silva. Despite being largely seen as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Silva's last two fights have been underwhelming, although the amount of blame that falls on Silva is up for debate. In Silva's most recent fight against Thales Leites at UFC 97, Leites repeatedly pulled guard unsuccessfully and avoided engaging on the feet en route to a boring five round decision loss. Soares understands the criticism, but notes that "it takes two to engage." Soares defends his fighter: "I didn't think the fight was as bad as people were saying. At the end of the day he walked out there unharmed defending the belt. It wasn't a highlight reel finish, but it was a very technical finish. Anybody to fight five rounds with Thales Leites and walk out with not even a mark on your face, to me, is saying something." With four fights left on his UFC contract — including his UFC 101 light heavyweight fight against former champion Forrest Griffin — the importance of making each one count grows exponentially. While Soares backed off of naming specific opponents, he said he was excited about the Griffin fight because it has all the potential of a legendary, historical fight, noting that Griffin is a big heavyweight who "brings it every time." "That's a fight fans are going to get definitely twice their money's worth." And hopefully there are three more where that one came from. Demian Maia? Wanderlei Silva? Anderson Silva is interested in the biggest possible fights that there can be. Legendary fights. "We want to have history-making fights. He made history in his last fight by having nine consecutive wins, and he wants to keep making history." Which begs the question, what's the bigger priority, a legacy fight outside the division or defending the belt against no one capable of filling those shoes? "I think that's fair to say. I think that that's what's important. And that's one thing that I feel Dana White always seems to always say. He likes to put on these legendary fights … Those are the fights that people want to see." And what happens when those four fights are up? Is Silva interested in further competing in MMA after his UFC contract is fulfilled? Said Soares: "We'll have to see. I don't know. It's really hard to say. I guess we'll just have to see after those four fights. Like I said, his goal was to retire. When he gets to 35 maybe his goal was to have the option to retire. Our goal as his managers working with him is to help him achieve that goal." Concerning his heavyweight fighter, Soares admitted Nogueira appeared thick in his last fight against Frank Mir, but the former champion makes no excuses for the loss — despite having just recovered from a staph infection shortly before the fight. Soares said Nogueira considers it an honor to fight Randy Couture at UFC 102, and with a win, "Minotauro" can find himself right back in title contention. Soares also touched on former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho, who he says is training in Brazil and is in great shape at 91 kilos (about 200 pounds). Filho had suffered a setback in recent years after checking into a substance abuse rehab facility and suffering depression. Soares says Filho is today back on track and looking forward to fighting in Japan. "He's the type of fighter that if he gets his head on straight — which he is, he's back, focused — he's still one of the best middleweights in the world." Pro MMA Radio rounded out its coverage with a pair of guests who are being featured as late additions to Saturday's injury-ridden UFC 98 card: Krzysztof Soszynski, who agreed to fill in for an injured Houston Alexander in a fight against Andre Gusmao, and Chael Sonnen, filling in for an injured Yushin Okami in a fight against Dan Miller. Soszynski is riding a five-fight win streak (two inside the Octagon) and is coming off his third-straight submission victory via kimura — this one over former WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann at UFC 97 in April. "The Polish Experiment" is no stranger to fighting friends and training partners, including Stann, Vinny Magalhaes — who eliminated Soszynski from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 8 competition — Mike Whitehead and Jason Day, who Soszynski has fought twice. While he admits fighting training partners can be both an advantage and disadvantage because you know one another's games, he insists it's not much different than fighting an enemy. "To be honest with you, for me, there's not too much difference. This is a sport. This is a business. Just like in any other sport — whether it's football, baseball, basketball — so many of these guys are friends with each other regardless of if they play against each other or not. For us, we have to fight. We have to use our fists, use our knees, use our hands to do the damage. But in the end of it, we're still friends after." And how was it that he came from appearing on the Canadian UFC 97 card in April — one of the biggest moments in the life of the longtime Winnipeg resident — to UFC 98 just five weeks later? It started with Houston Alexander breaking his hand. Soszynski had prepared for Stann for 15 weeks and afterward taken two weeks off to spend with family in Canada "eating pizza and ice cream." Then came a text message from Team Quest's Dan Henderson. Despite weighing 233 pounds three weeks out, Soszynski immediately accepted the fight with Gusmao. He typically walks around at 240 or even 245 pounds, although on Tuesday's broadcast said to be weighing in around 224 and feeling "very comfortable in the weight." Against Gusmao, he expects strong kicks and a dangerous ground game, although he thinks the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt's "hands are weaker than his kicks." Soszynski freely admits his game plan is to stand. "Oh, absolutely. Anytime you go against a BJJ black belt, you want to test his hands first. You want to test him on the feet. And that's obviously the game plan first is test him on the feet. See what happens there. And if the opportunity comes for me to get it to the ground, I will go there if I have to, no worries." Rounding out the coverage was another fighter taking a UFC 98 fight on short notice in Chael Sonnen, the only man to defeat Paulo Filho and the uncrowned final WEC middleweight champion. Staying true to form, Sonnen wasn't afraid to be outspoken. Although in his last outing at UFC 95, he succumbed to a triangle choke, it's difficult to fault Sonnen too heavily — Maia's jiu-jitsu is literally second-to-none; however, Sonnen finds it hard to compare. "I can't speak specifically of his jiu-jitsu. I don't understand that sport well enough to know one jiu-jitsu game from another." Sonnen's next opponent, Dan Miller, was originally slated to face Yushin Okami at UFC 98. When Okami pulled out due to injury, it was largely reported that Ed Herman would be his replacement, only to have his teammate, Sonnen, take the fight. Sonnen confirmed the confusion, saying that Matt Lindland had accepted the fight on Herman's behalf, believing he would take the fight. When Herman declined, "Short Fuse" asked Sonnen to take the fight to keep him from falling out of favor with matchmaker Joe Silva, despite the fact that Sonnen was 36 pounds heavy with 22 days to make weight. Sonnen had been scheduled to fight at UFC 102 in his home state of Oregon against Wilson Gouveia. He assumed accepting the UFC 98 fight wouldn't affect the second fight, only to be informed that wasn't the case. So much for doing the UFC a favor. Where's the love? Especially for THE man who legalized the sport of mixed martial arts in Oregon. Cue record scratch. You heard right. Straight from the horse's mouth: "I legalized mixed martial arts in Oregon. That's very hard to do. The UFC spent millions of dollars in state after state attempting to get it legalized. I did that. On my own. I'm very proud of it. It's one of the bigger accomplishments that I've had. I formed a political action committee, lobbied the legislature, ultimately I testified in front of a Senate subcommittee, and I got the laws changed. I opened the doors not only for MMA, but also for Vince McMahon and professional wrestling to return to Oregon." Sonnen recounted how he was taken to court seven times for organizing MMA events and beat the state of Oregon all seven times, from 2002 through 2004. Essentially the language in the legislation prohibited "no-holds barred events," but because Sonnen's events followed the unified MMA rules of Nevada, there were several "barred holds," meaning that MMA did not fall under those guidelines and was, in fact, legal within the state. Sonnen then formed a political action committee and worked with the state to help get MMA regulated; however, because he was just 24 or 25 years old at the time, he felt it was difficult for legislators in Salem to take him seriously, so he brought in Randy Couture and Matt Lindland. And if Sonnen has anything to do with it, this fact won't be lost on matchmaker Joe Silva. He plans to bring it up this weekend in Vegas when he sees him. "I think if the UFC knew that, that might change things. I'm not just another guy in this state in terms of MMA, I'm THE guy that allowed it to be legal, and went to court seven times, it was to great expense and took several years, and I got the law changed. So I think if Joe Silva knew that fact, it may change his mind and he may say, 'Well, the guy that made this whole thing possible, maybe we got a spot for him on the card after all.'" THE man indeed. |
| UFC Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz is ’still a force to be reckon with’ based on UFC 98 main event Posted: 22 May 2009 07:43 AM PDT
– Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz tells PunchDrunkGamer.com that he’s still got game because he’s given the UFC 98: “Evans vs. Machida” main event participants all they could handle. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” battled current 205-pound champ, “Sugar” Rashad” to a draw at UFC 73: “Stacked” back in July 2007, but more than likely would have won the bout if he didn’t get docked a point for grabbing the fence in the second round. He then had Machida in big trouble courtesy of a triangle/armbar submission attempt late in the third round of their bout at UFC 84: “Ill Will” in May 2008. He eventually dropped the contest to “The Dragon” via clear-cut unanimous decision. So what say you … is Tito Ortiz still a major player at 205 pounds or can he still compete (and beat) the best in the world? |
| Bellator X complete fight card announced for Ontario show on June 5 Posted: 22 May 2009 07:22 AM PDT
Los Angeles, Calif. — Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that the promotion will hold its featherweight world championship bout at its tenth event in the 12-event series airing exclusively on ESPN Deportes. Bellator X, featuring the headlining title fight at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California on June 5, 2009, is the promotions first world title fight as part of its highly rated series. Fresh from his win over Estevan Payan at Bellator VI, "knockout of the year" candidate Yahir Reyes will take on Joe "The Hammer" Soto in the first ever Bellator Featherweight world championship bout. At Bellator VI, Soto handed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace and world number nine ranked Wilson Reis his first-ever loss and earned the right to face Reyes for the title and the $100,000 purse. The Soto vs. Reyes fight will be the first Bellator world championship title match for what has been a very eventful start for the organization. Over the last month of competition, the tournament has produced some of the most memorable and explosive moments in recent MMA history. Bellator X will also feature several highly competitive non-tournament fights spanning various weight classes. The night promises to be action-packed and will air exclusively on ESPN Deportes on Saturday, June 6, concluding the first ever Bellator featherweight tournament. "The last time both of these tournament finalists entered the cage they shocked the world by upsetting favored opponents and in Yahir's fight, he shocked the world with a magical KO; that's one of the best we've seen in recent memory," said Bellator Fighting Championships CEO Bjorn Rebney. "In our Featherweight division, our tournament format has proven that if you give great fighters a chance to control their own destiny, they can craft a reality that would have been totally unexpected in a matched world title fight. Yahir and Joe have both taken this tournament by the throat and made it submit to their tremendous will and heart. This should be a great, great final."
Featherweight World Championship Bout: Non-tournament Bouts: Tickets are on sale now and are available from the Citizens Business Bank Arena Box Office and at all Ticketmaster outlets. For Ticketmaster tickets visit www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets will be $25, $65, $100 and $135. For more information, call the Citizens Business Bank Arena Box office at 909-244-5600 or visit www.cbbankarena.com. For more information about Bellator Fighting Championships, visit www.bellator.com. For the Spanish language version of the Web site, visit Espanol.Bellator.com. Please contact your local cable provider to learn more about viewing Bellator Fighting Championships on ESPN Deportes. |
| Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic: ‘The top ten rankings are about to change very fast’ (Video) Posted: 22 May 2009 05:37 AM PDT Props: MMA-ID |
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