Sunday, June 21, 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

UFC Quick Quote: Diego Sanchez has ‘tremendous respect’ for Clay Guida and his many hearts

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 01:06 AM PDT

“I’ve got tremendous respect for Clay after tonight because I haven’t been in a blood barnburner like that since Nick Diaz and you know, I hit him with some knees, some kicks and some uppercuts that were right on the button and he just kept on coming. I was surprised, the guy’s got heart. He’s got a couple of hearts because he kept coming in the striking too even though I was landing the more effective strikes and picking my shots. He’s a little Tasmanian Devil to take on. He was in a position to fight me for a reason: He earned his shot with wins against Danzig and Diaz. He put himself in that place but I was just the more technical fighter that executed the gameplan right. I went in there and was ‘The Nightmare.’”

UFC lightweight contender Diego Sanchez comments at The Ultimate Finale 9 post fight press conference on his three round war with Clay Guida at the June 20 Spike TV event from “The Pearl” at the Palms Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Nightmare” took home a split decision and the right to challenge the winner of BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian at UFC 101, but not before getting a taste of the irresistible force that is “The Carpenter.” We now know where Sanchez goes from here, but what about Guida?

(Photo courtesy of Tracy Lee via Cagewriter.)

James Wilks pelting of DaMarques Johnson concludes UK domination of TUF 9

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 12:59 AM PDT

“I saw the Sportsbooks yesterday, I think my friends were trying to keep them away from me. I was the underdog and not the favorite but that didn’t really affect me at all. I just thought, ‘They don’t know what I’ve been doing in training, they haven’t seen enough of me really to judge my skill level.’ So I really didn’t take that into account at all I was just focused on the fight. I remember I heard ‘thirty seconds left’ and I wasn’t able to sink the choke, he had his chin down. By the time I trapped his arm with my leg I felt confident I’d be able to finish it — if there was enough time. I think there was only six seconds left or four seconds left or something. It was pretty crazy. I really didn’t know [I had it] until he tapped.”

The Ultimate Fighter 9 welterweight winner James Wilks sounds off in the post fight press conference about playing spoiler in his underdog role coming into the June 20 live finale against heavily-favored DaMarques Johnson. Wilks was completely dominant on the ground and on his feet and left many observers (including yours truly) feeling a bit hustled after a competent but hardly spectacular run through the Spike TV reality show. In any case, if Wilks continues to perform like he did on Saturday, he’s going to find success in the UFC sooner rather than later. Time will tell.

(Photo courtesy of Tracy Lee via Yahoo Sports)

TUF 9 Finale bonuses and awards for ‘Sanchez vs Guida’ Spike TV fights

Posted: 20 Jun 2009 09:48 PM PDT

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, has officially wrapped.

That of course means that it's time for those select fighters who went above and beyond in their respective fights to get a little extra grease for their efforts. And tonight the promotion waded into uncharted territory, dishing out three “Fight of the Night” bonuses in addition to its usual honors.

Of course, the lightweight war between Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida was recognized — it was a thrilling barnburner from bell to bell as advertised. “Nightmare” threw everything but a 2X4 at “The Carpenter” in the first round and he still kept coming.

It was an unbelievable display of heart and determination. Instant classic.

The back-and-forth slugfest between welterweights Chris Lytle and Kevin Burns, as well as the grappling clinic that Joe Stevenson and Nate Diaz put on, were also singled out. Both fights couldn’t have been any more different, but treats to watch nonetheless.

"Submission of the Night" went to Jason Dent for tapping out fellow TUF 9 castmate Cameron Dollar with an anaconda choke, according to Steve Cofield at Yahoo!Sports.com, and Tomasz Drwal earned “Knockout of the Night” — the only stoppage via strikes on the card — with his first round stoppage of Mike Ciesnolevicz.

Here are the special fight bonuses for TUF 9 Finale:

Fights of the Night — Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida; Chris Lytle vs. Kevin Burns; Joe Stevenson vs. Nate Diaz
Knockout of the Night — Tomasz Drwal
Submission of the Night – Jason Dent

Each fighter received $25,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible.

For complete TUF 9 Finale results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

TUF 9 Finale recap and post fight discussion for June 20 Spike TV event

Posted: 20 Jun 2009 09:13 PM PDT

The results of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale are in, which aired live from "The Pearl" at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Spike TV tonight (June 20).

TUF 9 final competitions at welterweight and lightweight resulted in unexpected victories, and the remaining main card fights resulted in the promotion handing out an unexpected (and unprecedented) three “Fights of the Night.”

It was an entertaining evening of mixed martial arts action to say the least.

Vying for the top contender spot in the lightweight division, Diego Sanchez outlasted a determined Clay Guida in a three-round, absolute war that, honestly, could have gone either way. While Sanchez won the night via split decision (29-28, 29-27, 28-29), Guida showed tremendous heart in the back-and-forth battle.

Widely considered the favorite in the fight, Sanchez came out to take an early lead, landing a tremendous right head kick that rocked Guida and helped "The Nightmare" control the action in the first round.

The consummate warrior, Guida returned to action in the second round, securing an early takedown and maintaining control of the fight for a significant portion of the round. Near the end of the round, as Guida hovered over Sanchez, blood started flowing, and it was unsure who it was from. Sanchez looked like a bloody War Machine. As the round came to a close, it became clear the cut was the Carpenter's.

The final frame began with Guida bleeding clearly from the nose. He got the better of the early exchanges, but Sanchez quickly turned the tide, landing several counter strikes and controlling the remainder of the round.

At the end of the day, Sanchez secured the victory and very likely his place among the top of the UFC's lightweight division, along with Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar, who anxiously await the results of UFC 101, where reigning champion BJ Penn squares off against current number one contender Kenny Florian.

Also in the lightweight division, two UFC top 10 lightweights, Joe Stevenson and Nate Diaz, looked to get back on track from recent losses inside the Octagon. The story of the night was a determined Joe "Daddy" Stevenson, who battled back from three losses in his last four fights to out-point Diaz in route to a unanimous decision victory. Diaz — the TUF 5 champion who racked up five Octagon victories before dropping his last two — will now look to find his own place in the crowded 155-pound division.

Of course the purpose of the night was to honor the TUF 9 finalists from the United Kingdom and United States, namely U.K. lightweights Ross Pearson and Andre Winner, U.K. welterweight James Wilks and U.S. welterweight DeMarcus Johnson.

Johnson entered the event as the heavy favorite to win victory; however, Wilks quickly demonstrated why he was considered so dangerous on the ground and standing up, landing several combinations before rolling and eventually taking Johnson's back and securing both hooks in. With fewer than eight second left, Johnson tapped, become the latest victim of Wilks' underrated ground game, after slugger Frank Lester fell victim to it twice during the regular season.

In other TUF action, the lightweight finale resulted in another upset, as brawler Ross Pearson was able to out-weather favorite Andre Winner to secure the six-figure contract. The unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) was the result of a hard-fought matchup with both fighters trying to press the action to the cage. In the final frame, Pearson ended up showing more heart, trying for takedowns and landing the better of several exchanges on the feet.

Rounding out the televised portion of the card was a hard-hitting Chris Lytle against Kevin Burns. Always known for his standup wars, Lytle again delivered, while "The Fire" left nothing on the table other than pure heart. The final result was a well-received "Fight of the Night" honors for both fighters.

In fact, the UFC made a bit of personal history, awarding three separate fights with "Fight of the Night" honors, including Lytle vs. Burns, Sanchez vs. Guida and Stevenson vs. Diaz. In addition to $25,000 doled out to those six fighters, Tomasz Drwal earned "Knockout of the Night" honors over Mike Ciesnolevicz, while TUF 9 lightweight competitor Jason Dent secured "Submission of the Night" honors over fellow U.S. teammate Cameron Dollar.

All in all, it was a great night of fights, as the UFC looks to add a definitive top lightweight contender to its rankings in Diego Sanchez, along with several up-and-coming stars in TUF champions James Wilks and Ross Pearson.

So that’s it from us — what do you have to say about TUF 9 Finale? Sound off in the comments sections below. To check out complete TUF 9 Finale results can be found right here.

LIVE TUF 9 Finale results and coverage TONIGHT (June 20)!

Posted: 20 Jun 2009 09:36 AM PDT

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale.

Quick results of the prelim fights will begin to flow around 7:15 p.m. ET today (June 20) and LIVE play-by-play, round-by-round coverage of the main card action on Spike TV is set for 9 p.m. ET!

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 TUF 9 Finale results post and not this one.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

Dana White is working on Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort UFC title fight

Posted: 20 Jun 2009 09:36 AM PDT

Former UFC light heavyweight champion and 11-fight Octagon veteran, Vitor Belfort, is currently under consideration to make another return to the promotion and challenge middleweight champion Anderson Silva for his 185-pound strap.

Company president Dana White tonight made the surprise announcement during “Inside the Octagon” while The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale was on commercial break.

It’s certainly great news for fight fans; however, it’s a bit strange because Belfort is currently under contract with another promotion, Affliction MMA. In fact, “The Phenom” is booked to battle Sengoku Middleweight Grand Prix winner Jorge Santiago at Affliction 3: "Trilogy" on Aug.1, 2009.

But White more than likely wouldn’t make such a bold statement unless he was very confident that the Brazilian would return to the eight-sided cage for a third tour of duty after he satisfies his commitment to the “tee-shirt guys.”

Here’s a snip from White:

"While [Anderson Silva] is fighting Forrest [Griffin], I'm working on some other 185 pounders. Vitor Belfort — he is a former heavyweight who moved down to 205. Now he's at 185 pounds. He's got great hands, he's good on the ground, and if his head is right, he can be a vary dangerous guy. I think that would be a great match up."

Belfort has indeed looked fantastic since he made the decision to shed 20 more pounds and compete at 185 pounds.

He iced Terry Martin in the second round at Affliction: "Banned" with a nice combination that was set up by a flying knee. He followed up that performance at "Day of Reckoning," pulverizing Matt Lindland with a brutal first round blitzkrieg, landing six of seven strikes en route to a scary-looking knockout.

In short, Belfort would make a fine addition to the UFCs middleweight class and be a serious threat to his fellow countrymen.

Yushin Okami, as well as the winner of the bout between Demian Maia and Nate Marquardt at UFC 102 in Aug., are perhaps among the few who may be disappointed to hear this latest news. Especially if Belfort is indeed granted a title shot sooner rather than later.

White apparently feels "The Phenom" has what it takes to dethrone the seemingly invincible champion. And he may be right, but there is only one way to find out now, isn’t there?

Just the beginning: An MMAmania.com TUF 9 Finale interview exclusive with DaMarques Johnson

Posted: 20 Jun 2009 09:35 AM PDT

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

When DaMarques Johnson debuted on the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), he never expected to be the lone surviving American contestant heading into the June 20 live finale.

But being a survivor is what helped the former soldier and competitive grappler outlast his American counterparts on a show that can be just as exhausting mentally as it is physically.

Johnson actually had to be convinced by his manager that an open tryout in Chicago for TUF 9 wasn’t a complete waste of time. Already sporting a 9-6 professional record, the Jeremy Horn protege was content with his career as a fighter and jiu-jitsu instructor.

Then came the opportunity of a lifetime when TUF producers called and said he was selected to represent the United States on the “U.S. vs. UK”-themed season.

After defeating Ray Elbe by technical knockout to make the final cut for Team U.S., Johnson submitted Dean Amasinger via triangle choke to reach the semifinals. Following a hard-fought unanimous decision win over Nick Osipczak, Johnson was one fight away from UFC stardom.

We caught up with Johnson prior to his fight against Team UK’s James Wilks on June 20 to discuss life as a TUF guy, whether or not he thinks he’s a top 10 fighter and what his son has to say about him cursing and fighting his way to UFC fame.

Check it out:

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Tell us about your experience in the house. Obviously, you have seen past seasons — was it what you expected or were there surprises along the way?

DaMarques Johnson: It was pretty much what I expected. The only thing that surprised me — and it wasn’t really a surprise — was how some things were taken out of context. It was stuff that I obviously said or a way that I acted in front of the camera. But the way it was portrayed on T.V. made me come off a lot more hard-assed than I am. I do cuss a lot. My son asked me why I got beeped so much. I had to explain to my three year old that Dad wasn’t saying very nice things (laughs).

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): So you let him watch the whole show? Are you going to let him be an MMA fighter?

DaMarques Johnson: He and his mom watch the show a lot. My baby’s mom and I aren’t together. He does watch his dad on the show so it’s all well and good. And he can be whatever he wants to be. If he wants to wants to do what dad does, he can totally do it. I will help him the best I can. But if he wants to be a doctor I would love him to be a doctor. I just want him to be happy and do what he loves to do.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): So it must have been pretty hard being in the house that long and be away from your son and the rest of your family.

DaMarques Johnson: Yes. That was definitely the mental test that was pretty rough from me. The people I live for, being away from them and isolated was very hard. I was able to keep my eye on the prize though. I knew that my time on the show was going to better my life and the lives of those around me. That was the first thing I thought about when I woke up every morning on my TapouT sheets. I would think I hate this … why am I doing this? But then I would refocus, get to the gym and do my thing.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): I am sure having a legendary fighter like Dan Henderson as a coach made up for some of that. What was that experience like?

DaMarques Johnson: Yeah. It was amazing to be coached by Dan. Wrestling is not my strong suit so to have him working with me on that was huge. It is so rare to be able to work with someone like that who is so good at what they do. Especially for a fighter like myself who is new to the big stage. Even the other coaches on the show … everyone helped me out a lot. I feel like I got a lot better with my Thai clinch and Thai boxing.

It just rounded my game out a lot. I am still not where I need to be, but it definitely let me take steps toward becoming a complete MMA fighter. I am definitely no St. Pierre. I am not even close to being at the level of a top 10 fighter. But that is the goal, to get there. That is the ultimate goal and I am committed to getting there.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Do you look at guys from past shows who weren’t in a rush to climb the ladder, but rather have a long-term plan? I know Ryan Bader recently said he has a five-year plan to work toward a title fight.

DaMarques Johnson: That is exactly what I told myself going into the show. That I was going to take my time and continue to improve. I wasn’t going to go on the show and try to transform myself into some completely new fighter. And I am not in a rush to get somewhere I am not ready for yet. I am going to take what I have got and continue to improve on it and become the well-rounded fighter I need to be. The real growth and hard work is just beginning now.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Did you like the country vs. country concept for TUF 9? Did it actually motivate the fighters or was it more of a marketing tactic?

DaMarques Johnson: As far as it being a marketing tactic … no. I think the country vs. country concept was a cool idea. I liked representing the United States. I scaled it all back in my mind though to keep things in perspective. At the end of the day it’s about fighting and winning your fights.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Were you surprised at how well the British team did? Do you think some of that had to do with getting match ups that favored them stylistically?

DaMarques Johnson: I do think stylistically they had good match ups. But they did everything right as a team.

I did not underestimate any of them myself. I figured anyone in the fight was going to be a tough fight. I wasn’t one of the guys that ever said the guys from team UK are a few years behind us. I was just there to win the show so I could provide for my family.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): What were toughest moments on show — both inside the Octagon and outside of it?

DaMarques Johnson: I think the toughest moments were when I had the opportunity to act like an asshole but was forced to act like a man. Obviously, Jason Dent and I getting into it in the van was one example. A couple of years ago I wouldn’t have handled it like that. Bisping squirting water in my face was another. I had my opportunities where the DaMarques of old would have screwed it up. Dealing with Jason Pierce was like dealing with a nagging injury that you knew was going to bug you the whole time, but there was nothing you could do about it.

In terms of inside the Octagon the toughest was going into a fight banged up and not having time to recover. Knowing that you’re going to get kicked in the leg that was already sore and knowing it was going to hurt a lot. Nicholas Osipczak was definitely my toughest fight and best opponent in my entire career. When Nick rocked me in that last 30 seconds of the first round I went into a survival moment. I have no memory of what happened in that last 30 seconds. Nick taught me a lot about myself. You can only come back stronger and more aware in a fight. And they are only going to get better and tougher from here.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Coming out of the TUF 9 house, can you take a look at the other fighters and see future prospects for the UFC to consider?

DaMarques Johnson: Definitely. Both 155′ers fighting in the finale will have a home in the Octagon. Frankie is “tough as nails” — he will have a good shot at making it in. Nick fought a great fight against me and I think he has what it takes to get in. Jason Dent has already fought in the UFC. A lot of people want to see Cameron fight. The Jason Dent vs. Cameron Dollar and Frank Lester vs. Nick Osipczak winners will have a lot of momentum. It is all up to Dana of course. Me, personally, I could see damn near everyone getting in.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Tell us about Santino Defranco.

DaMarques Johnson: Santino is a great guy. I have nothing bad about to say about that guy. And he is hilarious. You should ask him about some Drew Fickett stories. I love Santino and especially his cooking. He was the older wiser brother that took care of everyone. He does need to answer his phone more though. I am going to go down and train with him down in Arizona. I am also going to go train with Joe Riggs and Ryan Bader while I am down there. The guys down there are good people. I am settled on the camp I am with. They got me where I am at, but I will doing a lot of training with the best camps out there.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): So you are going to win this Saturday night, right?

DaMarques Johnson: (Laughs) Well they haven’t let us watch the episode yet so I will find out when you do.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): When can we expect you back in the Octagon for your first official UFC fight post The Ultimate Fighter?

DaMarques Johnson: If all goes according to plan you will see me there. Shit yeah, I would love that. If it is up to me you’ll see me soon. I just have to work things out with Dana White and Joe Silva. They are my bosses.

Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): We appreciate your time DaMarques and we look forward to seeing you in the Octagon representing the United States this Saturday night.

DaMarques Johnson: Thank you. And thanks for all the U.S. fans for supporting us.

TUF 9 Finale: The ‘Reinvention’ of Joe Stevenson (Video)

Posted: 20 Jun 2009 09:34 AM PDT

Clay Guida: Farewell Diego, you’re headed back to welterweight

Posted: 20 Jun 2009 09:33 AM PDT

Props: USA Today

Quoteworthy:

“I’m going to make him want to go back to welterweight once I’m done with him. It’s that simple. There’s not room for two of us in this weight class … he’s not going to be able to stop my takedowns. He’s not going to be able to stop my striking … I think I’m one of the only fighters that can contend with (BJ Penn)…”

A very confident Clay Guida plans to usurp the guaranteed 155-pound title shot from Diego Sanchez when they clash in the main event of tonight’s Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale on June 20. "The Carpenter" already has back-to-back wins over former TUF champions Nate Diaz and Mac Daniz, can he make it three straight with a victory over "Nightmare" a little later this evening?

Talking Monkeys in Space: Joe Rogan comedy special debuts tonight (June 20) on Spike TV

Posted: 20 Jun 2009 09:32 AM PDT

This is just a reminder to check out the hour-long comedy special, “Talking Monkeys in Space,” from UFC color commentator Joe Rogan tonight, Saturday, June 20, on Spike TV.

The stand up special will air immediately following The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale, which is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET and conclude around midnight. According to the Spike TV Web site, “Talking Monkeys in Space” gives Rogan’s thoughts on Creationism, talking monkeys and ham sandwiches, as well as Dr. Phil, and, of course, the legalization of marijuana, among other topics.

Sounds interesting.

Here are Rogan’s thoughts on his big weekend:

“Hello to all you sexy bitches in cyber space. I’m headed to Vegas right now for a rare weekend of no comedy…. We’re going to take in the UFC, and then Saturday night after the UFC we’re throwing a party at Tao nightclub in the Venetian Hotel to celebrate the premiere of my stand up comedy special, ‘Talking Monkeys in Space,’ which debuts Saturday night, June 20th right after the UFC. It’s going to air censored before 1 a.m. and uncensored afterwards. I’m really happy with the way it came out, so please enjoy it, and if you’re in Vegas this weekend, please come to Tao and get your party on with us!”

Check out a video sneak peek after the jump:
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Recent Articles on Sherdog.com

Loading...

UFC rss

Loading...

Recent Interviews on Sherdog.com

Loading...