Saturday, July 4, 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

Bruce Buffer: 360 ‘could very well happen at UFC 100′

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 09:09 PM PDT

Props: UFC.com

Quoteworthy:

"I turned 52 in May and as far as I'm concerned, the way I work in the Octagon — whether it's a Buffer 180 or 360, which could very well happen at UFC 100 — I can do this well into my sixties. I'll be doing this as long as they'll have me. No matter what I do in life, I always give one hundred and fifty percent. Some of my moves are a little pushy on the knees or the hips but like I always say, the show must go on."

UFC 100 is a monumental event indeed. Can the veteran voice of the Octagon pull off mixed martial arts’ equivalent of the triple lindy or will he fall flat on his face? Tune in on July 11 and find out for yourselves, Maniacs …

UFC 101 videos: BJ Penn has a message for Kenny Florian

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 02:52 PM PDT

Check out the conclusion after the jump.

‘Spider’ Man: An MMAmania.com interview exclusive with Anderson Silva

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 12:27 PM PDT

Anderson Silva needs no introduction. He is arguably the best mixed martial arts fighter on the planet.

With a record-breaking nine consecutive UFC wins to his credit (and counting), he has been as dominant as any fighter in the history of the sport during his reign.

Recently however, his showings against Patrick Cote and Thales Leites have been the subject of criticism from fans, media and even the UFC management.

In both match-ups, Silva appeared content being cautious, counter striking and staying mistake free.

As a result of his less-than-spectacular performances, the UFC has paired him up against a guy who likes nothing better than to get in your face and force you to engage.

That man is former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin who will take on Silva in the main event at UFC 101 on August 8.

It will be the second trip to the light heavyweight division for Silva.

"The Spider" took some time out of his busy UFC 101 preparations to answer a few questions regarding his recent fights, Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin and his uncertain future in MMA.

Check it out:

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): I want to go back to UFC 97 for a second. A lot of people including Dana White were critical of your fight against Thales Leites. Dana went as far as to say he was "embarrassed" by your performance. What goes through your head when you hear Dana say something like that after one of your fights?

Anderson Silva: Of course I want to please the fans and Dana White. I feel I did my job right. I want to focus on my next fight and on training harder for now.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Did the Leites fight go like you had anticipated? Were you satisfied with your performance?

Anderson Silva: I followed the game plan that I had trained. It's not always possible to please all the fans, but I know that I did my job right.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Some critics out there feel like you may lack motivation or that you have lost your killer instinct at this juncture in his career. How do you respond to those claims?

Anderson Silva: I haven't lost my motivation. I am still very motivated to put on great fights and keep my belt.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): You're a long time champion, undefeated in the UFC, and a big name in the sport. Do you feel any burden to be cautious or defensive in the octagon because you know you have a lot to lose at this point?

Anderson Silva: Being the champion has added a lot of responsibilities, but that is part of the job.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Recently, Wanderlei Silva has been vocal about you in the media saying you're "too cocky" and that "war is declared" against you. Is there bad blood between you two that needs to be resolved?

Anderson Silva: Anyone can say whatever they want to say, it doesn't affect me. I am still training as always.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Your next fight will be against Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 at 205 pounds. This will be your second fight at this weight. How is the 205-pound Anderson Silva different from the 185-pound version?

Anderson Silva: I feel comfortable fighting at the 205 pound division, but I still want to focus on defending my belt at 185 pounds.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Where is your UFC 101 camp taking place at?

Anderson Silva: I have been training in Rio (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) with my team.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Who are some of the fighters and coaches you will be working with during camp to help you prepare?

Anderson Silva: Rafael "Feijao," the Nogueira brothers, Andre Galvao, among others.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): What do you feel is Griffin's biggest weakness?

Anderson Silva: Forrest Griffin is a tough fighter with a lot of heart but like everyone he has his weak spots. It's going to be a great fight.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): How do you see this fight playing out in your head and what is your official prediction for the fight?

Anderson Silva: I don't know. I can't predict it. We will have to wait until August 8.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Your teammate Lyoto Machida earned his belt with an incredible performance against Rashad Evans at UFC 98. What were your thoughts on his performance?

Anderson Silva: Lyoto is an incredible fighter and we are all very proud of him. This is really the Machida Karate era. I believe he will keep the light heavyweight belt for a long time.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Are you officially done fighting at 205 for good (after the Griffin fight) now that Machida has the belt?

Anderson Silva: I don't know what will happen in the future. My main focus is to defend my 185 pound title. Lyoto and I are friends and I feel that he really deserves the belt. I have no intention in fighting for the 205 pound title.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Who at 185 pounds in the UFC would you still like to fight or is there anyone outside the UFC you've seen from a distance and always wanted to fight?

Anderson Silva: I would love to fight my clone one day.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): If Georges St. Pierre beats Thiago Alves at UFC 100 and you are able to defeat Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 would you be open to challenging St. Pierre? Does that fight interest you at all?

Anderson Silva: I train to fight the best but it is up to Dana White and the UFC to decide that.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Do you still plan on retiring when your contract is fulfilled, likely in 2010 around your 35th birthday?

Anderson Silva: I don't know yet what will happen. I haven't made any definite plans.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): If you do retire is it still your desire to get back into boxing and subsequently pursue a match-up with Roy Jones Jr.?

Anderson Silva: It is a dream of mine but I don't know what will happen.

Derek Bolender is a staff writer for InsideFights.com. He is also syndicated at FoxSports.com and CNNSI.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter and on Facebook. Look for future articles from him on MMAmania.com.

Shark Fights to hold free event on July 18 to repay fans for recent cancellation

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 12:11 PM PDT

Amarillo, TX. - July 3, 2009 - Shark Fight Promotions, a Texas based mixed martial arts fight Promotion Company, recently announced that they will be hosting a free mixed martial arts event on July 18th in Amarillo Texas at Gamboa’s Outdoor Event Center.

The popular Texas fight promoter was recently forced to cancel their Shark Fight 5 - Outdoor Bash and Brawl event, due to unpredictable weather. The promoter felt that the best way to make it up to the fans would be to re-schedule the event and give away the tickets. The Shark Fight event on July 18th will be a free admission show.

Jim Larson, President of Shark Fight Promotions, had this to say “Despite the bad weather, thousands of loyal fans came out to our Shark Fight 5 event to show their support. Unfortunately, we were forced to cancel the fights due to the rain.

We didn’t want to just reschedule the event; we wanted to find a way to make up for the cancellation. In light of that, Shark Fight Executives unanimously agreed to host a free event for the fans, and the rest is history. To the best of my knowledge no promoter has ever put on a free MMA event. ”

Shark Fight Promotions appropriately named the free event “Shark Fight 5.5 - Nothing to Lose”. Many of the fighters that were on the official Shark Fight 5 card will return to fight on July 18th.

The event will also feature Shark Fight Promotions first Featherweight Title bout. Douglas Frey (5-1-0) will face Doug Evans (9-4-0) for the coveted Shark Fight Featherweight belt. The full Shark Fight 5.5 official fight card will be announced soon.

Although no admission will be charged for the “Shark Fight 5.5 - Nothing to Lose” MMA event, fans are encouraged to get their tickets in advance. Tickets will be available at the Shark Fights store in Amarillo’s Westgate Mall, beginning on July 6th.

On July 18th, the Gamboa Outdoor Event Center will open at 6:00 pm and fights will begin at 8:00 pm. In addition to free admission, Shark Fights will provide the first 2,000 seats at the outdoor venue. Fans that purchased tickets to the cancelled Shark Fight 5 event are entitled to a full refund. For more information please all 806-322-1072 or visit www.sharkfights.com.

‘Rush’ to judgement: St. Pierre picks Florian over Penn in fighting and in life

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 09:54 AM PDT

Props: MMAWeekly

Quoteworthy:

“I’ve trained with him two times and he looked really sharp. I put my money on him against B.J. Penn. Kenny Florian is a great training partner, and is going to be a great champion, and he’s also a greater person and human being (than B.J. Penn).”

Current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre picks Kenny Florian as the new lightweight champion on August 8 when “KenFlo” battles current 155-pound Kingpin BJ Penn at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA. “Rush” apparently hasn’t warmed up to “The Prodigy” as a person (must be all that grease-related stuff) and as such, picks Florian as the better fighter — and human being. Can’t we all just get along? I guess not, or there would be no reason for this sport in the first place.

Yoshihiro Akiyama planning to show that Judo can be successful in the UFC (Video)

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 09:53 AM PDT

Brit-picking: UK elite sound off on Bisping vs Henderson for UFC 100

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 09:08 AM PDT

The rivalry between The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 coaches, Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson, will culminate at UFC 100 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 11.

UFC President Dana White revealed that with a win, "The Count" would earn a title shot, which would likely take place in the United Kingdom later this year.

Bisping — TUF 3 light heavyweight winner and current British UFC posterboy — blasted his way onto the "U.S. vs. U.K." season of TUF with a unanimous decision victory over Chris Leben at UFC 89 in October 2008.

He has looked reborn since dropping down from 205 to 185 pounds, thrashing Jason Day at UFC 85: "Bedlam" and putting it on Charles McCarthy at UFC 83 for the majority of the first round to earn a technical knockout win after "Chainsaw" could not answer the bell for the second frame.

This is without question the biggest fight of Bisping's career. Not only because it has title shot implications, but because Henderson is a crafty veteran who has competed against many of the best in the sport throughout his prestigious career.

Indeed, Henderson would be a huge feather in the Brit's cap and perhaps signal a changing of the guard in the 185-pound division.

Not surprisingly, Bisping has a nation of MMA fans behind him back home. Among them are some of the best and brightest on the current British fight scene who made their predictions over at UFC.com on the upcoming fight.

This may come as a shock, but Bisping swept the UK predictions by a score of 6-0.

Take a look.

From Dan “The Outlaw Hardy:”

"My prediction is Bisping by unanimous decision. I see the fight being a back-and-forth battle, with Bisping avoiding big haymakers and fighting out of the clinch quite a lot. I can't see Henderson getting stopped, but I think Mike will outwork him and land the better shots. Bisping will steadily land quality strikes on Dan and avoid getting put on his back.”

Paul “Tellys” Kelly:

"I'm not being biased because we're teammates, but I truly believe Mike will dominate Henderson. With the form that Mike is showing right now and the shape that he's in, I don't see how many middleweights can beat him. He's only a couple of steps away from a title now and I've never seen him hungrier. I'm convinced he'll be holding that UFC middleweight title by the end of the year. The Mike Bisping that we all see in the gym is unbeatable at middleweight. He's too fit, too strong and too good for all of them.”

Terry Etim:

"I see Mike taking the fight and winning in style. He needs to use his footwork well and avoid Henderson's takedowns. Even if Henderson does take Mike down, I can still see Mike just getting straight back up. Mike is in his prime right now and he seems to be getting better with each and every fight. I've got no doubt he'll raise his game even further against Henderson. This is Mike's time now. Henderson was a double-champion in PRIDE and beating him will be a massive scalp for Mike.”

Ross “Real Deal” Pearson:

"This is Mike's time to shine now. He's proven himself in the UFC with wins over some good guys and I now think he's ready to take on the elite level. Before The Ultimate Fighter I had no idea how good Mike was. I'd always looked up to him as a fighter, but I never truly knew how good he was before I started training with him. It was a complete shock to me when I discovered just how good Mike was in all departments - stand-up, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. Mike wasn't even in fighting shape during the show and I was still amazed at some of the stuff he could do."

For more UK predictions on the chances of Michael Bisping including “Relentless” Paul Taylor and John Hathaway, head over to UFC.com .

To catch up on all the latest happenings for UFC 100 click here .

Tito Ortiz: Give me Fedor by summer 2010

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 07:32 AM PDT

Props: MMAWeekly

Quoteworthy:

“Hopefully by October I’ll be competing. We’re finishing the contract I’d say with CBS, Showtime, and Strikeforce and making a deal that UFC can’t match. I feel sorry for the person they have me fight, but I do need one warm-up fight. I managed to come off a huge back surgery. It’s been a year since I’ve competed. I think one warm-up fight to get things going. After that, I don’t want no more warm-up fights. I’m hoping by my fourth fight, possibly fight Fedor Emelianenko at a catchweight. That’d be something that I’m looking forward to possibly by the middle of next year.”

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz is ready to make one last run at greatness after spending more than a year on the sidelines to repair a bum spine. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" is 2-2-1 in his last five fights — with both wins coming against the world’s most dangerous can Ken Shamrock — and dropped a unanimous decision to current UFC 205-pound champ Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida at UFC 84: "Ill Will" in May 2008 before going under the knife. So what say you … is Tito Ortiz still a major player in mixed martial arts? Or is he biting off more than he can chew by calling out the world’s most decorated heavyweight?

Thiago Alves has been training his whole life to knock out Georges St. Pierre (Video)

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 07:31 AM PDT

Dana White: One (bleeping) sport to rule them all

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 06:56 AM PDT

“I'm the guy with the road map. I'm the guy who knows where I want to go with this thing. I know what my end game is. I know where it is. When this thing is a sport, all over the entire world, and you can take the UFC to any city in any country, just like soccer, then I did it. I did what I set out to do. That's why I was put on this planet. That's my job, my destiny, whatever the [expletive] you want to call it.”

– UFC President Dana White talks global domination with Yahoo Sports after taking it on the chin from the mainstream media for years regarding everything from the perception of human cockfighting to an allegedly piss-poor business model and even the tirade against Loretta Hunt. Meanwhile, the former aerobics instructor and long time friend of the Fertitta brothers has taken the UFC to unbelievable heights in both financial gain and global appeal. Not bad for a potty-mouthed promoter with no college degree. Think of where the UFC was five years ago compared to where it is now. Anyone want to take a guess on where it will be in another five years?
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...