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- UFC 100 video blog with Dana White (Episode three)
- UFC 100: Go behind the scenes on July 11
- Report: Junior dos Santos vs Mirko Cro Cop possible for UFC 103 on Sept. 19
- Ryan Bader vs Eric Schafer fight set for UFC 104 on Oct. 24
- A different animal: An MMAmania.com UFC 100 interview exclusive with Jon Jones
- Undercard bouts pulled from UFC 102 line up for recent fight card changes
- Brock Lesnar talks UFC 100, fake belts and robot jiu-jitsu
- Alan Belcher prepares his talent for the sexiness of Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 100 (Pic)
- THQ releasing patch for ‘UFC Undisputed 2009′ in response to online gamer complaints
- FightMetric completes statistical breakdown of every UFC fight since November 2000
| UFC 100 video blog with Dana White (Episode three) Posted: 08 Jul 2009 09:41 PM PDT |
| UFC 100: Go behind the scenes on July 11 Posted: 08 Jul 2009 07:39 PM PDT
Props: UFC.com/BK Quoteworthy:
Yet another option just in case you needed an even bigger UFC 100 fix this weekend — as if there wasn’t already enough headed our way these next few days. Remember that MMAmania.com will have LIVE UFC 100 results and updates on fight night (”Digg” us right here). We’re getting there, Maniacs. Slowly … |
| Report: Junior dos Santos vs Mirko Cro Cop possible for UFC 103 on Sept. 19 Posted: 08 Jul 2009 06:10 PM PDT
Red hot heavyweight prospect Junior dos Santos (8-1) expects his next fight to come against Pride FC 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix winner Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (25-6-2) at UFC 103, which is slated for the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19, according GracieMag.com. "Cigano" was today mysteriously scratched from a previously announced showdown opposite Justin McCully at UFC 102 on Aug. 29. Perhaps we now know the reason. Here’s a snip from dos Santos:
The heavy-handed Brazilian knockout artist burst on the scene with an 81-second knockout of Fabricio Werdum — widely considered at the time a top player in the division — in his debut for the promotion at UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote" back in October. He most recently felled the Dutch "Skyscraper," also known as Stefan Struve, via technical knockout (strikes) in just 54 seconds at UFC 95: "Sanchez vs. Stevenson" earlier this year. The Team Nogueira-trained fighter has never been beyond the first round in his professional career, finishing his all of his opponents (with the exception of one) with a mix of submissions and (technical) knockouts. That could all change if he does indeed opt to go toe-to-toe with the devastating Croatian striker.
"Cro Cop" most recently competed at UFC 99: "The Comeback," making a return to the Octagon to defeat British heavyweight Mostapha Al-turk in controversial fashion — an inadvertent eye poke that was missed by the referee led to a first round victory. Prior to the win, Cro Cop has struggled mightily since coming stateside to compete inside the Octagon. Despite a win over Eddie Sanchez in his promotional debut back in 2007, Cro Cop would go on to lose back-to-back fights to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo, putting his UFC career on ice at the time. He vowed to return, and did, but it appeared that he was on his way out the door again after UFC 99 when a miscommunication regarding his contract status cropped up between him and company president Dana White. UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta reportedly came to the rescue, flying out to Zagreb to personally talk to Filipovic about another possible UFC return. The pair sat down and talked for two hours at Cro Cop's house. And when it was all over, Fertitta apparently boarded his plane with a huge grin plastered on his face, saying that he made Cro Cop "an offer he can't refuse." Perhaps part of that deal was headlining a show against a top prospect such as dos Santos, which would more than likely position him among the handful of title contenders who have emerged over the course of the last 12 months if he can notch another victory. For more on the still-developing UFC 103 fight card that includes possible bouts of Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg and Martin Kampmann vs. Mike Swick, as well as Hermes Franca vs. Tyson Griffin, click here. |
| Ryan Bader vs Eric Schafer fight set for UFC 104 on Oct. 24 Posted: 08 Jul 2009 03:04 PM PDT
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 light heavyweight winner Ryan Bader (9-0) announced today via Twitter.com that he will return to action against ground specialist Eric Schafer (11-3-2) at UFC 104, which is scheduled for the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 24. It will mark the first fight for "Darth" Bader — who is an accomplished collegiate wrestler from Arizona State University (ASU) — since he injured the MCL and PCL in his knee during a unanimous decision win over Carmelo Marrero at UFC Fight Night 18 back in April. "Red" — who is now quietly enjoying a four-fight win streak — blasted Antonio Mendes en route to a first round technical knockout win in his most recent appearance at UFC UFC 93: "Franklin vs. Henderson" earlier this year. He now has three wins in five UFC fights under his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, which he will more than likely look to leverage against the Arizona Combat Sports product on fight night. UFC 104 currently features a light heavyweight title fight between newly-minted champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida in his first title defense against 2005 Pride FC Middleweight Grand Prix winner Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. In addition, top heavyweight prospects Cain Velaquez and Shane Carwin are expected to hook up their ham hocks in a potential number one contender eliminator match in the co main event. To check out the latest UFC 104 fight card and rumors click here. |
| A different animal: An MMAmania.com UFC 100 interview exclusive with Jon Jones Posted: 08 Jul 2009 11:57 AM PDT
Jon Jones is not your average 21-year-old. In 2008, the former state champion and junior college national champion wrestler signed a four-fight contract with the UFC, making him the youngest UFC fighter on roster at that time. Jones had captured six professional wins against unknown competition between April and July of last year before making his UFC debut in August. “Bones” actually planned on matriculating to a four year college after graduating with his Associate's Degree, but his plans quickly changed when the big league came knocking on his door. Such is the case for athletes ahead of the curve. His UFC debut came against Andre Gusmao at UFC 87. Jones took the fight on three weeks notice as a late replacement for Tomasz Drwal. He went straight to work on the the former IFL standout, dismantling him with takedowns and unorthodox striking which showcased some flashier moves such as spinning elbows and a spinning back kick. In his sophomore effort, Jones would go on to dominate the venerable Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94. The former Ultimate Fighter finalist was on the receiving end of a barrage of slick Greco throws, a spinning elbow that dropped him and a suplex for good measure. Despite an empty gas tank towards the end of the fight, anyone who had dismissed Jones as a one-hit wonder was quickly reconsidering their position. "As far as the Bonnar fight, a lot of people said I gassed out a lot,” said Jones. “Only I know how I really felt. I really started to realize, especially in the third round, that I really had that fight won. Call it my lack of experience, but I was satisfied with winning the fight which caused me to back up more.”
“My corner told me to use my push kick more and keep my hands up. All Bonnar could do was swing and hope he could pull something off. I really wasn't that tired. I was just trying not to get caught. I was satisfied with the win and was playing smart. Next time, it will be different.” “And just for the record, Bonnar was exhausted too. It was just a grueling fight. And I was supposed to get my ass kicked. I pull off a unanimous decision over Stephan Bonnar and people are talking about my cardio. I should be somewhat tired. I am not superman — yet (laughs)." Jones now carries an 8-0 record as a professional mixed martial artist, with five wins by knockout. What is most impressive is that instead of smothering opponents with his wrestling ability, he became branded as a dangerous striker almost immediately. Now the biggest stage in all of MMA awaits Jon Jones as he takes on Jake O'Brien at UFC 100. For Jones, he feels blessed to be on the historic card and if things go according to plan, his birthday present to himself –- which is one week after UFC 100 -– will be a 9-0 record. "It's an absolute blessing to be on this card. There is no other way to explain it when there are so many other big name established fighters. I believe I got on the card because of my style of fighting. I go out there and I like to mix it up and throw strikes that people don't see coming.” “I realize it's entertaining for the audience to see strikes that you don't see in your everyday MMA match. So the UFC wanted to add a little flair and excitement to the undercard. I am honored they chose me." While his fight with Jake O'Brien is on the undercard, Jones is confident that his performance will have the fight making its way onto the pay-per-view. "Getting on the main card will help out with sponsors and get me more exposure. I am hoping something magical happens out there and the fight gets shown. I have some new tricks to show the fans. If you watch from the Gusmao fight to the Bonnar fight you will see a huge difference in technique, form and knowledge.” “I am growing every day, like wildfire. I have no clue how much better I've gotten until I go out there and pull the trigger again. I am on that exponential learning curve right now so with each fight, I will just get better and better. I am looking forward to going out there and showing it." Jones realizes that the light heavyweight division is one of most stacked in the organization. When talk turned to what would allow him to stand apart, the young man who learned a great deal of his fight style from watching YouTube videos had a specific answer. "My ability to rapidly absorb new information and add new tools to my arsenal will effectively set me apart. A lot of guys who have been in the UFC who have been around for years have their set game plan and strategies. I don't really have a game plan or strategy yet.” “I don't have a set way of fighting. I am learning how to fight in the UFC which is insane. This is the biggest stage in the world and I am still learning how to fight and practicing on world class athletes in the process.” “That has helped me out so much. I want to be thrown into deep waters every fight. I'm a freak about taking in new techniques, remembering old ones and combining it all together. I am fresh in this sport. I have a fresh head, a fresh chin and a fresh body. I am just ready to go out there and abuse some people." Jones went on to explain about his personal YouTube phenomenon. "When I first started out I didn't have the best coaching staff so I took things into my own hands. I had to find techniques that worked so that is where the YouTube videos came in. I started out by watching K-1 videos to see how they kicked, all the angles, and went from there. “It is a good idea for young fighters to go beyond the things they can learn in the gym. Do your own research. I was taught by some of the best guys in the world. I really sat up and took notice and it paid off. It's a new era with the Internet, so why not take advantage?" Jones’ uninhibited confidence recently extended to him making statements about current light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida which left many asking, "Who does Jon Jones think he is?" For Jones, all the uproar left him slightly confused. "I was a bit disappointed in how people perceived my comments. I don't get online much to read negative stuff but one of my buddies called me and said there were a lot of people commenting about the Machida thing.” “The bottom line is I am a fighter. If you ask me a question about another fighter I am going to respect the other guy but I am not going to sit there and stroke anyone's ego. I am not going to talk about how great Machida is, how he has started his own era, or say he can't be beat.” “How are you going to ask me about some other fighter and expect me to back down?” “I am going to tell you that I can beat this guy; that I know I can beat this guy. If you ask me the same question about Fedor, I have to say that I am going to beat the guy. That's just the way it has to be. It doesn't mean I think I am the greatest fighter alive.” “A fighter needs ultimate confidence. If you want to win you have to believe at your core that you can win at all times. Even if the fight doesn't happen for two or three years maintaining complete confidence is the key. You have to know with all your heart. The saying, 'In order to achieve you must believe' is something I take seriously. The body achieves what the mind believes.” Jones doesn't want his confidence to come across as cockiness. What he does want is for fans of MMA to know just how seriously he takes his mixed martial arts. "I'm trying to be cocky and speak ahead of myself. Obviously I am not saying I can beat Machida right now but when the UFC gives me a fight like that, I am going to be at that level, and I am going to believe 100% that I am going to kick his butt.” “This is just more then just a sport for me. I think of myself as a modern day warrior. When I step in that gym I am extremely serious everyday. I am teaching myself how to think like a martial artist and truly live the life of a martial artist.” “I am so into this and involved in this that I look to be a modern day Samurai warrior. I have left behind the old Jon Jones, the guy that went out and just did whatever. Those that know me now look at me as a martial artist and a fighter. I have learned to embrace it for what it is." Back to his UFC 100 opponent, Jones is very excited about his fight with Jake O'Brien. Jones wants to give the former heavyweight fighter a proper introduction to the light heavyweight division and he thinks his style is the perfect one to do that. "The first component of my strategy is to stay on my feet and outstrike him. I have worked on my takedown defense a lot. I think it's going to be hard for him to take me down. He is used to fighting big, slow heavyweights. I will be a different animal. I will be something he has never seen before with my striking and speed.” “I will also look to mix it up in the wrestling department. Gusmao and Bonnar are both good at jiu-jitsu so my game plan was to take them down, score some points and not be on the ground for an extended period of time.” “It's different with O'Brien because I can take him down, get into scrambles with him, roll with him, go for submissions and reversals and not worry about some slick Gracie technique that I haven't seen before.” “I will fight him a lot differently. You will get to see a lot more of my fight style. You will see my ground game. You will get to see my takedowns, my takedown defense. I won't know how strong he truly is until I grab him but I am very confident in my strength." The third time could be the charm for Jones at UFC 100. If he can avoid the double leg takedown and punching power of O'Brien he will be 3-0 inside the Octagon and looking toward brawls with fighters in the top 10 of the division. But Jones isn't too worried about who he fights next. "I think of it as destiny for the most part. After the O'Brien fight is over it will be the UFC's decision to either kick it up a notch or baby me and take it slow and let me learn and go that route. Ultimately it doesn't matter. Let's say they give me a Forrest Griffin next. That is going to elevate me so much. Now I am forced to train at a whole different level. It will push me to improve my striking, blocking, Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu. Stepping in the cage with the best guys in the world is eventually going to make me the best fighter and athlete I can be." When asked what Jones saw in his future the picture of success was crystal clear in his mind. "I visualize myself with a belt around my waist. You have to set your intentions and make it a reality. You have to think positive all the times, not just some of the time. Paint a very specific picture of what success looks like your mind. You create your own success. It is what the most successful people in the world do to achieve unlimited abundance." In the UFC success comes one fight at a time. For Jones, his future success starts this Saturday night on the biggest stage to date. |
| Undercard bouts pulled from UFC 102 line up for recent fight card changes Posted: 08 Jul 2009 11:54 AM PDT
It appears that heavy-handed Brazilian knockout artist Junior dos Santos (8-1) has been scratched from his upcoming bout with mixed martial arts journeyman Justin McCully (9-4-2) at UFC 102 from the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29. No reason was given for the change, but the UFC has removed the bout from its official Web site. Also removed from the 102 under card (for now) is the much anticipated Octagon debut of undefeated American Top Team (ATT) heavyweight Todd Duffee (4-0), who was originally scheduled to battle former Pride FC heavyweight Mike Russow (11-1). The good news is that Russow is now rumored to be replacing Dos Santos against McCully, according to various published reports.
"The Insane One" was supposed to take on highly touted British heavyweight Neil Grove at UFC 95. However, McCully was replaced on short notice with Mike Ciesnolevicz after he sustained a cut while training for the heavyweight tilt. He is known for wearing on his opponents with a strong wrestling base and then usually tries to end fights with his solid submission game. And it has been effective as of late. In fact, McCully has won four of his last five fights, including two of three in the Octagon since returning to action from a three-year hiatus in 2006. He defeated talented striker Antoni Hardonk at Ultimate Fight Night 9 by unanimous decision in April of 2007, then lost to Gabriel Gonzaga by first round submission at UFC 86: "Jackson vs. Griffin" over a year later. "The Insane One" most recently grinded out another unanimous decision victory over Eddie Sanchez at "Fight For The Troops" in December. That would leave Todd Duffee without a partner for the August 28 event. King of the Cage veteran Tim Hague, fresh off his thrashing of Patrick Barry at UFC 98, is rumored to be stepping in as a late replacement for Russow. UFC 102 will feature one of the sport's biggest stars — and local-area product — former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy Couture, locking horns with former Pride FC and UFC interim heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira. To check out the latest UFC 102 fight card and rumors click here. |
| Brock Lesnar talks UFC 100, fake belts and robot jiu-jitsu Posted: 08 Jul 2009 10:51 AM PDT
Saturday’s UFC 100 main event will feature heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, looking to unify the title against the division's interim title keeper, Frank Mir, to determine once and for all an undisputed champion when it all goes down live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 11. The highly anticipated showdown is a rematch from UFC 81 in February 2008, when Mir was able to survive an opening onslaught from Lesnar to eventually catch the UFC rookie in a fight-ending kneebar early into the first round. Of course some say Mir received a little help from referee Steve Mazzagatti, who stopped the fight and deducted one point from Lesnar for illegal blows to the back of the head. Lesnar went on to secure a title shot against Randy Couture with a dominating win over Heath Herring at UFC 87, while Mir defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the interim strap. Now the two titans finally meet to settle the score in a bout that sees Lesnar as the odds on favorite (-240 to Mir’s +190). As our featured guest on MMAmania.com's exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio, host Larry Pepe warned Lesnar — who doesn't have Internet access and claims not to follow stories in the press that are written about him — that Mir hasn't been shy with disparaging remarks about his opponent in the buildup to the historic UFC 100. "I think (Mir) is just backpedaling,” Lesnar scoffed. “He's been backpedaling. He's had a few lucky wins. I believe his win over me was pure luck. He was getting his ass beat. Then when he fought Nogueira, he fought a guy who didn't show up to fight him. I mean the poor guy looked to me like he was on his deathbed that night. So the day of reckoning will come on July 11 when I step into the Octagon and solidify that I am the true heavyweight champion of the UFC."
One by one, Lesnar responded to Mir's criticisms. While Mir has accused Lesnar of grabbing the fence in his fight against Couture to prevent a takedown, Lesnar says that it was overblown and that the only thing preventing the takedown was his superior wrestling ability. While most people think Lesnar has the clear strength advantage, Mir went on record that he feels he has the better muscle-to-fat ratio and is willing to bet any amount of money that his legs are stronger and that he would blow (Lesnar) out of the water in a squatting contest and out dead-lift him. Still, Lesnar took the high road: "If he wants to be stronger than me, that's fine. But I tell you what, my arm's getting raised on July 11, and his isn't. That's all that matters to me." In fact, Lesnar thinks Mir's comments are evidence that he's an insecure person. "He has every right to be jealous. Just two fights in, I'm the heavyweight champ, and he mentioned that I get paid more than he does. He has every right to be jealous." And if the trash-talking doesn't work out the way Mir intends, Lesnar has some advice for him: He can always try for a career on the professional wrestling circuit, where discrediting your opponent is all part of the game. "Maybe (Mir) could have a career with the WWE after I get done beating his ass. Maybe he's preparing himself to make a switch here." Lesnar went on to say that he sees the interim championship — which was actually fought after Lesnar had already beaten Couture for the "real belt" — as "just a fake belt to keep the fans happy" while the UFC worked around the absence of Randy Couture, who at the time was fighting a contract dispute. He thinks the fans want to see one true champion, and they'll get their chance at UFC 100. Of course their title unification bout was originally supposed to occur at UFC 98, but Mir sustained a knee injury, which pushed the event back two months. The pushback didn't affect Lesnar, who welcomes the addition to the UFC 100 card. Still new to the game, Lesnar utilized the extra time to continue working his standup and ground games, including working with Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros, a seven-time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion (aka, the Mundials). He's also brought in several training partners who work at mimicking Frank Mir's fighting style. Says Lesnar, "It's not hard to do, he moves like a robot." The added training time has pushed Lesnar's confidence to an all-time high, and he looks forward to "revenge." In the year and a half since they last met, Lesnar says he's improved all aspects of his fight game, thanks to some battles with tough guys like Heath Herring and Randy Couture — a fight that Lesnar says taught him patience. While he still fights for respect from the MMA community as a whole, he's confident that he's "a fighter for sure now," compared to his greener days at UFC 87. "I've been dealing with this my whole life. I just keep my nose to the grindstone and keep training hard. I just stay focused on the task in front of me. All these things that you're bringing up, this is the first time I've heard them. That's why I don't surf the Internet, I don't read magazines, I don't even read my own articles. I'm not a mark or a fan of myself, like these other fighters get (when) they get all goofy in their heads and believe everything they read. I've never done that." Now just three days out from the fight he's been waiting for since beating Randy Couture to capture the UFC heavyweight title on November 15, Lesnar is counting down the days. "We're just going to smother (Mir). He's not going to be able to do a damn thing." Check out the complete interview, as well as the entire Pro MMA Radio archive by clicking here. |
| Alan Belcher prepares his talent for the sexiness of Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 100 (Pic) Posted: 08 Jul 2009 09:52 AM PDT
Thanks to Tracy Lee over at Combat Lifestyle for the pic. See more here. |
| THQ releasing patch for ‘UFC Undisputed 2009′ in response to online gamer complaints Posted: 08 Jul 2009 09:36 AM PDT
UFC Undisputed 2009 flooded the video game market on May 19 to the pleasure of fans and gamers worldwide. It's the first video game for the promotion since Ultimate Fighting Championship: "Sudden Impact" back in 2004 — five very long years. While the reaction has been mostly positive, gamers found that online play (as well as the single player experience) presented its share of problems. The THQ forums have been lit up since day one with a list of grievances that included premature endings, questionable submission execution and much more. The developers have apparently heard your cries for remediation and are currently working on a downloadable patch to correct most, if not all of the current bugs. UFC Undisputed 2009 features 80 current and former UFC fighters, including Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, B.J. Penn and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, as well as extra downloadable fighters such as Ryan Bader and Efrain Escudero. The acclaimed video game development company that has an exclusive five-year contract with the UFC, plans to release a new UFC video game every year for the next two years — including ‘Undisputed 2010.’ Those not planning on buying the next chapter in the series (or don’t feel like waiting) can enjoy some relief with the current product “soon,” according to the developers. From the THQ boards:
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news on the downloadable patch as it becomes available. (Thanks to site reader “Lumber Legs” for the tip) |
| FightMetric completes statistical breakdown of every UFC fight since November 2000 Posted: 08 Jul 2009 08:18 AM PDT
Washington, D.C. — In anticipation of UFC 100, FightMetric (www.fightmetric.com), the world’s first comprehensive mixed martial arts statistics and analysis provider, announces the completion of the most extensive statistical breakdown of UFC fights in existence. “We are very proud to announce the completion of our modern UFC database,” said FightMetic creator Rami Genauer. “Every relevant offensive or defensive maneuver to ever take place since UFC 28 has now been documented. As MMA grows and becomes more mainstream, we’re proud to offer statistics on par with the best stats that exist for traditional sports like baseball and football.” The modern UFC database begins with UFC 28, considered the beginning of the modern era due to its application of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts still in use today. Since that event, the UFC has contested more than 900 fights comprising nearly 8,000 minutes of fight time. In that time, UFC fighters have landed almost 37,000 strikes and over 2,100 takedowns. The larger FightMetric database currently stands at over 1,200 fights and 10,000 minutes of fight time. FightMetric furnishes data that tracks the complete histories for the biggest stars in MMA, including all pre-UFC fights for iconic fighters such as Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva, and full career stats for non-UFC standouts such as Fedor Emelianenko and Shinya Aoki. The expanded database will serve as an authoritative source for a deeper analysis of the sport of MMA. The FightMetric system analyzes MMA bouts across 67 statistical categories, encompassing all strikes, takedowns, submissions, and position changes. In addition to bout statistics, FightMetric’s database includes a wealth of supplementary information, including complete judges’ scoring, referee assignments, and fighter reach data. “Our efforts do not end just because we’ve reached this milestone,” Genauer said. “There is never an official end to the FightMetric data collection project.” |
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