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- Fedor Emelianenko takes over Manhattan during Strikeforce media day (Video)
- UFC 104: Josh Neer vs Gleison Tibau with Sean Sherk injured
- ‘Cowboy’ up: Donald Cerrone talks Ben Henderson, TapouT House, and of course, Jamie Varner
- UFC 103: ‘Franklin vs Belfort’ extended video preview for Sept. 19
- UFC Fight Night 19 weigh in event details and information for ‘Diaz vs Guillard’
- UFC 106: Amir Sadollah vs Phil Baroni under consideration for Nov. 21
- Octa-gone: ‘The best thing for Tim Sylvia right now is to be in the UFC’ (Video)
- Dan Henderson: ‘Anderson Silva is really trying not to fight me — it’s obvious’
- DREAM 11 poster for October 6 event
- Randy Couture ‘leaning towards dropping down’ to 205
| Fedor Emelianenko takes over Manhattan during Strikeforce media day (Video) Posted: 02 Sep 2009 07:10 PM PDT |
| UFC 104: Josh Neer vs Gleison Tibau with Sean Sherk injured Posted: 02 Sep 2009 07:07 PM PDT
Former lightweight champion Sean Sherk’s surprise return to California — where he says he was falsely accused by the state athletic commission of taking steroids in 2007 — just wasn’t meant to be. “The Muscle Shark” has been forced out of an upcoming 155-pound tilt opposite Gleison Tibau at UFC 104: “Machida vs. Shogun,” opening up the door for the always-game Josh Neer to take his place inside the Octagon at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 24. Sherdog.com reports that Sherk sustained a shoulder injury in training that will keep him out of action four at least four weeks, which would seriously cut in to his preparation for the Brazilian. It’s a good thing “The Dentist” makes house calls.
Neer is coming off a frustrating unanimous decision loss to Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101 on Aug. 8, during which he was stifled by the wrestling and ground skills of “Batman” for most of the 15-minute scrap. It was no doubt a tough pill to swallow for the Des Moines, Iowa, native because he has yet to string together consecutive wins since returning to the promotion in early 2008. Neer was looking to build off a "Fight of the Night" winning performance over Mac Danzig at UFC Fight Night 17 earlier this year, which prompted the UFC to award him with a contract extension. It was his second bonus in as many fights — he dropped a different "Fight of the Night" in a three-round war against Nate Diaz before the win over Danzig. His ability to electrify the crowd with his aggressiveness is among the best in the division; however, he may have a difficult time sparking fireworks against another talented Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist. Tibau is also coming off a decision loss (split) after Melvin Guillard took him the distance at the TUF 9 Finale less than a month ago. It snapped a two-fight win streak for the Brazilian, who's been up and down since his debut against Nick Diaz at UFC 65 way back in November 2006. The streaking American Top Team (ATT) product followed the Diaz loss by winning his next three fights inside the Octagon before dropping consecutive bouts to perennial division threats Tyson Griffin and Joe Stevenson. UFC 104 features the first title defense for undefeated light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida against fellow Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the main event of the evening. In addition, rising talent Cain Velasquez and veteran Ben Rothwell will "wage war" in a super-sized heavyweight showdown. To check out the latest UFC 104: "Machida vs. Shogun" fight card and rumors click here. |
| ‘Cowboy’ up: Donald Cerrone talks Ben Henderson, TapouT House, and of course, Jamie Varner Posted: 02 Sep 2009 07:01 PM PDT
Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone has a few choice words for another World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) lightweight … and it isn't his upcoming opponent, Ben Henderson, who he fights for the WEC interim lightweight strap five weeks from now. As the featured guest on MMAmania.com's exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio, "Cowboy" spent most of his time talking about the only fighter he's ever lost to — and the man holding the "other" WEC lightweight belt — Jamie Varner. It's not just because of the controversial ending to their fight back at WEC 38. Nor is it because of the series of barbs the two fighters have traded back and forth since before — and after — the fight took place in January. The most recent trash-talk stems from a close encounter the two had backstage at UFC 101, when they were left alone in a room together … well, along with Cerrone's right-hand-man, Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia.
"(Varner) was like a deer in headlights," Cerrone recalled of the encounter, "Just scared shitting his pants. Leonard told him that he ain't going to jump in. It was just me and Varner … I was like, 'What's up, bitch?'" But he didn't stop there. As Garcia, who also appeared on the show with host Larry Pepe, explained further: "('Cowboy') called him a pussy, a bitch, and then he almost spit in his face. But Varner just kept picking up his hands, saying, 'I got something for ya,' and 'Cowboy' was like, 'Well come show me, bitch.' "I just stepped back, man," Garcia continued, "I wasn't trying to get in there or nothing. I told him, I was like, 'Shit, this is between ya'll, ya'll go ahead.' But he didn't do a fucking thing." Seconds later, Garcia laughingly added, "Truth of the matter is, I woulda jumped that fool." Despite Cerrone's dislike of Varner, he concedes that "The Worm" is a quality competitor. "As far as like the mixed martial arts part of the world, I think Varner's a hell of a fighter. He's got a lot of talent, a lot of potential, and I got nothing bad to say about that. It's just when he runs his mouth on the outside of that, that makes me mad." Some might consider this a distraction from the task at hand: Ben Henderson, a formidable opponent in his own right who's riding an eight-fight win streak. Even in Cerrone's own words, he's calling his impending fight with Henderson "a good tune-up fight for bitch-ass Varner" because he can work on his sprawl-and-brawl techniques for both opponents so he can keep the fights standing as much as possible … that is, assuming he makes it past Henderson first. "Cerrone vs. Henderson" was originally booked for the Covelli Center in Youngstown, Ohio, on Sept. 2, and in many ways the first incarnation of this interim lightweight title bout showed a little more promise. The first major MMA event in Youngstown was expected to highlight four former world champion fighters — Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, Frank Mir, Jens "Little Evil" Pulver and Urijah "The California Kid" Faber — to help promote the WEC's first foray into the "Buckeye State." But with Henderson reportedly suffering a "minor injury" just two weeks out, the event was ultimately postponed to Oct. 10, and venue changed to the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The move surprised "Cowboy"; however, he doesn't think it will affect him negatively, other than missing out on the payday, citing how it now puts him in "non-stop great shape" … right after a quick stop for some much-deserved grub. "The first thing I did (after finding out about the fight being postponed) was me and Leonard went to the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet." Then it was right back to the gym for this Greg Jackson-trained fighter. The few things that "Cowboy" did say about "Smooth" was that he wasn't concerned if the fight goes to the ground, and in fact might try to take it to the mat himself. He says he isn't too concerned about Henderson's jiu-jitsu, which he concedes is good, but that his opponent's wrestling is "sloppy." In the meantime, Cerrone and Garcia both have their hands full with a new project they've put together currently being called the "TapouT House." "We bought a brand new ranch in Edgewood," Cerrone explained. "It's about a 20-minute drive out from the gym. We bought a 10-acre ranch … We're opening our house to let fighters come in and train with us. See what it's like to train at a real camp, and see what it's like to train next to world champions, like Rashad (Evans), Keith (Jardine), Nate (Marquardt), Georges (St. Pierre) and Leonard and myself." Cerrone and Garcia first got the idea when considering the dorms that are rented out to fighters training at Jackson Submission Fighting and wondered if there was a way to get a little help paying their own rent by renting out rooms in their own house. What started as a post on MySpace quickly turned into more than a thousand emails from prospective fighters, sharing their personal stories in an effort to secure a spot in the house. And business is booming. They currently have their first group of young fighters — six guys from Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and other states — who are finishing up their last week, but the house is booked through January 2010. "The guys all want to learn," says Cerrone. "They get to sit back and say, 'What do you do on a day-to-day basis? What do you do the week before a fight, a month before a fight? What do you eat?' They all have their journals and take notes … We just bought a school bus yesterday, Leonard and I. We're putting a flat screen TV and an Xbox in right now as we speak … TapouT's going to wrap it for us. That's the plan anyways." They plan eventually to post video blogs showing their exploits under such titles as "TapouT House, Week One" and "Week Two" etc. But it's not all fun and games. "Our house is not The Ultimate Fighter," Cerrone says. "Leonard makes it real clear when they get in. It's not The Ultimate Fighter, you can't just go out and drink and come in and start breaking shit." Cerrone says they are always looking for new up-and-coming fighters — guys who are "right on the cusp" — but they're not looking for fans to join the house. If you're interested in training at Jackson Submission Fighting and want to attempt to secure a spot in the TapouT House, email Cerrone's manager at BrianHamper@gmail.com. The cost is $500 for one month, half of which goes to Jackson. The fee includes transportation from the house to the gym, but does not include food, for which you're on your own (Cerrone recommends bringing another $500 for food). In this is too steep, think of it as an investment in your fighting future … one you'll never forget. Oh, and if it helps, you get a lot of good schwag from the boys at TapouT — "more than $500 worth of gear, easily," according to "Cowboy." Check out the complete interview, as well as the entire Pro MMA Radio archive with host Larry Pepe, right here. |
| UFC 103: ‘Franklin vs Belfort’ extended video preview for Sept. 19 Posted: 02 Sep 2009 12:35 PM PDT |
| UFC Fight Night 19 weigh in event details and information for ‘Diaz vs Guillard’ Posted: 02 Sep 2009 12:32 PM PDT
The official weigh-in event for UFC Fight Night 19: “Diaz vs. Guillard” is set to take place at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Tuesday, Sept. 15. It is scheduledto air LIVE on UFC.com, as well as on several other online destinations, via streaming video. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. CT. MMAmania.com will provide the most up-to-the-minute coverage of the UFC Fight Night 19 weigh-in, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. “Diaz vs. Guillard” will feature a main event between hungry lightweight up-and-comers and former TUF grads Nate Diaz and Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard. In addition, Roger "El Matador" Huerta will throwdown for perhaps the last time inside the Octagon as he tries to leave on a high note against the stifling super-wrestler Gray "The Bully" Maynard. Remember that UFC Fight Night 19 will serve as the lead-in for the upcoming tenth season of TUF, which features Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and a solid collection of 15 other heavyweight fighters competing in a tournament-style format to earn one "six-figure contract." Here's the complete line up:
For those in “The Sooner State" that week, remember that the weigh-ins are FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 3:00 p.m. local time. In addition, fans will be able to attend a Q&A session with a fighter to be named on that same day at about 2 p.m local time. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Wed., Sept. 16), which is slated to air at 8 p.m. ET on Spike TV from Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. Of course, the latest quick updates of the prelim bouts will begin to flow earlier than that right here at around 6:30 p.m. ET. Remember to check out MMAmania.com for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC Fight Night 19 coverage you can handle! |
| UFC 106: Amir Sadollah vs Phil Baroni under consideration for Nov. 21 Posted: 02 Sep 2009 12:06 PM PDT
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 winner Amir Sadollah (1-1) is under consideration to welcome Phil Baroni (13-11) back into the Octagon in a welterweight clash planned for UFC 106 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 21. Inside Fights was the first to float the possible 170-pound match up, and MMAmania.com has since been able to confirm that it is indeed under consideration. Bout agreements, however, have not been signed at this time. Sadollah suffered a series of injury-related setbacks since a submission win over CB Dolloway at TUF 7 Finale. He was expected to follow up that performance against Nick Catone at UFC 91: "Lesnar vs. Couture" on November 15. However, just four days before fight night he had to withdraw because of a leg infection. After more than a year on the sidelines, Sadollah finally got back into the cage at UFC 101 last month in his welterweight debut. Unfortunately his return was short lived after Johnny Hendricks put him down in the first round (with a little help from much-maligned referee Dan Miragliotta). Now the likable and hard-working Sadollah will get a chance to erase those bad memories with a big win over potential opponent and master of self-promotion Phil Baroni.
“The New York Bad Ass” last appeared in St. Louis back in June of this year, dropping a unanimous decision to fellow MMA journeyman Joe “Diesel” Riggs. The loss marked his first defeat in four fights since rebounding from a three fight losing skid, as well as his first loss at 170 pounds. The 33-year-old Pride FC, Elite XC and Strikeforce veteran recently agreed to return to where his career essentially began with the UFC, likely facilitated by his good relationship with company president, Dana White, and his colorful ability to promote fights. Baroni competed eight times inside the Octagon between 2001 and 2005, compiling a lackluster record (3-5) during that span. He fought Evan Tanner and Matt Lindland twice (four total fights) and lost all of those middleweight matches. Baroni is perhaps best known for being upset by up-and-comer Pete Sell thanks to a guillotine choke that put the Long Island, N.Y., native to sleep. How he performs against the up-and-coming Sadollah on November 21 will say a lot about his future in the UFC — and MMA overall. UFC 106 will feature a main event heavyweight title bout between two absolute monsters as champion Brock Lesnar will look to defend his gold for the second time against his newest challenger, Shane Carwin. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz is also set to make his return to the Octagon against UFC Hall of Famer, Mark Coleman, after spending nearly a year and a half on the sidelines. For more on the developing UFC fight card and rumors click here . |
| Octa-gone: ‘The best thing for Tim Sylvia right now is to be in the UFC’ (Video) Posted: 02 Sep 2009 10:22 AM PDT (Thanks to MMA4Real for the tip.) |
| Dan Henderson: ‘Anderson Silva is really trying not to fight me — it’s obvious’ Posted: 02 Sep 2009 10:05 AM PDT
Props: SI.com Quoteworthy:
Former PRIDE champion and on-again, off-again UFC middleweight number one contender Dan Henderson vents his frustration over the muddy waters that surround the 185-pound title picture. "Hendo" thought his KO win over Michael Bisping at UFC 100 made him a lock for a rematch with "The Spider," however UFC President Dana White has been non-committal in securing that fight with Nate Maruqardt looming on the horizon — also a winner by knockout when he bested Demian Maia at UFC 102. Meanwhile Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, thinks Marquardt and Hendo should duke it out to face the Brazilian — who is currently enjoying some time off. What a tangled web this Spider weaves. Anyone care to make an argument for "The Great?" Or is "Dangerous" Dan going to be the man? Opinions please. |
| DREAM 11 poster for October 6 event Posted: 02 Sep 2009 09:15 AM PDT Everybody say DREAM!
Poster courtesy of DreamOfficial.com . For more on DREAM 11, including the latest fight card and event-related news, click here . |
| Randy Couture ‘leaning towards dropping down’ to 205 Posted: 02 Sep 2009 08:13 AM PDT
Props: Sherdog.com Quoteworthy:
UFC hall-of-famer and five time champion Randy Couture contemplates a future at light heavyweight — a division he hasn’t dabbled in since Chuck Liddell knocked him out of it in February 2006. Since then, Captain America has gone 2-2 in the heavyweight division but after being put on his keister by Brock Lesnar and out-performed by Antonio Nogueira, Couture thinks it’s only "Natural" that he goes back down to light heavyweight for a slew of "interesting fights." How ’bout it Maniacs? Anyone at 205 you want to see go toe-to-toe with the living legend? |
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