UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com |
- UFC 103 videos blog with Vitor Belfort heading into Rich Franklin fight
- UFC Fight Night 19 bonuses and awards for ‘Diaz vs Guillard’ Spike TV fights
- The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10: Episode 1 recap and discussion
- UFC Fight Night 19 results and post-fight discussion for ‘Diaz vs Guillard’
- UFC Fight Night 19 results and coverage LIVE tonight (Sept. 16)!
- Phillipe Nover vs. Sam Stout at UFC Fight Night 19 is off …
- UFC Fight Night 19 predictions, preview and analysis
- Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson ‘ready to fight’ at WEC 43 on Oct. 10 (Video)
- UFC Quick Quote: Expect to see UFC on network TV by Fall 2010
- Don’t blink: An MMAmania.com UFC 103 interview exclusive with Hermes Franca
| UFC 103 videos blog with Vitor Belfort heading into Rich Franklin fight Posted: 17 Sep 2009 04:31 AM PDT |
| UFC Fight Night 19 bonuses and awards for ‘Diaz vs Guillard’ Spike TV fights Posted: 16 Sep 2009 09:18 PM PDT
UFC Fight Night 19: “Diaz vs. Guillard” from the the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., has officially wrapped, which 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. To the tune of $30,000 each. The promotion dished out its standard post-fight monetary bonuses to four out of the 20 fighters on the card. And it may not come as a shock whose wallets are leaving "The Sooner State" a little heavier. In addition to their base salaries, the UFC awarded middleweight strikers Nate Quarry and Tim Credeur "Fight of the Night" for their gritty, back-and-forth 185-pound war. “The Rock” proved he still has plenty of heart, coming back to win a “Crazy” finish after getting popped on several occasions in the first round. Jeremy Stephens may not have had much competition when all was said and done — his TKO over Justin Buccholz (cut) was the only one on the card — but it was still good enough to earn him “Knockout of the Night.” As expected, lightweights Melvin Guillard and Nate Diaz threw leather for a majority of their fight, with “The Young Assassin” doing most of the damage in the first round. However, Diaz proved why he is so dangerous on the ground, tapping out Guillard with a slick guillotine choke in the second round and securing a “Submission of the Night” bonus. Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC Fight Night 19:
Again, each fighter received $30,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible. The Spike TV event drew approximately 7,500 fans for a reported live gate of $650,000. For complete UFC Fight Night 19 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here. |
| The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10: Episode 1 recap and discussion Posted: 16 Sep 2009 07:14 PM PDT
Episode one of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 is finally underway and coaches Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson are already bickering over who is the bigger loser. Almost immediately the heavyweight contestants start filing in and the coaches start gawking at the sheer size of the new group. “Rampage” refers to Marcus Jones as an Ogre and is one bad cliche away from asking him how the weather is up there. Fortunately UFC President Dana White comes in to break up the jibber-jabber between Jackson and Evans and whoops! There’s only 15 fighters. Say what? By George, we have a surprise contestant! Who could it be? Kimbo Slice in da howse! Alleged ex-NFL’er Brendan Schaub is not impressed by Kimbo’s beard, which strangely resembles the bush Peter Griffin was sporting when he gave home to that endangered bird on Family Guy. The ego of former IFL champ Roy Nelson takes a major hit following the announcement since “Big Country” thought he was the big announcement. Kimbo takes a minute in the confessional to remind us that he’s street certified. Apparently that’s good enough for Coach Jackson, who thinks Slice is downright dreamy. Coach Evans laughs it off and is glad to be free of the potential burden. During the break we catch a glimpse of the direct-to-torrent release of “Blood and Bone,” starring a bunch of actors who can’t fight and a bunch of fighters who can’t act. Back at the gym it’s evaluation time and Coach Evans brought Greg Jackson along for the ride. Team Evans just went up about 100 points right out of the gate. Coach Rampage counters with Tiki Ghosn — and by having some of the guys beat on each other. He assigns flattering nicknames to most of the contestants like Darill Schoonover, who he refers to as “titties.” That Rampage, always with the positive reinforcement. Kimbo hits the stage and anyone who was in a coma for the last year will be shocked to learn that Slice is apparently lacking in the ground game. Evaluations are over and it’s time for the coin toss, which I followed with the cookie toss since Rampage actually picked Kimbo first. That allowed Evans, who had first pick, to nab both Schaub and James McSweeney, two of his teammates back at Greg Jackson’s camp. He also gets Roy Nelson while Jackson stacks his team with an increasingly unstable Wes Sims and the unproven Marcus Jones. Zak Jensen gets picked last — just over a nearby camera man — and naturally ends up with Rampage. Following the festivities, the gang heads back to the TUF mansion to decide which fighter is going to get the dubious honor of knocking Kimbo out of the house first. Slice is smart enough to know he’s got a bullseye on his back but plays it cool. Team Evans gets to the gym for some training and Rashad reflects on his journey from a TUF 2 contestant to TUF 10 coach. Rampage is not impressed and promptly boots him from the gym. He starts with a cardio test and Marcus Jones starts clutching his heart like like Fred Sanford when he got a one-way ticket to Elizabeth. Since Evans picked first fighter, Jackson gets to pick first fight. He chooses John Madsen vs. Abe Wagner and Rashad is elated, thinking Jackson made a dumb pick. Considering all the hype and expectations around this season, a collective yawn could be heard across the nation following the match up. Madsen gets busy in the gym and during the segment, Coach Evans makes first mention of his fight with Rampage in December. I sigh accordingly. Jackson, obviously working on some revolutionary form of fight preparation, preps Wagner in the gym by asking him basic multiplication. Abe responds by puking into a bucket. Heavyweight elimination fight #1: John Madsen (1-0) vs. Abe Wagner (6-1) Round 1: Wagner offers to touch gloves and Madsen ignores him. Madsen immediately shoots and takes him down hard. Up against the fence, Wagner is in all kinds of trouble, eating elbows and taking punishment. He tries to push off but Madsen is all up in his grill. Action quickly stalls as we get a bizarre picture-in-a-picture of Rampage frozen in a catatonic trance, occasionally shouting incoherent instructions. We switch to a magic box of Evans, who repeatedly shouts “posture up and punish him” like he’s stuck on a loop ala Rousseau’s annoying French message from Lost. Several elbows later and we have a bloodbath on our hands as Wagner is hemorrhaging badly from perhaps the goriest cut in TUF history. Round over. Round 2: More glove-touching shenanigans and Madsen once again shoots and puts Wagner right on his butt. Referee Steve Mazzagatti has seen enough of the man-hugs and stands them up. Madsen defies him with another takedown and I look at my watch. Not exactly an electric start to season ten. Mazz puts them back on their feet and (surprise) Madsen drags it right back down. If not for the blood there would be nothing to look at. Mazz brings them back up (again) and Maddy takes him down (again). The bell sounds and Madsen lets out a WHOO! like he just put on the performance of a lifetime. John Madsen defeats Abe Wagner via unanimous decision. And here I thought Kimbo Slice was the worst fighter in the house. Stay tuned next week as Rampage gives Kimbo a crash course in all things MMA, Rashad reprimands Roy Nelson for his obnoxious behavior and another heavyweight battle unfolds. See you in seven! |
| UFC Fight Night 19 results and post-fight discussion for ‘Diaz vs Guillard’ Posted: 16 Sep 2009 05:49 PM PDT
UFC Fight Night 19: "Diaz vs. Guillard" went down tonight (Sept. 16) from the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., featuring an explosive mix of fighters all looking to leave lasting impressions on the nationwide television audience watching the Spike TV broadcast. Mission accomplished. Nate Diaz was out to snap an uncharacteristic two-fight losing skid against the enigmatic, albeit talented, Melvin Guillard, in the main event of the night. Both fighters promised fireworks and delivered just seconds into the fight when the "The Young Assassin" dropped the Cesar Gracie-trained Diaz with a mean right hand. Diaz recovered and appeared to settle in midway through round, hitting a takedown that didn’t sit well with Guillard. No love lost between these two hot heads. Guillard made a conscious effort to keep his distance in the second and remained patient, waiting for an opportunity to explode. He did, but his timing could not have been worse. He closed the distance and went for a takedown when his punches missed. In the process, he stuck his head into the armpit of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist. Big mistake. And it was was all Diaz needed to sink in a fight-ending guillotine choke and get back in the 155-pound mix. Meanwhile, Guillard heads to the back of the line thanks to another submission loss on his record. Saw that one coming from a mile away. Guillard, unfortunately, did not.
Roger Huerta and Gray Maynard hooked ‘em up in the co-main event of the evening, which featured two fighters headed in different directions. Let’s just say that this one may have lived up to the promotion’s script with Huerta, a perennial contender at 155 pounds, not riding off into the Hollywood hills with a win. That’s just what happened. Huerta was able to neutralize the takedown attempts of the Michigan State University wrestling alum for the first two rounds, turning the fight into a stand up battle. The strategy appeared to be his best bet to win until Maynard hit a trademark takedown to start the third and dominated Huerta on the ground the rest of the way. In fact, Maynard nearly snapped off Huerta’s arm off with a scary-looking kimura, which he somehow survived through sheer grit and determination. If he was really concerned about his future career on the silver screen he certainly didn’t show it — a tapout from that painful position would have been totally understandable. Huerta, however, went out like a man. Now we just have to wait and see if he returns the same man if and when he decides to return to the Octagon. Former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit wanted to come out tonight against Jake Ellenberger and make a statement that he belonged in the UFC with the best in business at 170 pounds. Ellenberger, making his promotional debut on relatively short notice for an injured Chris Lytle, had other plans. He nearly killed the "Natural Born Killer" with several huge right hands, as well as a head kick and a few tight submission attempts, turning the first round into a total lopsided war. Condit appeared to be on the brink of extinction numerous times, but battled back like a true champion. It was a totally different fight in the second, which was spent primarily on the ground with both fighters scoring points with strikes, submission attempts and reversals. And it was more of the same in the third, with Condit seemingly being the aggressor and getting the edge as Ellenberger could not keep up with the frenetic pace. Condit really wanted his first UFC win and it showed. Fortunately, for him, the judges agreed, giving him the nod with a very close split decision. Unfortunately, for him, his future fights are only going to get tougher. He dodged a big bullet tonight. Ellenberger was a game opponent who had him in serious trouble in the early going. Is Condit now a contender or just a pretender at 170 pounds? Nate Quarry and Tim Credeur kicked off the televised main card action in a classic “striker vs. grappler” middleweight match up. Chalk this one up to boxing … although it likely didn’t go down as expected. Credeur dropped "The Rock" with a big right hand toward the end of the first round then went “Crazy” in an effort to finish the fight with a submission. Quarry survived, barely, but wobbled back to his corner a bloody mess. Jiu-jits-who? Quarry looked to be headed to the showers early in the second when Credeur connected with a big punch and head kick, but he countered with a short right hand that dropped the Louisiana native. He didn’t seem to recover from that point forward. Credeur came out guns blazing once again to start the final frame, seemingly emptying his chamber to try and finish the fight. Quarry wasn’t having it, drilling Credeur with a huge shot that looked to have him out on his feet. Somehow he survived. And I’m not sure exactly how. He probably has no clue, either. In fact, Credeur eventually got back to his feet and traded leather with Quarry as the final minute ticked down. He obviously wasn’t thinking clearly, which made for a very fun fight. Credeur simply had nothing left to give — he left everything he had inside the Octagon. Quarry, physically, looked worse for the wear, but he did enough to earn a unanimous decision. Great action and effort from two absolute warriors. It was an awesome surprise to say the least. Company president Dana White said it best: “HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” That’s a wrap from the “Sooner State,” Maniacs. Now it’s time to share your thoughts on one of the best Spike TV events in recent memory to hit our screens. Whatcha got? For complete UFC Fight Night 19: “Diaz vs. Guillard” results and play-by-play coverage of the televised main card click here. |
| UFC Fight Night 19 results and coverage LIVE tonight (Sept. 16)! Posted: 16 Sep 2009 01:03 PM PDT
Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC Fight Night 19: “Diaz vs. Guillard.” 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 UFC Fight Night 19 results post and not this one. |
| Phillipe Nover vs. Sam Stout at UFC Fight Night 19 is off … Posted: 16 Sep 2009 12:43 PM PDT
… according to Dana White on his Twitter.com account:
Thanks to MMAmania.com reader “Pat D” for the assist. More on this developing story as it becomes available. |
| UFC Fight Night 19 predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 16 Sep 2009 10:45 AM PDT
UFC Fight Night 19: “Diaz vs. Guillard” is set to go down this Wednesday, September 16, 2009 from the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, live on Spike TV starting at 8 p.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 8 p.m. ET. To get us pumped for the event, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer, Jesse Holland (that's me), will break down the main event matches and take a closer look at the intricacies of each contest. One of the big stories coming into this event is the career crossroads that both Nate Diaz and Melvin Guillard are facing in their main event bout. Diaz was electric in his first five appearances inside the Octagon. Since then, he’s dropped two straight and lost some of the momentum he had en route to title contention. Conversely, “The Young Assassin” was floundering at 155-pounds, getting outclassed by Joe Stevenson and Rich Clementi in addition to being popped for substance abuse. Since then he’s kept his nose clean and won three straight. A win for Guillard and it’s time to start talking about his place in this division. A loss for Diaz and it could be a one-way ticket to undercard city. And who can overlook the swan song of Roger Huerta? While “El Matador” is looking for greener pastures in Hollywood, can Gray Maynard write him out of the script? There will certainly be a lot to talk about on Thursday morning. 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. Now, enough with the formalities … let's get cracking:
155 lbs.: Nate Diaz (10-4) vs. Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard (22-7-2) Backgrounds (last five fights): Diaz:
Guillard:
Dumbass predicts: After getting manhandled by Joe Stevenson at last June’s TUF Finale, Nate Diaz started falling into that trap that a lot of talented fighters do when they start losing. Diaz argued post-fight that he “came to fight” and wants to compete against opponents that are also there to fight. While that’s all well and good, it’s also an argument that didn’t work for fellow lightweight sensation Josh Neer at UFC 101 when he was taken down and pushed around by Kurt Pellegrino. I like a slugfest just as much as the next guy, but what I don’t like is competitors who forget to bring the mixed with their martial arts. For me, this sport is all about finding ways to overcome your opponent no matter what they throw at you. Wrestling is here to stay so if you don’t want to get bullied on the mat for three rounds, you had better start drilling takedown defense. Diaz is a natural talent and good for the division, but (by his own admission) he frustrates easily and it’s up to Guillard to capitalize on that. Will he? Probably not. He’s an assassin, not a tactician, so I expect him to come out and throw leather. I know the temptation is there to use his wrestling, unfortunately Guillard’s sub defense is a bit suspect and Diaz is no fool on the ground. The X-factor here is Nate’s health. He had a very difficult weight cut and it’s already hurt both his mental and physical preparations. How will it affect him come fight time? Hard to say, but I like him less and less as the fight wears on. Melvin needs to come out and keep it standing and avoid the rat-tat-tat punching that racks up points on the scorecards. If he’s successful, he can use his wrestling later in the fight and get this thing to the scorecards for the win. If he doesn’t, or ends up grappling in the first round, he’ll likely be tapping his way right out of Oklahoma City. Betting lines (as of Sept. 16): Diaz: -260 ((Bet Now)) Guillard: +200 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Diaz via submission 155 lbs.: Roger "El Matador" Huerta (20-2-1) vs. Gray "The Bully" Maynard (7-0) Backgrounds (last five fights): Huerta:
Maynard:
Dumbass predicts: The court of public opinion has been down on “El Matador” after his less than inspiring performance against Kenny Florian back at UFC 87. Maybe it was the beating he took at the hands of Clay Guida before pulling out the submission win at TUF 6 Finale but I thought that was more of a credit to “The Carpenter” than it was a knock on Huerta. Or it could have been the level of competition (or lack thereof) he faced in his first six UFC fights. That aside, you can’t overlook that he won seventeen straight fights without a loss. Even against bums, there is the occasional upset, a TKO from being cut, or some other wrench in the works. Do I think he’s a legitimate threat in the 155-pound division? Yeah, I do. Do I think he’s going to beat Gray Maynard on Wednesday night? No, I don’t. Huerta looked like half the fighter I was used to seeing against “KenFlo.” Whether it was from his Hollywood dreams or just being burnt out, I can’t say for sure because he’s been MIA ever since. The problem he’ll face with Maynard is that he’s impossible to stop. People laugh and say he’s a one trick pony, that he”ll never become an elite fighter because he’s one dimensional. New York baseball fans heard the same thing about Yankee pitcher Mariano Rivera, who early in his career was dominant but considered to be on borrowed time. After all, he only throws one pitch, won’t the American League eventually catch up to it? “The Bully” made a mockery of Frank Edgar and Jim Miller, two outstanding wrestlers. He’s also shown some improvement in his striking. I don’t think it will ever be mistaken for world class, but if he can hang on his feet and dominate on the ground, it’s going to be a long night for anyone. How good is his mat work? He’s the guy BJ Penn called when he wanted to defend against Rodrigo Gracie. It ain’t pretty, but it’s effective, and I don’t think the layoff helps Huerta in any way, shape or form. Strength, cardio, wrestling, they all go to Maynard. Roger is the better brawler, but he won’t be standing long enough to prove it. Betting lines (as of Sept. 16): Maynard: -350 ((Bet Now)) Huerta: +250 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Maynard via unanimous decision 185 lbs.: Nate "The Rock" Quarry (11-3) vs. "Crazy" Tim Credeur (12-2) Backgrounds (last five fights): Quarry:
Credeur:
Dumbass predicts: It’s amazing how some fighters are forever defined by one performance. For a while, it looked like Nate Quarry would be little more than that guy who got turned into a department store mannequin by Rich Franklin at UFC 56. Part of that is Quarry’s fault, for talking about how badly he was going to knock “Ace” out. Fortunately no one remembers it because Chris Leben tried to verbally deport Anderson Silva prior to “The Spider’s” UFC debut a few months later. Good call. Anyway, “The Rock” had his spine put back together by some surgical whiz and made the most of his return ever since. He had a nice KO win over Pete Sell right out of the gate but had to play monkey in the middle with referee Dan Miragliotta against Kalib Starnes at UFC 83. I’ll give him a free pass for the submission loss to Demian Maia after booting Jason MacDonald out of the UFC. So where does he stand in this division? I think he’s trouble for anyone not top five — which includes Credeur. I thought “Crazy” looked dreadful on TUF 7, but really turned things around since then. Unfortunately I don’t think it will be enough against Quarry, who for my money is the superior striker. The only two “names” Credeur faced (Sonnen, Villasenor) were both lopsided losses and while they’re ancient history, I can’t pick him until I see a win over a higher level of competition. Quarry would be an excellent start, however I predict Credeur will eat a big shot late in the first frame. If it doesn’t finish him, Quarry will be right there to help him cross over to the other side. Betting lines (as of Sept. 16): Quarry: -300 ((Bet Now)) Credeur: +220 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Quarry via knockout 170 lbs.: Carlos "Natural Born Killer" Condit (22-5) vs. Jake Ellenberger (21-4) Backgrounds (last five fights): Condit:
Ellenberger:
Dumbass predicts: Carlos Condit was supposed to debut in the UFC and make an immediate impact in the welterweight division. Unfortunately Martin Kampmann wasn’t about to just roll over and the two put on a sensational fight at the last Fight Night back in April, which went to “The Hitman” via split decision. Despite his ridiculous talent, “The Natural Born Killer” was largely unknown to the UFC masses coming into that bout and he doesn’t have the name recognition to stay on televised cards with another loss. An exciting defeat is still a defeat, and this division is way too crowded for sentimental favorites. A lot of MMA fans will scratch their heads when they hear the name Jake Ellenberger but don’t be misled, this is a very dangerous fight for Condit. The Omaha native is a former middleweight and he has a ton of experience including victories in Bellator and the IFL. A win here would not be a major upset in my book. Having said that, I still believe Condit takes this. He’s too slick and too crafty for most guys in this weight class and I think now that the debut jitters/adrenaline rush are behind him, he can focus on what he does best: kicking some ass. Ellenberger will be game and isn’t going to give anything away for free, but Condit will outclass him en route to a unanimous decision victory. Betting lines (as of Sept. 16): Condit: -400 ((Bet Now)) Ellenberger: +300 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Condit via unanimous decision That's a wrap, folks. Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of “Diaz vs. Guillard.” What do you think? Now it's your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for tonight's event. |
| Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson ‘ready to fight’ at WEC 43 on Oct. 10 (Video) Posted: 16 Sep 2009 10:07 AM PDT |
| UFC Quick Quote: Expect to see UFC on network TV by Fall 2010 Posted: 16 Sep 2009 10:05 AM PDT
– UFC President Dana White guarantees a network television deal within one year during an appearance on the “The DAM Morning Show” on X107.5 in Las Vegas courtesy of MMA Fanhouse. Mixed martial arts hasn’t seen prime time television since the fall of Elite XC, who brought Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano into living rooms nationwide back in 2008. Could we see Brock Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre on TV in 2010? |
| Don’t blink: An MMAmania.com UFC 103 interview exclusive with Hermes Franca Posted: 16 Sep 2009 08:03 AM PDT
Hermes Franca has officially entered the twilight of his career at the age of 35. He’s been around the block a time or two and has put together some big wins while enduring a few losses along the way — but he’s still standing tall. His mixed martial arts resume reads like a who's-who list of some of the best fighters in the world including Mike Brown, Caol Uno, Josh Thomson, Jamie Varner, Nate Diaz, Spencer Fisher, Sean Sherk and Frankie Edgar. Franca already has a WEC lightweight championship belt with his name on it but the UFC belt is something that has eluded him throughout his six-year tenure. His fight against the aforementioned Sean Sherk at UFC 73 was his first and only shot at the belt to date, but unfortunately he was on the wrong end of a unanimous decision after twenty five minutes of battle. Even if Franca would have defeated “The Muscle Shark,” he would have been stripped of the belt because of a positive test for banned substances stemming from a post-fight drug test (Sherk was eventually stripped of the belt for his own positive test). His route back to a title shot starts with finding a way to beat a man ten years his junior in Xtreme Couture product Tyson Griffin on September 19 at UFC 103 in Dallas, Texas. Franca took some time out of his busy fight schedule to discuss Griffin, the possibility of a WEC-UFC merger, B.J. Penn and coloring his hair on a regular basis. Check it out:
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You haven't fought since October 2008 at UFC 90 so it's been roughly a year due to the knee injury you sustained. Was the rehab difficult for you mentally? Hermes Franca: Actually I was expecting to fight again. I didn't know how damaged it was. I had like an ACL, meniscus, and cartilage damage. It was really rough. The doctor said be careful and do the rehab. Day by day it was getting better so after four months I was teaching long hours in my classes. After five months I was training. Now I'm training hard. Thank god nothing is wrong with my knee now. Actually I'm feeling good. I'm feeling 100%. I'm able to do my cardio and conditioning. I'm able to do what I used to do. But with the training I had to be careful because I was worried about my knee. I've never had to be careful with my training before. We always go hard. Thank god I didn't get hurt again. Everything's fine. I just finished my training and now I don't have anything to do anymore but lose weight and step it up on fight night. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You just turned 35 recently. You've been fighting professionally for about eight years now. How much longer do you still want to fight and how will you know when it is time to walk away? Hermes Franca: I don't know. I think I can be able to fight long enough. I just have to respect my body. I think I got my injury because I fought like nine times in 2006. I have never fought nine times in a year – hard fights. I fought for the title. I fought like nine times in twelve months. I think I was hurting my body. If I am able to fight three times a year, four maximum, I think I can be able to fight many years. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): How many fights do you have left on your contract? Hermes Franca: I think I have two more fights – this week and one more. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you feel like you still have the ability to win a championship belt? Hermes Franca: Of course. I don't fight in the UFC for nothing. I've been in the UFC for six years. I've had some ups and downs but Hermes Franca is still going to hang in there. I always put on a good show. I think I've lost two times in the UFC – Sean Sherk, he's like a number one contender and Frank Edgar, another great fighter. I think he just lost to Gray Maynard. I never disappoint my fans. I never disappoint the UFC. In my heart I do believe I can beat both again. I do believe I can get the belt. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You've fought a laundry list of top fighters in your career including Mike Brown, Frankie Edgar, and Sean Sherk. Who would you say was the toughest guy you have fought in your career? Hermes Franca: Jamie Varner. He came really strong. Frank Edgar. He surprised me a lot. Every time I see him fight he gets better and better. It was a tough fight. Marcus Aurelio from this past year. At my weight everybody knows everything. Everyone knows jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and boxing so if you make a mistake it's over. You can't blink. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're a former WEC lightweight champion. Do you think the WEC should merge into the UFC and add those fighters under the UFC brand name? Hermes Franca: That is what they're saying but that is a lot of fighters for just one belt. Before it was just me, Yves Edwards, B.J Penn, not a lot. Now, oh my god, there are like fifty fighters in the lightweight division. It's out of my hands though. Before you used to do three fights to get the title. Now you have to do like eight fights, maybe more, and if you lose you go to the back of the line. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): The current UFC lightweight champion is, of course, B.J. Penn. He's a guy you have trained with before. Is there anyone better than him in the world at 155 pounds? Hermes Franca: I don't think so. The guy has great skills. He submitted Kenny Florian. He knocked Sean Sherk out. He submitted Takanori Gomi. What can I say about the guy? Nobody is better than him. If one day we have to fight we're going to be real professional, just for the title, that's it. It would be a hard one for sure. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Some people still argue that Japanese fighter Shinya Aoki could still be the top lightweight in the world. Do you think Aoki could compete in the UFC? Hermes Franca: I think so. Sooner or later he's going to be in the UFC. I think UFC is growing show much that people can see UFC is the best. There's really no competition. I think they'll be able to get those Japanese fighters. I don't think he's in the top ten. If he wants to be in the top ten he has to fight against the UFC top ten guys and prove it. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're facing Tyson Griffin at UFC 103. What are his biggest strengths? What have you learned about him in your preparations? Hermes Franca: We've spent a lot of time looking at his game. There's no surprising him. I can see the kid is really strong. He has great cardio. We studied his game. I don't want to spend my energy or time trying to knock him out or trying to submit him. In studying his game I see there are some mistakes so I want to take advantage. Not a lot. Just a couple mistakes and I want to go looking for them. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): To me it seems like you will have a significant advantage on the ground with your jiu-jitsu against Griffin. Is that a weakness of his you will look to hone in on? Hermes Franca: He's a great fighter. I think in studying my game he knows I'm a good jiu-jitsu guy. Actually he fought against good Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts like Marcus Aurelio, Gleison Tibau, and Thiago Tavares and he didn't have any problems. I have seen him defend well against those guys, that is what I'm saying. I'm studying his game and I want to take advantage. I see mistakes. I can catch him. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you have an official prediction for the fight? Hermes Franca: There are going to raise my hand. That's my prediction. I do believe that. I wake up everyday and I say, "I'm going to win! I'm going to win! I'm a winner!" I'm there for six years and I train hard. Fighters come and go and come and go and I'm still there. I want to put on a great show and I want them to raise my hand. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Now for the most important question. Will you be coloring your hair for UFC 103? Hermes Franca: (laughs) I'm not sure man. I think so. I'm going to dye my hair. That's what I like to do. The UFC right now is a big show. Everyone is watching on TV. My fans are so excited to see me fighting, my family too. I am excited. I am so excited to step into the octagon again. I have missed it a lot. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): So what's it going to be? Pink or purple this time? Hermes Franca: (laughs) I don't know. We'll see. I'm going to ask my son. I have some fans who texted me and said I need green hair. I'm not sure yet. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): That's all I had for you Hermes. Is there anything you would like to pass along to your fans out there or any sponsors you would like to thank? Hermes Franca: I would like to say thank you to Tapout and Affliction. Big thanks to the UFC. I just want to put on a good show. If I put on a good show all my fans are going to be happy. I do it for my family and my fans. They are the best. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): We appreciate the time. Best of luck. Hermes Franca: Thank you very much. Derek Bolender is a contributor to MMAmania.com and InsideFights.com. He is also syndicated to CBSSports.com and CNNSI.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter and Facebook.com/Derek.Bolender. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from UFC blog for UFC news, results, videos, rumors, fights, pics and tickets -- MMAmania.com To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment