Tuesday, October 27, 2009

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC Quick Quote: Rampage Jackson ‘ashamed’ of ‘assholes’

Posted: 27 Oct 2009 01:28 AM PDT

rampage

“The UFC looked like assholes this weekend.The main event was boring. I anticipated that because let’s be real … Machida is a boring fighter. But Shogun getting robbed like that was pretty cutthroat…. Most of the people from the ‘A-Team movie’ were just watching it because I was watching it and they don’t know much about MMA and were starting to get into it, but [Saturday] night they didn’t have anything good to say about my sport. So I was so ashamed…. The UFC needs to get some new judges before I even think about coming back. I want the hardcore fans to go back and watch all the fights that you thought was kinda shady with the judges in the UFC and TUF and write down the names of the judges so you guys can complain and have a voice. Do your homework. This sport wouldn’t be what it is without the fans. It’s hard for me to believe that the UFC is so successful and has over 100 shows and can’t tell who wins a fight.”

– Former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson isn’t very happy with the three judges who awarded Lyoto Machida a unanimous decision win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua this weekend at UFC 104. Jackson, like a majority of fans, felt that Shogun was the clear-cut winner, which wasn’t the case when the decision was read. He admits that he was actually ashamed with the result while in the company of his “A-Team” castmates, who were more than likely getting their first tastes of what mixed martial arts is all about. Jackson, who prematurely retired from the sport to pursue an acting career, indicates that he won’t return to competition until the UFC hires new, more competent judges. Unfortunately, the UFC doesn’t hire judges (the athletic commissions handle that responsibility), making Jackson’s request impossible.

UFC 107 poster for ‘Penn vs Sanchez’ in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 12

Posted: 27 Oct 2009 01:05 AM PDT

ufc107poster2

To check out the latest UFC 107: "Penn vs. Sanchez" fight card and rumors click here.

UFC 106: Tito Ortiz already selling main event rematch against Forrest Griffin

Posted: 27 Oct 2009 01:00 AM PDT

ortiz_griffin

Props: Los Angeles Times

Quoteworthy:

“From low tide to high tide…. You figure in losing the title [to Evans] that Forrest has doubt; he had doubt against Silva. This is all or nothing for him. And this is my comeback fight. I’m not going to lie, it’s been a challenge for me. Not pain. I have no [back] pain, but I’m dealing with the fatigue from not fighting so long. I’m like 80 to 90 percent now, not 100. Coming back is hard mentally and physically. So even though I won’t be going anywhere — I have five fights left on my contract — it’s kind of do or die for both of us. But I promise I’m going to get in there and entertain. I can’t wait…. [The first fight] might have been a split-decision, but I thought I won. Look at my face after the fight, and look at his, and you’ll also see my hand was raised afterward…. Two former champions. A lot of fans hate Forrest now after the Silva fight, but he usually brings it, and I always come to fight. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve been surviving for 12 years. I know how to do this.”

Former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz talks about his upcoming rematch with Forrest Griffin in the UFC 106 main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 21. Ortiz and Griffin earned top billing when it was recently revealed that box office behemoth, heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, was forced off the card unexpectedly because of an illness. The promotion will now look to “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” who is one of the best in the business when it comes to promoting his own fights, to keep the interest alive in what likely would have been one of the biggest UFC event’s of the year. Can Ortiz — who has not competed since mid 2008 and is coming off major back surgery — put UFC 106 on his shoulders and make it a success? Or is the pay-per-view (PPV) event now destined to disappoint?

TUF 10 preview video: Rashad Evans is going to make Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson quit

Posted: 27 Oct 2009 12:42 AM PDT

Interesting:

Illness forces Brock Lesnar to withdraw from UFC 106; Tito Ortiz vs Forrest Griffin 2 promoted to main event (Updated)

Posted: 26 Oct 2009 01:25 PM PDT

UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 106 heavyweight title fight on Nov. 21 against Shane Carwin after battling a lengthy illness that kept him from training for over three weeks.

From UFC President Dana White, courtesy of Yahoo Sports:

"He said he's never been this sick in his life. He said it's been going on for a long time and he just hasn't been able to shake it."

This is devastating news for a pay-per-view that is less than a month away; however, the UFC has already promoted Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz II into the main event slot and is currently assembling a co-main event to help round out the televised portion of the card.

According to Shane Carwin’s official Twitter account, his chance to dethrone Lesnar for the heavyweight strap will come at UFC 108 on Jan. 2 in Las Vegas.

“I just heard from Jason. Looks like it is postponed till Jan 2. I had h1n1 myself and I understand how devastating it can be.”

Carwin was originally paired with Cain Velasquez for UFC 104 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., to determine a number one contender for Lesnar's title.

It didn’t last.

With Randy Couture and Antonio Nogueira having already committed to the main event of UFC 102, there were some concerns within the organization that a suitable opponent would not be found for Lesnar by year's end following his destruction of Frank Mir at UFC 100.

There was also the possibility of eliminating two major prospects within the division in a very short period of time had the winner of Carwin vs. Velasquez gone on to be defeated by the champ.

Velasquez subsequently obliterated Carwin’s replacement, Ben Rothwell, at the Oct. 24 event and with his victory, is likely to face the winner of Lesnar vs. Carwin at some point in 2010.

Unless, of course, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has something to say about it.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on this story as it develops.

K-1 MAX 2009 tournament final results

Posted: 26 Oct 2009 01:07 PM PDT

k-1_max_2009

For most MMA fans, the weekend’s non-stop MMA marathon of UFC 104 and DREAM 12 was already quite a feast.

For the dedicated followers of MMA and K-1, the weekend festivity ended with DREAM 12 but the marathon continued into a new week with K-1 MAX 2009 Tournament Final on Monday, Sept. 26. The event aired in North America on HDNet starting at 5 a.m. ET (perfect excuse to skip work on Monday).

At Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, four finalists of the 2009 K-1 MAX Tournament vied for the crown and possible bid to challenge the retiring K-1 MAX icon, Masato, at Dynamite! MMA/K-1 hybrid event on New Year’s Eve.

The tournament favorite, Giorgio Petrosyan, made a quick work of Yuya Yamamoto in the semi-final round. From the opening bell, Petrosyan picked Yamamoto apart from the inside and outside with superior technical striking. Yamamoto was clocked with a massive left hook early in the first round. Though he managed to get back to his feet and continue, Petrosyan swarmed him with a flurry of punches and scored a decisive KO at 2:09 of Rd. 1, proceeding to the final fresh and dangerous.

In the second tournament semi-final bout, the two-time K-1 MAX champions, Andy Souwer and Buakaw Por Pramuk, engaged in a furious war in hope of a triple crown at the end of the night. After three rounds, the bout was ruled a draw. In the extra rounds, Souwer eked out a split decision.

The tournament reserve bout pitted the 2006 and 2007 K-1 MAX Japan champion, Yoshihiro Sato, against the 2008 champion, Yasuhiro Kido. Sato landed a series of low kicks in the first round while Kido scored with jabs. Both fighters switched to a higher gear in the second round, picking up one knockdown each. Then they took the center of the ring for a fierce exchange: Sato emerged the winner with a right cross that shut off Kido’s light.

Petrosyan and Souwer passed the medical inspection and met in the ring for the much-anticipated tournament final. Petrosyan, clearly the fresher of the two, aggressively pursued the battle-worn slow starter. Souwer started the second round with urgency but Petrosyan utilized his sound defense to avoid damage and dropped Souwer with a punishing combination. The combo also opened a cut that Souwer sustained earlier in the night against Pramuk. Petrosyan cruised to victory and earned his first K-1 MAX crown.

Upon the crowning of 2009 K-1 MAX Champion, the question regarding who Masato will face at Dynamite! was quickly resolved. Masato stated earlier in the night that he rooted for Souwer to win the tournament for the grudge match — Souwer has defeated him twice in as many encounters — to materialize; however, he did not hesitate to step into the ring and ask Petrosyan for the fight. The young Italian eagerly accepted, confirming the main event of the NYE card.

Also on the card, K-1 veteran, Kozo Takeda faced the inaugural K-1 MAX champion, Albert Kraus, for his farewell bout. The 37 year-old Takeda has enthralled K-1 fans over the year with his fighting spirit. After a relative inactivity during the last few years, he finally stepped into the ring for one last time.

Once again, he lived up to his warrior reputation by displaying his kill-or-be-killed fighting style. He countered Kraus’ punches and landed his trademark low kicks in the first round. Even after absorbing a devastating low kick from Kraus, Takeda proceeded to the second round. Despite being picked apart at will, he fought courageously until the doctor forced a stop to the fight later in the round after checking the gash on his face.

K-1 MAX 2009 tournament final results:

Opening Fights

#1 – K-1 Koshien Final 8 – 3R x 2 min.
Masaaki Noiri def. Keisuke Miyamoto via unanimous decision (3-0)

#2 – K-1 Koshien Final 8 – 3R x 2 min.
Shota Shimada def. Hiroki Akimoto via unanimous decision (3-0)

#3 – K-1 Koshien Final 8 – 3R x 2 min.
Katsuki Ishida def. Tsukasa Fuji via unanimous decision (3-0)

#4 – K-1 Koshien Final 8 – 3R x 2 min.
HIROYA def. Ryuya Kusakabe via split decision (2-1)

Main card

#1 – Super Fight – 3R x 3 min. (Ext. 1R)
Xu Yan def. Yuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima via KO (left hook) at 1:04 of round one

#2 – K-1 MAX Final 4 – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Giorgio Petrosyan def. Yuya Yamamoto via KO (right hook) at 2:09 of round one

#3 – K-1 MAX Final 4 – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Andy Souwer def. Buakaw Por.Pramuk via split decision (2-1) in extension round

#4 – Reserve Fitght – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Yoshihiro Sato def. Yasuhiro Kido via KO (right hook) at 2:23 of round two

#5 – 62kg Super Fight – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Jae Hee Cheon def. Kazuhisa Watanabe via split decision (2-1) in round three

#6 – Super Fight – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Albert Kraus def. Kozo Takeda via TKO at 2:19 of round two

#7 – Super Fight – 3R x 3 min. (Ext. 1R)
Gago Drago def. Taishin Kohiruimaki via unanimous decision (3-0) in round three

#8 – Super Fight – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Artur Kyshenko def. Toofan “Storm” Salafzoon via KO (right straight) at 1:50 of round three

#9 – Super Fight – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
HINATA def. Mike Zambidis via unanimous decision (3-0) in round three

#10 – K-1 World MAX 2009 Tournament Final – 3R x 3 min. (Ext. 2R)
Giorgio Petrosyan def. Andy Souwer via unanimous decision (3-0) in round three

Shane Carwin planning to beat Brock Lesnar, defend new title against Cain Velasquez

Posted: 26 Oct 2009 11:49 AM PDT

Props: Heavy.com

Quoteworthy:

“I had some friends in the area who watched (UFC 100), and they were watching the UFC for the first time. And they were just appalled by what he had done. Especially what he did with Frank Mir, getting in his face after the victory? That’s just disrespectful. You’re supposed to have the utmost respect for anybody that goes in there to compete against you. Those are the first words you see when you walk into any dojo … [My first title defense] will be Cain Velasquez. I really wanted that fight, and Cain deserves a title shot. Cain deserves it, and a lot of people want to see it. I want to see it. So it would be Cain.”

The increasingly vocal Shane Carwin continues his retort in response to disparaging comments made by UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, who will face "The Engineer" at UFC 106 on Nov. 21 for the division title. Carwin has gone on record multiple times about his disdain for Lesnar's contempt for the sport of mixed martial arts — specifically Brock's trash talking. Apparently some MMA noobs who are chummy with Carwin had their feelings hurt by Lesnar’s July 11 tirade and now it’s become his personal vendetta and will exact revenge. While he’s already projecting a 2010 title defense against Cain Velasquez, there is a certain pasty-faced goliath waiting to send him back to the unaired preliminary card. Less than a month to go Maniacs … will this fight live up to the hype?

DREAM 12 post fight wrap-up and ‘white cage’ reactions

Posted: 26 Oct 2009 11:45 AM PDT

The day after the first caged fight card in promotional history, the winners from DREAM 12 gathered at a hotel in Osaka for a post-fight conference.

The public reaction to the newly unveiled cage and the broad implication of caged fight card held by a major Japanese organization will likely become evident in weeks and months to follow.

For the time being, the immediate assessment of the cage — and the event on a whole — by those directly involved has been positive.

On the promotional side, DREAM event producer Keiichi Sasahara is pleased that DREAM 12 delivered a night full of thrilling action and capped off the year on a high note before the annual Dynamite! event on New Year’s Eve. Surrounded by a horde of reporters after the press conference, he jokingly remarked that DREAM might consider having another caged fight card on the NYE.

The fighters also seemed eager to fight again in the white, hexagonal cage if given the opportunity.

Alistair Overeem stated that he loves the color of the cage. Marius Zaromskis also chimed in, commenting that white is a color that brings fortune and a refreshing change from the black cage typically found in North America and UK.

Meanwhile, Eddie Alvarez, a veteran of several caged promotions, elaborated on the finer details of fighting in the new cage: He felt that, compared to the cages used by UFC and other American promotions, DREAM’s cage was more elastic, thus tempering the fear of injury from being pressed against it. Also, the spring in the cage magnifies the advantage of those who know how to utilize it in grappling.

Katsunori Kikuno, who fought in the cage for the first time in his loss to Alvarez, commented in the post-fight interview that he likes the animal ferocity that the cage awakens in the fighters: “The whole vibe is unlike anything you would feel at a sports event — it sharpens my senses and gets my blood boiling.”

WEC veteran, Yoshiro Maeda also preached to the choir by giving his two cents: “The cage was really spacious and I did not feel an ounce of stress while fighting in it. I hope that DREAM uses the cage more often.”

Kazushi Sakuraba, who submitted Zelg Galesic with a knee bar after being battered repeatedly in the face, was rushed to a hospital immediately after the fight in order to seek medical attention. Besides the swelling on the side of the head, the hospital examination turned up no injury to Sakuraba’s brain or skull. His opponent, Galesic, who was bound to a wheel chair after the fight, also suffered no significant injury besides a minor tear on the ligament in his knee.

Sakuraba confessed that the beating Galesic meted out was quite painful and that he even thought about tapping out.

While Sakuraba is usually an obvious choice of marquee name to grace the ring on the New Year’s Eve, his appearance in Dynamite! remains in question, considering that he has fought twice in a span of less than a month at DREAM 11 and DREAM 12. Should he decide to fight on NYE, Sasahara promised a fight with a grand theme. As for the potential opponent for the “Gracie killer” in the mega-fight, he mentioned “The Third-Generation Gracie fighters.”

Rolles Gracie, who has recently signed with UFC; Roger Gracie, who has defeated veterans, Ron Waterman and Yuki Kondo in his first two MMA fights; Ralek Gracie who has fought at DREAM 4.

These are among the new generation of the fabled clan that will now receive the torch borne by the likes of Rickson, Royce, Royler, and Renzo. Sakuraba has made his name in Pride FC as “Gracie killer” and if the younger members of the family step up to avenge the losses suffered by the elders and defend the family honor, the “revenge drama” promises an epic hype.

Maeda, Katsuyori Shibata, Marius Zaromskis, and Alistair Overeem all voiced their eagerness to appear on the NYE event.

From Keiichi Sasahara (DREAM event producer):

“I am relieved that we managed to stage all the fights without any accident. I was honestly nervous since this was our first caged fight card that the cage might break at some point during the night. There is a general impression that cage is not very spectator-friendly, and I indeed felt that while watching the fights. Nonetheless, I believe that we have succeeded in introducing a ‘Japanese cage’ that is different from the cages used elsewhere in the world after incorporating numerous modifications to the cage for spectator-friendliness. Our goal was to incorporate the best of both worlds (ring and cage). I would like to leave the final judgment to the fans.”

For our complete DREAM 12 recap click here.

Lyoto Machida: Sometimes the strategy doesn’t work

Posted: 26 Oct 2009 09:05 AM PDT

Props: MMAWeekly

Quoteworthy:

"Every time you go in there, you always want to try and make the fans happy, and it's a little depressing when they don't cheer for you, when they boo you. I didn't really feel too much on the rib cage, but the legs, I started to feel it on the inside of one of my legs, and it was bothering me. I was a hundred percent, but sometimes when you get in there, you're strategy doesn't always work exactly like you planned it to. I would have liked to perform better, but it happens sometimes. I was looking to finish the fight whenever I could, but it showed that Shogun came very well prepared for this fight. I was constantly trying to find openings to finish the fight, but unfortunately, I didn't get that. It's just going to motivate me to train harder and I can guarantee you I'm going to put a better performance next time.”

Reigning light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida talks about his controversial unanimous decision win over challenger Mauricio Rua at UFC 104 last Saturday night in Los Angeles. “Shogun” appeared to be getting the better of the exchanges in their five round title fight and all but three people in attendance were prepared to crown Rua the new 205-pound champ. Unfortunately those three people were cageside judges Nelson Hamilton, Marcos Rosales and Cecil Peoples.

Report: Paulo Thiago to meet UFC newcomer Jacob Volkmann at UFC 106

Posted: 26 Oct 2009 09:04 AM PDT

It looks as if “Christmas” will be coming one month earlier this year as Jacob Volkmann (9-0) will reportedly make his Octagon debut against Paulo Thiago (11-1)  at UFC 106 inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 21, according to Terra Magazine.

Volkmann was last seen at Bellator Fighting Championships back in May, submitting Kevin Knabjian via brabo choke in the first round of the promotion’s sixth televised event.

In addition to Bellator, “Christmas” stayed busy by competing six times in 2008, including stints under the Max Fights and Xtreme Fighting Organization (XFO) banners.

Now Volkmann can thank Thiago Alves for this new opportunity, as “The Pitbull” got yanked from his fight with Paulo Thiago to rematch Jon Fitch — who was left high and dry after Ricardo Almeida was injured and forced to withdraw from the event.

The Constrictor Team product stunned the division with a TKO stoppage over Josh Koscheck at UFC 95: "Sanchez vs. Stevenson" in his Octagon debut last January. Fitch, friend and training partner of “Kos,” was looking for revenge at UFC 100, where he handed Thiago the first defeat of his career.

He now stands at an even 1-1 inside the Octagon.

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 in a rematch with former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, after spending nearly a year and a half on the sidelines.

For more on the developing UFC 106 fight card and rumors click here.
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