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- Nate Marquardt 'pumped' for Chael Sonnen fight on UFC 109 of Feb. 6
- MMA Quick Quote: Josh Thomson is 100 percent for Gilbert Melendez rematch on Dec. 19
- Alan Belcher pissed off fight against Wilson Gouveia not on UFC 107 main card (Video)
- Report: Paul Daley vs Dustin Hazelett booked for UFC 108 with Carlos Condit hurt
- UFC Fight Night 20: Thiago Tavares vs Nik Lentz announced with Jeremy Stephens scratched
- "... he’s walking around and moving around. He’s not ready to jump into that cage, that’s for sure a...
- BJ Penn: Diego Sanchez has the wrong mindset for UFC 107 fight (Video)
- Denis Kang, Brock Larson and others released from their UFC contracts
- Training injury forces Jeremy Stephens to withdraw from UFC Fight Night 20 bout against Nik Lentz
- Dan Hardy set for Dec. 11 Q&A at FedEx Forum for UFC 107 weigh ins
- Strikeforce: 'Evolution' pre-fight conference call highlights and quick recap
- HDNet Fights video preview of UFC 107: 'Penn vs Sanchez'
- Mein Can't: Hoelzer Reich clothing Ausch-ted by Zuffa for Nazi symbolism
- Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson returns to the Octagon against 'Super Dave' tonight at 9pm ET on Spike TV
- The YES! cartwheel courtesy of Diego Sanchez
- Robbie Lawler vs Trevor Prangley completes Strikeforce 'Evolution' fight card for Dec. 19
- Training injury forces Carlos Condit to withdraw from UFC 108 fight against Paul Daley
- Bellator Fighting Championships signs U.S. Olympian and NCAA Champion Ben Askren
| Nate Marquardt 'pumped' for Chael Sonnen fight on UFC 109 of Feb. 6 Posted: 09 Dec 2009 11:34 PM PST
Props: NateMarquardt.com Quoteworthy:
Former number one middleweight contender, Nate Marquardt, was not too thrilled at first with his upcoming showdown with Chael Sonnen at UFC 109 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010. "The Great" was hoping to get another crack at division champion Anderson Silva or an eliminator match against newly-signed Strikeforce acquisition, Dan Henderson, but had to settle for the Team Quest stand out. Over time, it appears the Marquardt has warmed to the main card match ... have you? |
| MMA Quick Quote: Josh Thomson is 100 percent for Gilbert Melendez rematch on Dec. 19 Posted: 09 Dec 2009 07:29 PM PST
-- Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson wants everyone to know that he is completely healed from a string of injuries that have kept him out of competition since Sept. 2008. "The Punk" is set to rematch interim 155-pound kingpin Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: "Evolution" on Dec. 19 to unify the titles. And win, lose or draw he wants to make it perfectly clear that he's ready to rock and roll once and for all against his former training partner. Thomson dominated Melendez in their first encounter in June 2008, earning a hard-fought, five-round unanimous decision. He's under no illusions that he will have similar success the second go around ... especially since "El Nino" has kept quite active waiting for Thomson to recover. So can Thomson knock the rust off and topple Melendez once again or is this exciting pairing rubber match material? |
| Alan Belcher pissed off fight against Wilson Gouveia not on UFC 107 main card (Video) Posted: 09 Dec 2009 06:25 PM PST Alan Belcher pissed off fight against Wilson Gouveia not on UFC 107 main card (Video) |
| Report: Paul Daley vs Dustin Hazelett booked for UFC 108 with Carlos Condit hurt Posted: 09 Dec 2009 05:38 PM PST
Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Dustin Hazelett has been tapped to replace the injured Carlos Condit against British brawler Paul Daley at UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva" from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2, 2010, according to MMAWeekly.com. No official announcement from the promotion has been released at this time. UFC 108 features a re-worked main event between former light heavyweight champion "Sugar" Rashad Evans and the hard-hitting 14-1 Thiago Silva. The welterweight showdown between Daley and Condit was supposed to headline the injury-plagued pay-per-view (PPV) event. It's unclear at this time if "Semtex" vs. "McLovin" will keep that top billing or if another fight will be promoted instead. More on this breaking news in a bit. For everything you need to know about UFC 108 feel free to also hit up our event archive right here. |
| UFC Fight Night 20: Thiago Tavares vs Nik Lentz announced with Jeremy Stephens scratched Posted: 09 Dec 2009 05:37 PM PST
The promotion made the announcement earlier today after it was revealed that Jeremy Stephens was injured in training and unable to compete against "The Carnie" on the preliminary card of the Spike TV special. Tavares most recently appeared inside the cage against Manny Gamburyan at UFC 94 "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ on Jan. 31, scoring a unanimous decision win over the "Pitbull." He was supposed to return to action much sooner; however, he reportedly sustained an elbow injury while training for a bout against Melvin Guillard, forcing him out of the lightweight contest earlier this year. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu powerhouse was also scratched from a proposed match up against Jim Miller at UFC 103 in Sept. because of another boo boo. After bursting onto the UFC scene with two straight wins, Tavares created quite a buzz as a possible threat to the champion. However, he has since come back down to Earth, losing three of his last five fights. Stringing together consecutive victories inside the Octagon for this first time since 2007 would more than likely propel him back into the mix. Lentz is on a eight-fight win streak that dates back more than two years. He has competed primarily on the local circuit for most of his career. The Minnesota Martial Arts Academy product recently scored a unanimous decision win over Rafaello Oliveira in his Octagon debut at UFC 103: "Franklin vs. Belfort" back on Sept. 19 and also outpointed UFC veteran Drew Fickett at SNMMA: "Beatdown at 4 Bears" to make a name for himself earlier this year. UFC Fight Night 20 features a rematch between Ultimate Fighter rivals Gray Maynard (8-0) and Nate Diaz (11-4), who will duke it out in a possible number one contender bout for the 155-pound title. Undefeated lightweights Efrain Escudero and Evan Dunham are also scheduled to hook 'em up. |
| Posted: 09 Dec 2009 05:21 PM PST
-- Greg Nelson, the head trainer for UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, provides MMAWeekly.com with the latest health update on the recovering Minnesotan. Lesnar recently had surgery to correct complications from diverticulitis, which has cast a shadow over the future of his mixed martial arts career. It sounds as if he may be turning the corner. |
| BJ Penn: Diego Sanchez has the wrong mindset for UFC 107 fight (Video) Posted: 09 Dec 2009 03:43 PM PST
YES! or no, Maniacs? |
| Denis Kang, Brock Larson and others released from their UFC contracts Posted: 09 Dec 2009 01:33 PM PST
Multiple sources report that the UFC brass has issued a latest batch of pink slips: The most high-profile castoff of the bunch is none other than the former top 10 middleweight, Denis Kang. Kang recorded a remarkable 23-fight undefeated streak from 2003 to 2006 in such organizations as Pride FC and Spirit MC. Since then, he has dropped five of nine fights to opponents such as Kazuo Misaki, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Gegard Mousasi. As one of the most prized acquisitions by UFC this year, he has not lived up to the lofty hype: His UFC record stands at 1-2, with a decison win over Xavier Foupa-Pokam sandwiched between dispiring losses to Alan Belcher in his promotional debut and to Michael Bisping at UFC 105. Given his overall record of 26-4 and stature in the welterweight division, the third run in UFC could very well be on horizon for Larson if he manages to string together several victories elsewhere. Not too surprisingly, TUF alums, Roli Delgado and Jason Dent rounded out the purge. Delgado, a TUF 8 alum, has gone 1-2 in the Octagon since his stint in TUF. On the other hand, Dent has gone 1-1 since starring in TUF 9 and also has two losses in the Octagon prior to the TUF stint. |
| Training injury forces Jeremy Stephens to withdraw from UFC Fight Night 20 bout against Nik Lentz Posted: 09 Dec 2009 12:15 PM PST
The injury bug has bitten again, this time afflicting lightweight standout Jeremy Stephens, who has officially withdrawn from his UFC Fight Night 20 bout against Nik Lentz on January 11 in Fairfax. MMAmania.com confirmed the injury with Stephen's camp earlier today. While the undisclosed injury will not require surgery, "Lil Heathen" is expected to be out of action for a couple of months to heal up. Stephens recently improved his record to 5-4 in the UFC. He was last seen pounding out Justin Buchholz at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City back on Sept. 16 after dropping two straight to Hermes Franca and Gleison Tibau, respectively. Despite those back-to-back losses, fans have not forgotten his "Knockout of the Night" at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" when he sent Rafael dos Anjos back to Brazil with a thundering uppercut that he threw from what appeared to be the center of the cage. It was among the most devastating finishes of 2008. Stephens had really stepped up his training in anticipation of this event, calling on Josh Neer and Diego Sanchez to help refine every aspect of his offense and defense. Unfortunately it may have cost him the Jan. 11 fight. Lentz, who may still have time to receive a replacement fighter, is on a eight-fight win streak that dates back more than two years. He is a Minnesota Martial Arts Academy product who has competed primarily on the local circuit for most of his career. "The Carnie" recently scored a unanimous decision win over Rafaello Oliveira in his Octagon debut at UFC 103: "Franklin vs. Belfort" back on Sept. 19 and also outpointed UFC veteran Drew Fickett at SNMMA: "Beatdown at 4 Bears" to make a name for himself earlier this year. An announcement on his fate in Fairfax is expected soon. UFC Fight Night 20 features a rematch between Ultimate Fighter rivals Gray Maynard (8-0) and Nate Diaz (11-4), who will duke it out in a possible number one contender bout for the 155-pound title. Undefeated lightweights Efrain Escudero and Evan Dunham are also scheduled to hook 'em up. For more on UFC Fight Night 20 click here. |
| Dan Hardy set for Dec. 11 Q&A at FedEx Forum for UFC 107 weigh ins Posted: 09 Dec 2009 11:49 AM PST
The official weigh-in event for UFC 107: "Penn vs. Sanchez" is set to take place at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, on Friday, Dec. 11, 2009. For those fortunate enough to be heading to the Mid-South for the promotion’s trip to "Bluff City," remember that the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend an exclusive Q&A session with current welterweight contender, Dan Hardy, on that same day at 1 p.m. (check-in starts at 12 p.m.) It’s going to be a fun night of fights so don’t miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 107 coverage you can handle. For more details on the UFC 107 weigh ins click here. |
| Strikeforce: 'Evolution' pre-fight conference call highlights and quick recap Posted: 09 Dec 2009 11:49 AM PST
Strikeforce today (Dec. 9) held a media conference call with a good portion of its main card participants to promote their upcoming Showtime event from their home base in San Jose, California, for the live mixed martial arts extravaganza on December 19. Strikeforce: "Evolution" will feature a main event between lightweight champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson and interim division kingpin, Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez, squaring off in a long awaited rematch to decide the promotion's undisputed 155-pound leader. In the co-featured fight, former middleweight champion and San Jose favorite, Cung Le, make his return to competition after more than a year and a half layoff. He'll lock horns with hard-hitting brawler, Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith. Here is a brief recap and highlights of noteworthy items coming out of today's call, featuring all four of the aforementioned fighters: The fighters are asked for opening comments and the general consensus is that everyone is "excited" to be on the call and looking forward to "Evolution" on Dec. 19. Cung Le: Wasn't planning to come back so soon but was definitely planning to come back. Going to concentrate on one fight at a time but still has movie commitments in 2010. Key to surviving a tough exchange is composure. Felt like surrendering the title was the right thing to do and was not aware of his quick return to action at the time he made the decision. Scott Smith: Thinks his ground game is underrated and isn't afraid to go to the ground. Says he and Le compliment each other. Smith fights back fear when he's rocked to stay composed. Says a win over Le puts him in the mix for the middleweight title. Has no intention of going to the ground. Says fans want to see a stand-up war and he plans on delivering. Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson: Upcoming bout with Melendez "completely" different than their first fight. Thinks the only way to combat ring rust is by getting in the ring. Declares he's injury free and ready to go and if he loses it's because Melendez was the better fighter. Strikeforce Lightweight Interim Champion Gilbert Melendez: He's "in it to win it" and hopes to perform better than he did in the first fight. Has to bring his "A game" every fight if he wants to stay on top. Instincts keep him alive during a fight. Thinks Thomson's recent injuries may have been a blessing in disguise because it allowed him to get more fights under his belt. Says the hard part is over, now it's time to get in the cage and fight. When asked for closing comments, everyone has a big "Thank you" for the support and hopes that everyone will tune in on December 19 to see a great card. We’re still a few days away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on "Evolution" in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event. For everything you need to know about Strikeforce feel free to also hit up our event archive right here. |
| HDNet Fights video preview of UFC 107: 'Penn vs Sanchez' Posted: 09 Dec 2009 10:30 AM PST |
| Mein Can't: Hoelzer Reich clothing Ausch-ted by Zuffa for Nazi symbolism Posted: 09 Dec 2009 09:49 AM PST
Here's a little marketing tip for the deutsche-bags over at the turd Reich: Nazi symbolism will leave your company hanging. If by chance the newly-instituted Zuffa and Strikeforce ban on Hoelzer Reich clothing doesn't exterminate the market value of these goose-stepping Klutzstaffels, the public backlash against their historical ignorance should freeze their profitability like a long Russian winter. In case you're just joining us, the Hoelzer Reich clothing line has come under fire, well more specifically, Zuffa employed fighters have come under fire for accepting sponsorship from the Hoelzer Reich brand because a majority of their outfits are adorned with symbols and imagery that have come to be synonymous with Nazi Germany. Iron crosses, German war helmets, peaked caps -- even the not so subtle "das vierte reich hat begonnen," which joyfully translates into "The Fourth Reich has begun." For those of you who may have missed Reich's 1-3, I can assure you they weren't user friendly. Now mind you none of that should be associated with Adolf Hitler or Nazi Germany according to Hoelzer Reich. They neatly wash their hands of any hard feelings with an impotent disclaimer via their official website:
Uh-huh. Sounds like those idiots who get a swastika tattoo and defend it by calling it the Hindu or Buddhist symbol for good luck. Are shamrocks that passe that we must resort to a swastika in hopes of improving our fortune? You know in my day we had the rabbit's foot or monkey's paw, but I digress. What's even more disturbing is the company's failure to acknowledge their culpability:
Brief association. That's funny. A brief association is Tom Hanks as Buffy Wilson in "Bosom Buddies," not a six-year war started by the invasion of Poland. I can almost say without exaggeration that I might have given them a pass if they had bluntly stated "Sorry, we thought the iron crosses and scary helmets looked menacing, I guess we kind of went too far," but instead they ask us to believe that a German-based organization is naive enough to miss the implied meaning of their own creation. We don't believe it -- and neither does the brass at Zuffa, who nailed the sponsorship of Hoelzer Reich to their own iron cross. Take your symbols and your vision of a "Fourth Reich"and peddle it elsewhere. If you're proud of your German ancestry, as I am, there are countless ways to embrace it and even profit from it. Heck, I'd wear a shirt depicting a rotten Bratwurst stomping on a bottle of warm Oktoberfest, but if you choose to take the most despicable imagery from a time in our civilization that a majority of us would rather forget, don't be insulted when the world puts you on trial. Verdict? You've heard mine. What's yours? (For more background on this story check out this piece by Brent Brookhouse on Bloody Elbow) |
| Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson returns to the Octagon against 'Super Dave' tonight at 9pm ET on Spike TV Posted: 09 Dec 2009 08:32 AM PST |
| The YES! cartwheel courtesy of Diego Sanchez Posted: 09 Dec 2009 08:32 AM PST The YES! cartwheel courtesy of Diego Sanchez |
| Robbie Lawler vs Trevor Prangley completes Strikeforce 'Evolution' fight card for Dec. 19 Posted: 09 Dec 2009 08:19 AM PST
The middleweight clash finalizes the Dec. 19 line up. Lawler is coming off a "Ruthless" submission loss to current promotion champ Jake Shields. Despite entering the June 6 bout on a five-fight win streak, the power-puncher gift-wrapped his head for a textbook guillotine, tapping out to the submission specialist at just 2:02 in the first round. Like the Shields fight, there will be very little margin for error against the well-traveled Prangley. After getting the boot from Canada's Maximum Fighting Championship for double-dipping in smaller promotions, the South African ran roughshod over Dennis Reed at Arena Rumble and Marcus Sursa at Shark Fights 7 -- both within the span of the last three months. In fact, Prangley has competed four times in 2009, winning each of his bouts convincingly. With momentum on his side, a Lawler win could immediately vault him into the suddenly-crowded title chase. Strikeforce "Evolution" will feature lightweight champion Josh Thomson (16-2, 1 NC) returning to action to battle the promotion's interim 155-pound kingpin, Gilbert Melendez (16-2). Former middleweight champion Cung Le is also coming back to trade fists with the always-entertaining Scott Smith. To check out the complete fight card for "Evolution" click here. |
| Training injury forces Carlos Condit to withdraw from UFC 108 fight against Paul Daley Posted: 09 Dec 2009 06:45 AM PST
Former WEC welterweight champion, Carlos Condit (24-5), has been forced to withdraw from his upcoming UFC 108 fight against former Cage Rage 170-pound kingpin, Paul "Semtex" Daley (22-8-2), as the result of an injury suffered during training, according to MMAUnltd.com. Daley, who responded via The Underground, did not take the news well:
Condit recently redeemed himself after suffering his first loss in nearly three years, a competitive split decision to top 170-pound contender, Martin Kampmann, at UFC Fight Night 18 back in April. The "Natural Born Killer" was able to somehow survive a brutal first round onslaught dished out by Jake Ellenberger at UFC Fight Night 19 last month to storm back and capture a hard-fought split decision. The win over Ellenberger was more than likely tougher than Condit, as well as most fans, thought it would be ... especially after his undefeated (5-0) and dominating run with Zuffa's sister promotion. He had a chance to recapture that dominant reputation with a big win against the hard-hitting British brawler from Nottingham, England. In fact, Daley actually flattened Kampmann -- who had championship-contending hopes on the line -- in his Octagon debut at UFC 103 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19. The 26-year-old instantly vaulted himself to the upper echelon of welterweights after Mike Swick withdrew from the event. He'll be out to cement that status against another top-flight competitor in the division. However, the submission-prone Daley will have to be very aware, and careful, of who the UFC decides to match him up against in Condit's absence. With all the injuries and mishaps that have befallen the Jan. 2 card, it's likely the UFC will try to find a replacement for "Semtex." If so, expect an announcement soon -- the clock is ticking. UFC 108 features a re-worked main event between former light heavyweight champion "Sugar" Rashad Evans and the hard-hitting 14-1 Thiago Silva. Lightweight standouts Tyson Griffin and Jim Miller will also get busy to see who gets one step closer to 155-pound title contention. For everything you need to know about UFC 108 feel free to also hit up our event archive right here. |
| Bellator Fighting Championships signs U.S. Olympian and NCAA Champion Ben Askren Posted: 09 Dec 2009 06:43 AM PST
CHICAGO (December 9, 2009) — Bellator Fighting Championships announced Wednesday the signing of highly touted MMA prospect Ben Askren to an exclusive long-term agreement Askren is a U.S. Olympian who competed in the 2008 Beijing Games in freestyle wrestling. While wrestling at the collegiate level at the University of Missouri, Askren won two NCAA Division I titles. Since announcing his plans to cross over into professional mixed martial arts after the conclusion of the Beijing Games, Askren has been one of the most sought-after free agents in the sport. Known for his unorthodox fighting style and world class credentials, Askren, 25, is slated to compete in Bellator’s welterweight (170 lbs.) division tournament. The promotion will kick off its second season on April 8, 2010 and will conduct eight-man tournaments in the featherweight (145 lbs.), lightweight (155 lbs.), welterweight (170 lbs.), and middleweight (185 lbs.) divisions to determine the No. 1 ranked challengers to face Bellator’s current champions. In February 2009, Askren, who is known as "Funky," made his professional MMA debut and has since compiled an undefeated record of 3-0. MMAJunkie.com has labeled him as "one of the top prospects in all of mixed martial arts," while BloodyElbow.com called his abilities "mesmerizing." "I am very happy to welcome Ben to Bellator," said Bjorn Rebney, founder and CEO of Bellator Fighting Championships. "Ben’s an exciting fighter with unlimited potential and an unparalleled list of Olympic and collegiate accomplishments. We believe he can become a true force in this sport. As an MMA fan, I can’t wait for Ben’s first fight in our tournament on FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo this April." As the nation’s top MMA prospect, Askren joins a Bellator roster that includes elite fighters such as Eddie Alvarez (155 lbs. champion), Hector Lombard (185 lbs. champion), Lyman Good (170 lbs. champion), Joe Soto (145 lbs. champion) and many others. Askren’s signing is the latest in a series of major offseason Bellator announcements that include the promotion’s historic new TV distribution alliance with FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo. Bellator Season 2 begins April 8, 2010 and will run for 12 weeks. It will be followed by Bellator Season 3, which is slated to begin on Aug. 12, 2010 and will also run for 12 successive weeks. Askren said the national TV alliances were a key factor in his decision to sign with Bellator. "I like that my fights are going to broadcast nationally, I like the tournament-style format and I love the opportunity to be a part of something exciting and new," he said. "I plan on winning Bellator. My goal, as it always has been, is to be the best in the world." Askren, who was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and grew up outside of Milwaukee, Wis., now lives in Phoenix and trains at the renowned Arizona Combat Sports gym. In addition to the wrestling techniques he honed at the collegiate and Olympic levels, he holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. "My fiancé doesn’t really like the whole getting punched in the face thing, but she accepts it and is excited for me to continue to compete in MMA for Bellator." Each of Bellator’s 24 fights during Seasons 2 and 3 will be distributed live in primetime on Thursday nights on FOX Sports Net and its regional sports network affiliates. The top moments from each week’s live events will then be condensed into an action-packed 30-minute highlight show, broadcast every Saturday night, late night, on NBC. A one-hour highlight show will air in Spanish on Telemundo every Saturday night from midnight to 1 a.m. Each of the three broadcasts will be aired in high definition. For more information, please visit Bellator.com. |
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