Sunday, December 13, 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


MMA Quick Pic: Diego Sanchez cut by BJ Penn head kick at UFC 107

Posted: 13 Dec 2009 12:11 AM PST

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It was bad enough to stop their UFC 107 main event fight and award "The Prodigy" the Round 5 TKO. Get all the details and fine print by clicking here and here.

Frank Mir used 'The Pacquiao' to drop Cheick Kongo prior to submitting him at UFC 107

Posted: 13 Dec 2009 12:10 AM PST

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Props: UFC.com

Quoteworthy:

"I knew I had the capability of beating (Kongo) based on what I could do in sparring. It's just something I had to make sure crossed over. It's something we've been saying the whole training camp. We call it "The Pacquiao," because (Manny) will step off as a southpaw and throw the overhand left. As soon as I hit him I went to catch him with the uppercut and I didn't see him, he was on the ground. I charged him a little too agressively, I should have passed and established the under hook. Instead he was able to rotate and get back to his knees for a takedown which could have been a major mistake on other opponents like Cain (Velasquez) or Shane Carwin. But instead he gave me his neck and I train with Robert Drysdale on a daily basis. If I get someone's neck in the heavyweight division, it's over with."

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir talks about his stunning submission win over Cheick Kongo in the co-main event of "Penn vs. Sanchez at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, on Saturday, December 12. Mir dropped the hard-hitting Parisian early into the first round, quickly pouncing on his downed foe and choking him out via textbook guillotine.The win could push Mir into a fight against Shane Carwin while Brock Lesnar recuperates on the sidelines after stomach surgery. Anyone have a problem with him facing "The Engineer" -- or does another top flight heavyweight exist for the Las Vegas native to battle?

UFC 107 fighter bonuses and awards for 'Penn vs Sanchez'

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 10:44 PM PST

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UFC 107: "Penn vs. Sanchez" from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, 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 $65,000 each.

The promotion dished out its standard post-fight monetary bonuses to four out of the 22 fighters on the card. And it might surprise you which fighters are leaving the Mid-South with another round of green.

Especially since all four of the winning fighters competed on the night's preliminary card.

In addition to their base salaries, the UFC awarded catchweight fighters Alan Belcher and Wilson Gouveia "Fight of the Night" for their hard hitting, back-and-forth war that was short on rounds but long on excitement.

Not only did Belcher pocket the win, he legitimized his pre-fight claims that he was an exciting fighter and there to put on a show.

Also bringing home the proverbial bacon was former Ultimate Fighter finalist  DaMarques Johnson. The Jeremy Horn-trained submission specialist survived a tight Peruvian necktie to turn the tables on Edgar Garcia and lock in a fight-ending triangle choke to secure "Submission of the Night."

Rounding out the honors was TJ Grant, who garnered "Knockout of the Night" with a punishing right hand that ended an initial flurry by opponent Kevin Burns and gave the Canadian his boku bucks.

Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC 107:

Fight of the Night — Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia
Knockout of the Night — TJ Grant
Submission of the Night —DaMarques Johnson

Again, each fighter received $65,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible.

For complete UFC 107: "Penn vs. Sanchez" results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

UFC 107 results recap from last night for 'Penn vs Sanchez'

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 10:22 PM PST

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UFC 107: "Penn vs. Sanchez" from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, is officially in the books.

So too, is the argument that a viable contender exists within the UFC lightweight division capable of dethroning current 155-pound deity BJ Penn. Did Diego Sanchez gets annihilated in the main event of UFC 107?

YES!

It was evident right from the get-go, when "The Prodigy" gave Sanchez a B.Brian Blair sunset flip courtesy of a crushing right hand. What started as a dream for Sanchez quickly became a "Nightmare" as Penn was relentless with his strikes and showed no signs of slowing down -- even in the fourth and fifth rounds.

While Sanchez hung in there through the fifth frame, a well-placed head kick by the Hawaiian busted him open and prompted a doctor's stoppage due to the severity of the gash. Penn was humble after his TKO victory and in return, Sanchez was gracious in defeat -- promising to "be back."

Will a rematch with Ultimate Fighter rival Kenny Florian be waiting for him?

There was no touch of gloves between Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo in the night's co-main event, probably because Mir didn't want to set off any of the dynamite in his left hand -- the same one that exploded against the Parisian's chin, sending him crumbling to the canvas en route to a first round submission loss.

It was hard to imagine any performance from Frank Mir that could have lived up to the weeks of trash talking that came from the former champ, but after watching him mount his wounded opponent and lock in a fight-ending guillotine, there are probably a lot of top level heavyweights looking over their shoulders.

Could a recuperating Brock Lesnar be one of them?

Welterweight star Jon Fitch continued on his journey to steal the title of most UFC decision finishes from Tyson Griffin with his unanimous nod over the rugged Mike Pierce. Nothing we haven't seen from the Purdue wrestling standout, as he outworked his stocky opponent using an effective balance of wrestling and body control.

And a few shots to the dome certainly helped his cause.

Pierce didn't get a chance to flaunt any of his best attributes under the suffocating attack of the former 170-pound number one contender, but he did show that he can take a punch (and a knee) without even batting an eyelash. Post-fight comments had Fitch praising the "bright" future of Pierce.

This writer unanimously agrees.

It was supposed to be an exciting battle of lightweight stars when Kenny Florian took on Clay Guida, and while "The Carpenter gave it his awl, "KenFlo" proved why he was afforded two cracks at the 155-pound crown with a dominating performance capped off by a textbook rear naked choke.

He also proved that change isn't always a bad thing.

After a cautious feeling-out process in round one, the former TUF star battered Guida with his much improved boxing that was a result of his recent switch in training camps. In fact, Guida had difficulty making any kind of defense hold up, as a patented "Hellbow" split him open late in the first and kept his eyes bloodied until the submission finish.

Following his impressive win, Florian promised the fans another run at lightweight gold and more "finishes" in the process.

Paul Buentello kept true to his "Headhunter" moniker when he opted to throw hands with Stefan Struve for three rounds in the opening fight of the night. He spent the majority of the first round on defense, as the lanky Dane used his long limbs for multiple submission attempts.

The second frame was an entertaining back-and-forth brouhaha that could have gone to either fighter, but likely saw the Mexican mauler pull ahead with further proof that flying knee plus hard right hand equals Octagon ass-plant. Unfortunately Buentello negated his own momentum by spending round three stalking the "Skyscraper" and eating a plethora of leg kicks.

In the end, Struve took the majority nod, but credited his opponent for a tough fight and felt like it could have been a draw. Regardless, Struve takes two steps forward, Buentello takes one step back.

That’s enough from us — now it’s your turn to discuss "Penn vs. Sanchez" in the comments section below. Sound off, Maniacs. Let’s hear what you have to say.

For complete UFC 107 results and detailed blow-by-blow commentary of the televised main card fights click here.

Now Playing: UFC 107 post-fight press conference for 'Penn vs Sanchez'

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 10:13 PM PST

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UFC 107: "Penn vs Sanchez" from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, has come to a close.

It featured a night of exciting finishes, back-and-forth battles and a five round main event that further cemented the status of BJ Penn as one of today's MMA elite following his win over Diego Sanchez.

Following the combat, UFC President Dana White and a handful of participating fighters will be on hand for the UFC 107 post-fight press conference, which is embedded for the 1:30 a.m. start time after the jump.

Check it out below.

Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com.

For UFC 107 results and recap click here and here.

UFC 107 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Penn vs Sanchez' on Dec. 12 in Memphis

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is now underway with its last pay-per-view (PPV) event of the 2009 fight campaign, which is happening LIVE (Dec. 12, 2009) from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.

UFC 107: "Penn vs. Sanchez" features a sensational main event between lightweight division champion, BJ "The Prodigy" Penn, defending his title against number one division contender, Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez. Former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir will "begin his quest for a third title" when he takes on Cheick Kongo in the co-featured fight of the night.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 107, beginning with the pay-per-view (PPV) broadcast at 10 p.m. ET. Up-to-the-minute quick results of all the other under card action will begin to flow earlier in the evening around 8:15 p.m. Et.

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the televised action to share their thoughts on all things "Penn vs. Sanchez." Therefore, feel free to leave a comment or 107 before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after "Penn vs. Sanchez."

Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC 107 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action!)

UFC 107 QUICK RESULTS

UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn defeats Diego Sanchez via TKO (Doctors Stoppage; Cut) Rd 5
Frank Mir defeats Cheick Kongo via Submission (Guillotine Choke) Rd 1
Kenny Florian def. Clay Guida via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Rd 2
Jon Fitch defeats Mike Pierce via Unanimous Decision
Stefan Struve def. Paul Buentello via Majority Decision
Alan Belcher def. Wilson Gouveia via TKO (referee stoppage due to strikes) at 3:02, Rd 1
Matt Wiman def. Shane Nelson via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Johnny Hendricks def. Ricardo Funch via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)
Rousimar Palhares def. Lucio Linhares via Submission (heel hook) at 3:21, Rd 2
DaMarques Johnson def. Edgar Garcia via Submission (triangle choke) at 4:03, Rd 1

TJ Grant def. Kevin Burns via TKO (referee stoppage) at 4:57, Rd 1

UFC 107 PLAY-BY-PLAY LIVE MAIN CARD COMMENTARY:

Druby back in the fold after some confusion. Lets get it crack a lackin' Maniacs.

 

UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez (155-pound limit)

Round one: BJ moving forward. Diego charges in with punches but isnt close on any of them. Penn with a HUGE right and Diego is hurt bad!!!!! Penn on his back and is pounding away with punches!!! Diego rolls over and tries to get a leg and Penn is still throwing a flurry of punches!!! Diego now works his way back up to his feet and Penn is stalking him now. Diego looks wobbly on his legs still. I dont know how he survived that onslaught. Diego now charges in again and BJ lands an uppercut and Diego is dropped again briefly. Sanchez now holding onto a single looking for a take down. Nice big elbow from Diego on the break. Penn stalking Diego and you can tell he was hurt bad he is on his heels now. Body kick from Diego. BJ very calm and picking his shots. Diego with a failed take down attempt. Diego misses with a left and Penn lands a good left of his own. Flying knee attempt from Diego stopped with a Penn jab. BIG right again from BJ and another good right from Penn!! Thats the bell and BJ Penn dominated on the feet that round from start to finish and was seconds away from a TKO. 10-9 round for Penn with an outside shot at a 10-8 round.


Round two: Diego very hesitant. BJ chasing and being very aggressive. Diego grabs a hold of a single and is looking to lock it up. BJ up against the cage using some dirty boxing. Diego lets the leg go. Nice left right combo from Penn. Nice right from Penn. Diego is very wary of trying to attack. BJ relaxed and just picking his shots at will. Diego charges in and throws a flurry and hits nothing but air. Diego shoots and Penn sprawls and lands a good right. Head kick from Diego misses and Penn makes him pay with a left. Counter left from BJ and then a good straight right down the pipe. Diego with a right. BJ misses with a big right and Diego is going for a single leg take down. Penn with great defense. The round ends and once again its all BJ Penn he hasn't even broken a sweat yet. 10-9 Penn and Diego needs to shake things up otherwise its only a matter of time before Penn capitalizes in a big way.


Round three: Decent right from Sanchez. Head kick blocked by Penn. Left hook from Penn lands flush. Penn rushes in and lands a good right. Diego goes for a single leg again but Penn is stifling his attempt. Penn with elbows to the shoulder of Diego as he goes for the take down. BJ lands a good hammer fist with some snap. Short uppercuts from Penn. Dirty boxing from Penn convinces Diego to abandon the single leg attempt. Head kick from Diego misses. Single leg attempt again from Diego. Penn lands a left hook. Penn using the wizzer to just control Diego's head. Nice elbow from Penn. Nice left from Penn. BJ now picking up the pace. Diego swing a miss and Penn lands a knee to the stomach. Two good dirty boxing rights from Penn. Diego again goes for a single leg but at this point its all for naught Penn's defense is too good. Penn lands a flurry of left and rights as Diego lets go. Thats the bell, and BJ Penn is putting on a clinic. 10-9 Penn. Diego needs a miracle.


Round four: Diego has a good cut on the lip and his nose is battered a bruised. Penn comes out quick. His conditioning is amazing tonight. Great left from BJ. Diego misses another single leg take down attempt and BJ makes him pay with a right. Big right hand from BJ. Diego with desperate shot and BJ lands another right. BJ with a good right off the fence. Diego swings wildly to push his way in and goes for a single again but he is having zero luck. Penn once again making him pay with punches. Diego again looking for a single but Penn stuffs him again and the crowd is starting to boo as a response to Diegos lack of interest in striking with Penn. Nice head kick from Diego. Good jab from Diego. Big knee from Penn. A nice left hook from Penn to finish the round. Another 10-9 round from Penn and he hasn't even broken a sweat yet. He is outclassing Diego Sanchez.


Round five: SICK body shot from Penn makes Diego double over. Head kick blocked by Penn. Diego again drops down for a single despite knowing he needs a KO at this point. BJ with a clinch. Diego drops down again for the single and he obviously does not want to strike with Penn. Nice left on the way up from BJ. WOW big right and then head kick from Penn snaps the head of Sanchez back. Diego grabs hold of Penn and BJ unleashes some serious short uppercuts. Diego is gushing blood from a cut over his eye and the ref stops it to check out the damage. Thats it maniacs the doctor stops the fight as Diego has a gaping wound over his left eye. That is one of the worst cuts ive seen in a long long time. BJ Penn simply outclassed Diego Sanchez from start to finish. He hurt Diego in the 1st stanza and it was all BJ from that point on. This was BJ Penn at his finest.

Final result: BJ Penn defeats Diego Sanchez via TKO (Doctors Stoppage; Cut) Round 5

-end-


Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo (265-pound limit)

Round one: Kongo swings with authority but misses. Mir lands a HUGE left hand that drops Kongo!!! Mir jumps onto the head of Kongo and has a deep deep guillotine locked in!!! The ref jumps in and stops it and Kongo is OUT COLD! Kongo is literally asleep. Frank Mir comes out and dominates. Wow that was a very very impressive performance.


Round two:
Round three:

Final result: Frank Mir defeats Cheick Kongo via Submission (Guillotine Choke) Round 1

-end-


Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida (155-pound limit)

Round one: They meet in the center and feel each other out. Head kick misses for Florian and he tumbles to the mat. Guida follows and tries to get busy in KenFlo's guard. Kenny showing stingy defense and gets back to his feet. Florian is cut. They trade hands and back away. Kenny with a knee but gets blocked. Guida stalking. Kenny shoots and gets a very brief takedown. Guida up and pushing the pace. Guida drops down for a single but Florian flattens him out. Guida rises and looks for a toss and Florian lands on top of him. Back to the feet and Florian with a big knee. Guida cut. Florian picks him up and drops him. Back to the feet and Florian with an elbow. Action halted to check the cut on Guida's head. Doctor can't find any cut in Guida's mop top. Guida belches loudly. Round ends with some jabbing on both sides.

Round two: jFlorian jabbing effectively. Guida shoot from too far away and doesn't get it. Blood pouring down the face of Guida. Florian showing superior stand-up. Superman punch misses for the Carpenter. Florian drops him with a HUGE right and pounces. Guida in all kinds of trouble. Florian takes his back and submits him with ease. Domination. Guida probably didn't even see the punch coming with the blood in his eyes.

Round three:

Final result: Kenny Florian defeats Clay Guida via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)

-end-


Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce (170-pound limit)

Round one: Leg kick from Fitch to start. Fitch catches a leg and now is work the back of Pierce. Fitch muscles down Pierce and has his hooks in right away. Fitch using a half nelson to try and flatten Pierce out on the mat. Fitch peppering in some good punches to try and loosen up Pierces grip on his left wrist. Pierce punching up at Fitch. Pierce gets rid of one hook and now stands up and gets a double and a huge take down! Fitch back to his feet and both men with the body clinch. Fitch bleeding from the nose and the ref stops the stalemate. Good left from Fitch. Inside leg kick from Pierce. Good left from Pierce. Good knee and body kick from Fitch. The round ends with a lazy take down attempt from Fitch. Close round id lean 10-9 Fitch but it could go to either man.


Round two: Nice leg kick from Fitch. Pierce charges in and goes for a double and Fitch with some under hooks. Pierce working some knees to the thigh. Both men land jabs. Fitch with a left then a knee that misses. Leg kick from Fitch then a head kick that misses. Fitch catches a leg kick from Pierce and gets the take down right away. Fitch jumps to the back now and is working to get his hooks in. Pierce with good defense and their up against the cage now. Fitch misses a knee. Jab from Pierce. Leg kick from Fitch. Jab from Pierce. Nice right from Fitch. Nice left right combo from Pierce. Good faint left and right hook from Fitch and then a uppercut from Fitch. Body shot from Pierce. Good leg kick from Fitch. Fitch ducks under a left and gets a single leg take down and is right onto Pierces back again. Knee's to the head of Pierce from Fitch. Pierce on his feet but Fitch is working the back. Knee to the gut from Fitch as Pierces turns around. Fitch with a good left. Fitch charges forward and lands a good left then right. Pierce with a good left and Fitch with a take down attempt thats stopped but he lands a good uppercut to end the round. Not the most exciting fight but Fitch wins that round 10-9. He should be ahead on points thanks to his take downs.


Round three: Nice body kick and knee from Fitch to start the round. Fitch shoots in and gets stuffed but comes up throwing punches. Nice straight right from Fitch. Pierce charging in and now their clinched against the fence. Short left from Pierce. Nice elbow from Fitch and then 4 or 5 knees to the body from the clinch. Pierce pushes Fitch against the cage and is working knees to the thigh. Good left hook from Pierce. Left from Fitch and Pierce lands a counter right. Pierce bleeding from his nose. Both men land jabs. Head kick from Fitch lands. Jab from Fitch. Nice uppercut then left from Fitch. Another head kick from Fitch. Fitch again with another take down and is trying to hold down Pierce. Fitch again riding the back of Pierce. Pierce back to his feet. Jab from Fitch leg kick from Pierce. Fitch lands a left and then a big knee. Good body punch from Fitch. Pierce lands a right and buckles Fitch. Fitch looking to hold on now but Pierce is not capitalizing. Fitch holds on until the bell and that's the fight. Fitch should take this one on points.

Final result: Jon Fitch defeats Mike Pierce via Unanimous Decision

-end-


Paul Buentello vs. Stefan Struve (265-pound limit)

Round one: High kick misses for Struve. Paul backs him up with a a combo. Low kick by Struve. Paul catches a knee and Struve jumps into guard. Buentello backs away and eats an uppercut. Headhunter doesn't flinch but falls backwards under Struve's weight. Buentello gives up his back. Struve has a body triangle. Paul keeps himself locked in doggystyle position. Buentello taking shots to the head. Crowd getting restless. Struve rolls him over and Buentello is sucking wind. Struve sits him up and tries for the rear naked choke. Crowd raining down boos. Buentello manages to roll his way into Struve's guard and works elbows to the body. Struve busy from the bottom with elbows to the head. Round over.

Round two: Struve comes out looking tired. He tries for a flying knee and falls on his ass. He gets a chance to get up and pushes Buentello to the cage. Dirty boxing by Buentello. Struve drops down and works a leg but gets nothing. He transitions to the foot but Paul isn't having it. They break away and Buentello lands to the body. Both land an uppercut. Struve jumps for a knee and Buentello creams him with a right. Someone in the Underground is making the .gif as we speak. Skyscraper collapses but Buentello lets him up. They tie up against the cage and they unload on each other landing clean. Crowd roars. Struve goes E. Honda on Buentello who takes a breath and fires back. They break away and touch gloves. Buentello with an uppercut at the horn.

Round three: They trade jabs to open. Low kick by Struve. Another. Head kick misses. Two more low kicks land for Skyscraper. Knee to the body and a right land for Struve. Buentello eats an elbow against the cage. Couple of low kicks land for Struve. Buentello doing nothing except getting picked apart by leg kicks. Struve falls backwards in an exchange. Buentello lets him up. Buentello lands a 1-2 and a nice flurry to close it out but did nothing the entire round.

Final result: Stefan Struve defeats Paul Buentello via Majority Decision

-end-

UFC 107 videos blog with Dana White (Weigh in edition)

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 12:12 PM PST

UFC Quick Quote: No Rampage, no problem in Memphis

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 09:03 AM PST

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"[Rampage] hasn't been a focal point, and you know why? Because we brought (in) B.J. and Diego, man. It's a real fight, you know what I mean? We didn't say, 'Hey, Rampage isn't here, so we're bringing in Houston Alexander.' ... When he [Jackson] fell off and that whole thing happened, we knew we had to bring a strong card.... I'm more disappointed in him than anything. I don't know if you've followed me and how I react sometimes, but I get angry and I usually get in fights with all these guys. But we've done a lot for him. I think we've been really good to Rampage. He has his own ways he looks at it, sees it, and it just [stinks]. We put him on the show. The promotion on the show was great because he and Rashad hate each other, and he's been [complaining] to me since he came into this thing to fight in his hometown of Memphis. And now we have B.J. Penn fighting in Memphis.... I think he hurt himself. I really think he did. But he goes out there and gets a couple of knockouts, people will forget real quick."

-- UFC President Dana White talks to the Commercial Appeal about tonight's re-worked main event between lightweight champion BJ Penn and number one contender, Diego Sanchez. Former light heavyweight champion and hometown product, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, was originally expected to carry the card. But when he got a "bad attitude" for the "A Team" movie, White and Co. were forced to bring out the big guns to make local fans happy. Are you more satisfied with the card's latest incarnation or does the absence of Rampage have a big impact?

UFC Twitter and other news/updates from MMAmania!

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 09:02 AM PST

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To start following us today simply create an account (it's simple and free) and visit our page right here (Twitter.com/MMAmaniaNews). Click the "Follow" button and you are subscribed -- that's it!

It's a great way to stay on top of breaking news, as well as "follow" fighters and others involved in the sport to see what everyone is up to. Like our Web site, we update our Twitter account several times each day with the top MMA stories from around the globe.

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Trainer: Diego Sanchez is not a threat to BJ Penn at UFC 107 (Video)

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 08:08 AM PST

And he thinks Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard may have been more deserving of the opportunity instead of "Nightmare:"

(Thanks to Nick Thomas at BloodyElbow.com for the assist.)

Keep hatin': Alan Belcher UFC 107 interview exclusive with MMAmania

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 06:56 AM PST

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Alan Belcher’s career with the UFC has led him over many cliffs and perhaps through just as many valleys.

After his razor thin split-decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 100 -- a fight that granted each of the participants a $100,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus -- he was devasted. Belcher, who had won his two previous fights before meeting "Sexyama," was once again fell out of the good graces of UFC executives and dipped deeper in the 185-pound rankings.

However, what stings the good ole' southern man the most is the fact that his upcoming fight with Wilson Gouveia at UFC 107 isn't slated to appear live on the main pay-per-view (PPV) card. Quite frankly, Belcher -- who is known for being one of the more entertaining fighters in the UFC -- is, for lack of a better word, "pissed" about the situation.

The good news is Belcher could see himself move from the back-burner to front-and-center in a division on the short end when it comes to contenders. All he needs is another exciting win -- or even a "fluke" win as he puts it -- and he could once again be back in the title chase.

MMAmania.com recently tracked down Belcher to hear his feelings about his close decision loss to Akiyama, his fight with Gouveia being on the undercard, and the reasons behind getting Johnny Cash tattooed on his arm.

Check it out:

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): You are obviously coming off a tough split-decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 100. Could you describe your feelings during the days following the disappointing decision?

Alan Belcher: I was depressed and trying to figure out what to do. It would’ve been a lot worse if I wouldn’t have won that "Fight of the Night" bonus, that big bonus. That kind of changed my mind about it. I was kind of like, let’s get back to training and do big things next time. That’s how you should feel every time, but it took that bonus to really make me feel that way.

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): How was that loss any worse than previous losses you have had, considering it was such a close decision?

Alan Belcher: It’s tough man. You try to get that third (consecutive) win and then you get a loss. Two wins you get a loss. Two wins, and you are like, 'Oh my God, I’m gonna break this.' Every time I get to that point I’m like, 'I’m going to get my third win.' I was about to get my third win. I went in there and fought the best that I could and I think I beat my opponent. And, you know, they stole it from me, man.

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): How anxious are you to get back into the Octagon after losing such a close fight? Do you feel like you have something to prove?

Alan Belcher: Yeah, absolutely, I’ve got something to prove. I have the critics, all the haters. And to Dana White, Joe Silva. You know, I don’t think they really think I’m a top fighter. I know there’s a lot of people out there that know I’m the best in the world. If I’ve gotta earn their respect, I’m just gonna keep on winning, and that’s what I’m thinking in this fight. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder.

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): Would a rematch with Akiyama interest you?

Alan Belcher: Yeah, absolutely. My next fight, I’d love to. Let’s set it up! He’s not fighting Wanderlei now. I mean, I can’t even begin to describe how ridiculous some things are. That was on UFC 100 -- 75 countries in the world. I got "Fight of the Night." It wasn’t because they felt sorry for me. It really was the "Fight of the Night." Every time I fight, you know, I’m not trying to show off. That’s just how I am. I’m a good fighter and people like to watch me because I’m an athlete and I’ve got a lot of moves. My next fight, I’m on the undercard? What the hell? What’s the deal with that?

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): In your last two fights you’ve won "Submission of the Night" and "Fight of the Night," so ...

Alan Belcher: Exactly man. I’m winning a bonus every time I fight. The bonuses are given to the fighters to give them incentive to fight the way the UFC wants them to fight. So you’d think the guys getting the bonuses are the ones fighting the way they wanted to fight. So it’s like, why do you put me on the undercard my next fight? Maybe it’s just me. I mean, I don’t have any solid numbers or anything, but it seems like to me that people would rather watch me fight than… Well I’ll just give you an example. Paul Buentello and Todd Duffee are on the main card ahead of me. And I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s because Todd Duffee. They’re hoping he’s gonna be a heavyweight star. Get him a couple of wins and let him fight Brock Lesnar.’ I understand that. Todd Duffee gets hurt, so I’m like, ‘Oh yeah. I’m on the main card for sure.’ Joe tells me that we don’t have many heavyweight stars, so we’re gonna have to keep Buentello on the main card. Paul Buentello! UFC fans these days don’t know who Paul Buentello is. No disrespect to him at all, but that’s just a fact. They don’t know who he is, and he’s not exciting to watch, and he’s not going to be anything in the heavyweight division. He’s already lost his opportunities and he’s going back for whatever reason. I don’t know why man. They’re bringing back all of these old school guys. It’s great for selling the big names and stuff, but Buentello is no big name. The fans want to see me on the main card.

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): Is that the most frustrating thing in your career now? The fact that you’re not making this main card, even though you’ve been able to put on some of the best performances?

Alan Belcher: Yeah, I guess you could say that. I’m not considered a top 10 fighter. I don’t know man. I’m close to being in there, but I think that I should be right there. At least the same as Akiyama. I don’t know who’s making these rankings man. Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler, Paulo Filho. I mean, where’s he at? Kazuo Misaki? Can you imagine if I fought that guy? Yoshihiro Akiyama. These guys are all guys around top 10 to 15. Jorge Santiago went on a winning streak against these guys who are not ranked at all. How does he get back in the top 10? I knocked that guy out. The guy that beat him just got his way into the top 10. Mamed Khalidov, or whatever. That guy never fought anybody good until he fought Santiago. He got him down and then hit him from the bottom. That’s kind of a fluke. Man, it’s just, it’s ridiculous. Demian Maia, he got his fast track into the UFC, then he got destroyed really fast by Nate Marquardt. Maybe he shouldn’t be out of the top 10, but still he shouldn’t be at four or five. That’s kind of who I want to fight next if I can’t get a rematch with Akiyama. I’d like to fight Demian Maia. Show people he doesn’t belong in the top 10. He can’t take me down. He can’t stand with me.

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): How far away from a title shot do you feel you are in this division, compared to someone like Demian Maia?

Alan Belcher: He’s a long ways away. He got handled last time. I don’t think he’s gonna get one anytime soon. I think if I win this in a dominating fashion, that he’d give me a fight that would get me in the right spot for a title shot. But then again, you never know man. I can’t get my hopes up at all.

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): At UFC 106, Forrest Griffin got a 30-27 decision from one of the judges, and Dana White thought it was a terrible decision. Same thing goes for the Shogun-Machida fight. Dana White says that was a terrible decision. Is it kind of upsetting to see him kind of defend these fighters like Ortiz and Rua, but with your decision he was basically just saying you can’t let it go to the judges?

Alan Belcher: Yeah man. You’re right. I don’t know. I can’t speak that way. Maybe mine was just one of the beginning ones and now he’s starting to speak out. But yeah man, it is upsetting. He did say something about it in the press conference, but like you said, he did. He was the first person I went to, Dana said that’s what happens when you let it go to the judges. Don’t look at me, I can’t do nothing about it.

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): You are set to fight Wilson Gouveia at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tennessee. Gouveia has mean jiu-jitsu, but loves to stand and bang. How do you see this fight playing out?

Alan Belcher: I don’t wanna give my game plan away that much, but I’ve got a few things in my toolbox that I’ve always had. Nothing really new, but a way that I think that it’s not going to be much of a match standing I don’t think. If he brings the right game plan to the fight and is really conditioned to keep pushing the pace and try to take me down, and keep trying to take me down, and keep trying to take me down. You know, then it will be a good fight. But if he’s content with standing, I don’t think it’s going to be much of a match.

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): Where will a win over Gouveia put you in the UFC 185-pound division?

Alan Belcher: Man, I can’t say. You never know with these people making the rankings, people making the matches in the UFC. You never know. It’s about how big of a splash I can make, you know? Really to tell you the truth, what kind of a fluke can you make. Am I gonna go in there and knock him out in five seconds, and everybody goes, ’Oh my God. Alan Belcher should fight Anderson Silva next.' And I get on the microphone and am like, ‘Yeah, I’m the best ever and I’m ready for Anderson Silva.’ That’s just how it works in this game man. It’s not real. It’s not real. You know what I’m saying? That could happen, or it could be a really close three round fight and then I get put back on the back burner again.

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): On a different note, UFC 100 introduced a lot of viewers to the Johnny Cash tattoo you have on your left arm. Could you explain the tattoo and the reasons for getting it done?

Alan Belcher: Man, I just think that it represents the kind of music that I like and I like Johnny Cash a lot man. Grew up listening to it. I don’t know man. It’s pretty much a way of just expressing my interest in traditional country music and Johnny Cash is maybe not my favorite but one of my favorites. And I thought it would make a good piece on my arm. I’m working on getting some more stuff on there. I just wanted to express myself a little more. Show my music side and I like doing things that are not fighting. You know, I’m not just a fighter. All these guys, it’s like fighting is their life and all this. Not me, you know? I do other things. I don’t have to have fighting. That’s kind of what the tattoo is all about.

Nate Lawson (MMAmania.com): Well besides Johnny Cash, what’s on your iPod or CD player? What are you listening to?

Alan Belcher: Always Bob Dylan. I like song writers. Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson are some of my favorites. Let’s see… I like Eddie Vedder a lot man. A lot of stuff that he covered. A lot of political things and religious things that he wrote about. The movie "Into the Wild," the soundtrack he did for that. I’m listening to that a lot now. I’m thinking about coming out to a song off of there. And, yeah man, I listen to everything. A lot of different stuff man, but that stuff’s always on there man. Willie and Bob Dylan.

Alan Belcher would like you to check out AlanBelcher.com and to follow him on Twitter at @alanbelcherufc.

Sean Sherk vs Jim Miller now set for UFC 108 with Tyson Griffin injured

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 06:55 AM PST

Sherk_miller_ufc107_medium

It's hard to imagine, but the injury-riddled UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva" fight card has sustained yet another blow. However, the promotion has shifted seamlessly on the fly to minimize the damage.

Former lightweight champion Sean Sherk (33-4-1) has been tapped to throwdown with Jim Miller (15-2) at UFC 108 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2, 2010.

Sherk was supposed to battle promotion sophomore Rafael Oliveira (9-2) on the same card, but his opponent was switched to Miller when his foe, Tyson Griffin, was forced off the card with an injury. No new match up for Oliveira is known at this time.

This is the first fight back for Sherk since a unanimous decision loss to Frank Edgar at UFC 98: "Evans vs. Machida" back in May. In that fight he relied perhaps too much on his new and improved striking skills, which he demonstrated in a unanimous decision win over Tyson Griffin at UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote."

Whether or not he returns to his roots, wrestling, which was a big factor is his divisional dominance for so many years, against Miller remains to be seen. However, at the ripe old age of 36, the "Muscle Shark" needs to dial it in sooner rather than later if he wants to head back toward title contention before calling it quits.

Miller is fresh off a technical knockout win over Steve Lopez at UFC 103 back in Sept., during which Lopez and his shoulder decided to part ways early into the second round, effectively halting the bout. It marked the fifth fight for the New Jersey product inside the Octagon and his fourth win.

A unanimous decision loss to the streaking Gray Maynard at UFC 96 back on March 7 is the only blip during that span. His other wins include Matt Wiman and David Baron.

UFC 108 features a re-worked main event between former light heavyweight champion "Sugar" Rashad Evans and the hard-hitting Thiago Silva. It's unclear at this time which fight will serve as the co main event; however, the lightweight clash between Sherk and Miller will be featured on the televised main card.

To check out the latest UFC 108: "Evans vs. Machida" fight card click here. It's changed quite a bit.

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