Tuesday, March 31, 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

Roger Huerta and Benji Radach talk about getting hit hard (Video)

Posted: 30 Mar 2009 02:14 PM PDT

WEC announces ‘Faber vs Brown 2′ for Arco Arena on June 7

Posted: 30 Mar 2009 01:59 PM PDT

It’s now official. For more on WEC 41 click here. More to follow shortly.

Alessio Sakara vs Rousimar Palhares UFC 99 fight possible June 13

Posted: 30 Mar 2009 12:11 PM PDT

Former Italian boxer Alessio Sakara will tangle with Brazilian jiu-jitsu submission specialist Rousimar Palhares at UFC 99 from the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, on June 13, according to MMAWeekly.com.

Talk about a clash of styles.

"Legionarius" is coming off a brutal knockout of Joe Vedepo via head kick at UFC Fight Night 15 back in September 2008. It was an eye-opening finish from the heavy-handed American Top Team product to say the least.

Sakara was set to lock horns with Jake Rosholt at UFC Fight Night 17 on Feb. 7, 2009, until a late shoulder injury forced him off the card. He was then penciled in to clash with Alan Belcher at UFC 99 before "The Talent" was promoted to a showdown opposite big free agent acquisition, Yoshihiro Akiyama.

The former light heavyweight is currently (2-2) in his last four bouts and the same during his three-year career (4-4, 1 NC) with the UFC. Sakara — who historically struggles against higher-level competition — has been branded a gatekeeper of the division.

The up-and-coming Palhares is fresh off a unanimous decision win over mixed martial arts journeyman Jeremy Horn at UFC 93 earlier this year. Prior to the win, "Toquinho," which means "tree stump" in Portuguese, dropped a unanimous decision to Dan Henderson at UFC 88: "Breakthrough" on September 6.

In both performances he demonstrated just how dangerous he can be on the ground — Horn and Henderson were extremely cautious when their fights went south. Ivan Salaverry — Palhares' first opponent inside the Octagon — was not so lucky, tapping to a super slick armbar at UFC 84: "Ill Will" back in May 2008.

UFC 99 will be headlined by former middleweight champion Rich "Ace" Franklin taking on ex-PRIDE smashing machine Wanderlei Silva in a special 195-pound brawl. Two solid welterweight match ups — Mike Swick vs. Ben Saunders and Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy — are also currently expected to receive main card billing.

For more on UFC 99 click here.

ProFC 5: Aleksander Emelianenko vs Ibragim Magomedov (Video)

Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:56 AM PDT

Former PRIDE heavyweight Aleksander Emelianenko (15-3) avoids being stopped for just the second time in his career thanks to a timely cut suffered by Ibragim Magomedov (21-6-1) in their brawl at the ProFC 5 event on March 29, 2009, held at the Palace of Sports in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. The second-to-last Emperor was rocked with an overhand right but clinched his way to recovery while sending Mags to the locker room for stitches. Vat a country!

UFC Quick Quote: KenFlo confirms Philly fight for his ‘Beast Coast’ fans on August 8

Posted: 30 Mar 2009 10:22 AM PDT

“I am happy to announce that I will be fighting BJ Penn on August 8th in Philadelphia, PA at UFC 101 for the UFC Lightweight title. I signed the fight contract over the weekend. It’s going to be my first time fighting on the East Coast for the UFC and I will be training hard to represent my “Beast Coast” fans! My training camp will begin in June and then it will be full steam ahead till August. BJ Penn has been a wrecking machine at 155lbs and I guarantee that our fight will showcase MMA at its highest level.”

–UFC Lightweight number one contender Kenny Florian shares his excitement via his official newsletter about facing BJ Penn at UFC 101 from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 8. “KenFlo” dropped a blood-soaked unanimous decision to Sean Sherk for a then-vacant division title at UFC 64: "Unstoppable" back in October 2006. He has not tasted defeat since, winning six straight against many of the best the class had to offer. Now he gets a second bite at the championship apple, against “The Prodigy,” who may be the finest lightweight mixed martial artist in the world.

Houston Alexander tests the power of adrenaline on ‘Sport Science’ (Video)

Posted: 30 Mar 2009 09:56 AM PDT

Frank Shamrock contemplates rematch with Tito Ortiz and possible pro boxing debut

Posted: 30 Mar 2009 09:55 AM PDT

Props: MMAConvert

Quoteworthy:

“After I beat (Nick) Diaz I'm gonna do the Cung (Le) rematch and then I'm hoping to get Tito (Ortiz) in there if he can get his head back together. So who knows? I'd actually like to do some pro boxing and see where that goes … MMA is really hard on the body. I'll be 37 at the end of this year so I've got to pick a direction. Either I keep breaking it up or I switch it up a little bit … I've been with my boxing coach about five years now. He's an old-timer named Tony DiMaria. He's made my hands and my understanding about boxing just go through the roof. I'm gonna stay with him. Boxing was the first sport I fell in love with and I've got a feeling I'll end up in it.”

-Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock (23-9-2) comments on his upcoming main event bout with Nick Diaz at the Strikeforce event scheduled for April 11 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Shamrock — who defeated Diaz' mentor Cesar Gracie in just 21 seconds back in 2006 – is already projecting future rematches with Cung Le and perhaps Tito Ortiz by the end of the year. Shammy also wants to tests his hands in the world of pro boxing — which seems to be the craze among top MMA stars. Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones Jr., Tim Sylvia vs. Ray Mercer, Shammy Jr. vs. ???

Gesias Calvancante vs Tatsuya Kawajiri fight possible for DREAM 9

Posted: 30 Mar 2009 09:12 AM PDT

Highly regarded lightweight standout Gesias “JZ” Calvancante is set to do battle with Japanese mainstay Tatsuya Kawajiri at ‘DREAM 9′ on May 26 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan according to a report over at Sherdog.com.

“JZ” is coming off a year long layoff, last competing against Shinya Aoki at ‘DREAM 2′ back in April 2008 where he would end up losing a decision to the “Tobikan Judan”. Since than he’s been nursing a torn ACL that required surgery last May.

He was ready to make his return against DREAM Lightweight Champion Joachim Hansen in a non-title bout at ‘FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008′ on New Years Eve until Hansen failed pre-fight medicals and was forced to pull out of the fight with a mysterious “head injury” just hours before the event, leaving Calvancante without an opponent.

Well now it appears he's found one in formidable foe Tatsuya Kawajiri.

“Crusher” was last seen at ‘DREAM 7′ earlier this month where he made short work of BJ Penn student Ross Ebanez (19-7), quickly submitting him with a rear naked choke in the opening stanza.

After the bout in his post-fight speech Kawajiri actually called out Calvancante and lobbied for them to fight in May.

Ask and you shall receive.

‘DREAM 9′ will also be host to the quarterfinals of their Featherweight Grand Prix, which should see the return of the highly popular Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto who was offered a bye in hopes he'd be fit to compete in the Tournament.

Of course also participating will be the men who fought for their spots in the Grand Prix at the opening round at ‘DREAM 7′ including Masakazu Imanari (16-6-1), Hiroyuki Takaya (10-6-1), Yoshiro Maeda (24-6-2), Abel Cullum (14-2), Joe Warren (1-0) and Bibiano Fernandes (4-2).

The final eighth spot in the Tournament will be decided when Hideo Tokoro (21-15-1) faces off against Daiki Hata (10-5-3) at ‘DREAM 8′ on April 5. The bout was originally intended to take place in March with the rest of the opening round until an eye injury to Hata forced the bout to be rescheduled.

‘DREAM 9′ will have a primetime slot on Japanese broadcasting channel TBS, so look for more big names to be added to the card as we get closer to May 26.

Here is the current line-up for ‘DREAM 9′:

Lightweight bout:
Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (23-5-2)

Featherweight GP Quarterfinals Participants:

Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (17-1)
Masakazu Imanari (16-6-1)
Hiroyuki Takaya (10-6-1)
Yoshiro Maeda (24-6-2)
Abel Cullum (14-2)
Joe Warren (1-0)
Bibiano Fernandes (4-2)
Winner of Hideo Tokoro (21-15-1) vs. Daiki Hata (10-5-3) at ‘DREAM 8′

For more on DREAM check out our archive here.

Fight Night 18 headliner Carlos Condit featured on tonight’s presentation of Pro MMA Radio

Posted: 30 Mar 2009 08:34 AM PDT

The last man to hold the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) welterweight title, Carlos Condit, will join us tonight at 9 p.m. ET on MMAmania.com's exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio.

"The Natural Born Killer" will go in-depth about his Octagon debut against Martin Kampmann in the main event match at UFC Fight Night 18: "Condit vs. Kampmann" on April 1 from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee, along with being able to fight the best 170-pound fighters in the world after the WEC recently dissolved its welterweight class.

Hosted by Larry Pepe, Pro MMA Radio is professional, guest-driven program that features some of mixed martial arts biggest names.

If you're looking for a radio show that revolves around a couple of MMA fans ranting and raving about everything that's already been covered ad nauseam, then Pro MMA Radio probably isn't for you.

However, if you want to hear from actual fighters and industry insiders answering questions that are relevant to the current MMA scene, tune in every Monday night at 9 p.m. ET for our exclusive live feed.

See you tonight at 9 p.m. ET!

Official Statement from Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) on the Bobby Lashley Rumor of fight against Marcus Jones

Posted: 30 Mar 2009 07:36 AM PDT

From XFC president John Prisco:

"It's come to our attention that a rumor has started circulating that Bobby Lashley will be fighting Marcus Jones at XFC 8: 'Regional Conflict' on Saturday, April 25 – a show featuring the fastest-rising young prospects and top emerging superstars from Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky and North Carolina in contender-versus-contender bouts, airing exclusively nationwide on HDNet. That rumor is false, and no such statement was ever issued by the XFC, Bobby Lashley, or Bobby Lashley's manager.”

"It is true that the XFC and Bobby Lashley have had numerous conversations, and both parties hope to find a way to work together in the very near future. Bobby has publicly stated his interest in fighting for the XFC, and we can confirm that the interest is mutual. We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship.

"The XFC hopes Bobby Lashley – and MMA fans nationwide – enjoy XFC 8 'Regional Conflict' on April 25, as it airs live from the 21 thousand-capacity Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, exclusively on HDNet. For more information, please visit www.mmaxfc.com."

XFC 8: "Regional Conflict" takes place on April 25 at Knoxville 's Thompson-Boling Arena. Tickets are now available at the Thompson-Boling Arena box office and Tickets Unlimited outlets, including Cat’s Music, Disc Exchange, and Fye Music.

For more on XFC and Bobby Lashley click here and here.
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, March 30, 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 Fight Night 18 weigh in event details and information for ‘Condit vs Kampmann’

Posted: 29 Mar 2009 06:46 PM PDT

The official weigh-in event for UFC Fight Night 18: "Condit vs. Kampmann" is set to take place at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, March 31.

It will not air live on UFC.com via streaming video or any other Web site for that matter. Instead, the promotion will provide a video highlight package of the festivities shortly after the first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. local time (CT).

MMAmania.com will provide the most up-to-the-minute coverage of the UFC Fight Night 18 weigh-in as possible, as well as provide a detailed recap of the event as soon as they conclude.

Here's the complete line up:

Main event:

170 lbs.: Carlos Condit (22-4) vs. Martin Kampmann (14-2)

Main card (Televised):

155 lbs.: Gleison Tibau (16-6) vs. Jeremy Stephens (14-4)
205 lbs.: Ryan Bader (8-0) vs. Carmelo Marrero (10-2)
155 lbs.: Junie Browning (3-0) vs. Cole Miller (14-3)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

155 lbs.: Tyson Griffin (12-2) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (11-3)
185 lbs.: Ricardo Almeida (9-3) vs. Matt Horwich (23-11-1)
170 lbs.: Brock Larson (24-2) vs. Jesse Sanders (20-4)
185 lbs.: Tim Credeur vs. Nick Catone
185 lbs.: Nissen Osterneck (5-1) vs. Jorge Rivera (15-7)
185 lbs.: Rob Kimmons (21-4) vs. Joe Vedepo (7-2)
185 lbs.: Tim McKenzie (12-5) vs. Aaron Simpson (4-0)
185 lbs.: Ryan Jensen (13-5) vs. Steve Steinbeiss (4-2)

For those in “Music City" for the first-ever show for the promotion in the state, remember that the weigh-ins are FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 1:30 p.m. local time.

In addition, fans will be able to attend a Q&A session with The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 winner, Efrain Escudero, on that same day at about 2 p.m local time.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Wed., April 1), which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV from from the Sommet Center in Nashville. Of course, the latest quick updates of the prelim bouts will begin to flow earlier than that right here at around 7:30 p.m. ET.

Remember to check out MMAmania.com for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC Fight Night 18 coverage you can handle!
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, March 29, 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 100 tickets for ‘Lesnar vs. Mir 2′ at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 11 on sale soon

Posted: 29 Mar 2009 10:28 AM PDT

UFC 100 tickets for “Lesnar vs. Mir 2," which is slated for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 11, will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, April 11 at 10 a.m. PT.

UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers, naturally, will be able to scoop of tickets prior to them being available for public consumption.

This is an historic show for the promotion for obvious reasons, signaling a major milestone in its more than 15 years of existence.


Get UFC Tickets at StubHub!UFC 100 features two major title fights: Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir will tangle to declare an undisputed division champion and Georges St. Pierre will once again defend his 170-pound strap against number one contender, Thiago Alves.

In addition, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) TUF 9 coaches, Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping, are slated to meet and determine who earns the right to challenge the reigning middleweight champion later in 2009.

Here is the UFC 100 tickets sales schedule (all times are PT):

UFC Fight Club presale: Thursday, April 9 at 10 a.m.
UFC Newsletter presale: Friday, April 10 at 10 a.m.
General tickets sale: Saturday, April 11 at 10 a.m.

UFC 100 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch on pay-per-view (PPV) at 10 p.m. ET on fight night.

For more on UFC 100 stay dialed in to MMAmania.com and remember to check out our event archive right here. Be sure to also check out the latest UFC 100 card and rumors right here.

Gilbert Melendez on Josh Thomson Strikeforce rematch April 11 (Video)

Posted: 29 Mar 2009 07:42 AM PDT

Getting the skinny on ‘Magrinho:’ MMAmania.com UFC Fight Night 18 interview exclusive with Cole Miller

Posted: 29 Mar 2009 07:36 AM PDT

Unless you're a fan of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) series, Cole Miller might be flying under your radar. That's because his fights inside the Octagon thus far have been slated for the preliminary portion of the card.

All that's about to change.

Miller was one of the more promising fighters featured on TUF Season 5 — one of the better seasons of the long-running series that included such standout lightweights as Gray Maynard, Nate Diaz, Joe Lauzon and Matt Wiman (as well as the unintentional comedy of Gabe Ruediger). Miller lost a controversial quarter-final matchup against TUF 5 favorite Joe Lauzon, but rebounded at the Finale with a head kick knockout of Andy Wang.

Since then, he's added two more Octagon victories to improve his record to 14-3 overall (3-1 in the UFC), including a "Submission of the Night" victory in his last outing against Jorge Gurgel at UFC 86. He trains out of Coconut Creek, Fla., under the tutelage of Ricardo Liborio, the famed Carlson Gracie black belt and co-founder of American Top Team, one of the best camps in all of mixed martial arts.

Miller now looks to put together back-to-back wins at UFC Fight Night 18: "Condit vs. Kampmann" on Wednesday, April 1. He'll face none other than the controversial TUF 8 alum Junie Browning (3-0). "The Lunatik" seems to have just as many fans who love to hate him as anything else, so this matchup is being closely watched. In fact, it will be the first time "Magrinho" has appeared on the main card, despite exciting matchups in the past.

It all gets underway live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn., airing on Spike TV. The event serves as the prelude to The Ultimate Fighter Season 9: "U.S. vs. U.K.," which will feature lightweights and welterweights from the two countries competing against one another for the coveted six-figure UFC contract.

We recently caught up with Miller to ask him about his upcoming fight with the king of crazy, what lessons he takes away from his recent win over Gurgel, and how ticked off he gets when he sees inexperienced fighters with fewer than five professional fights getting their shot at the big show in the UFC.

Suffice it to say, he doesn't pull any punches. Neither do we:

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You last fought Jorge Gurgel in a really exciting fight that earned "Submission of the Night" honors. Before you sunk in the fight-ending triangle choke, how did you feel the fight was going? Did you feel you might be behind on the judges' scorecards?

Cole Miller: If the fight woulda went the distance, yeah. I thought that we both had a round apiece, and then I knew that I was losing the third round. So I knew that if it went the distance, he was probably going to get the decision two rounds to one.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Did that give you any sense of urgency to set up the triangle, or was that one of those things that just fell into place — he gave you the opening, and you took it?

Cole Miller: No, I really wasn't thinking about any of that. I was really just trying my best to kill him, to be honest with you. I went in there with a pretty extreme mentality of "fight to the death." I was looking over at the clock and doing everything I could to either knock him out or put a submission on to put him to sleep.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With a great fight like that, what do you take away from it? What lessons do you learn from that fight to apply to your game going forward?

Cole Miller: Well, I realize that there are some things I do really well in the gym that didn't translate very well in that fight.

Boxing defense — I mean, my offense I thought looked pretty solid — but I didn't really move my head like I normally do in sparring. Just my overall defense wasn't really there. Maybe it was the leg kicks he was landing that were really hard that were throwing me off. But I just let too many punches get through.

But other than that, I just fought my fight.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're next slated to fight Junie Browning at Fight Night 18 on April 1. This is the first UFC event ever to be held in Tennessee. Being a native southerner, is it nice to fight a little bit closer to home, rather than flying all the way out to Vegas?

Cole Miller: Yeah, I just get sick and tired of going to Vegas, to be honest with you — the time change and stuff like that. It's nice to be fighting in Nashville. It's actually a lot closer to his home — I think it's like two hours from his spot in Kentucky — so he'll probably have more support than I will. But it is nice to be fighting in the south and in a really beautiful city like Nashville.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're a TUF 5 alum. Do you watch the show?

Cole Miller: No, I used to try and watch the show. I think the only season I watched completely was Season one. I started to watch Season two, and then I just couldn't watch it. And then same with three and then same with four. And then after I was on it, I didn't really watch it after that.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Junie was definitely the most controversial TUF alum during Season 8 and possibly ever. Have you met Junie personally?

Cole Miller: No. I really don't want to until the weigh-in either.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): For all the controversy and trash talking, Junie wasn't exactly the most dominant fighter on the show. He seemed to have decent standup — what I would call a "pretty boxer" more than anything else. He kind of danced around a bit. His ground skills seemed okay. What problems do you think a fighter like Junie might bring to the table?

Cole Miller: His inexperience I think actually kinda helps him. At this stage a lot of these guys that are coming off The Ultimate Fighter with less than five fights, or making their debuts in the UFC, they don't know the hardship and the struggle that it takes to get to the big show. So it's really not that big of a deal for these guys with minimal fights to be fighting in the UFC, since it came to them so early in their career. It's like you get in there earlier and you develop a comfort like that.

I fought a lot of fights in front of less than 500 people inside gym recreation centers and such. I probably did that 20 or 25 times before I finally fought in the UFC. So it's just a big change for these people that have slowly worked their way up from bigger show to bigger show to bigger show, and then these guys that come in who aren't so experienced, they get to just jump right into the UFC, and that's like home for them.

So I think his inexperience … I think that maybe he's not such a smart fighter. Maybe he's just too dumb to know that I'm a way better fighter than him. And that can sometimes pose a problem with these guys, they don't respect you. They go in there and they do wild, wild stuff. They look for big punches and maybe some elbows that might pose a threat to maybe cuttin' me.

But other than those types of things, I don't really see him being that big of a problem.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): The fact that he might not have come up through the trenches, so to speak, does that make you even more excited to fight him, to kind of put him in his place?

Cole Miller: Oh, yeah, absolutely. This is where the experience factor does favor me. I've had tough fights. I've had really hard fights, and he hasn't. So I think once I get in his face and I start to put it on him, then he'll probably break.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well he definitely exhibited some mental weakness on the show, probably more so than most of the people that we've seen on TUF. He was talking about quitting and everything else. Do you think that he's still mentally weak and is that something that you plan to exploit if the fight goes into the later rounds?

Cole Miller: Yeah for sure. I'm not so sure if he's still mentally weak, but if he is, that'll definitely favor me. I think the longer the fight goes on, it's going to get worse and worse for him. If I was him, I'd be trying to land a real big punch in the first 30 seconds. And if he takes me down, try and throw as many elbows as he can — maybe he can get a lucky cut or something.

But once the fight sort of settles in and starts to go at its pace, I think that I'm going to pose a lot of problems for him.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You now hold wins over some decent names like Leonard Garcia and Jorge Gurgel. Where do you think a win over Junie — not that he's as big of a name as those guys — but where do you think a win puts you in the lightweight division?

Cole Miller: I don't really think amongst the fighters and the other lightweight competitors in the division, I don't really think that they'll gain any more respect for me (with a win over Junie).

But he's a very talked-about fighter. I think that more people are going to be paying attention to this fight than any of my other past fights. So if I beat him, then I'll get a bigger fan base and more exposure and the ability to fight more on main cards, 'cause this is my first time fighting on the main card. That's really where I wanna be so more people can see my fights.

Like you said, I got a win over Leonard Garcia, and nobody's seen that fight. I just really want more people to see my work. I spend a lot of time and hard work training for fights, so I really just want more people to see it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): American Top Team has got to be one of the biggest camps in MMA. I was just looking at it again today online, and the list of fighters that you guys have is just crazy. There are just tons of fighters there. Can you talk about your experience there, especially having relocated from another camp — Team Praxis, in Macon, Ga., is that correct?

Cole Miller: Yeah.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): So how was that experience coming from one camp to another, especially one as talented as ATT.

Cole Miller: Yeah, I went pretty much from an MMA club to an MMA team, you know? It was really, really cool. When I first went in there, I was pretty star-struck. I was seeing guys who had fought in PRIDE and the UFC and K-1 Hero's and stuff like that — all these guys who had been or are where I wanted to be. So it was really cool to be in the room with those guys and be able to train with him, and to have the coaching staff that we have.

ATT is the best thing that ever happened to me. My game stepped up immensely since joining the team. It made me the fighter I am today.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): There was an article that you linked to on your blog, www.colemiller.com, which talked about a meditative approach to fighting. I believe it was an article that originally appeared on Sportsbythenumbersmma.com.

Cole Miller: Yeah.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you actively practice meditation? Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?

Cole Miller: No, I don't really consider myself to be super spiritual, but I do spend a lot of time going over the fight in my head, mentally over and over again. I lose a lot of sleep over it at night, just because I constantly see myself in different positions and in different scenarios in the fight.

I can't stop thinking about it — different ways that I'm winning, seeing myself in both good and bad positions in the fight. So that way when something happens in the fight, it's not really a surprise, because I've already gone over every scenario in my mind.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): From your experience talking to teammates, is that a typical way that a fighter goes about his business, or do you think that you're a relatively cerebral fighter?

Cole Miller: I think that makes me pretty cerebral. I don't really know a lot of other people that do it to the extent that I do it. It's a part of my training, really. That's the way I think about it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're 6'1" and I read that you once competed as a featherweight, is that so?

Cole Miller: Yeah, I've fought at '35 before, I've fought at '45, and '55.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Obviously the UFC only goes down to the '55 division, but is that the weight class that you're comfortable fighting at, or do you see your —

Cole Miller: Right now I'm pretty comfortable fighting at '55. I mean, I'm fighting in the UFC at '55, and I'm 3-1 right now, so I feel pretty comfortable right now. But if at any point I don't feel comfortable and I start losing fights, then dropping down is certainly an option.

I focused a lot on gaining weight for this fight, because I've always been a smaller fighter in the division, and a weaker fighter. So I spent a lot of time working on my strength for this fight and working on putting on weight, because I definitely feel the effects of it, and I have in my past fights.

So I wouldn't mind just staying here at '55. But if things didn't go my way, then dropping down to '45 or even as far as '35 is certainly an option.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I wanted to ask you the story behind your nickname, "Magrinho."

Cole Miller: It means "skinny" in Portuguese. I came to ATT, and (Ricardo) Liborio just called me "Magrinho." And that's the way it goes.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well I appreciate you taking the time to talk with us, Cole. I also wanted to give you an opportunity to plug any sponsors or if you have any parting words for your fans on what they can expect to see at Fight Night 18?

Cole Miller: Thanks to the fans I have worldwide, and my family and friends for all the continuous support. Check out my website, www.colemiller.com.

Thanks to the TapouT guys for all their support, especially with all the stuff that's going on with Mask and his passing. I'm there for them, and they've shown me a lot of support for all my fights, so I do my best to support them. They've done a lot for the sport of mixed martial arts. I've been thinking about them a lot.

To read more about Charles "Mask" Lewis' legacy go here.

Tim Sylvia vs Ray Mercer moved to Alabama to escape sanctioning

Posted: 29 Mar 2009 06:55 AM PDT

When in doubt, move the bout.

After the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (NJSACB) refused to sanction a main event fight between former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia and former Olympic gold medalist and world heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer, promoter Monte Cox has taken his Adrenaline III card and shipped it to the BJCC Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, where no regulatory body exists to oversee the fight, according to Sherdog.com.

Originally scheduled for May 30 at the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., the hybrid boxing-mixed martial arts event will go down on June 13.

"The Maine-iac" has agreed to box Mercer — barely one month after "Merciless" turns 48 years of age — not long after calling out Ken Shamroid last December. Sylvia has been on the shelf since getting steamrolled by Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction "Banned" last July and was not expected to fight an MMA match until a planned third event this summer.

From Sylvia:

I didn't have an MMA fight until July in the Affliction 3 (show), and we really wanted to fight before then. This opportunity came about – and I've always wanted to try boxing at a pro level – so we decided to take it and see what happens. I'm jumping in the deep end. I never have (done things half way). Look at the heavyweight (MMA) division; I've fought about seven of the Top 10. So I might as well jump right in there and fight a guy that's ranked in the Top 20 in the world."

Mercer's last bout was a majority decision win (boxing) over Richel Hersisiar last September in Nojesfabriken, Karlstad, Sweden, but is probably best known in the MMA world for getting choked out in an exhibition bout with Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson in July 2007.

Cox must really want to see Sylvia fight Mercer. The question is, do fans?

What say you?

Remy Bonjasky: Pesky fan leads to blown knee, poor performance at K-1 GP

Posted: 29 Mar 2009 06:36 AM PDT

Props: K-1 Official Site

Quoteworthy:

“My performance today was not my best. Honestly, on Thursday when I was asked by a fan for a photo while having dinner, and I stood up and twisted my knee. I wanted to cancel the fight, but after discussing it with K-1 and a doctor, we decided to continue. This is why I couldn't do my usual flying knees and running around, so I apologize for that. It seems like I partially tore my meniscus, it was incredibly painful. To defend the name of K-1 was a lot of pressure, but it felt good to knock Alistair down. If I didn't get the down it would have seemed like a draw. I wanted to finish him but my coach told me to not take any risks, and just take the win.”

-Winner of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 Remy Bonjasky blames a bum knee and pesky fan for his less-than-thrilling performance against Alistair Overeem at FieLDS K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Yokohama on Saturday, March 28. “The Flying Gentleman,” who won the 2008 GP after some illegal strikes from DQ'd opponent Badr Hari, was accused by Overeem of overselling his injuries during that bout and may not have done much to dispel those rumors following these comments — and Saturday’s performance.

Manny Gamburyan vs John Franchi on tap for WEC 41

Posted: 29 Mar 2009 06:21 AM PDT

Manny Gamburyan (8-4), lightweight finalist from season five of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), has officially decided to drop down in weight and join the WEC’s featherweight class. His first match at 145 pounds will be against undefeated John Franchi (5-0) at WEC 41 on June 7 according to MMAmadness.

“The Pitbull” steamrolled through Noah Thomas, Matt Wiman and Joe Lauzon en route to a spot in the finals across Nate Diaz on TUF, but an injury to his shoulder cost him dearly in the championship fight. After six months on the sidelines rehabilitating the injury, Gamburyan jumped right back into the win column with back-to-back first round submission victories over Nate Mohr and Jeff Cox.

However, a twelve second knockout loss to Rob Emerson at UFC 87 and a unanimous decision loss to Thiago Tavares at UFC 94 brought the Armenian fighter back down to earth and more than likely prompted him to start weighing some other options, literally.

Things won’t get much easier in the WEC though. The 145 pound class is perhaps the deepest division in the organization with world class fighters like Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, Jose Aldo, Leonard Garcia, Jens Pulver, Wagnney Fabiano and plenty of others including Manvel’s first opponent on June 7, John Franchi.

Franchi is undefeated so far as a professional. He debuted for the WEC earlier this month at WEC 39 with a hard fought split decision win over a very difficult to beat Mike Budnik. Before that, he competed once on an IFL card, where he submitted Frank Latina in the first round.

At lightweight, Manny specialized in using his strength as an advantage to overpower his opponents into submissions or to put them in difficult positions. It’s scary to think about what kind of monster he can be against guys ten pounds lighter, but Franchi is no pushover. This should be a good test for the Pitbull at the new weight.

WEC 41 will be headlined by a featherweight championship rematch between title holder Mike Thomas Brown and “The California Kid” Urijah Faber. The main card will air live on the Versus network on fight night.

For all the latest on WEC 41 click here.

BJ Penn reportedly set to face Kenny Florian at UFC 101 on August 8

Posted: 29 Mar 2009 12:12 AM PDT

Kenny Florian was widely regarded as the clear cut number one contender in the crowded 155-pound division following his win over Roger Huerta via unanimous decision at UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" on August 9.

But his second chance at championship gold never came.

That's because current lightweight champion, BJ Penn, was set to rematch welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 31, putting the division strap temporarily on ice.

Rather than sitting on the sidelines and waiting his turn, Florian decided to keep busy. And he wasn't taking fights with "slouches" or "cans" to ensure that he remained atop the title contender totem pole.

On the contrary, he accepted a very dangerous fight against Joe Stevenson at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas back on November 15. It was high profile bout between two fighters who have each missed out on winning the vacant division title.

Florian dominated "Daddy" in the first round, finishing the former TUF 2 winner via rear naked choke for his sixth straight win. Aside from his unanimous decision loss to Sean Sherk at UFC 64 'Unstoppable,' Florian hasn't tasted defeat since being overwhelmed by Diego Sanchez at the TUF 1 finale in April of 2005.

Now that UFC 94 is in the books, Penn is (hopefully) set to defend his title against the Boston native at UFC 101 on August 8 from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania according to BJ PENN.com.

Here’s a snip:

“(Penn) has not been down to lightweight to defend his title since UFC 84, in May of 2008, when he beat Sean Sherk via TKO at the end of the third round. When I asked BJ about the upcoming bout he simply said, ‘I look forward to the challenge.’ According to our sources here within Team Penn, Florian has already signed the bout agreement for this fight. As for BJ, we received the bout agreement this afternoon and plan on making this fight happen.”

Florian is based out of his own gym in Brookline, Mass., Florian Martial Arts Center, which he owns with his brother, Keith. In addition, Florian trains at F-15 Training Center with Peter Welch his boxing coach. His Muay Thai and MMA Coach is Mark DellaGrotte.

This one is gonna be a war.

UFC 101 is expected to feature a major title fight, as well as a co-main event between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy "The Natural" Couture as he locks horns with former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira. Additionally, Thiago Silva and ex-205-pound kingpin Forrest Griffin are also expected to hook 'em up.

For more on UFC 101 click here.

M-1 Challenge 2009 results and quick recap

Posted: 28 Mar 2009 11:56 PM PDT

M-1 Challenge 2009 Presented by Affliction touched down earlier today in Bourgas, Bulgaria. A total of 30 fighters representing six teams went to war at this weekend's global event.

And with 13 of the 15 bouts ending via some type of stoppage, fans certainly got their money’s worth.

On Saturday, March 28, Turkey, The World Team, Germany, Team Russian Legion, Team North America, and the host Bulgarian team all made their 2009 M-1 Challenge season debuts at the Mladost Sports Hall, located just minutes from the sunny beach resorts of Bourgas.

Former Bulgarian Olympic wrestler Jordan Radev was in action. The 32-year old Plovdiv native had gone 7-0 since leaving the UFC and despite an MMA record of 18-3, was stopped by former NFL running back Herbert Goodman via KO in the first round.

Goodman, an elite athlete who played two seasons for the Green Bay Packers as a backup to former Pro Bowl running back Ahman Green, has made tremendous progress as a fighter despite his late entry into the sport.

An interesting subplot was the debut of a revamped German roster. Last year's German team was eliminated from the 2008 M-1 Challenge early due to overwhelming defeats. However, a new roster of German fighters led by a new coaching staff tried to redeem their nation when it faced Turkey.

And they were successful, sweeping the Germans 5-0. Like Turkey, Team USA East dominated with its rout of Team Bulgaria.

Here are the M-1 Challenge 2009 complete results via M-1global.com.

Turkey vs. Germany

Lightweight: Franco de Leonardis def. Akin Duran via triangle choke submission at 2:29 of round 1.
Welterweight: Daniel Weichel def. Faith Dogan with a Darce choke submission at 2:29 of round 1.
Middleweight: Gregor Herb def. Ahmed Bayrak via rear naked choke at 2:00 of round 2.
Light Heavyweight: Martin Zawada def. Samy Turky via TKO at 2:38 of round 1.
Heavyweight: David Baziak def. Turgul Okay via TKO at 0:52 of round 2.

Team Germany defeats Team Turkey 5-0

Russia Legion vs. World Team

Lightweight: Yury Ivlev def. Romano de Los Reyes via three-round unanimous decision.
Welterweight: Magomed Shihsbabekov def. Jason Ponet via triangle choke at 1:34 of round 1.
Middleweight: Sergey Kornev def. Nathan Schouten via KO at 0:12 of round 1.
Light Heavyweight: Gadjimurad Omarov def. Nills Van Noor via rear naked submission at 2:24 of round 1.
Heavyweight: Michael Kitta def. Akhmed Sultanov via KO at 2:30 of round 1.

Team Russia Legion wins 4-1

Bulgaria vs. USA East

Lightweight: Renato Migliaccio def. Yanko Yanev via armbar submission at 4:45 of round 1.
Welterweight: Steve Carl def. Ivan Ivanov via rear naked choke at 3:31 of round 1.
Middleweight: Herbert Goodman def Jordan Radev via KO at 4:59 of round 2.***
Light Heavyweight: Charles Grigsby def. Atanas Dzhambazov via three-round unanimous decision.
Heavyweight: Lloyd Marshbanks def. Emil Somoilov via heel hook submission at 3:27 of round 1.

*** Fight was originally ruled a split decision victory in Radev’s favor. M-1 Challenge regulatory officials later ruled that Goodman had knocked out Radev at 4:59 of round 1 and overturned the decision in Goodman’s favor following an official appeal.

Team USA East defeats Bulgaria 5-0.

Billed as the "World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts," the M-1 Challenge is a full season of MMA events sponsored by partner Affliction that showcases some of the best up and coming MMA fighters in the world. Broadcast to over 80 countries around the world, including HDNet in the United States, the M-1 Challenge pits teams of five fighters representing their respective countries against each other for international bragging rights and the title of M-1 Challenge Champions.

The "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction" affords MMA prospects all over the world an opportunity to test their skills, gain valuable experience at the international level, and become future stars in the sport of MMA. Fighters who succeed on the M-1 Challenge's international breeding ground will earn the opportunity to participate in major MMA events presented by M-1 Global and their promotional partners such as Affliction Entertainment.

K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Yokohama: Alistair Overeem vs Remy Bonjasky (Video)

Posted: 28 Mar 2009 11:24 PM PDT

Check out rounds two and three including Bonjasky’s late knockdown after the jump.

Thanks to “ARIELZGR” for the assist.

MMAmania.com back online after minor technical difficulties (Chapter 2)

Posted: 28 Mar 2009 11:14 PM PDT

Sorry Maniacs, for the momentary lapse in coverage.

Unfortunately we had some minor technical difficulties behind the scenes, but rest assured after a few adjustments (see above) we're back online and ready to give you more MMA coverage than you can shake a kabob at.

Thanks again for hanging in there, and now let's get back to business.
Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, March 28, 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 96 drug test results come back clean from the OAC for ‘Jackson vs. Jardine′

Posted: 28 Mar 2009 12:30 AM PDT

The Ohio Athletic Commission (OAC) has confirmed that 11 of the 20 competitors who were tested for illegal/banned substances after competing at UFC 96: "Jackson vs. Jardine″ at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 8 have all passed with flying colors.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson along with Shane Carwin, Matt Brown, Matt Hamill, Gray Maynard, Tamdan McCrory, Kendall Grove, Jason Day, Jason Brilz, Brandon Vera and Shane Nelson were all screened for performance enhancers such as steroids, as well as drugs of abuse like cocaine and marijuana, among others.

Results of those tests all returned negative.

The fighters mentioned above were randomly selected. However, athletic commissions typically test the main event participants and fight night winners, as well as those who have failed tests in the past.

The UFC dished out $762,000 in fighter salaries for the pay-per-view (PPV) event and another $180,000 in additional bonus money for three participants who delivered outstanding performances.

“Rampage” defeated Keith Jardine via unanimous decision to earn another crack at the 205-pound title after "Sugar" Rashad Evans defends it against Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida at UFC 98 on May 23.

And heavyweight sensation Shane Carwin put himself into possible title contention with a first round drubbing of established veteran Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga.

For complete UFC 96 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here .

Deadliest Warrior: Modern-day gladiator Chuck Liddell tests ancient weapons (Video)

Posted: 27 Mar 2009 01:41 PM PDT

He goes Tito Ortiz on the side of beef:

Brett Rogers vs Abongo Humphrey Strikeforce fight booked; Completes April 11 card

Posted: 27 Mar 2009 11:41 AM PDT

brett rogers

We’re just a little more than two weeks out from the April 11 unveiling of a brand new Strikeforce MMA on the premium cable network Showtime. And by the looks of the fight card, which was made official today, the San Jose-based mixed martial arts promotion is coming out with guns blazing.

At least five of the 40 or so professional fighters who had their contracts purchased just two short months ago from the now defunct Elite XC will be in action on the card, including undefeated heavyweight knockout machine Brett “The Grim” Rogers, whose match against fellow undefeated prospect, Ronald “Abongo” Humprey, was today made official.

Rogers made a name for himself fighting under the Elite XC banner last year, posting three straight first round knockouts over Ralph Kelly, James Thompson and Jon Murphy. The Team Bison product lobbied hard for a fight with Kimbo Slice following the Murphy fight in May, but never succeeded in convincing the promoters to book the match before the company went under in October 2008.

Humphrey was a participant on BET’s reality series “Iron Ring” last year, and he won two fights on the show while being coached by UFC veteran Shonie Carter. The Atlanta, Georgia resident stands only 5′11″ and will give up a full six inches in height to Rogers. However, he feels like he still has his advantages.

Here’s a snip:

“Some people are under the impression that most of the fighters on the show were push overs, but I fought and defeated some pretty well-known contenders. I move more like a 205-pounder than I do a 245. I bring a lot of athleticism and skill into the cage.”

In a combined 14 professional fights, nobody has ever made it out of the first round with either of these guys. So chances are somebody’s likely going to sleep early in this one.

The main event will feature Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Nick Diaz against former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock. A renewal of the classic Shamrock vs. Gracie rivalry that has been such a big part of MMA over the years should provide plenty of drama, as Diaz will look to avenge a 21-second knockout loss suffered by his trainer and mentor, Cesar Gracie, at the hands of Shamrock three years ago.

Company lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson will put his title on the line against former training partner Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez in the co-featured bout of the evening. The fight will mark The Punk’s first official title defense since capturing the gold from his long-time friend last summer.

There’s plenty of other exciting action on the card as well, including Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Benji “Razor” Radach, Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith and others.

Check out the full lineup below:

Main event:
179 lbs.: Frank Shamrock (23-9-2) vs. Nick Diaz (18-7)

Main card (Televised):
155 lbs.: Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson (16-2) vs. Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez (14-2)
140 lbs.: Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (6-1) vs. Hitomi "Girlfight Monster" Akano (14-5)
185 lbs.: Benji "Razor" Radach (19-4) vs. Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith (14-5)
265 lbs.: Brett "The Grim" Rogers (8-0) vs. Ron “Abongo” Humphrey (5-0)

Under card (May not be broadcast):
265 lbs.: Marcus "Beyond Normal" Royster (0-1) vs. Yohan Banks (2-1)
185 lbs.: Luke Rockhold (3-1) vs. Buck Meredith (3-2)
185 lbs.: Eric Lawson (8-2) vs. Richard Montoya (6-5)
185 lbs.: Raul Castillo (5-0) vs. Brandon Michaels (0-2)
170 lbs.: James Terry (5-1) vs. Zak Bucia (1-1)
135 lbs.: Jeremy Tavares (0-3) vs. Shingo Kohara (0-0)

The promotion will stick with its usual stomping grounds for perhaps the biggest event in its young history, returning to the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., for the first show of 2009. The main card will air live on Showtime beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide live coverage of the event, beginning with the Showtime telecast, and we’ll include up to the minute undercard results, tool. Check in early and often on fight night!

Hang 10: MMAmania.com exclusive UFC Fight Night 18 interview with Ricardo Almeida

Posted: 27 Mar 2009 11:24 AM PDT

You can't always get what you want. And if you know the rest of the lyrics, you know a thing or two about overcoming adversity. Such is the case with Ricardo Almeida.

Riding a six-fight wave, Almeida temporarily retired from the sport of mixed martial arts in 2004 in order to open the Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Hamilton, N.J., and to concentrate on his family. But the desire to compete was always there — especially since the sport experienced unprecedented growth during the same time.

It's kinda hard to sit on the sidelines when so many great athletes deserve to be armbarred.

UFC 81 was set for the big return to MMA competition from a three-and-a-half-year hiatus. And "Cachorrao" marked the occasion by making quick work (68 seconds, to be exact) of previously unbeaten Rob Yundt, who took the fight on very short notice.

It wasn't long before a UFC 86 matchup with Patrick Cote was scheduled with talk of a potential title shot opportunity. Unfortunately, that's where the train falls off the tracks.

Cote squeaked out a hard-fought split decision victory (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), earning a title shot against middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva along the way. And the rest, as they say, is history.

But Almeida says that loss might just be the best thing that's ever happened to him. He now seems more focused than ever to get back to his winning ways in his quest for middleweight gold.

Almeida (9-3) next faces the dangerous Matt Horwich (22-11-1) at UFC Fight Night 18: "Condit vs. Kampmann" on Wednesday, April 1. The event serves as the prelude that kicks off the premiere of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 9: "U.S. vs. U.K." It all gets underway live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn., and airs on Spike TV.

We recently caught up with Almeida via email as he was preparing for the fight. We asked him about everything from Patrick Cote and boxing, to surfing and fighting jiu-jitsu guys. Almeida set the record straight on a number of things, including bouncing back from his recent loss to Cote, being misquoted by the press, and realizing his commitment to returning to the sport of mixed martial arts.

Let's get after it:

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You last fought Patrick Cote at UFC 86 to a close split decision that didn't go your way. Give us your thoughts on the fight. Did you agree with the decision?

Ricardo Almeida: At the risk of sounding biased, I still feel I won the fight. I have had many people tell me I should have won that decision. When I come to think of it, they were all my friends though.

When it comes down to it, when people talk about either me or Cote, that will not be the fight they remember. Patrick went on to fight for the title and will have a very successful career by any standards.

I am also looking ahead toward many fights to come. May be that point they took away from me at the Cote fight will come back at a more opportune time, who knows.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I read a story that appeared on Setanta Sports that you were bored with the fight and that that might have cost you the victory. Can you comment on that?

Ricardo Almeida: Just to be sure I re-watched the post-fight video on ESPN, and I never said, "I was bored." I said that I felt it had been a boring fight. From the second round on not much happened, and when at the end of the third round I got a takedown, I felt I should push toward the finish. I ended up moving to side control, and Cote turned to his knees, I went for the guillotine but missed.

My point is that I didn't want to end the fight throwing hammer fists from the guard, I went for the finish. Next time the reporter from Setanta might want to take better notes, especially if they are going to quote fighters.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Between the first and second rounds, the fight was stopped to repair your torn glove. When it resumed, there seemed to be a marked difference in the fight — you seemed to have dominated the first round, but after the glove incident, Cote won the final two rounds, according to a majority of the judges. Did the glove incident break your focus? Did you think it was necessary to halt the fight (was the glove damaged that badly)?

Ricardo Almeida: I can't really blame my loss on the cutting of the gloves, it was my fight to win or lose. I knew Cote had good submission defense, so I wanted to ground and pound him before moving in for the finish in the second or third round. At the end of the first round he had a bloody nose and everything was going according to the game plan.

I just never fully recovered from the first to the second round. My body got real stiff and I got real tired. The whole second round was the most physically challenging thing I ever had to do. I felt like throwing up every second of that round.

During the third round I loosened up again and was beginning to find my distance again and wasn't as tired. The challenge in MMA with the five minute rounds is that you have little time to adapt and change strategy.

But overall I am happy I had such a tough time during that fight. I have learned a lot, and it has prepared me to better deal with similar situations in my future fights.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): This was the first time you've tasted defeat in more than six years. How do you bounce back from that, especially since you were potentially so close to a title shot?

Ricardo Almeida: Losing, especially in MMA, never tastes good. You throw in the title shot and the fact I was on a 7-fight winning streak and it becomes even worse.

But I believe I needed that loss. It was a transitional year for me, coming back from retirement and all. I needed to experience a setback in order to test my commitment. Everyone wants to be a fighter when they are winning, but pushing through your own failures and shortcomings is the mark of a real fighter.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're now set to face Matt Horwich at Fight Night 18. This fight was originally slated to occur at UFC 90; however, an injury forced you off the card. Do you care to disclose what the injury was, and are you all healed up now?

Ricardo Almeida: I was diagnosed with a sports hernia, which is a tear on your lower abdomen region. It is a pretty scary diagnosis because even surgery is not guaranteed to solve the problem. I spoke to a real good friend of mine who is a doctor in Brazil, and he told me it has forced many professional soccer players to retire. Luckily with therapy and some changes in my training, I have been able to fully recover.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Horwich is a tough fighter and the first ever IFC middleweight champion. What are your thoughts on Horwich? How do you feel the two of your fighting styles measure up?

Ricardo Almeida: Horwich is a very tough guy to prepare for and fight because he is so unorthodox. He comes forward every second of every round, and that throws a lot of fighters off. He has a well-rounded game, but I believe his biggest strength is on the ground. He is probably the best ground fighter I have ever fought in MMA. I hope it becomes a super high-paced ground battle.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How have you prepared for this fight? Have you changed anything up from your normal camp?

Ricardo Almeida: I feel last year I was perhaps doing more coaching than I should have leading up to my fights. This time around I am focusing 100 percent on my own training and preparation.

Renzo Gracie has been running almost every training session and overlooking everyone. It has been great to have someone with his knowledge on the sidelines, not only for the fight but the entire preparation. I believe we are all improving twice as much in half the time.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How have you been working on developing your striking? Are you still working with Bo Lattimere?

Ricardo Almeida: I have been diligently working on my boxing week in and week out. Each fight I feel more comfortable. I felt my defense was not bad last fight. Cote is one of the hardest punchers at 185 lbs.

I am now working with boxing coach Mark Henry. He has been training Frankie Edgar and Chris Liguori for the past few years. I still work with Bo as well.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): There are a lot of jiu-jitsu practitioners who also have a love of surfing, as you do. Can you talk a bit about the relationship between the martial art and surfing?

Ricardo Almeida: I believe any man's finest hour is when he is working single-mindedly toward a goal, without any thought other than achieving that goal, whatever the goal may be.

Jiu Jitsu in the physical sense is decoding the signals of an ever-changing environment. Your objective is simply to submit your opponent or training partner.

Surfing is essentially the same. The waves are generated thousands of miles away by wind and travel toward the coast. When they get close to shore, they break. At that moment you have to be in perfect position to be able to safely ride it.

For both though you need a partner or opponent, depending on how you look at it: in Jiu Jitsu's case, another trained person who has dedicated their life to the development of their skills; in surfing, the perfect conditions of swell size and direction, wind, tide etc.

Because of the specific skills/conditions required for perfect practice, they become an almost spiritual experience.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): The UFC's middleweight division has some of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world. Would you be interested in putting your own jiu-jitsu skills up against guys like Demian Maia and Rousimar Palhares?

Ricardo Almeida: It will always feel somewhat wrong for me to fight another Jiu Jitsu guy in MMA. Sort of like when you do something your parents told you never to do. However, with the growth of the UFC and so many Jiu Jitsu fighters doing well, it will become inevitable.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I appreciate your time in answering our questions, and I wish you luck in your upcoming fight with Horwich. Lastly, would you like to thank any sponsors, or do you have any parting words for your fans?

Ricardo Almeida: Thank you for the opportunity to speak with MMAmania.com. I want to thank the fans for making the UFC the greatest sport there is. I would also like to thank all of the people who support me on a daily basis. I couldn't do this without your help.

Keith Jardine graces list of top 100 unsexiest men for 2009

Posted: 27 Mar 2009 10:02 AM PDT

Check out The Boston Phoenix for the rest of the not-so-distinguished gentlemen.

Bellator Fighting Championships Tournament and Heavyweight Explosion comes to Colorado Springs World Arena on April 24

Posted: 27 Mar 2009 09:49 AM PDT

Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that Bellator IV, the fourth event of the highly anticipated 12-week tournament series airing on ESPN Deportes, will be held in Colorado Springs, Colo., on April 24, 2009.

The event will take place at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, which rests just south of Denver in the shadow of the neighboring Rocky Mountains, a natural metaphor for Bellator's combined feature events, "A Night of Heavyweights & the Semi-Final Round of the World Championship Lightweight Tournament."

The commanding roster of heavyweight fighters will anchor an action filled evening of competition featuring some of the best fighters this weight class has to offer. This Bellator special event will also feature a Lightweight semi-final tournament match-up, with the resulting winner advancing as a finalist for Bellator's $175,000 Lightweight World Championship Fight.

"The fight card is packed with great Heavyweight match-ups and what promises to be a compelling Lightweight World Championship tournament Semi-Final," said Bellator Fighting Championships CEO Bjorn Rebney. "Colorado MMA fans and our worldwide television audience should expect to see a night of powerful strikes, tactical submissions and crowd pleasing knockouts."

Bellator IV will feature a collection of highly-competitive, action-packed Heavyweight bouts, a World Championship Semi-Final as well as a collection of spectacular special feature fights. The evening will also feature a bout between two top form female fighters, Molly Helsel versus Angela Hayes.

The non-tournament Heavyweight bouts on show are detailed below:

Non-Tournament Bouts:
Heavyweight – Dave Herman (13-1) vs. Josh Barnes (5-1)
Heavyweight – Rauol Romero (3-1) vs. Dave Evensen (10-4)
Heavyweight – Eddie Sanchez (11-3) vs. Jay White (4-5)
Heavyweight – Tyler East (pro debut)) vs. Amedio Viola (0-1)
Heavyweight – Joey Beltran (5-2) vs. Sherman Pendergarst (11-12)
130 lbs. – Molly Helsel (7-7) vs. Angela Hayes (1-5)

Special Lightweight World Championship Semi-Final Tournament match-up based on the outcome of Bellator I, II & III

Bellator Fighting Championships' premiere season consists of 12 two-hour events to be broadcast weekly in primetime on Saturday nights. The nationally televised events will feature a combination of tournament and non-tournament special feature bouts.

There will be four simultaneous tournaments taking place in season #1 over a three month period: one in each of the Featherweight (145 lb.), Lightweight (155 lb.), Welterweight (170 lb.) and Middleweight (185 lb.) divisions.

Tickets will go on sale at 12:00 pm MT Friday, March 27, 2009 and can be purchased at the ­­World Arena box office and through TicketsWest.

For more information on Bellator Fighting Championships, visit www.Bellator.com. For the Spanish language version of the Web site, visit www.Espanol.Bellator.com.

MMA quick pic: And the Oscar goes to…Remy Bonjasky?

Posted: 27 Mar 2009 08:55 AM PDT

Props: Nightmare of Battle

Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem pokes fun at K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 Champion Remy Bonjasky during a press conference for tonight’s K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. Bonjasky, who won the 2008 GP after some illegal strikes from DQ’d opponent Badr Hari, has been accused by Overeem of acting his way into the victory by overselling his injuries during the bout.

We’ll see who has the last laugh when the two collide in the main event later tonight on HDNet starting at 4:00 a.m. ET.

Quinton Rampage Jackson is ‘being a good boy’ (Video)

Posted: 27 Mar 2009 08:53 AM PDT

Props: TMZ.com

Nice smear campaign from the tools over at TMZ.

That’s called business mother-bleeper …

Programming reminder: ‘FieLDS K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Yokohama′ to air live via HDNet on March 28

Posted: 27 Mar 2009 08:27 AM PDT

Tune in this Saturday, March 28 for "HDNet Fights Presents: FieLDS K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Yokohama″ from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. The stacked kickboxing event airs LIVE at 4:00 a.m. ET with a special encore presentation at 9 p.m. ET for all you sleepyheads and chislers who refuse to shell out the few extra clams for a DVR.

That’s Friday night into Saturday if you’re still doing the math.

This is the first event in 2009 of the much anticipated K-1 World Grand Prix. HDNet’s partnership kicked off late last year with the K-1 World Grand Prix Finals and features the best kickboxers in the world. LIVE coverage of this event will include Peter Aerts vs. Errol Zimmerman, Jerome Le Banner vs. Ewerton Teixeira and a four-man, one night tournament for the K-1 Heavyweight Title featuring Melvin Manhoef.

In addition, current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem will try to shock the world for a second straight time when he clashes with reigning three-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion Remy Bonjasky.

“Demolition Man” upset the boys over at K-1 with a stunning first round knockout over former K-1 heavyweight champion Badr Hari in a K-1 rules match back on New Year’s Eve.

Overeem has been on a frightening tear as of late and a win over Bonjasky could turn the K-1 world on its head.

The fight card for FieLDS K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Yokohama is as follows:

Main Card:
Takashi Tachikawa vs. Yutaka Sakama
Hiraku Hori vs. Takumi Sato
Mitsugu Noda vs. Yang Rae Yoo
Semmy Schilt vs. Hesdy Gerges
Jerome LeBanner vs. Ewerton Teixeira
Junichi Sawayashiki vs. Glaube Feitosa
Peter Aerts vs. Errol Zimmerman

Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal:
Melvin Manhoef vs. Keijiro Maeda
Tyrone Spong vs. Gokhan Saki

Heavyweight Tournament Final:
Winner of Manhoef vs. Maeda vs. winner of Spong vs. Saki

Main Event:
Remy Bonjasky vs. Alistair Overeem

The next K-1 event will be FieLDS K-1 World MAX 2009 “Final 16″ World Championship Tournament on April 21 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Be sure to get up to speed on all things K-1 by checking out our archive here.

UFC Quick Quote: Wanderlei Silva will show all his heart on June 13

Posted: 27 Mar 2009 07:48 AM PDT

"I want to be tested until my limit. I want to face the best and always provide a good show for my fans. Sometimes I am criticized because of this. Of course we always want to win, and train for it, but I also care about the quality of my performance. I want to provide a great spectacle for those who are at home. A lot of people came and said, especially after that last fight, that I must retire. I am very young and I still have something to show. I listen to people, [when] I enter the Octagon, saying, ‘We will watch this because this will be a good fight.' While people keep saying that, I will continue fighting. I will not do bad. I know my responsibility. I do not run away from the challenge, do not run away from the game. I get it. I'll show all my heart, all my technique and make a great show for everybody. I will be there to knock out or be knocked out."

– Former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva talks to Sherdog.com about his upcoming fight against Rich Franklin at UFC 99 from the the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, on June 13. "The Axe Murderer" has been on a serious downturn as of late, losing four of his last five with three brutal knockouts. Still, Silva refuses to hang it up as long as the fans still come to see him fight, which I for one hope will be a very long time — that is unless “Ace” puts him to sleep. There are only so many KO’s one man can (or should be allowed) to endure.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Recent Articles on Sherdog.com

Loading...

UFC rss

Loading...

Recent Interviews on Sherdog.com

Loading...