Thursday, January 7, 2010

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


Tired Thiago Silva didn't know what was going on at UFC 108 ...

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 08:54 PM PST

Silva_evans_108_medium

... when he had Rashad Evans hurt bad in the third round, but inexplicably, didn't go in for the kill:

"I thought he would exchange a little bit more, but he escaped from the exchanging and he went on takedowns.... I knew I was losing. I wasn’t that good on the energy and I tried to provoke him to see if he comes over me, but he didn’t bought it. I knew I was losing, I lost the two rounds. To be tired make a difference, man ... I started to provoke him because he was with the low energy, getting tired.... Wanting or not, he has a heavy hand, there’s some time that we don’t know what’s going on anymore.... I think the energy made the difference, I was pretty tired."

Silva finally also reveals that he was indeed limited in training before the main event fight with a back injury. It was rumored before the 205-pound showdown that he contemplated withdrawing, but stayed the course because the pay-per-view (PPV) event was already devastated by injuries. In hindsight, was it a bad decision -- would a fully healthy Silva melt "Suga?" Let's hear it.

UFCs Heath Herring isn't retired from MMA ... just bit by the acting bug (Video)

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 07:15 PM PST

UFC 115: GM Place in Vancouver targeted for June 12 event

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 06:49 PM PST

Generalmotors_place-full_medium

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has already booked a date, place and time for its first-ever trip to Vancouver after the local city council recently passed a two-year "trial" period to regulate mixed martial arts.

According to the Canadian Press, the promotion will likely head north of the United States border for the third time when it storms the GM Place on June 12. That, of course, is just several weeks after UFC 113, which is slated for Montreal on May 1.

When it rains it pours, eh?

GM Place — the (approximately) 19,000-seat home of the NHL’s Canucks franchise — has long been the target for a possible June 2010 date. In fact, the company already has the support of the Aquilini family, which owns GM Place, along with the Canucks.

In 2009, UFC officials, including former Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director, Marc Ratner, helped make the case for the promotion to city officials. Ratner pledged that the UFC would absorb the entire cost of insuring fighters — a sticking point with Vancouver city councilors — as well as providing for additional security on fight night.

It apparently worked like a charm.

And it's no surprise that the promotion wasted no time getting on the event calendar -- Canadian fans account for 15 to 20 percent of the promotion’s business, which he called its largest per capita success story.

Get the poutine ready, Canada.

(This report is a FanPost from Alpha Male promoted to the front page and updated by Adam Wagner to include additional information)

UFC Quick Quote: BJ Penn next fight likely in Abu Dhabi on April 10

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 06:17 PM PST

Penn_medium 

"We talked to Dana White. We were trying to get on the March 27 card (UFC 111 in New Jersey). That card already had two title fights on it [Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy and Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin]. It looks like we’ll be fighting April 10 in Abu Dhabi. Nothing is signed, so tentative date, April 10. We’ll see how everything goes. Hope everything goes well."

-- UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn, who made history as first non-Brazilian to win the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship black belt division in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2000, tells fans via BJPenn.com that he expects to return at UFC 112, which is scheduled for Abu Dhabi on April 12. No opponent is known at this time; however, Gray Maynard and Frank Edgar are currently the leading candidates. That means there is potentially a lot at stake when "The Bully" battles Nate Diaz at UFC Fight 20 early next week. With a win, should Maynard -- who recently defeated Edgar via unanimous decision -- get the nod or is Edgar's more exciting style where it's at?

Poll
Who should BJ Penn fight next at UFC 112?

  3762 votes | Results

WEC 45 scores $102,700 gate with 926 tickets sold

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 04:56 PM PST

Wec45-short_medium

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) finished out the 2009 fight season with an event that delivered on every level, even though it may have lacked big name star power.

WEC 45: "Cerrone vs. Ratcliff," however, went head-to-head with Strikeforce: "Evolution," falling short in the ratings war between the rivals. Nonetheless, ratings are just one side of the coin -- the rest of the notable facts and figures are now in, which makes it easier to measure true success.

The Dec. 19 event held at "The Pearl" in Las Vegas tallied a gate of $102,700, with ticket sales falling just short of the millennium-mark, coming in at 926, according to Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director, Keith Kizer.

In addition, the complimentary ticket mark fell just short of the actual sales at  815, while 450 tickets went unsold. 

WEC 45 featured a lightweight bout between Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Ed "9MM" Ratcliff in the main event of the evening. It earned "Fight of the Night" honors along with the battle between 135-pound studs Takeya Mizugaki and Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen.

For complete WEC 45 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

Rashad Evans had an 'Oh Shit' moment at UFC 108

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 11:43 AM PST

Evans-108_medium
Props: Fight Hype

Quoteworthy:

"This fight was most important to me and I see everybody like, "Oh, he got caught in the 3rd round and there is a big question mark. He won, but he got caught." It's a fight man and you never know what's going to happen inside of those 15 minutes when you get in there and sometimes you sustain a little punishment and sometimes you don't. I got caught at the end of the fight, but I was able to maintain my composure and make it through without getting my head knocked off. I pretty much shut him down in every single place and then I started backing up and I got caught at the very end of a punch. Everybody talks about how powerful he is, but honestly, when he was hitting me early in the rounds, I didn't sustain one blow where I thought it was a good shot. I didn't feel like he had that much power in his punch and then he caught me with that shot and I was like, "Oh shit, he does have a little power."

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans talks about the close call he had in the third round against the dangerous Thiago Silva in the main event of UFC 108 back on Jan. 2. "Suga" almost dissolved in the third round after getting rocked by the Brazilian; however, Silva was either too gassed or too tentative to seal the deal, allowing the former TUF champion to recover and take home the unanimous decision win. Was the performance enough to convince you he'll be the better man in his eventual grudge match against "Rampage" Jackson? Or will the fighter currently known as BA Baracus send him back to the Spike TV fight nights?

Gray Maynard training hard for Jan. 11 rematch against Nate Diaz (Video)

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 11:24 AM PST

WEC 46 Q&A and autograph session features Brian Bowles, Dominick Cruz, Joseph Benavidez and Jose...

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 11:15 AM PST

Wec46-q_a

WEC 46 Q&A and autograph session features Brian Bowles, Dominick Cruz, Joseph Benavidez and Jose Aldo on Jan. 9.

Strikeforce confirms several bouts for upcoming 'Miami' event on Jan. 30

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 11:08 AM PST

Strikeforce_miami_poster_medium_medium

Strikeforce today confirmed several upcoming bouts for their January 30 debut in "The Sunshine State" when Team San Jose invades the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida.

As previously reported, feared K-1 striker "Marvelous" Melvin Manhoef will make his Strikeforce debut opposite the power-punching "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler. Joining them on the main card is the welterweight showdown between Jay "The Thoroughbred" Hieron and Joe "Diesel" Riggs.

In preliminary action, one time Pancrase fighter Craig Oxley takes on Miami's own David Gomez, XFN veteran Sabah Homasi locks horns with England's John Kelly and Pablo "The Hurricane" Alfonso faces Marcos "Parrumpinha" Da Matta.

With just over three weeks until fight night, two recent additions to the Strikeforce roster, Bobby Lashley and Herschel Walker, are waiting for confirmation on their rumored match-ups. Expect an announcement in the coming days.

Here's how the Jan. 30 "Miami" card is shaping up thus far:

Main event:

170 lbs.: Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis

Main card (Televised):

145 lbs.: Cristiane Santos vs. Marloes Coenen
170 lbs.: Jay Hieron vs. Joe Riggs
185 lbs.: Melvin Manhoef vs. Robbie Lawler
205 lbs.: Herschel Walker vs. TBA*

Under card (May not be broadcast):

155 lbs.: Craig Oxley vs. David Gomez
145 lbs.: Sabah Homasi vs. John Kelly
145 lbs.: Pablo Alfonso vs. Marcos Da Matta

*Fight not yet officially confirmed by Strikeforce.

Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Strikeforce: "Miami," beginning with the Showtime telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

We’re still a few weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on "Miami" in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event.

For everything you need to know about the upcoming event click here.

UFC 110 poster for 'Nogueira vs Velasquez' on Feb. 20 in Sydney, Australia

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 10:38 AM PST

Ufc110_medium_medium

Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alves rematch signed for UFC 111 on March 27

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 10:35 AM PST

F-alves_medium

It's time.

UFC welterweight stalwart Jon Fitch (21-3) is now ready to finally rematch Thiago Alves (16-6) at UFC 111 from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on March 27, setting up a fantastic 170-pound showdown that will prove once and for all how far both former number one contenders have come since their initial encounter back in 2006.

MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) confirmed earlier today that bout agreements have been signed, sealed and delivered.

Their rematch was originally pegged for UFC 107 in Memphis, Tennessee; however, "The Pitbull" had to withdraw due to a knee injury. Fitch remained on the card and defeated Mike Pierce via unanimous decision.

Fitch scored a convincing second round technical knockout of the Brazilian at UFC Fight Night 5. He would go on to win his next five fights and earn a crack at division champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" in Aug. 2008.

He was overwhelmed by the Canadian for 25 minutes, losing a lopsided unanimous decision.

Alves, too, went on a tear after the loss to Fitch with seven consecutive victories over top-ranked opponents such as Matt Hughes and Karo Parisyan, as well as outpointing Josh Koscheck on all three judges scorecards at UFC 90 in October of 2008.

However, St. Pierre would also end Alves’ run with another five-round clinic at UFC 100 back in July.

On the other hand, Fitch exacted revenge against submission specialist Paulo Thiago with a unanimous decision at UFC 100 and notched a similar result against Akihiro Gono earlier this year. He also outworked Mike Pierce (Alves' replacement at UFC 107) to earn the nod from all three judges sitting ringside.

So is Fitch still better than Alves more than three years later or has Alves matured to a point where his last loss is essentially meaningless because he is a totally different fighter?

Tune in on March 27 and find out once and for all. In the meantime, let's hear what you have to say below.

UFC 111 will feature a 170-pound title defense by promotion superstar Georges St. Pierre as "Rush" answers the call of British striker Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy. Heavyweights Frank Mir and Shane Carwin are also set to collide in an interim title match while Brock Lesnar recovers from recent surgery.

To check out the latest UFC 111 fight card and rumors click here.

Eat dinner with Junie 'The Lunatik' Browning on Feb 4 -- if you dare!

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 10:16 AM PST

Junie-beer_medium

FEAST WITH THE BEAST: Dinner with Junie Browning at Hooters Gwinnett on Thursday, Feb 4., from 7pm to 9pm for $100 per person.

Do you dare eat dinner with Junie Browning? One of MMA’s most controversial fighters! On the eve of his main event fight at Wild Bill’s!

If you think you’re up to the challenge…Junie Browning will be hosting Feast With the Beast on Thursday, Feb 4 from 7 pm – 9 pm at the Hooters in Gwinnett.

Wild Bill’s Fight Night last gave you this opportunity with Wanderlei Silva and if you were there you know the great experience that was had by all!

The best part of this special occasion is that there will only be 30 people admitted to this dinner!

Cost is $100 and the value for your investment is remarkable. Below is everything that you’ll get:
*All you can eat wings with Junie at Hooters (includes free soft drinks)
*Free ringside ticket for the Friday, Feb 5 Wild Bill’s Fight Night
*Free Wild Bill’s Fight Night tshirt
*Bring your own camera and take a photo with Junie
*Bring whatever you want and Junie will sign it

Again, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to eat dinner with Junie "The Lunatik" Browning and this is ONLY open to the first 30 people.

Once you pay via paypal below you will receive an email back confirming your order. Please note that this event is being put on not by GeorgiaFighters.com, but by the promoters of Wild Bill’s Fight Night. GeorgiaFighters.com is only a sponsor of the event.

Thank you and enjoy!

Purchase your Dinner With Junie Browning Here!

Dana White meets behind "closed doors" with James Toney and company

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 09:16 AM PST

Dana White meets behind "closed doors" with James Toney and company

Zuffa brings legal action against Pub that streamed unlicensed feed of UFC 104

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 08:47 AM PST

1936862_bin_medium

Well that didn't take very long.

After UFC President Dana White vowed to make life miserable for the chiselers who stream illegal feeds of live UFC programming, the Boston Herald reports that the Zuffa legal team may have bagged their first casualty in the war on pirates.

Argh!

Zuffa is suing "The Draft" and its owner, Derek Brady, for reportedly allowing a patron to connect a laptop illegally streaming UFC 104 to one of the establishment's television sets for all the customers to enjoy.

Bars and restaurants are typicaly required to purchase UFC events through an approved closed-circuit provider and can pay anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars for an event, depending on the circumstances.

They didn't pay on Oct. 24, but they may pay in court -- to the tune of $640,000 plus legals fees if found guilty.

The Vancouver Sun recently outlined the proactive approach from UFC head honcho Lorenzo Fertitta -- who recently testified for the US House Judiciary Committee during a referendum on internet piracy of sporting events. According to him, the Zuffa anti-piracy team uncovered 271 illegal streams of UFC 106 with over 140,000 viewers.

From Fertitta:

"The piracy of live sporting events is illegal, it kills jobs, and it threatens the expansion of US based companies. The UFC is potentially losing millions of dollars a year from piracy."

While I'm sure not many fans are losing sleep over the UFC's lost money, pirating pay-per-views is illegal. They may not be able to stop Internet piracy (many have tried and failed) but it's not unrealistic to think a few high profile cases involving the average Joe would at least help to deter future pirates.

Like the idiots who post their links to the illegal streams in forums that record IP addresses.

Consider yourself warned!

Mike Brown needs to 'go berserk' at WEC 46 to get back into the featherweight title hunt

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 07:58 AM PST

Brown-berserk_medium

Props: MMA Fighting

Quoteworthy:

"I just went straight back to it -- I didn't even take time off. I've felt worse before after losses -- I've gone into a depression before after losses. It's part of the game. I don't want to lose but I lost to a tough guy and I've just got to re-calculate things, figure out where my mistakes were and come back stronger. I know what went wrong. I changed my training a little bit. I changed my pace trying to be ready for five rounds, training more like a long-distance runner, and I sacrificed some of my power. I need to get back to becoming the kind of fighter who can beat someone in the first two minutes of the fight. I need to just go berserk."

Former WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown talks about rebounding from his disappointing TKO loss to Brazilian striking sensation Jose Aldo. Brown was obliterated by the devastating knockout artist at WEC 44 back on Nov. 18, coughing up his 145-pound championship belt in the process. Now the New England native has a chance to get back into the thick of things by going "berserk" against Anthony Morrison at WEC 46 from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif, on Jan. 10. Will it be enough?

UFC Fight Night 20 odds and betting lines for 'Maynard vs. Diaz' on Jan. 11

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 07:58 AM PST

Genufc08_493x189_medium

Now that we've gotten the Holidays (and the public drunkenness that accompanies it) out of our systems, it's time to return our attention to the age-old sport of grown men punching each other in the face.

Yes, the wonderful world of fisticuffs has brought us UFC Fight Night 20 from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia this Sunday, Jan. 10. What better way to erase the debt you ran up buying gifts that will most likely be returned or exchanged than by laying down some green on your favorite cage combatants?

Assuming you can pick fight winners, of course.

"Maynard vs. Diaz" has a lot of intriguing match-ups that may not be so easy to call. "The Bully" has been unstoppable since he graduated from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 5, going 6-0-1 since his Octagon debut in June 2007.

On paper that should make him a lock -- except for that pesky submission loss to Diaz that eliminated him from the Spike TV reality show. And you can bet that Diaz is hoping history will repeat itself.

It's certainly possible -- just like everything else in this sport -- and those who lay down some cheddar on the underdogs this weekend stand to make a healthy profit to start the New Year.

Here are the latest UFC Fight Night 20 odds (- = favorite; + = underdog):

Gray Maynard
-350 BET NOW
Nate Diaz
+250 BET NOW
Aaron Simpson
-260 BET NOW
Tom Lawlor
+200 BET NOW
Amir Sadollah -160 BET NOW
Brad Blackburn +130 BET NOW

 

For a little help with how to bet on UFC fights and what all the numbers mean check out this post right HERE (Disregard the UFC 85 references … all the information is still accurate and helpful.)

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Monday, Jan. 11). It’s going to be an exciting evening of fights so don’t miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC Fight Night 20 coverage you can handle.

To check out the most recent "Maynard vs Diaz" fight card click here.

UFC Quick Quote: 'Shogun' Rua wants the belt -- not vengeance in rematch with Lyoto Machida

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 06:48 AM PST

Rua_machida_medium

"I'm happy to fight again with (Machida), not because I think I won the first match but to have a new opportunity to fight for the belt. My big dream is to win the belt, so I want that fight again because it is a fight for the belt ... I can’t change a lot of my game because I’ve fought this way for 10 years, so I cannot totally change my game just because of Machida. Thank God I could annul his game, but unfortunately I could not win the belt. Now I have a new battle ahead, and I will make a new strategy. I'm in very basic training, but in February I’ll already be training harder. I believe that [light heavyweight] is the most competitive in the world. It always was. I know you will never have a breeze, and as I fight in the UFC, which is the biggest event in the world, I know I'll always face tough guys and can’t expect to have easy bouts. I know that and I will always expect to face the top fighters of the division."

A non-bitter Mauricio Rua tells Sherdog.com that his goal is to win the UFC light heavyweight belt -- not exact revenge on Lyoto Machida simply because he feels the decision did not go his way in their first encounter. Rua and Machida battled for five rounds at UFC 104 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., back on Oct. 24 and most fans, including UFC President Dana White, felt "Shogun" did enough to win a decision over the undefeated karate sensation. However, he didn't, losing two rounds two three. In fact, all three judges -- Nelson Hamilton, Cecil Peoples and Marcos Rosales -- scored it 48-47 for the "Dragon." Now the Brazilians will square off once again in Montreal on May 1 to settle the score and put an end to the controversy. Hopefully it doesn't go to a decision.

Spike TV 'Best of PRIDE' video preview for Jan. 15 premiere

Posted: 06 Jan 2010 06:17 AM PST

No comments:

Recent Articles on Sherdog.com

UFC rss

Recent Interviews on Sherdog.com