Wednesday, February 10, 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


UFC 110 video trailer: Going 'Down Under' for 'Nogueira vs. Velasquez' on Feb. 20

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:32 PM PST

WEC Quick Quote: Urijah Faber plans on fighting the best guys in the sport regardless of division

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:10 PM PST

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"I could go down to 135 pounds if he (Torres) wants to fight. I'm here for a long time so I'll probably fight everybody. Miguel is in there. (Mike) Brown, I'm going to fight him again. (Jose) Aldo, I'll take care of that. I didn't know for sure if Miguel would come to 145 and he's got his hands full with my boy Joseph Benavidez (on March 6), so we'll see how he does there first before I even think about fighting him.... That's a super fight (with B.J. Penn). I've thought about that. B.J. and I went to a USO show together. We're buddies and we've trained together but we're in the fight game to find out who's the man and I'm sure B.J. doesn't have a problem fighting me and I don't have a problem fighting him. We'd be buddies after."

-- Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah "The California Kid" Faber talks about his big plans in the sport at UFC 109's fighter Q&A. Never one to lack confidence in his own game, Faber seems to have his sights set on some impressive accomplishments before his career is over. It certainly doesn't hurt the WEC as a promotion that is trying to build their brand that their biggest name possesses such lofty expectations. Question is, would Faber have a chance to walk away as the victor in fights with Miguel Torres or B.J. Penn, let alone in his upcoming bout with dynamo Jose Aldo at WEC 48? Let's hear it, Maniacs.

Tom Lawlor vs Tim Credeur on tap for UFC 113

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 06:46 PM PST

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Middleweights Tom Lawlor and Tim Credeur has have agreed to "get it on" at UFC 113, which is planned for the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on May 8, according to MixedMartialArts.com

"The Filthy Mauler" is coming off a controversial split decision loss to Aaron Simpson at UFC Fight Night 20 last month in Fairfax, Virginia. Many people watching the bout on Spike TV, as well as live inside the Patriot Center, had Lawlor winning two of three rounds to secure his third consecutive win in the UFC.

Just not all the judges sitting ringside.

Prior to the setback, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 competitor had knocked off two other former TUF products, including Kyle Klingsbury and C.B. Dollaway in back-to-back contests.

Tim "Crazy" Credeur was last seen in an absolute war with Nate Quarry last September. Even though he was on the wrong end of the unanimous decision, he and "The Rock" were rewarded for their classic battle with "Fight of the Night" honors.

Credeur had won his first three bouts in the UFC following his stint on TUF 7.

UFC 113 is expected to be headlined by a rematch between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The card's co-main event is set to feature an exciting welterweight match up between perennial top contender, Josh Koscheck, and the explosive Paul Daley.

Kimbo Slice is also expected to make his pay-per-view (PPV) debut against fellow TUF 10 cast member, Matt Mitrione.

MMAmania.com will have more news on UFC 113 as it breaks.

Martin Kampmann out, Jake Ellenberger in against Ben Saunders at UFC 111

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:50 PM PST

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The welterweight showdown between Martin Kampmann and Ben Saunders, which was set for UFC 111 from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on March 27, has now turned into a match up between Jake Ellenberger and Ben Saunders.

Kampmann -- who was looking to build on a submission win over Jacob Volkmann at UFC 108 -- pulled out of the fight because of a serious cut above his eye suffered in training, according to 5thround.com. "Hitman" was hoping it could heal in time to compete in March, but it his ascension back up the 170-pound ladder will now have to wait just a little bit longer.

Stepping in to replace Kampmann against Ben Saunders is Team Quest fighter Jake Ellenberger (22-5).

The Nebraska native put on a show in his UFC debut in a hard-fought loss against former WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit last September. He followed up that impressive performance, stopping Mike Pyle in the second round via technical knockout at UFC 108.

Awaiting him at UFC 111 will be Ben "Killa B" Saunders (8-1).

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) alum has had a pretty good run of it since his official debut with the promotion in 2007. He reeled off three consecutive wins inside the Octagon, raising his unbeaten streak to nine before succombing to Mike "Quick" Swick at UFC 99.

In his most recent performance, Saunders used his vicious knees to knockout Marcus Davis in the first round at UFC 106.

UFC 111 will feature two title fights -- Frank Mir and Shane Carwin will throw down for the interim heavyweight title in the co main event and UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre will headline the show, putting his world title on the line when he takes on British striker Dan Hardy.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news on UFC 111 is it draws closer.

Minotauro Nogueria: Cain Velasquez is not a good submission fighter (UFC 110 video)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:10 PM PST

WEC 48 'Aldo vs Faber' PPV hype train has just left the station (Pic)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 12:23 PM PST

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Whoot! Whoot! Can "The California Kid" recapture the crown in Sacramento?

Muay Thai trainer 'out of tune' with Anderson Silva; leaves 'Spider' camp

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 10:46 AM PST

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Props: Tatame.com

Quoteworthy:

"I thank Anderson for all the time we spent working together. He’s a champion, a born striker, but we won’t continue working together in this partnership due to lack of tune in some moments. I decided to let the way open or him to work his Muay Thai with anyone he decides. The last fight we did was the one against Griffin… I think I ended my work with him in a great way."

French Muay Thai trainer Daniel Woirin, who helped Anderson Silva achieve victory in his previous four bouts, has parted ways with the current UFC Middleweight Champion after failing to find a middle ground with his training. Is there trouble brewing in the "Spider" camp? Or is this a routine change for a fight team heading into a UFC 112 bout against Vitor Belfort on April 10 in Abu Dhabi?

UFC 109 video highlights and recap from 'Relentless'

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 10:11 AM PST

Joe Lauzon becoming an athlete under the tutelage of BJ Penn and Marv Marinovich

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 10:11 AM PST

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Props: JoeLauzon.com

Quoteworthy:

"It’s been GREAT training. I have only been around for a couple weeks but I can see why BJ has looked so great in his last few fights. Marv and Gary Marinovich are on top of things here. On top of all the great stuff I have learned to do from Marv and Gary… I have really learned a lot of things NOT to do. Apparently I am not much of an athlete, because I do pretty much every activity with the worst form they have ever seen. I have horrible flexibility and I am just a nightmare. As Marv put it though: 'Imagine what you will be able to do when you become a real athlete.' I guess that just means I have a lot of room for improvement, right? I have made good improvements compared to how I started out though. I will have a LOT of time to improve on things before August rolls around anyways."

Bridgewater native Joe Lauzon (18-5) gets a little taste of the BJ Penn camp after flying to Hawaii to train under "The Prodigy" and his head conditioning guru Marv Marinovich. "J-Lau" returned from knee surgery to hook 'em up with Sam Stout in their "Fight of the Night" at UFC 108 in Las Vegas but was unable to break the "Hands of Stone," who took home the unanimous decision victory. Now the former TUF 5 contestant hopes to get back to his winning ways when the UFC comes to his backyard on August 28 in Boston. Will the new and improved Lauzon be a force to be reckoned with at 155-pounds?

UFC 109 ratings on Spike TV attract 1.7 million viewers

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 10:10 AM PST

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Spike TV once again aired a portion of a UFC fight card on its network prior to a major pay-per-view (PPV) broadcast, as fight fans were treated to one hour of uninterrupted mixed martial arts competition on the UFC 109: "Relentless" under card last Saturday night (Feb. 6).

Similar to UFC 103 last Sept. and then UFC 104 in Oct., which both attracted about 1.4 million viewers as the promotion began to test the idea along with its cable television partner, select UFC 109 prelim bouts aired commercial-free and garnered 1.7 million viewers for a 1.2 household rating.

That number beat the 1.5 million viewers tuning in to last month's UFC 108 under card -- and pretty much any other prelim offering since the Spike TV special debuted late last year.

Spike TV today announced the broadcast was also a big hit among men between the ages of 18 to 34 and 18-49, scoring a 1.6 rating and a 1.1 rating, respectively.

Viewers were treated to Mac Danzig and Melvin Guillard taking home "Relentless" decision victories. The Vegan warrior outpointed Justin Buccholz while "The Young Assassin" did enough to sway the judges against Ronnys Torres.

For complete results and coverage of UFC 109: "Relentless" click here and here.

UFC Quick Quote: Goran Reljic is going to show the doctors they were wrong at UFC 110

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:36 AM PST

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"Doctors actually told me I'll never fight again, but I love to prove people wrong and now I'm back. I can't wait to step inside and fight again. I said to them, 'I'm going to show you who's not going to be capable of coming back to the sport. I'm going to show you that you're wrong.' I said (that) to them in their face. I told them I'm going to prove you wrong and that's what I did. Look where I am now. I'm coming back. I feel great. I have a heart. I never quit and I proved them all wrong. C.B. (Dollaway) is a great fighter. He's a great wrestler. He has solid stand-up skills as well. I just think we're going to put on a great show for the crowd and I hope everybody's going to see what they expect and everybody's going to be satisfied."

Undefeated Croatian fighter and real life superhero Goran Reljic (via Sherdog.com) anticipates his return to the Octagon at UFC 110 after nearly two years on the injured reserves. After knocking out Wilson Gouveia in his Zuffa debut in May 2008, the grappling phenom underwent surgery to repair a back injury sustained while training for his 185-pound fight against Thales Leites at UFC 90 later that year. It's been a long, hard road for Reljic -- but don't expect any sympathy from CB Dollaway, who looks to spoil the Croat's return in Sydney on Feb. 21.

Bellator Fighting Championships inks deal with middleweight Matt Major

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:12 AM PST

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CHICAGO, Ill. (February 9, 2010) – Matt Major, the colorful and sometimes-controversial mixed martial artist known for his appearance on the TapouT reality show and his upset victory over UFC veteran Shonie Carter, has signed on to compete in Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming Season 2 middleweight tournament.

The 26-year-old Major—who moonlights as a fashion designer—boasts a professional record of 6-1, but says that his "actual record is closer to 20-1 when you include all the fights I’ve taken in clubs and in bars and in people’s basements." He drew big buzz throughout the MMA world with his 2008 win over Carter in a fight that Sherdog.com described by noting that Major "outclassed a man with 14 times as many professional fights" under his belt.

"Matt has a unique and bigger-than-life persona, but below the personality is a 185 pounder who can really fight," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "If Matt focuses on our upcoming tournament, he’s a very dangerous draw for anyone at 185."

Major says winning the Season 2 tournament and the chance for a title fight against Lombard is his singular goal now that he has signed with Bellator.

"The real question is: ‘Is Hector Lombard ready for Matt Major?’" Major said. "I’ll tell you right now, if Hector Lombard knows I’m in the tournament, I know he’s worried about it. I want to be a world champion more than anything and I don’t care who I have to fight or what I have to do to get there."

Before that, though, Major will have to get through three fights in Bellator’s eight-man Season 2 middleweight tournament. Other tournament competitors announced thus far include Eric Schambari and Bryan "The Beast" Baker. Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 145, 155, and 170 lbs. The winners in each division will be declared No. 1 contenders to the current roster of champions. All 24 fights in Seasons 2 and 3 will be televised on FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo.

Major says he has been "fascinated" by the fight game and martial arts "pretty much since the day I was born."

"All I ever wanted to do was be the next Jean Claude Van Damme, the next Steven Segal, the next Bruce Lee," he said. "And now I’m better than all of them. I knew since I was a little kid that I was going to be a great fighter."

Major was born in Miami, but moved to New Jersey at the age of 8 to live with an aunt after both his mother and father passed away. In high school, he passed up the chance to compete on the school wrestling team, instead opting to take classes in fashion design and merchandising at the local community college. Later, he was accepted at the Art Institute of New York. He studied there and at several other art schools before switching his attention to MMA full-time in his early 20s.

"I’ve trained in every kind of combat you can imagine: I’ve done English boxing, American boxing, Aikido, judo, sword, wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, you name it," he said. "If the fight ends up on the ground, someone’s gonna get tapped. If it stays standing up, someone’s gonna get hit in the mouth. It doesn’t matter to me."

Major spent the better part of 2009 training at the famed American Kickboxing Academy is San Jose, Calif. He describes his contract with Bellator as "the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me."

"Bellator, I think, is the new face of MMA," he said. "It’s just a very sophisticated organization and I’m proud to be a part of it."

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

UFC 112: Jon Madsen vs Mostapha Al Turk under consideration for April 10

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:08 AM PST

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After a successful bid to get back into the UFC following his early exit on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10, Jon Madsen will be heading overseas to face Mostapha Al Turk at UFC 112 from the Concert Arena, Ferrari World, Yas Island on April 10 in Abu Dhabi.

Our comrades at Around the Octagon confirmed the match up earlier today.

Madsen made a name for himself in the high school and collegiate wrestling scene, but made a bee-line for mixed martial arts immediately following his quest for higher learning.

After joining Matt Hughes H.I.T. Squad, Madsen racked up a perfect 2-0 record in 2008 after his debut at Crossroads Combat Challenge (CCC) 3 in Illinois.

That success (along with his gym affiliation) landed him a spot on TUF 10, but he would eventually fall to finalist Brendan Schaub via knockout in their exhibition match in the quarterfinals. He rebounded against Justin Wren, grinding out a split decision at last year's TUF Finale and is ready to keep the momentum going.

Waiting for him in the United Arab Emirates will be Al Turk — perhaps best known for having his eyes turned into a Croatian shisk kabob at UFC 99 by Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

He came up short in his debut against Cheick Kongo at UFC 92 after a successful run in Europe on the Cage Rage circuit. In fact, he has six wins in seven attempts for the promotion and was riding a two-fight win streak before getting dismantled at "The Ultimate 2008."

Al Turk was going to welcome Rolles Gracie to the Octagon at UFC 109: "Relentless" until Visa issues forced him to withdraw from the event.

He is a pretty well-rounded fighter with serviceable boxing and solid grappling skills -– good enough to earn him the British Cage Rage heavyweight title.

Are they good enough to fend off the hungry up-and-comer? That remains to be seen.

UFC 112 is expected to feature two world title fights, including middleweight champion Anderson Silva taking on Vitor Belfort and lightweight kingpin BJ Penn putting his belt on the line against Frankie Edgar.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on this still-developing fight card.

New Sengoku ring girls!! Their bust, waist, and hip measurements are posted, but I am too...

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 06:35 AM PST

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New Sengoku ring girls!!

Their bust, waist, and hip measurements are posted, but I am too lazy to convert centimeters to inches.

Sacramento Kings to host 'Urijah Faber Night' on Feb. 23

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 06:26 AM PST

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The Sacramento Kings will pay tribute to former WEC Featherweight Champion and local fight favorite Urijah Faber with a special night planned in his honor on Feb. 23 when the Kings host the Detroit Pistons at the ARCO Arena.

Fans who purchase two tickets will receive a free Urijah Faber "Form Athletics" hoodie with the first 500 to be signed by "The California Kid" himself.

From Faber:

"I am a huge Kings fan and so excited about this new, young team we have in Sacramento. I’m pumped to be a part of this special night with the Kings and hope all Kings and WEC fans will join us at ARCO for this fun event."

Faber will try to reclaim his 145-pound title from the seemingly invincible Jose Aldo when the two stars collide in Sacramento on April 24 in the first ever pay-per-view event from the WEC.

Tickets for Urijah Faber Night with the Kings can be purchased by clicking here or visiting the ARCO Arena Box Office.

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