Sunday, February 21, 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 bonuses and awards for 'Nogueira vs Velasquez' PPV fights

Posted: 21 Feb 2010 12:12 AM PST

UFC 110: "Nogueira vs. Velasquez" from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, has officially wrapped, which means that it’s time for those select fighters who went above and beyond in their respective fights to get a little extra grease for their efforts.

To the tune of $50,000 each.

The promotion dished out its standard post-fight monetary bonuses to four out of the 18 fighters on the card. And it may not surprise you which combatants are coming up from "Down Under" with a little extra green.

In addition to their base salaries, the UFC awarded lightweight competitors George Sotiropoulos and Joe Stevenson "Fight of the Night" for their three rounds of thrilling non-stop action.

Unfortunately for "Daddy," the Aussie would not be denied in front of his hometown crowd, despite being a heavy underdog coming into the 155-pound affair.

Stick that in your didgeridoo and smoke it, Vegas oddsmakers.

It's hard to imagine a list of fight night bonuses that didn't include Chris Lytle, and once again the welterweight warrior stuck the Zuffa accountants with a bill of sale for his "Submission of the Night" that trapped and tapped Brian Foster via gruesome kneebar in round one.

That's Lytle's seventh fight night bonus for those of you scoring at home.

Speaking of "Lights Out," the event's final bonus went to rising star and top heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez, who turned Antonion Rodrigo Nogueira inside-out with punches in bunches for his stunning and unexpected "Knockout of the Night."

"Minotauro's" career may be nearing its end -- but it's only just beginning for Velasquez.

Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC 110:

Fight of the Night — George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Stevenson
Submission of the Night — Chris Lytle
Knockout of the Night — Cain Velasquez

Again, each fighter received $50,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible.

For complete UFC 110 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

UFC 110 results recap from last night for 'Nogueira vs Velasquez'

Posted: 20 Feb 2010 09:35 PM PST

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) last night (Feb. 20, 2010) pulled the trigger on its first-ever pay-per-view (PPV) event "Down Under" from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.

In the main event of the evening, the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira took on up-and-comer Cain Velasquez in a heavyweight bout that pitted the experienced champion against the title hopeful.

It didn't last long.

Velasquez beat Nogueira to the punch and then unleashed a furious combination midway through the opening frame that dropped the virtually unstoppable "Minotauro" in his tracks. He followed him to the canvas and dropped three or four head bouncers just for good measure before the referee stepped in to rescue Nogueira.

Wow.

It happened so fast that Velasquez even seemed surprised with the result. Stunning. The former Arizona State University wrestling standout didn't even have to attempt a single a takedown to seal an absolutely enormous victory.

Can you see him now, Mr. Lesnar?

In the pre-fight interviews, Michael Bisping said he looked forward to the challenge of Wanderlei Silva coming out to knock his head off.

Bold words, considering Silva truly has earned the nickname "The Axe Murderer" throughout his illustrious career.

For the most part, Bisping avoided slinging punches with the Brazilian brawler, boxing him for pretty much the entire fight and attempting numerous takedowns that likely impressed the judges.

It was a super close fight heading into the last round, but Silva likely stole it with a barrage that put "The Count" down -- but not out -- with 10 seconds left on the clock.

Silva was clearly very pleased after the match with the win -- he needed it. Bisping, on the other hand, was obviously disappointed.

What a difference a few seconds can make.

Australian-born George Sotiropoulos came out to a hero's welcome for his lightweight showdown with Joe Stevenson. And the crowd roared and chanted behind him religiously the entire way in a fight that turned out to be an exciting back-and-forth ground war.

Stevenson just didn't seem to have any answers for the brilliant ground game of Sotiropoulos, whether he was working from the bottom or the top. Sotiropoulos was never in any trouble and he put Stevenson in several compromising positions.

The judges went on to reward Sotiropoulos for his performance with a resounding unanimous decision victory, which will likely catapult him into the 155-pound contender mix. Stevenson, meanwhile, a former number one contender, needs to head back to the drawing board.

Again.

Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 winner Ryan Bader looked to keep his perfect record intact in the biggest test of his professional career against the venerable Keith Jardine.

Bader's key to victory heading into the 205-pound showdown appeared to be leveraging his relentless wrestling attack to nullify the awkward -- albeit effective -- stand up of the "Dean of Mean."

The bad news for Bader is that for most of the fight, Jardine's takedown defense was on point. The good news for Bader is that it was a crushing left hook in the third round, not ground and pound, which put the exclamation point on an absolutely huge win for Arizona Combat Sports product.

Bader clipped Jardine in the center of the Octagon with a right that appeared to get him woozy, pounced with a glancing flying knee and then put him to sleep momentarily with a flush blow to the chin.

It was a beautiful combination, demonstrating that Bader is blooming into a complete (and dangerous) mixed martial artist ... fast.

Australia's own Anthony Perosh stepped up on just two days notice when Ben Rothwell came down with the flu, agreeing to take on the once feared striker and former Pride FC Open Weight Grand Prix Champion, Mirko Filipovic.

"The Hippo" vowed to submit the Croatian, which appeared to be his best strategy to pull off a win under the circumstances.

Unfortunately, each time Perosh tried to close the distance, Cro Cop would torch him with a left hand or hammer fists ... several.

But it wasn't the numerous left hands or hammer fists that did Perosh in -- it was one well-placed elbow in the second round that busted the Aussie wide open. He refused to quit, seeing the round through to the end even though he was bleeding like a stuck pig.

Between rounds, however, the ringside physicians made the decision for him, calling a halt to the action before the final frame could begin.

It's a much-needed win for Cro Cop. His movement and physical form looked better, too.

Not really sure where this puts him if anywhere, however -- he was facing are far less superior opponent. Nonetheless, it's a step in the right direction .... is he still a forced to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division?

That’s enough from us — now it’s your turn to discuss "Nogueira vs. Velasquez" in the comments section below. Sound off, Maniacs.

For complete UFC 110 results and detailed blow-by-blow commentary of the televised main card fights click here.

UFC 110 results live play-by-play TONIGHT (Feb. 20) for 'Nogueira vs Velasquez'

Posted: 20 Feb 2010 12:58 PM PST

 

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Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 110: "Nogueira vs Velasquez."

Quick results of the preliminary fights are flowing RIGHT NOW and round-by-round coverage of the main card pay-per-view (PPV) action is set for 10 p.m. ET!

If you’re going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main UFC 110 results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

Mike Swick and Roger Huerta hit Thailand (Video)

Posted: 20 Feb 2010 12:38 PM PST

Watch UFC 110 post-fight press conference LIVE on MMAmania.com immediately after 'Nogueira vs Velasquez'

Posted: 20 Feb 2010 12:35 PM PST

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UFC 110: "Nogueira vs Velasquez" from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, is set to go down LIVE tonight (Feb. 20) at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view.

Following the caged combat, promotion president Dana White and a handful of participating fighters will be on hand for the UFC 110 post-fight press conference, which is now embedded for an approximate 1:00 a.m. ET start time.

Be sure to tune in immediately following the pay-per-view event to get post-fight reactions from all the major players as well as up-to-the-minute results of all the post-fight bonuses including Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night and Submission of the Night.

Check it out below.

Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com

For UFC 109 live results and play-by-play click here.

UFC Quick Quote: Frank Mir wants to kill Brock Lesnar inside the Octagon

Posted: 20 Feb 2010 07:46 AM PST

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"I want to fight Brock Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring. I want him to be the first person that dies to Octagon-related injuries."

-- Former heavyweight champion Frank Mir tells WXDX radio (via FightOpinion.com) about how he would like his trilogy match with current division kingpin, Brock Lesnar, to end if and when it does take place. Mir stopped Lesnar with a knee bar in their first encounter and then lost via second round technical knockout in the rematch. Lesnar is still recovering from a serious intestinal medical condition, which will keep him on the sidelines until summer 2010. Meanwhile, Mir will battle Shane Carwin for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 111 in Newark, N.J., on March 27. Is Mir taking his fascination with Lesnar too far? Will his obsession with Lesnar catapult him to victory over Carwin or is he putting the cart before the horse and not giving Carwin the attention he deserves? Sound off, Maniacs.

UFC 110: Rodrigo Nogueira will use jiu-jitsu and quick hands to stop Cain Velasquez

Posted: 20 Feb 2010 07:45 AM PST

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Props: UOL Esporte

Quoteworthy:

"I’m ready for all situations. When you face a good opponent who fights standing and on the mat you must be ready for everything. He’s a very good wrestler besides having an excellent conditioning. In this aspect I’m also feeling very well. I think my ground game is better than his and I hope it makes the difference in the fight time. Relating to my boxing, my hands are faster than his. Anyway, he’s a dangerous rival and complete fighter."

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira comes off an impressive win over veteran Randy Couture and now has uprising star Cain Velasquez as the last step before getting to the top of the division and get the right to fight for the belt. Will the polished boxing and superior ground game of "Big Nog" be the the difference makers in this fight or will they be nullified by the relentless wrestling of the American Kickboxing Academy standout?

UFC 110 weigh in photos gallery for 'Nogueira vs Velasquez'

Posted: 20 Feb 2010 07:45 AM PST

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Props: CombatLifestyle.com (Click the link to check out the complete gallery)

For complete UFC 110: "Nogueira vs. Velasquez" weigh in results click here.

Wanderlei Silva wants to punish, cut and hurt Michael Bisping at UFC 110 (Video)

Posted: 20 Feb 2010 07:45 AM PST

Strikeforce Challengers: Shamar Bailey vs Justin Wilcox announced with Bryan Travers hurt

Posted: 20 Feb 2010 07:44 AM PST

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NEW YORK – A winner of four in a row, Shamar Bailey (10-1), of Chicago, will face Justin "The Silverback’’ Wilcox (8-3), of San Jose, Calif., on a stacked STRIKEFORCE Challengers mixed martial arts (MMA) fight card at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on Friday, March 26.

Bailey is a replacement for Bryan Travers, who withdrew from the fight with a shoulder injury.

The three-rounder between the promising prospects will be one of five fights featured on STRIKEFORCE Challengers live on SHOWTIME® (11:45 p.m. ET/ PT, delayed on the West Coast) and will be contested at a catch weight of 160 pounds.

"I think this is a fantastic matchup for me and I am excited about the opportunity to be able to showcase my skills,’’ said Bailey, who won his STRIKEFORCE debut with a unanimous three-round decision over John Kolosci on the undercard of STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. on Nov. 7, 2009.

"I have a lot of respect for Justin. I know he’s been winning (Wilcox has won three straight and seven out of eight) and I think we’re both well-rounded fighters with a lot to prove. But I believe that when you have two fighters of equal ability going at it, the bigger guy holds the edge and he is a natural 155-pounder and I fight at 170.

"I am really looking forward to showing off more striking skills than I did in my last fight.’’

In the main event, heavyweight Lavar "Big" Johnson (13-3), of Madera, Calif., takes on unbeaten Lolohea Mahe (4-0-1) of Wailua, Maui, Hawaii. Johnson’s start will be his first since he was nearly shot to death at a family barbeque during the last July 4 holiday.

Other televised fights: "Abongo" Humphrey (5-1), Atlanta, Ga., vs. George Bush III (5-1), Columbus, Ohio, at light heavyweight (205 pounds); Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Luke Stewart (6-2), San Francisco, Calif., vs. Andre Galvao (3-1), Brazil, at welterweight (170 pounds); and undefeated Zoila Frausto (2-0), Fresno, vs. Miesha "Takedown" Tate (7-2), Olympia, Wash., in a women’s scrap at 135 pounds.

Save Mart Center doors will open for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at 6 p.m. PT. The first live, non-televised, preliminary bout will begin at 6:45 p.m.

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