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- DREAM 14 results, recap and discussion
- Matt Hughes inducted into UFC Hall of Fame at 2010 Fan Expo
- Urijah Faber confirms next fight 'most likely' at 135-pounds (Video)
- UFC 114 weigh in photos gallery for 'Rampage vs Evans'
- UFC 114 weigh in results LIVE from Las Vegas for 'Rampage vs Evans'
- DREAM 14 preview and quick picks for May 29 in Saitama
- UFC 114 video preview on ESPN's 'MMA Live'
- Dan Miller is fighting to 'provide for his family' at UFC 114
- UFC 114: 'Rampage vs Evans' officially sold out
- UFC 114 predictions, preview and analysis
- Rashad Evans generates 3000 watts of power on 'Sports Science' (Video)
- Report: Alan Belcher vs Demian Maia possible for Ultimate Fight Night 22
- DREAM 14 weigh in results for May 29 event
- Efrain Escudero feels 'no pressure' against Dan Lauzon at UFC 114 (Video)
- Jared Hess knee injury from Bellator 20 (GIF)
| DREAM 14 results, recap and discussion Posted: 28 May 2010 11:34 PM PDT
DREAM 14 is scheduled to take place LIVE late tonight/early tomorrow morning (May 29) from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It will air live on HDNet at 3 a.m. ET. MMAmania.com will pass along a detailed recap, as well as complete results, as soon as the action is over. In the meantime, we invite those of you who plan to pull all-nighters and watch Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz battle Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, among a slew of other great match ups, to discuss everything DREAM-related in the comments section below. Share results, pics, opinions, insults (that's a joke) -- whatever you want ... within reason. The floor is yours. Again, we'll update this post shortly after the conclusion of DREAM 14 with results and commentary. We'll also be the spot for the biggest storylines coming out of the Land of the Rising Sun. Stay tuned ... and enjoy the fights! |
| Matt Hughes inducted into UFC Hall of Fame at 2010 Fan Expo Posted: 28 May 2010 11:33 PM PDT
It was surely just a matter of time. Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes (44-7) has officially joined Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Charles "Mask" Lewis in the UFC Hall of Fame. "Country Breakfast" was inducted during the UFC 2010 Fan Expo on May 28. In addition to multiple appearances on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Hughes is perhaps best known for his run as 170-pound champion over the past decade, with memorable wars against Georges St. Pierre, Frank Trigg and BJ Penn. From Hughes, courtesy of UFC.com:
For the record Matt Hughes has: • 44 pro wins Congratulations to Matt Hughes. |
| Urijah Faber confirms next fight 'most likely' at 135-pounds (Video) Posted: 28 May 2010 10:58 PM PDT Torres vs. Faber? |
| UFC 114 weigh in photos gallery for 'Rampage vs Evans' Posted: 28 May 2010 05:48 PM PDT
For complete weigh in results for UFC 114: "Rampage vs. Evans" click here. See Rampage in his Superman underoos after the jump.
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| UFC 114 weigh in results LIVE from Las Vegas for 'Rampage vs Evans' Posted: 28 May 2010 03:01 PM PDT
The official weigh-in event for UFC 114: "Rampage vs Evans" went down today (May 28) as part of the 2010 UFC Fan Expo from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite the animosity between the event's major players, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "Suga" Rashad Evans, the weigh ins were a rather tepid affair with no real fireworks. There were a few towels, a rock-the-boat staredown and of course Arianny Celeste and her two greatest assets. If you're keeping score at home, Evans was booed mightily while Jackson got a hero's welcome. Complete "Rampage vs. Evans" weigh in results and live feed after the jump:
It’s going to be a fun night of fights so don’t miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 114 coverage you can handle. Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com. |
| DREAM 14 preview and quick picks for May 29 in Saitama Posted: 28 May 2010 02:12 PM PDT
The weigh-ins are in the books and DREAM 14 is all set for late tonight/early tomorrow morning (May 29) from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event will air live on HDNet at 3 a.m. ET. Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz will headline the show opposite feared Japanese striker Hayato "Mach" Sakurai. 2008 DREAM lightweight grand prix winner Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen will also be in action against Hiroyuki "Streetfight Bancho" Takaya. MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba will be featured in tonight's co-main event. The man referred to as "The Gracie Hunter" will take the sixth fight of his career against a member of the Brazilian family. This time it will be Ralek Gracie stepping up to defend his family's honor. To help get you better prepared for the festivities, I've given some quick analysis and predictions for the three most anticipated fights on the card. Check it out below. 170 lbs.: Nick Diaz vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai This fight has been talked about for a couple years now, but for whatever reason it's always fallen through. Now that it's finally happening, though, my outlook on it is much different than it would have been maybe two years ago when Elite XC and DREAM were co-promoting and trying to make it happen. Back then I would have been convinced that Diaz would look for any opportunity to get the fight to the ground where he could use his jiu jitsu and avoid "Mach's" power on his feet. However, Diaz's striking has evolved and taken his overall game to a whole new level over the last couple of years. This isn't the same fighter who was out-punched by KJ Noons or needed a split decision to beat Mike Aina. This is the guy who picked apart and dotted up Frank Shamrock, Scott Smith and Marius Zaromskis, who are all quality strikers. I have no reason to believe this new and improved Nick Diaz won't have similar success with his unorthodox and innovative striking style against Sakurai, either. He's been steamrolling his competition, while "Mach" recently dropped back to back fights for only the second time in his career. And it's no secret that Diaz loves fighting in Japan. I'm sure he's licking his chops over being in a main event fight like this over there against a top Japanese name. We're going to see a Nick Diaz at the top of his game in this fight. I like the momentum he has coming into this one. I think he wears Sakurai down with his boxing and eventually goes on to get a submission finish sometime in the second round. Final prediction: Diaz via submission. 170 lbs.: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Ralek Gracie This fight can be summed up in two words: "Gracie Hunter." Sakuraba literally made a name for himself early in his career by beating members of the Gracie family. In a span of just under thirteen months, Sakuraba handed losses to four Gracie fighters, including two by submission over Renzo and Royler. He also beat Royce by TKO and Ryan by decision. Of course, that was ten years ago. Royce went on to avenge his defeat in the summer of 2007, even though the win was marred by a failed post-fight drug test for steroids from Gracie. Sakuraba has gone on to win five of seven fights since then, including back to back first round stoppages in his two most recent bouts. Ralek is obviously well credentialed in the art of Brazilian jiu jitsu. He's a black belt under Rorion and Helio Gracie, and he's won both of his professional mixed martial arts matches by submssion. But even with that being so, when you stack his two fights up against Sakuraba's forty, you have to consider how much the lack of MMA experience will hurt him in this fight. His debut was in 2007 and he fought one other time during the summer of 2008. Meanwhile, Sakuraba, despite getting up there in years (he's 41 now,) still managed to average three fights a year over the last three years. And his only losses were the decision to Royce, an early knockout from a red hot Melvin Manhoef, and a decision to Kiyoshi Tamura. I like Sakuraba to school Ralek here and rack up his third submission win over a Gracie. Final prediction: Sakuraba via submission. 145 lbs.: Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen vs. Hiroyuki Takaya "Hellboy" is a really well rounded fighter with a lot of ways to win, while Takaya basically prefers to stand and bang with his opponents. I don't think Hansen will have much of a problem with that early on, but once he gets a chance to take this fight to the ground, he'll probably jump all over it. Hansen is an aggressive striker, though, and it's certainly possible he could knock Takaya out on his feet. Afterall, half of Takaya's eight career losses have been by TKO. Still though, Hansen's best way to win is on the ground where he has a solid ground and pound game and a clear advantage with submissions. Either way, this should be a fun fight for the fans. But for the fighters, both are coming off two straight losses and a win is very important. Because of that, I think "Hellboy" comes out extremely focused and wins this fight by some type of stoppage. He'll either drop Takaya with strikes and pound him out, or he'll end up on the ground where he could potentially notch his sixth career submission win. I'm leaning towards a knockout. Final prediction: Hansen via technical knockout. That's a wrap. Check back in early tomorrow morning for the DREAM 14 results and recap. |
| UFC 114 video preview on ESPN's 'MMA Live' Posted: 28 May 2010 01:30 PM PDT |
| Dan Miller is fighting to 'provide for his family' at UFC 114 Posted: 28 May 2010 12:12 PM PDT
Props: MMA Fighting Quoteworthy:
Co-main eventer Dan Miller talks about his recent personal struggles and the health of his four-month old son, Daniel, Jr. Miller's child has been battling a genetic kidney disease that has put him near death on more than one occasion. Dan says that while his son is doing better now, his inspiration for the fight against Michael Bisping is coming from Daniel, Jr.'s will to survive. It's undeniably a heartbreaking story, but as Dana White recently put it, "This is the real world and nobody is gonna take care of you. Nobody gives a shit in the real world. You gotta overcome adversity to get to where you want to be." Clearly, Miller's personal struggles are far from typical, but in someways White has a point. Dan has a great opportunity to defeat a big name like Bisping and to continue providing for his family in the way that only he can. So, will Miller make the most of this challenge and bring some much needed joy and relief to his family? Or, will his personal problems be too much to overcome? Who's taking the UFC 114 co-main event, Maniacs? |
| UFC 114: 'Rampage vs Evans' officially sold out Posted: 28 May 2010 10:44 AM PDT
Further confirmation that UFC 114: "Rampage vs. Evans" is primed to do big business for Zuffa, the event, set to go down tomorrow night (May 29) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, tickets have officially sold out. At the UFC 114 pre-fight press conference, Dana White stated that never before has there been so many ticket requests for a UFC event and that the hype and buzz surrounding UFC 114 was similar that of UFC 100 last July. While UFC 114 is unlikely to approach the type of staggering numbers that UFC 100 did in terms of pay-per-view buys, with all the media work Dana and company have put in over the last week on ESPN, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Dan Patrick Show, etc., coupled with the release of the uber popular UFC Undisputed 2010 video game, this event certainly has the chance to reset the bar in terms of PPV business for 2010. UFC 114 will run in conjunction with this year's Fan Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, which is currently taking place, and will feature a 205-pound grudge match between former light heavyweight champions and Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 coaches "Sugar" Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. For more on UFC 114, click here. |
| UFC 114 predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 28 May 2010 09:26 AM PDT
UFC 114: "Rampage vs. Evans" is set to go down this Saturday, May 29, 2010 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, live on pay-per-view. Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET. To get us pumped for the event, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer, Jesse Holland (that’s me), will break down the main card matches and take a closer look at the intricacies of each contest. One of the big stories coming into this event is of course the headlining fight between former light heavyweight champions and ex-TUF 10 coaches Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans. Has the "A-Team" layoff hurt "Rampage" physically? And will he have his head in the fight game after getting a taste of the glitz and glamor of Hollywood? There are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding the future of Michael Bisping. Is he one or two wins away from getting back in the title hunt? And does he have the chops to hang with the 185-pound elite? Dan Miller may help us answer that question on Saturday night. Also on tap is a heavyweight throwdown between Todd Duffee and Mike Russow. Now that Duffee's seven seconds of fame are up, will he prove to be the next big thing at heavyweight? Or will the Chicago cop arrest his ascension up the divisional ladder? There will certainly be a lot to talk about on Sunday morning. I’ve also included the current betting lines for each fight so that you can get a feel for what the money has to say about the chances of each combatant. Now, enough with the formalities … let’s get cracking: 205 lbs.: "Suga" Rashad Evans (19-1-1) vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (30-7) Backgrounds (last five fights): Evans:
Jackson:
Dumbass predicts: Man of science, man of faith. How else can I break down a main event that has the mixed martial arts fan base split equally in two? I'm a man of science, so expect me to pick Evans -- but believe me when I tell you it's by the slimmest of margins. How slim? I couldn't fit my Mania Christmas bonus between it -- and I've seen that shit slip through cracks that even water wouldn't penetrate. Jackson might very well be the better all-around fighter. But I'm not sure where his head is at. What's with all those interviews in the past few weeks about how awful the UFC regime is? He must have really been infected by the Hollywood virus because he doesn't sound like a fighter who is committed to being the best. And can we stop pretending he was lighting the world on fire before skipping town? Aside from playing patty-cake with Wanderlei Silva's face (which has gotten way too easy over the years), he turned in a stinker against Forrest Griffin and phoned it in against Keith Jardine -- the same mean dean who got KOed by Ryan Bader. On its own, not being up for the game is a serious detriment. But couple that with Jackson's considerable layoff (and his considerable gut) and I have serious doubts about his physical and mental preparedness. Sure, he can show up in shape, but there is a marked difference between cramming for an a exam and studying for it all year. That brings me to Evans. Am I running to the bookie based on his Thiago Silva fight? Not exactly. But considering it was his first fight back (and a very dangerous one) after Lyoto Machida folded him up like a Trapper-Keeper, I can overlook his rubber legs in round three against Silva. Where I favor Evans in this contest is in the preparation. Aside from a state of perpetual training (based on his fight schedule), he seems to be in the right frame of mind. Of course Jackson is every bit as angry, but Evans doesn't want to win and go back to making movies. He wants to win and go back to being light heavyweight champion. He also has Team Jackson behind him, who knows a thing or two about formulating game plans. Rampage has Wolfslair, which is a solid camp, but hasn't been cranking out world beaters like the balding guru in New Mexico has. In the end, I just see too many negatives to pick Jackson. I like Evans in a split decision and he may even get rocked, but the wrestling will find him in good graces with the judges. And if all else fails, "Suga" can juke, jive and dance his way across three rounds better than anyone in the sport. "Yeah, but still, it's Rampage. He'll win," says the man of faith. Which I am not. Betting lines (as of May 28): Jackson: -115 ((Bet Now)) Evans: -115 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Evans via split decision 185 lbs.: Michael "The Count" Bisping (18-3) vs. Dan Miller (11-3) Backgrounds (last five fights): Bisping:
Miller:
Dumbass predicts: For a guy that's facing a possible pink slip, Dan Miller sure doesn't exhibit the kind of urgency you would expect from a fighter that's dropped two straight. Aye, the dreaded 0-3 hole is a one-way ticket to Strikeforce but Miller's interviews in the last three weeks have sounded like an unconditional surrender. That's a shame, because he has the tools to beat Michael Bisping. But he won't. "The Count" is the kind of guy who can hang with anyone, but when he fights scared like he did against Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva, he ends up throwing the fight away. Bisping is not scared of Miller. And why should he be? All the Sparta-native seems to talk about is how awful his predicament is. And it doesn't help that he was outstruck by Demian Maia, who isn't exactly known for his hands. This is exactly the type of scenario Bisping loves and I expect him to capitalize on it. His fluffernutter fists won't stiffen Miller, but his striking is technically sound and continues to improve. It can certainly do enough damage to win this fight. Can he stop the wrestling attack? I think he only needs to stuff one or two before Miller abandons them and it turns into a stand-up battle. Then it all boils down to who has the better hands. Against upper-tier middleweights, as we've seen, it wouldn't be enough to get Bisping the "W." Dan Miller is not upper-tier. Betting lines (as of May 28): Bisping: -170 ((Bet Now)) Miller: +140 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Bisping by unanimous decision 205 lbs.: Antonio Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira (18-3) vs. Jason "The Hitman" Brilz (18-2-1) Backgrounds (last five fights): Nogueira:
Brilz:
Dumbass predicts: Anyone else unsettled by this fight? There's nothing I hate more than one of my favorite fighters getting stuck on the wrong end of a Cinderella story. Against Forrest Griffin, I had "Minotoro" all day. Now against Brilz, I'm not so sure. Hey, I'm still picking Lil' Nog to win, didn't you read that whole "Man of science" thing earlier? Nogueira has a rare combination of ridiculous boxing and world class grappling along with a resume that includes wins over Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem (twice). Think of him as Rodrigo minus the head trauma. Aside from that horrible "anything can happen" aspect of our sport, I really don't see any way Brilz wins this. Maybe he can grind out a decision with a relentless wrestling attack? Perhaps, but is the ground a place you really want to be fooling around with against a Nogueira? And Brilz has only one finish in his UFC career. He defeated but couldn't put away Eric Schafer and Tim Boetsch and lost a split decision to Eliot Marshall. In fact, toss in Brad Morris and none of the fighters he's faced are still with the UFC. If your previous four wins have come against competition the Zuffa brass has no interest in keeping on the payroll, it's hard to make a case for you in this fight, even at 18-2. I expect Brilz to take a few more shots to the dome than he cares for which will force him to try and implement his wrestling game. I'm predicting a TKO stoppage for the Brazilian but a standing guillotine or textbook armbar would not surprise me. Neither would a Brilz upset, which is why this sport drives me crazy sometimes. Betting lines (as of May 28): Nogueira: -550 ((Bet Now)) Brilz: +375 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Nogueira via technical knockout 170 lbs.: Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez (21-3) vs. John Hathaway (12-0) Backgrounds (last five fights): Sanchez:
Hathaway:
Dumbass predicts: Will Diego Sanchez regret moving back to welterweight? YES! What a shame. It may have been a "Nightmare" against BJ Penn, but he was ideal for that weight class and who didn't want to see a rematch with Kenny Florian? He's talking about facing KenFlo at a catchweight, apparently forgetting the cardinal rule about forecasting future fights when a dangerous opponent lies in wait. I've always liked Sanchez as a fighter, but dropping out of the Thiago Alves fight in 2008 left a bad taste in my mouth. So does the flip-flopping between weight classes. Diego used to always talk about destiny and pursuing his goal to be champion, etc. And now he just seems lost. Can he still hang with the best? Sure, but that single-mindedness (I think) took his game to another level. Is he still the same "Nightmare?" John Hathaway is going to be a very good test. Sanchez has an excellent skill set. Good, but not great at everything. What he lacks in technical acumen he makes up for in viciousness. He's going to need that here because Hathaway has the kind of big welterweight frame that can give Diego problems. I don't want to put too much stock in the Brit's perfect record because quite frankly, some of his opponents would have a hard time being identified by their own kin in a police line up. Still, he has a good head for the game and while they were both decisions, I saw a lot of promise in the Ricky Story and Paul Taylor fights. Sanchez should win this because he's going to be the more aggressive fighter. But he's likely to find himself having a much harder time than he -- or the casual fan -- anticipates. Betting lines (as of May 29): Sanchez: -220 ((Bet Now)) Hathaway: +175 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Sanchez via split decision 265 lbs.: Todd Duffee (6-0) vs. Mike Russow (12-1) Backgrounds (last five fights): Duffee:
Russow:
Dumbass predicts: FAME! I'm gonna live for-everrrrr... That would be the perfect theme song for the one-hit wonder known as Todd Duffee, whose hype train can barrel through the walls of reality like The Polar Express. Choo! Choo! All aboard! Lest you think I'm making fun of Duffee, know that I am in awe of his potential. But can we slow down and take it one fight at a time? A seven-second knockout was impressive, but let's keep in mind it was over Tim Hague, who is no longer employed by the UFC. Duffee is going to be a great fighter. UFC fans have only seen a glimpse of his power, but go back and find videos of his fights in Brazil and the Dominican Republic. For a guy with only six fights, he looks like he's been doing it for years. That's important. You can teach fighting, but you can't teach instincts -- and Duffee has the lion's share. It's almost a shame that he's facing Russow, because Chicago's finest is a pretty good fighter himself. He gets overlooked because he doesn't have the body of an Adonis, but he's an excellent grappler and pretty quick for a big man. Having said that, he's just not big enough to stop Duffee's incoming assault. Is he technically superior? In my opinion he is, but Duffee is too big and powerful to get hung up in a submission. This has shades of Mir vs. Lesnar II. Russow will be too busy trying to keep from getting punched in the face to set up a submission and will ultimately be pounded out. Betting lines (as of May 28): Duffee: -375 ((Bet Now)) Russow: +275 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Duffee via technical knockout That’s a wrap, folks. Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of "Rampage vs. Evans." What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for Saturday’s event. |
| Rashad Evans generates 3000 watts of power on 'Sports Science' (Video) Posted: 28 May 2010 09:26 AM PDT For over 1500 pounds of force per takedown... |
| Report: Alan Belcher vs Demian Maia possible for Ultimate Fight Night 22 Posted: 28 May 2010 07:40 AM PDT
File this under "Be careful what you wish for." Angst-ridden middleweight mauler Alan Belcher has been clamoring for a major step up in competition. Well Mr. Talent, I present you Demian Maia, currently offering his services at UFC Fight Night 22 on September 15. MMA Fighting brings word that the two are in verbal agreement to hook 'em up later this year. Belcher (16-6) was last seen using Patrick Cote's head to dig for gold inside the Octagon at UFC 113 earlier this month. It was his second straight win (and second straight finish) after beating the snot out of Wilson Gouveia at UFC 107 in December of last year. The outspoken but hard-hitting "Talent" wants a middleweight title shot and it would be hard to argue against him if he can dispose of the Brazilian with little effort. Maia (12-2) has been to the mountaintop but the Sherpa sent him sent tumbling back down it after a five round fiasco at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. The loss to Anderson Silva was his second in three fights after stringing together ten straight wins. He is undoubtedly one of the sport's most gifted grapplers, but his striking has yet to evolve to a higher level. To his credit, he showed a marked improvement in a unanimous decision win against Dan Miller at UFC 109, but there will be little margin for error against Johnny Cash's number one fan. I believe this is referred to as the classic "Striker vs. Grappler." Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on UFC Fight Night 22 as it becomes available. |
| DREAM 14 weigh in results for May 29 event Posted: 28 May 2010 06:42 AM PDT
DREAM 14 goes down TONIGHT (Friday night into Saturday morning) from the Saitama Super Arena starting at 3:00 a.m. ET live on HDNet. |
| Efrain Escudero feels 'no pressure' against Dan Lauzon at UFC 114 (Video) Posted: 28 May 2010 06:19 AM PDT |
| Jared Hess knee injury from Bellator 20 (GIF) Posted: 27 May 2010 08:51 PM PDT  Jared Hess knee injury from Bellator 20 (GIF) |
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