Thursday, June 17, 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

Strikeforce results, updates and live play-by-play TONIGHT (June 16) for Los Angeles!

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:28 PM PDT

SF Los Angeles Results

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of Strikeforce: "Los Angeles."

Quick results of the preliminary fights will begin to flow around 10 p.m. ET and round-by-round coverage of the main card action on Showtime will get started at 11 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 Strikeforce: "Los Angeles" results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

Brock Lesnar counts down to 'crushing' Shane Carwin at UFC 116 (Video)

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:28 PM PDT

Bellator 22 weigh-in results for 'Askren vs Hornbuckle' on June 17

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:27 PM PDT

Askren_hornbuckle_bellator_medium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 16, 2010) — On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships’ much-anticipated show at the Kansas City Power & Light District, the fighters competing in tomorrow’s event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this evening.

Bellator 22 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.

The official results of the weigh-in are as follows:

Main card:

Dan Hornbuckle (170 lbs.) vs. Ben Askren (170 lbs.) @ 170 lbs.
Stephanie Frausto (114 lbs.) vs. Lisa Ward (115 lbs.) @ 115 lbs.
Jarrod Card (139.75 lbs.) vs. Jose Vega (139.75 lbs.) @ 140 lbs. (previously negotiated CW)
Demetrius Richards (205 lbs.) vs. Raphael Davis (205.5 lbs.) @ 205 lbs.

Local feature fights:

Leonardo Pecanha (169.75 lbs.) vs. Tyler Stinson (170.25 lbs.) @ 170 lbs.
Brian Green (179.75 lbs.) vs. Rudy Bears (180 lbs.) @ 180 lbs. (previously negotiated CW)
John Orr (257 lbs.) vs. Cole Konrad (266 lbs.) @ 265 lbs.
Jared Downing (135 lbs.) vs. Chad Vandenberg (136 lbs.) @ 135 lbs.

Chuck Liddell's trainer heartbroken; No longer wants to see 'Iceman' fight

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 07:46 PM PDT

Chuck_liddell_knockout_medium

Props: SI.com

Quoteworthy:

"I don't think there's too much to talk about. I think we both know what he's going to do. I won't speak for him like Dana [White] did. I'll just say I'd rather he not do it anymore.... If he's gotta do it I'd rather be there looking after him than someone else. I don't think it will come to that. I think he's good right now. I think he's in a good place and obviously wishes he won. But he's a very successful guy that's accomplished a lot in and out of the cage, and he doesn't really need this anymore in any way. I don't think he has anything to prove.... The thing that made him the most famous, richest, most exciting superstar in the sport also can come back and haunt him ... all the game planning went out the window and the warrior in him took over. He dropped his hands, took his chin up and started swinging for the fences. That's the way he went in and that's the way he went out. That's just him. Looking down at him cut like that, broke my heart."

John Hackleman -- the long-time trainer and friend of former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell -- concedes that it's finally time for his UFC Hall of Fame fighter to hang up the gloves. Liddell, 40, suffered his fifth loss in six fights, getting knocked out cold courtesy of Rich Franklin at UFC 115 last weekend. It was the fourth time in those five losses that he ended up on his back, staring at the lights and wondering what the hell went wrong. Hackleman suggests that the "warrior" nature of Liddell is likely to blame -- no matter how much game planning, conditioning or drilling he did prior to the fight, he quickly resorted to his aggressive (and careless) self after just a few minutes of action. "Iceman" has yet to make an official announcement on his retirement; however, with Hackleman, as well as UFC President Dana White (again) telling him the party's over, he may listen this time around. Will we hear him say goodbye this weekend at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale or will he drag this out as long as possible à la Brett Favre?

Josh Neer and Jesse Finney face off at Fight Me 1: 'The Battle Begins' press conference (Pic)

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 04:10 PM PDT

Neer vs Finney

Thanks to Bob Barton for the pics. For more on the August 14 "Neer vs. Finney" showdown click here.

Fight Me MMA

Left to right: Tom Lipar (Board of Directors for Fight Me), Jesse Finney, Josh Neer and Ken Nowling (CEO of Fight Me).

Wanderlei Silva visits Mark Munoz gym to train for UFC 116 'Sexyama' fight (Video)

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 02:16 PM PDT

Court McGee vs Kris McCray elevated to The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale main event on June 19

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 02:15 PM PDT

Mcgee-mccray_medium

Move over bacon -- it's time for something meatier.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 finalists Court McGee and Kris McCray will duke it out on the Spike TV live finale this Saturday night (June 19) for a chance at a "six figure" UFC contract and TUF bragging rights.

And now they'll get to do it in the main event, trumping the previously slotted affair between Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine and Matt "The Hammer" Hamill.

Injuries to fellow cast mates afforded both McGee and McCray a second chance at TUF stardom. Each fighter was able to come back after suffering early defeats and take consecutive wins to advance to the Finale.

And if any competitor ever earned their keep inside the house, it was "Savage."

The Woodbridge, Virginia native fought a record five times in six weeks, going 4-1, and ultimately proving to be one of the grittiest guys in the show's history.

McCray entered the TUF house with a perfect 5-0 mark, never haven been pushed past the first round. It took a lot more than that to make it to the finale, and it will likely take more than that to get by Court McGee.

"The Crusher" came into the show with quite an impressive resume himself, carrying a record of 8-1 with his only loss coming to Jeremy Horn.

Yes, that Jeremy Horn.

One of McGee's victims along the way was none other than The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 finalist DaMarques Johnson.

Court being considered the underdog throughout the competition, was, well, obviously a mistake.

McGee's well-rounded game coupled with his sponge-like absorption of Team Liddell's coaching did the Utah bred fighter well. And with a considerable amount of time to take his game to yet another level from the end of taping to the show's finale on June 19, his days as an underdog my very well be over.

Also on tap for the Spike TV telecast is the aforementioned light heavyweight war featuring Keith Jardine as he inches his way back into the title hunt against Matt Hamill.

For the complete TUF 11 Finale fight card and line-up click here.

Bill to legalize MMA in New York passes State Senate; heads to Assembly Ways and Means Committee

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 01:44 PM PDT

Mixed martial arts (MMA) regulation in the "Empire State" -- take two.

Bill No. S2165B, designed to legalize MMA in New York, passed the State Senate today by a vote of 32-26 and will now head to the Ways and Means Committee for further consideration, according to Newsday.com.

A successful run there could direct it to the Assembly floor for a general vote -- and eventually the desk of Governor David Patterson for final approval.

The same Governor Paterson who proposed MMA legislation earlier in the year to help reduce the state's $9 billion deficit.

MMA is currently unregulated in New York. It appeared to be on the verge of being sanctioned in 2008, but some eleventh-hour concerns from uneducated members of the Assembly Committee on Tourism, Arts and Sports Development scuttled its passage.

Another session on the matter began in the state capital on Jan. 7, 2009, and was voted on later in the year, indicating that the pendulum was perhaps finally swinging in a positive direction.

Unfortunately, progress was stymied once again.

UFC Vice President for Government and Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner and president of the company Dana White have been working on this deal for months and years, ratcheting up the economic rhetoric and financial success of its mixed martial events to influence voters who may be on the fence.

In fact, the organization hired a high-powered public relations and lobbying firm to ensure that its messages were heard and that common misconceptions were clarified among key influencers and the public-at-large.

In particular, the efforts were targeted at detractors like Democratic Assemblyman Bob Reilly, who referred to the sport of MMA as a "glorification of brutality and violence" and continues to do everything in his power to sabotage the process.

An independent economic impact study indicated that the promotion would generate about $11.5 million for the city with just one major pay-per-view (PPV) event. Put simply, money talks … and the UFC has the numbers to back it up.

Stay tuned.

Gilbert Melendez vs Eddie Alvarez? Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker willing to 'give it a shot'

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 01:13 PM PDT

Melendez-alvarez_medium_medium

Props: MMA Fighting

Quoteworthy:

"We are open to fighting other fighters in other leagues. Doing co-promotions and fighting other fighters from other leagues is never going to be an issue. It just a matter of how do we do it? What's the deal? We'll sit down and give it a shot. I would love to see that fight between Eddie and Gilbert. It comes down to details, like, after the fight's over, who owns the intellectual property rights? Is it them? Is it us? Do we co-share it? There's a tremendous amount of points to be negotiated. And then is it on our broadcast platform? Is it on their broadcast platform? What rights are we going to retain? What rights are they going to retain? What if he wins the title? Is there an automatic rematch clause? It just goes on and on and on. But you know what? We got it done with the Fedor piece, and so I feel like we can do it with anybody."

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker talks about his recent conversation with Bellator boss Bjorn Rebney and the possibility of bringing their 155-pound champions (and consensus top five ranked lightweights) into a superfight under a co-promotion agreement. Of course there exists several obstacles when two promotions come together but like Coker pointed out, if they can make it work with M-1 they can likely make it work with anyone -- and for probably a fraction of the price. Any fans willing to take a stab at who the favorite would be?

Beatdown movie trailer featuring Michael Bisping and Danny Trejo (Video)

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 12:52 PM PDT

Does "The Count," who also has an appearance in an upcoming British soap opera, have a future in Hollywood like his friend Quinton "Rampage" Jackson?

UFC Quick Quote: Keith Jardine looks to 'let it rip' against Matt Hamill at TUF 11 Finale

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 12:06 PM PDT

Mma_e_kjardinets2_576_medium

"I tried to be too polished. I tried to be too planned. I was just thinking way too much. That's not me. That may be how other fighters perform at their best, but not me... It was growing pains for me, I feel like I'm a completely different fighter now then I was even two years ago when I was beating Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin. I need to get back to just going out there and letting loose, letting it rip... My training camp leading up to this fight was all about me and getting back to what I do best. I'm hungrier and more excited to be a UFC fighter than I ever have before."

Keith Jardine talked about his recent struggles in the Octagon and his efforts to return to top form on today's The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale media call. Having lost three consecutive fights and four of his last five, there isn't a better time than now to get back in the winning column and preserve his career. Even though he last fought just four months ago, "The Dean of Mean" claims that he has completely overhauled his approach to the sport and feels as though he'll be the best he's ever been come Saturday night. Anybody buying what Keith's selling? Let's get some predictions for the card's co-main event.

TUF 11 Finale: Chris Leben expecting to beat Aaron Simpson 'rather easily' on June 19

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 09:30 AM PDT

Leben_medium

Props: UFC.com

Quoteworthy:

"There was a lot of pressure. My fight before that (against Rosholt) was a terrible performance on my part and going into the Jay Silva fight I knew that I needed to change things. I went out to Oregon for over a month, just buckled down, put my nose to the grindstone and trained hard, and it definitely showed when I went out there. When I perform at my best, I think I beat anybody. [Simpson] is a phenomenal athlete and he’s obviously accomplished a lot in his wrestling career. Obviously there are some holes in his game – wrestling is his number one attribute, he doesn’t move his head a ton and he’s a little bit heavy on his feet. It’s gonna be a great fight, and if I execute my game plan and perform the way that I know I can, I think I should take him out rather easily."

Original TUF guy Chris Leben returns to the Spike TV reality show finale to mix it up with fellow middleweight Aaron Simpson this Saturday night (June 19) in Las Vegas. "The Crippler" made a triumphant comeback against Jay Silva back in January to dig his UFC career at of an 0-2 hole. Both fighters are hovering in the middle of the pack in the 185-pound division but with a win at the TUF 11 Finale, one man could move up another place in the pecking order. Who ya' got?

Bas Rutten bags would-be thugs in grocery store melee (Video)

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:15 AM PDT

WEC 49: Chris Horodecki vs Danny Downes booked for June 20 with Ed Ratcliff hurt

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 07:49 AM PDT

Horodecki_medium

Canadian lightweight star Chris Horodecki (14-2) will be searching for his first win under the WEC banner on June 20 -- though it won't be against original opponent Ed Ratcliff due to a recent injury that forced "9mm" to withdraw from their Edmonton showdown.

WEC officials yesterday announced promotion newcomer Danny Downes (6-0) has stepped up on short notice to take his place on the televised portion of the WEC 49: "Varner vs. Shalorus" fight card airing at 9 p.m. ET via the Versus network.

Horodecki made his WEC debut last December, but was given a very rude welcome by Anthony Njokuani, who stopped "The Polish Hammer" via first round technical knockout. It was just the second loss for the former IFL standout who looks to make good on his much-talked about potential.

Of course Downes has a rare opportunity to capitalize on Ratcliff's misfortune and will no doubt be looking to extend his undefeated streak to seven straight.

Danny "Boy" trains under Duke Roufus and has five of his six wins come by way of technical knockout, including a first round stoppage over Bruce Johnson at King of the Cage (KOTC): "Turbulence 2" back in April.

WEC 49: "Varner vs. Shalorus" pits former lightweight champion Jamie Varner (16-3) against undefeated up-and-comer Kamal Shalorus (6-0-1). Featherweight phenom Josh Grispi (13-1) also returns to take on the hard-hitting L.C. Davis (16-2).

For the complete WEC 49 line-up click here.

'Legal issue' prompts Chael Sonnen to withdraw from Oregon senate race

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 05:48 AM PDT

Chael20sonnen1_medium

"In the best interests of my district, I am resigning from my campaign for the Oregon House of Representatives. A 2006 legal issue has arisen that needs my immediate attention. I am not at liberty to disclose the details, but my name was involved in a real estate case that requires a ruling. If the ruling is adverse, I would be disqualified from running for office until 2011. So, given that possibility, I have chosen to withdraw my name as a candidate in 2010. I will continue to contribute to my community and ensure that we have a capable candidate to run for my district in November."

UFC middleweight number one contender Chael Sonnen (via Fight Magazine) releases a statement announcing his withdrawal from the Oregon senate race after a "legal issue" has come to light that could jeopardize his future in politics. Sonnen has also enjoyed a career in real estate and may have a few loose ends to tie up before his return to the campaign trail. Will Anderson Silva vote him out of the middleweight office at UFC 117? Or is "The Spider" going to be delivering a concession speech on August 7?
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Recent Articles on Sherdog.com

Loading...

UFC rss

Loading...

Recent Interviews on Sherdog.com

Loading...