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- TUF 11 Finale weigh in photos gallery
- War Machine bar fight video hits the news; Former UFC fighter hits the slammer
- UFC weigh in results LIVE from Las Vegas for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale
- Strikeforce and M-1 Global: 'Fedor vs Werdum' conference call highlights and recap
- Thornton Melon helps Frank Mir conquer the high dive (Video)
- Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker believes Jake Shields has overvalued himself
- UFC Quick Quote: Dana White says 'huge fight' coming to free TV to make up for UFC 112
- Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson talks UFC and A-Team on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (Video)
- Jamie Varner: 'Kamal Shalorus is the toughest guy you've never heard of'
- The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale predictions, preview and analysis
- TUF 11 Finale and WEC 49 video preview on ESPN's 'MMA Live'
- Court McGee: From half-naked drug addict to TUF 11 Finalist
- UFC 118 tickets for 'Edgar vs. Penn 2' at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on sale soon
- The calm before the storm: Looking back at a pro MMA fighter's first professional experience
| TUF 11 Finale weigh in photos gallery Posted: 18 Jun 2010 06:22 PM PDT
Props: CombatLifestyle.com (Click the link to check out the complete gallery) For complete The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale weigh in results click here. |
| War Machine bar fight video hits the news; Former UFC fighter hits the slammer Posted: 18 Jun 2010 05:33 PM PDT Then this via Twitter: Does the punishment fit the crime? |
| UFC weigh in results LIVE from Las Vegas for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale Posted: 18 Jun 2010 03:40 PM PDT
The official weigh-in event for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale went down today (June 18) from the Key West Ballroom of the Palms Casino & Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. All fighters scheduled to compete on Saturday night's card made weight without incident. It was a rather tepid affair, with Joe Rogan's absence being the only item worth passing along, as the festivities didn't have their usual zing. Perhaps next time. TUF 11 Finale will feature a showdown between the top two finalists from the Spike TV reality show, as well as a light heavyweight war featuring Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine as he inches his way back into the title hunt against Matt "The Hammer" Hamill. Complete TUF 11 Finale weigh in results and live feed after the jump: Main event: 185 lbs.: Court McGee (185) vs. Kris McCray (184) Main card (Televised): 205 lbs.: Matt Hamill (205) vs. Keith Jardine (205) Under card (May not be broadcast): 155 lbs.: John Gunderson (155) vs. Mark Holst (154) Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com. 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 TUF 11 Finale coverage you can handle. |
| Strikeforce and M-1 Global: 'Fedor vs Werdum' conference call highlights and recap Posted: 18 Jun 2010 03:37 PM PDT
We're just eight short days away from the return of Fedor Emelianenko. (Crowd goes wild!) In anticipation of June 26th's main event between "The Last Emperor" and Fabricio Werdum, which is set to be held from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California and air on Showitme at 10 p.m. ET/PT, Strikeforce held the usual media conference call to disperse all sorts informative goodness. Partaking in today's festivities was the aforementioned main event combatants as well as Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker. And if you're thinking that nothing came out of the call except a bunch of translated fluff, you'd be wrong. Check out the highlights after the jump. Here's a tease, neither Fedor or Fabricio think too highly of the UFC.
Fedor: I don't think fighters are defeated before they get in the ring with me. As far as after they fight me, I don't think there's any mystery or magic to it. Each fighter reacts differently to a loss. I don't think I have anything to do with their success or lack thereof afterward. Fedor: I don't want to look to far ahead, I'm just focusing on Werdum. We have two fights left with Stirkeforce, and assuming everything goes well, I don't see any reason why we wouldn't continue the relationship. But I am considering retirement more and more often now. (Translation via LowKick.com) Fedor: I'd like to finish out my contract without any losses and then just see what God has planned for me. Fedor: While I'm actively fighting, I don't intend to pursue a career in politics. It' not something that's on my mind at the moment. Werdum: This is a once in a lifetime fight. To fight the greatest fighter to ever live is truly an honor. Fedor: I will continue fighting until I'm no longer effective. Fedor: It was unfortunate that the fight kept getting postponed. I was ready to fight in April. The period in which there was confusion was not up to me but rather Strikeforce and M-1 Global. Coker: Ticket sales are going well. We have 10,000 sold. We have a great fan base in San Jose and the Bay Area. Fedor: I deal directly with Vadim Finkelstein, but I leave most every decision to him. Fedor: I don't pay attention to what people say about me. I don't seek it out. I don't have any reactions to what people say about me whether it's positive or negative. I have more important things to do with my life than to surf the Internet. Fedor: My hand and thumb has healed fine from the Rogers fight. I'm 100%. Fedor: Fighting for my country and my heritage is what motivates me. Nothing else. Werdum: I've studied Fedor's fights my entire career. What's most impressive to me is that he always finds a way to win. Werdum: Our fight is the more relevant then the Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin fight because we fight for Strikeforce. Fedor: Both fights are very important because there are two top-ten heavyweights fighting. But I'm not a UFC fan, so I believe our fight is more important. Fedor: I'm not a fan of watching UFC fights. There is always a lot of negativity coming out of their fights. Werdum: I'm more calm and relaxed for this fight than any other in my career. I have no pressure. Coker: I'd like to remind everyone that this a co-promotion between Strikeforce and M-1 Global. Coker: We are finalizing an event in Houston, Texas on August 21. Coker: We are open to a co-promotion with Bellator to put on a fight between Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez. Just waiting for Gilbert to heal from an injury he suffered in the Shinya Aoki fight. That'll do it. To check out the full archive of Strikeforce and M-1 Global: "Fedor vs. Werdum" coverage, click here. |
| Thornton Melon helps Frank Mir conquer the high dive (Video) Posted: 18 Jun 2010 02:48 PM PDT
Melon! Get your suit on! We need ya! Also conquering their fear of heights was Roy "Air Country" Nelson, who got vertical on a BMX -- and lived to tell about it. See that video here. |
| Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker believes Jake Shields has overvalued himself Posted: 18 Jun 2010 12:56 PM PDT
Props: MMA Fighting Quoteworthy:
Scott Coker makes it clear that what Jake Shields believes he is worth to a MMA promotion, isn't quite on par with what Strikeforce values him at. Coker mentions that aspects involved in evaluating a fighter's worth for his company include how big of a draw they are, something that Shields has never been known for. These sentiments sound eerily similar to how UFC President Dana White described Dan Henderson's before he split for Coker's show. Anybody see this situation playing out differently? Or, is the coffin already nailed shut? |
| UFC Quick Quote: Dana White says 'huge fight' coming to free TV to make up for UFC 112 Posted: 18 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT
The above picture says it all. UFC President Dana White was flat out embarrassed and enraged by UFC 112's main event, particularly by Anderson Silva's peculiar antics. If you remember, directly after the fight, White promised to make it up to the fans who paid their hard-earned money for that atrocious display of mixed martial arts in some way, shape or form. Via MMA Weekly, Dana details his plans for how he is going to do that. It looks likely that a legitimate, big time main event is coming to Spike TV or Versus in the near future. Any thoughts on what that fight may be? Or, better yet, take this time to let D.W. know what kind of fight will rid your memory of that woeful April night in Abu Dhabi. |
| Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson talks UFC and A-Team on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (Video) Posted: 18 Jun 2010 09:57 AM PDT
Part 2 after the jump.
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| Jamie Varner: 'Kamal Shalorus is the toughest guy you've never heard of' Posted: 18 Jun 2010 09:53 AM PDT
Props: MMAWeekly Quoteworthy:
Former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner prepares for an all out war when he faces Kamal Shalorus in the main event of WEC 49 on June 20 at the Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The "Prince of Persia" is 2-0 for the WEC (6-0-1 overall) and could make himself an immediate title contender if he detonates "C-4" on Sunday night. Anyone thinking that Varner is in over his head? Or is it the other way around? |
| The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 18 Jun 2010 09:33 AM PDT
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale is set to go down this Saturday, June 19, 2010 from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, live via Spike TV. 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 on Spike at 9 p.m. ET. It's been eleven seasons and we're still rolling. How does the quality of talent compare to previous efforts? I think the recently-promoted main event between Court McGee and Kris McCray will help answer that. Also looking for answers are Keith Jardine and Matt Hamill, who both got their start on the Spike TV reality show and also share a common theme in that both suffered savage beatings in their last appearances. Will "The Hammer" be dropped on "The Dean of Mean's" career? Speaking of TUF guys, Chris Leben is hoping to build on his dismantling of Jay Silva against the uber-tough Aaron Simpson while Jamie Yager gets his chance to prove he's more than just a big mouth against Rich Attonito. How will it all play out? Find out after the jump. 185 lbs.: Court "The Crusher" McGee (8-1) vs. Kris "Savage" McCray Injuries to fellow TUF cast mates afforded both McGee and McCray a second chance at reality show stardom. Each fighter was able to come back after suffering early defeats and take consecutive wins to advance to the Finale. That's pretty impressive, in a Steve Jennum sort of way. Especially for McCray, who fought a record five times in six weeks to grind his way into tomorrow's main event. McCray entered the TUF house with a perfect 5-0 mark, never going past the first round and finishing all five contests. "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. McGee has a well-rounded game and seemed to respond well to Team Liddell's coaching -- as evidenced by his improvement from fight-to-fight. 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, his days as an underdog are over. Just look at the fight lines. Still, this won't be a walk in the park. I was hard on McCray throughout the season for his cardio but there is leeway there because of the frequency in which he fought. I expect that issue to be rectified by fight night and a lopsided round one by the "Savage" would not surprise me. Having said that, McGee will eventually find his range (and his rhythm) and come storming back. Round two will be close but I expect Crusher to do some crushing in the final frame and find his way to the promised land -- assuming the judges don't F-this one up. Betting lines (as of June 18): McGee: -200 ((Bet Now)) McCray: +160 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: McGee via split decision 205 lbs.: Matt "The Hammer" Hamill vs. Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine This has ugly written all over it -- and I'm not talking about physical attributes. Jardine has skills, but can't seem to shake those spells of narcolepsy that plague him from time-to-time. "The Dean of Mean" was last seen in action against Ryan Bader at UFC 110 where he was unplugged in the last stanza. The former TUF 2 contestant has lost three straight inside the Octagon and four of his last five fights. It helps that four of those losses came to formidable opponents like Bader as well as "Rampage" Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, and Thiago Silva, but a loss here could very well mark the end of his time with the UFC. Hamill has won three straight -- but you wouldn't know it based on the ass-kicking he suffered at the hands fast-rising phenom Jon Jones at last December's TUF 10 Finale when "Bones" was disqualified due to illegal elbow strikes. Prior to that bout, Hamill went back-to-back against Reese Andy at UFC 92 and Mark Munoz at UFC 96, both ending early via strikes. "The Hammer" has KO power, which usually spells doom for his counterpart, but I'm leaning towards Jardine here because he may actually fight smart and exploit the fact that Hamill prefers to stand and bang. There won't be a knockout tonight (I don't think) because the "Mean 1" will pick his spots and stay out of the pocket. When Hamill realizes he's down on points and reverts to his wrestling, Jardine's takedown defense will already be primed and polished courtesy of Greg Jackson, helping him cruise to a unanimous decision win. Betting lines (as of June 18): Hamill: -145 ((Bet Now)) Jardine: +115 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Jardine via unanimous decision 185 lbs.: Chris "The Crippler" Leben (19-6) vs. Aaron "A-Train" Simpson (7-0) I think "The Crippler" is a fitting nickname, since Leben may find himself handicapped against Simpson, a former All-American wrestler with over 250 combined wins in his high school and college wrestling days. "A-Train" has also reeled off three wins in a row since coming over to the UFC early last year, though his recent split decision victory over Tom Lawlor at UFC Fight Night 20 was practically gift-wrapped. Both fighters are hovering in the middle of the pack in the middleweight division but with a win at the TUF 11 Finale, one man could move up another place in the pecking order. It's hard to pick Leben in spite of his recent win over the now-cut Jay Silva. The original TUF 1 contestant was finished by Jake Rosholt at UFC 102 and outworked by Michael Bisping at UFC 89. Coupled with his layoff that resulted from a steroids suspension, there's just not enough there for me to feel confident in his ability to win this. Of course "puncher's chance" was coined for fighters like him and he can put you to sleep rather easily. Unfortunately I just don't see him being upright long enough to make that happen. Simpson would have to do something dumb here like stand and trade but I'm predicting he works him over on the ground for the better part of three rounds. I do think Leben is tough enough to last the entire 15 minutes, but it wouldn't shock me to see Simpson finish him via ground and pound late in the fight. Betting lines (as of June 18): Simpson: -350 ((Bet Now)) Leben: +250 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Simpson via unanimous decision 155 lbs.: Spencer "The King" Fisher (23-5) vs. Dennis Siver (15-7) Fisher is hoping to rebound from a disappointing TKO loss to Joe Stevenson at UFC 104: "Machida vs. Shogun" last October. "The King" took too many elbows to the crown from "Daddy" and saw his three-fight winning streak come to an end. In his twelve appearances inside the Octagon, Fisher has notable wins over Thiago Alves, Aaron Riley and Jeremy Stephens. This fight should favor him with his experience and because it keeps him off the ground, a place he's been known to have trouble. Like Fisher, Siver was in cruise control over his past couple of fights -- until he found out that Ross Pearson was "The Real Deal" at UFC Fight Night 21 just last month. His unanimous decision loss to the Brit was his first since stringing together four straight wins (with four straight finishes). He's an outstanding striker with a punishing spinning back kick and has been in the fight game since 2004, compiling an impressive resume in both the UFC and his native Germany. I was leaning towards Siver but I just have this feeling that "King" will pull one out of his hat. Siver may get the better of the exchanges from a technical standpoint, but Fisher is going to land one where it counts. Betting lines (as of June 18): Fisher: -190 ((Bet Now)) Siver: +155 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Fisher via technical knockout 185 lbs.: Rich Attonito (7-3) vs. Jamie "The Chosyn 1" Yager (2-1) No, the funky-haired fight monger with the awful nickname isn't going away just yet. The UFC is giving Jamie Yager another chance at fame (and perhaps redemption for calling it quits on the stool) as he tries to sneak in the back door against fellow TUF guy Rich Attonito. Yager made some noise early in the season, kicking the "Hebrew Hammer" out of the competition (literally) to earn his spot in the TUF house. He followed that up with another impressive stoppage against Charles Blanchard in episode four, stopping the KOTC vet in just over a minute. Unfortunately he was unable to capitalize on that momentum and failed to answer the bell in the third round of his episode ten fight against eventual semifinalist Josh Bryant. The loss did little to stop his off-camera shenanigans, and now Attonito is looking to make him pay for it. Like Yager, Attonito was successful right out of the gate, outpointing Lyle Steffens to secure his spot on the roster. He would face Kyacey Uscola in the elimination rounds and win via disqualification (illegal knee), but was forced to withdraw from the competition after breaking his hand. I have a feeling Yager has matured since we last saw him but I'm not picking against a guy from New Jersey no matter what the odds. And despite some dangerous stand-up, I was thoroughly unimpressed with Yager's defense in the Josh Bryant fight. He's got the look, he's got the talent, but until he has the maturity both inside and outside of the cage, he's going to fall victim to guys like Attonito. Of course having given Attonito the official Nostradumbass seal of approval we now know Yager will go in and knock him out. Sorry Rich. Betting lines (as of June 18): Yager: -120 ((Bet Now)) Attonito: -110 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Attonito via unanimous decision That’s a wrap, folks. Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale. 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. |
| TUF 11 Finale and WEC 49 video preview on ESPN's 'MMA Live' Posted: 18 Jun 2010 08:44 AM PDT |
| Court McGee: From half-naked drug addict to TUF 11 Finalist Posted: 18 Jun 2010 06:55 AM PDT
Props: Las Vegas Review Journal Quoteworthy:
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 finalist Court McGee is one fight away from completing an unlikely (and somewhat miraculous) turnaround in his life. The last time McGee was in Las Vegas he was wandering the streets with no pants looking for meth. Now he's back (and sober four years) as one of TUF's biggest success stories, which he can cap off on Saturday night (June 19) against Kris McCray. Can he fight his way through one final battle and make it to the promised land? |
| UFC 118 tickets for 'Edgar vs. Penn 2' at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on sale soon Posted: 18 Jun 2010 06:19 AM PDT
Tickets for UFC 118: "Edgar vs. Penn 2," which is slated for the TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on Aug. 28, will go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 25, at 10 a.m. ET. UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers, naturally, will be able to scoop up tickets prior to them being available for public consumption. UFC 118 will feature a rematch for the lightweight title between B.J. Penn and division champion Frankie Edgar in the main event of the evening. Former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Randy Couture will introduce professional boxing champion James Toney to the Octagon in the co-featured fight of the night. Another exciting 155-pound showdown between Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard has also been made official. Here is the UFC 118 tickets sales schedule (all times ET):
UFC 118 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch on on pay-per-view (PPV) at 10 p.m. ET on fight night. For more on UFC 118 stay dialed in to MMAmania.com. To check out the latest UFC 117 fight card and rumors click here. |
| The calm before the storm: Looking back at a pro MMA fighter's first professional experience Posted: 18 Jun 2010 06:04 AM PDT
Written by Chris "Red Line" Wing, who defeated Giedrius Karavackas by second round knockout to win his professional mixed martial arts debut at Ring of Combat 30 on June 11. My thoughts during the weeks leading up to the fight: I was extremely laid back mentally approaching the fight. I've been competing since I was a little kid so I don't really get nervous anymore; I don't get any "pre-fight anxiety". I also felt no added pressure moving from the amateur ranks to now being a professional fighter; I trained like a professional when I was fighting as an amateur so I knew that this wouldn't be any different. There was a lot of hype leading up to this fight. My father/manager made a lot of training videos that were seen all over the world, and on huge MMA websites. There was a lot of promotion building me up for this fight. All the hype and expectations didn't affect or bother me. I fight and perform for me, no one else. In my opinion I'm not a fighter. I'm a performer, I just happen to perform in the most "primitive" way possible, and hype and promotion is not going to stop me from performing. My "camp" training for the fight was great. I had great sparring partners, like always I was working my wrestling with my wrestling coach, my boxing with my boxing coach, and went through hellish medieval workouts with my strength and conditioning coach. I have a great team and great coaches around me which is important because they keep everything real positive approaching the fight so that I go into the fight in a good state of mind. We also pulled in a nutritionist approaching the fight which was huge. He made the cut to 170, in all honesty, easy, which you'll read shortly. My thoughts entering Atlantic City and the Venue: The cut to 170 went great and I felt fantastic. That really helped mentally, I knew that not only would the cut not affect my performance, but it just added to the list of ways that I was just more prepared than my opponent. I knew that my training partners were top notch, my conditioning was fantastic, and the nutritionist would give me the strength to go 300% for two rounds. I couldn't be beaten. As for being at a "real" weigh-ins and being around seasoned pro fighters in a pro venue, it didn't affect me. It didn't give me any added nerves or affect me mentally. I felt like I was meant to be there. My thoughts right before the fight: After I was gloved and warmed up, once again, I really wasn't nervous. My heart rate was pretty normal, when usually right before I go out is when I get nervous. Before I fight I usually get pretty bad dry mouth from nerves and I have to sip water constantly. This fight, nothing. I walked out to the cage, for the most part, completely calm. I didn't know if it was a good or bad thing, but that's just how it was.
My thoughts during the fight: My opponent came out solid and on point. I had to keep my composure and stick to my game plan. I never thought I was out of the fight. I just had to do what I had trained to do and I finally found a home for my punches. All of my experience as an amateur paid off and allowed me to stay focused and do my job. There's a time during a fight when a fighter, or at least me, gets hit with a decent shot, or find ourselves in a bad position, or realize we're not winning, thoughts start going through our heads. Thoughts like: "find a ‘soft' spot on the canvas" or "it's not a big deal if you lose". Then we snap out of it and say "what the f*ck are you talking about" and press forward. I think a true fighter or a true athlete well press on, others not destined for greatness find that soft spot on the canvas. I pressed forward and came up on the better end of the stick and finished with a big K.O. My thoughts after the fight: I was very happy afterward with the fight. I started my pro career with a vicious knockout over an extremely tough opponent. But I wasn't satisfied. I was never satisfied with any of my wins, nor will I ever be. A true athlete will strive for impossible perfection and will do anything at any cost to achieve it, and even if it were possible to achieve perfection, it still wouldn't be good enough, we'd have to go even further. But like I said, I was very pleased with the fight. The victory tasted even better because of all the sacrifice it took to get me that win. I knew all my hard work paid off, the relentless training, the constant grind of it all, keeping my nutrition constantly on point, etc. I knew my work ethic has truly gotten me where I am today, and has brought me success once again. I couldn't have done it, though, without all my coaches, training partners, family, and just having a good team around me with people I trust and I know have a true genuine belief in me. Right now I'm riding a ridiculous "high", which soon will fade, and the fight will almost mean nothing to me anymore, it'll be time, once again, to look toward the future. |
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