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- Matt Wiman vs Mac Danzig rematch possible for UFC Fight Night 22 on Sept. 15
- TUF 11 Finale drug test results come back clean from NSAC for 'Hamill vs Jardine'
- Chris Leben: Yoshihiro Akiyama is going to hit the canvas if he stands with me at UFC 116 (Video)
- Ready for war: MMAmania.com UFC 116 interview exclusive with Krzysztof Soszynski
- Fighting out of the blue corner, the UFC Heavy-fake champion of the world ...
- Kicking ass apparently does a body good. (I stole this from Gal's Guide to MMA)
- 'Hammer' time: UFC signs South Korean middleweight Dong-Yi Yang
- Fedor's loss a ratings win for Showtime Sports on June 26 in San Jose
- Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin odds for UFC 116 in Las Vegas
- UFC 117: Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alves official for August 7
- MMA legislation stripped from budget bill by New York State Assembly
- The UFC has released TUF 11 competitors Jamie Yager, Josh Bryant, James Hammortree, and Seth...
- Gegard Mousasi vs Jake O'Brien set for DREAM.15 on July 10
| Matt Wiman vs Mac Danzig rematch possible for UFC Fight Night 22 on Sept. 15 Posted: 29 Jun 2010 07:06 PM PDT
Matt Wiman and Mac Danzig are headed back to the future on Sept. 15. The lightweights have reportedly been booked to rematch immediately at UFC Fight Night 22, which is scheduled to take place at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, according to Heavy.com. Wiman and Danzig first met on the undercard portion of UFC 115: "Liddell vs. Franklin" that aired on Spike TV on June 12 from the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It had all the ingredients to be an exciting contest; however, it ended in controversy as "Handsome" was awarded the submission (guillotine) victory in the first round even though Mac didn't, well, submit. There was a miscommunication between the referee, Yves Lavigne, as well the fighters, which caused the early stoppage. Wiman thought Danzig was choked unconscious, Danzig apparently didn't respond effectively enough when questioned about his condition, and the rest is history. Now we get to see history repeat itself .... on Spike TV ... again. UFC Fight Night 22 is expected to feature a headlining bout between middleweights Alan "The Talent" Belcher and Demian Maia. Staunch lightweights Jim Miller and Gleison Tibau are also in talks to hook 'em up. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates on this still-developing fight card. |
| TUF 11 Finale drug test results come back clean from NSAC for 'Hamill vs Jardine' Posted: 29 Jun 2010 06:41 PM PDT
Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today confirmed that 13 of the 20 competitors who were tested for illegal/banned substances after competing at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale on June 19 have all passed with flying colors. Co main event participants Matt Hamill and Keith Jardine, as well as Court McGee, Kris McCray, Chris Leben, Aaron Simpson, Dennis Siver, Rich Attonito, John Gunderson, Brad Tavares, Kyle Noke, Chris Camozzi and Travis Browne were all screened for performance enhancers such as steroids and drugs of abuse like cocaine and marijuana, among others. Results from these battery of tests all returned negative. The fighters mentioned above were randomly selected. However, athletic commissions typically test the main event participants and fight night winners, as well as those who have failed drug tests in the past. TUF 11 Finale featured a main event between the top two 185-pound fighters on TUF 11, Court McGee and Kris McCray. "The Crusher" strangled the "Savage" in the second round to earn a "six-figure" contract with the promotion, as well as bragging rights as the show's latest winner. Light heavyweight brawlers Jardine and Hamill -- who took home "Fight of the Night" -- went toe-to-toe for a blood-soaked three rounds, with "The Hammer" earning a close majority decision win from the ringside judges. For complete TUF 11 Finale results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here. |
| Chris Leben: Yoshihiro Akiyama is going to hit the canvas if he stands with me at UFC 116 (Video) Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:11 PM PDT |
| Ready for war: MMAmania.com UFC 116 interview exclusive with Krzysztof Soszynski Posted: 29 Jun 2010 01:14 PM PDT
To call Krzysztof Soszynski a rising prospect would be a bit of a stretch. Having entered the game at the not-so-tender age of 25, Soszynski wasn't afforded a lot of time to grow and improve as a mixed martial artist in an effort make the most of his career. Turns out he didn't need it. The former International Fight League (IFL) and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) standout made the most of every opportunity he had to properly announce himself to the MMA world. Just seven short years after his first professional fight, "The Polish Experiment" finds himself on the main card of one of the UFC's biggest events of 2010, fighting a familiar foe with the chance to take yet another step toward his ultimate goal of being the best. In anticipation of his UFC 116 rematch with Stephan Bonnar on July 3, Krzysztof was kind enough to talk with MMAmania.com about his career to date, how he's approaching the rematch with Bonnar, Keith Jardine, his fight with Brandon Vera and more. Check it out: James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Let me first get your take on the UFC's decision to cut Keith Jardine. I know you've said in the past that you're a fan of his and that you think there are a lot of similarities in both of your careers. Were you surprised they let him go? Krzysztof Soszynski: A little bit. He did lose four fights in a row, so I do understand the move, but he fought so many top guys. He fought Wanderlei Silva, "Rampage" Jackson and Brandon Vera. He beat Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell too. He's such a tough competitor. And I do see a bit of myself in him and vice-versa in working our way up from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), not winning but coming close, and then having success in the UFC. I'm a big fan of his and am definitely sad to see him go. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): You mentioned Brandon Vera there for a second. Before that fight at UFC 102, you were on a pretty good roll. Do you at all regret your decision to take such a big fight on short notice? Krzysztof Soszynski: You'll never hear any regrets from me. It was my decision. I could have taken another fight later on an under card, but the fight with Vera was such a big opportunity so I couldn't pass it up. Not having a lot of time to prepare definitely played a role in the outcome. I didn't have enough gas towards the end of the fight to keep up with him. What happened was right before that fight I fought back to back at UFC 97 and UFC 98, so I thought I was going to get a nice long layoff and I started to eat a lot of bad food to just restore my body. I got a call in the middle of eating a large pizza from Pizza Hut offering me the fight in five weeks, and I took it right away. I just didn't have enough cardio to win that fight. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Let's move on to your first fight with Stephan. Talk about how you think the fight went. Did you think you were winning up until the fight was stopped due to Bonnar's cut? Krzysztof Soszynski: I definitely thought I was winning the fight, my corner thought I was winning the fight. It was close; I'll give him that. It wasn't like I was dominating him. He was in the fight. He's in every fight really, but I did feel like I was ahead. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Was there any hesitation on your part to take the rematch considering how the first fight played out? Krzysztof Soszynski: Not at all. I worked so hard for six years to get where I am today In the UFC and to be a good challenger and try to keep climbing the ranks. And this is the kind of stuff you have to do to keep growing. I've fought a lot of tough guys over my career and I'll always accept every challenge no matter what. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): How has your training changed from the last fight if at all? Krzysztof Soszynski: To be honest with you this camp has been pretty different. It's more of a mental camp than physical. I had a great camp for our first fight and I know where I have to be in terms of shape and conditioning. I know what I have to do in the gym. Now it's more of a tactical and technical battle. You know, just playing out all scenarios of how the fight can go. Is he gonna try to exploit some of my weaknesses or is this fight just gonna be a stand up battle like the first fight? It's really just about mental preparation. I've started training more with Mark Munoz at his Reign Gym and less up at Team Quest just to train with a lot of good guys who are more my size and better strikers than I've worked with in the past. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Will you have a different strategy coming into the rematch? Krzysztof Soszynski: I have a feeling its gonna be the same type of fight, but if he wants to mix things up, I'll be ready. We worked on a lot of different things for this second fight. I actually thought he would try to take me down more in the first fight and I think he was really surprised with my striking and it caught him off guard. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to take me down and exploit my jiu-jitsu game, which is probably my weakest skill. We've worked really hard on takedown defense and just the overall wrestling part of the game. And of course, I've just continued to improve my striking as well. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Going off of how your think the rematch will play out, is there any way this fight isn't another stand-up war? Krzysztof Soszynski: I hope it is another war. That's what I want. It was a lot of fun the first time. I've fought in over 30 professional fights in my career and I've never been in an all-out war like that. That was so much fun. And Stephan is the perfect opponent for that. I know he's willing to stand and bang with me. It was a great fight; the Australian crowd was really into it. The UFC loved it too. And because of that fight, we get the chance to fight on the main card of a huge event so I think we'll be even more geared up to let it all loose on July 3. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): I know you don't want to look past Bonnar, but where do you think a win puts you in the UFC's stacked light heavyweight division? Krzysztof Soszynski: I don't think I'm ready for the top 10 yet, but I'm definitely climbing the ladder. There are a lot of tough guys out there. I never look past an opponent and I'm not gonna start now. I just like to take it one fight at a time, but like everyone else, I'm in it to eventually get a title shot. I know my time will come sooner or later. So I'm just trying to improve myself day-by-day, fight-by-fight. Regardless of whether I win or lose this fight, I'll take my next fight and approach it with all I have. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Before I let you go, I have to get your prediction on the Lesnar vs. Carwin fight. How do you see it playing out? Krzysztof Soszynski: I've been a huge Brock Lesnar fan for years. I come from a wrestling background as well and I've followed his career from all the way back in the WWE days to now and his MMA career. I'm a huge fan of his regardless of what he says inside and outside of the cage. All the showboating and antics, that's just his style that he brought over from his WWE days. I love the way he fights, he's so aggressive. I think if he takes Shane down to the ground and stays on top, he'll dominate the fight. Shane is very strong and powerful, and is a good wrestler in his own right. He has so much power in his hands too. I think if Brock stays away from Shane's power and eliminates the striking aspect of the fight, it will be a long night for Carwin. But I could also see it going the other way where Shane lands that one big shot and gets to Brock. It could definitely go either way. It all depends on who lands that big shot first. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Alright, do you have any friendly predictions for your fight with Stephan? Krzysztof Soszynski: I'm just hoping for another great fight where the fans will be talking about it that night and the next day, and the UFC will be showing it over and over again. I leave everything I have in the cage every time I step in there, and that's what I'm planning on doing at UFC 116. I know Stephan is as well. We actually talked for a bit at UFC 114 when we saw each other about going out there and putting on a great show for the fans and the UFC. He was all for just going out there and letting whatever happens happen. We're goon have a blast in there. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Thanks so much for your time. I want to let you go ahead and thank any sponsors you have and mention anything else you'd like to plug. Good luck on July 3. Krzysztof Soszynski: Thank you so much for the interview. I first want thank all my training partners and coaches at Team Quest, Alliance, and Reign Training Center. My sponsor Skin, I love you guys. Jaco, Hayabusa, The Gun Store, and MusclePharm. And of curse, all the fans. Get ready for another exciting match between Stephan and me on July 3, it's gonna be great. |
| Fighting out of the blue corner, the UFC Heavy-fake champion of the world ... Posted: 29 Jun 2010 12:43 PM PDT ... Shane Carwin?
UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion, a title deemed "fake" by returning division kingpin Brock Lesnar, is a label that Shane Carwin is honored to have according to his interview with MMA Fighting. The butt-kicking brute will finally get his hands on the former WWE wrestler after months of waiting for Lesnar to heal from his bout with diverticulitis. In the "interim," he's pushed his record to 12-0 by smashing the pants off Frank Mir at UFC 111 last March. Is he the "real" deal? Or will Lesnar send him to the scrap heap right alongside the phony-bologna belt Shane brings to the cage at UFC 116 on July 3? |
| Kicking ass apparently does a body good. (I stole this from Gal's Guide to MMA) Posted: 29 Jun 2010 12:12 PM PDT  Kicking ass apparently does a body good. (I stole this from Gal's Guide to MMA) |
| 'Hammer' time: UFC signs South Korean middleweight Dong-Yi Yang Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:28 AM PDT
The UFC 185-pound division has just been put on notice now that Zuffa has gone out and acquired undefeated middleweight Dong-Yi Yang. The South Korean holds a perfect 9-0 record with eight technical knockout wins and one submission finish. In addition to Japan's Sengoku and DEEP promotions, Yang cut his teeth under the WXF banner in his native South Korea. "The Hammer" was last seen kicking the crap out of Bill "Kill" Saures at Trench Warz 12: "Battle Brawls" on May 21 in the Northern Mariana Islands. Yang trains with Korean Top Team (KTT), the same camp responsible for WEC "Zombie" Chan Sung Jung. A date and opponent for his debut have not yet been determined. |
| Fedor's loss a ratings win for Showtime Sports on June 26 in San Jose Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT
The Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Werdum" main event broke a lot of hearts last Saturday night (June 26) when it featured top ranked heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko losing for the first time in over nine years to jiu-jitsu wizard Fabricio Werdum. Just don't count Showtime executives among the legions of unhappy fans. Strikeforce returned to its home base of San Jose in impressive fashion, garnering a peak household rating of 2.1 during the Showtime telecast from the HP Pavilion, according to an industry source. That mark puts it just behind Strikeforce: "Miami" and "Carano vs Cyborg" as the third highest rated fight card ever for the cable television network. "Fedor vs. Werdum" also featured Women's 145-pound Champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos defending her belt against Jan "Cuddles" Finney as well as a middleweight rematch between Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith and Cung Le. That's a lot of star power for one event -- which could explain the staggering 56% increase in ratings over last month's "Heavy Artillery" card from the Scottstrade Center in St. Louis. Comparisons to Spike TV's replay of UFC 113: "Machida vs. Shogun II" are likely, but competing broadcasts are difficult to grade against one another when they exist on different platforms. Spike TV is available on basic cable and can be seen in approximately 98 million homes. Showtime is a premium subscription service currently available in approximately 18 million homes. For complete results and coverage of Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Werdum" click here and here. |
| Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin odds for UFC 116 in Las Vegas Posted: 29 Jun 2010 09:51 AM PDT
Preliminary odds and betting lines have continued to shift for the upcoming UFC 116 main event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 3 in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a titanic heavyweight showdown between division champion Brock Lesnar and interim titlist Shane Carwin. "Lesnar vs. Carwin" marks the return of the promotion's biggest box office draw, Lesnar, who will try and battle his way back from a career-threatening intestinal problem to once again establish himself as the undisputed man among men. Apparently the time off hasn't hurt his reputation, as the pasty-faced goliath continues to hold steady as a -155 favorite against fellow muscular meatwagon, Shane Carwin, who currently stands as a +125 underdog. Don't expect those numbers to last. As more and more of the "Engineer's" faithful drop their change into the Vegas offering plate, plan on watching those odds drop quicker than Mania's pants at a San Francisco nightclub. And Fedor Emelianenko's loss to Fabricio Werdum on June 26 proves that no fighter is invincible -- including Lesnar. Keep that in mind if you want to try and make some money on Carwin this fourth of July weekend. Get 'em in early, and also check out the spread on the other combatants throwing hands at UFC 116, like Chris Leben (+185) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (-235), by clicking here. |
| UFC 117: Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alves official for August 7 Posted: 29 Jun 2010 09:33 AM PDT
It's finally official. After undergoing minor surgery to correct a brain "irregularity" that prompted his withdrawal from UFC 111 last March, former welterweight number one contender Thiago Alves will get the chance to avenge his loss to Jon Fitch, this time at UFC 117 from Oakland, California on August 7. Originally booked for UFC 107 in Memphis, then UFC 111 in Newark, and then for UFC 115 in Vancouver, the highly anticipated welterweight scrap is officially set for August in Cali and will serve as the card's co-main event. This better be good. Alves was pulled from the March 27 rematch against his 170-pound nemesis after failing a pre-fight CAT Scan. In his absence, Ben Saunders stepped up on short notice to replace him but went home on the wrong end of a unanimous decision after Fitch overwhelmed him with a mixture of wrestling and ground and pound. The fight was originally pegged for UFC 107 in Memphis, Tennessee, but "The Pitbull" had to withdraw due to a knee injury. Fitch remained on the card and defeated Mike Pierce via unanimous decision.
Fitch scored a convincing second round technical knockout of the Brazilian at UFC Fight Night 5. He would go on to win his next five fights and earn a crack at division champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" in Aug. 2008. He was overwhelmed by the Canadian for 25 minutes, losing a lopsided unanimous decision. Alves, too, went on a tear after the loss to Fitch with seven consecutive victories over top-ranked opponents such as Matt Hughes and Karo Parisyan, as well as outpointing Josh Koscheck on all three judges scorecards at UFC 90 in October of 2008. However, St. Pierre would also end Alves' run with another five-round clinic at UFC 100 back in July. On the other hand, Fitch exacted revenge against submission specialist Paulo Thiago with a unanimous decision at UFC 100 and notched a similar result against Akihiro Gono earlier this year. He also outworked Mike Pierce (Alves' replacement at UFC 107) to earn the nod from all three judges sitting ringside. So is Fitch still better than Alves more than three years later? Or has Alves matured to a point where his last loss is essentially meaningless because he is a totally different fighter? We'll finally get the chance to find out in Oakland. For more on UFC 117 click here. |
| MMA legislation stripped from budget bill by New York State Assembly Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:36 AM PDT
From the New York Daily News:
Fugetaboutit. Any hopes of MMA and the UFC coming to New York in 2010 have been dashed. Apparently, no matter how hard the UFC lobbies to make a change in New York -- and you can be sure they spent millions doing just that -- there's just no way, at least for the time being, to convince the people in power of the Empire State that the sport of mixed martial arts deserves to be treated, well, like a sport. It's an unfortunate turn of events to say the least. One has to wonder what needs to be done to get some MMA action in Madison Square Garden. Yo, Bob Reilly, I'm looking at you. |
| The UFC has released TUF 11 competitors Jamie Yager, Josh Bryant, James Hammortree, and Seth... Posted: 29 Jun 2010 07:56 AM PDT  The UFC has released TUF 11 competitors Jamie Yager, Josh Bryant, James Hammortree, and Seth Baczynski. HT: Bloody Elbow |
| Gegard Mousasi vs Jake O'Brien set for DREAM.15 on July 10 Posted: 29 Jun 2010 07:28 AM PDT
Light heavyweights Gegard Mousasi and Jake O'Brien have agreed to meet at DREAM.15, which takes place July 10 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. MMA Fighting learned of the match up yesterday. Mousasi is of course coming off the somewhat surprising defeat at the hands, (and takedowns) of King Mo Lawal back in April on CBS. Before that loss, the 24-year-old fighter had been on a 15-fight tear, which dated back to 2006. He was nothing short of outstanding since coming out of seemingly nowhere to win the 2008 DREAM Grand Prix Final with an upkick stoppage of Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. "Dream Catcher" later went on to stop Renato "Babalu" Sobral to capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight crown and then tooled Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via second round technical knockout three months later in a non-title bout. Mousasi's last win came as he overwhelmed an under matched Gary Goodridge at K-1 Dynamite!!: "Power of Courage" on New Year's Eve 2009. O'Brien has found success in the local MMA promotion circuit going 2-0 since being cut buy the UFC following his loss to Jon Jones at UFC 100 last July. The veteran of 17 professional fights, having won 14 of them, entered the Octagon with an undefeated mark of 7-0 and carried his streak all the way to ten consecutive wins, culminating with a defeat of Heath Herring at UFC Fight Night 8 back in 2007. Jake's only three losses came to Andrei Arlovski, Cain Velasquez, and Jon Jones... some pretty steep competition. And at just 25 years of age, O"Brien has plenty of time to work his way toward the top of the light heavyweight ranks. |
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