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- DREAM 15 results from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on July 10
- WEC 51: Miguel Torres vs Charlie Valencia set for co-main event on Sept. 30 in Broomfield
- DREAM 15: Was fighting Ricco Rodriguez too risky for Alistair Overeem?
- Tito Ortiz will be appearing at the UFC Fan Expo in Boston this August according to the Huntington...
- Bobby Lashley: 'If Strikeforce asks me to fight Fedor, I will fight him' (Video)
- Urijah Faber injured, forced to withdraw from WEC 50 bantamweight debut on Aug. 18
- Impact FC weigh in results from Brisbane
- Programming reminder: DREAM 15 airs tonight LIVE at 3am ET on HDNet
- Cain Velasquez: 'I'm used to competing against guys that are as big as Brock Lesnar'
- DREAM 15 weigh in results video for July 10 in Saitama
- Chael Sonnen: Lil' Nog looks like Roy Nelson in a Frankenstein mask
- UFC 120: Michael Bisping vs Yoshihiro Akiyama on tap for Oct. 16 in London
- Ken Shamrock has 'a simple gameplan' for Pedro Rizzo at Impact FC (Video)
- The Agony Of Defeat: How losses can make (or break) a fighter's career (Volume 2)
| DREAM 15 results from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on July 10 Posted: 10 Jul 2010 04:41 AM PDT
DREAM 15 took place earlier today, Sat., July 10, from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. In the main event of the evening, Shinya Aoki put his lightweight title on the line for the first time against Tatsuya Kawajiri. "Tobikan Judan" was also out to re-establish himself as one of the world's best after a disappointing loss to Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez a few months ago. It didn't take long to accomplish both goals -- Aoki finished "Crusher" with a heel hook in round one, demonstrating once again the reason he is considered among the most dangerous fighters in the weight class when he's able to implement his superior Brazilian jiu-jitsu gameplan. Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante -- widely regarded as one of the most talented 155-pound fighters in the world not too long ago -- also returned to action after a long layoff, taking on Katsunori Kikuno in the co-featured fight of the night. For the most part, the bout turned out to be a ground battle with both fighters angling for control and submissions. Nothing was ever locked in on either side, and the fight eventually went to the judges scorecards, with Cavalcante earning the split decision nod. In addition to the top two matches of the night, international stars Gegard Mousasi and Melvin Manhoef, as well as Kazuhiro Nakamura, Michihiro Omigawa and "DJ.taiki" Hata, were also be in action. See how they all did by checking out the DREAM 15 quick results after the jump:
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more coverage and highlights from DREAM 15. |
| WEC 51: Miguel Torres vs Charlie Valencia set for co-main event on Sept. 30 in Broomfield Posted: 09 Jul 2010 02:58 PM PDT
Former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres will return to action for the first time since being sliced open and submitted by Joseph Benavidez when he goes toe-to-toe with Charlie Valencia at the upcoming WEC 51 event from 1ST Bank Center on Sept. 30 in Broomfield, Colorado. MMAmania.com learned of the pending match-up earlier today. Torres (37-3) recently posted back-to-back losses for the first time in his career. Aside from tapping out to the Benavidez guillotine back in March, he surrendered his title to Brian Bowles after getting knocked stiff in the main event of WEC 42 in August 2009. Once considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Torres has some work to do if he expects to get back into title contention and re-establish himself as a world beater. Stopping Valencia would certainly be a good start. After a winless 2008 fight campaign, Valencia (12-5) roared back to string together three consecutive victories, including a split decision win over the venerable Akitoshi Tamura at the WEC 46 event earlier this year. While most of his defeats have come at the hands of the division's top talents, Valencia needs a breakout win in what will be his ninth fight under the WEC banner if he expects to keep up with the pack. A win over a name like Torres will assuredly bring him bigger and better opportunities. WEC 51 is expected to be headlined by Featherweight Champion Jose "Junior" Aldo as he defends his 145-pound title against Manny Gamburyan. Leonard Garcia, Mark Hominick and Chan Sung Jung will also be in action. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card. |
| DREAM 15: Was fighting Ricco Rodriguez too risky for Alistair Overeem? Posted: 09 Jul 2010 02:44 PM PDT
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez tells Sherdog.com that he'll be forced to leave Japan without competing at DREAM 15 on July 10. "Suave" was called in to replace Andrei Arlovski against Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem -- who later opted not to participate. Is Rodriguez accurate in his assessment of "Demolition Man's" reasoning? Or should a fighter of Overeem's stature welcome any and all challengers? What's your take? |
| Posted: 09 Jul 2010 02:43 PM PDT  Tito Ortiz will be appearing at the UFC Fan Expo in Boston this August according to the Huntington Tweet Bad Boy. |
| Bobby Lashley: 'If Strikeforce asks me to fight Fedor, I will fight him' (Video) Posted: 09 Jul 2010 11:27 AM PDT How about it Maniacs, dump Ron "The Monster" Sparks and see what Lashley can do against "The Last Emperor?" |
| Urijah Faber injured, forced to withdraw from WEC 50 bantamweight debut on Aug. 18 Posted: 09 Jul 2010 11:21 AM PDT
The upcoming WEC 50: "Cruz vs. Benavidez" fight card took a major hit today after Urijah Faber was forced to pull out of his bantamweight debut against the venerable Takeya Mizugaki on Aug. 18 from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. "The California Kid" broke the unfortunate news of a knee injury via his official Twitter account. Faber was recently pushed out of the 145-pound weight class by reigning division champion Jose Aldo. Aside from a Jens Pulver submission win, the former featherweight champion dropped consecutive fights to his temporary successor, Mike Brown, first at WEC 36 and then again at WEC 41. His frame may be better served at 135-pounds, but it doesn't sound like he'll get there until later this year. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for updates to the WEC 50 line-up as there is no official word yet on a possible replacement for Faber or if Mizugaki will get pulled from the event. |
| Impact FC weigh in results from Brisbane Posted: 09 Jul 2010 11:05 AM PDT
In case you don't get your fill of mixed martial arts mayhem from the DREAM 15 event this weekend, Impact FC has assembled a small star line-up of former UFC and PRIDE veterans to throw hands on July 10 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. All fighters set to compete on Saturday's "Uprising" card made weight without incident -- with the exception of Jacob Mahony, who as a late replacement, is being given a time extension to accommodate his work schedule. Leading tomorrow's charge "Down Under" is MMA lighting rod Josh Barnett as he takes on Brazilian road block Geronimo dos Santos. Also resurfacing are Jeff Monson, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Karo Parisyan. Complete Impact FC: "The Uprising" weigh in results (courtesy of Sherdog.com) after the jump.
For more on Impact FC: "The Uprising" click here. |
| Programming reminder: DREAM 15 airs tonight LIVE at 3am ET on HDNet Posted: 09 Jul 2010 10:16 AM PDT
Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) will present DREAM 15 tonight, LIVE via HDNet from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The broadcast is scheduled to begin at 3:00 a.m. ET on July 10 (Friday night into Saturday morning). In addition to a lightweight title fight between bitter rivals Shinya "Tobikan Judan" Aoki and Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri, DREAM 15 will also kick off its mini-light heavyweight grand prix featuring International stars Gegard Mousasi and Melvin Manhoef. Kazuhiro Nakamura, Michihiro Omigawa, "JZ" Cavalcante and "DJ.taiki" Hata will also be in action. Tonight's complete DREAM 15 line up after the jump. Main event: Main card: Light Heavyweight Grand Prix (Opening Round): For more DREAM 15 news and notes click here. |
| Cain Velasquez: 'I'm used to competing against guys that are as big as Brock Lesnar' Posted: 09 Jul 2010 08:23 AM PDT
Props: MMA Weekly Quoteworthy:
Undefeated UFC heavyweight number one contender Cain Velasquez is ready and waiting for the Zuffa brass to inform him of his date with destiny as he becomes the latest fighter to try and upend current division champion Brock Lesnar. Despite a significant weight advantage for the champ, the AKA standout doesn't sound too concerned about their difference in size. Will his past wrestling exploits lead him to victory? Or will he be victimized by an ever-improving Lesnar? |
| DREAM 15 weigh in results video for July 10 in Saitama Posted: 09 Jul 2010 07:11 AM PDT The DREAM 15 weigh in results are officially on paper, and aside from Jake O'Brien, all combatants scheduled to compete on the July 10 card from the Saitama Super Arena made weight without incident. The former UFC heavyweight was doing some last-minute cutting and missed his mark by one pound. While Ricco Rodriguez (in town for a bout with Alistair Overeem that never materialized) mentioned the promotion's interest in having him take O'Brien's spot, nothing is official at this time. Stay tuned. In the meantime, complete DREAM 15 weigh in results and video replay after the jump. Main event: Main card: Light Heavyweight Grand Prix (Opening Round):
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| Chael Sonnen: Lil' Nog looks like Roy Nelson in a Frankenstein mask Posted: 09 Jul 2010 06:30 AM PDT
Props: Fight! Magazine (via Cage Potato) Quoteworthy:
Chael Sonnen throws another body on the pile heading into his UFC 117 main event against Anderson Silva on August 7 in Oakland. The former WEC champ was not impressed with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who blasted the mouthy ex-politician for his disparaging remarks about their association with "The Spider." Is Sonnen alienating himself amongst fans and fighters? Or going down in history as the greatest trash talker of all time? |
| UFC 120: Michael Bisping vs Yoshihiro Akiyama on tap for Oct. 16 in London Posted: 09 Jul 2010 06:08 AM PDT
No rest for the weary. Less than one week after his "Fight of the Night" against Chris Leben on July 3, Yoshihiro Akiyama has been pegged to take on another Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran when he faces Michael Bisping in the main event of UFC 120 from the O2 Arena on Oct. 16 in London, England. Fighter's Only brought word of the pending match-up earlier today. Akiyama returned to the Octagon after nearly a year on the sidelines, facing off against "The Crippler" at UFC 116 back on July 3 after original opponent, Wanderlei Silva, was forced to bow out of the contest due to injury. After an exciting and back-and-forth war of attrition, an exhausted "Sexyama" succumbed to Leben's third round triangle choke to bring his UFC record to an even 1-1. It was a performance that won him a $75,000 bonus and the respect of the fans and media alike. Can he replicate that excitement against Bisping? "The Count" rebounded from a unanimous decision loss to Wanderlei Silva "Down Under" back on February 20 to outwork the venerable Dan Miller and take all three judge's scorecards at UFC 114 last May. Bisping is 3-2 in his last five fights with losses to Silva and Dan Henderson. In addition to Miller, the Brit also stopped Denis Kang at UFC 105 and decisioned Chris Leben way back at UFC 89. Does a big win over an International star like Akiyama put him into title contention? That remains to be seen. In addition to Bisping, UFC 120 is expected to feature a who's-who of British MMA stars including Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy and John "The Hitman" Hathaway. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card. |
| Ken Shamrock has 'a simple gameplan' for Pedro Rizzo at Impact FC (Video) Posted: 09 Jul 2010 05:59 AM PDT |
| The Agony Of Defeat: How losses can make (or break) a fighter's career (Volume 2) Posted: 08 Jul 2010 06:21 PM PDT
What does a loss really do to the mentality of a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter? Mental toughness is a unique trait that not every fighter possesses. In my first installation in this "mini-series," I dove into the career of George St. Pierre, a combatant who has experienced two devastating losses in his highly acclaimed career. I discussed the mental toughness and the willingness to take his losses and build from them. Maturity plays a huge part in the rebuilding process, putting aside your ego to accept failure and weakness only to strive to be better and set yourself apart from the majority of people out there. Mental toughness walks hand-in-hand with determination and the drive to want to improve. I have stated that being defeated is much more then striking an "L" on a fighters resume. It can be the difference between being mediocre and legendary. Being defeated can feel like being conquered -- it's not just the failure to win; it can be a dream destroyed, vanquished. A defeat can be submissive, frustrating and morally crushing. I often describe MMA as a "heroic" game, especially because MMA appears to have underlying themes of gladiators, combat, victory, and defeat that probably trigger some collective unconscious related to our hunter-gatherer past. This next fighter however took a different path from George St. Pierre. Defeat is a mental and psychological nightmare. Fighters more often then not dedicate large chunks of time to preparing for a fight. Sometimes training camps can be several months; often a fighter will leave his family and friends to solely dedicate himself to the camp ahead. When all the emotions, the time, the blood, the sweat and the tears are all added up a fighter basically is at his most vulnerable once the bell rings to begin the much anticipated fight. Then it happens. You lose. Months upon months of training now feels like wasted time, you let down all your trainer partners, you disappointed your coaches. A rush of emotions can lead to an array of negative thoughts. Is this really your calling? What are you doing out here? Career change? So many thoughts cloud the mind. And in the case of an utterly embarrassing loss like the defeat suffered by Forrest Griffin at the hands of Anderson Silva, those feelings worsen. How many people just watched me lose? Millions just witnessed me get embarrassed. How do I bounce back? What was I even thinking? Humiliation can put a stake in the heart of a career almost immediately. Mental toughness doesn't come natural to everyone. Of course we can't pass judgment to say someone does or doesn't without knowing their exact thoughts; however, we can judge by their careers to determine if they bounce back stronger, learning from their mistakes or cracking under the pressure. Our next fighter to examine is Tim "the Maine-Iac" Sylvia and his roller coaster career.
Tim Sylvia started his pro career back in January of 2001. A 6' 8" monster weighing in above 250 pounds and sometimes hovering around the 300 pound plus mark, Tim got his start in MMA when he began to train with UFC veteran Marcus Davis. He joined the Miletich Fighting System under the guidance of Pat Miletich and began his MMA career racking up a perfect 13-0 record which included notable victories over Ben Rothwell, Mike Whitehead (twice) and Jason Lambert -- all under the Extreme Challenge or Super Brawl banners. That's when the UFC came calling. And Tim answered. He roughed up the iron chin of Wesley Correira in his debut and followed up by surprising the world, winning the UFC heavyweight title by TKO'ing Ricco Rodriguez in the first round. The 15-0 and 26-year-old Sylvia was on top of the world only two years into his MMA Career. That's when his first major letdown occurred.
Tim fought the "Giant" Gan Mcgee for his world title. He defended it by stopping Gan with punches in the first round only to test positive for the banned substance Stanozolol. A mature man, Tim voluntarily vacated his title and was slapped with a fine and suspension. Tim admitted to using the substance for weight cutting as well as admitting he wanted to have a more defined image. As we know many fighters who have been caught with banned substances have all but admitted the mistake.
Tim came back from the suspension nine months later to fight for the title he vacated. The match up was Frank Mir, the 25-year-old with an 8-1 record who was already cementing himself as a powerful BJJ fighter with masterful submissions over Pete Williams, Tank Abbot and Roberto Traven. The fight was short but far from uneventful. Frank pulled guard when in tight with Sylvia, immediately put himself in position for an arm bar and Herb Dean halted the bout when he saw Tim's radius bone from the crushing submission. The first loss on the record for "The Maine-iac."
Tim would rebound outside the organization with a win over Wes Sims under the aforementioned Super Brawl organization before quickly re-joining the UFC to fight for the Interim title vacated by Mir after a tragic motorcycle accident. His opponent would be the lethal striker Andrei Arlovski, who was 26-years-old and on a streak of three consecutive KO's over Vladimir Matyushenko, Ian Freeman and Wesley Correira. Tim would once again fall in quick fashion: After being knocked down, he was quickly submitted in 47 seconds.
Tim would overcome adversity and go back to training to refine his technique. He took a more conservative approach to his boxing; he started preparing his grappling game and started to game plan instead of consistently looking for the KO, or "head-hunting" if you will. He would beat an over-matched Mike Block, finish Tre Telligman and win a decision over Assuero Silva. Riding a three fight win streak, Tim showed where his heart was when he was able to rematch Andrei Arlovski to avenge his second professional loss. He was once again dropped by Arlovski early, only to bounce up and in return knock out Arlovski to become once again the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Tim would then regress in his progression as a fighter. He had won the belt and was ready to keep it anyway he could. He fought Arlovski in a rubber match and both fighters were adamant to stay out of distance for 25 minutes, obviously weary of the power in each others strikes. Tim won a decision that many were let down by, mostly due to the fact that their previous two fights were immediate firework displays leading to quick finishes. Tim would go on to fight and beat Jeff Monson in what's called the worst title fight in UFC history. If nothing else, one of the most anti-climatic. Again, Tim shows his hesitation to truly engage and the fight was mostly a grappling match. Exciting or not, Tim ended 2006 with a respectable record of 23-2 heading into a fight with UFC Hall-Of-Famer Randy Couture. Randy would put Tim's toughness to the test, both physically and mentally. Randy Couture stood 6'1" and last competed in the 205-pound light heavy weight division. Undersized both in height and weight, he immediately dropped Sylvia and went on to control him for the duration of the 25 minute fight. Tim wasn't able to form any sort of offensive and was shut out on the scorecards. This would be a sign of what was to come; Randy Couture began the derailing of Tim's career.
Tim would take seven months off between fights before facing and beating the 8-0 gifted muay thai striking prospect Brandon Vera. Again, Tim would show hesitance in his striking against Vera. He wasn't the same offensive, dangerous striker that had seen him tear through heavyweights when he started his career. It seemed that he was getting by on size, reach and the ability to outpoint fighters enough to win. He did enough to win a decision versus Vera. Then he had another Hall-Of-Famer to worry about in his Interim title shot against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Heading into the fight we all knew what Nogueira brought to the Octagon: Heart and very slick ground skills. This would be a classic striker vs. grappler contest that saw Tim blowing through the first two rounds. Tim dropped his opponent in the opening round and stunned him again in the second. On his way to the interim title, he was baited by the guard pull of Nogueira and the fight ended up early on the ground. Nogueira would sweep and lock in a guillotine choke. The tap would come soon after and a bloodied and battered "Minotauro" had his hand raised. The clearly disappointed Sylvia would continue a downward spiral.
After having success literally stolen from you, a fighter can lose confidence in himself. Maybe not admitted publicly, but fighters often doubt themselves. This can lead to being unwilling to let go of the hands, unwillingness to go for finishes and the hesitation that may lead to an opening for an opponent. On the heels of a disastrous loss Tim would sign up to fight the WAMMA World Champion and world recognized number one heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. Tim would be humiliated after eating a huge punch early which crumbled him only to leave his back exposed. Fedor would sink in the rear naked choke and get the tap at 36 seconds into the first round. Tim would never be relevant in the MMA scene again.
Sylvia would wait almost a year for his next bout when he made a spectacle of himself fighting the former Boxing Gold Medalist Ray Mercer. Mercer was 48-years-old at the time of the contest and Tim came in weighing 310 pounds. His weight and image showed his lack of discipline and his overall attitude towards the fight. The fight was promoted as a boxing fight only to change to MMA rules a week before the fight. It wouldn't matter -- Mercer would eat a leg kick and knock Sylvia out with a huge overhand nine seconds into the fight. Many questioned Tim's desire to compete in the sport and many called for his retirement. Everyone wondered what happened to the world champion that once was.
Tim has since beaten Jason Riley (who was very outmatched) and the "World's Strongest Man" Mariusz Pudzianowski. He hasn't been discussed in many relevant MMA arguments and now unfortunately is the butt of many jokes. The former champ showed what losing focus can do to a fighter. Humiliation and disappointment can go a long way in ending a career or at least abruptly halting success. We often debate suspect chins and willingness to engage in slugfest and we argue about someone's Jiu-Jitsu and whether their striking is refined enough. We often forget that a large chunk of our sport is completely mental. Two guys are not just slugging fists; they are in a hand-to-hand combat chess match where you have to be as mentally tough as you are physically. Heart and mental toughness is not something you can normaly teach, either you have it or you don't.
The path Tim Sylvia journeyed down after his losses is much different than other fighters who have found themselves in the same scenario. As this mini-series continues we will look at other fighters and how losing impacted their careers. Until next time... (FanPost edited and promoted by MMAmania.com) |
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