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- Shark Fights 13: Keith Jardine vs Trevor Prangley booked for Sept. 11 in Lubbock
- MMA Quick Quote: 'King Mo' isn't interested in war with 'Feijao' -- just a quick finish
- NCAA wrestling studs Mark Ellis (heavyweight/AKA) and Lance Palmer (featherweight/Team Alpha Male)...
- WEC 51: Donald Cerrone vs Jamie Varner rematch possible on Sept. 30
- Strikeforce press conference photos gallery for 'Houston' on Aug. 21
- Confrontation at UFC Fan Expo between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva
- James Toney: 'After I knock out Randy Couture, I’m coming for Brock’s bitch ass next'
- Bellator adds British knockout artist Neil 'Goliath' Grove to heavyweight tournament roster
- Jeremy Stephens UFC 119 video blogs on the road to Indianapolis
- UFC 121: Court McGee vs Ryan Jensen on tap for October 23 in Anaheim
- Freddie Roach: Georges St. Pierre didn’t know much about boxing -- but he absorbed everything I taught him
- Strikeforce poster for 'Houston' on Aug. 21
- Heads up Leben! Bring UFC 116 guard to a Wandy fight and you'll get beat in the first round (Video)
- Texas (not talent) scratched middleweight tournament for Strikeforce: 'Houston'
- UFC Quick Quote: Shane Carwin hoping to carve an MMA legacy that includes a win over Brock Lesnar
- Rich Franklin is raffling off his cast from the broken arm he suffered at UFC 115 in his main event...
- UFC 119: Will cutting weight and 'giving a damn' bring out the world beater in Mark Hunt?
- Anderson Silva: A 'disrespectful' Chael Sonnen thinks he knows something
| Shark Fights 13: Keith Jardine vs Trevor Prangley booked for Sept. 11 in Lubbock Posted: 13 Jul 2010 08:46 PM PDT
As expected, Keith Jardine has landed on his feet. Less than a month after being released from the UFC following his TUF 11 Finale loss to Matt Hamill on June 19 in Las Vegas, "The Dean of Mean" has agreed to throw hands with another Octagon veteran when he takes on Trevor Prangley at Shark Fights 13 on Sept. 11 in Lubbock, Texas. That's the word from Sherdog.com, who confirmed the pending match-up earlier today. "The Mean 1" has dropped four consecutive bouts and six of his last eight over the span of three years. In addition to losing last month to "The Hammer," Jardine came up empty against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Thiago Silva, and Ryan Bader. Not exactly the weakest competition -- but still not enough to keep the Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 2 contestant from getting the Zuffa pink slip. How quickly Jardine gets back to the promised land depends largely on his success outside of the promotion. And he's certainly not taking the path of least resistance on Sept. 11. After getting the boot from Canada's Maximum Fighting Championship for double-dipping in smaller promotions, Prangley ran roughshod over Dennis Reed at Arena Rumble and Marcus Sursa at Shark Fights 7 -- both within the span of three months. Following a perfect 2009 fight campaign, the South African hit some major turbulence in 2010. His Strikeforce: "Challengers" bout with Karl Amoussou ended in a technical draw after the "Psycho" took an inadvertent eye poke and was unable to continue. Just three-and-a-half months later, Prangley was choked unconscious by rising star Tim Kennedy, also under the Strikeforce banner when the promotion made a mid-week pit stop in Los Angeles back on June 16. Recent troubles aside, Prangley is a well-traveled veteran with nearly ten years of experience. Shark Fights is expected to make an official announcement regarding the September event in the coming days, including additional names signed for the pay-per-view telecast. Keep it locked in to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card. |
| MMA Quick Quote: 'King Mo' isn't interested in war with 'Feijao' -- just a quick finish Posted: 13 Jul 2010 08:24 PM PDT
Leading the pack at today's Strikeforce press conference was Light Heavyweight Champion Muhammed Lawal, who doesn't plan on putting on "Fight of the Night" when he goes toe-to-toe with Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante on Aug. 21 in Houston. "King Mo" will make his first title defense as the event headliner and looks to further distance himself from the pack with a quick finish at the Toyota Center. But will he be the finisher against the Brazilian's heavy hands -- or the finished? |
| Posted: 13 Jul 2010 08:23 PM PDT  NCAA wrestling studs Mark Ellis (heavyweight/AKA) and Lance Palmer (featherweight/Team Alpha Male) sign with fight agencies to prepare for their transition to mixed martial arts. Props: Heavy.com |
| WEC 51: Donald Cerrone vs Jamie Varner rematch possible on Sept. 30 Posted: 13 Jul 2010 08:23 PM PDT
Donald Cerrone will finally get the opportunity to rematch his nemesis, Jamie Varner, at WEC 51, which is scheduled for the 1ST Bank Center in Broomfield, Colo., on Sept. 30. Sherdog.com passed along the pending match up earlier this evening. "Cowboy" and "C-4" first collided at WEC 28 back in Jan. 2009, battling back-and-forth for more than four rounds with Varner's division title on the line. Unfortunately, an otherwise fantastic fight ended in controversy when Varner could not continue in the fifth and final round because he sustained an illegal (albeit inadvertent) poke to the eye. The rules stipulated that it had to go to the judges scorecards early ... just as Cerrone was beginning to heat up. Indeed, Varner got the best of Cerrone for the first three rounds, but he began to fade as time wore on. In the end, Varner went on to retain his title with an unsavory split decision win. Fans immediately demanded an instant rematch, and the promotion answered the call. However, in addition to the eye injury, Varner also hurt his hands and feet, which kept him on the sidelines for a year. Cerrone's disappointment didn't last long when he learned that he would take on Ben Henderson for the interim title at WEC 43 with Varner on the mend. Cerrone would go on to lose an epic unanimous decision to Henderson in a fight that was widely regarded as one of the year's best. Shortly thereafter, Varner and Henderson met at WEC 46 to unify the 155-pound. Varner met a similar fate, losing to "Smooth" via third round submission (guillotine choke). He rebounded with a solid performance against Kamal Shalorus at WEC 49, but somehow walked away with a jaw-dropping draw. With both fighters clawing to get back to the top of the heap, the table is now set for a rematch that has all the ingredients of another barnburner. It's one you're definitely not going to want to miss. WEC 51 is expected to be headlined by featherweight champion Jose "Junior" Aldo as he defends his 145-pound title against Manny Gamburyan. Former bantamweight kingpin Miguel Torres will look to get back in the win column when he takes on Charlie Valencia in the co-featured fight of the night. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card. |
| Strikeforce press conference photos gallery for 'Houston' on Aug. 21 Posted: 13 Jul 2010 07:25 PM PDT
Photos courtesy of Rosemary Acosta Clark for Strikeforce. More pics from the July 13 "Houston" press conference after the jump.
For the latest Strikeforce: "Houston" fight card and rumors click here. |
| Confrontation at UFC Fan Expo between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva Posted: 13 Jul 2010 04:55 PM PDT Confrontation at UFC Fan Expo between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva |
| James Toney: 'After I knock out Randy Couture, I’m coming for Brock’s bitch ass next' Posted: 13 Jul 2010 02:38 PM PDT
Props: MMAWeekly Quoteworthy:
Punch drunk pugilist James Toney tries to out-talk Chael Sonnen as he waddles into his UFC 118 fight against Randy Couture on Aug. 28 in Boston. "Lights Out" is talking all kinds of smack, but it's hard to imagine him landing even one shot before getting a Lesnar double-leg right through the cage door. I guess anything can happen in MMA, but even the Toney sympathizers have to be scratching their heads at this point. Or are they? Sound off boxing fans, let's hear your take. First Couture, then Lesnar? |
| Bellator adds British knockout artist Neil 'Goliath' Grove to heavyweight tournament roster Posted: 13 Jul 2010 02:21 PM PDT
CHICAGO, Ill. (July 13, 2010) - Neil "Goliath" Grove - a South African-born former rugby player who fought for the UFC during that organization's visit to his adopted hometown of London last year - will make his U.S. debut as part of Bellator Fighting Championships' upcoming Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament. Grove, who stands six feet, six inches tall and has fought at as big as 280 lbs. in the U.K., has compiled an overall pro record of 8-2-1 since turning pro 3 ½ years ago with all eight of his wins coming via KO or TKO. He earned widespread recognition throughout Europe early on in his career following a highlight-reel 10-second KO of former EliteXC, Pride and Sengoku headliner James Thompson and followed that up with an impressive TKO of UFC veteran James McSweeney. Grove is the fourth confirmed participant in Bellator's forthcoming Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament along with undefeated European finisher Damian "The Polish Pitbull" Grabowski, Seattle-area KO artist Mike "300" Hayes and Georgia-based ground and pound specialist Scott Barrett. Additional announcements are expected this week. The tournament begins Aug. 12 on FOX Sports Net. "I've been telling my manager for a long time that I'd love to fight in America because that's where I think all the best fighters are," Grove said. "I'm looking forward to showing off my skills to the American audience and all the Bellator fans." Grove grew up in South Africa and played rugby for more than 20 years including a stint as part of one of his native country's top semi-pro teams. He moved to England in 1996 and worked for many years as a doorman at several of London's most popular nightclubs. After being involved in a brawl with several unruly patrons, the massive heavyweight took an interest in honing his hand-to-hand combat skills and began training at a local Goju-ryu karate dojo. After just a few years, he earned his black belt and began to look at MMA as a natural next step. He began his pro career in impressive fashion, carving a path of destruction through 2007 that included five first-round knockouts. Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney called Grove "a big heavyweight with knockout power in both hands." "Neil Grove is a giant man with an impressive record of knocking people out in dramatic fashion," Rebeny said. "He is a solid fit for our tournament and can be a big problem for whoever he draws." For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator. Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com. |
| Jeremy Stephens UFC 119 video blogs on the road to Indianapolis Posted: 13 Jul 2010 11:32 AM PDT
Check out more videos from the "Lil' Heathen" after the jump.
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| UFC 121: Court McGee vs Ryan Jensen on tap for October 23 in Anaheim Posted: 13 Jul 2010 10:30 AM PDT
Now it's time to prove you belong. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 winner Court McGee successfully managed to beat out the competition on the UFC's reality show, but consistently winning inside the Octagon is a completely different ball game. The first real test for "The Crusher" will come in the form of Ryan Jensen at UFC 121 on October 23 in Anaheim, California. This according to MMA Weekly.
McGee of course is coming off his win over Kris McCray at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale back in June in which he earned the title of the next Ultimate Fighter, as well as a six-figure contract with the UFC. Court entered the TUF house with quite an impressive resume, 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 during the show did the Utah bred fighter well. And with a considerable amount of time to take his game to yet another level since the end of the reality show competition, his days as an underdog my very well be over. Ryan Jensen was last seen in action at UFC 114: "Rampage vs. Evans" where he submitted Jesse Forbes via guillotine in the first round to run his UFC record to 2-2, and his overall record to 15-6. Having competed against guys like Mark Munoz, Thales Leites, Joey Villasenor, and Demian Maia; the Jackson's Submission Fighting product will no doubt be up to the challenge in facing the new kid on the block. UFC 121 is set to be headlined by Brock Lesnar's heavyweight title defense against undefeated fighter Cain Velasquez. Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for more information on UFC 121 as it becomes available. |
| Posted: 13 Jul 2010 09:21 AM PDT
Props: FightHub.tv (via Bloody Elbow) Quoteworthy:
Famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach teaches reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre some tricks of the trade heading into the twelfth season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) opposite number one contender (again) Josh Koscheck. "Rush" has made a mockery of the 170-pound division due to his athleticism and unstoppable takedowns. Will the "Kos" fight unveil a new and improved stand-up attack? Or is striking a luxury that GSP can't afford while trying to preserve his legacy? |
| Strikeforce poster for 'Houston' on Aug. 21 Posted: 13 Jul 2010 09:18 AM PDT
For the latest Strikeforce: "Houston" fight card and rumors click here. |
| Heads up Leben! Bring UFC 116 guard to a Wandy fight and you'll get beat in the first round (Video) Posted: 13 Jul 2010 09:05 AM PDT Wanderlei Silva on fighting Chris Leben at the 4:15 mark. |
| Texas (not talent) scratched middleweight tournament for Strikeforce: 'Houston' Posted: 13 Jul 2010 08:44 AM PDT
At the conclusion of his Strikeforce contract, middleweight champion Jake Shields opted to vacate his title to explore greener pastures under the Zuffa banner. The move would hardly be considered surprising, which is why Strikeforce officials had already begun discussions about a possible 185-pound tournament to crown his successor. Preliminary talk about the long term goals for the division followed Cung Le's victory over Scott Smith at Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Werdum " back in June. Except Le wanted no part of it. No matter. Plans were soon in place to hold a four-man tournament at the upcoming "Houston" event on August 21 with Tim Kennedy, Ronaldo Souza, Robbie Lawler and Matt Lindland participating. Then on July 10, the promotion announced "Kennedy vs Souza" for the vacant division title. Just like that the tournament was kaput with no explanation. Fans and media speculated that perhaps Strikeforce just didn't have enough talent to fill the brackets. Not true. According to some sleuthing by Matt Erickson at MMA Fighting, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) ultimately put the kibosh on any tournament plans for the Toyota Center. From TDLR administrator Greg Alvarez:
The promotion could have opted to utilize their DREAM relationship to execute an elimination tournament at an overseas event, but it's understandable that getting the belt around someone's waist is a high priority. In fact, having the tournament nixed may have been a blessing in disguise, since it would be tough to sell Robbie Lawler and Matt Lindland, who are both 1-2 in their past three fights, as credible division champions. Perhaps that's why the most obvious choice is Kennedy vs. Souza. And the winner will face... |
| UFC Quick Quote: Shane Carwin hoping to carve an MMA legacy that includes a win over Brock Lesnar Posted: 13 Jul 2010 07:42 AM PDT
Former UFC Heavyweight Interim Champion Shane Carwin (via The Underground) recognizes the small window he has to get himself back into the division title picture after falling short against Brock Lesnar earlier this month at UFC 116 in Las Vegas. At 35, "The Engineer" may have only one more chance to make it happen, but if he keeps winning, he may or may not get the chance to face the former WWE star depending on the outcome of the champ's upcoming fight with Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 in Anaheim. Carwin may indeed eventually score gold, but will his legacy be complete without a win over Lesnar? |
| Posted: 13 Jul 2010 07:25 AM PDT  Rich Franklin is raffling off his cast from the broken arm he suffered at UFC 115 in his main event win over Chuck Liddell. Proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation. Get all the details by clicking here. |
| UFC 119: Will cutting weight and 'giving a damn' bring out the world beater in Mark Hunt? Posted: 13 Jul 2010 07:15 AM PDT
Or is it too little, too late? New Zealand's granite-chinned goliath will return to mixed martial arts following a 16-month hiatus to debut under the Zuffa banner (who would have believed that in 2008) when he faces Sean McCorkle at UFC 119 from the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Sept. 25. And what a long, strange trip it's been. After winning the K-1 World Grand Prix by knocking out heavily-favored Jerome LeBanner in 2001, Hunt eventually transitioned to the world of mixed martial arts in 2004, competing for PRIDE FC and finishing with a record of 5-3. His debut loss may not have been the start he was looking for, but he quickly erased any first impressions by winning his next five fights, including upset victories over Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. His weakness on the ground was eventually exposed in 2006 by submission masters Josh Barnett and Fedor Emelianenko -- but not before Hunt nearly submitted the wily Russian with a kimura of his own. Then came the fall of PRIDE -- and what seemed like the fall of Hunt as a relevant fighter. The "Super Samoan" was last seen at Dream 9 in May 2009, getting submitted (armbar) by a much smaller Gegard Mousasi in the first round of the "Super Hulk" tournament for his fifth consecutive loss. Prior to that, the former K-1 kickboxing standout was finished by the heavy-handed (and again much smaller) Melvin Manhoef in the first round of the year-end "Dynamite!!" show in 2008. What looked like the end, for Hunt, can now become a new beginning. And as he tells Sherdog.com, a new approach to training (thanks largely in part to the UFC's 265-pound weight limit), along with the drive to become a champion may resurrect his one-promising career.
A motivated and in-shape Mark Hunt can pose serious problems for anyone in the division. However, unless he exhibits a marked improvement in his ground game, he could become the Octagon's version of the aforementioned Manhoef. Hunt may only have one shot to prove otherwise -- at the expense of Sean McCorkle. Anyone think he can do it? |
| Anderson Silva: A 'disrespectful' Chael Sonnen thinks he knows something Posted: 13 Jul 2010 06:21 AM PDT
Props: Tatame.com Quoteworthy:
Anderson Silva bites his tongue heading into his Aug. 7 middleweight title fight against mouthy number one contender Chael Sonnen. "The Spider" has been relatively quiet in the weeks leading up to the fight while Sonnen has gone on a verbal tirade leaving every fighter in his wake. Will the real Anderson Silva stand up in Oakland to silence the loose-lipped challenger? |
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