UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

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• UFC Quick Quote: Gray Maynard isn't finishing his opponents -- but neither is anyone else
• EA Sports MMA video game roster set for Oct. 19 release date
• Kazuo Misaki risks life and limb against Jorge Santiago at SRC 14
• Shaquille O'Neal vs Tito Ortiz video from UFC 118 Fan Expo Boston
• UFC 118 recap with 'MMA Live' host Jon Anik featured on tonight's presentation of Pro MMA Radio
• UFC 124: Georges St. Pierre vs Josh Koscheck rematch to take place in Montreal on Dec. 11
• James 'No Bitch' Toney wants Randy 'Real Man' Couture to return the favor and come to boxing
• UFC 119: Mark Hunt gets in shape for Sept. 25 fight against Sean McCorkle (Pic)
• Dana White creates 'fan phone' to chat with UFC fans worldwide (Video)
• UFC Fight Night 22: Is Nate Marquardt looking past Rousimar Palhares?
• Kimbo Slice boxing career officially underway ...
• BJ Penn has a message for his fans following UFC 118 loss (Video)
• Mike Kyle: Rafael 'Feijao' Cavalcante has my light heavyweight belt
• Bellator 33: Eddie Alvarez vs Roger Huerta official for Liacouras Center on Oct. 21
• UFC 119 video trailer for 'Mir vs Cro Cop' on Sept. 25
• UFC Quick Quote: Jon Jones waiting for the winner of Ryan Bader vs Rogerio Nogueira
• Dana White: Frankie Edgar 'broke' BJ Penn at UFC 118 (Video)

UFC Quick Quote: Gray Maynard isn't finishing his opponents -- but neither is anyone else Posted: 30 Aug 2010 11:15 PM PDT "That's what I keep telling people! Who is stopping them? Name a name and I'll bow down, but who is stopping these guys? That's why I can't pay attention to these people. If you're a true sports fan who enjoys MMA and really try to understand it, you'll get it. Look at Edgar. He's only ever lost to myself. Look at Clementi, who has 52 professional fights and has only been stopped a handful of times. Jim Miller has only lost to the champion and myself. Huerta has never been stopped. Pretty much the same thing with Nate Diaz. Florian did get stopped by Penn, but you see what I mean. It's an excuse, but that's just how it is. I'm asking for the top guys. The decisions are just part of it. The sport is growing so much that these fights are just going to keep getting closer and closer. I don't know what people are going to do, but there are going to be a lot more close fights. More fighters are able to pull in the cash you need to hire the top coaches and eat and train right. We're going up against the guys where that's all they do year round. They train everyday. The gap is going to start to close on these title fights. Guys are getting better and better. People will start to appreciate it, it just takes time." UFC lightweight number one contender Gray Maynard doesn't understand what all the fuss is about concerning his inability to finish opponents inside the Octagon. "The Bully" remains perfect at 10-0 but has gone to the judge's scorecards in seven consecutive fights. The former TUF runner-up tells David St. Martin at SB Nation that each decision is a credit to his opponent -- not a knock against his skill set. Do you agree? And will he be able to repeat his performance against Frankie Edgar when they rematch in 2011? Opinions please.

EA Sports MMA video game roster set for Oct. 19 release date Posted: 30 Aug 2010 11:14 PM PDT Lightweights ... Check out the rest of the roster, courtesy of EA Sports, after the jump. For more information on the upcoming video game release click here. Welterweights ... Middleweights ... Light heavyweights ... Heavyweights ... Let's hear it Maniacs ... who's the first fighter you play with after purchasing the game?

Kazuo Misaki risks life and limb against Jorge Santiago at SRC 14 Posted: 30 Aug 2010 07:34 PM PDT Japanese MMA star, Kazuo Misaki, who just fought Jorge Santiago at Sengoku Raiden Championships (SRC) 14 for the middleweight title; was completely out of sorts before his "fight of the year" candidate bout -- even injecting painkillers into his ankle prior to competing. He had a press conference at the SRC gym eight days following the event and said that he had a major leg injury which forced him to stop training. In fact, he barely trained for the fight!  Misaki also said he gassed out/blacked out in the second round, fighting on instincts and believes that had his corner not thrown in the towel when they did, he would be dead. Here are some quotes from the Japanese warrior-samurai-badass (via Nightmare of Battle):   * "Standing in the ring in whatever condition I'm in is my way of life." * "My full strength was no match for Santiago." * "He (the cornerman that threw in the towel) saved my life so I'm thankful." * "I don't think the injury was the cause for my defeat, I lost being in 100% condition at fight day. It's possible that Santiago might have been injured as well, I lost because my best was insufficient, only mortifying thoughts remain now. I think I would've entered the ring even if I lost one of my legs, I'm a fighter who fights, not with technique, but with heart." * "Even if the timing of the towel throw was a little late, I might not have been here now." * "He (Jorge Santiago) has become the most important being in my life." ... and last, but not least: * "Once more, just once more I want the chance to fight Santiago..." Misaki said he wants to fight again this year, but that his injuries need to fully heal before he competes again. I won't hold my breath. I hope he gets healthy and gets back in the new year. Long live the old-school Japanese warriors like Misaki, Saku, and Minowa!!!

Shaquille O'Neal vs Tito Ortiz video from UFC 118 Fan Expo Boston Posted: 30 Aug 2010 05:55 PM PDT

UFC 118 recap with 'MMA Live' host Jon Anik featured on tonight's presentation of Pro MMA Radio Posted: 30 Aug 2010 05:55 PM PDT Just days after the historic UFC 118: "Edgar vs. Penn 2" event from the TD Garden last Saturday night in Boston, Mass., ESPN's "MMA Live" host Jon Anik stops by Pro MMA Radio TONIGHT (Aug. 30) at 9 p.m. ET right here on MMAmania.com. What's next for BJ Penn? Who is the favorite in the Frankie Edgar vs.Gray Maynard rematch? Will we ever see James Toney inside the Octagon again? Hosted by Larry Pepe, Pro MMA Radio is professional, guest-driven program that features some of mixed martial arts biggest names right here on MMAmania.com every Monday night at 9 p.m. ET through our exclusive live feed. Live feed begins tonight at 9 p.m. ET after the jump. Pro MMA Radio will begin playing automatically. Press (||) to turn it off.

UFC 124: Georges St. Pierre vs Josh Koscheck rematch to take place in Montreal on Dec. 11 Posted: 30 Aug 2010 02:43 PM PDT Unabashed welterweight villain Josh Koscheck will once again step foot inside another hornets nest when he battles reigning 170-pound deity, Georges St. Pierre, in front of an adoring hometown crown at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on Dec. 11. MMACanada.net today delivered the good news about the UFC 124 main event's venue and location. "Kos" recently wrapped up his stint as coach on Season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), coaching against "Rush" on the Spike TV reality show in a spot he earned with a unanimous decision win over Paul "Semtex" Daley at UFC 113: "Machida vs. Shogun 2" earlier this year. The former collegiate wrestler and longtime UFC veteran has strung together three consecutive wins since a surprise loss to Brazilian welterweight Paulo Thiago at UFC 95: "Sanchez vs. Stevenson," stopping Frank Trigg via technical knockout at UFC 103: "Franklin vs. Belfort" back in September 2009 and then choking out Anthony Johnson at UFC 106: "Ortiz vs. Griffin 2." Aside from his success inside the Octagon, his role in the December title fight can also be attributed to St. Pierre's ability to handily dispose of every would-be contender over the past two years, including AKA team mate Jon Fitch. Of course both fighters have evolved since their first dance at UFC 74: "Respect" way back in August 2007. GSP cruised to a three round unanimous decision win in their non-title affair, the Canadian's first fight after coughing up the strap to Matt Serra at UFC 69: "Shootout." It's been nothing but easy street since then, rattling off six straight wins and barely breaking a sweat in the process. In fact, the only knock on St. Pierre has been his decision to play it safe in recent bouts, employing a suffocating and seemingly unstoppable wrestling-based offense to neutralize his opponents and sweep the judge's scorecards. Can he finish Koscheck and re-establish himself as the sport's most complete fighter? Or will we see a welterweight version of Wrestlemania? We'll find out on December 11. (This FanPost was updated, rewritten and front-paged by MMAmania.com staff.)

James 'No Bitch' Toney wants Randy 'Real Man' Couture to return the favor and come to boxing Posted: 30 Aug 2010 12:26 PM PDT Props: Fight Hype Quoteoworthy: "My thing with Randy Couture is he is a legend in his sport. He seems like a good person. I don't know him personally, but from when I met him, he seems like he's a great dude, man. And if he is a real man, come put the gloves on. I did it his way, now come do it my way. I'm glad they got respect for me because my background speaks for me. Everybody knows that I ain't got no bitch in me." James (had his) "Lights Out" Toney sings a different tune following his submission loss to Randy Couture at UFC 118 last Saturday night (Aug. 28) in Boston. The portly pugilist was taken down and choked out by "The Natural" in a lopsided affair designed to draw casual fans to a "Boxing vs. UFC" contest that proved just how different both sports are despite Toney's pre-fight trash talk. Can the fading legend convince Couture to get his butt whooped inside the boxing ring? Or is there nothing left to prove after his "Beantown" beatdown?

UFC 119: Mark Hunt gets in shape for Sept. 25 fight against Sean McCorkle (Pic) Posted: 30 Aug 2010 11:16 AM PDT Props: American Top Team He's apparently got the physique -- but will he have the ground game to be competitive in the UFC heavyweight division?

Dana White creates 'fan phone' to chat with UFC fans worldwide (Video) Posted: 30 Aug 2010 10:31 AM PDT

UFC Fight Night 22: Is Nate Marquardt looking past Rousimar Palhares? Posted: 30 Aug 2010 10:30 AM PDT Props: Fighters Only Quoteworthy: "Definitely if I can stay away from the ankle locks that is gonna be a plus and I think he is definitely disadvantaged in the standing fight so I think the more I can keep the fight standing the better. But there again I feel comfortable to go on the ground if need be, I have very good training partners on the ground and guys that are super-strong too, guys that are good at ankle-locks… I feel very confident going into this fight ... Rousimar is a very tough guy and very dangerous, I respect him. But sometimes it is tough to stay focused on this fight. Like you say, watching Chael and Anderson fight… I want to get back in there with both of those guys and show them that I am better than them." Top ranked middleweight contender Nate Marquardt prepares to fend off the onslaught from muscular submission master Rousimar Palhares when they throw down at UFC Fight Night 22 on Sept. 15 in Austin. Nate is coming off a not-so-"Great" performance against Chael Sonnen earlier this year and also has a loss to division champion Anderson Silva. Marquardt is hoping to avenge those two losses but will "Toquinho" stop him from ever getting the chance?

Kimbo Slice boxing career officially underway ... Posted: 30 Aug 2010 09:20 AM PDT ... As Jared "$kala" Shaw tweets earlier today. "lets the game begin KIMBO is in TRAINING! looking at todays heavyweight boxers ,i truly believe he was in the wrong sport the whole time" Will the third time be the charm for the aging heavyweight? Or is the former Elite XC and UFC attraction just not up to snuff when it comes to combat sports?

BJ Penn has a message for his fans following UFC 118 loss (Video) Posted: 30 Aug 2010 09:20 AM PDT Is this the end of an era?

Mike Kyle: Rafael 'Feijao' Cavalcante has my light heavyweight belt Posted: 30 Aug 2010 08:46 AM PDT Props: MMA Weekly Quoteworthy: "I want it known that I want Feijao, and if he's a real champion, he'll want to avenge his loss. I believe it makes me the number one contender, and I hope Strikeforce feels the same. I have a lot of fans that have been calling me, telling me, texting me and telling me that the (next title) fight should be mine. It was a good show to watch, an exciting fight. I was a little disappointed that Mo didn't put on a better fight. The inexperience of both fighters showed, and that's where I believe I will beat Feijao, because I have more experience than him. No disrespect to him or his camp, but he has my belt, and I'm better than him in every category and that I can beat him in every category. If you put me in the cage with him again, it's going to be the same fight as last time." Mike Kyle likes his chances against newly-minted Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Rafael Cavalcante. "MAK" flattened the Brazilian at the June 2009 "Lawler vs. Shields" event and believes history will repeat itself if he's granted a rematch against "Feijao" in the near future. Does Kyle, the winner of four straight, have first dibs on the promotion's 205-pound strap?

Bellator 33: Eddie Alvarez vs Roger Huerta official for Liacouras Center on Oct. 21 Posted: 30 Aug 2010 07:51 AM PDT CHICAGO, Ill. (August 30, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships officially announced today that the promotion will make its debut in Pennsylvania when Philadelphia native and Bellator Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez (20-2) squares off against former UFC Star Roger "El Matador" Huerta (24-4-1) in one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year. "Bellator 33: Alvarez vs. Huerta" is set to take place from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 21st. For explosive Bellator World Champion Eddie Alvarez, momentum is on his side, as he enters the Superfight with an impressive five-fight win streak on the line where the longtime knockout artist has finished all of his most recent victims by submission. In his most recent trip to the cage, Alvarez put rugged UFC veteran Josh "The Dentist" Neer to sleep with a nasty rear-naked choke during Bellator 17 in Boston on May 6th of this year. Alvarez is admittedly excited about the opportunity to compete in front of his hometown fans in Philly for the first time in the top lightweight's career that currently spans 22 professional fights, from Japan to Boston, against many of the toughest 155 lb fighters in the business. "Roger Huerta, Philadelphia, October 21st... this is a dream fight for me," said Alvarez. "I've never even lost a fight here in the United States, so I'm definitely not going to start in my hometown of Philadelphia with all of my people there. That's not going to happen. Not a chance.   "I'm not going to be happy unless I completely control and dominate Roger in this fight. It's important for me to go in there and dominate this fight and prove that I'm one of the best lightweights in the world."   In the case of Roger Huerta, the electrifying 27 year old lightweight is eager to return to the cage after suffering a defeat in his previous outing when Pat Curran shocked the MMA world and defeated "El Matador" by unanimous decision in the semifinal lightweight tournament at Bellator 17. As the first MMA fighter ever to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Eddie Alvarez will be the toughest fights that Huerta has encountered is his MMA career.   Although fighting in Alvarez' backyard of Philadelphia, Huerta expects for the advantage to ultimately lie in his favor, stating, "The cheers or jeers won't affect me one way or the other. The pressure is on him fighting in his hometown. He's going to bring the best out of me. The best. It's going to be scary. "This is a fight that I've always wanted. It's a dream come true. It's going to be a grueling fight for the both of us. It's going to be a potential fight of the year. I'm going in there expecting a war, and I'm going in there trying to finish Eddie." Intending to send a direct message to his critics and fans alike in his upcoming performance against Huerta, Alvarez would be the first to admit that he's had the former Sports Illustrated cover athlete in his sites since the moment Huerta signed his contract with Bellator. "I don't care where you fought in the past, but if you come to my promotion and you have a big name and you're obviously marketable, and the promotion signs you, I'm going to have an issue with that," said Alvarez. "If I don't feel threatened by that, then I'm an idiot. I feel threatened by someone like Roger trying to move into my house and I'm going to do everything I can to protect what's mine and get him out of there. I want to keep all eyes on me. I'm going to go out there and do my job and get him out of there."   Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney was admittedly excited to bring this incredible Superfight to Philadelphia, stating, "The Alvarez-Huerta fight should be one of the most electrifying bouts in the history of Bellator Fighting Championships, and to be able to host it in one of the greatest fights towns on earth, Philadelphia is spectacular. . I've said it before, I believe Eddie Alvarez is the best Lightweight Mixed Martial Artist in the world today and for Roger to have the courage to face him speaks volumes about his confidence and character. The fans are really in for a treat with not only a great fight card, but also a fantastic host venue in The Liacouras Center."   The Liacouras Center is located on the campus of Temple University, in the heart of Philadelphia, and is home to the Temple Owl's Basketball and Volleyball, as well as Professional Indoor Soccer. The Liacouras Center was opened in 1997, and has a capacity of just over 10,000. Tickets for "Bellator 33: Alvarez vs. Huerta" are priced at $150, $85, $65, $45, and $25, and go on sale Monday, August 30th at www.ComcastTix.com For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

UFC 119 video trailer for 'Mir vs Cro Cop' on Sept. 25 Posted: 30 Aug 2010 07:09 AM PDT

UFC Quick Quote: Jon Jones waiting for the winner of Ryan Bader vs Rogerio Nogueira Posted: 30 Aug 2010 06:29 AM PDT "Right now I'm waiting for Ryan Bader and Lil' Nog to fight each other and I'll fight the winner of that, and I'm predicting that I'm about two fights away from a title shot. I had a meeting with Dana and Lorenzo and that's kind of where were going with it. They didn't really say two fights. They said you know, you beat the winner of Bader/Lil' Nog, we'll give you one more fight. We'll see you know how you win the fights, depending on the fashion of the finish, then you know, we'll give you a title shot." With former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin apparently out of the picture, the seemingly-invincible Jon Jones talks to Inside MMA about his fast track to the division title after steamrolling the better part of the 205-pound division. Does the ability to defeat "Darth" or "Minotoro" establish him as the number one contender? Or does he need one more big name before earning his shot?

Dana White: Frankie Edgar 'broke' BJ Penn at UFC 118 (Video) Posted: 30 Aug 2010 05:39 AM PDT

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UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

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• UFC opens offices in Asia
• Dana White: 'Kenny Florian chokes in big fights'
• Shaquille O'Neal calls out Hong Man Choi (Video)
• Fight Metric: Frankie Edgar was as good as he looked at UFC 118
• Will the real Joe Lauzon please stand up? Bostonian cruises at UFC 118
• Does Frankie Edgar loss at UFC 118 change BJ Penn's legacy?
• Report: Vitor Belfort vs Yushin Okami to headline UFC 122 on Spike TV in Germany
• UFC Quick Quote: Gray Maynard is ready to take the title from Frankie Edgar
• Dana White says no more boxing and UFC mashups (Video)
• Frankie Edgar silences critics with dominant performance at UFC 118

UFC opens offices in Asia Posted: 29 Aug 2010 09:49 PM PDT Next stop: Asia. As the UFC continues upon their quest of global domination, at least when it concerns combat sports, it was announced at the UFC 118 post-fight press conference that Asia will be the new home to UFC offices. Named as the Executive Vice President and Managing Director of this new operation was former NBA China Executive Mark Fischer. Mark Fischer at the UFC 118 post-fight press conference: "It's great to be here back in my hometown. I'm delighted and honored to work with UFC president Dana White and the Fertitta brothers to build the Ultimate Fighting Championship and our other businesses in Asia. It's a fantastic market. I think we're just scratching the surface. A lot martial arts began their tradition there. We're very respectful of that... I was with the NBA in Asia for 12 years. Five or six of those were building the NBA in China. I think as successful as the NBA was there, what we were able to do with that, I think we can just as much with the UFC and more." A couple quick notes on this move. One, Mr. Fischer appears to be extremely qualified to take on this role. He served as essentially the lead man for NBA China the last few years and has worked in Asia for the NBA for a dozen years. The NBA has undoubtedly enjoyed the most success in terms of global expansion when it comes to the big four sports in America, the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL, and their conquest of Asia has been a big part of that. And two, the sheer size of the Asian market will assuredly lead to an increased fan base. Asia is the world's most populous continent consisting of more than 4 billion people. To compare, North America is home to around 530 million people.  Big business likely awaits. So, with offices now in the United Kingdom, Canada, and now Asia to go along with their headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, what part of the globe will the UFC post up at next? Let's hear from our Maniac geography buffs.

Dana White: 'Kenny Florian chokes in big fights' Posted: 29 Aug 2010 01:07 PM PDT Props: UFC 118 post-fight press conference (via MMA Fighting) Quoteworthy: "I hate to say this because I don't want to take anything away from Gray Maynard, but I think Kenny is just one of those guys who chokes in big fights. I'm not bad-mouthing him or trying to disrespect him; I'm just being honest. Every time it's a big fight and there's a lot of things on the line, Kenny just, Kenny's hands are unbelievable. Kenny's ground is unbelievable. Kenny usually kicks guys to the body and legs so hard that he busts guys up. You didn't see any of that tonight. He stood there and stared at Gray Maynard for three rounds... You'd think his corner would say, 'Dude, you just lost the first two rounds.' No sense of urgency in the third round.' Not saying, 'I need a knockout or submission in this round.' None of it. Nothing. And I guarantee you if Kenny comes back and fights one of the mid-level guys, he'll probably run through them like a f---ing freight train. But the big fights? He crumbles, man... I love Kenny Florian, I've known him since season one of The Ultimate Fighter. He's one of the best fighters in the world, but in the big fights, he chokes in the big fights. He's here in his hometown, another shot at the title and he sits in front of Gray Maynard for three rounds. He couldn't let anything go. Gray Maynard fought his fight, did what he wanted to do, and dominated him tonight." Some pretty strong words from UFC President Dana White on Kenny Florian's not-so-impressive performance last night at UFC 118 against Gray Maynard. No one likes to be known for not being able to produce in big spots, regardless of the job. While Florian's unanimous decision loss in his hometown of Boston to Gray may be more attributed to "The Bully's" dominant wrestling style than Kenny's nerves playing a role, an argument can be made that "KenFlo" just wasn't himself last night, and usually isn't when the stakes are at their highest. Anybody buying this theory that D.W. is selling? Or, was it just a bad style match up for Florian? Who thinks that Kenny will one day fight for the title again?

Shaquille O'Neal calls out Hong Man Choi (Video) Posted: 29 Aug 2010 01:06 PM PDT Shaq vs. Hong Man Choi? Who ya got?

Fight Metric: Frankie Edgar was as good as he looked at UFC 118 Posted: 29 Aug 2010 12:44 PM PDT Fight Metric, the mathmeticians of the MMA universe, have released their report on Penn vs. Edgar 2. And, like you'd suspect, it confirmed what we all saw with our own two eyes. Edgar really did dominate en route to a decision. We knew that, of course, but it's good to have the backing of math.

Will the real Joe Lauzon please stand up? Bostonian cruises at UFC 118 Posted: 29 Aug 2010 11:30 AM PDT   Props: Photo by Esther Lin for MMA Fighting Quoteworthy: Welcome to Boston! I'm glad I got to fight here in Boston. I wanted to take his arm and that's exactly what I did...The crowd was unbelievable tonight. I love the crowd. I love Boston. I was definitely feeding off that energy. Joe Lauzon missed almost a year after a knee injury. When he finally returned to action, at UFC 108 in January he looked tentative and lacked the explosiveness that had come to characterize his career. No more. Lauzon ran through fellow The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 contestant Gabe Ruediger like a freight train. He slammed his cake eating opponent, and basically had his way with him before mercifully finishing the fight with an armbar two minutes in. Lauzon didn't just take home a win. He took home a cool $60,000 for submission of the night too. Maybe it was calibre of competition, but Lauzon looked like he had switched bodies with fellow Bostonian Kenny Florian. Is Lauzon back? Is he the real deal? Or is Gabe Ruediger just that awful?

Does Frankie Edgar loss at UFC 118 change BJ Penn's legacy? Posted: 29 Aug 2010 10:48 AM PDT It's long been a given that BJ Penn is one of the greatest fighters of all time. We hear it from Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan every time he fights in the Octagon and he's a multiple time world champion in two weight classes. But after losing two in a row, is it time to reevaluate where Penn stands in the annals of MMA history? Jonathan Snowden, who wrote a book about the history of MMA, thinks so: The raw numbers stand out like a sore thumb. In title fights, BJ Penn is a pedestrian 5-5-1. For every big fight he wins, he loses one in turn. The true greats of the sport, your Georges St. Pierres, your Matt Hughes, your Frank Shamrocks, your Fedor Emelianenkos, are defined by rising to the occasion. When the fights get tougher, these men only get better. Not so with BJ Penn. BJ Penn is a front runner. We learned that for the first time against Jens Pulver at UFC 35. Crowned as champion before even stepping into the cage, Penn had no answer for Pulver's heart and determination. When the fight got to the point where it demanded each man expose his very soul to walk away the winner, Penn faltered. Pulver stepped forward. That was the difference. Sports Illustrated's Josh Gross agrees: About that "best ever" tag that follows Penn wherever he goes, it needs to be reconsidered. Most talented? Hard to argue he wouldn't qualify. But did he get the most out of his gifts? I don't think so. And you don't need to look further than Penn's career and the choices he made to understand why. For starters, he was fast-tracked. In just his fourth fight, Penn was given a title shot against Jens Pulver. He lost. There was no grooming the Hawaiian. Then, in his seventh fight, he received another title shot. This time a draw against Caol Uno. Two fights later -- after defeating Takanori Gomi in what remains his biggest win in the lightweight division -- Penn moved up a class to fight top welterweight Matt Hughes. That victory may have been the worst thing that happened to Penn. It fed into an obsession resulting in his multi-weight excursion. Two fights later he was at 185. Next, a bout at light heavyweight versus Lyoto Machida. Back to middleweight and then a return to 170, where he lost consecutively to Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes. What do you think? Is Penn one of the sport's all-time greats? Or is he a great fighter who spent much of his time fruitlessly fighting in the wrong weight class and refusing to work hard enough to be the best? Maniacs: Sound off!

Report: Vitor Belfort vs Yushin Okami to headline UFC 122 on Spike TV in Germany Posted: 29 Aug 2010 10:47 AM PDT UFC 122 is set to take place on November 12 in Oberhausen, Germany. The event will air on Spike TV in the United States via tape delay. And now, it looks like UFC 122 has a main event. From The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer (via Bloody Elbow): Vitor Belfort vs. Yushin Okami will be the main event of UFC 122 on 11/13 in Oberhausen, Germany. This will be a Spike show in the U.S. The winner will likely face the Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen winner for the middleweight title sometime next year. I think most people probably saw this match up coming. With Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen set to run it back sometime early next year, Belfort and Okami were left behind to face each other with a title shot awaiting the winner. Belfort of course has been nursing an injury that kept him out of his scheduled UFC 112 title fight against Anderson Silva earlier this year. "The Phenom" was last seen in action at UFC 103 where he finished Rich Frankin in the first round in his first fight back with the promotion since 2005. Yushin Okami, the proverbial top contender in the UFC's middleweight division, will finally get a chance to fight for a title shot. Seemingly always in the "mix," Okami has been passed over when it comes to the division's big fights likely due to his less than thrilling fighting style. While it may not be fair, it's probably a fact. Yushin has won two straight fights with his most recent victory coming at UFC on Versus 2 against Mark Munoz. "Thunder" has gone 9-2 during his tenure with the UFC with his only losses coming at the hands of Rich Frankin and Chael Sonnen. A win over Belfort coupled with another successful title defense from Anderson Silva against Chael Sonnen would set up an interesting rematch between the two fighters as Okami was the last man to defeat Silva, albeit controversially, back in 2006. Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for more news on UFC 122 as it breaks.

UFC Quick Quote: Gray Maynard is ready to take the title from Frankie Edgar Posted: 29 Aug 2010 09:29 AM PDT "You can’t let (the crowd) affect you. I’ve got bills. I’ve got all that stuff... All the odds were stacked against me. All the odds. That’s a blue-collar win for me, and I’m blue-collar..."I’ve beaten all the top guys. I’m ready" The hometown Boston Globe caught up with "The Bully" Gray Maynard after his unanimous decision win over Boston bred Kenny Florian at UFC 118. Dana White reconfirmed that Maynard will get the next title shot at Frankie Edgar's lightweight belt and Maynard believes he's up to the challenge. Can Maynard beat Edgar for a second time (the two clashed previously at UFC Fight Night 13 in 2008)? And are fans sharpening their knives, ready to slice Maynard and his cautious approach to pieces in the comments?

Dana White says no more boxing and UFC mashups (Video) Posted: 29 Aug 2010 08:01 AM PDT

Frankie Edgar silences critics with dominant performance at UFC 118 Posted: 29 Aug 2010 07:51 AM PDT Props: Yahoo Sports Quoteworthy "I built on my confidence. The first time I was in there, I had the confidence I could do what I needed to do, but I hadn’t done it before. After doing it and knowing I could do it going in a second time, that confidence added a lot to it." Frankie Edgar is the champion at 155 pounds. After UFC 112, not many people were buying that. But after completely dismantling BJ Penn over the course of five rounds there are no unanswered questions. The champion chasitized the media at the post fight press conference for not believing in him. Do you believe? Is Edgar a long term champion? Or is he keeping the belt warm for Gray Maynard?

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UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

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• UFC 118 bonuses and awards for 'Edgar vs. Penn 2'
• UFC Quick Quote: Randy Couture breaks down the gameplan he used to dominate James Toney
• UFC 118 results recap from last night for 'Penn vs Edgar 2'
• Did James Toney beat Randy Couture at UFC 118?
• UFC 118 sick snapshot of the night
• Shaquille O'Neal becomes center of attention at UFC Fan Expo
• UFC Quick Quote: Gabe Ruediger had something special for Joe Lauzon at UFC 118 weigh-ins

UFC 118 bonuses and awards for 'Edgar vs. Penn 2' Posted: 28 Aug 2010 10:56 PM PDT UFC 118: "Edgar vs. Penn 2" from the TD Arena in Boston, Massachusetts has officially wrapped, which means that it’s time for those special fighters who went above and beyond to get a little extra moolah for their efforts. It's no small check either. These guys are cashing in to the tune of $60,000 each. In addition to their base salaries, the UFC awarded Nate Diaz and Marcus Davis "Fight of the Night" for their back and forth bout that saw "The Irish Hand Grenade" suffer a horrible gaping cut that coated the cage with blood. Also ready to race to the bank is local boy Joe Lauzon, who destroyed Gabe Ruediger before making him tap to an armbar in the first round. Lauzon later took credit for personally selling 600 tickets, but it sounded more like 6000 with the huge ovation the crowd gave him after the win. Cha-ching. With no knockouts, there was no "Knockout of the Night." Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC 118: - Fight of the Night: Marcus Davis vs. Nate Diaz - Submission of the Night: Joe Lauzon 15,575 fans attended the event for a live gate of $3,000,000 Again, each fighter received $60,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible. For complete UFC 118 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

UFC Quick Quote: Randy Couture breaks down the gameplan he used to dominate James Toney Posted: 28 Aug 2010 10:45 PM PDT "It went exactly according to plan which is a rarity in our sport. I was pretty happy to see it go that way... Range was a big factor, especially against a guy with the striking skills James has. You don't see too many guys shoot a low single in mixed martial arts. And I knew the low single would work and make it difficult for him to counter punch me or catch me coming in. I got the mount position and he didn't have any idea how to get out of the mount. I had the choke once and he was propped up against the fence. I had to adjust and let him off the hook, but he gave it to me again." Randy Couture tells ESPN's MMA Live that he intended to throw more leg kicks but the wrestling instincts kicked in and he took it to the mat. Many MMA fans were calling it a triumph over the sport of boxing, but at the end of the day it was just a fight. Toney never had a chance to bring his boxing skills to the forefront as Couture took him immediately to the ground and tapped him out with an arm triangle. Did Couture strike a blow for the sport over boxing? Or was it just two old men scrapping in a cage? You decide, Maniacs.

UFC 118 results recap from last night for 'Penn vs Edgar 2' Posted: 28 Aug 2010 10:01 PM PDT The king is dead. Long live the king. When Frankie Edgar won the lightweight title from BJ Penn at UFC 112, there was a question mark attached. The decision over the legendary BJ Penn was iffy and fans didn't seem to buy him as the real champion. After five more rounds at UFC 118, there are no more questions. BJ Penn came into his rematch with Frankie Edgar as the clear favorite, and in many ways this fight was a repeat performance of the first, with more of an edge to Edgar. Frankie had the answer to BJ's stand up early on in the first, using his speed and movement to avoid BJ's hands. Edgar was almost able to take BJ down at will, going as far as slamming Baby J later on in the first. Edgar dominated Penn for 25 minutes on his way to a unanimous decision. Penn had no answer for Edgar's quickness and wrestling acumen. The champion was able to crack him standing and took him down several times, much to Joe Rogan's amazement. There was a brief glimmer of hope for Penn fans when late in the fight Penn took Edgar down and quickly transitioned to a mount, but Edgar was able to squeeze a leg in and secure half guard before standing back up. Penn looked lost against the much quicker Frankie Edgar throughout the fight In the end, Penn looked befuddled. Rogan discussed a move to 170 pounds, but he's already lost twice to the champion in that division, the amazing Georges St. Pierre. At just 31, Penn seems a fighter past his prime, a relic from another generation. Nothing has changed since UFC 1 back in 1993. We learned then that a boxer can't defend against the takedown or the submission. Seventeen years later, that lesson still applies. As the crowd chanted "UFC, UFC, UFC" Randy Couture took down and submitted boxer James Toney in the first round. James Toney against Randy Couture was destined to be a freakshow from the second it was announced. All of the talk about training partners getting subbed by Toney went up in smoke within seconds of the bell ringing when Randy immediately took James Toney to the mat and mounted him. Couture rained down blows and was able to get Toney into the cage and lock in a loose head and arm choke. Toney survived, but Couture was finally able to lock it in tight and get a submission. Toney talked trash for a month before the fight, but once the bell rang he seemed confused, seemingly unprepared to defend against basic MMA holds. Couture celebrated like he had won the Super Bowl and an unintelligible Toney interview with Joe Rogan put an exclamation point on the night. In earlier action, Demain Maia controlled every minute of his three round unanimous decision win over Mario Miranda. This fight was a clear demonstration of just how far Demian Maia has come, as he displayed some improved stand up and was even working takedowns against Miranda. Mario Miranda did his best to hang with Maia, but as soon as Maia took Miranda down in the beginning of the first and had Miranda's back it was clear there was a difference in skill. It wasn't always fun to watch, but Maia was constantly looking to finish the fight. It was a clinic, but Miranda never lost faith. When Maia looked for an armbar or triangle, Miranda would explode and weasel his way out of the hold. It wasn't enough to make it competitive, but at least he was able to survive the to hear the decisions read.      Kenny Florian fought in front of his hometown crowd like he didn't want to lose while Gray Maynard fought his kind of fight. "Don't force anything," Florian's brother Keith shouted from the corner. That wasn't going to be a problem in the first round for Florian or his opponent Gray Maynard. Both men were very cautious in an evenly fought first round. With less then a minute left Maynard finally got a takedown, but was unable to improve his position or land any telling blows. Still, after four minutes of feeling each other out, Maynard stole the round with a single takedown. The rest of the fight was rinse and repeat. The second round saw more of the same with Maynard controlling the pace of the bout. Florian simply couldn't stop the takedown and Maynard controlled him on his way to an easy decision. The third round was looking to go the same way as Keith Florian was losing his voice from bellowing his shrill cries for nearly fifteen minutes before Kenny decided to start working his jiu-jitsu. It was too little too late as Maynard was able to defend two omoplata attempts and secure his decision victory in a snoozefest. The crowd wasn't split at all. They were solidly behind Marcus Davis, chanting "Diaz sucks." But with a series of looping punches, Nate Diaz split the Irish Hand Grenade's eye open in the first round. Davis was covered in blood, but with referee Yves Lavigne's timely plea to the doctor to let them fight, the show went on. Lavigne saved Davis' chances but it didn't help him much in the long run.  The next round and a half saw Diaz just work on the cut until it was a giant gaping hole. The huge cut on the right eye gave Diaz a target, one he wasn't afraid to hit again and again. By the opening of round three, the cut was enormous and even the referee was begging Davis to protect his eye. After taking it to Davis for most of the fight standing, Diaz finally decided to take it to the ground. He quickly passed guard and finished the fight with a super tight guillotine. If I ever want someone to suffer serious damage, I'll recommend Yves Lavigne oversee the affair. Gabe Ruediger's best move this weekend was bringing a cake with him to the weigh ins.  It said "Sorry for your loss." He gave it to Joe Lauzon, but probably should have kept it for himself. The first round went fast and furious, as Lauzon quickly got the fight to the ground and was all over Ruediger who did his best to defend. They changed positions more times in the first minute and a half than vintage Ron Jeremy before Lauzon finally began raining down strikes. For two minutes, Lauzon demolished Ruediger. He tossed him to the mat, took his back, mounted him, and pounded away. Eventually, Ruediger gave up an arm which Lauzon was able to twist into an armbar to finish the fight in front of his hometown crowd. Boston finally seems satiated in their quest to see wanton destruction. Before Lauzon wowed them, the crowd in Boston wasn't shy about letting the fighters in the night's opener on SPIKE TV know how they felt. Boos and chants of boring rained down on Andre Winner, but he might not have heard them with Nik Lentz smothering him for three rounds. Winner, the runner up on the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), was never able to unleash his vicious standup on the Minnesota based wrestler. "An ugly, ugly win for Nik Lentz," Joe Rogan told the world. Truer words have rarely been spoken. That’s enough from us — now it’s your turn to discuss "Edgar vs. Penn 2" in the comments section below. Sound off, Maniacs. For complete UFC 118 results and detailed blow-by-blow commentary of the televised main card fights click here.

Did James Toney beat Randy Couture at UFC 118? Posted: 28 Aug 2010 08:59 PM PDT Of course he didn't. In what was the focal point in the lead up to UFC 118, and what will likely be the focal point coming out of the event, boxing legend James "Lights Out" Toney took on MMA legend Randy "The Natural" Couture. Couture left Boston, Massachusetts victorious, as did mixed martial arts.  Randy half-heartedly shot for the takedown 20 seconds into the first round, Toney fell on his backside, and that was virtually a wrap. Couture immediately gained mount position and followed with the usual ground and pound. Next up in the lesson of mixed martial arts was the 'ole arm triangle.  "The Natural" sunk it in, James was forced to (sorta) tap at 3:19 in the first frame. We (MMA fans) all rejoiced. Unless of course you had Toney in some exotic parlay bet. I'm not pointing any fingers... So, with this very expected outcome, will it be one and done for Toney in MMA as he walks back to the ring with his tail between his legs? What's next for Couture? A return to the light heavyweight division in an attempt to reclaim the title one last time? Let's hear some thoughts on this battle of fight sports and the future you envision for these combatants.

UFC 118 sick snapshot of the night Posted: 28 Aug 2010 08:24 PM PDT Tracy Lee from Yahoo Sports captured the grotesquely swollen eye of Marcus Davis after his submission loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 118. Click here for complete results and live play by play.

Shaquille O'Neal becomes center of attention at UFC Fan Expo Posted: 28 Aug 2010 12:45 PM PDT Props: UFC.com Quoteworthy: "Shaq has been a huge supporter of the UFC and we’re pumped that he’ll be making his first public appearance at the UFC Fan Expo. With Shaq becoming a Celtic and this being our first-ever event in Boston, the timing is perfect." - UFC President Dana White Shaquille O'Neal was the first mainstream athlete to really embrace the UFC, making appearances at several events and bringing the growing company much needed media attention when media attention was hard to come by. Now a Boston Celtic, O'Neal made his Boston social debut at the raucous UFC Fan Expo today. The 7'1" center joked with Tito Ortiz, challenged Korean giant Hong Man Choi, and even grappled a bit with a small child. Of course, everyone's a critic, and the Diesel had to weigh in on the referee crisis in MMA: "Listen, I love Herb Dean but I'll be watching on TV and I'll be like 'Herb, why do you stop the fight so soon all the time?' Five more punches to the head please." Video from ESPN Boston after the jump. What do you think? Will Shaq join Herschel Walker and Jose Canseco and make the leap to the cage? Or will the closest he ever comes to the Octagon be his $5,000 seats on the floor?

UFC Quick Quote: Gabe Ruediger had something special for Joe Lauzon at UFC 118 weigh-ins Posted: 28 Aug 2010 08:58 AM PDT "Since I'm in his hometown and I feel very bad about what I'm going to do... For weigh ins I brought him a little something. I hope he appreciates it." Gabe Ruediger makes it clear to Heavy.com that he's willing to have a little fun with the lowest moment of his career.  Ruediger is the sport's most prominent cake eating fighter, famously being clowned on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 5 for eating an ice cream cake while struggling to make weight. When big Gabe couldn't make the cut, Dana White did, sending him packing from the house and from the UFC. Three and a half years later, Ruediger is finally getting a second chance against reality show teammate Joe Lauzon. Does Ruediger have what it takes to beat Lauzon? Or is this a one and done UFC appearance by a reality show washout?

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• UFC 118 results, updates and live play-by-play TONIGHT (Aug. 28) for 'Edgar vs Penn 2'
• UFC 118 post-fight press conference video airs LIVE on MMAmania.com following 'Edgar vs Penn 2'
• UFC 118 weigh in photos gallery for 'Edgar vs Penn 2 '
• Homecoming King: MMAmania.com UFC 118 interview exclusive with Kenny Florian
• UFC 118 predictions, preview and analysis
• Who punches harder, James Toney or Randy Couture?
• BJ Penn: 'I'm pretty damn motivated right now'
• MMA Quick Quote: Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva blasts Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko
• ESPN's MMA Live previews UFC 118 (Video)
• UFC Quick Quote: Ben Henderson has BJ Penn 'by homicide'
• James Toney in no mood for questions after UFC 118 pre-fight press conference (Video)

UFC 118 results, updates and live play-by-play TONIGHT (Aug. 28) for 'Edgar vs Penn 2' Posted: 28 Aug 2010 03:00 AM PDT Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 118: "Edgar vs. Penn 2." Quick results of the preliminary fights will begin to flow around 8 p.m. tonight (Aug., 28, 2010) and round-by-round coverage of the main card pay-per-view (PPV) action is set to start at 10 p.m. ET! Our coverage of the Spike TV "Prelims" special will begin at 9 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 UFC 118 results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off. Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

UFC 118 post-fight press conference video airs LIVE on MMAmania.com following 'Edgar vs Penn 2' Posted: 28 Aug 2010 02:45 AM PDT UFC 118: "Edgar vs. Penn 2" from the TD Garden in Boston, Mass., is set to go off tonight (Sat., Aug. 28) live on pay-per-view (PPV) beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Immediately following the event, promotion president Dana White and a handful of participating fighters will be on hand for the UFC 118 post-fight press conference, which is now embedded below (after the jump) for an approximate 1:30 a.m. ET start time. A replay will also be available below for those who turn in early or miss the live broadcast altogether. Be sure to tune in for post-fight reactions from all the major players as well as up-to-the-minute results of all the post-fight bonuses including "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." Check it out below. Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com For UFC 118 live results and play-by-play click here.

UFC 118 weigh in photos gallery for 'Edgar vs Penn 2 ' Posted: 27 Aug 2010 07:28 PM PDT Props: Heavy.com (Click the link to check out the complete gallery) To check out the official UFC 118: "Edgar vs Penn 2" weigh in results click here.

Homecoming King: MMAmania.com UFC 118 interview exclusive with Kenny Florian Posted: 27 Aug 2010 12:18 PM PDT Home field advantage doesn't quite yield the same benefits in mixed martial arts as it does in say, football. But it certainly doesn't hurt. When perennial top UFC lightweight contender Kenny Florian graces the Octagon on Saturday night in front of his hometown fans, a distinct feeling of comfort and confidence will come over him. Will pressure come with it? Maybe. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. With another shot at 155-pound gold on the line at UFC 118 against Gray Maynard, Florian is well aware that he can't take receiving title shots for granted. Should he win, Kenny will most likely fight for the UFC lightweight championship for a third time. He can't let this opportunity pass him by.  And he doesn't plan to. MMAmania.com talked to Kenny a couple months ago where we discussed his fight with Gray Maynard and UFC 118 as a whole more in-depth. You can read that interview here. This time, KenFlo talked to MMAmania.com about the benefits of fighting in his hometown, what it's like working with Firas Zahabi and Georges St. Pierre, the evolution of MMA training and more. Have a read: James Kimball (MMAmania.com): When we talked a couple months ago you said you thought the fact that you are fighting in your hometown of Boston would be a benefit. Is that still the case with just a week before the fight? How are the ticket requests coming? Kenny Florian: It's really not that bad, you know. Thankfully with each fight I get more experience and dealing with everything outside of the actual fight becomes more and more easier. It's great too because I'll be near home where I can eat what I'm used to, I'm comfortable with all my surroundings and I get to stay at my own home. It's a lot better than being cooped-up in some hotel room. For the purpose of cutting weight and things like that, it's certainly a benefit. And obviously I'm very comfortable with this city. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): UFC UK boss Marshall Zelaznik recently told ESPN that if BJ wins decisively against Frankie and you beat Gray, he thinks BJ would probably move up to welterweight because of how your first fight went. Does that comment bother you at all? Kenny Florian: I don't know if that's true or not. I'm not sure how close Marshall is to BJ and how privy he is to his career decisions. It's irrelevant to me though. I'm here to fight the best. If BJ is around, than that's great. But a lot of things need to happen for that scenario to even play out. He needs to beat Frankie Edgar, I need to beat Gray Maynard. I don't really like talking about hypotheticals. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Were you surprised by the Takanori Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin fight and how it played out? Do you think Gomi was better than when he fought you or is your stand up just that much better than Griffin's? Kenny Florian: I don't think I'm that much better than Griffin or Gomi. I just think style wise Griffin didn't match up with Gomi that well. Griffin is a guy who likes to get in your face and be toe-to-toe and he's doesn't use as much movement. Both guys like to stand in front of each other. Against Gomi, I had the advantage of being the bigger guy with a longer reach. I was able to establish my jab and Gomi just couldn't get a rhythm, he had to be very careful with the takedowns too. I was able to thwart his offensive game as well. I think that was the difference. Styles make fights and it just happened to be my night. Griffin just picked the wrong type of approach against a guy like Gomi. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): I want to ask you again about training with Firas Zahabi and the Tri-Star team with Georges St. Pierre. Training with that camp I would think has improved your wrestling tremendously. Is that the one thing you would say that has evolved in your game the most since the switch? Kenny Florian: I would actually say more than anything else Firas really changed my whole striking style. He was very much in accordance with Peter Welch in the fact hat I needed to be doing more boxing. He broke me down physically to what I need to do to not beat most of the guys, but all of the guys in the lightweight division. We spoke about it after the BJ fight. This guy is just on a completely different level than anyone I've ever worked with when it comes to striking. That's why I made the decision to work with him. But my wrestling has improved 100% too because of the wrestling partners I have. Obviously training with Georges St. Pierre and having access to the Montreal Wrestling Club with the world-class guys they have there is huge. Just being able to drill with them has completely overhauled my wrestling game. The move has really changed my game, there's no doubt about it. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): In a recent issue of Fight Magazine you talked about how MMA is a century behind boxing in terms of training. Elaborate on that for me if you would. Do you think guys like Firas Zahabi are the future? Kenny Florian: Yeah, I definitely think so. There are some things that boxers do really well. My comment on that really had to do more with the technical aspect of boxing. It's very standardized. The technique has been refined and streamlined. A lot of people in mixed martial arts have different approaches, which is good. But I'd say 80% of them are wrong. I think that's where we are still new compared to boxing. But when it comes to training, I think boxing is very old school. They do a lot of silly things like running and rope work. Those are things that have been done for years and have been done by all the champions before today's current crop. There are very few guys who do high-level training. Many Pacqiuao I would say is one of them. Doing real functional conditioning, you know? Stuff that will actually help them in a fight. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Does watching what happened at UFC 117 between a striker like Anderson Silva and a wrestler like Chael Sonnen, though they are extremes in their skill set, affect your approach to fighting a dominant wrestler like Gray Maynard? Kenny Florian: Yeah, for sure. Chael is a phenomenal wrestler, as is Gray. Anderson certainly doesn't have the experience in wrestling like Chael, as I don't compared with Gray. But I think I have a lot of rest training partners that have helped me improve in that. I've been working on my wrestling and drilling very hard now for a couple years. I know I have the best sparring partner in the world to prepare for Gray, Georges St. Pierre. There's no way Gray is gong to be stronger than GSP. There's no way he's gonna be a better wrestler than Georges. He's not gonna be faster. He's not gonna be bigger. Those are all things I know I'm prepared for. Training with Georges has given me a lot of confidence going into this fight. Hopefully I can show my wrestling has improved tremendously. I'm honestly going out there with the expectation to out-wrestle Gray. I don't know if that's gonna happen, but my goal is to out-wrestle him. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Talk about training with GSP a bit. What's it like working with someone who just seems to be in a different stratosphere when it comes to preparing for a fight. How far along in his career do you think he is? Still room for improvement? Kenny Florian: There's definitely still room for improvement with Georges. He's still getting better. As good as his wrestling is now, it's getting better. His jiu-jitsu is getting better. His striking is getting better. He's always working on developing new things. They work on new things for ach fight. He definitely hasn't reached his peak yet, which is scary. The kid works so hard. He's one of the hardest working fighters in the game, if not the hardest working. Training with Georges is inspiring. It brings out the best in me. Even if I'm not going with him but I know he's on the mat, I feel like I have to step it up. It's a weird energy when he's in there. We push each other a lot. He's helped me tremendously. Both physically and mentally. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Alright, with out giving too much away, how do you see the fight playing out? Do you think he'll stand and trade with you or shoot for the takedown the first time he has a chance? How does this one end? Kenny Florian: I'm not sure really. It depends on what he wants to do. I think Gray knows this is a huge fight for him. The title shot is maybe closer to him than me. That's probably what he's feeling. I think he'll do whatever he can to get the win. He'll try to stand with me in the beginning, keep it close on the feet, and make sure its not a bow out, then look for takedown late in the round to steal the round. I think that's the approach he'll take. Gray's not he most exciting fighter, that's not a knock on him. He's undefeated. But I think we'll see a boring game plan from him. That's what he needs to do if he wants to get the win. Be boring and play his typical game that's made him successful. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Thanks again for your time Kenny. Any sponsors or websites you'd like to plug? Kenny Florian: Thanks man. I want to thank TapouT. Check out kennyflorian.com. Fans can check me out on Twitter @Kenny_Florian. And of course thanks to Florian Martial Arts Center, Firas Zahabi, Peter Welch, Jonathan Chaimberg and the Montreal Wrestling Club.

UFC 118 predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 27 Aug 2010 10:08 AM PDT The Ultimate Fighting Championship's first ever event in the state of Massachusetts is set for this Saturday night (August 28) at the TD Garden in Boston. UFC 118: "Edgar vs. Penn 2" will air live on pay-per-view beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Newly crowned 155-pound champion Frankie Edgar will defend his title for the first time in the featured fight of the night against BJ Penn, the man he claimed the belt from less than five months ago at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. Heavyweight boxing champion James "Lights Out" Toney will make his mixed martial arts debut in the co-headliner opposite UFC Hall of Famer Randy "The Natural" Couture. Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard will also battle it out in a lightweight number one contender eliminator bout. As usual, MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of event beginning with the pay-per-view telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night. To help get you better prepared for the festivities I've provided some analysis and predictions for the main card below. Check it out: Frankie "The Answer" Edgar vs. BJ "The Prodigy" Penn Despite the loss at UFC 112, I still believe BJ Penn is the top 155-pound mixed martial artist in the world, and when he's motivated and focused, he's very close to unbeatable. I didn't see that from him in Abu Dhabi. I didn't see a motivated and hungry champion. I believe he overlooked Frankie, and it cost him a close decision. With his motivation and focus back, I think Edgar is in trouble. BJ's attitude coming into this fight reminds me of when he fought Jens Pulver the second time. The title, redemption, his legacy: none of those things seem to matter all that much to him right now. He seems focused on one thing, Frankie Edgar. BJ has to find an answer for Frankie's stick and move routine. He's going to have to find ways to cut the cage off. He's going to have to be much more crisp with his counter striking, and he's going to have to counter with some two and three punch combos instead of just trying to land one big punch at the end of an exchange. Edgar's speed, footwork and boxing skills make those things very difficult to accomplish, but BJ definitely has the tools and the talent to win this fight in a stand up battle. However, if he's having similar troubles getting off with his punches in this fight like he did at UFC 112, then he's going to have to humble up and find ways to involve his jiu-jitsu. The good news for him is, if he can get the fight to the ground, he is far and away the better fighter in that area. Edgar has solid wrestling, but on the mat BJ doesn't have many equals in the 155-pound division. His flexibility and grappling skills make him one of the top ground technicians in the sport. I think that's where BJ separates himself in this match up, and I think that's where he has the best chance to win this fight. However, I still think he's absolutely capable of winning a stand and trade battle with Edgar, and if he's having success in the exchanges, he might not have a reason to take the fight to the ground. The important thing for BJ is to recognize that he has the skills and the size to dictate where this fight goes. He can't just stand back and allow Frankie to do whatever he wants like he did at UFC 112. BJ has to push the pace more, get up in Frankie's face and bully him a little bit like Gray Maynard did. He's capable of taking away Frankie's speed with that type of attack. If he has to use a lot of clinching and grappling, then that's what he should do. The point is, BJ has the tools to win this fight in any area. I see no reason to believe that a hungry and motivated BJ Penn won't leave that Octagon with the belt back around his waist on Saturday night. Final prediction: BJ Penn via decision Randy "The Natural" Couture vs. James "Lights Out" Toney This fight doesn't need much analysis. Most MMA fans are confident that we have the right guy representing our sport in the first big time clash of MMA vs. boxing, and the outcome seems like a foregone conclusion. Couture is going to represent the sport the same way he always has, like a respected champion. The main theme here is going to be: Can Toney stay on his feet long enough to score a knockout? And my answer to that question is an easy one. No. Randy Couture is a hall of fame mixed martial artist who has made a living out of out-wrestling fellow world class mixed martial artists. He's been training wrestling and MMA at a world class level for most of his life. He could come into this fight drunk, blind and injured and he'd still be able to take Toney down. It's second nature to him. James Toney is going to get taken off his feet, and then he's going to get submitted. The end. Final prediction: Randy Couture via submission Kenny "Ken-Flo" Florian vs. Gray "The Bully" Maynard Kenny Florian is going to surprise Gray Maynard with his ability to defend his takedowns and deal with his strength. Training with GSP on a regular basis will certainly help you improve in those areas, and it's going to show in this fight. I don't think you can completely eliminate takedowns from the equation with Gray Maynard, but Florian specializes in taking away his opponents biggest strength. He'll be well prepared to keep Gray at a distance in this fight. Take those two things away from him and Maynard is forced to trade strikes with Florian. While Gray's hand speed and boxing have become very dangerous weapons for him, I don't like his chances at all in a kickboxing match with Kenny. I don't know how aggressive Kenny will be with his kicks, but he's going to have to use them at some point if he's going to win the striking battle. The key will be to stick and move when he uses his kicks so Maynard can't catch one and use it against him. I see this fight going the entire fifteen minutes, and I think Florian's takedown defense and striking from the outside will be enough to claim the decision and another shot at BJ Penn. Final prediction: Kenny Florian via decision Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda Maia made his name in the UFC by submitting his first five opponents, including top contender Chael Sonnen at UFC 95. But in three starts since then, albeit to some stiff competition, he hasn't been anywhere near as successful finishing fights with his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu attack. However, this is going to be the fight where he gets back to doing what he does best. Miranda has shown that he has the talent to belong in the UFC. He has good length and excellent athleticism. His striking is solid and he's a Brazilian, so jiu-jitsu is in his blood. He's a well rounded, dangerous fighter. But he's out-classed on the ground in this fight. Maia has improved his striking since joining the UFC, but he's not going to trade blows with Miranda. This is a fight that he's going to want to get in and get out. He wants to work his way back up the ladder, and finishing fights quickly is the best way to do that. Plus, he's just giving up too much length and speed to his fellow countryman on the feet. Look for Maia to get this fight the ground A.S.A.P. and work for submissions from there. Final prediction: Demian Maia via submission Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis Marcus Davis says he has better boxing than Nate Diaz, and I believe him. But, I can't help but think back to the way Mike Swick was able to use his reach advantage to out-strike and out-grapple him back at UFC 85, not to mention the Ben Saunders beatdown at UFC 106. And I can't help but think that Diaz can potentially have similar success on his feet and on the ground in this fight. Diaz's boxing has steadily improved since graduating from TUF, and like his brother, he uses his length well. Against a shorter guy like Davis, that is a big weapon to have in your arsenal. Diaz should use more kicks in this fight as well to keep Davis at a strikeable distance. I can definitely see Davis having some trouble getting inside on him without getting beat to the punch or tied up. When they do get tied up in clinch situations, Davis' strength should provide him an advantage, and he should be able to take Nate down from there if he wants to. But it's not like he has the ability to take him down and grind out a decision. If Davis does get Diaz to his back he's liable to get submitted if he stays there for too long. However, I think he's over confident in his strength advantage with Diaz coming up from 155, and I think he may have a false sense of security on the ground because of that, especially from the top position. If Diaz starts bothering him on his feet with his reach and Davis elects to go for takedowns, I think it's a definite possibility that Diaz pulls off some type of submission. If not, I like Diaz by decision. Length has always been a problem for Davis. Final prediction: Nate Diaz via decision That's a wrap. Sound off with your predictions in the comments section below.

Who punches harder, James Toney or Randy Couture? Posted: 27 Aug 2010 08:52 AM PDT ESPN's Sports Science breaks it down:

BJ Penn: 'I'm pretty damn motivated right now' Posted: 27 Aug 2010 08:16 AM PDT   Props: Heavy.com Quoteworthy: "A motivated BJ Penn is somebody not to mess with, and you know what? I'm pretty motivated, I'm pretty damn motivated right now... Everybody wants to talk about how hard they train going into their fight, and I just want to tell you how hard I rested going into this fight." Heading into UFC 118 one of the big questions, as with any other BJ Penn fight, is how motivated will BJ Penn be? There was talk after the first Edgar fight of just how little respect BJ gave his opponent and how he may have taken Frankie Edgar too lightly. Penn talked not about how hard he trained, but instead how hard he rested. Is BJ Penn really taking this fight as seriously as he should be, or will the joke be on BJ on Saturday night?

MMA Quick Quote: Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva blasts Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko Posted: 27 Aug 2010 07:45 AM PDT "I come from Paraiba, in Brazil, where we don't back down from things! I'll fight whoever they put in front of me; you will never see me picking and choosing opponents. It's sad when the heavyweight champion starts whining that he will only fight this guy or that. What kind of a professional is this guy? He is the champ, isn't he? Why be afraid to fight me? And Fedor, one of the biggest legends in the sport. Is this how he got to be a legend, by declining fights? I never disrespect any opponent, no matter what his record is or what the public thinks about him. To me, he merits respect just for stepping up there and facing off, but these guys are disappointing me. They are demonstrating that they are not deserving of my respect. We are fighters, supposed to be some of the best in the world, and our job is to get up there, perform, and put on a good fight for the fans. I am ready to do this, just tell me who is next and I will be there. I am not a woman who wants to be involved in soap operas, looking forward to the next episode. I think that Strikeforce needs to put an end to this. Give me whoever and I will fight him, and, win or lose, people will know I came to fight that day and put my heart into it. To me, this is the only way."  Yikes. I guess Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko can't have all the fun. While "The Reem" and "The Last Emperor" share their back-and-forth on when, or if, they will ever fight, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva is making sure they're not forgetting about him. In a statement released through MMA Profit Advisor, Silva's financial advising group, the Brazilian heavyweight put the big boys on blast. Does Antonio have a point here? Is he unjustly being left behind when it comes to Strikeforce's heavyweight matchmaking? Or, should "Bigfoot" step aside and let Overeem and Fedor take center stage? What do you make of this not-so-subtle assertion?

ESPN's MMA Live previews UFC 118 (Video) Posted: 27 Aug 2010 07:42 AM PDT

UFC Quick Quote: Ben Henderson has BJ Penn 'by homicide' Posted: 27 Aug 2010 07:18 AM PDT "B.J. by homicide. I think that it's going to be the B.J. we're used to seeing. No offense to Frankie. I've never met him personally, but I'm sure he's a great guy and great fighter, but BJ is going to be coming with a vengeance and win by homicide...Frankie's a tough, tough guy and a great fighter. It won't end in the first or second round. If anything, it will be in the third or fourth round after wearing him down, taking his back and choking him out—typical B.J. Penn." WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson has a professional interest in tomorrow night's fight between UFC champion Frankie Edgar and his legendary challenger BJ Penn. Henderson has crept into the lightweight top 10 in the WEC and is clearly itching to move on to the major league of MMA. Henderson told the Bleacher Report's Josh Nason he doesn't just want to be the best in the WEC. He wants to be the best-period. Henderson's not the only one picking Penn. Oddsmakers peg the Hawaiian as the clear favorite. Who do you have in this title fight?

James Toney in no mood for questions after UFC 118 pre-fight press conference (Video) Posted: 27 Aug 2010 06:12 AM PDT

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