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

---

• 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?

You are subscribed to email updates from MMA Mania To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610