Tuesday, August 31, 2010

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

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

UFC Quick Quote: Gray Maynard isn't finishing his opponents -- but neither is anyone else

Posted: 30 Aug 2010 11:15 PM PDT

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"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 ...

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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 ...

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Middleweights ...

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Light heavyweights ...

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Heavyweights ...

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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... 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

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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

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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

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"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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