Saturday, October 9, 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


Strikeforce results, updates and live play-by-play TONIGHT (Oct. 9) for 'Diaz vs Noons 2'

Posted: 09 Oct 2010 04:52 AM PDT

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Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons 2."

Quick results of the preliminary fights will begin to flow around 8 p.m. ET and round-by-round coverage of the main card action on Showtime will get started at 10 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 Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons 2" results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

Strikeforce weigh in photos gallery for 'Diaz vs Noons 2'

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 07:09 PM PDT

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Props: CombatLifestyle.com (Click the link to check out the complete gallery)

For complete Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons 2" weigh in results click here. To watch video highlights of the festivities click here.

Strikeforce weigh in results LIVE from San Jose for 'Diaz vs Noons II'

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 02:51 PM PDT

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The official weigh-in event for Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons II" went down earlier tonight (Oct. 8) from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz came in below the 170-pound mark for the headlining championship bout, as did opponent and bitter rival K.J. Noons.

Former women's 145-pound number one contender Marloes Coenen had no trouble shedding the extra weight in order to come in under the limit for her 135-pound title fight against Sarah Kaufman, who also tipped the scales without incident.

In addition, the lightweight showdown between Gesias Cavalcante and Josh Thomson is officially green-lit after both competitors left the stage within regulation.

Complete Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons II" weigh in results after the jump:

Main event:

155 lbs.: Nick Diaz (169.5) vs. K.J. Noons (169)

Main card (Televised):

135 lbs.: Sarah Kaufman (134.25) vs. Marloes Coenen (134)
155 lbs.: Gesias Cavalcante (155.75) vs. Josh Thomson (155.25)
170 lbs.: Andre Galvao (170.5) vs. Tyron Woodley (170.5)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

170 lbs.: David Marshall (169.5) vs. James Terry (170)
185 lbs.: Ron Keslar (180) vs. Josh McDonald (179)
155 lbs.: Jess Bouscal (154.25) vs. Luis Mendoza (155)

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons II," beginning with the Showtime 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.

It’s going to be a fun night of fights so don’t miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight Strikeforce coverage you can handle.

Hell hath no fury... UFC Octagon Girl and now Playboy Centerfold Arianny Celeste is on the warpath...

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 01:05 PM PDT

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Hell hath no fury...

UFC Octagon Girl and now Playboy Centerfold Arianny Celeste is on the warpath after her upcoming pictorial was leaked Online.

To those scoundrels who caught a sneak peek, will you still buy the upcoming issue?

Strikeforce: Josh Thomson vs 'JZ' Cavalcante video fight talk

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 12:40 PM PDT

Bellator 32 fight card official for Oct. 14 in Kansas City

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 12:37 PM PDT

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CHICAGO, Ill. (October 8, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the Local Feature Fights for Bellator 32 taking place at the Kansas City Power & Light District in Kansas City, MO on October 14th.

Headlining the local main event will be Missouri native and Season 2 veteran Eric "The Machine" Marriott (18-5) taking on the always dangerous and hard-hitting Ryan Roberts (13-8). The two featherweights meet for the second time in as many fights, with Roberts recording an impressive decision victory over Marriott in July. "The Machine" is ready for a shot a redemption, and fans should be in for an explosive fight.

Kansas City native and fan favorite Rudy "Bad News" Bears (11-6) battles fellow Bellator veteran Demi Deeds (15-8) in the night's local co-main event. Bears is no stranger to the Power & Light District, as "Bad News" makes his fourth appearance at the venue with Bellator. Bears is a true veteran of the Midwestern mixed martial arts circuit with 15 of his 17 professional fights taking place in either Oklahoma, Missouri, or Kansas.

The action continues with another Missouri native stepping into the cage with Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament vet Danny Tims (9-3) fighting the undefeated Jared Downing (4-0) in bantamweight action. In his last fight, Tims fell to Bellator Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament Semifinalist Jose Vega by unanimous decision, while Downing returns to Bellator for the first time since Bellator 22 where he finished Chad Vandenberg with a third round rear naked choke.

Kansas City knockout artist Brian Davidson (5-3) takes on Topeka's Shane Hutchinson (4-6) in a battle of Missouri based featherweights as local action continues.

Rounding out the local action will be the Odessa's undefeated Owen Evinger (5-0) squaring off against MMA newcomer Nick Spohn (1-0).

Bellator 32's main card includes:

* Bellator will crown its first Heavyweight Champion when 2-time NCAA Division I Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Cole "The Polar Bear" Konrad (6-0) squares off against powerful striker Neil "Goliath" Grove (10-2-1) in a highly anticipated Championship match.
* The Bantamweight crown will also be handed out in Kansas City when Ed "Wild" West (15-4) takes on Zach "Fun Size" Makovsky (11-2) in a 135 lb battle. "Wild" West enters the fight on an impressive seven-fight win streak, while Makovsky is riding his own streak of five consecutive victories.
* Ryan "The Tank Engine" Thomas (11-5) returns to the Bellator cage when he meets dynamic ground specialist "Judo" Jim Wallhead (19-5) in a Welterweight Special Feature Fight.
* Rounding out the main card will be the undefeated Michael Chandler (4-0) returning to action for the second time this month when he faces off against up-and-coming fighter Chris Page (1-2) in a catchweight matchup.

Tickets for the event - which will also be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net along with action-packed highlight shows that will air on NBC Saturday nights - are on sale now at ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

Strikeforce preview and quick picks for 'Diaz vs Noons II' on Oct. 9 in San Jose

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 09:55 AM PDT

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Strikeforce is all set to return home to the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California this Saturday night (Oct. 9) with the highly anticpated "Diaz vs. Noons II" event.

The four-fight main card will air live on Showtime beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons II," beginning with the Showtime 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.

In a rematch of bitter rivals, welterweight champion Nick Diaz will look to avenge the last loss of his career when he steps into the cage opposite hard-hitting challenger K.J. Noons. Female welterweight champion Sarah Kaufman will also defend her title in the co-main event against Dutch submissions specialist Marloes Coenen.

Former lightweight champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson, American Top Team standout "JZ" Cavalcante and other Strikeforce stars are also booked for the card.

To help get you better prepared for the festivities I've given some quick analysis and predictions for the four main card fights set to his the Showtime airwaves on Saturday night. Check it out below.


170 lbs.: Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons

I think the fact that this is a five round fight is sort of irrelevant. I don't see this thing making it into the championship rounds. Noons doesn't have the gas tank to last that long with Diaz.

There's also no denying that Diaz's hands have improved since their first fight, and I believe his frustrating boxing style can be effective up against Noons' power punching.

But it would be naive to think that Noons doesn't have the ability to knock Diaz out in this fight. It's hard to imagine Diaz being stopped with punches, but the same was also said about Gurgel and we all know how that one ended. Besides, Noons has already stopped Diaz once. I have no doubts that he can do it again.

But I don't think he will.

He's going to try and take Diaz's head off with counter punches, but the thing that makes Diaz's sytle so effective is that his hands and feet are constantly coming forward, but he keeps his head back and out of harm's way. Every time KJ whiffs on one of those big punches, he's going to eat two or three more straights or hooks from Diaz.

I also question KJ's cardio. And when he gets tired that's when he really just starts winging bombs. That's only going to open things up even more for the Cesar Gracie pupil.

I really like Diaz in this fight. I believe him when he says the motivation wasn't there for their first fight, but there's no question that he'll be up for the rematch. And a motivated Nick Diaz is a scary thing, especially for a guy fighting as a welterweight for the first time in his career.

A fresh KJ Noons is nearly impossible to take down, and it's going to take some wearing down before Diaz really starts to separate himself in this fight. But sometime in the second or third round, Noons will be breathing heavy and a fresh Diaz will still be right there in his face. That's when Nick will hurt him and then finish him off with some type of choke.

Final prediction: Diaz via submission


135 lbs.: Sarah Kaufman vs. Marloes Coenen

I'm a Sarah Kaufman fan. She improves with every fight, and her brawling style is fun to watch. But I think Coenen is going to take her belt in this fight.

We know Coenen can take a good amount of punishment from the "Cyborg" fight, and we know she's coming down in weight and will have a size and length advantage. We also know that her ground game is top notch, and if she can get the champ to the mat, she'll be the better fighter.

The thing that has carried Kaufman is her takedown defense. Nobody has really been able to take her down and keep her there. She deserves a lot of credit for that because she's clearly been working on it and improving, but eventually her ground game is going to get tested. It's the nature of the sport.

For her sake, it better not be this fight, because Coenen can and will submit her if she gets a chance to.

Coenen is an aggressive fighter in all areas, though, and her reach advantage on the feet could be an issue for the champ, too. Kaufman is super-dangerous on her feet, but if she has trouble getting inside on the longer challenger, then this could turn into a very frustrating fight for her.

I like Coenen to out-work Kaufman for a decision victory, but I also think it's very possible she finishes this fight with some type of submission. Either way, I'm going with the upset here.

Final prediction: Marloes Coenen via decision

155 lbs.: Gesias Cavalcante vs. Josh Thomson

"JZ" hasn't been all that active over the last couple of years, and he looked somewhat rusty in his return fight against Kikuno at DREAM 15. He overcame a slow start to pull out a close decision in that fight, though, and maybe a test like that is exactly what he needed to get back into the swing of things.

Thomson didn't look great in his last fight, either. An early rib injury slowed him down against Pat Healy at "Fedor vs. Werdum," but he battled back and scored an impressive late submission win.

Both guys are very well rounded, and they usually come to fight and go hard for fifteen minutes. It's going to be interesting to see what kind of strategy each guy tries to use. They are pretty much evenly matched.

I do think "JZ" is the more talented all around fighter, though, and I think he wins this match-up six or seven times out of ten. He's better on the ground and he's just as good on his feet, with more power.

I can see a scenario in which Thomson comes with his kickboxing A-game and out-strikes "JZ" with his speed and length, but that's only if "JZ" comes out sluggish and rusty and lets that happen.

If both guys are at the top of their game, then this is going to be a great fight. For me, it's about which "JZ" shows up. If we get the K-1 "JZ" then it's on like donkey kong, but if we get the DREAM "JZ" then he might end up on the wrong end of another close decision.

Here's to hoping it's the former.

Final prediction: Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante via decision

170 lbs.: Tyron Woodley vs. Andre Galvao

In a match-up like this with a strong wrestler and a strong jiu jitsu guy, I usually like to lean towards the wrestler, especially when it's one who is as freakishly athletic and explosive as Tyron Woodley. That's not to say Galvao is some slouch of an athlete. He's a stud himself, but I've just been super impressed with Woodley since joining Strikeforce.

However, "T-Wood" wasn't his usual impressive self in his last fight on the Challengers 8 card, and he barely escaped with a split decision win over Nathan Coy.

Before that fight he had only been taken out of the first round once in his career, and he had never gone the distance. His cardio was exposed a little bit, as he clearly tired late in that fight, and he also had some trouble defending knees in the clinch, which is a strength of Galvao's.

The good news for him is that he still had success with takedowns and he looked fantastic on the ground as usual. And what he loses on the ground to Galvao in technique, he should more than makes up for in strength and explosiveness. He's not going to submit Galvao, but I think he can certainly be effective with the judges from the top position without getting tapped out himself.

I'm sure he'll try to keep the fight standing for as long as he can, though. I think he's better on his feet than the Brazilian, and he definitely has more power in his hands. If he's having success there, this fight may never even get to the mat.

Either way, I like Woodley to out-work Galvao for a decision victory.

Final prediction: Tyron Woodley via decision

That's a wrap. Sound off with your predictions in the comments section below.

UFC 120: Carlos Condit expects 'a great stand-up war' against Dan Hardy (Video)

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 09:54 AM PDT

But will the "Natural Born Killer" get more than he bargained for from "The Outlaw?"

UFC 124: Matt Riddle meets TJ Waldburger on Dec 11 in Montreal

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 08:27 AM PDT

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Up-and-coming welterweight prospects Matt Riddle and Anthony Waldburger will meet inside the Octagon at the UFC 124 pay-per-view event slated for the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Dec 11.

MMA Fighting brought word of the pending match-up yesterday afternoon.

Riddle comes into this bout with back-to-back victories and a 5-1 record. Back on Aug. 1, the 24 year old welterweight stopped The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 9 cast member Damarques Johnson.

His only loss came at the hands of another TUF 9 cast member, Nick Osipczak, in Manchester, England.

Waldburger enters this contest with a record of 13-5. "TJ" made his debut inside the Octagon back on Sept. 15, defeating David Mitchell by unanimous decision.

The Texas born fighter had his ups and downs on the regional circuit, with notable bouts against Josh Neer, Pete Spratt and Ricardo Funch. Waldburger defeated Spratt by triangle choke back in September of 2007, but suffered a knockout in the rematch just over a month later.

UFC 124 takes place from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Dec 5. George St. Pierre defends his welterweight title against Josh Koscheck. Also on the card, submission specialist Dustin Hazelett looks to make a statement in his return to lightweight against Mark Bocek.

Keep it locked in to MMAmania.com for more updates to UFC 124 as they become available.

UFC 123 'Prelims' featuring Simpson vs. Munoz and Brown vs. MacDonald now official for Nov. 20 on Spike TV

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 08:20 AM PDT

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It's official.

Spike TV today confirmed its UFC 123 "Prelims" telecast will include bouts featuring Mark Munoz vs. Aaron Simpson (middleweight) and Rory MacDonald vs. Matt Brown (welterweight).

UFC 123: "Rampage vs. Machida" is set for Nov. 20, 2010, from the Palace of Auburn Hills in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan.

Munoz and Simpson -- two of the Octagon's most gifted mat technicians -- will both be out to rebound from tough losses in their most recent performances.

Munoz is coming off a hard-fought split-decision loss to Yushin Okami at last month's UFC on Versus 2 event in San Diego, while "A-Train" was stopped via technical knockout by the resurgent Chris Leben at the Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale back in June.

Also hitting the airwaves is bright young prospect, Rory MacDonald, looking to bounce back from the first loss of his professional career against Matt Brown.

MacDonald was seconds away from likely defeating Carlos Condit at UFC 112 before "The Natural Born Killer" stormed back to score a late third round technical knockout. Brown, meanwhile,  needs a win in a major way after losing back-to-back fights to Chris Lytle and Ricardo Almeida.

UFC 123 will be headlined by a light heavyweight match up of top contenders Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. And two guys you've probably never heard of, Matt Hughes and BJ "The Prodigy" Penn, will finally complete their welterweight trilogy.

To check out the latest UFC 123: "Rampage vs. Machida" fight card and rumors click here.

Strikeforce: 'Diaz vs Noons II' video preview, Jose Aldo, Josh Thomson and more on ESPN's 'MMA Live'

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 07:09 AM PDT

Parts 2-4 after the jump.

K.J. Noons and Nick Diaz face off at yesterday's Strikeforce pre-fight press conference in what can...

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 06:52 AM PDT

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K.J. Noons and Nick Diaz face off at yesterday's Strikeforce pre-fight press conference in what can only be described as a less-than-scintillating staredown.

Has Diaz, who's shown a clear disinterest in promoting his rematch with "King Karl," hurt the promotion from a marketing standpoint? Or is this simply evidence of intense focus for the most important fight of his career?

Nick Diaz and KJ Noons talk Strikeforce rematch on Oct. 9 (Video)

Posted: 08 Oct 2010 05:36 AM PDT

UFC 127: Kenny Florian vs Evan Dunham likely for Super Bowl weekend

Posted: 07 Oct 2010 11:19 PM PDT

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In what could be a fight of the year candidate, Kenny Florian expects to face Evan Dunham on an already stacked UFC 127 card, which is scheduled to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 5, 2011. 

"Kenflo" announced on ESPN's MMA Live that he has verbally agreed to face "3-D" on Super Saturday.

After losing his title bout with BJ Penn back in August of last year, Florian bounced back with two submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Clay Guida. Florian was in a race for UFC gold once again before being stopped in his tracks by Gray Maynard back in August, which earned "The Bully" a unanimous decision victory and a shot at Frankie Edgar's lightweight title.

He's got to climb back to the top of the ladder once again. And a win over the very talented and surging Dunham would go along way toward achieving that goal for a third and possible final time.

Going into his bout with Sean Sherk, Dunham had a perfect (11-0) record, defeating the likes of Efrain Escudero and Tyson Griffin. Dunham lost his fight to "The Muscle Shark" by a controversial split decision. While Sherk controlled the first round with his wrestling and effective ground and pound which opened up a gash, many believed Dunham had bounced back in rounds two and three to earn the nod from the judges sitting ringside.

Didn't happen. But even in defeat, Dunham's stock continues to rise as he has emerged as a hot up-and-comer who could one day make a championship run himself. That journey will begin in early 2011 if he can somehow get past the contender killer from Boston, Massachusetts.

UFC 127 will feature a main event that showcases Anderson Silva, who will defend his middleweight title against Vitor Belfort. Former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin is expected to co-headline the pay-per-view (PPV) event when he scraps with former middleweight title holder Rich Franklin.

Also, two top prospects will go to war as undefeated TUF season 8 winner Ryan Bader meets light heavyweight sensation Jon Jones.

For more news on UFC 127, stick with MMAmania.com.

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