Friday, October 15, 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 120 weigh in results LIVE today (Oct. 15) from London for 'Bisping vs. Akiyama'

Posted: 15 Oct 2010 03:58 AM PDT

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The official weigh-in event for UFC 120: "Bisping vs. Akiyama" is set to go down today (Oct. 15, 2010) from the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, England.

It is currently scheduled to air LIVE right here on MMAmania.com below, as well as several other online destinations via streaming video. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET). As usual, MMAmania.com will provide the latest coverage of the UFC 120 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.

UFC 120 will feature a hard-hitting middleweight battle between Michael "The Count" Bisping and Yoshihiro "Sexyama" Akiyama in the main event of the evening. Joining them will be Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy as he tries to fight his way back into 170-pound title contention against Carlos "Natural Born Killer" Condit in the co-featured fight of the night.

Check out the complete UFC 120 weigh in results after the jump:

185 lbs.: Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
170 lbs.: Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy
170 lbs.: John Hathaway vs. Mike Pyle
265 lbs.: Travis Browne vs. Cheick Kongo
170 lbs.: James Wilks vs. Claude Patrick
155 lbs.: Spencer Fisher vs. Kurt Warburton
205 lbs.: Fabio Maldonado vs. James McSweeney
205 lbs.: Cyrille Diabate vs. Alexander Gustafsson
205 lbs.: Steven Cantwell vs. Stanislav Nedkov
265 lbs.: Rob Broughton vs. Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 120, beginning with the tape-delayed Spike TV telecast at 8 p.m. ET on Oct. 16. 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 UFC 120 coverage you can handle!

Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com

Brock Lesnar predicts second round TKO win over Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 (Video)

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 08:21 PM PDT

Cheick Kongo: 50 percent of MMA fighters take steroids

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 08:20 PM PDT

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Props: Riddum.com

Quoteworthy:

"50 percent [of MMA fighters take steroids], if not more.... What can I say, other than we need to stay away from all of that. It's not easy to put things into perspective, especially if you believe that you have a disadvantage from the get go. For some athletes, it's hard to hold up physically and mentally- the pressure, the obligation to stay on top - everything pushes you to take steroids. For me, PEDs aren't the solution. Taking PEDs jeopardizes your health and it's cheating. I am a fighter; I owe my victories to my hard work, my training, the fact that I push myself beyond the limit, the sacrifices I make to a life almost entirely dedicated to sports. Nothing else. Stay away from the needles. You can succeed without them."

Shredded heavyweight fighter Cheick Kongo weighs in on steroids in mixed martial arts, striking a similar chord to other fighters who estimate that the performance-enhancing problem is much bigger behind the scenes than it appears publicly. Kongo, whose physique looks like it was chiseled out of Greek marble, has had to beat back unfounded steroid allegations throughout his career. It's all just a byproduct of hard work, and likely good genes, he says. But he takes the issues one step farther, saying that the drug problem is widespread. Is the Parisian, as well as the others (Ken Shamrock, Dennis Hallman, etc.) who have blown the whistle on rampant steroid use, revealing a sad truth or is he just painting recklessly with broad strokes? The number of fighters who have tested positive in recent months/years in relation to the large number of them who have come up clean would suggest he's way off base. But where there's smoke there is often fire -- are most fighters just one step ahead of the commissions that test them? Can it really be that many? Let's hear it, Maniacs.

UFC Quick Quote: Jake Shields feels he was always in line for a title shot

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 07:36 PM PDT

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"I love it. That's what I want, that title shot, so I love hearing stuff like that. For awhile, I've been feeling the hints that way from UFC. This is the first time I've heard them say it, but I've kind of felt that way regardless. I feel like as long I go out there and perform and look good doing it, I'll get a title shot. I remember before the Jon Fitch and (Thiago) Alves fight, he said something about them getting a fight, and everyone told me I wasn't getting a title shot, but for some reason I wasn't worried. I've always felt like I was going to be next in line for a title shot, for whatever reason."

-- Jake Shields tells USA Today that he wasn't surprised when UFC President Dana White revealed this week that the former Elite XC and Strikeforce champion would likely earn a title shot with a win in his Octagon debut against Martin Kampmann next weekend in California. White raised more than a few eyebrows with the announcement, especially those of Jon Fitch, who was promised a similar opportunity before his win over Thiago Alves a few months ago. Fitch feels that with his track record and long-term success with the promotion, that Shields should have to go through him to earn the right to challenge for a belt so soon into his tenure. Is a number one contender match between Fitch and Shields the way to go or is it all a moot point when the "Hitman" rains on Shields' parade at UFC 121?

Bellator signs former WEC lightweight champion 'Razor' Rob McCullough

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 06:10 PM PDT

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CHICAGO, Ill. (October 14, 2010) — Huntington Beach-based knockout artist "Razor" Rob McCullough has signed an exclusive contract with Bellator Fighting Championships and will compete in the upcoming Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament.

The former WEC Lightweight Champion enters the promotion riding a two-fight win streak and boasts a professional record of 19-6, with 10 of those wins coming via KO or TKO. The fan favorite, due to his consistently entertaining performances, holds impressive victories over Rich Crunkilton, Nam Pham, Marcus Hicks, and most recently, UFC veteran Corey Hill.

"Razor Rob is a dangerous lightweight with championship experience who has consistently displayed an ability to end fights throughout his career," said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "If you are a fan of the Lightweight division in MMA, you’ve got to be a fan of Razor’s. I’m looking forward to watching him compete in our Season 4 Lightweight Tournament."

There is no question that it was McCullough’s life outside of the cage that made him the fighter he is today. Leaving home at age 14, he spent a large part of his adolescence on the streets of Huntington Beach, bouncing from friend’s couches and getting involved with gangs.

"I grew up with a pretty crazy family life as a kid. I separated from my family at a fairly young age," said McCullough. "I ended up telling my Mom that I was going to the beach, and I packed my bags, knowing that I wasn't coming back. I ended up getting mixed up in a lot of gang stuff after I left home."

However, "Razor" eventually found security and guidance in a local kickboxing gym where he started training in 1995.

"I started thinking to myself, 'Dude, this is not the road I pictured my life going down.’ I was packing knives and fighting all the time, and I was just like, 'Man, this sucks.’ That's when I started training kickboxing. Shortly after that I hooked up with Tito Ortiz, who was fighting for the UFC in its early stages, and just totally dedicated myself to training," said McCullough."I absolutely feel like martial arts saved my life."

McCullough went 35-2 in his amateur kickboxing career, eventually transitioning to training MMA fulltime and going pro in 2001. McCullough rose quickly in the sport. By 2007 he amassed an eight fight win streak, eventually capturing the WEC Lightweight title.

However, after winning the belt the dangerous striker admittedly lost focus and motivation, going 2-3 in his next five fights.

"I never grew up with a silver spoon in my mouth, and then all of a sudden I started making some money after becoming successful in my fighting career," said McCullough. "I was going to clubs all the time…flying to Tokyo…hanging out at the Playboy Mansion and next thing I knew, I was completely and totally distracted from my career as a professional mixed martial artist."

A year and a half ago McCullough felt himself losing grip on his life again and decided it was time to make a change, he has been clean and sober since that time. Getting married and having a little boy all within the last year, McCullough has found himself with a new dedication and drive for the sport.

"Before I was fighting just because I loved to do it and I couldn't believe I was getting paid to do what I love, but now it's a lot more serious," said McCullough. "The guy that I'm fighting is trying to take food off my kid's table. It's entirely different now. I've found a new focus and a new motivation, so I'm ready to get in there and get buck wild in Bellator."

"I'm really glad to be part of a promotion as great as Bellator. I'm ready to get back to work, and finish fights. Getting in the cage and being able to mix it up with the best of the best is what I'm in this sport for. I've been doing this for 15 years for a reason, and it's to test myself against the best competition in the world. I'll be able to do that at Bellator," said McCullough.

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

Nostrasilva? 'Axe Murderer' lays down his predictions for UFC 120 & 121 (Video)

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 10:17 AM PDT

Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard II official for UFC 125 on Jan. 1 in Las Vegas

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 10:11 AM PDT

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One final hurdle remains for Frankie Edgar if he hopes to silence the last of the doubters.

The reigning UFC Lightweight Champion will get his long overdue rematch with Gray Maynard, as the two 155-pound standouts hook 'em up for a second time at UFC 125 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Jan. 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the promotion announced today.

And this time it's for the title.

"The Answer" shocked the world (again) when he defeated BJ Penn for a second time this year at UFC 118 in the promotion's Boston debut back in August. The Toms River native claimed "The Prodigy's" belt when they first met at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi last March.

Edgar holds but one loss on his stellar record, and it just so happens to be against his new challenger to the 155-pound throne, Gray Maynard.

"The Bully" earned his title shot on the same night Edgar dominated Penn in "Beantown," claiming a convincing unanimous decision win over Kenny Florian.

Maynard to this day remains undefeated at 10-0. With a unanimous decision victory over the current champ at UFC Fight Night 13 back in 2008, one has to imagine that confidence is something that Maynard won't be lacking come New Year's Day.

But will it be enough to overcome Edgar 2.0?

UFC 125, recently announced via the website's "Ultimate Insider," will feature a super-sized showdown between Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson as both heavyweights try to get back into the 265-pound title hunt.

Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann and Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera are also expected to be announced for the Jan. 1 pay-per-view in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates to this still-developing fight card.

Whoot! Whoot! All aboard the "Cain Train" as the promotion will hold a special UFC 121 rally...

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 09:33 AM PDT

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Whoot! Whoot!

All aboard the "Cain Train" as the promotion will hold a special UFC 121 rally featuring heavyweight number one contender Cain Velasquez on Oct. 17 in Los Angeles.

All the gory details can be found here.

Fight week video with Michael Bisping for UFC 120 (Episode two)

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 09:16 AM PDT

UFC Quick Quote: Is Dan Hardy at 'the top of the ladder' in his division?

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 09:12 AM PDT

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"Welcome to England Carlos. I'm gonna knock you out, stamp your passport, and send you back home. He's gonna step in there thinking he can fight me like he has fought everybody else, and I'll hit him one time and change his mind - if he's still awake. I could beat him any day of the week, whenever, wherever. I don't see anything in his game that concerns me. He's not gonna hurt me with his striking, if he even lands a punch. He's scrappy and he's wild. I could close my eyes and throw a punch in any direction and it would still hit him in the face. He needs to be sitting down with his coach and figuring what else he can do for a career. This is the top of the ladder, this is as far as he goes, send some job applications out for something else."

"The Outlaw" (via ESPN.co.uk) continues to crank up the anger, and trash talk, for his pivotal welterweight showdown with Carlos Condit at UFC 120, which will go down from the O2 Arena in London, England, this Saturday (Oct. 16) on Spike TV. Hardy plans on giving "The Natural Born Killer" his pink slip and a map to the unemployment office in front of a pro-Limey crowd, but is he posturing now and paying for it later? And if Dan Hardy is at "the top of the ladder," then where does that leave Fitch, Koscheck and even Shields? How about Alves? Rankings, please.

UFC 125: Shane Carwin vs Roy Nelson confirmed for Jan. 1 in Las Vegas

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 08:49 AM PDT

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So you wanna be a contender?

Super-sized heavyweight hopefuls Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson have been confirmed for a 265-pound throwdown at the upcoming UFC 125 event, currently scheduled for Jan. 1 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"The Engineer" confirmed the match-up earlier today via his official Twitter account.

Carwin held the division's Interim title when reigning champion Brock Lesnar had his intestines up in a bunch. Upon his return, the former WWE-star survived a first round blitzkrieg to come back and submit the Greg Jackson-disciple via arm-triangle choke at UFC 116 back in July.

It was Carwin's first loss in 12 appearances, and one that has made the power-punching collegiate wrestling champion hungrier than ever.

Speaking of hungry, Nelson was also on the fast-track to bigger and better opportunities within the division -- until he ran headfirst into a Brazilian roadblock named Junior dos Santos at UFC 117 last August.

"Cigano" took home the unanimous decision win and the right to challenge the winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 on Oct. 23.

The loss snapped "Big Country's" undefeated streak since graduating from the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), but you can bet your bottom dollar a win over Carwin would carry him right back to the top of the contender's list.

Can Nelson take a punch? Can Carwin last more than one round? Time will tell.

UFC 125, recently announced via the website's "Ultimate Insider," is expected to be headlined by lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, as he defends his title in a rematch against undefeated Gray Maynard.

Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann and Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera are also expected to be announced for the Jan. 1 pay-per-view in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates to this still-developing fight card.

UFC 120: Greg Jackson and Yoshihiro Akiyama communicate through the 'universal language' of fighting

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 07:45 AM PDT

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Props: Sherdog.com

Quoteworthy:

"Fighting is a non-verbal skill a lot of times. You can just demonstrate by showing. You don't have to exactly speak the language. It's kind of like mathematics - it's a universal language, so it wasn't that hard. You can waste yourself out because you're so amped, so staying calm is huge. It's very important, especially in between rounds, to remind your fighter to do that. You see everybody do it now. Everybody's like, ‘Calm down, breathe.' He had a hard time with [the altitude], but he showed a lot of heart. He got the hang of it at the end. He picks [things] up really quick. There's a reason he's got all the wins he's got, and it's because of his talent."

International fighting star Yoshihiro Akiyama calls on fight guru Greg Jackson to help him prepare for his UFC 120 main event against Michael Bisping on Oct. 16 in London. Despite his talent, "Sexyama" was criticized for his lack of cardio at UFC 116, which may have led to his undoing against Chris Leben in Las Vegas. Can the world's most famous MMA trainer get the Judoka back into the win column? Or is Akiyama going down for "The Count" at the O2 Arena on Saturday night?

Jake Shields and Greg Jackson talk 'Diaz vs Noons II' and UFC 121 (Video)

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 06:53 AM PDT

And who's the better wingman, Nick or Nate Diaz?

Gabriel Gonzaga: 'One punch can change everything'

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 06:40 AM PDT

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Props: MMA Die Hards

Quoteworthy:

"Brock Lesnar is at the top right now. He has the size and he's learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu really well. He has the strong wrestling and power, he's a really challenging guy but I believe we have a lot of guys in the division that have a good change against him. Cain Velasquez, Cheick Kongo, myself, a lot of fighters have the chance to be there too. [Brendan Schaub is] a big guy too and he has really good conditioning. This doesn't mean too much [inside the cage] because we're gonna trade punches and kicks (at UFC 121) and one punch can change everything."

Former UFC heavyweight number one contender Gabriel Gonzaga, whose ship has seemingly run aground after an electric start under the Zuffa banner, will try to get back into the title hunt when he collides with Brendan Schaub at UFC 121 on Oct. 23 in Anaheim. After a 4-0 start with the promotion, "Napao" was one fight away from holding the heavyweight strap, until Randy Couture finished him at UFC 74: "Respect" in late 2007. Since then, the Brazilian Yeti is an even 3-3 inside the Octagon, coming off a first round beatdown at the hands of Junior dos Santos at UFC on Versus 1 last March. It's make or break time against Schaub -- can he get it done?

Two-time female fighter of the year and women's boxing champion across six different weight classes...

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 06:16 AM PDT

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Two-time female fighter of the year and women's boxing champion across six different weight classes "Hottie" Holly Holm (26-1-3) is expected to make her mixed martial arts debut in 2011.

Props: MMA Fighting

Bellator 32 weigh in results from Kansas City

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 06:01 AM PDT

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Kansas City, MO. (October 13, 2010) - On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships' return to Kansas City, the fighters competing in tomorrow's event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this afternoon.

Bellator 32 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC, and mun2.

The official results of the weigh-in are as follows:

MAIN CARD:

Cole Konrad (264 lbs.) vs. Neil Grove (263 lbs.) @ 265 lbs.

Ed West (134.25 lbs.) vs Zack Makovsky (134.25 lbs.) @ 135 lbs.

Ryan Thomas (169.50 lbs.) vs. Jim Wallhead (168.75 lbs.) @170 lbs.

Chris Page (166.50 lbs.) vs. Michael Chandler (164.50 lbs.) @165 lbs.

UNDERCARD:

Ryan Roberts (145.75 lbs.) vs. Eric Marriott (145.75 Ibs.) @145 lbs.

Chad Reiner (176 lbs.) vs. Rudy Bears (180.75 Ibs. ) @ 180 lbs.

Jared Downing (134.9 lbs.) vs. Danny Tims (135.9 lbs.) @ 135 lbs.

Shane Hutchinson (144 lbs.) vs. Brian Davidson (145.75 lbs.) @ 145 lbs.

About Bellator Fighting Championships:

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago . Bellator's founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships' executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

Weigh in results courtesy of a press release via Bellator Fighting Championship.

Dana White speech at Oxford Union Society (Video)

Posted: 14 Oct 2010 05:27 AM PDT

Hear more from White on his speech, UFC 120 and more after the jump:

 
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