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- Junior Dos Santos: Cain Velasquez may 'surprise' Brock Lesnar at UFC 121
- UFC 120 videos blog with Dana White (Episode two)
- UFC 120 predictions, preview and analysis
- UFC 120 weigh in photos gallery for 'Bisping vs Akiyama'
- Dana White: 'I don't know if Jon Jones is going to fight Ryan Bader'
- WEC 52 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Faber vs Mizugaki' on Nov. 11 in Las Vegas
- UFC 121 videos blog with Jake Shields (Episode 1)
- UFC 120: Michael Bisping unfazed by the sexiness of Yoshihiro Akiyama (Video)
- Bellator 32 results from Oct. 14 in Kansas City
- Natural Born Killer: Carlos Condit ready to 'risk everything' on Oct. 16 in London
- UFC 120: Steve Cantwell vs Stanislov Nedkov canceled after 'Robot' knee injury
- UFC 120 video preview, Strikeforce, Bellator and more on ESPN's 'MMA Live'
- What's next for UFC Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste after her October debut in Playboy? "I'm building...
| Junior Dos Santos: Cain Velasquez may 'surprise' Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 Posted: 15 Oct 2010 05:24 PM PDT
Props: Tatame Quoteworthy:
Junior dos Santos -- the man who will challenge the winner of the UFC 121 bout between heavyweight division champion Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez -- shares his thoughts on match up, saying the undefeated Mexican-American could raise a few eyebrows when the action starts on Oct. 23, 2010. However, he stops short on making an actual prediction. "Cigano" will more than likely face his toughest competition to date, regardless of who walks away with the win. But does the heavy-handed Brazilian have an advantage over Lesnar and/or Velasquez, which would make it a better match up for his punishing style? Opinions, please. |
| UFC 120 videos blog with Dana White (Episode two) Posted: 15 Oct 2010 11:21 AM PDT |
| UFC 120 predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 15 Oct 2010 10:30 AM PDT
The wait is almost over for UFC 120: "Bisping vs Akiyama" from the O2 Arena in London, England. The world's largest mixed martial arts promotion brings us the event free on Spike TV (via tape delay) tomorrow night (Oct. 16). Remember: MMAmania.com will provide blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage throughout the event, which is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. ET. Here's one of the many questions that I've been asking since this event was first announced: Who wants middleweight gold more? Yoshihiro Akiyama or Michael Bisping? Another question brewing in my mind is, will "Sexyama's" gas tank serve him well past the first round? Many critics and fans alike were impressed with how outspoken welterweight Dan Hardy stuck with current champion George St. Pierre for five rounds at UFC 111 last March. Can Hardy keep those watching impressed? And just how big would a win over "The Outlaw" be for Carlos Condit? Would it put the "Natural Born Killer" into immediate title contention? It may not be the biggest event of the year, but the match-ups at UFC 120 are significant enough to have you talking about it on Sunday morning. With all of that in mind, in the words of Mike Goldberg, "Here ... we ... go!" 185 lbs.: Michael "The Count" Bisping (19-3) vs. Yoshihiro "Sexyama" Akiyama (13-2)Let's see the advantages "The Count" has. Home-field advantage? Check. Experience against three former world champions? Check. Last bout was a victory? Check. Akiyama can't say he's competed against, let alone defeated, a former world champion unless you count Melvin Manhoef who's a former Cage Rage champion. He also can't say that his last bout was a win because he tapped out to Chris Leben's triangle choke with 20 seconds left in the fight back at UFC 116. Don't get me wrong. "Sexyama" makes fights fun to watch, but it's hard to pick the former judo champion when his biggest accomplishment in the UFC is a controversial split decision win over Alan "The Talent" Belcher. There was a lot of hype surrounding the Judoka's debut at UFC 100. Many expected him to showcase his amazing judo skills and he did just that. The problem was, after the first round he looked like he had been through three. By the final round he was breathing so hard you would think he was in a five round championship bout with Anderson Silva. This is not a slight to Belcher at all, but it is to Akiyama's cardio. He did the same thing in his fight with Leben, started off strong, but faded out in the second and third rounds. He hasn't proved he can be dangerous for the whole fight. Does Akiyama have skills? Absolutely. Can he showcase those skills past the first round? That remains to be seen. Honestly, I think you can compare him to Sokoudjou. Both fighters are extremely talented, but those talents don't translate well as the fight gets deeper. Besides his gas tank, the Japanese star hasn't exactly faced elite competition. This could be debatable, but I would argue that Bisping will be Akiyama's toughest competition. Manhoef has vicious stand-up, but his ground game is non-existent. Dennis Kang was a stud in PRIDE, but started losing more and more fights around the time Akiyama beat him. Chris Leben is probably the only fighter you can argue with me here, even so, Bisping neutralized him easily just two years ago at UFC 89. It may seem like I'm ripping the International sensation, but I'm not. I'm actually a fan of his fighting style and he really makes fights exciting. I'm just trying to make a point. Michael Bisping is the favorite to win this fight because Akiyama's cardio hasn't allowed him to perform when his fights go into deep waters. "The Count" may not be the best middleweight in the world, but he's making an effort to be just that. After losing to former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, Bisping went on a three fight-winning streak. He then suffered a brutal knockout at the hands of Dan Henderson at UFC 100. He bounced back by obliterating Dennis Kang in the second round of their bout at UFC 105. He suffered a close, but unanimous decision loss to Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110. Bisping once again bounced back by defeating Dan Miller at UFC 114. Bisping was able to overcome adversity. He's only lost three fights, those defeats came at the hands of a former UFC champion and two former PRIDE champions. Not bad for The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 winner. We all know what happened in his bout with Matt Hamill. Yes I agree, Hamill was robbed, but the fact still remains that Bisping's only lost to three former world title holders. Akiyama will give Bisping problems in the first round, but that's where the trouble will end. I see Akiyama mixing his stand-up with his judo skills to neutralize "The Count" in the opening frame, then Bisping will wear down "Sexyama" in the second round and finish it in the third. Betting Lines (as of Oct. 15): Bisping: -210 ((Bet Now)) Akiyama: +165 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Bisping via technical knockout 170 lbs.: Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy (23-7) vs. Carlos "Natural Born Killer" Condit (25-5) Am I the only one who believes this fight will go all three rounds? I think so, but this has the potential be the fight of the night. Here we have two fighters who know how to finish opponents. There are 22 knockouts and 17 submissions between them. In total, Condit and Hardy have finished 39 fights. That's impressive. To make this prediction, you have to look at the level of competition each fighter has competed against and what game plans they are likely to bring. "The Outlaw" is coming off a unanimous decision loss to welterweight champion George St. Pierre. Despite not winning a single round, many were impressed that Hardy hung in there with the champ and didn't succumb to a nasty looking armbar. Before the loss, Hardy was on a seven fight winning streak defeating the likes of Mike Swick and Marcus Davis. The "Natural Born Killer" has faced a decent level of competition as well. His toughest opponent was Martin Kampmann. Condit lost that fight by split decision. He has been labeled an underdog countless times and has consistently proven critics wrong. Just ask Frank Trigg and Brock Larson, whose only loss at the time was to Jon Fitch. The possibility of a knockout in this fight is probably slim. Neither man has been knocked out in their careers and a submission or decision is more likely. I see both men standing the entire fight. Hardy has tons of power in his fists and has the potential to lay anybody out, but despite his amazing power he only has one knockout victory inside the Octagon. That win was over a year ago at UFC 95 against Rory Markham who was released from the organization after his recent bout. This, along with the fact that in 30 fights Condit hasn't been knocked out, I don't see a Hardy win by KO. I see the fight being similar to Swick vs. Hardy because the Brit will catch and stagger the Greg Jackson fighter a few times, but won't finish him. Condit may be the more well rounded fighter, but I see Hardy with the advantage standing. Condit's best bet would be to utilize leg kicks and keep his distance from Hardy. Trading punches with the English welterweight is not the best idea. I would say it's smart to do takedowns, but with a nickname like the "Natural Born Killer" do you expect that to be Condit's game plan? Unless Greg Jackson has switched things up in camp, I don't see a takedown in this fight. Betting Lines (as of Oct. 15): Hardy: -175 ((Bet Now)) Condit: +145 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Hardy via unanimous decision 170 lbs.: John "The Hitman" Hathaway (14-0) vs. Mike "Quicksand" Pyle (20-7-1) If you're an MMA fan from the UK, then you have plenty to smile about. John Hathaway made a serious statement with his dominating win over Diego Sanchez. You can say "The Nightmare" was overweight and unmotivated, but the fact still remains that Hathaway crushed Sanchez for three rounds. A win alone over a former top contender is impressive, but the way "The Hitman" was able to stuff takedowns, dominate the stand-up and control the ground game spoke volumes. In six of his seven losses, "Quicksand" has either been submitted or knocked out. The last loss where Pyle wasn't finished was in 1999. His opponent was Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. I'm going to go with history here and say if Hathaway defeats Pyle this Saturday, it'll be by knockout or submission. There won't be too many windows of opportunity for the Xtreme Couture fighter to capitalize. With only two knockouts in his career, Pyle is going to have to look for a way to submit the up and coming welterweight. Hathaway's ability to defend takedowns makes it hard to believe that Pyle will get a submission by taking his opponent down and submitting him. "The Hitman" will probably look to keep this one standing for a while. He may be too quick and too explosive for Pyle to deal with. Hathaway's wrestling ability may give him the confidence to keep this one standing all night and if that's the case then it could be a long night for the nine year veteran. You could say the same if the welterweight prospect uses his wrestling as he has the advantage in both areas. I believe Hathaway will be able to avoid any submission attempts thrown his way. I see Hathaway keeping his UK fans happy by outstriking Pyle and eventually finishing him off on the ground. He's younger, quicker and more explosive than his opponent. Betting Lines (as of Oct. 15): Hathaway: -500 ((Bet Now)) Pyle: +350 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Hathaway via technical knockout 265 lbs.: Cheick Kongo (15-6-1) vs. Travis "Hapa" Browne (10-0) These fights are tough to call. It's hard to decide when you have an experienced fighter who doesn't have the best record, but is always a threat going against an undefeated fighter who hasn't proven himself against tougher competition. Who do you go with in a fight like this? We don't know too much about "Hapa," other then he has 10 wins, zero losses and eight knockouts. We first saw Browne at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale when he TKO'd James McSweeney. The win was a bit controversial because of blows McSweeney received to the back of the head. Nevertheless, it was an impressive debut for the rising heavyweight. If numbers told the whole story then Browne would be an easy pick over Kongo, but this is not the case. Kongo has massive power in those fists of his. With nine knockouts in his career, standing with the French fighter is still a dangerous thing to do. After losing to Frank Mir at UFC 107, Kongo decided to use his wrestling to eventually finish Paul Buentello when he tapped due to strikes. He may need to continue to put his wrestling to use, because if Browne gets him on his back then he'll be in serious trouble. In his bouts on the regional circuit, Browne often looked for a way to get his opponents down and pound them out. For the most part, he succeeded. Browne has never competed with someone who has the power of Kongo, so if he can't get a takedown then he may be staring into the lights after the fight asking the referee what happened. I think this is exactly how this fight will play out Saturday night. If not, then Kongo would go 1-3 in his last four bouts and possibly find himself looking for fights outside the promotion. Betting Lines (as of Oct. 15): Kongo: -200 ((Bet Now)) Browne: +160 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Kongo via knockout 170 lbs.: James "Lightning" Wilks (7-3) vs. Claude "The Prince" Patrick (12-1) This is an interesting fight and a great way to kick off UFC 120. There were a lot of questions surrounding the 30 year old Canadian prospect after his successful Octagon debut at UFC 115. Is he legit? How will he do outside of Canada? Can he defeat tougher opposition? Why does he call himself a prince? All of those questions (minus the last one) could be answered based on his performance against James Wilks. Patrick is on an 11 fight winning streak and hasn't tasted defeat since he dropped a 2002 decision to former UFC fighter Drew McFedries. The game plan "The Prince" employs is to setup a takedown and go for a sub. Don't let that strategy fool you, the crafty welterweight has a few tricks up his sleeve standing up as well. His goal, however is probably to avoid standing with Wilks and getting him to the ground. UK fans were disappointed in Wilks' last bout as he was TKO'd by Matt Brown in England. Despite having home-field advantage, "Lightning" was not able to withstand the barrage of punches from "The Immortal." Wilks will be looking to right the wrong this Saturday. To succeed, Wilks needs to keep this fight standing up. His kickboxing ability and clinch game could be enough to earn him a decision victory. I don't expect him to KO Patrick standing. He needs to avoid the takedowns and keep the fight upright where he has the advantage. If you think Patrick will win this fight, don't expect him to submit Wilks easily. The majority of the fight could be a struggle on the ground, much like Wilks' last bout with Peter Sobotta. The difference is, Patrick should eventually be able to get a hold of a leg or an arm and force his opponent to tap. Betting Lines (as of Oct. 15): Patrick: -180 ((Bet Now)) Wilks: +150 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: "Prince" Patrick via submission There you have it. Be sure to hit us up after the event for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of UFC 120: "Bisping vs Akiyama." Now, let your voice be heard. Do you agree with these predictions? Let us know your thoughts and predictions on Saturday night's Spike TV event. |
| UFC 120 weigh in photos gallery for 'Bisping vs Akiyama' Posted: 15 Oct 2010 10:30 AM PDT
Thanks to Fighter's Only Magazine for the pics. (Click the link to check out the complete gallery.) For complete UFC 120: "Bisping vs. Akiyama" weigh in results click here. |
| Dana White: 'I don't know if Jon Jones is going to fight Ryan Bader' Posted: 15 Oct 2010 10:05 AM PDT
Props: MMA Weekly Quoteworthy:
Screeeeeech! That's the sound of the Jones vs. Bader hype train locking them up as the tracks seem to cutoff in the not-too-distant future. UFC President Dana White confirms an earlier report that both sides were presented the light heavyweight match-up, but some issues inside the Bader camp may prevent it from coming to fruition. Does that leave Jones as the sole number one contender to the light heavyweight throne? Or does he need to clear one more hurdle to earn that spot? And if so, against who? Winner of "Rampage vs. Machida?" Let's hear your take on this development, Maniacs. |
| WEC 52 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Faber vs Mizugaki' on Nov. 11 in Las Vegas Posted: 15 Oct 2010 09:20 AM PDT
World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) recently put the finishing touches on its upcoming Versus TV fight card from the "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday, November 11, 2010. WEC 52: "Faber vs. Mizugaki" will feature former featherweight champion Urijah Faber making his 135-pound debut against "one of the division’s toughest in Japanese striking sensation Takeya Mizugaki." Late replacement and former bantamweight title contender Joseph Benavidez will be featured in the co main event, battling "grappling ace" Wagnney Fabiano. Two critical 145-pound match ups were also made official -- Chad Mendes will tangle with Javier Vazquez and Josh Grispi will collide with Erik Koch -- that could determine the division's next number one contender. Here is the complete WEC 52 line up:
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of WEC 52, beginning with the Versus TV telecast at 9 p.m. ET on Nov. 11. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night. We're still a couple of weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions for "Faber vs. Mizugaki" in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event. For the latest WEC 52 news and notes click here. |
| UFC 121 videos blog with Jake Shields (Episode 1) Posted: 15 Oct 2010 09:06 AM PDT |
| UFC 120: Michael Bisping unfazed by the sexiness of Yoshihiro Akiyama (Video) Posted: 15 Oct 2010 07:42 AM PDT |
| Bellator 32 results from Oct. 14 in Kansas City Posted: 15 Oct 2010 07:32 AM PDT
Bellator Fighting Championships last night (Oct. 14) kicked off event number 32 from the Kansas City Power & Light District in Kansas City, MO. Of course much of the hoopla surrounding the return to "Cowtown" came from the championship title fight between Cole Konrad and Neil Grove. The two heavyweights went to war in the night's main event but it would be "The Polar Bear" who would claim the strap with a surprising first round submission (keylock). The former NCAA champ now improves to 7-0 and breaks a string of four consecutive unanimous decision victories. Also getting their hands on some gold was bantamweight Zack Makovsky. The "Fun Size" Philly fighter outlasted Ed "Wild" West en route to a unanimous decision victory, improving to 12-2 and giving West his first loss in eight appearances. Complete Bellator 32 results after the jump. Main Card:265 lbs.: Cole Konrad def. Neil Grove via submission (keylock) - Round 1, 4:45 Undercard: 145 lbs.: Eric Marriott def. Ryan Roberts via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) For round-by-round coverage and fight recaps of Bellator 32 click here. |
| Natural Born Killer: Carlos Condit ready to 'risk everything' on Oct. 16 in London Posted: 15 Oct 2010 07:05 AM PDT
Carlos Condit (25-5) will meet Dan Hardy (23-7) at UFC 120: "Bisping vs Akiyama" tomorrow night (Oct. 16) from the O2 Arena in London, England, airing via tape-delay on Spike TV at 8 p.m. ET. It will be Condit's fourth fight inside the Octagon, but his ninth fight with Zuffa. Not only was he a WEC competitor, he also held championship gold under the UFC's sister-promotion. In fact, the "Natural Born Killer" talked in-depth to Pro MMA Radio about his former title reign, and even admits he misses owning the strap. "Being a champion and holding the belt is a cool feeling, but I love being in the UFC now. It's the pinnacle of MMA basically." The move from the WEC to the UFC was expected to bring changes, and while those changes haven't affected the level of competition for Condit, it has changed the amount of exposure he is getting. "The quality of competition is not too much different. In the WEC I fought a lot of great guys, but I would say the main difference is the amount of exposure you get. The UFC has a huge promotional machine that they incorporate." So far, the "Natural Born Killer" has responded well to the added pressure, going 2-1 with the promotion. Condit recently reunited with Greg Jackson, leaving behind Arizona Combat Sports. "Actually it was kind of a family thing. Me and my fiancé had a baby, so we moved closer to family here in Albuquerque." All may be well with the Jackson Camp now, but Condit reveals the politics that he had to deal with in Albuquerque. "Tom Vaughn was partners with Greg, so it was two locations at the same school. I was training with Greg, but I was also training with Tom Vaughn and they ended up splitting. I ended up with Tom because he was my primary trainer and unfortunately I wasn't able to train with Greg because of politics." Greg Jackson's camp is the often favored by MMA fighters looking to rejuvenate their careers or make a change. With fighters such as George St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, Jon Jones and Shane Carwin, it's no secret that Jackson's submission fighting is popular amongst competitors. Condit explains what makes the camp one of the best to be a part of. "Greg is an absolute technician. He's been doing MMA and studying this before the majority of fans knew what the UFC or MMA was or who the Gracie's were. His experience goes really far and he's got a wealth of knowledge. In addition to that, there's a ton of great guys at the camp. Dudes from all over the world are right on your door step. There's great kick-boxers and great wrestlers to train with. It's a great situation." This Saturday, Condit will be going up against his toughest opponent in "The Outlaw." The "Natural Born Killer" believes he's prepared well for Hardy. "I think this was the best training camp of my career. We really didn't emphasize anything different, I just continued to work everything like I always do. I feel like my well-rounded abilities really help me out in my fights and if we did anything different, we worked on pushing the pace and getting off the line right off the bat which has been a problem for me my last two or three fights." Hardy will have home-field advantage, but it won't be the first time Condit went into his opponent's territory. "I've been there before, so the experience will help me not lose focus and not get me rattled by the situation, but it's a fight. Just because it's in Dan Hardy's hometown, he can't take them (the fans) with him because it's just me and him." Never one to back down from a challenge, the "Natural Born Killer" himself requested a bout with "The Outlaw." "I had done an interview and they asked me who I'd like to fight next, I said Dan Hardy. I don't know whether he (Joe Silva) read the interview, but he offered me the fight and I jumped on it." With an opportunity to leapfrog up the welterweight rankings, Condit knew what he was doing when he challenged Hardy. "He was the number one contender. A win over him would catapult me up the rankings. He's one of the toughest guys in the division and if I'm going to go in there and risk everything, the reward might as well be worth it." A win on Saturday would be the biggest win of his career. So big, that he believes he'll be a fight away from a title shot. "I think that I'll be at least one fight away from a title shot, especially if I win against Hardy like I know I'm going too." If Condit is able to defeat Hardy and get a title shot down the road, he wouldn't be opposed to fighting his fellow teammate if he's still the champ. "There's definitely some teammate issues for sure, but turning down a fight of that magnitude against a guy like GSP would be foolish on my part. I would definitely have to sit down with my trainers and we'd have to discuss it and see how it would work out. George is the man and I want to test myself against the best, so I wouldn't turn down the fight. Me and George haven't trained together that much, so I don't think that's much of an issue. If you paid me enough I'd beat my best friend down, honestly. It's just another day at the office for me, throw down and drink a beer afterwards. I really don't take things personal." The "Natural Born Killer" became the natural born daddy just a few months ago. The birth of his son has motivated Condit to perform at an even higher level than he has before. It even motivated him to come back and win his fight at UFC 115. "Now to know that I got a little guy to provide for, getting up everyday is a little easier. I think my buddy in the corner said go out there and get him for Owen and that fired me up big time." Spoken like a true father. For more on Condit, catch the replay of MMAmania.com's exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio by clicking here. |
| UFC 120: Steve Cantwell vs Stanislov Nedkov canceled after 'Robot' knee injury Posted: 15 Oct 2010 06:38 AM PDT
The UFC 120: "Bisping vs. Akiyama" fight card took a hit today after Steve Cantwell was forced to withdraw from his Octagon return against fellow light heavyweight Stanislov Nedkov. Fighter's Only reports that an injury suffered in jiu-jitsu practice shut down a major ligament in "The Robot's" knee, leaving him unfit to compete in the Oct. 16 Spike TV event. With UFC 120 just hours away, a replacement fighter is out of the question and Nedkov will reportedly receive his "show" purse in spite of the cancellation. This has to be considered a major setback for Cantwell. In addition to losing back-to-back fights against Luis Arthur Cane and Brian Stann in 2009, the Pahrump native withdrew from a 205-pound match-up against Vladimir Matyushenko pegged for UFC 108 earlier this year after an issue with his medical paperwork prevented him from being licensed to fight. It's going to be a long road back (again) for the former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion. For the updated UFC 120: "Bisping vs. Akiyama" fight card click here. |
| UFC 120 video preview, Strikeforce, Bellator and more on ESPN's 'MMA Live' Posted: 15 Oct 2010 06:17 AM PDT
Parts 2-4 after the jump.
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| Posted: 15 Oct 2010 06:08 AM PDT  What's next for UFC Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste after her October debut in Playboy? "I'm building a brand that represents sexy, fit, powerful women. I want to help women with their diets, fitness and confidence. I want to do it all though -- sing and act … you name it. [In fact, she recently recorded her first pop single, 'Fight to Love Me,' which will be available in a few weeks.]" Props: ESPN.com |
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