Thursday, September 30, 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


The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12: Episode 3 recap and discussion

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 05:58 PM PDT

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The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 12, featuring welterweight coaches (and division rivals) Josh Koscheck and Georges St. Pierre, is back for Episode 3 with Team GSP out to an early 1-0 lead.

Fresh off his elimination win last week, Alex Caceres celebrates with a giant stogie and a round of shots. He also takes center stage after obtaining a pretty good buzz and starts bragging about his win until his house mates can't stand the sound of his voice.

Team GSP hits the training center and as expected it's very loosey-goosey. "Rush" brings in Gia Sissaouri, a world class wrestling champion to help school the new recruits in the art of mat work.

Later in the day, Team Koscheck gets their turn in the gym and they look like the gang that couldn't shoot straight. Guys are taking rest breaks, bathroom breaks, basically any break they can think of to get out of training.

"Kos" lays into his students to let them know that dogging it won't win you the show. They suck it up and give 110% to close out the session.

Time for the fight picks and Team GSP has control. They choose Michael Johnson to face Aaron Wilkinson. St. Pierre may be looking for the path of least resistance as the general consensus is that Johnson is the heavy favorite.

Just not to Wilkinson.

Johnson gives us some background on his path to The Ultimate Fighter. Season 12 is the culmination of several auditions over the past few years and he looks hungry. Can he maintain his composure and not dump his load on fight night?

GSP has faith in his top pick and thinks it will be a lopsided affair.

Out in the parking lot, Koscheck has his boys park their cars on both sides of GSP's rental, blocking the doors so he can't get in. Unfortunately Rush is not rattled and shimmies his way in through the passenger side.

Wilkinson is one of the Wolfslair boys, which means -- yep, he sounds like Britbing.

Kos refers to him as "English" and drills him on striking. Wilks wants to break the stereotype that Brits can't wrestle and shows off some of his moves against the cage. Kos nods in approval -- then promises to motorboat St. Pierre's ass.

TMI.

Johnson and Wilkinson both weigh in without incident. Dana drops by to give a very ambiguous prediction and both camps make an argument for their fighter.

Coach GSP asks Dana to make a call to Mike Tyson and bring him in to give his team a pep talk. "Iron" Mike obliges and makes a surprise walk-on that naturally leaves the cast starstruck.

Rush makes a "Punch-Out" reference. War Nintendo!

Elimination fight #2: Michael Johnson (8-4) vs. Aaron Wilkinson (6-3)

Round 1: I check the clock and it's 10:35. This thing goes to the cards? Early feeling out process on the feet. A kick here, a punch there. They go to the cage and Johnson with a takedown. Wilkinson is up and they break away. Johnson has a kick caught but Wilkinson can't take him down. Center of the cage and a combo stumbles "English." He shakes it off and lands a low kick. Johnson answers with one of his own and secures a huge takedown. Wilkinson scrambles and eats a few in the clinch before changing levels and holding the legs. Wilkinson is patient and gets the takedown. Wilky is landing elbows and Team GSP is starting to panic. Johnson looks like a deer in the headlights. Wilkinson continues to drop elbows while not the most damaging, are scoring huge points. Round ends with English on top. 10-9 for the Brit on the unofficial Nostradumbass scorecard.

Round 2: That creepy guy from Team GSP's coaching staff looks like Crispin Glover as George McFly. Quick exchange of hands and Johnson stuns Wilkinson before pushing him to the fence. They break away and bear hug before Johnson lands a big takedown. Wilkinson gets back to his feet and tries for a takedown of his own. He gets it and goes right back to the elbow barrage. This time Johnson shows some urgency and is able to reverse and drop some bombs of his own. Wilkinson stands and they throw leather. St. Pierre with his Canadian Fonzie: "Ehhhh!" The pace slows as both guys tire. Dana yells something semi-inspirational. Wilkinson tries for a takedown but can't get it. He shoots again to no avail. Time expires and hands are flying. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 3: Johnson comes out firing and Wilkinson crumbles against the fence. Johnson goes batshit with his hands forcing English to give up his back. From there it's elementary.

Michael Johnson defeats Aaron Wilkinson via submission (rear naked choke)

After the fight, Dana thinks the presence of Mike Tyson helped Johnson dig deep for round three. Wilkinson apologizes to his team for letting the fight get away. Coach Koscheck is proud of his performance and doesn't dwell on the loss which keeps the team out of a funk.

Stay tuned next week as "Iron" Mike helps train Team GSP, Koscheck tries to rattle "Rush" by wearing speedos, Bruce Leroy runs his mouth into overdrive and of course, the next elimination fight.

See you next week!

WEC 51 weigh in results LIVE from Broomfield for 'Aldo vs Gamburyan'

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 02:49 PM PDT

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The WEC 51: "Aldo vs. Gamburyan" weigh-in event is officially in the books. The last of the formalities before tomorrow night's fights took place earlier this evening from the 1STBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado.

Each of the twenty two fighters set to compete on the card hit their respective weight limits without much incident.

Feared featherweight champion Jose Aldo will defend his title for the second time ever in the night's featured main event against former UFC fighter and TUF finalist Manny Gamburyan.

Former lightweight and bantamweight champions Jamie Varner and Miguel Torres will also be in action on the Versus telecast, taking on Donald Cerrone and Charlie Valencia, respectively.

The staredown between Varner and Cerrone was probably the best part of the weigh-ins as both men made it clear that there is no love lost. It looks like it's going to be another great card from the WEC.

Check out the complete WEC 51 weigh-in results after the jump.

MAIN CARD

145 lbs.: Jose Aldo (145) vs. Manny Gamburyan (145)
155 lbs.: Donald Cerrone (155.5) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
135 lbs.: Miguel Torres (136) vs. Charlie Valencia (136)
145 lbs.: Chan Sung Jung (146) vs. George Roop (145)
145 lbs.: Leonard Garcia (146) vs. Mark Hominick (145)  jjj

 

PRELIMINARY CARD

145 lbs.: Mike Brown (145) vs. Cole Province (146)
155 lbs.: Chris Horodecki (155) vs. Ed Ratcliff (155)
135 lbs.: Antonio Banuelos (136) vs. Chad George (135)
135 lbs.: Demetrious Johnson (135) vs. Nick Pace (135)
145 lbs.: Diego Nunes (145) vs. Tyler Toner (145)
155 lbs.: Pablo Garza (154) vs. Tiequan Zhang (154)

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of "Aldo vs. Gamburyan," beginning with the Versus telecast at 9 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 post-fight coverage you can handle.

Miguel Torres pulls a 'Terry Tate' in the Ecko office (Video)

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 02:42 PM PDT

If you don't know who Terry Tate is, I've saved you from further embarrassment after the jump.

UFC 125: Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard confirmed for January 1

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 01:52 PM PDT

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We knew it was coming. Now we know when.

Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 2 will take place at UFC 125 on January 1 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. And this time it's for the title.

MMA Fighting broke the news earlier today.

Edgar is of course coming off of shocking the world, again, when he defeated BJ Penn for a second time this year at UFC 118 last month, asserting himself as the undisputed UFC lightweight champ.

The New Jersey native has only one loss on his record, it just happens that it came to his new challenger to the 155-pound thrown, Gray Maynard.

"The Bully" earned his title shot on the same night Frankie dominated "The Prodigy" at UFC 118 with a convincing 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, you gotta think that confidence is something that Gray won't be lacking come New Year's Day.

Will Maynard have the answer for Frankie one more time?

MMAmania.com will keep you updated on the UFC 125 fight card as it develops.

EA Sports MMA video game review for Xbox 360 demo

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 01:22 PM PDT

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Yesterday was the official demo-release of EA Sports MMA, the next modern day mixed martial arts video game that will look to take over where THQ and the UFC have recently found success.

The demo allows players to fight in both the Strikeforce middleweight and heavyweight divisions, using four fighters – Jason Miller, Jake Shields, Alistair Overeem, and Bobby Lashley. The demo gives the player the option of either fighting in a standard three-round non-title fight, or a five-round championship bout, and is a breath of fresh air for fight-fans who have grown tired of UFC 2010.

Alright, lets get cracking…

First things first, this isn’t UFC 2010 as you obviously know already.  It doesn’t play like UFC 2010, certainly doesn’t feel like it, and will probably turn avid fans of UFC 2010 away initially because of the drastic difference in gameplay.

While I think UFC 2010 more accurately captures the "MMA simulator" feel, EA’s MMA certainly presents a fresh, new feeling that works just as well, if not better than its THQ rival.  The fighters move with ease, and if you’ve played Fight Night Round 4, you should get a strong understanding of what I’m trying to say, considering it uses the exact same game engine.

 

The controls are obviously the games steepest learning curve.  Default controls are much like FNR4, where the right thumbstick is how you throw your strikes. I hate that control setup, and thankfully, there is another control scheme titled "classic" that reverts to using the four right-side buttons to throw punches and kicks much like UFC 2010.  Striking in EA’s MMA is simple and fun, and takes little to no effort to learn.

Holding down the left trigger (on 360), and then throwing a punch or kick allows you to throw body shots, which are extremely effective in this game.  Default kicks usually go to the head, and I still haven’t figured out how to throw a goddamn leg kick.

Grappling is where the fun begins, and where most of your frustration will come from.  The ground aspect of EA’s MMA has three "stages" to it.  Stage one, is the takedown.  Pushing the right thumb-stick towards your opponent when standing up, will allow you to shoot.

Takedowns happen often in the demo, get used to it, especially when fighting Lashley and Shields.  If you’re looking to sprawl, you need to be fast, and you need to move the right thumb-stick away from your opponent when they shoot in.

Sprawling is very fluid in this game, and so far, after ever stuffed shot, the fight usually ends up back on the feet, unlike UFC 2010 where you or your opponent might spin around and end up in guard.

Stage two takes place after you get taken down.  After getting planted on your ass, you will end up either in half-guard or full (closed ) guard.  Using the right thumb-stick, and flicking it to the left or right, makes you transition.  I’ll break it down for you from a defensive stand-point:

  • If you’re mounted, and you transition out, you will end up in half guard
  • If you’re in half guard, and you transition out, you will end up in closed guard
  • If you’re in closed guard, and you transition out, you will reverse your opponent and end up in his closed guard.

Now, when being mounted, you can either transition out like I mentioned above, or you can try to get back to your feet and throw bombs.  By pressing down on the left thumbstick, you will give your back to your opponent.  Pressing the left thumbstick again will allow you to slip out the "back door" and get to your feet.

All of these moves require stamina, and every time you fail to get out of a bad position, it’s probably because your stamina is drained.  Not doing anything will quickly bring your stamina back up, and then you can try again, but watch out because when you rest, you’re open to take more damage from your opponent.

Stage three, is the offensive side of the ground game. After shooting in, and getting a takedown, flicking the right thumb-stick, to your right, moves you into side control. From there, feel free to deliver punches, or knees to the body (which are extremely effective in breaking your opponent down), or, flick it again and move to mount.

When you move to mount, you will instantly be pulled down by your opponent, who obviously doesn’t want to get murked by some mounted ground-and-pound.  To break free from this, press down on the left thumb-stick.  This will separate the two of you, and will allow you to either throw bombs, or go for a submission, which leads me into the next section.

Submissions are easy as shit to attempt, and even easier to pull off.  There are two types of subs in EA’s MMA demo, chokes and locks.  Chokes are initiated when you’ve taken the back of your opponent (rear-naked choke), or when sprawling (guillotine).

When you try to pull off a choke, a white circle appear in the middle of your screen, with a red (you) and blue (opponents) bar circling around it.  Your goal is to rotate the left thumb-stick until you find the red bar (which will appear and disappear as to make it somewhat of a challenge.

When you find the red bar, your controller will vibrate, and when it starts vibrating, you need to keep hold of that position until you force the tapout.  Hopefully I explained it good enough, and if I didn’t, don’t worry, because once you do it you’ll see how easy it is to pull off.

Submission locks (armbars), are a button-mashers wet dream.  When you’re in full mount or side control, and you initiate one of these submissions, it simply becomes a battle of who presses the "X" or "B" buttons more effectively.  Button-mashing drains stamina, so make sure you pay attention to the stamina gauge, which can be seen in the top left corner of your screen.  If you’re out of gas and going for a sub, you’ll either get reversed, or brought back to your feet.

The flow of EA’s MMA is good, and after learning the control layout, and playing twenty or so matches, you will see what I mean.  One downside I initially saw was the fact that each round takes five minutes real time, unlike UFC 2010 where five minutes in game equaled a little over two minutes in real time (I think).

They are long rounds, but I think it adds a certain level of immersion that UFC 2010 doesn’t necessarily grant.  Flash knockouts in the demo have so far been non-existant, but they’re possible according to the in-game tutorial.

What I do like about the demo, and where I think this game will get some serious props, is the "killer instinct" mentality it carries.  I was playing a heavyweight match as Overeem, and after landing some big shots to Lashley’s dome, I sent the "Dominator" to the canvas, pounced on him, did a vintage Wanderlei Silva rape-choke and pounded him out in a few seconds.

It was pretty brutal, and is in my opinion more appealing than the finishes in UFC 2010.

Graphics are great, I think they look much better than the character models in UFC 2010.  One downside to this game, which isn’t really a big deal to me personally,  is the fact that unlike UFC 2010, the fighters in EA’s MMA don’t have their own unique styles.

Again, this is why I think UFC 2010 is a more effective MMA simulator, but nonetheless, this minor negative doesn’t hinder the potential of the game.

I believe that EA’s MMA is going to do much better than UFC 2010 in terms of reception and sales.  The diversity the game offers in terms of locations, venues, rules, and downloadable/online features will force THQ, and the UFC, to drastically re-vamp and improve the way they make their next game.

Fans of fighting, regardless of what type of fighting it is, want diversion.  UFC 2010, although offering more intimate and realistic fighting styles that stay loyal to the fighters in-game, doesn’t do much more than that.  

Needless to say, I will be playing the shit out of this demo up until the full game comes out on October 19th, and I’m pretty sure EA’s MMA will get my complete attention after that.  The only problem I find myself facing is this – When I go to Gamestop to pick up EA’s MMA, should I bring UFC 2010 and trade it in, using whatever I get for it to pay off my pre-order?

Bellator 31 weigh-in results

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 01:20 PM PDT

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The weigh-ins for Bellator 31, which is set to take place tomorrow night (September 30) in Lake Charles, Louisiana, went down today and produced the not-so-hard-to-look-at photo featured above of Ms. Zoila Frausto, though she did come in just over the weight limit.

The Bellator Women's Tournament moves into the semifinals when the world's top pound-for-pound female fighter Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii (21-0) squares off against veteran submission specialist Lisa Ward (14-5-1) in a highly anticipated rematch for one of the two spots in the World Championship fight.

The Women's Tournament continues with explosive knockout artist Zoila "Warrior Princess" Frausto (8-1) taking on dangerous submission finisher Jessica "Jag" Aguilar (9-3) for the second spot in the women's final.

And a Bellator Welterweight Qualifying match rounds out the main card as highly regarded undefeated prospect Chris "The Assassin" Lozano (5-0) meets dangerous UFC veteran Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida (11-5). Lozano looks to keep his impressive knockout streak intact, as the Cleveland native has recorded every victory via KO or TKO.

Check out the complete Bellator 31 weigh-in results after the jump.

Megumi Fujii (114.8 lbs.) vs. Lisa Ward (115.2 lbs.)

Zoila Frausto (116.2 lbs.) vs. Jessica Aguilar (115.4 lbs.)

Chris Lozano (170.4 lbs.) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170.6 lbs.)

Mark Holata (261.8lbs.) vs. Shawn Jordan (262Ibs.)

John Harris (155.2lbs.) vs. Kyle Miers (155.4Ibs.)

Tim Ruberg (185.8lbs.) vs. Aaron Davis (186.2lbs.)

Dave Herman (241.6 lbs.) vs. Michal Kita (226.2 lbs.)

Scott Stapp (165.8 lbs.) vs. Mike Chandler (164.4 lbs.) 

Strikeforce: Paul Daley vs Scott Smith set for December 4

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:05 PM PDT

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"Semtex" vs. "Hands of Steel." That has a nice ring to it.

After Scott Smith had apparently signed on the dotted line to face Jesse Finney on December 4 in St. Louis at Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu," the powers that be have had a change of heart and matched up the free-swinging fighter with another slugger, Paul Daley.

Can't say I blame them.

The promotion confirmed the match up earlier today.

"Semtex" recently defeated Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13 by unanimous decision and Daniel Acacio via submission at Impact FC 2, making it back-to-back wins for the Brit since falling to Josh Koscheck at UFC 113 earlier this year.

The match with "Kos" was also his last inside the Octagon -- thanks to a cheap shot he unloaded on the AKA wrestler out of frustration from losing in their number one contender bout.

Smith (17-7) recently split a pair of fights with former Strikeforce 185-pound Champion Cung Le. After a "miracle in San Jose," one that saw "Hands of Steel" pull of yet another patented comeback stoppage, Smith was finished early by the San Shou striker in their June 26 rematch.

The former UFC middleweight now stands at 3-2 since being acquired in the Elite XC rummage sale and appears to be making good on his promise to drop to 170-pounds.

Hands are sure to fly, and a body is sure to drop.

Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for more news on this card as it breaks.

Collision Course: 'Diaz vs Noons II' video (Episode 1)

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 10:29 AM PDT

UFC Poll: The future of Randy Couture is ...

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 09:10 AM PDT

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... pretty much up in the air, according to his attorney's comments over at MMA Fighting:

"If something came up that was interesting, he would fight irrespective of whether he got a meaningful Hollywood role. But there's other stuff for him to do that's MMA-related. I think many would be surprised at some of the things we are working on. So he doesn't have to be actively fighting in the ring to remain active. Is it possible he may not fight again? Yeah, it's possible. I'd say it's a toss-up."

While he's tossing it up, I'll toss it over. Anyone think now's the perfect time for "The Natural" to call it a career?

Poll
Should Randy Couture retire (again) after his big win over James Toney at UFC 118?

  3297 votes | Results

WEC 51 preview and quick picks for 'Aldo vs Gamburyan'

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 08:29 AM PDT

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WEC 51: "Aldo vs. Gamburyan" is all set for this Thursday night (Sept. 30) at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The main card will air live on the Versus network beginning at 9 p.m. ET on fight night.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of "Aldo vs. Gamburyan," beginning with the Versus telecast at 9 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.

Feared featherweight champion Jose Aldo will defend his title for the second time in the night's featured main event against former UFC fighter and TUF finalist Manny Gamburyan.

Former lightweight and bantamweight champions Jamie Varner and Miguel Torres will also be in action on the Versus telecast, taking on longtime rival Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Charlie Valencia, respectively.

To help get you better prepared for the festivities, we've given some analysis and predictions for the five main card bouts set to hit the Versus airwaves on Thursday night.

Check it out.

Featherweight champion Jose Aldo vs. Manny Gamburyan

If Jose Aldo is the 145 pound version of Anderson Silva, then Manny Gamburyan needs to be the featherweight Chael Sonnen to win this fight.

Manny has some power in his hands, but he's fooling himself if he thinks he can trade strikes with the champ. His best chance to win is to try and wrestle the Brazilian to the mat and smother him with ground and pound.

Of course, that's easier said than done. We haven't seen anybody have any real success taking Aldo down, much less hold him there and be productive.

So is Manny the guy that's finally going to test the champ's bottom game and give him a run for his money? I doubt it.

Aldo is a lot bigger and stronger than he gets credit for, and his takedown defense is stellar. The challenger is going to be surprised by his strength when they lock up.

This is going to be a pick your poison type of deal for Gamburyan. If he comes at the champ with a one dimensional takedown or bust attack, then Aldo is going to have his arsenal of knees and kicks cocked and loaded. If he can't take the champ down and he's forced into trading strikes, Aldo will pick him apart from the outside until an opening presents itself to put him away.

Either way if he can't put the champ on his back and keep him there then this fight is going to end badly for him. It looks closer than it actually is. I think Aldo cruises.

Final prediction: Jose Aldo via knockout

Donald Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner

I don't like this fight for a couple of reasons for Cerrone. For one, he doesn't have a good track record against talented wrestlers, and for another, I believe a three round fight favors Varner.

"Cowboy" is somewhat of a slow starter, and if it takes him a minute or two to get going in this fight, Varner will take advantage of it with a takedown and jump out to an early lead on the cards. "Cowboy" is usually very good fighting off his back, but he does not want to get taken down early with a fresh Jamie Varner on top of him.

Once Varner knows he's ahead on the cards he'll look even more for the takedowns, and I think he'll end up spending the majority of this fight on top of the Greg Jackson trainee, which should be enough to take the decision.

The key for Varner is to jump out early and take that first round, though. Cerrone will be harder and harder to get to the ground as the fight wears on, and that's where Varner's best chance to score points is.

That's not to say Varner can't hang with "Cowboy" on his feet. It's actually pretty even in the stand up, but with Cerrone's reach advantage and style, Varner has to work that much harder to impress the judges on his feet than he does on the ground or with takedowns.

The best approach for Varner is to use his wrestling to ground and pound his way to a win. It worked for him before, and I don't think Cerrone can stop it.

I've got Varner by decision.

Final prediction: Jamie Varner via decision.

Miguel Torres vs. Charlie Valencia

If Miguel Torres loses this fight then all the pound for pound best in the world talk that was taking place a couple of years ago will officially be for nothing.

He's dropped two straight fights, but Brian Bowles and Joseph Benavidez are top division contenders. And even though Torres looked bad in both fights, anything can happen when you step in the cage with fighters of that caliber.

But if you're name is being mentioned as one of the best in the world, you need to be able to beat guys like Charlie Valencia, no disrespect to Valencia. If the real Miguel Torres shows up on Thursday night, his talent should prevail.

With that said, Valencia is an eight fight WEC veteran. He won't be blinded by any lights, and he's going to come ready to fight. This is a huge opportunity for him, and he is still very dangerous.

But, this is Miguel Torres coming off two straight losses for the first time in his forty fight career. I have to believe he's been training like a madman to get his game back on track, and I think he's going to make a statement with a dominating win.

Final prediction: Miguel Torres via submission

Chan Sung Jung vs. George Roop

Jung's memorable debut fight in the WEC against Leonard Garcia is going to be hard to live up to, but he'll face another game opponent in his sophomore effort as well in George Roop.

Roop is also coming off a grueling three round decision against Garcia, which makes this match up even that much more interesting. These guys fight like they have something to prove every time out, and there is no reason to believe they won't continue to put on great performances.

They're both very tough guys who can take and dish out a ton of punishment, and they both have underrated ground games and deep gas tanks.

All in all this is basically a toss up fight that should be great for the fans. The one area where I can see an advantage is Roop's size. He's got about 4 inches on Jung, and that could be hard for Jung to deal with in the stand up and in clinch situations. It was an issue for Garcia and it could become an issue for Jung as well.

This fight could go either way, but I like Roop's size to be the difference.

Final prediction: George Roop via decision

Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick

I'm going with Hominick. He's won both of his 2010 fights in impressive fashion over two solid names (Yves Jabouin and Bryan Caraway,) while Garcia has gone to war in both of his 2010 fights, escaping with a split decision win over Jung and a draw against Roop that he would have lost had it not been for a point deduction.

Garcia hasn't looked like much more than a power puncher over the last couple of years, and well rounded fighters with takedown ability have had success against him.

Hominick fits that bill, and I think he's going to match up well against Garcia. Of course, with Garcia there is always a puncher's chance, but my money is on "The Machine."

Final prediction: Mark Hominick via decision

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

Bellator 33: Ben Askren vs Lyman Good booked for Oct. 21 in Philadelphia

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 07:59 AM PDT

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CHICAGO, Ill. (September 27, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships today made the welterweight title fight between Bellator Welterweight Champion Lyman "Cyborg" Good and Season 2 Welterweight Tournament Champion Ben "Funky" Askren official for Bellator 33 taking place at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on Oct. 21.

"Lyman dominated Season #1 and Ben dominated Season #2. This is a great Welterweight Championship fight between two world-class undefeated Welterweights," said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

The fight marks Good's first title defense since racking up consecutive stoppage victories in the quarter and semifinal rounds of the Season 1 Welterweight World Championship Tournament that preceded a first round TKO of Omar De La Cruz in the finals at Bellator 11 in June of 2009.

The impressive run through the tournament established Good as the first Bellator Welterweight Champion and catapulted the undefeated star into the MMA spotlight.

Growing up in Spanish Harlem, NY and surrounded by adversity early in life, Good felt the need to establish himself as a fighter-both mentally and physically-to survive. Realizing this, his mother decided to enroll Good in martial arts at the famed Tiger Schulmann Gym as a healthy and disciplined outlet for his aggression.

Good fell in love with martial arts, eventually going pro in 2005 and becoming an instructor/sensei himself at Tiger Schulmann.

Ben "Funky" Askren overcame a different type of adversity to become the Season 2 Welterweight Tournament Champion. The 2008 Olympian and two-time NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion silenced many critics who doubted his ability to transition from collegiate wrestling to MMA. Needless to say, the transition was seamless.

The Mizzou grad, known for his unconventional wrestling style, took out Ryan Thomas in both the quarterfinals and semis before completely dominating top welterweight Dan Hornbuckle with a non-stop barrage of takedowns and ground-and-pound in the finals to become the tournament champ, handing Hornbuckle his first loss in six fights and two years.

While Good is widely respected for his ability to push the pace and out-hustle his opponents, Askren, who wrestled in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, is hardly intimidated by his opponent's strength.

"He's never really knocked anyone out. I don't know what people keep talking his power for; he might have a little bit of strength but that's going to go away after the first round," said Askren.

"I'm going into this fight with the same strategy as my previous fights, just a lot more devastating," said Askren. "I want to submit him and quickly, but if that doesn't happen, I'm prepared for five rounds. I can go all day long."

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 ComcastTix.com

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

UFC 120 weigh in results, information and details from London on Oct. 15

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 07:47 AM PDT

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

It is currently scheduled to air LIVE right here on MMAmania.com, 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.

Another exciting welterweight showdown between John Hathaway and Mike Pyle has also been made official.

Here is the current UFC 120 fight card:

Main event:

185 lbs.: Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Main card (Televised):

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

Under card (May not be broadcast):

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

For those fortunate enough to be across the pond for the promotion's highly-anticipated return to the O2 Arena, remember that the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public.

In addition, UFC Fight Club members (and UFC Fan Expo ticket holders) will be able to attend an exclusive Q&A session with UFC President Dana White at 2 p.m. local time.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 120, beginning with the Spike TV telecast at 10 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.

Mike Tyson: James Toney was 'horrible' but 'respectful' boxers can win in MMA

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 07:01 AM PDT

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Props: CanadianPress.com

Quoteworthy:

"You have to admit, Toney looked horrible. He looked slow. He didn't look like a seasoned, conditioned athlete. You only had to look at his body structure. No way, Toney didn't get ready to fight a real, professional athlete like Randy is. It was ridiculous. He had no respect for Randy.... I know 100 percent that a boxer (could win). As long as he learns how to grapple and wrestle, he could do great. You've got to go in there respecting the sport, and not just thinking you're going to knock somebody out every time. It's a complicated sport, but a good boxer has to be a great athlete anyway."

Legendary heavyweight boxing champion -- and unabashed mixed martial arts fan -- Mike Tyson weighs in on the James Toney freak show, saying "Lights Out" did himself and the "Sweet Science" a disservice by thinking he could go in and just knockout Randy Couture at UFC 118 back in August. Toney ended up taking an early nap, succumbing to a choke midway through the first round after looking like a fish out of water. UFC President Dana White cut him shortly thereafter, indicating that he had proven his point: World class boxers just can't walk into a cage and steamroll a well-trained MMA fighter. Tyson, meanwhile, feels that it is possible for a boxer to transition to the sport, but he needs to be athletic and take it seriously. Care to disagree with "Iron?" Be sure to catch Tyson on tonight's episode of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) on Spike TV. He'll be sitting ringside and making a special appearance as a guest of White and presumably the network.

Manny Gamburyan ready for 'genocide in the cage' against Jose Aldo at WEC 51 (Video)

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 05:50 AM PDT

Andrei Arlovski 'not participating' in planned K-1 debut on Oct. 2 in Seoul

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 08:10 PM PDT

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Sorry "Pitbull" fans, but the former UFC Heavyweight Champion is no longer participating in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16 from Olympic Park on Oct. 2 in Seoul.

Arlovski was expected to face Romanian kickboxer Raul Catinas on the HDNet televised event.

While the Belarusian didn't provide any details into the reason behind his withdrawal, Head Kick Legend is hearing that a possible broken nose may be the culprit:

The word has been spreading around that Arlovski has possibly suffered an injury in training, which could account for the last minute change in the card. The injury being talked about is a broken nose, and while broken noses in fighting are not uncommon at all, one before a fight could be detrimental for Arlovski, as a broken nose can lead to swelling of the nose as well as the eye, making it difficult to see. A simple tap on the nose could cause swelling and ruin his vision.

Then again, it should be noted that reports have surfaced that point to K-1's refusal to shell out the neccessary green to secure a fighter as widely recognized as Arlovski -- even in spite of hsi recent shortcomings inside the cage.

From MMA Fighting:

There's been no announcement from K-1 or explanation from Arlovski, but reports have been rampant in recent months that K-1 simply can't afford to pay top-level fighters the kind of money they want to make.

Salary? Injury? No one can say for sure at this time, but the fans (and ultimately Arlovski) miss out on a chance to see what kind of impact he can make overseas in the world's top striking organization.

At least for now.

Wednesday, September 29, 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


WEC 51 open media workout video highlights for 'Aldo vs Gamburyan'

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 08:01 PM PDT

Alchemist Management today announced a new, four-fight contract with the UFC for heavyweight...

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 02:20 PM PDT

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Alchemist Management today announced a new, four-fight contract with the UFC for heavyweight up-and-comer Stefan Struve (20-4).

"Skyscraper" is 4-2 inside the Octagon, most recently defeating Christian Morecraft via KO at UFC 117 back on August 7.

UFC 119: 'Mir vs Cro Cop' prelims attract 1.3 million viewers on Spike TV

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 01:13 PM PDT

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"Meathead" FTW!

Spike TV's broadcast of UFC 119's prelim fights garnered 1.3 million fight fans according to Sherdog, a number slightly up from UFC 118's prelims telecast in which 1.1 million viewers tuned in.

The show of course featured fights between Matt Mitrione and Joey Beltran plus C.B. Dollaway and Joe Doerksen. Viewers tuning in were also treated with the exciting first round submission victories for Sean McCorkle over Mark Hunt as well as Thiago Tavares against Pat Audinwood.

Mitrione and Beltran were awarded for their stand up slugfest in which Matt took home the unanimous decision with "Fight of the Night" honors along with Sean Sherk and Evan Dunham. Dollaway meanwhile won "Submission of the Night" as he locked in a guillotine choke against Doerksen in the first frame.

For a complete recap of UFC 119: "Mir vs. Cro Cop," click here.

MMA Quick Quote: KJ Noons is running up the middle, try to stop him

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 12:06 PM PDT

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"Let me put it like this, for anyone that played any level of football, in high school or whatever. My game plan is to run it up the middle, try to stop me. That's it. That's how I fight every time. I'm coming right at you win or lose. Nick Diaz is all over the place, to keep the football analogy going, he's out there running all these crazy plays. We'll see who's strategy works best come October 9."

Ah, a football analogy in detailing a game plan for a MMA fight, it doesn't get much better than that. On today's Strikeforce: "Diaz vs Noons 2" conference call, in which Nick Diaz chose to not participate because he doesn't believe in those type of things according to Cesar Gracie, KJ Noons talked about how he plans on beating the Strikeforce welterweight champ for a second time. KJ is coming right at Nick. Whether it's the right way to go about it remains to be seen. What's your take? Do you approve of Noons' strategy?

Jeremy Stephens post UFC 119 video blog

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 11:50 AM PDT

Manny Gamburyan: 'If Jose Aldo is Anderson Silva, I'm Fedor'

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 10:54 AM PDT

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Props: MMA Weekly

Quoteworthy:

"I'm always the little guy and I'm always the underdog. I've been enjoying it lately, being a big underdog. So do my fans. I don't care. I can be a 10-to-1 underdog. Look what happened against Mike Brown... If they're comparing him to Anderson Silva, they should compare me with Fedor. If he's Anderson Silva, most definitely, I'm Fedor... I don't see any trouble. I know what he's going to do. He's going to throw a lot of knees, kicks, leg kicks, high kicks, low kicks. I know exactly his game plan. I got one plan only, just get that belt. That's it."

Manvil "The Anvil" Gamburyan faces the undeniably the toughest test of his career this Thursday night at WEC 51 in featherweight dynamo Jose Aldo. And while confidence is always a good thing to possess, it looks like Manny has enough self-belief for everyone on the main card. Is Gamburyan in trouble of coming into this title fight a little overconfident? Or, is his conviction in this type of bold claim something "The Anvil" will thrive off of come September 30?

Strikeforce tickets for 'Henderson vs Babalu' from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Dec. 4, on sale soon

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 09:26 AM PDT

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Tickets for Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu" at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, December 4, 2010, will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, October 1, at 10:00 a.m. CT.

However, "Strikeforce Insiders" e-newsletter subscribers will be afforded a special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity that begins today (Sept. 28) until Thursday (Sept. 30) at 10 p.m. CT.

Strikeforce Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter with the pre-sale code. The Showtime televised event will mark the promotion’s return to "Gateway City" after their successful "Heavy Artillery" event held in St. Louis back on May 15.

Confirmed for "Henderson vs. Babalu" is a light heavyweight rematch between longtime veterans of the sport, Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral. "Hendo" defeated "Babalu" via majority decision under the RINGS banner way back in 1999.

Also strapping on the gloves will be former NFL great and MMA sophomore Herschel Walker against an opponent to be named.

For the current Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu" fight card and rumors click here.

Former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le returns to the silver screen for "Dragon...

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 09:06 AM PDT

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Former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le returns to the silver screen for "Dragon Eyes."

From Deadline.com: "Le plays a mysterious man who comes from an impoverished part of New Orleans to unite two warring gangs against the corrupt lawmen who've been using them. It's a modernization of the Kurosawa film Yojimbo."

Anyone?

K-1 World GP 2010 Final 16 Video Trailer for Oct. 2 in Seoul

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 08:07 AM PDT

Alistair Overeem fans can catch "Demolition Man" throwing hands against Ben Edwards this Saturday (Oct. 2) live on HDNet at 2:00 AM ET. Also in action, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski makes his K-1 debut against Raul Catinas.

More K-1 World GP 2010 Final 16 video hype after the jump.

(Thanks to Bloody Elbow for the vids)

'EA Sports MMA' video game demo drops today (Sept. 28) for Xbox 360 and PS3

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 07:53 AM PDT

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Can't wait for "EA Sports MMA" to arrive on Oct. 19?

You don't have to. Much like THQ's "UFC Undisputed 2010" mixed martial arts video game, Electronic Arts (EA)  will give fans an early test drive of their newest offering starting today (Sept. 28) on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

From the official website:

Jump right into a match via "Fight Now" to experience the intensity of MMA in two weight classes: heavyweight and middleweight. Fans can take control of current STRIKEFORCE heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem, or utilize the brute strength of former professional wrestler, Bobby Lashley. The two middleweights featured in the demo are predominantly Jiu-Jitsu fighters - the top ranked Jake Shields, as well as the always entertaining Jason "Mayhem" Miller ... By sharing the demo with friends, fans can unlock "Classic" Randy Couture as a playable character in the full version of the game.

The full version will feature Strikeforce heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko as a digitized version of himself facing any and all challengers — including UFC star Randy "The Natural" Couture, who retains control over his ancillary rights and has language in his Zuffa contract that allows him the freedom to use his likeness outside of the UFC.

The San Jose-based Strikeforce promotion has been named the "Premiere League" and art seems to be imitating life as the current agreement between DREAM and Strikeforce allows the exchange of talent for select cards, like the Shinya Aoki vs. Gilbert Melendez lightweight title fight that went down on April 17 in Nashville.

Of course comparisons to the "Undisputed 2010" video game are inevitable -- but don't call it a case of friendly competition.

UFC President Dana White had a very public war of words back in 2009 after White accused the gaming giant of turning down his offer for a video game partnership only to then create one of their own after the massive success of THQ's "UFC Undisputed 2009."

Which game the casual fan selects may depend heavily on their choice of fighters. Would you be willing to sacrifice the chance to play as BJ Penn or Anderson Silva to have a better overall game? EA Sports is banking on it and is expected to pull out all the stops in their debut effort.

For a look at the full roster for the EA Sports MMA video game release on Oct. 19 click here. In the meantime, check out everything today's demo has to offer in the video below.

Fedor Emelianenko: 'Right now, Strikeforce is struggling to find me a serious opponent'

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 07:38 AM PDT

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Props: MixFight.ru (via LowKick.com)

Quoteworthy:

"I have said many times that I have nothing to do with match-making. Right now, Strikeforce is struggling to find me a serious opponent. Alistair Overeem keeps finding all sorts of excuses not to fight me. The remaining stars have lost in their recent fights, so the promotion has no desire to put them up against me. And Fabricio Werdum is still recovering from his surgery. In addition, I have only one fight remaining with Strikeforce ... I'm yet to decide whether I'm going to continue my fighting career after this contract expires. Also, my candidacy nominated for the Post of Deputy in Belgorod Regional Duma, and if I'm elected, I think, will defend the interests of the people and try to do my best efforts for the development of sport. But again, I think it's too early to talk about it. I have to finalize the contract and prepare for my last bout."

Sounds like the Strikeforce/M-1 relationship is as healthy as ever. Anyone else ready to close the book on "The Last Emperor" -- or does the thirty-something Sambo star still matter in today's heavyweight landscape?

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida finally wises up and heads to AKA...

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 07:37 AM PDT

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Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida finally wises up and heads to AKA to study under Sensei Mike Swick.

Pray for "Rampage."

Evan Dunham: 'I'd love to fight Sean Sherk again ... and I think I could finish him'

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 07:17 AM PDT

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Props: Fighter's Only

Quoteworthy:

"I feel alright about it; I'm still disappointed. The main thing is I don't think I fought to my full potential in the first round. I kind of bought into the mystique of Sherk and his wrestling, and could've done better. I'll be going over the video and working to improve my mistakes. I'd love to fight Sherk again, and I think it was exciting for the fans and I think I could finish him. However I'm not one of those guys who wants to go on a 'revenge tour' ... I have all the respect in the world for Sean. He's a hell of a nice guy, but after this fight I think I can beat him. But, with that being said, I don't expect a rematch with him. Maybe one day. He wants to keep moving up and I respect that. He did everything he needed to do in the fight, but I would definitely like to fight him again."

Former undefeated lightweight Evan Dunham is ready for another crack at Sean Sherk following his controversial split decision loss to "The Muscle Shark" under the lights of the Conseco Fieldhouse at UFC 119 in Indianapolis, Indiana, back on Sept. 25. While most of the fans at home (and in attendance) gave the fight to Dunham, the ringside judges did not concur, prompting another head shaking moment from promotion president Dana White. The Xtreme Couture standout isn't looking for revenge, rather a chance to prove he's the better fighter despite the final result in "Circle City." Anyone want to see these two hook 'em up again? Or is it better to blame the scorecards and move forward with the rest of the division?

WEC 53 tickets for 'Henderson vs Pettis' at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale on Dec. 16 for sale soon

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 06:48 AM PDT

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Tickets for WEC 53, which was just made official for the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday, December 16, will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, September 30 at 10 a.m. PT.

UFC Fight Club members and WEC newsletter subscribers will be able to scoop up tickets prior to them being available for public consumption in a special presale set for Wednesday, September 29, starting at 10 a.m. and Noon PT, respectively.

Current WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson will put his 155-pound strap on the line against division number one contender Anthony Pettis.

Also putting his gold up for grabs will be 135-pound kingpin Dominick Cruz, as he tries to quell the uprising of streaking bantamweight Scott Jorgensen.

WEC 53 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch via Versus on fight night.

For more on UFC 53 stay dialed in to MMAmania.com. To check out the latest "Henderson vs. Pettis" news and notes click here.

Mirko Cro Cop: 'I have the option for two more fights ... knowing myself, I will do both'

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 06:21 AM PDT

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Props: CroCop.info

Quoteworthy:

"I think [the crowd] expected a more aggressive fight. I prepared as much as I could with all the injuries that have followed me. Also, I was sick [in Indianapolis]. I did not want to fight aggressive until the third round but he hit me with the knee. I don't think I was disgraced in this fight because I accepted it at the last moment. After Pat Barry I said that would be my last fight but I fought again. I need to rest and cure my injuries, I have a lot of injuries. This year of course I will not fight. I have the option for two more fights. Knowing myself, I will do both."

UFC 119 headliner Mirko Filipovic reflects on his performance at last Saturday night's pay-per-view while also looking ahead to the remaining fights on his Zuffa contract. "Cro Cop" stunk up the joint, along with opponent Frank Mir, before going stiff from a knee in the clinch. It was a performance that in no way resembled the efforts of the world beater that made waves in PRIDE, but is the Croat's injuries to blame? And if he makes good on his promise to fulfill his remaining fights, who does he get matched up with? Anyone want to see a Gonzaga rematch?

UFC Quick Pic: Tito Ortiz gets ripped for UFC 121 Matt Hamill fight

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 09:45 PM PDT

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Does this mean "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" has fully recovered from his broken back, cracked skull and every other post-fight malady that's afflicted him in recent years? Or will Matt Hamill drop the "Hammer" on Tito's career once and for all?

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