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- WEC 45 predictions and preview for 'Cerrone vs Ratcliff' on Dec. 19
- First Brock Lesnar post-surgery pics surface from TOPPS signing in Minnesota.
- Strikeforce photos gallery from 'Evolution' open media workout
- Frank Mir 'honored' to fight Shane Carwin at UFC 111 (Video)
- "These sites provide us with a tool to take live streams down. But for our last fight [UFC 106],...
- MMA Quick Quote: Styles make a main event on Dec. 19
- Robbie Lawler will not fight at Strikeforce: 'Evolution' on Dec. 19
- UFC 111: Kenny Florian vs Frank Edgar in New Jersey would be 'awesome' (Video)
- Zuffa to air two UFC Fight Night events on Versus Network in 2010; WEC PPV event possible
- Spike TV to air 10 free preliminary bouts from upcoming UFC pay-per-views
- WEC 45 video preview: A day in the life of Joseph Benavidez
- Din Thomas vs Ricardo Mayorga set for 'Shine III' in March 2010
- Cung Le: Jake Shields is using my name to get publicity
- UFC drug test results come back clean from the NSAC for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale
- Six questions with undefeated Strikeforce light heavyweight 'King Mo' Lawal
- Punch drunk: Boxing legend James Toney looking to 'break records' as possible UFC addition
- Frank Mir vs Shane Carwin Interim title bout targeted for UFC 111 on March 27 (Updated)
- Michael Bisping sparring with Bobby Lashley on 'Beat Down' movie set (Video)
- UFC 110: Cain Velasquez has too much respect for Big Nog
| WEC 45 predictions and preview for 'Cerrone vs Ratcliff' on Dec. 19 Posted: 16 Dec 2009 09:12 PM PST World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) is all set to close out its 2009 fight season with "Cerrone vs. Ratcliff" this Saturday night (Dec. 19) from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, beginning at 9 p.m. ET on the Versus network. WEC 45 will feature a main event between two of the promotion's more exciting contenders in the 155-pound division -- Greg Jackson pupil Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and feared striker Ed "9mm" Ratcliff. The Versus telecast will also showcase two dynamite bantamweight fights with all kinds of potential title implications on the line. Japanese import Takeya Mizugaki and Scott Jorgensen will go toe-to-toe, as well as Urijah Faber protoge, Joseph Benavidez, taking on Brazilian jiu-jitsu stud Rani Yahya in the night's co-main event. And of course there are plenty of other WEC stars who will be in action this weekend, including the debut of former International Fight League (IFL) standout Chris "The Polish Hammer" Horodecki, Anthony Njokuani, Anthony "Showtime" Pettis, Bart "Bartimus" Palaszewski and Jameel Massouh, among others. To help get you better prepared for the festivities, check out some quick analysis and predictions for the four main card bouts set to hit the Versus airwaves on Saturday night. Check it out: 155 lbs.: Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (10-2) vs. Ed "9mm" Ratcliff (7-1)
Ratcliff is a dangerous striker who undoubtedly wants to keep this fight standing. When he gets an opponent who is willing to trade with him, he usually ends up with his hand raised at the end. With that said, "Cowboy" has always come off as a fighter who is willing to bang with anyone. He has a solid Muay Thai background and he's shown a nice set of skills when given the opportunity. But, for those reasons, and probably by design, a lot of guys have been fooled into thinking they're in the middle of a striking match with "Cowboy," only to find themselves tapping out moments later from a submission out of nowhere. The fact is, that's when Cerrone is at his best. He's made a living out of submitting opponents who have been tricked by his style. And Ratcliff looks like another tailor-made victim. Now, we've seen Cerrone get his weakness (wrestling) exposed a bit recently against Henderson and Varner, but those guys both have much better wrestling than "9mm." That shouldn't be an issue for Cerrone in this fight. Ratcliff probably won't have too many tricks up his sleeve to surprise "Cowboy" with in this one. He's going to want to stand and knock him out. Knowing that, Cerrone and his world class team of training partners and coaches at Greg Jackson's gym shouldn't have too much of a problem putting together a winning formula for their guy. Final prediction: Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone via submission 135 lbs.: Joseph Benavidez (10-1) vs. Rani Yahya (15-4) This is going to be a very high paced, technical fight between two of the division's most athletic and talented fighters. Benavidez has improved greatly as a striker, but his strength is his ridiculous athleticism, which makes him a fantastic wrestler and grappler. Dominick Cruz had success against him by keeping his distance and winning stand up exchanges, but with this match up, he won't have to worry about that. Yahya won't be trying to pick Benavidez apart on his feet. That's not his style. He's a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter. And he's one of the best in the world. He'll try to get to the mat and submit Benavidez at all costs, which to me seems like an almost impossible mission. Don't get me wrong, I don't say that as a knock on Rani's jiu-jitsu skills at all. It's more of a testament to how insanely good I think Benavidez is when he gets a match up like this. His style is eerily reminiscent of his training partner Urijah Faber in that he attacks from unorthodox angles and uses his speed and versatility to keep his opponents guessing and off balance. To me, the way to beat Benavidez is to either knock him out with power strikes or to pick him apart like Cruz did. Anything other than that and this guy is more than a handful to deal with. Look for Benavidez to take this one with either a late technical knockout or unanimous decision. Final prediction: Joseph Benavidez via unanimous decision 155 lbs.: Chris "The Polish Hammer" Horodecki (13-1) vs. Anthony Njokuani (7-1) This fight has fireworks written all over it. Both these guys like to sling leather and both have knockout power. "The Polish Hammer" is making his debut for the promotion, while Njokuani is coming off back-to-back technical knockout victories over Muhsin Corbbrey and Bart Palaszewski under the WEC banner. Palaszewski is also a previous opponent of Horodecki's (twice) during their IFL days. Horodecki didn't have as easy a time as Njokuani though. He eked by "Bartimus" with a split decision in both fights. That doesn't mean much of anything heading into this bout, but it does show how dangerous Njokuani can be, finishing off a guy as tough as Palaszewski. In fact, I think Horodecki is going to have a really difficult time dealing with the variety of strikes Njokuani is going to hit him with, and I'm picking the Muay Thai specialist to win this fight early. Looking at Njokuani's only two losses, he was subbed by a superior wrestler in Ben Henderson, and he fell victim to the Cowboy Cerrone trickery I spoke about earlier. "The Polish Hammer" did score the first submission win of his career recently, but he's clearly not as much of a threat on the ground as "Smooth" or "Cowboy." Look for Njokuani to show his advantage in the striking game early and often. "The Polish Hammer" does have one punch power, but I expect Njokuani to wear him down and frustrate him for a round or two before eventually finishing him off with a barrage of strikes. Final prediction: Anthony Njokuani via technical knockout 135 lbs.: Takeya Mizugaki (12-3-2) vs. Scott Jorgensen (12-4) Jorgensen has been impressive during his five fights in the WEC. He does have a couple of close losses to Damacio Page and Antonio Banuelos, but he has been more than competitive every time out for the promotion. Expect that trend to continue in this fight, even though he'll likely be handed a third close loss in this one. Mizugaki has fought two of the most accomplished and credible fighters on the entire WEC roster in his first two fights for the promotion. But, even though Jorgensen doesn't carry the name value of a Miguel Torres or a Jeff Curran, Mizugaki better still bring his A game on Saturday night. He can't come into this fight thinking he has an easy opponent, because he doesn't. With that said, Mizugaki has not shown any reason for us to believe he'll overlook Jorgensen. So far, all we've seen from the Japanese import is a hard working fighter with a hard chin and a heart of a champion. Expect him to be on his game on Saturday, and expect him to use a lot of takedowns en route to another decision victory. Final prediction: Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decision That's a wrap.To check out the complete full lineup for WEC 45 click here. Check in early and often -- it should be an exciting night of fights! In the meantime, feel free to share your WEC 45-related thoughts and predictions in the comments section below. |
| First Brock Lesnar post-surgery pics surface from TOPPS signing in Minnesota. Posted: 16 Dec 2009 08:30 PM PST  First Brock Lesnar post-surgery pics surface from TOPPS signing in Minnesota. |
| Strikeforce photos gallery from 'Evolution' open media workout Posted: 16 Dec 2009 07:29 PM PST
Check out more images of Josh Thomson (pictured above) and Cung Le after the jump. To check out a video of Le thwapping the pads click here.
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| Frank Mir 'honored' to fight Shane Carwin at UFC 111 (Video) Posted: 16 Dec 2009 07:09 PM PST
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| "These sites provide us with a tool to take live streams down. But for our last fight [UFC 106],... Posted: 16 Dec 2009 07:08 PM PST
-- UFC chairman and CEO, Lorenzo Fertitta, who testified on behalf of the mixed martial arts league on Wednesday, tells CNBC.com that illegal live streaming of UFC events online is a major concern, but it's also hard to deal with. |
| MMA Quick Quote: Styles make a main event on Dec. 19 Posted: 16 Dec 2009 06:45 PM PST
-- It's the polished technician taking on the battering brawler when former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le collides with Scott Smith in the Strikeforce: “Evolution” main event this weekend on SHOWTIME. "Hands of Steel" sat down with Pro MMA Radio recently to discuss the potentially explosive match up. It will mark Smith’s return to the cage for the first time since getting submitted this past June at Strikeforce: “Lawler vs. Shields.” Le is certainly a high profile opponent for Smith, who looks to make a run at the Strikeforce middleweight title with a win over his “movie star” opponent on Saturday night. But does he have more than a puncher's chance to win? Perhaps more important, does he need anything else against the striking specialist? |
| Robbie Lawler will not fight at Strikeforce: 'Evolution' on Dec. 19 Posted: 16 Dec 2009 05:41 PM PST Following the withdrawals of Benji Radach and most recently Trevor Prangley, Strikeforce will be unable to find a suitable replacement to take on former Elite XC middleweight champion, Robbie Lawler, at its upcoming "Evolution" event from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., this Saturday (Dec. 19). MMA Fanhouse reports that "Ruthless" will instead compete against a yet-to-be announced opponent on the promotion's next major card, which is scheduled for the Seminole Hard Rock Hoteal and Casino in Sunrise, Fla., on Jan. 30, 2010. Lawler is coming off a submission loss to Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields on June 6. Despite entering the bout on a five-fight win streak, the power-puncher gift-wrapped his head for a textbook guillotine, tapping out to the submission specialist little more than two minutes into the first round. We'll have more on Lawler, as well as the Jan. 30 show, as soon as it becomes available. Remember that K-1 wrecking machine, Melvin Manhoef, is slated to make his debut that night. Interested in the possibility of Lawler vs. Manhoef, Maniacs? Strikeforce: "Evolution" will feature lightweight champion Josh Thomson (16-2, 1 NC) returning to action to battle the promotion's interim 155-pound kingpin, Gilbert Melendez (16-2). Former middleweight champion Cung Le is also coming back to trade fists with the always-entertaining Scott Smith. To check out the complete fight card for "Evolution" click here. |
| UFC 111: Kenny Florian vs Frank Edgar in New Jersey would be 'awesome' (Video) Posted: 16 Dec 2009 04:29 PM PST |
| Zuffa to air two UFC Fight Night events on Versus Network in 2010; WEC PPV event possible Posted: 16 Dec 2009 01:27 PM PST During today’s media conference call, UFC president Dana White confirmed that the two UFC events to be aired on the Versus network in 2010 will be UFC Fight Nights similar to the events normally broadcast on Spike TV. White addressed the press along with Versus executive Marc Fein to discuss the network deal announced earlier this week between UFC-owned Zuffa and the Versus network. The deal puts two live UFC events on Versus during 2010, along with seven events from the UFC’s sister promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). Which events are still left to be determined, but White promises that they will not be watered-down shows. "This will be a Fight Night," White said. "It will be like a Fight Night card … We have some big plans, but the first card we put on Versus, it’s going to be a good one." Whether or not that rules out UFC events that are held overseas — including UFC 110 in Sydney Australia on February 21 — and then aired in the States via tape-delay remains to be seen. Versus executive Marc Fein pointed toward the new year for a timeline on when more decisions will be made, including which day of the week the UFC events would air.
"I wouldn’t say there’s one given night," the partners are looking toward, Fein said. "We just want to make sure whatever night we pick maximizes ratings. ... If it cranks out the attendance and maximized viewership, that’s where we’ll land." White also didn’t shy away from questions regarding a potential deal to air UFC events on a major U.S. network. Comcast, the parent company of the Versus network, recently merged with NBC Universal. "Comcast and Versus have been great partners for us," White said optimistically. "They have some interesting things going on. … You never know." And what of Zuffa’s long-running plan to push the WEC into Pay-Per-View (PPV)? It might come with cross-promotion, believe it or not. "Absolutely," White said. "Our goal has been to get the WEC on Pay-Per-View this whole time. … The hard part about it is that there are so many dates taken, you know, between us, the WWE and boxing. It’s tough to find dates, or trying to line up fights. It’s a lot more than just throwing something on Pay-Per-View. There’s a lot of work and planning that are involved in it, but our goal is to put a WEC fight on Pay-Per-View." |
| Spike TV to air 10 free preliminary bouts from upcoming UFC pay-per-views Posted: 16 Dec 2009 12:00 PM PST
After attracting about 1.4 million viewers for both events as well as snagging a 1.0 household rating for the 1.3 million viewers who tuned in to see the UFC 106 featured preliminary bouts, it's safe to say the two parties liked what they saw. So much in fact, that another ten bouts have been ordered for 2010, including select under card offerings for UFC 108 on Jan. 2 and UFC 109 on Feb. 6. It's easy to think that part of that decision was influenced by the fans disappointment that UFC 107 would not be handing out any freebies because the time slot that coincided with the Dec. 12 event was already gobbled up by the Spike TV Video Game Awards (VGA). Here's how the under cards are shaping up for the next two events:
Okay Maniacs, let's hear it. If you had two fights to pick from each event, which ones would you want to see on free TV? |
| WEC 45 video preview: A day in the life of Joseph Benavidez Posted: 16 Dec 2009 11:24 AM PST |
| Din Thomas vs Ricardo Mayorga set for 'Shine III' in March 2010 Posted: 16 Dec 2009 11:20 AM PST
MMAmania.com confirmed the match-up earlier today. "Dinyero" was a top contender in the stacked UFC 155-pound division prior to back-to-back losses to Kenny Florian (because he blew out his knee during the fight) and Josh Neer. Following that, Thomas announced his desire to compete at 145 pounds. He never got the chance. Thomas was given his pink slip in May 2008 along with Travis Lutter, David Heath, Kalib Starnes, Joe Doerksen and John Halverson. Since then, he scored a submission win (triangle choke) over Dustin Pierkin at Headhunter Productions "The Patriot Act" back in February followed by a TKO victory (knee) over Gabe Lemley at "March Badness" just over a month later. Affliction MMA quickly scooped him up for their August "Trilogy" event, but we all know how that turned out. Still, the 32-fight veteran can get back into the headlines with a big win over the boxing bad boy. In addition to his run as WBA/WBC welterweight champion and WBC junior middleweight champion, the 28-7-1 pugilist was equally famous for his colorful personality. We know he can punch -- and take a punch -- but will he have anything to offer Thomas on the ground? You can bet the Nicaraguan has no intentions of letting it get there. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates to the still-developing Shine III fight card, which is expected to feature main card bouts pitting Hector Lombard versus Alexandre "Cacareco" Ferreira and Luiz Azeredo against Luiz "Buscape" Firmino. |
| Cung Le: Jake Shields is using my name to get publicity Posted: 16 Dec 2009 10:40 AM PST Props: MMA Examiner Quoteworthy:
Former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le talks about his decision to return to mixed martial arts on Dec. 19 at "Evolution" to face the hard-hitting Scott Smith while in the midst of a break between acting gigs. The San Shou disciple came under fire from Shields, who claims Le vacated the title in order to escape having to defend it against him on national television. While they seemed destined to collide, the influx of hungry middleweights like Manhoef, Henderson and Souza doesn't bode well for a future Le vs. Shields grudge match. Will Le stick around long enough to face any of the aforementioned fighters? And what are his chances if he does? |
| UFC drug test results come back clean from the NSAC for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale Posted: 16 Dec 2009 09:54 AM PST The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today confirmed that 9 of the 18 competitors who were tested for illegal/banned substances after competing at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale on Dec. 5 have all passed with flying colors. TUF 10 finalists and main event participants Roy "Big Country" Nelson and Brendan Schaub were tested along with Matt Hamill, Jon Jones, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, Frankie Edgar, Matt Mitrione, John Howard and Mark Bocek, who were all screened for performance enhancers such as steroids and drugs of abuse like cocaine and marijuana, among others. Results from these battery of tests all returned negative. The fighters mentioned above were randomly selected. However, athletic commissions typically test the main event participants and fight night winners, as well as those who have failed tests in the past. The UFC dished out $351,000 in fighter salaries for the Spike TV event from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and another $25,000 in additional bonus money for the four participants who delivered outstanding performances. The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale featured newly-crowned TUF 10 champion Roy Nelson making his Octagon debut a memorable one, treating Brendan Schaub like fruit at a Gallagher concert and scoring "Knockout of the Night" with a single punch. Also in action, Kimbo Slice huffed and puffed his way to a unanimous decision victory over the fast-stepping of Houston Alexander while Jon Jones picked up a controversial disqualification loss to Matt Hamill after hammering him with some illegal elbows. Good times. For complete results and coverage of TUF 10 Finale click here and here. |
| Six questions with undefeated Strikeforce light heavyweight 'King Mo' Lawal Posted: 16 Dec 2009 08:51 AM PST SAN JOSE, Calif., (Dec. 16, 2009) - Undefeated "King Mo" Lawal will make his Strikeforce debut and only his second mixed martial arts MMA appearance in the United States when he meets two-time NAIA wrestling All-American "Iron" Mike Whitehead in one of five televised fights on Showtime on Saturday, Dec. 19, from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Lawal, a former three-time U.S. Senior National wrestling champion and former NCAA National collegiate wrestling champion (Central Oklahoma), recently signed a multi-fight agreement with Strikeforce. He has been training in Southern California with fellow Strikeforce competitors Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Benji Radach, and Fabricio Werdum, among others. In his last fight, King Mo dusted aside MMA legend Mark Kerr in 25 seconds on Aug. 28. The charismatic, outspoken 28-year-old Lawal, whose public feud with Quinton "Rampage'' Jackson has been well-documented, is currently living in Temecula, Calif., by way of Mufiesboro, Tenn. He recently answered Six Questions posed to him regarding his upcoming matchup. QUESTION: What do you think about your Dec. 19 opponent Mike Whitehead? KING MO: "I think Mike Whitehead is a good fighter. I'm not going to change anything or do anything differently. I just have to fight smart. We were both college wrestlers and have similar backgrounds. It should be a great fight." QUESTION: You're training with some incredible fighters in Orange County. How has that helped you and have they given you any advice? KING MO: "It's been great. You got guys like Dan Cormier, Benji Radach and "Mayhem" Miller. There's just a lot of guys and a lot of them have experience fighting for STRIKEFORCE. I haven't really asked for advice because everyone is different. I've fought in a lot of big venues myself and under a lot of stressful situations and a lot of places that were just overwhelming. I've wrestled in Iran and in Russia and fought in Budapest. I've seen it all as far as people rooting against me. So I think I have a lot to teach those guys, as well." QUESTION: "What about fighting in Tokyo. Did you enjoy that experience? KING MO: "I loved fighting over there. The food, the people, and just experiencing a different culture. But I'm happy to be back and fighting in the States. This will be my second fight here (he knocked out Mark Kerr in Kansas City in August)." QUESTION: You have expressed interest in fighting heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. Do you think you'll get a shot at him? KING MO: "Well, we both have fights on the horizon that we have to take care of first. He'll have his hands full against guys like Fabricio (Werdum) and (Alistair) Overeem. I know I have to keep winning and so does he. He's not fighting very often so I don't know. It's up to STRIKEFORCE at this point." QUESTION: What are you like outside the cage when you're not fighting? KING MO: "I'm pretty boring. I don't anything too exciting. I like to just chill and listen to music. I actually like to watch boxing on TV." QUESTION: Who are some of your favorite fighters? KING MO: "I like Paul Williams, (Floyd) Mayweather, and (Manny) Pacquiao. I like to watch old tapes of (Muhammad) Ali, (Larry) Holmes. I like (Kelly) Pavlik and the Klitschko brothers. I like them all. And the SHOWTIME tournament with the Super Six has been great. I watched the (Andre) Ward-(Mikkel) Kessler fight. Like I said, I like it all." Tickets for Dec. 19, priced from $30, are on sale at the HP Pavilion ticket office as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE'S official website (www.strikeforce.com). In the main event, undefeated former STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight (185 pounds) Champion Cung Le (6-0) will square off with hard-hitting Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith (17-6). STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson (16-2) will battle Interim Lightweight Champion Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez (16-2) in a long-awaited rematch to determine the undisputed king of STRIKEFORCE's 155 pound division. Former United States Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt "The Law" Lindland (21-6) will face off with submission expert "Jacare" Souza (10-2). Doors at HP Pavilion will open at 5 p.m. PT for the STRIKEFORCE: "Evolution" event presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6:00 PM, PT. The live SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). |
| Punch drunk: Boxing legend James Toney looking to 'break records' as possible UFC addition Posted: 16 Dec 2009 08:32 AM PST
Quoteworthy:
41-year-old NABO heavyweight boxing champion James "Lights Out" Toney (72-6-3, 44 KOs), who was in Memphis, Tennessee last Saturday to attend UFC 107, is ready to enter the world of professional cage fighting and test his hands against the biggest names in the sport. Perhaps he saw Ray Mercer put "The Maine-iac" into a leather straight jacket earlier this year in Alabama and decided it was time to prove his power is more than enough to squash a former YouTube star and some past-their prime headliners. But Brock Lesnar? Perhaps in his current condition, yes, but a healthy Lesnar against an aging boxer has double-leg plus GnP written all over it. Anyone care to disagree? |
| Frank Mir vs Shane Carwin Interim title bout targeted for UFC 111 on March 27 (Updated) Posted: 16 Dec 2009 07:08 AM PST
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir, fresh off his ass-whooping of Cheick Kongo at UFC 107 in Memphis, may be the final hurdle for Shane Carwin to clear in his ascension to the top of the heavyweight mountain as both men are "probable" for a UFC 111 clash to claim the Interim title in Newark, New Jersey, on March 27.
Current division kingpin Brock Lesnar is still recuperating after minor surgery to help stymie the onslaught of diverticulitis, "a common digestive disease often found in the large intestine." Major surgery is often only required as a last resort to prevent against a potentially life-threatening situation. UFC President Dana White revealed that Lesnar could need additional procedures in the future if for whatever reason the latest one doesn't get him healthy. Therefore, with his return a complete open-ended mystery at this time, White has decided to coordinate an interim division title to keep things moving while Lesnar recovers. At the front of the line is Shane Carwin. "The Engineer" was supposed to headline UFC 106 back on Nov. 21 opposite Lesnar prior to the champ's illness and was once again ruled out of their rescheduled bout at UFC 108 on Jan. 2 when it was learned that the former WWE headliner would be out indefinitely. The 11-0 Carwin has waited patiently on the sidelines in hopes that Joe Silva would give him some direction while the fate of Lesnar's belt was being determined. Enter Frank Mir. Mir -- who defeated Lesnar via first round submission in early 2008 -- did not make it out of the second round in the rematch, getting pinned under the 280+-pound monster and overdosing on a huge helping of ham hocks. He was visibly in the best shape of his fighting career, tipping the scales at a lean 245 pounds. Unfortunately it wasn't enough. The grappling wizard decided to change up his strength and conditioning program by enlisting the services of former U.S. strongman representative and UNLV strength coach, Mark Phillippi. He got a chance to put his improved power to the test when he faced Cheick Kongo at UFC 107 on Dec. 12. It took about a minute to drop the Parisian striker with a devastating left hand and subsequently choke him out with an iron-clad guillotine. Suffice to say the "new and improved" Mir is a force to be reckoned with -- something Carwin wants to be considered as well with each manning gunning for first dibs when Lesnar returns. Anyone want to take a stab at the opening lines? +/- 110? UFC 111 will feature a 170-pound title defense by promotion superstar Georges St. Pierre as "Rush" answers the call of British striker Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates on this still-developing fight card. |
| Michael Bisping sparring with Bobby Lashley on 'Beat Down' movie set (Video) Posted: 16 Dec 2009 06:41 AM PST UFC vs. Strikeforce under TNA rules? |
| UFC 110: Cain Velasquez has too much respect for Big Nog Posted: 16 Dec 2009 06:04 AM PST Props: Nocaute (written version) Quoteworthy:
Rising undefeated heavyweight prospect Cain will face the hardest challenge of his young career at UFC 110 on Feb. 22, 2010, when he headlines the pay-per-view (PPV) event in Australia against Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira. The 27- year-old former collegiate wrestling standout will take on the much more experienced and submission-savvy mixed martial arts veteran in a clash that could signal a shift from the old guard to the new with a Velasquez victory. Can the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product dig deep and find a way to win or is "Big Nog" just to crafty and seasoned for him to handle at this stage of his career? |
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