Wednesday, January 20, 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

Randy Couture 'spot on' for Mark Coleman fight at UFC 109 (Video)

Posted: 20 Jan 2010 04:02 AM PST

UFC Quick Quote: Georges St. Pierre is getting scary

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 06:39 PM PST

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Props: Heavy.com

Quoteworthy:

"It's getting scary. Georges is getting better and better, believe it or not. If I compare him to last year he is far beyond where he was. He's a very scary individual. I can't even put him in with anybody his size. I can't put him with another welterweight because there is no other welterweight right now I can bring in who can make Georges sweat. We're looking to bring in Gegard Mousasi who is at 205 to work with Georges. I actually like it when the opponent's talk more (trash) because Georges comes in and puts in a lot more work. Trust me, believe me, the more Matt Serra talked, the harder Georges was training. The more BJ talked, the more Georges worked on his conditioning and his boxing. It really fuels Georges St. Pierre. To me, it has really backfired on every opponent."

Trainer Firas Zahabi gives the UFC welterweight division some more bad news as he reports in from Georges St. Pierre's training camp as the division champ prepares to arrest "The Outlaw" Dan Hardy at UFC 111 on March 27 in Newark, New Jersey. "Rush" is flirting with the idea of moving up in weight and if he disposes of Hardy in a violent fashion, it may not make sense for him to stay at 170-pounds. Anyone want to see him mix it up at middleweight -- or hang around and rematch Josh Koscheck and Thiago Alves?

Rashad Evans vs 'Rampage' Jackson likely for UFC 114 on May 29 in Las Vegas

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 04:46 PM PST

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South Park said it best: Blame Canada.

Because the UFC 113 fight card for Montreal continues to be stacked to the gills with a bevy of great match-ups, the Rashad Evans (14-1-1) vs. Quinton Jackson (30-7) grudge match will likely be moved to UFC 114 on May 29 in Las Vegas.

That's according to a text message from Dana White via Dave Meltzer at Yahoo Sports.

"Suga" rebounded from a Brazilian ass-whooping at UFC 98: "Evans vs. Machida" back in May 2009 to outlast (and outwrestle) the dangerous Thiago Silva in the main event of UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva" earlier this month at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Following the win -- which UFC President Dana White insisted was critical for a future dance with Rampage -- White initially targeted a tentative May 1 date for their clash at UFC 113 in Montreal.

Of course, the Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 2 Champion was originally booked to settle his differences with the Tennessee native in the main event of UFC 107 on Dec. 12 following his return to the TUF franchise as a coach at war with Jackson in the heavyweight season populated with big bellies and behemothic beards.

Unfortunately Rampage didn't stick to the script.

That's because Jackson was cast as "B.A. Baracus" in the upcoming theatrical remake of "The A-Team," which filmed in Vancouver on a two month commitment, effectively preventing him from being fully prepared to compete in front of his hometown crowd (Memphis) for the first time ever inside the Octagon.

White blasted the former light heavyweight champion for bailing on the bout, which was understandable considering the entire season of TUF 10 was built around his Dec. 12 showdown with Evans -- and it wasn't the first time in 2009 that Jackson didn't play by the rules.

Remember that he passed on the opportunity try and pry the 205-pound title from newly-minted division kingpin, Lyoto Machida, opting to take on the recently dethroned "Suga" instead. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua happily stepped in for Jackson and battle the "Dragon" to a close unanimous decision loss at UFC 104 back on Oct. 24.

Fortunately White is willing to overlook his past difficulties with Jackson to cash in on a grudge match with Evans while there is still some relevancy to their feud. And considering their history, it won't take long for the trash-talking to get underway.

The question is whether or not Jackson will be prepared enough to face his adversary after being out of action for over a year.

Time will tell.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates on the UFC 114 fight card as they develop.

WEC 47 video trailer for 'Bowles vs Cruz' in Columbus on March 6

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 04:46 PM PST

UFC 'Primetime' returns to Spike TV on March 10 for UFC 111 preview of St. Pierre vs Hardy

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 03:44 PM PST

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The UFC has announced the return of "Primetime," a three-part series featuring an in-depth look at the upcoming UFC 111 welterweight title fight between current champion Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and number one contender Dan Hardy (23-6).

The debut episode will air on Wednesday, March 10, at 10:00 pm ET on Spike TV and episodes two and three will air on March 17 and 24, respectively.

St. Pierre is no stranger to the UFC Primetime series. "Rush" was featured during the show's initial run when it was constructed around the colossal UFC 94 welterweight title fight between himself and former welterweight and current lightweight champion BJ Penn back on January 14, 2009.

The Spike TV special garnered 880,000 viewers (.73 rating) in its debut and added another hefty 614,000 viewers (.53 rating) in the replay that immediately followed for a viewing total of 1,494,000. In comparison, last year's highest rated episode of UFC Countdown scored 782,000 viewers.

It's no surprise the network opted to bring the series back to the airwaves -- although it's a bit surprising it wasn't done a little sooner. MMA pundits expected a "Primetime" look at Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir for UFC 100; however, it never came to fruition.

UFC 111 will be the first appearance for St. Pierre in the "Garden State" since his submission loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 50: "War of '04." Since that loss, "Rush" has gone 12-1, and a 2007 stoppage to Matt Serra notwithstanding, has looked nearly invincible in all 13 of his contests.

Aside from avenging his defeat to Hughes at UFC 79 (and then finishing his title aspirations for good at UFC 83), the uber-welterweight also put his stamp of disapproval on BJ Penn (twice), Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves.

In fact, Dan Hardy was likely afforded a title shot because there aren't many competitors in the 170-pound division that haven't already got a crack at the surging Canadian -- and came up short.

That's not to suggest "The Outlaw" isn't deserving. After squeaking past Akihiro Gono in his Octagon debut back at UFC 89, the Nottingham native rattled off three more wins, including two over a pair of the division's burgeoning prospects, Marcus Davis and Mike Swick.

Ironically, Swick was one win away from his turn at facing St. Pierre in a number one contender match against Martin Kampann at UFC 103 back in September; however, the Texan suffered a "Quick" exit from the event after getting dropped on his head during practice.

After "The Hitman" was shot down by Swick substitute Paul "Semtex" Daley on Sept. 19, Hardy was yanked from his UFC 105 bout opposite "Stun Gun" Kim and given the opportunity to elevate himself into title contention with a big win over one of the original Ultimate Fighter stars.

Mission accomplished.

For more on UFC 111 click here.

UFC 109 prelims on Spike TV to feature Danzig vs Buchholz and Guillard vs Torres

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 03:16 PM PST

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Spike TV will once again offer mixed martial arts fans a look at select preliminary bouts when it airs live under card action from the upcoming UFC 109: "Relentless" pay-per-view on Feb. 6 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

UFC lightweight stars Mac Danzig and Justin Buchholz will bring their bout to the airwaves alongside the 155-pound scrap between Melvin Guillard and Ronnys Torres.

Danzig, Guillard and Buchholz are all coming off recent losses while Torres is riding an eight-fight winning streak.

Starting with the UFC 103 pay-per-view back in September 2009 and then again at UFC 104 just a month later, the Zuffa brass wanted to test the idea along with its cable television partner and see what kind of numbers free preliminary bouts could generate.

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 featured preliminary bouts from UFC 106, the network ordered another ten bouts for 2010 starting with UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva."

More under card fights are expected to air on the cable television network from future UFC cards as well. If the numbers continue to hold, it could become a permanent addition to every pay-per-view event.

And that's a good thing.

Brock Lesnar health update finally revealed via ESPN 'SportsCenter' on Jan. 20 at 11am ET

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 02:36 PM PST

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The shroud of secrecy that surrounds the health of UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar may soon be lifted, as the press conference that was originally scheduled for today (Jan. 19) has been scrapped in favor of the ratings bonanza that is sure to accompany his appearance on ESPN's "SportsCenter"  tomorrow (Jan. 20) at 11 a.m. ET.

Lesnar will provide details regarding a possible return to mixed martial arts after undergoing a surgical procedure late last year to repair damage inflicted by intestinal diverticulitis.

The former WWE star hasn't seen the Octagon since a second round drubbing of Frank Mir at UFC 100 back on July 11, 2009. He was booked to defend the recently-unified title against number one contender Shane Carwin at UFC 106 last November until the illness intensified and left him unable to train.

The UFC recently announced that Carwin will instead battle former champion Frank Mir at UFC 111 in his absence and we may finally know by tomorrow if that bout will be contested for an interim title (as scheduled) or the true title should the Minnesotan be forced to surrender the belt in anticipation of a long or permanent absence.

Word out of the Lesnar camp is that the champ is expected to return to action later this year and will resume his position as the sport's biggest draw. If so, the winner of Carwin vs. Mir will likely face Lesnar to once again unify the heavyweight strap.

Stay tuned for more details following tomorrow's announcement, which we will bring you in full detail right here at MMAmania.com as soon as it concludes.

UFC Quick Quote: Frank Trigg doesn't see anyway Matt Serra can really beat him

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 10:33 AM PST

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"This isn't a guy you can take lightly. This is a guy that really knows what he's doing. He almost beat Matt Hughes. He's been in great wars before. He's a former champion. He knocked out GSP, or (rather) TKO'd GSP. He's a guy that's very tough. He's got some great techniques. He's got some great guillotines. He's got great balance when trying to take him down. It's tough to take him down. He's obviously got a great overhand right. He's very, very good. But I have to agree with you guys. I don't see any way he can really beat me. If I'm always on my toes, always paying attention, and picking my spots and not looking to finish him in the 45 seconds...realizing this is a guy who's gonna be tough to finish. I'm not gonna submit him. I don't have the black belt Renzo Gracie skill that he has in jiu-jitsu, so I'm not gonna be able to submit him. I'm gonna have to wear him down, beat him up, and that's just how it's gonna have work. And I'm okay with that."

-- Frank Trigg made an appearance on Tapout Radio last evening (Jan. 18) to discuss his upcoming bout against seasoned veteran and former UFC welterweight champion, Matt Serra, at UFC 109. Trigg explained that while Serra has several strong points and "really knows what he's doing," "Twinkle Toes" is confident that Serra will be unable to find a way to beat him. Trigg has always been great at hyping fights with his never ending trash talk, but he's failed to back up his words on several occasions. Is the former welterweight top contender correct by saying Serra can't beat him? Or will "Twinkle Toes" fail to back it up once again?

Report: Paul Daley signs six-fight contract extension with the UFC

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 10:16 AM PST

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British slugger Paul Daley (23-8-2, 2-0 in the UFC) has certainly let his presence be known since throwing his fists into the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight mix late last year.

After disposing of one-time title contender Martin Kampmann in vicious fashion at UFC 103, Daley was given a chance to prove it was no fluke when he took on submission ace Dustin Hazelett at UFC 108. All he did there was turn in an even more dominating performance earning himself "Knockout of the Night" honors. 

Looks like company president Dana White saw what we saw because the Telegraph is reporting that "Semtex" has been locked down by the Zuffa brass for six more fights. 

And with a fight scheduled against Josh Koscheck for UFC 113 in a few months, this calculated move is significant.

That's because the winner of the match will likely be next in line for a title shot against the winner of the Georges St. Pierre and Dan Hardy match at UFC 111. With the heavy hands that Daley possesses, any fight he is involved in could end at any time, which obviously makes for exciting fights.

Couple those skills with his undeniable ability to jaw, and the UFC has got themselves a fighter worthy of big promotional dollars. 

But first things first for the Brit -- Koscheck is undoubtedly his toughest test in the Octagon to date. Does he have enough firepower to put "Kos" to sleep, or will Josh's relentless pace and great wrestling be too much for Semtex to handle?

Let's hear it, Maniacs.

Melvin Guillard enlists the help of Joe Stevenson and Greg Jackson ...

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 08:03 AM PST

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... to help him with his submission defense, finally:

"I’ve been talking with Coach Greg for a while about coming up. Me and Joe Stevenson have been hanging out a lot and he just kept telling me that it’s a great camp to come to. I knew it would be the best place in the world for me because his training speaks for itself, so I ended up coming here and they made me a part of the team…. They’re teaching me ways of not only weathering the storm, but of creating problems for guys in their own element….. Now I’m not as worried anymore (about facing a grappler) because I’m training with the best guys in the world, and just having Joe in my corner has built up my confidence a whole lot. He submits me all the time, but Joe just has that vice grip – once he’s on you, he’s on you. And even with my explosiveness, I have my times when I can get away from him, and it just comes from training. As long as I keep learning and my confidence keeps growing, I’m gonna continue to fight whoever they put in front of me. It doesn’t matter if its jiu-jitsu guys or standup guys, the good thing about jiu-jitsu guys is that it gives me a chance to get a knockout of the night bonus. That’s kinda how I’m coming into this next fight. I’m gonna be very explosive and I’m just gonna unload everything I’ve got on this guy… I feel that I’m putting things together. I made Albuquerque my new home for training, and I’m just gonna take it one day and one step at a time, and I know that I’m gonna be a better fighter by the end of this year. Just being here gives me all the confidence in the world and lets me know what I need to do to be successful. I think 2010 is gonna be a really good year for me, and hopefully by 2011, I should be getting a title shot."

Seven of the eight career losses (almost 90 percent) for the "Young Assassin" have come by way of submission.

Is this the missing piece to the enigmatic puzzle that is Guillard or does the 26-year-old just not have what it takes to reach the upper echelon of the division? 

We could find out soon enough -- Guillard is set to face submission specialist Ronnys Torres at UFC 109: "Relentless" in just a few weeks.

Jon Jones plans to be faster, smarter and better than Brandon Vera at UFC on Versus 1 (Video)

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 07:40 AM PST

(Thanks to Anton Tabuena at BloodyElbow.com for the assist.)

UFC Quick Quote: Belfort's brain the key to beating Silva in April

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 06:18 AM PST

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"This fight is a big mystery. Both trained boxing with [Luis] Dorea. I asked many people in the academy, and everybody tells me they can’t predict what’s going to happen. The consensus is that if Belfort explodes at the beginning, he has a chance for the knockout, but most people believe more in Anderson if the fight goes past the first round. That’s what I heard most people saying. I’ve never trained with Anderson, but I’ve already trained with Belfort, and I can say he is very complete and certainly one of the biggest talents ever in Brazilian MMA. His only weakness is his mind, but, lately, he hasn’t shown any psychological weakness. I think Belfort is more complete physically and technically than Anderson, but Anderson is always 100 percent psychologically. So, for sure, it’s an unpredictable fight."

-- Demian Maia talks to Sherdog.com about the feeling in Brazil within the mixed martial arts community about the upcoming fight between middleweight champion Anderson Silva and number one contender Vitor Belfort at UFC 112 on April 10. He says that basically most feel it's a toss up, with the only real question mark being the mental fortitude of the "Phenom." In fact, Maia even suggests that Belfort may even be more gifted skill-wise than the "Spider." So is this "Battle of Brazil" going to be much closer than most fans and critics predict? And, with the right mind, can Belfort dethrone the dominant -- and seemingly unbeatable -- champion once and for all?

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at Vanity in the Hard Rock Hotel on...

Posted: 19 Jan 2010 06:18 AM PST

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Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at Vanity in the Hard Rock Hotel on Jan. 17, 2010. Will he be Rashad-ready with just a few months of training?
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