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- UFC 110: Cain Velasquez preparing 'for an all-out war' against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
- UFC 109 video blog with Matt Serra (Episode two)
- Denis Kang vs Vernon White to headline W-1: 'Bad Blood' on March 20
- WEC 47: Bart Palaszewski vs Karen Darabedyan announced for March 6
- Miami Heat: MMAmania.com Strikeforce interview exclusive with Marloes Coenen
- Round 5 UFC action figures 'Series 2' figurines featuring Kimbo Slice, BJ Penn and more (Pic)
- Report: Forrest Griffin vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the works for UFC 113
- Travis Galbraith promises 2010 will be the year of 'The Gladiator'
- Coach Motel: Liddell, Ortiz name assistants for TUF 11
- Stephan Bonnar ready to end the Polish Experiment at UFC 110
- Clay Guida vs Shannon Gugerty set for UFC on Versus preliminary card
- Gabriel Gonzaga: I want to prove I'm a better striker than Junior dos Santos
- Rob Kimmons and Mike Pierce set to fight at UFC on Versus 1
- UFC Quick Quote: Bring it on, Wanderlei
| UFC 110: Cain Velasquez preparing 'for an all-out war' against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Posted: 26 Jan 2010 05:21 PM PST Props: The Sydney Morning Herald Quoteworthy:
Undefeated heavyweight standout Cain Velasquez talks about how overcoming adversity in his last fight against Cheick Kongo -- where he was rocked bad at least twice -- will help him when he steps inside the Octagon against former UFC interim and Pride FC heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Velasquez and Nogueira will headline the promotion's first-ever event in Australia, UFC 110, at the Acer Arena in Sydney on Feb. 21. The winner will likely set himself up for an eventual title shot later in 2010. So is Velasquez ready to rumble with the big cats or will the accomplished former champion send him to the back of the contender line with his dangerous mix of submissions and strikes? |
| UFC 109 video blog with Matt Serra (Episode two) Posted: 26 Jan 2010 05:06 PM PST |
| Denis Kang vs Vernon White to headline W-1: 'Bad Blood' on March 20 Posted: 26 Jan 2010 05:03 PM PST Warrior One MMA (W-1) wasted no time booking its most recent high-profile acquisition, Denis Kang (32-12-1), to headline "Bad Blood" on March 20, pairing him opposite 61-fight veteran, Vernon White (26-33-2). Kang revealed the match up today via Twitter.com. White, a bonafide MMA veteran who began his career in the Japanese organization, Pancrase, in its inaugural year (1993), has faced some of the biggest names in MMA today: Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Masakatsu Funaki, Pedro Rizzo, Kazushi Sakuraba, and the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida, to name a few. He last fought in May 2009 in "War Gods - War Gods 5" fight card, dropping a unanimous decision against Lew Polley. Kang, meanwhile -- once a top-ranked middleweight with a stunning 23-fight undefeated streak from 2003 to 2006 in organizations such as Pride FC and Spirit MC -- has run into a rough patch in recent years. During his three-fight stint in UFC, he went 1-2 with a decison win over Xavier Foupa-Pokam sandwiched between uninspiring losses to Alan Belcher in his promotional debut and to Michael Bisping at UFC 105. |
| WEC 47: Bart Palaszewski vs Karen Darabedyan announced for March 6 Posted: 26 Jan 2010 04:07 PM PST
The promotion made the official announcement today. Palaszewski is hoping his second run in the promotion will prove better than the first after he was dropped by the WEC after going 1-2 in his first three fights. "Bartimus," a veteran of the sport, returned to the WEC this past Dec. at WEC 45: "Cerrone vs. Ratcliff," scoring a split-decision over Anthony Pettis. He will look to build upon his two-fight win streak come March 6. Darabedyan debuted with the WEC this past Nov. at WEC 44: "Brown vs. Aldo" with an awkward split-decision victory in a fight he dictated for the vast majority of the 15 minutes. He is currently on a seven fight win-streak, having not lost since Dec. of 2007. WEC 47 will feature a main event between bantamweight champion Brian Bowles and top contender Dominick Cruz. Also featured on the card are two legends in mixed martial arts, as Miguel Torres and Jens Pulver look to get back to their winning ways in separate fights. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com as the WEC's March card continues to round out. |
| Miami Heat: MMAmania.com Strikeforce interview exclusive with Marloes Coenen Posted: 26 Jan 2010 12:05 PM PST Marloes Coenen is currently putting the finishing touches on her training camp in the Netherlands in preparation for the most important fight of her career. On January 30 at the Strikeforce: "Miami" event, she will get the opportunity to accomplish what no female fighter has been able to do since 2005, that is, defeat the Brazilian Muay Thai machine and current Strikeforce Women's Champion known as Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos. Coenen is coming off an impressive win over Roxanne Modafferi at the Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Rogers" event last November, earning the right to face Santos in order to determine the best female 145-pound fighter on the planet. Coenen took some time out of her busy schedule to discuss adjusting to the U.S., her Fedor vs. Overeem dilemma and her plan of attack for the seemingly indestructible Cyborg. Check it out: Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're coming off an impressive performance in Chicago against Roxanne Modafferi. Did that fight go as you had envisioned and were you happy with your performance? Marloes Coenen: Well, I had put in my mind that I would KO her in the first round. The strange thing was that my coach told me just before I had to enter the cage that he (all of a sudden) thought I would win on an armbar. I didn't respond to him and thought by myself, "Nope, it'll be a KO." But then after I knocked her down and wanted to do a side choke I tripped over her and into the guard. Before I knew it I pulled the armbar out. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Was that your first trip to US? If so, how did you like Chicago and how does it compare to where you live in the Netherlands? Marloes Coenen: No, I have competed before in ADCC in LA and Philadelphia. I was also in San Jose as a stand in for the Gina Carano/Cyborg fight. To be honest the only thing you see are the airport, hotel, venue, and pharmacy - I forget nine out of ten times my toothbrush. I haven't seen anything from Chicago, too bad because the city looked very nice from inside the van. The difference with the Netherlands is mostly size. Not only for the size of the dishes of food but also for the size of cars or distances. For instance, living in Amsterdam you do not need a car. I do everything by bike or public transport. When I go to my parents in the east of the Netherlands, from west to east it only takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. You say that everything is bigger in Texas. Well compared to the Netherlands everything is bigger in the US. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I wanted to ask you about fighting on the same card with Fedor Emelianenko. Obviously, all the fighters spend some time together prior to an event whether it's an open media workout or press conference or whatever. What was your first impression of him and did you get a chance to speak with him at all? Marloes Coenen: This picture says more than a 1000 words, doesn't it? Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You train at the same gym, Golden Glory, that Alistair Overeem trains at as well. If Alistair and Fedor fought each other who would win and why? Marloes Coenen: Oh that's a nasty question! I know Alistair for years and am very happy for him that he is doing so well right know. He is really talented and dedicated, so much discipline. But I'm also for years a big fan of Fedor too. Okay, if Fedor wins it'll be after a beatdown given by Alistair, that Alistair will walk into a lucky punch. If Alistair can avoid that he'll remain the Strikeforce champion. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Of course, you're fighting Cyborg Santos for her Strikeforce championship belt on 1/30. First of all, are you happy to be fighting on the main televised card on Showtime? Marloes Coenen: Yes, most of all because it is recognition for the females in the sport. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What can potential fans of yours in the US expect from you? How would you describe your fighting style to a fan in this country who may not have seen you fight before? Marloes Coenen: Shooto, although I started out doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu. That was because there was nothing else in the town I grew up. The Japanese style of always going for the submission or knockout like Rumina Sato and "Mach" Sakurai have really influenced me. When I won my world title in 1999 one of the fights was against Becky Levi on a flying armbar. It was Rumina Sato who inspired me to do that. But I am from the Netherlands with a lot of K1-champions, so yes, I do like to strike and kick too. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What would winning a Strikeforce championship belt mean to you? Marloes Coenen: Being regarded as number one in the world. But to me it is more the challenge fighting a fighter of Cristiane's caliber that is triggering me. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What is the key to defeating Cyborg? Marloes Coenen: Keep your calm and be aggressive at the right time. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Does she have any weaknesses? Marloes Coenen: For sure she has. She's only human; two arms and two legs. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Twelve of your seventeen victories are by submission. Do you feel like you have the advantage if the fight goes to the ground? Marloes Coenen: Let's put it like this, I'm very comfortable on the ground. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you have to get the fight to the ground to be able to win the fight? Marloes Coenen: No, I know people see me as the underdog. I like that. But from all my wins by submission I also had my opponents knocked down too before I made them tap. Maybe that can better stay a secret. Cristiane will find out about my striking power when we are in the cage. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): If you are fortunate enough to defeat Cyborg are there any other fighters you would like to face in the near future? Marloes Coenen: Yes, I would like to face Erin Toughill and Gina Carano too. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Would you like to thank any sponsors at this time? Marloes Coenen: Well, I believe my management is working on that! (laughs) Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Thank you for the time Marloes. We appreciate it. Derek Bolender is a contributor to MMAmania.com in addition to FoxSports.com, SI.com, and BleacherReport.com Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter. |
| Round 5 UFC action figures 'Series 2' figurines featuring Kimbo Slice, BJ Penn and more (Pic) Posted: 26 Jan 2010 11:40 AM PST Check out all the info on "Series 2" over at Round 5 MMA. High res photo here. |
| Report: Forrest Griffin vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the works for UFC 113 Posted: 26 Jan 2010 11:26 AM PST
From Lil' Nog:
Griffin rebounded from an embarrassing knockout loss at the hands of Anderson Silva to avenge a 2006 defeat to Tito Ortiz, outpointing "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" en route to a split decision victory in the main event of UFC 106 last November. The win snapped a two-fight losing streak that began when he coughed up the 205-pound strap to Rashad Evans at UFC 92 in December 2008. A big win over the fast-rising "Minotoro" could have him right back in the light heavyweight title hunt. On the flip side, the twin brother of UFC heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira punched a one-way ticket on the train to title contention with a first round ass-kicking of Luis Arthur Cane at UFC 106 in November 2009. The victory over "Banha" was the sixth straight for the former Brazilian boxer, who also convincingly finished five of those six contests. Stopping Griffin could put him one fight away from a shot at the 205-pound title. UFC 113 features the much-anticipated rematch between 205-pound division champion, Lyoto Machida, defending his belt against fellow Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the main event of the evening while Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley duke it out for the next crack at 170-pound gold. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this still-developing fight card. |
| Travis Galbraith promises 2010 will be the year of 'The Gladiator' Posted: 26 Jan 2010 11:25 AM PST
In a sport that is currently seeing an invasion of top level athletes making the transition with tremendous success, Galbraith admits to being cut from a distinctly different cloth in regards to how he came about strangling grown men for a living. When asked what type of previous combat sport related experience he had before making the decision to fight for a living - wrestling, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, karate, Tae-Bo, anything - the self described "lost boy" wore his disadvantaged upbringing as a badge, stating, "Nothing (laughs). I came from a straight nothing background. It was all street fights. That's where it all started for me. "I was in and out of trouble my whole life. I was brought up in the system. Youth detention centers were my thing. All the way until I was eighteen. It was just a lack of parents. They just did their own thing. For someone that had nothing to begin with, fighting seemed like the thing to do. I just knew I needed to apply myself to it. I was lucky that I didn't have to pay for my training in the beginning. All I had was myself." Refusing to allow his troubled childhood stand in the way of his dreams to make something out of himself, Travis threw himself headfirst into the beautifully brutal world of mixed martial arts and quickly discovered he had a penchant for forcing grown men to cry uncle, finishing eight of his first twelve victories via submission, and at one point choking the life from a trio of consecutive victims to establish himself as one of the most dangerous ground fighters in the business. After suffering a defeat at the hands of the Black House trained Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante in 2008, Travis went on to string together a pair of impressive victories and looked to have all of the momentum in the world on his side, and that's when the bottom dropped out. "In my last fight with David Heath I detached a tendon on my left thumb," revealed Galbraith. "I couldn't tell you when it happened. I noticed as soon as the first round was over. I was like, 'F***, I can't open my hand up'. After that happened all of my takedowns and everything else I had been planning went right out the window and I decided to stand and bang with him." While a torn tendon in the thumb is undoubtedly a set back for any man that chooses to fight as a profession, it shouldn't have been any more than a six month layoff at the very most. But as the saying goes, "Bad things come in pairs." "I started back training about four months ago following that injury and my first week back I ended up breaking my right thumb on the top of my sparring partner's head," said Galbraith. "It was just one of those things. It was just brutal. I couldn't believe it had happened again, and to the other hand to make it even worse. I had pins in it and I started training with my conditioning coach only, and this is still with a cast on. I was actually able to begin light sparring and hitting the bag about a month and a half ago." Many could have viewed the unlikely case of reoccurring injuries as a sign to hang them up. To get out of the game. However, with Travis being the "Gladiator" he is, there was no other way to take the break than a breath of fresh air. Something that needed to happen. "This time off has really served to put my priorities right in line," admitted Travis. "I don't know what it is, but it's like a cosmic alignment and everything just seems to be coming together now." According to Galbraith, this recent cosmic aligning is all going to culminate on February 26 as the Edmonton raised fighter promises to make an example out of "Kong" Watson on his way to establishing himself as one of MFC's premier middleweights. "I know Tom is to bring a lot of stand up, but it's nothing I haven't seen up until now," said Galbraith. "He won't be able to out-Jits me, and he's not going to be able to out-wrestle me." Just because Travis is known as a submission artist and Watson is viewed as a banger, don't expect for Galbraith to shy away from the stand up for one moment. "I'm completely confident that I can hang with Tom on the feet if that's where the fight ends up," said the PRIDE FC veteran. "I feel very confident about my stand up. If he wants to keep it on the feet, it doesn't matter. Wherever the fight goes I'm going to take it to him. "I don't feel like I have any major holes in my game anymore, but before I was never a really big stand up guy, and since I've been able to train full time I've done more stand up training than anything else. I've turned my weakness into my strength." While Galbraith promises a reborn and revitalized fighter in 2010 beginning at "MFC 24: HeatXC", the constantly developing twenty-three fight veteran is just fine with taking his time, and doing things the right way this time around. "Honestly, I'm in no rush for anything right now," said Galbraith. "I'll take any fight that comes along. I've held belts for other organizations in the past and you take on a lot of responsibility when you capture that belt. Having that strap puts a huge target right on your back. If a title fight comes up down the line, then so be it, but I have no immediate plans for that. I'm not looking past Tom Watson. I'm just getting my feet wet again right now, but if the belt comes up sometime soon, then for sure I'll go after it. "I'm still learning. There's still so much to learn in this game. I'm just hoping to continue to grow and develop. I'm still a work in progress. I don't think I'll ever stop being a work in progress. "2010 is going to a breakthrough year for me is because I'm able to actually train full time now. Before I was always working a full time job and trying to work full time training into it. Luckily I got some sponsorships that are going to help me with that so I can apply the attention to the areas that I need work on as a full time job. It's really been helping me to fill in the holes I had in my game. That's why this is going to be the year." |
| Coach Motel: Liddell, Ortiz name assistants for TUF 11 Posted: 26 Jan 2010 09:32 AM PST Former light heavyweight champions and bitter rivals Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz have announced their assistant coaches for the upcoming eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). "The Iceman" and "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" return to the TUF franchise to coach a 28-man roster of hungry middleweights vying for a "six-figure contract" on the Spike TV reality series, set to debut on March 31. Liddell has called upon jiu-jitsu studs Jake Shields and Scott Epstein, former boxer and gold medalist Howard Davis Jr. and of course, longtime friend and trainer John Hackleman. Countering them will be the Ortiz gang consisting of WEC lightweight "Razor" Rob McCullough, Muay Thai master Saul Soliz and jiu-jitsu black belt Cleber Luciano. In addition, Ortiz will bring in a public relations specialist to help coach the fighters on branding and marketing. The middleweight cast should provide a refreshing change from the cardio-challenged heavyweights that "fought" on Season 10, while the new format may help add some life to the Liddell-Ortiz feud, which has already run its course on two separate occasions a few years back. Liddell and Ortiz have met twice under the Zuffa banner, with the icy one claiming a TKO stoppage in both encounters. While most of the heat that surrounded their feud has long since dissipated, expect a new rivalry to emerge after squaring off in Season 11 of TUF. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale will air at 10 p.m. ET immediately following Spike TV's broadcast of UFC Fight Night 21 on June 21. For more on TUF 11 click here. |
| Stephan Bonnar ready to end the Polish Experiment at UFC 110 Posted: 26 Jan 2010 09:31 AM PST Props: UFC.com Quoteworthy:
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| Clay Guida vs Shannon Gugerty set for UFC on Versus preliminary card Posted: 26 Jan 2010 09:04 AM PST
Gugerty has replaced Guida's original opponent, Sean Sherk, after "The Muscle Shark" was forced to withdraw due to injury. "The Carpenter," who has become one of the UFC's more popular fighters because of his relentless attack and never-say-die attitude, was finished via rear naked choke in a dominant performance from perennial lightweight contender Kenny Florian at UFC 107 in December of last year. It was the second straight loss for the the former deep sea fisherman, who needs to get back into the win column before his career ends up going overboard. Standing in his way is the venerable Shannon Gugerty. The City Boxing product has seen the Octagon four times since his debut at UFC Fight Night 14 in July 2008. All four contests have ended by way of submission -- with Gugerty on the receiving end for two out of the four finishes. The California native needs a couple of big wins to work his way into the very crowded 155-pound division -- and finishing Clay Guida would be a damn good start. UFC on Versus 1 is set to feature a ridiculous main event between dynamic light heavyweight strikers Brandon "The Truth" Vera and Jon "Bones" Jones. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, John "Doomsday" Howard, Spencer "The King" Fisher and others are also expected to be in action on what is shaping up to be a great card for the promotion's debut on the Versus network. To check out the latest fight card and rumors for UFC on Versus 1: "Vera vs. Jones" click here. |
| Gabriel Gonzaga: I want to prove I'm a better striker than Junior dos Santos Posted: 26 Jan 2010 09:04 AM PST Props: Fighter's Only Quoteworthy:
Former UFC heavyweight number one contender Gabriel Gonzaga meets fellow countryman Junior dos Santos at UFC on Versus 1 "Vera vs. Jones" from the Odeum Colorado in Broomfield on March 21. Despite "Cigano's" impressive wins, "Napao" isn’t worried and promises to prove who strikes better. Is Gonzaga good enough on his feet to win this fight? Have your say, Maniacs. |
| Rob Kimmons and Mike Pierce set to fight at UFC on Versus 1 Posted: 26 Jan 2010 08:41 AM PST The UFC has officially announced a welterweight contest between Rob Kimmons and Mike Pierce for the preliminary portion of the UFC on Versus 1 card set to take place on March 21 from Broomfield, Colorado. Eleven fights are now official or rumored for the promotion's first trip to the cable network. Rob Kimmons (22-5) is coming of a loss at UFC 104 where Jorge Rivera finished him with strikes in the third round. Kimmons has faced some decent competition over his career, having stepped inside the cage with guys like Joe Riggs, Marvin Eastman and Dan Miller. Mike Pierce (10-3) had been on a tear winning six straight fights until he ran into top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 107, where he dropped a unanimous decision. Pierce surprised a lot of folks in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 19 as he dominated three rounds of action against the heavily favored Brock Larson to earn a unanimous decision. Both guys are coming off losses, and as we all know, unless you're a top guy, back-to-back losses in the UFC is not something you want to have on your record. UFC on Versus 1 is shaping up really nicely. Along with a main event contest between Jon Jones and Brandon Vera, the card will feature a heavyweight match up between Junior Dos Santos and Gabriel Gonzaga, as well as fights involving big name guys like Anthony Johnson, Cheick Kongo, and Clay Guida. To check out the latest fight card and rumors for UFC on Versus 1: "Vera vs. Jones" click here. |
| UFC Quick Quote: Bring it on, Wanderlei Posted: 26 Jan 2010 06:24 AM PST
Michael Bisping pens the latest entry in his online diary over at The Daily Telegraph as his confidence grows heading into his pending middleweight clash with Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110 from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21. "The Count" insists his loss to Dan Henderson -- coupled by his come-from-behind win over Denis Kang -- has matured him as a fighter and prepared him to take his career to the next level. Can he stop "The Axe Murderer's" onslaught in Sydney? |
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