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- Diego Sanchez welterweight return targeted for UFC 114 against John Hathaway
- Herschel Walker: If Jose Canseco wants to fight ... I will hurt him
- Todd Duffee vs Mike Russow UFC 114 fight booked for May 29
- UFC 'Countdown' to 109: Swick vs Thiago in-depth video
- Strikeforce: 'Miami' medical suspension and injuries
- Chael Sonnen: Mark Coleman is a bum
- UFC 115: James Wilks vs Peter Sobotta in the works for June 12
- UFC 'Countdown' to 109: Couture vs Coleman in-depth video
- Strikeforce: 'Miami' ratings draw 517,000 viewers on Showtime
- MMA Quick Quote: Jose Canseco wants to fight Herschel Walker
- UFC 114: Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson video blog
- Night Night: Dan Miller UFC 109 interview exclusive with MMAmania
- King Mo responds to Gegard Mousasi, Paul Daley interjects
- Strikforce goes global in six markets across Europe, Australia and Latin America
- Strikeforce: Gegard Mousasi not really impressed with 'King' Mo Lawal's performance (Video)
- UFC 109: 'Captain America' Randy Couture trains as 'Batman' for Mark Coleman
- UFC Quick Quote: Phillipe Nover feels 'unstoppable' despite recent spells (not seizures)
- UFC will launch full broadcast of its pay-per-view (PPV) events en español
| Diego Sanchez welterweight return targeted for UFC 114 against John Hathaway Posted: 02 Feb 2010 08:37 PM PST
After coming up short against BJ Penn in his Dec. 12 bid for the 155-pound crown, Diego Sanchez (21-3) will make his return to the welterweight division opposite John Hathaway at the upcoming UFC 114 pay-per-view from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, May 29. The "Nightmare" tweeted the good news earlier today. After capturing the first ever Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Championship in April 2005, Sanchez went on to win his next five fights in the crowded 170-pound division. Unfortunately his former TUF nemesis, Josh Koscheck, derailed his title aspirations with a unanimous decision win in a bizarre battle of striking at UFC 69: "Shootout." Sanchez would drop two straight when "Kos" buddy Jon Fitch outworked him en route to a unanimous decision victory at UFC 76: "Knockout" just a few months later. Despite two more wins as a welterweight, "Nightmare" decided his frame would be better served by dropping down to the land of the lightweights. The move seemed to pay off, as he went 2-0 against the venerable Joe Stevenson and the always-dangerous Clay Guida. Unfortunately BJ Penn was not impressed with his performance, making Sanchez pay with a grisly assault that saw the fight halted after four-plus rounds of abuse. Refusing to play gatekeeper, Sanchez is back to the division he called home for most of his career. But don't expect a warm welcome from the talented Brit. Hathaway has been unstoppable through twelve fights. After spot-welding his elbows to the face of Tom Egan in his Octagon debut, "The Hitman" outpointed Ricky Story and Paul Taylor in the mid-to-latter part of 2009. The six-foot-two fight phenom is considered one of the brighter prospects in the welterweight class and could vault himself into the upper tier of his division with a convincing win over Sanchez. This has "Fight of the Night" written all over it. UFC 114 will feature the long overdue light heavyweight grudge match between bitter rivals and former TUF 10 coaches "Suga'" Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Also penciled in for the main card is a lightweight scrap between Efrain "Hencho en Mexico" Escudero and Cole "Magrinho" Miller. Keep it locked in to MMAmania for future updates to this still-developing fight card. |
| Herschel Walker: If Jose Canseco wants to fight ... I will hurt him Posted: 02 Feb 2010 05:58 PM PST
Quoteworthy:
1-0 mixed martial artist, perhaps better known as former NFL great Herschel Walker, responds to the latest sorry attempt from baseball's steroid stool-pigeon, Jose Canseco, whose impotent effort to call out the former Heisman Trophy winner via Twitter was met with a collective face-palm from the MMA community. The Cuban reject already crumbled under the gland of Hong Man Choi back at DREAM 9 and is apparently once again hard up for cash or attention. Either way, let's hope it's the last we hear from the former "Bash Brother." (Thanks to MMA maniac "six30two" for the tip) |
| Todd Duffee vs Mike Russow UFC 114 fight booked for May 29 Posted: 02 Feb 2010 05:35 PM PST Undefeated American Top Team (ATT) heavyweight Todd Duffee (6-0) will finally make his much anticipated return to the Octagon on May 29 when he faces fellow heavyweight prospect Mike Russow (12-1) at UFC 114 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to Caged-In.com. Duffee made his Zuffa debut at UFC 102: "Couture vs. Nogueira" back on Aug. 29, 2009. The 23-year-old wrecking machine pushed his stats to 6-0 with a record-setting seven-second annihilation of Tim Hague. Prior to that, Duffee scored an impressive second round technical knockout over Brazilian roadblock Assuerio Silva at Jungle Fight 11 last September. The hulking University of Georgia student has ended all six of his professional fights by way of (technical) knockout. He was originally booked for a UFC 107 tilt against Paul Buentello last December until an undisclosed injury forced him to withdraw from the card. Now he's back and ready for war. Will Russow be ready? The hard-hitting heavyweight has racked up a solid mixed martial arts record (12-1), while also protecting the fine citizens of the "Windy City" as a Chicago police officer. His only defeat came by way of submission to Sergei Kharitonov back at Pride 33 in February 2007. The loss didn’t do much to faze the former high school state champion wrestler, who’s been perfect (8-0) ever since, including a unanimous decision win over Justin McCully at UFC 102: "Couture vs. Nogueira" in his Octagon debut. In addition to his five-o gig in Englewood community in Chicago’s 7th district, Russow is a longtime student of former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes, whom he trained under as a wrestler at Eastern Illinois University. UFC 114 will feature the long overdue light heavyweight grudge match between bitter rivals and former TUF 10 coaches "Suga'" Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Also penciled in for the main card is a lightweight scrap between Efrain "Hencho en Mexico" Escudero and Cole "Magrinho" Miller. Keep it locked in to MMAmania for future updates to this still-developing fight card.
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| UFC 'Countdown' to 109: Swick vs Thiago in-depth video Posted: 02 Feb 2010 04:00 PM PST
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| Strikeforce: 'Miami' medical suspension and injuries Posted: 02 Feb 2010 03:57 PM PST The Florida State Boxing Commission issued medical suspensions to eight fighters from this past weekend's Strikeforce: "Miami" card that took place at Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. The event aired on Showtime. |
| Chael Sonnen: Mark Coleman is a bum Posted: 02 Feb 2010 03:48 PM PST
Quoteworthy:
Trash-talking middleweight Chael Sonnen rants about the UFC 109 main event between Randy Couture and Mark Coleman. Sonnen called the fight a mismatch, but is excited to see if Coleman, who he called "a bum", can pull off the upset over Couture. Sonnen has become quite the talker during his time with the UFC -- also bashing Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami, and now hopping up a division in terms of talking smack. Is Sonnen out of line calling a UFC Hall of Famer "a bum" and saying that his manner of preparation is "not what a dedicated guy does?" Or is this just another way for Sonnen to keep getting his name out there in order to land a title shot -- that without his ability to promote a fight may otherwise never happen? |
| UFC 115: James Wilks vs Peter Sobotta in the works for June 12 Posted: 02 Feb 2010 03:25 PM PST
Unfortunately "Lightning" didn't strike twice for Wilks in his second appearance inside the UFC cage. After steamrolling DaMarques Johnson at the June 2009 TUF Finale, he was upset by "The Immortal" Matt Brown in front of his fellow countrymen at UFC 105 last November. He'll try to bounce back against the German import this June. Like Wilks, Sobotta was in cruise control over his past few fights until running into Paul Taylor at UFC 99: "The Comeback" in June 2009. The Team Supreme standout was "Relentless" in his attack, taking the contest on all three judge's cards and handing Sobotta his first loss since Oct. 2006. Knowing what happens to up-and-coming fighters who fall to 0-2 under the Zuffa banner, you can expect these two to go for broke. UFC 115 is expected to feature the third (and hopefully final) dance between TUF 11 Coaches and former light heavyweight champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, as well as a 170-pound scrap between Carlos Condit and Rory MacDonald. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates on this still-developing fight card. |
| UFC 'Countdown' to 109: Couture vs Coleman in-depth video Posted: 02 Feb 2010 01:02 PM PST
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| Strikeforce: 'Miami' ratings draw 517,000 viewers on Showtime Posted: 02 Feb 2010 12:55 PM PST The numbers are in for Strikeforce: "Miami," and they're pretty impressive. USA Today passes along a report that last weekend's card drew 517,000 viewers, coming within 60,000 pairs of eyes from setting the all-time high for an MMA event on Showtime. The Gina Carano vs. Chris "Cyborg" Santos headlined Strikeforce event last summer brought in 576,000 viewers. The last event that Strikeforce had prior to the Miami card, "Evolution," which was held last December, drew far less viewers ... 341,000 to be exact. This event will no doubt be deemed a success, but much of the viewership can and should be attributed to the hype and buzz that NFL star Herschel Walker brought over, including a lot of love from the mother of all sports media outlets, ESPN. And while it's nice for a growing MMA promotion to have big name attractions like Walker under contract, we all know that he's not someone that they can use to help build their brand going forward. It's still not known if Herschel will ever step inside the cage again. But with top guys like Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Dan Henderson, and Jake Shields all lined up for a big show in April on CBS, you can bet that Scott Coker and company will be happy to have those ratings used as Strikeforce's true measuring stick. For complete play-by-play coverage and results from Strikeforce: "Miami" click here and here. |
| MMA Quick Quote: Jose Canseco wants to fight Herschel Walker Posted: 02 Feb 2010 12:37 PM PST
-- Herschel Walker's third round technical knockout victory over Greg Nagy at Strikeforce: "Miami" last Sat. (Jan. 30) had the mixed martial arts community buzzing. The 47-year-old proved once again that when it comes to athletics, there may be nothing the Heisman Trophy winner can't conquer. But he's not the only athlete bidding for the attention of MMA fans, as former professional "athlete" Jose Canseco once again looks to jump into the spotlight. Canseco essentially called out Walker via his Twitter Account, and put Strikeforce on the spot in terms of setting this fight up. Let's just hope Strikeforce and Walker pay him no mind. DREAM already made that mistake. |
| UFC 114: Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson video blog Posted: 02 Feb 2010 12:14 PM PST Even though he doesn't really know what a blog is: |
| Night Night: Dan Miller UFC 109 interview exclusive with MMAmania Posted: 02 Feb 2010 08:15 AM PST The last man to hold the International Fight League (IFL) middleweight strap, Dan Miller (11-2, 1 No Contest), has something to prove when he steps into the Octagon this Saturday night at UFC 109: "Relentless." For just the second time in his career, Miller will be coming off a loss — this one to noted wrestler Chael Sonnen. And for the first time in his career, Miller will be entering the cage a newly anointed Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, under Renzo Gracie black belt Jamie Cruz. Miller has his eyes set on victory come Saturday, which is made an even bigger challenge by the respect he has for his opponent, one of the most dangerous BJJ black belts in the game today, Demian Maia (11-1). Miller — who holds UFC wins over Jake Rosholt, Matt Horwich and Rob Kimmons — admits that he’s never faced a jiu-jitsu practitioner quite as talented as Maia, who’s own submission wins over UFC veterans Sonnen, Nate Quarry, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman and Ryan Jensen earned him four "Submission of the Night" honors. But don’t think for a second that that’s going to keep Miller from taking the fight to Maia. When we recently caught up with the AMA Fight Club phenom, he said he’s fully prepared to try and force Maia to fight his fight. Whether that’s on the ground or on the feet, Miller’s just not sure yet, stating that it depends on how he feels when he’s inside the cage with the Brazilian. One thing’s for sure, though, don’t expect this fight to go all three rounds. Someone’s going night night. Let’s hear what Miller has to say about it: Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You recently received your black belt from Jamie Cruz, himself a Renzo Gracie black belt. How did it feel to achieve such a milestone, and is it made sweeter in that you’re part of a long lineage of jiu-jitsu practitioners. Dan Miller: Yeah, I’m very proud to get my jiu-jitsu black belt, especially under Jamie. I think he’s one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu coaches out there. I really look up to him. He’s phenomenal, he kicks my ass. So it’s one of the things — I really enjoy training under him. I’m happy to get it from him. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You last fought Chael Sonnen to a unanimous decision — unfortunately it was a loss for you. It was only your second loss and the first since April 2006. When you have such a hot streak going, does that make recovering from a loss any more difficult, or is a loss a loss? Dan Miller: Oh, a loss is a loss. I think (even) if I had lost twice in a row, a loss is a loss. It still makes it difficult. But again, I feel that a loss makes you better, and it’s part of the sport. Somebody has to lose when you enter that cage. It’s just something that happens. You have to learn from it and get better from it. You can’t just say, "Oh, I lost" and not get better. You have to better yourself from that. And I think I have. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Sonnen is a world-class wrestler, a two-time national champion and NCAA All-American. What do you take away from that fight? What did you learn from that loss? Dan Miller: It was one of those things where I don’t think I had the best training camp. To take nothing away from Chael, he came in and just beat the crap outta me. There really wasn’t much that I could do in that fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Sonnen was a late replacement for Yushin Okami. I think he took the fight on like 22 days notice. That doesn’t give you a heck of a lot of time to prepare when your opponent changes. How does a late replacement affect your training when it comes that late in your preparation? Dan Miller: I don’t think it affected it that much for that fight. You know, it does (generally). But for that fight, those two guys are very similar in what they do. They’re both good wrestlers, they both like the top game. They both have good standup — not great. So it didn’t really change it up that much … other than I think … wait, is Okami a lefty or righty? I can’t remember (laughs). Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Both Okami and Sonnen are southpaws, I believe. Dan Miller: It was a long time ago (laughs). But yeah, it didn’t really change that much for that fight. I can’t remember the question. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I think you already answered it pretty well. You’re now facing Demian Maia, one of the most decorated submission fighters in mixed martial arts. This is a very dangerous guy with four "Submission of the Night" honors to his credit in just six UFC fights. You yourself have seven wins by way of submission. How do you prepare for a guy like this — one who is clearly more dangerous on the ground than he is on his feet? Despite your comfort level on the ground, do you avoid playing to his strength? Dan Miller: It’s tough to say. It all depends on how it plays out, I don’t really know. My game plan is just to implement my fight strategy. I’m going to go in there and I’m going to make him fight my fight. If it happens to be on the feet, then that’s what’s going to have to happen. I’m going to have to keep it on my feet and use my wrestling and my strikes to keep him away. But if I feel comfortable on the ground — which I don’t know yet, you know I’ve never faced somebody that good in the ring. I think it’s one of my first times facing a jiu-jitsu guy who’s that good. So I really don’t know. I don’t know how the fight’s gonna play out. If I go to the ground and I feel in danger, then yeah, I’m going to have to stay away from it, use my wrestling and keep him away. But if I feel comfortable throwing punches from the top and punches and elbows and stuff like that, and I feel comfortable with my ground and pound, I might stay there. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Obviously Nate Marquardt quickly exposed a weakness in Maia’s game with the 21-second KO. Unfortunately the fight didn’t last long enough for you to take much from the fight in terms of watching tape or anything. How much time did you or your trainers spend watching tape of Maia, and do you think you’ve found some weaknesses in his game? Dan Miller: My trainers, they watch it every day. I think they watch tape every day. They study him a lot. Personally, I don’t watch film. I let them do that, I let them break it down. I don’t get into that whole thing of breaking down the film and strategizing. I let them do that. That’s what they’re here for. I know they’ve watched a lot of it. They pick out the weaknesses and we go over them. But also they pick out his strengths. They go in and look at where he’s very good, and we work in defenses for that too. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Between the two of you, your submission highlight reels are crazy. Maia’s subs of Jason MacDonald and Chael Sonnen were literally beautiful to watch. He’s just so fluid. Your guillotine of Dave Phillips is considered one of the nastiest, sickest guillotines in history. I actually watched it earlier this week. I literally thought you had broken the poor guy’s neck when his body went limp. Dan Miller: (Laughs) Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What can the fans expect to see at UFC 109? Do you think this fight has any chance of going to a decision? Dan Miller: Again, I don’t know. I fight to finish guys. So I’m going to work for a finish, either a knockout or a submission. I hope (it doesn’t go to a decision). I hope it ends in a finish, in my favor, hopefully (laughs). I want to put on an exciting fight. So hopefully not. I hope it ends early. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You are now 3-1 in the UFC going into your second main card fight. How important is a win here, not only in terms of staying with the promotion, but also staying on the main cards? Dan Miller: It’s very important just to get a win. I just have to get back on the winning track. I can’t have two losses in a row. That’s just not acceptable. It’s very important to get this win. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You and your brother, Jim, are known for taking fights at the drop of a hat and always bringing it. What’s it like having a brother fight in the same promotion as you, experiencing similar levels of success? Dan Miller: It’s awesome. When he’s cornering me, he knows exactly what I’m going through, because he’s been there. And vice versa. When he’s in the ring, and I’m in his corner, I feel what he’s feeling, because I’ve been there. I’ve been in the Octagon, in the UFC, in high-pressure situations. I know exactly what he’s going through, so I can help him through that, in between rounds and before the fight and stuff like that. So it’s awesome. It’s a great feeling to have him in the UFC with me. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Dan, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing both you and Jim, and you guys seem like such good guys, really down to earth. I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with us. I’d also like to give you an opportunity to thank any sponsors or if you have any parting words for your fans. Dan Miller: I just want to thank everybody who had a hand in this, everyone who was involved in helping me get ready. I want to thank my fans. Without them, I really wouldn’t be here. You need fans and you need people watching the sport, and I really appreciate it. So thanks everyone. |
| King Mo responds to Gegard Mousasi, Paul Daley interjects Posted: 02 Feb 2010 07:56 AM PST |
| Strikforce goes global in six markets across Europe, Australia and Latin America Posted: 02 Feb 2010 07:23 AM PST LOS ANGELES, February 2, 2010 -- Shine International has expanded the STRIKEFORCE brand internationally, selling more than 70 hours of STRIKEFORCE's mixed martial arts (MMA) programming in six markets across Europe, Australia and Latin America. Virgin Media Television's Bravo in the UK, Turner in Latin America, FX in Portugal, Ukraine's Megasport, Seven Network Australia and Dahlia TV in Italy have all purchased STRIKEFORCE's library of TV programming. "STRIKEFORCE is the leader in mixed martial arts content as proven by the huge demand for their programming around the world. They have the world's best fighters, the world's best events and they know how to translate that into fast-paced programming that captures what will soon be the most popular sport in the world," said Chris Grant, President of Shine International. This includes 30 episodes and 56 hours of fights that have aired on NBC and SHOWTIME®, respectively. Internationally distributed content includes upcoming live fights through February 2012 as well as STRIKEFORCE Challengers fights, pitting STRIKEFORCE up-and-comers against each other. After signing a landmark deal to air live events on SHOWTIME last year, STRIKEFORCE earned the premium network its highest MMA rating ever on August 15, 2009 with "Carano vs. Cyborg." About Shine International |
| Strikeforce: Gegard Mousasi not really impressed with 'King' Mo Lawal's performance (Video) Posted: 02 Feb 2010 06:43 AM PST Maybe he's been hanging out with Georges a bit too much lately: |
| UFC 109: 'Captain America' Randy Couture trains as 'Batman' for Mark Coleman Posted: 02 Feb 2010 06:14 AM PST
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| UFC Quick Quote: Phillipe Nover feels 'unstoppable' despite recent spells (not seizures) Posted: 02 Feb 2010 06:09 AM PST
-- "The Next Anderson Silva," Phillipe Nover, tells Sherdog.com that he's ready to live up to the lofty expectations heaped on him while a participant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) mixed martial arts reality series. Nover has not resembled anything even remotely close to the "Spider," losing to Efrain Escudero in the tournament finals via decision and then dropping a controversial bout to Kyle Bradley shortly thereafter. Then, right before a showdown with Sam Stout late last year, the Filipino fainted, causing athletic commission officials to scratch the lightweight match. Nover insists that he is physically fit and ready for Rob Emerson this weekend at UFC 109: "Relentless." But he admits he does feel the pressure of needing to win ... will it get him once again or will Nover finally get over the hump? |
| UFC will launch full broadcast of its pay-per-view (PPV) events en español Posted: 02 Feb 2010 05:10 AM PST Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is poised to tap into a large, lucrative Hispanic market with full broadcast of its pay-per-view (PPV)events in Spanish. UFC announced that UFC 111: "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" on Saturday, March 27, will mark the first time that every element of the PPV broadcast, including pre-produced segments, graphics and play-by-play and on camera color commentary, will be available in Spanish. The announcers, Troy Santiago and Victor Davila, will anchor the Spanish broadcast from beginning to end. DirecTV, iNDemand, DISH Network, and Avail-TVN Pay-Per-View carriers in the United States are among the networks that will have the Spanish language feed in tow for UFC 111. "For our fans who want to watch and listen to our UFC events in Spanish, we are now creating a show just for them, in their language, so they can enjoy the whole UFC experience from start to finish," said UFC President Dana White in a press release. Given the large Hispanic population and its affinity for combat sports -- traditionally boxing, but increasingly, MMA -- in the United States, there has been a growing demand for comprehensive, live Spanish language coverage of MMA. Last year, Bellator Fighting Championship led the charge with the partnership with ESPN Deportes, the Spanish language affiliate of ESPN. Now, UFC will follow suit and offer a full PPV package. Over the years, fighters with Mexican heritage, such as Diego Sanchez, Cain Velasquez, and Efrain "Hecho en Mexico" Escudero have captivated the fans with their fighting spirit. Thus it should come as no big surprise when they play instrumental roles in furthering UFC's penetration into the Hispanic market in the United States and beyond its borders. |
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