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- UFC 109: Frank Trigg enlists squatty guys to prepare him for a stinking right hand
- UFC 109 weigh in results LIVE from Las Vegas for 'Relentless'
- UFC 109 video blog with Melvin Guillard for Ronnys Torres fight
- UFC 109 predictions, preview and analysis
- GForce: 'Bad Blood 3' fight results and recap
- UFC 111 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'St. Pierre vs Hardy' on March 27 in Newark
- Randy Couture talks UFC 109 fight against Mark Coleman on ESPNs SportsCenter (Video)
- UFC eyes Milwaukee venue after MMA regulation is approved in Wisconsin
- UFC Undisputed 2010 boasts major gameplay improvements and better online experience
- UFC Quick Quote: Chris Tuchscherer is going to beat up a nice guy to prove he's for real
- Chael Sonnen vs Nate Marquardt UFC 109 fight to determine next middleweight title contender
- Bellator Fighting Championships signs middleweight Bryan 'The Beast' Baker
- Dana White: Nick Diaz should probably be in the UFC, but he doesn't play the game (Video)
| UFC 109: Frank Trigg enlists squatty guys to prepare him for a stinking right hand Posted: 06 Feb 2010 01:22 AM PST Props: MMA Weekly Quoteworthy:
-- Former number one welterweight contender Frank Trigg plans on disposing of Matt Serra nice and early so that he can get cleaned up and watch the rest of the UFC 109 fight card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center tonight (Feb. 6) in Las Vegas. "Twinkle Toes" has one more chance to prove he still belongs with the rest of the contenders in the UFC welterweight division when he takes on "The Terror" in the opening televised bout of the evening. Trigg wants to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole after returning from more than four years of competition outside of the world's largest fight promotion. Josh Koscheck spoiled his return to the Octagon with a first round technical knockout at UFC 103 last September. Is Trigg going to rebound at UFC 109 -- or get bounced out for good? |
| UFC 109 weigh in results LIVE from Las Vegas for 'Relentless' Posted: 05 Feb 2010 03:38 PM PST The official weigh-in event for UFC 109: "Relentless" took place today (Feb. 5) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. All 22 fighters who tipped the scales did so without incident, including main event participants, former champions and UFC Hall of Famers, Randy Couture and Mark Coleman. Middleweights Nate Marquardt and Chael Sonnen -- who will battle in the co-featured fight of the night for the opportunity to challenge the winner of Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort in late 2010 -- had somewhat of a heated staredown, but other than that, no real fireworks popped off tonight. Let's hope that changes big time tomorrow (Feb. 6) when "Super Saturday" fight night kicks off. The complete UFC 109 weigh in results and live feed from the Mandalay Bay after the jump:
It’s going to be a fun night of fights so don’t miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 109 coverage you can handle. Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com. |
| UFC 109 video blog with Melvin Guillard for Ronnys Torres fight Posted: 05 Feb 2010 03:38 PM PST |
| UFC 109 predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 05 Feb 2010 01:32 PM PST UFC 109: "Relentless" is set to go down this Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, live via pay-per-view. Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air on PPV at 10 p.m. ET. To get us pumped for the event, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer, Jesse Holland (that’s me), has once again rallied the troops for a breakdown of the televised main card fights. All your favorite contributors are here, bringing you an in-depth look at each contest. One of the big stories coming into this event is of course the headlining fight between Randy Couture and Mark Coleman. Will Saturday night be "Hammer" time? Or is it only "Natural" for Randy to win based on his cardio and well-rounded attack? And does a victory for Couture put him closer to another shot at the 205-pound title? There are also a lot of unanswered questions regarding the future of Nate Marquardt. He's one fight away from challenging for the 185-pound title (again). Would a loss to Chael Sonnen guarantee he's out of the hunt for good? Also on tap is the welterweight scrap between Matt Serra and Frank Trigg. Which of these veterans still has a little gas left in the tank after a combined 20+ years in the fight game? There will certainly be a lot to talk about on Sunday morning. I’ve also included the current betting lines for each fight so that you can get a feel for what the money has to say about the chances of each combatant. Now, enough with the formalities … let’s get cracking. 205 lbs.: Randy "The Natural" Couture vs. Mark "The Hammer" Coleman Derek Bolender predicts: The battle of "historic" dinosaurs headlines UFC 109. By dinosaurs, of course, I mean two legends of MMA with a lot of skill left over who just so happen to have the combined age of 91. It will be the first time two active UFC Hall-of-Famers have ever locked horns, but you already know that from the commercial. Both men will enter the Octagon with their well-publicized, well-decorated wrestling backgrounds they have used as foundations to their success for years and years. Can you say stalemate? Wrestling may be the dominant theme but other aspects like physical fitness will ultimately decide the fight. Rule #1 in MMA and in Zombieland is cardio. Without it you either won’t be able to use your skill set to full potential … or you’ll get mauled by zombies during your Maurice Clarett-like 40 yard dash/escape. Couture will have plenty of cardio in a three round fight. He’s been past the fifteen minute mark four times in his career. Coleman accomplished it once 14 years ago against Maurice Smith at UFC 14. More importantly, and more recently, Coleman struggled mightily with his conditioning against Mauricio Rua at UFC 93. As early as the first round he was showing signs of gassing. Joe Rogan even called him a "confused old man" at one point. Coleman rebounded well against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100 showing improved conditioning, but then was forced to pull out of his UFC 106 fight with Tito Ortiz because of a knee injury. I can’t recall anyone ever coming back from a knee injury and miraculously finding their pre-injury cardio. It doesn’t happen. Even if he did have his pre-injury cardio back it wasn’t good to start with. I simply don’t see a way Coleman can win the fight. He is very predictable at this stage in his career in a sport full of rampant unpredictability. There is no secret to his plan. He’s going to try to take you down, ground and pound you, and look very tan in the process. And spare me the talk about how Coleman has been training with ex-Couture trainer Shawn Tomkins and whispering secrets in his cauliflower ear. It’s irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, like Notre Dame Football or dialogue in a porn flick. Couture can simply nullify the focus of his game plan with takedown defense, plain and simply. Then what? Coleman will out-strike him? Wrong. I fully expect Couture to dictate the fight early getting the better of the exchanges and controlling the clinch game. As the fight wears along he should also be able to get Coleman on the mat as his conditioning inevitably begins to wither. Towards the latter stages of the fight it may not be aesthetically pleasing. It may even start to remind you of those two old men at your local YMCA you saw wrestling for a loose ball on the basketball court the other day. Now that I’ve hit my old man joke quota let me wrap up by saying that I believe Couture will rise to the occasion and finish him on the mat late. A stoppage will not only shatter the monotony, but ultimately save the day. Never fear, Captain America is still here! Couture via technical knockout Betting lines (as of Feb. 5): Couture: -400 ((Bet Now)) Coleman: +300 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Couture via TKO 185 lbs.: Nate "The Great" Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen James Kimball predicts: The co-main event is a fight that will determine the middleweight division’s number one contender. Both men have been impressive of late; so to say one man holds the momentum or confidence advantage over the other would be a stretch. The last time Marquardt was in the cage, he was only there long enough for his introduction, one filthy KO punch, and the obligatory post-fight interview with Mr. Joe Rogan. "The Great" took his game and as cheesy as it may sound, his name, to another level with his stunning victory over Demian Maia at UFC 102. If Nate gets by Chael, which he is widely expected to do, a title shot against either Anderson Silva or Vitor Belfort will surely be his. As previously stated, Sonnen has stepped up his game recently as well. Inside, and outside of the cage really. When he’s not calling out Anderson Silva for being a phony, Chael is no doubt hard at work at the Team Quest gym in Portland, Oregon. After pulling back-to-back upset wins against Dan Miller at UFC 98 and Yushin Okami at UFC 104, an impressive victory over the heavily favored Marquardt may just earn Sonnen the chance to fight for the belt. As to how the fight will play out, I see it like this. There is no facet of the game in which I would give Sonnen the edge. Marquardt’s striking is undoubtedly on another level. And, if and when the fight goes to the ground, Nate holds a clear advantage over Chael in that department. The only way Sonnen pulls out the victory is by controlling the position for three rounds. And that my friends, will not be the case. Nate is too strong and too athletic to find himself in precarious spots for much of the fight. It won’t be easy, but Marquardt will get it done. "The Great" gets his title shot with a third round submission over Sonnen. Betting lines (as of Feb. 5): Marquardt: -500 ((Bet Now)) Sonnen: +350 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Marquardt via submission 170 lbs.: Mike "Quick" Swick vs. Paulo Thiago Akimitsu Kuwabara predicts: A clash between top-10 welterweights pits Mike Swick, who stumbled in the all-too-crucial top welterweight contender match against Dan Hardy, against fighter-cum-Brazilian elite special police force member, Paulo Thiago. Originally set as a rematch between Swick's teammate, Josh Koscheck and Thiago, Swick pounced on the opportunity to replace the injured Koscheck. Paulo Thiago emerged out of obscurity to score an upset TKO victory against Josh Koscheck in his UFC debut at UFC 95. He has since gone 1-1 with an unanimous decision loss against Jon Fitch at UFC 100 and decision victory over Jakob Volkmann at UFC 106. Swick boasts speed and power in his hands, and is a more polished striker of the two. As evidenced by the uppercut that floored Koscheck and punch combinations that inflicted visible damage on Volkmann, Thiago also has power in his hands; however, his combinations are rudimentary and he exhibits a detrimental habit of leaving himself defenseless after throwing a punch. Given Swick's solid takedown defense and strength in the clinch - even Yushin Okami, a hulking middleweight, was forced to work for a takedown against him - Thiago will not have an option of leveling and trying to rough him up on the ground like he did against Volkmann. Despite being billed as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Thiago has not been overly impressive in the grappling department in his three UFC fights: While capable of working himself out of tight submission attempts and reversing positions while on his back, he has not shown much offensive grappling to threaten Swick with submissions. Swick will likely dictate where the fight takes place with his American Kickboxing Academy-honed wrestling. If the fight is contested on the feet, he holds a distinct advantage as a superior striker. Thiago, however, has shown that he is willing to let his hands go; if Swick mistakenly leaves himself open, he may suffer the same fate as Koscheck. Nevertheless, a scenario that will likely ensue is his capitalizing on Thiago's defensive flaw and rigid, predictable striking to fire a perfectly timed counter. Thiago is a tough, durable fighter but he will succumb to a third-round TKO. Betting lines (as of Feb. 5): Swick: -220 ((Bet Now)) Thiago: +175 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Swick via TKO 185 lbs.: Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller Nate Lawson predicts: Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller may not be the most anticipated match up on this card, but it is certainly one of the most intriguing ones. Maia, one of the most dominant submission artists in the entire history of the Ultimate Fighting Champion, is coming off a devastating knockout loss to top middleweight contender Nate Marquardt at UFC 102: "Couture vs. Nogueira." Miller, who recently received his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, is coming off a loss to Marquardt’s UFC 109 opponent Chael Sonnen. Each man is looking to rebound from his unfortunate last fight, but only one of them will be able to successfully do so. Prior to his loss to Sonnen, Miller was on a three fight winning streak in the UFC with two of those victories coming via submission. However, he has never faced a man of the caliber that Maia can claim, and that could be enough to continue his slide. Maia was previously undefeated before falling to Marquardt in less than a minute. He was 11-0 with eight of those victories coming by way of submission. Two of the remaining three were knockout victories. Miller certainly poses a threat to whoever he is matched up against inside the Octagon. However, this match up is exactly what he should fear, as Maia is one of the greatest forces at the 185-pound mark. Maia, however, should relish in this match up. He is facing a man with decent striking and good submissions. Yet Maia, while he may fall short in terms of striking, is almost unstoppable when the fight hits the floor. That fact alone should trouble Miller, who has never been that dominant of a striker. Unless the New Jersey boy brings a new found dominance to his striking game, this fight has Demian Maia’s name writer all over it. Maia should be able to work the fight to the floor and go to work. While Miller is no slouch on the ground, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu whiz that is Demian Maia should be able to take over. Look for Maia to work through the first round without any problems, all the way to a submission victory. Just another on his already impressive list of submission wins. Betting lines (as of Feb. 5): Maia: -400 ((Bet Now)) Miller: +300 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Maia via submission 170 lbs.: Matt "The Terror" Serra vs. Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg Nostradumbass predicts: El Capitan is back, filling in for a grieving Adam Wagner. Now loyal Maniacs know I've always been a Serra sack-straddler and for good reason. He won first place at the Pan Am games as a jiu-jitsu purple belt under Renzo Gracie and won a gold medal at the World Games as a brown belt. Ultimate Fighter winner, Ultimate Fighter Coach -- oh, and did I mention (hate mail in 3, 2, 1) his destruction of Georges St. Pierre? Simply put, this is a guy who has made a career out of fighting and not because he was slurping down Xyience or carrying Dana's bags, he did it through hard work and commitment. Yes, he's had some untimely losses, but what you see is what you get: A tough, scrappy New Yawker with a world class ground game and dynamite in his fists. This is a bad fight for Trigg. He has a tendency to fall into submissions a bit too easily (Condit, Hughes) and I don't like his chances against Serra's hands. If he can use his wrestling to defend and stay off the cage, there is a remote chance he could work his way to a decision. "The Terror" likes to stand and bang in spite of his ground skills, so it's not inconceivable to think this could go to the judges. After getting knocked out by Robbie Lawler in 2007, "Twinkle Toes" put together a nice string of victories, but he looked old in his win over Danny Babcock at "Rumble in Racetown" and he fared even worse in his Octagon return at UFC 103 back in September. He's got to forget about the physical aspects here and put together a sound strategy that includes a lot of leg kicks and plenty of distance. Of course Serra's no spring chicken either, but he's very, very strong for a guy his size. Even with half a bicep. Though he lost a close decision to Matt Hughes at UFC 98, he still looked good enough to hang with any mid-to-upper card welterweight. I can't say the same for Trigg, who may find his fight at UFC 109 to be his last under the Zuffa banner. Betting lines (as of Feb. 5): Serra: -145 ((Bet Now)) Trigg: +115 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Serra via unanimous decision That’s a wrap, folks. Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of UFC 109: "Relentless." What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for Saturday’s event. |
| GForce: 'Bad Blood 3' fight results and recap Posted: 05 Feb 2010 12:51 PM PST Last night played host to the opening event of a busy MMA weekend when GForce: 'Bad Blood 3' went down at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. In the night's main event, Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard put his 16-fight unbeaten streak on the line against Joey Gorczynski. The card's co-main event featured a lightweight battle between Jorge Masvidal and Luis Palomino. Let's just say that when Lombard spoke up earlier this week about the lack of respect he's been getting in the sport, it's safe to assume he was banking on adding another dominating performance to his resume. Though Lombard didn't perform up to his usual standard, he was able to walk away from the fight with a unanimous decision victory. The Cuban-born Judoka spent most of the first round chasing his prey around the cage until Gorczynski went on the attack in the second, landing accurate strikes, but yielding very little damage. In the third and final round, those strikes from Gorczynski finally made their impact as he sent Lombard to the mat with a right hook. Lombard did recover and finish the round in dominating position, dropping effective elbows from the top. All three judges scored the bout in Lombard's favor. The night's co-main event, featuring Masvidal and Palomino, resulted in a surprising upset. Though Palomino let his desire and passion for this bout be known earlier this week, very few people gave the undersized fighter much of a chance. Palomino was the aggressor early, landing several kicks before Masvidal rocked him with a knee to close out the opening frame. The second round saw a back-and-forth exchange of strikes in and out of the clinch. In the third, Palomino went back on the attack landing several effective kicks before Masvidal was able to get a late takedown and mix in some ground and pound before the bell sounded. But it wasn't enough. Much to Masvidal's dismay, the judges awarded Palomino with a split decision victory. Here's the full list of results from GForce: "Bad Blood 3:"
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| UFC 111 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'St. Pierre vs Hardy' on March 27 in Newark Posted: 05 Feb 2010 11:30 AM PST Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently put the finishing touches on the upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) fight card for the promotion's return trip to the Prudential Center scheduled for March 27 in Newark, New Jersey. UFC 111 will feature two title fights atop the card, including a 170-pound title defense by promotion superstar Georges St. Pierre as "Rush" answers the call of British striker Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy. In addition, heavyweights Frank Mir and Shane Carwin will collide in an interim title match while reigning champion Brock Lesnar recovers from recent surgery. Here is the current "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" line up: Main event: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 111, beginning with the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night. We’re still a few weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event. For more on the March 27 event click here. |
| Randy Couture talks UFC 109 fight against Mark Coleman on ESPNs SportsCenter (Video) Posted: 05 Feb 2010 11:01 AM PST |
| UFC eyes Milwaukee venue after MMA regulation is approved in Wisconsin Posted: 05 Feb 2010 09:38 AM PST
They're gonna do it! The UFC could be on its way to Wisconsin after state officials recently signed Senate Bill 290, effectively regulating the sport of mixed martial arts in "The Badger State." Our good friends over at Wisconsin Combat Sports reported the good news earlier today. As with most new markets that know a good thing when they see it, UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner joined the celebration in a move that could see the world's largest fight promotion come to Milwaukee as early as this year. From the Zuffa Veep:
Ratner, along with UFC President Dana White, has been ratcheting up the economic rhetoric and financial success of its mixed martial events in hopes of using the economic benefits of live shows to influence states who may be on the fence. Massachusetts has also joined the party following the approval of MMA in Pennsylvania, putting more pressure on the self-righteous blowhards in New York to shit or get off the pot. It may just be a matter of time, but for now, Wisconsin can enjoy the revenue from a live UFC event while Wisconsinites can get their fight fix in their own backyard. Who's next? |
| UFC Undisputed 2010 boasts major gameplay improvements and better online experience Posted: 05 Feb 2010 08:30 AM PST You talked. THQ listened. On the heels of their wildly successful entry in the the mixed martial arts and video game community with UFC Undisputed 2009, THQ went back into the lab to tinker around with some of the mechanics that caused a portion of gamers to say "If only I could..." when talking about a sequel. In fact, after selling 3.5 million copies of Undisputed since it's release in 2009, THQ has been hard at work to reward gamers with an ever more realistic and fluid experience for their 2010 entry, set to hit retail shelves on May 25. Bigger, better, badder -- which could explain the inclusion of UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar on this year's cover. For the latest details on the gameplay improvements, game designer Omar Kendall dropped a few bombs over at Gamespot UK. A list of changes and enhancements after the jump. CONTROLS: In UFC 2009 Undisputed, clinch grappling and ground grappling were handled with multiple control schemes, which could be cumbersome to juggle depending on the fighter's orientation. This year, we undertook a new design philosophy that allowed us to better align our clinch grappling and ground grappling. In essence, players will now perform clinch pummels and throws using the ultimate fighting control the same way they performed transitions in UFC 2009 Undisputed. SUBMISSIONS: While we've done quite a bit of tinkering with the submission system, the stick rolling method of submission execution and escape (known semiofficially as The Shine) will return. What we did want to change was the button mashing/brute force escape we utilized last year. This enabled fighters with high strength to be just as good at getting out of submissions as fighters with high submission defense. Now all fighters will utilize The Shine, but the parameters that govern the success of getting out of a submission have changed. For UFC Undisputed 2010, the submission calculations will use either a fighter's submission defense or his current energy level expressed as a percentage--whichever is higher. For example, let's say a fighter has a submission defense skill of 50. If the fighter has 100 stamina and full (100 percent) energy, the game will look at this energy level, and the fighter will have a great chance of getting out of a submission. If the fighter has 100 stamina and has used the majority of his energy reserves, the game will look at the fighter's submission defense skill; in this case, shine hard! We feel this system is fairer to players and more representative of how an actual submission struggle would go down. CAGE SUPPORT: We've implemented full cage support in UFC Undisputed 2010, and its effect on gameplay is huge. Our design approach to implementing cage gameplay allowed us to utilize our universal grapple system concept. On the ground, we have a rising hierarchy of positional advantage based on how much threat potential one fighter has in relation to another. In the case of two equally skilled fighters in open guard, for instance, the fighter on top is in a slightly better situation than the fighter on the bottom. We express this by saying the top fighter has a 55/45 advantage over the bottom fighter, expressed in the damage output of his strikes, the lethality of his submissions, etc. Put the same two fighters in the mount position, for instance, and that advantage changes to something much more dramatic, like say a 90/10 in favor of the top fighter. We've utilized similar thinking with regard to the cage. Let's say we have the same two equally skilled fighters in the single collar tie position in the middle of the octagon. We consider this position to be one in which both fighters have equal advantage--a true 50/50 position. If one fighter manages to push his opponent up against the cage, he'll restrict his movement, limit the force he's able to generate on his strikes, and make it harder for him to regain energy; thus, shifting the balance in the favor of the free-standing fighter. It's an elegant system that we feel accurately represents the strategies employed in a real UFC fight. FIGHTER CUSTOMIZATION: For UFC Undisputed 2010, we've substantially increased the number of available parts for creation, but we've also added a ton of new features and improvements. One of the biggest changes from the previous game is the way we allow players to allocate individual moves for their fighters. Last year, we had base styles, each of which came with a set of predefined moves. This meant that all Brazilian jujitsu (BJJ) fighters had the same moves and techniques as other BJJ fighters. We wanted to change that this year, so we opened it up and now allow players to assign individual moves to their fighters on a move-by-move basis. There are well over 200 moves that can be assigned, mixed, and matched to create truly unique fighters. Also new this year is the ability to fight orthodox, southpaw, or switch and assign a dominate power hand. Players can also choose their navigation style from a number of different postures to give their fighters more of a distinct look. SPONSORSHIP & LOGOS: The new system, which we've also applied to the placement of tattoos, uses more of a drag-and-drop style interface. Gone are the predefined spots where logos can only be placed and the series of menus that were required to place a logo. This year, it's as simple as picking shorts, picking a logo, and choosing its location on the shorts. Speaking of clothing, many top brands in MMA are back, along with some new ones, so players will have access to an extensive assortment of new designs and logos. In addition, we are also allowing players to pick or create their own post-fight clothing, which is worn during winner announcement scenes and certain areas in Career mode. CAREER MODE: Included are several new features to help build up each fight and give them more meaning. An example of this is a new system we've added called "Game Is Watching You." The GIWY system tracks everything players are doing during the fighter's career and reflects it through commentary during fights. Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg will reference the fighter's previous fights, his training partners, titles held, and other things he does during his career. Opponents will also take notice of performances and adjust their fight styles and strategies to counter strengths and take advantage of weaknesses. FIGHTING TECHNIQUES: In addition to the six returning fighting techniques (boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, judo, and Brazilian jujitsu), three more have been added: Karate, Greco-Roman wrestling, and Sambo. We've also moved away from the concept of one striking fighting technique and one grappling fighting technique in favor of a system that allows fighters to learn individual moves as they see fit. We feel this more accurately represents the type of cross-discipline training that the modern UFC fighter needs in order to compete at the highest levels. ONLINE FIGHT CAMPS: Fight camps unite many different fighters under a single banner to compete against fighters from other fight camps to unlock new milestones and rewards. Players can use the virtual space of their fight camp to spar and teach each other the ins and outs of the game. Players can even bring in their Career mode fighters for an online training session to train with other players and get an extra career "cred" boost. Those boosts make better fighters and those better fighters make better camps. NEW MODES: Additions include a Title and Title Defense mode, a Tournament mode and the Classic Fights mode will return with substantial changes. Even more from THQ's Omar Kendall over at Gamespot UK. As you can see, there are some dramatic improvements to this year's entry. THQ has apparently upped the ante in this new version in response to the pending debut of Electronic Arts "EA Sports MMA" featuring a roster of mostly Strikeforce fighters (with a few exceptions). Competition breeds excellence and with two major publishers vying for a very specific market, the fans choice for their digitized butt-kicking could depend on just the slightest of variables. Let's hear it Maniacs, do these improvements satisfy your gripes with the 2009 version? And will you be motivated to buy UFC Undisputed 2010? Opinions, please. |
| UFC Quick Quote: Chris Tuchscherer is going to beat up a nice guy to prove he's for real Posted: 05 Feb 2010 07:50 AM PST
UFC heavyweight prospect Chris Tuchscherer tells UFC.com that he's going to have a fresh start inside the Octagon after having his balls knocked into the fourth row by Gabriel Gonzaga in his promotion debut last August. Standing in his way is Mr. Nice Guy, Tim Hague, who is also coming off a UFC 102 loss thanks to Todd Duffee. "The Crowbar" trains out of the Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy alongside Brock Lesnar and hopes to attain the champ's level of success in the fight game. Unplugging "The Thrashing Machine" on Saturday night would be a good start. |
| Chael Sonnen vs Nate Marquardt UFC 109 fight to determine next middleweight title contender Posted: 05 Feb 2010 07:00 AM PST Even though the returning Vitor Belfort may have cut the line of hungry middleweight contenders, UFC President Dana White confirmed at the Feb. 4 pre-fight progress conference that the upcoming 185-pound scrap between Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt at UFC 109 will indeed determine the number one contender for the division title. That is, the winner of Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. Marquardt (29-8-2) made a strong case for a rematch with "The Spider" with a "Great" knockout over undefeated submission wizard Demian Maia at UFC 102 for his third straight win. Silva spokesman and manager Ed Soares suggested the unofficial match-up of Marquardt vs. Dan Henderson following UFC 102 in order determine a number one contender for the division title while Silva took a break from competition to heal an ailing elbow. Sounded good on paper -- except they probably didn't realize "Hollywood" was no longer under contract after air-mailing Michael Bisping across the pond at UFC 100. Life goes on -- and so too must the quest for middleweight gold. With Hendo in Strikeforce, "The Phenom" managed to leapfrog the competition for a crack at the crown, so Marquardt will be forced to quell the uprising from the suddenly relevant Chael Sonnen. Despite a boatload of trash talk, Sonnen (23-10-1) has a history of beating middleweight champs from Brazil. At WEC 36, Sonnen outpointed a bloated and barley sane Paulo Filho back in 2008 in his last appearance for the Zuffa sister promotion. He was quicly written off following a quick tapout to grappling ace Demian Maia at UFC 95, but stormed back into relevancy with dominating decision wins over venerable middleweight threats Dan Miller and Yushin Okami. Can he continue his unlikely rise to the top with a win over Marquardt? UFC 109: "Relentless" will also feature a light heavyweight battle between elder statesmen Randy "The Natural" Couture and Mark "The Hammer" Coleman in the main event of the evening. To check out the complete UFC 109 fight card click here. |
| Bellator Fighting Championships signs middleweight Bryan 'The Beast' Baker Posted: 05 Feb 2010 06:33 AM PST CHICAGO, Ill. (February 5, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships continued to bolster its roster of Season 2 middleweight tournament fighters today with the signing of 11-1 former WEC standout Bryan "The Beast" Baker. The 6-foot, 3-inch-tall Baker will be familiar to many Bellator fans thanks to his dominating victory during a special feature fight at Bellator VIII last June. He also boasts wins over UFC veteran Rory Singer (first round KO), TUF’s Jesse Forbes (first round TKO) and a host of WEC veterans. "The Beast is a dangerous addition to our middleweight tournament," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "He caught my eye back at Bellator VIII and I knew then and there that he would make a big impact on our 185-pound challenger tournament." Baker is the second confirmed competitor in Bellator’s upcoming eight-man Season 2 middleweight tournament, joining Eric Schambari, who also boasts a near-flawless 11-1 professional record, with his sole loss coming against The Beast. Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 145, 155, 170 lbs. during Season 2, which begins April 8th. The winners in each division will be declared No. 1 contenders to the current roster of champions. The 24-year-old Baker was born and raised in the High Desert of California, where he was a standout high school wrestler. He later earned a black belt in judo and now trains in vale tudo at the Team Wildman gym in Denver. "I’m a fighter pure and simple … I never really wanted to do anything else," Baker said. "From my first meal until the time I go to sleep, it’s all about fighting, all about my career." Baker says his singular goal is to advance through Bellator’s Season 2 tournament to earn the chance to take on reigning World Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard. "I put so much effort into my training that it gives me 100 percent confidence that I’m going to win every time," Baker said. "Lombard has the belt and I’m coming for his belt. I’d say that he better stay on top of his training or else he’s in for a big surprise." Each of Bellator’s 24 fights during Seasons 2 and 3 will be distributed live in prime time on Thursday nights on FOX Sports Net and its regional sports network affiliates. The top moments from each week’s live events will then be condensed into an action-packed 30-minute highlight show, broadcast every Saturday night, late night, on NBC. A one-hour highlight show will air in Spanish on Telemundo every Saturday night from midnight to 1 a.m. For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator. |
| Dana White: Nick Diaz should probably be in the UFC, but he doesn't play the game (Video) Posted: 05 Feb 2010 06:24 AM PST |
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