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- Ring of Fire 37 results and recap for 'Warlords'
- WEC 47: Deividas Taurosevcius vs LC Davis fight talk (Video)
- Houston Alexander vs Seth Petruzelli possible for Moosin MMA event in Boston on April 23
- WEC 47 weigh in results LIVE from Columbus for 'Bowles vs Cruz'
- Miguel Torres WEC 47 video blog for March 5
- Brazilian ink: Paulo Filho face tattoo compliments cutoff flannel and Clouseau mustache (Pic)
- Justin Wren and John Alessio return at Ring of Fire: 'Warlords' tonight (March 5) LIVE from Omaha
- Prodigy camp: 'BJ might get that KO he's looking for' at UFC 112 (Video)
- Programming reminder: 'Countdown to UFC on Versus 1' immediately follows WEC 47 live broadcast (March 6)
- WEC 47 predictions, preview and analysis
- Miguel Torres: I'm training to be more like Lyoto Machida and less like Wanderlei Silva
- 'Rome is Burning' on James Toney's transition to MMA
- Ben Askren: 'My wrestling and my grappling are good enough to beat anybody'
| Ring of Fire 37 results and recap for 'Warlords' Posted: 05 Mar 2010 09:40 PM PST When you hear the words "Ring of Fire," your first association may be with a particularly potent brand of hot sauce. Fight fans in the know, however, will recognize it as the name of a regional mixed martial arts promotion whose latest undertaking, Ring of Fire 37: Warlords, rocked the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Nebraska this evening (March 5). The internet pay-per-view (PPV) card featured a smattering of former UFC talent, with a showcased main event attraction that pitted veteran lightweight kickboxer Alonzo Martinez against stand-up-turned-submission fighter Demi Deeds. UFC veterans John "The Natural" Alessio, Justin Wren, Chad Reiner and Luke Caudillo were also in action. The Ring of Fire (ROF) promotion is your typical small-time fight show. The cage is smaller than what you'd expect from the UFC and Strikeforce and fans were sprawled around fold-up tables replete with beer buckets and plenty of tight shirts. One unexpected bonus: Abnormally hot ring girls. Nice work, ROF. As for the broadcasters calling the fights... well, did I mention that Go Fight Live (GFL) offers these kinds of events for only $9.95? Right. Now let's get to the action. The main event features Alonzo Martinez versus Demi Deeds. Alonzo is a flamboyant fighter and for reasons known only to him he opted to be accompanied to the cage by one of the worst rappers in the history of the world. I grit my teeth, turn down the volume, and soldier on.Alonzo is wearing pink trunks and has a matching mohawk, while Deeds is a monstrous 155'er who usually fights at welterweight. Alonzo has some serious hometown backing from the by now seriously intoxicated mob. The fighters exchange crisply on their feet until Alonzo wins a scramble and pins the stockier Deeds against the cage. He starts dropping elbows and Deeds attempts to roll out from bottom position. He can't shake Alonzo, who takes his back and secures a pretty slick rear naked choke. Deeds valiantly attempts to twist out of it but is forced to tap. The hometown favorite Alonzo is cheered lustily, and the crowd are permitted to take pictures with the victorious fighter as the event concludes.I now recognize the sheepish play-by-play broadcaster as the lad who got choked out by Cristiane Cyborg last year. Small world. Canadian John Alessio has aspirations of returning to the UFC, hopefully for the Vancouver card. He'll have to defeat Matt Delanoit in impressive fashion to do so, and that is our co-main event this evening. They have a nice standing exchange before Delanoit slips and Alessio jumps on him. "The Natural" almost instantaneously sinks in the rear naked choke and Delanoit taps. That didn't take long. Someone might want to inform Alessio that his nickname is already taken and by a guy that's kind of a big deal in the sport. UFC vet and hometown boy Chad Reiner comes out aggressively against Brian Green, but Green catches him coming in repeatedly with left hooks and jabs. Reiner wisely takes it to the mat, and he controls Green for the remainder of the round while inflicting zero damage from the top position. Blonde ring girl Theresa gets a bigger ovation than either fighter so far. Reiner explodes early in the second and hurts Green with a flurry that is punctuated by a knee to the forehead. Reiner slams Green and resumes his ground and pound for the duration of the second round. Green attempts a kimura but can't secure it, and we're on to the third. Reiner achieves top position immediately, then proceeds to transition to north-south, side-control, and back to half-guard -- all while doing absolutely nothing in terms of damage or submission attempts. Chad "the Grinder" Reiner is true to his moniker in this one. He lands a nice standing elbow and gets a big slam to finish the fight. The ring announcer, whom I've now surmised may be handicapped in some fashion, announces that all three rounds were "incredible." He's said the same thing about every fight. TUF heavyweight alumni Justin Wren looks right pissed off as he stalks to the center of the cage to take on local boy Josh Henry. The unfortunate Henry is clinched, slammed and pummeled almost immediately. Wren swiftly takes his back and proceeds to serve up a healthy dose of ground and pound with a side order of simultaneous smack talk. The fight is halted a couple of minutes into the first round. In the post-fight interview, Wren explains that he was angered by spending the previous evening in the hospital due to dehydration. Um, okay.... Local fighter Sean Wilson uses a nice lunging left hook over the top to take advantage of UFC washout Luke Caudillo's lowered hands, and finishes him with ground strikes in the second round. A somewhat premature stoppage in this observer's opinion. Below are the results from the entire fight card. As you can see, there were plenty of finishes. It was a good night of fights -- and I laughed out loud at amateur competitor Jason Prorok's nickname: "The Polish Pounder." Well played, sir. Here are the Ring of Fire 37: "Warlords" complete results:
Well, that's how ROF 37 went down from Omaha, Nebraska. This is Jeremy Jackson saying peace out for now, Maniacs. |
| WEC 47: Deividas Taurosevcius vs LC Davis fight talk (Video) Posted: 05 Mar 2010 08:17 PM PST |
| Houston Alexander vs Seth Petruzelli possible for Moosin MMA event in Boston on April 23 Posted: 05 Mar 2010 03:46 PM PST It's a battle of UFC castaways as Houston Alexander (9-6) is reportedly considering a return to action againt Seth Petruzelli (11-4) at the upcoming Moosin MMA event on April 23 from the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Boston Herald first reported the pending match-up earlier today which Petruzelli recently confirmed via his Twitter account. Promoted by freak show fights hall of famer Eric "Butterbean" Esch, the beantown brouhaha has been rumored to be headlined by a contest featuring former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim "The Maniac" Sylvia and five-time World's Strongest Man champion Mairusz Pudzianowski. That match however, may still hinge on Pudzianowski's appearance against Robert Paczkow at KSW XIII on May 7. "The Assassin" has dropped five of his last six bouts -- including a rather forgettable performance against Kimbo Slice at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale last December. Alexander made a huge impact when he debuted under the Zuffa banner with a first round knockout over Keith Jardine at UFC 71. Unfortunately his superstar status would be short lived. Despite following up the Jardine win with a TKO over Alessio Sakara at UFC 75, Thiago Silva eventually laid the blueprint for stopping the Nebraskan and Alexander would go on to lose four straight, finishing 2-4 inside the Octagon. His run of bad luck continued when he was finished in the second round by Joey Beltran at the 5150 Combat League's "New Year's Revolution" earlier this year. It's safe to say that from a career standpoint, it's do or die for the aging mixed martial artist. Petruzelli would also get quite a bit of attention for a televised fight with Kimbo Slice -- though under very different circumstances. "The Silverback" upset Ferguson in just 14-seconds at EliteXC: "Heat" in October 2008. Since his UFC release in 2007, Petruzelli has won three straight fights, including a TKO stoppage of Chris Baten at Art of War 4: "Damage" this past August. After his Mexican fight with Ken Shamrock fell apart, the TUF 2 contestant and smoothie king has been lobbying hard for a fight with Josh Barnett overseas; however, "The Babyface Assassin" was unable to negotiate a deal in time for an upcoming appearance under the DREAM banner. Petruzelli later tweeted that he had "a contract in hand" and then confirmed the bout earlier this evening. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more details regarding the Boston area's first major MMA event as they develop. |
| WEC 47 weigh in results LIVE from Columbus for 'Bowles vs Cruz' Posted: 05 Mar 2010 02:34 PM PST The official weigh-in event for WEC 47: "Bowles vs. Cruz" is now officially in the books. The last of the formalities before tomorrow night's blockbuster card took place earlier this afternoon (Mar. 5) from the Greater Columbus Convention Center (Exhibit Hall C) in Columbus, Ohio. WEC 47 will feature a bantamweight title fight between newly crowned division champion Brian Bowles as he defends his belt for the first time against the 14-1 Dominick Cruz. In addition, former 135-pound champion Miguel Torres will begin his climb back to the top of the weight class by taking on top division prospect Joseph Benavidez. WEC stars Jens Pulver, Leonard Garcia and L.C. Davis are also scheduled to compete. Each of the twenty two fighters set to compete on the blockbuster card were successful in hitting their respective marks, including both main event bantamweight title fight participants. Here are the complete "Bowles vs. Cruz" weigh in results:
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 WEC 47 coverage you can handle. |
| Miguel Torres WEC 47 video blog for March 5 Posted: 05 Mar 2010 02:16 PM PST |
| Brazilian ink: Paulo Filho face tattoo compliments cutoff flannel and Clouseau mustache (Pic) Posted: 05 Mar 2010 02:14 PM PST Thanks to MiddleEasy for the find. |
| Justin Wren and John Alessio return at Ring of Fire: 'Warlords' tonight (March 5) LIVE from Omaha Posted: 05 Mar 2010 01:39 PM PST Click the banner above or right here to watch a live stream of Ring of Fire 37: "Warlords" beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. |
| Prodigy camp: 'BJ might get that KO he's looking for' at UFC 112 (Video) Posted: 05 Mar 2010 11:49 AM PST |
| Posted: 05 Mar 2010 10:59 AM PST Countdown to UFC on Versus 1 will debut Saturday, March 6 at 12:30 a.m. ET (Saturday night into Sunday) on the Versus network to promote the network TV event scheduled for the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado, on Sunday, March 21. The network special, which premieres immediately following the live broadcast of WEC 47: "Bowles vs. Cruz," will provide a glimpse into the preparation and training camps of the fighters set to headline the show, featuring current UFC light heavyweight contenders Brandon "The Truth" Vera and Jon "Bones" Jones. For those who miss the "Countdown to UFC on Versus 1" premier it will re-air on March 8 at 4 a.m. ET. We’re still a couple of weeks weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on "Vera vs. Jones" 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 UFC Versus debut event click here. |
| WEC 47 predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 05 Mar 2010 08:11 AM PST Columbus, Ohio will host a World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) event for the first time this Saturday night (Mar. 6) when newly crowned bantamweight champion Brian Bowles defends his title against top contender Dominick Cruz at the Nationwide Arena. The main card, including the featured 135 pound championship bout, will air live on the Versus network beginning at 9 p.m. ET on fight night. The man who Bowles captured his title from last August - Miguel Torres - is also booked to make his return to the cage on this card. "Angel" is set to lock horns with one of the division's other top stars in Team Alpha Male's Joseph Benavidez. One time UFC lightweight title holder, Jens "Little Evil" Pulver, will also be in action on Saturday night, taking on Javier "Showtime" Vazquez in a 145 pound battle. To help get you better prepared for the festivities, we've laid out some quick analysis and predictions for those three fights below. Check it out: WEC Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz Cruz has only lost once in his career - a 145 pound fight against Urijah Faber three years ago. Since then he's gone 5-0, including back to back recent wins over previously unbeaten Ivan Lopez and Joseph Benavidez. He deserves to be in this fight and he's earned his spot among the top 135 pound fighters in the world. However, even with that being so, I don't think he has the skill set to beat Bowles in this fight. Bowles is not just a one hit wonder who hit the MMA lottery against Torres last August. The facts are that he's never lost a fight, he's never been taken to a decision, he wins by submission and by knockout, and he's beaten guys like Damacio Page, Will Ribeiro, Marcos Galvao and Charlie Valencia. Being champion is not just a formality because he beat Torres. He really is the best 135 pound fighter on the WEC roster. It's true that this will be uncharted waters for him as far as being the one with the target on his back for the first time. But, he's given absolutely no reason for anyone to believe he's going to all of a sudden fold under the pressure. I'll give it to Cruz that he is insanely fast and he's an outstanding striker. If this were a kickboxing match I'd like his chances a lot better. However, it's not, and power and strength are, unfortunately for him, going to matter an awful lot once these two guys lock up. Cruz's takedowns looked great against Benavidez, but Benavidez is a lot smaller than Bowles. And I think Benavidez was a caught off guard a little bit in that fight and it made Cruz look a little bit better in that department than he actually is. Of course, he'll certainly have an opportunity to prove me wrong against Bowles. If he can have similar success then he'll probably become the next WEC champion. I just have my doubts that he can out-muscle the champ like he did Benavidez. In fact, I see takedowns and ground control being the main keys to victory for Bowles, not for Cruz. For Cruz to win, I think he needs to stay on his feet and use his speed to avoid Bowles' power. And I don't think he can do either of those things effectively for five rounds against the champ. I got Bowles by TKO in one of the middle rounds. Final prediction: Brian Bowles via technical knockout in round three Joseph Benavidez vs. Miguel Torres This is a legit main event worthy fight and WEC fans should be grateful for such a treat as a co-headliner. I absolutely love Benavidez as a prospect and he showed some serious power by dropping Yahya in the first round back in December. I just get the feeling after the Cruz fight that he'd be better off in the 125 pound division. The guy is a speed demon though, and in the scramble he's as good as anyone. For those reasons, he can compete with anybody at 135 pounds. But against the top guys like Cruz, Bowles and Torres, his size is a liability. With Miguel, it's a different kind of liability though. I don't think Torres is necessarily going to overpower Benavidez like Cruz had some success in doing. Instead, Torres' advantage will be in his length and reach. We already know from the Tapia fight that Miguel has a world class jab, and I see no reason why he can't be extremely effective with that same weapon in this fight. Also, on the ground, Torres' long limbs and his craftiness with submissions are advantages against Benavidez. I said above that Benavidez can scramble with anyone, and he can. He also has terrific submission defense. But twenty two career wins by submission speaks for itself. Torres is a well traveled veteran with a lot of cards he can play on the mat. I don't think it's a stretch at all to say he has an advantage in that area as well, although Benavidez never ceases to surprise me. Regardless, it would be hard for me to pick against Torres when he's coming off such an embarrassing loss. This feels like a must win for him. I don't think he gets a finish, but I got Miguel taking a hard fought decision here. I will say, however, that Benavidez provides a different kind of opponent than we've seen Torres face so far in the WEC. His speed and Urijah Faber-esque maneuverability are tough to deal with. This is going to be a great fight. Final prediction: Miguel Torres via unanimous decision Jens Pulver vs. Javier Vazquez These two have a combined six fight losing streak. It seems a little unfair to group Vazquez with Jens when it comes to recent losses though. Vazquez is actually coming off two extremely close split decision losses to a couple of very talented fighters in L.C. Davis and Deividas Taurosevicius. Meanwhile, "Little Evil" has been stopped in the first round three straight times since an epic showing, albeit in losing fashion, against Urijah Faber two years ago. The truth is, Pulver's age has caught up with him and he's basically fallen off the map. Vazquez has just hit a bump in the road with a couple of tough losses on the scorecards. There's a big difference. I don't mean for that to sound disrespectful towards Pulver. That's just the way it is. Vazquez shouldn't run into too much difficulty taking this fight to ground. Jens hasn't exactly shown the world's greatest takedown defense during the losing streak, and that will be a problem for him in this fight. It makes no sense for Vazquez to take his chances against Pulver on his feet. That's the one area in this match up that Pulver has the advantage and Vazquez will definitely look to erase that comfort zone. On the ground, Vazquez's skill set and aggression should be enough to win over the judge's on the scorecards or potentially even lead to a submission finish. Either way, Vazquez gets the win. Final prediction: Javier "Showtime" Vazquez via submission in round two That's a wrap. To check out the full lineup for WEC 47 click here. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide live coverage of the main card, beginning with the Versus telecast at 9 p.m. ET, as well as up-to-the-minute results of the under card action beginning at around 7 p.m. ET. Check in early and often -- it should be an exciting night of fights! In the meantime, feel free to share your WEC 47-related thoughts and predictions in the comments section below. |
| Miguel Torres: I'm training to be more like Lyoto Machida and less like Wanderlei Silva Posted: 05 Mar 2010 08:10 AM PST Props: MMAWeekly Quoteworthy:
Former 135-pound kingpin Miguel Torres is training to become more crafty and less balls-to-the-wall for his upcoming WEC 47 bout against Joseph Benavidez on March 6. Torres is re-inventing himself after a stunning defeat at the heavy hands of new bantamweight champion Brian Bowles at WEC 42 back in August 2009. Will Torres get his revenge? Or has his storied championship reign come to an end, much like Urijah Faber's did at WEC 36 now that the promotion has a stacked roster? What say you? |
| 'Rome is Burning' on James Toney's transition to MMA Posted: 05 Mar 2010 07:11 AM PST He'll grade him either an "A" or an "F" -- but he won't change the channel. Will you? |
| Ben Askren: 'My wrestling and my grappling are good enough to beat anybody' Posted: 05 Mar 2010 07:05 AM PST Props: Wisconsin Combat Sports Quoteworthy:
NCAA Division I Champion and U.S. Olympian Ben Askren likes his chances heading into the Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight tournament on April 15. "Funky" has an undefeated mixed martial arts record of 3-0 and will look to stay perfect when he squares off against Ryan Thomas in the opening round. There's a lot of hype surrounding Askren and he's an early favorite to win it all -- but can he deliver? Or has the Wisconsin native bitten off more than he can chew? |
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