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- Strikeforce Challengers weigh in results for 'Johnson vs. Mahe'
- UFC 111 video preview and more on ESPN's 'MMA Live'
- UFC rankings/MMA rankings featured in USA Today for March 2010
- UFC Quick Quote: Thiago Alves brain 'irregularity' no cause for panic
- Georges St. Pierre and Frank Mir talk UFC 111 fights on ESPN's SportsCenter (Video)
- UFC will return to Dublin, Ireland in 2010
- Jon Fitch re-booked to face Ben Saunders at UFC 111
- Spike TV and UFC launch UltimateFighter.com featuring ten complete seasons of TUF
- UFC on Versus fighter salaries and paydays for 'Vera vs Jones'
- Thiago Alves pulled from UFC 111 fight card after CAT Scan reveals brain irregularity (Updated)
- Kurt Pellegrino: 'I want to see how great I can become on March 27'
- UFC 111 videos blog with Dana White (Episode three)
- Strikeforce Challengers VII preview and quick picks for 'Johnson vs Mahe'
| Strikeforce Challengers weigh in results for 'Johnson vs. Mahe' Posted: 25 Mar 2010 08:57 PM PDT
The official weigh-in event for Strikeforce Challengers VII: "Johnson vs. Mahe" took place earlier today (March 25) from the World Sports Cafe in Fresno, California. All fighters set to compete on the Friday night fight card hit their respective marks without incident. Monster heavyweights Lavar "Big" Johnson and Lolohea Mahe will headline the show in a battle of hard hitting big men. The fight will be Mahe's debut for the organization, while Johnson made his first appearance with the promotion on the "Challenger Series I" card nearly a year ago, knocking out Carl Seumanutafa in less than twenty seconds. The co-main event also looks like a quality slugfest, as former BET's "Iron Ring" reality contestant Ron "Abongo" Humphrey locks horns with George Bush III, who once out-pointed former TUF finalist Vinny Magalhaes by unanimous decision. Check out the complete weigh in results for Strikeforce Challengers VII below:
Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the card beginning with the SHOWTIME telecast at 11 p.m. ET on March 26. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action as it starts to flow around 9:00 p.m. ET. 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 coverage you can handle. |
| UFC 111 video preview and more on ESPN's 'MMA Live' Posted: 25 Mar 2010 01:26 PM PDT |
| UFC rankings/MMA rankings featured in USA Today for March 2010 Posted: 25 Mar 2010 01:25 PM PDT Our partners in crime over at BloodyElbow.com have once again published their divisional rankings for mixed martial arts in the nation’s largest daily newspaper, USA Today, for the month of March 2010. For those of you unfamiliar with the process, here’s how it works:
To check out the latest USAT/SBN rankings click here. We’ve also listed their top 10 in each class after the jump for your convenience. What do you think? Share your ranking rants in the comments section below. Heavyweight:
Light Heavyweight:
Middleweight:
Welterweight:
Lightweight:
Featherweight:
Bantamweight:
Of course, nothing brings MMA fans closer together than a list of divisional rankings. Let’s hear it: Who belongs and who doesn’t? And be sure to say why. "He sucks" is not a valid argument. |
| UFC Quick Quote: Thiago Alves brain 'irregularity' no cause for panic Posted: 25 Mar 2010 12:18 PM PDT
Malki Kawa of First Round Management tells MMAFighting.com that it's still too soon to speculate as to the future of Thiago Alves after "The Pitbull" was forced to withdraw from his UFC 111 fight against Jon Fitch after failing a pre-fight CAT Scan that detected a brain "irregularity." The Brazilian is expected to undergo additional testing from brain specialists in order to further diagnose the condition -- if one exists. Meanwhile, Fitch will now fight Ben Saunders on the March 27 fight card and Alves will hopefully get cleared to return to action in the very near future. Stay tuned. |
| Georges St. Pierre and Frank Mir talk UFC 111 fights on ESPN's SportsCenter (Video) Posted: 25 Mar 2010 11:18 AM PDT
Check out what Frank Mir has to say about Shane Carwin (and Deathgate) after the jump. |
| UFC will return to Dublin, Ireland in 2010 Posted: 25 Mar 2010 10:47 AM PDT
Slainte, Irish MMA fans! The O2 in the city of Dublin, Ireland played such a great host for UFC 93, that the world's leading MMA promotion is on its way back. During yesterday's UFC 111 press conference from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, as is usually the case, a fan in attendance asked UFC president Dana White where the UFC was heading next in their ever-growing quest of global expansion. Aside from the obligatory statement of, "We're going everywhere," Dana White had this to say specifically about the Emerald Isle. "We're going back to Dublin this year for sure." In January of 2009, UFC 93 -- featuring a main event of Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin -- brought in just under 10,000 rabid MMA fans to the O2 in Dublin. And despite the relatively small crowd size compared to other UFC events, the Dublin fans proved to be worthy of a repeat visit. Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for an official announcement on the date and participants of Ireland's next UFC event. |
| Jon Fitch re-booked to face Ben Saunders at UFC 111 Posted: 25 Mar 2010 10:17 AM PDT UFC welterweight contender Jon Fitch will get a second chance to dazzle the New Jersey crowd this Saturday night at the Prudential Center as the UFC has re-booked him to face Ben Saunders on Saturday night (March 27) following Thiago Alves' sudden withdrawal from the UFC 111 event due to a failed CAT Scan. MMAmania.com confirmed the change in opponents with source close to one of the fight camps earlier today. "Killa B" was already scheduled to appear on the "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" fight card opposite Jake Ellenberger, who now gets bumped in favor of Fitch. "Pitbull" was not cleared to compete by the NJ State Athletic Commission after a pre-fight CAT Scan found an "irregularity" in his brain. While the decision was a difficult one, the commission will always err on the side of caution in the case of a fighter's safety. Alves is expected to see a specialist next week to obtain clearance for future fights. Fitch was initially instructed to maintain his current weight as UFC officials continued their search for a suitable replacement. The former collegiate wrestling standout had even offered to move up to Middleweight (185-pounds) if it increased the promotion's chances of finding a suitable opponent.However, due to the timing and strict licensing requirements in the "Garden State," the UFC had opted to promote the lightweight scrap between Kurt Pellegrino and Fabricio Camoes to the main card of Saturday's pay-per-view and proceed with a ten-bout card. Now Saunders will get a step up in competition, as per his request, and keep Fitch on the main card in an intriguing match-up of styles. Ellenberger meanwhile is expected to receive full pay for the promotion's decision not to use him. To see where we now stand with the recently re-constructed UFC 111 fight card click here. |
| Spike TV and UFC launch UltimateFighter.com featuring ten complete seasons of TUF Posted: 25 Mar 2010 10:17 AM PDT New York, NY, March 25, 2010 - The Ultimate Fighting Championship® and Spike TV, a division of MTVN Entertainment Group, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), have joined forces in a new digital partnership and announced today the launch of UltimateFighter.com. The ad-supported website will feature every episode, every fight and every fighter from all 10 seasons of "The Ultimate Fighter," which premiered on Spike in January 2005. The launch of UltimateFighter.com marks the first time that complete UFC fights are available on the Web for free in an ad-supported model and it is the first vertical website launched for a Spike TV series. Both UFC.com and Spike.com will redirect all traffic related to "The Ultimate Fighter" to the new site. "UltimateFighter.com gives fight fans a place to go to for anything and everything about ‘The Ultimate Fighter,' the show that opened up our sport to the mainstream and became the proving ground for some of the biggest names in the UFC," said Dana White, UFC president. "The TUF website is a brilliant addition to our portfolio of deep, engaging vertical properties within the MTVN Entertainment Group," said Erik Flannigan, executive vice president, digital media, MTVN Entertainment Group. "The UFC and Spike are powerful and collaborative partners on air and we are thrilled to be doing the same across digital platforms. For millions of fans, UltimateFighter.com unlocks what they have long been searching for on the web: the fights that launched the careers of their favorite fighters." "The Ultimate Fighter" alumni include Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Matt Serra, Diego Sanchez, Michael Bisping, Nate Diaz, Kenny Florian, Roy Nelson and Kimbo Slice. Ultimatefighter.com unlocks a video-rich experience that UFC fans have been waiting for, with over 1000 clips, full episodes and other video assets from all 10 seasons of "The Ultimate Fighter." Every knockout, submission and fight finish from the series can be viewed through the site's annotated video player, which houses all 231 complete fights that aired on TUF. That number includes the full fight cards of all ten season finales. For the new season, the site will offer an unprecedented amount of original programming from "The Ultimate Fighter 11: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz," with in-depth editorial coverage, video exclusives, even fights that didn't make it to air in their entirety. The site is also the new home of "The Aftermath," the web-only show that breaks down and discusses every episode of the series with the fighters themselves. "The Aftermath" is hosted by "Ultimate Fighter" season 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar, and Dana White will again be the first guest on the premiere episode which is sponsored by The Marines. The site also features direct integration with social networks, connecting fans to the real-time discussion going on about the series and the UFC via Twitter, as well as content sharing and community building around "The Ultimate Fighter" on Facebook. Spike TV is the television home of the UFC, the premier mixed martial organization in the world, featuring such highly rated series as "The Ultimate Fighter," "UFC Primetime," "UFC Fight Night," "UFC Unleashed," "UFC Countdown," "Ultimate Knockouts," among others. Burger King, the Marines and TapouT are sponsors for the new UltimateFighter.com. |
| UFC on Versus fighter salaries and paydays for 'Vera vs Jones' Posted: 25 Mar 2010 08:39 AM PDT The official fighter purses for those who competed at the UFC on Versus event this past Sunday night (March 21) from the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado, were released earlier today and passed along by the folks at MMA Fighting. Hot-and-cold heavyweight striker Cheick Kongo took home top dollar for the event. The Parisian banked a cool $110,000 for his submission win over fading veteran Paul Buentello ($40,000). Kongo was the only competitor to break six figures. Junior dos Santos came in second place with $70,000 after airmailing Gabriel Gonzaga ($67,000) back to Brazil in the first round. Light heavyweight sensation Jon Jones was rewarded $40,000 for his bone-crunching performance over veteran Brandon Vera ($60,000). Not a bad haul, but still not enough to squeak past Vladimir Matyushenko ($56,000), Clay Guida ($50,000) or Alessio Sakara ($42,000). Expect that to change in the very near future. Here is the complete list of UFC on Versus payouts: Jon Jones: $40,000 ($20,000 to show, $20,000 to win) Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc. For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." To check out these figures for UFC on Versus go here. The total base fighter payroll for the network television event, which reportedly attracted a crowd of 6,443 attendees and a live gate of approximately $568,125 million, was $713,000. For complete results and coverage of "Vera vs. Jones" click here and here. |
| Thiago Alves pulled from UFC 111 fight card after CAT Scan reveals brain irregularity (Updated) Posted: 25 Mar 2010 07:08 AM PDT Former welterweight number one contender Thiago Alves has been pulled from his March 27 fight against Jon Fitch at UFC 111 after a CAT Scan revealed an irregularity involving an artery in his brain. TMZ first reported the unfortunate news earlier today and MMAmania.com has since confirmed the change with sources close to one of the fight camps. Fitch was initially instructed to maintain his current weight as UFC officials continued their search for a suitable replacement. The former collegiate wrestling standout had even offered to move up to Middleweight (185-pounds) if it increased the promotion's chances of finding a suitable opponent. However, due to the timing and strict licensing requirements in the "Garden State," the UFC has opted to promote the lightweight scrap between Kurt Pellegrino and Fabricio Camoes to the main card of Saturday's pay-per-view and proceed with a ten-bout card. Stay tuned for more updates on the "Pitbull's" health as they develop. |
| Kurt Pellegrino: 'I want to see how great I can become on March 27' Posted: 25 Mar 2010 06:44 AM PDT Props: Tapology Quoteworthy:
Re-emerging lightweight standout Kurt Pellegrino talks about his return to the Octagon in front of a hometown crowd for a 155-pound scrap against fast-rising Brazilian grappler Fabricio Camoes at the upcoming UFC 111 event from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, on Saturday, March 27. After a surprise submission loss to Nate Diaz at Fight Night 13 back in April 2008, "Batman" was able to string together three consecutive wins, including a submission victory over Rob Emerson at Fight Night 17 in February 2009 and a one-sided unanimous decision nod over the dangerous Josh Neer at UFC 101 later that year. Can a win on Saturday night vault him into title contention? Or does he need to first beat a contender like Gray Maynard? |
| UFC 111 videos blog with Dana White (Episode three) Posted: 25 Mar 2010 06:03 AM PDT
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| Strikeforce Challengers VII preview and quick picks for 'Johnson vs Mahe' Posted: 25 Mar 2010 06:02 AM PDT Strikeforce Challengers VII: "Johnson vs Mahe" is all set for this Friday night (Mar. 26) at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The five-fight main card will air live on the premium cable channel Showtime beginning at 11 p.m. ET on fight night. Reminder: Showtime is offering a free preview weekend that runs today (March 25) through Sunday (March 28) and gives you a chance to checkout what the cable network has to offer -- including Strikeforce Challengers. Strikeforce Challenger Series serves as a proving ground to promote up-and-coming (and lesser known) fighters. The events are similar to what Elite XC used to promote with its SHO XC: "Challenger Series" on Showtime. Monster heavyweights Lavar "Big" Johnson and Lolohea Mahe will headline the show in a battle of hard hitting big men. The fight will be Mahe's debut for the organization, while Johnson made his first appearance with the promotion on the "Challenger Series I" card nearly a year ago, knocking out Carl Seumanutafa in less than twenty seconds. The co-main event also looks like a quality slugfest, as former BET's "Iron Ring" reality contestant Ron "Abongo" Humphrey locks horns with George Bush III, who once out-pointed former TUF finalist Vinny Magalhaes by unanimous decision. Brazilian jiu jitsu players Luke Stewart and Andre Galvao are also set to do battle in a welterweight contest. Both fighters are coming off uncharacteristic losses. To help get you better prepared for the festivities, I've given my analysis and predictions for four of the main card bouts that are set to hit the Showtime airwaves on Friday night. Check it out below: 265 lbs.: Lavar "Big" Johnson (13-3) vs. Lolohea Mahe (4-0-1) Johnson is making his return to the cage after surviving an attack in which he was shot multiple times at a family gathering in California last fourth of July. The American Kickboxing Academy product wasn't able to train for five months after the shooting, and it's been nearly a year since his last fight - a first round drubbing of Carl Seumanutafa last May. It remains to be seen what kind of rust he'll bring with him to the cage on Friday night, but it's not like this fight is going to be the most technical mixed martial arts match of all time anyway. Neither one of these guys are likely to be looking for anything other than an early knockout. They're both power punchers with proven track records of ending fights with their hands. All four of Mahe's wins have been stoppages from strikes and twelve of Johnson's thirteen victims have gone out that way as well. This one shouldn't even sniff the second round. Look for fireworks right from the get go and expect one of these two monsters to be sleeping within minutes, or even seconds, of the opening bell. For my money, I'm going with Johnson. Not only has he dominated every man that has stood across from him in the last two years, but now he's training with one of the best, if not the best, camps in the world at AKA. These are two men that can end a fight in the blink of an eye, so anything is possible, but these are the types of fights that Johnson has been dominant in. The guys that come into that cage looking to trade blows with him have all been dealt the same fate. I don't see that changing on Friday night with Lolohea Mahe. Final Prediction: Lavar Johnson via first round knockout. 205 lbs.: Ron "Abongo" Humphrey (5-1) vs. George Bush III (5-1) Bush started his professional career back in 2005, but he's only fought once in the last three years - a loss to former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez by unanimous decision. He does hold a unanimous decision win over TUF finalist Vinny Magalhaes, but again, that was three years ago. Abongo has also been on the sidelines for a minute, although he's certainly been more active than Bush. He hasn't fought since being stopped in the second round by Brett Rogers last April. Much like the main event, this is a match up of power strikers. Abongo has six career wins and they have all been knockouts inside the first round. Bush has five wins, four of which have been decided by his finishing ability with his hands. I like Abongo in this fight though, and the reason for that is because he has more experience in these types of fights. Bush's last four fights were against Brazilian jiu jitsu guys that were threats to take him to the mat and submit him. While he's done decent in those types of fights, he's never really faced a guy like Abongo, who is going to try and rip his head off right from the opening bell. Look for the former "Iron Ring" contestant to put the heat on Bush early and often, and don't expect this thing to go any deeper than a minute or two into the second round, at the latest. Final Prediction: Ron "Abongo" Humphrey via technical knockout. 170 lbs.: Luke Stewart (6-2) vs. Andre Galvao (3-1) This is the fight I'm the most excited about on this card. Both of these guys are absolutely sick jiu jitsu players. Stewart holds a black belt under Ralph Gracie and Galvao is a seven time world champion in the sport. Stewart has a little bit more experience on the MMA stage, but Galvao is probably the more gifted athlete of the two and so far he hasn't shown any reason to believe his transition to MMA won't be a successful one. Both guys have had recent minor setbacks inside the cage. Stewart was stopped by strikes from Joe Riggs in his last fight and Galvao was out-pointed on the scorecards by Jason High his last time out. This, however, is a style of fight that both men, especially Stewart, should be a lot more comfortable in. That doesn't mean that I think this fight will be a fifteen minute grappling session. In fact, a lot of times, these types of match-ups produce more of a stand-up battle as both men are reluctant to flip coins with the other guy on the ground. With these two guys, I think we'll get the best of both of those worlds on Friday night. Unlike the two headlining bouts, this is going to be a true chess match that will be won by the man with the better gameplan, and I think that man will be Andre Galvao. I think Galvao may have the advantage on the ground, although I don't think he'll be able to submit Stewart. I also think he's more athletic and has more recent experience in tough fights. Keep in mind that Stewart has been out of action for a year and a half, while Galvao was able to submit journeyman John Alessio in the first round and fight a razor close back and forth battle with Jason High during that time. I'm a fan of Luke Stewart, but I think Galvao will do enough to impress the judges in this one for a decision victory. Final Prediction: Andre Galvao via unanimous decision. 135 lbs.: Zoila Frausto (5-0) vs. Miesha "Takedown" Tate (8-2) Miesha Tate is more than just a pretty face. She's tough as nails and one of those types of fighters that will push the pace for the entire fifteen minutes of the fight. And her nickname is "Takedown" for a reason. Her wrestling and ground and pound skills are both at a very high level, and that's usually how she wins most of her fights. Don't expect her strategy to be any different in this one, even though Frausto is no slouch in the wrestling department either. Regardless of what Frausto does though, Tate's best chance to win is still going to be with her ground and pound. Frausto's last fight under the Strikeforce banner saw her pick apart Elisha Helspur en route to a unanimous decision win. The Team Buhawe member also displayed some decent takedown defense, which she'll need a lot more of to be successful in this fight. Still, her stand-up looked sharp against Helspur and if she wants to beat Tate, she's going to need to keep this fight upright for as long as possible. If she can do that, then her leg kicking ability and overall striking game might be enough to persuade the judges. A knockout or submission seem unlikely against Tate though, and I'm doubting her ability to avoid the "Takedown" in this one as well. I've got Miesha winning by decision with a strong ground and pound attack. Final Prediction: Miesha Tate via unanimous decision. That's a wrap. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide live coverage of the main card beginning with the Showtime telecast at 11 p.m. ET as well as up to the minute results of the under card action beginning at around 9 p.m. Check in early and often, it should be an exciting night of fights. |
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