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- Strikeforce Challengers VII: 'Johnson vs Mahe' recap and final thoughts
- Frank Mir on tipping the scales and retaining his speed for UFC 111 (Video)
- Strikeforce Challengers VII results for 'Johnson vs Mahe' LIVE tonight (March 26)!
- UFC 111 weigh in photos gallery for 'St. Pierre vs Hardy'
- Thiago Alves headed for outpatient surgery to correct brain irregularity (Updated)
- UFC 111 predictions, preview and analysis
- Big Dog: MMAmania.com UFC 111 interview exclusive with Ricardo Almeida
- UFC 111 videos blog with Dana White (Episode four)
- UFC 111 weigh in results LIVE from Newark for 'St. Pierre vs Hardy' (Updated)
- Brock Lesnar ESPN video: 'I feel bad for Frank Mir'
- UFC Quick Quote: Frank Mir points to experience as the difference maker at UFC 111
- Dana White: I was all for St. Pierre vs. Silva -- until I saw Anderson move up to 205
- Back in the fray: MMAmania.com Strikeforce Challengers interview exclusive with Miesha Tate
- Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto vs Diego ‘The Octopus’ Saraiva for May 20 ‘Super Fight’
- New Georges St. Pierre (GSP) Gatorade commercial 'Protect' (Video)
- Gameplay reactions from the hands-on media event for UFC Undisputed 2010
| Strikeforce Challengers VII: 'Johnson vs Mahe' recap and final thoughts Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:56 PM PDT Strikeforce has now officially wrapped up the seventh edition of it's "Challengers" series from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Here's how it all went down. Everybody expected fireworks and a quick ending in the main event heavyweight fight between monsters Lavar Johnson and Lolohea Mahe. The Hawaiian had other ideas early on though, opting instead to control the fight with takedowns and ground control. The strategy worked well for him in the first round. But all strategy was thrown out the window in the second as the two gassed out big men reverted to their true form and gave the Showtime fans the slugfest they were looking for. Mahe was visibly worn out from the hard work he put in during the first round. He unsuccessfully tried to get the fight back to the ground early in the second round, but once he gave up on that, the rest of the fight was basically a exercise in how to take an ass whooping like a man. He refused to go down or give in to the relentless attack of Lavar Johnson. The beating went on for about three minutes before the referee finally stepped in. Former Elite XC heavyweight prospect and BET's "Iron Ring" reality show contestant Ron "Abongo" Humphrey made a successful debut tonight under the Strikeforce banner as a light heavyweight."Abongo" made quick work of George Bush III, timing an early takedown attempt from the "Team Hammerhouse" trainee beautifully to secure a fight ending guillotine choke in just under two minutes of work. Bush had scored on a takedown earlier in the round, but "Abongo" was ready for it the second time around with the submission attempt. Bush was very effective early on with a vicious attack of leg kicks, both inside and out. He clearly had Humphrey frustrated, but the momentary lapse in defense made all that irrelevant. In what was probably the fight of the night, welterweight jiu jitsu studs Andre Galvao and Luke Stewart battled back and forth for three entertaining rounds. Stewart was the aggressor for pretty much the entire fight, always pushing forward with punches and kicks, and he reversed pretty much every position Galvao had on the ground. The fight was very close, but it seemed like Stewart had done enough to earn the decision. Two of the judges didn't see it that way, however, and Galvao was awarded the split decision victory. I'll say again that the fight was very close. I suppose an argument could be made that Galvao won the first and third rounds, meaning he would have won the fight anyway. But one of the judges scored it bout 30-27 for Galvao, and from what I saw, there's no way Stewart didn't win the second round. I take issue with that, but again, I do think the argument can be made that Galvao still won the fight. Miesha Tate was impressive again tonight, earning her third stoppage victory in a row since dropping a unanimous decision to current Strikeforce welterweight champion Sarah Kaufman last May. "Takedown" lived up to her nickname by taking her opponent, Zoila Frausto, to the mat numerous times before finally finishing her off with an armbar late in the second round. Tate used her size to her advantage by controlling the hometown fighter on the mat with dominant positions and a hard working ground and pound approach. It's only a matter of time before she gets another crack at Kaufman, and with five minute rounds this time. In the opening bout of the telecast, lightweight prospect Justin Wilcox - a fighter known for his wrestling - dominated Shamar Bailey with an impressive kickboxing attack despite an obvious disadvantage in reach. "The Silverback" mixed in several head kicks and punch combinations en route to a one sided decision victory. One judge even scored the fight 30-26 for the AKA product. That's a wrap from Fresno. Next up for Strikeforce is a return to network television on CBS with "Nashville" at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, April 17. Former Pride FC multiple division champion Dan Henderson will make his debut for the promotion on the card, challenging middleweight champion Jake Shields for his 185 pound title in the headliner. Fan favorites Gegard Mousasi and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal are also slated to meet in a highly anticipated light heavyweight contest. And lightweight title holder Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez will defend his strap against Japanese DREAM champion and submissions wizard Shinya Aoki. Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for more on that developing fight card and all your Strikeforce news and notes. For Strikeforce Challengers: "Johnson vs. Mahe" live results and play-by-play click here. |
| Frank Mir on tipping the scales and retaining his speed for UFC 111 (Video) Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:55 PM PDT |
| Strikeforce Challengers VII results for 'Johnson vs Mahe' LIVE tonight (March 26)! Posted: 26 Mar 2010 06:35 PM PDT Strikeforce Challengers VII: "Johnson vs. Mahe" is all set for tonight (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. Headlining the card will be hard hitting heavyweights Lavar "Big" Johnson and Lolohea Mahe. Ron "Abongo" Humphrey, George Bush III, Luke Stewart, Andre Galvao and others will also be competing on the card. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the event, beginning with the Showtime telecast at 11 p.m. ET. In addition, up-to-the-minute quick results of all the other under card bouts will begin to flow around 9:00 p.m. ET. Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Showtime telecast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 10) before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion. Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after "Johnson vs. Mahe." Strikeforce Challenger Series VII QUICK RESULTS: Lavarr "Big" Johnson defeats Lolohea Mahe via technical knockout (strikes) at 3:29 of round two Strikeforce Challenger Series VII PLAY-BY-PLAY LIVE MAIN CARD COMMENTARY: James here! 265 lbs.: Lavar "Big" Johnson (13-3) vs. Lolohea Mahe (4-0-1) Round one: Gloves touch and here we go. They exchange jabs right away. Johnson continues to snap his jab out there. Big right hand counter from Mahe sends Johnson back pedaling a few steps. He fires right back though. These guys are throwing some heat. It looks like Johnson was poked in the eye and there's a pause in the action. Back underway, and Johnson is still feeling out that jab. Again, Mahe with a hard right hand counter. Johnson is going to have to adjust to that or he'll be sleeping soon. Mahe with a takedown attempt now. He has Johnson pinned against the cage but Lavar has a standing guillotine attempt. Johnson is cranking it hard now, expending a lot of energy. Mahe may be in trouble though. The choke is deep and Johnson is cranking it hard. He finally lets it go. He used a lot of gas there. Mahe still working for the takedown and he finally picks Johnson up and drives him into the mat. Johnson is trying to kick him off, but Mahe is still on top of him. Johnson working to get back up. Mahe moves to side mount with a lot of weight on Johnson. Johnson is up! The crowd loves it and Mahe just misses on a wild right hand. Johnson looks tired and Mahe picks him up and slams him back to the floor. The round ends there and Mahe should be ahead 10-9. Round two: Johnson walks forward with a jab. Mahe unloads a three punch combo that has Johnson retreating again. Takedown attempt now from Mahe as he drives Johnson into the fence. Nice reversal from Johnson and he pushes away from the clinch. Hard leg kick lands for Johnson. Mahe is looking dog tired and Johnson has a second wind. He's firing away now. Nice right hand lands on Mahe's chin. Mahe fires back and misses on a right hand. More jabs and right hands from Johnson are connecting at will. Leg kick and a body shot from Johnson. More hard jabs. Mahe is wobbly. Now he fires back. One of these guys are going down soon. Mahe desperately tries for a takedown. He eats a big uppercut. Johnson looking for another guillotine, but he's much too tired for that. They separate and Johnson is teeing off with big punches on Mahe. Mahe is bleeding from his nose. Johnson is unloading. Body punches. Overhand rights. Mahe is taking a ridiculous amount of punishment. Johnson continues to fire away as Mahe goes down to one knee. He's getting drilled and the referee finally ends the beating. Very entertaining heavyweight fight. Final Result: Lavarr "Big" Johnson defeats Lolohea Mahe via technical knockout (strikes) at 3:29 of round two 205 lbs.: Ron "Abongo" Humphrey (5-1) vs. George Bush III (5-1) Round one: Bush circles around and meets Abongo in the center. Abongo pushes him back with a few jabs and then shows a high kick. Bush with some inside leg kicks. Abongo tries to counter with another high kick and Bush makes him pay with a nice takedown. Abongo works back to his feet quickly and eats an uppercut on his way up. More hard leg kicks from Bush. Another hard one lands on the outside of Abongo's left leg and you could see him wince from it. Into the clinch now and Bush is looking for another takedown. Abongo might have a guillotine attempt here. He does and Bush is tapping out. Wow, that came out of nowhere. Final result: Ron "Abongo" Humphrey defeats George Bush III via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:44 of round one -end- 170 lbs.: Luke Stewart (6-2) vs. Andre Galvao (3-1) Round one: Stewart takes the center of the cage. He walks Galvao down and unloads a combination before Galvao drills him with a left hand and then scores a takedown. Galvao is quick! Stewart is on his back, but he has full guard. Galvao with body punches as Stewart works some shots to his head from his back. Galvao stands and drops two or three hard right hands before landing back in Stewart's guard. Stewart looking for an omaplata, but Galvao shrugs it off. Stewart trying to hold on to a leg as Galvao tries to escape, but he doesn't have it. Gavlao now has Stewart's leg, looking for an ankle lock. Stewart stacks him up and they're tied up pretty good right now. Nice escape by Stewart and they're back up on their feet. Knees from Galvao from the clinch. More knees with a couple stiff right hands mixed in as well. Galvao looking for the takedown now and he gets it. Stewart pops right back up and he unloads a hard body kick to the Brazilian. High kicks now from a confident Luke Stewart. Another takedown attempt from Stewart, but Galvao is using the cage nicely to defend it. Foot stomps from Stewart. Galvao tries to pull guard with 10 seconds to go, but Stewart is having none of that as the round comes to a close. Tough to judge. I'm leaning towards Galvao. Round two: Body kick from Stewart and then they both exchange left hands. Another nice exchange as Stewart comes in for a body lock, looking for a takedown. Galvao is good with the knees from the clinch. Stewart pushes out and he lands a straight kick. Galvao counters with a hard left hand. Stewart felt that one. Stewart continues to stalk Galvao and push forward though. Another straight kick. Stewart leans in with a nice combination now. Galvao shoots in and Stewart with great takedown defense. Knee attempt misses from Stewart and he loses his footing. He's on his back and Galvao wastes no time jumping on top of him. Stewart reverses and he takes the top position before standing. He has a body lock and he's working some nice knees now. Galvao looking for the trip, but Stewart is standing tough. Knee now from Stewart as they separate. Body kick lands for Stewart as Galvao misses with a right hand. Stewart still pushing forward with punches and leg kicks. Galvao looks frustrated, but now he scores on a quick takedown. Stewart has half guard with Galvao on top of him. Elbows to the body now from Galvao. Stewart blocks Galvao from getting full mount, and now he reverses and takes the top position. Very nice! The round ends there and that was a big round for Luke Stewart. Round three: Stewart takes the center again and Galvao shows a high kick. Stewart answers with three or four kicks of his own and a couple hard punches before initiating a clinch. Galvao is the one that's able to get the takedown though and he has the top position in Stewart's full guard. Hard ground strikes from Galvao now. He stands and Stewart makes him pay with an upkick. Stewart is very active from the bottom. He's looking for a triangle, but Galvao takes side control. Another fantastic reversal from Luke Stewart as he sweeps to the top position and he has side mount on Galvao now. He stands and lands a couple of punches before Galvao follows him to the feet. Stewart is latched on to Galvao's leg and Galvao is teeing off with hammer fists. Stewart has to let get and they're on the mat again. Stewart reverses again and he's back to his feet. His cardio is top notch. He has not stopped moving at any point during this fight. Another takedown attempt from Galvao. Stewart is defending with ten seconds to go. The bell rings and that's it. That was another very close round. This fight could easily go either way, but Stewart seemed to be more active. I'd give it to him. Final result: Andre Galvao defeats Luke Stewart via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28) -end- 135 lbs.: Zoila Frausto (2-0) vs. Miesha "Takedown" Tate (7-2) Round one: Tate with a stiff left jab. Frausto answers back with some fast hands. Tate maintains the center of the cage and pushes forward with more jabs. Frausto swinging for the fences now, but not landing. Tate lands and overhand right. Frausto with a leg kick and now Tate shoots and drives Frausto into the fence. Nice dirty boxing from Tate here as she continues to work fo the takedown. She finally gets it and she right to side control right in the middle of the cage. Nice hammer fists from Miesha. She stands and drops a big right hand on Frausto's chin. She's back on her now and still has side mount. More hard left hands from Tate. Frausto gives up her back and Tate is looking for the choke. She doesn't have her hooks in and Frausto stands and shrugs her off her back. They're back on their feet now and Miesha lands a straight kick to the body. Frausto with a wild right hand that misses and Tate makes her pay by driving her back into the cage. Knees from Tate as she continues to work for the takedown. She gets it and again has side control right away. Tate looking for a full mount now, but Frausto defends it. Frausto trying to use her legs to pull Tate off of her, but the round ends anyway. Big round for Tate. Nice execution. Round two: Tate takes to center of the cage right away. Leg kicks from Frausto. Big right hand now from the hometown fighter. Straight kick now sends Tate backwards. Tate's had enough and she shoots for a takedown. She has a both legs and she finally secures the takedown. Right into side control again but Frausto has a weak guillotine attempt. It seems to be backfiring on her though as Tate is using it to her advantage to choke Frausto. Frausto's face is bright red and she's trapped. She seems to be okay now and they both finally let go. Miesha looking to pass to mount and now she has an arm triangle. She lets go and now she gets full mount. Frausto is trying to buck her way out and now Tate has her arm. Frausto refuses to tap, but Tate has it extremely tight. I have no idea how she is still holding on. She finally gives in and submits, but she showed a ton of heart right there. Big finish for Tate though. Final result: Miesha "Takedown" Tate defeats Zoila Frausto via submission (armbar) at 4:09 of round two -end- 160 lbs.: Justin "The Silverback" Wilcox (8-3) vs. Shamar Bailey (10-1) Round one: Gloves touch and we're underway. Wilcox charges forward with punches as Bailey retreats. Wilcox with a big kick and Bailey looks wobbly. Wilcox charges in again with big punches. The referee slips as Bailey is retreating. He's back up now and Wilcox lands a leg kick. Wilcox is the clear aggressor early on. Baily is cut and bleeding badly. Another nice high kick lands for Wilcox. Bailey tries one of his own, but Wilcox easily avoids it. Nice combination from Bailey. Wilcox fires back with a hard right hand. Wilcox with more punches. There's blood everywhere and the referee calls timeout to get the cut checked. He's able to continue and we're back underway. Nice right hands from Wilcox. Right kick lands to Bailey's body. Into a clinch, but only momentarily. Bailey leans in with a two punch combo. Wilcox answers with a combination of his own, and he follows it up with another head kick right on the chin. Wilcox shoots and he has a single. Bailey is defending it and he's able to escape, but not without eating a hard right hand from Wilcox. Bailey shoots now and he has a single leg. Wilcox shrugs him off and now he has a north south position. The round ends there. Wilcox 10-9. Round two: Jabs from Bailey and Wilcox fires with a big right hand. High kick from Wilcox is blocked. Another lands and Bailey is hurt. Wilcox chases him down, but he's able to recover. Nice left hand lands from Wilcox. Now there's a stop in the action. Wilcox was poked in the eye. He's good to go and we're back at it. Jabs from Wilcox. Nice combination from Wilcox. Hard counter right hand lands from Wilcox. Wilcox is being a lot more active than Bailey in this round. Bailey isn't doing much but defending himself and sticking his jab out there lazily. Now he connects on a left hand, but Wilcox makes him pay with a kick to the body. Bailey says it was low and there's another pause in the action. He's given time to recover and now they're back underway. Another high kick lands for Wilcox. He's been very effective with that tonight. Nice right hand from Wilcox. Left hand lands for Bailey, but again, Wilcox counters with a body kick. Hard overhand right lands for Wilcox and Bailey is in trouble. He's covering up his eye and Wilcox is pounding him. Slamming takedown now for Wilcox. Bailey is saved by the bell as Wilcox was pounding his bloody face there for a good ten seconds. Wilcox is well ahead on the scorecards at this point. Round three: Wilcox is still being aggressive even with the big lead and he lands a nice left hand. Bailey lands a couple of jabs and Wilcox counters with a leg kick. More jabs from Bailey. Wilcox charges forward with three or four right hands as Bailey circles away. Again Wilcox leans in with more right hands. He's landing at will on Bailey now, mixing in left and right hands. Bailey counters with a hard uppercut. Bailey tries to clinch, but Wilcox punches his way out. Bailey with tries a knee, but Wilcox times it nicely and he scores a driving takedown. He moves right to full mount and he's trying to finish the fight as Bailey hangs on for dear life. Big left hands now for Wilcox. Bailey is defending the punches as best he can and now Wilcox transitions to an armbar with 10 seconds to go. He doesn't get it and the bell rings bringing the fight to a close. Wilcox is going to win this decision. Final result: Justin "The Silverback" Wilcox defeats Shamar Bailey via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) -end- |
| UFC 111 weigh in photos gallery for 'St. Pierre vs Hardy' Posted: 26 Mar 2010 06:20 PM PDT |
| Thiago Alves headed for outpatient surgery to correct brain irregularity (Updated) Posted: 26 Mar 2010 05:55 PM PDT Former welterweight number one contender Thiago Alves will be required to undergo minor surgery to correct the brain "irregularity" that prompted his withdrawal from the UFC 111 fight card last Thursday. TMZ Sports -- who broke the initial story regarding "Pitbull's" condition, first reported the update earlier today. The Brazilian was pulled from his March 27 fight against Jon Fitch after failing a pre-fight CAT Scan and promptly sought out additional tests from brain specialists to help determine what action needed to be taken -- if any. Now it appears that Alves will have an angiogram at the Hyman Newman institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery located at Roosevelt Hospital in New York. The outpatient procedure is scheduled to take place next Wednesday (March 31) to correct the malformation of the left side of his brain, as reported by Tracy Lee from a March 26 press conference held by Alves. He is expected to be cleared to resume training in as little as three weeks. Great news. After the NJ Athletic Commission denied Alves a license to compete, UFC officials were forced to scramble to replace a very large hole on the UFC 111 fight card. Opponent Jon Fitch offered to move up to middleweight to help widen the chances of the promotion finding a suitable replacement, but in the end it wasn't necessary. Enter Ben Saunders. "Killa B" jumped on the opportunity to leave Jake Ellenberger high and dry to throw hands with the former collegiate wrestling standout -- and raise his stock considerably with a possible win over the former top contender. Ellenberger was compensated for his efforts despite seeing no action this Saturday night. In addition, the lightweight scrap between Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino and Fabricio "Morango" Camoes has been promoted to the main card, leaving the Newark event at total of ten bouts. To check out the updated UFC 111 fight card click here. |
| UFC 111 predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 26 Mar 2010 05:55 PM PDT UFC 111: "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" is set to go down this Saturday, March 27, 2010 from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, 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 welterweight title fight between Georges St. Pierre and Dan Hardy. The "UFC Primetime" special has done a convincing job of portraying "The Outlaw" as a worthy title contender, but will "Rush" prove he was all bark and no bite? In heavyweight action, Shane Carwin looks to continue his quest to usurp the division title currently held by Brock Lesnar. Will he be exposed by the veteran Frank Mir before he ever gets the chance? 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. 170 lbs.: Georges "Rush" St. Pierre vs. Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy MMAmania predicts: There is no secret to success for either fighter in this bout, which has received the lion's share of marketing from the promotion to start the 2010 campaign. St. Pierre will likely look to overwhelm "The Outlaw" with a powerful mix of strikes, takedowns and ground and pound en route to an early stoppage or yet another dominating performance. Hardy, meanwhile, will try and survive 25 minutes to land just one punch -- scoring a (technical) knockout appears to be his primary strategy. And he hasn't been shy about making it known, either. In fact, he enlisted the help of former 170-pound kingpin, Matt Serra, to help him prepare for "Rush." Serra, of course, shocked the universe when he punched out St. Pierre several years ago to capture the belt. He proved, emphatically, that St. Pierre is not only beatable, but could be stopped if the right punch finds its mark. But will it? Maybe, in the future, but not this Saturday night. St. Pierre learned a great deal from that loss to Serra. And it's only motivated him to train harder and perform better, which is scary considering how naturally gifted he is in the first place. Hardy likes to take his time, pick his spots and unload big counter punches. That's a recipe for disaster against a hard-charging, relentless animal like St. Pierre. Expect St. Pierre to slip whatever punches do come his way, dive for a double leg and smash Hardy on the ground ad nauseam until he either quits, the referee saves him or he goes to sleep ... all before the start of the championship rounds. Betting lines (as of March 26): St. Pierre: -700 ((Bet Now)) Hardy: +450 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: St. Pierre via TKO 265 lbs.: Frank Mir vs. Shane "The Engineer" Carwin Nostradumbass predicts: Do you wanna be an F'n striker? Brock Lesnar told the gang at SportsCenter that he "felt bad for Frank Mir." So do I. Not because I'm rappelling from his yam-bag like many of these Johnny-come-latelys, but because I know the former champ would tool "The Engineer" on the ground. Yeah, Shane-O has a few belts in the grappling drawer but Mir has been mastering jits under some of the top guys for years. You just can't compensate for that kind of experience. So what better gameplan than to throw the baby out with the bathwater? Mir has decent hands, but I wouldn't classify them as anything that's gonna give Klitschko Ukrainian night sweats. Okay, he stopped Nogueira with his fists. But so did Velasquez. Is that a credit to their striking? Or a sign that "Minotauro" is done? Let's just say if the Brazilian's defense was any stiffer he'd be driving a Johnny Cab in Total Recall 2. I expected Mir to get a wake up call against Kongo, but the Parisian failed to give him any respect and went ass over tin cups in the first minute. That's probably the worst thing that could have happened to Mir because those kind of wins can be very seductive -- and I believe that he thinks he's a top level striker based on those performances. He's not. Now anyone who's ever followed the Dumbass gospel knows I'm no Carwin card-carrier. I thought he unfairly leapfrogged more deserving talent to get his spot against Lesnar at UFC 106 and while his wins have been impressive, his resume is fairly underwhelming. Neil Wain and Christian Wellisch? Most MMA fans couldn't pick them out of a police line-up if they were wearing 5oz gloves. And I know a handful of you are racing over to the Fight Finder right now to redeem yourselves. Too late. You want to tell me the Gonzaga win was enough to anoint him heir to the throne? Okay, but let's not forget he had his nose caved in by the Brazilian yeti -- who also took him down at will. What does Carwin have? He's got retard-strength and hands the size of a Passover Challah. Sometimes that's all you need when your opponent plays right to your strengths. And Mir will. You can bet on it. I did, and look forward to three months of mind-numbing hype as the media shoves Carwin vs. Lesnar down our throats until we regurgitate the excitement on July 3. So let it be written, so let it be dumb. Betting lines (as of March 26): Mir: -155 ((Bet Now)) Carwin: +125 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Carwin via TKO 170 lbs.: Jon Fitch vs. Ben "Killa B" Saunders Akimitsu Kuwabara predicts: Rising welterweight, Ben Saunders steps up to face Jon Fitch as a last-minute replacement for Thiago Alves, who was forced to withdraw from the UFC 111 fight card after pre-fight CT scan detected an anomaly in his brain. Originally slated to face Jake Ellenberger on the preliminary portion of the same card, Saunders now commits himself to a high-risk/high-yield proposition. A victory over one of the toughest competitors in the ultra-competitive welterweight division will immediately vault the American Top Team prospect from an up-and-comer to contender. In preparation for the original bout against Ellenberger, he must have undergone rigorous drills of takedown defense and guard work; against a fighter who bulldozes through his opponents with wrestling-based attack and ferocious power, stuffing takedowns and working efficiently from the guard are imperative. Since wrestling is Fitch's bread-and-butter, the grappling-centered training camp has at least sharpened the right tools for Saunders to take on the American Kickboxing Academy member. Unfortunately, Saunders is walking into a brick wall in Fitch. Though a rangy striker with snappy kicks and eviscerating knees, Saunders has not developed the optimal striking acumen and takedown defense to fend off Fitch's bullying offense. Given Fitch's durability and chin, it is a matter of time before Saunders has his offense neutralized and put on his back. Saunders may have demolished Brandon Wolff and Marcus Davis with savage knee strikes from the clinch, but securing Thai clinch on Fitch will be a tall order. On the mat, Saunders will be hard-pressed to successfully cope with Fitch's stifling top control. Though all signs point to Fitch's grinding out another decision, one interesting twist to the fight is his willingness to finish the fight. After his decision victory over Mike Pierce, Fitch stated that he needs to start finishing his opponents lest he becomes a perennial top contender who struggles to clinch his second title shot. Should he become desperate for a finish, he may leave himself vulnerable for an upset. In his last fight, he found himself in danger late in the final round against the unheralded Mike Pierce; similar mistakes may prove fatal against Saunders. That said, Fitch's steadfast adherence to his game plan should carry himself past Saunders. Betting lines (as of March 26): Fitch: -350 ((Bet Now)) Saunders: +250 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Fitch via unanimous decision 155 lbs.: Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek James Kimball predicts: New Jersey native Jim Miller and Dana White's former jui-jitsu instructor Mark Bocek are set to collide in a lightweight battle between two guys looking to take the next step in becoming a legitimate contender in the UFC's deep 155 lbs. division. Both men are currently riding three-fight win streaks coming into their UFC 111 bout, though the younger of the two Miller brothers comes in as a pretty heavy favorite. And for good reason. Owning a professional record of 16-2 with the only two losses coming to top dogs Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar, Miller's stock has been slowly rising over the last couple years. He'll be looking to build upon the momentum he gained after submitting Duane Ludwig in the first round of their UFC 108 contest. Bocek (8-2) is coming off a first round submission of his own when he tapped out Joe Brammer at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale en route to earning "Submission of the Night" honors. Six of Mark's eight victories have come via submission while ten of Jim's sixteen wins have ended with his opponent tapping out, so clearly both gentlemen feel comfortable on the ground. While conventional wisdom would tell you that they're propensity to submit opponents would cancel each other out and most likely lead to a stand-up battle, I just don't see it. So if the fight plays out on the mat, I look for Miller to use is superior wrestling to maintain a dominant position for the majority of the match. Another key factor to look at is the fact that Miller has never been finished, and while Bocek brings an elite submission game to the table, I don't think he has what it takes to be the first guy to stop the man from Sparta. When it's all said and done, I got to believe that Miller is just too strong and relentless for Mark to handle. Jim will dictate the pace and come away with the victory.
Betting lines (as of March 26): Miller: -400 ((Bet Now)) Bocek: +300 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Miller via unanimous decision 155 lbs.: Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino vs. Fabricio "Morango" Camoes James Iannotti predicts: Pellegrino has said that he wants this thing to go the full fifteen minutes so he can put all his hard work in training to good use. Unfortunately for him, and even more so for Camoes, I don't think this fight reaches that final bell. Betting lines (as of March 26): Pellegrino: -230 ((Bet Now)) Camoes: +180 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Pellegrino via TKO That’s a wrap, folks. Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of UFC 111: "St. Pierre vs. Hardy." 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. |
| Big Dog: MMAmania.com UFC 111 interview exclusive with Ricardo Almeida Posted: 26 Mar 2010 05:54 PM PDT When UFC 111: "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" comes to Newark, New Jersey, there's one hometown hero you can bet would be on the card. Ricardo Almeida (11-3) - who's called the Bon Jovi state home for 13 years - looks to make his welterweight debut after a successful 3-1 run at middleweight since his 2008 return to MMA. The third-degree blackbelt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Renzo Gracie gets a tough opponent for his debut party in the Team Gurgel product, Matt Brown (11-7). "The Immortal" has posted an impressive 4-1 record since his days in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 7 house. Almeida will look to steal that momentum when the two meet up at the Prudential Center on Saturday, March 27. While the main card airs on pay-per-view (PPV), the Almeida vs. Brown match-up kicks off the Spike TV televised preliminary portion of the card, which also features a welterweight fight between Nate Diaz and Rory Markham. We recently chatted it up with "Big Dog" and he shed some light on his move to 170 lbs, his thoughts on going toe-to-toe with Brown, and his unanimous decision win over Kendall Grove, which nearly ended with Almeida seeing stars. He also comments on teammate Frankie Edgar's new sparring partner, Eddie Alvarez, who is helping prepare him for his upcoming lightweight title fight opposite BJ Penn. Let's get to it. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I wanted to ask you about the transition from middleweight to welterweight. As a fighter, you're sole focus was on competing to earn a title shot against Anderson Silva. Now that focus has switched to a different fighter, Georges St. Pierre. What's it like switching that mental focus to a new division and a different champion at the end of that road? Ricardo Almeida: It is a new beginning. I took four years off and when I came back the size of fighters was probably the biggest difference. Guys are cutting a lot of weight. You have to adapt or be left behind. I am very excited about fighting in a smaller weight class. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): In your last fight, you beat Kendall Grove largely by taking him down and grinding it out. You also showed a decent chin. What do you take away from that fight, your last as a middleweight? Ricardo Almeida: Kendall is a very tough guy to fight. If you stay outside he can pick you apart; if you close the distance he has very dangerous clinch; when you finally take him down he is dangerous off his back. It was a fight that forced me to fight out of my natural style of staying relaxed and waiting for things to happen. I took a big uppercut and knee at the end of the second round, and I was actually out on my feet until probably mid-third round. I don't really remember much, but I was hurting. If Kendall hit me with one more shot then I probably would have been done. I learned a lot from that fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What steps did you take or are you taking to cut the weight down to 170? What has the experience been like for you? Ricardo Almeida: I brought in a nutritionist, Corey Coopersmith, who is really making a real difference in my training. I actually gained a few pounds since the Kendall fight. I will be actually heavier when I step into the Octagon Saturday night than when I fought back in August. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You've shown improvement in your last couple of fights in your wrestling and standup. Can you talk a bit about how the training has gone, who you've been working with, etc.? I know, for example, that you had worked with the wrestling team at Rutgers University and boxing with Mark Henry. Are you still with them? Are you working with anyone else? Ricardo Almeida: Man, I will never change coaches. I feel like we have a great team down here in South Jersey. Mark Henry is helping me with the boxing, and Frankie with the wrestling. I do get to go to Rutgers often, but Frankie is the one major factor in the improvements of my takedowns. For this fight I also brought in a Thai boxing coach. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You next fight Matt Brown at UFC 111 in Newark, New Jersey. How do you feel heading into this fight in front of your home crowd, and against a fighter who is known for exciting fights like Matt Brown? Ricardo Almeida: I couldn't have gotten a better matchup if I had asked for one. Brown is a very exciting fighter, this fight is on Spike TV and I get to fight in my home state. It made me train harder for this fight than anything I have ever done before. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Matt Brown is known to push the pace in his fights. He's a hard charger. What advantages do you see heading into this fight, based on his style as a fighter? Ricardo Almeida: I feel I am the more experienced fighter, and I have shown that I can win big fights against bigger and stronger opponents. But each fight is a new fight. The pace at 170 is a little faster than at 185, and Brown is a fast-pace guy in this new division for me. I am going to fight how I always fight and trust my skills. The result sometimes falls out of our hands. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What's your cardio program like? Do you take measures to ensure that you still have gas in the tank against a guy who can push the pace, especially when you now will be cutting weight? Ricardo Almeida: I have been doing some new things, but I will wait till after the fight to talk about it. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're 3-1 in the UFC since your return to competition. A win over Matt Brown starts you off on a good foot in the welterweight division. Where do you think a win puts you? Ricardo Almeida: I have pushed my body to new levels of performance for this fight. I trained my butt off to get the win Saturday night, and that is all I have in my mind right now. Brown is a fan favorite. A dominant performance over him will put me in a very good place in the division. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You train with Frankie Edgar, who has a tough fight ahead against the lightweight champion BJ Penn. Have you worked with him as he prepares for Penn? How is he dealing with the mental and physical challenges ahead? Ricardo Almeida: We train together a few days a week. Frankie is the kind of guy who needs to feel the heat so he can grow. I think the fact that we are fighting two weeks apart is helping both of us. We are sparring and grappling each other a lot. He has also been going to Phil Nurse's, and in the past few weeks Eddie Alvarez has been gracious enough to come help Frankie for his title match. Eddie is a great guy and their sparring sessions are classic. I could charge admission just for that. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Georges St. Pierre will face Dan Hardy in New Jersey the same night as your fight. Hardy is the huge underdog, but he has power in his strikes. What do you think are Hardy's chances for an upset? How do you see the fight going? Do you think Hardy will be on his feet long enough for his punching power to be a factor? Do you think GSP will attempt to stand with him? Ricardo Almeida: Hardy is a very tough guy, but I don't know him much other than the past few fights. We all know GSP and what he is capable of. I really believe Georges will win this fight. Not because Hardy is not good enough, but because GSP is freak right now. I had a chance to train with him, and from what I've seen and felt, he is at the top of his game and ready to keep his title. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Ricardo, thanks again for the time and good luck at UFC 111. Would you like to thank any sponsors or do you have any final thoughts for your fans? Ricardo Almeida: I want to thank my team for helping me get ready. There are the key players, but many more anonymous guys who I could not do this without. Want to also thank the fans for making this the greatest sport. I am a fan first, so I really appreciate how much support we get from you guys. |
| UFC 111 videos blog with Dana White (Episode four) Posted: 26 Mar 2010 01:34 PM PDT |
| UFC 111 weigh in results LIVE from Newark for 'St. Pierre vs Hardy' (Updated) Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:43 AM PDT The official weigh-in event for UFC 111: "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" today (March 26) took place from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Georges St. Pierre and Dan Hardy, as well as Frank Mir and Shane Carwin, participants in the two title fights that will headline the card, all hit their respective marks. Mir and Carwin actually maxed out the scales, coming in lean and huge at 265 pounds apiece. Rory Markham, however, was not so fortunate. In fact, he may have broken the scale after he came in six pounds over the limit for his welterweight contest against Nate Diaz. It apparently didn't sit well with Diaz, who immediately got in Markham's face and started jawing. Or, that could just be Nate Diaz. Regardless, Markham was unable to shed the extra baggage and will be penalized financially for the mishap. Complete "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" weigh in results and replay 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 111 coverage you can handle. Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com. |
| Brock Lesnar ESPN video: 'I feel bad for Frank Mir' Posted: 26 Mar 2010 10:17 AM PDT |
| UFC Quick Quote: Frank Mir points to experience as the difference maker at UFC 111 Posted: 26 Mar 2010 09:57 AM PDT
On the eve of the highly anticipated UFC 111 co-main event, the interim heavyweight title fight between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin has been dissected and analyzed ten times over. But what's one more quote from the man himself gonna hurt? In speaking with ESPN 101 in St. Louis (via Sports Radio Interviews), the former champ talked about what is widely considered to be Carwin's main advantage in this bout, his power. But Frank also detailed why he still believes that he holds the edge in the stand up game overall. There's no debating that Mir has more experience in the sport and that his striking is far more technical. But, will that be enough to get him by the heavy-handed brawler? Drop some knowledge, Maniacs. |
| Dana White: I was all for St. Pierre vs. Silva -- until I saw Anderson move up to 205 Posted: 26 Mar 2010 09:47 AM PDT Props: Las Vegas Sun Quoteworthy:
UFC President Dana White doesn't foresee a possible superfight between current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and reigning middleweight champion Anderson Silva -- especially after "The Spider" crawled into the light heavyweight division on two separate occasions and laid waste to James Irvin and Forrest Griffin. "Rush" may not have a problem bulking up to 185-pounds, but the Brazilian has talked about a possible future at heavyweight if he's able to clean out the remaining contenders at middleweight in 2010. In spite of Dana's remarks, anyone still holding out hope for this one? |
| Back in the fray: MMAmania.com Strikeforce Challengers interview exclusive with Miesha Tate Posted: 26 Mar 2010 08:14 AM PDT Miesha Tate is officially back in the fray in the Strikeforce 135-pound women's division. Her last fight under the Strikeforce banner in May 2009 resulted in a disappointing unanimous decision loss to current champion Sarah Kaufman. Since then, however, she has rattled off impressive victories over Sarah Oriza and Valerie Coolbaugh. She will once again return to the Strikeforce cage to face undefeated striker Zoila Frausto on the Strikeforce Challengers 7 card. The event is scheduled to take place in Fresno, California on Friday, March 26. "Takedown" Tate took some time out of her busy schedule to discuss why she's a bad matchup for Frausto, the upcoming 135-pound tournament, managing fighters of her own someday, and how she spends her free time outside of MMA. Check it out: Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I know you wrestled for four years in high school. How did you go from high school wrestler to full time mixed martial artist? Miesha Tate: I discovered MMA through a roommate of mine in college. She was into karate and she found this mixed martial arts club sport and begged me to go along with her. I had no clue what it was. I didn't even know what MMA was. I was like, "I didn't do any kind of karate. I wrestled for a little bit, but that's about it." She was like, "No, no, no, there are a lot of former high school wrestlers. You will really like it. You have to come." I went with her, and sure enough, we were learning jiu-jitsu techniques and a little bit of striking and I thought it was really cool. It all kind of snowballed from there. I then went to some fight cards with the guys I was training with and I took my first fight not too long after that. And here I am today! Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I watched a mini-documentary of you online and my favorite part was the story about your first amateur MMA fight against Liz Posener in 2006. Tell our readers how the fight played out. Miesha Tate: The first round I went out there and on the judge's scorecard I won the round. I took her down. I was still kind of in the wrestling mode. I didn't do a lot of striking, but I controlled the first round. The second round I went out and hit her with one two, one two, and she Thai clinched me and I didn't know how to defend it. I had only been doing standup training for about three weeks before I took that fight. I kept trying to shoot in to take her down and she caught me with two knees to the face, one of which broke my nose. It didn't hurt when I got hit, but I heard it and it was really loud. Before I knew it there was blood everywhere. I finished taking her down but I was dazed. She kind of slid out onto my back and tried to sink in the choke. Then she postured up and started throwing punches. I was like, "What the hell is going on here? This chick is a Muay Thai girl and she's on my back. That's not cool." I started going crazy and I bucked her off. Then she fell down into guard position and I started reigning down punches as hard as I could to finish out the round. I went back to my corner and I would've gone out for the third round happily but they were like, "Oh my gosh, obviously your nose is broken." I think they were kind of shocked because they had never cornered a girl and it was an amateur fight. I think they didn't know how I was going to handle it. Unfortunately, I lost that fight because they wouldn't let me go back out for the third round. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): That is a tough debut. It is probably not the ideal debut, but you used it to sort of propel yourself forward. Did it reassure your belief that competing in MMA is what you were meant to do? Miesha Tate: Yes, it did for sure because it didn't deter me. I came away with a pretty shockingly severe injury and it took me a long time to recuperate from it. I was swollen for a good two weeks with full black eyes. It was my first fight and everybody was nervous. My mom and nobody really wanted me to do this. Everyone was like, "Don't break your nose." I think everybody jinxed me. (laughs) I went out there and it was kind of the worst case scenario. My grandparents were all freaked out. My parents were like, "Well good thing she learned. Now she's never going to do this again!" To me it was like, "No way can I go out like that! I have to redeem myself. I'm too competitive." I hung in there and didn't quit and kept fighting through the injury. I knew I had the fight instinct and not the flight instinct. I'm not the kind of person that gives up. You have to knock me out or choke me out and finish me in some way, because I'm never going to quit coming at you. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Let's fast forward to the Strikeforce Challengers 1 event. You were supposed to fight Kim Couture. Then she pulled out and it changed to Sarah Kaufman, which was a big step up in competition. How soon before the fight did they swap opponents and did you feel like you had enough time to prepare for Kaufman? Miesha Tate: I didn't feel like I had enough time. It was about 2 ½ weeks out that the opponent change happened. It was kind of short notice. Granted, I had been preparing for a fight, but it was just a very different style. Kim Couture is a lot taller. Kaufman is obviously way more efficient at what she does. For Kim I was training to stand. I felt like I would've been competitive enough in that area and I wanted to display that. Then when I got matched up with Sarah Kaufman I felt desperate to start drilling the takedown game. I felt intimidated on my feet. I went out there. I was striking. I was hanging in there but it was obviously I was losing the striking battle. It was just so engrained in my head. By the time it clicked for me I was too desperate for the shot and I wasn't setting it up well. It was kind of an awkward situation. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Were you happy with your performance ultimately? You won the second round of that fight if I am not mistaken. Miesha Tate: Yes, I won the second round on all three judges' scorecards. She won the first and last. I felt like I had a better performance than I thought I was going to, but once I realized that I realized how much better it still could have been. That's where I find motivation to want to show people. Now I know that I can compete on that level. It was just kind of a shock because I never had competed against a fighter of that caliber. She is ranked #1 in the world right now and #4 or #5 when I fought her. It was quite a jump up the ladder. I had been progressing and slowly fighting tougher and tougher people and then it was boom, now I'm in there with Sarah Kaufman, who is an amazing fighter. I learned a lot. I walked away a better fighter. I have a lot more courage now. Those are some of the qualities I need to become a world champion. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you get over a loss like that right away or does that sit in the back or your head for a while? Miesha Tate: It kind of burns for a little while. I'm just the kind of person that tries to take the positive from it. If you dwell on negative it doesn't get you anywhere. If you lose you learn something from yourself and you learn what you need to work on. You have to take it, implement it, and feel good about what you're doing. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I saw you were recently tweeting and wishing Sarah Kaufman good luck in her last fight. I get the sense that a lot of the big named female MMA fighters seem to have each other's backs to a certain extent. It is sort of like you are all in the same boat together trying to further women's MMA. Is this perception true? Miesha Tate: Yes, for the most part. I think we all kind of realize we're in the same boat. We are all striving for the same thing. We are still relatively few and far between. There are a lot of people that try to tear us apart. It is very important that the women try to stick together. If we don't have each other's back it is going to be that much easier for someone to try to diminish us. We need to team up and push each other and help each other. I think it is important for us to do that. I think most the girls understand it and do that. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Most recently, you defeated Valerie Coolbaugh on January 16 via armbar 4:45 into the first round. You've fought with both three minute rounds and five minute rounds. Which do you prefer? Miesha Tate: I prefer the five minute rounds. I feel like it favors the grappler, especially if you're going against someone with good takedown defense and striking. You can't just go out there expect to get a takedown right off the bat. If you take someone down into their guard and they've got a good guard then you've got to work for position. Ideally, a grappler is looking for a submission or TKO. You're probably not going to get that in someone's guard, especially in Strikeforce because you can't throw elbows. You have to work and then try to go for some kind of finish. It takes a little while sometimes. For instance, with Sarah Kaufman I got her down in the first round after a couple failed attempts. I finally figured out how to get her down but there were only 18 seconds left. Had I had another two minutes who's to say what would have happened? Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're fighting Zoila Frausto on March 26. She's an undefeated fighter. Describe her fighting style to me and what she brings to the table? Miesha Tate: She claims to be a Muay Thai fighter. She likes to kick a lot which is fine by me. You don't see a whole lot of people that kick as much as she does. She's got a decent clinch. Her standup game is pretty solid. I think she has a little bit on the ground, but I don't think it's anywhere near my level. I feel like I have a world class ground game. I have a good wrestling background, awesome jiu-jitsu, and I have good standup as well. I don't think it's a very good matchup for her. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Does the face that she tends to kick more than the average opponent make her more susceptible to being taken down? Miesha Tate: I would say so. I don't fear kicks at all. Really the only way that kicks are effective is if you leave yourself open or if you're going backwards. I don't intend on losing this fight. I don't intend on going backwards. I'm going to be aggressive. I don't think they're going to help her very much. I think they're going to be more of a hindrance, but that's her style, so I don't think it's a good style matchup for her. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Strikeforce is putting together a 135-pound tournament soon. The winner reportedly gets a crack at the 135-pound titleholder. Can we pencil you in for tournament? Miesha Tate: I sure hope so. I haven't heard anything from Strikeforce so I can't say for sure. I can tell you I will be really disappointed if I was not apart of it. I've heard some rumors that my fight with Zoila. From what I've gathered whoever wins this will be entered into the tournament. Then whoever wins the tournament will have a title shot. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Outside of mixed martial arts what do you like to spend your free time doing? Miesha Tate: There are a couple things I love doing. I watch movies. I get Redbox movies and watch them after practice. I like to cook. I actually really like cake decorating, as funny as that sounds. (laughs) My mom was always into cake decorating. She used to do it professionally and sell cakes on the side like wedding cakes. I have an artistic side to me. When I have time I like to draw. I like to play piano or music. That's about it. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I have heard you say that you would like to manage female fighters when your own fighting career is done. Why is that? Miesha Tate: I feel like I'm in a good position to help other females. I feel like, for the most part people like me and my image. There are a lot of things I have to offer that I could help with including things I've done wrong, things to look out for, or just how to deal with certain situations. I'm learning as I go and if I could save someone else all the trouble by already having gone through it myself I think that would be really cool. The females need as much push and support as they can get, so why not? Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Any message you would like to pass along to your fans out there or any sponsors you would like to thank? Miesha Tate: I would like to say that this fight against Zoila is going to be in her hometown, but I know there are a lot of people down in Fresno that support me after the Sarah Kaufman fight that took place there as well. I'm going to be looking and listening for that support. I always appreciate it. As far as sponsors go I would like to thank Project Labels and Tussels. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Thank you. I appreciate your time today. Best of luck in your upcoming fight. Miesha Tate: Alright, thank you! Derek Bolender is a frequent MMAmania.com contributor. He is also a syndicated writer to FoxSports.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter. |
| Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto vs Diego ‘The Octopus’ Saraiva for May 20 ‘Super Fight’ Posted: 26 Mar 2010 07:28 AM PDT CHICAGO, Ill. (March 26, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that its reigning featherweight champion, Joe Soto, will square off in a non-title "Super Fight" with UFC veteran Diego "The Octopus" Saraiva under the Bellator banner this spring. The fight will take place on Thursday, May 20th and will be televised live on FOX Sports Net and during Bellator's Saturday-night highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo. The venue for the event will be announced shortly. This is the second Super Fight matchup to be announced by Bellator, along with the May 6th bout between current Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez and UFC veteran Josh Neer. Bellator will also hold similar non-tournament, non-title fights for Bellator's two other Season 1 champions-Hector Lombard and Lyman Good as each prepares to defend their titles from Bellator's Season 2 tournament winners this fall. Soto, a native of California's Central Valley, was a virtual unknown in the MMA world before knocking off Ben Greer, Wilson Reis and Yahir Reyes to take home the first-ever Bellator Featherweight Championship belt last June. He recently improved his record to a perfect 8-0. Saraiva, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, is a three-time UFC veteran at 155 lbs. He is now in the midst of a career renaissance since dropping down to the 145 weight class a little over one year ago and is a perfect 6-0 at featherweight. "This is a great match-up between two extremely tough fighters - one who's on his way up and one who's in the midst of a great comeback," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "Diego will be a great test for Joe as he prepares to defend his belt later this year. As a fan first and foremost, this should be a great fight to watch" Soto, who broke the news of the fight during an in-studio appearance on HD Net's "Inside MMA" on Thursday, said that he's "excited to get back in the cage" against a seasoned competitor like Saraiva. "I've got a lot of respect for Diego ... He has almost 30 fights as a pro and is on a real hot streak since he dropped down to 145," Soto said. "But I'm in the best shape of my career. I feel that I can compete with anybody at 145 right now. I'm looking forward to the fight." Saraiva, meanwhile, said that he's been interested in fighting Soto since seeing him defeat Wilson Reis in last season's Bellator featherweight semifinals. "Joe's a really tough wrestler - I was really impressed by him," Saraiva said. "So I'm going to be trying to block the takedown and win the fight on my feet. I feel like I've found a new home at 145. At 155, I always was feeling like the little guy. Now, I'm more powerful and a lot faster too. I think Joe and I are going to give the Bellator fans a great show." For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator. Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com. |
| New Georges St. Pierre (GSP) Gatorade commercial 'Protect' (Video) Posted: 26 Mar 2010 07:10 AM PDT
"Rush" recently re-signed with Gatorade -- that's "G." |
| Gameplay reactions from the hands-on media event for UFC Undisputed 2010 Posted: 26 Mar 2010 06:07 AM PDT THQ and UFC President Dana White held a hands-on media event yesterday (March 25) for the upcoming release of the UFC Undisputed 2010 video game due in stores on May 25. 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. There is an absurdly detailed write up given to us by fy8 ny8, who is a very distinguished member of the forums at Undisputed Online. Any pictures I use are coming from MiddleEasy.com, and our Twitter friend Bauzen. Submissions According to everything I’ve read, this may be the most improved area of the game. The submission switching, which is performed simply by switching the direction that you are rotating the stick, is a great way to fool your opponent. When you switch subs (say from a triangle to an armbar) your opponent will have to switch directions as well if he hopes to get free. If he keeps going in the same direction, he’ll tap. Also, this means that slamming on the buttons as fast as you can is no longer a way out of submissions. Last year, this was supposed to be “brute force” escape tied to a fighters’ strength rating, but in reality it was just easier. For those who are annoyed by rotating the right stick, don’t worry. The developers also said that speed and frequency have less to do with achieving subs than making perfect circles. This year, Geometry is in. Who knew? Oh, and if you are one of those douches who holds the right stick after getting in mount, your screwed. While escaping the mount isn’t easier, it is much easier to go from mount up to mount down position and then work out of trouble. Striking The big deal this year is the new sway system. No longer will fighters upper bodies be tied to animations that leave you stuck in place. Apparently, this is the key to the standup game now. Since MMA is so much about countering, the sway system does allow you to counter effectively by ducking punches and letting loose with your own. This caused quite a few KO’s, according to all the reports. Apparently, if you sway into a punch, that can end the fight quick as well. Another sore area for people last year was leg kicks. They were purely cosmetic and didn’t really do any damage. Not this year. Now, legs get red, and fighters slow down and their legs get beat up. Leg kicks can even buckle fighters and increase chances of landing takedowns. Another standup factor is the “Moment” system. That’s not the official name, but that seems to be what people are calling it. When your opponent is rocked, the game slows down and allowed you to input a few button presses to try and finish them. Once you choose your strikes, the game restarts and the action plays out. This should severely downplay being rocked compared to last year when it was almost impossible to get back up when the gray screen came about. Also fixed in the standup game is the stepping strikes that covered the whole cage. Clinch and Cage Work The clinch has been completely reanimated. In order to transition in the clinch, the same method must now be used that is used on the ground. In other words, to go from over-under to double underhooks now requires a quarter circle on the right stick. Whipping the opponent in the Muay Thai clinch will now take even more energy, and require a very precise set of analog movement and button presses. Against the cage, the game looks and plays beautifully according to all reports. Dirty boxing is well animated and control while damaging your opponent is completely possible. The example of Couture v. Vera keeps being brought up. There are many positions against the cage, both on the feet and on the ground. Look for things like Wall walks and slams against the cage too. Fighter Individuality This is a huge one for me. Last year, Lyoto Machida fought the same Forrest Griffin. Not okay. Apparently, that is completely gone as the archetype move sets are a thing of the past. Instead, all the fighters have their own sets of moves. In the demo that was played, Thiago Alves strikes were completely different from that of GSP or other fighters. The same goes for the ground positions and submissions. Things like the butterfly guard and the crucifix are in, but the rubber guard may have gone out. Personally, I’m okay with that. 2009’s game made it seem too common, and while Eddie Bravo and Joe Rogan might be pissed, it may be for the best. Also included this year will be “Special Submissions.” The example given was Joe Stevenson. We all know that Joe Daddy is known for his guillotine. Well, Joe’s guillotine is that much harder to get out of in the game. Presentation No, there are no walk-in entrances, which I still think is a good thing. Entrances are very unnecessary, and even the developers said that people would watch it once and then skip it completely. However, there are a ton of new and fixed presentation elements. When the fight goes to decision, the scoring graphic will no longer steal Buffer’s thunder and expose the score early. Cuts are now reanimated, and fights can even end if cuts get too extreme. In career mode, you can now watch all the other fights on the card if you would like to. Create A Fighter This was the only part of last year’s game that I would truly call weak. It was so limited that everyone’s fighters ended up looking the same. This year, it is much more fleshed out according to everyone who had a chance to play with it last night. There is also now options for things like what gear to wear, more nicknames, how you are announced, your face to face pose (think Diego looking like a serial killer) and even the way you celebrate. Like everyone isn’t going to choose jumping on top of the cage. Or maybe Anderson’s guitar playing. Or GSP’s backflip. Or B.J. licking the blood off his gloves. Wow, there are actually a lot of options. There are obviously new appearance options, but there are also new options for things like stances. Apparently, there are orthodox and southpaw versions of 12 different stances including things like Karate, two muay thai stances and even a brawler stance. When it comes time to select your moves, you will select every single move. Kicks, punches, takedowns, and subs are all individually chosen to make your character your own. Demo This year’s demo will feature SIXTEEN fighters and is coming “soon.” The devs promised it would not be pushed back, as it appears that THQ has pretty much put the ribbon on this game, as they said they are already working on the 2011 version. Sixteen fighters with their own movesets means that I will likely not be leaving my house for awhile. All in all, it sounds like we are going to be in for a treat. All of these new features in addition to an engine that has been sped up to more accurately represent the sport sounds like a winning formula. We still have to find out about the online fight camps and the career mode, but I’m already sold. The mainstream gaming and MMA media should be delivering their write-ups before Monday. |
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