Sunday, October 24, 2010

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com


UFC Quick Quote: A 'relaxed' Cain Velasquez 'was in a perfect position' to finish Brock Lesnar in Anaheim

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 01:05 AM PDT

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And won the UFC Heavyweight Championship not because he fought harder than Shane Carwin, but because he fought smarter...

"It's kind of surreal right now, I'm still kind of taking it in ... It kind of surprised me how much pressure (Lesnar) did put in, he did surprise me with that. When I felt that he was close (to getting stopped) I saw Herb Dean out of the corner of my eye start coming in, but I wasn't sure that he was going to stop it because the same thing happened with him and Shane Carwin. I didn't want to exert so much energy and just throw punches wild. I wanted to look for my shots because he was covering up well. I was just trying to be relaxed and look for the shots. I was in a perfect position and didn't need to go crazy and go wild. It was kind of hard because he was covering up well."

Newly crowned UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez used brains as well as brawn to dethrone former division kingpin Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 last Saturday night (Oct. 23) in Anaheim. The pride of Mexico tells Ariel Helwani that he learned from Shane Carwin's mistake, who also crumpled Lesnar in the first round of their contest back in July but gassed himself out trying to finish with a flurry. Will he have similar success against Junior dos Santos when they collide in 2011? And was Joe Rogan right about the possibility of this sport entering the "Velasquez Era?"

Work? Or shoot? WWE star "The Undertaker" gets in the face of Brock Lesnar following his UFC 121...

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 01:03 AM PDT

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Work? Or shoot?

WWE star "The Undertaker" gets in the face of Brock Lesnar following his UFC 121 loss to Cain Velasquez in Anaheim.

See video of their bizarre confrontation here.

UFC 121: Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez fight video recap

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 11:08 PM PDT

'Hammer' time: Matt Hamill wanted to show the world what he's capable of against Tito Ortiz

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 11:02 PM PDT

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Props: UFC.com

Quoteworthy:

"I feel great because I want to show people where I'm standing and I want to show the world what I'm capable of. A lot of people still think I'm [green] but I'm more than that. If they want to beat me, it takes more than that to beat 'The Hammer.' It was a real honor to fight my former teacher and I'm just glad it's over. That pressure is off my shoulders. Now I can go see my daughter on Monday after school. I just want to relax and lay on a hammock."

UFC light heavyweight Matt Hamill is relieved to have rid himself of the pressure of fighting former division champion Tito Ortiz. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 student dropped the "Hammer" on his former teacher, cruising to a unanimous decision victory over "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" on Oct. 23 in Anaheim. Did his lopsided win have more to do with Hamill's skill? Or Tito's rapid deterioration? Let's hear your take on where these two fit in the current landscape of the 205-pound division.

UFC 121 gate and attendance announced during the "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" post-fight press...

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:44 PM PDT

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UFC 121 gate and attendance announced during the "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" post-fight press conference.

Gate: 2.15 million
Attendance: 14,856

UFC 121 bonuses and awards here.

FightMetric UFC 121 report scores 'Shields vs Kampmann' a draw

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:38 PM PDT

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Do you agree?

Thanks to FightMetric.com for the stats. Check out the total performance rating for "Shields vs. Kampmann" and a closer look at the grappling report after the jump.

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For complete UFC 121 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

UFC 121 bonuses and awards for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' PPV fights

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:11 PM PDT

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UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, has officially wrapped, which means that it’s time for those select fighters who went above and beyond in their respective fights to get a little extra grease for their efforts.

To the tune of $70,000 each.

The promotion dished out its standard post-fight monetary bonuses to four out of the 22 fighters on the card, and it's probably no surprise who's leaving Orange County with second sack of simoleons.

The "Cain Train" is pulling out of the station with the UFC heavyweight belt and a cool 70k to pad it with thanks to Cain Velasquez's "Knockout of the Night" over Brock Lesnar.

The former champ tried to bumrush the undefeated challenger to open the fight, but couldn't keep his chin out of harm's way and resorted to the tried-and-true turtle defense to run out the clock.

Referee Herb Dean wasn't having it.

In other action, Paulo Thiago tried to send Diego Sanchez back to the lightweight division for good. Unfortunately the "Nightmare" had other ideas.

The Brazilian was active with his submissions, but just couldn't repel the relentless assault from Sanchez, who took home the unanimous decision win and a boatload of green that he earned in his "Fight of the Night" against the B.O.P.E. supercop.

Rounding out the post-fight awards was Daniel Roberts. The "Ninja" made a "Joker" out of Mike Guymon, wrapping him up in an Anaconda choke and squeezing a "Submission of the Night" from him on the untelevised portion of the preliminary card.

Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC 121:

Fight of the NightDiego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago
Knockout of the Night — Cain Velasquez
Submission of the Night — Daniel Roberts

Again, each fighter received $70,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible.

For complete UFC 121 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

Did Cain Velasquez beat Brock Lesnar at UFC 121?

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 09:48 PM PDT

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Mr. Velasquez, you are the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Besides a stacked card and pay-per-view (PPV) draw Brock Lesnar, a big selling point for UFC 121 was that Cain Velasquez would get a chance to make history and become the first Mexican heavyweight champion.

Velasquez did just that at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The fight started off in explosive fashion. Lesnar immediately went for the takedown on Velasquez, but couldn't hold it. Lesnar then threw a knee that led to an exciting exchange between the two heavyweight gladiators.

The champion ate a few shots and eventually lost his balance, stumbling across the Octagon. That's when his undefeated challenger smelled blood in the water.

What followed next spelled the end of Lesnar's title reign. 

Velasquez unloaded on Lesnar, dropping the champion and continuing the onslaught on the ground. Referee Herb Dean called a halt to the bout as Lesnar turtled with just under a minute left to go in the first round, crowning "Brown Pride" the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.

What's next for Lesnar after losing his title? Will he meet Frank Mir for a third time? Is a second fight with Shane Carwin on the horizon? What about the first ever Mexican UFC champ? Will he be up to the task of facing Junior dos Santos? 

Let us know your thoughts. What's next for these two warriors?

UFC 121 results recap from last night for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 09:30 PM PDT

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UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" went down earlier this evening (Oct. 23) live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Most of the talk surrounding the promotion's return to Orange County was the opportunity for Cain Velasquez to become the first Mexican heavyweight champion in history.

Tonight was that night.

Brock Lesnar heard the opening bell and flipped the switch, charging his smaller foe with a Minnesotan bloodlust that put Velasquez on his keister on two separate occasions to start the main event.

Keeping him there would be another story.

"Brown Pride" kept his composure and retaliated in a calm and collected manner, picking his spots and landing right on the button again and again.

The barrage sent the former champ stumbling and crumbling, and there would be no second round heroics in this contest. The official stoppage came at 4:01 of the first round via technical knockout.

And Cain Velasquez is the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Jake Shields finally made his UFC debut after years of toying with the competition in Elite XC and Strikeforce. The Cesar Gracie disciple, above all else, was looking to secure his spot as number one contender in the UFC's crowded 170-pound division.

And get the respect he deserves in the process.

Standing in his way was welterweight stalwart Martin Kampmann, who made it tough, but not impossible to secure the split decision win. Shields established his grappling dominance early, getting it to the ground and imposing his will in all three rounds.

And he had a little help from "The Hitman's" trunks.

The infraction was hardly a difference maker, and although Shields was completely spent for the second half of the fight, Kampmann played by his opponent's rules, opting to mix it up on the ground when he was on the offensive.

It cost him at least one round, and maybe even the fight.

Was the Dane too concerned about the takedown to let his hands and feet go? And did the speed in which Shields deteriorated leave anyone else wondering if he can be a threat to a cardio machine like Georges St. Pierre?

We may need to see more of him at welterweight to know for sure.

Original "Ultimate Fighter," Diego Sanchez, came into Anaheim at a crossroads, stuck between the division that made him famous (170) and the one that may give him career longevity (155).

Tonight, his dominating unanimous decision win over Paulo Thiago likely helped him with his decision.

The Brazilian supercop was sharp and savvy through the first five minutes, but after Sanchez hulked up and delivered a highlight reel powerslam early in the second stanza, the ticking clock became a "Nightmare" for Thiago.

That's because the bastion of B.O.P.E. was out of gas for the third and final frame, and had no answer for the Sanchez onslaught. Whether it was the suffocating top game or the relentless ground-and-pound, the "Old Diego" looked like he was back -- and back for good.

How much credit does Greg Jackson get for his return?

After four years, a myriad of injuries and a short-term ban from the Octagon, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz desperately needed a win to remain relevant in the 205-pound division.

Not on Matt Hamill's watch.

"The Hammer" went from student to master, beating him to the punch and delivering some trademarked ground-and-pound that "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" made famous earlier in his career.

Ortiz  came out hard and heavy to start the fight, but by the second round looked his age, and his declining speed and reaction time left him open for a couple of big takedowns that all but secured the unanimous decision win for Hamill.

Have we seen the last of Tito?

Kicking things off in the opening fight of the night was Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 finalist Brendan Schaub, who wanted to prove he was ready for a step up in competition after the promotion paired him with perennial heavyweight contender Gabriel Gonzaga.

Mission accomplished.

"The Hybrid" was the far more effective striker from the outset, landing at will on the flat-footed Brazilian and nearly finishing him in the waning seconds of round one.

Despite his impressive grappling resume, Gonzaga's efforts to get things to the ground were few and far between. Schaub was stingy in his defense, and aside from a few thunderous leg kicks, "Napao" was content to play Frankenstein, lumbering forward with arms outstretched but not really doing much in the way of damage.

Gonzaga celebrated and raised his hands at the end of round three, but he wasn't fooling any of the cageside judges, who awarded Schaub the unanimous decision victory (30-27).

Overall, it was an entertaining night of fights.

That’s enough from us — now it’s your turn to discuss "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" in the comments section below. Are you pleased with all the decisions and their outcomes? How about the return of Diego Sanchez? Can Jake Shields improve upon his performance tonight -- or does he belong at middleweight? Is Tito Ortiz facing a mandatory retirement?

Sound off, Maniacs. 

For complete UFC 121 results and detailed blow-by-blow commentary of the televised main card fights click here.

UFC 121 post-fight press conference video airs LIVE on MMAmania.com following 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 09:24 PM PDT

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UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" pay-per-view (PPV) event from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., is now in the books.

Immediately following the event, promotion president Dana White and a handful of participating fighters will be on hand for the UFC 121 post-fight press conference, which is now embedded below (after the jump) for an approximate 1:00 a.m. ET start time.

A replay will also be available below for those who turn in early or miss the live broadcast altogether.

Be sure to tune in for post-fight reactions from all the major players as well as up-to-the-minute results of all the post-fight bonuses including "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night."

Check out the video below:

Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com

For UFC 121 live results and play-by-play click here.

UFC 121 videos blog with Dana White (Episode three)

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 02:22 PM PDT

It's almost showtime!

Will Cain Velasquez' skill 'out-do' Brock Lesnar's power tonight at UFC 121?

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:49 AM PDT

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Two-time Olympic-level wrestler Daniel Cormier, who has been helping prepare Cain Velasquez at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) for his fight with heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar tonight at UFC 121, thinks so:

"You can't really find many guys like Brock because he's such a big, fast and explosive wrestler, but what Cain has already is that he's a good wrestler. So we touch on the things that he's good at already and then we implement different techniques because skill will always out-do muscle. We've been working on his skills, trying to lock some things down and make sure he's ready in all areas. I think we've got that accomplished.... We're going to scramble. We're going to make him wrestle. We're going to make [Brock] fight from all positions. It's going to be a tough fight, a long fight, but we're not going to lay under him like a lot of guys have done so far. We're going to take the same approach Randy [Couture] took and get right back up if he does take us down. We're prepared for everything. And like I said, skill will take over power a lot of times, and we've worked on the skills that we need to incorporate into this fight."

The gameplan seems like a good one ... on paper. But everyone seems to think they have a good plan until they get punched in the face. If Velasquez can avoid the takedowns and brutal ground and pound of the powerful champion, can he secure an upset victory? Or is Brock just the exception to the rule, so different that he able to impose his will no matter how fast or strong his opponents? Let's hear it, Maniacs, once and for all. It's almost that time!

UFC Quick Quote: 'Disciplined' Diego Sanchez wants to 'amaze' Dana White tonight with finish of Paulo Thiago at UFC 121

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:47 AM PDT

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"That last fight with Hathaway I wasn’t disciplined, wasn’t focused and was making the wrong decisions with my personal life. I had this idea in my head that I was gonna go in there and just knock him out. Karma came around and bit me in the ass pretty hard with a big knee in the face in the first round.... When it’s all said and done, I got my life together; I got my act together. I stopped partying. I said, ‘Hell, I don’t want to lose any more fights in my career.' The only thing I can tell you is I was very humbled by God, and I had to humble my whole lifestyle. I made a lot of changes. I realized what I want in my life. Now I’m just moving toward the positive. The main thing I learned from my losses was that, in the fight game, you earn the victory.... I know in my heart that was a watered-down version of Diego Sanchez. This time around, Dana White is gonna be saying, ‘Holy sh-t, Diego looks amazing at 170."

-- Former number one lightweight contender Diego Sanchez tells Sherdog.com that he intends to finish Paulo Thiago tonight at UFC 121, which is something that Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick, Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann have been unable to do before him. Sure, the Brazilian lost two of those four matches (Fitch and Kampmann), but he showed that he is incredibly resilient and can hang with the top guys in the division even in defeat. Is the "Nightmare" -- who currently appears torn between the welterweight and lightweight divisions -- the one who can put actually put Thiago away? Or is Sanchez just a bloated 155-pound fighter who should be happy with a win at 170 pounds regardless of how it happens?

Strikeforce Challengers 11 results recap for 'Bowling vs Voelker 2'

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:46 AM PDT

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Strikeforce Challengers 11: "Bowling vs. Voelker II" has come to a close from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., and "Vicious" Bobby Voelker has his revenge.

The granite-chinned Voelker did all he could just to hang on during the first encounter between the two dynamic 170-pound prospects five months ago. He was bullied pretty badly in that fight, and although an accidental poke to the eye brought the fight to a premature end, there was no mistaking that Roger Bowling was the victor.

Tonight, there would be no mistake, either, only it would be Voelker doing the bullying.

Bowling came out with a similar strategy to what he used in the first fight, which was to land with one or two quick punches on his feet and then score with takedowns. But the 31-year-old, battle-tested Voelker was more than ready this time around, stuffing most of Bowling's shots and doing a much better job using his size to score from the outside on his feet.

Bowling's aggression carried him through the first round and probably even had him ahead on points, but round two was all Voelker. He tagged Bowling with big punches on his feet and finished the smaller fighter off with a devastating display of ground and pound that even Chael Sonnen would have to give props to.

It was a big win for Voelker and a bad night for Bowling, who suffered the first loss of his career. Even so, the score is now tied up one apiece.

Another Strikeforce trilogy?

Heavyweight knockout artist Lavar "Big" Johnson was featured in the co-main event opposite fellow heavy hitter, Virgil Zwicker, and the "Big" man did not disappoint, wasting no time finishing off his seventh straight opponent by way of early (technical) knockout.

This was his third straight victory on a Challengers card, and with another dominating performance, he's clearly earned his way onto one of Strikeforce's bigger shows. He wasn't shy about naming possible opponents after the fight, either. Andre Arlovski, Bobby Lashley and Brett Rogers to be specific.

Be careful what you wish for, Lavar.

Undefeated lightweight Billy Evangelista returned to action from injury for the first time in nearly a year, locking horns with Waachim Spirit Wolf in what turned out to be a fantastic 165-pound catchweight bout.

Spirit Wolf came out of the gates strong, dropping the Muay Thai specialist with a big punch early and then scoring with some nice takedowns. But once Evangelista shook off the cage rust and established his takedown defense, he found his groove and battled back to win the last two rounds to secure the unanimous decision.

It was a great fight and a good battle for the young Evangelista to have to work his way through in his return from the injury. A fight like that should definitely help clear the cobwebs.

Accomplished female Muay Thai fighter Julia Budd got a chance to put her talents on display for the Showtime audience tonight in what was her mixed martial arts debut. She did not disappoint, laying a beatdown on Shana Olsen en route to a second round technical knockout victory.

A good portion of the fight was contested on the ground, but that didn't seem to bother the stand-up specialist. She looked just as sharp there as she did on her feet. Olsen didn't have an answer for her anywhere.

It's a little crazy to talk about title shots when you've just made your MMA debut, but Cyborg Santos was the topic of conversation in the post fight interview, nonetheless. Budd was respectful of the champ, but there is no lack confidence.

She's one to keep an eye on for sure.

John Devine and Brandon Cash rounded out the main card with their heavyweight contest. It wasn't much of a contest, though. Devine took Cash down with ease and used dominant positions on the ground to work his way to a first round rear naked choke finish.

In undercard action, Cesar Gracie trainee David "Tarzan" Douglas was victorious, handing Dominic Clark the first loss of his career via second round technical knockout.

Next up for the promotion's Challenger Series is a trip to the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., on Nov. 19 for Challengers 12: "Shaolin vs. Wilcox."

Justin Wilcox, an AKA product, will make his fifth start under the Strikeforce banner, previously compiling a record of 3-1 for the promotion. His main event opponent, Vitor Ribeiro, is a submissions expert with a ton of world class experience from his time overseas in the Japanese fight organizations. The match-up should be an excellent technical battle between a fantastic wrestler and a world renowned Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner.

Ryan Couture, son of UFC Hall of Famer Randy "The Natural" Couture, will also be in action on the Showtime telecast, although his opponent has not yet been determined. Stay locked to MMAmania.com for more on that developing fight card.

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