MMA Warlike

2011-12-15T06:46:00.001-08:00

2011-12-14T09:01:00.001-08:00

2011-12-14T08:58:00.001-08:00

2011-12-14T08:56:00.000-08:00

2011-12-14T07:02:00.001-08:00

Prospect Alexandre Bezerra vs. UFC Vet Douglas Evans Added to Bellator 57

2011-11-06T06:31:00.001-08:00

By FCF Staff
Approximately one week before Bellator Fighting Championships will head to Rama, Ontario for its latest event, the promotion has announced that featherweight prospect Alexandre Bezerra will fight UFC vet Douglas Evans at the November 12^th card.
Bezerra (11-1) is coming off a second round, stoppage win over Scott Heckman in September, to extend the BJJ brown belt’s Bellator record to 3-0.
Evans (13-9) will be looking to end a two fight losing streak, as the Alaska native has dropped back-to-back bouts to Alexander Sarnavskiy and more recently Antonio Carvalho.
Several other preliminary bouts have been confirmed for the upcoming, November 12^th, Bellator 57 card, as Denis Puric will take on bantamweight Chuck Mady, lightweight Josh Shockley will face Eric Moon, Mike Sledzion will meet lightweight Taylor Solomon, and light-heavyweight Matt Van Buren will fight Shawn Levesque.
Bellator 57 will feature the finals of the promotion’s welterweight tourney, as Ben Saunders will fight Douglas Lima, as well as its middleweight tournament finale, which will see Alexander Shlemenko battle Vitor Vianna.
The card will be hosted by the Casino Rama and will be broadcast live on MTV 2.

Marquardt’s Management and BAMMA Comment on Postponement of Veteran’s Debut

2011-11-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

Earlier today the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts announced that former UFC contender Nate Marquardt, would not make his debut for the promotion as originally expected next month, but will do so rather in February. While the original news release did not offer any specific information as to why Marquardt’s debut has been postponed, FCF has since learned that the highly regarded fighter is healthy and was ready to fight.
The President of Alchemist Management Lex McMahon, who helps oversee Marquardt’s career, informed FCF that although they were disappointed that the 32 year-old-veteran will not be fighting next month, they “support BAMMA’s decision.”
Although Marquardt will no longer be competing at BAMMA 8 on December 10^th, the promotion announced that the former middleweight will fight Japanese veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida for its vacant welterweight championship on February 11^th.
McMahon confirmed that Marquardt was not injured, before adding that “BAMMA has been a pleasure to work with” and that “Nate is looking forward to putting on a great fight with Yoshida.”
BAMMA’s Media Relations department informed FCF that the postponement was due to the fact that “with only a handful of fighters around the world that are of Nate’s calibre, it’s all down to which fighters were willing and able to step up and take the challenge. Yoshida did exactly that but unfortunately only Feb 11th works for both guys.”
The promotion added that it is “confident that BAMMA 8 will be a great success”, a card that will feature several experienced vets, including Jim Wallhead, Joey Villasenor, Andre Winner and Dean Amasinger, among others.
BAMMA 8 will be hosted by Nottingham’s Capital FM Arena,
Marquardt (31-10-2) has not fought since March, 2011, when he worked his way to a unanimous decision win over Dan Miller at UFC 128. The accomplished fighter was released by the promotion this past June, after Marquardt was not cleared to compete at a UFC Live 4 event, just hours before he was set to fight Rick Story.
Marquardt reported afterwards that issues tied to his ongoing hormone replacement therapy were the reasons behind his medical suspension. The Pennsylvania Athletic Commission lifted Marquardt’s suspension a few weeks later and cleared the veteran to compete once again.
Yoshida (13-6) is coming off a UD win over Phil Baroni in September, while competing for One FC.

Scott Corl: The Ultimate Fighter’s Bryan Caraway: “I Got The ‘W’ and They Looked Like Jackasses”

2011-11-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

Bryan Caraway, featherweight (145 pounds) contestant on this season of The Ultimate Fighter, talks with Full Contact Fighter correspondent Scott Corl about his experience living in a house with 15 other fighters for the hit SpikeTV reality series.
The 27-year-old Caraway, who boasts a solid 15-5 career record as a professional and is a veteran of Strikeforce, WEC and EliteXC competition, talks about the direction he feels the sport of MMA is headed in as well as the future of women’s MMA and the inspiration that his girlfriend, Strikeforce women’s 135-pound champion, Miesha Tate, has become.
Caraway also discusses his victory over Marcus Brimage on The Ultimate Fighter and getting revenge on the opposing team on the show.

Dana White’s UFC 138 Octagon Update (video)

2011-11-06T06:22:00.000-08:00

UFC President Dana White looks back at UFC 138 believing that, despite the naysayers decrying the event for a lack of “name value” fighters, the fighters on the card delivered, and delivered big.

As is typical, he didn’t shy away from other topics of interest either, talking about the lack of UFC events in the U.K., Michael Bisping’s vicinity to a title shot, Josh Koscheck vs. Carlos Condit, Italy, and more.
Check out Dana White’s post-UFC 138 Octagon update…

SCC 3 Results: Alessio & Marunde Score Big

2011-11-06T06:19:00.001-08:00

Bristol Marunde

LAS VEGAS – This past Friday, Nov. 4, at The Orleans Hotel & Casino, two fighters took big steps forward in their dreams of reaching the UFC with their victories at Superior Cage Combat 3.
In the main event of the night, John “The Natural” Alessio won his ninth fight in his last 10 with a close unanimous decision victory over former Pride star Luiz “Buscape” Firmino. Ex-IFL light heavyweight Bristol Marunde continued his tear at 185 pounds and claimed the SCC middleweight championship after winning by unanimous decision over former UFC fighter Jay Silva in a bout that earned both men Fight of the Night honors.
In other action, former MFC light heavyweight title contender Emanuel Newton submitted James McSweeney with five seconds left in the first round to earn his fifth win in a row. And former UFC lightweight Shane “Sugar” Nelson picked up his third consecutive win via TKO when opponent Lance Wipf could not continue due to a knee injury in the second round.

Full SCC 3 Results:John Alessio def. Luiz Firmino by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bristol Marunde def. Jay Silva by Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
Emanuel Newton def. James McSweeney by Submission (rear naked choke) at 4:25, R1
Steve Lopez vs. Dominique Robinson ends in Majority Draw
Porfirio Alves Jr. def. Alonzo Martinez by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Shane Nelson def. Lance Wipf by TKO (Dr. Stoppage) at 2:15, R2
Phil Dace def. Dave Terrel by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Cameron Diffley def. Sidney Silva by Submission (arm bar) at 4:01, R1
Shawn Fitzsimmons def. Blas Avena by KO at 3:42 in R2
Shorty Weikel def. Kui Gonsalves by Submission (rear naked choke) at 2:30, R2

Michael David Smith: Barao, Pickett, Mills and Etim Win UFC 138 Bonuses

2011-11-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

Renan Barao, Brad Pickett, Che Mills and Terry Etim are all $70,000 richer after picking up bonuses for their performances at UFC 138.

Barao and Pickett won the Fight of the Night bonus for their fast-paced bantamweight brawl in the co-main event. Pickett is an Englishman who had the Birmingham fans on his side, and he came out swinging to get the crowd roaring. But it was Barao who showed he had too much for Pickett to handle, ultimately forcing Pickett to tap out to a rear-naked choke after just over four minutes of intense action.

This was Barao's first bonus in his fourth fight under the Zuffa banner. Pickett had previously won a Fight of the Night and a Submission of the Night award, with both of those coming in the WEC. For both men, the bonus makes this the most lucrative fight of their career.

UFC newcomer Che Mills finished off Chris Cope in just 40 seconds, and as a result he won the Knockout of the Night award. For Mills, the $70,000 bonus undoubtedly makes this by far the biggest payday of his MMA career.

And Terry Etim, who needed just 17 seconds to force Eddie Faaloloto to tap to a guillotine choke, walked away with the Submission of the Night award. Etim has now won the Submission of the Night bonus a whopping four times.

Michael David Smith:Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski Earn ProElite Victories

2011-11-06T06:13:00.000-08:00

A pair of former UFC heavyweight champions were in action on Saturday night in Moline, Illinois, and both of them won. But neither looked particularly impressive in the process.

Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski were both victorious at Saturday night's ProElite event, yet save for one high kick from Arlovski at the very end of his fight, it was a dreadful affair all around.

Sylvia took a unanimous decision over Andreas Kraniotakes, 30-27 on all three judges' cards. The fight consisted of a lot of clinching from Sylvia, and the crowd loudly booed at the end of the fight and again as Sylvia got his hand raised in the cage afterward.

Arlovski knocked out Travis Fulton with a shocking head kick with one second remaining in the third round of a fight that had been, up to that point, a dud. HDNet announcer Michael Schiavello accurately described the fight as "a cure for insomnia" heading into the third round, but Arlovski finally got busy in the third, and when the opportunity arose just as the fight was coming to an end, he threw a left high kick and landed his shin perfectly against Fulton's jawline, knocking him cold.

Reagan Penn, the brother of B.J. Penn, looked even worse than Sylvia and Arlovski in losing a unanimous decision to Evan Cutts, 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27 on the judges' scorecards. It was the second pro fight of Penn's MMA career, and it's hard to see any reason he'll have a third fight.

And in the first round of ProElite's eight-man heavyweight tournament, four men advanced to the semifinals:
-- Ryan Martinez handed Mark Ellis the first loss of his career, winning by unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three judges' cards. It was an extremely disappointing showing from Ellis, who entered the cage as a heavy favorite but left with the crowd loudly booing his lackluster performance.
-- Jake Heun brutalized Ed Carpenter, knocking him down with a kick-punch combination and then finishing him off with ground and pound for a first-round TKO.
-- Cody Griffin was losing the fight after two rounds but came back on fire at the start of the third, battering Justyn Riley, knocking him down and finishing him with punches on the ground to win a third-round TKO.
-- Richard Odoms beat Rodney Housley by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 30-27. The fight wasn't particularly competitive or particularly compelling -- which meant it fit in well with this disappointing fight card.

UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Viewing Guide

2011-11-06T06:10:00.000-08:00

Everything you need to know about watching UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos on Saturday, November 12

Watch UFC Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos

Facebook.com/UFC
FoxSports.com

Selected prelims also air live and free at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT on Fox Deportes (Spanish broadcast)

Prefight Special LIVE at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT

Watch live on FUEL TV
Jay Glazer, Kenny Florian and special guests are live on FUEL TV for a breakdown on the UFC, fighter profiles and expert analysis, as well as celebrities from the red carpet arriving at UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos.

Postfight Special LIVE at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT

Watch live on FUEL TV
Join Jay Glazer and Kenny Florian Live on FUEL TV for a complete breakdown of the biggest event in UFC history after Heavyweight Champion, Cain Velasquez, and top contender, Junior dos Santos, go head-to-head on FOX.

Find FUEL TV

Plus:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11

7 pm ET/4 pm PT UFC Velasquez vs. dos Santos Weigh-In LIVE on FUEL TV and UFC.com
7 pm ET/4 pm PT Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride (Part 3) on Fox Deportes:

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12
3 pm ET/noon PT Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride (Parts 1, 2, 3) on Fox Deportes
5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PT UFC Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Weigh-In Replay on FUEL TV
6 pm ET/3 pm PT UFC Lo Mejor: Lesnar vs. Velasquez on Fox Deportes
6 pm ET/3 pm PT UFC Primetime on FUEL TV
UFC on Fox PrelimsUFC on Fox main event: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT:
Watch live on Fox and Fox Deportes

See the full fight card

streaming live & free at 4:45 pm ET/1:45 pm PT:

UFC 138 Post-Fight Press Conference Highlights

2011-11-06T06:07:00.000-08:00

Highlights from the UFC 138 post-fight press conference, held in Birmingham after the highest-grossing event ever held at LG Arena.

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UFC president Dana White announced the winners of $70,000 (US) UFC 138 bonuses, and several of the hometown heroes were named. Gloucester's Che Mills won Knockout of the Night for his 40-second demolition of Chris Cope. Liverpool's Terry Etim scored Submission of the Night for his 17-second finish of Edward Faaloloto.

Fight of the Night honors went to London's Brad Pickett and Brazilian Renan Barao, who put on a back-and-forth battle for the ages during their single round of combat. Barao ultimately tapped out Pickett via rear-naked-choke at 4:09 of the first.

In attendance were winners Mark Munoz, Barao, Thiago Alves, Etim, John Maguire and Mills. English fighters Pickett and Jason Young were also at the dais.

Click to view video highlights from the following fighters:
Mark Munoz
Thiago Alves and Terry Etim
Brad Pickett and Jason Young

UFC 138 Main Card Results - Munoz Halts Leben; Barao Wins War over Pickett

2011-11-06T06:04:00.000-08:00

Click below for the UFC 138 main card report....

MIDDLEWEIGHT - CHRIS LEBEN VS. MARK MUNOZ

BIRMINGHAM - At the end of round one of the UFC 138 main event at the LG Arena Saturday night, Chris Leben had to be stopped by the referee from hammer fisting Mark Munoz’s head. Moments prior he had walked through some massive bombs, taken square on his chin, to deliver a crashing left hand of his own to Munoz. That prompted Munoz to look for a takedown but ended up with him crouched against the fence taking shots. See post-fight interview

He was probably wondering what we all were - what do you have to do to actually stop Chris Leben? Anderson Silva managed it once, only one fighter (Brian Stann) has since. Like a broken bone, Leben’s chin seems to have calcified and become stronger following Anderson’s assault on it.

Unfortunately his skin hasn’t, so when Munoz had Leben down in the second round he was able to open a nasty cut over his eye that had blood pouring into it with wild abandon. The fight was stopped briefly to allow the doctor to take a look but he let the clash proceed. Fans went wild, chanting Leben’s name deliriously as he staggered back into the fray.

But the cut got worse and blood kept coming. At the end of the round, Leben’s corner felt the cut was too bad to allow their man to wade back into battle. He might have a heart twice the size of the average man but still he cannot fight with one eye.

It was a shame the fight ended on a cut; before the stoppage it had been a glorious clash. Munoz did what he said he was going to do - take Leben down and throw ‘Donkey Kong’ punches - while Leben does what he always does, wading through bomb blasts to swing huge left hands with stopping power in each one.

After the first round, Munoz looked like he wasn’t enjoying the exchanges, while Leben was in his element. But Munoz’s conditioning seemed to be holding up better, and as he got to work with his wrestling, Leben looked to be tiring, which would have been interesting to see had it played out over three rounds.

After the fight, Munoz called for a title shot against Anderson Silva. The crowd noise was non-committal, suggesting he isn’t quite there yet. Leben is the biggest win of his career but cuts are not conclusive and he will need a solid win over another name opponent to edge into that title picture.

BANTAMWEIGHT - RENAN BARAO VS. BRAD PICKETT

What a fight! A description doesn’t even do this clash justice - you simply have to watch it. If you can watch this fight and stay sat down, you must be made of ice. Remember when Paul Kelly and Paul Taylor threw down at UFC 80?? The first 30 seconds of that fight are already part of UFC legend for their pace and ferocity - this fight was the same, except for its entire duration. See post-fight interview

The pair absolutely battered each other from the opening bell, furiously exchanging punches and both landing frequently. Renan Barao had the better of some exchanges, Pickett’s intensity allowing perhaps more openings in the guard than Barao was. But it was very even until Barao landed a nuclear right knee on Brad Pickett’s jaw out of nowhere - Pickett wasn’t even bent forward at the time.

That staggered him and Barao was all over him, punching him until he hit the floor and then following with a ground and pound barrage of such a high workrate it contained more punches than the rest of the evening’s card put together. Pickett rolled away, but gave up his back. Barao was on him in a flash and working for the rear naked choke. Pickett tried to gut it out for the remaining minute but he could be seen fading into unconsciousness and had to tap.

Watch this fight as soon as you can. If you are a fight fan you owe it to yourself. The bout was an easy choice for Fight of the Night, and both men received $70,000 bonuses for their performances.

Barao wins by RNC R1 4:09

WELTERWEIGHT - THIAGO ALVES VS. PAPY ABEDI

Papy Abedi was aggressive at the start of the fight, ploughing forward with a flurry of punches, but there was a scrappy nature to it that suggested he was nervous and maybe rushing his work a little bit. At the same time, Thiago Alves was able to deploy a precise Muay Thai striking style, landing numerous clean shots on his Swedish opponent. See post-fight interview

But as Abedi relaxed he became more effective and the fight became even, with good exchanges and damage done by both sides. Alves landed a huge right kick to the body on two occasions while Abedi was able to land an Anderson Silva-style front upkick to the jaw that Alves later admitted had rocked him solidly.

But he became perhaps too loose; Alves noticed Abedi was dropping his left hand and so he fired off a crunching right which staggered him. A left hook followed and down Abedi went. Alves followed him and the referee was about to step in, until Abedi turned turtle. But that did not save him - Alves circled his neck with a bulging arm and put the squeeze on him to get the first submission win of his UFC career.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT - ANTHONY PEROSH VS. CYRILLE DIABATE

At 39, Anthony Perosh is one of the oldest fighters on the UFC books and to be brutally honest, he looked it during the first round against his striking stylist opponent. Cyrille Diabate was picking Perosh off with strikes pretty much at will and Perosh’s response was either to backpedal or shoot a bad double-leg which Diabate saw coming a mile off. See post-fight interview

It looked like Diabate was going to cruise to an easy win, maybe even a stoppage, until Perosh ended up on the floor and he went with him to try and pound the Australian out. Perosh swept him, mounted him and suddenly was able to use the jiu-jitsu skills that make him such a world-class grappler. Diabate was at a loss to defend himself as Perosh methodically set up a rear naked choke to end the fight just over three minutes into the second round. He is now 2-0 in his last two outings while Diabate goes 1-1 and 2-2 in his last four.

LIGHTWEIGHT - TERRY ETIM VS. EDWARD FAALOLOTO

Two stiff jabs and a savage leg kick from Terry Etim prompted Edward Faaloloto to step back onto the cage. Etim launched a huge spinning back kick to Faaloloto’s body, but Faaloloto caught his foot and transitioned to a body lock. He lifted Etim high into the air to slam him - but Etim pulled guard and locked on a tight guillotine, something he is infamous for in his own gym. Faaloloto sank to the floor, resisted briefly and then tapped - the whole thing took seventeen seconds. Writing this report took far longer than the actual fight. See post-fight interview

Now returned from his long layoff, Etim is looking to get busy and his next bout will undoubtedly be a tougher proposition. At the post-fight press conference, after awarding Etim the $70,000 Submission of the Night award, UFC president Dana White said that matchmaker Joe Silva had already chosen Etim's next opponent and that fans could expect to see him fight again "right away."

Steven Morrocco: Shark Fights 21's Bobby Lashley without opponent as Dave Huckaba scratches

2011-11-05T10:24:00.001-07:00

Things never seem to come easy for Bobby Lashley (6-1) when it comes to MMA.

The heavyweight is again without an opponent at Shark Fights 21 after his scheduled opponent, Dave Huckaba (16-4), withdrew for undisclosed reasons. Sources close to the event today confirmed the change with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Shark Fights 21 takes place Nov. 11 at Fair Park Coliseum in Lubbock, Texas. The event airs via delay on FUEL TV on Dec. 23.

That's the third opponent to fall by the wayside in Lashley's first MMA fight in eight months. The former WWE entertainer originally was scheduled to meet Darrill Schoonover at the Nov. 11 event before a shoulder injury sidelined him.

Then rumors had Lashley paired with UFC vet Tim Hague, but Shark Fights officials quickly denied the fight had ever been booked. After that came the Huckaba booking, which served as the first obligation of a three-fight deal Lashley signed with Shark Fights in September.

After transitioning from pro wrestling to MMA, Lashley went undefeated in his first five fights before Chad Griggs outworked him to earn a TKO victory at "Strikeforce: Houston."

Lashley, who owns victories over the likes of Bob Sapp and Wes Sims, was a two-time NAIA national wrestling champion who also wrestled for the U.S. Army. That ultimately led to a WWE contract in 2004.

Full Fight Card for BAMMA 8 Announced

2011-11-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Jimi Manuwa

BAMMA has now officially announced the fight card for their eighth show coming up in England with light heavyweights Jimi Manuwa and Antony Rea leading the way.
Manuwa is a recent signee to BAMMA with a perfect 10-0 record, and was actually being courted by the UFC before deciding to continue his development before stepping into that show.
Antony Rea will match up with Manuwa in his BAMMA debut and comes into the fight on a five fight win streak including a TKO over former UFC fighter Sean Salmon.
Also on the card will be former Bellator fighter Jim Wallhead, who drops back down to welterweight after a brief move to 185 pounds where he defeated Frank Trigg, and now faces former Strikeforce contender Joey Villasenor.
‘Ultimate Fighter’ runner-up Andre Winner makes another appearance in BAMMA where he will face Niko Puhakka, while British middleweight champion Jack Marshman faces Leeroy Barnes.
The full fight card for BAMMA 8 is below:

Light Heavyweight Fight
Jimi Manuwa vs Antony Rea

Welterweight Fight
Jimmy Wallhead vs Joey Villasenor

World Lightweight Title Eliminator
Andre Winner vs Niko Puhakka

Lonsdale British Middleweight Title
Jack Marshman vs Leeroy Barnes

Bantamweight Fight
Paul McVeigh vs Erik Perez

Lightweight Fight
Curt Warburton vs Tim Newman

Light Heavyweight Fight
Jason Jones vs Mark Godbeer

Welterweight Fight
Dean Amasinger vs Danny Mitchell

Lightweight Fight
Colin Fletcher vs Chris Fishgold

Welterweight Title
Tom Breese vs Qasim Shafiq

Bantamweight FightBrian Hyslop vs Owen Gayle

Ben Fowlkes: Chris Leben: In My Mind, This Is for Number One Contender

2011-11-05T10:15:00.001-07:00

Chris Leben knows that, as far as some people are concerned, he'll always be the person he was in 2004. He knows because they tell him, even if it's not in so many words.

"It's tough," Leben said. "When I go do an appearance or something, everybody wants to see 'The Cat Smasher.' They want to see the dyed red hair."

If he arrives without it -- in other words, if he shows up looking like a normal human being sporting his natural color -- they act shocked, as if he's tricked them somehow. As if he's obligated to be the wild man they remember from TV nearly seven years ago. As if he has no right to turn down their offer of a free drink, even if they only want to buy him one so they can see him go crazy.

It's not that Leben doesn't know why this reputation still follows him around. His antics on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter made him one of the show's most dynamic personalities, for better or worse. It turns out that when you drink too much and put your fist through inanimate objects, people tend to remember. Shaking that image hasn't been easy for Leben, and he has, in his estimation, been his own worst enemy for much of his career ever since.

"It's not so much what I do in the practice room, it's what I do outside of the practice room. It's what I choose to put in my body, whether I choose to drink or I choose to eat pizza, whether I choose to stay up too late. I think I've had to learn a lot of stuff the hard way," said Leben.

The difference is, Leben has learned a lot of that stuff in the public eye, beginning with his stint on TUF when he was a reckless 24-year-old, still exorcising some of the demons of his past.

"I grew up a little different than most people and that might be hard for some people to understand, but at the time I thought my behavior was fine," he said. "I thought it was normal. Since then I've worked a lot, done a lot of counseling, and I've realized that there's some things I need to change. I've worked hard at changing them, and obviously I haven't been perfect, but life is about progression. It's not about perfection. I'm still working, still pursuing my goals and trying to be the kind of man I want to be."

For a fighter, certain career goals are relatively simple. You want to win and keep winning, climbing up the ranks until you look down one day and see a shiny belt around your waist. And even though Leben's fighting style is anything but safe, he harbors those same championship dreams.

If he beats Mark Munoz in Birmingham, England at UFC 138 this Saturday, he said, he can't help but think he'll be right on the edge of making those dreams come true.

"Honestly, in my mind this is for number one contender. He's won three straight, I've won four of my last five, just knocked out Wanderlei Silva. I think me and Munoz, if I go out there and defeat him and dominate him that should say that, hey, Chris deserves a crack at the title."

One potential roadblock is the fact that he's already lost once to current UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva, who TKO'd Leben in his UFC debut just before becoming champion in 2006. Though the UFC has been historically reluctant to give challengers a rematch against a title-holder who owns a win over them, Leben hopes that putting Munoz away might force the organization's hand, he said.

"I think they'd have to take a look at me. They've had reasons, obviously, why they think I shouldn't get a title shot, but if I win this one I think I'm glaring, I'm staring at that number one contender position."

Of course, that assumes he can get past Munoz, whose amateur wrestling pedigree and improved striking game has made him a considerable favorite in the eyes of oddsmakers. That's because, as Leben sees it, people still assume he's little more than a brawler.

"Sometimes I'll read Sherdog[.com] forums and it's, 'Oh, Chris Leben lands another lucky punch,'" he said. "How many times can a guy land a [expletive] lucky punch before you think he must be doing something right?"

Even though he may seem at times like the same slugger he's always been, haphazardly flinging leather and inviting his opponents to do the same, it's not because he's the same reckless kid he used to be. It's not because he hasn't learned anything from those early years, or because he's incapable of doing anything else.

"In my case, it's a calculated risk," he said. "I'll take two to give one. I've got a huge head and I hit hard. But also, my style of fighting, I'm not a fancy guy. You're not going to see me jumping off the cage or throwing a spinning back kick. I throw my left hand. Why? Because it works. And if it ain't broke...you know."

Ben Fowlkes: Thiago Alves' Initial Weigh-In Miscue Not What It Seems, Says Nutritionist

2011-11-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Thiago Alves' nutritionist knows how it must look for his fighter to come in a pound over on his first trip to the scale at the UFC 138 weigh-ins, but he still wishes people would give the UFC welterweight the benefit of the doubt just this once.

As nutritionist Mike Dolce told MMA Fighting from England on Friday afternoon, Alves had no trouble making the 171-pound limit on his second try, and would have made it the first time except for a calibration issue.

"We had four different scales," Dolce said. "Every scale had him between [1]69 [pounds] and [1]71 [pounds]. We were happy. It was an easy weight cut, he felt fine, high energy, bouncing around. We got to the weigh-ins and he was [1]72.3 [pounds] with his shorts on. He took off his shorts and he was [1]72 [pounds] on the dot. We were shocked, but hey, no problem. We walked off the scale, we went backstage, there was a sauna there, he sat in the sauna for a few minutes, then he took a pee, then we went back out and made 171 [pounds]. It was literally that simple."

What's not so simple, according to Dolce, was dealing with the public backlash that he saw on Twitter once news got out that Alves was over. Though Alves made weight "maybe 40 minutes later," according to Dolce, by then the story of his initial miss was out and MMA fans seemed to have made up their minds about him.

"And that sucks, because I see how hard this kid's working," said Dolce. "He understands that he has to work his way back up the ladder, and he's doing everything correctly in his personal, emotional, professional, and financial life to make sure he makes a statement and makes a run in the welterweight division. Having something silly like this, to see everyone jump on him, you know, I understand why since he's had trouble in the past, but come on, the kid came back a half-hour later and made weight with a smile."

Granted, before Alves hired Dolce as a nutritionist, the Brazilian had a bad habit of coming in over the limit. He came in three pounds heavy for his fight with Matt Hughes at UFC 85, and he clocked in at 171.5 for his rematch with Jon Fitch at UFC 117 -- a minor miss that cost him 20% of his fight purse.

Now it seems that fans are so used to Alves missing weight that Friday's miscue only confirmed what they already believed about him, even though, Dolce said, they weren't the only ones surprised by the numbers on the scale.

"There was five guys who got to the weigh-ins and stepped on the scale and were overweight and were shocked also. They had to jump in the back and start trying to cut weight on their own. ...It's always our responsibility as professionals to be on weight regardless of the circumstance. But when there's this many guys this far off, something's wrong. It's not just us."

While several foreign fighters have commented publicly on the difficulty of getting their normal dietary needs met while cutting weight in the U.K., Dolce said he brought "a suitcase full of food" for Alves -- about $400 worth for just a few days, in his estimation. Customs restrictions make it impossible to bring fruits or vegetables in to the country, he said, but the team was well prepared and Alves had "an awesome weight cut."

"He looks great, not sucked down, no dark circles under his eyes," Dolce said. "It wasn't a matter of, can he make weight? It was that we stepped on four different scales and I would have to say that our scale is wrong, because the UFC is the official."

Larkin: My Accomplishments This Year Have Set My Goals For Next Year

2011-11-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Undefeated STRIKEFORCE® light heavyweight Lorenz “The Monsoon” Larkin recently spoke to Percy Crawford of FightHype.com about his fight with Nick Rossborough, his plan for 2012, and much more. Click here to read the full interview…

Strikeforce – Closing Out 2011 With A Bang

2011-11-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

STRIKEFORCE® returns to Valley View Casino Center in San Diego on Saturday, December 17th with a title clash pitting lightweight champ Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez against surging number one contender Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal.

Video: King Mo & Cain Go Golfing For Charity

2011-11-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

UFC 143 on Super Bowl weekend likely bound for Mandalay Bay Events Center

2011-11-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

The UFC's annual Super Bowl weekend event appears to have a home.

The Feb. 4 show, which is likely to be UFC 143, is expected to take place at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, sources close to the event told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

However, as of today, an official request for the event date and location has not been registered with Nevada State Athletic Commission, and UFC executives have not made an official announcement.

The UFC's Super Bowl weekend event typically is one of the year's biggest, and 2012 will be no different. Following a dominant win over B.J. Penn this past weekend at UFC 137, Nick Diaz (26-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) leapfrogged Carlos Condit and now meets UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) at the event. The fighters initially were expected to headline UFC 137, but Diaz was pulled from the title fight after no-showing a pair of pre-event press conferences.

The UFC has held a Super Bowl weekend event in Las Vegas every year since 2004. All but one have taken place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, a 12,000-seat venue on the Las Vegas Strip.

No other fights have been announced for the Feb. 4 card, though UFC president Dana White said Condit also likely will fight at the event.

Strikeforce Challengers 20 adds Green vs. Vallie-Flagg, Berry vs. Spang

2011-11-02T09:44:00.001-07:00

The fight card for this month's Strikeforce Challengers 20 event has filled out with the addition of two preliminary-card fights.

The additions include Bobby Green (16-5 MMA, 1-1 SF) vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg (12-3-1 MMA, 1-0 SF) and Keith Berry (10-8 MMA, 0-2 SF) vs. Andreas Spang (6-1 MMA, 0-0 SF).

Strikeforce Challengers 20 place Nov. 18 at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

The night's main card, including a light-heavyweight headliner of Antwain Britt vs. Lumumba Sayers, airs on Showtime.

Green, who suffered a close split-decision loss to Gesias Cavalcante in his July Strikeforce debut, recently picked up his first win in the organization with a submission win over Charon Spain at Strikeforce Challengers 19. Vallie-Flagg, a former KOTC fighter, recently made his Strikeforce debut and scored a split-decision victory over Brian Melancon. The Team Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter is now 9-0-1 over his past 10 fights.

Berry, meanwhile, gets a third chance at a first Strikeforce victory. The WEC and EliteXC vet has suffered recent losses to Trevor Smith and Gian Villante under the Strikeforce banner. He's now lost three straight fights overall. He looks to end the streak when he meets Spang, an MFC vet who recently rebounded from his first career loss (to Ali Mokdad) with a 78-second submission victory over Cody Krahn.

The full Strikeforce Challengers 20 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

Antwain Britt vs. Lumumba Sayers
Julia Budd vs. Ronda Rousey
Adlan Amagov vs. Anthony Smith
T.J. Cook vs. Trevor Smith
Derek Brunson vs. Nate James

PRELIMINARY CARD

Bill Cooper vs. Matt Ricehouse
Bobby Green vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Keith Berry vs. Andreas Spang

Alexander Shlemenko vs. Vitor Vianna tourney finale bumped up to Bellator 57

2011-11-02T09:42:00.001-07:00

Alexander Shlemenko (42-7 MMA, 6-1 BFC) and Vitor Vianna (12-1-1 MMA, 2-0 BFC) will still compete for Bellator Fighting Championships' season-five middleweight tourney crown.

They'll just do it a week earlier than expected.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the event that Shlemenko and Vianna will now meet at Bellator 57 instead of Bellator 58, as was previously announced.

An official reason for the switch wasn't given, but it seems likely the promotion simply wanted to balance out the two cards, as Bellator 57 recently lost a planned non-title fight between women's 115-pound champion Zoila Gurgel and Strikeforce vet Carina Damm.

Bellator 57 takes place Nov. 12 at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada. The night's main card airs on MTV2 (and in high-definition on EPIX), and prelims stream on Spike.com.

Shlemenko booked his slot with back-to-back stoppage wins over Brian Rogers and Zelg Galesic. The dynamic striker, who is now 11-1 in his past 12 fights, was Bellator's season-two tournament winner but came up short in a title bout with current champ Hector Lombard.

Meanwhile, Vianna is now 6-0 since suffering the lone loss of his career to UFC veteran Thiago Silva in November 2006. He narrowly edged Sam Alvey in a hotly contested Bellator quarterfinal affair and then made quick work of Bryan Baker during a semifinal contest.

Will Campuzano and Thomas Denny Both Out of Tachi Palace Fights 11

2011-11-02T09:41:00.001-07:00

Tachi Palace Fights 11 has lost one half of its upcoming main event as former UFC fighter Will Campuzano has been forced out of his flyweight title fight with champion Ian McCall.
Tachi Palace Fights officials confirmed the news with MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.
Campuzano was slated to face McCall in December, but a rib injury forced him to drop out of the bout and Tachi Palace Fights officials are currently seeking a replacement.
In addition to the loss of Campuzano, Tachi Palace Fights 11 has also lost veteran fighter Thomas Denny, who had to drop out of his scheduled bout with Fabricio Camoes due to injury.
Tachi Palace Fights officials expect to name replacements for both fights in the coming days.

Rising Korean Featherweight Brian Choi Talks One FC Network

2011-11-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

Brian Choi

special to MMMAWeekly.com by James Goyder
Fighters and fans are already starting to benefit from the formation of the ‘ONE FC Network’ which was announced yesterday. One December 3rd fight fans in Korea will see two fighters currently contracted to ONE FC, Brian Choi and, Vuyisile Colossa, make an appearance at Road FC 5
For Choi it will be a homecoming because he was born in Seoul but has not lived there for the last three years. He lives and trains at Evolve MMA in Singapore which is also home to Shinya Aoki and Rafael Dos Anjos and is rapidly developing a reputation as being the top fight team in Asia.
His record currently stands at 3-0 and he is up against another top 145lber in 5-2 Bae Young Kwon. It will be a fight for featherweight supremacy in Korea which should be witnessed by 7,000 fans at the Jangchung Gymnasium.
Choi is already been tipped to follow in the footsteps of Chan Sung Jung and make it into the UFC and he took time out from his training to talk to MMAWeekly.com about returning to Korea and being part of the ‘ONE FC Network’.
MMAWeekly.com: How excited are you to be fighting MMA in Korea?
Brian Choi: It’s every fighter’s dream to fight in there hometown in front of a huge crowd. I am beyond excited about this big event.
MMAWeekly.com: Do you still follow the MMA scene in Korea closely? How much of an impact has Road FC had?
Yes, I do follow the MMA scene in Korea. Road FC is an upcoming promotion but in a short while they’ve become the biggest promotion in Korea. It’s great to have that type of event to showcase the talent that is coming out of Korea.
BC: How long is it since you moved to Singapore, will it be strange going back to fight?
I’ve been living and training in Singapore for 3 years now. I do not think it will be weird to fight in my hometown, I am excited to be there. Korean fans are great. I feel honored to represent Korea by being part of the best fight team, Evolve Fight Team.
MMAWeekly.com: Will you have a lot of friends and family there or are you expecting your opponent to have a lot more support because he trains in Korea?
BC: I’m lucky to have my coaches and some of my teammates there to support me. My family and friends will definitely be there. I am not concerned with my opponents fans. I think all the Koreans will want to see a good fight and that’s what I have been training for.
MMAWeekly.com: How grateful are you to One FC for allowing you to fight in your homeland even though you are under contract to them?
BC: I am very grateful for the opportunities One FC has given me as a fighter. They are a professional organization and I have full faith that my fight career will be well managed under them.
MMAWeekly.com: Have you looked at any footage of Bae Young Kwon yet? Do you have a gameplan?
BC: I have not spent any time watching fight footage of my opponent. I’m a little superstitious like that.
My coaches have a game plan for me. Chatri and my training partners have been preparing me for this fight. I know what I have to do when I get into the ring.
MMAWeekly.com: If you win this fight you will be very close to the top of the Korean 145 lbs rankings, behind Chan Sung-Jung (The Korean Zombie), is that something you are thinking about?
BC: The thought has crossed my mind but I am more focused on my upcoming fight against Bae Young Kwon. I am training hard each day so I will be ready for him.
MMAWeekly.com: Do you know when your first fight for One FC will be?
BC: I don’t know yet. I am a ONE FC fighter, but I have not been told about my first fight on ONE FC yet.
MMAWeekly.com: What did you think of the first One FC show?
BC: I was amazed by it. I’ve never seen an MMA event like that in Asia. I was very proud of my team mates.
The Evolve Fighters put on some great fights. The support and interest from the fans made the event a huge success. I am excited to fight in the upcoming One FC events.
MMAWeekly.com: Can you tell us a bit about the training at Evolve MMA? Who do you train with and how often do you train?
BC: I train 5-6 hours daily in all disciplines with the world champion coaching staff at Evolve MMA. it doesn’t get better than that. My training partners and coaches push me hard and focus on improving my weakness and developing my strengths.
Brian Choi next faces Bae Young Kwon at Road FC in Korea

Mike Chiappetta: Video: UFC Primetime - Velasquez vs. dos Santos

2011-11-02T09:35:00.001-07:00

In less than two weeks, the UFC will finally air a fight on broadcast network television for the first time when it presents UFC on FOX 1, a one-hour special on Nov. 12 that will see heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez attempt to defend his belt against No. 1 contender Junior dos Santos.

This past weekend, FOX aired a one-hour Primetime, which gave an all-access look at the fight and its participants. On Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, Primetime producer Jason Hehir discussed the creative process behind the show.

Now, in case you missed it, the entire episode of UFC Primetime: Velasquez vs. dos Santos is after the jump.

</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Thomas Gerbasi: Thiago Alves - Smiling, but Still Dangerous</h1> <p>2011-11-02T09:33:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="intro" id="news-article-intro"><strong>“I’m to the point in my life right now that I don’t want to lose any fights anymore and it’s up to me. I control my destiny." - Thiago Alves</strong> </div><div class="intro"> </div><div id="article-content" sizcache="8" sizset="243"><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Thiago-Alves" sizcache="8" sizset="243" target="_blank"><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320251528431="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"></div><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320251528431="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"> </div><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320251528431="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"><span class="caption">UFC welterweight contender Thiago Alves</span></div>Thiago Alves</a>’ first trip to England for a <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC-Silva-vs-Irvin">UFC </a>fight in 2008 may or may not earn a place on his personal highlight reel, depending on which part of the journey we’re talking about.<br /><br />If we’re talking about the lead up to the fight against <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Matt-Hughes">Matt Hughes</a>, which included an injured ankle and an agonizing weight cut that Alves knew wasn’t going to be successful, he admits to “feeling desperate, thinking I was not gonna be able to fight.”<br /><br />Yet despite coming in at 174 pounds for the welterweight bout, Alves got to fight when Hughes agreed to carry on with the <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC-85-BEDLAM">UFC 85 </a>main event, and that part of the trip, well, Alves was pretty cool with it.<br /><br />“Fight day, I had a great time,” he laughs, which is not surprising, considering that he knocked the UFC Hall of Famer out in the second round. It was an impressive showing, not just because of the opposition, but because he was able to take the turmoil of the previous week, put it in the back of his mind, and perform when he needed to.<br /><br />“It was just my mindset, and I was very blessed that day also,” he said. “I had a goal in front of me, I put a lot of work into it and I wanted a reward, and I went there and got it. That’s exactly the mentality I have right now too. I know it’s not gonna be handed to me, so I’m gonna go out there and take it.”<br /><br />Right now, Alves is in England again, Birmingham to be exact, preparing for a big fight on Saturday against unbeaten, but relatively unknown, <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Papy-Abedi">Papy Abedi</a>. It’s big because it’s a chance for the “Pitbull” to right his ship after losing three of his last four bouts. So he knows what’s on the line this weekend.<br /><br />“I’m to the point in my life right now that I don’t want to lose any fights anymore and it’s up to me,” he said. “I control my destiny, and I took control of all my actions and everything that happens in my life. This is it. I’m gonna take charge of my present and my future, and I’m not losing any fights anymore. I put in the work, and now I just have to go out there and perform at my best, and I know once I’m at my best, nobody can stop me.”<br /><br />The win over Hughes took place in the midst of a seven fight winning streak that took Alves from talented underachiever to the legit number one contender in the welterweight division. But losses to champion <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Georges-St-Pierre">Georges St-Pierre</a> and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Jon-Fitch">Jon Fitch</a> (in their rematch), and a scare when an irregularity on his CT scan stemming from a pre-existing condition forced a surgery before the second Fitch fight to separate an artery from a vein in his brain, set him back considerably. And though he pounded out a win over <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/John-Howard">John Howard</a> at <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC124">UFC 124,</a> a decision loss to <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Rick-Story">Rick Story</a> at <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC130">UFC 130 </a>in May was another disappointment despite Alves’ belief that he did enough to win the fight.<br /><br />“The last fight, I really learned a lot,” he said. “Just because I worked so hard in my training camp, I thought the fight was gonna be easy. But when I wanted to fight, it was too late, and when I put in the work in the last round when I turned it up, it was too late. The first round I definitely lost, but I still think I got the second round by a small margin, and the third round I really took over. So I don’t really believe it, but I learned not to leave anything to anybody to decide. I’m gonna take control.” <br /><br />And if anyone sounds more pleasant than Alves heading into a pivotal bout like this, I haven’t found him, and it appears to be a bunch of factors at work here. First, he’s confident that he’s sewed up the holes in his game for this bout. Two, he’s in his third camp with diet and conditioning guru Mike Dolce and he feels like he’s finally hit his stride. And finally, he’s not going to be fighting a wrestler (like GSP, Fitch, or Story) this Saturday.<br /><br />“That too,” he laughs. “But that’s the thing. I’m looking for a wrestler after this just to see what I’m capable of doing. That’s the whole MMA game, and you’ve got to adjust to every situation. It’s flattering that they don’t want to stand and trade with me, but it shows that I need to improve in other areas. I’ve done it before, and it’s just a matter of time before I do it again. Everything in my life now, I think it’s just a matter of time. I’m gonna get everything that I want to get; it’s just timing and I’ve got to be patient and act when I need to act.”<br /><br />As for the weight, the albatross that he has carried for years, the 28-year old sounds like he’s got everything under control, and he even claimed a week ago (when this interview was conducted) that he could have made weight by last Friday, something he wouldn’t dare to say previously.<br /><br />“It’s a blessing,” said Alves. “And this is the first time that I’m actually comfortable with it. This time I see the results on my body and the change in my body and I see the change on the scale as well, so it’s pretty awesome not having to worry about the weight, and the weight is no longer an issue, so it’s one less worry in my head, and I’m very excited to get in there and perform.”<br /><br />But what about the wildcard in all this, Sweden’s Abedi, who comes into the UFC with a stellar reputation and everything to gain from toppling a respected contender like Alves? Was the Brazilian surprised that he was given a newcomer for his bout on this <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC138">UFC 138 </a>card, and not a more high-profile foe?<br /><br />“A little bit,” he admits. “But like I said, I’m at the point in my career where I can’t afford any losses anymore, so I’m taking this fight as a high profile fight like a title shot or something that’s gonna decide my life forever, especially because I have so much expectations on me. If it’s somebody that nobody knows, people expect more from me, but I don’t really think about what people expect. I think about what I expect from myself, so I’m very prepared wherever the fight goes. I’ve seen all his best fights and he’s a tough guy, but he’s never fought on the UFC level before, and it’s gonna be a big change for him. So it’s an opportunity for him, but it’s an opportunity for me too.”<br /><br />That opportunity is to put on a spectacular Pitbull-esque performance and end 2011 in impressive fashion before looking toward 2012. Papy Abedi is thinking the same thing though, and Thiago Alves knows it…and likes it.<br /><br />“If you look at this (fighting in the UFC) as an opportunity to do what you love to do and go out there and make all your dreams come true, then that’s a dangerous man, and that’s the way I think he (Abedi) is thinking right now,” said Alves. “Because that’s exactly what I’m thinking and exactly what I want.”<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Thomas Gerbasi:Etim Promises Fireworks in Octagon Return</h1> <p>2011-11-02T09:30:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="intro" id="news-article-intro"><strong>"Hopefully I’m gonna come back with a bang and let everyone know that even though I’ve been out for a little bit of time, I’ve been working hard on my game and I’m gonna get back up there.” - Terry Etim</strong> </div><div class="intro"></div><a href="http://www.ufc.com/news/Etim-Promises-Fireworks-in-Octagon-Return#" id="media-share" st_page="home" style="display: none;"></a><script type="text/javascript"> var shared_object2 = SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: document.title, url: document.location.href }); shared_object2.attachButton($("#media-share")[0]);</script><br /><div class="media-item" sizcache="8" sizset="243"><div id="flash-player-plugin-download" sizcache="8" sizset="244"><div id="flash-plugin-downloader" sizcache="8" sizset="245">THIS CONTENT REQUIRES ADOBE FLASH PLAYER 10 OR HIGHER. <br /><div class="btn-red-lg-shadow-arrow link" jquery1320251342294="26"><a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank">Get Flash Player </a></div></div></div><script type="text/javascript"> divID = "media-details1"; // Attributes var attributes1 = {}; // int at end of var would increment based on module (ex. attributes1 & rich-content1, rich-content2 & attributes2, etc.) attributes1.id = divID; attributes1.name = divID; var flashvars1 = {}; flashvars1.divID = divID; flashvars1.lang="en"; flashvars1.region="US"; flashvars1.modName = "videoPlayer"; flashvars1.modData = encodeURIComponent("{\"moreLink\":\"http:\/\/ufc.com\/event\/UFC138#\/fight\",\"moreLinkLabel\":\"November 5\",\"videoPath\":\"http:\/\/video.ufc.tv\/138\/138-FOD-Extended-REV.mp4\",\"videoTitle\":\"UFC 138: Extended Preview\",\"videoDesc\":\"Knockout artists are on the loose in Birmingham! 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}); </script> </div><div id="article-content" sizcache="8" sizset="248"><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Terry-Etim" sizcache="8" sizset="248" target="_blank"></a>Heading into his April 2010 bout with <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Rafael-Dos-Anjos">Rafael dos Anjos</a>, Liverpool lightweight <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Terry-Etim">Terry Etim</a> was on the verge of stardom. 19 months later, he’s looking to reintroduce himself to the world. <br /><br />That’s the nature of the fight game, especially in the fast-paced world of the <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC-Silva-vs-Irvin">UFC,</a> which has put on 37 events since Etim last set foot in the Octagon. That’s enough time to see the heavyweight and light heavyweight titles change hands, for the WEC to import their lightweights, featherweights, and bantamweights into the UFC, and for legends such as <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Randy-Couture">Randy Couture</a>, <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Mirko-Cro-Cop">Mirko Cro Cop</a>, and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/BJ-Penn">BJ Penn</a> to announce their retirements.<br /><br />That’s a long time.<br /><br />“Obviously, fighting is my life, so having such a long time off has been very hard for me,” said Etim. “I’m just really glad to be back and I’m really excited for it.”<br /><br />Etim returns to active duty this Saturday in Birmingham with a main card bout against Hawaii’s <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Edward-Faaloloto">Edward Faaloloto</a>. It’s his first bout since seeing a four fight winning streak snapped at <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC-112-INVINCIBLE">UFC 112 </a>by Rafael dos Anjos, and then being sidelined with various injuries since then. Losing to the Brazilian via second round submission and then seeing his career get put on hold following the bout was a momentum killer of epic proportions, but the 25-year old is looking at the positive side of things leading up to his comeback fight.<br /><br />“Even though I’ve been away, as soon as my injuries healed themselves up, I’ve been training, and hopefully I’m gonna come back with a bang and let everyone know that even though I’ve been out for a little bit of time, I’ve been working hard on my game and I’m gonna get back up there,” said Etim, who looked to be ready to step into the rarefied air occupied by British stars <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Michael-Bisping">Michael Bisping</a>, <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Dan-Hardy">Dan Hardy</a>, and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Ross-Pearson">Ross Pearson</a> before his layoff. And having to sit on a loss for that long made it even worse.<br /><br />“I think that was one of the hardest things as well,” he said. “Before the dos Anjos fight, I was coming off four wins, so if I would have gotten injured then, it wouldn’t have been so bad because obviously you’re coming off wins.” <br /><br />He pauses, referring back to the dos Anjos fight, which accounted for only his third loss in 17 pro fights, and first since a May 2008 decision loss to <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Rich-Clementi">Rich Clementi</a>.<br /><br />“I think I’m the worst loser in the world,” said Etim. “I hate losing more than anything else. I hate it. Obviously after that loss, the only thing I wanted to do was redeem myself and get back in winning ways and show all the fans what I’m about, so being injured and not being able to do it was so frustrating.”<br /><br />So what happened that night against dos Anjos in Abu Dhabi, where Etim didn’t look anything like the lanky force of nature that impressively defeated <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Sam-Stout">Sam Stout</a>, <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Brian-Cobb">Brian Cobb</a>, <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Justin-Buchholz">Justin Buchholz</a>, and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Shannon-Gugerty">Shannon Gugerty</a> in succession?<br /><br />“You know what, to be honest, I’m not gonna take anything away from dos Anjos, and I’m not gonna make any excuses,” said Etim. “I think you get some fighters and they say this or that wasn’t right and why things didn’t happen, and I just say it was dos Anjos’ night. I take nothing away from him.”<br /><br />Scheduled to return four months later for an intriguing <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC118">UFC 118 </a>bout against <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Joe-Lauzon">Joe Lauzon</a>, Etim withdrew due to injury, and there has been little light for the Liverpudlian until he was given the green light to train and fight again. Now he gets Faaloloto, and he gets him in his home country no less, an added bonus.<br /><br />“It’s perfect,” said Etim of fighting on British shores. “It’s always great to fight in front of your hometown, so after being out for so long and then getting to fight in front of them, it’s gonna be great. The support’s always there and I’m really looking forward to it.”<br /><br />Rightfully the favorite against the hard-hitting Faaloloto, who lost his lone UFC fight thus far via TKO to <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Michael-Johnson">Michael Johnson</a> in June, Etim is returning to a division whose landscape has changed considerably since his last bout. <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Frankie-Edgar">Frankie Edgar</a>, who won the 155-pound title on the same card where Etim lost to dos Anjos, is still the king, but WEC imports <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Donald-Cerrone">Donald Cerrone</a>, Ben Henderson, and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Anthony-Pettis">Anthony Pettis</a> are now making plenty of noise in the division, while veterans <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Clay-Guida">Clay Guida</a>, <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Gray-Maynard">Gray Maynard</a>, and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Jim-Miller">Jim Miller</a> also hold places in the lightweight pecking order. But instead of wondering what he just stepped back into, Etim is pleased with the developments of the last 19 months.<br /><br />“I actually think it’s good,” he said. “It’s made the division a lot deeper, and I think there’s a few exciting guys that have crossed over from the WEC, so I think it’s gonna make for a lot more interesting matchups. Everyone’s fighting to get to the top and fighting for their place in the UFC, and it’s absolutely stacked.”<br /><br />And Etim is under no illusions about his status in the division. He knows that he is basically starting from scratch again. But then again, given his talent and attitude, a few wins and he may be knocking on the same door he was in April of 2010.<br /><br />“Hopefully I’m gonna come back with a bang and I want to get back up there as soon as possible,” he said. “I don’t mind who the UFC puts in front of me, I just want to fight the best guys up there and get back to where I was before the dos Anjos loss. I think I was building a bit of momentum, winning four in a row, so I don’t think it’s gonna be a problem getting back up there.”<br /><br />It all starts again on Saturday night.<br /><br />“On the night, I want people who are watching the card to remember my fight,” said Etim. “It’s gonna finish in a spectacular way, and whether it be a head kick knockout, a jumping knee knockout, or a nice submission, I want to give the fans something to remember. November 5th, it’s gonna be fireworks.”<br /><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320251342294="2"></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Scott Corl: Bob “The Beast” Sapp On Japan: “I Love Them. They Love Me.”</h1> <p>2011-11-01T23:21:00.000-07:00</p> <h2><br /> </h2><div class="articlecopy"><div style="display: none;"></div><br /><script src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><span id="_containermyExperience1253460176001" style="display: inline-block;"><param NAME="_cx" VALUE="14684"><param NAME="_cy" VALUE="8334"><param NAME="FlashVars" VALUE=""><param NAME="Movie" VALUE="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?&width=555&height=315&flashID=myExperience1253460176001&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF&playerID=1044094599001&playerKey=AQ~~%2CAAAA8sG4gSE~%2CHfFkv5jxFGI0enc4FkrYG9emJ7jlSFW4&isVid=true&dynamicStreaming=true&%40videoPlayer=1253460176001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Ffcfighter.com%2Fpost%2Fbob-the-beast-sapp-on-japan-i-love-them-they-love-me&autoStart=&debuggerID="><param NAME="Src" VALUE="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?&width=555&height=315&flashID=myExperience1253460176001&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF&playerID=1044094599001&playerKey=AQ~~%2CAAAA8sG4gSE~%2CHfFkv5jxFGI0enc4FkrYG9emJ7jlSFW4&isVid=true&dynamicStreaming=true&%40videoPlayer=1253460176001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Ffcfighter.com%2Fpost%2Fbob-the-beast-sapp-on-japan-i-love-them-they-love-me&autoStart=&debuggerID="><param NAME="WMode" VALUE="Window"><param NAME="Play" VALUE="0"><param NAME="Loop" VALUE="-1"><param NAME="Quality" VALUE="High"><param NAME="SAlign" VALUE="LT"><param NAME="Menu" VALUE="-1"><param NAME="Base" VALUE=""><param NAME="AllowScriptAccess" VALUE="always"><param NAME="Scale" VALUE="NoScale"><param NAME="DeviceFont" VALUE="0"><param NAME="EmbedMovie" VALUE="0"><param NAME="BGColor" VALUE="FFFFFF"><param NAME="SWRemote" VALUE=""><param NAME="MovieData" VALUE=""><param NAME="SeamlessTabbing" VALUE="0"><param NAME="Profile" VALUE="0"><param NAME="ProfileAddress" VALUE=""><param NAME="ProfilePort" VALUE="0"><param NAME="AllowNetworking" VALUE="all"><param NAME="AllowFullScreen" VALUE="true"></OBJECT></span><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript">brightcove.createExperiences();</script><br /><br />Former K-1 superstar and Pride veteran Bob “The Beast” Sapp talks with Full Contact Fighter correspondent Scott Corl about his recent European “tour” and the former frenzy over him amongst the public in Japan.<br />Sapp also reminisces over his days in the now-defunct Pride, including his unforgettable, epic battle with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2002 that helped catapult Sapp to superstardom.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>AFC 7 : Break Out</h1> <p>2011-11-01T11:29:00.000-07:00</p> <br /><br />November 5th, Colwood BC, Bear Mountain Arena<br />VICTORIA (BC): Victoria-based Armageddon Fighting Championship has announced the line-up for their seventh event, AFC 7: “Break Out” to be held at the home of the AFC, Bear Mountain Arena on Saturday, November 5th.<br />For the first time the AFC will have a mixture of professional and amateurs on their card.<br />AFC 7 Features Derek Medler (6-0), a former Toronto Argonaut vs Brian Grimshaw (6-1) in an all-BC main event. Since leaving football, Medler has trained at Island MMA and fought and won at every AFC event to date! Medler has finished all six of his AFC opponents. Like Medler, Grimshaw has finished every opponent he has beaten. He has never seen the second round of a match. Grimshaw is Medler’s most dangerous opponent so far.<br /><h2>Main Card</h2>Derek Medler 6-0 vs Brian Grimshaw 6-1 170<br />Karel Bergen 4-0 vs Mike Hill 4-0 170<br />Paul Cheng 1-0 vs Peter Nolan 1-0 265<br />Nathan Swayze 1-2 vs Brad Robinson 0-1 205<br />Tristan Connelly 2-2 vs Matt Trudeau 1-0 145<br /><h2>Under Card</h2>Tyler Dolby vs Shane Jung 145<br />Jean Marc de Groot vs James Pratt 130<br />Blake McVittie vs Craig McLean 140<br />Sanjeev Sharma vs Dustin Porter 170<br />Guy Gauthier vs Johnny Williams 150<br />Dillon Brown vs Ron Pierce 155<br />Stephan Bigauskas vs Gean Allard 170<br />Joel Conway vs Ty Daggis 145<br /><br /><a class="ka_button medium_button medium_black" href="https://tickets.jdfrecreation.com/TheatreManager/1/tmEvent/tmEvent63.html"><span>Buy Tickets</span></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Video – Watch the Trailer for this Weekend’s Muay Thai Premier League in Holland</h1> <p>2011-11-01T08:39:00.000-07:00</p> Thai Premier League in Holland<br /><a href="http://wombatboxing.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/319215_10150881774650391_883010390_20915292_75537583_n.jpg"></a><br /><br />The third event on the <a href="http://thempl.tv/main/"><span style="color: #428ce7;">Muay Thai Premier League’s</span></a> schedule is coming this Sunday at the Hague in Holland.<br />Coming of a huge win here in the U.S. versus the Czech Republic’s Martina Jindova in September, England’s Julie Kitchen is set to face Canadian Sandra Bastian. Baston lost a decision in her last match in Italy versus Brazil’s Tainara Lisboa a few weeks ago.<br />In the other match, Valentina Shevchencko, after getting a win over Angelique Pitiot at the Long Beach card, will face Ilona Wijams, who won her match a few weeks ago with Chantal Ughi in Italy.<br />No word on if the MPL will be streamed online for US audiences, but The Score in Canada will be airing the fights.<br /><h3>Watch the trailer below</h3><div class="embed-vimeo" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Katrina Belcher: MIA - Mighty Intimidating Athlete - Hayes</h1> <p>2011-11-01T08:32:00.000-07:00</p> <table class="contentpaneopen"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" valign="top" width="70%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" valign="top"><div class="zemanta-img" style="display: block; float: left; margin: 1em; width: 310px;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pink_ribbon.svg"></a> <br /><div class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;"></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do not go gentle into that good night,<br />Old age should burn and rave at close of day;<br />Rage, rage against the dying of the light.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though wise men at their end know dark is right,<br />Because their words had forked no lightning they<br />Do not go gentle into that good night.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright<br />Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,<br />Rage, rage against the dying of the light.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,<br />And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,<br />Do not go gentle into that good night.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight<br />Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rage, rage against the dying of the light.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And you, my father, there on the sad height,<br />Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.<br />Do not go gentle into that good night.<br />Rage, rage against the dying of the light.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was a full time mom, wife, medical assistant...and fighter. Why a full time fighter? Because she didn't just battle inside the ring. Her biggest fight was outside of the cage. And she did NOT go gentle into that good night...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, with only 2-5 years left to enjoy, she didn't back down or sit back and feel sorry for herself. Instead this remarkable lady took women's MMA by storm and set an example for future female fighters. Armed with strength of will, the love of her family and a huge dose of support from people in the WMMA community, like Sam Wilson, Lacey Neher and Janet Martin, Mia continued to train and fight. She went 3-0-0 as an ammy - practically willing herself to beat the disease. On Sunday afternoon she sucumbed. It was the only battle she lost.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She would go 3-0 as an amateur. Her last match was at Tuff-n-uff MMA in Vegas a year ago, getting a first round TKO victory over Brittany Griffin.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my interview of Mia, you might recall that when I asked her "Why do you keep training and fighting? It must be hard on you physically, mentally and more! Isn't it time to rest?" She answered: "It's not a matter of why do I KEEP doing it. To not do it now would be quitting. What kind of example would I be to my kids?"</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That pretty much sums it up. MIA: a Mighty Intimidating Athlete. But she was also a full time mom, wife, medical assistant, fighter...and inspiration.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mia also told me she loved the new colors of the TUFF website: purple and pink, and that I "shouldn't change a thing!" I plan on leaving it this way for a while. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>According to Lacey over at </strong></span><a href="http://www.realwomenandmensmma.com/2011/10/wear-pink-or-purple-on-friday-in-memory.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Real Women and Men's MMA</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>, Mia's family is holding a Celebration of Life Memorial on Friday in Victorville, California. Per Lacey: "...at the request of her children they didn't want anyone to wear black. Her 7 children ask that everyone wear Pink and Purple. For those of us who can't attend, we should do the same. Put on your pink and purple on Friday in honor of Mia. I have another request, Please take a picture of yourself in your pink and purple and post it to the Prayers for Mighty Mia Facebook page or our FB page Real Women and Men watch MMA. Let's show everyone how Ms. Mia has touched our lives."</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Memorial service is as follows:</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Mia's Celebration of Life<br />Friday 10 AM<br />Destiny Christian Church<br />14380 Amargosa Road<br />Victorville, California 92392</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Mia and her husband Youssouf Camara had a total of seven children. Recently Camara resigned from his job care for Mia and their children - and their finances have suffered as a result. To help the family get back on their feet, a fund has been setup for them. Please help by donating what you can, how you can. Checks, made out to "Youssouf Camara," can be mailed to:</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Mighty Mia Hayes Family<br />15610 Bowstring St.<br />Victorville, CA 92394</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>If you have PayPal, you can send your donation to:<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">  </script> </strong></span><a href="mailto:1mightymia@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>1mightymia@gmail.com</strong></span></a><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">  </script> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="display: none;">This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">  </script> </span>.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><strong><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please enjoy this video of Mia's last fight.</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><center></center></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>There’s a Pretty Good Chance You’ll Have to Google the Names From the Second Bracket of ProElite’s HWGP</h1> <p>2011-11-01T08:18:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="post"><div class="post_excerpt"><span style="color: #2c4651;"><strong><param NAME="_cx" VALUE="13229"><param NAME="_cy" VALUE="9763"><param NAME="FlashVars" VALUE=""><param NAME="Movie" VALUE="http://www.youtube.com/v/PoMAt6HfW5s?version=3&hl=en_US"><param NAME="Src" VALUE="http://www.youtube.com/v/PoMAt6HfW5s?version=3&hl=en_US"><param NAME="WMode" VALUE="Window"><param NAME="Play" VALUE="0"><param NAME="Loop" VALUE="-1"><param NAME="Quality" VALUE="High"><param NAME="SAlign" VALUE="LT"><param NAME="Menu" VALUE="-1"><param NAME="Base" VALUE=""><param NAME="AllowScriptAccess" VALUE="always"><param NAME="Scale" VALUE="NoScale"><param NAME="DeviceFont" VALUE="0"><param NAME="EmbedMovie" VALUE="0"><param NAME="BGColor" VALUE=""><param NAME="SWRemote" VALUE=""><param NAME="MovieData" VALUE=""><param NAME="SeamlessTabbing" VALUE="1"><param NAME="Profile" VALUE="0"><param NAME="ProfileAddress" VALUE=""><param NAME="ProfilePort" VALUE="0"><param NAME="AllowNetworking" VALUE="all"><param NAME="AllowFullScreen" VALUE="true"> </strong></span><em><strong>(Video courtesy of YouTube/ProElite</strong>)</em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=proelite%20cagepotato&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cagepotato.com%2Fexclusive-proelite-on-the-verge-of-a-new-deal-with-cbs-and-showtime%2F&ei=MxqvTpSLKMT00gGnpumdAQ&usg=AFQjCNGi_DcgVBei29MgiHBcec7ns1SSKw&sig2=ckrzRnFT_PPkNLVPex-E3g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ProElite</a> today named the participants of the second bracket of its planned heavyweight grand prix and there’s a pretty good chance you won’t recognize the names on the list.<br />Contrary to popular belief and ads that inferred as much, the tournament<em> will not</em> include former UFC heavyweight champions <a href="http://www.cagepotato.com/andrei-arlovski-signs-with-proelite-for-august-27th-event-in-honolulu/" target="_blank">Andrei Arlovski</a> and <a href="http://www.cagepotato.com/tim-sylvia-nearly-barfs-on-inside-mma/" target="_blank">Tim Sylvia</a>. According to the press release sent out by Stratus Media Group, the tournament will be structured similarly to Strikeforce’s Challenger Series in that the “up-and-coming’ winner will earn a shot at an upper-main card slot on a future event.<br />The promotion announced that Jake Heun (1-1) will take on Ed Carpenter (5-1) and Richard “The Black Eagle” Odoms (5-0) will square off with Rodney Housley (4-1) on the November 5, 2011 <em>Proelite 2: Big Guns</em> event <a href="http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=proelite%20cagepotato&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cagepotato.com%2Fexclusive-proelite-on-the-verge-of-a-new-deal-with-cbs-and-showtime%2F&ei=MxqvTpSLKMT00gGnpumdAQ&usg=AFQjCNGi_DcgVBei29MgiHBcec7ns1SSKw&sig2=ckrzRnFT_PPkNLVPex-E3g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">we revealed earlier this month</a> that will be televised live on HD NET from in Moline, Il at at 8:00 pm CST.<br />The main event for the show sees <a href="http://www.cagepotato.com/interview-andrei-arlovski-talks-lessons-learned-and-future-goals-strikeforce/" target="_blank">Arlovski</a> (16-9) take on <a href="http://www.cagepotato.com/8-greatest-can-crushers-mma/" target="_blank">Travis Fulton</a> (247-48-10 1 NC) while the co-main event has Sylvia (29-7) locking horns with Andreas Kraniotakes (12-4).</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Despite Tim Sylvia fight, ProElite 2's Andreas Kraniotakes gunning for Andrei Arlovski</h1> <p>2011-11-01T08:15:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="copy" id="CPCtr_piC25888_pnlCopy">German heavyweight Andreas Kraniotakes (12-4) meets Tim Sylvia (29-7) in the headliner of Saturday's ProElite 2 event, but he's already looking ahead to a possible next opponent.<br /><br />And he wants that specific fighter for very personal reasons.<br /><br />One time in a Chicago airport, Kraniotakes said he met former UFC champ and fellow ProElite 2 competitor Andrei Arlovski. That brief meeting left Kraniotakes fuming.<br /><br />"We have a little history," Kraniotakes recently told <a href="http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio">MMAjunkie.com Radio</a> (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I'm sure he doesn't remember. We met once in the airport in Chicago. I approached him and told him how much I admire him as a fighter and that I followed his career and stuff like that. ... He was pretty rude to me, and he looked at me like, 'Yeah, so what?'<br /><br />"After that happened, I just felt a little feeling inside me growing that I wanted to fight him. That would've been a great opportunity too (for ProElite 2). But it's not over after this fight. It can probably happen in the future too."<br /><br />But first is Sylvia, who fights near home when the two tangle at iWireless Center in Moline, Ill. Kraniotakes fights in the HDNet-televised headliner as a replacement for injured Pedro Rizzo.<br /><br />Kraniotakes makes his U.S. debut at the event, though it nearly didn't happen. This past week, the Illinois State Professional Athletic Commission <a href="http://mmajunkie.com/news/25824/illinois-commission-reverses-decision-clears-andreas-kraniotakes-for-proelite-2.mma">nixed his participation</a> because most of his fights were unsanctioned, though that's the case with most overseas fighters. But officials ultimately reversed the decision the following day, and Kraniotakes vs. Sylvia was back on.<br /><br />"He's obviously not the UFC champion anymore, but he's still a very dangerous guy," Kraniotakes said of Sylvia. "I'm not overlooking him. There's no way I overlook him. <br /><br />"It's such a great opportunity. A lot of my fans on Twitter always asked me when I would make my U.S. debut, but I wanted to wait for the right moment. I think this is the right moment. Fighting a former UFC champ and on HDNet and headlining the show? It doesn't get better than this."<br /><br />Kraniotakes, who's been splitting his training between Victory MMA and Alliance Training Center in San Diego, attempts his fourth straight win and sixth victory in his past seven fights. All of his wins have come via stoppage (eight via knockout and four via submission). A win over Sylvia could make a splash with U.S. promoters and lead to lucrative opportunities.<br /><br />But win or lose, he wants that fight with Arlovski. He said that even if both of them lose on Saturday, when Arlovski (16-9) takes on MMA ironman and 300-fight veteran Travis Fulton (247-48-10), it's still a fight he wants.<br /><br />And it all stems from that initial brief meeting.<br /><br />"He probably didn't know I was a fellow fighter," Kraniotakes said. "So I was disappointed as a fan. Stuff like that happens. Like I said, he probably had a bad day. But I didn't like that, and I didn't appreciate that. I try to be very fan friendly.<br /><br />"Nevertheless, that feeling inside myself just grew and grew, and it's at a point where I just want to fight him."</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>UFC Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Full Episode (video)</h1> <p>2011-11-01T08:12:00.000-07:00</p> With the UFC on Fox debut in just over a week, Primetime returned last Sunday with a special one-hour broadcast previewing Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos.<br />Now the full episode is available to view as the UFC cameras go behind the scenes with Velasquez and Dos Santos as they get ready for what could be the biggest fight in UFC history.<br />Watch Velasquez as he gets ready with his team at American Kickboxing Academy as well as his time at home with his wife and daughter. Junior Dos Santos also welcomes the cameras into his life at home in Brazil from his humble beginnings to his status as the top contender in the heavyweight division.<br /><br /><strong>Check out the full episode of UFC Primetime: Velasquaz vs. Dos Santos</strong><br /><param NAME="_cx" VALUE="12700"><param NAME="_cy" VALUE="7249"><param NAME="FlashVars" VALUE=""><param NAME="Movie" VALUE="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ovd3wjtx1X0?version=3&hl=en_US"><param NAME="Src" VALUE="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ovd3wjtx1X0?version=3&hl=en_US"><param NAME="WMode" VALUE="Window"><param NAME="Play" VALUE="0"><param NAME="Loop" VALUE="-1"><param NAME="Quality" VALUE="High"><param NAME="SAlign" VALUE="LT"><param NAME="Menu" VALUE="-1"><param NAME="Base" VALUE=""><param NAME="AllowScriptAccess" VALUE="always"><param NAME="Scale" VALUE="NoScale"><param NAME="DeviceFont" VALUE="0"><param NAME="EmbedMovie" VALUE="0"><param NAME="BGColor" VALUE=""><param NAME="SWRemote" VALUE=""><param NAME="MovieData" VALUE=""><param NAME="SeamlessTabbing" VALUE="1"><param NAME="Profile" VALUE="0"><param NAME="ProfileAddress" VALUE=""><param NAME="ProfilePort" VALUE="0"><param NAME="AllowNetworking" VALUE="all"><param NAME="AllowFullScreen" VALUE="true"> <div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Damon Martin: Mark Munoz Says He’s Arrived, Time to Talk Title</h1> <p>2011-11-01T08:10:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_110983" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 426px; width: 240px;"><a href="http://c442104.r4.cf2.rackcdn.com//2011/03/Mark-Munoz-UFCv3.jpg"></a> <div class="wp-caption-text">Mark Munoz and CB Dollaway at UFC Versus 3</div></div>Mark Munoz may only have 13 professional fights to his credit, but he’s learned an awful lot in that short amount of time.<br />The former NCAA champion from Oklahoma State came into fighting with a reputation as a fierce wrestler, one of the best in the game. Over time he developed a devastating ground and pound style that could be considered tops in all of MMA.<br />Munoz has had to endure some growing pains as well, including two losses thus far in his career, but one thing is clear as he embarks on his main event fight against Chris Leben at <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-138">UFC 138</a>…<br />Now is his time.<br />“This is the fight to get me closer to a title shot. This is what we train for,” <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/mmaweekly-radio-monday-ufc-138s-mark-munoz-and-pro-elite-fighter-mark-ellis">Munoz told MMAWeekly Radio</a>. “I’m excited to be able to be at this place in my career, to be able to showcase what I’ve improved, and I’m excited and I’m ready. After that Demian Maia fight I took confidence away and now I feel that I’ve arrived. I’m ready.”<br />The fight with Demian Maia was anything but easy, however, it did show off Munoz’s ever-evolving game. Despite Maia’s standing as one of the most dangerous jiu-jitsu fighters in the sport, Munoz came close to snatching a submission in the fight.<br />Maia also showed off some rapidly improved stand-up, but Munoz answered right back with some of his own. Sure, Mark Munoz will always be a wrestler at heart, but he’s out to prove that at this stage of the game he’s a mixed martial artist.<br />“I think I put the division on notice to let them know the wholeness of my game now. I’m not just a wrestler, but I have power in my hands and I have a great jiu-jitsu game. I’m improving every day inside the gym, and I work extremely hard,” <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/mmaweekly-radio-monday-ufc-138s-mark-munoz-and-pro-elite-fighter-mark-ellis">Munoz said</a>.<br />This time around Munoz faces a very tough challenge in the form of Chris Leben, who has some of the heaviest hands in the <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/middleweight-division-185-pound-limit-mma-top-10">middleweight division</a>.<br />Leben is lethal with one-punch knockout power, but Munoz is happy to show the former Team Quest fighter that whether this fight takes place on the feet or on the ground, he can go toe-to-toe with anyone.<br />“For Chris Leben, he does have power in his hands and I do as well, but it’s mixed martial arts. There’s hundreds of ways to win a fight so for me I want to go out there and perform the best way that I can when it comes to mixed martial arts,” <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/mmaweekly-radio-monday-ufc-138s-mark-munoz-and-pro-elite-fighter-mark-ellis">said Munoz</a>.<br />The other piece to this puzzle is the fact that the fight with Leben is the first ever five round non-title fight in UFC history. If Munoz’s long term goal is to get a shot at the UFC middleweight title, there’s not a much better way to prepare than to get ready for a 25-minute fight right now.<br />Munoz enlisted teammate Krzysztof Soszynski to lead his strength and conditioning program, and now he’s not just prepared for a 25-minute fight. He’s ready to go an hour if need be.<br />“I doubled my sparring rounds for 10 rounds, and I just make sure I’m ready to go five rounds. I counted for the nerves and everything else, you’ve got to be ready to go at least 10 rounds. That’s what I’ve been doing,” <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/mmaweekly-radio-monday-ufc-138s-mark-munoz-and-pro-elite-fighter-mark-ellis">Munoz revealed.</a><br />If victorious, don’t expect Munoz to grab the mic and start demanding title shots or saying something loud and boisterous to try and put the spotlight on himself. Munoz has the quiet demeanor to say very few words and let his actions speak for themselves.<br />When <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-138-leben-vs-munoz-fight-card-rumors">UFC 138</a> is over, however, Munoz wants to make sure Dana White, Joe Silva, and everybody else in charge know that he’s ready to challenge for the title.<br />“I have one sight in mind and that’s to be world champion,” said Munoz. “Middleweight world champion.”<br /><div><hr size="2" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Follow </em></strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/damonmartin"><strong><em>@DamonMartin on Twitter</em></strong></a><strong><em> or </em></strong><a href="mailto:damonmartin@mmaweekly.com"><strong><em>e-mail Damon Martin</em></strong></a>.<strong><em><br />For more </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/tag/ufc"><strong><em>UFC News</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/rumors"><strong><em>UFC Rumors</em></strong></a><strong><em>, follow MMAWeekly.com on </em></strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/mmaweeklycom"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/MMAWeeklycom/176775391774?v=wall"><strong><em>Facebook</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Mike Chiappetta: Manager: Carlos Condit Mad at Georges St-Pierre, Not UFC, for Losing Title Fight</h1> <p>2011-11-01T08:04:00.001-07:00</p> <div id="fb_like_container"><a href="http://mmafighting.com/2011/10/31/manager-carlos-condit-mad-at-georges-st-pierre-not-ufc-for-lo/" name="aol-facebook-like" rel="article"></a></div><div id="articleStr"><div class="entry-content" id="20095059">Malki Kawa had a bad feeling when he heard his phone ring and looked at the caller ID. It was then that he realized <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/ufc"><span style="color: #00467f;">UFC</span></a> president Dana White was on the other line. <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/UFC+137/"><span style="color: #00467f;">UFC 137</span></a> had just ended 30 minutes earlier, and it was already after midnight on the east coast. It was not a time for mindless chit-chat. It was a time for serious business.<br /><br />As is his style, White cut to the chase. <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/georges/st-pierre/439/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Georges St-Pierre</span></a> no longer wanted to fight Kawa's client <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/carlos/condit/663/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Carlos Condit</span></a> next. Instead, the UFC welterweight champ wanted to fight <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/nick/diaz/506/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Nick Diaz</span></a>, the winner of UFC 137's main event. We all now know the outcome. St-Pierre got the fight he wanted, and he'll be fighting Diaz in early February. Condit? He wasn't too happy, and he didn't exactly "step aside" as White told the media at the post-fight press conference. <br /><br />"I could understand them coming to us like that," Kawa said on Monday's edition of The <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/"><span style="color: #00467f;">MMA</span></a> Hour. "The issue with the whole 'he decided to step aside,' obviously, that wasn't the case. There was no just stepping aside. There was a little bit more than that. It's going to take more than that. I think we're way more upset with Georges and the way Georges handled it than we are with the way Dana presented it or anything like that."<br /><br />Everything changed in the moments after UFC 137. Diaz got the ball rolling by saying St-Pierre was scared and by questioning his injury just after his main event win. According to White, St-Pierre then "flipped out" and demanded that he bypass Condit and face Diaz next. <br /><br />But as Kawa pointed out, Diaz had previously called out St-Pierre after he was originally replaced with Condit, and St-Pierre never responded. In addition to that, St-Pierre had gone on record saying that believed Condit presented the tougher challenge. <br /><br />"I don't know if the emotions of the moment got to him, and he just decided to do that," Kawa said. "It's kind of un-Georges-like."<br /><br />Kawa said that he and Condit didn't step aside as graciously as it sounded, describing the ordeal as "gut-wrenching." <br /><br />"[Carlos'] words were, 'My heart hurts,'" he said. <br /><br />But ultimately, Kawa said that they are "company men" who made the move that the promotion wanted. He also suggested that there was some financial reward for bowing out.<br /><br />"Dana always does the right thing and in this case, he'll do the right thing again," he said. <br /><br />Kawa said he tried to keep things in perspective by noting that he originally got Condit moved into the title slot with some hustle of his own, and that sometimes, that sort of thing works against you. He even candidly admitted that if he was Diaz's manager, he would have lobbied for the fight, too.<br /><br />"Are we pissed off about it? Absolutely," he said. "But it's not like I've never been on other end of stick where I put one of my fighters ahead of someone else and another guy got shafted or screwed over. It's just business, it's not personal. It's nothing personal with Georges. Are we upset with him? Absolutely."<br /><br />Meanwhile, Condit has every intention of fighting again instead of waiting to take on the St-Pierre vs. Diaz winner. Kawa said the UFC has thrown out some possibilities, but that nothing has been decided upon. The biggest factor is that it has to be someone that Condit can gain something from in fighting, mentioning <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/josh/koscheck/330/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Josh Koscheck</span></a> and <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/jake/ellenberger/965/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Jake Ellenberger</span></a> as possibilities. <br /><br />"It's more about whoever brings the most to the table," he said. "We want to make it a big-money fight. Whoever that is. Make it a big-money fight. A No. 1 contender, possibly make it a five-rounder if we could. And somebody who win, lose, or draw, we can take something from it." </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Ariel Helwani: Gina Carano Not Scheduled for Strikeforce's Dec. 17 Card</h1> <p>2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00</p> <div id="fb_like_container"><a href="http://mmafighting.com/2011/11/01/gina-carano-not-scheduled-for-strikeforces-dec-17-card/" name="aol-facebook-like" rel="article"></a></div><div id="articleStr"><div class="entry-content" id="20095496">Another full calendar year will go by without <a href="http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/GinaCarano/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Gina Carano</span></a> competing in an MMA cage.<br /><br />Carano, still arguably the most famous women's MMA fighter in the world, will not be fighting on Strikeforce's Dec. 17 card in San Diego, sources close to the event confirmed with MMAFighting.com. There had been some speculation that Carano was targeting a return to action on the card.<br /><br />The 29-year-old Carano last competed for Strikeforce in Aug. 2009. She lost via first-round TKO to Cris Cyborg in the last women's fight to headline a major Strikeforce card on Showtime. Since then, Carano has pursued a movie career and stayed out of the MMA spotlight, rarely doing media appearances or showing up to fights. <br /><br />She announced her return to Strikeforce in February, however, an undisclosed illness forced her to pull out of her June 18 fight against Sarah D'Alelio. As of right now, Strikeforce has no plans for her return to the cage.<br /><br />So the next time you want to see Carano in action, it will have to be on the silver screen when she stars in her first motion picture, "Haywire," which is set to be released on Jan. 20.<br /><br />The promotion's year-end show will consist of a four-fight main card, which will air live on Showtime:<br /><br />Gilber Melendez (c) vs. Jorge Masvidal -- Strikeforce lightweight title<br />Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (c) vs. Hiroko Yamanaka -- Strikeforce women's featherweight title<br clear="all" />Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux<br />K.J. Noons vs. Billy Evangelista </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Frank Curreri: BJ Penn - They Only Made One</h1> <p>2011-11-01T07:54:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="intro" id="news-article-intro"><strong>“I want to thank all of the fans for their love and support. I’m going to take some time off to enjoy life, train and teach. I will keep you guys’ posted with what’s next.” - BJ Penn </strong></div><div class="intro"> </div><div id="article-content" sizcache="8" sizset="243"><em sizcache="8" sizset="243"><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/BJ-Penn" sizcache="8" sizset="243" target="_blank"><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320159195829="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"></div><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320159195829="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"> </div><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320159195829="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"><span class="caption">Former two division UFC champion BJ Penn</span></div></a>“Hats off to <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Nick-Diaz">Nick Diaz</a>, he’s the man. Joe, it’s probably the last time you’re ever going to see me in here. I can’t keep, uh, I want to perform at the top level. That’s it, Joe, I’ll shake your hand right here. I’ve got a daughter (and) another daughter on the way. I don’t want to go home looking like this. I’m done.” – <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/BJ-Penn">BJ Penn</a>, speaking to <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC-Silva-vs-Irvin">UFC </a>commentator Joe Rogan immediately following his unanimous decision loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137. </em><br /><br />Needless to say, those heart-felt comments from a physically exhausted Penn, his left eye badly swollen and nearly shut, blindsided most spectators, especially the man holding the microphone and asking the questions. <br /><br />A haggard-looking BJ was just a few minutes removed from having absorbed and weathered the worst beating of his famed 10-year career. Yet the Hawaiian hero is only 32 years old. He is still in his physical prime, still a crowd-pleasing headliner, still in possession of some of the slickest boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills in the fight game. So his spontaneous declaration inside the Octagon, if BJ does indeed make good on it, would make him a notorious exception to the laws of probability: To my vast recollection, the number of legendary UFC fighters who have voluntarily walked away from the sport age 32 or younger is … ZERO. <br /><br />The enigma that is BJ has always walked to the beat of his own drum, so you can never discount that he will become the first to break the mold. But a great many fans, in keeping with the natural skepticism of many reporters and fans who have witnessed too many pro fighters flip-flop on retirement vows, will only believe in a BJ Penn denouement if they never see the former two-division world champ fight again over the next few years. Indeed, two days after his 15-minutes of riveting reckoning with Diaz secured Fight of the Night honors, Penn himself seemed to subscribe to the school of thought that fighters – like people in general – should refrain from making decisions while consumed by raw emotions or while the fresh wounds of battle make it hard to rise out of bed in the morning or scamper to the fridge. <br /><br />“I want to thank all of the fans for their love and support. I’m going to take some time off to enjoy life, train and teach. I will keep you guys’ posted with what’s next,” was what Penn wrote on his Web site, BJPenn.com, on Monday. <br /><br />I’ve seen a lot of gifted fighters up close. And if I endeavored to rank which fighters are must-see every time they fight, no matter who the opponent is, I’m not sure whom I would peg in the No. 2 slot. But the guy who consistently and always delivers as the No. 1 fighter-as-entertainer is easy: My vote goes to BJ Penn. Unequivocally. Without hesitation, no need for deliberation. <br /><br />I don’t have a Hawaii birth certificate and have no ties whatsoever to the Aloha State. Fortunately, you don’t need to hail from the nation’s 50th state to have been emotionally moved time and again by the former lightweight and welterweight world champion, who was game to fight anybody – even going up three weight classes to take on 205-pound <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Lyoto-Machida">Lyoto Machida</a>. The baby-faced Hilo fighter, Hawaii’s most popular and adored athlete, alongside Philadelphia Phillies All-Star center fielder Shane Victorino, never needed a Fight of The Night bonus check as incentive to leave it all in the cage. BJ just always brought it. Straight from the heart. That was the one certainty with him – whether he stepped into the cage shredded at 155 pounds or slightly bloated at 170 pounds, whether fighting on a full tank or on fumes, he always came to throw down and to take the other guy out. He “brought it” despite the fact that everything else about his training camp preparation, diet, etc., was usually a humongous question mark leading up to his fights. <br /><br />You know the questions that always shadowed him:<em> Which BJ will show up? How hard did he train for this fight? How much longer does he want to fight? Is his heart still in it? </em><br /><br />Penn has often been cast as a supreme athlete, with uncanny fight instincts, who never quite poured 100 percent of himself into fight preparation. Yet every time this guy fought, electricity filled the arena. He never backed down when the fists were flying, never backpedaled, never stopped trying to finish a fight. And he never ran from an a—whipping if he had to be on the receiving end once his cardio had betrayed him. And, in my mind, even before he ever stepped into the cage, Penn (16-8-2) was a force to behold. For my money, his walkouts are among the three or four best in the sport’s history, neck and neck with <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Matt-Hughes">Matt Hughes</a> and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Chuck-Liddell">Chuck Liddell</a>. <br /><br />As I’ve often said, many times in sport (and in life) the anticipation of THE MOMENT can actually be as compelling and gripping as THE MOMENT itself. BJ Penn embodied the power of anticipation. His walkouts to the late Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’s hybrid anthems of “E la E” and “Hawaii 78” are so visceral and palpable. You can feel in that moment, while witnessing his accelerated swagger toward the cage, that he is not only fighting for himself, out of personal pride, but for the pride of all his people. BJ is to Hawaii what Manny Pacquiao is to the Philippines. Only Hawaii has just 1.35 million people, versus 92 million for the Philippines. BJ is the Hawaii fans’ ambassador, a representation of their ferocious will. It is a role that differentiates him from nearly all other fighters, who fight for their own fulfillment and dreams. With BJ, despite a rather privileged upper class upbringing, it is always as if he had showcased extra heart because he would much rather suffer tremendous physical agony than disappoint his people, his fans. Even when his legs went wobbly in the Octagon, even when his heart-rate shot up and lactic acid overwhelmed his muscles – as they did in contests against <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Georges-St-Pierre">Georges St-Pierre</a>, <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Jon-Fitch">Jon Fitch</a> and Diaz -- he dared not let his fellow Hawaiians down. He dared not quit, even when his not-quite-in-peak-shape body screamed for him to quit. <br /><br />So you must understand that when BJ walks to the cage to “Bruddah IZ,” it is a particularly emotional experience for his sympathizers, who view him as a brother, a loved one. Those songs hold deep symbolic meaning to the Hawaiian people, signifying unity and a preservation of their proud island culture during times when outsiders tried to take their lands. <br /><br />“When that song plays, every Hawaiian in the house stands up and it gives you chicken skin. BJ lifts everybody’s spirits up,” said Blaise Soares, a 36-year-old Hawaii native who is a former pro boxer and Golden Gloves champion. “BJ Penn is the biggest name in Hawaii culture. Hawaiians love MMA because fighting is something we’ve been doing since we were in diapers. We all learn how to fight in the backyard with the boxing gloves or wrestling. People love BJ because he brings it. He brought the fight to Diaz. There were a few moments where I thought the fight might get stopped, but BJ just kept coming back, which prevented the referee from stopping the fight. But it hurt me to see him take so many punches, the big shots. I think that took a lot out of (our) people.”<br /><br />It was a battle between two stallions who should be the poster boys for the slogan, “Let’s Scrap.” BJ Penn had to be transported to the hospital for treatment immediately following the fight, so he could not attend the post-fight press conference, which featured Dana White making a very poignant observation about what had transpired in the cage.<br /><br />“In the 10 years we’ve all seen BJ Penn perform and fight,” White said, “you’ve never seen BJ Penn get busted up. He got busted up tonight, let me tell you.” <br /><br />That “leather skin,” as Dana called it, could not withstand the nearly 260 strikes unleashed by Diaz – an extraordinary volume of punches. While Diaz’s punches often appear to be moving in slow-motion, those blows inflict much more damage than often meets the eye because of the tremendous snap and whip Diaz puts on them – enabling him to not just land “arm” punches, but to also put the force of his body weight behind them. Those are the kind of punches that can split even a fighter with “leather skin.” While BJ had claimed Diaz was a near mirror image of himself, the difference in the all-out war of attrition was that Diaz has the limitless cardio of a Triathlete. <br /><br />There will be naysayers who criticize Penn for his at times questionable work ethic, the fact that he did not appear as obsessive or disciplined in all facets of his training as some other elite pros. There is the prevailing perception, even among his most ardent defenders, that BJ could have given more to his art. That he should have left Hawaii more frequently for better training camps, that he should have dieted more stringently throughout his career. So, despite two world titles, and a BJJ black belt world title, it is possible that we never really saw the Best B.J. there could have been. Yet what Penn ACTUALLY accomplished should not detract from all that he MIGHT HAVE accomplished. He was such a sponge, such an instinctive wonder, a one-in-a-million natural fighter and entertainer. In fact, his perceived flaws are perhaps part of the reason so many people empathize with him. There is a vulnerability that emanates from BJ and his aura. He does not fight like a stoical machine, as some do, but as an emotional human. He is impulsive. There is an unpredictability about him. You never really know what the guy is going to do next (even when he says he’s retiring!).<br /><br />Personally, I prefer my fighters emotional, with a chip on their shoulder, as if they’re out to exact some revenge for something disrespectful you said. That was BJ Penn. A BJJ wizard who often preferred to beat the other guy up standing and excelled at it. He made you pick your poison. <br /><br />BJ’s legacy is bulletproof. Two wins over Matt Hughes, triumphs over <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Sean-Sherk">Sean Sherk</a>, <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Kenny-Florian">Kenny Florian</a>, and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Jens-Pulver">Jens Pulver</a> and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Takanori-Gomi">Takanori Gomi</a> in their primes. You could also make a strong case that BJ deserved to get the nod in his first fight against St-Pierre (which Penn lost via split decision despite inflicting more damage on the Canadian). <br /><br />If he does return, my best guess is it’ll be at 155 pounds. BJ is 1-3-1 in his past five fights and seems better suited when he has defined abs and is competing against guys his own size. Some day the UFC will host a show in Hawaii, and maybe we’ll see 60,000 plus people in an outdoor stadium. Wouldn’t it be awesome if BJ was on that card? How could he resist being on that card?<br /><br />It is fitting that one of the sport’s most enigmatic figures again has the rest of us guessing. His opponents in the cage often had no idea what was coming next. Once again, nobody knows BJ’s next move.<br /><br />“BJ Penn will always be a legend to the people of Hawaii,” Soares said. “Hawaii has a lot of up and coming fighters and there will be another Hawaiian champion someday. But I don’t think there will ever be one as big as BJ Penn.”<br /><br />You got that right. They didn’t make two. They didn’t make two. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Michael DiSanto: The Blueprint - Leben vs. Munoz</h1> <p>2011-11-01T07:51:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="intro" id="news-article-intro"><strong>Michael DiSanto breaks down Saturday's UFC 138 main event between Chris Leben and Mark Munoz... </strong></div><div class="intro"><strong></strong> </div><div id="article-content" sizcache="8" sizset="243"><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320159038466="2"></div><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320159038466="2"> </div>Mark Munoz is another in a long line of decorated collegiate wrestlers to find success in the UFC. And he just so happens to be part of a growing number of those former collegiate wrestlers who has fallen in love with the standup part of mixed martial arts. <br /><br />It’s not a big surprise that he loves standing and banging with opponents. The “Filipino Wrecking Machine” happens to posses legitimate lights out power in his right hand. That phrase is used a lot, often in hyperbolic fashion. But it is absolutely applicable to Munoz. Just ask <a href="http://../fighter/Kendall-Grove">Kendall Grove</a> or <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/CB-Dollaway">CB Dollaway</a>, both of whom basically got stopped with a single shot.<br /><br />As a result, the former Oklahoma State University star has abandoned his wrestling for long stretches of his recent fights. He instead comes out headhunting with vicious looping bombs, knowing that if he can just land one, the fight will come to an abrupt, thrilling conclusion. <br /><br />Fans love that style of fighting. But there is only one problem. Chris Leben lives for that style of fighting, and he is Munoz’s opponent on Saturday in the main event of UFC 138 in Birmingham, England.<br /><br />There is nobody in the division, possibly nobody in the UFC, who loves an all-out firefight more than Leben. This guy is the personification of a throwback fighter. His game plan for each and every fight is the same. Take the center of the cage. Plant his feet. Fire away with both hands with little regard for his personal safety until someone falls down.<br /><br />The formerly labeled “Cat Smasher” can get away with that style of fighting for two reasons. First and foremost, he has what many believe to be the sturdiest chin in the division. This guy has engaged in more back-and-forth rock’em, sock’em robots fights than anyone at 185 pounds, and he has only suffered two losses by knockout—one to <a href="http://../fighter/Anderson-Silva">Anderson Silva</a> and one to <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Brian-Stann">Brian Stann</a>. That speaks volumes about his durability.<br /><br />Second, Leben has every bit as much show-stopping power in his punches as Munoz or anyone else. The southpaw doesn’t need to wind up to bomb out an opponent. He is an equal opportunity slugger—short, compact concussive blows and wild haymakers. Either one can bring a fight to a close in an instant. Just ask <a href="http://../fighter/Wanderlei-Silva">Wanderlei Silva</a>. <br /><br />I know Munoz is red hot right now, with three straight wins. I don’t care. If this guy decides to throw caution to the wind and get into a firefight with Leben, he is going to get knocked out—period.<br /><br />Don’t get me wrong. Munoz has the power to become the third man to score a knockout win over Leben. That is certainly a possible outcome. But it is an extremely unlikely one, if the fight is fought in a phone booth. It is a more likely outcome, if Munoz keeps on the outside and darts in and out with bombs, always threatening the takedown.<br /><br />Of course, Leben has terrific takedown defense. Few fighters have been successful taking him down with traditional single-leg or double-leg takedowns. That is probably due to the years he spent training on a daily basis at Team Quest with otherworldly MMA wrestlers like <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Randy-Couture">Randy Couture</a>, <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Dan-Henderson">Dan Henderson</a> and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Matt-Lindland">Matt Lindland</a>. <br /><br />Leben also has a vastly underrated ground game, particularly from his guard. He is effective at defending from his back, and he also has a nice range of submissions from that position. But those are risks that Munoz must take, if he wants to maximize his chances at winning. <br /><br />That means convincing Leben that he is going to stand and trade, and then quickly changing levels to look for a takedown once his foe uncorks one of those deadly left hands. That is easier said than done because Leben fights with a pressure-first, all-offense style that forces his opponents to take a stand and fight, even if they don’t want to. <br /><br />It’s the old Mike Tyson adage: “everyone has a game plan until they hit.” That applies to fighting Leben. Everyone has a game plan to stick and move until they experience his non-stop pressure.<br /><br />That seems like a simplistic breakdown of the fight—one heavy on rhetoric and light on Xs and Os. But this fight isn’t about intricate Xs and Os. It’s about Mark Munoz trying to find a way to take Leben to the ground without getting suckered into a slugfest, something he loves to do himself. It’s about Leben firing right down the middle with malice aforethought the second he sees Munoz set his hips to fire one of those long, looping overhand rights. <br /><br />It really is that simple. Sure, Munoz needs to focus on circling to his left to avoid walking into Leben’s best weapon. True, Leben needs to keep his weight neutral in his stance so that he can quickly sprawl and brawl when Munoz looks for takedowns. Granted, both men want to win the battle of the feet, jockeying to keep their lead foot on the outside of the other man’s lead foot to maintain the optimal throwing lane.<br /><br />But those are details. This fight will largely be fought on instinct once one of the pair lands a bomb, which is almost certain to happen within the first minute of the fight. <br /><br />I’m not sure who is going to win this one. Some might suggest that Munoz has the perfect style to beat Leben due to his tremendous wrestling base. Others will astutely note that, if <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Demian-Maia">Demian Maia</a> was able to hurt Munoz with a single right hand, Leben will certainly stop him. Both statements ring true, in my opinion.<br /><br />All I know is that this matchup promises one thing: a fan-friendly bout. <br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>QUICK FACTS<br /><br />Chris Leben</strong></span><br />• 31 years old<br />• 5’11, 185 lbs<br />• 22-7 overall (12-6 UFC)<br />• 4-1 in last 5<br />• 6-4 in last 10<br />• Won last fight<br />• 0-1 in bouts taking place outside the United States<br />• 5 post-fight awards (Knockout of the Night 3 times; Fight of the Night twice)<br />• Current layoff is 126 days<br />• Longest layoff of career is 315 days<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Mark Munoz</strong></span><br />• 33 years old<br />• 6’0, 185 lbs<br />• 11-2 overall (6-2 UFC)<br />• 5-1 in last 5<br />• 8-2 in last 10<br />• Currently riding a 3-fight winning streak (has two 3-fight winning streaks in UFC career)<br />• 2-0 in bouts outside the US<br />• Fight of the Night once<br />• Current layoff is 147 days<br />• Longest layoff of career is 227 days</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>UFC 137 Fighter Salaries: Diaz, Penn & Kongo Top Payouts</h1> <p>2011-10-31T13:58:00.000-07:00</p> <a href="http://c442104.r4.cf2.rackcdn.com//2011/10/Diaz-Penn-Kongo-460x270.jpg"></a>The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday released the UFC 137 fighter salaries<em>.</em><br />Former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz pummeled his way to a unanimous decision victory over B.J. Penn in the main event.<br /><em><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-penn-vs-diaz-live-results-and-play-by-play">UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz</a> </em>took place Saturday, Oct. 29, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.<br />Tyson Griffin initially failed to make weight for a featherweight contest with Bart Palaszewski, but the two agreed to an amended contract to fight at a catchweight of 148 pounds with Griffin forking over 25 percent of his salary to Palaszewski. The contractual change is reflected in the UFC 137 fighter salary information below. Because the contract was changed, Griffin was not fined, according to athletic commission officials.<br />The following figures are based on the fighter salary information that promoters are required by law to submit to the state athletic commissions, including the winners’ bonuses.<br />Although mixed martial arts fighters do not have collective bargaining or a union, the fighters’ salaries are still public record, just as with every other major sport in the United States. Any undisclosed bonuses that a promoter also pays its fighters, but does not disclose to the athletic commissions (specifically, pay-per-view bonuses, fight of the night bonuses, etc.), are not included in the figures below.<br /><strong>UFC 137 MAIN CARD FIGHTER SALRIES</strong><br />Nick Diaz: $200,000 (no win bonus)<br />def. B.J. Penn: $150,000<br />Cheick Kongo: $140,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus)<br />def. Matt Mitrione: $10,000<br />Roy Nelson: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)<br />def. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic: $75,000<br />Scott Jorgensen: $33,000 (includes $16,500 win bonus)<br />def. Jeff Curran: $8,000<br />Hatsu Hioki: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)<br />def. George Roop: $8,000<br /><strong>UFC 137 PRELIMINARY CARD FIGHTER SALARIES</strong><br />Donald Cerrone: $54,000 (includes $27,000 win bonus)<br />def. Dennis Siver: $27,000<br />Bart Palaszewski: $28,500 (includes $10,000 win bonus)<br />def. Tyson Griffin: $25,500<br />Brandon Vera: $120,000 (includes $60,000 win bonus)<br />def. Eliot Marshall: $15,000<br />Ramsey Nijem: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)<br />def. Danny Downes: $4,000<br />Francis Carmont: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)<br />def. Chris Camozzi: $8,000<br />Dustin Jacoby: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)<br />def. Clifford Starks: $6,000<br /><strong>UFC 137 DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $1,026,000</strong><br /><div align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" /></div><strong><em>For more </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/tag/ufc"><strong><em>UFC News</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/rumors"><strong><em>UFC Rumors</em></strong></a><strong><em>, follow MMAWeekly.com on </em></strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/mmaweeklycom"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/MMAWeeklycom/176775391774?v=wall"><strong><em>Facebook</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Daman Martin: Despite Reports, Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort Not Set as TUF Brazil Coaches</h1> <p>2011-10-31T13:56:00.000-07:00</p> <a href="http://c442104.r4.cf2.rackcdn.com//2011/02/Silva-v-Belfort-Melee-450x260.jpg"></a><br />Are Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort going to coach against each other on the ‘Ultimate Fighter’ Brazil?<br />Well, if they are it’s news to everyone including the UFC.<br />Reports began surfacing on Monday in Brazil that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort were in talks to become coaches on the Brazilian installation of the ‘Ultimate Fighter’.<br />UFC President Dana White confirmed that TUF Brazil would be happening in 2012, but didn’t have any further details on coaches or when the show would air at the time.<br />Sources speaking with <a href="http://www.mmaweekly.com/">MMAWeekly.com</a> on Monday said that no coaching offers have been made to either Silva or Belfort, and the UFC hasn’t even begun considering who they will choose for that show at this stage.<br />All signs are currently pointing towards Silva facing heated rival Chael Sonnen in a rematch at some point in 2012, once the champion’s shoulder is given clearance from his doctors.<br />Meanwhile, Belfort is expected to return to action in January and rumors have suggested he may face middleweight Alan Belcher, although nothing is set at this point.<br />All that’s for sure right now is that Silva and Belfort aren’t coaching TUF Brazil. <br /><a href="http://www.mmaweekly.com/">MMAWeekly.com</a> will have more information on the ‘Ultimate Fighter’ Brazil when it becomes available. <br /><div><hr size="2" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Follow </em></strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/damonmartin"><strong><em>@DamonMartin on Twitter</em></strong></a><strong><em> or </em></strong><a href="mailto:damonmartin@mmaweekly.com"><strong><em>e-mail Damon Martin</em></strong></a>.<strong><em><br />For more </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/tag/ufc"><strong><em>UFC News</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/rumors"><strong><em>UFC Rumors</em></strong></a><strong><em>, follow MMAWeekly.com on </em></strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/mmaweeklycom"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/MMAWeeklycom/176775391774?v=wall"><strong><em>Facebook</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Weekend Rundown: Jadamba Batters Pang, Snatches Legend LW Belt</h1> <p>2011-10-31T07:13:00.000-07:00</p> <br /><br />Despite a 10-month absence from the ring, <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jadamba-Narantungalag-11375" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="326"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jadamba Narantungalag</span></a> showed no signs of rust in the main event of Saturday’s <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/LFC-Legend-Fighting-Championship-6-17374" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="325"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Legend Fighting Championship 6</span></a>. <br itxtnodeid="324" /><br itxtnodeid="323" />The 35-year-old Mongolian out-struck and outworked lightweight champion <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Adrian-Pang-8427" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="322"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Adrian Pang</span></a> at City of Dreams in Macau, winning a split decision and claiming the Legend 155-pound strap in his promotional debut. <br itxtnodeid="321" /><br itxtnodeid="320" />Pang brought the action to the floor in the opening moments of the three-round affair, only to find himself snared in a guillotine choke for the better part of two minutes. After extracting his head, “The Hunter” tried for the first of several leglocks which yielded no result. The remainder of the round belonged to Narantungalag, who attacked with knees and elbows from top position while avoiding armbar attempts. <br itxtnodeid="319" /><br itxtnodeid="318" />In round two, Narantungalag continued neutralizing Pang’s takedowns and escaping from the champion’s dangerous heel hooks. When the Mongolian did find himself on his back, Narantungalag was able to sweep skillfully and punish Pang with punches from mount or knees from north-south position. Perhaps the most impressive piece of striking from the bout came in the form of a Narantungalag front kick, which snapped Pang’s head around and earned an approving nod from the Australian. <br itxtnodeid="317" /><br itxtnodeid="316" />Narantungalag sealed his victory in the third round, cracking Pang with a trio of hard left hooks before catching the bloodied titleholder in another guillotine. Pang survived the choke and managed to stay on top, where he used elbows to open a cut above Narantungalag’s left eyebrow. After being cleared by the ringside physician, Narantungalag finished strong, scoring a takedown and mounting Pang in the fight’s waning moments. <br itxtnodeid="315" /><br itxtnodeid="314" />After 15 minutes, judges Erick Buthsombat and Daniel Charles Pereira scored the contest 29-28 in favor of Narantungalag, while judge Henry Chan cast a dissenting 29-28 card for Pang. <br itxtnodeid="313" /><br itxtnodeid="312" />“Pang is a very good fighter and his striking is very hard, strong,” Narantungalag said in a postfight interview. “His heel hook is very strong, but I couldn’t tap out because I wanted to be the first Mongolian MMA champion. I couldn’t tap.” <br itxtnodeid="311" /><br itxtnodeid="310" />The show’s semi-main event saw New Zealander <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Sam-Brown-52708" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="309"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Sam Brown</span></a> earn a hard-fought split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) over newly minted light heavyweight <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Wenbo-Liu-26408" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="308"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Wenbo Liu</span></a> in Legend’s first 205-pound contest. After a slow-moving first round controlled in the clinch by Liu and a tight second frame spent <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Weekend-Rundown-Jadamba-Batters-Pang-Snatches-Legend-LW-Belt-36812#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: darkgreen 0.07em solid; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook0w0" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">boxing</span></a>, Brown came on strong in the third, plowing Liu to the mat four times to drop heavy punches and elbows through the Chinese fighter’s guard. <br itxtnodeid="307" /><br itxtnodeid="306" />With <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder.php?search=yes&association=Team%20Quest" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="305"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Team Quest</span></a> coaches <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Pat-Healy-6246" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="304"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Pat Healy</span></a> and <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Brad-Hannah-66631" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="303"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Brad Hannah</span></a> in his corner, sanda stylist <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Guan-Wang-26368" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="302"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Guan Wang</span></a> snatched a razor-thin decision from Wajutsu Keishukai product <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Koji-Ando-34270" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="301"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Koji Ando</span></a>. The judges seemed to value the visible damage done by Wang’s standing strikes over Ando’s sustained ground-and-pound assault, awarding the Chinese fighter a split verdict with scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29. <br itxtnodeid="300" /><br itxtnodeid="299" /><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rob-Hill-21806" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="298"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Rob Hill</span></a> found success with chopping leg kicks against <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Un-Sik-Song-14296" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="297"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Un Sik Song</span></a> early in their lightweight bout, but it was a short right hand which earned the Australian his first win in three Legend appearances. When Song charged forward to throw a wild combination, Hill saw the opening for a left hook-right cross counter which sent the Korean to the canvas and referee Thomas Fan into action at 3:18 of round one, much to the displeasure of the still-conscious “Tornado.” <br itxtnodeid="296" /><br itxtnodeid="295" />Former Legend welterweight titleholder <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rodney-MacSwain-29203" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="294"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Rodney MacSwain</span></a> took a lackluster unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27) over South Korean <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Yong-Jae-Lee-52412" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="293"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Yong Jae Lee</span></a>, who was docked one point in the opening round for a pair of accidental knees to the groin of MacSwain. <br itxtnodeid="292" /><br itxtnodeid="291" />A pair of former <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/organizations/Pancrase-19" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="290"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Pancrase</span></a> fighters impressed on the undercard, as featherweight contender <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Yusuke-Kawanago-22908" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="289"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Yusuke Kawanago</span></a> beat and bloodied <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Chengjie-Wu-67173" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="288"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Chengjie Wu</span></a> in a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) and Korean vet <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Hoon-Kim-36879" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="287"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Hoon Kim</span></a> stunned previously unbeaten Aussie welterweight <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Robert-Whittaker-45132" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="286"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Robert Whittaker</span></a> with a triangle choke at 3:01 of the first round. <br itxtnodeid="285" /><br itxtnodeid="284" /><span class="Header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="283"><strong><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;">Quick Hits</span></strong></span> <br itxtnodeid="282" /><br itxtnodeid="281" />Sengoku veteran <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Nick-Denis-19128" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="280"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Nick Denis</span></a> needed only 63 seconds to demolish former Bellator bantamweight <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Nick-Mamalis-18703" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="279"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Nick Mamalis</span></a> on Friday at <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/Wreck-MMA-Unfinished-Business-18037" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="278"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Wreck MMA “Unfinished Business”</span></a> in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. What began as a suplex from Denis ended as a vicious chokeslam which drove Mamalis’ head into the canvas and separated the American from consciousness at 1:03 of round two. Other winners on the evening included <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Nathan-Gunn-26587" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="277"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Nathan Gunn</span></a>, who took a five-round decision over <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Nabil-Khatib-13736" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="276"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Nabil Khatib</span></a> to claim the Wreck MMA welterweight title, and heavyweight <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rolles-Gracie-24217" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="275"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Rolles Gracie</span></a>, who finished <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Lee-Mein-6648" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="274"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Lee Mein</span></a> with an arm-triangle choke at the 1:51 mark. <br itxtnodeid="273" /><br itxtnodeid="272" /><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jose-Landi-Jons-1400" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="271"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jose Landi-Jons</span></a> earned his fourth straight win Friday at <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/KMMAC-Kumite-MMA-Combate-18906" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="270"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Kumite MMA Combate</span></a> in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, as the 38-year-old vale tudo icon forced a medical stoppage of <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Samuel-Quito-23931" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="269"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Samuel Quito</span></a> at 2:49 of round two. <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Daniel-Acacio-1461" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="268"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Daniel Acacio</span></a> punched out <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jose-Gomes-de-Ribamar-25101" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="267"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jose Gomes de Ribamar</span></a> (a.k.a. Zezao Trator) in the second round of their welterweight bout, reportedly setting up a match between Acacio and Japanese vet <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ryo-Chonan-1831" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="266"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Ryo Chonan</span></a> at the as-yet-unannounced next Kumite event. <br itxtnodeid="265" /><br itxtnodeid="264" />Dream Super Hulk tournament champion <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ikuhisa-Minowa-250" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="263"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Ikuhisa Minowa</span></a> made quick work of inexperienced South Korean <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Young-Woo-Yu-64648" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="262"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Young Woo Yu</span></a> in their middleweight contest at Sunday’s <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/Gladiator-Gladiator-25-18547" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="261"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Gladiator 25</span></a> in Tokyo. “Minowaman” submitted Yu with a kimura after just 2:55, while <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ryuta-Noji-10969" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="260"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Ryuta Noji</span></a> retained his KPW heavyweight title with a two-round unanimous decision against <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Carlos-Toyota-20016" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="259"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Carlos Toyota</span></a>. <br itxtnodeid="258" /><br itxtnodeid="257" />Fighting on enemy soil, former two-division <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/organizations/King-of-the-Cage-1" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="256"><span style="color: #ff6600;">King of the Cage</span></a> champion <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tony-Lopez-12519" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="255"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Tony Lopez</span></a> snapped the nine-fight winning streak of Russian heavyweight <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Dmitry-Zabolotny-12171" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="254"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Dmitry Zabolotny</span></a> at Friday’s <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/MMACC-MMA-Corona-Cup-4-18904" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="253"><span style="color: #ff6600;">MMA Corona Cup 4</span></a> in Moscow. Lopez, who improved to 5-3 on the year, survived an early knockdown to finish Zabolotny with a textbook armbar from guard at 4:05 of the opening period. <br itxtnodeid="252" /><br itxtnodeid="251" /><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/John-Phillips-13470" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="250"><span style="color: #ff6600;">John Phillips</span></a>, the Welshman known as “The White Mike Tyson,” defended his Knuckle Up MMA middleweight title with a 56-second injury stoppage against <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Matt-Ewin-5028" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="249"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Matt Ewin</span></a> at Saturday’s <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/KUMMA-8-Eclipse-18658" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="248"><span style="color: #ff6600;">KUMMA 8 “Eclipse”</span></a> in Hull, England. Onetime Bellator lightweight tournament competitor <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Greg-Loughran-5234" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="247"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Greg Loughran</span></a> finished <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Grant-Harris-46142" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="246"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Grant Harris</span></a> with an arm-triangle choke after 4:18, while debuting muay Thai convert <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Hannah-Stephens-86524" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="245"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Hannah Stephens</span></a> submitted <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Helena-Martin-64099" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="244"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Helena Martin</span></a> via neck crank at 1:35 of round three. <br itxtnodeid="243" /><br itxtnodeid="242" />Guam’s “Baby” <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Joe-Taimanglo-11128" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="241"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Joe Taimanglo</span></a> outpointed well-traveled Hawaiian <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Harris-Sarmiento-4584" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="240"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Harris Sarmiento</span></a> in their five-round tilt for the vacant Pacific Xtreme Combat featherweight title at Saturday’s <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/PXC-Pacific-Xtreme-Combat-27-18695" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="239"><span style="color: #ff6600;">PXC 27</span></a>. Other winners included bantamweight standout <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Justin-Cruz-14984" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="238"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Justin Cruz</span></a> (five-round decision over <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Trevin-Jones-73904" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="237"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Trevin Jones</span></a>), Korean Top Team’s <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Hyun-Gyu-Lim-21040" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="236"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Hyun Gyu Lim</span></a> (first-round knockout of <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ferrid-Kheder-2098" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="235"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Ferrid Kheder</span></a>) and onetime “Ultimate Fighter” contestant <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/J.J.-Ambrose-14757" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="234"><span style="color: #ff6600;">J.J. Ambrose</span></a> (unanimous decision over <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Sebastien-Garguier-41602" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="233"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Sebastien Garguier</span></a>).<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Formiga Finishes Costa, Retains Title at Shooto Brazil 26</h1> <p>2011-10-31T07:08:00.000-07:00</p> <br /><strong>Jussier “Formiga” da Silva (blue glove tape) took out Michael William Costa. </strong><br /><strong>| Photo: Gleidson Venga</strong><br /><br />RIO DE JANEIRO -- <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jussier-da-Silva-36939" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="263"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jussier “Formiga” da Silva</span></a> successfully defended his Shooto South America 123-pound title for the second time on Saturday, recording a decisive win over <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Michael-William-Costa-34491" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="262"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Michael William Costa</span></a> in the main event of <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/Shooto-Brazil-26-18526" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="261"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Shooto Brazil 26</span></a> at the Hebrew Social and Sports Club. <br itxtnodeid="260" /><br itxtnodeid="259" />Curiously, the title bout was a duel between two <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder.php?search=yes&association=Nova+Uniao" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="258"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Nova Uniao</span></a>-affiliated fighters. Although they don’t train together -- Formiga lives in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, while “Maicon” resides in Fortaleza, Ceara -- both <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Formiga-Finishes-Costa-Retains-Title-at-Shooto-Brazil-26-36799#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: darkgreen 0.07em solid; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook0w0" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">men</span></a> represent the team of <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Andre-Pederneiras-227" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="257"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Andre Pederneiras</span></a>, who also serves as the president of Shooto Americas. <br itxtnodeid="256" /><br itxtnodeid="255" />The bout -- a rematch of the November 2008 affair in which da Silva claimed the vacant title -- was all-action from the start, with Formiga dominating after some difficulties in the first round. In the second stanza, the champion was able to impose his game, taking full mount and punishing his opponent with offense from on top. In the waning seconds of round two, Formiga took Costa’s back and applied a rear-naked choke, forcing a tap at the 4:55 mark. <br itxtnodeid="254" /><br itxtnodeid="253" />“Our <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Formiga-Finishes-Costa-Retains-Title-at-Shooto-Brazil-26-36799#" id="itxthook1" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: darkgreen 0.07em solid; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook1w0" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">team</span></a> is getting stronger each time, and together, our boys are very well,” said Jair Lourenco, leader of Nova Uniao Kimura, the team responsible for producing the likes of Formiga, <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Renan-do-Nascimento-Mota-Pegado-23156" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="252"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Renan Barao</span></a> and <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ronny-Markes-21175" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="251"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Ronny Markes</span></a>. <br itxtnodeid="250" /><br itxtnodeid="249" />Another Lourenco product, heavyweight <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Caio-Alencar-86518" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="248"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Caio Alencar</span></a>, made a strong impression in his MMA debut. A gifted grappler, Alencar had little trouble bringing opponent <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Wagner-Camara-86519" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="247"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Wagner Camara</span></a> to the ground and finishing with a rear-naked choke at 3:10 of the first frame, showing that his team has one more name to be feared. <br itxtnodeid="246" /><br itxtnodeid="245" />Another revelation was <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rafael-Viana-86520" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="244"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Rafael “Gaucho” Viana</span></a>, a Ruas Vale Tudo student and sparring partner of <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Glover-Teixeira-4655" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="243"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Glover Teixeira</span></a> and <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Pedro-Rizzo-208" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="242"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Pedro Rizzo</span></a>. Viana managed to finish <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Armando-Sapinho-48944" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="241"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Armando Sapinho</span></a> of Brazilian Top Team inside the second round with a rear-naked choke. <br itxtnodeid="240" /><br itxtnodeid="239" />Also noteworthy was <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Junior-Oliveira-58966" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="238"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Junior Oliveira</span></a>, who took out the tough <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Aquiles-Campos-31625" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="237"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Aquiles Campos</span></a> via TKO at 2:50 of round three, and <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Andrew-Tigrao-25013" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="236"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Andrew Tigrao</span></a>, who rear-naked-choked <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Julio-Cesar-de-Almeida-16735" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="235"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Julio Cesar “Field” de Almeida</span></a> after just 3:40. <br itxtnodeid="234" /><br itxtnodeid="233" />Satisfied with his organization’s latest show, Pederneiras told Sherdog.com that Shooto Brazil will partner with the Brazilian Federal Police on Nov. 25 to stage an event in the national capital of Brasilia. <br itxtnodeid="232" /><br itxtnodeid="231" />“With the success of <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/Shooto-Brazil-25-Fight-for-BOPE-17402" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="230"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Shooto with B.O.P.E.</span></a>, a few days after that event, I got a call from the Federal Police in Brasilia, revealing the desire to make a Shooto event there,” said Pederneiras. “Now, it’s all right and the event will be held on Nov. 25, which is the day of the Federal Police. It will be a closed event in the headquarters of the Federal Police. In the coming days, we’ll be finalizing the card and will make announcements, but I can say that we’ll have great fights.”<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Scott Jorgensen Got the Job Done, But Didn’t Excite The Fans Like He Wanted</h1> <p>2011-10-31T07:04:00.000-07:00</p> The bantamweight division is known for some of the most exciting fights in the sport, but at UFC 137 while he got the win, Scott Jorgensen didn’t have the dynamite kind of bout he was hoping for.<br />Jorgensen won a unanimous decision over veteran Jeff Curran, but the fight ended up being a mostly tactical battle on the mat with a few exchanges on the feet.<br />Technically, Jorgensen is happy with his performance and what he showed in the Octagon. When it comes to the fans however, he apologizes if he let them down with a less than exciting performance. <br />“I performed well, (but) I didn’t put on the exciting fight that I like,” Jorgensen said after the fight.<br />The win is still a win and Jorgensen has now racked up two in a row after losing to UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz last year. <br />Check out what Scott Jorgensen had to say following his win over Jeff Curran at UFC 137:<br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Michael DiSanto: UFC 137 Musings</h1> <p>2011-10-31T07:01:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="intro" id="news-article-intro"><b>UFC 137 is in the books...Michael DiSanto breaks down the card, with thoughts on Diaz, Penn, Cro Cop and more...</b> </div><div class="intro"></div><div class="intro"><div class="news-txt" sizcache="7" sizset="200"><a href="http://www.mmawarlike.com/"></a></div></div><div class="intro"></div><div id="article-content" sizcache="6" sizset="86"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>WELCOME BACK, NICK</b></span><br /><br />Nick Diaz certainly knows how to return to the limelight. His win over BJ Penn on Saturday night was the single most impressive performance of his career by leaps and bounds. Not only did he put his ethereal fighting skills on display in front of millions of fans, proving that he deserves to be regarded as one of the very best in the sport, pound for pound. He also showed tremendous heart and courage by surviving a very rocky first round, one that left him bloodied and swollen as he walked back to his corner regroup for the rest of the fight.<br /><br />I almost always watch the fights with my brother, Tony. I turned to him after the first round and remarked that Diaz was getting a rude reminder that the UFC is on a whole different level than any other mixed martial arts promotion in the world. His response surprised me a bit, but it was absolutely insightful. <br /><br />“Penn can’t keep this up for three rounds,” he said. “The pressure will get to him. Mark my words.” <br /><br />Bingo. <br /><br />Diaz didn’t really do anything differently in the second and third rounds, other than remind “The Prodigy” that he could keep up his pace of crisp, non-stop punching for as long as he wanted. The pressure of having to deal with a Diaz hammering away with an unyielding attack is both mentally and physically exhausting. Penn learned that the hard, painful way. <br /><br />Nobody, not even former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, has ever handed Penn a loss like that. He has never been dominated on his feet in his entire career. Machida outpointed him, but at no point in their fight did Penn seem out of his league. Frankie Edgar also outpointed him on the feet, but again, it wasn’t a brutal beating by any stretch of the imagination.<br /><br />Penn looked like he got jumped by half a dozen baseball bat-wielding gang members after the fight. That is what Diaz can do to a fighter with his two fists. Sure, he has knees, elbows and kicks in his arsenal, too, but Diaz overwhelmingly prefers to box, and he put on a virtuoso boxing performance against Penn on Saturday night, one that put the entire division on notice that Diaz is the real deal.<br /><br />This was the single most impressive return to the UFC since Penn returned to dethrone Matt Hughes for the 170-pound championship after his absence from the organization. <br /><br />Actually, I will take it one step further. Considering the hype and what was at stake, that was the best fight that I’ve seen this year—period. <br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>GSP-DIAZ IN FEBRUARY AN EVEN BIGGER EVENT NOW</b></span><br /><br />Say what you will about Diaz’s bad boy persona. Getting into Penn’s face during the weigh-ins. Yelling “I won that s**t” over and over again after pounding Penn into retirement. And proclaiming that Georges St-Pierre pulled out of his fight with Carlos Condit because he is scared, not injured. All those are polarizing moments for a fighter. I’m sure volumes of UFC fans, particularly those who follow the promotion, not necessarily the sport as a whole, and thus haven’t been watching Diaz over the past five years, developed a very real distaste for the Stockton native at UFC 137. Others probably grew to love the sport’s biggest rebel. But everyone now knows with absolute certainty that Diaz is one bad dude, and he has a very legitimate shot at dethroning GSP.<br /><br />GSP-Diaz was supposed to be the main event at UFC 137. But after Diaz’s amazing performance against Penn, as well as his venom-laden comments about GSP after the fight and the champion’s equal desire to face his toughest test, convinced UFC President Dana White to drop another surprise on the fans. White announced at the post-fight presser that Carlos Condit, the man who was supposed to take Diaz’s place as GSP’s next opponent, will step aside so that GSP and Diaz can settle their score on Super Bowl weekend.<br /><br />Mark my words. GSP-Diaz, the remix, will sell out in record time, and the hype surrounding the fight is so much greater now. The lore of Nick Diaz is far, far bigger. And GSP-Diaz just became a bigger, more intriguing fight. Period.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><br />MAKE ROOM IN THE HALL OF FAME, IF THIS IS TRULY THE END</b></span><br /><br />Penn announced to the world moments after his loss to Diaz that he was hanging up the gloves. The words weren’t a surprise. It is far more damaging to a fighter’s psyche to suffer a sustained, three-round beating than to lose by quick, brutal knockout. The latter can be explained by a mistake. The former makes one question whether he still belongs in the sport. <br /><br />I’m sure Penn’s words were largely driven by the emotion of the moment. He never dreamed the fight would unfold the way it did—more precisely, the way the second and third round went. Again, nobody has ever battered him like that. <br /><br />Still, Penn has often talked about retirement, causing critics to question if his heart is still in the game. It is a legitimate question. At 32, Penn is financially secure. Plus, his comment about not wanting to let his children see him on the wrong end of a beating strums the heartstrings of every father. <br /><br />It would not surprise me at all, if this truly is the end for Penn. For what it is worth, I think he should retire if he no longer has the fire burning white hot in his belly. But if that fire returns, Penn should return. He is, and will always be, one of the greatest fighters to ever step in the Octagon. It has been a privilege and an honor to watch him compete, since he debuted in the UFC back in 2001.<br /><br />I have not seen any deterioration in his skills. Fans must not forget that this is the same man who fought Jon Fitch to a draw back in February. I firmly believe that Penn deserved the nod that night. There was no way the third round was a 10-8 round. None whatsoever. I digress.<br /><br />Penn’s problem isn’t deteriorating skills. His size is his biggest enemy at 170 pounds. It is tough fighting bigger, stronger guys. I think he should return to action and drop back down to 155. Eliminate Edgar from the picture and Penn likely regains the title he held with such dominance.<br /><br />But again, if this is, indeed, the end, the world needs to take a moment to celebrate just how great BJ Penn is as a fighter. Remember that he is one of only two men (Randy Couture being the other) to win titles in two different UFC weight classes. He also did the perceived impossible when he moved up from lightweight to dethrone Matt Hughes, a man viewed at the time as being the single most unbeatable fighter in the UFC. He nearly beat Machida in a heavyweight bout. And he has two Gracies (Renzo and Rodrigo) on his list of victims.<br /><br />Baby Jay Penn is a surefire Hall of Famer. The only question is when will Dana White open up the books and straighten this guy out by adding his name alongside the other true legends of the sport. <br /><br />That was a Donnie Brasco reference, for those keeping score at home.<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>UFC FANS WILL NEVER QUITE UNDERSTAND </b></span><br /><br />The majority of UFC fans probably never watched Pride Fighting Championships. Those fans will never fully understand the legend of Mirko Cro Cop. No chance. All they see is the fighter who entered the Octagon and had his aura of invincibility stripped thanks to a violent knockout loss to Gabriel Gonzaga in his second UFC bout. Cro Cop was never the same again. His loss to Roy Nelson on Saturday night highlights that fact.<br /><br />Today’s version of Cro Cop is hesitant to pull the trigger with his fists. And he simply refuses to throw kicks. I don’t know why. Nobody knows why. Cro Cop probably doesn’t even know why.<br /><br />None of that matters, though. Twenty years from now, nobody will care about Cro Cop’s UFC career, which has now come to an end, after three consecutive knockout losses. He will be remembered instead for his days in PRIDE, where he was the single-most feared striker in the history of the Japanese fighting promotion. <br /><br />Cro Cop might be the most fearsome striker in the history of mixed martial arts. That is how I will remember him.<br /><br />Cro Cop is a former K-1 star who scored wins over elite kickboxing greats like Jerome LeBanner, Mike Bernardo, Musashi, Peter Aerts, Mark Hunt, and Remy Bonjasky before transitioning to MMA. <br /><br />Over the next five years, Cro Cop developed a cult-like following due to his ability to seemingly beat opponents with little more than his left leg. Sure, he could knock out opponents with his straight left hand. Yes, he had a good right hook. And he certainly knew how to slam his right shin into his opponent’s legs and body. But it was his left leg that really struck fear in the hearts of opponents.<br /><br />Cro Cop had a famous saying. “Right leg hospital; left leg cemetery.” It was pretty accurate. Cro Cop scored highlight-reel knockout after highlight-reel knockout using his left leg. Most of the time, he destroyed an opponent’s head with it. Less often, he would hammer it into an opponent’s midsection. He regularly battered opponent’s legs with his left shin, too.<br /><br />Nobody really had an answer to his standup skills, until he ran into fellow future all-time great Fedor Emelianenko. Cro Cop was viewed as an apex predator on the feet, and he lived up to the hype by scoring brutal knockout wins over Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva, Hidehiko Yoshida, Mark Coleman, and Heath Herring, among others.<br /><br />The Croatian entered the UFC fresh off his PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix win. Everyone expected him to walk through the heavyweight division and destroy then-heavyweight champion Randy Couture. It wasn’t to be. Cro Cop faced Gonzaga in a title eliminator in his second UFC bout. Gonzaga scored a takedown by catching one of Cro Cop’s first kicks. The punishment he unloaded over the next couple of minutes on the ground forever changed Cro Cop as a fighter. It was as if he never wanted to be in that position again. <br /><br />Cro Cop experienced up-and-down success from that point forward, finishing his UFC career with a 4-6 record. But again, none of that matters. The guy is a legend in Japan for a reason. As we say goodbye to that legend, I encourage UFC fans to seek out his PRIDE fights in the UFC library or on DVD. Trust me, it will be a treat.<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>BIGGEST COMPLIMENT I CAN POSSIBLY GIVE MITRIONE</b></span><br /><br />Matt Mitrione lost to Cheick Kongo. I get that. But he is far from a loser in my mind.<br /><br />Kongo is supposed to a top-of-the-food-chain striker. Yet, he wanted nothing to do with Mitrione on the feet. Nothing at all. Kongo will probably take umbrage with that statement, pointing to the fact that he was merely exploiting the weakest part of Mitrione’s game.<br /><br />Hogwash. He got hit a few times by the monstrous former NFL lineman and wanted nothing to do with those punches. Period.<br /><br />It was obvious midway through the first round that Kongo was facing a serious deficit in speed and athleticism against his bigger, stronger foe. Kongo kept waiting to counter what he thought would be wild strikes from the relative newcomer to the sport. Those openings really never materialized. Mitrione instead used excellent head movement and good combinations to score on the feet during most exchanges. All he needed to do was throw with more frequency, and I really believe that he would have gotten Kongo out of there. <br /><br />The problem, of course, is that he didn’t. He was himself a bit wary of Kongo’s power and reputation. Fair enough. This was the first time that Mitrione had ever faced a true A-list opponent. Freezing up a bit was understandable. His inactivity allowed Kongo to land good shots in the second round and ultimately take the fight to the floor in the third, sealing Mitrione’s fate.<br /><br />I fully believe that Mitrione will grow tremendously as a fighter from this loss. He definitely knows what he needs to work on more than anything else – getting up off his back when the fight hits the canvas. That is a glaring hole in his game, one that will prevent him from taking his career to the next level. With his amazing athleticism, I have a feeling that Mitrione will figure it out soon. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>UFC Halloween Costumes</h1> <p>2011-10-31T06:58:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="intro" id="news-article-intro" sizcache="8" sizset="243"><strong>It's not too late to put together your UFC-themed Halloween costume...here are some tips...</strong><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bit.ly/qUOW6p" target="_blank">Check out the UFC Store Halloween shop</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div></div><div id="article-content" sizcache="8" sizset="245"><a href="http://bit.ly/qUOW6p" sizcache="8" sizset="245" target="_blank"><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320069447004="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"></div><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320069447004="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"> </div><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1320069447004="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"><span class="caption">UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen</span></div></a>You love Halloween and the UFC, right? Of course you do! Well, here are some ideas for UFC inspired costumes. You can even go all out and have a UFC-themed Halloween Party!<br /><br />Georges St-Pierre: To be the welterweight champ for Halloween, draw a fleur de lis tattoo on your right calf and his Kanji tattoo on your chest. Enter the party with a headband and a gi then remove that and begin performing the essence of the "costume": a French-Canadian accent and GSP's most famous catch phrases. "I'm not impressed with your performance", "'e can't 'andle my riddum" and "I'm the best Georges St-Pierre I've ever been".<br /><br />Roy Nelson (Old School): All you need is a beard, a mullet and a belly. The belly can be real or prosthetic - depending on your body type.<br /><br />Roy Nelson (2.0): Same as above but with less belly and a lot more beard. The beard can also be real or prosthetic - depending on your facial hair situation.<br /><br />Dan Hardy: A bright red Mohawk spiked up high will leave little doubt which UFC fighter you're dressing up as. Don't forget to affect a British accent - unless of course, you already have one. Don’t forget to call everyone "mate"<br /><br />Chael Sonnen: Love him or hate him, you can't ignore him. You can wear a Chael Tapout shirt or his limited edition "Make the Walk" Team Sonnen shirt. But the real key to being Chael is memorizing his many hilarious and controversial quotes and saying them at the appropriate time. If there's a guy dressed as Anderson Silva at the party, be sure to put your finger in his chest and call him out, telling him that you are in fact the "true middleweight champion". If there isn't an Anderson Silva at the party be sure to accuse him of ducking you to anyone who will listen. If there are any Brazilians at the party, assure them that it is just a costume to avoid a fight breaking out.<br /><br />Jon Jones: Just get yourself a UFC Championship replica belt and get some sort of tubing to extend your arm length a good 6 or 7 inches to replicate the longest reach (84.5”) in the UFC. A little pre-party crimefighting doesn’t hurt either.<br /><br />Dennis Hallman: This one isn’t for the modest soul. Get the tightest, shortest baby blue speedos you can find, write "training mask" on them and wear confidently. Short blond hair will add to the costume.<br /><br />Brian Ebersole: This requires some chest hair, enough to shave into the signature up arrow. The "hairrow" if you will. If you don't have your own chest hair, feel free to glue some hair in an arrow shape to a flesh colored shirt. Where you get the hair is up to you, but be sure to follow all local laws and statutes as well as basic sanitary practices.<br /><br />Jason “Mayhem” Miller: Dye your hair bright yellow, Wear a TUF Team Miller shirt with Miller crossed out and Mayhem written in. Practice your hearty Mayhem laugh. Recruit people to join your Mayhem Monkey Cult. For added realism, if you have access to a Dachshund, bring it to play Mayhem’s dog, Gator.<br /><br />Nick Diaz: Mean mug everyone at the party, especially the person dressed as Mayhem Miller. Refer to everything as "whatever". Alternately, don't show up to the party but make a youtube video the next day derisively referring to the party as a beauty pageant. Either way, be sure to shout out Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and “the 209” as often as possible.<br /><br />“Danny Boy” Downes: If you're more the nerdy, intellectual UFC fan, then you're probably already a “Danny Boy” fan. Wear Dan's signature green & white Carling jersey, glasses and carry a book. For added effect carry a huge wallet packet with coffee cards and whip it out when people ask you for your ID. Say something along the lines of "I swear I'm 25, my ID is in here somewhere.... I fight in the UFC you know? Seriously."<br /><br />Anthony "Showtime" Pettis: Grow a soul patch on your chin, get a flesh colored shirt and draw the Showtime tattoo on the upper back. Run up walls at your own risk.<br /><br />Josh Koscheck: To pull off the "Kos", you need a curly blond wig and the guts to pull mild pranks on everyone at the party - especially the guy dressed as GSP. Perhaps, hide his gi three or four feet from where he left it. Happy Halloween! You've been Kos'd!<br /><br />Steven Seagal: While not a UFC fighter, Mr. Seagal has been seen at many UFC events and reportedly helped train a few fighters like Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida. Seagal's signature look involves a black do rag on his head and yellow shooting glasses. Offer to teach other people at the party your "deadly arts".<br /><br />Dana White: If you're bald or have access to a bald "wig", you can be the UFC President. Be sure to curse liberally, assuming you're in company that won't be offended by that sort of language. Ask people if they want to be an F-in' fighter. Tweet from your phone frequently. Hand out bonuses for the best costumes. Count the amount of people at the party and announce that number as "the gate".<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Legend Fighting Championship 6 Weigh-In</h1> <p>2011-10-30T10:08:00.001-07:00</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Damon Martin: GSP on Nick Diaz: ‘I’ve Always Wanted This Fight, Now I Want It Even More’</h1> <p>2011-10-30T09:59:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_117115" style="width: 360px;"><a href="http://c442104.r4.cf2.rackcdn.com//2011/05/GSP-v-Nick-Diaz-450x260.jpg"></a> <div class="wp-caption-text">UFC champ Georges St-Pierre and Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz</div></div>“Where you at Georges? Where you at mother (expletive)? I don’t think Georges is hurt, I think he’s scared. I think he’s scared to fight everybody right now. Where you at Georges?”<br />Those were the words of a victorious Nick Diaz after his unanimous decision win over B.J. Penn on Saturday night as he taunted UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, who was sitting cage side watching the action.<br />St-Pierre kept smiling through it all, but apparently there was an anger burning inside of him the entire time because as soon as he got a chance to speak to UFC President Dana White his message was clear.<br />He wanted to fight Nick Diaz now.<br />“This is what I wanted since the beginning. Let’s do what was supposed to be done originally,” St-Pierre said after UFC 137 ended. “I’ve always wanted this fight — now I want it even more.”<br />Unfortunately, Diaz’s title shot comes at the expense of Carlos Condit, who now must get back in line and fight another opponent instead of St-Pierre.<br />Regardless of that situation, St-Pierre sounds ready to get back into training camp as soon as his injured leg will allow him, and February can’t get here soon enough.<br />“I can’t wait for Super Bowl weekend,” St-Pierre stated.<br />If all goes accordingly, St-Pierre and Diaz will face off as a part of the Feb 4 show in Las Vegas in what could only be described as a grudge match for the ages. <br />It’s rare that St-Pierre shows quite so much emotion, but Diaz has found a way to get under his skin and the two fighters will settle things in the Octagon in 2012.<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Ariel Helwani: Donald Cerrone Would Like to Fight Again This Year</h1> <p>2011-10-30T09:56:00.000-07:00</p> LAS VEGAS - <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/donald/cerrone/1076/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Donald Cerrone</span></a> faced the media after his win at <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/UFC+137/"><span style="color: #00467f;">UFC 137</span></a>. Cerrone discusses if he would fight teammate <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/clay/guida/459/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Clay Guida</span></a> if he beats <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/ben/henderson/1066/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Ben Henderson</span></a>, if he still wants to fight <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/nam/phan/1243/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Nam Phan</span></a>, his "stripper and gambling problems" and much more.<br /><br /><center><div id="AOLVP_us_1248818225001" style="height: 324px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; width: 580px;"><script>if(typeof AOLVP_cfg==='undefined')AOLVP_cfg=[];AOLVP_cfg.push({id:'AOLVP_us_1248818225001','codever':0.1,'autoload':false,'autoplay':false,'playerid':'61371447001','videoid':'1248818225001','stillurl':'http://www.blogcdn.com/www.mmafighting.com/media/2011/10/cerrone3.jpg','publisherid':1612833736,'width':580,'height':324,'videotitle':'Donald Cerrone Scrum','bgcolor':''});</script><script type="text/javascript">var AOLVP_us_1248818225001=new AOLVP.loader(AOLVP_cfg[0]);AOLVP_us_1248818225001.init();AOLVP_us_1248818225001.thumbClick();</script><a href="javascript:void(0);" id="AOLVP_us_1248818225001_a" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 324px; left: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: 0px; width: 580px; z-index: 100; zoom: 1;" target="_self" title="Donald Cerrone Scrum"></a></div><script src="http://o.aolcdn.com/os/videoplayer/loader.js"></script></center><div class="catTags"><strong></strong></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Ariel Helwani: Cesar Gracie Thinks GSP vs. Diaz Will Be Biggest Fight in UFC History</h1> <p>2011-10-30T09:50:00.000-07:00</p> LAS VEGAS -- <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/nick/diaz/506/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Nick Diaz</span></a>'s manager and trainer <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/cesar/gracie/1213/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Cesar Gracie</span></a> talked to the press following Saturday night's <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/UFC+137/"><span style="color: #00467f;">UFC 137</span></a> event about Diaz's win, his new fight against GSP, Diaz's complaint about not getting good enough sparring partners and more.<br /><br /><center><div id="AOLVP_us_1248888171001" style="height: 324px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; width: 580px;"><script>if(typeof AOLVP_cfg==='undefined')AOLVP_cfg=[];AOLVP_cfg.push({id:'AOLVP_us_1248888171001','codever':0.1,'autoload':false,'autoplay':false,'playerid':'61371447001','videoid':'1248888171001','stillurl':'http://www.blogcdn.com/www.mmafighting.com/media/2011/10/gracie4.jpg','publisherid':1612833736,'width':580,'height':324,'videotitle':'Cesar Gracie Scrum','bgcolor':''});</script><script type="text/javascript">var AOLVP_us_1248888171001=new AOLVP.loader(AOLVP_cfg[0]);AOLVP_us_1248888171001.init();AOLVP_us_1248888171001.thumbClick();</script><a href="javascript:void(0);" id="AOLVP_us_1248888171001_a" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 324px; left: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: 0px; width: 580px; z-index: 100; zoom: 1;" target="_self" title="Cesar Gracie Scrum"></a><script type="text/javascript">var AOLVP_us_1248888171001=new AOLVP.loader(AOLVP_cfg[0]);AOLVP_us_1248888171001.init();AOLVP_us_1248888171001.thumbClick();</script> </div><script src="http://o.aolcdn.com/os/videoplayer/loader.js"></script></center><div class="catTags"><strong></strong></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Thomas Gerbasi: Diaz Gets GSP in February - Post-Fight Press Conference Fallout</h1> <p>2011-10-30T09:42:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="intro" id="news-article-intro"><strong>"I’m the bad guy now, and now I get a fight.” - Nick Diaz</strong><br /><br /><strong>also from the post-fight press conference</strong>:<a href="http://www.ufc.com/media/137-POSTPC-DANA-DIAZ" target="_blank"></a><br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/media/137-POSTPC-HIGHLIGHT" target="_blank"><strong>Roy Nelson, Cheick Kongo and Donald Cerrone highlight video</strong></a><br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/media/137-POSTPC-Archive" target="_blank"><strong>Full press conference video</strong></a><strong> </strong><br /></div><a href="http://www.ufc.com/news/Diaz-Gets-GSP-in-February#" id="media-share" st_page="home" style="display: none;"></a><script type="text/javascript"> var shared_object2 = SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: document.title, url: document.location.href }); 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}); </script> <br /></div><div id="article-content">LAS VEGAS – If you thought that the reality of Nick Diaz being back in the UFC meant that his career would soon settle into some form of normalcy after his UFC 137 fight of the night win over BJ Penn, think again, as UFC President Dana White announced that Diaz will now face the man he was originally supposed to meet in his return to the Octagon – UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre – in a Super Bowl weekend bout in February of 2012.<br /><br />“This is what I wanted since the beginning,” said St-Pierre. “Let’s do what was supposed to be done originally. I’ve always wanted this fight – now I want it even more. I can’t wait for Super Bowl weekend.”<br /><br />The bizarre set of circumstances surrounding St-Pierre vs. Diaz began when Diaz missed two fight announcement press conferences in Toronto and Las Vegas, prompting the UFC to pull Diaz from the bout and insert Carlos Condit into the UFC 137 main event. Penn, who was originally scheduled to face Condit, was without an opponent, so Diaz was then inserted into the co-main event slot. When St-Pierre injured his knee, the GSP-Condit bout was pulled, and Diaz and Penn put on a main event to remember Saturday night, with Diaz rebounding from a slow start to pound out an impressive three round unanimous decision win. Well, impressive to everyone except Diaz.<br /><br />“I thought I put on a poor performance and I didn’t fight a smart fight,” said the Stockton native. “I’m not happy with my performance at all.”<br /><br />St-Pierre wasn’t too pleased either when it came to Diaz’ post-fight comment that “I don’t think Georges is hurt, I think he’s scared.”<br /><br />White spoke to the champion, who was in Vegas cornering victorious middleweight Francis Carmont.<br /><br />“I’ve known Georges St-Pierre since 2004, and he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, and he’s exactly the same no matter what the situation is or who he’s fighting. Since 2004, I’ve never seen him like he was tonight. Georges St-Pierre flipped out tonight after Nick Diaz was in the ring. Nick needs motivation – he’s got it. He’s gonna fight Georges St-Pierre. ‘He’s the most disrespectful human being I’ve ever met, and I’m gonna put the worst beating you’ve ever seen on him in the UFC,’ that’s what Georges St-Pierre said.”<br /><br />Condit will step aside, allowing GSP vs. Diaz to take place, and the Albuquerque contender will likely fight on the same card and get the winner of the title fight should he emerge victorious.<br /><br />“You gotta come off like that just to get a fight,” said Diaz. “I gotta be the bad guy. You point your finger and make me the bad guy. I’m the bad guy now, and now I get a fight.”<br /><br />It’s going to be a long wait ‘til February.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>UFC 137 - MAIN EVENT :BJ Penn vs Nick Diaz FIGHT VIDEO</h1> <p>2011-10-29T21:46:00.001-07:00</p> <param name="movie" value="http://videobb.com/e/9kR0d1ADW2jy" ></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" ></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>‘Star Wars’ Heiress Rolls at Deep ‘Cage Impact’</h1> <p>2011-10-29T21:22:00.001-07:00</p> <br /><br />TOKYO -- Former Deep lightweight champion <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Katsunori-Kikuno-16806" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="322"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Katsunori Kikuno</span></a> broke down Korean import <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Kwang-Hee-Lee-21680" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="321"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Kwang Hee Lee</span></a>, while another former Deep lightweight ace, <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Kazunori-Yokota-11335" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="320"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Kazunori Yokota</span></a>, took out veteran <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Katsuya-Toida-1272" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="319"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Katsuya Toida</span></a> in <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/Deep-Cage-Impact-2011-in-Tokyo-1st-Round-18471" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="318"><span style="color: #ff6600;">the first half of Deep’s “Cage Impact 2011” doubleheader</span></a> at Differ Ariake on Saturday afternoon. <br /><br />Despite the main event not seeing a second round, Kikuno fought a grueling and punishing fight, opting to use little to no defense while attempting to land single punches and kicks. Since Kikuno's karate style "one-shot-one-kill" punches did not put Lee immediately away, the Japanese fighter found himself eating barrages of bloodying punches from a swarming foe. <br /><br />Kikuno caught a break midway through the first frame when he landed a big head kick to drop Lee to his side, but instead of finishing, he smothered Lee from side position and started to build momentum. In the waning seconds of the period, a particularly vicious Kikuno combo prompted Lee to step away from him and crumple to the canvas, essentially retiring himself from the rest of the bout. Referee Yuji Shimada stepped in to call the fight at the 4:59 mark. <br /><br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="311" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="336"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="335" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="338">T. Irei</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="334" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="339" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="340"><br />Kikuno didn't show all his karate.</i></span></div></div>"Today, I think I could show my karate," began Kikuno, now 16-4-2, in his post-fight address before cutting himself short and retracting the statement. "Actually, no, not yet, I don't think I could. <br /><br />"I ate more punches than I expected in the early goings, but I'm tougher than normal folks. If it were a normal person in there, they'd be knocked out. I have to be thankful to my parents for that kind of toughness," Kikuno added. "The best thing about the fight was that I could trade strikes with him. That made it feel awesome." <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="306"><strong><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;">Yokota, Nakamura Notch Wins, Focus Eyes on Lightweight Title</span></strong></span> <br /><br />Sengoku veteran Yokota blasted Toida early in the second round of their featherweight contest, but he has a lightweight return on his mind. <br /><br />The first period was a back and forth one in which Yokota -- after receiving a yellow card for an unintentional low blow -- scrambled out of the wily Toida's submissions to land hard punches and knees to the head from top position, giving a telling taste of what was to come in the second frame. <br /><br /><br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="299" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="343"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="342" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="345">T. Irei</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="341" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="346" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="347"><br />Yokota mopped up Toida.</i></span></div></div>Yokota repeated this berserker charge in the next stanza, wailing on a turtled Toida with <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Star-Wars-Heiress-Rolls-at-Deep-Cage-Impact-36776#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: darkgreen 0.07em solid; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook0w0" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">soccer</span></a> kicks and lunging punches to the head that had referee <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Yoshinori-Umeki-10790" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="298"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Yoshinori Umeki</span></a> watching closely. Toida eventually hopped back to wobbly feet in an attempt to retreat, but Yokota followed, blasting him in the face again with a soccer kick against the cage. <br /><br />Just as Umeki dove for the save, Toida's chief cornerman -- Dream lightweight champ <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Shinya-Aoki-10774" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="295"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Shinya Aoki</span></a> --threw in the towel. Official time was 25 seconds of the second round. <br /><br />"I'm going to talk for 10 minutes!" joked Yokota upon taking the mic, post-fight. "My junior in Grabaka [<a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Koichiro-Matsumoto-22401" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="292"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Koichiro Matsumoto</span></a>] held the Deep lightweight belt [before retiring]. I want a shot at it next." <br /><br />Yokota, now 13-5-3, won the Deep lightweight title from <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Nobuhiro-Obiya-5793" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="289"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Nobuhiro Obiya</span></a> at Deep “28 Impact” in February 2007, before losing it to South Korea’s <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Seung-Hwan-Bang-23167" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="288"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Seung Hwan Bang</span></a> in May 2008. <br /><br />High-flying journeyman <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Daisuke-Nakamura-4910" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="285"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Daisuke Nakamura</span></a> and Sengoku veteran Chang Hyun "Armbar Kim" had a wild, wooly crowd-pleasing fight. The first round saw Nakamura dive in earnest for armbars, kimuras and toeholds. Changing things up, round two became a striking-only round in which Nakamura flexed his low kicks and flicker jabs to bloody up Kim's face. <br /><br /><br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="282" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="350"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="349" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="352">T. Irei</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="348" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="353" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="354"><br />Nakamura (right) finished on the ground but<br />his standup was effective.</i></span></div></div>In the third, Nakamura took a battered and tiring Kim back to the canvas to attack with kimura attempts until the final armbar, which he used to finish the fight at the 3:19 mark. In his post-fight address, Nakamura also made mention of the fact that he would like to be considered in the title hunt in the wake of former Deep lightweight champion Matsumoto's retirement from MMA at Deep 55. <br /><br />"I've been fighting for 10 years and haven't had a belt yet. I'd like to fight for it," said the soft-spoken and humble Nakamura. <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="277"><strong><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;">'Star Wars' Heiress Lucas Continues Winning Japan Campaign</span></strong></span> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Amanda-Lucas-33324" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="274"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Amanda Lucas</span></a>, daughter of "Star Wars" founder George Lucas, notched another win in her Japan campaign, bulldozing JMMA journeywoman <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Mika-Harigai-5094" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="273"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Mika Harigai</span></a> in just under a round's time. <br /><br />After trading punches with a wild "Hari" in the opening moments, Lucas took the fight to the floor, where she dominated. Lucas easily maneuvered her way into mount, from which she dropped a barrage of punches on the helpless Harigai, before flattening the Japanese fighter and sinking the choke for the tap at 4:32 of the first frame of the 155-pound contest. <br /><br />The 31-year-old Lucas, fighting out of <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Gilbert-Melendez-5545" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="268"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Gilbert Melendez</span></a>’s Skrap Pack, is now 3-1 in her pro career. <br /><br /><br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="265" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="357"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="356" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="359">T. Irei</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="355" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="360" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="361"><br />Lucas dominated again in Japan.</i></span></div></div>At 137 pounds, <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tomohiko-Hori-5937" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="264"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Tomohiko Hori</span></a> and <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Yoshiki-Harada-49624" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="263"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Yoshiki Harada</span></a> had an entertaining two-rounder on the feet, ending in an agreeable draw. Harada started aggressive, while Hori played a more conservative counter game. If Harada's aggression won him the opening round, Hori's conservatism won him the second, as he scored low kicks and counterpunches on the less active Harada. After splitting rounds, judges <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Kenichi-Serizawa-1830" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="262"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Kenichi Serizawa</span></a>, <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Akira-Shoji-10" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="261"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Akira Shoji</span></a>, and <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Yoshinori-Umeki-10790" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="260"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Yoshinori Umeki</span></a> unanimously ruled the fight a 19-19 draw. <br /><br />Former lightweight King of Pancrase <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Shoji-Maruyama-18886" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="257"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Shoji Maruyama</span></a> windmilled his way to a unanimous decision in an entertaining scrap with <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Yusuke-Kagiyama-23637" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="256"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Yusuke Kagiyama</span></a>. Maruyama's breakthrough came early in the second round, when he had Kagiyama dizzied against the cage. However, he could not finish in his excitement and had to settle for the decision. <br /><br />Middleweight <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Hideto-Tatsumi-50849" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="253"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Hideto Tatsumi</span></a> bull-rushed his way to a finish over <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Kenji-Nagai-5938" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="252"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Kenji Nagai</span></a>, smashing him up against the cage with punches early in the fight before wrangling him to the canvas. Once it got to the ground, Tatsumi wildly rained punches until Nagai turned feebly to his side, ending it at 2:13 of the first frame. <br /><br />After a wild opening couple of minutes of <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Luiz-Andrade-I-16805" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="249"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Luiz Andrade I</span></a> pulling out arm-triangles, rear-naked chokes and armbar attempts, <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Juri-Ohara-54949" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="248"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Juri Ohara</span></a> pulled things together to pound out his opponent from inside the guard. A bleary-eyed Andrade I appeared out on his back for a great many of the punches until <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Kenichi-Serizawa-1830" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="247"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Kenichi Serizawa</span></a> finally called the lightweight contest at the 4:27 mark. <br /><br />In the “Knockout of the Night,” <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Hirotaka-Miyakawa-5943" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="244"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Hirotaka Miyakawa</span></a> knocked <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Sakae-Kasuya-11728" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="243"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Sakae Kasuya</span></a> out on his feet with a devastating overhand right and left straight in their 137-pound bout. Just after Kasuya was checked by the ringside physician for a particularly bloody cut in his mouth, Miyakawa's big one-two to the jaw knocked Kasuya cold. <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Samio-Kimura-48881" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="242"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Samio Kimura</span></a> called the stop just before a rubbery Kasuya hit the canvas at 2:52. <br /><br />Kicking off the card, lightweight <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Hideto-Kondo-35646" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="239"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Hideto Kondo</span></a> turned a kick caught by <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Yutaka-Kobayashi-22909" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="238"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Yutaka Kobayashi</span></a> into a tap-inducing guillotine at 55 seconds of the second frame, while, in a 129-pound bout, <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Shun-Yoshioka-47208" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="237"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Shun Yoshioka</span></a> blasted a dazed <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Makoto-Sato-85899" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="236"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Makoto Sato</span></a> with punches along the cage at 4:25. <div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Bellator 56 Results and Play-by-Play</h1> <p>2011-10-29T21:19:00.001-07:00</p> <div class="Txt13Gray" id="article_body" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="229"><div id="article_image" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="233"></div>Sherdog.com will report from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan., at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/BFC-Bellator-Fighting-Championships-56-18548" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="470"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Bellator 56</span></a>, which features the semifinals of Bellator's Season 5 heavyweight tournament, and Bellator welterweight champion <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ben-Askren-42390" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="469"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Ben Askren</span></a> defending his title against <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jay-Hieron-9267" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="468"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jay Hieron</span></a>. <br /><br />Check out the <a href="http://www.sherdog.net/forums/" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="465"><span style="color: #ff6600;">MMA Forums</span></a> to discuss the card. <br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/events/BFC-Bellator-Fighting-Championships-56-18548" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="462"><span style="color: #ff6600;">here</span></a> for quick results. <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="459">Press F5 on your keyboard to refresh this page, as play-by-play is updated in real time.</b> <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="456"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Daniel-Gallemore-83132" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="472"><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Daniel Gallemore</strong></span></a><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong> vs. </strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Derrick-Ruffin-5221" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="471"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;">Derrick Ruffin</span></strong></a></span> <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="453">Round 1</b><br />Ruffin start the proceedings with two low kicks. Gallemore tries to corner Ruffin against the cage. Gallemore has yet to pull the trigger on strikes, but has moved Ruffin back against the cage. Ruffin keeps throwing out low kicks. Gallemore finally connects with two kicks of his own as Ruffin circles out. Gallemore connects with a looping right but doesn’t follow up and Ruffin attempts a takedown but to no avail. Ruffin ends up on his back and the subsequent scramble finds him fighting off a guillotine on the way up. Gallemore can’t finish with the submission and the fight is back up on its feet. Ruffin goes for another takedown and this time hits it and quickly moves to side guard. The round ends in a battle of positioning with Gallemore still on his back. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Ruffin<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Ruffin<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Ruffin <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="445">Round 2</b><br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="443" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="475"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="474" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="477">K. Mills</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="473" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="478" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="479"><br />Ruffin quit on his stool.</i></span></div></div>Gallemore starts the second trying to hunt Ruffin down, but again Ruffin answers with a successful double-leg takedown. Ruffin quickly transitions to side mount and Gallemore is looking for the restart off his back. Gallemore tries to scramble out and is successful on the second attempt. Gallemore gets back to his feet and breaks free from Ruffin. Gallemore is attacking with more offense and Ruffin is beyond exhausted, breathing through his open mouth now. Out of what looks like sheer desperation more than anything else, Ruffin connects with another double-leg and goes to work from Gallemore’s full guard. After little action on the mat, the fighters agreeably make their way back to their feet and Ruffin is flagging even without much offense from Gallemore. Finally, Gallemore takes advantage of Ruffin’s lack of conditioning and connects with a one-two that puts Ruffin down. However, Gallemore can't end it before the bell. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Gallemore<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Gallemore<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Gallemore <br /><br />Between rounds, Derrick Ruffin quits on his stool, prompting referee Jason Herzog to call the bout via retirement before the third round. <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="434"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Aaron-Ely-84647" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="481"><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Aaron Ely</strong></span></a><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong> vs. </strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Owen-Evinger-32017" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="480"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;">Owen Evinger</span></strong></a></span> <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="431">Round 1</b> <br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="429" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="484"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="483" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="486">K. Mills</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="482" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="487" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="488"><br />Ely got a quick choke.</i></span></div></div>It’s a feeling out process to start this bantamweight bout for a good minute. Both fighters connect with lefts and rights, though neither fighter distinguishes himself early on. Ely starts to land a few punches, bloodying up Evinger’s nose. Almost halfway into the round, Ely follows up a right hand with a duck under single-leg takedown that he connects with. Very quickly, Ely transitions to Evinger’s back and finds success with a rear-naked choke. Evinger is trying to work over Ely’s hands and roll out of it. Ely stays with him though, finally applying the submission and this time forces the tap from Evinger. Official time of the submission is 3:45. <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="426"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jeimeson-Saudino-79628" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="490"><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Jeimeson Saudino</strong></span></a><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong> vs. </strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jacob-Aiken-75493" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="489"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;">Jacob Akin</span></strong></a></span> <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="423">Round 1</b> <br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="421" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="493"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="492" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="495">K. Mills</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="491" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="496" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="497"><br />RNC was the trick for Akin, too.</i></span></div></div>Akin comes out attacking Saudino early, but gets countered with every strike he throws. Wichita, Kan. native Saudino initiates the clinch but gets hit with a trip takedown for his effort. Akin is in Saudino’s full guard a little more than a minute in. After defending a few submissions, Akin starts coming down with intermittent punches from full guard. With two minutes gone by in the round, Akin starts looking to drop down for a heel hook, but Saudino counters an attempt of his own. Akin lets the referee Chuck Wolfe know he’s in no danger and after making Saudino pay for his submission attempt with punches, he takes the offensive, attacking Saudino with his grappling. The subsequent scramble sees Akin take Saudino’s back and the tap from the rear-naked choke comes some 20 seconds after. The tap comes at 3:26 of the first round. <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="418"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Willian-de-Souza-69921" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="499"><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Willian de Souza</strong></span></a><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong> vs. </strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Emanuel-Brooks-77809" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="498"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;">Emanuel Brooks</span></strong></a></span> <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="415">Round 1</b><br />Brooks forces de Souza down with his single-leg takedown early and connects with some lefts and rights from full guard. De Souza quickly finds his way back up and Brooks dances out of the way of his strikes before taking any damage in a scramble situation. With both fighters back standing, de Souza is unsuccessful with a single-leg. He throws a knee but catches Brooks low and the referee Jason Herzog steps in to give him time to recover. On the restart, Brooks connects with a strong right and a left high kick. De Souza kicks again, and hits Brooks low again. This time Herzog deducts a point from the Topeka, Kan.-based Brazilian. After the latest restart, Brooks lands the most significant shot with a kick right in the midsection. The bell sounds. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Brooks<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-8 Brooks<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-8 Brooks <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="407">Round 2</b><br />The fighters clinch almost immediately to start the second. De Souza tries to pull guard and pays for it as Brooks slams him to the mat and throws in a few shots for good measure. After a brief scramble sees Brooks escape from a potential submission, the Cahokia, Ill., native goes back to work on the feet. As he's working from the standup he connects with a low blow of his own on de Souza. On the restart, de Souza forces the clinch with Brooks but can’t capitalize from it. The fight goes back to a striking battle on the feet, but the pace has slowed. De Souza tries to hit a single-leg takedown but Brooks isn’t having any of it. He defends and manages to bring de Souza down to the mat following up with lefts before the bell. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Brooks<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Brooks<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Brooks <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="399">Round 3</b><br />With de Souza likely down 20-17 on the scorecards, he opens the third a bit more careful about engaging than the last two rounds. With about 75 seconds gone in the round, De Souza tries to come in with a flurry of strikes but Brooks puts him on the mat. Seemingly content with riding out his two round advantage Brooks brings the fight back to its feet. He connects with a few kicks and again clinches with de Souza. De Souza drops down looking for a single but Brooks is having none of it. With 1:30 left in the round, de Souza is on his back again with Brooks half-heartedly looking for an opening. He steps away to let de Souza stand up but he’s clearly waiting for the bell content knowing the Brazilian can’t hurt him. De Souza paws aimlessly until the bell. <br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="396" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="502"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="501" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="504">K. Mills</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="500" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="505" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="506"><br />Brooks booted de Souza.</i></span></div></div><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Brooks (30-26 Brooks)<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Brooks (30-26 Brooks)<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Brooks (30-26 Brooks) <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="390">Official result:</b> Judges Mike Boyd, Kelvin Champion and Henry Gueary score the bout 30-26, 30-26 and 29-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Emanuel Brooks. <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="387"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Kelvin-Tiller-47441" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="508"><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Kelvin Tiller</strong></span></a><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong> vs. </strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Dan-Spohn-39485" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="507"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;">Dan Spohn</span></strong></a></span> <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="384">Round 1</b><br />Tiller gets a takedown and ends up on top of Spohn quickly, past guard and threatening Spohn's arm before Spohn regains his footing and briefly engaged Tiller in the clinch. Tiller controls the distance with <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Bellator-56-Results-and-Play-by-Play-36686#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: darkgreen 0.07em solid; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook0w0" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">body</span></a> kicks and straight right hands, as Spohn occasionally rushes in with punch combinations. Tiller counters with a stiff right hand, but Spohn responds with a right of his own and rushes into the clinch. Neither fighter can get much offense going in close quarters before they disengage once again. Tiller briefly contemplates a takedown, but settles on landing another punch-body kick combination against the cage as the round expires. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Tiller<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Tiller<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Tiller <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="376">Round 2</b><br />Tiller gets another early takedown, ending up in Spohn's half guard and throwing short elbows as Spohn attempts to keep Tiller's head close. Tiller flirst with a keylock attempt, but is forced to abandon the submission as Spohn gains full guard. Tiller stays low and chips with punches and elbows, opening a pair of cuts, one on Spohn's scalp and one from somewhere in his mouth. Tiller scoots Spohn to the cage, but is unable to generate much offense as Spohn squirms and begins to land blows from the bottom and attempting to spin away from the cage. Spohn eventually manages to find space away from the cage, throwing repeated strikes while Tiller shells up in his guard as the round ends. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Tiller<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Tiller<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Tiller <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="368">Round 3</b><br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="366" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="511"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="510" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="513">K. Mills</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="509" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="514" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="515"><br />Tiller earned the upset.</i></span></div></div>Little respect is shown for Spohn's standup as Tiller walks him down with has arms akimbo, mocking his opponent. Tiller changes levels and gets a double leg against the fence, but perhaps sensing he's down on the cards, Spohn responds quickly by wall-walking and attempting his own failed takedown attempt on Tiller before disengaging. Tiller begins walking Spohn with his arms out again, landing a nice pair of right body kicks as the fighters clinch briefly and sling leather as the fight winds down to the final bell. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Tiller (30-27 Tiller)<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Tiller (30-27 Tiller)<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Tiller (30-27 Tiller) <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="359">Official result:</b> Judge Kevin Champion sees the bout 29-28 for Dan Spohn. However, judges Mike Boyd and Henry Gueary have it 30-27 and 29-28 for the winner by split decision, Kelvin Tiller. <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="356"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rudy-Bears-23364" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="517"><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Rudy Bears</strong></span></a><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong> vs. </strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcio-Navarro-37278" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="516"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;">Marcio Navarro</span></strong></a></span> <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="353">Round 1</b><br />With the crowd strongly in his corner, Bears comes out with a push kick and a few lefts and rights. Bears is finding a home with more of his shots early as Navarro looks for one big punch. Two minutes gone in the first and Navarro still hasn’t mounted anything significant offensively yet. Finally Navarro starts to let go and the welterweights engage in a brief firefight exchanging shots. Navarro comes away from the exchange and adds a kick to the body. Bears charges forward with a left-right-left combination but catches air with each shot. Bears comes back with a couple of shots to the body and Navarro answers with a leg kick. With less than a minute to go in the round Bears hits Navarro with a slew of kicks to his legs and further up to the body. He tries to follow up with a combination to the face, but Navarro finally finds his big shot and drops Bears with a right-hand counter. Navarro jumps on Bears to try and finish the fight but Bears has recovered in time to wait out the end of the round. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bears<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Bears<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Bears<br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="345">Round 2</b><br />After ending the round with the most powerful shot of the fight thus far, Navarro starts the second more aggressive than the first. Bears tries to put him on the back foot though with a small flurry. Navarro is still coming though and connects with a straight left. However, just as Navarro connects with his left Bears connected with a shot of his own, square to Navarro’s groin. The shot looks like it took a lot out of him but he’s able to continue. On the restart, Bears connects with a left-right-left high kick combination followed by another one-two. Bears’ right eye is swollen, likely from the shot at the end of the first by Navarro. Bears is consistently getting off more shots in the round, but Navarro's shots have the power. Two minutes to go in the round and Bears’ pace has slowed down. Navarro lunges in with a Superman punch that doesn’t connect cleanly, but sends Bears backpedaling. Bears answers back with a flurry of rights and lefts, only half connecting. As the round ends, Bears connects with a left head kick that echoes throughout the arena. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bears<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Bears<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Bears<br /><br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="336">Round 3</b><br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="334" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="520"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="519" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="522">K. Mills</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="518" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="523" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="524"><br />Bears got busted up.</i></span></div></div>The third round starts with Bears connecting on a couple of low kicks to Navarro’s lead leg. Navarro’s more active here than in the previous two rounds as he’s potentially down two rounds on the scorecards. Navarro’s power advantage is coming through here in the third as he muscles Bears down in a scramble that sees him end up in mount. Bears grabs Navarro but Navarro is having none of it. He postures up and connects with some huge rights and elbows on Bears. Bears’ orbital bone looks destroyed. With less than two minutes, chants for Bears fill the arena and you can see Bears’ right eye is almost completely shut. With a minute to go, Navarro drops Bears again with another shot but doesn’t follow up allowing Bears to stand again. The welterweights end with another brief flurry much to the delight of the Memorial Hall crowd. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Navarro (28-28 Draw)<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-8 Navarro (28-28 Draw)<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Navarro (29-28 Bears)<br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="327">Official result:</b> Judge Henry Gueary has it 29-28 for Rudy Bears, while Mike Boyd has it 29-28 for Marcio Navarro. Judge Dave Clifton has it 29-28 for the winner by split decision, Marcio Navarro. <br /><br /><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="324" style="border-left: #999999 1px solid; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="Pointer" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="527"></div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="526" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11px;"></a itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="529">K. Mills</div><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="525" style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="530" style="color: white;"><i itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="531"><br />Prindle pummeled Sparks quickly.</i></span></div></div><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="323"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal</strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Eric-Prindle-33301" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="533"><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Eric Prindle</strong></span></a><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong> vs. </strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ron-Sparks-40449" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="532"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;">Ron Sparks</span></strong></a></span> <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="320">Round 1</b><br />The first of the heavyweight semifinals sees Prindle and Sparks feel each other out, measuring for big punches. Sparks leans in for a low kick to Prindle’s lead leg. Prindle counters with a beautiful left knocking Sparks out cold before he hits the ground. He follows up with two additional shots with Sparks on the ground but it’s unnecessary. Prindle advances to the finals with a knockout just 40 seconds into the first round. <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="316"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Adam-Schindler-36534" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="536"><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Adam Schindler</strong></span></a><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong> vs. </strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jeremy-Spoon-38985" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="535"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;">Jeremy Spoon</span></strong></a></span> <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="313">Round 1</b> Schindler opens the round with a few low kicks and an inadvertent low blow to Spoon. The action doesn’t stop though as Spoon indicates he’s just fine. Both fighters throw and miss with their respective combinations and the subsequent scramble sees Schindler clinch up with Spoon and force him to the mat. Schindler works for better positioning on Spoon’s back but Spoon manages to escape and for a moment end up on top. Schindler quickly takes back dominant position and is on Spoon’s back again with two minutes to go in the round. Spoon turns into Schindler and brings him back to his open guard. Spoon has managed to open up a cut with elbows from the bottom on Schindler’s left eye but still can’t get off his back. With less than a minute to go in the round Spoon brings the fight back to its feet and hits Schindler with a spinning back fist. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Schindler<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Schindler<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Schindler<br /><br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="305">Round 2</b><br />Schindler starts the second with a succession of kicks to Spoon’s lead leg. Spoon’s speed is getting the better of Schindler as he’s in and out of range quickly while connecting with some sharp blows. Schindler drops down for a leg and connects with a takedown. He tries to move into side guard but Spoon stops him. Schindler stands over Spoon to reposition himself and comes back down looking to keep him grounded again. But Spoon gets the fight back standing and with two minutes to go looks the much fresher of the two fighters. Spoon connects with a straight left and Schindler looks to be having trouble with his breathing through his nose. Spoon follows with another combination on Austin, Texas' Schindler. Spoon is in and out of the pocket without much of a response from Schindler. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Spoon<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Spoon<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Spoon<br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="298">Round 3</b> <br /><br />Schindler starts the round with an overhand right that does little damage and a looping right and finds more of a home. Schindler tries for a double-leg on Chickasha, Okla.’s Spoon but to no avail. Spoon answers back with a double jab. Two minutes gone in the final round and Schindler looks to clinch up with Spoon, but nothing comes from it. Spoon answers back with a big shot to the body and an attempted low kick. Schindler grabs that leg and takes Spoon to the mat with it. He tries to line up an armbar but Spoon quickly stands the fight back up. Schindler has noticeably slowed since the opening round but Spoon is still jumping around, looking ready to go another 15 minutes. Spoon connects with another couple of shots and another attempted leg kick. But again, Schindler takes the leg and turns that into a trip takedown. With Spoon connecting with lefts and rights to Schindler’s face all fight, Schindler’s face is a mess at the final horn. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Spoon (29-28 Spoon)<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Spoon (29-28 Spoon)<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Spoon (29-28 Spoon)<br /><br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="288">Official scores:</b> Judges Henry Gueary, Mike Boyd and Dave Clifton see the fight 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Jeremy Spoon. <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="285"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal</strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Thiago-Santos-25089" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="538"><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Thiago Santos</strong></span></a><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong> vs. </strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Neil-Grove-23219" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="537"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;">Neil Grove</span></strong></a></span> <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="282">Round 1</b> <br />Santos offers to touch gloves but Grove wants none of it. Nothing comes of a brief clinch early and they break apart. Santos drops Grove with a huge looping right and immediately follows up. Santos comes down with punches in bunches, forcing Grove to give Santos his back. Santos follows up by quickly latching on the rear-naked choke with no hooks in and that is all: Grove taps just 38 seconds into the bout, sending Santos into the final against Eric Prindle. <br /><br /><span class="header" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="278"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Bellator Welterweight Championship</strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ben-Askren-42390" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="541"><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Ben Askren</strong></span></a><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial;"><strong> vs. </strong></span><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jay-Hieron-9267" itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="540"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: Arial;">Jay Hieron</span></strong></a></span> <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="275">Round 1</b><br />Askren opens with a wild looping right that nearly makes him slip. Askren continues to charge in at Hieron, looking for a clinch. He runs into an uppercut as he dives for Hieron's legs, and hits the mat attached to his foe's legs. He tries to scramble to top, but Hieron gets on top in half guard. Hieron punches away until Askren scrambles back up ably. Right hand lands for Askren, and another. Hieron sticks the jab in his face, and continues to pump it. Askren runs in and grabs a single, but Hieron escapes. Askren wades in and lands a sharp knee and an uppercut on Hieron, but the UFC vet stuffs the Olympian's takedown. Askren backs up and shoots again, but Hieron again sprawls and shuts it down. Hieron's jab coming to life. More pawing on the feet goes nowhere. Askren slips on a head kick after the 10-second clapper, and Hieron kicks him for his trouble. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Hieron<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Hieron<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Hieron <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="267">Round 2</b><br />Hieron sticks the jab out, but Askren ducks under and finally gets him to the mat, setting up in half guard. Askren continues to look to pass, but Hieron keeps his half guard tight. The former Mizzou wrestler grinds with short shots and tries to isolate Hieron's far arm. Hieron tries to punch away from his back, but Askren is smothering on top, as he hammerfists from above. Hieron finally regains full guard, but Askren continues moving and gets to side mount. Knees to the body for the champ fall in until the horn. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Askren<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Askren<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Askren <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="259">Round 3</b><br />Hieron comes in with a looping right that grazes Askren. The Missouri wrestler connects with a kick to the body that goes without answer. "Mizzou" chants go up in the crowd in support of the champion. Askren looks for a trip takedown but Hieron fights him off. Askren is still attacking though while Hieron tries to keep him at range away from a potential shot. Hieron throws a left that misses as Askren goes down and looks for a double leg but Hieron defends successfully. The fighters get back up to their feet and Askren shoots in for another takedown that again is thwarted by Hieron. Askren manages to lift Hieron up for a scoop slam takedown with more than two minutes to go in the round. Askren moves to half guard and throws some short elbows down on Hieron. Askren looks to improve his position but it allows Hieron the opportunity to sweep and stand the fight back up in the subsequent scramble. Hieron connects with a right-left combination and follows up with another shot to the body. Askren answers back with a leg kick to the midsection. With 30 seconds left in the round, Hieron throws a looping left as Askren looks for another takedown. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Askren<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Askren<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Askren <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="251">Round 4</b><br />The championship rounds start in the same way the first three have. Askren is looking for the takedown and Hieron is trying to defend it. Askren shoots in and takes Hieron’s back in the scramble. With the Xtreme Couture welterweight turtled up, Askren throws some knees to the body much to the delight of the crowd. With three minutes left, Hieron is working on Askren’s hands underneath but still taking punishment. Askren comes down with more knees and moves to the other side for a few more there. With less than two minutes to go in the round,Hieron very abruptly rolls through and manages to stand the fight back up. Hieron connects with a right and another shot to the body. Another looping shot barely grazes Askren and Hieron immediately walks away motioning to the ref he was poked in the eye. Askren acknowledges the foul and Jason Herzog steps in to allow Hieron time to recover. The round ends quickly after the restart. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Askren<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Askren<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Askren <br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="243">Round 5</b><br />The start of the final round sees Askren go for another takedown but Hieron manages to defend it. Hieron misses with a straight kick but continues to be more aggressive in the striking department than we saw earlier in the fight. Hieron connects with a low leg kick and follows with a right and then a left. Askren connects with a shot of his own and Hieron responds with a right that sends Askren backpedaling. Hieron claps his hands in acknowledgement as he continues to press the action here in the final round. To this point Askren has only really attempted two takedowns of note in the round. Hieron connects with a spinning back kick that puts Askren on the ground and Hieron inexplicably raises his arms in victory as if he won. He follows up throwing kicks to Askren on the mat and smiling about the exchanges. Hieron is now doing his best Rashad Evans impression, dancing mid-fight while punching before the bell. <br /><br />Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Hieron (48-47 Askren)<br />Joe Ortiz scores the round 10-9 Hieron (48-47 Askren)<br />Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Hieron (48-47 Askren)<br /><br /><b itxtbad="1" itxtnodeid="235">Official result:</b>Judge Henry Gueary has it 48-47 for Ben Askren, while Mike Boyd sees it 48-47 for Ben Askren. Judge Kevin Champion sees the fight 48-47 for the winner by split decision, and still Bellator welterweight champion, Ben Askren. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>UFC 137 Results: Penn vs. Diaz Play-by-Play</h1> <p>2011-10-29T21:07:00.001-07:00</p> <div align="center" style="text-align: left;"><strong><em>UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz</em></strong> takes place Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/">MMAWeekly.com</a> brings you UFC 137 full results and play-by-play.<br />The main card begins at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts beginning at approximately 2:45 p.m. PT/5:45 p.m. ET. <em>(Click on the fight below for <strong>UFC 137 </strong></em><em><strong>play-by-play</strong> or click on the link at the bottom of the page for <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-penn-vs-diaz-quick-results"><strong>UFC 137 results</strong></a></em><em> with no play-by-play.)</em><br /><hr /><h3><strong>UFC 137 PRELIMINARY BOUTS</strong></h3><hr /><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-dustin-jacoby-vs-clifford-starks">BOUT #1 -Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks</a> (COMPLETED)</strong><br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-dustin-jacoby-vs-clifford-starks"></a><br /><hr /><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-chris-camozzi-vs-francis-carmont">BOUT #2 – Chris Camozzi vs. Francis Carmont</a> (COMPLETED)<a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-on-versus-6-play-by-play-josh-neer-vs-keith-wisniewski"><br /></a></strong><br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-chris-camozzi-vs-francis-carmont"></a><br /><hr /><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-ramsey-nijem-vs-danny-downes">BOUT #3 – Ramsey Nijem vs. Danny Downes</a> (COMPLETED)<a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-fight-night-25-play-by-play-tj-waldburger-vs-mike-stumpf"><br /></a></strong><br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-ramsey-nijem-vs-danny-downes"></a><br /><hr /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-brandon-vera-vs-eliot-marshall"></a><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-brandon-vera-vs-eliot-marshall">BOUT #4 – Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall</a> (COMPLETED)</strong><br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-brandon-vera-vs-eliot-marshall"></a><br /><hr /><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-tyson-griffin-vs-bart-palaszewski">BOUT #5 – Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski</a> (COMPLETED)</strong><br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-tyson-griffin-vs-bart-palaszewski"></a><br /><hr /><strong><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-dennis-siver-vs-donald-cerrone">BOUT #6 – Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone</a> (COMPLETED)</strong></strong><br /><strong><strong></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-dennis-siver-vs-donald-cerrone"></a></strong><br /><hr /><h3><strong><strong></strong>UFC<strong><strong> 137</strong></strong> MAIN BOUTS</strong></h3><hr /><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-hatsu-hioki-vs-george-roop">BOUT #7 – Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop</a> (COMPLETED)<a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-fight-night-25-play-by-play-alan-belcher-vs-jason-macdonald"><br /></a></strong><br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-hatsu-hioki-vs-george-roop"></a><br /><hr /><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-scott-jorgensen-vs-jeff-curran">BOUT #8 – Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran</a> (COMPLETED)</strong><br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-scott-jorgensen-vs-jeff-curran"></a><br /><hr /><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-mirko-cro-cop-filipovic-vs-roy-nelson">BOUT #9 – Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson</a> (COMPLETED)<a href="http://mmaweekly.com/"><br /></a></strong><br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-mirko-cro-cop-filipovic-vs-roy-nelson"></a><br /><hr /><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-cheick-kongo-vs-matt-mitrione">BOUT #10 – Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione</a></strong><strong>(COMPLETED)</strong><br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-cheick-kongo-vs-matt-mitrione"></a><br /><hr /><strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-bj-penn-vs-nick-diaz">BOUT #11 – BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz</a> (COMPLETED)</strong><strong></strong><br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-play-by-play-bj-penn-vs-nick-diaz"></a><br /><hr /><h3><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-137-penn-vs-diaz-quick-results"><strong>UFC 137 </strong><strong><strong>Quick Results</strong></strong></a><strong><strong></strong></strong></h3></div><div align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" /></div><strong><em>For more </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/tag/ufc"><strong><em>UFC News</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/rumors"><strong><em>UFC Rumors</em></strong></a><strong><em>, follow MMAWeekly.com on </em></strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/mmaweeklycom"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/MMAWeeklycom/176775391774?v=wall"><strong><em>Facebook</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Scott Corl: Shonie Carter On Rap Artists: “It’s Hard To Pull A Trigger With 10 Broken Fingers”</h1> <p>2011-10-29T16:54:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="articlecopy"><br /><div style="display: none;"></div><br /><script src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><span id="_containermyExperience1247379871001" style="display: inline-block;"><param NAME="_cx" VALUE="14684"><param NAME="_cy" 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NAME="Play" VALUE="0"><param NAME="Loop" VALUE="-1"><param NAME="Quality" VALUE="High"><param NAME="SAlign" VALUE="LT"><param NAME="Menu" VALUE="-1"><param NAME="Base" VALUE=""><param NAME="AllowScriptAccess" VALUE="always"><param NAME="Scale" VALUE="NoScale"><param NAME="DeviceFont" VALUE="0"><param NAME="EmbedMovie" VALUE="0"><param NAME="BGColor" VALUE="FFFFFF"><param NAME="SWRemote" VALUE=""><param NAME="MovieData" VALUE=""><param NAME="SeamlessTabbing" VALUE="0"><param NAME="Profile" VALUE="0"><param NAME="ProfileAddress" VALUE=""><param NAME="ProfilePort" VALUE="0"><param NAME="AllowNetworking" VALUE="all"><param NAME="AllowFullScreen" VALUE="true"></OBJECT></span><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript">brightcove.createExperiences();</script><br /><br />MMA superstar “Mr. International” Shonie Carter talks with Full Contact Fighter about his experiences as a cast member on two different reality shows – season four of <em>The Ultimate Fighter</em> on SpikeTV and <em>The Iron Ring</em> on BET, in which the worlds of MMA and hip-hop music collided head on. <br />Carter, a veteran of 84 professional MMA fights, talks about his speedo wearing days in the sport as well as his feelings towards pound-for-pound boxing great, the controversial Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr., who also participated on the BET series. </div><div style="height: 1px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Brian Cimins: Grappling Autism Launches: In-House Academy Tournament Fundraising Program to Help Desperate Families in Need</h1> <p>2011-10-29T09:57:00.000-07:00</p> <br />My nephew, Jonathan Cimins was born on April 16, 2003 as a seemingly healthy, beautiful blue eyed baby boy. At 18 months old, soon after his booster vaccination, his speech rapidly declined, his behaviors started becoming repetitive, spinning for hours, jumping for hours, making strange noises and even seriously injuring himself without fear, we were lost. Sadly, he's never been able to say, "Daddy, I love you," but his father, Paul Cimins NEVER gave up Hope. <br />Cimins' mastery in the Culinary Arts as a graduate of Culinary Institute of America and consulatations with DAN Doctors and Nutritional Experts propelled him to create the world renonwn, "Autism Spectrum Diet", voted "best tasting gluten free and cassein free recipes". He sought out international Autism experts and doctors, herbalists, phychiatrists, alternative biomedical treatments and most importantly, family crisis support groups throughout the World. The family support radio show, Hope Saves The Day is free on iTunes here: <a class="ext" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-saves-the-day/id368234896" target="_blank" title="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-saves-the-day/id368234896">http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-saves-the-day/id368234896</a><span class="ext"></span><br />There was very little information available, no health insurance support and no guidance or help for families who learned their child or children had Autism. There were no treatments or hope for many of these families. The Divorce rate amongst parents of Autistic Children is 75%. With one in 91 boys being diagnosed with Autism, now is more important than ever to help raise funds to directly support families. Other Autism organizations boast "awareness" campaigns, but lack in the true families that need their help the most. <br />Paul Cimins and the entire family is on a QUEST to help cure and treat Autism and help the families it can potentially devastate.<br /><br /><strong>WE NEED YOUR HELP!</strong><br /><br /><br /><br />Grappling Autism was founded by Brian Cimins in 2007 to help raise funds for families with AutismRadio, a 5013c charitable organization you directly helps these families, most desperately in need of support, both emotionally and biomedically to help recover their child. Cimins is the President and Founder of Grapplers Quest currently donates $1 from every competitor worldwide directly to AutismRadio and with annual donations exceeding $10,000+ annually, still just helps ONE family per year, that's how expensive Autism can be to treat properly. <br />Autism Families desperately need our support.<br />Instructors, Family and Friends come up to up to us every tournament and say, "How Can I help?" - here's how:<br /><h2>Grappling Autism</h2>In-House Tournament Fundraising Program to<br />Benefit AutismRadio.org to Help Desperate Families in Need.<br />Your $250 Direct School Donation includes:<br /><b>TOOLS TO RUN THE EVENT:</b><br />- Tournament Bracketing Software ($50 value)<br />- 1 Flipper Scoreboard ($35 value)<br />- Referee Wristbands ($10 value)<br />- One Set of Competitor Ankle ($10 value)<br />- Guide How to Run an In-House Tournament<br />- Guide How to Plan and Market Your Event<br />- Guide How to Teach your Youth Students and their Families the Values of Charity <br />MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS:<br />- How to get AMAZING local and national Press (PR) from supporting Autism<br />- Interview on Hope Saves The Day on AutismRadio (30,000 weekly listeners)<br />- News Promotion on GrapplersQuest.com<br />- News Promotion on GrapplingFans.com<br />Your SCHOOL Fundraising Goal is LIMITLESS - here's an example:<br />To Raise $2,500+ per event for GRAPPLING AUTISM (AutismRadio, 501c3)<br />You would need 50 competitors at $50 each = $2,500 + your $250 Team donation<br />=== $2,750 will go direct to a Family with Autism<br /><b>Note:</b> Your School will pay for 3 months of biomedical treatment in Hyperbaric Chamber for one Autistic Child, proven to assist with increasing bloodflow to the brain, improving cognitive, speech and sleep. Your academy fundraising campaign can help change a family's life forever.<br />Sign your academy up today, get everything you need to host the event, great Press with local newspapers plus you'll be Helping Families Directly and teach your students CHARITY, go to:<br /><a href="http://www.grapplersquest.com/products/grappling-autism-house-tournament-fundraising-kit-and-donation-autism-radio-501c3-charitabl" title="http://www.grapplersquest.com/products/grappling-autism-house-tournament-fundraising-kit-and-donation-autism-radio-501c3-charitabl">http://www.grapplersquest.com/products/grappling-autism-house-tournament-fundraising-kit-and-donation-autism-radio-501c3-charitabl</a><br />Stand out in your local area as the<br />Martial Arts Academy who supports<br />Children and Families with Autism.<br />Get Amazing Local Press, National PR<br />AND HELP US MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE<br />FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM, GO TO:<br /><a href="http://www.grapplersquest.com/products/grappling-autism-house-tournament-fundraising-kit-and-donation-autism-radio-501c3-charitabl" title="http://www.grapplersquest.com/products/grappling-autism-house-tournament-fundraising-kit-and-donation-autism-radio-501c3-charitabl">http://www.grapplersquest.com/products/grappling-autism-house-tournament-fundraising-kit-and-donation-autism-radio-501c3-charitabl</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>GRAPPLERS QUEST SUBMITS AUTISM IN GEORGIA SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6</h1> <p>2011-10-29T09:53:00.000-07:00</p> <br />Grapplers Quest will host the inaugural is l Georgia State Grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Open Championships, Sunday, November 6, inside of the Northwest Georgia Muscle super show at North West Georgia Trade & Convention Center ( 2211 Dug Gap Battle Road) in Dalton, Georgia. <br itxtnodeid="308" /><br itxtnodeid="307" />Competitors of all ages and skill levels participate in the event and it is open to all grappling styles to determine the best grapplers in the State of Georgia in 2011. Cash and prizes valued at $15,000, including custom swords and medallions, will be presented to all champions. <br itxtnodeid="306" /><br itxtnodeid="305" />Fighters can register online -- receive a Free T-Shirt and DVD - but don't delay because the deadline to register is Wednesday, November 2 at 11:59 PM. Register at: http://www.grapplersquest.com/products/georgia-fighter-registration-sunday-november-6th-dalton-ga <br itxtnodeid="304" /><br itxtnodeid="303" /><a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.sherdog.com/news/pressreleases/GRAPPLERS-QUEST-SUBMITS-AUTISM-IN-GEORGIA-SUNDAY-NOVEMBER-6-36748#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: darkgreen 0.07em solid; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook0w0" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">MMA</span></a> fighter Cole Miller will conduct a seminar for children and teens, sponsored by TapouT and MetroPCS, on Sunday, November 6, starting at 10:00 AM. Another training session is also scheduled to raise awareness for AutismRadio.org. All Female competitors (18+) compete absolutely free of charge, sponsored by TapouT. <br itxtnodeid="302" /><br itxtnodeid="301" />Grappling is the fast-paced, ground fighting art of Mixed Martial Arts, combining the throws of Olympic Judo, takedowns of Greco Roman and Freestyle <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.sherdog.com/news/pressreleases/GRAPPLERS-QUEST-SUBMITS-AUTISM-IN-GEORGIA-SUNDAY-NOVEMBER-6-36748#" id="itxthook1" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: darkgreen 0.07em solid; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook1w0" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">Wrestling</span></a>, Leg Locks from Sambo, and other Submissions from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu-like arm bars, shoulder locks and chokes. <br itxtnodeid="300" /><br itxtnodeid="299" />This is the first time Grapplers Quest visits Georgia and the event will raise funds for http://AutismRadio.org, a 501c3 charitable organization benefiting Autism Awareness, Family Support, Education, Treatment and Autism Talk Radio Network. $1 from each competitor will be donated. Tickets will be available on site and Fighter Registration is open to all independent competitors and teams and will be accepted at the door starting Saturday, Nov. 5, from 12:00-5:00 PM and Sunday, Nov. 6, starting at 7:00 AM. <br itxtnodeid="298" /><br itxtnodeid="297" />For more event information and discounts, visit: http://www.grapplersquest.com/events/grapplers-quest-northwest-georgia-muscle <br itxtnodeid="296" /><br itxtnodeid="295" />Fighters of all ages and skill levels and grappling styles may register to compete here:<br itxtnodeid="294" /><br itxtnodeid="293" />http://www.grapplersquest.com/products/georgia-fighter-registration-sunday-november-6th-dalton-ga <br itxtnodeid="292" /><br itxtnodeid="291" />About Grapplers Quest: Grapplers Quest is the world's largest submission grappling organization with 300,000+ competitors worldwide since 1999, owned by The Grapplers Company. Events feature various grappling styles with divisions for all ages and skill levels with events in major cities throughout North America and Europe. For more information on upcoming events, go to: <br itxtnodeid="290" /><br itxtnodeid="289" />http://GrapplersQuest.com. For event sponsor and exhibiting opportunities, visit: http://SponsorGrappling.com or call 888-GRAPPLE. <br itxtnodeid="288" /><br itxtnodeid="287" />About Autism: Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships as well behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 150 children in the United States. For more information on Autism, visit: http://AutismRadio.org <br itxtnodeid="286" /><br itxtnodeid="285" />Join the Grappling Community online and get more event information by visiting: <a href="http://www.grapplersquest.com/">http://www.grapplersquest.com/</a> <a href="http://www.grapplingautism.org/">http://www.grapplingautism.org/</a> <br itxtnodeid="284" /><br itxtnodeid="283" />TWITTER - Follow us: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/GrapplersQuest">www.twitter.com/GrapplersQuest</a> <div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>As UFC expands Brazilian presence, manager hopeful for country's poorest athletes</h1> <p>2011-10-29T09:41:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="copy" id="CPCtr_piC25863_pnlCopy">Brazil has long produced top-level mixed-martial-artists, and it now appears the country will play a big role in the plans of the sport's biggest promotion, the UFC.<br /><br />But while fans around the globe will surely witness televised scenes from the country's beautiful beaches and lavish countryside, near-incomprehensible poverty is rarely but a few steps away.<br /><br />Veteran manager Alex Davis, a Brazilian native and current resident of the country, hopes fans will keep close to their hearts the background of some of the country's fighting prospects, especially as the nation's talent continues to rise to prominence.<br /><br />"Poverty sucks, no matter where you come from in the world," Davis recently told <a href="http://mmajunkie.com/">MMAjunkie.com</a> (www.mmajunkie.com). "Poverty will be different, though, from place to place. When we talk about poverty in Brazil, it is definitely a bunch of notches below poverty in the U.S. But I guess that if you compared the poverty that exists in some places in Africa, a favela in Rio de Janeiro must look like wealth. <br /><br />"I'm not really familiar with any top-level fighters that have come out of poor regions in Africa. Brazil, however, has produced a number of great names coming out of these harsh conditions."<br /><br />Davis, who has served as both a trainer and manager throughout his life, has seen many of these fighters rise from the favelas to various degrees of success in MMA. UFC middleweight submission ace Rousimar Palhares immediately pops to his mind.<br /><br /><strong>"Toquinho"</strong><br /><br />"Rousimar Palhares is a real story about a guy who rose out of an extremely poor agricultural poverty," Davis said. "The first time he managed to get himself to Brazilian Top Team, he trained with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. 'Minotauro' really enjoyed rolling with this newcomer. He said, 'Man, this kid is tough. Let's go again!' But Rousimar declined. He had not eaten. He had only a cup of coffee for breakfast. That's how Rousimar started off on the road which brought him where he is today.<br /><br />"Rousimar comes from a poverty that is hard to understand from a first-world perspective. The kind of work that Rousimar did daily is beyond our comprehension. To cut down trees with an axe, clean pasture with a hoe and clean out tropical brush with a sickle, amid heat and mosquitos for 12 hours – and with hardly enough to eat? That's a really hard way to live, anyway you look at it, and there are unfortunately many people who have to do this, even now. <br /><br />"If Rousimar's heroic effort and rise could serve a higher purpose, it would be to raise the awareness that this poverty exists for real. It's one thing to hear about it on CNN. It's another to feel Rousimar's tears as he tries to talk about it. It kind of hits us then."<br /><br />Palhares' chest famously shows the scars of his youth, as the damage from a farming accident is evident on his chest. But he isn't the only Brazilian Davis has seen overcome tremendous odds.<br /><br /><strong>"India"</strong><br /><br />"Ediene 'India' Gomes' claim to fame is that she beat a man in an MMA match man at a Rio Heroes event," Davis said. "Her story is as dramatic as Rousimar's.<br /><br />"Ediene was born in northeast Brazil, also in a rural area and even poorer then where Rousimar comes from. In this area, people not only face extreme poverty but also lack of water. Lizards, 'calangos,' are a common source of protein here. <br /><br />"Ediene was born into an extremely poor family. Her mother was unable to raise her, so she gave her to a little 'richer' family. However, kids were born to this family, and they were not able to support Ediene plus their own kids, so they gave her to a Catholic institution. From there, she was sent to an orphanage in Sao Paulo, where she ran away and went to live on the streets of as a homeless child. One can only fathom the full meaning of this, especially when one lives in conditions like this, by seeing these poor creatures for one's self. They live by going through the trash for food and by petty theft. They live under awnings and under bridges of Brazil's big cities. It is really, really pitiful."<br /><br />It was then that Gomes' life took a dramatic turn. However, it wasn't necessarily for the immediate better.<br /><br />"She lived like all the other homeless urchins, picking through trash for food, stealing things when opportunities arose, cleaning windshields at stop lights for a few cents," Davis said. "She would do 'aviaos,' little errands for drug dealers. She would also fight, not for pleasure mind you – for survival. <br /><br />"She ended up getting picked up by the Brazilian institution for homeless children, FEBEM. Should be a relief huh? Well, FEBEM is notorious for being one of the toughest and worse place for a child to be. They pick these kids up on the streets and throw them in together in this institution. The kids become tougher and better at what they do: stealing, drug-running and whatever else."<br /><br />Gomes survived the harsh conditions and was eventually released from the institution and given a chance to formally train in martial arts.<br /><br />"She left FEBEM and was given an opportunity to train Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and she never looked back," Davis said. "She went into MMA, where her fearlessness and her heart is legendary. At Rio Heroes, there were no girls to fight, so she said, 'Give me a guy, damn it!'<br /><br />"I am proud to tell you she is currently at American Top Team. She has not risen to stardom, but she has a decent life. I managed to get here there, and Ricardo Liborio took her under his wing and managed to get her legal residency in the U.S. She regularly submits guys there."<br /><br /><strong>"Junior"</strong><br /><br />One of Brazil's most recent success stories involves current UFC lightweight contender Edson Barboza. The talented striker grew up humbly, and his family remains close with Davis even today.<br /><br />"Another kid who sprang out of a favela was Edson Barboza," Davis said. "He is my son-in-law's best student. Many a time, my son-in-law helped this kid. Edson's dad still takes care of the cantina at Academia Fight Co, our little school in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janiero. Sometimes I will go to work out or something, and he will come up to me and give me a hug and will hang near me. He won't say a word, but he doesn't need to. It is one of the best feeling to have – to know you have helped someone beyond poverty like that. <br /><br />"I remember once years ago coming from a Muay Thai tournament with Edson and the other guys. As we talked on the way home about these things, Edson started crying. I scolded him: 'Keep your chin up, son! You will succeed! Many people have come from even worse situations then yours.' I guess God heard and made those words reality."<br /><br />It is the story of countless other Brazilians, as well. And as the UFC expands into the country, Davis hopes more talented fighters will be presented with a way out of the hopeless despair. He also hopes fans from around the globe can fully understand the obstacles such prospects are forced to overcome.<br /><br />"Unfortunately, for every story with a happy ending, there are thousands upon thousands that have no ending," Davis said. "They are still out there hungry, in the filth, in conditions that are unspeakable. We must always remember this."</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Bellator to Zoila Gurgel ‘We’re Going to Take Care Of It’</h1> <p>2011-10-29T09:33:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_131484" style="width: 260px;"><a href="http://c442104.r4.cf2.rackcdn.com//2011/09/Zoila-Gurgel-Bellator.jpg"></a> <div class="wp-caption-text">Zoila Gurgel</div></div>It’s been a rough week for Bellator women’s champion Zoila Gurgel, who first <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/zoila-gurgel-out-of-bellator-57-after-suffering-torn-acl-in-training">suffered a torn ACL</a> in training and then realized that paying for the surgery to repair the injury would cost an exorbitant amount of money. <br />Well now sunnier skies appear overhead for Gurgel, whose bosses at Bellator Fighting Championships are assuring their champion that her surgery and recovery will be well taken care of over time.<br />Bellator CEO <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/?s=bjorn+rebney&x=0&y=0">Bjorn Rebney</a> spoke to <a href="http://www.mmaweekly.com/radio">MMAWeekly Radio</a> this week about Gurgel’s injury and he stated that the promotion will make sure Gurgel is taken care of, but patience is the key.<br />“We said it from day one and I understand it because I was an athlete in college, I played football in college and I understand how injuries work. I understand that when you get an injury as an athlete you want everything to happen immediately and for the world to stop and get it fixed. It’s just human nature,” Rebney stated. <br />“I’ll say the same thing to you that we said to Zoila and to Jorge (Gurgel), we’re going to take care of it, we’re going to get you through this and we’re going to get it covered by insurance and all of it will be covered. All of it will be taken care of and it will be fine, it will get worked out and it will get taken care of, but those things don’t happen in the matter of a day, or 48 hours, or 72 hours.”<br />Rebney says that the company has been committed to helping Gurgel through this injury since the first moment it occurred, but because insurance and medical processes take time, it’s not something that can happen overnight. <br />“You have to go through a process, you have to fill out the paperwork, you have to take steps for it to get done. I understand the angst and the anxiety because as an athlete who lost half of his senior year playing as a full scholarship running back at a major college, I understand as an athlete you’re like ‘open me up, fix it, get it done right now’. But you’ve got to take a step back and a breath and say let the process work itself out,” said Rebney. <br />“Let the insurance take care of what needs to be taken care of, and it will be taken care of. We said it from the very start and we said it to her and we said it to her husband. We’ll get it worked out.”<br />Gurgel has stated that after visiting her doctors the knee injury will put her on the shelf without any kind of real activity for the better part of six months. With rehab and recovery time she’s likely to return in about a year’s time.<br />Obviously the time off is as painful as the actual injury when looking at mounting medical bills and lack of income from fighting. Rebney however has assured Gurgel that she will not be left behind in this process and her knee will be nursed back to health with the best possible care that can be provided.<br />“She’s had a serious injury, she’s had the kind of injury that’s going to take time to recuperate from. It’s not one of those injuries where you can get some therapy and it can kind of work itself out. It’s going to take time,” said Rebney. “But the essence of getting that situation taken care of the right way, the essence of giving her the best possible chance of getting back in the Bellator cage, is to take care of it with the right doctors, the right rehab, the right attention to detail. It’s not about rushing it and getting in the first person who agrees to cut the leg open. It’s about doing it the right way, and that’s the process that we’re trying to follow.<br />“If Zoila follows that process she’ll be given as good an opportunity as you can possibly have with the severity of the injury she has to recuperate fully.”<br />Rebney does his best to avoid getting too political when talking about the growing debate about the health care industry in the United States, but when it comes to Gurgel’s injury like anybody else’s, the time it takes can obviously be frustrating. <br />“Whatever your political opinion is on the medical system here in the U.S., I think we can all agree no matter what side of the fence we’re on that it isn’t fast,” Rebney stated. “You’ve got to work through the dynamics of getting it done and getting it done the right way.”<br />Gurgel has visited with her doctors and hopes to have the surgery done as soon as possible to decrease the amount of time she’ll be forced to the sidelines. Now with Bellator committed to her recovery as well, it appears this story will ultimately have a happy ending. <br /><div><hr size="2" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Follow </em></strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/damonmartin"><strong><em>@DamonMartin on Twitter</em></strong></a><strong><em> or </em></strong><a href="mailto:damonmartin@mmaweekly.com"><strong><em>e-mail Damon Martin</em></strong></a>.<strong><em><br />For more </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/tag/ufc"><strong><em>UFC News</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/rumors"><strong><em>UFC Rumors</em></strong></a><strong><em>, follow MMAWeekly.com on </em></strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/mmaweeklycom"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/MMAWeeklycom/176775391774?v=wall"><strong><em>Facebook</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Bellator 56: Askren vs. Hieron Weigh-In Results</h1> <p>2011-10-29T09:30:00.001-07:00</p> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_116933" style="width: 360px;"><a href="http://c442104.r4.cf2.rackcdn.com//2011/05/Ben-Askren-Bellator-33-450x260.jpg"></a> <div class="wp-caption-text">Ben Askren</div></div><br />Bellator 56 is now set with the main event title fight becoming official on Friday with champion Ben Askren and challenger Jay Hieron both making weight.<br />The two competitors have no love lost heading into their title fight on Saturday night and both fighters were jawing back and forth at each other before, during and after the weigh-ins.<br />The heavyweight semifinals are also set with all four competitors hitting the scale and making weight. Unfortunately several of the preliminary fighters weren’t so lucky and four fighters in total missed weight and will have to attempt to cut the extra pounds or risk being fined if they stay on the card. <br /><strong>MAIN EVENT:</strong><br />Ben Askren (169.6) vs. Jay Hieron (169.8)<br /><strong>HEAVYWEIGHT SEMIFINALS</strong><br />Neil Grove (264.6) vs. Thiago Santos (264.6)<br />Eric Prindle (264.2) vs. Ron Sparks (264.4)<br /><strong>PRELIMINARY CARD:</strong><br />Jeremy Spoon (145.4) vs. Adam Schindler (145.8)<br />Rudy Bears (169.6) vs. Marcio Navarro (169.8)<br />Kelvin Tiller (206.4) vs. Dan Spohn (205.6)<br />Willian De Souza (155.8) vs. E.J. Brooks (157)<br />Daniel Gallemore (247) vs. Derrick Ruffin (242.6)<br />Jeimeson Saudino (136.8) vs. Jacob Aiken (131.4)<br />Aaron Ely (140.4) vs. Owen Evinger (135)<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Dana White Mike Chiappetta: Defends UFC From Anti-Gay Accusations, Says He'd Welcome Gay Fighter</h1> <p>2011-10-29T09:27:00.001-07:00</p> <div id="fb_like_container"><a href="http://mmafighting.com/2011/10/28/dana-white-defends-anti-gay-accusations-says-ufc-would-welcome/" name="aol-facebook-like" rel="article"></a></div><div id="articleStr"><div class="entry-content" id="20093266">LAS VEGAS -- With increased exposure comes increased scrutiny, as the <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/ufc"><span style="color: #00467f;">UFC</span></a> has learned through its fast rise to becoming a sports powerhouse. <br /><br />As the promotion continues preparation for its network television premiere on FOX on November 12, they have faced a recent, ongoing campaign led by the <a href="http://www.culinaryunion226.org/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Culinary Workers Union Local 226</span></a>, charging that the <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/ufc"><span style="color: #00467f;">UFC</span></a> is unfit for children due to abusive and bigoted language by UFC president Dana White and his fighters, a charge White denies. <br /><br />As part of that campaign, the union, which represents more than 50,000 workers on the Las Vegas Strip but is embroiled in bitter litigation with Fertitta-owned Station Casinos -- recently launched the website UnfitForChildren.org that details some of White's more controversial quotes. More recently, they have pressured some of the UFC's sponsors to pull advertising dollars from the promotion because of their " history of tolerating homophobic conduct that is hostile to millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people all over the world who struggle every day against bigotry and discrimination."<br /><br />Asked about the recent developments, White argued that they were based in politics more than substance, and said the UFC would gladly welcome a gay fighter.<br /><br />"Seriously, if you guys look at some of the stuff I said in the last 10 years, some of it stupid, some of it whatever, that's the one that bothers me. It's the only one that bothers me," White said. "The fact that these losers from the culinary union can go out and say I'm a homophobe and things like that, because It's the furthest thing from the truth. I think enough of you here know me that if I was, I'd tell you I was, and I'd tell you why I was. It's not true and it's just something these guys can throw up on a cute little website."<br /><br />Asked whether he should be better policing anyone in his organization, White said, "I definitely should be policing myself," but noted that he has 375 fighters on his roster and said he could not possibly police every word out of their mouths. A letter to UFC sponsor Anheuser-Busch specifically targeted several recent incidences they termed "anti-gay," that involved Joe Rogan, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Antonio Roridgo Nogueira, <a class="injectedLink" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/michael/bisping/368/"><span style="color: #00467f;">Michael Bisping</span></a> and White himself.<br /><br />"I do what I can do for these guys," White said. "You're dealing with human beings. I love when you get these organizations that try to ... I guess I call it the holier-than-thou approach. Really? So when these guys make mistakes and things happen, bad things happen, you want to point the finger and say the whole organization is bad and these are bad people because these are things they've done? F--- you. Guess what? Everybody makes mistakes and everybody does things that are wrong sometimes. Everybody. I don't care who you are, I don't care what you do for a living and what you've done. I don't deal with the holier-than-thou b-------. We do the best we can do."<br /><br />White said that while a few fighters occasionally step out of line, the vast majority -- "300-something," in his view are inspirational, role- model types to kids and adults. <br /><br />Though there has never been an openly gay fighter in the UFC, White said there would be no problems for that individual under his watch. <br /><br />"I'll tell you right now, if there's a gay fighter in the UFC, I wish he would come out," he said. "I could care less if there's a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is, and there's probably more than one. It's 2012. Give me a break." </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Thomas Gerbasi: Official UFC 137 Weigh In Results</h1> <p>2011-10-29T09:24:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="intro" id="news-article-intro"><strong>Below are the official weigh in results for Saturday’s UFC 137 event.</strong> </div><div class="intro"></div><a href="http://www.ufc.com/news/official-UFC-137-Weigh-In-Results#" id="media-share" st_page="home" style="display: none;"></a><script type="text/javascript"> var shared_object2 = SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: document.title, url: document.location.href }); shared_object2.attachButton($("#media-share")[0]);</script><br /><div class="media-item" sizcache="8" sizset="247"><div id="flash-player-plugin-download" sizcache="8" sizset="248"><div id="flash-plugin-downloader" sizcache="8" sizset="249">THIS CONTENT REQUIRES ADOBE FLASH PLAYER 10 OR HIGHER. <br /><div class="btn-red-lg-shadow-arrow link" jquery1319905388784="24"><a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank">Get Flash Player </a></div></div></div><script type="text/javascript"> divID = "media-details1"; 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}); </script> <br /></div><div id="article-content"><a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC137#/fight">UFC 137</a>, which is headlined by the <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/sport/weight-classes">welterweight</a> bout between <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/BJ-Penn">BJ Penn</a> and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Nick-Diaz">Nick Diaz</a> and the <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/sport/weight-classes">heavyweight</a> bout between <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Matt-Mitrione">Matt Mitrione</a> and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Cheick-Kongo">Cheick Kongo</a>, airs live on Pay-Per-View from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV at 9pm ET / 6pm PT. Fans can also tune in for two televised prelims at 8pm ET / 5pm PT, and those who “like” the UFC on Facebook can see the rest of the prelim bouts at 5:50 pm ET / 2:50 pm PT.<br /><br />MAIN EVENT <br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Nick-Diaz">Nick Diaz</a> (170) VS <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/BJ-Penn">BJ Penn</a> (169)<br /><br />PPV<br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Matt-Mitrione">Matt Mitrione</a> (255) VS <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Cheick-Kongo">Cheick Kongo</a> (234)<br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Roy-Nelson">Roy Nelson</a> (252) VS <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Mirko-Cro-Cop">Mirko Cro Cop</a> (235)<br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/George-Roop">George Roop </a>(145) vs <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Hatsu-Hioki">Hatsu Hioki</a> (145)<br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Jeff-Curran">Jeff Curran</a> (134) vs <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Scott-Jorgensen">Scott Jorgensen</a> (135)<br /><br />TELEVISED PRELIMS<br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Donald-Cerrone">Donald Cerrone</a> (156) vs <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Dennis-Siver">Dennis Siver</a> (155)<br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Bart-Palaszewski">Bart Palaszewski</a> (146) vs <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Tyson-Griffin">Tyson Griffin</a> (149*)<br /><br />ONLINE FIGHTS<br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Eliot-Marshall">Eliot Marshall</a> (204) VS <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Brandon-Vera">Brandon Vera</a> (205)<br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Dan-Downes">Danny Downes</a> (155) VS <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Ramsey-Nijem">Ramsey Nijem</a> (155)<br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Francis-Carmont">Francis Carmont</a> (185) VS <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Chris-Camozzi">Chris Camozzi</a> (185)<br /><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Dustin-Jacoby">Dustin Jacoby</a> (185) VS <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Clifford-Starks">Clifford Starks</a> (186)<br /><br />*Palaszewski has agreed to fight Griffin at 148 pounds. Griffin will be fined for not making weight.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Steven Morrocco: Champ Ben Askren on Bellator 56 challenger Jay Hieron: 'I will put him on his back'</h1> <p>2011-10-28T10:26:00.000-07:00</p> <br />Ben Askren is not one to hide behind his 'fro. <br /><br />The Bellator welterweight champ faces perhaps the most significant challenge to his belt when he meets Jay Hieron on Saturday at Bellator 56. Thus, Askren plans on doing what he does best, which is get the takedown and grind out the fight.<br /><br />All Hieron can do is try to stop him.<br /><br />Bellator 56 takes place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. Main-card action airs live on MTV2 (and in high-definition on EPIX) while prelims stream on Spike.com. <br /><br />If Heiron (22-4 MMA, 3-0 BFC) manages to stay on his feet, Askren (8-0 MMA, 5-0 BFC) will just keep at it until he puts the fight on the mat. <br /><br />"I'm not going to try one time and go, 'Aw shucks, he stopped me,'" Askren told <a href="http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio">MMAjunkie.com Radio</a> (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "That's just not my personality at all. He's going to get on his back one way or the other. I don't care if he stops three or four or five (takedowns)."<br /><br />Askren, a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champ at the University of Missouri and former U.S. Olympian, freely admits that Hieron is a better striker. But he's confident that won't be the case two years down the road. Having worked with renowned striking coach Duke Roufus, he feels he'll be able to strike with anyone. <br /><br />"But that's down the road, and this is now," Askren said. "I never made any bones about the fact that my striking is not high level. I make up for it in other areas."<br /><br />Of course, that's his wrestling and jiu-jitsu, which he's used to win all eight of his professional bouts. <br /><br />Hieron has had a different trajectory. Although he has a wrestling background, his junior-college credentials pale in comparison to the champ's. He's become far more known for his striking ability, and most recently, he earned the right to face Askren by outpointing Rick Hawn in the finals of Bellator's season-four welterweight tournament. <br /><br />Askren hits hard, but he doesn't have much technique. But training alongside UFC vets Alan Belcher, Anthony Pettis and Danny Downes, he brings another asset to the fight. <br /><br />"They like that I'm fearless," Askren said. "I don't really mind getting hit at all."<br /><br />He may have to take a few hits on his way to a takedown. But Askren is confident that he'll get the job done. <br /><br />"I'm not a quitter," he said. "I keep on coming, and I will put him on his back whether it's my first attempt or 10th attempt. He'll be on his back."<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Dana White Takes on Culinary Union (UFC 137 video)</h1> <p>2011-10-28T10:18:00.000-07:00</p> <a href="http://c442104.r4.cf2.rackcdn.com//2011/10/Dana-White-UFC-137-Pre-1176.jpg"></a><br /><br />The Ultimate Fighting Championship has worked for years, trying to break down the resistance to sanctioning mixed martial in New York State. It’s biggest opponent in conquering The Empire State has been the Culinary Union or UNITE HERE, a ….<br />The latest shot over the UFC bow from UNITE HERE was a call on Fox – who recently signed a seven-year TV deal with the UFC – to not air the fight promotion on its television networks due to what it claims that “Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and UFC fighters have publicly used anti-gay and anti-women language.<br />“Are we perfect? No,” White stated at Thursday’s UFC 137 pre-fight press conference in Las Vegas, perhaps aptly taking place in front of the New York, New York Hotel and Casino.<br />“The accusations that the Culinary Union are making, especially me on the gay thing… that’s the one that bothers me. That’s the only one that bothers me. The fact that these losers from the Culinary Union can go out and say I’m a homophobe and things like that, because it’s the furthest thing from the truth.”<br />Despite the claims, White won’t let the Culinary Union’s efforts sway him, believing they have a “holier than thou” attitude that he’s not going to give in to.<br />“Everybody makes mistakes and everybody does things that are wrong sometimes. Everybody! I don’t deal with the holier than thou (expletive).”<br /><br /><em>Check out the full video on White’s comments about the Culinary Union and its efforts to identify the UFC as a bad influence.</em>..<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Dana White UFC 137 Video Blog – Day 2</h1> <p>2011-10-28T10:14:00.001-07:00</p> UFC President Dana White goes behind the scenes of the UFC 137 pre fight press conference and more on day 2 of his video blog.<br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Jason High and LC Davis Open New MMA Gym</h1> <p>2011-10-28T10:12:00.000-07:00</p> <br /><br />The inspiration for current Strikeforce welterweight Jason High to start his own gym with fellow fighter L.C. Davis is simple: his area was lacking such a facility.<br />“There’s not really anything around Kansas City like that,” he said. “I thought that one day I’d be back here to start something like that. It’s nice to start something with L.C., that way it’s easier for both of us to train. It seems to be working out pretty well.”<br />As High points out, it’s been a goal of his, but not one he had initially planned on undertaking so soon.<br />“The timing was right now,” he said. “I ideally would have liked to have done it later, towards the end of my career. I think we’ll be able to do all right with it, both of us running the place.”<br /><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/">High told MMAWeekly.com</a> that choosing Davis to be his partner in this endeavor was only natural.<br />“I’ve known him for a long time,” said High. “He’s from Kansas City and had the same idea I did about coming back and starting a gym. I figure it would be easier to do it together than compete with one another.”<br />And thus HD Mixed Martial Arts and HD Wrestling Club came into being, with their Grand Opening scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29, in Laewood, Kan.<br />According to High, what will make their gym unique is the fact that both he and Davis are so well established in the MMA world.<br />“I was actually going through the posters of the shows L.C. and I have been on around the gym, and there’s nobody that’s going to have the fighting credentials that we have,” said High. “I think that’s what will stand out initially to people, and then once they get in here, they’ll like the classes we offer and all of that.”<br />While the gym is open to all levels of people, from beginners to pros, with classes ranging from MMA to kids jiu-jitsu and wrestling to circuit training, High feels the experience he and his partner have in fighting against and training with some of the top athletes around the world will truly benefit anyone looking to take their game to the next level.<br />“I think that kind of experience is invaluable when you’re just getting into the game,” he said. “You can start training like a world class guy, and not worry whether you’re getting the right training or working with guys who you’re not sure if they know what they’re doing.<br />“Since both of us are still fighting, we’re still going to be training hard and those guys can see what it’s like and if they really want to fight. I think that will actually be a really good thing for younger guys.”<br />Turning to his fight career, High is currently riding a six-fight winning streak, which he hopes to continue to add to early next year.<br />“I’m looking to probably fight again in January,” he said. “Hopefully we can get something scheduled soon and get my schedule (worked out) for the gym, and then I’ll be going for it again.”<br />For information on HD MMA and Wrestling Club, visit their website at <a class="broken_link" href="http://mmaweekly.com/www.HighDavisMMA.com" target="_blank"><strike>www.HighDavisMMA.com</strike></a> and follow them on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/HDMMA" target="_blank">@HDMMA</a> or on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/HD-Mixed-Martial-Arts/264130116943089" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.<br /><div align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" /></div><a href="mailto:mickhammond@mmaweekly.com"><strong><em>E-mail Mick Hammond</em></strong></a><strong><em>For more </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/tag/ufc"><strong><em>UFC News</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://mmaweekly.com/rumors"><strong><em>UFC Rumors</em></strong></a><strong><em>, follow MMAWeekly.com on </em></strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/mmaweeklycom"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/MMAWeeklycom/176775391774?v=wall"><strong><em>Facebook</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Thomas Gerbasi: BJ Penn - Almost Like Looking in the Mirror</h1> <p>2011-10-28T10:09:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="intro" id="news-article-intro"><strong>“I always felt that me and Nick Diaz was the main event fight. Me and Nick is a great fight, and I knew we were gonna draw some followers.” - BJ Penn</strong> </div><div class="intro"></div><a href="http://www.ufc.com/news/BJ-Penn-Almost-Like-Looking-in-the-Mirror#" id="media-share" st_page="home" style="display: none;"></a><script type="text/javascript"> var shared_object2 = SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: document.title, url: document.location.href }); shared_object2.attachButton($("#media-share")[0]);</script><br /><div class="media-item" id="flash-player-plugin-download" sizcache="8" sizset="244"><div id="flash-plugin-downloader" sizcache="8" sizset="245">THIS CONTENT REQUIRES ADOBE FLASH PLAYER 10 OR HIGHER. <br /><div class="btn-red-lg-shadow-arrow link" jquery1319821631903="26"><a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank">Get Flash Player </a></div></div></div><script type="text/javascript"> divID = "media-details1"; // Attributes var attributes1 = {}; // int at end of var would increment based on module (ex. attributes1 & rich-content1, rich-content2 & attributes2, etc.) attributes1.id = divID; 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}); </script><br /><div id="article-content" sizcache="8" sizset="247"><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/BJ-Penn" sizcache="8" sizset="247" target="_blank"></a>It's been 10 years, 25 fights, and two <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/ufc/index">UFC</a> championships in two <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/sport/weight-classes">weight classes</a>, but<a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/BJ-Penn"> BJ Penn</a> has a confession to make. At 32, things don’t get easier for him in the moments before the opening bell. <br /><br />“I think the butterflies are getting worse with the years,” he chuckles. “I’m surprised on that. I thought it would get easier and easier. I guess it was getting easier for a little while, but now I’m up in my thirties, and I don’t know if it’s because I’ve got kids or what, but it seems like the butterflies get worse. I don’t know why. I’m comfortable, I’ve got a lot of experience, but it just seems that way.”<br /><br />So when<a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC137#/fight"> Saturday rolls around once again</a> for “The Prodigy,” he will expect those nerves to kick in, the adrenalin to start flowing, and for the 11th time, he will make the walk to the Octagon as a main event fighter. And that part of it never gets old.<br /><br />“I remember back when I main evented my first UFC fight against <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Jens-Pulver">Jens Pulver </a>ten years ago,” said Penn of his <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC-35-Throwdown">UFC 35</a> title fight with “Lil’ Evil.” “That meant the world to me then. I guess everybody in life, they want to feel self-worth in whatever they decide to do, and it’s the recognition and the excitement. I remember the first time I got that main event, (UFC vet and former Penn coach) Renato Verissimo said ‘whoa BJ, you’re the main event?’ ‘Yeah, can you believe that?’ What a ride. And when I got the news that I’d be main eventing this fight, I thought ‘man, what a great career, what a great life and opportunity I’ve had over the years.’”<br /><br />It’s almost as if Penn’s getting sentimental about his career and what he’s accomplished in the sport over the last decade. But don’t mistake that trip down memory lane for an exit strategy. Penn, who is coming off a February draw with <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Jon-Fitch">Jon Fitch</a>, isn’t ready to head to the beach in Hilo just yet.<br /><br />“I’m 32 and if I could keep winning fights and all that stuff, I think I’m addicted to being in the UFC and I want to try and make this last as long as I can,” he said. “As long as I’m happy. I know it’s easy to get burned out and I’ve talked about retirement and burning out all the time, but I’m trying to enjoy the ride.”<br /><br />And when you’ve been to the proverbial mountaintop like Penn has, the key to keeping things fresh is to constantly receive the type of matchups that not only make you want to sacrifice and train, but that force you to. Penn’s original foe for this Saturday’s card was former WEC champion <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Carlos-Condit">Carlos Condit</a>, a fighter on a hot streak who certainly fit the mold of dangerous opponent. But after a crazy series of events that saw Condit elevated to the main event against <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Georges-St-Pierre">Georges St-Pierre</a> after <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Nick-Diaz">Nick Diaz</a> no-showed two press conferences, Penn was without an opponent for the show’s original co-main event.<br /><br />“At first when it all happened, I thought that Nick was gone from the UFC,” said Penn, “so I was talking to them about maybe putting me and Jon Fitch back together. (UFC President) Dana White told me that Jon Fitch was hurt and out until December, and he said if you want to fight, give me a call. If not, just let me know.” <br /><br />Then things got even more interesting.<br /><br />“Then Dana calls back and we end up putting the Nick Diaz fight together,” said Penn, who was now going to face the former <a href="http://www.strikeforce.com/">Strikeforce</a> welterweight champ who was quickly brought back into the UFC fold. “I know Nick, he’s been a training partner of mine and I get along great with him and his brother. But everybody’s trying to put fights together, and at the end of the day they were looking at their options and we were looking at our options, and the best thing for each guy’s career was to fight each other. This is a job – nothing more, nothing less – and that’s what ended up happening.”<br /><br />But UFC 137’s musical chairs weren’t finished yet, as St-Pierre got injured, forcing his bout with Condit to get scrapped. What happened next? Penn vs. Diaz was the new main event.<br /><br />“I always felt that me and Nick Diaz was the main event fight,” said Penn. “Me and Nick is a great fight, and I knew we were gonna draw some followers.”<br /><br />Oh, they’ve drawn some followers, as the buzz for the main event is getting louder and louder as the countdown to the opening bell continues. Yet oddly enough, it’s not Penn - the usual lightning rod for some prefight drama – who is getting the lion’s share of the attention. It’s Diaz who is the talk of the town, with every utterance from his mouth drawing tweets, message board posts, and fevered analysis. For his part, Penn seems comfortable in this unique role, and as he explains, the fans and media aren’t the only ones with a microscope on the Stockton, California native.<br /><br />“I’ve kept a very close eye on Nick Diaz’ career,” said Penn. “He’s one of my favorite fighters that I love to watch out there and I think right now, he’s probably the best <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/fighter/martialArtsStyles">boxer</a> in mixed martial arts today. He certainly has some fights to prove it. He spars with Andre Ward, he was signed to fight Jeff Lacy, he was considered to fight Roy Jones Jr., and with accolades like that and with the performances that he puts on in the ring, with a high volume of <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/fighter/skills/striking">punches</a> and all those things, I definitely think that he’s probably the best boxer in the sport today.”<br /><br />But when you’re able to deliver praise like that to a future opponent, it usually means one thing – you’re pretty confident in your own ability to defuse your foe’s attack and score the victory. So where does Penn’s confidence come from? Maybe it’s because he’s looking in the mirror.<br /><br />“We’re similar in a lot of the same ways,” said Penn. “With the boxing, with the <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/fighter/martial-arts-styles">jiu-jitsu</a> and with the way are careers have gone. Once in a while we end up clashing with the powers that be, and it just ends up going that way for some reason. There are a lot of similarities between me and that guy.”<br /><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1319821631903="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"></div><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1319821631903="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"><span class="caption">Former two-division UFC champ BJ Penn</span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Thomas Gerbasi: Hurricane Diaz Takes Las Vegas</h1> <p>2011-10-28T10:05:00.000-07:00</p> <div class="intro" id="news-article-intro"><strong>"You’ve got people that want to see fights, they want to see good fights, they want to see a good fighter and that’s what I’m trying to bring to the table.” - Nick Diaz</strong> </div><div class="intro"></div><a href="http://www.ufc.com/news/Hurricane-Diaz-Takes-Las-Vegas#" id="media-share" st_page="home" style="display: none;"></a><script type="text/javascript"> var shared_object2 = SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: document.title, url: document.location.href }); shared_object2.attachButton($("#media-share")[0]);</script><br /><div class="media-item" sizcache="8" sizset="244"><div id="flash-player-plugin-download" sizcache="8" sizset="245"><div id="flash-plugin-downloader" sizcache="8" sizset="246">THIS CONTENT REQUIRES ADOBE FLASH PLAYER 10 OR HIGHER. <br /><div class="btn-red-lg-shadow-arrow link" jquery1319821428356="26"><a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank">Get Flash Player </a></div></div></div><script type="text/javascript"> divID = "media-details1"; 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}); </script> </div><div id="article-content" sizcache="8" sizset="248"><a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Nick-Diaz" sizcache="8" sizset="248" target="_blank"></a>With a seemingly endless entourage, a hungry legion of reporters documenting his every move, and even many he doesn’t actually make, <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/fighter/martial-arts-styles">boxing</a>’s pound-for-pound king, Manny Pacquiao, exists in the middle of a hurricane that can veer out of control and become destructive at any second. <br /><br />But that’s the way the Filipino icon likes it, and you get the impression that if everything was calm around him, he wouldn’t perform quite the way he does in the ring. After watching the <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Nick-Diaz">Nick Diaz</a> show over the last month, it’s easy to feel the same way. <br /><br />With his almost perpetual scowl (though there is some photo evidence of him smiling this week in Las Vegas), it looks like Diaz is only happy when he’s unhappy or when he feels that the world is against him. And this isn’t a new development; it’s one that’s been going on for years, subtly when he was in the <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/ufc/index">UFC</a> the first time from 2003 to 2006, and even more so in subsequent years. So when he no-showed the two pre-fight press conferences to promote his <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC137#/fight">UFC 137</a> title bout against<a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/sport/weight-classes"> welterweight </a>champion <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Georges-St-Pierre">Georges St-Pierre </a>and then got pulled from the fight, it was the perfect chip to put back on his shoulder.<br /><br />But as he was brought back into the fold to face <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/BJ-Penn">BJ Penn</a> (a bout elevated to main event status when St-Pierre injured his knee and was forced to withdraw from a replacement fight with <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Carlos-Condit">Carlos Condit</a>), it put the spotlight squarely on Stockton’s finest again, and after trending on Twitter for showing up 45 minutes late to a recent media teleconference, he finally began speaking his mind on the whole topic of accessibility, responsibility, and the most important thing of all, the fight.<br /><br />“I’ve just done my best to try not to focus on what’s going on and just try to live every day like it’s not a really a big deal because I don’t know what’s going to happen with me,” said Diaz when asked about the turmoil of recent weeks. “But it’s not going to make a difference whether or not I whine or cry about it or panic to get things done; I’m just going to do what I always do and train and when it’s time to fight I go fight and that really depends on whether or not I’m ready. And that’s really about me, it’s not about whatever’s going on in the world or whatever, who I’m fighting, who I’m not fighting. I’m not really going to have a choice on that, my job is to fight, so I have to fight when I’m told to fight and that’s why I do what I do, and that’s what I do well.”<br /><br />He certainly does. 11-1 with 1 no contest since ending his first UFC stint in 2006 with back-to-back wins over <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Josh-Neer">Josh Neer </a>and <a href="http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Gleison-Tibau">Gleison Tibau</a>, Diaz has turned into a fighting and finishing machine outside the Octagon, where he only showed glimpses of the fighter he has become. His opponent this week, Penn, calls him the best boxer in MMA, and that’s coming from a fighter who had the same praise put on him by renowned trainer Freddie Roach. And that’s not even to mention his black belt level <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/fighter/martialArtsStyles">jiu-jitsu</a> game, his unorthodox <a href="http://www.ufc.com/discover/fighter/skills/striking">punches</a> in bunches style, his cardio, and his chin. If he has any weakness at this point, it’s that his lone loss in the last five years (to KJ Noons) came via cuts. <br /><br />That’s the good news. The bad news is watching Diaz squirm in his initial blast of the media spotlight, immediately becoming defensive when asked about missing his press obligations, and then even claiming that the Penn fight is an even tougher one for him because they had trained together previously.<br /><br />“I’m not happy about it at all,” said Diaz. “I’m fighting a guy who’s my friend or was my friend and now I’m fighting this guy. I’m set to fight, assigned to fight certain guy (St-Pierre), I thought we had a deal.”<br /><br />“This fight is a completely different fight,” he continued later on in the teleconference. “And I think BJ’s a lot better fighter to be honest with you. On the technical standpoint, he’s got much better jiu-jitsu, boxing, and even on a technical level, I wouldn’t count him out.” <br /><br />“But I’m going to deal; this is hard times just like it’s been, but I’m not expecting it to get any easier. So this definitely doesn’t make anything easier for me. I don’t like fighting people I already know or I’ve already met or trained with or have video on me.”<br /><br />All of these distractions, and all the tentative talk about fighting a respected former training partner could shoot up red flags for 99.9% of the fighters out there. But not for Diaz. In Thursday’s pre-fight press conference, the 28-year old seemed loose, tossed out a couple one-liners, and even cracked a smile or two. Why the switch? Maybe it’s because the hard work is done, the “beauty pageant,” as he calls it, is almost over, and now he can get down to fighting.<br /><br />“I’ve been there putting in 100%,” he said. “I always said that’s what’s important. You’ve got people that want to see fights, they want to see good fights, they want to see a good fighter and that’s what I’m trying to bring to the table.”<br /><br />When all is said and done, that’s what matters, right? Not the pre-fight hype, but the fight. Perhaps the best line Diaz has had recently was when he was questioned about his late arrival to the UFC 137 call and said in an exasperated tone, as if the rest of us just didn’t get it, “you gotta know I’m not sitting here with my phone waiting for a call; I’m waiting for some training. I’m trying to get some relax time before I have to go back to another four hours of training. I’m training hard.”<br /><br />And when he’s trained hard, he fights hard, whether it’s against a friend or a bitter enemy. On Saturday night, in the eye of his own unique hurricane, Nick Diaz will finally be at peace. It’s D-Day, and the only person he has to talk to in the Octagon is BJ Penn.<br /><br />“I fight harder than these guys man,” he said. “I fight harder than these guys, I look better than these guys, I do better than these guys and that’s why. And I don’t get no help and I don’t worry about no help. So that’s what takes up all my time, training and trying to become the best in the world here, all right? That’s what you’re dealing with here. The whole world out there, ain’t nobody can beat me.”<br /><div class="news-image image-left" jquery1319821428356="2" sizcache="6" sizset="86"><br /><span class="caption">UFC welterweight Nick Diaz</span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Daniel Herbertson: UFC Japan Will Be PPV Event; Doubleheader Plans Abandoned</h1> <p>2011-10-28T10:00:00.000-07:00</p> <div id="fb_like_container"><a href="http://mmafighting.com/2011/10/28/ufc-japan-to-be-a-ppv-event-double-header-plans-abandoned/" name="aol-facebook-like" rel="article"></a></div><div id="articleStr"><div class="entry-content" id="20092903">The UFC's long-awaited return to Japan on Feb. 26, 2012 will be a full pay-per-view level event, sources have confirmed to MMA Fighting as initially reported by Dave Meltzer. Zuffa has thus abandoned its controversial plan to have the UFC Japan event act as a free-to-air lead-in to a Las Vegas PPV event.<br /><br />With a 10 a.m. local start time, the possibility that the Feb. 26, 2012 Japanese UFC event would act as a lead-in to a Las Vegas pay-per-view event, and the lack of local network TV deal, many were quick to criticize the first Japanese UFC event of the Zuffa era. <br /><br />Although Japanese fans will still be forced to make the morning commute to Saitama Super Arena, MMA Fighting has learned that significant progress has been made towards ensuring the success of the first UFC event in Japan since Dec. 2000 as along with the elevation to PPV for the UFC Japan event, Zuffa has signed a marketing and promotional deal with local advertising giant Dentsu Inc. and a lucrative broadcast deal is currently being negotiated. <br /><br />In an effort to breach the notoriously difficult Japanese market, Zuffa has acquired a significant ally as MMA's leading promoter has signed an undisclosed deal with Dentsu Inc., Japan's leading advertising agency, to assist with ticket sales, marketing, sponsorship and acquiring a larger TV deal in Japan.<br /><br />Currently UFC content is only broadcast in Japan on WOWOW private satellite TV or through NTT Plala's Hikari TV. History has shown though that these relatively small subscription TV audiences have not been enough to support even the most popular local MMA promotions. For the UFC to grow a significant fan base in the East, a mass distribution TV deal is required.<br /><br />Although a deal is yet to be reached, Zuffa and Dentsu have recently made significant strides towards securing wider TV coverage, possibly paving the way for more lucrative sponsorship options and most importantly, local news and talk show coverage.<br /><br />Bouts and ticketing information for the Feb. 26 UFC Japan event are scheduled to be announced in late November.</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> </main></body></html>