Andrei Arlovski fighting Devin Cole at World Series of Fighting event

Two heavyweights with a propensity for putting opponents away have been paired up for a meeting at the inaugural World Series of Fighting event, as a bout between Andrei Arlovski and Devin Cole has been announced for the November 3 lineup. Both men will enter the bout with back-to-back wins in the rear-view mirror and double-digit TKOs to their credit.

WSoF officials confirmed the clash earlier today in a press release.

“We are thrilled to welcome both Andrei and Devin to the World Series of Fighting roster and to have them headline our first live event,” said promotional president Ray Sefo. “Both of these heavyweights have delivered some incredibly memorable highlights during their careers and their matchup should be a barnburner.”

Arlovski was last seen scrapping with Tim Sylvia under the ONE FC banner where he saw a win dissolve into a No Contest based on some confusion relating to the organization’s rules on kicks to a downed opponent. Prior to the fight he’d scored consecutive TKOs, improving his number of strike-based stoppages to 13 in 17 total wins.

Arlovski Has No Regrets About Soccer-Kicking Sylvia

The 20-9-1 Cole emerged as a force in Strikeforce where he went the distance against Daniel Cormier and defeated Shawn Jordan. Thirteen of his victories have involved some form of finish including ten TKOs.

The November event is expected to feature a number of other notable competitors on the card including Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante, Gerald Harris, and Miguel Torres.

PHOTO CREDIT – PROELITE

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Source: http://www.fighters.com/09/25/andrei-arlovski-fighting-devin-cole-at-world-series-of-fighting-event

Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett  David Baron  Phil Baroni Don Barr

Chael Sonnen didn’t show at Anderson Silva’s barbecue

Remember how before Anderson Silva beat Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, Sonnen said he wanted Silva's wife to make him a steak, and then after the fight, Silva invited Sonnen to a a barbecue? Well, the barbecue happened, but Sonnen didn't show.

Silva says it wasn't just some hamburgers on the grill affair, but a true Brazilian gaucho barbecue. Sonnen now has his sights on UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and he's forgotten all about his pal Andy.

Thanks, Fightlinker.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/chael-sonnen-didn-t-show-anderson-silva-barbecue-175039572--mma.html

Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian Karen Grigoryan Kendall Grove

UFC 152 fights are official after weigh-ins

UFC 152 is ready to go after weigh-ins on Friday afternoon in Toronto. Both title fights are official. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones came in under weight, as did his challenger, former middleweight contender Vitor Belfort. Joseph Benavidez also came in underweight, and Demetrious Johnson, who will fight Benavidez for the inaugural UFC flyweight belt, weighed in at exactly 125 lbs.

The weigh-ins were not without excitement. Jones was booed by the Toronto crowd as he was interviewed by UFC commentator Joe Rogan. Charles Oliveira did not make weight on his first try. Michael Bisping and Brian Stann's face-off forced UFC president Dana White to step in before their fight started a day early.

Here are complete results, thanks to MMA Junkie.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
•    Champ Jon Jones (204.6) vs. Vitor Belfort (204.2)
•    Joseph Benavidez (124.4) vs. Demetrious Johnson (125)
•    Michael Bisping (185.6) vs. Brian Stann (185.4)
•    Matt Hamill (205.6) vs. Roger Hollett (203.6)
•    Charles Oliveira (146.4)* vs. Cub Swanson (145.8)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)
•    Vinny Magalhaes (204.8) vs. Igor Pokrajac (205)
•    Evan Dunham (155) vs. T.J. Grant (154.6)
•    Lance Benoist (170.4) vs. Sean Pierson (169.4)
•    Marcus Brimage (145.4) vs. Jim Hettes (145.8)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
•    Seth Baczynski (171) vs. Simeon Thoresen (170.4)
•    Mitch Gagnon (135) vs. Walel Watson (135.2)
•    Charlie Brenneman (170.8) vs. Kyle Noke (170.4)

* - Oliveira missed weight by four-tenths of a pound on the first try. He was able to cut down to 146.2. He will not be fined as Swanson agreed to fight.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-152-fights-official-weigh-ins-210856236--mma.html

Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen  Chris Dolman

UFC on FUEL TV 5's Tom Watson ready to put talk to rest, make impression in UFC debut

NOTTINGHAM, England - Tom Watson is a little tired of talking about it. Now it's time to prove it.

Watson makes his UFC debut Saturday in his native England against Brad Tavares, and "Kong" is over answering questions about the excitement of fighting in the world's biggest promotion - though, naturally, he's thrilled about it.

The former BAMMA middleweight champ brings 11 wins in his past 12 fights into his octagon bow at UFC on FUEL TV 5 in Nottingham.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/7ti1MkSwMQs/ufc-on-fuel-tv-5s-tom-watson-ready-to-put-talk-to-rest-make-impression-in-ufc-debut.mma

Luiz Cane  Dos Caras Jr   Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin 

Riddle, Jimmo and Ring talk about their wins at UFC 149 in Calgary - UFC 149

MMACanada.net catches up with the winners of UFC 149 right after their bouts as Matt Riddle, Ryan Jimmo and Nick Ring discuss their moments of victory in the octagon

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-149/riddle-jimmo-and-ring-talk-about-their-wins-at-ufc-149-in-calgary-video_36faf03a1.html

Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo 

Biological UFO's

Not metal-looking disks, triangles, squares or cylinders. But UFO's with movements similar to biological creatures. What's Up with that?

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79302-Biological-UFO-s&goto=newpost

Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan

Dan Hardy works out with most adorable training partner ever (VIDEO)

While training for his bout with UFC on Fuel 5 with Amir Sadollah, Dan Hardy tried working with a new partner. This one brought speed and heart, but did have to ask his mom before he worked out with Hardy.

If you want to know why Hardy has an undying popularity with MMA fans, look at this video. Fans love how he gives his all in the cage, but also that he's incredibly nice to fans outside of it. You can expect a raucous reception when he walks out in Nottingham on Saturday.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/dan-hardy-works-most-adorable-training-partner-ever-123930493--mma.html

Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan

UFC open to Anthony Johnson return, but Bellator fighters off limits due to 'despicable' deals

While it's surprising for the UFC to cut a fighter on a 5-2 run in the promotion, Anthony Johnson's weight-cutting issues prompted just such a scenario.

But with the former welterweight now having success at light heavyweight, UFC President Dana White hasn't ruled out his return to the octagon.

That's assuming, though, that Johnson doesn't sign a "borderline criminal" Bellator contract.

First things first, though. Johnson, who got the UFC ax after missing weight for a UFC 142 bout with Vitor Belfort earlier this year, has found new life at light heavyweight. This past weekend, he picked up a head-kick TKO win over fellow UFC vet Jake Rosholt at a regional show in Oklahoma. That followed a 195-pound win over Dave Branch and a 205-pound-debut win of Esteves Jones (via TKO).

Following Saturday's UFC 152 event in Toronto, White said he'd like to see Johnson (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) get another win in the weight class.

"We'll see," he said of Johnson's potential return. "I like the kid. It's not like I don't like him. I want to see him make weight another time and then we'll (decide). I don't care what weight he's at as long as he f---in' makes weight."

Of course, that possibility will become less likely if Johnson were to sign with Bellator. While on the topic of releasing and signing fighters, White took aim at Bellator. The organization largely had stayed out of the UFC's crosshairs over the past four years. However, this past month, prospect Tyson Nam upset Bellator champion Eduardo Dantas at a Shooto event in Brazil.

Some organizations hoped to capitalize on Nam's status. However, Nam previously had a deal with Bellator, and though he never fought for the organization, officials have used a matching clause in the contract to get in any of the current negotiations.

That didn't sit well with White.

"I don't talk much about Bellator, but what they do is one of the dirtiest things you can do in the business," he said. "It's dirty, it's grimy, and it's just despicable. I have the right to match (contracts), but once I cut a guy and let him go and somebody else tries to sign him, I don't come back and say, 'Oh, you're breaking the contract. I have matching rights.'

"When you made the decision to cut him, you cut him. That's one of the dirtiest things you can do in the fight business. [Tyson Nam] is not going to make or break the UFC. But the problem is, the dirty scumbag moves that these guys are pulling hurts the fighter. It's one of the dirtiest, low-down despicable things you can do in the fight business. I have no beef with those guys. They're doing their own thing, and I could care less. But that's dirty. It's borderline criminal."

http://mmajunkie.com/news/30766/ufc-...able-deals.mma

UFC was trying to sign Tyson Nam? Interesting.

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79273-UFC-open-to-Anthony-Johnson-return-but-Bellator-fighters-off-limits-due-to-despicable-deals&goto=newpost

Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen  Chris Dolman Edson Drago  Tomasz Drwal

Cain Velasquez still waiting for confirmation of clash with champ Junior dos Santos

A title-fight featuring UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos and former divisional king Cain Velasquez has been linked to UFC 155 for months. Despite some flirtation with the notion of fighting currently suspended contender Alistair Overeem, Dos Santos has publicly expressed his desire to face Velasquez with the American Kickboxing Academy also making it known the feeling is mutual, meaning the match-up should be a done deal.

However, while both fighters are available and interested, it appears the UFC has yet to actually book the bout.

“Not officially, but we’re looking to fight that day,” responded Velasquez in an interview with Inside MMA when asked about duking it out in December with Dos Santos. “Right now, I’m preparing for the rematch to happen. If the UFC tells me something different, then a I gotta prepare for something else, but right now I think it’s a for sure thing that I’m going to be fighting Dos Santos on December 29.”

Dos Santos Sees Velasquez as a Bigger Challenge than Overeem

Velasquez will be looking to redeem himself if/when he meets with Dos Santos in the Octagon. The two fought last November where “Cigano” knocked Velasquez out in the opening round of action to claim the UFC title.

Check out the complete interview with Velasquez below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Source: http://www.fighters.com/09/26/cain-velasquez-still-waiting-for-confirmation-of-clash-with-champ-junior-dos-santos

Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah 

Who should replace Jose Aldo at UFC 153?

After Jose Aldo pulled out of his title defense with Frankie Edgar, the UFC was left without a main event in a fight card that is a month away. Who can fill in and face Edgar? Here are some possibilities.

Chan Sung Jung: "The Korean Zombie" is popular, an exciting fighter and will still have Brazilian fans excited to see a card that was decimated in just a few hours time. His last three fights have ended in stoppages, and his win over Dustin Poirier proved he's ready for big time.

Chad Mendes: On Tuesday, Mendes tweeted, "Let's make it for the interim title and IM IN!!" The interim title stipulation is a bit odd when it's not yet known exactly how long  Aldo will be out and unable to defend the belt.

Ricardo Lamas: He had already accepted the fight with Aldo for UFC 153 when Edgar stepped in. He has wins in his last three fights, and could be ready to go for the fight card n Rio.

Jimy Hettes: "The Kid" is undefeated and has shown he can pull out thrilling submission wins. He is scheduled to fight Marcus Brimage at UFC 152, but if there's anything this summer has taught MMA fans, it's that all fight cards are subject to change.

Godofredo Pepey: His fight record is not one that dictates main event status, but it's really, really fun to say Godofredo Pepey.

Who do you want to see in the UFC 153 man event? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/replace-jose-aldo-ufc-153-125035385--mma.html

Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis  Tony DeSouza  Edwin Dewees 

Stefan Struve sees similarities between himself and other UFC champions

Stefan Struve took his first MMA fight at 17 years old, and now, at 24, he has already been in the Octagon with some of the sport’s top talent. At the age of 21 he made his debut against current heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, and although he fell short in the contest, he knows what its like to be in the cage with one of the best. Some people can’t get around his size, standing at 6’11 with a 84.5 in reach, but Struve thinks its no accident that it seems to be a common thread in a few of MMA’s biggest stars.

“My physique is not the most common,” Struve told MMAfighting. “But look at Jon Jones. He’s a tall, lanky champ. Anderson Silva is a tall, lanky champ. So the tall guys are doing well, and I plan on being a tall, lanky champ in the future.”

Struve understands he is young and has a long career ahead of him, but he is in no hurry to be champion.

“I’m going to retire with about 80 UFC fights,” Struve explained. “We’ll see. It’s just business as usual. Take it fight by fight, have fun with it. I’ve been doing it since I was 17 years old. The UFC was a real big step up and it really showed me that there were a lot of areas I had to work on, but I’m really enjoying it. I’m going to keep on doing this for a long time.”

Clearly, despite being young, Struve has the maturity to under it’s a process and, to hear him tell it, he has seen how some fighters were thrown into title fights before being ready, stating, “You don’t want to do it too fast because you’re going to fall down.”

Days out from his main event fight with the undefeated Stipe Miocic (9-0) in Nottingham, England, the Dutch fighter is calm, cool and collected.

“I don’t stress about all the things that happen day-to-day,” he revealed. “The media, the fans, and all that. I just do it all with a smile on my face, have fun with it, and do my thing. I couldn’t be more thankful for the way things are going. It’s just something I’ve done so many times before and it’s starting to get easier every time.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/09/28/stefan-struve-sees-similarities-between-himself-and-other-ufc-champions/

Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes

Gilbert Melendez opens up on injury, disappointment with card's cancellation

Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez really wanted to tough out the shoulder injury he received in training, but it was just bad timing and too close to the fight for him to go through with it. As a result, Strikeforce canceled the entire September 29 card when Showtime decided not to air the event, though Melendez had no idea that that was an even option.

“That didn’t even cross my mind, to be honest,” Melendez told MMAFighting. “It didn’t cross my mind at all. It’s a bummer to hear about that.”

Similarly stunned by the development, the move also seemed like a rash decision to other fighters on the card, especially since lightweight contender (and former champion) Josh Thomson was scheduled for action and was willing to fill in for Melendez. And even more, Thomson is from California where the event was being held. However, that didn’t seem to inspire Showtime to give the show a shot.

Melendez went through the timeline as to what had happened and said he let matchmaker Sean Shelby know as soon as it happened.

“I let them know the issue that I was injured,” Melendez said. “I was going to try to tough it out over the next couple days and give them a heads up by Friday. That’s when I told Shelby.”

The unfortunate news to all of this is that the injury happened on one of Melendez’s last day of sparring.

“About 12 days out of the fight, I was training hard,” explained the disappointed title-holder. “One of my last days, last days of hard sparring, I was training hard and Jake Shields and I were battling on a takedown and I didn’t want to give it up. I landed hard on my shoulder and ended up separating (it).”

Melendez said there was a day when he would have toughed it out and still gone a head with the fight. However, now that he is champ, he felt he had to keep things in perspective.

“If I had a broken leg, I’d tough it out, for my family, for my daughter, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” the champ concluded. “It came down to what is good for me, what is good for my career. I can let my ego take over like maybe in my younger years. But, it’s a business now and I had to treat it like a business. I could have gone out there and fought with one arm, but it’s not the best choice for my career and I don’t think Pat wants to win like that, I think most fighters in my situation would understand.”

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

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Source: http://www.fighters.com/09/25/gilbert-melendez-opens-up-on-injury-disappointment-with-cards-cancellation

Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar

Loving MMA isn’t cheap: How much four MMA fans spent on their favorite sport

When it comes to finances, MMA is not like other sports. A football fan could have spent all day Sunday watching football without spending a dime. Network television provided plenty of games to satiate the need for football for even the most avid fans. Sure, a fan could spend extra for the NFL Network's Red Zone coverage, or to watch Monday or Thursday night's games on cable. But spending money isn't necessary to watch most football games.

Outside of five cards on Fox and the upstart World Series of Fighting on NBC, MMA fans need to spend money to see fights. It's not a cheap sport to love. Between pay-per-views, cable subscriptions, tickets and DVDs, fans drop a lot of cash on MMA.

Four Cagereaders tracked their expenses on MMA and were nice enough to share them.

Will, 34 from North Carolina:

I wound up going out of town for the ppv so no money there.  I do subscribe to showtime so if you count that for the Rousey fight night, I dropped 15 bucks for showtime.  I think you had wanted food etc.  figure for food and beer that night, we spent another 25 bucks or so.

Total for Will: $40

RJ is 34, and lives in Richland, Wash. He went to Las Vegas early in August:

Out of pocket expense is a lost wager of $50 on Bader (I really thought he'd do better plus the odds would have paid off nicely) and about $25 for food and beverage in the sportsbook.

I did not purchase a PPV this month.

Total for RJ: $75

Ryan, from Iowa, said he has spent up to $2,500 for a trip to Las Vegas for a UFC event. But August was cheaper for this avid MMA fan:

UFC 150 on pay per view - $55

UFC 145 on DVD - $11.88

UFC 146 on DVD - $11.88

I purchase every DVD released from the UFC.

Strikeforce: Rousey vs Kaufman - Ordered Showtime at $15 per month.  I usually wait and order in time for Dexter to start, but decided to do it earlier so I had it in time for this fight.

Total for Ryan: $90.76

Troy is from Sunnyvale, Calif., and spent the most among our Cagereaders:

August 4 -- UFC on Fox- Fortunately this was a free card put on by the UFC but my group of friends and I would have easily paid for this card. The only expense for this was bringing food and soda to the viewing party at my friend's house. Total was $20 for chips, salsa, and 2 liters.

August 7 -- I was charged my monthly fee ($75) for training at the Academy of Self Defense in Santa Clara, CA. This is where I train in Muay Thai and Boxing. Being a fan of MMA, I like to train in order to learn more about the sport and understand the sacrifices these athletes make to compete at such a high level.

August 11 -- UFC 150: Henderson/Edgar- A bunch of my friends and I were in Las Vegas to watch the fights and we were charged $10 to watch the fights at a local bar/restaurant. In addition to that I also made a trip out to Wanderlei's gym because he is my favorite fighter. He wasn't at the gym that day but I did pick up another Wand Fight Team pair of shorts for $40.

August 18 -- Strikeforce on Showtime- Thankfully one of my friends has Showtime so we had a group of friends come over to watch the fights, BBQ, and drink. I spent $20 on alcohol and various foods for the event.

Random stuff -- I bought into a couple of group case breaks of UFC trading cards. Total amount of money spent on two breaks was $68.97 and I bought spots for three fighters (Dustin Poirier, Dominick Cruz, Gilbert Melendez). I ended up getting some nice cards in return.

Total for Troy: $233.97

It averages out to $119.93 per Cagereader. Personally, I spent $54.95 for the pay-per-view (which was reimbursed by Yahoo! Sports), $10 for Showtime, and around $15 for Thai food delivery on each fight night.

How does it add up for you? What kind of expenses do you have to be an MMA fan? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

NFL video from Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
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• The Knicks may rehire Isiah Thomas, but the work (good and bad) is mostly done.
• Y! News: PEZ artist making name for himself

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/loving-mma-isn-t-cheap-four-mma-fans-152958542--mma.html

Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett  David Baron  Phil Baroni

Dan Hardy still has sights set on showdown with Matt Hughes

UFC welterweight Dan Hardy is currently focused on a fight this weekend with Amir Sadollah at UFC on Fuel 5. However, if “The Outlaw” escapes the event with a second straight win in tow it sounds like he’ll go back to lobbying for a bout against divisional great Matt Hughes.

Hughes hasn’t fought in a year, staying semi-retired from the sport though not officially calling it quits. During that time the avid hunter has gone on a number of trips including a recent excursion to Africa. Hardy, whose love of animals is as strong as Hughes’ desire to shoot them, has been criticial of the former champion’s hobby a number of times and took time to blast him once again when asked about the matter.

“I don’t really understand how you fly out to Africa, look out on the savannah, look at those animals and go ‘You know, I want to kill that.’ I can’t make sense of that in my head,” said Hardy in an interview with Fighters Only. “For someone who’s a self-proclaimed good-guy Christian, it just doesn’t calculate. He’s getting his morals mixed up somewhere. He really needs to have a look at himself and question what he’s doing.”

“Hunting for food, that’s one thing, but going out and shooting…I mean on that blog he was out there for what, two weeks? And he shot fifty animals. I don’t think he’s gonna eat that, let’s be honest,” Hardy concluded, adding a simple statement speaking volumes about his feelings on Hughes. “He’s not my kind of person.”

Hardy Out to Win Impressively in Scrap with Sadollah

The 24-10 Hardy is a former title-contender who bounced back from a rough stretch of defeats to score a knockout over Duane Ludwig earlier this year. Contrarily, Hughes has come up short in both of his last bouts, suffering knockouts to BJ Penn and Josh Koscheck respectively.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Source: http://www.fighters.com/09/27/dan-hardy-still-has-sights-set-on-showdown-with-matt-hughes

Pat Barry  Vitor Belfort  Robert Berry David Bielkheden Michael Bisping 

'The Ultimate Fighter 16' episode No. 3 discussion thread

Episode No. 3 of "The Ultimate Fighter 16" airs tonight on FX at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

This serves as the discussion thread for the debut of tonight's third episode, which sees the 16 cast members embark on their quest to become "the next Ultimate Fighter" under the watch of coaches Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson.

Follow along with tonight's episode on FX, and discuss it in the comments section of this thread. We'll then have an episode recap posted following the show's conclusion. (Note: Comments will include spoilers.)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/N_Jyx2H6sZs/the-ultimate-fighter-16-episode-no-3-discussion-thread.mma

Kendall Grove Clay Guida Jason Guida Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn

Honey boo boo child - A rare specimen

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79280-Honey-boo-boo-child-A-rare-specimen&goto=newpost

Luiz Cane  Dos Caras Jr   Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin 

UFC On Fuel TV: Struve Vs. Miocic Results, Coverage

Ready for a little afternoon UFC? Well, you better be. UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic takes place tonight in England, but due to the time difference, the card airs this afternoon in the U.S. In the main event, Stefan Struve and Stipe Miocic collide in their first-ever headline fight for the UFC. Also, [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/FeI3FmZAg7Y/

Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett  David Baron  Phil Baroni

Always big name fights in Toronto and Montreal?

Why does UFC always put big name fights in Toronto and Montreal?

Montreal: GSP, Machida, Spider, GSP, GSP again in 2 months
Toronto: GSP, Jones, Jones

Is it because most Canadian fans only buy tickets for big name fights?

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/105600-always-big-name-fights-toronto-montreal.html

Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner

HYDEN BLOG: Random Thoughts About UFC 152, Strikeforce Cancellation

By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor

Jon Jones beat Vitor Belfort in the co-main event of UFC 152 this past week. It was an impressive showing by Jones, and though few would consider Belfort an elite fighter, he's still dangerous. The other co-main event at UFC 152 saw Demetrious Johnson beat Joseph Benavidez by split decision to become the first UFC Flyweight Champion. Both fights were very exciting, and it was a pretty good card overall. With the numbers of shows the UFC runs these days, it's rare to see two title fights in one night.

*************

At UFC 152 Michael Bisping defeated Brian Stann. It was a nice victory that showed that Bisping is trying to improve his game. It wasn't a great victory, though, because Stann is still fairly limited in what he can do in the cage. I do think that Bisping is likely one more victory away from a title shot, but the problem is that he would be facing Anderson Silva. Bisping hasn't done one thing in any of his fights that makes me think that he could beat Silva. Still, if he earns the shot, he deserves it. It's highly unlikely, but Bisping might be able to pull off the upset.

*************

Cub Swanson had a great knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 152. It was kind of funny because Swanson hit Oliveira with a nice overhand and then Oliveira stood there for a second before falling to the mat. It was one of those delayed reactions that almost looks like a flop in basketball or soccer. Swanson could have smashed him again but he held off, showing good sportsmanship.

*************

At the press conference following UFC 152 Dana White said that they would consider Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen if enough fans want it. Who wants to see that? Legitimately? Even if that was a rhetorical question, I'll answer it. Chael Sonnen fans are the only ones who would want to see that fight happen now. Sonnen can have a title shot if he earns it. Let's at least see what Sonnen does against Forrest Griffin in December.

Dana admitted that a lot of people think that Sonnen talks his way into title shots, but, "You know that guy's going to show up to win." That's kind of a facepalm moment there because I'm kind of under the impression that every fighter shows up trying to win. Does anyone show up to lose? That's like that old joke, "I found my keys, they were in the last place I looked." I would sure hope so because why the hell would you keep looking after you already found them?

*************

News has also come out that Strikeforce has canceled their upcoming fight card after Gilbert Melendez, who was in the main event, had to withdraw due to injury. This is the second Zuffa card to be canceled recently due to a weak undercard. This Strikeforce cancellation isn't anywhere nearly as bad as the UFC cancellation, though. For one, there are not a lot of legitimate headliners in Strikeforce. However, the biggest reason it's not as bad is that this was a Showtime card. Obviously Showtime is a premium channel that you have to pay extra for, but I doubt there's many people out there who subscribe to Showtime solely to watch Strikeforce events.

The UFC event that was cancelled was a pay-per-view event that you had to pay $50-$60 for. By canceling it, the UFC is basically saying that you were paying that $50-$60 for one fight. In the case of the Strikeforce cancellation, you're also only getting one quality fight, but you're not shelling out a bunch of money just to see it.


Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/hydenstake/article_14473.shtml

Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson

UFC 152 fights are official after weigh-ins

UFC 152 is ready to go after weigh-ins on Friday afternoon in Toronto. Both title fights are official. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones came in under weight, as did his challenger, former middleweight contender Vitor Belfort. Joseph Benavidez also came in underweight, and Demetrious Johnson, who will fight Benavidez for the inaugural UFC flyweight belt, weighed in at exactly 125 lbs.

The weigh-ins were not without excitement. Jones was booed by the Toronto crowd as he was interviewed by UFC commentator Joe Rogan. Charles Oliveira did not make weight on his first try. Michael Bisping and Brian Stann's face-off forced UFC president Dana White to step in before their fight started a day early.

Here are complete results, thanks to MMA Junkie.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
•    Champ Jon Jones (204.6) vs. Vitor Belfort (204.2)
•    Joseph Benavidez (124.4) vs. Demetrious Johnson (125)
•    Michael Bisping (185.6) vs. Brian Stann (185.4)
•    Matt Hamill (205.6) vs. Roger Hollett (203.6)
•    Charles Oliveira (146.4)* vs. Cub Swanson (145.8)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)
•    Vinny Magalhaes (204.8) vs. Igor Pokrajac (205)
•    Evan Dunham (155) vs. T.J. Grant (154.6)
•    Lance Benoist (170.4) vs. Sean Pierson (169.4)
•    Marcus Brimage (145.4) vs. Jim Hettes (145.8)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
•    Seth Baczynski (171) vs. Simeon Thoresen (170.4)
•    Mitch Gagnon (135) vs. Walel Watson (135.2)
•    Charlie Brenneman (170.8) vs. Kyle Noke (170.4)

* - Oliveira missed weight by four-tenths of a pound on the first try. He was able to cut down to 146.2. He will not be fined as Swanson agreed to fight.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-152-fights-official-weigh-ins-210856236--mma.html

Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie Peter Graham

Live Video - UFC 154 announcement press conference with Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit will be in Montreal today to officially kick off UFC 154's media events. The two will square off for the undisputed UFC Welterweight Championship on Nov. 17 at the Bell Centre, and with tickets for the event on sale this week, the two will discuss the bout at a press conference beginning at 12PM ET. Tune in live with the embedded press conference stream below:



Video URL: http://www.youtube.com/user/UFC?v=5-xBGmwQY5Y

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_14491.shtml

Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Ao Hailin 

MMA HQ and BJJ HQ Daily Deals

For those of you that train on a regular basis, MMA HQ and BJJ HQ have daily deals of training equipment they sell for cheap with only $5 shipping on all orders. Check them out.

http://www.mmahq.com

http://www.bjjhq.com

(No I am not affiliated with these sites. I just want to pass info on the deals these guys pass on everyday.)

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79271-MMA-HQ-and-BJJ-HQ-Daily-Deals&goto=newpost

Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon

training bras

can anybody recommend one?

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79266-training-bras&goto=newpost

Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley 

Wish me luck!

We're testing rank today at my gym. It's gonna be tough and tiring, but I'm gonna get it! Coaches have high expectations of me, so that's added pressure. Our school has a shirt system similar to the belt system. I'm a white shirt going for a green shirt.

Kind of nervous :o

Source: http://forums.ufc.production.sparkart.net/showthread.php?t=127087&goto=newpost

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen 

Michael Bisping wants title shot, says he "was the better, more rounded fighter" at UFC 152

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Though Brian Stann felt he won the fight against Michael Bisping last Saturday night at UFC 152, it was the Brit walking out of Toronto with his hand raised. Bisping out-struck Stann through the three-round fight, save for one section where he got cracked by a big punch in the first round.

Bisping survived that slight moment of adversity, then showcased a well-rounded attack throughout the final ten minutes to take a clear unanimous decision. After the event, Bisping felt very good about the performance he put forth.

"I was really happy with it," Bisping said when speaking to Fuel TV's post-fight show. "Brian is a tough guy and he proved that tonight. I obviously wanted to finish the fight, but other than that it went the way I thought it would. I thought I would be faster to the punch, I thought I was a better technical fighter and I proved that. He hit me with a couple good shots. As I predicted, I was the better, more rounded fighter."

With the win, Bisping believes he deserves to be the number one contender for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Getting that fight depends on what Anderson Silva does following his bout with Stephan Bonnar next month, but Bisping believes the win made his case for him.

"I want to fight for the title," he said. "I have been here for a long time. I continue to win fights and do it impressively. I am a draw and I have been eyeing it for a long time. That is the fight I want."

Penick's Analysis: If Georges St-Pierre loses to Carlos Condit in November at UFC 154, I'd expect Anderson Silva to fight Bisping in early 2013. Silva wants a bigger fight, and while GSP is the bout he's eying, taking that away would put Bisping in line as the biggest name available for a bout. Others in the division would argue against him, staking their own claims for the Title fight. Of course, the timing works out in Bisping's favor, as the other two major middleweight bouts on the docket won't come until December. If St-Pierre-Silva happens next year, Bisping will more than likely face the Chris Weidman-Tim Boetsch winner to determine a definitive number one contender.

[Michael Bisping art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14471.shtml

Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo  Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai  Mac Danzig 

Pron star Kiristina Rose hates on men and MMA

Adult actress Kristina Rose recently posted an unintentionally hilarious blog entry detailing what she does not like about the male talent in the industry. The list prominently includes MMA.
Curse words had to be edited. In order to be even marginally comprehensible, it has to be understood that when the self described dental hygenist uses the term 'sus', short for suspect, it means shady or false.
This is Kristina (before, a shoot):

This is Kristina (after, an arrest):

Top Ten Reasons I Don’t Date Male Performers
10.) I refuse to f@$% a man that willingly owns and wears Affliction/ Ed Hardy s%!#. = SUS.
- All male performers have thee worst fashion EVER!!
‘….Hold on… Lemme throw on my Affliction shirt real quick… I just put my True Religion jeans on… Over my Calvin Klein panties I got at Ross… Where are my mom’s Nike running shoes??….”
lolz. I just can’t date a guy if his fashion is f@$%ed up. Not like that. I’d rather date a guy that looks homeless and can make dime store fashions work than a guy that dresses like a complete a$$hole.
9.) I refuse to date a man that chooses to spend a majority of his “off time” surrounded by and touching other sweaty men at the gym. It’s a extra NoGo if u roll around on a mat barefoot with another man for fun. (Crossfit / Ju Jitsu / MMA) = SUS.
- Why is it that almost all male performers like to surround themselves with sweaty men at the gym on their off time. Like that’s all they do. Often opting to roll around barefoot with them on a mat covered in other men’s sweat. That’s sus. This is also the reason why I am not really a fan of MMA. Straight men should never be touching each other all over their bodies when they are barefoot. Not unless they’re f@$%ing. Mainstream boxing is a corrupt sport now but at least they are really fighting. I feel like MMA is aggressive groping for men that keep their gay side repressed. It’s 2012. You can’t get married everywhere but it’s cool to be gay now. You can come out of hiding.
8.) I don’t date/f@$% insecure men. = SUS.
- You would think most men in porn would have the best self-confidence, riiight?? Being that they have big dicks and f@$% beautiful women all the time AND get PAID for it!! BUT, NO. Most if not ALL of the men in porn are super insecure. Looking for ego validation to fill the void their family created years ago. That’s not a struggle I’m trying to be a part of.
7.) I don’t date women haters. = SUS
- Most men in porn are secret woman haters. I think that this is how they probably were before they got into porn then over the years they’ve just grown to hate women more and more, because…
A) We make more money than they do (in porn)
&
B.) We get more dick than they do (in porn and out of porn)
6.) Most if not all porno guys are horrible at eating p@$$y. I can’t have that.
- There are a few exceptions but, not really. Most of them think they are good and brag about being good but really they aren’t. They’re just trying to close their eyes and quickly make their way down to eating our buttholes. Praying on the way down that the girl they’re working with is lazy and got stubble on her butt so at least they can pretend we’re a boys. = SUS
5.) I refuse to date a man that drinks Muscle Milk. = Sus.
4.) I don’t date guys that need to take viagra or poke their dicks with needles to get a boner. = SUPER SUS.
- The men I date get boners because I’m hot and a woman and they’re heterosexual. Men generally don’t have to take drugs to get a boner. And we can’t say that men need to be attracted to a woman to get a boner. Yes, some do but those men aren’t in porn. And pretty much every guy I know outside of porn that I’m friends with have at some point f@$%ed or got brain from an ugly girl and they were still able to get wood. So, really there’s no excuse. Most men in porn are all operating on Viagra and/ Caverject but like to walk around at conventions and shit like they’re better than civilian men. This is not the case. Take their medicine away and I bet money almost all of these porno guys wouldn’t be able to pull it off. Civilian Dick > Porno Dick.
3.) I don’t date men that take mirror pictures of themselves. = SUS.
- If you’re a man and your entire instagam is pictures of u in the mirror or self-shots I can NOT ever, EVER date you. This is something I have only seen male performers and my gays do. Gay men with the self-shots.. Do your thang, boo boo. I know you’re advertising. Gays get a pass. Supposedly “straight” men doing self-shots is a major NOGO. Especially since 9 times out of ten these self-shots are taken on set where there is plenty of naked women everywhere. If you’d rather take a picture of yourself lifting your shirt like some broke down valley version of the Situation, OVER taking a picture of your face buried into the ass of a women you’re about to f@$%.. well, u lack creativity and I want you to know we are ALL questioning your sexuality with every flick you post.
2.) I don’t date guys that wear Acqua Di Gio. = Sus.
1.) I don’t date guys that are sus.

Read entire blog...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79254-Pron-star-Kiristina-Rose-hates-on-men-and-MMA&goto=newpost

Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis  Tony DeSouza  Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz 

The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs UK Episode 2 Preview

The UFC has released a preview of the second installment of The Ultimate Fighter: UK vs Australia. This week’s coming episode features a surprise visit from UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos and the first lightweight fight of the season.

The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes can be viewed on FX in Australia, ESPN in the UK, and various online outlets included the UFC’s official youtube channel on Thursday at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT.

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/30507/the-ultimate-fighter-australia-vs-uk-episode-2-preview/

Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo  Luciano Azevedo 

Shane Carwin suffers knee injury but fight with Roy Nelson not in jeopardy

An apologetic Tweet from UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin revealing a recent knee injury had MMA fans declaring the injury bug is alive and well after watching a number of main events fall apart in recent weeks due to health-related woes. However, Five Ounces of Pain has been able to confirm his scheduled scrap with Roy Nelson is not at risk based on the situation.

“The injury isn’t bad. Shane just can’t travel because of swelling, and possible clots,” said manager Jason Genet. “He will be fine for the fight with Nelson.”

Carwin injured his knee in training and had already committed to doing some PR for The Ultimate Fighter 16 in England while Nottingham hosts UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic.

A former interim champion, Carwin (12-2) is expected to face Nelson (17–7) at the The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale on December 15. Although it’s early in the season, it is already abundantly clear that both fighters-turned-coaches do not see eye to eye with Nelson preaching the ‘just do enough to win’ mantra and Carwin encouraging his team to embrace the moment and make the best of it. The two have also taken aim at one another in countless media appearances and by way of online means with Carwin even going so far as to say he hates Nelson on a personal level.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

 

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/09/27/shane-carwin-suffers-knee-injury-but-fight-with-roy-nelson-not-in-jeopardy/

Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade 

UFC 152 fights are official after weigh-ins

UFC 152 is ready to go after weigh-ins on Friday afternoon in Toronto. Both title fights are official. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones came in under weight, as did his challenger, former middleweight contender Vitor Belfort. Joseph Benavidez also came in underweight, and Demetrious Johnson, who will fight Benavidez for the inaugural UFC flyweight belt, weighed in at exactly 125 lbs.

The weigh-ins were not without excitement. Jones was booed by the Toronto crowd as he was interviewed by UFC commentator Joe Rogan. Charles Oliveira did not make weight on his first try. Michael Bisping and Brian Stann's face-off forced UFC president Dana White to step in before their fight started a day early.

Here are complete results, thanks to MMA Junkie.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
•    Champ Jon Jones (204.6) vs. Vitor Belfort (204.2)
•    Joseph Benavidez (124.4) vs. Demetrious Johnson (125)
•    Michael Bisping (185.6) vs. Brian Stann (185.4)
•    Matt Hamill (205.6) vs. Roger Hollett (203.6)
•    Charles Oliveira (146.4)* vs. Cub Swanson (145.8)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)
•    Vinny Magalhaes (204.8) vs. Igor Pokrajac (205)
•    Evan Dunham (155) vs. T.J. Grant (154.6)
•    Lance Benoist (170.4) vs. Sean Pierson (169.4)
•    Marcus Brimage (145.4) vs. Jim Hettes (145.8)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
•    Seth Baczynski (171) vs. Simeon Thoresen (170.4)
•    Mitch Gagnon (135) vs. Walel Watson (135.2)
•    Charlie Brenneman (170.8) vs. Kyle Noke (170.4)

* - Oliveira missed weight by four-tenths of a pound on the first try. He was able to cut down to 146.2. He will not be fined as Swanson agreed to fight.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-152-fights-official-weigh-ins-210856236--mma.html

Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie

Tyson Nam cleared for World Series of Fighting after Bellator declines to match offer

A contentious few weeks between Bellator and Tyson Nam took a more civil turn today when the tournament-based promotion declined to match an offer the bantamweight received in the wake of his knockout of champ Eduardo Dantas.

"Bellator received the offer for Tyson Nam's next fight from a new promotional group (The World Series of Fighting), and we are not going to match that offer," Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a statement sent to MMAjunkie.com.

"We wish Tyson good luck as he moves forward."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/6wuVq4soNEU/tyson-nam-appears-headed-to-world-series-of-fighting-after-bellator-declines-to-match-offer.mma

Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia

Bellator Video Game Onslaught Preview - Bellator

Bellator Video Game Onslaught Preview Video by Bellator

Source: http://mmalice.com/bellator/bellator-video-game-onslaught-preview-video_3d104d702.html

Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen  Chris Dolman

Tyson Nam Cleared For World Series of Fighting

It would appear the legal issues of Tyson Nam are over. The Portland native, who earned the biggest win of his career hitherto last month by knocking out Bellator bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas at Shooto 33, has found himself embattled with the Bellator over his contract rights. According to the bantamweight, the problem has been resolved as the promotion has opted to not match the offer put in place by the highest bidder.

World Series of Fighting, who had been courting Nam to face former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres at their inaugural event on November 3, is now the new home of the heavy-handed Hawaiian. It still remains unclear as to whether or not the Portland native will compete at the event, but he can now rest easy and once again focus on his career.

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/30513/tyson-nam-cleared-for-world-series-of-fighting/

Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie

CFA – 2013 Ring Girl Calendar Photo Shoot

Go behind the scenes during a photo shoot with the ring girls from the Championship Fighting Alliance. CFA 08 takes place on October 6th at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. The event is headlined by a welterweight clash between Valdir Araujo and Marcus Aurelio.

Now on to the video…

CFA – 2013 Ring Girl Calendar Photo Shoot is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/mma/cfa-2013-ring-girl-calendar-photo-shoot-59659/

Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus  Todd Duffee  Marvin Eastman  Stav Crazy Bear Economou 

UFC on Fuel 5: Stefan Struve believes win over Stipe Miocic puts him into division's top five

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Saturday's UFC on Fuel 5 main event between Stefan Struve and Stipe Miocic may be a five round main event fight, but don't expect the fight to go the distance. Struve all but guaranteed this week that the fight wouldn't be anywhere near a 25-minute bout, expecting one or the other to finish things in quick fashion.

"Five round fight? It's not a five round fight. This isn't going five," Struve said after the open workouts in Nottingham, England. "It is a one or two round fight, depending on when I finish him. I am not worried about going five rounds if it happens, I hit pads for an hour at a time and every Thursday at my gym it is pretty much fight night where we do 15 x five minute rounds. I've changed nothing in my training. If it goes longer, okay, but I think this is a quick fight."

He also thinks a win over the currently undefeated Miocic will send him flying up the ranks, and believes it's a good matchup for him to showcase his continually improving skill set.

"A win here puts me in the top five in the world," Struve said. "There's a lot of hype on this guy and he's also coming off a big win. I'm only 24 but this is my twelfth fight in the UFC. I am going to do my business on Saturday night. I've been in the UFC for five years and I am really putting it together now as a mixed martial artist. I think this fight is a great showcase of what I can now do as a fighter."

Penick's Analysis: A win over Miocic will not be the fight that puts Struve into the top five, but a fourth straight win will still be impressive. He's got to avoid the heavy hands of the undefeated Miocic, as that's been his issue throughout his UFC career thus far, but he's got a great ground game and can showcase that once again on Saturday. That said, he's not wrong about the fight itself. There's almost no way this matchup produces a five round decision, as both fighters are proven finishers. Struve's only gone to decision once in his entire UFC career, so it's not likely he'll hit a fourth round let alone a fifth, and that makes for an exciting matchup in Nottingham this weekend.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14499.shtml

Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian

Demetrious Johnson reflects on making history at UFC 152 with flyweight title win

During Demetrious Johnson’s win over Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 it became apparent Johnson had a speed advantage over his adversary. In fact, even commentator Joe Rogan mentioned the story of the fight was the speed of Johnson, a notion “Mighty Mouse was quick to agree with as well when asked about the co-headlining clash.

“When Joseph starts to duck his head a little bit at me, I can tell that he’s about to throw that overhand right. There were a couple of times where I actually stayed in the pocket, and I blocked it just by raising my hand up because it’s such a wild punch,” Johnson told Sherdog. “It’s not coming straight down the pipe, so you can get away with having your arms wide out. It worked out to my advantage. You could see them coming because Joseph likes to bury his feet and duck his head when he throws.”

Johnson continued by saying the Benavidez fight went exactly the way he thought it would, explaining, “Joseph Benavidez is a tough competitor. He likes to throw those big haymakers, and when I watched the fight, I thought I did a great job making him miss a whole lot. I wish I could have stayed in the pocket a little more to make him pay for missing. He missed a lot of shots and he got away with just missing.”

The Split Decision win over Benavidez resulted in the 26-year old becoming the UFC’s first flyweight champion. Despite the closeness of the scorecards, one of the few times Johnson was really in trouble came in the fourth round when Benavidez mounted him with a Guillotine Choke sunk in. Still, Johnson said he never panicked and felt comfortable the entire time.

“It was nowhere near close,” revealed Johnson. “The choke was a good application around my neck, but other than that, I was nowhere near close to going out. We trained that a lot at AMC. I mean, for 10 weeks straight. There’s been a couple of times during training camp where I almost bit through my lip because guys were trying to crank on it.”

Johnson concluded by saying he was unsure how the judges were going to score it before Bruce Buffer announced the results, but he personally felt like he’d won the fight. Upon second review he still feels the same way.

“When you look at mixed martial arts, you look at every aspect of the game. I felt that I won every aspect. The stand-up, I felt that I had the cleaner strikes, the better counterattacks. Takedown defense, I think I defended the majority of his takedowns. He dropped me once, but I recovered. I defended all of his submission attempts. I took him down multiple times, had a couple of good slams in there,” said the proud member of UFC history. “When you look on paper, I felt that I won that fight. It looks like the judges got it right.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/09/26/demetrious-johnson-reflects-on-making-history-at-ufc-152-with-flyweight-title-win/

Edson Drago  Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus  Todd Duffee 

Rory MacDonald getting ready for December return, wants to fight more often

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Rory MacDonald is nearing a return to training camp following a nasty cut suffered late this summer. The UFC welterweight was scheduled to face B.J. Penn at last weekend's UFC 152 event in Toronto, but he received a cut over his right eye in sparring that required nearly 40 stitches, and he's been unable to return to full training.

Appearing on Tuesday's new edition of "UFC Tonight" on Fuel TV, MacDonald updated his status, and said he's closing in on a return to camp to begin preparations for the Penn fight, which has since been moved to UFC on Fox 5 in December.

"I'm feeling a lot better now," MacDonald said. "I'm able to do technique, hit pads and do conditioning. That brings up my spirits, rather than sitting on my ass. I'm putting what happened behind me and starting camp in two weeks."

MacDonald did say some changes will be coming for him, as he's growing impatient with longer fight camps and wants to make faster turnarounds between fights moving forward.

"It's been tough [waiting for my injury to heal]. I'm ready to fight right away," MacDonald said. "I'm not one to sit on the sidelines. But it seems like I can't stop getting injured in training. I'm going to make changes in how I prepare for fights and to do things my way from now on. It's going to let me fight a lot more. I'm going to take fights on shorter notice. I'm learning from the older guys and see how they prepare for fights, like the two months of training camp. I'm tired of that. I'll fight more often."

Penick's Analysis: MacDonald has a bit of a sore spot for his training team at the moment. He's battled some injuries while at Tristar, and this most recent one happened because of an overzealous sparring partner. Though he said he'll remain with Tristar, he sounds like he's taking a different approach to things going forward, at least as far as how he does things in camp. Hopefully any changes made can help him avoid injury, getting him through this camp to face Penn on the now-stacked UFC on Fox 5 event in Seattle.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14483.shtml

Ryan Gracie Peter Graham Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian

Igor Pokrajac Apologizes for Bitter Twitter Post After UFC 152 Loss

Sour grapes are not the food of choice among mixed martial art fans. That’s why they laid into light heavyweight Igor Pokrajac (Pictured) for complaining about his submission loss to Vinny Magalhaes at UFC 152.

Shortly after Saturday’s defeat, Pokrajac took to his Twitter to vent about his defeat to the Brazilian jiu jitsu specialist.

“If I wanted to do a grappling match I would go on a grappling tournament, this is MMA and UFC fans want a fight,” Pokrajac posted.

Ironically, it was Pokrajac who initiated the 2ndRound takedown against Magalhaes. Seconds later he found himself tapping out to a slick armbar submission.

After a couple of long days, it appears Pokrajac has finally gotten the bitter taste of defeat out of his mouth.

“Sorry to all MMA fans on my [last] tweet after the fight, was [pissed] off because of my mistake I lost the fight. Vinny did his best,” Pokrajac backpedaled Tuesday. “I didn’t show anything I was prepared for, next fight I will do my best for all UFC and MMA fans. thank you all on big support.”

If Pokrajac was disappointed in his performance, think about those who laid good money on the 2-to-1 odds-on favorite to spoil Magalhaes’ return to the Octagon.

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/128545/igor-pokrajac-apologizes-for-bitter-twitter-post-after-ufc-152-loss/

Marcus Davis  Tony DeSouza  Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon

A bit disappointed with Rogan last night

He's usually a guy who speaks his mind but he was really plugged into the corporate machine when he was talking about Jon Jones.

It's a cheap, retarded spin job people use today. If you fuck up and do something stupid/douchey, just call it "adversity". When people rightfully shit on you for being an idiot/douche, just call it "negative energy that you need to overcome". Listening to Rogan's puffy interview with Jones last night, I felt like I was supposed to feel bad for poor Jones because everyone was so unfair to him.

I don't wanna stereotype, but it seems like black celebrities have mastered this. Remember when Chris Brown beat the hell out of Rhiana, the trouble he got in was just "adversity he had to be strong and overcome", like it was just one of life's little tests. Everyone who thought he was a woman-beating prick was just a "hater" who was jealous of his "sexy".

I'm sick of these idiots. Rogan should have more integrity than to buy into this "poor Jon Jones" spin job.

That's just MHO though. If you guys disagree and trash me for it, yall just haters.

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79264-A-bit-disappointed-with-Rogan-last-night&goto=newpost

Chris Dolman Edson Drago  Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus