Diaz's face and number of punches landed clearly states: Condit won. Yet this is all we see on twitter right now by other fighters:
"Joe Lauzon
I eagerly await fight metrics for this fight... I thought Diaz won that all night long."
"Mark Muñoz
Here's the decision! Wow! Crazy decision! Condit wins via unanimous decision! Congrats Condit! #ufc143"
"Pat Miletich
That decision was an absolute joke. At best, Condit won 2 rounds."
So people complain Condit walked backwards the whole time. So what? He walked backwards and destroyed Diaz's face. Know who walks backwards and wins fights and no one complains like this? Lyoto Machida. If you want to see a boring fight watch any Machida fight from 2010 and back. Don't forget a nice fluffy pillow because you will fall asleep from boredom because Machida throws two punches and runs for 10 seconds. I saw Condit throw kick after kick followed by punches the whole time. This is the first time Diaz has been out struck in an octagon yet people complain.
Condit won. Get over it.
ON TO (another boring fighter) GSP!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Battlefield 3 Preload DirectX Error Fix
For those of you with the internal directx error for battlefield 3 here is the solution
Thursday, August 4, 2011
"Suga" Meets Fallon
"Suga" Rashad Evans is on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tonight... Former UFC light heavyweight champion "Suga" Rashad Evans will take a break from his training schedule on Friday, July 29th, to make his debut appearance on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Evans will discuss his upcoming main event rematch against Tito Ortiz on August 6th's UFC 133 card in Philadelphia, along with other topics with host Jimmy Fallon on the hit series, which airs at 12:35am ET / 11:35pm CT.
Other guests tonight include Brian Williams and co-host Chris Kattan. And for more info, visit http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/
Strikeforce’s Three Stars: Tate, Henderson and Saffiedine
In front of a raucous crowd in suburban Chicago, Strikeforce delivered with another card of exciting fights. Who rose above the rest? Here's are Cagewriter's picks. Tell us yours in the comments or on Facebook.
No. 1 star -- Miesha Tate: Marloes Coenen was beaten at her own game Saturday night, as Tate outgrappled and then tapped out the submission artist with an arm triangle choke to win the Strikeforce women's bantamweight belt. Next, she will get to avenge a loss against Sarah Kaufman.
No. 2 star -- Dan Henderson: The battle of legends didn't fail, as Hendo and Fedor Emelianenko came out swinging, packing every second of their 4:12 bout with action. Henderson's ability to withstand strikes was tested, but with smart wrestling and a mean uppercut, he was able to take the fight.
No. 3 star -- Tarec Saffiedine: It was a good day for Team Quest, Henderson's training camp, as Saffiedine put on a striking clinic against Scott Smith. He battered his face for three rounds to earn the unanimous decision. Next, he is expected to rematch with Tyron Woodley for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight belt.
Related: three stars, Dan Henderson, Miesha Tate, Strikeforce: Fedor vs. HendersonFedor loses again! Henderson’s power turns out the lights
Facing a third straight loss, Fedor Emelianenko tried some new tricks before and during his fight against Dan Henderson. But his opponent was simply better and a little more resilient in the main event of Strikeforce's event at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Just seconds away from possibly losing the fight after a Fedor barrage, Henderson kept his wits, pulled off a nifty escape and landed an uppercut that changed the fight. That one punch plopped Fedor straight down on his face where Henderson landed three more shots and referee Herb Dean chose to save the fallen former champ at 4:12 of the first round.
From 2000-08, Emelianenko was considered one of the top three mixed martial arts fighters, if not the top fighter, in the world. He reeled off 31 wins without a legitimate loss (only loss due to fight stopped because of a cut) .
But it's been a rough run recently for the former PRIDE king. He lost via shocking submission to Fabricio Werdum, was dominated by a massive heavyweight in Antonio Silva and Saturday, he was stopped via strikes for the first time in his career by the Strikeforce light heavyweight champ, who came into the fight giving away 16 pounds.
Henderson (28-8) fought 18 times in PRIDE in Japan, so he's well aware of Fedor's place in the sport.
"I've been a huge fan of Fedor forever and I respect him so much as a fighter, and what he has done for the sport," Henderson told Showtime's Gus Johnson. "For me, [this win] is a huge accomplishment compared to a lot of the things I've done in this sport."
The finish was as shocking as it was exciting, simply because it happened so quickly.
Henderson, 40, got off to a quick start, but Emelianenko seemed to get back into the fight when he drilled his opponent with a nice combination that backed him up. Then Fedor landed a thudding left uppercut that dropped Henderson near the cage. Emelianenko went in for the kill without securing top control. He got off three shots that grazed Henderson, but the former Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler used his grappling to grab Fedor's right knee and pull him off. Henderson immediately jumped behind him and unleashed a vicious right uppercut under Fedor's right arm. The impact was delayed for a split second and then Fedor fell flat on his face. Henderson jumped on top, landed two more rights and a left. That's when the referee arrived to save Fedor. All that in roughly nine seconds.
Fedor (31-4, 1 NC) told Johnson, he thought the fight was stopped prematurely.
"I think it was early. I don't want to say anything bad about the referee, but it seemed to me like it was early," Emelianenko said through an interpreter. "I was clearly hit, but wasn't hit flush, directly. It seems like I could've continued."
It was hard to say either way. Fedor did appear stunned as he sat up after the finish, but far from rocked.
Fedor, 34, was non-committal about his future, saying it's God's will whether he fights again. Ultimately, it probably won't be Emelianenko's choice. Emelianenko was reportedly making $1.5 million for this fight. With three straight losses, it's hard to imagine Dana White and company retaining his services.
Henderson's future is also in doubt. This was the last fight on his contract and he'd be a natural to slide back over to the UFC where he was 5-2 during two stints with the bigger promotion. Henderson left the UFC back in 2009, signing a big deal with Strikeforce. He could easily move back into the UFC's 205 or 185 division and be an immediate title contender.
Related: Strikeforce, Fedor Emelianenko, Dan Henderson, Strikeforce: Fedor vs. HendersonStrikeforce: Hendo vs. Fedor Results
What a fight.
Those are the only three words that can be used to describe the explosive main event that emanated from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois between legendary fighters Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson.
Pundits agreed that it was likely the two would bring the artillery, but few imagined just how much ammo both had in their tank.
From the opening bell Emelianenko rushed the centre of the cage, throwing heavy leather and landing big shots.
Henderson was not to be outdone and brought much of the same, forcing the crowd into an uproar. The two legends came to entertain and produced a masterpiece of a fight.
As the round was entering its fifth minute, Emelianenko put together a solid combination of punches that hurt Henderson, sending him down. When Emelianenko went to capitalize, Henderson popped out the back, landing a sneaky uppercut, dropping the all-time great.
Emelianenko went down to the mat and looked hurt as referee Herb Dean rushed in to call the fight, giving Henderson the monumental win.
The loss marks three straight for Emelianenko and more than likely his ticket out of Strikeforce.
In the co-main event, Marloes Coenen took on Meisha Tate in an attempt to defend her 135lb. championship.
As expected early, Tate used her wrestling to put the fight on the mat. Coenen, known for impressive submissions from her back, worked hard to reverse position and out grapple Tate, however struggled to gain advantageous positions.
Coenen took back control for most of the third, coming close to a rear naked choke on multiple attempts to no avail.
The fourth saw Tate kick things up a notch, going on the offensive and really pushing the pace. Tate shocked MMA fans around the world by submitting Coenen, who is widely regarded as one of the best female submission mixed martial artists on the planet.
Tim Kennedy continued his purge towards a rematch with middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza with an impressive unanimous decision victory over Robbie Lawler. His ability to mix up his striking game and integrate his wrestling proved too much for the MMA veteran.
Paul Daley did his best to fend off the young up and coming Tyron Woodley, but a lack of wrestling and ability to fend from the clinch cost the former title contender.
Daley tried to tee off, but Woodley showed impressive boxing and defence, getting to the inside and slowing the pace. It may not have been the most thrilling fight, but Woodley did enough to take a unanimous decision.
In a dismal performance, Scott Smith was thoroughly outworked by the younger, faster and better Tarec Saffiedine.
Through three rounds Smith looked flat, unable to pull the trigger and leaning against the cage while Saffiedine teed off. A late rally attempt came up short and Saffiedine took a unanimous dominant decision.
Main Card
Dan Henderson def. Fedor Emelianenko via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:12
Miesha Tate def. Marloes Coenen via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 4, 3:03 (to become new women’s bantamweight champion)
Tim Kennedy def. Robbie Lawler via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Tyron Woodley def. Paul Daley via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Tarec Saffiedine def. Scott Smith via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card
Gesias Cavalcante def. Bobby Green via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Tyler Stinson def. Eduardo Pamplona via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 0:15
Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:33
Gabriel Salinas-Jones def. Bryan Humes via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 3, 1:19
“Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson” – 8,311 attendance and $638K live gate
MMA Junkie reports that 8,311 fans attended Saturday night’s Strikeforce event for a gate of $638,470. The event took place at the Sears Centre Arena outside of Chicago.
Via MMA Junkie:
This year’s Chicago-area show featured a heavyweight headliner between MMA legends Dan Henderson and Emelianenko. Thanks largely to that super-fight, most tickets were sold more than a week before the show, which Coker suggested was the most talent-rich in the organization’s history.
In comparison, June’s Strikeforce event, Overeem vs. Werdum, held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas had 7,639 in attendance for a total gate of $543,060.
Payout Perspective:
The main event is likely what everyone came to see and the action did not disappoint. We will leave it up to you to determine whether the fight was stopped too early. It will be interesting to see what will happen next to both Fedor and Henderson. If Fedor is cut from Strikeforce, it will have dismissed the two fighters it had hoped would meet in the finals of its Heavyweight Grand Prix. How ironic. With Overeem being cut from the organization and Fedor on a losing streak, Dan Henderson arguably is the face of Strikeforce. Yet, at 40 (41 August 24th), it seems like Henderson should be back in the UFC. There are a lot of interesting matchups that Zuffa could make if Henderson came back. But, that would mean another Strikeforce fighter vacating their title to jump to the UFC. Would Zuffa allow that to happen?
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Rafael Natal - Third Time's The Charm
"I won't feel any pressure because I have a certain style of fighting and I don't intend to change it completely." - Rafael Natal 
Determined to erase the picture of his first fight in the UFC - a decision defeat against Rich Attonito in September of 2010 - Rafael "Sapo" Natal stepped into his second fight for the organization prepared to impose his game, and against Jesse Bongfeldt at UFC 124 last December, we watched a fast-paced display in the first round that was unlike any virtually any middleweight fight inside the Octagon.
Determined to erase the picture of his first fight in the UFC - a decision defeat against Rich Attonito in September of 2010 - Rafael "Sapo" Natal stepped into his second fight for the organization prepared to impose his game, and against Jesse Bongfeldt at UFC 124 last December, we watched a fast-paced display in the first round that was unlike any virtually any middleweight fight inside the Octagon. Not only did Natal seem to be in “sprint” mode, but Bongfeldt was as well. Yet those first five minutes of intensity, with changes of position, constant pressure and scrambles everywhere from both men, would charge a heavy price if neither of them could finish the fight in the first stanza. And when the horn sounded, Natal's professor, Vinicius Magalhaes, said he was worried about the extension of energy without securing a position for more than seconds.
Early in round number two, Bongfeldt seemed to be a little less fatigued than Natal, and he started a blitz that caused problems for the Brazilian. Even though Natal got the Canadian's back twice during the match, he took a beating from the mount as his opponent dominated the third and final round.
For a man who wanted to make a second appearance different than his first one, Natal seemed to have lost the battle of conditioning as he couldn't keep the same rhythm of the first round. It was a bit ironic, since Natal was always known as a man with four lungs, and with a draw declared after 15 minutes against Bongfeldt, the Brazilian's empty fuel tank was later explained
"I didn't pick up the win, but I think I fought well," Natal affirms. "I never had cardio problems in my fights - in fact, this is one of my strong points, you know. But 15 days prior to UFC 124 I took some medication to heal an infection, and I believe this was one of the reasons I didn't come across as the winner."
So what was the other reason?
"Lack of competence," he says firmly.
With the UFC 124 bout behind him, the quest continues for Natal, because, after all, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is still pursuing that coveted first victory. His new chance, a fight against Alessio Sakara at UFC Live on March 3rd, was good news for the Brazilian, mainly because he wasn't originally scheduled to fight on the Versus card, only being called into service to replace countryman Maiquel Falcao against the Italian. Yet weeks later, the Minas Gerais native was sidelined from the fight with a knee injury.
"I tried to carefully treat the knee for five days, but realized my effort wouldn't render a full recuperation. I stayed 15 days without any fight contact, and then trained some striking. BJJ and wrestling took a while, around 30 days. But now I'm 1000 percent."
The number one thousand matches well with the Natal's intention to shine at UFC 133 on August 6th, where he will face Paul Bradley. His original opponent, Riki Fukuda, was removed from the card after a car accident, and the changes didn’t stop here, as the road of Natal was crossed many times until he ended up with Bradley. Like a soap opera unfolding, the Serra-Longo Fight Team’s Costa Philippou stepped in as a replacement for Fukuda, but the man who Natal was scheduled to fight in March, Sakara, left his main card bout against "El Conquistador" Jorge Rivera due to a knee injury, and Philippou was promoted to the main card to face Rivera, with Bradley filling the gap to take on the Brazilian.
"Opponent changes are something we have to deal with and be ready for," he says. "Because the UFC is scheduling fights with a good advance notice, keeping yourself training hard for 3-4 months is normal in case someone else gets injured."
But three changes usually mean three different plans. And even though fighters can be similar, they’re never equal in every aspect of their game.
"Of course the tactics change, but basically we're working on fixing small gaps and finding holes in his [Bradley's] game," he said.
And in terms of tacticians, Natal has two excellent ones taking charge of seeing what many don't and constructing a road where he can drive in the direction of victory. Those men are Magalhaes and the legendary Renzo Gracie.
"Having masters at this level like Magalhaes and Renzo gives you a huge comfort," Natal says. "They and the whole team put me at peace, and they are confident I'll do my best."
This fact is really important for “Sapo” against Bradley, who comes in with a five winning streak and can exploit Natal’s need for a victory inside the Octagon. This pressure is something which can drain your stamina, throw off your strategy and be the main reason for a new and unwelcome defeat.
Add to this the fact that Natal has become a frequent Twitter user, and his constant interaction with his followers has many eager to watch him fight for the first time on Facebook. This new public wants to see the old Brazilian, the one who arrived in the UFC with five victories by finish in his last six fights. It’s a lot to carry on his shoulders, and each of these aspects can influence him, either for good or bad. So what’s the key to not failing in his third attempt?
"I won't feel any pressure because I have a certain style of fighting and I don't intend to change it completely. You'll only see a “Sapo” with more cage experience and who is technically at his sharpest. I'm very happy that this fight will be live on Facebook and I hope everybody sees the return of the real Rafael Natal."
Battle on the Bayou Tickets On Sale Saturday
UFC® AND BUD LIGHT TEAM UP FOR ‘BATTLE ON THE BAYOU’ IN NEW ORLEANS ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 17
JAKE SHIELDS AND JAKE ELLENBERGER COLLIDE IN WELTERWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
JAKE SHIELDS AND JAKE ELLENBERGER COLLIDE IN WELTERWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
ALSO:
COURT McGEE vs. DONGI YANG
JONATHAN BROOKINS vs. ERIK KOCH
ALAN BELCHER vs. JASON MACDONALD
UFC® FIGHT NIGHT LIVE
Saturday, Sept. 17
From New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans, La.
Live on SPIKE TV at 9 p.m. ET/PT
TICKETS ON SALE SATURDAY, JULY 30 - 10 a.m. CT
UFC Fight Club Pre-Sale starts Thursday, July 28 at 10 a.m. CT
“Jake Shields has fought some of the best guys in the sport and he wants to prove that he deserves another shot at the title,” UFC President Dana White said. “But Jake Ellenberger has won his last four fights and wants to knock off a top contender like Shields. Shields has phenomenal jiu-jitsu, but Ellenberger thinks he can overpower him in the Octagon. This should be a great main event for the Battle on the Bayou.”
Two winners of recent seasons of The Ultimate Fighter® will also be in action as season 11 winner Court McGee battles talented South Korean middleweight Dongi Yang, while season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins takes on surging featherweight Erik Koch. Plus, the event will mark the return of Alan “The Talent” Belcher as he begins a quest toward the middleweight title when he meets gifted Canadian submission artist Jason MacDonald.
Tickets for UFC® Fight Night Live: Battle on the Bayou go on sale on Saturday, July 30 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $250, $225, $150 and $85. Tickets will be available at all TicketMaster locations, by phone 504.562.7000 or at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are subject to convenience and service fees.
UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, July 28 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. Non-members may take advantage of the pre-sale by joining at Ticketmaster. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, July 29, starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter by entering their email address in the "join newsletter" field at the top of this page.
In addition, Bud Light is extending UFC® Fight Night Live: Battle on the Bayou beyond the action in the Octagon® with the “Battle on the Bayou” national sweepstakes*, a three-day, two-night UFC fan experience in the Big Easy – complete with weigh-ins and a concert downtown and exclusive meet-and-greets with UFC personalities. Now through August 29, 2011, fans 21 and older can enter to win a trip to UFC® Fight Night Live: Battle on the Bayou online at www.Facebook.com/BudLight or through UFC-branded Snap Tags on Bud Light displays at retail.
A winner of 15 out of his last 16 fights, Jake Shields (fighting out of San Francisco, Calif.) has defeated a long list of worthy contenders, including Carlos Condit, Dan Henderson, Jason Miller and Paul Daley. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace returns to the Octagon® in September poised to make another significant run, and better yet, snap the winning streak of his fast-rising opponent.
“Jake Ellenberger’s a tough up-and-comer with good wrestling and boxing, but I think jiu-jitsu is his weak point and I want to expose that,” Shields, who owns a record of 26-5-1, said. “This is a really important fight for me. I had a really huge winning streak prior to my last fight and I want to put together another one starting in New Orleans.”
With stoppage victories in three out of his last four wins, Jake Ellenberger (fighting out of Omaha, Neb.) is quickly emerging as a potential contender in the deep 170-pound division. Known for his high-level wrestling and heavy hands, the 26-year-old is as confident as ever that the career-defining win he’s been seeking will come on Sept. 17.
“I respect Jake Shields, but I don’t think he’s fought anyone like me,” Ellenberger, who boasts a record of 25-5, said. “I’m a bad match up for him. He’s not as hungry as me and he doesn’t want it as bad as me. This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for my whole life. It’s my time to showcase my skills.”
In a fight that will push the winner toward the middleweight elite, The Ultimate Fighter® season 11 winner Court McGee (fighting out of Ogden, Utah) takes on aggressive South Korean Dongi Yang (fighting out of Seoul, South Korea). The 26-year-old McGee (12-1) is riding back-to-back wins over Kris McCray and Ryan Jensen in the UFC. Yang (10-1), also 26, has also been gaining momentum in the 185-pound division thanks to a second-round stoppage victory over Rob Kimmons in March.
The Ultimate Fighter® season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins (fighting out of Orlando, Fla.) competes in his first bout since winning the popular reality show when he meets surging prospect Erik Koch (fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) in featherweight action. Brookins, 25, owns a record of 13-3 and has developed a reputation as a speedy fighter with a knack for finishing fights. In New Orleans, he’ll meet knockout artist Koch (12-1), a 22-year-old who has finished his last three opponents, including a menacing KO of Raphael Assuncao in his UFC debut in March.
Alan Belcher (fighting out of Jonesboro, Ark.) returns to the UFC for the first time since May 2010 100 percent and ready to add to his two-fight winning streak. Nicknamed “The Talent,” Belcher (15-5) brings his vast array of striking and submission skills to the Octagon for a collision with Canadian middleweight standout Jason MacDonald (fighting out of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), who is fresh off a thrilling submission win over Ryan Jensen at UFC 129.
All bouts live and subject to change.
Tweets of the Week - 7/29
Strikeforce: Fedor vs Henderson
Almost there--only a couple pounds to go! http://twitpic.com/5wyj0q -Dan Henderson
Almost there--only a couple pounds to go! http://twitpic.com/5wyj0q -Dan Henderson
???? ??????? ? ????????????? ????????? ? ?????????? ????????? ???????? ??????? twitpic.com/5wajc5 -Fedor Emelianenko
LOL! I'll have plenty of time after my fight for RedLobster #USAholiday -Marloes Coenen
Just finished the @Strikeforce press conference, headed back to the hotel & will begin my weight cut soon...... :-P
Hey @CubSwanson better be ready! Our Ab-off is tomorrow!! -Miesha Tate
Does the fighter insurance cover being struck by lighting @strikeforce @ufc , if not i need to get off Twitter #Twittervention -Derek Brunson
Press conference tday @Strikeforce ill try my best english! -Tarec Saffiedine
Weigh-ins today @ The Sears Centre!! Can't wait! @strikeforce #fb -Gabe Salinas
Fight week! It's on! -Lumumba Sayers
Some dude next to me is playing a harmonica in the the ABQ airport. It's a sad Old West cowboy campfire kinda vibe and I really like it -Julie Kedzie
1030 am flight to Chicago! Get to be a fan and enjoy watching @Strikeforce @danhendo vs. #Fedor ringside! Solid fight card! Got my picks! -Cung Le
Ryan Couture’s OCD?
Just noticed I hit 5,000 followers today. That's a nice, round number so please no one else follow unless someone leaves. Thanks! -Ryan Couture
Cuttin' Class & Kickin’ Ass
Got friendly waves from some highschoolers driving. Either they think we go to same school or its bc we're both playing katy perry. -Daniel Downes
There is a Slight Height Difference
IS THIS EVEN FAIR??? http://moby.to/q05t3k -Pat Barry
Miguel on Fashion
Fanny packs are only cool when you can choke out the guys making fun of you. I am Miguel Torres and I train @UFC. -Miguel Angel Torres
Hardy on Haters
They multiply like bacteria but aren't quite as cultured. -Dan Hardy
Mayhem Ponders Biology
I don't get it. Did the dog hump the sheep or did the sheep hump the dog? Sheepdog. -Jason Mayhem Miller
UFC 133: Complete Fight Card, News and Predictions for Evans vs. Ortiz
While UFC 133 was supposed to be an epic card brought to you from the beautiful city of Philadelphia, the current card is lackluster at best.
It’s these cards, though, that often spawns the biggest knockouts and gives birth to the sports newest stars.
With UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones off the card, the main event is now Rashad Evans taking on the former great turned MMA circus leader Tito Ortiz.
The main event is a far cry from what it should be, but there will be a a raucous crowd in Philadelphia that expects a great show. The pressure from the fans will get the fighters juiced and make this a solid pay-per-view before all is said and done.
Keep it here for all of the UFC 133 predictions, news and updates as we get ready for the big fight night in Philadelphia.
Check back for more on the UFC as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Mixed Martial Arts Page to get your fill of MMA.
Rani Yahya - One Dimensional No Longer
Brasilia’s Rani Yahya is a submission specialist; everybody knows it. Since the beginning of his career, the Constrictor Team product has been trying to showcase the excellent groundskills taught to him by professor Ataide Junior, and Yahya's goal is always to finish
his opponents with joint locks or chokes when they hit the ground. And with 16 wins in 22 fights, 14 by submission, nobody ever doubted it.
Certainly his next opponent at UFC 133 in Philadelphia on August 6th - Chad "Money" Mendes - is aware of the amount of trouble that the Brazilian can cause on the top or even on the bottom once the fight goes to the mat.
With that said, the only uncertainty we have about the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu ace is his transitions throughout three different weight classes during his professional career. Yahya fought in Grand Prix tournaments in Brazil and Japan at lightweight, joined the WEC as a featherweight, dropped to 135 for a title opportunity in 2007 and stayed at bantamweight until his January debut in the UFC saw him go back to 145 pounds to face former WEC kingpin Mike Thomas Brown.
That’s a long and crazy trip, to say the least, and although Yahya is known as a dangerous groundfighter, his journeys from one division to another seemed to hold him back in his
career. Even though he could make the weight required, he never got to stabilize himself in any division once he reached the elite level.
However, with a new year, new goals, and the determination to remain a featherweight in the UFC, Yahya started his year nicely with a dominant decision victory over the aforementioned Brown and says everything in the past simply came down to the opportunities presented to him.
"In each moment of my career I had different good opportunities,” he said. “As a 155 pounder I fought a Hero's tournament in Japan, after that I was offered a title fight as a bantamweight in WEC [against Chase Beebe], but the perfect weight class for me is the current one I'm in, the
featherweight division."
As a 135-pound competitor, Yahya accumulated a 3-3 record in the WEC and was 1-0 at 145 in the organization. Yet he didn’t look right at bantamweight, at least not at the level that was expected of him.
"It’s hard to point out what exactly happened," he said. "Nowadays I believe I wasn't prepared to win those fights; I didn't have the experience necessary. So they were part of my destiny as a competitor. I needed to take them like lessons, and the defeats influenced my improvement mentally and physically."
The improvement process which Yahya is talking about involves more parts than those he detailed. A fighter climbing the ladder of experience needs to remove the one dimensional label and turn it into one of a complete MMA athlete. For Yahya, this looks like a contradiction from what he initially presented to the public, but ‘one trick pony’ isn't a title he wants to hold as he adds more weapons to his game without nullifying his prime technique – submissions.
"I train striking much more than submissions, but my natural skills on the ground develop themselves naturally," Yahya said. "I have fights where I come in with a striking game plan and the match goes to the ground. That fight against Brown is a good example. People comment that it is easy to avoid a tie up, but if it's not. Fighters spend a lot of energy trading shots on the feet and then end up clinching. The Octagon facilitates this because you can drag the guy against the fence at different moments."
During the fight, Brown tried to stay outside in order to punish his foe from long distance, but he was grabbed by a few tricky moves, and in third round he was taken down, traveling to a field where many don't want to be with the Brasilia native.
The former champion, who took the fight with just two weeks’ notice - replacing the injured Chan Sung Jung - survived a tough sequence of finishing attempts from the Brazilian in final stanza, surprising many. So how come he wasn’t able to finish Brown?
"Calm," he says. "Perhaps I didn't have enough calm to sub him; but anyway he defended the attempts very well. The important part was winning and fighting three rounds with a veteran
former champion like Brown."
Now taking on the undefeated Mendes, in the second fight for both in the UFC, Yahya is clear on what he brings to combat the Team Alpha Male prospect. If against Brown the calm wasn't present enough for him to score a submission, against Mendes Yahya intends to display every single lesson he learned during his WEC stint.
"Diet, dehydration and rehydration are a very important part of the game in today's fight scene, and you need to be very aware of it, so if a guy knows a bit more than his opponent, he's one step ahead." Yahya says. "The strategies for the fight are also important; I mean you
need to have a plan A, B, C, D and etc. In the beginning, I fought with only one plan, and when it didn't work I was lost. He [Mendes] can try to surprise me, but we have been training striking a lot as I continue the evolution in my technique and in my mind too."
For Mendes, who is close to a title challenge, the fight against Yahya is the roadblock standing in the way of his dream fight. On the other hand, the Brazilian fighter is ready to spoil Mendes' plans and if you look closely, with victories over two former WEC champions (Brown and Eddie Wineland) and the experience of a title fight in his pocket, this is not only a duel where he can frustrate his foe's wishes, but start his own road to the belt as well.
"I'm looking for it," he said. "But a lot of people have been talking about it [title contention], and I'm not letting it influence my mindset now. My head is locked in on one thing, and my only focus is to win the fight."
Revisiting Evans vs. Ortiz I
Looking back at Evans vs. Ortiz I.... 
It’s the rematch no one thought would happen, but after numerous twists and turns in the careers of Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz, the former light heavyweight champions will revisit their rivalry in the main event of UFC 133 on August 6th and look to break the tie they fought to back at UFC 73.
It’s the rematch no one thought would happen, but after numerous twists and turns in the careers of Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz, the former light heavyweight champions will revisit their rivalry in the main event of UFC 133 on August 6th and look to break the tie they fought to back at UFC 73. That July 7, 2007 bout in Sacramento’s ARCO Arena was part of a card appropriately named “Stacked,” thanks to the championship bouts between Anderson Silva and Nate Marquardt and Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca that topped the bill. But among fans both casual and hardcore, the meeting between former champion Ortiz and up and comer Evans held the most starpower, and neither shied away from building up anticipation for the bout, even getting into a brief altercation Octagonside at UFC 69 three months earlier.
But despite his lack of experience on the big stage compared to Ortiz, Evans didn’t shy away from a little pre-fight banter with “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.”
“I grew up with a lot of brothers and sisters, and we used to shoot the dozens all the time,” said Evans at the time. “We always used to make fun of each other and tease each other, so I’m used to it to an extent. I’ve also got a group of friends that I grew up with and we’re just relentless on each other how we tease and make fun of each other, so it’s all good. I don’t take offense to any of that and I don’t get caught up in wanting to call him names because I know we have to fight. I’m a professional, and when you’re a professional, you act accordingly. You don’t flustered, you don’t get frustrated, and you handle it because it’s your job. I love my job, but it is a job, and you can’t be taken out of your game by anything and you can’t allow anyone to say anything to upset you.”
Ortiz tried his best though, and in the history of the sport, few have been better in selling a fight. But he was also at a pivotal point in his career. Winner of five of his previous six bouts, the sixth was a rematch loss at the hands of Chuck Liddell at UFC 66. If he was going to begin the road back to the title, he had to turn back the challenge of the Ultimate Fighter season two winner, who was hungry to claim his first big name scalp.
At the time, Evans was five bouts into his UFC career, and after a slow start in which he was criticized for not finishing fights, his previous two wins over Jason Lambert and Sean Salmon ended in knockout victories, allowing him to boost his unbeaten record to 15-0 while also establishing him as the next big thing at 205 pounds should he beat Ortiz. Ortiz wasn’t about to play gatekeeper though.
“With an undefeated fighter, they’re holding on to that record so much that they don’t want to have that loss,” said Ortiz of Evans in 2007. “All of a sudden, all Rashad cares about is not losing, and the biggest thing that’s gonna overwhelm him is hoping he doesn’t lose and making sure he doesn’t lose. With him trying not to make a mistake and trying to keep from exposing himself, I think I’m gonna capitalize on that. When I grab a hold of him, everything’s going to kick into reality. I’m gonna see how strong he is and he’s gonna realize how strong I am, and his speed is gonna be squashed by my strength.”
Evans wasn’t buying it, and he pointed to hunger as the reason why he was going to emerge victorious.
“I really try not to define people, but to be honest, I see Ortiz as a little something different than what he used to be,” said Evans. “To say that he can’t be a champion again, I don’t know – if I’m there he ain’t gonna be champion (Laughs) – but right now he seems to have a little bit of everything else going on and I don’t know if he has the focus and the desire to do what it takes to win. He’s Hollywood right now, he likes the limelight and everything else like that, but where MMA started and where it is right now, it’s not one of those sports where you can be that Hollywood type of personality. It’s not for the pretty boys; it’s for the blue collar guy who goes in there and gets his work done. And if he has time for everything else, then he’ll do it, but he’s not gonna put that ahead of being a champion. I think Ortiz just wants the limelight a little bit more than being a fighter.”
Those were fighting words from both sides, and all that was left was the fight. Here’s how I called it that night:
A second round foul cost Tito Ortiz dearly in his highly anticipated light heavyweight bout against rising star Rashad Evans, as a unanimous decision win instead turned into a three round draw thanks to a point deducted from the former light heavyweight champion for holding the fence as Evans attempted to secure a takedown.
Scores were 28-28 across the board.
“It wasn’t my best performance and Rashad was tough as hell,” said Ortiz. “Rashad, we can do it again.”
“I thought I had that fight,” said Evans. “Please, Tito-Rashad II.”
Ortiz drew first blood with a takedown in the opening seconds, and the crowd chanted ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’s name in response. Evans did work his way back to his feet and tried to flurry, but Ortiz fired back and again clinched with Evans, pushing him to the fence. A lost mouthpiece by Evans forced a restart, and while the former Michigan State Spartan circled his foe, Ortiz scored with leg kicks and the occasional jab upstairs. As the round entered its final minute, the two combatants battled it out against the fence, with Ortiz emerging with a cut under his right eye.
There was little action in the early stages of the second round, with Evans’ first takedown attempt getting tossed aside by Ortiz being the only notable action in the first half of the round. Again the action moved to the fence, with Ortiz working his Muay Thai clinch as Evans scored with a punch that reopened the cut under Ortiz’ eye. With blood streaming down his face and with Evans finally looking like his offense was together, Ortiz shot in and went for what he knows best – the takedown and ground and pound. Evans did work his way back up while getting a takedown of his own in the waning moments of the round, a series punctuated by Ortiz getting a point deducted for holding the fence. Ortiz almost had the last laugh though, as he sunk in a guillotine choke that looked like it could have produced a submission if locked in earlier.
Ortiz again took the bout to the mat in the third and final round, looking to put the finishing touches on his foe, and while Evans didn’t ever seem to be in any serious danger, he was not doing enough offensively to sway the judges in his favor. With under two minutes to go, referee John McCarthy re-started the stalemated action and Evans let his hands go in an effort to protect his unbeaten record. But while he was landing, he wasn’t hurting Ortiz, and though Evans finally got the big takedown he was looking for with 10 seconds left in the round, it was apparently too little too late to get the win.
“It took a little while, but I felt him break,” said Evans of the final sequence.
The stalemate put the first blemish on Evans’ record, but it didn’t hurt him in the long run. He went on to headline UFC 78 with a win over Michael Bisping, and then knocked out Liddell and Forrest Griffin, the latter bout earning him the UFC light heavyweight title. He lost the belt in his first defense against Lyoto Machida in May of 2009, but has rebounded with wins over Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson that have put him right in line for another shot at the championship should he defeat Ortiz a week from Saturday.
As for Ortiz, his journey to Philadelphia has been a little crazy, a little rocky, and a very inspirational, all at the same time. The draw with Evans was the precursor to a three fight skid that saw Ortiz lose to Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin, and Matt Hamill. All the while, he battled through injuries and surgeries and the usual drama that always seemed to follow him. Add in the Evans draw and the loss to Liddell, and he brought an 0-4-1 record into the Octagon when he faced Ryan Bader at UFC 132 in July. UFC President Dana White didn’t mince words, saying that a loss would mean Ortiz’ UFC career was over. But Ortiz didn’t lose. Instead, he pulled off one of the most memorable wins in recent years, submitting Bader in the first round. A little over a month later, he will be replacing the injured Phil Davis against his old rival Evans.
This time, four years later, Evans is the gatekeeper for Ortiz’ return to the title picture, and it’s not only an intriguing matchup, but a pivotal one for the careers of both men.
Better late than never, right?
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Video: Fedor vs. Henderson ending
Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson did indeed deliver an all action encounter last night at Strikeforce.
Henderson was able to come away with a first round KO victory, a notable feat against Fedor, but the manner of his win has been heavily scrutinised and questioned.
The videos below shows exactly how the fight finished so it makes sense to throw this one out to the great mma public.
Was this fight stopped too early?
Book Review: Dana White, The King of MMA
When I found out that Dana White’s mother had written an unauthorized biography about the King of MMA himself, I had to get my hands on it. Although it cost over $100 on Amazon, Smashwords had a PDF edition for only $9. I eagerly downloaded it, hoping to see what all the buzz was about. I guess I shouldn’t say buzz… Eerie silence is more like it, as several commenters were banned from the Underground for even discussing it.
Have you ever sat and talked with someone about another person? At first, you are intrigued by interesting stories that help fill in the blanks for you. Then you feel a sense of guilt waft over you, aware of the knowledge that you are privy to information that the other person would never want you to know. Finally, after hearing some over-the-top tales, you start to question the credibility of the storyteller and feel even worse that the person in question is not there to defend themselves or share their side of the story.
That was pretty much my reaction to this unauthorized biography. Complete with photographs and mementos, I felt like I was sitting in June White’s living room to try to dig up dirt about the man responsible for the promotion of the sport we love. But before I delve into those details, I must point out how poor the editing was. The book began with several quotes, one of which was attributed to the movie Superman, but is actually from Batman Begins. The lack of revision continues to be evident as June White refers to both the “Dali Lama” [sic] and “Ward Clever” [sic] and then compares Dana White to the non-existent Lord of the Ring character “my Precious” (um, that would be the nickname for the ring. No quoting books or movies you haven’t even read or seen.)
June White tells story after story about Dana White, which are actually quite touching and sentimental. She describes him playing Little League in a uniform that was too big for him, overcoming bullies on various occasions, letting his dog sleep in his bed even though he wasn’t allowed on the furniture, going to all sorts of lengths to defend his sister, going to wrestling matches with his grandfather, getting chased by a rooster, getting attacked by dogs, being sad over the pain of a field mouse and so forth. The book is riddled with potshots and jokes, of sorts, that aren’t really all that funny. (Example: Dana White must have gotten better at math. He’d have to be, with the amount of money he makes. Har har har.) The book delves into some mistakes Dana made during his childhood (and really, who hasn’t) including getting expelled from a very strict Catholic school, cutting class, drinking and driving and taking the wrong bus home. Some of these are more irresponsible than others (such as using a credit card which was supposed to be for emergencies only) and some seem almost defensible (such as attacking bullies). There are also numerous tales of White’s misadventures, often through no fault of his own.
What is weird is when June compares Dana White to Rosemary’s Baby, talking about his soulless eyes, or whining about being sick when she was pregnant because, she said, Dana was already causing her problems before he was even born. These statements make her seem a bit emotionally unstable. She also seems unreasonably upset at White’s atheism, describing how he was an altar boy and even stating that he gave up religion since he thinks he is God. This is so over the top that it, again, makes one question her credibility.
It is interesting to hear stories of Dana’s childhood; as much as Mom tries to make it seem happy it is obvious that he struggled with an alcoholic father, poverty and constantly moving around. However, she did debunk stories of him growing up alone; according to this book, he had many family members and much support through all the hard times.
White’s mom continues to tell tales of Dana’s life all while taking jabs at him, but the fun stories make him seem more human and the harsh ones either seem unrealistic (did he really chase down and beat a puppy?) or they seem like there must have been more than one side to them, more going on. For example, Dana flew down to attend his godchild’s christening, but was planning on leaving since they didn’t go to his party at some club… um, I bet there’s more to that story. Or him blowing off a previous date set for the christening to hang out with the Fertitta’s on their yacht… it’s plausible, but again I wonder how his version of the story would read. When June White says that she feels that Dana should give her money so that she does not have to work, and gets upset because Dana “only” sent his grandmother $5,000, it kind of makes you wonder whether she is jealous of his success and feels entitled to money she did not earn. It is obvious that June does not care for White’s wife (who she says is physically abusive), but again, this makes me want to know more, to delve in deeper and get a better overall picture of what is going on.
White’s mother does give details of him publicly berating employees, and she certainly has a point about the wrath of Dana when one sets him off…but his tendency to overreact is hardly something anybody is unaware of. Instead of the fascinating expose I’d hoped for, the book reads more like the ramblings of a jealous and unstable mom. It certainly didn’t add much fuel to the fire for me, and I definitely have very mixed feelings about Dana White. Instead it portrayed him in a way that makes him seem more human: fallible and complex, with a family that desperately wants him to be religious and wants to take a piece of his pie.
Would I recommend this book? For $9, it’s a relatively inexpensive PDF that is a quick read. There are some fun stories of White’s childhood. If you can get through the typos and over-the-top exaggerations, it is an interesting read…though I still feel a bit icky for having read it, just like I would if I read hacked e-mails or someone else’s journal. I’d say it’d be good for MMA enthusiasts who want to read everything they can get their hands on, but the casual fan could probably do without it.
Nam Phan - Moving On
“I felt like I performed well in the last fight and I proved my point. I’m really excited to get this opportunity now to fight a former world champion.” - Nam Phan 
Any loss hurts, but when Nam Phan dropped his UFC debut via highly-controversial split decision to Leonard Garcia last December, it was the kind of defeat that could break an ordinary fighter, making him lose focus while souring him on a game that he’s dedicated his life to.
Any loss hurts, but when Nam Phan dropped his UFC debut via highly-controversial split decision to Leonard Garcia last December, it was the kind of defeat that could break an ordinary fighter, making him lose focus while souring him on a game that he’s dedicated his life to. But Phan is no ordinary fighter. 10 years into his pro career, he knows that not everything goes your way all the time. And when it doesn’t, if you don’t move on, you do yourself a disservice that will further affect your win-loss record.
“I think back sometimes and maybe I could have done this or that a little better to sway the judges more my way, but it is what it is, and you’ve got to let it go or else it will haunt you,” said Phan, who also saw a rematch with Garcia fall by the wayside when he broke his foot and was forced out of a March 2011 bout.
Maybe it was meant to be though, and while the cliché is that things happen for a reason, in Phan’s case, they have, with apparent dead ends turning into new opportunities. It doesn’t hurt that the first generation Vietnamese-American also has the stubborn determination to keep going where others may have decided to walk away. And that’s precisely the story he wants to get out there.
“I’m not your typical American,” said the 28-year old from Orange County, California. “I come from Vietnamese roots, and there weren’t that many Asian role models like athletes or actors to look up to and to follow.”
In a situation like that, there isn’t much of a middle ground. You either heed your family’s advice to go to school or you get lost in the shuffle and move on to more dangerous pursuits.
“As a kid growing up, there was a lot of gang influence, a lot of criminal activity, and I was a pretty good kid but some of my close friends took the wrong route and are in a lot of trouble now,” said Phan. “I feel like if we had that type of role model, someone to look up to who said ‘hey, don’t do that,’ maybe things would be a little bit different. Not to say it’s the answer to all our problems, but if you could have changed one kid’s life, I think it would have been worth it.”
Phan’s journey was unique, and he found his calling in martial arts. It addition, his grandparents were there to keep him in line should he stray.
“My grandparents are very traditional Vietnamese and they were very, very strict, so they would whip my butt when I got in trouble,” he laughs. “But martial arts kept me off the wrong path and kept me focused.”
And as he got good, eventually earning black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and karate, his goals not only included taking his passion into the professional ranks, but being the example to his community that he never had.
“The basic equation for a typical Asian-American family was ‘you gotta go to school, get a degree and become a success. Become a doctor or a lawyer and make a lot of money and have a good family.’ And if you didn’t go to school or you dropped out, you were a loser. And a lot of times, people don’t always go to school because they can’t handle the pressure and they become gangsters or drug dealers. I wanted to be a role model figure, and I want to be that person to let other Asian-American kids know that there’s another outlet. I encourage going to school, but I want them to know that if you have a dream and work towards it, dreams can come true.”
It wasn’t always a dream run in world of pro MMA, but it had its moments. Phan kicked off his pro career in 2001 with a first round TKO of Jason Maxwell, and after going 5-2 in his first seven fights, he ran off a seven fight winning streak during 2005-06 and was expected to be part of The Ultimate Fighter season five cast. But then an offer came in from Strikeforce, and he took it. It turned out to be a costly move as he lost both of his fights in the organization to Josh Thomson and Billy Evangelista.
By 2009, he was fighting in Japan for Sengoku, but came back to the States after a TKO loss to Michihiro Omigawa. Back home, things got worse when he was halted by prospect Isaac DeJesus, but after bouncing back with a win over journeyman Rodney Rhoden in April of last year, fate came a knockin’ once again.
“I was trying to redeem myself,” he said of his early 2010 outlook on fighting. “One of my students was supposed to be on The Ultimate Fighter season 12, and then the producer said why don’t I give it a try as well. So I did, and it was perfect because now I had a school, and mixed martial arts is a lot bigger now than it was back then. So everything fell into place just right.”
On season 12 of TUF, Phan showed a veteran’s poise and talent, and was a split decision loss to Michael Johnson away from making it to the finals. Then came the Garcia fight, and while crushed at the time, he still received his win bonus and a Fight of the Night award, softening the blow somewhat. More importantly, he knew he was going to be brought back, and on August 6th, that return comes against former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown.
“He’s a champion and a gentleman in and outside of the cage,” said Phan of Brown. “He’s someone that I look up to and that I have a lot of respect for.”
So no disappointment about not getting the Garcia rematch?
“I didn’t care,” he said. “I felt like I performed well in the last fight and I proved my point. I’m really excited to get this opportunity now to fight a former world champion.”
That response shows you just what it means to be a veteran. Enjoy what you have and don’t worry about what you don’t. Deal with what’s on the table right now, and not what could have been or might be. That’s Nam Phan 2011.
“Sometimes you have to take a step back and think about why you got into it,” he said. “I do it because I love it and I enjoy it. You have to make sure you’re having fun, and when you enjoy it, there’s less pressure on you, and then you perform better. And the people can see that you’re having fun, and I think they appreciate that. And my goal right now is to do the best I can for as many years as I’ve got left.”
He also wouldn’t mind making a positive impression on Philadelphia fight fans on August 6th as he engages in his first east coast bout.
“It’s a Rocky movie,” he smiles, referring to Philly’s most famous, albeit fictional, pugilist. “I’m the underdog, so expect a high punch count and expect bombs.”
MMA HQ Prospect Watch #3: Andrew Trace & Sarah Moras
No matter how immersed you are in the world of MMA, it is often hard to discern between up-and-coming stars and fighters with a few knockouts and a deal with a clothing line who may retire before their career truly begins. That, however, has not stopped us from trying. Our two latest Prospect Watch recipients are Wisconsin’s Andrew Trace and Canadian fighter Sarah Moras. We’ll end with a recap of where our very first Prospect Watch recipients are now.
New Prospects
Andrew Trace
Andrew Trace turned heads by defeating Torres MMA’s Aoutneil Magny at Combat USA – Wisconsin vs. Illinois Championship on July 21st. Trace won the fight by guillotine choke just over 3 minutes into the first round. Holding a professional record of 4-0, the Wisconsin fighter has finished all four of his pro fights via 1st round submission. His amateur record is extensive, boasting many submission wins–including a July 2009 victory over Lenny “Smash” Nelson via 2nd round armbar. (Nelson is the top-ranked Wisconsin fighter at 170 lbs. according to the WI Combat Sports rankings; the site does not take amateur bouts into account.)
Trace not only finishes fights with high-level opponents, he also does so with alarming speed and efficiency. In addition to his amateur defeat of Nelson, he’s also defeated Justin Jaynes by 2nd round TKO, finished fights with Jamie Evans, Andre Jones and Aaron Geiger in the 1st round, beat the previously undefeated Tyler Hellebrand, and come out victorious in a bout against the previously undefeated Richard Ryan, who he disposed of in just 20 seconds. (Those are just some of his 11 amateur wins.) In his professional debut, Trace defeated Jamie Bower in just 27 seconds. He then defeated Tre Mittnacht and Travis Peak, both by 1st round armbar, before his latest bout against Magny.
Trace has wrestled since 1st grade, and went 33-3 his senior year of high school. A broken ankle forced him out of wrestling shortly after he transferred to UW-Whitewater, a school he picked because of its strong wrestling program. Instead he found himself at Ruff Dawg, where he started training MMA. “I got burned out on wrestling, anyway,” Trace revealed.
The 23-year old fighter works as an EMT in Madison, Wisconsin, which is a 70-minute commute from his gym, DeLeon Martial Arts Academy. He listens to EMS tapes during his commute, with plans to attend paramedic school. Working, driving, running, training and sleeping leave Trace with very little spare time, but he is determined and focused. ”My goal is to go as far as I can go, wherever that may be. I want to be the highest I can make it; I want to see how far I can go,” he says.
Quiet and soft-spoken, Trace comes across as both humble and determined and looks up to fighters who have a similar temperament. “I look up to GSP, and I look up to Fedor; the guys who are quiet, who just win,” Trace said. (I should point out that this interview was conducted last week, before Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson took place–not that it should detract from Fedor’s legacy.)
Trace’s next fight is on August 27th. He will defend his Kick Down title vs. Bryant Craven in Casper, Wyoming. Watch his fight against Travis Peak on May 6th, which is how he won the title.
Sarah “Cheesecake” Moras
Sarah Moras and Rosi SextonIn the interest of full disclosure, I have to let you know that Sarah is a friend of mine. Although we’ve never met in person, we have spent an inordinate amount of time on facebook chat, deconstructing our training for the day. I’ll complain to Sarah about how I almost got a sweep but didn’t set it up right, and she’ll give me some pointers. Then she’ll tell me about the guy who gives her a black eye or bloody nose every time they spar, and then tells her SHE’S the most aggressive person he knows. Sarah and I also send each other pictures of some of our training injuries. Hers are far more brutal than mine.
Moras has been training for almost five years, getting her start in the grappling circuits. She got started competing in the Tigerbalm grappling tournament in Vancouver in 2007, where she won her first match by points and second by triangle choke, thus winning the all ranks division with less than 6 months of training under her belt.
Moras kicked off her amateur career with a bang, defeating Theresa Doerkson by decision and Amber Grant by 1st round armbar. She then spent close to a year in Manchester, training with UK fighter Rosi Sexton. She was successful in two bouts in England, beating Clarissa Thomson by 2nd round armbar before making her professional debut. In her pro debut, she fought Helena Martin at CWFC 37: Right to Fight. Moras won the fight by 2nd round TKO. “Sarah’s a great prospect,” said Sexton. “She’s got a well rounded game, she works hard, takes risks and she’ll do what it takes to get to where she wants to be. She’s also crazy. I think she might actually be a psychopath.”
I don’t know if Moras is a psychopath, but she’s definitely the wrong person to talk to when you need coddling. If I’m having one of those whiny “Grappling is hard!” moments, Sarah is far less likely to lend a sympathetic ear than she is to tell me to shut up and train harder. She also has no sympathy for n00bs who squeal in class.
Moras returned from the UK to train with David Lea at Toshido, a gym that she describes as “a bullshit and drama-free environment, which is extremely hard to find in this sport.” Moras trains three hours a day for six or seven days a week at her gym, alongside fighters Tim Jenson, Mike Adams, Gary Wright and Jake Macdonald. Moras is hoping to find a fight in September. “I can’t wait to compete again because my game just keeps improving and I’m confident I’m going to smash a lot of females in this sport,” she said.
Previous Prospects: Where Are They Now?
Our very first Prospect Watch, published in October 2010, featured three promising fighters. Team Alpha Male bantamweight T.J. Dillashaw made it on the cast of the Ultimate Fighter, so we’re watching closely to see how the 3X NCAA D1 National Qualifier stacks up. Dillashaw was listed as 2-0 at the time, and now holds a professional record of 4-0, with 2 1st round submission victories, 1 decision and 1 TKO.
Bantamweight wrestler Sara McMann, an Olympic silver medalist, was 2-0 as an amateur when we featured her as a prospect. Since then, she’s had three professional fights, all wins. McMann defeated Christina Marks by 1st round RNC, scored a 32-second TKO victory vs. Julie Malenfant and most recently defeated veteran fighter Tonya Evinger by unanimous decision. She will be fighting Raquel Pa’aluhi on August 27th for Pro Elite 1.
Submission whiz Gunnar Nelson has not been active in MMA since featured as a prospect, but was invited to compete at ADCC 2011, which will be held in Nottingham, England this September. Nelson will compete in the -77kg weight class. He has competed in ADCC 2009 in Barcelona in the -88kg weight class, although he weighed around 80kg at the time, because his division was full. He lost a close decision to James Brasco after double overtime, but defeated Jeff Monson and David Avellan, finishing in 4th in the absolute division.
The Blueprint - Evans vs. Ortiz II
Evans vs. Ortiz headlines UFC 133 this Saturday in Philadelphia. Michael DiSanto breaks it down... 
Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz will dance for the second time this Saturday night.
Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz will dance for the second time this Saturday night. Forty-nine months ago, Evans and Ortiz squared off in what was a turning point for each of their careers. Evans was taking a major step up in quality of competition. The then-undefeated prospect seemed like he had all the tools to be great, but nobody knew for certain whether he could take his game to the next level. After 15 minutes in the cage with Ortiz, there was no doubt that “Suga” was the real deal.
Ortiz was in a very different place in his career back on July 7, 2007. The former champion was seven months removed from his second technical knockout loss to Chuck Liddell. A bout with Evans was a way of getting back on the championship trail—if he won, of course.
Ortiz neither won nor lost the fight. He suffered an anti-climatic draw, thanks to a point deduction from illegally grabbing the fence in an attempt to prevent a takedown. But for that deduction, the judges would have awarded Ortiz the decision. Yet, it was Evans who likely left the cage that night with the edge in confidence. He knew that he could hang with Ortiz, once he settled down and actually engaged the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” in a fight.
More than four years later, Evans is the former champion still in his fighting prime looking to get back to the top of the mountain. A win over Ortiz likely puts him at the front of the line for the winner of the upcoming battle between two of his arch enemies, Jon Jones and Quinton Jackson.
Ortiz, by contrast, is looking to make one final title push. Keep in mind that Ortiz was in a must-win situation, if he wanted to continue competing in the UFC, heading into his UFC 132 fight last month. His submission win over Ryan Bader was the first mixed martial arts bout that Ortiz has won since defeating Ken Shamrock back in October 2006.
So, what will happen this time around? The rematch between Evans and Ortiz will be decided by one factor: takedowns.
If Ortiz is able to take down Evans with any sort of regularity, he wins the fight. If Evans is able to avoid being taken down for two of the three rounds or take down Ortiz with some regularity, he wins the fight.
It really is that simple.
How can I be so sure? Easy. Evans is much better in the standup realm. He is an expert counterstriker who has the speed and power to knock out just about anyone in the division, assuming he has the confidence to sit down and commit to his punches. In fact, I’ll go so far as to argue that Evans has the fastest hands in the division, bar none.
Suga’s hand speed gives him a tremendous advantage against just about anyone. Unlike most counterpunchers, Suga doesn’t like to slip punches and fire back. His forte is countering before his opponent completes a strike. In other words, he fires a counter off of his opponent’s tell sign, and his blazing hand speed allows him to land first in those instances.
The perfect example is when Evans fought Liddell. Evans noticed during pre-fight film study that Liddell’s expression changed or his face curled up with determination milliseconds before he fired a lead power punch, so he sat back and waited for that moment to arrive. Evans fired a fully committed right hand the instant Liddell tipped his hand with his tell sign, and the punch landed right on the button, immediately ending the fight.
If Evans had the juice to knock out Liddell when he was still near the prime of his career, he certainly has the juice to stop a 36-year-old Ortiz. If the two engage in a firefight or any sort of contest that unfolds largely on the feet, then Evans winning by knockout seems like the most likely outcome. His standup skills are that much better.
Similarly, if Evans can put his fellow former champion on his back and keep him there for significant portions of the fight, he should be able to walk away with a victory. Granted, Ortiz has excellent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, including a grossly underrated offensive guard. Yet, there is very little chance that Ortiz scores a submission win over Evans. Not unless he first rocks Evans with some sort of strike, resulting in him making a rudimentary mistake.
Evans probably shouldn’t worry too much about searching for a submission, if he is able to score a takedown. Fans must remember that Ortiz has not been submitted in more than a decade. The last time it happened he was so exhausted that he could hardly move— a situation that a cardio machine like Ortiz is not likely to face again. Evans won’t be the one to break that streak. Not on Saturday night anyway.
Yet, if Evans can put Ortiz on his back and grind away with conservative ground and pound, he should be able to score a judges’ decision, just like Couture did against Ortiz back in 2003. Again, Ortiz’s ground skills are much better today than they were in 2003, but he isn’t going to be the first man to score a submission victory over Evans. Not from his guard, at least.
What if Ortiz is able to turn the table and put Evans on his back?
Well, if he can keep him there, then Ortiz wins the fight. Evans has never shown a great ability to defend from his guard. This guy is a lifelong wrestler, just like Ortiz, only he competed at a much higher level than Ortiz in the amateur ranks. Thus, like with many lifelong wrestlers, Evans is like a cockroach or a large tortoise on his back—basically harmless. And Ortiz is one of the best in the business at grinding out victories from the top position, if he is fortunate enough to score a takedown.
What about Ortiz scoring a knockout on the feet?
No chance. Ortiz has shown better and better striking skills in each of his last several fights, including rocking and dropping Ryan Bader with a punch last month. I certainly acknowledge that fact. I will also acknowledge that anything can happen with those little vale tudo gloves. It’s also accurate that Evans is viewed by many as being a bit “chinny.” Lyoto Machida left him in a heap in their 2009 bout. Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson both rocked him badly in the final round of their losses by judges’ decision. But Ortiz doesn’t have the stand up juice of Machida, Silva or Rampage.
So what about Ortiz outpointing Evans on the feet?
Again, no chance at all. Evans’ hand speed and technique will be too much for Ortiz, assuming he fights with confidence. In the first round of their last bout, Evans was hesitant in pulling the trigger. Shortly after the draw, Evans turned into one of the game’s elite sluggers. Of course, that came to an end when he got separated from consciousness by Machida. Since that time, Evans has shown less and less faith in his standup game. That may make him susceptible to dropping the first round. But that should be the only thing his tentativeness impacts. If Evans returns to his corner and hears that he lost the first round, he will begin to let his hands go, and that spells disaster for Ortiz.
So, how do I see the action unfolding?
This fight seems to have Evans written all over it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will win. A perfectly healthy, well-prepared Ortiz performing at the top of his game is pretty darn difficult to defeat. The fact that Evans is coming off the longest layoff of his career is also extremely significant. Cage rust may be a very real factor in the outcome of the fight. Another question is whether he is finally in a good place about getting knocked out by Machida.
On the other side of the Octagon, Ortiz is a complete unknown at this stage in his career, despite his win over Bader. How will he perform after a month-long layoff? Will he still have the same legendary cardiovascular conditioning? Has he continued to develop his game to compete with the new breed of elite fighters?
Honestly, I don’t know the answers to any of those questions, and neither does anyone else.
I could easily write another 1,500 words stating a case in favor of either man winning. That is what makes this fight so intriguing. Instead, I’ll just sit back, relax and enjoy the action as it unfolds.
Quick Facts:
Rashad Evans
• 31 years old
• 5’11, 205 lbs
• 74.5-inch reach
• 20-1-1 overall (10-1-1 UFC)
• 4-1 in last 5 fights
• 8-1-1 in last 10 fights
• 3-1-1 against 5 current or former UFC champions
• Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
• 147-day reign as champion; no successful title defenses
• Former heavyweight winner on The Ultimate Fighter
• Current layoff of 434 days is the longest of his career
Tito Ortiz
• 36 yrs old
• 6’3, 205 lbs
• 74-inch reach
• 17-8-1 overall (15-8-1 UFC)
• 1-3-1 in last 5 fights
• 5-4-1 in last 10
• 5-7-1 against 10 current or former champions, including UFC/PRIDE tournament champions
• Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
• Record for longest 205-lb title reign in UFC (1,260 days)
• Record for most consecutive successful defenses of 205-lb title (5)
• Current layoff of 35 days is the second shortest layoff of his professional career; shortest in more than a decade
• 557 days is the longest layoff of his career
UFC August Fight Cards: Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva Predictions
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Monday, August 1, 2011
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Eric “Red” Schafer Makes Middleweight Debut at XFO 41
UFC vet Eric “Red” Schafer gets a lot of press around this site. First, Michael Hatamoto covered the opening of his new gym and followed up with a post about his plans to fight again. Then, I wrote about visiting the gym, which had impressive instruction and a great vibe…and I kept getting tapped out by everyone I rolled with, including some dude with a sick inverted guard who does his conditioning at 6 in the morning. (What do those guys put in their drinking water, anyway?!) Most recently, we waxed rhapsodic about Schafer’s mad skillz in our top 10 list of fighters we’d love to see back in the Octagon. The list was received with much fanfare and aplomb. Men cheered. Women fainted. Children waved brightly colored flags. And everyone hit “like.”
Just when we thought the Red Frenzy had died down, it was announced that the submission whiz will be making his return to the cage at XFO 41: Outdoor War 7 in Island Lake, Illinois on September 3rd. This will be Schafer’s middleweight debut.
According to XFO’s Dan Lardy, wrestler Chris Albandia has verbally agreed to step in the cage as Schafer’s opponent. Albandia is an IFL veteran known both for his wrestling and his heavy hands. He is coming off of two 1st round submission losses, the most recent to Jeremy May by triangle choke in March 2010. Before that, he lost to Nathan Coy via arm triangle. Prior to the losses, Albandia defeated Dan Bolden by unanimous decision and won a fight with Jake Ambrose by submission due to strikes.
Chris AlbandiaSchafer is coming off of two unanimous decision losses, the most recent to Jason Brilz in March 2010 and the other to Ryan Bader in October 2009. He hopes to use the fight as an opportunity to show how his skills have evolved. “Chris is a perfect fighter for me to test myself against because he is an accomplished wrestler,” Schafer said, pointing out that his toughest opponents, including his last two UFC losses, have always been to solid wrestlers. “I need to prove to myself that I have fixed that hole in my game. I cannot underestimate him, and I believe all my training to improve over the last year will show that I am a drastically more dangerous man,” he said.
Prior to Schafer’s two most recent losses, he was on a four-fight winning streak, with two 1st round TKO finishes against Antonio Mendes and William Hill and two submission victories against Houston Alexander, who he defeated by 1st round arm triangle, and Ryan Antle, who he defeated by guillotine in just 43 seconds into the first round.
Schafer has been very successful in XFO in the past. “XFO has always been the top show in the Midwest,” he says, “and the UFC talent that it has developed proves it. They have always treated me great and helped me reach the UFC the first time around, so there is no show I would rather fight in to unleash Red Schafer Version 2.0,” he said, adding that Island Lake, IL is not too far from Milwaukee–so he hopes to bring a bus load of family and friends to cheer him on.
Since we at MMA HQ have already used up all of our descriptive adjectives about Schafer in the aforementioned articles, we’ll let the video of a previous XFO match speak for itself. The following is Schafer’s first fight against William Hill, which took place at XFO 9 in January 2006. (An earlier match from XFO 6 in June 2005, in which Schafer won by triangle choke after his opponent actually passed out and then woke up, thinking he was still in the fight, is also available on YouTube.)
Fellow MMA geeks enthusiasts will enjoy this footage both for Schafer’s slick submissions and for the opportunity to view his evolution as a fighter, as his UFC bouts showcase his much tighter clinch game (and improved striking, which we’ve predicted will become even more evident in future fights.)
Word on the street is that Chris Albandia also has much-improved skills, but here’s a very old fight we dug up on the interwebz; his bout against Madice Alejandro which took place back in 2006.
Special thanks to XFO for not only allowing MMA HQ to post their footage, but uploading it especially for us.
Video – Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson recap
Event: Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson
When: Saturday 30th July
Where: Sears Centre, Illinois
Results
Dan Henderson def. Fedor Emelianenko via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:12
Miesha Tate def. Marloes Coenen via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 4, 3:03
Tim Kennedy def. Robbie Lawler via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Tyron Woodley def. Paul Daley via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Tarec Saffiedine def. Scott Smith via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Gesias Cavalcante def. Bobby Green via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Tyler Stinson def. Eduardo Pamplona via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 0:15
Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:33
Gabriel Salinas-Jones def. Bryan Humes via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 3, 1:19
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Nick Pace - Straight Outta Staten Island
"You just gotta step up and surprise people. I’ve been the underdog the last couple fights, so I guess I gotta just keep proving people wrong.” - Nick Pace 
The joke around Staten Island used to be that the best fighter to emerge from the fifth borough of New York City was beloved New York Rangers enforcer Nick Fotiu. Of course, there were brief flashes in boxing from 80’s contender John Verderosa and recent prospect Gary Stark Jr., and former UFC heavyweight champ Ricco Rodriguez used to call the Island home, but for the most part, there’s been little to get excited about for local fight fans until UFC bantamweight Nick Pace showed up.
The joke around Staten Island used to be that the best fighter to emerge from the fifth borough of New York City was beloved New York Rangers enforcer Nick Fotiu. Of course, there were brief flashes in boxing from 80’s contender John Verderosa and recent prospect Gary Stark Jr., and former UFC heavyweight champ Ricco Rodriguez used to call the Island home, but for the most part, there’s been little to get excited about for local fight fans until UFC bantamweight Nick Pace showed up. Why so?
“I think there should be a lot more fighters here because there’s really nothing to do in Staten Island,” laughs Pace, who faces Ivan Menjivar at UFC 133 on August 6th. “And instead of doing nothing, they should probably come and train.”
If Pace is burdened by the idea that he is alone in representing his city on the sport’s biggest stage, it doesn’t show. But that doesn’t mean he’s oblivious to the fact that the automatic reflex when glancing at a bout sheet and seeing his hometown is to say ‘ah, can’t fight.’
“In anything, people automatically judge, and it’s not good to judge somebody right off the bat and say ‘he’s from Staten Island, I don’t think he’s gonna be a good fighter. How is he gonna get any good training over there?’” said Pace. “But that’s why you just gotta step up and surprise people. I’ve been the underdog the last couple fights, so I guess I gotta just keep proving people wrong.”
6-1 in a pro career that began in 2008, the 24-year old Pace has been training in martial arts since the age of 10, and he’s done so with the same coach, Shihan Danny Schulmann. If the name doesn’t sound familiar, let’s just go with the more recognizable name, Tiger Schulmann. The Tiger Schulmann MMA schools are an east coast staple, but as with any chain, there’s also the stigma that it’s not a “real” place to learn how to fight. That’s another scarlet letter Pace has had to carry around, but again, he’s proud to do so and to stay loyal to his coach and camp.
“When I started when I was 10, I fell in love with it, and it just kept evolving and it kept getting better, and it held my interest,” he said. “It was also showing me new things and I was getting better and going to tournaments before I even started fighting. We went from being Tiger Schulman’s Karate to Tiger Schulman’s Mixed Martial Arts and I’m definitely loyal. On the east coast, you used to hear ‘oh, people from Tiger Schulman’s, they’re bogus martial arts, they’re like a McDojo.’ But setting me aside, we earned a lot of respect with all the fighters coming out of our camp. We fought people from Serra’s, we fought the Gracies, ATT, and everyone on the east coast, we fight. You ask people now, and they know, and they have a little bit more respect for us. They know we’re the real deal.”
A former Ring of Combat standout who also scored a highlight reel flying knee knockout of Collin Tebo in a Bellator show in 2009, Pace got his call to the big leagues in 2010, and he gave a good showing in a competitive three round loss to Demetrious Johnson in a WEC bout last September. The fact that “Mighty Mouse” has gone on to defeat Damacio Page, Kid Yamamoto, and Miguel Angel Torres in succession to earn an October shot at Dominick Cruz’ bantamweight title may soften the blow of Pace’s first defeat a little, but not much.
“My fight with Demetrious Johnson, at least I didn’t lose to some shmoe, because the guy’s really good, and hopefully sometime down the line, if I keep putting my work in and keep getting wins under my belt, I’ll get a rematch with him,” said Pace. “But that’s like a thorn in my side and it really put a damper on me. I thought I was the man until I fought him, but it was good because it humbles you, and you learn more from your losses than you do from your wins.”
Migrating over to the UFC, things continued to go downhill when he came in at 138 pounds for his December bout with Will Campuzano, making it imperative that he win the fight to keep his job.
“I lost that first fight, and then the next fight I came in overweight, and I learned things the hard way.”
But his talent showed through, as he submitted Campuzano in the third round and earned another shot in the Octagon. A March fight with fellow prospect Michael McDonald was scrapped due to injury, but in Philadelphia on August 6th, he’ll square off with Canadian veteran Ivan Menjivar.
“I know he’s been around for a while,” said Pace. “Some people ask me, ‘who ya fightin’ bro?’ Ivan Menjivar. They’re like ‘Who?’ Then they go look him up and they’re like ‘Oh my God, he fought GSP (Georges St-Pierre) and Matt Serra.’ I’m very excited to fight him, but I’m not intimidated. That’s not anything against him, he’s a bad ass fighter, he’s got a lot of experience, he’s super tough, and he trains with a really good camp, but I’m not intimidated. If you go in there and say ‘oh my God, this guy is so good,’ you’re already defeating yourself mentally, and that’s half the battle right there.”
Given the doubts that have been thrown his way already, Pace is not one to lose that mental battle. And at this point, he kind of enjoys being the underdog.
“Being the underdog, you’ve got more to fight for,” he said. “It gives you that extra boost and pumps you up a little more. When people count you out right from the beginning, that can mess with someone’s head and make them start believing it. So you just have to have a strong mind and believe in yourself. So if you believe in yourself and people are trying to put you down or talk smack, you just have to be the stronger person and use that energy in a positive way and let that be the fire under your butt to make you work even harder.”
Not a bad representative for Staten Island fighting, eh? But Nick Pace can’t get caught up in such matters. He needs to worry about Ivan Menjivar, winning, and showing people that he’s ready to move up the ranks and be considered not just New York’s best bantamweight, but the world’s best.
“I haven’t fought the way I wanted to fight, and it’s been a little rocky,” he admits. “It kinda gets me a little upset at myself because I want to perform so much and show everybody how good I am. I need this fight to step up my game and show everybody that I’m here and that I’m no joke.”
Chael Sonnen Talks Brian Stann, Demian Maia, the Silvas and Fedor vs. Henderson
One of the most vocal men in the sport, UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen, appeared on UFC Connected on July 25.
The first topic of conversation was “The All-American” Brian Stann, who Sonnen faces off against at UFC 136.
“He’s a tough guy, he’s a great fighter…he’s ranked sixth in the world, a former world champion for the WEC,” Sonnen said. “I’m a big Brian Stann fan, so I’ve been having a lot of fun watching and cheering for him from my living room.”
Despite recently stating that he would have no problem trash talking Stann leading up to their fight, Sonnen has shown the Silver Star recipient nothing but respect up to this point.
As far as his favorite target, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, is concerned, Sonnen actually kept it short and sweet this time.
“Anderson and I will meet up again, either way, regardless, Anderson’s not going to be the champion by then because Yushin Okami’s going to take him out in August, in his hometown,” the former two-time All American wrestler said.
“I got no problem slapping Anderson around again just for fun, just for laughs, just to entertain myself,” Sonnen stated very matter-of-factly.
When asked if Sonnen would be in Okami’s corner in August to repay the favor of Okami coming up to Oregon to train, Sonnen replied:
Part 1 of Chael Sonnen on UFC Connected“Oh absolutely, I got a timeshare in Brazil. It’s beautiful there.”
Furthermore, when he was informed that he was public enemy No. 1 in Brazil, Sonnen responded with
“Oh that’s ridiculous…no, they love me in Brazil.”
In arguably the most interesting portion of the interview, Sonnen actually took the high road when addressing Demian Maia’s recent video where he mocked Sonnen’s triangle choke defense.
“I might take him up on that, I could probably use that. Demian Maia’s fantastic…I might take him up on that offer,” Sonnen said with a smile on his face.
Next, Sonnen was shown the video clip of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at the UFC 135 press conference, where Rampage said “I don’t know what Chael Sonnen look like,” among other disparaging remarks.
“Well basically, I couldn’t understand a word he just said without an interpreter,” Sonnen stated.
“But by the tone of it, I’d say he’s got a problem with me. So we could settle that, if he wants to introduce us, we can do that. We got a forum for that, it’s called the people’s octagon and I’ll be there.”
Part 2 of Chael Sonnen on UFC ConnectedFrom there, Uncle Chael discussed why he was willing to fill in for an injured Phil Davis against Rashad Evans at UFC 133, prior to Tito Ortiz accepting the fight.
“The company needs a main event, you can’t just leave them hanging. The cowards at 205, not one of them stepped up. And 205’s such an easy weight class, I don’t know why they have it anymore,” the controversial fighter declared.
“It wasn’t about the opponent, it was just about helping the company and making sure somebody shows up on August 6,” Sonnen clarified.
At this point, Chael was asked if he thought it was a good move or bad move for Tito Ortiz to take the fight on short notice, especially since he just fought Ryan Bader a few weeks ago.
“Yea sure, who cares good move, bad move…ya know, I don’t understand these guys are all chickens. Anybody can go train for a fight and show up in shape, a real man just shows up and lets it go,” Sonnen expressed.
On the topic of Wanderlei Silva, another known rival of Sonnen’s, he actually gave the former Pride star some credit.
As expected though, Sonnen couldn’t resist taking some parting shots at the Brazilian.
“He still brought something to the sport and a lot of fans tuned in to watch him,” Sonnen reflected.
“Whether he was doing his fake matches in Japan, or his real stuff in America, he had a presence and a following and he’ll be remembered. He should be proud of that,” Sonnen said.
From here, Sonnen was asked to evaluate the Strikeforce superfight pitting Fedor Emelianenko against Dan Henderson.
Worth noting is that like Chael Sonnen, Henderson is a member of Team Quest’s fight camp.
“Well, it’s interesting, we don’t know a lot about Fedor. He’s only had a couple fights, his real martial arts record is three wins, two losses. He looks like a pretty skilled guy, but he’s taking on, in my opinion, the most accomplished guy that’s still competing today in Dan Henderson.”
Sonnen had nothing but good things to say about one of his teammates.
“Dan’s got it done at three different weight classes. He’s beat world champions at heavyweight, world champion himself at 205, world champion himself at 185. Current world champion at 205, at 40 years old,” Sonnen reminded the viewers.
At the end of the interview, Sonnen predicted “Dan Henderson to win fairly handily.”
After Sonnen again referred to Emelianenko’s career record as just 3-2, he was asked as to why he did not consider Fedor one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.
“It’s not…it doesn’t even warrant a comment, it’s just silly. He’s 3-2 guys, if that makes you the greatest of all time…ok. I’m not gonna…he’s 3-2,” Sonnen insisted.
When asked about Fedor’s Pride wins over Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Kevin Randleman and Mark Coleman, Sonnen continued to sing the same tune.
“Look guys, he’s 3-2. He’s had five mixed martial arts matches. He has an official record of three wins and two losses. That’s just the truth, I’m not here to disparage Fedor, I’m simply telling you his record,” Sonnen said very seriously.
The writer sincerely recommends checking out the interview as a whole, where believe it or not, Sonnen actually endorses women’s boxing and MMA towards the end of the interview.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
MMA Submission of the Day: Fedor Emelianenko Submits Matt Lindland in BODOG
Strikeforce returns this Saturday with a featured matchup between MMA legends Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson.
Today's submission of the day comes from a 2007 bout between Emelianenko and Matt Lindland, who is a former training partner of Henderson and a former Olympic freestyle wrestler.
"The Last Emperor" is known for his aggressive attacks on the ground, whether it's to knock out or submit his opponents. Of his 31 victories, 16 have come by submission while eight have come by knockout. Lindland went into the bout with a 20-4 record and had only lost one of his previous 10 fights.
It didn't take very long for Emelianenko to get Lindland down. Just 30 seconds into the bout and Lindland was already thrown to the ground by the former Pride heavyweight champion.
After a cut was opened up on Emelianenko's head, he quickly fought for the submission and secured the arm bar two minutes into the bout. Lindland had no choice but to tap out.
This weekend's Strikeforce event can be watched on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET. Emelianenko is currently on a two-fight losing streak, while Henderson recently won the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship in March after defeating Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante by knockout. It will be contested in the heavyweight division.
Other fights on the card include Robbie Lawler vs. Tim Kennedy, Paul Daley vs. Tyrone Woodley and Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha Tate.
Don't forget to check out Sal DeRose's knockout of the day article, here!
This article is a duplicate offensive plagiarized What is the duplicate article?Why is this article offensive?Where is this article plagiarized from?Why is this article poorly edited? Flag This ArticleFaber vs. Bowles Agreed to for UFC 139 in Nov.
Up-to-the minute news about the emerging fight card for UFC 139, expected to take place this November.
Click below for more fight updates:
UFC 133
UFC on Versus 4
UFC 134
Battle on the Bayou
UFC 136
UFC 137
“Before a possible trilogy can be considered between Urijah Faber and his rival, Champion Dominick Cruz, he will take on one of the division’s truly elite fighters, former Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles," said UFC President Dana White. "A win over Faber would be massive for Bowles’ bid to challenge for the belt that was once his. The stakes are high and the fight will be intense.”
Weidman vs. Lawlor Agreed to for UFC 139
This November's UFC 139 card has begun to take shape, as middleweight phenom Chris Weidman has verbally agreed to face Ultimate Fighter veteran "Filthy" Tom Lawlor in what promises to be a fast-paced battle in one of the sport's most competitive divisions.
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