Friday, 28 February 2014

garbage

nice seeing DC shut that shit talker up but the main even was pure shit

Herb Dean needs to be fired with extreme prejudice.

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82483-garbage&goto=newpost

Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie

Dong Hyun Kim vs. John Hathaway full fight video preview online for TUF: 'China' Finale

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2014/2/28/5457504/dong-hyun-kim-vs-john-hathaway-full-fight-video-preview-online-tuf-china-finale

Clay Guida Jason Guida Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel

Nevada Athletic Commission Approves Ban On TRT

The Nevada Athletic Commission passed a motion to ban therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone replacement therapy during a meeting Thursday. Skip Avansino, commission of the NAC, made the motion to ban TRT, which was supported by Pat Lundvall. The NAC regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure […]

The post Nevada Athletic Commission Approves Ban On TRT appeared first on MMA Convert.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/_B3l6nez3CE/

Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

Fight Night Macao: Cung Le Previews TUF China Welterweight Final

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/4510/fight-night-macao-cung-le-previews-tuf-china-welterweight-final

Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau  Rich No Love Clementi 

UFC Addresses NSAC?s Ban on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)

As expected, the Ultimate Fighting Championship fully supported the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s decision Thursday to ban therapeutic-use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). The committee voted unanimously today to rid the controversial treatment from all combat sports taking place in the state, effective immediately. Present and past fighters previously issued TUEs for TRT [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/164771/ufc-addresses-nsacs-ban-on-testosterone-replacement-therapy-trt/

Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn

All New MMA Posts Will Be Made On MMAPain This Week

More about the change after the jump. I plan on upgrading MMATKO in the near future but not sure what I want to do yet. I will be posting on my other MMA site MMAPain.com for a bit and you guys should go there daily just as if it was MMATKO. MMAPain has a much [...]

Source: http://www.mmatko.com/all-new-mma-posts-will-be-made-on-mmapain-this-week/

Ryan Gracie Peter Graham Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian

Vitor Belfort Not ?Retiring,? Plans To Face UFC 173 Winner

Vitor Belfort isn’t going anywhere. Belfort, who was removed from a planned title fight with Chris Weidman at UFC 173 later this year, stated on Facebook that he will stop taking TRT and face the winner of Weidman-Lyoto Machida for the UFC middleweight championship. “I never gave up fighting in UFC 173 and never mentioned […]

The post Vitor Belfort Not “Retiring,” Plans To Face UFC 173 Winner appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/02/28/vitor-belfort-not-retiring-plans-to-face-ufc-173-winner/

Stav Crazy Bear Economou  Yves Edwards  Justin Eilers  Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund

Chad George and the occupational hazards of being a fighter

Fighting is entertainment. We all know it. If you?re the promoter, running a show, fighting comes down to a simple bottom line: Asses in seats.

Pay-per-view buys. Television ratings.

Promoters love to pretend they?re showcasing the best fighters in the world and fans pretend that?s what they want to see. The reality is something different.

If I?m a promoter, I want to showcase the most popular fighters in the world, that?s what I?m really interested in. Even 90% of real fight fans don?t want to see the best if it?s boring (look at what happened on HBO to Guillermo Rigondeaux).

They want what the general public wants?a bloody war and a narrative. They want to see a fight.

Fighters in the UFC don?t promise to win - they promise to put on a show. Humans are storytellers, it?s how we understand the world, and every fight needs a story, promoters have understood this since the days of Homer.

Give us Rocky. Give us the wily veteran versus the brash newcomer. Give us the striker versus the grappler. Give us?something.

When I met Chad ?The Savage? George, he was fighting in the WEC at 135 pounds and poised to step up. He fought Scott Jorgenesen (in the top 10 at the time) and got caught right off the bat in Jorgensen?s bread-and-butter guillotine.

In his next fight, he lost a close decision to Antonio Banuelos, and that was it - out into the howling wilderness. Chad would not become part of the WEC/UFC merger.

Out in the cold.

Luckily for Chad, he?d been working with a talented German filmmaker, Andre Enzensberger, on a documentary called Occupation: Fighter. Now, there are a lot of MMA documentaries out there. Training looks good on camera and there are great stories everywhere.

However, enthusiasts who can?t bear to cut anything and who also have little grasp of editing and pacing are often the ones making MMA documentaries. Chad is funny, smart, educated and a charismatic guy.

He?s a good choice for a subject. He was doubly lucky in that he ran into a guy in Enzensberger with some real talent (also I should mention Chad is an accomplished visual artist and he got involved in the project?s nuts and bolts).

Occupation: Fighter isn?t the best documentary of all time, but it?s good, and far more importantly, it?s popular. It?s doing really, really, well.

Netflix alone has over 63,000 ratings and it?s estimated that only one of every hundred watchers gives a rating. The movie is also on TV in Brazil and Canada. The film makers are actually (gasp) making some money off of the documentary.

In MMA, notoriety is currency. This is a sport where guys can hype themselves into title fights, where the WWE is the business model, (which brings us back to narrative, which is what the WWE is all about - scripted fights and establishing narratives for the fans).

Chad describes it as finding a ?loophole? into MMA fame. But is it a purely positive thing? Or, is it a double-edged sword?

?There?s more pressure on me now,? Chad says.

?There?s more pressure on me now than I felt in the WEC. There?s more pressure for the comeback, from fans, from students? I get emails everyday from all over the world about that documentary.?

There?s more opportunity, as well, as promoters from all over the country reach out to him.

?A lot of guys, nobody cares about you, but somehow with this thing [the documentary] I?ve found a fan base without being in the UFC. I?ve lucked out into this fan base, and it?s worldwide. I have value to my name, I have a story, promoters can say ?go watch his movie right now? and I?m not just another veteran.?

I have to wonder, on some level, if the success of the movie is the thing keeping Chad in the fight game. Would he have retired without that film out there, existing, gaining fans, and creating this somewhat romanticized, courageous portrait? Does the film on some level own him, as he owns the film?

Chad recently had back surgery on a blown L5S1 disk, not atypical for a fighter who has wear-and-tear from a ten-year career. He?d hid the lingering injury from the film.

?I didn?t want the cortisol shots and epidurals I was taking to get through training camp to be in the movie,? he says.

Chad is a well-rounded fighter but as a former college wrestler, wrestling had always been a big part of his MMA game. I?m reminded of the iconic first lightweight UFC champion Jens Pulver who hurt his back, couldn?t shoot takedowns and had to try to knock everyone out standing, with mixed success, later in his career.

Chad?s feeling good now, even though he?s lost his last two fights (after winning three after being cut by Zuffa). The back surgery was a problem in the first, and ring rust was the issue in the second.

Can Chad make it? Is he good enough? He?s well aware of the dangers of being ?good enough to get close.?

?If you get into the top ten, what does that even mean? Does that change your life?? he muses, shaking his head, no.

?My biggest thing is that I?m thirty-two and I?ll kill myself if I don?t give myself a real shot, now that I understand things. No one would fault me if I was to retire, I had a good career?but I would know.?

Chad?s un-awed by the best fighters at 135, ?Don?t get me wrong, Faber, Barao, they?re total studs, but I know what I bring,? he says.

?I?ve trained with Faber and other great fighters and the difference is they refuse to lose. Their mindset was better than mine.?

Chad feels that with maturity and understanding, his skills have improved and kept pace with the best in the game?but most importantly, he?s got his mind right.

We?ll find out.

That?s the wonderful part about fighting?nobody cares how good the story is if you can?t win at the top. The other bottom line that everyone knows, the simple great truth, no matter how much a promoter promises ?put on a good show and you?ll be back? he?s lying and the fighters know it.

You gotta win, by hook or by crook. Winning is everything, in the end.

Rigondeaux, possibly the best boxer in the world, is grudgingly getting fights on HBO. Chad can talk the talk, and the movie can be #1 on Itunes, but in the end, he has to win.

He can take some easy fights, but when and if he gets back to the UFC, he?ll face a murderer?s row at 135, because the UFC?s model isn?t built around any fighter, it?s built around the brand. As such, they don?t have to protect anybody, or pad records.

All the filmmaking in the world won?t matter when the cage door shuts.

Sam Sheridan (http://worldismadeoffire.com/) is the author of the best-selling book, A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting, as well as The Fighter's Mind: Inside the Mental Game. Sam's newest book is The Disaster Diaries: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Apocalypse is now available in both hard cover and paperback.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/chad-george-and-the-occupational-hazards-of-being-a-fighter-212227869-mma.html

Dai Shuanghai  Mac Danzig  Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis 

Bisping VS Kennedy Official

Image: http://www.bjpenn.com.2sj1.spdl.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/421x557xScreen-Shot-2014-02-25-at-6.55.01-PM1.png.speedilic.ic.tMXXEljVe2.jpg...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/162874-bisping-vs-kennedy-official.html

Matt Hamill Volk Han Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy

UFC Tonight Offers Updates On Status Of Three Injured Fighters

“UFC Tonight” aired Wednesday evening on FOX Sports 1, and brought with it several updates on fighters such as TJ Grant, Benson Henderson and Matt Brown. Grant, who remains the No. 1 contender in the UFC’s lightweight division, is still recovering from a concussion suffered in training. After finishing Gray Maynard last May for his […]

The post UFC Tonight Offers Updates On Status Of Three Injured Fighters appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/02/27/ufc-tonight-offers-updates-on-status-of-three-injured-fighters/

Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney 

Great uppercut KO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJt20yzA8TE

SKip to 5 minutes in. Amazing southpaw uppercut.

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82489-Great-uppercut-KO&goto=newpost

Grant Campbell  Gesias JZ Calvancante  Luiz Cane  Dos Caras Jr   Phil Cardella

Bellator MMA signs Victory Motorcycles as sponsor

Bellator MMA announced that Victory Motorcycles will be the ?Official Motorcycle Partner? of Bellator MMA.� The partnership is another sponsor secured by BMMA prior to the start of its 10th season on February 28th. Via BMMA press release: Victory Motorcycles will be strategically integrated throughout the Bellator broadcast and digital platforms.� In addition to premium […]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Payout/~3/M_GMMFDenbE/

Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan

Thursday, 27 February 2014

Bellator's Quinton "Rampage" Jackson feels like a winner no matter what

"There's not a part of me that is glad we didn't get to fight."

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is talking about Tito Ortiz. The two former UFC light heavyweight champions and training partners were scheduled to fight one another in Bellator's first ever pay-per-view last year.

Ortiz broke his neck during training, the pay-per-view was scrapped and the fight didn't happen. Instead, Jackson fought Joey Beltran in his first-ever Bellator contest.

Jackson fights again this Friday in the first round of a Bellator light heavyweight four-man tournament, against Christian M'Pumbu. The other side of the bracket has Muhammed Lawal taking on Mikhail Zayats.

The downside for Jackson of Ortiz pulling out of the fight is obvious. He missed out on a marquee pay-per-view fight and instead had to fight a lesser-known fighter in a no-win situation just to earn a payday.

With that understood, wasn't there some part of Jackson, we ask, that was glad he didn't have to go out there and hurt a former training partner and friend with whom he's never appeared to have any animosity towards?

"Fighters, we?re different," he begins to explain.

"We?re the alphas of the human race. We don't need animosity between one another to fight. Basically, every time Tito and I trained together it was while he was training for a fight. So, I took it easy on him a lot of times. I always wanted to know if I could beat Tito. He beat people that I lost to and I beat people he lost to. I hope the best for him. I just want him to heal up so that if we are set to fight again, he'll be able to do it for sure."

Jackson went on to knock out Beltran last November and earn his first win since 2011. Jackson didn't just leave the UFC on a three-fight losing streak against some of the best fighters in the 205-pound division, he left feeling profoundly unhappy with the way the promotion treated him.

He headed to Bellator with ideas of easier fights, pro-wrestling work and cross-over movie and television opportunities through Bellator's parent company Viacom. Several months and one fight in, Jackson says that he's not happy with absolutely everything that has happened thus far, but that Bellator itself treats him with respect.

"The last organization I was with kind of sapped the love I had for MMA but it's starting to come back with Bellator. There are a few things I'm not 100 percent happy with. Some things are better than others and some things [Viacom] said they were going to do, I wished they'd worked out better. But Bellator itself, they treat me with respect. My relationship with Bellator, which is who I have contact with on a day-to-day basis anyway, the way the promotion and Bjorn Rebney treat me is with respect. There are a few things outside of their control that I want worked on that I'm not worried about now because I'm focused on my fight but I'm sure those guys will work on it and fix it for me when we do talk. My body is feeling good and I'm more excited to fight than I have been in awhile."

Jackson must have been happy and relieved to get back in the win column against Beltran but he says that he whether or not he's a winner has little to do with his arm getting raised in the cage after a fight, these days. "I win no matter what," he says.

"Even if I get knocked out, even if I get submitted, I still feel like I won. I came from no where in my life back in Mississippi to fighting in front of millions of people at a professional level. I've fought on the biggest shows on the planet. At one point in my life I was the number one fighter in the world at my weight. I was MMA's first ever unified champion. It may be hard for people to understand what I'm saying when I say this but, coming from where I'm from, I win even before I step into the cage."

This perspective may be the key to understanding Jackson's at times contradictory statements about things like winning, entertaining and motivation. This writer remembers interviewing the fighter years ago when he couldn't hide his ambition to be the best light heavyweight in the world.

In recent years, however, Jackson has made public comments that sounded as if he had no particular desire to train hard or win anymore and that he had given up on the idea that he could become champion again - a particularly dangerous mindset to have in a fighting sport where the difference between winning and losing can sometimes be measured in amount of brain trauma. Jackson may be honest and reflective about where he is in his career now compared to, say six or seven years ago, and he says winning fights is no longer the most important thing, but perhaps that's a stance not formed simply from feeling defeated but rather from understanding that he's blessed.

"I?ve always felt that way ever since my first professional fight in King of the Cage," Jackson says of feeling like a winner no matter the result of a bout.

"I lost that fight but I got paid. Because I got paid, I was able to buy food, eat and then I got back into training. I lost my first professional fight but I won. People remembered me, they wanted me to come back. Even though I lost, I still won. No matter what, I?m winning in life because I'm successful, can feed my kids and provide them with things that I didn't have growing up.

"Just because you lose a fight, don?t mean you?re a loser. Even if I don?t ever win another fight for as long as my career lasts, I'm a winner because I've accomplished so much in this sport that I used to love."

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/bellator-s-quinton--rampage--jackson-feels-like-a-winner-no-matter-what-204804649-mma.html

Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga

Spike TV?s Show On Rampage Jackson Airs Tonight, 11 PM ET

The reality series, “#Rampage4Real,” returns tonight on Spike TV at 11 p.m. ET. The series follows former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who returns to action Friday night at Bellator 110 against Christian M’Pumbu. Jackson was slated to make his Bellator debut last year against Tito Ortiz, but that bout was scrapped after […]

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/100443/spike-tvs-show-on-rampage-jackson-airs-tonight-11-pm-et/

Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah 

T.J. Dillashaw vs. Takeya Mizugaki set for UFC 173

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2014/2/26/5450038/report-t-j-dillashaw-vs-takeya-mizugaki-set-for-ufc-173

A very important bantamweight battle is likely set for the UFC 173 card in May.

It looks...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82509-T-J-Dillashaw-vs-Takeya-Mizugaki-set-for-UFC-173&goto=newpost

Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs Brian Vera 2- Vera workout highlights - Videos

In this boxing video, Brian Vera trains and prepares for his rematch with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at his media workout. Footage courtesy of Top Rank For more Boxing and MMA videos log onto http://www.fighthubtv.com Like us:http://on.fb.me/xWRC1f follow us:http://bit.ly/wACkIv Boxing videos! MMA videos! uploaded daily! Subscribe:http://goo.gl/vnzIb

Source: http://mmalice.com/videos/julio-cesar-chavez-jr-vs-brian-vera-2-vera-workout-highlights-video_8ulrlvvy.html

Karen Grigoryan Kendall Grove Clay Guida Jason Guida Melvin Guillard

ONE FC Returns to Manila on May 2; New Signing Yusuke Kawanago Set to Debut

http://www.mmaweekly.com/one-fc-returns-to-manila-on-may-2-new-signing-yusuke-kawanago-set-to-debut

ONE FC recently signed a partnership deal with the SM Mall of Asia Arena, which will see Asia�s...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82473-ONE-FC-Returns-to-Manila-on-May-2-New-Signing-Yusuke-Kawanago-Set-to-Debut&goto=newpost

Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan

Here?s a shocker: Dana White says Floyd Mayweather would ?get murdered in the UFC?

For years, former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former undisputed light heavyweight boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. have talked about boxing each other. UFC president Dana White hasn't put an end to the silliness and hasn't said that he wouldn't allow Silva to compete in a boxing match. As a result, the ridiculous talk of such a meaningless fight continues.

Boxing and mixed martial arts are completely different sports and, despite some similarities, the skills in one don't necessarily translate to the other.

This boxing versus MMA scenario was shown to be a farce at UFC 118 in Boston in 2010, when former UFC champion Randy Couture easily defeated former boxing champion James Toney.

Yet, people never seem to get tired of asking how a boxer would do in the UFC or how a UFC fighter would do as a boxer. White appeared Monday on the syndicated late-night talk show, "The Arsenio Hall Show," and the subject came up yet again.

Hall asked White what would happen if pound-for-pound boxing king Floyd "Money" Mayweather fought in the UFC. White's answer, of course, was not surprising, but he made a good point in explaining it.

He'd get murdered. He'd get murdered in the UFC. Here's the thing: These guys always talk about this crossover stuff -- and Floyd's going to go crazy because I said that, too now -- but the bottom line is the disrespect these guys show for each other's sports.

My guys thinking they could go over and box and Floyd thinking he could come over here in the UFC. It's like, you go to a knife fight with a guy and the other guy has got guns and chains and crowbars. There's so many more weapons in the UFC than there are in boxing, so it makes no sense.

Totally agree, Dana. Top-level boxers would destroy top-level mixed martial arts fighters in a boxing match. But top-level MMA fighters would easily destroy top-level boxers in an MMA fight. Neither proves a thing.

So, Dana, tell me again why you haven't totally ruled out the Anderson Silva-Roy Jones fight yet?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/shocker-dana-white-says-floyd-mayweather-murdered-ufc-174537379--mma.html

Jesse Forbes Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca Rich Franklin Ian Freeman

Affliction - Spring 2014 Lookbook Video - Videos

Bikes, babes, and bikinis. Check out the new looks for Spring 2014!!! www.afflictionclothing.com

Source: http://mmalice.com/videos/affliction-spring-2014-lookbook-video-video_nz2muunc.html

Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

Slow & Hot Show With Brittney Palmer ? Promo Video

Visit Venice Beach with Brittney Palmer and a phantom cam capturing Brittney and all sorts of sports action in super slow motion. New web series kicks off this week on 01/08/2014.

Source: http://www.mmatko.com/slow-hot-show-with-brittney-palmer-promo-video/

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

[VIDEO] UFC champ Ronda Rousey open work out

UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is in the midst of her quick-turn around training camp for her next title defense against Sara McMann Feb. 22 in Las Vegas at UFC 170. "Rowdy" Ronda last fought and won in late December at UFC 168 against Miesha Tate via, you guessed it - arm bar submission.

The champ recently worked out in front of a bunch of media members in California to show the world a little bit of what she's been working on. In the video above, check out Rousey drill Judo take downs, practice body shots with her coach Edmond Tarverdyan and work a double-end bag.

In McMann, Ronda will not just face another undefeated fighter like herself, but a fellow grappling-based former Olympian. McMann won a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2004 Athens Games.

Of course, Rousey is a two-time Olympian in Judo, having taken home bronze in 2008. So far, Rousey has been able to bully around her opponents with superior athleticism and take downs, before setting them up for submissions on the ground.

Should McMann prove to be Rousey's equal athletically and with take down ability, the fight could very well be Rousey's most challenging thus far. The champ will also be doing this with no rest since her last training camp and fight.

Will the quick turn around help Rousey stay sharp or will it prove to be too much, too soon and grind down her stamina? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/video-ufc-champ-ronda-rousey-open-153950701--mma.html

Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez Keith Hackney

Donald Cerrone wins by head-kick KO at UFC on Fox 10

UFC lightweight Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone knocked Adriano Martins out with a flush shin kick to the head in the first round of their UFC on Fox 10 main card bout Saturday night in Chicago. The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt was actually getting the better of the stand up striking early on in the first round before guessing wrong with a block and eating the head kick from Cerrone.

Cerrone appeared to be rocked by several of Martins' early punches but stayed composed and landed his first real significant strike of the bout when Martins lowered his arms to block a kick to the body as "Cowboy" instead threw it high. It was all he needed.

The Brazilian was out on contact and fell to the floor.

The referee stepped in before any follow-up strikes could be delivered by Cerrone. The win is the brash fighter's second straight finish.

The loss snapped a six-fight win streak for Martins. His record falls to 25-7 and Cerrone's improves to 22-6.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/donald-cerrone-wins-ko-ufc-fox-10-020626013--mma.html

Randy The Natural Couture  Dan Cramer Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo 

EODR Ep. 5 - Myke Hideous and Magic Reality

We are joined by Myke Hideous, who tells us the full story about his time with The Misfits, he is interviewed by Resin who has been a Misfits and Myke Hideous fan for ages now. Then we discuss all...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82436-EODR-Ep-5-Myke-Hideous-and-Magic-Reality&goto=newpost

Ao Hailin  Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi

Gilbert Melendez says he never wanted to leave the UFC

Top lightweight contender Gilbert Melendez may have initially signed with Bellator, but he said he never truly wanted to leave the UFC.

"It?s the best organization in the world, has the best fighters in the world, it?s where I wanted to be, but I had to put that aside to think about my family and my future. ?I had to weigh it out and I had to explore my options. I got to a point where I had a good plan for my future, and I just had to hope that the UFC would come along with me so I could get to that point and still be with them.?

"El Nino" says that he is "extremely happy" with his new UFC contract. In fact, he was so happy when he heard the news that the UFC was re-signing him that he jumped for joy.

?It was on a conference call and I had to put them on mute,? Melendez remembers of when he received word.

?I was just smiling and yelling and dancing around like a little girl. I was just really excited.?

Before Melendez and the UFC came to terms on a new contract, UFC president Dana White publicly voiced his displeasure at working with Melendez' management and said that he was handing over the reigns of the negotiation to organization owner Lorenzo Fertitta. Given that Melendez succeeded in both staying with the promotion he wanted to and in doing so for terms that made him "dance around like a little girl," one of the take aways for observing fighters may be that they need to seek out savvy and strong management for themselves.

The former Strikeforce champion says that having his own management serve as negotiators and a buffer between he and the UFC was crucial to getting the deal done. ?I have a great team and I left most of it to them,? Melendez said.

?They?re a great management team. I voiced my opinion, and they helped me keep my emotions in check. When it comes to stuff like this, you have to take your emotions out of it and think of your family. It?s about more than just the title shot.?

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/gilbert-melendez-says-he-never-wanted-to-leave-the-ufc-205449766-mma.html

Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett  Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell  Gesias JZ Calvancante 

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Takeya Mizugaki Meets TJ Dillashaw at UFC 173

On Wednesday, a bantamweight affair between Takeya Mizugaki (pictured) and TJ Dillashaw was added to the UFC 173 roster. The May 24 event takes place inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mizugaki will quietly be riding a four-fight winning streak into the shootout. I say quiet because all of the victories during [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/164716/takeya-mizugaki-meets-tj-dillashaw-at-ufc-173/

Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca Rich Franklin Ian Freeman Don Frye

Ricardo Lamas fell short at UFC 169 but still proved plenty

No doubt about it ? Jose Aldo was deservedly the story of UFC 169?s featherweight title bout Saturday night in New Jersey. The 145 pound kingpin kept his place on the top of the mountain with a unanimous decision win over number one contender Ricardo Lamas.

The win is Aldo?s 17th straight, going back to 2006 and now everyone is clamoring for him to move up to lightweight in search of new challenges and more gold hardware. Jose Aldo is the most dominant reigning champion in MMA and he very well might also be the best fighter, pound for pound, in the sport.

With a guy as good as that, it?s easy to overlook the moral victory Lamas earned in proving he was not simply another ?opponent? for Aldo to run through with ease. Like many before him, Lamas found himself eating leg kick after whipping leg kick early on.

Unlike most, however, Lamas never physically wilted under the pressure of those blows. Like many before who had hoped to win by wrestling Aldo to the ground and hurting him there, Lamas learned the hard way that Aldo?s wrestling and all-around grappling skills are on another level.

Unlike those that preceded him, however, Lamas managed to turn bad positions into great ones for himself. What?s more, when Lamas did scramble out of the mount Aldo had him in in the fifth round, the wrestler then managed to control, hit and hurt the champ.

Aldo won rounds one through four (heck, he won the first three minutes of the fifth as well) but when the final horn sounded, it was a hard-punching and elbowing Lamas that the referee had to pull off of Aldo.

If Lamas was saved a bit by the bell at the close of the first round, Aldo was saved by it at the end of the fifth. I?ll spare you (for now, at least) a rant about how much I hate the use of rounds in MMA precisely because they often make it difficult to really understand who would come out on top after an uninterrupted fight.

The point today is that, even in defeat, Ricardo Lamas showed that he possesses the heart, conditioning and psychology of a champion. Throughout the fight, Lamas worked for the right things. He had deep take down attempts, technical defensive guard work, nice submission defense and tricky strikes thrown.

Thing was, every time Lamas threw a quick high kick after a misdirecting punch or head bob, the champion?s arms were in precisely the right place to block it. Every time Lamas got in deep on a take down, Aldo used near levitation-level balance in order to stay on his feet.

Every time Lamas worked for precisely the right butterfly guard position for the situation, Aldo?s hips and timing proved to be a nanosecond better and more responsive and he took the mount. At the post fight press conference, Lamas said that stubbornness on his part also hurt him a bit against Aldo.

?I?m a little disappointed,? Lamas said.

?I wanted to let him know that I wasn?t scared of him, that I wasn?t scared to stand with him and I got a little too caught up with that. I should have been playing my game a little more and looked for the takedowns in the later rounds but it was just stubbornness that got in the way. Next time, I?ve got to stick to my game a little better.?

Better tactics could very well help Lamas the next time he gets a title shot. However, the bigger take-away is that he indeed looked like a fighter who will be able to once more position himself to win a world championship.

Lamas simply wasn?t skilled enough to beat Jose Aldo Saturday night at UFC 169. However, by proving physically resilient, by not letting frustration set in and by demonstrating resourcefulness and an ability to survive trouble and then turn it into his advantage, all while getting stronger as the fight wore on, Ricardo Lamas gave every indication that he might one day soon indeed be good enough to be the world champion.

If Jose Aldo moves up to lightweight to challenge for Anthony Pettis? belt as he, Pettis and everyone else wants, Lamas? second opportunity might come sooner than he expects. If not, the smart money says that Lamas will still do whatever it takes to climb his way back to title contention.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ricardo-lamas-fell-short-ufc-169-still-proved-195544720--mma.html

Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian Karen Grigoryan Kendall Grove

[VIDEO] Anderson Silva walks down stairs unassisted

It didn't take Anderson long after he shattered his leg at UFC 168 against Chris Weidman to begin thinking about training. Heck, it didn't take him long to get back to some type of exercise after surgery, either.

There's a good chance that Anderson Silva's passion for the day to day training that most find mundane and grueling is a big reason why he was able to dominate MMA for the better part of a decade. So, we enjoyed watching a video "The Spider" posted on instagram recently showing him walking down steps in his home unassisted by crutches.

He may be a long way off from stepping into the Octagon again, but walking on his own two feet for the first time in months must feel good to the long time middleweight champion. It sure is good to watch.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/video-anderson-silva-walks-down-stairs-unassisted-172107049--mma.html

Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn

UFC 170 draws reported 10,217 attendance for $1,558,870

http://mmajunkie.com/2014/02/ufc-170-draws-reported-10217-attendance-for-1558870-live-gate/

Yup Ronda sure is the biggest UFC star ever and really bringing in the fans with a gate that big...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82486-UFC-170-draws-reported-10-217-attendance-for-1-558-870&goto=newpost

Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  JosĂ© Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander

Quick turnaround not a problem for UFC champ Ronda Rousey

Late last year, UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was in the midst of preparing for the biggest fight of her life when she got offered yet another fight. In three week's time, "Rowdy" Ronda would defend her title against bitter rival Miesha Tate in the co-main event of UFC 168.

The title rematch was years in the making, with much bad blood. As such, Ronda was obviously singularly focused on fighting Tate three weeks before the bout.

It was, in fact, the hardest week of her training camp - with much tough sparring. For whatever reason, that's precisely when UFC president Dana White called Rousey up personally and asked her if she would consider fighting another opponent just weeks after rematching Tate, at UFC 170.

Rousey agreed and that's why White was able to promptly announce that she would face fellow Olympian Sara McMann Feb. 22 in the main event of UFC 170 minutes after UFC 168 had ended last December at the post-event press conference.

"I didn't find out at the press conference I found out three weeks before the Miesha fight. It's like the hardest week of camp," Ronda remembers while speaking with media on a conference call recently.

"Dana calls me up and says 'yo, can you fight at the end of February?' I was like, 'honestly, if you need me to do it, I will do it for you.' But, at the moment, I was thinking about Miesha and I was in my hardest sparring of the week and I don't even want to think about another fight that soon.

"At the press conference, ayer the Miesha fight, I mean, I was pretty much so amped up...I was super excited to get back in there. You're in a little bit different mindset when you're in the hardest week of camp as opposed to right after the last fight and you're ready to jump right back in it again."

Rousey may have been initially reluctant to look past Tate and fight in one of the quickest turn arounds for a UFC champion in history when White first called but a short talk with her coach Edmond Tarverdyan got her psyched up. Rousey says she told White that she was open to the fight but first had to consult with Tarverdyan before committing.

According to the fighter, the outspoken head coach sent her back to White with a simple message.

"'You call Dana back and you tell him we'll fuck up any bitch he wants in February,'" Rousey remembers Tarverdyan telling her.

"I was like, 'alright!' So I called Dana back and gave him that exact quote and he was pretty stoked about it."

Fighting twice in just eight weeks may be extreme but Rousey says that she rarely takes much time out of the gym after competition, anyway. "It's weird. After every fight I have a problem - I get back into the gym too quick," Rousey says.

"Like, it will be two days after the fight and I'll be back in the gym and my coach will be like, 'what are you doing here? Go home.'"

Compared to her usual two days off, Rousey took a long vacation from the gym this time around. "I actually took five days off this time," she says.

Rousey may be one of the UFC's biggest stars and earners, but the former Judo Olympic bronze medalist is also still a gym rat. More magazine covers and movie stardom may be in Rousey's future, but she still sticks with the formula that got her to where she is - non-stop hard work.

"I can't stay out of the gym," she says.

"I realize that I have nothing else to do...you have two seconds on the couch and you realize you have nothing else to do and there's nowhere else you'd rather be than at the gym."

If Rousey was rushed into her latest title defense, her opponent Sara McMann would have had plenty of time to rest and prepare in anticipation. The undefeated former Olympic wrestling silver medalist has not fought for nearly ten months.

Rousey knows she'll have her hands full with another world-class athlete at UFC 170 in just over a week. This win may not come so easy for the champion, but she believes her hard work still makes it inevitable and she's up for the challenge.

"[McMann is] the biggest challenge I've had to date," Rousey says.

"I'm really looking forward to it."

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/quick-turnaround-not-problem-ufc-champ-ronda-rousey-173754496--mma.html

Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga

Mark Coleman Is Selling His PRIDE 2000 Grand Prix Trophy and Novelty Check on eBay

---Quote---
Mark Coleman�s run through the PRIDE 2000 Open Weight Grand Prix was arguably the most dramatic moment in the history of mixed martial...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/general-mma-discussion/162585-mark-coleman-selling-his-pride-2000-grand-prix-trophy-novelty-check-ebay.html

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

Titanfall

A mod can move this to the gaming forum if you want - I just wanted to make sure at least a couple of people saw it.

So, spent some time playing the Titanfall beta on Xbox One live this past week...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82479-Titanfall&goto=newpost

Phil Baroni Don Barr Pat Barry  Vitor Belfort  Robert Berry

Gilbert Melendez contract reveald

---Quote---
Mo' money, mo' problems!

At least for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), that is.

The re-signing of top lightweight Gilbert Melendez...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/162634-gilbert-melendez-contract-reveald.html

Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno

Bellator FC 110: Diego Nunes vs Matt Bessette

Image: http://www.tapology.com/system/headshot_images/84/large/Nunes-Diego-WEC37-1.jpg?1294003951 Image:...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/bellator-fc-vbookie-betting/162553-bellator-fc-110-diego-nunes-vs-matt-bessette.html

Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans

EODR Ep. 4 - Let the Flamewar Begin

The roundtable begins with Resin, Ninjashoes, Dert McDert, Crunchie and Lance all talking about recent MMA, videogames and their favorite forum moments. Then things get heated as K-Mall's name gets...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82435-EODR-Ep-4-Let-the-Flamewar-Begin&goto=newpost

Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino

Wanderlei Skill testing question

I Just learned this info, let's see who is the Wanderlei super fan. Where and from whom did the Axe Murderer nickname come from. Try not to google it.

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82460-Wanderlei-Skill-testing-question&goto=newpost

Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno

UFC?s Chris Weidman has ?no problem? moving up to 205lbs

UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman feels that he still has plenty left to accomplish at 185 pounds but he's also open to one day moving up a weight class.

"If it comes to the point where ?85 looks a little stale," Weidman recently told USA Today.

"I have no problem going to 205."

Weidman earned the middleweight title last July by knocking out longtime champ Anderson Silva. In December, Weidman earned a second consecutive second round stoppage over "The Spider" at UFC 168.

The Serra/Longo fighter out of Long Island next defends his title against Vitor Befort at UFC 173 in Las Vegas May 24.

?Right now, the 185-pound division is exciting. There?s a lot of guys and a lot of match ups that people want to see me against. So those are the fights I?m going to fight," Weidman went on.

?I want to clear out the middleweight division, and then fight the best at 205 and show the world what I can do. Once I feel like I?m not loving it and I?m slowing down, then I?ll stop. Hopefully I?m not one of those guys who are doing it for the wrong reasons toward the end and just fighting for a paycheck and getting knocked out every fight.?

Do you want to see Weidman move up to light heavyweight one day? Let us know in the comments section.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-chris-weidman-no-problem-moving-light-heavyweight-171509116--mma.html

Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie Ralek Gracie Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Bellator Tournament Time

Every four years a hundred million Americans (give or take a few thousand) and a couple of billion people around the world hunker down for a few weeks to watch athletes they have never heard of compete in sports that they barely know the rules to? it?s called the Olympics.��There are two basic reasons why […]

The post Bellator Tournament Time appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2014/02/25/bellator-tournament-time/

Mac Danzig  Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik

UFC 170 Fight: Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/4477/ufc-170-fight-ronda-rousey-vs-miesha-tate

Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio 

UFC 173: Jamie Varner, James Krause Added To Memorial Day Weekend Event

Lightweights Jamie Varner and James Krause have agreed to square off this May at UFC 173. Officials confirmed the fight late Monday night. The event is set for May 24 from Las Vegas, with UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman defending his belt against Vitor Belfort in the main event. Varner (21-9-1) is a former WEC […]

The post UFC 173: Jamie Varner, James Krause Added To Memorial Day Weekend Event appeared first on MMA Convert.

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

Jason Guida Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao

UFC 170 Fight: Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/4479/ufc-170-fight-daniel-cormier-vs-frank-mir

Rob Broughton  Mike Brown  Junie Browning Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman 

UFC 170: Cormier vs Cummins Preview

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/4472/ufc-170-cormier-vs-cummins-preview

Dos Caras Jr   Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin  Jason Hollywood Chambers

Bellator middleweight champ signs long-term contract extension

Bellator may not have been able to successfully nab top UFC lightweight contender Gilbert Melendez this week but they have re-signed their own longtime middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko. The promotion announced Monday that the 29-year-old Russ...

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/bellator-middleweight-champ-signs-long-term-contract-extension-213536981--mma.html

Josh Barnett  David Baron  Phil Baroni Don Barr Pat Barry 

Is this the end of the road for Josh Thomson?

Perhaps we should have seen it coming. Josh Thomson fought most of his UFC on Fox 10 main event bout against Benson Henderson with only one fully-functioning hand after injuring his right thumb early but still clearly controlled at least three out of the five rounds with his wrestling and Jiu Jitsu.

When the judges got it very wrong and scored the fight for Henderson, Thomson shook his opponents hand and walked away in disbelief. Backstage in the bowels of Chicago's United Center arena, Thomson told assembled press that he may now retire.

"This might be it, man," Thomson said of his career.

The 35 year-old looked young as quick as ever against Henderson but he gave clues leading up to the fight that his mind and body had taken about as much damage as he wanted them to. "The Punk" called his four-month training camp the worst of his career and compared it to the NFL season.

?The NFL players, they do one padded practice a week, then they do meetings, walk-throughs and things like that and their game-plans. I do two padded practices a day for six days a week, so I?ve been getting punched and kicked for about 15 or 16 weeks," Thomson told reporters the Thursday before the fight.

After being robbed of the decision win, Thomson was emotional and clearly distraught at losing the UFC title shot that was on the line.

?You train this hard, for such a long camp, and I see my title shot just [expletive] disappearing, you know? Without getting emotional right now, it?s really irritating me," he said, his right hand in a sling.

However, alluding to the punishment that his body has gone through in his nearly 15 year career, Thomson also said that he had thought before the fight even happened that it might be his last.

"I?d still be in the same position," he explained.

"There?s a possibility [that I?d have turned down a title shot with a win], because what?s the point of winning the title knowing that you?re not going to fight that much longer? I don?t want to do that to the UFC either. But like I said, I?ve got to sit down with them and just talk about the direction of how this all should go."

It's impossible to know what Thomson would have done if he'd been given the decision he earned against Henderson. Perhaps he truly would have been able to turn down a title shot and retired.

Given that he said he's broken up about having lost the shot at UFC gold, however, it's clear that the goal was and still is on his mind. The lightweight division is in a bit of disarray right now.

The fights are more competitive, with better talent, than perhaps ever before. But the champion is also injured for the foreseeable future, Henderson's last win is a dubious one and he has already been beaten twice by Pettis, and Thomson may be too injured and/or retired to compete again soon.

If Thomson has felt that he's put his body through the MMA meat grinder enough times, then he should definitely retire. He openly campaigned for a television commentator position at UFC partner network Fox during the post event press conference.

However, if Thomson's talk of retirement is mostly being fueled by disappointment, perhaps he will consider healing his hand, resting awhile and seeing what options the UFC presents to him. With the division's top level as mixed up as it is, it's entirely possible that close to a year from now, Thomson will be healed up, re-motivated and positioned for a shot at the belt.

One thing is clear - he's earned that shot and he'd be a game challenger for the champion.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/end-road-josh-thomson-193417395--mma.html

Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath

Lineup Finalized for First All-UFC Fight Pass Card

Enjoy it while it lasts, because the freebie UFC Fight Pass days are nearly over. Starting on Saturday, the Octagon’s new online network will begin charging its subscribers $9.99/month to enjoy its content. Of course, the only way fans will be able to watch Saturday’s “The Ultimate Fighter: China Finale” card is via UFC Fight [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/164590/lineup-finalized-for-first-all-ufc-fight-pass-card/

Rich Franklin Ian Freeman Don Frye Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita

All New MMA Posts Will Be Made On MMAPain This Week

More about the change after the jump. I plan on upgrading MMATKO in the near future but not sure what I want to do yet. I will be posting on my other MMA site MMAPain.com for a bit and you guys should go there daily just as if it was MMATKO. MMAPain has a much [...]

Source: http://www.mmatko.com/all-new-mma-posts-will-be-made-on-mmapain-this-week/

Karn Grigorian Karen Grigoryan Kendall Grove Clay Guida Jason Guida

Ronda Rousey?s Impact on UFC 170

UFC 170 was supposed to feature Ronda Rousey versus Sara McMann, Rashad Evans versus Daniel Cormier, and Gilbert Melendez versus Khabib Nurmagomedov. Three really great fights many fans were looking forward to since the announcement was made during the UFC 168 post-fight press conference. A lot has changed since then. About a month after the […]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Payout/~3/d1reQQaT1-I/

Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath

UFC 170: Cruz Pegs Assuncao Next For Barao

Raphael Assuncao scored his sixth consecutive victory in the UFC’s bantamweight division Saturday night at UFC 170, and showed a former champion he is deserving of a title shot. Dominick Cruz stated on the FOX Sports 1 post-fight show that he believes Assuncao should be the next person to challenge current UFC bantamweight champion Renan […]

The post UFC 170: Cruz Pegs Assuncao Next For Barao appeared first on MMA Convert.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/1fO_5xj8VQc/

Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau  Rich No Love Clementi 

Monday, 24 February 2014

Look Out For That Overhand Left in These Viewer Submissions - Videos

Highlights from around the world courtesy of YOU, the viewer! Send us YOUR fight videos on the "Inside MMA" Facebook Page or on Twitter!

Source: http://mmalice.com/videos/look-out-for-that-overhand-left-in-these-viewer-submissions-video_pgffbzy5.html

Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  JosĂ© Aldo 

Dana White Vlog UFC 170

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/4465/dana-white-vlog-ufc-170

Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono

Anthony ?Rumble? Johnson re-signed by UFC, set to fight Phil Davis

Last week, UFC president Dana White revealed that he and matchmaker Joe Silva were "talking about" former UFC welterweight Anthony Johnson. Today, White announced that the UFC had re-signed "Rumble," this time as a light heavyweight.

After having trouble making welterweight and middleweight for years, Johnson was released by the UFC and has since strung together six consecutive wins at light heavyweight and heavyweight in other promotions. Now, he'll have a chance to jump right into the top five of the UFC's 205 pound division.

"Riding a six fight win streak, Anthony Johnson will make his UFC return against #4 ranked light heavyweight Phil Davis at UFC 172," White tweeted Tuesday morning.

UFC 172 takes place April 26 in Baltimore. The card is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and challenger Glover Teixeira.

Davis has won three straight fights since losing a decision to former champion Rashad Evans in 2012. In his last fight, "Mr Perfect" won a decision over former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, who now competes at middleweight.

Who do you like in this fight - Davis or Johnson? Let us know in the comments section.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/anthony-rumble-johnson-signed-ufc-set-fight-phil-172657459--mma.html

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

Ronda Rousey Tells Cris Cyborg: You Know Where I Am

As one might have expected, the war of words between Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg started right back up after Rousey’s UFC 170 victory Saturday night. Rousey earned her first career non-submission win, finishing Sara McMann after a liver kick. Cyborg, who stated last week that she would be working to make bantamweight for a […]

The post Ronda Rousey Tells Cris Cyborg: You Know Where I Am appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2014/02/23/ronda-rousey-tells-cris-cyborg-you-know-where-i-am/

Robert Berry David Bielkheden Michael Bisping  Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan

GLORY 14 Video: Mirko Cro Cop says kickboxing is tougher and more dynamic than MMA

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2014/2/24/5443066/video-glory-14-mirko-crocop-kickboxing-more-dynamic-than-ufc-mma

Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath

Nick Diaz Wants Johny Hendricks-Robbie Lawler Winner, Dana White Not Interested

That Nick Diaz (pictured) sure is something, isn’t he? He’s a fighter, he’s retired, he’s fighting again because he was granted a title shot, he resumes retirement because he lost, and now he wants to fight again … if it’s for the hardware, of course. Prior to watching friend Ronda Rousey beat Sara McMann at [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/164552/nick-diaz-wants-johny-hendricks-robbie-lawler-winner-dana-white-not-interested/

Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch

UFC Fight Night: Kim vs Hathaway

Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/TUF_China_Finale.jpg

*Main Card*
Dong Hyun Kim vs. John Hathaway
Sai Wang vs. Lipeng...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/mma-forum-news-announcements/162345-ufc-fight-night-kim-vs-hathaway.html

Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio 

Boxing - Beginner Problems with Head Movement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ6vTjTrelI

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?82445-Boxing-Beginner-Problems-with-Head-Movement&goto=newpost

Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano

UFC ?talking about? free agent Anthony Johnson

After missing weight several times at welterweight, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson decided to give middleweight a shot two years ago. The UFC obliged him and gave him a marquee bout against former champion Vitor Belfort in early 2012 at UFC 142.

Despite being allowed fifteen pounds more in his new weight class, Johnson missed weight by an astounding eleven pounds against Belfort. The message the fighter's body was sending him was clear - you're trying to cut too much weight - and it wouldn't take it anymore, rejecting his attempts to dehydrate himself to make 186 pounds.

After yet another scale mishap and the ensuing first round submission loss to Vitor in what became a catch-weight fight, the UFC sent clear message to Johnson themselves - you're fired.

Since being released by the UFC, Johnson has rattled off six straight wins, four by way KO or TKO. He's taken to the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions and has looked strong and healthy fighting in smaller organizations like the TFC, XFL and WSOF against the likes of Jake Rosholt, Andrei Arlovski and Mike Kyle.

Johnson is now a free-agent and UFC president Dana White admitted Thursday that the promotion is once more "talking" about Johnson. �"Me and [matchmaker] Joe [Silva] were talking about him the other day," White told media during a scrum in New Jersey.

"I mean, I like the kid. I always did."

White said that, while he has not seen all of Johnson's fight since his departure from the UFC, others in the organization have been keeping closer tabs on him.

"I think I saw the Arlovski fight," he said. "I saw the Arlovski fight, and I saw another one. I didn?t see the [Mike Kyle] fight. Lorenzo and Joe saw it."

Do you want to see "Rumble" back in the UFC? Let us know in the comments section.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-talking-free-agent-anthony-johnson-170041965--mma.html

Dan Cramer Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo  Jeff Big Frog Curran

Trained MMA Fighter Killed Home Invader ? News Video

Authorities say a resident who is a trained mixed martial artist killed a man suspected of taking part in a New Mexico home invasion.

Source: http://www.mmatko.com/trained-mma-fighter-killed-home-invader-news-video/

Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko

Alistair Overeem wins decision at UFC 169, calls out Brock Lesnar

Shortly after winning a decision over Frank Mir at UFC 169 to snap a two-fight losing streak, Alistair Overeem called out the last man he beat, way back in 2011, Brock Lesnar.

"I heard there's word that Brock Lesnar is coming back to the UFC. Well, I'll be here waiting for him," Overeem said.

Whether or not Lesnar comes out of retirement to take another beating from the kickboxer remains to be seen but Overeem was certainly elated to be back in the win column for the first time in years. Scores were 30-27 from all three judges in favor of Overeem.

Overeem landed a knee to the jaw of Mir early in the first round that staggered and badly hurt the former two-time heavyweight champion. That powerful strike was the most impactful from either man all fight long.

Mir fell to the ground and appeared seconds away from having the fight stopped but, with the exception of a few nasty elbow strikes and punches, Overeem decided to play it conservatively and Mir managed to hang on and survive the round.

In the second round, Mir managed to land a double-leg takedown on Overeem. After a scramble, Mir pulled guard to go for a guillotine choke on Alistair.

The Dutchman defended the choke and spent most of the rest of the round on top, landing the occasional but bruising elbow shot. In the third round, Mir went for more take down attempts but got stuffed on all of them by the kickboxer.

From there, Alistair fought cautiously but clearly did enough damage with elbows and punches to the body and face of Mir to secure the win. All three judges scored the fight 30-27 in favor of Overeem.

Post fight, Alistair explained his conservative approach in the fight. "Usually, I go for the knockout," he said.

"I had to play it safe. Frank is very tough and an experienced fighter. I've seen him trick opponents by faking to be dazed...I wanted to make sure I got the 'W'."

Mir has now lost four fights in a row. Prior to the fight, the former UFC champ said that, while he hoped to continue to fight in the UFC, should he be released after another loss, he'd be open to fighting for other promotions in lieu of retiring.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/alistair-overeem-wins-decision-ufc-169-045228248--mma.html

Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

Dana White flying to Anderson Silva's house on Wednesday to discuss doctor's report of 'crazy' bone growth

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2014/2/23/5440396/dana-white-anderson-silva-house-on-wednesday-discuss-crazy-bone-growth-mma

Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney 

Sunday, 23 February 2014

UFC 170 Salaries: Rousey and Cormier Top Payroll

The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has released the disclosed payroll for UFC 170. Topping the $843,000 payroll were headliners UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey ($110,000) and light heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier ($160,000). Main card fighters Rory MacDonald and Mike Pyle both netted big paydays for their wins on Saturday’s pay-per-view. Rousey and MacDonald […]

The post UFC 170 Salaries: Rousey and Cormier Top Payroll appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2014/02/23/ufc-170-salaries-rousey-and-cormier-top-payroll/

Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Ao Hailin 

Ronda Rousey: My striking is the best in women?s MMA

Everyone knows Ronda Rousey can grapple. The UFC female bantamweight champion is a two-time Judo Olympian and has won all of her MMA fights via arm bar submission.

Heading into this Saturday's UFC 170 main event where she'll defend her belt against Olympic wrestling silver medalist Sara McMann, Rousey recently told USA Today that she's also a good striker. Well, "Rowdy" went a bit further than that, actually.

"My MMA striking is the best in the game," Rousey said.

Rousey showed powerful punching in her last win, at UFC 168 in December against Miesha Tate, when she stunned her rival several times throughout the bout. The champ admits that her transition to MMA striking from strictly Judo grappling has been a challenge.

"It definitely is a challenge," she said.

"With judo I spent so many years with a certain posture that the hardest thing was adjusting it."

That said, the twenty seven year-old certainly feels as if she's well on her way to making that adjustment. Whereas she was once able to simply bull rush her way into a clinch situation where she'd be able to use her excellent take downs, Rousey said she's reached a point where more advanced striking technique is required of her to keep on winning.

"I've reached a certain level of competition where what's required out of striking to come into the clinch to grapple is a lot more complicated than at the lower levels," Rousey said.

"It requires much more high-level footwork and striking to be able to use grappling at all."

Do you think the fight Saturday will come down to who is the better striker between these two grapplers, Rousey and McMann? Let us know in the comments section.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ronda-rousey-striking-best-women-mma-180409116--mma.html

Rob Broughton  Mike Brown  Junie Browning Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman