Wednesday, February 29, 2012
UFC on FX 2 Main Card Official with 4 Fight Main Card on FX, Prelims on Fuel TV & Facebook
Nick Walker vs. Joe Morris at MCC - Midwest Cagefighting
HDNet WebFights is back with this beating from the Midwest Cagefighting Championships in Des Moines, IA on 6/24/2011. This bout features two lightweights Nick Walker and Joe MorrisSource: http://mmalice.com/midwest-cagefighting/nick-walker-vs-joe-morris-at-mcc-video_4c4311bd2.html
Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko
TUF 1 alums Quarry and Florian looking for smooth transition to broadcasting
Once the crowds and competition are gone for athletes there's only a few ways to stay in the game. If you're not coaching then the other option is broadcasting. As organized MMA reaches its 20-year mark, more and more fighters are beginning the transition into the media.
Guys like Frank Trigg and Bas Rutten began the process a while back and now we're seeing some of the more recent UFC veterans working towards the next phase of their lives. Kenny Florian and Nate Quarry have a bonds of sorts. They'll always be part of the special crew that made up Season one of "The Ultimate Fighter" back in 2005. Now they've got something else in common. They're fighters turned broadcasters.
Quarry� debuts tonight on Spike TV as one of the hosts of "MMA Uncensored Live" at 11 p.m. ET/PT. He says his show with radio host Craig Carton and MMA video interviewer Mike Straka will break the mold.
"It seems on the radio you get a lot more guys who give their opinion and talk about who they want to win. but as soon as they transfer from radio to TV it's like watching paint dry. Everyone's afraid to get excited about the fight and talk about who they think is going to win," said Quarry.
Quarry, 39, brought it pretty strong on several topics during a discussion on ESPN1100/98.9 FM. He spoke candidly about his former division and its champ.
"I'm sure he's been making so much money over the past few years and then you convertt that to Brazilian dollars, he's probably set for two or three lifetimes," Quarry said. "[...] Why would he necessarily want to go back into a three or fourth month fight camp, always in pain, always have to wake up and train when you've done so much already? There comes a point where he's saying "you know what? I've got enough money. I've got enough fame. My country loves me. I've set plenty of records.'"
Quarry thinks a victory over Chael Sonnen this summer could be the end of the road for Silva.
Meanwhile, Florian is under the UFC banner working for Fuel TV. His initial foray into broadcasting came with ESPN as part of its "MMA Live" show. Now his role's a bit different as the live fight analyst on Fuel TV. Florian, 35, knows the sport, can articulate the complicated aspects of it and will be critical when necessary. But he's not going to shred fighters, because he's been there.
"I hated it when I got critiqued as a fighter. So much goes into a fight that people never see, the countless hours of training, the diet, dealing with injuries. The worst feeling in the world, for me anyway, is to lose. Knowing how I felt, it's been hard for me to rip apart a guy after his fight," Florian told SI.com.
MMA is going to be well represented by a slew of former fighters who'll probably enter the media side of things over the next few years. Brian Stann made his TV debut at the Fuel TV 1 card and in just one showing exhibited the potential to be a top of the heap media personality.
Gilbert Aldana José Aldo John Alessio Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida
Joe Schilling promises trouble for Simon Marcus this weekend at Battle in the Desert 5
Source: http://www.fighters.com/02/21/joe-schilling-promises-trouble-for-simon-marcus
Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan Marcelo Brito Rob Broughton
it is 7:16AM
ho damn
Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?78002-it-is-7-16AM&goto=newpost
Robert Berry David Bielkheden Michael Bisping Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan
Alert for Android MMATorch Users: Please read as you may need to get new version of MMATorch
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/mmatorchappalert/article_12221.shtml
Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch
UFC 144 Prelims on FX Set Record Ratings With 1.5 Million Viewers
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27741/ufc-144-prelims-on-fx-set-record-ratings-with-1-5-million-viewers/
Mark Munoz Still Sees Major Holes in Demian Maia's Striking - UFC 131
Mark Munoz Still Sees Major Holes in Demian Maia's Striking Video by UFC 131Volk Han Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell
ENNIS: Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down For UFC 144 - Epic Cards, Epic Fights, Poor Judging, and Much More
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Thumbs Up: to the UFC for pulling off an epic card in Japan. That couldn't have been an easy thing to do, and they did it. Of course you can never guarantee quality, but they sold out the Saitama Super Arena and delivered a fantastic card to those who were curious what the UFC is all about.
Thumbs Down: to one statement in the opening montage. This is nitpicky, but it said the UFC is a global sport. The UFC isn't a global sport - it's a global promotion. MMA is a global sport. I'm just sayin (Look, I'm gonna have to stretch for some of these downs, okay?).
Thumbs Up: to perfect placement of nasty power. Both Issei Tamura and Anthony Pettis had incredible knockouts by landing perfect strikes. Pettis was especially impressive considering the opposition. Joe Lauzon hadn't been knocked out since Kenny Florian stopped him back in 2008. Since then he's been in there with guys like Jeremy Stephens and Melvin Guillard, both of whom are hard hitters, and he never wilted. Pettis completely starched him. Impressive things.
Thumbs Down: to bad judging. Takeya Mizugaki won his fight against Chris Cariaso, but somehow he didn't get the nod. Hatsu Hioki was given a score of 30-27 by one of the judges.� I don't know who this judge is, but he did not watch the second round of that fight. Judging continues to be an issue. What do you do about it on a promotional level, though? Pressure the athletic commissions? I don't know the solution to fixing it, but I hope someone figures it out.
Thumbs Up: to Riki Fukuda's relentless offense. Fukuda was active throughout the fight with Steve Cantwell when he could have easily cruised to a victory, especially in the third round. Fukuda looked great, which was partially due to how terrible Cantwell looked after his failed guillotine in the second round, but he definitely deserves credit for his performance.
Thumbs Down: to Cantwell's conditioning, or recovery, or whatever it is that causes him to go into zombie mode in seemingly every fight these days. You've got to give the guy credit for not being stopped, but he has just looked increasingly worse since coming back from his career-threatening injury last year. Oh, and apparently he's at his best when he's moving around and bouncing and such (according to Joe Rogan), which is weird because most guys are at their best when they stand in front of their opponents and eat punches and kicks.
Thumbs Down: to the death of the mystique of Kid Yamamoto. He was one of the most feared fighters in all of MMA in his prime, but he just doesn't have it anymore. The look on his face said it all after the fight. It was the look of a guy who was mad that he lost, which evolved into, "Whatever. I don't even care," during the post-fight interview. Yamamoto's last two opponents were brought in to lose to him, and both of them beat him definitively. Not a good sign for his future in the UFC, or really anywhere.
Thumbs Up: to the recovery of Takanori Gomi. Eiji Mitsuoka came in with a good gameplan and looked to be nullifying Gomi's offense in the first round on the way to very nearly submitting him at the end; but Gomi weathered, recovered, and got the knockout. That having been said, he's not going to win a ton of fights at this point with his hands at his sides and his chin four feet in front of his waist.
Thumbs Up: to colorful pen toppers and loveable translators! Seriously though, that's the most I've ever enjoyed watching a translator work. Which is to say it's the first time I've ever enjoyed watching a translator work. Does she speak Portugese?
Thumbs Up: to Showtime. I already mentioned it once earlier, but it deserves another line. That kick was flawless.
Thumbs Up: to Bart Palaszewski and Hatsu Hioki. If that was a number one contender fight, it was everything a contender fight should be. Hioki finally showed why he's ranked number two in the world in the weight class as he looked spectacular in the first round and then weathered a huge comeback from Bartimus in the second to dominate the third and take the win. I don't know if he can beat Jose Aldo, but I'm very interested to find out having seen that he's capable of bringing it in the Octagon.
Thumbs Up: to Yushin Okami and Tim Boetsch. Okami looked as good as he ever has for two rounds and was well on his way to winning a dominant decision over "The Barbarian." But that third round - wow. It was said several times on Twitter right after the fight, and it's absolutely true: That is how you fight when you're down two rounds going into the third. If more guys would lay it on the line like Boetsch did, we'd see far fewer fighters who are able to cruise to victory and put viewers to sleep in the third. Obviously fighting careful wasn't going to get the job done, and Boetsch didn't do that. Riki Fukuda showed how you fight when you're up two rounds, and Boetsch showed what you do when you're down. Just an incredible comeback.
Thumbs Down: to everything about the Jake Shields and Yoshihiro Akiyama fight. The only two good things about that fight were the throws by Akiyama and the decision being correct. Everything else was terrible. For years, every time I would watch Nick Diaz fight, I would wonder if his opponent had ever watched a Diaz fight before considering the way they would stand in front of him and allow him to tee off. Now I have to wonder the same about Akiyama. Do you want Shields on top of you? Of course not. But here's the thing: Akiyama's takedown defense is infinitely better than Shields' non-clinch takedowns. So why would he allow Shields to stand at a distance and pick him apart with his terrible, horrendous striking? Shields obviously wasn't hurting him, and he wasn't able to take him down, but Akiyama did close to nothing for the entire fight. I've seen a couple of people scoring the fight for Akiyama, which makes me think I need to rewatch it, because that just seems incomprehensible to me. There's definitely something to be said for more damaging offense counting for more than an accumulation of nothing strikes, but Akiyama didn't have enough offense for me on first viewing to even win a round.
Thumbs Up: to Mark Hunt winning three straight in the UFC in 2012. What? Seriously? If you said you saw this coming before Hunt debuted in the Octagon, or especially after he was tapped out easily by Sean McCorkle, you are a dirty liar. I like Hunt vs. Struve next. That is if Struve decides to come in smart and go for takedowns. If he doesn't I fear for his safety.
Thumbs Down: to Cheick Kongo not learning. When he fought Pat Barry, Barry had one way to win. Sure, Kongo ended up getting the comeback knockout, but he was������� this close to being a victim. His best course in that fight was to take Barry down and beat him up. Fast-forward to this fight. Mark Hunt has one way to win. Kongo's best chance was to take him down and beat him up. So he decides to stand? I told you before the fight that Melvin Manhoef is the only one to knock out Mark Hunt, and I'm pretty sure he could knock out an elephant. Kongo has got power, but standing with Hunt, especially considering how the Barry fight went, was just not the smart move.
Thumbs Down: to most aspects of the Rampage-Bader fight. You have to give credit to Bader, who saw his path to victory and took it, but what was Rampage doing in there? I get that the guy wanted to fight in Japan, and that winning isn't everything to the Japanese fans, but he was clearly hobbled going into that fight. His knee didn't look right from the beginning, and it only got worse. Add that to the fact that he obviously wasn't able to get himself right when it came to conditioning, and we got what we got. Like I said, Rampage knows that winning isn't everything in Japan. But fighting to your full ability and giving it everything you've got? That's what the fans are looking for. And Rampage just didn't have the ability to do that last night. He knew that going in, and he shouldn't have fought. This isn't to disparage Bader. Like I said, he did what he had to do. But it's his bad luck that the fight looked more like bad Rampage than good Bader.
Thumbs Up: to epic title fights. Edgar is getting to the point where the only thing you can rely on is that his fight will be great. I had Henderson winning four rounds, but it was close enough that it'd be hard to argue 3-2 Henderson or even 3-2 Edgar. Really, really close fight. Altogether I thought Henderson's offense did more damage, and while Edgar did outland Henderson (by 10 strikes overall, which is basically even) this was a case to me of the more effective offense coming from the challenger. That being said, I need to re-watch the fight and see if I still think that. There's no doubting that Carlos Condit beat Nick Diaz (I had to throw that in there). Had Diaz won it would have been a robbery. This one isn't a robbery no matter who wins it.
Thumbs Down: to the incessant questioning of Frankie Edgar about dropping to featherweight. Let the guy do some thinking, for crying out loud. He said to Joe Rogan after the fight that this was no time to make a decision, and kudos to him for that. And then during the press conference he continues to get badgered? Come on. Maybe it's the right move in the end, but you know what? Maybe it's not. Who's to say that Edgar's advantages at lightweight don't get a lot narrower if he drops down? I don't know if that would be the case, and I imagine it wouldn't, but it's a valid question.
Thumbs Up: to the lightweight division. This place is crazy. I do like Anthony Pettis getting the next title shot, but that's more of a fan reaction than a reasoned analysis approach. If you strike while the iron is hot, you give the shot to Pettis and put it on Fox. That's the fight that people want to see, and it's almost guaranteed to be awesome. If you look at what's fair, it's hard to argue that giving Edgar an immediate rematch isn't the right call. The guy fought four title fights against two opponents. And now he has to get back in line? That sucks. At the same time, again from a fan perspective, I love the idea of Henderson-Pettis II and Edgar vs. the winner of Diaz-Miller (which will probably be Miller).
Thumbs Up: to an incredible night of fights. Let's just bring this full-circle and say again that it was one of the greatest nights in the history of the UFC. As I said in the roundtable, in my book we had a Fight of the Year candidate, two KO of the Year candidates, and a Comeback of the Year Candidate along with two probable number one contender fights. Even if the return to Japan was, as some have suggested, a vanity project for White and company, it was a raging success. As far as vanity projects go, this one was pretty successful.
Follow me on Twitter @shawnennis
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Ennistake/article_12623.shtml
Mike Brown Junie Browning Paul Buentello Josh Burkman Mikey Burnett
Fuchu temple..
Getting a few more photos in before I leave…Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TracyLee/~3/S-epyHec0kE/fuchu-temple.html
Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson
India's Super Fight League signs Todd Duffee, Trevor Prangley, Baga Agaev
Indian's upstart Super Fight League today announced the signings of former UFC fighters Todd Duffee and Trevor Prangley, as well as Russian light-heavyweight vet Baga Agaev.All three have signed exclusive four-fight deals, officials announced.
Opponents and debut dates are expected to be revealed shortly.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Wheres my threads?
Source: http://forums.ufc.production.sparkart.net/showthread.php?t=112998&goto=newpost
Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace
UFC 144 Weigh-in Results ? Edgar and Henderson make weight, Rampage overweight
UFC 144 Weigh-in Results – Edgar and Henderson make weight, Rampage overweight is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves Andre Amade
Shogun-Rampage at UFC 147?
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/100224-shogun-rampage-ufc-147-a.html
Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans
UFC 144 Prelims Recap: Gomi, Lee, Fukuda, Cariaso, and Tamura all Victorious
Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy as we start play-by-play for tonight's main card highlighted by a lightweight title bout between champion Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson.
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27710/ufc-144-prelims-recap-gomi-lee-fukuda-cariaso-and-tamura-all-victorious/
Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan Marcelo Brito Rob Broughton Mike Brown
Georges Lucas? daughter wins, celebrates with Darth Vader and some Stormtroopers
Amanda Lucas, the daughter of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, won again in Japan this weekend. She beat up on Yumiko Hotta for two and a half rounds before submitting her with a keylock. With that win, she claimed the DEEP open-weight women's championship and improved her record to 4-1.
A record like that proves the force is strong with her. Darth Vader approved, and even showed up to celebrate. Skip to the 15-minute mark to see Lucas finish Hotta, and like he did in Cloud City, Vader just appears. At the 20-minute mark, he gives his clenched fist of approval, and then poses like a proud papa with Lucas in the final minute of the video.
Lucas had three straight submission wins in DEEP. She trains at Cesar Gracie Academy, the home of Nick and Nate Diaz and Jake Shields, as well as with Gilbert Melendez's Skrap Pack. Perhaps Vader can stop by at Cesar Gracie's and teach the no-hands, force-choke that served him so well as he ruled the galaxy.
[ 
Watch UFC 144 right here on Yahoo! Sports ]
Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao Josh Barnett David Baron Phil Baroni
Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA has UFC on FX 2's Shawn Jordan ready for UFC debut
This weekend's UFC on FX 2 event presents some new challenges for UFC newcomer Shawn Jordan.There's the challenge of fighting under the bright lights of the UFC, plying his craft in a foreign country, and competing in the first fight of the day instead of the last.
They're just a few of the reasons the former LSU fullback headed to New Mexico and hooked up with a major fight team for his camp.
Lorenzo Borgomeo Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan
Fans invited to next week's UFC on FOX 3 presser in NYC, main card revealed
Fans are invited to a press conference next week that kicks off the promotional push for May's UFC on FOX 3 event.The presser takes place March 6 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and includes many fighters from the card, including lightweight headliners Jim Miller and Nate Diaz.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 at nearby IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall
Fighter misses out on UFC debut with ankle issue: Sean Loeffler suffers injury in warm ups
What a bummer for Sean Loeffler. The 29-year-old was set to make his debut at UFC on Fuel TV 1, but apparently injured himself just before the fight.
MMAjunkie reported that Loeffler's opponent Buddy Roberts, also making his debut, was paid his win and show money. Loeffler was also paid his show money. That's a great gesture for two guys who were minutes away from laying it on the line.
Rob Broughton Mike Brown Junie Browning Paul Buentello Josh Burkman
Vagner Rocha released by the UFC
Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/02/25/vagner-rocha-released-by-the-ufc/
Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez Keith Hackney Matt Hamill
Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos - UFC 131
Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos Video by UFC 131Marcus Davis Tony DeSouza Edwin Dewees Nick Diaz Tadhg Steamfist Dixon
Monday, February 27, 2012
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview - Strikeforce
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview Video by StrikeforceSource: http://mmalice.com/strikeforce/strikeforce-overeem-vs-werdum-preview-video_68946046e.html
Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama Gilbert Aldana
Siyar Bahadurzada leaves Golden Glory, cites 'trust issues' for departure
Unhappy with his longtime management company and MMA team, Siyar Bahadurzada is leaving Golden Glory.In a brief interview today with MMAjunkie.com, the UFC welterweight cited pay and contract issues for his decision.
"They didn't pay me my money for the Glory World Series that I fought in May 2011, and they're keeping me in the dark about my contract and extended the contract for another five years," Bahadurzada said.
Edwin Dewees Nick Diaz Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen Chris Dolman
UFC 144 picks, Vegas-style: Who?s still betting Quinton Jackson?
As if the travel, near-silent crowd and incredibly early start weren't enough to factor into betting UFC 144, along comes the weight snafu of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. The former UFC light heavyweight champ whiffed badly on making weight at 205 pounds.
He spoke about being injured in camp, not being able to do his roadwork and trying to cut over 21 pounds in the final days before the fight.
The severity of the injury is unknown. So is the location. One would have to guess Rampage is dealing with a leg issue. For a guy, who already lacks mobility that can't be a good thing against a wrestler like Ryan Bader. Is all of this enough to put you on Bader's side?
Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole, Frank Trigg and myself picked the fights on "The MMA Insiders" show.
You can also bet the over/under on rounds in the Jackson-Bader fight. It's currently minus-165 to go over 2.5 rounds. The main event between UFC lightweight title holder Frank Edgar and Benson Henderson has risen between 15 and 20 cents with the steam on side of the champ.
UFC 144 betting odds:
Best plays in bold
Frank Edgar (-150) vs. Benson Henderson (+130) - Lightweight
Yushin Okami (-360) vs. Tim Boetsch (+300) - Middleweight
Bart Palaszewski (+150) vs. Hatsu Hioki (-170) - Featherweight
Ryan Bader (+180) vs. Quinton Jackson (-220) - Light heavyweight
Cheick Kongo (-280) vs. Mark Hunt (+240) - Heavyweight
Takanori Gomi (-210) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (+175) - Lightweight
Yoshihiro Akiyama (+270) vs. Jake Shields (-330) - Welterweight
Norifumi Yamamoto (-320) vs. Vaughan Lee (+260) - Bantamweight
Joe Lauzon (+210) vs. Anthony Pettis (-250) - Lightweght
Steve Cantwell (+260) vs. Riki Fukuda (-320) - Middleweight
Takeya Mizugaki (-240) vs. Chris Cariaso (+200) - Bantamweight
Tie Quan Zhang (-270) vs. Issei Tamura (+230) - Featherweight
Shane The Engineer Carwin Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan Dan The Sandman Christison Logan The Pink Pounder Clark
MMA's Most Durable Fighters
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer</B><BR><BR>
It?s one thing for a fighter to step into a cage (or ring) and test their physical and mental fortitude in the face of another determined foe. Standing tall and refusing to succumb to a violent onslaught is a completely different story. It takes a special breed to absorb significant punishment and not so much as waver. For one, a fighter must possess an ability to withstand offensive damage without losing consciousness; this is a gift that few men are born with. Second, the ability to fight through adversity while maintaining a never-say-quit attitude is essential; if a fighter doubts his own capabilities, he?s likely in for a long night should he be tapped to collide with an aggressive opponent. Anytime a man emerges with both of these qualities, he stands to either a, earn tremendous success, or b, become a hum punching bag likely to face health issues post-career.<BR><BR>
While not every competitor on this list is a top flight competitor, there?s no doubt that each man has proven himself remarkably durable. These are men who aren?t likely to be knocked out, aren?t likely to be submitted, and rarely, if ever, fold in the eye of the storm. In short, this is a small selection of fighters who absolutely refuse to broken or bettered.<BR><BR>
<B>Roy Nelson:</B> ?Big Country? may very well be the toughest man alive. Roy?s now made a career of taking hellacious beatings and hanging in there for the long haul. At UFC 117, then contender, now champion Junior dos Santos easily abused Roy for fifteen full minutes. Time and again ?Cigano? ripped at the head and body of Nelson, who did little more than take the aggression and? well he simply took the beating delivered. Roy was in fact, the first man to force dos Santos to fight the distance inside the octagon. But Roy would go on to engage in more than one horrendous affair; at UFC 130 Frank Mir fed Nelson a steady diet of punches kicks and knees en route to a lopsided decision; at UFC 143 Fabricio Werdum turned Nelson into a bloody mess, utilizing a vicious Thai plumb and powerful knees to the face. Through it all, Roy?s refused to quit. He rarely falls, and if he does, he?s back up in moments, ready to take whatever aggression comes his way.<BR><BR>
<B>BJ Penn:</B> Like Nelson, BJ Penn can take what?s thrown at him and keep on coming. One of the hardest heads in the business, Penn?s noggin has taken some monstrous shots, but few ever so much as faze the determined Hawaiian. In fact, in 26 professional bouts, Penn?s only been stopped by two men: Matt Hughes (whom he holds two victories over) and consensus number one welterweight on the planet, Georges St. Pierre. It seems you can take a baseball bat to the grill of Penn and it?s only going to ignite anger, and a brutal jab. If you enjoy the old school boxing method of defending punches with the forehead, you?re likely a huge fan of ?The Prodigy?, as he?s taken the method, and implemented it in nearly every single one of his fights.<BR><BR>
<B>Frankie Edgar:</B> Frankie Edgar isn?t immune to power punches; he?s just got the resolve of an age old warrior who?s never contemplated defeat. After being leveled early by Gray Maynard at UFC 125, ?The Answer? somehow managed to avoid the finish, shake the cobwebs and rally to earn a draw in his second defense of the lightweight title. Given how close the bout was, Edgar was assigned the task of engaging in an immediate rematch with Maynard. Again, Frankie took some punishment, but it wasn?t close enough to actually stop the New Jersey native; rather, Edgar would go on to completely starch Maynard in the fourth round of their third (the pair first met in 2008, with no title on the line) fight to put a definitive end to an engaging rivalry. After tasting the power of heavy hitters like BJ Penn and Gray Maynard, Frankie?s proven that he?s not one to crack when things get hot.<BR><BR><!--more-break-->
<B>Mark Hunt:</B> With the exception of a shocking flash knockout at the hands of Melvin Manhoef, Mark Hunt just doesn?t succumb to strikes. This man?s cranium may well be filled with concrete, because it?s damn near impossible to knock the guy out; a fact that the world learned throughout Hunt?s K-1 kickboxing days. Whether you?re a power puncher a la Alistair Overeem, or an absolute sharp shooter in the vein of Fedor Emelianenko, if it isn?t a submission assault, it?s not likely to render Mark Hunt defenseless. If you need any proof of how tough this beast is, take a look at Mark?s bout with Mirko Crocop at Pride Shockwave 2005; Hunt takes one of Filipovic?s feared high kicks, flush to the face, and only grins and continues moving forward.<BR><BR>
<B>Nick Diaz:</B> The Stockton bad boy is arguably the toughest man to ever compete in the history of this sport. What?s so amazing is the fact that it seems Nick actually wills himself to overcome everything thrown in his direction. Whether eating a flush punch from the heavy handed Paul Daley, a bevy of leg kicks from ?Cyborg? Santos, or a precise kick to the face from Carlos Condit, this gentleman just refuses to go away. What?s more admirable, is the fact that Diaz seems to have zero qualms with taking some damage if it creates the opening for him to retaliate. When the term ?tough guy? is tossed about, Nick Diaz should be the first face to pop into mind!<BR><BR>
Leave your feedback on this article by posting a comment directly below! You can also chat about the card in the <A HREF="http://www.mmanews.com/forums" target="_Blank"><B>MMANEWS.COM Forums</B></A> and/or the <A HREF="http://www.facebook.com/mmanewsdotcom" target="_Blank"><B>MMANEWS.COM Facebook</B></A>. If that wasn't enough, MMANEWS.COM is now on Twitter as well <A HREF="http://twitter.com/mmanewsdotcom" target="_Blank"><B>@mmanewsdotcom</B></A>.<BR><BR>
Source: http://www.mmanews.com/home.php
Mike Brown Junie Browning Paul Buentello Josh Burkman Mikey Burnett
?Rampage? Jackson growing weary of mixed martial arts
This weekend is a dangerous spot for Quinton Jackson. "Rampage" sounds less than motivated to face Ryan Bader and he admits he's sick of facing light heavyweights with a wrestling base.
"Sometimes it is hard to get motivated. Like when I fought Matt Hamill, I really wasn't motivated for that fight. At the end of the day, it's my job to fight," Jackson said. "I am kind of tired of fighting a bunch of wrestlers. I'd like to fight more striking-based fighters."
Jackson isn't getting his wish at UFC 144. Ryan Bader is a former All-American wrestler at Arizona State. His striking has gotten better, but he's already admitted there's little chance he's going to simply stand and bang with a guy like Jackson.
"I'm getting kind of bored with guys who want to take me down all the time. [...] I just want to excite people. I know fans are saying I'm one dimensional because i just try to knock people out. I just like knocking people out," said Jackson.
Who doesn't, right? But to do that a fighter has to be well-rounded enough to mix up his game, add to it and then improvise in the cage. Jackson doesn't seem to be adding much to his game at all. He's not a huge fan of training and he certainly isn't in the gym year-round working on his game. It sounds like he's already got his eye on his next challenge.
"The opponents I'm getting, a lot of people just want to take me down. I want to try and see how I'll do in both [boxing and MMA]. I haven't done boxing yet, so before I lay down the fighting, I want to try boxing," said Jackson.
At minus-260, Jackson is a big favorite in the fight.
You can watch UFC 144 right here on Yahoo! Sports
Dai Shuanghai Mac Danzig Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis
UFC boss suggests Ben Henderson's first title defense will see Anthony Pettis rematch
SAITAMA, Japan - WEC never die, indeed.With a pair of impressive wins at Sunday's UFC 144 event in Saitama, Japan, former WEC champions Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis will now apparently meet for the UFC lightweight title.
Following the pay-per-view event in which Henderson earned the UFC belt with a unanimous-decision win over Frankie Edgar and Pettis scored a highlight-reel finish of Joe Lauzon, UFC president Dana White suggested that was the likely plan.
Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie
The Sunday Junkie: Feb. 26 edition
Benson Henderson won the UFC lightweight title, but dethroned champ Frankie Edgar was still the topic of conversation in this week's edition of The Sunday Junkie.In our weekly reader-feedback feature, fans discussed the UFC 144 headliner, whether Edgar should remain at lightweight, and if an immediate rematch is deserved.
In fact, this week's winner, Florida's Jake Yarnold, believes Edgar should get a title shot in his next fight - but it should come in a new weight class.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/OvGBwzXfK6A/the-sunday-junkie-feb-26-edition.mma
Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans