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Monday, December 31, 2007

SPOILER!!! - Yarennoka! Results - Fedor vs. Choi Video




  • Fedor Emelianenko def. Hong Man Choi - Armbar Submission @ 1:54 of Rd. 1
  • Hayato “Mach” Sakurai def. Hidehiko Hasegawa - Unanimous Decision
  • Shinya Aoki def. Bu-Kyung Jung - Unanimous Decision
  • Kazuo Misaki def. Yoshihiro Akiyama - KO (Strikes) @ 2:12 of Rd. 1
  • Mitsuhiro Ishida def. Gilbert Melendez - Unanimous Decision
  • Makoto Takimoto def. Murilo Bustamante - Split Decision
  • Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Luiz Azeredo - Unanimous Decision.
  • Mike Russow def. Roman Zentsov - N/S Choke Submission @ 2:58 of Rd. 1

HDNet will replay the HDNet Fights: Fedor Returns Yarennoka! event at 3pm today and again Friday and Saturday of next week.

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Chuck is a Dancing Queen!

Just don't say that to his face if you still want to have your head connected to your neck. Chuck looks antsy as he is ready to party like Chuck Liddell in the post UFC 79 party titled, "One Night Stand With Chuck Liddell" in Vegas at Studio 54.

John "The Pit" Hackleman Talks Post UFC 79 Liddell/Silva

Bas Rutten Self Defense for New Years!

I couldn't resist sharing some of El Guapo's famous self defense tips with you as you embark on a night that is sure to put you in one or all of the situations that Bas helps you get out of with ease




If you missed how to kick the shit out of anyone in a bar then you should really watch this too for the next time you encounter a bunch of MMA posers in Affliction T-Shirts interrupting your good time while watching UFC 80 in January, 2008.

Fedor VS Hong Man Choi

Choi is one big dood. Good luck to Fedor on New Year's eve.


FEDOR EMELIANENKO Q: What is your impression of Choi? FE: He's big.

Q: Do you think your punches would reach his face given his height?
FE: I'll have to get in the ring to know that.

Q: Do you have any plans on changing your strategy due to his size? FE: No. I'm going to fight like I trained for in Russia.

Q: Is he bigger than you had expected? FE: He's as big as I had imagined; He wasn't bigger than I'd expected. He smiled at me but I know he'll do his best to beat me once he gets in the ring.

Q: Do you expect any problems with the height disadvantage? FE: No, I don't expect any problems.

Qo you think you will be able to take him down? FE: I won't know without actually fighting him. I might keep the fight standing and make it a striking bout.

Q: What is your impression of K-1 and Yarennoka's collaboration for this event? FE: I've fought fighters who fought in K-1 like Semmy Schilt and Gary Goodridge so I don't feel any different about it.

Q: K-1 Dynamite, Yarennoka, and UFC are all held on December 31. Do you think you are the main attraction for this day? FE: I hope so. I trained to be the main fighter, and I want to give a good showing that would make the fans happy.



SYLVIA VS. NOGUEIRA FOR UFC INTERIM TITLE - MMA WEEKLY

LAS VEGAS – Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White on Saturday night confirmed that Tim Sylvia will meet Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 81 on Feb. 2 for the interim heavyweight championship.

“(Sylvia) will fight Nogueira for the interim title … Super Bowl (weekend),” said White.

Although it is likely that the offer is now part of the legal maneuvering between the UFC and current heavyweight champion Randy Couture, White also indicated that the winner between Sylvia and Nogueira would challenge Couture for his belt.

Whether Couture accepts or not, of course, is another matter entirely. The embattled champion has publicly stated that he is waiting out his current contract.

“I am not retired,” he said at the HDNet Fights show in Dallas, Texas. “I am waiting for my UFC contract to expire. I will fight Fedor Emelianenko.”

White is well aware that it isn’t as simple as crowning an interim champion and putting him in the Octagon with a reluctant couture.

“This is in the hands of the lawyers now. We gave him a half-million dollar signing bonus to fight four fights for us,” he stated. “I think the honorable thing for him to do is to honor his contract and fight the winner of Nogueira/Silvia.”

How this all plays out between Couture and the UFC remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain, the fight between Sylvia and Nogueira will take place at the Mandalay Bay Event Center on Super Bowl weekend.

Don't You Feel Like a Silly Motherfucker? - Pic of the Day!


Goes to Wanderlei Silva for his Scuba Mask apparatus contraption that is meant to improve his endurance in the Octagon and also make him look like a fuckin' tool at the same time.

The now famous Wanderlei Silva scuba pic (because I am shamelessly making this famous) was highlighted by Rachelle Leah's UFC All Access show and now I firmly believe that there is an "All Access curse" for any fighter that goes on this show.

Back to Silva, I was disappointed with Silva's fight. He didn't press the action or use his Muay Thai like he's been known to do instead, he sat back to block Chuck's shots with his face. Not a smart strategy but then again, check the picture above to understand why.

The fight went as I predicted in that it would go the distance and I am very relieved that I will get to see Chuck Liddell fight again very soon and hopefully, Keith Jardine will be that guy.

Who know's what's up next for Wanderlei Silva but if the UFC/MMA gods are smiling on us all in 2008 then they will give us Wanderlei Silva vs. Shogun Rua to quash the looming question in all of our minds which is, "Who is the better Light Heavyweight?"

UFC 79: Nemesis Fight Videos

GSP vs. Matt Hughes


Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva


Lyoto Machida vs. Sokoudjou


Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard


Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Mohr


More to come for you whiny MMA Fever bitches!

Liddell vs. Silva HL

Sorry about the music however the video is excellent. What a battle. Chuck is back.

UFC 79 Through the eyes of Tylenol Cold

I didn't matter how shitty I felt I was not going to miss this PPV, so I dragged myself out of cold sweat soaked sheets and infected my friends for the final UFC of 2007. The night started out with a grudge match between Rich Clementi and Melvin Guillard, these guys have had a long standing feud over something no one gives a shit about and wasted no time bringing the class level of this event down to WWE standards.

Now I personally can't stand the Young Assassin and enjoyed watching him get tapped out this time almost as much as when Joe "Daddy" did it but would prefer to leave the crotch cross to the professionals at an afore mentioned organization (I'll admit a shameful chuckle when he waved goodbye to Melvin and instructed him to do what we all assumed he would have by now and train some jiu jitsu but no man is an island).

Melvin's problem is he already believes he's great and no matter how many times he's proved wrong his opinion doesn't change, you can't improve if you don't think you have anything to learn.

I would like to see a rematch between him and the always improving Marcus Davis and then Melvin can spend the rest of his days telling everyone at the Walmart he'll be working at how he was the greatest fighter in the world and would have been champ if everyone wouldn't have kept landing lucky submissions on him. This fight was followed by a match between Lyoto Machida and the Predator.

Now I don't know how the Aliens fared against him but Lyoto kicked some ass Arnie style. I think everyone was amazed at the way Machida overpowered the enormous African Assassin and then dominated him on the ground. Soko looked like a fish out of water on his back and couldn't even control the stand up getting caught with a left hook (forgive me if it was a right Tylenol cold remember) before succumbing to an arm triangle. Score 2 for BJJ.

Now I think I nodded off a bit during the next fight but I'm told Sanchez won. Love those Heavyweights, just a tip don't smother someone against the cage if you suck at infighting and have a 10 inch reach advantage. On a side note the nickname "Manic Hispanic" really? I don't think the word manic which can mean being in a state of impaired judgement is ever a good way to describe your fighting style. Now Chuck vs Wandy. No fight could ever live up to the hype surrounding this fight but it was definetly an exciting 3 Rounds.

I can't believe we didn't see any knees from Silva and Chuck taking someone to the matt to secure a decision if only they'd thought of that a couple of months ago. In the end the fight looked a lot like how we all imagined it would before Liddell vs Jackson and Jardine made some of us wonder whether the Iceman was done. Then the main event.

GSP must be a fan of fellow Canuck Greg Clarke because he seemed to agree with him on the armbar being the way to finish this one. You could see him looking for it several times in the fight until finally setting it up through the use of a leg triangle and Kimura.

GSP out wrestled, muscled and every other 'ed Hughes you can think of. Then in a rare moment of humbleness in a night where so many had something stupid to say to their opponents (ie study karate in the jungle, and that whole smile thing I still don't understand) Matt Hughes showed nothing but class saying he gave 120% and St.Pierre was the better fighter, not even following it as so many do with "this night", just the better fighter.

Way to go Matt maybe all those boo's at the weigh ins got through to you. The night was capped off with a quick leg lock victory by the Manvil, not wanting to be out done by fellow armenian Roman Mitichyan.

I haven't read yet what injury Nate Mohr suffered but Manny gentleman that he is apologized for breaking his leg, though it looked more like a knee dislocation (I see your ankle sprain Roman and raise you a broken leg). Now if only these 2 could teach Karo how to end a fight.

I'm going back to bed

UFC 79 Nemesis Results

-Georges St-Pierre def. Matt Hughes by Submission (Armbar) at 1:54, Round 2
-Chuck Liddell def. Wanderlei Silva by Unanimous Decision
-Eddie Sanchez def. Soa Palelei by TKO (Strikes) at 3:24, Round 3
-Lyoto Machida def. Sokoudjou by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 4:20, Round 2
-Rich Clementi def. Melvin Guillard by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:40, Round 1
-James Irvin def. Luis Cane by Disqualification (Illegal Strike to Downed Opponent) at 1:51, Round 1
-Manny Gamburyan def. Nate Mohr by Submission (Ankle Lock) at 1:31, Round 1
-Dean Lister def. Jordan Radev by Unanimous Decision, Round 3
-Roan Carneiro def. Tony DeSouza by TKO at 3:33, Round 2
-Mark Bocek def. Doug Evans by Unanimous Decision, Round 3

Saturday, December 29, 2007

UFC 79 Nemesis - Weigh-Ins

Part 1



Part 2

UFC 79 Retirement Party Picks!

My apologies for my absence from the scene... you see, I was literally "Down with the Sickness" for a week and now that the venereal disease is all but gone, here are my UFC 79 Retirement Party picks:

Harmonic Convergence
- “the point at which the counter-spin of history finally comes to a momentary halt, and the still imperceptible spin of post-history commences.”

In MMA Fever terms, it means the ushering in of a new era for MMA and the UFC with the changing of the old guard that we all grew to love then love to hate as is the case for Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell.

Main Card Bouts:

Georges St. Pierre (-200) vs. Matt Hughes (+190)


It is inevitable that Georges St.Pierre will win the UFC Interim Welterweight Championship. GSP is on a mission to reclaim the glory that was once his for a moment in time when he dethroned the former 9-time Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes decisively in a 2nd Round TKO victory at UFC 65.

GSP admitted that he was battling personal demons prior to his UFC 69 title defense fight against TUF 4: The Comeback winner, Matt "The Terror" Serra which resulted in GSP's poorest performance in his MMA Career to date and Serra's crowning moment as the current UFC Welterweight Champion.

Well, Serra slipped a couple discs in his lower back preventing the new champ from taking on Matt Hughes to defend his new title at UFC 79 so the stage was set for an Interim Welterweight title (giving Serra enough time to recover from the injury) and a savior that would hail from Saint-Isidore, Quebec, Canada - Georges St.Pierre.

This will be the third time GSP and Hughes have squared off in the Octagon with each recording a victory and now the drama is set to crown a new Champion and also a new era for GSP to eclipse the 9-time Welterweight Championship record going forward into his evolution of his mixed martial arts career.

GSP has been training with some big names in MMA recently with the likes of Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, Denis Kang, David Loiseau, Nate Marquardt, and a few other dudes that could kick your ass at a moments notice under the watchful eye of Jackson's Submission Fighting captain, Greg Jackson.

In contrast, Hughes has left (MFS) Miletich Fighting Systems to start up his own training facility with Ruthless Robbie Lawlor, TUF 6 loser - Tommy Speer and a few other dudes that like to meet and train on the weekends at the YMCA.

See the difference? I took some flack for an article I wrote explaining that Matt Hughes has not evolved as a mixed martial arts fighter and I still have yet to proven wrong by anyone over the age of 15... so there!

To be honest, there isn't anything left for Matt Hughes at 170 if/when he loses other than retire or even satisfy his ego to jump to 185 to fight Anderson Silva for another chance at UFC's greatest honor, the Championship Belt. Who knows, it could be Dan Henderson with the belt instead of The Spider which would be a helluva lot more attractive to Hughes to fight wrestler vs. wrestler instead of nose crusher vs. midget wrestler.

I predict that GSP will submit, that's right, submit Matt Hughes via Rear Naked Choke or even a cheeky armbar just like GSP lost to Hughes the first time. I'm hoping for the armbar because that would be the cherry on top however, If GSP comes out to fight Hughes the way he did when he DOMINATED Frank Trigg at UFC 54 then we're all in for a very special treat indeed!

Pick: GSP via submission in Round 1





Chuck Liddell (+100) vs. Wanderlei Silva (-125)


My man-love for Chuck Liddell hasn't ceased even though he's coming off consecutive losses to face the pride of Pride FC, "The Axe Murderer" - Wanderlei Silva. You see, when you're a Liddell fan, you come to accept a few things as fact... when your guy throws down like he does, someone is gonna fall and the chances of the IceMan falling isn't very likely given his natural sprawl 'n' brawl elusive fighting style with one-punch knockout power.

For the record, Chuck KTFO'd Randy Couture twice which is why I consider Randy a CAN. Couture needs to get off of his silicone-jugged Blonde bimbo wife to fight Chuck to avenge his overwhelmingly convincing losses, not Fedor for fuck sakes! Get me now?

I digress... Even though I get wood thinking about Chuck fighting, I can't seem to get it up for this fight against Wand. I'm actually scared for the Iceman because I know this will be the last time I see my hero fighting at 205 reminiscent of Couture who supposedly "retired" after Chuck whooped the old man's ass.

Wanderlei is in a similar situation as he too is coming off of consecutive losses and both know the highs of being Champions in their respective organizations and also the extreme lows of defeat when they fail to win. It's the addictive drug of excellence that drives these two to the pinnacle of their MMA careers to finally meet to determine who the best 205 Lber in the world is (Just forget for a moment what's happened over the last year with Rampage being the current Light Heavyweight Champion and all that because this fight should have happened a year ago).

Now, Wanderlei has been training with my favorite Can at Xtreme Couture as I am sure he has also been given an excellent game plan crafted out by arguably, the world's greatest MMA strategist, Randy Couture. (That was a compliment for the can... did you miss that?)

The pre-fight hype and the past history of fights of the two fighters will lead you to believe that this fight will end Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome style, "Two men enter, one man leave". I don't buy that crap for a minute. I predict that this fight will see a dominant fighter over a fighter who is struggling to save whatever pride is in tact to not go down in shame a third time which will result in a unanimous decision victory and also, the fight of the night.

Both men will be standing for the judges decision however, it will be Wanderlei Silva who will be the victor in what could very well be the bloodiest MMA match that you've ever seen and also and exit stage left for the former 5-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion to reevaluate his position in the UFC then on to make the jump to Heavyweight like the can he knocked the fuck out of twice before, Randy Couture.

As for Silva well, wouldn't you want to see him fight Shogun Rua in a few months after this fight with Chuck then in 6 months fight Rampage for the LHW strap? (Yep, I predict that Rampage will KTFO Griffin easier than Jardine did).

Pick: Wanderlei Silva by unanimous decision


Here's my favorite Wandy clip fighting Rampage Jackson for the second time and leaving him hanging when he was done.





Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (+100) vs. Lyoto Machida (-130)

Ryoto "Lyoto" Machida has been nothing but a sleeping MMA phenom racking up win after win against some very impressive opponents, the most noteworthy being that of B.J. Penn, Rich Franklin and Stephan Bonnar. Lyoto is currently 8-0 looking to add another win in his already impressive rise in the Light Heavyweight rankings.

Sokoudjou has a great deal of attention of his own with shocking performances at Pride 33 by knocking out Big Nog's little brother then on to Pride 34 knocking out Ricardo Arona with a combined 2 minutes 22 seconds for both showings.

Sokoudjou reminds me a great deal of Alexander Houston with one exception, Sokoudjou can roll on the ground as he is trained in the skillful art of Judo. Machida also has a deep martial arts training background in Karate under the tutelage of his father, a Japanese-Brazilian Shotokan Karate master, Yoshizo Machida.

Soku trains out of Team Quest with the most notable fighter being Dan Henderson as well, Machida trains with equally if not more impressive partners in Anderson Silva, Nogueira and Vitor Belfort from Black House.

I know Machida is a boring fighter on the surface but this dude can really fight and completely understands how to leverage the other fighter's weight and force to gain a dominant position in less than a blink of an eye which is totally awesome to watch if you know what you're watching that is.

Machida will as usual, be less than aggressive coming out of the gate unlike the African Assassin, Sokoudjou who will most likely blow his load in the first and second rounds only to gas in the third to drag this out by.... you guessed it, a unanimous decision victory, AGAIN by Machida marking his 5th consecutive win by decision.

Sokoudjou will eventually be a force in the UFC but not right now as he is still trying to acclimate to the live circus of MMA in America that is called the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Pick: Machida by unanimous decision yawn!

Here is Lyoto's last effort in the octagon at UFC 76 against the pot smoker Nakamura.




Melvin Guillard (-260) vs. Rich Clementi (+200)

Hey, my favorite pimp is back in the 8 and I'm delighted as a hooker on the rag to see that. Seriously, Melvin is one of those fighters who has shades of brilliance in his fighting style and approach especially timing and then... he doesn't. He's a Dr.Jeckle & Mr. Hyde type of fighter who seems to show up in either personality whenever Mr.Gump (Guillard's psyche) hands him a metaphorical chocolate from the "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get" side of his brain.

Clementi actually impressed me when he RNC'd Anthony Johnson (you know that dude who knocked the fuck out of Chad Reiner at UFN 10 in 13 seconds in the 1st round?). Melvin hasn't fought since he was subbed by Joe "Daddy" Stevenson way the fuck back in April of this year.

For the sake of Melvin who is highly susceptible to the submission, I hope he bates Clementi into a stand up pugilists competition because that is where Melvin shines however, if Clementi in any way gets close to Guillard then call it a night for the young pimp 'cause Melvin has left the building fo the 'hood and won't be coming back any time soon.

Pick: Melvin "The Pimp" Guillard via KO in Round 1

Here's a Melvin Guillard Highlight video:




Eddie Sanchez vs. Soa Palelei

Both fighters have similar fight records 7-1 and 8-1 respectively however, only one of them have faced and lived to tell about their loss against Mirko Cro Cop and that man is Eddie Sanchez. I felt sorry for Eddie a bit because he trained for that fight and knew better than anyone that he was gonna be a human kicking post for Mirko and sure enough he was but only for a short while.

I'm throwing my support over to Eddie Sanchez due to his experience in the 8 as well as his new found respect and maturity that comes with breaking the undefeated MMA record cherry that desperately needs a win to keep the food on the table down the line.

Soa Palelei is a huge mother fucker (265Lbs) from Australia who's only loss happened on the big stage when he fought in Pride against Mu Bae Choi (Mu who the fuck?) and also knows how to end a fight quickly however, I'm giving the nod to Sanchez for the Barrio will to win and to survive disaster in the UFC.

Pick: Eddie Sanchez via KO in the 1st round.

Here's Eddie with his one-punch power in the second round against Mario Neto.



Preliminary fights:

Dean Lister vs. Jordan Radev
Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Mohr
James Irvin vs. Luis Cane
Roan Carneiro vs. Tony DeSouza
Mark Bocek vs. Doug Evans

Thanks for reading and now I have to put some more cream on my Johnson so go fuck off now and an enjoy the fights tonight and don't forget to get yer ass right back here for the posting of the UFC 79: Nemesis fight videos or else I'll call you a tool!

UFC All Access - Wanderlei Silva w/ Rachelle Leah


Friday, December 28, 2007

Thursday, December 27, 2007

How did you get on the naughty list?


I shoved a gerbil in my ass and spanked off to this ad. How about you?




(unaltered add from ufc dot com)

MMA Girls - UFC 79 Nemesis Picks

What ever happened to the other MMA girl? What do they continue to call this segment MMA Girls when there is only one girl? Well anyway this South African girl is sweet to look at and I love the accent. Enjoy.

Arianny Celeste, Stephan Bonnar, and BMX champion T.J. Lavin uFc 79 Nemesis Picks

Ah beautiful Arianny.

UFC 82: PRIDE OF A CHAMPION Poster


Wednesday, December 26, 2007

UFC Announces Another Champion vs. Champion - Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson

UFC 81: BREAKING POINT WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP ANDERSON SILVA vs. DAN HENDERSON

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – In a long-awaited super-fight to determine the undisputed king of the middleweight division, Anderson "The Spider" Silva, UFC Middleweight Champion, will take on PRIDE 183-lb. Champion Dan Henderson when the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) makes its third trip to the state of Ohio on Saturday, March 1, 2008 for UFC 82: PRIDE OF A CHAMPION, live from Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

Click here for the full article.

Reminder - "Countdown To UFC 79" Airs On Spike TV Tonight

Just a friendly reminder from MMA FEVER:

"Countdown To UFC 79" will premiere on Spike TV tonight at 11:00PM, with a replay running again on Thursday night at 6pm as well as a final replay the evening of the show, Saturday, also at 6:00PM.

The show will feature the UFC hype machine working to build towards the top fights on the card, which will be Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre for the interim Welterweight title, and Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva.

Liddell vs. Wandy - Breakdown

Great article from UFC dot com breaking down the Liddell vs. Wandy showdown.

The Breakdown: Silva vs. LiddellAccordingly, Liddell and Silva will engage primarily in a Muay Thai kickboxing contest at UFC 79.

That is good news for the fans because this should turn out to be an all-action, old-fashioned slugfest that ends definitively with one man lying on the Octagon floor.

Liddell’s main keys to victory are keeping the fight at a comfortable distance, constantly circling to create angles for his big right hand and looking for effective counter punching opportunities.

The “Iceman” stands with a bit of an unorthodox stance for a kickboxer, keeping his shoulders very square to his opponent most of the time. As a result, his natural tendency is to throw his punches with a bit of an arc, rather than right down the pipe.

Many so-called experts criticize that style of punching by calling them “looping shots,” which implies an arm punch thrown with less-than-optimal power. But Liddell happens to have long arms and very wide shoulders. Because he stands with such a square stance with those long arms, he needs to add a bit of an arc on his shots, far from what any true boxing cognoscenti would call “looping,” in order to generate maximum torque with his hips and transfer that torque into a knockout punch.

What that means is that Liddell needs space when throwing punches. He can establish that space by employing a quick, snapping jab right from the start while regularly circling out of harm’s way, preferably to his left.

Circling to his left helps keep Liddell in good position to throw strikes, unlike circling to his right, which forces him to reset his feet and hips before he can throw a truly effective right hand and which constantly places him out of position to really fire his jab with any authority while moving.

Circling to his left also creates excellent angles to land Liddell’s best weapon – his concussive right hand.

Liddell’s right hand is his bread and butter. He delivers it with malice aforethought each time he pulls the trigger. By circling to his left, Liddell positions himself on the outside of Silva’s left shoulder, which allows him to deliver the blow in his traditional slightly arcing manner without worrying about Silva blocking it with his left hand. If it lands anywhere near the jaw or temple, a knockout is almost sure to follow.

Lastly, Liddell is a natural counter puncher. He needs to remain patient and calm in the face of what likely will be a furious Silva attack so that he can effectively counter.

The best way for Liddell to create opportunities to counter is to jab effectively and circle. That will cause Silva to attack wildly out of frustration. When fighters attack Liddell wildly, he picks them apart with surgical precision until he can fire one of his scud missile right hands, which usually brings things to a brutal, painful end.

Silva’s main keys to victory are very different than those for Liddell. To maximize his odds at victory, Silva needs to close the distance and wage calculated, but very aggressive assaults.

Silva is a savage Muay Thai fighter. He loves to throw hands in order to work his way to the inside for a Thai clinch. Once there, Silva unloads knee strikes like nobody else in the UFC—all due respect to middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The “Axe Murderer” fires the knees with bad intentions, and if one happens to find his opponent’s jaw, it is lights out. Just ask reigning 205-lb champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who was twice knocked out from Silva knee barrages.

Liddell has been tested in virtually every position inside the Octagon, except by an expert Thai fighter who possesses devastating knees. Silva knows that. He knows that the position will be an unfamiliar one for the former UFC champion. If he can put Liddell there, then he is at a distinct advantage.

The other main focus for Silva on Saturday night should be fighting with controlled aggression. Liddell is a counter puncher, so he wants opponents to pressure him. But there is a difference between wild pressure and unrelenting, controlled pressure.

The former is a death sentence against Liddell. The latter may be the best way to beat him.

Keith Jardine applied the same sort of pressure, albeit in spurts, in Liddell’s most recent bout. Liddell responded by planting his feet and firing back wildly. Jardine capitalized by keeping his composure and scoring with accurate punches, winning by a close decision.

If Silva chooses his spots, slips a Liddell jab and then attacks with controlled fury, Liddell will do what comes natural in the face of an onslaught, which is plant his feet and swing wide for the fences. Silva is at his very best during those exchanges because it opens the door for him to close the distance by stepping inside Liddell’s punches.

Here is the full article from Ufc.com

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Esquire on Fedor

More than any of the other sweet sciences, mixed martial arts demands its practitioners learn to handle losing. None of the big names in the sport are undefeated. Few of them even boast the impressive records so common in boxing, where opponents are handpicked to ensure that the loss column remains nice and empty. Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell is 20-5, including two humiliating knockouts by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (who has lost six times himself). Indeed, the sport's living legend, Randy "The Natural" Couture, has a decidedly un-Rocky Marciano-esque record of 16-8.

Every rule has an exception, however, and Fedor Emelianenko is it. The Russian fighter is 26-1, the only blemish due to a doctor stoppage after a technically illegal elbow strike. Relying largely on the Soviet combat system Sambo -- the Russian acronym means “self-defense without weapon” -- Fedor has the potential to be to MMA what Woods is to golf and Federer is to tennis, only more so. After all, he’s the only member of that trio who literally pummels his rivals into submission.

And now, after avenging his only defeat and destroying the competition overseas, Fedor has come to our shores and finally found a worthy opponent: The Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Last month, Fedor landed the first punch in the battle when he turned his back on Dana White and company. Ignoring the $220 million the UFC cleared from pay-per-view last year (and countless additional millions they decline to discuss), Fedor signed a contract with MMA upstart M-1 Global. Fedor instantly established M-1 Global as a credible organization and, equally importantly, denied the UFC the man considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

The decision has already caused a seismic shift in the MMA landscape. Randy Couture, for years the public face of the UFC, quit the league, citing its inability to set up a fight with Fedor as the deciding factor. (Couture's belief he was making half what Chuck Liddell earned didn’t help.) Sides have been drawn and camps are getting testy. UFC President Dana White -- who once thought highly enough of Fedor to predict, “I’ll have him someday” -- has suddenly downgraded his opinion, saying, "I think that Fedor is completely overrated."

In person, Fedor looks smaller -- and more dangerous -- than his listed six feet. With his shaved head, perpetual poker face, and a body that, to use F. Scott Fitzgerald’s phrase, seems capable of great leverage, he appears the way Russian President Vladimir Putin must have visualized himself when he let the Kremlin release those photos of him hunting shirtless. Unlike the M-1 executives filling the room, Fedor's in a T-shirt and jeans. He is polite but reserved. He expresses great respect for Couture (“He’s one of the best fighters, and we will have to meet to find out who is the strongest”), less so for Brazilian Renzo Gracie (a member of mixed martial arts’ first family who claims he knows Fedor’s weaknesses and how to exploit them). The fighter who inspires the most intriguing response is Mirko Cro Cop.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic is a former member of Croatia’s Anti-Terrorist police unit ATJ Lucko (hence Cro Cop), who became a member of the Croatian Parliament while breaking into MMA. He was 16-2-2 when he faced Fedor. He lost, of course, but it was a good showing, a loss by decision, which against Fedor practically counts as a victory. Cro Cop's record since then has been a mediocre 6-3, including defeats in his last two fights. Once poised to be a breakout star due to his devastating knockouts, he’s dropped back with the pack. What happened?
“He has to regenerate psychologically. After my fight with him, he just broke down. In his soul, something just broke down, cracked…There are some psychological problems when you have all the time fight, fight, fight, without rest."


M-1 Global hopes Fedor can quickly get back into the fight, fight, fight routine. As their most bankable star by far, the organization plans to make Fedor their centerpiece. This means arranging for him to take on the best fighters in the world, regardless of the organization that currently employs them. M-1 has made a point of putting the UFC on notice, announcing that they'll pay $1 million more than whatever the UFC is currently paying its heavyweight champion to take on Fedor.

This leads to the crucial question: Why would Americans warm to a taciturn Russian, when they’ve shown so little interest in the Klitschko brothers? (Whatever their other flaws, at least Wladimir and Vitali speak English.) The answer is on YouTube, where fans have been obsessing over Fedor's highlight reel. Watch his 2007 fight with Matt Lindland, shown below. Lindland opens a gusher over Fedor’s eye within the first 10 seconds. It’s the sort of injury that often results in a doctor’s stoppage (which is, again, the cause of Fedor’s only loss), so he needs to work fast. Within three minutes Lindland, who opened so strong, is tapping out to prevent his arm from being ripped out of its socket wookie-style. It’s thrilling because even though Fedor is desperate the victory still feels inevitable, like when the Bulls were trailing by one and ran a play for Michael Jordan.

Here is the full article from Esquire dot com.

Merry Christmas From MMA Fever!

Monday, December 24, 2007

News on the Mirko Front

What I’ve learned from my friendship with Mirko Cro Cop is that you can never be sure what is he up to. He prefers to keep his thoughts for himself; he’s always been a man of a few words. His absence in the media often results in completely misleading stories, coming from people who are giving their best shot in evaluating Mirko’s position and the nature of his future plans.

When I arrived to the caffe-bar “Virage” last Wednesday and shook his hand, I immediately noticed an abundance of pure energy coming from him. I don’t posses a Hannibal Lecter type of human scanner, but when I looked in his eyes, it was obvious that Mirko has refueled his “motivational tank” and that his fighting spirit has been reborn. This time he wasn’t there to talk about his retirement, which is what he used to do before and after his fight against Cheick Kongo.

We were talking about the change and Mirko confirmed everything that I saw on his face from that first sight. He said that he’s completely in the game again, focused only on how to get back on track. He doesn’t think about contract obligations, retirement, injuries and a few other things, which one shouldn’t think about if you are determined to give everything you’ve got in the cage or the ring. His day starts with a goal to be the best in MMA, and it ends the same way. Mirko Cro Cop is back to his Spartan-style training routine and motivation, I can tell you for sure.

So what was the problem, actually? Mirko said that he had been completely empty inside and that he had ran our of his motivation and his fighting spirit. Although he really wanted to get back on track after the fight against Gonzaga, he wasn’t mentally and psyhically ready to make it happen. He encountered more than a few obstacles that prevented him to provide a better performance against Kongo, and the majority of those obstacles were not related to the opponent directly, they appeared as a result of Mirko’s overall mental and physical condition.

What else is new? Mirko has a completely new training routine. He needed something new, a training routine that could wake up a sleeping power inside him. His training schedule now contains more sparring sessions, better cardio program and a whole different approach to an intensity level of his trainings and rest between the sessions. He’s continuing his cooperation with Vos gym’s head coach Ivan Hyppolite, who will assist him in the final preparations for the fight. Cro Cop Team now includes sparring partners Igor Pokrajac, Hrvoje Kisicek and Sasa Mucnjak, boxing coach Branimir Levak and Prof. Igor Jukic who’s in charge of conditioning.

So why did Cro Cop decide to give it another shot? It’s about pride and self respect, I’d say. After 11 years of a professional career, you just can’t get out of the game like this. Maybe Mirko can’t win the UFC belt and maybe he’ll never get his chance to fight for a title, but the most important thing is that he steps in the cage to fight and to give his best. That’s something that everyone should do, and if you do it, you are already a winner. The famous Croatian cop will make his comeback and what’s left is to see if others will only have the right to remain silent.

Full article is available from Nokaut.com.

I hope Cro Cop turns it around; he is one of my favorites however lately I am embarrassed to say so. I have said it before and once again: Mirko needs to adapt to the UFC, train in the cage, and train with a good camp. I am sure the Can and his camp would take him in.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Wandy - I need to WIN

It will have been just over 10 months since he last fought when he faces Liddell on Dec. 29, but the former Pride champion feels that will only improve his skills for the fight.Silva recently relocated to the United States to focus his training for this fight, leaving behind his former team, Chute Boxe, and joining forces with Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

Working with the athletes of Xtreme Couture has improved many facets of his game according to Silva, who is currently riding a two-fight losing streak.

“Here has very good trainers, very good fighters (and) they opened the gym to me,” Silva stated. “The guys are willing to train with me and (it is) very good sparring. I’m in the best condition in my life.”

The rules changes will also be something different for Silva who fought under Pride rules for the last few years, but now he will have to adjust to the unified rules in the UFC.

“I’m going to change my game a little bit because I need to fight within the rules,” he commented. “There’s no problem for me. I train a lot of kicks to the body and to the face, and I’m going to use a lot of kicks in this fight.”

The excitement and anticipation for this bout can be summed up by the statements of UFC president Dana White when he was finally able to sign Silva to a contract earlier this year, for all intents and purposes, solidifying this bout.

“As crazy as this sounds, this is the pinnacle of my seven year career in this company,” said White. “He reminds me of Chuck Liddell, and he’s the kind of fighter that all fight fans love to see fight. He’s a gunslinger. He will get in harm’s way to inflict damage and pain.”

Click here for the full article from MMA weekly.

A little more buzz on Rameau Sokoudjou

Sokoudjou has trained with Team Quest who has brought us the CAN and Matt Lindland.

Sokudjou also helped PRIDE Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Dan Henderson prepare for a 2004 title defense against Kazuhiro Nakamura.

Sokoudjou has knocked out heavyweights such as Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona.

Rameau who is also known as the "The African Assassin" is making his UFC debut at UFC® 79 NEMESIS.

The match pits Rameau Sokoudjou 4-1-0 vs. Lyoto Machida who is 11-0-0.

Here is the Assassin knocking out NOG (pride33).



Here is an article from Yahoo Sports on the up and coming star.

Pride: A Ten-Year Tribute

It seems fitting to include this video of some of the greatest moments in MMA history from some of the greatest fighters of today and now that Wanderlei Silva is back with the UFC, I so desperately want to see The Axe Murderer fight Rampage one more time.... ok, maybe a couple more times... it never gets old.


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One Night Stand With Chuck Liddell



This is the UFC 79 after party for the one and only "Iceman", Chuck Liddell. The way things are looking for Chuck heading into UFC 79 against Wanderlei Silva, I wouldn't be surprised if Chuck didn't show his mohawk anywhere near that place when the dust settles from this legendary battle.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

MMAyweather

Part of me doesn't even want to mention this because I know it will never happen, but according to ESPN.com Pretty Boy is pondering a move to MMA. Now I'm not sure how much Cuban payed him to say this but the publicity it will generate for HDNet will hopefully cover the cost. Discussing the numerous reasons why Floyd will never make the transition (no grappling background, bad hands from years of boxing, etc.) is really just a waste of space because, have I mentioned this yet, it will never happen. Mayweather is apparently speaking to people about what it would take for him to make the transition so I would like to suggest he give Michael Jordan a call and ask "how that whole baseball thing worked out?". Though failing at baseball doesn't involve having your arm broke before you get choked unconscious.


Friday, December 21, 2007

Big John's Real Reason For Leaving?

In a recent Sports Illustrated interview when "Big" John McCarthy was asked what was "behind the career move" he anwsered,
"With the commission rules it got harder for me to do some things. Basically commissions thought it was a conflict of interest to do broadcasting of fighters if I would be refereeing those same fighters. So I got this opportunity with the Fight Network and it was time to make the move." Now he says it was getting harder to do both broadcasting and refereeing yet he wasn't doing both he was refereeing then left to be a broadcaster so the only thing the commissions were forcing him to do was choose one or the other. So the only real reason given for choosing broadcasting over refereeing was "it was time", and why was it time? Maybe the anwser to the question who his favorite fighter is can shed some light. "My favorite goes beyond ability to fight. It's his contributions to the sport, the way he treated people. If I were going to pick one it would be
Randy Couture." I say the answer to that question plus the shots he goes on to take at Dana White tell the real reason he decided to take the job at the Fight Network and "retire" from the UFC.

For the Love of MMA - Mainstream Media vs. Blogs


I was just blown away by Luke Thomas' recent post over at BloodyElbow.com.

I haven't read a decent passion filled MMA piece in a while so I have to tip my hat and bow to the literary genius that had me glued to every word on my monitor which ultimately made me feel pissed off that there wasn't more to read. When was the last time you ever said that about an article?

Funny though, I can't say that I've had the same experience when reading MMA pieces from Yahoo! or CBS Sports or NBC or some other well known MMA vanilla sites. Maybe it was the content that spoke to me that was so close to what I've been doing here on MMA Fever or maybe it's because I too am a fan of MMA and just need an outlet like this to share my MMA world with everyone... for the love of MMA.

Regardless, what is true is that there is a monumental difference between the reporting of today's MMA in the mainstream media than there is in the blogosphere like this one and like Luke's Bloody Elbow and many others that are sprouting up.

That difference can only be measured by the passion that jumps out at you from the words used by the MMA writer and I have to say as one who tends to go off quite a bit that, that's what makes Blog's rule the mainstream media coverage of mixed martial arts.

The difference is "MMA Fever"... some write for the love of MMA and others write about it from a distanced, almost sterile point of view that makes reading about MMA boring which, it certainly is not if you have the passion!

Check out Luke's rebuttal to a shot that Denny Burkholder of CBS Sports took at all Blogs that cover mixed martial arts news and content... you may actually 'feel' something instead of being fed something you never wanted from MMA's mainstream media.

Inside MMA Preview of Tonight's Show

Catch up on the week's news from the hottest MMA show On TV!

"Inside MMA" airs tonight, December 21 at 9:30 ET, only on HDNet. This hour-long program brings you the most comprehensive MMA news.

Tune in tonight for:

* A review of HDNet Fights: Reckless Abandon
* A preview of Sportfight XXI and the IFL Grand Prix
* "Toe to Toe" with "El Guapo" - e-mails to Bas

Tonight, your hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten are joined by:

Jose Canseco - former MLB superstar will discuss his MMA aspirations as well as The Mitchell Report

Carlos Arias - an MMA writer for the Orange County Register

Why UFC Sucks At Fight Promotions...


I received this gem in my inbox today from Dana White & crew reminding me that UFC 79 is just 8 days away. Well, after I read that, I took an impromptu nap on my keyboard due to the boring nature of the sleepy reminder because the UFC clearly doesn't appreciate the art of marketing like many other companies around the world do.

Here we have what I am calling the biggest fight in MMA history between Georges St.Pierre and former 9-time UFC Welterweight Champion, Matt Hughes for the interim Welterweight title and also the fight that had the potential to be the biggest in MMA history between Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell vs. the return of Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva yet NOTHING is mentioned except that (the next line is meant to be read in a computer monotone voice) they-will-be-fighting-8-days-from-now.

Shit, I'm overwhelmed aren't you? Underwhelmed is more like it.

The UFC should be inundating the UFC fans with hyped up interviews, establishing a storyline as to why these fights are significant as well, pressuring the UFC/MMA fan to buy "The Greatest UFC Fight Card Ever" on Pay Per View. Hype it up Dana!

Publicity stunts with that tool, Criss Angel levitating Wanderlei & Liddell high above the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Vegas would be a good start don't you think?

Maybe even getting together a bunch of named celebrities to be interviewed about their predictions for the upcoming fights. Shit, get George Bush to issue a two second sound byte about the UFC or better yet, Senator John McCain... something! Anything!!

The UFC can't get national broadcasters (NBC,CBS,ABC) to carry their content on their channels well, buy some fucking commercial time on those channels promoting the pay per view event then you fucktards.

Alas, many people will miss out on a great night of perfectly matched fights that the buying public actually wants to see because the UFC has lost their touch with reality believing too much in the perception of the UFC brand that they feel carries more weight than any marketing effort.

Bullshit - you don't see Apple stopping the marketing train because they sold over a million iPods in the first year of release do you? How about Microsoft or Budweiser or some feminine hygiene rag that I see more often than the UFC promoting their only product - The fuckin' fights!

The TUF 6 Finale pulled in roughly 2.5 million viewers on Spike TV mostly because it was free and also the conclusion to a lot of time invested/wasted by the viewer to see who would be crowned the next Ultimate Fighter.

That statistic is fucking important because it falls on the heels of UFC 79 so knowing that you have 2.5 million households interested in the UFC, wouldn't you want to invest in hyping this shit up so the freebie watcher who enjoyed the best TUF Finale (Griffin/Bonnar notwithstanding) ever just can't help themselves to buy the UFC 79 PPV because they caught MMA Fever!

Dana White is fuckin' smart in many ways and deserves a lot of credit but in this case, he's way too fuckin' stupid to ever take the UFC to mainstream acceptance when he doesn't see the potential that lies before him in the fans that he already has for the UFC brand. The fans have spoken through their attention to the TUF 6 Finale, Dana White... are you listening?

WE WANT TO BUY EXCITEMENT... and the mainstream advertisers want in to sell their shit to us too which means more money for you to cover the marketing campaign necessary to build up anticipation and excitement for UFC 79 in the buying public, you dumb fuck!

Shonie Carter Cut From UFC Contract!


WOW!

We all know that Dana White doesn't like MMA news reporting on the Internet however, he must have caught wind of this exclusive interview by FightHype and decided to part ways with one of the most fearless, tenured and colourful fighters ever to grace the canvass within the wired fence of the UFC Octagon.

Shonie Carter on the UFC brass reaction:

"Yeah, they didn't like it. I pissed off Joe Silva and Dana and they cut me,"

Shonie Carter on the UFC Grinch that stole Christmas:

"They even took my tickets to UFC 79 when they cut my contract!"

For the rest of UFC pissing on Shonie Carter's Christmas, check out FightHype.com

Well, MMA Fever gives Dana White and Joe Silva the biggest cyber middle finger for their knee "jerk" reaction to a guy who just wants to put food on his table for himself and his kids.

GSP: "I want to take my revenge against Matt Serra."


Here's a quote from Georges St.Pierre in an exclusive interview with a U.K. tabloid rag called, "The Sun"

"I've never been so pumped up for a fight, and once I get through this I want to take my revenge against Matt Serra."

As usual, the story is filled with Mr.Humble St.Pierre because he doesn't want to fuel his opponent going into what I am calling the biggest fight in MMA history.

I find it very interesting that GSP is not only showing outward confidence about his abilities within the octagon but that he is downright vengeful (which is out of character for him) about avenging the loss that GSP attributes to personal problems brought into the cage which ultimately clouded his mind... and the few Serra shots to the chin didn't help any either :)

I wouldn't want to be Matt Hughes on December 29, 2007.. that's all I'm sayin'.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

WEC 31 Fighter Payouts



Here are the WEC 31 "Faber vs. Curran" card payouts on December 12th:

Jens Pulver ($60,000) def. Cub Swanson ($5,000)
Urijah Faber ($40,000) def. Jeff Curran ($10,000)
Paulo Filho ($56,000) def. Chael Sonnen ($25,000)
Doug Marshall ($10,000) def. Ariel Gandulla ($4,000)
John Alessio ($26,000) def. Todd Moore ($4,000)
Charles Valencia ($12,000) def. Ian McCall ($3,000)
Bryan Baker ($8,000) def. Eric Schambari ($5,000)
Ed Ratcliff ($8,000) def. Alex Karalexis ($8,000)
Brian Bowles ($6,000) def. Marcos Galvao ($5,000)

Total reported pay out: $295,000

UFC All Access - Wanderlei Silva with Rachelle Leah



12/28/2007 10pm ET/PT on MTV2
Event Type: TV

UFC® All Access™ Wanderlei Silva Hosted by Rachelle Leah on MTV2 - Go behind the scenes with Octagon Girl Rachelle Leah as she hangs out with UFC light heavyweight fighter Wanderlei Silva. See what's happening with Wanderlei as he prepares to fight Chuck Liddell - the fight everyone in MMA has wanted to see for years.

Here's the Spike TV press release showing All Access on December 27th:

SPIKE TV PRESENTS UFC: ALL ACCESS, HOSTED BY RACHELLE LEAH FEATURING WANDERLEI SILVA

NEW YORK, NY, December 20, 2007 • On Thursday, December 27, anyone who has ever been curious about what it’s like to hang out with the “Axe Murderer” will get the chance, as Rachelle Leah goes behind-the-scenes to take an inside look at the lifestyle and training methods of UFC® light heavyweight fighter Wanderlei Silva in UFC All Access. Leah visits Silva as he prepares for his long-awaited return to the UFC in his showdown with the Iceman, Chuck Liddell, at UFC 79: Nemesis on Saturday, December 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas , Nevada . The matchup is one of the most anticipated fights in the history of mixed martial arts, as Liddell and Silva, two legendary figures, share the Octagon for the first time to settle all debates about who the more dominant fighter is. The bout is crucial to the careers of both men, each at a crossroads in the light heavyweight division.

Spike TV will give a unique behind-the-scenes look at the training of the infamous mixed martial arts superstar, Wanderlei Silva “The Axe Murderer,” on Thursday, December 27 (12:30 - 1:00 AM, ET/PT). Hosted by Rachelle Leah, the special goes behind the scenes to take an inside look at the lifestyle and training methods of UFC light heavyweight fighter. Leah visits Silva as he prepares for his long awaited return to the UFC in his showdown with “The Iceman,” Chuck Liddell, at UFC 79: Nemesis on Saturday, December 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas . The matchup is one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the UFC®, as Liddell and Silva, two legendary figures in the sport of mixed martial arts, share the Octagon for the first time to settle all debates about who the more dominant fighter is. The bout is crucial to the careers of both men, each at a crossroads in the light heavyweight division.

Rachelle Leah, a Las Vegas native, has served as host of the popular Spike series for over two years and has graced the covers of major magazines such as Men's Fitness, Flex, and Stuff.

UFC All Access hosted by Rachelle Leah featuring light heavyweight Wanderlei Silva will debut on Spike TV on Thursday, December 27, 2007, at 12:30 AM ET/PT and MTV2 the same day at 1 AM, ET/PT. For more info on UFC 79: Nemesis, visit http://79.ufc.com; for more information about Rachelle Leah, please visit http://www.rachelleleah.com/.

Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

MMA Pic of the Day - Fedor vs. Hong Man Choi



Here's the fight card for Yarennoka on New Years Eve courtesy of MMAWeekly.com!

YARENNOKA: DECEMBER 31, 2007 IN SAITAMA, JAPAN
venue: Saitama Super Arena

-Fedor Emelianenko (#1 Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Hong Man Choi
-Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (#2 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Hidehiko Hasegawa
-Gilbert Melendez (#3 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida (#9 Lightweight in the World)*
-Tatsuya Kawajiri (#4 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Luiz Azeredo
-Shinya Aoki (#5 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Gesias "JZ" Calvancante (#6 Lightweight in the World)*
-Kazuo Misaki (#8 Middleweight in the World)* vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
-Murilo Bustamante vs. Makoto Takimoto

-Ricardo Arona (#9 Light Heavyweight in the World)* vs. TBA
-Aleksander Emelianenko (#10 Heavyweight in the World)* vs. TBA

Main card airs live in the United States on HDNet

Sokoudjou's MMA Loss May Be Machida's Gameplan

The MMA phenom who swept through Lil' Nog at Pride 33 then wasted Ricardo Arona at Pride 34 is set to take on undefeated (11-0) Lyoto Machida at UFC 79:Nemesis in Vegas on December 29th.

There hasn't been any buzz about the debut of "The African Assassin" in the UFC anywhere so I thought I would start some shit that others will eventually rip from me per usual :)

Short of his fights in Pride and the one MMA loss Sokoudjou suffered at the hands of Glover Teixeira at WEC 24: Full Force, I only have a Judo match against our favorite Armenian, Karo Parisyan who stated on a recent Inside MMA show that Sokoudjou is a very strong opponent.



Machida has been criticized by many for his unimpressive fighting style however, nobody can say shit about the quality of fighters that he has defeated along the way (Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, Stephan Bonnar) as he rises in rank in the UFC Light Heavyweight division - 205 Lbs.

Here we have Lyoto Machida dismantling Rich Franklin marking the first loss of Franklin's MMA career.




I am on the fence with this fight at the moment although, it is fitting that Lyoto Machida and Karo Parisyan are mentioned in the same post because both know how to drag a fight out to a decision.

Predictions for UFC 79 coming to you next week... stay tuned!

MMA Movie Posters

Say what? What's an MMA Movie poster?

Well Lil' chil'ren, it's a creative way of using Photoshop to place your favorite, and not so favorite MMA stars in shall we say, compromising positions or heroic poses superimposed on to a movie poster.

I am a regular Sherdog Forums shit disturber however, when I come across real Photoshop talent, I like to promote it because some of this shit is really art like the Anderson Silva movie poster that is perfectly matched to his fluidity in the octagon, his nickname and childhood hero.

I was PM'd by the Photoshopper(sic) for requests - see below:

Thank you for your positive feedback!

I love to put a smile on someones face, and if they are bored at work, and get a good laugh, then all my work is worth it.

This thread has alot more movie posters done by some more senior romoshoppers:
http://www.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?t=605210

But if you can think of a movie posters, and a fighter you would like on it then please PM me. I'll try my best to complete it within the day you give me the idea.

Thanks again.


Let me know of your requests in the comments below and I'll send the request on and also publish the original work right here for you because I'm cool like that as you already know!

Franklin out until June?

I'm a fan of Rich Franklin, but I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I heard he signed a new six fight deal with the UFC. Now, I'll admit, my disappointment stems from my own need to be the best at what I do, so if I lost twice to Anderson Silva and knew I'd given my all I would see no reason to continue fighting (maybe others are not so egotistical) but with another surgery apparently on the horizon (this not yet being reported on Franklin's official site) and the risk of injury every time you step in the cage, should he keep fighting? What is the ultimate goal of competition? I would hate to see Rich become a stepping stone when he has the potential to make a good living in so many different avenues of the sport. Like Dana White said "whatever Rich decides he will always have a place in the UFC".

Manny Gamburyan - Recovering TUF Psycho!

Quote from Manny Gamburyan on his TUF 5 experience:

“There were 16 dudes in the same house. I’m from LA. I go out every other day. There’s always something to do: partying ,clubs, and lots of things. Imagine being used to living like that and then being stuck in a house with 16 dudes. One day you’re eating with them and the next day you’re fighting them. I don’t even wanna remember that.”

“The Ultimate Fighter is no joke,” Gamburyan said. “If you would pay me $100,000 I still wouldn’t go back in that house again. The experience messed with my head. When I left the show I thought I was psycho. You don’t want to be in that house. It’s nuts.”

That is always what goes through my mind when I try to keep myself awake through all of the in-house bullshit antics that go on with 16 sequestered dudes living on top of each other. I never understood why these guys need to live the gay lifestyle and to this day, I will always respect that dude who was removed by Dana White from the house when he scaled the wall to get some poon.

Here's Manny's last fight at the TUF 5 Finale who I picked to win over Diaz until Manny popped his shoulder. Expect Manny Gamburyan to man handle Nate Mohr at UFC 79: Nemesis on December 29

Rich Franklin & MMA Rumor Bullshit Stories

I can't stand it when MMA sites publish rumors as fact to drive traffic to their sites while misleading fans because they lack journalistic integrity in not only accurate fact finding but also producing a reliable source for the reader to acknowledge that the story is in fact, credible.

Case in point is the rumor that Rich Franklin was going to fight Travis Lutter in March 2008. I will not name any sites at fault for rumor mongering to drive traffic to their sites but just Google "Rich Franklin vs Travis Lutter" and you may be interested in knowing that the rumor virus spreads faster than any STD and is often mistaken for fact when talked about enough times.

Here's a personal note from Rich "Ace" Franklin who happens to be the reliable source:

Hi guys. First off, I would like to thank everyone for the support. Thank you for the support leading up to, and since the fight with Anderson. He is a great fighter and deserves everyone's respect as a fighter, person, and ambassador to our sport. Also thank you for supporting American Fighter.

Todd tries to maintain our Myspace account because of my hectic schedule. Hopefully he is doing a good job for you all. He spends a good amount of time on here and does it for free. Sometimes he gets a t-shirt.

I am told there are rumors of me fighting multiple people in March. I have not signed for a fight in March. I don't believe that I am allowed to fight more than once in a night. I hope this clears up any confusion. I have not signed to fight anyone in March, or any other month.

Happy Holidays

RF


So, to all the pricks who say this site used to be a good source of news well, wake the fuck up and stop absorbing garbage information from the vanilla MMA sites that don't give a shit about delivering accurate information with reliable sources.

We only want smart readers at MMA Fever, thanks for coming out!

Couture Quote of the Day!

From Brawl Sports regarding Randy Couture's attempt to arrange a co-promotion fight (UFC & M-1 Global) between Fedor Emelianenko and Couture:

Here's what everyone's MMA hero said:

"We got an official offer from M-1 to the UFC to do a co-promotion for the Couture-Emelianenko fight, and they (UFC) rejected that offer. Really, the only thing standing in the way for that fight right now is Dana and the UFC. Obviously, M-1 is happy to do a co-promotion like that. It only serves to help them. I think the UFC is looking at it the other way, and it's like why do we want to help out another organization? The fans want to see that fight. At some point, you have to put that first."

Hey, Randy is interested in putting the fans first everyone!!!!

Oh, but that still means that Randy quit the UFC and still holds the Heavyweight belt which will not be contested for ohhhhh.... another year!

Thanks for looking out for the MMA/UFC fans Randy, MY hero!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

"I Want to Fuck Chuck"- Wanderlei Silva Video

Yes folks, you might have read a few of my references to Wandy wanting to fuck Chuck and wondered why I would say such a despicable thing well, I'm only stating what "The Axe Murder" wanted when Wanderlei Silva embarrassed Dana White even further by wearing a Pride FC T-shirt (before the Pride purchase happened) during a surprise announcement in the middle of UFC 61.

Sadly, the fight didn't happen between the two despite Chuck beating Babalu Sobral because Dream Stage Entertainment (former owners of Pride) couldn't come to terms with the UFC for what Dana White called, "The biggest fuckin' fight in MMA History".

Check out the video of the sexual proposition from Wanderlei Silva and also, the full write up from MMA Weekly about the intimate encounter.

So, will Chuck get fucked by Silva at UFC 79?

Karo Parisyan Loves Women Too Much

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

MMA Quote of the Day - GSP


Georges St.Pierre was interviewed recently by CBS Sports and dropped a nice little quote that pretty much nails the argument that he's not a confident fighter shut when GSP says he's ready to be crowned the next UFC Welterweight Champion at UFC 79: Nemesis.

Q: You're going after the title again. Is there a different feeling going after it now compared to when you were first moving up the ranks and chasing it?

GSP: Absolutely there is a difference. With me I taste the ultimate glory and I taste the ultimate humiliation by losing to a guy I was suppose to beat when the odds was like 12-1. So I know I want and I know what I don't want and this is loss is the best thing that ever happened to me, it made me a way better fighter and a way more serious athlete and more professional fighter. Right now I cannot be any better than I am right now, I'm at the top of my game and I think that loss was for the best. I think right now I'm more mature, I'm only 26 but gained a lot of maturity with what happened recently and I'm ready to be crowned world champion and stay there for a long time.