Reggie Warren Jr. made the big time when Karo Parisyan thanked Reggie in his UFC 71 post fight interview with Joe Rogan in the octagon after he won a unanimous decision against Josh Burkman.
My apologies, I'm a bit behind in the Reggie Warren series so here are the two most recent videos of the baddest street fighter in the universe.
Ya Mang!
Street Fighting instructional video
Reggie Warren does a Heinz Ketchup Commercial
For more Reggie Warren Jr. goodness Click Here
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Reggie Warren Jr. is The Shiznit
TUF5 Reject Gabe Ruediger Mentally Challenged?
From Graciefighter.com:
"Spike TV TUF fighter, Gabe Ruediger, has been barred from fighting in this Saturday's K-1/Pro Elite show. Ruediger was released from his UFC contract to pursue fighting elsewhere. He recently signed with the K-1 where he was to face Katsuhiko Nagata (2-1).
He was dropped from fighting on the card by California State Athletic Commissioner, Armando Garcia, who had recently watched Ruediger on The Ultimate Fighter TV show. Garcia cited the show in determining that Ruediger was "mentally unfit to fight".
On the show Ruediger seemed to have suffered a mental breakdown after unsuccessfully making the 155lbs. weight limit. This fight would have been at 161lbs. It is unclear if Ruediger will be able to fight in California if he is not cleared by a mental health specialist."
I happen to think the dude is Mental just for thinking that sticking a tube up his ass would shed 20 odd pounds in a day or so without physically training to make fight weight.
Besides, it was really Corey Hill who scared the shit out of him with his dog barking impression.. unfortunately, it wasn't enough then and now he's barred from fighting in K1 for being Mental. That dude is a train wreck!
Enjoy the TUF5 Quarter Finals tonight on Spike TV!
No colonic or tears.. I promise
Rampage: "I Got a HUMONGOUS DICK...."
This one goes out to Colonel Balz for covering for me while I was away at the asylum called work.
Warning: Watch the volume on this one if you are watching from work or school :)
This is your new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion... too funny!
Mike Swick Quicker at 170 lbs
Look out Welterweights, Mike "Quick" Swick has confirmed that he has dropped down a weight class to Welterweight (170lbs) from the Middleweight class (185lbs) as noted by a recent interview conducted by MMANews.com.
Swick is stepping into some deep waters with he likes of Matt Serra (Current Welterweight Champion), GSP (former Welterweight Champion), Matt Hughes (former, former, Welterweight Champion and 9 times defending Champ), Karo Parisyan, Diego Sanchez, Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and few other hungry up and coming fighters.
The way things are shaping up for 170 pounders, we could see the title passed around like a (censored due to the graphic nature of what I really want to write) at a UFC event after party.
Mike is picking Franklin over Okami at UFC 72 by decision... interesting!
Here's a cool thing about Mike that I didn't know, he has an online campaign in support of UNICEF which deserves some attention for a very worthwhile cause.
I like Mike, hope he does well at 170!
UFC 71 Videos
What's up with Zuffa?
Have they seen the light finally that places like this are necessary to showcase the UFC in all its glory by exposing fans to the actual product - the fight videos?
Anyway, my fellow cohort in crime at work, Tim S. asked me why I took the videos down yesterday. I wasn't surprised that they were down ('cause Zuffa does its rounds and forces sites that host them to take them down) until I checked and they were all up there with the exception of one fight.
Then it dawned on me... I set this blog up to show 7 posts on the main page before you had to dig into the archives of the month and... I also made it difficult to find because I didn't title the post with 'Video' in it and... Also, i've been posting quite a bit lately which pushed the videos into the archive... Sorry folks.
To Tim and the rest of the Fever fans, if you haven't seen the UFC 71 videos yet, CLICK HERE!
Attention: Houston Alexander... We Have a Problem
Well, I don't have a problem with Houston Alexander however, the uber MMA neophytes do and they continue to rip to shreds "the future" of the UFC stable of future champions.
Houston has been catching a lot of heat lately because of his brashness in and out of the octagon. According to MMA pundits, Houston Alexander wasn't supposed to tool Keith Jardine, "The Dean of Mean" the way that he did so 'handily'.
It was so refreshing to see a fighter rush up to his opponent without fear to begin the fight with a bang, then another, and another, another... relentlessly like the days of the young boxing phenom, 'Iron' Mike Tyson did before his incarceration.
Those same pundits chose to see a negative side to the fight by declaring that Houston used an illegal knee to a downed opponent that caused Greg Jackson's future UFC star to fall from grace so quickly only to see Jardine land violently on to the bloodied mat on his forehead with mouth guard knocked free lying restfully next to the flattened "Dean of Mean".
After reviewing the fight, the alleged illegal blow to a downed opponent was in fact a legal knee to the chest of Keith Jardine. Regardless, the referee Steve Mazzagatti did not signal the knee to Jardine as a violation therefore, Houston Alexander won the fight fairly within the unified rules that are sanctioned by the Nevada State Athetic Commission (NSAC) for the fight held in 'Lost Wages' - Vegas.
Not much is known about the the man who is aptly nicknamed ‘The Assassin’ (One who murders by surprise attack) however, UFC.com's Thomas Gerbasi put together a rather comprehensive interview with the 35 year old Nebraska Hip-Hop radio station DJ to get us caught up with the man who fights with passion and... for a great cause.
The UFC article on Houston Alexander was written prior to Houston's mauling of Jardine at UFC 71 this past Saturday and it covered in detail exactly how 'The Assissin' was going to be victorious.
Here are a few quotes in the article from Houston Alexander that won me over as a new fan of his and I am sure, when the MMA pundits get tired of licking their wounds, they too will be won over by his unrelenting passion inside and out of the octagon in "the future".
“I see a lot of passion being lost and it seems that there are so many fighters being brought in that it’s like they’re being assembly-lined,”
“I want to bring back the passion because I fight with a passion. I lay everything out on the line, and I want to see passion back in the sport.” - Houston Alexander.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Rampage Parties Like He's...
Chuck Liddell!!!
Lovin' Rampage rockin' shirtless, belt-wearing with drink in hand.
That's the taste of UFC 71 victory.
Priceless...
UFC 71: Are You Sold on MMA?
An ESPN article struck a nerve of some of the folks in the MMA community today.
Here is the quote that started the fire at Sherdog:
"(For one thing, throughout the preliminary bouts there was way more nuzzling and cuddling -- lengthy cheek-to-chest action -- than I ever anticipated. Barefoot guys in swim trunks listening for a heartbeat -- this is the sport of the future?)"
The point to the article resided in the paragraph that preceded the quote that stirred up deep emotions about the sport of mixed martial arts:
"I'm probably predisposed to disliking this kind of fabricated sport, but I watched for the first time, and I watched with an open mind. In my case, the pre-hype won. The reality, though -- just like every other overhyped event -- didn't measure up."
You see, the writer was giving not only his perception of an emerging sport that is fighting tooth and nail to gain mass appeal and credibility but also the view of most people who are recently exposed to this sporting phenomenon and have yet to form an educated opinion and I have to say, I agree with his perspective.
To the untrained eye, MMA looks like two dudes laying on top of one another during the ground game or similar to a barroom brawl (as was the case with Houston Alexander vs. Keith Jardine & Rampage vs. Liddell) when the fighters stand up.
The stand up fights are over in seconds and the fights on the mat appear to be long and boring because the viewer does not understand that both fighters are attempting transitions that could ultimately end in a quick submission win or an escape from ground control.
Whose fault is this?
The announcers of the UFC PPV events that's who.
Mike Goldberg deserves to be fired for being an ignorant dumbass that continually interferes with Joe Rogans explanation of what is actually happening in the fight not to mention his butchering of MMA facts and also his over the top cliches that are painful to listen to.
Sometimes, Joe Rogan... well, most of the time Joe gets very excited and speaks about MMA moves at an advanced level that often loses the viewer because they cannot understand what was said so mentally, the viewer tunes out and forms their own opinion which, is not based on anything other than ignorance. .. hence the ESPN article.
As an example in UFC 71, I recall Joe Rogan mentioning the name of a position in the Rubber Guard called "Mission Control". That sounds cool on TV but to the first time viewer of MMA and the UFC, Mission Control, Rubber Guard and all the MMA jargon is meaningless so the commentating is actually lost on the viewer.
The UFC needs to do a better job at getting its viewers to better understand the martial arts styles and the strategy behind the use of some moves within the fighter's style and how each is used to gain an advantage over the opponent or why the move was incorrect and the fighter lost because of it.
The famous quote for me from UFC 71 was from Chuck Liddell saying, "I got caught". That's all that was said so the commentators and everyone else left it at that. What a shame and a missed opportunity to pull the fans into why Chuck got caught because Chuck doesn't "get caught" very often so why is this any different from the past 7 fights he had. (I know why, I'm just making a point here... bad footwork, posture/balance, striking technique and recovery not to mention the sledgehammer counter punch that keeps Chuck up at night now ;)
I agree that Chuck Liddell exercised poor judgement by partying in Vegas a few days prior to the fight and whether he drank or stayed up in the wee hours of the morning laying pipe is besides the point because perception is reality as Dana White knows all too well.
Here is a clip of The Ultimate Fighter 6 which saw three fighters kicked out of the house and the Spike TV reality show for acting unprofessional and perpetuating the misconception that MMA is nothing but a bunch of undisciplined roughnecks beating the hell out of each other like in the no holds barred days of the UFC.
Well, Dana is a confirmed hypocrite by rewarding these guys with UFC contracts according to Brawl Sports. It's just TV right?
Monkey see, monkey do Dana:
The ESPN writer finished off the article with a spinning back fist backhanded compliment:
"And that, fans of UFC, is a compliment. It's the kind of second-guessing your sport receives when it has finally hit the big-time.
The UFC has a very long way to go yet with convincing people to be part of record breaking PPV events in the future if they continue in the same fashion without adapting and answering to the buying public's requests for better coverage of the PPV events for the newcomer UFC fan to stay and continue to pay.
If you are new to MMA and the UFC, were you sold on MMA after watching UFC 71?
Is this really how Dana White and the UFC want to make the big time?
Once you have the Fever, you tend to tolerate and block out the noise (shotty announcing, endless commercials and weak post fight coverage) in the PPV broadcast and focus on the great chess match unfolding before your very eyes by two highly skilled fighters doing everything they can to win, man against man.... but then again, we are a small percentage of those PPV buys.
The UFC has more work to do in my opinion to shape and change public opinion about what once was known as human cockfighting no holds barred barbarism with the uneducated MMA masses.
Here is the quote that started the fire at Sherdog:
"(For one thing, throughout the preliminary bouts there was way more nuzzling and cuddling -- lengthy cheek-to-chest action -- than I ever anticipated. Barefoot guys in swim trunks listening for a heartbeat -- this is the sport of the future?)"
The point to the article resided in the paragraph that preceded the quote that stirred up deep emotions about the sport of mixed martial arts:
"I'm probably predisposed to disliking this kind of fabricated sport, but I watched for the first time, and I watched with an open mind. In my case, the pre-hype won. The reality, though -- just like every other overhyped event -- didn't measure up."
You see, the writer was giving not only his perception of an emerging sport that is fighting tooth and nail to gain mass appeal and credibility but also the view of most people who are recently exposed to this sporting phenomenon and have yet to form an educated opinion and I have to say, I agree with his perspective.
To the untrained eye, MMA looks like two dudes laying on top of one another during the ground game or similar to a barroom brawl (as was the case with Houston Alexander vs. Keith Jardine & Rampage vs. Liddell) when the fighters stand up.
The stand up fights are over in seconds and the fights on the mat appear to be long and boring because the viewer does not understand that both fighters are attempting transitions that could ultimately end in a quick submission win or an escape from ground control.
Whose fault is this?
The announcers of the UFC PPV events that's who.
Mike Goldberg deserves to be fired for being an ignorant dumbass that continually interferes with Joe Rogans explanation of what is actually happening in the fight not to mention his butchering of MMA facts and also his over the top cliches that are painful to listen to.
Sometimes, Joe Rogan... well, most of the time Joe gets very excited and speaks about MMA moves at an advanced level that often loses the viewer because they cannot understand what was said so mentally, the viewer tunes out and forms their own opinion which, is not based on anything other than ignorance. .. hence the ESPN article.
As an example in UFC 71, I recall Joe Rogan mentioning the name of a position in the Rubber Guard called "Mission Control". That sounds cool on TV but to the first time viewer of MMA and the UFC, Mission Control, Rubber Guard and all the MMA jargon is meaningless so the commentating is actually lost on the viewer.
The UFC needs to do a better job at getting its viewers to better understand the martial arts styles and the strategy behind the use of some moves within the fighter's style and how each is used to gain an advantage over the opponent or why the move was incorrect and the fighter lost because of it.
The famous quote for me from UFC 71 was from Chuck Liddell saying, "I got caught". That's all that was said so the commentators and everyone else left it at that. What a shame and a missed opportunity to pull the fans into why Chuck got caught because Chuck doesn't "get caught" very often so why is this any different from the past 7 fights he had. (I know why, I'm just making a point here... bad footwork, posture/balance, striking technique and recovery not to mention the sledgehammer counter punch that keeps Chuck up at night now ;)
I agree that Chuck Liddell exercised poor judgement by partying in Vegas a few days prior to the fight and whether he drank or stayed up in the wee hours of the morning laying pipe is besides the point because perception is reality as Dana White knows all too well.
Here is a clip of The Ultimate Fighter 6 which saw three fighters kicked out of the house and the Spike TV reality show for acting unprofessional and perpetuating the misconception that MMA is nothing but a bunch of undisciplined roughnecks beating the hell out of each other like in the no holds barred days of the UFC.
Well, Dana is a confirmed hypocrite by rewarding these guys with UFC contracts according to Brawl Sports. It's just TV right?
Monkey see, monkey do Dana:
The ESPN writer finished off the article with a spinning back fist backhanded compliment:
"And that, fans of UFC, is a compliment. It's the kind of second-guessing your sport receives when it has finally hit the big-time.
The UFC has a very long way to go yet with convincing people to be part of record breaking PPV events in the future if they continue in the same fashion without adapting and answering to the buying public's requests for better coverage of the PPV events for the newcomer UFC fan to stay and continue to pay.
If you are new to MMA and the UFC, were you sold on MMA after watching UFC 71?
Is this really how Dana White and the UFC want to make the big time?
Once you have the Fever, you tend to tolerate and block out the noise (shotty announcing, endless commercials and weak post fight coverage) in the PPV broadcast and focus on the great chess match unfolding before your very eyes by two highly skilled fighters doing everything they can to win, man against man.... but then again, we are a small percentage of those PPV buys.
The UFC has more work to do in my opinion to shape and change public opinion about what once was known as human cockfighting no holds barred barbarism with the uneducated MMA masses.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Jenna's Back to Work... in PORN!
Now that Tito Ortiz will most likely never, ever win another UFC match again and bank the same kind of scratch he did when he got tooled by Chuck Liddell this past December, Tito Ortiz's *cough* girlfriend *cough* goes back to her roots and does whomever she does best to keep the Hollywood lifestyle going.
Don't worry Tito, it's just acting... right?
Adult Film Icons Jenna Jameson and Janine Star Together Again in 'Janine Loves Jenna,' A Blockbuster DVD from Vivid Entertainment and ClubJenna press release:
( EMAILWIRE.COM, May 19, 2007 ) LOS ANGELES – Adult film icons Jenna Jameson and Janine team up to create the dark sexual fantasy film, "Janine Loves Jenna" which was released this month by Vivid Entertainment and ClubJenna. The long-awaited installment in the "...Loves Jenna" series boasts the landmark return of the actresses on screen together for the first time in 12 years. This big budget blockbuster also marks the first time Jameson has performed with a male co-star since "The Masseuse" in 2005.
According to a review in The Blue Room of the respected site dvdtalk.com. "There are few performers that invoke a response in mainstream America by name alone, so when two of them are in the same movie, you simply know it will be good…Both Jenna and Janine are legends for a reason…JLJ was truly a special release worthy of your time, money and seed."
"These actresses are two of the hottest performers in the history of the adult industry," said Vivid sales manager Howard Levine. "The movie has definitely been a labor of love for Justin Sterling (ClubJenna CEO) and Jenna over the last year and a half. Everything had to be perfect. Janine looks fabulous, Jenna looks amazing and they both turn in personal-best performances."
The film, which ClubJenna calls "the most shocking movie in the history of adult," follows Jenna as she travels through a lush sexual dreamscape of desire. Trapped in purgatory after she commits suicide, Jenna is forced to "experience unimaginable ecstasy and severe lust." Sharing four hot scenes with Janine, Jenna is also enticed by the King of Hades and the embodiments of the seven deadly sins.
The two-disc set is loaded with extras including bloopers, deleted scenes, exclusive behind-the-scenes features, photo galleries and six collectors cards.
"Janine Loves Jenna" offers lavish cinematography, explosive sex scenes, masterful editing and stunning star power. Sterling directed, co-wrote and also stars in the film. More information and clips are available at www.janinelovesjenna.com.
For further information on ClubJenna, Inc., visit www.clubjenna.com.
UFC 71 Payouts
Hello there kids... if you want to get paid, quit school and become an MMA fighter.
This is the best advice that I could ever give you. School is overrated anyway and you can't make money there. Instead, learn one disciplie of mixed martial arts... oh.... wrestling for instance, get knocked the fuck out and (hopefully) walk away with some real bank like the three grand Salmon and Stevens got.
Of course, the real cheddar comes in the form of the pay-per-view net percentage that is not ever disclosed and not offered to any undercard fighter much less, the bottom half of the fighters in the televised fights. This winfall belongs to the Main Event fighters who roll in Ferrarri's and Hummer's instead of the poor losers who drive Ford Focus's and Hyundai's.
From MMAWeekly.com:
Title Match & Main Event Fighters
-Chuck Liddell: $500,000 (18th fight in UFC; lost to Quinton Jackson)
-Quinton Jackson: $225,000 (2nd fight in UFC after 17 fights in Pride; defeated Chuck Liddell)
Main Card Fighters
-Karo Parisyan: $32,000 (9th fight in UFC; defeated Josh Burkman)
-Ivan Salaverry: $17,500 (6th fight in UFC; lost to Terry Martin)
-Terry Martin: $12,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Ivan Salaverry)
-Kalib Starnes: $10,000 (3rd fight in UFC; defeated Chris Leben)
-Chris Leben: $10,000 (9th fight in UFC; lost to Kalib Starnes)
-Houston Alexander: $8,000 (1st fight in UFC; defeated Keith Jardine)
-Josh Burkman: $7,000 (6th fight in UFC; lost to Karo Parisyan)
-Keith Jardine: $7,000 (6th fight in UFC; lost to Houston Alexander)
Preliminary Match Fighters
-Din Thomas: $28,000 (7th fight in UFC; defeated Jeremy Stephens)
-Wilson Gouveia: $16,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Carmelo Marrero)
-Thiago Silva: $16,000 (1st fight in UFC; defeated James Irvin)
-Alan Belcher: $14,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Sean Salmon)
-James Irvin: $7,000 (5th fight in UFC; lost to Thiago Silva)
-Carmelo Marrero: $5,000 (3rd fight in UFC; lost to Wilson Gouveia)
-Sean Salmon: $3,000 (2nd fight in UFC; lost to Alan Belcher)
-Jeremy Stephens: $3,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Din Thomas)
Disclosed Fighter Payroll: $920,500
*** Be cool, quit school ***
(If you are a bona fide dumbass and take exception to my message about quitting school then please go back to school and learn something about sarcasm and reverse psychology)
Sean Salmon Shook
"There ain't no such thing as half-way crooks"
...and there ain't no such thing as half-way MMA fighters either!
Sean Salmon looked terrible in his UFC 71 fight against Alan Belcher. Terrible. Salmon's footwork was awful to the point of embarrassment as it appeared that he didn't know whether to commit to the stand-up or shoot Alan Belcher for the takedown.
Ultimately, Salmon helped Belcher cinch in a guillotine when Salmon attempted the body slam takedown. Rookie move that would result in 10/10 times with the same outcome against someone with submission skills. That's wrestlers for ya!
Seriously, Salmon needs to wake up, train in areas that do not involve wrestling as he is already an accomplished wrestler and learn the art of MMA to better prepare himself... check that... defend himself from the hundreds of ways that he could lose given his telegraphed and awkward fighting style.
Does Sean Salmon think he has a remote chance of breaking into the top ten of the Light Heavyweight division? If he does think that way it's not his fault... it's Rashad Evans fault for killing a few brain cells with the right high kick Salmon received as his initiation into the UFC ranks.
Could Salmon beat Rampage? Chuck? Shogun? Jardine? Rashad? Tito? Griffin? Dan Henderson? Wanderlei Silva? Michael Bisping? Stephan Bonner? Sokoudjou? Sobral, Lambert? And a whole other list of fighters that hunger for the top 10.
I think Ken Shamrock(ed) should come back and fight Salmon. My money would be on Shamrock because he at least has some skill aside from blocking punches with his face.
This is mixed martial arts not just wrestling.
Salmon, listen up and listen close... your 3-fight contract is almost up. do yourself a favor and drop weight to 185 where you'd have a better chance at winning a UFC fight and possibly cracking into the top 10 in the Middleweight ranks.
Dude, we like you... you seem like a genuine guy... it's just too bad that nobody has been honest with you up to this point.
Go to 185, you'll be faster and you'll also be a huge 185 because of your frame. It worked wonders for Rich Franklin who was also in the LHW division and dropped down to dominate the division... for a time.
Just a thought.
UFC & The 7th Deadly Sin...
What is the seventh deadly sin?
From Wikipedia:
Pride (Latin, superbia)
In almost every list Pride is considered the original and most serious of The Seven Deadly Sins, and indeed the ultimate source from which the others arise.
It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to give compliments to others though they may be deserving of them, and excessive love of self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God).
Dante's definition was "love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one's neighbor."
In Jacob Bidermann's medieval miracle play, Cenodoxus, Pride is the deadliest of all the sins and leads directly to the damnation of the famed Doctor of Paris, Cenodoxus.
In perhaps the most famous example, the story of Lucifer, Pride was what caused his Fall from Heaven, and his resultant transformation into Satan. Vanity and Narcissism are prime examples of this Sin.
In the Divine Comedy, the penitent were forced to walk with stone slabs bearing down on their backs in order to induce feelings of humility.
OK, I realize that some readers don't appreciate information that doesn't directly relate to someone getting Knocked The Fuck Out or pictures of a former porn actress with a former MMA star (sorry Tito) or soft porn shots of the current UFC girls; all have their place for sure however, give this a chance and you'll see where this takes you and likely others that may not be fans like you of the UFC and MMA... yet.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has seen monumental growth over the past year or so and it continues to build momentum with the combat sporting fanatics who are wiling to thoughtlessly part with their $40 for every UFC event on pay-per-view.
I say thoughtlessly because the UFC has done more than built a brand to be sold to the sporting viewer masses, they have built a Cult following of hungry fans who consider buying any and all UFC PPV events as "a given".
That is huge! (that's what she said ;)
The sport of Boxing also once had its Cult following when pay-per-view jumped on the scene back in the day when "Iron" Mike Tyson would KTFO any and all opponents in 90 seconds or less and people wouldn't think twice about parting with $50, $60, $75, whatever, just to see mighty Mike snuff out another shaky-kneed opponent with the ferocity of a Lion.
Vince McMahon and the WWF, now the WWE also followed suit with realizing the jackpot at the end of the rainbow however, Vince did it a little differently and a lot more effective than HBO et al. Vince told and sold an ever growing never ending storyline about the wrestlers that reached a fever pitch between good guy vs. bad guy that had to be settled live on pay-per-view.
The Wrestling PPV numbers poured in and Vince had created a sports entertainment empire and cult following for young and old kids alike. Wider market (demographic) than Boxing and also touted (branded) as fun for the whole family.
Hulk Hogan was the catalyst and the tipping point that changed the WWF from a low rate fringe Saturday afternoon sports entertainment wrestling show to a publicly traded company that saw the wrestlers finally get a piece of the cheddar that they deserved for a long, long time.
The UFC (Dana White) knowing the successes of both organizations did something one notch over and above both...
He sold the people PRIDE.
Dana White and his band of merry men which includes Joe 'Rogaine' Rogan have been on a tear ripping into anything that appears to be in direct competition with the UFC machine. Dana White has been giving a few "low blows" to the sport of Boxing for the purpose of stealing the PPV boxing fan away and over to the UFC by branding it as more exciting, more technical, more fun to watch, more pure, more, more, more...
Boxing pundits' common rebuttal is nothing more than the use of the stale moniker about Boxing that has been used since the dawn on man - "It's the sweet science."
Dana calls boxing gloves 'weapons' that are big enough to avoid immediate damage to a fighter instead, prolong the damage over the course of many rounds with each fighter receiving in excess of a few hundred punches to the head in any match that goes the full distance.
In contrast, MMA gloves are smaller, 4Oz. gloves with the primary purpose of protecting the fighters knuckles from cuts... not necessarily damage to the knuckles or the opponent on the receiving end. Dana White considers this to be more humane than Boxing.
Dana's crusade is against the Boxing establishment (not the sport particularly) and indirectly in clever disguise for the recruiting of the paying boxing fanatic was and still is a resounding success but that wasn't enough; he wanted to brand mixed martial arts as "fun for the whole family" and also take a swipe at sports entertainment wrestling to siphon the WWE pay-per-view fans over to the UFC via Spike TV's reality series, The Ultimate Fighter.
Brilliant.
Why watch scripted, juiced up "fake" wrestling when you can watch real athletes with real background stories with real fighting all under the close watch of the local State Athletic Commission, the same one that sanctions the sport of Boxing? - guilt and credibility in one package with a shiny red bow.
These new UFC fans, also known as 'TUF Noobs' are the reason for the rise in popularity, current success and also, the future success of the UFC. The Ultimate Fighter series indoctrinates new MMA fans on a weekly basis, builds up anticipation with the pre-PPV hype previews and also does another brilliant thing... broadcast past UFC events through a series called "UFC Unleashed".
One of the biggest stumbling blocks for any new fan to the sport is to learn the sport itself. The second challenge is to recognize and understand the fighters and their styles. UFC Unleashed prepares the new MMA viewer with a history lesson of the UFC and thier fighters, gives them something to study to "sharpen their saw" (shameless Stephen Covey reference) which ultimately prepares them for the battle they purchased on pay per view.
In addition to UFC Unleashed, The Ultimate Fighter series has allowed MMA to be experienced by new fans (and old) for free on Spike TV; a channel who's demographic parallels that of the UFC. This series allows the new fan to watch the up-and-comers to the UFC so they grow together at the same rate and the fan that watched TUF 1 is likely to continue to buy PPV events that showcase their favorite TUF fighter for years to come as well as TUF 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on.
This brainwashing via free Spike TV exposure lends itself to the viewers indoctrination into the UFC's world of MMA and pay-per-view. The UFC is a Cult that has built itself on the platform of Pride to attract sporting fans from a wider demographic range than Boxing and Wrestling and also away from both Pay-per-view competitors into the UFC's collective consciousness that Mixed Martial Arts is the greatest sport of the 21st Century and the UFC is the greatest promoter of MMA in the United States and the rest of the world.
Pride has given rise to the exponential success of the UFC to date. Ironically, the UFC finalized the purchase of rival MMA organization, Pride FC a few days ago. Dana White has been unapologetic about extracting the best fighters from the Pride FC organization over to the UFC.
Taking the best out of Pride FC will ultimately be Pride's imminent demise which may have been the Fertitta brother's (owners of Pride FC and the UFC) plans from the get go. Regardless, Dana's intention is to get the best in the world fighting the best in the world and that is a good thing for UFC and MMA fans alike.
Is there room for a contender to the Juggernaut that is the Ultimate Fighting Championship?
Only time will tell if the UFC's Pride built platform will stand the test of time against the impending Sin of Greed chased down with the contrasting virtue of Humility that could topple the MMA Goliath like it did with the once greatest MMA organization on the planet, Pride FC.
Say goodbye forever to Pride FC and hello to UFC Pride... as if you didn't already know you were in it :)
Monday, May 28, 2007
Hendo Speaks: Post UFC 71 Interview
Props to Sherdog for catching err... cornering Dan Henderson going up an escalator to get some good dish on when Rampage will fight Hendo - Lookin' like it could be September/October.
Dana White Post UFC 71 Interview
Dana White was recently interviewed on "The Blitz" following the UFC 71 extravaganza that showcased a few upsets of very popular fighters, most notable among them being Keith Jardine and the recently deposed Light Heavyweight Champion, Chuck Liddell.
Q. How surprised were you with a quick knockout of Chuck Liddell?
Dana White: "I was shocked..."
Rampage UFC 71 After Fight Party @ Pure Nightclub
Immediately following the UFC 71 Light Heavyweight
championship fight, Rampage, being Rampage shouted out to Kevin "King of Queens" James at octagon side that he wanted a Crib just like him.
Rampage will soon have his Hollywood Crib and a whole cheddar factory to go along with it if he continues to sport the gold UFC bling-bling around his waist.
The L.A. Times reported that "Jackson earned $450,000 by winning, the Nevada State Athletic Commission announced. Liddell was paid $500,000, and would've gained another $500,000 had he won."
Even though I am a Chuck Liddell fan and rooted for The Ice Man, I have to say that Rampage deserved the win and the cheddah to go along with it.
Unfortunately for Rampage, he has to fight Dan Henderson, the current and only simultaneous two-belt (Welterweight & Middleweight) title Champion in Pride FC to defend his new Light Heavyweight title.
Here are a few pics from the UFC 71 after party at Pure Nightclub
Sunday, May 27, 2007
UFC 71 - The Iceman Melts
UFC 71 is officially in the books and it was arguably the best UFC event of 2007. I, like you have been reading other MMA sites and most were saying that UFC 71 had a boring fight card. What the heck do they know anyway?
It only goes to show that MMA is in fact, unpredictable and why this sport is the most fun to watch aside from women's beach volleyball.
Chuck Liddell predicted exactly how the fight against Rampage would go down except one small detail... Rampage would be the winner by KO in the first round.
Good to see that Hendo (Dan Henderson) will fight in the UFC sometime soon to add another element of surprise that MMA fans around the globe have quickly become accustomed to this year.
Houston Alexander? -> WOW!!!
The next UFC title fight is UFC 73: JULY 7, 2007 in Sacremento, California that will headline the lightweight Champion (155Lbs) Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk Vs. Hermes Franca. Don't be too surprised if Franca walks away with gold around his waist.
2007 is shaping up to be the upset year and a complete house cleaning for the current title holders, not only in the UFC but also in Pride FC.
Thankfully, we still have Fedor Emelianenko who remains as the one constant in this highly volatile landscape that is professional Mixed Martial Arts.
Check out the UFC 71 videos while they last!
(My apologies for my absence from the scene... everything is good so "Let's get it on!")
Chuck Liddell Vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine Vs. Houston Alexander
Karo Parisyan Vs. Josh Burkman
Terry Martin Vs. Ivan Salaverry
Alan Belcher vs Sean Salmon
Carmelo Marrero vs Wilson Gouveia
Din Thomas vs Jeremy Stephens (Submission of the Night!)
Thiago Silva vs. James "The Sandman" Irvin
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Mirko will return. Cro Cop will be back.
You wanted CroCop, and you now gots.
Many UFC fans don't know the power of CroCop and after his last lost I am not sure they respect him. For example one of our MMA Fever regULArS ILO has been calling Cro Cop, Cro-Flop. His argument is that Pride fighters cannot fight in the Octagon. He may have a point, however we should wait and see. One further point from our MMAfever maniac fan.
ILO - TAPOUT says:
"mirko is a killer i hope that he brings back his RUTHLESS style to the octagon though"
He will be back. Watch this FAWker kick.
Notice the difference from UFC and Pride, Pride they abosolutley beat the shit out of each other, almost anything goes. Its different in the UFC of course as they need to please the governing bodies sanctioning the fights so the UFC is restricted in what they can and cannot do. Too bad.
Mirko will return.
Rich Franklin vs. Yushin Okami FiGHT annOUNced.
AccoRDing to MMa Weeeeekly dot com..
Rich Franklin confirmed this morning that the Ultimate Fighting Championship has signed Yushin Okami to face him on the June 16 event in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Franklin was originally scheduled to face Danish fighter Martin Kampmann, who had to withdraw due to a severe knee injury.
On his website, Franklin said that after being notified that Kampmann was out “Okami was presented as the likely possibility [as a replacement]. [Monday night] we found out Okami signed.”
Franklin returned to the Octagon victorious over Jason Macdonald at UFC 68 after having lost his UFC Middleweight Championship to Anderson Silva in October of last year. A win in Belfast would likely put Franklin into a title bout with the winner of the Anderson Silva and Nate Marquardt bout that headlines UFC 73 on July 7.
Okami is riding a 6-fight winning streak – the last 4 in the UFC – having recently dominated Mike Swick at UFC 69 in Houston, Tex. He actually holds a win over current champion Silva, albeit by disqualification in the opening round of last year’s Rumble on the Rock 175-pound Grand Prix.
Watch this vID of Silva vs Yushin Okami in Rumble on the Rock 8 January 20th, 2006.
Watch SILVA kick Oki in the face for the wIN.
Rich is going to kick his fawking ARSE.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
UFC expanding to new Venues... still making da monEY
UFC 70
Most recently, UFC 70 took place at the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England on April 21st. The event drew $2,628,472 in gross ticket receipts, making it the ninth-highest-grossing event in UFC history.
The venue's capacity with the UFC's set-up was 15,983 and the paid attendance for the event was 12,708. There were also 2,406 people in attendance that had free tickets.
The total number of people in the building was 15,114, which was about 900 short of capacity. The claims made before and after the event that it was a sell-out were not accurate. The average price per ticket sold was $207 when converted to American dollars.
UFC 69
Two weeks earlier, the UFC debuted in Texas with UFC 69 taking place at Houston's Toyota Center on April 7th. The event drew $2,817,200 in gross ticket receipts, making it was the sixth-highest-grossing event in UFC history. The event narrowly missed out on joining UFC 57, UFC 61, UFC 62, and UFC 66 on the list of UFC events that have drawn $3 million or more at the live box office.
The paid attendance for UFC 69 was 12,516. With the addition of 2,753 people who were in attendance with free tickets, the total number of people in attendance at the event was 15,269.
The capacity of the venue with the UFC's set-up was approximately 16,800, so the event was slightly more than 1,500 short of capacity. The average price per ticket sold was $225, which was slightly higher than the average for the U.K. event two weeks later, but still short of the usual prices for the UFC's Las Vegas events.
CourtesY off mma Weekly dot CAM.
Sean Sherk vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr isn't dying....
Oscar you still are the champ in my books!!!!
"
LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White said Saturday he plans to make Floyd Mayweather Jr. a multi-million dollar offer to fight his lightweight champion after Mayweather's numerous putdowns of mixed martial arts fighters.
About 90 minutes after Mayweather's victory over Oscar De La Hoya, a bout in which he earned $10 million plus a cut of the pay-per-view revenues that could double that figure, White said he was prepared to match Mayweather with UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk.
White wouldn't be pinned down on a specific number, though he said, "I promise you, I will make it worth his while. I will make it very worth his while."
White was undaunted even after hearing of Mayweather's large payday.
"I told you, we can make him a very, very competitive offer if he still feels he can beat one of our guys," White said.
White was so angry at repeated comments made by Mayweather disparaging the UFC and mixed martial artists during the buildup to his fight with De La Hoya that he brought UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta and Sherk to the MGM Grand Garden to make a case for a fight with Mayweather. "
"
LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White said Saturday he plans to make Floyd Mayweather Jr. a multi-million dollar offer to fight his lightweight champion after Mayweather's numerous putdowns of mixed martial arts fighters.
About 90 minutes after Mayweather's victory over Oscar De La Hoya, a bout in which he earned $10 million plus a cut of the pay-per-view revenues that could double that figure, White said he was prepared to match Mayweather with UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk.
White wouldn't be pinned down on a specific number, though he said, "I promise you, I will make it worth his while. I will make it very worth his while."
White was undaunted even after hearing of Mayweather's large payday.
"I told you, we can make him a very, very competitive offer if he still feels he can beat one of our guys," White said.
White was so angry at repeated comments made by Mayweather disparaging the UFC and mixed martial artists during the buildup to his fight with De La Hoya that he brought UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta and Sherk to the MGM Grand Garden to make a case for a fight with Mayweather. "
This articLLLEEE was pulled from DA Yahoo sports.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Rashad responds to Tito - TITO HAS NIGHTMARES ABOUT ME -
“What it all comes down to is just Tito Ortiz trying to intimidate me, you know. He passed by the front row…he passed by a few times, and you could tell that he was building up the courage to say something, just like in high school,” said Rashad. “It was just killing him to say something. But then finally he builds up the courage to come over and he sticks his hand out and he says, ‘Good luck with your training, and you’d better watch what you say.’”
Rashad responded to Ortiz by saying, “You’re not going to tell me what I can and can’t say…I’ll say whatever I want to say. I’m a grown man, nobody puts a leash on me.”
Rashad continued, “And then I got in his ear and I told him I was going to destroy him, I was going to eat him. I told him that he is washed up; he’s a has-been. That’s exactly what I said. But I said it to him, in his ear, so he was the only one who could hear what was going on…he was looking to try to intimidate me and I was going to have none of that.”
As if this fight needs any more hype, one other point of controversy between Ortiz and Evans is around a comment apparently posted by Tito on an Internet forum. According to reports, Ortiz called Rashad a “nappy-headed ho.” Clearly Tito was regurgitating verbiage from Don Imus, the recently fired morning show host when he made this statement, but in reality only Tito knows his true intentions.
I can't wait for this one. Rashad is to hyped up, and Tito will have his number.
Click here for the full trash talking.
Rashad responded to Ortiz by saying, “You’re not going to tell me what I can and can’t say…I’ll say whatever I want to say. I’m a grown man, nobody puts a leash on me.”
Rashad continued, “And then I got in his ear and I told him I was going to destroy him, I was going to eat him. I told him that he is washed up; he’s a has-been. That’s exactly what I said. But I said it to him, in his ear, so he was the only one who could hear what was going on…he was looking to try to intimidate me and I was going to have none of that.”
As if this fight needs any more hype, one other point of controversy between Ortiz and Evans is around a comment apparently posted by Tito on an Internet forum. According to reports, Ortiz called Rashad a “nappy-headed ho.” Clearly Tito was regurgitating verbiage from Don Imus, the recently fired morning show host when he made this statement, but in reality only Tito knows his true intentions.
I can't wait for this one. Rashad is to hyped up, and Tito will have his number.
Click here for the full trash talking.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
TITO SPEAKS AGAIN
Tito recently spoke out to MMA News Dot Com.
MMANews.com: How do you feel you match-up with Rashad?
Tito Ortiz: I think Rashad is a very fast, agile wrestler with good boxing skills. I am questioning his ground game. I really think my strength and my endurance will have a factor in this fight. We’ll see though man. I think what makes the fight so interesting is Rashad is an undefeated fighter, he’s fought some pretty decent guys - not guys on the level that I’ve fought, but at the same time I think that makes the fight more interesting. He’s a young guy coming up really fast. He has good striking skills and he’s knocked out his last two opponents. He has a good wrestling background, it's just one of those things that makes a fight so interesting.
MMANews.com: Now are you training with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for his fight in May with Chuck Liddell?
Tito Ortiz: Actually he just went up to Big Bear. I’m down here for a week and a half in Huntington to finish out my training here then I go up to Big Bear. I helped him out a little bit with his wrestling but I know he has his training guys up there now in Big Bear. I have a lot of business stuff down here in Huntington for the next week and a half so I can’t be up there to train with him but once I’m done down here I will be.
MMANews.com: How do you see the fight between Quinton and Chuck going in their rematch?
Tito Ortiz: I think it will be a very interesting fight. I think Liddell better come in great shape because Rampage will definitely be in great shape. Hopefully Rampage will beat him, he has the tools to beat Liddell. In the last fight that they had he did beat Liddell and it came with numbers, he struck with numbers and it wasn’t just one punch. That was the mistake I made when I fought Chuck Liddell - I just tried to throw one punch at a time and I think that Rampage will actually set the thing in stone by throwing in numbers. That’s the way I should have hit Liddell, throwing punches three-four-and five.
MMANews.com: Would you get in the octagon with Rampage if he were to beat Chuck?
Tito Ortiz: I think that really comes down to me and Rampage sitting down and talking about it. There’s a possibility, maybe, but it’s all about the money. I don’t want to take any food out of his kids mouths and he doesn’t want to do the same with me. If we’re getting paid an enormous amount of money then sure the fight could happen but until that time comes we’re going to stick together as friends and never let it happen.
The Colonel's two cents:
Tito vs. Rashad.
Although Rashad has proven himself to be an excellent fighter with some awesome knockouts lately, I believe Tito would prevail. Tito has a better game at this point in their respective careers. Rashad may last a round however I believe he would not make it out of the second round. I do hate Tito. Tito talks about dominating the sport, well dominating means you are able to take out the best. You couldn't take out Chuck so you ain't dominating, however you will dominate Rashad.
Rampage vs. Liddell.
Rampage its not going to happen for you buddy. Chuck is at the top of his game. I see Rampage being Tko'ed in the first round. That's right.
Click here for the full article.
MMANews.com: How do you feel you match-up with Rashad?
Tito Ortiz: I think Rashad is a very fast, agile wrestler with good boxing skills. I am questioning his ground game. I really think my strength and my endurance will have a factor in this fight. We’ll see though man. I think what makes the fight so interesting is Rashad is an undefeated fighter, he’s fought some pretty decent guys - not guys on the level that I’ve fought, but at the same time I think that makes the fight more interesting. He’s a young guy coming up really fast. He has good striking skills and he’s knocked out his last two opponents. He has a good wrestling background, it's just one of those things that makes a fight so interesting.
MMANews.com: Now are you training with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for his fight in May with Chuck Liddell?
Tito Ortiz: Actually he just went up to Big Bear. I’m down here for a week and a half in Huntington to finish out my training here then I go up to Big Bear. I helped him out a little bit with his wrestling but I know he has his training guys up there now in Big Bear. I have a lot of business stuff down here in Huntington for the next week and a half so I can’t be up there to train with him but once I’m done down here I will be.
MMANews.com: How do you see the fight between Quinton and Chuck going in their rematch?
Tito Ortiz: I think it will be a very interesting fight. I think Liddell better come in great shape because Rampage will definitely be in great shape. Hopefully Rampage will beat him, he has the tools to beat Liddell. In the last fight that they had he did beat Liddell and it came with numbers, he struck with numbers and it wasn’t just one punch. That was the mistake I made when I fought Chuck Liddell - I just tried to throw one punch at a time and I think that Rampage will actually set the thing in stone by throwing in numbers. That’s the way I should have hit Liddell, throwing punches three-four-and five.
MMANews.com: Would you get in the octagon with Rampage if he were to beat Chuck?
Tito Ortiz: I think that really comes down to me and Rampage sitting down and talking about it. There’s a possibility, maybe, but it’s all about the money. I don’t want to take any food out of his kids mouths and he doesn’t want to do the same with me. If we’re getting paid an enormous amount of money then sure the fight could happen but until that time comes we’re going to stick together as friends and never let it happen.
The Colonel's two cents:
Tito vs. Rashad.
Although Rashad has proven himself to be an excellent fighter with some awesome knockouts lately, I believe Tito would prevail. Tito has a better game at this point in their respective careers. Rashad may last a round however I believe he would not make it out of the second round. I do hate Tito. Tito talks about dominating the sport, well dominating means you are able to take out the best. You couldn't take out Chuck so you ain't dominating, however you will dominate Rashad.
Rampage vs. Liddell.
Rampage its not going to happen for you buddy. Chuck is at the top of his game. I see Rampage being Tko'ed in the first round. That's right.
Click here for the full article.
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