Double Underhook and Take Downs.
Clinch Take Down.
Well, I'm not sure if Kazuhiro Nakamura rolls bad ass cones or does buckets or simply loves to bake with the spice that makes you feel nice but, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) found traces of "The Marijuana" in his piss sample following his unanimous decision loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 76.
Some schools of thought say weed doesn't performance enhance the fighter in any way and others say that it is a pain reliever that helps the fighter deal with the pain of oh, getting punched in the head?... either way, it's a banned substance and Nakamura was the only fighter from UFC 76 that didn't play fair.
Or, he was stupid enough to get caught.. you decide.
Nakamura has been fined $500 (about the same price for a quarter pound (QP) of some very, very fine weed... so I've been told :) and a three month suspension.
This shouldn't put much of a dent in his $20,000 take for losing to Machida.
Nakamura joins an ever "growing" list of fighters that have been tested and caught with trace amounts of the chemical properties that make you high from the sweet stuff including Nick Diaz and Diego Sanchez.
UFC® WiRED™ is a hard-hitting one-hour journey back in time featuring some of the greatest bouts ever held in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s infamous Octagon™. Each week, host Joe Rogan will give his unique perspective on UFC fights featuring today’s top mixed martial artists, plus fighters from years past. Check your local listings or UFC.com for channel, dates and show times!
I was checking out MMAWeekly as I normally do and I noticed the rumoured UFC 78 fight card and thought, "Who's gonna pay for this shit?"
“I know I'm going to come back strong. I'm contemplating in my mind whether I'm going to drop to 55 (155 lbs.) or not because I really am a smaller welterweight. It's either that or start power lifting and get a little stronger because I did feel a little bit not as strong in there as I should have been."
When he was on The Ultimate Fighter reality show, Sanchez competed and won the competition’s 185 lb. weight class by defeating Kenny Florian, who now competes at 155 lbs. Many of the show’s fighters have chosen to drop to lighter weight classes to give them a competitive advantage and Sanchez may have one more drop to go.
"I've got to really think about it. It's something that I've got to give some serious thought,” stated Sanchez about the possible move to lightweight.“I like fighting the guys at 170. I'm not afraid of any of the guys. It's not like I want to drop down like that, but the 155 lbers. are just as dangerous as the 170 lbers. It's just something that I have to think about. I want to fight BJ Penn."
With the back-to-back losses looming overhead and a growing welterweight division, will Sanchez opt to do what so many other fighters have done and move down a weight class to become more competitive?
Click here for the full article from MMA Weekly dot com.
Renato “Babalu” Sobral was fined $25,000 on Monday by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for excessively maintaining a submission hold on opponent David Heath at UFC 74, Keith Kizer, executive director for the NSAC, told MMAWeekly.com. Sobral was not suspended.
The fine follows the Aug. 25 fight in which Sobral defeated Heath, causing him to submit late in the second round from an Anaconda choke. Sobral allegedly intentionally maintained the hold even after referee Steve Mazzagatti made attempts to get him to release the choke.
Addressing the commission on Aug. 31, Sobral stated, “When [Heath] tapped, I didn’t feel it. I then looked to the referee, and he shook my shoulder, and then I let him go.”UFC president Dana White commented the night of the fight, “I am not happy about it. If you have an arm or leg of somebody in a submission where somebody seriously injures somebody, you'll never be back in UFC again.”
Sobral was subsequently released from his Ultimate Fighting Championship contract a few days later. Asked how this incident would affect Sobral’s future as a fighter in the state of Nevada, Kizer explained, “Like any other fighter, we will consider any request for Mr. Sobral to fight in Nevada again on the totality of circumstances that exist at that time.”
__________________________________________________________________
Why wasn't BJ Penn kicked out of the UFC for holding the choke too long against Jens Pulver???
Three cheers for Nakamura who cleared more than Jardine!
That makes sense right?
Keith Jardine $14,000 def. Chuck Liddell $500,000
Forrest Griffin $44,000 def. Shogun Rua $150,000
Jon Fitch $44,000 def. Diego Sanchez $22,000
Lyoto Machida $50,000 def. Kazuhiro Nakamura $20,000
Tyson Griffin $24,000 def. Thiago Tavares $9,000
Rich Clementi $24,000 def. Anthony Johnson $5,000
Jeremy Stephens $6,000 def. Diego Saraiva $3,000
Christian Wellisch $14,000 def. Scott Junk $4,000
Matt Wiman $16,000 def. Michihiro Omigawa $5,000
Total fighter Payroll = $954,000
From Yahoo Sports:
UFC president Dana White said Sunday that after a lengthy conversation with “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell Saturday, he would not be surprised if Liddell retires from mixed martial arts competition.
Liddell, a former UFC light heavyweight champion and its biggest drawing card, lost his second fight in a row on Saturday when he dropped a split decision to Keith Jardine at UFC 76 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who knocked Liddell out in the first round of a May 26 bout in Las Vegas to lift the light heavyweight title from him, speculated that Liddell may have been gun-shy.
But White, Liddell's former manager and a close personal friend, speculated that Liddell may simply no longer have the passion to fight. White said he didn't see the fire that Liddell used to exhibit and that it resulted in a flat performance. At the post-fight news conference, Liddell deferred questions about his future. He said he would go home and think about whether he would fight again, which in and of itself was newsworthy since he'd never had given an indication before that he was remotely considering that option.
But White said he spoke with Liddell in the locker room and they had a frank discussion.
"There's a hunger thing that you have to have to be an elite fighter and I just didn't see a Chuck Liddell who was as hungry as he used to be," White said Sunday. "Chuck has made a lot of money in this business and he's done a lot of things, but he wasn't the Chuck of old. "
"Chuck was never a guy who fought for money; he fought because he loved to fight. He'd just as soon go out and fight in the back yard for free as fight before 20,000 people on a card he was making a ton of money because he just loved to fight."
Jackson said he wasn't sure Liddell was willing to stand in the pocket and trade blows, hallmarks of a career that will soon land Liddell in the UFC's Hall of Fame.
Jackson couldn't pinpoint why, but suggested some fighters have difficulty overcoming a knockout loss. "I think Chuck was probably a little gun-shy," Jackson said. "I went through it when I lost to Wanderlei (Silva) and so I know what it's like. I could see it. Jardine was, too, but not as gun-shy as Chuck.
"It depends on the person and how strong they are for how long it takes to get that out of you."
Liddell dismissed the notion, saying "I don't feel it affected me."
White sided with Liddell on that issue and pointed to the way Liddell came out quickly at the start of the fight. He landed a right hand early that raised a welt on Jardine's bald head, though Jardine joked after the fight that "Sometimes, I start bleeding when I walk into the cage."
White said he thought Liddell became fatigued and discussed Liddell's training habits with him. Liddell is a night owl who likes to attend clubs even in the nights before he fights.
But White said Sunday that Liddell told him that he had taken good care of himself and wasn't club-hopping.
"He said he was getting his sleep and he was eating the right things and that he wasn't going out at all," White said. "I don't know. Chuck just wasn't Chuck. That's not the kind of a fight I'm going to remember Chuck for when he eventually does quit. "Chuck was a guy with that killer instinct. Remember the way he went right after Tito (Ortiz) in their first fight? That's kind of the perfect example of who Chuck Liddell was as a fighter, but I didn't see those same things last night."
If Liddell retires, the UFC will lose its top drawing card. Liddell was the main drawing card in the three biggest live gates in the company's history and in North American mixed martial arts history. His Dec. 30 rematch with Ortiz at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas brought in a record live gate of $5.39 million.
But White said the UFC will survive even if Liddell opts to retire.
"At the end of the day, we have so many talented fighters in the UFC that we'll be fine," White said. "We're not a one-trick pony, that's for sure. Chuck is always going to be a part of the UFC, whether he's fighting or not, but we're definitely not going to be in any kind of trouble if he quits.
"He needs to do what's right for him and not worry about us. This isn't the kind of sport you can be in half-heartedly. If you don't have the passion for it, it's time to get out. Only Chuck really knows how he feels, but you wonder because he hasn't looked the same, fire-wise, in either of these last two fights
RESULTS:
Matt Wiman def. Michihiro Omigawa by Unanimous Decision at 5:00, R3
Christian Wellisch def. Scott Junk by Submission (heel hook) at 3:19, RD1
Jeremy Stephens def. Diego Saraiva by Unanimous Decision at 5:00, R3
Rich Clementi def. Anthony Johnson by Submission (rear naked choke) at 3:05, R2
Tyson Griffin def. Thiago Tavares by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) at
5:00, Rd. 3
- Great fight to watch. Tyson has all the talent to win the belt. I appreciated when Tyson dropped Taveres on his face.
Lyoto Machida def. Kazuhiro Nakamura by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 5:00, Rd 3
Jon Fitch def. Diego Sanchez by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) 5:00, Rd 3
- Excellent fight, great attempts at submission by Diego but you can't choke out Fitch. Both fighters were in great shape for this fight and went the distance. Fitch was the better fighter and should have taken all 3 rounds. Diego was a good sport after the fight.
Forrest Griffin def. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 4:45, Rd 3.
-Shogun and other Pride fighters are realizing the Octagon is a much different fighting environment and they are learning the hard way. The rules are different, and the cage keeps you confined. Griffin was well prepared for this one training at the best camp available today, that being Extreme Couture where the best training partners are available. Not to rain on Forrest's parade but Shogun seemed out of shape and gassed. Perhaps it was because Forrest is a much bigger opponent and handling the beast tired him out. Great fight to watch and hats off to Forrest and awesome finish. The light heavy weights are just bigger in the UFC, maybe "Shogun" should think about dropping a division. Griffin asked for this fight and delivered, he is once again the UFC poster child.
Keith Jardine def. Chuck Liddell by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) 5:00, Rd 3.
- This was a difficult fight to watch seeing Chuck lose so badly. Chuck's performance was pitiful; he just kept taking Jardine's kicks and providing little or no offence. Chuck knew he must win the 3rd by knockout however he provided no offence or effort. After watching last nights fight I think Chuck should contemplate retirement or switching to a different camp to re-evaluate his training.
Here are a couple of pictures captured from a Wednesday workout session courtesy of OCRegister.com which caught what looks to be a leaner Chuck Liddell preparing for his upcoming fight against Keith Jardine this Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California for UFC 76.
Kenny Florian — $22,000 ($11,000 to show, $11,000 to win)
Din Thomas — $16,000
Chris Leben — $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Terry Martin — $12,000
Nate Diaz — $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win)
Junior Assuncao — $6,000
Nate Quarry — $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Pete Sell — $10,000
Luke Cummo — $32,000 ($16,000 to show, $16,000 to win)
Edilberto “Crocota” de Oliveira — $4,000
Cole Miller — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Leonard Garcia — $6,000
Gray Maynard — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Joe Veres — $3,000
Thiago Alves — $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win)
Kuniyoshi Hironaka — $10,000
Dustin Hazelett — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Jonathan Goulet — $6,500
The payouts for the UFC Fight Night 11 totalled $273,500.
Who hasn't cheered for Daniel LaRusso at the All Valley Karate Championship near the end of The Karate Kid movie?
It was also during the final fight when someone from the Cobra Kai team uttered the cult classic line, "Put Him in a Bodybag!" when cheering for the opponent, Johnny Lawrence.
Well, those now infamous words surfaced with crystal clarity during a lull in the crowd noise last night during the headlining match between Kenny Florian and Din Thomas at UFC fight Night 11.
Turn your speakers up and do not sip hot coffee when you do... trust me :o
Yes folks, this is a milestone for MMA Fever.
Thank you to all the die hard MMA Fever fans and thanks for sticking with us from the start. We've managed to gather a small group of committed fans choosing the underground rather than the mainstream to feed the Fever.
There has been a lot of activity from Zuffa going after blogs with the UFC name in the domain and also, the UFC fight videos on their site. MMA Fever was launched because reading about MMA wasn't enough, we wanted videos and lots of them to showcase the talent of this burgeoning sport of Mixed Martial Arts.
So, we decided to fly under the radar and post fight videos for our fans but most importantly, for MMA fans alike. We were among the very first to start incorporating video as a regular medium and we will continue to post fight videos on this site despite pressures from Zuffa to suppress the video content from the Internet.
We hope to continue to entertain, inform and stir you up into a frenzy for the next 500 posts.
Peace :)
Y'all come back now ya hear!
Well, the fight I've chosen to whet the MMA Fever appetite is Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard in the TUF 5 series semi-final. Both fighters will be fighting in separate fights tonight on the UFC Fight Night 11 card on Spike TV.
Let's roll the clock back to get back into the TUF series action which commences following the live event tonight with TUF 6 - Team Hughes vs. Team Serra
Televised Bouts:
Kenny Florian (155) vs. Din Thomas (156)
Chris Leben (185) vs. Terry Martin (186)
Junior Assuncao (155) vs. Nate Diaz (155)
Nate Quarry (186) vs. Pete Sell (184)
Preliminary Bouts:
Edilberto Crocota (170) vs. Luke Cummo (169)
Leonard Garcia (155) vs. Cole Miller (155)
Gray Maynard (154) vs. Joe Veres (156)
Thiago Alves (171) vs. Kuniyoishi Hironaka (170)
Jonathan Goulet (169) vs. Dustin Hazelett (170)
Some dude recently tried to convince me that MMA was fake and that the fights were all fixed. I understand his point of view because his first introduction to MMA was when he watched the Hamill vs. Bisping fight @ UFC 75 for FREE on Spike TV.
I make mention of that fight in particular because of the use of the F-word (Fixed) that has been tossed around for days following the controversial fight decision.
With all of that being said, my only retort to this boxing fanatic who claims MMA is fake and fixed is wrapped up inside of 30 seconds or so in the clip below.
I offered to show him how the Guillotine Choke is done (No Cris Angel magic at play) and he refused :)
If you're eating right now, stop and watch this REAL mixed martial arts demonstration.
Suffice it to say that he is no longer a boxing fan as he is a new MMA fan and will be watching UFN11 tomorrow on Spike with eyes wide open.
Click here for the full K-1 hero results from Nokaut
The EliteXC World Middleweight Championship went down this past Saturday on Showtime.
Very interesting result in the Lawler/Rua fight that could very well be some foreshadowing for brother of Ninja, the one they call "Shogun" who will debut in the UFC against "Run Forrest Run" Griffin at UFC 76 this coming Saturday, September 22 live on pay per view.
What? No soccer kicks or head stomps? Damn those unified rules, huh?
For full card results visit EliteXC
Ninja Rua vs Ruthless Robbie Lawler
Nick Diaz vs Mike Aina
Jake Shields vs Renato Verissimo
Gina Carano vs Tonya Evinger
Inside MMA is Mark Cubans HDNets first step into covering mixed martial arts.
Inside MMA is your opportunity to step inside the world of mixed martial arts and find out what it takes to be a champion. Hosts Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice provide all the latest news and highlights, along with features, analysis, and rankings.
Inside MMA Part 1.
ProElite, Inc. [PELE.PK], a sports entertainment and media company dedicated to producing world-class mixed martial arts (MMA) events, today announced the acquisition of King of the Cage, Inc. (KOTC), a prolific MMA promoter with an established stable of world-class fighters and global brand equity. As part of the agreement, KOTC will promote events in conjunction with Los Angeles-based ProElite’s respected and highly acclaimed live events division, EliteXC, which broadcasts MMA events on Showtime Networks. KOTC will also provide live-streaming video content through ProElite.com.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“We are extremely pleased that KOTC is joining the ProElite family, a natural extension of our brand as we continue to move forward with our global growth strategy,” said Douglas Deluca, CEO of ProElite, Inc. “Pound for pound, KOTC is the best brand out there and brings a deep breadth of industry experience to ProElite, providing a built-in infrastructure that will strengthen the impact of our organization on the world of MMA.”
The UFC’s third foray of the year into the U.K. drew a record number of viewers for mixed martial arts in North America. According to officials at Spike TV, which aired the event on a tape-delayed basis in the United States, the telecast captured an average of 4.7 million viewers on the strength of a 3.1 overall rating.
At one point during the title bout between Quinton Jackson and Dan Henderson, there were approximately 5.6 million viewers tuned in, according to David Schwartz of Spike TV.
UFC 75 actually outdrew any other televised program during the same time period on Saturday night in the hotly contested advertising demographics of Men 18-34 and Men 18-49. The competition in that time period included offerings of college football on ABC and ESPN, NASCAR on ABC, and the U.S. Open Women’s Final on CBS.
The ratings are further proof that the tide in American sports is changing,” said Kevin Kay, General Manager, Spike TV. “Young men, who constitute the Spike TV core audience, prefer the incredible action and athleticism of the UFC to more traditional sports.”..
UFC President Dana White was understandably touting the achievements of the promotion’s latest move into the U.K. and on American television. “Not only did UFC 75 showcase the bout that unified the 205 lb Pride and UFC titles, it did so in front of a record breaking crowd at the O2 Arena in London, and in front of the largest U.S. audience to ever tune in to an MMA card during its Spike TV telecast.”
Sorry, you thought I meant the one they call Fedor? Nope, Aleksander (Fedor's younger brother) inked a deal with Canadian upstart HCF and his brothah will be his corner man.
Still waiting on word about the Great One...
From the Fight Network:
LIL’ EMEL PICKS “CABBAGE”
Heavyweights Invade Canadian Soil Oct. 19
By Mike Russell (gfn@thefightnetwork.com)
Hardcore Championship Fighting promoter Keith Crawford took his Canadian upstart organization up a notch Monday with the signing of Aleksander Emelianenko (11-3-0) to his October 19 HCF 5 show in Calgary, Alberta.
The younger brother of highly coveted free agent and PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, Aleksander will face steel-skulled Hawaiian journeyman and Team BJ Penn fighter Wesley “Cabbage” Correira (18-13-0). Both foreigners have faced top heavyweight competition in the past with appearances in PRIDE and the UFC. Number-one world ranked fighter Emelianenko is expected to corner his younger brother, said the promoter.
26-year-old Aleksander, a member of the Russian Red Devil Sports Team, impressed an unexpected first round submission victory over Jessie Gibson in M1’s “Russia vs. Europe” event July in St. Petersburg, Russia. Correira, 29, who has only one win in his last six fights, will be looking to break new ground on Canadian soil with the upset over the heavily favored Russian.
The main card will also feature title bouts between Victoria, BC’s Sarah Kaufman (5-0-0) and Kit Cope-trained Ginele Marquez (5-6-1), vying for the HCF 135-pound women’s title. An HCF lightweight championship bout will feature Albuquerque native Thomas Schulte (14-7) and undefeated Costa Rican Ariel Sexton (4-0, 1 NC).
“The Ultimate Fighter 4 – The Comeback” reality TV series veteran Edwin Dewees (34-10-0) will meet Brazilian-born Marcus Vinicios (4-3-0).
A province known predominantly for its oil and cattle export, Alberta has quietly become yet another epicenter for Canadian MMA, fueled by the growth of Crawford’s HCF and Mark Pavelich’s Maximum Fighting Championship.
HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTING 5
Oct. 19
Calgary, Alberta
MAIN EVENT
Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Wesley "Cabbage" Correira
MAIN CARD
Gegard Mousasi vs. TBA
HCF World Middleweight Women's Title (135 lbs)
Sarah Kaufman vs. Ginele Marquez
HCF World Lightweight Title (155 lbs)
Thomas Schulte vs. Ariel Sexton
Marcus Vinicios vs. Edwin DeWees
Len Tam vs. Gerald Lovato
Ben Greer vs. TBA
Myles Merola vs.Juan Barrantes
Andrew Buckland vs. TBA
Garrett Davis vs. Toby Johnson
Tim Smith vs. Mike Rowbotham
From news.independent.co.uk
If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be ...
In the gym. I train from 7am until 9.30am, six mornings a week, boxing, or conditioning, or doing weights. Because I spend so long there, I just had a gym put in my house.
Maybe the reason Cro Cop has droped the last two fights in a row is that he is not training in a proper camp. The proper camp includes coaching and sparring partners.
A phrase I use far too often is ...
"Catastrophe." It's the same word in Croatian and English. Every time something goes wrong, or there's a disaster, we just go "aargh ... catastrophe!"
A common misconception of me is ...
People think I'm a cold person, or that I'm hard to make contact with. Even the other fighters say that. But it isn't true: I like to play practical jokes. Maybe people find it hard to believe that a cage fighter can have a sense of humour.
I wish people would pay more attention to ...
Each other. I wish people would try a little harder not to hurt each other. I don't mean hurt as in what happens when people like me punch each other in a cage, but in the other sense, the emotional sense of the word.
I'm not a politician but ...
Actually I am. I have been a member of Croatia's parliament for four years. I'm, an independent MP, though I was elected on the list of the Social Democratic Party, and my politics are centre left.
I'm very good at ...
Playing cards. I don't drink but I often have friends round and we play Belot. I also play chess. I'm better than most of my friends, though obviously I'mnot good enough to play professionally.
But I'm very bad at ...
Tennis. I just can't do it.
The ideal night out is ...
A night in. I don't drink, so hardly go out at all, except to a local coffee bar in Zagreb, which I own and visit every afternoon.
You might know me asa cage fighter, but in another life ...
I would hardly have changed a thing. I am very satisfied. The only other sport I would have done, given the chance, would be football.
My biggest weakness ...
Is that I'm too open to people, and too ready to help. Of course, I'm an MP, but I have paid the price for it too many times.
Your biggest weakness is your ground game.
The best age to be is ...
Fifteen. You're at school and, there's nothing to worry about. Your parents take care of it all.
In a nutshell, my philosophy is ...
Pretty simple. Live and let other people live.
The Ultimate Fighter reality series comes back to Spike TV on Wednesday September 19th @ 11pm EST.
From the BBC dot com.
Call to ban 'no-holds' fighting
Cage fighting is gaining in popularity
Brutal, no-holds-barred fighting should be banned, say doctors in Britain.
The British Medical Association, which has campaigned since 1982 for a ban on boxing, has now turned its attention to extreme mixed martial arts.
Doctors are not calling for a ban on sports such as karate, but instead want to see the end of "brutal" events like cage fighting.
It comes ahead of an ultimate fighting event in London. Organisers said injuries were worse in other sports.
Mixed martial arts is a combat sport in which a wide variety of fighting techniques are used, including striking and grappling.
The days of gladiator fights are over and we should not be looking to resurrect them
Vivienne Nathanson, of the BMA
Events such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is being held at the O2 arena in the capital on Saturday, pits different fighting styles against each other in caged rings.
It emerged in the US during the 1990s and has proved popular on pay-per-view television.
Organisers have now started arranging events in Europe and this has prompted the BMA to speak out.
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the BMA, said: "Ultimate fighting can be extremely brutal and has been described as 'human cockfighting'. It can cause traumatic brain injury, joint injuries and fractures.
"This kind of competition hardly constitutes a sport - the days of gladiator fights are over and we should not be looking to resurrect them.
"As doctors we cannot stand by while violent fighting tournaments are allowed to take place.
"Large amounts of money can be earned by participants, promoters and others linked to ultimate fighting, but no amount of money can compensate for permanent brain damage and premature death.
"As a civilised society we should be campaigning to outlaw these activities."
Tournaments
The BMA said there had been only one reported death in mixed martial arts since it emerged in the early 1990s.
But doctors said this should be put into context as the tournaments are still in their infancy compared to boxing.
However, Paul Griffin, of the British National Martial Arts Association, who has members which take part in mixed martial arts, said: "The issue is being sensationalised.
"There are strict rules governing these fights and there is a good safety record.
"But the bottom line is that people have a choice over whether they take part, they should not be dictated to."
A spokesman for the Ultimate Fighting Championship said the allegations were "absolute nonsense".
"There have been no serious injuries in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The worst case there has been was a broken arm.
"Sports such as rugby, Formula One and horse riding have more injuries. The death in 1998 was little more than an organised bar fight, it was not an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout.
"There are stringent rules in our fights and we have doctors on the sidelines. The BMA criticism is without foundation."
RESULTS:
- Jess Liaudin defeated Anthony Torres by TKO at 4:10 of RD 1
- Dennis Siver defeated Naoyuki Kotani by KO at 2:04 of RD 2
- Thiago Silva defeated Tomasz Drwal by TKO at 4:23 of RD 2
- Gleison Tibau defeated Terry Etim by Unanimous Decision
- Houston Alexander defeated Alessio Sakara by TKO at 1:01 of RD 1
- Marcus Davis defeated Paul Taylor by Arm Bar at 4:14 of RD 1
- Cheick Kongo defeated Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic by Unanimous Decision
- Michael Bisping defeated Matt Hamill by Split Decision
- Quinton "Rampage" Jackson defeated Dan Henderson by Unanimous Decision
Please say it ain't so, from Sherdog.com. Don't do it Fedor, sign with UFC.
Mark Cuban, the energetic and controversial owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, is negotiating for the services of Russian mixed martial arts star Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures), Sherdog.com confirmed Sunday.
"I am in ongoing discussions with some of his people," Cuban revealed in an e-mail interview that will be published on Sherdog.com later this week.
Cuban's interest in Emelianenko has everything to do with HDNet, currently available in 6 million homes, nearing a major uptick in the amount of MMA programming on the HD network.
"I plan on making a significant investment in MMA with the goal of promoting it as a professional sport with professional athletes," said the 49-year-old Cuban, whose net worth was listed by Forbes in 2007 to be $2.3 billion. Cuban purchased the Mavericks in 2000 after selling Broadcast.com to Yahoo! for $5.7 billion in stock. "There is no reason that a fighter in an undercard match should be treated any differently than how I treat our players on the Mavs."
In Emelianenko -- the longtime PRIDE heavyweight champion who became a free agent after Zuffa purchased the PRIDE Fighting Championships in March -- Cuban would have his fighting Dirk Nowitzki.
"We would work with his promoters to place him in fights from affiliated promoters or in fights we promote ourselves," said Cuban, who plans on partnering with established MMA organizations to fill the weekly quota of bouts HDNet would need for its successful Friday Fight Night series.
"It's the highest rated sports programming by far [on HDNet]," Cuban said. "Our MMA programming on HDNet beats networks that have five times or more the carriage that we do. So it's been a big winner for us and we expect it to get even better."
From Cincinnati.com
Question: Who gave you the nickname "Spider" and why?
Answer: The person who gave me the nickname Spider was (an) announcer from Pride (another mixed martial arts company) because of my long arms and legs.
Q: Brazilians are famous for Jiu-Jitsu and soccer. Were you ever a soccer player?
A: I do play soccer still. I like soccer a lot, but I love fighting.
Q: In March, Franklin called you into the octagon after his fight in Columbus to ask for a rematch. Was that a surprise, or was it planned, and if planned, whose idea was it?
A: It wasn't planned as far as I know. I did figure that Rich, being the former champion, that there was the potential for something like that to happen. I'm not sure (whose) idea it was. I know it wasn't mine.
Q: Why did you agree to give Franklin a rematch after defeating him so impressively in the first fight? What do you hope to gain by fighting him again?
A: I agreed to give Rich a rematch because after losing the belt he has came back and won two in a row against some very tough opponents. I hope to put on another great performance for the fans and gain another victory and title defense.
Q: What do you think of this fight taking place in Franklin's hometown, instead of at a neutral site, and why did you
agree to fight in Cincinnati instead of elsewhere?
A: As a fighter, I always get very motivated for new challenges. I can't think of a greater challenge than fighting Rich Franklin in his hometown.
Q: Do you expect a hostile crowd, and if so, how do you plan to deal with it?
A: I will deal with it like I always do - with a big smile on my face.
Q: What do you know about Cincinnati, if anything?
A: I know it's in the middle of the country.
Q: Do you expect the same kind of fight this time from Franklin in terms of strategy?
A: Rich is a very talented and experienced fighter. I'm sure Rich and his team are going to come very well prepared.
Q: You've been on a roll since defeating Franklin. How are your current fighting form and health compared to a year ago?
A: My health compared to a year ago is much better. I feel great and am training very hard to keep my belt.
Fedor in the UFC man I wish. I can't wait to see a Fedor vs. Couture (the can) fight.
As reported by MMA Weekly:
Fedor Emelianenko is universally regarded as the top heavyweight, if not the top overall, fighter in the mixed martial arts world. Ever since the purchase of Pride FC by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who’s Zuffa, LLC, also owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Fedor has also become the most highly sought after fighter on the planet.
The longtime heavyweight champion in Pride, the promotion’s demise has left Fedor with no other choice but to look elsewhere for employment. The popular assumption of course is that he will end up in the UFC fold along with most of the other top fighters from the Pride organization.
With Fedor’s management team reportedly having met with UFC officials earlier this week, the widespread speculation has been that terms were reached and that it was all but a done deal that Fedor would soon fight in the Octagon.According to a report by Sherdog.com’s Josh Gross, that is not necessarily so.
Fedor’s management team said that while the UFC offer is the most lucrative offer that the MMAWeekly.com #1 ranked heavyweight has received, there are still several sticking points that have kept them from recommending their client sign with the sport’s largest promotion in the world.As has long been speculated, Apy Echteld, one of Fedor’s managers, confirmed that the UFC’s requirement of exclusivity is still one of the reasons that the deal has not been approved, as well as the contract not being guaranteed. These are very important points to Fedor and several other organizations vying for his services are willing to concede them according to Echteld.
