Mayweather vs. Sherk
Interesting item from NBC Sports.
"The war of words between boxing and the UFC has heated up lately, with Floyd Mayweather Jr. questioning the legitimacy of mixed martial artists, and UFC fighters firing back that he'd be in for a rude awakening in a cage. UFC President Dana White recently said that he'd be willing to put up the money to have Mayweather fight lightweight champ Sean Sherk in the octagon. Here's the matchup."
My two cents: Mayweather is a good fighter and all however he has taken a few too many punches to his head.
I believe that pro boXers have realized they are being surpassed by the popularity of Mixed Martial arts and in particuliar the UFC.
The Sherk would have Floyd on his back in a matter of minutes and would Floyd do then?
Nothing, that's what.
Boxing is dead.....
Monday, April 30, 2007
Mayweather vs. Sherk
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tank Abbott vs. Gary Turner - Cage Rage 21
Tank Abbott was recently back in action in Cage Rage 21.
I do appreciate him having a beer after the fight.
Here is an idea for Dana White, how about Tank Abbott for a coach in the next season of the Ultimate Fighter?
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Bisping Beats up Elvis... Elvis leaves the Building Bloodied
"... a little less conversation a little more action".
Well, that was a piece of Elvis Presley's song and also a piece of Elvis Sinosic's entrance song that just about says it all as those few words were all the foreshadowing needed to see where this fight with Michael "The Count" Bisping and Elvis Sinosic was going to end up in front of the action starved Manchester, England MMA fans.
Action was plentiful if you had the best seat in the house at the M.E.N. arena like Elvis had who saw first hand, err... fist what it's like to be on the receiving end of the Count's punches and to be 'Counted' out early by referee stoppage in the 2nd round.
Overall, Bisping fared well in his hometown and gave the fans the action that they have been starved for up until then. Bisping was impressive however, he did show some holes in his game that could be exploited by his next opponent that could drop the donut from the end of his 14-0 record.
The best part of the fight was what happened before the fight began with seeing Bisping's adrenaline rush force him to sprint ahead of his corner straight to the octagon while blowing past the referee Steve Mazzagatti with Bisping still wearing his hoodie and running shoes. Too funny.
I would like to see Bisping fight against Tito Ortiz. Their styles are almost identical and their conditioning is among the top in the MMA world today. That match up would be a bloody mess that would give the fans what they want, " A little more action, guaranteed".
Dana White, please make that happen, the Count's ready and so are the fans!
Michael Bisping vs. Elvis Sinosic UFC 70 Video
Cro Cop Cro Cop'd
My father always told me that if some kid smacks you, well... you smack 'em right back!
Gabriel Gonzaga must have had the same kind of advice when he was growing up because he certainly didn't back down from the terminator, Mirko Cro Cop after the first leg kick which resulted in a take down and a juicy welt on Gonzaga's right rib section as a souvenir of battle.
Gonzaga's ground game would have made Tito Ortiz and Fedor salivate as Mirko simply didn't have the tools to escape the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt's relentless onslaught from the top position. Gonzaga was able to steer Cro Cop toward the fence which ultimately resulted in Cro Cop's face being crushed up against the fencing like a sheep trying to escape the imminent slaughter.
Gabriel Gonzaga was pressing the action and controlling Cro Cop from within his guard in the top position then, out of nowhere, the worst MMA referee of all time, Herb Dean steps in to stand the fighters up.
WHY???
Why stand up a fighter who is grounding and pounding much less stand up a fighter who is being grounded and pounded? Only in Herb Dean's world folks and who really knows the secretive rules that govern the biggest MMA referee tool of our time.
Fortunately for MMA fans, the fight wasn't stopped by Herb "end the fight early" Dean. No sir, the stoppage of the fight happened almost immediately following the stand up of both fighters in a way that would be considered cliche if presented in a movie but not so out of the ordinary for those who received their first few lovingly self defense lessons with their Fathers.
RIGHT HIGH KICK - THWAT!
Down went Cro Cop like a rag doll that was dropped lifelessly to the ground with his right leg crumpled and contorted beneath the weight of his own body.
Lifeless, with arms spread out on the canvass in a 'V' awaiting a couple more nails in the coffin by way of punches to the face then the referee, Herb Dean swoops in to protect Cro Cop from further damage as he lay silent and lifeless just like the discarded rag doll with no child to be seen to collect the doll for miles. Sad, very sad.
Cro Cop was indeed, Cro Cop'd.
Gonzaga DOMINATED Cro Cop like I have never seen before. I hate to say this but even Fedor Emelianenko couldn't dominate Cro Cop when the two fought in Pride FC which saw Fedor win by decision.
I'm completely out of the MMA predictions game now but I did spend the time to write about Gonzaga to warn the fans that he is a force in the Heavyweight division that should not be taken lightly even if Cro Cop is fighting him.
If I only had the same foresight about Matt Serra but that truly was a freak of nature.
Here is the Cro Cop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga UFC 70 fight that changed the UFC Heavyweight landscape completely:
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
White inferred that the HBO events will be higher in stature than the Spike TV events but still lower in stature than the pay-per-view events. As an example, White said that you could expect to see the winners from future seasons of The Ultimate Fighter have their first post-TUF fights on HBO after they win the TUF competition, whereas the UFC Fight Night events would be the home for all of the fighters who are on TUF and get UFC contracts even though they didn't win the TUF competition.
As another example, White said that you can expect to see Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fight on HBO, and he added that Nogueira "will fight one of the top guys right off the bat." White said that fans can expect to see top-quality fights whether any given UFC event is on HBO, Spike TV, or pay-per-view.
Click Here for the full article from MMA Weekly DOT COM.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Matt Lindland - Bodog Fight
I've taken flack from newbie MMA fans for my continuous praising of the extraordinary talents of the superhuman phenom that is Fedor Emelianenko and I have to say that if you don't get it then you never will. This year has proven to be a year of upsets but there is only one constant in the MMA landscape that can always be counted on to come through and his name is Fedor Emelianenko.
Nobody even comes close to Fedor's ground game... Nobody!
Fedor is the King of MMA!
Fedor's brother Aleks was also on the Bodog Fight card in Russia and also had an impressive showing against Eric Pele. Nice mullet on Aleks... and whomever did the camera work for Bodog Fight should be shot, left wounded and placed in a holding cell somewhere in remote Siberia for all eternity. Come on, Aleks is 6'4" and the camera dude cut off his head most of the fight... only Cro Cop has the right to do that ;)
Friday, April 13, 2007
Trash Talkin' Tito on TitoOrtiz.com
Yep, apparently, the Spike TV one and a half hour special event that aired last night that was to showcase a boxing match between UFC President Dana White and the Huntington Beach Bad Boy, Tito Ortiz pissed off many viewers who were not aware that the fight did not happen as planned.
People are sooooooooo pissed at Tito that the casual fan of MMA have signed up for Tito's forum to post flaming messages for the former UFC champion to take notice.
The general sentiment expressed was that the fans felt cheated for wasting 1.5 hours watching the Spike TV event only to realize that in the last 5 minutes of the program, Tito Ortiz failed to show up for the weigh-in thus promptly cancelling the NSAC sanctioned event due to Tito's premeditated absence.
Regarding Tito's resurgence in UFC popularity...
Tito Ortiz was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of a huge second chance that Dana White gave him by re-engineering his image during The Ultimate Fighter 3 reality series that pitted Tito Ortiz's group of fighters up against Ken Shamrock's group.
I have to say that I too personally took a shine to Tito's attentiveness to the fighters in that, he spent genuine time with to train and fully prepare his team for their bouts versus Ken Shamrock who showed no interest and appeared to be waiting for his payday to come in his rematch with Tito.
Well, Tito and Ken both got paid very handsomely for the freak show that aired for free on Spike TV that saw Shamrock get tooled by Ortiz in the first round.
Fast forward to the boxing match between Tito and Dana and you can get the sense that Tito was looking for the same easy payday that Ken Shammy had however, Dana White had a different perspective on the particulars of the fight.
I found it to be very interesting that the UFC would run with the Spike TV broadcast which effectively showed within one hour and a half how much of a tool Tito Ortiz really is and also showed that Dana had the balls to prove it and effectively re-ruin (not a word but it should be) Tito's future with the UFC.
I know Tito has a thick head but is it really THAT thick? Enough to piss off and embarrass Dana White in front of NSAC and waste their time too?
Should we fault Tito at all given the fact that he is a paid fighter who makes his living that way and bailed because he wasn't going to get paid for the boxing match? My answer to that is 'NO' with a caveat..... Tito should have shown some class and respect to the President of the UFC and worked out all of the details prior to acting like a little bitch and pulling a no-show for the weigh-in. Tito's behaviour is inexcusable and definitely warrants the negative feelings that fans of Tito have about him.
I would give Tito Ortiz the dishororable distinction of being MMA Fever's "Tool of the Day" but I thought that would be too kind because Tito lives his life everyday as a Tool as Dana White so eloquently explained for 1.5 hours for all MMA and UFC fans to absorb.
Here is some of the hatin' goin' on in Tito's cyber house:
Quote from: RampageMMA on April 13, 2007, 01:37:12 AM
So we are going to have a bunch of new members sign up to out their 2 cents in? Stop whinging, get over it and keep watching real fights.
PAC wrote:
Yup, that includes me. I wouldn't be here except I signed up to put in my two cents after watching the show. I enjoy MMA and UFC and I do watch most of the real fights.
I never really cared much for Tito, but only because of a feeling, not for any real reason. I watched the show and for a while there, I figured maybe I'd see another side of him, and Tito got plenty of air-time as far as I could tell to tell his side of the story, but he still came off a punk and I'm here to say it right on his own website.
I'm no idiot, if Tito were to meet me in a street he'd probably swat me like a fly, so I'm not saying I could kick his #@# or anything silly, but the truth is, what makes you a man isn't how many muscles you can pack on your body it's what's in your heart that counts. And I've seen a glimpse of what's in Tito's heart...nothing...
demand a fight before you sign a huge contract...then back out because you want more money even though you had no real chance of losing the fight (cmon, Dana had no chance, but I give him credit for being game...that's some serious ba%%s).
He's a punk and that's my two cents. You live in a free country so if you don't like it deal with it.
Don't worry. I won't be around long, it's not as though I'm going to spend my life on a Tito website. A couple days from now you can resume your fantasy hero worship to a punk with what few fans Tito has left after this.
Tito Ortiz is set to fight "Sugar" Rashad Evans at UFC 72 - JULY 7, 2007. Could this be the last time we see Tito in a UFC octagon?
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira in UFC
UFC President Dana White, in a continuing effort to bring the best fighters in the world to the organization, tonight announced the signing of former Pride Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira.
The 30-year old Nogueira (29-4-1), an eight year veteran of the sport, is one of the most creative ground fighters in the world, and also a fighter who is well rounded in all aspects of mixed martial arts. Best remembered for his stay in the Pride organization, where he took on the likes of Fedor Emelianenko, Dan Henderson, Heath Herring, and Mark Coleman, one of the Brazilian’s standout wins was his stirring 2003 submission victory over current UFC heavyweight contender Mirko Cro Cop (see below).
In his last bout, on December 31, 2006, Nogueira scored a unanimous decision win over former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett (see below).
No date or opponent has been announced for Nogueira’s debut with the UFC.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Just Beat it
They Told Him Don't You Ever Come Around Here
Don't Wanna See Your Face, You Better Disappear
The Fire's In Their Eyes And Their Words Are Really Clear
So Beat It, Just Beat It
You Better Run, You Better Do What You Can
Don't Wanna See No Blood, Don't Be A Macho Man
You Wanna Be Tough, Better Do What You Can
So Beat It, But You Wanna Be Bad
Just Beat It, Beat It, Beat It, Beat It
No One Wants To Be Defeated
Showin' How Funky Strong Is Your Fight
It Doesn't Matter Who's Wrong Or RightJust Beat It, Beat It
Just Beat It, Beat ItJust Beat It, Beat ItJust Beat It, Beat It
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Chuck Liddell's Workout Regimen
Monday, April 9, 2007
2007: The Year of the Upset
This year has been explosive and unpredictable and exactly why mixed martial arts is the greatest "pure" sport on the planet. I have included a cool video montage that highlights some of the most recent disappointments the fighters have had in their bouts.
So, if I said Cro Cop could lose at UFC 70 against Gabriel Gonzaga NOW, many understand that every fighter, no matter what their skill level, "Has a puncher's chance", as Randy Couture likes to say often.
'Everybody Hurts'
Koshcheck: UFC 69 Post Fight Interview
Cool quotes from Kos...
"I'm a winner and he's a loser"
"It's Dirty Sanchez"
"I came to fight and he ran"
"He didn't bring it"
"Maybe next time he'll get some balls and bring it"
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Matt Hughes: Tool of the Day!
Matt Hughes was at UFC 69 in Houston, Texas at ringside visibly and audibly cheering on and for Matt Serra when he won the UFC Welterweight Championship. Hughes could be heard saying, "I love it, I love it!". That's not what makes Hughes a Tool though.
What makes Hughes the Tool of the Day is the fact that he participated in his own forum that he rarely ever participates in only to spout off on some likely future match-ups with the intention of avoiding GSP altogether suggesting that GSP will always be around for his rematch.
"I tell you that before that fight was even over I went up to Dana White and pulled his shoulder and said "THATS MY FIGHT, THATS MY FIGHT". I was a little pumped at the time. I would guess that I would fight Matt, Kos would fight GSP, Diego would fight Finch. Just my oppinion. I wanted Matt to win so bad. I knew that was the only way I would ever fight him. I can wait to fight GSP. He will always be around to get my rematch. Thanks for the support, matt"
Ok Matt, you are a Tool for so many reasons it's hard to pick just one so the best choice aside from you referring to Jon Fitch as "Finch" is that fact that you 'outted' yourself as a coward by admitting that you want to avoid GSP and also the fact that you acted like a little bitch around the octagon with your, "I love it, I love it", classless behaviour unbecoming of a professional fighter.
I would expect that behaviour from an MMA fan, certainly not a UFC fighter and former 9-time UFC champion.
Why the hell should you fight Serra instead of a rematch with GSP?
Matt Hughes, you are a disgrace, a dick and a TOOL!
Koscheck: An Eye for an Eye
Well, one good turn deserves another and so Josh Koscheck wishes Diego Sanchez a Happy Easter on Diego's MySpace page after serving the Nightmare his first MMA loss of his career to go with his Easter turkey dinner.
Previously, Sanchez had wished Koscheck a Happy Valentine's Day so the love affair between the two Welterweights over MySpace intensifies and now that Matt Serra is the new Welterweight Champion with Matt Hughes and GSP wanting championship rematches, this division is arguably the most exciting weight class in the UFC today.
Oh yeah, Happy Easter everyone!
Pride 34 Videos
***Cough*** I have the whole bloody Pride 34 event right here so don't tell anyone (wink) ***Cough***
Ricardo Arona vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
Don Frye vs. James Thompson
Jeff Monson vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
Eric "Butterbean" Esch vs. Zuluzinho
Zelg Galesic vs. Makoto Takimoto
Akira Shoji vs. Gilbert Yvel
Yoshihiro Nakao vs. Edson Drago
Shinya Aoki vs. Brian Lo-A-Njoe
Pride 34: Kamikaze Results
Yoshihiro Nakao vs. Edson Drago
Yoshihiro Nakao by submission in round 1.
Eric "Butterbean" Esch vs. Zulu
Butterbean by submission in round 1.
Zelg Galesic vs. Makoto Takimoto
Makoto Takimoto by submission in round 1.
Akira Shoji vs. Gilbert Yvel
Gilbert Yvel by TKO in round 1.
Don Frye vs. James Thompson
James Thompson by referee stoppage due to strikes in round 1.
Shinya Aoki vs. Brian Lo-A-Njoe
Shinya Aoki by submission in round 1.
Ricardo Arona vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
Sokoudjou by knockout in round 1.
Jeff Monson vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
Monson by submission (rear naked choke) in round 1.
More UFC 69 Video Goodness
I'll keep adding UFC 69 videos as they surface.
Matt Serra vs. Georges St.Pierre - UFC Welterweight Championship
Luke Cummo vs. Josh Haynes
Dana White's special announcement - Look out Cro Cop!
Stay tuned for some more UFC 69 video goodness ;)
UFC 69: Shootout Results
Matt Serra Wins by Technical Knock Out at 3:25 in the 1st round by punches
See the Serra vs. GSP Video
- Josh Koscheck Wins by Unanimous Decision over Diego Sanchez at 5:00 in the 3rd round
- Roger Huerta Wins by Unanimous Decision over Leonard Garcia at 5:00 in the 3rd round
- Yushin Okami Wins by Unanimous Decision over Mike Swick at 5:00 in the 3rd round
- Kendall Grove Wins by Submission over Alan Belcher at 4:42 in the 2nd round by choke
- Heath Herring Wins by Unanimous Decision over Brad Imes at 5:00 in the 3rd round
- Thales Leites Wins by Unanimous Decision over Pete Sell at 5:00 in the 3rd round
- Marcus Davis Wins by Submission over Pete Spratt at 2:57 in the 2nd round by ankle lock
- Luke Cummo Wins by Josh Haynes Technical Knock Out at 2:45 in the 2nd round by punches
Friday, April 6, 2007
Dana White: ESPN Hot List Interview
Dana White talks about Pride Vs. UFC, TUF 5, UFC 69, Tito Ortiz boxing match and other MMA odds and ends...
More musings from the UFC President, Dana White courtesy of NBC Sports
UFN 9 Videos
Ultimate Fight Night 9 is over and what a night it was!
I was most impressed by Joe Stevenson, Pellegrino and Ken Flo and surprisingly, McCully. What the heck happened to Hardonk?
I'll add to this collection as they surface so... Enjoy!
Joe Stevenson Vs. Melvin Guillard
Kurt Pellegrino vs Nate Mohr
Kenny Florian vs. Mishima
Joe Stevenson UFN 9 post-fight interview
Ken Florian UFN 9 post-fight interview
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Ultimate Fight Night 9 Picks
Here is the Ultimate Fight Night Live 9 card for tonight on Spike TV @ 8pm EST along with UFC.com visitors' picks and mine thrown in as well to mess you up a bit.
Joe Stevenson Vs. Melvin Guillard
Name: Joe Stevenson "Daddy"
Height: 5' 7" (170 cm)
Weight: 155 (70 kg)
Record: 31-7-0
Name: Melvin Guillard "The Young Assassin"
Height: 5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight: 155 (70 kg)
Record: 39-6-3
Joe Stevenson 50.1%
Melvin Guillard 49.9%
Pick: Guillard - Yeah, he can be a dick outside of the ring but when the lights are on and the cameras are angled at The Young Assassin, look out Daddy!
Justin McCully Vs. Antoni Hardonk
Name: Justin McCully "The Insane 1"
Height: 6' 2" (188 cm)
Weight: 240 (109 kg)
Record: 7-3-2
Name: Antoni Hardonk
Height: 6' 4" (193 cm)
Weight: 245 (111 kg)
Record: 5-2-0
Justin McCully 26.3%
Antoni Hardonk 73.7%
Pick: Hardonk - Frank Mir was expected to fight Hardonk however, he couldn't due to injury so McCully was a last minute replacement. Hardonk will KTFO of the gearbox who refers to himself as, "The Insane 1".
McCully needs an ass kicking just for his nickname alone.
Dokonjonosuke Mishima Vs. Kenny Florian
Name: Dokonjonosuke Mishima
Height: 5' 7" (170 cm)
Weight: 155 (70 kg)
Record: 17-5-2
Name: Kenny Florian "KenFlo"
Height: 5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight: 155 (70 kg)
Record: 7-3-0
Dokonjonosuke Mishima 23.3%
Kenny Florian 76.7%
Pick: KenFlo - Is there any doubt? Florian is coming off a bloody battle loss to Sean Sherk for the UFC Lightweight crown and KenFlo's ground game is freakin' scary so look for a very quick submission victory from Florian to mount his return for the quest for the Lightweight belt. I like KenFlo and want to see more of his skills highlighted in future bouts.
============================================
Keita Nakamura Vs. Drew Fickett
Name: Keita Nakamura "K-Taro"
Height: 5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight: 170 (77 kg)
Record: 13-1-2
Name: Drew Fickett "The Master"
Height: 5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight: 170 (77 kg)
Record: 30-5-0
May not be broadcast.
Keita Nakamura 17.6%
Drew Fickett 82.4%
Pick: Fickett - Complete mis-match and easy walk through for Drew.
Kurt Pellegrino Vs. Nate Mohr
Name: Kurt Pellegrino "Batman"
Height: 5' 8" (173 cm)
Weight: 155 (70 kg)
Record: 15-2-0
Name: Nate Mohr
Height: 5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight: 155 (70 kg)
Record: 6-3-0
May not be broadcast.
Kurt Pellegrino 76.1%
Nate Mohr 23.9%
Pick: Pellegrino - Pellegrino deserves an ass kicking for naming himself after my favourite superhero however, I can overlook that with respect to Pellegrino's UFC (1-1) experience Vs. Mohr who has none. Mohr looks like a Tomato Can to me and ready for an easy submission victory by, a-hem... Batman.
Forrest Petz Vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
Name: Forrest Petz "The Meat Cleaver"
Height: 5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight: 170 (77 kg)
Record: 18-3-0
Name: Kuniyoshi Hironaka
Height: 5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight: 170 (77 kg)
Record: 10-3-0
May not be broadcast.
Forrest Petz 71.1%
Kuniyoshi Hironaka 28.9%
Pick: Hironaka - Hironaka went the distance with Jon Fitch in his last fight at UFC 64 and lost by decision. Read that again, Hironaka went the distance with Jon Fitch... 'nuff said.
Seth Petruzelli Vs. Wilson Gouveia
Name: Seth Petruzelli "The Silverback"
Height: 6' 0" (183 cm)
Weight: 205 (93 kg)
Record: 10-4-0
Name: Wilson Gouveia
Height: 6' 1" (185 cm)
Weight: 205 (93 kg)
Record: 7-4-0
May not be broadcast.
Seth Petruzelli 56.5%
Wilson Gouveia 43.5%
Pick: Gouveia - I am a Seth fan and love his high kicks... when he feels like using them that is. I was disappointed with his loss against Matt Hamill and don't think Seth has the intensity to be victorious with this bout... and I am a Seth fan.
Gouveia has gone the distance with Keith Jardine and lost by decision and also won against Jon Fitch... did you get that? He won against Jon Fitch! Gouveia hands down will be the winner and Seth will be yet again, the wiener.
Roan Carneiro Vs. Rich Clementi
Name: Roan Carneiro "Jucao"
Height: 5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight: 170 (77 kg)
Record: 10-5-0
Name: Rich Clementi "No Love"
Height: 5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight: 170 (77 kg)
Record: 34-11-1
May not be broadcast.
Roan Carneiro 21.5%
Rich Clementi 78.5%
Pick: "No Love" - We have love for Rich, fo show. Carneiro is another Tomato Can that will be knocked down easily by Clementi.
Naoyuki Kotani Vs. Thiago Tavares
Name: Naoyuki Kotani
Height: 5' 8" (173 cm)
Weight: 155 (70 kg)
Record: 17-5-5
Name: Thiago Tavares
Height: 5' 7" (170 cm)
Weight: 155 (70 kg)
Record: 14-0-0
May not be broadcast.
Naoyuki Kotani 14.5%
Thiago Tavares 85.5%
Pick: Tavares - Thiago is undefeated and is a pure submission specialist. Expect Tavares to stay undefeated after this is in the books.
*** That's about it, some think this fight card is boring... then again, some think that Matt Serra will beat GSP at UFC 69 as well... let's keep things in perspective and be thankful that we have the chance to see some fighting after a month long drought of UFC action ***
TUF 5 follows this Pearl from the Pearl @ 10PM EST tonight on Spike TV!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
UFC Broke PPV Record
The UFC broke the pay-per-view industry's all-time records for a single year of business and generated over $200 million in revenue during 2006, according to two credible media outlets.
Both the Associated Press and the Wrestling Observer have reported that Zuffa's pay-per-view revenue in 2006 exceeded $200 million, with the Wrestling Observer reporting the specific figure of $222,766,000. As the Observer put it, "UFC grossed more money this past year on PPV than any promotion in history ever has."
Many fans of both boxing and MMA have wondered whether the UFC has already surpassed boxing. The numbers show that not only is the UFC bigger than boxing today, but it's also bigger than boxing ever was from a PPV revenue standpoint. The all-time record year for boxing was 1999, with just over $200 million in combined PPV revenue, and the UFC broke that record by over $20 million in 2006.
KnoCK oUT VidEO
Awesome knock out vidEO. Watch the best Hughes, Franklin, BJ Penn, Chuck, Kro KOP rocking others and getting rocked. In the background LINKen pARk, you can't beat it. Good stuff boyZ, check it out.
Thanks to funnybunny008.
Enjoy...
ROCKED HL by funnybunny008
Uploaded by funnybunny008
More Fedor Film
I do appreciate this film as we see my old friend Heath get bitchtasized by Fedor.
Enjoy.
GSP Exclusive Column with RDS
Georges St.Pierre wrote a column yesterday for RDS.ca (Sports news station that is similar to ESPN).
I was particularly interested in GSP's choice of training partners in preparation for his fight this Saturday for UFC 69 and also the class he displays when speaking of his opponents.
Below is a translated version of GSP's column:
Serra is Very Dangerous on the Ground
Georges St-Pierre
Monday april 02, 2007
It is this Saturday, in Houston, that I will get the chance to defend for the first time my title of super welter-weight of the UFC. For the occasion, I will be opposed to the champion of Ultimate Fighter 4, Matt Serra. This fight was supposed to take place on February 3, but an knee injury has constrained me to delay the confrontation. I can however ensure you that I am presently in full health and that I do not have after-effect of this injury.
Serra is a rather particular adversary. It is a combatant who is not as complete as me, but which is very dangerous on the ground. Submission wise, Matt is in fact the most dangerous adversary that I had to face. It is certain that he will want to bring me on to the ground with ankle lock and with arm lock, etc. They are movements which one often does not see and which are very spectacular. It will thus be necessary that I be careful on the ground because he is superior than me on this level.
Good training partners
My training routine did not change in preparation for this combat: 50 % on the ground, 50 % standing up. However, since Matt is very dangerous on the ground, I practised my exits of catch a lot. About my training partners, they are always the same ones. I train with the Olympic wrestling team, professional boxers and my partners of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. However, for this confrontation, I also had the chance to train with David Loiseau, Patrick Côté and Jonathan Goulet all fighters from the province of Quebec. I also invited a few Americain fighters to train in Montreal.. There were Nate Marquardt, which will fight for the world title of the 185 pounds in July, and Rashad Evans. Evans will face Tito Ortiz, also in July. As with each combat, I am confident but I always doubt my talent. I wonder if I'm strong enough. This reaction is however normal. It is that which keeps me on the alert. It is good to have confidence, but it is also good to maintain doubts. In my case, it is what allows me to performer better. Listening to everyone, I should dominate Serra. However, people seem to forget that only one person succeeded in overcoming him before the limit and it is Shonie Carter. With only 9 seconds remaining to the fight. Even B.J. Penn did not succeed in beating him before the limit. I thus expect a long fight.
Is Sanchez the next one?
In one of the semi-finals of the card this Saturday, Diego Sanchez (19-0) will be opposed to Josh Koschechk (10-1). Nothing is signed, but there are strong chances that the winner of my fight faces the winner of this confrontation in a close future. It's what I've heard. However, we should not forget Matt Hughes which remains a contender for the title. If I am victorious on Saturday, there's talk about the possibility that I defend my title in Montreal. Me and my manager are putting lots of pressure on the UFC for this to happen. At the end of my victorious fight, listen to my speech when I take the microphone in the center of the ring.
UFC Bought Pride
Last week, UFC put the hand on Pride. That has good and bad sides. For the combatants, it is certain that the negotiations will be more difficult because one will not be able to fold back on the other company to compaired fighters. On another side, that will make it possible to unify the payments. At Pride, the engagements were presented in a boxing ring and they were 10 minutes confrontations. If there were a tide, there were a five minutes of prolongation. The weight categories were also different. Now, all the engagements will take place in the octagone and will be 15 minutes long (3 rounds of 5 minutes ). The competition will be raised also. One will be able to attend championship mégacombats. In my category, the majority of the best combatants are with the UFC. However, at the middle, cruiser-weight and the heavy weights, there is though competition. I believe that at the end of the line, the amateurs of this sport will come out winners. Let's talk next week to analyse my fight against Serra.
Heath Herring Vs Giant Silva
Well you MMA freaks, its time to honour the Colonel's favorite star Heath Herring.
I found this little gem of Heath going against the Giant Silva, a fawking munster. This one was taped in Sept 28, 2006 in gay Paris.
The first round drags a bit however you must watch as you get to see Heath get smacked on the top of this head multiple times.
After round 1 they do a reply of those very smacks to Heath`s head. Good TV like this is worth watching.
Round 2 is short and suprising. I won't tell you who wins. ;)
Monday, April 2, 2007
Iowa Senate Votes to Deregulate MMA
WTF?
Yeah, it seems to be that the ignorant politicians in Iowa state want mixed martial arts deregulated which means that the UFC or any other organization would never have the opportunity to sanction an MMA event in Iowa... ever.
Here's a quote from Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames who is pushing to ban the sport of MMA rather than deregulate it and has rightfully earned MMA Fever's dishonorable distinction of being, "The Tool of the Day!"
"That's not a sport. It is a barbaric, disgusting, degrading and subhuman activity that really has no place in the state of Iowa,"
From Radio Iowa:
"Quirmbach argues that "ultimate fighting" isn't really a sport. "There's nothing (sportsmanlike) about holding someone down and beating them over the head," Quirmbach says. "There's nothing (sportsmanlike) about drawing blood profusely. There's nothing sportsmanlike about people being permanently disabled."
Senator Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo, isn't wild about the sport either. "You can sit on somebody's back with their head to the ground and punch 'em with your fist as many times as you want in the temple. Basically, the only thing that's not allowed is a blow to the back of the neck or a blow to the groin," Dotzler says. "If you try to regulate this to make it safe, that pretty much bans the sport."
And Dotzler says there aren't enough votes in the legislature to do that. "So because we can't regulate it, because we can't ban it, let's take us out of the regulation business...and allow those individuals who want to profit from this barbaric sport...they will be the ones held liable and not the state of Iowa," Dotzler says.
Senator James Seymour, a Republican from Woodbine, doesn't like it. "We may protect the state from liability...but I would submit to you that someone who is permanently disabled is likely to end up at the state's cost for the rest of their lives for medical treatment," Seymour says. "The state loses either way." Despite those arguments, the Iowa Senate voted 35 to 12 to approve a bill that gets the state out of the business of regulating ultimate fights. That bill now goes to the Iowa House."
What a TOOL!
It is important to note that Miletich Fighting Systems headquarters is based out of Bettendorf, Iowa and currently trains some of the most elite fighters in MMA today. Fortunately, they cannot stop them from training as the deregulation only affects the legal sanctioning of MMA events in Iowa.
To read the rest of the bad news, click here
UFC 69 Sports Bar Locations
What a combination... UFC, Chicks, Wings & Beer
Gabriel Gonzaga - Hmmmmmmm......
Nobody is talkin' about Gabriel Gonzaga. Why you ask? Well, he is set to fight Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 70 in the U.K. on April 21 and is viewed by most as Cro Cop's next human kicking post victim.
Just wait a minute!
If you were to ask anyone who is in the know and asked them where Cro Cop's glaring weakness is in his game then the answer that would come back almost every time is Mirko's ground game. Even Fedor Emelianenko eluded to that as a fact early this year:
Q: If Nogueira and Cro Cop had a rematch today, who would have a higher chance of winning?
Fedor: Everything depends on how they implement their game plans. If Mirko keeps it standing, Nogueira will suffer. At the same time, if Nogueira forces his game on Mirko and brings the fight to the ground, Mirko will have less of a chance to win, since he is weaker on the ground.
If I were Cro Cop, I would continue to chop down trees with my legs however, if someone who is a takedown and Jiu-Jitsu specialist fights 'legs of steel' Cro Cop, then we would have a very intense and interesting fight on the ground with Mirko's legs taken out of the equation and a possible loss for the Croatan MMA God.
Enter Gabriel Gonzaga...
Gonzaga is not a small man, in fact, he is 6'2" & 242Lbs and sports an MMA record of 7-1-0. I know, it seems to be a lob sided match up in terms of ring experience against Cro Cop who is 6'2" & 215Lbs with an impressive MMA record of 22-4-2.
Gonzaga looks like the next Eddie Sanchez, no doubt, except for the fact that Gonzaga has mad Jiu-Jitsu skills that could potentially be the deciding factor IF the fight goes to the ground.
I have included some really remarkable videos that you will not find anywhere on the same page. The first video shows how quickly Gonzaga transitions on the ground and how well honed his Jiu-Jitsu skills are. I was impressed to see such a big man move like that on the ground. Gonzaga is no human kicking post or blanket for that matter.
The next two videos below the Gonzaga video might piss a few people off and I really don't care. It is important to highlight the 'potential' weakness in a fighter even as great at Cro Cop so I have included the only two fights that Cro Cop lost that were not due to Judges Decision.
The one thing that stood out for me was Cro Cop's weak sprawl and how awkward he looks and probably feels while he is in the guard. Watch the "Big Nog" fight and you'll see Cro Cop offer his arm straight up in the air to defend the ground and pound except that his arm looks like the biggest piece of steak to a hungry wolf with superior submission skills. Very dangerous position for Mirko.
Could this be the way to beat Cro Cop?
Here is what I would do... DO NOT circle left on Mirko. This leaves you open for the left high kick that Cro Cop is famous for. Instead, press the fight directly and try for the shoot take down to the ground. Once on the ground in top position, Mirko is basically useless on his back without his legs of steel. This is the best time to finish with a quick arm bar or transition to an arm triangle then finish with a rear naked choke when a worn down Cro Cop gives his back to escape.
The trick is to get Cro Cop to the ground and if Gonzaga makes the same mistake as Eddie Sanchez and does not try for the takedown multiple times during the fight like Randy Couture did against Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 then you can say goodnight and sweet dreams to Gonzaga when Cro Cop kicks his head clear off his neck and out of the arena, across the Atlantic Ocean then landing in a remote part of the rain forest of Brazil.
I am amped for this fight and I also know that anything can happen especially at the highest level of MMA on the planet. Spike TV will carry the fight for free to North Americans and MMA Fever will post the fights right here for the whole MMA world to enjoy!
Gabriel Gonzaga Vs. Carmelo Marrero @ UFC 66: Liddell Vs. Ortiz II - December 30, 2006
Kevin Randleman Vs. Mirko Cro Cop @ PRIDE Total Elimination 2004 - April 25th, 2004
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Vs. Mirko Cro Cop @ PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 - November 9, 2003
Frank Trigg vs. Robbie Lawler - ICON Middleweight Championship
Frank Trigg and Robbie Lawler fought on Saturday, March 31 for the ICON Sport Middleweight Championship (185Lbs). Ruthless Robbie Lawler dropped Trigg in the fourth round by way of knockout (punches).
Lawler now holds the Middleweight title crown for ICON Sport. ICON is a mixed martial arts organization based out of Honolulu, Hawaii which has launched the careers of fighters such as Frank Shamrock, Vitor Belfort, Tim Sylvia, and Matt Hughes.
It's refreshing to see a good brawl to help with MMA withdrawal:
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler post fight interview: