Friday, January 21, 2011
With medical suspensions for Maynard and Edgar, belt on ice
Medical suspensions from UFC 125 were announced, and both Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard are going to be on ice for a while. From MMAJunkie.com:
Frankie Edgar: Suspended until July 1 due to nasal fracture, though an ENT doctor can clear him early; regardless, minimum suspension until Feb. 16 with no contact until Feb. 1
Gray Maynard: Suspended until Feb. 16 with no contact until Jan. 23 due to facial lacerations
Maynard's suspension is expected after a five-round fight, and he could realistically be fighting again by late April or early May. Edgar's nasal fracture -- one of four nasal fractures at UFC 125 -- could pose a bigger problem. If he is out until July 1, as the suspension suggests, that means no rematch until late August. Even with a doctor's earlier clearance, Edgar still needs time to heal.
A long wait for the lightweight title rematch would be no problem if Anthony Pettis wasn't waiting in the wings. The WEC lightweight champ was promised a shot at the UFC lightweight belt, but that was put on hold after Maynard and Edgar fought to a draw. The longer that the Maynard-Edgar rematch is put on hold, the longer Pettis has to wait.
So what is Pettis to do with his time? How about a trip to Puerto Vallarta? The Milwaukee native who was recently named the Gal's Guide to MMA "Pantydropper of the Year" is headed down to Mexico with Urijah Faber, Erik Koch and friends. Considering that he fought five times in a one-year period, won a belt, filmed a reality show, delivered a kick that became instant water cooler fodder and then still got his title shot postponed, the man deserves some time on a beach.
Royce Gracie News Update - Royce Gracie
The Fight Network catches up with UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie at a strength and conditioning workshop at Toronto BJJ to discuss his current status and to hear his criticisms of wrestling in MMA.Source: http://mmalice.com/royce-gracie/royce-gracie-news-update-video_a118d50f0.html
Vera's nose, Guida's choke and more: Pictures from UFC 125
Check out our exclusive pictures from UFC 125 by Tracy Lee. You'll see a great shot of Brandon Vera's twisted nose, Clay Guida's choke (and his mother's reaction to it) as well as shots from every fight on the card. Enjoy.
Junior dos Santos Favored to Beat Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar is no longer viewed as the baddest man on the planet by the betting public.Lesnar, who has entered the Octagon as the betting favorite in every one of his UFC fights, is actually the underdog for his June bout against Junior dos Santos, which was announced on Tuesday. Bodog lists dos Santos as the favorite at -160 and Lesnar as the underdog at +130.
That says a lot about what the beating Lesnar took at the hands of Cain Velasquez did to Lesnar's reputation. When Lesnar tapped out 90 seconds into his first UFC fight, against Frank Mir, it was easy to write that off as an inexperienced fighter making a mistake against a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt. But the Velasquez fight? That was a good, old-fashioned butt kicking.
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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/12/junior-dos-santos-favored-to-beat-brock-lesnar/
Thursday, January 20, 2011
B.J. Penn learning how to box correctly, according to Floyd Mayweather Sr.
B.J. Penn is on a mission. After two straight losses to current UFC lightweight champ Frank Edgar, Penn scrapped most of his old trainers and began seeking out new voices and experts. The latest he worked with was Floyd Mayweather Sr. Big Floyd has a solid reputation as a boxing trainer and a very high opinion of his work outside the ring.
Mayweather Sr. told FightHype he wasn't impressed when he first began to work with "The Prodigy."
"I’ll be honest, at first, it didn’t seem like he could fight that good. I mean, I don’t know about his ground game and all of that stuff, but he’s got some pop and in just the three days I’ve been working with him, he has improved, man."
Penn is a quick learner. Mayweather continued:
"In his words, man, he told me, ‘I ain’t never seen some of this stuff you’re showing me, man.’ And that’s only after three days. BJ is learning fast, man. He's a good guy."
Mayweather looks forward to helping more MMA fighters, and thinks he's given Penn an edge for his fight against the taller Jon Fitch in February at UFC 127.
"I work with a couple now and I'm all for it. I don't know [expletive] about that ground stuff, but I can get their defense tight and get them throwing their shots right. I got B.J. working something just for a taller opponent. I don't know what B.J.'s ground game is like at all, but if he uses what I'm showing, he won't need it."
This isn't the first time Penn reached out to a top boxing trainer. In the past, he worked with Manny Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach. Roach once told me that Penn was the best MMA fighter he'd worked with as far as straight boxing. Said Mayweather:
"I bet he ain't going back to [Freddie Roach] either. He worked with Freddie 'The Joke Coach' Roach, and he telling me he has never see the stuff I'm showing him. So what does that tell you? Man, the only thing Freddie Roach can do better than me is wash my car."
Expect more of this crossover work in the future. MMA fighters like Penn are smart to seek out the experts from the world of boxing.
Lyle Beerbohm-Pat Healy Main Event Set for Strikeforce Challengers Feb. 18
NEW YORK (Jan. 17, 2011) – In a vitally important fight that will bring the winner one step closer to challenging for a world title, undefeated rising star Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm will face dangerous veteran Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Cedar Park Center in the Austin, Texas, suburb of Cedar Park on Friday, Feb. 18, live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Beerbohm, of Spokane, Wash., will enter a dangerous lightweight (155 pounds) scrap with a record of 15-0. Healy, of St. Louis, is 25-17.
An exclusive pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (www.strikeforce.com/signup.asp) beginning at 10 a.m. CT this Wednesday, Jan. 19, and ending at 10 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 20.
STRIKEFORCE Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter Tuesday tonight with the pre-sale code.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE’s third fight card in 21 days and second in the Lone Star State go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, Jan. 21, and will be available at the Cedar Park Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE's official website (www.strikeforce.com).
The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m.
Both Beerbohm and Healy are highly skilled 155-pounders who are trying to position themselves to contend for a possible shot at STRIKEFORCE World Champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez.
The experienced Healy has faced top quality opposition and is no stranger to a big fight. He showed his ability and tremendous determination in his last start, pushing former STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson to the limit before getting submitted (rear-naked choke) at 4:27 of the third and final scheduled round on June 26, 2010, on SHOWTIME.
All Beerbohm has done is win convincingly.
Beerbohm will be making his fourth start for STRIKEFORCE and his main event debut. This will be his initial appearance on SHOWTIME.
In his last outing for STRIKEFORCE, Beerbohm won a split-decision over four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro on May 15, 2010. It was only the second time one of Beerbohm’s fights went the distance.
A 5-foot-10, three-year pro, Beerbohm, who turns 32 on Feb. 5, has since fought twice, both in his home state of Washington. He is coming off a 2:48, first-round submission (guillotine choke) over Talon Hoffman on Dec. 4, 2010.
Beerbohm literally began his pro career after serving 366 days at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla as a result of felony convictions, all related to a crystal meth addiction.
The day he was freed from prison, he visited a Jiu-Jitsu gym. He had his first amateur fight eight days after being released.
Since entering MMA, Beerbohm has found a discipline and determination that was missing in his life.
"If I didn't go to prison, I probably would be dead today,” he said. “Because I wouldn't get cleaned up. I wouldn't go to rehab. I wouldn't get off the drugs. I didn't want to get off the drugs. (Finally) I traded one addiction for the other. I traded meth for MMA.”
A top wrestler in high school, Beerbohm is a brawler who can switch between southpaw and orthodox stances. He went 12-0 in the amateurs, in spite of the obstacles he had to overcome.
Although the vast majority of his fights have ended early, and he’s recorded more KO’s than submissions, he still considers himself a grappler.
Beerbohm, whose nickname is derived from the custom-made, multi-colored trunks sewn by his mother, owns wins over former world Muay Thai champion and STRIKEFORCE and UFC veteran Duane “Bang’’ Ludwig, as well as UFC vet Rafaello Oliveira.
Beerbohm submitted (bulldog choke) Ludwig in the first round of a non-televised fight at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on June 19, 2009.
“I want to fight the best, I want to fight for the STRIKEFORCE title,’’ said Beerbohm, the head of Washington's Fancy Pants Fight Team.
“All I can do is continue to work hard and beat who they put in front of me," he continued. "This is going to be a very difficult fight for both of us, but I’m confident of winning and moving up the ranks.
“I am very anxious to fight on SHOWTIME and show the fans and STRIKEFORCE what I can do. My goal is to fight for the world title. I want to be the champ. I want a five-round fight. That would be something else.’’
A member of Team Quest, Healy has been an active MMA fighter for nearly a decade. He’s ousted big-name, quality opponents all over the world since turning pro in August 2001, including Paul “Semtex’’ Daley, Carlos Condit and Dan Hardy.
The accomplished veteran is 1-1 in STRIKEFORCE. Before the Thomson tussle, Healy scored an impressive unanimous decision over Bryan Travers (13-1 going in) during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on May 21, 2010.
It was a rare points victory for the well-conditioned, durable wrestling specialist who has won more than half his fights via submission.
Healy has won three of his last four bouts, and six of eight. “I was disappointed I didn’t quite get it done the last time, but I appreciate getting another opportunity against an up-and-coming fighter,’’ Healy said. “This fight is obviously very important to me. I’ll enter the cage with a lot of confidence.’’
Healy got his start in MMA at the age of 15, shortly after he and a brother stood up to a neighborhood bully and Muay Thai practitioner. Following the altercation, Pat wanted to learn more about technical fighting and sought out MMA gyms for formal training.
To supplement his MMA training regimen, he wrestled in high school, gaining All-State accolades and eventually went on to wrestle at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
Following college, Pat knew that he had the potential to do something great and devoted himself full-time to an MMA career.
Healy believes that cardio is his strength and that it allows him to pressure and break his opponents mentally.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE’s Third Event in 21 Days Go On Sale Friday, Jan. 21; Ticket Pre-Sale Begins This Wednesday.
Original Press Release by Strikeforce.
Thanks for reading.
Originally posted at The MMA Truth.
Please come join us on Twitter @MMATruth .
Be a part of our new MMA community on Facebook at The MMA Truth.
You can also follow me on Twitter @acordero2010.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Greg Jackson Evangelizes for MMA on Local TV
Filed under: MMA Media Watch
This local TV news interview with mixed martial arts coach Greg Jackson doesn't break any news for anyone who follows the sport, but it's interesting for a few reasons anyway.For starters, it's a reminder of how far MMA is from being mainstream: When a local channel (in this case, KRQE in Albuquerque) does a show on MMA, they feel the need to spend a full minute telling the viewers to brace themselves because it's "not for the faint of heart." It's just assumed that most of the viewers will have no idea what MMA is, and will be turned off when they see the footage.
But once we get that bit of unpleasantness out of the way, the interview is also interesting because Jackson does such an impressive job of portraying MMA as a cerebral exercise, not a violent competition.
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/18/greg-jackson-evangelizes-for-mma-on-local-tv/
Ryan Jimmo's 'Big Deal Blog' Number Four: Work Out, Punch Faces, Sleep; Wash, Rinse, Repeat
The Big Deal is in the thick of training camp for a championship bout with fellow Canadian Dwayne Lewis at MFC 28 on February 25 in Edmonton Alberta and has offered to write about his preparations for the biggest fight of his career via a weekly blog published every Wednesday leading up to the fight here at CagePotato.com.
Check out Ryan's latest entry after the jump.
MMA Top 10 Featherweights: New Year, New Faces
An injury forced featherweight champion Jose Aldo to drop out of his scheduled fight at UFC 125, and while Aldo was on the sideline for New Year's, the featherweight division underwent some radical changes.
The New Year's cards for the UFC, Dream and Sengoku all had big featherweight fights that featured several surprise results, and now that the dust has settled, the featherweight division looks a whole lot different heading into 2011 than it did for most of 2010 -- with the exception, of course, that Aldo is still the king.
Check out our rankings of the rest of the featherweight division below.
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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/06/mma-top-10-featherweights-new-year-new-faces/
Randy Couture talks Machida, Sonnen, Brock & Maynard - Randy Couture
UFC Hall Of Famer Randy "The Natural" Couture spoke with Dave Farra of MMA:30 about a number of topics including; his upcoming fight with Lyoto Machida, Shogun Rua, his blossoming movie career, the Gray Maynard / Frankie Edgar fight, Chael Sonnen being suspended from the UFC and Brock Lesnar possibly thinking about walking away from the sport. Wednesday, January 19, 2011
UFC cribs video: Silva's personality on display; Conspiracy theorists emerge too
In 2010, the UFC did a great job of upping the video content on its website. This year is off to a good start with a "UFC Cribs" episode featuring middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
The reporter, Paulinha Sack goes toe-to-toe with Silva and the champ shows that he indeed has a good personality. We just wish the media in the U.S. got to see more of that before and between his fights.
During the video shoot, Silva said he weighed 220 pounds. Sack busts his chops about having kids pudding, hot dogs and cheese balls in the refrigerator.
The champ takes us all over his Rio de Janeiro house, even the closet. Either Silva is OCD or he has a great cleaning person. That is one super-organized closet for a dude.
Leave it to the MMA blogosphere to find some controversy in this light video.
Look out! What's that in Silva closet? Needles? Cheater! Hopefully, a full-scaled investigation has been launched.
Caged Insider has the details of needle-gate.
BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch: Who Will Be the More Dangerous Fighter at UFC 127?
BJ Penn and Jon Fitch are scheduled to meet at UFC 127. The fight between the two welterweights will headline the February 27 fight card that will take place at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Fitch was originally scheduled to meet Jake Ellenberger at UFC 126, but that fight was scrapped in favor of a Penn vs. Fitch bout after Penn destroyed Matt Hughes at UFC 123. Penn knocked Hughes out cold, 21 seconds into the first round of their fight.
Fitch is facing much pressure from outside of his camp going into this bout.
The knock on Fitch is that he does not finish fights. His last stoppage victory was in June of 2007 when he defeated Roan Carneiro via rear-naked choke.
Since that victory, he has had eight fights—all decided by the judges. Fitch won seven of those bouts and lost one—his sole loss coming in a title fight against Georges St. Pierre in August 2008.
Fitch spoke to USA Today back in November and when he was asked if he thought he had to finish fights more often he replied, “Yeah. I basically feel like I haven't done the appropriate job of putting the exclamation point at the end of my sentences. I take that as a personal challenge to myself, because as a martial artist, I need to be evolving and getting better. If I keep winning fights the same way, I don't see myself as evolving. If we're not evolving in martial arts, then we're dead.”
Fitch then went into more detail, “(I'm) experimenting and trying some new things. The little bit of time off has been good for me, so I've had some laboratory time, kind of. I think I'm onto what I need, and I'm planning on showing it from now on in my future fights. It's a more refined Jon Fitch. Refining my grinding style to a point where it's more open, more damaging, more finishing.”
For his part, BJ Penn is not buying it and he expects to see more of the same from Fitch, "I know he’s under pressure, people telling him that he has to finish fights and stuff but I honestly think he’s just going to come out and do the same thing he always does, he’s a grinder and he goes after you and grind you into the ground and I just have to stop all that and turn it around,” Penn told MMA Sports Magazine.
Penn also said that he and Fitch are at different points in their careers, “Well me and Jon Fitch are in two different places in our lives. All these fighters are really, really, really concerned about one thing, winning. And it’s not that I’m not concerned about that, but I’ve been in their shoes for a long time and that’s all I was concerned about too. But more concerned than winning, I want to show everybody my fighting spirit.”
The question that this talk brings to mind is, who will be the more dangerous fighter when Penn and Fitch step into the Octagon in February?
Will it be Fitch—who is feeling pressure from his detractors to finish and wants another shot at the welterweight title?
Or will it be Penn—who is solely focused on fighting his best fight?
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Maturing Guillard doesn't want to blow opportunity at 'Fight for the Troops' card
Melvin Guillard speaks like a grizzled veteran. That's interesting coming from a dude who's still a few months short of 28. As he preps for his main-event fight at next weekend's Fight for the Troops card, Guillard is ready to launch himself into title contention after an up-and-down career with the UFC. "You know, there's a lot of things in my past that haunted me and kept me from being at the top, a lot of mistakes I've made. I grew as an adult. I grew as a fighter and I grew just having a new team and an environment of people that care for what I'm doing," said Guillard, who's been training for the last year or so with Greg Jackson in Albuquerque.
"And right now my mental focus right now is I will be a UFC Champion in 2011. I went undefeated in 2010 and I called that in the beginning of 2010. Right now my focus right now is my career and I want to elevate it to the next level."
Guillard (26-8, 9-4 UFC) is gifted in most aspects of mixed martial arts, but he's struggled mentally at times inside and outside the Octagon.
"You know, I got caught up with drugs and just the negative people around me," Guillard said during the Fight for the Troops prefight teleconference (thanks to Spike for the transcript).
"And I think that’s what's big about what's going on in my life right now. I don’t have any negative people, no negative energy around me. I have a loving wife who supports me. She spends all her time in my training camps. You know, she gives up time from being in college to be here with me, you know."
Guillard says countless people have helped him over the years and he doesn't want to let them down.
"And, you know, the same with, you know, Dana and the UFC. You know, when Katrina hit, they came looking for me. Dana relocated me to Utah to live with Josh Burkman. You know, so many people has done so much for me and they believe in everything that I do and the skills that I have. I would be selfish not to take what people tell me and put it to use," said Guillard.
"So if I was out there still messing up and doing drugs and messing with the negative people, I'm letting down all the people that really believe in me including the fans. You know? There's so many fans out there now that love me so much that always loved me and I just felt I was being real selfish, you know, thinking of myself," said Guillard
Albuquerque and Team Jackson has brought needed structure to his life.
"I don’t do after parties anymore. I might go out and just hang out but I'm not doing after parties, getting drunk," Guillard said. "Like I'm really focused in right now on being a real champion and not only becoming a real champion but I want to hold that belt just as long as my teammate GSP has done it. You know, I want to have a legacy. I want to be a superstar and I want to be a legend in this sport but I'm just a fighter."
Guillard also knows he can go for broke. If he loses, he'll still have a job.
"Yes, I want to win it but the most important thing for me day to day and year to year is to make sure that I fight my butt off so that I don’t get cut because now, we can win fights and be a boring fight and you'll still lose your job," Guillard said.
"So, you know, I just stick to just going in there and give the crowd, especially my bosses -- you know what I mean? So, you know, and for fighters, it's easy for us to keep a job if some of the fighters would really pay attention. You know, we go in there and just leave it in the cage, win or lose. I've lost four fights in the UFC by submission and I've had Dana come to me and say, 'Kid, you were winning that fight. You just made a mistake.' You know what I mean?"
This is a huge opportunity. The promotion seems to be a big fan of Dunham. He lost his last fight against Sean Sherk due to a questionable decision. The UFC stood behind Dunham and threw right into a televised main event. Guillard is stepping in for the injured Kenny Florian.
If Dunham smokes Guillard, he may be in line for a title shot after the Frank Edgar-Gray Maynard-Anthony Pettis mix is sorted out. A huge finish by Guillard could change his career. It would be a nice chapter in what's been a pretty tumultuous story.
Lyle Beerbohm-Pat Healy Main Event Set for Strikeforce Challengers Feb. 18
NEW YORK (Jan. 17, 2011) – In a vitally important fight that will bring the winner one step closer to challenging for a world title, undefeated rising star Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm will face dangerous veteran Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Cedar Park Center in the Austin, Texas, suburb of Cedar Park on Friday, Feb. 18, live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Beerbohm, of Spokane, Wash., will enter a dangerous lightweight (155 pounds) scrap with a record of 15-0. Healy, of St. Louis, is 25-17.
An exclusive pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (www.strikeforce.com/signup.asp) beginning at 10 a.m. CT this Wednesday, Jan. 19, and ending at 10 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 20.
STRIKEFORCE Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter Tuesday tonight with the pre-sale code.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE’s third fight card in 21 days and second in the Lone Star State go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, Jan. 21, and will be available at the Cedar Park Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE's official website (www.strikeforce.com).
The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m.
Both Beerbohm and Healy are highly skilled 155-pounders who are trying to position themselves to contend for a possible shot at STRIKEFORCE World Champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez.
The experienced Healy has faced top quality opposition and is no stranger to a big fight. He showed his ability and tremendous determination in his last start, pushing former STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson to the limit before getting submitted (rear-naked choke) at 4:27 of the third and final scheduled round on June 26, 2010, on SHOWTIME.
All Beerbohm has done is win convincingly.
Beerbohm will be making his fourth start for STRIKEFORCE and his main event debut. This will be his initial appearance on SHOWTIME.
In his last outing for STRIKEFORCE, Beerbohm won a split-decision over four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro on May 15, 2010. It was only the second time one of Beerbohm’s fights went the distance.
A 5-foot-10, three-year pro, Beerbohm, who turns 32 on Feb. 5, has since fought twice, both in his home state of Washington. He is coming off a 2:48, first-round submission (guillotine choke) over Talon Hoffman on Dec. 4, 2010.
Beerbohm literally began his pro career after serving 366 days at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla as a result of felony convictions, all related to a crystal meth addiction.
The day he was freed from prison, he visited a Jiu-Jitsu gym. He had his first amateur fight eight days after being released.
Since entering MMA, Beerbohm has found a discipline and determination that was missing in his life.
"If I didn't go to prison, I probably would be dead today,” he said. “Because I wouldn't get cleaned up. I wouldn't go to rehab. I wouldn't get off the drugs. I didn't want to get off the drugs. (Finally) I traded one addiction for the other. I traded meth for MMA.”
A top wrestler in high school, Beerbohm is a brawler who can switch between southpaw and orthodox stances. He went 12-0 in the amateurs, in spite of the obstacles he had to overcome.
Although the vast majority of his fights have ended early, and he’s recorded more KO’s than submissions, he still considers himself a grappler.
Beerbohm, whose nickname is derived from the custom-made, multi-colored trunks sewn by his mother, owns wins over former world Muay Thai champion and STRIKEFORCE and UFC veteran Duane “Bang’’ Ludwig, as well as UFC vet Rafaello Oliveira.
Beerbohm submitted (bulldog choke) Ludwig in the first round of a non-televised fight at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on June 19, 2009.
“I want to fight the best, I want to fight for the STRIKEFORCE title,’’ said Beerbohm, the head of Washington's Fancy Pants Fight Team.
“All I can do is continue to work hard and beat who they put in front of me," he continued. "This is going to be a very difficult fight for both of us, but I’m confident of winning and moving up the ranks.
“I am very anxious to fight on SHOWTIME and show the fans and STRIKEFORCE what I can do. My goal is to fight for the world title. I want to be the champ. I want a five-round fight. That would be something else.’’
A member of Team Quest, Healy has been an active MMA fighter for nearly a decade. He’s ousted big-name, quality opponents all over the world since turning pro in August 2001, including Paul “Semtex’’ Daley, Carlos Condit and Dan Hardy.
The accomplished veteran is 1-1 in STRIKEFORCE. Before the Thomson tussle, Healy scored an impressive unanimous decision over Bryan Travers (13-1 going in) during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on May 21, 2010.
It was a rare points victory for the well-conditioned, durable wrestling specialist who has won more than half his fights via submission.
Healy has won three of his last four bouts, and six of eight. “I was disappointed I didn’t quite get it done the last time, but I appreciate getting another opportunity against an up-and-coming fighter,’’ Healy said. “This fight is obviously very important to me. I’ll enter the cage with a lot of confidence.’’
Healy got his start in MMA at the age of 15, shortly after he and a brother stood up to a neighborhood bully and Muay Thai practitioner. Following the altercation, Pat wanted to learn more about technical fighting and sought out MMA gyms for formal training.
To supplement his MMA training regimen, he wrestled in high school, gaining All-State accolades and eventually went on to wrestle at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
Following college, Pat knew that he had the potential to do something great and devoted himself full-time to an MMA career.
Healy believes that cardio is his strength and that it allows him to pressure and break his opponents mentally.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE’s Third Event in 21 Days Go On Sale Friday, Jan. 21; Ticket Pre-Sale Begins This Wednesday.
Original Press Release by Strikeforce.
Thanks for reading.
Originally posted at The MMA Truth.
Please come join us on Twitter @MMATruth .
Be a part of our new MMA community on Facebook at The MMA Truth.
You can also follow me on Twitter @acordero2010.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Royce Gracie News Update - Royce Gracie
The Fight Network catches up with UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie at a strength and conditioning workshop at Toronto BJJ to discuss his current status and to hear his criticisms of wrestling in MMA.Source: http://mmalice.com/royce-gracie/royce-gracie-news-update-video_a118d50f0.html
UFC Madison Square Garden Press Conference Video
The UFC still can't promote a fight at Madison Square Garden, but the promotion will have a press conference there on Thursday afternoon to formally announce its intention to bring the Octagon to America's most famous sports arena.We'll have live video of the press conference right here at MMAFighting.com.
UFC President Dana White and co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta will preside over the press conference, where they'll discuss their plans for an event in New York City -- whenever mixed martial arts is finally legalized in New York.
The press conference begins at 2 PM ET and the video is below.
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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/13/ufc-madison-square-garden-press-conference-video/
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
MMA Top 10 Featherweights: New Year, New Faces
An injury forced featherweight champion Jose Aldo to drop out of his scheduled fight at UFC 125, and while Aldo was on the sideline for New Year's, the featherweight division underwent some radical changes.
The New Year's cards for the UFC, Dream and Sengoku all had big featherweight fights that featured several surprise results, and now that the dust has settled, the featherweight division looks a whole lot different heading into 2011 than it did for most of 2010 -- with the exception, of course, that Aldo is still the king.
Check out our rankings of the rest of the featherweight division below.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/06/mma-top-10-featherweights-new-year-new-faces/
After beating McKee, Volkmann has his sights set on Obama
Jacob Volkmann took a split-decision win over Antonio McKee, and was clearly frustrated by how the fight went. In an interview with FanHouse, he voiced his problems with his performance, then made a sharp right turn towards politics. Skip to the three-minute mark to hear Volkmann waffle about wanting to fight maybe Clay Guida, then switching to the president of the United States.
"Actually, Obama," Volkmann said. Interviewer Ariel Helwani gave Volkmann a chance to walk it back, but he continued. "He's not too bright ... Someone needs to knock some sense into that idiot. I just don't like what Barack is doing."
Regardless of your political leanings, advocating an assault of the president of the United States isn't really a bright idea, either. No one wants a knock on the door from the Secret Service. For the record, Obama has a bachelor's degree from Columbia University and a law degree from Harvard.
Five MMA Fighters Who Beat Addiction
Addiction can make the toughest S.O.B. as powerless as this guy. While many MMA fighters have had their lives and careers derailed by drugs and alcohol, some were strong enough to find treatment and pull their lives out of the tailspin. Here's our tribute to five of them...
LYLE BEERBOHM
Drug of choice: methamphetamines
Rock bottom moment: Wandering around the streets looking for a place to sleep after he had burned his bridges with everybody in his life. When he landed in the Washington State Penitentiary for 18 months for drug-related felonies after six years of shooting meth, nobody in his family came to visit him.
Recovery: While in the joint, Beerbohm began watching The Ultimate Fighter and became inspired to fight for a living; he'd already had to physically defend himself in prison a few times. "Fancy Pants" joined an MMA gym the day he got out, and won his first amateur fight eight days later. Beerbohm is currently 16-0 as a pro, and will take on Pat Healy in the main event of Strikeforce Challengers 14 next month.
COURT McGEE
Drug of choice: Alcohol, cocaine, heroin, meth, etc.
Rock bottom moment: McGee began abusing drugs after falling in with the wrong crowd after high school, and was once pronounced dead following a heroin overdose. In 2006, McGee had managed to stay sober for five months. In order to test his willpower, he took a trip to Las Vegas and decided to order just one drink. He woke up four days later in Iowa, not wearing any pants.
Recovery: McGee has been sober since April 16, 2006, two weeks after the Vegas/Iowa incident. He began training in MMA and rebuilding relationships with his family, which helped restore order to his life. "Crusher" came out of nowhere to win TUF 11 last June, and submitted Ryan Jensen in his follow-up fight at UFC 121.
Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/five-mma-fighters-who-beat-addiction
UFC 125 Highlights - UFC 125
Did Fight of the Year go down on January 1? Some say yes - if you missed a minute of the non-stop action, catch the replay at UFCLive.com.Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-125/ufc-125-highlights-video_3fda62e5c.html
Guida's wild movement yields a submission win over Gomi at UFC 125
There's no one like Clay Guida in the world of mixed martial arts. His head movement and footwork is frenetic. He had Takanori Gomi confused from the opening moments of their fight. With Gomi off balance and punching at the air, Guida got his takedown game going. He showed off some solid jiu-jitsu in locking on a guillotine choke. Gomi tapped at 2:39 of the second.
Gomi (32-7-1, 1-2 UFC) did a decent job of stuffing Guida's takedowns until the middle of the second round. Guida shot in, Gomi landed a good knee but the American ate the shot and settled the fight down in half guard. Guida got a hold of Gomi's head and tried to pass to the mount. Gomi tried to fight the guard pass by rolling, but it allowed Guida to spin to his back where he locked the guillotine. It was too tight and Gomi had to tap.
Update - Guida's guillotine choke got him Submission of the Night. He received $60,000. It was Guida's fifth postfight award in 13 UFC fights.
Gomi, a legend in Japan, once considered by some as the No. 1 lightweight in the world, actually looked fine in the fight. Guida is a difficult matchup for strikers. Gomi came out in a low stance and did everything he could to find Guida, but he couldn't. He landed a few shots as he switched from southpaw to conventional throughout. Nothing ever rocked Guida.
Guida (28-11, 8-5 UFC) has now won three straight and is probably in the mix again for a fight against a top five fighter at 155. The last time he tried, he lost back-to-back matches against Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez.
Poirier cuts through the Grispi hype for a decision win at UFC 125
Dustin Poirier derailed the Josh Grispi hype train, beating him in a unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three judges cards at UFC 125 on Saturday night. Grispi had no answer for Poirier's stand-up, and his lack of experience in later rounds showed.
Poirier surprised Grispi in the first round, landing several striking unanswered combinations. He used a front kick both to create distance and to knock Grispi on the ground. Twice, when Grispi tried for a takedown, Poirier ended up on top. Grispi tried for a Kimura near the end of the round, but couldn't finish.
In Grispi's first second round since the Spring of 2007, Grispi attempted to take Poirier down and maintain control. He couldn't do it. Poirier moved to the top, pinned Grispi's arm down and landed short punches before letting Grispi stand up. Back on the ground, Grispi tried for a triangle choke. Poirier slammed Grispi off of his neck and then followed up with a strike.
Poirier utilized the clinch for much of the third round, landing knee after knee on the exhausted Grispi. He was able to get a takedown with less than a minute left, but he wasn't able to do anything to Poirier from the top position.
Grispi had been scheduled to fight UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo on ths card, but an injury sideline the champ. Grispi wanted to still fight on the card, and was given Poirier. Given the beating that Poirier put down, it was clear that Grispi was not the fighter to end Aldo's run.
Guillard and the UFC honored to be fighting for the troops
The military has given to him, so Melvin Guillard is happy to give back. The same goes for UFC president Dana White.
The promotion is just a few days away from putting on its third fight card on a U.S. military base. This time it's Ft. Hood in Texas and the UFC is hoping to exceed the $4 million it raised in late 2008 with a fight card in Fayetteville, N.C.
"I'm going to give these guys a show," Guillard said during the "Fight for the Troops 2" teleconference. "You know, they work so hard to protect us every year, year after year. Some of them give up going overseas and got to live there for years at a time. And, you know, this is a blessing for me to even be asked to give a performance that I'm going to give these guys next week -- and guys and girls. So to me, it's just all part of being an American and I'm honored."
Guillard knows first hand of the sacrifice.
"I stay right now in Albuquerque with Staff Sergeant Chris Molina and his family. This is where I stay when I come here. So, you know, getting the military experience of staying with families, you know, seeing what these guys go through to protect our country, I've actually had chances to visit certain military bases and I also have a ton of friends in high school that got out of high school that’s in military, whether it's Marine Corps or Army or Air Force or whatever," said Guillard.
White decided Ft. Hood was a good spot this time around after seeing the work done by the Fisher family in Texas and around the country.
"What happened was we got invited down there and I went down. It was the first time I'd ever seen anything like that -- when I visited the hospital and what these guys, you know, the Fisher family who started this thing, what they’ve done for the troops here fighting in the United States, it's -- I can't even -- I can't put it into words for you. When these kids get injured, you know, you’ve got these 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kids that are getting injured over there -- they come back, it's sad to say but the government doesn’t take care of them, which is mind boggling," said White.
"So this family has put together this thing where -- and if you're a parent of one of these kids, I mean anybody who's on this call who has kids can understand. Your kid gets his arms, legs blown off, his face is melted -- the horrible things that happen to these guys -- and they're laying in a hospital bed out in the middle of Nowhere, Virginia, what do you do? You know what you do? You quit your job, you lose everything you have and you drive out there and you live in your car and you sit in a chair in the bed next to them."
The UFC raised $4 million around Fight for the Troops 1 and is hoping to eclipse that number this time. The proceeds this year will benefit the 53 Fisher Houses around the U.S. and in Germany and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
"Fight for the Troops" goes down this Saturday on Spike (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).
Thanks to Spike for conference call transcript
Strikeforce Considered Herschel Walker vs. Don Frye or Mark Coleman
Filed under: Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, News
We're 15 days away from Herschel Walker's second pro MMA fight, and it's safe to say that there is a considerable less amount of buzz heading into the sequel.Part of that has to do with the mammoth shadow cast over the Jan. 29 Strikeforce event by the upcoming heavyweight grand prix, and the other part is most of us feel like we've seen this movie before: Herschel Walker vs. unknown fighter X. Been there done that. As you may recall, Walker defeated the unknown Greg Nagy last January, and many are expecting him to do the same against Scott Carson when they meet in San Jose, Calif.
And while pundits and fans criticized Strikeforce for the matchmaking when this fight was first announced, which was originally supposed to take place in December before Walker suffered a cut under his eye in training, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said on Monday's episode of The MMA Hour, that the organization originally had some big plans for the former Heisman Trophy winner.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Dana White lashes out when asked if Brock Lesnar is qualified to coach on TUF
For casual fans and television executives, the news that crossover star Brock Lesnar is going to coach on Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter" is great news. For some reason, several media types and many hardcore fans are questioning the choice.
Lesnar, with only seven fights under his belt, clearly has some holes in his game.
Ariel Helwani from Fanhouse asked if the integrity of show would be affected with such a green fighter as the coach (2:35 mark).
"I think that's one of the craziest things I've ever heard you say. the guy's a former world champion. He's beat guys and held the title. No matter what his record is, what the guy's accomplished in a short amount of time in MMA is incredible," said White.
Lesnar, a former NCAA wrestling heavyweight champ, works with Marty Morgan. Morgan is also a former NCAA champ, who went on to wrestle at an elite level on the Greco-Roman international scene.
"He's obviously got a lot that he can teach. Not only that, but the staff he's got around him have a lot to teach up and coming guys. That's really what it's all about," said White.
White then turned it up a notch.
"To say the guy doesn't have the credentials to coach the 'Ultimate Fighter' is probably one of the dumbest things I've ever heard," said White (3:20 mark).
Is the show and the choice of coaches really about the quality of the coach?
Clearly TUF is a mix of entertainment and some fighting. If it were just about the fighting then current MMA stars like Jon Fitch, Frank Edgar and Tyron Woodley wouldn't have been rejected in the past. You'd also see tons of training footage with all those brilliant assistant coaches who've been on the show over the years.
On the subject of Lesnar as a coach. We really have no idea what sort of coach he'll be. He may be great at imparting his knowledge of grappling and wrestling. He may also stink just like 38-fight veteran Ken Shamrock did during his stint on TUF 3. It's also likely that Erik Paulson will be the guy working on striking with Team Lesnar. There's a lot of fighters around MMA who respect Paulson. Are they wrong?
Lesnar comes from similar background as wrestlers like Randy Couture (TUF 1) and Matt Hughes (TUF 2). Would you call either one of those guys boxing savants back when their seasons taped in 2004 and 2005 respectively?
Pipe down. Enjoy the show for what it is. It's part prospect training camp, part personality development for the coaches and part selling the sport. TUF 13 will deliver the biggest ratings in the history of the show. How can that be a bad thing?
Getting to know Strikeforce light heavyweight Rhadi Ferguson
Judo Olympian Rhadi Ferguson (in blue) will make his Strikeforce debut on Friday night as part of the Challengers card airing on Showtime. (Don't forget, it's a free preview weekend for Showtime, so you'll get to see the fights even if you don't normally get Showtime.) What do you need to know about Ferguson?
-- Ferguson has a doctorate and master's degree in education from Howard University.
-- According to Strikeforce, he is the only man to have competed in the Olympics, Abu Dhabi and the BJJ World Championships. Clearly, he'll be looking for a stand-up battle against John Richard.*
-- His cousin is Kevin Ferguson, a fighter you may know better by the name Kimbo Slice.
-- He decided to try MMA when watching fights last year with his wife.
“I’ve trained MMA fighters and participated in MMA seminars since 2005. But I decided that night watching MMA on TV that I wanted to fight. There are certain times at my age when you can say a lot of things that you want to do, but can’t. I could say I want to play in the NFL, but that could never happen," Ferguson said during pre-fight open workouts, according to a promotion press release.
“MMA was different. I was confident I could do this, but didn’t want to wait until it was too late. I can’t look back and say I regret not playing in the NFL, but I could look back and regret not giving MMA a go."
-- This will be his third fight. Despite having a submission-laden background, his first two wins were by TKO.
*Sarcasm!
With title bout off the table, who should Anthony Pettis fight next?
When Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar fought to a draw on New Year's Day, the big loser was Anthony Pettis. He earned a title shot by winning the WEC lightweight belt in the promotion's last show, but that was pushed back in favor of an Edgar/Maynard rematch.
Now, reports have surfaced that Pettis will take on Clay Guida this spring instead of waiting for the chance at the UFC title shot. There was another UFC lightweight who was hoping for that bout.
Kenny Florian, who expects to return from a knee injury he sustained while training for a bout with Evan Dunham, wanted a shot at Pettis.
"I think if he wants to establish himself as a top lightweight, I think I've done a lot more than a lot of the guys out there," said Florian, who beat Guida by rear naked choke in Dec. 2009. "Gray Maynard beat me, obviously, but I still think I'm the third guy in the division. What better way to get to the top than a win over me?"
It's quite a benevolent move from Florian to offer himself as a launching pad for Pettis' career, but Florian isn't dumb. A win over the red-hot Pettis, who made national sports news with his Matrix-like kick in his win over Ben Henderson, could right the course for Florian. His last fight was a loss to Gray Maynard. He was then called a choker by UFC president Dana White and then was hit with the knee injury.
Would you rather see Pettis take on Guida, a wrestler with a frenetic pace, or a well-rounded fighter like Florian? Perhaps he would be challenged by a jiu-jitsu ace like George Sotiropoulous, or another fighter in the UFC's stacked lightweight division. Here's your chance to play amateur matchmaker.
Jake Shields thinks he's the man to dethrone GSP in their upcoming title fight - Jake Shields
Jake Shields goes one on one with MMACanada.net in Montreal following Georges St-Pierre's successful defeat of Josh Koscheck. Shields is the next man in line for the title shot and thinks his wrestling and Jiu Jitsu skills are superior enough to dethrone GSP in their upcoming title fight. Don't miss this one on one with former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields
UFC suspends Sonnen after guilty plea in mortgage fraud
Following his guilty plea in a mortgage fraud case, UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen has been suspended by the UFC, and his bout with Yoshihiro Akiyama is on hold. TMZ reported that Dana White said that Sonnen's contract is "frozen."
"Chael Sonnen has gone through a lot in the last few months and we think it's important for him to focus on getting his personal life together before focusing on his career in the UFC." White adds, "I spoke with Chael earlier today and he agrees that setting priorities in his life is the best thing for him right now. I sincerely hope Chael is able to straighten out his personal life."
Sonnen is expected to receive two years probation and be required to pay a $10,000 fine. He is far from the first UFC fighter to run afoul of the law while on the promotion's payroll.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, the one-time light heavyweight champ, plead guilty last January to going on a reckless driving spree in southern California. Later in 2009, he coached on "The Ultimate Fighter" and starred in a remake of "The A-Team."
Josh Neer fought on Ultimate Fight Night 17 just over a month after his second DUI arrest, but wasn't cut from the UFC until he had two losses in a row. Chris Leben, who fought last weekend at UFC 125, was arrested for a DUI in October 2010 and a probation violation in April 2008.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Alistair Overeem vs Tyrone Spong at K-1 Quarter Final Grand Prix 2010 - Alistair Overeem
K-1 World Grand Prix Final 2010, [ Quarter Final ]
Maturing Guillard doesn't want to blow opportunity at 'Fight for the Troops' card
Melvin Guillard speaks like a grizzled veteran. That's interesting coming from a dude who's still a few months short of 28. As he preps for his main-event fight at next weekend's Fight for the Troops card, Guillard is ready to launch himself into title contention after an up-and-down career with the UFC. "You know, there's a lot of things in my past that haunted me and kept me from being at the top, a lot of mistakes I've made. I grew as an adult. I grew as a fighter and I grew just having a new team and an environment of people that care for what I'm doing," said Guillard, who's been training for the last year or so with Greg Jackson in Albuquerque.
"And right now my mental focus right now is I will be a UFC Champion in 2011. I went undefeated in 2010 and I called that in the beginning of 2010. Right now my focus right now is my career and I want to elevate it to the next level."
Guillard (26-8, 9-4 UFC) is gifted in most aspects of mixed martial arts, but he's struggled mentally at times inside and outside the Octagon.
"You know, I got caught up with drugs and just the negative people around me," Guillard said during the Fight for the Troops prefight teleconference (thanks to Spike for the transcript).
"And I think that’s what's big about what's going on in my life right now. I don’t have any negative people, no negative energy around me. I have a loving wife who supports me. She spends all her time in my training camps. You know, she gives up time from being in college to be here with me, you know."
Guillard says countless people have helped him over the years and he doesn't want to let them down.
"And, you know, the same with, you know, Dana and the UFC. You know, when Katrina hit, they came looking for me. Dana relocated me to Utah to live with Josh Burkman. You know, so many people has done so much for me and they believe in everything that I do and the skills that I have. I would be selfish not to take what people tell me and put it to use," said Guillard.
"So if I was out there still messing up and doing drugs and messing with the negative people, I'm letting down all the people that really believe in me including the fans. You know? There's so many fans out there now that love me so much that always loved me and I just felt I was being real selfish, you know, thinking of myself," said Guillard
Albuquerque and Team Jackson has brought needed structure to his life.
"I don’t do after parties anymore. I might go out and just hang out but I'm not doing after parties, getting drunk," Guillard said. "Like I'm really focused in right now on being a real champion and not only becoming a real champion but I want to hold that belt just as long as my teammate GSP has done it. You know, I want to have a legacy. I want to be a superstar and I want to be a legend in this sport but I'm just a fighter."
Guillard also knows he can go for broke. If he loses, he'll still have a job.
"Yes, I want to win it but the most important thing for me day to day and year to year is to make sure that I fight my butt off so that I don’t get cut because now, we can win fights and be a boring fight and you'll still lose your job," Guillard said.
"So, you know, I just stick to just going in there and give the crowd, especially my bosses -- you know what I mean? So, you know, and for fighters, it's easy for us to keep a job if some of the fighters would really pay attention. You know, we go in there and just leave it in the cage, win or lose. I've lost four fights in the UFC by submission and I've had Dana come to me and say, 'Kid, you were winning that fight. You just made a mistake.' You know what I mean?"
This is a huge opportunity. The promotion seems to be a big fan of Dunham. He lost his last fight against Sean Sherk due to a questionable decision. The UFC stood behind Dunham and threw right into a televised main event. Guillard is stepping in for the injured Kenny Florian.
If Dunham smokes Guillard, he may be in line for a title shot after the Frank Edgar-Gray Maynard-Anthony Pettis mix is sorted out. A huge finish by Guillard could change his career. It would be a nice chapter in what's been a pretty tumultuous story.
B.J. Penn learning how to box correctly, according to Floyd Mayweather Sr.
B.J. Penn is on a mission. After two straight losses to current UFC lightweight champ Frank Edgar, Penn scrapped most of his old trainers and began seeking out new voices and experts. The latest he worked with was Floyd Mayweather Sr. Big Floyd has a solid reputation as a boxing trainer and a very high opinion of his work outside the ring.
Mayweather Sr. told FightHype he wasn't impressed when he first began to work with "The Prodigy."
"I’ll be honest, at first, it didn’t seem like he could fight that good. I mean, I don’t know about his ground game and all of that stuff, but he’s got some pop and in just the three days I’ve been working with him, he has improved, man."
Penn is a quick learner. Mayweather continued:
"In his words, man, he told me, ‘I ain’t never seen some of this stuff you’re showing me, man.’ And that’s only after three days. BJ is learning fast, man. He's a good guy."
Mayweather looks forward to helping more MMA fighters, and thinks he's given Penn an edge for his fight against the taller Jon Fitch in February at UFC 127.
"I work with a couple now and I'm all for it. I don't know [expletive] about that ground stuff, but I can get their defense tight and get them throwing their shots right. I got B.J. working something just for a taller opponent. I don't know what B.J.'s ground game is like at all, but if he uses what I'm showing, he won't need it."
This isn't the first time Penn reached out to a top boxing trainer. In the past, he worked with Manny Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach. Roach once told me that Penn was the best MMA fighter he'd worked with as far as straight boxing. Said Mayweather:
"I bet he ain't going back to [Freddie Roach] either. He worked with Freddie 'The Joke Coach' Roach, and he telling me he has never see the stuff I'm showing him. So what does that tell you? Man, the only thing Freddie Roach can do better than me is wash my car."
Expect more of this crossover work in the future. MMA fighters like Penn are smart to seek out the experts from the world of boxing.