CNN rolling out one-hour feature on female fighting this Sunday night

CNN will devote an hour to mixed martial arts this weekend with its "Fighting Girls" piece on "CNN Presents."

[...] Today, it's one of the fastest growing sports among men? and now women.� But why would any woman climb into a cage for all-out combat for what amounts to almost nothing?� CNN's Amber Lyon steps into the Octagon to find out.

One hour ? four riveting stories.� Don't miss CNN Presents hosted by CNN's Soledad O'Brien and Dr. Sanjay Gupta this Sunday, October 23 at 8:00 pm ET, re-airing at 11:00 pm ET and 2:00 am ET.

Las Vegas' Michelle Gutierrez is one of the featured fighters. A former boxer, she trains at Throwdown in Sin City.

"The most rewarding part of fighting is the feeling you get when the cage door shuts. It's you alone, fending for yourself, kind of like taking care of yourself in the worst conditions," she states. "It's unlike anything else."

She's a Twitter maniac, but says trash talk isn't needed in fighting.

"My goal in MMA is to break the mold. To be girly, but tough; a striker and a submission artist; a class act that gets along with everyone and avoids the catty call outs," Gutierrez said.

She lifted that rule for a few celebs during a conversation with Bleacher Report last year.

"I would go after Lindsay Lohan because she's so skanky, you know? Snooki is skanky too but there's somewhat of a normal girl underneath all of that hairspray and tan but Lindsay is so pale and sick looking. She needs to get off drugs, go eat some food and go for a run or something," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez is also the mother of a five-year old.

"I want to be successful at this sport to make my daughter proud. I want her to see that a girl can do anything they want; even fight for a living. And I want to make a name for myself so that I know my mother would have been proud as well."

The CNN piece should be interesting. In the past, the network has been a bit skittish about the sport. How it'll cover the female side of the sport is anyone's guess.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/CNN-rolling-out-one-hour-feature-on-female-fight?urn=mma-wp8352

Mike Pyle Travis Browne Randy Couture

Jamie Varner Returns, Wins by First-Round Knockout

Filed under: HDNet

Just four weeks after announcing his retirement from mixed martial arts following a disappointing loss, Jamie Varner returned to the cage on Friday night and won a first-round knockout victory over Nate Jolly.

The fight lasted just 1 minute, 10 seconds, and it was a mismatch: The fighters clinched, Varner used a trip-takedown to get on top of Jolly on the ground, then he simply unloaded a barrage of punches that knocked Jolly out. Jolly barely put up a fight.

Varner credited his coaches for convincing him not to retire, and for getting him into better shape for this fight than he was for his loss last month.

"If it wasn't for the guys standing behind me," Varner said, "those are the people who really believed in me when I didn't believe in myself."

Varner's victory was the final fight in an XFC card that featured a great story on the undercard: Mikey Gomez stepped into the cage and fought just hours after his father died, deciding to go through with the bout as a tribute to his dad. Gomez looked great, showing off a nice bit of Brazilian jiu jitsu to fight his way out of an arm bar attempt from Mike Bernhard only to transition into a dominant position and end up forcing Bernhard to tap out to a rear-naked choke.

In other XFC action:
-- Carmelo Marrero beat Scott Barrett by unanimous decision in a sloppy, ugly heavyweight fight.
-- Marianna Kheyfets turned Molly Helsel's face into a bloody mess in the process of winning a unanimous decision in a women's 125-pound fight.
-- Reggie Pena beat Josh Clark by unanimous decision.
-- Nicolae Cury forced Elijah Harshbargar to tap out to an arm bar at just 1 minute, 27 seconds of the first round.
-- John Mahlo beat Bruce Connors by unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three judges' cards.

 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/10/21/jamie-varner-returns-wins-by-first-round-knockout/

Carlos Condit Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle

Photo: Sir Charles Barkley enjoyed UFC 136

NBA legend and TNT analyst Charles Barkley was one of the 16,164 at the Toyota Center in Houston for UFC 136. Barkley took a second to pose for a picture with Strikeforce welterweight contender Tyron Woodley and his wife Averi.

Barkley was also in Philadelphia for UFC 133. He was known for being a bruiser in his NBA days, and once punched Chicago Bulls mascot Benny the Bull. Would you like to see him in the cage?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Photo-Sir-Charles-Barkley-enjoyed-UFC-136?urn=mma-wp8072

Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle Travis Browne

UFC 137: BJ Penn and 5 Fighters Who Could Become Champion if GSP Drops to 155

Earlier today, Georges St-Pierre’s trainer Frias Zahabi shocked the MMA world when he said that GSP was more likely to drop to 155 lbs than challenge Anderson Silva at middleweight.

In fact, Zahabi said the only thing that is preventing St-Pierre from moving down in weight was that his current Renzo Gracie teammate Frankie Edgar is the lightweight champion.

This is huge news, as it has been expected that GSP would eventually move up in weight, not down, and suddenly the welterweight title picture has the potential to become wide open.

The 170 lb division is one of the best in the sport, and there is no shortage of talent there, which makes the announcement even more intriguing.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/909926-ufc-137-bj-penn-and-5-fighters-who-could-become-champion-if-gsp-drops-to-155

Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar

Chael must battle Tito for the ?People?s Champ? moniker

After a busy summer, Tito Ortiz has had some time to think. That's not always a good thing with the loquacious former UFC light heavyweight champ.

Chael Sonnen recently stated that he's the "People's Champ," based on the fact that his loss against Anderson Silva at UFC 117 was less than legitimate. Now Ortiz wants a piece of that People's Champ pie.

"I showed that I'm able to compete against the best guys in the world, and I think that will help show people that if they believe in themselves, if they believe in their dream, they can accomplish anything," Ortiz said. "That's why I changed my name to 'The People's Champ.' I want everyone to know that I'm here for the fans. I want them to know that they can bounce back from anything.

In a video gaming story on ESPN.com, Ortiz pointed to a recent experience with fans as another reason for the name change.

"I signed over 15,000 autographs last weekend at the UFC fan expo," Ortiz tells me as we talk about his career resurgence, including a roster spot in the upcoming "UFC Undisputed 3" video game. "The first day I stood there for seven and a half hours. The second day I was there for over six hours. They had to kick me out. It was a lot of fun."

Based on his miracle win over Ryan Bader and fighting a heel in Rashad Evans at UFC 133, Ortiz did see a big transformation in his image. But is it enough, to make you call him the People's Champ? Or is there now a People's Champ for each weight division. I vote for Roy Nelson at heavyweight, Nick Diaz at 170, Melvin Guillard at 155

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Chael-must-battle-Tito-for-the-People-s-Champ-?urn=mma-wp8317

Matt Hamill MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez

Tim Hague Steps in to Face Bobby Lashley at Shark Fights 21

Filed under: News

UFC veteran Tim Hague will take on former WWE wrestler Bobby Lashley in the main event of Shark Fights 21 on Nov. 11 in Lubbock, Texas.

Shark Fights made the fight announcement late Sunday just days after Darrill Schoonover's departure from the card due to injury.

Hague (13-5), who has competed five times for the UFC over the last two years, holds a notable UFC win over Pat Barry by submission. In his UFC return in January, Hague lost to Matt Mitrione by TKO and was soon after released by the UFC for the third time. Hague then bounced back in September with a submission win over Vince Lucero for Canada's Aggression MMA promotion.

Lashley (6-1) recently inked a multi-fight deal with the Texas-based Shark Fights promotion and will be making his debut with the company on the Nov. 11 card. He fought once prior this year, beating John Ott by decision at Titan FC in March. In an appearance earlier this month on The MMA Hour, Lashley spoke of his intention to return to the big leagues.

"I want to get some fights in and I want to really prove myself in front of these guys," Lashley said to host Ariel Helwani. "So that I can have that door open and maybe go back with Strikeforce or maybe talk to Dana White later on and get up there and do some big things and show what I'm really capable of doing."

 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/10/24/tim-hague-steps-in-to-face-bobby-lashley-at-shark-fights-21/

Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz

Phan wins thrilling UFC 136 decision over Garcia

Nam Phan took an electrifying decision over Leonard Garcia at UFC 136 in Houston on Saturday night. Neither fighter let up for one second during the fight. On all three judges card, Phan won 29-28.

Phan got the edge early, teeing off on Garcia then knocking him down. Phan quickly moved into Garcia's guard, but after the referee didn't see enough action, he stood them up. Phan wobbled Garcia, and then defended one of his takedowns. Phan used body shots to create damage, and kept Garcia on his heels. In the final seconds of the round, Phan had one more onslaught to knock Garcia down again.

Garcia became more wild in the second round, winging big strikes that didn't go anywhere near Phan's face. Phan used short, fast punches to Garcia's face and body throughout the round. As the round wore on, Garcia began to tire, and a cut opened underneath his eye.

Between rounds, Phan said, "Let's touch gloves," to Garcia, who laughed and called Phan a word not fit for Cagewriter.

The first minute of the third round followed the same script that the rest of the fight had followed until Garcia knocked Phan down. He quickly got back to his feet, but Garcia teed off, swinging for the fences on every punch. They clinched, which slowed down the pace, but not for long. Phan took Garcia down, but the ref stood them up.

In the final minute, Garcia threw spinning backfists, swinging hooks, and every punch in the book. With less then 30 seconds left, Garcia tried for an unsuccessful takedown. As the round ended, the two swung wildly until the final horn ended, causing the crowd at the Toyota Center to erupt in cheers.

"I knew I had him in trouble. He had gathered so many points in the beginning. I knew I had to finish him," Garcia said after the bout.

This is a rematch of their December bout, which Garcia won by a controversial decision. Phan appeared to be the clear-cut winner in that bout, and was angry about the loss. He said he didn't want to fight Garcia a third time, but Garcia said he would be up for it if it were in Houston.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Phan-wins-thrilling-UFC-136-decision-over-Garcia?urn=mma-wp7965

Matt Hamill MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez

Tim Hague Steps in to Face Bobby Lashley at Shark Fights 21

Filed under: News

UFC veteran Tim Hague will take on former WWE wrestler Bobby Lashley in the main event of Shark Fights 21 on Nov. 11 in Lubbock, Texas.

Shark Fights made the fight announcement late Sunday just days after Darrill Schoonover's departure from the card due to injury.

Hague (13-5), who has competed five times for the UFC over the last two years, holds a notable UFC win over Pat Barry by submission. In his UFC return in January, Hague lost to Matt Mitrione by TKO and was soon after released by the UFC for the third time. Hague then bounced back in September with a submission win over Vince Lucero for Canada's Aggression MMA promotion.

Lashley (6-1) recently inked a multi-fight deal with the Texas-based Shark Fights promotion and will be making his debut with the company on the Nov. 11 card. He fought once prior this year, beating John Ott by decision at Titan FC in March. In an appearance earlier this month on The MMA Hour, Lashley spoke of his intention to return to the big leagues.

"I want to get some fights in and I want to really prove myself in front of these guys," Lashley said to host Ariel Helwani. "So that I can have that door open and maybe go back with Strikeforce or maybe talk to Dana White later on and get up there and do some big things and show what I'm really capable of doing."

 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/10/24/tim-hague-steps-in-to-face-bobby-lashley-at-shark-fights-21/

Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy

Lucky thief robbed Ben Henderson?s home

There is a thief in Glendale, Ariz., who should consider himself quite lucky. He robbed UFC lightweight contender Benson Henderson's home and managed to make it out before "Smooth" returned home.

Henderson tweeted that his place was rummaged through. The thief took many of his DVDs and his XBox 360, but left behind Henderson's new 44-inch television. Henderson was shaken up at first, but then thankful that the damage wasn't worse.

Shouldn't the thief be the one who is thankful? Breaking� into anyone's home is a bad idea, but it's an especially bad idea to break into the home of a man who is paid to beat people up, and who has a degree in criminology. The thief should be truly appreciative that Henderson did not catch him in the act.

Henderson is currently training to fight Clay Guida on the UFC on Fox card in November. Come to think of it, what was Guida doing at the time of the crime?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Lucky-thief-robbed-Ben-Henderson-8217-s-home?urn=mma-wp8298

Jake Shields Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill MMA Fighting

UFC 137: Cro-Cop vs. Roy Nelson in a Loser Leaves Town Match

Much like the old westerns that were so popular years ago, you would have two men meet in the center of town to determine which man left and which man stayed.

Roy Nelson and Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic will meet in the center of the Octagon in Las Vegas to determine which heavyweight will live to see another day and which man will be shown the door.

Both fighters are on the wrong end of two-fight losing streaks. In the UFC that is enough to spell doom, so it is not hard to understand why the loser of this showdown will more than likely receive his pink slip in the days after Saturday night's pay-per-view.

While neither fighter can be mistaken for a title contender, they both bring a loyal following to the table and that can never be discounted, but a win is a win and a loss is a loss.

Cro-Cop has a legion of fans dating back to his days in K-1 and Pride. Known for his devastating head kicks, Cro-Cop has accumulated a career's worth of highlight reel knockouts. Unfortunately for him, he has failed to achieve the same success inside the Octagon that he did in Japan.

During two stints with the UFC, he has a 4-5 record with just one head kick knockout, which was thrown by Gabriel Gonzaga and taken by Cro-Cop himself.

In his last two bouts, Cro-Cop has really begun to show his age and the mileage on a body that has been through 38 mixed martial arts bouts and 23 kickboxing matches.

He was knocked out on the third round by a Frank Mir knee that thankfully put an end to what may have been the worst main event matchup in UFC history. At UFC 128 against Brendan Schaub, Filipovic was controlled by the younger, stronger fighter before being knocked out once again late in the third round.

Nelson is popular because he represents the everyday man more than he does a mixed martial artist fighting in the world's top organization. With a rotund belly, shaggy beard and an out of style mullet, Nelson embraces his image and endears himself to the average person.

Don't let his physique fool you: He possesses world class grappling skills and for the most part has pretty good conditioning.

After winning season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter by knocking out Schaub in Round 1, Nelson went on to defeat Stefan Struve by first-round knockout. Next, He went lost a unanimous decision to current No. 1 heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos in a heavyweight title eliminator bout at UFC 117.

Nelson had become the first man to take Dos Santos the distance in his sixth career UFC bout. He also showed a ton of heart as he took a beating, but refused to go down or quit.

He would go on to face Frank Mir at UFC 130, and it was apparent right away that something was wrong. Within the first couple of minutes of the opening round, Nelson seemed spent and it was amazing that he was able to last the entire 15 minutes of the fight.

He lost via unanimous decision.

Two days after the bout, Nelson learned that he had walking pneumonia and spent the next month and a half recuperating.

UFC President Dana White took Nelson to task for not taking his career serious enough and trying to get into better shape. After fighting like this his entire career, one would think it would be tough to teach an old dog new tricks. He had talked about getting in contact with Mike Dolce and even mentioned the possibility of attempting to make the cut down to the light heavyweight division.

There has been no recent discussion on that matter. One would have to assume it may be too late to make a serious run at making the 205 pound limit.

At 37 and 35 years old respectively, time is not on either Cro-Cop's or Nelson's side.

The new breed of heavyweights are bigger, stronger and faster than both men. The opportunities for either fighter to be anything more than a special attraction went out the window a long time ago.

But with a loyal fanbase, as long as they can gather a couple of wins here or there, the UFC will keep them around. With so much on the line this Saturday night, here is to hoping we see an exciting fight between two guys just looking to put on a show.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/908272-ufc-137-cro-cop-vs-roy-nelson-in-a-loser-leaves-town-match

John Hathaway Mike Pyle Travis Browne Randy Couture

Jamie Varner Returns, Wins by First-Round Knockout

Filed under: HDNet

Just four weeks after announcing his retirement from mixed martial arts following a disappointing loss, Jamie Varner returned to the cage on Friday night and won a first-round knockout victory over Nate Jolly.

The fight lasted just 1 minute, 10 seconds, and it was a mismatch: The fighters clinched, Varner used a trip-takedown to get on top of Jolly on the ground, then he simply unloaded a barrage of punches that knocked Jolly out. Jolly barely put up a fight.

Varner credited his coaches for convincing him not to retire, and for getting him into better shape for this fight than he was for his loss last month.

"If it wasn't for the guys standing behind me," Varner said, "those are the people who really believed in me when I didn't believe in myself."

Varner's victory was the final fight in an XFC card that featured a great story on the undercard: Mikey Gomez stepped into the cage and fought just hours after his father died, deciding to go through with the bout as a tribute to his dad. Gomez looked great, showing off a nice bit of Brazilian jiu jitsu to fight his way out of an arm bar attempt from Mike Bernhard only to transition into a dominant position and end up forcing Bernhard to tap out to a rear-naked choke.

In other XFC action:
-- Carmelo Marrero beat Scott Barrett by unanimous decision in a sloppy, ugly heavyweight fight.
-- Marianna Kheyfets turned Molly Helsel's face into a bloody mess in the process of winning a unanimous decision in a women's 125-pound fight.
-- Reggie Pena beat Josh Clark by unanimous decision.
-- Nicolae Cury forced Elijah Harshbargar to tap out to an arm bar at just 1 minute, 27 seconds of the first round.
-- John Mahlo beat Bruce Connors by unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three judges' cards.

 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/10/21/jamie-varner-returns-wins-by-first-round-knockout/

Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy

Anderson Silva Criticizes Manager's Statements on Fight Plans and MMA Future

Anderson Silva has finally broken his silence, and his recent statements aren't matching past comments made by his manager Ed Soares.

"Only I can talk about my fights, my plans and my career," Silva posted on Twitter. "I'm not on physical therapy, and once I define my next fight with the UFC, I will let you know."

Soares has been insistent that Silva was nearing retirement, and he wasn't interested in a rematch with top middleweight contender Chael Sonnen.

Some of Soares' statements have led many to believe Silva was "ducking" Sonnen, and the UFC middleweight champion doesn't seem too happy with his manager at the moment.

Soares has been with Silva throughout his UFC tenure and watched the Brazilian grow into arguably the greatest fighter of all time.

Neither side could be reached for further comment.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as more information becomes available in this developing story.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/907085-anderson-silva-refutes-ed-soares-statements-on-fight-plans-and-mma-future

MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez Dana White

UFC Quick Quote: Roy Nelson preparing for Mirko Cro Cop left head kick by training at cemetery

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2011/10/23/2508913/ufc-quick-quote-roy-nelson-preparing-for-mirko-cro-cops-left-kick-by

Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman

Paula Sack Interviews Demian Maia - UFC 131

Paual talks to Demian about his preparation for his upcoming fight versus Mark Munoz at UFC 131: Dos Santos vs Carwin. Watch the event Live on Pay-Per-View or www.UFC.tv this Sat Jun 11th at 6/9PM PT/ET

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-131/paula-sack-interviews-demian-maia-video_2ad01b3d5.html

Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields Martin Kampmann

Talking Strikeforce MMA at the Dallas Mavericks Victory Parade - Strikeforce

Talking Strikeforce MMA at the Dallas Mavericks Victory Parade Video by Strikeforce

Source: http://mmalice.com/strikeforce/talking-strikeforce-mma-at-the-dallas-mavericks-victory-parade-video_a7962dda3.html

Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman

You tell us: What fight are you most looking forward to in 2011?

Through the end of the year, the MMA world will go on a massive run of fights, taking time off only for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Nearly every weekend will feature events from the UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator.

Ben Askren vs. Jay Hieron at Bellator 56: Askren and Hieron have been jawing at each other over this bout since Hieron won the right to fight Askren for the Bellator welterweight belt. Askren's been working on his striking with Duke Roufus and his band of strikers in Milwaukee. Will that, combine with his world-class wrestling, be enough to hold off Hieron?

Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson at UFC on Fox 1: Though Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos will be shown to the masses in the UFC's first fight on Fox, it's hard not to get hyped about Guida and Henderson's scrap. Both fighters are known for putting on exciting bouts and ridiculous conditioning. The best part? This bout should decide the next challenger for the UFC lightweight belt.

Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139: Pick your favorite storyline in this fight. Henderson's return to UFC after winning the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship. Two PRIDE champions meeting up. Shogun's chance to get revenge for Henderson's win over Rua's brother. Two men with scary striking power being thrown in the Octagon. No matter which way you look at it, this fight should be fun.

Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida at UFC 140: The UFC light heavyweight champ will get another chance to defend the belt against a former champion. Machida is 1-2 in his last fights, and like Jones, was once considered an unsolvable puzzle. This match-up will turn the main event at UFC 140 into a chess game.

Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem at UFC 141: Former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Overeem needed a big opponent for his first bout in the UFC, and opponents don't get much bigger than former champ Brock Lesnar. For Lesnar, it will be his first fight back since losing the belt. The Octagon will need reinforcement for this bout.

With so many fights coming up before the end of the year, there's a pretty good chance that Cagewriter didn't list your favorite fight. Vote in the poll, and tell us your favorite in the comments or on Facebook.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/You-tell-us-What-fight-are-you-most-looking-for?urn=mma-wp8461

Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle Travis Browne

Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos - UFC 131

Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos Video by UFC 131

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-131/shane-carwin-discusses-leaner-diet-plan-of-attack-against-junior-dos-santos-video_5d5abdd90.html

MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez Dana White

Maia takes grappling-filled decision over Santiago at UFC 136

Demian Maia took a grappling-filled decision from Jorge Santiago at UFC 136 in Houston on Saturday night. Though the judges gave Maia the 30-27 win on all of their cards, he did little to finish the fight.

The two submission specialists swung for the fences early in the fight, landing kicks and punchers until Maia got a takedown. In the past, that means the end of the fight for Maia, but Santiago was able to defend and push Maia off of him. Later in the round, Santiago threw a flying knee, but that just opened him up for a takedown. Maia controlled Santiago on the ground for the rest of the round.

Santiago kept Maia at bay for much of the second with better striking, but Maia still got a takedown halfway through the round. Again, Santiago was able to defend and hold off Maia's attempts to pass guard, but couldn't get out from the bottom position.

To start off the third, Santiago defended a Maia takedown attempt. As Santiago's corner screamed for him to be more aggressive, Santiago was taken down again. For the rest of the round, Maia was in control, throwing elbows and short punches, but not doing anything to finish the fight.

Maia has world-class BJJ credentials, and has the reputation of being a submission whiz. However, his last submission win came over Chael Sonnen at UFC 95. With the win over Santiago, Maia's record moves to 15-3. Santiago, who is in his second stint with the UFC, has lost two in a row. His overall record is now 23-10.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Maia-takes-grappling-filled-decision-over-Santia?urn=mma-wp7947

Jake Shields Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill MMA Fighting

Overeem: "Brock Won't Make It out of the First Round"

The gargantuan showdown between Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar could make UFC 141 the biggest event of 2011.

Cyril Garcia of Mixfight.nl caught up with the man known as "The Reem" outside a showing of Hollywood MMA film "Warrior."

"I liked the movie and I think—I'm going to make a bold statement—but I think it was the best fighting movie out there," Overeem said.

The movie has generally received positive reviews, racking up a whopping 84 percent on the Tomatometer on Rottentomatoes.com.

With that said, there won't be any acting when Overeem meets Lesnar, a former UFC heavyweight champion.

Even though he simultaneously held the Strikeforce heavyweight title, Dream heavyweight title and K-1 World Grand Prix title, Overeem has been overlooked by some due to his success coming outside of the UFC.

Fans want to see fighters compete against the best before climbing to the top of the MMA ranks. Currently on a 10-fight win streak, Overeem has defeated stout opposition, but if he can get past Lesnar then he can begin to chip away at the skepticism surrounding his ability to be the best in the world.

"I don't really talk about training, so there's nothing to say there. I'm just going to do the usual. I know my body, I know how it works, and I'm very confident," said Overeem. "It's going to be a knockout victory in the first round. He's not going to get out of the first round."

UFC 141 takes place on December 30 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Overeem will enter this bout with a major edge in overall experience and striking, but Lesnar's freakish athleticism and world-class wrestling should make things interesting.

The winner will be deemed the new No. 1 contender for a future UFC title bout with either Cain Velasquez or Junior Dos Santos.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/905797-alistair-overeem-brock-wont-make-it-out-of-the-first-round

Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy

Despite many rumors to the contrary, Fabricio Werdum tells FightHubTV.com he has had no contact...

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2011/10/22/2506891/for-more-go-to-www-fighthubtv-com-fight-correspondent-marcos-villegas

Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz

UFC 137 Fight Card: Nick Diaz Focused on BJ Penn, Still Needs to Get Paid

Former Strikeforce welterweight champion and challenger to Georges St-Pierre, Nick Diaz, is set to make his return to the UFC next weekend at UFC 137 against B.J. Penn.

Diaz's fight with Penn has all the makings of what could be one of the best fights of the year. Diaz though, has never really cared much about his Strikeforce belt.

"I haven't really though about anything. I'm just fighting," said Diaz in an interview with Fightline.com. "I'm not trying to get all crazy, I need to get paid.

I'm gonna show up and make weight. Then I'm gonna fight. I don't really think about all that…I could give a s***. I never put that belt on anyways, he can have the belt."

Diaz and Penn match up very well against each other. Both fighters possess the tools to win on the ground or standing. Just don't ask Diaz how he thinks the fight will play out. In the end, it is still a fight to him.

"It's a fight, man," Diaz said. "You know what I mean? That's not really what matters...I think this fight can go everywhere. Anything can happen, it's MMA."

Since GSP pulled out of his second fight of the year against Carlos Condit, Diaz has once again earned a spot in the main event.

This sets to be the toughest fight Diaz has ever had with the winner possibly getting a shot against the winner of GSP versus Condit.

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/905363-ufc-137-fight-card-nick-diaz-focused-on-bj-penn-still-needs-to-get-paid

Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping

Ryan Ford Post Nick Hinchliffe Interview - Ryan Ford

Ryan Ford Post Nick Hinchliffe Interview Video by Ryan Ford

Source: http://mmalice.com/ryan-ford/ryan-ford-post-nick-hinchliffe-interview-video_f841c3083.html

Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman

CNN rolling out one-hour feature on female fighting this Sunday night

CNN will devote an hour to mixed martial arts this weekend with its "Fighting Girls" piece on "CNN Presents."

[...] Today, it's one of the fastest growing sports among men? and now women.� But why would any woman climb into a cage for all-out combat for what amounts to almost nothing?� CNN's Amber Lyon steps into the Octagon to find out.

One hour ? four riveting stories.� Don't miss CNN Presents hosted by CNN's Soledad O'Brien and Dr. Sanjay Gupta this Sunday, October 23 at 8:00 pm ET, re-airing at 11:00 pm ET and 2:00 am ET.

Las Vegas' Michelle Gutierrez is one of the featured fighters. A former boxer, she trains at Throwdown in Sin City.

"The most rewarding part of fighting is the feeling you get when the cage door shuts. It's you alone, fending for yourself, kind of like taking care of yourself in the worst conditions," she states. "It's unlike anything else."

She's a Twitter maniac, but says trash talk isn't needed in fighting.

"My goal in MMA is to break the mold. To be girly, but tough; a striker and a submission artist; a class act that gets along with everyone and avoids the catty call outs," Gutierrez said.

She lifted that rule for a few celebs during a conversation with Bleacher Report last year.

"I would go after Lindsay Lohan because she's so skanky, you know? Snooki is skanky too but there's somewhat of a normal girl underneath all of that hairspray and tan but Lindsay is so pale and sick looking. She needs to get off drugs, go eat some food and go for a run or something," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez is also the mother of a five-year old.

"I want to be successful at this sport to make my daughter proud. I want her to see that a girl can do anything they want; even fight for a living. And I want to make a name for myself so that I know my mother would have been proud as well."

The CNN piece should be interesting. In the past, the network has been a bit skittish about the sport. How it'll cover the female side of the sport is anyone's guess.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/CNN-rolling-out-one-hour-feature-on-female-fight?urn=mma-wp8352

Jake Shields Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill MMA Fighting

Will the dispute between DirecTV and FOX affect future UFC related programming? Find out here.

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2011/10/21/2505621/will-the-war-between-directv-and-fox-affect-future-ufc-related

Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields Martin Kampmann

Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos - UFC 131

Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos Video by UFC 131

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-131/shane-carwin-discusses-leaner-diet-plan-of-attack-against-junior-dos-santos-video_5d5abdd90.html

Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle Travis Browne

Ed Soares Says Michael Bisping and GSP Are Good Opportunities for Anderson Silva

Ed Soares, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s manager, has stated on more than one occasion that he doesn’t think Chael Sonnen is worthy of another title shot just yet. 

Despite giving “The Spider” the fight of his life at UFC 117, and defeating Brian Stann in dominant fashion at UFC 136, it is unknown whether or not “Uncle Chael” will be the next challenger for Sonnen’s title. 

Soares has stated that he does not find any rematches at middleweight intriguing, also apparently not a fan of a part II with Sonnen’s Team Quest teammate, Dan Henderson. 

So who does Soares want the pound-for-pound king to fight before he retires?

Current “The Ultimate Fighter” coach Michael Bisping or UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

Soares initially did not sound like he was a big fan of “The Count” when discussing future opponents for Silva in a radio interview.

"I'll be honest with you: I never even really thought of Bisping too much," Soares said on Sherdog Radio Network's Rewind show. "Not that I didn't respect him as a fighter–I do,” Soares said.

"It was just that it didn't cross my mind because there's so many things happening all the time. People talk about Chael and Brian Stann, and sometimes people are focused on the TUF show,” he added. 

Nevertheless, Soares though Bisping, who is riding a three-fight win streak, could square off in the Octagon with Silva one day.

He gave the odds of the Silva vs. St-Pierre super fight the same odds, remaining fairly vague with his assessment of the situation.

"But I think Bisping could be a good opportunity. GSP (Georges St-Pierre) could be a good opportunity. There's a lot of great opportunities."

Bisping has recently gone on the record stating that Sonnen should be behind him in the line for a title shot, despite the fact that The Count is yet to defeat a top 10 talent in the UFC. 

The Count’s next fight will be opposite Jason “Mayhem” Miller at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale on December 3. 

Mayhem of course coach’s opposite Bisping on this season’s TUF. 

Meanwhile, GSP, almost unanimously considered the number two pound-for-pound fighter in the world behind Silva, has won nine fights in a row with six successful title defenses (compared to Silva’s 15 wins and 9 defenses respectively, both UFC records).

Most recently, GSP heartbreakingly had to withdraw from his UFC 137 main event fight with Carlos Condit after suffering a knee injury just 11 days out from the event. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/904101-ed-soares-says-michael-bisping-and-gsp-are-good-opportunitys-for-anderson-silva

Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping

St-Pierre suffered his knee injury in training Tuesday afternoon

Georges St-Pierre was days, if not hours away, from scaling back in his preparation for UFC 137 next weekend. Training for a fight is always a risky proposition and GSP failed to escape these final moments of training without injuring a knee.

At 1:51 p.m. ET Tuesday, GSP tweeted this photo of him working his kicks. A little over four hours later, he spoke of visiting the doctor.

His trainer Firas Zahabi gave his account of the afternoon incident to Sherdog:

"He was sparring today and he hurt his knee. I had a feeling it was bad, but then, once he cooled down, he started limping. There's no way he would be able to fight. It was a weird thing. I can't really explain it. Of course, everybody is disappointed," Zahabi said. "[...] We made a lot of sacrifices. We had a lot of people come in to help us train. We put a lot of man hours into getting ready for this fight. But it's not going to waste, it's just being put on hold."

We could get a clearer picture of GSP's recovery timetable Wednesday. There's a UFC 137 media teleconference scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/St-Pierre-suffered-his-knee-injury-in-training-T?urn=mma-wp8338

Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping

Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva breakdown their upcoming fight - Strikeforce

At the Strikeforce Heavyweight GP in Dallas, TC Inside MMA correspondent Ron Kruck caught up with Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva. The Reem spoke about his victory over Fabricio Werdum and the challange that lies ahead in Silva. Bigfoot spoke about how to do the impossible and beat Overeem

Source: http://mmalice.com/strikeforce/alistair-overeem-and-antonio-silva-breakdown-their-upcoming-fight-video_54151b1ca.html

Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman

Jorge Masvidal Makes the Case for Title Shot - Strikeforce

Jorge Masvidal Makes the Case for Title Shot Video by Strikeforce

Source: http://mmalice.com/strikeforce/jorge-masvidal-makes-the-case-for-title-shot-video_817181133.html

Jake Shields Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill MMA Fighting

Cesar Gracie to BJ Penn: 'Don't Be Scared, Homie. Let's Make It Five Rounds'

Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, News

UFC president Dana White has already stated that the new UFC 137 main event between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz will not be a five-round fight because, as he put it, "they haven't trained for five rounds."

However, Diaz's manager and trainer Cesar Gracie wants the world to know that Diaz is ready and willing to go five rounds with "The Prodigy" on Oct. 29.

"If they can't fight five rounds against each other, how are they going to fight five rounds against GSP?," Gracie said to MMAFighting.com on Tuesday.

Gracie said he told White that Diaz wanted to change the fight to a five-rounder but had yet to hear back from Penn's camp. After speaking to Gracie, both White and Penn could not be immediately reached for comment.

"Dana is good with it," he said. "We've agreed to it. If BJ agrees to it, we'll make it happen."

Gracie added that there was no hesitation on Diaz's part to agree to a five-round fight after hearing the news of GSP's injury and subsequent removal from the card.

"These guys have to prove they are ready. These guys are fighters. BJ has always said he's a warrior. ... The old school days of MMA, back when it was NHB, they fought forever.

"Don't be scared, homie. Let's make it five rounds."

 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/10/18/cesar-gracie-to-bj-penn-dont-be-scared-homie-lets-make-it/

Randy Couture Jake Shields Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill

UFC 136: Yahoo! Sports and Heavy present Fight Day Live

The UFC's only official pre-fight show returns when Fight Day comes to you live from the George R. Brown Convention Center, the host of Saturday's UFC Fan Expo.

Hosts Dave Farra and Megan Olivi will guide you through the latest news of the week. UFC lightweight star Donald Cerrone will join the show to discuss his skyrocketing UFC career and his upcoming bout, and MMA journalists John Morgan and Matt Brown join Farra to break down a stacked UFC 136 card.

Fight Day airs live from UFC 136 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

Earlier in the day, Heavy will have coverage of a special announcement from Dana White. The UFC president will introduce the worldwide release of THQ's new UFC Undisputed 3 cover art for both PS3 and Xbox this Saturday the 8^th at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT live from the UFC's Fan Expo in Houston on a Fight Day Special.

White will interview the winning fighter and also provide more specifics about the new game.

Make sure to hit the Heavy Facebook page for your chance to UFC 136 tickets!

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-136-Yahoo-Sports-and-Heavy-present-Fight-D?urn=mma-wp7858

Carlos Condit Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle

George St-Pierre: "I Cried Yesterday"

George St-Pierre was just a little over a week away from squaring off with Carlos Condit in a welterweight title fight at UFC 137 when his world was turned upside down.

While going through his regular routine in preparations for the main event bout in Las Vegas, St-Pierre injured his knee.

UFC president Dana White later broke the news via Twitter, stating:

I just land in NYC and what do I always say!? I have to deal with bad s--- everyday!! GSP is out with an injury!!! #oneofthosedays

While St-Pierre is set to return as soon as January or February of 2012, he's sadly overwhelmed with his circumstances.

St.Pierre told SportsNets:

I'm not going to lie, I cried yesterday. I had a ton of pressure falling off my shoulders, because for the last few days I was in the mindset that I was nervous for the fight. I was excited for the fight but I was also nervous to know if I was going to be able to fight.

St-Pierre will now take the time off to rehab his injured knee and possibly take a vacation. 

Luckily for the welterweight champion, he won't have to change his training strategies, as White has already stated he'll sit Condit and wait for St-Pierre to get healthy. 

One thing's for sure: We won't see St-Pierre again until he's at full health or close to it.

In regards to making a full recovery, St-Pierre stated:

The recovery I want to do it well, I don't want to do it too fast. Because now I had an injury and I tried to train on it and maybe made it a little bit worse. I need a good four weeks to do my physio and do it right.

Despite unfortunate circumstances, we will see the normal St-Pierre back in action in early 2012.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/902610-george-st-pierre-i-cried-yesterday

Mike Pyle Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields

Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski Recorded Live Video Chat July 8th 2011 - Andrei Arlovski

Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski Recorded Live Video Chat July 8th 2011 Video by Andrei Arlovski

Source: http://mmalice.com/andrei-arlovski/andrei-the-pit-bull-arlovski-recorded-live-video-chat-july-8th-2011-video_f8ccf55c4.html

Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz

You tell us: Where is the fight capital of the world?

At a press conference in Toronto to officially announce UFC 140's main event of Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida, Dana White called Toronto the fight capital of the world. Considering how Toronto sold out the 55,000-seat Rogers Center for UFC 129 in April, it's not a stretch to commend the city for its support of MMA. But is it the capital?

Las Vegas, Nev. -- The homebase for Zuffa also hosts more UFC events than any other city every year. Recently, Sin City has also become the home for Strikeforce: Challengers shows, and it is also the home of some of the best MMA gyms.

Los Angeles -- The UFC turns to L.A. for its big heavyweight bouts, and the city turns out for every bout. If Orange County is included, the Los Angeles-area also is the home to Anderson Silva, Tito Ortiz and Mark Munoz's successful gym.

Rio de Janeiro -- With the exuberant way Rio responded to UFC 134, they jumped right onto this list. They also deserve to be here on the back of the Nogueira brothers, fighters born and raised in Rio. No word on if they danced along the sand.

Sydney -- Australia has embraced MMA wholeheartedly, selling out huge events the past two winters. Not only that, but fighters like George Sotiropoulos gleefully sell their country as an MMA haven at every opportunity.

Tokyo -- Though Japanese MMA isn't what it once was, Tokyo will always have a place in MMA's lore because of its role in launching Pride Fighting Championships. Their crowds are not the raucous masses of humanity that are in Sydney or Rio, but Japanese fights are spectacles like no other.

Toronto -- Dana White's choice for the world's MMA capital has plenty of fight fans and fighters. Though it is the city that dumped Sean Pierson from their police department for being a UFC fighter, it is also the city that welcome the UFC with open arms the second it was regulated there.

Now you tell us: Where is the fight capital of the world? Did we miss any on the list? Vote in the poll, and tell us your thoughts in the comments or on Facebook.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/You-tell-us-Where-is-the-fight-capital-of-the-w?urn=mma-wp8229

Mike Pyle Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields

The 25 Best Featherweights in MMA History

When you’re talking MMA, talking about the best featherweights in history is a bit of a misnomer as far as phrases go. After all, there’s only been a 145-pound (or thereabouts) division in MMA’s major leagues for a few years now.

Still, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been great fighters, great fights and great champions, both in the UFC and in various promotions around the world.

What follows are the 25 best featherweights to ever put on the MMA gloves. 

For the record, these are guys who fought at or around 145 pounds. They are also guys who did most of their fighting (and has most of their success) at that weight class.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/902033-the-25-best-featherweights-in-mma-history

Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields Martin Kampmann

Pre-fight Press Conference - UFC 131

Hear from Dana White, Junior dos Santos, Shane Carwin, Kenny Florian, Diego Nunes, Sam Stout and Yves Edwards at the UFC 131 pre-fight press conference held June 9 in Vancouver, BC.

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-131/pre-fight-press-conference-video_8a40ea583.html

Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy

Sonnen crushes Stann, then vows to leave the UFC if he can?t beat Silva in rematch

HOUSTON - There seemed nothing Chael Sonnen could do to top the performance he posted Saturday night against Brian Stann.

Then he stepped to the microphone.

After finishing Stann via arm-triangle choke in less than nine minutes, Sonnen stood in front of 16,ooo-plus at the Toyota Center and challenged UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva to what they call in the world of pro wrestling a "loser leaves town" match.

"Anderson Silva ... you absolutely suck!" Sonnen said. The victorious fighter then stepped away from the microphone for a little dramatic pause as Silva watched from the front row.

"Super Bowl weekend ... the biggest rematch in the history of the business. I'm calling you out, Silva. I beat you, you leave the division, you beat me, I will leave the UFC forever," said Sonnen.

That was it. Short and simple, but epic. Sonnen walked right out the cage.

[Related: Edgar puts thrilling cap on UFC 136 with TKO win over Maynard]

Sonnen is no stranger controversy. This was his first fight back after a bizarre saga involving the California State Athletic Commission and testing for performance enhancing drugs.

Before Sonnen took on Silva last August at UFC 117, he disclosed that he was taking testosterone because of a deficiency in his system. After several hearings during an appeal process, Sonnen wound up serving a lengthy suspension.

In many ways, it overshadowed what happened that night in Oakland, but Sonnen hasn't forgot. He dominated the nearly unbeatable Silva for 23-plus minutes before blowing it late and falling victim to a submission.

The storm has been brewing for more than a year and Sonnen has been talking major trash about the champion to anyone who would put a microphone in front of him. Sonnen went as far as calling the Stann fight "the first defense of his middleweight title."

[Related: Aldo defends featherweight title against game Florian]

There's was certainly a lot of pressure on Sonnen, but it didn't show. Stann is a dangerous striker, but his grappling has always been a weak point. Sonnen went right after his opponent's Achilles' heel and dumped him to the mat early the first. He kept him down for the rest of the round and mounted him several times.

In the second, it took just six seconds for Sonnen to get Stann to the mat. He grinded on Stann with elbows and punches. The crowd starting booing, and for some odd reason referee Keri Hatley put the fighters back on their feet with 2:22 left.

It didn't help Stann. Just 20 seconds later, Sonnen lifted him off the ground and slammed him back down. With 1:27 left, Sonnen slapped on the arm-triangle choke. Stann held out for a while, but had to tap, giving the victory to Sonnen at the 3:51 mark of the second.

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? College football's Week 6 Winners and losers

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Sonnen-crushes-Stann-then-vows-to-leave-the-UFC?urn=mma-wp7973

Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields Martin Kampmann

Carlos Condit Says He Is 'Greatly Disappointed' to Not Face Georges St-Pierre

Carlos Condit's opportunity at challenging Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title had taken a turn for the worse after the champion pulled out after suffering a knee injury. 

Condit will sit out and wait until "Rush" is healthy and able to compete.

After learning the news, "The Natural Born Killer" released a statement regarding St-Pierre's sudden departure and expressed his disappointment on not performing at UFC 137. 

"I am greatly disappointed, for both myself and UFC fans, that I will no longer be fighting for the welterweight title at UFC 137, but I also understand that injuries are a part of this business," Condit said. 

Condit earned the chance to face St-Pierre after the champion's original opponent, Nick Diaz, refused to help promote the event by no-showing at the press conference. Condit is currently riding a three-fight win streak, earning Knockout of the Night honours against opponents Rory McDonald and Dong Hyun Kim. 

Condit was optimistic about his future bout with St-Pierre and is hopeful the champion can make a full recovery. 

"Georges is a great competitor and I know that he will want to return to 100 percent health as soon as possible so that this fight can be rescheduled," he said. 

Condit's manager, Malki Kawa, also spoke about the injury and he was also optimistic about a future title bout between the two welterweights. 

"Carlos is hungry for the title shot and when this fight is rescheduled, he will be ready to show the world what made him the top contender,” Kawa said. 

Although the injury is not severe, St-Pierre will remain out of action for the remainder of the year. A date has not been rescheduled but it is expected Condit will challenge for the title in 2012.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/900906-carlos-condit-says-he-is-greatly-disappointed-to-not-face-georges-st-pierre

Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz

Renaissance man Kimbo looks pretty mean in ?The Scorpion King 3?

Kimbo Slice doesn't need MMA to make a living. The former king of street fighting, and a veteran of EliteXC and the UFC, Slice is slowly making the transition to movies and television.

Kimbo is part the cast in "The Scorpion King 3" along with former WWE star Dave Batista. He gets pops in the trailer at the 0:30 and 0:48 marks.

Kimbo is still fighting, but now he's using the big gloves. He moved to 2-0 as a pro boxer over the weekend

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Renaissance-man-Kimbo-looks-pretty-mean-in-821?urn=mma-wp8362

Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo

UFC 137: 5 Reasons Why a Georges St-Pierre Loss Is a Good Thing for the UFC

Georges St-Pierre has been the UFC Welterweight kingpin for quite some time. GSP's last loss occurred in 2007 in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.

St-Pierre admitted he was not focused on his training and would vow to reclaim his title. After running through Matt Serra to get his  belt back, GSP began a run of dominance that has landed the Canadian at the No. 2 Pound for Pound list in MMA.

Since then, GSP has become one of the UFC's top PPV draws as well. He's also signed endorsement deals with companies outside the MMA market such as Gatorade and Under Armour.

So why should the UFC be hoping for a Carlos Condit upset on Oct. 29?

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/899159-ufc-137-5-reasons-why-a-georges-st-pierre-loss-is-a-good-thing-for-the-ufc

Carlos Condit Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle

UFC 137: Carlos Condit Will Unleash the Finisher in GSP

George St.Pierre is one of the best fighters in MMA today. He has defended his welterweight title six times since taking it back from Matt Serra, and has outclassed all of his opponents to date.

However, one thing he has been either unable or unwilling to do is finish his opponents.

Some people argue that Matt Serra destroyed GSP's psyche when he finished him with strikes in their first outing, but I don't think that's true. GSP followed that loss by defeating Koscheck, submitting Hughes and dominating Serra en route to a TKO victory.

His first few title defenses also showed his finishing power. While he couldn't finish Fitch, he rocked him multiple times and left his face a bloody mess. He put a similar beating on Penn, whose corner ended the bout going into the fifth round.

However, as his championship has worn on he has started fighting much more safely. That much is undeniable.  

With each title fight he appears to put less effort into finishing his opponents. Alves has a poor ground game, but GSP didn't fish for submissions, he just methodically pounded on him.

GSP passed Hardy a few times and went for submissions, but he was largely content with doing average ground-and-pound from Hardy's guard.

 

Against Koscheck and Shields he made incredibly little effort to finish. He threw almost exclusively jabs against Koscheck, and wouldn't pursue Shields on the ground after rocking him.

But he'll reverse his current trend when he fights Carlos Condit at UFC 137 for a few reasons.

For starters, Condit never stops attacking.

In his losing battle to Jake Shields, he continuously landed blows from the bottom while simultaneously looking for submissions. Shields ultimately got the better of him, but Condit didn't make it easy.

GSP hasn't fought someone as active as Condit on the ground. GSP is the higher-ranked and overall better Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, but it still wouldn't be wise to flirt with Condit's guard for five rounds.

Once down, it would be advisable for him to pass with the explosiveness and frequency, and try to land powerful bombs from the top position while fishing for submissions of his own.

On his feet, Condit is extremely aggressive and dynamic. The jab alone won't be enough to deal with Condit. GSP will have to use his kicks, knees and combinations to punish Condit for leaving himself exposed in his aggressive attack.

GSP always says he'll go for finishes, and going into his fights I think he means it. But once he gets in the cage he finds it too easy to win without taking risks.

However, Condit isn't weak anywhere. He won't put up the lackluster fight Koscheck and Shields put up on their feet or the weak fight that Hardy and Alves had on the ground.  

He'll push GSP, and GSP will push back, and leave the octagon with his first finish since his second title defense.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/900037-ufc-137-why-carlos-condit-will-unleash-the-finisher-in-gsp

MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez Dana White

Georges St-Pierre and the Top 5 Fighters in Total Fight Time in UFC History

Since making his organizational debut in 2004, Georges St-Pierre has collected eight decision victories inside the Octagon.

In 18 fights, St-Pierre has fought 53 rounds with 29 of those coming in his past six fights.

The four additional fighters that accompany the welterweight title holder on the list are former lightweight, welterweight and light heavyweight champions.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/898356-georges-st-pierre-and-the-top-5-fighters-in-total-fight-time-in-ufc-history

Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping

Massenzio goes unconventional route to smash Cantwell; Simpson, Elkins and Miocic also undercard winners at UFC 136

HOUSTON - Mike Massenzio is a wrestler by trade, but when his takedown game didn't produce results the New Jersey-native made it into a street fight. Massenzio consistently landed uppercuts and straight lefts to brutalize Steve Cantwell on his way to a unanimous decision victory, 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28, in the first fight at UFC 136.

Massenzio (12-5, 2-3 UFC) has been a loyal soldier for the UFC. He was called in on short notice for his last fight against Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 131. Massenzio was out of his league at light heavyweight. Tonight, at his more natural 185 pounds, he was the better conditioned and tougher fighter.

Cantwell's stand up is very good and he looked to be on his way to a victory at the end of the first round. Massenzio was getting caught by body shots and backing up. In the second, everything changed. Massenzio worked consistently for the takedown. None of them worked, but it wore down Cantwell.

In the final seven minutes of the fight, Cantwell had his nose broken and started dropping his hands.

Simpson dominates Schafer on the way to his sixth UFC victory

Aaron Simpson doesn't have to fight, he simply loves doing so. It doesn't hurt that the 37-year-old, is still a physical specimen. Eric Schafer simply couldn't keep pace with Simpson tonight. The former Arizona State wrestling star stood with Schafer for 15 minutes and tore him up to score a unanimous decision victory, 30-27 on all cards, at the Toyota Center.

Simpson (11-2, 6-2 UFC) has a decorated amateur wrestling background, but his hands have improved vastly. Schafer's big strength is his submission game, so Simpson decided to slug it out. It worked. He had Schafer rocked on several occasions and dropped him in the final 15 seconds of the second round.

Elkins thwarts Zhang guillotine attempts to pick up easy win

Tiequan Zhang's guillotine is dangerous, but tonight it was the only thing he tried.� Darren Elkins survived a submission attempt at the start of each round, gained top control and dominated his opponent on the ground for a unanimous decision victory, 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27.

Zhang, the only high level Chinese fighter working under the Zuffa banner, now has a 2-2 record with the company. The UFC is looking to break new ground in China and would love to market some Chinese fighters. It's probably safe to assume there will be dozens of Chinese fighters in the near future, but right now Zhang (15-2, 1-1 UFC) doesn't look like the guy to carry the banner.

Elkins (13-2, 3-1 UFC) fought twice for the UFC at lightweight. After a loss to Charles Oliveira, he dropped to 145, where he's now 2-0.

Miocic outlasts Beltran to get first UFC victory

Joey Beltran is no easy mark so Stipe Miocic knew it was going to be a grind to get a victory in his first UFC fight. Miocic landed some bombs and scored five easy takedowns on the way to a unanimous decision victory, 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28, in the final fight of the UFC 136 undercard on Facebook.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Massenzio-goes-unconventional-route-to-smash-Can?urn=mma-wp7932

Carlos Condit Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle