Jake Shields' UFC 129 Workout with Tareq Azim - UFC 129

*** Watch Complete 1/2hr HD Episodes on http://www.MMAheat.com ***MMA H.E.A.T went to Xtreme Couture in Toronto to catch up with Jake Shields, 3 days before he challenges Georges St.Pierre for the UFC Welterweight belt. Jake works the pads with his head trainer Tareq Azim: and for the record, rounds 8-10 are seen here.Be sure to visit http://www.MMAheat.com for more interviews and archived episodes of our 1/2 hour TV show. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryant

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-129/jake-shields-ufc-129-workout-with-tareq-azim-video_9a88ed4fb.html

John Hathaway Mike Pyle Travis Browne Randy Couture

Dana White: - UFC 129

*** Watch Complete 1/2hr HD Episodes on http://www.MMAheat.com ***MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant catches up with UFC President Dana White, and gets his thoughts in the excitement of bringing UFC 129 to Toronto. Dana also talks about the fight between Randy Couture and Lyoto Machida, whether Strikeforce will be turned into a league similar to AAA baseball and what the UFC's plans are for their own television channel.Be sure to visit http://www.MMAheat.com for more interviews and archived episodes of our 1/2 hour TV show. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryant

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-129/dana-white-video_987fe1f3a.html

Mike Pyle Travis Browne Randy Couture Jake Shields

Lightweight division heating up with trash talk between Pettis and Maynard

The lightweight division is the deepest in the world, but it's lacked sizzle until recently. A division loaded with super-talented, but nice, polite dudes doesn't always sell with the casual fan. UFC 125 served as a prime example when the promotion had a tougher time selling tickets to the Frank Edgar-Gray Maynard fight. The fans made a mistake because it turned out to be a candidate for 2011 Fight of the Year.

In a way, you couldn't blame fan, because Edgar and Maynard didn't generate a ton of heat before the fight. Now, because the division is so crowded at the top, it looks like the days of mutual respect and glove tapping won't be as prevalent.

Anthony Pettis isn't happy with Gray Maynard and didn't hold back during a recent conversation with the Las Vegas Sun.

Last month, Maynard suggested Pettis is a product of overhype.

"I mean, who has he fought? I've been in the trenches this whole time fighting the toughest guys. He throws one kick and then he's the greatest in the world? Let's look at who he's fought. Ben Henderson is the best name," Maynard said referencing Pettis' "Showtime Kick" near the end of his win over Henderson. That kick made Sportscenter's Top 10 Plays of the Year.

Maynard respects a lot of his co-horts at lightweight, but has questions about Pettis.

[...] But for me, guys like Miller, Melendez and all of these guys who have been on the [expletive] grind, fighting the best competition for the past few years… that's what I look at," Maynard told MMAFA.tv. "Who have you fought? I don't care about how good you looked when you fought a scrub. That doesn't matter. If a guy isn't good then you're not supposed to look good. And for me, [Pettis] has fought one good guy in Ben, and he isn't proven yet. He's tough as hell, but we'll see."

Pettis fired back saying Maynard needed to get himself more attention and was just spouting off.

"He needs to get his face in the media somehow," Pettis told the Las Vegas Sun. "Gray is the No. 1 contender, but no one talks about him. He doesn't get a lot of press. I think he's trying to figure out a way to get people to talk about him. If he has to use my name to do that, he has to do what he has to do."

Pettis also said he thought that Maynard lost the fight against Edgar at UFC 125. After a big first round, Maynard allowed Edgar to creep back into the fight and pull out a draw.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Lightweight-division-heating-up-with-trash-talk-?urn=mma-wp2419

Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping

‘Rampage’ Jackson doesn’t need to fight anymore, he’s the official BS detector

Some have questioned Quinton Jackson's level of desire to fight Matt Hamill this weekend. Now we know what's been clouding his mind. In this hilarious Boost Mobile commercial, "Rampage" is serving as official bull[expletive] detector.

Watch him go after a banker, a weatherman and a Cris Angel look-a-like.

Rampage got everyone worked up with a recent quote about the Hamill fight.

"If they get to know me, I'm not really excited about anybody I fight. It's my job to me; it's my career. I don't get excited no more," Jackson said. "I've got almost 40 fights. I don't get excited about anybody I fight. I just go in and do it."

When pressed on the topic, Jackson explained:

"I think Matt made a mistake when he actually said he's going to break my will, and that I'm going to overlook him. That actually lit a fire up under my ass, and actually made me train a little bit harder just so I could break his will. So I could make sure I outclass him," said Jackson.

Tip via MMAConvert

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/-Rampage-Jackson-doesn-t-need-to-fight-anymore-?urn=mma-wp2508

Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping John Hathaway

UFC 130: Is Brian Stann Facing Lesser Competition Against Jorge Santiago?

UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill is only four days away as it is scheduled to take place on May 28, 2011, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas this Saturday night.

With the originally scheduled rubber match between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard canceled due to injuries sustained by both fighters during training, the co-main event between Quinton Jackson and Matt Hamill has been pushed up to the main event, which still leaves us with a very impressive undercard.

One of the more controversial undercard fights and one of my personal favorite matchups is Brian Stann vs. former UFC fighter, Jorge Santiago.

Stann, the former U.S. Marine Captain whose military actions have been noted by President Bush, is coming off of a huge KO victory over UFC middleweight, Chris Leben.

While many big names were being thrown around as possible next opponents for Stann, one of which was Wanderlei Silva, the UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva and UFC President, Dana White chose an unlikely opponent to face Stann at UFC 130.

Enter former Strikeforce middleweight champ, former Sengoku middleweight champ, Sherdog’s Fight of the Year winner and American Top Team disciple and BJJ black belt, Jorge Santiago.

Some fans and fighters feel that with this being Santiago’s first fight in the UFC, Stann should have been given the opportunity to face a better-known opponent from the UFC’s crème de la crème middleweight fighters.

Tim Kennedy, former U.S. Army Ranger and Special Forces sniper turned MMA fighter, who also fights for Strikeforce, verbally expressed his disdain for the choice of Stann’s UFC 130 opponent to Bloody Elbow in an exclusive interview.

“And then we'll take Brian Stann, a Silver Medal recipient, a war hero, a Marine captain. He's had like 10 fights under the Zuffa banner between the WEC and the UFC but he's fighting a newcomer to the promotion in Jorge Santiago. It doesn't make any sense. Let's reward the guys who deserve rewarding," Kennedy said.

"The one's that fight fair, the one's that work hard, the one's that do the right thing and punish the guys that say the wrong things, who do the wrong things, that fight unfairly,” he said.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but perhaps Kennedy’s idea of Stann having an unfair matchup with Santiago because he’s a “newcomer” in the UFC is a bit unfair itself.

In fact, Santiago has fought before in the UFC, three times in 2006, going 1-for-3 in his fights, losing to Chris Leben and Alan Belcher.

Since losing to Belcher, Santiago has not only won, but finished 11 of his 12 fights and avenged his only loss during that time, winning by decision against Mamed Khalidov.

Santiago is also accustomed to fighting in and winning MMA tournaments, where contestants fight multiple opponents in the same day.

I think it’s safe to say that his cardio is up to par and it could play an important role in his fight with Stann.

Boasting a professional record of 23-8 with 31 professional fights, Santiago is by no means a “newcomer,” neither to the UFC or MMA.

However, five of his losses have come by KO or TKO and it’s no secret that Stann has knockout power, seeing as he crippled the “Crippler” at UFC 125: Resolution.

With Santiago, being the more experienced fighter and finishing all but one of his last 12 fights, and Stann, being hungry and coming off of a KO win, this bout has Fight of the Night or Knockout of the Night written all over it; it could even be a potential Submission of the Night candidate.

However you see this matchup, come fight night these two athletes are coming not just to fight, but to win.

The UFC will begin at its new time of 9 P.M. EST/6 P.M. PT.

The new time change began at UFC 129 and will continue indefinitely.

Check back with BleacheRreport.com/MMA for UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill fight card news and updates.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/710970-ufc-130-is-brian-stann-facing-lesser-competition-against-jorge-santiago

Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit Michael Bisping

Jon Jones and Rashad Evans: The Fallout Between the Former Friends Continues

The beef between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and his former friend and training partner Rashad Evans has taken on an Energizer Bunny type quality, it just keeps going and going and going, well, you get the picture. 

The latest chapter in the ongoing saga has Evans sending a tweet to Jones that said in part, "U r my son!! Get off my phone fake a** white boy!!" The good folks over at CagePotato.com have posted photographic evidence of the text and Jon Jones also confirmed that it was from Evans.

Evans admitted to MMAWeekly Radio that he did send the message to Jones, "Yeah I did say that to him, but he also said a lot of things to me that I didn't want to put out there. I mean, we were arguing—I said a lot of things, heated, back and forth, you know? But I did call him a fake ass white boy, I did," Evans admitted.

"But its not that I think being a white boy is a bad thing, its not against white people in general. It's an insult to him because, of course, he's not white, you can see where the insult comes in," Evans continued. "That's the extent to the insult right there—it's not anything against white people, it's that he's black and I'm calling him white."

"It showed that it made him mad because he posted it on the Internet. What kind of move is that anyway, that's like high school, not even high school, that's like grade school. Look at what Rashad said to me."

Jones and Evans had once said that they would never fight each other, but when Jones defeated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for the light heavyweight title at UFC 128, a rift developed between the two after it was announced that Evans would be Jones' first title defense.

A hand injury to Jones prevented that fight from taking place,

Since that time, the two have been exchanging words, mostly through Twitter and text messages.

If a fight between Jones and Evans were to ever take place, the UFC will have a great deal of material with which to promote this grudge match.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/709925-jon-jones-and-rashad-evans-the-fallout-between-the-former-friends-continues

Martin Kampmann Matt Hamill MMA Fighting Brock Lesnar

Strikeforce and Rockstar Ring Girl Kelli Hutcherson's Rise to the Top

Zuffa LLC and the Ultimate Fighting Championship have been on a warpath lately, devouring their competition with the acquisition of Strikeforce and merger of the WEC. Now the UFC is officially the world’s largest  MMA promotion as well. Dominant Strikeforce fighters are signing with UFC, leaving behind fighters who just can’t hang with the big boys.

There is however, one major advantage that Strikeforce has over the UFC.

Her name is Kelli Hutcherson.

The exquisitely beautiful, extremely down to earth, newly crowned Miss Strikeforce 2011, and Maxim 2011 Hot 100 Lister has only been modeling for about a year and has already taken the world by storm.

Kelli got her start as a Rockstar Energy Drink model and has since worked for Metal Mulisha, Muscle Milk, Spike TV, Strikeforce and, most recently, Maxim Magazine.

Born and raised in Southern California, Kelli perfectly defines the ideal West Coast woman.

Just as Rachelle Leah, arguably the most famous ring girl in MMA history, moved on to bigger and better things—like posing for Playboy—Kelli Hutcherson is sure to follow suit.

Recently, the main focus has been on UFC starlets and ring girls, Arianny Celeste with her recent Playboy photo shoot and recent newcomer, Brittney Palmer.

Both Arianny and Brittney were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in my book of the hottest ring girls, until now.

The 22-year-old Hutcherson has without a doubt, become my No. 1 favorite ring girl in all of MMA.

That’s not to say that the other girls aren’t amazing; quite the contrary.

They also both have posed for Maxim, but Kelli’s shoot definitely takes the cake.

Kelli is a natural beauty who looks her best with little make-up. She has a body that Michael Angelo would be jealous of; even though she admits that she doesn’t work out, claiming her perfect figure is purely a result of good genetics.

Her invitingly warm smile and dazzling charm are enough to make fans feel all warm and fuzzy from only a glance at the TV screen.

Sorry guys, she is taken. Her boyfriend is pro surfer, Ricky Whitlock.

With the best Strikeforce fighters moving to the big stage in the UFC, will we see the best ring girls following suit?

Of course, I would love to see Kelli blowing me kisses from ringside at a UFC event. Who wouldn’t?

Kelli is already a fan favorite and is gaining more and more notoriety. She is quickly becoming known by many people, both inside and outside the octagon.

With her classy style, perfectly toned body and her “go with the flow” attitude, the sky is the limit for Kelli.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/710370-strikeforce-rockstar-ring-girl-kelli-hutchersons-rise-to-the-top

Carlos Condit Michael Bisping John Hathaway Mike Pyle