Archive for the ‘Features’ Category

Michael Chandler: “I’m ready to defend this belt like it’s my life.”

by on May 17, 2012 1:16:10 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler is poised to become a dominant 155-pounder.

With an unblemished career record, the Bellator Lightweight title, a top-10 world ranking and a victory over the face of a promotion, these days it’s good to be Michael Chandler.

With a 10-0 mark and eight of such wins coming by stoppage, Chandler brings an aura of excitement. There’s nothing to dislike about his game now, just don’t expect him to brag about it.

“I’m not going to be complacent because I have a ton more to accomplish and potential to reach,” Chandler told D’Arce Side Radio’s Mike Steczkowski on the MMA DieHards Radio Network.

“But it was cool to take a step back and look at everything,” Chandler added. “The first goal has finally been accomplished and now it’s time to get better.”

Fans are still talking about his win over Eddie Alvarez in November that secured the Bellator 155-pound belt, and even though Chandler has both eyes forward it’s hard to argue it’s been a career-defining victory. Chandler survived a devastating boxing display in the third round from Alvarez, once considered the best lightweight outside the UFC, only to stop the champ with a rear-naked choke in the middle of round four. It was just the third loss of Alvarez’s career, the second time he’s been submitted and his first loss in eight fights. And Alvarez, having been with the promotion since Bellator 1, is arguably still the face of the franchise. Now it’s Chandler’s image imprinted on a banner hanging at every Bellator show.

“It was great to have an opportunity to fight a guy like Eddie,” Chandler said. “But I don’t really focus on Eddie or anybody else. I’m just focused on training and getting better, my family and my life. At the end of the day all I have is 25 minutes in the cage with someone else, whoever that is.”

Some fighters’ persona in the media directly reflects their style in the cage. Loud and brash at the press conference, full speed ahead when the bell rings. Quiet and reserved behind a microphone, calculating and methodical in the cage. Chandler is a humble man yet a relentless fighter. The 26-year old has certainly proven that in his young career.

Following his defeat at the hands of Chandler, Alvarez decided not to enter the ensuing Bellator lightweight tournament. With no chance of a rematch this season through the tournament and Alvarez’s future standing with the promotion up in the air, who knows if we’ll ever see Chandler-Alvarez 2. Alvarez has publicly stated he wants a rematch, although it isn’t Bellator’s way to hand out special treatment. But Chandler knows if it were to happen Alvarez deserves it.

“Everybody knows Eddie’s contract is almost up and people want to see him in the UFC,” Chandler said. “Who knows what he’s going to do, but I think if there is anybody that deserves slack or “special treatment” it’s Eddie. If (Bellator CEO) Bjorn (Rebney) was going to bend the rules and give somebody an immediate rematch it’s Eddie. I just hope he makes the right decision for himself.”

For now, Chandler’s focus sits on the May 25 bout between Rick Hawn and Brent Weedman in the Bellator Season 6 Lightweight Tournament final. Hawn, a US judo Olympian, owns a 13-1 career record with his only loss coming via split decision to Jay Hieron in the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament final. Weedman had a 10-fight winning streak snapped with consecutive decision losses to Hieron and Chris Lozano, but has since won two straight to reach the tournament final.

“I don’t know who I think is going to win, I would say they’re very evenly matched,” Chandler said of his potential future opponents.”Each brings their own strengths into the cage. Brent is the longer, taller opponent with pretty good muay thai and slick submissions. Hawn is the bigger, faster, stronger opponent that has a big left hand. It’s going to be exciting later this month and I’m excited to face either one of them.”

Chandler admitted there was a lot of pressure going into his non-title superfight with Akihiro Gono at Bellator 67, which Chandler won via TKO in just 56 seconds. Gono, who announced his retirement following the fight, isn’t the fighter he was during the early 2000s. But that didn’t make it any less stressful for Chandler. Saying Gono has experience is like saying water is wet. He retired with 32 wins in 57 pro fights, his list of opponents including many of the best in all of mixed martial arts. For all that Chandler has accomplished so soon, he is still just three years into the sport.

“You have everything to lose and nothing to gain,” Chandler said. “The belt isn’t on the line, but your reputation is. Lose one of those superfights and the fans are not going to react well. You have to come in prepared and I was. At the same time I was excited to get the superfight.”

Still years away from the prime of his career, Chandler craves the experience fighters like Gono have. With Bellator moving to Spike in 2013 he should have no problem there.

“I want to be as active as I can young in my career,” he said. “Fighting once or twice a year is not ideal for a fighter my age. I want to show the fans how much I’ve improved and that I’m here to stay.”

“Bjorn has been vocal about how going to Spike and the Viacom deal should let us put on two-to-three tournaments per weight class, per year, so I should have no problem getting five or six fights in the next year and a half.”

Chandler, an Xtreme Couture fighter, recently had the chance to work with some members of Alliance MMA in Las Vegas. For someone constantly looking to improve, the different prospective’s and styles brought by the likes of UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz, Brandon Vera and Ross Pearson were everything Chandler hoped for.

“It’s crazy how much of a well-versed and experienced group of guys it is,” Chandler said. “Nobody has an ego and they’re all just trying to help each other out. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them at Alliance.”

Chandler seems unstoppable right now, so the main question is what kind of opponents will he have. With the recent loss of Hector Lombard to the UFC and Alvarez very possible to go the same route, Bellator is in a tough spot. But what the organization has become very good at in its brief history is signing young and exciting fighters that can instantly break out, just like Chandler.

“Bellator has some tough, tough guys that are gamers,” Chandler said. “Hopefully they keep signing great talent and I get a chance to show the world I’m pouring my life into this sport. I’m prepared to defend this belt like it’s my life.”

MMA Judging Turns the Corner with Ricardo Almeida

by on May 16, 2012 2:59:09 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC veteran Ricardo Almeida made his major-event debut as an MMA judge at UFC on FOX 3.

Saturday May 5 was one of Ricardo Almeida’s toughest days since he announced his retirement from mixed martial arts just over a year ago.

Almeida was making his major-event debut as an MMA judge for UFC on Fox 3 at East Rutherford, N.J.’s Izod Center, but that wasn’t what had him on edge. And it wasn’t that he was the only judge to score the razor-close Johny Hendricks-Josh Koscheck fight for Koscheck, or even that he initially drove to Newark’s Prudential Center by mistake.

“I’ve been near the Octagon cornering Frankie (Edgar) and Tom DeBlass since I retired but this time around, sitting so close to the Octagon in the judges’ seats, you think about getting back in there and fighting again,” Almeida said during his appearance on Darce Side Radio with Mike Steczkowski on the MMA DieHards Radio Network.

“It was hard, but I look back at everything I did and it was a learning experience for me,” said Almeida of his MMA career. “I am grateful for making a lot of friends that I still get to see because I’m still involved. The UFC treats me like gold and I feel good about it. It’s time to move on and do other things.”

UFC President Dana White has made no secret about his frustration with current MMA judging and has pushed for former fighters to become judges. Almeida is at the forefront of the movement and is, of course, highly qualified. High-level MMA promotions are all that Almeida, a third-degree BJJ blackbelt under Renzo Gracie, has known in his career. He’s fought only for Pride, Pancrase and the UFC, amassing a 13-5 record. The thought is that former fighters see things current MMA judges, whom come mostly from a boxing background or perhaps kickboxing, don’t recognize.

“I think it’s great and I would love to see more – not just fighters – but coaches too giving back to the sport a little bit,” Almeida said.

The prospect of former coaches judging is an interesting point. Who is involved more in the technical aspect of the sport as much as them? But, as Almeida pointed out, the plan that makes sense on the surface can’t be implemented across the board.

“I talked to a couple of fighters who would like to judge but I don’t think every fighter can be a judge,” Almeida said. “Coaches are very involved in the sport on a daily basis so I would like to see some of them.”

When Almeida retired in March 2011 following his loss to Mike Pyle at UFC 128 he had no intention of becoming a judge. His life now would be consumed by his family and very successful BJJ academy, along with supporting teammates such as Frankie Edgar. Living, teaching and training fighters from New Jersey, Almeida always had a close relationship with New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Counsel Nick Lembo. One thing led to another and all of the sudden Almeida was in the judge’s seat.

“It all just kind of happened,” Almeida said. “Nick Lembo is someone I’ve been very close with and worked with over the years and it was a no-brainer to take part in it. It’s a great opportunity for me to give back to a sport that has given me so much.”

Almeida was a judge for Bellator events 49 and 59, but UFC on Fox 3 represented his first judging opportunity for the UFC. He personally scored the John Hathaway-Pascal Krauss, John Dodson-Tim Elliot, Michael Johnson-Tony Ferguson and Josh Koscheck-Johny Hendricks bouts. The one people were talking about after was the Koscheck-Hendricks title, which Hendricks won via split decision to earn a welterweight title shot. There were articles solely dedicated to Almeida being the only judge to score the fight for Koscheck, but not in a negative manner. Everyone wanted to know how the new, more-qualified judge saw things and if he was actually the only one to correctly score the fight.

“I feel though I’m the only judge to give it to Koscheck it wasn’t a controversial decision,” said Almeida, who isn’t allowed to speak in-depth about a fight he scored. “It was just a close fight that could have gone either way.”

Almeida is right when he says not every fighter is cut about to be a judge. He is the kind of person perfect for the job, however. Aside from being well-respected across the board, Almeida is more than just a retired fighter. As a professor he is involved in the sport from dusk ‘till dawn.

“I’ve always been a teacher first and that’s why I still do it,” Almeida said. Presenting people with their white belt and then 8, 10 years later handing them their black belt, I love doing that and I’ll do it until the day I die.”

“I’ll retire when I expire.”

Fighters always talk about not putting the fight in the judges’ hands. But when a scrap does go the distance, a man with as much passion as Almeida is the guy you want making the call.

UFC on Fuel TV 3 recap: “Korean Zombie” hungry for featherweight gold

by on May 15, 2012 11:14:54 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

<p>UFC Featherweight Chan Sung Jung celebrates his UFC on Fuel TV 3 win (MMADiehards.com)</p>

UFC on Fuel TV 3 settled the future of the UFC’s featherweight division with a main event between Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and the “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung Tuesday night. Taking place at Fairfax, Va.’s Patriot Center, it saw the “Korean Zombie” win a brutal battle that could wake the dead.

Both men delivered enough violence for “28 Days Later.” Jung caught one of Poirier’s kicks early and took him down twice. Jung then cut “The Diamond” with elbows, and ate up kicks going into Poirier’s guard.

Dueling “Zombie” and “USA” chants erupted as both fighters traded blows and Jung drilled Poirier’s head into the ground stuffing a takedown. As if smelling blood, “Zombie” began throwing vicious knees and rolled through another takedown to try some ground and pound.

From there, Jung put Poirier through some serious survival horror. Strikes were relentlessly launched, limbs often torqued and bodies frequently slammed. Poirier tried weathering the assault, but it was too much. “Zombie” caught him in a d’arce choke and drove him into his darkest nightmares.

Earlier on, Tom “Filthy” Lawlor came to party, entering the Octagon with a birthday entourage sporting zany hats. Once the cage door closed, he was all business in a quick brawl with Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald. Dropping MacDonald with hooks to each side of his head, “Filthy” found a place in the winner’s circle with a whirlwind TKO.

“Virginia is for lovers, right?” an elated Lawlor said after the match. “I love you guys. This is definitely one of the best 50 states to fight in.”

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone also came prepared for a shootout with Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens. He struck on all levels, bashing Stephens’ entire body every chance he got. By fight’s end, “Cowboy” had made a map of bruises on Stephens’ face. It was a spectacle that won Cerrone the fight via unanimous decision.

In other action, Fabio Maldonado faced Igor “The Duke” Pokrajac in an all-out brawl. Pokrajac planted Maldonado on the mat, pinning him until a late standup. Once on the feet, the two traded vicious body blows in a relentless exchange. From there, the match devolved into dirty boxing bursting with knees and heaps of hooks. In the end, Pokrajac edged out Maldonado in a split decision.

After that, Yves “Tiger” Jabouin tangled with Jeff “Hellbound” Houghland. “Tiger” pounced early with a spinning low kick that rocketed Houghland across the cage. A second one floored him, and Jabouin followed with frantic hammer fists. It didn’t work, however, and “Tiger” pursued his prey to a unanimous decision win instead.

Amir Sadollah scrapped with Jorge Lopez in the co-main event. Grappling for cage control, Lopez eventually laid him out with a gigantic slam. Sadollah survived, and both men tried grinding each other down from then on. In the night’s most lackluster fight, Sadollah scored the “W” via split decision.

Besides that one bad fight, UFC on Fuel TV 3 was one of 2012’s most entertaining cards thus far. A small card that delivered big fights, it also promises that featherweight champ Jose Aldo has a “Korean Zombie” in his future.

UFC on Fuel TV 3 prelim recap: School’s in session for amazing fights

by on May 15, 2012 8:07:26 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC fighter Cody McKenzie celebrates a victory in the Octagon. (Photo courtesy of modernviolentgentlemen.com)

The UFC brought combat sports to George Mason University’s campus in Fairfax, Va. Tuesday night. The UFC on Fuel TV 3 prelims delivered exciting battles showcasing a whole school’s worth of textbook MMA entertainment.

The prelims began with a bantamweight bout between Alex Soto and Francisco “Cisco” Rivera, Jr. The pair produced a nail-biting fight with Rivera throwing furious strikes only for Soto to hang on with desperation takedowns.

In one insane trade, Rivera painted Soto’s mug with face kicks only for Soto to point at his mouth and ask for more. Amazingly, he hung on, and the highly entertaining scrap ended in a unanimous decision win for “Cisco.”

In the undercard’s most inspiring fight, amateur wrestling wizard Marcus LeVesseur made his UFC debut against Cody McKenzie. He instantly took McKenzie down, only to suffer a groin shot and have the bout restarted. That went more in McKenzie’s favor, and the guillotine choke god soon locked in his signature hold for a submission win.

In other action, Jeff “Big Frog” Curran and Johnny Eduardo clashed in a slow-burning bout. Though both fought conservatively, they threw crisp bombs whenever they could. In the final round, Eduardo complained about an eye poke when Curran cracked him with a one-two across the temple. It might have made the difference – Curran dropped Eduardo a win moments later via unanimous decision.

Kamal “Prince of Persia” Shalorus also came up short in a blitzkrieg bout against Rafael Dos Anjos. Dos Anjos rocked the unsuspecting lightweight with a high kick, and then took him out with a rear naked choke as he cowered on the canvas.

TJ Grant and Carlo “Neo” Prater, meanwhile, got in a grappling battle. The two jockeyed for cage control before Prater tripped up Grant looking for a leg lock. Grant survived, and then peppered Prater with knees in the clinch. Worn down, Prater ended in a ground scramble Grant dominated en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Brad Tavares and Dongi “The Ox” Yang closed things out with a snoozer eventually turned slugfest. Tentative at first, the duo turned things up round after round. Closing with a Tavares unanimous decision victory, the prelims pumped up the crowd with fights that entertained across the board regardless of how each ended.

Daniel Straus wins Bellator Season 6 Featherweight Tournament

by on May 15, 2012 5:05:17 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Daniel Straus defeated Marlon Sandro via unanimous decision to win the Bellator Season 6 Featherweight Tournament.

 

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Daniel Straus is going to need a deposit slip.

The second time proved to be the charm for the 27-year old Straus, who, in his second appearance in a Bellator Featherweight Tournament Final, defeated Marlon Sandro via unanimous decision Friday night at Bellator 68 inside Caesar’s Atlantic City.

Nearly a year since his loss to Patricio Freire in the Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament, Straus bounced back with unanimous-decision victories over Jeremy Spoon, Mike Corey and finally Sandro to earn at $100,000 payday and a date with either Freire or current champion Pat Curran for the Bellator featherweight title.

“It’s been a really, really long ride with a lot of bumps, a lot of bruises, a lot of tears and a lot of blood, but I’m here,” Straus said at the post-fight press conference.

Straus (20-4) outpointed the veteran Sandro 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 thanks to a much-improved striking game. He was getting the better of the dangerous Sandro in their exchanges and managed to stay away from the Brazilian’s looping right hand that has switched off several fighters over the course of his eight-year pro career. After two rounds Straus was comfortably ahead, but Sandro (22-4) nearly stunned him in the third round when he tried to sink in a standing arm-triangle. The choke looked tight – and it was – but Straus was able to get free and finish with a big slam that put the finishing touches on his biggest victory to date.

“It was tight,” Straus admitted. “I kinda saw it coming and I thought I could turn the corner, but he closed the distance quickly.

Straus knew his only chance of holding off the submission attempt was to stay on his feet.

“It would’ve been a wrap,” Straus said.

Since going 1-2 to start his career, Straus has won 19 of his last 21 fights. His only losses during that span have to against – fittingly so – Curran and Freire. He’ll get his chance for a measure of revenge no matter whomever he faces.

“I’m not looking for a grudge fight, I’m just looking to win that title no matter who has it,” Straus said.

Curran and Freire will most likely square off in the final summer series event, which could be in July or August, according to Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. Straus will face the winner for the title sometime in late fall, Rebney also said.

Galvao advances to 135-pound final

Marcus Galvao (11-5 MMA, 3-2 BFC) overpowered Travis Marx (19-4 MMA, 1-1 BFC) to become the first to advance to this season’s bantamweight final. The 29-year old Brazilian peppered Marx with vicious kicks and effectively mixed in his boxing to control the standing portion of the fight. Good takedown defense kept Marx from moving the fight to the ground, and Galvao continued to out-strike him on their feet. Galvao took the two of the three rounds on the judges scorecards for a 29-28 victory across the board.

“It’s been a dream since a kid to win this tournament,” Galvao said through a translator.

It was emotional day for Galvao, who dedicated the fight to his mother, who passed away from cancer two weeks prior to the start of the tournament.

Held hooks ‘em again

Derrick Kennington knew exactly what he had to look out for, but in the end it didn’t matter.

The New Jersey native stepped in for his injured coach, UFC veteran Kurt Pellegrino, to take on submission specialist Marcin Held. He knew exactly the spots to stay away from, and certainly started strong when he knocked down Held with a punch in the opening minute. Kennington jumped on Held and started throwing bombs looking to finish the fight. Held was able to escape, however, and quickly went to his bread and butter move.

Held shot in for a takedown and dropped down for a leg lock. Kennington tried to spin free but Held had a firm lock on a heel hook and forced Kennington to tap at 2:08 of the first round.

“I went down but I recovered quickly,” Held said. “I took him down and did what I do best. I tried a heel hook and it worked. Next time I’ll have better standup.”

The 20-year old Pole won by submission for the seventh time to up his career mark to 13-2 and 2-1 in Bellator. Rebney continued to sing Held’s praises, calling him ‘The Polish version of Shinya Aoki’.

“He’s a spectacular submission artist,” Rebney said. “It’s hard for me to believe he’s just 20-years old.”

Rebney also liked what he saw from Kennington. Even though he didn’t make it out of the first round, he thinks the Pellegrino MMA product has earned another chance.

“Marcin Held is a submission freak but much like a lot of the great Japanese fighters if you can stay away from that aspect of their game you have a good chance to win the fight,” Rebney added. “But any mistake is fatal. Add that to the fact that it’s a big fight that is on TV and it’s a lot of pressure on somebody. There’s no shame in losing to a guy like Marcin Held, specifically in a way he beats everybody.”

“You have to applaud guys like that who are willing to step up. He didn’t crumble and he stepped up in an enormous way.  A lot of other people wouldn’t have done that.”

Zaromskis, Spiritwolf entertain but still seek resolution

From five seconds to 10 minutes,  this time there was actually plenty of substance to the matchup between Marius Zaromskis and Waachiim Spiritwolf.

But for the second straight time each left the cage with a sense of unfinished business.

After a dominating second round by Spiritwolf in which he nearly put Zaromskis way twice, the bout was called due to a deep cut over the right eye of Spiritwolf to give Zaromskis the TKO victory.

Spiritwolf was impressive in the first round by effectively moving into the clinch and staying inside Zaromskis’ dangerous kicks. He scored a pair of takedowns and briefly took his opponent’s back, ultimately doing enough to control the round.

Midway through the second round Zaromskis landed consecutive knees to the face of Spiritwolf and looked to have him hurt. But Spiritwolf countered by swinging away in a flurry that pinned Zaromskis against the cage. Zaromskis tried to scurry out of danger but Spiritwolf caught him with another punch that dropped him to the floor. Spiritwolf jumped on him and looked to finish, but Zaromskis was somehow able to regain his composure while Spiritwolf slowed as he ended the round in top position.

It looked like Spiritwolf was up 20-18 through two rounds and the crowd was fired up for a third round. But during their exchanges a significant cut had opened above Spiritwolf’s eye and the cage-side doctor determined it was too severe to continue. Spiritwolf looked to be in fairly good shape and was visibly upset by the stoppage. Zaromskis wasn’t even sure what was happening until the official decision was rendered.

“My hand was full of blood and I was like, ‘what’s going on’,” Zaromskis said. “I was worried maybe I’m cut. After I found out it was his head but I was waiting for the third round.”

The pair first met under the Strikeforce banner in 2010. That fight was deemed a no contest after an accidental eye poke by Zaromskis.

“We went from five seconds to 10 minutes,” Zaromskis said. “I’m ready for a third time if Bellator wants it.”

Zaromskis, the current DREAM welterweight champion, improves to 17-6 with his third consecutive victory.

Quick knockout highlights undercard

A heck of a lot happened in half a minute.

That was proven during the undercard bout between Aung La NSang and Jesus Martinez. Martinez opened the fight by quickly dropping NSang with punches and pouncing to finish. NSang quickly recovered, got back to his feet and returned the favor by sending Martinez to the mat with punches. NSang was able to land several clean strikes on the ground to force the TKO stoppage at 36 seconds of the first round.

Francios Amborg opened the event with a split-decision victory over Gregory Milliard at 185 pounds. Anthony Leone then defeated Claudio Ledesma via split decision at 135. Leone won 30-27 on two judges scorecards, but Ledesma was curiously scored to win the fight, 29-28, by one judge. An exciting, back-and-forth battle between Don Carlo-Clauss and Jacob Kirwan in the lightweight division produced a split-decision win for Carlo-Clauss.

The Kennington-Held bout was originally slated for the preliminary card, but was moved to the main card when the Carmelo Marrero-Seth Petruzelli fight was cancelled. A pre-fight medical exam revealed fluid in Petruzelli’s lungs, and a second opinion confirmed he could not fight.

Bellator 68

Main Card Results

-Daniel Straus def. Marlon Sandro via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

-Marcos Galvao def. Travis Marx via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

-Marcin Held def. Derrick Kennington via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 2:08

-Marius Zaromskis def. Waachiim Spiritwolf via TKO (doctor’s stoppage due to cut) – Round 2, 5:00

Preliminary Card Results

-Don Carlo-Clauss def. Jacob Kirwan via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

-Aung La Nsang def. Jesus Martinez via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:36

-Anthony Leone def. Claudio Ledesma via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)

-Francois Ambang def. Gregory Milliard via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

MMA DieHards Counterpunch: UFC on FUEL 3

by on May 15, 2012 12:10:36 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Donald Cerrone (L) stare down with Jeremy Stephens (R) at UFC on Fuel 3 weigh-ins.

MMA DieHards is back with another session of Counterpunch.  This time we take on UFC on Fuel 3, which takes place Tuesday at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.

UFC 146 features a featherweight main event between Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung.  The Ultimate Fighter 7 winner Amir Sadollah meets Jorge Lopez, Donald Cerrone takes on Jeremy Stephens, and Jason MacDonald faces Tom Lawlor in the Canadian’s final match of his career.

MMADieHards.com put together a team of our finest writers to bring you Counterpunch for the event.  The group independently makes its selections for each fight. Minority picks will be defended by one of the panelists making that selection.

Joining us this week will be Robert G. Reynolds, Joe Rizzo, Michael Stets, Mark Hensch and Bob Badders.

Sadollah, Jeff Curran and Yves Jabouin are not covered below, as they were unanimously selected.

Below we list the match, the fighter being defended and the author of the defence.

Francisco Rivera vs. Alex Soto
Defending Rivera: Joe Rizzo

The last two times we saw Rivera in Zuffa, he was getting finished by featherweight contender Erik Koch and solid prospect Reuben Duran.  Rivera went back the drawing board at Tachi Palace fights and was dominant, spending just 2:05 in the cage to dispatch of Brad McDonald and Antonio Duarte.  That got him another shot in the UFC, on short notice against Soto in the bantamweight division.  Those two weeks should be enough for Rivera to load his fists for Soto, who is looking for his first UFC win.  Soto was in this position in his UFC debut, when he came on late to face Michael McDonald and was knocked out in 56 seconds.

Kamal Shalorus vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Defending Shalorus: Michael Steczkowski 

Both fighters are coming off loses in this matchup.  Dos Anjos dropping a split decision to Gleison Tibau , and Shalorus to new comer Khabib Nurmagomedov.  Before you give Shalorus points off for losing to someone making their UFC debut, Nurmagomedov is now 17-0 and a World Combat Sambo Champion.  Prior to that, he lost to Jim Miller, a perennial top contender.  Dos Anjos has shown he is versatile on the ground or standing.  That being said, I don’t think we see him giving “The Prince of Persia” his third straight loss.  Shalorus’ wrestling pedigree and toughness will be too much, he wins by TKO Round 2.

Carlo Prater vs. TJ Grant
Defending Prater: Bob Badders

My first impression of this fight is that in involves a pair of guys with very good records and some notable victories that haven’t been able to put together a run on the big stage.
Since debuting with a surprising split-decision win over Ryo Chonan at UFC 97, Grant is just 3-3, although his opponents in those defeats were certainly worthy.  Prater has won five in a row to rebound off a stretch where he lost six of 10 bouts, but hasn’t really wowed in his WEC and UFC bouts. To me Prater is a bad matchup for Grant. Where Grant is good Prater is better. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Luta Livre black belt should be able to nullify Grant’s strengths. Grant has won by submission in 13 of his 17 victories, but I’m not sure he’ll find the same openings against the seasoned Prater.
Grant does have good momentum coming in off a submission of Shane Roller at “UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson”, and he’s went the distance in losses to Kim Dong-Hyun, Johny Hendricks and Ricardo Almeida. I like Prater’s experience here too. The 30-year old has 41 pro fights under his belt. He’s faced a lot of different styles over the years and, albeit early in his career, has wins over such notables as Melvin Guillard, Spencer Fisher and current UFC Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit.
With four of his last five wins coming by submission, it looks like Prater is in a groove on the ground. I like him to continue that trend for his sixth consecutive win.

Yang Dongi vs. Brad Tavares
Defending Dongi: Mark Hensch

I’m digging Dongi’s chances in this scrap for several reasons. For starters, he trains with the main event’s Chan Sung Jung and thus has well-rounded practice with South Korea’s diverse martial arts traditions.

Furthermore, Dongi’s fought all over the world and more often than Tavares. Though those are minor facts, they show that he’s seasoned and capable of dealing with the jet lag that so often levels foreign fighters on American cards.

Last but not least, Dongi is a stocky dude who’s hard to take down. Even he does meet the mat, his area of expertise is overwhelming ground and pound. My guess is all these factors will set up a smothering for poor Tavares when the two step inside the Octagon.

Marcus LeVesseur vs. Cody McKenzie
Defending LeVesseur: Mark Hensch

In virtually all of my MMA picks, I gravitate towards fighters who have more UFC experience as it’s the sport’s most competitive stage. In the case of this bout, I’m leaning toward LeVesseur despite the fact he’s debuting here.

I admire McKenzie’s heart and his penchant for an absurd variety of chokeholds. Despite this, he’s found mixed success in the UFC and LeVesseur enters with a pedigree I’ll call “quasi-divine.” A decorated amateur wrestler, he picked up a staggering 296-0 record before jumping into the MMA ocean feet first. He’s so far proven he’s a big fish, going 21-5 in the hurt business.

With all this in mind, I’m expecting LeVesseur will have some jitters but he’s used to grappling his way past problems. The same thing will happen here, and my guess is he’ll manhandle McKenzie to a finish or decision, whichever he can get first.

Jason MacDonald vs. Tom Lawlor
Defending MacDonald: Michael Steczkowski 

Since defeating C.B. Dolloway and earning submission of the night at UFC 100, Lawlor has struggled, going 1-3 in his last four outings.  His last fight earned him a default profile pic on Darce Side Radio’s Twitter account, losing to Chris Weidman via D’arce choke.  MacDonald hasn’t been impressive himself, and the 36-year-old is on the downturn of his MMA career.  I have a hunch he has a couple good fights left in him, tomorrow night being one of them.  MacDonald catches him, and finishes with an rear-naked choke in the second round.

Fabio Maldonado vs. Igor Pokrajac
Defending Maldonado: Steczkowski

If you missed Maldonado’s fight of the night performance against Kyle Kingsbury at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, then you are unaware of his striking ability.  Yes, he did lose that fight, but he showcased his talented hands throughout.  While Pokrajac looked awesome his last time out, making quick work of Krzysztof Soszynski(I hate having to spell check that) in 35 seconds, he won’t be having an easy night this time out.  Maldonado’s boxing is too much for the Duke. Maldonado wins unanimous decision.

Jeremy Stephens vs. Donald Cerrone
Defending Stephens: Joe Rizzo
Stephens is a solid underdog here, and worth a play against Cerrone, if for nothing more than his penchant for getting into brawls and exciting fights.  What might be overlooked in the excitement is that Stephens is 4-2 in his last six fights, with those defeats each coming by a split decision, against top-notchers Melvin Guillard and Anthony Pettis.  Cerrone is right about in the same class, so this match figures to be a fight of the night contender that goes down to the wire.  This time Stephens will get the edge.

Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung
Defending Poirier: Robert G. Reynolds

Talk about stealing from the cookie jar.

As my fellow MMADieHard brethren fall for the flashy pizazz of the twister victory over Leonard Garcia, and the fortunate KO over Mark Hominick, they fail to see the reality of Jung’s fate in this upcoming bout.

Poirier has one loss in his career and that came with his inaugural bout in the WEC.  With that out of the way, he has compiled five straight wins while collecting submission of the night at UFC 143.  Training with former UFC fighter, Tim Credeur at the Gladiator Training Academy, you can ensure that Poirier will be ready for anything Jung has in store for him.

With this fight being a featherweight title eliminator, expect Poirier to make a statement to the rest of the division.  Poirier is going to bury “The Korean Zombie” with a ground and pound TKO stoppage in the second round.

UFC on FUEL TV 3 Fresh Faces: Marcus LeVesseur

by on May 14, 2012 8:00:35 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC Marcus LeVesseur landing punches in full mount (Photo courtesy of davestrasser.com)

UFC on FUEL TV 3 takes place May 15 and features a featherweight bout between “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and Dustin Poirier.

While the UFC has introduced many new fighters to their roster in recent events, the spot light for this coming show has been left for one of the best American amateur wrestlers.  Learn more about Marcus LeVesseur in this edition of Fresh Faces.

Name: Marcus LeVesseur

Weight class: Lightweight

Record: 21-5

Recent body of work: Defeated Taurean Bogguess via unanimous decision at “MSC: High Stakes” in Aug. 2011.

Who he is: Most famous for his unblemished amateur wrestling career, LeVesseur finished high school with a 141-0 wrestling record.  Continuing his streak into college, the Minnesota native added 255 more wins to finish his amateur career with an astounding record of 296-0.  A four-time Division III national wrestling champion, Lavesseur transitioned to MMA in 2003 and started his career with seven straight wins.  Now a nine year veteran of the sport, LeVesseur will take his first steps in the Octagon May 15 against “The Ultimate Fighter 12” quarterfinalist, Cody MacKenzie.

Danny Castillo has a winning ritual

by on May 14, 2012 1:00:12 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC lightweight fighter, Danny Castillo (photo courtesy of Combat Lifestyle)

Danny Castillo may not believe in superstitions, but when there is a winning streak involved, he can’t strip away tradition.

Team Alpha Male member, Castillo (Twitter: @lastcall155), has been a staple with the Zuffa organization since 2008.  Compiling 9-4 record since starting with the WEC, Castillo successfully joined the UFC with the merger and has produced four wins and one loss, which was by the hands of Jacob Volkmann.

Castillo recently extended his win streak to three in a row when he silenced John Cholish at “UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller.”  Even though it was a 15-minute brawl, the battered Castillo is having trouble staying out of the gym, days after the fight.

“Winning that fight definitely motivates me more,” Castillo said with MMA Beatdown on the MMADieHards Radio Network.  “So I’m trying to stay out of the gym, but I was already back in there today.  I’ve got a few bumps and bruises, but I think I find more motivation with wins than I do with losses sometimes.  I’m already thinking about new things I want to do, new camps I want to visit and I just want to get better; I’m constantly thinking about fighting.”

Where most fighters have a pecking order of who they want to fight next, “Last Call” is keeping a wide outlook on the situation and not getting ahead of himself.  With the personal goals already set for the year, Castillo is going to leave the fight picks to the pros.

“I want to try and crack that top ten in the next year or come close to it,” said Castillo.  That’s been my goal and I’m looking for a big fight here the next fight or the fight after.  It doesn’t really matter to me; I think that Joe Silva has done a great job in match making for me.  It seems like he is picking the fights for me to win, so whatever he has for me I’m confident that I’m going to keep the win streak going.”

While assisting with the training on one half of “The Ultimate Fighter: Live” with Team Faber, Castillo has had the opportunity of exploring new ventures and experiences training in Las Vegas.  Since his last victory in New Jersey, Castillo is back home in Sacramento, but still yearns for the guidance of a different coaching.

Finding it beneficial training with Sergio Penha in Vegas, Castillo wants to make a trip back, but he has also found some help more close to home.

“I’m just trying to find the best guys I can,” admitted Castillo.  “Caesar Gracie’s is not too far, so I wouldn’t mind cross training with them.  There are a couple of different coaches that I want to work with; I still want to be going to Vegas and try to get out there for two week training camps every now and then.”

It may not be well known because of the strength of his wrestling, but Castillo has been an avid boxing fan from his childhood days and is appreciating the art even more so today.  In an effort to expand his skillset, Castillo visited the Mayweather Boxing Club to sharpen his tools.

“I was able to hit mitts with Jeff (Mayweather) and work my boxing there, sparring with a few pro boxers,” Castillo said.  “To improve on my boxing is definitely a confidence builder and is making me feel really comfortable out there.  Once I put everything together, I’m going to be making a run at that title.”

Putting everything together is one thing for Castillo, but the other has a little bit more to do with habit.  The California native is admittedly not superstitious, but has noticed a continuing trend that may be the key to his success.

When most fighters are sweating and putting their bodies through the torments of cutting weight the night before weigh-ins, Castillo finds another way of passing the time.

“I used to be really superstitious, but not so much lately.  I don’t really believe in that, but I do have some fun rituals.  This fight was the seventh fight that I’ve won where I went to the strip club the night before the weigh-ins.

“My girlfriend isn’t too hot about it, but 7-0, that’s pretty crazy.  For some reason, I win when I go.”

“The Ultimate Fighter: Live” Episode 10 Recap

by on May 11, 2012 11:09:09 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

James Vick landing an uppercut on route to securing semi-final spot in TUF: Live (Photo courtesy of fightbulletin.net)

As the tenth episode of “The Ultimate Fighter: Live” begins, we watch some highlights from the previous week’s episode, in which Andy Ogle successfully defeats Mike Rio.  Also, the validation of this week’s dual quarterfinal matchups: Team Faber’s Joe Proctor vs. Team Cruz’s James Vick is first. Then it’s Team Faber’s Michael Chiesa vs. Team Cruz’s Justin Lawrence.

UFC president Dana White made a visit to the gym in order to announce Cruz’s blown ACL. The knee was popped in training, and he says an MRI confirmed he’ll be out for what White says is, “at least nine months.”  White confirms in front of the teams that he will secure another opponent for Faber.

With Cruz out of the fight, White immediately confirms he’s sticking around and the introduction of an interim belt for Faber’s fight.  While disappointed, Cruz still admits he hopes Faber beats whomever he fights.

Not wasting any time, the first bout gets on its way with Proctor giving up a considerable reach and height advantage to Vick.  Both fighters start off tentatively, with Vick getting the better of the early exchanges.  Proctor starts to find his range midway through the opening round, landing some heavy strikes, but Vick marches on and finishes the round with strong combinations.

Starting out the second time, Proctor came out of the corner aggressive trying to make up for the first round. Vick manages to keep his distance and ends up taking the fight to the mat.  With side control established, Team Cruz’s, Vick, decides to bring the fight back to their feet and the combatants finish the second round swinging.

With both coaches expecting a possible third sudden-death round, the judge’s unanimously decide that Vick moves on to the semi-finals.

For the second quarter-final bout of the night, Lawrence started the round trying to keep distance between him and his opponent, but it was inevitable, Chiesa grabs a hold of his foe and drags him to the ground.  From then on, it was an onslaught of submission attempts by Chiesa on his back.  While he successfully locked up a few submissions, Chiesa was unable to finish the fight.

Lawrence is ready for this second round and comes out as if the first round never happened.  Rocking Chiesa with and overhand right, he struggles for a takedown, but is unsuccessful.  Once again, Lawrence comes in strong, but this time with body shots that drop Chiesa to the ground in pain.  Lawrence follows, but is unable to capitalize and the round ends.

Waiting for a verdict, White sticks his head in the cage and announces the news of a third round of action.  Flipping the switch, Lawrence achieves a quick takedown, but in unfamiliar waters, Chiesa turns the tides and sweeps into top position.  Lawrence is exhausted and can only cover up from Chiesa’s strikes until referee, Josh Rosenthal, steps in to stop the bout.  Team Fabers, Chiesa, now moves on to the semi-final bracket.

With the season’s first two quarterfinals complete, the remaining two matchups are: Team Cruz’s Vinc Pichel vs. Team Faber’s Chris Saunders and a bout between teammates, Team Faber’s Al Iaquinta and Andy Ogle.

A Book in Review: Chael Sonnen: The Voice of Reason – A VIP Pass to Enlightenment

by on May 10, 2012 6:03:27 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

If you are planning to read Chael Sonnen: The Voice of Reason in hopes to get a laugh at senseless literature, you will be disappointed because the book offers a lot more.

As the reader opens the book they will immediately be greeted with a foreword from none other than Jesus Christ, followed by a list of items you will need in order to read the book properly.  It is a hilarious beginning, as Sonnen (Twitter: @sonnench) then takes the reader on a telling of his experiences leading up to previous bouts he has competed in or had some part in.  These duties included cornerman, baggage handler, stacker of chairs, and exploited, well-intentioned doofus.

Then the book backtracks to Sonnen’s younger days in West Linn, Ore.  The author recounted his wrestling experiences, which included grappling with the notorious Crips and Bloods street gangs, attending a multitude of funerals and the impact coach Roy Pittman had on Sonnen’s life.

Numerous chapters throughout the book show a humble side of Sonnen.  He talks about his political career going up in smoke after being convicted of money laundering.  The infraction resulted in Sonnen losing his real estate license and having his right to vote revoked.  Sonnen also talked about his late father and the relationship the two of them had.  It was a glimpse of Sonnen’s personality that not many have had the opportunity to see.

Sonnen delves into politics and world history.  It was definitely the least intriguing section of the book for me, but the humorous remarks about history’s world leaders encouraged me to keep reading.  He also had words for terrorists and the environmentalists out there he refers to as “eco-frekos.”

Sonnen offered a few pages to explain his detest for people using social media platforms as a stage to inform the world of their unimportant statuses.  He suggests Twitter should be called “Blather,” and provides various chapters that describe Sonnen’s loathe for pop culture, as well as the people fooled by it.

The book would not be complete without Sonnen contributing advice for fellow mixed martial artists.  He warns the up-and-comers to not get into MMA for fortune, fame and women, because it will lead to failure.  The UFC No. 1 middleweight contender gives some insight on which walkout songs are acceptable and not acceptable (Aerosmith and Metallica top the list, can’t disagree with that).  And of course, Sonnen fired off more than a few sentences at teammates not wanting to fight each other.

It should be well-expected that Anderson Silva would get his own chapter.  Sonnen, surprisingly, did not tear into Silva as one might have presumed.  He detailed the night of Aug. 7, 2010, when he lost to Silva via submission, following 23 minutes of Sonnen dominating the champ.  Sonnen also described the suspension he received from the California State Athletic Commission for accelerated levels of testosterone.  It was really quite interesting to read what Sonnen’s mindset was before, during and after that particular contest.

In closing, Sonnen described his emotions and psyche as he enters the Octagon.   After crediting Bert Fields on a job well-done, Sonnen admitted the fear and self-doubt he experiences while waiting for the fight to begin.  He explained the thoughts running through his mind as his opponent walks down the same ramp he did moments ago.  Sonnen was very intricate with his description, but also made comical notes about having troubles taking off his walkout shirt, as so many fighters do.

The Voice of Reason provides the reader with the typical humor MMA fans are used to from the author, however, it also offers little-known facts about Sonnen.  There may not be a whole lot of reasoning behind Sonnen’s antics, but it was enlightening to read about his life and experiences.

Page 1 of 12012345...102030...Last »