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“The Ultimate Fighter: Live” Episode 8 Recap

TUF: Live contestants Chris Saunders and Sam Sicilia (Photo courtesy of mixedmartialarts.com)

As the eighth episode of “The Ultimate Fighter: Live” begins, we watch some highlights from the previous week’s episode, in which Team Cruz’s Vinc Pichel forced Team Faber’s John Cofer to tap via arm-triangle choke early in the sudden death third round.

Heading into tonight’s episode, Team Cruz has evened up the fights at three apiece and recaptured fight control. The seventh live fight selected for tonight’s show is a bout between Sam Sicilia of Team Cruz and representing Team Faber will be Chris Saunders.

Cruz was a lot happier after this fight compared to the previous performance of Chris Tickle, praising Pichel for listening to his advice going in for the third round. He was told to go out there and make it a street fight and that is exactly what he did, securing the win.

Still taking the loss hard, Cofer was short for words about the loss and only promised that he’ll be back.

The Team Cruz training session started and team headmaster, Cruz, brought in a special guest to help with training. Being the first woman invited to be a guest trainer on The Ultimate Fighter, Strikeforce 135-pound woman’s champion, Ronda Rousey, joined the team for the day. Rousey showed the team various judo techniques and they were more than willing to absorb everything that the champ had to throw at them.

Back at the TUF house the entire cast got together to watch UFC 145: Evans vs. Jones, including Rousey. With the woman’s champ also being the first female in the TUF house, it clearly showed by the silence of her entrance. With the fighters being secluded from the outside world, especially women, it led for awkward moments.

At the Team Faber training session, Saunders has all this skills that are necessary, but Faber points out that the self-confidence of his fighter is an area needing work. Realizing that, Saunders felt that with him being the last chosen at team selection this is an opportunity to take out the number two pick and improve his stock. The plan set by Faber for Saunders is to stick and move, getting out of the way of Sicilia’s wild punches.

Fighting 11 times last year alone, Sicilia rededicated himself to the sport and is ready to for his opportunity. Focusing on Sicilia’s speed combined with his power, Team Cruz looked to make it a long night for Saunders by blasting him apart in the center of the ring before establishing the takedown.

Pranks start up again at the house and Team Cruz is accused of the traditional tampering of the kitchen faucet and Mike Rio states the fact that he’ll get crazy if someone tries to touch his hair. In the backyard, Saunders broke down his life coming up to this point, describing how his parents weren’t around while growing up and how that has affected his life today by making him a stronger person.

Deciding to try and get under Cruz’s skin, Faber and the coaching staff removed all the furniture from Team Cruz’s dressing room and replaced it with workout equipment. Getting down to their underwear, team Alpha Male worked up a sweat when Team Cruz members showed up to their room, which caused a bit of a stink.

At the weigh-ins, Sicilia checked in at 155-pounds for Team Cruz, while Saunders matched his opponent Team Faber. As Cruz gave his fighter last minute pointers on ground control, Faber advised Saunders to utilize the push kick to keep Sicilia away.

To start the seventh live fight, Sicilia comes out throwing punches with bad intentions, but didn’t manage to land anything significant. Midway through the round, Saunders finds his comfort zone and lands a head kick that drops Sicilian on his face. Managing to recover, Sicilia got back to his feet and makes it to the second round.

The game plan of Sicilia is apparent well into the second round, he wants to knockout his opponent, but the chin of Saunders says otherwise. The Team Cruz member did manage to drop Saunders with a wild left hook, but that wasn’t enough to make a difference in the eyes of the judge’s. Team Cruz’s Sicilia has felt defeat for the first time, falling short by split decision to Saunders.

Happy with the victory, Saunders puts the equation together that added up to his victory.

“It went exactly as I thought,” Saunders said. “Sam was second pick and a tough individual, but I have a great team behind me to help me out, and I had confidence; that’s all you need.”

Sicilia was also short with words, but realized what he did wrong coming into the decision loss.

“I didn’t believe in my wrestling as much as I could,” Sicilia admits. “Other than that I made it a fight and lost a decision to a tough guy; there’s nothing else.”

Coming into the fight announcements UFC president, Dana White, states that he saw the fight going to a third and final round, as supposed to the judges.

Team Faber takes back control of the fight picks, but it is rendered useless, as there is only one fight left. The eighth live fight to take place next Friday is between, Mike Rio of Team Cruz and Andy Ogle of Team Faber.

Bjorn Rebney happy for Lombard, intends to keep Alvarez, big fan of King Mo

Bellator president Bjorn Rebney at Bellator 64 press conference (Photo by: Robert G. Reynolds/mmadiehards.com)

Had it been two years ago, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney (Twitter: @BjornRebney) may not have been as confident in the company’s future with the exit of Hector Lombard.

Recently, the former Bellator middleweight champion left the promotion and signed with the UFC. Lombard’s dominant reign as champion started in June 2009, not to mention he has been undefeated since 2006, which made him one of the division’s elite mixed martial artists. Lombard became an iconic figure in MMA with his one-punch knockout power and utter supremacy in the Bellator 185-pound weight-class, but now the Cuban is moving on to another chapter in his career.

Rebney was not exactly happy to see his longtime champ head to a different promotion, but the decision was made and he has no hard feelings. Similar to the words made famous by UFC president Dana White, Rebney views Lombard’s departure as business as usual.

“What differentiates us from other companies in the MMA space is that we approach this like a business,” Rebney told MMADieHards.com. “With our partners at Viacom and our partners at Spike, everything we do we approach it as a business. We look at data, we do research, we try to look at things from a business perspective and that’s what we did in this situation with Hector. He’s been a great fighter for us and a great ambassador for Bellator, but the UFC has a model they’ve developed which is based in a very large part on pay-per-view. That may be a place we get to, but it’s not a place we are at right now. When we looked at where were going in the future, which is free TV, we decided that it’s best to let the UFC sign Hector.”

Bellator had a period of time that allowed them to have the right to match any offer Lombard was presented with. That period passed and the company, as well as their partners, decided not to match the offer the UFC proposed to Lombard. This leaves a vacant middleweight champion in Bellator, but not talentless weight-class.

Alexander Shlemenko was next in line to challenge Lombard for his title, and the Russian will still get the opportunity to fight for a belt, just not against the ATT teammate. Shlemenko will now face the winner of the Bellator Season 6 middleweight tournament between Andreas Spang and Maiquel Falcao.

Rebney looks forward to crowning a new champion, but there is a bittersweet feeling accompanying the anxiety.

“The only thing that disappoints me is that still as a newer company it took us a while to get a lot of talented fighters on board at (middleweight),” Rebney said. “Hector was with us a lot of years and basically Hector and Alexander were the two guys we had. Now we’ve got a lot of depth at 185 pounds. Now it’s interesting to see who will be the champion at 185 (pounds). Will it be Spang? Will it be Falcao? Will it be Shlemenko? It will be interesting to see how it matures now.”

As if losing one great champion isn’t enough, the UFC president has made it public that he is interested in Bellator’s former lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez.

Some may believe Alvarez is thinking about the bright lights of the UFC, but not so fast. Alvarez has one fight left on his Bellator contract that does not expire until November 2012, which means the UFC has no ability or legal right to communicate with the Philadelphia native. Rebney stressed they are by no means interested in giving up Alvarez, and at this moment they are working on a phenomenal opponent for the former champ’s next opponent.

Alvarez was truly the face of the promotion in the infancy of Bellator, and still is a mainstay today. He has shown interest in buying into the company in the past, and with all the positive qualities Alvarez has exhibited, the Bellator CEO is open to that when negotiations begin.

“Eddie has been an amazing and important, productive part of Bellator since day one,” Rebney said. “He was one of the first guys I ever signed and one of the first guys I ever went out on a limb for and paid a signing bonus for. He has been worth every penny we’ve paid him. He’s been a class act and a great ambassador for not only Bellator, but the sport of MMA.

“If Ed brought that to the table it is something I would definitely look at. He’s the type of guy who’s strength, personality and character is something you would want associated with the brand long-term.”

While Rebney is trying his best to hold on to Bellator familiars, he is also looking at signing new fighters.

After Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal was released from Strikeforce following a misunderstanding with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the rumors began to swirl that Bellator was pursuing him. Rebney could not divulge exactly how deep the talks with Lawal were, but he did express his excitement from a fan’s perspective.

“People don’t realize that “King Mo’s” first fight was against Travis Wiuff in Japan,” Rebney explained. “They brought in this pure mixed martial artist, I mean Travis had like 65 professional fights. There was no commission saying, ‘Hey, wait a minute. The pro debut guy shouldn’t be fighting the guy with 65 fights.’ Mo came in and hit Travis with a crazy superman right, and if you remember that and that insane ring entrance to that fight you know “King Mo” is a crazy athletic talent. I’ve always been a fan of his, obviously as of late he has gone through some real hardships, but he’s the wrestler you love. He’s a high caliber wrestler, but his first choice in the cage is he wants to punch people in the face. I think he’s a great talent and whether he fights for us or for Strikeforce or even in the UFC I’ll sure tune in and watch him.”

As of right now Lombard is gone, Lawal could be signed, and Alvarez’s future is in Bellator.

Rebney is content with this scenario now, but in the early stages of Bellator’s existence, he may not have been so confident they would last.

“This might be a much different conversation if we were talking two years ago, but with the Viacom partnership and the move to Spike and the reality show we have coming up I think we’re in a good place,” Rebney said. “Hector is a great fighter, and I don’t want to talk bad about him, but we’ve got a lot of very exciting stuff going on. I think we’ve got a format and a mechanism in which you can build up stars in very short order. Look at Eduardo Dantas, you’ve got a guy that nobody was talking about a year ago, and now if he is in a thread on the internet about the best 135-pounders in the world you’ll get back and forth arguments about him and Dominick (Cruz). I think our brand allows guys to go from being relatively unknown to well-known in six-to-nine months.”

As long as Bellator can continue making fighters go from ashy-to-classy in six-to-nine months, Rebney can be confident his promotion will stay a premier organization in the sport of MMA.

Bellator: Andreas Spang stays prepared to win at all times

by Robert G. Reynolds on April 25, 2012 11:38:31 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Andreas Spang landing a left hand on Brian Rogers at Bellator 66 (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Reacting when face-to-face with adversity, Andreas Spang’s only intention is overcoming obstacles in his way.

Originally moving to Las Vegas from Sweden to pursue a career as a fighter, Spang (Twitter: @AndreasSpang) has since found his place in the world of mixed martial arts. Turning pro in 2008, the Swede has fought for promotions such as Canada’s Maximum Fighting Championship, Strikeforce and most recently, on a week’s notice, Bellator.

Advancing to the finals of Bellator’s Season Six middleweight tournament to face Maiquel Falcoa, Spang beat the five-to-one odds by knocking out Brian Rogers at Bellator 66. Knowing that he was there to win, Spang never saw the victory as an upset.

“I’m feeling great,” Spang said to Mike Fester, Amy Barton and Hector Castro of MMA Beatdown on the MMA Diehards Radio Network. “To me, it wasn’t an upset because I was there to win. I know that I took the fight on short notice and nobody gave me any chance, but I was there to win and I was focused on the goal the whole time. He did put me through some rough times, but my goal was to win the whole time, and I did.”

While having one week to prepare for a bout is not ideal, Spang is still a student of the sport and his constant desire to learn helps keep the middleweight in shape. Traditionally, fighters may have up to eight weeks for a training camp, but with the unique format of Bellator’s tournaments, only half of the time is allotted.

Not having any time to relax, Spang spent his time training with Skipper Kelp at Fight Capital, “One Kick” Nick Blomgren at One Kick Gym and Sergio Penha – all of whom are situated in Las Vegas.

“Lucky I had been training and sparring because I knew that I was on some peoples’ waiting list,” Spang

Andreas Spang on the back of Brian Rogers at Bellator 66 (Photo courtesy of adcombat.com)

admitted. “It was just a matter of time before I was going to get a fight, but I didn’t expect it in one week. I was focused and mentally strong and I did the best with my opportunity.”

“I don’t really have time to relax too much because I’m fighting in the final again on May 18, and that’s four weeks away,” Spang continued. “I have all my people I need here in Vegas, so I’m just going to turn it up more and be ready for May 18. The great thing with Vegas, where ever you go you have someone to train with.”

Following Spang’s victory over Rogers, he was faced with his opponent in the final and a scuffle erupted between the two. Having someone step up into his face for the second time in so few days, Spang’s instant reaction was to push him away. The shove may have cost the “Sweet Swede” 20-percent of his winnings, but he’s still guaranteed his spot in the finals.

“After the fight, I was so high from my victory and still happy,” said Spang. “I didn’t know that we were supposed to face off and I didn’t know that Falcao was in the cage. They said, ‘here is your opponent,’ and there was a guy with a mean look walking straight in my face. With my emotions already high from the beginning, I didn’t really know what was going on, so I reacted and pushed him off.”

“I do apologize for any harm that I did to anybody,” Spang clarified. “I personally apologize to both Brian and Falcoa. I didn’t mean to blow up like this and I have seen fighters get in the face of each other before, but I just don’t like people in my face.”

An apology wasn’t enough, and the Ohio State Athletic Commission stepped in after the bout to give the fighter an ultimatum.

“First they wanted to suspend me,” admitted Spang. “Then they said you can choose whether we fine you 20-percent or suspend you six months. If I take the six months then I can’t fight in the finals and if I take the fine, I can still fight.”

Now that the issue with the commission is behind him, Spang has set his sights on concentrating for the fight ahead. What sets Spang apart from the rest is that he doesn’t concentrate on the attributes his opponent brings to the cage, only on what he has to do for victory.

Once his appetite for the tournament finals has been satisfied, the “Sweet Swede” has another craving to take care of.

“What I like to do on my free time is sit around, watch movies and eat ice cream,” Spang confessed. “I will take my well-deserved vacation after May 18.”

Move over Richard Simmons, Spaniard Fit is here

by Jason Kelly on April 24, 2012 3:54:47 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

If Spaniard Fit makes you feel the burn, then Charlie Brenneman is content with that.

Brenneman (Twitter: @SpaniardMMA) is a UFC welterweight and he has recently released a fitness DVD entitled Spaniard Fit.

Spaniard Fit is a 25 minute workout based on the type of training Brenneman does to prepare for his fights. He said the DVD includes 25 different exercises, but only about a third of them are common knowledge such as push-ups, sit-ups and squats. Brenneman incorporated the techniques he learned from his trainer with common exercises to hit their target audience with Spaniard Fit.

“I’ve been training with Don Messing for about two years now,” Brenneman told MMADieHards.com. ”Most of the techniques we used are body related workouts, but there are three that you can use a medicine ball if you desire. It basically covers core strength, endurance and condition and things like that. That’s the point we want to get accomplished when we started. I’ve really grown a lot with my knowledge and conditioning, and we thought we should put this out on a DVD. This is the first edition of it, so hopefully we get some positive feedback and do another one.”

Brenneman is a fine-tuned, elite athlete with the physical abilities to do exercises unlike your average human being. He took that into consideration when creating Spaniard Fit.

Spaniard Fit caters from the guy wanting to get off the couch and get healthy, to a professional UFC fighter. The benefits someone will reap from the DVD are entirely up to them.

“I like to go hard, but I’ve realized through training people that some people don’t want to go like that, some guys just want to get in shape,” Brenneman explained. “Don is doing the instructing, I’m doing the exercises and you go at your own pace. You can try to keep up with me or you can do two reps a minute if you really want. It’s really up to you.”

In the first edition of Spaniard Fit, Brenneman and Messing are the only faces the viewer will see. “The Spaniard” said they will be open to feedback and consider adding another person in the next edition, possibly a female or even a kid.

The idea to make this DVD came about from an idea Brenneman got from a friend. Together, they created the first edition of Spaniard Fit and it was a long process to produce. Brenneman felt the urgency to release a legit fitness DVD after seeing all the fraudulent health videos that are so common today.

“I see a lot of people – I don’t want to say they aren’t qualified- but they have all these certification programs like MMA fitness,” Brenneman explained. “How do you know if you’re not really doing it? As someone who does it, someone who fights at the highest level, I thought if I’m not credible then nobody is credible to be doing these.”

Brenneman’s lifetime commitment to being healthy and his career as a professional athlete make him an adequate fitness instructor. His full-time job is a mixed martial artist, but Brenneman would not mind being lumped in the Billy Blank’s and Tony Little’s of the fitness world.

“You can call me Richard Simmons if I get as many sales as Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” Brenneman said. “Kids can make fun of me like they did to him back in the day, I’ll gladly take that. I vividly remember when I was a kid; me and my brother would be Sweatin’ to the Oldies by the fireplace in the living room. If I can get myself into kids’ lives likes that, I’ll definitely take it.”

* Spaniard Fit can be purchased for $20 through Paypal at http://spaniardfit.com/

Twitter MMA: Best of the Week for April 15 – April 23

by Jason Kelly on April 23, 2012 3:00:54 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Dana White ‏ @danawhite

Taking off to Atlanta!!!! May 26 th is now Mir vs JDS for the HW title in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand.

juniorcigano ‏ @junior_cigano

Facing a real danger is more honorable than going through an artificial danger.

Stephan Bonnar ‏ @StephanBonnar

Did Kryzstof’s father referee our fight? Hilarious story last time I was on Inside MMA http://fb.me/1CqUV9s6W

Mark Pavelich ‏ @MarkPavelich

I’ve always been grateful for the MFC’s success & at the same time I believe the fighters should be as well & if you’re not, you should GO

Dana White ‏ @danawhite

And whatever jackass said Anderson silva would be stripped of his title is a liar. He is fighting Chael and there has been no issue at all!!

Jimmy Smith ‏ @jimmysmithmma

Really worried about getting punched in the back of the head by a crazy Swedish dude @BellatorMMA @mauroranallo @manny_mma@mercedesterrell

Joe Rogan ‏ @joerogan

Congrats to @EdAlvarezFight on his spectacular revenge victory tonight! I really hope we get to see you in the UFC someday!

Lorenzo Fertitta ‏ @lorenzofertitta

@edalvarezfight hey been meaning to introduce myself.

Eddie Alvarez ‏ @EdAlvarezFight

@Lorenzofertitta lol just seen this ,its an honor brother,I think we already know each other . On my Way to Atlanta 4 some fights

Douglas Lima ‏ @PhenomLima

Anybody else ever got swimmer’s ear from jiujitsu? Too much sweat goes inside the ear… This thing’s painful!!

King Mo ‏ @KingMoFH

Its funny how people try to use ur past loss or losses to determine who u can beat. If thats the case tell @sonnench he cant beat Silva.

King Mo ‏ @KingMoFH

Or tell Serra he cant beat GSP…or tell Werdum he cant beat Fedor…in sports….any man can take a L.

Tyson Griffin ‏ @TysonGriffin

Managed to miss my first flight cause I forgot I had a knife in my carry on. Guess it could have been worse huh @ForrestGriffin lol!?

ROBERT DRYSDALE ‏ @robertdrysdale

When u befriend @ForrestGriffin u eat oreos When u eat oreos u grow a belly When u grow belly u begin to look like him http://pic.twitter.com/ZCfNlGnE

Dana White ‏ @danawhite

Rory is the REAL DEAL!!!!!!!!

Joe Rogan ‏ @joerogan

Fot those asking YES the @rory_macdonald podcast shootout will be included in the intro! I’m honored! Rory is a f*cking BEAST!

Jon Bones Jones ‏ @JonnyBones

What’s Dan Henderson’s reach compared to Rashads?

Dan Henderson ‏ @danhendo

I’m excited to finally be able to get back to work. I appreciate all the support of the fans.

In Their Own Words: The Week’s Noteworthy MMA Quotes

by Jason Kelly on April 22, 2012 3:35:11 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

UFC Hall of Fame member Chuck Liddell. (Photo courtesy of Zimbio)

“The opening line is five, six-to-one? I think it’s ridiculous. Jones is facing a different style of fighter than he’s fought recently. Jones is used to controlling where the fight is, if it’s on the feet or on the ground. He’s gonna have a real hard time with this one. It’s gonna be a good test for him. I like both guys but it’s definitely not a five-to-one fight. It’s gonna be fun to watch.”
- Chuck Liddell gave his thoughts about Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans to Fight Hub TV.

“Anderson think it through,
There’s still a few months before they lock the cage door behind me and you.
Last time they raised your hand,
But it was plain to see
That I took a lot more out of you than you took out of me.
I broke the mirror and I blew away the smoke.
It was me who tapped,
But it was you who broke”
- Chael Sonnen unveiled his poem for Anderson Silva at the UFC 145 Q&A.

“I think Chael will out-wrestle Anderson and beat him this time, and then I’ll get the rematch with Chael considering how close our fight was. If I had Chael over five rounds, I’d definitely beat him. In that last fight, I’d have stopped him in the fourth for sure. He was spent after trying to submit me in that third round. Towards the end of that round I was raining down shots on him.”
- Michael Bisping told Your MMA what he thinks will happen when Sonnen meets Silva, and when the Brit gets a rematch against the UFC middleweight No. 1 contender.

“I think random drug testing is good. I’ve always been part of a sport where we were always randomly drug tested and that’s good. I’m clean, I don’t take anything and I’m happy to do those kinds of tests. I want to fight against somebody who is clean. If somebody isn’t, that’s definitely a big advantage for them. I want it to be on the same playing field. I’m hoping everyone is clean. With Overeem’s situation, I think the UFC or commission will find something to do and definitely take care of the situation, so I’ll just leave it in their hands.”
- Cain Velasquez told kimura.se he just wants a PED-free opponent.

“Actually, no one in MMA was surprised. I guess it’s impossible to get that big naturally. No one expected it (random drug test), I guess that’s what happened. I don’t know when he stops taking it, I don’t know how these things happen and how he doesn’t not to get caught, but it was a surprise (test)”.
- Fabricio Werdum admitted to Tatame.com that he, nor any of his colleagues are shocked at Alistair Overeem’s testosterone levels.

“Me and Georges are still tight. It’s always been that way he always lived in Montreal, he’s always traveled around. I think people are probing for weaknesses now, anything they can get, but that’s business as usual for Georges. He’s a great guy. Two of my champions are fighting each other and I just step out of it. Let the other coaches get a lot of credit so we have all these protocols now after this situation. Now I step out and those guys will have a lot of fun and I’ll be eating a cheeseburger somewhere. Everything’s cool, Georges is great and we’re the same tight team we’ve always been. I’m not gonna help either of them against each other.”
- Coach Greg Jackson confessed to kimura.se that he will partake in either corner when UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre meets Carlos Condit, two of Jackson’s students.

“There is one thing that is an absolute fact, and no matter how often Greg Jackson pumps that family [expletive], Greg Jackson is a [expletive] businessman. The more top guys he brings in, the more money he makes. There’s nothing wrong with Greg Jackson, but he’s a [expletive] businessman. Some of these fighters, who ought to know better but don’t listen to that [expletive] and don’t take it for the crock of [expletive] that it is. These guys need to make the decision where they train based on where they think they’ll get the best work and develop the best, and not on this [expletive] crazy idea that you’re becoming a part of a family. Greg Jackson [expletive] told Rashad this wouldn’t happen, that they’re family and all that other [expletive], but look what is going on now. Look and see who is at Jackson’s and who is not. Train where you think it’s going to be best for you and if that’s Jackson’s, that’s fine. Just don’t buy into this family [expletive] because there’s nothing to it. This is the fight business, not the friend business.”
- White explained via Yahoo’s Cagewriter that coach Jackson is a business man and that the trainer should not take all the flak from Jones and Evans having a fallout.

“We had a flurry of people contacting us through e-mail, Twitter … Rashad throwing a complete fit … and then Dana having to call him to calm him down. If (people) thought it was just satire, we wouldn’t have had that reaction. Dana had to talk to Rashad on the phone for 30 minutes to calm him down, to tell him, ‘Are you crazy? There’s no way I would ever bet on a fight or bet against you.’ It didn’t read like a joke at all. If you look at the article, when you first read that, it sounds like that they were in a room with Dana, talking to him, and he says, ‘Oh, and he kind of made a mistake and said something, and said ‘Don’t print that.’ We’re currently evaluating whether [their retraction] is sufficient or not. Like I said, there’s been a massive amount of fallout in the wake of them putting out something that is completely reckless in the way that they did. I don’t understand how anybody could defend what they did. It’s a very serious allegation. You’ve got to understand, Rashad’s entire team — his entire camp — was in his ear telling him they read this online and that Dana bet half a million dollars against him. This was a real issue. This isn’t just some kind of slap on the back, funny little joke. This was reckless reporting on their part.”
- UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta spoke to USA Today about the allegations made by a website that White makes financial wagers on UFC bouts.

“When I watch my first fights I used to flail. Everything’s flail-y, and I realize the power of flexing your abdominal when you try to strike and things like that. I definitely feel as though I’m hitting harder, and I’m excited. I wobbled Rampage (Jackson) a little bit when I hit him, and I wobbled Lyoto (Machida) when I hit him, and I think out of all those guys, Rashad has the weakest chin. I think he has the weakest chin of anyone I’ve fought since 2010, and I think I’m going to exploit that.”
- Jones said at the UFC pre-fight press conference his previous opponent’s had a more solid chin than Evans.

“I think a fighter like Dan Henderson or even Chael Sonnen who is a very big 185-pounder and used to compete as a light heavyweight with strong wrestling. They have to take him out of his comfort zone and take away his reach advantage. There is no longer in the division and maybe not in the sport as far as Jones reach. His takedown defense is good and he has very good wrestling. He has very unorthodox striking which makes him very dangerous. I think you have to use the fence, use your wrestling and force him to fight your fight. Either one of those guys can do that.”
- Randy Couture predicted to Five Ounces of Pain who he thinks could beat Jones.

“I want to be champion one day, but I’m still very young. One thing I lack in the top of this division is experience. I need more fights, to stay regular and fight three times a year.”
- Rory MacDonald admitted in a UFC 145 post-fight interview what he lacks and wants.

“I get to eat some pizza, some ice cream; it’s going to be a party tonight! But, no alcohol.”
- Michael McDonald detailed his victory party in a UFC 145 post-fight interview after defeating Miguel Torres.

“[My performance] sucked. I didn’t get the job done…. I allowed his range to kind of throw me off a little bit. I hurt my foot in the second round, so it kind of messed up my mobility a little bit…. It’s something I’ve got to go back and work on…. I thought I could catch him off [grabbing the hands]. I couldn’t and I should have stopped reaching for his hands. His elbows [laughs]. He kept catching me with those elbows. It’s a lesson learned…. I still don’t like him. He fought a good fight, I have respect for him as a fighter. I had respect for him as a fighter before, but I still … nah. I’ll tell you what: We’re going to fight again.”
- Evans admitted in a UFC 145 post-fight interview that he still doesn’t like Jones.

“If (a teammate) can beat me, they can beat me. It is what it is. They deserve to fight me then. I’m not going to hold back some guy that’s in my camp if he wants to fight me. That’s not my thing. It’s just a personal choice and a personal opinion, but I think eventually, hey you guys are going at it, then go out and have two beers together afterwards. Go out there and prove who’s best that day, and go out and be friends again.”
- Liddell was a guest The MMA Hour, and he gave his best advice for teammates fighting one another.

UFC 145: Jones outsmarts Evans in main event

by Mark Hensch on April 22, 2012 12:48:43 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

UFC Lightweight Champion Jon Jones (Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com)

UFC 145 ended a long draught for the world’s premiere fight league by delivering a PPV of solid action headlined by a blood feud between two former friends.

Mark Bocek and John Alessio kick things off with a lopsided affair where Bocek smothered Alessio with his superior ground game. Bocek rinsed and repeated during the next round, with Alessio powerless to stop him. In round three, Bocek gets Alessio’s back, remaining dominant until he ekes out a unanimous decision win.

Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin strikes next, with Yagin going big only to go home when splitting Hominick’s left eye doesn’t do anything. Hominick finds his range in round two, only for Yagin to drop him and lose control when the two begin trading strikes on the feet. Hominick goes for a home run after that, striking hard whenever he can, only for Yagin to survive before winning by split decision.

Michael McDonald clashes with Miguel Torres next, the two trading fierce combos before McDonald fells Torres. Once he downs him, he sends him to dreamland ASAP in round one.

“I can finally eat some pizza and ice cream.” McDonald joked. “It’s a party here tonight but not with alcohol.”

Ben Rothwell and Brandon Schaub blast off next, Schaub goes for the kill only for Rothwell to flatten him with a hook and wreck him with ground and pound. It’s over so fast, it almost doesn’t register Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills is next.

When it happens, MacDonald takes down Mills after a brief moment of indecision and proceeds to rearrange his face with all manner of striking. Though Mills survives, he gives up his back in round two and MacDonald murders him with grounded strikes for the win.

After a long wait, Jon Jones and Rashad Evans deliver on their grudge match in the main event. The two trade hard strikes in the first round before Jones gets an advantage in round two with elbow strikes. Both men survive the round before trading blows in battle three with no clear victor emerging. Jones toys with Evans for a round just because he can. After that, he goes all out in the last minute but can’t finish Evans. It doesn’t matter though – Jones wins again by unanimous decision.

UFC 145 prelim recap: Decision after decision before Browne submits Griggs

by Mark Hensch on April 21, 2012 10:06:00 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Travis Browne flexes during the UFC 145 weigh-ins. (Photo courtesy of Bleacherreport.com)

The much-hyped UFC 145 event began with a stacked undercard of preliminary matches in Atlanta.

Venezuela’s Maximo Blanco fought Marcus Brimage in a featherweight match that opened the fight card. A tentative match, it saw each struggle to find their range before Blanco landed a knee in the second round and slowed the pace. By fight’s end, both men drew boos from the crowd and taunted one another only for Brimage to win a split decision.

Next was Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski to finish the Facebook bouts. The two had a great round where Wisniewski scored an early takedown and manhandled Clements on the mat only for the referee to stand the pair up inexplicably. From there, Clements caught Wiesniewski with a back kick to the liver and rocked him, only for the round to end before he could capitalize. In round two, Wisniewski shrugged off Clements’ striking before taking him down and seeking a rear naked choke. Clements threw mean elbows to survive the round, and the final period saw him rally with a knee that downed Wiesniewski even though he couldn’t finish his foe. Such killer instinct clinched Clements the split decision victory.

The FX prelims opened with Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero. The two fought a furious first round, with Escudero hunting for a heel hook only for Danzig to spin out and frustrate Escudero with some grappling. Round two was more tentative, with both fighters struggling for cage control and Escudero attempting a takedown that went nowhere as the horn buzzed. Danzig utilized the same strategy in the final tilt, smothering Escudero against the fence before claiming a unanimous decision win.

John Makdessi and Anthony Njokuani were next, starting their fight with a slow-boil of wary strikes before slowly ramping things up with more energy. Round two nearly mirrored one, the sole exception occurring when Njokuani caught a kick from Makdessi and briefly sent him stumbling. It was all static after that, Njokuani edging out Makdessi by utilizing his superior reach for a unanimous decision victory.

After this, Matt Brown clashed with Stephen Thompson by aggressively taking down the karate phenom as often as possible for ground and pound attempts. Thompson survived the onslaught, only to face more frantic takedowns in the next round. He returned the favor with clean, angled strikes, and by the time the second round closed both fighters were gassed. Brown relentlessly dogged Thompson after that, taking him to the ground and catching him in a crucifix hold to rain down elbows as the horn sounded. He thus won by unanimous decision and handed Thompson his first MMA loss.

Travis Browne and Chad Griggs close the prelims down, Browne immediately pulverizing Griggs with knees in the clinch before a takedown and locking in an arm triangle choke for the submission in round one. It was the only finish of the prelims, and a convincing one at that.

MMA DieHards Counterpunch: UFC 145

by Jason Kelly on April 21, 2012 3:48:21 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Rory MacDonald (L) and Che Mills (R) at UFC 145 weigh-ins. (Photo courtesy of mmafighting.com)

MMA DieHards is back with another session of Counterpunch, taking on UFC 145, which takes place Saturday at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.

UFC 145 features a light heavyweight championship bout between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. Canadian rising star Rory MacDonald taking on Che Mills, Brendan Schaub meets Ben Rothwell, and Mark Hominick will try to snap a two fight losing skid when he faces Eddie Yagin.

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 Jason Kelly.

Rory MacDonald, Brendan Schaub, Mark Hominick, Mark Bocek and Maximo Blanco are not covered below, as they were unanimously selected.

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

Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski
Defending Clements: Robert G. Reynolds

First and foremost, I’m slightly bias towards Clements because he is a local fighter from the Adrenaline Training Centre, which is home of featherweight fighter Mark Hominick.

This is to be Clements inaugural performance with the UFC and is guaranteed to be a barnburner. The Canadian is set to face Wisniewski, who fell short in his first appearance with the organization. Clements has yet to hear what the judges think of his fighting skills and I would expect much of the same here.

All 10 of Clements’ victories have come by way of TKO and the same can be anticipated tonight. With Hominick on the same card and in the back with Clements, it makes for a more natural environment for the new employee.

I’m looking for a flashy, jaw-dropping finish by Clements to end this bout midway through the second round; watch for it.

Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero
Defending Escudero: Mark Hensch

Danzig vs. Escudero is a battle between two former “Ultimate Fighter” winners who are well-rounded. Of the two, I think Escudero can squeak out a win here given his strong submission game and his history as a wrestler. Though Danzig has solid skills in those areas, his UFC record has a few notable instances were people outclassed him on the mat. As a submission-savvy wrestler, Escudero will have Danzig on his toes the whole match. Should he overreach, this is Escudero’s win for the taking.

Anthony Njokuani vs. John Makdessi
Defending Njokuani: Joe Rizzo

Njokuani has gone from perpetual favorite to mercurial underdog and back to the favorite. The majority of my colleagues opted for Makdessi, who is the betting underdog in this fight. Makdessi criticized Dennis Hallman for missing weight well after losing to him in his last outing, then Makdessi went and did what Hallman did – hit the scales at 158 pounds for a lightweight fight. There was no such drama for Njokuani, who is 1-2 since the WEC merged into the UFC. Those defeats were razor-thin losses to the highly regarded Edson Barboza, who got the decision edge in an epic battle by landing a head kick near the final bell, and to rising contender Danny Castillo, by split decision. Makdessi was exposed when moving up in class against Hallman, and will come up short against Njokuani.

Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson
Defending Brown: Robert G. Reynolds

Over the last two years Brown has compiled a questionable 2-4 record, but with his knockout win over Chris Cope at UFC 143, I believe that things are about to change.

Brown’s next fight against Thompson – believe it or not – plays in his favor. Nine of “Immortal’s” 11 losses have come by way of submission and he has yet to lose via (T)KO. Thompson is a fighter that has predominantly trained in the striking arts of Kenpo Karate and kickboxing, which leads me to think that this scrap isn’t going to the mat.

Having said that, the stars are going to be in line come Saturday night and Brown will take advantage of the timing. I don’t see either fighter finishing the bout, but I do predict Brown winning the fight via unanimous decision.

Chad Griggs vs. Travis Browne
Defending Griggs: Michael Stets

He sport’s a mean set of sideburns, and his nickname is “The Grave Digger,” need I say more why I’m going with Griggs over Browne. My reasoning is simple, both fighters have numerous KO’s and TKO’s on their resume. Which means this fight isn’t going to the ground, or past the first round either. Griggs has dynamite in both of his hands, and will put Browne out via TKO Round 1.

Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald
Defending Torres: Mark Hensch

This looks like a competitive fight on paper, but I’m surprised I’m the only one picking Torres here. There’s no denying McDonald is a talented bantamweight and a rising division project, but Torres is easily a top ten fighter in the weight class. For all of McDonald’s potential, Torres has him outclassed.

Torres has won 40 official (and more unofficial) victories in his career. Despite such seasoning, he’s in his early 30s and still going strong. He’ll turn McDonald’s body and head to paste with his Muay Thai, and when it comes to ground game, Torres learned BJJ under a Gracie. It doesn’t get better than that. Some say McDonald can pull a Demetrious Johnson and decision Torres here, but I’m not buying it. Even if it goes that far, Torres is more versatile and experienced. It’ll give him the edge here.

Rashad Evans vs. Jon Jones
Defending Evans: Michael Stets

Everyone seems to be leaning towards Jones, maybe it’s just my nature to go against the grain, but here is my reasoning behind picking Evans.

While I don’t think he will necessarily get “Bones” to skip to his lou like he said, he will be one of the first to not allow him to dictate where the fight will take place. Evans’ hands are fast enough to connect, and strong enough to end Jones’ night. Evans is easily the best wrestler he’s ever faced, and Jones’ strength is the Greco and clinch area. Evans will put him on his back, where he has excellent pressure and control from there. The Ultimate Fighter season 2 winner will not stay outside and get picked apart, he will move in and out, and score some take downs. He will not finish Jones but he will frustrate him, and hit him more than anyone else has in the past. “Suga” won’t be intimidated, and will have an excellent game plan. Evans wins by unanimous decision.

Bellator 66 recap: Alvarez avenges loss, Falcao and Spang win Bellator Season 6 middleweight semifinals, Weedman and Hawn advanced in Season 6 lightweight tournament

by Jason Kelly on April 21, 2012 12:06:27 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Eddie Alvarez after making weight

Bellator 66 took place Friday at the I-X Canter in Cleveland, Ohio, and the main card featured the Bellator season 6 middleweight and lightweight semifinals, as well as a long awaited lightweight rematch.

In the main event Eddie Alvarez avenged a loss to Shinya Aoki via first round TKO.

Andreas Spang knocked out Brian Rogers in a spectacular contest, Maiquel Falcao defeated Vyacheslav Vasilevsky, Rick Hawn finished Lloyd Woodard, and Brent Weedman got the judges’ nod over Thiago Michel.

Alvarez lost to Aoki at Dynamite 2008, but he exacted revenge at Bellator 66.

Alvarez was patient in the early going of the match. Aoki dove for a takedown, but was nowhere near close to accomplishing one. Following a familiarizing process from each fighter, Alvarez dropped Aoki and wasted no time jumping on the Japanese mixed martial artist. Alvarez riffled off punch after punch on Aoki’s head until the referee intervened and brought the bout to a halt.

Rogers immediately had Spang back peddling when the bout started by attacking with punches, but slipped when he attempted a head kick. Spang pounced on Rogers and took his back. Rogers stood up, but Spang stayed on his opponent’s back trying for a rear-naked choke. Rogers eventually dumped Spang on his head and attacked with vicious punches and two flying-knee attempts. The two combatants made their way to the mat in a scramble and Rogers tried for a rear-naked choke of his own.

In Round 2 Rogers was getting the better of Spang. He connected with a left hook on Spang’s jaw that had the Swede dazed. Rogers unleashed a flurry if shots on Spang’s head and body, but when he laid off, “Sweet Swede” fired back with a punch. Rogers collapsed to the canvas and Spang dropped one last punch on his adversary to finish the bout.

Following the win Falcao, Spang’s next opponent, came in the cage for a stare down. Spang then shoved Falcao, which initiated a tussle between the two Bellator Season 6 middleweight finalists. Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith had to hold back the Falcao as Spang was escorted out of the cage.

Falcao got the victory against Vasilevsky, had to work for it.

Falcao came out of his corner throwing a wild hook that missed, but began striking with his well-known leg kicks shortly thereafter. Vasilevsky secured a takedown, but Falcao threw his legs up and controlled his opponent from the bottom. Once the two mixed martial artists were back to their feet, Vasilevsky instantly took Falcao down again. Falcao managed to get back to his feet, but was on his back not too long after. Though, Vasilevsky accomplished three takedowns in the round, he didn’t do any damage to the Brazilian.

Falcao came out in the second round appearing to be tentative and worried about getting taken down. They exchanged a few punches, but Falcao was fighting defensively. Falcao was taken down eventually and when he got back to his feet, Vasilevsky applied a standing guillotine-choke. Falcao threw a few short uppercuts and secured a takedown. As he lay in Vasilevsky’s guard, Falcao began dropping fists on his opponent’s face until the frame ended.

Both athletes came out in Round 3 fighting with a sense of urgency. Falcao hit Vasilevsky with a right hand that clearly rattled “Slava.” They clinched and Falcao landed some knees to the body of Vasilevsky. Falcao was gaining confidence with his striking and began picking Vasilevsky apart with punches and kicks. Vasilevsky did get a takedown, but Falcao bucked and reversed into mount position. Falcao slammed hammer fists on Vasilevsky’s chin, but “Slava” got back to his feet. Falcao held Vasilevsky in the clinch and landed two knees, but Vasilevsky got a takedown at the end of the round.

Falcao won a decision and will go on to compete in the Bellator Season 6 middleweight finals.

Hawn made sure this match did not go to the judges’ scorecards.

Shortly after the bout commenced, Woodard had his hands down, taunting Hawn, but when the two fighters locked up the judo Olympian tripped “Cupcake” to the ground. Woodard got back to his feet and they clinches against the cage while Hawn landed knees to his opponent’s thighs. They separated and traded blows until the round ended.

Hawn came out in the second round and knocked out Woodard with one punch. The referee jumped in and stopped the bout.

Hawn advanced to the Bellator Season 6 lightweight finals.

To kick the main card off Weedman and Michel put on an entertaining bout.

Weedman took control of the cage immediately; landing punches and kicks until he eventually took Michel down. Weedman slammed knees into the side of Michel and attempted a d’arce-choke, but the submission was defended and the fight returned to standing. Michel planted a few leg kicks on Weedman, and then the two combatants clinched up. Weedman secured a takedown near the end of the round.

Michel came out as the aggressor in Round 2, but the tables turned quickly. Weedman got the contest to the canvas and punished Michel with knees to the body. After grappling on the ground for a while, Michel managed to get on top of Weedman and batter him with punches. However, Weedman reversed the position and beat on Michel until the round ended.

Round 3 had Weedman coming out appearing to look like the dominant fighter, but he fell when attempting a push-kick. Michel swarmed on Weedman , but the fighters returned to their feet quickly. Weedman scored a takedown and landing some significant blows. Michel got back to his feet and hit Weedman in the stomach with a spinning back kick, followed by a head kick and a combination of punches. Near the end of the round Weedman tried for a takedown and a leg-lock as the horn sounded.

Weedman will meet Hawn in the Bellator Season 6 lightweight finale.

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