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

“I don’t think Georges is hurt, I think he’s scared to fight me right now.”
- Nick Diaz said of Georges St-Pierre in his post-fight interview at UFC 137.

“Dana called us…it’s a funny story actually. Dana called us and said ‘Cesar just called me and said they would love that they would love to fight Nick Diaz. I mean, that him and Nick Diaz would love to fight you, and that’s the fight they want. So, I texted Cesar. I said ‘Dana just said you would love to fight us, and this and that’s the fight you want’. And I guess, I don’t know, maybe Cesar didn’t wanna say that he said that. He texted me back and said ‘Laugh out loud, Dana just told us the same thing’. So I ended up thinking Dana’s trying to set me up and make it into a personal thing, but it was really Cesar. Cesar was…Cesar hoodwinked me, I guess.”
- B.J. Penn explained Cesar Gracie’s shenanigans during the UFC 137 Countdown.

“I didn’t get to where I’m at by being arrogant or provoking someone. By doing these antics he ends up denigrating the image of the sport. There’s no room for that in this sport. The most important thing he did not do, which was to beat me. He even failed in a drug test, which is worse.”
- Anderson Silva said about Chael Sonnen to extra.globo.com.

“I’d have to lose muscle. That’s one thing people don’t pay attention to is like I wouldn’t do a gastric bypass but I’d have to literally cut off my leg and I’d be a one-legged 205-er but I’d still do pretty good.”
- Roy Nelson told SBNation about his possibility of making the light heavyweight division.

“Words can’t even express how valuable of a coach (Shawn) Tompkins is, and even more how valuable of a friend and mentor he is. So it’s a huge loss not only to me, but definitely to the whole MMA community.

He’s definitely helped me take my game to the next level. It’s a huge loss. Him not being in my corner, there’s always going to be that void there.”
- George Roop was a guest on MMA Weekly Radio and spoke about fighting without Shawn Tompkins in his corner.

“I have a plan to downsize my responsibilities. (I want) to get a gym with a better layout that fits me better and fits the school better. It’s all positive stuff to move in the direction of building a solid fight team and allow me to instruct my regular classes.

“It’s a lot of good things that allow me to focus on building the next big guy. We got a few up-and-comers that are going to be killers, so I’m looking forward to being able to put those guys through the ringer a lot more.”
- Jeff Curran talked to MMA DieHards about the future of his gym.

“Fabricio Werdum has been training here, but he also trains at Kings MMA. It’s kind of hard because, when there’s high-level guys training together and they’re the same weight class, chances are they might fight. Jason “Mayhem” Miller trains at my gym and he’s a very good friend of mine, (and) there’s a chance we might fight. Being professionals, we know that there’s a chance.

“I was forthcoming in telling Brendan Schaub that Fabricio Werdum is training over here, and he knew full-well that (Werdum) was training there. I just heard about them calling each other out, its news to me, so I would rather not have it happen, but if it has to happen they just got to be professional about it.”
- Mark Munoz spoke on the potential matchup between Werdum and Schaub to MMA DieHards.

“I’ll tell you right now, if there’s a gay fighter in the UFC, I wish he would come out. I could care less if there’s a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is, and there’s probably more than one. It’s 2012. Give me a break.”
- Dana White spoke to mmafighting.com about homosexuality in MMA.

“To enjoy success in pay-per-views you have to have a very prolific cable television partner to fuel that success. Nobody reaches pay-per-view success without having a vested, devoted television partner who continually promotes their promotion. One of the things that excites me about this deal is that people from Viacom will now sit at the table with me and discuss building the brand. That tells me they’re tremendously invested.

“We saw what Spike did for the UFC, so following the people who basically wrote the book on how to promote mixed martial arts on television is a great thing. When you think mixed martial arts on cable in the United States, you think Spike.”
- Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney spoke to MMA DieHards about the deal the promotion struck with Viacom.

“Well to be honest with you, I have recommended to Georges, you know…the only reason I don’t recommend it now is because Frankie Edgar is the champion, but I’d want him to move down to 155 if Frankie was not the champion. Obviously we’re part of the Renzo Gracie team and we’d never fight Frankie Edgar, because obviously we’re all Renzo Gracie fighters. But if it wasn’t the case, you know, I’d rather him go down to 155 because Georges is not a very big welterweight. People might think he is, he’s actually not very big. And him making 170 is extremely easy for him.

Honestly, it’s probably one of the easiest weight cuts from all that I coach, and I coach a lot of professional fighters. Georges making 170 is getting a little too easy for him, so I’d recommend to him in the future, who knows what the cards hold, but if we don’t have a team member that’s champion or anything like that, I would recommend him to go down first before going up.”
- St-Pierre’s coach, Firas Zahabi, told Sherdog he would rather the champ go sown in weight, as opposed to middleweight.

“Joe, it’s probably the last time you’re ever going to see me in here. If you cannot perform at the top level … you know, I have a daughter, another daughter on the way, I don’t want to go home looking like this.”
- Penn told Joe Rogan following his UFC 137 loss to Diaz.

“I told (you) before this fight, this is going to be my farewell fight. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the victory. Roy was the better fighter tonight. I want to thank the UFC fans, the headquarters, they have treated me like a king.”
- Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic announced his retirement following his UFC 137 loss to Nelson.

“Georges St. Pierre flipped out tonight after Nick Diaz was in the ring. Nick needs motivation…he’s got it. He’s going to fight Georges St. Pierre. Carlos Condit has agreed to step aside and get the next guy,”
- White announced that Diaz will get the next title shot against St-Pierre at the UCF 137 post-fight press-conference.

Incited St-Pierre drops Condit for Diaz on Super Bowl Saturday title fight

GSP-Diaz is back on (MMA.TV photo)

All it took for Nick Diaz to regain his title shot against UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was a win over B.J. Penn and an Octagon callout.

After Diaz scored a unanimous decision victory over Penn on Saturday in the headlining match of UFC 137 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, he addressed St-Pierre.

“I don’t think Georges is hurt,” Diaz said. ”I think he’s scared to fight me right now.”

While cameras caught St-Pierre laughing it off, UFC president Dana White revealed that it had quite the opposite effect behind closed doors. White said St-Pierre was so incensed by the remarks that the champion asked to fight Diaz when his injury is healed, and not Carlos Condit. White said Condit agreed to step aside. Condit’s manager, Malki Kawa, said via Twitter that Condit did not just step aside, but instead that St-Pierre chose to fight Diaz. Kawa also intimated that Condit would be compensated for the switch.

It continues the merry-go-round that surrounded UFC 137, which originally was slated to be St-Pierre against Diaz, who relinquished his Strikeforce welterweight title to move back to the UFC. When Diaz was nowhere to be found for a pair of press conference well before the event, White pulled him from the card and elevated Condit from a fight with Penn and into the title match. Diaz turned up later that same day and was demoted to fight Penn, who he beat with an overwhelming rally through the final two rounds of the three-round match.

Now Diaz gets his shot at St-Pierre in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 4, which is unofficially known each year as the Super Bowl card because it takes place the night before the NFL determines its champion. Condit is slated to be on the card as well, but it will be a long layoff if he does not fight in the mean time. He has fought once in the last year, beating Dong Hyun Kim in July.

White did not speculate upon potential opponents for Condit, but Josh Koscheck, Anthony Johnson and Jake Ellenberger figure to be among the top group at welterweight. Koscheck stepped in on 19 days’ notice to beat Matt Hughes last month in his return from an injury after losing to St-Pierre. Johnson has won five of his last six fights, with the only loss coming to Koscheck. In his UFC debut, Ellenberger dropped a split decision to Condit and has since run off five straight wins.

UFC 137: Diaz overwhelms, Penn and Cro Cop retire

by Joe Rizzo on October 30, 2011 12:51:20 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Diaz (L) and Penn (R) after UFC 137 (photo: Lorenzo Fertitta's Twitter)

After all was said and done, the news around UFC 137 turned out to be bigger than the event itself.

Nick Diaz battered B.J. Penn, who joined Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic in announcing his retirement after losing Saturday at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Cro Cop lost by TKO in the third round to a slimmed down Roy Nelson, then confirmed that he was calling it quits. After Cheick Kongo scored a unanimous decision victory over Matt Mitrione in a lackluster heavyweight match, Penn got outpaced by Diaz, especially over the final two rounds, and then said it was his last time fighting.

For his troubles, Penn earned an extra $75,000 — as did Diaz — for taking part in the fight of the night. Penn also needed a trip to the hospital instead of the post-fight press conference.

There was only one submission, a rear naked choke by Donald Cerrone in the first round against Dennis Siver, and one other knockout, as Bart Palaszewski pounded out Tyson Griffin in 2:45. Each winner earned the $75,000 bonus for submission and knockout of the night, respectively.

The wins by Cerrone and Palaszewski made Spike TV a winner, since those were the two preliminary card fights it televised. In the other main-card fights, highly regarded Japanese fighter Hatsu Hioki’s UFC debut was successful with a split decision win over George Roop, while Scott Jorgensen spoiled Jeff Curran’s return to the promotion with a unanimous decision victory.

The retirement announcements by Cro Cop and Penn stole some of the thunder from the main event, but Diaz did his best to make some news of his own. He originally was supposed to fight for the UFC welterweight title against Georges St-Pierre, who was sitting cageside and had little response to Diaz’s post-fight call-out.

“I don’t think Georges is hurt,” Diaz said. ”I think he’s scared to fight me right now.”

Cameras captured the reaction as St-Pierre laughed and shook his head. The champion pulled out of the title fight against Carlos Condit after tweaking his knee in practice within a couple of weeks of the event. Condit was originally supposed to fight Penn, but was elevated when Diaz went AWOL and missed a pair of press conferences.

Penn appeared frustrated with his performance and resigned to a future without MMA competition after offering congratulations to Diaz via Joe Rogan.

“Joe, it’s probably the last time you’re ever going to see me in here,” Penn continued. ”If you cannot perform at the top level … you know, I have a daughter, another daughter on the way, I don’t want to go home looking like this.”

Kongo and Nelson could be headed for a meeting after winning their bouts. Kongo beat Mitrione in a close fight by hitting a takedown in the final round and top-controlling Mitrione, Nelson’s former castmate from the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Nelson and Cro Cop went into a winner-take-all third round with the fight tied 19-19 after two. Nelson, more fit than ever, did not let it go to the judges, getting down Cro Cop and pounding him out from the back mount at 1:10.

“I told (you) before this fight, this is going to be my farewell fight,” Cro Cop said. ”Unfortunately, I didn’t get the victory. Roy was the better fighter tonight. I want to thank the UFC fans, the headquarters, they have treated me like a king.”

Following the contest, Nelson shaved his scraggly beard and dressed in a dapper suit. If he was styling to be a championship contender, he was doing it to back up his words.

“It was awesome to compete with a legend,” Nelson said. ”I guess I’m gonna do a Chael Sonnen right now, and call out somebody. Who’s fighting in a couple of weeks? (Cain) Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos? I want the winner of that. I’m getting too old for this (stuff).”

On the Facebook portion of the preliminary card, all four fights were unanimous decisions.

Brandon Vera beat Eliot Marshall, Ramsey Nijem dominated Danny Downes, St-Pierre teammate Francis Carmont cruised past Chris Camozzi, and Clifford Starks got the better of Dustin Jacoby.

Bellator 56: Askren edges Hieron to keep title, Prindle to meet Santos in HWT final

by Joe Rizzo on October 30, 2011 12:01:00 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Askren (R) showed better stand-up than ever against Hieron (L) (Bellator photo)

Jay Hieron lived by the split decision en route to his Bellator title shot, and he died by it on Saturday against Ben Askren,

Askren retained his welterweight title with a split-decision victory in the headlining match at Bellator 56 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan.

Also on the card, Thiago Santos and Eric Prindle spent a combined total of 78 seconds in finishing off their opponents in their respective semifinal matches of the Season 5 heavyweight tournament.

All the scores for the five-round fight were 48-47, with Askren getting the nod from two of the three judges. En route to winning the Season 4 welterweight tournament to earn the shot, Hieron won his semifinal and final match as a split choice of the judges.

Bellator’s format provides that only tournament winners get a shot to fight belt holders, but there was already talk of giving Hieron an immediate rematch.

Next week at Bellator 57, Ben Saunders meets Douglas Lima to determine the winner of the Season 5 welterweight tournament, with the prevailing fighter guaranteed a title shot.

“My immediate future is the winner of next week’s tournament,” Askren said. ”If Bjorn (Rebney) wants to change the format of Bellator and give Jay a title shot right after that, I’m fine with that.”

Askren, the former US Olympic wrestler, relied once again on his takedowns and top control to get the edge with the judges. Although Hieron won the stand-up portion of the match, Askren was not overmatched on the feet. Askren said that while his overall game still needs a lot of work, his stand-up was the best it’s ever been. Yet he was very dissatisfied with his performance.

“I’m not pleased at all,” Askren said. ”I’m supposed to get better, I hit some stuff on the feet, but I didn’t dominate the way I wanted to. It went to the judges and it could have gone either way. I am disappointed.

“I have to get better everywhere … my stand-up was a lot better than it ever has been, but I’ve still got a long way to go. Whoever wins, wins. My goal is to get better and be one of the best fighters in the world, and I wasn’t even close tonight.”

Santos and Prindle will meet for the Season 5 heavyweight tournament championship at Bellator 59 on Nov. 26 at Caesars Atlantic City in New Jersey, with a shot at champion Cole Konrad on the line. That is the final event of the season for Bellator.

Santos needed just 38 seconds to secure a rear naked choke on Neil Grove in a battle of tourney substitutes. Quarterfinal winners Mike Hayes and Blagoi Ivanov each were injured in their wins and not medically cleared to fight in time for Saturday. Santos originally had a spot in the tournament but visa problems cost him a matchup with Ivanov, who beat stand-in Zak Jensen.

A week later, Santos won a reserve match and was slotted into the tourney for Hayes. Later, when Ivanov was not cleared, Grove, who was a finalist in the first Bellator heavyweight tournament, was put back into the tournament despite having lost to Hayes.

Santos wasted no time getting started in the aggressive match, blasting Grove with a right hook and sending him to the canvas. Instead of pouncing and trying to finish the South African with ground strikes, Santos took Grove’s back, flattened him out and sunk in a rear naked choke for the quick tap.

Prindle behaved more like a bull in a china shop, clipping Ron Sparks with a left hook and sending him to the canvas, where one right hand to the head was all he was allowed before the fight was called at the 40-second mark.

Because of the quick knockout, Jeremy Spoon’s unanimous decision victory over Adam Schindler was elevated to the main card, which aired in regular definition on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on Epix.

The prelims aired on Spike.com. The first three ended with finishes, and the second three were decisions.

Marcio Navarro earned a split decision over Rudy Bears, as did Dan Spohn against Kelvin Tiller. Emanuel “E.J.” Brooks was a unanimous choice over Willian de Souza. Jacob Aiken scored a first-round submission win with a rear naked choke of Jeimison Saudino, as did Aaron Ely against Owen Evinger. Daniel Gallemore won by TKO when Derrick Ruffin quit on his stool after the second round.

UFC 137 Counterpunch

by Jason Kelly on October 29, 2011 7:26:10 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

UFC 137 has arrived, so of course MMA DieHards.com had to do another session of Counterpunch.

UFC 137 takes place Saturday, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The card consists of a main event between B.J. Penn and former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. The co-main event features a heavyweight battle between Matt Mitrione and Chieck Kongo, plus Brandon Vera and Jeff Curran both make their return to the Octagon.

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 Joe Rizzo, Aidan O’Connor, Robert G. Reynolds, Jason Kelly, and newcomer to Counterpunch and host of MMA Beatdown on the MMA DieHards Radio Network, Mike Fester.

Vera was a unanimous selection and therefore will not be defended.

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

B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz
Defending Penn: Mike Fester

I must say, the fact that anyone was called upon to “defend” BJ Penn came as quite a shock to me. I can understand people thinking that Nick Diaz does pose a very valid threat to “The Prodigy,” but in my honest opinion, picking him to actually win seems like an exercise in futility.

Let me first say this: I am a big fan of Nick Diaz. I think the intensity he brings into the cage is second to none and I am a huge fan of the way he approaches all of his fights. That being said, for the last few years he’s made a career out of beating up guys that couldn’t “cut it” in the UFC. To go back and find an opponent of Diaz’s that has been a contender for a UFC title at some point in their career (Not counting a 36 year old Frank Shamrock) you would have to go back almost six years. A fight he lost to Sean Sherk.

Speaking of Sean Sherk, He was amongst the trail of bodies BJ Penn left in his wake as he tore through what is widely considered to be the most talent rich division in any MMA promotion on the planet. As a matter of fact, the only people that have ever beat BJ have been or have gone on to be UFC champions at some point. And like it or not, UFC HAS THE BEST FIGHTERS IN THE WORLD. BJ Penn has been to the top of two weight divisions in the UFC in the time it’s taken Nick Diaz to make it to the top of one division in a promotion with significantly inferior competition.

Believe me, this isn’t an exercise in MMA math. I don’t believe in the whole “he beat this guy so he should be this guy” way of thinking. What I do believe is that BJ Penn has fought the best fighters in the world his entire career. Nick Diaz hasn’t. Plain and simple. Don’t get me wrong, I think Nick is a talented kid. But I do feel BJ is on another level and I’m fairly certain this fight is going to be one wake up “call” that Nick Diaz will wish he had skipped.

Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione
Defending Kongo: Joe Rizzo

Kongo comes in as the significantly more experienced fighter, yet is a slight underdog according to the casinos. Mitrione has gone 5-0 in his MMA career, with all his professional fights taking place in the UFC, but he is stepping up significantly in competition against Kongo.

It’s easy to forget that Mitrione actually has been beaten in an MMA fight, but his guillotine choke defeat to James McSweeney in the quarterfinals of TUF 10 is not reflected on his record. While he has become much more experienced in that time, Kongo represents a similar and better version of McSweeney. Kongo proved his chin and heart in his stunning comeback against Pat Barry in his last fight, and he will show off his all-around skills in handing Mitrione his first official pro defeat.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson
Defending Filipovic: Robert Reynolds

Contrary to what people may think Mikro “Cro Cop” Filipović is still a fighter to be feared in any fight venue combat sports world has to offer.

Okay, that may be pushing it, but coming from being the Pride Grand Prix Open-Weight Champion to UFC heavyweight contender, Cro Cop still has the ability to knock someone out with the twist of a hip.

Coming into his bout on Saturday against TUF: Heavyweights, Roy Nelson, both Filipović and Nelson will be flirting with the UFC’s proverbial three-fight losing streak axing.

The exceptional take-down defence of Cro Cop will prove to be the deciding factor, keeping the fight on their feet to employ the punishment of his stand up skills. Nelson will become fatigued quickly making anything he does predictable and slow.

Expect a second round referee stoppage due to strikes from the Croatian southpaw.

Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran
Defending Curran: Jason Kelly

Curran was widely considered one of the best mixed martial artists not signed to the UFC, therefore I do not expect him to fail in his return to the big show.

Curran has a strong jiu-jitsu base with crisp, technical boxing and I believe this will be an issue for Jorgensen and his wrestling. Jorgensen tends to throw caution to the wind during his fights, but against Curran it could prove dangerous seeing as he holds 19 submission victories on his 33-13 record. Curran should control this fight for the most part and dictate the pace to a unanimous decision victory.

I see Curran taking this bout 29-28 on all three judges’ scorecards.

Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop
Defending Roop: Mike Fester

To quote the great George W. Bush, “Fool me once,…Shame on…You? Fool me, You can’t get fooled again.”

As mindless as that quote may seem, It’s exactly how I feel whenever a highly touted prospect from the Japanese MMA scene is getting ready to make their debut in the UFC. I’ve lost track of the amount of Takanori Gomi’s that have come into the UFC, highly decorated in their respective promotions, that manage to accomplish next to nothing in their first few fights stateside.

And while I do think George Roop is very talented, has incredible hands and seems like he’s finally settling into being a full time featherweight, my pick in this fight has more to do with almost expecting to be disappointed by yet another JMMA fighter who is simply not on the level of the guys that have been fighting in the biggest promotions in the world for the past few years. Couple that with the added intensity Roop will surely feel due to the untimely passing of his coach Shawn Tompkins, I think it will be a very early night for Mr. Hatsu Hioki.

Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone
Defending Siver: Joe Rizzo

Even some of the most dedicated MMA fans might be shocked to know that Siver has run off a 7-1 mark in his second stint in the UFC, posting four straight victories since losing to Ross Pearson. He also has picked up four bonuses in that time, with a pair for knockout of the night and one for submission of the night in addition to sharing fight of the night with Pearson. The Russian-German’s skills continue to grow, as he has shown steady and effective wrestling to add to his superior kickboxing and active ground game.

Dating back to his loss to Ben Henderson for the WEC lightweight title, Cerrone has also taken his career to another level in winning five straight — the last three in the UFC. In that span, he has not faced anyone as well-rounded as Siver, who will be comfortable wherever the fight goes and ready to match fist-for-fist, kick-for-kick and takedown-for-takedown. It would be shocking if this fight ended with neither fighter winning a bonus. It says here Siver gets the edge in the fight of the night.

Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski
Defending Griffin: Robert Reynolds

Spending the last five years with the UFC, Tyson Griffin has compiled and 8-5 record. But more impressively, Griffin has been privy to five “Fight of the Night” honors as well as “Fight of the Year” at UFC 72 against Clay Guida.

However, losing three of his last four has raised speculation if Griffin was still able to hang with the overpowering lightweight division. With the featherweights making their way into the UFC, Griffin is now able to drop down to his original fight weight of 145lbs, which he has not seen since 2006.

Griffin is also 9-0 as a featherweight, taking his last fight over Manvel Gamburyan by majority decision.

While Griffin’s opponent, Bart Palaszewski, has had a long lasting relationship with the WEC, this is going to be his inaugural performance with the UFC. Ring rust may also be a major factor for the newcomer due to lack of performance for almost a year, which was a loss to Kamal Shalorus at WEC 53.

Both fighters have the stamina to go the distance, but Griffin will out-perform Palaszewski to take it via unanimous decision.

Ramsey Nijem vs. Danny Downes
Defending Nijem: Robert Reynolds

Ultimate Fighter finalist, Ramsey Nijem is looking at his second fight with the UFC against WEC veteran Danny Downes.

Both, Nijem and Downes made their premier appearance on The Ultimate Fighter 13: Finale in losing fashion.

The one part of the fight game that Downes has struggled with is the ground game and wrestling, one of which Nijem happens to be proficient in. Nijem is a NCAA D1 wrestler, which may pose to be a major problem for Downes.

Nijem is not going to want to stand with Downes, so expect to see an early takedown and a rear naked choke submission victory for Nijem in the first round.

Francis Carmont vs. Chris Camozzi
Defending Carmont: Robert Reynolds

Hailing from Paris, France, Francis Carmont has found a home training with UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre out of the Tristar Gym in Montreal, Canada.

In his inaugural fight with the UFC, Carmont has developed a 16-7 record over the last seven years and has finished last five fights before the third round.

Opponent, Chris Camozzi, who recently stepped away from the UFC after a loss to Kyle Noke for a brawl with the Shark Fights organization, is not going handle the high action beating that Carmont is going to put down.

Fights against Carmont do not last long and neither will Camozzi. Carmont is going to finish the fight via second third submission.

Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks
Defending Jacoby: Aidan O’Connor

With both Jacoby and Starks making their debuts with MMA’s premier organization at UFC 137, neither possesses a home-field advantage when it comes to entering the Octagon. There isn’t much to distinguish the two in the way of conditioning either, Jacoby has fought five times in 2011 already, whilst Starks has made four outings of his own.

Looking at other ways to break down the fight, Starks has a case for competing against more elite competition coming into the UFC, having fought in notable regional promotions King of the Cage and Shark Fights. However it is the physical attributes that swing in the favour of Jacoby. His 6’4” frame significantly overwhelms Starks, who stands at 5’10”, and Jacoby has used his impressive height and reach to finish all six of his professional fights – five by TKO, 1 by submission. Jacoby has looked particularly effective at using his range, head movement and long legs in stand-up exchanges in bouts under the Capital City Cage Wars banner. Men of such height as Jacoby are rare to come by at middleweight and it is unclear whether Starks has faced such a test of stature so far in his relatively young fighting career.

Bjorn Rebney shepherds Bellator into new era with Viacom

by Jason Kelly on October 28, 2011 4:00:08 PM in Features, Fighter Features | 1 Comment »

Bjorn Rebney (photo: Maggie Krol/MMADieHards.com)

It’s been a good year for Bellator. Just ask the company’s CEO, Bjorn Rebney.

Bellator 1 took place on April 3, 2009 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Since then, the promotion has cultivated into a premier mixed martial arts outfit. Instead of attempting to mimic the UFC out of the gate, Bellator created a tournament format and aired on television.

Starting off on ESPN Deportes and then moving to Fox Sports, NBC and Telemundo, and currently on MTV2 and Epix, Bellator has continually taken steps forward in its cable television endeavors.

Then they made a giant leap.

Bellator this week sold a majority share to entertainment mogul Viacom, the parents company of MTV Networks, and Rebney discussed the details with MMADieHards.com.

“We were in a great position about a year ago when we partnered with MTV2, and we have been talking about this for a long time,” Rebney explained. “We’ve been working through it and trying to get everything in place and announce it. It’s a great situation for the future of Bellator and an awesome situation for mixed martial arts. It’s an all-around good situation. If you love mixed martial arts, this is a good thing.”

Viacom has some of the largest entertainment brands as a part of its portfolio. In addition to MTV, the company owns brands such as Paramount Pictures, Spike TV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon, among others. Its reach is world wide, and Rebney finds the benefits both domestically and internationally.

“Domestically we will benefit enormously with Spike TV,” Rebney said. “Viacom is in 600 million homes across the world, so internationally we will benefit enormously. Hopefully we can continue to put on quality programming that makes people want to come to MTV2 or to Spike and tune in. This will be a great relationship for years to come.”

Unlike the majority of aspiring and upstart MMA promotions that attempt pay-per-view shows, Rebney realizes the importance of a cable network deal. He admitted that pay-per-view may be in Bellator’s future, but establishing themselves and building their brand comes is first. Bellator preliminary bouts are aired on Spike.com, however, in about a year’s time the promotion’s main cards will run on Spike TV.

Rebney believes PPV is an avenue that has been proven to succeed with the sport.

“To enjoy success in pay-per-views you have to have a very prolific cable television partner to fuel that success,” Rebney explained. “Nobody reaches pay-per-view success without having a vested, devoted television partner who continually promotes their promotion. One of the things that excites me about this deal is that people from Viacom will now sit at the table with me and discuss building the brand. That tells me they’re tremendously invested.

Another thing beneficial to the ownership of Bellator by Viacom is the people on the board.

Rebney, who remains CEO as part of the sale, has a new group of experienced minds that he can speak with as the company moves forward. Having people around that genuinely care about the success of Bellator is vital to Rebney, and he is looking forward to the vast improvements in the future.

“I can now turn to the people at Viacom for their insight, their contacts, their creative ideas and their opinions as a true business partner,” Rebney said. “To have a group like Viacom, SpikeTV and MTV2 in that capacity is awesome.”

With all the success Belator has endured in the past 12 months, Rebney sums it up as good.

“It’s been a good day, a good week,” he said, “and actually a good 2011.”

UFC 137: Jeff Curran shows family matters

by Jason Kelly on October 28, 2011 10:08:50 AM in Features, Fighter Features | 1 Comment »

Jeff Curran (photo courtesy of Sherdog)

Jeff Curran is back in the big show and he’s bringing the family along.

Curran (Twitter: @BigFrogBJJ), owner of Curran BJJ, is returning to the Ultimate Fighting Championship to square off against Scott Jorgensen at UFC 137 this Saturday, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Curran experienced a single bout under the UFC banner and suffered a decision loss against Matt Serra at UFC 46 in January 2004.

Since then, Curran has competed in the WEC, Pride, Strikeforce, the IFL, KOTC and just about any organization that can be thought of. The Illinois native has also claimed a reputation as one of the best fighters to not be signed to the UFC.

Now that Curran has returned to the Octagon, he is picking up where he left off under the Zuffa umbrella.

“They said they’re going to bring me back where I left off, and where I left off was being a top contender in the WEC,” Curran told MMADieHards.com. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. I want to fight the best in the world and they know that. I’m not looking for fights to build me up. I feel I have done that in my career. It’s time to put up or shut up.”

Curran is elated to return to the world’s premier MMA organization.

As a mixed martial artist, or athlete of any sport, the dream is to be on the big stage. No combatant ever wrapped their wrists with aspirations of making it to the regional show. For any fighter that admits their plan is not to make it to the UFC, Curran sums it up as an opportunity that has not yet been granted.

“This is the ultimate goal, and anybody who says this isn’t their goal is probably not in a position where anything is even close to happening to achieve that goal,” Curran stated. “Aside from the stacked divisions, it’s the organization that exposes the fighter the most.”

Curran’s preparations for Jorgensen took place at his own Curran Martial Arts Academy. Aside from his regular team that consists of cousin and Bellator standout Pat Curran, Jens Pulver, Bart Palaszewski and Mackens Semerzier, among others, Waylon Lowe was also brought in periodically.

Jeff Curran utilized the formidable training partners heading into UFC 137, but he fells that it is not about domination, but instead having an edge.

“I don’t think anybody dominates anybody at these levels,” Curran explained. “I believe you can have an edge in certain areas. I think he’s got an edge in certain areas, and I have an edge in certain areas, jiu-jitsu being mine and wrestling being his. As far as standup goes he’s more of a high output type of guy and he likes to apply the pressure. I’m more of a boxer.

“I don’t want to say I can dominate here or there. I just keep my mouth shut and let my fighting do the talking.”

Curran managed to operate his gym while preparing for his bout, but is intending to make some changes for the better at his academy.

“I have a plan to downsize my responsibilities,” Curran explained. “(I want) to get a gym with a better layout that fits me better and fits the school better. It’s all positive stuff to move in the direction of building a solid fight team and allow me to instruct my regular classes.

As a 13-year-veteran of the sport, Curran has amassed a slew of sponsors over the years. Currently sporting logos that consist of Clinch Gear, Alienware Gaming Systems, Battleware Technology, Blue Grace Logistics and SuckerPunch Entertainment, Curran has added another sponsor for his upcoming bout.

“I got my uncle’s carpet store I grew up working for sponsoring me,” Curran explained. “Kenny’s Floor Covering. My uncle Ken is going to sponsor me and have a huge UFC party. It’s cool to just give back to the family that taught me about work ethic and all that kind of stuff.”

A victory at UFC 137 will be credited to the entire Curran family, not just Jeff.

TUF Guy: Jon Anik departs ESPN for UFC, Ultimate Fighter

by Joe Rizzo on October 27, 2011 5:23:49 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Jon Anik (screen capture from ESPN/MMA Live)

Jon Anik has departed ESPN to head the play-by-play for the new FX version of The Ultimate Fighter, starting with the next season, in 2012, UFC president Dana White said Thursday.

Anik will be the play-by-play announcer for The Ultimate Fighter’s weekly live matches, which will air on Fridays under a new format revealed when the UFC signed its broadcast deal with Fox. Anik, who will be a full-time UFC employee, will have other roles with the company’s productions.

Anik made his way into MMA as host of ESPN’s MMA Live program, which started as an internet-only venture on ESPN.com before migrating to ESPN2 after explosive growth. Anik also headed coverage of MMA Live’s remote broadcasts following a number of UFC events.

He parlayed his success at MMA Live into a role in the 2011 MMA movie “Warrior,” in which he played himself on various television clips.

Anik, 33, has experience as a play-by-play announcer for MMA fights, as he was on the mic for the first season of Bellator. Anik’s English commentating aired on delay, while the Spanish broadcast on ESPN Deportes was live. He did not return for the second season as Bellator’s television contracts involved NBC and Fox Sports Net.

Before going to ESPN, where he also did radio and contributed to coverage of various sports, Anik was a member of “The Diehards” on WWZN 1510 The Zone in his native Boston. His move to the UFC comes nearly six years to the day after the final show of “The Diehards.”

UFC 137: Matt Mitrione takes time to party at the end of camp

by Robert G. Reynolds on October 27, 2011 12:30:35 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Matt Mitrione (photo: Maggie Krol/MMADieHards.com)

There is only one thing that can get Matt Mitrione to stop training: a party.

It’s not the kind of party you might expect. Before flying out to Las Vegas on Monday to prep for fight week, Mitrione planned on having one last hard day of training at home on Saturday. Sunday is not typically a day of rest for Mitrione, however, there was one reason to pull him out of the gym.

“I (took) Sunday off because that’s my son’s sixth birthday,” he said. ”Happy birthday Jacob!”

Mitrione (Twitter: @mattmitrione) is set to co-headline UFC 137 on Saturday against Cheick Kongo. Mitrione has had a long road mapping out his fight career before parking in the UFC, traveling through NFL and other football locker rooms, and The Ultimate Fighter house, to find his place within the organization.

Starting his pro career with five wins, Mitrione’s competition is about to jump a level when he meets Kongo at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

With Georges St-Pierre’s knee injury taking him out of the main event, Mitrione’s opportunity to be one step closer to headlining a card does not phase the focused fighter.

“Nope, I couldn’t really care less,” Mitrione admitted to Joe Rizzo and his former TUF 10 housemate, guest host Zak Jensen, on Rear Naked Choke Radio. “As long as I go out there and win, get paid, I don’t care if I’m the curtain-jerker or the main event, it doesn’t really make it a big deal.”

When it comes down to it, what matters most to Mitrione are the fans and the television placement of his match.

“Really more than anything else I get excited about being on the pay-per-view,” Mitrione said. “That means you’re getting more name recognition and a little more development as far as fan base. That’s the part I like the most.”

One of the perks of fighting Kongo is that the odds are the fight is going to stay on the feet and fists are going to be thrown. While four of Mitrione’s five wins have come by way of knockout, this is to be his first true test against a premier-level kickboxer.

In order to prepare for such a challenge, Mitrione paid close attention to his training regimen.

Originally, Mitrione was a professional football player, playing defensive line for the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings in the NFL. While performing in both the NFL and MMA require physical attributes and training, there are very few similarities between the two when it comes to the specifics of training involved.

“It’s totally different with the cardio, and getting in shape for the NFL is a completely different world,” said Mitrione. “But I think that I’ve done a fairly good job in getting into MMA shape versus football shape.”

Mitrione has an added benefit that his body responds well to training and because of this, he has learned that he does not require the typical six-to-eight week training camps that a lot of fighters take to prepare for fights.

Over-training used to be a problem for Mitrione. He discovered the flaw in his last bout against Christian Morecraft, for which Mitrione had a six-week camp.

“I was very over-trained and my body was beat up,” Mitrione said. “I was ready to fight about two weeks before the fight and I tried to prolong it and it didn’t do that much for me. So I figured that four-and-a-half, five weeks is my money time at camp and I’m ready to scrap then.

“I’ve had about five weeks for this one and I feel like I’m peaking at the right place as far as health and energy levels go.”

Mitrione was looking to soften up his training regimen in the waning days of camp. He had been standing up to the punishments of K-1 fighter Tyrone Sprong, Blackzillians coach Mike Van Arsdale and former UFC lightweight champion Rashad Evans in order to be ready on Saturday night.

Nothing like a kid party to ease the pain.

UFC 137 Fresh Faces

by Cameron Gidari on October 27, 2011 8:00:08 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Francis Carmont is ready to make his UFC debut.

With injuries and opponent switches seemingly happening by the day, the build-up to UFC 137 has been plagued by instability. When the dust finally settles on Saturday, five fighters are expected to make their UFC debuts – including two undefeated prospects, a WEC veteran, and a featherweight with title aspirations.

Let’s take a look at UFC 137’s fresh faces:

Name: Hatsu Hioki
Weight class: Featherweight
Fighting: George Roop
Record: 24-4-2 (4 (T)KOs, 12 submissions)
Recent body of work: Submitted Donald Sanchez by triangle choke at Shooto Tradition 2011 in April
Who he is: Widely considered one of the top three featherweights in the world, Shooto and Sengoku champion Hatsu Hioki will finally debut in the UFC. He’s endured a dominant stretch that’s seen him go 12-1-1 since 2007 and that one loss came via controversial split decision to current UFC fighter Michihiro Omigawa. Hioki has earned 16 of his 24 career wins by stoppage — including 12 by submission — and has defeated the likes of UFC title contender Mark Hominick, UFC veteran Jeff Curran, current Bellator featherweight Ronnie Mann and former Sengoku champion Marlon Sandro.

Name: Bart Palaszewski
Weight class: Lightweight
Fighting: Tyson Griffin
Record: 35-14 (16 (T)KOs, 11 submissions)
Recent body of work: Dropped a split decision to Kamal Shalorus at WEC 53 last December
Who he is: Despite being only 28 years old, former WEC and IFL fighter Bart Palaszewski has already competed in 49 professional fights since 2002. Palaszewski started his career on a four-fight losing streak before rebounding in a big way – winning his next eight straight. After competing 12 times for the now-defunct IFL, Palaszewski moved to the WEC where he compiled a 4-3 record highlighted by a split-decision victory over eventual WEC champion Anthony Pettis. After an injury forced Palaszewski out of his original UFC debut, against Gleison Tibau at UFC 130, the Polish fighter will finally make his debut after ten months of inactivity.

Name: Dustin Jacoby
Weight class: Middleweight
Fighting: Clifford Starks
Record: 6-0 (5 (T)KOs, 1 submission)
Recent body of work: TKO’d Billy Horne in just 37 seconds at “Riverfists 2011″
Who he is: A former collegiate football player, 23-year-old Dustin Jacoby will step in for an injured Tim Credeur and make his UFC debut after turning pro less than a year ago. Standing at 6’4″, Jacoby has opened his career with six straight stoppage wins with five in the first round. Of those five first-round finishes, none made it past the 2:30 mark and three were finished in a minute or less.

Name: Clifford Starks
Weight class: Middleweight
Fighting: Dustin Jacoby
Record: 7-0 (3 (T)KOs, 1 submission)
Recent body of work: Earned a unanimous decision over Artenas Young less than three weeks ago at Shark Fights 20
Who he is: Stepping in as a very late injury replacement for Brad Tavares, AZ Combat Sports product Clifford Starks will make his UFC debut against fellow newcomer Dustin Jacoby. His debut comes just two weeks after taking a unanimous decision at Shark Fights 20. Starks wrestled alongside UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at Arizona State University, and all three of his (T)KO victories have come in the first round. Saturday will mark the fifth time that Starks has competed in 2011.

Name: Francis Carmont
Weight class: Middleweight
Fighting: Chris Camozzi
Record: 16-7 (6 (T)KOs, 8 submissions)
Recent body of work: TKO’d UFC veteran Jason Day at “Slammer in the Hammer” in June
Who he is: French fighter Francis Carmont makes his fighting home in Montreal, where he is a training partner of Georges St-Pierre at the Tristar Gym. Carmont is currently riding a five-fight winning streak –all via stoppage — and will drop to middleweight for the first time in his career after spending the last seven years at light heavyweight.

Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC

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