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Bellator 65: Zach Makovsky Grapples with MMA History

Bellator bantamweight champ Zach "Fun Size" Makovsky strikes a pose after another victory. (Photo courtesy of Bellator.com)

Zach “Fun Size” Makovsky (Twitter: @ZachFunSize) is a small guy making big waves.

Standing 5′ 4″ and weighing 135 lbs., one could easily mistake the soft-spoken grappler for a pushover. As many Bellator opponents can testify, that’s a huge mistake. Sporting a 14-2 record, Bellator’s reigning bantamweight champion competes at the top of MMA’s food chain.

“You have to be capable of fighting everywhere with everyone even if it’s in a place where you have a disadvantage,” Makovsky told MMADiehards’ Darce Side Radio on Tuesday. “I think that’s a mentality you have to have in every fight. You have to be proficient at everything to truly succeed.”

Makovsky’s never-say-die mentality has made him a major player in Bellator’s bantamweight division. Entering the fight league in June 2010, he soon steamrolled his way through its Season Three tournament. Beating Ed “Wild” West at Bellator 32, Makovsky became the organization’s first bantamweight king. He’s since won two non-title showdowns with Chad “Robo” Robichaux and Ryan Roberts.

“It’s a very unique situation fighting in non-title fights,” Makovsky confessed. “Those non-title fights were still tough fights and good for keeping me active but I prefer that the title be on the line every time.”

Bellator will grant Makovsky his wish with an upcoming title match against 13-2 Eduardo “DuDu” Dantas. Much like Makovsky, Dantas entered Bellator with a bang and won its Season Five tournament for a shot at the champion. The two combatants will clash at Bellator 65 on Friday in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.

“Dantas is very well-rounded,” Makovsky admitted. “He presents a lot of different problems in a lot of different areas. He’s definitely a threat on his feet and on the ground.”

Dantas may sound like a daunting foe, Makovsky maintains, but both men fight on equal playing fields. Citing their shared tournament victories, Makovsky argues a successful title win will separate him from pretenders to his crown.

“I almost view this as my first title fight because I realistically haven’t done anything Dantas hasn’t,” he said. “We’ve both won a tournament. I just won one a little bit before his. I’m glad it’s all on the line and I get to fight an awesome guy like Eduardo Dantas.”

If that sounds strange, a glance at Makovsky’s background reveals a born competitor. Wrestling at the NCAA Division I level at Philadelphia’s Drexel University, he went to win one bronze and two gold medals for America’s men’s grappling team at the international level. Years after his first matchup on the mats, Makovsky said wrestling is still where he feels most at home.

“It’s a sport I’ve been involved in since I was six years old,” he said. “It taught me a lot about myself and life. It teaches you a lot about the mentality of competing one-on-one.”

Come Friday, Makovsky said he’s ready to throw off whatever Dantas attacks with. The grappler said he values the gold he’s won competing in Bellator and is only beginning to lay down his legacy behind it.

“I think I have a good style to match up with Dantas,” Makovsky said. “I think I’m going to be able to take him down when I want. I think I’ll be the fastest guy he’s ever fought. I’m ready and I’m prepared.”

Daniel Straus and Vision MMA keep fallen comrade’s name alive

Following the tragic death of Chris Smith, Vision MMA knows what they need to do because he would’ve wanted it this way.

Smith was a heavyweight mixed martial artist that trained out of Vision MMA in Cincinnati, Ohio. His life was cut short when he passed away due to injuries sustained from an automobile accident on April 5, 2012, on State Route 73 near Henley, Ohio.

Smith’s teammate and Bellator Season 6 featherweight semifinalist Daniel Straus chatted with MMADieHards.com and enlightened us on a man who was a vital piece to Vision MMA.

“He was a very big, important part of the team,” Straus told MMADieHards.com. “You may not have been best friends with Chris, but everyone in the gym has at least one story of him. Chris touched a lot of people.”

Straus described Smith as a person who was always laughing and smiling. Even when Smith had problems of his own, he was still there to lend a hand or give some advice to a person in need. Smith may have not had a disposable amount of income to donate, but the kindness of his heart was always there to give.

“Chris was an upbeat guy, if you had a problem you could always go to him,” Straus said. “He wasn’t the wealthiest guy, but if he had it, he would give it to you. There were times I needed him and went to him myself. I have stories of my own where at three o’clock in the morning I needed somebody to talk to and I’d end up at his house. Chris was a person who will never be forgotten.”

Aside from being a shoulder to lean on for friends and family, Smith worked at a local group home and helped underprivileged kids. Not knowing his entire history, Straus figures something those kids are going through resonated with Smith.

“I remember when he first got the job, he was all happy about it,” Straus said. “He used to bring the kids around the gym and he would talk to them, let them hit the bags and they loved that. Chris was always helping younger kids. I don’t know everything about his back story, but I remember he would always say, ‘I won’t let happen to them, what happened to me.’ He was always trying to give people privileges that he never had.”

Though, Smith is gone, Vision MMA is doing everything in their power to ensure he is not forgotten.

The gym is attempting to raise funds to cover the costs of Smith’s funeral. Money can be contributed to the cause by donating at Chris’ Vision. After $10,000 is raised to cover Smith’s service the funds that are received will go to the group home he worked at.

While everyone at Vision MMA is working hard to keep Smith’s name alive, they did take a moment to mourn their fallen comrade. In the beginning there was the typical phase of denial and wonderment, but after a brief gloomy period in the gym, the team focused on what Smith would want.

“When it first happened people were like, ‘Why Chris, why not me?’” Straus said. “The thing about that is, Chris would’ve been like, ‘Why not me?’ That’s something I can see him saying. With that in mind we’re going back in the gym and training hard because we know that’s what he would want us to do.”

As per Lloyd Woodard’s request, Joe Lozito will be in his corner at Bellator 66

by Jason Kelly on April 9, 2012 4:25:56 PM in Features, Fighter Features | 1 Comment »

Heroic, fascinating and unique acts have bound Joe Lozito, Lloyd Woodard and Frank Kozlowsky.

Lozito (Twitter: @joe_lozito) became an overnight celebrity following a horrific day on a New York subway in 2011. A man by the name of Maksim Gelman was on a 24 hour killing spree in Manhattan, which already had four people die on his account when he ran into Lozito. Lozito disarmed Gelman and prevented him from murdering again, but not without suffering knife wounds of his own.

Lozito’s act of bravery has caught the eye of many athletes and professional sports teams. He has met with UFC president Dana White and many of the organization’s combatants. He has had the pleasure meeting athletes from other sports as well, but now has another once in a lifetime opportunity.

Recently, Woodard (Twitter: @mmacupcake), a Bellator Season 6 lightweight semifinalist, has taken note of Lozito’s courageous day. “Cupcake” was amazed with Lozito’s fearlessness and invited the MMA enthusiast to work his corner at Bellator 66 at the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

“Lloyd messaged me on Twitter, so I sent him a message back and told him I was honored to have him follow me,” Lozito explained to MMADieHards.com. “I guess he paid a trip to Google and had done a lot of research on my story. He really loved the story and I guess it inspired him. It was basically an avalanche after that.”

The chance to be in a professional mixed martial artist’s corner snowballed when Woodard himself requested that his management team contact Lozito. The opportunity was presented to Lozito through a phone call, and before he knew it, there was a confirmation email in his inbox for a flight to Cleveland.

Lozito is ecstatic to be in Woodard’s corner at Bellator 66, as similar to most people, he has never done anything remotely close to this before. While he doesn’t expect to strategize a game plan for the Montana native, Lozito does intend to serve a purpose.

“I’m an extra set of hands and an extra set of eyes,” Lozito said. “I’m not there to be a pretty face; I’m not there to be eye candy. I’m there to help. What I don’t want to do is; I don’t want to be in the way of the guys that helped him get to this point. If his trainers or coach ask me to get a roll of tape, I’m there. I’m going there to be in the corner, I’m basically at their beckon call. Whatever they need, I’m there for.”

In order for Lozito to take a trip to Cleveland, and not spend a dime of his own, one of Woodard’s sponsors chipped in to cover the costs.

Future Legend is a clothing brand that was founded by Kozlowsky, following the birth of his first apparel company, Underground Clown. Kozlowsky teamed up with Phil Baroni and Paul Malignaggi for the Future Legend brand, but he also has other athletes such as Phillipe Nover, Kurt Pellegrino and Ben Saunders sporting his logo in the cage.

Kozlowsky’s support of Lozito should come as no surprise considering the grounds in which the company was started.

“I started the brand as a tribute to one of my friends that was killed in 2001, today his murder goes unsolved,” Kozlowsky told MMADieHards.com. “He was shot on a city bus. Basically what I do with the UGC, I don’t make any money from the sales; I donate it all to charity.”

As ironic as it is that Kozlowsky started the brand due to his friend being murdered on a city bus, and now he is helping Lozito, a man who stops killings on a city subway, there is yet another unique twist.

“This is how crazy this whole thing is,” Kozlowsky said. “This is something going full circle. Lloyd Woodard, who we sponsor, was very impressed by Joe’s courage of subduing Maksim Gelman after his killing spree up in NYC. It’s funny because Maksim Gelman was actually a customer of mine at my car shop in Brooklyn, New York. Maksim and his mom were my customers. That’s just how small the world is.”

Kozlowsky does a lot for different charities, and assisting Lozito in getting to Ohio is something he believes is the right thing to do. But, Woodard played a big role in making this opportunity come to fruition.

Woodard could’ve met with Lozito behind closed doors and signed an autograph. Instead, he is bringing Lozito to the forefront of the action and placing him in his corner when he meets Rick Hawn.

Woodard’s reason for doing such a thing is simply the inspiration Lozito provided through his heroic act.

“Everybody has heard the story, but I just heard it not too long ago,” Woodard told Amy Barton on MMA Beatdown on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “It really motivated me and inspired me and made me proud to live in a country with people like him.”

Now that Lozito, Woodard and Kozlowsky have come together to work as one, it is truly a trifecta of heroism.

Twitter MMA: Best of the Week for April 2 – April 9

by Jason Kelly on April 9, 2012 8:00:41 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Kenny Florian ‏ @kennyflorian

1, 2, 3, everyone act surprised that Overeem tested positive.

chael sonnen ‏ @sonnench

I’m shocked.. Has the body fat of a tooth brush, looks like the guy on STREET FIGHTER. My mind is blown, just blown.

Quinton Jackson ‏ @Rampage4real

The rape video was funny,but I did it because I hope that happens 2 any low life that has 2 rape a woman,I’ll get on car jackers next

Forrest Griffin ‏ @ForrestGriffin

Who’s Brian Stann fighting ? 1st one to give me a correct answer gets absolutely nothing

chael sonnen ‏ @sonnench

They act like savages chanting”You will die.”No interest in winning them over. Act like savages if you want.Touch me, and I will stomp

Ben Askren ‏ @Benaskren

C’mon who is scared of this guy? @MikeChandlerMMA http://pic.twitter.com/rRQNItod

Gilbert Melendez ‏ @GilbertMelendez

Congrats homie!!! Well deserved Black belt… @NateDiaz209

Dhiego Lima ‏ @DhLima121

Everytime he gets in trouble he knows where to go! @PhenomLima http://pic.twitter.com/MCVnYXTH

Jon Bones Jones ‏ @JonnyBones

Getting ready to get a good soul lift in.. #EasterSunday sagebrush.cc

Scott jorgensen ‏ @Scottjorgensen

Happy Easter. Careful on the hard boiled eggs. You’ll make ur close friends n family pay later.

Douglas Lima ‏ @PhenomLima

Hanging out w/ my brother @DhLima121 and the family for Easter!! Bout to eat some good food!!!

Dana White ‏ @danawhite

my car ruined the sport. Don Frye is one of those fighters who is bitter he didn’t make the money these guys make.

Dana White ‏ @danawhite

guess what Don Frye, I have 2 of them and I earned them both by workin my ass off. Go count ur money not mine! F*ckin crybaby

Dana White ‏ @danawhite

and 1 more thing Koscheck has 2 of them also and he earned them. Go get a job Don Frye!!

Dana White ‏ @danawhite

ok, I’m done. Lol

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

by Jason Kelly on April 8, 2012 2:34:18 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

UFC president Dana White.(photo: Hector Castro/MMADieHards.com)

“I am beyond pissed about this. I’m so (expletive) mad right now I can’t even begin … How (expletive) stupid do you have to be? Seriously dumb. Anybody who’s using (performance-enhancing drugs) right now is an absolute (expletive) moron. It’s beyond – what’s the word I’m looking for – it’s beyond belief. It’s beyond comprehension. You’re an absolute moron, a brain-dead absolute (expletive) dummy. It goes beyond a guy have any common sense whatsoever.”
- Dana White was a guest on a Canadian radio show when he reacted to Alistair Overeem’s failed drug test.

“This is the fight of my life. I’ve waited all my career for this fight. I’ve waited for (14) years for this fight. He is one of the guys I really, really want to fight before I (retire). This fight is the fight of my dreams. I’ve been fighting since I was 13 years old. I’ve fought for 21 years of my life. But, I still feel really good. I feel really motivated. You need to respect the body. We’re not 22, 23 years old. I’m 35. I’m not looking 35, but I’m 35. But I’m not too old, I’m not too young. Maybe I can make my last fight in Japan. Maybe, I don’t know. But we’re going to check with the boss when they’re going to have their next show there. I want to make my last fight in Japan.”
- Wanderlei Silva was a guest on The MMA Hour, and he admitted how important his bout against Vitor Belfort is.

“If we go toe-to-toe in this fight, I believe I have the advantage. I feel I have more power than anyone in the middleweight division, and I’m happy to prove that in any fight. I think we haven’t seen Alessio Sakara particularly go toe-to-toe, in several fights. I think he’s tried that. It hasn’t necessarily been successful for him. I think we’re gonna see more of a mobile and moving, elusive, fast Alessio Sakara. That’s what I plan on seeing.”
- In an interview on UFC Tonight, Brian Stann confessed what he expects to see from Alessio Sakara when the two combatants square off at UFC Sweden.

“The fans are fantastic. Fantastic fans. But the thing is, Dana White’s just ruined the sport. I got to thinking about it today and you know, he ruined it for me… It’s a crime. You see some of these guys only getting two or three or six thousand dollars and you’ve got Dana bragging about having 30 Ferraris. Come on. You have a sponsor and he charges a sponsor what, a hundred and fifty grand to have your stuff on the fighter? That’s money he’s stealing from the fighter. Then he goes and he pays them two or three thousand dollars. That’s crazy.”
- Don Frye accused White of shortchanging UFC fighters when “The Predator” was on Sherdog’s Savage Dog Show.

“I stopped drinking; I haven’t had a drink for a year and a half. That’s a big benefit to training. You got to think of your body as a high-performance machine. You don’t have a Ferrari and put recycled oil in it, or 89 pump gas. You want to put the best in it, you want to maintenance it right, you want to get the oil changed, you want to take it to the right mechanic and get it so it performs right every single time. You can just turn the key and it starts.

“Same thing with your body, you don’t want to have this high-performance machine and fill it with alcohol and bad food, and then come back and try to rev that engine. You can’t because you have all that bad stuff in you.”
- Damacio Page related his body to an exotic automobile, while a guest on MMA DieHards’ Darce Side Radio.

“The way that Showtime wants to do it is when that fight finally happens, whoever wins it, they wanna do another fight on Showtime, so that guy would probably come to the UFC. We’ll see what happens, you know? Josh and I have been playing nice with each other for a little while, since he got into the UFC. It’s more than just, ‘Does he win? Does he do this?’ You gotta be able to come to terms with the guy and be able to deal with him. If he wins the fight, I can’t see why he wouldn’t come here, unless we weren’t able to make a deal with him.”
- White spoke to HDNet about the possibility of Josh Barnett returning to the famed Octagon.

“I was reluctant to [go to 205] at first but eventually did and we recently talked to them about moving back down to 185. I am not a big 205′er and my success in the weight class has been mixed. I think 185 is my true home so they were interested. They said ‘hey there are some good match-ups at 185 and they’ll be good for you,’ so we’ll move in that direction. They presented me with Cung, I was kind of surprised by that but here we are. [Another title run] is my Cinderella story. That’s absolutely exactly what I would want to do if I could end my career with a run at that title for 185 and getting the title for 185. What better story could you write then that? I don’t want to put their carriage before the horse, right now I’m worried about Cung Le and we’ll take care of that first.”
- Rich Franklin told MMA Sucka that he is content returning to his natural weight class.

“When we went to India over a year ago I felt the market held enormous potential for the UFC. India has a long history of martial arts and traditional wrestling like Kushti. Indian athletes have also demonstrated world-class levels in combat sports as evidenced by the country’s 2008 Olympic medalists in wrestling and boxing.”
- Lorenzo Fertitta commented through press release on the UFC’s reasoning to venture into India.

“With striking, Duke can do it all and that’s why I went to him. He has fought professionally in kickboxing, Muay Thai and boxing, so he is just a jack of all trades when it comes to striking. Some days when we go in to the gym you never know what you’re going to get and that is a great thing because he is so well versed in everything that it really completes your game.”
- Ben Askren talked to MMA DieHards about Duke Roufus

Bellator 64 recap: Askren remains champ, Sandro advances to welterweight finals, Marx and Nakamura are Season 6 bantamweightweight semifinalists

by Jason Kelly on April 6, 2012 10:43:16 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Ben Askren (Top) defeating Douglas Lima (Bottom) at Bellator 64. (Photo courtesy of Rob Reynolds/MMADieHards)

The Bellator welterweight championship did not change hands, and a Bellator Season 6 welterweight finalist and two bantamweight semifinalists have been decided.

Ben Askren defended his 170-pound title against Douglas Lima in a five round affair.

Marlon Sandro won a close split-decision against Alexandre Bezerra to go on to the Bellator Season 6 welterweight finale.

Travis Marx picked up a unanimous decision victory to beat Masakatsu Ueda, and Hiroshi Nakamura weathered a couple of grueling shots en route to defeating Rodrigo Lima to advance to the bantamweight semifinals.

Lima avoided the takedown of Askren in the early going, but the inevitable happened about midway through the opening frame. Askren put Lima on his back, but he did not have his way with him. The Brazilian was striking off his back and attempted various submissions. Nevertheless, the bout remained on the mat until the round ended.

Round 2 began and so did the takedown. After eating a high front-kick, Askren put Lima on his back. Lima was in mount position for a brief moment, but Askren gained top control and smothered the Brazilian for the remainder of the round.

It should come as no surprise that within the first minute of the fourth frame the fight was on the mat. Askren dominated Lima with ground and pound, yet also attempted a submission, but the former MFC welterweight champion avoided tapping out. The ref stood the bout back up and the round ended with Askren controlling Lima on the ground.

Round 4 showed some of Lima’s feature striking, but before long, the contest was back on the ground. Askren didn’t cause as much damage as he did in earlier rounds, but he still controlled the frame. Lima was close to completing an armbar, but the champ pulled out. The round finalized with Askren laying in Lima’s guard, and “The Phenom” appearing fatigued.

Round 5, 30 seconds in and Lima was on his back again. Askren pinned Lima against the cage on the floor, postured up and unleashed ground and pound for the final four minutes of the fight.

Askren won a decisive decision and remained the Bellator welterweight champion, and he commented on the fans that don’t appreciate his wrestling ability.

“If you don’t like wrestling in MMA there’s a sport called boxing,” Askren stated in a post-fight interview.

The intensity from the moment the bell rang could be felt throughout the venue. Sandro and Bezerra exchanged punches and kicks, and every strike had ill intentions behind it. Though, each fighter landed shots that resembled the sound of a yard stick cracking a chalkboard, the heaviest bombs kept missing. Sandro dropped Bezerra on two separate occasions with leg kicks, but never had the opportunity to capitalize on the downed opponent. The round came to a halt as Sandro was readying to throw a flying-knee.

Bezerra showed good head movement and threw more kicks in the beginning of the second frame, but had trouble getting inside the longer Marlon. Neither fighter showed an interest in taking the bout to the canvas, but in the final minute of the round, Sandro attempted a double-leg takedown that was rejected. Both Brazilians happily traded strikes until the bout ran out of time.

In a change of pace, Bezerra charged out of his corner at the beginning of the third round and took Sandro to the mat. Sandro nullified the attacks and the bout resumed to standing. Bezerra clipped Sandro and the Bellator Season 5 welterweight finalist dropped, but it was hard clarify if it was a knock down or a slip. Bezerra continued to push the pressure, landing more punches on Sandro and being the aggressor as the round finalized.

Sandro went on to win a split decision and advance to the Bellator Season 6 welterweight finals.

Marx had an answer for anything Ueda came at him with in this bantamweight quarterfinal contest.

After a minute and a half of a feeling out process, Marx locked his hands around Ueda and slammed the Japanese mixed martial artist to the canvas. Ueda reacted quickly and went for a kimura from the bottom, but Marx was free in no time. The bout eventuated to its feet and both combatants traded leather until the frame finalized.

Marx came out of his corner in the second round and attempted a flying-knee that missed. Ueda tackled the American to the mat and ended up in Marx’s guard. The two bantamweights competed for a dominate position, as they each took turns from back to mount to back control. Marx had Ueda in a peculiar position that appeared as if he was trying to accomplish a variation of a triangle-choke. Ueda defended and the bout returned to standing and striking.

The final round started and both fighters took the center of the cage. Neither athlete backed down, as they exchanged punches and kicks, to the head and body. Ueda managed to grapple Marx to the ground, and after he could not get the Utah native’s back, he tried to achieve a crucifix. The maneuver was never completed and they returned to competing on their feet.

They stood toe-to-toe as the match ended, trading sloppy strikes, not retreating from one another.

Marx came away the winner, with all three judges awarding him the bout.

Nakamura’s N. American debut went well for him, but not so much for his groin.

The fight hit the mat immediately and Lima attempted a submission. Nakamura defended well, and following a chess match on the ground, the Japanese native was back to his feet while Lima laid on his back. Nakamura circled his opponent, slamming his shin against Lima’s calf, but the Brazilian swiftly leapt to his feet and secured standing back-control.

After a short break due to a groin shot that Nakamura was on the wrong end of, the action continued and Lima came out guns a blazing. Nakamura absorbed a few heavy shots to the dome, but clinched up and the fight made its way back to the floor as the round ended.

The second round began with yet another knee to the groin from Lima. A brief pause occurred and the bout ensued. Nakamura latched a body lock on Lima and dragged him to the ground. After tussling against the cage on the mat, Lima went for a series of submissions, including two triangle-chokes and an armbar. Nakamura fought off the submission efforts, but then had to deal with Lima’s ankle and leg-lock attempts. The round ended with Lima being deducted a point for his pair of strikes to where the sun don’t shine.

Round 3 began and Lima was on his back almost instantly. “Ratinho” landed strikes and tried to complete any submission that presented itself to him. In the closing minute of the round, both fighters were intertwined in each other’s heel-hooks. The referee stood the combatants back up, but the match ended shortly thereafter.

Nakamura picked up a unanimous decision, 29-27 on all accounts, and “Iron” commented on his first bout on a new continent.

“This is my first time in North America, now that I am over that I look forward to fighting here again,” he said.

A clean liver is to Damacio Page, what high octane gas is to a Ferrari

by Jason Kelly on April 5, 2012 4:00:28 PM in Features, Fighter Features | 1 Comment »

UFC bantamweight Damacio Page. (Photo courtesy of mmajunkie)

Damacio Page quit boozing, buckled down on training and now hopes to improve his 0-0 record.

On April 14, Page (Twitter: @damaciopage) will look to put an end to his two-fight losing skid when he meets Brad Pickett at UFC on Fuel 2 at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. “The Angel of Death” lost his UFC debut to Brian Bowles at UFC Live: “Sanchez vs. Kampmann” via rear-naked choke in March 2011. Prior to that, Page was in the WEC and lost his final bout in the blue canvased cage to Demetrious Johnson in November 2010.

Page said those two matches were a way of him venting because he had some pent up aggression, but he feels he could’ve beat either combatant on any given night. His emotions got the better of him and Page credits both fighters for capitalizing on his mistakes.

Suffering back-to-back defeats is not an ideal position for a mixed martial artist, but Page is heading into Sweden with a clean slate.

“I trained hard in this camp, I feel like everything has been great, so I don’t even care about those two losses,” Page told Michael Steczkowski and Hector Castro on Darce Side Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “My career starts again on April 14^th. It’s going to be the starting point of my career and I’m excited. I’m 0-0 right now, that’s the way I look at it.”

Along with quality training and a strong mentality, Page is also cautious of what he is ingesting.

Professional athletes from every sport combine supplements and a strict diet with their rigorous training regimen. Page has recently subtracted something from his diet that he said is the big thing that helped the most.

“I stopped drinking, I haven’t had a drink for a year and a half,” Page confessed. “That’s a big benefit to training. You got to think of your body as a high-performance machine. You don’t have a Ferrari and put recycled oil in it, or 89 pump gas. You want to put the best in it, you want to maintenance it right, you want to get the oil changed, you want to take it to the right mechanic and get it so it performs right every single time. You can just turn the key and it starts.

Page trains at Jackson’s MMA under the direction of Greg Jackson, and alongside a group of elite training partners. Page refers to the teammates that readied him for Pickett as his “lightweight squad,” which consists of Clay Guida, Diego Brandao, John Dodson and Nick Urso.

Though, they are sufficient training partners, Page took a trip north of the border for a valuable getaway.

“The whole camp has just been great,” Page said. “I feel comfortable and confident. I went to Montreal for three weeks to get a change of things and see how it is. See different faces, different styles of training and fighting. It was good; I was able to expand my game.”

Page’s losing streak may have him down, but not out.

The UFC bantamweight hovered around the top on the weight class in the WEC. He may not be in the top five of the UFC bantamweight division, but Page still believes he is not far from the title scene. Page feels the best path to the belt is a trifecta of perfection.

“I feel like I’m at the top of the division still,” Page said. “Even though they have me ranked at wherever, they keep throwing me top 10 fighters. They must have something planned for me to keep throwing me top 10 fighters. The last three years I haven’t fought anybody besides title contenders or title holders. I think I am three wins away; I have to put together three good wins, not just a horrible win. What I got to do is put them together and be impressive about it.”

Page enters this bout against Pickett with the mindset of a 0-0 record; therefore it should be expected he fights like he has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Bellator 64: Following the advice of Duke Roufus, Ben Askren is anticipating title match in Canada

by Robert G. Reynolds on April 4, 2012 2:34:09 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

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

Making his first trip north of the border, Bellator’s welterweight champion, Ben Askren, has coach Duke Roufus’ word on what to expect in Canada.

Relatively new to the MMA world, Askren (twitter: @Benaskren) became a professional mixed martial artist in 2009, starting off his career by finishing his first four opponents. Continuing on his streak of domination, the Wisconsin native has collected nine straight victories and a welterweight title.

Having successfully defending his belt once against Jay Hieron in October 2011, the champ now prepares to face the Bellator Season 5 tournament winner, Douglas Lima. With the dedicated work ethic carried over from his years as an amateur wrestler, Askren didn’t waste any time preparing for the next tournament winner, which he now faces April 6 at Caesars Windsor in Windsor, Ontario.

“I haven’t really taken any time off,” Askren told MMADieHards.com. “I went right back in to the gym, one day after my title fight, and I’ve been in the gym ever since. I went and saw my brother over Thanksgiving and went to visit the in-laws over Christmas. So, I took a few short vacations, but trained most of the time.”

This will be the first time competing on Canadian soil for the American title holder, opposed to his counterpart, Lima, who has performed for the rabid Canadian MMA fans four times already.

However, Askren’s coach, Roufus, has his fighter excited at the cross-border excursion.

“I am most definitely excited about fighting in Canada,” said Askren. “My coach, Duke Roufus, is a big advocate of Canadian mixed martial arts, so I’m really excited.”

Tournament winner, Lima, will be making his second consecutive trip to Ontario for his shot at the welterweight strap. Lima’s most recent trip secured the chance at the title when “The Phenom” knocked out Season 5 tournament finalist Ben Saunders.

Lima is known for having a well-rounded striking base and knockout power, but will now have to deal with the wrestling pedigree that Askren brings to the table. Not looking to hide secrets from his opponent, Askren lays out what to expect.

“The last few people that I’ve fought have been strikers,” Askren said. “That is something that I’ve been

Ben Askren Bellator 64 Press Conference (Photo by: Robert G. Reynolds/mmadiehards.com)

aware of, but it’s hard to land a right hand when you’re on your back. That’s what I’ve done for the majority of my fights and that is what I intend to do against Douglas; I don’t think that it’s a secret, and he knows that.

“He’s tough and everybody knows that. He has a lot of power on his feet and that is what everyone is worried about, but I think that there are a lot of gaps in his game and I plan on taking advantage of that.”

Helping prepare Askren for his next defence is an aficionado of striking techniques, Roufus at Roufusport. Sparring every day, Askren’s striking performance has improved exponentially as well as his defence.

“With striking, Duke can do it all and that’s why I went to him,” admitted Askren. “He has fought professionally in kickboxing, Muay Thai and boxing, so he is just a jack of all trades when it comes to striking. Some days when we go in to the gym you never know what you’re going to get and that is a great thing because he is so well versed in everything that it really completes your game.”

Taking his time to punish his opponents, the undefeated Askren, has taken a different approach to his fighting over the last half of his career. Taking his previous five victories by way of judges’ decision, wrestling has played a major role in pushing his opponents to their limits.

Knowing that Lima has never been in to the championship rounds, Askren makes his plans clear.

“I want to put the pressure on him and stay in tight so I can take him down and beat him up,” said Askren. “I want to make it a long grueling fight for him because he has never been five rounds and I think that cardio is probably one of his weaknesses. The other guys didn’t want to push him so we didn’t see that; I want to push him.”

When push comes to shove, Askren expects to be victorious in his first bout in the Great White North.

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

by Jason Kelly on April 2, 2012 10:18:19 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen

“I stomped you before and I will stomp you again. You are a nuisance to me and to everybody else. You ducked me for six years. You ducked me for two years after that. There’s nothing I can do more than pick a fight. You put every stipulation on this thing that you could think of and I answered them all, including coming to Brazil like that’s some kind of a big deal. What’s the difference? It’s a plane ride somewhere. I’m not fighting you in Brazil, I’m not fighting you in Chicago, I’m not fighting you in Florida; I’m fighting you in the Octagon. And when you get in there and I get in there, I’m going to stomp you this time same as I did last time. You can complain about your rib. I’m sure your rib did hurt; your rib is inside of a coward. That’s the problem your rib’s got, it’s got the same problem your hands and feet have — they’re attached to you, dummy. I’m going to be attached to you, too, for 25 minutes or until you give up.”
- Chael Sonnen ripped Anderson Silva in this promo video.

“If I was able to put another title run together and the UFC wanted to do another fight with Anderson, I would be willing to do another fight with Anderson. And I believe — and this is just because of the champion mentality in my head — but I believe that given another shot, I could win that fight.”
- Rich Franklin told MMA Canada he likes his chances in a third bout with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

“I think he’s an entertaining fighter, I enjoyed his fight (against Carlos Condit). Personally, I thought he won it as well. It’s a shame some people are gonna look down on him because of that (failed) drug test. I would love to fight him; I’m a huge fan of his. He’s a very entertaining guy and he comes to fight. Nobody really does that anymore and I respect that. By all means I would trade some punches with him.”
- Dan Hardy admitted to Fight Hub TV that he would enjoy a bout against Nick Diaz.

“Frankie gave two rematches. It’s criminal not to give him a rematch after a decision, because, as a champ, he gave two rematches. I think it’s something that has to be done sometimes. There’s just no alternative. It does create a little bit of a logjam, I guess you could say, from the top, but, if you’re a challenger, the idea is you have to keep winning. It doesn’t matter. You have to keep on winning. So, if there’s a logjam…guess what? You gotta fight. You gotta win. Oh well. That’s the way life goes.”
- Ben Henderson was a guest on UFC Ultimate Insider, and he discussed granting Frankie Edgar a rematch following their UFC 144 title bout.

“I’m a realist. I knew I wasn’t going to go through my career undefeated. That’s how this sport is. People lose. Even the best guys lose. I knew as soon as it was over, I had to pick myself back up and keep going forward. I do have some extra motivation now, for sure, but I wish that for that night things had gone differently and that the fans had gotten the fight they came to see. Ultimately, I let myself down. I don’t ever want that to happen, and not for Fox or anything else. I want to go out there and win. Stuff happens. I get that, but I definitely wasn’t happy with my performance. What it comes down to it, I don’t want to be in that position again.”
- Cain Velasquez talked to Yahoo! Sports about the only blemish on his record.

“For me, the question is how is Dos Santos going to deal with the kicks and the knees and the elbows? Since he’s been in the UFC, I’ve never seen him have to deal with that. It’s stuff that he’s going to have to deal with from Alistair Overeem. He’s fought a pretty one-dimensional fight, he’s fought very Chuck Liddell-like in that he’s great at defending the takedown, he drops bombs, he throws heavy punches, but he’s never dealt with anybody who’s going to throw kicks and knees and work in the clinch the way that Alistair Overeem does. I’m real curious to see how Junior Dos Santos is planning on dealing with that.”
- Dana White compared Junior dos Santos to Chuck Liddell in an interview with MMA Weekly.

“I think he’s a tremendous athlete, I think his boxing is incredible. He’s Brazilian so his ground game is also gonna be top notch. I truly believe that I am the one to beat him. I truly believe I have superior striking, so I can’t wait to get it on.”
- Overeem talked to Heavy.com about his upcoming opponent, dos Santos.

“I think he was more surprised. There’s that almost denial that he feels because there is a high confidence level that he is about to get out. As his brain is trying to figure out an answer on what to do to get out of this, he is in a panic, I am still applying the move. I’m not sitting there waiting for him to figure out what to do. And so, you know, his brain never really accepted defeat. He was looking for a way as to what to do until the end. As far as what I would do, I say, that, if it’s a limb thing, I definitely would, once I know I feel something starting to pop, I think I would slap out to, tap out and say screw it. I don’t want to have a broken bone and shred something and alter the way I walk or maybe the way I brush my teeth the rest of my life. On chokes, I’ve been known to be a dick in the gym and pass out and to go very close.”
- Frank Mir admitted to Sherdog that he is not too proud to tap.

“I don’t know how that guy makes 205. He has enough trouble gettin’ down to 250. I would be shocked … or maybe he just shaves and gets down to 205, I don’t know. I don’t know how he’s gonna do it. I’m done. I’m done with it. I’ve encouraged him to shave his face and cut his hair, too, but he doesn’t wanna to listen to that, either, so whatever. If he really could get to 205, he’d be a force at 205. He’d be a scary dude. He’s got great wrestling, awesome submissions, great chin, a ton of heart, and has knockout power. I mean, who knows what Roy Nelson could achieve if he applied himself. You gotta want to do it. You’ve got to want to get in there and take it serious. Seriously diet, seriously train, and then you’re going to have to cut some weight the day of the fight. As long as I’ve known Roy Nelson, as long as he’s been in this business, he’s been big. And it’s not like when you get these guys at 185 and they wrestled their entire high school and maybe college careers and they’re used to cutting weight. They know what it takes. I don’t think that’s gonna be easy for a guy who’s been big his whole life.”
- White talked to MMA:30 about Roy “Big Country” Nelson making the light heavyweight division.

“I’m on my own chopping block. If I lose to him, I’m quitting! I don’t even deserve to be in there! There’s not an easy fight. In the UFC, there’s no easy fight. He doesn’t deserve to be in there with me, and I’ll prove it. I’ll prove it in under a round, because, we see…I tend to get tired in the second round (laughs). We’re both in a similar spot in our career I guess. We’re both on the chopping block. That’s fine. I’m really happy with that.”
- Jason “Mayhem” Miller was a guest on MMA Uncensored Live, and he spoke about the importance of his upcoming bout against C.B. Dollaway.

“As most of you will be aware, I said something insensitive on Twitter and duly suffered the consequences. I was initially told I would no longer be able to fight in the UFC and that my time with the world’s top mixed martial arts organization was over. As you can expect, this hurt a great deal and resulted in a huge amount of regret on my part. Looking back, what happened was a mistake, and one I desperately wish I could erase. I said something stupid, I was very insensitive, and I paid the price. Thankfully, at least I’m now aware of just how powerful my words can be and, as a result, will never approach social media in such a carefree manner again.”
- Via his blog on mmafighting, Miguel Torres expressed his regret for a Twitter rant that found him released from the UFC for a short period of time.

Bellator 63: Amoussou, Saunders, Baker, Rickels advance to welterweight tourney semifinals

by Michael Steczkowski (Stets) on April 1, 2012 1:30:34 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Uncasville, Conn. (MMADIEHARDS) – The main event Friday at Bellator 63 started almost before the beginning of the first round.

Referee Dan Miragliotta had to separate Chris Lozano and Karl Amoussou from one another before he could give the official instructions, and signal the start of the fight. The packed crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena was ready for these two welterweights to kill each other for three rounds, especially after the weigh-ins and pre-fight trash talk.

There were no strikes thrown or landed in the first minute of the round. It took only a little over a minute more for “Psycho” Amoussou to assassinate the “Cleveland Assassin” via rear-naked choke at the 2:05 mark of the opening round. Lozano took down Amoussou after a leg kick and gained top position. Then in a great display of ground skill, Amoussou swept Lozano and gained superior position. “Psycho” then gained control of his back, and began wailing away with strikes and secured the choke soon after, for the impressive finish.

Amoussou made a successful debut at welterweight with the submission victory and advanced to the semifinal round of Bellator’s Season 6 welterweight tournament.

Getting wins inside the Bellator cage is not easy, but a “Caveman” can do it. David Rickels attacked Jordan Smith with a bevy of strikes in the early moments and had Miragliotta call the stoppage 22 seconds into the fight.

Rickels remained undefeated with his fourth win in the Bellator promotion, improved to 10-0 overall, and advanced to the semifinals.

Bryan Baker made his welterweight debut at Bellator 63. It was his first fight since losing to Vitor Vianna in the semifinals of the Season 5 middleweight tourney. Carlos “Indio” Pereira was making his Bellator and U.S. debut in the quarterfinal match-up. It was a very close fight throughout, often frustrating the crowd, as evidenced by the cascade of boos. Neither fighter took control of the bout, forcing it to go to the judges for a decision.

Baker squeaked by into the semifinal round with the split-decision victory. Judges Blatnick and Colon scored it 29-28 for Baker, judge Urso scored it 29-28 for Pereira.

Ben “Killa B” Saunders put on a submission attempt clinic for three rounds against Bellator debutante Raul “Smash Mode” Amaya. Saunders came close to finishing Amaya several times in the fight, but Amaya showed great resolve and submission defense. ”Killa B” landed some vicious knees from his Thai Plum, almost closing Amaya’s left eye completely. Saunders once again showcased his impressive rubber guard skills. He looked outstanding in his first fight back since his loss to Douglas Lima in the Season 5 welterweight tournament final.

Now into the semifinals, Saunders dominated in the cage and on the scorecards. Judge Blatnick scored it 30-26, while judges Tirelli and Colon both scored it 30-27.

The welterweight semifinals are slated to take place at Bellator 67 on May 4, in Ontario, Canada. Saunders will face Baker, while Amoussou takes on Rickels.

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