MMA Beatdown is a weekly look at everything MMA, running Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m ET/5:30 PT, right here on MMADieHards.com and the MMA DieHards Radio Network.
Join your hosts Mike, Brian and Amy as they break down the latest fight cards, discuss upcoming events and give their unabridged opinions on all things related to MMA.
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UFC on FOX 3 victor Danny Castillo and Legacy 11 fighter Chad Robichaux join Mike Fester and Alex Donno (of Miami’s 790 The Ticket) on tonight’s MMA Beatdown.
“Robo” Robichaux (11-2) is an 8 time Afghanistan Marine Recon vet. He talks his upcoming fight, his non-profit organization designed to help veterans cope with PTSD (using BJJ!), and what his future holds.
Danny “Last Call” Castillo, fresh off a unanimous decision victory over John Cholish on the UFC’s third FOX card, checks back in with the crew as well.
The show streams live here at MMADiehards.com at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 5:30 on the West Coast, which we’ve been told is the Best Coast – though that’s up for debate. Face buried in a pizza? Picking up The Wife’s clothes at the dry cleaners? On a mandatory Tuesday Date Night? Look, we get it. Shiznit happens. You’ve got a life to live outside of little ol’ us at Beatdown Radio – even though we managed to get an entire extra day added onto the calendar for you. So we’ll do ya another favor. We’ll make the show available on demand RIGHT HERE after the completion of the broadcast or as a download at iTunes for the low-low, low-low cost of FREE. (But you’re way, way cooler if you’re here with us live.)
UFC flyweight Louis "Goodnight" Gaudinot weighs in for his "Ultimate Fighter" Season 14 fight in Las Vegas last year. (Photo courtesy of ufc.com)
For starters, the 5-2 Hoboken, N.J. fighter can claim a stint on the 14th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” for his meteoric rise up the MMA ranks. Not content for mere exposure on the hit TV show, he went on to win “Fight of the Season” accolades in a submission loss to Dustin “The Disciple” Pague. Nearly a year later, Gaudinot (Twitter: @LouGaudinotUFC) credits the show as pivotal boost to his career.
“Being on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ got my name out there instead of coming into the UFC by the usual route,” Gaudinot told MMADiehards on Tuesday’s MMA Beatdown. “Recognition is the biggest thing. You’re on the show for 12 or 13 weeks and people seeing you every week is definitely good for your career.”
It helped that punk rock style stood out in a house of 16 aspiring UFC athletes. When he wasn’t putting on star-making fights, Gaudinot was attracting constant stares with his bright green hair. With his season now over, it’s a look the flyweight said isn’t leaving anytime soon.
“I’ll always have the green hair,” Gaudinot declared. “It’s my trademark. It helps people recognize me. I can’t get rid of it.”
Gaudinot will next try making his mark with a UFC on Fox 3 match against Brazil’s 19-5 John “Mao-de-Pedra” Lineker on Saturday. On paper, it’s a close contest as both men are debuting in the UFC’s flyweight division. Gaudinot, however, maintains he’ll have an advantage given that Lineker doesn’t love fighting at 125 lbs. like he does.
“All my pro fights have been at flyweight,” said Gaudinot, who moved up to bantamweight for his “Ultimate Fighter” exhibition match. “It’s my natural weight class. It feels good to be back where I started. It feels like I’m home.”
Such confidence doesn’t mean Gaudinot is looking past Lineker. On the contrary, he said he sees his opponent as a tough challenge to overcome.
“Lineker’s put together a nice run of 12 wins in a row, 13 wins in a row,” Gaudinot said. “He likes to swing and throw bombs. At the same time, I’m not seeing him dropping anybody with one punch. I’m looking to go in there and trade with him.”
It’s a high risk, high reward strategy in the UFC’s new flyweight division. Launched with a four-person title tournament in March, a champion remains uncrowned as semi-finalist Joseph “Joe B-Wan Kenobi” Benavidez awaits the victor of Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall vs. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in June. For division rookies like Gaudinot, it won’t take long entering the rankings and storming the title holder’s gates.
“Right now the flyweight division is up in the air,” said Gaudinot, who estimates the UFC has signed eight flyweights besides himself. “With two or three impressive fights you could be fighting for the title as you’ve beaten two-thirds of the roster for your division. It’s definitely exciting.”
All the same, Gaudinot said he prefers fighting smart rather than speculating on the future. When the cage door closes for his match against Lineker, he said he’ll go after what works rather than people’s predictions.
“The division is young,” Gaudinot said. “I’m looking to move myself up the ladder. I’m not going to go out there and force anything. If I hurt him I’m going to finish him then.”
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MMA Beatdown Radio is back for a special May Day edition! And tonight, we’re filling your May Basket with two killer guests that will have you dancing around the Maypole … and then looking up on Wikipedia just what the hell a Maypole is and why you get a special basket today. And then you’ll wonder why you didn’t send us a May Day greeting card.
Tonight, Mike, Alex and Amy are joined by a UFC heavyweight Hall of Famer and a brand-new UFC flyweight. Doesn’t get much more opposite ends of the spectrum than that! Mark Coleman and Louis Gaudinot swing by the show tonight, and you won’t wanna miss either of them.
Coleman is nothing short of a legend. “The Hammer” was the UFC’s first heavyweight champ 15 years ago before going on to a great run in Pride. He’s fought the best in history – Fedor, Cro Cop, Dan Severn, Don Frye, Don Frye’s mustache, Randy, Shogun … he was a no-brainer Hall of Famer for the UFC. He’ll fill us in on what he’s been doing the last couple years of his retirement and we’ll get his thoughts on the current state of MMA.
Gaudinot returns to his 125-pound home on Saturday after moving up to bantamweight to compete in Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” But the introduction of the UFC’s flyweight division meant the New Yorker could drop back down to his true weight class, and on Saturday he’ll face a tough UFC newcomer in John Lineker at UFC on Fox in New Jersey. Gaudinot will take us through his training camp, tell us about fighting close to home again and regale us with tales of the TUF house before he gets ready for his second UFC fight.
And now the usual disclaimer: Tonight’s show streams live at MMADiehards.com at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 5:30 Pacific. It also will be available on demand RIGHT HERE after the completion of the broadcast or as a download at iTunes. Any publication, reproduction, retransmission or other use of the accounts of this show without the express written consent of Beatdown Radio is prohibited. I mean, if we catch you.
Andreas Spang landing a left hand on Brian Rogers at Bellator 66 (Photo courtesy of Bellator)
Reacting when face-to-face with adversity, Andreas Spang’s only intention is overcoming obstacles in his way.
Originally moving to Las Vegas from Sweden to pursue a career as a fighter, Spang (Twitter: @AndreasSpang) has since found his place in the world of mixed martial arts. Turning pro in 2008, the Swede has fought for promotions such as Canada’s Maximum Fighting Championship, Strikeforce and most recently, on a week’s notice, Bellator.
Advancing to the finals of Bellator’s Season Six middleweight tournament to face Maiquel Falcoa, Spang beat the five-to-one odds by knocking out Brian Rogers at Bellator 66. Knowing that he was there to win, Spang never saw the victory as an upset.
“I’m feeling great,” Spang said to Mike Fester, Amy Barton and Hector Castro of MMA Beatdown on the MMA Diehards Radio Network. “To me, it wasn’t an upset because I was there to win. I know that I took the fight on short notice and nobody gave me any chance, but I was there to win and I was focused on the goal the whole time. He did put me through some rough times, but my goal was to win the whole time, and I did.”
While having one week to prepare for a bout is not ideal, Spang is still a student of the sport and his constant desire to learn helps keep the middleweight in shape. Traditionally, fighters may have up to eight weeks for a training camp, but with the unique format of Bellator’s tournaments, only half of the time is allotted.
Not having any time to relax, Spang spent his time training with Skipper Kelp at Fight Capital, “One Kick” Nick Blomgren at One Kick Gym and Sergio Penha – all of whom are situated in Las Vegas.
“Lucky I had been training and sparring because I knew that I was on some peoples’ waiting list,” Spang
Andreas Spang on the back of Brian Rogers at Bellator 66 (Photo courtesy of adcombat.com)
admitted. “It was just a matter of time before I was going to get a fight, but I didn’t expect it in one week. I was focused and mentally strong and I did the best with my opportunity.”
“I don’t really have time to relax too much because I’m fighting in the final again on May 18, and that’s four weeks away,” Spang continued. “I have all my people I need here in Vegas, so I’m just going to turn it up more and be ready for May 18. The great thing with Vegas, where ever you go you have someone to train with.”
Following Spang’s victory over Rogers, he was faced with his opponent in the final and a scuffle erupted between the two. Having someone step up into his face for the second time in so few days, Spang’s instant reaction was to push him away. The shove may have cost the “Sweet Swede” 20-percent of his winnings, but he’s still guaranteed his spot in the finals.
“After the fight, I was so high from my victory and still happy,” said Spang. “I didn’t know that we were supposed to face off and I didn’t know that Falcao was in the cage. They said, ‘here is your opponent,’ and there was a guy with a mean look walking straight in my face. With my emotions already high from the beginning, I didn’t really know what was going on, so I reacted and pushed him off.”
“I do apologize for any harm that I did to anybody,” Spang clarified. “I personally apologize to both Brian and Falcoa. I didn’t mean to blow up like this and I have seen fighters get in the face of each other before, but I just don’t like people in my face.”
An apology wasn’t enough, and the Ohio State Athletic Commission stepped in after the bout to give the fighter an ultimatum.
“First they wanted to suspend me,” admitted Spang. “Then they said you can choose whether we fine you 20-percent or suspend you six months. If I take the six months then I can’t fight in the finals and if I take the fine, I can still fight.”
Now that the issue with the commission is behind him, Spang has set his sights on concentrating for the fight ahead. What sets Spang apart from the rest is that he doesn’t concentrate on the attributes his opponent brings to the cage, only on what he has to do for victory.
Once his appetite for the tournament finals has been satisfied, the “Sweet Swede” has another craving to take care of.
“What I like to do on my free time is sit around, watch movies and eat ice cream,” Spang confessed. “I will take my well-deserved vacation after May 18.”
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People! It feels so good to be back! Did you miss us? Sorry ’bout last week and everything. Consider it like a mandatory 14-day medical suspension from an athletic commission – there was nothing we could do about it. We had to take the time off. But it’s Tuesday, it’s 8:30, it’s time to party. No Wayne and Garth, but Mike, Hector, and Amy’ll have to do.
The B-to-the-D is back for another arse-kickin’ show. Mike, Hector, and Amy are joined this week by a relative newcomer who burst onto the mainstream scene just last week in Andreas Spang is gracing us with his presence for another stellar show.
Spang on Friday came into his Bellator Season 6 middleweight tournament semifinal fight against Brian Rogers as a big underdog – Rogers was a 5-to-1 favorite in the fight. And what’s crazier is that Spang, from Sweden, took the fight on less than a week’s notice. In his Bellator debut, with a shot at the middleweight finals on the line, Spang, like the honey badger, didn’t give a spit. He stopped Rogers with a second-round knockout. He’ll talk to us about the short-notice upset and his ambitions for the finals against UFC vet Maiquel Falcao.
Tonight’s show streams live at MMADiehards.com at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 5:30 Pacific. And if you can’t make it here live, the show is available on demand RIGHT HERE after the completion of the broadcast or as a download at iTunes.
UFC welterweight Keith "The Polish Connection" Wisniewski attends a weigh-in. (Photo courtesy of mmafrenzy.com)
It’s do-or-die time for Keith “The Polish Connection” Wisniewski (Twitter: @WisniewskiKeith) at UFC 145 on Saturday in Atlanta.
Sporting a 28-13-1 record, the 30-year-old welterweight has fought more fights than lived years of his life. Unfortunately for Wisniewski, it only takes two or more losses before the UFC cuts even career fighters from its roster. So come Saturday, he’ll lay his livelihood on the line given his previous fight against Josh “The Dentist” Neer ended in defeat last October.
“The UFC is the top competition,” Wisniewski told MMADiehards’ MMA Beatdown on April 10. “I think I’m on the chopping block with this fight. If you lose two or three in a row, you kind of have to expect getting sent back to the smaller shows and working your way back up. I obviously hope to win and plan to win, but if I lose, I hope they’ll have me back.”
Wisniewski’s loss against Neer was actually his second UFC stint, a bloody battle that ended with doctor stoppage at UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson. He also came up short in his original debut, falling to Nick “The Goat” Thompson at 2005′s UFC 56 via unanimous decision. “The Polish Connection” claims that receiving a pink slip after that bout makes him hungrier for success during this go-round.
“I do think I’ve improved,” Wisniewski said of his storied career thus far. “I’m obviously happy to have made the run I have now. When I first broke into the UFC in 2004 I was the first guy to fight there out of our whole camp.”
Ironically, Wisniewski’s next opponent will make his first foray into the Octagon on Saturday. Chris “The Menace” Clements, a 10-4 welterweight prospect, aims at making a statement against his veteran foe. For Wisniewski, challenge accepted.
“Clements has heavy hands with lots of knuckles,” Wisniewski said. “He’s probably going to come at me throwing a lot of heavy leather. He’s definitely a tough puzzle to solve.”
Wisniewski’s storied career contains many chapters where he overcame such daunting challenges. There’s the time Steve “The Red Nose Pitbull” Berger broke his nose during a 2004 fight card, only for Wisniewski to return the favor and win by unanimous decision. Another time, Shinya Aoki dislocated Wisniewski’s elbow only for “The Polish Connection” to rebound with a victory four months later over Musail Allaudinov.
“I think I’ve been lucky with injuries,” Wisniewski reflected. “Fourteen years in this sport and I’ve only had one surgery and it wasn’t even that major of a surgery. I only fractured my wrist.”
Win or lose, Wisniewski said he’ll always enjoy the rush of competition. So when the cage door closes on Saturday, he’ll give Clements his all and hope for the best. It’s a decent run, he said, for a guy who started off fighting matches lacking time limits where moves like headbutts were legal.
“I think everyone has their ambitions and I hope to get rich in this sport, but I’ve definitely done it because I enjoy it,” Wisniewski said. “A lot of my early fights I was fighting for a few hundred people. Now even the local shows get thousands of people. It’s a whole different world.”
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Guess what time it is, kids? Yeah. You know it. MMA Beatdown Radio is back again, and we’re about to be like Emeril on steroids and take this week’s show up to notches unknown to mankind. BAM. (OK, maybe it’s a bad time to joke about ‘roids, what with the whole Overeem testosterone thing. But whatevs.)
This week, Mike, Alex and Amy have a pair of guests who had a harder time than most kids learning how to spell their own names. Zack Makovsky and Keith Wisniewski join the gang to talk about their upcoming fights, and maybe even shed some light on what it’s like to be in the -Ski/-Sky Name Club.
Makovsky is just three days away from the first defense of his Bellator bantamweight title. He’ll put his strap on the line Friday at Bellator 65 in Atlantic City, N.J., just an hour down the road from his training home in Philadelphia. Makovsky meets Season 5 tourney winner Eduardo Dantas after a pair of stoppage wins in non-title fights last year. He’ll talk about how he matches up with Dantas, the rather long wait to defend his title since winning the belt 18 months ago, where his “Fun Size” nickname comes from and why he’s bringing MotownPhilly back again on the MMA scene.
Wisniewski is one of the most veteran fighters in the UFC with more than 40 career fights. His two stints in the promotion came six years apart, so you might not know much about him. And we’re here to change that. Wisniewski came out on the short end of a doctor’s stoppage in a bloody two-round war with Josh Neer in October, but he’ll get one more chance at his first UFC win next week against Chris Clements in Atlanta. Wisniewski will clue us in on that fight, regale us with stories from his long career (which includes wins over Jorge Santiago, Carlo Prater, Chris Wilson and oh yeah – that time Shinya Aoki nearly ripped his arm off) and fill us in on what might be the best MMA camp you’ve never heard of – Duneland Vale Tudo, which features him, UFC fighters Eddie Wineland and Darren Elkins, and Bellator fighter Josh Shockley.
Tonight’s show streams live at MMADiehards.com at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 5:30 Pacific. Seriously. It’s a “Dancing With the Stars” results show night, we know. But trust us: Melissa Gilbert is gonna get the boot. DVR that shiznit and hang out with us at Beatdown Radio. But if you absolutely, positively MUST miss us live (sniff, sniff …), the show is available on demand RIGHT HERE after the completion of the broadcast or as a download at iTunes. Just sayin’.
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UFC 145′s Marcus Brimage and MMA veteran-turned-commentator Don Frye join Mike, Amy, and 790 The Ticket’s Alex Donno on tonight’s MMA Beatdown.
Brimage (twitter: @brim205), TUF 14 cast member turned contracted UFC fighter, faces off against UFC newcomer Maximo Blanco at UFC 145, April 21 in Atlanta, GA. Marcus, still relatively young in the sport (five professional fights to his credit), discusses his upcoming fight, his reality TV stints, why he moved from Bama to Florida, the opponent he faces in Blanco, and more.
Don Frye, Don Frye, Don Frye. What can you say about Don Frye, really? MMA Beatdown welcomes back the most colorful of commentators, fresh off his newest gig. Don talks WMMA Sports, Dana White, the “ruin of the UFC”, the possibility of fighting once again, and his upcoming autobiography (you heard it here first!).
The show streams live here at MMADiehards.com at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 5:30 on the West Coast, which we’ve been told is the Best Coast – though that’s up for debate. Face buried in a pizza? Picking up The Wife’s clothes at the dry cleaners? On a mandatory Tuesday Date Night? Look, we get it. Shiznit happens. You’ve got a life to live outside of little ol’ us at Beatdown Radio – even though we managed to get an entire extra day added onto the calendar for you. So we’ll do ya another favor. We’ll make the show available on demand RIGHT HERE after the completion of the broadcast or as a download at iTunes for the low-low, low-low cost of FREE. (But you’re way, way cooler if you’re here with us live.)
Saunders (R) kept Santos in that position for the balance of the first two rounds (Bellator photo)
Just as Bellator’s tournament structure is unique to MMA, welterweight fighter Ben “Killa B” Saunders realizes mind over matter makes the difference.
Since exiting the UFC in 2010, Saunders (twitter: @BenSaundersMMA) collected four straight wins, making it to the Bellator welterweight tournament finals where he met a ready Douglas Lima, and suffered the fourth loss of his eight year career.
Four months after his defeat, “Killa B” is prepared and ready to jump back into the tournament bracket as he co-headlines against Raul Amaya at Bellator 63, Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
While the tournament format isn’t for everyone, Saunders understands it’s a grind and who doesn’t belong.
“In a sense to understand how grueling these tournaments are,” Saunders said while on MMA Beatdown on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “To go out there every month for three months straight, keeping your diet, your cardio, maintain your injuries and still going out there to do what you got to do to put it all on the line; they are not for the weak.”
Tournament format is nothing new to MMA. It’s been done in top tier promotions such as Strikeforce, the late Pride Fighting Championships and now the UFC holding tournaments of their own. The main difference that sets Bellator apart from the rest, is the time allotted for fighters to recuperate and prepare for the next battle.
“This is a completely different way of doing things as far as back-to-back and month-to-month,” said Saunders. “ I’ve said this before in interviews, it’s not necessarily the one that is most skilled and talented that wins, it’s the ones with the most heart, drive, dedication and who can stay focused the most.
“I’m very fortunate because I feel that mental strength is one of the biggest things I’ve had going for me throughout my
Ben-Saunders-Bellator-57-Press Conference (Photo by: Robert G. Reynolds mmadiehards.com)
career, so the tournament kind of works in my favor.”
Meeting Saunders inside the cage will be a fellow Floridian, Amaya. Amaya is making his Bellator debut in the opening round of the Season 6 welterweight tournament. The native of Bradenton spent his entire professional career with the Art of Fighting promotion and now looks to extend his name with Bellator.
However, Saunders may not know a lot about Amaya or his past opponents, but is aware of what he is bringing to the cage on Friday night.
“I honestly don’t know too much about him,” Saunders admitted. “With a 9-0 record, and all nine being finishes, where some by knockout, some by submission, so he seems to be well rounded. I’m just going to have to be on point and be aware of whatever he is trying to do. I don’t know who he has fought and I’m not taking away from the skillset of the competition he’s gone against, but the bottom line is this is going to be the biggest event he’s ever fought in with Bellator and I’m going to be the biggest name fighter he been up against.
“Hopefully he has trained smart, he’s got a good game plan and he’s going to try and implement that. I’m going to be out there doing what I do and looking to finish the fight as soon as possible to get my path to the semifinals.”
Amaya started his career the same way as Saunders, through local events in Florida and now to a main stage being televised. Having fought in the UFC for three years previously, “Killa B” was once a rookie on the big show roster himself, but didn’t have the mindset of one.
“I like to try and have fun out there,” Saunders said. “I like to try and put on a show and I don’t think of the what-ifs. I don’t even let my mind think, ‘What if he does this or what if he does that?’ My mentality is, ‘I’m going to do this and I’m going to do that.’”
In reality, it doesn’t matter what’s in his opponents mind, Saunders already knows what’s to come.
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Holy packed MMA Beatdown, Batman!! Mike, Amy, and Alex Donno from Miami’s 790 The Ticket speak to Bellator’s Ben “Killa B” Saunders, WMMA’s Jamaine Facey, and Bellator stand out Lloyd “Cupcake” Woodard!
Ben “Killa B” Saunders (twitter: @BenSaundersMMA) takes on Raul Amaya in a Bellator welterweight semifinal tournament bout. Ben talks to Beatdown about his time off between fights, his upcoming bout, and what it takes to be a Killa B.
Jamaine Facey (twitter: @MrPainBandogMMA), captain of Bandogs MMA, faces Willie Parks in WMMA’s premiere card!
Lastly, but certainly not least, Lloyd “Cupcake” Woodard (twitter: @mmacupcake) checks back in after his impressive kimura victory over Patricky “Pitbull” Freire. Cupcake talks his nickname, the Rocky movie franchise, why he loves Ke$sha, his “beef” with BJJ, and more.
Tonight’s show streams live here at MMADiehards.com at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 5:30 Specific time. Errr … Pacific time. Seriously. There is not jack crap on TV tonight because the “Dancing With the Stars” results shows don’t start till NEXT week. So you honestly have no good excuse to not be here. So we’ll see ya, right? Right? RIGHT. (But in case you Sally out, the show is available on demand RIGHT HERE after the completion of the broadcast or as a download at iTunes.)
