Posts Tagged ‘highlight’

In-Depth: The Bellator Heavyweight Tournament

by on August 20, 2010 11:03:24 AM in Features   |   No Comments »

The bulk of the main card for Thursday evening’s Bellator 25 event in Chicago was comprised of heavyweight tournament bouts. With Damian Grabowski and Cole Konrad claiming unanimous decision wins, three-quarters of the bracket’s semifinalists have been determined. So, how has Bellator’s most heavily criticized tournament gone so far and who has the best chance to win the whole thing? That’s what we’re here to figure out.

Neil Grove

A set of UFC veterans kicked off the tournament at Bellator 24 as Neil Grove scored a surprisingly easy win over Eddie Sanchez. Grove is the tournament’s big striker, with all nine of his wins coming by knockout or TKO. He hurt Sanchez early and didn’t relent until he scored the stoppage.

That aggressiveness has to make Grove a tourney favorite moving forward, but his takedown defense and sub par ground game could be his undoing. He is a big heavyweight though, and he’s shown the ability to consistently put away opponents. Cole Konrad’s wrestling and Alexey Oleinik’s submission game are the biggest threats to Grove walking away with the tournament championship.

Damian Grabowski

Damian Grabowski picked up a unanimous decision over Scott Barrett at Bellator 25. The problem here is that the judges’ scores of 30-27 across the board are very deceptive. The fight was nowhere near as lopsided as those scores would lead you to believe. In fact, Grabowski was outwrestled throughout the fight, even getting put on his back by a completely gassed Barrett late in the third round. It would not be ridiculous to argue that Barrett won the fight 29-28 or, at worst, lost 29-28.

Grabowski looks like he has the cardio to go the distance, but he didn’t demonstrate any abilities that make him an instant pick to win any given match-up. The Polish fighter lacks takedown defense, which will hurt him against a NCAA wrestling champion such as Cole Konrad. While Barrett has to be credited with possessing a solid chin, Grabowski never threw anything that really had knockout power behind it. His biggest strength is on the mat – he’s earned seven of his 13 wins by submission and had several nice reversals against Barrett. He should pose a threat to anyone except Oleinik on the ground, but would be out-struck by Neil Grove and possibly even Mike Hayes.

Cole Konrad

Cole Konrad earned his third consecutive unanimous decision win under the Bellator banner, taking all three rounds over Rogent Lloret at Bellator 25. Konrad’s wrestling and improved stand-up were the keys to victory against the grappler.

It might have earned a chorus of boo’s from the crowd, but Konrad’s performance was his sharpest yet. He’s had a pattern of starting strong and fading as the fight goes on, but his conditioning looked better this time around and he threw some decent combinations. He still can’t seem to finish opponents at this level, but his wrestling background can allow him to ground an opponent and ride out a decision. So far, he’s used a combination of stand-up and wrestling to score his wins, but against someone like Grabowski, or even Grove, relying on wrestling alone should be his best route to victory. His submission defense will really be tested should he go up against Grabowski or Oleinik.

Alexey Oleinik vs. Mike Hayes

Rights to the last spot in the tournament’s semifinals will be contested at Bellator 26 on Aug. 26 in Kansas City, Mo., as Red Devil fighter Alexey Oleinik squares off with Strikeforce veteran Mike Hayes.

Oleinik brings a ton of experience and an unparalleled submission game to the tournament. Twenty-three of the YAMMA veteran’s wins have come by way of submission. Hayes isn’t exactly a newcomer to the sport either, with 16 pro fights under his belt. While he might have three submission wins in addition to five knockouts, one of those submissions was due to punches.

This battle can be considered a striker versus grappler affair. Oleinik’s experience should give him the advantage. Hayes has never been submitted, so he could prove tough to finish. However, he has seen almost half of his fights go to a decision, proving that he’s not an overwhelming finisher either. Oleinik should be able to out-grapple Hayes and earn the decision win.

The outcome of this remaining quarterfinal bout greatly affects how the rest of the tourney plays out. Should Hayes win, Cole Konrad’s wrestling and Neil Grove’s dominant striking become the biggest factors in the tournament. If Oleinik wins, his submission game will be a big weapon against all three of the other semifinalists.

The Criticism

Following several less than thrilling heavyweight bouts within the organization, there have been numerous comments made about whether Bellator is regretting this tournament and it’s a valid question.

Bellator’s first season was about establishing the tournament format and delivering some exciting highlight reel worthy fights. Season two raised the bar, especially with the stacked featherweight and welterweight brackets. Finally, season three is delivering the same type of stacked bracket in the women’s tournament. Meanwhile, the best the heavyweight bracket can offer is a couple of UFC washouts plus a handful of prospects that lack the polish of those featured in Bellator’s other tournaments.

While there are some interesting style clashes coming up in this tournament, the heavyweight division just hasn’t been able to deliver the kind of exciting fights that are available in other weight classes – “The Ultimate Fighter 10″ proved this and Bellator’s effort is just adding further evidence of that fact.

Bellator 25 Recap & Analysis

by on August 19, 2010 10:46:45 PM in Features   |   No Comments »

It was night of decisions as Bellator made the trip to Chicago for Bellator 25 on Aug.19.  Heavyweights collided in a set of tournament bouts as Cole Konrad squared off with Rogent Lloret and Damian Grabowski took on Scott Barrett. Zoila Frausto returned to action in a women’s 115-pound tounrament fight against Jessica Pene.  Rounding out the main card, airing live on FOX Sports, was a non-tourney welterweight contest between Dan Hornbuckle and Brad Blackburn.

Cole Konrad Gets the Nod Over Rogent Lloret

One more unanimous decision caps off the night, as Cole Konrad defeats Rogent Lloret in a lackluster battle. All three judges score the contest 30-27 in favor of the two-time NCAA national wrestling champion. Konrad moves to 4-0 with the win. He joins Damian Grabowski and Neil Grove in the semifinals of Bellator’s heavyweight tournament.

The ugly fight is no surprise – Konrad had already given us a preview of what we had in store.  He’s far from polished and though he might be an NCAA championship wrestler, he’s far from the caliber that training partner Brock Lesnar was at this stage in his career.  I know I’m not the first, so I’ll just have to jump on the bandwagon of people who are wondering whether Bellator is regretting this whole heavyweight tournament idea yet.

Damian Grabowski Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Barrett

The night of unanimous decisions continued at Bellator 25 with Polish heavyweight Damian Grabowski earning a 30-27 unanimous nod over Scott Barrett to advance in Bellator’s heavyweight tournament. Barrett started off the fight strong, outwrestling Grabowski and scoring takedowns. As the fight wears on, Barrett tires and eventually leaves himself open to heavy punishment from Grabowski in the third round. Despite first and second stanzas that could arguably have gone in Barrett’s favor, it’s Grabowski who claims the win with three scores of 30-27.

I almost have to wonder if the biased Chicago crowd played into the decision here.  Barrett kept it close, but didn’t even win a round on any of the judge’s scorecards. 

Dan Hornbuckle Scores Unanimous Decision Over Brad Blackburn

Dan Hornbuckle and Brad Blackburn kept things close throughout all three rounds of their welterweight contest at Bellator 25. Hornbuckle, coming off of a loss to Ben Askren in the season two welterweight tournament finals, got the better of Blackburn in two of the three rounds in the eyes of the judges. The win goes to Hornbuckle with scores of 29-28 across the board.

Hornbuckle bounced back nicely from his defeat at the hands of Ben Askren, but Blackburn held his own in this fight.  There’s definitely a lot of potential for interesting non-tournament bouts in the 170-pound division if Bellator can keep this roster intact.

Zoila Frausto Earns Unanimous Nod Over Jessica Pene

Zoila Frausto moves to 8-1 and advances to the semifinals of Bellator’s 115-pound women’s tournament with a unanimous decision over Jessica Pene at Bellator 25. Frausto dominated the bout, using her superior striking to earn 30-27 scores from all three judges.

Frausto sure has come into her own in Bellator.  First, she knocked out top 10 125-pounder Rosi Sexton in what was meant to be a showcase fight for Sexton heading into the tourney.  Then, taking Sexton’s place in the bracket, Frausto scores a dominant decision win over top 10-ranked 115-pounder Jessica Pene.  She has shot into prominence and has two more chances to notch wins against some of the best fighters in the division.  On the negative side, she did admit to having a tough time with the weight cut.  The disadvantages of being so drained going into a fight will only be magnified against elite talent like Megumi Fujii.

Fearless Frank and Bam Bam radio: Bart Palaszewski, Roxanne Adams, Mike Bronzoulis

by on August 19, 2010 6:46:09 PM in Radio   |   1 Comment »

(L-to-R) Bart Palaszeski, Jason David Frank, DaMarques Johnson (MMA DieHards photo)

Jason David “Fearless” Frank and Patrick “Bam Bam” Hutton bring you the Fearless Frank and Bam Bam Show on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. Jason and Patrick welcome in WEC 50 winner Bart Palaszewski, Mike “The Greek” Bronzoulis and Roxanne Adams.

LISTEN BELOW:

Bart earned a TKO over Zach Micklewright in the second round of the card’s initial televised fight.

The Greek is originally from New York, now trains in Houston and is a budding reality TV star.  He beat Anselmo Martinez at Shark Fights 12 in June to move to 8-2-1, with the draw coming against WEC standout Kamal Shalorus.

Roxanne trains with Jason in Houston and just won her professional debut on the same card on which Jason won his first professional fight on Aug. 4.

WEC 50 Recap, Analysis

by on August 19, 2010 1:45:38 PM in Features   |   No Comments »

On August 18th, the WEC would hold their 50th event inside the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas, NV.  The event was headlined by a Bantamweight Championship bout between Champion Dominick Cruz and challenger, Joseph Benavidez.  The co-headlining fight between Anthony Pettis and Shane Roller was slated as a potential number one contenders match for Ben Henderson’s Lightweight Championship.  The remainder of the televised, main card was filled with rising stars, all looking to get their shot at the belt in their respective weight classes.

Dominick Cruz retains title with split decision victory over Joseph Benavidez

In a very close fight, WEC Bantamweight Champion successfully defended his belt against Joseph Benavidez at WEC 50.  Cruz used his size and footwork to keep Benavidez off balance during the opening rounds of the fight.  Benavidez, meanwhile, defended Cruz’s takedown attempts more effectively than their WEC 42 matchup, and used counterpunching to keep the fight close.  Cruz would land takedowns late in the first and third rounds, but was unable to inflict much damage from top control.  Cruz started the fourth round with a big slam, but Benavidez would open a large cut across the bridge of Cruz’s nose with a vicious knee.  Despite the blood, it didn’t affect Cruz’s performance.  The judges scored the fight 48-47 Benavidez, 48-47 Cruz, 49-46 Cruz, earning Cruz the split decision victory.

Looking at the Compustrike numbers, Cruz was successful on 6 out of 7 takedown attempts, while Benavidez failed at both of his attempts.  The biggest factor in scoring was that Cruz was only able to keep the fight on the mat for 4 out of the 25 minutes.  During that time, he landed a number of strikes (25), but inflicted little or no damage.  Comparing the standup numbers, it was Benavidez who narrowly landed more strikes (62 vs. 61) and power shots (28 to 24).  Undoubtedly, it was his big knee in the fourth round that helped him earn the round on two out of three scorecards.  It was not enough though, as Cruz executed a more complete fight to retain his belt.  He will likely face Scott Jorgensen in his next defense.

Anthony Pettis puts on a show, submits Shane Roller

Anthony Pettis lived up to his “Showtime” nickname in a great performance against Shane Roller.  Pettis exhibited marked improvement in his takedown defense, stopping all but two of the All-American wrestler Roller’s six attempts.  Roller was unable to bring the fight to the mat until the final round.  Pettis scored multiple takedowns of his own, as well as his usual mix of flashy and creative striking.  Pettis would land more than twice as many strikes (63 to 27), as well as a higher percentage (59% to 47%).  Pettis also showed he can be dangerous off his back with multiple submission attempts.  With just ten seconds left in the fight, Pettis locked in the triangle choke and an exhausted Roller was forced to tap.

The victory earned Pettis “Submission of the Night” and likely a shot at Champ Ben Henderson.  The winner of the Jamie Varner-Donald Cerrone rematch could be the only thing standing in the way of “Showtime.”

Chad Mendes smothers Cub Swanson

Chad “Money” Mendes improved his perfect record to 8-0 with dominating wrestling from the opening bell against Cub Swanson.  Mendes scored multiple takedowns in each round (Scoring on 8 out of 9 attempts for the entire fight) and prevented Swanson from finding any rhythm.  Swanson had brief flurries, notably in the second round where he landed a handful of power shots and kicks, but Swanson was unable to keep the fight standing.

The judges scored the bout 30-27, 29-28, 29-28  for Mendes.  Announcers Todd Harris and Stephan Bonnar implied that Mendes would be a challenge for current Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo, however, Mendes is still evolving as a fighter and a fight against former champ Mike Brown would be a better matchup at this point in his career.

Scott Jorgensen claims unanimous decision over Brad Pickett

In the card’s “Fight of the Night”, Scott Jorgensen used his speed, accuracy, and wrestling to defeat the power punching Brad Pickett.  The fight featured a number of knockdowns by both fighters, including big shots from Jorgensen that knocked out Pickett’s mouthpiece on two separate occasions.  Pickett landed more power strikes (43 vs. 21), but as the fight progressed, Jorgensen began to utilize his wrestling to control the pace of the fight, landing 4 out of his 6 takedown attempts.  Pickett’s face showed visible swelling heading into the third round and a large cut opened on his forehead, courteous of a Jorgensen elbow.

Jorgensen won by unanimous decision 30-27 on all the judges’ scorecards.  The win likely puts Jorgensen next in line for a crack at the Bantamweight Championship.

Bart Palaszewski hands Zack Micklewright his first loss

A veteran of nearly 50 professional fights, including seven inside the WEC, Bart Palaszewski put an end to Zack Micklewright’s perfect record in the first main card bout of the evening.  The first round saw the younger Micklewright push the pace, while Palaszewski used effective counters and dirty boxing to narrowly claim the round.  Palaszewski hit his stride in the second round and unloaded on Micklewright, dropping the fighter with a big right hand along the cage just 31 seconds into the round.

On paper, the Compustrike numbers from the fight are deceiving, as both fighters landed roughly 40% of their strikes, including a number of power shots.  The difference in the fight was Palaszewski’s more powerful blows that proved to be too much for Micklewright.  It is intriguing to see where the win puts Palaszewski in the Lightweight division.  He has reeled off four consecutive wins, including defeating potential number one contender Anthony Pettis.

Rear Naked Choke Radio: Strikeforce contender Tim Kennedy, Matt Horwich

by on August 18, 2010 4:26:00 PM in Radio   |   No Comments »

Live Video streaming by Ustream
American hero Tim Kennedy is fighting for the Strikeforce middleweight title on Saturday in Houston. But before that, he took time for Rear Naked Choke Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network with Joe Rizzo and Jeremy Fullerton.

Also, the colorful Matt Horwich returned to the show to talk spirituality and quantum physics.  Matt just won the Powerhouse World Promotions’ “War on the Mainland” middleweight title with a win over fellow UFC veteran Thales Leites.

Tim battles Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza for the belt vacated when Jake Shields did not re-sign with Strikeforce and left for the UFC.

Incidentally, Tim is the Most Dangerous Man In the World.

WEC 50: Joseph Benavidez says he will not be denied

by on August 18, 2010 12:17:59 AM in Features, Fighter Features, Radio   |   No Comments »

Joseph Benavidez

A little over a year ago, Las Cruces, New Mexico’s Joseph Benavidez walked out of the cage at WEC 42 with the first (and only) loss of his career.

Benavidez had battled for three rounds but watched Dominick Cruz take a unanimous decision victory.  Cruz went on to defeat Brian Bowles at WEC 47 to become the WEC bantamweight champion.

Benavidez, meanwhile, used the loss as motivation to climb the ladder back to No. 1 contender status.  After a first-round destruction of Rani Yahya at WEC 45, Benavidez stepped in to face long-time bantamweight champion Miguel Torres at WEC 47.  Minutes before Cruz won the belt against Bowles, Benavidez dominated Torres from the opening bell, splitting open the former champion’s forehead en route to a second-round submission victory via guillotine choke.

The victory earned him the opportunity to avenge his only loss.

Recently, Benavidez joined hosts Joe Martinez and Joe Rizzo for “Are You Ready” on the MMA Diehards Radio Network.  Benavidez discussed the upcoming title tilt, how he became an MMA fighter and what motivates him.

Benavidez’s rematch with Cruz will take place Wednesday in Las Vegas.  Martinez asked Benavidez about his training and preparation for not only the upcoming title shot, but also the chance to redeem himself and avenge his only loss.

“I’m more motivated than ever,” Benavidez said.  “I’m ready to be fighting for a world championship.  My confidence, belief in myself is at an all-time high.  The moment I signed the contract, I had a vision of winning (the belt).  It’s all I think about every morning; winning the world title.  If I’m in a hard spot in training, or tired, it’s all I have to think about.

“Avenging my only loss is motivation in itself to make me the best fighter I can be.  It benefits me because it’s hard to beat someone twice in this sport and this couldn’t have worked out any better.  I feel like it’s scripted.  It’s fate.  This had to happen.  I’m not going to be denied.”

Rizzo then asked Benavidez about how the loss to Cruz changed him as a fighter and what it did to his fight preparation.

“It was a huge wake up call,” Benavidez admitted.  “It’s kind of cliché about how you hear a loss does so much for you, but it’s not a joke.  You can look at my fights before and after the loss.  I went to decision twice before that fight (against Danny Martinez and Jeff Curran) and since then I have finished Rani Yahya and I was the first person to submit Miguel Torres.

“In the first fight with Cruz I wasn’t preparing for fights properly.  I was getting by on my athleticism and my instincts (my heart and balls).  I wasn’t preparing for a specific person.  I kept winning, so I didn’t change anything in my training.  The loss changed all of that, for the better.  I have a different philosophy and outlook.  I go into fights less reckless because I know I can beat guys with skill.  I’m a totally different fighter since then.”

Benavidez discussed his excitement for the fight and how Team Alpha Male and Urijah Faber have helped prepare him for the upcoming bout.

“This is a huge moment.  I get chills just thinking about it.  My hands being raised.  Almost tears come over me.

“Urijah is playing a huge role in mentally preparing me for this.  And really, he’s been preparing me for this since I started training with him.  We’ve had these talks.  He always believed in me.  Now it’s finally here.  My teammates have all sacrificed for me to help me win this title.  I’ve come so far and worked so hard.  I deserve this and I won’t let anyone stop me.  This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.  I get to show everyone out there that I’m the best in the world.”

Looking at the bigger picture, Benavidez described his personality, growing up, his start in MMA and what motivates him to step into the cage.

“I feel I’m pretty laid back,” he said.  “I’m respectful to everyone outside the ring.  I live a clean lifestyle.  I don’t drink.  I tend to just sit in my house and watch movies.  But, when I get in there (the cage), I have a killer instinct.  You get to go in there and basically try to kill somebody without going to jail.  It’s an honor, a privilege, a huge rush.  I think I was born for it.

“There were times growing up when I knew I was the alpha male.  I was always competitive.  We use to play American Gladiators on milk crates with pillows on sticks (jousting) and I was the toughest one.  At the time, MMA wasn’t around, so I wanted to be a professional football player.  I was way too small … and I wasn’t any good at football.  I started thinking of other ways I could use my body.  I disliked school.  Individual sports (like wrestling) is where I felt comfortable.  I liked that I didn’t have to count on anyone and I was responsible for my own actions.  (After school) I looked for ways to use my body and mind in a creative way.  I thought about being an actor, or something off the beaten path.  I even considered being a Hollywood stuntman.  Then MMA came along and I fell in love and I haven’t looked back.”

As Benavidez looks ahead, he is long on solid relationships fueling his success inside the cage.

“My team, my fans and my family inspire me to do great things,” he says.  “And you need that.  My family is huge for me.  My mom, most of all.  She’s my biggest inspiration.  And nothing would be possible without the fans.”

His thoughts on the morning after the fight?

“I can imagine myself waking up with my belt by my side.  Tears come to mind.  It’s going to be awesome.”

Zach Makovsky vs. Nik Mamalis Sept. 2 in Bellator Season 3 bantamweight tourney

by on August 17, 2010 11:01:13 PM in Features, Radio   |   No Comments »

Zach Makovsky is expected to meet Nik Mamalis on Sept. 2 in San Antonio, Tex. in the first round of the Bellator Season 3 bantamweight tournament.

Makovsky was a guest of “Are You Ready” on the MMA DieHards Radio Network on Tuesday with Joe Rizzo and Tara LaRosa, who was in for regular co-host Joe Martinez.  Makovsky earlier in the day was officially announced as the seventh of eight fighters in the Bellator Season 3 bantamweight tournament and revealed the proposed matchup and date as a guest on the show.

Bellator 27 takes place at the Majestic Theatre and is headlined by the featherweight title fight between belt-holder Joe Soto and Season 2 featherweight tournament winner Joe Warren.

Makovsky (9-2) is a veteran of EliteXC and M-1, in addition to Bellator.  He finished Josh Rave in the third round at the M-1 Selection in New Jersey in April on just two days’ notice, and debuted in Bellator in June with a first-round submission of Eric Luke (pictured above).

Makovsky fights out of Philly Fight Factory, along with Eddie Alvarez and LaRosa.

Mamalis (10-4, 1 NC), out of Colorado’s Grudge Training Center, won a pair of fights from the underdog role in Bellator to gain entry into the tournament.  Mamalis scored a second-round finish of Mark Oshiro at Bellator 20 in late May and won by TKO against Albert Rios less than a month later at Bellator 23.

The five other announced tournament competitors are Bryan Goldsby, Jose Vega, Danny Tims, Ulysses Gomez and Travis Reddinger.

WEC 50: Anthony Njokuani grows from B-boy to fighter

by on August 17, 2010 4:30:04 PM in Features, Fighter Features, Radio   |   No Comments »

Ask a fighter about his or her background prior to entering mixed martial arts and you’ll get a number of standard responses – high school or collegiate wrestling, karate, Muay Thai – but Anthony Njokuani has an answer you probably haven’t heard before.

“Actually, first, I was trying to become a dancer,” Njokuani told Joe Rizzo and Jeremy Fullerton on Rear Naked Choke Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network.  “I tried to study all these other martial arts to incorporate into my B-boy, because I was trying to become a break dancer then.”

Lucky for MMA fans, Njokuani’s exposure to the martial arts led him down a path that resulted in the lightweight fighter performing head kicks rather than airchairs.

When he was just 3 years old, the Nigerian-born Njokuani emigrated to the United States along with his parents and 4-year old sister.  The move presented some challenges for the two children.  Along with the obvious adjustment to a new language, the siblings also found themselves adapting to the differences in clothing styles between their old homeland and their new hometown of Dallas.

“Our culture was totally different from the American culture,” Njokuani said. “During that time, we weren’t dressing the proper way.  We weren’t really speaking English that well.

“Then, all of a sudden, once we started getting into the American culture everything started changing.  We started dressing well.  My sister wasn’t wearing nightgowns to school.  Once we went past all that, everything started getting a lot better for us.”

By the time Njokuani was 16 his teenage dreams had turned to break dancing.  Besides studying various martial arts in an effort to adapt the moves of those disciplines for his dance routines, the enrollment requirements of the break-dancing school he was attending led Njokuani to sign up for a martial arts class.

“In order for you to join the school, you had to take two classes,” Njokuani said on the show.  “So I was taking a break dancing and a martial arts class.  It was more like American kickboxing.  The American kickboxer, I guess he wanted to try something new, so he brought in a (Muay) Thai guy from California who is still my teacher now.  Even though I live in Vegas, I still call him up.

“He’s actually the one that put me in my first combat course at the age of 20.  I had my first Muay Thai fight at his gym and that’s where the story started.  In 2003, he put me in my first Pancrase fight and then that’s when I started doing more MMA because really, at that time, Muay Thai wasn’t really taking you anywhere.”

Njokuani went on to compete in mixed martial arts contests at a number of small events, mostly in Texas.  After going 9-1, with his only loss coming to current WEC lightweight contender Donald Cerrone, Njokuani made his WEC debut.

He lost that debut bout to Benson Henderson, but bounced back with three straight wins within the organization.  Each of those victories also netted Njokuani a “Knockout of the Night” bonus, earning him a reputation as an exciting fighter and giving him a bump up in competition for his next fight.

The striker faced fellow contender Shane Roller at WEC 48.  The wrestler proved too much for Njokuani to handle, submitting him by rear naked choke in the first round.

Njokuani struggled with cutting weight heading into the battle with Roller.  While he doesn’t use the issue as an excuse, he credits it with being a factor in his loss and has put emphasis on correcting the problem.

“That’s the most important thing I’ve been focusing on,” said Njokuani of cutting weight.  “Running a lot.  Making sure I’m staying at a certain weight and not going above that because the weight cut was what hurt me in my last fight – I didn’t cut weight the proper way that I should have.  Now I’m doing it all the correct way.”

The change in weight cutting techniques is something that Njokuani believes will help him return to his winning ways.  He also says he has become more focused on improving his game in the wake of his recent defeat.

“I’ve been focusing a lot on my jiu-jitsu and everything else,” said Njokuani.  “Ever since I lost to Shane Roller, I’ve just been more dedicated now to getting better at all my flaws.”

While Roller moved one step closer to a title shot with the win, Njokuani now finds himself on the untelevised portion of Wednesday’s WEC 50 event, taking on promotional newcomer Maciej Jewtuszko of Poland.

Njokuani hopes to use the fight as a springboard back onto the road toward title contention in the WEC’s lightweight division.

“That’s the most important thing for me – to get back to where I was before I got derailed,” Njokuani said of his title hopes.  “That’s what I really am working so hard to do.  I’m not trying to prove it to everybody else.  I’m just trying to prove it to myself.

“I know that I can do it.  I just want to prove to myself that I can be at that top level with all those other guys like Ben Henderson, Cowboy (Cerrone) and all them.  That’s the reason why I’m just more dedicated in my training.”

The 30-year old Njokuani might still throw in an occasional dance move during his post-fight celebrations, but his break-dancing ambitions have been replaced by a focus on the challenges that await him on the blue mat of the WEC.

ARE YOU READY radio: WEC 50, Zach Makovsky, Jeff Clark, Valerie Coolbaugh

by on August 17, 2010 3:52:41 PM in Radio   |   1 Comment »

Valerie Coolbaugh is headed to the Army (Sherdog photo)

Brand-new Bellator bantamweight tournament contender Zach Makovsky, agent/trainer Jeff Clark and fighter Valerie Coolbaugh joined Joe Rizzo and Tara LaRosa (subbing for a vacationing Joe Martinez) on Are You Ready on the MMA DieHards Radio Network.

LISTEN BELOW:

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Valerie unexpectedly stole the show with one of the most compelling stories you will hear in MMA.  The mother of three is trading the rigors of everyday life to go fight in the US Army.  Tune in to hear the amazing story of Valerie, and find out her motivation.  Joe and Tara only discovered the story because of a Tweet by another fighter calling out Valerie.  It could very well be the story of the year in MMA.

Jeff is the agent for Roger Huerta, and also is a trainer.  He gave the inside scoop on what happened with Huerta the night he stood up for a female that was brutalized by a large man, the video and story made viral by it appearance on TMZ.  Jeff also gave details about the Huerta fight in Bellator with Eddie Alvarez, check in with a Diego Sanchez update and threw in some background about the early days of Dominick Cruz’s MMA career.

Zach assessed the bantanweight division in MMA, which has the Cruz-Benavides title fight headlining WEC 50, and gave his thoughts on what Benavidez needs to do to win.  He also gave the exclusive details of his Bellator tournament fight and, as Tara’s training partner, gave some critical analysis of her fight with Roxanne Modafferi and her future in MMA.

NAWMMA Show with Shayna: Ryan Bader, Eric Larkin

by on August 16, 2010 10:25:35 PM in Radio   |   No Comments »


Former Arizona State Sun Devils Ryan Bader and Eric Larkin join host Shayna Baszler Not A Women’s MMA Show on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. Shayna, co-host Isaac Duncan and third-man-in Bruce Hoyer bring the show to you Mondays at midnight Eastern, 11 Central.

Ryan is set for UFC 119 in a light heavyweight match against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 119 on Sept. 25 in Indianapolis.  The TUF 8 champion is 11-0 in his career, with the last four wins coming in the UFC.

Eric is a former superstar on the wrestling mats for Arizona State who won the Dan Hodge Trophy in 2003 and just signed on to fight for Bellator.  He will make his Bellator debut at 155 but then compete in the featherweight tournament.

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