Posts Tagged ‘highlight’

Uriah Hall, Jimmie Rivera win titles at Ring of Combat 41

by on June 16, 2012 7:05:02 PM in Features   |   No Comments »

Uriah Hall defeats Nodar Kudukhashvill to win ROC Middleweight title (photo courtesy of Hector Castro/MMADieHards.com)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — When Jimmie Rivera had the chance to try out for The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller he knew it was an opportunity he could not pass up.

While confident he could make an impression and secure a spot on the show, he also knew he had plenty to work on despite being selected as one of the 16 featherweights vying for a spot in the house. He lost his preliminary fight to eventual finalist, Dennis Bermudez, via a second-round TKO.

“I felt I had holes in my game before The Ultimate Fighter,” Rivera said. “I made some mistakes there, and since then I’ve really taken the time to perfect my game.”

In just his second fight since TUF, Rivera flashed an improved all-around game by battering Justin Hickey for three rounds to earn the Ring of Combat Bantamweight Championship via unanimous decision on Friday night at Ring of Combat 41.

Ring of Combat 41 took place at Tropicana Casino and Resort and featured championship fights in the light-heavyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and middleweight divisions.

Rivera landed several big shots on Hickey and nearly finished him on several occasions, but Hickey proved to be ultra resilient. Rivera was able to use his wrestling to control Hickey on the ground and avoid nearly any damage for most of the fight, winning 30-27 on all three judges’ scorecards.

“He’s got a great chin,” Rivera said. “I was confident the whole time. In the third round I was trying to be smart while still looking for the submission, but you can’t finish every fighter.”

A dominant first round for Rivera led to him nearly finishing Hickey in round two. He landed a flush left hook that sent Hickey to his back, but he was able to lock up guard on Rivera and prevent further immediate damage. Rivera continued to grind away, however, winning the exchanges on their feet and controlling position on the canvas.

The Tiger Schulmann’s MMA product was thrilled at winning his second belt at 135 (he captured the King of the Cage title in 2010 and defended it once), specifically since the ROC belts tend to have some extra meaning to them. The list of former ROC champs and standouts that have made their way to the UFC and other top organizations is well-documented.

“This is a big step to take,” said Rivera, who improved to 9-1 with the victory. “Whether my next fight is here or in the UFC, this is a big win. I’ve made some mistakes but I’ve been able to learn from them to make myself better.”

Jimmie Rivera (left) takes it to Justin Hickey (right) to win the Ring of Combat bantamweight title(photo courtesy of Hector Castro/MMADieHards.com)

Rivera’s Tiger Schulmann’s teammate, Uriah Hall, gave the fight team a second champion when he outlasted the persistent Nodar Kudukhashvili to recapture the middleweight title with a 29-28 unanimous decision victory.

Hall and Kudukhashvili split the first two rounds with the Georgian special forces member coming on strong in the latter stages of round two. But in the third, Kudukhashvili changed his approach, choosing to lay back and wait for Hall to make a mistake and subsequently landing only a handful of punches. Hall took advantage with his kickboxing and forced the Sambo practitioner to shoot for the takedown. Kudukhashvili assumed top control, but Hall made his way back to his feet without absorbing any damage. He then scored a takedown of his own to cement the victory and improve to 7-2.

“That dude is a Sambo guy and in my mind I wasn’t going to let that mess me up,” Hall said. “I didn’t fight my game entirely, but I got the belt back. I know I have all the tools. It’s mainly mental and about preparation, and learning from your experiences.”

Team Serra/Longo prospect Ed ‘Truck” Gordon remained undefeated (5-0) by besting Carlos Brooks via unanimous decision in the light-heavyweight title fight. Brooks, who owns a 9-0 kickboxing record, had his moments in the standup game but ultimately it was the pure strength and wrestling ability of Gordon that allowed him to take the unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-28, 30-27.

In the card’s featherweight championship bout, Guillermo Serment made quick work of James Jenkins with a first-round submission victory. Serment dropped Jenkins early in the opening round and locked on a guillotine to secure the win in the only title fight to end inside three rounds.

In the five-fight main card that preceded the title fights, finishes in three of the contests highlighted the action. Making his US debut, England’s Liam McGeary scored a devastating knockout of Walter Howard 41 seconds into the second round of their light-heavyweight bout. An accomplished striker in his native country, McGeary, now with Pellegrino MMA, shook off some first-round jitters to improve to 3-0 with three stoppages.

His Pellegrino MMA teammate, Lester Caslow, won with a slick submission off his back to counter the wrestling of Brian Van Horen at 155 pounds. Van Horen had taken down Caslow and held him there for the better part of the first round. He was doing more of the same in round two when Caslow locked in a guillotine off his back and forced the tap-out at 2:27 of the second round.

In a featherweight fight, Andre Harrison stopped William Metts with a rear-naked choke 3:27 into the opening round. Long Island MMA’s Chris Wade survived a back-and-forth, three-round war with Villi Bello to take a 30-27, 29-28, 30-27 unanimous decision at 155 pounds. At a 142-pound catchweight, Soslan Abanokov eked out a 29-28, 29-29, 29-28 majority decision win over Tom English.

A pair of featherweight fights completed the two-fight preliminary card as Ricardo Almeida-trained local favorite Frankie Perez stopped Ben Syers with a second-round TKO at 1:23 and Marlboro, N.J.’s Anthony Facchini punched out Kevin Molina in 2:32 of the first round.

Karo Parisyan has something to prove to his fans at ShoFIGHT 20

by on June 15, 2012 3:00:11 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Now that he has seen the light, Karo Parisyan is taking his career one step at a time back to the top of his division.

“The Heat” (Twitter: @Karo_Parisyan) was in the upper echelon of the UFC welterweight division from 2004-2007, but at UFC 13 in April 2008, Parisyan seemed to have lost his fire.  The Armenian Lost to Thiago Alves that night, and then went on to win one of his next five bouts and picked up a NC in a match he initially won but was overturned after Parisyan tested positive for banned pain killers.  It appeared that the combatant that could execute the perfect osoto gari with ease had lost his touch.

After a short return to the UFC, Parisyan was released for a second time and continued his winless ways.   That changed at WMMA 1 on March 31, when Parisyan defeated former KOTC No. 1 contender Thomas Denny.  Parisyan competed against Denny and showed glimpses of the fighter that racked up a couple of impressive UFC win streaks and conquered some of the world’s best competitors.

Fresh off the victory over Denny, Parisyan is using that momentum to accomplish his main goal now.

“I’m trying to stay focused, I’m trying to pick up the pieces and get my career back on track,” Parisyan told MMADieHards.com.  “That’s my No. 1 plan.  I fell back quite a few miles compared to anyone else fighting these days.  I’m trying to get back on that winning prowl.  The training, what I’m supposed to be doing to win, that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Parisyan’s next chance to construct a win streak comes on June 16 at ShoFIGHT MMA 20 for the vacant welterweight strap in Springfield, Mo.  The former UFC No. 1 contender will square off against another UFC castaway in John Gunderson.

“The Heat” is not overly familiar with Gunderson, and after having three opponents already pull out of the contest, he is content just to have a challenger who would take the match.  However, as confident as Parisyan is, Gunderson did throw him off with a certain request.

“At the last minute I heard this guy stepped up and wanted to fight me,” Parisyan said.  “It surprised me.  I saw footage on him, he looks like a tough guy, and I’m not looking past anybody, but I’m not too worried about anybody at this point.  I’m training hard and I feel I should be in good enough shape to beat this guy.”

The addition of the match being a title fight is enticing to Parisyan.  Following his most recent victory, “The Heat” wants to keep the ball rolling and prove something to the fans.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for me,” Parisyan said.  “My last fight, I fought Thomas Denny, and it was a good turnout.   It was a good fight, sold out, I had a good performance against Thomas Denny and I kind of broke that curse.  I have the WEC belt I took a few years ago, and now I want to get this title.  It means a lot to me to get this title and show everybody I’m truly on the prowl again.”

The ShoFIGHT welterweight champion is a moniker Parisyan would honor bearing, so much that he isn’t even thinking about what’s next.

Parisyan is focused on picking up the belt and then seeing what offers come his way.  He said it’s about the promotion that pays him what he feels he is deserved, yet also treats him the best.  First thing’s first, beat Gunderson and then see what the future beholds for “The Heat.”

“It’s about one step at a time,” Parisyan said.  First you train, then make weight, then fight.  One step at a time.  I always look at the far, I always look 10 steps ahead, especially during the fight, but besides that I take one step at a time and focus on one thing at a time so I can make the right decisions.”

The proper decision for any aspiring professional mixed martial artist is to yearn for a chance to compete in the famed Octagon.  It’s not that Parisyan doesn’t want back in the UFC, but he understands the hard work it takes to get there and he’s prepared for it.

During his stint in the world’s premier MMA organization, Parisyan defeated notable names such as Nick Diaz, Matt Serra, Chris Lytle and Ryo Chonan.  Not to mention that Parisyan’s second UFC bout was against longtime and current UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.  Though, he lost to the Canadian, Parisyan was not dominated in the fashion MMA fans have witnessed St-Pierre crush some of his foes.

In order to return to the Zuffa-owned promotion, Parisyan is confident he is aware of the steps to take to get him back, competing in the Octagon.

“Ultimately, they’re the biggest organization, so yes,” Parisyan said.  “I fought there for 10 years, I fought the best guys, I was the No. 1 contender for eight or nine months.  You know me, you know what I’ve done.  I don’t have to explain it.  I know what it takes to get there.  I know the road to get back to the top of that ladder, and the first step is getting this title in ShoFIGHT.”

Parisyan persevered through the hardships that found his way out of the UFC.  He battled his own demons and is now in a content place, both in life and his career.  It showed in his bout against Denny, and it’s apparent when speaking to him that his mind is focused.

After all his ups and downs, Parisyan philosophized and knows what he can accomplish.

“It’s the way it comes,” Parisyan said.  “I have one really good win under my belt right now.  When you fight you see yourself going through it.  So, to get to that point where you’re physically and mentally prepared, it kicks your ass.  You have to put yourself through that in your life, your career or whatever it is, to be prepared.  Once you see that light at the end of the tunnel you say to yourself, ‘I can do this, I know I can do this.’”

Brian Kelleher TKO’s Ryan Vaccaro at Rock Out Knock Out

by on June 6, 2012 1:00:32 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   1 Comment »

Brian Kelleher defeated Ryan Vaccaro via second-round TKO in the main event of Rock Out Knock Out. (photo courtesy of topology.com)

ASBURY PARK, N.J. — Brian Kelleher’s goal is, of course, to one day fight inside the UFC’s world-famous Octagon. The road to the big show is paved with performances similar to the one he put on Saturday night.

Kelleher rocked Ryan Vaccaro with a knee to the jaw and then finished him off with punches on the ground 56 seconds into the second round during the main event of JB Sports/LiveNation’s Rock Out Knock Out event at Convention Hall. The TKO marked the third straight victory for Kelleher and pushed his overall record to 7-3.

Billed as ‘The first event to combine music and professional mixed martial arts’, Rock Out Knock Out featured four fights and performances by West the Defender, Carpet Ride, Scarlet Carson and Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum selling band Fuel at the north end of Asbury Park’s historic boardwalk.

In the first round of the featherweight clash between Team Bombsquad’s Kelleher and Pellegrino MMA’s Vaccaro, the local favorite scored with a quick single-leg takedown before briefly taking Kelleher’s back for a rear-naked choke attempt. Kelleher powered back to his feet and gained control in the clinch where he attempted a standing guillotine, the first of his several submission attempts. Vaccaro was able to break the hold and drive in for another single-leg, but Kelleher continued to counter Vaccaro’s wrestling with defensive submissions. He attempted a guillotine again before gaining top control and raining down punches. Kelleher attempted another rear-naked choke which Vaccaro successfully defended, but he ended the round strong with punches from back control.

“I knew he had a wrestling background, and especially when I saw him come out in wrestling shoes,” Kelleher said. “From the start I wanted to let my hands go, I was confident. I wanted to use my submissions against his takedowns. The guillotine is my go-to move. I stayed with it even though it failed. I made him pay for taking shots.”

The second round was all Kelleher. After absorbing an inside leg kick and an uppercut that glanced as he dodged, Vaccaro reached in for another single-leg takedown. Kelleher countered with a front headlock and landed a clean flying knee that dazed Vaccaro. Kelleher followed with rights and lefts and followed with another knee that rocked Vaccaro, who turtled up and covered his head. The fight looked like it would be stopped before Vaccaro moved to his back to entice Kelleher into his guard. Kelleher followed, however, with big shots from top control that forced referee Gaspar Oliver to step in and end the fight 56 seconds into the middle round.

“The second knee I hit him with was heat of the moment and then I saw he was rocked,” Kelleher said. “It’s like a drug. You see a guy hurt and you get this boost of energy.”

The TKO didn’t come without a bit of controversy, though. Team Pellegrino contested that Vaccaro’s hand was on the ground when Kelleher connected with the knee that sparked the beginning of the end of the fight. Kelleher admitted he knew Vaccaro was close, but thought he had timed it just right.

“He was going up and down and when I threw the knee I felt him coming up,” Kelleher said.

A veteran of Bellator, Ring of Combat and Cage Fury, Kelleher has proven to be a finisher. All seven of his victories have come via stoppage, and he’s only been to the third round twice. If anything, he has been learning to ease off the gas pedal. Two of his three losses have come via submission late in the first round, perhaps a product of over agression.

“I went for a bunch of guillotine’s against him but he had good defense,” Kelleher said. “I stayed patient, and I think that’s what won me the fight.”

With three wins in a row, the pendulum is swinging in Kelleher’s favor. He’s already had a fight under the Bellator banner (a unanimous-decision loss to Claudio Ledesma) and a return to the growing promotion would certainly be a step forward. And if the UFC were to come calling, it would be a dream come true.

“I definitely have my eyes on the UFC,” Kelleher said. “I told myself this is my year. I believe in myself. I see guys on TV and I know I am right there with them.”

Strikeforce and Bellator veteran Kevin Roddy made quick work of Noe Quintanilla in a 150-pound catchweight bout. Roddy initiated the clinch off the opening bell but Quintanilla took him down with an inside trip. Roddy locked in a closed guard and quickly snapped on a triangle. Quintanilla fought for nearly a minute before finally tapping at 1:53 of the first round.

In a battle of undefeated fighters, Ryan Peterson topped Michael Robinson via unanimous decision at 155 pounds. Peterson controlled much of the fight via takedowns and ground-and-pound, but Robinson, a Gracie Barra (S.C.) fighter, was active off his back to keep Peterson on his toes. Robinson had a couple of armbar attempts and scored with an upkick in the first round, but Peterson remained in top control for the majority of the round.

Robinson started the second round with a high kick, 1-2 combo before Peterson scored with a takedown into ground-and-pound. Robinson threw up an armbar attempt and then hit a nice sweep into top control. Peterson countered with a heel hook attempt and re-swept to move back into Robinson’s guard. Back to their feet, Peterson landed a standing knee and a quick combo, and lunged in for another takedown. Robinson countered with a guillotine attempt that he could not secure before the round concluded.

The third round was more of the same from Peterson. Late in the fight, Robinson, showing no quit, scored with a jumping knee and drove forward on a double-leg takedown. He took Peterson’s back in the closing seconds but couldn’t transition to a submission before the final bell rang. Peterson won the fight 30-27 on all cards.

Desmond Green, a Division-I All-American wrestler at the University of Buffalo, used his grappling prowess to dominate Phillip LeGrand en route to a unanimous decision victory. Green secured seven takedowns against LeGrand, who was making his professional debut and has no answer for his opponent’s wrestling. Green won 30-27 on all three cards.

A 180-pound catchweight bout between Kenneth Seegrist and Dwight Grant was scrapped due to an unspecified failed medical clearance.

MMA Beatdown

by on June 6, 2012 11:31:02 AM in Radio   |   No Comments »

Tune into MMA Beatdown radio every Tuesday night at 8:30pm ET for fighter interviews, special guests, breaking news, contests, event recaps, and website updates… All that and more on the latest MMA Beatdown on the MMA DieHards Radio Network.

Listen to internet radio with MMA DieHards Radio on Blog Talk Radio

B.J. Penn and Rory MacDonald verbally agree to meet at UFC 152 in Toronto

by on June 5, 2012 11:06:24 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC fighter B.J. Penn. (Photo courtesy of UFC.com)

Looks like B.J. Penn is coming back for one more fight.

Sources close to Penn’s camp revealed to MMADieHards.com that the Hawaiian has verbally agreed to meet Rory Macdonald at UFC 152 on Sept. 22 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

MacDonald announced on “The MMA Hour” Monday, that he would like to fight B.J. Penn before the former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion retired for good.  The Canadian also said he would like to do it in Toronto.

Well, it appears as if MacDonald got his wish granted.

MacDonald(13-1) is currently riding a three-fight win streak and coming off a dominating performance against Che Mills at UFC 145.  MacDonald’s single blemish on his record came against UFC welterweight interim champion, Carlos Condit.  MacDonald had been winning the bout until the dying minutes when Condit did enough damage for the referee to stop the fight.  MacDonald finished his last two opponents and has been flawless in his last three victories.

Penn (18-8-2) most recently lost to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 in October 2011.  “The Prodigy” said he was retiring from the sport after taking such a devastating loss.  However, UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck attempted to coarse Penn into fighting him a few weeks ago through some minor trash-talk on Twitter.  Penn did not accept the fight, but said he was thinking about returning to the Octagon.

Now, a legend and the future of the 170-pound UFC division will meet.

Twitter MMA: Best of the Week for May 28 – June 4

by on June 4, 2012 12:00:34 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Best of luck to @kennyflorian. A great @ufc competitor and class act. A champ at life

King Mo ‏@KingMoFH

@kennyflorian you should go into actin too!!!

Brendan Schaub ‏@BrendanSchaub

Congrats to @kennyflorian one of my favs..what a great career since TUF #RESPECT

Royce Gracie ‏@realroyce

@kennyflorian I heard you are retiring all the best to you in everything you do if you apply yourself as you did in fighting. you will be a champion in life and is all that matters!

Kenny Florian ‏@kennyflorian

Means a lot to read fans comments but when I get tweets from other fighters like @realroyce & others, I get emotional. Thank u guys! Much ❤

Kenny Florian ‏@kennyflorian

Too many people to thank but love you all. Fighting was & is my life. I’ll be watching, studying, writing, talking & coaching. #MMA #BJJ

Forrest Griffin ‏@ForrestGriffin

I hate Lebron James because I’m not Lebron James. I also hate Jon Jones for the same reason

Joseph Henle ‏@leonidasmma

Future of the Franchise’ http://instagr.am/p/LbSNWXqm1c/

Tim Kennedy ‏@TimKennedyMMA

Everyone is freaking out about these “zombie” outbreaks. It’s nothing to get worked up about (I am jumping for joy with excitement!!!!)

Aaron Riley ‏@aaronrileymma

Just stocked up at the gun show. bring it on zombie’s! http://via.me/-1pmfzkm

Dan Hardy ‏@danhardymma

Time for the hawk to come off…

Dan Hardy ‏@danhardymma

Hows my disguise? :-)  http://pic.twitter.com/u2PojFmr

Dan Hardy ‏@danhardymma

Ok, its gone. See how much my hair will grow between now and the fan expo in July!

Rich Franklin ‏@RichFranklin

So it’s official. I’m UFC 147 bound for brazil. Apologies to all the fans who made plans for 148 n Vegas. Didn’t mean to Stan up Cung

Roy Nelson ‏@roynelsonmma

Congrats to Mike Chiesa TUF winner!

Josh Rosenthal ‏@MMARosenthal

Congrats to all the guys from this season of #tuflive. 13 weeks wasnt easy. U put on some great fights & showed true heart. all my respect

Dana White ‏@danawhite

Mazzagatti the fight killer 4 mins of nothing in the ground in the first round!!! The worst ref EVER!!! Drives me NUTS

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

by on June 4, 2012 9:00:18 AM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Recently retired UFC fighter Kenny Florian

“I’m just so thankful to the UFC and everyone here for everything they have done. Fighting found me and I’m a much better person because of it. I’m happy…. I’ve dealt with injuries in the past, but back in November I was training and hurt my back. It just hasn’t quite been the same … I re-injured it a few weeks back. So, it’s been tough. I haven’t been able to train. And I’m the type of person who never wants to do anything half-ass. If I’m going to train for a fight, I want to be able to do it 100 percent. [The decision] has been several months [in the making]. It’s been very, very hard. It’s been tough.”
- Kenny Florian touched on his recent retirement at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 Finale weigh-in event.

“For me it would have to be the fight after his first (UFC) loss.  He came back with more heart, more technique, more fire in his belly.  I think that’s really hard to find because once people lose they usually have a string of losses.  After every loss he’s always came back for a win.  It says a lot about his heart.

“Also, his finishes too.  He has a ton of finishes.  There’s a lot of great fighters out there that just can’t finish fights.  Whenever Kenny goes out there he does everything he can and doesn’t leave it in the judges’ hands.”
- Keith Florian talked to MMA DieHards about his best memories of his brother, Kenny, competing in MMA.

“I can’t think of (a reason to return). I am pretty happy and comfortable with the decision I made. I am enjoying perusing the acting roles I am getting,”
- Randy Couture said on UFC Tonight he has no reason to return to MMA, he enjoys making movies.

“Jon Jones is really good. He’s really good. It’s different, for sure. If he comes up to the heavyweight division, it’s gonna be tough for us, for sure. I really like him, but if he comes up to the heavyweight division, and he gets the chance to fight for the title, we’re gonna fight.”
­- UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos was a guest Spike TV’s “MMA Uncensored Live,” and talked about a superfight between himself and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. 

“I think anytime you get to fight a guy that held the UFC title, it’s a big deal. If Tim Sylvia’s the guy that they put across the cage from me, then that’s the guy I will fight on that day, but it doesn’t really matter to me. I said that I would like to actually continue my progression, but there aren’t many guys that are a step up from Josh Barnett. I don’t know. I just would like to keep progressing in my career and fighting guys that are better than the last guy. I don’t know who that’s going to be. It doesn’t really matter. I’ll give Showtime their fight and see where I stand in the UFC division when I’m done.”
- Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier talked to Sherdog’s “Beatdown” radio about the possibility if fighting former UFC heavyweight champion Tin Sylvia next.

“Chris brings the fight, I bring the fight too. He’s got great jiu-jitsu, he’s got great wrestling; I have the same thing. I think you’re going to see a fight where it’s going to be everywhere. I think it’s going to be on the cage, it’s going to be on the ground, it’s going to be on our feet, but at the same time, you’re going to be seeing some fireworks from me and see some bombs fly from me. I know he’s going to try to do the same thing so you’re going to see a high paced fight. It’s going to be an entertaining fight, so don’t blink.”
- Mark Munoz said to expect an entertaining bout when he meets Chris Weidman at UFC on FUEL TV 4.

“I want to erase the last fight I did against Tom Lawlor in the UFC management’s head. That was a pretty bad fight, I take the blame for that. I feel like I’m reborn in the UFC, have to come back and show I deserve to be there. I improved much more my game, especially my wrestling, now I’m ready to be back and show the world my new skills. I’m not going to bring back the old Cote, I’m going to bring back a new Cote. You’re going to see a lot of improvement, but still a lot of power in my hands, and a solid chin.”
- Patrick Cote told Sportsnet.ca how he feels returning to the UFC after being released following his loss to Tom Lawlor.

“Come on over to Strikeforce, (Eddie Alvarez), let’s do the Melendez fight. That would be fantastic. I think that he’s a guy who is extremely talented that we would love to have in Strikeforce to fight Gilbert. It would be great. … If he is a free agent and he is really free of any contractual relations, make the call. Eddie, come on down, let’s put the Melendez fight together.”
- Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker invited Eddie Alvarez to come fight Gilbert Melendez via mmafighting.com.

“Me and B.J. have a good relationship. It’s business, and, you know what? I like to have big fights. I think that B.J. is the type of fighter that would be a big fight for me. The UFC asked to try and stir up something. You know, I do my job well, and I went on to my Twitter account, and just kinda said, ‘Hey, B.J. Let’s do this fight.’”
- During a guest appearance on Spike TV’s “MMA Uncensored Live,” UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck explained his reason for calling out B.J. Penn.

“I mean, right after my last fight I had no interest in fighting, but I am kind of warming up to the idea. Everywhere I go people are telling me to get back into the ring and I think it is working a little. No timetable, it isn’t going to be anytime in the next few months, that’s for sure. The thing about the UFC is that the landscape is constantly changing. I guess whatever makes sense. I don’t want any freebie fights. I would like to put together a fight that makes sense for everyone; for the fighters, the fans and the organization — a big fight.”
- Penn told UFC Tonight he might be returning to the cage sooner than expected.

“I informed UFC Matchmaker (Joe Silva) that I would like to fight in Early Fall 2012. I would like to be able to fight every three or four months. The UFC should look into adding some padding in the gloves because I plan on crushing my opponents.”
- Shane Carwin explained via his blog that he plans on crushing his foes when he returns to the Octagon.

“I like doing it, I like the job, but unfortunately it’s a job.  There’s some people that love it, and you need those guys in the department. There’s some people that eat, sleep and breathe firefighting. Well, I eat, sleep and breathe fighting. I use my firefighting money to pay bills.”
- Eddie Wineland talked to MMA DieHards about his dual occupations as a UFC fighter and a firefighter.

“Just got back to Brazil, was in the air, and only now found out about the uproar my comments on MMAJunkie Radio created, so I would like to clarify: I have seen way worse cuts than the one Cain inflicted on Bigfoot. The problem with this particular cut was not the size or anything, but the profuse bleeding into Bigfoot’s eyes. This is not an excuse, it is a fact. I am not here saying that wasn’t for the cut , Bigfoot would have won, nor I am making an excuse. What I am saying, again, is a fact. Had not been the cut, the fight most probably would have gone on, who knows what the outcome might have been, maybe Cain would have won anyways, maybe not. I also think that elbows on the ground should not be allowed. For the most part, they cause cuts, which are different then Kos, Tkos or Subs. They also tend to make a bloody mess, sometimes from relatively minor damage, and this does not help MMA as it tends to alienate many people to the sport. I didn’t mean in no way to diminish Cain’s victory, or make an excuse for Bigfoot’s defeat, but simply state a fact that myself, and anyone else who watched the fight, witnessed.”
- Alex Davis, manager of Antonio “Big Foot” Silva, voiced his opinion on elbows via The Underground.

“My goal is to fight for the title — that’s where I want to go. Johny has got some great wins, too, and if I have to fight him to get that shot then that’s what we’ll do, but of course I’d like to get the fight with Carlos Condit or Georges St. Pierre … or the winner of that fight. I’m going to need to take a little time off, heal up and go back to Denmark for a little summer vacation. I’m looking forward to that, but I definitely want to fight for the title. That’s what I want…. I would love fight Carlos, you know? But, of course, he wants to fight ‘GSP’ and unify those belts. I don’t blame him. I can completely understand that. If I was in his situation, I would probably want to get that unification bout as well. It all depends on when ‘GSP’ is going to be ready to fight again — if he’s going to be out a long time, then I think [Carlos] should defend it, but if ‘GSP’ is going to be ready by the end of the year like most people are saying, then I can see him wanting to wait for that.”
- Martin Kampmann said at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 Finale post-fight press conference who he would like to fight next, but understands the complications in getting those bouts.

“My dad showed me hard work. My dad was the type of guy that showed up to work whether he was sick, whether something was wrong with him, no matter what the circumstances were, he showed up to work, put in his full effort and came home. The one thing he taught me was hard work, how to carry myself as a man, and how to be humble. I’m really blessed. I owe all this to my dad. I don’t even know where to begin, he’s just an amazing man. If I could say anything to him, I’d thank him”
- “The Ultimate Fighter 15” winner Mike Chiesa spoke on his deceased father on UFC.com.

“He picks stuff up really fast. And the stuff that we worked on, I can guarantee you if he has the chance to use it in the fight, he will do it. If it’s a submission, if it’s a guard pass, whatever, I guarantee you he can do it. If he gets the chance, he can catch Anderson with something… A lot of people hype Anderson’s jiu-jitsu game because he got his black belt from the Nogueiras. But not every black belt is a high-level black belt. You just happened to have got a black belt under that guy. It’s not like he has great sweeps. It’s not like he has great submissions. How many submissions has he gotten [in the UFC]? He submitted Henderson. He submitted Chael; that’s two guys. And he submitted Travis Lutter. So that’s three guys. He’s even got a couple submission losses. They may be eight years ago, but they’re still losses. So I feel like this whole thing about Anderson being a black belt doesn’t make much of a difference in the fight.”
- Fellow Brazilian, Vinny Magalhaes, told bjpenn.com that Anderson Silva’s black-belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu is something that doesn’t impress him.

“I feel I’m in a pathetic situation here, having to answer to this well-known fighter who has lied about me and about some facts of our lives. Anderson, you know how I deal with this kind of situation. You’ve been saying that Vitor Belfort has no balls. I can say the very same thing to you. Anderson, mark my words, you have no balls! I can tell that just by looking in your eyes. Every time I look at you, you chicken out. You’re such a wussy! This lie has really hurt me. I must confess that you’ve got talent, but as I said before, you are nothing but a piece of shit.”
- Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons gave his opinion on A. Silva in this video.

TUF 15 recap: Chiesa submitted Iaquinta to be crowned TUF 15 champ, Kampmann ended Ellenberger’s win streak, Lawrence and Holloway dominate for victories

by on June 1, 2012 11:36:20 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

"The Ultimate Fighter 15" champion, Michael Chiesa (Photo courtesy of mmanytt.se)

As season 15 of “The Ultimate Fighter” came to a close Friday night, the 22nd champion of TUF was ready to be crowned.

A new feature of the show for this season was a bonus structure voted on by fans, where the fighters had the opportunity to earn an extra $25,000 for their efforts.  Announced during the main card, Joe Proctor was selected for Submission of the Season for his rear-naked choke win over Chris Tickle, and Al Iaquinta was the winner of both KO of the Season in his victory over Andy Ogle and Fight of the Season for his battle against Myles Jury.

With an emotional start to the season, Michael Chiesa proved to be as mentally strong as he was physical.  After seeing his son fight on live television, and successfully secure his spot in the TUF house, Mark Chiesa, 53, lost his battle with leukemia.

Promising his father that he would be “The Ultimate Fighter” champion, Chiesa went on to do just that by defeating Iaquinta by first round submission.

Following in his footsteps was Martin Kampmann who knocked out Jake Ellenberger, Charles Oliveira submitted Jonathan Brookins, Max Holloway beats Pat Schilling in unanimous fashion and Justin Lawrence puts John Cofer to sleep with a head kick.

After being guaranteed $50,000 as a result from his performance on the show, Iaquinta was ready to take the TUF title, but Chiesa snuck up from behind to spoil his show.

Chiesa fought off Iaquinta’s immediate blitz when the bout started.  Iaquinta  came out with a sense of urgency, taking the center of the Octagon applying pressure to Chiesa.  But when the taller Chiesa closed the distance, he brought the match to the ground and took the back of Iaquinta.

Before he knew, the New York native was fast asleep and Chiesa was crowned the “The Ultimate Fighter” season 15 champion.

As typical, “The Juggernaut” was coming to inflict pain and make quick work of his opponent, but that went astray when the veteran, Kampmann, regained composure.

Ellenberger appeared to have a TKO victory locked up and ready to take home early, but Kampmann somehow managed to slow the pace and find his range.  Bloodied and battered, the Danish fighter rocked Ellenberger with a right hand and ultimately finished him with a knee, dropping the American to the mat.

The win for Kampmann now sets him against Johny Hendricks in a welterweight title eliminator bout and brings Ellenberger’s six fight win streak to an abrupt halt

Coming off of a submission of the night performance, Oliveira looked for a way to cash in another bonus check.

Oliveira became very comfortable early in the fight and started to out-strike his American counterpart, Brookins.  However, after Brookins attempted a guillotine-choke, Oliveira quickly escaped and then returned the favor, forcing the tap from “The Ultimate Fighter” season 12 winner.

The win now puts the Brazilian on a two-fight win streak.

Not in a rush to finish the fight, Holloway, put on a striking clinic at the expense of Schilling.

Schilling spent a lot of the later rounds on his back, as a result of the vicious body shots delivered by Holloway.  While Holloway couldn’t stop Schilling, the judge’s unanimously decided that he did enough to level his record to 1-1 in the UFC.

Starting out the broadcast with UFC on FX was a bout between the first overall selected TUF contestant Lawrence against the underrated Cofer.

Both fighters were able to exchange control on the ground, but Cofer managed to strike first, by stunning Lawrence with a left hook that sent him backing in to the cage.

In the end, Lawrence gave his opponent something to think about when he finished a combination with a head-kick, instantly turning out Cofer’s lights.  Lawrence stays undefeated at 4-0 and finds a new home with the UFC.

Recently retired Kenny Florian receives support from his brother Keith

by on June 1, 2012 4:48:33 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Kenny Florian (L) with his brother Keith (R)

Kenny Florian retired from competing in MMA, but the people closest to him think he’ll be just fine.

“Ken Flo” (Twitter: @kennyflorian) exemplifies the term “UFC veteran.”  Florian was a “perennial No. 1 contender” if there ever was one.  The former UFC middleweight, welterweight, lightweight and featherweight is possibly the greatest fighter to ever exit the sport while still in his prime.

MMADieHards.com spoke with Florian’s brother, Keith (Twitter: @KeithFlorian), and he shed light on when “Ken Flo’s” back problems began and what the future holds for his sibling.

“He’s been mulling it over for a couple of months,” Florian said.  “His back hasn’t been healing up the way he thought it would.  (Kenny’s) back problems started before he fought Sam Stout (in 2006).  I think they actually had to reschedule the fight.  It’s been hindering him for a long time; it’s not something that just came up.”

Florian’s back troubles may have influenced him to end his career, but it’s not as bleak as it seems.

The Massachusetts native was presented to the MMA world when the UFC debuted their reality series on Spike TV, “The Ultimate Fighter.” He made it to the finale and was defeated by Diego Sanchez, but impressed UFC president Dana White enough to garner a contract of his own.

Florian compiled a few win streaks in the UFC, six being the longest, which warranted him three separate opportunities to grasp UFC gold.  He came up short against Sean Sherk in a lightweight title affair at UFC 64, and then was defeated by B.J. Penn at UFC 101 in his second crack at the 155-pound belt.  Florian’s final match of his career was against Jose Aldo for the featherweight strap at UFC 136, and unfortunately he lost again.

No combatant wishes to leave the sport on a loss, but Florian’s brother said he thinks “Ken Flo” is departing from the Octagon on his own terms.

“He’s getting older and you can only get punched in the head so many times,” Florian said.  “He’s put on some great fights, some great shows.  He’s had a lot of finishes, a lot of rear-naked chokes.  In modern day MMA I think he holds the record in the UFC for rear-naked chokes.  No one can take those things away from him and he needs to be satisfied with what he’s done and what he’s accomplished.”

“The Ultimate Fighter 1” finalist racked up a total of seven victories via rear-naked choke in the UFC, and he became known for his vicious elbows.  He has a highlight reel of wins over top competitors that will surely grant him a spot in the UFC hall of fame.

Florian’s greatest accomplishment could be debated in numerous ways, but his brother believes his biggest achievement comes from inside the “Ken Flo.”

“For me it would have to be the fight after his first (UFC) loss,” Florian said.  “He came back with more heart, more technique, more fire in his belly.  I think that’s really hard to find because once people lose they usually have a string of losses.  After every loss he’s always came back for a win.  It says a lot about his heart.

“Also, his finishes too.  He has a ton of finishes.  There’s a lot of great fighters out there that just can’t finish fights.  Whenever Kenny goes out there he does everything he can and doesn’t leave it in the judges’ hands.”

Florian walked away from competing in the cage, but not the sport of MMA entirely.

He will continue his cageside commentating for the UFC and FUEL TV.  Florian will still be a relevant personality in MMA through calling fights, hosting UFC functions and teaching students to become better mixed martial artists.

Florian’s brother supposes the former UFC No. 1 lightweight contender and the people around him will be content with “Ken Flo” outside of the Octagon, as opposed to competing in it.

“He’s not dying or anything,” Florian said.  “Whatever Kenny decides, I will support him 100 percent.  We will always support him and love him.  He is just going into the next phase of his life, but he’s going to still be there for me and I will still be there for him.”

Joseph Henle intrigued by Canada’s MFC, but won’t indulge in Canadian beer

by on June 1, 2012 12:40:06 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

MFC middleweight Joseph Henle.

Joseph Henle may not share the same passion as a Canadian for cold beer, but he does share their thirst for MMA, therefore, he should expect a warm reception when he goes north of the boarder.

Henle (Twitter: @leonidas) recently signed with the Alberta-based Maximum Fighting Championship.  The MFC is one of the world’s premier MMA organizations that continuously spawns combatants that go on to the UFC.  MFC owner Mark Pavelich claims his promotion is the Harvard of MMA, meaning a combatant must graduate from the organization to make it to the biggest stage in the sport.  Henle may be added to that list one day, but for now he is focused on latching an MFC belt around his waist.

Henle tasted the UFC when he competed on “The Ultimate Fighter 10,” but his opportunity to continue a career in the Octagon never materialized.  He went back to the drawing board and fought in multiple organizations, all the while staying undefeated, until he got the chance to get back to one of the larger stages in the MMA world.

Some may think Henle is backtracking by building his career and climbing the ranks, while not holding out for a contract with an American-based promotion.  However, Henle and Royal Sports Management’s Bryce Armendariz had their eye on the MFC for some time and, Canadian or not, “Leonidas” is thrilled to be a part of the organization.

“Even though, they are primarily Canadian, MFC is still a big organization,” Henle told MMADieHards.com.  “They’ve always been on the radar as an organization that we would love to join.  After my last victory we kind of wanted to take that next step.  We talked to Mark (Pavelich) before and he said we need a couple more wins.  Since then I rattled off two more victories so when I told him we wanted to take that next step he got in touch with Mark, and Mark was warm to the idea.”

Henle’s contract with the MFC is a four-fight deal and his immediate plan is to stay with the promotion.  Combatants in the past have utilized the MFC as a means of catapulting themselves to a larger organization, but that is not what Henle believes is his best option.

The MFC allows their contracted fighters to compete outside of the organization, however, suffering a loss in a different promotion will not have a competitor welcomed back with open arms.  Henle is aware of those consequences, even though they are irrelevant to his goals of making his name synonymous with the MFC middleweight division.

“I really want to (build my name in MFC),” Henle said about his new employer.  “It seems a lot of guys use them as a stepping-stone and are quick to leave.  I would really like to build a name in the promotion.  I’d like to solidify that middleweight division for them and give them a face to build upon.

“I really like the way Mark (Pavelich) interacts with people.  He seems like a legit dude and I’m excited to get in there and test the waters and show them what I can do.”

Getting along with your boss is always a positive thing, and that is something Henle has with Pavelich.

The Tricoasta sponsored fighter has competed in BAMMA, Tachi Palace Fights, California Fight Syndicate and various other promotions thus far in his career.  He has been around the sport long enough and is friendly with many other professional mixed martial artists, so he hears and witnesses the horror stories that occur when dealing with a regional promotion.  From what the MFC has shown Henle in such a short time, he is confident this is a wise career move.

“For me, I’m happy with the contract I got,” Henle said.  “It’s funny because you hear different things about different promotions, but I’m happy.  I really want to get out there and put on a good show for MFC, but everything I hear about them is positive.  I never hear anything negative about the organization, as where guys I know have fought for Bellator are like, ‘They don’t fight you enough if you don’t make it in the tournament.’  I’ve also heard they screwed guys on their pay.  I don’t know if that was the case, but it’s what I’ve heard.

“I’m happy with the MFC and I think I am in a good place.  I want to keep the good things going.”

Henle also considers another advantage to fighting for MFC, as opposed to smaller promotions, is the fact that he won’t have to do as much of the foot work.  Smaller organizations depend on the competitors to sell tickets, which in turn pays the fighter.  Henle said he encourages up and coming mixed martial artists to take part in that method of filling seats, but having a 7-0-1 record and signing with a large promotion like MFC exempts him from those tasks.

His preparations for his upcoming bout, however, will not change.

Henle trains out of Reign MMA, a gym owned by UFC middleweight Mark Munoz.  The expertise Henle is exposed to at the facility is second to none, but commuting to the gym is a mission within itself.

“I’m at Reign’s about three or four days a week,” Henle said.  “It’s a two hour drive just to get there, so that’s four hours of driving for an hour and a half of training.  If you have ever experienced California driving, driving through L.A., you know it’s not something you look forward to.”

Henle has built his career to the point that he is on the brink of blowing up.  He worked hard to get where he is at, and though he enjoys his days off, they are not relaxed over a cold pint like many alpha males across the world.

“I don’t even drink, really,” Henle said.  “I love the taste of cold beer, but it hurts me.  I’ve become a big fan of non-alcoholic beer.  How weird is that?  It’s funny, because one time, after a friend’s fight we all went to T.G.I Friday’s and we were all eating.  I had a fight coming up and everyone was drinking beer.  I was like, ‘I love beer, I love the taste of it,’ so coach was like, ‘Have an O’Douls.’  I heard those taste terrible, but he was like, ‘You like the taste of cold beer, right?’  I said, ‘Yeah.’  He said, ‘Have one.’  It was good, it satisfied that craving, so now I stick to that.”

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