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Posts Tagged ‘highlight’

MMA DieHards Radio: Ottavia Bourdain, Jessica Philippus

by Joe Rizzo on March 13, 2013 6:15:11 PM in Radio, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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Who doesn’t like bad-ass ladies? If you don’t, then find a different show.

We like them so much that we have TWO of them on Wednesday’s edition of MMA DieHards Radio, a.k.a the best two hours of Jay Kelly’s week, when he co-hosts with Joe Rizzo. Find the player above to catch the show live weekly from 8:30-10:30 p.m. ET, 5:30-7:30 PT, and jump into the chat room to enhance your listening experience. Otherwise, catch the archive right here, or via iTunes or Stitcher.

Ottavia Bourdain gets things started, ahead of Jessica Philippus, who returns a week after we botched her first appearance.

Ottavia might get noticed because of a last name familiar to those who like watching other people eat on television, but the wife of Anthony Bourdain is quickly becoming MMA royalty. We pry into her story of finding a competitive outlet for her BJJ addiction, how she caught the MMA bug, and what makes her jet-set to events. Find out what recent UFC fight made her an emotional wreck while she watched cageside. Will she be at UFC 158? We’ll find out, and we’ll also try to get her picks for the welterweight bonanza.

Jessica’s appearance last week with “Team Fancy” partner Laura Sanko was truncated, so we made good on the spot to bring her back for this show. Catch the story behind how Jessica got to become an Invicta atomweight before ww pry into what might be next for her. Then we can all learn what goes into the decision-making process of being a young mom who chooses MMA.

All that and MORE on this episode of MMA DieHards Radio!

Punch Drunk Radio: Johny Hendricks, Dr. Johnny Benjamin

by Amy Barton on March 12, 2013 6:35:27 PM in Radio | No Comments »

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Here’s Johnny!

On tonight’s episode of Punch Drunk Radio, Amy Barton (Twitter: @amesbelle) and Alex Donno (Twitter: @AlexDonno) welcome Johny Hendricks and Dr. Johnny Benjamin to the show.

Hendricks (Twitter: @JohnyHendricks) is a No. 1 contender if there ever was one. After defeating the division’s upper echelon of fighters, Hendricks was awarded a UFC welterweight title shot, but got shafted to give the fans Nick Diaz vs. Georges St-Pierre. Nonetheless, Hendricks is keeping his name in the mix by taking on former No. 1 contender Carlos Condit at UFC 158, Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.

Dr. Johnny Benjamin (Twitter: @DrJCBenjamin) is no stranger to MMA. He is often published on mmajunkie.com, giving his take on medical issues surrounding the sport. From TRT abuse to proper weight cutting to PED use and transgender issues and beyond, Dr. Benjamin is the go-to-guy for the answers.

Tune in to Punch Drunk Radio every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET for exclusive fighter interviews, special guests, breaking news, contests, event recaps and much more – only on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. If you can’t be here live, catch the archive on demand right HERE following the broadcast – or on iTunes!

UFC 158: Jordan Mein on UFC welterweights: ‘I want to fight them all’

by Jason Kelly on March 12, 2013 2:21:44 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Jordan Mein (L) hitting Marius Zaromskis (R)

Now in the UFC, Jordan Mein aspires to test himself against all competitors in the welterweight division.

Hailing from Lethbridge, Alberta, Mein (Twitter: @fightingmeins) makes his UFC debut Saturday at UFC 158 against Dan Miller at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. It’s been a lifelong goal for Mein to compete in the Octagon, and at 23-years-old, the Canadian has put in the work throughout his 34-fight career.

Mein’s journey to the UFC began was he was a teenager and had his first professional fight against a now well-known UFC welterweight.

“(Rory MacDonald and I) were 16(-years-old), and it was at the Enmax Centre,” Mein told Jason Kelly and Joe Rizzo on MMA DieHards Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “It’s one of the bigger buildings we have in Lethbridge, they put on big concerts and my dad (the promoter) had the fights there. We’ve had a few there, but usually we had them at The Pavilion (At Lethbridge Exhibition Grounds), which is a smaller venue.

“I brought the family out there and it was a great night. We had a lot of fun. Unfortunately I lost in front of my friends and family, so that was kind of embarrassing, but you get over it and get better from it and learn.”

Though, Mein suffered a loss in his pro debut, he rebounded with back-to-back victories and continued gaining experience in western Canada. After racking up wins against UFC veterans such as Joe Riggs and Josh Burkman, Mein got a call from The Score Fighting Series to scrap international sensation Marius Zaromskis. Mein defeated Zaromskis via decision, and got an opportunity to show his skills under the Zuffa banner in Strikeforce.

First up, Mein met Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, and brutalized the Brazilian with standing elbows, resulting in a TKO victory. He then dropped a split decision against Tyron Woodley, but was victorious in his final Strikeforce match against Tyler Stinson.

With the closing event in Strikeforce’s existence scheduled, Mein was not required for the card. This led to the Canadian returning to SFS and fighting another UFC veteran in Forrest Petz, who Mein dismantled in Round 1, but it was still unsure if the Albertan’s next bout would be in the Octagon.

Fortunately, Mein didn’t endure a great deal of anxiety after defeating Petz.

“It took about a few weeks for them to get a hold of us,” Mein said. “They sent the contract, and yeah, that’s the only organization we talked to. That’s basically the only organization we wanted to talk to because that’s been my goal for a while now, to get in the UFC.”

In his inaugural UFC match, Mein is not being handed any favors, nor is he requesting any. Meeting Miller in his debut will gauge where Mein stands amongst the UFC welterweight division, and he is honored to test his mettle against such a formidable foe.

“He’s one of the best guys in the organization,” Mein said. “Coming down from middleweight, he fought Ricardo Funch. I watched that fight; I watched basically all of his fights. He’s a really tough guy, he’s never been finished, he’s one of the best and he’s had a long UFC career. I’m super excited I get my first fight to be with a guy like that. It means a lot to me.”

Defeating Miller is first on Mein’s list-to-do, but he does foresee a plethora of intriguing matches in his UFC career.

Mein said avenging a loss against MacDonald, or any of his previous opponents he suffered defeat to would be grand. But, with a talent laden pool of 170-pound fighters in his division, Mein is not picky with who he is matched against.

“There’s so many guys, right?” Mein said. “You got Kyle Noke, Nick Catone, Seth Baczynski, Brian Ebersole, T.J. Waldburger, Claude Patrick, there’s so many names out there. Maybe not a whole lot of people know who they are, but they’re all really solid fighters. There’s so many good guys to fight and I want to fight all of them.”

MMA DieHards Radio: Tommy Toe Hold, Laura Sanko, Jessica Philippus, Bruce Hoyer, John Makdessi

by Jason Kelly on March 6, 2013 7:25:16 PM in Radio | 1 Comment »

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Your magic number is five. That’s the number of guests for the best two hours of Jay Kelly’s week, when he co-hosts MMADieHards Radio with Joe Rizzo. Find the player above to catch the show live weekly from 8:30-10:30 p.m. ET, 5:30-7:30 PT, and jump into the chat room to enhance your listening experience. Otherwise, catch the archive right here, or via iTunes or Stitcher.

When it takes until the second paragraph to tell your listeners that the great TOMMY TOE HOLD is on the show, you’ve done something in the industry called “burying the lede.” Yes, the hottest person (caricature?) in MMA joins the fray.

Ahead of Tommy, whose next video hit around the same time as the live broadcast of MMADieHards Radio ended, are a couple of atomweights to set a torrid pace. Laura Sanko and Jessica Philippus are both 105-pound fighters in Invicta, and together they make Team Fancy. You’ll learn the story behind the nickname after the show kicks off with Laura’s Top 10 Reasons To Watch Invicta Instead of the UFC.

Yes, Laura came up with the whole thing herself.

Bruce Hoyer explains what happened when South Dakota Representative Steve Hickey visited his Next Edge Academy in Sioux Falls, along with Invicta’s Shayna Baszler, after Hickey’s controversial remarks comparing MMA to child pornography. Find out how Hoyer and Baszler responded and what they did to educate their publically elected official.

We close it out by looking ahead to UFC 158 as John Makdessi joins the show. Makdessi (10-2) is looking for his second straight win in the UFC on March 16 in Montreal, where he takes on Daron Cruickshank in a lightweight match. John’s appearance mark the continuation of the streak of shows in which Jay has had a Canadian guest.

But this time he is outnumbered by Americans.

*NOTE: Due to technical issues, Jessica’s appearance was limited, and she has agreed to come back on next week, along with Ottavia Bourdain.

Punch Drunk Radio: Chris Camozzi, Mike Ricci

by Amy Barton on March 5, 2013 6:10:37 PM in Radio | No Comments »

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Punch Drunk Radio’s host Amy Barton and Alex Donno welcome Chris Camozzi and Mike Ricci to this evening’s show.

Camozzi (Twitter: @ChrisCamozzi), a UFC middleweight, is set to face Nick Ring at UFC 158 on March 16 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Camozzi is on a three-fight win streak and has only suffered one loss since returning to the promotion after a one-fight hiatus outside the UFC.

Ricci (Twitter: @MikeyRicci), also competing on the UFC 158 preliminary card, was a finalist on “The Ultimate Fighter 16.” Ricci competed in his first official UFC bout against Colton Smith at the finale, where he was unsuccessful via unanimous decision. The Canadian mixed martial artist will meet Colin Fletcher on the March 16^th UFC card.

Alexis Davis: ‘I’m dying for that shot’ against Rousey

by Jason Kelly on March 4, 2013 9:38:05 AM in Features, Fighter Features | 8 Comments »

Alexis Davis

If Alexis Davis fought Ronda Rousey for the UFC women’s bantamweight title, it could be like her whole town is watching.

Davis (Twitter: @AlexisDavisMMA) hails from Port Colborne, Ontario. The town of Port Colborne is on the north shore of Fort Erie, has hovered around a population of 18,000 people since 1991, and is known as a retirement community with nice beaches and good fishing, not for its MMA.

Davis joined one of the few martial arts gyms in her locale that specialized in jiu-jitsu, where she became a member of the Dayboll Jiu-Jitsu and Fitness Academy. The Japanese and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt excelled in in the art and competed at the highest levels before transferring to MMA.

After stockpiling an ample amount of victories, Davis headed south and then west to train with some of the sport’s top fighters — and one well-notarized trainer.

“I followed my instructor down there,” Davis told Jason Kelly and Joe Rizzo on MMA DieHards Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “We went down to Florida; I had the opportunity to train with (Pablo) Popovitch. Then down at The Armoury, it was Edson Barboza and Marlon Moraes. Then we were kind of going through a transition period (and) I moved out to California. And I’m here now under Cesar (Gracie).”

Under Gracie’s wing, Davis competed three times in Strikeforce and twice in Invicta FC, losing only once. In fact, Davis’ five career blemishes have come against the highly regarded Tara LaRosa, Shayna Baszler, Elaina Maxwell and Sarah Kaufman (twice). In her 13 wins, Davis has finished nine opponents.

Davis’ winning ways and exciting bouts, coupled with an existing Zuffa contract from fighting under the Strikeforce banner, garnered the Canadian employment with the world’s premiere MMA organization.

“At first, (the UFC) called me and said they were bringing everybody over,” Davis said. “(They said), ‘You have a Zuffa contract and we’re going to bring you over on that, we’re just slowly making our rounds, through.’ I was kind of pumped, but didn’t quite believe it yet. Then we went and signed a new contract and that’s signed and put forth now.”

Same as a standard contract offered to male combatants, Davis signed a four-fight UFC deal. She is currently awaiting an opponent for her debut. With limited options in the depth for the UFC women’s bantamweight (135-pound) division, Davis sees just one suitable contest.

“It’s something I would take in a heartbeat,” Davis said. “I said from the very beginning that when they said no one would fight Rousey, I said I would fight her. I’m dying for that shot. It’s something hopefully that’s soon to come, (but) it’s in the hands of them. We (have) to wait for the UFC.”

That patience is a virtue is a reality Davis may soon have to swallow. UFC president Dana White hinted at the fact that the victor of Miesha Tate vs. Cat Zingano could receive the next chance to compete against Rousey for her strap.

That idea doesn’t sit well with Davis.

“It kills me that he said that,” Davis said. “I’d be more than willing to wait a couple of months if I was told I would get that shot. If it came down to, you know, (they) want to give Ronda a couple months’ break, I would wait for that shot. I would rather fight her than anyone else at this point because, you know, you risk getting injured or hurt, if not in the fight, then in training. I really hope — and I am pushing for — that fight.”

A fight against Rousey would attract an incredible amount of attention and draw a large crowd. Given the right venue, Davis could compete for the UFC women’s bantamweight title in front of a live audience with as many people as the population of the town she was raised in.

A title match with 18,000 onlookers is all it would take and Davis would feel right at home.

UFC on FUEL TV 8: Silva hushes retirement talks with KO victory over Stann

by Jason Kelly on March 3, 2013 6:12:15 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva yielded retirement talks with a violent, risky performance to earn a victory at UFC on FUEL TV 8, but an applied game plan could’ve caused a different outcome for the fight and his career.

Saturday, Silva defeated Stann via KO at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It was a highlight reel finish, as the “Axe Murderer” connected with a right, left combination that collapsed Stann in Round 2, but not after a sketchy opening frame for Silva.

Silva and Stann put on a fight reminiscent of those that the Brazilian presented in his days with Pride FC. Both combatants initiated the bout with an intense level of aggression. As they stood clinched in one another’s single-collar tie, Silva and Stann rifled punches back and forth, neglecting defense. Silva was dropped, but Stann was bleeding from his nose.

Silva took the center of the Octagon and challenged Stann, and the Marine did not shy away. They squared up and exchanged punches, where Silva was put down again. The Brazilian prevented from being laid flat out by clinching with Stann, and then the pair of mixed martial artists engaged in yet another unguarded exchange of fists. Silva was wobbled a couple of times from Stann’s shots, but the American hit the canvas once, as well.

In Round 2, Silva was more conservative with his strikes, but Stann continued with his radicalness of loaded punches and seeking a KO. Stann was loading up to throw a right-straight punch when Silva caught him first with the same punch, then followed up with a left-hook and sent “The All-American” to the canvas. It took a few effortless punches when Stann was on the mat for the referee to halt the match and declare Silva the winner.

For a fighter like Stann, who is equipped with adequate skills and strategizes game plans with MMA mastermind Greg Jackson, he did not employ those assets in this bout. Had he picked his punches with accuracy and avoided Silva’s heavy hands, Stann very well likely could’ve been the victor.

Silva has shown in recent years that he can’t absorb the punishment he once could. While still one of the toughest athletes the sport has ever seen, the former Pride FC middleweight champion has been on the wrong end of some brain rattling knockouts throughout his 49-fight, 17-year career.

Silva, whether he stays in the light heavyweight division or returns to the 185-pound weight class, will be matched against a formidable foe in his next outing. If he can lure his opponent into the sandstorm of strikes, the odds are in his favor, but against an implemented game plan, it could be his demise from the sport.

MMA DieHards Radio: Jordan Mein, Joe Lozito, Alexis Davis

by Jason Kelly on February 27, 2013 8:06:38 PM in Radio | No Comments »

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MMA DieHards Radio returns, as Jason Kelly (Twitter: @JayMMADieHards) and Joe Rizzo (Twitter: @rearnakedchoke) welcome in Jordan Mein and Joe Lozito on tonight’s show.

Mein (Twitter: @fightingmeins) makes his long awaited UFC debut on March 16 against Dan Miller at UFC 158 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. After blowing the competition, which included Joe Riggs, Josh Neer and Marius Zaromskis, in his native Canada, Mein competed under the Strikeforce banner where he went 2-1.

Lozito (Twitter: @joe_lozito), considerably the most heroic MMA fan in the world, joined the podcast to recite his near death experience and UFC treatment. Lozito chatted some MMA with the hosts, amongst other topics in the news.

Davis (Twitter: @AlexisDavisMMA), another UFC newcomer, enters the promotion on a two-fight win streak. Though, she doesn’t have a UFC fight scheduled yet, Davis is hoping for a shot at UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey.

Punch Drunk Radio: Douglas Lima, Mikey Rukus

by Amy Barton on February 26, 2013 7:37:42 PM in Uncategorized | No Comments »

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Douglas “The Phenom” Lima (Twitter: @PhenomLima) recently found his way back to the Bellator welterweight finals. At Bellator 90, Lima defeated Bryan Baker via KO and set up a rematch against Ben Saunders in the Bellator Season 8 finals. Lima will look to be victorious against Saunders again, which will result in a title rematch for the Brazilian against 170-pound champion Ben Askren.

Mikey Rukus (Twitter: @MikeyRukus) will also stop by and talk some music and MMA. He is the man behind the new PDR intro, yet has an insight to the MMA world. His aggressive music matches that of combat sports, and he embodies it with his talents.

Join us every Tuesday night at 9pm ET for MMA news & views, interviews, opinions, giveaways and more! Visit www.mmadiehards.com for show recaps, news, videos, and all of our archives.

How dare you criticize referee Yves Lavigne?

by Jason Kelly on February 25, 2013 2:18:28 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Referee Yves Lavigne (Photo courtesy of mmaconvent)

Ignorant critics are just part of the job for veteran referee Yves Lavigne.

As a member of the Canadian karate team, Lavigne (Twitter: @YvesLavignemma) competed at the highest levels. After retiring from karate he trained in the sweet science of boxing. Not being a competitor anymore, the French-Canadian began judging kickboxing matches in his native province of Quebec after being offered a position from a friend in the athletic commission.

Combat sports were a major interest in Lavigne’s life, and when he first witnessed a 170-pound Brazilian defeat combatants that were much larger in size, he knew it was something special.

“When I saw the first UFC,” Lavigne explained to Amy Barton and John Petit on Punch Drunk Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “You know the little guy with the pajamas beating everybody? His name was Royce Gracie. I didn’t understand what he was doing because I was coming from a striking background. I’m like, ‘Kick the guy, punch him. How come he’s winning?’ I was yelling at the TV. I didn’t really didn’t understand, but I loved what I was watching.”

Lavigne told the commissioner of the athletic commission in Quebec that MMA is the future, but the idea was shunned. To their surprise, Lavigne was correct in his predictions and the sport was legalized in Quebec in 1996.

Issues with unsanctioned bouts on Indian reserves were a problem at the time, so Lavigne assisted in structuring the sport and established rules, guidelines and precautionary measures in Quebec. This also led to his career as an MMA referee.

“I worked with the government in Quebec to legalize the sport,” Lavigne said. “In 1997 or ’98 we had the first legal sanctioned mixed martial arts in Quebec, and I was one of the refs. When we finished the process and came up with the rules we needed a ref and judge. They all looked at me and I said, ‘Ok, I’ll be the ref.’ It started like that.”

Now, a familiar face in the Octagon, Lavigne is watched under a microscope by people all over the world. Though, Lavigne is one of the best at his job, he is still human and makes errors from time to time.

Refereeing is the most underappreciated job in MMA. Gratitude is infrequently handed out, yet criticism is readily available.

“When everything goes right, it’s like you’re not there and they don’t even notice you,” Lavigne said. “When something goes wrong everybody is on you.”

To hear the barking from the fans is something Lavigne can tolerate, but when people who claim to be in the know slander the referee, he questions their understanding of the sport.

“When you have supposedly knowledgeable people who criticize your job or put a bad joke about you on the internet,” Lavigne said. “Sometimes it’s so specific. By the comment they (write) you find out they don’t know what there are talking about. It’s like sometimes a journalist or people that are supposed to know don’t know the rules we have to obey. They don’t know that the unified rules are not unified in all of the states. Sometimes we have to deal with different rules, and we get criticized because we are applying those rules. That kind of makes me mad sometimes, but its part of the job.”

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