Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

Posts Tagged ‘Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’

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

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

“I had tons of fans begging me to make that fight. Just to make it clear, from the last press conference, when they talk about all the top contenders and all the top contenders whining who didn’t get that fight. I called every single one of them and they turned it down,” White said. “Chael Sonnen accepted that fight on eight days’ notice, that’s my kind of guy.

“There’s tons of people who want to see Chael Sonnen, if you’re not one of them, don’t buy it. I’ll guarantee you’ll like the next fight, and if you don’t like that one, we put on plenty of fights — there will be one that you do like.”
- UFC president Dana White talked to mmafighting about next season’s coaches, Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen, on “The Ultimate Fighter.”

“After watching Jon’s last fight, I could just tell Chael to pull guard and he’s likely to submit Jones. I don’t know, I’m not going to disrespect the guy. He has an excellent overall game, incredible athlete. He’s super young so he can get better in everything else. But his ground in his last fight was a little suspect. He got caught in an armbar by a guy who is not known for having great jiu-jitsu for MMA, even though Vitor’s a black belt, he’s not known for having great jiu-jitsu for MMA. And especially getting somebody in the submission off his back, it made things even more unbelievable.”
- Vinny Magalhaes talked to Aaron Tru about Sonnen’s ability to submit Jones.

“They talk to me about the next fight and I’m not there. Like I’m supposed to win easy, like it’s a joke. Carlos Condit is a dangerous guy. I always respect my opponent. My life is on the line.”
- UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre explained to the NYPost the reason he is uncomfortable talking about any opponent other than Carlos Condit.

“Askren is so one dimensional, but he’s amazing at what he does. He’s not one of those fighters that’s going to go out there and try to strike against a striker and abandon his game plan. What he’s been doing so far has made him successful in his career. He’s being smart about it, he sticks to his game plan and just sharpens up a few things here and there.”
- Lyman Good talked to MMA DieHards about the combatant he will meet, Ben Askren, should he win the Bellator Season 7 welterweight tournament.

“I feel that if other athletes have low levels, and a doctor prescribes it, then that’s their decision to make. My decision is that I’ve gone this far without it, so I just want to finish out my career without the use of it. If Rich decides to do it or not, it’s his decision. For me, it just doesn’t change the game plan. My back kick won’t discriminate. It will connect the same way and do the same damage. I’ve gone this far without assistance, so why mess with a good thing? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
- Cung Le admitted to Bloodelbow that testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is something he has never used and doesn’t intend to use in the future.

“Rampage is an idol of the sport and good when he trains. It is a fight that will be hard, but I will be ready for him. I’m always ready to fight and I will beat this guy. He is talking about he will destroy me, fighting with two guys in the night. He lost to Forrest Griffin and talking he will fight with Griffin and me on the same night? So I say, this guy is clueless.”
- Glover Teixeira told Five Knuckles that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s statements are senseless.

If Overeem really doesn’t want to have to wait for a fight after his suspension is up, I am here ready to welcome him. I respect him as an athlete. After all, he was K-1, DREAM and Strikeforce champion. But I am not worried about titles or belts right now.

“Overeem is big and strong, but I know I can beat him. Even if was created in the lab, I can beat him.”
- Antonio Silva stated to mmajunkie that he is ready and willing to fight Alistair Overeem.

“(The blood) gave me motivation. The fans just went nuts. There was so much blood in the cage that night from him. Literally, it was the next day, and I had already taken two or three showers—the next day I still found blood in my ear, outside my ear. I found it inside, like rolled up in my eyelids.

“There was so much blood, I can’t even tell you. It was ridiculous. I can still taste it to this day. Like liquid metal. It was nuts. And definitely it motivated me. And that was a war. That was a war. I remember peeing blood after that.”
- Kenny Florian detailed his fight against Sean Sherk at “UFC 64: Unstoppable” to Bleacher Report.

“I know the Showtime relationship with Zuffa has been rocky. I know they hoped to renew that relationship and build that relationship, but they weren’t able to pull that off. I think you’re going to see the Strikeforce guys absorbed and plucked like they did the WEC.”
- UFC hall of famer Randy Couture was a guest on MMA Uncensored Live, and gave his thoughts on the assumed demise of Strikeforce.

“There’s plenty of fighters out there. Damn, they can give me a call and I’ll fight for them and we won’t have to cancel a card. But, I am surprised. I would think they would have other fighters to build a card.”
- Kurt Holobaugh told MMA DieHards that all Strikeforce has to do is give his phone a ring if they need a substitute to avoid cancelling an event.

Twitter MMA: Best of the Week for Sept. 9 – Sept. 16

Dana White ‏@danawhite

Rampage is hurt and out of UFC 153 RIO. SUCKS!!!!!!

Dana White ‏@danawhite

Now Aldo is out with foot injury. Main and co main in the same day!! Another amazing day at the UFC. We have some work to do

Stephan Bonnar ‏@StephanBonnar

Holy crap! Haven’t been on twitter in a couple days & i see this crazy rumor that I’m fighting @spideranderson in Brazil ..my fav place

Stephan Bonnar ‏@StephanBonnar

What!!! I’m only a 13 to 1 underdog vs Anderson? I must be better than I thought

Anderson Silva ‏@SpiderAnderson

#SpiderFriday Starting training to #UFC Rio III Ooosspic.twitter.com/hVhfUJi1

Rodrigo Nogueira @ Minotauromma

I thank all of you who gallows asked me to be part of the UFC Rio card 3.Now we’re in. What do you think? Thanks @ danawhite

Dana White ‏@danawhite

Much respect to Anderson, Nog, Bonnar, etc thank u for stepn up for UFC 153!!!! Brazil will be FUN. Here we come RIO

Quinton Jackson ‏@Rampage4real

Dr. Colker fixing me up as only he can. Back with him and taking his MYO-X. Now I know I’m gonna be pure pow http://instagr.am/p/PkNI0Ev_A_/

glover teixeira ‏@gloverteixeira

I am upset about rampage, I am in shape I’m healthy. And I pray to God so I don’t get any injury, I’ll fight whoever

Fabio Maldonado @ MaldonadoMMA

glover teixeira,you much respect,but we will fight,i have same style of rampage q would fight with you,we are going to do in the ufc fight that the bitetti combat did not

Bisping @bisping

@ufc urijah favour,Joseph benavidez and the rest of the munchkin crew talk s— cos theyre stuck in the body’s of pre pubescent boys

and I’ll take the Pepsi challenge with smug faced little shit any time.

Urijah Faber @UrijahFaber

Thought we were buddies @bisping I know u can dish it out but can’t take it back @ufc ur like a spoiled 3rd grader. Grow up.

Joseph Benavidez ‏@JoeJitsu

Wow didn’t think a big, tough, secure guy like @bisping would get all butt hurt at my blog. Pretty funny.

Demetrious Johnson ‏@MightyMouseUFC

gotta love @joerogan riffs on the flyweight division “basically tiny man that can F&%k you up” Awesome!! #teammighty

Walel Watson ‏@135Gazelle

Im sittin here gettin my pedicure and I’m the only dude so these ladies at the shop throw on college football lol!

Pat Miletich ‏@patmiletich

Enjoyed my weekly TSA episode of “strangers groping strangers” this morning at the Houston airport.

Ben Askren ‏@Benaskren

@patmiletich do you refuse to go through the X ray machines? Some of those TSA people have no shame

Pat Miletich ‏@patmiletich

@Benaskren No, but I do wink at the female TSA agents that look at the security X-RAY of me. They always smile.

Eric Kelly ‏@EricKelly

I respect him but confused why @ColeKonradMMA retired MMA to become a wallstreet nerd! #getyourerickellyon

Cole Konrad ‏@ColeKonradMMA

@EricKelly you get it. My job is to provide for my family. And I needed to make the right decision for them. But it was a blast.

Aaron Simpson ‏@aaronsimpson

Big congrats to @Dadeez87 for his win tonight! Nice to get the first one under his belt. @Powermmafitness @magllc

Ryan Bader ‏@ryanbader

Congrats @Dadeez87 on your win buddy! nice job @RayRgs79 @Powermmafitness

Vladimir Matyushenko injured; Roger Hollett back in to meet Matt Hamill at UFC 152

by Robert G. Reynolds on September 11, 2012 4:35:59 PM in News | No Comments »

http://mmajunkie.com/news/30587/vladimir-matyushenko-injured-roger-hollett-back-in-to-meet-matt-hamill-at-ufc-152.mma

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

by Jason Kelly on August 27, 2012 12:00:55 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

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

“This is probably one of my all-time lows as being President of the UFC over the last 11 years. For the first time in 11 years we’re going to cancel an event. This Saturday’s fight at Mandalay Bay is being cancelled. Dan Henderson has a partial tear in his MCL and couldn’t continue. He tried to train. He tried to continue to work out. He saw doctors and there was nothing we could do to save that fight. One of the things that you guys have heard me brag about a million times, how UFC doesn’t have to cancel events, we can always find a replacement. For somebody to fight Jon Jones on eight days’ notice is tough to do, but to be totally honest with you guys, one guy did. Not only when we called him did he say, ‘I’ll take the fight,’ he said, ‘I’ll fly to Las Vegas tonight and fight him,” and that was Chael Sonnen. Chael Sonnen accepted the fight with Jon Jones, wanted the fight bad. As of 8-9 o’clock last night, we had a fight. We here at the UFC started working, creating different commercials, PR started to crank up. I was going to do this call and obviously it was going to be a different call this morning but the one thing that I never thought in a million years would happen, happened. Jon Jones said, ‘I’m not fighting Chael Sonnen with eight days’ notice.” Again, something that’s never happened in UFC history. A guy who’s a world champion and considered one of the pound-for-pound best turns down a fight. That has never happened either. So right now what’s happening is this fight is cancelled. It’ll be Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida on Saturday September 22nd on the Toronto, Canada card at UFC 152.”
- Dana White broke the news that UFC 151 is cancelled on a media conference call.

“When I decided to go after the light heavyweight championship, I knew that I’d win it like I always do. I just didn’t know it would be by forfeit. But I do stand before you today the light heavyweight champion. I’m in the same position today as I was yesterday. The fight’s going to happen sooner or later. It’s not like I’m not going to beat this guy up. It’s just a matter of when. My biggest concern isn’t with the fight or myself at all. My biggest concern is with Dan Henderson and his health. I have a personal relationship with him. I know his kids and how much he loves playing with them, so I just hate to see the guy’s health in any kind of jeopardy.”
- Chael Sonnen commented on his new championship via Bleacher Report, following Jon Jones’ decision to not fight The Gangster from West Lynn.

“Sadly and unfortunately, I partially tore a ligament in my knee in training. As a result I’ve had to make one of the toughest decisions that I have ever had to make…for the first time in my career I am forced to pull out of a fight, my fight with Jon Jones at UFC 151. Luckily, surgery is not needed at this time and I will be completely devoted to rehabing my knee as quickly as possible. I feel that I owe it to my fans and all the people supporting me to fight at my full potential in order to give myself a chance to win the UFC title. I appreciate the loyal support that I have felt from my fans. I want to thank all of my coaches and team of guys for the great support with my training camp. Most importantly, I appreciate their honesty when I needed them the most to make this very difficult decision. I also want to thank Dana and Lorenzo for being so understanding and supportive. I will continue to pursue the UFC belt with all of my heart!”
- Dan Henderson took to his Facebook account and commented on the injury that prevented him from competing at UFC 151.

“I heard that Dan Henderson was hurt. I said, ‘Wow, I’m not getting the shot at 185, let me get Jon Jones, he’s freaking awesome.”
- Chris Weidman told mmafighting.com that he also offered to scrap Jones.

“I was asked if it was smart to take a fight on three days’ notice and I don’t think it’s smart to do that. Three days to fight a guy that caliber is not a smart thing to do. I’m not trying to ruin the sport or cancel an event. I don’t know about that stuff, but thought it wasn’t a wise course of action. It’s a serious fight with serious ramifications. I didn’t mean to cancel an event and was asked to give an opinion and I gave it. I didn’t know they had it all riding on one fight. It’s one of those things…as a trainer. I’ll give you my opinion. I’m not a yes man…I do what’s best for my guy. I’m surprised by the veracity of his response but that’s my opinion. In this case (of the short notice fight), it’s a world title fight in the best sport in the world on three days’ notice. This isn’t backyard brawling…it’s a professional sport. I think Chael is brilliant. He circumvented an entire division…went right from Anderson (Silva) to Jon. It’s brilliant…he’s got nothing to lose and everything to gain. I’m always impressed by him.”
- Greg Jackson talked to The MMA Show about advising Jones not to take the match against Sonnen.

“Greg Jackson is a f*cking sport killer.”
- White talked about Jones’ head training on the UFC 151 conference call.

“Other than him (Sonnen) being a southpaw, they’re the exact same guy, they come out of the same camp and they’ve been training together their entire career. The difference between Chael Sonnen is Chael Sonnen is a wrestler, he doesn’t even hit as hard as Dan Henderson does. The only thing that is changing is his stance, he’s a southpaw. Other than that, he doesn’t even hit as hard as Dan Henderson. He’s 185-pounder. Dan Henderson has knocked out the who’s-who in mixed martial arts over his entire career. This guy is dangerous.”
- White told ESPN that Henderson and Sonnen are similar and, if anything, “Hendo” is a more dangerous opponent for “Bones.”

“I can’t imagine anyone in the UFC or any fighter turning down that fight. He’s the freaking Michael Jordan of MMA right now. He’s sponsored by Nike, he’s sponsored by the UFC, he’s driving the Bentley. With that kind of clout or whatever, you know you have to pay your own bills. It’s not like he was asked to come home from his honeymoon and take a fight. It’s not like that at all.

“You are well-prepared, this guy is not well-prepared and you won’t fight him? To me it’s just silly.”
- Charlie Brenneman talked to MMA DieHards about Jones’ decision to not fight at UFC 151.

“I feel horrible. I trained hard for this fight, but I’m most hurt for the people who were flying out that booked hotels and flights that can’t get their money back. This is the second time I’ve screwed over my supporters. I was going to fight at (UFC) 148. My people booked then the UFC sent me to Virginia. They were assed out. Sure they went to (UFC) 148, they had no choice. Now (UFC) 151 cancelled? If I was a fan of mine I probably would be skeptical on buying tickets to my fights and that sucks because I’m trying to build a fan base. That said, I still want to fight Mizugaki.”
- Jeff Hougland told MMA DieHards that he feels for everyone affected by the cancellation of UFC 151.

“We bust our asses and every time I go in a fight I am looking to do what I dream of doing. What I dream of doing is having the best performance I have ever had. Now I don’t have that opportunity.

“How many people get to go out and get their money, get their sponsor money and then possibly make another significant amount of money based on your performance? You don’t get to do that often in life and this is losing one of those few opportunities I had. It’s gone.”
- Brenneman explained to MMA DieHards, the disappointments of not getting to compete following the cancellation of UFC 151.

“Unfortunately a lot of sponsors do screw fighters over for their pay. That’s, as they say, some people pay for other’s mistakes. By doing this I don’t want fighters to be afraid of Fear The Fighter. At the end of the day we will come through and everybody will be happy.”
- Fear the Fighter president David Makdessi talked to MMA DieHards about paying would-be competitors on the UFC 151 card that they sponsored, even though the fighters did not compete.

“I got no problem fighting Chael but why would I want to fight a motherfucker that’s going to take me down and hump me? Why would I want to fight that guy. Honestly, Chael sucks. I’ll say it to his motherfucking face. Chael sucks. I like fighters. I like people who go out there and fight. Look at him, he goes out there and just tries to take you down and lay on you. Dude can’t bust a fucking grape, he fucking punch soft. Look what he did to Silva the first time. He beat him up four rounds and he didn’t even have a mark on his face.”
- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson talked about Sonnen on an MMA Elite video.

“I don’t see a title shot even happening. Anderson Silva’s at a point where he needs to be fighting Jon Jones, he needs to be fighting GSP. If I’m Anderson Silva’s manager, that’s what I’m telling him to do. Don’t mess around with Alan Belcher or Chris Weidman there. I ain’t even worried about that.”
- Alan Belcher talked about the likelihood of fighting Weidman, as opposed to A. Silva via the “Talent’s” video blog.

“What I can tell you is what I’ve been doing on my preparation. I guess he’s trying to take me down anyway he can and, since I prefer to stand-up, I’ll try to keep actions up and go for the knockout again. I’m very well prepared, training a lot of ground game too and who knows? If he takes me down maybe I can submit him. After all, I train Jiu-Jitsu a lot and, as a Brazilian, someday I’ll submit someone.”
- Knockout artist and UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos told Tatame that one day he show off his ground skills, and that day may be when he meets Cain Velasquez.

That fight that I just fought, I kind of took it too early. I was fighting a number of injuries. I don’t want to make any excuses, but he caught me with an elbow as I was just finding my groove. … You know Hector Lombard has been talking a lot about me. So I don’t mind fighting him. I know he’s upset about what I said about him. I didn’t want to disrespect him at all. That’s just how I felt before I was asked those questions. I didn’t want to disrespect him. He’s a very good fighter, but if he wants to go, we can go.
- Mark Munoz told BJPenn.com that he would accept a bout against Hector Lombard.

“The haters can say what they want, but I’ll put myself out there and say this: Daniel will be Frank Mir’s last fight. Me and Daniel used to place bets on who could retire more people. Right now, I’m up one, because I believe I retired Mark Kerr. Daniel will tie it up after this fight with Frank Mir.”
- Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal told Bloody Elbow that Daniel Cormier will be the demise of Frank Mir.

“I don’t owe her anything and I think it’s wrong to reward someone like that with a title fight and with all of the considerations they want after they disgrace the sport and their country like that. If, while she was doping, she could get down to 145, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that if she’s not doping, she could be lighter. When have you ever heard of somebody taking a bunch of steroids and then stopping and maintaining the same muscle mass? It’s a flawed argument. She’s come into fights overweight and comes into fights on steroids. She obviously has no respect for the people she is fighting. She’s never had a fair fight once in her life and I’m going to put my foot down once and for all and give her a fair fight. I can see why she is scared to death with it and completely against it. I’m the strongest competitor that she’s ever going to come across. She’s not going to have any of those advantages.”
- Cris “Cyborg” Santos spoke on her arch nemesis, Ronda Rousey, to ESPN.

“I think I’m definitely making my mark to get back into title contention,” St. Preux said of his most recent victory. “I can see myself in the running for the top three or the top five. All I want is that belt whether it’s in Strikeforce or the UFC. That’s definitely my No. 1 mindset to get that 205 lb. belt.”
- Ovince St. Preux talked to MMA DieHards about his position in the Strikeforce light heavyweight division.

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

by Jason Kelly on July 23, 2012 3:48:19 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

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

“I think that the under card was awesome. These guys blew it out of the water. I said this the other day and it’s true: This company, we make money. I like breaking records. We broke the gate record here tonight and I’m embarrassed. I was excited when I heard, but now I’m embarrassed. The under card delivered — they were awesome. The main card did not [deliver]. I don’t think the Faber-Barao fight deserved the boos — you’re talking about two of the best guys in the world in a five-round title fight. It was very technical, everyone understands how good Urijah Faber is and Barao dominated him tonight. I think there were a lot of things that went wrong. I felt like I was at UFC 33 again. I think that Cheick Kongo and Shawn Jordan pressed against the fence for three rounds and I think the ref let him do it…. We’re at UFC 149. We can count on one hand how many shows actually sucked. And tonight is one more finger on the hand.”
- Dana White admitted at the UFC 149 post-fight press conference that the event was not one he was impressed with

“It just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. Whether it was Boetsch or Lombard winning, I was expecting a real war. I thought this thing was going to be a war. You can’t be angry with [Lombard], but it just shows you guys, ranking guys who don’t fight in the UFC, it’s two different worlds. Guys that fight in other organizations that end up in top 10 rankings, it’s a whole other world over here. Lombard maybe should fight at 170. He made 185 easily. He’s short and wide, but I think he could make 170.”
- White addressed Hector Lombard’s UFC debut at the UFC 149 post-fight press conference.

“I’m down to fight anybody, anytime, anywhere. Dan Hardy has a lot of hype behind him and I know if I beat him it will put me on the map, for sure. That’s the only reason why, I have nothing personal against him, he has nothing personal against me. A win over Dan Hardy and I guarantee everybody knows my name afterward. A win over somebody else might not give me the same recognition. I will be completely honest. When I fought in Manchester, England, they were very cruel to me. One fan actually spit directly in my face, and he was lucky enough where it hit my mouth … to be disrespected like that … for some butter-toothed Brit to spit in my mouth, that was some bull. And honestly, it’s never been the same.”
- Matt Riddle told mmafighting.com he wants a bout with “The Outlaw.”

“Yeah, I guess (I did just send a big F you to all the haters out there). It looks more impressive, I think, because I used to be so boring, so, all the better. I visualized it for a long time. I knew this was coming. I don’t know how that sounds but I’ve seen this every day when I close my eyes, so it was not unexpected.”
- Ryan Jimmo told mmafighting.com his KO win over Anthony Perosh was a message to the naysayers.

“I’ve gotten all good responses about it. The only thing I think people think was bad, it wasn’t really bad, it was one person in a forum or a blog said, ‘No grown man should ever get on his knees.’ Something like that. Besides that I’ve only seen good feedback off of it. I have heard nothing from Dana (White).

“There’s nothing bad you can really take from it. I didn’t tell him, ‘You cheap ass.’ I just can’t think of a way somebody can construe that into something that was bad for me to be throwing out there.”
- Lorenz Larkin talked Punch Drunk Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network about the response he received after requesting fighter bonuses in Strikeforce.

“I don’t want to fight Cain Velasquez. He’s helped me so much to become a mixed martial artist. When I started, the dude opened himself up to me and showed me so much. He didn’t have to do that for me … As I’ve said time and time again, if Cain is champion, in my heart of hearts, I know I don’t want to fight that guy. Then I will go fight Jon Jones. I will fight Jon Jones if I have to. Imagine that: Me and Jones standing across the cage from one another. That would be crazy because you know I’m putting him on his back.”
- Daniel Cormier told ESPN he’s willing to drop to the light heavyweight division to avoid battling Cain Velasquez.

“I think Chael should keep his word and leave the UFC because that’s what he said he was gonna do if he lost,” Jackson said. “He lost horribly. Bad! Chael sucks. He should go somewhere where people like his interviews, the way he talks [expletive] on everybody. I can’t stand that boy. [Expletive] Chael.”
- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson told Lowkick that Chael Sonnen should exit the UFC after losing to Anderson Silva.

“If stupidity was a disease that was treatable by medicine, ‘Rampage’ would be the first one in line at the pharmacy, every morning. If ‘Rampage’ wants to fight with me, let’s fight! But, the reality is, he’s on a two-fight losing streak, he can’t make weight, nobody cares about him, he doesn’t keep his word, and he’s out of the company in a matter of months. If he wants to fight, I accept.”
- Sonnen joined “MMA Uncensored Live” and admitted he is willing to fight “Rampage.”

“I don’t like being somebody’s teammate and being treated like I’m a groupie. I didn’t even want to go out of my way to say hello to that guy. Get over yourself. All you do is swim. If someone slapped you every time you jumped in the pool, I might have a little respect, but I was a swimmer before I did this stuff, and you can’t tell me that swimming is OH MY GOD, because it’s not.”
- Ronda Rousey gave her opinion on Michael Phelps to yahoo.com.

“F—. F— is my favorite word, period.”
- The UFC president told the edmontonjournal.com his favorite word, as if you didn’t know.

Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira added to UFC 153

by Robert G. Reynolds on July 9, 2012 2:54:35 PM in News | No Comments »

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29595/ufc-153-adds-quinton-rapage-jackson-vs-glover-teixeira.mma

King Mo says F the purists, willing to fight with or against “Rampage” Jackson

by Michael Steczkowski (Stets) on May 12, 2012 8:17:22 PM in Videos | No Comments »

Recent Bellator/TNA employee Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal. (Esther Lin/Strikeforce)

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal talked to MMADieHards.com about Bellator and TNA Impact. Lawal also elaborated on fighting Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in Bellator, and then becoming tag-team partners with the former UFC light heavyweight champ in TNA Impact.

UFC 144: Ryan Bader sacrifices gym responsibility for Octagon victories

by Jason Kelly on February 23, 2012 11:00:20 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

UFC light heavyweight Ryan Bader (Photo courtesy of UFC.com)

Ryan Bader surrendered some responsibilities in the gym, to succeed in the cage.

Bader (Twitter: @ryanbader) has become a familiar face in the Octagon since winning The Ultimate Fighter 8. He strung together a 12-0 record before suffering back-to-back losses to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz, and then rebounded in his most recent bout with a victory over Jason Brilz at UFC 139. Bader credits the win to a change at his home gym Power MMA and Fitness, and intends on utilizing the same modification to prepare for his upcoming opponent.

Bader meets Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Saturday at UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The two combatants will square off in a country where “Rampage” built his fame, and Bader is content with that. As a matter of fact, Bader is relishing the opportunity to compete against a legend of the sport in The Land of the Rising Sun.

“Fighting a guy like “Rampage”, who’s been around the sport for so long, done so much for the sport and beat the who’s who of MMA is a big thing,” Bader said to MMADieHards.com. “He just fought for the title; he’s top five in the division, so this is a huge opportunity for me. It’ll be fun to go out to Japan and fight over there and I look forward to seizing the opportunity.”

Bader has the momentum of a victory under his wings as he heads east, but just eight months ago his UFC career was somewhat uncertain.

The former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler lost to Jones at UFC 126 and suffered his first career defeat. “Darth” then met Ortiz, a former UFC champion that was considered to be in twilight of his career. The mentions of Bader being able to conquer Ortiz with ease did not fall on deaf ears. Bader approached the bout convinced that everybody’s speculation of Ortiz’s skill set diminishing was correct and he was defeated by the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy”.

The perspective fans have of Bader’s current opponent is the opposite to that of Ortiz, so instead of becoming complacent as the bout approaches, the former ASU standout wrestler is quite enthused.

“”Rampage” is always tough,” Bader admitted. “He’s coming off a loss to a champion who is blowing through people right now, so you can’t think he is not tough because of that loss. He’s tough no matter what. Nobody can ever count “Rampage” out.

“I’ve actually been hearing the opposite of what I heard about Tito going into that fight. I’ve been hearing I don’t have a chance, but that just motivates me. It makes me train smarter, harder and want to go in there and get that win.”

In order to get that win Bader trained at Power MMA and Fitness in Gilbert, Ariz.

Bader, along with C.B. Dollaway and Aaron Simpson, founded the facility in 2010. Bader said he trained with Dollaway, Simpson, plus visitors they had come through the gym every couple of weeks to get ready for UFC 144. The group ensured Bader would be prepared for Jackson, even if “Rampage” shows up in the prime physical condition he exhibited against Jones in their title bout at UFC 135.

“I’m ready for the best “Rampage” there is,” Bader stated. “Who knows, he just fought for a title and trained for five rounds, so maybe he isn’t taking me that hard. Either way, we’re prepared for the best “Rampage” that can possibly be and we’re in shape and ready for him.”

Following Bader’s two-fight losing skid he realized a change was in order. Power MMA and Fitness supplied him with ample training partners, yet also an abundance of coaching duties.

Bader said the team opted to bring in a head coach and form a coaching staff from there. This would allow the UFC fighters in the gym to focus on competing, and leave the strategizing and scouting to the coaches.

This adjustment proved beneficial for Bader in his last outing and he expects an even greater improvement in his performance at UFC 144.

“I feel like I’ve improved more in the last four months than I have in the past four years,” Bader confessed. “In that last fight I felt comfortable. I wasn’t over trained, I felt comfortable working with my hands and that was because I had more time to focus on my stand-up. Also, going in with a specific game plan, not just a loose game plan like, ‘Oh, I’m going to go in there and take him down.’ It’s more than that. It’s kind of like we go round by round, minute by minute, and have plans B and C in case A isn’t working out.

“All the changes in the gym are definitely going to help me in the fight, they already have.”

“Rampage” Jackson vs. Ryan Bader set for UFC 144

by Jason Kelly on November 24, 2011 3:20:31 PM in News | No Comments »

http://ESPN.com

Stephan Bonnar willing to do battle in uncharted territory

by Jason Kelly on November 24, 2011 8:00:37 AM in Features, Fighter Features | 1 Comment »

Stephan Bonnar mounting Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 139 (Photo courtesy of ESPN)

Stephan Bonnar is enjoying the places MMA has taken him. If Japan is next, so be it.

Bonnar’s (Twitter: @StephanBonnar) UFC career began in The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale on April 9, 2005. He has since fought nationwide in the famed Octagon, and even competed in Sydney for the Zuffa-owned promotion. Bonnar’s latest UFC appearance was against Kyle Kingsbury at Saturday’s UFC 139 event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and it was an odd display in the cage from him.

Bonnar, known for blood-bath brawls, took a comparatively peculiar approach against Kingsbury. He showcased his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black-belt that he earned under Carlson Gracie, and dominated Kingsbury with slick transitions and top control. It was unexpected for Bonnar to compete against the American Kickboxing Academy teammate in that fashion, but “The American Psycho” insists he was simply showing the facets of mixed martial arts.

“I’m happy to remind people MMA is all of that, it’s the greatest sport in the world because of that,” Bonnar told Alex Donno, Mike Fester and Amy Barton on MMA Beatdown on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “I love football, but it’s so controlled by plays and coaches and about how fast a guy can run a 40 (yard dash) and how high he can jump. MMA is your interpretation of disciplines and techniques and things that may work, and that’s what I do. I train (in) every area very hard and when I go to a fight I have 20 techniques from Muay Thai to work on this guy. I have 20 techniques on the ground I can use against this guy. I didn’t get to do a tenth of the moves I had planned. You think if he was able to escape my side-control a little more there’s probably 10 different submissions that I’m good at getting when a guy does escape from side-control. It was artistic.”

The victory over Kingsbury makes three in a row for Bonnar, and he is beginning to be mentioned as an opponent for some high-ranked light-heavyweight competition.

The division is occupied by the likes of as Dan Henderson, Maurico “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and champion Jon Jones. All great foes to test Bonnar’s mettle, but with Henderson and Rua coming off perhaps the best MMA match in history, Evans sitting in title contention, and Machida set to challenge Jones at UFC 140, “Rampage” is the only one name left on the list of potential opponents for “The American Psycho.”

Bonnar is interested in scrapping the intimidating Jackson, and if he takes a beating, so be it.

“That was actually a shot in the dark, I said his name and he wanted to fight me,” Bonnar admitted. “I haven’t heard anything else. I remember going on The Ultimate Fighter, and he was fighting Wanderlei (Silva) the second time and we had no TV or internet, so I didn’t know what happened. I had Coach (Rafael) Cordeiro tell the story of the fight and it felt like I was watching the fight and “Rampage” lost and I felt bad for him. I was a huge Rampage fan, he’s hilarious.

“He’s someone that when you fight him it’s a win-win situation. The worst thing that happens is I go out and get my ass kicked. So what, I got my ass kicked by Rampage? Who cares, I think it’s kind of cool.”

If things pan out and Bonnar went on to defeat Jackson, he might be flirting with a No. 1 contender match. As a fighter, who wouldn’t want that opportunity, but Bonnar is happy taking what he can get.

“Honestly, I just take what’s on my plate,” Bonnar confessed. “I only think about the meal in front of me, really. When you get caught up in title shots and chasing them, you’re never satisfied. When you get a fight, you think about the one after. It’s all just about winning the fight in front of me, get the money and live some of my dreams. I get to do the merchandising and be on TV and live my life out.”

A fight against Jackson would help Bonnar live out a few more dreams.

Bonnar would be testing himself against a legend in the game, and Jackson has been vocal about wanting to fight on the UFC card that takes place February 2012, in Saitama, Japan. Rampage made a name for himself fighting in Pride in Japan earlier in his career, and if that’s where he wants to get down, Bonnar will happily oblige.

“I’ve never fought there, its uncharted territory,” Bonnar said. “You want to live and see the whole world? Well, that’s part of it.”

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