No guest? No problem! With UFC 115 days away, Jaco’s Ryan Loco and MMADiehards’ Cameron Gidari and Paul Delos Santos all give their picks. Listen as Loco and Cameron discuss the prospects of former TUF winner Mac Danzig, and Cameron and Paul debate Chuck Liddell’s future.
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Many people thought Jason Brilz got robbed against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 114. Brilz dropped a split decision but at least he walked away with $76,000 because of the $65K fight of the night bonus, after taking the bout on short notice when Forrest Griffin dropped out with an injury.
Brilz joined Cameron Gidari and Ryan Loco on the Ground and Pound to cover everything about the effort.
When Matt Mitrione entered The Ultimate Fighter’s 10th season, he was an ex-NFL player with no professional MMA wins.
Now, after a successful UFC debut, Mitrione is becoming a true mixed martial artist.
Mitrione’s next opponent is, Kimbo Slice. The TUF 10 castmates will meet at UFC 113 in Montreal on Saturday’s pay-per-view portion of the card.
“I’m extremely comfortable, extremely confident for this fight,” Mitrione told The Free Roll show on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “I’m glad that Kimbo wants to eat a ‘Meathead’ sandwich because he’s sure going to get all of it he wants. We’re going to get in there, we’re going to bang. I firmly believe that I’m going to put my hands on him and put him to sleep. He thinks the same thing, and that’s what the fun part of the fight is.”
Mitrione also responded to a statement made by TUF 10 champion Roy Nelson, who said that Kimbo’s ground game was better than Mitrione’s.
“Roy Nelson saying that my ground game’s worse than Kimbo’s is one of the dumbest comments you can make,” Mitrione said on the show. “And if you’re going to base your opinion on my ground game off of the show then I can base my opinion of Roy’s ground game on the show and say Roy’s ground game sucks too, because Roy did as little as possible, he sandbagged everything. So it’s just kind of silly. It kind of gets me when people speculate on dumb shit like that. I respect Roy, but I think he’s out of place by throwing that out there.”
Speaking of the ground game, Mitrione says that his is constantly evolving and improving, and that fans will be surprised when they see how much so.
“I’m trying crazy shit (in practice) that I’ve never tried before, and I’m pulling it off probably 40 percent of the time,” Mitrione said. “I’m trying to make my own submissions up. I’m going to name something the ‘Meat-o-tine.’”
Mitrione talked about working with usual Free Roll co-host Duke Roufus and fellow UFC heavyweight Pat Barry, his striking technique, and new sponsorship with Dell Computers’ Alienware brand. Plus, guest co-host Hector Castro volunteered host Cameron Gidari for a dance-off against Mitrione and Barry. No word on whether or not Barry would bring his best Techno Viking imitation to the contest.
To hear full episodes of The Free Roll, listen live every Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe to the podcast by searching “MMA Radio” on iTunes.
Matt “Meat” Mitrione, formerly of The Ultimate Fighter’s 10th season, took on The Free Roll.
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Cameron Gidari and Hector Castro (subbing for Duke Roufus) chatted up Matt about his upcoming fight with Kimbo Slice, his TUF 10 castmate.
Matt has been training under Duke for a significant part of his camp for this fight, and talks about how it’s made a huge difference in his game. He also especially noted Duke’s ability to help with cardio for big men.
Matt has been working with Eric “Red” Shafer, and talked about how his ground game has improved. “I’m making up submissions,” he said. “I think I’m going to come up with something and call it the ‘Meat-o-tine.’ ”
Jeff Clark teaches his fighters the basics in and out of the cage (Picture courtesy of CombatLifeStyle.com).
The Free Roll on the MMA DieHards Radio Network: Cameron Gidari and the guest host, UFC fighter Aaron Simpson, are joined by trainer Jeff Clark.
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Jeff Clark has been a professional fighter, MMA coach and one of the most highly respected managers in the industry.
Originally fighting out of Carlsbad, Calif., Clark was a member of North County Fight Club, where he trained with teammates Jason Lambert, Eddie Sanchez and others. Clark is a US champion in full-contact karate and holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Roy Harris.
He won the Grapplers Quest Master’s Division in 2003. Clark is also a noted expert on MMA and frequently featured in publications and other media. He was named to the prestigious 2009 Fight! Power 20, selected as one of “the top movers and shakers in the mixed martial arts world” by the leading industry lifestyle magazine.
The Free Roll Radio: Jon Chaimberg from Hector Castro on Vimeo.
MMADieHards.com’s Cameron Gidari welcomed his new co-host, Duke Roufus of RoufuSport.com, and guest Jonathan Chaimberg to The Free Roll radio show.
Roufus brings over 30 years of combat experience to the Free Roll. The four-time Professional Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion operates Milwaukee MMA, working with fighters like Pat Barry and Eric Schafer. Roufus has also worked as a color commentator for K-1 and King of the Cage, and is regarded as one of the top Muay Thai trainers in the country.
Cameron and Duke were joined by Chaimberg, the renowned strength and conditioning coach, to break down his work with fighters like Georges St. Pierre, Jon Jones and Kenny Florian.
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FREE ROLL REVIEW
Introducing co-host Duke Roufus, with guest Jonathan Chaimberg
By Cameron Gidari
MMA DieHards was proud to introduce four-time professional heavyweight kickboxing world champion and standout MMA coach Duke Roufus of roufusport.com as the new co-host of the Free Roll on Saturday.
Roufus called in from a grappling tournament in Wisconsin to co-host his first show just after his student, UFC heavyweight Pat “HD” Barry, won the no-gi division. Barry went on to win the gi divison later in the show, and offered a quick hello to Free Roll listeners. This was the first time that Barry had competed in a grappling tournament.
Strength and conditioning coach Jonathan Chaimberg also joined the program to break down the latest training he’s been doing with Georges St-Pierre, Shane Carwin, Kenny Florian, Jon Jones and others.
Chaimberg laid out a lifting regimen for up-and-coming MMA fighters, and also revealed some exercises that, in his opinion, are detrimental to a professional MMA competitor. If you have been jogging long distances or doing Crossfit, you’ll want to hear what Chaimberg has to say. Hint: you might not like what you hear.
To hear full episodes of the Free Roll, listen live every Saturday on MMADieHards.com at 4pm ET. To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe to the podcast by searching “MMA Radio” on iTunes.
Wanderlei Silva from Hector Castro on Vimeo.
Adam Zugec is the head trainer at Zuma in Victoria, British Columbia and his main pupil is Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman. Adam joined Cameron Gidari and Hector Castro on The Free Roll to talk about Zuma, the possibility of Kaufman-Cyborg or Kaufman-Carano, and some other interesting stories. He also gave his assessment of the UFC coming to BC for UFC 115 in June, and what it means to the province, the city of Vancouver and Canadian MMA. Adam also has some great stories, but you’ll have to listen!
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RECAP:
Sarah Kaufman is one of the most dominant female fighters in the world today.
Part of that success is due to Adam Zugec, her coach at ZUMA Ultimate Martial Arts in Victoria, British Columbia.
Zugec joined hosts Cameron Gidari and Hector Castro on the Free Roll to talk about what makes Kaufman great, and how her male sparring partners feel about getting beat by a girl.
“You cannot imagine how angry Sarah gets when she can’t take down a 170-pound guy that has no fat on him and he’s jacked,” Zugec said. “She finds it extremely unacceptable. When I tell her there’s a bit of a weight difference, she thinks that’s not an excuse.”
Kaufman certainly benefits from her work ethic, but she also trains under a diverse and experienced coach. Zugec is, among other things, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Carlson Grace, a Combat Submission Wrestling instructor under Erik Paulson, and a Thai Boxing instructor.
Zugec has also worked with different coaches, including close friend Greg Jackson, to improve his game.
“I think [Greg's] just a smart guy that I learn a lot from,” Zugec said. “We try to put smart game plans together. I think you’re starting to see something in the sport, and that’s people recognizing coaches.
“When you’re teaching people, it kind of leads to questions, and when they start firing off questions, it kind of allows you to start sparking stuff in your own mind. You get a little more imaginative with your own technique.”
Also on the show, Zugec talks about Kaufman humbling “Ed Hardy MMA” fighters and the growing MMA scene in the Vancouver area.
He and Hector also challenge Cameron to step onto the mat for a grappling session with Kaufman. Will Cameron accept? Listen to the full show to find out!
To hear full episodes of the Free Roll, listen live every Saturday at 4pm EST. To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe to the podcast by searching “MMA Radio” on iTunes.
UFC 111's Dan Hardy and 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu coach Alder Hampel prepare for their title shot against Georges St. Pierre.
Written by Cameron Gidari
Finding flaws in one of the game’s top pound-for-pound fighters is a daunting task.
That is exactly what Dan Hardy’s team has been tasked with as they help Hardy prepare for his UFC 111 bout against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.
Striking coach Steve Papp and 10th Planet jiu jitsu coach Alder Hampel joined Free Roll hosts Cameron Gidari and Hector Castro to break down just how they’re preparing Hardy to take on the champ.
In the prototypical match of striker versus grappler, Hardy’s main focus will be to keep the fight on the feet. Papp believes that Hardy’s build will allow him to do just that.
“I think the thing that works in our advantage leading into this fight is that Dan is actually quite a tall welterweight,” Papp said. “As long as we can keep GSP at a distance, his striking should always work well.”
The ground game is not something that UFC fans have seen Hardy implement, but he does have a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. It’s on the ground that Hampel believes Hardy could really pull the upset.
“It’s unfortunate that you don’t get to see a lot of [Hardy's] skill on the ground because he’s such an exciting standup fighter,” Hampel said. “If it does go down to the ground and… if GSP decides he wants to leave something out there or leave something loose, it could be a short night for him.”
Both of Hardy’s trainers sounded confident heading into the fight, and we will find out if that hard work will come to fruition on March 27.
‘The Free Roll’ airs live every Saturday at 4pm EST. To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe to the podcast by searching “MMADieHards.com Radio” on iTunes.
Duke Roufus (right) & company have helped several fighters like Pat Barry(middle) get to the big show.
Written by Cameron Gidari
Duke Roufus is one of the most respected striking coaches in the country today.
The Milwaukee-based trainer works with heavy hitters like Ben Rothwell, Matt Mitrione, Patrick Barry, and Alan Belcher, and has also trained Jens Pulver and Stephan Bonnar.
Part of what makes Roufus so effective is his willingness to take what he has learned from years of kickboxing and adapt it to MMA.
As he explained to ‘The Free Roll’ hosts Cameron Gidari and Hector Castro, that process involves stepping into the ring and sparring his fighters, and learning what works in an MMA fight.
“When I spar Muay Thai, kickboxing, whatever you want to call it, I do great,” Roufus said. “But when I spar MMA… I love 75 percent of my normal arsenal that I would do if I was only standup fighting.”
Based on what he learns, Roufus builds techniques into his fighter’s arsenals that work for MMA, not for a boxing or kickboxing match. A common misconception is that a devastating K-1 striker would be as devastating in an MMA bout.
“I think striking is hard to transfer over if you’re doing it wrong,” Roufus said. “Just like telling a wrestler he’s awesome at wrestling. It’s a lot easier to someone down after you punch them in the face a couple of times. Most people can defend takedowns when no one is punching at them.”
The octagon itself also forces fighters to change how they strike.
“The octagon is 32 feet, a big ring in kickboxing is 22 feet,” Roufus said. “Usually in MMA, if you watch a lot of the exchanges, guys don’t sit there and trade like a lot of the K-1 fighters or boxers. When striking occurs, it gets really close, or everyone gets really far. Guys aren’t sitting at that mid range throwing bombs.”
As such, the fighters that you see Roufus train will adopt a different stance. For one thing, they’re a lot lower.
“A guy like Patrick Berry, he’s riding in a very low stance,” Roufus said. “They’re getting ready to fight someone who’s going to take them down, it’s definitely a hybrid stance.”
That hybrid stance dictates how MMA fighters are throwing combinations.
“When I only do standup, I can get in a higher stance,” Roufus said. “I can throw long combos, I can sit down on punches. MMA you’re lucky to see guys throw two or three strikes in a combo.”
As trainers like Roufus continue to evolve MMA, we can only image what the strikers of tomorrow will look like.
To hear full episodes of ‘The Free Roll’, listen live every Saturday at 4pm EST. To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe to the podcast by searching “MMADieHards.com Radio” on iTunes.
