Georges St. Pierre talked about his fight with Jon Fitch at UFC 87 with Toronto Sports Radio a few days ago. GSP compared Fitch to “The Terminator” and said it was “very discouraging” because he could not finish him. At one point GSP said he was praying while inside the cage because Fitch, the beast, would not go down. GSP decided to go for the knockout instead of submission because so many have tried in vain to submit Fitch.
GSP is headed to Brazil to vacation and to do some BJJ training.
It seems Matt Hughes left his seat at UFC 87 during the GSP vs. Fitch fight and exited the arena because “it was a boring fight and St. Pierre wasn’t showing anything.” Wow. Does anyone believe for a second that is the real reason, if Hughes did indeed get up and walk out? Rather, one might be inclined to believe that the former welterweight champ was turning a bright shade of green and had to flee the scene before anyone noticed. Read the rest of this entry »
If the reports are true, then Tito Ortiz is back on the market as a free agent. A few weeks ago Ortiz told Sports Illustrated that he had signed a ground breaking deal with Affliction. However, that story turned out to be false with new reports that Tito Ortiz is again negotiating with the UFC. If Ortiz does in fact sign with the UFC, recent bouts have proven that he is not a top tier LHW anymore. The only marketable matches left for him in the division is a rematch with Wanderlei Silva, and a rematch with current champ Forrest Griffin. Ortiz isn’t even close to earning a title shot, so a match with Wanderlei Silva is the only big money fight for him there.
Ortiz has always been a huge LHW fighter standing around 6′2″ and walking around at over 220lbs. In fact, he has commented that he would move to the HW division if the money was right. The UFC HW divison is relatively thin, and adding a name like Ortiz to the mix would give it a much needed boost. The relatively weak division would also give Ortiz the fast track to a title shot. Here’s a list of possible matchups: Read the rest of this entry »
On August 9, K1 hosted this fight between Butterbean and “Cabbage” Correira as part of their USA Grand Prix from Honolulu, Hawaii. The K1 rules suit Butterbean well because he doesn’t have to go to the ground. It always seems like whenever he gets taken down in an MMA fight he can’t get up. So did the K1 rules help Butterbean get a much needed victory over the always tough Cabbage? Watch this battle of the super heavies and find out.
Rashad Evans faces Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 in Atlanta on September 6, 2008. If Rashad were to pull off a win it very well could put him in line for a title shot with Forrest Griffin. He is one of the very few Ultimate Fighter alumni from any season who is still undefeated, yet he has never been given that title shot. Not only could it put him in the number one contender spot, but a win over Chuck Liddell would go a long way into blowing him up into a full blown superstar. Let’s not forget that Rashad’s best friend and main training partner is Keith Jardine, who beat Liddell exactly one year ago. It would be very foolish to count out Rashad Evans.
To view an interview with Rich Franklin and other UFC 88 articles click here.
In our first Xtreme Couture Amateur Spotlight, we interviewed Jimmy Johnson who had his very first MMA fight on the Tuff-N-Uff card on August 8. This week our Amateur Spotlight is with Weston Duschen, another rising star from the Xtreme Couture camp in Las Vegas who also fought on Tuff-N-Uff’s Future Stars of MMA show. Weston was nice enough to speak with us and let us know what it’s like being an up and coming amateur at this breeding ground of champions and what sort of possibilities the future could hold for this young MMA powerhouse. Weston also breaks down for us what happened at his fight last week when his opponent was disqualified for illegal strikes.
PRO MMA: Hey man how’s it going? How long have you been into MMA and how did you get started? Weston: It’s going good,I’ve been doing MMA for about 3 years but I’ve been wrestling my whole life and I got into MMA when I was done wrestling but I still had that burn and desire to compete so I started training and I fell in love with the sport. Read the rest of this entry »
Last night Topping Events put on Long Beach Fight Night and PRO MMA was there ringside, taking in all the action. The night featured seven fights and heads were split open and people were TKOd; what more could you want from a night of MMA?
Results:
Salem Shabash def. Tommy Lee Rd. 1 via TKO (54 seconds) 160lbs
Paul Karsky def. Brandon Michaels via Decision 205lbs
Kris Kyle def. Darby Faulkner Rd. 1 via TKO (20 seconds) 155lbs
The full cast list for The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir has finally been revealed. This eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter will feature combatants from the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions. There will be 32 combined fighters that will participate in two 16 man elimination tournaments to decide this years “Ultimate Fighter” in each division.
The light heavyweight division will feature the siblings of a couple UFC veterans. Lance Evans is the brother of light heavyweight contender Rashad Evans while Jason Guida is the brother of lightweight contender Clay Guida. Read the rest of this entry »
Scouting out the world of Professional Mixed Martial Arts:
Kimbo Slice is in a new Nike commercial working with San Diego Chargers running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, doing some straight up gangsta training.
If you are part of the Elite XC stable of fighters one of your goals is probably to fight on CBS. Debi Purcell fought on Showtime’s ShoXC card last Friday but will they let her on prime time with her own unique brand of “tramp stamp?”
Would you like to see the epitome of a “keyboard warrior” who has no clue what it takes to get in a cage and stand toe to toe with the baddest men on the planet? Most of us have no idea what that is like. And that is exactly the reason most of us don’t write open letters to professional fighters telling them how to do their job, especially a top-tier fighter like Kenny Florian. This dude has some real nerve.
Gracie Mag has a new interview with Rogerio Minotouro Nogueira. He seems to be happy at his new home with Affliction. He talks about his recent fight with Dewees, what it’s like for the Nogueira brothers in America, and the future of MMA.
Brock Lesnar has a question and answer session with New York Times blog readers. They touch on a myriad of topics including steroids and gay UFC fighters.
PRO MMA will be on hand tonight for Long Beach Fight Night. The actions starts at 7pm and will take place at Long Beach City College: Hall of Champions Gym.
Come and experience the competitive world of full contact Mixed Martial Arts at Southern California’s premier evening of action packed entertainment. Fully sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission, combatants clash toe 2 toe matching skill, heart, and guts to see who will be left standing victorious. Many local area fighters will compete to stake their claim as one of “Long Beach Fight Night’s Toughest.” With ticket prices ranging from $20 nosebleed seats to $70 for ringside, there’s no excuse…buy tickets online now!
For tickets/directions/more information please visit the LBFN HOMEPAGE
Rich Franklin will face Matt Hamill at UFC 88 in Atlanta on September 6. Rich has a record of 23-3 with two of those losses coming at the hands, feet, and elbows of Anderson Silva. Matt Hamill is 4-1 with his only loss coming by way of Michael Bisping. This is definitely the biggest fight of Matt Hamill’s career and a huge jump in competition for him. This is a rare opportunity for Hamill and if he can possibly pull off a win in this fight it could really help catapult his career. All of Hamill’s pro MMA fights have been with the UFC.
Here’s an interview with Rich Franklin as he talks about this very interesting and important match up.
To view other UFC 88 fighter interviews and articles click here.
Reigning IFL Welterweight Champ and Xtreme Couture resident badass, Jay Hieron has signed a three-fight deal with Affliction Entertainment. Although an opponent has not yet been named, Hieron is expected to fight at Affliction 2: Day of Reckoning at the Thomas & Mack Center on October 11, in Las Vegas.
Hieron is on a three-fight win streak with his last two fights ending by way of TKO in round one. Hieron’s MMA record is 15-4. His first defeat came at the hands of Georges St. Pierre at UFC 48 in 2004. He then bounced around to a few different organizations until he found a home at the IFL in 2006. Well over half of Hieron’s professional MMA bouts took place in the IFL. He only lost two times in the IFL and on both ocasions it was by decision. Read the rest of this entry »
Lots of people train in martial arts all over the world but far fewer ever take that step into the ring to test their skills against an oppoent. Is it a certain gene or personality trait produced from the result of past experiences that causes a man or woman to want to compete with another person to see who is the toughest and most skilled fighter? Are you tough enough to get in a ring with someone who has nothing but bad intentions for your physical well-being? Anthony Cessario took that fateful first step last week when he fought his very first full contact MMA match against Odis Alex Ruiz at Tuff-N-Uff’s Future Stars of MMA event at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
PRO MMA: Hi Anthony, rarely do we get to speak with someone who has just made their MMA debut. How did the fight turn out? AC: It went alright. I lost by decision, but I felt ok about it for my first fight. Alex was tough. He was big, real tall, and real fast for 155. I knew he had good hands and a lot of reach on me, so I was planning on going to takedowns if he came in swinging. I’ve been wrestling since I was a kid, so I’m real comfortable with my takedowns. Read the rest of this entry »
The ShoXC card that took place in Friant, California at the Table Mountain Casino, aired live tonight on Showtime. Here’s the official PRO MMA play-by-play and results. It was a really good show; EliteXC and Showtime have much to be proud of with tonight’s fights. Here’s how things went down:
Keith Berry vs. Ray Lizama Berry works with Robert Drysdale on his Jiu Jitsu at Xtreme Couture in Vegas. Rd.1 - A right hand by Lizama staggers Berry. Then Lizama lands another less powerful shot then another right hand on the chin. Berry recovers nicely. Overhand right lands by Berry. Berry connects again. Berry looking for the plum. Big right hand puts Lizama to the mat. Berry jumps on his back and sinks in the choke. Lizama peels it off and Berry lets go. Berry lets him up. Big flurry from Lizama. Lizama lands a few hard shots that knocks out Berry’s mouthpiece. Berry still coming forward swinging for the fences. Lizama still landing a few here and there. Bell sounds. Ref tries to put the mouthpiece back in the wrong fighter’s mouth. LOL This is a very good, very exciting fight. Truthfully, I was not expecting this much action.Read the rest of this entry »
Mixed martial arts (MMA) sensation Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (16-6) will face off with Hawaiian star Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8) and knockout artist Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-8) will attempt to avenge a previous defeat at the hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10), when Strikeforce ventures to Denver, Colorado’s Broomfield Events Center on Friday, October 3rd.
Also back in action at Strikeforce “Payback” will be “The New York Badass” Phil Baroni (12-10) and “The Ultimate Fighter” season four veteran, “The Secret Weapon” Pete Spratt (18-14).
Tickets for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, go on sale Monday, August 18th at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com.
Of late, the 36-year-old Trigg, a two-time UFC world welterweight (170 lb. limit) championship challenger and former star with the now-defunct Pride Fighting Championship organization, has been making noise in the world’s fastest growing sport. His valiant, come-from-behind stoppage of Jason “Mayhem” Miller in the second round of a highly-anticipated meeting on December 1, 2006, earned Trigg a shot at Pride champion, Kazuo Misaki, whom Trigg overpowered and outwrestled to earn a unanimous decision win on February 24, Read the rest of this entry »
All fighters on tonight’s ShoXC card live on Showtime have been weighed in and are ready for battle. The main event of tonight’s card features a rematch from a previous ShoXC fight between Jared Hamman and Poai Suganuma . The bout ended somewhat controversially and had many asking for a rematch. In their first fight Suganuma landed a hard overhand right just seconds into the bout, which he followed with a devastating flying knee that left Hamman crumpled on the canvas. The referee stepped in quickly only to have Hamman jump to his feet protesting what seemed like a questionable stoppage. This fight should bring some closure between the potential stars and answer some questions as to which man just may be poised for the limelight. Read the rest of this entry »
