By <a href="mailto:howie@mmanews.com">Chris Howie</a> <Br>
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer<Br><Br>
You may have come to expect Chael Sonnen to trash talk his opponent prior to fighting them but that's certainly not the case this time as he prepares to take on Michael Bisping at UFC on Fox 2 later this month.<Br><Br>
Although Sonnen has been unkind to Bisping in the past, he seems to have warmed up to the Brit after Bisping took this bout on short notice:<Br><Br>
"He certainly hasn't beaten anybody that's any good, rankings-wise," said Sonnen. "But Bisping, you can't take from him, because he wins. Regardless of the opponent, which he doesn't have a lot of say in, he gets his hand raised. That's undeniable. …I'm not a naysayer on Bisping. I'm a supporter, and if he got a shot [at the title], I'd tune in to watch."<br><Br>
Props: <a href=http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/01/22/the-frustrating-search-for-the-real-chael-sonnen/>MMAFighting.com</a><Br><Br>
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Superior Cage Combat has announced the full fight card for their upcoming SCC 4 event taking place on February 16th from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Headlining the card is a middleweight bout featuring Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove and Jay Silva. Also showcased is a SCC lightweight title bout between John Gunderson and [...]
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James Toney and Ken Shamrock are supposed to fight sometime in the fall of 2011. The two had a short press conference in Van Nuys, California to announce the fight, but started to get physical a little early.
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In as timely a fashion as could be, Zuffa has announced it will start screening fighters for performance enhancing drugs prior to signing them to contracts. The news comes on the heels of today?s news regarding Muhammed Lawal?s positive test for an anabolic steroid with former Strikeforce champion Cristiane Santos also having shown PED use [...]
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While Demian Maia may be primarily known for his elite-level submission skills there?s no question the 34-year old grappler has shown marked improvement as a striker in his last few fights, the most recent of which involved a decision win over Jorge Santiago at UFC 136. Maia credits his mindset and love of boxing with [...]
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CHICAGO – Some guys love the underdog role.
They love flying under the radar, staying out of the spotlight, avoiding heavy pre-fight expectations, and planning for a big upset.
Then there are odds-on favorites like Rashad Evans, who seemingly and excitingly welcomes all the attention he can get before a big fight.
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The way Bart Palaszewski sees it, he should be fighting George Roop at UFC 144.
But he’s fighting Hatsu Hioki, so hey, whatever.
“Did you say ‘a little questionable?’” Palaszewski scoffed when asked by MMAjunkie.com Radio about Hioki’s octagon debut. “C’mon, man. He lost that fight.”
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Demian Maia Talks About Fighting Chris Weidman At UFC on FOX 2. Interviewed by Karyn Bryant.
Maia was originally scheduled to fight Michael Bisping. Demian talks about if he thinks Chael Sonnen could beat champion Anderson Silva.
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Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove discusses his unanimous decision win over Ikuhisa Minowa in the main event of ProElite 3. Grove was awarded scores of 30-27 from the three judges as he was able to easily control the action standing and on the ground. The winner of Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter, Grove has now [...]
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Even though UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has come out to say he?ll be rooting for Rashad Evans against Phil Davis when the two face off in the main event at UFC on FOX 2, that doesn?t mean he believes his former teammate is actually a lock to come away with the win. Jones [...]
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Former UFC light heavyweight champion “Suga” Rashad Evans feels that he is peaking at the right time for his main event clash with Phil Davis on UFC on Fox 2. Can Evans dispatch the undefeated Davis to finally get that title shot against current champion Jon “Bones” Jones? You can catch UFC on Fox 2 [...]
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After an energetic podcast last week, the Five Ounces of Podcast is back with a more subdued version as we recorded this episode on little to no sleep. Join Samer Kadi and Jeremy Lambert as we look at back UFC on FX 1, which featured Samer calling Jim Miller vs. Melvin Guillard exactly as it [...]
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Melvin Guillard doesn’t want to go the way of George Sotiropoulos, Anthony Pettis and Evan Dunham.
Last year was a horror show for those guys. On the verge of getting a title shot, all three suffered a loss or two that sent that sent them tumbling down the lightweight ladder.
Guillard faces Jim Miller tomorrow night on FX (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), with both fighters facing the same fate if they lose – at least another year before they sniff a title shot.
Guillard (29-9-2, 10-5 UFC) was hot as a pistol before UFC 136 in October, but lost his shot at Frank Edgar with a 47 second submission loss at the hands of Joe Lauzon. He knows this Miller fight is make or break time.
“It was kinda dumb, but I am young enough to learn as long as realize the mistake. I made the mistake, it didn’t just happen,” Guilard said referencing the loss to Lauzon. “I know that but I also know I’m still one of the best fighters in the division. But I am ready for this fight with Miller. He’s a top guy, maybe the No. 3 or No. 4 in the division, and if I perform like I can do, I think it will be hard for people to say that I didn’t deserve a UFC title shot.”
Guillard is managing the delicate balance between fighter under control, but not losing his explosiveness
“It’s not going to affect my style of fight, just so you guys know. I’m still going to go in and be the fast, explosive kid that I am. But right now, I just want to stay focused and grounded,” said Guillard.
Miller is no easy prey and he enters the fight with the same motivation. He’s coming off a rough loss to Ben Henderson. Miller (20-3, 9-2 UFC) fought with a flawed strategy and got lit up by Henderson, who locked up a title shot with the victory.
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In case you missed Friday’s UFC on FX 1 event or want to watch the action again, Fox has released nearly eight minutes of highlights from the card, including Jim Miller’s submission of Melvin Guillard, Josh Neer’s choke out of Duane “Bang” Ludwig, Mike Easton’s decision over Jared Papazian, and Pat Barry’s KO of Christian Morecraft.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Careful world, Pat Barry learned a little grappling.
The striking specialist, known for devastating leg kicks and powerful punches, eventually utilized both those weapons to register a first-round stoppage win over Christian Morecraft, but it was his submission defense that allowed him to deliver the finishing blows at UFC on FX 1.
Barry and Morecraft served as the evening’s first main-card fight at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
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Full episode! Vancouver is on notice – heavy hands mean a big-time main event unlikely to go the distance in Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin. Plus Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes and Demian Maia vs. Mark Muñoz – see what’s in store!
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Ronda Rousey says she comes from a family of quick-witted, accomplished women who don’t back down.
For those aggravated by her approach to the MMA business, she has one thing to say: you’re welcome.
“I don’t think any girl can grasp what I’m trying to do,” Rousey told MMAjunkie.com.
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He doesn’t rank up there with the likes of Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, but Jorge Rivera certainly did his part as one of the building blocks for the UFC.
A long-time card filler since 2003, Rivera announced earlier in the day that he was retiring following his fight tonight. He seized the opportunity to shine in his final trip to the Octagon by wearing down and eventually punching out Eric Schafer at the 1:31 mark of the second round of the final fight on the FUEL TV portion of the UFC on FX 1 card.
“I want to thank Zuffa. I want to thank Dana White, the Fertitta brothers, Burt Watson, whose voice I’m going to miss dearly in the back,” Rivera told UFC play-by-play announcer Jon Anik.
Rivera then turned his attention to thanking his family and training partners. That’s when he got a bit emotional.
It was nice to see the near 40-year-old make it to the cage tonight for his 15th career fight with the promotion. He nearly retired back in 2009 after the tragic passing of his daughter Jessica.
Rivera (19-9) turned pro back in 2001. He finishes with an 8-7 record in the UFC. He rose near the top of the division facing former UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin at UFC 50. He also lost to current contender Michael Bisping. He had to overcome some rough times in his personal life when Jessica, 17, passed away after a fatal reaction to birth control medication.
“I’m grateful I fought here in front of a lot of people. It’s been a real nice trip. It’s been real good to me,” said Rivera.
Rivera’s seen the sport come a long way. In 2003, UFC pay-per-views had trouble eclipsing 50,000 buys. Tonight, between FUEL TV and FX, all 11 fights are being televised to a nationwide audience.
The victory was typical Rivera. He never panics in the cage, so even when he was getting dominated in the grappling game, Rivera stayed composed in the first round. Schafer, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, had top control for much of the opening round, but never threatened with a submission.
Schafer (12-7-2, 3-6 UFC) is a new entry to the middleweight division. His stamina was an issue in his UFC debut fight at 185 pounds against Aaron Simpson and it happened again tonight.
“He’s a strong guy. I was watching him in the back. He had a real tough [weight] cut, so I knew the longer the fight would go, he would have a harder time. And I could feel him breathing harder and harder,” said Rivera.
Rivera escaped one final takedown attempt with 4:10 left in the second. With Schafer on his hands and knees, Rivera stunned him with a right uppercut. He eventually faded to the cage where he ate 23 unanswered shots. After several requests from referee Herb Dean to defend himself, Schafer didn’t respond and the fight was stopped.
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Not all hockey fights end with a knockdown or involve a bunch of bad blood. In fact, sometimes they can be downright civil as evident when Pierre-Cedric Labrie locked horns with Eric Nystrom at last night’s game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars. The two started out fast and furious but before long [...]
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Cool photo/digital illustration by Rodney Pike. Love his work!!!
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