Go Fight Live Comes At Fans With A Historic Weekend Of Action
For Go Fight Live fans this coming weekend is a dream come true. Not only are we going to be broadcasting 5 mixed martial arts events we are also broadcasting the Eddie Alvarez Grappling Championships live from the MMA Sports Expo in Philadelphia, PA.
Go Fight Live is proud to announce that we have partnered up with Roku. GFL fans can now watch over 4000 videos from the comfort of your home. Roku allows you to catch all of the action on your television as opposed to your computer screen. Beginning in the spring of 2011 you will be able to view all of our live events this way as well.
Starting at 9:30pm EST tomorrow night, GFL is proud to present Recife Fighting Championships 4 from Pernambuco, Brazil. This 10 card event is headlined by a lightweight bout between 3 time UFC veteran Junior Assuncao and Britian Wes Murch. Assuncao (11-4) will be looking for his 6th straight win while Murch (8-4) will be going for his 5th straight victory. Rafaello Oliveira is another UFC veteran fighting on this card as he faces Ryan Bixler in what should be a hotly contested lightweight bout.
Many if not most of the combat fans love the big men. If you are a fan of the heavyweight fighters you will not want to miss Fight Time 4: MMA Heavyweight Explosion. Former UFC #1 contender Jeff Monson will take on Tony Lopez in the night’s main event. Monson recently sat down with Bleacher Report to talk about this bout and his future in mixed martial arts. The first fight will begin on Friday at 7:00pm EST.
As part of the MMA Sports Expo in Philadelphia there will be an Xtreme Caged Combat show on Friday night beginning at 7:30pm EST. You can purchase this show separately or combine it with Alvarez’s grappling tournament on Saturday and the All American Pro Wrestling card on Sunday for just $14.99
The MMA card consists of 14 bouts headlined by Pat Sabatini vs. Collin Sharpe. The first bout begins at 7:30pm EST. Eddie Alvarez’s Grappling Tournament takes place on Saturday at 11:00am EST and will see some of Philadelphia’s top gyms going head to head including Team Daddis, Maxercise, Balance and the Fight Factory. Last but not least will be the All American Pro Wrestling show on Sunday beginning at 12:30pm EST.
Absolute Action MMA is back in Florence, Kentucky as they present AAMMA XII. Watch 23 action-packed, amateur mixed martial artists tear it up as they look to climb the ladder towards the top. These are some of Northern Kentucky’s finest athletes. For those of you who are a fan of women’s MMA, this card is for you. There are 4 scheduled women’s bouts on Saturday; the first fight will begin at 8:00pm EST. on Saturday night.
Sarah Kaufman is coming off a disappointing loss to Marloes Coenen at Strikeforce: San Jose in October. That loss cost her the Strikeforce women’s welterweight championship. Watch as she begins her road back to the top of the mountain when she faces Megumi Yabushita at Armageddon Fighting Championships 5. The co-main event will see Nick Hinchcliffe battle Ryan Machan in a middleweight matchup. The first bout begins at 10pm EST.
Coming to you live from Anacortes, Washington will be Combat at the Cabaret: Fight Night Round XIV. Ryan Healy vs. James Birdsley will headline this 9 card mixed martial arts event. Fight Night Entertainment has really stepped up their game as of late by putting on some spectacular cards in the state of Washington. A non-profit corporation, FNE is working hard with other local MMA promotions to strengthen the sport in the state of Wash ington. The first fight will begin at 10pm EST on Saturday night.
Go Fight Live Offers Up A Tremendous Tripleheader This Weekend
As the months turn into years Go Fight Live continues to extend their presence in the world of mixed martial arts. Fans of MMA have a need for action and I can tell you from personal experience my weekends just aren’t the same when there aren’t any mixed martial arts events available for my viewing pleasure.
This weekend Go Fight Live is offering fans three dynamite shows. Beginning on Friday night with Fight Night Round XIII and ending with another stacked Tuff-N-Uff card on Saturday night, MMA fans are sure to get their fix and then some.
From Bellingham, Washington Fight Night Round XIII: Impact comes to you live from the Whatcom Community College Pavilion. This nine fight card is headlined by an interesting matchup between Kit Cope, better known as Gina Carano’s boyfriend to most MMA fans and Freddy Assuncao. Cope holds a career record of 4-6, but is very dangerous on his feet. Assuncao is younger brother of both Junior and Rafael Assuncao. With a career record of 3-1, Assuncao brings a solid BJJ game to the table.
On Saturday night Evolution Fighting Championships 6 comes at you from Schuetzen Park in North Bergen, NJ. This card is loaded with 20 amateur bouts featuring some of the east coast’s most exciting young fighters. The main event pits Tajuddin Abdul-Hakim (7-2) against Shedrick Goodridge who will be looking to run his record to a perfect 4-0. This is a great opportunity to catch these guys before they hit the big time. These fighters are hungry and looking to make a name for themselves, you don’t want to miss out on the action.
Last but certainly not least is Tuff-N-Uff Future Stars of MMA. Coming to you live from the Orleans Hotel & Casino on Saturday night at 10pm EST, Tuff-N-Uff never disappoints. Headlining this 16 fight card is UFC, Bellator and Tachi Palace Fights veteran Diego Saravia as he takes on Marius Cujba. Saravia will certainly have the advantage in the experience department as he has faced Jorge Gurgel, Ben Henderson, Dustin Hazelett, Jeremy Stephens and Melvin Guillard.
Tuff-N-Uff middleweight champion Edmond Xhelili will defend his title against Jason Richey. Xhelili will be looking for revenge as Richey handed him his only loss back in August. The women will be in action as well as Taylor Stratford will battle Ashlee Evans-Smith in the finals of the eight woman 145lb tournament. The winner will be crowned the women’s featherweight champion. In Tuff-N-Uff’s first ever celebrity match, media personalities Aaron Tru will take on Lee Honish in a match where the proceeds will go to the winner’s charity of choice.
Here is your opportunity to watch some of the nation’s top young mixed martial artists. When these fighters become stars you can brag to your friends that you saw them first on Go Fight Live!
What’s Coming Up on Go Fight Live This Weekend
Go Fight Live is primed for a huge weekend as we are showcasing three organizations Saturday night. As has become the norm for Go Fight Live, we are offering our fans a great night of mixed martial arts action for a fraction of the cost.
Live from The Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT Reality Fighting is set to tear the house down with some of the top east coast talent available. The main event will see Jeff Nader battle Alexandre Moreno. Nader sports a record of 4-2 while the Team Link trained Moreno is an impressive 10-2. In the night’s co-main events, Parker Porter (4-2) will take on Mike Dexter (7-6) in a matchup of heavyweights. Welterweights Tim Pinney (5-2) and Brett Oteri (7-1) take up the other co-main event spot. UFC veterans Matt Serra, Josh Grispi and Gabriel Gonzaga will meet and greet the fans an hour before the fights begin at 8pm EST.
If it’s amateur MMA you are looking for look no further than Absolute Action MMA as they present AAMMA XI. There will be a total of 17 mixed martial arts bouts coming to you live from the Midwest Sports Complex in Florence, KY. Absolute Action is known for bringing some of the best up and coming young fighters in the area. For those of you who are fans of female MMA there will be a couple bouts between the ladies. First fight starts at 8pm EST.
Last but not least we head west to Reno, NV as Ultimate Reno Combat 22- Unstoppable starts at 11pm EST. 20 of the area’s best fighters will meet at the Montbleu Resort in Lake Tahoe. Once again those of you who truly enjoy watching the ladies get it on, there will be 3 bouts featuring female fighters. Ultimate Reno Combat has become a staple on Go Fight Live and for good reason. Each show gets better than the last as the promoters have consistently lined up some great match-ups. Reno’s only all-MMA cage fighting promotion is really making a name for themselves.
Go Fight Live Offers Up A New Jersey Doubleheader This Weekend
Armed with a stacked 14 fight card, Ring of Combat returns to The Tropicana in Atlantic City, NJ tonight. Ring of Combat XXXIV promises to be another in a long line of great events offered up by the Lou Neglia run promotion.
Fans at The Tropicana pack the arena and are often loud and boisterous which only adds to the excitement. Many UFC stars have made their way through ROC on the journey to the world’s leading MMA promotion. Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, Dan Miller, Kurt Pellegrino and Josh Koscheck are just a few of the names to grace the ROC cage.
If you are looking for a great night of fights for the right price don’t miss tonights action.
On Saturday night Cage Fury Fighting Championships is back in action at the Resorts Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. The promotion that gave us Kimbo Slice’s debut as a mixed martial artist is proud to present: The Return. Fans will be treated to a nine bout card featuring some of the area’s best young fighters.
CFFC has also been the home to many of today’s top fighters as Jim Miller, Dan Miller, Lyman Good, Nick Catone and John Howard have made their bones fighting for the organization. Back in June of 2007 Slice took on former world boxing heavyweight champion Ray Mercer in a MMA exhibition bout. Surprisingly Slice was able to lock in a fight ending guillotine choke just 1:12 into round number one.
For just under $20 fans can watch great MMA action on both Friday and Saturday night. For more information please visit Go Fight Live.
Riggs Loses; Starnes and Magalhaes Emerge Victorious This Weekend
One thing is for sure, the Canadian fans really show their love of mixed martial arts in a loud and boisterous way. It’s easy to see why the UFC makes so many trips up north and why they pushed so hard to have the sport legalized in Toronto.
The Score Fighting Series presented Wreck MMA this past Friday night from Quebec, Canada. The card was loaded from top to bottom and featured former UFC fighters Joe Riggs, Kalib Starnes and Mark Holst.
Things didn’t start or end well for Riggs as he failed to make weight in his match-up with Jordan Mein. If losing 20% of his purse wasn’t enough Riggs was handed a second round TKO loss. The win was the biggest of Mein’s career.
Riggs wasn’t the only one to miss weight as five other fighters were also guilty of the infraction and fined a percentage of their purse. Starnes defeated Matt MacGrath via second round submission. Starnes improved his record to 12-5. Starnes will face former UFC middleweight number one contender Patrick Cote at Ringside MMA 10.
Holst said before his bout with Markhaile Wedderburn that he was hanging up his gloves. At least he went out on a high note as he choked Wedderburn out at 4:56 of round two. He ends his career with a 9-3 record.
There were nine bouts in all with just one of them going the distance. Five fights ended by submission, three by knockout and one by unanimous decision.
In other action from this past weekend, MMA Xplosion presented International Team Challenge. The event was held at The Joint in The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The nights action consisted of fighters from Team USA facing off against Team Brazil and Team Mexico taking on Team Kazakhstan.
Originally there were 10 bouts scheduled to take place, but unfortunately only six of them went off. In the five bouts leading up to the main event, Team Brazil went 3-1, Team USA went 1-3, Team Kazakhstan went 2-0 and Team Mexico failed to win a match losing the only two bouts they participated in.
The main event saw The Ultimate Fighter season eight finalist Vinny Magalhaes representing Team Brazil go up against Team USA’s Damien Knight. Magalhaes is well known for his superior grappling abilities as evidenced by his multiple BJJ championships. His outstanding Jiu-Jitsu came to life in the second round as he was able to lock on a fight ending Kimura at 3:51. The win pushed his record to 6-5, he is 4-1 since being released by the UFC.
Go Fight Live Fans Primed For A Big Weekend of Action
This weekend fans of MMA have a lot to look forward to as Go Fight Live has 3 big shows for your viewing pleasure. One show is scheduled for Friday and the other two will take place on Saturday. This weekend is just the beginning of what Go Fight Live has planned for 2011.
On Friday night from Quebec, Canada the Score Fighting Series presents: Wreck MMA. This 12 bout card will be headlined by UFC and Strikeforce veteran Joe “Diesel” Riggs as he takes on Jordan Mein. Riggs is a former number one contender for the UFC welterweight championship and sports a record of 34-12 with one no contest. He has finished 16 of his opponents by knockout and 15 of them by submission. He has victories over current Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, UFC, Pride and Strikeforce veteran Phil Baroni and current UFC welterweight contender Chris Lytle.
Mein is a veteran of 25 fights and is currently 18-7 with 11 knockouts and 6 submissions. Mein and Riggs have a finishing rate of over 91% between the two of them so don’t expect this one to go to the scorecards. Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Mein is a veteran of the Rumble in the Cage promotion. He recently fought one time UFC veteran Jason High in August of last year, but was unsuccessful, losing by unanimous decision.
Also fighting on the card is Kalib Starnes a veteran of season three of The Ultimate Fighter and five UFC fights. Starnes went 2-3 inside the octagon including a loss to Nate Quarry at UFC 83 in Quebec. That bout is more known for Starnes backpedaling the entire fights and for Quarry mocking him for refusing to engage. Starnes will face Matt MacGrath who sports a 9-4 record. He has fought and lost to UFC veterans Jonathan Goulet and Matt Veach. The co-main event will see Mark Holst fight for the last time as he goes up against Markhaile Wedderburn.
SportFight X presents Middle Tennessee Mayhem from the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, TN on Saturday night. There are 10 bouts scheduled for this card which features a main event of Matt Traylor vs. Zach Underwood in a welterweight contest. In the co-main event two big, hard hitting heavyweights will go toe-to-toe as two-time Bellator veteran Scott Barrett faces Michael Wessel who was a contestant on season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. Wessel faced Antoni Hardonk at UFC 92 in December of 2008. Hardonk finished Wessel at 2:09 of round 2.
Last but certainly not least, MMA Xplosion presents: International Team Challenge. Fighters from the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Kazakhstan will battle it out for national supremacy. Team USA will face Team Brazil and Team Mexico will take on Team Kazakhstan. All told there are nine bouts scheduled for the event which will take place at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
In the main event Damien Knight will face Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and finalist from season eight of The Ultimate Fighter Vinicius Magalhaes. A multi time BJJ world & national champion Magalhaes went 0-2 during his time with the UFC, but has since gone 3-1 outside the organization. Knight is considered one of MMA Xplosion’s top stars despite a record of 2-2. His last fight was against UFC veteran Scott Junk in October of 2010 where he dropped a unanimous decision.
The rest of the card is littered with stars of the four countries represented. The Brazilians will no doubt hold the edge in grappling while the United States fighters are usually very good wrestlers and strikers. As far as Team Mexico and Team Kazakhstan are concerned their fighters are known for their tenacity and sizeable hearts. Fans both in attendance and who will view this on Go Fight Live will see a variety of disciplines and certainly get their money’s worth.
The Winners of UFC: Fight for the Troops
On a night when there were some huge winners inside the octagon, the real winners were the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. For the second time the UFC and Spike partnered up to raise funds and awareness for all of the brave soldiers who have suffered a severe injury while protecting the freedom we enjoy every day.
Back in December of 2008 the UFC presented the first Fight for the Troops card and raised over $4 million. This money was raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heros Fund and helped build the state of the art, 80,000 square foot National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, MD. Many of these injured men and women are suffering from Traumatic Brain Injuries and need all the help they can get. When you are done reading this article please visit the website and donate what you can.
With all that said it’s time to talk about some of the great performances we saw last night. There were a few surprises, but they were none the less extremely exciting. Let’s take a look at where the winners could be headed next.
Matt Wiman:
I for one thought Miller would defeat Wiman in an exciting fight, but not only did Wiman win, he dominated all three rounds with relentless striking and some brutal ground and pound. That makes it three wins in a row for Wiman as he defeated Shane Nelson and Mac Danzig in his two previous bouts. While I don’t see him getting a bout with a top 10 opponent yet, the UFC will look to test him to see just where he is at in a crowded lightweight division. Maybe a bout with Yves Edwards who was also successful last night could be in store. I’d like to see him take on Jeremy Stephens who is coming off a knockout win against Marcus Davis at UFC 124.
Pat Barry:
Barry’s performance last night against Joey Beltran was far from impressive. It seems like he wanted to be anywhere else but the octagon. He faced a fighter tailor made for his style and didn’t take advantage of his decided edge in striking. Beltran controlled large portions of the fight and was landing combinations at will. I’d say put Barry in against Matt Mitrione, but I believe they train together at Dick Roufus’ camp. Next step for Barry should be to face the winner of the Mark Hunt-Chris Tuchscherer bout at UFC 127.
Mark Hominick:
Not much to go over here as we already know that Hominick is next in line to face UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 129 in April. Being Canadian and fighting for the UFC strap in front of his hometown fans should be one hell of an experience for Hominick. He starched teammate George Roop last night with a left hook and is riding five fight win streak heading into his bout with Aldo. The UFC challenged him last night and he answered the call.
Matt Mitrione:
My only wish for Mitrione is that he would have gotten an early start to his MMA career. He has grown by leaps and bounds since his time on The Ultimate Fighter. Obviously Tim Hague isn’t on anyone’s top ten list, but you have to remember this was only Mitrione’s fourth career bout. He showed quickness, power and unusually light feet for a man his size. While he needs a step up in competition the UFC has to be careful not to rush him. As I stated above I’d like to see him and Barry go at it, but who knows if that will happen. Up next should be the winner of the Cro-Cop/Brendan Schaub fight at UFC 128.
Melvin Guillard:
The transformation of Guillard continues as Greg Jackson has really reigned in what used to be a wild, troubled, yet talented mixed martial artist. Last night’s win over the favored Evan Dunham gives Guillard six wins in his last seven UFC bouts including four in a row. I was not only shocked at how much quicker Guillard was, but at how good his takedown defense has become. For a fighter who has had problems with submission fighters I thought it would be a matter of time before Dunham dragged Guillard down and submitted him. This is not the same Melvin Guillard who has been submitted in seven of his eight career losses.
Guillard deserves a top ten opponent. He is hot, his confidence is at an all time high and he is obviously taking what Jackson is teaching straight to heart. One man pops into my mind when thinking about Guillard’s next opponent. That man is Kenny Florian, what better way to measure just where Guillard is at than against one of the more well rounded fighters in the division? I’m not sure when Florian is due back, but I truly hope this fight happens. The way Guillard looked last night, it sure seems like he is ready for the challenge.
We shall see what Joe Silva and Dana White think in the upcoming days and weeks. It will be interesting to see who gets matched up with who. Either way last night produced so many winners. we the fan are able to enjoy such a great sport because of the dedication of these great athletes and they are afforded these opportunities to compete because of the wonderful, brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces.
UFC 125: Who’s On The Hot Seat?
Tomorrow night UFC 125 will come to us from the MGM Grand Garden Arena as UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar looks to defend his title for a second time and even the score with Gray Maynard at the same time. Back in April of 2008 Maynard handed Edgar the only defeat of his career via unanimous decision.
This card has a lot of interesting match-ups and the PPV portion of the card consists of five highly competitive, ultra exciting bouts. For the first time ever the ION Network will show three preliminary bouts in place of Spike TV. Whether this is a negotiating ploy by the UFC or is just the UFC looking for other avenues to showcase their events remains to be seen.
With all of that said and done it’s time to take a look at which fighters competing on this card could be unemployed if they are to lose tomorrow night.
Phil Baroni:
The New York Bad Ass returns to the middleweight division in attempt to jumpstart his career and remain with the UFC. The popularity of Baroni is still very clear as he took to The Underground asking his fans to contact UFC President Dana White to put Baroni on the televised prelims. After losing to Amir Sadollah in his first fight inside the octagon in over five and a half years, Baroni suffered an injury that kept him off of the UFC 118 card in Boston.
Now he takes on the undefeated Brad Tavares who was a contestant on season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter. At 13-12 and having lost his last bout, this is definitely a do or die situation for Baroni. Although it seems as if Baroni has been around for ever the Long Island, NY native is only 34 years old, but he has been through some hellacious wars. He needs a win to remain with the UFC.
Marcus Davis:
Marcus Davis is hoping the drop down to the lightweight division will reinvigorate his career, but at the age of 37 time is certainly not on The Irish Hand Grenade’s side. A crowd pleaser throughout his UFC career it doesn’t seem like he plans on changing his fighting style anytime soon. His opponent Jeremy Stephens is known for standing toe-to-toe and not giving up an inch.
Davis is 1-3 in his last four bouts which includes being knocked out for the first time by Ben Saunders at UFC 106 last November. The season 2 Ultimate Fighter contestant was last seen losing via technical submission (Guillotine Choke) to Nate Diaz in a war that garnered both men Fight of the Night Honors at UFC 118. With the influx of new talent coming over from the WEC merger there is no room on the roster for fighters who can’t win. Tomorrow night could very well be the last time we see Davis inside the octagon.
Brandon Vera:
Fans are still waiting along with UFC officials for Brandon Vera’s talents to finally come together and bring out the fighter who set the world on fire back in 2005-2006. Vera has suffered two losses in a row and in his last bout against All-World prospect Jon Jones, Vera was manhandled before finally having his face literally broken in half by some Jones elbows. He has been out a shade over nine months, but luckily his opponent Thiago Silva hasn’t fought since last January due to a back injury.
For all of Vera’s talk he hasn’t nearly lived up to his own hype. Hopefully he can began a solid run and put a dent in the UFC light heavyweight division. It’s hard to tell just where a third loss in a row would leave Vera, but it wouldn’t be a shock if it left him seeking fights elsewhere. The UFC could keep him around because of his name recognition and due to the fact that it would be a bitter pill to swallow should he go on to become successful somewhere else. One thing is certain, Silva is an extremely tough opponent who could end this fight with one punch.
A very short list this time around, but they are three pretty big names who could conceivably catch on elsewhere. We will have to wait until tomorrow night to find out the results and the UFC acts pretty quickly when it comes to letting fighters go. Enjoy the New Year and UFC 125.
So Long To The Iceman: A True MMA Pioneer
Chuck Liddell may not have been the most versatile mixed martial artist to ever grace the octagon, he may not have been the most well rounded, but now that it is all said and done, he was the most important.
Yesterday Liddell finally gave in to what many fans, family, friends and Dana White have been begging him to do for the past 18 months or so, he retired. He walks away from the sport of mixed martial arts having accomplished more than he ever thought could be possible.
Regardless of the fact that he suffered 4 brutal knockouts and compiled a 1-6 record over that time, Liddell can walk away with his head held high and knowing he always gave it his all. No one can ever question his integrity nor can they ever say Liddell looked for an easy way out.
He helped MMA gain acceptance into parts of the mainstream media and along with Randy Couture showed people that these fighters were not animals locked in a cage. Without these two UFC Hall of Famers serving as coaches on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter who knows where the sport would be today. They showed us that these men were educated, loyal, respectful athletes looking to prove themselves in the world’s ultimate arena.
His list of opponents reads like a who’s who of great mixed martial artists. From the aforementioned Couture to such luminaries as Tito Ortiz, Rich Franklin, Wanderlei Silva, Rampage Jackson, Shogun Rua, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort and Alistair Overeem. There are many more that I did not mention because the list is just too long.
All in all Liddell faced a total of 12 world champions. He compiled a record of 11-6 against those 12 men. He beat these guys when they were in their prime and still had a lot left in the tank. All of his opponents knew what he was going to do, yet they still couldn’t seem to get the job done.
He finishes his career with an impressive 21-8 record overall and was 16-7 while fighting inside the octagon. He held the UFC light heavyweight title for over 2 years and defended it successfully four times. When people think of the UFC they think of the “Iceman” Chuck Liddell. The man with the Mohawk and the right hand that put many of his opponents down for the count.
His days as a competitive athlete may be over, but he will still be an active employee with the UFC. It was announced yesterday that he would take on the role of executive VP of business development. His responsibilities will include helping the organizations expansion into the international markets and of course he will always be an ambassador for the sport.
Let’s not mourn for Chuck Liddell today, he did things his way and we are all that much better off because of him. Let’s celebrate the career of Chuck Liddell, go and watch a favorite fight of his and remember it’s because of that man we have become as spoiled as we are.
2010 Was a Great Year in Mixed Martial Arts
I know it’s a bit early and I thought about doing a “What I Want for Christmas” piece, but that can wait until next week. Since the rise of the UFC we have become spoiled with the amount of MMA we get to see week in and week out. Some people will never be happy, but I know I am.
I am going to look back at this past year in mixed martial arts and express my gratitude for the men who have made this sport as great as it is. There were so many memorable fights, amazing finishes and shocking turns of events. I’d love to know what you are grateful for as well. This is the time of the year where it is better to give than to receive or so they say!
No matter what this man does it is never enough. He dominates Dan Hardy for five rounds and secures two submissions that most fighters would have succumbed to and fans are still not happy! Then he thoroughly outclasses Josh Koscheck by doing what Koscheck said he would never do; stand and trade with him. Do you realize we are getting the opportunity to watch the Babe Ruth of MMA right now? Every time he fights he is better than the time before. He is an incredible athlete with an unbelievable work ethic who upholds all of the integrity that makes this sport so special.
The WEC-UFC Merger:
I realize it may mean less free MMA on television, but as a true fan of the sport and the men who compete in it, the merger makes sense and will allow the lighter fighters an opportunity to shine and make more money as well. Just look at the past week as the UFC was able to sign Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto and Michihiro Omigawa, two of the world’s top featherweights. Being able to make more money and compete inside the Octagon had a lot to do with the organization finally securing these fighters. We will get to watch Urijah Faber, Miguel Torres, Jose Aldo and so many other great fighters fight under the same banner as GSP and Anderson Silva. Well deserved if you ask me.
I’ve interviewed Velasquez before and he is as humble as they come. Everything that he has accomplished he has busted his ass for. Watching him tear through Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and then Brock Lesnar was simply awesome and I am a fan of both men. Velasquez is the type of fighter who goes about his business the way fighters are supposed to. He works hard, respects his opponents and the sport. It’s amazing to see him progress the way he has and he hasn’t reached his peak yet. Now that’s scary.
Junior Dos Santos:
Dos Santos is another in the long line of brilliant Brazilian fighters. Ever since he shocked the MMA world by dropping Fabricio Werdum with a well placed uppercut at UFC 90 the man has been on a mission. In 2010 alone he has defeated Gilbert Yvel, Gabriel Gonzaga and Roy Nelson. He has the best stand-up in the heavyweight division and while his ground game has yet to be tested, something tells me he will do just fine against Velasquez when they meet sometime in the next few months. Two young guns will battle over the sports most prestigious title. If that doesn’t get you excited I don’t know what will.
Is this guy an animal or what? No one has been able to touch this guy, he has yet to be tested and I truly don’t know if that will happen at 145lbs. The UFC thinks so highly of him that they offered him an opportunity to fight Kenny Florian in January. Not only would it have been his first fight as a lightweight, but he would have been fighting in the UFC for the first time as well. I truly believe that Aldo will be a fighter that goes down in the history books as one of the best pound for pound fighters of all time. How great is it that we are lucky enough to watch him compete?
While many believe his win against BJ Penn at UFC 112 was very controversial, he more than made up for it with his dominant performance against Penn at UFC 118 just four months later. Now that he is champion the division has opened up once again after watching Penn dominate it for the previous two years. Regardless of the outcome of his bout with Grey Maynard next month there are so many fighters waiting in line for a shot at the gold, including the ones who have made their way over from the WEC.
World of Jenks:
For the past few years I have tried in earnest to get my wife to follow MMA more intently, but she just wasn’t interested. As soon as she watched the episode of the “World of Jenks” which featured WEC lightweight title competitor Anthony “Showtime” Pettis her interest really started to increase. The show really gave a great look into the life of a mixed martial artist and allowed you to invest yourself into him as a fan. They showed that fighters aren’t brute thugs or barbarians; rather they are men of honor and dedicated to their families. Great job by MTV.
If we really have seen the last of Couture inside the Octagon as a competitor then let us all be thankful that he went out on top. In 2010 he defeated Mark Coleman, Brandon Vera and choked out James Toney, the boxer who was hell bent on proving that mixed martial artists couldn’t compete with a good boxer. He was the right man for the job as he has represented this sport so well throughout his career. The UFC wouldn’t have been the same without “The Natural” aka “Captain America.”
Steroids or not this man showed the world that Anderson Silva is human and he also helped Silva show the world that he has a ton of heart. After being taken down at will and beaten up for over four rounds, Silva pulled a submission out of his ass and proved that he could work under pressure. Silva isn’t one of the greatest fighters for no reason and for one night in August, Sonnen helped show us that “The Spider” isn’t perfect and that he always keeps his composure.
Josh Rosenthal:
Kudos to a referee for having the balls to allow a champion the chance to fight out of danger. His decision was validated just a few minutes later when Brock Lesnar choked out Shane Carwin in the 2nd round of their heavyweight title fight back in July. Carwin was unloading all types of heavy artillery on the befallen Lesnar, but Rosenthal made sure he was in the right position to see that Lesnar was still competent and defending himself. Good job ref!
Mike Dolce:
The talent that Thiago Alves has is hardly a secret as he has been regarded one of the top three welterweights in the world for some time now, but it has been his inability to maintain his weight which as caused him to miss the 170lb limit on a few occasions. Dana White had enough and was looking to force Alves to compete as a middleweight. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed and Alves hooked up with Dolce. The result was a fantastic outing by Alves at UFC 124 against John Howard. Not only did Alves make weight, but he looked to be in prime condition, mixing in some takedowns with his always dangerous striking. The best days are ahead for Alves.
Not to toot my own horn, but I was telling everyone when Sotiropoulos was on The Ultimate Fighter that this guy was something special. I don’t know what it was, but after watching him destroy Roman Mitichyan back in April of 2008, I felt that a drop to the lightweight division would be a huge boost to his career. Lo and behold he has won five straight as a lightweight including wins over Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino and Joe Lauzon. Watching him progress these past 12 months has been so gratifying.
Along with Ryan Bader the UFC has three potential studs in their light heavyweight division and they are all under the age of 27. They have a combined record of 31-1 with the only loss being suffered by Jones and that loss was against Matt Hamill via DQ in a bout that Jones was absolutely dominating. Jones and Bader will be meeting in February at UFC 126 in a bout that may determine the next number one contender for the light heavyweight championship. These are three guys who will be staples of the division well into the next decade.
Whether you love him or you hate him, the man exemplifies what a fighter is all about. After handing Aaron Simpson his first loss on June 19th and earning the knockout of the night bonus, Leben bails the UFC out of a jam by returning to face Japanese sensation Yoshihiro Akiyama just three weeks later at UFC 116. The two waged a war for the better part of three rounds before Leben locked in a triangle choke with just 20 seconds left in the fight. The two men earned fight of the night for their troubles. I don’t know too many fighters who would have the balls to fight Simpson and Akiyama in the span of a few months let alone 3 weeks.
This kid can fight and despite the fact that he was robbed against Sean Sherk at UFC 119 in September he was still offered a main event spot opposite Kenny Florian on the UFC: Fight for the Troops card that is scheduled for January. Florian is out because of an injury, but Dunham will face Melvin Guillard instead. In 2010 Dunham burst on to the scene with wins over Efrain Escudero, Tyson Griffin and technically Sean Sherk. He will be a big part of the UFC’s lightweight division for years to come.
What makes MMA so great is the amount of inspirational stories that we hear about the fighters who compete in this great sport. Whether it’s a guy who came from a broken home and started wrestling to stay off the streets or a fighter whose friends were into drug dealing and he wanted something better, the stories are abundant and always interesting. McGee came out of nowhere to win The Ultimate Fighter season 11. After losing in the preliminary round, McGee was chosen to come back and he made the most of the opportunity. He defeated Kris McCray in the live finale. After winning via second round submission McGee gave an emotional speech about his past problems with drugs and showed the world that with hard work anything is possible.
Bellator:
The little promotion that could will soon enter its fourth season. If you haven’t watched a Bellator event live then do yourselves a favor and get to a show as soon as possible. Their matchmaking is spectacular and very rarely disappoints. I really like the tournaments they run and having Eddie Alvarez as your lightweight champion only helps. He is one of the top 155lb fighters in the world and recently dispatched of Roger Huerta this past October. They have secured a television deal with FX and do a great job of showcasing local talent everywhere they go.
There you have it, I know that there are no Strikeforce fighters on here, but to be honest the only things I can appreciate from Strikeforce are Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez. That doesn’t mean I don’t like any of their other fighters, but the promotion as a whole just doesn’t seem to get it. Stop focusing so much on Fedor and allowing him to dictate when, where and who he fights. The same can be said for their heavyweight “champion” Alistair Overeem. One title defense in three years is ridiculous. It’s time to move on and take control back.
ESPN News- Pacquiao condemns critics' anti-gay allegations May 16, 2012Manny Pacquiao says he loves and supports gays and lesbians, even though he does not approve of gay marriage. […]Associated Press
- Pacquiao condemns critics' anti-gay allegations May 16, 2012Manny Pacquiao says he loves and supports gays and lesbians, even though he does not approve of gay marriage. […]Associated Press
- Lemieux's comeback trail to start with Zepeda May 16, 2012Montreal middleweight David Lemieux will return to the ring in a scheduled eight-rounder on a June 8 undercard at the Bell Centre in Montreal against Jaudiel Zepeda. […]Dan Rafael
- U.S. female boxer Esparza qualifies for London May 16, 2012Flyweight Marlen Esparza has become the first American female boxer to qualify for the London Olympics. […]Associated Press
- Peterson to present case, asks for Nev. license May 15, 2012Junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson will seek a Nevada boxing license despite his admission that he took a banned substance, which forced the cancellation of his rematch with Amir Khan. […]Dan Rafael
- Taylor qualifies for women's boxing at Games May 15, 2012Three-time world champion Katie Taylor of Ireland qualified for the London Olympics women's boxing, defeating Saida Khassenova of Kazakhstan 20-8 in the 132-pound class at the world championships on Tuesday. […]Associated Press
- Peterson fallout spurs Golden Boy to shift card May 15, 2012Golden Boy Promotions said Monday it has decided against putting on a June 30 Showtime card in Washington, D.C., because of the continuing fallout from the Lamont Peterson failed drug test. […]Dan Rafael
- Boxer Casal recovering after being attacked May 14, 2012The father of light welterweight boxer Nick Casal considers his son lucky to be alive after sustaining several deep cuts to his head in an attack last weekend. […]Associated Press
- Margarito forced to postpone fight due to injury May 14, 2012An Achilles injury has forced former welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito to postpone a return to the ring that had been planned for May 26 in Tucson, Ariz. […]Dan Rafael
- USA Boxing sending nine to compete in London May 12, 2012Six more American boxers have qualified for the Olympics with winning performances at a qualifying tournament in Brazil, allowing USA Boxing to send an impressive nine fighters to the London Games. […]Associated Press
- Pacquiao condemns critics' anti-gay allegations May 16, 2012
