Paulson, Nelson, Morgan talk about Lesnar Victory
(punchdrunkgamer.com)Brock Lesnar’s Team Breaks Down His Victory Over Randy Couture For The UFC Heavyweight Title
On November 15th, 2008 Brock Lesnar became one of only 4 Heavyweights in UFC history to win the Heavyweight Title with less than 5 professional fights. The coaches who helped him orchestrate his victory over the Legendary Captain America Randy Couture talked with PDG about Brock’s training, the fight and his future opponents. Below is what legendary trainers Marty Morgan, Greg Nelson and Erik Paulson had to say about the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Pat Miletich: Rebirth Of A Legend
(mmaweekly.com)Pat Miletich, founder and patriarch of Miletich Fighting Systems, is tired of watching all the young whippersnappers having fun. He wants back in the ring. Miletich says he’s done extensive rehab on a longstanding neck injury, and feels it’s time to test himself in action. On Dec. 11, he will dip a toe back into MMA waters, facing Thomas Denny at Adrenaline MMA’s second show, in Moline, Iowa, Miletich Fighting Systems’ backyard.
10 Fights That Could Have Been
(sherdog.com)Mixed martial arts remains a very young sport. Despite a short history that dates back less than 20 years, it has produced some remarkable fights -- bouts like Royce Gracie against Dan Severn, Frank Shamrock versus Tito Ortiz and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira against Fedor Emelianenko.
Every longstanding promoter will admit that for every “superfight” made, another fails to materialize because of injury, a contract dispute or promoters failing to cooperate with one another.
Sherdog.com’s Tim Leidecker has compiled a list of the top 10 fights that could have been during the last 15 years.
Goran Reljic is Aquaman
(cagepotato.com)“Actually this is second time that I know Goran saved a life in the water,” [Reljic’s manager, Zoran Saric] recalled. “Two years ago, he jumped into a wild storm near the cliffs in the Adriatic Sea, where a person was swimming and trying to get out the water, but the waves and current were so strong that they were pulling the person back in. I have no idea how Goran managed to pull that person out of the sea, but he did it.”
Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi to Compete in ADCC 2009
(bloodyelbow.com)
In the ever expanding "quest for the best" ADCC Championships is proud to announce that two of the World’s top fighters have agreed to compete in the 2009 ADCC event. ADCC is proud to announce that Pride and Affliciton Champion Fedor Emelianenko, widely considered the World’s best fighter and 2008 Dream Middleweight Champion Gregard Mousassi are set to compete in ADCC 2009. ADCC Europe President Marko Leistén confirmed the fighter’s presence after a meeting with the two fighters manager Aby Echteld in Holland 8th November.
Fedor Emelianenko, after conquering the World of MMA, wants to show the World he is also the best Submission Grappler in the World. Fedor want to make history and expand on the pioneer spirit of what Mark Kerr did in the late 90's when he was the Champion of Pride and became the weight and Absolute Champion of ADCC and went on to defend his title in the Superfights for 2 editions.
Mousassi, the winner of the 2008 Dream Middleweight Grand Prix where he defeated former World ABJJ Absolute and ADCC middleweight Champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in the final, also wants to test his ground skills against the top names in Submission Grappling. This sets up some humongous possible match-ups such as a re-match with "Jacare" or facing current ADCC Middleweight Champion and rising U.F.C. star Demian Maia.
Nice to see Mark kerr getting some love, he was an absolute beast in ADCC.
Dana White: Anderson Silva Is Far Above Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn
(mma.fanhouse.com)Asked whether the winner of the fight between B.J. Penn and Georges St. Pierre could vault to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings, White said no.
"I don't think they change at all," White said. "Anderson Silva is far and above the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. The fighter who wins this fight between B.J. and St. Pierre is on their way. They've got to do a couple more big things in their career to challenge Anderson Silva, or something happens to Anderson. But Anderson Silva is way above pound-for-pound the best fighter."
Chuck Liddell drops out of USO tour. Rumored to be kicked off.
(mmajunkie.com)The abrupt end to Chuck Liddell's participation in an international USO tour to support American troops has raised a few eyebrows.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion was part of a contingent of five celebrities joining a U.S. Marine general on an eight-day, five-country USO tour this week.
Liddell made the first part of the trek on Monday to Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska, with rap duo the Ying Yang Twins, model and singer Mayra Veronica and comedians Gabriel Iglesias and Edwin San Juan. However, Liddell pulled out of the tour on Tuesday due to what both the USO and his management team, Zinkin Entertainment, deemed to be an unspecified illness.
However, unconfirmed reports quickly surfaced following Liddell's decision to bow out, including one that he was asked to leave by the USO after members of his entourage were found partying with minors............
Pros Picks: Couture vs. Lesnar
(sherdog.com)One of mixed martial arts’ most beloved and important figures will make his eagerly awaited return to the Octagon this Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Poised to defend his heavyweight title against behemoth Brock Lesnar at UFC 91, Randy Couture will face arguably his most daunting task when he climbs into battle for the 25th time.
Sherdog.com spoke with dozens of experts, from fighters to trainers to analysts, and got their opinions on the Couture/Lesnar showdown.
Fighting Father Time
(sherdog.com)America’s athletic battlefields are littered with good-intentioned men who stuck around too long in their chosen sport, their eroding physical skills rendering them incapable of recapturing the glory of day’s gone by. Remember Michael Jordan in a Washington Wizards uniform? Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield also spring to mind.
Though his legacy and place in the mixed martial arts pantheon are secure, Randy Couture does not want his name added to the list.
Boxing on Kimbo’s Mind, Manager Addresses Auction
(sherdog.com)Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson has a hankering to try boxing, he told host Dan Le Batard on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket Wednesday.
“I’m thinking about boxing as well,” said the Internet legend turned MMA fighter. “Boxing is wide open right now. I want to do it all.”
Ferguson’s revelation didn’t come with any news of a fight on the horizon, though he said he’d like to return to MMA competition by February.
The interview marked Ferguson’s first since his lackluster 14-second TKO loss at the hands of last-minute replacement Seth Petruzelli on Oct. 4.
Bas talks Kimbo, EXC, Lesnar-Couture & More!
(punchdrunkgamer.com)Bas Rutten ‘Living Mixed Martial Arts Part II’
The former King of Pancrase took some time recently to talk with PDG about the many projects he has going on, the Fall of EliteXC & Kimbo Slice what he thinks of some of the biggest fights of the year coming up in the UFC.
PDG: The last time you were in Japan was for DREAM 6; what did you think about the Alistair Overeem vs Mirko ‘Cro-Cop’ fight?
Bas: It was a great fight and it was a shame that it ended like it did because Overeem was winning the fight. I was a little surprised by his dominance but then I talked to his trainer from Golden Glory; which is a Thai boxing gym in Holland that I used to train at. His striking has definitely gotten better since he started training there and Mirko has not looked very good his last few fights. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge Mirko fan and I wish he could get back on track.
Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran: ‘I get off on the blood’
(mmamania.com)“”MMA is far bloodier than boxing. These guys will have multiple cuts—the middle of their forehead, their scalp. Head cuts bleed a lot. And the cuts are deeper, because of the elbows and knees. It’s bone on bone…. I see so many cuts, [fixing them] is automatic for me. It’s poetry in motion.”"
– ESPN the Magazine has a great article this month on the best cut man in the business, Jacob “Stitch” Duran. It talks about how he made it to where he is today and how his unique approach to closing cuts has helped several fighters, including UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin, continue to compete after getting busted open “as wide as an elevator door.” Very cool article. Very different … go check it out.
Couture talks training for "worst-case scenario" (video)
(mmajunkie.com)
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Nov 05, 2008 at 4:25 pm ET
As UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture prepares for next week's UFC 91 main event with Brock Lesnar, the 45-year-old fighter is preparing for all scenarios.
But seeing how he's giving up 14 years of age, 40 pounds and an inch of height, Couture is preparing for one specific scenario more than others.
Couture discussed the fight and his "worst-case-scenario training" while a recent guest of HDNet's "Inside MMA." Thanks to our partnership with the weekly MMA news show, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) now present a clip of the strategy talk.
The Nov. 15 main event fight, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, pits a UFC hall-of-famer -- one who's fought for a title in 14 of his 24 professional fights -- against a UFC rookie who owns a mere 2-1 career record.
However, Couture knows that Lesnar, a former WWE superstar who was also an NCAA Division I national wrestling champion, isn't your typical three-fight vet.
"I've been putting my self in worst-case-scenario training," said Couture, who's filled his Las Vegas-based Xtreme Couture gym with heavyweight training partners. "You've got to be on the bottom. If this guy takes me down, I've got to be able to survive and get up and scramble and get out from underneath him. I can't lie down there and give up rounds."
However, the three-time Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling alternate still thinks his bread and butter -- dirty boxing -- can be a viable strategy.
"I still feel comfortable in the clinch and using cage tactics. I was there with Tim (Sylvia). They don't get much bigger than Tim, and Gabe (Gonzaga) was certainly a big, strong guy," said Couture, referring to his two most recent victories. "I don't think Brock is any different in that situation. I'm going to feel pretty comfortable putting him there if he gives me the chance to."
For more on the fight, and Couture's thoughts on why a fight with former PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko is unlikely ever to happen, check out the embedded clip.
Bisping Responds to Leben’s Steroid Bust
(cagepotato.com)“I have to admit I was disappointed when I heard. You know, when all’s said and done, I like Chris Leben. He conducted himself well before and after the fight and, as I say, I like the guy. I’m a little disappointed that he’s done what he’s done, bringing the sport into disrepute, but it’s not really my place to have an opinion on it.
The UFC, as they always do, have set the example with the punishment — and they’re right to do that. Should he banned for life? I don’t think so, people make mistakes, people learn from mistakes. Plenty of fighters have recovered after testing positive, the standard is set at nine months and it would be unfair to go any harsher on Chris…
I don’t know if it makes my win any better, you can make a case for it because — without wanting to start slinging mud — he did cheat and I didn’t. I don’t know why he did it or if he knew he was doing it, but I know my performance was purely down to blood, sweat and tears — and that’s all the satisfaction I need.”
Nate Quarry wants to put Maia between a Rock and a hard place
(ufc.com)For a lot of fighters, seven months between bouts may feel like an awful long time. But when you’ve been through a purgatory of nearly two very uncertain years between fights—time spent rehabbing a bum back and restructuring a shattered nose—seven months of relative quiet between action can seem fast and furious.
That’s why when Nate “Rock” Quarry is asked about ring rust heading into his UFC 91 bout with Demian Maia, you can hear him mumble under his breath . . . ring rust, shmring rust.
“This is actually really good pacing for me,” says the rejuvenated 36-year-old middleweight. “After a fight I like to take a little time, rest, relax, let the body heal up, remind myself why I train so hard and take care of my little girl [8-year-old Ciera]—maybe take her on vacation or something to show her my appreciation for putting up with me working so hard for the last three months.”
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