Being Jon Malko-Fitch
(ufc.com)A question for the masses: If you could peek into the mind of someone you have observed accomplish feats in the Octagon with ease, would you?
Undisputed
(ufc.com)For the second time in six months, the stage is set to definitively answer one of the fundamental questions burning in the collective minds of middleweight fight fans worldwide: who is the real champion?
At UFC 82, reigning UFC 185-lb champion Anderson Silva will face reigning PRIDE 183-lb champion Dan Henderson to end the debate, at least for now, as to who is the unchallenged ruler of the mixed martial arts middleweight kingdom.
Silva is on the verge of the most successful middleweight championship run in UFC history. His March 1 unification fight will be the third defense of his title. If successful, he will break his current tie with former champion Rich Franklin and set a new standard against which all future middleweight champions will be measured.
Henderson is the only 183-lb champion that PRIDE has ever known, winning the title by defeating Murilo Bustamante at PRIDE Shockwave 2005. Two years later, Hendo shocked the word by savagely knocking out then-205-lb champion Wanderlei Silva to become the only simultaneous two-division champion that the sport has ever known.
Carano Unsure Of Next Fight
(mmaweekly.com)There have been rumors that EliteXC fighter and "American Gladiators" star Gina Carano could have her next fight on the EXC/Strikeforce joint event in March, but with American Gladiators picked up for another season Carano is now unsure when her next fight will be. If she's brought back for AG season 2, taping likely would be in March and April.
Boetsch Talks Hamill and New Deal with UFC
(mmaweekly.com)Stepping up on short notice is sure to be the calling card for Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight Tim Boetsch, who will again stand in for an injured fighter as he takes on Matt Hamill at UFC Fight Night on April 2 in Broomfield, Colo.
Though he is replacing Stephan Bonnar, the Pennsylvania-based fighter is looking forward to having more time to get ready for his return to the Octagon.
“I’m trying to figure out what to do with all the time,” said Boetsch with a laugh about having more time to prepare for this fight than his last time out.
It seems UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has the fighter’s number on speed dial, as this is the second time he will step up for the promotion and Boetsch is fine with that arrangement.
“I’ll be ready to fight whenever and wherever they need me,” he stated. “Somebody gets hurt or drops out, I think my name’s close to the top of the list of people they want to call.”
Chuck Liddell on NPR
(npr.org)I couldn't believe it when I heard Chuck on NPR today. I guess I don't know why but I assumed NPR would be the last place MMA would be covered.
Here is the Link to the radio show
Anderson Silva Looking At Moving Up To Light Heavyweight?
(fightline.com)Chris Fries and The JDH recently interviewed Ed Suarez, manager of Anderson Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria on The Lights Out Show. Suarez made some very interesting comments regarding Silva and Big Nog.
Suarez On Silva:
“We would consider going up in weight…”
“…I don’t think there’s a middleweight in the world that could beat him…You’d have a hard time having a light heavyweight in the world that could beat him.”
Tarded Reality Show Concept of the Day, Part 2
(cagepotato.com)You think Fighting Fedor is a bad idea? Ho, baby. From a new press release on Reuters.com:
Rodrigo and Crosley Gracie have decided to co-produce a reality television show of mixed martial arts, combined with the Gracie Jiu Jitsu flavor, and a little drama. [Ed. note: Rodrigo and Crosley are cousins, and grandsons of Carlos Gracie.]
The reality show is based on true life grudges. Imagine a famous face knocking on your door. He/she shows you a photo. “Do you know who this is?” You know exactly who it is. He/she is the person with whom you have a grudge to settle. Then, without a clue as to where you are going, you are whisked off to an undisclosed location where you will be trained by one of the world famous Gracie Jiu Jitsu family members. Did you know that the person in the photo is also receiving the same treatment? Did you know that now is the chance to “Settle Your Grudge?”
“It gives me great pleasure to bring this show to you, despite any controversy that may arise. At the end of the day, we are all humans, we’ve all had grudges, and they all need to be settled to bring closure to real the life drama that leaves us perplexed every day” boasts [executive producer] Stacey “O”.
Episodes in production include: Cop vs. Con; Bouncer vs. Bounced; Biker vs. Nerd; Husband vs. x-Boyfriend; Manager vs. Employee; Old Bully vs. the Bullied; Teacher vs. Student; and Old vs. Young.
Pit Bosses: Premature Thoughts on YAMMA Fighting
(sherdog.com)Not since the progeny of singer David Bowie was christened Zowie -- swear to God -- has popular culture suffered a name as patently offensive to good taste as YAMMA Pit Fighting, the latest in the me-too march of MMA offerings.
Too harsh by half? Perhaps, but with two months to go before YAMMA makes its official debut at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., there's precious little else about the promotion to comment on.
Pit Fighting founder Bob Meyrowitz -- there's one for the résumé -- has been evasive in questions pertaining to the YAMMA fighting surface, alleged to revolutionize how we view the combat sports. No participants have been officially announced, though it's known that Meyrowitz plans on dusting off combatants from the UFC's heyday for a series of "Master" class super fights. The event will also use a single-night tournament to crown champions, a dubious honor awarded more for luck than skill.
Couple this with the rumored reunion tour of New Kids on the Block, and you'll forgive anyone who mistakes 2008 for 1994.
411 MMA Fact or Fiction 02.08.08: UFC 81 Review
(411mania.com)Would Minotauro Nogueira defeat Randy Couture if he were to return? Will Brock Lesnar's next opponent be a cakewalk? Will that win reinvigorate the career of Frank Mir? Was Tim Sylvia's ground defense mindblowingly bad? All of this and more in the latest installment of 411 MMA Fact or Fiction!
Eying the Lightweight Landscape
(ufc.com)Many believe it is the most exciting division in mixed martial arts.
But not many guys walking around at 155 pounds have truly devastating, one-punch knockout power like Chuck Liddell or Tim Sylvia. Not many of them can fire a high kick like Mirko Cro Cop or Gabriel Gonzaga. So, what makes the little fellas so exciting?
It can be summed up with three words: blazing, nonstop action.
Stated differently, a lightweight bout is like watching the other weight classes on fast forward. From lightning quick punches that come in rapid-fire succession to amazing scrambles to crazy transition jiu-jitsu, the little guys know how to thrill the crowd.
Who is the division kingpin? Who is next up to challenge for the title? And what marquee names round out the list of true division contenders?
Mark Hunt signs with Hustle Pro-Wrestling
http://mmamanjapan.blogspot.com/2008/02/mark-munt-signs-with.html
this links link takes you to a foreign site that supposedly broke the story.
I'm a little bummed,but oh well.
Matt Lindland Update: Will Not Be Returning To The UFC
(mmafightline.com)Both Matt Lindland and Dana White have recently confirmed that the two had tossed around the idea of a Lindland return to the UFC. However after UFC 81 Lindland made it clear that the UFC would not be making him an offer.
“Dana has made it clear they are not going to make me an offer to return to the UFC,” said Lindland. I feel there are a lot of good fighters in the UFC, and I feel like I could beat most of them.”
Five Questions in the Wake of UFC 81
(sherdog.com)The UFC's media campaign has repeatedly stressed that the spectacle of MMA -- those bygone days when fighters showed up in wife beaters and singlets, listing Tae Bo as a discipline -- is ancient history.
Yet that weird buzz in one's central nervous system, the one you used to get when watching athletes of unknown origin and ability, was present during Saturday's UFC 81 card. Observing Brock Lesnar (Pictures), a human being of formidable proportions, rain hammer fists down on Frank Mir (Pictures) helped recapture some of the early knot-in-stomach jitters of the cruder, single-digit events. (Lesnar's knife tattoo, so ignobly displayed on his mammoth chest, might as well have been a giant question mark.)
We got at least one answer: Lesnar, while seemingly the most athletic 265-pound man ever to step into a cage, has a ways to go before promoters need to resize the heavyweight strap.
Looking at NCAA Wrestling Champions in MMA
(mmajunkie.com)Brock Lesnar’s notoriety as a World Wrestling Entertainment champion and headliner has created great interest in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut on Saturday night against former UFC champion Frank Mir.
But because his fame comes from scripted entertainment, many aren’t aware of his successes in legitimate athletic competition.
Lesnar was 106-5 in four years of college wrestling, winning the junior college national championship in 1998 and the Division I championship for the University of Minnesota in 2000, both as a heavyweight.
High-level amateur wrestling is a great asset in mixed martial arts, as many of UFC’s biggest stars all have a substantial wrestling background, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, Dan Henderson, Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Diego Sanchez, Rashad Evans, Tito Ortiz, Clay Guida, Keith Jardine, Roger Huerta, Jake O’Brien, Frankie Edgar, Matt Hamill, Brandon Vera, Gray Maynard, Corey Hill, Matt Grice and others.
But wrestling success is no guarantee of MMA success. For every Couture or Dan Severn, both of whom competed on the U.S. national team in international competition and are among only a few fighters in the UFC Hall of Fame, there are great wrestlers, including national champions and Olympians, who have gone nowhere in MMA.
Randy Couture Picks Tim Sylvia Over Antonio Noguiera
(mmafightline.com)Randy Couture is, legally speaking, the UFC heavyweight champion. He recently declined an invitation to fight Antonio Noguiera however, stating that he has resigned from the UFC and wished to pursue a fight with consensus number one heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. He has since battled UFC management in an intense, and very public war of words; and now faces a potential legal battle as well.
The latest spat between Couture and the UFC has to do with Couture's work as a cornerman at events held by organizations such as the IFL and HCF.
Couture has appearently recieved word from UFC officials that making appearences at such organizations is a breach of contract. Couture sat down with The Calgary Sun to discuss the situation in more detail and also weighted in on the upcoming battle between Noguiera and his replacement at UFC 81, Tim Sylvia.
Angle Calls Lesnar A "Mental Midget"
(mmanews.com)Kurt Angle, in a radio appearance promoting TNA Wrestling's upcoming PPV, also briefly talked about Brock Lesnar in MMA. He called Brock a "mental midget" and said he'd win if little to no pressure was on him.
Kim Couture to make MMA debut Feb. 23
(mmajunkie.com)After five years of training, Kim Couture, the wife of UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, will make her MMA debut next month.
Couture will take part in a “smoker” event at the Xtreme Couture MMA gym in Las Vegas on Feb. 23. She says she’ll take on a female fighter who’s coming into town from Vancouver, Wash.
Couture spoke about next month’s fight during Friday’s edition of “Inside MMA,” a weekly MMA news show that airs Fridays on Mark Cuban’s HDNet high-definition channel.
Couture is the the vice president of the Xtreme Couture MMA. After spending time with notable EliteXC fighter (and current “American Gladiator”) Gina Carano, Couture said the spirit of competition led to the fight booking.
Miletich Says He'd Like To Fight Again
(mmanews.com)The Houston Chronicle recently interviewed Pat Miletich, who reportedly is considering fighting again. While not actively looking to make a match now, he did say he'd be interested in fighting Renzo Gracie or Frank Shamrock.
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