Author: Ben Fowlkes

My First Fight: Rashad Evans

Filed under: UFCWhen Rashad Evans showed up to his very first MMA training session, he was pretty sure one of two things was going to happen: either he was going to learn to fight, or he was going to get robbed at gunpoint.

He was really hoping for t…

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When Rashad Evans showed up to his very first MMA training session, he was pretty sure one of two things was going to happen: either he was going to learn to fight, or he was going to get robbed at gunpoint.

He was really hoping for the former, but from the looks of the alleged gym a stranger had just driven him to, the latter seemed more likely.

“It looked like a set-up,” Evans says, looking back. “I looked at the building and was like, this sh-t cannot have a credible gym in there.”

For Small Town Fighter Woodard, Bellator Tourney Offers Chance to Shine

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, BellatorMISSOULA, Mont. – When undefeated lightweight Lloyd Woodard (10-0) heard he’d finally get a shot at the big leagues via Bellator’s 155-pound tournament, he did what any self-respecting Montanan would do: he star…

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MISSOULA, Mont. – When undefeated lightweight Lloyd Woodard (10-0) heard he’d finally get a shot at the big leagues via Bellator’s 155-pound tournament, he did what any self-respecting Montanan would do: he started growing a mustache.

We’re not talking some Brooklyn hipster lip fuzz, either. There is nothing ironic about Woodard’s facial hair, though it is intended to send a message when he shows up on MTV 2 to face Carey Vanier on Saturday night.

“I want everybody to know I’m from Montana,” said the 26-year-old Woodard.

It’s not simply regional pride, although, sure, there’s some of that wound up in Woodard’s Western-style ‘stache. But there’s a strategic element to this, too.

Jones, Rua Agree on One Thing: The Other Guy Should Be the Favorite

Filed under: UFCDepending on which sportsbook you consult, Jon Jones is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of a 2-1 favorite in his fight with UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128.

Whether that’s due to Rua’s long injury…

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Depending on which sportsbook you consult, Jon Jones is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of a 2-1 favorite in his fight with UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128.

Whether that’s due to Rua’s long injury layoff or Jones’ dynamic blend of skills – or, most likely, some comination of the two – it doesn’t seem to matter to the two combatants. While they disagree on what the outcome of the fight will be next Saturday night, they both seem convinced that they deserve to be thought of as the underdog.

Victor Conte, Kyle Kingsbury and the Making of the Modern Fighter

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveIt started small, the way these things often do. Kyle Kingsbury knew a guy who knew a guy. A training partner of his at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif. was hooking him up with some pre-workout sup…

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It started small, the way these things often do. Kyle Kingsbury knew a guy who knew a guy. A training partner of his at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif. was hooking him up with some pre-workout supplements that he really liked, and eventually it occurred to him to seek out the source.

One thing led to another and pretty soon Kingsbury, who had just come off a decision loss in his UFC debut, was sitting down for a meeting with none other than Victor Conte – the man whose name had become synonymous with steroids in the sporting world. It’s the kind of thing that might have made UFC president Dana White pop a forehead vein, had he known about it at the time.

“I had my reservations at first,” said the 28-year-old Kingsbury (10-2-1). “That first meeting I had with Victor, we sat down and we must have talked for two and a half hours. I think what allowed me to have trust in him was him telling me about everything that had gone on with him going to jail, how his wife had passed away, and it was just all on him to take care of his four daughters, and there was no way he could ever take a chance on going back to jail. He just had a lot of regret.”

Jon Jones: ‘I Absolutely Hate When People Mention Rashad Evans’

Filed under: UFCA few months ago Jon Jones and Rashad Evans would have both sworn up and down that they’d never fight each other, and that they wanted only the best for one another even as the two teammates both chased UFC light heavyweight gold.

But …

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A few months ago Jon Jones and Rashad Evans would have both sworn up and down that they’d never fight each other, and that they wanted only the best for one another even as the two teammates both chased UFC light heavyweight gold.

But with Jones’ title shot at UFC 128 against champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua just around the corner, those days are now but a distant memory.

While Jones described Evans as a friend on Wednesday’s UFC media call, he also insisted that won’t be thinking at all about his teammate at the Jackson squad when he takes on Rua in Newark, New Jersey next Saturday night. Even if he got the title shot only after an injury knocked Evans out of the main event, Jones was in no mood to discuss the fighter he’s described in previous interviews as a mentor and a big brother.

Falling Action: Best and Worst of Strikeforce – Feijao vs. Henderson

After a busy week of MMA that culminated in two Strikeforce title fights on Showtime on Saturday night, it’s time to load up on just enough coffee to push us through one final post-mortem analysis.

From knockouts to comebacks to a fighter who turned o…

After a busy week of MMA that culminated in two Strikeforce title fights on Showtime on Saturday night, it’s time to load up on just enough coffee to push us through one final post-mortem analysis.

From knockouts to comebacks to a fighter who turned out to be exactly who we thought he was, there’s plenty to dissect after Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson.

Join me below as I sort through the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.