Author: Ben Fowlkes

Stephan Bonnar: This Is Only Way I Know How to Fight

Filed under: UFCAccording to Stephan Bonnar, there comes a point in every training camp where it becomes so miserable it’s almost fun.

“Every day you go through hell,” said Bonnar. “Pretty soon you’re like, I’m so sick of this. Then you settle in and…

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According to Stephan Bonnar, there comes a point in every training camp where it becomes so miserable it’s almost fun.

“Every day you go through hell,” said Bonnar. “Pretty soon you’re like, I’m so sick of this. Then you settle in and it just starts growing on you. You kind of accept that the fun’s over. It’s probably kind of like being locked up in jail: the first month or so it sucks and you can’t wait to get out, but then you kind of get used to it and you forget how the good life is.”

Fortunately for Bonnar, he has a parole date in sight. Saturday night he faces Igor Pokrajac at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale, which means, if nothing else, that his suffering is about to come to an end. For now, anyway.

Greg Jackson Fires Back at Dana White Over Recent Criticism

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsMMA trainer Greg Jackson isn’t pleased with some of the recent comments coming from UFC president Dana White, so he decided to do something about it. With White criticizing the Jackson camp for what he describe…

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MMA trainer Greg Jackson isn’t pleased with some of the recent comments coming from UFC president Dana White, so he decided to do something about it. With White criticizing the Jackson camp for what he describes as a boring, conservative approach to fights, Jackson is firing back with a weapon of his own: statistical analysis.

On Monday night Jackson sent MMA Fighting an email listing all the bonus awards and finishes tallied by his fighters in Zuffa events in 2010. The list includes the names of 20 Jackson camp fighters who competed in the UFC or WEC in 2010, but perhaps the most telling figure is the distribution of UFC’s bonuses after each event, Jackson explained.

“Here’s a quick stat for you. So there’s been 22 [UFC events] this year? We had 12 bonuses so far this year,” Jackson said in a phone interview. “So one out of every two, one of my fighters got Submission of the Night, Knockout of the Night, or Fight of the Night.”

Randy Couture Offers Sober Assessment of His Future in MMA

Filed under: UFC, NewsThe time has come for former UFC champion Randy Couture to be “rational” about where his fighting career is headed, the 47-year-old MMA veteran told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour.

Despite his three-fight win …

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Randy CoutureThe time has come for former UFC champion Randy Couture to be “rational” about where his fighting career is headed, the 47-year-old MMA veteran told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour.

Despite his three-fight win streak in the UFC, including victories over fellow former champ Mark Coleman and boxer James Toney in 2010, Couture said he doesn’t see another title shot in his future.

“I think that realistically the end of me making runs at the title was a while ago,” said Couture. “I’ve had a great year. I’ve had some great fights. Not too many of them really put me in line to be a number one contender or make a run at the title. To be honest, I just don’t see myself doing that at this stage in my career.”

My First Fight: Yves Edwards

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveThe internet will tell you that Yves Edwards’ first fight was against a guy named Todd Justice at the World Pankration Championships on Oct. 26, 1997.

“That’s not right,” Edwards says. “I fought a few weeks, maybe a…

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The internet will tell you that Yves Edwards‘ first fight was against a guy named Todd Justice at the World Pankration Championships on Oct. 26, 1997.

“That’s not right,” Edwards says. “I fought a few weeks, maybe a month before that, in the same building. I fought this guy, I don’t remember his name, Kelly something.”

It hardly needs to be said, but they did things differently at “pankration” events in Dallas, Texas back in 1997. For one thing, there were the weight classes. They existed, in a way, but they didn’t exactly work in Edwards’ favor.

“There were no weigh-ins whatsoever. I showed up and the guy I was supposed to fight was probably about 185 [pounds] or 190. He was huge. I was probably about 160. It was just kind of like, okay. Here we go.”

After Retiring from MMA, Shonie Carter Eyes the WWE

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveShonie Carter has no regrets. It’s been a long ride, and maybe some things didn’t turn out like he planned, but after more than a decade as a professional fighter there’s not much he would do differently.

“I’ve had …

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Shonie Carter has no regrets. It’s been a long ride, and maybe some things didn’t turn out like he planned, but after more than a decade as a professional fighter there’s not much he would do differently.

“I’ve had my great adventures,” Carter told MMA Fighting. “I went to Tiananmen Square, just because I was there. I was on the Great Wall before I knew ya’ll. You know? I fought in Tokyo. I wrestled a bear in Russia. It’s been beautiful.”

But now it’s over, according to Carter. After a decision loss to Jeremy Knafo in Tel Aviv, Israel earlier this month, “Mr. International” decided to hang up the gloves. So he says. Now he has a new venture in mind.

“I want to go to the WWE,” Carter said. “I’ve talked to CM Punk about it. He works out at my gym. …I’m coming to acknowledge the mid-life crisis that a lot of guys go through where they get a Corvette and a hot blonde girlfriend with big boobs. I’ve just decided to do the WWE.”

Gerald Harris Cut From UFC After Loss at UFC 123

Filed under: UFCAfter four fights and only one loss, Gerald Harris’ stay in the UFC has come to an end. The former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor dropped a unanimous decision to UFC newcomer Maiquel Falcao at UFC 123 on Saturday night and was later rele…

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After four fights and only one loss, Gerald Harris‘ stay in the UFC has come to an end. The former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor dropped a unanimous decision to UFC newcomer Maiquel Falcao at UFC 123 on Saturday night and was later released from the organization.

Harris confirmed the news with MMA Fighting via text message on Tuesday.

Harris (17-3) had won three straight fights inside the Octagon after signing with the organization following an unsuccessful bid on season seven of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The decision loss to Falcao is his first official loss in the UFC, and yet it was enough to bring about his release after the lackluster finish to Saturday’s fight.