Author: Ben Fowlkes

Dennis Siver, Andre Winner Aim to Put on a Show for German Fans at UFC 122

Filed under: UFCEuropean MMA fighters like Dennis Siver don’t often get the chance to fight in front of a home crowd. The UFC made its first trip to continental Europe just last year, and this is only the organization’s second event in Germany, where t…

Filed under:

European MMA fighters like Dennis Siver don’t often get the chance to fight in front of a home crowd. The UFC made its first trip to continental Europe just last year, and this is only the organization’s second event in Germany, where the reception to the sport has been mixed.

That’s why when Siver, a German-Russian lightweight who’s been with the UFC on and off (though mostly on) since 2007, takes on British “Ultimate Fighter” finalist Andre Winner at UFC 122 on Saturday, it’s a fight that comes with a special kind of pressure. When your countrymen rarely get to see you ply your trade, you certainly don’t want to have them pack an arena just to see you get beat up by a citizen from one of your nation’s soccer rivals.

But despite all that added pressure, as Siver told MMA Fighting through a translator this week, the irony is that he’s far less famous as a fighter when he’s in his own country.

Nate Marquardt: ‘I Feel Like It’s My Time’

Filed under: UFCThese are strange times in the UFC middleweight division. If you don’t believe it, just ask Nate Marquardt.

Back in February he was one win away from getting another crack at the 185-pound title. A little over nine months later he’s s…

Filed under:

These are strange times in the UFC middleweight division. If you don’t believe it, just ask Nate Marquardt.

Back in February he was one win away from getting another crack at the 185-pound title. A little over nine months later he’s still one win away, thanks in part to a positive drug test from the last man to beat him, but also thanks to a bizarre mid-fight mental lapse from his most recent opponent.

Now he heads off to what will be, one way or another, a career-defining bout at UFC 122 in Germany – a country where you can buy a ticket to a UFC event, but can’t find it on TV.

See what I mean? Strange times. Only for Marquardt, the weirdness has started to turn in his favor. Rather than ask questions about why or how, he’s opted to go with the flow and worry about the only thing he can control: beating Yushin Okami.

MMA Roundtable: How Does WEC 52 Stack Up Against UFC 122?

Filed under: UFC, WECWith WEC 52 and UFC 122 teaming up to make the next few days in the MMA world Zuffa-tastic, I could think of no better way to prepare than by sitting down for a spirited internet discussion with my MMA Fighting colleague, Mike Chia…

Filed under: ,

With WEC 52 and UFC 122 teaming up to make the next few days in the MMA world Zuffa-tastic, I could think of no better way to prepare than by sitting down for a spirited internet discussion with my MMA Fighting colleague, Mike Chiappetta.

And by spirited, I mean that I asked him some questions, he questioned the validity of my questions, then I got mad and posted a bunch of comments on his articles about what a jerk he is. What can I say? I’m a petty, mean-spirited person.

But enough of our problems. On to question one:

Say you’re living in an igloo and only have enough gas in the generator to fire up the TV for one MMA event this week. Do you go with the WEC or the UFC to take your mind off your terrible predicament?

Joe Lauzon Questions George Sotiropoulos’ Controversial Fight Wear

Filed under: UFCUFC lightweight Joe Lauzon said he hasn’t yet decided whether to make an issue of George Sotiropoulos’ somewhat controversial attire when the two meet at UFC 123 on Nov. 20, but judging by his recent remarks, you can bet he’s put some t…

Filed under:

UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon said he hasn’t yet decided whether to make an issue of George Sotiropoulos‘ somewhat controversial attire when the two meet at UFC 123 on Nov. 20, but judging by his recent remarks, you can bet he’s put some thought into it.

“I don’t really understand how he gets away with them,” Lauzon told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “We’re definitely going to look into it a little bit.”

Sotiropoulos has been criticized in the past for wearing a mix of gear that covers nearly all of his legs, thus creating the same effect as a pair of grappling tights, which are prohibited by many state athletic commissions in the U.S.

Former UFC Champ Ricco Rodriguez Misses Weight by 10 Pounds in Israel

Ricco Rodriguez’s move down to light heavyweight hit a significant snag on Monday, as the former UFC heavyweight champ missed weight by 10 pounds for Tuesday’s clash with Daniel Tabera (16-3-3) at Israel FC: Genesis.

Rodriguez (44-11) showed up to Mo…

Ricco Rodriguez‘s move down to light heavyweight hit a significant snag on Monday, as the former UFC heavyweight champ missed weight by 10 pounds for Tuesday’s clash with Daniel Tabera (16-3-3) at Israel FC: Genesis.

Rodriguez (44-11) showed up to Monday’s weigh-ins looking “extremely exhausted,” according to LowKick.com, which also spoke with Rodriguez’s manager after the former UFC titleholder clocked in at 215 pounds.

“Ricco had a very tough time making weight because of the old injury that came back two days ago,” Tiago Okamura said. “He trained really hard. He also had a staph infection one month ago, so it’s not so easy to cut so much weight after a long recovery process. We settled the issue with Daniel Tabera and his camp, so the fight will go as planned.”

The Unsolicited Advisor: Give Herschel Walker a Real Fight, or Else Let Him Go

Filed under: StrikeforceIf only Jimmy Hoffa had racked up a meager MMA record before he disappeared from the face of the earth, I feel certain Strikeforce officials would have found him and plugged him into a fight with Herschel Walker by now.

Forget…

Filed under:

If only Jimmy Hoffa had racked up a meager MMA record before he disappeared from the face of the earth, I feel certain Strikeforce officials would have found him and plugged him into a fight with Herschel Walker by now.

Forget the FBI, it’s Strikeforce you want to call with those tough missing persons cases. Just make sure to tell them that the person you’re looking for can make heavyweight and poses absolutely no threat whatsoever to the former NFL running back on Strikeforce’s roster. They’ll track him down and have him signed to a one-fight deal before his dinner gets cold.

Seriously, these guys are that good. If they weren’t, how would they ever have found a guy like Scott Carson, who’s been plucked from obscurity to face Walker at Strikeforce’s Dec. 4 event in St. Louis?