Author: Ben Fowlkes

Vladimir Matyushenko Says He’s Jon Jones’ Toughest Opponent Yet

Filed under: UFC, NewsWhen Vladimir Matyushenko looks across the Octagon at Jon Jones on Sunday night, he’ll see an opponent who’s younger, bigger and faster. He’ll see a fighter who’s been all but officially anointed as the next big thing in the UFC l…

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When Vladimir Matyushenko looks across the Octagon at Jon Jones on Sunday night, he’ll see an opponent who’s younger, bigger and faster. He’ll see a fighter who’s been all but officially anointed as the next big thing in the UFC light heavyweight division. He’ll see a fighter who is essentially undefeated in a little over two years of competition, and one who is a 6-1 favorite with online oddsmakers.

None of this, of course, is news to Matyushenko. He knew what he was getting into when he accepted the fight, though the decision to do so wasn’t automatic.

“I won’t say I hesitated, but I thought about it for a few days and had a team meeting with my coaches and teammates,” Matyushenko told MMA Fighting. “When it comes to a fight, if [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva gives you something, that’s the offer. I don’t think it’s right to try and pick fights, say, ‘I want to fight this guy or just new guys.’ No, to be in this sport you have to be willing to fight the best. That’s what I’m here to do.”

Antonio McKee Talks Race, Retirement and Much More

Recently the Maximum Fighting Championship organization sent out a press release with a quote from lightweight champ and MMA vet Antonio McKee, who vowed to retire if his upcoming fight with Luciano Azevedo on Sept. 10 goes to a decision. This raised s…

Recently the Maximum Fighting Championship organization sent out a press release with a quote from lightweight champ and MMA vet Antonio McKee, who vowed to retire if his upcoming fight with Luciano Azevedo on Sept. 10 goes to a decision. This raised some eyebrows around the MMA world, because if there’s one thing McKee (24-3-2) is known for aside from his dominating wrestling-based style, it’s winning decisions.

McKee likes to point out that he hasn’t lost since his 2003 defeat via decision against Karo Parisyan, but during the unbeaten streak that consisted of thirteen wins and one draw, all but two of those fights went to the judges’ scorecards.

With that kind of track record, is the 40-year-old McKee really willing to wager his career on his ability to finish the very tough Azevedo, or is this all a publicity stunt? To find out, I sat down for a conversation with the always outspoken lightweight.

War of Words With ‘Mayhem’ Miller Not Helping Nick Diaz Make His Case

Filed under: StrikeforceStrikeforce fighters Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Nick Diaz have been having a little conversation with one another over the internet recently. Maybe conversation is the wrong word. It implies an exchange of information, perhaps ev…

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Strikeforce fighters Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Nick Diaz have been having a little conversation with one another over the internet recently. Maybe conversation is the wrong word. It implies an exchange of information, perhaps even a constructive one. What Diaz and Miller have been doing is working with one another into a frenzy.

It started with Miller’s anti-Diaz rant on Joe Rogan’s Ustream Podcast last week. Miller painted Diaz as the main driver in the post-fight brawl in Memphis that resulted in suspensions for most of the parties involved, and he took aim at Diaz’s “gangsta” persona, saying it “embodies what’s wrong with America.”

Of course, it didn’t take long before Diaz saw the video and, naturally, decided to hit back with one of his own.

Twitter Mailbag: The Good, The Bad and The Bizarre

As we limp along toward the end of a relatively dull month in MMA, I can’t help but notice that the mailbag questions get weirder and weirder. When there’s plenty of action to talk about it’s all somewhat normal stuff, with a few dependable exceptions….

As we limp along toward the end of a relatively dull month in MMA, I can’t help but notice that the mailbag questions get weirder and weirder. When there’s plenty of action to talk about it’s all somewhat normal stuff, with a few dependable exceptions. Now, a couple weeks without a big time fight and I find myself answering questions about sumo wrestling and mixed gender competition.

But I’m not one to judge (just kidding, I am totally one to judge). I’m willing to take the good with the weird in this edition of the Twitter mailbag. If you have a question of your own, hit me up on Twitter at @BenFowlkesMMA. All I ask is that you not bring up sumo wrestling. Is that so hard?

Now, on to your questions…

@Rockitawkwardly dos Santos vs Nelson for a title shot. say Nelson wins, does this make sense to have that happen?

The Mid-Fight Conversation Between Pat Barry and ‘Cro Cop’ You Didn’t Hear

Filed under: UFCPat Barry could tell right away that he had a problem. He’d just floored his idol, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, for the second time in the first round of their UFC 115 bout with a beautiful right hand that landed flush on the Croatian’s s…

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Pat Barry could tell right away that he had a problem. He’d just floored his idol, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, for the second time in the first round of their UFC 115 bout with a beautiful right hand that landed flush on the Croatian’s skull, and he knew immediately that he’d broken his hand in the process.

“The world couldn’t see it because the camera wasn’t close enough to my face, but as soon as I broke my hand – that was the second punch I landed that knocked him down – as soon as it happened, my lip was starting to tremble, and for two reasons. One, it hurt terribly. And two, I honestly thought that was going to be the end of my career. I never would have guessed that it was only one broken bone. I felt like all the bones in my hand were, like, entirely disintegrated.”

The injured hand was a problem, Barry knew, but it wasn’t the end of the world. He’d come into the fight with a game plan that hinged on two main weapons: his right hand and his right foot. At least he still had one. At least he could still kick his way to a victory even if his hand was shattered.

You know how this story goes. It’s like that scene in a comedy movie where a beleaguered character remarks to himself that hey, at least it’s not raining. Cue the thunder and lightning, the sudden angry downpour. Or, in Barry’s case, the fractured foot.

Falling Action: Best and Worst from Strikeforce: Challengers 9

Filed under: Strikeforce
It happened again. For the second time in as many events in the Strikeforce: Challengers series, one of the night’s most compelling attractions ended with the winner pleading/demanding to be taken off Challengers and put into a…

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It happened again. For the second time in as many events in the Strikeforce: Challengers series, one of the night’s most compelling attractions ended with the winner pleading/demanding to be taken off Challengers and put into a major event.

Last time it was Matt Lindland, who’s never been shy about his expressing his opinions. This time it was 135-pound women’s champ Sarah Kaufman, who mentioned her desire to be on a proper Strikeforce card every single time there was a microphone nearby.

The thinking behind the Challengers cards is that it’s a proving ground for up-and-comers, hence the tagline, “Where champions are made.” In theory, that’s a pretty solid concept, or at least it would be if so many of the fighters featured on the event didn’t openly interpret their own presence there as an insult.