Author: Ben Fowlkes

B.J. Penn: ‘I Feel My Clock Ticking’

Filed under: UFCIn the Octagon that night, former UFC champ B.J. Penn sounded like a defeated, deflated fighter. He’d just fought to a draw with Jon Fitch at UFC 127, and yet the way he talked in his post-fight interview, it sounded like he might be re…

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In the Octagon that night, former UFC champ B.J. Penn sounded like a defeated, deflated fighter. He’d just fought to a draw with Jon Fitch at UFC 127, and yet the way he talked in his post-fight interview, it sounded like he might be ready to walk away from MMA for good.

But as Penn told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, that was just the disappointment talking.

“I guess I was just bummed out because I know I can beat that guy, and there I was getting my butt kicked in the third round and ending up with a draw,” Penn said.

Brilz and Matyushenko Aim for an Explosive Battle at UFC 129

If you believe what Vladimir Matyushenko (25-5) and Jason Brilz (18-3-1) are saying ahead of their fight at UFC 129 this Saturday night, this is one wrestler-versus-wrestler match-up that will look like anything but.

Matyushenko – a former Belarusian …

If you believe what Vladimir Matyushenko (25-5) and Jason Brilz (18-3-1) are saying ahead of their fight at UFC 129 this Saturday night, this is one wrestler-versus-wrestler match-up that will look like anything but.

Matyushenko – a former Belarusian national team member – claims that he plans to use his wrestling skills mostly to stay off the mat, and his reasoning is fairly simple.

“I’ve been working on my stand-up skills for a little while now and honestly I’d like to show off a little bit in front of the fans,” Matyushenko told MMA Fighting. “And I know my friends and my fans are expecting it.”

Brilz, who’s been out of action since losing a very close split decision to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira last May, seems to be keeping his approach even simpler.

GSP’s Trainer Talks UFC 129 Title Fight: ‘One Guy Is Going to Break’

Filed under: UFC, NewsWhen it comes to the big fights, it helps to have been there before. That’s true not only in the cage, but also in the gym. As UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Jake Shields prepare to face off at UFC 129…

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When it comes to the big fights, it helps to have been there before. That’s true not only in the cage, but also in the gym. As UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Jake Shields prepare to face off at UFC 129 on April 30, they have to balance their training with seemingly endless media responsibilities and the ubiquitous presence of the UFC Primetime cameras in their gyms.

It might not sound like much of a factor in fight preparation, but according to St. Pierre’s trainer, Firas Zahabi, experience in the media spotlight counts for a lot in a UFC title fight.

“I can tell you, the first time we had Primetime around it was a lot harder. It was just more stress,” Zahabi told MMA Fighting. “Now, it’s the third time we’ve had them around, and we’ve had the Countdown so many times, just various other camera crews in our gym so many times, we’re accustomed to it. Now it doesn’t bother our training camp at all.”

The Truth About Making Weight

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveWhen Mike Dolce’s cell phone buzzes with an unfamiliar number a few days before a major MMA event, he already knows what’s coming.

Dolce’s primary work is as a nutritionist, managing the day-to-day food intake of p…

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When Mike Dolce‘s cell phone buzzes with an unfamiliar number a few days before a major MMA event, he already knows what’s coming.

Dolce’s primary work is as a nutritionist, managing the day-to-day food intake of pro athletes with precision focus. But the creator of “The Dolce Diet” is also known to be something of an expert at temporary weight-cutting, and a last minute call to Dolce means that somewhere, some fighter is panicking.

“I get phone calls the week of, or the night before weigh-ins sometimes,” Dolce said. “I’ve taken same- day requests. I’ve gotten there on the day of the weigh-ins, got in there and gotten it done. I’m able to work a little magic then, but if they’re calling me at that point, they already screwed up.”

For Jake Shields, Title Shot Against Georges St. Pierre Is a Family Affair

Filed under: UFCThese days Jake Shields has a problem he’s never dealt with before. For most of his career, he was one of the best, but least recognizable fighters in MMA.

Now, thanks to his title shot against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 129 on April 3…

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These days Jake Shields has a problem he’s never dealt with before. For most of his career, he was one of the best, but least recognizable fighters in MMA.

Now, thanks to his title shot against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 129 on April 30 – and a significant promotional push from the UFC – his anonymity is a thing of the past.

“Sometimes just random people come up – and they’re fans, you have to be nice to them and I completely appreciate my fans – but sometimes when you’re just walking around you don’t want to think about [the fight],” Shields told MMA Fighting. “Sometimes guys will come up and ask me how much I weigh or telling me how I should fight GSP. It’s like, come on, man. Don’t tell me how I should fight him. I have trainers for that.”

Then again, every fighter has trainers. Shields also has something else that most don’t: a manager who treats him like family. Because, well, he is.

For Dan Severn, Rematch With Royce Gracie Is a Long Shot He Can’t Resist

Filed under: UFCDan Severn has always been a believer in setting goals for himself. Even now the 52-year-old UFC Hall of Famer writes down in his daily planner what he wants to accomplish by the end of each year, then checks that list almost every day …

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Dan Severn has always been a believer in setting goals for himself. Even now the 52-year-old UFC Hall of Famer writes down in his daily planner what he wants to accomplish by the end of each year, then checks that list almost every day to see if he’s on the right track.

But with an official record of 99-16-7 and a career that spans almost the entire history of MMA in North America, even Severn is running out of goals in the sport. There are only a few he’d still like to accomplish before he retires at the end of 2012, and the clock is running out.

For starters, he’d like to get to 100 wins. Since he already has three wins this year and two more fights scheduled before the end of May, that one seems perfectly feasible. But it’s who he’d like to eventually beat that may prove more problematic.