Author: Brian Mazique

UFC on Fox 4 Prelims Results: Josh Grispi’s Career in Trouble After Another Loss

At one time Josh Grispi looked like one of the most dangerous, up-and-coming featherweights in the world. But now his career may be the thing that is in danger.With his submission loss during the preliminary bouts of UFC on Fox 4, he has now lost three…

At one time Josh Grispi looked like one of the most dangerous, up-and-coming featherweights in the world. But now his career may be the thing that is in danger.

With his submission loss during the preliminary bouts of UFC on Fox 4, he has now lost three straight fights. This most recent setback came at the hands of Brazil’s Rani Yahya.

Yahya himself had lost three of his last four fights, so the bout represented a desperate situation for both men.

Yahya responded and Grispi did not.

Grispi was once the No. 1 contender to take on Jose Aldo based on his success in the WEC. But ever since he joined the big company with the little name, he has found the going too tough.

The UFC is not an organization that will allow long periods of futility. Though Grispi was wildly successful in other organizations, compiling a 14-1 record before his UFC debut in 2011, fans and Dana White will evaluate him based on his time with the UFC.

Grispi has lost his UFC bouts in almost every way imaginable. Yahya’s submission victory goes in line with the KO loss Grispi suffered from body punches from George Roop, and the decision loss in his debut against Dustin Poirier.

At this point Grispi’s biggest win is a victory over a fading Jens Pulver in 2009, while both men were in WEC. It’s a tough reality, but this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business.

White may not cut Grispi just yet, but if he loses his next fight we should all wait for the announcement to come.

The UFC represents the best and highest profile MMA competition in the world, and at this point, Grispi has not measured up.

 

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EA Sports UFC: 200-Plus Fighter Likenesses Captured as Work on MMA Game Begins

Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn and other UFC greats of the present and past were on-hand to have their likenesses captured by EA Sports at the UFC Fan Expo 2012.EA capture over 200 fighters likenesses to possibly use in the game. Every fighter that was capture…

Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn and other UFC greats of the present and past were on-hand to have their likenesses captured by EA Sports at the UFC Fan Expo 2012.

EA capture over 200 fighters likenesses to possibly use in the game. Every fighter that was captured may not be used in the final product, but it’s clear EA is building plenty of ammunition for their new MMA game.

You can read about the EA Sports’ entire session with UFC athletes and visit the Ultimate Fighter Gym here. 

There is no announced release date at this time, but the groundwork has certainly been laid.

Gaining the UFC license from THQ (IGN) was a major win for EA Sports. MMA (the UFC specifically) is one of the fastest growing sports and sports leagues in the world.

 

EA just announced last week that the developer team that works on the Fight Night series would be handling the UFC title. Fans of Fight Night, like myself, may love that news, while folks that didn’t care for Fight Night Champion may be a bit skeptical.

I’m hopeful that the game plays similar to EA MMA. Though it didn’t have the major UFC license, it had solid play mechanics. The ground game was solid and the animation was much smoother than UFC Undisputed in my opinion.

Check out this sick EA MMA KO montage from quapex on Youtube:

That said, there were a few things from UFC Undisputed that I hope EA doesn’t omit. The Create-A-PPV mode was a great edition and it would be a step backwards for the UFC brand if it isn’t included.

A wide range of fighters to chose from is also very important, and judging by the 200-plus fighters who had their likenesses captured, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Stay tuned for more information on this game, and join the community for all the sports video game news.

 

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UFC 149 Results: Preliminary Bouts Highlight Pitiful PPV

It’s not a good thing when the preliminary fights on Facebook and FX are better than the bouts that fans paid $45 to watch ($55 in HD).That was the case for UFC 149, as most of the potentially good feature matches were stinkers. It’s a toss-up between …

It’s not a good thing when the preliminary fights on Facebook and FX are better than the bouts that fans paid $45 to watch ($55 in HD).

That was the case for UFC 149, as most of the potentially good feature matches were stinkers. It’s a toss-up between Cheick Kongo vs, Shawn Jordan and Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch for the night’s most boring bout.

The main event was only slightly better, and it certainly wasn’t enough to save a bad night of fighting. Renan Barao defeated Urijah Faber to become the interim bantamweight champion, but the jewel of the night was a seven-second KO shown on FX.

Canadian light heavyweight Ryan Jimmo was making his UFC debut, and boy did he ever make an entrance. 

He absolutely flattened Anthony Perosh with a clean and vicious right hand. Perosh was out like a light, and adding insult to injury was Jimmo doing the robot and a split after the KO.

Jimmo has style and power, and his performance was the most memorable of the night.

Francisco Rivera and Antonio Carvalho also scored impressive first-round KOs in their preliminary matchups.

Rivera stopped a game, but overmatched Roland Delorme with a nice step back and counter. Delorme had taken a few hard shots in the round, but the short counter ended the festivities.

Carvalho was very impressive with an annihilation of Daniel Pineda in the second fight of the night. He showed great stand-up fighting skills and a vicious right hand stopped Pineda.

The Calgary, Alberta crowd booed loudly in several fights. Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg were left speechless in several bouts. Dana White’s post-event press conference will be interesting after a calamity like this.

To put it bluntly, this event was not worth more than $19.99.

 

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UFC 149 Results: Antonio Carvalho’s Sick Stand-Up Skill Crushes Daniel Pineda

Featherweight Antonio Carvalho showed explosive power and excellent balance as he destroyed Daniel Pineda Saturday night. It was one of the UFC 149 prelims, but it set a high-standard for the rest of the card.The KO came in the first round and Carvalho…

Featherweight Antonio Carvalho showed explosive power and excellent balance as he destroyed Daniel Pineda Saturday night. It was one of the UFC 149 prelims, but it set a high-standard for the rest of the card.

The KO came in the first round and Carvalho certainly made a statement with his power.

Carvalho was competing in front of the hometown Canadian crowd, and he did not disappoint. He landed a nicely placed high kick that dazed Pineda and moments later he depleted him with a right hand.

Throughout the short bout, Carvalho was quicker, stronger and more poised. The latter quality led to the two definitive shots. Pineda was over-aggressive, and as a more experienced wrestler, he should have tried to take Carvalho to the ground.

His willingness to trade was his undoing.

The win was a rebound of sorts for Carvalho. He lost his last bout against Brazilian Felipe Arantes at UFC 142 in Brazil.

This time, he was the one that took advantage of the home-field advantage. It’s too early to say that Jose Aldo is on notice, but it was an impressive performance.

The win gave him a 14-5 record overall and it was his seventh win by KO. If he can score a few more wins on this level, it will be only a matter of time before he finds himself in the Octagon with some bigger names and on the pay-per-view aspect of the show.

 

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UFC 149 Results: Ryan Jimmo Will Get Much-Deserved Hype with Explosive Debut

Canadian light heavyweight Ryan Jimmo couldn’t have had a more impressive UFC debut. Not only did he score an explosive first-round KO victory over Anthony Perosh, but he did it in front of an adoring Canadian crowd.The Calgary fans loved Jimmo, and th…

Canadian light heavyweight Ryan Jimmo couldn’t have had a more impressive UFC debut. Not only did he score an explosive first-round KO victory over Anthony Perosh, but he did it in front of an adoring Canadian crowd.

The Calgary fans loved Jimmo, and the 30-year-old proved he loved to entertain. After the KO he did the robot that culminated in a split.

Could a star be born?

We’ll have to wait on that, but I can tell you that he created some buzz for himself with this performance.

He absolutely blasted Perosh with a powerful right hand on the face and ear. Perosh was out cold before he hit the mat. UFC announcer Joe Rogan said, “you can’t catch a guy more flush than that.”

At 30 years old, Jimmo may look to be on the fast track to get in the Octagon with some major names. If he flattens a few more light heavyweights like this, the man they call the Big Deal will be in the title picture before long.

He improved to 18-1 overall, and the lone loss came in his MMA debut. He had his professional fight in 2007 and has now won 18 straight fights.

Now that he is competing in the UFC against better competition, we’ll see if he can continue his dominant run.

Keep an eye out for Jimmo, he is definitely one to watch in the light heavyweight division.

 

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Ronda Rousey Body Issue: Strikeforce Champ’s Pics Give Her Image Balance

Ronda Rousey is changing the game with her sexy photos in ESPN’s annual Body issue. The issue hits newsstands on Friday, but there are sneak peaks at the link provided.It’s easy to stereotype female MMA fighters as less-than-glamorous. We traditionally…

Ronda Rousey is changing the game with her sexy photos in ESPN’s annual Body issue. The issue hits newsstands on Friday, but there are sneak peaks at the link provided.

It’s easy to stereotype female MMA fighters as less-than-glamorous. We traditionally don’t think of fighting as an activity for beautiful women.

Laila Ali bucked the trend in women’s boxing with her stunning beauty and in-ring success, and now Rousey could have a similar effect on MMA.

Rousey is the reigning Strikeforce bantamweight champion. She is a ruthless submission-artist, and the arm bar is her weapon of choice. She’s 5’6″, and she has defeated all of her opponents by arm bar in the first round.

Her grappling skills should come as no surprise. Her base is Judo, and she is so developed in that discipline that she made the US Olympic team in 2004 at the age of 17. She then won a Bronze medal in 2008 in Beijing.

A lady so skilled in hand-to-hand combat that looks like Rousey is a marketing gold mine. The ESPN Body issue completely reveals Rousey’s physical appeal, and her pics do the best job of conveying personality.

It’s like looking at an as-yet-created character from the next Tekken video game or a sexy boss villain from Kill Bill 3.

Rousey is walking a thin line. As long as she can keep her balance, it could be very prosperous. The ESPN Body issue could be the springboard she needs to achieve the next level of stardom.

 

 

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