Author: By Duane Finley

Chad Mendes’ life has been one of competition. From an early age, the Northern California native forged his will to win on wrestling mats up and down “The Golden State,” honing the skills that would later bring him to a career in mixed martial arts. And while Mendes’ career as an amateur wrestler came with both success and setbacks, it also instilled a certain tenacity to get back into the fray when results didn’t fall his way.There may be a sense of rinse, wash, repeat in a life spent testing your will against that of another, but there is gold to be mined from … Read the Full Article Here

The measure of a fighter’s heart is something that always comes into question when adversity comes to call. When the proverbial hammer becomes the nail and the waters get choppy, how a fighter reacts is a tell tale sign of what beats inside of their chest and pulses through their veins. In this regard, there has never been a doubt about the will and determination of Gilbert Melendez.The former long-reigning Strikeforce lightweight champion turned perennial UFC contender is as tenacious as they come inside the Octagon. A true embodiment of the Mexican fighting spirit, “El Nino&rdq … Read the Full Article Here

Anytime. Anyone. Anywhere.While that mindset has become popularized in the modern vernacular of MMA due to the proficient output of fighters like Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson, it’s an approach Josh Koscheck has been taking for a long time. In the aftermath of his stint on the original season of The Ultimate Fighter, “Kos” took every opportunity he could find to step into the Octagon and sling leather.That drive and determination is the reason the former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler vaulted himself into title contention in the welterweight fold, and thos … Read the Full Article Here

Tony Martin may be relatively new to the UFC roster, but he already has a firm understanding that opportunities are there for those who are willing to take them. The 25-year-old Minnesota product has made a habit out of stepping up to take fights on short notice, and while it’s experience he’s looking to build at a pressurized rate, he also has a method to his madness. And while his fellow lightweights Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson have elevated the status of the “anytime, anywhere” mentality, Martin’s motives are a bit different. Yes, he’s looking t … Read the Full Article Here

With the lightweight collective stacked with talent at every tier of the division, breaking through into the elite level is going to come with heavy lifting. And while Gilbert Burns only has a pair of showings inside the Octagon and is relatively new to the shark tank at 155, that doesn’t mean he has any intention of taking the slow road. “Durinho” is hungry to get to the top by any means necessary, and that killer instinct is what has elevated him to become one of the top prospects in mixed martial arts.The 28-year-old Brazilian is a multi-time world champion jiu-jitsu playe … Read the Full Article Here

It’s been a whirlwind year for Carla Esparza.The typically reserved Torrance, California native became the winner of the 20th installment of The Ultimate Fighter on the strength of her tenacity, skill, and sheer will and refusal to be outdone inside the Octagon. Her journey through the reality series’ tournament reached the ultimate culmination when she steamrolled a highly-touted Rose Namajunas to become the UFC’s inaugural women’s strawweight champion.So dominant was the Team Oyama representative’s performance that the normally capable “Thug Rose” ap … Read the Full Article Here