Author: CrushCo

Video: ‘UFC Primetime–Jones vs Evans’ Episode 1

Primetime Part I (Video via: YouTube/WeedIsJustAPlanttt)

Despite the brooding drama built into the upcoming Jon Jones-Rashad Evans title fight at UFC 145, the latest installment of the UFC Primetime franchise has a decidedly more mature aura about it. No more fire-alarm monologues, no more interviews with grade school teachers. We’re dealing with big people problems. Rashad Evans has lost just about everything in his life over the past year, and he places a lot of that blame on the shoulders of his former teammates. While other matchups may have produced more vitriol for the cameras, few have the depth behind them as this rivalry.

Come on in for a breakdown of the highlights and Part II of the video.

Primetime Part I  (Video via: YouTube/WeedIsJustAPlanttt)

Despite the brooding drama built into the upcoming Jon Jones-Rashad Evans title fight at UFC 145, the latest installment of the UFC Primetime franchise has a decidedly more mature aura about it. No more fire-alarm monologues, no more interviews with grade school teachers. We’re dealing with big people problems. Rashad Evans has lost just about everything in his life over the past year, and he places a lot of that blame on the shoulders of his former teammates. While other matchups may have produced more vitriol for the cameras, few have the depth behind them as this rivalry.

 

“He has a book of notes that he takes, and it’s like a book of moves, and he reads this book of moves so that way when he fights the moves are fresh in his head. So I go in there in the locker room to wish him luck and I’m giving him daps and hugs and I’m going to warm him up, and I go and sit next to him when he’s looking at the book of notes and he covers it, and he puts it down and he looks at me. I’m like, ‘Damn, bro, it’s like that?’ Like, ‘For real?’ So then I knew at that point that I was next on the menu.” Rashad Evans, on the first time he realized he and Jones were destined to be better enemies than friends.

 

We start off in sunny Florida with an establishing shot of Rashad’s new crib. Over the past 12-months he’s divorced his high school sweetheart, severed ties with his ‘family’ at Jackson’s MMA Academy, and packed his bags for Florida to begin life anew. That’s a hell of an upheaval, and it must be taking an emotional toll on Rash…damn, did you see that ‘lac? Suga’s going to be alright, y’all.

 

“A few years ago Greg Jackson approached me with the idea of having Jon Jones join the camp. And I was like, ‘Man, this kid looks pretty good. He looks like an up and coming guy.’ And I was like, ‘Greg, I don’t really feel comfortable with him coming on the team, being that he’s going to be somebody that I got to compete against.’ And Greg was like, ‘No, no buddy. It’s not going to be like that. We’re family. We’re brothers. We’ll never have to fight each other.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, but still, I just don’t feel comfortable with the idea.’ And Greg was like, ‘Listen, trust me. You will not have to fight him, and if you do have to fight him I’m with you 100%.’ ”  Rashad Evans, doing a pretty good impression of a goofy white dude. No wonder he’s so adept at spotting those ‘fake ass white boys‘.

 

“You know, it made me feel angry at first. I was full of emotions and I was just more like, ‘Man, fuck Greg.’ You tell me that it would never happen, you’re guaranteeing me that I’ll never have to fight somebody, and I go off of your word, and then it turns around and it happens just the way that I thought it would happen? Then you turn around and say, ‘Alright, I’m going to stick with him’? That’s a betrayal.”  Rashad Evans, summing up a year of drama and saving me the need for 100 hyperlinks in a single, tidy quote.

 

“I remember growing up, we really didn’t have anything, but my parents were so loving that we never really realized how poor we were, because we had so much love in our home. And my job as a father is to outdo my father, and to show him that he raised a great man. And I’m out here trying to get it, not really for me at all but for my family and for my family’s future.”  Jon Jones, appreciating his roots. To this day he carries that photo of his father posing on the hood of his busted up El Camino in his back pocket for a little extra motivation.

 

“Rashad Evans realized that I was becoming the best fighter and that I was in line for the title shot, and that’s when he made me seem as if I wanted to challenge him. And I didn’t want to challenge him. The only thing I always wanted to do was to fulfill my dream of being the number one fighter in the world. To this day, I’ve never challenged Rashad at all.”  Jon Jones, who believes that the drama between the two is as one-sided as the fight will be.

 

“Yeah I feel bad for Rashad. You know, I miss the guy. Actually me and Jon were talkingabout how much fun he was and he’d always make us laugh. So there’s no negative animosity on our end. Especially not on my end.”  Greg Jackson, coping with the breakup like a real man, who is naturally sharing a laugh in bed with his hot new girlfriend while the recently-divorced ex-wife is crying alone in her shabby one-bedroom apartment dealing with the four kids and the dog.

 

“Rashad was the one who got bypassed through hard work, and he was the one who needed to find a way to challenge me for the light-heavyweight championship. And that’s why Coach Jackson, Coach Winklejohn and everyone on this team is backing me to the fullest in the is fight. Because I’ve done nothing wrong.”  Jon Jones, giving all credit to hard work when we know full well that God has a history of protecting him while saying ‘to hell’ with everyone else.

 

“Rashad fighting me out of anger, you know it actually excites me because it’s going to deteriorate his game. He’s really going to realize that he’s wasted the last three or four months of his life training for this fight because he’s not going to win.”  Jon Jones, who in his youth doesn’t yet realize that win or lose it’s not a wasted training camp if you share intimate moments with those around you.

 

Primetime Part II  (Video via: YouTube/WeedIsJustAPlanttt)

– Chris Colemon

 

Dana White Crosses Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez Off Short List of Potential Dos Santos Opponents

Crazy enough to come true? (Photoshop via @ItsChrisRees)

In the wake of the Alistair Overeem testosterone scandal, we’re left with a steaming pile of science to sort through. We’ve learned that the half-life of injectable testosterone is eight days, and that grown men don’t naturally double in size in five year’s time. But as usual, science doesn’t have all of the answers, and with less than two months to go before UFC 146, we’re left with one important question: Who will be challenging Junior Dos Santos for his belt?

According to his twitter account, Dana White won’t be waiving in former champions Frank Mir or Cain Velasquez to save the day, choosing to face the pair off as previously planned. If we take the UFC Prez at his word–and really, why wouldn’t we?–we’re left with very few options for healthy, deserving fighters available on short notice. One potential, albeit unlikely name being bandied about online is Mark Hunt. The #RallyForMarkHunt campaign has garnered some attention for the Super Samoan, but time will tell who actually gets the shot at gold.

All things considered, who do you want to see standing across the Octagon from ‘Cigano’ on May 26th?

Crazy enough to come true?  (Photoshop via @ItsChrisRees)

In the wake of the Alistair Overeem testosterone scandal, we’re left with a steaming pile of science to sort through. We’ve learned that the half-life of injectable testosterone is eight days, and that grown men don’t naturally double in size in five year’s time. But as usual, science doesn’t have all of the answers, and with less than two months to go before UFC 146, we’re left with one important question: Who will be challenging Junior Dos Santos for his belt?

According to his twitter account, Dana White won’t be waiving in former champions Frank Mir or Cain Velasquez to save the day, choosing to face the pair off as previously planned. If we take the UFC Prez at his word–and really, why wouldn’t we?–we’re left with very few options for healthy, deserving fighters available on short notice. One potential, albeit unlikely name being bandied about online is Mark Hunt. The #RallyForMarkHunt campaign has garnered some attention for the Super Samoan, but time will tell who actually gets the shot at gold.

All things considered, who do you want to see standing across the Octagon from ‘Cigano’ on May 26th?

Bellator 64 Recap: A Busy Night for Judges

An artist’s rendering of what Askren’s ground and pound might look like (Photo: Sherdog.com)

I’m not going to say that this was the most boring Bellator card in recent memory, but I will tell you that my DVR got tired of recording it and gave up before the Welterweight title fight had even begun. One of the risks of live televised fights is that they’ll go over the allotted time frame, particularly during a decision-laden event like Bellator 64. For those fans who don’t appreciate the nuances of champion Ben Askren’s suffocating ground game, having the evening’s finale blotted from your television may have been a blessing in disguise.

This season’s Bantamweight tournament kicked off with a quarterfinal pairing of undefeated twenty year old Rodrigo Lima and the seasoned Hiroshi Nakamura. Lima found himself on his back throughout the fight, but took no rest on the canvas as he tirelessly worked for every submission in the book. Nakamura—whose 87% win-by-decision record could compete with any of the UFC’s top grinders—kept all four limbs out of serious danger and stifled Lima’s ground game long enough to launch some ground and pound in the third frame. His takedowns and top control, coupled with a point awarded for absorbing a pair of unintentional knees to the nuts, were enough to bring home the unanimous 29-27 decision.

An artist’s rendering of what Askren’s ground and pound might look like (Photo: Sherdog.com)

I’m not going to say that this was the most boring Bellator card in recent memory, but I will tell you that my DVR got tired of recording it and gave up before the Welterweight title fight had even begun. One of the risks of live televised fights is that they’ll go over the allotted time frame, particularly during a decision-laden event like Bellator 64. For those fans who don’t appreciate the nuances of champion Ben Askren‘s suffocating ground game, having the evening’s finale blotted from your television may have been a blessing in disguise.

This season’s Bantamweight tournament kicked off with a quarterfinal pairing of undefeated twenty year old Rodrigo Lima and the seasoned Hiroshi Nakamura. Lima found himself on his back throughout the fight, but took no rest on the canvas as he tirelessly worked for every submission in the book. Nakamura—whose 87% win-by-decision record could compete with any of the UFC’s top grinders—kept all four limbs out of serious danger and stifled Lima’s ground game long enough to launch some ground and pound in the third frame. His takedowns and top control, coupled with a point awarded for absorbing a pair of unintentional knees to the nuts, were enough to bring home the unanimous 29-27 decision.

In other Bantamweight tourney action, underdog Travis Marx showed little fear in welcoming Masakatsu Ueda to the U-S-of-A. The Japanese fighter was the heavy favorite in his promotional debut, but not heavy enough to deal with the size and strength of his opponent. Marx ragdolled Ueda with a massive slam in the first round, but the former Shooto champ was unfazed by the throw and started working for a kimura on impact. Marx escaped and continued to use his wrestling and strength advantage to win the grappling exchanges and maintain control when jockeying for position on the ground. All three judges scored the fight for Marx 29-28.

Brazilians Marlon Sandro and Alexandre Bezerra squared off to see who would advance to the Featherweight tournament finals. Sandro was able to get off early and often in round one, finding a home for his hands and taking ‘Popo’s’ legs out from under him with kicks while Bezerra looked to counter with a big left that never came. The exchanges played out the same in round two with both men throwing but neither unloading on their opponent. Bezerra took over as the aggressor in the final frame, driving in on Sandro and suplexing him to the mat. After a bizarre standup by referee Yves Lavigne—which came as the two dueled for leglocks—Popo rocked his hero twice with heavy hands, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the two round deficit. Sandro took home the split decision victory and will move on to the finals.

The definition of love is knowing how the Ben Askren-Douglas Lima bout played out and still watching it for you bastards. Askren employed his grappling-heavy attack to take Lima’s stand-up out of the equation, and while the challenger was able to delay some of “Funky’s” takedowns he could not keep off of his back for any significant length of time. Askren’s ground and pound was more active than it was damaging, but he dominated Lima for all five rounds. Lima attempted sweeps and threatened with multiple armbars, but he could never seize control of the fight from from the champ. Both the 50-45 decision and the boos from the audience were unanimous. The win marks six straight victories via scorecard for Askren, a fitting end to the evening’s action.

Full Results: (via FightoftheNight.com)

Main Card:

Ben Askren def. Douglas Lima via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Marlon Sandro def. Alexandre Bezerra via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Travis Marx def. Masakatsu Ueda via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Hiroshi Nakamura def. Rodigo Lima via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

Prelims:

Mike Richman def. Chris Horodecki via knockout (punches) at 1:23 of Round 1
Chad Laprise def. Josh Taveirne via submission (triangle choke) at 2:48 of Round 1
Kyle Prepolec def. Lance Snow via submission (arm-bar) at 2:54 of Round 1
Elias Theodorou def. Rich Lictawa via verbal submission (blindness) at 0:33 of Round 3
Nordine Taleb def. Matt Secor via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-24)
Taylor Solomon def. Jason Fischer via via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of Round 3

“So You Wanna Stay a Fighter?”: Six Easy Tips to Keep Your Job in the Cage

“A job, a job, my kingdom for a job!”

Let’s face it: being a professional fighter is pretty much the coolest job on earth. Even if you never get to wear gold, you can party like a rockstar and make a decent living, not to mention the benefits–oh the benefits. Few of us will ever know the pleasure of punching our coworkers in the face—in fact it’s generally frowned upon—and for that I am eternally jealous. But in the corporate world we live and die by a universally accepted code of conduct that one can follow to stay on the straight and narrow. For the professional ass-kicker, the guidelines are less concretely defined. As evidenced by an increase in pink-slips for cage-unrelated activities, mixed martial artists are not issued the same employee handbooks as their 9-5 brethren. With that in mind, here are a few axioms from the office that may prove handy for our leather-throwing friends as they walk the fine line between living large and unemployment.

“A job, a job, my kingdom for a job!”

Let’s face it: being a professional fighter is pretty much the coolest job on earth. Even if you never get to wear gold, you can party like a rockstar and make a decent living, not to mention the benefits–oh the benefits. Few of us will ever know the pleasure of punching our coworkers in the face—in fact it’s generally frowned upon—and for that I am eternally jealous. But in the corporate world we live and die by a universally accepted code of conduct that one can follow to stay on the straight and narrow. For the professional ass-kicker, the guidelines are less concretely defined. As evidenced by an increase in pink-slips for cage-unrelated activities, mixed martial artists are not issued the same employee handbooks as their 9-5 brethren. With that in mind, here are a few axioms from the office that may prove handy for our leather-throwing friends as they walk the fine line between living large and unemployment.

 

“If you’re not 15 minutes early, you’re 15 minutes late”

Showing up to work on time is ‘Employment 101′. Your boss doesn’t want to be there any more than you do, so you’d better believe he wants you clocked in and suffering alongside him at the agreed-upon time. Sure, we all get stuck in traffic from time to time, but if you make a habit of being late you can believe he’s going to notice.

 

Don’t take a long lunch break

“I just *had* to order that Awesome Blossom!”

The lunch break is a much needed reprieve from workday woes and an opportunity to recharge with a well-balanced meal. But you don’t want to abuse the situation: it’s a simple meal, not a feast. If you find yourself dragging things beyond the typical 30-60 minutes, you’re flirting with disaster. Have a quick salad, gnaw on an ice bag, and get back to work. Don’t be led astray by your less professional coworkers.

 

Don’t come in to work fucked up

“Stay away from the green Gummi Bears. Trust me.”

We’ve all done it before. One drink led to another and before you know it happy hour ends with you waking up on the floor of your living room wondering how the hell you got home. Fortunately, most of us can show up to work the next morning reeking of whiskey and skank without concerns of a random drug test. But if you know big brother’s going to be handing you a piss cup, take a moment to think about what you’re putting in your body and ask yourself if those brownies from Nick in accounting are worth it.

 

Keep it P.C.

“Stop me if you’ve heard this one. No, seriously, stop me.”

It’s one of the worst parts of riding a desk, but you can’t always say what you want to say when you want to say it. Take it from us, not everyone lives by your moral code nor gets your sense of humor. That joke that slayed your bros at the game last night may not go over so well with the chick in the cubicle next to yours. From gender roles to politics, we all have our opinions. Whenever possible, try to exhibit restraint and watch what you say.

 

Respect the Chain of Command

Speaking of watching what you say, watch who you’re saying it about. A wise crack about the boss may draw a few laughs around the water cooler, but make sure he’s not within ear shot at the time. It’s best to keep critical thoughts about your superiors to yourself lest they get wind and take offense. Insult a coworker and they may throw a tantrum, but insult someone up the chain and you may be looking for a new line of work.

 

Make sure to file your paperwork on time

“All of this trouble over *my* likeness?”

No one enjoys the drudgery of spreadsheets and flowcharts, but they’re the lifeblood of every office. The devil’s in the details, and failing to dot that ‘i’ or cross that ‘t‘ on your form could mean months of profit down the drain. A little organization will pay off in the long run—if there’s a document that needs your signature, sign it. And make sure you hand in your paperwork on time to the people that matter. What you might consider a ‘clerical error’ could earn you an undesired vacation.

Any other office rules that apply to MMA fighters?  Give a shout in the comments section.

– Chris Colemon

Graphic Visual Evidence: Melvin Manhoef Kicks Destroy Everything, Including Melvin Manhoef

The fight doesn’t show too much damage. That’s waiting for you after the jump. (Video: Our boy Zombie Prophet)

While Zuffa takes a load off, smaller organizations world ’round are stepping out from big brother’s shadow. In addition to last night’s stateside action, One FC 3 “War of the Lions” brought us an evening of duels straight out of Singapore. Originally slated to take on Renato Babalu, Melvin Manhoef didn’t let a change of opponents deter his game plan: maim everything in sight. Though he only threw down with Deep Light Heavyweight Champion Yoshiyuki Nakanishi for two minutes, he managed to deliver an impressive amount of damage to both of their legs before his gaping shin injury resulted in the bout being ruled a no-contest.

A bevy of unappetizing pictures and a slow-mo video of the injury await you after the jump.

The fight doesn’t show too much damage. That’s waiting for you after the jump. (Video: Our boy Zombie Prophet)

While Zuffa takes a load off, smaller organizations world ’round are stepping out from big brother’s shadow. In addition to last night’s stateside action, One FC 3 “War of the Lions” brought us an evening of duels straight out of Singapore. Originally slated to take on Renato Babalu, Melvin Manhoef didn’t let a change of opponents deter his game plan: maim everything in sight. Though he only threw down with Deep Light Heavyweight Champion Yoshiyuki Nakanishi for two minutes, he managed to deliver an impressive amount of damage to both of their legs before his gaping shin injury resulted in the bout being ruled a no-contest.


(Photo: TheMeadsofRob)

(Photo: Tracy Lee)

Nakanishi’s knee  (Photo: Tracy Lee)


(Video: YouTube/WeedisJustaPlant. Thanks to MiddleEasy for the find.)

[Video] Gilbert Yvel Renders Alexander Unconscious, Maurice Smith Head Kicks Father Time at RFA 2

Yvel vs Alexander (spoiler: no flying triangles)

We may be in the midst of a Zuffa drought, but that doesn’t mean we must thirst for knockouts. Last night Resurrection Fighting Alliance hooked up with Sherdog to bring you a live stream of their second card, which featured a pair of heavy hitters and a pioneer of the sport. Jens Pulver also returned to action for the promotion, though thankfully it was in the announcer’s booth this time.

The evening’s main event promised brain damage, and it lived up to our expectations. Houston Alexander displayed the one-strike power that launched his UFC-career, stammering Gilbert Yvel with an overhand right before knocking him down with a leg kick all in the opening thirty seconds of the bout. Yvel looked reserved in his second bout as a light-heavyweight, though against a brawler like Alexander pretty much everyone looks passive. “The Hurricane” started to open up in the latter half of the first round, and with just over a minute remaining on the clock he connected with a left hook that rocked Alexander followed by a big right hand that dropped him face first to the canvas–time to update our planking homage. That’s two straight wins for the recently re-invented 205’er and the second consecutive knockout loss for “The Assassin”.

Join us after the jump for videos and recaps of the Maurice Smith-Jorge Cordoba and Tara LaRosa-Kelly Warren bouts.

Yvel vs Alexander (spoiler: no flying triangles)

We may be in the midst of a Zuffa drought, but that doesn’t mean we must thirst for knockouts. Last night Resurrection Fighting Alliance hooked up with Sherdog to bring you a live stream of their second card, which featured a pair of heavy hitters and a pioneer of the sport. Jens Pulver also returned to action for the promotion, though thankfully it was in the announcer’s booth this time.

The evening’s main event promised brain damage, and it lived up to our expectations. Houston Alexander displayed the one-strike power that launched his UFC-career, stammering Gilbert Yvel with an overhand right before knocking him down with a leg kick all in the opening thirty seconds of the bout. Yvel looked reserved in his second bout as a light-heavyweight, though against a brawler like Alexander pretty much everyone looks passive. “The Hurricane” started to open up in the latter half of the first round, and with just over a minute remaining on the clock he connected with a left hook that rocked Alexander followed by a big right hand that dropped him face first to the canvas–time to update our planking homage. That’s two straight wins for the recently re-invented 205′er and the second consecutive knockout loss for “The Assassin”.



Smith-Cordoba bout. The beginning of the end starts at 15:50.

In a battle against father time, fifty year old Maurice Smith climbed back into the cage for the first time in four years to take on Jorge Cordoba. Though the the twenty eight year old had youth on his side, he was reportedly fighting outside of his normal weight class for this bout. The former UFC Heavyweight champ used footwork and head movement to avoid the Cordoba’s lunging haymakers early in the round, and rolled through a takedown attempt to end the frame on top and in control. Smith showed the sort of calm composure that other Mo’s could learn from, easily avoiding Cordoba’s frenzied punches while bloodying his face and punishing his left thigh with kicks. Smith, who was making his light heavyweight debut, landed everything he threw, which unfortunately for Cordoba included a right high kick to the chin that crumpled him to the mat.

 

(Tara LaRosa vs Kelly Warren)

And in WMMA action, Tara LaRosa scored an armbar victory over Kelly Warren at 4:59 of the third and final round!(!!!) Man, last second finishes, they’re so hot right now.