Author: Damon Martin

Bristol Marunde Ready for Second Chance After TUF 16 Cast Exiled from UFC

The Ultimate Fighter 16 will go down in infamy for a number of reasons. The season never got off the ground in terms of ratings with a terrible Friday night timeslot and ended up with some of the lowest numbers in the history of the long-running realit…

The Ultimate Fighter 16 will go down in infamy for a number of reasons.

The season never got off the ground in terms of ratings with a terrible Friday night timeslot and ended up with some of the lowest numbers in the history of the long-running reality show.  Add to that the only serious tension during the season was between coach Roy Nelson and UFC president Dana White, and overall it was a mediocre effort at best.

The fighters on the show also came under fire for what White believed were lackluster performances.  When the season ended, only four fighters got the call to come back to the UFC including the two finalists—Colton Smith and Mike Ricci.

Veteran competitor Bristol Marunde was sad that his season ended up being the black sheep of The Ultimate Fighter family, and after sacrificing so much to get to the show, not even competing on the finale was heartbreaking. 

“It was real disappointing,” Marunde told Bleacher Report on Thursday.  “I’ll tell you it was hard to finally get that news that you are not fighting on the finale.  It was a big blow because I put in a lot of time on that show.  I didn’t do it to be on a reality show.  I didn’t do it to be away from my family for seven weeks and all that to try to get famous.  I did that show for the specific reason of getting a fight in the UFC.  To not get that chance was devastating.

“I honestly even questioned whether I should keep fighting.  Because I went on The Ultimate Fighter and still didn’t get a chance to fight in the UFC.  I did what they told me to do.  I just threw bombs and tried to finish fights and try to make it exciting, and didn’t even use very good strategy.”

Marunde was eliminated during the quarterfinal matchups and then never got the call to return to the UFC after the show finished filming.  Looking back on the experience, Marunde isn’t sure if his season was ever given the push it needed to get any kind of serious exposure.

“It was disappointing.  It was evident they didn’t put a whole lot behind it,” said Marunde.  “From the beginning, it was slapped together.  They didn’t want the slot at 10 p.m. on Friday night on FX.  You just suffer the brunt of poor planning and everything.  It was frustrating and we felt it.”

Marunde says he also felt the impact of the words brandished by White toward the cast during the season.  He changed his style of fighting to accommodate the boss’s wishes, but it still wasn’t enough to get another shot in the UFC.

That all changed last Wednesday when he saw UFC matchmaker Joe Silva’s number pop up on his caller ID while he was driving.  A few moments later he was offered a fight against Clint Hester at The Ultimate Fighter 17 finale this Saturday night.

While Marunde participated in the previous season, he’s looking at this fight as his chance to earn a spot on the UFC roster.  It’s the chance he didn’t get during the The Ultimate Fighter 16, and he’s not planning on wasting it.

“It’s kind of a second chance.  The call to fight in this finale, it was definitely a blessing,” said Marunde.  “I really want to go in here, I want to be calm, I want to be relaxed and fight to my ability.  Most of all I want to enjoy this.

“Because I get to fight in the UFC and I do what millions of people want to do or dream about or fantasize about, and I get to do it.  I’m going to enjoy it.  Every minute of it.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Georges St-Pierre Told Same Exact Rule as Nick Diaz Prior to UFC 158 Weigh-Ins

The UFC 158 weigh-ins appear to be the one part of the event that simply will not go away. The card that took place in Montreal in mid-March ended with UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre putting on a dominant performance over Nick Diaz to reta…

The UFC 158 weigh-ins appear to be the one part of the event that simply will not go away.

The card that took place in Montreal in mid-March ended with UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre putting on a dominant performance over Nick Diaz to retain his title in the main event.

It didn’t take long, however, for controversy to swirl when a backstage video surfaced showing a UFC employee telling Diaz and his camp that the Quebec Athletic Commission handles weigh-ins a little bit differently.  The wrinkle was that despite a contracted weight of 170 pounds, which is the maximum allowed in any welterweight title fight, the commission would count any weight up to 170.9 as 170 pounds, rounding down the decimal point.

Following the revelation of that video and information, the Quebec commission responded with a statement released to Bleacher Report via email on March 26 that said:

I wish to inform you that, during UFC 158, no contestants exceeded the weight determined in their contracts.  Currently, the Régie (athletic commission) does take into consideration the maximum weight determined by contract when it carries out the weight-ins before a bout.  However, our regulation on combat sports does not take decimals into account.  Their consideration is a question of interpretation likely to be debated between the two parties under contract.

Immediately, Diaz and his camp pounced on the story, demanding additional information after they believed St-Pierre received some sort of preferential treatment by the commission based in the fighter’s home province.

On Thursday, the Associated Press published an interview with St-Pierre, who admitted he believes he did come in slightly over the 170-pound weight limit but was told the exact same thing as Diaz about the weigh-in rules. 

“They came to us just before weighing and even I was surprised.  They told us they were going (to) round (the decimals down),” St-Pierre said in the interview.

St-Pierre couldn’t remember the exact number but believed he weighed in at 170.4 that Friday afternoon in Montreal.  The additional weight was not counted, and he was announced as weighing 170 pounds.

Now, before there are any conspiracy theories about St-Pierre’s weight, he was still wearing shorts at the time; if they had been removed, he would have likely come in well under the limit.  Fighters routinely strip off the last piece of clothing to make weight, which can account for as much as one pound on the scales.

The problem seems to fall squarely in the lap of the Quebec commission for these exceptions that are not currently outlined in its rulebook for MMA events.  Diaz‘s camp has claimed in past statements that they believe the commission ruled this way to allow “their home-town fighter to ‘make weight’ even if he weighed more than the contracted weight.” 

They have also demanded that St-Pierre give Diaz a rematch for the title with both competitors weighing in at exactly 170 pounds or less.  That scenario is unlikely to come to fruition, but as far as the claims about the commission apparently being at fault in this case, there seems to be some merit.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report.

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Uriah Hall Still Hopes to Avenge Chris Weidman Loss, No Plans to Train Together

It’s been two-and-a-half years since Ultimate Fighter 17 finalist Uriah Hall suffered his first loss in MMA, but it still haunts him to this day. The fight took place in New Jersey’s Ring of Combat promotion, where Hall was defeated by future UFC middl…

It’s been two-and-a-half years since Ultimate Fighter 17 finalist Uriah Hall suffered his first loss in MMA, but it still haunts him to this day.

The fight took place in New Jersey’s Ring of Combat promotion, where Hall was defeated by future UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman in the first round by TKO.  It stands as one of the only two losses Hall has suffered in his career, and, like most fighters, he would love to avenge that defeat.

It’s part of the reason why Hall was so confused when reports recently surfaced that he was being called in to help Weidman prepare for his upcoming bout at UFC 162 against Anderson Silva.

“I don’t know where the hell that came from; I didn’t agree to anything about working with Chris Weidman,” Hall told Bleacher Report’s Great Debate radio show.  “I read something about that—that he’s calling me in, and I was like, ‘What?  I didn’t agree to any of this.  This is news to me.'”

In reality, while the stories got somewhat misconstrued, what actually happened was Weidman commented during an interview with the Chokes and Jokes podcast that he was thinking of calling in Hall to help him with his striking ahead of the fight with Silva.

Hall heard about the offer through the grapevine, but he still feels the sting of that defeat from Weidman.  It’s nothing personal at all according to Hall, but right now Weidman has one up on him and they do compete in the same division in the UFC, so a rematch isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

“It was mentioned to me that ‘he should work with you for his striking’—it’s something I’m actually thinking about.  On the flipside of it, he’s a great wrestler and I have some great attributes that we can both benefit from.  But at the same time, being a young fighter at my age, my ego would not allow it.  Because he did beat me, and it’s something that I haven’t fully let go of,” Hall admitted.

“So, I’m looking for a potential fight here in the future.  Not to call him out or say anything bad about him, but it’s where I’m at right now.  When I heard all this, I’m like, ‘What?  This is news to me.'”

Hall hasn’t trained with Weidman in the past and he’s not ruling it out completely for the future.  Like many situations that have come up in the past in the UFC, however, where teammate facing teammate can cause a major rift, Hall would rather keep Weidman as a potential opponent and not as a training partner for the time being.

“When I heard this, I was like, ‘Why would this even happen?  Who’s agreeing to this?’  My coach kind of thought it was a great idea, but I was like, ‘I don’t know,'” Hall stated.  “You look at the (Jon) Jones/Rashad (Evans) thing; they were best buddies who trained together and had to fight each other.  I don’t want that s—t to happen.”

Hall’s main focus right now isn’t Weidman, however.  He’s just days away from facing Kelvin Gastelum at the Ultimate Fighter 17 finale in Las Vegas to crown the latest winner.

If he’s successful, given his run through the show and past accomplishments, it’s not unfair to believe Hall could jump right into the deep end of the middleweight division in the UFC.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first-hand unless otherwise noted.

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Sam Sicilia Wants a KO: ‘I’m Going to Try to Put His Mouthpiece in the 3rd Row’

Former Ultimate Fighter competitor Sam Sicilia is no dummy when it comes to where he fits into the UFC hierarchy. He’s a former contestant on the reality show who had to earn his way into the promotion during the season finale by defeating one of his f…

Former Ultimate Fighter competitor Sam Sicilia is no dummy when it comes to where he fits into the UFC hierarchy.

He’s a former contestant on the reality show who had to earn his way into the promotion during the season finale by defeating one of his former housemates.  Sicilia, as a fighter currently on the preliminary portion of any card, recognizes there’s a very short leash for those competitors.

Sicilia is also aware, however, that his style of fighting may earn him some extra time regardless of wins and losses.  The UFC brass have said on numerous occasions that fighters who come out and put on a show will almost always have a place on its roster.

It’s one reason why Sicilia was able to swallow the loss he suffered in his last fight just a little easier. Defeats are never good, but Sicilia says that even in a losing effort his fanbase grew and the UFC seemed ecstatic with the show he and his opponent put on.

“Being in the UFC I had this picture in my head of how I had to look and how I had to finish him.  Now all the pressure’s off. Being down in Brazil, the fans are pretty rough, but he was just another guy once we got in there,” Sicilia told Bleacher Report about his fight against Rony Jason in Brazil.  “If you’re going to lose, you might as well lose swinging.  It’s a fight that the fans like.  I gained a lot of fans from that fight even though it was a loss.”

Coming back from that moment, Sicilia was excited when he was offered his next fight against fellow slugger Maximo Blanco.  Throughout his career, Blanco has been known as a knockout striker who doesn’t mind getting into a few wild exchanges if it means clipping or catching his opponent.

Sicilia knew right away that the UFC setting him up with Blanco meant it wanted a fight that would set up the entire card for the rest of the evening.

“That’s why I think they put me in there with him because they want to see fireworks,” said Sicilia.  “I’ve been working really hard for this fight, but I’m still fighting to be relevant really.  They put me in with guys like that because I’m exciting and he is too, and that’s what they want to see.”

Staying relevant is one thing.  Staying in the UFC is another all together.

Sicilia may have gained fans even in a loss from his last fight, but he doesn’t want to feel that way again any time soon.  Two losses in a row is unacceptable by Sicilia‘s standards, so he knows this is a win-or-go-home fight.

“I’ve been in these situations before.  When I fought (Cristiano) Marcello, I had to win to get the contract.  The pressure was off when I was going to fight Rony (Jason) but it got put back on once I got to Brazil,” said Sicilia  “I don’t want to take steps backwards in this sport. 

“Two losses would be a step back, I’ve never done that in my life in this sport.  It’s a good pressure.  I think about it when I train and it makes me train harder.  I feel the pressure right now, but it’s a good motivating pressure.”

He plans on releasing the valve and unleashing everything built up over the last several weeks of training when he faces Blanco on Saturday night.  If everything goes to form, his job will be safe, and a fan at the Ultimate Fighter finale will have a new souvenir to take home.

“I like being in the middle of a scrap for sure.  That’s where I feel comfortable,” said Sicilia.  “I won’t disappoint either.  Because I’m going try to put his mouthpiece in the third row.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

Lead photo courtesy of mmaanytt.se.

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Rory MacDonald Draws Jake Ellenberger at UFC on Fox 8 in July

A welterweight showdown of major proportions has been added to the upcoming UFC on Fox 8 card, as Canadian Rory MacDonald will return to action against Jake Ellenberger. The two UFC contenders have agreed to meet as part of the upcoming card in Seattle…

A welterweight showdown of major proportions has been added to the upcoming UFC on Fox 8 card, as Canadian Rory MacDonald will return to action against Jake Ellenberger.

The two UFC contenders have agreed to meet as part of the upcoming card in Seattle on July 27.

UFC officials announced the bout via The Province on Wednesday.

It will be familiar surroundings for MacDonald, as he last fought in Seattle as part of UFC on Fox 5: Henderson vs. Diaz, where he put on a dominant, one-sided performance over former UFC welterweight champion BJ Penn.  The young Canadian was then scheduled to meet Carlos Condit at UFC 158 in March, but a neck injury sidelined him from avenging the only loss on his record.

Instead of facing Condit when he returns from injury, MacDonald draws a tough test against a contender who has been looming around a title shot for the past year.

Ellenberger was potentially one fight away from battling for UFC welterweight gold before he suffered a loss to Martin Kampmann in 2012.  Since that time, he has returned to form with two wins in a row including a blistering knockout of former Strikeforce champion Nate Marquardt in March.

Ellenberger has been charging toward the top of the UFC’s 170-pound division since losing to Kampmann.  Since coming to the UFC in 2009, he has gone 8-2 overall, with his first defeat coming to Condit in his debut fight that he took on one month’s notice. 

The winner of Ellenberger vs. MacDonald will be in prime position to pounce on a title shot against the victor of champion Georges St-Pierre vs. top contender Johny Hendricks.

While that fight has yet to be scheduled, it looks like St-Pierre vs. Hendricks will go down in the late summer or early fall.  Either Ellenberger or MacDonald could potentially be one fight away or even next in line depending on their performance at UFC on Fox 8.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

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MMA’s Great Debate Podcast Featuring Miesha Tate and TUF Finalist Uriah Hall

As the Ultimate Fighter finale is just days away, two of the top fighters on the card join MMA’s Great Debate for interviews as well as topics surrounding the biggest news in the MMA world.Miesha Tate will drop by for an interview discussing her upcomi…

As the Ultimate Fighter finale is just days away, two of the top fighters on the card join MMA‘s Great Debate for interviews as well as topics surrounding the biggest news in the MMA world.

Miesha Tate will drop by for an interview discussing her upcoming fight against Cat Zingano at the Ultimate Fighter 17 finale. The winner of the fight will get the chance to coach on the next season of the reality show opposite Ronda Rousey.

Before that happens, however, Tate has to get by the undefeated Zingano if she hopes to face off with Rousey in a rematch that could be the biggest fight in women’s MMA history.

Also stopping by the show today will be new Ultimate Fighter finalist Uriah Hall, who will discuss his upcoming bout with former Team Sonnen teammate Kelvin Gastelum.

Hall will talk about his time on the show, what he learned from his coach, answers questions about training with Rousey and if he will be working with middleweight contender Chris Weidman in the future.

And MMA’s Great Debate wouldn’t be complete without the best debate topics surrounding the world of MMA. On today’s show the hosts debate the following topics:

  • Reaction to the new UFC code of conduct and the suspension of Matt Mitrione—justified or overstepping on his right to an opinion?
  • Rate this season of the Ultimate Fighter on a scale of 1-10?
  • Who wins the TUF 17 main event—Urijah Faber or Scott Jorgensen?
  • Who will win and coach opposite Ronda Rousey—Miesha Tate or Cat Zingano?
  • Is Uriah Hall the best talent to ever come out of the Ultimate Fighter?
  • Who wins the Ultimate Fighter—Uriah Hall or Kelvin Gastelum?

This is MMA’s Great Debate for Wednesday, April 10.

 

Note: If the embedded player fails to load, you can find the podcast here.

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