(Apparently Corassani treats tapping the same way he deals with flipping to the wrong page of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Novel.)
This should come as no surprise, but none other than TUF 14 alum and all around jackwagonAkira Corassani has been booked to take on British striker Jason Young at the UFC’s inaugural trip to Sweden for its second UFC on FUEL event. Corassani, a Swedish born (the streets, specifically) Muay Thai striker, has trained with the likes of Siyar Bahadurzada, Frankie Edgar, and Eddie Alvarez, and made a name for himself on this past season of The Ultimate Fighter, bringing a combination of power punches and Jersey Shore-like swagger to the house before being choked into wonderland by eventual runner-up Dennis Bermudez in the semifinals.
Young, who has dropped a couple of close decisions to Dustin Poirier and Michihiro Omigawa in his octagon run, will likely be fighting for his job when he takes on Corassani. A word to the wise Jason: steer clear of the leg-locks on this one.
(Apparently Corassani treats tapping the same way he deals with flipping to the wrong page of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Novel.)
This should come as no surprise, but none other than TUF 14 alum and all around jackwagonAkira Corassani has been booked to take on British striker Jason Young at the UFC’s inaugural trip to Sweden for its second UFC on FUEL event. Corassani, a Swedish born (the streets, specifically) Muay Thai striker, has trained with the likes of Siyar Bahadurzada, Frankie Edgar, and Eddie Alvarez, and made a name for himself on this past season of The Ultimate Fighter, bringing a combination of power punches and Jersey Shore-like swagger to the house before being choked into wonderland by eventual runner-up Dennis Bermudez in the semifinals.
Young, who has dropped a couple of close decisions to Dustin Poirier and Michihiro Omigawa in his octagon run, will likely be fighting for his job when he takes on Corassani. A word to the wise Jason: steer clear of the leg-locks on this one.
Also set for UFC on FUEL 2 will be a rematch between German kickboxer Dennis Siver and TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson. Their first pairing, which was contested at lightweight, saw Pearson walk away with a well earned unanimous decision; Pearson simply out struck the arguably more decorated striker, cutting Siver in several places and rocking him on more than one occasion. Siver would go on a four fight win streak thereafter, scoring wins over TUF 9 runner-up Andre Winner and Aussie grappling whiz George Sotiropoulus, among others. After suffering a first round submission loss at the hands of Donald Cerrone this past October, however, Siver recently announced that he would be dropping to featherweight.
Pearson, on the other hand, would see his hype train (and a 4 fight win streak) derailed in his next fight compliments of Cole Miller, who would score a come from behind submission victory on the Brit after being thrashed for the majority of two rounds. After splitting a pair of contests against Spencer Fisher and Edson Barboza, “The Real Deal” dropped to featherweight and scored a unanimous decision victory in his debut over Junior Assuncao at UFC 141.
To check out Pearson and Siver’s first battle, go here.
(Oh, you DID NOT just deny my Facebook friend request, Reilly.)
In an interview given to MMAFightCorner,Dana White didn’t beat around the bush when discussing the possibility of finally legalizing mixed martial arts in New York. If you recall, the UFC recently filed a law suit against New York, claiming that the “Empire State” was in breach of their first amendment rights to peacefully assemble. Specifically, Zuffa lawyers have been attempting to prove that mixed martial arts is a form of entertainment, like any other sport, and therefore cannot be criminalized.
Well, it seems we may have finally reached the mountaintop, so to speak, as the UFC President seems more than confident that 2012 will be the year that New Yorkers near and far will finally be able to sit down and watch MMA from somewhere other than their couches:
We’re so close. It’s going to happen, and I guarantee you it’s going to happen this year. It’s going to depend on when it happens, timing and everything else, but obviously, it would be nice to go in there with, probably, Jon Jones.
(Oh, you DID NOT just deny my Facebook friend request, Reilly.)
In an interview given to MMAFightCorner,Dana White didn’t beat around the bush when discussing the possibility of finally legalizing mixed martial arts in New York. If you recall, the UFC recently filed a law suit against New York, claiming that the “Empire State” was in breach of their first amendment rights to peacefully assemble. Specifically, Zuffa lawyers have been attempting to prove that mixed martial arts is a form of entertainment, like any other sport, and therefore cannot be criminalized.
Well, it seems we may have finally reached the mountaintop, so to speak, as the UFC President seems more than confident that 2012 will be the year that New Yorkers near and far will finally be able to sit down and watch MMA from somewhere other than their couches:
We’re so close. It’s going to happen, and I guarantee you it’s going to happen this year. It’s going to depend on when it happens, timing and everything else, but obviously, it would be nice to go in there with, probably, Jon Jones.
Let us be the first to say, it’s about fucking time. In June, the New York State Senate voted an overwhelming 42-18 to pass Bill S.1707-A, which would legalize the sport once and for all. This came after a similar bill was passed in the NY Assembly Committee with a vote of 14-6 back in 2009, all at the disgust of NY State Assemblyman Bob Reilly, who may or may not have received campaign contributions for his efforts to kill the bill before it gained any steam *cough* he did *cough*. Since then, several NY legislators have come forward in favor of legalizing the sport, including Buffalo Senator Mark Grisanti, who stated that it would not only help create jobs in a stagnant market, but could help boost tourism, being that New York is just an earshot away from Toronto.
And bringing in a guy like Jon Jones, who is not only a native of the state (he was born in Rochester), but a near guarantee in terms of putting on an exciting fight, seems like the best move for the UFC. But although DW seems confident, which by all means he should, we are going to hold off on our celebrations, because if history has proved one thing, it’s that it only takes one misinformed d-bag to ruin a party, also known as the Andy Dick Effect.
Fight journals are an interesting batch of film. More often than not, they are a simple collection of offhand moments in a fighter’s life, usually preempting/hyping an upcoming fight. They are of varying interest levels, but usually reside somewhere between “been there, done that” and “would rather watch new Meisha Tate interview.” However, every now again, we are treated to a stylized, slickly edited piece of film that, regardless of it’s content, is able to pique our interest. We’ve seen it before with the fantastic web series The Reem, and today we’ve managed to stumble over another exceptional fight journal, that of Anthony Johnson, who maybe be looking at a future title shot if he gets past Vitor Belfort at UFC 142, which goes down in less than a week in Rio De Janerio, Brazil.
Fight journals are an interesting batch of film. More often than not, they are a simple collection of offhand moments in a fighter’s life, usually preempting/hyping an upcoming fight. They are of varying interest levels, but usually reside somewhere between “been there, done that” and “would rather watch new Meisha Tate interview.” However, every now again, we are treated to a stylized, slickly edited piece of film that, regardless of it’s content, is able to pique our interest. We’ve seen it before with the fantastic web series The Reem, and today we’ve managed to stumble over another exceptional fight journal, that of Anthony Johnson, who maybe be looking at a future title shot if he gets past Vitor Belfort at UFC 142, which goes down in less than a week in Rio De Janerio, Brazil.
Brought to us compliments of Authentic Sports Management, “Rumble in Rio” separates itself from the humdrum, so to speak, with great production quality, sharp editing, a little narration, and even some ominous music thrown in at opportune times, all the while showcasing the training footage and behind-the-scenes moments that we are accustomed to. Make sure to check out the clip from an intense sparring session between “Rumble” and TUF 12 finalist Michael Johnson (3:20) at the minimum.
I must say I really enjoyed the use of black and white as well, and as a graduate in film studies, I’ve seen it woefully misused in more films then I’d care to recount. Yes, I know Followingwas good, but Christopher Nolan you are not.
Anyway, check out the journal, and let us know what you think in the comments section.
(I bet even those scientists from the future who put me together couldn’t have predicted that old #643227 would become a future champion!)
Success is a double edged sword. On one hand, it brings fame, fortune, and an immeasurable sense of self confidence, one that can only be gained by the awareness that you are truly the best at what you do. On the other, it brings crushing, tireless scrutiny from everyone around you, including those who helped build you up in the first place. And it is when you allow those naysayers to affect your daily routine, your mental state, or, in Christiane “Cyborg” Santos‘ case, your training regimen, that you have begun the inevitable fall from grace that follows.
Ever since her introduction to the public MMA circuit, Santos was looked at as a fighter who was simply on another level than that of her female counterparts. Her strength, striking ability, and general physique was shocking to even the most devoted MMA fans, and after she handled Gina Carano to take the Strikeforce women’s featherweight title, we knew she would be there for a long, long time.
And as with any case of athletic dominance, steroid accusations were immediately lobbed at the champ. Though there was little evidence to suggest any truth to these claims, pundits and keyboard warriors alike ruthlessly pursued them nonetheless. And as it turns out, behind the rumor was a fair bit of truth.
(I bet even those scientists from the future who put me together couldn’t have predicted that old #643227 would become a future champion!)
Success is a double edged sword. On one hand, it brings fame, fortune, and an immeasurable sense of self confidence, one that can only be gained by the awareness that you are truly the best at what you do. On the other, it brings crushing, tireless scrutiny from everyone around you, including those who helped build you up in the first place. And it is when you allow those naysayers to affect your daily routine, your mental state, or, in Christiane “Cyborg” Santos‘ case, your training regimen, that you have begun the inevitable fall from grace that follows.
Ever since her introduction to the public MMA circuit, Santos was looked at as a fighter who was simply on another level than that of her female counterparts. Her strength, striking ability, and general physique was shocking to even the most devoted MMA fans, and after she handled Gina Carano to take the Strikeforce women’s featherweight title, we knew she would be there for a long, long time.
And as with any case of athletic dominance, steroid accusations were immediately lobbed at the champ. Though there was little evidence to suggest any truth to these claims, pundits and keyboard warriors alike ruthlessly pursued them nonetheless. And as it turns out, behind the rumor was a fair bit of truth.
Though the jury is still out on the legitimacy of Cyborg’s “tainted supplements” claims, her temporary absence may have provided women’s MMA with some breathing room, at least at 145 pounds. Let us not forget that this was a division that took over a year and a half to find its champion a match-up, and when it did, the fight was over in less time than it took Jimmy Lennon Jr. to introduce both parties involved.
Now that this otherworldly force has been removed from the scene, it could make for several interesting match-ups in the featherweight division. Depending on how she fairs against bantamweight champion Meisha Tate in March, Ronda Rousey could surely continue her dominant run in her original weight class. Names like Alexis Davis, who is set to take on Sarah Kaufman at 135 lbs at the same event, Amanda Nunes, and Tara Larosa have all fought at 145 before, and could easily shake things up in the featherweight division. Hell, maybe even Gina Carano could come back for a couple of marquee fights. But that pipe dream is more than likely dead, as the early reviews for Haywire have been overtly positive, and are likely the start of a new phase in “Conviction’s” career.
And it was with Carano’s departure from the sport that we saw one of the main problems facing women’s MMA, that of our need for a Xena-like champion who is as dominant as she is beautiful. Despite the fact that Cyborg displayed a supremacy unmatched by any female figure in the sport, not one website, magazine, or other publication mentioned her when discussing this whole “face of women’s MMA” nonsense. Even in a sport in which the competitors put their physical appearance on the line with every fight, we simply didn’t want to accept the fact that someone as…let’s say, homely, as Cyborg would be its representative.
But we’re not here to address issues that are best left for one of Oprah Winfrey’s self empowerment speeches, we’re here to talk shop. As Seth pointed out, Strikeforce’s collapse is as evident as ever, and being that Dana White and the UFC have all but refused to acknowledge women’s MMA as a legitimate investment, it appears that the sport in general is walking on flimsy legs. So what do you think, could Cyborg’s absence help save women’s MMA? Will the 135 pound division provide enough marquee match-ups to keep interest alive? Or are we hearing the fading S.O.S of a sinking ship? Discuss.
Now this…makes us nervous. Many of you probably remember the inaugural ONE FC: Champion vs. Champion event that took place back in early September, which featured a plethora of previously unheard of talent in addition to a ton of great fights. Shortly thereafter, CEO and owner Victor Cui announced that his promotion had big plans for 2012, which included adding over 23 gyms and 15 promotions to their partnership and scheduling three events in three different countries. Though it wouldn’t do much to detract from the UFC’s ever-expanding market, many of us looked at ONE FC as the spark that could possibly reignite the Asian MMA scene, a flame that had long been quelled since the demise of PRIDE.
If the above poster for ONE FC’s second event, entitled Battle of Heroes, says anything, it’s that PRIDE is back. Unfortunately, it might not the epic, blood soaked glory PRIDE that we were all hoping for, but rather, the ridiculous, freak show fight filled PRIDEthat we both loved and silently resented for all those years.
Now this…makes us nervous. Many of you probably remember the inaugural ONE FC: Champion vs. Champion event that took place back in early September, which featured a plethora of previously unheard of talent in addition to a ton of great fights. Shortly thereafter, CEO and owner Victor Cui announced that his promotion had big plans for 2012, which included adding over 23 gyms and 15 promotions to their partnership and scheduling three events in three different countries. Though it wouldn’t do much to detract from the UFC’s ever-expanding market, many of us looked at ONE FC as the spark that could possibly reignite the Asian MMA scene, a flame that had long been quelled since the demise of PRIDE.
If the above poster for ONE FC’s second event, entitled Battle of Heroes, says anything, it’s that PRIDE is back. Unfortunately, it might not the epic, blood soaked glory PRIDE that we were all hoping for, but rather, the ridiculous, freak show fight filled PRIDEthat we both loved and silently resented for all those years.
Featuring none other than perennial punching bag Bob Sapp pasted atop its logo, it’s safe to say that this poster has surpassed Lindsay Lohan’s Playboy photos as the most disappointing thing we have seen in quite some time. No, we are not providing a link to Ms. Lohan’s photos. They’re really not worth your time anyway.
Now, we understand that ONE FC is in the early stages of its life, and that bringing in wider audiences is the number one goal of any promotion; you have to get your name out there, one way or another, and bringing in someone like Bob Sapp is surefire way to get you some attention. But Bob Sapp does not bring the kind of attention that a young organization may necessarily want. The man is a black hole (no pun intended) in the MMA universe, a publicity stunt of a fighter if there ever was one. Let us not forget that this is the man who once fought a Japanese cartoon character.
Worst of all, Sapp is scheduled to face Rolles Gracie. Yeah, the same Rolles Gracie who disgraced his family’s name in one of the most pathetic octagon appearances of all time back at UFC 109. So, not only do we get Bob Sapp, but now we have to sit through a match in which he won’t even be dispatched via some satisfying form of KO or TKO? To quote Will Ferrell, “WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!”
Battle of Heroes is set to go down February 11th in Jakarta, Indonesia.
What do you think of this, Potato Nation? Bad idea, or worst idea?
Yesterday, the UFC announced that its second UFC on FUELTV event was set to transpire in Stockholm, Sweden, prompting fight booking rumors to materialize faster than an Ikea entertainment center. First off, a clash between middleweight strikers Brian Stann and Alessio Sakara is apparently in the works, and promises to be what JR would call, “a good old fashioned slobber knocker.”
After putting together a three fight win streak between 2008 and 2010, “Legionarius” has not fought since dropping a unanimous decision to last minute replacement and fast rising middleweight contender Chris Weidman at UFC Live 3. Sakara was set to face Jorge Rivera on two separate occasions, at UFC 118 and 133, but was forced to pull out from both fights due to some bad fish and a torn ACL, respectively. Stann similarly saw a three fight streak snapped at UFC 136, when he was dominated on the mat by Chael Sonnen en route to a second round arm triangle submission. Given Sakara’s somewhat suspect chin, you gotta imagine this match is Stann’s to lose.
When the UFC first announced the location of this event, there were a couple of names, mainly Alexander Gustafsson and Papy Abedi, that most figured would have to be included on the card. Though “The Mauler” has yet to be given an opponent, Abedi has already been booked to take on James Head. Abedi will be looking to rebound from a first round submission(!) loss to Thiago Alves in his UFC debut back at UFC 138 when he takes on Head, who is also coming off an unsuccessful octagon debut. The Oklahoma native was choked out by Nick Ring in the third round of their UFC 131 battle.
(Ain’t that the truth.)
Yesterday, the UFC announced that its second UFC on FUELTV event was set to transpire in Stockholm, Sweden, prompting fight booking rumors to materialize faster than an Ikea entertainment center. First off, a clash between middleweight strikers Brian Stann and Alessio Sakara is apparently in the works, and promises to be what JR would call, “a good old fashioned slobber knocker.”
After putting together a three fight win streak between 2008 and 2010, “Legionarius” has not fought since dropping a unanimous decision to last minute replacement and fast rising middleweight contender Chris Weidman at UFC Live 3. Sakara was set to face Jorge Rivera on two separate occasions, at UFC 118 and 133, but was forced to pull out from both fights due to some bad fish and a torn ACL, respectively. Stann similarly saw a three fight streak snapped at UFC 136, when he was dominated on the mat by Chael Sonnen en route to a second round arm triangle submission. Given Sakara’s somewhat suspect chin, you gotta imagine this match is Stann’s to lose.
When the UFC first announced the location of this event, there were a couple of names, mainly Alexander Gustafsson and Papy Abedi, that most figured would have to be included on the card. Though “The Mauler” has yet to be given an opponent, Abedi has already been booked to take on James Head. Abedi will be looking to rebound from a first round submission(!) loss to Thiago Alves in his UFC debut back at UFC 138 when he takes on Head, who is also coming off an unsuccessful octagon debut. The Oklahoma native was choked out by Nick Ring in the third round of their UFC 131 battle.
In other fight booking news, Shane Roller will be stepping in for an injured Cody Mckenzie to take on TUF 12 alum Michael Johnson at UFC on Fox 2, and bantamweight contender Dustin Poirier is set to face UFC newcomer Max Holloway, who is replacing the injured Ricardo Lamas, who was replacing the injured Erik Koch. Sheesh. Not that we have anything against Holloway, but we really can’t wish the best for any fighter with the audacity to carry the nickname “Lil Evil,” because every time we hear that phrase, we are reminded just how far the real “Lil Evil” has fallen. And that makes us sad pandas.
UFC on FUELTV 2 goes down April 14th at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
