Author: Donald Wood

Dana White Video: Watch Face of UFC Call Out Floyd Mayweather’s Racism

Say what you want about Dana White as a business man, but this is a guy who has never attempted to hold back his emotions. He may be ruthless, but he is real. When White doesn’t like something, everyone around him knows it, and that’s how h…

Say what you want about Dana White as a business man, but this is a guy who has never attempted to hold back his emotions. He may be ruthless, but he is real. When White doesn’t like something, everyone around him knows it, and that’s how he gets things changed.

That’s where this UFC Presidential Address and the shoot on Floyd Mayweather idea comes from.

The first thing out of the UFC presidents mouth this time is the accusation that boxing champion Mayweather is racist for both his words about New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin and fellow boxer Manny Pacquiao. While the latter is understandable because of their business relationship, Mayweather’s words on Lin rang hollow.

And White called him on it.

While White acknowledges that it is unique to see an Asian guy in the NBA, he states that the credit he gets is well deserved. He also stated that if African-American players aren’t getting credit, he needs to stand back and show Floyd the praise dumped on the Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

There aren’t too many times when I can say that I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the outspoken UFC president, but this is definitely one of those situations. Lin is popular because this is out of the norm for the NBA. There is no denying that part of the intrigue is his ethnicity, but most fans sit back and just watch Lin play some of the best basketball this season.

After telling Mayweather he was racist for suggesting that Pac-Man go make some sushi, White launches into a tirade about how the undefeated champion needs to focus on in-ring tasks and get this super fight underway.

White hit the nail on the head on what I feel is the most important part of this video—talking about the money.

The reports are now that Mayweather does not want to split the revenue from this fight 50-50, which is the reason it is being held up. This all adds up to Mayweather just running his mouth to look better.

White isn’t always right when he calls people out, but bravo, sir, for calling out a man who needs to be called out as the sham he is.

Fraud Mayweather. I like that better.

 

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UFC Undisputed 3: Expanded Rosters Makes Latest Game Best Yet

While UFC has taken firm control of the MMA world in reality, they have dominated in the virtual reality realm as well. UFC Undisputed 3 will continue that dominance.One of the reasons that no franchise can compete with the UFC is because of their vast…

While UFC has taken firm control of the MMA world in reality, they have dominated in the virtual reality realm as well. UFC Undisputed 3 will continue that dominance.

One of the reasons that no franchise can compete with the UFC is because of their vast array of talent. The highlight of the latest edition of the company’s video game franchise has to be the extensive roster for both UFC and PRIDE.

Starting with the PRIDE lineup, not only can you mimic the ring walks and stage presentation of the company, you can fight as the greatest stars in history. Fighters like Wanderlei Silva, Mirko CroCop and Chuck Liddell will take fans back to a different time in MMA where face stomps were accepted.

The fun doesn’t stop there, though. For those not old enough to remember the wild fights that PRIDE put on, there is an amazing amount of talent that comes with the game. As if that wasn’t enough, fans can download Alistair Overeem by going to UFC’s Facebook page.

With Brock Lesnar not retired in the game, you can still fight as the heavyweight or one of the many other stars of the division. With more powerhouses like Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez and Roy Nelson in that weight class, fighting in the heavyweight division will be a nightmare.

The additions of Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions are a nice touch, with a whole new group of elite fighters open to the fans, including Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.

As cool as it all sounds, there is no division more power packed in this game than light heavyweight. With Anderson Silva able to fight in the division as well, you are looking at a roster that has guys like Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson, Tito Ortiz and Mauricio Rua.

With all of this talent, this game is a must-own for any video game fan and every MMA fan.

 

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UFC Undisputed 3: PRIDE Mode Will Make This Greatest MMA Game Ever

While UFC has had some wildly successful games in the past, their latest edition may become one of the greatest fighting games in history.It’s all because of PRIDE, and no, not that pride. PRIDE fighting was the biggest MMA company in the world for a l…

While UFC has had some wildly successful games in the past, their latest edition may become one of the greatest fighting games in history.

It’s all because of PRIDE, and no, not that pride.

PRIDE fighting was the biggest MMA company in the world for a long time before being bought out by UFC in 2007. Their mix of unique rules and styles were something odd to Americans and it never quite caught on.

Now that MMA-mania has spread like a fun-to-watch plague, the fans that missed out on the wild nature of the federation can now relive it from the safety or their arm chair.

Bleacher Report featured columnist and video-game expert, Brian Mazique, breaks down the new mode perfectly:

PRIDE Mode: This is traditional Pride fighting rules, environments and announcers Bas Ruuten and Stephen Quadros and the scary, but exciting ring announcements from Lenne Hardt. The fighting takes place in a ring instead of an Octagon, and fighters can employ brutal soccer-style kicks, head stomps and ground knees to the head, which are all illegal in the UFC.

While I love the UFC and what they have done to bring the sport from the dark ages into mainstream acceptance, PRIDE is where it’s at for true fans of the sport; PRIDE was the ECW of MMA.

With a more lawless attitude to the way the matches were done, it was much more of a life and death issue in the squared circle of pride than it ever is in the UFC, I guess that’s what happens when you disallow people to punt other fighters in the head.

The option to fight in the PRIDE ring is cool enough, but for UFC to get all-in with their reinvention of gameplay and ring entrances are amazing. It actually pays homage to the company that made this all possible.

Thanks, PRIDE. Now move over so I can kick you in the face.

 

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UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz Needs to Become a Trilogy

Let me preface this by saying that there is no way I believe that Nick Diaz retired from the UFC after losing to Carlos Condit in a fight that was unbelievably close. Diaz is just being dramatic…again. When he realizes the kind of fight he lost,…

Let me preface this by saying that there is no way I believe that Nick Diaz retired from the UFC after losing to Carlos Condit in a fight that was unbelievably close.

Diaz is just being dramatic…again. When he realizes the kind of fight he lost, there is no doubt that this fight will have a rematch and quite possibly a third and deciding bout.

It would be MMA’s Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier.

Diaz said at the post-fight press conference:

“I’m not going to accept this as a loss. I think I’m done with this MMA stuff, I don’t think they can pay me enough to do this again.”

Nope. I don’t believe him.

Besides the usual trash talking during the fight, Condit and Diaz put on the show of the night. While there was no knockout and this won’t win fight of the year, this is the game film to show younger fighters just how important preparation is.

Condit vs. Diaz was the kind of MMA fight that true fans of the sport love. It also didn’t hurt that both men were giving all they had and more with the Interim Welterweight Title on the line.

It didn’t take long for the fans at home to realize what the game plan for Condit was coming into this fight. With Condit’s high altitude training, he was determined to keep Diaz moving for 25 minutes and never attack Diaz head on.

Diaz likes to corner fighters against the fence and unload with a series of punches. In five full rounds, Diaz cornered Condit one time and got a series of good shots off before Condit kneed Diaz and move off the fence.

Condit told the media after his win on Saturday:

“Nick’s pace is second to none. Chopping down his legs and slowing his pace was definitely a part of the game plan. In other fights, I’ve come on strong in the later rounds and that’s what I felt would happen tonight. My endurance has always been a strong point of mine. … I think that has helped me in my fights.”

Condit wanted the fight in the center of the octagon and that’s where it was all night. The judges gave Diaz his points for pushing the tempo of the whole fight, but Condit didn’t tire and kept on sticking-and-moving to keep Diaz at distance.

With this fight ending in a unanimous decision after going five hard-fought rounds, it leaves the door wide open for interpretation and even future trash talk. This feud is not over.

Diaz will wake up in a few weeks and realize that he wants Condit again. For all we know, Condit may defend his title against Diaz before he gets to face Georges St-Pierre, the way GSP is always injured.

Either way, this fight will not be these two fighter’s last bout against the other.

 

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UFC 143 Predictions: Carlos Condit Is Ready to Shock the World with a Win

While Georges St-Pierre nurses whatever excuse he has this time, powerhouses Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit will slug it out for the interim UFC Welterweight World Title.As shocking as it may be for most, Condit will walk away champion. Diaz may come into…

While Georges St-Pierre nurses whatever excuse he has this time, powerhouses Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit will slug it out for the interim UFC Welterweight World Title.

As shocking as it may be for most, Condit will walk away champion.

Diaz may come into the fight as the favorite, but Condit is one of the hottest fighters in MMA. Despite a controversial decision loss in his UFC debut, Condit has an 11-1 record since July 2006 and was the last WEC Welterweight Champion.

In his eyes, he never lost that title and looks at this fight as a way to get back the belt that rightfully belongs to him.

UFC loudmouth Chael Sonnen told The Telegraph about what he expects from the battle of two supreme talents and just how good Condit truly is:

Condit is awesome. He’s got a bunch of bonuses of the night, and he is the one guy I can think of besides Georges St-Pierre, who can keep up with the conditioning that Diaz has. Condit never backs down. Condit beats a lot of guys just because he puts so much pressure on them—which is exactly what Diaz is known for. It’s an awesome fight. They are going to get it on, and get after it non-stop.

Sonnen is right about this. When these two men meet in the middle of the Octagon on Saturday night, this will be a war. I know that line is used often and has become cliche, but this is one of the true times where it is fitting.

The key for Condit will be his versatility. While Diaz has become a world-renowned striker who can put anyone’s lights out (11 straight wins), Condit is by far the most well-rounded fighter he has ever faced.

With striking and kicks mixed with a vicious use of knees, Condit will match anything that Diaz throws his way.  

Condit will get the distinct advantage on the ground. Not only do I see Condit as the better takedown artist, I feel he has the better chance to submit Diaz if he gets taken down.

As I always say, anything can happen in MMA. The only certainty at UFC 143 is that both of these men are walking into that Octagon ready to knock each other out. Let the fireworks begin.

 

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UFC on Fox 2: Rashad Evans Proves Again That He Is No. 1 Contender

Since 2008, Rashad Evans has been a staple of the light heavyweight division and he finally gets the long-awaited title shot he has missed out on for two years. After beating down on then undefeated title threat Phil Davis in the main event of UFC on F…

Since 2008, Rashad Evans has been a staple of the light heavyweight division and he finally gets the long-awaited title shot he has missed out on for two years.

After beating down on then undefeated title threat Phil Davis in the main event of UFC on Fox 2 at a sold-out United Center in Chicago, Evans has earned another well-publicized title shot. Let’s just hope this fight actually happens now.

As good as Evans looked, he was not able to put Davis away, something that many analysts showed would prove he couldn’t stop current champion Jon Jones.

Evans told the Vancouver Sun about his disappointment about not ending the fight against Phil Davis with a knockout:

I fought at a pace that was a pretty high pace. I felt I wanted to put him away and I just didn’t get a chance to land some big punches. I’m kind of disappointed about it but when you’re fighting a guy as tough as Phil Davis, that can happen.

While it’s true that Davis is one of the best young fighters the UFC has to offer, he is not in the same category as Jones. Many believe that Evans’ struggle to put Davis away proves that he cannot beat the current champ when they eventually meet on April 21.

Jones and Evans have been dancing around each other since 2010 when Jones was selected to replace the injured Evans in his title shot against then champion Mauricio Rua. Since Jones won the title, each fighter has suffered a horribly-timed injury that has forced the two to miss meetings ever since. April 21, 2012 all of the questions will be answered.

UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones said after Evans’ win over Davis:

I’m so excited about fighting Rashad. I can’t wait to get past this chapter of my career. I’ve been calling him the antagonist of my career because of all the hype and all the drama. I’m a happy man. I’m a very happy man right now. I’m excited to retain my title on April 21. I try to look at it as no fight is a big fight, and try not to fight people’s names but to fight people’s bodies. But I think I’m a little more emotionally attached to this fight and it’s going to drive me to train harder than I’ve ever imagined.

This is the fight that the UFC fans have been clamoring for since the first time it was voided. With Jones clearly the best in the division and Evans clearly the next guy in line, this war in the cage will be a battle of wills. The fighter that is hungrier will win this fight.

As much as I love Jones and how he fights, Evans has been on the hunt for a few years now and there isn’t much that could stop the MMA star. While Jones wouldn’t go gently into that good night, it will be a war that Evans ultimately wins.

 

Check back for more on Mixed Martial Arts as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s UFC Page to get your fill of all things UFC/MMA. For more on MMA/UFC, check out Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics.

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