Author: Dwight Wakabayashi

UFC 131 Preview: White Says "Diaz Will Vacate Title and Joe Silva Is a D*ck"

The UFC held it’s pre-fight press conference this afternoon at Robson Square, and president Dana White was on hand to pontificate about various UFC and mixed martial arts topics. Bleacher Report MMA was there and here is a recap of some of the comments…

The UFC held it’s pre-fight press conference this afternoon at Robson Square, and president Dana White was on hand to pontificate about various UFC and mixed martial arts topics. Bleacher Report MMA was there and here is a recap of some of the comments from White.

On the current negotiations for a major television contract, and a future UFCTV:

“We’re negotiating with all the networks. That’s it. People think that we’re the one organization that can pull it off, I don’t know if that’s true.”

On the ongoing difficulties getting MMA sanctioned in the state of New York:

“I’m never confident about New York. Obviously this run was a little better we had more support than we did the last time so you know we’ll see. Whatever happens, happens. I know the unions were there battling us that day literally in the hall battling us and we still had a great vote. It’s New York politics, man, New York politics.”

On Diaz fighting GSP and conflicts with Showtime:

“We’re trying to figure this thing out. First of all we have a deal with Showtime and we’re gonna honor that deal with Showtime. Showtime has worked with us really good. I can’t believe you guys are gonna hear me say some positive Showtime stuff right now, but to be honest, they have been great with us. With the Diaz fight people were screaming for it, and we went and talked to Showtime and they were cool with it.”

What about the Strikeforce title?

“Diaz will give up the Strikeforce title and come in and fight GSP for the UFC title, and two guys will fight for the vacant belt and then we’ll go from there. No we have not decided who those two will be.”

Is Nick Diaz different this time around with the UFC. Has he learned to play the game?

“His attitude is a lot different this time around, I had a sit down talk with him and we’ll see how that went. That’s the million-dollar question, my friend.”

White also announced that the UFC is adding a 125-pound flyweight division because they need more fights and fighters, most of whom will come from places like Asia and Mexico, as they dominate that weight class.

I am looking forward to the card on Saturday night, but I am a little disappointed at where one of our Canadian fighters, Krzystof Soszynski is placed on the card. I asked him about it and got a typical Dana White response.

“Joe Silva is a dick.” Just the answer I was looking for, ending the presser with a bang. 

Obviously, he said he was joking, but personally, I’m not so sure.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 131, including the latest UFC 131 results, fight card analysis, UFC 131 news and live reaction from Vancouver.

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Feature Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA (also a Correspondent for MMACanada.net).

Catch him on Twitter @wakafightermma.

 

 

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UFC 131 Interview: Shane Carwin "Somebody Is Going Down on Saturday Night"

Shane Carwin has lost 20 pounds of un-heallthy weight and you can certainly tell it by looking at him. He looks considerably leaner and less imposing than he has on previous occasions leading up to his fights.
Carwin was on hand for a brief workout and…

Shane Carwin has lost 20 pounds of un-heallthy weight and you can certainly tell it by looking at him. He looks considerably leaner and less imposing than he has on previous occasions leading up to his fights.

Carwin was on hand for a brief workout and media scrum this afternoon in Vancouver, and Carwin 2.0 has definitely made some diet and lifestyle adjustments and he spoke to the media about it today.

“Camp was great man, everything is ok and, I was able to work on a bunch of things and I’m just excited to be able to get back in there and compete I mean this is what I love to do.”

A lot of the initial questions dealt with the last time we saw Carwin in the cage against the man he is replacing in this fight Brock Lesnar. “I always tell myself, when I left that cage I left it all in there. There was nothing more that I could have asked my body to do. I think that fight taught me some things about life and fighting, and things I needed to change.”

When asked to elaborate on what he learned about life, he quickly responded. “Well Josh Ford taught me a lot about what nutrition really is, he taught me about eating healthy and eating for recovery and I think most of all longevity. I’m a family guy and I want to be around for a long time.”

Attention then shifted to the fight on Saturday night.

“This fight is going to be exciting fight you kow, this is a fight for the fans. When you look at Junior and what he believes in and when you look at me and what I believe in you know somebody is going to go down on Saturday night.”

That mentality is the perfect tonic for the UFC and their fans right now and I absolutely cannot wait to see this fight.

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Correspondent for Bleacher Report MMA (Also a Correspondent for MMACanada.net).

Catch him on Twitter @wakafightermma

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 131 Interview: JDS "I Will Beat Carwin and Fight for the Title Next"

The UFC held their open workouts for the media this afternoon at the Tactix Gym in downtown Vancouver kicking off fight week in style.
Main event heavyweight Junior Dos Santos was one of the fighters  made available for the media following hi…

The UFC held their open workouts for the media this afternoon at the Tactix Gym in downtown Vancouver kicking off fight week in style.

Main event heavyweight Junior Dos Santos was one of the fighters  made available for the media following his brief workout, where the powerhouse spoke on his upcoming fight with Shane Carwin.

It is clear that “Cigano’s” time on The Ultimate Fighter 13 improved his English tremendously, as he did his best to handle all the questions thrown at him, with his interpreter standing at his side.

First JDS was asked about his decision to fight this weekend, instead of take a pass on Carwin after Lesnar pulled out.

“It’s very important to be fighting, ten months is too much time and I’m feeling great. Unfortunately, my opponent got injured and I have to suffer the consequences.” he stated.

JDS was then asked if he thinks he can exploit Carwin’s questionable cardio, “I think it’s an advantage for me. The first time he fought into the second round he lost the fight so for sure I gonna use that in my strategy.”

He was asked if he considered going into this fight at a heavier weight vs. the over-sized Carwin. “No because I feel really good at this weight, I feel strong and fast. My speed is very very good so, I didn’t change nothing for this fight. I am 240 pounds.”

“I believe I will beat Shane Carwin this time and then I will fight for the title.”

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Correspondent for Bleacher Report MMA (Also a Correspondent for MMACanada.net).

Catch him on Twitter @wakafightermma

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Jon Jones vs. Rampage Jackson: Who Will Be Lyoto Machida’s Next Opponent?

It’s looking more and more as the days go by as though the next fight for the light heavyweight title will be between healing champion Jon “Bones” Jones and top contender Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Jones himself announced this in an interview…

It’s looking more and more as the days go by as though the next fight for the light heavyweight title will be between healing champion Jon “Bones” Jones and top contender Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Jones himself announced this in an interview with MMAJunkie.com on Thursday. While no contract has been signed and no date has been set, it seems to me that when it comes directly from the champion’s mouth, it should be a pretty reliable source.

We all know the history of Jones’ first title defense. First it was going to be Rashad Evans, but then Jones’ injury came along, forcing Evans to  instead fight Phil Davis this August. That left a vacancy in the challenger spot, and speculation has been non-stop as to who would get the first shot at Bones’ title.

All the recent buzz was surrounding two men: Rampage or Lyoto Machida? With the announcement this week that Rampage and Jones are set to go, where does that leave Machida? Who will “The Dragon” fight next?

Some quick deductive logic in terms of timing and fan excitement sees a scenario where four or possibly five top light heavyweights could be the next to face a crane kick to the teeth.

In early August, Evans will fight “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis in UFC 133, and I can see the winner of that match being next for Machida. I’m sure “Suga” would welcome a rematch if he wins, as the knockout loss to Machida put an end to his own brief title run. But if Davis wins, he will simply be looking  up toward the next rung on the the ladder, and Machida is it.

At the end of August in Brazil, for UFC 134, the man who lost the belt to Jones—Mauricio “Shogun” Rua—will fight popular contender Forrest Griffin, who is coming off a long layoff outside the cage. I see the winner of this fight also being in line for a fight with Machida. Machida and Rua have fought twice, with each winning once. Even though some people feel that Rua has two wins over Machida, a rubber match would surely draw interest.

Griffin has never faced Machida, but the two are currently in the same neighborhood in several world rankings, and this match-up would be very intriguing.

Aside from the winners of these two bouts there is one more man in the mix to fight Machida and, in my opinion, that is Ryan Bader. If Bader absolutely dominates Tito Ortiz in July as he should, I believe the timing would be perfect for a Machida-vs.-Bader match-up. The Dragon has some nice momentum and buzz right now from his KO of Couture at the end of April, and UFC may not want to wait for the August winners to recover, maybe instead pushing for Bader.

So there are the possibilities. And what does my crystal ball say? It says that Rashad beats Davis in early August, and has a rematch against Machida on the same card as Jones vs. Rampage late this year.

 

Dwight Wakabayashi is a correspondent for Bleacher Report MMA (also for MMACanada.net).

Catch him on Twitter @wakafightermma

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale: 5 Reasons You Want to Watch This Event

The “Ultimate Fighter” season 13 finale will be held this Saturday night June 4, and it will be headlined by a much anticipated, high energy clash between UFC veteran and tough as nails contender Clay “The Carpenter” Guida against the last WEC lightwei…

The “Ultimate Fighter” season 13 finale will be held this Saturday night June 4, and it will be headlined by a much anticipated, high energy clash between UFC veteran and tough as nails contender Clay “The Carpenter” Guida against the last WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.

It has been a somewhat underachieving season this year and it will take a solid finale to salvage a bit of momentum heading in to season 14 Mayhem vs. The Count. The show finals is set with Ramzi Nijem vs. and to be honest, the finalists are two very solid fighters with potential.

I think the show is often if not always driven by the animosity and rivalry set up between the two coaches and the lack of that between JDS and Lesnar is the real culprit for the dip in ratings.  

There are some things on this card to get pumped up about and here are five reasons you want to watch this event.

5.  Nijem vs. Ferguson The Finale Fight

If there is one thing that has been a bit under-appreciated on this season of the show it is the calibre of a few of the fighters. Ramzi Nijem has some solid striking in bursts and Tony Ferguson is a strong all around fighter. This should be a good fight between two hungry guys who will be looking to Griffin-Bonnar everybody to save the season.

4. Another Solid, Free Fight Card

Dana White has always said he grew up a fan of boxing and watching the fights on TV and he continues to prove it in his actions. This month is packed with good fight cards that we will all pay for so why not throw in a delightful treat like Guida vs. Pettis for free. Take advantage of it fans, let’s not take it for granted.

3. Herman vs. Credeur 

 It has been quite a while since we have seen these two likable characters inside the cage and for the loser it could be his last. Both of these guys are fighting for their careers and Herman is returning from a severe injury.

The technical polish may not be there in this one due to layoff, but these two are fighting for there lives so you may not want to miss it. I think Credeur is a bit more technically sound all around than Herman, could it be our last look at “Short Fuse”?

2. L’il Heathen In The House!

Any fight with Jeremy L’il Heathen Stephens is a fight that I don’t miss. He brings explosive power and a straight ahead approach in the cage with him in the cage and fireworks usually result. You won’t want to blink when he’s in there vs. Danny Downes.

Stephens is coming off of three consecutive tough fights against Marcus Davis, Melvin Guillard and Sam Stout and I believe Downes is a step below all three of them so Stephens should be ready to let fly.

1. Guida Set To Spoil The UFC Debut of Showtime

Clay “The Carpenter” Guida is as tough as they come in the UFC. He has incredible heart and drive in his fights and he is like a buzz saw that cuts right through you from the opening bell. He is looking to solidify his place in line for a title shot with a victory on Saturday.

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis is the last standing lightweight champion of the WEC and is making his debut in the big leagues this weekend and his flashy and effective style is tailor made for the bright lights.

This will be a war at one thousand miles an hour folks and we have seen tough tough guys fall to the relentless pressure Guida brings. Will Showtime be able to handle it?

 

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Correspondent for Bleacher Report MMA (Also a Correspondent for MMACanada.net).

Catch him on Twitter @wakafightermma

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Rampage Jackson and the 10 Most Charismatic Fighters in MMA Today

Fighters love to fight and fighters love to be the center of attention, and some do it much better than others. Being inside the cage can bring out some primal, animal instincts in a fighter, and being in front of a camera can sometimes bring out much,…

Fighters love to fight and fighters love to be the center of attention, and some do it much better than others. Being inside the cage can bring out some primal, animal instincts in a fighter, and being in front of a camera can sometimes bring out much, much more.

It’s not just about the fight and the skill in today’s mixed martial arts world, it’s also about the brand. If you have a certain style and brand yourself properly, opportunities will come: write a book, do a movie or make some big bucks endorsing a sports drink.

Show some charisma and you will be followed. When you are followed, you are more likely to stay relevant in this sport; of course, nothing matters if you suck in the cage!

Some guys bring the absolute alter ego, some guys reach for a persona and wing it fairly well and some are just plain born with it. There is no doubt that it has become a huge part of being successful in the MMA game.

Here is my list of The 10 Most Charismatic Fighters In MMA Today.

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