It seems Chael Sonnen has had a change of heart when it comes to Anderson Silva.From a press release detailing tonight’s episode of UFC Tonight comes this gem of a quote:Anderson, over the last several months, I’ve disparaged your name in at…
From a press release detailing tonight’s episode of UFC Tonight comes this gem of a quote:
Anderson, over the last several months, I’ve disparaged your name in attempt to garner respect and attention for my own. That was wrong & I apologize. My actions were unsportsmanlike, they were uncalled for.
There are two ways to look at this.
The first and most likely scenario is that it’s simply another ploy by Sonnen. He’ll draw people into watching UFC Tonight under the guise of this apology, only to drop the proverbial hammer on Silva once again.
I know a lot of you hate any and all comparisons to professional wrestling, but I’ll still point out that this is an old tactic used in pro wrestling storylines designed to put even more “heat” on the bad guy, or heel.
The second scenario? Silva wouldn’t sign his contract to face Sonnen in June unless Sonnen issued a public apology. This is a plausible scenario. Silva used to think Sonnen’s games and verbal tirades were cute, but according to sources close to the middleweight champion’s camp, Silva has grown tired of the carnival barker-style abuse.
The magic of the first Silva/Sonnen fight was the newness of it all. Few professional fighters had ever embraced their love for pro wrestling like Sonnen did, and it made for a fun build to a fight that ultimately delivered in spades.
I’m not sure the same over-the-top approach will work a second time. Perhaps Sonnen has realized the same thing.
The main-card fighters participating in the big UFC on FOX 3 card on May 5th gathered in New York City today for a pre-fight press conference.Dana White, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Johny Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, Pat Barry, Lavar Johnson and Alan Belcher …
The main-card fighters participating in the big UFC on FOX 3 card on May 5th gathered in New York City today for a pre-fight press conference.
Dana White, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Johny Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, Pat Barry, Lavar Johnson and Alan Belcher took questions from the fans and media in attendance.
Let’s check out a few quotes from the personalities involved.
Dana White on whether the winner of Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller or Anthony Pettis will get the next shot at Benson Henderson’s lightweight title:
“We said that the winner of this fight (Diaz vs. Miller) would get the next shot.”
Koscheck on the feeling that he may be a gatekeeper for the welterweight division:
“I’m not a stepping stone, kid. Johny Hendricks is not winning this fight.”
Dana comments on getting mixed martial arts legalized in New York City:
“I’ve been saying that for four years. We’re going to keep grinding and grinding until we get it done. We should be in New York and it’s ridiculous that we’re not.”
Koscheck on Johny Hendricks’ win over Jon Fitch:
“The fight didn’t last very long. I really couldn’t judge how good he is. I watched the fight and it looked like he threw a bunch of punches without looking.”
Hendricks responds:
“If you looked at that punch and watch where my eyes were, you could see that it was a pretty good punch. I’ll take it any day.”
Hendricks’ feelings after beating Jon Fitch:
“I just couldn’t wait to be on the card. I got to fight Jon Fitch, the number two guy in the entire world. And now I’ve got Josh Koscheck, another great fighter. It’s exciting for me. I can’t wait to put on a good show.”
Miller on fighting in his home state:
“It’s an honor to be on such a big card on FOX right here in my area. I’m excited about it. I’m excited to fight in front of my home state fans and put on a show. Nate and I match up very well together and it should be an exciting fight. I’m pretty amped up already, so I need to calm down. I’ve got another two months.”
Does Diaz think he’s deserving of main event status:
“I don’t know. I think it comes and goes depending on how your fights go. I’m glad to be on the card. It’s cool to be headlining and stuff.”
Dana’s thoughts on Ronda Rousey’s win over Miesha Tate:
“I’ve been saying for a long time about the women’s division. There aren’t enough women to create a division. But every once in awhile you’re going to have the fighters to create these one-off fights. That happened last Saturday night. Ronda Rousey is going to be a big star.”
Pat’s thoughts on Lavar Johnson’s punching power:
“You and I are no longer friends. Lavar Johnson has beyond heavy hands. I say that because he was able to knock out Joey Beltran.
I kicked Joey in the head five times and he shook it off. I’ve never wondered, in my entire career, whether or not I hit hard. So I guarantee you that he hits hard. I was there in Chicago, and he had the fight as soon as he walked out.
I looked at him and said ‘that looks like somebody they’re going to put me with.’ Everyone turned and looked at me. His fists are the size of my head. We’re going to punch each other a lot of times on May 5th. I hope not, but we probably are.”
Will Barry submit Lavar Johnson?
“I’m going to submit somebody, someday. Lavar? No. We’re both allergic to jiu-jitsu. We’re also both allergic to rounds two and three. You’re not going to see beginner-level grappling with the two of us.”
Did Dana put this card together to try and make exciting fights after the criticism of the first two shows?
“So the first fight went too quick and the second fight went too long? Oh well. We always try to put the best fighters in the world together. There’s nothing I can say if you think one was too short and one was too long.
These guys always deliver every time they go in there. I don’t know what to expect with this card. Hopefully, we get the right mixture of quick and long so that everybody is happy. I don’t know what else to say to that.”
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is an emotional dude. This news shouldn’t surprise you in the slightest. And that’s why you also shouldn’t be surprised that Jackson went on a Twitter rant while you slept, revealing that he has one fight remaining on his UFC …
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is an emotional dude. This news shouldn’t surprise you in the slightest. And that’s why you also shouldn’t be surprised that Jackson went on a Twitter rant while you slept, revealing that he has one fight remaining on his UFC contract.
After that fight ends? I’ll let him tell the rest in today’s UFC Morning Update.
Rampage Says He’s Quitting The UFC After One More Fight
Jackson is an open book. He’ll tell you exactly what’s on his mind and detail his trials and tribulations to the entire world. It’s one of the things that has made him one of the most endearing fighters in the history of the sport. In short, he’s real. Fans appreciate that kind of thing.
Jackson has a history of emotional outbursts, so there’s no real way of knowing if this will stick. He and Dana White have one of the most up-and-down relationships in the industry.
He won’t be able to earn the kind of money he gets from Zuffa anywhere else in the world. If he wants to keep fighting, he’ll stick around and forget this whole incident ever happened.
Frankie had a very tough situation. He had a rough road with two rematches right away after his title defenses. So the fan in me feels that he deserves (the rematch). He had to put himself on the line, I don’t want anybody coming back to me and saying ‘oh, Henderson didn’t want to rematch Frankie because he was scared.’
I’m more than willing to give Frankie a rematch. Let’s do it. Set it up for tomorrow.
It’s looking more and more likely that we’ll see a rematch. Dana White badly wants Edgar to move down to featherweight for a big fight with Jose Aldo, but Edgar has resisted all efforts to force him to switch weight classes. He wants the rematch, and Henderson would seemingly rather face Edgar a second time than face Anthony Pettis a second time.
One of the more intriguing moments of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey came during the undercard welterweight bout between Paul “Semtex” Daley and PRIDE legend Kazuo Misaki.Misaki has gone through legendary wars during his fighting career in Japan. He was …
One of the more intriguing moments of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey came during the undercard welterweight bout between Paul “Semtex” Daley and PRIDE legend Kazuo Misaki.
Misaki has gone through legendary wars during his fighting career in Japan. He was always a crowd favorite for his heart and ability to put on exciting fights. But few in the media, myself included, gave him much of a chance against Daley on Saturday night.
He’s old. He’s been through too many battles. His striking just wouldn’t be effective enough against Daley, and his takedown ability wouldn’t be enough to keep the fight on the ground, where he would be more effective.
We were wrong. Misaki used highly effective striking to keep Daley at bay throughout the fight. By the end of the final round, commentator Pat Miletich rightly pointed out that Misaki was “in Daley’s head,” and the Japanese star was awarded a decision win.
I can’t be Semtex all the time people, different fights call for a different approach. Sorry for those that felt cheated out of not seeing Semtex, but I feel being Semtex had an effect on the judges scores, because i didn’t come out swinging. He got the 1st round, I got the 2nd, and the 3rd, I feel through takedowns, ground control, effect defense, and scored the most damage while taking very little. The reason I back pedalled and kept it on the jab/counters in the 3rd is because I honestly thought I had won the fight. it was close, but I feel I won.
Losing a fairly close fight must be a terrible feeling, and this absolutely was a close fight. But Daley saying that he backpedaled in the third round because he thought he had the fight won? That’s not a smart decision because—as we’ve seen countless times throughout the last three years—you never know exactly what the judges are thinking.
It’s better to put an emphatic stamp on a performance than to ride it out under the impression that you’ve already won the thing.
Miesha Tate is a tough fighter. That can’t be disputed.But she’s also dumb. And I’m not picking specifically on Tate, though I know it may sound that way. She’s just the latest in a long line of fighters who decided that it was better to look toug…
Miesha Tate is a tough fighter. That can’t be disputed.
But she’s also dumb.
And I’m not picking specifically on Tate, though I know it may sound that way. She’s just the latest in a long line of fighters who decided that it was better to look tough during the course of a fight rather than accept fate and tap out when caught in what was obviously a fight-ending submission.
This kind of thing drives me into a rage. It was one thing when the Gracies did it in the early days of the sport because, well, they’re the Gracies and not tapping out was their thing. And besides, they were fighting in Japan, where showing your toughness endeared you to the PRIDE fighting crowds even more than winning a fight.
But there’s no reason for it in 2012. If Ronda Rousey gets you in an armbar, and you know without a shadow of a doubt that you’re not getting out—much like Tate did when Rousey got the armbar on her for a second time during Saturday’s Strikeforce main event—please just tap out. Save us the trouble of seeing your arm bend in directions it’s not supposed to.
Luckily for Tate (and the viewers at home), her arms are made of rubber. But that’s not the point.
The point here is that there’s no shame in submitting to a superior opponent. The fans won’t think any less of you because they’ve been watching this sport long enough to understand that submissions are part of the game.
When you’re caught, the fight is over. It’s better to give up and live to fight another day rather than risk an injury that will put you on the shelf for months on end. It’s disrespectful to your opponent and it’s disrespectful to your employer who should be able to rely on booking you for a new fight every three or four months.
Don’t try to prove your resilience. We already know you’re tough. After all, you step in the cage to trade punches with another human for a living. You don’t need to prove anything else.
The MMA Daily Video Fix is back to bring you the latest and greatest videos from the world of mixed martial arts.We’ve got a treat for you today. If you missed the new “Jon Jones: Believe Your Eyes” commercial during the UFC on FX 2 broadcast on Friday…
The MMA Daily Video Fix is back to bring you the latest and greatest videos from the world of mixed martial arts.
We’ve got a treat for you today. If you missed the new “Jon Jones: Believe Your Eyes” commercial during the UFC on FX 2 broadcast on Friday night, you missed one of the best things Zuffa has ever produced.
We’ve also got Ronda Rousey’s amateur mixed martial arts debut.
It seems Chael Sonnen has had a change of heart when it comes to Anderson Silva.