(The key to defeating Marcus Jones? A few drops of barbecue sauce on your glove, believe it or not.)
Ever since dropping a unanimous decision in a snorefest to Cheick Kongo at UFC 137, a loss that snapped a five fight win streak that included vicious (T)KO victories over Christian Morecraft, Tim Hague, and Kimbo Slice, TUF 10 veteran Matt Mitrione has been M.I.A. He hasn’t returned any of our phone calls, and he damn sure hasn’t left us any messages, so we just assumed he was taking a really long vacation on a mysterious, remote island that had yet to develop cell phone technology…like Australia. Because surely no one would willingly ignore us, right? RIGHT?!
…
Ahem. Well, most of you will be happy to know that “Meathead” will be returning to action at UFC on FOX 4 against Rob Broughton. Who is Rob Broughton, you ask? He would be the British gentlemen with the, let’s call it “Fedorian” physique, who is currently 1-2 in the octagon. After scoring a debut victory (via third round rear-naked choke) over a juiced up Vinicius Quieroz, “The Bear” has dropped a pair of unanimous decision victories to Travis Browne and Philip De Fries at UFC 135 and UFC 138, respectively. He also holds notable victories over Neil Grove (via decision), Robert Berry (via TKO), and James Thompson (via WTFdoyouthink).
Contain your excitement. CONTAIN IT.
UFC on FOX 4 goes down from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on August 4th.
(The key to defeating Marcus Jones? A few drops of barbecue sauce on your glove, believe it or not.)
Ever since dropping a unanimous decision in a snorefest to Cheick Kongo at UFC 137, a loss that snapped a five fight win streak that included vicious (T)KO victories over Christian Morecraft, Tim Hague, and Kimbo Slice, TUF 10 veteran Matt Mitrione has been M.I.A. He hasn’t returned any of our phone calls, and he damn sure hasn’t left us any messages, so we just assumed he was taking a really long vacation on a mysterious, remote island that had yet to develop cell phone technology…like Australia. Because surely no one would willingly ignore us, right? RIGHT?!
…
Ahem. Well, most of you will be happy to know that “Meathead” will be returning to action at UFC on FOX 4 against Rob Broughton. Who is Rob Broughton, you ask? He would be the British gentlemen with the, let’s call it “Fedorian” physique, who is currently 1-2 in the octagon. After scoring a debut victory (via third round rear-naked choke) over a juiced up Vinicius Quieroz, “The Bear” has dropped a pair of unanimous decision victories to Travis Browne and Philip De Fries at UFC 135 and UFC 138, respectively. He also holds notable victories over Neil Grove (via decision), Robert Berry (via TKO), and James Thompson (via WTFdoyouthink).
Contain your excitement. CONTAIN IT.
UFC on FOX 4 goes down from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on August 4th.
Just a couple of hours ago, the UFC held a press conference in Shaw Court, Alberta, Canada, to promote UFC 149: Jose Aldo vs. Some Guy (it’s a joke, take it easy), which is expected to transpire on July 21st from Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Surprisingly absent from the conference was that of UFC President Dana White, who was in turn replaced by Director of Operations for UFC Canada, Tom Wright. Also absent was a hearty supply of French fries and gravy for the fighters involved, which was a real shame in our opinion.
In the co-main event of the evening, the most hated wanted man in the middleweight division, Michael Bisping, will square off against hard nosed slugger Tim Boetsch. Also expected for UFC 149 will be Antonio Rodrigo’s Nogueria’s return to the octagon for the first time since Frank Mir went all Paul Harris on his arm, the difference between their UFC 140 scrap and the average Paul Harris fight being that Nog waited until after Mir broke his arm to tap, not the other way around. Anyway, Big Nog will be squaring off against the inconsistent but always dangerous Cheick Kongo, who is coming off a knockout loss at the hands of Mark Hunt at UFC 144.
Check out the full video and lineup after the jump.
Just a couple of hours ago, the UFC held a press conference in Shaw Court, Alberta, Canada, to promote UFC 149: Jose Aldo vs. Some Guy (it’s a joke, take it easy), which is expected to transpire on July 21st from Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Surprisingly absent from the conference was that of UFC President Dana White, who was in turn replaced by Director of Operations for UFC Canada, Tom Wright. Also absent was a hearty supply of French fries and gravy for the fighters involved, which was a real shame in our opinion.
In the co-main event of the evening, the most hated wanted man in the middleweight division, Michael Bisping, will square off against hard nosed slugger Tim Boetsch. Also expected for UFC 149 will be Antonio Rodrigo’s Nogueria’s return to the octagon for the first time since Frank Mir went all Paul Harris on his arm, the difference between their UFC 140 scrap and the average Paul Harris fight being that Nog waited until after Mir broke his arm to tap, not the other way around. Anyway, Big Nog will be squaring off against the inconsistent but always dangerous Cheick Kongo, who is coming off a knockout loss at the hands of Mark Hunt at UFC 144.
Check out the full video and lineup below.
UFC 149 Lineup
Champ Jose Aldo vs. Erik Koch (for featherweight title)
Just three days ago, Alan Belcher was fed to the lions. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but like those who choose to stay in Omelas, the Zuffa head-honchos knew that a sacrifice had to be made for the good of the community. For if the insatiable beast known as “Toquinho” was not fed his daily quotient of appendages, theirs would surely be next. So they sent forth the only American brave enough to tattoo Kim Jong-il on his arm to narfle the Garthok, so to speak. But like the mighty Beldar Conehead before him, Alan Belcher emerged from the monstrosity’s repugnant dwelling unscathed, and earned a lifetime supply of free wishes for doing so.
At least that’s how “The Talent” sees it, because when asked on who he’d like to face next (if a title shot was out of the question, of course) Belcher was rather adamant about his options, telling the following to BloodyElbow’s Steph Daniels:
I think a fight with Michael Bisping makes a lot of sense. I mean, Boetsch looks like a beast at 185, and I’ve got to admit, he looks pretty scary. The other guys in the division, in my mind, I’ve already beat them so many times, and I know everything about them, and I know they don’t have anything really threatening. Boetsch has got some pretty powerful tools, and is a pretty scary dude.
Bisping, of course, is getting to be a professional point fighter, and he’s kind of hard to beat like that. That fight would be a nice payday, and a big fight for the media, so I’m kind of leaning towards that one. It would make sense, and the fans would love it. I can almost feel the energy I would get from the fans if I put him to sleep.
Join us after the jump for much more from the interview.
(WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY SPRAY TAN?!)
Just three days ago, Alan Belcher was fed to the lions. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but like those who choose to stay in Omelas, the Zuffa head-honchos knew that a sacrifice had to be made for the good of the community. For if the insatiable beast known as “Toquinho” was not fed his daily quotient of appendages, theirs would surely be next. So they sent forth the only American brave enough to tattoo Kim Jong-il on his arm to narfle the Garthok, so to speak. But like the mighty Beldar Conehead before him, Alan Belcher emerged from the monstrosity’s repugnant dwelling unscathed, and earned a lifetime supply of free wishes for doing so.
At least that’s how “The Talent” sees it, because when asked on who he’d like to face next (if a title shot was out of the question, of course) Belcher was rather adamant about his options, telling the following to BloodyElbow’s Steph Daniels:
I think a fight with Michael Bisping makes a lot of sense. I mean, Boetsch looks like a beast at 185, and I’ve got to admit, he looks pretty scary. The other guys in the division, in my mind, I’ve already beat them so many times, and I know everything about them, and I know they don’t have anything really threatening. Boetsch has got some pretty powerful tools, and is a pretty scary dude.
Bisping, of course, is getting to be a professional point fighter, and he’s kind of hard to beat like that. That fight would be a nice payday, and a big fight for the media, so I’m kind of leaning towards that one. It would make sense, and the fans would love it. I can almost feel the energy I would get from the fans if I put him to sleep.
For the record, we’re not counting either of the men who coached opposite Bisping on his TUF gigs, even though one of those led to the most satisfying beatdowns of all time.
But believe it or not, Belcher’s desire to fight Bisping is not the result of some backstage incident where Bisping managed to get under his skin, as is usually the case, but rather out of general disdain for “The Count”:
No, nothing personal. I don’t know what to think about him. I can already kind of feel the kind of smack talking that he would be doing, and I think that he just honestly believes that he’s better than he is. I don’t think he respects me or considers me to be one of the top guys. It would feel good to beat him, but I don’t want to let those type of personal emotions get in the way of what’s really important, and that’s competing for the world championship and winning.
Belcher was also quick to point out that, although he was successful, it wasn’t exactly his gameplan to stick his foot in the bear trap that is Rousimar Palhares:
I knew that I would shock some people. It wasn’t my intention to get into a grappling match with him. A lot of people thought that was my intent going in, and that the media sort of pushed me into it, trying to prove something, but that was surely not the case at all.
I knew I would be able to handle myself if he got me in a situation. I was prepared, and I’d been training with some of the best guys that do that kind of thing. I was probably kind of psyching myself up a little too much, and I was expecting some kind of super powers or super strength, but it was a lot easier once I actually got in there.
I knew that it was going to take some real tight mental preparation to beat somebody like this. I recognized that it was my time, not only in my career, in the title picture, but it was my time in the fight to finish him and make a big splash, and I think that’s what I did.
I think people will think twice about taking me down. Now they know I can grapple with the best of them. It was pretty nice watching him try to squirm out of the twister position, and out of all those submissions I was trying to throw on him. It was the highlight of the fight for me. I was pretty proud of it.
In a way, Belcher’s performance last Saturday night reminded me a lot of The Hurt Locker. “The Talent” showed incredible patience and precision when wiggling his way out of Palhares’ attacks, which impede one’s walking ability to the same degree as stepping on a landmine, if you think about it. And not only did he manage to avoid Palhares’ death grip, he attempted a twister and even a banana split at one point, I believe, all on one of the best Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the game.
All I’m saying is, if Alan Belcher is asking for anything or anyone in terms of matchups, he’s earned it, don’t you think?
(Unfortunately, there is still no word on the mysterious disappearance of Heidi Androl. Sad.)
It looks like the speculations that arose in the aftermath of Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Tate had some truth behind it, because it has been reported that newly crowned Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will defend her title against inaugural bantamweight champ Sarah Kaufman. Though no specific date or location has been mentioned, the Strikeforce brass are hoping to have these two throw down sometime in August, and probably in either Nevada or California, as the majority of Strikeforce’s recent cards have been held in those locations.
Rumors of a potential clash between Rousey and Kaufman first started following the pair’s respective wins over Miesha Tate and Alexis Davis on March 13th. “Rowdy” took the considerably easier path to victory, snatching up her fifth consecutive first round armbar in typically gruesome fashion over Tate, whereas Kaufman chose to slug it out with Davis for three rounds in what was one of the most exciting brawls of the year, bar none, and brought home a majority decision victory.
Although Kaufman has a considerable experience and striking advantage over Rousey, her lone loss in sixteen fights has come by way of armbar (to Marloes Coenen in their October 2010 title fight), so expect her to be a considerable underdog coming into this one. As with any fight against Rousey, Kaufman’s only chance will lie in her ability to sprawl-and-brawl with the Olympic judoka, or God forbid take her out of the first round. Then again, we hear Rousey is taking out champions in the men’s division nowadays, so perhaps Kaufman is already dead in the water.
Full fight videos of Kaufman/Davis and Rousey/Tate await you after the jump.
(Unfortunately, there is still no word on the mysterious disappearance of Heidi Androl. Sad.)
It looks like the speculations that arose in the aftermath of Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Tate had some truth behind it, because it has been reported that newly crowned Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will defend her title against inaugural bantamweight champ Sarah Kaufman. Though no specific date or location has been mentioned, the Strikeforce brass are hoping to have these two throw down sometime in August, and probably in either Nevada or California, as the majority of Strikeforce’s recent cards have been held in those locations.
Rumors of a potential clash between Rousey and Kaufman first started following the pair’s respective wins over Miesha Tate and Alexis Davis on March 13th. “Rowdy” took the considerably easier path to victory, snatching up her fifth consecutive first round armbar in typically gruesome fashion over Tate, whereas Kaufman chose to slug it out with Davis for three rounds in what was one of the most exciting brawls of the year, bar none, and brought home a majority decision victory.
Although Kaufman has a considerable experience and striking advantage over Rousey, her lone loss in sixteen fights has come by way of armbar (to Marloes Coenen in their October 2010 title fight), so expect her to be a considerable underdog coming into this one. As with any fight against Rousey, Kaufman’s only chance will lie in her ability to sprawl-and-brawl with the Olympic judoka, or God forbid take her out of the first round. Then again, we hear Rousey is taking out champions in the men’s division nowadays, so perhaps Kaufman is already dead in the water.
In either case, check out both ladies most recent fights below.
Kaufman vs. Davis
Rousey vs. Tate
Who do you got, Potato Nation, or rather, how long do you think Kaufman will last?
Chances are, if Chael Sonnen is not training for an upcoming fight or doing battle inside the octagon itself, he is sitting down in front of a camera and ranting about whatever is on his mind, be it Anderson Silva or the irresponsibility of Canadian reporters. As far as he’s concerned, these rants are meant to provide his audience with a higher understanding of the world around them, and are in the general public’s better interest. Thankfully, Sonnen was able to fight off the schizophrenia that will inevitably overtake his brain for long enough to jot down a collection of these rants into a “self help” book subtly titled “The Voice of Reason.” To say that it is the greatest collection of words and sentences ever committed to paper would be an understatement, so Sonnen opts to call it “A V.I.P pass to enlightenment” instead.
But just in case you didn’t pick up “The Voice of Reason” at your nearest bookstore (or in today’s society, on your Kindle), Sonnen recently locked himself in a dark and dreary basement to elaborate on everything from John McCain’s attempt to crush MMA before it got its sea legs to the conspiracies behind Area 51 and professional wrestling. Are these three things somehow related? Is Chael Sonnen some rogue government agent who has access to this kind of information? Is the Oregonian truly the UFC middleweight champion of the world, and we just don’t know it yet? To put it simply; no, maybe, and DUH.
Join us after the jump for the videos.
(How ignorant we were.)
Chances are, if Chael Sonnen is not training for an upcoming fight or doing battle inside the octagon itself, he is sitting down in front of a camera and ranting about whatever is on his mind, be it Anderson Silva or the irresponsibility of Canadian reporters. As far as he’s concerned, these rants are meant to provide his audience with a higher understanding of the world around them, and are in the general public’s better interest. Thankfully, Sonnen was able to fight off the schizophrenia that will inevitably overtake his brain for long enough to jot down a collection of these rants into a “self help” book subtly titled “The Voice of Reason.” To say that it is the greatest collection of words and sentences ever committed to paper would be an understatement, so Sonnen opts to call it “A V.I.P pass to enlightenment” instead.
But just in case you didn’t pick up “The Voice of Reason” at your nearest bookstore (or in today’s society, on your Kindle), Sonnen recently locked himself in a dark and dreary basement to elaborate on everything from John McCain’s attempt to crush MMA before it got its sea legs to the conspiracies behind Area 51 and professional wrestling. Are these three things somehow related? Is Chael Sonnen some rogue government agent who has access to this kind of information? Is the Oregonian truly the UFC middleweight champion of the world, and we just don’t know it yet? To put it simply; no, maybe, and DUH.
On John McCain
On All Things Alien Related
On The Politics of Pro Wrestling
Does anyone else get the feeling that Sonnen is the kind of guy who, after making sweet love to a woman, tells her “You’re welcome,” before kicking her out of his hotel room?
(Skip to the 2:10 mark if you want to watch your dad get his ass kicked.)
Good afternoon, Potato Nation. How’s your Monday going? Well, it’s about to get even worse, because everyone’s favorite kilt-wearing former UFC welterweight, Marcus Davis, nearly met his maker this past weekend, and since we had to sit through it, so shall you. After opting out of his Zuffa contract the hard way at UFC 125, “The Irish Hand Grenade” would go 3-1 in various promotions before facing off against Mark Casserly in a kickboxing match.
Now, Davis has suffered some of the most brutal knockouts in the history of the sport (*cough* Ben Saunders *cough*), but this may be the cherry on the blood flavored ice cream sundae. We can’t remember the last time that a kick turned its recipient into a human rocking chair, but we’ll remember this KO for years to come, that’s for sure. Seriously, it’s like that scene in Bad Santa when the midget from Me, Myself, and Irene gets punched in the nuts and falls head over heels, except not nearly as hilarious.
We’re not doctors, but we think this might be the fight that prompts Davis to call it a career. As you can see, it took him more than a few minutes before he was able to regain his composure, and sometimes that is all it takes for a fighter to reconsider his line of work, especially at Davis’ age. Regardless of the decision he may or not make within the next couple weeks, we’d like to take a moment here at CP to thank Davis for his contributions to the sport…
…Alrighty then, now join us after the jump to watch another ferocious head-kick KO from this past weekend, courtesy of our friends over at MiddleEasy. Don’t blink, because it happens just over five seconds into the fight.
(Skip to the 2:10 mark if you want to watch your dad get his ass kicked.)
Good afternoon, Potato Nation. How’s your Monday going? Well, it’s about to get even worse, because everyone’s favorite kilt-wearing former UFC welterweight, Marcus Davis, nearly met his maker this past weekend, and since we had to sit through it, so shall you. After opting out of his Zuffa contract the hard way at UFC 125, “The Irish Hand Grenade” would go 3-1 in various promotions before facing off against Mark Casserly in a kickboxing match.
Now, Davis has suffered some of the most brutal knockouts in the history of the sport (*cough* Ben Saunders *cough*), but this may be the cherry on the blood flavored ice cream sundae. We can’t remember the last time that a kick turned its recipient into a human rocking chair, but we’ll remember this KO for years to come, that’s for sure. Seriously, it’s like that scene in Bad Santa when the midget from Me, Myself, and Irene gets punched in the nuts and falls head over heels, except not nearly as hilarious.
We’re not doctors, but we think this might be the fight that prompts Davis to call it a career. As you can see, it took him more than a few minutes before he was able to regain his composure, and sometimes that is all it takes for a fighter to reconsider his line of work, especially at Davis’ age. Regardless of the decision he may or not make within the next couple weeks, we’d like to take a moment here at CP to thank Davis for his contributions to the sport…
…Alrighty then, now join us below to watch another ferocious head-kick KO from this past weekend, courtesy of our friends over at MiddleEasy. Don’t blink, because it happens just over five seconds into the fight.
(Skip to the 5:45 mark for the beginning of the end.)
Remember that ridiculous come from behind victory we featured last week? You know, the one where “Diamond” Dan Pauling absorbed approximately 1 million punches before submitting his opponent? In case you do, meet fellow SHINDO New Breed fighter Jack “The Flash” Gooderham, who took the much easier path to CP glory by crushing his opponent with a brilliant head kick just six seconds into the opening round of their May 5th scrap. With the win, he improves to 8-0 as a pro, and 1-0 as a CagePotato certified badass. We’ll leave it up to him to decide which one is more important.
