Author: Matt Erickson

Jeff Curran Says It’s ‘Put Up or Shut Up’ Time in His Return at UFC 137

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It’s been an interesting road, but after nearly eight years, Jeff Curran is back in the UFC.

Curran will return to the promotion at UFC 137 next week against former bantamweight title challenger Scott Jorgensen in Las Vegas in a bout that was moved to the main pay-per-view card on Friday. It’s another shot with Zuffa and the UFC that Curran said he begged for, and a fight against a top contender that he jumped at the chance to get.

On Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour,” Curran told host Ariel Helwani that he’s always been physically ready – but now he believes he’s more mentally ready than he ever was before and it’s time to “put up or shut up.”

“Everything’s going great,” Curran said. “It’s kind of like I knew where I need to be to be able to focus on my fighting, and (the past personal problems) seem like such a long way away sometimes. Everything is revamped and going smoothly in my personal life, everything’s going smoothly in my gym, and I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

Curran (33-13-1) took a short-notice fight against future UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra at UFC 46 in January 2004. He lost a unanimous decision, but went on to a nine-fight winning streak outside the promotion. After a loss in his lone fight for Pride, the Illinois-based fighter went on another winning streak, one that got him a shot at the WEC not long after it had been purchased by Zuffa.

After a win in his first fight for the promotion since WEC 4, Curran got a shot at featherweight champion Urijah Faber and was submitted in the second round. He said that loss started a domino effect for him, mentally, and after four straight losses – all to WEC champions or title challengers – he was cut by the WEC in August 2009.

“Physically, I was prepared as ever for all my fights in the WEC,” Curran said. “For Urijah, I just got caught. After that, it was a spiral in my mental focus. I don’t know what made them turn the table and give me (another) opportunity. But at this point, it doesn’t really matter. I’ve got to get out there and prove myself.”

Curran has won four of five fights since his last loss in the WEC, a split decision loss to Takeya Mizugaki. His one loss in that stretch came in a Bellator event in Chicago, not far from the gym he runs in the city’s northern suburbs that is the training home to the likes of former UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver and UFC featherweight Bart Palaszewski, who also will fight at UFC 137.

But Curran said even at the Bellator fight, in April 2010, he wasn’t where he needed to be mentally for Bryan Goldsby, who beat him in a unanimous decision. He said there had been a temptation to sit back and wait for the WEC to call (before it merged with the UFC), since matchmaker Sean Shelby had said they might have a fight for Curran later in the year.

WIth his cousin Pat making his Bellator debut on the same show – the start of what would be his improbable run through the lightweight tournament to a $100,000 pay day and an eventual shot at Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez – Curran said he felt pressure to take the fight, even though he wanted to pull out.

“We decided I needed to make some money – I was having some financial problems,” Curran said. “And part of getting Pat into the lightweight tournament was having both cousins on the same show in Chicago. I kinda stepped in and took one for the team, even though I tried to pull out of the fight. I just didn’t want to make up a lie. I was asking to be released and they wouldn’t’ do it because I was the main event in Chicago. I was going to pull an injury card, but I didn’t. So I just went forward with it. That’s one fight I regret taking – not that Goldsby didn’t earn the win.”

Even two wins in his own XFO promotion after the loss to Goldsby had him unsure what his next step might be. He beat Billy Vaughan in May, but said that a loss to him likely would have meant his retirement from the sport.

“I was training hard, I was in great shape,” Curran said. “I thought if I can’t beat these guys, nothing against them, I don’t deserve to be in the UFC. I thought I needed to finish Billy Vaughan to get back in the UFC, but I think that was enough for them to say, ‘Jeff looked good, he was back meaning business.'”

And now that he’s back, fighting at bantamweight where he believes he has his best shot instead of featherweight or lightweight, Curran said he has to take advantage of what might be his last opportunity in the world’s biggest promotion.

“I think about it every second of the day,” Curran said. “I was just at a Keith Urban concert and there were 20,000 people there, and I just sat there with chills and thought, ‘The pressure.’ I’m not intimidated by it. I’ve been in all the big shows. But what it all encompasses is that I finally fought my way back, and it’s either put up or shut up – embarrass myself or get out there and do my thing.”

 

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Filed under: ,

It’s been an interesting road, but after nearly eight years, Jeff Curran is back in the UFC.

Curran will return to the promotion at UFC 137 next week against former bantamweight title challenger Scott Jorgensen in Las Vegas in a bout that was moved to the main pay-per-view card on Friday. It’s another shot with Zuffa and the UFC that Curran said he begged for, and a fight against a top contender that he jumped at the chance to get.

On Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour,” Curran told host Ariel Helwani that he’s always been physically ready – but now he believes he’s more mentally ready than he ever was before and it’s time to “put up or shut up.”

“Everything’s going great,” Curran said. “It’s kind of like I knew where I need to be to be able to focus on my fighting, and (the past personal problems) seem like such a long way away sometimes. Everything is revamped and going smoothly in my personal life, everything’s going smoothly in my gym, and I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”


Curran (33-13-1) took a short-notice fight against future UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra at UFC 46 in January 2004. He lost a unanimous decision, but went on to a nine-fight winning streak outside the promotion. After a loss in his lone fight for Pride, the Illinois-based fighter went on another winning streak, one that got him a shot at the WEC not long after it had been purchased by Zuffa.

After a win in his first fight for the promotion since WEC 4, Curran got a shot at featherweight champion Urijah Faber and was submitted in the second round. He said that loss started a domino effect for him, mentally, and after four straight losses – all to WEC champions or title challengers – he was cut by the WEC in August 2009.

“Physically, I was prepared as ever for all my fights in the WEC,” Curran said. “For Urijah, I just got caught. After that, it was a spiral in my mental focus. I don’t know what made them turn the table and give me (another) opportunity. But at this point, it doesn’t really matter. I’ve got to get out there and prove myself.”

Curran has won four of five fights since his last loss in the WEC, a split decision loss to Takeya Mizugaki. His one loss in that stretch came in a Bellator event in Chicago, not far from the gym he runs in the city’s northern suburbs that is the training home to the likes of former UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver and UFC featherweight Bart Palaszewski, who also will fight at UFC 137.

But Curran said even at the Bellator fight, in April 2010, he wasn’t where he needed to be mentally for Bryan Goldsby, who beat him in a unanimous decision. He said there had been a temptation to sit back and wait for the WEC to call (before it merged with the UFC), since matchmaker Sean Shelby had said they might have a fight for Curran later in the year.

WIth his cousin Pat making his Bellator debut on the same show – the start of what would be his improbable run through the lightweight tournament to a $100,000 pay day and an eventual shot at Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez – Curran said he felt pressure to take the fight, even though he wanted to pull out.

“We decided I needed to make some money – I was having some financial problems,” Curran said. “And part of getting Pat into the lightweight tournament was having both cousins on the same show in Chicago. I kinda stepped in and took one for the team, even though I tried to pull out of the fight. I just didn’t want to make up a lie. I was asking to be released and they wouldn’t’ do it because I was the main event in Chicago. I was going to pull an injury card, but I didn’t. So I just went forward with it. That’s one fight I regret taking – not that Goldsby didn’t earn the win.”

Even two wins in his own XFO promotion after the loss to Goldsby had him unsure what his next step might be. He beat Billy Vaughan in May, but said that a loss to him likely would have meant his retirement from the sport.

“I was training hard, I was in great shape,” Curran said. “I thought if I can’t beat these guys, nothing against them, I don’t deserve to be in the UFC. I thought I needed to finish Billy Vaughan to get back in the UFC, but I think that was enough for them to say, ‘Jeff looked good, he was back meaning business.'”

And now that he’s back, fighting at bantamweight where he believes he has his best shot instead of featherweight or lightweight, Curran said he has to take advantage of what might be his last opportunity in the world’s biggest promotion.

“I think about it every second of the day,” Curran said. “I was just at a Keith Urban concert and there were 20,000 people there, and I just sat there with chills and thought, ‘The pressure.’ I’m not intimidated by it. I’ve been in all the big shows. But what it all encompasses is that I finally fought my way back, and it’s either put up or shut up – embarrass myself or get out there and do my thing.”

 

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After First UFC Win in Rematch With Leonard Garcia, Nam Phan Over Sting of First Fight

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After 10 months of answering questions about Leonard Garcia, at least Nam Phan finally can change his response.

Phan first fought Garcia last December at the TUF 12 Finale in Las Vegas, a Fight of the Night-winning slugfest that saw him come out on the short end of a split decision. Though Phan outstruck Garcia in every round, according to Fight Metric, two judges gave Garcia two rounds. The third agreed with most of the fans, as well as the vast majority of MMA media – and gave all three rounds to Phan.

After UFC 136 a week ago in Houston, though, Phan finally got a little closure – and his first UFC victory – with a unanimous decision in another slugfest with Garcia in the rematch. He hopes it’s the one people will ask him about now.

“(The first loss) stung pretty bad,” Phan told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.” “People were telling me, ‘You got robbed!’ over and over again, reminding me. I tried not to dwell on it, but it took awhile.”

In the rematch, Phan (17-9, 1-2 UFC) was mostly dominant – leaving little doubt in the first two rounds. Though Garcia seemed to hurt him in the third and had him backing up several times, Phan still set a UFC record for most significant strikes landed in a fight, according to FightMetric’s tabulations.

Nam’s 174 significant strikes landed in the 29-28 unanimous decision win passed Chris Lytle in his win over Matt Serra at UFC 119. Phan credited his boxing background, including four professional fights, for his success in the standup game.

“It isn’t always about the power – it’s about the high punch count,” Phan said. “My coach said ‘You have to compete in boxing to get good at striking.’ I started training with him in 2003, and started competing in amateur boxing, Golden Gloves, and then I went to compete in professional boxing. I don’t have a passion for boxing. I don’t love it like I love mixed martial arts. I only did boxing to improve my mixed martial arts skills.”

After 23 pro MMA fights, including a loss in the WEC and a pair of losses in Strikeforce, Phan got a shot at the UFC on “The Ultimate Fighter.” And though he didn’t make the finals, he still got a crack at the promotion. And now he has a win after starting with a pair of losses.

Though the first loss to Garcia had the MMA world screaming robbery, including UFC president Dana White, Phan still knew a third straight loss could be problematic going into the Garcia rematch. But he said he tried to put that out of his mind.

“I wasn’t even thinking about a two-fight losing streak or that I might get cut,” Phan said. “I was going in there to have fun and to make this my best performance ever. This could be my last pitch, and if I strike out I’m going home. So I’ve gotta hit this ball out of the ballpark, man. I can’t take the UFC for granted and (I have to) realize I could get cut. I’ve got to know I’m expendable.”

Now that Phan can breathe a small sigh of relief that he will be sticking around in the UFC for a while, he can start thinking about what might be next for him.

After two Fight of the Night wins in his first three fights, he knows the kind of opponent he’s looking for next.

“Whoever it is, I want that person to put (on) a good fight with me.”

 

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After 10 months of answering questions about Leonard Garcia, at least Nam Phan finally can change his response.

Phan first fought Garcia last December at the TUF 12 Finale in Las Vegas, a Fight of the Night-winning slugfest that saw him come out on the short end of a split decision. Though Phan outstruck Garcia in every round, according to Fight Metric, two judges gave Garcia two rounds. The third agreed with most of the fans, as well as the vast majority of MMA media – and gave all three rounds to Phan.

After UFC 136 a week ago in Houston, though, Phan finally got a little closure – and his first UFC victory – with a unanimous decision in another slugfest with Garcia in the rematch. He hopes it’s the one people will ask him about now.

“(The first loss) stung pretty bad,” Phan told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.” “People were telling me, ‘You got robbed!’ over and over again, reminding me. I tried not to dwell on it, but it took awhile.”

In the rematch, Phan (17-9, 1-2 UFC) was mostly dominant – leaving little doubt in the first two rounds. Though Garcia seemed to hurt him in the third and had him backing up several times, Phan still set a UFC record for most significant strikes landed in a fight, according to FightMetric’s tabulations.

Nam’s 174 significant strikes landed in the 29-28 unanimous decision win passed Chris Lytle in his win over Matt Serra at UFC 119. Phan credited his boxing background, including four professional fights, for his success in the standup game.

“It isn’t always about the power – it’s about the high punch count,” Phan said. “My coach said ‘You have to compete in boxing to get good at striking.’ I started training with him in 2003, and started competing in amateur boxing, Golden Gloves, and then I went to compete in professional boxing. I don’t have a passion for boxing. I don’t love it like I love mixed martial arts. I only did boxing to improve my mixed martial arts skills.”

After 23 pro MMA fights, including a loss in the WEC and a pair of losses in Strikeforce, Phan got a shot at the UFC on “The Ultimate Fighter.” And though he didn’t make the finals, he still got a crack at the promotion. And now he has a win after starting with a pair of losses.

Though the first loss to Garcia had the MMA world screaming robbery, including UFC president Dana White, Phan still knew a third straight loss could be problematic going into the Garcia rematch. But he said he tried to put that out of his mind.

“I wasn’t even thinking about a two-fight losing streak or that I might get cut,” Phan said. “I was going in there to have fun and to make this my best performance ever. This could be my last pitch, and if I strike out I’m going home. So I’ve gotta hit this ball out of the ballpark, man. I can’t take the UFC for granted and (I have to) realize I could get cut. I’ve got to know I’m expendable.”

Now that Phan can breathe a small sigh of relief that he will be sticking around in the UFC for a while, he can start thinking about what might be next for him.

After two Fight of the Night wins in his first three fights, he knows the kind of opponent he’s looking for next.

“Whoever it is, I want that person to put (on) a good fight with me.”

 

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Amanda Lucas Tries to Prove She’s More Than Just a ‘Star Wars’ Reference

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There’s a temptation to say that Amanda Lucas wants to fight so much, she’d take a bout on Tatooine.

Though Lucas certainly must be growing tired of the constant “Star Wars” references, she at least suffers them with a smile. The adopted daughter of George Lucas, creator of the biggest movie franchise in history, knows the mentions of her ultra-famous father and his uber-famous space saga are inevitable.

But what Amanda Lucas wants more than anything is to reach a point in her mixed martial arts career when “Star Wars” and her father are but mere footnotes, not the lead.

“it doesn’t bother me – I’m proud of my family,” Lucas said last week on “The MMA Hour” with host Ariel Helwani. “I hope to do my best on my own and prove I’m not just George’s daughter. I work just as hard as my training partners and I don’t want any special treatment. (But “Star Wars” is) going to get mentioned – it’s nothing I can hide.”

Lucas, 30, even had parts in the latter three films in the “Star Wars” saga, Episodes I, II and III, which helped fulfill a childhood fantasy of performing, even though she said acting is not where her talents lie.

“I’m not an actress,” Lucas said. “It was fun, and it was something I can say that I did. I always wanted to be a performer. I liked the idea of acting, but it wasn’t really my thing. I wanted to be Madonna or Janet Jackson, but I can’t sing very well.”

Instead, Lucas (2-1) now focuses her performance ambitions on fighting. After losing her MMA debut in May 2008, Lucas has won two straight, including a first-round submission win at Deep 55 in Japan two months ago. She’ll next fight at Deep 56 on Oct. 29, her second fight in two months, but just her fourth in three and a half years.

Lucas, who trains at Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez‘s new gym, said though the women’s MMA market is much tougher to crack than the men’s, she wants to find a way to keep getting fights.

“My feeling is, I want to get in as much as I can and do this now,” Lucas said. “I’m 30 years old, so now is the time. I can’t be waiting every two years to fight.”

Lucas will fight in Japan for the second time after her Deep debut in August. And this time, she’s hopeful that she can avoid a certain highly iconic entrance theme. Lucas said she would never walk out to the theme from “Star Wars,” but at Deep 55, it was played anyway.

For a while, Lucas will have to get used to the “Star Wars” comments. But she believes as long as she keeps training, fighting and building a name for herself. And famous father or not, her motivation is pretty simple.

“I just want to fight.”

 

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Filed under: ,

There’s a temptation to say that Amanda Lucas wants to fight so much, she’d take a bout on Tatooine.

Though Lucas certainly must be growing tired of the constant “Star Wars” references, she at least suffers them with a smile. The adopted daughter of George Lucas, creator of the biggest movie franchise in history, knows the mentions of her ultra-famous father and his uber-famous space saga are inevitable.

But what Amanda Lucas wants more than anything is to reach a point in her mixed martial arts career when “Star Wars” and her father are but mere footnotes, not the lead.


“it doesn’t bother me – I’m proud of my family,” Lucas said last week on “The MMA Hour” with host Ariel Helwani. “I hope to do my best on my own and prove I’m not just George’s daughter. I work just as hard as my training partners and I don’t want any special treatment. (But “Star Wars” is) going to get mentioned – it’s nothing I can hide.”

Lucas, 30, even had parts in the latter three films in the “Star Wars” saga, Episodes I, II and III, which helped fulfill a childhood fantasy of performing, even though she said acting is not where her talents lie.

“I’m not an actress,” Lucas said. “It was fun, and it was something I can say that I did. I always wanted to be a performer. I liked the idea of acting, but it wasn’t really my thing. I wanted to be Madonna or Janet Jackson, but I can’t sing very well.”

Instead, Lucas (2-1) now focuses her performance ambitions on fighting. After losing her MMA debut in May 2008, Lucas has won two straight, including a first-round submission win at Deep 55 in Japan two months ago. She’ll next fight at Deep 56 on Oct. 29, her second fight in two months, but just her fourth in three and a half years.

Lucas, who trains at Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez‘s new gym, said though the women’s MMA market is much tougher to crack than the men’s, she wants to find a way to keep getting fights.

“My feeling is, I want to get in as much as I can and do this now,” Lucas said. “I’m 30 years old, so now is the time. I can’t be waiting every two years to fight.”

Lucas will fight in Japan for the second time after her Deep debut in August. And this time, she’s hopeful that she can avoid a certain highly iconic entrance theme. Lucas said she would never walk out to the theme from “Star Wars,” but at Deep 55, it was played anyway.

For a while, Lucas will have to get used to the “Star Wars” comments. But she believes as long as she keeps training, fighting and building a name for herself. And famous father or not, her motivation is pretty simple.

“I just want to fight.”

 

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Bellator Bantamweight Champ Zack Makovsky Just Wants to Have Fun

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Zack MakovskyZack Makovsky‘s nickname seems to apply to more than just his size.

Makovsky’s “Fun Size” nickname is mostly a playful jab at his physical stature. But the Bellator bantamweight champion is making the size of the fun he has carry over elsewhere, too.

Makovsky said spending his time just trying to improve as a fighter and compete to the highest of his ability is what keeps mixed martial arts fun for him.

“I think I definitely am understanding how to compete in MMA more,” Makovsky told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.” “I really think I’m trying to put everything together. My mentality is probably the biggest part of it. I revamped my whole mentality, especially from when I was (wrestling) in college. I try not to care if I win or lose. I just try to have fun with it and do the best I can.”

So far, that philosophy has translated quite well for Makovsky (13-2, 5-0 Bellator). On Saturday, at Bellator 54, Makovsky has what amounts to a stay-busy fight against Ryan Roberts. His 135-pound title will not be on the line. He won’t put his belt up for grabs until next year, when he fights the winner of the ongoing Bellator bantamweight tournament.

Makovsky said he likes Bellator’s tournament format – after all, winning the inaugural bantamweight tourney is what put him on the major MMA map. But at the same time, he said it has some drawbacks.

“Going into the tournament, I was unknown to the majority of the MMA community,” Makovsky said. “I like that about Bellator – it’s a tournament and you control where you go yourself. I like how they let you get there on your own.

“(But) there’s a downside as far as once I won the tournament, I’ve had a lot of downtime. I fought six times in 2010, and I’ll only fight twice in 2011 with no title fights. There’s ups and downs.”

Makovsky even joked that because of the downtime this calendar year, he may have been better off not winning the first bantamweight tournament – just making the finals. That way, he could compete in this year’s bantamweight tourney and make more money.

Still, the product of the Fight Factory, in Philadelphia, where he trains alongside Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, said winning the $100,000 tournament a year ago put him in the position, financially, where he can just concentrate on becoming a better fighter. He no longer has to pay the bills by being an assistant wrestling coach at Drexel University, where he competed collegiately.

“I wasn’t making a living (fighting) by any means until I got into Bellator,” Makovsky said. “My first fight, I fought for $300 to show and $200 to win. I saved a little bit from winning the tournament, but it’s definitely different (not having a job). I’m very happy doing what I love for a living. I get to sleep in when I want and set my training schedule – so I’m living the dream.”

Though he’s on a seven-fight winning streak and holds a title for one of the most prominent MMA promotions in the world, Makovsky said he’s not prepared to say he’s a Top 10 bantamweight in the world. Not that he isn’t confident in his skills, but it’s just not his style.

“I think my skills are up there with those guys, (but) I don’t like to say where I should be ranked,” Makovsky said. “That’s up to the media. I want to continue to grow and be the best I can be, and something like that would put extra pressure on myself. That’s not where I’ll have the most success. I’ll have the most success when I’m focusing on me and getting better. Everything else will take care of itself.”

Including, he hopes, the fun.

 

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Zack MakovskyZack Makovsky‘s nickname seems to apply to more than just his size.

Makovsky’s “Fun Size” nickname is mostly a playful jab at his physical stature. But the Bellator bantamweight champion is making the size of the fun he has carry over elsewhere, too.

Makovsky said spending his time just trying to improve as a fighter and compete to the highest of his ability is what keeps mixed martial arts fun for him.

“I think I definitely am understanding how to compete in MMA more,” Makovsky told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.” “I really think I’m trying to put everything together. My mentality is probably the biggest part of it. I revamped my whole mentality, especially from when I was (wrestling) in college. I try not to care if I win or lose. I just try to have fun with it and do the best I can.”


So far, that philosophy has translated quite well for Makovsky (13-2, 5-0 Bellator). On Saturday, at Bellator 54, Makovsky has what amounts to a stay-busy fight against Ryan Roberts. His 135-pound title will not be on the line. He won’t put his belt up for grabs until next year, when he fights the winner of the ongoing Bellator bantamweight tournament.

Makovsky said he likes Bellator’s tournament format – after all, winning the inaugural bantamweight tourney is what put him on the major MMA map. But at the same time, he said it has some drawbacks.

“Going into the tournament, I was unknown to the majority of the MMA community,” Makovsky said. “I like that about Bellator – it’s a tournament and you control where you go yourself. I like how they let you get there on your own.

“(But) there’s a downside as far as once I won the tournament, I’ve had a lot of downtime. I fought six times in 2010, and I’ll only fight twice in 2011 with no title fights. There’s ups and downs.”

Makovsky even joked that because of the downtime this calendar year, he may have been better off not winning the first bantamweight tournament – just making the finals. That way, he could compete in this year’s bantamweight tourney and make more money.

Still, the product of the Fight Factory, in Philadelphia, where he trains alongside Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, said winning the $100,000 tournament a year ago put him in the position, financially, where he can just concentrate on becoming a better fighter. He no longer has to pay the bills by being an assistant wrestling coach at Drexel University, where he competed collegiately.

“I wasn’t making a living (fighting) by any means until I got into Bellator,” Makovsky said. “My first fight, I fought for $300 to show and $200 to win. I saved a little bit from winning the tournament, but it’s definitely different (not having a job). I’m very happy doing what I love for a living. I get to sleep in when I want and set my training schedule – so I’m living the dream.”

Though he’s on a seven-fight winning streak and holds a title for one of the most prominent MMA promotions in the world, Makovsky said he’s not prepared to say he’s a Top 10 bantamweight in the world. Not that he isn’t confident in his skills, but it’s just not his style.

“I think my skills are up there with those guys, (but) I don’t like to say where I should be ranked,” Makovsky said. “That’s up to the media. I want to continue to grow and be the best I can be, and something like that would put extra pressure on myself. That’s not where I’ll have the most success. I’ll have the most success when I’m focusing on me and getting better. Everything else will take care of itself.”

Including, he hopes, the fun.

 

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UFC 136 Bonuses: Frankie Edgar Knockout Leads $75,000 Winners

Filed under: UFC, NewsFrankie Edgar survived another first-round onslaught from Gray Maynard on Saturday.

But this time, rather than going the distance for a draw like the two did in January, Edgar got out of the first, controlled the pace of the fig…

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Frankie Edgar survived another first-round onslaught from Gray Maynard on Saturday.

But this time, rather than going the distance for a draw like the two did in January, Edgar got out of the first, controlled the pace of the fight in the second and third, and in the fourth he dropped Maynard with a right and finished him on the ground. One of the best rivalries of the year finally had a finish – with an exclamation point – at UFC 136 in Houston.

Edgar’s fourth-round TKO in the lightweight championship main event earned him $75,000 for Knockout of the Night – the night’s only KO stoppage. Joining him with $75,000 bonuses were Joe Lauzon for Submission of the Night and Nam Phan and Leonard Garcia for Fight of the Night.

More Coverage: UFC 136 Results
It was like deja vu for Edgar and Maynard in the first round. Just like their second fight at UFC 125 on Jan. 1, Maynard dominated the first, dropping Edgar with big shots on the feet. In January, it was a decisive 10-8 round for Maynard that Edgar had to come back from. On Saturday, just one just, Doug Crosby, gave a 10-8 to Maynard, while the other two scored it a standard 10-9.

Still, Edgar had to go into rally mode with his face bloodied to start the second round. Maynard was decidedly more cautious in the second and third rounds, both of which saw Edgar controlling the tempo and landing decent shots on the feet. But deep in the fourth round, Edgar landed a right uppercut that stunned Maynard, followed it with several more rights on the feet that put Maynard on the canvas, and then finished with several big shots on the ground.

The end came at 3:54 of the fourth, and Edgar retained his lightweight title. It also gave him a win over Maynard in his third try. In the pair’s first fight, in April 2008, Maynard won a unanimous decision. After Edgar won the lightweight title from BJ Penn and defended it in their rematch, he defended it against Maynard at UFC 125 – and the two fought to a rare title match draw. Finally with some closure, Edgar’s next opponent will be just his third in more than two years after a steady diet of Penn and Maynard the last four fights.

Lauzon’s Submission of the Night was also the card’s biggest upset. It came just 47 seconds into the first round against Melvin Guillard, who was riding a five-fight winning streak and came into the fight a more than 5-to-1 favorite. Guillard came out bouncing around and looking to land big shots, but a left from Lauzon stunned Guillard, and Lauzon pounced, quickly took Guillard’s back and sank in a fight-ending rear naked choke.

Amazingly, Lauzon now has won six straight fight night bonus awards and seven in his last eight fights. He has four submission bonuses and three Fight of the Night awards in that stretch. He also won Submission of the Night in June, a first-round kimura against Curt Warburton.

Lauzon’s only competition for the Submission of the Night award came from Chael Sonnen, whose second-round arm triangle choke of Brian Stann probably earned him another shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Sonnen called Silva out after the fight and said that he wants to up the stakes. Sonnen proposed that if he wins and takes the middleweight title, which he nearly did in August 2010, Silva should have to leave the 185-pound division. And if Sonnen loses, he said he will leave the UFC forever.

At the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said it was tough to choose between Lauzon and Sonnen for Submission of the Night, but he ultimately gave it to Lauzon because Lauzon was such a heavy underdog and he rocked the favorite so quickly in the first round.

The Fight of the Night may had checks written for it the day it was announced. Phan and Garcia fought to a controversial split decision win for Garcia at the TUF 12 Finale in December. A rematch was booked for March, but Phan was injured. And when Phan’s original UFC 136 opponent, Matt Grice (who replaced Josh Grispi) was forced out, Garcia stepped in.

In what amounted to a continuation of their first fight, Phan and Garcia again had moments of a backyard brawl. But Phan was more accurate and controlled the pace in the first two rounds, landing more consistently. Garcia may have been on his way to a possible 10-8 third round, but Phan did enough to stay in the round and won a 29-28 unanimous decision.

Both Phan-Garcia fights have been Fight of the Night winners, and while Phan said after the fight he doesn’t want to do No. 3, Garcia said if the fight could be in Houston, in his native Texas, he’d gladly do a trilogy fight.

 

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UFC Vet Din Thomas Injured in Car Accident, Misses Main Event Return

Filed under: NewsVeteran fighter Din Thomas, attempting to return to the cage for the first time in nearly two years, didn’t make it to his fight Friday.

The UFC vet, scheduled to fight in the main event at Fight Time 7 at the War Memorial Auditorium…

Filed under:

Veteran fighter Din Thomas, attempting to return to the cage for the first time in nearly two years, didn’t make it to his fight Friday.

The UFC vet, scheduled to fight in the main event at Fight Time 7 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was reportedly injured in a car accident on the way to the venue. Fight Time promoter Howard Davis Jr. confirmed the news in a video released on YouTube following the show.

Davis, who built the show – “Fight Time 7: The Return of Din Thomas” – around the American Top Team product, gave early specifics on Thomas’ condition, but did not give any details on the accident. No other details about the crash were available late Friday.

“I just got some information from one of his trainers, and he stated that Din is a little banged up,” Davis said in the video. “His ribs might be broken, his arm hurts and his head is a little banged up. (But) they said that he should be OK.”

Thomas (25-8), a 35-year-old who started his career 12-1 to get a shot in the UFC, has been out of action since a January 2010 win over Dustin Pague in a World Extreme Fighting show in Pittsburgh. That win gave him three straight since being cut by the UFC in 2008.

Thomas has had three stints in the UFC. His debut came at UFC 32, a first-round knockout loss to BJ Penn. He followed that with a win over Fabiano Iha at UFC 33, and two wins outside the promotion.

At UFC 39, Thomas lost to Caol Uno. But he rebounded at UFC 41 with a majority decision win over future welterweight champion Matt Serra. Thomas then spent more than three years away from the UFC before returning by way of the comeback season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Season 4.

After the show, Thomas built a three-fight winning streak against Rich Clementi and current lightweight contenders Clay Guida and Jeremy Stephens in 2007. But consecutive losses to Kenny Florian and Josh Neer ended in his release from the promotion with a 5-4 record over the three stints.

In 2010, Thomas was scheduled to fight boxer Ricardo Mayorga in an MMA fight. But a last-minute injunction against Shine Fights and Mayorga, stemming from a cease and desist motion filed by Don King Productions, shut that fight down.

Davis, the head boxing coach at American Top Team, also spoke in the video about his close relationship with Thomas.

“Din is like a son to me,” Davis said. “When I first came to American Top Team eight and a half years ago, there were only five or six fighters at the time. And Din was one of the first fighters I trained. One of the things that really showed me who Din Thomas was, was I always look at someone’s character. He is always honest and up front about himself. (He’s) a very dignified gentleman, and showed poise as a fighter.”

Thomas was scheduled to fight M-1 veteran George Sheppard (10-6) in the main event at Fight Time 7. Fight Time, run by Davis and his wife, has been putting on MMA shows in south Florida for a year.

 

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