Author: Matt Erickson

‘The New Keith Jardine’ Ready for Rebirth Against Matt Hamill

Filed under: UFCWith wins over Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell and Brandon Vera on his resume, one would think Keith Jardine was past the “coming into his own” stage of his career.

With three straight losses – and four in his last five – heading into …

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With wins over Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell and Brandon Vera on his resume, one would think Keith Jardine was past the “coming into his own” stage of his career.

With three straight losses – and four in his last five – heading into his Saturday fight against Matt Hamill on “The Ultimate Fighter” live season finale in Las Vegas, it would be natural to think the UFC light heavyweight was frustrated or even concerned about his future. But Jardine chalks the losses up to a simple slump.

“I’ve been going through some growing pains and I’ve been in a little bit of a funk,” Jardine said Wednesday on a media call for Saturday’s fight. “And I needed to go through those pains to get to here. I’ve showed glimpses of greatness. I knew two years ago, I beat Forrest, I beat Liddell, I beat those guys. But I knew I wasn’t the fighter I wanted to be. I knew I wasn’t ready to carry the UFC torch yet.”

WEC Newcomer Danny Downes Ready to Go ‘International’ Against Horodecki

Filed under: WEC, NewsWhen Danny Downes picked up the phone early Tuesday afternoon and was told there was a spot for him on Sunday’s WEC 49 card if he was up for it, his affirmative response came quickly.

“Obviously, I would have preferred an eight-w…

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When Danny Downes picked up the phone early Tuesday afternoon and was told there was a spot for him on Sunday’s WEC 49 card if he was up for it, his affirmative response came quickly.

“Obviously, I would have preferred an eight-week training camp,” Downes told MMA Fighting on Wednesday. “But when you get the big call, you answer.”

Eight Years in the Making, Mark Hominick and Yves Jabouin Finally Meet at WEC 49

Filed under: WECWith the WEC’s first foray north of the border, it was only natural the promotion put some Canadians on the card.

On Sunday, at WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus, the co-main event will feature a pair of Canadians who have been waiting the …

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With the WEC’s first foray north of the border, it was only natural the promotion put some Canadians on the card.

On Sunday, at WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus, the co-main event will feature a pair of Canadians who have been waiting the better part of a decade for a crack at each other. When Mark Hominick and Yves Jabouin square off, it will be a fight WEC general manager Reed Harris says was eight years in the making.

“Basically, this is a fight that’s been trying to be put together for eight years,” Harris said Monday on a media call for WEC 49. “Sean Shelby, our matchmaker, put it together and now we’re going to get to see those guys finally go at it.”

WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez Made Official for Aug. 18

Filed under: WEC, NewsThe WEC on Monday officially announced its August card, WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez, which will take place at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Aug. 18.

WEC vice president Peter Dropick made the announcement on …

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The WEC on Monday officially announced its August card, WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez, which will take place at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Aug. 18.

WEC vice president Peter Dropick made the announcement on a media call for Sunday’s WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus event, and the promotion put out a press release shortly after that.

The main event will feature a bantamweight title fight between champion Dominick Cruz (15-1, 5-1 WEC) and challenger Joseph Benavidez (13-1, 4-1 WEC), a rematch from a fight last August at WEC 42. Cruz won that fight, then won the 135-pound belt by beating Brian Bowles at WEC 47 in March. This will be his first title defense. On the same card in March, Benavidez became the first fighter to submit former champion Miguel Torres, earning the title shot in the process.

The co-main event is notable for former featherweight champion Urijah Faber‘s debut at bantamweight. Faber (27-4, 8-3 WEC) recently announced his decision to try his hand at 135 pounds. He’ll take on Takeya Mizugaki (13-4-2, 2-2 WEC), a stiff test in his first fight after dropping down.

TUF 6 Vet John Kolosci Looks to Next Level With Win Over Fioravanti

Filed under: NewsFor John Kolosci, it’s been an oftentimes strange trip, indeed.

The road hasn’t always been smooth and the biggest of his ups have been quickly followed by downs. He hopes maybe this time will be different.

After a unanimous decisio…

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For John Kolosci, it’s been an oftentimes strange trip, indeed.

The road hasn’t always been smooth and the biggest of his ups have been quickly followed by downs. He hopes maybe this time will be different.

After a unanimous decision loss to fellow Indiana-based fighter Shamar Bailey on Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers in Chicago last November, Kolosci struggled to a split decision win over Bill Hill in January. Things were looking average, at best, for the welterweight.

But he may have changed his fortunes Friday night after submitting nine-time UFC veteran and American Top Team fighter Luigi Fioravanti in just 42 seconds.

A Five-Round War for UFC 115: The Theater Experience

Filed under: UFCHaving experienced the UFC from the cheap seats as a fan, from sports bars, from restaurants with my face covered in wing sauce, from living rooms and from the (relative) comfort of press row, it was time Saturday to check off another b…

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Pat Barry and Mirko Cro CopHaving experienced the UFC from the cheap seats as a fan, from sports bars, from restaurants with my face covered in wing sauce, from living rooms and from the (relative) comfort of press row, it was time Saturday to check off another box: the UFC theater experience.

UFC 115 marked the promotion’s second card partnering with Fathom Events to show pay-per-views in movie theaters. The partnership was announced in February and UFC 111 in March kicked off the experiment. The UFC has said that fans’ reaction to watching their Octagon action on the silver screen the first time around was “a great experience and better than they had expected.”

I wanted to put that statement to the test, but I knew after a day that had already seen my butt in the same theater’s seats for “The A-Team,” plus a pre-fight meal of wings and fries, that I might very well be in for a five-round war.