MMA is comparable to Salma Hayek’s breasts. Every year it gets bigger, juicier and more fun to watch. However, unlike Ms. Hayek’s enormous twins, MMA is as real as it gets and in 2011 the sport reached many new milestones. From the UFC merg…
MMA is comparable to Salma Hayek’s breasts. Every year it gets bigger, juicier and more fun to watch.
However, unlike Ms. Hayek’s enormous twins, MMA is as real as it gets and in 2011 the sport reached many new milestones.
From the UFC merging with the WEC, buying rival promotion Strikeforce and signing a multi-year deal with FOX, there is no question that 2011 was the most successful year for the organization to date.
Simply put, the UFC dominated the year 2011 worse than Rosie O’Donnell dominated the city of Atlantis via drowning the city in chocolate fudge and losing it in her 600 pound stomach. Speaking of domination, this year certainly wasn’t short of impressive performances.
The stand-up aspect of MMA has always been a favorite among fans and 2011 featured some of the most exciting striking battles in the history of the sport. Let’s take a look at the 10 greatest strikers of 2011.
Leading up to his Lonsdale British middleweight title defense at BAMMA 8 against Leeroy Barnes, Whoa TV has put together a mini-documentary on Jack Marshman, a British Armed Forces Afghan veteran with a 9-0 MMA record. An active serviceman for the 3rd …
Leading up to his Lonsdale British middleweight title defense at BAMMA 8 against Leeroy Barnes, Whoa TV has put together a mini-documentary on Jack Marshman, a British Armed Forces Afghan veteran with a 9-0 MMA record.
An active serviceman for the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment in the British Armed Forces, Marshman earned his championship in an unbelievable comeback performance at BAMMA 7, defeating Carl Noon with a TKO in the third round.
Approaching his title defense with the Wolfslair’s Barnes, Marshman will look to continue his domination over the UK MMA scene. Whoa TV does a fantastic job providing Marshman’s story, a fighter who will no doubt find his way in the UFC sooner or later.
BAMMA 8 airs live this Saturday night on HD Net. Despite holding the middleweight championship, Marshman’s fight will take place on the un-aired prelims. The main card will feature notable fighters such as UFC vet Andre Winner, Joey Villasenor and Jim Wallhead.
Mitch Ciccarelli is, by far, the sexiest columnist in MMA today. This man snaps his fingers and every bra within 10 miles pops off. Follow this American God on Twitter @ mitchciccarelli
According to the ancient Mayans, the end of the world is near. Our world will crumble in 2012, but not because of tectonic plates or earthquakes like those naked wizards predicted. No, Godzilla is not going to destroy our buildings and eat us all, eith…
According to the ancient Mayans, the end of the world is near. Our world will crumble in 2012, but not because of tectonic plates or earthquakes like those naked wizards predicted. No, Godzilla is not going to destroy our buildings and eat us all, either.
You see, planet earth will be destroyed due to the immense amount of sexiness that will be produced by the ring girls of the sport of MMA. This is something that no ordinary scientist can predict, but I have a very rare piece of technology that has led me to this theory.
It’s called the sexbot 5000, and three years ago I inserted this technology directly up Sarah Jessica Parker’s nose. The machine detects sexy waves and will grow larger as it picks up more beautiful radiation.
Parker’s nose grew exponentially within that three-year time frame, and it appears that her nose is set to explode as the machine detects more waves in the coming year.
Oh well, if you’re going to die, then that is surely the way to go out.
MMA is home to some of the most beautiful women in the entire world. UFC Octagon girls are so unbelievably hot that even the goddesses of Mt. Olympus are jealous of their assets.
Arianny Celeste, Chandella Powell and Brittney Palmer are certainly top notch, but it’s time to add a new girl to the team.
Enter Stephanie Ann Cook, a blonde bombshell from Las Vegas, Nevada, and the most ambitious young woman you’ll ever meet.
If anyone should be next in line to wear that UFC bikini, it should be her—and here are 10 reasons why.
When California bombshell Brittney Palmer announced that she would be stepping down from her Octagon girl duties with the UFC to attend a semester of art school, the male and female population went into a depression the likes of which we haven’t …
When California bombshell Brittney Palmer announced that she would be stepping down from her Octagon girl duties with the UFC to attend a semester of art school, the male and female population went into a depression the likes of which we haven’t seen since the 1920’s.
Even though her departure was announced as a temporary hiatus, Palmer’s fans began to fear that they would never see the gorgeous brunette in between rounds ever again.
Sure, Arianny Celeste and Chandella Powell are nice to look at, but Palmer’s smile was so addictive that drug dealers could make a fortune selling her lips on the street. I personally do not do drugs but I would smoke (or snort?) Palmer crack all day, every day.
It’s almost as if a little naked flying baby with an enormous bow and arrow shot every MMA fan in the caboose upon their first glance at Palmer.
Fans—both male and female, autobot and decepticon, vampire and werewolf, Tom and Jerry—formed a connection with Palmer that they haven’t had with any ring girl of the past or present. Finally, after months of Tweets pleading UFC President Dana White to bring Brittney back, White caved in and Palmer is set to return at UFC 140 on December 10th in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Yours truly spoke exclusively to Ms. Palmer on her Octagon return and various other topics.
On her return to the UFC
“I didn’t really have a plan [on when I would return to the UFC]. I just knew that I needed some time off to go to school but it just so happens that the next UFC will be in Toronto and I’m already going to be there promoting my new clothing line [Stone Free by Brittney] so it worked out at the right time,” Palmer told Mitch Ciccarelli of Bleacher Report MMA.
“It wasn’t really planned but I’m happy and I’ve missed the UFC so much. I’m just very thankful that I was able to pursue my artistic ambitions and go after my dreams.”
“[Dana White’s Tweet] was as big of a shock to me as it was to everyone else, Dana and I didn’t really talk too much about it. I knew that I wasn’t officially gone from the UFC but I didn’t know when I would be coming back.”
On her new clothing line, Stone Free by Brittney presented by Jakt Apparel
“Right now the line is currently running and selling and we are working on new designs. We are working on some Stone Free designs for men and collaborating on all of these different ideas. We will be promoting the product and making more appearances throughout the week.”
On whether Lyoto Machida is being underestimated against Jon Jones at UFC 140
“I think Machida is automatically getting that respect because he is fighting Jon Jones. They won’t match people up with the champion if they think it is going to be an easy win, they want a good fight. That’s the point of the sport and that’s why I think [Machida] is getting the credit he deserves heading into this,” Palmer said.
“At the same time, though, it is Jon Jones. He has the belt and it doesn’t look like he has any intention of losing it anytime soon, it will be a good fight.”
On the 2012 Brittney Palmer Calendar
“Of course [the 2012 Brittney Palmer calendar] is the best gift to give for the Holiday season. It’s the gift that keeps on giving every month. It’s a cool calendar and all of the pictures are featuring me and I designed it,” Palmer said.
“I chose the final images and I chose the month that each photo would be in. That’s what I like about it because it was 100% what I wanted to do and I enjoyed that.”
“I put my favorite photos [in the calendar] on the month of my birthday, which is June. There is one where I’m on my surf board and then another where I’m waxing my surf board. It was actually my surfboard and my wet suit and my converse so it wasn’t all just wardrobe, a lot of it was my very own clothes.”
“There’s also one of me holding a guitar which was actually my very own guitar that I painted so the whole thing is really close to me but I guess those would be my two favorite shots.”
On the mysterious random dude in deleted calendar photo
“You know, it’s a funny story. We had an RV for hair and makeup and for all of us to hang out in during the shoot because we were shooting at the beach. So we went into the RV and he was the RV rental guy and a total surfer kid with long hair,” Palmer said.
“Me just trying to be creative, I thought ‘how rad woulblonde d it be to pull this little surfer in the shots’. The pictures came out awesome but at the end we realized it wouldn’t be good because we didn’t want a guy in the calendar.”
To order your very own copy of the Brittney Palmer calendar, head on over to www.brittneypalmer.com and buy one or two or three or four.
Actually seven is the magic number, you know like seven chipmunks twirling on a branch smoking weed on my Uncles Ranch. Just like the title of that movie I stole that quote from, there’s something about Brittney Palmer, and the MMA community is ecstatic to see her back on UFC programming.
Mitch Ciccarelli is, by far, the sexiest columnist in MMA today. This man snaps his fingers and every bra within 10 miles pops off. Follow this American God on Twitter @ mitchciccarelli
Just two nights before Halloween, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will present the most frightening welterweight matchup in the history of MMA. Headliners Nick Diaz and B.J Penn don’t have to dress up like vampires or ghosts to scare young chi…
Just two nights before Halloween, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will present the most frightening welterweight matchup in the history of MMA.
Headliners Nick Diaz and B.J Penn don’t have to dress up like vampires or ghosts to scare young children. Just the mere thought of watching these two highly aggressive fighters go to war in the Octagon is enough to make a child wet the bed.
UFC 137 was originally promoted as a champion vs. champion bout between former Strikeforce champ Diaz and UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre for the UFC crown.
After Diaz no-showed a prefight press conference, an unusual train of events conspired.
First, UFC President Dana White removed Diaz from the card and bumped Carlos Condit up to face St-Pierre. Then White placed Diaz back on the card to take Condit’s place against Penn in the co-main event.
However, when St-Pierre was forced to withdraw from the fight due to an injury, White had no choice but to promote Diaz vs. Penn as the main event.
With all of the craziness that came to fruition over the past few weeks, fans are eagerly anticipating the fights.
Let’s take a look and predict every fight on the UFC 137 fight card.
The title of this column is bound to cause an explosive stir among the MMA community. Some may agree with my points and others might become so enraged that they will print out pictures of my beautiful face only to urinate on the photo before bursting i…
The title of this column is bound to cause an explosive stir among the MMA community.
Some may agree with my points and others might become so enraged that they will print out pictures of my beautiful face only to urinate on the photo before bursting it into flames.
Nevertheless, I believe this is a topic that needs to be put out in the open and brought to the attention of those who can make the necessary changes.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has come a long way since its inception in 1993.
Originally billed as a NHB (no holds barred)/bare-knuckle spectacle to determine the single greatest fighting discipline on the planet, the concept eventually evolved into a sanctioned sport that combined those disciplines together.
UFC President Dana White—along with his billionaire partners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta—bought the company in 2001 and has done a phenomenal job of legitimizing the sport and bringing it to the mainstream level that it is headed towards today.
From bolstering the popularity of MMA with the very first season of The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV in 2005 to signing a multi-year deal with FOX Sports in 2011, the UFC has become one of the largest sports organizations in the United States.
I have followed the sport religiously for several years, and if it isn’t already apparent through my previous articles, MMA is my love and passion.
However, I am also a martial artist that, from the young age of four, was instilled with the values of the traditional martial arts.
Honor, respect, modesty and self control are some of the most significant principles taught in any traditional martial art discipline.
I’ve carried these principles with me throughout my whole life up to this point, and they have been bolstered significantly upon my enlistment into the United States Air Force.
Which is why, lately, I have become extremely frustrated with what I have been seeing from professional fighters, promoters, coaches and managers in MMA.
The sport is labeled as mixed martial arts, yet the traditional values are becoming a rarity in and out of the cage or ring.
Let’s first talk about the traditional core value of respect and how it is lacking severely in both the UFC and also outside organizations.
I’m not referring to intense trash talkers such as Chael Sonnen or Rashad Evans, because I believe microphone antics, while disrespectful at times, are vital when it comes to hyping fights.
If every fighter was nice and respectful to their opponents in interviews, MMA would be very dull outside of the physical action.
Sometimes you need to hear a competitor like Sonnen cut an off-the-wall, pro wrestling-style promo to wake you up from the “He was a tough opponent, and I just want to thank my sponsors” speeches that the average fighter puts an audience to sleep with.
When I say that there is a lack of respect in the sport, I am talking about something different entirely.
When Nick Diaz no-showed a UFC 137 press conference for a championship fight against Georges St-Pierre that he was set to headline, that was disrespectful.
White did the right thing initially by removing Diaz from the fight, only to re-book him in the co-main event against B.J Penn. That fight is now the main event due to St-Pierre dropping out of the card due to an injury.
It was also disrespectful when Michael Bisping landed an illegal knee on Jorge Rivera at UFC 127 and then spat on Rivera’s corner after the fight.
To be fair, White was furious and did not award Bisping with a win bonus on that night, but he did give the Brit a coaching slot on the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter, which is currently airing weeklyon Spike TV.
Speaking of TUF 14 and disrespect, how about when Team Bisping openly mocked and cursed out Team Mayhem’s Bryan Caraway at the weigh-in before Caraway’s second fight on the show? Or when Team Bisping’s Akira Corassani taunted his opponent, Dustin Neace, after their quarterfinal fight?
I could go on and on about disrespectful antics in the sport, but the point I’m trying to make is that just like every other business in the world, values are tossed to the wayside in favor of ratings and money.
Longtime professional fighter Mark “Fightshark” Miller presented a great point to me the other day on Twitter about this very same topic.
“It’s a name [that was] given to [the sport] long ago…when was it ever about martial arts, Mitch? It’s fighting for public consumption,” Miller said.
“I have been practicing martial arts for over 30 years, and I can accept the difference. Fighters like [Lyoto] Machida make me very happy, but at the end of the day, most modern MMA fighters and probably zero promoters have traditional martial arts training.”
It’s a very accurate point on Miller’s part. Most of the individuals working in the MMA industry today did not grow up studying traditional martial arts.
They don’t represent the core values because they never received that mental training and, therefore, they do not understand.
To them, the sport is all about the violence and the paycheck. That’s fine, but that is not what martial arts is all about, and it is a disgrace to its heritage to promote it as such.
MMA is a great sport but, other than the techniques, it has nothing to do with martial arts. The name of the sport may as well be changed to Ultimate Fighting, which is what most casual fans think the sport is called as it is.
Most MMA fighters will tell you that they aren’t martial artists—they are fighters. They don’t care about honoring the lineage of the traditional martial arts. Whether they will admit it or not, they fight for the fame and fortune.
Athletes such as Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva are an exception to this, though, as they both embrace their traditional heritage. Silva and St. Pierre are vastly considered the best fighters in the entire world, and it is no coincidence.
Combining modern day MMA techniques with traditional martial arts values is the recipe to build a world champion.
It’s not about bowing or meditating or karate chopping blocks of ice. It’s about how you carry yourself, in and out of the cage.
Honoring the values of a traditional martial artist is what will essentially set apart a good fighter from a great warrior.
Unfortunately, the sport is flooded with far too many good fighters and not enough great warriors.
Mitch Ciccarelli is the sexiest featured columnist on B/R MMA and a United States Airman. Follow Ciccarelli on Twitter @mitchciccarelli
Leading up to his Lonsdale British middleweight title defense at BA