Author: Mitchell Ciccarelli

UFC Fight Night 35: Focused on Rockhold, Philippou Still Wants Bisping

Around this time last year, Constantinos Philippou was on fire in the UFC’s middleweight division.
The Cypriot fighter entered 2013 on a five-fight winning streak and was fresh off an impressive TKO finish over top-ranked Tim Boetsch at UFC …

Around this time last year, Constantinos Philippou was on fire in the UFC’s middleweight division.

The Cypriot fighter entered 2013 on a five-fight winning streak and was fresh off an impressive TKO finish over top-ranked Tim Boetsch at UFC 155. By all indications, “Costas” looked like he was on the verge of entering the title hunt at 185 pounds.

Then he lost.

It was at UFC 165 in an extremely uneventful bout against TriStar Gym’s Francis Carmont. A striker by trade, Philippou was taken down early in the fight and struggled to keep Carmont from laying on top of him for 15 minutes.

In one night, Philippou lost his divisional momentum, but as we’ve grown accustomed to in this sport, sometimes a loss can help elevate a fighter to new levels. 

Next Wednesday night, at UFC Fight Night 35, Philippou battles former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold down south in Atlanta, Ga. The bout will serve as the night’s main event.

A win will surely put the Long Island native back on track as he looks to, once again, climb the rankings in 2014.

“This fight against Luke Rockhold is the biggest fight of my career. This is my first time headlining a show and I’m excited to go out there and put on a great performance,” Philippou told Alchemist Radio.

“My last fight was really boring so I have to make this one exciting just to prove to everybody that I am an exciting fighter.”

It’s strange to me to hear Philippou say he has to prove to people that he’s not boring. I mean, after all, he wasn’t the one causing the boo-birds to reign in during that bout. That was Carmont’s doing. All of Philippou’s performances up to that point, for the most part, were entertaining affairs.

At the end of the day, though, Philippou explained to us that he failed to get Carmont off of him. Styles make fights, and he believes, stylistically, he’s got a good one here against Rockhold.

But there’s also another matchup that Philippou has wanted for a long time. While he assured us that he is absolutely focused on Rockhold, Philippou still has his sights set on a future date with Michael Bisping.

“If I beat Rockhold, I want Michael Bisping next,” Philippou said.

“I think Bisping is a great fighter and stylistically we would have a very exciting fight. One thing at a time though, I’ve got Rockhold in front of me and I am absolutely not looking past him at all. Rockhold is my main focus right now. If I get my hand raised, then we can start talking about Bisping again.”

It’s no secret that “Costa” wants to step into the Octagon with the polarizing Brit. In fact, Philippou asked for the fight on many different occasions, but it never materialized.

Unlike every other fighter who calls out Bisping, Philippou doesn’t have a grudge against him. He doesn’t want to fight him because he dislikes him, like Tim Kennedy does. He wants that fight for one reason and one reason only: He thinks it would be a classic.

“I feel that I match up well with Bisping, and it will be a thriller. That’s why I want to fight him. I have a lot of respect for him and think he’s a great fighter,” Philippou said.

“Everybody else wants to fight him because they hate on the guy or whatever, but that’s not me. I don’t even know the guy. How can I hate somebody that I don’t even know?”

Click to listen the full interview from Alchemist Radio on Stitcher and iTunes.

Mitch Ciccarelli is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and co-host of Alchemist Radio. He is also a United States Airman. Follow him on Twitter @MitchCiccarelli and follow @AlchemistRadio.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

MMA Ring Girl Mireika Edwards: ‘I Want to Be the Next Kate Upton’

Meet Mireika Edwards: MMA’s girl next door.
This 21-year-old, Las Vegas bombshell begins 2014 on the fast track to becoming one of the most desirable babes in all of combat sports.
A Nevada State nursing student, Edwards is an international model…

Meet Mireika Edwards: MMA’s girl next door.

This 21-year-old, Las Vegas bombshell begins 2014 on the fast track to becoming one of the most desirable babes in all of combat sports.

A Nevada State nursing student, Edwards is an international model and a ring card girl for Tuff-N-Uff productions—the premier amateur MMA league in the United States.

Tuff-N-Uff has been in existence since 1994, and throughout the years the league has helped launch the careers of some of the most successful fighters to ever strap on a pair of 8 oz. gloves.

For Edwards, she has been a fight fan for as long as she can remember. So when an opportunity arose for the bodacious blonde to get involved in the MMA industry, she jumped all over it. The rest is history.

“I had just moved to Vegas about a year and a half ago and Tuff-N-Uff kept showing up on my Facebook timeline,” Edwards told Alchemist Radio.

“They were looking for ring girls so I decided to hit up [Tuff-N-Uff vice president] Jeff Meyer. We started talking and he gave me a shot. Ever since then, things have sky rocketed.”

At first, it was merely a way for Edwards to get a front-row look at the sport she loves.

She wasn’t aspiring to be the next Brittney Palmer or Arianny Celeste, but at the rate she’s going, Edwards will surpass them both in popularity within the next few years.

I realize that’s a bold statement to make, but if you ever get a chance to meet this girl, you would be in complete agreement with me. Not only is she drop-dead, sizzling-hot gorgeous, but she’s also an absolute sweetheart of a human being.

Her smile alone is enough to take over the world.

“This time last year, I was going to school and working full time. I’ve always just wanted to be a nurse. But when this ring girl thing happened, everything started to change. I was at the UFC Expo and that’s when I got approached by Playboy and Maxim,” Edwards said.

“It’s crazy because I never really wanted to model but all these opportunities are falling in front of me. My phone and email is constantly being blown up with modeling requests. It’s just weird how your path in life will take you in places you never thought you’d be.”

Indeed, she’s correct. Sometimes, we truly don’t know where we’re going in life until we get there. Joining the Tuff-N-Uff family has led her on a journey that could, potentially, take her all the way to the top.

Edwards knows this and she is beyond driven to get there.

“I do everything with one goal in mind, to be the best. I give everything 100% and that’s exactly what I’m going to do with my modeling career. As a ring girl, if I ever did get into the UFC, that would be a blessing but I love where I’m at right now with Tuff-N-Uff,” Edwards said.

“I want to be the next Kate Upton. I want to be all over the billboards, especially here in Las Vegas and in L.A. That would be a dream come true.”

 

Click to listen the full interview from Alchemist Radio on Stitcher and iTunes.

Mitch Ciccarelli is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and co-host of Alchemist Radio. He is also a United States Airman. Follow him on Twitter @MitchCiccarelli and follow @AlchemistRadio.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

GSP’s Coach Says Media Went Too Far with False Rumors About His Family

Last month, longtime UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre dropped a bombshell on the MMA universe: He’s had enough.
After nine consecutive title defenses and 21 total UFC fights, St-Pierre announced his retirement from the sport.
Whil…

Last month, longtime UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre dropped a bombshell on the MMA universe: He’s had enough.

After nine consecutive title defenses and 21 total UFC fights, St-Pierre announced his retirement from the sport.

While the door wasn’t completely shut on a potential return, GSP is no longer an active mixed martial arts fighter, for the time being at least.

The once-dominant champion cited personal problems as his reason for stepping down. It wasn’t a huge secret. Following a controversial decision victory over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167, St-Pierre told Joe Rogan that he needed to get his personal life in order.

That was all the mainstream media needed to hear to launch a full-out assault on St-Pierre’s privacy.

In November, infamous media outlet TMZ reported that St-Pierre was retiring because he impregnated a woman and that his father was dying.

According to St-Pierre’s close friend and coach, Firas Zahabi, this was when they crossed the line.

“I can take [the media harassment] and so can Georges, but they went a little too far when they started running after people in his family,” Zahabi told Alchemist Radio on Sunday night.

“That was crossing the line. They started a rumor that his dad is dying and all these ridiculous crazy things. That was pushing the envelope. They went way too far with it.”

St-Pierre denied both of TMZ’s allegations.

At the end of the day, we may never know what’s going on in St-Pierre’s personal life. And that’s completely fine. The man is entitled to some privacy, and whether he decides to return or not, that is ultimately his decision.

St-Pierre was arguably the biggest blockbuster superstar in the entire sport. The decision to hang up the gloves couldn’t have been an easy one, but Zahabi is glad that he did it.

The Tristar head coach has known St-Pierre almost longer than anybody else in MMA. He’s been with him throughout St-Pierre’s entire reign as champion, and before it.

Yes, he’s GSP’s trainer, but at the end of the day, Zahabi is St-Pierre’s friend and he only wants what’s best for him. Since stepping away from MMA, Zahabi believes that the former welterweight king is beginning to find his smile again.

“He’s doing fantastic. He’s found a happy medium between training and living his life. He’s only training once a day now, which is something he would never do before—he used to train twice a day at the very least,” Zahabi said.

“It became too much for him and now he’s taking it easy. I think his body needs the rest; he needs this time off.”

While a future return to the Octagon hasn’t been ruled out, Zahabi doesn’t think that St-Pierre has anything left to prove. He’s broken seemingly every record there is to break and has beaten a laundry list of contenders in the welterweight division.

But if St-Pierre does return, it won’t be for a while. His body needs time to recover.

“The body has its limitations. He’s spent more time in the Octagon than anyone else. He broke the record in his last fight. If you think about it, most of his fights were title fights, so that’s a lot of mileage,” Zahabi said.

“I mean, look at a guy like Anderson Silva; he could have retired two fights ago. At the end of the day, you either give your body a break or it forces you to take one.”

You can also listen to Alchemist Radio on Stitcher and iTunes.

 

Mitch Ciccarelli is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and co-host of Alchemist Radio. He is also a United States Airman. Follow him on Twitter @MitchCiccarelli and follow @AlchemistRadio

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Pavelich, Zahabi, Vallie-Flagg and Ring Girl Mireika Edwards on Alchemist Radio

Alchemist Radio is the fastest growing podcast in the sport of mixed martial arts. Launched in March 2013 by Alchemist Management owner MC Hammer, the show features some of the most groundbreaking interviews in the MMA world.
Hosted by Bleacher R…

Alchemist Radio is the fastest growing podcast in the sport of mixed martial arts. Launched in March 2013 by Alchemist Management owner MC Hammer, the show features some of the most groundbreaking interviews in the MMA world.

Hosted by Bleacher Report featured columnist Mitchell Ciccarelli and veteran MMA journalist Bryan Levick, Alchemist Radio airs every Wednesday night from 5-7 p.m. ET. This is where you need to get your weekly MMA fix!

This week, on a special Sunday night episode, Ciccarelli and Levick spoke with MFC president Mark Pavelich, TriStar head coach Firas Zahabi, UFC lightweight Isaac “Ike” Vallie-Flagg and Tuff N’ Uff ring girl Mireika Edwards! It was an action-packed episode with a lot of laughs and exciting interviews!

Tune in via this link (some language NSFW).

 

Key Notes

(13:28) Mark Pavelich

  • Broke down MFC 39 card.
  • Called bantamweight champion Anthony Birchak, “the franchise of the MFC.”
  • Said “MMA karma” catching up to Elvis Mutapcic.
  • Discussed plans for bringing the MFC to the United States in 2014.

 

(42:13) Firas Zahabi 

  • Talked about how Georges St-Pierre is doing since vacating his belt.
  • Said media went too far with rumors about St-Pierre’s family.
  • Picked Johny Hendricks to beat Robbie Lawler for the vacant WW title at UFC 171.
  • Discussed Rory MacDonald’s mentality heading into UFC 170 bout with Demian Maia.

 

(70:47) Ike Vallie-Flagg

  • Discussed UFC Fight Night 25 bout with Elias Silverio.
  • Talked about his father’s battle with cancer.
  • Said time away from the cage has made him technically sharper.
  • Called out teammate Travis Browne for a superfight in 2014.

 

(87:53) Mireika Edwards

  • Talked about how she got started being a ring girl for Tuff N’ Uff.
  • Said she was a MMA fan long before working in the industry.
  • Discussed how much she enjoys being a part of the Tuff N’ Uff family.
  • Broke down her most memorable Tuff N’ Uff fight.

 

Follow us on Twitter: @AlchemistRadio, @MitchCiccarelli and @BryanLevickMMA

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

How Champion Chris Weidman Matches Up with the Rest of the Middleweight Division

As difficult as it may be for some to admit, Chris Weidman is the UFC middleweight champion. He beat Anderson Silva twice. Back-to-back.
Silva, the consensus greatest fighter of all time. The man who was deemed unbeatable for the better part of six yea…

As difficult as it may be for some to admit, Chris Weidman is the UFC middleweight champion. He beat Anderson Silva twice. Back-to-back.

Silva, the consensus greatest fighter of all time. The man who was deemed unbeatable for the better part of six years by some of the sport’s most respected pundits. The indestructible dynamo that slaughtered some of the toughest men to ever step foot in the Octagon—including the likes of Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen.

Weidman beat him. Twice.

You can fabricate every excuse in the book, but it doesn’t change the fact that there’s a new king at 185 lbs, and from the looks of it, he’s holding onto that belt for a while.

We know that Belfort is next in Weidman’s crosshairs, but can “The Phenom” do what Silva couldn’t? Or is Weidman destined to reign over the middleweight kingdom for years on end like his predecessor?

Let’s take a look at how the UFC’s “All-American” champ matches up to the rest of the contenders at middleweight.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 170: Why Sara McMann Is Ronda Rousey’s Worst Nightmare Come True

Love her or hate her, Ronda Rousey is the biggest star in mixed martial arts today. Period. Point blank.
The UFC women’s bantamweight champion stormed into the Octagon last Saturday night—with a mean mug that would make even the largest gr…

Love her or hate her, Ronda Rousey is the biggest star in mixed martial arts today. Period. Point blank.

The UFC women’s bantamweight champion stormed into the Octagon last Saturday night—with a mean mug that would make even the largest grizzly bear soil itself, determined to destroy Miesha Tate. She did just that.

Tate put up a valiant effort, pushing Rousey past the opening round for the first time in her career and refusing to surrender until the third round. The former Strikeforce champion threw everything but the kitchen sink at her blond nemesis.

But as good as Tate is, Rousey is simply better. No matter how hard Tate trains and how much she evolves as a fighter, Rousey will always be superior. That’s just the harsh reality.

After witnessing Rousey finish yet another opponent with an armbar, I started to question whether anyone in the women’s bantamweight division can step up to this seemingly indestructible juggernaut.

Surely, if Cris “Cyborg” Justino were in the UFC, she’d mop the floor with Rousey, but we all know that fight isn’t happening anytime soon—if ever, for that matter, so there’s no point in harping on it.

Contenders like Cat Zingano and Alexis Davis certainly pose threats, but in all likelihood, Rousey will hang their arms up on her mantle as well.

That’s just the nature of the beast. Perhaps, there is nobody on the UFC’s roster right now who can hold a candle to the Olympian.

Wait a minute. Wait… a minute. Aren’t we forgetting somebody?

Rousey isn’t the only Olympic-level athlete in the division. There is another, and, unfortunately for the defending champion, that certain somebody is coming to take her belt at UFC 170.

Her name is Sara McMann, and she’s Rousey’s worst nightmare.

I realize that’s a bold statement, and I will probably come under heavy fire for saying it, but hear me out for a second.

As great as Rousey looked in her last bout, Tate still made it a fight. Wrestling with Rousey probably wasn’t the most intelligent game plan on Tate’s part, but she may have exposed a very tiny chink in Rousey’s armor with her efforts—a chink only a world-class wrestler such as McMann can capitalize on.

A silver medalist in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, McMann’s wrestling is eons ahead of her competition. In all of her MMA fights, she had the luxury of knowing she could take her opponents anywhere she wanted.

If she wanted to take it to the ground, she did it in a heartbeat. If she wanted to completely negate her enemy’s ground game altogether, she did that as well. Case in point: her Invicta FC bout with Shayna Baszler. The ball has always been in McMann’s court, and it should be no different against Rousey.

I’m not saying it will be impossible for Rousey to bring McMann to the floor. Everybody knows how strong Rousey is. I mean, she could probably toss an elephant to the ground if she wanted to.

I’m not trying to discredit the effectiveness of her judo throws at all. I’m just saying it’s going to be a lot harder to pull them off against McMann.

So, let’s just say this fight ends up being a standup battle. Rousey’s boxing has improved leaps and bounds. We saw glimpses of it in her bout with Tate, so there’s a good chance she could hurt McMann on the feet, but there is an even greater chance just the opposite will happen.

McMann might not be the most technical striker, but she packs a wallop in her punches. Now, I’m not going to sit here and try to oversell her power, because that would be silly. McMann has never knocked out anyone on her feet, but she has shown signs of hidden knockout power in previous bouts.

In a standup war with Rousey, she might get hit a lot, but she should be able to land the more significant strikes and, potentially, put her to sleep.

But there’s also the chance that McMann doesn’t want to stand with her. She might actually want to put Rousey on her back, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, that’s usually where Rousey wants to be, but not against someone with such an overwhelming top game.

If this is McMann’s strategy, I expect her to be patient on top and control Rousey’s hips. She won’t throw any reckless ground-and-pound, because that will create openings for Rousey to apply the armbar.

McMann doesn’t have the world’s best submission defense, but her control on the ground is in a league of its own, and that will be the key to beating Rousey.

I realize this is all wishful thinking, but in this battle of Olympians, I have to favor the wrestler. Stylistically speaking, McMann is the worst possible matchup for Rousey besides the aforementioned “Cyborg.” You can throw anyone else in front of Rousey and she will win, but she won’t prevail this time. Not now.

With Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre both out of the picture in 2014, all signs point to Rousey as being the new PPV queen for the UFC. But her time is running out. In seven weeks, a new champion will be crowned, and there will be a new face of women’s MMA.

Sara McMann might not be the champion that you want, but she’s the one you need.

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