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MMA Fighter Charles Rowan Reportedly Faked His Own Death

Amateur heavyweight mixed martial artist Charles Rowan is reportedly alive after all, and is facing robbery, assault and attempted murder charges in the wake of a fake death plot, according to MLive.com’s Garret Ellison.One month after faking his own d…

One month after faking his own death, Rowan was arrested along with two others on Wednesday in connection with a gun shop robbery that took place Monday, March 18, according to the Gladwin County Record.

Rowan, his girlfriend Rosalinda Martinez and friend Michael Robert Bowman were in a Michigan district court room on Friday to hear charges against them.

The trio are charged with the attempted robbery of the Guns and Stuff store in Sage Township and assault on the store owner, Richard Robinette, who was badly beaten with a hammer and suffered head injuries. The victim is reportedly in stable condition at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Mich.

The culprits have officially been charged with armed robbery, felony firearms, conspiracy to commit robbery and assault with intent to murder.

Rowan, 25, was set to fight on Feb. 2, but girlfriend Martinez, who was reportedly charged along with him in the attempted robbery, informed his promoters that he had been severely injured in a snowy car accident on the way to the fight, according to Ellison.

Two days later Martinez told Rowan’s promoters he had died.

One of Rowan’s promoters, Christos Piliafas still can’t believe it (via Ellison): “It’s a little bonkers, to be totally honest. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

The Feb. 2 bout at Streeters Night Club in Traverse City would have been Rowan’s fifth career MMA fight.

Piliafas, who runs the Caged Aggression fight series, and the other promoter, Scott DiPonio, who runs Traverse City-based Diamond D fight team, held a benefit for Rowan shortly after hearing of his supposed death and raised $1,300 for his funeral.

The two promoters are pressing charges against Rowan, Martinez and Bowman for felony fraud and larceny.

“If it wasn’t for the armed robbery, I’d probably still be sending them money,” said DiPonio.

The report also states that Rowan was charged with a third habitual-offender offense and is a registered sex offender. His bond has been set at $500,000.

The preliminary hearing for Rowan and the others is set for April 1, according to the Gladwin County Record.

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UFC 158: Georges St-Pierre’s Power Will Overwhelm Nick Diaz in Main Event

There may not be a more fitting nickname in the UFC today than ‘Rush.’UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre consistently puts on a takedown clinic when he steps into the Octagon, and Saturday night’s main event at UFC 158 in Montreal will be no d…

There may not be a more fitting nickname in the UFC today than ‘Rush.’

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre consistently puts on a takedown clinic when he steps into the Octagon, and Saturday night’s main event at UFC 158 in Montreal will be no different. There’s a lot to like about challenger Nick Diaz‘s game, but like the last 10 fighters St-Pierre has faced, Diaz is sure to be overwhelmed by Rush’s power.

It’s no secret that St-Pierre’s style isn’t the most fun to watch, but it is successful. The 31-year-old is undefeated in his last 10 fights and has won his last five via unanimous decision.

Expect Saturday’s main event to go the distance as well.

While half of Diaz‘s 26 career wins have come via knockout, six of his eight losses have come via decision. So while Diaz can end a fight with a single strike, he’s not the fighter to bet on in a matchup against the best grinder in the sport.

From the opening horn, fans can expect St-Pierre to utilize his incredible lower body strength to take Diaz to the mat, where knockouts are impossible and submissions unlikely against a fighter of St-Pierre’s caliber.

Call it defensive, call it boring, but it’s certainly an intelligent game plan that plays to St-Pierre’s strengths.

His superior power is what Carlos Condit was unable to overcome last November at UFC 154, and it’s bound to be what overwhelms Diaz this weekend.

In addition to his strength, you would be hard-pressed to find a mixed martial artist as fit and conditioned as St-Pierre. Not only can he survive all 25 minutes, but he’s built to go five rounds. St-Pierre arguably gets better as the fight wears on, and his power and takedown ability rarely, if ever, fade.

Plus, St-Pierre has the added advantage of fighting in his hometown of Montreal on Saturday. If the adrenaline isn’t enough to lead him to an 11th consecutive victory, than surely the buzz of a sea of supporters will be.

Sure, Nick Diaz will come out energized looking to prove a point coming off his loss to Condit over a year ago, but he’ll have zero answers for St-Pierre’s overwhelming power.

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Ronda Rousey Set to Make Short Work of Liz Carmouche at UFC 157

The concept of a second round is a foreign one to UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.After all, the 26-year-old superstar hasn’t needed more than five minutes to emerge victorious in any of her first six professional fights. That’s why fans…

The concept of a second round is a foreign one to UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

After all, the 26-year-old superstar hasn’t needed more than five minutes to emerge victorious in any of her first six professional fights. That’s why fans can expect more of the same from Rousey in her UFC debut at UFC 157 on Saturday night.

Look for Rousey to not only win in Anaheim, Calif., but do so quickly.

Don’t get me wrong, Liz Carmouche is no slouch. She’s won her last two fights after dropping two in a row in 2011 (including her first title shot vs. Marloes Coenen). With that being said, there is little reason to expect Carmouche to survive the first round against the armbar queen.

Rousey, the top pound-for-pound women’s fighter on the planet, is an Olympic medalist in judo and one of the most lethal female fighters in mixed martial arts. She possesses the ability to end a fight in the blink of an eye with her patented armbar.

Even when her opponent knows it’s coming.

Carmouche, who is three years older than Rousey, boasts impressive knockout power. Five of her eight wins have come via knockout. She is much less likely to pull off a successful submission, which doesn’t bode well against Rousey, who is more likely to take the fight to the mat rather than keep it standing.

Rousey hasn’t become the face of women’s mixed martial arts by happenstance. Her dominance over the past 23 months has taken the sport by storm, and points to her as the favorite this weekend.

Based on what we’ve seen from both fighters in recent years, Saturday’s UFC 157 main event can only end one way—with Rousey retaining her championship via another awe-inspiring first-round ambar submission.

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Dos Santos vs. Velasquez: What to Expect from Each Fighter in Potential Rematch

Cain Velasquez left not even a shred of doubt at UFC 155 on Saturday night when he manhandled Junior dos Santos for five rounds and 25 minutes en route to the UFC Heavyweight Championship.Velasquez won a unanimous decision over dos Santos (50-45, 50-44…

Cain Velasquez left not even a shred of doubt at UFC 155 on Saturday night when he manhandled Junior dos Santos for five rounds and 25 minutes en route to the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Velasquez won a unanimous decision over dos Santos (50-45, 50-44, 50-43), evening the rivalry at one victory apiece.

With a third fight seemingly inevitable, considering the two men are arguably the best the division has to offer right now, let’s take an early look at Velasquez-Dos Santos III, and break down what fans can expect if the champ and the challenger meet again inside the Octagon.

Cain Velasquez

The heavyweight champion proved he is worthy of holding the belt on Saturday night, setting the tone from the opening horn, and going on to absolutely dominate his Brazilian foe.

Although fans should expect to see the same inspired Velasquez in a third go-around with dos Santos, know that he won’t have the advantage of fighting from the underdog-like challenger role like he did at UFC 155. Still, his takedown power is tremendous and I’d give him the obvious advantage in another lengthy clash with dos Santos.

Velasquez has the athleticism and endurance to maintain an aggressive pace for as long as the fight lasts, and that asset makes him the most lethal heavyweight on the planet, hands down.

With Velasquez motivated to successfully defend his title belt the second time around, the 30-year-old would be every bit as fired up as he was Saturday night in Vegas.

Let’s put it this way: In a rematch, I like Velasquez again.

Junior dos Santos

Like Velasquez at UFC 155, fans should anticipate a more aggressive Junior dos Santos. The Brazilian came out flat on Saturday night, and it cost him. Velasquez was able to seize the momentum early and by the second round, the beating dos Santos had taken during the first round had his legs ready to collapse from under him.

Expect to see a fiery Cigano, a fighter similar to the one we saw in the first fight in November 2011.

In my eyes, dos Santos would have to soar out of the gates once again and earn a quick knockout in order to survive Velasquez. I don’t like his chances going up against the champion over the course of five rounds.

His odds increase of course if he can keep the fight standing, but I’m not sure he can do that. Therefore, look for Junior dos Santos to come out swinging and with better pace (much like what we saw against Velasquez the first time), aiming to knockout his rival for a second time for the title.

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UFC 155 Fight Card: Top MMA Fighters to Watch for on Saturday Night

There’s a strong likelihood that Saturday night’s main event at UFC 155 in Las Vegas will end in stunning fashion, with first-round fireworks from Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez stealing the show in Sin City.Each fighter has tremendous knockout p…

Each fighter has tremendous knockout prowess and plenty to fight for. With a championship belt, bragging rights and much more on the line this December, who knows what’s in store?

But even though Saturday’s UFC heavyweight title rematch is the most promising clash of all, there are other fighters we’ll be keeping an eye on at UFC 155.

Let’s take a closer look at the top main card fighters to watch for this weekend.

Chris Leben

With a nickname like “The Crippler,” what’s not to love about Chris Leben. The UFC veteran will square off against Derek Brunson, filling in for an injured Karlos Vemola, on Saturday night.

Leben is one of the tougher fighters in the sport today and rarely withers away after taking a shot. Some would even argue he is of the rare breed of fighters who actually improve with punishment. Of course, Leben’s entertaining style doesn’t always translate into success. He’s lost two of his last three fights coming into UFC 155 and needs a decisive victory on Saturday night to stop the bleeding.

A dozen of Leben’s 22 wins have come via knockout, and none of his last five fights have gone to a decision.

That’s all you need to know for this weekend.

Tim Boetsch

Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch is surging in the UFC middleweight division right now, coming into Saturday’s fight with Constantinos Philippou on a four-fight winning streak.

But Boetsch’s wins haven’t come easy, not at all. All four made it to the third and final round, with only one fight not requiring a judges’ decision. Still, Boetsch hasn’t come up short in the Octagon in more than two years now and is emerging as a fan favorite.

It’s certainly not difficult to see why people love Boetsch’s style. He’s a gutsier fighter who doesn’t rely on pure talent and ability, but instead, outworks his opponent for the duration of the fight.

With the winner of Boetsch-Philippou potentially earning a shot at Anderson Silva next, expect the Barbarian to be at his very best on Saturday.

Cain Velasquez

All eyes will be on UFC heavyweight challenger Cain Velasquez on Saturday night. It’s been more than a year since he was taken out by Junior dos Santos just 64 seconds into the first round of their championship fight.

After a first-round TKO of Antonio “Big Foot” Silva last May, eight of Velasquez’s 11 career fights have failed to make it past the first round.

With Velasquez, fans are sure to see supreme punching power and knockout ability. The only bad news for the former heavyweight champ is that his opponent on Saturday night, dos Santos is every bit as lethal as Velasquez in the stand-up game.

But, Velasquez will be looking to not only reclaim his title belt but dish out some serious payback after being embarrassed on national television 13 months ago.

UFC 155 Fight Card

Main Card

Heavyweight Championship: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez

Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon

Tim Boetsch vs. Constantinos Philippou

Yushin Okami vs. Alan Belcher

Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson

Preliminary Card

Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland

Erik Perez vs. Byron Bloodworth

Melvin Guillard vs. Jamie Varner

Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury

Phil de Fries vs. Todd Duffee

Chris Cariaso vs. John Moraga

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UFC 153: Anderson Silva’s Win over Stephan Bonnar Proves Spider Has No Equal

Anderson Silva has proven time and time again that he can beat the best even on a bad day. Whether he is buried in the mat or pinned against the cage like on Saturday night at UFC 153 against Stephan Bonnar, Silva is always just one strike away fr…

Anderson Silva has proven time and time again that he can beat the best even on a bad day.

Whether he is buried in the mat or pinned against the cage like on Saturday night at UFC 153 against Stephan Bonnar, Silva is always just one strike away from victory, as we witnessed on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro.

It’s safe to say the Spider has no equal.

Silva won his 16th straight UFC fight at UFC 153, extending his record for most consecutive wins and moving to 33-4 for his professional career. His most recent win was slightly more impressive than previous victories, however.

Silva put himself in a vulnerable position up against the fence vs. Bonnar, but he ultimately embarrassed the 35-year-old light heavyweight challenger, connecting on a brutal knee to the chest and winning at the 4:40 mark of the first round via TKO.

In case you missed the performance there’s this from ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto:

At one point, with his corner yelling at him to change strategy, the Brazilian calmly put up his hands in a gesture to show he was in control.

That just about sums up Silva’s dominance in the sport. Whenever he seems out of it, he’s in complete control.

There are simply no limits to the Spider’s game. He wins at middleweight, and he wins at light heavyweight. The only relevant question is whether he’s going to embarrass his opponent in the process of extending his record.

Silva has won 16 UFC fights since June 2006, and only two required a judges’ decision. Saturday night’s win was the seventh time in less than seven years that Silva has finished off his opponent in the first round. No one else can touch Silva’s reign of dominance in mixed martial arts.

Until the 37-year-old suffers his first UFC loss, we can only come to one conclusion: Anderson Silva has no equal. Everyone who has come before him has either been left disappointed, knocked out or embarrassed.

Perhaps the next Spider is out there. But for now, all we can do is wait.

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