Memorial Day weekend just got a little bigger.
Revitalized bruiser Mark Hunt and Dutch knockout artist Stefan Struve have agreed to meet at UFC 146, slated for May 26, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. UFC of…
Memorial Day weekend just got a little bigger.
Revitalized bruiser Mark Hunt and Dutch knockout artist Stefan Struve have agreed to meet at UFC 146, slated for May 26, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. UFC officials confirmed the match-up on Wednesday morning, which was first reported by Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole.
Hunt (8-7) returns with his first win streak since 2006 in tow, after blazing through upset victories over Chris Tuchscherer, Ben Rothwell and Cheick Kongo. The 37-year-old New Zealander, who was initially given a UFC fight due to an unresolved contract situation, now surprisingly finds himself perched on the ledge of contendership, and could conceivably enter the title picture with another win.
Struve (23-5), meanwhile, has carved out his place in the UFC’s heavyweight division while tasting victory in seven of his last nine contests, six of which ended by way of finish. At just 24 years old, “Skyscraper” appears to be hitting his stride and enters the UFC 146 match-up sporting a two-fight win streak over Pat Barry and Dave Herman.
So Rampage Jackson complained for a few weeks then got both his wishes granted — a fight against Shogun and a release from the UFC. Good for him, I guess.
Realistically, it seems like there’s only one of a few ways this situat…
So Rampage Jackson complained for a few weeks then got both his wishes granted — a fight against Shogun and a release from the UFC. Good for him, I guess.
Realistically, it seems like there’s only one of a few ways this situation can go. 1) Rampage gets smashed by Shogun, then leaves the UFC to hit the Bellator/DREAM/M-1/ONE FC circuit, which would be weird. Or, 2) A motivated Rampage, aided by TRT, trains harder then he has in years and either — A) fights an absolute war with Shogun, or, B) evokes the spirit of ’07 and knocks Shogun the hell out.
The thing is, if either one of those last two options happen, could you really see the UFC just giving up the golden gift of a revitalized Rampage Jackson to a competitor? There’s absolutely no way that happens, right? Rampage is (self-admittedly) an emotional guy, and Zuffa is perhaps the most business savvy promotion in MMA. So is this really the end of Rampage in the UFC? Who knows, but it’s probably more up in the air then we’d imagine.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Rampage Jackson to fight Shogun Rua in farewell fight. Rampage Jackson is slated to fight Shogun Rua in a rematch of their PRIDE Total Elimination 2005 brawl, before he can be granted his UFC release. A timetable for the match has yet to be announced.
The fighter who stayed too long. Ben Fowlkes recounts the tragic tale of Gary Goodridge, who after a lifetime of battles in the ring, now finds himself struggling with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
UFC taking action against individuals who illegally stream events. If you’ve illegally streamed a recent UFC event, there’s a good chance Zuffa has your information and will be looking to take legal action against you.
Anthony Pettis considering a drop to featherweight. “Showtime” would reportedly be open to a drop to 145-pounds if it meant an instant title shot against UFC champ Jose Aldo.
M-1 champ Vinny Magalhaes declares free agency. Magalhaes,a former TUF’er and M-1’s reigning light heavyweight champion, has hit the free market after a fierce, prolonged squabble with the Russian promotion.
COUNTDOWN TO A SLIMMER ROY NELSON
Started (on March 4th): 32,000 likes. Yesterday’s mark: 101,692 likes. As of this writing: 101,780 likes. Goal (by March 18th): 132,000 likes.
Let’s face it, we’ve pretty much failed Roy Nelson.
MEDIA STEW
It seems like a lifetime since the last Dana White video blog, but now they’re back and better than ever. Check out the latest edition to see Rampage’s post-loss reaction, one very sharp championship belt, and an incredulous White discovering the Australian commission’s inability to do second-grade addition.
Whether by way of selective editing or just freakish healing abilities, Georges St. Pierre looks pretty recovered in his latest ‘Road to Recovery’ video blog.
Nick Diaz may be retired from MMA for now, but he’s well on his way to ninjahood. Just check out his marvelous fruit-chopping sword skills. YouTube comment: “Cecil Peoples scored that round 10-8 in favor of the fruit.” (HT: Middle Easy)
Take a look at the new award-winning, MMA documentary Fightville, starring UFC featherweight contender Dustin Poirier and heavyweight brawler Tim Hague. The film hits theaters April, 20, 2012.
RAMPAGE LOVES HIM SOME TRT
“@KidR0cky: @Rampage4real I support your decision man..What are your plans after your done fighting?” Now with the TRT I got 10 more years!
Friday nights tend to be quite the busy time period for pretty much any average American, but not for us hard-core MMA fans. So if you’re sitting down to watch some Bellator action this Friday, then I recommend checking out the under-card on Spike.com UFC quality under-card it is not, but there are still plenty of intriguing aspects about it that justify spending an hour or two of your life watching it. Here are five reasons why you should check out the prelims of Bellator LXI this Friday.
1. Jeremiah Riggs
If you’re a pro wrestling fan then this name sounds familiar. Riggs competed on WWE’s Tough Enough reality show, WWE’s version of The Ultimate Fighter. He made it to the top three but was eliminated due to his lack of experience. Tough Enough wasn’t his only reality TV stint, he also was eliminated in the elimination rounds of TUF Season 7 and appeared on VH1’s Daisy of Love. Riggs has entertaining personality and was a stand-out on Tough Enough.
While Riggs has plenty of natural charisma, he still has serious deficiencies in his MMA game. Don’t get me wrong, he’s no Bob Sapp. He could very well be a Bellator main-stay, but the chances of him being a top middleweight are slim unless he continues to refine his raw MMA game. Riggs also understands the idea of being entertaining, and I would be shocked if his fight against Trey Houston wasn’t a fun one to watch.
Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit us on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s post.
Candor is a rare currency in professional sports. With the rise of the social media machine, honesty and personality are often considered taboo. In their place, athletes are taught to give little more than canned answers straig…
Candor is a rare currency in professional sports. With the rise of the social media machine, honesty and personality are often considered taboo. In their place, athletes are taught to give little more than canned answers straight from the mouth of P.R. engines, and who can blame them when one slip-up has the potential to explode in an instant?
Rarely do you see an interviewee as heartbreakingly forthright as Chris Leben was on Monday. As he poured out his mortality on The MMA Hour, accepting full responsibility for his ongoing battle with substance abuse, Leben ceased being “The Crippler” and instead reverted back to Chris, a simple 31-year-old man struggling with the pressures and anxieties of real life.
It’s easy to become jaded with sports, but interviews like his help remind us that there is a very real human element to all of this that is too often forgotten. So if you haven’t heard it already, do yourself a favor and check out Leben’s words.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
The MMA Hour is back. Ariel Helwani and The MMA Hour return with a packed show featuring Chris Leben, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, Pat Curran, Miesha Tate, Matt Mitrione and Marlos Coenen.
Chris Leben talks rehab. Leben, for the first time since receiving his UFC suspension, candidly discussed painkiller and alcohol addition, and the rehab that has him fighting for his life.
TUF: Brazil cast list revealed. Sixteen middleweights and sixteen featherweights have been announced as the opening field for the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.
Anthony Johnson signs with Titan Fighting Championships. Johnson spoke publicly for the first time since his unceremonious release from the UFC, revealing plans to fight at 185 pounds for Titan Fighting Championships on May 25.
Dana White says UFC may move away from PPV. White opened the door for the UFC to possibly transition away from the pay-per-view business model in the future.
COUNTDOWN TO A SLIMMER ROY NELSON
Started (on March 4th): 32,000 likes. Yesterday’s mark: 101,500 likes. As of this writing: 101,692 likes. Goal (by March 18th): 132,000 likes.
So it looks like Roy Nelson won’t be losing this bet after all.
MEDIA STEW
* Basketball fan’s dream: Play some one-on-one with Kobe Bryant.
* Football fan’s dream: Catch a pass from Aaron Rodgers.
* MMA fan’s dream: Uh… spar with the most dangerous featherweight on the planet? Not quite the same ring to it, I’ll admit, but this (un)lucky fan took his half-hearted Aldo beating like a man. (HT: Middle Easy)
Daron Cruickshank may have caught some eyes when he flashily defeated Drew Dober to earn his way into the TUF 15 house, but it all started with this tryout video.
After last weekend’s latest round of ‘What Will Bob Sapp Tap To?’, it seems strangely necessary to remind everyone this exists.
Now that the cast list for TUF: Brazil has been announced, check out this early promo from Globo TV.
Ever wonder what Bruce Buffer’s notes look like? Click the image for mega-size. (HT: Reddit)
RAMPAGE JACKSON IS UNSTOPPABLE RIGHT NOW
The @ufc knew I was hurt,n almost everyfight I was hurt n,but instead of saying thanks 4 not pulling out,they talk shit about a poor job….
With no major UFC or Strikeforce event on the cards for a couple of weeks, those of us who are uninterested in The Ultimate Fighter will have to find other ways to entertain ourselves. One of my personal favorite activities at a time like this is to dust off the videos of legendary Ukrainian mixed martial artist, Igor Vovchanchyn. Igor’s power was paralyzing, his style inspired tension until the match’s conclusion, and his ability to leave bigger men in crumpled heaps gave birth to fear and admiration in equal measure.
One of the most fascinating features of Igor Vovchanchyn’s life is that he was essentially a kickboxer when he entered mixed martial arts. Despite this being thought at the time to be a handicap, Igor went on an unparallaled winning streak against bigger, stronger, wrestlers and grapplers – becoming the single consistent exception to the “grappler beats striker” rule of early MMA.
Vovchanchyn is always given the credit he deserves as a terrifying power puncher, but he is rarely celebrated, as he should be, for his technical ability. Many observers simply see the wide swings and assume that Igor was a barn-burning brawler and no more. But brawlers had never had results knocking out grapplers – striking wide was an invitation for a clinch or takedown. Limited in the number of punches or combinations he threw, Igor had means of dragging grapplers into exchanges wherein he could knock them out nonethless. In this series we shall examine a few of Vovchanchyn’s slickest tricks.
Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit us on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s post.
No fighter plans on becoming a fixture on someone else’s highlight reel, especially in the smoldering fog of a grudge match.
So when former Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate found herself befalling the same fate as seven other w…
No fighter plans on becoming a fixture on someone else’s highlight reel, especially in the smoldering fog of a grudge match.
So when former Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate found herself befalling the same fate as seven other women before her, trapped underneath Ronda Rousey with her arm dangerously close to snapping in two, the thought of tapping seemed somewhat ludicrous. Only when there was no other option did finally she relent, handing Rousey the victory and the belt.
Still, Tate’s mangled limb was undoubtably a shocking image for viewers witnessing from home — the footage is so grisly, weeks later her family members refuse to watch it — but would Tate have called it quits sooner if it was anyone else on the planet wrenching her arm from its socket?
“It’s possible,” Tate admitted on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour. “Obviously I knew (the risk) going into that. It didn’t catch me by surprise. A lot of people say, like Bryan (Caraway), ‘you’re crazy. How did you not tap to that?’ I think because I was prepared for that mentally. Not that I was ever planning on being there, but I knew that if I got into that position, I just knew it was a realistic possibility, and so I was prepared.
“I felt my arm go in, and I was like, ‘you know, I don’t want to tap.’ And I didn’t. So I felt my hand touch the back of her thigh and I knew everything was really bad. I just didn’t know at that point. I didn’t feel there was a way out of it. I had idea how much longer there was on the clock and it just felt like things were getting worse and worse. And I was like, ‘I just don’t know how much of this my arm can take.’ I think that’s when common sense started to settle in, rather than pure stubbornness.”
Tate was lucky to have come to that realization when she did. The extent of the damage done to her is arm is still in question, but despite the gruesomeness of the contortion, x-rays have shown there to be no broken bones. Tate is currently waiting on MRI results to determine if surgery is required, but she did say she was “pretty sure” she has torn ligament towards the inner side of her elbow. Though if you saw her walking around, beside some slight swelling and bruising, it’d be hard to tell the difference.
As for the question of if she would handle the finish differently in hindsight, Tate was noncommittal. However, the former champion made it exceptionally clear that she wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice if given the chance.
“I, personally, would love the opportunity to have a rematch,” Tate protested. “I think at a high level, it takes one mistake. Anyone can make a mistake at any moment and someone’s able to capitalize on that.
“I don’t feel that Ronda proved anything other than what she’s already (proved) — that she has one thing that she’s great at. Really phenomenal at. But everything else, I could beat her. Give me another shot. I think it was competitive. I think for the most part I was probably winning. And I think at a competitive high level, one day one person could beat the one person, and the other day the other person would beat the other person.”
While the bad blood between both women clearly still lingers in the air, Tate did offer a salute of respect to her rival, acknowledging that what Rousey had done in a short amount of time was relatively remarkable. Surprisingly, Tate also picked Rousey to defeat Sarah Kaufman in her upcoming title defense, explaining that Kaufman’s style plays right in Rousey’s strengths.
Ultimately, however, Tate understands that despite their differences, both she and Rousey are in the same boat, fighting the frustrating uphill battle to gain respect for women’s MMA. And in that regard, with reports of 506,000 viewers tuning in to watch the most heavily-hyped women’s match since 2009, Tate believes they succeeded.
“I wanted to go out there and I wanted to make a very bold statement,” she concluded. “I’m not just a cute girl. I’m not here to be cute for the camera. I wanted to show that women’s MMA is legit. We come out there and we fight very, very hard.
“We can definitely carry the main event. We can definitely draw the numbers. We can definitely entertain, and we’re also really skilled. And I think that, in the big picture, we accomplished that.”
Gene LeBell is enjoying himself these days.
Long known as the “toughest guy around,” LeBell has witnessed a transformation that once seemed impossible, and after a lifetime dedicated to the martial arts, he can’t help but marve…
Gene LeBell is enjoying himself these days.
Long known as the “toughest guy around,” LeBell has witnessed a transformation that once seemed impossible, and after a lifetime dedicated to the martial arts, he can’t help but marvel at the world he now sees around him.
Back in December of 1963, LeBell, then a 31-year-old world champion judoka, faced off against former top-five middleweight boxer Milo Savage in what is now known as history’s first televised mixed martial arts match. It took just four rounds for Savage to be choked unconscious.
He may have understood the magnitude of his accomplishments that fateful night, but LeBell had no grasp of the implications it would have on fight sport history. Almost fifty years later, aspects of his legacy remain unavoidable fixtures of the world’s fastest growing sport.
But ask LeBell today, and the conversation inevitably turns back to his favorite topic, his old student and women’s MMA’s brightest star, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey.
“I’m excited. I feel like just jumping off a building,” LeBell gushed on The MMA Hour. “I knew Ronda before she was born and I’m very close to her mother. It’s a family thing. I’m Uncle Gene. She’s the best and you always want the best for the best.”
In his younger days LeBell trained often with Rousey’s mother Ann Maria, herself a Judo champion in 1984, and as he attests, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
“You meet her and you fall in love,” LeBell raved. “A lot of people say ‘geez Ronda is the prettiest woman in the whole world. I’d like to date her, I’d like to marry her.’ Well, I’ll tell you something, she’ll go out with anybody, any man that can beat her. She’s a 25-year-old virgin because nobody can beat her. I mean, she just beats the living hell out of me, but she does that because she’s sadistic like her Uncle Gene.”
As he jumps in and out of third person, that old pro wrestler bubbling to the surface, LeBell seems like your run-of-the-mill cantankerous, but harmless grandpa. But the title of toughest guy around isn’t just handed out willy-nilly.
In truth, LeBell’s past exploits were the stuff of legends. From besting Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee in his trademark pink gi, to refereeing Antonio Inoki’s famed match against boxing legend Muhammad Ali — “Ali should have thrown a lot more punches,” he cracks — Judo Gene has seen and done it all.
And if you’re willing to test that theory, just ask about the time he choked out Steven Seagal so hard, Sensei left with a case of dirty trousers.
“When we had a little altercation or difference of opinion, there were thirty stuntmen and cameramen that were watching,” LeBell recounted with a chuckle. “Sometimes Steven has a tendency to cheese off the wrong people, and you can get hurt doing that.
“So if a guy soils himself, you can’t criticize him, because if they just had a nice big dinner an hour before, you might have a tendency to do that.”
With his stockpile of equally charming anecdotes and an infectious enthusiasm for telling them, it’s easy to see how LeBell brims with youthful energy at the spry age of 79. So of course, now that the sport he debuted has hit the bigtime, LeBell remains a rabid supporter.
But ultimately, like many fans, he’s become disenchanted with MMA’s growing black eye.
“I have a beef with judging and refereeing,” LeBell groaned. “To me, I don’t think you should ever be able to referee or judge unless you have a physical background in that art. I’m a big fan of professional football, but I’m not qualified to be a judge.
“It should be mandatory for these judges that want to do MMA, go to Muay Thai schools, go to Judo schools, go to Greco-Roman schools, go to freestyle wrestling schools, Kenpo, Shotokan, Taekwondo, all those schools, and learn a little bit of everything. You want to know if a body slam hurts more than a left hook and how much damage can something get,” he finished.
“You have to be on the mat or in the ring to know the difference.”
If Saturday did indeed mark the end of Mirko Cro Cop’s iconic fighting career, it was only fitting he left with his hands stretched upward in victory one final time.
Cro Cop defeated fellow K-1 legend Ray Sefo via unanimous dec…
If Saturday did indeed mark the end of Mirko Cro Cop’s iconic fighting career, it was only fitting he left with his hands stretched upward in victory one final time.
Cro Cop defeated fellow K-1 legend Ray Sefo via unanimous decision at the main event of “Final Fight,” held at the Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia. The Croatian kickboxing and mixed martial arts legend, who had not competed inside his native country in over a decade, was received by thunderous applause throughout the night.
After retiring from MMA on the heels of three devastating knockout losses, many feared for Filipovic’s safety against the heavy-handed Sefo. The public hand-wringing proved unnecessary, however, as Cro Cop landed solidly with combinations at various stages of the opening frame and appeared unfazed by Sefo’s power shots.
Filipovic carried that confidence into the second, turning the tide with a steady parade of sharp uppercuts and clinch strikes. Though action ultimately slowed in the final round, and the referee was repeatedly forced to intervene and separate the two fading fighters.
Following the decision, Cro Cop took center stage and bid farewell to the emotional crowd. Afterward, Sefo paid his own respects on the mic.
“Mirko, I don’t even know why this guy wants to retire, because after his performance tonight he should keep fighting. I want everybody to understand that,” Sefo declared. “Mirko Cro Cop is the number-one fighter to ever have come out of Croatia. Not only is he a living legend in kickboxing and K-1, he’s a living legend in MMA. So you guys are very lucky to have such a great hero like him, and he’s very lucky to have great people like you guys.”
In the night’s co-main event, It’s Showtime world heavyweight champion Daniel Ghita pulverized Sergei Laschenko’s lower torso for much of the opening two frames, before finding his mark with a monstrous head kick midway through the third round. Laschenko quickly darted back to his feet, but with two knockdowns already in the books, the referee stepped in to call the fight, declaring Ghita the winner via TKO.
Full “Final Fight” results can be seen below.
Mirko Cro Cop def. Ray Sefo via unanimous decision Daniel Ghita def. Sergei Laschenko via TKO (Head Kick) in Round 3 Igor Jurkovic def. Freddy Kemayo via majority decision Mladen Brestovac def. Mourad Bouzidi via TKO (Head Kick) in Round 1 Mladen Kujundzic def. Marin Dosen via decision Agron Preteni def. Guy Pacome Assi via majority decision Michael Duut def. Stefan Jelic via unanimous decision Sahak Parparyan def. Toni Milanovic via decision Miran Fabjan def. Ivan Posavec via unanimous decision
