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UFC Middleweight Michael Bisping and I discuss his fight against Demian Maia at UFC on Fox 2, if a win over Maia would get him his shot at the UFC Middleweight Title, his fight against Mayhem Miller at the TUF 14 finale and comments made…
UFC Middleweight Michael Bisping and I discuss his fight against Demian Maia at UFC on Fox 2, if a win over Maia would get him his shot at the UFC Middleweight Title, his fight against Mayhem Miller at the TUF 14 finale and comments made recently by Strikeforce Middleweight Tim Kennedy.
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When Nick Diaz left Strikeforce and went to the UFC, he had to vacate the Welterweight Title. The question: what was Strikeforce going to do with the title?A lot of people were expecting the Tyron Woodley-Paul Daley fight that took place in July to be …
When Nick Diaz left Strikeforce and went to the UFC, he had to vacate the Welterweight Title. The question: what was Strikeforce going to do with the title?
A lot of people were expecting the Tyron Woodley-Paul Daley fight that took place in July to be for the title. That ended up not being the case with no reason given. Woodley ended up winning the fight and not a lot has been discussed regarding the title picture since no one knew if Strikeforce would still be around.
Dana White announced last month that Strikeforce would still be around with eight events taking place. Strikeforce announced last month that Woodley would be fighting, people thought it would be a title fight. That is not the case as Woodley (9-0 MMA, 7-0) will be facing Jordan Mein (23-7 MMA, 1-0 SF) on Saturday night at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs Jardine.
The event takes place from The Joint at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Woodley vs Mein is apart of the main card that will air on Showtime starting at 10ET.
You would think Woodley would be bummed that he is facing Mein and not facing a top ten guy, but Woodley feels this is an intriguing fight for him.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to match the kid,” Woodley told me. “I think he’s put together fights really well. It’s actually an exciting fight for me. I was talking to someone in Vegas when I was there for the TUF finale, that oif they can’t find anybody that’s in the top ten for me to fight for a world title, he was one of the kids that interests me. Just because I think it will be an interesting and exciting fight about what he brings to the table, so it will be a good night for MMA.”
Some people thought this fight would be for the title considering Woodley defeated Daley in July and isn’t taking down the picture of the title on his Facebook until he gets the title. Woodley doesn’t feel the Mein fight should be for the title as well.
“Actually I don’t. I’m gunna be honest,” Woodley said. “I would love that belt more than anybody. But I think, this fight is a three round fight. I think now that I’m fighting this fight after fighting Paul Daley now everybody sees why me and why Paul thought it was for the title because we were the top two guys in the weight. So now what do you do? Who do I fight? Whose for the title?
Woodley adds, “You know you gotta get real creative. Some people are injured, some people are in different countries, some people have issues with clearance. But now, had you had that fight for the title I would be walking around with a belt right now and they would have a little more time to figure that out. And I’d have a nice, shiny Strikeforce belt to put on my wall and I can change my picture because that Strikeforce belt has been my picture for the last six months. I’m not taking it down until it’s around my waist.”People have wondering what will happen with the title. Woodley says everyone knows what should have happened and is focused on cracking the top ten, be the best welterweight in the world.
“I think personally what should have been done has happened and is water under the bridge,” Woodley said. “I think right now they just gotta see how things play out. See how I look, see how some of the other welterweight’s look in there bouts, wait on some guys to get healthy. They have to deliver a good fight because in my opinion, I would really prefer to fight guys who are in the top ten because I need to crack the top ten.
“I’m really close. I’ve been clinging in some different rankings. I’m cracking it, not that I have a goal to be there and “oh I’m in the top ten YAY.”
Obviously that’s my goal, but I would be in the top of the world,” Woodley said. “I cannot be there dangling around in honorable mention and top 20, so I gotta be able to get myself to that point where they start proposing bouts for me to fight these guys. They can’t get out of saying, “Ah Tyron really ranked up there and ah he hasn’t been around because what they really want to say is it’s too risky fight, he’s not ranked in the top ten in the world, he’s dangerous, he’s good, he’s coming to fight.”
“But with that said, I gotta knock off good guys whether there ranked, whether it’s for the title, whether it’s in the backyard, on the trampoline,” Woodley said. “I gotta be able to beat good guys at any moment. I think that’s what I’m taking. That’s the theme for this fight. I gotta go out there and show everyone why I should be the Strikeforce champ.”
When Zuffa purchased Strikeforce a lot of things were in question. Who was coming, who was going? Nick Diaz and Alistair Overeem were big names to leave and since White announced Strikeforce was staying, the heavyweight division will be abolished after the grand prix ends rumored to be in March. All the top guys are gone. Woodley feels like he belongs in the UFC, but he has business he wants to finish up in Strikeforce.
“Definitely without a shadow of a doubt,” Woodley said. “No matter what anybody says or thinks, nobody believes that I’m not the number one welterweight in Strikeforce. I think that’s not even a question. I think that the thing is basically I don’t really have a desire to leave Strikeforce. I’ve been there since 2009. I work my way from fighting and arguing and raising a fuss to get on the undercard.”
“I had to fight to get on the undercard,” Woodley said. “I almost got scratched from the undercard selling tickets to just to be on the card in June of 2009. So to be able to start in a major organization, I didn’t start in the UFC, come back through like some other guys. This is the first major organization that gave me a chance.”
“So until I get that belt, I’m not leaving,” Woodley said. “It would be silly for me to work almost two and a half years chomping out whoever they put in front of me and for me to not capture that belt. So that’s what I’m shooting for and I would like to get it and I would like to defend it and we’ll see what happens after that.”
You can listen to the two part interview with Tyron Woodley here.
You can follow me on Twitter @fightclubchi.
Steven Muehlhausen is a contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.
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Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal is never one to hold back how he feels about everything, regardless if it is MMA, pro/amateur wrestling, boxing, etc. The outspoken former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion returns to the cage Saturday night as L…
Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal is never one to hold back how he feels about everything, regardless if it is MMA, pro/amateur wrestling, boxing, etc. The outspoken former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion returns to the cage Saturday night as Lawal (8-1 MMA, 3-1 SF) will face undefeated prospect Lorenz Larkin (12-0 MMA, 3-0 SF). The event takes place from The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Lawal-Larkin is on the main card which will air on Showtime, while the prelims will air on Showtime Extreme.
When the fight was first announced Lawal only had one focus in mind.
“You know what,” Lawal told me. “He’s undefeated and it’s time to give him his first loss.”
Lawal does give respect to Larkin’s skills as a fighter, though.
“I think he’s very unorthodox, flashy.” Lawal said. “He’s solid, not solid. He’s a solid fighter, he wins, he’s good. He’s tricky, he’s good with what he does.”
Larkin is well known for his striking prowess and King Mo has always been known for wrestling. We saw improved striking from Lawal as he knocked out Roger Gracie in September. Lawal is very confident in every aspect of his game and isn’t worried about what Larkin can do to him.
I can deal with anybody. With Gracie, Grace I could have taken him down a bunch of times and made him just stand back up. The thing is with Larkin is yea I can take him down, but we will see where the fight goes. I’m confident in my hands. Who have you (Larkin) knocked out with his kicks? Nobody. I’m prepared for whatever he has. I’m not worried. I’ve been training with a great camp. I’ve trained with everybody. I’ve seen everything I can see. I know flash. I can defeat flash easy.
A lot of people think of this card on Saturday as old school versus new school, particulary in this fight. Lawal greatly disputes that theory.
I’ve never thought about it like that, because if it’s old school versus new school, then how does he have more fights than me? To me, it’s fighter versus fighter. I don’t look at it as I’ve been in Strikeforce for two and a half years and he hasn’t been in Strikeforce as long. I just look at it as, ‘hey he’s a fighter’. I don’t care where he’s fought.
There was a sentiment to some people that Strikeforce was having a four-man tournament to crown a new Light Heavyweight Champion involving Lawal, Larkin and Ovince St. Preux and Gegard Mousasi with Mousasi defeating St. Preux in December. Lawal doesn’t feel Mousasi deserves that opportunity and everyone is forgetting about a former champion.
I don’t know. We’ll find out because Feijao is still there. I wouldn’t mind fighting Feijao. What did Mousasi do to warrant a shot at the title? What he had a draw with Jardine, who took the fight on weeks’ notice? Does that qualify as a win now? He barely hung on to defeat OSP, who is a young fighter still and is coming up in his prime. So you mean after two wins and he beat (Hiroshi) Izumi WOW!! in Japan. I guess he’s warranted a title shot.
You can listen to the two part interview with King Mo here.
You can follow me on Twitter @fightclubchi.
Steven Muehlhausen is a contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.
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Watch above as we talk to UFC President Dana White at the press conference to officially announce the UFC on Fox 2 show. The event takes place on Jan. 28 from the United Center in Chicago.White discusses several things, including why the UFC chose to c…
Watch above as we talk to UFC President Dana White at the press conference to officially announce the UFC on Fox 2 show. The event takes place on Jan. 28 from the United Center in Chicago.
White discusses several things, including why the UFC chose to come back to Chicago for this show, will we see only the bigger cities get the Fox shows, why Phil Davis is getting this fight with Rashad Evans, the antics of Chael Sonnen and if he is definitely next for Anderson Silva if he defeats Mark Munoz, as well as Michael Bisping and his bout with Mayhem Miller from the TUF 14 finale.
We also discuss the TUF 15 and the selections of Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz, Spike TV airing previous TUF’s when TUF 1 debuts on FX. Last but not least, the future of Strikeforce and what White thinks of the relationship between Spike and Bellator.
Disclaimer: This interview was conducted on Dec. 9.
You can follow me on Twitter @fightclubchi
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You hear fighters say they want to always fight and stay active, but it doesn’t happen often. There are exceptions like Donald Cerrone and Nam Phan, who are fighting this Friday at UFC 141.But another 141 participant is also willing to fight anywh…
You hear fighters say they want to always fight and stay active, but it doesn’t happen often. There are exceptions like Donald Cerrone and Nam Phan, who are fighting this Friday at UFC 141.
But another 141 participant is also willing to fight anywhere, anytime.
Junior Assuncao (13-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) returns after fighting at UFC 135, and will be facing Ross Pearson (12-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) tomorrow night at UFC 141 in a key featherweight bout. UFC 141 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and this fight will be a part of the Spike TV broadcast starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Pearson is making his debut at featherweight, and you would think Assuncao would have the advantage due to Pearson never fighting at 145, but Assuncao isn’t so sure about that.
“That’s hard to tell you know,” Assuncao told me.
“I’m sure he’s doing his homework right. I’m sure everything right in his diet just as much as I have. I’m pretty close to the weight right now. I fought in September, took about 10 days off and I was already begging the UFC for another fight. My manager was like, “take some time off.”
“A lot of the guys these days, they just want to keep the UFC appearance,” Assuncao said.
“It doesn’t do me any good to be in the UFC if I’m not fighting. So as soon as I was done with my fight, I couldn’t wait to get back in there and expose myself again. You only lose if you fight. That’s the kind of mindset I have.”
After just fighting in September, you would think Assuncao would have wanted to fight at the beginning of 2012, but Assuncao had every intention of getting in one more fight in 2011.
“I really wanted to fight year,” Assuncao said.
“My mindset was, “I’m gonna win this next one, so I’ll be 2-0 this year (in the UFC). That will put me on a eight-fight win streak, and then next year, I’ll win two more, and then the end of next year, I should be in title contention.”
Pearson wasn’t even the first opponent the UFC offered to Assuncao. The UFC originally offered Felipe Sertanejo to Assuncao, but he wanted to take a fight that was going to advance his career, and that’s when Pearson was offered. Nothing personal, but Assuncao wants to get to the top of the featherweight division, and the quickest way to the top is through Pearson in his mind.
“They (the UFC) had that Felipe (Sertanejo) guy as a matter of fact,” Assuncao said.
“Freddy (Assuncao’s brother) faced him in his first MMA fight. The guy was already a veteran. Don’t take anything away from the guy obviously. You know, I want to be champion, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I want the toughest fights. I could’ve fought that guy. Maybe in the business aspect, it could have been the smarter thing to do. But I was gonna go back to fighting on the undercard, Facebook fights, which I don’t have a problem with that.
But I had to put it on the scale. Fight a no-name guy, I was going to beat him anyways and then fight a name guy? Now, the Ross Pearson deal is a high risk. The reward I’m totally aware of. So I like that. I like to take challenges. Me going through Ross Pearson, that will catapult me to the front of the line instead of taking no name guys and the risk to lose is the same. Anybody can punch you in your jaw and lights out, and that’s the end of the night. I was like, you know what, I’m gonna take a high-risk fight. I understand the reward; that’s why I chose Ross Pearson.”
You can listen to the two-part interview with Junior Assuncao here.
You can follow me on Twitter @fightclubchi.
Steven Muehlhausen is a contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.
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The old saying, “you never know what you have till it’s gone,” rings very true for Efrain Escudero. After a weight cutting issue and a subsequent loss to Charles Oliveira, The Ultimate Fighter Season 8 winner was released from the organization.It took …
The old saying, “you never know what you have till it’s gone,” rings very true for Efrain Escudero. After a weight cutting issue and a subsequent loss to Charles Oliveira, The Ultimate Fighter Season 8 winner was released from the organization.
It took six fights and TJ Grant to have to bow out due to injury, but Escudero (18-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC), is back in the UFC as he will face Jacob Volkman (13-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), this Friday night at UFC 141 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The fight will be a part of the bouts airing on Facebook.
Escudero is glad to be back in the UFC and the ordeal last year changed his perspective not only on fighting, but also his all-around thinking in life.
It changed my perspective of everything, Escudero told me. Not just personal, kinda like personal life as well. Not just inside the octagon. You live and learn. Some people are really good at it just right off there back.
It took me a little speed bump and stuff. I got carried away. Now, I’m a gym junkie. I’m back to being the same old me that was before I went into The Ultimate Fighter. The one that had nothing to lose and everything to gain and just do it and love the sport, love the adrenaline rush, love everything.
A lot of people say, “Why be in there if your gonna be nervous or scared or doing it for the paycheck?” I have a college degree. If I want a paycheck, I’ll do my normal job. I do this because I love it.
When you get released for whatever reason, you would think they would learn from the mistake on why they got released and help you refocus. Escudero says family issues were the reason for him missing weight and it was a fluke.
No, actually the Oliveira fight was a fluke. I had a lot of family issues, my weight. I was dealing with a lot. I let these family issues and everything get in the way of me and my performance and everything. You know, I let my arm be broken by Evan Dunham. You think I’m gonna tap to a choke? There’s no way. I’ll go unconscious before I tap. I was just having a bad day and just the weight cut. I was thinking about that. My body shut down.
Me wrestling for 11 years has taught me, you make weight no matter what. That’s your priority, to make weight. That’s actually the first time ever in my entire career of not making weight like even in the wrestling match and everything.
A lot of people were stunned to see Escudero get released after the Oliveira fight and didn’t think it was just. Escudero says he learned from his mistakes and won’t complain if it was just or not.
I’m not gunna sit here and brag like I told everybody that said I was released. If I sit here and complain and whine, things aren’t gonna change. I gotta learn from my mistakes. Gotta get back in there and I gotta fight. I have to prove to them I can make weight and I can maintain weight down. I’m here for real, I’m here to stay and my release coulda been too soon. Prolly give me a one more shot deal, but I’ll take it and I learned from it. I got nobody to blame but myself.
When you get released from the biggest organization in the world, taking fights in other organizations could be seen as a step down.
Not for Escudero.
He fought six times outside the UFC All he wanted to do was fight and didn’t care what type of fight it was or where it was.
My feeling was, I have to go back and earn it again. Regardless of UFC or no UFC, I gotta go out there and win. There’s not like a basketball team. They don’t look at the Phoenix Suns, “like oh there not a threat in the playoffs I shouldn’t really go in there and beat them.”
Basketball, you have to beat everybody regardless of where it is. Doesn’t matter which organization. You go out there to win. That’s what I was missing. I had to go back and relearn myself, he strategy and reteach myself that. We’re out there to win regardless. UFC, no UFC, bum fight, bar fight, which I don’t recommend anybody doing. Bar fight, anywhere, you’re there to win.
Every fighter’s dream is to fight in the UFC. In Escudero’s case, he was already there before and knew it was a matter of time before he returned.
My reaction was really good. I knew this was going to happen. I knew I was going to have to come in as a replacement. The weight class is stacked right now. A lot of talent is stuffed at 155. I knew something like this was going to happen.
His opponent at UFC 141—Jacob Volkman—has won four straight after losing his first two bouts in the UFC. Escudero respects Volkman and his background. He knows Volkman is coming out to win and will do whatever is necessary to win the fight.
I actually know quite a bit (about Volkman). He comes from a wrestling background back in the day in college and high school. I was a big wrestling fan. I know he’s a big wrestler, a three-time All American. Other than that, I know he’s going to come out there and fight. I have seen what he’s been doing. I saw his fights and stuff. A lot of people might call him boring because he goes out there and holds people. I think that’s his game plan: He goes out there to win fights. He does whatever he needs to do to win fights.
Escudero knows it’s been a long road and winding back to the UFC and plans to show that to Volkman on Friday night. “I know he’s hungry. I don’t know if he looks at me as a late replacement, kind of like ‘ok we’re gonna get by him.'”
I see like an exciting fight from my eyes. All I have to say is Volkman, I respect you as a person, but once we step into that octagon, you better be ready to scrap because these last 13-14 months have been hell and I’m ready to come back.
You can listen to the two part interview with Efrain Escudero here.
You can also follow me on Twitter @fightclubchi.
Steven Muehlhausen is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.
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