Todd Seyler | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

UFC 131: Shaquille O’Neal Will Be a Part of the UFC According to Dana White

News released by 5thround.com indicates that the Hall of Fame basketball player and recently retired “Shamrock” from the Boston Celtics, Shaquille O’Neal, will be involved with the UFC in some capacity in the immediate future.O’Neal, a larger-than-life…

O’Neal, a larger-than-life icon who has established himself as a brand through his many dominant years on the basketball court as well as his charismatic sound bytes off the court, contacted UFC president Dana White offering his assistance in achieving global dominance for the UFC.

“Shaq loves (mixed martial arts), Shaq’s been training for a long time,” White said on Friday’s edition of ESPN’s FirstTake.

“Actually, a week before he retired, Shaq called me, and he wants to be involved in the UFC somehow. He’s always been a good friend to us, and I’m sure you’re going to see Shaq around the UFC a lot,” White stated.

White also went on to state that O’Neal was involved in the launching of the first The Ultimate Fighter reality show that is currently in production of its 14th season on Spike TV.

While a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille stated that he would like to fight Japanese big-man Hong Man Choi once he retires. The likelihood of that matchup is slim. However, O’Neal’s passion for ultimate fighting remains intact.

“Listen, I’m gonna have a lot of free time on my hands. I love this sport, I want to get involved. I want to be a part of it,” O’Neal indicated.

With nearly four million Twitter followers, a larger-than-life reputation amongst the greatest athletes in the world and one the most noticeable faces in Hollywood, Shaquille O’Neal possesses the global appeal and marketability to enhance any brand, even the strong-suited UFC.

Keep an eye out for the “Big Aristotle” in Vancouver this weekend at UFC 131 exchanging hand shakes and smiles with Dana White and the ownership of the UFC.

I welcome your comments.

Todd Seyler

“Like” me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter @magnus06

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 131 Dos Santos vs. Carwin: Full Fight Card Preview, Analysis and Predictions

UFC 131 live from Rogers Arena in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia will take place this Saturday, June 11, 2011.Headlining the evening’s event will be a UFC heavyweight clash between two of the most lethal knockout artists in the division, Junior …

UFC 131 live from Rogers Arena in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia will take place this Saturday, June 11, 2011.

Headlining the evening’s event will be a UFC heavyweight clash between two of the most lethal knockout artists in the division, Junior dos Santos versus Shane Carwin.

Originally slated to challenge Brock Lesnar, an illness to the former heavyweight champion has sidelined the avalanche of a man and now Carwin will replace Lesnar to compete against dos Santos.

Other main card action includes the featherweight debut of Kenny Florian as he faces the highly ranked and heavily talented Diego Nunes.

In a middleweight bout, one of mixed martial arts greatest jiu-jitsu practitioners inside the Octagon, Demian Maia, will have a hard-fought war against the heavy-hitting “Filipino wrecking machine,” Mark Munoz.

Additionally, a lightweight bout between seasoned WEC veteran Donald Cerrone and newcomer to the UFC Vagner Rocha will surely entertain the fans in Canada.

Please follow along as I provide a full fight card preview, analysis, and predictions.

Enjoy the fights.

Todd Seyler

I welcome your comments.

“Like” me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter @magnus06

Begin Slideshow

TUF 13 Finale Results: Jeremy Stephens Brutalizes Danny Downes In Victory

The Ultimate Fighter 13 finale on Spike TV was the introduction of some fighters, such as Anthony Pettis, to the pinnacle of mixed martial arts as they battled their way into the hearts of millions of Americans. Conversely, fighters who are skille…

Conversely, fighters who are skilled veterans continued to make their mark within the UFC with impressive victories. Cue Clay Guida.

One fighter who seems to rack up victories under the radar is Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens. This past Saturday, the lightweight competitor continued to dominate in his matchup in a silent demeanor.

How can the words “dominate” and “silent” be utilized in the same sentence?

Stephens’ performances within the Octagon are full of explosiveness, fireworks, power, and brutality; however the Des Moines, Iowa native continues to navigate the lightweight waters unnoticed within division.

Stephens defeated Daniel Downes, sweeping the judges’ scorecards en route to a unanimous decision victory at TUF 13.

In classic “Lil’ Heathen” style, Stephens was violent, aggressive, and relied on his in-cage experience to dominate the Duke Rufus protege.

Drawing Downes’ blood in the third round, Stephens may have tallied a submission victory to add to his highlight reel of knockouts if it was not for the saving bell prior to the tapout.

Could it be possible that Stephens is a victim of his most valuable asset, the knockout?

With 11 fights within the UFC, Stephens has secured six victories, of which he has earned three Knockout of the Night honors.

Fourteen total knockouts grace Stephens’ overall MMA record.

Potentially lacking a complete fight game necessary to be in the title talk with the names of Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard and Clay Guida, “Lil” Heathen may now have the reputation as a “one-trick pony” with only the ability to earn a victory from a KO.

Couple that possible moniker with the fact that Stephens has lost a few competitive fights against top-tier lightweights including Melvin Guillard and Joe Lauzon, and these two facts may be the reason for Jeremy Stephens’ knockout prowess to go virtually unpublicized by media and fans, and his current ranking outside of the championship discussion within the division.

The future for Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens is somewhat unclear within the UFC lightweight division. What is evident, however, is the Stephens needs to earn victories over the upper echelon of the division.

The talent that resides at 155 pounds could arguably be the best within all of mixed martial arts.

Stephens is scheduled to face another hard-hitting lightweight who enjoys exchanging in the center of the cage in the wiley veteran, Takanori Gomi, on September 17th.

A victory over this Japanese star may elevate Stephens into the top 10 of the UFC lightweight division.

Or he may continue to exist relatively benign, except for periods of adoration and bonus money from the UFC for his extremely dangerous knockout power.

I welcome your comments.

Todd Seyler

“Like” me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter @magnus06

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

MMA: Add Carlos Condit to the List of Fighters Unhappy with GSP vs. Nick Diaz

Reported by MMAConvert.com, the stable of welterweight fighters unhappy with the matchup between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz for the UFC welterweight championship on October 29th at UFC 137 now includes Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit.Repor…

Reporter Steve Cofield spoke with Condit regarding this future championship clash between the reigning pound-for-pound king, Georges St-Pierre, and the current Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz.

Without a current victory in the UFC and competing only in Strikeforce, this chance for Diaz to challenge St-Pierre without a win over a current UFC competitor does not sit well with Condit.

“I think Nick is a great fighter. He has been on a terror as of late beating a lot of really tough guys. (However) I think it is a little bit unfair for him to get a title shot straight out of the gate because a lot of the WEC guys making that transition didn’t get that title shot, including myself,” Condit stated.

Reeling from that initial comment and playing the diplomatic card, Condit went on to say “with that being said, I think he (Nick Diaz) deserves a shot.”

Commenting on the competition within Strikeforce, Condit wavered when asked about the level of talent that Diaz has been challenging.

“Some of the fighters that Diaz has been facing are really tough,” Condit said. “They’re not mainstream as far as what the fans may recognize as top 10. But they are tough opponents.”

The dynamics of this championship battle between St-Pierre and Diaz is a hot ticket and a fight in which the fans have been asking for.

“I think people are expecting Nick to make Georges fight, and that is what people want to see,” Condit exclaimed.

Regardless of Carlos Condit’s personal views on this main event between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz, “The Natural Born Killer” may one day have his opportunity to claim welterweight gold and is ensuring his own personal progression through the contender ladder to guarantee that his shot will one day come.

Todd Seyler

“Like” me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter @magnus06

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chris Lytle’s MMA Project Wins 50k Grant from Pepsi

Fighters Only Magazine in the United Kingdom has reported that Chris Lytle’s community youth project has received a $50,000 grant from Pepsi.Winners of the grant were voted for by the public at the “Refreshing Everything” site. The cola giant enables t…

Fighters Only Magazine in the United Kingdom has reported that Chris Lytle’s community youth project has received a $50,000 grant from Pepsi.

Winners of the grant were voted for by the public at the “Refreshing Everything” site. The cola giant enables the voted on winners to utilize the grant for operation costs, equipment and facility expenses.

Lytle, an Indiana native, provides free mixed martial arts classes to inner city youth as well as Army veterans, free of charge.

Utilizing the power of social media and the internet, Lytle leveraged his notoriety and public presence to achieve the necessary votes to acquire the grant.

Speaking to Fighter Only Magazine, Lytle stated that the MMA classes offered at his facility “gives kids who have nothing and no direction a chance. This is the best way I know how to give people a chance to see (that) hard work pays (off) and to teach life lessons.”

The facility itself utilized by Lytle needs some massive reconstruction.

“The gym is terrible with holes in the ceiling and terrible equipment. Indiana, like most cities, has little money to give right now,” Chris commented.

The voting process itself was very tight and Lytle and his project needed every single vote to count. Coming in at No. 9 out of 10 possible grant opportunities, Lytle’s project will be reviewed by Pepsi to ensure due diligence prior to the allocation of the grant.

Expecting a satisfactory review, Chris Lytle’s community youth project for the people of Indiana will receive the grant soon and the upkeep to the facility will benefit the members of the community.

Todd Seyler

“Like” me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter @magnus06

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 130: Brian Stann, Anderson Silva and the Top 10 Strikers in the MW Division

The level of competition within the UFC middleweight division grows with each additional pay-per-view.Ultimately expanding the roster of talent to incorporate the Strikeforce middleweight contenders, the UFC middleweight division is loaded with top-tie…

The level of competition within the UFC middleweight division grows with each additional pay-per-view.

Ultimately expanding the roster of talent to incorporate the Strikeforce middleweight contenders, the UFC middleweight division is loaded with top-tier strikers.

Most recently, Brian Stann has showcased his striking abilities with two consecutive TKO victories over the hard-hitting Chris “The Crippler” Leben and the former Sengoku middleweight champion, Jorge Santiago.

Stann’s consecutive highlight reel knockouts are only the appetizer to the main course of tremendous KO victories executed by technically proficient strikers within one of the deepest weight classes in the UFC.

Please follow along as I provide the top 10 strikers within the UFC middleweight division.