Author: UFC News

I was able to watch the FUEL TV fights last week — where I went 5-1, thank you — at my brother’s house as he and his roommates celebrated his 21st birthday. I don’t know what to think about the fact that a bunch of college students who hide the holes in their wall with Mission Impossible 4 posters and don’t refrigerate their beer have a better cable package than me. Oh well, at least I cover the holes in my wall with Charles Dickens novels.
 
The Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its long-anticipated return to Japan for UFC 144. Yet again, I’ve been left off the invite list. This was upsetting partly because I wanted to take my love of Ramen noodles to another level. Oh well, if I want an awkward cultural exchange, I can just walk into any Northern Wisconsin sports bar and order a Syrah with fruit notes of a “deep purple plum.”
 
Anthony Pettis vs Joe Lauzon
The main card kicks off with a fight that fight should determine who gets the next shot at the lightweight title. Lauzon looked great in his last fight against Melvin Guillard and is looking to fulfill the biblical prophecy of “the geek shall inherit the earth.” Anthony Pettis is coming off a decision win against Jeremy Stephens where he showed much-improved wrestling ability.

Prediction:  In the interest of journalistic integrity, I think it’s wrong for me to predict this fight since I personally know and like both of these guys. As a result, I outsourced this prediction to my Grandma.
Me: Grandma, who do you think will win the fight
Grandma: I hope your friend Anthony wins.
Me: Do you think he’ll knock Joe Lauzon out?
Grandma: Joe seems like a nice boy. He’s pale like you. I hope he doesn’t get hurt. That fighting business is terrible.
There you have it. Per my Grandma Murphy, Pettis by decision.

Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski
Next up is Hatsu Hioki facing off against Bart Palaszewski. Hioki has won five in a row, including his UFC debut against George Roop in October. “Bartimus” Palaszewski made his featherweight debut in his last fight with a first-round smashing of Tyson Griffin. He’s also the only fighter I’ve ever seen eat at Cinnabon, so he gets bonus points for that.

Prediction: While Hioki has the grappling advantage, his fight against Roop showed his vulnerability in the standup exchanges. “Bartimus” has more power than Roop and that will give Hioki a hard time. Palaszewski will connect with that big right hand and put it away in the first round. If he can just stay away from Cinnabon, he should be a big force in the featherweight division.

Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch
Yushin “Thunder” Okami vs Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch – can you say “boom”? Since dropping to middleweight, Boetsch has won two in a row and gets a big step up in competition. Meanwhile, Okami has quietly been looming at the top of the division — his only losses in the last four years have been to Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen.

Prediction: So far, Boetsch has had the size and strength advantage at middlweight. This advantage ends at 144. There’s a common misconception that Japanese fighters are always undersized for their divisions. Anyone who’s seen Yushin Okami knows that this idea is patently false. Fighting for the first time in Japan in over six years, Okami will push the pace and grind out a victory with 30-27s across the board.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields
Both fighters here are looking to reverse their recent luck. Sexyama has been on a skid, losing his last three fights to Michael Bisping, Vitor Belfort and Chris Leben, triggering a drop down to welterweight. Jake Shields, after winning 15 in a row, has dropped his last two.

Prediction: Only two of Akiyama’s 17 fights have gone the distance. Contrast that with Jake Shields, who’s batting over .500 in decisions. Akiyama has judo skills and will try to push it, but he’ll be stifled by Shields’ grappling. Another decision win for Jake, but at least Akiyama has this.

Mark Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo
Heavyweight Mark Hunt has been quite the surprise in the UFC. Since stepping into the Octagon, he’s landed three fights and two wins under Zuffa rule. Frenchman Cheick Kongo is coming off an underwhelming UFC 137 win over Matt Mitrione.

Prediction: Kongo has shown that he’s willing to fight the “smart” fight even when it’s not the most fan-friendly strategy (see Kongo vs. Buentello, Kongo vs. Mitrione, et al). Mark Hunt’s striking ability can’t be questioned, but his ground game and conditioning are suspect. Kongo will use grappling to wears down Hunt and put him away in the 2nd. It’ll be ugly, so you might want to use this time to grab a drink…. er, maybe not. 

Rampage Jackson vs. Ryan Bader
Ryan “Darth” Bader is a great example of fighter progression. The former ASU wrestler has developed his striking game en route to 6-2 record in the UFC with 3 T/KO wins. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is a 41-fight veteran who’s fought on the biggest stages for over a decade and is looking for a triumphant PRIDE-style homecoming.

Prediction: Both of Bader’s career losses have come via submission. While that won’t be a problem against Rampage, Darth’s striking just isn’t at the level to compete with the former PRIDE superstar. Rampage’s boxing has stunted wrestlers like Matt Hamill before, and it’ll do the same here, wearing down his opponent. Japan, get ready — Rampage wins via TKO in the 3rd and storms Tokyo to celebrate.

Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson
The champion Frankie Edgar is currently riding a 7-fight unbeaten streak that’s seen him fight Gray Maynard and BJ Penn twice each. Since losing his WEC title, “Smooth” Henderson has torn through the best in the lightweight division, adding Jim Miller and Clay Guida to his list of victims.

Prediction: Edgar has to be the most disrespected UFC champion in history. His only loss came in 2008 to a guy he eventually knocked out, yet people keep saying he should drop down to 145. That said, I think he’s met his match. Frankie’s greatest asset has been his speed, and Henderson won’t struggle with that. Especially after seeing Henderson’s scrambles against Guida and Miller, I doubt Edgar will be able to take him down, either. This one goes into the championship rounds and “Smooth” puts Frankie away in the 5th. The title changes hands, and that sets up the table for Pettis vs Henderson 2.

That wraps up another edition of the Downes Side. Be sure to follow me on twitter @dannyboydownes and leave a comment — I always read them and respond. I know it may come off as desperate, but that’s mostly because I don’t have a better cable package

To celebrate the UFC’s highly-anticipated return to Japan this weekend for UFC 144, fight fans can now own a piece of history in the form of the official event program, which is on sale now at UFCStore.com.

Featuring fighter bios, a look at the history of MMA in Asia, divisional breakdowns of each UFC weight class, in-depth looks at the superstars of the Octagon, stellar photography, and much, much more, this oversized (10”x14.5”) program has an embossed cover with a brushed silver foil finish, making it the perfect collectible addition to your UFC collection, as over 83 glossy pages celebrate UFC 144, the UFC and all the excitement of the fastest growing sport in the world.

Plus, for the true collector, limited autographed copies of the UFC 144 program are also available in the UFC Store, with the English-language program signed by UFC President Dana White, and the even rarer Japanese-language program signed by White and UFC CEO and Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta.

For a look at the UFC 144 program, click here.

TUCK AND N.Y. TEAMMATES WATCHED EDGAR’S VICTORY IN HIS LAST FIGHT AS INSPIRATION FOR CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

Las Vegas, Nevada –Just hours before weighing in for his main event bout against Benson Henderson from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, UFC® lightweight champion Frankie Edgar received an unexpected call in his hotel room. Calling the room of the 30-year-old Toms River, N.J. native was none other than New York Giants star Justin Tuck.

Tuck, still reeling from New York’s championship win earlier this month, called to wish Edgar good luck before his highly-anticipated Pay-Per-View title fight tomorrow night. Having watched Edgar’s knockout victory over Gray Maynard at UFC 136 as inspiration before a big game this past season, Tuck and his teammates wanted to make sure Edgar knew that he had their support when he steps inside the Octagon® in Japan.

“I really appreciate Justin reaching out to me in Japan,” Edgar said. “It means a lot to a kid from Jersey who grew up watching the Giants. He said they were all rooting for me tomorrow night. It definitely got me even more motivated.”

UFC® 144: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON will air live on Pay-Per-View in North America on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The card also features former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson battling Ryan Bader in a special four-hour, seven-fight Pay-Per-View broadcast.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com.  All bouts live and subject to change.

 

Their fight may be two months away, but Jon Jones and former teammate turned rival Rashad Evans are already exchanging jabs.

Jones, the UFC light heavyweight champion, and his opponent, former UFC light heavyweight champion Evans, appeared on CSS Sports’ SportsNite to promote their April 21 headlining bout at UFC 145. What ensued was a memorable he-said/he-said exchange between the two full of accusations — watch the full segment above.

In just a few weeks I’m going to be fighting Miesha Tate for the Strikeforce women’s 135lbs world championship title. It’s a match that she’s resisted since the very beginning, but has snowballed into women’s MMA’s most anticipated fight since Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg set ratings records for Showtime a few years ago. It began with me defeating Julia Budd this past November in an admittedly brutal fashion, followed by me asking for the first shot at Miesha since she won her belt from Marloes Coenen. Miesha immediately protested, and as a result we had a now infamous debate on Ariel Helwani’s show. She was obviously less prepared for the debate than I was, as I treated the debate like a fight in itself. I saw the potential and importance of this opportunity, and looked up every article I could find arguing her point of view. I then wrote a counter argument to every single point they made and took turns with my friends playing both myself and her in “practice arguments.” By the time we were on the show she sounded uneducated and unprepared in comparison, conflicting herself and falling speechless on several occasions. Several months later while doing a round table press conference with her, Scott Coker, and myself, I swear I could hear an echo in the room as she completely abandoned most of her original stances o the subject and adopted mine. The only thing she hasn’t conceded on was the fact that she doesn’t think I’m a “worthy” opponent and don’t deserve to fight her. If that is the case, I encourage her and her fans to put their money where their mouths are. Because at the moment I’m favored almost 4-1 in the Vegas odds, and I would like for my friends to actually make a decent profit for once off of one of my wins. Funny isn’t it? That a challenger who isn’t deserving of a title shot is so heavily favored over the champion….

Though she’s argued that I’m less experienced than her, not able to deal with pressure, and likely to mentally break after the first minute… there’s no way she can conceive the amount of pain, sacrifice, bravery, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles I’ve had to overcome to make it to this point.

I was literally born fighting. The umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck and my face was blue, everyone was scared that I died. Obviously I didn’t, but there was some damage done. I was far behind my sisters and other children my age in speech, and could not speak coherently till I was around 6. No one ever told me there was anything wrong with me, my Mom and Dad refused to let me feel abnormal. I just remember being frustrated all the time, because I knew in my head what I wanted to say, but for some reason no one could ever understand me; my words came out as gibberish. My father most of all told everyone: “Ronnie is a sleeper. Just you watch, she’s gonna show everyone and be the best of them one day.” He would always tell me that I was destined for greatness. At the time I was swimming competitively and he would constantly tell me I was going to win the Olympics and be the best in the world someday.
Unfortunately my Dad died when I was 8 years old, and it was the most painful thing my family has ever been through…
Swimming was something me and my dad would do together, and after his death I quickly lost my motivation to swim. Though I never lost the need to honor him and fulfill every expectation he had of me.

Several years later we moved to Los Angeles, my mother remarried, and things got better. My mother was the first American to ever win the world championships in judo, something she never talked about much when I was a kid. But she used to train at Tenri Judo in East LA during her prime in the 80’s, so when we moved back to LA she went to visit her old teammates who had then opened up clubs of their own.
I took to judo right away and it soon replaced swimming as my number one passion. Swimming was very one-dimensional in comparison. You could do the breaststroke one way and the butterfly one way, but, once you’d mastered those skills, there was little room for creativity. Judo, on the other hand, really encouraged creativity and individual flair. It allowed me to create my own style and personality and play around with the textbook. You could try things out, improvise a little and think outside the box. There were just so many different things to learn and pick up on, and that really excited me. I didn’t feel I could necessarily learn how to become a better swimmer – you simply practice and practice until you hopefully one day became one. Judo was very much a learning process for me, though. It was something I could play with and make my own.
 
Mom was against me doing judo at first, she felt people would expect too much from me given who she was and what she had achieved in the same sport. It was actually her team-mates, who were my coaches at the time, who persuaded her to let me do it. In all honesty, I didn’t feel any additional pressure because of the fact my mother was previously involved in the sport. If anything, I’m the one that puts pressure on myself when it comes to goal-setting. I don’t feel right unless there is some element of pressure. Some people crack under it, but I’ve always thrived. Six years after starting out, I made my first Olympic team. Maybe it was genetics, destiny, or both, but I really had a knack for it.
 
The whole reason I focused on judo to begin with was so that I could one day reach the Olympic Games and win a gold medal. That was literally my sole aim from day one, and nothing else crossed my mind from that point. I wasn’t interested in being involved in judo to become a mere also-ran. Even after my very first practice, I remember thinking to myself, ‘Yep, this is definitely going to work out – I’m going to win the Olympics’. It was all or nothing for me, and that same attitude carried over after transitioning to MMA.
 
Some people like to call me cocky or arrogant, but I just think “How dare you assume I should think less of myself? The problem isn’t me thinking I can achieve any goal I set for myself, the problem is you projecting your own self doubt onto me.”
 
My current goals are to revive women’s MMA and solidify its place in the sport. The first step to achieving that goal is to beat Miesha Tate in impressive fashion on March 3rd. And there isn’t a goddamn thing that can stop me.
 
Follow Ronda on twitter @RondaRousey

Nothin’ is promised to no one. I should beat Ryan Bader at UFC 144 in Japan next Saturday – and I plan on knocking his ass out in front of my Japanese fans – but I’ve put in the work in the gym to make sure I do that.

I worked so hard for the Jon Jones fight in September. I trained my ass off. As I said before the fight, I was in the best shape of my life, but in the Octagon I didn’t perform like I should have done. It is frustrating for me, and I felt bad for all my team who got me ready for that Jon Jones fight.

Read Rampage’s entire UFC® 144 blog on Yahoo! Sports…