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B/R MMA Exclusive: The MMA Fighters’ Portraits by Artist Brad Utterstrom

Alright, fight fans, “It’s time!” to get some…culture. Just like in the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece and the Modern Summer Olympics from 1924 to 1948, which held not only athletic contests but also art competitions, artists …

Alright, fight fans, “It’s time!” to get some…culture.

Just like in the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece and the Modern Summer Olympics from 1924 to 1948, which held not only athletic contests but also art competitions, artists whose works feature athletes truly complete humanity’s appreciation and promotion of sports.

In MMA, we are fortunate to have someone like Brad Utterstrom, who has dedicated his art to portraying mainly portraits of our renowned fighters—recent past and present. Yours truly is privileged to correspond with the artist and receive from him the links to his 11 personal favorites along with his personal thoughts on each piece.

Utterstrom is an alumnus of Western Oregon University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Art in 2002. In his own words, “During my final year at WOU, I did my first MMA related painting…a red, yellow, and blue acrylic of Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture. Since then, almost all of my artwork has been MMA related.”*

Enjoy this slideshow of samplings of the painter’s works: 11 portraits treated in different mediums and styles of artistic expression, with a sprinkling of thoughts from the artist on his creations as shared to this writer.

I also included brief backgrounds on each subject.

Yes, Mr. James Ladner, there’s inspiring and edifying beauty in the combat sport of MMA.

The artist will truly appreciate it if you will write down your favorite piece on the comments thread below.

Thank you very much.

*From the artist’s website.

The writer spent his college years in the 1990s studying Painting and Art Education at the University of the Philippines.

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The 10 Most Clutch Finishes in MMA History

Clutch performance—performing well under extreme pressure. It often refers to high levels of production in a critical game, such as Game 7 of a best-of-seven series, or the final minute(s) in a close match. Being “clutch” is often seen by spor…

In mixed-martial arts, there are always high-pressure situations, and a lot of guys who blow it in the final moments. The ability to perform to the best of your abilities at the most pivotal of moments is an enviable quality that attributes to major success inside the Octagon.

As long as the final horn has yet to sound, both fighters are still in the fight. No matter how badly a fighter is getting dominated, there is always the opportunity for them to reach down deep and deliver with a stoppage.

This list is a celebration of the elite fighters who were able deliver where many would have faltered.

I’d like to thank MMA lead writer Jonathan Snowden for his contributions for some of these selections.

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Cain Velasquez vs. Frank Mir Title Eliminator Set for UFC 146

Two former UFC heavyweight champions will clash at an already star-studded card set for May 26th, according to MMA Junkie. Submission specialist Frank Mir will take on heavy-handed wrestler Cain Velasquez in a bout that seems unlikely to go a full…

Two former UFC heavyweight champions will clash at an already star-studded card set for May 26th, according to MMA Junkie.

Submission specialist Frank Mir will take on heavy-handed wrestler Cain Velasquez in a bout that seems unlikely to go a full 15 minutes at UFC 146.

UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta said the bout would take place roughly a month ago in a question-and-answer session with fans via his Twitter account.

Additionally, UFC 146 will determine who either Mir or Velasquez will challenge for the belt, as the event is headlined by a heavyweight title clash between reigning title holder Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem.

Mir is currently riding a three-fight win streak, which includes a his fantastic kimura technical submission over fellow jiu-jitsu ace Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 140 which many fans and analysts deemed the 2011 Submission of the Year.

Most recently, Velasquez, who was coming off of rotator cuff surgery, lost the UFC heavyweight title to JDS via devastating first-round knockout at the promotion’s inaugural FOX network debut this past November.

Prior to that bout, the former Arizona State Sun Devil won the coveted 12 pounds of gold from Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 in October of 2010.

This announcement comes on the heels of another heavyweight bout being confirmed by the UFC.

Despite recently entertaining a drop to light heavyweight, Roy Nelson will welcome former Strikeforce heavyweight contender Antonio Silva to the Octagon.

The card, which will be hosted at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena, has yet another showdown in a bout likely regulated to the undercard when Gabriel Gonzaga takes on undefeated former Strikeforce fighter Shane del Rosario.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC News: TUF 15 Cast Member Dakota Cochrane Is a Former Homosexual Porn Actor

Dakota Cochrane, one of the 32 lightweights on the first live season of “The Ultimate Fighter” (TUF 15), used to act in homosexual pornography, with Middle Easy being the website to initially break the news to the MMA world.A less explicit ve…

A less explicit version of the news can be found on XBiz Newswire, which boasts “adult entertainment industry news for the media.”

XBiz actually indicates that this is old news, with a report initially surfacing on TomBucchusOnTheVine.com, a pornographic website, in the fall of 2011.

“It’s definitely a decision I regret,” Cochrane told MMA Fighting. “If I would have known what would happen, I definitely wouldn’t have done it. But I had money issues and I needed help. I went there to do pictures, and they started throwing pretty high numbers in front of me. I didn’t really think. It was a big mistake.”

The 155-pounder also told MMA Fighting that he was forthcoming about his past in his TUF audition tape and that he is married and has two children.

Cochrane, who trains at the Premiere Combat Center in Omaha, Neb., alongside UFC stars such as Jake Ellenberger, likely received his spot on TUF after easily defeating former WEC Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner under the Titan Fighting Championships banner this past September.

The 25-year old boasts an 11-2 record as a professional fighter, which includes six stoppage wins.

UFC President Dana White voiced his opinion on a homosexual fighter competing in the UFC this past October, two months after former UFC heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira said he would not personally feel comfortable training with a homosexual fighter.

“If there was a gay fighter in UFC, I wish he would come out,” White said. “I could care less if there’s a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is and there’s probably more than one. I mean, it’s 2012. Give me a break.”

Cochrane acted under the stage name “Danny” during his adult film star days.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Antonio Nogueira: Big Nog Returns to Training Following Surgery

Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira is back in training following surgery to a broken arm he sustained when he locked horns with Frank Mir in the co-main event of UFC 140. Initially, it was thought he’d be out of action for a longer period of …

Nogueira’s translated quote, according to MMAMania:

I felt very good, I missed being able to train. I was only supposed to do ‘shadow’ training, but I couldn’t (hold myself).

I still need another three weeks of physical therapy to sharpen my boxing, and after that I will call Master De La Riva and start training jiu-jitsu. I believe I’ll be back in a month’s time.

Soon Junior dos Santos will be coming here to train for his fight against Alistair Overeem and thereafter it will be Big Foot and Anderson Silva coming to train. I need to be 100% to train with these guys because they’re tough.

Nogueira’s injury occurred in the third round, when the former UFC heavyweight champion locked in a kimura, and with the jiu-jitsu master refusing to tap, Mir (16-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) continued to apply the pressure, resulting in the breakage, as well as injuries to his shoulder.

The Brazilian has been widely regarded as one the foremost practitioners in the art of submission, but in Mir, Nogueira was up against a fellow black-belt exponent, who, prior to their meet, had already amassed eight victories via submission in 15 career wins.

Conversely, Big Nog (33-7-1-1NC MMA, 4-3 UFC), a former UFC interim heavyweight titlist, has compiled a record of 20 submissions.

Though to date, he has only one kimura execution on his submissions résumé, and that took place on his professional debut back in June of 2009.

For additional information, follow Nedu Obi on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FUEL 2: 10 Truths

UFC on FUEL 1 has hit the archives, and now is the moment where we all try to find a way to squeeze our anticipation for the UFC’s return to FUEL TV somewhere between now and April 14th.With UFC 144 coming next week from Saitama, Japan, it might be a b…

UFC on FUEL 1 has hit the archives, and now is the moment where we all try to find a way to squeeze our anticipation for the UFC’s return to FUEL TV somewhere between now and April 14th.

With UFC 144 coming next week from Saitama, Japan, it might be a bit difficult to recall that UFC on FUEL TV 2 features a light-heavyweight bout between Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. The card also features co-main event featuring Brian Stann and Alessio Sakara, the debut of Siyar Bahadurzada, and the world premiere of Scandinavian MMA on the UFC stage. But, if tonight’s card was any indication, the second go-round is looking like it could be every bit as great as the first time out.

So, even though we’re just coming off of a UFC on FUEL card right now, let’s taken a scrap-happy stroll through the UFC’s Swedish card and establish ten truths about what’s going down at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm on April 14th live on FUEL TV!

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