Filed under: UFC, NewsAfter suffering a knockout loss in his biggest career bout, Brendan Schaub will attempt to bounce back when he faces Ben Rothwell at UFC 145 in March 2012.
The UFC confirmed that both heavyweights have verbally agreed to the bout…
After suffering a knockout loss in his biggest career bout, Brendan Schaub will attempt to bounce back when he faces Ben Rothwell at UFC 145 in March 2012.
The UFC confirmed that both heavyweights have verbally agreed to the bout, which will take place during an event at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Schaub recently saw his four-fight win streak snapped in a first-round knockout loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro. The 6-foot-4 Coloradoan looked good in the early going before getting ciipped, and Nogueira finished him with ground strikes for only his third career KO in over 40 fights.
Prior to that, Schaub (8-2) had put together a nice run, capped by a third-round knockout of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic that vaulted him into contender status.
Rothwell too will be looking to rebound from a loss. Following a long layoff due to a knee injury and subsequent surgery, Rothwell (31-8) returned at September’s UFC 135 and lost a decision to Mark Hunt.
The UFC has yet to officially announce a main event for UFC 145, but other bouts include Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills and Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs. The Bell Centre has been one of the most profitable venues for the promotion in recent years, with the arena briefly holding the North American attendance record, a mark that was later shattered by Toronto’s cavernous Rogers Centre.
(And now, two useless MMA commentators miss a fantastic standing heel-hook finish while trying to figure out how to pronounce “Vovchanchyn.” Props: EliteMMA)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere…
(And now, two useless MMA commentators miss a fantastic standing heel-hook finish while trying to figure out how to pronounce “Vovchanchyn.” Props: EliteMMA)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere…
Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, BellatorFighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.
Fighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.
Many of those selfless efforts go undocumented and under the radar, but in the spirit of the holiday season, we’ve dug up some of the kind works undertaken by the men and women of the MMA world.
This list is by no means meant to be comprehensive; rather, it is a sampling of some of the acts of generosity that often get lost in the shuffle of the everyday news cycle. And it is a chance to say, Thanks.
Enson Inoue
In the wake of the devastating March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Inoue — a Japanese-American with long roots in the sport — was a one-man effort, traveling through the hardest-hit areas and offering assistance to the region’s residents in the form of clothing, food and supplies, as well as toys to children. Inoue reportedly drained his own personal savings in an effort to bring relief to every person he could reach.
The UFC/Dana White
The UFC‘s charitable causes are many, though they often go unseen by the public and media. But in January, the promotion ran an event on a US military base for the second time in its history, with all seats free to base personnel, and proceeds from a corresponding online auction as well as donations benefiting wounded veterans through the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The event ended up raising $4.1 million for the fund.
Brian Stann
The president of Hire Heroes USA, a non-profit group that offers job search and placement assistance to US military veterans, Stann — a former US Marine and current UFC middleweight — helps run an organization with crucial importance during a time of economic hardship for many. The group has a special focus on the two demographics statistically most likely to be unemployed: young veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as wounded or disabled veterans.
Alex Davis, Dan Lambert, Joe Mullings
In early January, the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was hit hard by torrential rains that caused landslides and killed over 800 people. Among the hardest-hit communities was Nova Friburgo, the hometown of well-known MMA manager Alex Davis, along with UFC lightweight Edson Barboza, and others. Davis was in Nova Friburgo at the time and volunteered his time and resources to help, while Lambert and Mullings, gym owners of American Top Team and The Armory, respectively, started Combat Athlete Charities in order to support his relief efforts.
Brendan Schaub
When UFC heavyweight Schaub first visited Brazil in June, he was able to see some of the impoverished parts of the country, and he promised to return with some help when he came back to fight in August. True to his word, Schaub delivered several duffel bags worth of training equipment to a local gym in the underprivileged part of Tijuquinha, Brazil just days before his fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134.
American Kickboxing Academy
Many gyms have long roots in their communities and take part in volunteering, and San Jose, California-based AKA is among the more active ones. Among the groups the team benefits is Turning Wheels for Kids, a local organization that provides bicycles to underprivileged kids. Fighters including Cain Velasquez, Cung Le, Gilbert Melendez, Daniel Cormier and “King” Muhammed Lawal have offered up their time to the cause. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the gym’s fighters also recently volunteered time at Martha’s Kitchen in San Jose, helping to feed the hungry.
Jon Jones
By now, everyone has heard the story of Jones helping to stop a robbery just hours before he won the UFC light-heavyweight champion. But that wasn’t his only charitable act of the day. Indeed, he donated his substantial after-party appearance fee to a charity designed to combat children’s cancers.
Jose Aldo
After every one of his fights, the UFC featherweight champion autographs and auctions off his fight gear to benefit his team’s Nova Uniao community program, which is designed to assist underprivileged youth.
Ben Askren
After visiting tornado-ravaged Joplin, Missouri, earlier this year, the Bellator welterweight champion secured 300 tickets to Bellator 53 for Joplin residents to give them one night of enjoyment. “It’s not a huge gesture. It’s not like we’re rebuilding their houses, but every small thing helps,” Askren said.
Freestyle Cage Fighting & BlackEye Promotions
In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month, both Freestyle Cage Fighting (FCF) and BlackEye Promotions ran events on January 1 with proceeds going towards cancer research. FCF’s event, titled “Fight Strong for the Cure” ran a nine-fight card featuring all women, while BlackEye’s 16-fight card was subtitled “Breast Cancer Beatdown.”
Dan Henderson/Clinch Gear
The UFC light-heavyweight gave fans a thrill with his recent fight with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a fight which was quickly named as one of the best all-time scraps. But Henderson and his Clinch Gear company were also giving back in other ways, pledging to provide a Thanksgiving Day meal to a family of four for every official walkout T-shirt purchased through his website. On Thanksgiving, the company expects to feed over 2,000 families (8,000 people) through the Denver Rescue Mission and San Diego Rescue Mission, and the promotion has been extended through Christmas with additional donations to be made at that time.
The Fans
Few sports have a community as tight-knit and passionate as MMA, and even when you argue, you come together when it matters. Fans have generously donated to a countless number of causes. Among the most recent is the Daniel James Miller Foundation. The son of UFC fighter Dan Miller is in need of a kidney transplant and insurance does not pay for the entire procedure. The Foundation was set up in order to fund his treatment, and the family recently released a statement saying they were left “speechless” following the overwhelming support they have received.
Filed under: UFCLast time on Fighter vs. Writer, I edged out “King” Mo Lawal thanks to my prodigious prognosticating abilities. It also helped that Lawal had a little too much faith in Kenny Florian, whereas I, ever the hard-hearted realist, bet on his…
Last time on Fighter vs. Writer, I edged out “King” Mo Lawal thanks to my prodigious prognosticating abilities. It also helped that Lawal had a little too much faith in Kenny Florian, whereas I, ever the hard-hearted realist, bet on his depressing collapse.
Without further delay, let’s dig into the main card of UFC 137 and make our bold predictions for tonight’s action.
B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz
Schaub: Penn via decision. “If it’s a motivated B.J., it’s a different fight. Then there’s only one or two guys in the world who can beat him. I think this is the Fight of the Night, for sure.” Fowlkes: Diaz via decision. For all his flaws outside the cage, Diaz is still one hell of a tough fighter inside of it. And unlike Penn, you always know he’ll show up motivated, in shape, and ready to go until the final bell. His constant pressure and non-stop motor will make the difference down the stretch.
Schaub: Mitrione via TKO. “I’ll take my guy Mitrione in this one. I think he’s a little too athletic for Kongo. He’s going to see that left hand. TKO, second round.” Fowlkes: Mitrione via TKO. I concur. Mitrione is too athletic and too powerful, while Kongo has too few weapons that he deploys too ineffectively. If Kongo makes it the full three rounds, I’ll be mildly surprised.
Mirko Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson
Schaub: No pick. “This is a tough fight because I know both guys. I hear Roy’s lost weight and he might be a tough guy to beat at that weight. But Cro Cop sounds like he found the fire. Man, I’ve got to stay neutral. I’m a huge Cro Cop fan so I’m always pulling for him, but I can’t give you a decision.” Fowlkes: Nelson via KO. Schaub, by refusing to make a pick, is putting his faith in either a draw or a no contest. That’s nice if you feel the need to stay neutral and not hurt anyone’s feelings. I, however, feel no such need. I predict Cro Cop gets knocked out one last time, and I predict many of us feel the urge to get up and go cry in the shower after it’s all over.
Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran
Schaub: Jorgensen via TKO. Schaub, much like the oddsmakers who now have Jorgensen as high as a 5-1 favorite, didn’t seem to think this was a very difficult decision. Fowlkes: Jorgensen via TKO. It’s a little sad that Curran is finally getting a shot in the UFC only now, when his body’s been beat up and broken down. Jorgensen is a nightmare of a match-up for him, so that doesn’t help either.
Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop
Schaub: Roop via TKO. “Roop’s big. I think his size is going to be tough for Hioki to handle, so I’m taking him.” Fowlkes: Hioki via decision. I still think Roop might be the best underdog pick on the card, but in a straight-up pick I’ll go with Hioki. Surely, one of these Japanese transplants has to prove himself worthy of the hype, right? Guys? Right?
Fabricio Werdum was bounced out of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix by Alistair Overeem in June.Since then Werdum has had rumors swirling about him possibly returning to the UFC, following in the footsteps of other Strikeforce fighters.Werdum has…
Fabricio Werdum was bounced out of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix by Alistair Overeem in June.
Since then Werdum has had rumors swirling about him possibly returning to the UFC, following in the footsteps of other Strikeforce fighters.
Werdum has already picked out his first opponent: former Ultimate Fighter 10 contestant Brendan Schaub.
“Brendan Schaub, I’m ready for you. Anytime, anywhere,” Werdum tweeted on Monday. “Great fight for the UFC fans.”
Schaub was last seen being knocked out in the first round at UFC 134 in Rio by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Before that, Schaub had not lost a fight since his TUF Finale match against Roy Nelson for the TUF 10 title.
Overall Schaub is 7-3 with a win over Gabriel Gonzaga and a “Knockout of the Night”-winning knockout of MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 128.
Werdum went 2-2 in his last stint in the UFC, beating Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga. Werdum lost his first fight to Andrei Arlovski and lost his final fight against a young Junior Dos Santos by knockout.
Since Werdum’s last UFC he has gone 3-1 in Strikeforce with his only loss being his June loss to Overeem.
Filed under: UFCTo Brendan Schaub, it was just an off-hand remark in answer to a common question. While in Los Angeles to talk about the UFC Undisputed video game, he gave an interview where he was asked who he’d like to fight next after his loss to An…
To Brendan Schaub, it was just an off-hand remark in answer to a common question. While in Los Angeles to talk about the UFC Undisputed video game, he gave an interview where he was asked who he’d like to fight next after his loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134 in Brazil.
“They kept talking about the Strikeforce [heavyweights], the heavyweight division, and I just mentioned that I thought there were bunch of good fights for me,” Schaub told MMA Fighting on Tuesday. “And I said, you know, I think [Fabricio] Werdum would be a fight that the UFC fans might like to see, but who knows?”
That was all it took for Werdum, who apparently saw the interview and was quick to jump on his Twitter to tell Schaub: “I’m ready for you, anytime, anywhere!”
It made for a surprising morning for Schaub, who said he wasn’t expecting such a response from the Brazilian heavyweight.
“I wasn’t calling him out, but man, he got word of that and I guess he just ran with it. I woke up this morning to all these Twitter mentions and text messages and I thought, what’s going on? Sure enough, I come to find out that he’s saying, ‘I’m ready to fight Brendan.’ Hey, I’m all for it, man.”
Ideally, Schaub said, he’d like to get back in the cage in late January or February. He recently got back to training after his knockout loss in Rio, and has been touring different gyms in search of sparring partners and new looks.
Tossing out Werdum’s name in an interview wasn’t an attempt at specifically calling him out, he said, but if Werdum wants to take it that way, Schaub has no objections.
“I don’t really care. To fight a guy like Werdum would be great. Me mentioning his name is nothing disrespectful at all. I’ve got nothing but respect for him. I think he’s ranked number five in the world and he’s one of the biggest names out there. That’s why I brought his name up, and I think he’d be one hell of a challenge for me. Tell me where to sign.”
As for whether the fight could realistically happen in the near future, that’s a different question. There have been all sort of rumors about Werdum negotiating with the UFC for a return to the Octagon, and he certainly wouldn’t be the first Strikeforce heavyweight to make the jump now that the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix is down to two remaining finalists.
Werdum may not be back in the fold just yet, but Schaub is optimistic that a little heat behind this match-up could expedite the process.
“I definitely think it’s feasible. The only relevant fight left in Strikeforce as far as the heavyweights go is [Daniel] Cormier and [Josh] Barnett. The rest of them, it seems like they are coming over. I have no idea what kind of situation Werdum’s in with the UFC, but maybe this will kind of speed things up and they can make that happen.”
After suffering a knockout loss in his biggest career bout, Brendan Schaub will attempt to bounce back when he faces Ben Rothwell at UFC 145 in March 2012.
Fighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.
Last time on Fighter vs. Writer, I 
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