MMA Fix Monday Headlines

It is a somber day amongst the MMA community as we say a collective goodbye to “The Coach” Shawn Tompkins who passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, August 14th in Canada at the age of 37..

It is a somber day amongst the MMA community as we say a collective goodbye to “The Coach” Shawn Tompkins who passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, August 14th in Canada at the age of 37. MMA Fix has only grattitude and respect for Shawn Tompkins. We extend our hearts and support to the Tompkins family.

UFC on Versus 5 drew $539,000 at the gate with 6,751 in attendance.

Chris Lytle officialy retires following submission win over Dan Hardy at UFC on Versus 5.

Lorenzo Fertitta gives Dan Hardy at least one more chance in the UFC.

Ryan Couture will face Maka Watson at Strikeforce Challengers 19. Watson is currently (4-1) in his pro MMA record. 3 of his wins come via submission.

Following Ben Henderson‘s Unanimous Decision win over Jim Miller at UFC on Versus 5, Clay Guida campaigns for next title shot.

Chael Sonnen officially loses it, calls himself the champion defending his title against Brian Stann.

Ronda Rousey hopes to return to the Strikeforce cage immediately following her controversial win over Sarah D’Alelio where it appears, referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight after being told by Rousey (and not hearing it himself) that D’Alelio verbally tapped at Friday night’s Strikeforce Challengers 18.

What’s That Again?: Chael Sonnen’s Words in "IT’S TIME!!!" Interview

Chael Sonnen was in his element, again, when he was recently interviewed by Bruce Buffer for the Sherdog Radio Network’s show, “IT’S TIME!!!”During the interview, he had choice words to say about his MMA colleagues Anderson Silva (griping f…

Chael Sonnen was in his element, again, when he was recently interviewed by Bruce Buffer for the Sherdog Radio Network’s show, “IT’S TIME!!!”

During the interview, he had choice words to say about his MMA colleagues Anderson Silva (griping for the nth time), Tito Ortiz (uncharacteristically nice on this one) and Ken Shamrock (his new trash-talk target).

Here are his words on each fighter (courtesy of Jason Moles of Cage Potato), and my humble thoughts.

Begin Slideshow

UFC on Versus 5: Kyle Noke Talks About His Fight, TUF, Chael, Steve Irwin

In the sport of MMA, many different countries have been represented by fighters, and pride runs deep within the fans themselves.  With many American and Brazilian fighters in the UFC, there seems to be very few from the other end of the globe. Eng…

In the sport of MMA, many different countries have been represented by fighters, and pride runs deep within the fans themselves. 

With many American and Brazilian fighters in the UFC, there seems to be very few from the other end of the globe. England and Japan are represented to a point, but the continent of Australia has had very little representation in comparison. 

Australia is home to some of the most deadly animals on the planet, and home to many unique species. But the wildlife is not the only dangerous creatures to come from the land down under. 

The Australian UFC Middleweight contender, Kyle Noke, will be facing dangerous Ed Herman at UFC on Versus 5 on Sunday. Noke will be looking to improve his winning streak to six with a victory over Herman. 

MMA Sports Writer Gregory Chase spoke with Noke about his upcoming fight, his experience with TUF, his thoughts on Chael Sonnen, and more. 

GC: Let me start by saying thank you for your time and that I enjoyed watching you on The Ultimate Fighter and your fights since then. 

KN: Ah, thank you!

GC: And that last win over Camozzi was incredible, that was definitely exciting to watch! But if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you some questions about your upcoming fight. 

KN: Yeah, no problem at all! 

GC: You’re fighting Ed Herman, a fellow Ultimate Fighter show contestant. How do you see the fight playing out? What do you think his game plan is? 

KN: You know, I’m not too sure of his game plan. I think he may try to keep it on the feet, you know…which is good for me because that’s where I like to keep it.  Hopefully, we can implement ours on the night and not worry about his. 

GC: Now you would like to keep it standing, but you both have excellent ground game, how do you think stylistically you match up?

KN: I think we match up good, you know. Whether the fight stays on the feet or on the ground, it makes for an exciting fight! 

GC: You were originally going to face Tom Lawlor. Do you feel you are fully prepared for this fight? And what, if anything, changed during your training camp once it switched to Herman? 

KN: Yeah, I think I’m fully prepared, you know, the switch up wasn’t too far out, the UFC gave me enough notice. So we were able to adapt and change for Ed Herman so, you know, it’s just a slight adjustment. Like I said, we had plenty of time, so it was all good! 

GC: Was there anything specific you worked on in preparation for Herman as opposed to Lawlor? 

KN: Not really, you know, I guess we didn’t exercise so much on the takedown defense, with Tom Lawlor being a great wrestler. But we still concentrated on it with Ed Herman because he has good takedowns, but that’s probably the only change we did. 

GC: Do you feel like this an easier fight than Lawlor, tougher, or about the same? 

KN: Oh, it’s about the same. Tom is a tough guy as well, so is Ed. You know, from all the fights I’ve watched of Ed, it’s hard to put him away. He’s a tough guy and he’s always gonna come at you, so I think it makes for a great fight! 

GC: You’re on an impressive five-fight winning streak right now, the longest of your career. How does that affect you mentally in your upcoming fight? Is there any nervousness to keep it going, or is it all motivation? 

KN: It’s all just motivation, you know. I don’t let it affect me at all. I just take every fight as they come. It’s just another fight, so I’m looking forward to getting in there and doing it! 

GC: So on a less fight-oriented note, how was your experience on The Ultimate Fighter with Chuck Liddell? What was the most significant factor you took from that experience? 

KN: You know, the experience itself was great, obviously wouldn’t be here without it. It is tough being on the show on the same hand, people don’t realize it. You’re away from your normal camp, it’s not the way you’re used to getting ready for fights and stuff.

If I had the opportunity to do it again, yeah I would do it again, make it in the UFC. The show wasn’t THAT bad where I didn’t want to do it. And with Chuck Liddell, it was awesome, you know, he was a great coach, a really cool dude, and I learned a lot from the guy. 

GC: So would you ever want to eventually go back and be a coach yourself? 

KN: Yeah sure, if they offered me that opportunity, I would love to do it, it would be an awesome experience, I think! 

GC: What is one thing from being on that show, which viewers do not see, that you thought was great, or really enjoyed? 

KN: I’m not sure, I think they get to see a lot of it. I guess just the friendships you make. I came away with good friends from the show, so I guess that’s one thing to take away from it. 

GC: Now you were the bodyguard and trainer for Steve Irwin for a while before he passed. During your time with the great “Crocodile Hunter,” did you learn anything from your time with him that has carried over to MMA in your life or in the cage? 

KN: Sure, you know, he always had a great passion for everything he’d done. He instilled that passion for me and that drive in me, and I think I wouldn’t have committed 100 percent like I am now. I don’t think I would be so committed to this sport, if I hadn’t worked for him and met him. 

GC: Aside from your upcoming fight, care to make any predictions for the rest of the card? 

KN: You know, that’s a tough one. I’ve been REALLY bad with my picks lately, but um, I think Dan Hardy is gonna win that one. You never know. 

GC: How do you think he’s going to win? 

KN: I think maybe a knockout. But you never know, because Chris Lytle will always find a way to win sometimes, and when you think he’s about to get knocked out, he comes back. 

GC: You are currently a Middleweight in the UFC, how do you think a fight with you and Champion, Anderson Silva, would play out? 

KN: Um, I don’t know. I would love that opportunity. That’s what we’re all fighting for, is that opportunity itself. I sure Greg Jackson would come up with a game plan if that ever happened. 

GC: Now would you feel comfortable striking with Silva, or would you like to focus more on the ground? 

KN: You know, I would take the fight wherever it went. I’m confident in my standup, I’d try and stand with him. But it’s the same as all my fights, I’m comfortable standing and if that doesn’t work so good, I’ll go to the ground. 

GC: Also, being in the Middleweight division, what is your take on Chael Sonnen’s words toward Anderson, Brazilians and other fighters in general? What’s your perspective on his talk? 

KN: I don’t really like guys who disrespect people and talk about them, you know. I think all your actions should be done inside the cage.

I understand he trying to hype a fight, but when you disrespect the whole country like that, it’s kind of disrespectful. There’s taunting a guy and hyping a fight, then there’s going too far, and I think that he went too far. 

GC: If you had one thing about you that you wanted the fans to know, that they didn’t already, what would it be? 

KN: Oh, I don’t know (laughs). I would never quit. I think just my fighting ability. I’m gonna get in there and try and fight every fight with all my heart and try to finish and put on the best show I can. 

GC: Well Kyle Noke, thank you so much for your time and answering some questions.  I look forward to watching your fight against Ed Herman on Aug. 14, and I wish you much success! 

KN: No problem, thanks a lot, thanks for the interview!

 

Follow the @FightersCreed on Twitter!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chael Sonnen Says Ken Shamrock Is a ‘Scumbag’

Chael Sonnen has added another name to his laundry list of fighters. In an interview on “It’s Time” with Bruce Buffer, the UFC middleweight contender voiced his opinion on several topics, including an upcoming bout between Ken Shamrock and IBA Hea…

Chael Sonnen has added another name to his laundry list of fighters. 

In an interview on “It’s Time” with Bruce Buffer, the UFC middleweight contender voiced his opinion on several topics, including an upcoming bout between Ken Shamrock and IBA Heavyweight champion, James Toney. 

Never one to shy away from making his opinions go unheard, Sonnen said he predicts the bout won’t happen, and in fact, never was going to happen.

“Ken Shamrock is going around to all these different promoters doing his typical scumbag move getting money up front saying, ‘You know, I’m a Hall of Famer and I don’t even know if you guys are going to exist, so give me a 10 grand signing bonus,'” Sonnen said.

“He’s not gonna fight James Toney anymore than you are. He never was. That fight won’t happen, mark my words,” he added.

Sonnen, who will make his anticipated return at UFC 136 against Brian Stann, also sounded off on UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Sonnen lost to the Brazilian in a title bout at UFC 117 last year, which saw Sonnen dominate his opponent from the opening bell. Silva would lock in a triangle choke near the end of the fight that saw him secure the win. 

However, Sonnen see’s it differently.

“In what parallel scoring system do you punch a man three hundred times, he hits you eleven times, wraps his legs around your head for eight seconds and they declare him the winner? That doesn’t make you a winner,” he said.

The trash-talk and criticism is nothing new from Sonnen. He has repeatedly bashed Silva, along with the rest of the Brazilian’s training camp, Team Blackhouse. Sonnen will face Brian Stann at UFC 136, where the winner will likely earn a title shot next year. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chael Sonnen Believes He Beat Anderson Silva at UFC 117, Blames Scoring System

Chael Sonnen may have lost to Anderson Silva on paper, but the self-proclaimed “People’s Champ” truly believes he walked away from the bout a winner. The brash Oregon native was recently a guest on Bruce Buffer’s It’s Time show on the Sherdog Radi…

Chael Sonnen may have lost to Anderson Silva on paper, but the self-proclaimed “People’s Champ” truly believes he walked away from the bout a winner.

The brash Oregon native was recently a guest on Bruce Buffer’s It’s Time show on the Sherdog Radio Network, where he had strong words regarding his UFC 117 loss to Silva and the MMA scoring system.

“In what parallel scoring system do you punch a man 300 times, he hits you 11 times, wraps his leg around your head for eight seconds and they declare him the winner?” Sonnen asked during the show.

“That doesn’t make you a winner. In no form of society, from the jungle to the streets, does that make you a winner. I’m the people’s champion. I’m the linear champion.

“I’m the best middleweight there’s ever been, and I am the UFC’s true champion.”

The Silva and Sonnen feud has gone on for over a year. It came to a climax when Silva submitted Sonnen in the fifth round of their August 2010 bout after getting dominated for 23 minutes.

The late fight heroics have led to continued verbal exchanges between the two that seem to capture headlines on a weekly basis. Sonnen said on the Sherdog show that he outright doesn’t like Silva or anyone from his Black House gym.

When it comes to Chael Sonnen, what you see is what you get. There isn’t a facade or cheap hope for fight promotion. Sonnen truly believes in what he says. If not, he simply wouldn’t say it. As Sonnen said on the program, he doesn’t “manufacture conflict.”

Sonnen goes on to point out welterweight contender Josh Koscheck, who went out of his to get under Georges St-Pierre’s skin before their title bout in December 2010.

After months of talk, Koscheck retracted his comments after losing a lopsided unanimous decision to St-Pierre. In his post-fight interview, Koscheck admitted that all of the trash talk was only meant to hype the fight.

Despite being a long-time friend of Koscheck’s, Sonnen said he sees something incredibly wrong with this picture:

I’ve known Josh Koscheck for 13 years. He’s got my full support. He’s a friend of mine. If I had the ability, I would have fired him after the St-Pierre fight.

Not because of the beyond atrocious performance he put on, but [for] the fact that he built the fight up––he hyped it, and he grabbed the microphone and tells everybody, ‘Hey, I didn’t mean that.’ Somewhere in fighting that’s OK? That is a fraudulent criminal act in my opinion.

Sonnen calls fighters out when he truly has a problem with them, but “The All-American” Brian Stann doesn’t seem to be one of those guys. Both middleweights are scheduled to meet on Oct. 8 at UFC 136 in a bout that could determine a new No. 1 contender for the UFC title.

“I’m not going to manufacture a conflict against Brian Stann. He’s a friend of mine. He’s a great guy. He’s a world champion,” Sonnen said.

“He and I need to compete with each other. I’m the middleweight champion of the world, and Dana White and I together have deemed him the No. 1 contender for my championship. I will give him his opportunity on Oct. 8. That’s it. Win or lose, we will shake hands, and we will carry on life as men and as friends.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

After Brock Lesnar, Who Is the Next Big Thing?

Earlier today, there was an interesting article posted here at Bleacher Report, which posed the question of whether or not Brock Lesnar’s time as a UFC championship contender was over.  Obviously, this is a question that only Lesnar himself will b…

Earlier today, there was an interesting article posted here at Bleacher Report, which posed the question of whether or not Brock Lesnar‘s time as a UFC championship contender was over.  Obviously, this is a question that only Lesnar himself will be able to answer.  However, even as a huge supporter of the former heavyweight kingpin, I find myself doubting that Brock will ever return to the top of the mountain in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

After his first bout with diverticulitis, the toll taken on Brock Lesnar’s body was readily apparent.  He fought two fights after his original year-long layoff from the sport, and though he was miraculously victorious in his return bout against Shane Carwin, he was far from impressive in either.  Both times, Brock was quite a bit smaller (but still huge, in fairness) than he had been prior to the onset of his illness.  Both times, he was absolutely clobbered by his opponent throughout Round 1. 

For the first fight back, luck was riding on Lesnar’s side.  Carwin gassed himself out looking for the Round 1 finish, allowing Lesnar to gain an easy takedown and submission in Round 2.  Unfortunately for Brock, he would have no such luck in his next fight against Cain Velasquez.  This time, his opponent had a gas tank that would take much longer than two minutes to hit empty.  Velasquez easily brutalized the much larger Lesnar, and walked out with a championship belt around his waste. 

After coaching on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, Lesnar was forced to pull out of his last scheduled fight with Junior dos Santos.  The dreaded intestinal disease had struck again.  Though he has been out ever since, Brock will return.  That much is certain. But it is highly doubtful that he will ever be the same as he was during his initial run.  One bout with diverticulitis was hard enough on him, and I doubt the second will be much better.  If I were to guess, I’d say he will be out of the fight game entirely by 2013.  Brock Lesnar isn’t the type of man to stick with a sport just to be second best.  If he can’t recapture his former glory, and he probably won’t, I imagine he won’t be around long for the MMA world.

So, the question I ask is this:  Who IS the “next big thing” for the UFC?

Regardless of your personal opinion of Brock as a mixed martial artist, no one can deny the amount of attention (read: money) he brought into the UFC.  There has never been a single fighter who has received as much fanfare, controversy, love and hatred as Brock Lesnar.  Be it WWE fans who have followed him since his debut there in 2002, hardcore MMA fans who simply want to see him exposed as some sort of fraud or anything in between, people will pay good money to see Lesnar fight.  Period.

If Brock Lesnar’s UFC run truly has seen its peak, which fighter out there can pick up where he left off?  Hardcore MMA fans will buy monthly pay-per-view shows whether Brock is to be found or not, but who will retain the casual fans whose wallets he opened up for Dana White & Company?

I only have one answer, given the current crop of talent, and that is Chael Sonnen.  Like Lesnar, there isn’t a single fan of the sport who doesn’t have some kind of opinion of the man.  You either love him or hate him, and that’s definitely a good thing for business.  People will pay to see Chael Sonnen back up his ridiculous trash talk, or people will pay to see Chael Sonnen get his mouth shut by a superior athlete.  Either way, his presence is good for the UFC.

I’m not saying that Sonnen is the most talented fighter in the business.  That’s certainly not the case.  He is, however, the most interesting fighter in the business.  If Brock Lesnar is on the way out, and that very well may be, I believe Chael Sonnen must be the man who picks up the incredible amount of slack that will undoubtedly be left in his wake.

… I want to know what you think, readers.  In your opinion, who is the next big thing?  Cast your vote, and please elaborate, in the comments section below.  I’m looking forward to seeing what you think!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com