‘Soul of Fight’ Videos, Part 1: Okuno vs. Chonan, Maeda vs. Kanehara, Nakamura vs. Enomoto

(Taisuke Okuno vs. Ryo Chonan. Fight starts at the 1:30 mark. Props: DJSexStyle via MiddleEasy)
Some highlights from today’s stoppage-heavy Sengoku show. Above, Ryo Chonan gets put to bed in just 19 seconds. After the jump: The brief but ferocious slug…

(Taisuke Okuno vs. Ryo Chonan. Fight starts at the 1:30 mark. Props: DJSexStyle via MiddleEasy)

Some highlights from today’s stoppage-heavy Sengoku show. Above, Ryo Chonan gets put to bed in just 19 seconds. After the jump: The brief but ferocious slugfest between Yoshiro Maeda and Masanori Kanehara, which ended in an unfortunate early stoppage, and the welterweight GP final match between Keita Nakamura and Yasubey Enomoto.

read more

Video: Aleksander Emelianenko’s Three-Year Can-Crushing Streak Comes to a Bitter End

(Props: 187872 via MMAScraps. Fight starts at the one-minute mark.)
Aleksander Emelianenko was back in action Saturday night in Khabarovsk, Russia, where he faced Australian K-1/Sengoku vet Peter Graham in the main event of Draka: Governor’s Cup 2…

(Props: 187872 via MMAScraps. Fight starts at the one-minute mark.)

Aleksander Emelianenko was back in action Saturday night in Khabarovsk, Russia, where he faced Australian K-1/Sengoku vet Peter Graham in the main event of Draka: Governor’s Cup 2010. Despite Graham’s decorated kickboxing background, he came into the fight with an underwhelming MMA record of 3-5, with notable losses to Kazuyuki Fujita, Rolles Gracie, and Jim York (all by first-round choke).

But this was no ordinary MMA match — special rules were in place so that fighters would be stood up after just 30 seconds. Not that it would matter to Aleks, who hasn’t needed much more than his fists lately. In fact, The Other Emelianenko had finished all of his previous eight opponents in the first round. True, most of those opponents were no-name punching bags who looked like they didn’t belong in the ring with him, and his April win against Eddy Bengtsson was one of the dive-iest dives in diving history. Would Graham be another conquest on Alek’s can-crushing streak? As the headline of this post should have already informed you, no, not at all.

read more

Video of the Day: Three-Second Head Kick K.O. at Jordanian MMA Event

(Props: Adiga69)
Usually we only see knockouts this fast when one of the competitors fakes the glove tap or rushes in like an animal/moron. During a bout at last week’s Desert Force Championship 1 — the first MMA event held in Amman, Jo…

(Props: Adiga69)

Usually we only see knockouts this fast when one of the competitors fakes the glove tap or rushes in like an animal/moron. During a bout at last week’s Desert Force Championship 1 — the first MMA event held in Amman, Jordan — the fighters come out normally, touch gloves, and then the knockout victim just kind of hangs out in concussion-range with his hands down. The sound of the impact is just ridiculous. Great show of respect from the winning fighter, who comes back to…kiss the loser’s ankle? Hmm. Well, it’s a different culture and we must not judge.

Must-See Video: ‘MMA 2010 Highlights’

(Props: volton via MMA Scraps)
From dramatic come-from-behind victories to face-plant knockouts to completely unexpected upsets, MMA in 2010 was as entertaining as it was shocking. This brand-new new highlight video serves as a good reminder of ho…

(Props: volton via MMA Scraps)

From dramatic come-from-behind victories to face-plant knockouts to completely unexpected upsets, MMA in 2010 was as entertaining as it was shocking. This brand-new new highlight video serves as a good reminder of how crazy things got, even if it seems to focus only on stoppages. (Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung, Megumi Fujii vs. Zoila Frausto, and the Penn vs. Edgar double-header were as notable as any other fights this year, but they don’t get any screen time here.) Let us know your favorite moment from the compilation — and what else you think should have been included.

Video: James Irvin’s Comeback Hits a Roadblock at ‘Tachi Palace Fights 7’

(Props: TachiPalaceFights. Fight starts at the 2:03 mark.)
Two months after he barely survived his first post-UFC outing against Angel DeAnda, James Irvin was back in action last night at "Tachi Palace Fights 7: Deck the Halls" in Lemoor…

(Props: TachiPalaceFights. Fight starts at the 2:03 mark.)

Two months after he barely survived his first post-UFC outing against Angel DeAnda, James Irvin was back in action last night at "Tachi Palace Fights 7: Deck the Halls" in Lemoore, California — and he wasn’t so lucky this time. In the main event of the evening, Irvin took on 5-2-1 Chute Boxe product Jorge "Van Damme" Oliveira, who holds victories over Shonie Carter and Mike Van Arsdale. After failing on a takedown attempt, Oliveira wound up on his back, and did his best to defend Irvin’s ground-and-pound. At the video’s 3:24 mark, Irvin’s gets enough space to rain down some nasty blows, and Oliveira kicks him off. Irvin dives back in, and is immediately caught in a triangle/armbar. Fun fact: Irvin hasn’t been out of the first round in over four years.

Maybe Oliveira is just an affectionate guy in general, but the dude lays it on a little thick in his post-fight show of respect, hugging and kissing Irvin on the mat, raising the Sandman’s arm in faux-victory, bowing to him in a "we’re not worthy" pose (dude, it’s James Irvin, you’re worthy), getting up to hug him some more, then hugging him again after a brief visit with his corner. Now we know why they call him "Van Damme."

The Tachi Palace event also featured an insane bout between TUF 11 castmember Seth Baczynski and WEC/UFC vet Tim McKenzie, which ended with Baczynski getting his left arm snapped in an armbar, then elbowing McKenzie into unconsciousness with his non-broken arm. 2010 Finish of the Year candidate, for sure. Check it out after the jump…

read more

Video Insanity: Dazed MMA Fighter Mounts Ref, Maiquel Falcao Loses His Sh*t in Brazil + More

(Props: Gofightlive via Fightlinker)
Since nobody likes to get right back to work after a four-day weekend, we figured we’d ease you back into your time-wasting routine with a few ridiculous MMA videos. First up, a three-second KO at an Evolution …

(Props: Gofightlive via Fightlinker)

Since nobody likes to get right back to work after a four-day weekend, we figured we’d ease you back into your time-wasting routine with a few ridiculous MMA videos. First up, a three-second KO at an Evolution AMMA event that’s notable for what happens after the knockout. The losing fighter is so dazed that not only does he grab onto the referee in confusion, he manages to successfully score mount. Early stoppage, if you ask me.

After the jump: During a 2007 bout in Brazil, new UFC acquisition Maiquel Falcao continues to beat on his opponent long after the fight is stopped. Could this be a bad omen for his UFC career? (And where was that intensity at UFC 123?) Also, video of Bob Sapp‘s latest sad kickboxing match, Saturday night in Sweden, in which the Beast takes a dive at the absolute earliest opportunity.

read more