For those who are still convinced that Steven Seagal‘s relationship with Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida is some oddball marketing ploy, the Brazilian fight show Passing the Guard has released a teaser clip of their next episode, which does indeed show Seagal training Machida just before his UFC 129 fight against Randy Couture.
It also gives you a pretty good sense of Seagal’s coaching style, which is pretty much the polar opposite of Greg Jackson-style lovey-doveyness. Listen close as he says the following: “Use your mind. Use your mind. I don’t care if you kill him. I don’t care. You fuck him up. You take him out.” Hey, you can’t argue with success — but it’s interesting that Seagal is playing the bad-guy teacher in his life’s latest role. And after so many heroic performances…
For those who are still convinced that Steven Seagal‘s relationship with Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida is some oddball marketing ploy, the Brazilian fight show Passing the Guard has released a teaser clip of their next episode, which does indeed show Seagal training Machida just before his UFC 129 fight against Randy Couture.
It also gives you a pretty good sense of Seagal’s coaching style, which is pretty much the polar opposite of Greg Jackson-style lovey-doveyness. Listen close as he says the following: “Use your mind. Use your mind. I don’t care if you kill him. I don’t care. You fuck him up. You take him out.” Hey, you can’t argue with success — but it’s interesting that Seagal is playing the bad-guy teacher in his life’s latest role. And after so many heroic performances…
Here is the first installment of the Bleacher Report MMA Rankings. Each month on the first and 15th of the month we will publish divisional rankings. On the first of each month we will post our pound-for-pound rankings. The rankings were voted on by nu…
Here is the first installment of the Bleacher Report MMA Rankings. Each month on the first and 15th of the month we will publish divisional rankings. On the first of each month we will post our pound-for-pound rankings.
The rankings were voted on by numerous writers on Bleacher Report and do not reflect any of their rankings personally. The rankings are an average of each writer’s vote for each weight class.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson returns to the Octagon on May 28 where he meets Matt “The Hammer” Hamill in a light heavyweight slugfest. The fight now takes on even more meaning. A few short days ago, Frankie…
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson returns to the Octagon on May 28 where he meets Matt “The Hammer” Hamill in a light heavyweight slugfest. The fight now takes on even more meaning.
A few short days ago, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard each suffered an injury in training and were forced off the card. The Jackson vs. Hamill matchup now has become the main event for UFC 130.
Rampage is coming off a lackluster fight in which he won a decision over Lyoto Machida. The last three fights he has participated in have gone to the judge’s scorecards for a decision. The fact of the matter is that Matt Hamill is not nearly as big of a name as Lyoto Machida or Rashad Evans, however Jackson said that he will take this fight seriously.
“If Matt Hamill thinks I’ll take him lightly, he’s mistaken this time,” Jackson said. “My coach won’t let me take my opponents lightly. I like to finish people. I want a devastating finish.”
He went on to say, “I’m a fighter in the true sense of the words Ultimate Fighter. I have the fighter’s spirit, and I’m not afraid to do anything. I’m not afraid to fight anybody.”
It is clear that if the fight remains standing, Jackson will be at a great advantage, but wrestling has been used to wear Rampage down before. He will have a constantly open to watch for a take down attempt so he can sprawl and get back to his boxing. Jackson remains confident that he will win the fight regardless of the course the fight takes.
“I’m gonna try to do to Matt Hamill what I try to do to all my opponents: Whoop his ass,” Jackson said. “There’s not one doubt in my mind that I can whoop Matt Hamill.”
Today we caught up with Ryan Couture during his training session with Neil Melanson at Xtreme Couture for his upcoming Strikeforce Challengers 16 tilt with Matt Ricehouse. Ryan discusses his thoughts on the infamous Lyoto Machida kick that retired Randy Couture from his MMA career and knocked a few fake teeth out. Ryan also gives […]
Today we caught up with Ryan Couture during his training session with Neil Melanson at Xtreme Couture for his upcoming Strikeforce Challengers 16 tilt with Matt Ricehouse. Ryan discusses his thoughts on the infamous Lyoto Machida kick that retired Randy Couture from his MMA career and knocked a few fake teeth out. Ryan also gives his input on Zuffa’s new health insurance offer for fighters and the social media incentives. Watch the full interview below.
Any time you watch a 47-year-old man get kicked in the face by a levitating karate master – man, if we only had a nickel for every time that happens, right? – you have to wonder how the elder statesman is going to bounce back from it. In the case of Randy Couture, he appears to be recovering nicely. Aside from a small bruise under his eye, the newly retired “Natural” seems in great spirits when he meets up with MMA30’s Dave Fara at a gala event for the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, which seeks to raise money for wounded vets. Couture also looks fully in control of his faculties, as evidenced when he correctly uses the word “assimilate” in casual conversation.
The teeth however, were more of a problem. In the above vid, listen to Couture discuss the five-plus hours he spent at the dentist getting his pearly-white Hollywood-level choppers realigned. All that, and he even has to go back for more. Nonetheless, The Old Man is taking it in stride, relating to Fara that Lyoto Machdia put in a personal phone call to him a couple of days after the fight to make sure he was OK. Couture laughs off the Steven Seagal angle, keeps right on using the word “cat” as much as possible (which is only slightly less annoying than when guys in MMA insist on calling everyone “kid”) and even comments on rumors he personally took out Osama bin Laden. “It was a long plane ride,” says Couture. So you know, (if you’ll excuse the phrase) business as usual. Now if we could just do something about the epaulets on his dress blazer …
The rest of Couture’s quotes are after the jump, followed by a bevy of other Las Vegas-based fighters making appearances to pay homage to the 14-year vet. And damn, check out the jacket on Ray Sefo at 4:15. Looking good.
Any time you watch a 47-year-old man get kicked in the face by a levitating karate master – man, if we only had a nickel for every time that happens, right? – you have to wonder how the elder statesman is going to bounce back from it. In the case of Randy Couture, he appears to be recovering nicely. Aside from a small bruise under his eye, the newly retired “Natural” seems in great spirits when he meets up with MMA30’s Dave Fara at a gala event for the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, which seeks to raise money for wounded vets. Couture also looks fully in control of his faculties, as evidenced when he correctly uses the word “assimilate” in casual conversation.
The teeth however, were more of a problem. In the above vid, listen to Couture discuss the five-plus hours he spent at the dentist getting his pearly-white Hollywood-level choppers realigned. All that, and he even has to go back for more. Nonetheless, The Old Man is taking it in stride, relating to Fara that Lyoto Machdia put in a personal phone call to him a couple of days after the fight to make sure he was OK. Couture laughs off the Steven Seagal angle, keeps right on using the word “cat” as much as possible (which is only slightly less annoying than when guys in MMA insist on calling everyone “kid”) and even comments on rumors he personally took out Osama bin Laden. “It was a long plane ride,” says Couture. So you know, (if you’ll excuse the phrase) business as usual. Now if we could just do something about the epaulets on his dress blazer …
The rest of Couture’s quotes are after the jump, followed by a bevy of other Las Vegas-based fighters making appearances to pay homage to the 14-year vet. And damn, check out the jacket on Ray Sefo at 4:15. Looking good.
“I had a rough day yesterday,” Couture says. “Got the teeth fixed yesterday. Five and a half hours in the dental chair. My lip is still a little swollen (and) I still feel like I’m talking a little funny, but (it’s) temporarily fixed now. The real bridge comes in a week and we’ll be back up and running.”
When asked by Fara what it was like to be feted by 55,000 strong at Rogers Centre during his final fight, Couture admits it was hard to wrap his mind around the whole thing. Especially that last part. The part with the flying crane kick.
“It was a little surreal,” he says. “It almost doesn’t sink in when it’s happening, you have to kind of sit back and reflect on it later. It was an amazing experience. Lyoto was a terrific competitor, obviously he’s a tremendous athlete. He’s everything he was billed to be, he’s elusive (and) he’s hard to get a handle on. That kick, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone set up that kick in competition. It’s been kind of the year for those strange kicks.”
Stick around for the full nine minutes and you’ll also get to hear from Ryan Couture, Sefo, Tyson Griffin, Frank Mir, Jay Glazer and some dude who looks like he just wandered off the set of “21 Jump Street” who claims to be Mike Pyle.
The judging system in MMA has been a perennial topic of hot debate. Whether it’s due to inexperience or a lack of monitors, fans and fighters are fed up with controversial decisions. What if extra rounds were added to every fight? Just think about it. …
The judging system in MMA has been a perennial topic of hot debate.
Whether it’s due to inexperience or a lack of monitors, fans and fighters are fed up with controversial decisions.
What if extra rounds were added to every fight?
Just think about it. What if the first championship bout between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua went five more rounds? How about an extra two rounds in the grudge fight between Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson? Machida versus Rampage?
UFC heavyweight contender Roy “Big Country” Nelson recently spoke to ESPN.com about the addition of three-minute rounds.
This would extend the rounds in every professional MMA bout to five, and championship bouts would be decided in 10 rounds.
“They want to add more championship rounds. That’s where I say switch everything to three minutes and go 10 rounds. Then you have a lot of ups and downs,” said Nelson.
The increase in momentum shifts would add to the general excitement for MMA fans. Also, fighters won’t have the luxury of eating time off the clock in an attempt to feel out an opponent. With three-minute rounds, it could encourage fighters to be more aggressive to avoid losing the shorter rounds.
“You’ll probably see a lot more action because you’re constantly trying to win the round,” Nelson said. “Guys wouldn’t be feeling out for two minutes. It’s boom, you’ve got to go right away.”
The ambiguity of MMA judging has definitely raised eyebrows over the years. A last-minute takedown could be the difference between winning and losing, even if you’ve edged out the majority of a round.
“I’d say judges lose sight. One guy will dominate for four minutes, the other guy dominates for a minute, and they give the round to the second guy,” said Nelson.
“I’ve watched fights where I actually take a stopwatch and say, ‘No, he won four minutes of that round, but the judges gave it to the other guy.’ They just remember that last minute. Three minutes is short enough that the whole round stays in your head.”
A controversial fight that many point to, including Nelson, is the UFC 123 light heavyweight tilt involving Machida and Jackson. The judges awarded the split decision to Jackson, who edged out the first couple of rounds. There wasn’t much action in the bout until Machida pounced on an opening in the final round and stunned Jackson with a combination of punches.
“Split that up and Machida wins, hands down,” stated Nelson. “The first two rounds could have been 10-10, because nothing happened. Then Machida dominated late.”
While intriguing, the sport could be a long way away from this kind of adjustment, but the chances of such a major change happening isn’t unrealistic. Even Keith Keizer, who is the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, sees logic in Nelson’s proposal.
“Three-minute rounds is less stuff to judge,” said Kizer. “It’s easier to run a mile than a marathon. Five minutes is a long time, and it does make judging difficult.”