(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)
We know that times are tough. So when you have a chance to bet fake money on an event that’s being broadcast for free on basic cable, you have to jump on it. This week, MMA Fightpicker presents questions related to Saturda…
We know that times are tough. So when you have a chance to bet fake money on an event that’s being broadcast for free on basic cable, you have to jump on it. This week, MMA Fightpicker presents questions related to Saturday’s UFC 120 event in London (Spike TV, 8 p.m. ET/PT). Will Bisping vs. Akiyama go the distance? Will the main card’s heavyweight feature end with a dude getting his ass KTFO? Out of the seven British fighters in the lineup, how many will actually win? Check out the full list of pool questions after the jump, and throw down your predictions at fightpicker.cagepotato.com or apps.facebook.com/fightpicker…
This Saturday in London, UFC middleweight Michael Bisping will get home-court advantage in his headlining fight against Yoshihiro Akiyama. Bisping is coming off a decision win against Dan Miller at UFC 114, while Akiyama will try to rebound from his …
This Saturday in London, UFC middleweight Michael Bisping will get home-court advantage in his headlining fight against Yoshihiro Akiyama. Bisping is coming off a decision win against Dan Miller at UFC 114, while Akiyama will try to rebound from his submission loss to Chris Leben. Of course, you can’t always predict a fight’s outcome just by looking at recent performances. So let’s go to the stats and see if we can figure this sum’bitch out…
UFC RECORD Bisping: 9-3 Akiyama: 1-1 Advantage: Bisping
NICKNAME Bisping: "The Count" Akiyama: "Sexyama" Advantage: Akiyama
PERFORMANCE AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS Bisping: Defeated Denis Kang via TKO R2, defeated Chris Leben via unanimous decision Akiyama: Defeated Denis Kang via KO R1, lost to Chris Leben by submission (triangle choke) R3 Advantage: Bisping
CAN HE SELL OUT AN ARENA WITH A MUSIC CONCERT? Bisping: No Akiyama: Yes Advantage: Akiyama
Filed under: UFC, News After losing for the first time in 14 matches over five years, Yoshihiro Akiyama chose to add a new look to his preparation, working with famed MMA trainer and strategist Greg Jackson.
After losing for the first time in 14 matches over five years, Yoshihiro Akiyama chose to add a new look to his preparation, working with famed MMA trainer and strategist Greg Jackson.
The Japanese star recently spent time in Albuquerque, New Mexico, training his overall MMA game with the Jackson fight team while getting ready to face Michael Bisping on Oct. 16 at UFC 120.
Filed under: UFC, NewsUFC 120 will set European mixed martial arts gate and attendance records when the show bows at the 02 Arena in London, UFC UK president and managing director of international development Marshall Zelaznik said on a Thursday confer…
UFC 120 will set European mixed martial arts gate and attendance records when the show bows at the 02 Arena in London, UFC UK president and managing director of international development Marshall Zelaznik said on a Thursday conference call for the event.
Demand for tickets was so high that UFC recently reconfigured the arena to allow additional seats to be made available. Zelaznik later told MMA Fighting that over 17,000 fans would fill the arena, breaking the record of 16,693 from UFC 105 in Nov. 2009.
Filed under: UFCMichael Bisping may not be a fan favorite in the US, but few would argue that the British star tends to be among the most interesting interviews in the sport. His brash style combined with a willingness to engage in mental warfare with …
Michael Bisping may not be a fan favorite in the US, but few would argue that the British star tends to be among the most interesting interviews in the sport. His brash style combined with a willingness to engage in mental warfare with opponents makes him among the most quoteworthy fighters around.
Now 31 years old and with experience to grow on, Bisping feels he’s finally graduated to a maturity level that can move him to elite status. It’s to the point where he’s comfortable enough turning his words on himself. Take Thursday for instance, when the middleweight contender was asked about making a run at the UFC championship, and he answered with typical directness, and a serious dose of self-reflection.
“I’ve been talking about it a bit recently,” he said. “Obviously in the past I’ve talked about wanting to be the champion, being the world champ. It’s ironic. Maybe in the past I didn’t truly believe it. I was just saying it because it’s the thing you’re supposed to say. But now everything’s coming together.
(Where’s your glass trophy now, playboy? Props: thesun.co.uk)
By CagePotato contributor Jim Genia
In a perfect world, The Ultimate Fighter would give us an up close and personal look at some of the most promising mixed martial artists out there, vyi…
(Where’s your glass trophy now, playboy? Props: thesun.co.uk)
By CagePotato contributor Jim Genia
In a perfect world, The Ultimate Fighter would give us an up close and personal look at some of the most promising mixed martial artists out there, vying for greatness in the crucible of combat. But in reality, it’s become a perversion of manufactured drama and prefabricated stars — stars made bright not by the depth of the competition they must face but by the trouncing of whatever hapless wannabes a SpikeTV producer chose at the tryouts. You see, it stopped being about “who’s the best” a long time ago, and was twisted into “who makes for the best TV,” so what we get now is more Jersey Shore than Ultimate Fighting Championship, only instead of Snooki and JWoww’s cleavage we get an IFL champ or Sengoku veteran beating the ever-loving crap out of people with maybe a handful (if that) of fights.
That’s why, when a TUF winner loses in Octagon — sometimes after facing real UFC-level competition for the first time — it’s totally awesome! Because, sure, Michael Bisping, Joe Stevenson and Mac Danzig are tough, likeable guys, but don’t try to fool us into thinking they’re the definition of “badass” just because they defeated a personal trainer from New Orleans, a boxer from Maine and some kid who should be working on a farm. We’re not the ignorant general public flicking through the channels, we’re knowledgeable MMA fans. We know better!
Therefore, here, in no particular order, is a list of the ten greatest TUF winner fails of all time. It’s a list based not on animosity towards any particular fighter, but on animosity towards the Spike TV executive who skipped over the few hundred fighter hopefuls with real talent and real skill, and instead chose the clown with the funky hair, the drinking problem and the propensity for trashing houses…
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson, UFC 100 British fighter Michael Bisping was a stud in the UK MMA scene (which is a lot like saying you’re a gold medalist in the Special Olympics) when he got the call to compete on TUF, and he took Season 3 top honors after beating, well, pretty much no one of note. But he continued to rack up wins on the pay-per-views, defeating such marginables as Elvis Sinosic, Charles McCarthy and Jason Day. However, TUF 9 saw him pitted against Dan Henderson as an opposing coach, and we were supposed to believe the inevitable Octagon conflict between them would be competitive. It wasn’t, and fans everywhere rejoiced over a knockout so devastating Bisping has no recollection of anything to do with the weekend of July 11, 2009 and about nine days before and after.
After losing for the first time in 14 matches over five years, 
