Tag: MMA

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva Calls Out Josh Barnett and Brock Lesnar

Coming off the biggest win of his career, soundly defeating Fedor Emelianenko in the first round of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, Antonio Silva had some choice words for fellow heavyweights Josh Barnett and Brock Lesnar. “Bigfoot”…

Coming off the biggest win of his career, soundly defeating Fedor Emelianenko in the first round of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, Antonio Silva had some choice words for fellow heavyweights Josh Barnett and Brock Lesnar.

“Bigfoot” is slated to take on the winner of Fabricio Werdum—a close personal friend who defeated him in 2009—vs. Alistair Overeem in the semifinals of the grand prix.

However, Silva already has his eyes set on who he would like to take on in the finals: Josh “The Baby Faced Assassin” Barnett.

Silva has some serious questions about Barnett’s character, which has clearly rubbed him the wrong way over the years:

“Friendship, for me, is everything, but Josh is a weird guy, a guy who doesn’t greet you when you enter the elevator, doesn’t even say ‘good morning.’ It’s how he treats Brazilian fighters especially. It’s the same thing with [Barnett and] Werdum.”

The Strikeforce heavyweight continued, “But when [Barnett] sees Fedor, [UFC President] Dana White or [UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo] Fertitta, he runs to them and stays by their side all the time. He makes me sick. He’s the classic kiss-ass, a rude man …” 

Silva made it clear that he would like to teach Barnett a lesson in manners, adding, “I really want to face Barnett and I’ve already said I consider him a filthy person, even though he is a great fighter, and that I’ll beat him up and close both of his eyes.” 

“I’ve been fighting since 2004 and have never had any issues with another athlete, even the most stuck-up,” Silva also wanted to clarify. 

The next topic on the table for Bigfoot: former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

Some fans, and even some fighters, believe that Lesnar pulled out of the UFC 131 main event against Junior Dos Santos due to fear, dismissing the notion he is dealing with a relapse of diverticulitis.

Silva left no question on where he stands on this issue. “I don’t want to judge anyone and I really wish it’s not a big health problem for [Lesnar], but I have some doubts,” he explained. 

“That big guy doesn’t like being punched. In his last fights, he was put in the fetal position by Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez, which is humiliating for a fighter.”

Ouch.  Bigfoot certainly didn’t pull any punches on that statement.  He concluded by saying:

“I think he pulled out of the fight against ‘Cigano,’ who is a real heavy puncher and a real tough opponent for someone who doesn’t like being punched.” 

Bigfoot has criticized Lesnar in the past, mocking him for his time in the WWE with comments like “Man, I think he must return to his fake fights; that it’ll be best for him.”

Silva also mentioned that he would love to fight in the UFC one day, and if his prediction is correct, that could be sooner than later.

The big Brazilian feels that the winner of the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament will go on to face the UFC heavyweight champion next and added that “I hope I can get both belts.”  

Credit Sherdog.com for breaking the initial story.   

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Nick Diaz vs. Jeff Lacy: Is This Fight Good or Bad for MMA?

Current Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz has agreed to face former IBF super-middleweight champion Jeff Lacy in a boxing match sometime later this fall. Both fighters have been going back-and-forth, giving opinions on what they think of each…

Current Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz has agreed to face former IBF super-middleweight champion Jeff Lacy in a boxing match sometime later this fall.

Both fighters have been going back-and-forth, giving opinions on what they think of each sport and what they are capable of doing in the other one.

Since 2006, Lacy has gone 4-4 in boxing while Diaz has gone 14-3, including a 10-fight win streak he is currently on.

The proposed bout has caused a lot of interest among fight fans, and it’s about as intriguing as when James Toney stepped into the cage to take on Hall-of-Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture at UFC 118. It’s also a much more dangerous fight for Diaz than it was for Toney.

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UFC and Twitter: Digital Royalty and the UFC Twitter Bonus Program

Whereas other major sporting promotions are denouncing the utilization of social media, specifically Twitter, by its athletes, the UFC is encouraging their fighters to tweet.Understanding the exponential benefits of Twitter and Facebook, UFC president…

Whereas other major sporting promotions are denouncing the utilization of social media, specifically Twitter, by its athletes, the UFC is encouraging their fighters to tweet.

Understanding the exponential benefits of Twitter and Facebook, UFC president Dana White has created the first social media-based incentive program for fighters.

The NFL and NBA are well-known for fining their players up to $20,000 for violating social media policies during games.

On the other hand, the UFC is embracing the far-reaching grasp that social media has in this world and will be compensating its fighters with up to $240,000 annually.

The allotted money will be dispersed as quarterly bonuses to those fighters who make the most impact through their Twitter accounts.

News of this program was released at the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas at the UFC summit where more than 300 fighters were required to go through “Digital Royalty University social media training.”

The vision of the UFC is to allow its stable of fighters to create more interaction with their fans on a personal level through the use of Twitter.

This personal engagement between fighter and fan will strengthen the bond that is vital to the success of mixed martial arts in this country. There is no denying that without the fans, ultimate fighting does not exist.

Starting June 1, Stikeforce and UFC fighters will be divided into four groups depending on their number of Twitter followers.

From these groups, three winners will be determined based on the most followers gained, highest percentage of followers gained and most creative campaign.

Each winner will be awarded $5,000 for his effort.

Dana White, a social media aficionado himself, understands the value of Twitter and the personal relationship that is awarded between the fighters and their followers in only 140 characters.

Only time will tell if the other major sporting promotions follow suit with the UFC and embrace the worldwide grasp that social media creates.

I welcome your comments.

Todd Seyler
“Like” me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter @magnus06

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The Top 50 Fighters in MMA: Are They on the Rise or the Decline?

The best mixed martial artists are all in a familiar spot at or near the top of their respective divisions.However, as similar as the best fighters in the sport may be in terms of talent, many of their careers are currently headed in very different dir…

The best mixed martial artists are all in a familiar spot at or near the top of their respective divisions.

However, as similar as the best fighters in the sport may be in terms of talent, many of their careers are currently headed in very different directions.

For example, Fedor Emelianenko, who may have been at the top of this list at this time last year, will now be fighting to remain relevant in his next bout, which will come against Dan Henderson in July.

Career paths can be changed with every appearance in this sport. In the minds of critics, a fighter is only as good as how he performed in his last fight.

With that being said, here are the top 50 fighters in the sport today and the direction in which their careers are currently trending.

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Kenny Florian Wants to Face Champ Jose Aldo, Not Through at 155

Quips about Kenny Florian’s move to featherweight have been heard over and over again since he announced his decision to move down a weight class in February.A former middleweight and welterweight as well, Florian is no stranger to the weight cutting g…

Quips about Kenny Florian’s move to featherweight have been heard over and over again since he announced his decision to move down a weight class in February.

A former middleweight and welterweight as well, Florian is no stranger to the weight cutting game, despite the constant jokes and questions about whether he will make weight for his featherweight debut against Diego Nunes in June.

Responding to criticism about not being able to compete against bigger opponents at 155, the former lightweight contender told MMAWeekly, “I know I’ve done well at 55 and I know I can be a champion at 155.”

The real reason for the move: a chance to face current UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

“It all started when I was offered a fight with Jose Aldo at 155 pounds, and when that opportunity arose, I just started thinking Jose won’t go up to 155, could I be able to make it at 145?” Florian said.

Finding himself at a stage in his career where he wants “to face the best”, the Bostonian viewed a move down in weight as a way to test his skills against the promotion’s best lighter weight warriors.  

With fighters like Mark Hominick and top contender Chad Mendes making waves in the featherweight division, Florian has a wealth of talent to test himself against – but the real prize is the belt.

“I see it as an opportunity to face one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world in Jose Aldo, hopefully, down the line”, Florian stated.

Mendes looks like the next in line for Aldo’s belt, but a win over Nunes at UFC 131 will definitely put Florian into mix, with a shot for the title possibly coming before the year’s end.

With hopes for success in a new division, the newly minted featherweight isn’t done at lightweight just yet, telling MMAWeekly, “Going down to 45 is a new challenge, and I expect to be at 155 (again) soon.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Frank Trigg Looking for One More Run at Middleweight, Starting at BAMMA 6

I had the opportunity to speak with MMA legend, Frank Trigg, last week as he prepares for his fight against John Phillips at BAMMA 6 on May 21. A nearly 14-year veteran of the sport, Trigg has fought all over the world, but this is the first time that…

I had the opportunity to speak with MMA legend, Frank Trigg, last week as he prepares for his fight against John Phillips at BAMMA 6 on May 21.

A nearly 14-year veteran of the sport, Trigg has fought all over the world, but this is the first time that he will have the opportunity to fight in front of the rapidly expanding English fanbase.

“Yeah, this is the first time I’ve fought out there, but I’ve been out there plenty of times with my daughter, so I kind of know the area,” he told Bleacher Report MMA.

“I’m familiar with Wembley Arena.”

His opponent in the fight will be a man with one of the most interesting nicknames the sport: Welsh middleweight John “The White Mike Tyson” Phillips. Phillips is currently on a five fight win streak including a knockout victory over James Zikic at BAMMA 4 last September.

Fighting primarily in English promotions, the film on Phillips isn’t nearly as extensive as what can be found on Trigg, who has spent most of his career fighting at major events.

“Other than the fights on YouTube, I don’t know much about him. I’ve never met him or anything. I know he has a lot of power.”

With all 13 of his wins coming by way of strikes, the nickname may be appropriate, but Trigg isn’t scared to stand and bang with the knockout artist.

“His nickname is ‘The White Mike Tyson,’ but I’ve been training with guys who have power, too.”

A member of Randy Couture’s Xtreme Couture gym, Trigg has the benefit of training with some of the very best the sport has to offer. But what makes the gym even more interesting is the surprising number of left-handed fighters who have been able to train with Trigg in preparation for this fight against the left-handed slugger Phillips.

“Martin Kampmann has been training with me as a lefty, and he hits really hard. Obviously Vitor Belfort…” Trigg explained.

“More than the average number, for sure. We actually have a bunch of guys at Xtreme Couture who are left handed. It’s about one out of every seven people that is truly left-handed, so to have as many guys to train with that are left-handed as we do has been great.”

Not only will fighting a fellow lefty be an interesting change-of-pace for “Twinkle Toes,” but a move up to 185 pounds is something that could yield even more success.

After making a two-fight run in the UFC as a welterweight, Trigg feels confident as he makes a permanent move to middleweight.

“The biggest mistake I ever made in my career was trying to come back to the UFC at 170 and fight the top guys right away,” he conceded.

“Physically, I wasn’t ready for it. I had retired for something like nine months and I ballooned up to 210 pounds, which is huge for me.

Trigg lost both fights by way of first round knockout, to Josh Koscheck and Matt Serra.

“I had a huge Tito Ortiz head and everything,” he laughed. “But when I came back, I tried to go down to 170 and I should’ve just fought at 185. I should’ve started slow, not fought on TV, tried to build myself back up physically. But I said, ‘Put me on TV, let me fight the best guys’ and it didn’t work out.”

Now nearing the end of his career, Trigg is looking to enjoy what he’s doing before fading off into the sunset on what has been a memorable career.

“I think I’ll enjoy fighting until I’m in my 80’s. But enjoying it and being able to do it are two completely different things, you know?”

“I can keep fighting, but I don’t want to be the guy who goes out on four knockout losses in a row or fights until his 50’s like Dan Severn,” Trigg asserted.

“That guy was fighting at UFC 1. He’s a legend in the sport and now he’s fighting at these tiny local shows all around the country, probably only making a few thousand dollars for each fight, and it’s just like, ‘Why?’ I want to go out on my own terms, like Randy Couture did.”

But with the understanding that his career is likely nearing its end, Trigg has lined up a number of opportunities outside of competition that will keep him happy going forward.

In addition to his work as an MMA commentator, Trigg also has his own clothing line and assists as a nutrition and workout expert. In fact, he recently alluded to the possibility of creating a “video cookbook for men” on his Twitter account, @FrankTrigg.

But it may be his adventure in the pro wrestling ring that could yield the highest payout for the current MMA star.

While fighters like Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley have made the transition from pro wrestling to MMA, it isn’t often that an American fighter is successful in a somewhat long-term run in an American wrestling promotion.

A long time friend of wrestling superstar Kurt Angle, Trigg joined Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling in 2008, aligning himself with Angle in the process. While his first run in the entertainment arena wasn’t wildly successful, there is certainly a base to begin with and he does seem to have a genuine love for pro wrestling.

“I’d definitely consider going back to pro wrestling in the future,” he admitted.

“It’s just such a different mindset. In pro wrestling, the outcomes are pre-determined and they’re working together for a common outcome. But what I’ve been training for my whole life is totally different. I’m trying to bring you to a place you don’t want to be, so it’s just a lot different.”

“I’d have to train probably for a year or two straight before I ever could make it as a regular character on TV and keep up with the guys. I have a lot of respect for everything they do.”

Certainly a person as determined as Frank Trigg will be successful in whatever he chooses to do down the road, but for right now, it’s all about living in the moment for the New York native and current Las Vegas occupant.

If there is one more run left in his body, we may see it this weekend when Frank Trigg battles John Phillips at BAMMA 6.

Those interested in ordering this weekend’s BAMMA 6 event can head over to BAMMA.tv, where the live streaming will take place, beginning at 11am PT, 2pm ET.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com