Tag: MMA

Yoshihiro Akiyama Thrilled to be Fighting Michael Bisping

It wasn’t long ago that reports were firing around the internet stating that Yoshihiro Akiyama had taken his gloves and gone home, after finding out that he’d fight Chris Leben at UFC 113, instead of the injured Wanderlei Silva. Of course, despite his despair about the fact he would no longer be fighting  “a big […]

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It wasn’t long ago that reports were firing around the internet stating that Yoshihiro Akiyama had taken his gloves and gone home, after finding out that he’d fight Chris Leben at UFC 113, instead of the injured Wanderlei Silva. Of course, despite his despair about the fact he would no longer be fighting  “a big name” like “The Axe Murderer”, Akiyama showed up and threw down, only to lose by submission in what was one hell of a thrilling fight (as we predicted no?)

Recently it was announced that Akiyama will once again partake in what should be another entertaining fight, as it was confirmed that the judo star would face Michael Bisping, October 16th at UFC 120. Now, we know what you’re wondering; does Bisping qualify as a big enough star for Akiyama? Well, according to a report from MMA Bay, the answer is yes and then some…

“I am very excited to fight Michael Bisping on his home ground, from what I understand Bisping is popular like David Beckham there, and I am honored. I want to show to the world that Asian fighters can stand toe-to-toe with the world’s best, and I hope to see Asian fans at the fight in London.”

Wow. Beckham huh? (Insert “Bend it like Beckham” joke here). No wonder Akiyama is so thrilled…maybe Posh Spice will be in attendance to really get “Sexyama” amped for the bout. Talk about the star factor aside, this should be a doozy.

Anthony Johnson to Return in Fall- Possibly at Middleweight

If you’re new to the sport of MMA you may be thinking right now ‘Anthony Johnson…why does that name sound so familiar?’ Well, although Johnson hasn’t fought since last November due to a knee injury, if you tune into Spike regularly you’ve probably seen more than a few highlights of him leaving dudes in an […]

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If you’re new to the sport of MMA you may be thinking right now ‘Anthony Johnson…why does that name sound so familiar?’ Well, although Johnson hasn’t fought since last November due to a knee injury, if you tune into Spike regularly you’ve probably seen more than a few highlights of him leaving dudes in an unconscious heap. Well, according to a report from MMA Weekly, due to Johnson’s aforementioned knee injury and subsequent surgery, the already massive welterweight has just a wee bit of weight to lose before returning to action this fall. Source? Johnson’s agent Ken Pavia recently said this on MMA Weekly Radio:

“Anthony Johnson at one point weighed the same as Ricco Rodriguez, which is kind of scary. He weighed the same as Ricco Rodriguez, except he had abs,” …”He had a knee injury. He had surgery, took some time off to let it heal, it was giving him some problems, but now he’s in rehab and doing rehab for his knee.”

Now, if you’re a long time observer of the sport you may be thinking ‘dear God, which Ricco are we talking about?’ As let’s face it, the former UFC champ’s weight hasn’t exactly been static over the last few years…Well, the report clarified that Johnson got up to 230 at one point… So, due to being on the DL for quite some time and the need to shed a lil weight, Pavia also told MMA Weekly that they are looking at October / November for Johnson’s return. And yes, middleweight is an option.

Things are always more violent when Johnson’s around- it will be good to see him back.

Paul Daley Wins Down Under at Impact FC 2

Things change pretty damn fast in the world of MMA- one moment you’re being heralded as a welterweight contender in the UFC, the next you’re getting canned for sucker punching a dude with hair you described as ‘fraggle-ish’. Now just who could we be talking about? There’s just so many guys who’ve been involved in […]

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Things change pretty damn fast in the world of MMA- one moment you’re being heralded as a welterweight contender in the UFC, the next you’re getting canned for sucker punching a dude with hair you described as ‘fraggle-ish’. Now just who could we be talking about? There’s just so many guys who’ve been involved in that scenario…

Now that you’re done rolling your eyes, we’ll move on to the latest news regarding ex-UFC welterweight Paul “Semtex” Daley, who fought Daniel Acacio on Impact FC’s second show last night in Sydney, Australia. No, Daley didn’t sh-t the bed as you may or may not have been hoping for; in the third round he opened up a large gash on Acacio’s head with an elbow, and after several follow up G-N-P strikes the Brazilian verbally tapped. If you think this means you might see Daley back in the UFC anytime soon…we’re thinking you might want to rethink that conclusion.

Just like Impact’s first event last week, this card also featured several notable fighters; yes even if some of them are no longer fighting under the big Zuffa lights. Case in point- accomplished middleweights Denis Kang and Paulo Filho fought to a  split draw, while “Shogun” Rua’s brother Murlio “Ninja” Rua, tapped out Jeremy May with a first round guillotine choke.

In the card’s main event, Ken Shamrock demonstrated rather effectively that he couldn’t check Pedro Rizzo’s leg kicks, and was stopped by the heavyweight in the first round.

Report: Jake Shields Signs With UFC; Debut Will Be at 170

Yes, there’s a very good chance that in your internet travels today, you will likely not come across a more predictable headline than above (save something similar to ‘What Lindsay Will Learn in Jail’). Okay, to be fair, while everyone and their clairvoyant dog expected Jake Shields to sign with the UFC (the chances rose […]

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Yes, there’s a very good chance that in your internet travels today, you will likely not come across a more predictable headline than above (save something similar to ‘What Lindsay Will Learn in Jail’). Okay, to be fair, while everyone and their clairvoyant dog expected Jake Shields to sign with the UFC (the chances rose to what? 99% or so after he was released by Strikeforce?) there had been some talk that he might consider staying at middleweight.

Well, according to a report on Graciefighter.com (which is run by Cesar Gracie– the dude that taught Shield’s much of his ‘that’s a wrap’ ground game), Shields has indeed finally inked a deal with the UFC.

Jake Shields will be debuting at the 170lbs weight division in the UFC. After careful consideration and consulting with UFC representatives it was determined Jake would be finally going back to his original fighting weight…Jake’s opponent is one of the UFC’s top contenders and will be announced shortly

Cool beans. As far as debuting at welterweight, really, for the time being, that seems like the best choice for both Shields and the UFC (Dana White never seemed too thrilled about the idea of the former Strikeforce champ remaining at 185). Shields is a natural welterweight, and although he’s taken out bigger dudes like Robbie Lawler and Dan Henderson, there are some beasts in the UFC middleweight division. In other words, why put a huge free agent acquisition where he can’t be his very best? That can come later if need be.

So, it will be interesting to see which ‘top contender’ Shields faces first. If he wins- does he roll into a bout with the winner of GSP/ Koscheck II?

Report: Fedor’s Next Opponent Still Uncertain; Fabricio Werdum Possibly Having Surgery

When Fabricio Werdum tapped out MMA deity Fedor Emelianenko on June 26th the foundations of the sport shook like it hasn’t in quite some time (other top-quake-contenders: Zuffa buying Pride? Randy Couture ‘retiring’ in 2007? Brock Lesnar being relatively civil after subbing Shane Carwin?) Not only did most people not see it coming, but it […]

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When Fabricio Werdum tapped out MMA deity Fedor Emelianenko on June 26th the foundations of the sport shook like it hasn’t in quite some time (other top-quake-contenders: Zuffa buying Pride? Randy Couture ‘retiring’ in 2007? Brock Lesnar being relatively civil after subbing Shane Carwin?) Not only did most people not see it coming, but it raised a ton of questions about Fedor’s immediate future.

Of course, it didn’t take long for both Fedor’s management (M-1) and Werdum himself, to talk about possibly doing an immediate rematch. Strikeforce’s Scott Coker didn’t seem to be too keen on that idea, and to the annoyance of some, talked about the possibility of doing Fedor / Overeem next. Well, according to a report from Super Lutas (thanks to MMA Mania for the translation), Werdum is considering undergoing surgery to repair an injured elbow he’s had for some time, stating “I might just get back next year.”

Next year? Looks like Coker should be able to green light Overeem / Fedor no problem now right? Not so fast. According to an updated report from BloodyElbow.com, the outlet contacted M-1’s Evgeni Kogani, who had this to say when asked about Werdum possibly going on the DL.

“(Werdum’s) gotta do what he’s gotta do. The re-match will be there, pre elbow surgery or post. That’s what the fans want and that’s what they will eventually get.”

When asked a follow up question about Fedor fighting Overeem, Kogani said they’d have to talk to their “partners”, with news on that coming “in a little while.” Soo… more drawn out negotiations to come or?

Ronaldo “Jacare” Expecting Tim Kennedy to Look for Takedown

Although a lot of people may have been excited about the prospect of Strikeforce holding a tournament to fill its vacant middleweight championship (cue footage of Jake Shields walking into the sunset), any big fan has to be stoked about the promotion’s decision to roll with Ronado “Jacare” Souza vs. Tim Kennedy on August 21st […]

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Although a lot of people may have been excited about the prospect of Strikeforce holding a tournament to fill its vacant middleweight championship (cue footage of Jake Shields walking into the sunset), any big fan has to be stoked about the promotion’s decision to roll with Ronado “Jacare” Souza vs. Tim Kennedy on August 21st instead. Of Strikeforce’s commodities, both Kennedy and Jacare rank right up there, so it makes sense to have one of them as the 185lb. champ (especially with Dan Henderson’s decision to return to 205).

Jacare has continued to impress since the BJJ god decided to transition into MMA (we say an ADCC championship and 5 world titles grants him deity status), and aside from his ‘WTF just happened?’ up kick loss at the feet of Gegard Mousasi, the Brazilian has pretty much cruised through his opponents recently. Of course, Kennedy has also continued to rise up the middleweight ranks, and has wins over notable names like Trevor Prangley and Nick Thompson since signing with Strikeforce.

In a recent interview with Tatame.com, Jacare was asked for his thoughts on Kennedy, and it sounds like the Brazilian isn’t expecting his opponent to stay away from the ground game.

“For sure. I believe he’ll keep doing his game, he’ll try to bring me down, but I’ll be prepared to defend myself while standing and bring him down in order to use my Jiu-Jitsu to try to submit him.”

Jacare was also asked for his thoughts on the upcoming bout between Anderson Silva (his teammate) and Chael Sonnen; guess who he’s picking? To check out the entire interview head here.